Chapter Fourteen: The Wild Desolation Force Technique

Time passed unknowingly. In the midst of his hazy consciousness, Lin Xiaobao sensed a moment of clarity, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not open his eyes. In the darkness, countless characters flickered before him—these were the mnemonic incantations of the Mindwave Technique that Old Wu had forcibly imprinted into his mind.

Each character joined with the next, imprinting themselves ever deeper into his memory. Lin Xiaobao felt his emotions growing more and more turbulent, as though he might explode at any moment.

This can’t go on! I must stay calm! Lin Xiaobao struggled to control his emotions, knowing that in his current predicament, no one could help him. Only by calming himself could he hope to find a way forward.

The characters swirled faster and faster in his mind, soon forming a vortex that drew in invisible currents of power.

The Way of Essence, reducing what is excessive... Unconsciously, Lin Xiaobao found himself intoning along with the spinning runes, and the vortex in his mind whirled even faster.

Who knows how much time had passed when a sudden boom reverberated inside Lin Xiaobao’s skull, making his scalp tingle. In that instant, he realized that every detail of the thatched hut around him was imprinted in his mind.

Though his eyes remained closed, he could see everything within the hut. This vision differed from ordinary sight—while the eyes see only what lies ahead, in Lin Xiaobao’s mind, every corner of the hut was visible, even what was behind him. He could even see himself sitting cross-legged on the bed with perfect clarity.

Many of the medicinal herbs he had sown earlier had already grown over a foot tall, and in this inner vision, Lin Xiaobao could even catch the faint fragrance wafting from their leaves. Though he knew it was all but a projection, it felt utterly real.

With a mere thought, the scene in his mind expanded beyond the hut, stretching outward to encompass everything within a thirty-foot radius.

The whisper of wind through the tree branches and the rustle of leaves—sounds that would escape the notice of most—were now as clear as day to Lin Xiaobao.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in his mind’s eye, causing Lin Xiaobao’s heart to clench. In that instant, he exited this wondrous state, sprang to his feet, and opened his eyes.

“How do you feel, boy? Are you alright? Looks like you’ve made it through the hardest part. From here on, as you continue your cultivation, you’ll discover ever more of the marvels of Mindwave!” Seeing Lin Xiaobao awaken, the two elders finally breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, until he woke, they hadn’t been entirely sure he would make it.

Still, if Lin Xiaobao was ever to reach the heights they intended for him, there was no avoiding risk.

Lin Xiaobao only grunted in reply, wasting no words as he rushed out the door. The figure he’d just sensed was none other than the injured Wang Dashan.

“Dashan, what happened to you?” Lin Xiaobao asked, his concern plain as he took in Wang Dashan’s battered and bruised appearance.

“Xiaobao, I came to tell you—don’t go to the Mission Hall!” Wang Dashan, relieved to see Lin Xiaobao unharmed, quickly recounted what had happened to him.

Naturally, the outer sect of Blizzard Pavilion had far more disciples than just their batch of newcomers. The older disciples were now guarding every path to the Mission Hall, blocking any newcomer who had just unlocked the first chapter of Blizzard’s Beginning. It was obvious—they were after the contribution points the new disciples had just earned.

To get through, one had to hand over half their contribution points.

After learning how crucial contribution points were, who would willingly surrender them without a fight? Arguments inevitably broke out, but in the end, brute force prevailed. No matter how much these newcomers had trained outside, they were no match for the veteran disciples. Most ended up beaten, their contribution points snatched away, before being allowed to take on the menial labor tasks in the Mission Hall.

Menial tasks required no contribution points, so the old disciples let the newcomers take them. Otherwise, who else would they rob in the future?

“They took my contribution points too. But I wanted to warn you first, so I ran here before going to take a labor task,” Wang Dashan said earnestly.

Looking at Wang Dashan’s blackened eyes, Lin Xiaobao found it impossible to smile. Wang Dashan might be a little slow, but his sincerity was beyond doubt. “Dashan, believe me, one day I won’t let anyone bully you ever again!”

“I believe you, Xiaobao! Did you unlock Blizzard’s Beginning yet? If not, I’m strong—I could help you open it in at most three days.” Wang Dashan seemed to have forgotten his injuries entirely.

Three days? Suddenly Lin Xiaobao understood why, when he’d entered the Mission Hall before, he hadn’t encountered these so-called senior disciples. They probably didn’t think anyone could unlock Blizzard’s Beginning so quickly, and counted on ambushing the rest of the newcomers at the perfect time.

“I’ve already opened mine. Let me take a look at yours,” Lin Xiaobao said.

Without hesitation, Wang Dashan handed him his copy of Blizzard’s Beginning. Lin Xiaobao glanced at it and nodded; Wang Dashan had indeed unlocked the Martial Training chapter. “Old Wu, can you open this?”

“What’s so difficult about that?” As Old Wu spoke, Lin Xiaobao’s mind went blank for a moment, and then, almost inadvertently, he turned the last two pages of Wang Dashan’s Blizzard’s Beginning.

“Xiaobao, you…” Wang Dashan gaped as Lin Xiaobao casually turned pages that he himself had strained to move with all his strength. His conviction grew—following Xiaobao was the right choice!

Lin Xiaobao took out his Blizzard Token and collected the sixty contribution points from the last two pages. “I’ll hold onto these for you. You wouldn’t be able to get through with them on you anyway. I’ll try to find a way—if I can get past, I’ll exchange them for things you need.”

“It’s fine, you can have them. I just need to practice the Diamond Demon-Subduing Fist from Blizzard’s Beginning,” Wang Dashan replied, never questioning Lin Xiaobao’s decisions.

Seeing how much Wang Dashan trusted him, Lin Xiaobao felt a pang of guilt for taking his points. “Old Wu, Old Mo, do you have any techniques suitable for him? Give him one in exchange for his contribution points.”

“For his contribution points?” Old Mo snorted. “Even if you sold the entire Blizzard Pavilion, you couldn’t afford my techniques!”

“This old miser is the one with all the treasures. If you want a technique, ask him!” Old Wu hastily shifted the responsibility, though he wasn’t wrong—Mo Tianya, once a famed Saint of Alchemy, had countless people offering him priceless treasures in exchange for his skills.

“You can see for yourself, this guy’s simple but honest. Just do him a favor,” Lin Xiaobao pleaded humbly.

“You just want him as your lackey, don’t you? Still, he’s not a bad choice.” Old Mo thought for a moment. “Since he’s got the Body of the Strength God, I’ll teach him the ‘Savage Force Manual,’ the very method the Strength God himself once practiced!”

With that, he guided Lin Xiaobao’s hand to press onto Wang Dashan’s head. Wang Dashan’s face contorted in pain. “Xiaobao, you…”