He walked inside and looked at the lake. After obtaining some benefit from helping Long Hao, he naturally noticed that the lake was not as good as before anymore. Slowly he erased the word and the Qi started to disperse. 

Slowly, he raised his hand and started to write in Dragon Words.

"Heaven and earth, please listen to my humble request. Gather the Qi in the surroundings to help us train inside the lake. Let us grow stronger so that we will be able to protect our loved ones."

The Qi began to swirl while Lin Xiao was watching the words fused with the lake with interest. He naturally made the words his own and didn't follow any other rules like that Long Hao did. However, the result was still far better than when he randomly wrote before.

"Is it because it's politer?"

"That's because you're arousing the Qi." Lin Hu was speechless by Lin Xiao's conjecture. "By making request to both the Heaven and Earth, you're asking them to grant you help in this very lake."

Lin Xiao blinked his eyes and looked at the lake once more before shrugging. He didn't really understand the significance and in his eyes, it was good that they could train much faster now.

"Your priority now should be how to use your skills more efficiently in a battle, though." Lin Hu was not that concerned in terms of Lin Xiao's advancement. After all, it would naturally come in time. The most important thing for him right now was to build stronger foundation.

"I know."

Lin Xiao took a deep breath and waved to others, telling them to start practicing once more in the lake.

With the plentiful Qi inside the lake, they found themselves really enjoying this rare occurrence. But of course Prince Lin Yan didn't allow them to just rest within the lake without doing anything.

He forced them to practice and Lin Yun and the others finally understood what kind of hellish training the others experienced before. This time, they took turns to visit the betting arena to make sure that half of them would be protecting the lake and cultivated.

Within a week's of Lin Xiao's return, Lin Yun finished making the medicine and consumed it.

He made swift breakthrough to Golden Core Stage 1, much to the others' annoyance. 

"You're too fast!" Lu Jian complained when he saw Lin Yun had broken through. He felt that it was so unfair considering that Lin Yun was much slower than them in the past.

"I have special physique," Lin Yun said without remorse. As long as he could make up for the Yang deficiency in his body, he would be able to breakthrough faster. After all, his constitution was quite special.

Han Jiang looked at Lin Yun before he shook his head and focused on his training.

Lu Jian gritted his teeth and felt that the world was truly unfair. He was not that much difference in age compared to these two but he could clearly see that Lin Xiao was better in terms of fight while Lin Yun could advance quickly with the help of medicine.

While he had to work much harder….

"When you reach higher stage, it'll be comparing more of your understanding of cultivation than your talent." Princess Lan Yi Hua looked at Lu Jian and tried to help him accept this fact.

"It's still…ugh." 

"Just train much harder." Fan Ling snorted. She had good talent and she knew that but when it came to comprehension, she needed some time.

If there was anyone among them who have monstrous speed in terms of comprehending techniques… that would be Lin Xiao. 

If not for some element limitation, they were sure that their technique would have been stolen by that brat just from him watching them battling or sparring with him.

"The practice is not over yet."

"Yes."

Prince Lin Yan only stayed for a few more months to help them visit the underground arena before he left. 

The others were now capable to protect the lake better and the people who came to take over the lake were defeated with ease. Time passed swiftly and it was around a year and a half since Lin Xiao took the mission. 

More and more people had sensed the strange rich Qi in the mountain, thus they wanted to make their way there. Thanks to that, they have to fight against a lot of humans. For Lin Xiao, it was a chance that he couldn't miss.

"Get out of my way!"

Lin Xiao looked at the man and arched his eyebrows. He rushed over and brandished his sword, which directly killed the man.

"Now all kind of Foundation Establishment Cultivators can't make you perplexed, huh?" Prince Lin San was astounded.

Lin Xiao nodded. "Is there any news from Brother Lin Xian?"

"He's still busy with his new mission. As you know, when you reach Golden Core Stage, what's important is to change your Qi so that it'll be the purified one. But of course, you have to make sure that you won't lag behind in your progress," Prince Lin San said in leisure tone.

"Don't you need to return back?"

"I still have a few months left," Prince Lin San shrugged. "I come here to join my brother in the middle, so only a month before you come, and I have already submitted my part to the guard. There's still enough time. How about you?"

"The three years' deadline for my bet is in around half a year." Lin Xiao stretched his body. he would be turning 19 soon too.

"Hmm, I see."

Lin Xiao got a message from Luo Lan that their elders were gathering for a meeting in Wang Luo Sect. The exact location was not divulged but it should be within the sect.

"They finally make the move?" Lin Xiao asked with his Communication Jade.

Luo Lan's voice was low. "I can't contact you for long, but Yue Da Sect was attacked not long ago. Because the opponent use Moon Evasion, they're suspecting there's spies, so there's a bloodbath in the sect. Now, some of the elders are asking for meeting."