Swallowing the Stars: Starting with Panlong

Chapter 58: Zhangyang City

The next morning, Lin Yun got up early.

He didn't rush to the Extreme Martial Arts Gym, but instead made some preparations first. He took out a set of ordinary gray sportswear from his spatial ring and changed into it, messed up his hair, and did some simple makeup on his face—he drew his eyebrows thicker, added a little fake stubble to his chin, and used thin tape to change the shape of his eyes. These techniques were ones he had learned in the Panlong World; although simple, they were enough to make him unrecognizable to those who didn't know him.

The boy in the mirror looked like a young man in his early twenties, completely different from his original fifteen-year-old appearance.

"That's about it." Lin Yun nodded in satisfaction.

He planned to dispose of the monster materials in the ring—the fur of the Mighty Demon Ape, the skin, fangs, and venom glands of the Seven-Colored Poisonous Python, as well as other monster materials left behind by the ring's previous owner. These materials were worth over 50 billion in total, and he intended to dispose of them all at once.

The problem is that these materials are of dubious origin and cannot be sold through the official channels of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy. Going to the HR Alliance is even more out of the question; that would be like walking into a trap. He needs a buyer who doesn't care about the origin of the materials, only about the goods and the money.

black market.

Lin Yun had done his research on the martial arts forum of the Limitless House and knew that there were a few reputable black market dealers in the underworld. They didn't ask about the origin of the materials, only their quality and price. The transaction location was usually set up in a secluded spot in the wilderness, with both parties exchanging money for goods without ever inquiring about each other's identities.

He chose a black market dealer codenamed "Mole." This man had a good reputation in martial arts circles, had been in business for over a decade, and had never betrayed a client's information. His contact information was in a hidden section of the forum, requiring certain privileges to view. Lin Yun had just enough two-star contribution points.

Lin Yun contacted the mole through an encrypted communicator and arranged the time and place for the transaction—8 PM tonight, in the wilderness area on the northern outskirts of Jiangnan Base City, at an abandoned factory.

Lin Yun spent the entire day in the training room. He solidified his power generation techniques for the third level of the Ninefold Thunder Blade while mentally rehearsing the first move of the Phantom Blade Technique. His training in the two worlds alternated, and time flew by.

As evening fell, he changed into the black combat suit he had seized from the HR Alliance warriors, slung his sword over his back, and tucked twelve throwing knives into the scabbard at his waist. This combat suit offered far superior defense compared to his original D6 series, and its all-black color made it even more concealed during nighttime operations.

Lin Yun, stepping on his battle sword, flew silently out of Mingyue Residential Area.

The desolate area on the northern outskirts of Jiangnan Base City is about thirty kilometers from the city center. This area was once an industrial zone, but it was destroyed during the Great Rebirth and has never been rebuilt, becoming a barren wasteland. Abandoned factories, rusty pipes, and collapsed chimneys appear particularly desolate in the twilight.

Lin Yun landed near the agreed location and carefully scanned the surrounding two-kilometer radius with his mental power. There was no ambush, no one else, only Mole—he was standing on the second floor of the abandoned factory, with a metal box beside him.

He took out the materials from his spatial ring, and suddenly a small mountain appeared in front of him. The cargo, weighing tens of tons, was easily lifted by him.

Lin Yun concealed his aura and approached silently.

The mole was a thin man in his fifties, wearing a gray trench coat and old-fashioned round-framed glasses, looking like a retired high school teacher. But his eyes were sharp, and he noticed Lin Yun the moment he appeared.

"It's here?" The mole's voice was hoarse, tinged with wariness. "Did you bring the goods?"

Without saying a word, Lin Yun threw the goods behind him in front of him.

The mole's eyes lit up instantly. He crouched down, carefully examining the materials, his fingers gently stroking the fur, then bringing it close to his nose to smell it, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes.

"A powerful demonic ape at the high-level lord level, and a seven-colored venomous python at the high-level lord level." His voice was low. "These two beasts are not easy to deal with. You did it all by yourself?"

"That's not important," Lin Yun said. "Give me a price."

The mole nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He took out a small testing device from his trench coat pocket and spent nearly half an hour checking all the materials.

"The Mighty Demon Ape has intact fur, four fangs, and a complete skeleton." The mole recorded the price while making a quote: "Fur is worth 12 billion, one fang is worth 500 million, four fangs are worth 2 billion, and the skeleton is worth 3 billion—the Mighty Demon Ape is worth a total of 17 billion."

"The Seven-Colored Venomous Python's skin is intact, its venom glands are complete, it has four fangs, and its vertebrae are complete. The skin is worth 15 billion, the venom glands are worth 3 billion, the fangs are worth 800 million each, the four fangs are worth 3.2 billion, and the vertebrae are worth 2 billion—the Seven-Colored Venomous Python is worth a total of 23.2 billion."

"Including the miscellaneous materials you brought—various beast general-level and lord-level pelts, fangs, and crystal cores—it's roughly 15 billion."

The mole raised its head and looked at Lin Yun: "A total of 55.2 billion."

Lin Yun quickly did the calculations in his mind. This price was about 10% lower than the market price, but considering the special nature of the black market, it was already considered fair.

"Deal," Lin Yun said.

The mole opened the metal box beside him, inside which was a portable money transfer terminal. He operated it for a few moments and then turned the screen toward Lin Yun.

"The money has already been transferred to this anonymous account," the mole said. "Don't worry, this account is multi-layered encrypted, anonymous, untraceable, and you won't be able to find any information about it."

Lin Yun glanced at the number on the screen—55.2 billion, not a penny less—nodded, turned and disappeared into the night.

The mole watched the boy's departing figure, a complex look flashing in his eyes. He had been in the black market for over a decade and had seen all sorts of people, but he had never encountered one so young, powerful, and cautious.

"Interesting," the mole murmured, putting away its transfer terminal and disappearing into the ruins.

Lin Yun didn't go straight back to Mingyue Residential Area. He circled the wilderness area for a long time, and after confirming that no one was following him, he changed back into his original clothes in a secluded place, washed off the disguise on his face, and then flew back to the residential area on his battle sword.

It was almost ten o'clock when Lin Yun got home. Grandpa Lin Guodong was already asleep, but the living room light was still on. Lin Yun picked up the white fungus soup on the table, took a sip, and then went upstairs to the cultivation room.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, turned on the smart computer, and logged into Extreme Home.

The account balance shows: 97.2 billion.

Adding the money he had in his Extreme House account and the 55.2 billion he made on the black market today, his total assets are now close to 100 billion.

"One hundred billion..." Lin Yun stared at the numbers on the screen, but felt little emotion. Money was just a number to him. What he truly needed was power.

He opened the Ultimate House's manual page and searched for the price of the complete "Phantom Blade Technique"—10 billion for the full set, 5 billion for half price. He currently had two-star contribution points, which allowed him to enjoy the half-price discount.

"Buy." Lin Yun clicked the purchase button.

"Please confirm whether you wish to purchase the complete 'Phantom Blade Technique' manual. A payment of 50 billion Chinese Yuan is required." A prompt appeared on the screen.

"confirm."

"Please verify your fingerprint again."

Lin Yun placed his finger on the fingerprint scanner.

"Beep—Purchase successful! Payment successful! The complete 'Phantom Blade Technique' manual will be delivered within 24 hours."

Fifty billion was gone in an instant, but Lin Yun wasn't heartbroken at all. He had already obtained this secret technique from his spatial ring; the reason he still purchased it from the Limitless House was to ensure a legitimate source. Otherwise, if he used this sword technique in the training camp and people asked about its origin, it would be difficult to explain.

"Next, it's time to apply for the elite training camp," Lin Yun murmured.

But he didn't rush into action. Applications for the elite training camp needed to be reviewed by the Extreme Martial Arts Academy; it wasn't something that could be approved with a simple click online. He needed to find Wu Tong first and have the head instructor submit the application for him.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow." Lin Yun turned off the computer, sat cross-legged, and began to meditate.

He switched his consciousness to the Panlong World and continued practicing the Phantom Blade Technique. Under the moonlight, his figure moved through the forest, his blade flashing. He was now able to produce two stable blade shadows, though he couldn't do it at will yet, at least they were no longer appearing and disappearing intermittently.

"At this rate, I can master the first level within three days," Lin Yun thought to himself.

While Lin Yun was focused on his cultivation, an investigation into him was quietly unfolding at the HR Alliance headquarters on the other side of the world.

In the secret room, Congressman Clement stood before the screen wall, staring at the image of the masked man. A week had passed, and his men still hadn't found a single clue.

"Your Excellency," a technician turned around, looking somewhat nervous, "there's some activity at the Extreme Martial Arts Academy."

"Speak," Clement's voice was icy.

"Among the 213 warriors at the general level that we are monitoring, one person has shown abnormal financial activity." The technician typed a few words on the keyboard, and a person's information appeared on the screen.

"Lin Yun, Huaxia Kingdom Extreme Martial Arts Academy, Jiangnan Base City, Yangzhou City, Junior Warrior, 15 years old."

Clement frowned. He remembered the name—among all the warrior generals, this was the only minor. He had initially thought the boy was unlikely to be the culprit, since a junior warrior general's physical attributes couldn't possibly match the mental power of a high-level war god.

"How much has the money changed?" Clement asked.

The technician's expression was somewhat subtle: "His Limitless House account spent five billion today to purchase a set of SS-level secret techniques."

Clement's pupils contracted slightly. Five billion. Where would a fifteen-year-old junior warrior get five billion?

"Have you found out where his funds came from?" Clement asked.

"We can't find it." The technician shook his head. "Extreme House's account information is strictly protected by Extreme Martial Arts Academy. We can't access his financial information. We can only see the spending records, not where the money came from."

Clement remained silent for a moment. Five billion in spending was an astronomical sum for a junior general. This young man named Lin Yun either possessed hidden strength or a hidden background.

"Any other unusual things?" Clement asked.

"Not at the moment," the technician said.

A cold glint flashed in Clement's eyes.

Where would a fifteen-year-old boy get so much money?

Unless... he recently struck it rich.

For example, I sold materials from two high-level lord monsters.

"Lin Yun..." Clement murmured, repeating the name, a cold glint flashing in his gray eyes.

He had no evidence. But his intuition told him that there was likely some connection between the boy and the masked man.

"Continue monitoring," Clement ordered. "Focus on this Lin Yun. I need to know his martial arts level, his spending records, and everything he does."

"Yes, Congressman." The technician immediately began operations.

Clement looked back at the image of the masked man on the screen. Those calm eyes overlapped with a scene from his memory.

"If it really is you..." Clement said in a low voice, "you will pay the price."

What he didn't know was that the boy he suspected was currently in Yangzhou City, thousands of miles away, sitting cross-legged in his cultivation room, peacefully cultivating.

Lin Yun knew nothing about any of this.

Panlong World, the back mountain of the academy

He was immersed in practicing the Phantom Blade Technique, rehearsing the first move over and over again. Under the moonlight, two blade shadows had already appeared steadily, one to the left and one to the right, like two real blades, slashing in different directions.

"Not enough." Lin Yun sheathed his sword and shook his head. "The sword shadows are still too ethereal and easily detected. They need to be more solid and realistic."

He reopened the manual and carefully studied the section on solidifying the sword shadow. The manual stated that the solidity of the sword shadow depended on the speed of the blade and the precise control of the force. The faster the blade speed, the clearer the sword shadow; the more precise the control of the force, the more realistic the sword shadow.

"Speed ​​and precise control..." Lin Yun mused.

He practiced the Ninefold Thunder Blade in the Swallowed Star world, accumulating refined control over his power; in the Panlong world, he comprehended the laws of lightning, deepening his understanding of speed. The combination of these two abilities provides the perfect foundation for cultivating the Phantom Blade Technique.

"Keep practicing." Lin Yun picked up the short sword again.

Under the moonlight, his figure moved swiftly through the woods, his blade flashing and shadows overlapping. Once, twice, three times… each strike was faster, more accurate, and more steady than the last.

He finally stopped after an unknown amount of time.

The two sword shadows had become stable and their solidity had greatly increased, almost indistinguishable from the real thing under the moonlight. Although he was still some distance from achieving the first level of mastery, at least he had found the right direction.

Lin Yun sheathed his sword, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.

Moonlight bathed his shoulders, and light and wind magic elements danced merrily around him. He could feel that his understanding of these two laws had deepened once again.

"The 'Phantom Blade Technique' should correspond to the 'Mysteries of Refraction' in the light element and the 'Mysteries of Speed' in the wind element," Lin Yun silently concluded in his mind.

He flipped to the back of the manual and skimmed through it. The further he went, the more profound the sword techniques became, and the more mystical the laws involved. By the ninth level, one could almost step into the threshold of the light and wind laws; a single slash would create countless shadows, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.

"No wonder this sword technique is worth 10 billion," Lin Yun thought to himself. If he could master it all in the Panlong World, he could at least get a basic understanding of the "refraction mystery" of the light system and the "speed mystery" of the wind system. Although the secret techniques on Earth do not contain profound laws, their ideas are very good and can be used to help him comprehend the mysteries.

He closed the manual, stored it in his spatial ring, then stood up and walked back to his dormitory.

In the courtyard of dormitory 1987, Lin Lei's room lights were already off. Lin Yun tiptoed into his room and lay down on the bed.

He switched his consciousness to the Swallowed Star world.

In the cultivation room of Mingyue Community, his other body opened its eyes and stood up from the bed.

"I'll go see Uncle Wu tomorrow," Lin Yun murmured.

Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating his calm face, and a hint of anticipation flickered in his eyes.

Elite Training Camp, Dragon Blood, Gravity Chamber, Trial Tower...

Those things were all beckoning to him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Senator Clement stood in a secret room, staring at the photo of the boy on the screen—Lin Yun, fifteen years old, junior warrior, from Yangzhou City, Jiangnan Base.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Lin Yun..." he said softly, "I'll be keeping an eye on you."