"Master Lin!"
The Rowe Patriarch entered the room, unable to hide his joy.
He called out, his old face brimming with excitement.
Alright, one shout's enough. Don't go making me your daily chant.
Evan Lin shook his head and pointed to the sofa on the other side. "Sit down."
"I'll get you guys some tea." Lily Liang, always quick on the draw, started brewing.
I'm only here for the heavy treasure your Ancient Martial Clans are all scrambling for. So, how much do you actually know?
The Rowe Patriarch stood up; in that moment, he looked like he'd aged a decade.
The Rowe Patriarch, sitting there, didn't hide anything: "We actually don't know what the heavy treasure really is."
But from all the rumors, it sounds like a box that only someone special—or with a unique gift—can open.
Facing Evan Lin, the Rowe Patriarch spoke with noticeable caution.
He had witnessed Evan Lin's methods firsthand.
Ever since Evan utterly defeated him, he had lost any desire to compete with Evan.
Isn't that enough? Lily Liang blinked, totally baffled. "Why kick him out? He's literally the strongest guy your clan's got!"
They're simply not on the same level.
"A specific person? A special talent?"
Evan Lin was a bit intrigued.
Seeing Evan Lin shake his head, the Rowe Patriarch's mood tanked fast.
He probably thinks I'm not strong enough. Evan Lin just grinned and shook his head.
He walked in hyped, but now he's all bitter—talk about a mood swing.
That kind of spiritual intelligence means recognizing a master.
So when the Rowe Patriarch said that, Evan Lin couldn't help but think of the connection.
Maybe it really is a heavy treasure?
"That's right."
The Rowe Patriarch nodded. "I've never seen it myself, but it's said that the thing has always been kept in the Ancient Martial Qin Clan."
"It's been in the Qin Clan for years, but the key point is that they've never truly managed to open it."
"That's kind of interesting." Evan Lin pondered for a moment. "When does it start?"
"Probably... it'll be a few more days."
As he said this, the Rowe Patriarch paused slightly, then his face showed a hint of nervousness.
"What's wrong?" Evan Lin frowned. "If you have something to say, just say it."
"It's like this: among the Ancient Martial Clans, the Liu Clan, Qin Clan, and Jiang Clan all have experts who've broken through Pointing-to-Mystery and entered the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm." The Rowe Patriarch gave a bitter smile. "You understand what Heavenly Phenomenon is, right?"
He looked at Evan Lin, his eyes full of reverence.
When Evan Lin defeated him before, he was already at the peak of first-grade Pointing-to-Mystery.
Even though the Rowe Patriarch found it hard to believe, someone who could make a peak first-grade Pointing-to-Mystery expert completely powerless must surely be at the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm.
"Heavenly Phenomenon?" Evan Lin frowned slightly, a little puzzled.
"Above Pointing-to-Mystery is Heavenly Phenomenon. You... don't know?" The Rowe Patriarch was stunned, his expression hesitant.
"Honestly, I really don't know."
Seeing Evan Lin shake his head, the Rowe Patriarch's hopeful heart instantly cooled.
"Your cultivation... hasn't reached Heavenly Phenomenon?" The Rowe Patriarch sat there.
He went from the wild joy when he entered, to bitterness now—his mood shifted fast.
All of this happened in just a few sentences from Evan Lin.
"I'm not sure either."
Evan Lin looked at him. "What's the difference between Pointing-to-Mystery and Heavenly Phenomenon?"
"The difference... I can't really say, because I haven't comprehended it yet." The Rowe Patriarch's face darkened as he looked at Evan Lin, giving a bitter smile. "If I could truly understand the difference..."
"Then I would already be at Heavenly Phenomenon by now."
He sighed again as he spoke.
"Forget it."
The Rowe Patriarch stood up; in that moment, he seemed to have aged more than ten years.
He stood there, looking at Evan Lin, his eyes complicated and flickering.
"Master Lin, I think I'll return to my room and continue cultivating for a bit."
"I'll leave you to rest, then."
After speaking, the Rowe Patriarch turned and walked out the door.
"Rowe Patriarch?"
Lily Liang, still holding the tea, was a bit stunned to see the Rowe Patriarch leave without even looking back.
"Why did he leave just like that?"
Lily Liang placed the tea in front of Evan Lin. "Before you came, he kept asking me every day when you'd arrive."
"But now that you're here, he just left so easily?"
Lily Liang couldn't figure it out.
"Probably thinks I'm too weak." Evan Lin smiled and shook his head.
Heavenly Phenomenon.
He really didn't know what the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm was in this world.
But to him, Vajra was worth less than a dog.
Pointing-to-Mystery was just a slightly more lively grasshopper.
So Heavenly Phenomenon...
How powerful could it really be?
Lily Liang was momentarily stunned by Evan Lin's words.
In her eyes, Master Lin from Seacrest was practically synonymous with invincibility.
Unless the Rowe Patriarch had lost his mind, he wouldn't think Evan Lin was weak.
Just as Lily Liang was hesitating...
Her phone lit up.
Lily Liang glanced at her text message, her expression changed slightly. She stood up. "I'm stepping out for a bit. If you need anything, just call me."
"If you need anything, you can tell me directly."
Lily Liang carefully closed the door to the room.
As she closed the door, she peeked through the crack at Evan Lin's back, her expression complicated.
She closed the door.
Lily Liang walked down the corridor, turned a corner, and stopped in front of the Rowe Patriarch's room.
The door was open.
She walked right in.
The Rowe Patriarch was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, eyes closed.
Outside the window was an endless sea.
"Rowe Patriarch, what did you mean by the text you sent me?"
Lily Liang looked at him. "I invited Master Lin here, but now you're telling me to ask him to leave?"
"Aren't you afraid Master Lin will be angry?"
"Or have you forgotten how Master Lin entered the Rowe Clan in the first place?"
Lily Liang stood up for Evan Lin, clenching her fists and frowning at the Rowe Patriarch.
She'd been at the Rowe Clan for a long time and got along well with the Rowe Patriarch.
But when it came to Evan Lin, Lily Liang never hesitated to take his side.
"He could easily defeat me, and even the entire Ancient Martial Rowe Clan—that's true."
"I admit, in that regard, he's very strong."
The Rowe Patriarch sighed, looking at Lily Liang as she entered. "I've thought about it many times since then."
"Master Lin might have the same cultivation as me—peak first-grade Pointing-to-Mystery."
"It's just that he's been at this stage longer, his understanding is deeper, and his strength is greater. That's why he can completely suppress me."
The Rowe Patriarch's voice was slow and steady.
"Isn't that enough?" Lily Liang asked, puzzled. "Why ask him to leave? He's the strongest person your clan has!"
The Rowe Patriarch looked at her deeply, speaking with difficulty.
"But..."
"No matter how strong he is, he still hasn't broken through the shackles of Pointing-to-Mystery."
"He's Pointing-to-Mystery."
"He... hasn't entered Heavenly Phenomenon!"