《Top-level Qi Luck: Leading My Clan to Cultivate》


 Chapter 1 Some Basic Settings of this Book_1

    Cultivation Realms: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Divinity Transformation


    (Corresponding to Demonic Beasts of 1st to 5th Order)


    PS: Only the Human Race with a Spiritual Root can cultivate. Innate differences can''t easily be reversed by ordinary treasures. Demonic Beasts cultivate their bodies, and the higher their grade, the higher their Spirit Wisdom.


    ...


    Lifespan:


    120 years of Qi Cultivation, 250 years of Foundation Establishment, 600 years of Golden Core, 1500 years of Nascent Soul, 5000 years to Be a God


    (Demonic Beasts'' lifespans are roughly 5 times that of the Human Race)


    PS: Ordinary humans generally live to about 50, though some strong and sturdy martial artists can live to their eighties or nies.


    ...


    Weapons:


    Spiritual Artifact, Magic Artifact, Magical Treasure, Spiritual Treasure, Ancient Treasure (corresponding to Qi Refinement~Divinity Transformation; starting from Magical Treasure, no further grade distinction)


    Heavenly Spiritual Treasure (a rarity from the upper realms)


    PS: Weapons are divided into offensive and defensive, and regardless of the grade, there are differences in quality and spirituality, naturally leading to different effects.


    ...


    Spiritual Root: Basic Five Elements properties + Ice, Wind, Thunder


    PS: The Human Race starts to test for Spiritual Roots at age ten, and only those who possess them can embark on the path of cultivation.


    ...


    Spirit Stone: Low-Grade, Medium Grade, High Quality, Supreme Quality


    Exchange Ratio: 100-1


    PS: Medium and Low-Grade Spirit Stones are the most widely circted among Cultivators. Once reaching the level of High-Quality Spirit Stones, these are typically used as energy sources for formations and are usually found with cultivators above the Golden Core Stage, considered a scarce strategic resource.


    ...


    Cultivation Technique; Yellow Grade, Mysterious, Earth, Heaven


    Spirit Art: Yellow Grade, Mysterious, Earth, Heaven


    PS: Yellow Grade is the lowest, and it goes up from there. Different grades of Cultivation Techniquese with varying strengths of Divine Skills and differ in the number of skills they convey.


    PS: Like Cultivation Techniques, Spirit Arts are special offensive methods that significantly enhance a Cultivator''s attack power. Generally used as trump cards, they are extremely precious.


    ...


    Treasure settings: 1st to 5th Order


    Spiritual Medicines, Fruits, and Ores: 1st to 5th Order.


    PS: 1st and 2nd Order treasures are divided into low, medium, and high quality. 3rd Order and above treasures are not divided by quality, but there''s still a significant difference in rarity and effect.


    ...


    Price Base:


    The value of treasures by order: 1st Order¡ª1-100 Spirit Stones, 2nd Order¡ª500-5,000 Spirit Stones, 3rd Order¡ª50,000 to 1,000,000 Spirit Stones.


    4th Order: 10 million to 500 million Low-Grade Spirit Stones.


    5th Order: Priceless treasures, not attainable with ordinary Spirit Stones.


    ...


    Human Race regional introduction: Huarong Realm, Nine Provinces Continent


    Nine Provinces Continent: Qingzhou, Jingzhou, Yangzhou, Binzhou, Xuanzhou, Yunzhou, Huazhou, Youzhou, Jizhou.


    Overseas Three Inds: Changxing Ind, Jiuxuan Ind, Lun Ind


    PS: Each continent varies in size. Xuanzhou, Yunzhou, and Huazhou are the central regions of the Human Race, with extremely ancient inheritances. Currently, the Immortal Path flourishes there, with numerous n powers.


    Qingzhou and Jizhou are close to the Endless Forest and are new territories for the Human Race, while the power and inheritances of the other seven provinces vary, and their overall strengths differ ordingly.


    ...


    Vein Introduction:


    PS: In this book, there''s no such thing as veins. Any mountain, river, or stream can serve as a habitat, the only difference being the concentration of Spiritual Energy. However, formations, Spirit Stones, and special treasures can be used to modify the concentration of Spiritual Energy.


    Typically, a long-standing power''s base is the result of thousands of years of umtion and transformation to be a Cave Heaven and Blessed Land.


    ...


    Monster Race species: Demon Race, Barbarian Race, Sea Demon Race


    Demonic Beast territory: Endless Forest


    Barbarian territory: Endless Forest


    Sea Demon territory: Endless Sea Domain


    PS: The Endless Forest covers a vast area, home to both terrestrial Demonic Beasts and the Barbarian Race, though the Barbarian Race upies a smaller proportion.


    The Barbarian Race has good innate talents but a shorter inheritance period, making their overall strength much weaker than that of the terrestrial Demonic Beasts and the Sea Demons.


    Barbarian characteristics: They have the appearance of a beast head on a human body and can freely transform into the body of a Demonic Beast in battle. With extremely high innate talents, they are the offspring of High Order terrestrial Demonic Beastsbined with the Human Race, essentially inheriting the advantages of both races. They possess higher Spirit Wisdom than pure Demonic Beasts, but still not as high as Human Cultivators.


    ...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    That''s all the settings for now, with more additions toe as the story progresses. Other realms will also be added as the plot advances.


    ...


    ```

 Chapter 2 The main family member_1

    ```


    As I worked on this chapter quitete, the main text has already reached over 500 chapters, and what follows is the current situation of the protagonist''s family.


    PS: This setting only records the core family members. As the plot progresses, the cultivation levels, positions, and even the deaths of some family members will be updated ordingly.


    If there are any mistakes, I hope readers will point them out in thements!


    ...


    Family: Lin Family


    Location: Nine Provinces Continent, Qingzhou, Wei Kingdom, Luoyun Mountain Range


    Male protagonist: Lin Tianming (Mid Stage Golden Core, Third Order Alchemy Master)


    Female protagonist: Qin Xi (Early Stage Golden Core)


    ...


    Generation setup: Ren Yi Zhi Jiu Rong, Yu You Meng Qiu Ying, Huan Cheng Yi Shi Xing, Tian Chang Qing Jing Zheng, Qian Ao Jin Ze Cheng.


    Founding Ancestor: Lin Renfeng (Mid Stage Golden Core)


    Lin Shigong (protagonist''s grandfather)


    Lin Xingrong (protagonist''s father)


    Ren Yuxuan (protagonist''s mother, Foundation Establishment Seventh Level)


    Lin Changqing (protagonist''s son)


    ...


    Core family members:n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    n Leader: Lin Shihua (Foundation Establishment Ninth Level)


    Deputy n Leader: Lin Xingrong (Foundation Establishment Great Perfection)


    Great Elder: Lin Shikang (Early Stage Golden Core)


    Second Elder: Lin Shigong (Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, Second Order High-Grade Alchemy Master)


    Third Elder: Lin Shilu (Early Stage Golden Core, Third Order Artifact Refiner)


    ...


    The ten major family institutions:


    Elders'' Council: Comprising the Great Elders and the protagonist couple as members


    Enforcement Hall: Lin Xingzhi (Foundation Establishment Great Perfection)


    Hall of Merit: Lin Xingcheng (Foundation Establishment Eighth Level)


    Misceneous Affairs Hall: Lin Xingli (Foundation Establishment Seventh Level)


    Scripture Pavilion: Lin Xingping (Foundation Establishment Great Perfection)


    Alchemy Hall: Lin Xingyuan (Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, Second Order Superior Alchemy Master)


    Artifact Refining Hall: Lin Xingshun (Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, Second Order Superior Artifact Refiner)


    Skill Transmission Hall: Lin Xingyu (Foundation Establishment Eighth Level)


    Talisman Crafting Hall: Lin Xingqi (Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, Second Order High-Grade Talisman Master)


    Formation Hall: Lin Tianluo (Foundation Establishment Sixth Level, Second Order Medium Quality Array Master)


    ...


    Tian generation core family members:


    Lin Tianfeng (Foundation Establishment Great Perfection)


    Lin Tianqin (Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, Second Order Superior Alchemy Master)


    Lin Tianhong (Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, Second Order Superior Alchemy Master)


    Lin Tianyue (Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, Second Order High-Grade Talisman Maker)


    Lin Tianhu (Foundation Establishment Great Perfection)


    Lin Tianluo (Foundation Establishment Sixth Level, Second Order Medium Quality Array Master)


    Lin Tianbo (Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, Second Order Superior Artifact Refiner)


    Lin Tianyun (Wind Spirit Root, Early Stage Golden Core)


    Lin Tiancheng (Foundation Establishment Eighth Level)


    Lin Tianhai (Foundation Establishment Seventh Level)


    ...


    ```

 Chapter 3 First Attempt at Alchemy (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1

    At dawn, a ray of sunlight pierced through the small window of the attic, shining on Lin Tianming''s face.


    Opening his eyes, he stretchedzily out of bed, the fatigue of half a month dissipating without a trace. Cultivators too needed a bnce of work and rest; constant seclusion for cultivation was detrimental to advancement in theter stages.


    Pushing the door open, he stepped out of his family''s courtyard. The morning in Green Bamboo Mountain was exceptionally lively, with n members moving through the mountain paths.


    The morning sun resembled a fiery red disc, hanging beside the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain. At the foot of the mountain, a vast expanse of green Qingling Bamboo stretched over a hundred acres, and more than a hundred attics on the mountain''s waistline encircled Green Bamboo Peak in pairs and trios, a sight too beautiful for words.


    Releasing his divine sense, a green and red flying sword materialized in Lin Tianming''s hand. Seven feet long and half a foot wide, it was extremely sharp, capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud. The family called it the Green Bamboo Sword, a low-grade spiritual artifact.


    Every n member who reached the third level of Qi Cultivation could receive a Green Bamboo Sword from the Family Merits Hall to serve as a tool for repelling enemies and transportation.


    Summoning the flying sword, he cast a spell on it, and the sword instantly grew several timesrger. Lin Tianming leaped onto it, steering the Green Bamboo Sword straight to the family''s Alchemy Hall.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming arrived at an attic on the mountainside. There stood a five-story-tall building with arge que hanging over its entrance, mboyantly inscribed with the words "Alchemy Hall."


    This building appeared no different from an ordinary attic, but in reality, it was protected by several restrictive formations.


    Lin Tianming took out a green token from his storage bag, pinched aw decree with his hands, and murmured incantations.


    A beam of green light shot from the token towards the attic, and in the blink of an eye, arge gap opened in the formation. Lin Tianming stepped forward and mysteriously disappeared from sight.


    Inside the Alchemy Hall, Lin Tianming passed through several alchemy rooms familiarly, as if he often visited this ce, before finally stopping at the door of the innermost room.


    Seated within the room was an old man in his seventies, sitting upright on a meditation cushion.


    The elder was dressed in a gray Daoist robe, with most of his hair already white and a long goat beard, exuding a friendly and amiable appearance.


    In front of the elder was a ming red pill furnace, three feet tall. The entire pir furnace was red, with three legs and beautifully carved designs¡ªit was a second-order medium-grade Three Star Furnace.


    The Three Star Furnace was one of the second-order pill furnaces the Alchemy Hall possessed, its legacy spanning more than three hundred years, a relic of an ancestral Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist of the family.


    Now the treasure of the Alchemy Hall, the Three Star Furnace was for the use of family alchemists and was overseen by Lin Tianming''s grandfather, Lin Shigong.


    Next to the furnace, on a stone table,y a dozen Spirit Grasses of various colors, surrounded by spiritual energy.


    This elder was none other than Lin Tianming''s grandfather, Lin Shigong, at the Great Perfection Realm of Qi Cultivation. He was the ninth in seniority among the Shi generation of the Lin Family and was nearly a hundred years old¡ªone of the only two alchemists in the family.


    The Lin Family had a history exceeding eight hundred years, with numerous members. The generations were distinguished as follows: Ren, Yi, Zhi, Jiu, Rong; Yu, You, Meng, Qiu, Ying; Huan, Cheng, Yi, Shi, Xing; Tian, Chang, Qing, Jing, Zheng; Qian, Ao, Jin, Ze, Cheng; with the ancestral founder being Lin Renfeng.


    Lin Tianming, a member of the Tian generation, was the sixteenth descendant of the Lin Family, ranking sixth among his generation. His father, Lin Xingrong, was the eleventh in the Xing generation.


    The Lin Family had 175 cultivators and over fifty thousand mortals, spread across major towns within a thousand miles around Green Bamboo Mountain. Lin Family mortals intermarried with the local poption, and all descendants bore the surname Lin.


    Lin Tianming entered the room and bowed respectfully to the elder.


    "Grandson Tianming pays his respects to Grandfather."


    Lin Shigong examined his grandson with a satisfied face:


    "You have been diligent, already at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement."


    "Remember, cultivation is like sailing against the current; if you don''t advance, you will fall behind," Lin Shigong pointed to the meditation cushions in front of him and said, "Take a seat."


    Lin Tianming nced at the five meditation cushions and randomly picked one to sit down.


    After a few breaths passed, the Alchemy Hall''s early warning formation flickered slightly.


    Lin Shigong took out a token. Several spells were cast, opening a gap in the restriction, and a man and a woman entered.


    The man was named Lin Tianhong, twenty-two years old, at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, with the aptitude of Three Spiritual Roots. He was the son of Lin Xingping, Tianming''s cousin, and ranked second in the Tian generation.


    The woman was Lin Tianqin, twenty-one years old, also at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, with the same Three Spiritual Roots aptitude, and the daughter of Lin Xingsu, ranking third in the Tian generation.


    Within the Lin Family, those below the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement did not study crafts, focusing solely on cultivation.


    Upon reaching the Fourth Level, one could choose from the four crafts: alchemy, artifact refining, talisman making, and formation techniques; by the Fifth Level, one was expected to contribute to the family.


    In the Cultivation World, mastering a craft may be time-consuming and tedious, but upon achieving proficiency, one could quickly umte some resources for cultivation, aiding in the swift advancement of cultivation.


    Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianqin bowed to Lin Shigong and greeted in unison:


    "Tianhong and Tianqin pay respects to Ninth Grandpa."


    Lin Shigong said sternly:


    "Find a ce to sit. Today, we will learn the basics of alchemy. Feel free to ask questions if there''s anything you don''t understand."


    After Lin Tianming and the others sat down properly, Lin Shigong began to exin.


    Alchemy starts with having a pill form, spiritual medicine, a pill furnace, earth fire, or an alternative such as Heaven and Earth Marvelous Fire. Missing any of these renders the process impossible, and the higher the grade of the elixir, the more difficult it is to make.


    Beyond the necessary materials, the art of alchemy also demands strict requirements for a cultivator''s divine sense.


    The stronger the divine sense, the greater the help in alchemy. It allows for the precise purification and extraction of the essence of spiritual medicine and seizing the optimal moment for solidifying the pill, thereby significantly increasing the sess rate of pill formation.


    Today, we will discuss the most basic Fasting Pill, which is the mostmon first-order elixir. Consuming one Fasting Pill allows for half a month without the need for food.


    The Fasting Pill can rece food but does not increase cultivation level. It is the irreceable choice for Qi Refining Cultivators during secluded cultivation. Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, one can forego food and drink for several years.


    Lin Tianming and the others listened intently, asking various questions along the way, to which Lin Shigong patiently provided answers one by one.


    An hour had passed in the blink of an eye, and Lin Tianming and his twopanionsmitted the basic knowledge to heart, brimming with interest in alchemy.


    "Now, I will practice making a batch of Fasting Pills. Watch closely," Lin Shigong said.


    Lin Shigong ced the Three Star Furnace above the Earth Fire vent. With the casting of a spell, dozens of mes gently spurted from the vent, raising the room''s temperature substantially in an instant.


    "This is Golden Bull Grass, this is Fire Ganoderma, and this is Nine-direction Flower..." Lin Shigong swiftly tossed over a dozen types of First Order Spiritual Medicine into the Three Star Furnace, his hands continuously forming incantations. After about two quarters of an hour, Lin Shigong shouted,


    "Solidify..."


    A fragrance filled the room as Lin Shigong concluded his work.


    In the Three Star Furnacey seven brown pills, each the size of an eyeball, with a rich fragrance assailing the senses, and a bit of ck residue at the bottom of the furnace.


    Lin Shigong nodded and said,


    "From one batch of medicinal ingredients, up to ten pills could be made, but that assurance is only given to a High Order Alchemist making Low-grade Pills. Normally, if three pills are solidified, it''s considered passing."


    After speaking, he collected the seven Fasting Pills and ced them into his storage bag. Then he took out three sets of ingredients for Fasting Pills. Once ready, Lin Shigong instructed,n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Tianhong, you try it first."


    Hearing the instruction, Lin Tianhong looked somewhat nervous, but still mustered his courage to respond,


    "Yes, Ninth Grandpa!"


    Lin Tianhong took a deep breath, channeled his energy, pinched an incantation with two fingers, and cast his spell over the Alchemy Furnace. As Earth Fire flowed out, he sequentially threw over a dozen types of Spiritual Medicine into the furnace, casting several spells upon it.


    A quarter of an hourter, there were a few crackling noises from the furnace, but the pills failed to solidify sessfully, ending in a heap of broken residue¡ªa failed initial attempt.


    Lin Tianhong managed a wry smile, sweating profusely, realizing that alchemy was indeed not as simple as he had thought.


    "Tianqin, your turn!"


    Upon Lin Shigong''smand, Lin Tianqin started to channel her energy, casting a spell onto the Alchemy Furnace and began her attempt at alchemy.


    After another quarter of an hour, there were simr cracking sounds and, just like Tianhong, she too failed to sessfully create a pill.


    Lin Shigong was calm, apparently not angry, and then he spoke,


    "You two didn''t purify the Spiritual Medicine for long enough, which wasted some essence and resulted in insufficient medicinal strength, ultimately leading to the failure of the pill solidification. It''s perfectly normal to fail on your first alchemy attempt¡ªit requires much more practice."


    Lin Tianming and hispanions nodded, their expressions a mix of understanding and confusion.


    Lin Shigong said no more, preparing to continue with more attempts.


    "Tianming, it''s your turn. Remember, don''t be impatient!"


    Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the cushion, rxing his body and mind, taking a deep breath to get into the best state.


    With incantations in hand, he cast a spell, offering up his Divine Sense to monitor the intensity of the Earth Fire closely. He methodically tossed the Spiritual Medicine into the furnace, step by step isting the essence of the herbs at the bottom of the furnace.


    After a quarter of an hour, infusing his Spiritual Power forcefully, seeing the timing was nearly right, he too couldn''t help but shout,


    "Solidify..."


    Suddenly, the scent of the medicine filled the air.


    Upon uncovering the lid of the furnace, two oval pills floated in the center, with quite a bit of residue at the bottom, and the pills were misshapen with cracks and missing pieces, qualifying only as defective products.


    Lin Tianming concluded his work, feelingpletely drained, a clear sign of overexertion, yet his heart was filled with joy. For a first attempt at alchemy, this result was quite extraordinary.


    Lin Shigong was inwardly astonished, yet he managed to appear utterlyposed.


    To produce defective products on the very first attempt at alchemy was quite an achievement. He knew well that in his own time, it had taken him dozens of tries to reach the level Lin Tianming had achieved on his first go.


    Lin Shigong pointed out where Lin Tianming had fallen short and gave him some encouragement.


    There were six sets of ingredients left, and the three of them took turns practicing as the better part of the day slipped by unnoticed.


    In Lin Tianming''sst batch of ingredients, one pill solidified, with two defected pieces. Lin Tianqin managed to produce defected pills, while Lin Tianhong did not seed at all.


    Lin Shigong packed up the Alchemy Furnace and said sternly,


    "I leave you three with Alchemy Insights Jade Tubes¡ªthese contain my lifelong experiencebined with the insights passed down by my predecessors. Make sure to study them well and strive to master the art of pill-making as soon as possible."


    After a few words of encouragement, he allowed the three to leave.


    Lin Tianming and his twopanions respectfully bowed and said,


    "Thank you, Grandfather (Ninth Grandpa), for your careful teaching; we shall take our leave now."


    The trio left the Alchemy Hall together.


    Lin Tianming smiled and bid farewell to Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianqin,


    "Second Brother, Third Sister, today has been exhausting. I won''t impose any further. I would like to invite you both to my home another day to discuss the art of alchemy and cultivation."


    After Lin Tianhong and the others agreed, they each said their goodbyes and departed.


    Lin Tianming left the Alchemy Hall and summoned his Green Bamboo Sword, ascending into the sky, and vanished on the horizon.

 Chapter 4 Comprehending Alchemy Experience_1

    ```


    Returning to his small courtyard as evening fell, he had dinner and then headed early to his room.


    He took out the alchemy experience left by his grandfather and studied it earnestly.


    Lin Shigong was a First Order Superior Grade Alchemist, capable of concocting most First Order elixirs, and was the best alchemist in the Lin Family.


    Due to his inability to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, he had always been unable to concoct Second Order Pills.


    Besides him, the Lin Family also had a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, Lin Tianming''s n uncle Lin Xingyuan, ranked fifth among the Xing generation, at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, and one of the most talented among his generation in the family.


    Alchemists are highly respected in the Cultivation World, regardless of whether they are low order cultivators, high order cultivators, or even the high order Demon Beast Race, all rely on elixirs for assistance.


    For hundreds of thousands of years in the Cultivation World, not only has the number of demons and humans increased, but it has be increasingly difficult for high order cultivators to break through their stages; the biggest reason being the scarcity of Spiritual Medicine resources.


    It is said that tens of thousands of years ago, during the ancient times, the number of high order cultivators in both human and demon races was several times more than now.


    During that period, there was an abundance of Spiritual Medicine and objects, and resources for cultivation were plentiful; the four great skills of pill concoction, weapon forging, formation, and talisman making reached unprecedented heights.


    After hundreds of thousands of years of continuous mining and extraction, the scarcity of Spiritual Medicine and objects has led to the loss of many ancient pill recipes and the extinction of their concoction methods.


    Alchemists can fully utilize the utmost effects of Spiritual Medicine, refining and condensing its essence into pills, which not only doesn''t waste the Spiritual Medicine but also diminishes its side effects.


    Therefore, elixirs have always been an in-demand resource in the Cultivation World.


    First and Second Order elixirs are manageable, avable for sale in various markets, but Third and Fourth Order elixirs are much more rare, generally hard toe by unless one attendsrge markets or auctions.


    And with high order alchemists being just as scarce, it''s clear to see why alchemists are in such demand.


    Cultivating an alchemist requires arge number of resources; every alchemist is a product forged through a mountain of various Spiritual Medicines.


    The other three major skills are equally difficult to cultivate, and the cost is something Loose Cultivators can hardly afford.


    In the eight hundred years of the Lin Family, First Order Alchemists have never been in short supply, and only two Second Order Alchemists have ever emerged¡ªone Second Order Junior Alchemist and one Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist.


    The main reason is that the Lin Family''s financial resources are limited; with arge number of n members to support, they cannot afford the materials needed by alchemists, which also leads to the difficulty of the Lin Family in producing high order cultivators.


    The Lin Family''s ie mainlyes from the First Order Artifact Refining material Qingling Bamboo from Green Bamboo Mountain. Every year they sell a batch of Qingling Bamboo Spirit Material, and the family also earns some Spirit Stones by forging a portion into Spiritual Artifacts.


    The Lin Family itself has several First Order Artifact Refiners, and even a Second Order Artifact Refiner. The Qingling Sword is made by the Lin Family¡ªpart is used by ourselves, most are sold to other Loose Cultivators through market shops.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As for alchemy, the Lin Family can only prioritize the needs of Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators; Second Order elixirs, needed by Foundation Establishment Cultivators, can only be purchased in various markets.


    Due to the restrictions in the pill aspect, the Lin Family has made the resolve to cultivate their own Second Order Alchemists.


    Lin Tianming, Lin Tianhong, and Lin Tianqin all have Spiritual Roots suitable for alchemy and are young with great potential, thus they are the primary targets for intensive training.


    He took out the alchemy experience left by his grandfather and pondered over it with full concentration.


    Fasting Pills, Lingshen Pills, Huadu Pills, Huiyuan Pills, Xisui Pills, Pozhang Pills...


    Huadu Pills, First Order Medium Grade Elixirs, can neutralize most First Order Demon Beast toxins but have limited effects on the toxins of some ancient demons with exceptional talents, only able to suppress the spread of the toxins temporarily and unable topletely cure them.


    Although it can''t neutralize all toxins, it can suppress the majority, making it one of the must-have pills for human cultivators.


    Huiyuan Pills, First Order Medium Grade Elixirs, are effective in rapidly restoring spiritual power; a single pill can replenish nearly half of one''s spiritual power in a brief moment.


    Huiyuan Pills and Huadu Pills are both consumable elixirs, essential inbat for cultivators and can save one''s life at critical moments.


    Xisui Pills, First Order Superior Grade Elixirs, have the effect of cleansing the marrow and expanding meridians, thereby strengthening the cultivator''s physical body, elerating the absorption of spiritual energy, and expanding the capacity of one''s Qi Sea and Dantian by ten percent, which is immensely heaven-defying.


    ```


    Cultivators engaged in a duel of spells, and having even a slight increase in Spiritual Energy meant an extrayer of protection. Often, the oue of such battles hinged on thepetition of who had the most profound Spiritual Energy reserves. The Xisui Pill is one of the elixirs within the First Order Spiritual Medicine with a rtively higher degree of difficulty to concoct.


    The Pozhang Pill, a First Order Superior Grade elixir, contains arge amount of Spiritual Energy. After consumption, it can break through the bottleneck of the Qi Refining Realm. It is expensive, with each Pozhang Pill selling for hundreds of Spirit Stones. Each sale is quickly snapped up, the Pozhang Pill and the Xisui Pill are among the most popr elixirs for Qi Training Cultivators.


    Only one can be taken, and taking more is ineffective.


    The Alchemy Experience documents detailed information on over twenty different types of elixirs and pill forms that are widely known in the Cultivation World, along with an introduction to hundreds of types of Spiritual Medicine.


    To his surprise, there was even an introduction to the Foundation Establishment Pill!


    The Foundation Establishment Pill, a Second Order elixir, aids cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, increasing the chances of sessful Foundation Establishment by fifty percent. It is one of the spiritual objects for Foundation Establishment.


    The Foundation Establishment Pill is exactly what the Lin Familycks the most.


    The scarcity of the Foundation Establishment Pill is due to its main ingredient, the White Jade Grass that''s five hundred years old, which is extremely difficult to cultivate, not easy to transnt, and has a very low survival rate.


    It must satisfy the five hundred years of medicinal age before it can be used for alchemy. It''s rtively easier to survive from seed cultivation, but the cultivation time is too long, making it possible only for great cultivation sects and families with thousands of years of heritage to grow them.


    Wild White Jade Grass is extremely rare, as the vast majority have already been discovered and harvested by cultivators, and it probably only appears innds inhabited by the Demon Race.


    The reason why the Lin Family has only two Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators is because of the exorbitant price of the Foundation Establishment Pill, which sells for tens of thousands of Spirit Stones per pill. Only a small amount of Foundation Establishment Pills appears at auctions, where major ns and powers bid against each other fiercely¡ªit''s a seller''s market with no avability at any price.


    A single Foundation Establishment Pill requires the Lin Family to umte wealth for several decades, hence it is the lifeline of small families, and major powers would not readily let Foundation Establishment Pills flow to the outside.


    After reviewing the various pill forms and elixirs, he delved into the study of the Alchemy Experience.


    Because his father Lin Xingrong was frequently traveling between the family and Luoyun Market, rarely reuniting with the family, he followed his grandfather Lin Shigong from an early age, helping to sort Spiritual Medicine and organize pill form materials.


    Under such influence, he became fascinated with the art of Alchemy from a young age and demonstrated a talent for it, earning his grandfather''s deep affection. His grandfather, feeling his own age, had long wanted to pass on all his skills to his grandson and have him carry on the legacy.


    Today, after concocting three batches of ingredients, he managed to produce only one Fasting Pill¡ªwith ws. Lin Tianming couldn''t help but feel, alchemy was indeed not easy.


    With his grandfather''s verbal guidance and personal instruction, Lin Tianming''s understanding of the path of Alchemy had risen to a new level. What he needed now was diligent practice and relentless experimentation.


    Tomorrow, he would go to the Family Merits Hall to see if he could get an Alchemy Furnace and a few kinds of Spiritual Medicine. To perform Alchemy, in addition to Spiritual Medicine and the Pill Furnace, one must also use Earth Fire.


    Before reaching Core Formation, a cultivator''s Mana is not pure enough, and the mes they generate do not reach high enough temperatures. They must rely on Earth Fire for both Alchemy and Artifact Refining. Once in the Core Formation Stage, they can use their own Golden Core Fire for both processes, which is far more effective than Earth Fire.


    Beneath the Lin Family n Grounds flows a vein of Earth Fire that has existed for a long time, present since the establishment of the n.


    After great effort by the founding ancestor, who set up formations and opened up five rooms for both the Alchemy Room and the Artifact Refining room, the use of Earth Fire for Alchemy and Artifact Refining has generated quite a wealth for the Lin Family over more than eight hundred years.


    The Lin Family has also developed over the past eight hundred years, leveraging the Golden Core Stage cultivation of the founding ancestor Lin Renfeng to quickly stabilize their footing on Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The Lin Family has grown from just over ten members in the early days to one hundred seventy-five Cultivators and hundreds of thousands of non-cultivators to date.


    After the passing of the old ancestor, the family went through several internal struggles and was nearly brought to ruin.


    Surviving hardships through the protective treasures left behind by the old ancestor, the Lin Family members became more united, gradually regaining their strength in recent years.


    Afterprehending his grandfather''s Alchemy Experience, Lin Tianming made significant progress, and with diligent practice, he believed that he could master Alchemy on his own before long.


    This is the advantage of a family, having an elder who teaches without reservation, greatly reducing the potential for mistakes, as one would barely understand the most basic processes if left to fumble through on their own.


    After contemting for three hours, Lin Tianming put away the Jade Tube andy back on his bed.


    Late at night, the Qingfeng Bamboo outside his window rustled in the wind, and a fatigued Lin Tianming fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 6 Successful Alchemy_1

    The next morning at the Lin Family Hall of Merit.


    More than a dozen people gathered in the grand hall on the first floor of the Family Merits Hall, consisting of men and women, elders, young adults in their twenties, and middle-aged women. They were all Lin Family members exchanging merit points or trading various materials for weapon crafting and talisman making.


    A young man in a blue robe took out several stalks of spiritual medicine, a demon core from a demonic beast, and various parts of a demonic beast''s body from his storage bag.


    An elder in a white robe efficiently picked up the spiritual medicine materials to inspect them while three youngsters with a thick book stood by, making records.


    The book''s cover was made of green, oily beast skin, with densely packed runes swirling on the surface, giving it a rather peculiar appearance.


    The elder was none other than the Hall of Merit''s Master of the Lin Family, Lin Shixin, at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining Realm, who was also over ny years old¡ªabout the same age as his own grandfather.


    Lin Shixin had watched over the family''s treasury for more than forty years, experienced and knowledgeable, known for his fairness, responsible for collecting and exchanging all kinds of cultivation resources.


    As Lin Shixin counted and verified the items, he called out loudly:


    "Two stalks of Golden Flower Grass, each worth eight merit points, a total of sixteen merit points, three stalks of Wind Spirit Grass, each for six merit points, totaling eighteen merit points, one stalk of Jade Ginseng for five merit points."


    "One First Order Medium Grade Three-eyed Wolf demon core for eighteen merit points, four Three-eyed Wolf ws for a total of twelve merit points, one demonic eye bead for five merit points, and one Three-eyed Wolf skin for eight merit points, adding up to eighty-two merit points in total."


    The young man in the blue robe, seeming a bit surprised at the price, then spoke excitedly:


    "Uncle Ten, help me exchange for three Lingshen Pills, one Huadu Pill, one Huiyuan Pill, and one First Order Superior Attack Talisman."


    Lin Shixin nodded, checked the ledger, and proimed aloud:


    "Three Lingshen Pills, each for eight merit points, totaling twenty-four merit points, one Huadu Pill for twelve merit points, one Huiyuan Pill for eight merit points, and one First Order Superior Attack Talisman for fifteen merit points."


    "That makes fifty-nine merit points altogether, leaving a bnce of twenty-three merit points after deduction."


    Before the words were finished, the young man in blue handed his Family Token to Lin Shixin.


    After Lin Shixin cast severalw decrees, a series of red numeric figures shed and then disappeared.


    Lin Shixin then went into the treasury to get the items for the family member and handed them over.


    The young man took his Family Token and the exchanged items, bowed with his fists and left the Hall of Merit.


    The family had established aplete exchange mechanism; one merit point could be exchanged for one Low-Grade Spirit Stone.


    Exchanges for various materials and elixirs from the family''s treasury were made at the market prices of the Cultivation World.


    However, selling materials to the family could only yield eighty to ny percent of the market price, as the family needed Spirit Stones for its operation and to support its High Order Cultivators, thus it needed to make a profit as well.


    For example, the two stalks of Golden Flower Grass brought by the young man in blue would have exchanged for ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones each in the market, but in the family, they could only be exchanged for eight or nine Low-Grade Spirit Stones each.


    After the young man in blue left, a steady stream of family members continued toe and go, some selling, some buying, bringing lively activity to the entire Hall of Merit.


    In the noisy crowd, a young man in a green shirt appeared, it was Lin Tianming.


    Yesterday, he barely managed to concoct a wed Fasting Pill on his first attempt at alchemy. Today, he nned to visit the Hall of Merit to see if there were any Alchemy Furnaces avable.


    After exchanging customary greetings with his peers and elders, he approached Lin Shixin to pay his respects:


    "Grandson Tianming, greets Uncle Ten."


    Lin Shixin nodded and couldn''t help teasing him: "You little rascal, just tell me what you want to exchange."


    Lin Tianming didn''t waste any time and stated his purpose directly.


    "Uncle Ten, do you have any Alchemy Furnaces? I am learning alchemy andck both a Pill Furnace and spiritual medicines, so I thought toe and have a look."


    After hearing this, Lin Shixin replied, "The family has only four Pill Furnaces in total, and the only Second Order Medium Quality Dan Furnace is used by your grandfather."


    "Your Fifth Uncle has exchanged the one First Order Superior Grade Alchemy Furnace, and currently, only two First Order Medium Grade Dan Furnaces are left."


    While speaking, Lin Shixin took out two Dan Furnaces and ced them on the counter.


    Upon closer inspection, one was a fiery red furnace with three legs and four handles, named the Four Symbols Furnace. It was previously a First Order Superior Grade Dan Furnace, but for some reason, its grade had dropped to a First Order Medium Grade. It must have been damaged during a spell battle.


    Despite the grade drop, it was still significantly better to use than an ordinary First Order Medium Grade Alchemy Furnace, and it could be quite decent if repaired.


    The other was a blue-green Alchemy Furnace about three feet tall, adorned with runes on its body, named the Azure Mist Furnace, which was also a First Order Medium Grade Dan Furnace, left by a Lin Family ancestor.


    ''The Four Symbols Furnace requires two hundred and fifty merit points, and the Azure Mist Furnace requires one hundred and twenty merit points. Which one do you want to exchange for?''


    When Lin Tianming heard the prices, he was taken aback. The thirty-five Spirit Stones given by Ren Yuxuan, along with three Lingshen Pills and his own Spirit Stones, were nowhere near enough even for half an Alchemy Furnace.


    It seemed like his hope to exchange for an Alchemy Furnace today was dashed.


    With an involuntary wry smile, Lin Tianming said:


    "Uncle Ten, it seems I can''t get a Dan Furnace. Thebined merit points and Spirit Stones are far from enough. I can only exchange for some Fasting Pill spiritual medicines to concoct elixirs."


    The Fasting Pill requires eleven different types ofmon spiritual medicines, each valued at three Merit Points. Each portion of the spiritual medicine can be used to concoct three batches of Fasting Pills.


    "Then I''ll exchange for ten portions of Fasting Pill ingredients."


    Once he finished speaking, he took out his Family Token. After a few breaths, the Merit Points on the token were all reset to zero.


    Lin Tianming had not yet reached the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement and could not take on family tasks, thus he was unable to earn Merit Spirit Stones. The thirty Merit Points on the token were given to him by his mother, Ren Yuxuan.


    Ren Yuxuan, possessing Four Spirit Roots and aged fifty-three, was at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. Knowing that her chances for Foundation Establishment were slim, she saved up most of the cultivation resources for Lin Tianming and Lin Xingrong to cultivate with.


    In the Cultivation World, if one can''t reach Foundation Establishment before the age of seventy, the difficulty of doing so increases significantly after seventy.


    Qi Refining Cultivators have a lifespan of slightly over one hundred and twenty years. Once they exceed half of their lifespan, their vital energy gradually declines, making Foundation Establishment increasingly difficult.


    Most Lin Family members, upon reaching fifty years of age without advancing to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, would conserve cultivation resources to pass on to their offsprings who possessed better talents.


    Members of the Lin Family rarely marry before the age of forty.


    Only those with extremely poor talent or those without ambition would marry and have children early. This way, they could maximize the use of limited resources and focus on nurturing the next generation.


    The spiritual roots of Lin Tianming''s parents were not very good. His father, Lin Xingrong, was a Four Spirit Roots cultivator at fifty-five years old, who had reached the Ninth Level of Qi Refining Realm. His mother, Ren Yuxuan, also had Four Spirit Roots and was at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement at fifty-three years old.


    Since the birth of Lin Tianming, Ren Yuxuan had been saving cultivation resources for more than a decade, reserving them for her son while also supporting Lin Xingrong''s cultivation.


    Otherwise, for Lin Xingrong alone, it would be very difficult to reach Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.


    After the Merit Points on the token were reset to zero and he had collected ten portions of Fasting Pill ingredients, he bid farewell to Lin Shixin and left the Hall of Merit to head straight for the Alchemy Hall.


    Less than half an hourter, Lin Tianming appeared before his grandfather, Lin Shigong.


    "Grandfather, I''ve exchanged for ten portions of Fasting Pill ingredients. I want to concoct Fasting Pills. I don''t have extra Merit Points to exchange for an Alchemy Furnace, so I can only borrow your Three Star Furnace for a bit," he said.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lin Shigong didn''t hesitate, he took out his Alchemy Furnace, gave several instructions, and left the pill room.


    Lin Tianming didn''t rush to start alchemy, but instead practiced cultivation for half a day to adjust his condition.


    In the pill room, Lin Tianming''s hands formed seals, casting several Law Decrees onto the Alchemy Furnace. Earth Fire surged forth, and after controlling the temperature, he warmed up the furnace for a quarter of an hour.


    He threw in the spiritual medicines one by one, brought out his Divine Sense, and operated his cultivation method to fully purify the medicines.


    A quarter of an hourter, he opened the lid of the furnace, and fragrance filled the air. A Fasting Pill hung in the center of the furnace.


    Overjoyed, Lin Tianming took out the Fasting Pill and inspected it carefully. It was undoubtedly aplete Fasting Pill.


    There were still plenty of medicinal ingredients left. Having had a good start, he continued to strike while the iron was hot. He casually threw the freshly concocted Fasting Pill into his mouth, and the hunger he had been feeling for the past half-day disappeared instantly.


    After four hours, he had finished processing one portion of the spiritual medicine. The first batch yielded one pill, the second batch failed to produce any, and the third batch also yielded one pill. Overall, he was quite satisfied.


    After continuously concocting three batches of Fasting Pills, his Spiritual Power waspletely depleted, and his Divine Sense overly exhausted. He had to meditate and cultivate to recover before he could continue with alchemy.


    Time swiftly passed, half a month had gone by. Lin Tianming stepped out of the pill room. Over the course of half a month, he had frenziedly crafted Fasting Pills, using up all the spiritual medicines.


    His effort had been rewarded. After dozens of attempts, the sess rate of the final third of the materials had surpassed sixty percent, yielding at least three and sometimes up to five Fasting Pills per batch.


    In half a month''s time, from the ten portions of spiritual medicines exchanged, after thirty batches of concocting, he ultimately produced thirty-nine Fasting Pills. After consuming one, he had thirty-eight left.


    Lin Tianming found his grandfather Lin Shigong to return the Three Star Furnace and report his alchemy results.


    Lin Shigong was so astounded that he stared in disbelief and couldn''t help butugh heartily, eximing, "Heaven bless the Lin Family, Heaven bless the Lin Family..."


    After exuberantly shouting for more than a dozen breaths, Lin Shigong finally regained hisposure.


    "You little devil, you''re barely considered a First Order Inferior Alchemist now. Seeing how serious you are, this old man must reward you properly. Hand over your family token," he said.


    Lin Tianming did not put on airs and directly handed over the Family Token to Lin Shigong.


    His grandfather took out his own Family Token and with a swipe of his hands, added three hundred Merit Points to Lin Tianming''s token.


    Lin Shigong said, "Go and exchange for the Four Symbols Furnace at the Hall of Merit. That Dan Furnace is indeed good and will help you quickly concoct pills."


    "Once you can concoct First Order Medium-Grade elixirs, I will ask your Third Grandfather to help you repair the Four Symbols Furnace. If there are materials for crafting, perhaps he could even upgrade it to a Second Order Dan Furnace," he added.


    Lin Tianming nodded, took the token, bowed with his hands sped, and said goodbye to his grandfather.


    Time slowly went by...


    After half a month of frenzied alchemy, his Spiritual Power and Divine Sense were greatly drained. After concocting three batches of pills, he needed to meditate for half a day to recover before he could continue with alchemy, leaving him utterly exhausted.


    Although alchemy was strenuous, by replenishing what had been consumed, his cultivation base steadily improved, and his Divine Sense grew a bit. He felt that he was getting ever closer to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    With three Lingshen Pills left, Lin Tianming nned to go into seclusion to cultivate for a while. He would note out of seclusion until he had broken through to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.

 Chapter 7 Qi Refinement Level 5_1

    The next day, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the stone bed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His eyes closed, hands sped together, he adeptly performed a Grand Cirction.


    Specks of blue and red light gathered sporadically above Lin Tianming''s head, slowly sinking into the Sky Spirit Cover, following through the seven meridians and eight channels of his body, and finally converging in the Seven Sea Dantian.


    After a full cirction, his meridians flowed smoothly, and he took out a bottle of elixirs. Pouring one out, it was indeed a Lingshen Pill.


    Without hesitation, Lin Tianming swallowed the pill.


    Its rich fragrance and sweet taste were refreshing to the spirit.


    Immediately, he began to refine the pill, transforming it into streams of violent spiritual power that surged into the Qi Sea Dantian, where he saw the Dantian slowly expanding at a minimal rate.


    Lin Tianming''s cultivation method was one of the family legacies, the Fire Origin Decision, a Fire Attribute Mysterious Grade technique with a very powerful attack butparatively slow cultivation speed. It could be cultivated up to thete stage of Core Formation.


    In the Cultivation World, techniques are divided into Heavenly, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow grades. Techniques of the Heavenly grade are the highest and can be cultivated up to the Divinity Transformation Stage, followed by Earth-grade techniques, which can reach the Nascent Soul Stage, while the lowest Yellow-grade techniques only allow cultivation up to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The Lin Family had a legacy of over eight hundred years with only five techniques: two of Mysterious Grade and three of Yellow Grade. They had collected techniques for all Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, but had no techniques for unusual attributes.


    Spiritual Roots like the Wind Spirit Root, Ice Spirit Root, Thunder Spiritual Root, and other unusual attributes are exceedingly rare, and their corresponding techniques are even harder to collect. Even millennia-old cultivation families or top sects may not possess such unusual attribute techniques.


    The Fire Origin Decision and Spring Wood Creation ssic are the only two Mysterious Grade techniques the family possesses, each one capable of being cultivated to thete stage of Core Formation.


    The Spring Wood Creation ssic is rtively mild and easier to cultivate with fewer bottlenecks, making it the usual choice for those in the n with the Wood Attribute Spiritual Root.


    Besides that, there are three Yellow Grade techniques. The Metal Attribute technique, Golden Gang ssic, has extremely strong offensive power.


    The Water Attribute technique, the Water Origin Sword Decision, is a sword technique that can at most control nine Flying Swords to form a Sword Array, useful for both offense and defense and quite extraordinary.


    The Earth Attribute technique, Thick Earth Decision, can congeal an earth shield with excellent defensive power but slightly weaker offensive ability, so not many nspeople cultivate this technique.


    Time passed quietly, and it took Lin Tianming three days in seclusion to fully refine the first Lingshen Pill, his cultivation reaching the peak of the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement.


    With one pill consumed and two remaining, Lin Tianming nned to continue taking Lingshen Pills, attempting to break through to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    He continued to consume another Lingshen Pill and began the refinement process once more.


    Lin Tianming controllingly harnessed the immense medicinal power, repeatedly assaulting his Dantian countless times.


    Finally, two dayster, the Qi Sea of his Dantian expanded several times over, allowing Lin Tianming to enter the Fifth Level of Qi Practice.


    Feeling his power multiply, Lin Tianming was ecstatic with joy.


    The original size of his Dantian was like a bucket, but now it was the size of a small pond, its capacity increased several times over and his spiritual power denser.


    Having just made a breakthrough, Lin Tianming did not rush to leave seclusion; instead, he continued to meditate for five more days to further consolidate his cultivation.


    After ten days of seclusion, the gains were tremendous for Lin Tianming. With two Lingshen Pills, he had smoothly advanced to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, with one pill still remaining¡ªfar better than expected.


    Advancing to the Fifth Level of Qi Practice so swiftly was fortunate, thanks to the half-month retreat he had previously, during which he had concocted elixirs and used up arge amount of spiritual power,ter replenishing through cultivation, allowing his strength to grow steadily.


    Because of a solid foundation, he had managed to break through smoothly. Although he wanted to continue taking elixirs to further enhance his cultivation,


    considering there was only one Lingshen Pill left, its effects might not be significant.


    Excessive consumption of elixirs in session might affect the foundation, so a gradual and methodical approach was safest.


    Deciding it was time, Lin Tianming concluded his seclusion and pushed open the door to step out.


    It was still early in the day, and, recalling the 300 merit points awarded by his grandfather, Lin Tianming summoned his Flying Sword, leaped onto it, and headed straight for the Family Merits Hall.


    With his cultivation breakthrough, even the speed of Sword Flight had more than doubled, the wind whistling past his ears, fluttering his blue robe loudly.


    Along the way, Lin Tianming passed by many important halls of the Lin Family, encountering numerous Lin Family members who were busily engaged in their tasks. After greeting each of them, Lin Tianming bid farewell and left.


    Through long-term development, the Lin Family''s rules were rather strict, with clear principles of respecting the elderly and loving the young and distinct rewards and punishments, forming aplete family system.


    The Lin Family had ten departments, namely the Elders'' Council, Enforcement Hall, Skill Transmission Hall, Hall of Merit, Misceneous Affairs Hall, Scripture Pavilion, Alchemy Hall, Artifact Training Hall, Talisman Crafting Hall, and Formation Hall.


    The Elders'' Council wasposed of the n Leader and the various Hall Masters. Minor decisions were made after deliberation among the members of the Elders'' Council, while major resolutions needed to be referred to Foundation Establishment Stage supreme elders.


    The Enforcement Hall was responsible for supervising all n members, dealing with those who abused their power for personal gain, bullied men and women,mitted fratricide, or defected from the n, enforcing the family rules ordingly.


    If a vition of the n rules was verified, the offender might be detained on the lighter end or have their cultivation removed and be confined within the n until death for more serious offenses.


    Under the strict n rules, Lin Family members did not dare to overstep the familyw.


    The Enforcement Hall was also responsible for tracking down murderers, leading n members in experiential training, and assuming authority in external armed conflicts and battles.


    The Skill Transmission Hall''s duties involved propagating the deeds and development progress of the n''s ancestors, fostering a sense of belonging among the n members, teaching cultivation methods and secret techniques to those newly embarked on the path of cultivation, and taking on the responsibility of introductory education for the n members.


    The Hall of Merit managed the Lin Family''s treasury and all public properties possessed by the n, such as the Spiritual Medicine Garden and the mines. It also dealt with resource exchange and proxy selling for the n members.


    The Misceneous Affairs Hall was responsible for scheduling and executing various n tasks. Once Lin Family members reached the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, they were expected to contribute to the n,pleting at least one family task within their capabilities every three years and receiving rewards uponpletion.


    Family members under thirty years old who had not broken through to the fifth level could focus solely on cultivation and were exempt from tasks. Conversely, even those at the First Level of Qi Refining had to ept responsibilities after reaching thirty years of age, as the family would not support idlers.


    The Scripture Pavilion safeguarded all kinds of cultivation methods, secret techniques, and ancient texts of the family, providing suitable secret cultivation texts for those newly initiated into the path of cultivation.


    The Alchemy Hall, Artifact Training Hall, Talisman Crafting Hall, and Formation Hall were institutions established by the family to cultivate skilled talents. Upon reaching the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, one could choose any specialty based on their innate gifts and preferences to pursue further training.


    Naturally, choosing not to cultivate a skill or even cultivating multiple skills was also possible, as the family did not force any member.


    After hundreds of years of optimization and reforms, the current system was formed, which has been in effect for three hundred years without any major changes.


    Inside the Family Merits Hall, Lin Tianming appeared before Lin Shixin.


    Lin Tianming sped his hands and bowed respectfully, saying,


    "Great-Nephew pays respects to Great-Uncle Ten."


    Lin Shixin waved his hand, indicating that he need not be overly courteous.


    "Great-Uncle Ten, I wish to sell thirty-eight Fasting Pills."


    As he spoke, he took out the thirty-eight Fasting Pills he had concocted and handed them over to Lin Shixin for inspection.


    Lin Shixin examined the elixirs closely for a moment before speaking,


    "Thirty-eight Fasting Pills, one Spirit Stone each, calcting at a discount of twenty percent, that makes a total of thirty merits."


    Lin Tianming took out his Family Token and said,


    "I want to exchange for a Four Symbols Furnace, plus ten sets of Fasting Pill Spiritual Medicine, and five sets of Lingshen Pill Spiritual Medicine."


    Lin Shixin quickly did the calctions: the Four Symbols Furnace cost 250 merits, each set of Fasting Pill Spiritual Medicine cost 3 merits, totaling 30 merits, and each set of Lingshen Pill Spiritual Medicine cost 8 merits, totaling 40 merits, adding up to a total expenditure of 320 merits.


    Selling the concocted thirty-eight Fasting Pills, he earned thirty merits, which bnced out exactly.


    Lin Tianming thought to himself that once the sess rate and the number of pills produced in theter stages increased, he should be able to make a profit.


    Lin Shixin deducted the merits from his token, leaving himself with only ten merits.


    Gathering the Four Symbols Furnace along with ten sets of Fasting Pill Spiritual Medicine and five sets of Lingshen Pill Spiritual Medicine, Lin Tianming bowed and left the Hall of Merit.

 Chapter 8 Taking Over Family Duties_1

    Lin Family''s Misceneous Hall.


    A five-story tall pavilion, built of arge number of boulders, more than ten zhang high, where many family members received n tasks.


    Lin Tianming was one of the many family members.


    On the first floor of the Misceneous Hall, a giant gold screen showed rows of n tasks in bold red characters.


    Every once in a while, a task or several tasks would disappear at the same time, evidently taken on by a member of the Lin Family.


    Looking closely at the screen, there were densely packed hundreds of family tasks.


    "Find two Golden Yuan Grass within six months, reward thirty Merit Points uponpletion, minimum requirement of Sixth Level of Qi Refinement."


    "Guard the n Spiritual Herb Garden for one year, reward fifteen Merit Points uponpletion, no cultivation level requirement."


    "Apany the Enforcement Hall to clear the Demonic Beasts from the Luoyun Mountain Range, duration one year, reward eighty Merit Points uponpletion, minimum requirement of Seventh Level Qi Cultivation."


    "Defend Qingfeng Town for three years, reward sixty Merit Points uponpletion, minimum requirement of Third Level of Qi Refining."


    After watching for half an hour, he had looked through all the family tasks.


    He could take on most of them, but either they were too time-consuming or extremely risky.


    In his several years of cultivating, Lin Tianming had mastered the Five Elements Spell and Technique Secret Arts, and had sparred with his peers in the family, but he had never been in realbat.


    The task of clearing the Demonic Beasts in the Luoyun Mountain Range would not only let him practice all sorts of spells and secret techniques but would also increase hisbat experience, harden himself, and besides, he was extremely longing for the outside world.


    Unfortunately, the task of clearing out the Demonic Beasts required a minimum cultivation level of Seventh Level Qi Cultivation, and he was only at the Fifth Level, thus he couldn''t take on this task.


    The task of defending Qingfeng Town wasn''t bad either. Although three years was a long time, he could return to the family for half a month each year to visit rtives and refill cultivation resources.


    Determined, Lin Tianming decided to take on the task of defending Qingfeng Town.


    Collecting his thoughts, he walked towards the front desk of the Misceneous Affairs Hall, had a few words with the Executive Officer, and smoothly took on the task of defending Qingfeng Town.


    For tasks like defending n grounds or guarding assets, one could receive the task rewards in advance, since they were long-term and not very dangerous, allowing the use of these rewards to exchange for resources and continue cultivating at the new location.


    Having received the task rewards in advance, he nned to exchange them for some cultivation resources to take with him to Qingfeng Town for continuing his alchemy and cultivation.


    One year was neither long nor short, but he had only one Spirit Essence Pill, forty Spirit Stones, materials for ten Fasting Pills, and materials for five Spirit Essence Pills, which might not be enough tost the year.


    After previously purchasing a Pill Furnace and alchemy materials, he had ten Merit Points left, plus the sixty Merit Points from the task reward, totaling seventy Merit Points, allowing him to buy some more alchemy materials, striving to produce Spirit Essence Pills.


    Lin Tianming pondered silently, and soon arrived at the Hall of Merit.


    He found Grandpa Shi, Lin Shixin, and sessfully exchanged for ten sets of Spirit Essence Pill materials, costing a total of eighty Merit Points.


    Although there wouldn''t be much danger in defending Qingfeng Town, it was still best to prepare some means of fighting the enemy, and he exchanged for two First Order Superior Attack Talismans for a total of thirty Merit Points, spending a total of one hundred and ten Merit Points.


    After using all his Merit Points, his Family Token bnce was zero, and he also had to add forty Spirit Stones to his expenses. With exactly forty Spirit Stones left, he replenished everything and then took the Spiritual Medicine and talismans to leave the Hall of Merit.


    Lin Tianming''s current assets, aside from ten sets of Fasting Pill materials and fifteen sets of Spirit Essence Pill materials.


    Besides those, he also had two First Order Superior Attack Talismans and one Spirit Essence Pill, with neither Spirit Stones nor Merit Points left. Excluding these cultivation resources, he could be considered utterly impoverished.


    The task required him to arrive at Qingfeng Town within ten days to rece the previous Lin family member in charge. There was still plenty of time, and he could still refine his Five Elements Spell and secret techniques to enhance their proficiency and strengthen himself.


    He summoned his Green Bamboo Sword, leapt onto it, and flew toward a valley partway up Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Half an hour passed.


    Lin Tianming appeared in a valley, dense with jungle andrge trees everywhere, with wild animals often appearing in the valley, and a small river about three zhang wide running through it.


    This ravine was a natural training ground Lin Tianming found while practicing his spells, scarcely visited by people.


    When he first started cultivating, he liked to practice his Five Elements Spell and secret techniques here, using the wild animals as targets. After practicing, he could enjoy roasted meat, with a small part of his cultivation time spent here.


    Lin Tianming sat on a boulder several zhang in size and skillfully ran his Fire Origin Decision through a Grand Cirction.


    After adjusting his state, he started to use a secret technique that came with the cultivation technique.


    "Huoyuan sh!"


    A giant sword made up of thousands of fierce mes hung above Lin Tianming''s head. Within several zhang of the surrounding vegetation, it all withered instantly, clearly scorched to death by the heatwave.


    Lin Tianming shouted:


    "Go!"


    The giant swordposed of thousands of mes appeared a hundred zhang away in an instant, shing towards arge tree from high above.


    The tree, as thick as a water bucket, split in two in an instant, its severed area ckened, its moisture evaporated away, leaving only a dead stump.


    "Hiss..."


    Despite performing the technique multiple times, Lin Tianming was still awed by its immense power.


    However, this technique consumed too much Spiritual Power. His entire reservoir of Spiritual Power could barely perform it a few times before bing exhausted. Inbat, he dared not cast it lightly, keeping it as a trump card.


    In the following several days, after more than ten attempts using the Huoyuan sh until all his Spiritual Power was depleted each time.


    After such arduous training, Lin Tianming was now able to execute the technique in half a breath, which could give him an advantage over his opponent.


    Five Elements Spells could also be cast instantly, greatly increasing speed. During this time, several wild beasts became victims, inexplicably burned by fire swords or bound by tendrils formed from spiritual power.


    In the past few days, Lin Tianming had also indulged his appetite for good food, enjoying ck bear paws, white tiger meat, and even the unfortunaterge flying birds, such as the eagle.


    More than half of the ten days had passed, and before leaving, he still had to say goodbye to his grandfather and mother.


    Although he had followed his father to Luoyun Market twice before, he was always restricted and never left his father''s sight.


    As this would be the first time Lin Tianming left the n grounds alone, he started to look forward to the outside world.


    Gathering his thoughts, he took the remaining uneaten meat and left on his sword.


    Within the small courtyard of the Lin family home.


    Grandfather Lin Shigong managed the Alchemy Hall. There were too few alchemists in the n and the alchemy tasks were heavy. Learning that Lin Tianming had epted the task of guarding Qingfeng Town, he rarely came back to this small home for a family reunion.


    His father, Lin Xingrong, had also just returned from Luoyun Market to the n and would rest for a few days before setting out again to guard Luoyun Market.


    The three generations sat under the maple tree in the courtyard, drinking tea, while Lin Tianming''s mother and sister were rinsing beast meat, preparing dinner.


    At this moment, Grandfather Lin Shigong wore a worried expression, feeling somewhat concerned.


    Lin Tianming had been brought up by him since childhood. With his dual spiritual roots talent and his alchemy talent that far exceeded his own, he really did not want him to venture out alone away from the nnds.


    Although Qingfeng Town was not far from Green Bamboo Mountain, just over six hundred li away, it was indeed not too far, as one could reach it on a flying sword in just two days.


    Besides that, Qingfeng Town was located in the ind area. Although the demonic beasts of the Luoyun Mountain Range were numerous, they would find it difficult to cross the Lin Family n Grounds and attack the town situated behind them.


    However, the opponents of the Human Race were not just demonic beasts. It was not umon among humans to kill for treasures. There were many who would head to Luoyun Mountain Range or deep into the Demon Race territory to seek fortune and experience.


    If one were to encounter evil cultivators, odds would likely be against them. His grandson, new to the world, had no experience in survival, making it truly difficult to feel entirely at ease.


    Lin Shigong, with a look of concern, solemnly said,


    "Tianming, I have been an alchemist for the n for over sixty years, and the majority of the n''s elixirse from my hands."


    "I can speak to your twelfth uncle and ask for a different n task for you. I suppose he would give me that courtesy."


    Hearing Lin Shigong''s words, Lin Xingrong, his face red with embarrassment, said,


    "Father..."


    "If everyone were like you, how would the n Leader manage the family? Although you have worked hard and made great contributions, you cannot abuse your power for personal gain. We shouldn''t give people reason to speak ill of us."


    After listening, Lin Tianming also spoke righteously,


    "Grandfather, a flower in a greenhouse cannot grow tall. You cannot always stand behind me."


    "The Cultivation World is filled with experts, with over a thousand great ns and families. The Lin Family is merely one of many small families. Without enduring the trials of real fire, how can one be strong?"


    Seeing his grandfather''s expression softening a bit, Lin Tianming continued to speak, seizing the opportunity to persuade him further.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Qingfeng Town is not too far from the family''s residence, and being situated ind, as long as I don''t actively seek trouble, there won''t be any danger."


    "For this experience, I''ve exchanged for two First Order Superior Attack Talismans. I have more than enough to protect myself, and I will take good care of myself. You don''t have to worry!"


    Having said this, Lin Tianming looked up at Lin Shigong with big eyes.


    Hearing these words, Lin Shigong felt they were quite reasonable.


    Too much protection indeed makes it hard to achieve anything. Thinking of this, his facial expression improved significantly.


    "Take these two First Order Superior Defense Talismans, two bottles of Lingshen Pills, three Huiyuan Pills, one Huadu Pill, and twenty sets of Spirit Origin Pill ingredients," he said as he pulled out quite a few items, not forgetting to give detailed instructions.


    "Remember, you must not neglect either cultivation or alchemy. After one year, you must return for a few days, so I can verify your progress in alchemy."


    "Yes, I will follow Grandfather''s decree!"


    Lin Tianming replied firmly, feeling moved and also reflecting.


    Luckily, his grandfather was an alchemist with an abundance of elixirs, which further solidified his determination to work hard in his cultivation, to be an alchemist himself, to make his grandfather proud, and to bring honor to the family.


    Taking the items from his grandfather and regaining hisposure, Lin Tianming began to instruct Lin Shigong,


    "You must also look after your health and not overwork yourself..."


    Lin Xingrong, who managed the family''s business in Luoyun Market, was well-traveled and skilled in dealing with people. He passed his experience on to Lin Tianming piece by piece.


    He didn''t provide any resources but instead gave Lin Tianming a map of Qingzhou and Jizhou, advising,


    "Remember to stay calm andposed, humble yet not servile, and always think thrice before acting!"


    "Thank you, Father..."


    Afterward, the three generations talked for a while, and dinner was also ready.


    The family gathered together, a rare asion, with Grandfather bringing out his long-cherished Spiritual Wine. They enjoyed a joyful family meal to celebrate Lin Tianming''s departure.

 Chapter 9 Qingfeng Town_1

    The next morning at dawn, outside the grand formation of Lin Family''s residence.


    Grandfather Lin Shigong, father Lin Xingrong, mother Ren Yuxuan, and sister Lin Tianyue were there to see off Lin Tianming.


    Ren Yuxuan''s eyes were red. When no one was paying attention, she secretly handed Lin Tianming a storage bag, filled with unknown items.


    Despite repeated instructionsst night, Grandfather Lin Shigong still couldn''t help but give endless reminders.


    "Remember to be careful, and do not neglect your alchemy and cultivation..."


    "Alright, Dad. Tianming is not a child anymore, and it''s gettingte. We should set off as soon as possible!" Lin Xingrong said with a worried look as he urged.


    Lin Shigong''s face flushed red, and then he spoke:


    "It''s my old age showing improper emotions. Go ahead, Tianming, don''t worry about us, focus on your cultivation, ande back to see us as soon as the year is up!"


    "Hmm..."


    Lin Tianming''s face was calm, and he spoke with determination:


    "Grandfather, Father, Mother, Sister, I''m leaving. I will take good care of myself and cultivate diligently. I''ll strive to return soon. Take care of yourselves!"


    Having said that, he brought out his Green Bamboo Sword, leapt onto the de, and reluctantly rose into the air, flying towards the east.


    Standing on the Green Bamboo Sword, the wind caused his green robe to p loudly. Passing over mountains and rivers, Lin Tianming felt a whirlwind of emotions.


    He had always looked forward to leaving the family residence early, to travel the Nine Provinces Continent, to see the great rivers and mountains, to witness the heroes of all tribes.


    Having left for just half a day, he began to miss his family. With a reluctant heart, he continued on the road to Qingfeng Town.


    Qingfeng Town was more than six hundred li from Green Bamboo Mountain. With full-speed flight and his speed, he could arrive in two days. Departing five days early afforded plenty of time, so there was no need to hurry on his way.


    After half a day of Sword Flight, over half of his spiritual power was consumed.


    For the sake of unexpected circumstances, he saved half of his spiritual power for emergencies. It was best to be cautious on his first venture into the world, as it was still early and there was no harm in recovering before continuing on the journey.


    Just ahead, there was a small valley with a river ten zhang wide, towards which he flew.


    Landing on arge tree, he took out the storage bag given by Ren Yuxuan.


    Inside were three Lingshen Pills, one Huiyuan Pill, one Huadu Pill, and forty low-grade spirit stones.


    Looking at the elixirs and spirit stones in the storage bag, his thoughts were abundant.


    This must have been left by his father, Lin Xingrong. It was impossible for his mother, with only the Seventh Layer of Qi Refinement and no particrly outstanding skills, to often provide resources for him and his sister to cultivate.


    Although his father was seldom at Green Bamboo Mountain and did not show much concern, he was silently contributing.


    At this thought, Lin Tianming was very moved.


    He quietly ced the items back in the storage bag and summed up his current possessions.


    He currently had ten Lingshen Pills, four Huiyuan Pills, two Huadu Pills, and forty low-grade spirit stones, along with enough herbs for ten Fasting Pills and thirty-five batches of Spirit Origin Pill ingredients.


    Two first order superior attack talismans, two first order superior defense talismans, one Elemental Fire Bottle, and one set of Alchemy Experience summarized by his grandfather.


    He also had maps of Qingzhou and Jizhou, detailed with the mountain ranges of major countries, the territory of medium torge family sects, and family residence locations.


    The Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain was marked on the map, though it was not prominent.


    This worth, valued at least in the hundreds of spirit stones, could very well be more than what Lin Family cultivators with the Seventh or Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement possessed.


    The four first order high-quality talismans, two attack and two defense talismans, would be more than enough for self-protection, as long as he did not encounter a cultivator at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement.


    Taking up the map, he carefully discerned his location; he had flown a hundred li and should now be over Jinyu Mountain, a small mountain range the size of a hundred li.


    He sorted his possessions, closed his eyes, and began to meditate and cultivate.


    An hourter, having recovered, he resumed his journey, continuing to fly eastwards.


    Three days passed.


    A town spanning dozens of li gradually came into view, a in filled with vast rice paddies, hardly a hill in sight, offering an extremely open vista.


    Feeling the atmosphere of this ce, he sensed that the spiritual energy was far less than at Green Bamboo Mountain, probably not even sixty percent as strong.


    Luckily, he had plenty of spiritual medicine and Lingshen Pills, otherwise relying solely on practice for cultivation, the effect would not be satisfactory.


    Green Bamboo Mountain was located in the Luoyun Mountain Range. During the time of their ancestor, the family had spent a great deal to deploy a second order superior formation, which significantly increased the level of spiritual energy due to its inherent spirit-gathering power.


    Qingfeng Town, however, was only part of the secr world, so it was not surprising that the spiritual energy was thin.


    In a matter of breaths, he flew over the town.


    What came into view were densely packed houses, orderly streets, and a multitude of Lin Familymoners looking up with admiration and envy, some kneeling on the ground and murmuring prayers.


    In every direction of the town, there was a city wall spanning thousands of meters, several zhang high, with a gate in the middle disying a card.


    The card, made of red sandalwood and measuring several zhang in length and one zhang in width, bore the threerge characters for Qingfeng Town.


    In the center of the town stood the tallest and most imposing tower in the entire town, five stories high, built entirely of marble. Its gray-white walls were particrly eye-catching.


    Lin Tianming didn''t linger; he headed straight for the attic.


    Less than half an hourter, Lin Tianmingnded directly in the square in front of the attic.


    A few moments passed, and out of the attic emerged a middle-aged man, about sixty years old, with the cultivation of the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, a n uncle of the Lin Family by the name of Lin Xingche.


    Before this, the two had met several times but had never interacted much.


    Lin Tianming quickly walked forward, bowing with his hands sped in salute, and said,


    "Tianming pays his respects to n Uncle!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lin Xingche didn''t put on airs; he greeted him with a smile and said,


    "There''s no need for such formalities, nephew. You must be weary from your travels, pleasee inside to rest for a while."


    Lin Tianming didn''t refuse, and the two entered the grand hall of the attic together.


    Before leaving, Lin Xingche instructed the Lin Familymoners nearby,


    "Send someone to prepare a table of food for the grand hall, and summon the town mayor as well."


    "Yes!"


    Themoner from the Lin Family responded, bowed respectfully, and then left.


    Inside the grand hall, Lin Xingche brought out the tea set and the two sat opposite each other, starting to enjoy the tea and chat.


    Lin Xingche made pleasantries and said,


    "I originally thought that the one who would take over my guardian duty would be another nsman, but I never expected it would be our Lin Family''s pride, truly beyond anyone''s expectations."


    Lin Tianming chuckled and modestly replied,


    "I dare not im to be the pride, with so many in the Wei Kingdom blessed with outstanding talents, not to mention inrger regions like Qingzhou or Yunzhou and Xuanzhou."


    Lin Xingche didn''t say much more and began to introduce Qingfeng Town to Lin Tianming.


    Qingfeng Town is one of the Lin Familymoners'' five major gathering ces, with nearly a hundred thousand people, of medium scale, with a history of over five hundred years of city construction, and an important resource ofmoners for the Lin Family. Every three years, it can produce several nsmen with Spiritual Roots.


    In two years'' time, it will be time for the n''s triennial Spirit Root Testing Ceremony, when people should arrive to test the suitable-aged nsmen of Qingfeng Town and take those with Spiritual Roots back to the family''s territory for cultivation.


    Qingfeng Town lies five hundred li south, within the territory of the Huangyang Kingdom of Jingzhou, in the Whirlwind Mountain Range¡ªa no man''snd.


    asionally, low-order Demonic Beasts lose their way and intrude into Qingfeng Town''s jurisdiction. Remember to be vignt and refrain from crossing the border into Jingzhou territory recklessly, for their cultivation standards far exceed Qingzhou''s, and do not stir up trouble or make enemies for the family.


    Three hundred li west is the end of the Wei Kingdom''s Ziyun Mountain Range in Qingzhou. In the thousand-li radius, there are no cultivator families. There are also many Demonic Beasts in the Ziyun Mountain Range, so there won''t be any danger as long as you don''t stray more than a hundred li from Qingfeng Town.


    Lin Xingche talked for half an hour. Then the Lin Familymoners brought in over ten different types of dishes and drinks. While eating and drinking, they continued discussing Qingfeng Town.


    Less than fifteen minutester, an elderly man over fifty, with white hair, entered the grand hall, supported by two young adults.


    All three knelt down together and said in unison,


    "Wee, great ancestor, to Qingfeng Town."


    Before the elder could finish speaking, Lin Tianming raised his hand with a wave, and the three were lifted and stood up in midair.


    Stunned, the three stood there with flushed faces, looking somewhat at a loss.


    Lin Tianming spoke calmly,


    "There''s no need for such formalities. I''ve been briefed sufficiently on Qingfeng Town by n Uncle. For the next three years, I will be stationed here to protect Qingfeng Town and ensure its peace."


    Lin Tianming then asked the elder to introduce himself and the other nsmen.


    The elder''s face lit up as he began to speak,


    "I am Lin Sheng, a thirty-second generation nsman of the Lin Family from Qingfeng Town, and have been serving as the town mayor for over twenty years."


    "These are my sons, Lin Shan and Lin Hai. Both are quite astute. I am getting on in years and find it hard to get around. I''m afraid I might not be able to serve you closely, great ancestor. I ask for your understanding, but please feel free tomand them for anything," he added, turning to his sons.


    After saying this, he instructed his sons:


    "You two brothers, make yourselves fully avable to serve the great ancestor. Anypses will be met with family discipline!"


    Hearing this, Lin Shan and Lin Hai were visibly apprehensive, nodding repeatedly and promptly agreeing.


    In front of everyone, Lin Xingche handed over the control token for the attic''s restrictions to Lin Tianming and then let the three leave.


    The two continued their meal, and after a few cups of wine, Lin Xingche bid farewell to Lin Tianming, nning to rest for the night and set off at dawn to return to the family''s territory and report back.


    Lin Tianming also raised a cup in respect and wished his n uncle a safe journey, then they retired to their respective rooms to rest.


    After traveling tirelessly for three days, Lin Tianming was thoroughly exhausted. Finally rxed, he fell onto the bed and immediately fell asleep.


    Lin Sheng and Lin Hai stayed outside the attic, not straying a step away.


    The next morning, Lin Tianming saw off n Uncle Lin Xingche for several tens of li before returning. He surveyed the area around Qingfeng Town n Territory for ten li to ensure safety and then went back to the secret chamber in the attic.

 Chapter 10 Daily Cultivation_1

    In the secret room of the attic, Lin Tianming sat upright on the meditation cushion.


    After several days of cultivation, the spiritual power in his Qi Sea Dantian had increased only slightly; relying solely on meditation here would bring minimal results.


    Beforeing here, he had exchanged some spiritual medicine from the Family Merits Hall, and together with the Lingshen Pills given by his grandfather and father, he had as many as ten, a considerable number.


    Lin Tianming nned to take a Lingshen Pill once a month, which would just be enough tost a year. The remaining time would be used for pill concoction and meditation.


    Having decided that, he took out several sets of fasting pill materials and then consecutively retrieved the Elemental Fire Bottle and the Four Symbols Furnace.


    The Earth Fire inside the Elemental Fire Bottle was collected with the help of Elder Wu by his grandfather.


    ording to his grandfather, the Elemental Fire Bottle turned out to be a First Order Medium Grade spiritual bottle, specifically for containing various types of mes or treasured spiritual objects.


    Without Earth Fire in Qingfeng Town, pill concoction was impossible, and it was quite a struggle when they collected the fire.


    It appeared that his grandfather had already considered everything thoroughly; he himself had been careless. If encountered in a battle of magic, such oversight could be disastrous¡ªa lesson to always be vignt.


    His storage bag wasn''t short of fasting pill spiritual medicine materials, with as many as ten sets, each capable of making three batches, and thus thirty batches in total.


    At Green Bamboo Mountain, ten sets of materials yielded thirty-nine fasting pills, already qualifying him as apetent First Order Lower-Grade Alchemist with a sess rate around fifty percent, and more than three pills per batch.


    Everything was ready, except for the crucial element.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After skillfully adjusting his breathing through cultivation, a series of spells were cast onto the Elemental Fire Bottle.


    Instantly, the Elemental Fire Bottle expanded to the size of a bucket, and a stream of crimson mes surged out, soaring the temperature in the secret room.


    He ced the Four Symbols Furnace over the Elemental Fire Bottle, heating the furnace for a quarter of an hour as the temperature inside the furnace slowly increased.


    Every quarter of an hour, a herb was tossed into the furnace, then the furnace lid was closed.


    The spiritual medicine gradually melted into a spiritual liquid, a faint fragrance of medicine filling the entire room.


    With practiced ease, he dposed, purified, separated, infused spirit, and condensed the mixture into elixirs.


    Half an hourter, the scent of the medicine was even more intense, and merely smelling it could reduce one''s hunger significantly.


    Lifting the lid of the furnace, five fasting pills hovered within. He took out each fasting pill and ced them into exquisite little jade bottles.


    Elixirs could only be stored in jade bottles. The jade bottles had a higher density and contained a trace of faint spiritual energy, whereas ordinary bottles could hardly retain the spiritual energy of the pills. In a few days, the pill''s energy would dissipate, its internal power leaked out, turning it into waste.


    Beforeing to Qingfeng Town, he specifically prepared several hundred jade bottles to store the elixirs he concocted. Every alchemist would prepare a good number of jade bottles; high-grade elixirs were stored one pill per bottle.


    After concocting a batch of fasting pills and obtaining five pills, he continued to concoct the remaining two batches of spiritual medicine.


    Four hourster, a set of materials for three batches of fasting pills had beenpletely concocted.


    Taking half of the day, he had finally finished concocting the three batches of fasting pills, with a rest period of a quarter of an hour''s breathing adjustment between each batch.


    Under careful precautions, two out of three batches were sessful, and the sess rate had reached seventy percent.


    The first batch produced five pills, the second batch failed, and the third batch produced six pills¡ªa result that left him very satisfied.


    Afterpleting one set of fasting pill materials, there was still more than half of the residual spiritual energy left in his Qi Sea Dantian.


    At the Fourth Level of Qi Practice, concocting three batches of fasting pills would deplete all his spiritual power, and he would have to meditate to restore it.


    After reaching the Fifth Level Qi Practice, it took less than half of the three batches of Fasting Pills to finish the process, and both the sess rate and the number of pills produced increased significantly, highlighting the importance of cultivation level in mastering the Four Arts of Cultivation.


    He continued to make Fasting Pills until his Spiritual Power waspletely depleted.


    In the blink of an eye, night had fallen, a bright moon hung in the sky, and Qingfeng Town was silent except for the asional cries of children from within a few houses.


    After a whole day of making Fasting Pills, he exhausted all his Spiritual Power and used three sets of Spiritual Medicine Materials to make nine batches of elixirs.


    His experience in alchemy grew substantially; the First Order Inferior Fasting Pill now had a stable sess rate of over seventy percent, and the yield was no fewer than five pills per batch, with the highest reaching as many as eight pills.


    Tallying the day''s proceeds, he had a total of thirty-eight Fasting Pills, which, if exchanged for Spirit Stones, would be valued at thirty-eight Low-Grade Spirit Stones.


    For the Lin Family Members living on Green Bamboo Mountain with a cultivation level of Fifth Level Qi Practice, it would take a whole year to umte thirty-eight Low-Grade Spirit Stones, just based on what the family distributed.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help but marvel at how lucrative the profession of an alchemist was in the Cultivation World, given that just making First Order Inferior elixirs could be so profitable.


    Cultivators consume vast resources in their cultivation practice, and alchemists can quickly earn Spirit Stones and Spiritual Medicine for other cultivators by making elixirs, which they then use for their own cultivation and to trade for other resources.


    Every alchemist has a widework of contacts, making it easy for many cultivators to be indebted to them. The risk of offending an alchemist is quite significant; they could find themselves troubled by many indebted parties, which is why High Order Alchemists are so respected, and one wouldn''t dare to offend them lightly.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming stored the Fasting Pills in his storage bag and began to cultivate.


    Lin Tianming found that every time he cultivated after exhausting himself through alchemy, his cultivation practice progressed twice as efficiently.


    After replenishing the depleted Spiritual Power, the Spiritual Power within his Seven Seas Dantian grew at a visibly fast rate, and his Divine Sense was also slowly improving after the high-intensity consumption and recovery.


    The Four Arts of Cultivation can fortify a cultivator''s Divine Sense; over time, the cumtive increase is considerable.


    The assistance of a strong Divine Sense to a cultivator is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.


    The stronger the Divine Sense, therger the area it can cover; at the Fifth Level Qi Practice, Lin Tianming''s Divine Sense could already epass several miles, able to detect the metabolic processes of every de of grass and tree.


    Born with an exceptionally powerful Divine Sense, Lin Tianming''s abilities at the Fifth Level Qi Practice were probably no less than those of an ordinary Sixth Level of Qi Refining cultivator, if not even stronger.


    A powerful Divine Sense is of great significance inbat, mastering the Four Arts of Cultivation, practicing techniques, and concealing one''s presence.


    With it, one can control more and stronger Spiritual Artifacts and Magical Treasures, cast secret techniques more smoothly, detect enemies earlier, and better conceal oneself, greatly enhancing a cultivator''s overall strength.


    In terms of the Four Arts of Cultivation, a stronger Divine Sense increases sess rates and efficiency in both Alchemy and Artifact Refining, Talisman Making, and Formation.


    However, in the Cultivation World, secret techniques to train the Divine Sense are extremely rare and significantly more challenging to practice than cultivation techniques, perhaps only found in central regions of the Human Race like Yunzhou and Xuanzhou.


    In the remote provinces of Qingzhou and Jizhou, with their mere ten thousand years of development and shallow foundation, secret techniques for training the Divine Sense are incredibly rare and highly treasured.


    It is said that during the ancient times tens of thousands of years ago, there was no shortage of Heavenly Grade Techniques and strange and precious secret techniques, with numerous outstanding figures emerging.


    There were even rumors of the emergence of Immortal Realm manuals, though it is unknown whether they were true or false.


    In the quiet of the night, having fully recovered his Spiritual Power and his Divine Sense restored to normal, his Spiritual Power flowed smoothly and unimpeded.


    He looked at the slightly increased amount of Spiritual Power in his Dantian with a sense of satisfaction.


    It had been only a month since he reached the Fifth Level Qi Practice, and he still had some way to go before reaching the Sixth Level. Therefore, he decided not to cultivate any further and to rest easy instead.


    After a full day of Alchemy and cultivation, he felt a faint sense of fatigue.


    Lin Tianming left the secret chamber and walked towards the adjacent room, gradually disappearing into the night.

 Chapter 11 A Chance Encounter with Cultivators Dueling - Part 1

    Time flew by, and Lin Tianming had been stationed in Qingfeng Town for two months.


    During those two months, Lin Tianming had only refined Fasting Pills twice, producing thirty-eight pills on the first attempt.


    The second time, he also used up materials for three batches of Fasting Pills, yielding forty-two pills, bringing the total to exactly eighty Fasting Pills.


    In the meantime, he would assimte one Lingshen Pill each month. Having assimted two Lingshen Pills, his cultivation level had significantly increased. He had reached thete phase of the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement and was getting ever closer to the Sixth Level. He believed the breakthrough to the Sixth Level would likely happen within the next couple of months.


    Over the two months, apart from rigorous practice, it was still rigorous practice. He had not left his home and was quite satisfied with the progress in his cultivation despite the hardship.


    At the beginning of each month, Lin Tianming would patrol a radius of several dozen miles around Qingfeng Town.


    He hadn''t encountered any Demonic Beasts, only a few Mortal Beasts, which he casually killed and brought back to Qingfeng Town for the Lin Family mortals to feast on, much to the widening of many eyes among the Lin Family mortals.


    These Mortal Beasts were also descendants of the Demon Race, but their bloodlines had severely degenerated and they no longer had the ability to evolve. However, their flesh was full of vigorous energy, and when consumed by mortals, it could greatly enhance their strength and vitality.


    Over time, it would strengthen their bodies and make them resistant to diseases; reaching a certain amount could perhaps extend their lives by a decade or eight years.


    In the secr world, although there were also a small number of mortals who practiced martial arts, taking on beasts alone was more likely dangerous than not. The ease with which he killed them garnered immense admiration from the Lin Family mortals, and their respect for Lin Tianming deepened.


    At dawn, the fiery sun slowly rose, its rays shining upon the Nine Provinces Continent.


    Lin Tianming appeared outside the pavilion on the square, where numerous mortals knelt in reverence.


    Under the gaze of all, Lin Tianming summoned his Green Bamboo Sword. With a leap, he jumped onto it and rose into the air, flying out of the town.


    As usual, he nned to survey the perimeter around Qingfeng Town with the town as the center, checking for any Demonic Beasts that might harm the people.


    Last time he had patrolled a radius of just over fifty miles around Qingfeng Town, but today he nned to expand the area to a hundred-mile radius to ensure the safety of the region as much as possible.


    Outside the town, in the fields at dawn, awork of rivers was dense, andrge swaths of rice seedlings, fresh and green, grew promisingly.


    Many Lin Family mortals wereboring in the fields. They moved in groups through the rice fields, busy farming, chatting, andughing.


    A boy of about ten years old skillfully harvested the crops in the field.


    The yield was very good this year. An elder nearby, his face beaming with joy and respect, couldn''t help but exim,


    "Thank goodness our Lin Family is blessed by our immortal ancestors. Now, with favorable winds and rains, we can live and reproduce in peace."


    The boy, looking puzzled, asked,


    "Grandpa, are there really immortals in this world? Did our Lin Family really have immortals?"


    "Of course, there are immortals. Over thirty years ago, when I was just a child, younger than you, I saw one with my own eyes."


    "That immortal could fly through the air,mand the power of water and fire at will, and had the ability to move mountains and fill seas. Even the ferocious tigers were killed in an instant by the immortal. I will never forget it for the rest of my life."


    The elder spoke passionately about the immortal, filled with admiration and longing.


    The boy''s face was filled with yearning, and he said firmly,


    "I also want to be an immortal, to protect our family and Qingfeng Town."


    Hearing this, his grandfather grew serious. In a little over a year, it would be time for the Lin Family''s Spirit Testing. He must send his grandson to try.


    With both his son and daughter-inw having passed away at a young age, his grandson had grown up with him, raised through hardship. If he were to pass away, leaving his grandson helpless, what would be of him? If the boy could be an immortal and be entered into the Lin Family records, he himself could die content.


    Watching the many mortals happily farming or harvesting crops in the field, Lin Tianming was also touched by their joy.


    Continuing west, he soared towards the direction of the Wei Kingdom''s Ziyun Mountain Range.


    The Ziyun Mountain Range was a small range, spanning just over a thousand miles, less than one-fifth the size of the Luoyun Mountain Range, with sparse spiritual energy.


    The Purple Cloud Mountain Range got its name because it resembled the shape of clouds. Inside the mountain range, there weren''t many Demonic Beasts. Mostly there were First Order Demon Beasts, and Second Order Demonic Beasts were rare. They lived within the Purple Cloud Mountain Range and seldom ventured out of their territory.


    In the vast Qingzhou, small mountain ranges like this one were countless, and thus, no cultivation sects had taken control of this area.


    However, with the increasing number of cultivators in thend of Qingzhou and the expansion of other state''s forces, Qingzhou would sooner orter be overcrowded and its natural resources would start to dwindle.


    But those concerns were not something he needed to consider at the moment.


    Lin Tianming deployed his Divine Sense and continued to survey the nearby area for several miles.


    A few miles ahead, on a small hill, there were two cultivators dueling with magic. Judging from the fluctuations caused by their duel, they were at least at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement or above.


    Lin Tianming didn''t dare to keep going forward and immediately retreated, finding a ce to hide in a small valley nearby. He used a concealment spell to hide exceptionally well.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A few miles away, a cultivator in a red robe said indignantly,


    "Jin Daoyou, I was the first to discover that Cave Mansion. After exploring the Cave Mansion, I said we would divide the treasures with a split of sixty-forty in your favor. Yet, you, taking advantage of being one level higher in cultivation than me, actually propose an eighty-twenty split. That''s just too much to ask."


    "If you want to monopolize the treasures, just say so directly. Why make so many excuses? Even though you are one level higher in cultivation than me, does that mean I''m easy to bully?"


    The other cultivator, a man in a white robe with a murderous aura, didn''t waste words. With a cold smile, hemanded three Spirit Swords to form a Sword Array that shot towards the man in the red robe at high speed.


    The Red Robe Cultivator, greatly rmed, sacrificed a hammer-shaped Spiritual Artifact, pouring a tremendous amount of Spiritual Power into it. The dual hammers turned into a red light phantom and violently smashed down towards the man in the white robe.


    With a booming sound, a massive explosion erupted, and mes scattered in all directions.


    The white-robed man was sent flying backwards several yards, his clothes barely covering his body, with blood traces at the corner of his mouth, clearly sustaining serious internal injuries.


    As for the Red Robe Cultivator, his upper garment waspletely shredded, exposing his entire upper body, with several inch-long bloody holes on his shoulder. Had he not been a Body Cultivator, full of vibrant blood and Qi which allowed him to quickly dodge vital areas, he might have already fallen.


    Both were extremely shocked. Now that they had gone past the point of reconciliation, it would be difficult to end things amicably. They had no choice but to fight desperately. If it were indeed the Cave Mansion of a Nascent Soul Master, it would be worth the risk.


    Having said that, both prepared their strongest attacks, intending to kill the other on the spot in order to take sole possession of the Cave Mansion Ruins.


    The white-robed cultivator sacrificed a Flying Sword, casting several spells on it. The Sword Qi on the de soared several times, and with a spray of essence blood on the three swords, the Sword Qi became even more agile.


    The white-robed man shouted loudly,


    "Three Stars Spirit Sword Technique, kill¡­"


    In an instant, the three Spirit Swords merged into one, sending a berserk and nimble Sword Qi hurtling straight towards the man in the red robe.


    The Red Robe Cultivator, unfazed, grasped the dual hammers in his hands.


    Spiritual Power overflowed from his entire body, and the bloody holes on his shoulders healed at a visible rate. His whole body emanated an unstoppable aura.


    After using the Secret Art of Dominating Body Technique, the Red Robe Cultivator, holding a golden hammer in each hand, charged towards the white-robed cultivator as vigorously as if he had a cultivator''s body.


    His speed was so fast it made onlookers gape in astonishment.


    With a thunderous explosion, fire and debris flew in all directions. A shockwave from the st spread out, with the two men at its center, toppling and snapping the towering trees within a hundred yards.


    The scene was aplete mess, too horrible to behold.


    After the smoke cleared and the dust settled,


    the white-robed man was seen lying motionless on the ground, at the bottom of a pit a zhang in diameter. His meridians werepletely severed, his flesh blurred with blood; he was so dead that he could be no deader.


    The Red Robe Cultivator, with a pale face, stood dozens of yards away, with a hole the size of a fist in his chest. He leaned against a rock, his breaths weak, looking greatly depleted.


    He quickly took out a Consolidating Essence Pill, a healing elixir, popped it into his mouth, and sat down to meditate and recover from his injuries.


    That battle had been extremely fierce. For him, at the Eighth Level of Qi Cultivation against an opponent at the Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation, had he not used that heaven-defying secret technique, it might have been him lying dead.

 Chapter 12 Fight Back Between Life and Death_1

    Lin Tianming concealed himself in the adjacent valley, suppressing all of his presence, and witnessed the entire process of the battle between two cultivators above the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, utterly shocked.


    Fortunately, he discovered them in time and halted his motion instead of colliding head-on with the two cultivators, or else it would have been very difficult to escape.


    Beyond the shock, he was also worried that their intense battle had possibly exposed his presence.


    Otherwise, with his own fifth level Qi Cultivation, he feared that the man in the red robe would silence him to keep the secret.


    He didn''t dare to leave rashly, which could easily reveal himself; he couldn''t risk it.


    Now he was in a dilemma, hoping he had gone unnoticed, and could only wait for the other to leave before making any ns.


    At this moment, time seemed incredibly slow.


    A quarter of an hourter.


    The man in the red robe stood up, his injuries somewhat recovered, the bleeding had stopped, and he had regained some of his spiritual power.


    He collected the storage bag of the man in the white robe and cast a Fireball Technique, incinerating the corpse to erase all traces.


    Having done all this, the man in the red robe nced at the little hill where Lin Tianming was hiding and shouted disdainfully; "Fellow Daoist, after watching for so long, isn''t it time to show yourself?"


    Lin Tianming had not expected that the other had discovered him long ago but had simply disregarded him until the battle was over before dealing with him.


    Lin Tianming no longer hid and walked out of the valley with a wry smile.


    He flew unhurriedly toward the man in the red robe, stopped at a distance of a hundred zhang to maintain a safe distance, giving him some time to react in case a fight ensued.


    Lin Tianming spoke calmly; "I am Lin Tianming, a disciple of the Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain, tasked with guarding Qingfeng Town. I was just passing by on patrol and meant no harm. Fellow Daoist can leave directly."


    "I am ignorant of the deeds youmitted and the words you spoke just now. I have tasks waiting and will not dy further, farewell!"


    After saying this, he sped his hands together, turned around, and without looking back, he flew towards Qingfeng Town on his sword at full speed, quickly covering several miles.


    The man in the red robe thought, since this persones from the Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain and this ce is merely over five hundred miles from Green Bamboo Mountain, if he reports to his n and they send a Foundation Establishment elder, it will be extremely difficult to investigate the cave dwellingter.


    Whether he knows anything or not, this person cannot be allowed to live.


    Even though he was injured and at less than a third of his peak strength, this person was only at the fifth level of Qi Cultivation; capturing him should be easy.


    After killing him, he would immediately head back to Jingzhou in Huangyang Kingdom toy low. The Lin Family''s reach had not extended to thend of Jingzhou yet, and in the future, there might be a chance to return secretly to explore the cave dwelling.


    "Hmph!"


    "Since you have run into this, your luck is to me; only the dead can keep secrets."


    Lin Tianming hadn''t even gone several miles when the man in the red robe rode his giant hammer, flying through the air, in pursuit of Lin Tianming.


    Seeing that the distance between them was rapidly closing and that catching up was just a matter of time, Lin Tianming was frantic with urgency, fearing that escape would be difficult.


    Cooling down, he thought that the man had suffered serious injuries and after the great battle with the man in the white robe, a significant amount of spiritual power would have been drained; his full strength would surely be less than half.


    He still had two First Order Superior Attack Talismans and two Defense Talismans. In a fight to the death, he might not necessarily lose. It would be best to fly a distance first, wearing down some of the man''s spiritual power before considering a counterattack.


    Lin Tianming was in the lead with the man in the red robe chasing from behind.


    A chase ensued for dozens of miles until they were less than a mile apart.


    Lin Tianming decided not to flee any longer andnded in a small valley ahead, taking out a Huiyuan Pill to swallow, hoping to recover as much spiritual power as possible.


    The man in the red robe had used up a considerable amount of the small portion of spiritual power he had just recovered in the chase over dozens of miles. If the chase went on for dozens more miles, he would have to give up, but the boy seemed to have reached his limit sooner than expected.


    "Truly, heaven is helping me."


    "Boy, can''t hold out any longer, right? Go to hell then!"


    The man in the red robe, with his spiritual power substantially depleted and not fit for prolonged battle, directly unleashed his strongest attack, intending to finish off Lin Tianming in one strike.


    After executing the Secret Art of Dominating Body Technique, the man in the red robe, with a hammer in each hand and incredibly quick movements, charged straight at Lin Tianming.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming instantly released a First Order Superior Defense Talisman and Attack Talisman to counter the man in the red robe''s powerful strike.


    Having witnessed the full strength of the red-robed man''s strike, which had annihted the man in white robes during their fight, Lin Tianming dared not take any chances.


    The Attack Talisman transformed into a golden Spirit Sword emanating powerful sword qi, equivalent to the full force strike of a cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, charging straight towards the man in the red robe.


    The Defense Talisman turned into a huge shield with the spiritual power of the earth elements flowing rapidly on its surface. The shield, several zhang in size, positioned itself in front of Lin Tianming.


    After releasing the two talismans, he ran his cultivation technique at full power, forming hand seals with both hands and unleashing his strongest strike, the Huoyuan sh, pouring all of his remaining spiritual power into it.


    A giant fiery-red sword materialized, with mes burning intensely on it, its sword qi astonishing, surging forth with power several times greater than when he executed it at the fourth level of Qi Practice.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming held nothing back and struck with all his might.


    Lin Tianming bellowed,


    "sh!"


    Within moments, the red-robed man was a hundred zhang away from Lin Tianming, wielding his twin hammers, as a massive hammer phantom loomed in the air, heading straight for Lin Tianming.


    In an instant, the Flying Sword of the High-Quality Talisman was about to make contact with the giant hammer.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With a loud bang¡­


    The golden Spirit Sword exploded and dissipated, but it had managed to dy the hammer for half a breath''s time and drain much of its power; however, it didn''t stop and continued to bear down on Lin Tianming.


    The hammer phantom mmed directly into the Defense Shield.


    With a thunderous noise, after enduring for several breaths, the shield shattered into pieces, and the powerful shockwave sent Lin Tianming flying several zhang away.


    The moment the shield broke, the giant fire sword formed by the Huoyuan sh also collided with the hammer phantom.


    The hammer phantom held out for less than half a breath''s time before dissipating into specks of spiritual light scattering in all directions.


    After the hammer phantom dispersed, the giant sword encountered no resistance as it made its way towards the red-robed man.


    The man in the red robe''s face was filled with disbelief, never imagining that Lin Tianming had so many tricks up his sleeve, possessing both a First Order Superior Attack Talisman and Defense Talisman, and could unleash such tremendous power with his divine skills.


    Wanting to use other techniques, he found himself with hardly any spiritual power to utilize.


    Beyond his fear, he was left without options.


    With a booming sound,


    The red-robed man was struck by the giant sword made of mes, sent flying back dozens of zhang, crashing through severalrge trees beforeing to a stop.


    His entire body was charred ck, his flesh a blurry mess, as hey motionless, clearly having fallen.


    Lin Tianming was tossed several zhang by the st wave,nding to one side. His inner qi and blood roiled, his meridians were in disorder, and his entire body bore over ten ghastly wounds.


    If it weren''t for the two First Order High-Quality Talismans, which absorbed a great deal of destructive force, he would have likely faced grim odds.


    With his spiritual power almostpletely exhausted after that forceful strike, if he hadn''t been able to kill the man in the red robe, he would have certainly been the one to die.


    At this time, if a cultivator at the First Level of Qi Refining were to appear, a single Fireball Technique could easily allow them to reap the benefits without effort.


    Struggling to sit up, he took out a Huiyuan Pill, threw it into his mouth, and began meditating right there to recover.


    After a quarter of an hour, he had recovered a small part of his spiritual power, and the injuries on his body gradually improved.


    No longer caring to survey the area, knowing it was not safe to stay for long, he needed to find a secure ce to heal and recover.


    Forming seals with his hands, he cast a Fireball Technique to burn the red-robed man''s corpse.


    He collected both men''s storage bags and Spiritual Artifacts, erasing any traces of the fight.


    Casting the Green Bamboo Sword, he soared on the sword, flying towards the direction of Qingfeng Town.


    After half a day, Lin Tianming, dragging his injured body, appeared outside the pavilion in the za, without regard for the horrified stares of themon people, he instructed Lin Shan and Lin Hai,


    "Do not disturb my cultivation unless it is important," then he walked into the interior of the pavilion.


    Without stopping for rest, he headed straight to the secret chamber beside him, sat on the stone bed, and began to cultivate and heal his injuries.

 Chapter 13 Inventory of Gains_1

    Within the secret chamber of the attic, Lin Tianming sat on the stone bed.


    He was like an old monk in deep meditation, with specks of spiritual light slowly converging above his head.


    After being forced to kill the man in the red robe, he hastened back to Qingfeng Town. His internal injuries were severe, and he had no time to recover his depleted spiritual power or heal the wounds in his meridians.


    He summoned his divine sense to inspect the condition of his body and meridians, and it was only upon close examination that he realized the extreme danger he had been in.


    The external wounds on his body were not a major concern; although the skin was ripped and flesh burst open, these could gradually heal by themselves, and some of the wounds had already started to scab over.


    However, the internal injuries were far worse than he had imagined, with several meridians on the verge of snapping at any moment. If he had continued to forcefully engage in battle, it was likely he would have ended up either dead or crippled, and even if he had recovered, his path of cultivation would have be extremely difficult to progress any further.


    Unknowingly, Lin Tianming had been sitting in the secret chamber for over a month, not moving a single step.


    After a month of healing, his meridians had slowly recovered from the brink of breaking, and his body''s condition had reached its peak.


    His cultivation had also made significant progress through life-and-death battles, reaching the pinnacle of the Fifth Level of Qi Practice. He could even catch a glimpse of the realm of the Sixth Level, and if he persisted in cultivating for another month or so, he should be able to break through.


    Lin Tianming did not rush to go into seclusion and make a breakthrough, instead choosing to inspect the storage bags of the Jin surname cultivator and the man in the red robe.


    His injuries were quite severe at the time, and he was in constant danger, leaving him no time to check the contents of the two storage bags. Now that he had recovered, of course, it was time to take stock of his gains.


    First, he took out the storage bag of the Jin surname cultivator and wiped away the residual divine sense imprint.


    The Jin surname cultivator was dead, and his divine sense imprint was easily erased. Lin Tianming extended his own divine sense to check the contents of the Jin surname cultivator''s storage bag.


    "Good heavens... this guy was too rich!" Lin Tianming couldn''t help but exim.


    Six Lingshen Pills, fifty-five low-grade spirit stones, three Huiyuan Pills, one Huadu Pill, and two Consolidating Essence Pills.


    There were also materials for concocting Lingshen Pills¡ªtwenty sets in total, three stalks of Golden Flower Grass, three stalks of Fire Element Grass, and more than thirty stalks of other lower-order spiritual medicine.


    The Consolidating Essence Pill is a healing pill for Qi Training Cultivators, a First Order Superior Grade elixir. If one were to take this pill to aid in recovering from injuries, it would at least halve the time needed to heal.


    Clearly, the Jin surname cultivator was also an alchemist, having collected a good number of elixirs and spiritual medicine materials.


    Golden Flower Grass and Fire Element Grass are both First Order Superior Grade spiritual medicine materials, each stalk valued at ten low-grade spirit stones and are main ingredients in concocting the Xisui Pill; with only three main medicinal herbs left to find, he could begin to concoct the Xisui Pill.


    There was also one First Order Superior Attack Talisman, three First Order Medium Grade Spirit Swords, and two Jade Cylinders.


    Lin Tianming tirelessly searched through the Jade Cylinder for the cultivation technique owned by the Jin surname cultivator. He had personally witnessed its divine power, the Three Stars Spirit Sword Technique¡ªa Sword Array formed by the ovepping of three Spirit Swords with formidable attacking strength, which nearly killed the man in the red robe outright.


    After taking the Technique and contemting it for a quarter of an hour, he gained a certain understanding of it.


    This was a Metal Attribute Profound Grade Technique, which could be cultivated up to the Late Stage of Core Formation with notable power.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Although its grade was not below the Fire Origin Decision he practiced, he was unable to cultivate it himself and could only hand it over to his family.


    The family did not yet have a Metal Attribute Profound Grade Technique, and this technique should earn him quite a reward¡ªit would only be known after he handed it in.


    Putting away the Technique, he continued to search through the remaining Jade Cylinder, which turned out to contain Alchemy Experience.


    The Alchemy Experience was left by a Third Order Low-grade Alchemist at the Core Formation Stage. It was this alchemy heritage that had allowed him to swiftly be a First-Order Medium Grade Alchemist, amassing a substantial amount of resources and thus advancing to the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement.


    The family had never produced a Third Order Alchemy Master; Tian Ming decided to set aside the alchemy experience for further studyter on, which he could submit to the family. The cultivation technique and the alchemy experience should be exchangeable for arge amount of merit.


    This inheritance was tantamount to that of a Profound Grade Technique; its value was immeasurable.


    After inventorying the storage bag of the Zhou surname cultivator, the loot he obtained took Tian Ming by surprise; the cultivator''s possessions were not a small amount more than what Tian Ming had when he left Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Amidst his astonishment, he could not help but look forward to inspecting the red-robed man''s storage bag even more.


    He skillfully wiped away the remaining consciousness imprint on the storage bag and sent out his divine sense.


    Two Lingshen Pills, one Huiyuan Pill, one Consolidating Essence Pill, one Huadu Pill, thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones, one Shuiyun Grass nt, more than ten First Order Inferior Spiritual Medicines, one First Order Superior Defense Talisman, one jade tube, and one map.


    Shuiyun Grass was also a First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Medicine, a main ingredient for concocting the Xisui Pill, with each nt valued at ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones. With two main medicines and more than ten First Order Inferior Spiritual Medicines still needed, he would be able to collect all the ingredients necessary for concocting Xisui Pills.


    He picked up the only jade tube present. The golden runes that twined around it indicated that it was no ordinary item¡ªlikely the Profound Grade Technique practiced by the red-robed man.


    After attempting to refine it, he extended his divine sense and ceaselessly bombarded the rune barriers on the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinder, spending half a day and always falling just short of breaking through.


    It seemed that his divine sense was not strong enough yet; he estimated that at least the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement would likely be required to break those rune barriers.


    Having no other choice, Tian Ming set it aside for the time being and nned to attempt it again once his cultivation reached the Sixth Level of Qi Cultivation.


    Reluctantly putting away the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinder, Tian Ming acknowledged that this technique must be extraordinary for it to have such high entry requirements. The red-robed man must have only just begun practicing it yet already possessed such formidable power, and Tian Ming couldn''t help but anticipate the day he would unlock it.


    He took out the remaining half-zhang-sized map; the map was made of beast skin, adorned with several markings on its surface and traces of blood that had not quite dried, clearly indicating that it was not made more than five years ago.


    The bendy routes on the map traversed through mountains and rivers.


    ording to the map, the cave dwelling was located about five hundred li west of Qingfeng Town, in a valley within the core area of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range.


    With Tian Ming''s current level of cultivation too low to safely explore the cave dwelling, he would need to reach at least the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation before attempting it.


    It would be best to wait until he unlocked the red-robed man''s Profound Grade Technique and acquired some life-saving measures before heading there. Otherwise, venturing into the Purple Cloud Mountain Range would be courting death.


    Packing up all of the spoils of war, he ced them into his own storage bag.


    Now, with an exceptional surplus of elixirs, including those gained from looting¡ªsixteen Lingshen Pills, seven Huiyuan Pills, three Consolidating Essence Pills, four Huadu Pills, and one hundred and twenty-five Low-Grade Spirit Stones¡ªTian Ming was truly wealthy.


    Apart from that, he also acquired a not-inconsiderable amount of Spiritual Medicine Materials; he already had four sets of Fasting Pill materials and thirty-five sets of Spirit Essence Pill materials, and with the loot, he now had fifty-five sets of Spirit Essence Pill materials. With three types of main herbs for the Xisui Pill already collected, he was only two herbs short of being ready to start alchemy.


    In terms of offensive measures, in order to y the red-robed man, he had used one First Order Superior Attack Talisman and one Defense Talisman. From their possessions, he obtained one First Order Superior Grade Talisman and one Defense Talisman each, leaving him with two First Order Superior Attack Talismans and two Defense Talismans.


    The greatest gains of this battle were therge quantity of Spiritual Medicine Materials, but the most valuable were the cultivation technique and alchemy experience, followed by the Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    The status of the cave dwelling marked on the map had yet to be explored; it could belong to someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage or even the Core Formation Stage, which would only be confirmed once explored.


    Tian Ming had a multitude of resources at his disposal, all of which had been nned for use, so there was no longer any need to be frugal.


    His cultivation had reached the peak of the Fifth Level of Qi Practice, and he could take a Lingshen Pill at any moment to break through to the Sixth Level.


    With his mind set, Tian Ming decided to first advance to the Sixth Level of Qi Cultivation before nning further cultivation arrangements.


    Sitting cross-legged, he took out a Lingshen Pill and swallowed it, then began his attempt to break through to the Sixth Level of Qi Cultivation.

 Chapter 14 Breaking Through Qi Cultivation Level 6_1

    Within the secret chamber in Qingfeng Town.


    Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on a cushion, motionless.


    After expending a day''s time to refine a Lingshen Pill, he had elevated his cultivation to the peak of the Fifth Level.


    He had already attempted to breakthrough the realm on three asions, all of which had been unsessful.


    At this moment, his Seven Sea Dantian had expanded to the summit of the Fifth Level Qi Practice, just a step away from the threshold.


    His first duel had almost cost him his life, and if not for his substantial resources and the fact that the Red Robe Cultivator was injured, wielding only about thirty percent of his full strength, his luck might have been less favorable.


    Lin Tianming''s gaze was resolute, his yearning for strength growing ever stronger, he vowed to achieve a breakthrough today.


    He took out another Lingshen Pill and forcefully shoved it into his mouth.


    Circting his cultivation technique, he frenziedly refined the medicinal power contained within the Lingshen Pill.


    Controlling the vtile spiritual power of the Lingshen Pill, he persistently assailed his Qi Sea Dantian over and over.


    After numerous attempts, he finally seeded on the sixth onught, breaking through.


    The Sea of Qi within his Dantian expanded, his spiritual power became several times more abundant than before. Lin Tianming was overjoyed as, after two days and refining two Lingshen Pills, he had finally secured his breakthrough.


    Feeling the manifold increase in his spiritual power and cultivation, should he duel with the man in the Red Robe again, he wouldn''t be as badly embarrassed.


    Having just made a breakthrough, he still needed to consolidate it thoroughly.


    Lin Tianming continued his closed-door cultivation to solidify his newfound realm.


    Three dayster, his realm had been firmly established.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming had three Spirit Swords and two giant hammersid out before him, belonging to the Jin surname cultivator and the man in the Red Robe respectively.


    Throughout his seclusion, as he was recovering from his injuries and breaking through, he had not had the time to refine these two Spiritual Artifacts.


    Now atst he could refine them, enriching hisbat arsenal for future engagements with cultivators, potentially increasing his chances of victory.


    He picked up the three Spirit Swords and carefully contemted them.


    Each of the three Spirit Swords was a First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Instrument; when stacked together, their power couldpare to a First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instrument¡ªa truly remarkable set of Spiritual Instruments. However, it was a pity that he did not possess a Sword Array cultivation technique to bring out their maximum potential.


    He took the hammers, which also formed a set of Spiritual Instruments, each weighing a thousand jin, suitable for those who practiced Body Cultivation and possessing extraordinary power.


    Both sets of Spiritual Instruments were not ideally suited for him, but since he had never possessed a First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Instrument, he nned to refine one of the Spirit Swords. Even though he wouldn''t be able to unleash its full potential, it still would be far stronger than his inferior-grade Green Bamboo Sword.


    Having said that, he took out a Spirit Sword and began the refinement process after wiping clean the Divine Sense from its surface.


    Three days quietly passed, and Lin Tianming sessfully refined a Spirit Sword and decided to give it a name.


    The sword, which he acquired while defending Qingfeng Town, shall be named Qingfeng Sword.


    The two giant hammer Spiritual Instruments could only be exchanged for Merit Points at an opportunity, or sold in the market for Spirit Stones.


    Ten dayster, Lin Tianming emerged from seclusion.


    His cultivation was stable at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining; hisplexion was rosy, and his aura extremely steady.


    After spending more than a month recovering from injuries and breaking through, it was time to go out and survey the surroundings of Qingfeng Town.


    Since he had taken on the task of defending the town, he needed to do it properly and thoroughly.


    As always, he flew out of the town, making a hundred-mile circuit around Qingfeng Town.


    In half an hour, he arrived at the small hill where he dueled the Red Robe Cultivator.


    The traces from the previous duel were gradually being concealed by the newly grown trees and underbrush, and without meticulous examination, it would be hard to detect that a battle had urred here.


    ```


    Continuing to fly in circles forward, he encountered no Demonic Beasts, only a few unlucky wild animals which he easily killed and brought back to Qingfeng Town for the mortals to eat.


    Ordinarily, patrolling the area would take half a day, but now, with his cultivation like a rising tide and his Spiritual Power more profound, his speed had increased significantly.


    In just half a day, Lin Tianming returned to the secret room inside the attic.


    With some rare leisure time, he took out the Alchemy Experience he had obtained from a cultivator surnamed Jin.


    A jade tube, inteced with patterns of green and ink, appeared in Lin Tianming''s hand.


    He deployed his Divine Sense to investigate the Alchemy Experience recorded inside the jade tube.


    This jade tube was left by True Person Yuhua, who, during his lifetime, was a Mid Stage Nascent Soul cultivator and a Third Order Low-grade Alchemist from Jingzhou. He had perished over three thousand years ago.


    True Person Yuhua was one of the many cultivators who came to Qingzhou in search of treasures and experience.


    In the tens of thousands of years prior, arge number of Loose Cultivators from the other seven provinces flocked to Qingzhou in search of treasures and experience; those from families and sects were also not in the minority.


    Qingzhou, with its abundant natural treasures, is near the Demon Race territory, and the struggle between the human and demon races, especially those of Fourth Order and below, has never ceased.


    Risk and opportunity coexist. A great number of cultivators have fallen in Qingzhou, while many have also acquired vast resources and soared to great heights.


    Qingzhou nevercks opportunities, nor does itck the loss of lives.


    True Person Yuhua became one of the many victims of Qingzhou''s opportunities.


    The jade tube recorded True Person Yuhua''s understanding of Alchemy and also contained more than a dozen Pill Forms, all of which weremonly used ¨C with even several Third Order Elixir Recipes included.


    Lingshen Pill, Huiyuan Pill, Consolidating Essence Pill, Huadu Pill ¨C thesemonly used consumable elixirs could be refined into Fourth Order Elixirs given sufficiently aged medicinal ingredients, even suitable for Nascent Soul True Monarchs to consume.


    As for the Spiritual Medicines needed by the Divinity Transformation Stage old monsters, the peak powers of the human realm, they could not be created from these ordinary Spiritual Medicine materials.


    Among the experiences were four Pill Forms that Lin Tianming had not previously collected.


    Nurturing Spirit Pill, a First Order Superior Grade elixir used by Spirit Beasts for cultivation, simr in effect to the Lingshen Pill used by the Human Race but much more potent, suitable only for the bodies of Demonic Beasts.


    Some of the Spiritual Medicine materials used in refining the Nurturing Spirit Pill ovep with those used for the Lingshen Pill, but the main ingredient is far more precious.


    If he had the opportunity to subdue a Demonic Beast, this pill woulde in handy.


    Body Strengthening Pill, a First Order Superior Grade elixir that strengthens a cultivator''s vitality and alleviates pain ¨C one of the elixirs used by Body Cultivators to aid their Body Refinement practice, and quite expensive.


    Strong Spirit Pill, a First Order Superior Grade elixir that can slowly increase one''s Divine Sense, extremely precious; a single Strong Spirit Pill is worth as much as a Pozhang Pill.


    Although the effect on increasing Divine Sense is not very strong, it is still remarkably advantageous, and the effects can be significant with substantial consumption.


    However, the materials required for refinement are exceedingly precious, and ordinary cultivators don''t have enough resources to support such an extravagant consumption.


    Minor Foundation Building Pill, a Second Order Low-grade elixir, that can increase a cultivator''s likelihood of achieving Foundation Establishment by twenty percent, is a simplified version of the Foundation Establishment Pill; its efficacy is only a small fraction of thetter''s, but nheless, it''s remarkably advantageous.


    Lin Tianming was extremely excited; Foundation Establishment Pills are extremely difficult to obtain. Every pill used by the family had to be umted through decades of wealth, obtained at great risk.


    This was why there were only two Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Lin Family; there were several at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, but they were all stuck at the Great Perfection Realm, unable to progress an inch.


    The Lin Family''s foundation was too weak, the resources far from sufficient to support so many family members.


    If he could refine Minor Foundation Building Pills, those elders of the Lin Family stuck at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage would have a good chance of entering the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The Foundation Establishment Pill is precious because the main ingredient, White Jade Grass, is extremely rare and difficult to cultivate or transnt.


    The Minor Foundation Building Pill uses Hidden Spirit Grass as the main ingredient instead of White Jade Grass. Though also very valuable, it''s far less rare than White Jade Grass.


    Packing away the jade tube, Lin Tianming couldn''t calm down for a long time.


    Just based on the value of this Minor Foundation Building Pill Form alone, it is worth as much as a single Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Minor Foundation Building Pills could greatly relieve the family''s financial pressure, allowing those elders at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage to avoid dying in the Qi Refinement Realm.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ```

 Chapter 15 Refining the Lingshen Pill_1

    ```


    Having been in Qingfeng Town for three months, my cultivation level has broken through from the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement to the sixth after consuming four Lingshen Pills, and I still have sixteen more.


    In such a thin Spiritual Energy environment, to be able to advance a level in just over three months, the role of elixirs was crucial.


    Now, I, Lin Tianming, have a fair amount of Spiritual Medicine and elixirs, but they are not inexhaustible.


    There is no need to be too frugal with cultivation resources now; I n to consume two Lingshen Pills each month to advance my cultivation, and spend the rest of the time making elixirs.


    With sixteen Lingshen Pills, consuming two a month, I can barely make itst for a year. However, if there are enough elixirs, I couldpletely afford to take four a month, which would significantly speed up my cultivation advancement.


    The sess rate and quantity of Fasting Pills have be very high, it''s time to try crafting the First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Medicine, the Lingshen Pill.


    With fifty-five sets of Lingshen Pill materials in hand, attempting to refine fifty-five batches should yield a sessful portion.


    That should help replenish some of the elixirs; if the quantity is substantial, I could increase the monthly consumption by one or two pills, elerating the cultivation progress.


    No sooner said than done, I immediately take out the Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Fasting Pills.


    Before starting on the Lingshen Pills, I intend to get a feel for it with the Fasting Pills.


    After all, the materials for the Lingshen Pill are precious, costing several times more, and the difficulty of making them is much higher. They can''t be wasted easily.


    As a matter of habit, I regte my breathing for a quarter of an hour to reach my optimal state.


    I take out the Pill Furnace and the Huo Yuan Bottle, consecutively casting multiple Law Decrees on both.


    With practiced ease, I begin the alchemy for the Fasting Pills.


    Half a dayter, I have refined all the remaining four sets of Fasting Pill materials.


    I yield fifty-six pills, which is fourteen more than the previous time I used one more set of Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    The sess rate has increased again, which pleases me, Lin Tianming, greatly.


    Having refined all the Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Fasting Pills, I now have one hundred and thirty-six pills in hand, which should be exchangeable for a hundred and ten points of Shi Gong¡ªa quite substantial fortune.


    Afterpleting the Fasting Pills, I continue with the n to craft Lingshen Pills.


    I take out the Alchemy Experience written by my grandfather Lin Shigong and the Jade Tube left by True Person Yuhua.


    Although Grandfather Lin Shigong''s alchemy skills are by no meansparable to those of True Person Yuhua, they still epass the experiences of several generations of the Lin Family''s alchemists, which are quite valuable.


    It takes half a day, but I revisit the experiences of both alchemists, focusing on learning from our predecessors'' alchemy knowledge.


    I take out three sets of Lingshen Pill materials and ce them on the stone table beside me.


    After regting my breath for an hour, Imence the alchemy for the Lingshen Pills.


    This being my first time crafting a First Order Medium Grade elixir, I must be cautious.


    I cycle my cultivation through a Grand Cirction, emitting several Law Decrees in orderly session upon the Four Symbols Furnace.


    One by one, I toss a set of Lingshen Pill materials into the Four Symbols Furnace, controlling the me of the Huo Yuan Bottle, breaking down and refining the Spiritual Medicine.


    I time my movements andyer several Law Decrees, injecting Spiritual Energy.


    A few breaths pass.


    "Solidify."


    "Puff."


    A strange sound emanates from the Four Symbols Furnace, apanied by a slight tremor.


    I, Lin Tianming, quickly open the furnace.


    Inside, I see three fragmented, half-formed pills scattered at the bottom of the furnace.


    Just as expected, the first batch of Lingshen Pills is a failure.


    But I''m undeterred, I pick up the broken pieces of the pills and begin to ponder over them intently.


    ```


    He pulled out True Person Yuhua''s Alchemy Experience and focused on analyzing the reasons for the failure.


    After pondering over it several times, it seemed that the issuey with theck of precise control over the me during the dposition of the Spiritual Medicine, leading to impurities not being fully broken down, preventing the pill from solidifying.


    There are over a dozen types of Spiritual Medicine used to refine the Lingshen Pill, each with different properties and medicinal characteristics, and each requires different intensities of me to extract and dpose. The me''s strength must be controlled ording to the properties of the Spiritual Medicine.


    Otherwise, the Spiritual Medicine can easily be under-refined, or if the me is too strong, the impurities can also be extracted and merge with the essence, making the pill difficult to form or causing the batch to be wasted.


    Alchemy is an art that highly values one''s state of mind; the control of the me and the timing of opening the furnace are not fixed.


    A high-order Alchemist will have a prediction for what kind of me strength is needed for each type of Spiritual Medicine.


    Different mes and different temperatures are required for refining different elixirs, and the needed strength of the fire and the refining duration vary significantly as well.


    This judgment can also be prone to errors; therefore, an Alchemist will make on-the-fly adjustments to the me strength and the timing of the pill''s removal based on the changes during the refining process.


    But even the most skilled alchemists can''t guarantee their judgments are 100% urate; even a slight mishap can cause a batch of elixirs to be ruined.


    Thus, even experienced alchemist veterans can only maintain a certain sess rate.


    The failure of the first batch was an expected oue; even with exceptional talent, in the million years of the Cultivation World, no cultivator has ever seeded on their first attempt at alchemy.


    Having deduced the reasons for his failure, Lin Tianming once again took out a set of Spirit Essence Pill Materials and redid all the preliminary preparations, step by step.


    He was exceedingly careful with every detail.


    In extracting each piece of Spiritual Medicine, he would use all of his Divine Sense to extract every bit of essence from them.


    He sequentiallypleted the dposition of the dozen types of Spiritual Medicine.


    An hourter.


    "Solidify."


    A fragrant scent filled the entire secret chamber.


    Two pill pellets hovered in the center of the Four Symbols Furnace.


    Lin Tianming excitedly picked up one of the elixirs to examine if it was aplete Lingshen Pill.


    He pulled out a Lingshen Pill given to him by his grandfather forparison.


    He ced the two Lingshen Pills side by side.


    The Lingshen Pill his grandfather gave was of an ink-green color, with patterns of dark and light green, its surface shiny and smooth.


    Comparing the colors, his own Lingshen Pill appeared almost identical.


    The Lingshen Pill looked normal, but something felt off.


    After carefulparison several times, he realized that his grandfather''s Lingshen Pill had a small amount of Spiritual Energy circling around its surface, while the one he refined had none.


    Recollecting the entire alchemy process, he realized that the step hecked was the proper Infusion of Spirit; he had infused too much Spiritual Energy, exceeding the Lingshen Pill''s limits and disrupting its bnce.


    This was the biggest reason for the failure of this attempt.


    Over the course of five days, through repeated practice and analysis of failures,n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    he finally seeded on the eighth attempt. During this period, he encountered various mistakes and issues; after repeatedly reviewing, checking, andparing, and after multiple refining attempts, he finally seeded.


    He carefullypared and observed the sessfully refined Lingshen Pill with his fingers, and it seemed almost identical, from the color, Spiritual Power, and scent, it was undoubtedly a genuine Lingshen Pill.


    Lin Tianming breathed a sigh of relief. The materials for so many Spiritual Medicine Materials could have bought a significant number of elixirs.


    The resources and time spent during this period were significant; had he not seeded, he could hardly afford such an expenditure.


    With a sessful example at hand, all he needed to do next was practice more to improve the sess rate and quantity of pills yielded.


    That said, Lin Tianming delved into a frenzy of alchemy and cultivation.

 Chapter 16 Arduous Cultivation_1

    ```


    Time flew by swiftly, and months passed silently.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming sat motionless on the meditation cushion.


    Bits of star-like spiritual energy wandered around his body, slowly entering through the Sky Spirit Cover or his fingertips, gradually permeating his entire being.


    An hourter, Lin Tianming ended his practice.


    Opening his eyes, a sh of brilliance streaked across his pupils, his body''s aura stable and profound.


    Several jade bottlesy scattered haphazardly inside the chamber, as empty as can be, with only faint traces of spiritual energy and medicinal fragrance lingering within.


    By this time, Lin Tianming had been in closed-door cultivation for several months.


    During this period, he fervently engaged in alchemy and cultivation, practicing alchemy untilpletely exhausted and his spiritual power was depleted before stopping.


    Afterward, he would perform breathing exercises to recover his spiritual power and divine sense.


    Prolonged alchemy not only consumed a great deal of spiritual energy but also ced a tremendous strain on the divine sense, leaving him extremely weary each time he overused it.


    He always pushed himself to the limit, spending days bitterly polishing his practice without ever resorting to Spirit Essence Pills or Restorative Elixirs.


    Though arduous, the rewards were incredibly rich.


    Over the months, fifty-five sets of Spirit Essence Pill materials werepletely refined.


    The difficulty of producing Spirit Essence Pills was not minor, being several times harder than making Fasting Pills.


    Out of fifty-five sets of Spirit Essence Pill materials, only sixteen batches were sessfully alchemized, barely reaching a thirty percent sess rate.


    The number of pills per batch varied between three and four, ultimately resulting in fifty Spirit Essence Pills.


    Combined with the fourteen remaining pills after his sessful breakthrough to the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, he had a total of sixty-four pills.


    Throughout these months, he never rxed his regimen of alchemy or cultivation, consistently taking two Spirit Essence Pills each month, leaving fifty-four pills remaining.


    Fortunately, the effort spent on alchemy also yed a part; otherwise, it might have been impossible to reach the Medium Stage of the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement so soon based solely on the pills.


    Although he had no shortage of pills for his practice, Lin Tianming chose not to continue his closed-door cultivation.


    Instead, he prepared to leave seclusion to temper himself in the mountains near Qingfeng Town, to refine his realm further and solidify his gains before seeking another opportunity for a breakthrough.


    Cultivation itself is an act of defying the heavens and changing one''s fate. Although Lin Tianming had excellent talents, he was not a Cultivator with a Sky Spirit Root or a Hetero-attribute Spirit Root but merely one with above-average potential.


    Even those with Sky Spirit Root or Hetero-attribute Spirit Root need to temper and consolidate their experiences to avoid encountering too many bottlenecks.


    Overreliance on elixirs could add significant obstacles during Core Formation and Nascent Soul stages; to journey further on the path of Immortality, stepping out for real-world experience was a necessity.


    During these months, Lin Tianming alwayspleted the monthly inspections as expected.


    Now, the time hade for the eighth inspection, and Lin Tianming emerged from seclusion, appearing in the courtyard outside the loft.


    The Lin Family''s Mortal Race brothers, Lin Shan and Lin Hai, tasked with awaiting his orders, had taken turns keeping vigil outside the loft for over half a year, never once leaving their post.


    Seeing Lin Tianming emerge from the grand hall, Lin Shan ran up to him, bowing respectfully.


    "Lin Shan greets the old ancestor with respect, congrattions on the grand achievement of your divine abilities."


    These brothers were indeed thoughtful. Aside from the first time they came to Qingfeng Town, they had not received any specific instructions, yet they continued to wait diligently day and night, anticipating orders.


    Lin Tianming spoke nonchntly,


    "No need for formalities. Take these discarded pill residues; they still contain quite a bit of elixir essence. Though they''re of no use to Cultivators, ifmon folk stew them into a medicinal soup, it can strengthen the body, improve health, and eliminate chronic illnesses. There is enough here for dozens of your people to use."


    With a wave of his hands, a mass of elixir residues flew towards Lin Shan,nding firmly in his palm, a full handful.


    Lin Shan was overjoyed but also visibly apprehensive as he thanked Lin Tianming!


    Although useless for Cultivators, even the small amount of remaining essence in these discarded pill residues was a significant tonic for Mortals. Having collected many such residues from pill production, they could be gifted to the Lin Family''s Mortal members, an effortless act of generosity.


    ```


    The mayors of the Lin Family''s five major Mortal Towns all descended directly from ancestors who were cultivators, though their bloodlines had be extremely diluted over dozens of generations. Nevertheless, the probability of a cultivator emerging from their lineage was still higher than that of average mortals, and leaving a good karma for oneself was certainly not improper.


    Lin Tianming no longer paid attention and, summoning the Qingfeng Sword, flew towards the outskirts of Qingfeng Town.


    In half a day''s time, he carefully patrolled the area within a hundred miles around Qingfeng Town and had already in more than ten Mortal Beasts.


    Releasing all his Divine Sense, every animal and nt within ten miles shed through his mind.


    "Huh,"


    After almost half a year stationed in Qingfeng Town, he had never encountered Demonic Beasts. However, today, he ran into a Striped Crocodile.


    The Striped Crocodile was a Middle Stage First-Order Monster Beast. Adult Striped Crocodiles were Second Order Middle Stage beasts, so this one must only be a juvenile.


    Striped Crocodiles were gregarious creatures, with smaller groups numbering over ten andrger ones having over a hundred. It was strange to see just one in this ce.


    This ce was over a hundred miles to the west of Qingfeng Town, less than a hundred miles from the outer periphery of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range. Logically, Monster Beasts shouldn''t appear here.


    Having discovered one, there was naturally no reason to let it go. It would serve as an opportunity to temper himself since it was the first time he had encountered a Monster Beast and thus was also the first time he would duel with one.


    He drove the Qingfeng Sword at full power, turning it into a streak of cyan escape light, heading straight for the Monster Beast several miles away.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming appeared in a small valley. The valley stretched for more than ten miles, with dense forests on both sides and a river more than thirty feet wide flowing across the valley floor.


    The river flowed from west to east, with the upstream being precisely the Purple Cloud Mountain Range. This Striped Crocodile must havee downstream along this river.


    The calm river asionally rippled slightly, making it very difficult to notice anything unusual without careful observation.


    A Striped Crocodile, three zhang wide and over ten zhang long, was hiding at the bottom of the river, swimming quickly upstream.


    The creature must have sensed Lin Tianming''s formidable presence and, knowing it could not match him, had decided to hide under the water and flee.


    "Hmph,"


    Do you think you can get away by hiding? I won''t be able to deal with you?


    This expedition for cultivation experience mightst as short as half a month or as long as several months, with no way to determine an exact time.


    He must clear out the beasts within a hundred miles. If during his journey of cultivation one of them ran toward Qingfeng Town, countless mortals would surely be met with tragedy.


    Summoning the Qingfeng Sword, he infused it with arge amount of Spiritual Energy. The sword became a streak of cyan light and moved with incredible speed.


    "With a loud boom,"


    The cyan sword light split the river, a few dozen zhang deep, and without any hesitation, rushed towards the Striped Crocodile.


    The Striped Crocodile moved its massive body quickly and agilely at the bottom of the river, likely aware that it couldn''t evade Lin Tianming''s attack.


    Suddenly, it turned its head and shot a water sword from its vast mouth. The water sword was half a zhang thick and rapidly shot towards the cyan giant sword.


    The two attacks collided with a thunderous roar and only held for the briefest of moments before they exploded.


    The river churned continuously, and the powerful shockwave threw fish and shrimp onto the banks, while many were torn to pieces.


    With a single easy strike deflected by the Striped Crocodile, Lin Tianming was not irritated. He made three more swift sword shes, attacking the Striped Crocodile once again.


    The Striped Crocodile did not attempt to dodge; instead, it spat out water swords while rapidly moving towards Lin Tianming.


    All three water swords exploded in front, blocking the attacks released by Lin Tianming. As the explosions covered its movements, the Striped Crocodile opened its gaping maw and charged directly at Lin Tianming.


    Without any panic, Lin Tianming quickly executed the Technique Secret Art, Huoyuan sh, turning it into a fiery sword, heading straight for the Striped Crocodile''s gaping mouth.


    With a loud bang, the Striped Crocodile''s body twisted wildly, rolling dozens of times in the river before floating motionless on the surface.


    Lin Tianming''s unrestrained strike had sent the fiery sword straight into the maw of the Striped Crocodile, pulverizing its insidespletely, thus ending its life.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lin Tianming quickly tidied up the battlefield, skinned the Striped Crocodile with haste, extracted a pure white Demon Core from its body, then cut off its four sharp ws and the whole tail before leaving on his sword.

 Chapter 17 Investigating the Cave Dwelling_1

    A few hourster...


    A streak of azure light shot across the sky, as Lin Tianming stood atop the Qingfeng Sword, appearing in a small valley over two hundred miles west of Qingfeng Town.


    This was the peripheral area of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range, arge expanse of hills teeming with lush vegetation and dense foliage, with small mountains hundreds of feet tall dotting thendscape.


    Having carefully scouted the area within a hundred miles of Qingfeng Town and eliminated arge number of mortal beasts, he had ensured no worriesy in wait to disrupt his journey of training and experience.


    Killing the Striped Crocodile, he obtained some materials for weapon forging, its hide could bebined with other materials to craft a set of defensive inner armor, whose defensive power would surely not becking.


    The long tail, on the other hand, could be used to craft a whip-like attack spirit weapon, which was also worth a good number of spirit stones, not to be squandered.


    As dusk approached, since demonic beasts were mostly nocturnal, it was unwise to enter the Purple Cloud Mountain Range at this time. It would be safer to set out after dawn the next day.


    Lin Tianmingnded on top of a small mountain, drew the Qingfeng Sword, and hacked more than ten times, chiseling out a cavern of several zhangs on a giant stone wall, creating a simple cave mansion to rest for the night so he could recover and then enter the Purple Cloud Mountain Range in good condition.


    He weaved a few spells with his fingers, setting up some simple illusions to cover the entrance of the cave mansion, then stepped inside.


    Seen from the outside, this ce was covered by a forest. Dozens of trees of various sizes obscured the entire rock wall. Such defenses could easily deter low-order monster beasts, but against high-order monster beasts or cultivators, they would provide no hiding ce.


    Inside the secret chamber, Lin Tianming wore an expression of hesitation and indecision.


    This journey was bound to be brief, after all, he had his duty to protect the town. Leaving without permission for too long, should anything happen, would be difficult to justify to his n.


    However, the uncertainties of training were beyond control, and no one could predict what might happen.


    His cultivation was not high; although the Purple Cloud Mountain Range was just a small mountain range, unlikely to house high-order demonic beasts, there were definitely plenty of second-order demonic beasts, as proven by the Striped Crocodile he had just killed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After pondering deeply for half an hour, Lin Tianming made a decision.


    He would keep the duration of this trip to within three months and wouldn''t blindly traverse the Purple Cloud Mountain Range.


    The map he had obtained from killing the man in the red robe, likely created by the murdered man himself, marked the location of the cave mansion ruins he had mentioned.


    "Since they managed to explore once without harm, it should not be too dangerous!" Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    No sooner had he finished speaking than he spread out the map in front of him, studying it closely.


    ording to the routes on the map, there were several circled locations, likely the territories of certain demonic beast ns. He would confirm the route once again, and if it proved too perilous, he would abandon it, perhaps exploring it after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. Merely scouting the path should carry little risk.


    After considering his n for an hour, he started cultivating to recuperate and restore his state.


    The next day at dawn, the morning sunlight shone into the valley, as flocks of birds flew over the mountain tops.


    Lin Tianming appeared outside the stone wall, dispelled the illusions, and chopped down a fewrge trees to cover up the cave where he had rested the night before.


    Taking out the map, he carefully determined the direction and then began running swiftly. His speed matched that of a cheetah charging at full force, extremely agile as he headed further into the Purple Cloud Mountain Range.


    The reason for not using sword flight was that flying in the territories of demonic beasts was extremely dangerous. Without any cover, being such an obvious target makes one easily detected, and even directly attacked, posing great danger.


    After half a day, Lin Tianming arrived just outside an area known as the Stone Forest, where the trees were sparse and countlessrge rocksy haphazardly together, creating an eerily silent and bizarre scene.


    Lin Tianming carefully discerned his direction. At this point, he had already crossed the periphery of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range; along the way, he hadn''t encountered many demonic beasts, only a few first-order inferior ones.


    Lin Tianming had no desire to fight unnecessarily. He avoided conflict where he could, and if pursued relentlessly, he would kill quickly, retrieve the demon core and make a swift departure.


    Utilizing his divine sense, he cautiously scanned the surrounding area for several miles. From this ce, he should be entering the inner region of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range.


    "Huh... Earth Spirit Ganoderma..."


    He could see seven Earth Spirit Ganoderma growing within the crevices of the stone wall, each asrge as a brick and dazzlingly colorful on the surface, a feast for the eyes.


    Moreover, there were over thirty Earth Mysterious Mice, most of which were at the First Order Initial Phase, but three were Demonic Beasts at the First Order Middle Stage, with one nearly advancing to the First Order Late Stage.


    The Earth Spirit Ganoderma was a First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Medicine, and one of the main ingredients for refining Xisui Pills. Lin Tianming had already gathered Golden Flower Grass, Fire Element Grass, and Shuiyun Grass. If he could acquire this Earth Spirit Ganoderma, he would only be short of the Mystical Vine Flower to refine the Xisui Pill.


    The Earth Mysterious Mouse was an earth-attribute Demonic Beast, with thick skin and sharp teeth, and it moved incredibly fast. It was fond of eating earth-attribute Spirit Material and earth-attribute ores; this clump of Earth Spirit Ganoderma was likely their food that they were guarding.


    Lin Tianming thought calmly. There were many of them, and although most were First Order Inferior Demonic Beasts that posed no harm to him, if he were to be surrounded by a few Superior Beasts, he might have a difficult time escaping.


    If he left, there would be no risk in bypassing this ce.


    But looking at those seven Earth Spirit Ganoderma, he truly could not bear to give them up.


    If it were any other Spiritual Medicine, he might have considered the risk too high and given up directly, but this was one of the five main ingredients for refining Xisui Pills, a rare find that''s not easily encountered again if missed.


    He had quite a few First Order Superior Talismans, so at worst, he would expend one or two of them. As long as he wasn''t surrounded, he could fight or run if defeat seemed imminent.


    No more hesitation¡ªhe acted!


    Lin Tianming transformed into a streak of light, covering several meters in a blink, and charged directly toward the clump of Earth Spirit Ganoderma.


    The three Middle Stage First Order Earth Mysterious Mice were the first to react. Opening their mouths wide as buckets, they lunged at Lin Tianming''s head with a bite.


    Lin Tianming summoned the Qingfeng Sword and swung it with all his might, sending a sweeping Sword Qi towards the numerous mouse horde.


    With several crackling sounds...


    A few Initial Phase First Order Earth Mysterious Mice couldn''t dodge in time and were sent flying, painfully mming into a stone wall beside them, and no longer able to stand up, they could only howl in agony.


    Lin Tianming drew a breath of cold air, pushed the Qingfeng Sword to its limit, and chopped at the Inferior Earth Mysterious Mice, only to see that they didn''t die, a testament to the formidable defense of these earth-attributed Demonic Beasts.


    After shing with three more swords, all the Earth Mysterious Mice began to leap and dodge to the left and right.


    Seizing the moment while they dodged the Sword Qi, he sprinted full force toward the Spiritual Medicines.


    Three breathster, Lin Tianming sessfully reached the top of the stone wall, quickly scooped up an Earth Spirit Ganoderma with the Qingfeng Sword, and stored it in his storage bag.


    The three Middle Stage First Order Earth Mysterious Mice were thoroughly enraged and simultaneously spewed a few chunks of jade stones from their bellies. The stones smashed toward Lin Tianming with astonishing speed. Being hit by even one could end in severe injury or death.


    Just as the stones were about to hit Lin Tianming, he had already collected five Earth Spirit Ganoderma, with two left behind, he could only give up on them. He took out a First Order Superior Defense Talisman and transformed it into a shield in front of him.


    With a loud explosion, shockwaves rippled.


    Using the sound and shockwaves from the explosion, Lin Tianming swiftly fled on his sword, speedier than before.


    Behind him, a group of Earth Mysterious Mice chased, but after a full circuit, they stopped pursuing. It seemed like he had left their territory, so they reluctantly retreated.


    After half an hour, Lin Tianmingnded on top of a massive pine tree. Affected by the explosion''s impact, his body was struck by a searing pain, but fortunately, he had retreated in time, and his injuries were not serious.


    He was also lucky to have acted decisively, avoiding a head-on conflict. The Qingfeng Sword, when struck against the First Order Inferior Earth Mysterious Mice, only inflicted severe wounds, disabling their ability to fight.


    Otherwise, with the defensive power of the Middle Stage Earth Mysterious Mice, it would have been impossible for him to deal with them.


    This collection of Spiritual Medicine cost him a First Order Superior Defensive Talisman. The value of the talisman was almost equivalent to an Earth Spirit Ganoderma, but he seeded in obtaining five century-old Earth Spirit Ganoderma.


    All things considered, he still made a considerable gain, and it wasn''t in vain that he risked harvesting the medicine.


    With a smile on his face, Lin Tianming took out the several Earth Spirit Ganoderma and carefully stored each in a specially made Jade Box to prevent the loss of their medicinal properties, waiting to collect the Mystical Vine Flower to attempt refining the Xisui Pill.


    After storing the Earth Spirit Ganoderma in his storage bag, he sat atop the tree and began to meditate and regte his breath, waiting to recover his full condition.

 Chapter 18 Slaying the Spirit-Connecting Python_1

    The next morning, Lin Tianming opened his eyes.


    It had been nine days since he left Qingfeng Town n Territory. During these nine days, he had traveled by day and rested at night to recuperate and ensure his condition was stable.


    After a night of recuperating, his body was filled with strength, and both his spirit and Divine Sense had reached their peak state. He was about to set off once more and tread the path of exploration.


    Lin Tianming took out the map and carefully observed the situation and directions of this area.


    He should now be near Qinghe Mountain, less than a hundred miles away from the cave dwelling''s location.


    This ce had already entered the central area of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range. First Order Late Stage Demon Beasts were everywhere, and he had to be fully alert, otherwise danger could strike at any time.


    Having confirmed the direction, Lin Tianming summoned his Qingfeng Sword and held a First Order Defense Talisman in his hand, carefully making his way through the jungle, not moving as fast as before.


    Lin Tianming was extremely cautious, taking a step and then using his Divine Sense, observing his surroundings for any dangers before continuing on his journey.


    After half a day, he had only covered a little over thirty miles. During that time, he encountered many First Order Inferior and Medium Grade Spiritual Medicine, which he collected one by one.


    Lin Tianming was ted as he put three Purple Mysterious Flowers into his storage bag, which already contained more than twenty First Order Spiritual Medicine.


    Seeing so many Spiritual Medicine materials, Lin Tianming frowned slightly. Even if he didn''t locate the cave dwelling, with the Spirit Medicine materials collected over the past few days, the value had reached no less than a hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.


    Lin Tianming''s journey of over thirty miles had been very safe, without encountering a single demon beast. However, the abnormality indicated that something strange was going on.


    Lin Tianming stopped and carefully observed his surroundings.


    Three peaks converged at this ce, with several rivers converging at the bottom of the valley. A dense mist covered the entire valley, severely limiting his Divine Sense, which could only probe a few hundred feet. There were dozens of caves of various sizes in the mountains, and it was unclear where they led.


    Taking out the map, he carefullypared his position and realized he had deviated over thirty miles from the route.


    It seemed that his greed for the low-tier Spiritual Medicine had clouded his vision, gradually causing him to stray from the path.


    Lin Tianming decided to return the way he came, to the ce where he had previously sat and recuperated, and then restart his journey following the route on the map.


    Just as he was about to turn his head to leave, he lifted his eyes to see that, without his notice, a gigantic python, dozens of meters in length, had raised its enormous head and was looking at him, hissing with a long forked tongue, looking extremely terrifying.


    "A First Order Late Stage Spirit-Connecting Python!"


    It was actually a Spirit-Connecting Python. An adult Spirit-Connecting Python was a Second Order Late Phase Beast, carrying a hint of the ancient dragon''s bloodline, with unparalleled attacking power. Among Second Order Demonic Beasts, it was one of the most formidable.


    Seeing the dozen or so caves of varying sizes on this section of the mountain, it was likely a den belonging to a group of Spirit-Connecting Pythons.


    It was critical to escape immediately, as waiting for an even stronger Spirit-Connecting Python to emerge meant certain death.


    Lin Tianming, fully aware of this, turned and transformed into a streak of green light, quickly weaving through the forest.


    As Lin Tianming fled, the Spirit-Connecting Python watching him swiftly twisted its body, pursuing him. Despite its massive size, it moved through the forest with great agility.


    Having only run a few miles, Lin Tianming was already caught up by the Spirit-Connecting Python.


    The Spirit-Connecting Python opened its vast mouth and lunged straight for Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming leaped, swiftly dodging behind a big tree and avoiding the Spirit-Connecting Python''s deadly strike.


    Severalrge trees were bitten in half, their thirty-meter-high trunks crashing down, while Lin Tianming was panting next to arge tree.


    It seemed that escaping was not going to be easy.


    The speed of this Spirit-Connecting Python was at least half faster than Lin Tianming''speting in speed was certainly not an option. His only chance of escape was to either beat back the serpent or kill it.


    The piercing pain in his arm and a few palm-sized scars brought Lin Tianming back to the present.


    The mere droplets of the python''s saliva had corroded his arm, its venom fiercely potent indeed, befitting the exceptional among First Order Demonic Beasts.


    Ignoring the injuries on his arm, Lin Tianming''s entire body shone with spiritual light.


    He drew out the Qingfeng Sword, shed several times, and without concern for the precious Spirit Stones, immediately brought out a First Order Superior Attack Talisman.


    A blue giant sword and several sword Qis charged straight at the Spirit-Connecting Python.


    The Spirit-Connecting Python was no less fierce, sweeping its tail as thick as a water barrel directly at Lin Tianming.


    The azure sword shed with the green and white tail of the python, metal-on-metal sounds echoing throughout the valley. Immediately, sparks flew in all directions, and trees fell in swathes¡ªan extreme spectacle.


    The python was exceedingly furious now, its eyes the size of a human head fixed deadly on the cultivator before it, readying its next wave of attacks.


    Lin Tianming carefully calcted; to kill the serpent, finding its weak point was essential.


    The python''s body was enveloped in green scales with fearsome defensive power; achieving a kill was tough. The only chance was to risk targeting its vital seven-inch section.


    Having settled on a n, he had no choice but to hazardly approach the serpent''s main body. To attack a snake''s critical seven-inch section was the only path to victory; lingering longer only spelled greater danger if he wished to leave safely.


    He shed thrice more, drawing the python''s attention.


    Availing of its momentary distraction, Lin Tianming moved swiftly. His body turned into a blur, and while moving, he didn''t forget to form hand seals, directly summoning his strongest Divine Skill, Fire Origin Decision.


    Half a breathter¡­


    The fiery giant sword, with a massive ze, struck the python right below its head at the seven-inch position.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With a thunderous boom!


    The seven-inch section of the python burst into bloodshed. Its massive body twisted frantically, blood spurting all around, a ghastly sight to behold.


    In torment, the Spirit-Connecting Python rolled,shing out with its remaining strength, sweeping its enormous tail at Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t evade in time and got struck by the tail''s end, sustaining minor damage¡ªseveral ribs broken, a gash across the chest revealing a grim white bone.


    Dragging his injured body, Lin Tianming showed no mercy, furiously continuing to wield the Qingfeng Sword, gutting the python.


    Strike when the enemy is sick, take their life¡ªafter all,passion for an enemy is irresponsibility towards oneself, a truth well known to all.


    After some moments, Lin Tianming extracted the Demon Core from the Spirit-Connecting Python, cut off the reverse scale on its back, and took out a Jade Bottle to gather arge amount of blood, nearly enough to fill a small pond.


    Before leaving, he also peeled off the python''s skin and stored it in a bag, transforming into a shadow and retracing the path he''de by.


    Half a day passed.


    Following the path he had taken, Lin Tianming returned to his previous route on the map, settling down cross-legged atop the canopy of arge tree.


    He had been too busy fleeing to recover his mana or tend to his injuries.


    Once out of danger, he hurriedly took out a Huadu Pill and a Consolidating Essence Pill. The power of both elixirs rapidly mended his body''s meridians and internal organs.

 Chapter 19 Successfully Entering _1

    Five days quietly passed, and Lin Tianming slowly opened his eyes.


    After several days of recovery, his wounds had basically healed, and he was ready to set out again.


    However, he must avoid life-and-death battles as much as possible. At present, he could only exert about eighty percent of his full strength, so he had to be even more cautious.


    In over half a year sinceing from Green Bamboo Mountain n Territory to Qingfeng Town, after several fierce battles, numerous brushes with danger, and many injuries,


    Lin Tianming''sbat skills had be extremely proficient. He could instantaneously unleash various Cultivation Technique Secret Arts and had reached the peak of his current level, his fighting strength unlike any previous time.


    His cultivation had risen from the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement to the Late Stage of Sixth Level, not far from reaching the Seventh Level.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Indeed, tempering through life-and-death battles proved to be the best method of cultivation; only after undergoing trials between life and death could breakthroughs happen naturally when the time came.


    In the Purple Cloud Mountain Range, there were many Second Order Demonic Beasts. Even though he hadn''t encountered any on the way, they definitely existed, so he still had to be careful, not stray from the path, and if he fell into danger once more, it would be troublesome¡ª not every time could he escape by sheer luck.


    Taking out the map, and after identifying the right direction, Lin Tianming continued on the road to find the Cave Mansion Ruins.


    Lin Tianming followed the indications on the map, undistracted by the asional low-order Spirit Grasses he found around, pressing forward single-mindedly, solely to find the Cave Mansion Ruins as soon as possible.


    Two days went by, and with the guidance of the map, exploring carefully and avoiding dangerous spots many times, Lin Tianming arrived at the base of a mountain.


    The entire mountain was a thousand feet tall, with a bare surface, only very few trees growing in the crevices of the rock face.


    A gigantic river at the base of the mountain wound around the structure, cascading stones forming over a dozen waterfalls of various sizes, and the entire gorge was shrouded in thick mist. The spiritual energy was denser than the outside world by a considerable margin, almostparable to the richness of Green Bamboo Mountain¡ªtruly an earthly paradise.


    Taking out the map, he carefully examined it,paring it several times in detail.


    "It should be this ce without a doubt...," Lin Tianming muttered to himself.


    Putting away the map, Lin Tianming could hardly contain his tion. After more than ten days of searching, several dire situations, and multiple pursuits by numerous Demonic Beasts along the way, he had finally found the location marked on the map.


    But upon close inspection, he saw that this ce simply had a considerably denser spiritual energy and beyond that, it appeared indistinct from any other ce.


    The mountain looked ethereal and otherworldly, but that did not ensure its authenticity. Possibly, it was just Illusion Technique or Formation Barrier, only meant to deceive the eyes and ears of others.


    Without further ado, Lin Tianming released all his Divine Sense, surveilling the entire mountain and its surroundings.


    An hour slipped by silently, after exploring twice, and still, nothing unusual was detected.


    Continuing to expand the search radius, hebed through a more than ten-mile radius around the mountain.


    "What''s this?"


    Suddenly, Lin Tianming noticed that behind the curtain of water from a waterfall, there seemed to be fluctuations of a Formation Barrier, intermittent and subtle. Though slight, they were still picked up by his senses.


    Behind the Formation Barrier must be where the Cave Mansiony. It looked as though the power of the barrier had considerably weakened. He decided to strike with full force to see if he could open it. If it opened, he naturally had to explore it, but if it couldn''t be opened, he would have to give up for the time being.


    Resolved, Lin Tianming invoked the Qingfeng Sword, leaped onto it, and flew towards the waterfall with the Formation Barrier fluctuations.


    Passing through the curtain of the waterfall to the pond below, more than ten snow-white fish, each nearly the size of a small boat with sharp fangs and teeth, leaped out of the water surface and ferociously bit towards Lin Tianming.


    "Snow Spirit Fish!"


    Snow Spirit Fish, First Order Late Stage Water Attribute Demonic Beasts, usually live in groups. They dwell in the icy river canyons, with varying numbers in a group. Large groups can have more than ten thousand individuals. When they gather together, even Second Order Demonic Beasts can be devoured in an instant. They are indeed very ferocious.


    There were more than ten Snow Spirit Fish, only three of which were at the Late Stage of the First Order, while the rest were Medium and Early Stage Demonic Beasts. Over ten Snow Spirit Fish attacking at the same time posed a threat not to be underestimated.


    Lin Tianming, still injured and not fully recovered, didn''t dare to face them head-on. He threw out a First Order Superior Defensive Talisman, which transformed into a several zhangrge shield. It protected his entire body from behind.


    Over ten Snow Spirit Fish mmed into the huge shield created by the talisman. It only held for a moment before exploding. The attack of the Snow Spirit Fish was blocked, and they fell into the pond.


    Seizing this opportunity, Lin Tianming formed a hand seal and cast Huoyuan sh. A streak of blue and red light shot directly toward the barrier behind the water screen.


    With a loud boom, the ming great sword transformed by the Huoyuan sh hit the barrier.


    In less than a moment, a half-zhangrge gap appeared in the barrier.


    Now was the moment. Lin Tianming turned into a lingering shadow as he rushed into the formation barrier.


    After a spell of dizziness.


    Lin Tianming appeared inside a hundred zhangrge cave. The entire cave was dug out of the mountain body and must have been a temporary dwelling for a High Order Cultivator to cultivate; otherwise, it wouldn''t have been so spacious.


    Lin Tianming carefully observed his surroundings. The whole cave consisted of five chambers, thergest being over thirty zhang in size, and the smallest over ten zhang.


    Lin Tianming cautiously stepped in, clenching the Qingfeng Sword in his hand. Still not feeling reassured, he took the single remaining First Order Attack Talisman and Defense Talisman from his storage bag and held them in his hand. Should any unexpected situation arise, they could save his life.


    Upon entering the cave mansion, the first thing that caught his eye was a stone chamber of over ten zhang in size. It was aplete mess; many stone tables and chairs were already half-destroyed. Time had taken its toll, with ordinary stone materials unable to withstand the wear of years, splitting into uneven pieces. It appeared that this ce was a reception hall and contained nothing of value.


    Lin Tianming did not linger and continued to walk further inside. To the right of the reception hall was a chamber protected by a golden light screen, obviously a Formation Barrier. Despite its age, the power it retained was not insignificant.


    Lin Tianming exerted his full strength to deploy the Huoyuan sh, bombarding the barrier.


    I saw several ripples sh across the barrier but it remained unshaken ¨C the calm light screen rapidly returned to its tranquil state.


    After the unsessful attack, Lin Tianming felt the fluctuations of the barrier, making multiple attempts to attack, but none could break the Formation Barrier. It seemed that a single person would have a hard time shattering the barrier.


    After several failed forceful attempts, he knew he needed to think of a solution. The barrier was also a formation, so there had to be a weak point.


    Lin Tianming began to study the entire Formation Barrier.


    Unknowingly, he spent half a day pondering over it. Although he had not discovered its weakness, it wasn''t without some clues.


    Based on the remaining fluctuations and effects of the barrier, it must have existed for at least ten thousand years, and it wouldn''t be surprising if it had been tens of thousands of years.


    The grade of the Formation Barrier was at least Third Order, otherwise, it couldn''t havested such a long time.


    The power of the entire Formation Barrier had dwindled from its prolonged use, retaining barely a ten-thousandth of its original strength. Tian Ming estimated that even if he did not attack the formation forcibly, after waiting a few hundred to a thousand years for the central Spirit Stone of the barrier to depletepletely, the Formation Barrier would self-destruct.


    But Lin Tianming could not possibly wait that long. The opportunity was right in front of him, and no one could resist a chance that was within easy reach.

 Chapter 20 Treasure Hunting_1

    Ten days flew by in a sh.


    The entire ancient dungeon was silent save for Lin Tianming, who watched the light screen intently, reying the entire formation barrier in his mind countless times and asionally gesturing with his hands non-stop.


    At this moment, he looked haggard; soon after, hisplexion flushed with excitement and astonishment.


    "I found it!"


    Lin Tianming was thrilled beyond measure, his days of diligent research and numerous rehearsals had finally enabled him to discern the barrier''s weak point.


    In the top left corner of the formation''s light screeny a rather ordinary beam of light, which should be the fulcrum connecting the light screen.


    Lin Tianming made hand signs and deployed the Huoyuan sh¡ªa powerful me-formed great sword stabbed toward a corner of the light screen.


    A piercing screech rang out as the light screen shattered, dissolving into specks of spiritual light and vanishingpletely.


    Thankfully, the barrier''s existence was so ancient that its defensive power had significantly weakened, otherwise, even if he had found the central point, it would have been impossible for him to break it no matter the tricks he deployed.


    The misty light screen in front of the stone chamber dissipated, revealing a chamber over thirty yards in size.


    "Empty?"


    "Eh?"


    It wasn''t entirely empty, for spread across the groundy the remains of a massive demonic beast, most of its body already turned to ash.


    From the surviving skeletal structure, it seemed to be a flying spirit beast of the flying creature lineage¡ªlikely the ancient dungeon owner''s mode of flight.


    It appeared this chamber was meant for a spirit beast, which, given the weight of ages, had died, leaving only its remains behind.


    Demonic beasts had lifespans several times longer than the human race, and yet, this one was tragically trapped and died here, suggesting the antiquity of the dungeon as being from ten thousand years ago.


    Lin Tianming''s face showed disappointment, having exerted so much effort to open the barrier, yet gaining nothing in return.


    There were still several chambers left; surely, they couldn''t all be spirit beast rooms, Lin Tianming thought resentfully.


    He turned and left the first chamber, heading down the passage.


    He discovered that each chamber was sealed by the same kind of formation barrier, with virtually no difference in the remaining force, allid down by the dungeon owner at the same time.


    This was incredibly good news. Since he had found the weak point of the barrier, there was no need to waste energy searching any further.


    Returning to the second chamber, he carefully examined and searched it again.


    Utilizing the Huoyuan sh effortlessly, he stabbed at the light beam on the light screen; the barrier of the second chamber dispersed.


    A scattering of demonic beast bonesy in the middle of the chamber.


    "Another spirit beast room?"


    Without looking back, Lin Tianming headed straight for the third chamber.


    He broke the barrier directly; the scent of elixirs seeped out in advance.


    "Spiritual Medicine Garden!"


    Lin Tianming rushed in with joy, moving even faster than if he were fleeing for his life, his posture that of a tiger or wolf.


    "Two hundred-year-old Hidden Spirit Grass, it''s actually Hidden Spirit Grass!" Lin Tianming eximed.


    Hidden Spirit Grass was a primary ingredient in concocting the Second Order minor elixir, the Minor Foundation Building Pill. Although only some twenty-odd nts met the age requirement for alchemy, this still thrilled Lin Tianming immensely.


    The more than twenty stalks of Hidden Spirit Grass couldpletely resolve the Lin Family''s urgent crisis, and for the family, they were simply treasures beyond measure.


    There was also arge number of True Soul Grass and Brahman Blood Grass, all of which were two-hundred-year-old Spiritual Medicines.


    True Soul Grass was the main ingredient for concocting Strong Spirit Pills, which could increase a trace of Divine Sense. With long-term use, the incremental Divine Sense would be quite substantial.


    Brahman Blood Grass was the main ingredient for concocting Body Strengthening Pills, which were elixirs consumed during Body Cultivation. They could enhance one''s Qi blood and eliminate pain during cultivation, and were extremely precious.


    Besides these, there were many other Spiritual Medicine Materials, allmonly used inbat and cultivation, with most of them being ingredients for Lingshen Pills.


    Lin Tianming quickly collected all the Spiritual Medicines that met the requirements for concoction, cing them into a Jade Box. Those herbs not old enough were pulled out, soil and all, to be transnted into the n Spiritual Herb Garden.


    Half an hourter, he sessfully collected all the Spiritual Medicines, exited the stone chamber, and moved deeper into the passage.


    Upon breaking the Formation Barrier of the stone chamber, he was met with a ten-zhang-sized room thaty in ruins, with only fragments scattered across the floor. It must have been where the owner of the cave mansion practiced alchemy and artifact refining, but now it was beyond repair with nothing left behind.


    Turning around with a hint of disappointment, Lin Tianming walked towards the stone chamber at the very depths of the cave mansion.


    In front of the final stone chamber of the entire cave mansion, Lin Tianming broke the barrier and saw a skeleton of a cultivator, still intact and sitting cross-legged on a cushion.


    The entire skeleton was abnormallyrge; its arm bones were bigger than Lin Tianming''s arms, and every bone in its body wasrger than those of an average person, emitting a special radiance that was truly unbelievable.


    In front of the skeletony arge number of weapon fragments scattered on the ground. The vast majority hadpletely disintegrated into residue, presumably unable to withstand the passage of time, losing their Spiritual Power and turning into a pile of refuse.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming wore a bitterly disappointed expression.


    It was such a pity that good Magical Treasures or even higher grade Spiritual Treasures had turned to ash. Anyone who saw such a scene would feel heartache.


    With a trace of reluctance, Lin Tianming rummaged through the pile of artifact fragments, hoping to find something useful.


    After turning them over and over again for half an hour, he found two useful items.


    One was a Jade Tube, its surface enveloped in golden light and runes, identical to the one he had obtained from the Red Robe Cultivator, likely also containing a Cultivation Technique.


    Lin Tianming took out the Jade Tube he got from the body of the Red Robe Cultivator and ced them side by side; they were indeed exactly the same.


    He surmised that it must be the same Cultivation Technique, divided into two parts; the part he acquired earlier was the first half, and the part from this ce was thetter half.


    Lin Tianming pondered seriously, if it was the same Cultivation Technique, how had the Red Robe Cultivator he killed obtained the first half?


    After contemting for half an hour and surmising multiple theories, all seemed inconceivable. He guessed that as the Formation Barriers of the ce gradually weakened, some of the remaining treasures slipped out at the edge of the barrier''s copse, which happened to be obtained by the Red Robe Cultivator. After all, such events were not umon in the Cultivation World.


    Lin Tianming unleashed his Divine Sense into it, but his mind was met with a hazy gray scene that revealed nothing, so he retreated, his face pale and the exertion had clearly taken its toll on him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This was not something he couldprehend at his current level; he estimated that one would need to be at least at the Foundation Establishment Stage to glimpse a clue.


    He put the Jade Tube into his storage bag and shifted his attention to another remaining item.


    It was a stone with five hundred mottled colors, approximately the size of a fist, with a pitted and uneven surface. Aside from its attractive colors, it seemed no different from an ordinary stone.


    Lin Tianming carefully recalled the odd treasures and secret tombs he had read about, going over the introductions of those wonders of heaven and earth, but he still found no mention of this stone or anything simr.


    It was impossible for Lin Tianming to believe the stone was without use. Considering that, over the years, even weapon artifacts had turned into dust and debris, yet this stone had remained. It must also be one of the wonders of heaven and earth, and he assumed not many people knew about it¡ªit was just him who was unaware.


    Uncertain of what it was for now, he had no choice but to explore it slowly in the future and reluctantly put the stone into his storage bag.


    After searching the entire cave mansion several times, ensuring nothing was overlooked, he collected the remains of the cave mansion''s owner, intending to carry them outside and find a valley for burial.


    Although he did not know the name or origin of this person, or why they had perished here, that was no longer important. But having benefited from this person, the least he could do was take care of some final affairs. After all, it was merely a matter of convenience.


    With that, he left the cave mansion and appeared behind the waterfall''s curtain of water.

 Chapter 21 Purple Gold Eagle_1

    On the outskirts of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range, a cultivator d in green robes slowly flew over a mountaintop, heading eastward, looking quite haggard.


    This person was Lin Tianming, who had spent several days escaping from the ruins of the Cave Mansion, covered in grime and dirt.


    Along the way, he had been involved in several life-and-death encounters. Had Lin Tianming not always been cautious, always adhering to the principle of "if you can''t beat them, run," he might very well have perished in there.


    Moreover, Lin Tianming had exhausted all of his means of fighting enemies. As he emerged from the Cave Mansion, he was obstructed once again by a group of Snow Spirit Fish in the water. More than twenty of them leaped to attack him, and it was only by timely deploying hisst remaining First Order Superior Defense Talisman that he narrowly escaped.


    As a result, he sustained not insignificant injuries.


    Not only did he encounter the Snow Spirit Fish, but along the way, he inexplicably ran into a Second Order Late-Stage Demon Beast. He used an Attack Talisman to stall it for a moment, which allowed him to sessfully escape with his life.


    Now, he didn''t have a single talisman left on him, truly penniless.


    Half an hourter, Lin Tianming appeared before the Cave Mansion where he had stayed a night before entering the mountain range, pushing aside arge tree that blocked the entrance and walked inside after deploying a few Illusion Techniques and warning restrictions.


    Sitting on the stone bed inside the secret chamber, he took out a Consolidating Essence Pill and swallowed it to recover from his injuries.


    Having left Qingfeng Town n Territory just over a month ago, and not in a hurry, Lin Tianming nned to return to Qingfeng Town only after he had fully recovered.


    Half a month swiftly passed by, and Lin Tianming opened his tightly shut eyes.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming''s aura had significantly increased, and he appeared to have reached the peak of the Sixth Level of Qi Refining, on the verge of breaking through to the Seventh Level at any moment.


    Having been away for over a month and fully recovered from his injuries, it was time to return to Qingfeng Town, otherwise, he would have a hard time exining himself to his family if anything were to happen.


    Exiting the Cave Mansion, he removed the restrictions and used arge tree to cover the entrance once again.


    Summoning the Qingfeng Sword, he turned into a streak of green light, shooting straight toward Qingfeng Town in the east.


    Having disappeared for over a month, the patrol task had been dyed by half a month. Before going back, Lin Tianming nned to patrol the area within a hundred miles around Qingfeng Town.


    In arge in over fifty miles west of Qingfeng Town, numerous mortals were busy working in the fields, with men and women bustling about joyously.


    Suddenly, a series of demonic winds blew through the sky, and several older adults and half-grown children could not withstand the fierce winds, with some being blown several dozen feet high.


    Most of the mortals who had not yet been lifted by the wind ran together toward a row ofrge trees on the embankment, hoping to find a tree to take shelter from the wind.


    In the midst of the chaos, someone suddenly shouted in terror, "There''s a demon in the sky!"


    Hearing this, a multitude of mortals uniformly looked up to the sky with expressions of excessive fear on their faces.


    They could see the monster in the sky getting closer, a piercing scream rang out, causing several of them to bleed from their nostrils and mouths.


    An experienced elder yelled in fright, "It''s a Flying Monster Beast!"


    A Purple Gold Eagle, several dozen feet in size, came into view, with a golden beak resembling a dagger, slightly curved. Its wide wings, when fully spread, spanned over a dozen feet, and it moved with incredible speed; in an instant, it was hovering just above the heads of the mortals.


    The Purple Gold Eagle, a Flying Monster Beast, was said to contain a trace of the Gold-winged Roc''s bloodline in its body. If the bloodline was pure enough and they could revert back to their ancestors sessfully, they would evolve into Gold-winged Rocs, which were extremely powerful.


    An adult Purple Gold Eagle was a Second Order Late Phase beast known for its lightning-fast speed, ranking near the top among Flying Monster Beasts. However, this Purple Gold Eagle was merely a First Order Medium Stage beast, still in its juvenile phase.


    The Purple Gold Eagle seemed to appear within the range of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range by chance, likely having unintentionally flown out of the peripheral area. Given its speed, it could fly from the Purple Cloud Mountain Range to Qingfeng Town in merely fifteen minutes.


    Upon seeing the multitude of mortals, the Purple Gold Eagle dove down and extended its sharp ws, snatching up several people before preparing to fly off with them.


    Lin Tianming just happened to be patrolling the area and saw the beast causing harm to the people. Naturally, he had to take action to teach the beast a lesson and rescue the captured mortals.


    Suddenly, a furious shout echoed through the sky!


    "Monstrous beast, halt!"


    Lin Tianming chased after it, riding on the Qingfeng Sword, his hands continuously forming seals, casting a Fireball Technique and hurling it towards the Purple Gold Eagle to intercept it for a moment.


    The Purple Gold Eagle pped its wings furiously, spitting out a fireball that collided with Lin Tianming''s Fireball Technique.


    The two mes violently collided in mid-air, and after a loud explosion, the fireballs burst apart, scattering hot air waves in all directions.


    Numerous ordinary people were swept up by the st and were knocked head over heels.


    Many of themoners, after their initial fright, regained their senses, their faces flushed with joy, and eximed with madness,


    "It''s a cultivator!"


    Lin Tianming''s face was grave as he prepared several Law Decrees with his hands, ready to summon the Divine Ability Fire Yuan sh to directly y the beast.


    The Purple Gold Eagle released the humans in its ws, as a cultivator''s flesh and blood were more than a hundred times better than that of an ordinary person. Diving down, it headed straight for Lin Tianming, intending to kill him on the spot.


    Lin Tianming cast several spells to hold the falling ordinary people aloft and ced them on the mountain behind him.


    With no worries behind him, he poured all his strength into the Fire Yuan sh, transforming it into a huge sword enveloped by a blue and red escape light, and it collided with the beak of the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Several metallic ngs reverberated through the heavens, and hurting from the impact, the Purple Gold Eagle realized it was no match, and beat its wings frantically to escape the area.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming swung another giant sword sh. The Purple Gold Eagle was unable to dodge in time, and the me-enveloped great sword sliced right into its wing.


    With a sizzle...


    The several-zhang-long Purple Gold Eagle fell straight from the sky and smashed into the ground, creating a huge crater.


    The Purple Gold Eagle nowy gasping, a half-zhang-long gash on its left wing bleeding profusely, bones and flesh clearly visible, and it still flickered its wings, attempting to take off and flee once more.


    After struggling dozens of times, it still could not fly. As its vitality grew weaker, the Purple Gold Eagley there with wide eyes, viciously staring at Lin Tianming in front of it.


    Lin Tianming did not continue to attack, but was pondering something else.


    The Purple Gold Eagle was severely injured. Killing it would be easy, but if he could subdue it, it would be a great help during fights and journeys.


    The Purple Gold Eagle was extremely fast in flight and could also be useful inbat, making it suitable for taming and cultivation.


    Lin Tianming stood aside, deploying his Divine Sense to infiltrate the Purple Gold Eagle''s sea of consciousness, attempting to leave his mark on the creature''s soul.


    The Purple Gold Eagle resisted fiercely, but to little effect; it could only struggle and show great resistance.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lin Tianming sessfully left his Divine Sense mark on the Purple Gold Eagle''s soul,pletely controlling its life. If the beast were to resist, he only needed a thought to detonate its soul and kill it.


    This Purple Gold Eagle was only in its juvenile stage with low Spirit Wisdom. Although it was highly resistant, it had no choice; its fate was controlled by Lin Tianming, and it could not resist, only able to whine in pain, bowing its head and rubbing against the hem of Lin Tianming''s clothes, expressing submission.


    Since the Demonic Beast had sincerely submitted, Lin Tianming took out two Lingshen Pills and one Consolidating Essence Pill from his storage bag and tossed them to the Purple Gold Eagle, which opened its mouth and swallowed the elixirs before lying in the pit to recover from its injuries.


    Although the elixirs used for cultivation and healing by cultivators were not as effective for Demonic Beasts as they were for humans, they were still significantly helpful. And since Lin Tianming did not have any elixirs suitable for healing Demonic Beasts, he had to make do with the Lingshen Pill and Consolidating Essence Pill for now.


    Lin Tianming instructed the nearby ordinary people to leave while he stayed to watch over the Purple Gold Eagle, waiting for it to recover from its injuries.

 Chapter 22 Return to Qingfeng Town (Please bookmark and recommend)_1

    Time psed, and ten days swiftly passed.


    Atop a mountain peak, a cultivator in blue robes stood, with a giant bird several meters tall standing quietly behind him.


    Having ingested two Lingshen Pills and one Consolidating Essence Pill, the Purple Gold Eagle''s injuries had partially healed, with the wounds on its wings mended, now capable of normal flight. However, it couldn''t fly too fast, or else it risked leaving behind hiddenplications, detrimental to future advancement.


    During the ten days at this ce, while the Purple Gold Eagle was recovering, Lin Tianming was busy elsewhere, appearing in a small mountain valley.


    The valley was surrounded by several mountains, with a river flowing through at the bottom and dense fog swirling around. Pine forests stretched like a sea, and the scenery was simply breathtaking.


    Lin Tianming buried the remains of the cave mansion''s owner, fulfilling a long-standing wish.


    Having waited in this ce for ten days, it was time to return to Qingfeng Town. It had been nearly two months since he had ventured into the Purple Cloud Mountain Range to find the cave mansion, and ten months since he arrived at Qingfeng Town. With only two more months left, he could return to Green Bamboo Mountain to visit his family.


    In these ten months, Lin Tianming had been continuously busy¡ªnot only had he sessfully located the cave mansion ruins, but he also plundered a variety of Spiritual Medicines from it, found aplete Cultivation Technique, and a multicolored stone of unknown purpose.


    Previously, he had also killed the Red Robe Cultivator and acquired the Profound Grade Technique and the legacy of a Third Order Alchemy Master from the man surnamed Jin, reaping great rewards.


    Carrying such wealth, Lin Tianming was quite concerned that if he died or lost it, the loss would be tremendous for the Lin Family.


    But since there were only two months left in the year, he decided to wait a bit longer.


    Once he returned to the Lin Family, he nned to immediately hand over the Profound Grade Technique and the Third Order Alchemy Master''s legacy. He also needed to submit a portion of the Hidden Spirit Grass, the main ingredient for the Minor Foundation Building Pill, and in return, he should receive a considerable amount of virtue within the family.


    Since the inception of the Lin Family, there were only two Cultivation Techniques avable. The rest had been umted over hundreds of years, with some being purchased and others obtained fortuitously. Every single technique was hard-earned, leading to the family''s current status.


    The Minor Foundation Building Pill was a Second Order elixir. Currently, just a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, he was far from being able to refine Second Order Pills. It was unlikely that his family could refine them either. How to turn them into elixirs would be a matter for the elders to discuss. However, those concerns were beyond his purview.


    While the Lin Family did not enforce the submission of any treasures found by their members abroad, and thepensation they offered was far less than selling those items independently,


    as a member of the family, one can''t be excessively selfish. Techniques and legacies are the foundation of cultivation. It''s better to submit them to the family to boost the strength of many family members and enhance the family''s heritage.


    Every cultivator in the Lin Family, upon discovering their Spiritual Root in the first year, is guided in cultivation by the elders of the Skill Transmission Hall. This elerates the neer''s understanding of the path of cultivation and instills a sense of belonging and identity towards the family.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    You must know, the first lesson upon entering the Skill Transmission Hall is to memorize the eight centuries of the Lin Family''s history, bearing the influential ancestors of each era in mind and remembering the family''s tribtions during its moments of crisis.


    To be prepared in times of peace is what allows a family to thrive perpetually.


    The family''s foundational education provides the initial cultivation resources to its members, facilitating faster cultivation and instilling a greater sense of unity and selflessness within Lin Family members. That is the difference between a family and a Loose Cultivator.


    You must know that it''s much harder for Loose Cultivators, who start cultivation without any knowledge of the Dao, without techniques, and without resources, relying solely on their personal exploration and resource-finding. Their efficiency is far lowerpared to family ns.


    In the Cultivation World, most Loose Cultivators undergo many life-and-death trials. Those who survive are strong, and high-order Loose Cultivators abound, with a significant number of them being powerful figures.


    ```


    Rumors say that in Yunzhou and Xuanzhou, there are even a few Loose Cultivators in the Divinity Transformation Stage, each of whom is a super powerful figure seated in their own territory, famous andmendable. It is uncertain whether these rumors are true or false.


    Withdrawing his wandering thoughts from beyond the heavens, Lin Tianming jumped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle. After settling down, the Purple Gold Eagle pped its massive wings, circling over Qingfeng Town at an incredible speed.


    As the fierce wind blew past his ears during the flight, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but sigh. Covering a hundred miles by himself using Sword Flight would take at least half a day, yet the Purple Gold Eagle only took two hours, more than doubling the speed.


    After spending half a day patrolling the hundred-mile radius around Qingfeng Town, and having killed most of the Mortal Beasts during thest patrol, there were few beasts left in the entire area. Finding no abnormalities while circling around, he returned to Qingfeng Town.


    When the Purple Gold Eagle appeared in the square of Qingfeng Town, a great number of mortals were terrified, scattering and running away, causing a stampede incident.


    There were also some bold mortals who stayed to watch the excitement, even making a spectacle of discussing it animatedly.


    Suddenly, Lin Tianming''s voice echoed throughout the entire town of Qingfeng Town.


    "Everyone, there''s no need to panic. This beast is my spiritual mount and has been subdued by me. It will not harm you!"


    After speaking, he no longer paid attention to the expressions of the crowd, fed two Lingshen Pills to the Purple Gold Eagle, and issued amand to it. He then turned and entered the great hall, leaving only the Purple Gold Eagle in the square, which soony down and fell asleep, digesting the power of the medicine.


    The members of the n were curiously watching the Purple Gold Eagle, as if they were looking at some rare treasure. After all, such arge bird was something most mortals would never see in their lifetimes, truly a rare spectacle.


    From time to time, an elder would speak astonishing words:


    "Ten days ago, this old man personally witnessed the entire process of a Lin Family immortal battling this beast. I saw the immortal conjure a huge sword made of mes, cutting a sword wound a meter long in the wing of the beast, causing it to fall straight from the sky and crash into the ground, creating a huge pit, nearly killing the creature on the spot!"


    The elder''s words sparked an uproar in the crowd.


    Suddenly, arge number of mortals crazily gathered around the elder, asking him to recount the entire process.


    The elder spoke passionately and exaggeratedly about what he had seen and heard, praising Lin Tianming to the skies.


    All the people listened intently, with expressions of worship on their faces.


    Inside the great hall, Lin Tianming was seated on a cushion.


    In the ten months since he left Green Bamboo Mountain, his cultivation had reached the peak of the Sixth Level of Qi Refining. With dedicated practice for some time, he could steadily make a breakthrough.


    With two months left in the year, the time was neither long nor short. He still could not check the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinder received from the Red Robe Cultivator, so he decided to practice and aim to elevate his cultivation to the Seventh Level of Qi Refining first.


    Having said that, Lin Tianming began to meditate and breathe regtion. Half a quarter hourter, he took out a Lingshen Pill and swallowed it.


    He controlled the immense spiritual power of the Lingshen Pill, repeatedly striking at the Seven Sea Dantian.


    ```

 Chapter 23 Breakthrough Qi Cultivation Level 7 (Please Collect and Recommend)_1

    ```


    Half a month flew by, and in the secret chamber, Lin Tianming sat upright on the meditation cushion.


    In the past half-month, he had already refined two Lingshen Pills. Despite several attempts, he had failed to enter the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation; each time, it was a near miss from breaking through the restraints at the Sixth Level.


    It seemed that reaching the Seventh Level really wasn''t that easy. There was a significant hurdle between the Sixth and Seventh Levels of Qi Cultivation. The Sixth Level was still considered mid-stage cultivation, while reaching the Seventh meant advancing to theter stages¡ªapletely different league.


    After hesitating for a moment, Lin Tianming decided to continue taking the Lingshen Pills and make another attempt at breaking through to the Seventh Level. If it still wasn''t sessful, he would have to give up and seek another opportunity to break through.


    Taking out three Lingshen Pills, a crazed look shed across Lin Tianming''s face as he threw all three pills into his mouth at once.


    At this moment, the violent spiritual energy of the three Lingshen Pills rampaged through his meridians,pletely out of control.


    It felt as though his entire body was teetering on the brink of exploding. The terrifying pain permeated his nerves and brain, and many parts of his body had split open, with flesh tearing and blood pouring from the seven orifices¡ªa truly miserable sight.


    "I''m done for..." Lin Tianming now greatly regretted his recklessness. He should not have consumed three pills at once; the power of the medicine was beyond his imagination and now utterly uncontroble.


    Enduring the intense pain, Lin Tianming tried to lead the spiritual energy from the Lingshen Pills to surge towards his Seven Sea Dantian.


    After half an hour of perseverance and two attempts, the pain did not diminish in the slightest; if anything, it intensified.


    Unbeknownst to him, Lin Tianming hadpletely passed out, copsing onto the meditation cushion.


    An indeterminate amount of time passed before Lin Tianming slowly opened his eyes.


    Now naked, with his robust XX swaying, his green tunic had long since turned to ash. Many parts of his body were covered with ayer of ck filth, emitting a faint stench.


    "Eh... I''m actually still alive?" Overwhelmed with joy, Lin Tianming was taken aback.


    It took a few moments for him to calm his excited heart and feel a wave of relief.


    The pain he had experienced was maddening¡ªas if a wild horse had broken free, the spiritual power had been uncontroble and wreaked havoc, making him suffer intensely.


    He felt as if he had been on the verge of death and was about to give up when darkness overtook him. Who would have thought that he wouldn''t actually die?


    A great cmity spared brings a bright future! In the future, unless absolutely necessary, he dare not be so reckless again¡ªit wasn''t every time one could be this lucky.


    Gathering his thoughts, he realized he was naked, which startled him. He was thankful that he was alone; otherwise, had he been exposed, he would have been too ashamed to face anyone.


    With a gesture, Lin Tianming cast a water-based spell, causing a heavy rain to fall from above and enjoyed afortable bath. He then took a set of green clothes from his storage bag and dressed himself.


    A handsome young man stood erect, his features still holding a trace of youthful innocence.


    He then used a minor fire-based spell to dry the damp floor before sitting back on the cushion.


    Deploying his Divine Sense to check, he was overjoyed to find that he had indeed sessfully reached the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation.


    Not only had he survived, but against all odds and in a stroke of serendipity, he had even entered the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation¡ªfate''s wheel turns in mysterious ways.


    Feeling the explosive spiritual energy throughout his body, the strength of his spiritual power was indeed iparable to that of the Sixth Level.


    ```n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Seven Sea Dantian had expanded several times over, brimming with robust and majestic spiritual power that almost felt tangible. When the next magic duel came, his divine skills would surely surge.


    Lin Tianming moved a bit and then sat down again, practicing aplete Grand Cirction to begin his closed-door consolidation of cultivation.


    Three dayster, Lin Tianming emerged from seclusion, appearing in the square outside the attic hall.


    Before closing off, he had given two Lingshen Pills to the Purple Gold Eagle. Twenty days had passed, and the Purple Gold Eagle hadpletely recovered from its injuries, its overall presence even stronger than before its submission.


    If it wasn''t for theck of suitable elixirs for spirit beasts, having to settle for the Lingshen Pills, it could have helped it grow more rapidly, providing even more support to Lin Tianming.


    Seeing Lin Tianming walking towards it, the Purple Gold Eagle was also quite excited, trotting over and rubbing his golden beak, thick as a man''s thigh, against the hem of Lin Tianming''s clothes in a pleasing manner.


    The Purple Gold Eagle was only at the First Order Middle Stage, still in its juvenile period, with limited spirit wisdom ¨C much like a mischievous human child.


    If it weren''t for Lin Tianming''s strict orders not to wander off, it might have slipped out already. It wouldn''t be considered an adult until it reached the Second Order Middle Stage, when its spirit wisdom would significantly increase.


    This Purple Gold Eagle of Lin Tianming had a trace of Gold-winged Roc bloodline. With proper nurturing, it would also be a great asset. However, advancing as a demonic beast was quite difficult, requiring vast resources. If nurtured properly, it could protect the Lin Family for an even longer duration.


    In the Cultivation World, Sect Families would raise several spirit beasts to guard their ns, as beasts live several times longer than the Human Race, providing extended protection to the family or sect.


    The Lin Family had a Guardian Spirit Beast at the Second Order Late Phase, cultivated only after the ancestral founder Lin Renfeng established the n. It had stepped forward in times of family crises after the ancestor Lin Renfeng''s passing, suffering many injuries.


    At that time, it was only at the Second Order Middle Stage. Several hundred yearster, it had barely advanced past a minor realm, illustrating the extreme difficulty of advancement. With the loss of ancestor Lin Renfeng, the family''s foundation was too shallow. Lacking even Foundation Establishment Cultivators, advancing to the Third Order might have been possible otherwise.


    It is said that some sects specialized inmanding spirit beasts boast incredible strength, possessing numerous Fourth Order Great Demons. In the central area of the Nine Provinces, even sightings of Fifth Order Spirit Beasts have urred.


    Lin Tianming affectionately patted the head of the Purple Gold Eagle, also excited, looking forward to enhancing his bond with the spirit beast.


    The Purple Gold Eagle, which had been unable to fly for half a month while waiting in ce, was eagerly anticipating a flight. Seeing Lin Tianming''s approach, it showed a desire to fly out for a spin. Lin Tianming readily agreed.


    Mounting the Purple Gold Eagle''s back, they soared into the sky, heading straight for the outskirts of the town.


    Circling around Qingfeng Town, taking in the magnificent vistas, and dreaming of the vast skies over the Nine Provinces Continent, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but feel a sense of anticipation.


    Half an hourter, they returned to Qingfeng Town,nding in the square; he instructed the Purple Gold Eagle not to fly beyond a ten-mile radius of Qingfeng Town during his closed-door sessions and gave it three Lingshen Pills to help it break through to the First Order Late Stage.


    After settling the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming returned to the secret chamber in the attic.


    Sitting on the meditation cushion, Lin Tianming took out the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinders he had obtained from the red-robed man and from the cave dwelling, pondering over them.


    Both Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinders were golden in color, with dense golden runes winding around their surfaces, almost certainly part of the same technique.


    Observing the cylinders closely, he noticed they were absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy, a truly incredible phenomenon.


    This had to be a top-level, earth-shattering Cultivation Technique. Lin Tianming couldn''t help but feel amazed, his anticipation for this technique growing even stronger.


    He had previously attempted to probe the upper half of this technique, but his cultivation and Divine Sense fell just short. Now that he had sessfully reached the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, with both mana and Divine Sense greatly increased, he naturally wanted to investigate.


    Extending his Divine Sense slowly into the Jade Cylinder.


    After a short while, Lin Tianming''s face showed shock, as if he faced a formidable enemy, not knowing what astonishing thing he had discovered.

 Chapter 24 Tiangang Body Art (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1

    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming''s face was stricken with terror, hisplexion drastically changing.


    A few momentster, hisplexion gradually regained its rosiness as he fell into deep contemtion.


    "Haha... Hahaha..." Lin Tianming burst into openughter, as if driven to madness!


    The Tiangang Body Art turned out to be a Heavenly Grade Technique that allowed for the dual cultivation of body andw and could be practiced up to the Late Stage of Bing a God ¡ª a top-notch technique with formidable offense and defense, yet it required terrifying amounts of cultivation resources.


    Seeing the introduction of the technique, Lin Tianming wore a serious expression.


    Not only was a vast amount of resources needed for cultivation, but the process itself was also extremely arduous, involving the cultivation of both the spiritual power and the cultivators'' own bodies.


    Starting from the vital organs and extending to skin, bone, and soul, the cultivation process was excruciatingly painful, and few cultivators could bear it.


    But the rewards were directly proportional to the efforts, and this Technique Divine Power was well-rounded in both offense and defense, with few weaknesses.


    If cultivated to a profound level, it would easily allow one to defeat cultivators and Demonic Beasts of the same stage, making it one of the rare top-tier techniques known.


    Before his realization, Lin Tianming had surmised that such a technique must be of a High Order, but it was hard to imagine that it was actually a Heavenly Grade Technique, surpassing his expectations by far.


    In the Cultivation World, although there were quite a few Heavenly Grade Techniques, they were mostly controlled by Millennium Great ns, with very few escaping into the outside world, appearing only asionally in Ancient Cultivator''s Cave Dwellings.


    Every time a Heavenly Grade Technique appeared, it was through a bloody struggle and conflict, and countless cultivators had died in these battles.


    The fact that Lin Tianming had obtained such a top-tier technique was a testament to his incredible destiny.


    Destiny, though intangible and invisible, was vitally important in the journey of cultivation and could almost determine a cultivator''s potential. Furthermore, it often allowed those with such destiny to sense danger early, turning ill fortune into good.


    Every top-notch, super-powerful cultivator was someone blessed with great destiny, and Lin Tianming was clearly among them.


    The Tiangang Body Art was divided into an upper and lower part; the upper could be cultivated up to the Late Stage of Core Formation and the lower up to the Late Stage of Bing a God, being one of the top techniques in the Cultivation World.


    In the ancient times tens of thousands of years ago, there were not a few super-powerful cultivators who practiced this technique.


    As the Cultivation World''s resources dwindled over time, and the massively resource-dependent Tiangang Body Art became too burdensome for most cultivators to practice, the number of cultivators of this technique decreased, and it gradually vanished from the Cultivation World, not seen for tens of thousands of years.


    "To cultivate or not to cultivate?"


    Lin Tianming wore a solemn expression, seemingly hesitant.


    The Lin Family had shallow foundations and struggled to even cultivate a Core Formation Cultivator, far fromparing to those super sects and ns.


    This technique demanded not only high aptitude, but also a tremendous dependency on resources and the endurance of great pain.


    Although he considered himself above average in talent and had a tenacious will, he could not count on his family for resources; he would have to rely on himself.


    Lin Tianming, since childhood, had browsed through the family''s treasured books and longed to explore the civilizations of the vast Nine Provinces Continent, with the ambition to be a super-powerful cultivator revered by all, able to traverse the magnificent expanse of the Nine Provinces.


    To achieve these dreams was incredibly difficult, and cultivation was absolutely critical.


    The vastness of the Nine Provinces was unimaginable; even a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator would find it difficult to cross a single province, and to travel throughout the Nine Provinces, one needed at least a Nascent Soul Stage cultivation.


    The thought of journeying across the Nine Provinces invigorated him, filling him with a boiling passion and a sense of soaring ambition.


    Cultivators are meant to defy fate, to contend with the heavens and battle with the earth. If one cannot be a strong protector, then what is the point of cultivation? Better to settle down early, marry, and enjoy life!


    Returning to reality, his current practice of the Fire Origin Decision could only take him up to the Late Stage of Core Formation; to give up such a defiance of the heavens would truly be a pity.


    "To cultivate or not to cultivate?"


    "Cultivate... As a man of spirit, I shall achieve greatness or die trying."


    Lin Tianming wore a determined expression, as there was no better choice at the moment, neglecting to cultivate the Heavenly Grade Technique would indeed be a waste.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming continued toprehend the first half of the cultivation technique, adeptlymitting the form to memory.


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye.


    The cultivation technique was nowmitted to memory and could be recited almost without thinking.


    To cultivate this technique, it was necessary to dissipate all the Spiritual Power that had been cultivated up to the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement and start over from the First Level of Qi Refining.


    Upon re-cultivating, one only needed to operate the cultivation technique to refill the already formed Seven Sea Dantian without encountering any bottlenecks.


    Having said that, Lin Tianming once again entered a state of seclusion.


    Several days passed in a moment, and inside the secret chamber, Lin Tianming had sessfully dissipated all his Spiritual Power.


    Lin Tianming was resolute, starting the practice was like an arrow released from its bow, with no path of retreat, he could only press on courageously.


    After reviewing the form of the Tiangang Body Art, he began to breathe in and out, taking out a Lingshen Pill from his storage bag and swallowing it. The pill quickly transformed into streams of Spiritual Power that filled the Seven Sea Dantian.


    As he cultivated his Spiritual Power, the tingling in his body intensified.


    This pain was already intense at the Qi Refinement stage, bearable only through his own willpower. Without elixirs to assist at the Core Formation stage, one would likely die from the agony.


    The Lingshen Pills might not be enough to cultivate his physical body. Fortunately, when exploring the Ancient Cultivator''s Cave Dwellings, he had killed a Spirit-Connecting Python, whose flesh and blood could be used in conjunction with cultivating his own body.


    He took out a jade bottle containing a full bottle of Spirit-Connecting Python''s blood, and drank the python blood inrge gulps straight from the bottle.


    The scorching hot blood of the Spirit-Connecting Python slowly entered his body, quickly refining it. A special type of Spiritual Power slowly strengthened Lin Tianming''s internal organs.


    The effects of this blood were quite significant, though not plentiful. Combined with the Lingshen Pills, it was just enough to keep up with his Spiritual Power cultivation. By the time his cultivation ended, the body of the Spirit-Connecting Python would alsoe in handy.


    To cultivate faster, he would probably need to frequent the periphery of the Demon Race territory, where else could he find demonic beasts or resources for his use?


    With each passing day, after refining ten Lingshen Pills, Lin Tianming''s cultivation soared!


    Qi Refining Second Level...


    Qi Refining Third Level...


    Qi Refining Seventh Level...


    Lin Tianming''s internal organs gradually transformed, showing faint traces of golden yellow. With time, it was highly possible that they would be entirely golden.


    Half a monthter, Lin Tianming sessfully re-cultivated his cultivation base. He had plenty of elixirs and Spirit-Connecting Python blood to assist him. Combined with his not-so-high original cultivation, it would have been difficult to re-cultivate in such a short time otherwise.


    After redoing his cultivation, his Spiritual Power was vast and mighty, far stronger than before.


    His vitality surged throughout his body, and his Spiritual Power cultivation and recovery were a bit faster. Without using any Spiritual Power, his punch weighed a thousand pounds; if it struck a Middle Stage First Order monster beast, it would likely be seriously injured, if not dead.


    If he cultivated to an even higher level, how terrifying that would be. Achieving physical strengthparable to that of demonic beasts was quite possible, and even surpassing them was not an improbable hope.


    Feeling the surging power within him, Lin Tianming was very excited, his desire for strength growing even more intense.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As the year''s deadline approached, with less than a month remaining, he had redone his cultivation technique, but the task remained daunting; he still had to cultivate the associated mystical techniques.


    When leaving Green Bamboo Mountain, he had arge number of High-Quality First Order talismans for self-preservation. Now, without means to confront enemies, encountering danger would be as precarious as amb awaiting ughter. He needed to quicklyplete the cultivation of the Mystical Techniques.


    Lin Tianming took out the cultivation technique, sat quietly to the side, and slowly began toprehend the Mystical Techniques.


    Soon, he was deep in arduous cultivation.

 Chapter 25 Earth Fiend Sword Formation (Please Collect and Recommend)_1

    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the floor.


    He had beenprehending the first mystical technique attached to the Tiangang Body Art for several days without moving a step.


    At this moment, Lin Tianmaking''s expression was calm as he thoroughly studied the secret technique, with his mind envisioning a terrifyingly powerful Sword Array!


    With each major realm achieved in the Tiangang Body Art, one could unlock a Divine Skill, and what Lin Tianming wasprehending now was the very first one.


    "Earth Fiend Sword Formation!"


    The Earth Fiend Sword Formation was created based on the arrangement of the Earth Fiend Seventy-six Stars. When fully activated, its power was earth-shattering, and Lin Tianming admired the ingenious thoughts of its creator to the extreme after seeing it.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help but sigh, "The people of ancient times were truly remarkable, to have created such against-the-heaven cultivation techniques. They were indeed worthy of the golden age of cultivation!"


    When the Earth Fiend Sword Formation was deployed, it could mobilize seventy-two Spirit Swords to trap the enemy within, capable of confining or shredding them.


    The higher the level of the Spirit Swords, the stronger the attack power and the speed was incredibly fast. The attack was extremely powerful but it was also a test for the cultivator''s own Spiritual Power, Divine Sense, and physique.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In varying levels of cultivation, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation could mobilize a different number of Spirit Swords. In the Qi Refinement Realm, one could simultaneously wield a maximum of thirty-six First Order Spirit Swords¡ªthe magnitude of that attacking power was unimaginable!


    In the Cultivation World, Sword Cultivators have always been among the top in terms of attack power, and their Sword Array Divine Skills are even more formidable.


    After several days, having practiced the formation in his mind over a hundred times, Lin Tianming carefully grasped theyout, sequence, and key points of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation. He basically felt ready to attempt using it.


    With more practice and fine-tuning, he would achieve instant activation, increasing both the power and precision of the Sword Formation.


    Although he had sessfully cultivated the secret technique, Lin Tianming currently only had three First Order Medium Grade Spirit Swords, and the number was a bit short.


    Even though he had just entered the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement and couldn''t possibly deploy all thirty-six Spirit Swords at once, he deduced that he could still mobilize about a dozen or more.


    Since it was currently difficult to gather enough Spirit Swords, he could only try forming a simple Sword Array with three swords. The power should not be less than that of the Divine Ability Fire Yuan sh included in his previous cultivation technique!


    He took out three Spirit Swords from his storage bag, and they levitated neatly in front of Lin Tianming.


    These three Spirit Swords were spoils from the time he killed the man in red. Back then, without any Sword Formation techniques, he could only refine one Spirit Sword for traveling and fighting.


    Now, he needed to refine the remaining two Spirit Swords to form a Sword Array for defense. In the event of a sudden emergency, he would not be thrown into disarray and lose his life.


    Two dayster, Lin Tianming sessfully refined the two Spirit Swords. He could now try deploying a small Sword Array to see just how powerful it really was, something he was looking forward to.


    The mystical techniques that came with a Heavenly Grade Technique would certainly not be underestimated, and it would definitely be more powerful than the Three Stars Spirit Sword Technique used by the man surnamed Jin. As for the exact power it held, only a trial would tell.


    With less than half a month left until the one-year deadline, time was pressing, and Lin Tianming decided to leave the seclusion.


    There was no opennd within the city, and a simple gesture from a cultivator could unleash a power capable of shaking the heavens and earth.


    Therefore, the city was not suitable for practicing such mystical techniques, and Lin Tianming nned to find an open space outside Qingfeng Town to start trying.


    Before long, Lin Tianming appeared on the pavilion''s outer square, where the Purple Gold Eagley snoozing heavily on the ground.


    Lin Tianming walked slowly towards the Purple Gold Eagle. The beast sensed its master''s presence before Lin Tianming got close, immediately getting up and trotted over, fawning and seeking approval.


    At first, Lin Tianming didn''t notice but upon closer inspection, he found that Purple Gold Eagle had sessfully advanced to the First Order Late Stage, and he was overjoyed.


    It had been over three months since they left the Purple Cloud Mountain Range. The Eagle was already in the First Order Middle Stage and not far from the Late Stage.


    Although the Lingshen Pills fed to the Purple Gold Eagle were not very effective, the quantity it consumed was not small, especially when considering that he, himself, only took two or three Lingshen Pills for cultivation each month.


    Lin Tianming spared no expense on the growth of the Purple Gold Eagle; had his fortune not increased significantly, he truly wouldn''t have been able to afford its upkeep!


    Both master and beast had made breakthroughs, and with his cultivation technique nearlyplete, Lin Tianming felt like he was blessed with triple happiness and couldn''t contain his excitement!


    With amand, he jumped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, and they turned into a streak of light, rushing out of the city.


    Man and beast freely soared outside Qingfeng Town.


    Half a quarter of an hourter, he descended into a secluded small valley.


    Lin Tianming sat at the top of a hill while the Purple Gold Eagle soared nearby, watching out and also chasing some wild animals for fun.


    Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Lin Tianming then summoned three Qingfeng Swords and began the cultivation technique for a full Grand Cirction.


    Suddenly, Lin Tianming shouted loudly.


    "Go..."


    In the span of three breaths, the three Qingfeng Swords instantly appeared above a huge rock a hundred yards away, spinning ceaselessly and stirring up whirlwinds that tangled the surrounding flowers, nts, and trees into disarray, with only the massive rock remaining unshaken due to its immense weight.


    At this moment, the three Spirit Swords spun rapidly, using their Sword Qi to form a barrel-like trapping array that ensnared the giant rockpletely.


    Seeing the effect of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation''s trapping array, Lin Tianming was pleasantly surprised; he estimated that an average cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement would have a hard time breaking out without some heaven-defying method.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help clicking his tongue. If he were to fully summon all thirty-six Spirit Swords to form the sword array, even a cultivator at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement would struggle to break out.


    After testing the trapping power, Lin Tianming was extremely satisfied with the might, which had far exceeded his expectations!


    "Grind and kill!"


    Lin Tianming made another hand gesture, muttering words under his breath!


    "Kill!"


    The Spirit Swords forming the sword array swiftly intercrossed, stabbing toward the center!


    In an instant, the hundred-yard rock appeared as fragile as tofu, and in just a few breaths, it crumbled into pieces.


    Lin Tianming was also shocked by such power!


    Witnessing the scene, he couldn''t help but think that if he were trapped inside without a substantial number of Defense Talismans and relied only on offensive methods, he would likely face a nine out of ten chance of death.


    After finishing his practice, Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    From what he could see, whether it was the trapping or the killing formation, the power truly lived up to a top-level Heavenly Grade Technique, and indeed made one shudder with fear.


    After calibrating his fluctuating emotions, Lin Tianming did not let arrogance get the better of him.


    The Nine Provinces Continent had a million-year legacy with no shortage of exceptional beings and top-level techniques.


    If he had such means, it was inevitable that other cultivators would as well.


    Therefore, whenbating enemies, one must never becent; a single mistake could mean no chance of survival.


    Having experienced the effects of the trapping and killing formations, he realized that since this was his first time deploying the mystical technique, he hadn''t yet fully grasped the essence, making the spellcasting process too long.


    A span of three breaths was far too long, as an enemy would not stand still waiting to die.


    After all, a cultivator''s movements were agile, and their speed was extraordinary; they would likely have vanished long before.


    The higher the level of the secret technique, the more difficult the cultivation, and to use it to its fullest potential, hundreds of practice sessions would be required.


    Otherwise, a technique initially grasped might not be as effective as a basic Five Elements Cultivation Technique perfected to its utmost.


    Since he had already sufficiently mastered the basic principles and with more than ten days left before his return to Green Bamboo Mountain, he could take this opportunity to practice further, ensuring an additionalyer of safety on his journey home.


    Under the scorching sun, Lin Tianming delved into his arduous practice once again.


    Every time his Spiritual Power was reduced to less than half, he would take a Lingshen Pill to recover to an ample state and then resume his practice.


    ...

 Chapter 26 Returning Home (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1

    The zing sun shone mercilessly, roasting the earth without a hint ofpassion.


    In the valley, a young man in green robes was forming hand seals and casting spells, as a sword array made up of spirit swords wreaked havoc, leaving no corner untouched.


    The entire valley was now riddled with gaping wounds; swathes of forests and vegetation had fallen in great patches, and hundreds of boulders had been shattered to gravel. The valley had endured great devastation, lying in disarray.


    Fortunately, due to the spiritual energy of this world, it possesses astonishing resilience and creativity.


    The current sorry state of the valley would, in less than half a year, be once again covered by vegetation ¨C one cannot help but marvel at the sheer wonder of nature.


    Lin Tianming had been cultivating the sword array here for nearly half a month, and time had flown by swiftly, marking almost a year since he left the Lin Family''s residence at Green Bamboo Mountain.


    In the span of a year, Lin Tianming had grown considerably, not just in terms of cultivation but also in his spiritual refinement.


    Before this, Lin Tianming had never been away from the family''s residence for such a long time, away from his family''s watchful eyes.


    Now, Lin Tianming was cultivating alone, and he bore the safety of over a hundred thousand mortals on his shoulders. From a fledgling, he had grown to fly on his own; though he didn''t fly high or far, he had taken his first step, which was no easy feat.


    With time pressing, Lin Tianming had made significant progress with his day and night practices over the past half month.


    From taking three breaths to form aplete sword array initially, to now being able to cast it smoothly within half a breath, and greatly enhancing its attacking power, his improvement was undeniable.


    Apart from Lin Tianming''s diligent effort, the Purple Gold Eagle also yed a huge role.


    The Purple Gold Eagle, with more than a dozen wounds on its body, hung its head dejectedly, its spirit subdued, looking thoroughly tormented.


    For over ten days, the Purple Gold Eagle had been used by Lin Tianming as a sparring partner. In the beginning, relying on its speed, the eagle would fly unopposed over his head, asionally even taunting him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But in thest few days, with Lin Tianming giving his all, the eagle had found it increasingly difficult to escape. Each time it was trapped, it was left disheveled and pitiful after being beaten.


    Seeing the Purple Gold Eagle''s downtrodden appearance, Lin Tianming couldn''t help butugh heartily, feeling extremely refreshed. He took a piece of the Spirit-Connecting Python''s body from his storage bag and threw it to the eagle.


    The Purple Gold Eagle didn''t hesitate, biting into it immediately. Sustaining injuries was somewhatpensated, and it quickly forgot its sense of loss.


    Through rigorous practice, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation had reached the Minor Achievement Realm. This gave Lin Tianming an addedyer of protection in battles, ensuring he was notpletely defenseless.


    Lin Tianming, satisfied with the fruits of his grueling cultivation, decided to take a break from practicing and prepare for his return to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The man and the bird, after a brief rest, soared into the sky, circling Qingfeng Town to survey the surroundings.


    A return journey home would also take close to a month, and it was necessary to inspect the area.


    As dusk approached, Lin Tianming stood with his hands behind his back in the za before the grand hall. After surveying the surroundings of Qingfeng Town and clearing some wild beasts, he and the creature returned to Qingfeng Town.


    Lin Shan, responsible for awaiting tasks, stood by respectfully.


    Lin Tianming instructed,


    "The time for my one-year familial visit has arrived. I will depart tomorrow to return to Green Bamboo Mountain. The journey will take at least half a month, and at most one month. I have also cleared all of the mortal beasts within a hundred li from the town, so there should be no danger."


    Lin Shan, overjoyed, also sincerely thanked Lin Tianming on behalf of the people of Qingfeng Town for his protection, ensuring that the town had enjoyed a peaceful year with few mortal casualties.


    Before Lin Tianming took charge of Qingfeng Town, perhaps the n members assigned to this task were not as responsible, or maybe they did not have as high a cultivation level as him.


    Thus, every year more than a few mortals would die at the maws of beasts, and there had even been instances where hundreds of mortals perished.


    After giving instructions for his departure, Lin Tianming left, leaving Lin Shan standing by the side.


    Lin Tianming entered the loft''s grand hall, while the Purple Gold Eagle perched on top of the loft, entering a brief slumber.


    Inside the loft''s room, Lin Tianmingy on the stone bed, finally able to rx his tense nerves.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, the faint sound of breathing could be heard as Lin Tianming fell into a deep sleep.


    For half a month, he had been cultivating his Technique Divine Power day and night, only resting normally for three nights. With the immense consumption of divine sense and spiritual power, he was already extremely weary.


    Now he could finally sleep peacefully. Without realizing, he slipped into a dreand.


    The next morning, a slight breeze blew through the window sill into the room.


    Lin Tianming slowly opened his eyes and stretched luxuriously, feeling refreshed after a night of deep sleep, having reached an optimal state of vitality and spirit.


    During the tranquil and serene early morning.


    While most of the mortal people were still in deep slumber, Lin Tianming leaped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle and headed west, silently disappearing into the horizon.


    Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming was thrilled and kept urging the eagle to fly faster.


    A year of solitude had made him miss his n members deeply.


    He missed his grandfather''s nagging, his father''s stern teachings, his mother''s warmth and concern, and his sister''s chattering while clinging to his arm.


    Perhaps sensing its master''s mood, the Purple Gold Eagle no longer yed tricks and flew with full force, faster than it had ever flown before.


    A man and a beast turned into a speck in the sky, swiftly flying across and vanishing in the blink of an eye.


    Having set out in the early morning and after spending an entire day traveling at full speed, with only two brief pauses,


    He finally arrived at the outskirts of Green Bamboo Mountain, a few tens of miles away, just before sunset.


    At this time, the red sun was about to level with the horizon, and the afterglow of the sunset spread over thend, creating a peaceful scene.


    This was the exact time when the Lin Family''s Enforcement Hall patrol team was changing shifts. More than ten Lin Family Cultivators gathered at the mountain gate, among them a youth, who was Lin Tianfeng, the eldest of the Tian generation.


    Lin Tianfeng was twenty-five years old this year, with Three Spiritual Roots and at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining. Previously, he had always been the highest-ranking cultivator of the Lin Family''s Tian generation. Lin Tianfeng, gifted and diligent in his cultivation, delighted in practicingbat and traveling, hence he served as an Executive Officer in the Enforcement Hall. He was responsible for patrols at this time.


    Among the many cultivators, a red-robed woman stood out, her clear eyes full of spiritual energy, waist-length hair, and porcin-like skin - it was Lin Tianming''s sister, Lin Tianyue.


    Not having seen her for a year, the thirteen-year-old Lin Tianyue had changed quite a bit. Not only had her cultivation reached the Third Level of Qi Refining, but her appearance had also blossomed from a young girl into a graceful figure, destined to be a beauty that could cause the downfall of nations.


    Lin Tianyue wore an expression of worry at the moment.


    Her brother''s year-long stationing period was over, and by all rights, he should have returned yesterday. She waited here but did not see him return. Now it was getting dark, and he still hadn''te back. She feared he might have encountered some danger.


    Seeing Lin Tianyue looking so worried, Lin Tianfeng also spoke up tofort her,


    "Ninth sister, when the sixth brother left, he was already at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining with significant divine skills. With his talent, there''s a great hope he''ll break through to the Sixth Level of Qi Refining. He might have been dyed by something. You go back first, don''t worry, I''m responsible for the patrol. As soon as he returns, I''ll immediately send you a message."


    "Thank you, big brother. It''s not veryte yet. I''ll wait a little longer for brother," she replied.


    Before Lin Tianyue''s words had finished, Lin Tianfeng''s face revealed a look of happy surprise, obviously, his divine sense had already detected Lin Tianming''s presence, quickly approaching Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The rest of the people, noticing the change in Lin Tianfeng, could roughly guess what was happening but were not sure.


    Only a little more than ten breaths had passed.


    In the distance, against the red glow of the sunset, a dark silhouette flew towards the n''snd, unbelievably fast.


    As time went by, the silhouette that was as small as a sesame seed rapidly grew into a sizable flying creature more than ten zhang in size.


    A crowd of n members stared in amazement at the fierce-looking demonic beast, disbelief written all over their faces.


    The one who had arrived was Lin Tianming, standing on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, looking like an immortal with a tranquil demeanor, though his heart was already filled with excitement.


    After a year of absence, and traveling with full effort from dawn until dusk, he finally returned at this moment to his long-awaited family residence.

 Chapter 27 Grandpas Shock (Please Favorite/Recommend) _1

    Under the stunned gazes of everyone, a person and a beastnded outside the Protective n Formation.


    Lin Tianming took out his Identity Token, cast a spell, and a streak of blue light vanished into the colorless light curtain of the Five Elements.


    A momentter, the light curtain revealed an entrance over thirty feet wide, and the interior scenery of Green Bamboo Mountain came into view as the person and beast stepped inside in unison.


    As soon as his foot touched the ground, Lin Tianming found himself enveloped in a fiery embrace as a red figure ran up and clung to him, gripping so tightly he nearly couldn''t breathe. It was his younger sister, Lin Tianyue.


    Feeling his sister''s longing, Lin Tianming wrapped one arm around her waist andforted her by stroking her hair with his other hand.


    After a few breaths, the girl calmed down, and Lin Tianming, holding his sister''s hand, approached Lin Tianfeng and the others to give a fist salute.


    ''Tianming pays respect to our fellow nsmen.''


    After each of them returned the salute with a fist-clenched gesture, Lin Tianfeng began to speak.


    ''Younger brother, Tianyue here has been waiting for your return every day, not moving an inch. You must both be weary. We have patrolling duties and cannot stay for long. You''ve had a tiring journey, so head back and rest early. I''ll be sure to visit when I have some free time.''


    ''Please proceed as you like, elder brother. I will invite you all to visit on another day.''


    After exchanging salutes, they parted ways.


    Lin Tianming, holding Lin Tianyue''s hand, with the Purple Gold Eagle following behind them, walked along a cobblestone path towards the midsection of Green Bamboo Peak.


    Gazing at their familiar family grounds, Lin Tianming felt extremely happy at the moment. His sister chatted nonstop all the way, evidently yearning for the outside world.


    Seeing the look in his sister''s eyes, identical to his own back then, full of longing for the world beyond, he reflected on how one truly starts to miss the warmth of family and the memories of home life only after being away for some time.


    In the Cultivation World where strength reigns supreme, murders for treasure and battles with Demonic Beasts aremonce, countless people meet untimely deaths each day, and numerous family Sects are decimated. All these struggles stem from the pursuit of cultivation resources and the desire to strengthen one''s own power.


    In this perilous Cultivation World, he bore the expectations of revitalizing and protecting his family, with every family member striving toward this daunting goal.


    The path of cultivation can be bleak. While kinship may sometimes be a bond that ties, it is also the beacon that illuminates one''s way. Some cultivate in search of immortality, but not Lin Tianming¡ªhe cultivates to protect.


    In this moment, a subtle change took ce within Lin Tianming''s heart.


    Walking toward the mountain midsection, they passed many fellow nsmen Cultivators. Lin Tianming greeted each one, and under the envious eyes of many nsmen, the siblings finally returned to their own small courtyard.


    After receiving Lin Tianyue''s message, Grandfather and parents all set aside their work, released a quiet sigh of relief, and gathered outside the courtyard, eagerly awaiting Lin Tianming and his sister, their joy evident beyond words.


    Lin Tianming ran over and bowed respectfully to his grandfather and parents.


    ''Tianming pays his respects to Grandfather, Father, and Mother.''


    Grandfather Lin Shigong, grinning ear to ear and squinting, grabbed Lin Tianming and Lin Tianyue by the hand and headed into the courtyard, unconcerned about his son and daughter-inw''s reactions.


    The parents hurried to follow, and the family, full of harmonious joy, sat around a stone table in the courtyard to chat leisurely.


    Inside the courtyard, Lin Shigong said with a smile,


    ''Youd, your cultivation has actually broken through to the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation. I thought reaching the Sixth Level would be good enough, but you didn''t let me down. It seems you have not been idle this past year. That''s good. So, the sess rate and number of pills produced when refining First Order Inferior elixirs must be quite high, right?''


    ''Grandfather, your grandson has sessfully refined the Lingshen Pill, maintaining a sess rate of forty percent and producing at least three pills each time, generally around four.''


    ''What!''


    A First Order Medium Grade Lingshen Pill can guarantee a pill formation rate of forty percent, with at least three pills produced,''


    Lin Shigong was both shocked and overjoyed. In just one year, such great progress had been made, turning into a qualified First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, which really took people by surprise. It seemed that his grandson''s alchemy talent was even higher than imagined.


    The parents and sister were also overjoyed, and began to ask Lin Tianming about his experiences over the past year.


    In the first half of the year guarding Qingfeng Town, Lin Tianming focused on cultivation and alchemy, consuming a lot of Spiritual Medicine Materials, which logically led to his sessful advancement to a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist.


    Had it not been for exploring the Cave Mansion Ruins in thetter half of the year, suffering injuries several times, and spending time cultivating Divine Skills without ess to Spiritual Medicine Materials, he would not have temporarily set aside the practice of alchemy. Given enough Spiritual Medicine Materials, it would not have been impossible for him to produce First Order Superior Grade elixirs.


    This time returning home to visit, aside from submitting the Mysterious Grade Technique and the inheritance of a Third Order Alchemist, he also needed to replenish his supply of Spiritual Medicine Materials fully. With substantial wealth, he could exchange for as many alchemy materials as possible to take back to Qingfeng Town to quickly enhance his alchemy skills.


    Suddenly, Lin Tianming''s expression turned solemn, and with a series of hand gestures, he set up a Prohibition Barrier to envelop everyone, preventing others from prying into their actions and conversations.


    Upon witnessing this, grandpa and the others knew that Lin Tianming had some very important matter to discuss and waited for him to speak.


    Today, Tianming took out from his storage bag the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinder (Three Stars Spirit Sword Technique) and True Person Yuhua''s Alchemy Experience that he had obtained, and ced them on the stone table.


    His father, quick on the uptake, grabbed the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinder, while grandpa got his hands on True Person Yuhua''s Alchemy Experience, deploying his Divine Sense to check it out.


    In three breaths'' time, the faces of Lin Shigong and Lin Xingrong flushed with excitement. Grandpa''s wrinkled face was as red as a monkey''s butt, his excitement evident, not at all like a man nearing a hundred years old.


    Grandfather and father gradually regained theirposure and exchanged the jade cylinders to explore them.


    Lin Tianming then took out more than ten Jade Boxes and ced them in front of them.


    Grandpa quickly opened a Jade Box!


    "Hidden Spirit Grass"


    Grandpa Lin Shigong wentpletely wild with excitement,ughing madly,


    "Heaven blesses the Lin Family, heaven blesses the Lin Family! These more than ten Hidden Spirit Grasses, if used well, are worth at least three Foundation Establishment Pills"


    Upon hearing this, father remembered that True Person Yuhua''s Alchemy Experience mentioned a form for the Minor Foundation Building Pill, and his breathing became rapid¡ªwith good reason, as Hidden Spirit Grass was tied to one''s chances of reaching Foundation Establishment Stage!


    Mother and sister watched the jubtion of the three family members withplete bewilderment.


    After reviewing the three items, grandfather and father calmed down and began to inquire about the origins of these items, showing some concern.


    Lin Tianming recounted the incident where he was forced to kill the man in the red robe and included the Hidden Spirit Grass among the items obtained from him.


    Upon hearing this, everyone was dumbfounded. Mother had already cried herself into a mess. She wasn''t concerned with techniques or elixirs; she just wanted her son to be safe and sound.


    He spoke this way after careful consideration, for Lin Tianming did not n to submit the Heavenly Grade Technique. After all, wealth should not be unted, and with the many gossips, no one could guarantee what thoughts the family might have.


    The matter of the Heavenly Grade Technique was too important; the fewer people knew, the better, especially now when it couldn''t be disclosed, or it might bring disaster upon the family. Everyone understood the logic that though a man may be meless, possessing a treasured jade invites crime.


    At this moment, grandpa spoke with a grave expression,


    "This matter is of great importance. Tianming, you rest for a while. I need to immediately send a message to the n Leader and various Hall Masters. We will convene a meeting in the Elders'' Council in half an hour."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Having said that, Lin Shigong performed a hand gesture, and more than a dozen fire-red Spiritual Birds formed from gathered spiritual energy flew off in all directions and quickly disappeared from sight.

 Chapter 28 Family Meeting (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1

    Atop the main peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, on the square in front of a pavilion, a man in white robes and another in gray robes walked towards each other. These were the only two Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Lin Family.


    The man in white was named Lin Shikang, with cultivation at the Seventh Level of Foundation Establishment, aged one hundred and ten, and the third in seniority among his generation¡ªhe was the oldest and highest in rank within the Lin Family.


    The man in gray was Lin Shilu, ranked fifteenth in his generation, with cultivation at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, aged eighty-three, and he was also the only Second Order Artifact Refiner in the Lin Family.


    ''Elder brother, has Ninth Brother suddenly summoned us because something significant has urred?''


    Lin Shilu asked in confusion. Lin Shikang had the highest cultivation level in the Lin Family, and Lin Shilu hoped to gather some information from him.


    Lin Shikang also looked puzzled as he spoke,


    ''Shi Gong only sent a message for us to gather at the Elders'' Council. He was secretive and didn''t say much, so it must not be anything disastrous. If it were, he wouldn''t have mentioned nothing at all. Don''t worry. We have both been in secluded cultivation these past few years. It''s an excellent opportunity for us to go and see.''


    ''Haha, Elder brother has a point. I have been refining artifacts every day for the past two years¡ªit''s time for a rest.''


    With that said, the two flew together towards the waist of the main peak.


    At the same time, at several important pavilions on the mountainside of Green Bamboo Mountain, one after another person flew out, all with puzzled expressions, heading in the same direction.


    In a pavilion located in the midst of Green Bamboo Peak''s waist, arge elliptical round table more than ten meters wide stood in the center of the hall, surrounded by more than twenty bluestone seats. At this time, four elders were already seated.


    One of the elders, who was the Hall of Merit''s Master Lin Shixin, spoke up,


    ''What is Ninth Brother up to? He hasn''t made such a fuss in over ten years. What''s so serious?''


    Another elder in a green robe said;


    ''Tian Ming took on the guard duty at Qingfeng Town and hase back to visit rtives. He even brought back a Purple Gold Eagle. It couldn''t be because of this trivial matter, could it?''


    The speaker was the n Leader of the Lin Family, Lin Shihua, ranked twelfth among his generation at eighty-eight years old, at the Great Perfection Realm of Qi Refinement, and had been the family head for fifteen years.


    ''It''s highly unlikely. The Purple Gold Eagle brought by Tian Ming may be exceptional and talented, but it''s far from enough to rm all of us. Let us not specte further and wait; we''ll know everything shortly.''


    The other elders agreed, ''Indeed, let''s wait. Perhaps Elder brothers will also join us.''


    After half an hour had passed, several more people arrived. At this point, the hall had gathered more than a dozen family members, including the older generation of Shi n members, as well as several who were in their prime from the Xing line. The hall now concentrated most of the Lin Family''s topbat power apart from the Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Outside the great hall, Lin Tianming followed behind his grandfather and father, the three of them proceeding together towards the n Elders'' Assembly Hall.


    Normally, given Lin Tianming''s rank and strength, he would not qualify to attend the n Elders'' Assembly, but his grandfather wanted him to speak directly to the elders and advocate for himself, as it was overall improper for the older generation to embarrass a junior.


    Suddenly, two streaks of azure light appeared, and two middle-aged cultivators appeared before the grandfather and grandson.


    Lin Tianming was taken aback. They had appeared before him without a sound, and he hadn''t noticed them at all. They must undoubtedly be Foundation Establishment Cultivators, as no one at the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement could achieve such a feat otherwise.


    Indeed, his father saluted with a fist and bow;


    ''Nephew Xing Rong pays his respects to Third Uncle and Fifteenth Uncle.''


    Lin Tianming also saluted with a fist;


    ''Great-Grandson Tian Ming pays his respects to Third Grandfather and Fifteenth Grandfather.''


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu nodded in satisfaction and encouraged Lin Tianming:


    ''At seventeen, you''ve reached the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation and are a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist. You truly haven''t let us old fellows down. You must continue to work hard; the future of our family is depending on you to take up the burden.''


    ''Thank you, Third Grandfather and Fifteenth Grandfather. I will surely work hard to strive for an early Core Formation and restore our family''s glory.''


    The grandfathers nodded contentedly and then entered the grand hall together, with Lin Tianming following behind.


    After the five of them entered the grand hall, all the elders inside stood up, greeted each other, and sat down one by one.


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu sat at the highest seats, with n Leader Lin Shihua, Grandfather Lin Shigong, and Lin Shiji, who was the Enforcement Hall Master and one of the three Complete Qi Refining n members, sitting in order. Lin Shiji was one hundred and five years old this year and ranked fifth among the Shi generation.


    Sitting behind were several n members at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, including Head of the Skill Transmission Hall Lin Shigang, Head of the Scripture Pavilion Lin Shihe, and Hall of Merit''s Master Lin Shixin.


    The eldest, Lin Shikang, ranked third, while the youngest, Lin Shilu, ranked fifteenth; only these eight members of the Lin Family''s Shi generation were alive.


    The heads of the Misceneous Affairs Hall, Artifact Refining Hall, and Talisman Crafting Hall were held by members of the Xing generation. Though the Formation Hall existed in name, itcked a qualified Array Master and remained vacant for the time being.


    Several important members of the Xing generation were present as well, such as Lin Tianming''s father, Lin Xingrong, who managed the family''s businesses in Luoyun Market and was responsible for the security and transactions of all shops and goods there, wielding power not the slightest inferior to any of the hall masters present.


    There were also a few specialized talents within the grand hall, ensuring that the people gathered here were truly the elite of the Lin Family.


    After everyone had taken their seats, Lin Tianming paid his respects to all the elders and then stood behind his grandfather, remaining silent.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, n Leader Lin Shihua began to speak:


    ''Ninth Brother, you''ve called us all here, even startling Third Brother and Fifteen. Everyone is quite busy; if there is something important, please speak quickly and don''t beat around the bush.''


    Lin Shigong stood up and said:


    ''What I''m about to share today is indeed joyous news. Tianming has acquired a Mysterious Grade Technique, an Alchemy Insights Jade Tube from a Third Order Alchemist, and over a dozen crucial ingredients needed for the Minor Foundation Building Pills.''


    Ssssss...


    All the family members in the grand hall, except for the knowledgeable grandfathers and father, took in a sharp breath, their faces flushing with excitement. Each of the three items was worth a fortune.


    ''Quick, quick, let''s see them!'' Caught up in the excitement, n Leader Lin Shihua couldn''t help but urge.


    Lin Tianming stepped forward, ced the technique and the Alchemy Experience, as well as fifteen jade boxes on the stone table, and then stepped back.


    Lin Shikang, Lin Shilu, and Lin Shihua each picked up one of the items to examine, while several elders began to inspect the jade boxes containing Hidden Spirit Grass.


    ''Truly, the heavens bless our Lin Family, the heavens bless our Lin Family.''


    Lin Shihua was the first to burst outughing, his expression filled with frenzy.


    All the n members present couldn''t help butugh with joy, silently heaving a sigh of relief.


    The Lin Family had been living rather frugally for the past decade. Fifteen years ago, in order to enable Lin Shilu''s Foundation Establishment, they had exhausted decades of savings. Coupled with intentional difficulties from several forces within the Luoyun Mountain Range, the Lin Family had faced tough times, only able to bear insults silently.


    Had it not been for other families'' hesitance to provoke the legacy left by our ancestors, the Lin Family might have already been pushed out of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Now, with this windfall, holding firm for another ten years, if they could sessfully raise a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the Lin Family would no longer need to swallow their pride.

 Chapter 29 Rewards (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1

    After a quarter of an hour of taking turns to inspect the items, everyone had a clear understanding of the three objects at hand.


    The excitement and joy gradually subsided, and n Leader Lin Shihua asked Lin Tianming about how he came into possession of the items, in case they needed to be prepared for any trouble that might arise.


    Under the scrutiny of many n members, Lin Tianming recounted the whole event, deliberately omitting the matter of the Heavenly Grade Technique.


    Learning that the treasures came from a loose cultivator and that no traces were discovered afterward, everyone unanimously breathed a sigh of relief.


    Any one of these three items could cause several ns at the Foundation Establishment Stage to fight bloody battles. The family elders were very clear that in these troubled times, it was not easy to make enemies.


    Now that the facts were clear, it was natural to discuss the disposition of the items.


    After thoughtful consideration, Lin Tianming took the initiative to speak:


    "All three items will be handed over to the n in exchange for a portion of merit and spirit stones. As for the creation of Minor Foundation Building Pills, I request three to be given to Lin Tianming without any cost, with the excess managed by the n."


    Fifteen batches of Minor Foundation Building Pills could be refined from the fifteen Hidden Spirit Grasses. The main ingredient, Hidden Spirit Grass, was precious, but the other auxiliary medicinal ingredients were manageable. The Lin Family Treasure Vault could gather most, and the few that were missing could be bought at some cost.


    If the alchemist waspetent, with fifteen batches of ingredients and a sess rate of thirty percent, they could expect about fifteen pills. ounting for the alchemist''s remuneration, more than ten pills were a certainty.


    To request three pills withoutpensation was by no means an excessive demand considering his contribution.


    Upon hearing Lin Tianming''s words, many family elders began to ponder and even discuss in small groups.


    Some n members argued there were many in the Lin Family at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement and Great Perfection who greatly needed the Minor Foundation Building Pills; three pills were too many. One would be appropriate, with additionalpensation in spirit stones or merit.


    However, a portion of the elders believed Lin Tianming''s request was not excessive at all. He had made significant contributions to the Lin Family, and it would not be right to demand the items from him; they should unconditionally fulfill his request.


    The great hall immediately buzzed with debate. Those in support of Lin Tianming were mostly elders of the Shi generation, while those who opposed were predominantly Xing n members.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At that moment, when the main hall was abuzz with arguments,


    a loud shout thundered through the hall like an explosion, silencing everyone.


    "Enough! Our family has survived numerous crises over eight hundred years, yet now we bicker shamefully over the fortune a junior has found. How does this look?"


    "If the family is to prosper, we must be as fair as possible; mere exploitation and plundering are no different from banditry and only serve to dishearten our n members."


    "Put yourself in Tianming''s position and ask whether you would still be willing to dedicate yourself to the family. We are a family, not a sect. We need young people like Tianming; otherwise, when we pass away, we won''t have the face to meet our ancestors."


    After a scolding from Lin Shikang, who had the highest cultivation in the Lin Family, the opposing elders all bowed their heads in shame, their faces flushed with embarrassment.


    With the staunch support of two Foundation Establishment Stage elders, the family elders reached a unanimous decision.


    n Leader Lin Shihua spoke:


    "Award Tian Ming five thousand merit points or low-grade spirit stones, waive the restriction on performing family missions, award fifty sets of Lingshen Pill alchemical materials, fifty sets of various First Order Superior Grade alchemical spiritual medicines, ten High Quality Talisman papers, and three First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instruments, with the type unrestricted."


    "Additionally, if Minor Foundation Building Pills are created, regardless of the total number, three will be given to Lin Tianming without anypensation."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming was very satisfied, feeling that the n had been quite fair. Although the three items would fetch at least a hundred thousand spirit stones in the market, the family''s finances were indeed limited. Besides, the creation of Minor Foundation Building Pills also required substantial resources.


    Even if the family had the will, it could not easily provide a hundred thousand spirit stones withoutpromising normal operations. The only option was to offer additional rewards in the form of medicinal materials, means to contend with adversaries, and some special privileges.


    Finally, Lin Shikang said to Lin Tianming:


    "Tian Ming, the family truly has its difficulties. These awards are hardly worth mentioning. I hope you don''t take it to heart. When the family''s finances improve in the future, we will make every effort topensate you."


    When Lin Tianming heard this, he was also deeply moved! He stood up to express his gratitude, saying:


    "Tianming is a member of the family, too, running with the blood of the Lin Family. Those ancestors whoid down their lives for the family with selfless devotion, my contribution is nothingpared to theirs, all the elders need not me themselves."


    "Look, even a teenager has a stronger sense of duty than many of our n members,"


    Lin Shikang''s ironicment made those n members who had initially opposed him feel even more ashamed and embarrassed.


    Discussions of the rewards came to an end, and it was now time to talk about the method for refining the Minor Foundation Building Pills.


    There was not a qualified Second Order Alchemist in the Lin Family, so to refine these pills, they would have to seek the help of an alchemist from outside.


    Many n members also started a discussion about this.


    In the entire Luoyun Mountain Range, Second Order Alchemists were rare, and a few of them were closely rted to the Lin Family''s rival ns, making it extremely difficult to ask for their help.


    Furthermore, although the Minor Foundation Building Pills were not as precious as the Foundation Establishment Pills, they were valuable nheless, and the Lin Family dared not let even the slightest rumor leak out with suchrge quantities at stake.


    If the opposing forces got wind of it, they might very well kill for treasure, and even if they managed to keep it safe, they would suffer significant losses.


    After some discussion, the senior family members unanimously decided to take the Spiritual Medicine Materials to Qianchuan Market in the Wei Kingdom and ask Ye Pinghai, an old friend of Lin Shigong, for help in refining them.


    Ye Pinghai was a Loose Cultivator, at thete stage of Foundation Establishment, and a Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist. In his earlier years during the Qi Refinement period, he was saved by Lin Shigong. The two became close friends, exchanged alchemy techniques, and on several asions had refined precious elixirs for the Lin Family, making him the best candidate for help.


    After discussions and arrangements by the senior family members, for theing month, the family would collect other Spiritual Medicine Materials needed for refining the Minor Foundation Building Pills. In a month, Lin Shilu, apanied by Lin Tianming, would set off to Qianchuan Market to look for Ye Pinghai.


    The reason for taking Lin Tianming was twofold, one for the experience, and two because Lin Tianming was a direct descendant of Lin Shigong. By going there, he could learn alchemy from Ye Pinghai as well as build a good rtionship.


    Having the direct guidance of a Second Order Alchemist would be of great help in improving Lin Tianming''s skills in alchemy. Moreover, with Lin Tianming''s extraordinary abilities and all the Lin Family members at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement busy with family affairs, taking him along would be a significant advantage.


    The task of guarding Qingfeng Town would be taken over by another family member.


    The matter of the treasures came to a close, the n members left the great hall one after another, and Lin Tianming along with his grandparents, also stood up to leave.


    Back in his courtyard, Lin Tianming took out arge piece of Spirit-Connecting Python meat and handed it to Ren Yuxuan to prepare a feast for the evening, so the family could joyfully share a reunion dinner.


    After the meal, Lin Tianming took out twenty Lingshen Pills and gave fifteen to his mother and five to his sister.


    His sister happily epted the Lingshen Pills and ran off to cultivate. In the year that Lin Tianming was away, their mother had given her two Lingshen Pills to aid in her cultivation, which helped her sessfully break through to the Third Level of Qi Refinement.


    Seeing so many Lingshen Pills, his mother became both touched and happy, seeing her son so aplished, far surpassing her own achievements, with a future that seemed boundless, she couldn''t help but feel proud.


    ''Mother, you''re getting on in years, and the chances of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage are slim; you should keep these pills for yourself,''


    ''Mother, I''m now a qualified First Order Medium Grade Alchemist. These pills were all refined by myself, and at least for now, I have no shortage of elixirs for cultivation. You always saved all the Spirit Stones and elixirs for Tian Yue and me; now, it''s time for your son to repay you.''


    Lin Shigong and Lin Xingrong also joined in, trying to persuade her:


    ''Yuxuan, I''m afraid this boy is now several times wealthier than I am, aside from Third Brother and Shi Lu, no one in the family is richer than him.''


    ''Yes, Yuxuan, this boy is not the same as before. Just take them and catch up on the cultivation you''ve missed out on over the years.''


    Moved to near tears by everyone''s earnest urging, Ren Yuxuan epted the pills and stored them in her bag.


    As it was getting veryte, after some words of advice from his grandfather and father, Lin Tianming returned to his own room.


    Exhausted, hey down on the bed he had slept in for over ten years and fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 30 Redeeming Rewards (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1

    The next morning, a slightly ring ray of sunlight shone through the small window onto Lin Tianming''s handsome face.


    Opening his eyes tinged with a hint of spirituality, Lin Tianming got up, tidied up his room, and prepared to head out.


    The family''s rewards had been determined, and today he was to go to the Hall of Merit to im them. In addition to his own rewards, he also needed to exchange some materials that he didn''t need for merit points and purchase some essentials.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming stepped out the door, summoned the Qingfeng Sword, hopped onto it, and flew toward the mid-mountain pavilion.


    Inside the Family Merits Hall, the ce buzzed with voices as many family cultivators presented spiritual medicines or demonic beast inner pills and bodies to the executive officers at the main hall. Among the plethora of spiritual objects, most weremon first-order items.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming enter, everyone stopped what they were doing and greeted him.


    As the one with the highest talent since the patriarch of the Lin Family, Lin Tianming was naturally the focus of attention for all the n members.


    In the face of the n members'' goodwill, Lin Tianming greeted them with a fist and palm salute, showing no difference in treatment despite their lower cultivation levels. With the demeanor of a gentleman and the respect of a junior, he won a round of encouraging cheers and apuse.


    Lin Shixin was very satisfied with this. The child''s cultivation strength and temperament were top-tier, making him the future hope of the family. With some luck, provided he didn''t die young, there was a great hope of leading the family back into the ranks of Core Formation Stage ns.


    After greeting the n members in the hall, Lin Tianming now approached Lin Shixin and bowed respectfully, saying:


    "Tianming pays respect to Fifteenth Grandfather."


    Lin Shixin squinted his eyes and smiled, responding:


    "Your reward has been prepared. Whatever you need, just say it, and I''ll fetch it for you, especially First Order Superior Grade spiritual medicine materials, talisman paper, and spiritual artifacts."


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, for the First Order Superior Grade spiritual medicine materials, I will need twenty-five portions of each spiritual medicine material listed on these two pill forms," Tianming said.


    After speaking, Lin Tianming handed Lin Shixin two pill forms, which undoubtedly were for refining the Strong Spirit Pill and the Body Strengthening Pill, which were aids for cultivating the Tiangang Body Art.


    Lin Shixin nced at the pill forms, and his old face turned alternately blue and purple as a voice couldn''t help but rise in his heart:


    "This little rascal sure knows how to choose, picking the more precious ones from among the first order spiritual medicines."


    "Oh well, this child''s talent and temperament are beyond reproach, and the family''s future depends on him. It''s fine to look after him a bit more. Besides, what he''s asking for are all First Order Superior Grade spiritual medicines; they are just a bit more precious, and there''s no vition of the rules."


    "Go ahead and tell me about the talisman paper and the spiritual artifacts, and I''ll fetch them all for you," Lin Shixin urged.


    Lin Tianming continued:


    "I need four First Order Superior Attack Talisman papers, and four Defense Talisman papers, as well as two Speed Evasion Talisman papers."


    "For spiritual artifacts, I would like three defensive spiritual tools. That''s all, and additionally, I want to sell a batch of Fasting Pills."


    Having said that, Lin Tianming took out the Fasting Pills he had refined, a total of one hundred. Originally, after refining all the materials for the Fasting Pills, he obtained one hundred and thirty-six.


    Having consumed some during his year of seclusion, he was left with a bit over one hundred and twenty. By selling one hundred, he would keep just over twenty for personal use. After all, he was still in the Qi Refinement Realm, and he couldn''t be without Fasting Pills during his seclusion.


    Only upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage could he truly fast and survive solely on spiritual energy for an extended period.


    "One hundred Fasting Pills in exchange for eighty merit points, is there anything else?" Lin Shixin asked.


    Lin Tianming frowned slightly and cautiously inquired:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, does our Green Bamboo Mountain still have Second Order Qingling Bamboo for sale?"


    Lin Shixin asked with some confusion:


    "What do you need the Second Order Qingling Bamboo for? There are plenty of First Order ones, but not many Second Order ones. Even in the Hundred-mile Bamboo Forest, there are less than a hundred Second Order Qingling Bamboo. These are the batch with the oldest age; our family has rarely let them go!"


    Lin Tianming didn''t give it much thought and went straight to the point in his reply:


    "I want to exchange for twenty Second Order Qingling Bamboo. Please ask Fifteenth Grandfather to help me refine aplete set of Flying Sword Instruments. My current spiritual artifacts are too substandard and do not allow me to utilize my full strength."


    "Forget it, forget it!"


    After his initial shock, Lin Shixin began to borate.


    "Each Qingling Bamboo is quite valuable. It has excellent tensile strength and is extremely sharp, indeed making it one of the best materials for refining spirit swords.


    "Each Second Order Qingling Bamboo costs one hundred and fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones. It''s not something the average person can afford, so if you want it, you''ll have to chop it down yourself!"


    After hearing this, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but be stunned as well. At one hundred and fifty spirit stones each, twenty would cost three thousand spirit stones, an amount indeed unaffordable for the average person. If not for having made significant contributions to the family and received a hefty reward, he truly wouldn''t have been able to afford it.


    After half a moment, Lin Shixin handed a storage bag over to Lin Tianming.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Everything is inside. Count them, and hand me your token as well."


    Lin Tianming respectfully took out his token and handed it to Lin Shixin.


    Lin Shixin then took out a token several timesrger, formed a hand seal with both hands, and a burst of blue light shed. A number lit up on Lin Tianming''s token for a few breaths before disappearing.


    At this moment, there were an additional two thousand and eighty merits on Lin Tianming''s family token. Five thousand merits vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving just so little.


    Lin Tianming felt the pinch acutely. In the past, he would have been reluctant to spend even a few dozen spirit stones, but now he had spent several thousand in one go. Thinking about this made his heart bleed.


    Taking the storage bag, Lin Tianming probed it with his divine sense. Inside the bag were over a hundred portions of various spirit grasses, four differently colored talisman papers, and three defensive spiritual tools.


    The three spiritual tools were all unique¡ªone was a turtle shell-like shield, another a small umbre, and thest item was red inner armor. Lin Tianming gave them a cursory check.


    Lin Shixin took out another token made of Qingling bamboo material and handed it to Lin Tianming, saying:


    "This token is for entry into the deep part of the bamboo forest. Without it, if one rashly intrudes, they probably won''tst long before being sted to death by the ward."


    Lin Tianming received the token and gave Lin Shixin a bow before departing.


    Half a momentter, Lin Tianming appeared at the bottom of a valley at the foot of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The entire valley was shrouded in mist, and the bamboo sea was endless to the eye, the area likely close to a hundred miles in size.


    Lin Tianming took out a token, cast a spell, and a light screen appeared out of thin air. The screen tore open to reveal an entrance several feet wide, with a powerful metal attribute aura assailing him.


    Because the bamboo forest was so vast and sealed off by great arrays all year round, the strong metal attribute spiritual energy trapped here was greatly beneficial to the growth of the Qingling Bamboo.


    Qingling Bamboo is a First Order Spiritual Material that requires a five-hundred-year growth cycle. The vast majority are just First Order Spiritual Materials, and only an extremely small number of Qingling Bamboo can grow into Second Order Spiritual Material by chance.


    The Lin Family had chosen to establish the family here originally because they happened upon arge expanse of Qingling Bamboo by chance, thus upying this ce.


    After more than eight hundred years of development, the area of Qingling Bamboo had more than doubled, and there were several hundred Second Order Qingling Bamboo. Every year some are used up or sold, leaving nearly a hundred which is one of the Lin Family''s greatest assets.


    Lin Tianming tucked the token into his storage bag, leaped up, and entered through the light screen.

 Chapter 31 Cutting Down Qingling Bamboo (Please Collect and Recommend)_1

    In the dense bamboo forest of blue and yellow hues, Lin Tianming looked around.


    Massive Qingling Bamboos were growing in the firm crevices of rocks, with varying heights and thickness.


    The tall ones could reach several zhang in height, as thick as the mouth of a bowl, with blue-yellow trunks and very few leaves, all several centuries old and suitable for crafting instruments.


    The short ones were less than half a zhang, colored blue, with denser leaves, averaging around a hundred years old.


    Qingling Bamboo has a long growth cycle, starting as finger-thick shoots of white jade color, gradually growing into blue, hundred-year-old specimens, and finally, blue-yellow when they reach full maturity.


    Lin Tianming swiftly shuttled through the bamboo forest, meticulously searching for Second Order Qingling Bamboo.


    An hour had passed, and Lin Tianming''s expression turned liver-colored; among tens of thousands of Qingling Bamboos, he hadn''t found a single Second Order one.


    The task was indeed daunting, given the vast area and difficulty in distinguishing them. The Second Order Qingling Bamboos and the five-century-old ones looked simr, both as thick as the mouth of a bowl with sparse leaves. The only difference was that the Second Order''s color was pure gold, while the ordinary ones were paler in blue-yellow.


    The entire Qingling Bamboo Forest spanned dozens of li, with several hundred thousand bamboos. To find the mere hundred Second Order specimens was certainly difficult.


    After resting for a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming continued on his quest.


    Time passed quickly, and another hour went by.


    Suddenly, amidst the thick bamboo, a golden bamboo stood tall among a cluster of five-century-old Qingling Bamboos.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Overjoyed, Lin Tianming disappeared and reappeared beside the golden Second Order Qingling Bamboo.


    This Qingling Bamboo was several zhang tall, bowl-thick,pletely golden, and the surface shone brilliantly¡ªundoubtedly a Second Order specimen.


    Lin Tianming carefully observed the growing environment of this Qingling Bamboo, hoping to deduce the factors for Second Order growth and find a shortcut to locate the remaining neen.


    He saw that it grew in rock crevices, surrounded mostly by mature, five-century Qingling Bamboos, hinting at a significant difference from the valley below¡ªhigher up the rocks, the greater the likelihood of finding Second Order bamboos.


    Lin Tianming tentatively concluded this was the case and decided in his subsequent searches to take to the air, identifying areas where the bamboo leaves were sparser and the groves taller, indicating greater possibilities for Second Order nts, and to focus on these patches to significantly improve efficiency.


    Resolved, Lin Tianming drew his Qingfeng Sword and began to cut down the bamboo.


    Three consecutive sword strikes hit the same spot, yet only a thumb-sized nick was made in the golden Qingling Bamboo.


    Lin Tianming was surprised; he was a body cultivator who practiced the top-notch Heavenly Grade Technique, Tiangang Body Art, possessing strength several times that of normal cultivators at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, yet he had only managed to inflict such a minor cut. Topletely sever it, he anticipated a considerable amount of effort would be required.


    Activating his cultivation technique with full force, Lin Tianming delivered multiple sword strikes, each expanding the cut until, after more than fifty strikes, the bowl-thick Qingling Bamboo fell with a sound.


    "Puff¡­"


    A loud noise echoed as the several zhang tall Qingling Bamboo crashed heavily to the ground, creating a half-foot deep trench.


    Lin Tianming lifted the Qingling Bamboo, sweat bead appearing on his forehead; he tried to lift it three times without sess.


    It wasn''t until he channeled his spiritual power and exerted his full strength, with thousands of jin erupting from his hands, that he managed to hoist the Qingling Bamboo and stow it in his storage bag.


    Having sessfully secured the bamboo, Lin Tianming wiped his hands and sat panting on a nearby rock to rest.


    Lin Tianming thought to himself that each Second Order Qingling Bamboo must weigh at least a few thousand jin; with its hard material and excellent flexibility, swords crafted from it would surely be extraordinary.


    After resting for a short while, Lin Tianming continued on his journey to find more Second Order Qingling Bamboos.


    Having seeded in his first attempt, Lin Tianming no longer aimlessly wandered the forest but flew above it, carefully discerning the densely popted areas of five-century Qingling Bamboos.


    "Ah¡­"


    "That clump of bamboo about a hundred zhang ahead is taller on average, with sparser leaves, mostly five-century Qingling Bamboos. The chances of finding Second Order ones should not be small."


    Lin Tianming swiftly flew to that part of the bamboo forest and began his meticulous search.


    "As expected, there are Second Order Qingling Bamboos,"


    Lin Tianming was quite delighted, confident that with this method, the twenty Qingling Bamboos could be quickly found.


    Two days flew by!


    Inside the Qingling Bamboo Forest, Lin Tianming expertly ced a Second Order Qingling Bamboo down, swiftly lifting the several-thousand-jin bamboo stalk and stowing it into his storage bag.


    Having finally cut down twenty stalks of Second Order Qingling Bamboo, after two days of non-stop swinging of the Qingfeng Sword, his arms were sore and swollen.


    If he had not been a Body Cultivator with a cultivation not considered weak, had it been the time he was at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, he likely could not have chopped down many in one day. Banking on his profound cultivation, he hadpleted the target within two days.


    Having reached the required quantity, Lin Tianming was very satisfied and couldn''t wait to take the twenty stalks of Second Order Qingling Bamboo to Fifteenth Uncle to ask for his help with artifact forging.


    Considering his weapons as a significant shoring, he was eager to forge a sufficient number of Spirit Swords. If the grade could all be at First Order Superior, hisbat power would at least double. Even facing a cultivator in the Late Stage of Qi Refining, he would be able to retreat unscathed.


    Upon reaching the edge of the bamboo forest, Lin Tianming took out his token, cast a Law Decree, and a slit appeared in the light screen; he stepped through without hesitation.


    After the span of a single breath, Lin Tianming had sessfully emerged from the bamboo forest.


    He summoned a Qingfeng Sword, leaped onto the de, and left flying through the sky.


    In half an hour, at the Family Merits Hall, Lin Tianming found Lin Shixin.


    "Elder Wu, I have gathered all twenty stalks of Second Order Qingling Bamboo and havee to return the token."


    Lin Tianming respectfully handed over the token, exchanged a few pleasantries with Lin Shixin, and then bade farewell as he left the Hall of Merit.


    A short whileter, in the Family Alchemy Hall, Lin Tianming appeared before his grandfather Lin Shigong and bowed respectfully:


    "Your grandson greets you, grandfather!"


    Lin Shigong waved his hand and smiled, instructing:


    "Cheeky boy,e and sit down!"


    Lin Tianming chuckled, sat down directly on the cushion in front of him, and stated his purpose.


    "Grandfather, I spent three thousand merit points at once to exchange for twenty stalks of Second Order Qingling Bamboo in the Hall of Merit, intending to ask Fifteenth Grandfather to help forge a batch of Spirit Swords. Unfortunately, I haven''t left amunication mark with Fifteenth Grandfather, so I''vee to ask for your help to see if Fifteenth Grandfather can help with the forging."


    Hearing his grandson''s purpose, Lin Shigong was greatly startled!


    "This rapscallion, what a spender, to blow three thousand merit points like that. The Mysterious Grade Cultivation Technique Fire Origin Decision that he cultivates doesn''t even require so many Spirit Swords, right?"


    Lin Shixin was very puzzled by such extravagant spending and thus questioned Lin Tianming why he needed so many Spirit Swords.


    Lin Tianming hesitated and fumbled, and after much deliberation, he still did not reveal the Heavenly Grade Technique he was cultivating. He only mentioned that his Cultivation Technique was rted to Sword Arrays.


    He emphasized repeatedly, asking his grandfather to keep it a secret, or it might bring disaster to the family!


    Seeing his grandson so serious, Lin Shixin no longer pressed the matter, knowing everyone had their secrets.


    And Lin Tianming had always been smart and stable, so if he didn''t speak of it, he naturally had his reasons.


    With these thoughts, Lin Shigong earnestly advised:


    "Since it''s so important, remember never to reveal it lightly in front of others. People in the Cultivation World constantlymit murders and rob others of their treasures; you can''t just trust anyone easily, understand?"


    Lin Tianming agreed wholeheartedly, easing his grandfather''s concerns.


    Afterward, Lin Shigong formed a seal with one hand and sent a message to Lin Shilu, inquiring whether he could take on the forging task.


    In half an hour, a beam of Spiritual Light passed through the restrictions of the building, stopping in front of Lin Shigong. He read the message, and after the Spiritual Light dissipated, he spoke up:


    "Your Fifteenth Grandfather has agreed to help. He told you to go directly to the summit of Green Bamboo Peak, where he and your Third Grandfather are cultivating in their main mountain abode. You can go find him there."


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately took leave of Lin Shigong, nning to go directly to Lin Shilu.


    Before leaving, Lin Shigong took out eight hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones and a bottle of Second Order Lingshen Pill, handing them to Lin Tianming as a reward for the forging help.


    Lin Tianming, unpretentious, epted the Spirit Stones and elixir, and left.

 Chapter 32 Observing Practice Equipment (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1

    ```


    Summit of Qingzhu Mountain.


    The entire mountain stood a thousand zhang high, its top a tnd of more than ten li in size, a truly spectacr sight!


    Lin Tianming was also climbing to the peak for the first time. From this height, he surveyed the entire Green Bamboo Mountain n Territory; from halfway up the mountain, peaks rose one after another, stretching for over a hundred li, resembling a veritable fairnd.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The summit spanned more than ten li, the terrain remarkably t, as if a supreme being had cleaved off the entire mountaintop with a single sword!


    Feeling the density of the spiritual energy in this ce, it was a cut above that of the mid-mountain regions; no doubt, long-term cultivation here would yield twice the results with half the effort.


    The ancestors truly were blessed with foresight; otherwise, to find such and rich in spiritual energy would be no easy task. Such Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands were a rare sight in the whole Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Shaking off his distant thoughts, Lin Tianming headed towards the rear of the vast Bluestone za.


    Atop Green Bamboo Mountain Peaky a massive Bluestone za. Around the za stood several courtyards of varying sizes.


    Each courtyard upied a substantial area, their exteriors solemn and sacred, inspiring awe in those who looked upon them.


    In the Lin Family, only those who had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage could bring their direct rtives to live at the peak of the mountain. This was a privilege reserved for Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Lin Tianming walked directly to the outside of one of the courtyards, pausing to press his palms together and cast a beam of Spiritual Light into the restrictive enchantment.


    A few breathster, the restriction opened a passage, and Lin Tianming entered without hesitation, then mysteriously vanished from sight.


    Inside the courtyard, Lin Shilu sat on a meditation cushion in the center, examining a Spirit Sword in his hand. He repeatedly channeled Spiritual Power into it, waving the sword through the air.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming did not dare to interrupt and stood respectfully to the side, awaiting Lin Shilu''s instructions.


    Half an hourter, Lin Shilu stored the Spirit Sword in his storage bag, turned, smiled, and then said,


    "Tianming,e over and sit!"


    "Tianming greets Fifteenth Grandfather!"


    After giving a respectful salute, Lin Tianming sat down on a meditation cushion opposite Lin Shilu.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, due to theck of a suitable Spirit Sword, I''ve exchanged for twenty stalks of Second Order Qingling Bamboo from the Family Merits Hall. I was hoping you could help forge them into a set of Flying Sword Instruments. Would you be able to assist me?"


    After several moments of silence, Lin Tianming, feeling increasingly anxious, tentatively continued,


    "I would not expect you tobour withoutpensation. I will pay you ording to the market rate when the timees. After all, forging aplete set of Spiritual Artifacts does consume a fair amount of supplementary materials and time. Offeringpensation is the least I can do."


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s words, Lin Shilu frowned slightly, his face showing displeasure as he spoke,


    "Within the family, we do not differentiate between each other''s households. Crafting aplete set of Second Order Spirit Swords is indeed a challenge, but I am confident in forging a First Order set."


    "Back in my days at the Qi Refinement Realm, I often relied on your grandfather''s help with Alchemy. Rest assured, hand over the Second Order Qingling Bamboo; without dy, I''ll get to work immediately and aim to finish them as soon as possible."


    Lin Tianming was both surprised and moved by the response, thanking his elder profusely.


    Family cultivators, when able, would always assist each other. Should he find sess in the future, he must also contribute to the family.


    After handing over the twenty stalks of Second Order Qingling Bamboo to Lin Shilu, Lin Tianming was about to take his leave when Lin Shilu suddenly said,


    "If you have no other matters, stay and assist me. You can also learn some basics of Artifact Refining. Should you have a talent for it, it could bring great aid to your cultivation journey."


    "Yes, I will heed Fifteenth Grandfather''s teachings."


    After Lin Tianming responded, Lin Shilu stood up to leave, and Lin Tianming quickly followed his steps.


    ```


    Although he had never refined any artifact or even had the chance to observe the process, watching the entire artifact refining process on-site was not an easy opportunity toe by.


    A few breaths passed, and Lin Shilu walked through the corridor, stopping in front of a secret chamber.


    Lin Tianming waited beside, feeling the abundant fire element spiritual power in the air; it must undoubtedly be the Refining Room.


    The more than ten courtyards on the summit of Green Bamboo Mountain each came with a Pill Refining Room and an Artifact Forging Room, through which the tributaries of the Earth Fire passed, providing the most basic conditions for pill concoction and weapon forging.


    Lin Shilu opened the restrictions and stepped in; Lin Tianming hurriedly followed.


    Inside the Artifact Forging Room, a cauldron about the size of a yard stood in the center of the chamber, surrounded by numerous stone tforms with various toolsid out.


    After a brief moment of breathing regtion, Lin Shilu was ready to begin artifact refining.


    He skillfully ignited the Earth Fire, eliciting a three-feet-long me that burst forth, perfectly suspended under the cauldron.


    He arranged the Second Order Qingling Bamboo neatly to one side, at the same time taking out a number of differently colored ores and cing them on the stone tform.


    Lin Shilu grabbed arge chunk of Spirit Iron Ore and tossed it into the cauldron, then adjusted the intensity of the Earth Fire, furiously burning the cauldron.


    As time passed, the Spirit Iron the size of a bucket gradually melted into a puddle of iron liquid.


    After an hour of repeated purification, the Spirit Iron, once the size of a bucket, was refined into twenty fist-sized ores, crystal clear and translucent.


    At this point, the originally ink-colored raw ore had astonishingly be as beautiful as Spirit Stones.


    While refining, Lin Shilu gave instructions to Lin Tianming.


    "Cut the Second Order Qingling Bamboo at two-thirds of its length; to forge a Spirit Sword, only the bottom half of the entire bamboo is needed. You can keep the tip part for forging other lower grade spirit swords."


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s instructions, Lin Tianming began to cut the Qingling Bamboo one by one, handing over the section as thick as the mouth of a bowl to Lin Shilu.


    Two days passed, and Lin Shilu had refined over a dozen different colored ores one by one, divided into twenty portions of crystal clear Spirit Ore.


    Twenty stalks of Qingling Bamboo were also trimmed to be three zhang long, twenty stalks neatly lined up in a row.


    Lin Shilu ced the entire Qingling Bamboo on the stone tform beside, took out a hammer with an extremelyrge head, and began to pound the whole stalk of Qingling Bamboo on the stone tform without respite.


    After half a day, the three-zhang-long Qingling Bamboo gradually shrunk in size and shape, turning from a bamboo thick as a bowl to a three-feet-long sword embryo, with the surface color turning more golden.


    Lin Tianming also widened his eyes in amazement; the transformation of the ores was still within his expectations, but the conversion of Qingling Bamboo into a sword embryo was truly incredible.


    As Lin Shilu hammered the Qingling Bamboo, every half an hour, he would add a type of ore to the sword embryo, increase the force of his hammering, and continue adding more ore.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu was drenched in sweat, focusing intently on hammering the Spirit Sword embryo.


    Lin Tianming, too, began to ponder on the side,mitting Lin Shilu''s entire process and techniques to memory, thinking that perhaps he might attempt it when the time was ripe.


    However, given his limited time, it was unlikely he could devote a vast amount of time and energy solely on artifact refining, but learning some experience was still necessary.


    After most of a day, the Spirit Sword embryos were sessively infused with more than ten types of colored ores, resulting in apletely golden sword, with two intertwining lines of azure and red running from the tip to the hilt,ying the foundation for the entire Spirit Sword.


    Feeling the faint Sword Qi emanating from the Spirit Sword, Lin Tianming was very satisfied; if he added the remaining inscriptions to the sword body, its might would likely be even more formidable.


    Lin Shilu, too, was extremely pleased at this point; although he was a Second Grade Medium Quality Artifact Refiner and had forged a great number of First Order Superior Grade Spirit Swords, when it came to the power of the sword embryos alone, this particr Spirit Sword embryo satisfied him the most.


    This was still only the Spirit Sword embryo, ounting for only half of the sess; the subsequent Inscription Array needed to be carved before it could be considered aplete Spiritual Artifact.


    Lin Shilu took a brief rest for a quarter of an hour and then threw himself back into the most important task of Inscription marking.

 Chapter 33 A Set of Qingfeng Swords (Please Collect and Recommend)_1

    In Lin Shilu''s refining room, Lin Shilu was at this moment, focusing intently on inscribing engravings, as golden-yellow runes sunk one by one into the Spirit Sword in front of him.


    An hourter, the golden runes revealed themselves one by one on the entire sword body, the tiny runes gradually spreading over the entirety of the sword.


    At this time, the whole Spirit Sword was emitting a strong Sword Qi, its grade had evidently reached that of a First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instrument without a doubt.


    Both Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming were overwhelmed with joy, with Lin Tianming feeling particrly excited.


    Originally thinking that crafting a First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instrument would be a sess, they hadn''t expected to actually forge a First Order Top-Quality Spirit Sword. If all twenty Sword Embryos were made into First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instruments to form a Sword Array, its might would unquestionably be more terrifying. Lin Tianming couldn''t help but look forward to that.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu was also very satisfied, as he had sessfully be a Second Order Medium Quality Refiner half a year ago. He took helping Tianming with refining very seriously.


    Before the refining process, the chances of producing a First Order Superior Grade were very high, and the possibility of a First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instrument was not slim either.


    Second Order Qingling Bamboo was already considered one of the best materials among Second Order materials, and Lin Shilu did not only bring out arge quantity of high-quality auxiliary materials but also a significant amount of treasured Second Order Spirit Iron. It was quite the bloodletting, but thankfully the results were satisfactory.


    In the Cultivation World, even most of the cultivators at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment stillbat using Spiritual Instruments, most of which are First Order Superior Grade or Top-Quality.


    More advanced Magic Artifacts are only essible to those cultivators who are in the middle orter stages of Foundation Establishment and are quite wealthy.


    Lin Tianming investing such a great deal in refining, his attack power was certain to increase significantly.


    Striking while the iron was hot, the grandfather and grandson worked together with renewed vigor and re-immersed themselves in the refining process.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Twenty days passed in silence, and the day to go to Qianchuan Market was approaching; the sounds of hammering were continuous in Lin Shilu''s refining room.


    The pair were currently taking turns hammering a Second Order Qingling Bamboo. Before their eyes, the once bowl-thick Qingling Bamboo gradually took the shape of a Spirit Sword Embryo, its form nearlyplete.


    Lin Shilu added a piece of Second Order ore, and together they hammered away without stopping.


    After half a month of teamwork, they developed a great synergy, the two massive hammers striking the Spirit Sword Embryo rapidly; the rhythm of their hammering was expertly controlled, greatly increasing the efficiency.


    Otherwise, if Lin Shilu were to refine alone, not only would it be very exhausting, but it would also be difficult toplete the forging of twenty Spirit Swords within a month.


    Having sessfully forged the rudimentary shape of the Spirit Sword, Lin Shilu, without taking any rest, continued with the process of inscribing engravings.


    After one and a half hours of inscribing, the final Spirit Sword waspletely finished. Twenty Spirit Swords were neatly suspended in the refining room, each radiating powerful fluctuations.


    Twenty stalks of Qingling Bamboo, with arge addition of various ores, even including three types of Second Order, had been sessfully forged into twenty First Order Top-Qualityplete set Spirit Swords.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu looked utterly exhausted. After over twenty continuous days of refining, his Spiritual Power and mental energy had been greatly spent. Lin Tianming was also very weary, now only wanting a good sleep for a couple of days.


    Lin Shilu arranged for Lin Tianming to rest in the next room. The two of them took their rest, each copsing onto a stone bed and falling into a deep sleep.


    The pair slept for a full two days, and on the morning of the third day, Lin Shilu emerged from his room and sat down to enjoy tea on a cushion in the courtyard.


    In his room, Lin Tianming opened his clear, bright eyes. After sleeping for a full two days, he waspletely rejuvenated, his sharp gaze particrly keen.


    After grooming himself, Lin Tianming stepped out of his room and saw Lin Shilu sitting in the courtyard; he immediately went forward to pay his respects.


    Lin Tianming spoke with earnest sincerity:


    "Nephew Tianming pays his respects to Fifteenth Grandfather, thanking Fifteenth Grandfather for his painstaking efforts and consideration. This humble gift is a token of my deepest gratitude, and I humbly ask Fifteenth Grandfather to kindly ept it."


    Lin Tianming took out the eight hundred Spirit Stones given by his grandfather and two hundred he had gathered himself, totaling one thousand Spirit Stones, along with a bottle of Second Order Lingshen Pills, and respectfully handed them over to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu''splexion was rosy as he calmly said:


    "There''s no need for the Spirit Stones. These Spirit Stones and elixirs are surely the result of your grandfather''s hard work. With the family''s modest foundation, it is difficult for each n member to cultivate. When I was still in the Qi Refinement Realm, I greatly benefited from your grandfather''s support, which allowed me to quickly advance to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage."


    "Concerning the distribution of Foundation Establishment Pills, it was your grandfather who voluntarily withdrew from thepetition. Coupled with the family''s full support, I might have found it difficult to seed in Foundation Establishment. It can be said that your grandfather has made many contributions to the whole family, and to me. Therefore, you may take back the Spirit Stones, but since there''s some Second Order Qingling Bamboo material left, and Second Order Pills are useful for my cultivation, I will ept them without ceremony."


    "If you need any more help, just ask. If it''s within my capabilities, I will not refuse," Lin Shilu said with a seriously earnest expression.


    "Elder, I exchanged for a First Order High-Quality Alchemy Furnace at the Hall of Merit, but its grade has fallen to a First Order Medium-Grade Dan Furnace. Could you please help me repair it?"


    As he spoke, Lin Tianming took out the Four Symbols Furnace and handed it to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu received the Four Symbols Furnace, examining it carefully to ascertain the degree of damage and to see whether it could currently be repaired.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Shilu finally spoke:


    "Leave it to me. Although the grade has fallen, the damage isn''t severe, and it won''t take much material to fix. It won''t take more than three days to upgrade it back to a First Order High-Quality level. With only a few days left in the month, you should go back and refine your set of Spirit Swords. In seven days, we will gather outside the family''s grand array and set off on time to Qianchuan Market."


    "Yes."


    Lin Tianming received the set of Spirit Swords, bowed respectfully, and then left the yard.


    In his own courtyard, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged, taking out all twenty Spirit Swords and suspending them in the air.


    As he grasped one of the Spirit Swords in his hand, its powerful and violent fluctuations caused the surrounding Spiritual Energy to churn chaotically. The Spirit Sword vibrated continuously in his palm, attempting to break free from Lin Tianming''s control.


    An unrefined Spirit Sword whose ownership hadn''t been established couldn''t contain its aura, and it could only be controlled by sessfully refining it.


    "Hmph, having put so much effort and materials into this, it would be a major loss if I didn''t refine you."


    Lin Tianming released a drop of his Lifeblood Essence onto the Spirit Sword, which quickly absorbed into the de and vanished.


    He began to circte his Cultivation Technique, imprinting his Lifeblood Essence and Divine Sense at the core of the Spirit Sword, carefully refining it.


    An hourter, Lin Tianming had refined the first Spirit Sword, which spun continuously around him, glowing a brilliant golden hue.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming and the Spirit Sword were in perfect sync, and the violent Sword Qi fluctuations of the entire de werepletely contained, indistinguishable from an ordinary Spirit Sword when not actively released.


    The Spirit Sword joyfully circled around Lin Tianming. Like a young child, it asionally brushed against his body as if trying to please him.


    After storing the Spirit Sword he had refined and imed as his own, Lin Tianming once again entered a state of refining and cultivation.

 Chapter 34 Preparations Before Departure_1

    Time quietly passed, and three days flitted by in a hurry.


    In his small courtyard, Lin Tianming was tightly clutching a golden spirit sword, currently channeling his energy to refine and im it as his own.


    An hour passed, and Lin Tianming loosened his grip on the spirit sword, which swiftly left the palm of his hand, spinning endlessly around him.


    After five consecutive days of refining, Lin Tianming finally seeded in iming all twenty spirit swords as his own.


    He took out all the spirit swords, and they lined up neatly in front of him. Each one was a first order top-quality spiritual instrument.


    So many spirit swords, and aplete set at that¡ªgiven their power, if put up for auction, it''s feared that even twenty thousand spirit stones might not be enough to buy them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The mere Second Order Qingling Bamboo was worth more than three thousand spirit stones, and adding to that the various types of Second Order Spirit Ore treasured by Lin Shilu, as well as some first order supplementary materials, took them nearly a month to refine sessfully. It would have to sell for at least ten thousand spirit stones at a minimum. Its value almost enough to buy a Minor Foundation Building Pill.


    Clutching one of the spirit swords, Lin Tianming couldn''t bear to put it down; he hadn''t yet given the sword a name. After pondering deeply for a quarter of an hour, he decided to name it the Earth Evil Sword.


    Using the Earth Evil Sword in conjunction with the Earth Fiend Sword Formation made the name particrly fitting.


    Afterpleting the refining and ownership ritual, Lin Tianming couldn''t wait to test its power.


    He put away the twenty Earth Evil Swords and stepped out of the room, riding his sword towards the valley where he had once practiced the Fire Origin Decision.


    A quarter of an hourter, Lin Tianming arrived in the valley.


    Circting his cultivation technique, Lin Tianming tried to activate the Earth Evil Sword.


    An Earth Evil Sword shot up into the sky. Its intense sword qi, almost tangible, whipped the surrounding flowers, grass, and trees into shreds.


    Surprised and delighted by such power, Lin Tianming fully controlled more spirit swords to join in.


    One after another, the Earth Evil Swords joined the unceasing rotation of the sword formation, the aura of the entire formation growing stronger. A strong wind picked up in the whole valley; trees within a thousand zhang were snapped by the wind, with some being uprooted entirely.


    After about ten breaths'' time had passed, Lin Tianming was drenched in sweat, looking like he had reached his limit.


    Within the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, the number of spirit swords had reached fifteen. The formation, made of fifteen first order top-quality Earth Evil Swords, was as impregnable as a fortified wall. Underneath the formation, trees and rocks rapidly vanished into nothingness, unable to withstand the power of the swords and directly sublimating. The sheer might of the formation was terrifying.


    Lin Tianming quickly maneuvered the sword formation to move towards a nearby stone mountain.


    "Annihte."


    In a blink, stones the size of ten-odd zhang turned into dust; a hundred zhang deep hole appeared in the ground, its depths unseen, and the entire mountain shook.


    Lin Tianming retracted the sword formation and ced all the Earth Evil Swords back into his storage bag.


    Exerting his full power, he could only control fifteen spirit swords to form the sword array at once, and could only maintain it for half a quarter of an hour. His Divine Sense and spiritual power werergely spent. If he were to control the sword formation for a long time duringbat, exceeding the burden on his Divine Sense and spiritual power, he feared there might be significant injuries.


    Still, the power of the fifteen spirit swords forming the Earth Evil Sword Formation was indeed terrifying. An ordinary cultivator at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, if trapped, would likely have to pay a heavy price to escape.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help but sigh; powerful methods also demanded powerful control over spiritual power and Divine Sense. It was only logical to have such limitations; otherwise, low-level cultivators with ess to advanced Mystical Techniques could defy the natural order and battle across several realms, which would be too contrary to the heavens.


    Having tested the sword array''s power and with only two days left of the month, Lin Tianming finished his practice. He put all the spirit swords back into his storage bag, transformed into a escaping light, and headed straight for the Family Merits Hall.


    The Qianchuan Market was located more than three thousand li to the north of Green Bamboo Mountain and the journey required passing through the Luoyun Market.


    The Luoyun Market was situated in the central area of the Luoyun Mountain Range. It was a small-scale market co-established by the five Foundation Establishing families of the range, along with over ten Qi Refining families. Foundation Establishment Cultivators were already the strongest in the market, and there was always one stationed there year-round, with ten-year rotations among the five great Foundation Establishing families. For this ten-year period, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family was in residence.


    Whereas the Qianchuan Market was a medium-sized market, well-known throughout the Southern Wei Kingdom, even Core Formation Cultivators had made several appearances there. In the Southern Wei Kingdom, it was one of the foremost markets.


    The journey was long and merely getting on the road required more than ten days. Finding Ye Pinghai would take time too, and even if everything went smoothly, it was likely to take half a year. If not, one to two years were a strong possibility.


    The trip was not a short one. There were plenty of spiritual instruments, talismans, and spiritual medicine. I needed to prepare before leaving.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming headed straight to the Family Merits Hall.


    Inside the Hall of Merit, Lin Tianming stepped in.


    Lin Shixin was exchanging spiritual medicine for family members. Lin Tianming wasn''t in a rush and stood by, waiting his turn.


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming approached to pay his respects:


    "Nephew Tianming pays respect to Uncle Shi."


    Lin Shixin responded with a smile:


    "You young fellow aren''t what you used to be. Youck for nothing, be it spiritual medicine, instruments, or talismans. What more do you need?"


    "Uncle Shi, does the family have any Mystical Vine Flowers?"


    "First Order Superior Grade Mystical Vine Flower?"


    "We have some in stock. Do you want them? Ten low-grade spirit stones per nt. How many would you like?"


    Lin Tianming replied:


    "I would like five Mystical Vine Flowers, two Fire Element Grass, two Golden Flower Grass, and four Shuiyun Grass. Do you have all these?"


    "Yes, all these are First Order Superior Grade spiritual medicine, ten low-grade spirit stones each nt, totaling one hundred and thirty spirit stones."


    Lin Tianming had previously obtained some of the spiritual medicine materials for Xisui Pills. He wanted to supplement them, gather enough for five sets of materials, and prepare to refine them to consume as soon as possible.


    He then inquired about the materials for Pozhang Pills. The family had all the auxiliary ingredients, but not the main medicinal ingredient, the Dragon Origin Fruit. Lin Tianming had to spend one hundred and twenty spirit stones to purchase three sets of auxiliary medicine for the Pozhang Pills. He would try to acquire the Dragon Origin Fruit when he reached Qianchuan Market and refine it into elixirs.


    The resources in Qianchuan Market were far richer than those of Green Bamboo Mountain. Even Third Order spiritual medicine appeared from time to time, so finding the Dragon Origin Fruit should not be difficult.


    Lin Tianming took out his family token and deducted two hundred and fifty merit points, leaving him with less than two thousand.


    After storing away all the spiritual medicine materials, Lin Tianming did not linger and, after bidding farewell to Lin Shixin, left.


    Entering his family''s courtyard, Lin Tianming stepped inside.


    Lin Tianyue was sitting cross-legged in the courtyard. When she saw Lin Tianming, she immediately stood up and rushed into his embrace.


    Lin Tianming affectionately patted his sister''s hair and asked if their mother was at home.


    Lin Tianyue said:


    "Mother has been in seclusion recently. She didn''t focus on cultivation for the past few years and left most of the spirit stones and some elixirs from grandfather for us, siblings. She relied solely on breathing exercises and only advanced from the Sixth Level of Qi Refining to the Seventh Level five years ago. Now that brother has given her more than ten Lingshen Pills, she naturally went into seclusion to improve her cultivation level."


    "Father left the family estate ten days ago; you were refining artifacts and he couldn''t wait. So, he went directly to Luoyun Market. Grandfather and Mother surely know that you will be leaving the family soon, and they will probably return in the next day or two to spend some time together."


    At that time, Lin Tianyue was still at the Third Level of Qi Cultivation, but her aura was notably more full-bodied and robust¡ªit seemed she hadn''t been cking in the past half-month.


    The siblings sat cross-legged in the courtyard, and Lin Tianming did his best to guide his sister''s cultivation while waiting for their grandfather and mother to emerge from seclusion.

 Chapter 35 Grandfathers Entrustment_1

    ```


    At dusk, the waning rays of the setting sun bathed their small courtyard in a warm glow.


    Brother and sister, Lin Tianming and Lin Tianyue, were sitting at the stone table. After guiding his sister through her daily cultivation, Lin Tianyue persisted in coaxing Lin Tianming, insisting that her brother tell her about the events that had taken ce while he was safeguarding Qingfeng Town.


    Worn down by her nagging, Lin Tianming began recounting his story, starting with the moment he left the family residence.


    Lin Tianming spoke non-stop, his talesting a quarter of an hour, spanning from the patrol mission to the forced counterattack, to the killing of the man in the red robe in a duel of magic.


    Upon hearing this part, Lin Tianyue''s rosy and handsome face quickly turned pale, as if she herself had been in the midst of the ordeal.


    Lin Tianming continued with his ount, and Lin Tianyue listened intently, covering the battles with the Striped Crocodile, the sneaky harvesting of Earth Spirit Ganoderma, the inadvertent trespass into the Spirit-Connecting Python''s territory, and the embarrassing escape.


    Lin Tianming concealed the matter of the Cultivation Technique, which was of great consequence; the fewer who knew, the better. But he shared unreservedly the dramatic events of battling and fleeing for his life.


    Since she had started her cultivation and had be a cultivator, it was only natural to rify the realities of the Cultivation World and let his sister understand the true nature of it so that she could adapt more quickly in the future.


    In this moment, Lin Tianyue''s heart was greatly affected. Having grown up with exceptional living conditions, carefree cultivation within the family residence, a grandfather who was an alchemist, parents who were cultivators, and a brother with extraordinary talent, she had never faced any danger from her childhood until now.


    The experiences her brother spoke of revealed that the Cultivation World was indeed filled with crises and opportunities. Thew of the survival of the fittest was exemplified most vividly and cruelly.


    Unknowingly, the brother and sister had been talking for half an hour; the sun had set, and darkness was gradually descending.


    Ren Yuxuan, who had been in closed-door cultivation for a fortnight, opened her beautiful eyes, and a trace of joy crossed her delicate, moist face.


    Finally, she had reached the Qi Refining Eighth Level. For the past five years, she had rarely consumed elixirs, devoting her time to guiding and taking care of Lin Tianming and his sister. She hadn''t had the chance to focus solely on her cultivation in seclusion. Relying on a substantial amount of elixirs, building up her energy and releasing it in controlled amounts, she had naturally progressed and sessfully reached the Qi Refining Eighth Level, her overall aura significantly more robust than before.


    With only one day left before Lin Tianming had to leave the family, it was natural for Ren Yuxuan to emerge from seclusion to see her son off.


    Ren Yuxuan stood up, left the secret chamber, walked down the long corridor, and appeared in the courtyard.


    Upon seeing their mothere out of seclusion, Lin Tianming and his sister immediately stepped forward to greet her.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Tianming greets Mother. Congrattions on sessfully advancing to the Qi Refining Eighth Level!"


    Lin Tianming''s Divine Sense made it impossible for his sister to notice the advancement, but not him. His Divine Sense might even be stronger than his mother''s at the Qi Refining Eighth Level. Moreover, since Ren Yuxuan did not conceal her cultivation, her advancement was easily detected.


    Lin Tianyue, upon hearing of her mother''s sessful advancement, was also overjoyed. She grabbed her mother''s arm and shook it ceaselessly, disying the demeanor of a doting daughter.


    "Alright, I will go cook a feast. We''ll sit down together for a good meal tonight. Tianming, send a message to your grandfather, asking him toe back for dinner."


    "Yes, I will send the message to Grandfather right away."


    Just as Lin Tianming was about to send the message, Grandfather Lin Shigong walked in through the door, crossing the threshold into the small courtyard, and sat down at the stone table nearby.


    ```


    Lin Tianming and hispanion hurriedly performed a salute!


    Lin Shigong had them sit down before speaking:


    "Tianming, the day after tomorrow, early in the morning, you will set out on your journey. The road is long and far from the influence of our family. Qianchuan Market is a ce where masters gather, including Core Formation Stage seniors. You must be cautious in everything you do when outside and must not act recklessly. Consult your Fifteenth Grandfather on all matters. He has often traveled outside these past years, and his Divine Skills are not weak. You must obey his orders and remember not to draw unnecessary trouble to our family."


    Lin Tianming replied earnestly:


    "Grandfather, rest assured, I will surely follow behind Fifteenth Grandfather and will not take risks lightly, nor will I carelessly cause trouble."


    Lin Shigong was very satisfied. After a year of guarding Qingfeng Town, his grandson had matured a lot. He had fought life-and-death battles with cultivators and Demonic Beasts. Although it was unknown which Cultivation Technique he was practicing, his Divine Skills were surely remarkable. Coupled with his extraordinary fortune, he was already fit to survive on his own in the Cultivation World.


    After a year of experience, Lin Tianming was wise and resourceful, with plenty ofbat experience and substantial knowledge. He also had arge number of Spiritual Artifacts and talisman paper for fighting against enemies. With significant Divine Skills and a heart dedicated to the path of cultivation, if we protect him everywhere and are too protective, he may find it difficult to travel far.


    Lin Tianming sat respectfully on the side, listening to his grandfather Lin Shigong''smands.


    "Ye Pinghai is an old acquaintance of mine, who values friendship and righteousness. Although it has been more than ten years since west met, every time the family sends someone to Qianchuan Market, they visit him, and he has helped us refine Second Order Pills many times."


    "When this man was still in the Qi Refinement Realm, I helped him, and he owed us a favor. However, over the years, with the many times he has helped us refine pills, the favor he owed us has long been repaid."


    "Although he is a Loose Cultivator, his talent is extremely high. He has already entered thete stage of Foundation Establishment, and he has a considerable chance of entering the Golden Core Stage. He is also a Second Order Alchemist. When you visit him, you must not offend him. If you can get him to personally guide you for a while, the gains will not be small."


    Lin Tianming firmly responded, repeatedly assuring his grandfather to be at ease, which finally put Lin Shigong''s mind at rest.


    Lin Tianming was also very eager to see Qianchuan Market, to witness the famous market in the southern Wei Kingdom and to encounter various strong figures there.


    The grandfather and grandchildren sat in the courtyard discussing for half an hour, and Ren Yuxuan had prepared avish meal. Aside from Lin Xingrong who was in Luoyun Market, the four sat together to have dinner.


    After a meal and plenty of drinks, Lin Tianming and the others each returned to their rooms, and Grandfather went back to the Alchemy Hall for cultivation.


    Sitting on the stone bed in his room, Lin Tianming carefully went through the items in his storage bag to avoid mistakenly estimating his own resources and strength.


    At this time, Lin Tianming still had over twenty Lingshen Pills, several Huiyuan Pills, Huadu Pills, and Consolidating Essence Pills each, which meant he basically wouldn''t becking consumption-type pills for a while.


    He had materials for fifty Spirit Essence Pills, twenty-five portions each of Strong Spirit Pills, Body Strengthening Pills, along with assistance elixirs for cultivating the Tiangang Body Art. However, as he was not yet able to refine them on his own, it was essential to refine some of these pills during his trip to Qianchuan Market to aid in cultivation. Otherwise, as his cultivation rose, enduring the pain purely on his own would be nearly impossible for long. Refining pills had be a must on his agenda.


    His means for dealing with enemies were also strong. His own Cultivation Technique was not inferior, andbined with the Sword Array, plus ten First Order Superior Grade talisman papers and three First Order Superior Grade Defensive Spiritual Tools, ordinary cultivators at the Qi Refining Eighth Level were not his match, and he even had a fair chance of victory against those at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.


    Lin Tianming packed each resource neatly into the storage bag, cing different types of Spiritual Medicine and talisman paper in separate locations in an orderly fashion.


    At this point, the night was deep, and Lin Tianming did not continue his cultivation; instead, he rxed,y down on the stone bed, and fell straight to sleep.

 Chapter 36 Setting Out_1

    Early in the morning, a red sun slowly rose along the horizon.


    At this time, Green Bamboo Mountain was especially tranquil, with the majority of the n members who were not in secluded cultivation still asleep.


    Lin Tianming sat on the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, appearing outside the Protective n Formation.


    It was silent all around, utterly quiet.


    It was still early, and there was half a quarter of an hour until the arranged time, Lin Shilu had not yet appeared, so Lin Tianming sat down on a green stone nearby to wait.


    Before half a quarter of an hour had passed, a sound of tearing through the air came along, a ripple appeared in the n''s great formation, and a streak of white light escaped, stopping in front of Lin Tianming. It was Lin Shilu, who had arrived.


    Lin Tianming immediately stepped forward to greet him.


    Lin Shilu nodded, then threw out a pill furnace, which was the Four Symbols Furnace that Lin Tianming had asked Lin Shilu to help repair.


    By this time, after several days of Lin Shilu''s repairs, with the addition of some Spirit Ore and Spiritual Objects, and the restoration of its inscriptions, the grade of the Four Symbols Furnace had sessfully returned to First Order Superior Grade. The fine cracks on its surface had long since disappeared, and the entire furnace was a fiery red color with a delicate gloss, obviously theplete appearance of a pill furnace.


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed, as the sessful repair of the Four Symbols Furnace meant that his chances of sessfully refining First Order Superior Grade elixirs were greatly increased.


    In his happiness, Lin Tianming sincerely expressed his gratitude:


    "Nephew thanks Fifteenth Grandfather for his help. I am deeply grateful. If there is hope for me to be a Second Order Alchemist one day, I will repay Fifteenth Grandfather for his generous assistance!"


    "Alright, we''re all family, no need for such formalities. It''s gettingte, the journey is long, so you better set off quickly!"


    Lin Tianming readily agreed and took the initiative to say:


    "My Purple Gold Eagle is quite fast, so we can hurry to our destination and save a lot of time and effort. However, once we reach Qianchuan Market, we''ll have to leave it outside if we don''t have a Spirit Beast Bag, which could be a minor inconvenience."


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu took out a dark green Spirit Beast Bag and tossed it to Lin Tianming.


    As a Second Order Artifact Refiner, a Spirit Beast Bag was several times more precious than a storage bag, but it was not considered a rare item. He had an extra one, so he decided to give it to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming received the Spirit Beast Bag with delight on his face.


    With the Spirit Beast Bag, there was no need to leave the Purple Gold Eagle outside the market. This was much safer, as if a Foundation Establishment Cultivator stumbled upon it, with the Purple Gold Eagle''s notable bloodline, it might be captured to be used as a Spirit Beast, inviting a lot of trouble.


    With the Spirit Beast Bag, there was no need to worry about that.


    Lin Shilu took out a Beast Skin map and confirmed the direction with Lin Tianming, discussing the route as well.


    "This trip to Qianchuan Market carries the expectations of the Elders'' Council members. With limited time, we must reach Qianchuan Market as soon as possible, find Ye Pinghai, and refine the Minor Foundation Building Pill to safely bring it back to the n."


    "We must be cautious and careful, not allowing other cultivation families to detect us. Otherwise, they may interfere or even attempt to kill and seize treasures. This is entirely possible. Therefore, for this trip, we must disguise ourselves, avoiding other families'' territories as much as possible, and remember not to reveal our true purpose."


    In half a quarter of an hour, the two of them had discussed and agreed on the route. If they went straight, they would need to pass through Luoyun Market and the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family''s family residence.


    Luoyun Market was perennially guarded by Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and the Jin Family had always been at odds with the Lin Family, provoking them multiple times and injuring several nsmen.


    s, with the Jin Family''s strong power, the Lin Family could only swallow their grievances and remember the enmity in their hearts, waiting for the right conditions and the right time to seek justice.


    After discussion, they decided to bypass Luoyun Market and the other families'' territories, willing to spend several times more time to ensure safety.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    For nearly a hundred years, the Lin Family had struggled to survive among the five major families. The Minor Foundation Building Pill was too important, a spiritual object that could boost the family''s strength in a short time, hence it required utmost caution and prioritizing safety.


    Having made up their minds, Lin Shilu took out two ck conical hats, which turned out to be First Order Medium Grade spiritual artifacts. They could alter appearance, change voice, and conceal one''s aura.


    Even for those at Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, it would be quite difficult to discern their true faces. However, for Nascent Soul Masters with powerful divine sense, a careful investigation could still easily reveal them.


    The two of them then used a Disguise Technique. Lin Shilu transformed into an old man, with a face full of wrinkles, whitening hair, and an elderly voice, appearing to be at an advanced age.


    Lin Tianming transformed into a middle-aged man, his face covered with a rough beard, a spitting image of a rugged hearty fellow.


    The two of them sat on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, instructing it to fly thousands of feet high into the air and speed towards the north.


    Lin Shilu sat calmly on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, appearing as if he were closing his eyes to rest; in reality, he had extended his Divine Sense in all directions, probing the surroundings for several dozen miles.


    Along the way, they encountered some Qi Refining Stage Cultivators; upon being detected, they released a hint of Foundation Establishment Stage aura. Startled Qi Refining Cultivators would no longer bother them, immediately leaving them be.


    The two traveled at full speed during the day and rested at night; their journey was quite smooth.


    Time hurried by, and twenty days passed in the blink of an eye.


    Lin Tianming and hispanion proceeded cautiously, avoidingrge mountain ranges and territories of families with Foundation Establishment Cultivators. When they did encounter Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they intentionally steered clear to avoid unnecessary troubles.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, is that Maple Forest Mountain Range up ahead?"


    Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming held a map in his hands, carefully determining his location based on the terrain''s features.


    "Hmm, the mountains covered with maple forests stretching for a hundred miles, it is undoubtedly Maple Forest Mountain Range!"


    Lin Shilu confirmed Lin Tianming''s question, then continued,


    "This ce isn''t far from Qianchuan Market, just less than five hundred miles away. It''s gettingte, and this area is on the outskirts of Qianchuan Market, rtively safe. Let''s rest here for the night and set out again tomorrow."


    "Yes!"


    Lin Tianming agreed enthusiastically, then instructed the Purple Gold Eagle to descend into a valley.


    Afternding, Lin Tianming surveyed the valley, seeing the sky full of red leaves that painted the valley a crimson hue, a scenery most picturesque.


    Lin Tianming waved a Spirit Sword, swiftly carving out a simple cave abode halfway up the mountainside, casting two Illusion Techniques to conceal the entrance before both retreated into the cave to rest.


    The next day, as dawn broke, they resumed their journey towards Qianchuan Market.


    After traveling tirelessly for the better part of the day, Lin Tianming and hispanion finally arrived on the outskirts of Qianchuan Market.


    Landing several miles away from the market''s city gates on a small hill, they stowed the Purple Gold Eagle in the Spirit Beast Bag and took out their Flying Swords, flying toward Qianchuan Market.


    Approaching within several miles of the city gates, they could see with the naked eye a gigantic city sprawling on the horizon, its walls a hundred feet high, gleaming silver-white, and spanning at least dozens of miles. The city, built against a mountain thousands of feet tall, was majestically impressive.


    A brilliant golden light shield enveloped the entire city from east to west, north to south, clearly the work of a great array.


    Lin Shilu looked on calmly, while Lin Tianming, witnessing such a grand city for the first time, with city gates towering over ten feet high, was dumbfounded and utterly astonished.


    Such a grand city, with its Formation likely a Fourth Order Great Array, could even withstand attacks from Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators for a while. It certainly was iparable to Luoyun Market.


    Having been to this ce a few times before, Lin Shilu wasn''t as shocked as Lin Tianming, though he had had a more intense reaction than Lin Tianming upon his first visit to Qianchuan Market.


    Lin Shilu calmly reminded,


    "All right, let''s go and enter the city quickly."


    "Yes!"


    In less than half an hour, they were near the city gates, both descending to the ground, where a line was forming to enter the city¡ªdozens of people.


    Most of them were Qi Refining Cultivators, generally from the mid tote stages, with more than a dozen Foundation Establishment Cultivators present.


    The two followed closely, preparing to enter the city.

 Chapter 37 Qianchuan Market_1

    At the entrance of Qianchuan Market, ten cultivators were collecting the entrance fee, among them a Foundation Establishment cultivator was leading the team.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    One of the cultivators shouted loudly,


    "To enter the market, each person must pay five spirit stones to enter, remember that fighting within the market is prohibited. Vitors will be subject to on-the-spot execution by the Law Enforcement Team."


    Lin Tianming wore a bitter expression on his face; five spirit stones per person was indeed not cheap.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help but sigh, many low-order loose cultivators would need half a year to save up five low-grade spirit stones, just to pay the entrance fee. Considering the flow of people here, he wondered how many spirit stones they would collect in a day, easily in the tens of thousands. The daily entrance fee was almost the same as the Lin Family''s annual ie.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, do you know if Core Formation cultivators have to pay the entrance fee?"


    Lin Shilu, with a face full of disdain, answered,


    "Of course, Core Formation cultivators don''t have to pay. At that level, they are esteemed figures, not only in Wei Kingdom but also in Qingzhou, revered as a powerful presence wherever they go. As far as I know, there are always several Core Formation cultivators present in Qianchuan Market all year round, including both loose cultivators and members from great sect families."


    Having said that, he didn''t care about Lin Tianming''s reaction.


    Lin Shilu paid ten low-grade spirit stones, and after the scrutinizing cultivator let them through, the two of them were able to enter the city.


    Once inside the city, they were on a wide road paved with bluestone, which was very broad. On both sides of the road, there were building after building, all different kinds of shops.


    The entire market was divided into four zones: east, south, west, and north. The entrance area was located in the West District, which was full ofrge shops opened by variousmerce alliances, offering a wide variety, from elixirs to magic artifacts, and talisman papers to formations.


    "Elixir Pavilion," "Hundred Treasures Hall," "Sundry Goods Shop," "Tavern," "Inn"¡ª such a dazzling array of establishments. Lin Tianming was very eager to go in and broaden his horizons, but the time was not right yet.


    Moving further in, they reached the East District of the entire market.


    Here stood a colossal building, towering dozens of feet high, the tallest in the whole market, covering a hundred acres; it was the core institution of the market, consisting of the auction house and Market City Hall.


    Nearby, dozens of courtyards served as the residences of the market''s administrators and high-order cultivators. It was presumed that Core Formation cultivators lived here.


    The North District was the residential area for cultivators, with thousands of neat courtyards arrayed in order, all developed by the market as dwellings, avable for short-term or long-term stays, and quite expensive. Many cultivators preferring short stays chose to rent inns as the more economical option.


    The South District was a vast square where cultivators could freely trade. Every cultivator who entered the city could rent a space spanning several square meters as a stall to sell their goods.


    In the entire market, the Law Enforcement Team often patrolled, ensuring excellent public order. Hardly any cultivator dared to fight within the market. As for the grudges between cultivators, they were beyond the market''s control once outside its bounds.


    One could say that the market provided a stable and prosperous sanctuary for the loose cultivators of the Cultivation World, where their cultivation efforts could be redoubled.


    In the Cultivation World, markets could bring vast wealth, and each one was backed by sect families, without which it would be difficult to achieve such a scale.


    And Qianchuan Market was established under the leadership of one of the Three Great Sects of Wei Kingdom, the Zhenyang Sect, bringing in a hefty sum of spirit stones to the sect every year.


    The Zhenyang Sect was one of the three great sects in Wei Kingdom, with multiple Core Formation cultivators to its name, over a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, and more than a thousand disciples, making it the leading power in the Southern Wei Kingdom.


    In thend of the Qingzhou Wei Kingdom, aside from the Zhenyang Sect, there are also two major sects, the "Myriad Medicine Valley" and the "Golden Sword Sect," as well as two major families, the Yingchuan Chen Family and the West River Li Family, each with a varying number of Core Formation Cultivators stationed there.


    Listening to Lin Shilu''s introduction, the two of them walked along the bustling streets, weaving through the morous West City.


    Lin Tianming felt his head spin as he passed by the various shops, with the shop boys shouting out front, much like the cities of the Secr World, except this city was entirely dominated by cultivators.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming and hispanion made their way through the lively West City and arrived outside the great hall for renting cave dwellings.


    After discussing, they hadn''t settled on the duration of their visit, which might be as short as three months or as long as a year; both decided that renting a small cave dwelling would be more cost-effective and safer.


    The two entered the great hall, where a huge divine map disyed thousands of red dots representing upied cave dwellings and hundreds of green dots for those avable for selection.


    Inside the hall, more than ten cultivators bustled about selecting cave dwellings, including several at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Lin Tianming and hispanion approached the reception desk, and immediately a sixth-level Qi Refining Cultivator promptly greeted them.


    "Wee, seniors, to select a cave dwelling. Please examine the map above and instruct the junior if you find one suitable. This junior will introduce them to you," the attendant said.


    Lin Shilu nodded thoughtfully while studying therge screen.


    The receptionist began to effusively introduce the options.


    "The dots on the map above are divided into two major areas, inner and outer. Near the inner city area are the First Order cave dwellings with ten acres of space, and the inner ones are Second Order dwellings with thirty acres. The price for a First Order dwelling is five low-grade Spirit Stones per month, while a Second Order dwelling costs twenty low-grade Spirit Stones per month. The minimum rental period is one month. Which kind of dwelling would you like to choose?" he asked.


    Lin Shilu pointed to one of the Second Order cave dwellings, took out one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, and handed them to the receptionist Qi Refining Cultivator.


    Upon receiving the Spirit Stones, the receptionist quickly scanned them with his Divine Sense and then handed Lin Shilu a turquoise token, saying,


    "Senior, please keep the token safe. You can proceed directly to the cave dwelling, as the token will automatically sense its specific location. When you disy the token, it will unlock the various formations of the dwelling. If your rental period ends and you wish to extend, you cane to the hall toplete the procedures. If there''s anything else you need, please feel free to instruct this junior."


    Lin Shilu took the token, and he and Lin Tianming walked out of the great hall, heading towards the location of their cave dwelling.


    Along the way, Lin Shilu held the token, navigating through dozens of alleys, sensing the location of the dwelling.


    Within less than half an hour, the two stopped in front of a small courtyard located deep within the North District, a very quiet ce. Lin Shilu disyed the token and cast a Law Decree, walking in first with Lin Tianming immediately following.


    Upon entering the courtyard, they saw a yard of several zhang,plete with stone tables and chairs, artificial mountains, and a pond, fully equipped with guest rooms on either side, rooms for training, secret chambers for alchemy and refining, and even Earth Fire. Theyout was quite refined, amodating several cultivators without issue.


    Feeling the Spiritual Energy of this ce, which was in no way inferior to Green Bamboo Mountain and considering the one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones for half a year''s tenancy, it was hardly a surprise.


    By now, twilight had fallen, and after more than twenty days of travel, both decided to rest first and visit Ye Pinghai the next day, as a show of respect.


    They each picked a guest room and settled in. Weary from over twenty days of outdoor hardship, Lin Tianming was too exhausted to practice cultivation, so he immediately fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 38 Dragon Origin Grass_1

    The next day, after a night of rest, Lin Tianming and hispanion felt their fatigue of over twenty days vanish as they sat in the small courtyard, sipping tea and chatting leisurely.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, did you keep a way to contact Senior Ye? Otherwise, in such a vast market, how could we possibly find a Foundation Establishment Cultivator? It''s almost like looking for a needle in a haystack."


    Lin Shilu picked up a teacup from the stone table, took a sip, and calmly said:


    "I''ve been to Qianchuan Market a few times and have even met Daoist Ye once. I kept a way to contact him. Let me send a message now; I believe he will reply once he receives it, so don''t worry."


    Lin Shilu formed a hand gesture and sent a message. In less than a moment, a sh of spiritual light soared into the void and disappeared.


    Half an hour passed, and Lin Shilu had yet to receive any reply. Lin Tianming and he were both quite helpless.


    The Lin Family had taken significant risks on this journey, living through difficult times and threatened by rival families'' ambitions to swallow them up. They had luckilye across this opportunity to quickly increase their strength and had rushed to Qianchuan Market, but they could not afford to waste much time here.


    As Lin Shilu grew anxious, heforted Lin Tianming.


    "Daoist Ye, as a Loose Cultivator, has been cultivating in Qianchuan Market for a long time. It''s hard to say how long a cultivator might spend in seclusion for alchemy, so it may not be easy to meet him. Although we are pressed for time, we mustn''t act in haste and lose our footing."


    Lin Tianming showed a helpless expression, knowing that being anxious wasn''t a solution, and they could only continue to wait.


    Time ticked away in this tense atmosphere, and soon half a day had psed.


    Suddenly, a sh of spiritual light flew into the courtyard, hovering in front of Lin Shilu. He projected his divine sense into it, and a voice echoed in his ear.


    "It is a joy to have friendse from afar. This evening, at the West District''s Wee Pavilion, Lin is cordially invited to a banquet. Please be sure toe."


    Having heard everything, the spiritual light dissolved on the spot, turning into specks of light that vanished.


    Any trace of anxiety in Lin Shilu vanishedpletely.


    Lin Tianming, full of concern, asked, "Is that a reply from Senior Ye?"


    "Oh, yes, it''s a reply from Daoist Ye. He invites us to the Wee Pavilion in the West District this evening for a banquet."


    Hearing that, Lin Tianming finally breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Senior Ye was not in a prolonged retreat; otherwise, they would have no idea how long they might have to wait to meet him.


    With half a day left before the appointed time, Lin Tianming was not inclined to cultivate; instead, he said to Lin Shilu:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, there''s still plenty of time. I would like to wander around the marketce to experience this ce''s prosperity. Please allow me!"


    Lin Shilu pondered for a moment. Since fighting was prohibited in the market, and as long as they stayed within, it would be rtively safe. Thinking it was natural for him to see the world since he brought him along, Lin Shilu gave his consent.


    "Remember toe back before evening, don''t stir up trouble, and don''t leave Qianchuan Market on your own. If there''s an emergency, contact me immediately. Go ahead!"


    Lin Tianming readily agreed, then withdrew from the courtyard and headed towards the West District.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming appeared in the bustling West District, where row upon row of shops left him overwhelmed and at a loss for what to do, clearly spoilt for choice.


    Recalling the spiritual medicine materials needed for concocting Pozhang Pills, Lin Tianming realized he was stillcking a key ingredient, the Dragon Origin Grass. Though the Dragon Origin Grass was a First Order Superior Grade spirit grass, its preciousness surpassed most Second Order Spiritual Medicines.


    The Dragon Origin Grass required a very special environment to grow, needing a ce where the blood of a Third Order Flood Dragon had been spilled in order to have a chance of sprouting. Third Order Flood Dragons were on par with Core Formation Cultivators; their blood was exceedingly precious and naturally not easy toe by.


    As he walked, a store named Thousand Herbs Pavilion caught his attention. Its massive signboard exuded grandeur. As its name suggested, it was likely a store specializing in selling Spiritual and Elixir Pills. With a glimmer of hope, Lin Tianming entered to see if he could purchase the needed herb.


    Upon entering the Thousand Herbs Pavilion, Lin Tianming was immediately greeted by an attendant at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, who was very enthusiastic and said with a smile,


    "Daoist friend, please take a seat. My surname is Qin, and I''m responsible for receiving visitors to our store. Whatever spirit herbs or elixirs you need, or if you wish to sell some spiritual medicine materials, please feel free to speak up. I''m not boasting, but our store has virtually everything that a Qi Refining Stage Cultivator might need."


    Lin Tianming looked disdainful, wondering if they even had Foundation Establishment Pills.


    "Oh? Do you have Dragon Origin Grass by any chance?"


    The expression of the cultivator surnamed Qin changed subtly at the mention of Dragon Origin Grass, which was not cheap. The whole store had only a few Dragon Origin Grass nts, and he surmised the visitor must be an alchemist wanting to concoct elixirs or needing it for an elder in his family. The attendant gathered his thoughts and responded calmly,


    "We do, but the price is sizeable¡ªeighty Low-Grade Spirit Stones per nt. How many would you like?"


    Lin Tianming was immediately delighted. He hadn''t been able to find a single Dragon Origin Grass in the Lin Family''s storeroom, and to think he could easily find it in Qianchuan Market, despite the steep price, was no small feat.


    "I would like three nts of Dragon Origin Grass. Could you possibly offer a lower price?" Although his storage bag still contained over a thousand spirit stones, a significant sum indeed, Lin Tianming put on an embarrassed face, hoping to haggle.


    The cultivator surnamed Qin pondered for a moment, considering that this cultivator was buying three nts of Dragon Origin Grass in one go and must be at least a First-Order Medium Grade Alchemist. Anticipating future purchases of spiritual medicine, he decided to initiate a friendship. Alchemists were highly sought after in the Cultivation World, and he might need the cultivator''s help in the future. It was worth fostering a good rtionship for potential benefits.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Daoist friend, I can give you the lowest price of seventy-five spirit stones per nt. If you wille back to purchase more spiritual medicine in the future, please look after our business, and I will make sure to offer you the best price avable."


    Lin Tianming regarded the sincere demeanor of the Qin surnamed cultivator and didn''t suspect any deceit. Saving fifteen spirit stones on the three nts wasn''t a small sum, so he dly agreed.


    The attendant poured a cup of tea for Lin Tianming and then went into the storeroom to get the Dragon Origin Grass for him.


    Lin Tianming sat in the guest chair at the side, sipping his tea while waiting patiently.


    After a short while, the cultivator surnamed Qin returned to the hall, holding three jade boxes, which he handed to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming carefully examined them. The entire spirit herb was a vivid red, resembling fresh blood, with three palm-sized leaves at the top of the stalk. The aroma was rich; there was no doubt it was the hundred-year-old Dragon Origin Grass.


    Once he confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the Dragon Origin Grass, Lin Tianming decisively took out two hundred twenty-five spirit stones and handed them to the cultivator surnamed Qin.


    After a quick sweep of his Divine Sense over the spirit stones, Qin surnamed cultivator epted them and prompted Lin Tianming to continue enjoying his tea, keen on bing closer.


    While drinking the tea, Lin Tianming inquired about the market, exchanged a few pleasantries, and promised to take care of his business in the future. Then, Lin Tianming left the Thousand Herbs Pavilion.


    Since it was still early, Lin Tianming strolled around the West District, browsing through a variety of stores, looking at all the dazzling treasures. He saw so much that it nearly made his head spin, but he didn''t purchase anything, content with just broadening his horizons.


    Time ticked away, and the sun was about to set. Recalling Lin Shilu''s instructions, Lin Tianming left the West District to head toward the rented cave dwelling, preparing to meet up and go to the Weing Guests Tower to visit Ye Pinghai.

 Chapter 39 Ye Pinghai _1

    Arriving back at the courtyard, with half an hour to go until the appointed time, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu sat down to drink tea and pass the time.


    "Kid, did you find anything good while you were out?"


    "Reporting to Fifteenth Grandfather, I had a substantial haul. I purchased several spiritual medicine materials that our Family Merits Hall doesn''t have. They are for alchemy. Today was quite the eye-opener; there are indeed countless treasures in the market. It simply cannotpare to Luoyun Market. Indeed, it is a paradise for cultivators. Once our n grows stronger, we must expand our business here. If managed well, the gains would undoubtedly be substantial."


    "That is true. The foundation of our family is too shallow. For nearly a century, our situation has been increasingly difficult. Even within the Luoyun Mountain Range, we''re struggling to survive between the cracks. Who doesn''t want to expand the family business? Ye Pinghai is a Second Order Alchemist and is quite young, about the same age as this old man, and has already reached thete stage of Foundation Establishment. A Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist, his talent is not low, and he has a fair chance of reaching the Core Formation Stage. When you meet him, you must show respect and not offend him. Remember, you are the hope for our family''s rise. Remember to focus on your cultivation, and reach Foundation Establishment early to relieve some of the family''s pressure."


    Lin Tianming agreed, and the two of them began to chat leisurely.


    "It''s gettingte; it''s almost time for our appointment. Let''s head out."


    "Yes!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lin Shilu stood up from the courtyard, and Lin Tianming followed behind him as they headed towards the West District of the market.


    In less than fifteen minutes, they had passed through numerous cultivator dwellings and arrived on a broad road in the West District.


    In view, at a prominent location, stood a magnificent pavilion with the glorious gold and jade. The huge que was mboyantly inscribed with threerge characters: Wee Pavilion, exuding an extraordinary aura.


    The two men, one in front of the other, stepped into the Wee Pavilion. Inside, a vast number of cultivators were dining on the first floor, most of them in the Qi Refining Stage, chatting in groups of threes and twos, and the noisy sound was ceaseless to the ears.


    Upon seeing the two enter the main hall, a servant at the Fourth Level of Qi Practice hurried over to greet them with great respect and asked,


    ''Esteemed guests, pleasee inside. Are you here for an appointment, or would you like a table for yourselves?''


    ''For an appointment. We''re specially invited by Daoist Ye of Ye Pinghai. Where is Daoist Ye at the moment? Has he arrived?''


    Hearing this, the servant showed even more respect and couldn''t help feeling envious.


    Ye Pinghai''s name resounded throughout Qianchuan Market; not only was he at thete stage of Foundation Establishment, but he was also a Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist. Aside from Core Formation Stage experts, Ye Pinghai was one of the few Second Order Alchemists, with an extremely esteemed status. There were countless cultivators seeking his help, and the fact that these two were invited to dine with him suggested that they were no ordinary individuals.


    ''Elder, please follow me. Daoist Ye has already arrived and is waiting in a private room on the second floor.''


    Following the attendant, Lin Tianming and hispanion ascended to the second floor. Compared to the bustling noise on the first floor, the second floor was much quieter. Each room was a separate private space, and as Lin Tianming observed the rich and splendid decorations in the corridor, he mused that meal here must cost quite a lot.


    After a little more than ten breaths, they passed through several corridors and the party of three stopped at the entrance to a private room deep inside the second floor.


    The cultivator in charge of reception said respectfully,


    ''Elder Ye is already waiting inside, you can go directly in, your humble servant will wait outside, and should you have any instructions, feel free to summon me at any time,''


    Lin Shilu nodded with satisfaction and tossed three Spirit Stones to the receptionist. The receptionist caught the Spirit Stones with a face full of surprise and thanked him respectfully; three Spirit Stones were a considerable amount for a First Order Rogue Cultivator like him, who, with poor natural talent, had a great need for cultivation resources. This necessity forced him to work as a receptionist at the Wee Pavilion, toiling to earn Spirit Stones. Reliant on his sry and tips, he could earn around a dozen Spirit Stones each month, enough to buy a Lingshen Pill to aid in his Qi Cultivation, which had only reached the Fourth Level Qi Practice ¡ª a feat not easily aplished.


    Lin Shilu paid no more attention to the receptionist and entered the private room with Lin Tianming, leaving the excited receptionist standing outside.


    Upon entering the private room, they saw a middle-aged cultivator in blue robes sitting at the round table, with sharp brows and piercing eyes, very heroic-looking ¡ª it was Ye Pinghai. On the round table were over a dozen jade containers filled with food that looked delicious. The entire room was overflowing with enticing aromas.


    Seeing Lin Shilu and others enter the private room, Ye Haiping stood up to wee them, acting very courteously andpletely without pretense.


    ''It brings me great joy to have an old friend visit. Please take a seat quickly. The fine food of this establishment is quite delicious. Daoist Lin, make sure to eat plenty as we talk over the meal.''


    Lin Shilu revealed a hint of a smile, replying very sincerely,


    ''It''s an unexpected honor to disturb you, please forgive me, Daoist Ye. Today''s rare meeting will certainly call for a toastter on, as a token of my respect.''


    ''This is my family''s Lin Shigong''s grandson, Lin Tianming, also a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, here specifically to meet Daoist Ye at Luoyun Market.''


    ''Tianming, don''t hesitate to greet Elder Ye.''


    Lin Tianming bowed with his fists sped and said, ''I often hear my grandfather speak of Elder Ye, and hold you in high regard. Today, I finally have the chance to meet you in person. Junior Tianming greets Elder Ye.'' Throughout the process, he behaved neither submissively nor arrogantly, butposed and calm.


    ''Hm, I have not seen Brother Shi Gong for many years and it''s truly regrettable. His grandson truly carries an extraordinary bearing, most impressive. Please take your seat.''


    Pleased with Lin Tianming''s demeanor, Ye Haiping took out two bottles of first-order Lingshen Pills from his storage bag and presented them to Lin Tianming as a greeting gift. After that, he happily invited the two to sit down. Having filled the cups with wine, he cast a restrictive spell to prevent eavesdropping.


    ''Brother Lin, it''s been many years since we''ve met. Today we must have a good exchange of insights. Tianming, make sure to eat well too. The Spirit Beast meat prepared by the Wee Pavilion is quite exceptional, consuming more can strengthen a cultivator''s vitality and it''s not insignificant for your cultivation.''


    Lin Tianming nodded like a pecking chick, helping himself unreservedly to the delicious food before him. After biting into a chunk of beast meat, he swallowed it down inrge bites. The savory meat melted in his mouth, bolstering Lin Tianming''s physical body with spiritual power, clearly from a First Order Superior Grade Spirit Beast. Consuming a few bites appeared to have increased his strength somewhat. Although the effect was small, regr consumption would likely yield good results.


    Raising his cup of wine, Lin Tianming took the initiative to toast Ye Pinghai, and the three of them drank it down in one go.


    After the Spiritual Wine hit his throat, a fiery sensation rushed straight to his head. It was obviously not ordinary wine but must have been high-age Spiritual Medicine soaked liquor. Just one sip had slightly increased Lin Tianming''s spiritual power. Considering Elder Ye was also an alchemist, brewing some Spiritual Wine shouldn''t be too difficult; this must be from his private collection.


    Lin Tianming''s manner of eating caused Lin Shilu to look on disdainfully, silently chiding the boy in his heart for his disgraceful behavior.


    Lin Shilu and Ye Haiping began chatting over their Spiritual Wine, discussing not only about cultivation but also about Pill Concoction and Weapon Forging. Though they were Alchemist and Artifact Refiner respectively, the essence of crafting in both fields shared many simrities, making their conversation harmonious.


    As numerous dishes came and went, and after several rounds of wine, the three men''s faces turned red. Several bottles of high-quality Spiritual Wine had been consumed, and they began to discuss serious matters.

 Chapter 40 Guidance on Alchemy_1

    Lin Shilu looked around cautiously and said,


    "Ye, my grandson and I have traveled thousands of miles to Qianchuan Market to seek your help in concocting elixirs. Rest assured, the reward will definitely satisfy you."


    "However, the elixirs to be concocted this time, though not high-grade, are no small matter. This issue must not be publicized or leaked out. I hope Ye can keep it confidential."


    Seeing Lin Shilu take the matter so seriously, Ye Haiping became curious and asked, "What kind of pills are so important to the Lin Family that you value them so highly?"


    Lin Shilu took out a pill form written on a piece of beast skin and handed it to Ye Pinghai. It detailed the "Minor Foundation Building Pill" that Lin Tianming had obtained from the ancient cultivator''s cave dwellings.


    Ye Pinghai took the pill form and began to carefully examine it, evaluating its authenticity for a full quarter of an hour.


    Shocked yet incredulous, Ye realized that the Minor Foundation Building Pill in Qingzhou was indeed a precious item. While easier to conjure and with good effects, the concoction of the Minor Foundation Building Pill and its spiritual medicine materials were rtively simple.


    Ye judged that the pill form was indeed an ancient one, unheard of before, and possibly even one that had emerged from the human hearnds of Xuanzhou or Yunzhou. Its authenticity seemed high, and in a remote ce like Qingzhou, it was indeed invaluable. No wonder Lin Shilu was so cautious.


    "Brother Lin, rest assured. Brother Shi Gong owes me a life-saving debt. I swear by my Heart Demon that I will keep this matterpletely confidential and will not reveal the slightest bit. Should there be a leak, may I suffer and die in the Heart Demon Tribtion."


    Lin Shilu was also surprised. He dared not ask for such a serious oath, and yet Ye volunteered it, which spoke volumes of Ye Haiping''s trustworthiness.


    Had the family''s foundation not been so weak, devoid of a Second Order Alchemist, and the training of one taken decades and immense resources, they could not afford to wait.


    Otherwise, they would not entrust such an important matter to an outsider, and it was fortunate Ye Haiping knew to repay kindness. Otherwise, they really would have to take enormous risks.


    Lin Shilu''s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally rxed. He took out a storage bag and handed it to Ye Pinghai.


    "Brother Ye, I cannot thank you enough for your great kindness. Our Lin Family has extended aid to you many times. Beforeing here, the n Elders'' Assembly promised that should you ever need the Lin Family''s assistance within our means, you need onlymand us. There are fifteen portions of Minor Foundation Building Pill spiritual medicine materials in this storage bag. No matter the number of pills concocted, the Lin Family will show its gratitude after they are made, as per industry practice."


    In the Cultivation World, there are established norms for asking fellow cultivators to concoct elixirs or craft tools. For instance, in alchemy, one brings one''s own materials, and the alchemist, uponpletion, may keep thirty percent of the finished pills aspensation. If there is an uneven number,pensation can be made with equivalent spirit stones.


    If the alchemy fails, the alchemist only needs to pay fifty percent of the spiritual medicine''s value in spirit stones aspensation. Should there be another division method, it can be agreed upon beforehand, provided both parties approve. The same general rules apply to tool crafting.


    Ye Pinghai took the storage bag, checked the spiritual medicine materials to ensure nothing was missing, and then said,


    "Though the Minor Foundation Building Pill is not too difficult to concoct, it''s not easy either. I need to prepare and adjust my condition to try to produce as many pills as possible. The entire process will likely take at least half a year."


    "You can wait for a while in the market. Also, please have Tian Minge over to assist me, and I''ll take the opportunity to offer him some guidance too. How much he learns will be up to him."


    Ye Pinghai''s offer was a significant help to Lin Tianming and intended to reassure Lin Shilu. After all, being personally guided by a Second Order Alchemist in potion crafting would elerate the improvement of one''s skills far more than solitary practice.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was extremely excited. It had been a long time since he had concocted any elixirs. His trip to Qianchuan Market was aimed at concocting the Xisui Pill, Pozhang Pill, and the critical Body Strengthening Pill and Strong Spirit Pill for his practice. These pills were all First Order Superior Grade, and with Ye Pinghai''s personal guidance, the chances of sessful concoction would greatly increase.


    "Thank you Senior Ye, I will definitely work hard and not let you down," Lin Tianming earnestly said.


    As night fell, having discussed and agreed on all arrangements, Lin Shilu, and two others left the guesthouse, bid each other farewell, and after agreeing to have Lin Tianming go to Ye Pinghai''s dwelling to study at dawn the next day, they each returned to their own dwellings.


    On the way back, Lin Shilu was very happy. He was charged with the heavy responsibility of the family''s development, carrying the family''s expectations, and thankfully, everything went very smoothly. As long as he brought the Minor Foundation Building Pills back to the family, he would havepleted his mission perfectly.


    When they returned to the small courtyard, each retired to their rooms, Lin Tianming went to sleep peacefully, to rest up for tomorrow when he would begin making elixirs.


    Early in the morning, Lin Tianming appeared at the entrance of a small courtyard, sent a message inside, and after a few moments, he walked in.


    The entire small courtyard was slightlyrger than the one rented by Lin Shilu, modestly decorated, and Ye Pinghai was already waiting inside.


    "I pay my respects to Senior Ye!"


    Ye Pinghai nodded slightly with a smile and asked, "Which elixirs can you make now? What is the sess rate of your pills?"


    "To answer Senior, I am currently making First Order Medium Grade Lingshen Pills, Huiyuan Pills, and Consolidating Essence Pills, with a sess rate of forty percent and about four pills per batch."


    Ye Pinghai was also shocked after hearing this; a seventeen-year-old who could be a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, with a sess rate and pill count that were not low. Such alchemy talent, he estimated, was like a phoenix feather or unicorn horn in the entire Wei Kingdom, probably only outdone by geniuses in the distant Cloud and Mystery States.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Follow me to the Alchemy Room. I will guide you in alchemy for a few days. Afterwards, I need to devote myself to making the Minor Foundation Building Pills. You can leave after watching a few batches, pay close attention, and it will be easier for you to make Second Order Pills in the future."


    Lin Tianming agreed respectfully and followed Ye Pinghai into the Alchemy Room.


    "First, make a batch of First Order Medium Grade Lingshen Pills for me to see. Adjust your state well, I will give you pointers from the side, and when it''s about right, try making First Order High Quality elixirs."


    Lin Tianming took out his Four Symbols Furnace and Spiritual Medicine Materials, habitually circted his cultivation technique to regte his breath, drew forth the Earth Fire, and in half an incense stick''s time, controlled the temperature of the Pill Furnace and Earth Fire.


    When it was about right, he began melting down the Spiritual Medicine Materials one by one, refining and purifying them. After an hour, a pleasant fragrance permeated the entire Alchemy Room.


    Opening the furnace lid, five Lingshen Pills were suspended in the furnace, each one bright and glossy, all being high-quality products.


    Lin Tianming was thrilled, as he mostly got four pills in his batches of elixirs, and it was rare to have five. Unexpectedly, his first batch today yielded five pills, and the time it took was also reduced significantly.


    Upon reflection, he attributed it to his increased cultivation, stronger Divine Sense, and the fact that his Four Symbols Furnace had been restored from First Order Superior Grade to Second Order Lower Grade, which made his alchemy even more smooth and effective.


    Ye Pinghai picked up an elixir between two fingers, scrutinizing it carefully, nodding asionally, shaking his head at times, and it was unclear whether he was satisfied or not.


    "Young man, you''ve already done very well, but the details aren''t quite perfect. The vintages of the Spiritual Medicine Materials aren''t uniform, the refinement times vary, and the moment of opening the furnace isn''t fixed. You should adjust based on the actual situation, which can greatly improve the pill sess rate and pill count. Try againter," suggested Ye Pinghai.


    Lin Tianming listened patiently, thought for a brief period, and then started making elixirs once again.

 Chapter 41 Refining Xisui Pill_1

    ```


    In the Alchemy Room, Lin Tianming sat upright on his meditation cushion as Ye Pinghai stood by his side, asionally offering a few words of guidance.


    After a day of Alchemy, Lin Tianming had already attempted to concoct three cauldrons of Lingshen Pills. Despite the failure of the second batch, the third batch yielded six sessful pills, reflecting both a steady increase in his sess rate and the number of pills produced.


    At the moment, Lin Tianming was in the midst of concocting the fourth cauldron of Lingshen Pills, wholeheartedly infusing his Spiritual Power into the process, preparing to solidify the pills once a sufficient amount had been instilled.


    A sudden roar from Ye Pinghai nearly startled Lin Tianming into breaking out in a cold sweat.


    "Boy, the time is now!"


    "Solidify!"


    A refreshing fragrance filled the air as the fourth cauldron of elixirs was sessfully concocted.


    Upon opening the lid of the cauldron, seven pills with an intermingling of ck and green hues were suspended within. They had a uniform and bright appearance with Spiritual Energy swirling around them.


    "The youth is indeed teachable, truly teachable!"


    Ye Pinghai was extremely pleased, eximing in admiration repeatedly.


    With his guidance, Lin Tianming''s sess rate and pill count had risen sharply, to the point that he was fully capable of trying to concoct First Order Superior Grade elixirs. With Ye Pinghai there to guide him, the chances of sess were high.


    Lin Tianming also found, to his unexpected delight, that following Ye Pinghai''s advice to adjust to the optimal timing based on the properties of the Spiritual Medicine indeed provided significant help in Alchemy, visibly improving both the sess rate and the number of pills, and greatly speeding up the process as well.


    After a moment of contemtion, Ye Pinghai spoke up:


    "Your improvement is not insignificant; you can now attempt to concoct First Order Superior Grade elixirs. Have you decided which elixir to try? Do you have the Spiritual Medicine and Pill Form?"


    Lin Tianming didn''t dare to dy, hastily replying:


    "In response to my senior''s question, this junior wishes to try concocting the Xisui Pill. I already have both the Pill Form and the required Spiritual Medicine Materials at the ready. I only need to rest for four hours to recover before I can begin, and I humbly ask for senior''s permission!"


    "Hm, you recover first. I shall wait here," Ye Pinghai answered.


    Lin Tianming began to meditate to recover, while Ye Pinghai reviewed the Pill Form for the Minor Foundation Building Pill on the side, preparing in advance for the subsequent concoction.


    Once four hours had passed, Lin Tianming was almost fully recovered, nearly at his peak condition.


    He took out the five portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Xisui Pill and arranged them beside him. After a series of preparations, hemenced with the Alchemy.


    It took him over an hour just to break down and purify the more than ten types of Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    As time slipped away, and just before the phase of solidifying the pill, Lin Tianming infused Spiritual Energy and there was a crisp sound, shattering the silence¡ªthe first cauldron of Xisui Pills was a failed concoction.


    Upon opening the lid of the cauldron, a slightly putrid smell rushed out, catching Lin Tianming off guard and almost bringing tears to his eyes.


    A pile of pill residuey at the bottom of the cauldron. Lin Tianming scooped up the wasted residue and ced it in the prepared Jade Bottle. The Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Xisui Pill were not cheap, so he could not afford to waste them; they mighte in handy at some point.


    It was then that Ye Pinghai also spoke up:


    "Boy, not all elixirs require the same intensity of fire, and this is especially true for higher-level elixirs where the adjustment of the fire bes increasinglyplex. Some elixirs need a fierce fire for sessful pill solidification, and the First Order Superior Grade elixirs certainly do. You''ll need to try a few more times, but the hopes for sess are not small."


    ```


    Hearing these words, Lin Tianming suddenly realized and was not discouraged, although it was already a slim hope for sess for the first trial at alchemy, failure was inevitable, and with these limitations in ce, it was no wonder he had not seeded.


    With his mindset adjusted, Lin Tianming tried again to refine the Xisui Pill.


    As a day went by, after three consecutive failures, Lin Tianming refused to be superstitious and persisted in starting the fourth attempt at refining the Xisui Pill.


    Now well-versed in the process, he skillfully navigated through it, and when it was time to solidify the pill, Lin Tianming controlled the Earth Fire, instantly doubling its vitality.


    A piercing sound broke the silence, and after persevering for a moment, a fragrant aroma filled the air, Lin Tianming finished up and couldn''t wait to lift the lid of the furnace.


    Three golden pills were suspended in the furnace, and Lin Tianming was ecstatic, meticulously examining a Xisui Pill he picked up.


    Bright in color and full of spiritual energy, they were indeed genuine Xisui Pills. After three trial adjustments, he finally seeded on the fourth attempt at refining.


    Ye Pinghai was expressionless, but inside he was quite surprised and inwardly marveled, acknowledging that the boy indeed had a high talent for alchemy.


    The reason he had said to try a few more times was to encourage and console, he had never expected sess in the fourth furnace; it was truly unbelievable.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Reflecting on his own past, where it took him more than ten years to reach the status of a First Order Superior Grade Alchemist and over forty years to be a Second Order Alchemist, he was deemed a genius Alchemist by many Cultivators in Qianchuan Market.


    And this young man, having cultivated for only so many years, had already entered the rank of a First Order Superior Grade Alchemist¡ªit was enough to drive one mad with envy!


    Lin Tianming ced the Xisui Pills into a Jade Bottle, intending to strike while the iron was hot, to solidify his Alchemy and refine thest batch of Xisui Pill Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    Having seeded once, the process felt effortless when he tried it again, and within half a day, Lin Tianming had used up thest batch of Xisui Pill Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    The fifth furnace material luckily seeded in forming pills, and out of five furnaces of Spiritual Medicine Materials, thest two seeded in creating pills, each with three pills, which surprised Lin Tianming very much.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was officially a qualified First Order Superior Grade Alchemist. The hard work of several days had not been in vain.


    Sess in alchemy alwayses after trials, and having seeded once, subsequent refining of other First Order Superior Grade elixirs should be easier.


    Lin Tianming put away the Four Symbols Furnace, and gave the three Xisui Pills to Ye Pinghai. Although these pills were not much to Ye Pinghai, Lin Tianming still wanted to express his gratitude.


    Overwhelmed with emotion, it took him a long time to calm down. With his Divine Sense and Spiritual Power exhausted, it was not suitable to refine pills again. He sincerely expressed his thanks.


    "Junior greatly appreciates the guidance of the senior. Without your meticulous exnations and guidance, I do not know when I would have seeded. I will keep this great kindness in mind and if one day I reach the Core Formation Stage, I will repay this debt."


    At this time, Ye Pinghai felt very fortunate for his good deeds. It is better to deliver charcoal in snowy weather than to add flowers on a brocade, and this youth''s talent was extremely high; who knew if he might one day rely on him.


    Ye Pinghai was also very courteous, without any pretension, and replied,


    "It''s all due to your talent and understanding, friend. Even if I didn''t say it, you would have understood eventually. There''s no need for the pills. I have already taken the Xisui Pill, and taking more is pointless. Your family needs these elixirs more, you should keep them for yourself."


    "Since you''ve achieved your goal and I have almost finished adjusting, we can start refining the Minor Foundation Building Pills. I aim toplete themission as soon as possible and let you return to your family. You should spend the remaining month here, observing the process, hoping it will help you."


    Lin Tianming respectfully said, "I honor your instruction, senior."


    Ye Pinghai then tidied up the Alchemy Room and began to meditate in preparation for his next refinement.


    Lin Tianming sat down on the spot, recalling the entire process of alchemy to consolidate his understanding, and healed to recover his condition.

 Chapter 42 Observing Alchemy_1

    The next day, Lin Tianming opened his tightly shut eyes from the night before, as did Ye Pinghai.


    Lin Tianming took the initiative to step forward and pay his respects, waiting for Ye Pinghai''s instructions.


    "Today, I will begin refining Minor Foundation Building Pills. You can watch for a few furnaces, then you''ll be able to leave my cave abode and return to your cultivation," Ye Pinghai said.


    Lin Tianming replied calmly, "I will follow Senior''s orders without any objection."


    Ye Pinghai nodded, took out a fiery-red Pill Furnace from his storage bag, andid out a set of Spiritual Medicine Materials, ready for refining, on a stone tform beside him.


    The entire Pill Furnace was fiery red, its surface densely covered with runes, exuding a powerful Spiritual Energy¡ªclearly, it was a Second Order Superior Pill Furnace, two minor grades higher than the Four Symbols Furnace he normally used.


    However, Lin Tianming was only momentarily surprised before he quickly regained hisposure. After all, Ye Pinghai was at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage and also a Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist. With many years of Alchemy under his belt, his wealth was likely astonishing and far beyond what Lin Tianming couldpare with.


    After Ye Pinghai took out the Pill Furnace from the storage bag, a faint fragrance filled the Alchemy Room¡ªevidence that the Pill Furnace, after long-term use in pill refining, had been imbued with the scent of elixirs. This was the result of extensive alchemic practice.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With a flick of a Law Decree, he struck the Pill Furnace, which instantly inted dozens of times from the size of a palm to that of a water tank, hovering above the vent of the Earth Fire, motionless.


    Ye Pinghai sat on a cushion and began to channel his energy. Half an hourter, Earth Fire erupted, and arge me as thick as a water bucket zed directly onto the Pill Furnace. The temperature of the Pill Furnace climbed steadily, and the color of the Earth Fire had turned from fiery red to include a hint of gold. The temperature in the Alchemy Room had risen by dozens of degrees, and Lin Tianming was dripping with sweat. Any ordinary person would have found it difficult to endure even half an hour there and would likely have been roasted alive.


    As time progressed, and half a day passed, Ye Pinghai felt that the time was about right and began to throw a Spiritual Medicine into the Pill Furnace, using all his might to channel Spiritual Power and Divine Sense to dpose and purify the medicine, finally turning it into a clump of green-yellow liquid suspended in the furnace.


    Lin Tianming sat beside him, watching carefully and earnestly, not daring to miss the slightest detail.


    Seeing that Ye Pinghai had spent half a day just preheating the furnace¡ªa process tens of times longer than his own¡ªit was clear that refining Second Order Pills was indeed iparable to First Order Elixirs. He estimated that the consumption of Spiritual Power and Divine Sense must also be enormous, Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    One by one, he dposed and purified over a dozen types of Spiritual Medicine Materials, turning them into over a dozen clumps of various colored Spiritual Liquids. This single step alone had taken three days'' time.


    Ye Pinghai began to Infuse Spirit. His face contorted with veins throbbing on his forehead, exhibiting a look of strain.


    Lin Tianming didn''t know that Ye Pinghai had been dposing and purifying Spiritual Medicine continuously for three days without replenishing his Spiritual Power. Most of his energy had been depleted, and the process of Infusion of Spirit for refining the Minor Foundation Building Pill was extremely draining. If not for deep cultivation, the task would have been even more arduous.


    After more than ten breaths, Ye Pinghai felt his infusion of Spiritual Power had reached its limit and suddenly let out a roar as loud as thunder.


    "Solidify Pill!"


    Following the roar, he manipted the power of the Earth Fire, which instantly surged several times in strength. The mes that had been steady beneath the Pill Furnace spread out to cover the entire furnace. The temperature in the Alchemy Room rose another notch, and it was clear that the moisture in the air was evaporating speedily; Tianming''s soaked blue shirt dried almost immediately.


    After a few more moments of intense heating, an overpowering scent spread rapidly. Lin Tianming was exhrated¡ªby the looks of it, the refining was a sess.


    Ye Pinghai also wore an expression of joy, deeply exhaled a sigh of relief, and a wave of fatigue washed over him.


    He removed the lid of the furnace, and three pills hung within it, their fragrance so strong that one whiff seemed to revive the spirits, the entire pills were a brilliant golden-yellow, their surfaces marked by delicate, beautiful patterns, undoubtedlyplete Minor Foundation Building Pills.


    Ye Pinghai took out two Minor Foundation Building Pills, examined them repeatedly, and after confirming there were no omissions, he ced them into the prepared Jade Bottle and handed them directly to Lin Tianming.


    "These three Minor Foundation Building Pills, you should first deliver them to Lin, the process of making them took too long, nearly seven days for one furnace, and it was also my first time making such pills, the consumption was not small, I need three days to recover before I can continue making more."


    "I suggest that it''s best for you to return these three Minor Foundation Building Pills to your n immediately so that your nsmen can take them, thene back to Qianchuan Market to receive the remaining pills. There''s plenty of time for that. With such an arrangement, you can enable your Qi Refining Great Perfection n members to establish their foundations sooner rather thanter, and maybe by the time you return, some of them will have already seeded."


    Lin Tianming nodded thoughtfully, also feeling that Ye Pinghai made a lot of sense, so he took the Jade Bottle, prepared to return to the cave dwelling in the market, and hand over the pills to Lin Shilu.


    After Lin Tianming took his leave, Ye Pinghai began meditating on the spot to cultivate and recover his significantly drained state.


    Upon leaving Ye Pinghai''s cave dwelling, Lin Tianming hurried back to the small courtyard rented by Lin Shilu without dy.


    He cast a Law Decree, entered the small courtyard, and with a face full of joy, he seemed radiant and very excited, quickly running up to Lin Shilu and even forgetting the most basic formalities towards an elder, but fortunately, Lin Shilu didn''t mind.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, these three Minor Foundation Building Pills are from Ye''s first batch of Spiritual Medicine Materials. Ye instructed me to deliver them to you immediately."


    "Additionally, Ye suggested that you take these three Minor Foundation Building Pills and depart at once to return to our n, so that our nsmen can take them as soon as possible. By the time we return to the n, we may already have elders who have sessfully established their foundation."


    "Now, for our n, time is of the essence, and I also believe what Ye says makes sense. It will take at least half a year to finish making the fifteen batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, and it would be a waste of time for you to just wait here."


    Lin Shilu listened and pondered on the side. As the saying goes, ''be wary of others,'' and though he didn''t quite believe that Ye Pinghai meant harm, one could never be too careful!


    "Tian Ming, during the entire pill-making process, were you watching all the time? Did you notice anything amiss?"


    "To reply to Fifteenth Grandfather, I stood by and observed the entire process of pill-making by Ye, and I did not notice anything unusual. Additionally, the pills match the records exactly, so there shouldn''t be any problems."


    "Hmm, in that case, let''s proceed with that n. I will personally take the three Minor Foundation Building Pills back to our n, and you stay in the market. After three days, head to Ye Pinghai''s cave dwelling to continue learning Alchemy."


    "Furthermore, focus on your cultivation and studies, and remember not to step out of the market in your free time nor stir up trouble within it. Once I''ve delivered the pills to our n, I will return immediately to join you."


    Lin Tianming readily agreed, took out the Spirit Beast Bag and two bottles of Lingshen Pills to give to Lin Shilu, suggesting that riding the Purple Gold Eagle back to Green Bamboo Mountain could make the journey quicker and safer.


    Lin Shilu took the Spirit Beast Bag and the pills, handed the Token of the cave dwelling over to Lin Tianming, and set off immediately on his journey.

 Chapter 43 Marrow Cleansing_1

    Having left Qianchuan Market, Lin Shilu released the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Bag and threw a Lingshen Pill towards it.


    The Purple Gold Eagle didn''t hesitate, biting it directly and swallowing, disying a look of satisfaction.


    Mounting the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, the majestic creature took to the skies, swiftly rising hundreds of feet into the clouds and turning into a streak of light as it flew southward, disappearing into the vast expanse of clouds in just a few breaths'' time.


    In the secret chamber of his cave dwelling, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the ground, having previously refined six Xisui Pills and now prepared to take one during this lull.


    He took out a Xisui Pill and swallowed it without hesitation.


    Half a quarter of an hourter, a series of crackling sounds erupted from his body, continuing relentlessly for half an hour.


    Waves of intense pain spread rapidly through every part of his body. Lin Tianming endured the pain as beads of sweat the size of soybeans couldn''t stop falling from his forehead; his entire body was soaking as if drenched in rain.


    Once the half-hour had passed, the pain subsided, and he gradually returned to normal.


    Lin Tianming''s body emitted ayer of ck grime with a nauseating stench, more than ten times the amount expelled during his previous breakthrough, as if he had been buried in a mud pit for several days.


    Rising to his feet, Lin Tianming formed a hand seal and cast the Rain Control Technique, enjoying afortable shower in the artificially created rain, then took out a set of green robes from his storage bag to wear.


    On inspecting his body, his skin was as white as jade, tender and smooth, with muscles visibly bulkier.


    Throwing a punch, the feeble spiritual energy in the air burst apart, his strength having greatly increased; previously one punch exceeded a thousand jins, now he estimated it to be around one thousand two hundred jins.


    Lin Tianming examined his body''s meridians and found that his whole circtory system had be thicker and more robust, nearly ten percentrger than before, and the flow of spiritual power was much smoother. Although it seemed minor, the cumtive effect over time was significant.


    Lin Tianming was quite satisfied with the effects of the Xisui Pill, holding it in even higher regard. The only pity was that a cultivator could only use one pill, as consuming more wouldn''t greatly enhance the effect.


    Sighing at his own greed, Lin Tianming felt a pang of regret.


    Still having five Xisui Pills left, he could either gift them to close kinfolk or sell them for a good price.


    Casting several me Techniques, he dried the water on the ground, tidied up the slightly messy secret chamber, and prepared to go out for a stroll, knowing there wasn''t much risk as long as he didn''t leave the market.


    Before long, a burly man appeared on the broad cobblestone path, none other than Lin Tianming casually wandering around the market.


    "I''ve pretty much visited all the stores in the West District. I''ve never been to the stall area in the Southern District," Lin Tianming thought to himself, deciding to head there to see what it was like.


    Having made up his mind, he set off towards the Southern District.


    In a vast square, hundreds of stalls were set up, with hundreds of cultivators haggling fiercely, bustling with activity. Most of them were in the Qi Refinement Realm, and among the cultivators, Lin Tianming couldn''t make out the exact level of some, guessing they were either several orders higher than himself or were using special Spiritual Artifacts to conceal their true cultivation. Likewise, disguised and with his identity changed, it was unlikely anyone in the Foundation Establishment Stage could discern his real cultivation level.


    Renting a stall space only cost five spirit stones, which allowed one to set up for the whole day in the square; considering the lively crowd and the brisk business, it was quite a bargain.


    Lin Tianming weaved through the square, carefully inspecting the items on each stall. Most weremon spiritual medicine materials, or demon beast inner cores and carcasses, and some stalls had Fu Lu Spiritual Instruments, but the grades weren''t high, mostly First Order, low to mid-grade. Stalls selling elixirs were few, only five or six in number, and the elixirs were extremely ordinary.


    It made sense, Lin Tianming considered. The cultivators who set up stalls here were mostly low-level, only able to offermon goods. They wouldn''t bring out high-quality elixirs and talismans for trade unless they were in desperate need of spirit stones.


    Lin Tianming meandered his way through the market, asionally chatting with the cultivators behind their stalls, but he didn''t buy anything. Instead, he was scouting the prices of various items. If he got the chance, he also nned to set up a stall to exchange some of his useless items for Spirit Stones.


    After asking around more than ten times, Lin Tianming had a fairly good grasp of the prices and goods at Qianchuan Market and continued to wander leisurely.


    He had strolled around for half a day without spotting anything that caught his eye. He had no need for Spiritual Medicine Materials or elixirs and talismans, so it seemed unlikely that he would find anything worthwhile. Lin Tianming continued browsing with diminishing interest.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As he delved further into the square, a middle-aged blue-robed cultivator caught Lin Tianming''s attention.


    The cultivator appeared to be around sixty years old, with more than twenty items on disy at his stall. There were a variety of elixirs suitable for Qi Refining Cultivators, several grades of Spirit Grass, and a few Jade Tubes.


    The man sat on the ground with his eyes closed, exuding a sense of calm. Unlike the other stall owners who were calling out to attract attention, this man seemed unconcerned about whether he had any customers or not, which made him stand out from the rest.


    Judging by the items on the ground, this person must also be an Alchemist, selling items rted to Alchemy and disying an aloof temperament, quite different from the ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators.


    Lin Tianming picked up a Jade Tube and started to examine them one by one. Most of them were Pill Forms that only showed names and descriptions, with the contents not visible.


    "There''s actually a Pill Form called the Beast Spirit Pill," he said to himself.


    Lin Tianming was rather surprised. As the name suggested, the Beast Spirit Pill was an elixir used by Demonic Beasts for cultivation. It was simr to the Lingshen Pill used by cultivators but was specifically for Demonic Beasts and not suitable for humans, as their bodies couldn''t endure the potency. Mild cases could result in disability, while severe cases could lead to death.


    A slight excitement stirred within Lin Tianming. After wandering around for half a day, he finally found something useful. He decided to buy the Pill Form, as it would be perfect for the Purple Gold Eagle to consume for rapid growth. Furthermore, he could also use it for other Spirit Beasts he might tame in the future.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming took the initiative to ask.


    "Fellow Daoist, how much are you selling this Beast Spirit Pill Form for?" he inquired.


    The blue-robed cultivator opened his eyes, which had been tightly shut, and said calmly, "A fixed price, ny Spirit Stones for the form!"


    "And how much for this ''Chronicle of Heavenly and Earthly Wonders''?" Lin Tianming asked, pointing to a book made from Beast Skin in front of him.


    "Ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones," came the reply.


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but show his surprise. The Pill Form was indeed something he urgently needed. Together with the book that recorded heavenly and earthly wonders, he decided to make the purchase.


    Although Lin Tianming was not short of Spirit Stones, he still put on an embarrassed expression and said, "Fellow Daoist, I would like to offer three bottles of Lingshen Pills in exchange, and how about you include the book as a bonus gift?"


    The blue-robed cultivator pondered for a moment and agreed to the trade after a few seconds.


    Lin Tianming handed over the three bottles of Lingshen Pills to the blue-robed cultivator. Once the cultivator had removed the seals on the Jade Tubes, Lin Tianming collected the Pill Form and the book into his storage bag and resumed casually wandering around the square.


    As half a day passed and evening approached, after spending most of the day at the market, besides purchasing the Jade Tubes and the book of wonders, he also bought several nts of Spiritual Medicine. They were the main ingredients for the Strong Spirit Pill and the Body Strengthening Pill and all were paid for with Lingshen Pills instead of Spirit Stones.


    Lin Tianming had a good supply of Lingshen Pills; he had used more than a dozen today, and with the same number remaining, plus the reward of Spiritual Medicine Materials from his family, there was no shortage. He could refine the medicines into elixirs at any time, and if he couldn''t use them all, he needed to sell some.


    After leaving the Southern District, he hurried toward the North District. Ye Pinghai was still resting for two more days before he could resume Alchemy. Since it was not convenient to disturb him, Lin Tianming could only return to his cave dwelling to rest and make further ns.

 Chapter 44 Eye of Five Colors_1

    Back in his cave dwelling, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the cushion in the secret room.


    With both hands holding the Jade Tube, he reviewed the Pill Form for the Beast Spirit Pill withplete concentration.


    The Beast Spirit Pill and the Lingshen Pill had simr effects, and the required materials were almost the same, except the main ingredient was reced with a Demon Core. The higher the grade of the Demon Core, the better the effect of the Beast Spirit Pill that was refined from it.


    The difficulty of refining it was only slightly higher than that of the Lingshen Pill. The Purple Gold Eagle was still quite important to Lin Tianming. It could be used not only for traveling, greatly increasing speed, but also to provide some assistance during spell battles. If nurtured properly, advancing to the Second Order was only a matter of time. With the Beast Spirit Pill, the Purple Gold Eagle could advance rapidly.


    After putting away the Pill Form Jade Tube into his storage bag, he took out the Chronicle of Heavenly and Earthly Wonders and started to search through it carefully.


    He had seen introductions to some heavenly and earthly wonders in his family several times, most of which were low-order items. There were only a few high-order wonders recorded, but the Cultivation World was vast and deep, with cultivation existing for hundreds of thousands of years. Although most species were almost the same, every region had different wonders, and many Spiritual Objects were not even collectedpletely.


    Purchasing this book was not just to broaden his horizons, but also to see if he could find clues about the stone from the Ancient Cultivator''s Cave Dwellings.


    Lin Tianming was convinced that the colorful stone was definitely no ordinary item; otherwise, it would not have been preserved intact over tens of thousands of years. Even Magical Treasures of Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators turned to ashes, but the stone remained intact, which surely made it extraordinary.


    He flipped open the thick book, which had hundreds of pages. Each page recorded one type of Spiritual Object. The first part was all about introductions to Spirit Grass, not only with names and pictures, but also with information about their growing environments and characteristics, even including the method of harvesting. The descriptions were very detailed.


    "Nine-Leaf Golden Lotus," a Fourth Order Spirit Grass, with a growth period of nine thousand years. Every thousand years a leaf would bloom, and each leaf greatly enhanced the Divine Sense and physical body of the Cultivator, an incredible treasure for those who practice Body Cultivation.


    "Gold ze Bodhi," a Fourth Order Spirit Fruit with a growth period of five thousand years. Each fruit could increase the odds of achieving Nascent Soul by thirty percent, a truly priceless treasure.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help but be astonished. In Wei Kingdom, Nascent Soul Masters were already formidable beings. If the Gold ze Bodhi appeared, it would undoubtedly lead to bloodshed because it was a Nascent Soul Spiritual Item, and it was likely that no Nascent Soul Master would be able to resist it.


    After looking through hundreds of pages, all introductions were to Third or Fourth Order Spirit Medicines, not a single Fifth Order Spirit Medicine. Thinking about it, it made sense since Fifth Order Spirit Medicines had at least a growth cycle of ten thousand years or even longer and were used by those in the Divinity Transformation Stage. That realm was too remote to be recorded.


    He read through the entire night, from Spirit Grass to minerals, as well as Spirit Insects and Spiritual Fire. Seven or eight precious items were covered, and he was about to finish reading the whole book.


    With only ten pages left, he could finish reading the entire book. Lin Tianming continued to flip through.


    Thest ten pages were dedicated to the List of Heavenly and Earthly Wonders, recording ten extremely precious objects among the final pages. Some were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, and others were almost mythological in nature, with their actual existence still uncertain.


    Lin Tianming read carefully and, as he turned to the fifthst page, an illustrationpletely stunned him.


    There, disyed on the page, was a multicolored stone; the book described it as a Spiritual Object known as the Soul Beast''s Eye, which was said to be the third eye of an ancient Demonic Beast, the Soul Beast.


    As for the Soul Beast, it was a very unique species among Demonic Beasts. They were already extremely rare in ancient times, and in today''s Cultivation World, they had been extinct for tens of thousands of years. Moreover, only Soul Beasts of the Fourth Order and above could grow the third eye, which made the Soul Beast''s Eye extremely rare in the Cultivation World.


    The Soul Beast''s Eye could be refined and transformed into a Cultivator''s third eye, inheriting the Soul Beast''s natural talents and Divine Skills. It could see through most Illusion Techniques and Formations and also had an ability to attack with Divine Sense, making it impossible to guard against and extraordinarily powerful. Consequently, the Soul Beast''s Eye was ranked among the ten great heavenly and earthly wonders.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed beyond measure. Although he had suspected this item was extraordinary, he did not expect it to be so treasured, no wonder it was named as one of the ten great heavenly and earthly wonders.


    He quickly took out the stone from his storage bag and began to scrutinize it, not missing the slightest detail.


    After carefullyparing, Lin Tianming was incredibly certain that the stone he had obtained was undoubtedly the Soul Beast''s Eye.


    He never expected to have acquired such a treasure. Lin Tianming couldn''t believe it; he couldn''t help but p his face twice, wanting to make sure he was not dreaming.


    "p p p," three loud ps rang out against his face.


    There was a sensation of pain, apparently not a dream¡ªthis was real!


    "Haha," Lin Tianmingughed wildly, utterly delighted. He hadpletely lost his mind, appearing quiteical.


    After a brief bout of madness, Lin Tianming gradually regained hisposure.


    This kind of treasure needed to be refined and assimted as soon as possible to enhance one''s own strength; otherwise, dy could lead to unforeseen changes.


    Lin Tianming sat down right there and swallowed the Soul Beast''s Eye, directing his Divine Sense to chase it towards the sea of consciousness. The Soul Beast''s Eye, however, seemed to be a living thing, desperately trying to escape. As it thrashed about wildly, Lin Tianming suffered agonizing pain, and blood started to seep from all seven apertures, while his skin began to crack and burst open, looking extremely miserable. If it weren''t for his body''s cultivation, he would have likely passed out.


    "Hmph, once you''re in my sea of consciousness, it''s definitely not possible for you to escape," he muttered.


    Enduring the intense pain, Lin Tianming mobilized all his Divine Sense into arge hand and controlled the Soul Beast''s Eye, slowly refining it; otherwise, he might have been tormented to death.


    Inside the sea of consciousness, the fist-sized Soul Beast''s Eye, after several hours of refining, was already half assimted, gradually transforming into wisps of five-colored light orbs gathering to one side.


    With ongoing slow refinement, the pain in his body gradually lessened, and the torn flesh began to heal.


    A day passed, and Lin Tianming finally refined the entire Soul Beast''s Eye into a walnut-sized ball of five-colored divine light gathered in his sea of consciousness.


    Lin Tianming manipted this ball of five-colored divine light and slowly merged it into his forehead. Suddenly, a smooth spot right in the middle of his forehead split open, and the five-colored divine light burst forth. For a moment, it was as though a five-colored sun hung above his head¡ªthe dim secret chamber instantly brightened up dramatically, and the emitted divine light was dazzling to the eye.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming discovered that the control center and key points of the entire cave dwelling''s restrictions werepletely exposed under the Soul Beast''s Eye, making it incredibly simple to break through them.


    Lin Tianming was shocked, the Soul Beast''s Eye was truly defying the heavens¡ªsuch an artifact used for breaking formations was essentially like cheating!


    Although it was unclear if it was effective against all formations, it certainly could see through most Fourth Order and lower formations. Even if it couldn''t fully unravel them, it would provide plenty of clues, greatly assisting in breaking formations¡ªit was already immensely heaven-defying.


    He closed the Soul Beast''s Eye, and it merged directly into the skin and disappeared from view, making him look no different from a normal person.


    Very satisfied, Lin Tianming decided to give the Soul Beast''s Eye a name; after much contemtion, he decided to name it the Eye of Five Colors.


    When used, the Eye of Five Colors would burst forth with blinding five-colored divine light, so being named after the five colors was fitting. With that decided, it was settled.


    Having chosen a name, he prepared to leave his retreat and head to Ye Pinghai''s cave dwelling. After three days of recovery, he could once more attempt to refine the Minor Foundation Building Pill.

 Chapter 45 Crazy Alchemy_1

    Ye Pinghai, cloaked in a grey robe within his cave abode, pinched a series of hand seals and cast spells onto the Pill Furnace, filling the entire secret chamber with scorching air.


    Lin Tianming and Ye Pinghai were each seated in their own secret chamber, fervently concocting elixirs.


    While Ye Pinghai was refining the Minor Foundation Building Pill, Lin Tianming was also busy at work in the adjacent Alchemy Room, crafting the Lingshen Pill.


    Lin Tianming engaged in alchemy non-stop for seven to eight days, refining pills by day and meditating at night to recover his expended spiritual power and Divine Sense. His daily schedule was full and arduous.


    As his cultivation rose, Lin Tianming mastered the creation of First Order Medium Grade Lingshen Pills, and both the sess rate and quantity of pills increased substantially.


    The sess rate of First Order Medium Grade Lingshen Pills could reach 60%, and the quantity was remarkably stable, always above seven per batch. Even more efficiently, after refining five batches of pills each day, Lin Tianming still had a small reserve of spiritual power. Such is the advantage of profound cultivation¡ªit was no longer like before, when refining three batches would leave himpletely drained.


    In the process of refining Lingshen Pills, Lin Tianming, with an experimental mindset, activated his Eye of Five Colors to see if it would aid in alchemy, and was pleasantly surprised. The Eye of Five Colors easily allowed him to discern the internal structure and impurities of each Spiritual Medicine.


    In truth, it wasn''t really a surprise. The Eye of Five Colors, capable of prating even restrictive formations, would naturally view lower-tier Spiritual Medicines with ease.


    Leveraging this special ability, Lin Tianming could handle purification, breakdown, and even Solidifying Pill with incredible precision, substantially improving the sess rate and pill count¡ªa near perfect 80% sess rate and nine pills per batch, almost reaching the limits of Pill Refining.


    Moreover, the Lingshen Pills he refined had an efficacy 10% higher than regr Lingshen Pills; they were truly superior among Superior Spirit Essence Pills.


    With the help of the Eye of Five Colors, Lin Tianmingpleted refining more than forty batches of Lingshen Pills without much effort, yielding arge stockpile of over three hundred Lingshen Pills.


    In the Cultivation World, a First Order Medium Grade Lingshen Pill typically sells for eight Low-Grade Spirit Stones, while in some ces it fetches nine. Even calcting by the lower price, three hundred pills amounted to two thousand four hundred Spirit Stones¡ªa considerable fortune indeed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With so many Lingshen Pills on hand, they would undoubtedly exceed his own needs during the Qi Refinement Realm. Once he returned to the n, he nned to sell the majority through the n''s market shops. Such superior quality Lingshen Pills would notck for buyers, or he could choose to keep them within the n, offering them to fellow n members, as it was rare to encounter such fine quality.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming considered his next steps.


    He had nearly finished refining all the materials for the n''s rewarded Lingshen Pills. What remained were materials for twenty-five batches of Body Strengthening Pill and Strong Spirit Pill, as well as three batches for the Pozhang Pill, signaling the time to attempt arge-scale refinement of First Order High-Quality elixirs.


    Additionally, he needed to refine the Beast Spirit Pill as soon as possible, utilizing the two Demon Cores in his possession. One was the Spotted Crocodile Inner Pill obtained while defending Qingfeng Town, and the other was an inner core of the Spirit-Connecting Python. Both were suitable for concocting the Beast Spirit Pill.


    The two Demon Cores on hand, from the Spotted Crocodile at Medium Stage and the Spirit-Connecting Python at Late First Order, were more than sufficient for the refinement of the Beast Spirit Pills.


    Lin Tianming decided to first refine the Beast Spirit Pills before tackling the more advanced Strong Spirit and Body Strengthening Pills.


    Falling into a rhythm, Lin Tianming worked deftly. There was not a significant difference between the Beast Spirit Pill and the Lingshen Pill, except that disassembling a Demon Core was much more challenging than work with Spiritual Medicine. The Demon Core was far more vtile, making it easier for the pill to explode during the process, which could potentially cause severe damage to the Pill Furnace.


    Lin Tianming carefully dissected the Striped Crocodile''s Demon Core. Fortunately, everything went smoothly, no explosion urred, and within fifteen minutes, the Demon Core was sessfully refined. What followed was familiar territory, and in less than half an hour, the first batch of Beast Spirit Pills emerged from the furnace.


    Five green-yellow elixirs hovered inside the furnace, each one slightlyrger than a Lingshen Pill, with a potency that was certainly more violent.


    In less than half a day, another First Order Late Stage Demon Core was transformed into Beast Spirit Pills. Seven pills solidified, and along with those from the first batch, there were twelve Beast Spirit Pills in total¡ªenough tost the Purple Gold Eagle for a while.


    He took out the Spiritual Medicine Materials needed for the Body Strengthening Pill and neatly arranged them on the stone tform next door.


    Lin Tianming quickly got into the swing of things. The difficulty of refining the Body Strengthening Pill and Strong Spirit Pill should be about the same as that of the Xisui Pill, so there was definitely no problem in refining them. He just didn''t know what the pill sess rate and yield would be.


    Previously, without the Eye of Five Colors, when refining the Xisui Pill, the sess rate had reached thirty percent. With the Eye of Five Colors, it should improve somewhat.


    Time flew by, and more than twenty days had passed. Lin Tianming had been staying in the Alchemy Room for nearly a month now.


    In the Alchemy Room next door, Ye Pinghai was still refining pills. Each batch of Minor Foundation Building Pills took him seven days to refine. After resting for three days, he would resume his alchemy. He hadn''tpleted his seclusion yet.


    Lin Tianming had refined almost all of his Alchemy Materials, leaving only a small amount of Spiritual Medicine Materials in his storage bag.


    In this one month, Lin Tianming had made significant progress. When refining First Order Superior Grade Strong Spirit Pill and Body Strengthening Pill with the help of the Eye of Five Colors, his sess rate remained above sixty percent, while the number of pills yielded hovered around six per batch.


    After a month of hard work, he obtained ny Body Strengthening Pills and eighty-five Strong Spirit Pills. There was no longer a shortage of elixirs for the Qi Refinement Realm. He nned to focus all his energy on cultivation from now on. It had been nearly half a year since he had engaged in serious cultivation or consumed many elixirs, as he had been allowing his progress to consolidate.


    Now, not only had he solved the shortage of elixirs needed for his cultivation, but he had also managed to refine two batches of his three sets of Pozhang Pill Spiritual Medicine Materials, resulting in eleven pills.


    The Pozhang Pill was extremely expensive and had great effects. After consumption, it could remove bottlenecks and induce a breakthrough in one''s realm, which was extraordinary. Initially, just buying three main ingredients had cost him over two hundred Spirit Stones. A single Pozhang Pill could sell for at least one hundred Spirit Stones in the market, and it was hardly avable for purchase. Only a very few were auctioned at exorbitant prices, and each time they did, they sold for sky-high amounts.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming felt quite emotional. Two years ago, using a Spirit Stone would cause him immense heartache. Now, his total worth added up was no less than ten thousand Spirit Stones. Among Qi Refining Cultivators, he was truly a tycoon. Perhaps only the core descendants of major families couldpare with him.


    He put all the elixirs into his storage bag, tidied up the mess in the secret chamber, and walked out of the Alchemy Room.


    Outside the room, it was dusk. After a month of relentless alchemy, he was extremely exhausted. Lin Tianming walked through the streets, heading toward his dwelling in the North District.


    Lying on his stone bed, Lin Tianming fell into contemtion.


    "I wonder if Fifteenth Grandfather has taken the Minor Foundation Building Pills back to the family. By the timeline, they should have already reached the family. Even if he didn''t stay, and came straight back to Qianchuan Market, a round trip would take forty days. Now, all I can do is wait patiently and hope everything goes smoothly. After all, the medicine is too precious, and I can''t help but worry."


    Unknowingly, the tired Lin Tianming fell into a deep sleep. In less than fifteen minutes, he was sound asleep.

 Chapter 46 Distribution of Minor Foundation Building Pills_1

    Time rewound to ten days ago!


    Outside of the Lin Family''s protective formation, it was Lin Tianfeng''s turn to lead the patrol duty this month. A n member gazed towards the exterior of the grand formation and spotted a dark shadow swiftly approaching from the distant horizon.


    What initially seemed like a tiny sesame-sized dot had, in just over a dozen breaths, transformed into a massive bird spanning more than ten zhang.


    "It''s Tianming''s Purple Gold Eagle!"


    At this moment, Lin Tianfeng was also puzzled, "Wasn''t Sixth Brother heading to Qianchuan Market to carry out a n mission, rumored to take half a year? Howe he has returned in just over a month?"


    The secret mission of Lin Tianming to Qianchuan Market for alchemy was known only to the Elders'' Council within the n. Lin Tianfeng was only aware that Tianming had gone to Qianchuan Market but did not know the details of the mission. He knew this much only because he was among one of the highest cultivation levels of the n''s younger generation.


    As the Purple Gold Eagle drew closer, everyone realized that it was Lin Shilu who sat on its back.


    At this moment, he looked utterly haggard, having flown from dawn until dusk each day to find a ce to rest, with few stops in between. Under such hasty travel, he managed to return to Green Bamboo Mountain in just eighteen days, which was quite an aplishment.


    Lin Shilu took out the family identity token and cast a spell on it. In the invisible and colorless sky, suddenly a gap opened up, through which a person and a beast flew into the Protective n Formation. The rift quickly mended and then disappeared. From the outside looking towards the n''snd, everything appeared hazy and indistinct once more.


    After entering the formation, Lin Tianfeng and the others immediately came up to pay their respects.


    Lin Shilu, in a rush, nodded briefly and merely said a word for them to continue patrolling before he swiftly departed. He could not afford to care about fatigue at the moment; along with the beast, he flew towards the n Elders'' Assembly Hall.


    Before entering the formation, Lin Shilu had already sent a message, instructing n members of the Shi generation like Lin Shikang to go to the Elders'' Council, to hand over the three Minor Foundation Building Pills in person, and to make the first round of distribution. This would enable n members who met the requirements to begin Foundation Establishment as soon as possible and enhance the n''s strength.


    Inside the Elders'' Council Hall, eight members of the Lin Family of the Shi generation gathered. Lin Shikang sat at the head of the table as the eight settled around it.


    Lin Shigong was tense. Seeing Lin Shilu return alone without the sight of his grandson Lin Tianming, he began to worry wildly.


    The mission Lin Tianming undertook to Qianchuan Market carried significant risk. The Sun Family of Golden Horn Mountain had always been hostile towards the Lin Family, resulting in constant friction. Furthermore, with numerous powerful individuals in the market, even Foundation Establishment Cultivators could not ensure absolute safety, let alone Lin Tianming, who was merely at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. Shi Gong couldn''t help but feel concerned.


    Lin Shilu then spoke:


    "Now that all eight brothers are present, let''s formally begin the meeting."


    A smile tinged Lin Shilu''s weary face as he took out a jade bottle from his storage bag and ced it in the center of the round table.


    Besides Lin Shikang, Lin Shigong, and Lin Shilu, the other five people''s faces blossomed with joy, presumably guessing what was in the bottle.


    Lin Shigong, exceedingly anxious, blurted out without a care for what was inside the bottle.


    "Little Fifteen, where is Tianming? Why didn''t hee back with you? Has something happened?"


    Lin Shigong''s barrage of questions left his brothers in the grand hall taken aback, and then they burst intoughter, even the usually stern Lin Shiji included.


    Caught off guard, Lin Shigong pondered and realized he was overthinking it. Noting Lin Shilu''s expression devoid of any sadness, surely nothing bad could have happened to Tianming.


    The other six in the hall could tell, and only the mentally preupied Lin Shigong had missed it.


    Lin Shixin, known for his yful nature, couldn''t resist chiming in:


    "Ninth Brother, seeing the look on little Fifteen, you should know that Tianming is safe. Yet, you didn''t see it. Really, when the mind is in chaos, even intelligence slips away, haha..."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shigong came to his senses, his face flushed with embarrassment as heughed awkwardly.


    Lin Shikang snatched the jade bottle out of the air, inspected a Minor Foundation Building Pill closely before tossing it to Lin Shigong:


    Lin Shigong caught the pill between his fingers and took out a jade tube left by Third Order Alchemy Master Yuhua,paring it thoroughly.


    Half a quarter of an hourter, Lin Shigong nodded with satisfaction, his voice tingling with excitement as he began to speak.


    "This elixir is undoubtedly a genuine Minor Foundation Building Pill!"


    Upon hearing this, everyone aside from Lin Shilu and another who had already reached Foundation Establishment, revealed a fervent gleam in their eyes.


    Lin Shikang also opened his mouth at this time to ask Lin Shilu:


    "Why are there only three Minor Foundation Building Pills? Tianming had turned in fifteen Hidden Spirit Grass!"


    Lin Shilu shared Lin Tianming''s thoughts with all his brothers, and everyone nodded in approval, fully recognizing Lin Tianming''s arrangement.


    Now, time was money, even the hope of the entire n; the Lin Family indeed needed these elixirs very much. Used properly, they could significantly enhance the Lin Family''s overall strength within just ten years, and indeed, the significance was extraordinary.


    At this point, Lin Shikang stood up and said:


    "Now let us discuss the allocation of these three Minor Foundation Building Pills, as well as the subsequent distribution issues!"


    Instantly, the atmosphere in the entire hall ignited, with all but Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu, who had established their Foundation, getting involved in a heated debate. Among the remaining six, the youngest, Lin Shihua, was nearly ny years old with only thirty years of life left, while Lin Shiji was just over a hundred. The sooner they consumed the pill, the greater their hope for Foundation Establishment. Everyone wanted to secure a Minor Foundation Building Pill as soon as possible to retain the hope of entering the Foundation Establishment stage, after all, no one wanted to die.


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu, sitting close together, whispered into each other''s ears,pletely ignoring the relentless debates of the others.


    Half a quarter of an hourter, Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu reached a unanimous decision.


    Lin Shikang stood up, silencing all his brothers before speaking out:


    "These three Minor Foundation Building Pills are just the first batch of elixirs, with more toe, though the quantity is yet to be determined. However, it is estimated that there will be at least five more. There''s no need for such urgency."


    "Shilu and I have decided to give these three to Lin Shiji, Lin Shigong, and Lin Shihua, who are already at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining stage. These pills aren''t free, though; they require an exchange of eight-thousand merit points. After all, the family has paid a huge price to produce these medicines. When the rest of the elixirse back, as long as you have enough merit points, any n member can exchange for them!"


    "For the three of you remaining, you will of course have priority for the exchange. Conveniently, all of you are at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. Even with the elixirs, you can''t consume them in a short time. In the next half year, you can focus on cultivating fully, striving to reach Great Perfection earlier, and then using these pills to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage wouldn''t be toote."


    When the others heard this, seeing that Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu had reached a consensus, and their reasoning sound, no one dared to voice any objections, fearing it would provoke the opposition of all the n members.


    Lin Shikang collected the three Minor Foundation Building Pills and asked everyone to return and arrange their resources and merit points. Once they had enough, they coulde back to exchange with him, after all, acquiring eight-thousand merit points was not an easy feat.


    Even for the best alchemist in the family,ing up with eight-thousand merit points at once was quite difficult, unless one sold all their personal property.


    One by one, the people bid farewell and dispersed. As they left, Lin Shilu called Lin Shigong aside and asked for the Family Token.


    Lin Shilu took out his own Family Token, imprinted a Law Decree, and transferred three-thousand merit points from it to Lin Shigong.


    "This is what Tianming asked me to pass on to you, his two-thousand merit points, along with the thousand I''m lending you, making up three-thousand in total."


    Lin Shigong''s face reddened with embarrassment, for he had not expected to be borrowing his grandson''s merit points at such a time.


    But upon reflection, he realized that these merit points were indeed something he desperately needed right now. It solved his urgent need so he wouldn''t have to sell any spiritual objects or elixirs.


    Lin Shigong did not refuse, saying:n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Thank you, fifteenth brother. As soon as I sell some spiritual medicines and treasures, I''ll return these merit points to you."


    Lin Shilu smiled in response. After exchanging goodbyes, they each went their own way. Lin Shilu arranged the time to return to Qianchuan Market before leaving.


    Lin Shilu nned to rest for two days before setting off again. After all, with Tianming alone in the market, he was somewhat worried. If he hadn''t been utterly exhausted, departing immediately wouldn''t have been impossible. Fortunately, the market was rtively safe, and with Ye Pinghai looking out for him, there shouldn''t be any significant danger.

 Chapter 47 Large Market Gathering_1

    One clear morning in Qianchuan Market, at the za in the Southern District.


    After half a month of secluded alchemy, Lin Tianming emerged from his retreat. Since Ye Pinghai was still refining Minor Foundation Building Pills and shouldn''t be disturbed, Lin Tianming nned to set up a stall to sell off some useless spiritual medicine materials, elixirs, and spiritual artifacts he had on hand.


    Lin Tianming approached the exterior of a stone building, where already quite a few cultivators wereing and going, all there to rent stall spaces. The vast majority were below the Eighth Level of Qi Refinement, and there were a few whose cultivation levels he couldn''t discern.


    Taking a deep breath, Lin Tianming walked into the hall.


    Within the hall, five cultivators dressed in uniform attire stood out conspicuously, embroidered with a bright sun on their golden clothes, the emblem of the Zhenyang Sect of the Wei Kingdom.


    Since Qianchuan Market was a property of Zhenyang Sect, managing the market and rted affairs naturally were taken as tasks assigned to the inner sect disciples of the sect.


    With over a thousand members in Zhenyang Sect, only inner sect disciples above the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement were issued such robes, a uniform attire. Lower-level cultivators below the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement could be considered only as outer sect disciples, with hardly any status to speak of, and could barely count as members of the Zhenyang Sect.


    In Zhenyang Sect, only the cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage were considered core disciples, not to mention the even higher ranked true disciples, each one being a young talent with extraordinary gifts.


    Zhenyang Sect controlled two medium-sized markets, with Qianchuan Market being just one of them. The other medium-sized market was located to the north of the Zhenyang Sect, over ten thousand miles from here.


    Lin Tianming felt very envious, wishing that one day the Lin Family could also have thousands of members, uniform attire, and manage a medium-sized market like Qianchuan Market.


    Inside the hall, four Zhenyang Sect cultivators were attending to others who came to rent stalls. There was one cultivator whose spot was conveniently vacant, so Lin Tianming quickly stepped forward and started talking to the sect disciple in charge.


    After some conversation and choosing his spot, Lin Tianming took out five low-grade spirit stones and handed them to the disciple, receiving a gold-yellow card in exchange.


    The card served as a permit for setting up a stall. The enforcement team often patrolled the entire Southern District za to maintain order and check whether the stallholders had all the proper documentation. Those without a card who attempted to blend in and set up a stall illegally would be apprehended and punished. There were even cases where those who resisted were killed on the spot.


    Lin Tianming pocketed the card and left the hall, heading towards the center of the za.


    By then, the za already had over a hundred stalls set up, with more cultivators continuously arriving.


    For some reason, today''s market seemed exceptionally bustling to Lin Tianming, much to his surprise.


    In a hurry, he found the spot he''d selected, a corner in the western part of the za, covering a few square meters. It wasn''t in the center and wasn''t near the edge of the za; the location was quite ordinary indeed.


    He thought he was up early, but others had been earlier, and the better spots had already been rented out, leaving only these peripheral corners avable.


    Lin Tianming spread out a piece of beast skin on the ground and sat down.


    He took eleven bottles of Lingshen Pills out of his storage bag. They weremon Lingshen Pills not refined with the help of the Eye of Five Colors, and these were all he had left. Although their potency couldn''tpare with those refinedter, they were still decent among themon Lingshen Pills and should sell well.


    As for the Superior Spirit Essence Pills he refinedter, he didn''t dare sell them here as it could attract unnecessary trouble. He could only take them himself or sell them to the family for exchange and use by the n members.


    Half a quarter of an hour had passed, and in front of Lin Tianmingy quite a few items. Besides the eleven bottles of Lingshen Pills, there were also over thirty pieces of First Order Spiritual Medicine¡ªrewards from his days guarding Qingfeng Town. He kept about a dozen of the medicines that had multiple purposes and sold all the other Lingshen Pill materials and some of the useless Spiritual Objects, exchanging them for Spirit Stones.


    He also brought out a set of hammers, Spiritual Artifacts, which he had obtained from the Red Robe Cultivator. More than half a year had passed since the fight, and given the distance to Qianchuan Market and its teeming, diverse crowd where countless Spiritual Artifacts changed hands daily, it was the perfect opportunity to sell those ill-gotten gains. However, he had no ns to sell the three Spirit Swords Spiritual Artifact he had acquired; after using them for some time, he thought they would be very suitable for Lin Tianyue.


    The items Lin Tianming set out for his stall were numerous, including elixirs, Spiritual Medicine materials, and Spiritual Artifacts, all of fine quality and almost entirely acquired from Qingfeng Town.


    As time moved on, after half an hour, the za surprisingly hosted hundreds of stalls, which even astonished Lin Tianming.


    "What day is it today that the number of stalls has more than tripled suddenly? It''s truly strange."


    The female cultivator at the stall next to Lin Tianming was in the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, about thirty years old in appearance, dressed like a noblewoman; it was unclear whether it was her true appearance or if she had altered it somehow.


    Lin Tianming took the initiative to start a conversation, aiming to glean some information.


    "Excuse me, fairy, do you know why today there are so many fellow cultivators setting up stalls? The number has increased several-fold."


    The well-dresseddy, seeing the extraordinary items Lin Tianming had for sale, intended to be acquainted with him.


    "My name is Xin Qing, just a Loose Cultivator. May I ask the esteemed name of this fellow daoist?"


    "I am Chen Tian, also a Loose Cultivator. Pleased to meet you, Fairy Xin."


    Lin Tianming replied calmly, with a hint of a smile, deliberately using a different name and not revealing his real one. He picked a rathermon surname, as Chen was a major family name within Wei Kingdom and countless cultivators bore it.


    "Is this your first time at Qianchuan Market? Don''t you know about the decennial grand assembly of the market?"


    Lin Tianming gave an embarrassed smile and listened as Xin Qing exined the origins of the grand assembly.


    It turned out that Qianchuan Market held a small assembly every two years and a grand assembly every ten years. In three days, the decennial grand assembly would take ce, attracting numerous cultivators into the market to buy items needed for their cultivation or to conduct business and earn Spirit Stones. Some cultivators came just for the spectacle. It was said that even Nascent Soul Masters might attend the trade conference.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Each market assembly featured severalrge auctions where various cultivation techniques, manuals, elixirs, Spiritual Artifacts, and many rare treasures were presented. At thest grand assembly for Qi Refining Cultivators, even Foundation Establishment Pills had appeared¡ªfive of them¡ªwith each selling for more than 30,000 Spirit Stones, the finale of the Qi Refining auction stage.


    Hearing Xin Qing''s exnation, Lin Tianming was quite surprised. Foundation Establishment Pills were avable, no wonder so many cultivators flocked to Qianchuan Market.


    Lin Tianming was deeply moved at that moment, considering how the Lin Family, established for eight hundred years on Green Bamboo Mountain, had always found the struggle for Foundation Establishment to be immensely difficult, with many forebears sacrificing for it. Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator family like the Lin''s, which had nevercked for cultivators, found it hard, which made one imagine the plight of Qi Refining families and Loose Cultivators being even more challenging.


    Time gradually passed, and eventually, all the stalls in the Southern District''s za were upied by cultivators, with groups of cultivators entering to shop and enlivening the area.


    Lin Tianming paused his casual conversation with Xin Qing as they returned to their respective stalls, ready to deal with cultivators who came to inquire about the prices.

 Chapter 48 Setting up a Stall_1

    In the southern district of Qianchuan Market, arge number of cultivators flooded into the bazaar. Within just half an hour, the number of people had quickly surpassed a thousand and continued to grow. The entire trading area was bustling with activity.


    After starting his stall, Lin Tianming had waited for half an hour for a customer to arrive. Finally, a male cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement came by.


    This person, named Qin Yun, was a First Order Rogue Cultivator who frequented various big markets. He traded in spiritual medicine materials for a profit and had amassed quite a substantial wealth.


    With the grand gathering at the market imminent, Qin Yun decided to sell the spiritual medicine he had rued and nned to buy some elixirs for his cultivation. The elixirs in therge shops were all more expensive than those at the stalls, so he simply went to the stalls to try his luck, saving whatever money he could.


    After visiting several stalls that sold elixirs and finding only Lingshen Pills with mediocre potency, which he suspected were crafted by just-emerging First Order Medium Grade alchemists due to their poor quality, he was not very impressed. They were priced at eight spirit stones each, which really was not a good value for the money.


    It was not until he reached Lin Tianming''s stall and examined the elixirs that he judged the alchemist who made them to be extraordinary, certainly notparable to the halfpetent ones he''d seen before. Very satisfied with the elixirs, he was eager to buy and promptly asked about the price.


    "Fellow Daoist, how much are you selling your Lingshen Pills for?"


    Having waited half an hour for business to pick up, Lin Tianming stood up and replied with a calm tone.


    "The price for a single pill is nine spirit stones, or twenty-five for three."


    Qin Yun hardly thought about it before cheerfully taking out fifty spirit stones and buying two bottles. Had he not been limited by the number of spirit stones he had, he would have liked to buy a couple more. Although they were one spirit stone more expensive than where he had asked previously, the potency of these Lingshen Pills was so good that it was hard toe by, making the extra cost worthwhile.


    Lin Tianming received the spirit stones and handed over two bottles of Lingshen Pills to Qin Yun, who then left to continue browsing other stalls.


    Finally making his first sale, Lin Tianming rxed a bit. It would have been quite embarrassing if he had not sold anything. He was confident that with his high-quality elixirs, selling out shouldn''t be hard.


    Within an hour after Qin Yun''s departure, Lin Tianming sold only a few First Order Spirit Grass, making a total of sixteen spirit stones. During this time, several cultivators with lower levels of cultivation had asked for prices but did not buy anything. Judging by the look of frustration and longing on their faces as they left, it was likely they didn''t have enough spirit stones and had no choice but to give up.


    Wave after wave of Qi Refining Cultivators came to inquire about the prices but left disappointed. Almost all of them were persons of scant means, many from ns or low-ranking members of sects.


    On the other hand, the Loose Cultivators were not so destitute. Although theycked support, they also had nomitments to hold them back, living on the edge and tasting danger. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. Those Loose Cultivators who survived were all people of considerable wealth.


    Although Lin Tianming was from a n, he was willing to face danger. Just by defending Qingfeng Town, he had be quite rich, and his cultivation had also progressed rapidly.


    In contrast, those n members and sect disciples with lesser talents, ustomed to a peaceful life and afraid to take risks, relied on benefits to get by, taking on only safe family tasks to earn spirit stones. Such a life, over the long term, could only lead to further moral decline.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming continued to wait for customers.


    As noon arrived, the number of cultivators in the market reached its peak, with nearly every stall having at least one cultivator selecting suitable items.


    At Lin Tianming''s stall, a muscr man with a bare upper body was perusing the items.


    This man was tall and burly, towering over Lin Tianming by quite a bit. His bulging muscles were obvious, and he made no effort to conceal his aura. Astonishingly, he was a cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining, and a Body Cultivator at that. His chest, hands, and arms bore more than a dozen scars. Although healed, faint traces still remained.


    Many cultivators who were strolling around were attracted by this man. One of them, a cultivator in yellow robes, said in surprise,


    ''That''s Tie Feng. He''s a ruthless guy.''


    Another cultivator, at the third level of Qi Cultivation, curiously asked, ''Who is Tie Feng?''


    A number of people who had not heard of this man gathered around to listen as the cultivator in yellow robes spoke at length, his words tinged with a hint of wariness.


    ''Tie Feng is a ruthless man, a lone cultivator. When he was at the fifth level of Qi Practice, he would often search for medicine in the Fire Cloud Mountain Range. No one knows how many Demonic Beasts at the middle stage of the First Order he has killed. It''s said that he has even exchanged blows with Demonic Beasts at thete stage of the First Order and came back unscathed. Tell me, isn''t that ruthless?''


    The onlookers, many cultivators among them, took a deep breath in awe and couldn''t help but reveal expressions of admiration and respect. They thought to themselves that they should be sensible if they ever encountered this man and try not to offend him.


    The Fire Cloud Mountain Range was located more than eight hundred miles west of Qianchuan Market. It marked the boundary between the Demonic Lands and the territory of the Human Race. It belonged to the outer regions, housing numerous First Order Demonic Beasts and some Spiritual Objects. It was a ce of experience for many low-level cultivators.


    Tie Feng, hearing the conversations of the crowd, paid no attention. He carefully assessed the two massive hammers, which were Spiritual Artifacts, in his hands.


    Swinging the hammers that weighed over a thousand pounds¡ªsmashing, chopping, quickly moving them back and forth more than a dozen times, stirring up a breeze with each motion¡ªhe felt very satisfied.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As his cultivation increased, his previous weapon, a big stick that was a low-quality Spiritual Artifact, with mediocre power, could no longer fully leverage his strength. Just so happened, he had luckily found a dozen or so High-Quality First Order Spirit Grasses in the Fire Cloud Mountain Range, sold them for more than a hundred Spirit Stones, and with the Spirit Stones he previously had, it was just enough to buy a good Spiritual Artifact to enhance his strength.


    ''Fellow Daoist, what are the names of these two hammer-type Spiritual Artifacts? How much are they selling for?''


    Lin Tianming exined with an almost smiling demeanor,


    ''These two hammer-type Spiritual Artifacts are called the Sky Shaker Hammers. They are both at the Medium Grade of the First Order. Each hammer weighs a thousand pounds and is part of a set, extremely suitable for a Body Cultivator like Brother Tie, capable of unleashing the greatest power. I will sell the pair together. Seeing Brother Tie''s extraordinary strength, I will give you the lowest price¡ªjust one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones.''


    Tie Feng felt that the two Sky Shaker Hammers were indeed very suitable for him, capable of greatly enhancing his strength, and the price was fairly reasonable. Such Spiritual Artifacts would probably cost two hundred Spirit Stones in the shops of the West District.


    He set down the Sky Shaker Hammers and picked up a bottle of Lingshen Pills to inspect. Pleased with the elixirs, he decided to buy a bottle to aid his cultivation.


    Having decided on his purchases, he asked Lin Tianming to give him a better deal.


    Lin Tianming was straightforward; he sold the two Sky Shaker Hammers and a bottle of Lingshen Pills for two hundred Spirit Stones, giving Tie Feng a five Spirit Stone discount. Tie Feng was very grateful and inquired about the next time Lin Tianming would set up his stall, deciding to be a long-term customer.


    Lin Tianming bowed with an apologetic expression and said,


    ''Brother Tie, I must apologize. My name is Chen Tian, also a rogue cultivator who has no fixed abode and considers the four seas my home. However, I doe to Qianchuan Market quite often, so we could exchange contact methods. If fate allows, we shall meet again.''


    Not insisting further, Tie Feng exchanged contact information with him and, after bowing, took his leave. Before departing, he did not forget to promote Lin Tianming''s stall, and many cultivators, hearing of the quality of Lin Tianming''s elixirs, rushed to purchase. In less than half a day, all of the elixirs and Spiritual Medicine had sold out, with even Xin Qing from the neighboring stall buying a bottle of Lingshen Pills.


    Lin Tianming packed up his stall and left the Southern District, heading towards his cave dwelling.

 Chapter 49 Auction_1

    In the secret chamber of the cave abode, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the cushion, extending his Divine Sense to take inventory of the items in his storage bag.


    Today''s stall brought in a decent haul; eleven Lingshen Pills sold for two hundred and eighty-six Spirit Stones, two Sky Shaker Hammers went for one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones, and various other low-level Spirit Grasses sold for fifty-four Spirit Stones. Only seven or eightmon Spiritual Medicines remained unsold. The day''s sales totaled five hundred and twenty Spirit Stones.


    After calcting the ie from the stall, and adding the thousand Spirit Stones Lin Shigong funded for the making of the Earth Evil Sword, which Lin Shilu didn''t charge for his work, Lin Tianming hadn''t had the chance to repay Lin Shigong, so they were unused, sitting in his bag. Including his own Spirit Stones, he now had over seventeen hundred Spirit Stones in his storage bag¡ªa substantial amount of money. Lin Tianming, the very image of a rich country gentleman, chuckled as he put the Spirit Stones back into the bag.


    While at the stall, he heard from Xin Qing that there would be several Qi Refinement Realm auctions in three days, where many rare items would be avable. Lin Tianming''s interest was immediately piqued. With plenty of Spirit Stones and no shortage of elixirs, he nned to see what treasures were there; he might find some good things to buy.


    With three days until the auction began and nothing else to do, Lin Tianming thought about the Superior Spirit Essence Pill he had yet to test. He took out a pill and began his cultivation practice.


    As soon as the Lingshen Pill entered his mouth, Lin Tianming quickly activated his Cultivation Technique to refine the vast medicinal power spreading rapidly throughout his body, eventually flowing into the Seven Sea Dantian.


    For half a year, having not used any elixirs for cultivation, his cultivation had stagnated. The rush of Spiritual Power into the Seven Sea Dantian was like sweet rain after a long drought, instantly refreshing Lin Tianming.


    As time passed, within less than fifteen minutes of cultivation, intense pain had almost numbed him. He took a Body Strengthening Pill. In a few breaths, the prickling sensation throughout his body lessened considerably, and slowly returned to normal.


    Without the Body Strengthening Pill to aid in cultivation, the pain from this technique was unbearable for ordinary people. Just the consumption of various elixirs needed for auxiliary cultivation was something average Cultivators couldn''t afford, no wonder such Cultivation Techniques had been lost to history.


    The power of the Lingshen Pill slowly entered the Dantian. The Seven Sea Dantian, starved for Spiritual Energy for so long, voraciously absorbed it. The Qi Sea, which hadn''t grown in six months, also slowly started to expand. Though still some distance from reaching the Eighth Level of Qi Cultivation, it wasn''t too far off.


    Assisted by the Body Strengthening Pill, Lin Tianming could now cultivate without worries. Thanks to the elixirs, his Spiritual Power increased rapidly.


    After cultivating for two whole days, hepletely refined one Lingshen Pill. The potent medicinal power surprised Lin Tianming. Produced with the help of the Eye of Five Colors, the Lingshen Pill''s potency was a full twenty percent higher than any elixir he had used before, truly a superior quality elixir.


    The effect of the Body Strengthening Pill was also excellent, not only alleviating the pain of cultivation but also swiftly enhancing his physique. His strength incrementally increased. Given time, he would be able to match a Spiritual Artifact''s power with his body alone, securing an invincible position.


    After the three days were up, Lin Tianming emerged from his retreat, his aura stable and robust. He walked out of his cave dwelling, heading towards the tallest and grandest building in the Eastern District of the Market City.


    Many Cultivators were already on the road, heading towards the auction site, all intending to participate in the auction.


    In fifteen minutes, Lin Tianming arrived in front of a massive hall which stood five stories tall and covered thousands of square meters, exuding grandeur. This hall was thergest auction building in the Market City.


    It was said that the first floor was for Qi Training Cultivators'' auctions, the second floor for Foundation Establishment Cultivator auctions, and the third floor was where Nascent Soul Masters freely traded. With each higher level, space decreased. As for the fourth and fifth floors, no one knew exactly what transpired there.


    ```


    The Market City auction held several sessions each month, with only a small portion of the seats open and the Spiritual Objects on offer rtively mediocre. It was only during the grand assembly that all seats were open, and sometimes the treasures that appeared could even make a Foundation Establishment Cultivator envious.


    At this moment, a queue of several dozen meters had formed in front of the grand hall, all cultivators preparing to enter the auction. Almost all of them were at the Fifth Level Qi Practice or above, including two openly at the Foundation Establishment Stage. There were undoubtedly many more in disguise, most likely aiming for the Foundation Establishment Pills.


    Lin Tianming followed the queue closely, slowly moving forward.


    As he approached the entrance, a Qi Training Cultivator donned in Zhenyang Sect attire was collecting Spirit Stones.


    For the Qi Refinement Realm auction, themon area charged each cultivator three Spirit Stones, while the high-end private rooms cost twenty Spirit Stones each and could admit up to four people.


    Lin Tianming decided to get a private room. Although it was much more expensive in Spirit Stones, he could afford it now given his considerable wealth. Plus, the private rooms came with protective enchantments that made it difficult to leak one''s whereabouts. His family''s affairs were too critical, and it was better to err on the side of caution.


    When it was Lin Tianming''s turn, he took out twenty Spirit Stones and handed them to the Zhenyang Sect cultivator. Upon receiving a token marked with a number, he stepped into the inner hall, where a charming female cultivator came forward to lead Lin Tianming to the private room corresponding to the number on his token.


    The charming female cultivator had a lovely face and was dressed in green. Her figure was exceptionally voluptuous. Judging by her bone age, she was just over twenty years old and at the Third Level Qi Practice.


    In the Cultivation World, the path of cultivation was even more challenging for female Loose Cultivators. Without talent or backing, they could only earn meager ies doing lowly chores or serve as maids or Furnace Cauldrons for the powerful, which was far from easy. Some sought suitable daopanions to cooperate with, making survival somewhat easier.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming had not hesitated to choose a private room, the female cultivator knew he was not an ordinary Qi Training Cultivator and must be quite wealthy. If she provided good service, perhaps she could receive some gratuity.


    The guide swayed her hips as she led the way, nearly eliciting a reaction from Lin Tianming, who was still a virgin.


    Lin Tianming took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and followed the female cultivator.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Arriving at a private room, Lin Tianming took out his token, which was engraved with the number forty-six. He verified that the room matched the number on the token, deactivated the protective barrier, and walked in. The female cultivator followed him inside, brewed a cup of Spiritual Tea for Lin Tianming, and then stood to the side.


    As time passed, the number of cultivators entering the auction gradually decreased. In the center of the entire ground floor was a high tform, surrounded by five concentric circles with hundreds of seats, each row fully upied.


    Above themon area, dozens of private rooms encircled the tform, each covering ten square meters and protected by barriers against Divine Sense. The view was excellent, and Lin Tianming felt the twenty Spirit Stones were well spent.


    Lin Tianming sipped the Spiritual Tea and patiently waited for the auction to begin.


    Half an hourter, the stone doors at the first-floor entrance closed, and the somewhat noisy auction hall quickly became quiet.


    ```

 Chapter 50 Second Order Golden Sword Talisman_1

    At the auction, an elder of advanced age slowly made his way onto the stage. This person had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, his white hair suggesting he was probably a few years older than Lin Shigong.


    Upon seeing the elder, someone from the crowd said, "Unexpectedly, it''s Ruan Dao-you hosting. Surely the treasures this time are nothing ordinary!"


    Many cultivators who had never heard of the man began inquiring amongst their neighbors who were familiar with him.


    "Ruan Dao-you is a gold-medal auctioneer, having been in the auctioneering business for almost fifty years. He has conducted hundreds of auctions, handling countless treasures, and hasn''t participated in an auction for nearly a decade. The items he handles are certainly nomon goods!"


    After hearing the cultivator''s exnation, the auction hall was abuzz, but it quickly settled down again, indicating that this person''s reputation was indeed not small.


    "I, Ruan Jingtian, bid wee to all fellow cultivators attending this auction. I won''t bbor the rules: the highest bidder wins. If your spirit stones are insufficient, other treasures can be mortgaged. Enough talk, let''s proceed without further ado. I announce, the auction begins."


    As soon as Ruan Jingtian finished speaking, a beautiful woman dressed in red, with captivating charm and a provocatively twisting waist, walked swiftly up to the stage. She held a tray in her hands, covered in red cloth, hiding the treasure beneath.


    The eyes of many cultivators in the auction lit up with desire, nearly devouring the woman with their gazes, though it was unclear whether it was for the treasure or the woman herself.


    Ruan Jingtian paid no attention to the atmosphere below, raised his voice infused with a trace of mana, and started the bidding:


    "The first auction item, aplete set of First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Artifacts, the Five-Child Mysterious Water Beads."


    The captivating woman unveiled the red cloth to reveal five beads the size of an infant''s fist, their grayish-green bodies quite pleasing to the eye.


    "The Five-Child Mysterious Water Beads, each one a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact. When activated together, they can instantly unleash a hundred-zhang wave to trap foes, or release numerous ice arrows, possessing formidable power. They are not only good for trapping enemies but also for killing them. Truly a powerful set of Spiritual Artifacts. The starting bid is three hundred and fifty spirit stones, and each subsequent bid must increase by at least five spirit stones."


    Hearing the introduction, Lin Tianming found himself quite fond of this Spiritual Artifact but, already owning the superior Earth Evil Sword and aplete set of Supreme Grade Spiritual Artifacts, he didn''t care to waste spirit stones, thus the Qi Refining Cultivators below were impatient.


    Instantly the auction became fiercelypetitive, with multiple cultivators beginning to bid.


    A cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement shouted, "I bid three hundred and sixty spirit stones."


    Before the echo died down, another cultivator called out mockingly.


    "Three hundred and sixty stones for such an item, what a joke. I bid three hundred and seventy spirit stones."


    "I bid three hundred and eighty spirit stones."


    "Four hundred spirit stones."


    "Four hundred and eighty spirit stones."


    ......


    After over ten rounds of bidding, the Five-Child Mysterious Water Beads were sold for four hundred and eighty spirit stones to a White Robed Cultivator who appeared to cultivate water-based techniques, and thus could exploit the full potential of these beads.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help butment that the price of the Five-Child Mysterious Water Beads was somewhat inted, even though they were indeed a fine set. A single bead was nearly as valuable as the two Earthly Hammer Weapons he had sold, yet the price was more than ten percent higher than the usual market rate.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The preciousness of the first item quickly inmed the atmosphere, leaving everyone increasingly expectant for the uing treasures.


    "A First Order Medium Grade defensive Spiritual Artifact, Vajra Armor, crafted from the hide of the First Order Superior Grade Demonic Beast Silver-Horned Lizard, it boasts extreme defensive power. The starting bid is eighty spirit stones, with each increase no less than five spirit stones."


    "Ny stones!"


    "One hundred stones!"


    "One hundred and ten stones!"


    ...


    "One hundred and thirty-five stones!"


    Ultimately, it was acquired by a cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement.


    Ruan Jingtian sessively brought out a series of auction items, elixirs, talisman paper, spiritual artifacts, mostly needed by Qi Refining Stage Cultivators, and the transaction prices kept rising, making the atmosphere of the auction get increasingly intense.


    Lin Tianming did not participate in the bidding process at all, as he was notcking in elixirs or spiritual artifacts. These treasures, if presented half a year earlier, might have excited him, but now, it was hard for them to pique his interest.


    "We will now proceed with the final ten showstopper treasures of the auction, my fellow Daoists, you may want to keep your eyes peeled!"


    Ruan Jingtian''s words pushed the atmosphere of the entire auction to a climax; many cultivators who hadn''t bid before were now fully alert, having waited for such a long time specifically for these showstopper items.


    "The first item up for auction is a First Order Superior Grade elixir, the Xisui Pill, with a quantity of three, auctioning one at a time, with a starting bid of one hundred spirit stones, and each bid must be no less than five spirit stones!"


    The charming woman stepped onto the tform again, pouring an elixir from the jade bottle, pinching it between her delicate fingers, and disying it for the many cultivators to see.


    Instantly, a bid was called out from a private room!


    "One hundred and ten spirit stones!"


    ...


    "One hundred and forty spirit stones!"


    The entire venue was astounded. After a fiercepetition, a cultivator in a private room won the bid with one hundred and forty spirit stones.


    The first Xisui Pill was sold at a high price, and the other two were not cheap either, being sold for one hundred and thirty and one hundred and thirty-five spirit stones respectively. Only one was bought by a cultivator in the open area of the auction, while the other two were acquired by cultivators in private rooms.


    Lin Tianming was also very surprised; he had not expected the Xisui Pill to be so sought after, prompting such frenzy among the cultivators. He couldn''t help but wonder how much the Xisui Pills he had refined were worth in spirit stones!


    The auction continued, and the value of the showstopper treasures became increasingly higher. During the third item, a bottle of Pozhang Pills was sold, with each of the three elixirs fetching a high price of no less than one hundred and eighty spirit stones.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help but sigh; these cultivators were truly crazy!


    "The fourth item for auction, a Second Order inferior grade Golden Sword Talisman, upon activation, can unleash a Golden Sword Qi, powerful enough to beparable to the full-force blow of an Initial Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator!"


    "Starting bid of two hundred and twenty spirit stones, with each bid increase being no less than ten spirit stones."


    After Ruan Jingtian''s introduction came to an end, a cultivator in a private room immediately started bidding.


    "Two hundred and thirty spirit stones!"


    "Two hundred and forty spirit stones!"


    After six rounds of bidding, the price for this talisman quickly climbed to two hundred and ny spirit stones.


    At this point, Lin Tianming also wanted to win this talisman. He had quite a few First Order Superior Grade talisman paper, and with the help of spiritual artifacts and talisman paper, facing a Ninth Layer of Qi Refining was not a big problem, but it was quite difficult to inflict fatal damage on a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage. If he had a Second Order Talisman, he couldpletely turn the tide, and even possess a sliver of counterattacking power against a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    "Three hundred and twenty spirit stones!"


    Lin Tianming raised the price by thirty spirit stones in one breath, hoping to discourage the other bidders.


    At that moment, someone in a private room spoke:


    "Three hundred and forty spirit stones, if any fellow Daoist bids higher, I will withdraw!"


    Then, the auction became silent, with no further bids.


    "Three hundred and fifty spirit stones!"


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Tianming shouted out a new bid!


    Eventually, after the countdown, no one outbid Lin Tianming, and he sessfully won the item.


    Lin Tianming took out the spirit stones and threw them towards the tform from the private room, where Ruan Jingtian caught them in one swoop. After verifying the amount was correct, he threw the Golden Sword Talisman to Lin Tianming.

 Chapter 51 Another Auction_1

    In the private room, Lin Tianming picked up the Golden Sword Talisman, inspecting it over and over, feeling the furious spiritual power within the talisman paper, and lookingpletely infatuated with it.


    With this talisman paper in hand, even if he encountered a Great Completion Cultivator who waspletely unguarded, he might be able to inflict fatal damage.


    Thinking of this, spending 350 spirit stones seemed entirely worth it. He didn''t feel the slightest sting of regret, and suddenly became very generous.


    The maid attending him had a rosyplexion and looked on with envy, asionally throwing sultry nces at Lin Tianming. She had witnessed hisvish spending; such a wealthy client must have an extraordinary fortune!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After storing the Golden Sword Talisman in his storage bag, Lin Tianming breathed a sigh of relief and continued to pay attention to the progression of the auction.


    "The sixth treasure, a Second Order inferior Alchemy Furnace¡ªthe Cloud Dust Furnace!"


    A blue pill furnace stood on the stage covered with densely packed inscriptions, delicately intricate. Spiritual energy swirled around its surface, making it very attractive to look at. Its quality was not inferior to the Four Symbols Furnace that Lin Tianming used.


    Upon seeing this item, the atmosphere in the auction hall heated up.


    Ruan Jingtian silenced the crowd and began the introduction.


    "The Cloud Dust Furnace, a Second Order inferior Alchemy Furnace, starting at 900 spirit stones, each bid must be at least 10 spirit stones higher than the previous!"


    No sooner had his voice faded than a cultivator in a private room bid.


    "950 spirit stones!"


    "1000 spirit stones!"


    ...


    "1300 spirit stones!"


    The entire ce buzzed with shock. Some cultivators who weren''t serious about bidding inhaled sharply; raising the bid by 300 spirit stones in one go was likely an attempt to intimidate those with covetous eyes, showing a determination to win.


    Sure enough, after the dramatic price increase, many cultivators who had intended to bid gave up. A normal Second Order inferior pill furnace was worth just over 1000 spirit stones, so the current price was already somewhat inted.


    In the end, only three cultivators in private rooms continued to bid, and after two rounds ofpetition, the Cloud Dust Furnace was won for 1400 spirit stones.


    The auction wasn''t even halfway through its final items, and there had already been Second Order talisman paper and a Second Order Alchemy Furnace on offer.


    This auction had indeed brought forth many valuable items, and each treasure presented was a rare find for a Qi Refining Stage Cultivator. Lin Tianming couldn''t help but wonder what the remaining five items would be.


    "The seventh treasure, a set of Second Order inferior Array tes, capable of setting up a Two Yi Four Symbols Formation, which can trap and kill enemies. Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator trapped inside would not die but would be certainly yed, starting at 1300 spirit stones, with each bid increasing by at least 20 spirit stones."


    As soon as Ruan Jingtian finished introducing it, someone ced a bid.


    "1400 spirit stones!"


    "1550 spirit stones!"


    ...


    After more than a dozen rounds of bidding, almost all came from cultivators in private rooms, likely family n members given their frenzied bidding.


    A Second Order inferior formation was more than enough to serve as a Protective n Formation for a family of Qi Refining Cultivators. Even many families with Foundation Establishment Cultivators used Second Order medium-quality formations.


    The Lin Family''s Protective n Formation was only a Second Order superior formation, acquired at great cost by an ancestor.


    Thanks to this formation, they had repelled attacks several times, preserving the n from annihtion.


    Therefore, every time formations appeared at an auction, they would incite intense bidding from numerous families, pushing the final price to astonishing heights.


    "1900 spirit stones!"


    A brief silence fell over the hall, and no further bids were ced. Finally, a cultivator in one of the private rooms won the bid.


    Lin Tianming had spent over three hundred spirit stones on a Second Order talisman, which could only be used once, while a formation could be used over a long period, even though maintaining the formation''s operation required quite a few spirit stones. Spending nearly two thousand spirit stones on the Array tes was indeed worth it!


    The auction continued, and seven items had already been auctioned off. The appearance of several Second Order Treasures had already been an eye-opener, and with three more treasured items remaining, they were sure to be even more precious.


    "The eighth auction item, the Great Sun Sword Qi Art, is a secret technique. Only half of it is avable, it''s not theplete secret technique, and its utility is still unknown. It is a consigned item by a fellow cultivator. The starting price is one thousand two hundred Spirit Stones, and each bid must increase by no less than twenty Spirit Stones."


    At this moment, the entire hall fell silent; everyone was calcting whether to bid or not, and Lin Tianming was also caught in thought.


    If this were aplete secret technique, even the lowest Yellow Grade Secret Technique could easily auction off for tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, but it was unclear whether it could be cultivated.


    Lin Tianming calcted that one thousand two hundred Spirit Stones was already quite a lot. If he bought it and couldn''t cultivate it or find the other half of the secret technique, it would be like throwing money into the water.


    After a good ten breaths of time with no one bidding, Lin Tianming considered and decided to bid. If he could cultivate it or find the other half, he could make a fortune.


    "One thousand two hundred and twenty Spirit Stones!"


    "One thousand two hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!"


    Right after Lin Tianming spoke, another cultivator increased the bid, presumably sharing the same thought as him, looking to see if they could pick up a bargain. The risk was substantial, but so was the potential reward, and there were quite a few clever people indeed!


    "One thousand three hundred and fifty Spirit Stones"


    Lin Tianming raised the bid by a hundred Spirit Stones in one breath. If that person bid again, he nned to give up, as he had less than one thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones left.


    As expected, the other party did not seem very keen on auctioning for this item and stopped raising the bid.


    Eventually, Lin Tianming got his wish and acquired the iplete secret technique for one thousand three hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.


    He paid the Spirit Stones on the spot, obtained the secret technique, and put it into his storage bag, nning to consult it once he returned to his cave dwelling.


    The auction continued. Surprisingly, the eighth treasure was a Water Attribute Yellow Grade Technique, which fetched fierce bidding and eventually sold for twenty-three thousand Spirit Stones, causing Lin Tianming to be taken aback and quietly marvel at the insanity.


    The ninth treasure was three Jiuyang Fruits. Consuming one Jiuyang Fruit could increase the probability of breaking through by twenty percent, making it one of the few Spiritual Objects that directly enhance the chance of Foundation Establishment and was extremely precious.


    The final price was also quite terrifying, with each fruit fetching no less than thirteen thousand Spirit Stones.


    The ten ultimate treasures were down to thest one, and it was estimated that the hearts of the cultivators present already had an idea, with the vast majority of the cultivators in the private rooms there for this item.


    "The tenth treasure, three Foundation Establishment Pills, to be auctioned separately, starting at twenty thousand per pill, with each increase not to be less than fifty Spirit Stones."


    "Twenty thousand one hundred Spirit Stones!"


    ...


    "Twenty-seven thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones!"


    Within just over ten rounds, the price had already approached twenty-eight thousand Spirit Stones.


    Lin Tianming, sitting in the private room, watched the excitement, with probably over ny percent of the people in the auction hall looking on eagerly for excitement.


    "Twenty-nine thousand Spirit Stones!"


    Finally, no one else made a bid. The person who had made the bid heaved a great sigh of relief and couldn''t help but feel secretly ted.


    When Ruan Jingtian announced the result, the bidding cultivator wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Having spent all his resources, he finally obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill.


    The first Foundation Establishment Pill ended up selling for a high price of twenty-nine thousand Spirit Stones.


    The subsequent two also sold for over twenty-eight thousand Spirit Stones each, with the average price of the three Foundation Establishment Pills being nearly twenty percent higher than the auction price at the grand gathering ten years ago.


    All treasures were sessfully auctioned off, with not a single item passed up, and with prices almost one to two percent higher than ten years prior. Thinking of themission he could draw, Ruan Jingtian couldn''t help but reveal a pleased expression.


    "Thank you, fellow Daoists, for your patronage. We will continue at our next auction!"


    With the auction ended, the cultivators in the main hall rose to their feet and slowly walked outside.


    Lin Tianming took out three Spirit Stones and rewarded the maid waiting by his side, then left the private room without looking back.

 Chapter 52 Great Sun Sword Qi Art_1

    Returning to his cave abode, Lin Tianming sat on the cushion in the secret chamber, holding a golden jade cylinder in his hand¡ªit was the secret technique for which he had paid over a thousand spirit stones.


    After carefully reviewing the secret technique, Lin Tianming fell into a contemtive state.


    ording to the method recorded in the secret technique, one had to draw a small portion of spiritual power from the Dantian and cultivate it into a strand of sword qi, nurturing it within the Seven Sea Dantian. The longer it was nurtured, the more powerful the sword qi would be when unleashed; it was indeed a secret technique.


    Unfortunately, this secret technique was only a fragment, merely halfplete, and its grade was unclear. It only recorded the condensation method of the Great Sun Sword Qi andcked the mental cultivation technique for deploying the secret technique. Without finding thetter half, it was fundamentally unusable, making it somewhat of a white elephant.


    No wonder so few cultivators at the auction were willing to bid. If it were aplete secret technique, it certainly would not be put up for auction.


    Lin Tianming pondered over the condensation method of the secret technique several times and decided to first condense the sword embryo before anything else. He could nurture it within the Dantian; if he could find thetter half in the future, he would have to obtain it no matter what. This could potentially be the first secret technique the Lin Family had acquired since its founding, greatly enhancing the strength and foundation of the family''s cultivators.


    After fullyprehending the method of condensation, Lin Tianming began to cultivate the secret technique; his first step was to sessfully condense the sword qi.


    Following the method recorded in the secret technique, he had to strip a portion of the spiritual power formed in the Dantian. This process was both dangerous and painful. If one did not handle the timing and amount correctly, it was easy to damage one''s foundation, making it extremely difficult to cultivate.


    Lin Tianming circted his cultivation technique, deployed his Divine Sense, and with the aid of the Eye of Five Colors, attempted to separate a portion of spiritual power¡ªabout ten percent of the total.


    After three days of cultivation, he still hadn''t seeded in separating it. Each attempt brought immense suffering, even more so than when he cultivated the Tiangang Body Art.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming''s face was pale, and he was drenched in sweat, the very picture of excessive energy depletion.


    Just as he began to entertain the thought of giving up, he sessfully separated a small portion of spiritual power, which gathered near the Dantian and remained stationary. Lin Tianming was overjoyed at this and focused his Divine Sense, mastering the amount of spiritual power until it met the requirements of the cultivation process, and then stopped extracting.


    With the help of the Eye of Five Colors, he sessfully extracted the spiritual power very precisely, exactly ten percent of the total. The first and most difficult step was finallypleted; what remained was to cultivate the spiritual power into a strand of sword qi and nurture it in the Dantian, warming it daily with spiritual power until his task was aplished.


    Two days hastened past, and during this time, Lin Tianming''splexion remained pale, a listless figure as though he had suffered a severe illness¡ªall a consequence of cultivating the secret technique.


    Separating ten percent of his spiritual power had turned half a year''s worth of diligent cultivation to ashes, his strength now diminished rather than increased.


    Lin Tianming started circting his cultivation technique again to go into closed-door healing and recover from his injuries.


    After a total of eight days in seclusion, having sessfully condensed the sword qi three days earlier, there now rested a small golden sword quietly in his Dantian, surrounded by spiritual power that constantly nourished the sword qi. During thest three days, Lin Tianming had been cultivating and recovering from his injuries, eventually regaining most of his strength.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A message suddenly flew into the secret chamber, and after reading it, Lin Tianming revealed a trace of a smile¡ªit was news that Fifteenth Grandfather had hurried back.


    With a smile on his face, Lin Tianming prepared to go out and wee him.


    It had been over forty days since Lin Shilu had left Qianchuan Market on his own. Having only rested at the family for two days, and not yet fully recovered, he had set out again, worried about Lin Tianming.


    Hurrying back over this forty-day journey, Lin Shilu also looked greatly fatigued, but he had finally made it back in time.


    Having lifted the prohibitions, Lin Shilu walked in, and Lin Tianming was already waiting in the yard.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, you''re back. Was everything smooth on your way?"


    Lin Tianming asked anxiously.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''splexion, Lin Shilu asked in anger, "Tianming, why do you look like this? Are you injured?"


    Lin Tianming recounted the whole story about the auction of the secret technique, including how he sessfully refined the Sword Qi, telling it like it was.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shilu chastised him with palpable rm:


    "Youd have quite the nerve, taking up a cultivation technique of dubious authenticity for direct cultivation; if there were any problems, it''s entirely possible you could have exploded and died on the spot."


    "Alright, remember not to be reckless in the future. Keep matters regarding the secret technique quiet for now; we will look for it in secret. Should we find it, it would naturally be a fortunate discovery for the Lin Family. If we don''t, let''s just consider the money spent as a lesson."


    The grandfather and grandson sat in the yard as Lin Shilu recounted his experiences of the past forty-plus days.


    "I''ve been on the move for over forty days, basically following the same route I took to the market, though I took some detours. The journey was rtively smooth, and having the Purple Gold Eagle for transportation certainly sped things up considerably; otherwise, it wouldn''t have been possible to return so quickly."


    "After I delivered the three elixirs to our n, the members of the Lin Family with the character ''Shi'' in their generation''s name discussed and have already decided on the distribution of the elixirs. Your grandfather, Elder Wu, and Twelfth Grandpa are all at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage and are among the most suitable candidates. Given their significant contributions to the family over the years, they naturally received priority, requiring eight thousand merit points in exchange for one pill. With their umtions over so many years, it shouldn''t be a problem. If nothing unexpected has urred, they should be in seclusion by now!"


    After listening, Lin Tianming asked with concern:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, can they be sessful?"


    "Tianming, cultivation is fundamentally an act of defying the heavens and changing fate. Nobody can be absolutely certain of sess. They are not young; the youngest, your Twelfth Uncle, is already over eighty years old. With the Minor Foundation Building Pill, he should have a thirty percent chance of sess. Your grandfather and Elder Wu will have a slightly lower chance, but there should be a bit over twenty percent chance for them as well. This is far stronger than those who try to break through without any external aid. Even if they don''t sessfully enter the Foundation Establishment Stage, they won''t be in any danger. Without a heaven-defying opportunity, this is as far as they can go in this life. It''s an unavoidable circumstance."


    "Worrying now is useless; we can only hope they are sessful!"


    After some thought, Lin Tianming realized that indeed no one could be of help in the matter of making a breakthrough, they could only pray for their sess.


    Setting this topic aside for the moment, the two discussed Ye Pinghai''s alchemy matters.


    Since Lin Shilu left the Qianchuan Market, Lin Tianming spent close to half a month cultivating and attending auctions, spending his other time diligently practicing alchemy in Ye Pinghai''s cave dwelling.


    Ye Pinghai had just started refining Minor Foundation Building Pills, with a sess rate of about thirty percent. With multiple refining sessions, this rate should improve; how much it would improve would only be clear once all the materials were processed.


    After half an hour of conversation, the grandfather and grandson continued their cultivation in Qianchuan Market, settling on their next steps. Lin Shilu then instructed Lin Tianming not to ck off before they each returned to their secret chambers for secluded cultivation, nning to wait until Ye Pinghai''s alchemy wasplete before returning to the n.

 Chapter 53 Double Happiness Arrives_1

    Lin Tianming and hispanion each returned to their secret chamber, estimating that it would take Ye Pinghai several months to refine the Minor Foundation Building Pill, they decided to have a short period of closed-door meditation.


    In the secret chamber, while Lin Tianming was healing his injuries, he also began to cultivate, the spiritual power extracted by condensing sword qi was significant, and it would require several months of diligent cultivation to replenish.


    He took out a Lingshen Pill and consumed it together with a Body Strengthening Pill, feeling the powerful medicinal strength, and the spiritual power lost in condensing sword qi gradually recovered.


    At the top of the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, within a courtyard, Lin Shigong sat motionless on a meditation cushion.


    In his hand was a Jade Tube, which recorded the breakthrough processes and experiences of more than a dozen ancestors of the Lin Family. Lin Shigong pondered carefully, not daring to miss a single detail.


    Not far from the courtyard, two other people were also in closed-door meditation, pondering over the Jade Tube; they were Lin Shiji and Lin Shihua.


    Since Lin Shilu returned to Green Bamboo Mountain and the selection for the Foundation Establishment Pill was confirmed, Lin Shigong immediately exchanged most of the precious Spiritual Medicine he had collected, and the elixirs he had refined over the years, all for merit points.


    Nearly spending half of his wealth, coupled with the merit points borrowed from Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu, they finally gathered eight thousand points and sessfully exchanged for a Minor Foundation Building Pill.


    Lin Shiji and Lin Shihua were the same, though both at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage and one as the Enforcement Hall Master and the other as the current n Leader, their wealth umtion still fell short of Lin Shigong''s, considering Lin Shigong was the Lin Family member with the highest level in alchemy, and his wealth was naturally more substantial.


    However, as the Enforcement Hall Master and n Leader of the Lin Family, their wealth was not something ordinary family members couldpare with; they exchanged all their umted resources into merit points, and after borrowing some, they also reached eight thousand points and sessfully exchanged for a Minor Foundation Building Pill.


    Right on the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, taking advantage of the thick spiritual energy at the peak, each person chose a courtyard for secluded meditation, fullymitted to impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    After three days passed, Lin Shigong had memorized the contents of the Jade Tube, adjusted himself to the optimal state and took out a Minor Foundation Building Pill without any hesitation, and swallowed it.


    In just a breath''s time, his originally slightly pale cheeks instantly turned bright red. An immense amount of spiritual power almost burst his Seven Sea Dantian, causing him excruciating pain.


    Lin Shigong concentrated his mind and, ording to his ancestors'' experiences, knew that it was time to refine the spiritual power fully, further condensing the spiritual power within the entire Qi Sea into a purer form.


    Lin Shigong guided the vast spiritual energy, refining it bit by bit. Half a day passed, and he had only refined a fraction; the efficiency was exceptionally low. Toplete the condensation, it would probably take a month or so.


    "This won''t do. I must speed up. The substantial medicinal power of the Minor Foundation Building Pill can onlyst for one month, and if the condensation is notpleted within this timeframe, the breakthrough will fail," he thought to himself.


    At this moment, Lin Shigong was utterly frenzied,pletely disregarding the heart-wrenching pain, even if his orifices bled, he did not stop and continued to refine the spiritual power with all his might.


    Twenty-five days passed in a sh, and Lin Shikang was sitting in his courtyard, not cultivating in seclusion, but protecting the three attempting to break through.


    Only a small part of the Lin Family''s core members knew that Lin Shigong and the others were attempting the breakthrough, the entire family secretly went on alert, and the Protective n Formation was also activated, to aid in their breakthrough.


    For the past half-month, Lin Shikang was extremely anxious, constantly worried about the three individuals. Despite his restlessness, he asionally nced towards the courtyards of Lin Shigong and the others.


    The time for the month-long duration was drawing near, with only five days remaining. Failure to break through in time would mean halting their progress for life.


    Lin Shikang recalled that when he broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage in his fifties, it took only fourteen days to seed.


    Now twenty-five days had passed, and there was still no movement from the three, which was naturally worrisome.


    Just then, a muffled sound came from one courtyard, followed by the fleeting pressure of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    "It''s Shihua''s ce, haha¡­ Shihua has sessfully established his foundation!"


    Overjoyed, Lin Shikang hurried out of his courtyard and flew towards the courtyard where Lin Shihua was meditating.


    Inside Lin Shihua''s meditation courtyard, his face was flushed red as he burst intoughter...


    After entering the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage more than a decade ago, he finally seeded in Foundation Establishment, feeling the surging spiritual power that was iparable to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.


    After Lin Shihua finished his cultivation, he sighed in relief, walked out of the courtyard, and met Lin Shikang who came rushing over.


    Lin Shikang''s face brimmed with smiles as he sped his hands together in congrattions and said,


    "Shihua, congrattions on sessfully entering the Foundation Establishment Stage. Our Lin Family has finally produced a third Foundation Establishment Cultivator. In order to restore our former glory, we have finally taken a step forward."


    Lin Shihua''s face was also flushed with color, not yet recovered from his joy, his excitement ineffable!


    "Thank you, third brother, for your protection. How are the fifth and the ninth brother doing?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lin Shikang wore a helpless expression, smiling wryly as he replied,


    "There''s still no movement from Shigong and the others. We have only five days left until the one-month deadline. Whether they can seed or not will be revealed in these few days!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shihua''s face also changed dramatically, and he smiled bitterly again and again.


    He had not yet recovered from the shock of his own breakthrough, and he was acutely aware of the difficulty of breaking through. That he had seeded was already fortunate; his ninth brother, who was more than a decade older than him, would likely face even greater challenges.


    The members of the Lin Family, since detecting their Spiritual Roots, had all grown up on Green Bamboo Mountain. They learned enlightenment education together, studied the knowledge of cultivation, and even learned the arts of cultivation together.


    Over the years, they supported each other. Although the blood ties among many family members had be extremely thin, or even non-existent, the bond formed over decades was stronger than those between real brothers.


    In the early stages of his cultivation, Lin Shihua was often taken care of by Lin Shigong. He had always admired his selflessness and even took him as a role model. It was because of his fair and prudent style of handling affairs that he was elected n Leader.


    So, he was very hopeful that Lin Shigong would seed.


    "Shihua, you''ve just made a breakthrough. Return and consolidate it in seclusion. We''re helpless while waiting, and as for their breakthroughs, they can only rely on themselves. I''m here to watch over things; there won''t be any issues,"


    "Alright, then I''ll go back and consolidate first. Please take care of things here, third brother!"


    With a cupped fist, Lin Shihua left to seclude himself inside the courtyard.


    Four more days passed, and Lin Shikang had remained outside the courtyard where Lin Shigong and the other was in seclusion, never leaving. At this moment, Lin Shikang was sighing with regret and growing more anxious by the minute. Only one day remained, and it seemed there really was no hope left.


    Suddenly, another muffled boom rang out, followed by the breath of a Foundation Establishment Stage which confronted them directly; it returned to normal within a few breaths.


    Lin Shikang was instantly overjoyed, nearly rushing into the cave dwelling, but fortunately, he managed to stop himself in time!


    "It''s Ninth Brother, Ninth Brother did it, hahaha..."


    "Ninth Brother has seeded in Foundation Establishment!"


    In the secret chamber, Lin Shigong was disheveled and covered in dried blood, his aura extremely chaotic. His previously gray-white hair was slowly turning ck, and his aged face was growing visibly younger, with the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes vanishing. He lookedpletely like a middle-aged man.


    Feeling the surging spiritual power, Lin Shigong''s face was filled with astonishment, almost unable to believe!


    "Have I entered the Foundation Establishment Stage? Have I really entered the Foundation Establishment Stage?"


    He tried casting a spell!


    Boom...


    The stone table instantly shattered into pieces, feeling the surging spiritual power, which indeed was the might that only came with the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    "I''ve seeded, I''ve actually seeded..."


    Lin Shigong was suddenly ovee with tears of joy, crying profusely. If he had not seeded this time, he could have only stopped at this stage.

 Chapter 54 Six Months_1

    The day after Lin Shigong''s breakthrough, which was also thest day of the thirtieth, Lin Shiji came out of seclusion, walking out of the courtyard.


    Lin Shiji''s face was full of disappointment, despondent, and his already aged visage became even more weathered.


    "I''m old now, perhaps this is fate!" Lin Shiji muttered to himself in his heart.


    Lin Shikang, who had been waiting outside all this time, approached Lin Shiji with a look of sympathy andforted him,


    "Little brother, you have done your best. Take a good rest for a while, the Enforcement Hall now has young people to support it, you don''t have to work too hard!"


    Lin Shiji nodded. Before secluding himself, he had felt that hope was slim, but he still wanted to try onest time, just in case he seeded! After all, no one wants to stop making progress.


    "Elder brother, did the ninth and twelfth brothers seed?"


    Although during the breakthrough, he felt two Foundation Establishment Stage auras, he still wanted to confirm their authenticity.


    "Shihua is a bit younger, he took twenty-five days to break through as well. Shi Gong''s situation was more dangerous, he only seeded yesterday!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shiji''s bitter face also revealed a slight smile. Two out of three people had a breakthrough, which was already a great fortune.


    "Elder brother, please convey my congrattions to Shi Gong and the others when they leave seclusion. I will take my leave now, there is a lot to do at the Enforcement Hall!"


    Lin Shikang nodded, halted his words, wanting to say something to console him, but not knowing how to start.


    Watching Lin Shiji walk away from the square, his lonely figure was heart-wrenching.


    Lin Shikang shook his head, his heart filled with bitterness and a sense ofment. If it were not for the family''s weak foundation, there would''ve been a fair chance if it was twenty years earlier. Time waits for no one!


    Let it be, let it be.


    Upon reflection, the sess of the two was unexpected, yet seeing Lin Shiji''s failure still made it hard to hold back the regret.


    After Lin Shiji left, Lin Shikang also returned to his own small courtyard, waiting for Lin Shigong and the other to consolidate their cultivated strength ande out of seclusion.


    Sitting in his small courtyard, Lin Shikang was also pondering the future development of the family.


    The news of Lin Shigong''s two breakthroughs should still be kept secret, as a hidden strength. With two more Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the Lin Family''s power had greatly increased; no longer would they have to swallow their pride, but they also could not be too ostentatious. The Lin Family needed time to quickly elevate their overall strength.


    In Qianchuan Market, Lin Tianming sat in a secret chamber within his cave dwelling, hands joined, eyes tightly shut, with beads of sweat asionally seeping from his forehead, diligently cultivating.


    Time swiftly passed, and half a year had gone by.


    Lin Tianming would visit Ye Pinghai''s Alchemy Room every month to learn for several days, and the rest of the time he dedicated to cultivation.


    During this half year, Lin Tianming made significant progress. With arge amount of high-quality elixirs, his cultivation had been rapidly recovering.


    As early as three months ago, Lin Tianming had fully recovered the spiritual power he had lost, and not only that, the progress in the following three months was also substantial. His cultivation was nearing thete stage of the Seventh Level Qi Cultivation. With another year or half, it was very likely he would reach the Eighth Level Qi Cultivation.


    In addition to his spiritual power, his body refinement also made great strides. All his meridians throughout his body had be thicker, a full sizerger than before, and his physical strength had also increased considerably.


    After half a year of arduous cultivation, as he opened his eyes, feeling the surging spiritual power within him, Lin Tianming was very satisfied.


    Just then, a message from Ye Pinghai entered the secret chamber.


    ''Elder Ye spent eight months, finally refining all the Spiritual Medicine Materials.''


    Lin Tianming emerged from his seclusion, and, stepping out of the secret chamber, he took a seat in the courtyard to await Lin Shilu.


    At the same time, Lin Shilu had received the message and, hastily gathering some Artifact Refining Materials, he hastily left his own seclusion.


    Upon seeing Lin Shilu emerge, Lin Tianming hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.


    ''Fifteenth Grandfather, you''ve received the message from Elder Ye as well, haven''t you?''


    Lin Shilu replied with a calm face, ''Indeed, let''s go. We shall pay a visit to his abode.''


    In half an hour, the two of them had arrived inside Ye Pinghai''s abode.


    Lin Shilu and Ye Pinghai were sitting opposite each other, with Lin Tianming sitting below Lin Shilu, asionally rising to pour a cup of Spiritual Tea for them both.


    Ye Pinghai picked up the jade tea cup, took a sip of the Spiritual Tea, and said with a pleased expression,


    ''Lin, I am pleased to report that the task you entrusted to me has been sessfullypleted, and now is the time to deliver the results.''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After speaking, Ye Pinghai took out five Jade Bottles and handed them to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu received the Jade Bottles with a chuckle of joy, his face brimming with delight. He extended his Divine Sense to inspect them and within the five bottles were fourteen pills that were unmistakably Minor Foundation Building Pills.


    Overjoyed, Lin Shilu spoke with sincere gratitude,


    ''Brother Ye has been tirelessly engaged in Alchemy for over half a year, consuming substantial resources. You should rest for a few days, there''s really no need for such hurry. My grandson and I have already waited for more than half a year, so a few more days would not make a difference.''


    After half an hour of pleasantries and exchanging many words of thanks, Lin Shilu took out a storage bag containing eight thousand Spirit Stones, along with two Jade Bottles, totaling six Minor Foundation Building Pills, which he handed over to Ye Pinghai.


    Lin Shilu, following the customs of Alchemy, gave Ye Pinghai thirty percent of the pills as a reward for his assistance.


    From the fifteen batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials for Minor Foundation Building Pills, seventeen pills were sessfully produced ¨C which surprised Lin Shilu. He had thought that procuring fifteen pills would have been more than satisfactory and had not anticipated that Ye Pinghai''s Alchemy skills would yield such a wee bonus.


    Although Minor Foundation Building Pills are only considered Second Order Lower Quality, their difficulty of refinement is on par with many Second Order Medium Quality pills.


    The reason there were seventeen pills was because there were plentiful Spiritual Medicine Materials, and after multiple refinements, practice makes perfect. The final two batches presented four pills each, hence exceeding the expected amount by two.


    After pondering for a short moment, Ye Pinghai did not decline the offer. He took the Jade Bottles in hand, poured out one Minor Foundation Building Pill, ced it into a separate Jade Bottle, and then returned it to Lin Shilu.


    ''Lin, I will not turn down the five Minor Foundation Building Pills and the Spirit Stones, but you should take this one pill back. Your family needs these pills more than I do.''


    Lin Shilu hastened to decline, but ultimately, at the insistent demand of Ye Pinghai, he epted the pill.


    This trip to Qianchuan Market had achieved its aim. With these nine Minor Foundation Building Pills, the Lin Family now possessed a total of twelve, allowing many of their n members tomence Foundation Establishment without dy.


    That evening, Lin Shilu spent more than three hundred Spirit Stones to host avish banquet at the Weing Guests Tower in gratitude for Ye Pinghai''s assistance.


    Ye Pinghai attended the banquet as promised and in high spirits, and they drank over ten bottles of wine brewed from Spirit Fruits. The cost of the Spiritual Wine alone amounted to more than a hundred Spirit Stones.


    Lin Tianming offered toasts several times throughout the evening, earnestly expressing his thanks to Ye Pinghai for his assistance in Alchemy. Ye Pinghai had always valued Lin Tianming''s talent and character, and he treasured him so much that he considered taking him as a disciple, consistently offering guidance; otherwise, he would not have wasted his time and effort.


    Taking advantage of the banquet, Lin Shilu spent several thousand Spirit Stones to purchase a batch of Second Order Pills from Ye Pinghai at a low price, mainly consisting of Lingshen Pills, along with some restorative Huiyuan Pills and Consolidating Essence Pills.


    After eating and drinking their fill, Lin Shilu excused himself, deciding to depart at dawn the following day to return to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Ye Pinghai did not hold back, offering only a few polite words of well-wishing before they each said farewell and returned to their respective dwellings to rest.

 Chapter 55 Returning to Green Bamboo Mountain_1

    The next morning, just outside Qianchuan Market, a fiery red morning glow hung suspended in the azure sky, brushed by a light breeze that spoke of endless beauty.


    Lin Tianming and hispanion left the market and, after flying on their swords for more than ten miles, stopped atop a small mountain.


    Releasing the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Bag, it had grown significantlyrger over the past half-year.


    With the Beast Spirit Pill, the Purple Gold Eagle rapidly grew with the help of the monthly elixirs.


    Taking a Beast Spirit Pill from his storage bag and tossing it to the Purple Gold Eagle, it caught it in one bite and swallowed, lets out a joyous screech, and affectionately nuzzled Lin Tianming with its massive head, looking quite eager to please.


    "Alright, stop fussing, we need to get on our way!"


    Lin Tianming and hispanion mounted the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, which swiftly ascended hundreds of feet into the air and streaked away as a beam of light, flying south.


    Having Lin Shilu apany him made the journey much easier for Lin Tianming, who sat on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, enjoying the scenery along the way, quite content.


    Following their previous route and with the familiarity of the path, the journey went smoothly. Coupled with the increased speed of the Purple Gold Eagle''s flight, they arrived near Green Bamboo Mountain in just half a month.


    Looking at the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain in the distance, Lin Tianming felt a surge of excitement. Having been away for half a year, he deeply missed his n.


    Wondering whether his grandfather had sessfully established his foundation, with a mix of nervousness and anticipation, the two humans and one beast plunged into the Protective n Formation and disappeared.


    Once inside the Protective n Formation, Lin Shilu finally let out a sigh of relief!


    "Tianming, you go back first. Tomorrow,e to the n Elders'' Assembly with your grandfather. We have matters to discuss."


    "Yes."


    Lin Tianming bowed his hands in a salute and flew towards the mountainside.


    Watching Lin Tianming''s retreating figure, Lin Shilu was very pleased.


    This child is meticulous in thought, exceptional in talent, and extraordinary in fate; truly a promising individual!


    Lin Shilu did not linger any longer and vanished from the spot.


    Lin Tianming did not return to his own small courtyard but headed straight to the Alchemy Hall to check on his grandfather''s breakthrough.


    Outside the Alchemy Hall, Lin Tianming chanced upon Lin Tianhong, who was justing out.


    Lin Tianming greeted him, "Tianming pays his respects to Second Brother!"


    "Sixth Brother, it''s been a while. You''re finally back!"


    The two of them had studied alchemy together, and it had been nearly two years since they hadst seen each other.


    Lin Tianhong had also progressed from the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement to the Fifth Level, a significant improvement.


    "Second Brother, is Grandfather inside?"


    "Ninth Grandpa is inside. I''ve juste out from seeing him; he happens to be free right now. You''ve been away for so long, I won''t disturb you further. Go on in."


    "Then I shall go inside, and we''ll catch up another day!"


    "Sure, we brothers have all been deeply immersed in our own cultivation for several years; we haven''t gathered for quite some time. One day soon, let''s call First Brother and Third Sister to join us for a proper reunion."


    After parting from Lin Tianhong, he turned and walked into the great hall.


    Walking into the main hall of the Alchemy Hall, Lin Shigong was already seated inside, waiting for Lin Tianming.


    Reunited with his grandfather after many months, Lin Shigong''s appearance had drastically changed. The once predominantly gray hair was now nowhere to be seen, reced by a head of jet-ck hair, giving him the appearance of a middle-aged man.


    ```


    After a cultivator has sessfullypleted Foundation Establishment, they can live for more than two hundred and fifty years, and at this time Lin Shigong was less than a hundred years old, indeed still considered a middle-aged man.


    Having confirmed that grandfather had seeded in Foundation Establishment, Lin Tianming was extremely excited.


    Not only does the Lin Family gain another Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, but it is also very likely to gain a Second Order Alchemist.


    Lin Shigong''s alchemy had been stagnating at the superior grade of First Order for dozens of years; if it hadn''t been for the barrier in his cultivation, he would probably have advanced to Second Order long ago. Now that his cultivation has broken through, bing a Second Order Alchemist should just be a matter of time.


    After calming his excited emotions, Lin Tianming began to offer his congrattions.


    "Congrattions to grandfather on entering the Foundation Establishment Stage!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lin Shigong was also very happy at this time. A few years ago, he had thought that he was doomed to never seed in Foundation Establishment, and he really didn''t expect to have even a sliver of chance, truly a testament to the unpredictable nature of life.


    "Hmph, I was fortunate to seed in Foundation Establishment. This time, I really owe it to you. My twelfth brother and I have seeded, but it''s a pity for the fifth brother..."


    Seeing the look of regret on Lin Shilu''s face, Lin Tianming knew that Lin Shiji had failed in Foundation Establishment.


    "Grandfather, the foundation of our family is really too weak. Many of our n members have wasted decades for nothing, otherwise they wouldn''t be attempting Foundation Establishment at the age of a hundred. There''s nothing that can be done about it!"


    "That''s true. Before us, there were several n members who exhausted their lifespan without even obtaining the spiritual objects to assist in Foundation Establishment. Their forced breakthrough attempts also weren''t sessful. Compared to them, we''re actually quite lucky."


    After beingforted by Lin Tianming, Lin Shigong felt somewhat better and then asked Lin Tianming about his experiences in Qianchuan Market.


    Then, Lin Tianming set up a restrictive spell and began to recount his experiences over the past half year to Lin Shigong.


    "To have actually obtained twelve Minor Foundation Building Pills this time!"


    Lin Shigong was stunned, his face flushing with waves of red. If he didn''t know his grandson so well, he almost wouldn''t dare to believe it.


    "I didn''t expect that Ye Pinghai would truly be a person worth befriending. We are really indebted to him this time. Otherwise, our family would have had to expend great effort at much higher risk, and it would have been very difficult to obtain such a number of Minor Foundation Building Pills."


    Lin Tianming also expressed his gratitude:


    "Senior Ye indeed gave his all to help. He not only assisted with alchemy, but he also taught me a lot. Now my skills in alchemy have improved greatly, and I am able to producemon First Order Superior Grade elixirs, with both a high sess rate and yield."


    Beforeing back, I decided it''s still best not to reveal the secret of the Eye of Five Colors. This matter is too important and must be approached with caution; it''s better not to let the old man know.


    "Good, good, you really haven''t disappointed me. The thing I am proudest of in my life is you. Continue working hard, and strive to surpass our ancestors as soon as possible."


    "Yes, grandson will definitely work hard!"


    "Grandfather, I bid on a secret technique at the auction in Qianchuan Market. Please take a look at it."


    Hearing this, Lin Shigong became even more excited, half doubtingly asking:


    "You also bid on a Spirit Art?"


    Lin Tianming nodded, retrieved the Secret Art Jade Tube from his storage bag, and handed it over to Lin Shigong for inspection.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Shigong''s face slowly returned to its normal color from the excitement.


    "What a pity, a pity!"


    "It''s only the upper half. No wonder it was up for auction. Trying to find the lower half is undoubtedly like searching for a needle in a haystack, but that''s not to say there''s no hope. If it''s real, then we''ve made a huge profit. Even if it''s a fake, losing some Spirit Stones is no big deal."


    "We should not reveal this secret technique to the other n members for now. I''ll discuss it with your third uncle and the others. We can only search for it in secret. If we can find it, it would be a great fortune for our Lin Family, but if we can''t, then let it be."


    Lin Tianming readily agreed. Lin Shilu had already exhorted him on this, so he naturally wouldn''t speak of it to others.


    The two talked for a full hour until they finally left the Alchemy Hall together and returned to their own small courtyard.


    ```

 Chapter 56 The Dust Settles_1

    Having returned to their small courtyard, mother and sister were overjoyed to learn of Lin Tianming''s return to the family and rushed back to this humble home.


    The family reunited for dinner, with only Lin Xingrong still away in Luoyun Market, a significant regret.


    After dinner, mother and sister each went to their cultivation, leaving only Lin Shigong and Lin Tianming to sit in the courtyard for a casual chat.


    ''Grandfather, Fifteenth Grandfather asked me to tell you that at dawn tomorrow, we should go to the Elders'' Council for a n meeting, and he wants me to join as well,'' Lin Tianming said.


    Lin Shigong, sipping his Spiritual Tea with a calm expression, replied,


    ''I suspect it''s to fulfill the promise of the three Minor Foundation Building Pills for you and to discuss the development of the family for the next few years, as well as external rtions. The family has been silent for a long time now, and it''s time to take a step forward.''


    ''With my twelfth brother and I sessful in Foundation Establishment, the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in our family is no less than that of the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family. Although there is a slight gap in cultivation, the Lin Family is not the same as before and naturally can no longer yield in every situation.''


    ''Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family!''


    ''Is the Jin Family very strong?'' Lin Tianming asked immediately, his interest piqued.


    ''Grandfather, what is the actual strength of the five major families of the Luoyun Mountain Range like?'' he inquired eagerly.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s interest, Lin Shigong opened up to exin. Sooner orter, Tian Ming would have to deal with those families, and knowing both oneself and the enemy would ensure he would not be defeated. Understanding more would not be harmful.


    ''ording to investigations, out of the five major families in the Luoyun Mountain Range, the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family has four Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the open, but whether there are more in hiding is unknown. Moreover, a person of exceptional talent has emerged from the Jin Family, known as Jin Qishan, who is twenty-six, possesses Dual Spiritual Roots, and has already reached the Qi Refining Eighth Level¡ªan innate prodigy.''"


    ''In addition, the Flying Eagle Mountain Sun Family has three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, while the Jiuhua Mountain Wu Family and Baiyun Mountain Luo Family each have two.''


    ''Currently, the Jin Family''s strength is the strongest, and aside from the Sun Family, none of the other three can deal with them alone.''


    ''The Jin Family and the Sun Family have always been at odds with each other. Under the mutual restraint of the Jin and Sun families, our Lin Family and the other two have banded together for mutual warmth, allowing us to secure a foothold in the Luoyun Mountain Range. However, the taste of survival in such a narrow gap is truly stifling.''


    As Lin Shigong said this, he shook his head with a helpless expression on his face.


    Over two hundred years ago, the Lin Family was the strongest, monopolizing forty percent of the market profits. In just over a century, they hadpletely declined, and although they were not the weakest among the five major families, they were not much stronger.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Grandfather, let''s take it slowly. The family is getting stronger and stronger, and it''s just a matter of time before we regain our past glory,'' Lin Tianmingforted.


    The younger generation of the Lin Family had shown excellent talent, including an individual with Dual Spiritual Roots and several with Three Spiritual Roots¡ªa true gathering of exceptional talents.


    After more than half an hour of casual conversation, Lin Tianming also gained a general understanding of the other four major families, including some key members,mitting them firmly to memory.


    The next day at dawn, Lin Tianming followed his grandfather to the n Elders'' Assembly.


    In the Council Hall of the Elders'' Assembly, more than ten family members had already arrived, with Lin Shihua and Lin Shixin chatting among themselves.


    Seeing Lin Shigong enter, everyone quickly stood up, and Lin Tianming greeted everyone politely.


    Those attending the n Elders'' Assembly were all the core strength of the Lin Family, mostly those with real power. Nearly everyone who could make it was there, save for those who were indispensable elsewhere.


    Before long, two figures entered the Council Hall together; it was Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu arrivingst.


    The crowd stood up to greet them, and Lin Tianming also stepped forward to salute.


    Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, Lin Shihua began to speak:


    "Fellow nsmen, since everyone is here, let''s begin the meeting. The main topics are the distribution of Foundation Establishment Pills and the future development of our n, as well as our stance towards other families."


    "Let''s start with the distribution of the Minor Foundation Building Pills. Apart from the three promised to Tian Ming, there are six left. Feel free to speak your minds and let''se together to discuss a fair and just oue."


    Right then, the Hall Master of the Skill Transmission Hall, Lin Shigang, was the first to speak out:


    "The remaining six Minor Foundation Building Pills should be allocated from among our nsmen. Whoever first reaches the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage can exchange it for eight thousand good deeds to establish their foundation as soon as possible and enhance the overall strength of the family. When facing the Jin Family, we''ll have a stronger foundation!"


    No sooner had these words been spoken than a n member of the Xing generation began to object.


    "With only six Minor Foundation Building Pills, the number is still small. Moreover, the n has already expended arge amount of wealth in their production, depleting most of our funds umted over decades. The main ingredient, Hidden Spirit Grass, although we have transnted dozens of nts, has a low survival rate, and we won''t be able to use them to produce elixirs for a hundred years."


    "Therefore, for the next hundred years, it will be very difficult for us to obtain spiritual objects that can aid in Foundation Establishment. For this reason, I suggest we keep two pills in reserve, to retain a glimmer of hope in times of crisis, allowing the family to recover as quickly as possible."


    Many from the Xing generation supported this proposition, echoing their agreement.


    The Council Hall immediately became lively, essentially dividing into two camps: the younger Qi Refinement Cultivators of the Xing generation and the older, yet-to-establish Foundation members of the Shi generation.


    The Shi generation was no longer young. Apart from the four who had sessfully established their foundation, including Lin Shiji who had failed in his attempt, there were only three others, all at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. The youngest among them, Lin Shixin, was already over ny years old, not more than two years younger than Lin Shigong, with hardly any potential left. Even with the aid of Minor Foundation Building Pills, the hope of establishing a foundation was very slim.


    Lin Tianming sat silently behind his grandfather, and not only him, but none of the Lin Family Foundation Building Cultivators spoke up, nor did they openly express their stance.


    An hour passed, and the two generations could still not reach a consensus.


    Lin Shikang, who had been silent until then,municated secretly with Lin Shilu and the other three, asking for their opinions. After all, the views of those in the Foundation Establishment Stage carried weight and were crucial in deciding major n issues.


    After a long deliberation, Lin Shilu, standing from the perspective of the family, found the words of the Xing generation more convincing. For the Shi generation, even with the aid of Minor Foundation Building Pills, the probability of sessful Foundation Establishment was very low. It would be better to give the opportunity to the younger members to maximize the family''s strength.


    Not only did Lin Shilu think this way, but the other three Foundation Establishment Cultivators mostly felt the same. However, since Lin Shigong had managed to establish his foundation at an advanced age, there was a precedent. To directly cut off the hope of Lin Shixin and others seemed too harsh; after all, no one wanted to die.


    After discussion among the few Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Lin Shikang stood up and said:


    "Let''s divide the six Minor Foundation Building Pills into three parts: one for the Shi generation, three for the Xing generation, and two for the Tian generation. Whichever n member reaches the Great Perfection first can exchange for them."


    As soon as this was stated, the previously bustling Council Hall fell silent as everyone pondered the suggestion.


    At that moment, Lin Shixin gratefully looked towards Lin Shikang and the others, nodding his head in thanks. After all, they had still preserved the hope for those of his generation to establish their foundation; it was just a matter of whether they could seize the opportunity.


    There was only so much in the way of resources; naturally, the most effective resources should be used for the n members with the best talents.


    After a quiet moment,sting only about ten breaths, and seeing that there were no objections, Lin Shilu took out the three Minor Foundation Building Pills and handed them to Lin Tianming. The remaining six were entrusted to Lin Shixin for safekeeping, settling the distribution of the pills.


    Lin Tianming secured the three Minor Foundation Building Pills into his storage bag. With these three elixirs, there was a good chance his parents could establish their foundation.

 Chapter 58 Listing Thoughts_1

    Dear readers, I just received a suggestion from the editor to release my book tomorrow.


    Upon hearing this n, wow wow wow... I''m so anxious right now!


    What should I do, everyone?


    Let me tell you the exact time the book will go live, and here I am, on my knees, begging for your support and subscription!


    "Lin Family''s Cultivation Journey" will be officially released at 12 PM on August 20th, 2021.


    I''m begging for subscriptions... begging for votes...


    Since the book is going live, I might as well write a few words of feelings because after all, this is my first time writing a novel.


    First of all, I want to thank every reader friend who has collected, rmended, and tipped. (I''mzy and there are too many people, so I won''t list everyone individually)


    It''s every one of your collections, everyment, every rmendation vote, every monthly vote, and every tip that have given me the motivation to continue writing!


    Really....


    Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is open the assistant app to see how many collections have increased and how many rmendation votes I''ve received.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    I don''t know how many times I check each day; one could say I''m even more active than when ites to my sry.


    It''s with everyone''s support that I''ve been able to persist, and I sincerely want to say thank you to all of you...


    Next, I''d like to thank my editor, Editor Niqiu...


    As a novice writer, I''m like a needle in a haystack among many authors, not an exaggeration in the slightest.


    My journey from signing the contract to now going live has been rtively smooth, and I''ve received quite a few rmendations, for which I am truly grateful.


    Okay, now let''s talk about some personal thoughts!


    Up to this point, I''m quite satisfied with the book''s performance; as a newbie with such an updating speed, to achieve these results and even surpass expectations is more than satisfying.


    Now, I must sincerely apologize to all my reader friends.


    My updates have been too few; I feel I''ve really let down the readers who have been with me all this time!


    I feel somewhat guilty and hope to receive everyone''s understanding...


    Starting next month, I will dedicate more time to writing and try to update more frequently to repay everyone''s support.


    Last but not least, a bit about myself!


    I am a new writer! (So new! Don''tugh when I tell you, but the first few readers will know, in my first two chapters I didn''t even divide paragraphs; a two-thousand-word chapter was just one massive paragraph. There were even readers whomented to remind me, and I felt so embarrassed. I quickly revised and divided the paragraphs because I didn''t know how to use the writing software at the time. Thankfully, I corrected it in time; otherwise, I would have been too ashamed to face anyone.)


    I only started writing novels to fulfill a small dream of mine. It was an impulsive decision, and that''s how I started writing this novel.


    Just like that, I began, groping my way through and pondering as I went.


    Family saga novels are much more difficult to write than those about Loose Cultivators, especially since I have no stockpile of written chapters, no outline, and no detailed outline; I rely purely on passion in my writing.


    In the beginning, it was okay, but the further I wrote, the more difficult it became. There were more characters and the content grew moreplex. Some details were not meticulous and the logic not coherent, leading to quite a few readerints.


    Some of the more intensements from readers hit me hard, but I still managed to keep myposure.


    Freedom of speech is everyone''s most fundamental right. I am deeply grateful to those readers who have criticized and corrected me, and even more so to those who have supported andforted me, which is very touching. Thank you all...


    Writing is not easy. Just typing for a few hours every day and persisting for dozens of days has been tough, something any author can rte to. From the initial passion to theter stage when it almost bes a burden,


    I hope on this lonely and lengthy journey of writing, I can find like-minded friends and together create a quality novel.


    No matter what the future holds, I will continue writing with this gratitude, striving to provide more exciting content as a way to give back to everyone.


    In closing, I ask everyone to support the legal version of the novel. Spend the money equivalent to a bottle of water or pack of cigarettes to support the author. If you''re a student and can''t afford it, then read a pirated copy if you must!


    Finally, I beg for your subscription, and if possible, setting up a recurring subscription would be even better.


    Everyone, Xiao Yan is counting on you all!

 Chapter 57 Arrangements (Please Subscribe) _1

    The distribution of the Minor Foundation Building Pills has been settled, and Lin Shihua, as the n Leader, stood up and began to speak:


    "Now, let me report on the family''s situation over the past five years!"


    "As of today, the family has a total of 175 cultivators, with 12 from the Shi generation, 98 from the Xing generation, and 65 from the Tian generation. (Note: Female cultivators who marry into the Lin Family are counted by their husband''s generation for the purpose of family records. For example, Ren Yuxuan, Lin Tianming''s mother, is recorded under the Xing generation without changing her name.)"


    "Among them, there are four at the Foundation Establishment Stage, one at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, eleven at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, and the rest are all below the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining."


    "In the past five years, after expenditures, the family has a remaining total of more than 11,000 umted Spirit Stones. The recent production of Minor Foundation Building Pills consumed the umtion of over twenty years, making it hard for us to allocate funds for the next decade!"


    Upon reaching this point, Lin Shihua couldn''t help but reveal a look of worry, which quickly returned to calm.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The family is still too poor; fortunately, Lin Tianming brought back arge quantity of Hidden Spirit Grass. With the addition of arge amount of other auxiliary medicines and spending tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, the family managed to refine fifteen Minor Foundation Building Pills. Thankfully, the results were satisfying, and obtaining arge number of the pills could boost the family''s overall strength in a short time.


    Just as Lin Shihua finished speaking, Lin Shikang, who had been immersed in thought, continued the conversation!


    "Looking at the current situation, the family''s funds are almost depleted, only enough to pay one year''s monthly stipends, so I suggest organizing arge group of family members above the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement to form Monster Hunting Squads. In batches, they should enter the Luoyun Mountain Range for training. Not only can they hunt Demonic Beasts to earn Spirit Stones, but they can also look for Spirit Grass. By using what they find, we''ll engage in lots of alchemy and crafting, then sell the items in the market. This will quickly increase the wealth of the family members and the family, as well as significantly expedite their breakthroughs in cultivation. It''s truly a win-win-win situation."


    "As for the Monster Hunting Squads, they will be led by Shi Ji, each team consisting of ten members. As long as they don''t venture too deep into the mountain range, safety isn''t a major concern. Regarding the schedule, they will rotate every six months."


    "Additionally, we''ll use the family''s stored elixirs and Spiritual Artifacts as rewards to motivate everyone. The spoils obtained by the family members will be the responsibility of Shi Lu for crafting and Shi Gong for alchemy. The sales will still be handled by Xing Rong. What does everyone think?"


    Lin Shigong was the first to speak up, "I agree with Third Brother''s suggestion!"


    "I also agree with Third Brother''s suggestion!"


    ...


    Lin Shilu and other Foundation Establishment Cultivators echoed their agreement, and several elders from the Xing generation also expressed their support.


    Lin Shikang nodded, very satisfied, as nearly half of the family members had already agreed.


    "Does anyone else have any opinions?"


    Lin Shikang''s gaze swept over the younger generation of the family in the grand hall, lingering on Lin Tianming for a few moments longer.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming stood up and took the initiative to speak.


    "I strongly support Third Grandfather''s proposal. I''m willing to be the first to sign up and be part of the first group to enter the mountain range, to set an example for the younger members of the family."


    Lin Shikang and others were very satisfied with Lin Tianming''s response, and their expectations of this junior increased!


    Flowers nurtured in a greenhouse will never grow strong; only by enduring storms will they progress further on the path of cultivation.


    After fifteen minutes of discussion, the direction for the family''s strategic nning for the uing years was basically decided.


    As n Leader, Lin Shihua spoke once more.


    "Now let''s discuss the situation with the other four major families. Everyone is wee to speak freely."


    At that moment, a n Member from the Xing generation stood up, his face serious as he began to speak.


    "Recently, the open and covert struggle between the Jin Family and the Sun Family has be increasingly fierce. Both are secretly umting strength, stockpiling various elixirs, Spiritual Artifacts, and talisman papers. All signs indicate that the two families are likely to break out intorge-scale n warfare in theing years."


    Many of the nsmen present, upon hearing the news, had their faces change dramatically; it seemed the peace that hadsted for over a hundred years might soon be broken.


    "I estimate that the outbreak is very likely to ur in three years!"


    Hearing Lin Shihua''s words, some nsmen seemed not to understand, Lin Tianming was also in a fog, not clear on why the estimate was set for three yearster, but people like Lin Shikang instantly understood.


    Seeing some of the younger nsmen looking puzzled, Lin Shikang began to exin.


    "Three years from now is the grandpetition of the market that happens once every fifty years!"


    At these words, a few younger members who had not experienced the grand marketpetition asked curiously about the reason.


    The grand marketpetition was a contest between the five major families of the Luoyun Mountain Range, held once every fifty years, having been held more than ten times. Based upon thepetition''s rankings, they allocated the benefits of the market for a fifty-year period, with benefits primarily involving various rents and ownership of the shops.


    The first ce in the grand marketpetition would receive thirty percent, the second would obtain twenty percent, and thest three would each get ten percent. The remaining twenty percent would be distributed among more than ten Qi Refining families.


    Such a distribution n had been implemented for hundreds of years. The best ranking the Lin Family had ever achieved was second ce, bringing in twenty percent of the market''s benefits, while the first ce had always been upied by the Jin and Sun families.


    The Jin Family and Sun Family were indigenous inhabitants of the Luoyun Mountain Range, their ns established several hundred years earlier than the Lin Family. Although they had never produced a Core Formation Cultivator, the families were numerous, with the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators never falling below three each year, a sign of their considerable depth.


    At the establishment of the n, considering the well-being of future generations, the ancestor of the Lin Family did not make things difficult for the Jin and Sun families, despite not being able to utilize eighty percent of his strength due to injuries. He simply chose Green Bamboo Mountain as the familial territory.


    The Lin Family only achieved a dominant position for nearly a hundred years during the lifetime of the n progenitor, Lin Renfeng. Leaning on the Core Formation Stage of cultivation, they managed to suppress the local snakes, the Jin and Sun families, for a time.


    Because the Jin and Sun families feared Lin Renfeng''s cultivation level and did not dare to offend the Lin Family, they focused on their development peacefully for a hundred years. This allowed the Lin Family to gain a firm foothold, leading to today''s situation; otherwise, it wouldn''t have been so easy to secure a ce in the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    After Lin Shikang''s exnation, the few nsmen who were previously confused finally came to a realization.


    "No wonder the Jin and Sun families are making such moves, their targets might very well be our three families. We must be on guard!"


    The perspective of one of the Xing n Members was acknowledged by many nsmen.


    Lin Shihua also spoke up:


    "In these troubled times, regardless of which family they target or what their intentions are, I think it''s necessary for us to be cautious. In the next few years, we must also secretly gather all kinds of resources, but discreetly so as not to alert them. Moreover, the news about Ninth Brother and me reaching Foundation Establishment must not be leaked. Who knows, this might be the Lin Family''s opportunity to rise!"


    "Makes sense!"


    Lin Shihua''s arrangement received everyone''s agreement!


    "Alright, there''s no need to worry too much. We also have four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and that number will only grow. As long as we are united, we have nothing to fear from the Jin Family."


    Lin Shikang''s words were like a calming pill for the Xing n Members; with four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the Lin Family were no weaker than the Jin and Sun families.


    "In theing years, the Lin Family must keep a low profile, try not to draw the attention of other families. If faced with their provocations, we should avoid friction as much as possible, for the time being, we have to be patient. We will umte our strengths in secret, to respond to any unknown threats."


    "Shi Ji, you''re in charge of organizing the Monster Hunting Squad. The faster, the better. Let''s proceed with this n, everyone go and make preparations!"


    "Yes!"


    After a full half day of the n meeting came to an end, many n members began to leave the great hall. Lin Tianming also followed the crowd out, leaving only Lin Shigong and the three others behind, presumably to discuss some important matter.

 Chapter 59 Entering the Mountain_1

    Back at his family''s small courtyard, Lin Tianming entered the secret chamber.


    It was still early, and he could cultivate in seclusion before departure, striving to enhance his strength as much as possible. The stronger he was, the easier it would be to survive.


    After swallowing a Lingshen Pill, he activated his cultivation technique to refine the power contained in the elixir. Streams of spiritual power slowly flowed into his Seven Sea Dantian, causing his Qi Sea to expand at a faint rate.


    Looking down at the spiritual power in his Qi Sea, which was nearly half full, each stream brimming with immense energy, a hint of a smile crossed Lin Tianming''s face.


    Seven days passed in this manner.


    Within the secret chamber, Lin Tianming opened his eyes that had been shut for several days, a gleam shing in the corners.


    "Huff..."


    He exhaled a few breaths of stale air and got up to leave the secret chamber.


    In the evening, as a light breeze blew, the Lin family sat in the courtyard, casually chatting.


    Lin Shigong had also returned, babbling as always.


    "Remember to follow the team, do not act alone. I''ve already instructed Fifth Brother to keep a close watch on you..."


    And so on...


    Listening to his grandfather''s nagging and his mother''s admonitions, Lin Tianming felt warmth in his heart despite having heard them several times before.


    Though the Lin Family''s foundations were weak, at the end of the day, it was still a reliance, a bond, and a faith.


    Faith is a peculiar thing. Without faith, without goals, there is no motivation. People without these live their lives in a muddle.


    After sipping some Spiritual Tea, Lin Tianming spoke with a faint smile.


    "Grandfather, Mother, don''t worry. I''ve grown up. I''ll take good care of myself and act within my capabilities. You can rest assured, I will definitely make you proud!"


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s resolute eyes, grandfather and mother did not say much more.


    Lin Tianming then shifted the topic to his younger sister.


    After all, he had grown up and wouldn''t spend much time at Green Bamboo Mountain. She would be the onlypany for grandfather and mother.


    In recent years, Lin Tianyue had been cultivating diligently. Thanks to the abundant resources provided by Lin Tianming and grandfather, she led her peers in cultivation among the children of her age, bing the first to break through to the Third Level of Qi Refining. She had already started learning the basics and justcked practical experience.


    Unfortunately, Lin Tianyue was not interested in alchemy, but rather had a keen interest in talisman paper. Otherwise, with the guidance of the two most skilled alchemists from the Lin Family, she could have achieved twice the result with half the effort.


    Lin Shigong tried to persuade her many times but could not change her mind. Lin Tianming, on the other hand, was quite open-minded, thinking that choosing a preferred skill could lead to even greater achievements.


    The warm scene, bathed in moonlight, brought a harmonious end to the family''s casual conversation.


    The next morning, Lin Tianming bid his mother farewell and left the house. The Purple Gold Eagle followed behind as he flew towards the Enforcement Hall.


    It was still early, and in front of the deserted square, more than a dozen n members had gathered.


    Lin Tianming descended nearby, greeted the many n members, and then walked over to chat with Lin Tianfeng and others.


    Lin Tianfeng had also just arrived a short while ago. The three of them sized up the strength of the Monster Hunting Squad.


    Among the registered n members, aside from the three of them from the Tian generation, the other seven were from the Xing generation.


    The cultivation levels of the seven n uncles varied, with the highest being Lin Xingzhi at the Qi Refining Eighth Level, three at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, three at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, plus Lin Tianming at Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, Lin Tianfeng at Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, Lin Tianhong at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, and Lin Shiji at Qi Cultivation Great Perfection, this lineup was almostparable to the strength of more than half of the Qi Refining Families.


    After half an hour, Lin Shiji arrived, and everyone saluted him.


    Taking out a small booklet, Lin Shiji nced over everyone and nodded, confirming that the number of people was correct.


    "Now that everyone has arrived, I''ll say a few words!"


    "The primary purpose of organizing this monster hunt is to train you. Therefore, you are a team, and all actions must be undermand. Remember not to act alone or take unnecessary risks that could endanger fellow n members."


    "Also, in the mountain range, we will inevitably encounter people from other families, and even many loose cultivators. Remember not to stir up trouble and bring unnecessary hassle."


    "Do you understand?"


    "Yes!"


    "It''s gettingte; let''s set off!"


    Lin Shiji took the lead, with everyone following behind him.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, the group flew out of the Protective n Formation, gathered together, and waited for Lin Shiji''s orders.


    "Tianming, the journey is not short. Let your Purple Gold Eagle carry everyone for a part of the way. This can save us a lot of time and spiritual power."


    Lin Tianming readily agreed, summoned the Purple Gold Eagle, and Lin Shiji leaped onto its back. Lin Tianming and the others quickly followed suit.


    Before long, all eleven people were on board, sitting on the ground, not at all cramped. As the Purple Gold Eagle had grown rapidly, it was nowrger and capable of flying with more than ten people without affecting its speed. It could even handle a few more passengers without issue.


    Lin Shiji took out a map and pointed to a ce named Qingyang Mountain, located over three hundred li to the west of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Tianming gave themand, and the Purple Gold Eagle, pping its wings, soared to a hundred zhang high and flew westward.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Purple Gold Eagle''s speed was swift, the strong wind whipping everyone''s robes and making a fluttering noise.


    Lin Shiji sat at the forefront, as calm as a monk in meditation, his expression serene, lost in thought.


    Lin Tianming and the others were not on their first expedition either. Many n members hadbat experience, and Lin Tianfeng was even known as the family''s battle maniac, having participated in several demonic beast encirclements, rich in experience.


    Lin Tianhong was quite nervous at this moment; his face showed a change of color, and cold sweat seeped from his forehead, promptingughter and jest from everyone.


    In just half a day''s time, with the speed of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming and his group had flown more than three hundred li and arrived at Qingyang Mountain,nding in a valley.


    Everyone jumped down from the Purple Gold Eagle''s back, and Lin Tianming put the eagle into the Spirit Beast Bag as he began to survey the area.


    The entire valley was verdant with vegetation covering a vast expanse of forest, and a river flowed through the valley from east to west.


    This ce was on the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range. Further west was the gathering ce of demonic beasts.


    After arranging the formation, Lin Shiji led the way, speeding westward.


    Everyone followed one after another, with Lin Tianming using his Divine Sense to carefully monitor every movement around them.


    Lin Xingzhi, aside from Lin Shiji, was the highest level practitioner present and walked at the rear of the group.


    The three younger members of the Lin Family, including Lin Tianming, walked in the middle, which allowed them more time to react to sudden situations and avoid being easily attacked.


    As they ventured deeper, the fog in the forest grew thicker, greatly affecting the scope of the Divine Sense, which reduced its coverage by thirty percent.


    Half a day passed, and Lin Tianming and his group had shuttled nearly a hundred li to the west, entering a valley.


    The whole valley was notrge, only a few li in size, with sparse trees and interspersed with many stone forests.


    It was now evening when the demonic beasts became active, significantly increasing the likelihood of encountering them.


    Considering the safety of his n members, Lin Shiji decided to spend the night here and continue on the next day.


    Everyone sat down in a circle to recuperate, leaving two people in a pair to take turns keeping watch. Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianfeng would take thest watch, while Lin Tianming paired with a n uncle at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement for the first watch.


    Lin Tianming and his partner didn''t practice cultivation; instead, they sat facing two different directions, north and south, carefully observing every movement around them.

 Chapter 60 Attack_1

    The sky gradually darkened, and a bright moon hung in the sky.


    It was just the start of the night, not yet the time when demonic beasts roamed, and all around was silent.


    Rustle, rustle, rustle...


    The gentle breeze stirred the leaves, creating bursts of sound.


    Lin Tianming sat to one side, closely observing the movements around him, and although it was not yet deep into the night, he had to be vignt.


    An hour and a half passed, and in this time, nothing untoward happened. Lin Tianming was relieved from his duty, reced by two other n uncles to continue the night watch.


    After focusing intently for most of the day, he was now extremely tired.


    Lin Tianming and his nsmen sat together, circting their cultivation techniques and began meditating. Despite the dangers in the area, the spiritual energy was quite dense, slowly restoring the spent spiritual power!


    In the deep of the night, Lin Xingzhi and Lin Xingcheng took over the responsibility of the night watch, sitting to one side, concentrating fully on monitoring the activities around them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Rustle, rustle, rustle...


    Rustle, rustle, rustle...


    Several such noises caught the attention of Lin Xingzhi.


    "Xingcheng, have you noticed anything?"


    Lin Xingcheng explored their surroundings carefully but found nothing unusual.


    "No, just some sounds of leaves rustling. Are you making too much out of it?"


    After hearing Lin Xingcheng''s words, Lin Xingzhi did not rx his caution, but became even more careful.


    "Could it be that I''m overthinking it!"


    "No, those few sounds just now, although nearly identical to the sound of wind blowing through leaves, were different. The sounds were noticeably sharper, with a faint shing noise!"


    Rustle, rustle, rustle...


    Again came several noises, getting louder and closer!


    "Everyone be alert, something''s happening!"


    Lin Xingzhi suddenly shouted loudly, rming those who were meditating; everyone got to their feet.


    At the same moment Lin Xingzhi raised the rm, a piercing noise was heard.


    A huge scorpion, a full zhang in size, burst forth from the earth, rapidly speeding toward them.


    The entire scorpion was silvery-white with a golden tail stinger, and its tworge ws were even bigger than a water bucket, looking fierce and malevolent.


    "It''s a Silver Earth Scorpion!"


    In the moment Lin Xingzhi warned of danger, the Silver Earth Scorpion was already less than ten zhang from him, close enough to attack instantly.


    The Silver Earth Scorpion already opened its gaping maw, extending its tworge ws toward Lin Xingzhi in an attack.


    Fortunately, Lin Xingzhi had been alert, gripping a Superior Grade First Order defense talisman in his hand to prepare for emergencies.


    The instant he came under attack, Lin Xingzhi didn''t hesitate to activate the defense talisman in his hand.


    The talisman transformed into an earthen wall, blocking the deadly strike from the Silver Earth Scorpion. Taking advantage of the beast being obstructed, Lin Xingzhi swiftly retreated to his people''s side, watching the front warily.


    Its failed strike allowing the target to escape enraged the Silver Earth Scorpion, which emitted a sharp, angry shriek.


    Rustle, rustle, rustle...


    After more than ten breaths, over thirty Silver Earth Scorpions emerged from the ground, thoroughly surrounding Lin Tianming and hispanions.


    The awakened members of the party each drew their Spiritual Artifacts, ready to battle at any moment.


    Lin Shiji''s expression was serious as his mind raced.


    The number of Silver Earth Scorpions attacking them was not few; there were over thirty, with three Late Stage First Order Demonic Beasts among them, and the rest were mostly Mid Stage First Order with a small number of Early Stage.


    And the Silver Earth Scorpion that ambushed Lin Xingzhi was almost at the point of breaking through to the Second Order, posing the greatest threat. It seemed this was a n, or there wouldn''t be such numbers.


    Although there were not many at the First Order Late Stage, the quantity at the Medium Stage was overwhelming, with each person having to deal with several at once, creating significant pressure.


    "Xingzhi, Xingcheng, you two are responsible for holding off the two Late Stage First Order Silver Earth Scorpions, Tianming, you and the others move quickly to eliminate the rest of the Silver Earth Scorpions. Be swift, lest other Demonic Beasts are attracted, which wouldplicate matters!"


    "Understood."


    After tasks were allocated, Lin Shiji summoned a Spirit Sword and took the initiative to attack the leading Silver Earth Scorpion.


    Seeing Lin Shiji''s offensive, the leading Silver Earth Scorpion swiftly crawled forward to meet him, its speed astonishing.


    Within half a breath''s time, Lin Shiji and the Silver Earth Scorpion were locked inbat.


    Lin Xingzhi and Lin Xingcheng each picked out a Silver Earth Scorpion and attacked.


    The rest of the people hurriedly followed suit, each summoning their Spiritual Artifacts to join the battle against the Silver Earth Scorpions.


    Instantly, a brilliant disy of fire and various colors of sword light mixed with magical hues shed through the night sky.


    "Bang bang bang..."


    The entire valley was in turmoil, a constant shing sound akin to metal striking metal, exceptionally grating on the ears.


    Lin Tianming wielded an Earth Evil Sword, swinging it several times in rapid session, sending several Sword Qi strikes towards the Silver Earth Scorpions.


    "Bang bang!"


    Two Silver Earth Scorpions, unable to avoid, were struck by Lin Tianming''s Sword Qi and sent flying backward.


    The two struck Silver Earth Scorpions revealed several palm-sized cracks on their bodies, wailing in pain, they stood up again and lunged at Lin Tianming with their bites.


    "They scarcely got hurt. The shell of these Silver Earth Scorpions is too formidable!"


    It should be known that although Lin Tianming was only at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, he could easily match the attack of an ordinary Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator with the usage of a Heavenly Grade Technique and Dual Cultivation of Body and Law!


    In the midst of his surprise, five Silver Earth Scorpions attacked again, assaulting Lin Tianming from different angles simultaneously.


    Lin Tianming leaped dozens of yards into the air and quietly stirred fifteen Earth Evil Swords into forming a Sword Array, enveloping a hundred yards radius below.


    Luckily, the Silver Earth Scorpions had extremely low Spirit Wisdom and werepletely unprepared, getting trapped within the Sword Array without any defenses; among them, four of the Medium Stage and one of the Initial Stage.


    The five Silver Earth Scorpions seemed oblivious to the imminent danger until Sword Qi began to fill the area covered by the Sword Array. Only then did they sense the scent of death and scram to escape in all directions.


    The five Silver Earth Scorpions desperately rammed against the Sword Qi-created Sword Array, attempting to flee from this perilous ce.


    Unfortunately, the Silver Earth Scorpions'' impact force and defensive power were far from adequate. They were repeatedly repelled by the Sword Qi, covered in wounds.


    "Hmph"


    "Today is a good day to test the might of this Sword Array on you!"


    "Annihte!"


    As the space within the Sword Array shrank and the Sword Qi intensified, an Initial Stage Silver Earth Scorpion was directly beheaded by the Sword Qi, dying on the spot. The remaining four Silver Earth Scorpions struggled desperately to break free from the Sword Array''s confinement.


    After more than a dozen breaths'' time, the remaining four Silver Earth Scorpions were thoroughly exterminated. Lin Tianming heaved a sigh of relief and observed the situation of his nsmen, preparing to lend his aid.


    Not far from Lin Tianming, Lin Tianhong was being besieged by three Silver Earth Scorpions, two of Medium Stage and one of Initial Stage.


    At that moment, Lin Tianhong was in an exceptionally difficult situation, with several injuries on his body, more than half of his Spiritual Power depleted, and he was steadily being forced back.


    Lin Tianhong threw a First Order Medium Grade Defense Talisman, blocking the attack of the Silver Earth Scorpions and quickly retreating.


    Lin Tianming charged forward with a burst of speed, fully urging several Earth Evil Swords together into one Sword Qi strike. Launching a surprise attack, he directly slew one Medium Stage Silver Earth Scorpion.


    With Lin Tianming''s intervention, the most significant threat was eliminated, allowing Lin Tianhong to regain his footing. With the pressure suddenly reduced, he began counterattacking, moving to kill the remaining two Silver Earth Scorpions.


    Elsewhere, Lin Tianfeng was also battling three Medium Stage Silver Earth Scorpions and not falling behind at all. Relying on his richbat experience, he should manage to achieve victory.


    The other nsmen, not novices in fighting Demonic Beasts, were also holding their own against several Silver Earth Scorpions without faltering.

 Chapter 61 Group Battle_1

    On another battlefield, Lin Shiji was engaged in a fierce battle with a Silver Earth Scorpion, and neither side seemed to gain much of an advantage.


    Following a brutal strike that repelled the Silver Earth Scorpion, Lin Shiji leaped onto arge rock dozens of feet in size, brought his palms together, and concentrated a Golden Sword Qi above his head, which he shot out, shing towards the Silver Earth Scorpion.


    "Damn beast, meet your death!"


    As the sword fell, a burst of Sword Qi exploded, sending sand and stones scattering within a range of dozens of feet. Wherever the sword light passed, two of the Silver Earth Scorpion''s legs were severed by the Sword Qi.


    The Silver Earth Scorpion let out two agonizing howls, writhing in pain and bing even more frenzied. As it bared its teeth in a grimace, it shot a dark brown poison from its tail stinger at Lin Shiji.


    Shocked, Lin Shiji''s escape speed soared, instantly shifting more than ten feet away tond on a tree.


    While Lin Shiji narrowly avoided the attack, the rock he had just stepped on instantly dissolved into a pool of dark brown liquid, corroding arge hole in the ground.


    Seeing the power, Lin Shiji couldn''t help but exim.


    "This poison''s corrosive strength is indeed formidable!"


    As the strike missed, the injured Silver Earth Scorpion contemted retreating, burrowing into the ground and shuttling rapidly, nning to flee.


    Lin Shiji hurriedly followed, chasing after the escaping Silver Earth Scorpion, with a distance of dozens of feet between man and beast.


    Because the Silver Earth Scorpion had lost two legs, its speed was greatly reduced, but it was still very fast underground. Lin Shiji couldn''t keep up for a short time, and the gap widened further.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming had just helped Lin Tianhong kill a Silver Earth Scorpion and was preparing to support Lin Shiji, but unexpectedly, the Silver Earth Scorpion actually fled, and it was heading straight in Lin Tianming''s direction.


    Seeing Lin Tianming approaching from a distance, Lin Shiji was overjoyed and shouted eagerly,


    "Tianming, stop this beast!"


    Hearing Lin Shiji''s shout, Lin Tianming swiftlyunched several Sword Qi attacks, heading straight for the underground, nning to force the Silver Earth Scorpion to the surface.


    "Puff puff puff..."


    With several crisp sounds, the Sword Qi exploded just in front of the Silver Earth Scorpion. Hindered by the sts, the escaping creature revealed half of its body.


    Lin Tianming didn''t hesitate and took out an Attack Talisman, activating it immediately, turning it into a Golden Sword Qi that raced towards the Silver Earth Scorpion.


    With a bang, the Sword Qi struck the Silver Earth Scorpion, pushing it back several feet onto a colossal rock. The powerful impact shattered several pieces of the rock, and another leg of the Silver Earth Scorpion was severed, significantly slowing its speed.


    The Silver Earth Scorpion had not yet stabilized its body when Lin Tianming spared no effort and immediately operated the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to envelop the creature within.


    The panicked Silver Earth Scorpion desperately tried to break out of the Sword Array''s range.


    Lin Tianming maintained the operation of the Sword Array at full strength, pushing the power of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to its limits. However, his Spiritual Power was draining rapidly.


    The Silver Earth Scorpion was extremely frenzied, ramming multiple times, and the strong impacts inflicted no small damage on Lin Tianming''s psyche, causing a trace of blood to seep from the corner of his mouth.


    As his Spiritual Power was severely depleted, the Silver Earth Scorpion eventually escaped on the sixth charge.


    At this point, the Silver Earth Scorpion was covered in wounds with several legs injured by Sword Qi, and its burrowing speed was weakened yet again.


    Just as the Silver Earth Scorpion had broken free, Lin Shiji caught up and shed out three swords in quick session, with the furious Sword Qi heading straight for the injured beast.


    In the blink of an eye, the Golden Sword Qi struck the Silver Earth Scorpion''s head.


    "Puff puff puff..."


    Following several explosive sounds, the several-meter-long Silver Earth Scorpion copsed onto the ground, crushing the stones beneath it into fragments.


    Seeing the strongest Silver Earth Scorpion dead, Lin Shiji and Lin Tianming finally let out a long sigh of relief, gasping for breath as they sat on the ground, clearly exhausted.


    "Tian Ming, thankfully you held it off. We finally killed the beast."


    Overflowing with joy, Lin Shiji smiled and sincerely praised Lin Tianming.


    If it weren''t for Lin Tianming holding off the Silver Earth Scorpion, allowing him to arrive in time, exhausting all his Spiritual Power, and consecutively unleashing three Sword Qi, they wouldn''t have been able to kill the beast so smoothly. Otherwise, given the Silver Earth Scorpion''s speed¡ªeven if it were slightly injured¡ªcatching up to it would have been nearly impossible.


    Meanwhile, with Lin Tianfeng and the others sessfully dealing with the Silver Earth Scorpions they were fighting, they immediately aided the other n members. After a tough battle, not a single one of the thirty-plus Silver Earth Scorpions escaped; all perished there.


    At this point, the valley was strewn with severed limbs. The trees and stones that had once stood there were now broken or shattered, the whole ce aplete mess.


    The eleven of them sat in a circle, each tremendously drained, but all had smiles on their faces. They each took a Huiyuan Pill and sat down to meditate, recovering their depleted Spiritual Power.


    Since it was Lin Tianhong''s first time in realbat, hecked experience and still got quite injured with the help of his nsmen, but no one perished, which was extremely fortunate.


    Half a quarter of an hourter, as everyone''s Spiritual Power had started to recover, Lin Shiji stood up and instructed them.


    "Quickly remove the carapaces and Demon Cores from these Silver Earth Scorpions. Don''t forget the poison stingers and the tworge pincers¡ªtheir parts are excellent materials for Artifact Refining."


    "We can also collect some of their venom, and the flesh can be taken back; consuming it over time is beneficial!"


    Upon hearing the orders, a hint of joy shed across everyone''s faces as they rushed toward the corpses of the Silver Earth Scorpions, separating all the useful parts.


    Although the battle was dangerous, and some were slightly injured while also expending some talisman paper and elixirs, the rewards were substantial, easilypensating for those losses and promising a good amount of Spirit Stones.


    The corpse of a Silver Earth Scorpion was a treasure all over; its Demon Core could be used for Alchemy, its carapace could be crafted into a defensive Spiritual Artifact, and its poison stingers andrge pincers were valuable materials for Attack Spirit Weapons, which could fetch a good price.


    Everyone was busy disassembling the corpses of the Silver Earth Scorpions. Lin Tianming was not falling behind, removing the carapace from a First Order Middle Stage Silver Earth Scorpion¡ªindeed valuable, as even resisting one of his swords only caused a crack without affecting its suitability for Artifact Refining.


    A quarter of an hour passed, and the Silver Earth Scorpions¡ªonce bloodied and dismembered¡ªwere meticulously dismantled, their useful limbs stored in storage bags, while the useless parts were buried on the spot, leaving the chaotic valley much cleaner.


    After cleaning up the battlefield, everyone handed their storage bags over to Lin Shiji for safekeeping. Lin Shiji took out a piece of Beast Skin and recorded everyone''s achievements. At the end of the hunting expedition, they would hand it over to the n to exchange for Spirit Stones and distribute them ording to their contributions.


    Taking the storage bags from everyone, Lin Shiji was very satisfied and arranged their next move.


    "There was a sizable number of Silver Earth Scorpions; we must have intruded into their territory. Since we''ve killed them all, there likely aren''t many Silver Earth Scorpions of the First Order Middle Stage or above left. This area should be safe for now. Let''s search the vicinity and see if we can find theirir; we might gain some more treasures. If found, immediately notify everyone!"


    "Everyone split into pairs and search within a radius of more than ten miles. Remember not to go too far and identally enter the territory of other Demonic Beasts, as it would be very dangerous if we can''t provide timely assistance!"


    "Understood!"


    Lin Tianming paired up with Lin Tianfeng, Lin Tianhong with Lin Xingzhi, and they were divided into five groups, each searching in different directions.


    Lin Tianming and hispanion chose one direction and started their careful search.


    Half a quarter of an hour went by, and after covering quite a bit of ground, they found no traces.

 Chapter 62 Earth Mysterious Crystal_1

    ```


    Lin Tianming and another carefully searched, walking more than ten miles away.


    Unintentionally, they arrived at a Stone Forest, spanning about a thousand acres, surrounded by valley and thick fog.


    Lin Tianming suddenly stopped in his tracks, opened his Eye of Five Colors, and observed the area.


    "Huh, there''s something strange here!"


    The earth attribute Spiritual Energy in the entire Stone Forest was particrly intense, the ratio was significantly higher than other ces.


    "Brother, have you noticed anything special about this ce?"


    Lin Tianfeng had already checked several times, and apart from being very concealed and greatly limited Divine Sense, there was nothing else strange.


    "Sixth brother, did you see anything different?"


    "Um, the earth attribute Spiritual Energy here is very concentrated, with Stone Forest spread all over, and considering the Silver Earth Scorpions are earth attribute Demonic Beasts, I reckon, there''s a high chance this is their den!"


    After being reminded by Lin Tianming, Lin Tianfeng hurriedly projected his Divine Sense and carefully sensed the differences in the Spiritual Energy.


    After some perception, Lin Tianfeng said with a smile:


    "Indeed, if one doesn''t carefully explore, they really won''t find it!"


    Lin Tianming immediately transmitted the news to the other n members, and the two watched the movements within the Stone Forest with vignce.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed, and upon receiving the transmission, Lin Shiji and a group of n members gathered behind Lin Tianming.


    Lin Shiji asked calmly, "Tianming, have you found the den of the Silver Earth Scorpions?"


    "Elder Wu, it is almost certain it''s this ce, let me try and then we''ll know!"


    Taking out an Earth Evil Sword, Lin Tianming swung it three times, sending three waves of Sword Qi straight into the Stone Forest.


    "Pfft pfft pfft..."


    The ground shook a few times, and severalrge rocks were shattered by the Sword Qi, scattering in all directions.


    Sounds of crawling came from the Stone Forest, quite noisy, judging from the numbers, there should be quite a few Demonic Beasts.


    "Ssss ssss ssss..."


    Startled, one Silver Earth Scorpion after another scuttled up from the ground, at least thirty of them, scurrying to escape.


    Having confirmed that this ce was the Silver Earth Scorpion''s territory, Lin Shiji began to give orders.


    "Hmph, they are merely Silver Earth Scorpions in the First Order Initial Phase, there aren''t many in the Medium Stage, everyone quickly surround and kill them, don''t let them escape!"


    Everyone drew their weapons and quickly encircled the Stone Forest, there were no Silver Earth Scorpions in the First Order Late Stage, these in the Initial Phase would eventually be killed.


    Lin Tianming consecutively unleashed several shes, the Silver Earth Scorpions in the First Order Initial Phase simply couldn''t withstand, and were killed one after another, those in the First Order Medium Stage couldn''tst much longer, it just took a bit more effort.


    In just half a quarter of an hour, all the juvenile Silver Earth Scorpions were killed.


    Quickly clearing the battlefield, everyone gathered together again.


    "The entire Silver Earth Scorpion group has been killed, there shouldn''t be any dangers inside, still, be cautious, in pairs of two, go in and scour, hopefully we can find some useful items."


    Hearing Lin Shiji''s instructions, everyone couldn''t wait and rushed into the Stone Forest.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Tianfeng paired up and quickly moved through the Stone Forest, carefully searching.


    "Earth Spirit Ganoderma"


    Lin Tianfeng showed a sh of delight, quickly collecting several Earth Spirit Ganoderma.


    Half a quarter of an hourter, everyone had scoured the whole Stone Forest and finally gathered together.


    "I found three Earth Spirit Ganoderma!"


    "I found two Earth Spirit Ganoderma!"


    ¡­...


    Lin Tianfeng also began to report: "I found five Earth Spirit Ganoderma!"


    ```


    Lin Tianming searched many areas as well, but he found nothing at all.


    Lin Shiji showed a hint of disappointment. With such arge Silver Earth Scorpion group and such an extensive cave system, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator entering it and facing thebined attack of the entire Silver Earth Scorpion group wouldn''te out with much of a benefit.


    After over ten people exerted so much effort, they had only found a little over a dozen Earth Spirit Ganoderma, worth just over two hundred Spirit Stones¡ªnot considered a significant gain at all.


    With a hint of disappointment in his expression, Lin Shiji said,


    "Let''s just leave."


    Just as Lin Shiji turned around, Lin Tianming spoke up.


    "Wait!"


    Lin Shiji turned back, looking at Lin Tianming with a puzzled face.


    "Elder Wu, the proportion of earth attribute Spiritual Energy here is extremely high, which is very strange. Allow me to investigate a bit more; there might be some unexpected discoveries!"


    Having said that, Lin Tianming went straight to the depths of the Stone Forest to a spot where the earth attribute Spiritual Energy was the densest. He took out the Earth Evil Sword and began to wave it, stroke after stroke.


    A quarter of an hourter, a hole a few dozen feet wide appeared in the center of the Stone Forest, more than ten feet deep.


    The deeper they dug, the denser the earth attribute Spiritual Energy became. The soil gradually turned into rocks, making it increasingly difficult to excavate.


    Everyone jumped in and began to help with the digging.


    An hour passed, and they had dug nearly four hundred feet deep. The originally loose soil had transformed into rock, significantly harder, and every foot they dug required a great deal of effort. Two of the n uncles were already thinking of giving up; one of them tried to persuade the others,


    "Tianming, stop digging, we''ve already wasted several hours. It''s unlikely we''ll find anything else!"


    "Indeed, let''s call it quits!"


    Another uncle chimed in. Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong wanted to speak up for Lin Tianming but, considering their lower status and strength, they ended up not saying anything. They could only sigh in resignation and continued to dig alongside Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming ignored their advice and kept digging tirelessly as he neared a depth of five hundred feet. The soil that was originally ck had turned to a lighter shade of gray, and with every foot dug, it became increasingly difficult.


    Lin Tianming grew even more confident that there must be some earth attribute Spiritual Objects in this ce, and as a result, he worked even harder.


    Another hour passed, and at that point, they had dug beyond five hundred feet deep.


    Lin Tianming struck fiercely with his sword, breaking open a half-a-foot wide hole in the gray rock wall. A strong surge of earth attribute Spiritual Energy rushed at them through the opening.


    Looking inside through the gap, a fist-sized rock of grayish-white stood out against the darker stones, catching the eye.


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed, eximing,n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "There''s a discovery here!"


    All the n members felt the intense and rich change in the Spiritual Energy and, hearing Lin Tianming''s shout, gathered around.


    Lin Tianming carefully used the Earth Evil Sword to extract the grayish-white rock, examining it closely.


    "It''s an Earth Mysterious Crystal!"


    Lin Tianming was certain. Although he wasn''t an Artifact Refiner, he had read many books on Spirit Materials and was familiar with somemon ones.


    The Earth Mysterious Crystal was a Second Order Inferior Spirit Ore of great value, useful in the crafting of Defensive Spiritual Tools. Adding just a small amount could greatly enhance the Defensive Spiritual Tools'' defensive power and ductility, making it a high-quality material for Artifact Refining.


    The amount Lin Tianming held in his hands could be used three times more than enough for creating a First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Artifact and was worth hundreds of Spirit Stones.


    Now, all the n members were extremely excited. The two uncles who had wanted to give up earlier shamelessly praised Lin Tianming for his insight.


    Lin Tianming didn''t pay them any heed and handed the Earth Mysterious Crystal to Lin Shiji for confirmation.


    Taking the Earth Mysterious Crystal, Lin Shiji weighed it thoughtfully several times and said with certainty,


    "This is undoubtedly an Earth Mysterious Crystal. This ce must be a small Spirit Vein. The only question is the amount of reserves. You all keep digging and explore how much there is. I''ll go out right away and set up a concealed Formation to hide this ce."


    "Yes!"


    The crowd responded in unison, digging vigorously.


    Lin Shiji turned around and flew out of the cave, stopping outside the Stone Forest.


    He took out an Array te and four Array gs from his storage bag, quickly setting up a Formation that enveloped the entire Stone Forest. Then he put up several Illusion Techniques to fully conceal the Stone Forest.

 Chapter 63 Mining_1

    After arranging the formation and activating it, a nearly transparent light curtain enveloped the entire Stone Forest.


    This was a set of First Order Medium Grade array te and array gs, named the Kui Star Array, specially borrowed from the n for this monster hunt. It was quite valuable and could be used for trapping enemies and defense. It could even withstand attacks from Foundation Establishment Cultivators for a short period.


    Having set up the formation, Lin Shiji sped his hands and began to mutter incantations.


    "Swift."


    Once the illusion technique was sessfully deployed, the area that had been a Stone Forest transformed quietly into a small valley, indistinguishable from the surrounding hillsides in its ordinariness.


    Having arranged two illusion techniques in session, Lin Shiji was very satisfied. Although they were now close to the inner region of the Luoyun Mountain Range, it was hard to guarantee that no cultivators would pass by and discover something. With the formation and illusion disguising the area, the n members would be much safer.


    After repeatedly ensuring there were no errors, Lin Shiji turned and entered the cave.


    Inside the cave, Lin Tianming and the others were all gathered together, discussing.


    Upon investigation, the entire Spirit Vein was located beneath the Stone Forest at a depth of over five hundred feet, covering an area of seven to eight hundred mu. The thickness of the Spirit Ore was less than a hundred feet, indeed a small spirit vein.


    Although the vein spanned nearly a thousand mu, ny-nine percent of it was ordinary rock, and very hard at that, making excavation quite difficult.


    Seeing Lin Shijie down, everyone respectfully greeted him.


    "Tianming, what are the results of the exploration? Howrge is the reserve, and what is the difficulty in mining?"


    Lin Shiji''s string of questions also reflected his anticipation for how much they might actually gain.


    "Elder Wu, after exploring, we''ve found that this is a tiny Spirit Vein, covering more than seven hundred mu. We cannot urately estimate the total reserves just yet; we can only get the actual amount after mining it all. I suspect the reserves won''t berge, otherwise, this ce wouldn''t be upied by just a First Order Silver Earth Scorpion!"


    Most people agreed with Lin Tianming''s spection; if it were arge vein, the Silver Earth Scorpion colony wouldn''t be able to defend it, and cultivators would have already discovered it.


    After Lin Tianming''s analysis, Lin Shiji''s excited expression calmed a bit.


    "Alright, since the reserve is notrge, let''s not report it to the n just yet. This ce is hundreds of miles from our n territory, and many cultivatorse here for trials. If it''s discovered, we could have serious trouble. You all start mining as quickly as possible. Whatever Earth Mysterious Crystals you find will be your own. I''ll keep watch outside."


    "Yes!"


    Everyone started mining with full enthusiasm, even those n members who had initially advised Lin Tianming to give up on the excavation, now vigorously wielded their Spiritual Artifacts and dug hard.


    The whole cave was bustling with activity, the ten cultivators working like mortals tilling the fields, except their hoes were reced by various oddly shaped Spiritual Artifacts.


    Lin Tianming was bare-shouldered, his impressive muscles exposed, drenched in sweat as he dug. Being a Body Cultivator, he made use of his strength of over a thousand jin, which allowed him to dig much faster.


    In half a day''s time, Lin Tianhong nearby was already at the brink of copse. With his Fifth Level Qi Refinement cultivation, digging through these extremely hard rocks was indeed strenuous, and his speed was nowhere near Lin Tianming''s.


    The n members started the excavation around the edge of the Spirit Vein. It took them half a month to make aplete circle, yielding only one or two Earth Mysterious Crystals of small size, but they were already content with this.


    Two months flew by, and thend below hadpletely changed. On top of the former Spirit Vein, ten channels about half a zhang in size appeared, all neatly piercing through beneath the Stone Forest.


    For over two months, everyone had barely rested, working day and night at the excavation.


    As thest ten or so mu were excavated, everyone was so exhausted they slumped together, gasping for air.


    At that moment, all the n members were ragged, sweaty, and grimy, looking little different from the beggars of the Secr World, perhaps even more pitiful.


    As a Body Cultivator, Lin Tianming''s overall condition was much better. After sending a message to Lin Shiji, Lin Tianming sat down on the ground to wait for him.


    It only took a dozen or so breaths for Lin Shiji to walk in, his face beaming with joy, impatient to ask about their findings.


    "Uncle Wu, I dug up eleven pieces!"


    A n member from the Xing generation was visibly excited, grinning broadly as he took eleven Earth Mysterious Crystals out of his storage bag, most of them the size of a fist.


    "I dug up thirteen pieces!"


    Another n uncle took out his Earth Mysterious Crystals, piling them together with the rest.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, it was the turn of the three juniors, including Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianfeng took out nine Earth Mysterious Crystals from his storage bag, surprising all the elders.


    After all, excavating a single Earth Mysterious Crystal was no easy task. It was still manageable near the fringe areas, but as one went deeper, the rocks became harder. It often required resting for half a day after digging for half, and it wasmon to find nothing even after digging for more than ten days.


    With Lin Tianfeng being only at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, his yield couldpare with the elders at the Seventh or Eighth Level, which was indeed surprising.


    Seeing Lin Tianfeng handing over so many, Lin Tianhong didn''t want to fall behind and took out seven Earth Mysterious Crystals, cing them aside.


    Lin Tianhong, with the lowest cultivation, also had seven Earth Mysterious Crystals, which was certainly not easy.


    Lin Shiji nodded in satisfaction. The harvests of the two juniors were not inferior to those of the Xing n Members, which was both unexpected and delightful.


    Lin Tianming was thest one, and with his strength and luck, Lin Shiji''s expectation grew even stronger.


    Without any hesitation, Lin Tianming cheerfully took out twenty-eight Earth Mysterious Crystals from his storage bag and set them aside.


    The crowd inhaled sharply in astonishment. Although they had suspected that Lin Tianming''s haul would not be small, they had not expected it to be this substantial.


    Among the other nine, Lin Xingzhi had the most, with only fifteen pieces. Lin Tianming''s harvest was almost double that, truly frightening.


    In fact, Lin Tianming had not taken out everything and had kept fiverger ones for himself, believing that the others had not fully disclosed their finds either. After all, these were personal gains, and it was reasonable to volunteer some while keeping a few.


    By now, the fist-sized Earth Mysterious Crystals had nearly piled into a small hill.


    Lin Shiji was very excited, his old face flushed with exhration. The family had expended its assets umted over decades to refine the Minor Foundation Building Pill and was currently facing financial difficulties.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    These hundred-plus Earth Mysterious Crystals were worth at least twenty thousand Spirit Stones. Other than the rewards for the n members, some profit in Spirit Stones could also lighten the family''s financial burden.


    All present smiled knowingly, and many n members started to express their emotions.


    They felt fortunate to have joined the Monster Hunting Squad. The profit from selling the materials of the Silver Earth Scorpion and Earth Spirit Ganoderma alone was worth quite a few Spirit Stones.


    Everyone had dug up a significant number of Earth Mysterious Crystals; even Lin Tianhong, who had the least, could expect a reward of at least a thousand Spirit Stones.


    With such a substantial amount of Spirit Stones, reaching the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage was not far off. If one could save up eight thousand Spirit Stones, exchanging them for a Minor Foundation Building Pill and entering the Foundation Establishment Stage was a possibility.


    At that moment, Lin Shiji spoke up, bringing the n members back from their reveries.


    "I will take care of the Earth Mysterious Crystals for now. I have recorded the amount each person has contributed, and when we return to the n, head to the Hall of Merit to im your rewards."


    "It''s still early, and everyone is quite tired. You may cultivate here for two days, and we''ll set out again after that for some training nearby."


    "Yes!"


    After responding in unison, everyone sat down where they were and began their cultivation.

 Chapter 64 Being the Yellow Sparrow for Once_1

    Outside Stone Forest, Lin Tianming and the others had gathered together, each one of them brimming with smiles. The fatigue they had previously shown had long since disappeared; after two days of rest and recovery, all the n members had returned to their optimal condition.


    Lin Shiji, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes and looked at the assembled crowd, making arrangements for the next steps.


    Having entered the Luoyun Mountain Range for two and a half months, there was still some time left before the six-month period was up.


    Although the group''s gains had far exceeded expectations, their soaring spirits led him to decide to continue with the adventure.


    The Array gs were retracted, the cave entrance was buried, and they made sure to conceal any traces of the skirmishes as much as possible.


    After confirming that nothing had been missed, Lin Shiji took out a map made from Beast Skin and repeatedly confirmed their direction.


    Since the western part was the inner region of the Luoyun Mountain Range, where even Second Order Demonic Beasts sometimes appeared, the Monster Hunting Squad did not dare to tread lightly there due to their limited strength.


    The south, however, was a good choice; close to the Purple Cloud Mountain Range near Huangyang Kingdom, the area was sparsely popted and not too far from Green Bamboo Mountain. It was rtively safe, and they could also clear out the Demonic Beasts around the Mortal Towns for training.


    Having made up their minds, the group set off on their journey.


    After surviving an attack by Demonic Beasts, everyone was extremely cautious, and even under the bright sunshine, they dared not let their guard down.


    Lin Shiji led the n members through the outer regions of the Luoyun Mountain Range, searching for Spiritual Medicine and hunting Demonic Beasts as they went.


    In a beautiful valley on the south side of Green Bamboo Mountain, at the outer borders of the Luoyun Mountain Range,


    Lin Tianhong was locked in fiercebat with an Azure Toad Beast in the First Order Middle Stage, exchanging numerous blows. The rest of the n members had no intention of helping and were all watching the fight. Lin Tianming asionally discussed the situation with Lin Tianfeng.


    "Big brother, how long do you think it will take Second Brother to kill the Azure Toad Beast?"


    Lin Tianfeng furrowed his brows, sharing his opinion while watching Lin Tianhong''s battle tactics.


    "I believe Second Brother can im victory, but it will take at least several dozen more exchanges. Although the Azure Toad Beast''s attack power isn''t strong, its speed is incredibly fast and very troublesome to handle. Even if I were to step in, it would require quite an effort!"


    As the two were conversing, the wounds on the Azure Toad Beast''s body multiplied, and Lin Tianhong steadily gained the upper hand.


    Lin Tianhong brought his hands together, a ming Red Sword Qi forming above his head, and he shed directly towards the Azure Toad Beast.


    "Huoyuan sh"


    As an Alchemist, Lin Tianhong naturally possessed a Fire Spiritual Root. For him, the Fire Origin Decision¡ªone of the Lin Family''s few Fire-attribute Profound Grade Techniques¡ªwas the clear choice for a Cultivation Technique. Although the Sword Qi Lin Tianhong had mustered was noticeably less potent than Lin Tianming''s at the same level, it was not far off.


    "Boom¡­"


    As the ming Red Sword Qi closed in, the Azure Toad Beast desperately tried to evade, but the attack''s speed was too fast, and unable to escape, it suffered a fatal blow solidly.


    The half-zhang-sized Azure Toad Beast was struck by the Sword Qi, a huge wound opening up on its neck, nearly severing its head from its body.


    After a tough fight, the Azure Toad Beast was in. Lin Tianhong removed its Demon Core and some useful materials, then retreated to the side to rest and recuperate.


    Over the past two months, whenever they encountered Demonic Beasts in the First Order Initial Phase or Middle Stage, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong took turnsbating them. Through these trials, they quickly improved theirbat experiences.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lin Tianhong''s progress was particrly noticeable; he was now easily handling most of the First Order Middle Stage Demonic Beasts, a significant improvement from his beleaguered state during the Silver Earth Scorpion''s encirclement. If he were to battle three Silver Earth Scorpions again, even without Lin Tianming''s assistance, he would not be in mortal peril.


    Lin Tianming also took action thrice, each time against First Order Late Stage Demonic Beasts, and each time he pushed himself to his limits.


    After several fights, the greatest achievement was bringing the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to the Minor Achievement Realm; it could now be deployed in an instant, with increased precision and power. Even without the assistance of talisman paper and other external forces, facing a First Order Late Stage Demonic Beast alone became quite effortless, a significant progress.


    However, over more than half a month, the Monster Hunting Squad hadn''t found much Spiritual Medicine, killing only about a dozen Demonic Beasts, and obtained some Artifact Refining Materials, which wasn''t worth many Spirit Stones.


    This gain,pared to the group battle in the Stone Forest, was negligible.


    There was no helping it; finding even the tiny Earth Mysterious Crystal Spirit Ore was already a stroke of good luck. In the outer areas of the Luoyun Mountain Range, countless cultivators trained and sought treasures every day, and the vast majority of treasures had long been imed. Second Order Spirit Ores like Earth Mysterious Crystals were rare, truly a matter of luck and not something one could simply find.


    A group of nsmen continued on their way, traversing within the mountains and ridges.


    In the southern part of the Luoyun Mountain Range, several days passed by while Lin Tianming and his group were journeying through a dense forest.


    Suddenly, the leader Lin Shiji halted, his expression serious, signaling that there was a situation ahead.


    "Stop, take cover."


    At his instruction, everyone leapt into the thick bushes, concealing their auras, blending in with the surrounding foliage.


    More than ten breaths passed in a tense atmosphere, and two injured Yellow Spirit Monkeys briefly stopped in the dense forest in front of them before hastily escaping deeper into the woods.


    Just after the Yellow Spirit Monkeys vanished, and merely ten or so breathster, five cultivators arrived in pursuit, stopping at the tree where the monkeys had been.


    All five cultivators had at least reached the Qi Refining Eighth Level, with the leader named Song Lixin at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage. He was the founder of this Monster Hunting Squad, rich in hunting experience, and frequented both the Purple Cloud Mountain Range and the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Song Lixin paused where the Yellow Spirit Monkeys had passed, looked at a few drops of blood on the ground before him, and appeared to be pondering something as he gazed in the direction the monkeys had fled.


    "Daoist Chen, these Yellow Spirit Monkeys escape too quickly, they''re agile and cunning. After chasing them for half a day, we''re finally closing in. They''re injured now, let''s follow the blood trail and hurry up!"


    Hearing Song Lixin''s words, the other cultivators were excited and readily agreed.


    The five of them followed the blood trail of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys and chased after them into the depths of the forest.


    After half an hour, Lin Shiji emerged, gathering the nsmen together with a serious look on his face.


    "This Monster Hunting Squad is strong, though fewer in number than us, all are above the Qi Refining Eighth Level, with one at the Great Perfection Realm leading them. They''re going to great lengths to hunt down two Yellow Spirit Monkeys, which surely means they''re after something big. What do you all think?"


    The nsmen expressed their opinions, with two cultivators at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining suggesting retreat, while others suggested following to see what was happening before deciding. The three young members, including Lin Tianming, being of rtively low strength, kept silent.


    Seeing Lin Tianming not speaking, Lin Shiji proactively asked for his opinion.


    "Elder Wu, esteemed n uncles, they just passed through the forest in front of us. The fact that they didn''t discover us at such a close distance is good news."


    "Regardless of their intention, we should follow them and see what opportunity unfolds. A man doesn''t grow rich without his fair share of chance, nor does a horse fatten without its night grazing. If it truly is an opportunity, why not seize the chance to be the mantis stalking the cicada?"


    After listening, the nsmen generally agreed with this idea. Greater risks could mean greater rewards; if the younger members were unafraid, what was there for them to fear?


    Seeing no objections from the nsmen, Lin Shiji gave further instructions.


    "Their squad is not weak; everyone must remember to be careful and cautious, not to expose our location and intent. If they engage inbat, don''t hold back, let none escape, or we may bring disaster upon our family. Understood?"


    "Understood."


    Lin Shiji led the way, with everyone carefully suppressing their auras and stealthily following behind Song Lixin''s Monster Hunting Squad.

 Chapter 65 Watching the Battle _1

    In the depths of the dense forest, Song Lixin and his fourpanions paused atop arge tree, no longer pushing forward.


    The blood trail had abruptly vanished at this location, and the Yellow Spirit Monkey that had been pursued for half a day was nowhere to be seen; the reason for this was unknown.


    Leading the group, Song Lixin scrutinized the dense forest ahead with meticulous eyes.


    At this moment, the forest was eerily silent, with an unsettling air hanging in the still atmosphere.


    Furrowing his brows, Song Lixin formed hand seals with both hands, casting several spells in quick session that shot directly into the forest in front of them.


    Waves of energy shattered the shrubbery in the vicinity of a hundred acres, felling swathes of trees cut at midsection¡ªhuge trees over thirty feet tall toppled in all directions, kicking up clouds of dust that obscured the vision of the group temporarily.


    With the cultivation of Complete Qi Refiningbined with his unrestrained attacks, Song Lixin ttened what had been an intensely thick forest.


    After a brief moment, as the billowing dust dispersed, a hill approximately a hundred feet tall was revealed.


    Looking more closely, the entire hill spanned several hundred acres, with several lush fruit trees growing upon it¡ªeach tree about a few dozen feet tall and sparsely dotted with some red fruits.


    The cultivator surnamed Chen immediately cried out in astonishment.


    ''It''s the Jade Spirit Fruit, we''re going to be rich!''


    The rest of the cultivators were greatly excited, having let go of the Yellow Spirit Monkey, they had followed behind simply to find the spiritual objects of its territory; Song Lixin''s guess had proven correct, and the four of them began to tter him in turn.


    Hearing the obsequious words of the cultivators, Song Lixin nodded with satisfaction.


    ''You''re all a bit too early with your celebrations; though we''ve found the spiritual objects, they won''t be so easy to obtain. Yellow Spirit Monkeys aremunal demonic beasts; small groups consist of over a dozen, whilerger groups boast over a hundred. If you wish to obtain the Spirit Fruit, you cannot avoid a fierce battle.''


    ''Let me be upfront¡ªI want forty percent of all the Spirit Fruit; the four of you can divide the remaining sixty percent. No objections, right?''


    ''Brother Song, forgive my bluntness, but although you are our monster hunting leader with the highest cultivation and have strategized for us along the way, surely earning great merit, forty percent is indeed too much. Divided amongst us four, there would be very little left.''


    ''Exactly!''


    The other cultivators chimed in one after another, forming an implicit alliance ofmon interests. When their own benefits were at stake, no one was willing to back down, and they were no longer as ttering as before.


    ''Alright, the lowest I''ll go is thirty percent¡ªthat''s my bottom line. If there are still objections, I''ll back out.''


    After some haggling and under pressure, there was a temporarypromise; Song Lixin epted the thirty percent distribution n.


    ''Hmph, I''ll let you make a fuss for now; after the fight, I''ll show you what I''m capable of.''


    Underneath his schrly demeanor, Song Lixin''s face revealed a hint of ruthlessness that was not easily detected.


    Even before gaining possession of the spiritual objects, the five cultivators were already at odds, each scheming for their own advantage, unwilling toe out at a loss.


    ''Alright, the treasure has been found¡ªlet''s try to approach where the Red Spirit Peach is located, and see what this Yellow Spirit Monkey is capable of.''


    Song Lixin led the group towards the small hill.


    In half an hour, they arrived at the foot of the hill and observed from a distance of a hundred paces.


    The hill was anything but quiet. There was bustling activity and a few monkey calls, quite noisy, with nearly a hundred Yellow Spirit Monkeys gathered under thergest Jade Spirit Fruit Tree.


    One giant Yellow Spirit Monkey sat in the tree, its chestnut fur interspersed with strands of golden hair. Its aura had reached the Late Stage of First Order, evidently the leader of the group.


    Watching two injured Yellow Spirit Monkeys in front of it, the leader''s eyes shed with a sharp ferocity. It leaped from the towering fruit tree, darting between the trunks, and headed out of the forest, followed by arge group of Yellow Spirit Monkeys.


    Song Lixin and the four others took out their respective Spiritual Artifacts and entered the forest cautiously, barely a hundred paces in.


    Suddenly, nearly a hundred Yellow Spirit Monkeys leaped out of the forest, encircling the cultivators. Without hesitation, they attacked the five cultivators.


    The Yellow Spirit Monkey leader took the lead, pounding its chest and stomping its feet, and in a blur of motion, it closed in with astonishing speed.


    A pair of sharp ws directly lunged at Song Lixin, and the Yellow Spirit Monkeys in the back closely followed, ganging up on the group of five in clusters.


    Facing the wave-like assault, the five cultivators did not panic in the slightest. They stood back to back forming arge circle, cooperating with each other to counterattack.


    Song Lixin summoned a gourd-shaped spiritual artifact, emitting a vast expanse of white frost, transforming into threerge White Ice Pythons that lunged towards the oing leader of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys.


    The leader of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys, upon being attacked, deftly flipped to dodge, but the offspring behind it were significantly slower. One Medium Stage Yellow Spirit Monkey that had not yet closed in was immediately killed on the spot.


    Despite being hindered, the attack of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys did not cease in the slightest.


    A pair of sharp ws was about to grasp Song Lixin''s head.


    If he were caught, his head would likely shatter instantly, with no chance of surviving.


    In a fit of shock and anger, Song Lixin hastily took out a First Order Medium Grade small shield shaped spiritual artifact, blocking it in front of him.


    The Yellow Spirit Monkey''s w made a gash in the shield, severely damaging Song Lixin''s spiritual artifact with one strike.


    Song Lixin quickly retreated, creating some distance.


    The thwarted attackpletely enraged the entire tribe of Yellow Spirit Monkeys, who became even more frenzied.


    The raging horde of monkeys attacked the five people without fear of death, making the fight much more intense.


    In a matter of half a quarter hour, the horde of monkeys suffered heavy casualties. Many of the First Order Yellow Spirit Monkeys had died or were injured, leaving less than twenty. There were also more than twenty Medium Stage ones, and even eight in the Late Stage.


    The five cultivators were scattered by the onught, each bing surrounded and fighting individually, which instantly increased the pressure on them.


    The cultivator with the surname Xie took deep breaths, his spiritual power greatly depleted, as he used every means he had to preserve his life.


    At this moment, he deeply regretted being so greedy as to take such a risk.


    In his haste, he threw out hisst Defense Talisman, which formed a wall of earth to block the Yellow Spirit Monkey in front of him.


    After only holding on for barely more than ten breaths, the horde of monkeys breached the earth wall. The cultivator surnamed Xie, filled with terror, was overwhelmed by a group of Yellow Spirit Monkeys before he could react and put up a resistance.


    When the horde dispersed, they left behind a corpse torn to pieces, a sight of extreme misery. The cultivator surnamed Xie had fallen on the spot.


    Seeing this tragic sight, a cultivator with the surname Chen who was being attacked yelled urgently,


    "Brother Song, don''t hold back anymore, or that fool''s fate will be ours!"


    Upon hearing this, everyone unleashed their most powerful moves without reservation.


    Instantly, talisman papers were thrown out as if they were worthless, and all sorts of spiritual artifacts were pushed to their limits.


    Song Lixin and the leader of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys fought fiercely for hundreds of rounds. By now, the leader of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys was covered in wounds, with one arm left and countless injuries on its body, its strength drastically reduced by half.


    Song Lixin wasn''t in much better condition, with his spiritual power nearly depleted, more than ten wounds on his body, with several ces exposing bone directly to the air, and his breathing extremely ragged.


    The other four were not much different, their spiritual power nearly exhausted, their treasures mostly consumed, and their strength greatly diminished.


    Without any further hesitation, the four stabilized the situation quickly and even gained the upper hand.


    The whole tribe of monkeys was mostly dead or wounded, leaving only over twenty survivors from nearly a hundred Yellow Spirit Monkeys¡ªall of whom were in the Medium Stage or above.


    Seeing that the situation was hopeless and that there was no chance of victory, the leader of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys was the first to dive into the dense forest, with the surviving Yellow Spirit Monkeys immediately following, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.


    Song Lixin did not pursue. At this point, all of them had sustained injuries, their spiritual power was greatly depleted, and if they encountered other Demonic Beasts, it would likely be impossible to escape.


    Seeing the Yellow Spirit Monkeys vanish, the four had yet to catch their breath,n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When Lin Shiji and his people, hiding in the shadows, took advantage of Song Lixin and the others'' momentary rxation to stealthily approach, the distance between them getting closer and closer.

 Chapter 66 Despair_1

    In the dense forest, Lin Shiji and his group proceeded with extreme caution.


    While Song Lixin and his men were fiercely battling, Lin Shiji had already made thorough preparations, silently instructing Lin Tianming and the others, arranging the n.


    As the Yellow Spirit Monkey disappeared into the depths of the dense forest, Song Lixin and his threepanions quickly took out a Huiyuan Pill from their storage bag and consumed it.


    As Lin Shiji and his men got closer and closer, the distance was now less than a hundred yards.


    Suddenly, Song Lixin seemed to notice something, hastily leaping to the top of a tree tens of yards high, looking down at Lin Shiji and his men with a mix of shock and anger.


    "Not good, he''s spotted us, attack!"


    Realizing they had been discovered, Lin Shiji immediately sprang into action without a moment''s dy, his first move a lethal technique.


    Heunched a streak of Golden Sword Qi, aiming straight for one of the men in white robes among the four.


    ording to Lin Shiji''s n, even though his Lin Family Cultivators outnumbered the opponents, there was a significant gap in cultivation levels, so they had to seriously injure one person to lessen the pressure for the younger members.


    Considering that Song Lixin''s cultivation was almost equals to his own and that it would be very difficult to kill a Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator named Chen in one blow, Lin Shiji targeted a Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator in white robes, with his own Great Perfection cultivation, the chances of sess in a sneak attack were significant.


    Lin Shiji crazily circted his Spiritual Power, sending the ferocious Sword Qi hurtling towards the man in white robes.


    The man in white robes, both shocked and enraged, hastily struck out with his sword, hoping to block Lin Shiji''s fatal blow.


    "Boom..."


    Following the explosive sound, the two Sword Qis violently collided!


    In less than half a breath''s time, the man in white robes'' attack was shattered, and Lin Shiji''s Sword Qi bore down on him.


    Unable to dodge in time, the man in white robes froze in ce, watching helplessly as the Sword Qi tore through his body.


    With the sneak attack, it was a one-strike kill, and Song Lixin''s group lost another member.


    At the same moment the man in white robes was struck, the cultivator surnamed Chen and anotherpanion hurriedly retreated to Song Lixin''s side, their expressions extremely tense.


    The Lin Family Members followed suit, standing beside Lin Shiji, each holding a Spiritual Artifact in their hands, warily watching Song Lixin''s three remaining people.


    The two sides stood off against each other, weapons at the ready, neither side speaking, the atmosphere eerily unnatural.


    Both sides sized each other up, each contemting their next move.


    Observing Lin Shiji''s cultivation, also at the Great Perfection Realm, with an aura even more profound than his own, and considering the collective strength of all the family members, was not to be underestimated.


    Whereas Song Lixin''s group had already lost two members, leaving only three remaining with significant depletion of energy, likely not strong enough to withstand them.


    Nevertheless, Song Lixin feignedposure, rapidly considering his options.


    The three of them were in terrible condition, hoping to buy some time, recover as much Spiritual Power as possible, and cling to a sliver of hope for survival.


    If they could give up a portion of the Jade Spirit Fruits and leave, that would naturally be best, but he couldn''t be sure ¨C he could only do his best to try.


    "Fellow Daoist, let''s not resort to violence. I am Song Lixin, might there be some misunderstanding?"


    "We can overlook the issue of the sneak attack. You can have the Jade Spirit Fruits, just allow us to leave, can you?"


    With a trace of anxiety, Song Lixin quickly spoke up, trying to calm the killing intent of the Lin Family Members.


    Lin Shiji sneered repeatedly, with no intention of responding, prepared to strike continuously, not allowing them any moment to catch their breath.


    Lin Shiji took out a three-foot-long Spirit Sword, channeling a tremendous amount of Spiritual Power, shing out several streaks of Sword Qi, heading straight for Song Lixin.


    The violent Sword Qi whipped up fierce winds, engulfing the surrounding trees.


    Song Lixin, who had just restored a small portion of his spiritual power, wore a grave expression, knowing that despite the promise of numerous benefits, a battle was unavoidable, and he had to go all out.


    In a hurry, Song Lixin took out his small shield, damaged by the attack of the Yellow Spirit Monkey, to block several attempted strikes from Lin Shiji.


    After some probing, Lin Shiji''s attacks grew stronger with each move he made.


    Song Lixin, as a Loose Cultivator at the Great Perfection, had substantial resources. He whipped out several talismans in quick session, neutralizing Lin Shiji''s offensive and even managing to counterattack.


    As the two fiercely battled with their magic, Lin Tianming and his fellow Lin Family Members surrounded the other two opponents.


    The Cultivator with the surname Chen was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining and not severely injured, making it difficult for anyone present, aside from Lin Shiji, to defeat him; the other Cultivator, also at Ninth Layer, was gravely injured, which left him to be besieged by Lin Xingcheng and the rest of the family members.


    Once their opponents were determined, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi tacitly teamed up to encircle the Cultivator named Chen.


    In his first confrontation with an adversary at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, Lin Tianming was exceedingly cautious. He drew his Earth Fiend Sword, releasing several strikes to drain the scant spiritual power of Cultivator Chen and silentlyid out the Earth Fiend Sword Formation without a sound.


    Lin Xingzhi was not to be outdone; the three exchanged a series of spells and sword qi. Their blows matched one another''s, leading to a stalemate that was difficult to break.


    Lin Xingcheng and the others also carefully besieged the other Cultivator. Although their cultivation base was inferior, they relied on arge number of First Order Medium Grade talisman papers, and with their superior numbers, they kept the upper hand.


    On the three battlefields, the fiercebat raged on, with both parties using every trick in the book, including talismans, spiritual instruments, and spells, leaving no technique unutilized. The already ravaged hillock was being remade once again under the reverberations of the fight.


    As time passed, Cultivator Chen''splexion grew increasingly pale.


    Under the relentless onught from Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi, Cultivator Chen''s spiritual power was vastly depleted, forcing him into a defensive posture.


    If it were during a time of full strength, neither Lin Tianming nor Lin Xingzhi would have been a match for him, which was incredibly frustrating.


    "This won''t do. I can''t drag this out any longer, going all out might still give me a chance to live!"


    Cultivator Chen calcted internally, readying himself to fight with all his might.


    Taking advantage of a brief lull in the attack, Cultivator Chen pulled out a snow-white bead, brimming with violent spiritual power, and without hesitation, hurled it towards Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi.


    "Tian Ming, watch out!"


    Lin Xingzhi cried out in shock, retreating explosively while shouting to alert Lin Tianming.


    Seeing the white bead hurtling toward him, and sensing the immense power it contained, he knew it was no trivial thing.


    Lin Tianming quickly backed away, releasing two High Quality First Order Defense Talismans in quick session, forming two walls in front of him.


    The white bead drew nearer and collided with the earthen walls created by the talismans, exploding with a loud boom.


    "Boom¡­"


    The first wall was breached in an instant by the explosive force, and the second one disintegrated shortly after.


    The shockwave from the explosion and the roaring st of air sent Lin Tianming flying back, halting only after crashing through several towering trees.


    Lin Xingzhi, who was further away and retreated in time, along with deploying a Defense Talisman, received only some internal injuries, but they were not serious.


    Lin Tianming rose from the ground, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.


    He hadn''t anticipated the bead''s formidable power, which his High Quality talismans could barely withstand for a moment.


    Lucky to have retreated in time and not overestimated himself, and with the benefits of his body refinement practice, he avoided serious harm. Using two High Quality First Order Defense Talismans was undoubtedly worth it.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi hadn''t sustained significant injuries, Cultivator Chen''s face turned ashen.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This bead had cost Cultivator Chen a great deal to acquire, and there was only one. He had always saved it as a life-saving measure.


    Resigned to use it, he had high hopes that if he could kill any one of them, he might have a chance to escape with his life. But his desperate gambit yielded nothing, and his situation became dire.

 Chapter 67 Counterattack_1

    There was no time for rest, and the frenzied Lin Tianming took no chances. Seizing the opportunity, he activated the alreadyid Sword Array, enveloping the Chen Surname Cultivator within the confines of the formation.


    Feeling the oppressive power of the Sword Array, the Chen Surname Cultivator was terrified and desperately tried to escape the reach of the Sword Array.


    Overwhelmed by the Sword Array, dodging the roaming Sword Qi within, the restrained Chen Surname Cultivator faced an unprecedented dilemma.


    Under heavy pressure, the Chen Surname Cultivator dared not be careless.


    Without any reservations, he threw out all the Attack Talismans he had at his disposal. Among the colorful dozen or so talismans, most were of Medium Grade, with only a few of High Quality.


    Thebined power of the dozen talismans was exceptionally violent, like a tempest of snow and rain. Pouring down, they fiercely struck the formation''s light barrier.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A trembling that could shake the earth and mountains followed, and within a few breaths of time, the light barrier shattered.


    With the Earth Fiend Sword Formation broken, Lin Tianming once again coughed up blood, his spirit damaged and injured yet again.


    Ignoring his own injuries, Lin Tianming threw out three Attack Talismans, transforming into three Golden Light Greatswords, and shot straight towards the Chen Surname Cultivator.


    Behind him, Lin Xingzhi was also exerting his Technique Divine Power, condensing a golden Sword Qi that hovered above his head.


    "Go..."


    Under their pincer attack, they gave no quarter.


    With an explosive sound, the Golden Light Greatswords pierced through the body of the Chen Surname Cultivator.


    Lin Tianming and hispanion copsed to the ground, gasping for air with a look of extreme exhaustion.


    Seeing the Chen Surname Cultivator''s gruesome death, the cultivators being attacked by Lin Xingcheng were shocked. In their moment of distraction, Lin Xingcheng seized the opportunity and killed them on the spot.


    As Lin Tianming and the others'' battle concluded, the confrontation between Lin Shiji and Song Lixin was reaching its end.


    Lin Shiji had been at the Great Perfection Realm for nearly thirty years, having reached its peak. He had served as the Law Enforcement Hall Master for decades, experienced in many battles, with countless cultivators and Monster Beasts falling at his hands. Hisbat experience was ample, and his wealth was beyond what ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators couldpare to. Song Lixin, even in his prime, was no match for him.


    As time went on, and with his Spiritual Power depleted, Song Lixin''s injuries worsened under Lin Shiji''s relentless attacks¡ªhe was at the end of his rope.


    The freed Lin Family members, working together to besiege him, were too much for Song Lixin to handle.


    Facing attacks from all directions and drained of energy, Song Lixin was deeply unwilling to yield.


    In despair, Song Lixin wentpletely mad.


    "Hmph! If I must die, I''ll take two with me."


    He took out a radiant red talisman from his storage bag. A strong aura spilled out, clearly a Second Order talisman, its ferocity not much less than the Golden Sword Talisman Lin Tianming had purchased.


    In rage, he threw it into the sky, and instantly from the talisman, a Monster Beast Soul burst forth and fiercely lunged toward Lin Shiji.


    Recognizing the aura of a Second Order talisman, Lin Shiji panicked and bellowed:


    "Get out of the way!"


    Everyone scattered, fleeing in all directions. Lin Tianming threw out two First Order Superior Defense Talismans, transforming them into two earthen walls in front of Lin Shiji.


    No sooner had he thrown the talismans than he leaped into the air, soaring a hundred yards up.


    Song Lixin had gonepletely mad, directing all his resentment towards Lin Shiji, determined to drag him down even in death.


    Unbelievably, Song Lixin possessed a Second Order talisman¡ªsomething no one had anticipated. All one could do was silently pray that Lin Shiji would survive this cmity.


    Facing the astonishly fast Monster Beast Soul, Lin Shiji could no longer dodge and had to resist with all his might. If he could withstand it, he would survive; if not, he would perish alongside his attacker.


    In a rush, he pulled a Blood-red Jade Pendant from his storage bag, its surface wreathed with Spiritual Energy, clearly no ordinary item.


    Injecting a Law Decree, the Blood-red Jade Pendant swelled to several yards in size, sheltering Lin Shiji closely behind it.


    Just as the jade pendant protected Lin Shiji, the ferocious beast soul mmed into the earthen wall with a loud impact.


    The first barrier was broken!


    The second barrier managed to hold for a moment before also shattering with a loud bang.


    "Boom..."


    The moment the demonic beast soul struck the blood-red jade pendant, it exploded, sending Lin Shiji flying with the violent shock waves. He crashed through severalrge trees before finallying to a stop.


    A Second Order talisman,parable to the full-force strike of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, was terrifying indeed.


    At this moment, Lin Shiji''s body was in tatters, his breath weak and faltering, covered in wounds from head to toe. Several ribs werepletely broken, and he spat out blood before falling into unconsciousness.


    All the Lin Family Members were injured. Lin Xingzhi, the closest to Lin Shiji, was mentally shaken by the mere remnants of the st, vomiting several mouthfuls of blood. Had he been the one attacked, he would likely have fallen.


    The other members of the n were further away and suffered only superficial injuries, which were not serious.


    Steadying himself from the st, Lin Tianming immediately rushed over and held Lin Shiji tightly, calling out hurriedly.


    "Elder Wu, please wake up!"


    In his panic, Lin Tianming shouted several times without any response, and took out two Consolidating Essence Pills, making Lin Shiji swallow them.


    At this moment, all the Lin Family Members'' eyes were filled with murderous intent. Lin Xingcheng and a few others shed out in anger, sending ferocious sword qi at Song Lixin.


    Song Lixin, drained of all spiritual power, waspletely despairing, making no attempt to dodge or defend, clearly resigning himself to his fate.


    With a scream, Song Lixin fell heavily to the ground.


    After more than ten attacks, Song Lixin''s body was torn apart, leaving behind only two dark green storage bags.


    Having killed Song Lixin, the recovered Lin Xingzhi and the others immediately ran over to Lin Tianming''s side, looking at Lin Shiji with concern.


    Lin Xingzhi checked Lin Shiji''s condition and breathed a sigh of relief, consoling everyone.


    "Uncle Wu is still breathing, just severely injured and not in any immediate danger. Tianming has already made him take two Consolidating Essence Pills. He just needs to rest quietly for a while and should be able to recover."


    Upon hearing Lin Xingzhi''s words, everyone finally rxed.


    Lin Shiji, being of a high seniority and old age, if anything happened to him, it would be difficult to exin to the n.


    With Lin Shiji unconscious and Lin Xingzhi being older in both age and cultivation, he temporarily became the backbone of the Lin Family.


    "Tianfeng, Tianhong, the two of you stay and watch over Uncle Wu. Everyone else, quickly clean up the battlefield. We must also collect the Jade Spirit Fruit. Lastly, gather all the spoils of war together. I will register them, and we''ll hand them over to the n for processing!"


    "Understood!"


    Everyone nodded and set to work.


    Lin Tianming looked over the small hill that was in disarray, strewn with various limbs and the bodies of dozens of Yellow Spirit Monkeys.


    Picking up the storage bags of several people and handing them to Lin Xingzhi, he also processed the bodies of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys, taking the demon cores and some useful crafting materials, filling several storage bags.


    After half an hour, the originally tragic site looked much better, at least not as bloody.


    All the nspeople sat together on the ground, taking Huiyuan Pills to recover their spiritual power, while Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong remained to protect them.


    After half an hour of cultivation, the nspeople had recovered a fair amount of spiritual power and now had some self-defensive capability.


    The injured Lin Shiji, with the help of the Consolidating Essence Pill''s medicinal strength, had his condition temporarily stabilized. With a few days of rest, he should be able to wake up.


    After examining Lin Shiji''s injuries, Lin Xingzhi gathered everyone and moved deeper into the dense forest.


    The formidable enemy was dead, and after all the effort they had expended, they could finally harvest the Jade Spirit Fruit!

 Chapter 68 Generous Rewards_1

    The Yellow Spirit Monkeys had all fled, and at this point, the dense forest bore no dangers, so Lin Xingzhi led a group of n members deep into the woods.


    At the top of a hill, there was a clearing several acres in size where six fruit trees, each more than ten zhang tall, grew.


    Upon closer inspection, the trees¡ªlush green in color¡ªwere adorned with more than ten bright red fruits. Each spirit fruit was slightlyrger than a fist, looked clear and lustrous, and radiated strong fluctuations of spiritual energy. They were Jade Spirit Fruits.


    Jade Spirit Fruits were First Order spirit fruits, which only bore fruit once every hundred years. They could be consumed directly and were one of the supportive spiritual objects for Qi Refining Cultivators to cultivate with, and thus quite precious.


    Every Jade Spirit Fruit contained an abundant amount of spiritual power¡ªthe energy they contained was no less than that in Lingshen Pills. They were typically used to break through minor cultivation bottlenecks. Although their effect was not as miraculous as Pozhang Pills, they weren''t much less so, and each Jade Spirit Fruit was valued at seventy to eighty Spirit Stones.


    At this moment, the Jade Spirit Fruits were at the critical point of ripeness. They only needed a few more days before they could be harvested.


    The n members all sat down together, cultivating while guarding the unconscious Lin Shiji.


    Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and around noon, following two coughs, the Lin Shiji, who had been unconscious for several days, finally woke up.


    After coughing up two mouthfuls of clotted blood, Lin Shiji''splexion had improved significantly since the time he was injured.


    Everyone gathered around, expressing their concern for Lin Shiji''s injuries.


    The awakened Lin Shiji paid no mind to his own injuries. Instead, his first concern was the status of his nsmen, cing their lives above his own, which deeply moved all the n members.


    With tears in his eyes, Lin Xingzhi reported everything that had happened since Lin Shiji lost consciousness, which finally put Lin Shiji''s mind at ease.


    "Xingzhi, you did well. I don''t have many days left to live, but you are the future of our family. The entire process and gains from this trial, I will report truthfully to the Elders'' Council. The rewards might not equal the items obtained, but they will certainly be substantial."


    Lin Shiji showed a gratified smile and praised all the n members before starting to talk about his own injuries.


    "Everyone, don''t worry, my injuries have stabilized. I just need to rest quietly for a while to fully recover. However, I won''t be able to take action during this time. We must be careful and cautious on our way back. Once we exit the mountain range, we will be safe."


    "Additionally, all the spirit fruits must be harvested, and we should transnt several Jade Spirit Fruit Trees back to the family''s Spiritual Medicine Garden to enhance our family''s foundation. If they survive, they could yield nearly a hundred more Spirit Fruits in a hundred years!"


    After instructing the n members, Lin Shiji took out a green storage bag and handed it to Lin Xingzhi, asking him to pack the fruit trees in the bag and transnt them back at the family''s estate.


    Taking the storage bag, Lin Xingzhi extended his divine sense to inspect it and couldn''t help showing a trace of a smile.


    The storage bag Lin Shiji had given had nearly a hundred cubic zhang of space, more than enough to fit the six Jade Spirit Fruit Trees¡ªseveral timesrger than the one Lin Xingzhi was using¡ªsolving the problem of insufficient space perfectly.


    After arranging everything, Lin Shiji took out a Huiyuan Pill, swallowed it, and sat down cross-legged to recover from his injuries.


    Three dayster, with a fragrance filling the air, the cultivators who were meditating all opened their eyes.


    "The Jade Spirit Fruits are ripe!"


    Lin Xingzhi, his face brightened with joy, said,


    "Tianfeng, Tianhong, Tian Ming, you three go and pick the Jade Spirit Fruits. Take the surrounding soil as well, and dig up the Jade Spirit Fruit Trees with their roots. The rest of you, stay on guard; the scent of the spirit fruits might attract some Demonic Beasts, so we must act quickly. Once we achieve our objective, we need to retreat immediately. As long as we are out of the mountain range, we will be safe!"


    "Yes,"


    The n members responded in unison and immediately set to work.


    Lin Tianming and the others each leaped onto a Jade Spirit Fruit Tree, carefully picking the fruits and cing them into jade boxes.


    A quarter of an hourter, Lin Tianming finished harvesting two trees, picking twelve Jade Spirit Fruits from the first and eleven from the second.


    After plucking the fruits, he took out the Earth Evil Sword from his storage bag and began to dig around the trees.


    Only after digging three zhang deep did he stop, grasped the tree trunk as thick as a water bucket, and exerted all his strength to uproot the entire fruit tree along with the soil.


    Just as Lin Tianming and the others had ced the six fruit trees into their storage bag, several First Order Demon Beasts, drawn by the scent of the spirit fruits, rushed over and were promptly intercepted and in by Lin Xingzhi.


    Once Lin Tianming and the others had secured the fruit trees, they immediately went to find Lin Shiji.


    Seeing Lin Tianming and the others emerge, Lin Shiji quickly asked:


    "Tianming, did you seed?"


    "We did!"


    "All six Jade Spirit Fruit Trees bore ripe fruit; we harvested a total of eighty-three Jade Spirit Fruits. We also sessfully uprooted the six trees, which just need to be brought back to the n in time for transnting into the Spiritual Medicine Garden."


    After reporting their harvest, Lin Tianming and his group each took out their storage bags and handed them to Lin Shiji.


    Upon receiving the storage bags, Lin Shiji examined them once over and quickly gathered Lin Xingzhi and others.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After some discussion, the family members all retreated without any hesitation, moving through the dense forest and heading out of the mountain range.


    In less than half a day''s time, following the trail they hade by, the family members appeared on a vast in, already out of the Luoyun Mountain Range and into the territory controlled by the Human Race.


    Having sessfully navigated out of the dense forest onto the ins, they were essentially safe; everyone breathed a sigh of relief,


    "We''ve finally made it out!"


    Everyone showed a trace of exhrated smiles; their haul this trip had far exceeded expectations, and now they could finally return to the n.


    Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle from its Spirit Beast Bag and fed it a Beast Spirit Pill.


    Everyone climbed onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, which flew carrying the group as they rushed towards Green Bamboo Mountain.


    It was now noon, and the Purple Gold Eagle appeared near Green Bamboo Mountain. After a full day''s journey, Lin Tianming and the others finally made it back to the n.


    Once inside the grand formation, they encountered many fellow n members, which drew the attention of several others.


    People spected about the results of the trip and even discussed it in private.


    Since Lin Shiji had already instructed them not to reveal the details and results of the trip, the participants naturally did not share anything.


    After dismissing the gathered n members, they all went back to their homes, waiting for the n''s rewards.


    Lin Shiji did not dy any longer and immediately flew towards the Summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, ready to discuss matters with several members of the Shi generation.


    In a courtyard at the Summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, the seven Lin Family members of the Shi generation gathered for a casual chat after receiving a message.


    "With Fifth Brother personally leading the expedition, I wonder what their haul was this time!"


    Hearing Lin Shixin''s words, Lin Shilu said with a smile:


    "It must be significant; otherwise, he wouldn''t have called us all together!"


    "Indeed!"


    The group sipped tea while discussing recent events.


    After a short while, Lin Shiji appeared in the courtyard.


    Seeing Lin Shiji enter, everyone got up to greet him.


    Sensing Lin Shiji''s wan aura, the family members quickly inquired:


    "Fifth Brother, are you injured?"


    "My injury is nothing serious. With some rest, I will recover; you don''t need to worry, brothers."


    Lin Shiji reassured the family members and started to recount the recent events in detail.


    As he described lurking in the shadows and the final fierce battle, everyone felt a shiver of concern.

 Chapter 69 Generosity of the Family_1

    Having finished recounting the events of the past half year, in the presence of the n members, he took out more than ten differently colored storage bags.


    After hearing the process, all the n members waited curiously, the loot this time was substantial, it was the perfect opportunity to enhance the Lin Family''s foundation.


    Lin Shiji picked up a storage bag and a beast skin for recording, and began to recite fluently.


    "These five storage bags all contain the Demon Cores of Silver Earth Scorpions as well as parts usable for artificing, totaling sixty-six Silver Earth Scorpion corpses of varying grades."


    "This storage bag contains all of the eighty-three Jade Spirit Fruits obtained."


    "This storage bag holds six Jade Spirit Fruit trees, very intact, including the surrounding soil dug up together, which increases the likelihood of survival."


    "These two storage bags contain one hundred and thirty-three pieces of Earth Mysterious Crystal Ore, roughly the size of a fist, with only a few slightlyrger."


    ¡­


    Lin Shiji took out all the Spiritual Medicine, Spirit Ore, and Demonic Beast materials for artificing and detailed the experiences one by one.


    Listening, everyone was overjoyed. The wealth they had acquired was indeed substantial, worth at least tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.


    In the end, Lin Shiji produced five storage bags, the very ones seized from Song Lixin and hispanions during the surprise attack at the crucial moment.


    The wealth of Song Lixin and his fourpanions was the hard-won result of the entire Monster Hunting Squad, and no one had opened them privately, deliberately saving them untilst to decide on rewards based on the contents when opened in front of everyone.


    Hearing Lin Shiji''s exnation, everyone was greatly reassured. Lin Shiji''s actions were indeed fair and just, without the slightest hint of greed, earning the respect of all the n members.


    He took out the first storage bag, which belonged to an Artificer at the Qi Refining Eighth Level with the surname Xie.


    Lin Shiji took out all the items from the storage bag andid them out on an open space in the courtyard.


    Three hundred and sixty Spirit Stones, a bottle of Lingshen Pills, various amounts of Huiyuan Pills, Consolidating Essence Pills, and other consumable Spiritual Medicine, a Medium Grade Attack Spirit Weapon, and a number of First Order Spiritual Medicines and Demonic Beast Materials. Thesemon items amounted to a total wealth of around a thousand or so Spirit Stones.


    Before long, Lin Shiji had taken out the wealth of the four others, excluding Song Lixin, which were all necessities for cultivation.


    Apart from the wealth of a cultivator with the surname Chen, valued at four thousand Spirit Stones, the wealth of the other two was somewhat higher than that of cultivator Xie, barely reaching three thousand Spirit Stones.


    Among the four, the cultivator Chen was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining with formidable strength, having participated in the Monster Hunting Squad multiple times; naturally, his umted wealth wasn''t small.


    Unfortunately, there were no Cultivation Techniques discovered; after all, it''s rare for Qi Refining rogue cultivators to haveplete techniques, to even carry any is even lessmon.


    The crowd felt a bit disappointed, but considering the amount of treasure they obtained, they quickly came to terms with it. Moreover, the Lin Family wasn''t in great need of Yellow Grade Techniques; Mysterious Grade Techniques would be of more interest.


    FInally, with all expectations set, Lin Shiji took out Song Lixin''s storage bag and removed all the items.


    In no time, the ground was covered with items; everyone''s breath hitched as they checked over the array of riches.


    Now, the ground was covered in Spirit Stones, elixirs, and Spiritual Artifacts of every kind, bewitching the eye with their quantity and variety.


    Lin Shixin, as the Hall of Merit''s Master, stepped forward and, while inspecting, recited each item one by one.


    "One thousand six hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, five First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Instruments, three Lower Grade Spiritual Instruments, one First Order Superior Grade artificing furnace, a number of First Order artificing materials, twelve Second Order Spirit Ores!"


    After the first round of introduction, everybody was discussing in low voices.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Judging by the artificing materials in his storage bag, Song Lixin must be at least a First Order Medium Grade Artificer, absolutely!"


    "This guy is really rich, just these Spirit Stones, Spiritual Instruments, and artificing materials are worth over four thousand Spirit Stones, surpassing any of the others!"


    Lin Shixin paid no mind and continued the inventory count.


    "Two bottles of Lingshen Pill, various consumables elixirs, thirty First Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, five Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, five First Order Medium Grade talisman paper, two High Quality Talisman papers, and several Demonic Beast Materials!"


    With the majority of the items ounted for, their value was nearly six thousand Spirit Stones, with just one Jade Tube left to be inspected.


    Lin Shixin picked up the Jade Tube and summoned his Divine Sense to examine its contents.


    After a few moments, a hint of joy appeared on his face.


    "This is a Profound Grade Technique of inferior quality, a Water Attribute Cultivation Technique, named the ''Kanli Water Scripture''!"


    Lin Shixin''s words once again took everyone present by surprise.


    In the eight hundred years of the Lin Family''s history, nearly a thousand n members had worked hard to acquire two Profound Grade Techniques, both of which had been obtained during the ancestral patriarch''s era.


    For nearly five hundred years, no Profound Grade Techniques had been obtained, and it just so happened that the ncked a Water, Earth, or Wood Attribute Profound Grade Technique. It was truly incredible that they had now acquired a Profound Grade Technique.


    One must know that when Lin Tianming attended the Qianchuan Market auction, even a Yellow Grade Technique with a Water Attribute went for more than twenty thousand Spirit Stones. Although this Profound Grade Technique was rtively ordinary, it was still worth tens of thousands of Spirit Stones at the very least.


    Lin Shixin tossed the Technique to Lin Shikang and others to verify, and in the end, it was confirmed indeed to be a Water Attribute Profound Grade Technique.


    With all treasures appraised, it took a full quarter hour before everyone could recover from their joy.


    Lin Shiji and others had achieved great merit by obtaining arge number of treasures. Lin Shikang took the initiative to open the discussion on how the n members should be rewarded!


    After half an hour of discussion, a decision was made.


    As the leader, Lin Shiji, who was seriously injured, was awarded three thousand Merit Points, one First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instrument, two High Quality Talisman papers, and one Jade Spirit Fruit.


    Lin Xingzhi, whose performance was outstanding, was awarded two thousand Merit Points and one Jade Spirit Fruit.


    Lin Xingcheng was awarded one thousand five hundred Merit Points and one Jade Spirit Fruit, and other Seventh Level Qi Cultivators in the family were rewarded with one thousand Merit Points and one Jade Spirit Fruit each.


    Although the three juniors Lin Tianming, Lin Tianfeng, and Lin Tianhong had rtively low cultivation levels, they actively participated in the trials and set an example for the younger generation of the n, with exceptional performance. Especially Lin Tianming, who, at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, was not inferior to the cultivators at the Ninth Layer and even discovered the Earth Mysterious Crystal, thus deserving the main credit.


    Therefore, considering that these individuals had always been the focus of the family''s cultivation resources, and that the family''s finances had been depleted due to the creation of the Minor Foundation Building Pills, it was natural to fulfill the previously established training ns now that a substantial fortune had been acquired.


    Lin Tianming was rewarded with two thousand five hundred Merit Points, one Jade Spirit Fruit, three High Quality Talisman papers, and one Medium Grade Spiritual Instrument.


    Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong were both awarded one thousand five hundred Merit Points, one Jade Spirit Fruit, two High Quality Talisman papers, and one Medium Grade Spiritual Instrument.


    Their rewards were even more generous than those given to Seventh Level Qi Cultivators in the family, and Lin Tianming''s reward even surpassed that of Lin Xingzhi, a Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator. The family was indeed generous this time.


    Once the rewards were decided, Lin Shiji handed over all the items to Lin Shixin for safekeeping on the spot.


    Apart from the Jade Spirit Fruits awarded, the surplus Jade Spirit Fruits were to be exchanged at market value, and anyone was allowed to exchange for them.


    The Jade Spirit Fruit Tree was also transnted to the Spiritual Medicine Garden without dy, with n members assigned to tend to it carefully; in a hundred years, it would bring yet anotherrge bounty of resources.


    With all matters settled, everyone busied themselves and dispersed.


    Lin Tianming also immediately returned home to see his mother and sister. After some leisurely conversation, he retired to his room to rest.


    Half a year of trials had left him extremely exhausted. Within just over ten breaths, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 70 Claiming Rewards_1

    Early the next morning, after a night''s rest, Lin Tianming stepped out from his long-missed room.


    As soon as he left the house, he ran into Lin Tianyueing head-on.


    Seeing Lin Tianming, Lin Tianyue was also delighted and quickly spoke:


    "Brother, it''s so lively outside, the deeds of our Monster Hunting Squad have already spread. Now, many brothers and sisters really admire you!"


    Hearing what Lin Tianyue said, Lin Tianming pondered for a moment. Lin Shiji had long given orders that no news should be revealed to anyone until the family had discussed the results, especially the deeds of killing Song Lixin and others. Therefore, Lin Tianming had not even told his mother and sister. Since the whole n now knew, it must have been deliberated by the family already.


    "Tianyue, where did you see this news?"


    "Notices have been posted in several ces in the family where there is a lot of foot traffic. I think the family is deliberately promoting it. Besides, the family has rewarded us with a lot of good stuff. You should check it out."


    Lin Tianming said goodbye to his sister and left the small courtyard, flying directly towards the Enforcement Hall.


    In front of the main hall of the Enforcement Hall, a notice was posted on a wall, and more than a dozen people gathered around, chatting idly and giving their opinions.


    It wasn''t just the entrance of the Enforcement Hall that was bustling; other important n locations were also full of n members discussing.


    Lin Tianming jumped down from his Spirit Sword andnded at the edge of the crowd, greeting the nspeople with a smile.


    The nspeople returned the greeting, without the slightest sense of using their seniority to act superior. After all, Lin Tianming was gifted, already at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. His grandfather had reached Foundation Establishment, and each member of his family was very powerful, so everyone was extremely polite.


    The nspeople asked Lin Tianming about the Monster Hunting Squad''s encounter, and he did not hold back, roughly narrating the process of the fierce battle with the Silver Earth Scorpion.


    However, he did not reveal the ambush on Song Lixin and others. After all, profiting unscrupulously from an unprovoked advantage was not something to be proud of.


    But that''s how the Cultivation World is. With scarce resources, thepetition is even more bloody than in the mortal world. Those who do notpete for resources will eventually be eliminated. The survival of the fittest is vividly demonstrated in the Cultivation World.


    Even such a partial recounting sent the nspeople''s blood surging, and those with sufficient strength expressed their desire to join the Monster Hunting Squad.


    Those who were not strong enough felt regretful but also nned to practice diligently, hoping to join the Monster Hunting Squad soon.


    Through the family''s extensive promotion and encouragement, plus the generous rewards from Lin Tianming and others, the enthusiasm of some nspeople was fully ignited.


    Those with less innate talent, who subconsciously preferred to cultivate within the nnds, seemed to have had a change of heart. Although their number was notrge, the change was satisfying nheless.


    Feeling the passion of the nspeople, Lin Tianming was very clear that afortable life indeed wears away the nspeople''s sense of crisis. To develop and grow, one must have a spirit of adventure and sacrifice; otherwise, they would eventually fade away in the world of cultivation.


    After some casual conversation, Lin Tianming bid farewell to everyone and entered the Enforcement Hall.


    Upon entering the Enforcement Hall, he found Lin Tianfeng and greeted him. Lin Tianming then inquired about the notice.


    As a member of the Enforcement Hall, Lin Tianfeng naturally had already asked the Hall Master Lin Shiji.


    "Sixth brother, I have asked Elder Wu. To encourage our nspeople, the arrangement was indeed made by the family. The rewards can be collected at any time at the Enforcement Hall," said Lin Tianfeng, his face beaming with joy. The rewards were indeed substantial¡ª1500 merit points and the Jade Spirit Fruit were enough for him to reach the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, not to mention the Fu Lu Spiritual Instrument. With his significantly increased strength, he nned to undergo further challenges once his cultivation was higher. He was a true battle enthusiast.


    While Lin Tianming was chatting with Lin Tianfeng, a confused Lin Tianhong also arrived.


    They hadn''t arrived yet, but their voices could be heard from afar.


    "Big Brother, Sixth Brother, is the notice at the entrance for real?"


    Lin Tianhong seemed to have his doubts, as the rewards were indeed too generous, and he had toe over to confirm.


    Lin Tianfeng was also very excited and quickly repeated Lin Shiji''s exact words, dispelling any hesitation the two may have had.


    "Let''s go to the Hall of Merit and im our reward. I''ve long coveted that Jade Spirit Fruit, and with it, I''m eighty percent sure that I can break through to the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement!"


    With an excited expression, Lin Tianfeng invited Lin Tianming and the other to join him.


    Lin Tianming and the other happily agreed, and the trio set off from the Enforcement Hall, flying towards the Hall of Merit on the other side.


    Inside the Hall of Merit, arge number of n members had already gathered. Members of the Monster Hunting Squad were mostly there to receive their rewards, attracting many other n members to watch the excitement.


    In the noisy hall, the arrival of Lin Tianming and his twopanions caught the attention of all the n members.


    After all, these three were the leading figures among the Lin Family''s Tian generation, with the highest cultivation among their peers, and even many of the Xing n Members could notpare.


    Lin Tianming and his twopanions smiled and greeted their elders and brothers before lining up to collect their rewards.


    A great number of n members watched as Lin Shixin distributed arge number of merit points and handed out the Jade Spirit Fruits, all of them green with envy and itching to venture into the Luoyun Mountain Range for training.


    The waiting Xing n Members were visibly excited,pletely satisfied with the n''s rewards; after all, with so many merit points, they could cultivate for a long time.


    Time passed quickly, and half an hourter, it was Lin Tianming''s trio''s turn.


    Lin Tianfeng was the first to im his prize, not only crediting the merit points to his token but also receiving the Jade Spirit Fruit for his Fu Lu Spiritual Instrument, standing ecstatically to one side while waiting.


    Lin Tianhong imed his merit points and exchanged for a Pill Furnace and arge quantity of Spiritual Medicine Materials, apparently nning to perform arge amount of alchemy to improve his alchemical skills.


    When it was Lin Tianming''s turn, he hardlycked resources. He had plenty of elixirs, and those suitable for the Qi Refinement Realm were almost sufficient. The talisman paper and Spiritual Artifact he had been rewarded previously were also enough for the time being.


    After much consideration, he decided to exchange for some Spiritual Medicine Materials, nning to refine them into elixirs to sell back to the family. With his own refined elixirs, n members could quickly improve their cultivation, he could practice his craft, and he could also earn Spirit Stones. Otherwise, not practicing alchemy for a long time might cause his skills to regress.


    He exchanged for arge quantity of elixir materials, all for consumptive pills like the Lingshen Pill, Consolidating Essence Pill, and Huiyuan Pill, as well as materials for five Xisui Pills. Since the materials for Xisui Pills were hard to gather, that was all there was, and Lin Tianming took them all.


    After bidding farewell to the crowd of n members, the three stepped out of the Hall of Merit together.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Second Brother, Sixth Brother, after this training, I feel that my bottleneck has loosened. I n to go into seclusion for cultivation. I won''t leave until I break through to the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement!"


    Lin Tianfeng spoke with full confidence about his ns.


    Lin Tianhong also intended to go into seclusion for cultivation. Having just entered the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, he probably wouldn''t be able to reach the Sixth Level even with the Jade Spirit Fruit and nned to undergo quiet cultivation for a while. He wanted to enhance his alchemy and umte more experience before consuming the Jade Spirit Fruit towards theter stage of the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    "Big Brother, Second Brother, I too will go into seclusion. It''s been over a year since I reached the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. This is a good time to focus on cultivation and, with the help of the Jade Spirit Fruit, there''s a good chance of reaching the Eighth Level."


    After discussing their future ns, the three bid each other farewell and flew off in different directions.

 Chapter 71 Closed-Door Training (Please Subscribe, Asking for Votes)_1

    Watching Lin Tianfeng and the other leave, Lin Tianming didn''t immediately go home but flew towards the Alchemy Hall instead.


    Having not seen his grandfather for half a year, returning to the Lin Family naturally meant paying a visit.


    Upon entering the Alchemy Hall, aside from Lin Shigong, he saw no other n members.


    Compared to the bustling noise of the Enforcement Hall and the Hall of Merit, the Alchemy Hall was much quieter, after all, the Lin Family only had five true alchemists.


    The Alchemy Hall was only used for exchange and learning, and with the help of Earth Fire for alchemy, it was only lively at those times. Most of the time, it was just Lin Shigong here.


    Seeing his grandfather, Lin Tianming was very happy and hurried forward to pay his respects.


    Lin Shigong also hadn''t seen Lin Tianming for a long time; he pulled Lin Tianming to sit down, and the two chatted over Spiritual Tea.


    "Grandfather, my father should be close to reaching the Great Perfection realm now, right?"


    Lin Tianming rarely encountered Lin Xingrong and could only inquire about his father''s situation through his grandfather and mother.


    "Your father has been umting for several years, and thest time he came back, he was on the verge of a breakthrough. With arge number of elixirs to assist, without idents, he should be able to enter the Great Perfection of Qi Refining stage within half a year. He''s still young, and with a Minor Foundation Building Pill to help him impact the Foundation Establishment Stage, there''s a great hope of sess!"


    Lin Shigong was very gratified. He once thought that he would never break through the Foundation Establishment Stage in this lifetime, and he was quite pessimistic about Lin Xingrong''s future. It was very likely he would follow his own path, dying old in the Qi Refinement Realm. The family was too poor, and thinking about it made him feel helpless.


    Nowadays, the Lin Family''s predicament has greatly improved. The hope for Foundation Establishment is much greater than before, and it''s finally developing in a good direction.


    "Grandfather, I want to go into seclusion for a while, at least half a year, to strive for a breakthrough to the Eighth Level of Qi Refinement."


    Seeing the confident expression on Lin Tianming''s face, Lin Shigong''s face beamed with a smile. He was quite satisfied with Lin Tianming''s efforts and naturally supported him.


    "Good, there''s nothing big happening in the n at this time, except for the Monster Hunting Squad and the Spirit Root Testing Ceremony. The n has already arranged for people to handle it. You just focus on your cultivation. I''ve also gathered spiritual medicine materials for half a year, and I want to try refining Second Order Pills. Previously, my cultivation wasn''t sufficient, and the elixirs needed for the third brother and the others had to be bought from outside. Now that there are more and more Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the consumption is huge. Refining our own elixirs can save a lot of Spirit Stones."


    "That''s true, not to mention that it''s expensive to buy them from outside. During special times, you can''t even buy them if you want to!"


    The two chatted leisurely for an hour, from cultivation to alchemy. Through the exchange, both the grandfather and the grandson benefited a great deal.


    After the chat, Lin Tianming took out a Minor Foundation Building Pill and handed it to Lin Shigong, instructing him to pass it to his father once he reached the Great Perfection, to aid him in his early breakthrough.


    With two more Minor Foundation Building Pills and five stems of Hidden Spirit Grass left, at least there was no need to worry about not having enough.


    After saying farewell to his grandfather, Lin Tianming returned to his own small courtyard. He took out arge number of elixirs and handed them to his mother and sister, including Xisui Pills and Pozhang Pills, for them to cultivate in peace and strive for a breakthrough of one or two realms.


    Having greeted all his close n members, Lin Tianming didn''t dy any further and directly entered the secret chamber.


    He sat cross-legged on the cushion, practiced his breathing and ran his Cultivation Technique through one Grand Cirction.


    More than a year had passed since thest breakthrough.


    During the half-year with the Monster Hunting Squad, through extensive practice, his cultivation also reached the peak of the Seventh Level of Qi Refining, and with step-by-step cultivation, a breakthrough was bound to happen sooner orter.


    Feeling the weak growth of Spiritual Power in his Dantian and the apanying pain in his body, Lin Tianming took out arge number of elixirs and ced them beside him.


    Lingshen Pills, Body Strengthening Pills, Strong Spirit Pills¡ªall were key items aiding cultivation, especially the Body Strengthening Pill, which greatly alleviated the pain of cultivation; otherwise, it would be impossible to endure.


    After consuming the elixirs, he fully absorbed the rich Spiritual Power within. His Qi Sea and Dantian grew at a slow pace.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming sat motionless, entering the best state for cultivation, simr to an old monk in meditation.


    During Lin Tianming''s closed-door cultivation, the triennial Spirit Root Testing Ceremony arrived on schedule, and the Lin Family arranged for six n members to descend the mountain to preside over the ceremony in the mortal towns.


    The n ced great importance on the Spirit Root Testing Ceremony and cared deeply for the lives of mortals; otherwise, they wouldn''t have stationed people in such ces with sparse spiritual energy year after year.


    Even though the probability of finding a mortal with a Spiritual Root was much smaller than that of descendants of cultivators, with the vast poption, a few were always discovered each year.


    By controlling a vast poption, the n could quickly increase its size, continuously integrating fresh blood. With an increasing poption, the probability of encountering cultivators with exceptional talents grewrger.


    Of the current 170-plus members of the Lin Family, nearly half came from mortal towns, highlighting the significance of mortals to the Lin Family.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Therefore, having control over arge poption of mortals was also considered one of the n''s foundational strengths.


    In the southern part of Green Bamboo Mountain, outside Qingfeng Town, a cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining was flying towards the town on a Flying Sword.


    Before long, he flew directly over the town walls and headed toward the central stone tower.


    This person was named Lin Xingli, a cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining who was the Executive Officer sent by the Lin Family to preside over the Spirit Root Testing Ceremony.


    The triennial Spirit Root Testing Ceremony was held as scheduled, with the Lin Family dispatching six members to oversee it, five of whom were responsible for five major towns, while the remaining one oversaw the area at the foot of Green Bamboo Mountain. Stay tuned with empire


    All six regions were ces where the Lin Family''s mortals gathered, andpared to the five major towns, the small town at the foot of Green Bamboo Mountain, with only fifty to sixty thousand people, had a much higher probability of discovering individuals with Spiritual Roots.


    The reason was straightforward: the mortals in that town were close rtives of Lin Family cultivators, with a cultivator emerging from within their lineage within thest ten generations, which significantly increased the probability of discovering individuals with Spiritual Rootspared to those who had never had a Spiritual Root emerge.


    Lin Xingli soared past the densely clustered mortal houses and appeared over arge square.


    At that moment, the square was filled with thousands of teenagers, about evenly split between boys and girls, most appearing to be around eleven or twelve years old, with a few thirteen-year-olds as well.


    A youth who happened to look up saw a middle-aged man standing on a Flying Sword, suspended in the air, and shouted in shock.


    "A celestial being..."


    Upon hearing the shout, everyone raised their heads to look up at the sky, and many Lin Family mortals respectfully knelt and began to worship.


    Lin Xingli shouted in a voice filled with Spiritual Power.


    "Silence all! Line up orderly. The official testing begins tomorrow. Anyone who makes noise or causes amotion will be deprived of the right to be tested!"


    Lin Xingli''s words instantly hushed the previously noisy crowd, making it so quiet you could hear a pin drop.


    Having said that, he no longer paid attention to the waiting mortals. He formed a hand seal with one hand, cast a Law Decree, and entered the building.


    Less than ten breathster, the protective restrictions were opened, and a cultivator at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining emerged.


    This cultivator, smiling as he walked, greeted Lin Xingli:


    "I didn''t expect Brother Thirteen to be overseeing the Spirit Root Testing Ceremony here. Please rest inside for a moment, brother. I''ll instruct the town mayor to prepare a banquet to wee and cleanse the dust of travel for you."


    Lin Xingli returned the smile and the greeting, and the two entered the restriction one after the other before disappearing, leaving behind a crowd of mortals anxiously waiting.


    Inside the secret chamber, Lin Xingli sat opposite the other man, exchanging pleasantries.


    Soon after, Lin Shan''s subordinates delivered avish dinner. Lin Xingli and the other man sat opposite each other, eating and conversing, confirming that the Spirit Root Testing Ceremony wouldmence at the break of dawn.

 Chapter 72 Spirit Testing Convention (Two in One - Subscription and Monthly Ticket Request)_1

    On the morning of the following day, while the brilliant moon had not yetpletely vanished, a time when one would normally be sound asleep, the entirety of Qingfeng Town was brightly lit as though in the midst of a bustling celebration.


    Throngs of young boys and girls were rushing through the streets, heading toward the center of Qingfeng Town.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In the town''s central square, a simple elevated tform had been constructed.


    Over a thousand youths were gathered together, waiting anxiously, and more adolescent boys and girls continued to pour in.


    Within the crowd, one could see a thin boy with a resolute gaze, his clothes disheveled, his face smeared with filth¡ªlooking every bit the beggar.


    In order to attend the Spirit Testing Event, he had set out ten days in advance, traveling alone, covering over twenty li each day, begging along the way, enduring great hardship just to arrive in Qingfeng Town on time.


    The slender youth heaved a sigh of relief, and with difficulty, he pushed through the onlookers to join the long queue, making his way toward the center of the square.


    As the number of people grew, the spacious square became overcrowded, and even the stone-paved roads were filled to the brim.


    Around the entire square, numerous adults stood to one side¡ªmen and women, old and middle-aged¡ªeach anxiously awaiting the test results of their children.


    As time passed, the number of individuals who hade for the testing had surpassed one thousand five hundred, with more scattered youths joining in bits and pieces.


    Due to the favorable weather in recent years, the poption of ordinary humans in Qingfeng Town and the surrounding viges had increased significantly, resulting in more participants at the Spirit Testing Event than in any previous year.


    An hour passed, the moonlight faded away, and as rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining upon the earth, a solemn bell resounded.


    All heads turned to gaze at the loft above the square from where a man in gray robes slowly emerged, and in the blink of an eye, appeared atop the elevated tform in the square.


    Every person in the square looked up with devout respect, beginning to offer their salutations.


    Standing on the tform, looking down upon them all, Lin Xingli''s expression was calm, betraying no emotion.


    "All rise, I, Lin Xingli, will preside over this Spirit Testing Event, and I now dere, the Spirit Testing Event begins!"


    "Everyone, form a line. Those under ten and over thirteen years of age, leave at once. The rest, maintain order, refrain from creating disturbances, or forming riotous crowds, or their eligibility to be tested will be immediately revoked!"


    Lin Xingli''s fierce gaze swept over the crowd, and those upon whom it alighted felt a chill as if dunked into an ice pit, drenched in cold sweat.


    Before long, over a hundred youngsters stepped out from the crowd¡ªall either under ten or over thirteen years of age.


    Seeing the opportunists leave, Lin Xingli no longer paid attention to those on the square.


    He took out apletely silvery-white, translucent stone from his storage bag and ced it on the low table in front of him.


    The stone was approximately the size of a brick, a Spirit Measuring Stone used for testing the Spiritual Root¡ªamon item in the Cultivation World, each valued at nearly a hundred Spirit Stones, indeed not cheap.


    It is said that withinrge Sects and noble ns, the Spirit Measuring Stones are of a much higher grade, with great uracy, and they can even detect rare and special Spiritual Roots in Cultivators.


    The Spirit Measuring Stone used by the Lin Family was the most ordinary kind, with a slight probability of missing a Spiritual Root, but the chance was not significant.


    After cing the Spirit Measuring Stone on the surface of the table in front of him, he formed several Law Decrees with his fingers, and a streak of golden light entered the stone. In half a breath''s time, the lifeless stone block buzzed several times.


    After watching its surface be even more smooth and transparent, and the buzzing stopped, tranquility was restored.


    Having finished the preliminary preparations, Lin Xingli pointed to a queue not far in front of him, signaling for a young boy standing at the front toe forward for testing.


    Seeing Lin Xingli''s gesture, the boy seemed to freeze in ce in disbelief,


    After a round ofughter from the crowd, and not until prompted by the boys behind him, did he nervously make his way forward.


    At this moment, the boy''s emotions wereplicated, his expression frantic.


    Before the Spirit Testing Event began, he had always looked forward to the start of the testing, but now that it had trulymenced, he feared that he might have no Spiritual Root, and thus entirely miss the path to the Immortal Realm.


    With an uneasy heart, he took a step forward, the few short steps to the Spirit Measuring Stone seeming as difficult as a journey of dozens of li.


    Time seemed to stretch on forever, but finally, he reached the Spirit Measuring Stone.


    Infused with a sliver of Spiritual Power, so that his voice could spread throughout the entire square, clear for all to hear, Lin Xingli pointed at the Spirit Measuring Stone in front of him and spoke.


    "ce your hand upon this Spirit Measuring Stone. Those with a Spiritual Root will cause the stone to sh with different colors, representing different types of Spiritual Roots. If no color appears, it signifies ack of destiny with the path of immortality. You will have to ept your fate!"


    Heeding Lin Xingli''s instruction, the boy wasted no time in cing his hand on the Spirit Measuring Stone, eagerly watching for a reaction.


    Several moments passed, yet the Spirit Measuring Stone remained inert.


    The boy''s face turned deathly pale, he withdrew his hand and left the square in a daze.


    Lin Xingli''s expression remained unchanged; without saying anything, he waved his hand, signaling the next youth to step forward and take the test.


    After more than an hour, over two hundred people had been tested without any causing the Spirit Measuring Stone to react, leaving Lin Xingli feeling somewhat disappointed.


    Although giving birth to an offspring with a Spiritual Root was not easy, with a poption of a hundred thousand in Qingfeng Town, there must be at least one individual with a Spiritual Root, right?


    Enjoy exclusive content from empire


    If not, these past few days would have been a waste of effort.


    The reason he had taken on the task of conducting the Spirit Testing was also for the high rewards offered by the family; for every individual with a Spiritual Root he brought back, the family would reward him with ten points of merit, and even more for those with exceptional talent.


    Coming to this ce with such sparse Spiritual Energy, where he would dy his own cultivation for over ten days and endure the arduous journey, if he didn''t bring back at least one individual with a Spiritual Root, it would be a huge loss.

 Chapter 74 Breakthrough_1

    Time swiftly passed, and it had already been half a year since the Spirit Testing Conference.


    The Lin Family was very calm, operating in an orderly fashion.


    Following the example set by Lin Tianming and others in monster hunting, the n''s interest in hunting demonic beasts greatly increased.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In this half-year period, the family formed two monster hunting squads, which went to the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range for experience and training.


    The first batch of family members who joined the hunting squads received generous rewards, and nearly all of them began to cultivate in seclusion.


    The older generation of cultivators was also busy. Lin Shikang, the person with the highest cultivation in the family and its guardian, also cultivated diligently, striving to make further progress.


    As the family''s only Second Order Artifact Refiner, Lin Shilu was extremely busy, toiling in both cultivation and artifact refinement, turningrge amounts of demonic beast materials and Qingling Bamboo into spiritual artifacts.


    Lin Shigong sessfully entered the Foundation Establishment Stage and began to try his hand at refining Second Order Pills, eager to quickly produce elixirs to assist his n members in their cultivation.


    n Leader Lin Shihua was also actively managing the family, sellingrge quantities of First Order Spiritual Tools and various artifact materials in exchange for a significant amount of spiritual medicine materials and elixirs. He bought various talisman papers to subsidize family members, elerating their cultivation while also refining spiritual artifacts for them and handing out talisman papers to enhance theirbat methods.


    In anticipation of a foreseeable crisis, the Lin Family was secretly umting strength to face the unknown dangers ahead.


    All family members were cultivating with great effort, desperately wishing to break through to the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage so they could exchange for a Minor Foundation Building Pill and attempt Foundation Establishment.


    The newly inducted family members lived fulfilling lives, learning basic cultivation knowledge every day at the Skill Transmission Hall.


    Under Lin Shigang''s guidance, the family members who had just embarked on the path of cultivation were growing rapidly, and their sense of belonging to the Lin Family was gradually strengthening. It wouldn''t be long before they could fully integrate into the family.


    Lin Tianhu cultivated with great dedication, his aspiration toward the Dao firm and resilient. Havingpleted the basic knowledge, he attempted Qi Introduction into his body.


    Because he possessed a Metal Attribute Spiritual Root, the one with the highest affinity, he naturally cultivated the family''s Mysterious Grade Technique, the Three Stars Spirit Sword Technique.


    Inside a secret chamber of a small courtyard, Lin Tianhu sat cross-legged on a mat, adjusting himself to the optimal state.


    Since he had alreadymitted the incantations and mental techniques of the Cultivation Technique to memory, he attempted to circte the technique, meditatively sensing the Spiritual Energy around him.


    After trying for over ten days, he had yet to seed.


    As the eighteenth day passed, Lin Tianhu showed no sign of ckening, continuing his cultivation in the secret chamber aside from his required daily studies.


    Persistence pays off for those with determination!


    After neen days of unwavering effort, he finally seeded in sensing a faint gold-tinged Spiritual Energy in the air.


    Lin Tianhu patiently guided the Spiritual Energy into his body, converging it in his Qi Sea Dantian.


    Several days passed, and after over a hundred failures, he finally seeded in introducing a thread of Spiritual Energy into his body, reaching the First Level of Qi Refining and bing a qualified cultivator.


    After rejoicing, he stabilized his progress and then left the secret chamber to go to the Skill Transmission Hall, seeking out Lin Shigang to record his achievement.


    Upon hearing Lin Tianhu''s report, Lin Shigang was greatly surprised and hastily asked Lin Tianhu to demonstrate his achievement.


    Lin Tianhu pinched his fingers together and a strand of Spiritual Energy danced at his fingertips, indeed sessfully achieving Qi Introduction.


    Lin Shigang was veryforted and highly satisfied.


    Lin Tianhu indeed worked extremely hard, and his speed of cultivation was remarkable. It took him only twenty-two days to sessfully introduce Qi into his body, nearlyparable to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming had Dual Spiritual Roots and grew up on Green Bamboo Mountain. Influenced by his parents'' long-term guidance, he took just sixteen days to achieve Qi Introduction, breaking a record that had stood for hundreds of years in the Lin Family.


    Ordinary cultivators with Three Spiritual Roots would be considered exceptional if they achieved Qi Introduction within a month.


    Those with Four Spiritual roots were slower still, and there were many cultivators with Five Spirit Roots who took half a year or more. There were even cases of Loose Cultivators without guidance who failed to achieve it even after decades.


    Lin Tianhu, who seeded in just twenty-three days, could be ranked in the top five in the history of the Lin Family, illustrating his high talent and understanding, marking him as a promising seedling worthy of great cultivation effort from the family.


    Having informed Lin Tianhu to go to the Hall of Merit to im the family benefits and urged him to diligently cultivate, Lin Tianhu once again immersed himself in arduous cultivation.


    The Lin Family was operating methodically, with all its members rapidly growing stronger.


    In the secret chamber of a small courtyard on the mountainside.


    Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on a cushion, hands sped together, having sustained his cultivation for a long span of half a year.


    Several jade bottles were messily scattered in front of him, their contents long since depleted.


    Following the end of the monster hunt, his cultivation level had reached the peak of Qi Refining Seventh Level.


    After consuming the only Jade Spirit Fruit he had, he leveraged the powerful spiritual energy contained within the fruit and sessfully broke through to the Eighth Level of Qi Refinement.


    Over the span of six months, Lin Tianming focused on stabilizing his realm and, with the aid of elixirs, enhanced both his body and divine sense.


    Lin Tianming, who hadn''t moved for a long time, opened his eyes, assessing the condition of his whole body.


    After half a year of rigorous cultivation, his cultivation level had greatly advanced, feeling the surging spiritual power much stronger than when he was at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement.


    The aspect of body refinement also steadily improved through battles and elixirs, essentially keeping pace with his Qi Refining cultivation level.


    With the breakthrough in cultivation, his strength surged once again, feeling the power when clenching his fist¡ªit was probably no less than two thousand catties.


    Not only had his Qi Refinement and body refinement increased, but the growth of his divine sense was also significant.


    With arge supply of Strong Spirit Pills, Lin Tianming would consume one every month.


    Having continued this sweet-like consumption for over a year,


    taking one or two Strong Spirit Pills only provided a very limited increase in divine sense, barely noticeable.


    However, over more than a year of umtion, the effects were quite evident.


    In this extra year, the increase in divine sense ounted for almost a tenth of the total divine sense.


    In the Cultivation World, methods to increase divine sense were extremely rare, aside from cultivation arts like frequent alchemy and artifact creation, which could slowly increase it, one had to rely on certain treasures or elixirs.


    But treasures were scarce and precious, high order elixirs were too slow to obtain, simply unattainable, one had to choose frommon elixirs, among which Strong Spirit Pill was a well-known option.


    Even the mostmon Strong Spirit Pills were unaffordable for most cultivators, as spirit stones used for cultivation were insufficient, and who would spend vast resources to cultivate divine sense and refine the body?


    After examining his body and feeling the mighty divine sense, Lin Tianming was extremely satisfied.


    Exhaling a breath of stale air, Lin Tianming got up and left the secret chamber.


    At dusk, Lin Shigong also returned from the Alchemy Hall to the small courtyard, and Lin Xingrong made a rare trip back to the family.


    By now Lin Tianming was nearly neen years old, and his family was rarely gathered together like this.


    After dinner, the family of five sat in the courtyard for casual conversation.


    Three years had passed since Lin Tianming broke through to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement at the age of sixteen.


    With the help of experience and numerous elixirs, Lin Tianming''s progress was rapid, breaking through to Qi Refining Eighth Level in a mere three years, roughly one level per year, leaving his peers far behind.


    His parents were very pleased with the cultivation of Lin Tianming and his siblings. There was no need to mention Lin Tianming any further, as he was the fastest cultivator among the Lin Family''s generation named Tian.


    Lin Tianyue was also nearly fifteen years old, growing tall and graceful, with her cultivation level reaching the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, and she was recognized alongside Lin Tianqin as one of the two "golden flowers" of the Lin Family.


    With no need to support Lin Tianming anymore and with the aid of arge number of elixirs, his mother''s cultivation also sped up significantly, having broken through to the Eighth Level of Qi Refinement.


    Lin Xingrong had also smoothly broken through to the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage and, having returned to the family, prepared to enter seclusion calmly to attempt breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

 Chapter 75 Conscripted as a Strong Man_1

    During casual conversation, Lin Shigong took out a Minor Foundation Building Pill and handed it to Lin Xingrong.


    Gazing at the precious Minor Foundation Building Pill, Lin Xingrong certainly knew where it came from, but he couldn''t help feeling somewhat embarrassed to benefit from his son''s achievements.


    "Father, this Minor Foundation Building Pill is what Tian Ming has earned. I''ve almost prepared the merit points, I''ll go back to the Hall of Merit and exchange for it myself!"


    Lin Xingrong strongly insisted, wanting to rely on his own merit points to exchange for the Minor Foundation Building Pill from the family.


    Though it required a huge amount of merit points, having been stationed in Luoyun Market for over twenty years, his umted wealth, although not eight thousand, was not much less.


    Lin Xingrong''s idea was met with stern criticism from Lin Shigong.


    You should know that three generations of the Lin Family have all set their sights on the remaining six Minor Foundation Building Pills, withpetition especially intense.


    Among the Shi n members, it was still manageable, but for some unknown reason, Lin Shigang and Lin Shihe had given up thepetition, ceding thest remaining Minor Foundation Building Pill spot of the Shi generation to Lin Shixin.


    It was likely because Lin Shigang and the others realized they were too old, and the probability of breaking through was even lower than it had been for Lin Shigong, so they decided to give away a favor easily rather than wasting a lot of merit points for an impossible breakthrough.


    It could also be that an agreement was reached among the three, but other n members didn''t know about it, and even so, it still deeply touched Lin Shixin.


    As for thepetition among the Xing n members, it was even more fierce.


    Most of the Shi generation had already exhausted their potential, with only Lin Shixin holding hope for a breakthrough.


    Meanwhile, arge portion of Xing n members under sixty still had a significant amount of time, and breaking through remained a promising prospect.


    As such, thepetition for Minor Foundation Building Pills was far too intense, and no one would willingly give up unless they had an extremely poor Spiritual Root, effectively barring them from reaching the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage before the age of one hundred.


    Although many Xing n members did not know that Lin Tianming had three more Minor Foundation Building Pills, all the core n members were aware.


    If they were to join the fray, it would undoubtedly invite criticism.


    After receiving Lin Shigong''s severe criticism, Lin Xingrong changed his mind.


    As he was getting older, dying further would only make the breakthrough more difficult, so he finally epted the goodwill from Tian Ming.


    "That''s more like it. We''re all family; why make such sharp distinctions? I took advantage of this youngster back then!"


    "Had it not been for the Minor Foundation Building Pill, I would have turned to dust in twenty years. Time waits for no one!"


    After considering it, Lin Xingrong realized it was indeed the case and epted the Minor Foundation Building Pill.


    Seeing Lin Xingrong ept the Minor Foundation Building Pill and sipping the Spiritual Tea, Lin Shigong was very satisfied.


    Lin Tianming and his mother joined in, persuading Lin Xingrong not to be obstinate.


    The earlier one breaks through in their cultivation, the better. It had been dyed previously due to ack of conditions, but now that the conditions were met, it was naturally best to proceed as quickly as possible.


    After the encouragement and persuasion of the four, Lin Xingrong was deeply moved and resolutely decided to break through as soon as possible.


    Hearing Lin Xingrong''s response, the urgent task now was to assist Lin Xingrong in his breakthrough.


    Lin Shigong sent a message, informing the n Leader and Lin Shikang of the closed-door cultivation for the breakthrough.


    It wasn''t long before Lin Shigong received a reply.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After checking Lin Shikang''s response, Lin Shigong''splexion was ruddy as he spoke.


    "Xingrong, Third Brother and Shihua have replied. I''ll take you to the summit of the main peak tomorrow for your closed-door breakthrough. Some experiences of our predecessors will naturally be handed over to you, just focus on breaking through."


    "Yes!"


    Since Lin Shigong had already arranged everything, Lin Xingrong stopped being unnecessarily polite.


    After organizing Lin Xingrong''s breakthrough, Lin Shigong instructed Lin Tianming.


    "During the time of your father''s breakthrough, I will be at the peak guarding him, and you, my boy, will just be idle. You are to stay in the Alchemy Hall for a while, taking charge of all the First Order elixirs for the Lin Family. Collect the Spiritual Medicine Materials from the Hall of Merit; I''ll exin to Shixin with a message."


    Conscripted by his grandfather and having just achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, Lin Tianming was looking forward to consolidating his gains, it had been quite a while since he hadst practiced alchemy.


    "Grandson obeys!"


    After arranging all the matters, the family ended their casual conversation and returned to their rooms to rest.


    The next morning, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingrong left their courtyard together.


    After leaving the house, the two flew in opposite directions.


    Lin Tianming''s destination was the Family Merits Hall, while Lin Xingrong was headed for the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Before long, Lin Tianming arrived at the Hall of Merit.


    The Hall of Merit was particrly lively at the moment as the second batch of the Monster Hunting Squad had just concluded their half-year of training.


    In the hall of the Hall of Merit, Lin Shiji led arge group of Xing n Members to gather together.


    Although several of them were pale and their breathing was chaotic, showing signs of injury, they had all safely returned to the Lin Family.


    Each person''s face was brimming with a thick smile, seemingly quite satisfied with the gains from their training.


    Lin Shiji took out arge number of jade boxes and ced them on the stone table, while throwing three storage bags to Lin Shixin for inspection.


    Lin Shixin took out the records, registering all the Spiritual Medicine Materials and Demonic Beast Materials in the books.


    In half an hour, he appraised the value of all the training gains and on the spot allocated Merit points to the members of the Monster Hunting Squad.


    After receiving their share, all the n members exchanged their points for various elixirs and talisman papers, then cheerfully left the Hall of Merit.


    Lin Tianming immediately stepped forward and began to pay his respects to Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin.


    "Tianming pays respects to Elder Wu and to Uncle Ten!"


    "Hmm, youd have made a breakthrough!"


    Lin Shiji,posed as ever, teased Lin Tianming with a smile that was not quite a smile.


    Lin Tianming, smiling at the two of them, humbly responded:


    "Thanks to your blessings, I had the luck to make a breakthrough recently."


    "Elder Wu, have your injuries healed?"


    Instead of continuing with light-hearted banter, Lin Tianming inquired about Lin Shiji''s injuries.


    "A mere scratch, it healed in half a month, otherwise how could I continue to train outside!"


    "Elder Wu is strong and vigorous, truly formidable!"


    Lin Tianming heaped on the ttery, eliciting heartyughter from Lin Shixin and even eliciting a rareugh from the usually stern Lin Shiji.


    After a few moments of casual conversation, Lin Shiji took his leave.


    Once Lin Shiji was far enough away, Lin Shixin broached a more serious topic.


    "Your grandfather has already spoken to me; you''d better take this seriously,d. Spiritual Medicine Materials are not easy toe by."


    Lin Shixin only knew that Lin Tianming was a First-Order Medium Grade Alchemist and had not seen him practice alchemy, nor had he seen any elixirs he had refined. Unclear about his alchemy level, he seemed somewhat uneasy and repeatedly cautioned.


    "Understood, don''t worry, sir. If the elixirs don''t turn out well, I''llpensate!"


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s confident expression,


    Lin Shixin thought, This young man usually is quite reliable, and besides, since Ninth Brother has spoken, he must be sure of himself.


    Lin Shixin took out various Spiritual Medicine Materials, checked the quantities with Lin Tianming, and did not forget to remind him about the quantity of elixirs required to be handed over.


    "Understood, just wait and see, sir!"


    Lin Tianming replied with full confidence, easing Lin Shixin''s worries.


    The amount Lin Shixin mentioned only required a 40% pill formation rate, which was a meager effort for Lin Tianming.


    After safely storing the hundreds of Spiritual Medicine Materials provided by Lin Shixin, Lin Tianming nned to exchange for some Demon Cores for alchemy purposes.


    The dozen or so Beast Spirit Pills he had refined at Qianchuan Market were depleted months ago, and the Purple Gold Eagle hadpletely run out of elixirs.


    With some time on his hands, it was a good opportunity to refine more Beast Spirit Pills tost a while longer.


    "Uncle Ten, how many First Order Late Stage Demon Pills do you have? I need fifteen."


    Lin Shixin was surprised¡ªwhat did this young man want so many Demon Pills for!


    "We have quite a few in stock now, with even more from the early and medium stages, mostly from the hands of the Monster Hunting Squad."


    "Each First Order Late Stage Demon Pill costs twelve points of Merit, totalling one hundred and eighty points!"


    Hearing the price, Lin Tianming did not hesitate to take out his Identity Token, transferred his Merit points, and exchanged for fifteen Demon Pills.


    Once all the materials and Demon Pills were secure in his storage bag, he bid farewell and left.


    Upon exiting the Hall of Merit, he headed straight for the Alchemy Hall.

 Chapter 76 Guiding Lin Tianqin_1

    At the summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, within a secluded courtyard.


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shigong sat in the courtyard, sipping Spiritual Tea.


    Lin Shikang took out several Jade Tubes and handed them to Lin Xingrong, which contained the breakthrough experiences of more than a dozen of the Lin Family ancestors.


    Not only that, he also personally narrated his own experiences and feelings during his breakthrough.


    Lin Xingrong stood by, his expression calm, listening intently andmitting every word to memory.


    After all, what is contained in the Jade Tubes is never as easy to understand as what is spoken firsthand.


    For a full half an hour, Lin Shikang finished rting all his experiences.


    Lin Shigong gave several earnest admonitions before allowing Lin Xingrong to leave.


    As he watched Lin Xingrong walk to the secret chamber, Lin Shigong seemed somewhat distracted, his expression a mix of flurry and nervousness.


    Even before the retreat for the breakthrough had begun, Lin Shigong started to worry.


    Seeing Lin Shigong''s expression, Lin Shikang felt helpless but only could offer advice.


    "Ninth brother, Xingrong has always been promising, and he is still young; there is hope yet. Whether he breaks through or not, his life is not in danger, so don''t worry too much!"


    "Ah..."


    Hearing Lin Shikang''s attempt to console him, Lin Shigong sighed helplessly.


    After all, a breakthrough is something no one else can aid with; one can only rely on oneself.


    Do your humanly best and leave the rest to fate!


    Cultivation itself is about defying fate¡ªseed, and a bright future awaits; fail, and all chances are lost.


    Regaining hisposure, Lin Shigong steadied himself and said:


    "Third brother, the breakthrough will take at least a month. It''s enough that I keep watch here¡ªyou go about your business!"


    Seeing that Lin Shigong had stabilized his mindset, Lin Shikang did not object and left after a fewforting words.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Xingrong took out the Jade Tubes and began to scrutinize them intently.


    Before long, he waspletely engrossed in the contents of the tubes.


    Outside the Alchemy Hall on the mountainside, Lin Tianming descended from the sky, on the verge of entering the hall.


    An appealing voice entered his mind!


    "Sixth brother, wait for me!"


    Lin Tianming turned around, Lin Tianqin was hurrying towards him.


    After several years, Lin Tianqin had already broken through to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement and, as revealed by Lin Tianhong, she had also sessfully be a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist.


    "Third sister, long time no see. You''ve be even more beautiful!"


    Lin Tianming teased Lin Tianqin with a hearty chuckle.


    But Lin Tianqin wasn''t having any of it, her expression tinged with a hint of sullenness, she started to scold Lin Tianming incessantly.


    "Hmph, you''re such a busybody. We hardly encountered each other in years!"


    "In this period, you guys have done well, tagging along with Elder Wu on your adventures, and you didn''t even include me!"


    "Hmph..."


    "We''re all men, able to handle the fighting; you are like a golden flower in our family, third sister!"


    Lin Tianqin found herself silenced by the ttery.


    Lin Tianming kept smiling bitterly. Knowing Lin Tianqin very well since they grew up together, he quicklyplimented her, which finally appeased her.


    Lin Tianqin pouted, and upon hearing Lin Tianming''s pleas for mercy, her anger finally subsided.


    Having soothed Lin Tianqin, Lin Tianming quickly changed the subject.


    "Third sister, are you here to see someone or to craft elixirs?"


    "Alchemy. I can manage crafting Lingshen Pills well enough, but my sess rate with other consumable elixirs isn''t high. I''ve prepared some Spiritual Medicine Materials to practice more."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lin Tianqin said with a smile, exining her purpose.


    "I also need to craft arge number of elixirs; it''s a good opportunity for us to exchange knowledge!"


    Lin Tianming proactively suggested the exchange, mainly aiming to guide Lin Tianqin.


    With his First Order Superior Grade skills and astounding sess rate in crafting elixirs, he believed guiding her was well within his capability.


    Hearing what Lin Tianming said, Lin Tianqin dly agreed, and the two of them walked towards the Alchemy Hall side by side.


    After choosing an Alchemy Room, they sat on meditation cushions and exchanged their Alchemy Experience.


    Lin Tianming did not hold back and shared his experience with Lin Tianqin.


    Initially, Lin Tianqin had thought that Lin Tianming''s Alchemy was not much different from theirs, but as he exined his experience, many of her confusions suddenly cleared up.


    As Lin Tianqin pondered Lin Tianming''s words, she realized that this was not an exchange but guidance.


    After half an hour had passed, Lin Tianqin was utterly astounded.


    "Your progress has been way too fast!"


    "Are you even capable of refining First Order Superior Grade elixirs now?"


    Facing several questions, Lin Tianming did not hide anything and openly admitted.


    "Younger Brother is impressive, Sister admires you!"


    Lin Tianqin couldn''t help but praise him, concluding the guidance session!


    Lin Tianming let Lin Tianqin attempt to refine a batch of elixirs first while he gave guidance from the side.


    Lin Tianqin took out the Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Huiyuan Pill and neatly ced them aside before pulling out an azure blue Pill Furnace from her storage bag, its surface etched with many patterns.


    "Didn''t the family run out of Pill Furnaces?"


    Lin Tianming was very puzzled.


    After Lin Tianqin exined, it turned out to be a First Order Inferior Alchemy Furnace which she had specially asked a n member to buy from the market for her.


    "No wonder!"


    Lin Tianqin struck the Pill Furnace with several Law Decrees, and as the Earth Fire surged out, she tempered the Alchemy Furnace.


    Half an hourter, a sudden crisp sound rang out!


    The first attempt at refining ended in failure.


    Lin Tianqin was not discouraged and prepared to start the refining process all over again.


    With Lin Tianming overseeing and timely correcting her mistakes, she sessfully produced three pills on the third attempt.


    Overjoyed, Lin Tianqin realized that following the methods taught by Lin Tianming, the pills indeed formed quickly.


    While the iron was hot, Lin Tianqin refined several batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, managing to maintain a stable 30% sess rate, producing three to four pills per batch.


    In front of Lin Tianqin, Lin Tianming refined a batch of Huiyuan Pills himself.


    As a scent of medicine filled the air, Lin Tianming lifted the lid of the furnace, and Lin Tianqin took out a Huiyuan Pill between her fingers, examining it carefully.


    Upon close inspection, Lin Tianqin waspletely stunned.


    "This sess rate and number of pills are just too terrifying!"


    "The medicinal strength contained is also stronger than what the others have refined!"


    "This must be the epitome of Exquisite Yuan Returning Pills!"


    Lin Tianming nodded, affirming Lin Tianqin''s thoughts.


    Lin Tianqin had no choice but to ept the reality; this guy was just too exaggerated and beyondparison.


    After Lin Tianming''s demonstration, Lin Tianqin benefited significantly and tried Alchemy once more.


    Several dayster, under Lin Tianming''s guidance,


    Lin Tianqin''s pill sess rate steadily improved, and she could maintain a 40% sess rate, with the number of pills also remaining stable at around four per batch.


    With more practice, she could attempt to refine other types of pills.


    Just as Lin Tianqin had run out of Spiritual Medicine Materials, she took the initiative to say goodbye and leave.


    "Younger Brother, thank you!"


    "I''ve run out of Spiritual Medicine Materials too, so I''ll head back now. After you finish refining your pills, I''ll host a banquet to celebrate, and remember to invite Tian Yue and Big Brother too. It has been a long time since we''ve all gathered together."


    "Sure, we''ll definitely visit you when the few of us are free!"


    Lin Tianqin sincerely expressed her gratitude, and Lin Tianming graciously agreed to attend without any refusal.


    Lin Tianqin was very happy, tidied up her belongings, and without further dy, left the Alchemy Room.


    Following Lin Tianqin''s departure, Lin Tianming also began to meditate and adjust his breathing, preparing to start Alchemy.

 Chapter 77 Adding Another Foundation Establishment _1

    ```


    After seeing Lin Tianqin off, Lin Tianming began to prepare for alchemy.


    The family had provided him with hundreds of batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, mostly for the Lingshen Pill and the Huiyuan Pill, but also included a smaller proportion of Consolidating Essence Pill and Huadu Pill materials, which are for healing.


    Sitting on the cushion, he took a deep breath and began to regte his breath.


    Before alchemy, it was still best to adjust his condition to its peak, and even though making these elixirs posed no real challenge to him, treating the process with respect was always the right thing to do.


    After cultivating diligently for most of the day, Lin Tianming''s condition had reached its peak.


    He organized all the Spiritual Medicine Materials neatly together.


    Taking out the Four Symbols Furnace, he cast several Law Decrees to control the temperature of the Earth Fire and made all the necessary preparations.


    Concocting a First Order Medium Grade elixirs was a simple task for Lin Tianming.


    With practiced ease, he cultivated while simultaneously carrying out alchemy and in just over half a month''s time, and without expending much effort, he had refined all seventy-odd batches of Lingshen Pill materials.


    Compared to the past when he could only refine a few batches of Lingshen Pills a day, depleting his Spiritual Power, his cultivation and Divine Sense were now much stronger; if he tried his hardest, he could probably finish them all in seven or eight days.


    If Lin Tianhong or Lin Tianqin were to do the refining, it would definitely take half a year toplete, not to mention the rate of sess in forming the pills.


    He was quite satisfied with the speed of this alchemy session.


    At this moment, in front of Lin Tianming, hundreds of Jade Bottles were neatly arranged, each containing three pills.


    With over seventy batches of Lingshen Pill materials, and with the help of the Eye of Five Colors, all of the Lingshen Pills he refined were of excellent quality, amounting to a total of four hundred seventy-two Lingshen Pills.


    Looking at so many Lingshen Pills, Lin Tianming was very pleased.


    ording to the rules of the Hall of Merit, out of so many Lingshen Pill materials, he only needed to submit one hundred fifty Lingshen Pills, and the rest belonged to the Alchemist.


    In this way, Lin Tianming could keep over three hundred pills, worth nearly three thousand Spirit Stones.


    Truly, alchemists could make a fortune. Lin Tianming couldn''t help thinking that if he specifically helped people refine elixirs in the market, he could earn a substantial amount of Spirit Stones in a month.


    In fact, with the aid of the Eye of Five Colors, Lin Tianming''s sess rate in concocting Lingshen Pills was thirty percent higher than that of a seasoned First Order Superior Grade Alchemist, yielding more pills and at a faster speed.


    Taking a seasoned Alchemist like Lin Shigong as aparison, he could only ensure a fifty percent sess rate and an output of about six pills per batch; to finish refining over seventy batches, it would probably take him two months.


    After such hard work for two months, he could only get a reward of nearly one hundred pills, although it was worth eight or nine hundred Spirit Stones, raising an Alchemist required quite a lot of resources.


    Doing the maths, while the reward was considerable, it wasn''t uneptable; not every Alchemist was as defying as Lin Tianming.


    Having ced all the Lingshen Pills into his storage bag, he began to refine other types of elixirs.


    Another ten days passed, and all the Spiritual Medicine Materials had been refined.


    Lin Tianming started to tally up the harvest from his month of busy work.


    Four hundred seventy-two Lingshen Pills!


    One hundred ten Huiyuan Pills!


    Eighty-six Consolidating Essence Pills!


    Sixty-one Huadu Pills!


    Eighty-four Beast Spirit Pills!


    Lin Tianming separated the elixirs that needed to be submitted, cing them in a lower-grade storage bag, then collected the ones that belonged to him inside his storage bag.


    With plenty of time to spare, he decided to submit the elixirs at the Hall of Merit when he was free. He also still had plenty of Lingshen Pills on him; he wouldn''t run out during the Qi Refinements stage, so he could exchange them for other resources or for Spirit Stones.


    It had been just over a month since he started alchemy, and his father had been in seclusion for a month as well; there should be a result by now!


    With some free time at hand, naturally, he wanted to check on the situation.


    After tidying up the chaotic Alchemy Room, Lin Tianming left the room and flew towards the Summit of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    In half an hour, Lin Tianming arrived at the small courtyard where Lin Xingrong was in seclusion.


    Lin Shigong had already been guarding there for over thirty days, without moving a step.


    ```


    Since Lin Xingrong entered the secret chamber, it had been thirty-five days.


    The reason why it took such a long time withouting out was because Lin Xingrong was very cautious. He spent half a month justprehending the breakthrough insights and several more days adjusting to the best state before taking the Minor Foundation Building Pill. In fact, it onlysted for half a month.


    Lin Shigong''s face, unaware of the reasons, turned somewhat pale as he asionally sighed heavily. Lin Tianming guessed that he probably hadn''tpleted the breakthrough yet.


    But as long as one didn''t leave the retreat, there was still hope.


    Approaching his grandfather, Lin Tianming didn''t speak and sat down next to him to wait.


    Inside the secret chamber, Lin Xingrong''s face flushed red while he endured excruciating pain, fully concentrating on condensing the spiritual power in his dantian into a sea of qi, reaching the most critical juncture.


    With the remaining frenzied spiritual power of the Minor Foundation Building Pill not much left, Lin Xingrong resolutely quickened the pace of refinement.


    Three days passed, and Lin Xingrong had gathered a sea of qi within his dantian, reaching the most crucial moment.


    If he reached a certain critical point, he would seed in the breakthrough.


    Lin Xingrong was refining the medicinal power of the Minor Foundation Building Pill and quickly converging it with his original spiritual power.


    After numerous cycles ofpression, he finally condensed all his spiritual power into a substantial spiritual liquid.


    At this moment, the spiritual power had turned from a gas into a viscous spiritual liquid, each drop containing violent energy.


    Just as he was about to breakthrough the critical point, the aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator spread rapidly, unstoppable, and soon permeated the entire Summit of Qingzhu Mountain.


    After taking the Minor Foundation Building Pill and refining it for a full twenty days, he finally made the breakthrough.


    After a bout of euphoria passed, Lin Xingrong swiftly regained hisposure and began to consolidate his cultivation.


    In the courtyard outside the secret chamber, a familiar aura approached.


    "It''s father, father has made the breakthrough!"


    Lin Tianming said excitedly, unable to hold back.


    Lin Shigong was equally excited. After worrying for over thirty days, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    Lin Xingrong was still in his prime years, and with the help of the Minor Foundation Building Pill, his chances of making a breakthrough were far higher than his own.


    But no one dared to say that making a breakthrough was a sure thing; there were risks, and the oue was unpredictable.


    Although failing the breakthrough did not pose a risk to one''s life, in several decades, he would die due to the depletion of his lifespan if he failed.


    If he failed, it would be a heartbreaking experience to have a man with ck hair send off one with white.


    Even though such things aremonce in the Cultivation World, no one wants to go through such a painful separation.


    A quarter of an hourter, Lin Shigong gradually calmed down and began giving instructions to Lin Tianming.


    "Alright, your father has just made his breakthrough, and his realm is not stable; he still needs to consolidate his cultivation. You go back and tell your mother the good news, and I will go find your third uncle and the others!"


    "Yes, grandson will go now!"


    Lin Tianming readily agreed with a beaming smile, bowed to his grandfather, and left straight away.


    On his way, Lin Tianming was in a particrly good mood.


    Although he grew up following his grandfather, with few encounters and even less basicmunication with his father, the bond of kinship was thick, and he felt genuinely happy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming arrived back at his own courtyard.


    His mother and sister were sitting in the courtyard, faces tense, having been worried all along.


    For over a month, the anxious two did not cultivate, spending their days waiting for news from Lin Xingrong.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianminge in, his sister quickly asked.


    "Brother, how is father?"


    "Today, father sessfully made the breakthrough!"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s confirmation, the mother and daughter both let out a huge sigh of relief, with his sister cheering loudly.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 78 The Current State of the Family_1

    At the summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, within the courtyard of Lin Shikang.After over a month of consolidation of his cultivation, Lin Xingrong emerged from seclusion and, together with Lin Shigong, paid a visit to Lin Shikang.


    They were all usually busy with their own affairs, with barely any opportunity to gather together, but, taking advantage of the family''s first junior to successfully achieve Foundation Establishment, Clan Leader Lin Shihua and Lin Shilu also set aside their affairs to join Lin Shigong and his son, thus all five Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Lin Family were together, which was particularly difficult to arrange.


    The five of them sat in the courtyard, casually chatting while exchanging insights on cultivation.


    Mainly, it was Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu who were speaking, with the other three listening.


    After all, they had only broken through for a year and had hardly any experience to share.


    An hour later, with the guidance from Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu, all three had gained a great deal.


    The five sat there drinking spiritual tea, happily chatting about family matters.


    They talked about everything from their childhood days in the Skill Transmission Hall to learning various skills and, finally, the situation of the family.


    Years ago, the circumstances of the family were not promising.


    With only two Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Lin Family, the Jin Family watched greedily, coveting the Lin Family''s wealth, and amidst the undercurrents of the entire Luoyun Mountain Range, danger lurked everywhere with the flash of swords and shadows of danger.


    For the Lin Family to have survived surrounded by formidable enemies in the Luoyun Mountain Range for nearly a century was no easy feat.


    Every step could lead to an abyss; under such tremendous pressure, Lin Shikang and his partner tread cautiously, guarding the family with great care.


    Silently, the strength of the Lin Family had grown exponentially, and the high-level battle power of the five Foundation Establishment cultivators was now no less than that of the Jin Family.


    Now they could finally breathe a sigh of relief; the family was becoming stronger and stronger, living up to the expectations of their ancestors.


    Especially Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu, whose faces were always brimming with smiles, felt an immense sense of contentment in their hearts.


    Before the breakthroughs of Lin Shigong and his peers, all the burdens of the Lin Family rested on the shoulders of Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu.


    But now things were different; the strength of the Lin Family had greatly increased, with five Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the highest number in the history of the Lin Family.


    It must be said that this was a tremendous progress, and the Lin Family, which had lain dormant for more than two hundred years, finally reclaimed its former glory, naturally stirring up a fervent passion.


    If it were just one strong generation, that wouldn''t be anything special, but several generations of the Lin Family were remarkable, especially the Tian generation, which produced individuals with immense talent like Lin Tianming. There were also several people with the Three Spiritual Roots Aptitude.


    And the biggest reason for the drastic increase in the Lin Family''s strength was Lin Tianming!


    Without the opportunities he had encountered, there would have been no Minor Foundation Building Pills, and the family wouldn''t have achieved such a leap in just a few short years.


    Lin Shikang was filled with emotion; with the successive breakthroughs of Lin Shigong and the others, he finally felt he could account to his ancestors. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As they talked, taking advantage of the gathering of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the discussion turned to the family''s development.


    Clan Leader Lin Shihua, in charge of the family''s operations, started by introducing the latest situation.


    Lin Shihua began to speak about the family''s recent status, according to the latest information he had received.


    A year had passed since Lin Shigong and others had successfully established their Foundations, and significant changes had occurred within the Lin Family.


    Starting with the encouragement to join the Monster Hunting Squad, the family had deployed its many years of accumulated resources, greatly improving the treatment of family cultivators.


    With the help of these resources, many cultivators with good talent had broken through a minor realm.


    And the decision to form the Monster Hunting Squad had unexpectedly brought the family a great amount of wealth on its first expedition.


    Although the gains in the latter half of the year were somewhat less than the first, the obtained Demonic Beast Materials and spiritual medicines were also sizable. Once all were refined, it represented another substantial fortune.


    It also allowed family members to rapidly break through their cultivation levels through such trials.


    The first batch to join the Monster Hunting Squad had nearly all broken through with the help of the Jade Spirit Fruit, far exceeding expectations with the squad''s effectiveness.


    In the shadows, the family focused on amassing resources, selling a tremendous amount of Qingling Bamboo and liquidating all temporarily redundant properties to acquire a large sum of spirit stones. These were then exchanged for spiritual medicines or Spiritual Instrument Talismans and other resources, which were rewarded to the clan members with the sole purpose of enhancing their strength.


    If the five major families of the Luoyun Mountain Range truly came to blows, holding onto those possessions would be of little use; in the unfortunate event of their fall, they would merely benefit the enemy.


    Among the younger generation, there were not many from the Xing generation with potential. Lin Xingrong''s talent was nothing exceptional, it was only with the help of an alchemist like Lin Shigong that he became the first to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    However, the Tian generation was quite impressive. There was no need to mention Lin Tianming in particular, the fastest cultivator in the history of the Lin Family.


    Besides Lin Tianming, there were Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong, as well as Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianhu¡ªall possessing Three Spiritual Roots, making their aptitude far superior to that of the two generations above them.


    Given fifty years, if the Lin Family cultivated its members properly, it could potentially nurture several Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Unfortunately, time waits for no one, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for the Lin Family to maintain its independence.


    The conflict between the Jin Family and the Sun Family had become irreconcilable, and a major battle was now inevitable.


    Since it couldn''t be avoided, what needed to be considered was how to secure the greatest benefits for the family¡ªthis could also be the opportunity for the family''s rise.


    At this point, Lin Shigong and others expressed their own opinions.


    After discussing for half an hour and pooling their wisdom, they finally reached a consensus on a course of action.


    Since the news of Lin Shigong and others achieving Foundation Establishment had not been revealed, the Jin Family and the Sun Family, unaware of this, might lower their guard. They could fight to their demise, allowing the Lin Family to act last and gain the maximum benefit.


    The Lin Family already had a feud with the Jin Family, and if the conditions allowed, they could completely destroy them.


    Time was short; there were only two years left. The Lin Family needed to grow stronger as quickly as possible.


    In this period, they had to accelerate resource accumulation, nurture the exceptionally talented clan members, and maximize the enhancement of their strength.


    The half-day gathering established the family''s development direction for the next two years, and everyone bid farewell and departed.


    Lin Shigong and Lin Xingrong left together, flying towards their courtyard.


    Receiving the news, Lin Tianming and his sister waited outside the family gate to welcome them.


    Soon after, Lin Shigong and the other person descended from the sky and landed in front of Lin Tianming.


    Lin Shigong''s face was flushed with excitement, indescribable joy, while Lin Xingrong maintained a solemn expression, showing neither happiness nor anger.


    Lin Tianming and his sister hurriedly stepped forward to offer their congratulations.


    "Congratulations, Father, on your successful entry into the Foundation Establishment Stage!"


    "You siblings are thoughtful. If it weren''t for Tianming, I might have never succeeded in reaching Foundation Establishment in my lifetime!"


    Lin Xingrong said earnestly, which took Lin Tianming by surprise.


    "Father has a strong foundation. The Minor Foundation Building Pill is just the icing on the cake; breaking through was only a matter of time!"


    Lin Tianming flattered as well, prompting everyone to burst into laughter.


    "Alright, enough jesting. Where''s your mother?"


    "Mother is busy preparing dinner to celebrate for you. It should be ready soon!"


    "Hmm, let''s go inside and talk!"


    Lin Shigong went in first, and the others followed.


    Inside the courtyard, the mother had already prepared a large table full of delicious food. Lin Tian Yue couldn''t wait to start eating, drawing a scolding from their mother.


    After dinner, the family sat contentedly in the courtyard, chatting idly.

 Chapter 79 Gathering Among Peers_1

    The next morning, in the Hall of Merit, Lin Shixin received several jade boxes from a clan member.After opening and checking them, once he had confirmed the years and types of the spiritual medicines, he transferred the Merit Points to the exchanging clansman.


    Seeing that the person in front of him had completed the exchange and had left, Lin Tianming hurried forward to pay his respects.


    "Tianming pays respects to Uncle Ten!"


    Lin Shixin frowned slightly and said with a half-smile,


    "You scamp, no need for such formalities. What brings you here today? If you want to exchange for something, do it quickly¡ªI''m quite busy."


    "I''m here to submit elixirs!"


    "Submit elixirs?"


    "You''ve finished concocting them already? Is the quantity up to the required standard?"


    It had not been very long, only two months had passed, and Lin Shixin seemed to find it hard to believe that Lin Tianming had already finished concocting.


    Previously, even Lin Shigong needed close to two months to finish processing so many materials.


    Without explaining, Lin Tianming took out the prepared storage bag and handed it to Lin Shixin.


    Lin Shixin took the storage bag and reached out with his Divine Sense to examine it.


    To his astonishment as soon as he looked!


    "All these elixirs came from you?"


    Lin Shixin took out a Lingshen Pill and couldn''t stop examining it as if he couldn''t let it go.


    "Yes, one hundred and fifty of them, no more, no less!"


    Lin Tianming said with a smile.


    In his astonishment, Lin Shixin checked the elixirs and, after confirming the quantity and grade were correct, noted them down in a thick book.


    Lin Tianming took out over a hundred jade bottles from the storage bag and filled the table in front of him.


    Three hundred Lingshen Pills!


    Fifty Huiyuan Pills!


    Fifty Consolidating Essence Pills!


    Twenty Xisui Pills!


    Six Pozhang Pills!


    Aside from the Strong Spirit Pill and the Body Strengthening Pill required for cultivation, he left behind nearly a hundred Lingshen Pills and six Pozhang Pills, as well as five Xisui Pills. After setting aside a few of each type of consumable elixir, he took out everything else.


    Aside from one Pozhang Pill that he planned to consume himself, he left five Pozhang Pills and Xisui Pills, which he could give to his mother and sister or sell.


    Lin Tianming took out a vast quantity of elixirs that he had accumulated over nearly two years.


    Such a multitude of elixirs, clearly all from Lin Tianming''s own hands, thoroughly astounded Lin Shixin!


    Out of over four hundred elixirs, the majority were of exceptional quality, and just these elixirs alone nearly equaled the clan''s annual consumption.


    Lin Shixin was completely speechless and numb to Lin Tianming''s achievements!


    He thought to himself, "This kid is a monster!"


    After Lin Shixin had examined them, he assessed the total value of all the elixirs.


    "A total of six thousand and two hundred Merit Points!"


    Lin Shixin gave the total, which was not far from the estimate Lin Tianming had in mind, so he decided to proceed with the exchange.


    Even if there were some differences, a few hundred Merit Points more or less would simply mean he had to concoct a few more batches of elixirs given her stature and wealth.


    Lin Tianming took out his Family Token and handed it to Lin Shixin while speaking,


    "Uncle Ten, I''d like five thousand Merit Points, and the rest can be exchanged for Spirit Stones!"


    Having spent all his Spirit Stones at Qianchuan Market, he needed to exchange for some Spirit Stones to carry with him.


    After all, outside of the family, transactions either required bartering or payment with Spirit Stones¡ªMerit Points from the family were not recognized elsewhere, so having some Spirit Stones on hand was a precautionary measure.


    In a short while, Lin Shixin transferred five thousand Merit Points to Lin Tianming.


    By this time, Lin Tianming''s Family Token had accumulated nearly ten thousand Merit Points.


    With so many Merit Points, aside from Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu, it was likely that not even the Clan Leader or Grandfather could compare.


    Lin Tianming thought about his own worth compared to that of the various Foundation Establishment Clan Members.


    After handing over the elixirs and exchanging all the accumulated ones, Lin Tianming said goodbye to Lin Shixin and walked out of the Hall of Merit.


    Summoning an Earth Evil Sword, he soared into the sky and flew towards a courtyard located halfway up the mountain.


    In no time at all, he appeared at the entrance of an exquisitely small courtyard.


    This was the residence of Lin Tianqin.


    A few days ago, Lin Tianqin had sent him a message, arranging to meet today.


    In recent years, as their generation''s cultivation had improved, the time spent in closed-door cultivation had gotten longer, or they were involved in family missions, leaving little time to gather as often as before.


    Since Lin Tianqin had invited him and the opportunity was rare, he naturally wanted to attend to familiarize himself with new clan members and to foster relationships among them.


    With a pinch of his fingers, he sent a message that entered the courtyard.


    Shortly after, two women in red dresses, with long hair draped over their shoulders and joyful expressions on their faces, came out from the courtyard. They were Lin Tianqin and her younger sister, Lin Tianyue.


    "Sixth Brother, please come in quickly!"


    Lin Tianqin was very enthusiastic; she was delighted that Lin Tianming had come to the gathering. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother, why are you so slow?"


    "Big Brother and Second Brother have already arrived, and quite a few clan brothers and sisters as well. We were just waiting for you!"


    Lin Tianyue didn''t hold back, starting to chide Lin Tianming.


    Before Lin Tianming could explain, the two of them grabbed one of his arms each and pulled him towards the courtyard.


    Inside the courtyard, more than twenty clan members sat together, both men and women; the oldest, Lin Tianfeng, was twenty-seven years old, and the youngest, Lin Tianhu, was eleven.


    In the past half-year, Lin Tianfeng had already broken through to the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, while Lin Tianhong was still at the Fifth Level. Although he hadn''t broken through, his aura was strong, and he was not far from the Sixth Level, ready to break through at any time.


    The courtyard was exceptionally lively, with the younger clan members discussing cultivation matters, while the few older ones chatted over tea.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming enter, Lin Tianfeng and the others stood up to welcome him.


    "Sixth Brother, come and take a seat!"


    "Tianming greets all the brothers and sisters!"


    Lin Tianming greeted everyone with a fist and palm salute.


    The clan members all returned the greeting politely.


    As the host, Lin Tianqin took the initiative to introduce to Lin Tianming many younger clan members whom he had not yet met.


    When she introduced Lin Tianhu, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but take a good look.


    He had heard about this clan brother who had been making waves lately and had long wanted to meet him.


    Lin Tianhu had spent a year at Green Bamboo Mountain, and from his original thinness, he had become sturdy. He was handsome with a sharp gaze, and his cultivation was stable at the First Level of Qi Refining.


    Lin Tianhu immediately gave a respectful fist and palm salute.


    "Clan brother, there''s no need for such formalities. If you have any difficulties in cultivation, feel free to seek me out. I''ll help if I can," Lin Tianming said earnestly, showing goodwill and speaking sincerely, which greatly increased Lin Tianhu''s good impression.


    "Yes, if there are any difficulties, I''ll be sure to tell Sixth Brother. I thank Sixth Brother in advance!"


    After introducing the clan members, Lin Tianming started to have an enjoyable chat with Lin Tianfeng and a few others.


    The whole gathering was incredibly lively, and everyone was very happy.


    The young clan members were very curious about the demon hunting trip, and Lin Tianfeng, not being stingy, animatedly recounted the events.


    He made fun of Lin Tianhong''s embarrassing moments when he was surrounded by the Silver Earth Scorpion and his significant improvement after the experience.


    Having a vivid example incited envy among the clan members.


    The impressive strength of Lin Tianming earned the admiration of many brothers and sisters.


    After talking about their experiences, they began to discuss their skills.


    Lin Tianming, Lin Tianhong, and Lin Tianqin, all Alchemists, took turns sharing their experiences with everyone.


    The lively gathering lasted for half a day and did not disperse until the evening.


    After promising to participate in the gatherings more often, everyone bid their farewells and left. Lin Tianming and Lin Tianyue returned to their own courtyard together.

 Chapter 80 Heading to Luoyun Market_1

    Two months later, within the Elders'' Council Hall, Lin Shihua sat in the highest seat, with several clan members seated below, including Lin Xingzhi and Lin Xingrong.Having received an urgent message from the Clan Leader, Lin Tianming, who was cultivating at the time, immediately left his seclusion and hastened to the Elders'' Council Hall.


    After greeting his elders with a clasped fist salute, the puzzled Lin Tianming took a seat to the side, waiting for the Clan Leader''s decision.


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, the Clan Leader began to issue orders.


    "Xing Rong, now that you are at the Foundation Establishment Stage, the family has decided to recall you. If you return to Luoyun Market, the Jin Family might detect your presence and expose our family''s strength. Therefore, for the next few years, you should avoid making public appearances and take the opportunity to cultivate well within the clan."


    Lin Xingrong listened very calmly, as if he had anticipated this.


    "If I leave, who will take care of the business in Luoyun Market?"


    Lin Shihua smiled and looked towards Lin Tianming.


    "Let Xing Zhi and Tian Ming go. It will be a good experience for them!"


    Both Lin Xingzhi and Lin Tianming showed surprised expressions upon hearing this, while Lin Xingrong seemed somewhat concerned.


    "Tian Ming is too young; there are too many complex matters in the market, and the powers are deeply intertwined. He lacks worldly experience. I suggest sending a different member of the Xing generation to go instead."


    "Don''t worry. With Xing Zhi in charge of overseeing the market, Tian Ming will only handle the business of the Hundred Treasures Building and alchemy. Xing Yuan has reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining and wishes to return to seclusion. Currently, all of our clan members above the Eighth Level of Qi Refining have their duties and cannot be spared, so we''re sending Tian Ming to fill in for a while."


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Xingrong spoke up:


    "Well then, we indeed lack manpower in the clan. If it''s just to manage the alchemy and business at the Hundred Treasures Building, then let him go."


    With Lin Xingrong no longer objecting, Lin Shihua turned to Lin Tianming as if to ask for his thoughts.


    "Tian Ming is willing to expend effort for the family!"


    "Good, you will depart in seven days!"


    "Understood!"


    Lin Tianming and the others rose with a clasped fist, left the hall, and didn''t rush off immediately.


    Lin Xingzhi and Lin Xingrong started chatting idly, while Lin Tianming waited to the side.


    "Xing Zhi, the market is not like the clan, there are dangers everywhere. I''m entrusting Tian Ming to you. He''s still young; take care of him in all affairs."


    "You can rest assured, brother. I will do my utmost. Tian Ming is not weak in cultivation and has meticulous thoughts. We have fought side by side before; I hold him in high regard!"


    Lin Xingzhi gave his chest a reassuring pat, putting Lin Xingrong''s concerns to rest. After a brief chat and setting a time, they each went their separate ways.


    On the way back, Lin Xingrong talked in detail about the situation in the market, allowing Lin Tianming to understand more and to prepare well.


    According to Lin Xingrong, the public order of Luoyun Market was nowhere near that of Qianchuan Market. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While it was not to the extent of open conflict within the market, one could not guarantee safety once outside the market.


    In another two years, there would be a grand competition in the market; the situation had not been stable in recent years. It happened that the Jin Family Cultivators were stationed in Luoyun Market, which could spell danger if they had any ill intentions.


    However, the possibility of the Jin Family taking preemptive action was slim. Although the Jin Family was powerful, it was not yet capable of confronting the other families simultaneously.


    If they really engaged in underhand tactics and incurred the wrath of the crowd, they would also be unable to face the fury of the other families.


    As for the market itself, the five great families competed fairly in business, each with its own special features.


    The Lin Family''s Spiritual Artifacts were extremely popular, the Jin Family''s level of Alchemy was high, and the Sun Family''s talisman paper was peerless, while the other two families were somewhat inferior, yet not to be underestimated.


    After Lin Xingrong''s introduction, Lin Tianming had a much better understanding of the market.


    With seven days to go, Lin Tianming did not seclude himself for cultivation but went to the Scripture Pavilion instead, studying a vast amount of information, especially on various Spiritual Objects.


    In the following days, he followed Lin Shixin to learn about management, from receiving guests and dealing with people to authenticating treasures and bookkeeping, learning everything thoroughly.


    After days of this, he had accumulated a wealth of experience in handling affairs and could manage a shop without panicking.


    Seven days hurried by.


    One morning, Lin Tianming appeared at the entrance to the Lin Family''s array.


    He took out a Beast Spirit Pill and tossed it to the Purple Gold Eagle, who swallowed it in one gulp and excitedly circled overhead.


    The Purple Gold Eagle had been following Lin Tianming for two years, having consumed more than a dozen Beast Spirit Pills, and had advanced to the late stage of the First Order, ensuring Lin Tianming''s efforts were not in vain.


    After its advancement, the body of the Purple Gold Eagle had grown to nearly twenty zhang, and its feathers had undergone a subtle change, with golden feathers becoming more abundant, seemingly nearing adulthood.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed, and Lin Xingzhi arrived on sword flight, stopping in front of Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming greeted with a fist and palm salute.


    "Tianming pays respect to Uncle Seventeen!"


    Lin Xingzhi quickly returned the gesture, acting very courteously.


    He was well aware of Lin Tianming''s strength; a fight to the death with him would likely leave him with little chance of victory.


    "Tianming, let''s set off!"


    "Yes!"


    Having said that, Lin Tianming and the other each took out a black conical hat to wear. Lin Xingzhi disguised himself as a rugged burly man, while Lin Tianming took on the appearance of a scholar.


    They called back the Purple Gold Eagle and leaped onto its back, flying into the clouds and heading north.


    Atop the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming and his companion chatted idly. Lin Xingzhi, having been to Luoyun Market several times, shared the information he had learned with Lin Tianming.


    Accompanied by beautiful scenery, they flew smoothly over mountains and rivers all the way.


    In less than half a day, Lin Tianming and his companion arrived at the outskirts of Luoyun Market.


    As they beheld a span of buildings revealed on the horizon, they leaped off the Purple Gold Eagle''s back, stored it in the Spirit Beast Bag, and continued on sword flight.


    Another half a quarter of an hour passed, and Lin Tianming landed in an open space. They walked together towards the market entrance.


    This wasn''t Lin Tianming''s first visit; he had come with his father before but had not paid much attention to the market, nor had he strolled through it.


    Now that he was going to stay in the market for an extended period, it was natural to learn more.


    As they walked, they took in the sights of Luoyun Market.


    The market occupied an area of only a few li, merely one-tenth the size of Qianchuan Market, hardly comparable at all.


    Even the market array was worlds apart. According to Lin Xingzhi, it was a Second Order array.


    The difference in the flow of people was also significant. Back when they entered Qianchuan Market, cultivators queued in long lines, but here at Luoyun Market, they entered in twos and threes without any need for queuing.


    Soon after, they arrived at the entrance.


    Lin Xingzhi took out two Golden Tokens, each inscribed with a "Lin" character, serving as a pass for Luoyun Market.


    Each of the Five Great Families of Luoyun had twenty of these tokens, which could be used to bypass the city entrance fee when necessary.


    After the guards inspected and verified the tokens, they allowed them through, and both men marched into the market.


    Inside, the market was divided into four areas, with an auction house at the center.


    The overall layout was not much different from Qianchuan Market, only smaller in scale with fewer buildings, essentially a miniaturized version of Qianchuan Market.


    As they walked the streets, it didn''t take long before they stopped at a compound in the Southern District.


    Lin Xingzhi took out the Restriction Order Token for the compound, deactivated the restriction, and they walked in.


    This place was the family''s assembly point at that time, and the clan members were busy in the shops, with nobody around for the moment.


    They each chose a room and entered to rest.

 Chapter 81 Hundred Treasures Building_1

    As evening approached, shops suspended their business and clan members returned to the courtyard in Luoyun Market one after another.Lin Xingzhi gathered everyone together.


    Many clan members were seeing Lin Tianming for the first time and were very curious about this rising star within the clan.


    Lin Tianming, as a junior, paid his respects by clasping his fists and bowing in front of everyone, which greatly increased their affection for him.


    Thanks to Lin Xingzhi''s introductions, Lin Tianming also became familiar with these clan members.


    Including Lin Xingzhi and Lin Tianming, there were a total of fourteen Lin Family members in the market, with a variety of cultivation levels.


    Among the twelve, Lin Xingyuan was at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement and a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist. With Lin Tianming taking over, he was soon to return to the family, which would then make thirteen people including Lin Tianming''s elder brother, Lin Xingzhi.


    Among the other clan members, one was at the Qi Refining Eighth Level, managing the Hundred Treasures Building, and two were at the Qi Refining Seventh Level, acting as shopkeepers for the inn and restaurant, with the rest all below the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    Twelve clan members managed three shops.


    The core asset, Hundred Treasures Building, was run by three members, primarily dealing with the purchase and sale of spiritual objects, bringing the family a substantial income every year.


    The inn and the restaurant were less profitable, with mediocre income, but were better than none.


    Actually, the main source of income for the Lin Family in the market was not from the three main shops but rather the rental income from shop leases and the revenues from the market itself.


    There were over a hundred shops in the trading area of the Luoyun Market. The Lin Family owned only a little over ten stores, while the Jin Family owned more than thirty. The five major families took up eighty percent of the shops, while over ten Qi Refining Families occupied the remaining twenty percent.


    Although the Lin Family had more than ten shops, they did not have enough clan members to operate them all, so they only kept three that were in good locations for themselves and rented out the rest.


    The Lin Family was not alone in this approach; the other four major families operated in the same manner.


    In terms of market income, the real profits came from the rental fees for the stalls, the leased cave dwellings, the profits from the auction house, and the spirit stones paid for entering the market. These were the true sources of wealth.


    The market was a cornucopia for the five major families, yielding immense profits each year. That''s why they valued it so much and competed for their interests, both openly and in secret.


    After chatting leisurely for half an hour, Lin Tianming learned quite a lot about the market, and the clan members got to know each other better.


    Late at night, they concluded their casual conversations and returned to their rooms to rest. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next day, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi visited the Hundred Treasures Building.


    Lin Tianming looked around.


    The entire Hundred Treasures Building had three floors. The first floor contained items commonly used by Qi Refining Cultivators.


    The second floor had some Second Order items, although not in great numbers, roughly dozens of kinds, with few sales, since there were too few Foundation Establishment Cultivators in such a place.


    The third floor served as a temporary residence for the family''s cultivators and rooms for entertaining distinguished guests.


    Upon entering the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Xingzhi took out the account books, and after reconciling them with Lin Xingshun and restocking some elixirs and talismans, Lin Xingzhi left.


    Lin Tianming then worked with Lin Xingyuan to turn all the spiritual medicine received by the Hundred Treasures Building into elixirs.


    When Lin Tianming completed his first batch of elixirs, Lin Xingyuan was completely astounded.


    Before the alchemy, Lin Xingyuan had planned to stay for half a year, waiting for Lin Tianming''s alchemy skills to be sufficient before leaving.


    Who could have thought that his skills in alchemy would far surpass his own and even exceed those of Lin Shigong.


    Since Lin Tianming''s skills were so high, Lin Xingyuan no longer stayed and, after saying goodbye to everyone, went straight back to the family.


    Inside Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingshun drank spiritual tea while discussing the business situation of the Hundred Treasures Building.


    Lin Xingshun took out the account book and began to introduce.


    "Currently, we profit several hundred spirit stones a month, and on good months we can make over a thousand. The main income comes from the sale of spiritual artifacts, with elixirs as a secondary source," he said.


    Hearing Lin Xingshun''s presentation, Lin Tianming furrowed his brow.


    "Uncle, is business really that bad?"


    "Competition in the market is too fierce. Jin Family''s shop has a multitude of elixirs and their Spiritual Artifacts are not bad either. Sun Family''s talisman business is extremely hot; it''s considered good if they can profit a few hundred Spirit Stones each month. As far as I know, Wu Family and Luo Family are even worse off than us, not to mention the Qi Refining Families."


    Lin Xingshun said helplessly.


    "Never mind, uncle, roughly how many Spiritual Medicine Materials can we procure each month?"


    "We''ve never really focused on acquiring Spiritual Medicine, so not a lot. If we don''t prioritize the type, perhaps a little over two hundred plants."


    "Forget it, uncle. I''ll be doing a lot of alchemy in the future, so you should aggressively purchase Spiritual Medicine during this time. Even if it costs one or two more Spirit Stones each, don''t hesitate!"


    "This..."


    Lin Xingshun seemed a bit uncertain, unsure of what to decide!


    "Uncle, don''t worry. In no more than two months, I assure you that you''ll see the results."


    Initially, Lin Xingshun was hesitant, wondering whether or not to do as this talented younger relative suggested.


    "Well, all right, if he dares to take charge, then let him!"


    Lin Tianming said confidently, giving the hesitant Lin Xingshun a reassurance.


    "Fine, I''ll give the orders. Once we have the Spiritual Medicine Materials, I''ll send them to you immediately."


    "Great!"


    Having convinced Lin Xingshun, Lin Tianming took his leave and returned to his small courtyard to continue his cultivation.


    Two weeks later, Lin Xingshun brought over a batch of Lingshen Pill and Consolidating Essence Pill materials, totaling over forty portions.


    Lin Tianming immediately began alchemy.


    In just seven days, Lin Tianming delivered over eighty elixirs, keeping one hundred and fifty for himself.


    Taking the elixirs made by Lin Tianming, Lin Xingshun began to inspect them and was equally astonished.


    "Did you make these?"


    "Yes, I recommend that uncle sells these elixirs at a ten percent discount to quickly establish our reputation. After a period, we can adjust the prices. Don''t worry about this slight loss!"


    "All right, let''s do as you say."


    Lin Xingshun was very excited and immediately instructed his staff.


    Over the next several days, the Cultivators kept coming to purchase elixirs non-stop. Thanks to the high-quality Lingshen Pills, the eighty-plus elixirs were quickly sold out.


    The business at the Hundred Treasures Building became increasingly booming, even the other unsold Spiritual Objects sold out.


    Two months went by in a flash.


    During this period, Lin Tianming had a fulfilling time, either alchemizing or cultivating, and occasionally working at the shop as an assistant.


    Meanwhile, the Hundred Treasures Building aggressively purchased Spiritual Medicine. With Lin Tianming present, the materials were quickly turned into elixirs and sold through the shop.


    With the high-quality elixirs, the business of the Hundred Treasures Building improved significantly, with the daily turnover more than doubling.


    Lin Tianming also accumulated several thousand Spirit Stones thanks to the rewards from alchemy.


    The Shopkeeper of the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Xingshun, was also thrilled. In two months, he had turned the average Hundred Treasures Building into the most popular shop in the market, earning a considerable amount of dividends.


    From then on, whenever Lin Tianming had suggestions, Lin Xingshun had no doubts and was fully supportive.


    Just like this, Lin Tianming rapidly improved the business at the Hundred Treasures Building.


    In a room on the third floor of the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi were drinking Spiritual Tea. Both were very happy and engaged in a cheerful conversation.

 Chapter 82 Strolling Through the Market_1

    It had been half a year since Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi arrived at Luoyun Market. Following tradition, Lin Xingzhi was to return to Green Bamboo Mountain, bringing back the income and resources secretly acquired over the past six months to the Lin Family.On the third floor of the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi were drinking Spiritual Tea and chatting merrily.


    Before long, Lin Xingshun also walked in.


    While sipping tea, the three of them discussed the income of the Hundred Treasures Building over the past six months.


    Lin Xingshun took out the account book and started to give a detailed report.


    "In half a year, the Hundred Treasures Building''s income was over 23,500 Spirit Stones, of which the income from elixirs was 16,120 stones, Spiritual Artifacts brought in 4,260 stones, talisman paper 920 stones, and the various other materials added up to more than 2,300 stones!"


    Lin Xingshun reported the sales for the half-year period in succession.


    Lin Xingzhi was taken aback when he heard this.


    Although Lin Xingshun reported an approximate amount each month and it was more than double compared to previous years, Lin Xingzhi couldn''t have imagined it would reach over five times that amount.


    Unperturbed by Lin Xingzhi''s shock, Lin Xingshun continued his report.


    "The income was over 23,500 stones, with expenses amounting to over 15,800 stones, making for a net profit of over 7,800 stones."


    Lin Xingzhi, now numb to the surprise, was aware of the net income and quickly regained his composure.


    In just half a year, the gross sales and net income had skyrocketed by fivefold; even a net profit of 2,000 stones in the previous six months would have been extremely rare.


    After reporting the income, Lin Xingshun took out a storage bag and handed it to Lin Xingzhi.


    "Xingzhi, there are 6,000 Spirit Stones in here, just in time for your trip back to the family. The remaining 1,800 stones are for operational funds."


    "Hmm..."


    Lin Xingzhi took the storage bag and spoke to the other two:


    "I will report truthfully. I''m setting off for the family home tomorrow. Our business''s success has drawn the attention of the other major families, so be careful during this time!"


    "Don''t worry, and be cautious on your journey as well!"


    "The Purple Gold Eagle is fast and can also assist me. I''ve already instructed it to hasten our travel!"


    After giving his instructions, Lin Tianming took out two Beast Spirit Pills and a Spirit Beast Bag and handed them to Lin Xingzhi.


    "Thanks! I''ll make a quick trip there and back. Do you have anything you want me to take back to the family?"


    "No!"


    "Neither do I!"


    Seeing that the other two had nothing to send back to the family, Lin Xingzhi did not linger and left with a fist salute.


    After a brief conversation with Lin Xingshun, Lin Tianming left the Hundred Treasures Building and began to stroll around the market.


    Although it had been half a year since he arrived, he had either been cultivating or practicing alchemy and had not properly explored the marketplace.


    Standing on a street in the marketplace, Lin Tianming surveyed the surrounding shops and layouts.


    The entire shopping district had only about a hundred buildings, all designed as pavilions; they were likely built uniformly by the market.


    The Hundred Treasures Building was located at the entrance of the entire shopping district, and the dozen or so pavilions nearby were in prime locations. Besides the Hundred Treasures Building, a few other shops belonged to the five major families.


    The shop owned by the Jin Family was known as Shendan Pavilion, which always did exceptionally well among the major families. Lin Tianming decided to go in and have a look around, wanting to check out the market conditions as well.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming headed towards the Shendan Pavilion.


    Soon, Lin Tianming arrived at the entrance of a multi-story building.


    The entire tower wasn''t much different from the Lin Family''s Hundred Treasures Building in size, also boasting a three-story structure. Golden characters spelling "Shendan Pavilion" danced on the plaque above the main door, giving off a rather imposing vibe.


    Stepping through the vermillion doors of Shendan Pavilion, Lin Tianming found himself in a large hall covering hundreds of square feet with seven or eight Cultivators selecting treasures.


    As Lin Tianming entered, a Sixth Level of Qi Refinement attendant came to greet him.


    "Welcome, fellow Daoist, to Shendan Pavilion. Are you looking to purchase elixirs or Spiritual Instrument Talismans? We at Shendan Pavilion have it all!"


    The shop assistant''s expression remained calm as he quickly evaluated Lin Tianming.


    "Oh, I''m just looking around!"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s words, and seeing his shabby appearance, the shop assistant''s face immediately changed, and he no longer paid attention to him.


    Lin Tianming didn''t get angry and continued to select items on display by himself.


    In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Lin Tianming had looked through all the items on the first floor. They were all ordinary elixirs, without even a single Pozhang Pill or Xisui Pill.


    The variety of elixirs was a bit more than that of the Lin Family''s Hundred Treasures Building, and the quality was slightly better than those refined by Lin Xingyuan, yet they were sold for the same price. Buying in large quantities even came with some small gifts to lure customers, no wonder their business was much better. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having finished with the first floor, Lin Tianming followed the shop assistant to the second floor.


    "The elixirs on the second floor are much fewer than those on the first, but almost all of them are First Order Superior Grade, and they even have Pozhang Pills!"


    Lin Tianming found the shop assistant and inquired about the price.


    "Pozhang Pills, one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones each!"


    Hearing the price quoted by the shop assistant, Lin Tianming was startled.


    One hundred and eighty Spirit Stones was almost the same price as in the Qianchuan Market auction.


    At the auction in Qianchuan Market, many cultivators bid against each other to reach this price.


    Yet here, in this small market where seeing someone at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining was rare, they were selling for one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones each.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help but think, "Do the cultivators who buy these elixirs have no brains?"


    After inquiring about the prices of some better elixirs for quite a while, he finally purchased a bottle of Lingshen Pills to study.


    After wasting so much time, the shop assistant was dry-mouthed from talking, and he was only able to sell this small amount of elixirs.


    With an ashen face, the shop assistant saw Lin Tianming out of the Shendan Pavilion, obviously quite annoyed.


    After leaving the Shendan Pavilion, Lin Tianming turned around and continued to stroll casually.


    Before long, he appeared in the Sun Family''s shop.


    The Sun Family''s shop was slightly smaller than the Jin Family''s, and the display tables were filled with a large amount of talisman papers.


    Lin Tianming carefully selected, ranging from the most common Swift Travel Talismans and Five Elements Class Spell Talismans to the powerful Superior Attack Talismans, there were hundreds of types, colorful and fascinating to behold.


    Lin Tianming looked around while also inquiring about the prices.


    "Swift Travel Talisman, five for three Spirit Stones!"


    "Fireball Talisman, one Spirit Stone each!"


    "First Order Superior Attack Talisman, fifteen Spirit Stones each!"


    The Sun Family shop''s assistant was much more patient, tirelessly explaining the uses and prices of talismans; their customer service attitude was much better than that of the Jin Family.


    Lin Tianming quite liked talismans because they did not consume much Spiritual Power, and their attack power was not to be underestimated.


    Even the most common Five Elements Class Spell Talismans, when dozens are activated at once against an enemy, can be quite powerful, making it hard for even a Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivator to come out unscathed.


    Moreover, they were much cheaper than Spiritual Artifacts, and almost every cultivator carried a few.


    After looking for half an hour, Lin Tianming decided to buy a few to try out.


    He found the shop assistant and purchased one First Order Superior Attack Talisman and a Defense Talisman, spending thirty Spirit Stones.


    He took out the Spirit Stones and handed them to the shop assistant, who quickly presented the two talismans.


    Receiving the talismans, Lin Tianming bowed his fists and left, continuing his casual stroll.


    Strolling until evening, Lin Tianming had nearly toured the entire market, purchasing some items from the five major families.


    After a whole day, Lin Tianming also had a pretty good understanding of the market situation and knew a bit about the prices and other shops'' situations.


    As the shops closed for the day, Lin Tianming didn''t linger and returned to the small courtyard.

 Chapter 83 Heavy Losses_1

    ```On the third floor of the Shendan Pavilion, a middle-aged cultivator in a golden robe sat in a secret chamber deep inside, with his hands clasped and eyes tightly shut, cultivating in meditation. The slight fluctuation of energy emanating from him clearly indicated that he was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    This person was named Jin Chaozong, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Jin Family, who had been stationed in Luoyun Market for several years.


    After a short while, a man in a gray robe arrived outside the secret chamber where Jin Chaozong was cultivating.


    He cast a Law Decree, and after the barrier was opened, the man in the gray robe walked in.


    The man in the gray robe came up to Jin Chaozong and bowed respectfully before speaking.


    "Clan Uncle, I have a matter to consult with you. I ask for Clan Uncle to make a decision!"


    Jin Chaozong opened his eyes, his expression displeased as he spoke,


    "Speak quickly if you have something to say. I need to continue my cultivation and don''t have much time to handle trivial matters."


    His reaction made the man in the gray robe anxious, and he quickly started to speak.


    "Clan Uncle, the business at Shendan Pavilion has been extremely poor in the past few months. According to my investigation, a new alchemist has come to the Hundred Treasures Building of the Lin Family, crafting elixirs of a rarely seen high quality, snatching away our significant business. In the past few months, the income of the Shendan Pavilion was halved."


    "What? Income cut by half..."


    "Lin Family alchemist, Superior Grade elixirs¡­"


    Upon hearing this, Jin Chaozong showed a hint of anger, alarming the man in the gray robe, who immediately knelt down.


    Ignoring the man in the gray robe, Jin Chaozong muttered to himself, carefully recalling the information about the Lin Family members.


    "The Lin Family only has Lin Shigong as a First Order Superior Grade Alchemist. While the color of the pills he refines is not bad, it definitely should not compare to Fifth Brother''s!"


    "Bring the pills here for me to see!"


    The man in the gray robe hurriedly took out a bottle of Lingshen Pills and a bottle of Huiyuan Pills and respectfully handed them to Jin Chaozong.


    Taking the two bottles of Superior Grade elixirs refined by Lin Tianming, Jin Chaozong took out the pills and observed them closely.


    He too was astonished after examining the pills.


    "How can the quality of these pills be so high? They definitely weren''t made by Lin Shigong; there must be another master!"


    "But who would it be?"


    After racking his brains for half an hour, Jin Chaozong still had no clue.


    "Enough, the family''s secret scheming has reached a critical moment. We must not expose ourselves, or we could lose all of our previous efforts."


    After pondering for half an hour, he began instructing the man in the gray robe.


    "For now, do not stir up any trouble over the matter of the elixir¡ªreduce the prices of all elixirs by ten to twenty percent to try and win back some customers!"


    "Remember not to provoke the Sun Family and the Lin Family; both of them are exceedingly secretive."


    "After a few days, I will return to the family to inform the Clan Leader about this and have the family members secretly investigate!"


    Having made up his mind, Jin Chaozong then instructed.


    "Yes, I will go at once to take care of it!"


    Having said that, the man in the gray robe withdrew.


    Outside the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Xingzhi, who had been back at the Lin Family territory for a month, returned to Luoyun Market.


    Stepping into the Hundred Treasures Building, he went straight to the third floor, where Lin Tianming and Lin Xingshun were sitting together, chatting leisurely in a room.


    Seeing Lin Xingzhi come in, Lin Tianming and the other immediately stood up and greeted him.


    "Seventh Uncle, you''ve finally returned. Was your journey smooth?"


    Lin Xingzhi looked excited, showing no signs of fatigue.


    ```


    "Tian Ming, the trip went rather smoothly, thanks to your Purple Gold Eagle, it saved me quite a bit of time!"


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three of them sat down for tea.


    Having finished a cup of Spiritual Tea, Lin Xingzhi returned the Spirit Beast Bag to Lin Tianming and then took out five hundred Spirit Stones from his storage bag, giving four hundred to Lin Tianming and one hundred to Lin Xingshun.


    According to Lin Xingzhi, the reason for the windfall of Spirit Stones was the Lin Family''s reward for the profits of the Hundred Treasures Building, which had multiplied several times over in the past half-year.


    Lin Xingshun was ecstatic, as the reward of one hundred Spirit Stones was equivalent to his annual salary.


    Amidst his excitement, he couldn''t help but secretly think to himself that the Lin Family was indeed generous. Fortunately, he had followed Tian Ming''s plans, allowing him to reap substantial benefits.


    An excited Lin Xingshun accepted the Spirit Stones, repeatedly vowing to redouble his efforts and manage the Hundred Treasures Building well.


    Lin Tianming did not stand on ceremony, taking the Spirit Stones and putting them into his own storage bag.


    During their casual conversation, Lin Xingshun reported the state of affairs at the Hundred Treasures Building during Lin Xingzhi''s month-long absence.


    "This month, business at the Hundred Treasures Building has declined quite a bit. Compared to the previous months, profits have plummeted by forty percent. It must be some movements from the other families."


    "After a few days of investigation, I noticed many shops lowering their prices and selling off a large number of treasures, leading to many customers being drawn away."


    Lin Xingzhi''s expression changed slightly as he asked Lin Tianming for his opinion on the matter.


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Tianming began to speak.


    "The business downturn was expected; the market can only accommodate so much. Without any large-scale confrontations, the demand for elixirs has decreased substantially. Having made a significant profit for half a year is already quite an achievement!"


    Upon hearing Tian Ming''s analysis, both Lin Xingzhis seemed to agree, and their expressions finally improved.


    The Luoyun Market was only so big, and there were only so many cultivators. Those who could afford to use Lingshen Pills for cultivation every month were in the minority; most people couldn''t afford to buy many elixirs in a year.


    Thus, by leveraging high-quality elixirs at relatively affordable prices, making a sizable amount of Spirit Stones in half a year was already quite remarkable.


    Lin Tianming continued with his analysis without stopping.


    "Over the past six months, under our influence, the Jin Family''s Shendan Pavilion has taken the heaviest hit, with sales rapidly declining and massive losses incurred."


    "They have now reacted and taken several measures, so they''ve started cutting prices. We need not bother with that; we just need to be wary of them causing trouble."


    "That''s right!"


    Having listened to Tian Ming''s analysis, Lin Xingzhi also expressed agreement.


    "The Hundred Treasures Building competes fairly and hasn''t used any dishonorable tactics. Besides, the big market gathering is only three months away. No one would risk causing trouble at this time!"


    "Xingshun, carry on as usual during this period. As long as the Jin Family doesn''t cause us any problems, we can ignore them!"


    "Alright, we''ll do that!"


    With that settled, Lin Xingshun left, leaving Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi in the room.


    After Lin Xingshun''s departure, Lin Tianming inquired about the market gathering from Lin Xingzhi.


    The Luoyun Market gathering was much like the Qianchuan Market gathering, though the Luoyun Market did not differentiate between major and minor markets and always held its gathering once every three years.


    During the Luoyun Market gathering, there was also an auction event, but without separate sessions. Both Qi Refinement Realm cultivators and Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators participated in a single auction venue, so as long as Qi Refinement Stage cultivators had enough Spirit Stones, they could compete in bidding with Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Of course, whether they could leave the market safely afterward was another matter.


    The auction event was the most important part of the market gathering. The five major families each provided one star item for the auction. The rest were provided by individual cultivators, with the auction house taking a five percent commission on the selling price of each item as an auction fee.


    After a detailed introduction from Lin Xingzhi, Lin Tianming had a good understanding, finding it quite similar to the Qianchuan Market auction event.


    "Tian Ming, the auction is three months away, and I''ve brought the centerpiece item with me. If you want to go, you can join me, and we can look out for each other."


    "Alright, there''s still plenty of time. The Hundred Treasures Building has a sufficient stock of elixirs, so there''s no need to produce more for now. I''ll return and cultivate for a while. After three months, we''ll attend the auction together!"


    After arranging a time with Lin Xingzhi, Lin Tianming bowed and took his leave.


    S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 84 Sky Fei Fruit_1

    In the secret chamber of the small courtyard, Lin Tianming sat on the meditation cushion with his palms together, entering a state of deep and self-forgetting cultivation.Over two months had passed by swiftly, and Lin Tianming''s life had been remarkably fulfilling. He spent a few days each month on alchemy and devoted the remainder to arduous cultivation.


    Having been in Luoyun Market for over half a year, his cultivation progress was exceedingly slow. Despite consuming many Lingshen Pills, he had barely reached the middle stage of the Qi Cultivation Eighth Level, still some distance from the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.


    Seeing that intensive cultivation was not very effective, Lin Tianming decided to emerge from seclusion, as the market assembly was just a few days away and it would be a good opportunity to take a look around.


    Exhaling a turbid breath, Lin Tianming stood up and left the secret chamber.


    He took out a black conical hat, wore it on his head to conceal some of his cultivation, steadying it at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, and walked outside.


    On the streets of the market, Lin Tianming strolled aimlessly.


    As the day of the market''s assembly drew nearer, many cultivators emerging from secluded cultivation left their cave dwellings to attend the auction, noticeably increasing the number of cultivators in the market.


    Walking along, Lin Tianming arrived at a square where quite a few cultivators were gathering in small groups.


    Among the crowd, a rough-looking burly man began to shout, ''Forming a team to hunt demonic beasts in the Luoyun Mountain Range, still in need of three people, Qi Refining Sixth Level and above are welcome.''


    ''It''s Song Yu forming a team. His strength is not weak and he has rich experience; he always manages to get quite a few good things. Hurry and sign up to join.''


    Several Qi Refining cultivators at the Sixth Level heard Song Yu''s call and ran over.


    Soon after, three cultivators with happy faces emerged, evidently having been successfully selected for Song Yu''s team, while a few others looked disappointed, not being selected due to insufficient cultivation and had to search for another team.


    Lin Tianming did not linger and continued on his way, preparing to cross the square and head towards the Hundred Treasures Building.


    Just as he was about to leave the square, a man in a gray robe blocked Lin Tianming''s path.


    This man was around fifty, with a cultivation at the Qi Refining Eighth Level and a fairly handsome countenance.


    Lin Tianming was very puzzled, quickly recalling in his mind that he had never seen this person before, nor had they interacted. His abrupt obstruction was clearly for a purpose to discuss.


    As expected, seeing Lin Tianming did not react excessively, the man in the green robe introduced himself.


    ''Fellow Daoist, my name is Li Yuancheng, a loose cultivator. May I have a word with you in private?''


    Since Lin Tianming was at leisure, he nodded and followed Li Yuancheng to a corner of the square.


    Seeing no one around, Li Yuancheng smiled and cupped his fist in greeting;


    ''I apologize for the abrupt obstruction, Fellow Daoist. Please forgive my rudeness.''


    Lin Tianming responded calmly, ''If Fellow Daoist has something to say, just say it. I''m quite busy and don''t have much time to engage in idle chatter.''


    Seeing that Lin Tianming seemed displeased, Li Yuancheng no longer beat around the bush and started communicating via transmission.


    ''Fellow Daoist, would you be interested in joining a hunt for demonic beasts? I accidentally discovered a Sky Fei Fruit Tree, but it''s guarded by a group of demonic beasts, so I''d like to invite you to join me and retrieve the treasure. What do you say?''


    ''Sky Fei Fruit!''


    ''A fruit that can enhance the cultivation of Qi Refining cultivators, its effects not inferior to the Jade Spirit Fruit that Lin Tianming had.''


    Hearing what Li Yuancheng said, Lin Tianming was somewhat tempted.


    Having cultivated for over half a year, he had been stuck at the mid-stage of the Qi Refining Eighth Level for quite a while, even the Jade Spirit Fruit had been used, and only the Pozhang Pill remained untaken. He wanted to save it for when he reached the peak of the Qi Refining Eighth Level to break through smoothly to another realm, potentially reaching the peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining directly.


    Although the treasure was appealing, Lin Tianming couldn''t help pondering.


    With so many cultivators in the square, why did he seek him out specifically? What was his purpose?


    Furthermore, Li Yuancheng had not mentioned how many Sky Fei Fruits there were, how they would be divided, what kind of Demonic Beasts were guarding them, the number of beasts, and the extent of their strength were all unknown.


    Anyway, no matter what his purposes might be, I should ask for more details. If it really doesn''t work out, giving up is also an option. There''s no need to take unnecessary risks!


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming began to inquire.


    "Li, there are thousands of Cultivators here at the market. Why did you choose to find me?"


    "Though there are over a thousand Cultivators at the market, when you discount the members of the five major families, how many Loose Cultivators are there above the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement? When seeking treasure, it''s better to find Cultivators at the Seventh and Eighth Levels of Qi Refining. Otherwise, even if you obtain the treasure, it''s hard to get much of a share. If your cultivation is too low, you won''t be of much use!"


    Hearing Li Yuancheng''s explanation, Lin Tianming stopped overthinking and asked Li Yuancheng to detail the treasure-hunting plan and how the spoils would be divided before deciding whether to join.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s interest, Li Yuancheng began to share his plan.


    "In a valley on the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range, I personally saw a Sky Fei Fruit Tree with ten fruits on it, guarded by a group of Wind Shadow Leopards. There are more than twenty of them, with a few at the First Order Late Stage, and the rest at Medium and Early Stages."


    "I have already found three other Qi Refining Cultivators at the Seventh Level to hunt for this treasure with. Five of us together, without any unforeseen mishaps, there shouldn''t be much danger."


    "Once we obtain the Sky Fei Fruits, we''ll divide them equally, with each person getting two Spirit Fruits. After the deed is done, as the organizer, each of you will have to compensate me with fifty Spirit Stones for providing the information."


    After Li Yuancheng finished, Lin Tianming felt the plan and the division scheme were quite acceptable.


    If he could obtain two Sky Fei Fruits, coupled with Pozhang Pills, he likely could cultivate up to the Qi Cultivation Ninth Level Peak, which made Lin Tianming somewhat tempted.


    But the auction was coming up soon, and he had already agreed to attend it with Lin Xingzhi. If there was a scheduling conflict, he would have to give up on the treasure hunt.


    "Li, if I were to join, when would we depart?"


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s desire to participate, Li Yuancheng breathed a sigh of relief and responded:


    "The auction is nearly upon us, and the Sky Fei Fruits still need some time to ripen. We plan to replenish our resources before heading out in ten days!"


    Lin Tianming noted the schedule Li Yuancheng mentioned would not clash with the auction. However, he thought it best to inform Lin Xingzhi, since going out posed certain risks.


    "Li, may I have a day to consider? If I don''t reply by this time tomorrow, don''t wait for me!"


    "Fine, there''s still time. I''ll wait a day for you."


    After speaking, Lin Tianming and Li Yuancheng exchanged contact methods and agreed to reply within a day, then left the square.


    Upon returning to his courtyard, Lin Tianming went straight to Lin Xingzhi and relayed Li Yuancheng''s invitation and the plan for the Sky Fei Fruits.


    "Sky Fei Fruits, indeed a fine object!"


    Lin Xingzhi was also quite eager, but as the family''s representative in the Luoyun Market and burdened with numerous responsibilities, he was unable to accompany him. Otherwise, he would want a share of the spoils as well. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though he coveted the treasure, Lin Xingzhi was not blinded by greed.


    "Tianming, do you think this is credible? If the family were to go together, there would be no worries, but you must consider carefully when it comes to the words of Loose Cultivators."


    "Uncle Seventeen, personally, I''m rather confident in what Li Yuancheng has told us. Even if there''s some hidden scheme, with my strength, escaping unscathed shouldn''t be a problem!"


    "That''s true!"


    Lin Xingzhi was quite aware of Lin Tianming''s abilities. Being on par with Cultivators at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, and now having broken through to the Eighth Level, even if he encountered Great Completion Cultivators, he should have no problem escaping if he couldn''t win.


    "Very well, since you''re confident, then prepare some extra measures. It''s always better to be safe."


    With Lin Xingzhi agreeing to his plan, Lin Tianming sent a message to inform Li Yuancheng of his decision.

 Chapter 85 Auction Begins_1

    ```Three days passed and the triennial Luoyun Market gathering was about to begin.


    Over the past few days, the number of cultivators in Luoyun Market had greatly increased. Aside from those who were preoccupied with urgent matters, almost every cultivator who wasn''t in closed-door cultivation had come to participate in the auction.


    After all, only once every three years, items rarely seen at other times often appeared at this event.


    Although many cultivators below the fifth level of Qi Refinement didn''t have significant buying power, they also enjoyed joining the crowd to broaden their horizons, which was pleasant enough.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi walked out of the Hundred Treasures Building together, heading towards the auction hall in the center of the market.


    Scattered along the way, cultivators of all levels, both male and female, were heading towards the auction, bringing the market to life.


    After half a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming and his companion arrived at the entrance to the auction.


    This was Lin Tianming''s first time attending the Luoyun Market auction, and he couldn''t help but observe the enormous structure before him.


    The first thing that caught his eye was a three-tier circular stone hall spanning tens of acres, with a huge stone gate on which hung a plaque inscribed with the three big characters of the auction.


    At the entrance, over a dozen cultivators were already queuing up, as two executive officers of the auction collected spirit stones for entry.


    Lin Xingzhi, leading Lin Tianming, bypassed the queue and headed straight into the venue.


    Lin Xingzhi showed a blue token with a few small characters on it. The officer glanced at it and immediately allowed them to pass, with the pair disappearing amidst the envious looks of the crowd.


    After inquiring, Lin Tianming learned that the market managers from the five major families all had a token that allowed them direct access with five accompanying cultivators and also a VIP room spanning several square meters.


    Upon entering the inner field of the auction, they saw a circular podium in the center with hundreds of seats around it forming the general seating area of the auction room, nearly half of which were already occupied.


    Lin Xingzhi led Lin Tianming to one of the VIP rooms on the second floor. After they entered, Lin Xingzhi said to Lin Tianming,


    "Tianming, I''m going to submit the family''s final auction item. It won''t be long before I return. Rest here for a moment!"


    "Understood!"


    After finishing, Lin Xingzhi turned and left the VIP room, heading deep into the second floor.


    With nothing else to do, Lin Tianming sat in the VIP room and looked over the auction.


    The second floor of the auction hall also had dozens of VIP rooms, all of which had the ability to block divine sense probing, and the layout of the auction wasn''t much different from Qianchuan Market¡ªessentially a smaller version.


    Another quarter of an hour passed, and as the seats in the venue gradually filled up, Lin Xingzhi also returned to the VIP room.


    The two chatted casually, and Lin Tianming, quite curious, asked about the final auction item offered by the family.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s interest, he began to speak.


    "For this market gathering, the family considers it quite important. The final item is a set of five first order superior grade spirit swords, forged by Fifteenth Uncle!"


    Hearing Lin Xingzhi''s explanation, Lin Tianming seemed unsurprised.


    He thought it made sense, as Lin Family''s Qingling Bamboo was a fine material for crafting, with their specialty being spiritual artifacts. Although they had many elixirs, they wouldn''t sell those with significant effects at such a time.


    Therefore, offering a spiritual artifact was expected. Considering the initial cost of two thousand good deeds just for the Qingling Bamboo to forge twenty Earth Evil Swords, the value of a set of five superior grade spirit swords was certainly high enough to be the final auction item.


    A quarter of an hour went by, and the hundreds of seats were all filled. A grey-robed man stepped onto the central stage.


    Lin Xingzhi, sitting to the side, began to introduce him to Lin Tianming.


    This man was Chen Chong, a professional auctioneer, a loose cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining stage, and had been specially invited by the market.


    As the auction hall gradually quieted down, Chen Chong started with a bow and addressed the crowd.


    "Fellow Daoists, my name is Chen Chong, and I have the honor of presiding over this auction. I welcome everyone''s presence here!"


    ```


    "Everyone knows the rules, the highest bidder will win; if you don''t have enough spirit stones, you can mortgage treasures. Alright, enough chitchat, let the auction begin now!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Chong took a ring-shaped treasure out of his storage bag and showed it to the cultivators present.


    "The first item for auction is a First Order Superior Grade Spirit Beast Ring, with interior space extending over a hundred feet, divided into several sections, capable of holding several Demonic Beasts at the same time. It''s quite rare, so don''t miss this opportunity!"


    "The starting bid is eighty spirit stones, and each subsequent bid must be at least five spirit stones more!"


    "Ninety spirit stones..."


    "Ninety-five spirit stones..."


    As soon as Chen Chong finished speaking, there were immediately cultivators calling out their bids.


    Indeed, a High-Quality Spirit Beast Ring was rare and an essential item for cultivators who liked to keep Spirit Beasts. Usually, only medium-sized markets like Qianchuan Market had them for sale and they would be quickly snatched up.


    Lin Tianming also wanted to bid for this item; the Spirit Beast Bag given to him by Lin Shilu was the lowest grade, and after accommodating the Purple Gold Eagle, there was hardly any space left. If the Purple Gold Eagle continued to grow, it would soon be too large to fit.


    After several rounds of bidding, the price of the Spirit Beast Ring swiftly rose to one hundred and thirty spirit stones.


    "One hundred sixty spirit stones..."


    When Lin Tianming''s bid was heard, increasing the price by thirty spirit stones in one go, the entire venue was abuzz, with many cultivators expressing their amazement.


    "It must be someone from one of the five major families, truly wealthy and generous. One hundred fifty spirit stones could buy so many Lingshen Pills for cultivation!"


    Sure enough, the increase of thirty spirit stones in one go stunned everyone in the venue.


    A few breaths of time passed with no other cultivators bidding, and Lin Tianming successfully won the auction.


    He took out one hundred sixty spirit stones and tossed them to Chen Chong. Upon confirmation that they were correct, Chen Chong threw the Spirit Beast Ring back to him, which Lin Tianming caught.


    Picking up the Spirit Beast Ring, Lin Tianming examined it closely, unable to let go.


    With the first auction item concluded, its sky-high price sparked a fervent atmosphere, setting a great tone for the rest of the event.


    Chen Chong continued to preside over the auction.


    "The second item for auction, a First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact, the Vajra Sword. It''s powerful, with a starting bid of seventy spirit stones, and each subsequent bid must be at least three spirit stones higher."


    "Seventy-five spirit stones..."


    "One hundred and five spirit stones..."


    ...


    Lin Tianming had no interest in the category of Spiritual Artifacts, merely watching the many cultivators bid from his VIP room.


    Although Lin Tianming wasn''t interested, some cultivators below the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement found it quite desirable, and the competition was fierce. In the end, the Vajra Sword was sold for one hundred ten spirit stones to a cultivator at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    Lin Tianming was quite surprised by this price; a First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact was worth around eighty spirit stones, and one of good quality up to one hundred. He didn''t expect it to reach one hundred ten. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He couldn''t help but sigh that all items in this small market were more expensive compared to medium and large markets.


    Recollecting his thoughts, he continued to watch the auction.


    An hour passed, and dozens of items had been auctioned off without a single failure to sell, heating up the atmosphere in the venue even more.


    In the meantime, Lin Tianming spent several hundred spirit stones to acquire several types of Spiritual Medicine, all main ingredients for refining Strong Spirit Pills.


    Lin Xingzhi also acquired several treasures, and both of them gained something.


    As time progressed, the auction also came to a close, leaving just the last ten star items.

 Chapter 86 Fiery Flame Charm and Hun Tian Pill (Two-in-One)_1

    As the auction drew to a close, the atmosphere reached its most intense moment.Chen Chong was very satisfied, as the treasures offered in this auction were generally quite valuable. There were many pieces of spiritual medicine and spiritual instrument talismans, and the prices kept climbing to new highs.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the following are the last ten finale treasures!"


    "The first item, a Xisui Pill. I need not explain its function, as you all know. The starting bid is one hundred spirit stones, and each bid must not be less than five spirit stones!"


    No sooner had his voice faded did someone begin to bid.


    "One hundred and ten spirit stones..."


    "One hundred and fifteen spirit stones..."


    ...


    After more than ten rounds of intense bidding, the Xisui Pill was finally sold to a man in white robes for the high price of one hundred and forty-five spirit stones.


    Lin Tianming, having witnessed the process, was very surprised that a Xisui Pill could actually sell for one hundred and forty-five spirit stones, which was only higher than the prices at Qianchuan Market. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking about it carefully, it wasn''t strange. In a small place like Luoyun Market, where the level of cultivation wasn''t high and alchemists were few, elixirs were even rarer, so the prices naturally soared.


    "The second finale item..."


    "The third finale item..."


    ...


    Many finale items were auctioned in succession: First Order Superior Grade elixirs, various Fu Lu spiritual instruments, all of which were high-quality goods, fetching prices that set new records.


    Under the fervent atmosphere, the auction continued.


    Chen Chong then took out five cyan and yellow spirit swords from his storage bag and tossed them in front of him, where they hovered in place.


    "They''re First Order Superior Grade spirit swords!"


    "And it''s a complete set of spirit swords!"


    Several cultivators with exceptional vision called out in surprise, drawing the attention of all the cultivators present.


    Chen Chong smiled and began his introduction.


    "The seventh item, a complete set of five First Order Superior Grade spirit swords, crafted mainly from Second Order Qingling Bamboo by the Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain, with a starting bid of three hundred and fifty spirit stones, and each bid must not be lower than five spirit stones!"


    As soon as Chen Chong finished introducing the set of spirit swords, several eager cultivators immediately called out their bids.


    "Three hundred and sixty spirit stones..."


    "Three hundred and eighty spirit stones..."


    Lin Tianming and his companion sat in the VIP room, watching the cultivators below engage in fierce bidding and showing satisfied smiles.


    In another VIP room, a cultivator with a calm expression watched the five spirit swords with great interest.


    "Four hundred and seventy spirit stones..."


    A voice called out from one of the VIP rooms on the second floor!


    The scene immediately fell silent, and everyone looked up to the second floor, seemingly trying to determine the source of the voice.


    However, the VIP rooms were protected by restrictions that prevented divine sense from probing, so no one knew who had made the bid. They could only guess that it must be someone from a certain family, as it would be difficult for a loose cultivator to have such financial power.


    After a fierce competition, the five spirit swords were sold for the high price of four hundred and seventy spirit stones.


    The auction continued, with just the last three finale items remaining.


    As the seventh item had been a complete set of superior-grade spirit swords, the remaining finale items were surely even more valuable, and all the cultivators were extremely anticipatory.


    Without pausing, while everyone''s emotions were running high, Chen Chong took out a fiery red talisman paper from his storage bag.


    "The eighth finale item, a Second Order Inferior Grade Fiery Flame Charm talisman. Once activated, it can summon a great force of flames, its power equivalent to a full-force strike by a cultivator in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment. Its attack power is extremely formidable, provided by the Sun Family, with a starting bid of three hundred and fifty spirit stones, and each bid must not be lower than five spirit stones,"


    Seeing this item, all the cultivators'' breath quickened.


    A Second Order talisman was extremely rare in Luoyun Market, creating a fierce struggle every time one appeared.


    Such a rare item was incredibly difficult to produce; besides the Sun Family, no other power was known to be able to create them, and it was unexpected that they would be willing to auction such an item.


    Seeing the Fiery Flame Charm, Lin Tianming immediately became interested.


    Although he still had a Second Order Golden Sword Talisman unused, no one ever complained about having too many trump cards.


    With plenty of spirit stones on hand, after browsing the market several times, he had not found any Second Order talismans. They were difficult to purchase even with spirit stones, unless one was at Qianchuan Market, where there were a few for sale.


    Now that he had come across it, he naturally wanted to make every effort to obtain it.


    In addition to him, many other cultivators in the venue, including people from several Foundation Establishing families, shared that thought.


    After a brief silence, a frenzy of bidding ensued.


    The bidding, starting from three hundred and sixty spirit stones, quickly soared to four hundred and forty.


    "Four hundred and fifty spirit stones..."


    "Four hundred and seventy spirit stones..."


    By this point, only people from the seven VIP rooms were bidding; the ordinary cultivators did not have the financial means to compete and could only watch from the sidelines.


    "Four hundred and eighty spirit stones..."


    Lin Tianming continued to bid, seemingly unconcerned with the inflated price.


    In a VIP room on the second floor, three Jin Family cultivators sat sipping spiritual tea. Hearing Lin Tianming''s bid, one of the young cultivators refused to be outdone and continued to raise the bid.


    "Five hundred and twenty spirit stones..."


    "Hiss..."


    Many cultivators were already astonished; over five hundred spirit stones was far more than the value of an ordinary Second Order talisman.


    "Five hundred and eighty spirit stones..."


    Lin Tianming bid without batting an eye, determined to win.


    Bidding against other cultivators for spirit stones, he was not afraid; among all the Qi Refining cultivators present, there were definitely not many whose wealth surpassed his, not even those in the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    In the VIP room of the Jin Family, an elder spoke to the bidding young cultivator:


    "Qi Long, let it go. Don''t get carried away. Even if the other families get this item, it won''t change their fate."


    "Yes!"


    After the young cultivator responded calmly, he stopped bidding.


    A few moments passed, and no one else made another bid.

 Chapter 86 Fiery Flame Charm and Hun Tian Pill (Two-in-One)_2

    Lin Tianming also got what he wanted, acquiring the Fiery Flame Charm for the sky-high price of five hundred and eighty spirit stones.Lin Tianming took out the spirit stones and threw them towards the platform where Chen Chong was, and after they were checked and confirmed to be correct, the Fiery Flame Charm was thrown to Lin Tianming in the VIP room.


    After receiving the Fiery Flame Charm, he pinched it in his hand and looked over it several times before putting it into his storage bag.


    "The ninth and final highlight, a set of First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Artifacts called the Shadowless Needles, made up of seven precious needles. Each one is a superior grade Spiritual Artifact with immense power, provided by the Jin Family. The starting bid is five hundred and eighty spirit stones, with each increase required to be no less than ten spirit stones," announced the auctioneer.


    Flying needle sets were extremely difficult to forge and scarce in number, unpredictable in battle, hence extremely popular among cultivators.


    No sooner had the voice fallen, than many cultivators began to bid fiercely, quickly surpassing the finale item provided by the Lin Family.


    "Five hundred and ninety spirit stones..."


    "Six hundred and ten spirit stones..."


    ...


    In just seven or eight rounds of bidding, the price of the Shadowless Needles soared rapidly, quickly reaching seven hundred spirit stones and continuing to rise.


    Lin Xingzhi was very interested in this set of Spiritual Artifacts, and he joined the bidding, but was soon surpassed by other cultivators'' offers.


    "Eight hundred and ten spirit stones..."


    After a cultivator in a VIP room raised the bid by fifty spirit stones in one go, silence fell upon the entire venue. Your next chapter is on empire


    Although Lin Xingzhi bid several times, he had to give up reluctantly as the price was too high.


    Many cultivators were guessing which powerful buyer it could be, but there was no answer.


    With the ninth treasure settled, only the final item remained, spurring much speculation.


    "Spiritual Artifact..."


    "Elixirs..."


    "Cultivation Technique..."


    Or some other treasure, alas, it remained unknown...


    As everyone awaited in anticipation, Chen Chong brought out a golden jade slip and began to introduce it.


    "The final treasure, a Pill Formula for a Hun Tian Pill."


    "The Hun Tian Pill is a Second Order Pill that, when ingested by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, allows them to directly break through a minor realm, similar to the Pozhang Pill, but specifically for Foundation Establishment cultivators¡ªa truly heaven-defying item. The starting price is nine hundred spirit stones, with each increase required to be no less than ten spirit stones!"


    As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd was completely electrified.


    "It''s actually a Second Order Pill, and one that assists in breaking through realms!"


    Upon hearing Chen Chong''s words, Lin Xingzhi''s expression changed drastically, and he turned to Lin Tianming saying,


    "Tianming, this pill''s effects are tremendous; we must acquire it for our family, and later the family can compensate us for the spirit stones!"


    The same scene played out in various VIP rooms.


    "Nine hundred and thirty spirit stones..."


    One VIP room took the lead with a bid, immediately raising it by thirty spirit stones.


    "Nine hundred and fifty spirit stones..."


    Lin Xingzhi also entered a bid, but unfortunately, there were quite a few forces determined to win, and his bid was quickly surpassed by a new price.


    "One thousand one hundred and twenty spirit stones..."


    "One thousand three hundred spirit stones..."


    Throughout the auction, more than ten VIP rooms participated in the bidding, and the scene grew more and more intense, swiftly reaching one thousand three hundred spirit stones.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help but exclaim, "Luoyun Market truly has hidden dragons and crouching tigers!"


    The five major families bidding was inevitable, but in the entire Luoyun Mountain Range, only those families had Foundation Establishment cultivators. The other bidders must be Loose Cultivators or hidden Foundation Establishment cultivators from Qi Refining families, otherwise no Qi Refinement Stage cultivator would buy this Pill Formula.


    As the price climbed higher and higher, some forces seemed to give up bidding.


    "One thousand four hundred spirit stones..."


    "One thousand six hundred spirit stones..."


    Lin Tianming raised the bid by two hundred spirit stones in one breath, once again igniting the atmosphere of the entire venue.


    Many cultivators were astounded, and numerous ones who had gained nothing, not even having made a bid, sighed in admiration. They thought that the auction had truly been an eye-opener with its record-breaking prices, making their trip worthwhile.


    Inside Jin Family''s VIP room, the young cultivator making the bids had a gloomy expression. Every time he offered a price, the opposite VIP room raised their bid, as if to deliberately counter him.


    "Hmph, trying to compete with the Jin Family in terms of wealth? Even the Sun Family is no match for us!" he sneered.


    With that, Jin Qilong bid again.


    "Seventeen hundred spirit stones!"


    "Eighteen hundred spirit stones!"


    ...


    After several rounds, the price quickly broke through two thousand spirit stones, reaching a terrifying two thousand four hundred spirit stones.


    Lin Tianming did not yield an inch, clearly determined to win.


    "Fellow Daoist, could you give our Jin Family some face and yield the pill formula to us?"


    Jin Qilong spoke out, directly invoking his family''s name, hoping to make Lin Tianming back down.


    "Forgive my plain speaking, but the auction has always been won by the highest bidder. Let''s not break the rules!"


    Lin Tianming spoke up in refusal, not giving Jin Qilong any face.


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s rejection, the Jin Family cultivators'' faces turned livid, their eyes bloodshot, as if they wished to immediately charge over and tear the refuser to pieces.


    The Jin elder, seeing Jin Qilong''s gloomy expression, stepped forward to persuade:


    "Never mind. With such a high price, the bidding cultivator must be from one of the five major families. Let them have it."


    "After all, these families won''t be hopping around for many more years. The production of second order pills is extremely difficult, and spiritual medicine is not easy to gather. Without a couple of years'' effort, it would be very hard to collect them all. It''s better to let them gather the spiritual medicine materials and then seize them all at once. By then, won''t everything belong to our Jin Family?"


    Hearing the words of the Jin elder, Jin Qilong''s expression gradually returned to normal.


    After a few moments passed and seeing that no one else made a bid, Chen Chong announced the auction a success.


    Lin Tianming took out all the one thousand six hundred spirit stones he had, added to the eight hundred spirit stones Lin Xingzhi had on him, pooled enough spirit stones, and threw them out of the VIP room, which were caught by Chen Chong.


    After verifying the correct number of spirit stones, Chen Chong threw the jade slip into the VIP room where Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi were.


    Lin Tianming caught the jade slip, stretched out his divine sense, broke the ban on the jade slip, and checked the pill and spiritual medicine formulas once again.


    After careful consideration, indeed the pill formula was genuine, but the main medicine was the third order spiritual medicine Purple Yin Grass, and several of the auxiliary medicines were also precious. It would be difficult to gather them in a short period of time; indeed, the pill was not so easy to concoct.


    "Uncle Seventeen, the pill formula is indeed genuine!"


    A hint of joy flashed across Lin Xingzhi, who quickly spoke:


    "Good, when we leave later, blend into the departing crowd amidst the chaos. Don''t run about, head straight back to the Hundred Treasures Building. I also need to collect the spirit stones from the auctioned family items. If I leave directly, it would be more suspicious."


    "Alright, everyone be careful!"


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi had confirmed their exit strategy and continued to watch the auction.


    "Fellow Daoists, this auction has come to a satisfactory end. I hope you will all join again in three years. Farewell!"


    After declaring the end of the auction, Chen Chong left with a salute.


    The cultivators at the auction all hurriedly stood up and walked towards the exit.


    Lin Tianming left the VIP room by himself and, taking advantage of the chaos, quickly blended into the crowd and rushed to the Hundred Treasures Building.


    Within half a quarter hour, Lin Tianming smoothly entered the Hundred Treasures Building and only let out a sigh of relief when he sat down in his third-floor room.


    Although the market explicitly prohibited private fighting, with immense interests at stake, there was no telling whether some would take risks.


    Being extremely cautious and careful along the way, fortunately, everything went smoothly, and it seemed unlikely that anyone had exposed to which power the pill formula belonged.


    Half a day later, Lin Xingzhi also returned to the Hundred Treasures Building.


    The two sat in the third-floor room drinking tea and chatting leisurely.


    "Uncle Seventeen, I''ve already arranged with Li Yuancheng. In seven days, I''ll need to venture out to the market to look for the Sky Fei Fruit. During this period, it''ll be up to you to oversee the market!"


    "Tianming, be careful out there, and remember not to easily trust strangers. If the situation changes, return to the market immediately."


    Lin Xingzhi repeated his warnings, worried that Lin Tianming might not be aware of the dangers he could face since he was essential for the family''s rise.


    "Don''t worry, I have the Fiery Flame Charm, and with my strength, as long as I don''t encounter Foundation Establishment Cultivators or Second Order Demonic Beasts, there won''t be any danger."


    Lin Tianming''s words finally put Lin Xingzhi''s mind at ease.


    After entrusting the Hun Tian Pill formula to Lin Xingzhi, Lin Tianming left the Hundred Treasures Building and returned to his courtyard.


    With seven days until the arranged meeting, neither long nor short, Lin Tianming planned to cultivate for a while, get himself into the best condition, and then keep the appointment.


    Entering a secret chamber, he sat cross-legged on a straw mat, cycled the cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, and quickly entered a state of deep cultivation.


    He took out a Lingshen Pill and a Body Strengthening Pill to consume, felt the violent spiritual power, and operated his cultivation technique at full strength to rapidly assimilate the medicinal power.


    In a short while, another bout of intense pain struck, and sweat began to bead on Lin Tianming''s forehead.


    Seven days passed quickly... Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 87 Successfully Obtaining the Fruit (Combined Chapter)_1

    At high noon, outside Luoyun Market.In a lush green valley, four cultivators gathered, among them three men and one woman.


    Aside from the organizer, Li Yuancheng, there were two other male cultivators, and the only female cultivator was radiant with beauty, dressed in blue palace attire with towering hair buns, akin to that of a noblewoman. She was Li Yuancheng''s companion, Song Yurong.


    "Daoist Li, why hasn''t this kid shown up yet? If he doesn''t come soon, let''s not wait for him. That way, there''ll be one less person to share the fruits with."


    A man, visibly displeased, spoke to Li Yuancheng, seemingly confident about the journey to obtain the fruits.


    "Daoist Lu, please be patient. There is still a quarter of an hour left until the appointed time, and this trip to get the fruit is not guaranteed to succeed. One more person means one more layer of security."


    Before he finished speaking, a burly man flew in on a sword from the east and landed beside Li Yuancheng¡ªit was Lin Tianming, who had altered his appearance.


    Upon seeing the four people, Lin Tianming greeted them with a fist and palm salute:


    "I''m late, please forgive me. My name is Chen Tian, and I greet all the fellow Daoists here, as well as this fairy maiden."


    Song Yurong gracefully performed a curtsy, revealing a slight smile as she said:


    "My name is Song Yurong. I greet you, Daoist Chen!"


    Li Yuancheng, with a kind expression, began to introduce Lin Tianming to the others.


    "This is Daoist Qiu Jinsong..."


    "And this is Daoist Lu Ming..."


    After exchanging greetings, everyone began to get acquainted with one another.


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, Li Yuancheng took out a map made from beast skin to confirm the direction, then flew toward the west with the others quickly following behind. Find more to read at empire


    After flying for an entire day, from noon till evening, the group of five successfully arrived at the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    As it was getting dark, they didn''t proceed further but found a small hill to rest on for the night.


    ...


    The next morning, the five set off again.


    Two days passed, and after crossing more than a dozen peaks, covering over three hundred miles, they entered deep within the Luoyun Mountain Range. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With Li Yuancheng leading the way, the journey was rather safe, encountering very few demonic beasts, until they arrived in a valley.


    Looking around, the forest was dense, and there were numerous large trees that would take several people to embrace, with mist swirling within the valley, creating an otherworldly atmosphere.


    Li Yuancheng pointed toward the forest ahead and said:


    "The Sky Fei Fruit Tree is within this dense forest. I stumbled upon it by accident. It''s a pity that it''s guarded by a pack of Wind Shadow Leopards, otherwise I would have taken the fruits long ago!"


    "Wind Shadow Leopards!"


    Lu Ming revealed a hint of apprehension.


    Li Yuancheng''s expression remained calm as he began to describe the Wind Shadow Leopards.


    "These demonic beasts are extremely fast and have formidable attack power. They come and go without a trace and are very adept at ambushes. Everyone must be careful."


    Saying so, Li Yuancheng took out a snow-white whip about a zhang long, a high quality spiritual artifact.


    His companion Song Yurong was not to be outdone, producing a medium grade flying sword in hand.


    Everyone took out their spiritual artifacts, with Lin Tianming wielding an Earth Evil Sword and holding a high quality talisman paper, ready to deal with any unexpected dangers.


    Catching sight of Lin Tianming''s spirit sword and talisman paper, a flicker of barely noticeable greed flashed in Lu Ming''s eyes, which quickly returned to normal, revealing a highly wary expression.


    Seeing that everyone was prepared, Li Yuancheng led the way deeper inside.


    Soon, they reached the inner part of the valley where the trees gradually thinned, improving visibility.


    At the end of their line of sight, a fruit tree about a zhang tall grew on a mound, its green and red leaves adorned with over a dozen emerald-like fruits.


    "Sky Fei Fruit!"


    "Indeed, there are such fruits!"


    Upon seeing the treasure, Lu Ming and Qiu Jinsong called out in excitement, looking eager to proceed.


    In their excitement, they were unaware that danger had already quietly approached.


    Since entering the valley, Lin Tianming had his divine sense fully extended and his Eye of Five Colors open, guarding against unknown dangers, and had not relaxed for a moment, remaining cautious.


    A gust of wind passed through the valley, bringing a bone-chilling coolness that made everyone shiver.


    At that moment, several roars were heard.


    More than fifty Wind Shadow Leopards broke into a sprint, turning into streaks of afterimages, and in a few moments, they had charged from several hundred zhang away in the dense forest to right before the group.


    Looking over, among the pack of Wind Shadow Leopards, there was one at the late-stage peak, nearly breaking through to Second Order, obviously the leader of this pack. There were also six at the late-stage, and the rest were at the First Order middle and initial phases.


    "Daoist Li, you said there were only about thirty, why has their number increased so much?"


    Lu Ming''s face turned pale as he exclaimed, questioning Li Yuancheng.


    "I don''t know why either; the number of Wind Shadow Leopards has almost doubled!"


    "It''s pointless to investigate now. It''s already impossible to run away. Everyone, don''t hold back. Fight with all you''ve got, or we''re all in danger!"


    No sooner had Li Yuancheng finished speaking than several late-stage Wind Shadow Leopards were already upon them. The pack leader charged straight at Lin Tianming, seemingly sensing him as the greatest threat.


    After a brief moment of panic, Lin Tianming and Li Yuancheng quickly reacted, each urging on their spiritual artifacts.


    Lin Tianming slashed repeatedly, his fierce sword qi forcing the pack leader to retreat. He quietly set up a Sword Array and swiftly retreated, falling back behind the others.


    Li Yuancheng brandished his whip spiritual artifact, attacking left and right. The versatile whip was particularly effective against the incredibly fast Wind Shadow Leopards.


    Several of the First Order initial and middle-stage Wind Shadow Leopards couldn''t dodge in time and were struck by the whip, promptly ending their lives.


    The rest also used their techniques, and being fully prepared, they didn''t fall into disadvantage.

 Chapter 87 Successfully Obtaining the Fruit (Combined Chapter)_2

    The ambush had failed, and many of the dozen or so Wind Shadow Leopards had died immediately; the rest were all mid-stage Demonic Beasts.Instead of continuing the attack, the Wind Shadow Leopards surrounded the group, seeking an opportunity, lying in wait for the perfect moment to strike.


    After a stalemate that lasted for more than ten breaths, the Wind Shadow Leopards launched another onslaught.


    Seeming to have recognized Lin Tianming''s prowess, they gave up on direct combat with him and instead made a beeline for Lu Ming.


    The battle erupted anew.


    Lu Ming''s face darkened as he took out two talisman papers from his storage bag and tossed them into the air, forming a torrential sword rain that temporarily trapped the leader of the Wind Shadow Leopards.


    The remaining Wind Shadow Leopards had already charged in, and the battlefield immediately plunged into chaos, as the frenzied spiritual power from various Spiritual Artifacts crisscrossed the sky.


    Lin Tianming drew the eighteen Earth Evil Swords, danced out a Sword Lotus resembling the God of Slaughter, killing several mid-stage Wind Shadow Leopards around him, without meeting any resistance.


    On the other side, the leader of the Wind Shadow Leopards broke free and charged towards the cultivator with the surname Lu.


    After over a dozen brutal exchanges, Lu Ming was already severely injured.


    Having exhausted all his tricks, Lu Ming threw his last talisman paper and fled in panic, not forgetting to shout as he ran.


    "Save me..."


    At this moment, everyone was surrounded by Wind Shadow Leopards in varying numbers, and Lin Tianming, being the farthest away, could not attend to him.


    After a few breaths, the leader of the Wind Shadow Leopards burst through the barrier in front of it and, with a gaping maw, charged straight for Lu Ming.


    "Roar..."


    With the lightning speed of the Wind Shadow Leopard, the desperate Lu Ming had no chance to dodge and was directly bitten, his body falling lifeless on the spot.


    Now dead, Lu Ming left four injured survivors behind. Among them, Qiu Jinsong was gravely hurt, his strength reduced to a mere tenth of what it was.


    The Wind Shadow Leopard pack had suffered heavy casualties, with only a dozen mid-to-late-stage beasts remaining, their dead bodies turning the ground a crimson red.


    After half an hour of fierce combat, both humans and beasts had sustained grievous injuries, and the cultivators had used up most of their spiritual power.


    "Li, you and I will take on the leader of the Wind Shadow Leopards while the others quickly dispatch the rest," Lin Tianming shouted to Li Yuancheng.


    "We must be quick, or we won''t last much longer. If we don''t succeed, all of us will die here!"


    Amid their dire conditions and critical situation, Lin Tianming called out to Li Yuancheng.


    "Good!"


    All three responded in unison.


    Seeing the tragic state of the cultivator with the surname Lu, Lin Tianming and the others held nothing back and fought with all their might once more.


    Lin Tianming took out four First Order Superior Attack Talismans in a row and, after activating them, sent four streams of Sword Qi speeding towards the Wind Shadow Leopards.


    Simultaneously, he activated a previously laid Earth Fiend Sword Formation, enveloping the leader of the Wind Shadow Leopards within it.


    Li Yuancheng took out a white pearl and spat it towards the leader of the Wind Shadow Leopards. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Overwhelmed by a strong sense of crisis, the Wind Shadow Leopard leader panicked within the Sword Array, frantically striking against the barriers of the formation, trying to break free from the Earth Fiend Sword Formation''s constraints.


    But Lin Tianming had laid his plans well in advance, and wouldn''t let it escape so easily.


    A few breaths later, the four Sword Qi and the pearl struck the Wind Shadow Leopard from several directions simultaneously.


    "Boom..."


    A series of explosions resounded through the valley...


    A blaze shot up into the sky; after the flying sand and stones settled, the figure of the Wind Shadow Leopard leader was revealed.


    The Wind Shadow Leopard leader was now lying in a huge pit, convulsing, with half its body gone, its organs exposed for all to see ¨C a pitiable sight that clearly indicated it was on the brink of death.


    Seeing the dire state of the Wind Shadow Leopard leader, Lin Tianming and Li Yuancheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Such a steep price paid, and had they not vanquished it, whether they could survive the ordeal would have been uncertain.


    Elsewhere, Song Yurong and Qiu Jinsong were being besieged by several late-stage Wind Shadow Leopards; both were in peril, continuously losing ground.


    Song Yurong was faring slightly better, relying on numerous talisman papers and her Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact sword, retreating while fighting, and was not in immediate danger of defeating.


    Qiu Jinsong, previously severely wounded and having lost an arm, had barely held on for half an hour, and was now completely drained.


    At the moment when the Wind Shadow Leopard leader fell, Qiu Jinsong, in a burst of rage, repelled one of the leopards only to have another powerful claw plunge through his chest.


    Looking at the fist-sized hole in his chest, his blood gushing out, Qiu Jinsong''s complexion turned deathly pale within moments.


    Feeling his body grow increasingly cold, he completely gave in to despair.


    Now with free hands, Lin Tianming and Li Yuancheng came to the aid, significantly reducing the pressure on Song Yurong.


    The remaining Wind Shadow Leopards were no match for them and were swiftly slain by the group.


    With the death of the last Wind Shadow Leopard, the fierce battle finally came to an end.


    Half an hour before, five lively individuals had stood, now only three remained alive.


    The grisly deaths of Lu Ming and his companion were etched in their memories, leaving no time to collect treasures; Lin Tianming and his two companions simply collapsed onto the ground.


    Lin Tianming took out a Huiyuan Pill from his storage bag and swallowed it, quickly recovering his nearly depleted spiritual power.


    After a quarter of an hour, the trio gradually regained some of their spiritual power.


    At this moment, Li Yuancheng and his wife were extremely tense, clutching their spiritual artifacts in their hands, not daring to let down their guard.


    After this battle, they had completely understood Lin Tianming''s strength; even at their peak, joining forces, they were no match for him.


    The carcasses of the Wind Shadow Leopards scattered across the field, along with the storage bags of Lu Ming''s party, plus the Sky Fei Fruit, undoubtedly represented an immense fortune. If Lin Tianming were to attack again, their chances of survival were slim.


    Lin Tianming was also on high alert, closely watching every move made by Li Yuancheng and his wife.


    Another quarter of an hour passed, and the silence began to feel exceedingly awkward.


    Finally, Lin Tianming broke the silence.


    "Li, let''s quickly distribute the treasures. It isn''t safe to stay here for long," said Lin Tianming.


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    Relieved that Lin Tianming didn''t seem to intend to attack, Li Yuancheng and his wife finally relaxed a little.


    "Daoist Chen is very powerful. Without you, I''m afraid we would have been wiped out on this journey," said Li Yuancheng, lavishing praise before the division of treasure.


    "I think we should do it like this: The storage bags of Lu Ming''s party go to you, the spiritual artifacts to us as a couple, the carcass of the Wind Shadow Leopard leader to you, and we split the rest of the carcasses equally. As for the Sky Fei Fruits, you take sixty percent, and we take forty percent. How does that sound?"


    After proposing his plan, Li Yuancheng waited anxiously; given Lin Tianming''s formidable strength, it was only fair he received the larger share, but it was uncertain if he would be satisfied.


    Lin Tianming thought it over. The carcass of the Wind Shadow Leopard leader, which held the greatest value, would be his, and surely the storage bags of Lu Ming''s party contained all of their wealth. The spiritual artifacts were negligible in comparison. Li Yuancheng''s proposal was quite sincere. Asking for a few more Sky Fei Fruits would suffice.


    "Li, I have no objections to the rest, but as for the Sky Fei Fruits, taking more doesn''t add much benefit. Your couple can keep two, and the rest are mine. How about that?"


    "So be it,"


    Without hesitation, Li Yuancheng agreed to Lin Tianming''s terms.


    Having divided the spoils, the three of them began to get themselves busy.


    Lin Tianming collected Lu Ming''s storage bags and the spiritual artifacts, handing the latter over to Li Yuancheng.


    They then started disassembling the carcasses of the Wind Shadow Leopards, taking all useful materials with them.


    An hour later, the battlefield was cleared, and the three of them headed towards the Sky Fei Fruit Tree.


    By now, the Sky Fei Fruits had ripened, ten emerald-like spirit fruits hanging from the tree.


    Song Yurong stepped forward to harvest the Sky Fei Fruits, while Lin Tianming and Li Yuancheng chatted leisurely on the side.


    The Sky Fei Fruit ripened once every hundred years, and its effects surpassed even the Jade Spirit Fruit, but it was a pity that the tree could not be transplanted.


    Lin Tianming took out a map, located their position, and made a mark for his clan to return and harvest the fruits after a century.


    In a short while, Song Yurong had picked all of the spirit fruits and placed them in jade boxes, handing eight of them to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming accepted the jade boxes without fuss and put them back into his storage bag.


    After surviving a perilous battle and the test of shared interests, Li Yuancheng and his wife had come to a clearer understanding of Lin Tianming, at the very least, not a traitor. They became inclined to befriend him.


    "Daoist Chen, we''re still within the heart of the mountain range and have yet to leave danger behind. Why don''t we travel together back to the market city?"


    "I was thinking the same!"


    Having accomplished their mission of treasure hunting, the three of them did not linger and departed along the path they had come.


    Three days later, Lin Tianming and his companions emerged from a small hill on the periphery of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    "Li, Fairy Song, let''s meet again someday!"


    "Daoist Chen, let''s meet again someday!"


    The three of them saluted each other simultaneously. Lin Tianming summoned his Earth Evil Sword and took to the sky, soon disappearing into the horizon.


    After Lin Tianming had left, Li Yuancheng gazed in the direction Lin Tianming had gone and muttered,


    "Daoist Chen is incredibly strong, and his talismans are of excellent quality. I wonder if he''s a loose cultivator or someone from the sect families..."


    Song Yurong, her complexion rosy, seemed to have realized something.


    "Husband, my intuition tells me he''s certainly not a loose cultivator. He''s very likely from one of the five major families of the Luoyun Mountain Range, perhaps even someone from the core disciples of Zhenyang Sect. We must make a good connection with him..."

 Chapter 88 Inventory of Harvest_1

    In Luoyun Market, within a secret chamber of a small courtyard.After bidding farewell to Li Yuancheng and his wife, Lin Tianming didn''t wander aimlessly, but instead returned straight to the market.


    He hastily sent a message to Lin Xingzhi to assure his safety and then entered the secret chamber.


    Sitting on the cushion in the secret chamber, he took out the storage bags of Lu Ming and Qiu Jinsong, ready to tally his gains.


    The trip to obtain the Sky Fei Fruit had taken just half a month and had gone quite smoothly, costing only several High-Quality Talismans. With the storage bags of the two, he expected to make a hefty profit.


    First, he picked up Lu Ming''s storage bag and easily erased the remaining Divine Sense from it.


    He extended his Divine Sense and began to carefully examine the contents.


    Over two hundred and sixty Spirit Stones, a few Lingshen Pills and other consumable elixirs, several stalks of Spiritual Medicine Materials, and a fair amount of miscellaneous items, but nothing particularly valuable.


    This person had been cornered by the Wind Shadow Leopard and used up all his tricks. His Spiritual Artifact had even been given to Li Yuancheng and his wife, so there really wasn''t much left.


    "Huff¡­"


    Taking a deep breath, he shifted his focus to the other storage bag.


    Qiu Jinsong was at the Qi Refining Eighth Level, not weak by any means, so his net worth should be a bit more substantial.


    Erasing the Divine Sense, he started to probe within.


    In no time at all, a slight smile appeared on Lin Tianming''s face.


    Compared to Lu Ming, Qiu Jinsong''s wealth was much more substantial; he had over six hundred Spirit Stones, various elixirs in abundance, and some Spirit Ore and other items, all quite ordinary.


    After Lin Tianming''s estimation, the assets of the two men together were worth over a thousand Spirit Stones. Subtracting the Talismans and elixirs consumed in the fight, he had still made a tidy sum.


    Not only the personal wealth of the two men, but also the numerous Wind Shadow Leopard carcasses would yield plenty of materials for crafting, and the eight Sky Fei Fruits alone were worth thousands of Spirit Stones.


    After tallying up the gains, he transferred the Spirit Stones and useful Spiritual Medicine and Spirit Ore into his own storage bag and threw useless items haphazardly into another, planning to sell them off when he found the time.


    Having done all that, Lin Tianming fell into contemplation.


    As the day of the big competition in Luoyun Market drew nearer, with just over a year left, he had obtained the Sky Fei Fruit. By harnessing its medicinal power, he could reach the peak of Qi Refining Eighth Level and then break through a minor realm with the help of Pozhang Pills.


    Resolved, he closed his eyes and entered a brief state of cultivation.


    After a night''s rest and gathering his energy, he got up and left the courtyard.


    Half an hour passed, and on the third floor of Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Xingzhi was sitting enjoying some tea.


    Before Lin Tianming could arrive, a hearty greeting was heard.


    "Seventeenth Uncle, how have you been recently?"


    Turning his head and seeing Lin Tianming, Lin Xingzhi immediately beamed with joy and hurriedly responded.


    "Good, you lad have finally returned. If you hadn''t come back in a few more days, I would have gone to the Luoyun Mountain Range to look for you!"


    Lin Tianming sat down, sipping tea and casually chatting, recounting the adventure of acquiring the treasure in brief.


    "Eight Sky Fei Fruits!"


    Learning of Lin Tianming''s gains, Lin Xingzhi was quite surprised and couldn''t help but feel a little envious.


    "This kid''s luck is too good; he always gains quite the treasure haul every time he goes out!"


    Seeing a look of longing on Lin Xingzhi''s face, Lin Tianming took out a Sky Fei Fruit and offered it with a clasped fist.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Seventeenth Uncle, you''ve already consumed the Jade Spirit Fruit, and it will be difficult for your cultivation to increase much in a short time. Please accept this Sky Fei Fruit as a modest token of my regard¡­"


    Lin Xingzhi stared intently at the Sky Fei Fruit, wanting to accept it but feeling embarrassed; after all, it seemed inappropriate to take a hard-won treasure from a junior.


    "Tian Ming, I appreciate the thought!"


    Lin Xingzhi took the Sky Fei Fruit and afterward drew two hundred Spirit Stones from his storage bag and handed them to Lin Tianming as compensation.


    Lin Tianming tried to refuse several times, but Lin Xingzhi insisted he take them, otherwise he would not accept his kindness.


    Lin Tianming did not put on airs and accepted the spirit stones.


    The two were in good spirits, and Lin Xingzhi asked Lin Tianming about his plans.


    "In two months, I can make a trip back to the family. It''s not too long nor too short a time. I plan to refine the Sky Fei Fruit to improve my cultivation as much as possible!"


    "Alright, then let''s set off together in two months!"


    Having agreed upon a time, Lin Tianming rose to take his leave.


    Before long, he returned to the secret chamber in the small courtyard.


    Sitting on the cushion, he began to operate his cultivation technique and quickly reached the optimal state for cultivation.


    With a thought, a fruit appeared between his fingers out of thin air.


    The fruit was about the size of a toddler''s fist, all over in green like jade. The small spirit fruit contained tremendous energy, a mere sniff of which was refreshing and clarifying.


    Lin Tianming did not hesitate and swallowed the Sky Fei Fruit in one bite.


    Upon entering his mouth, the Sky Fei Fruit melted immediately. The contained spiritual power was very gentle, not at all violent like that of the Jade Spirit Fruit.


    He quickly operated his cultivation technique to refine the energy of the Sky Fei Fruit, transforming it into streams of spiritual power that flowed into his Dantian, slowly enlarging his Qi Sea and progressing towards the later stage.


    Time slowly passed, and the two months went by.


    Inside the secret chamber, Lin Tianming opened his eyes, a hint of joy flashing across his face.


    It took nearly a month to successfully refine the Sky Fei Fruit.


    Although he had not broken through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, his spiritual power had reached the limit of the Qi Refining Eighth Level.


    Lin Tianming was very pleased. With another half a year of seclusion, he could easily break through with the help of a Pozhang Pill.


    It was only a pity that time did not permit it, otherwise he really could have given it a try.


    The two-month period had arrived, and the day he had agreed upon with Lin Xingzhi was tomorrow. It was time to leave seclusion.


    He got up and walked out of the secret chamber, heading towards the Hundred Treasures Building.


    During the seclusion, he had refined a number of elixirs, enough to keep the Hundred Treasures Building operating for several months.


    After handing over the elixirs to Lin Xingshun, he asked about the business situation over the past few months.


    Thanks to the market assembly, the business had improved in the past two months. The income of the Hundred Treasures Building was stable, earning a large amount of spirit stones for the family.


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming rose to take his leave and returned to the family''s small courtyard. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next morning, when the sky was still dimly lit, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi set out from the market together and appeared at the top of a mountain outside the city.


    Over the past two months, Lin Xingzhi''s aura had become even more substantial. It seemed that after consuming the Sky Fei Fruit, his cultivation had become more profound.


    "Congratulations, Seventeenth Uncle, on the great progress in your cultivation. You mustn''t be far from the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage now!"


    Upon Lin Tianming''s inquiry, Lin Xingzhi spoke sincerely: Explore stories at empire


    "Thanks to you, kid. With the help of the Sky Fei Fruit, I saved several years of arduous cultivation. Otherwise, without three to five years of effort, it would not have been possible to reach this level!"


    He released the Purple Gold Eagle and fed it a Beast Spirit Pill before the two of them hopped onto its back.


    The Purple Gold Eagle soared into the sky, heading into the clouds, and became a lingering shadow that quickly disappeared into the horizon.


    The journey home is always a pleasure, and the two enjoyed the scenery and chatted leisurely along the way.


    By half a day, the two and the eagle smoothly appeared outside the Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Tianming took out the family token, cast several law decrees, and, once the great formation was open, flew straight in.


    "Tianming, I have some errands to run. I''ll contact you when the day of departure is confirmed!"


    "Yes!"


    Lin Xingzhi left on a flying sword, and Lin Tianming did not stay longer, heading to his family''s small courtyard.

 Chapter 89 Alliance_1

    At dusk, upon learning that Lin Tianming had returned to the clan, both Grandpa and Father hurried back to their own small courtyard.The five of them sat in the courtyard, enjoying tea and idle chat, which was indescribably comfortable.


    According to Grandpa, the Lin Family had undergone significant changes in recent years. With the substantial improvement of basic welfare for the clan and encouragement for members to gain experience, a large number of clanspeople strove to break through, and the younger generation progressed at an incredible speed, multiplying the overall strength of the Lin Family by several times.


    Lin Tianming also reported his experiences over the past year, in order not to worry his family, he did not mention those bloody and dangerous encounters.


    However, his accounts clearly could not deceive Grandpa and his father.


    Having lived for nearly a hundred years and having seen too much of the survival of the fittest and the killing for treasures, Lin Shigong knew these were simply the rules of the Cultivation World.


    As Lin Tianming''s growth accelerated, Lin Shigong''s views about him were quietly changing.


    Once wishing for him to spend his entire life within the clan grounds, he was now very clear.


    The talent of Lin Tianming, and the responsibilities he bore, destined him to venture beyond the Luoyun Mountain Range, and even leave the Wei Kingdom to explore a more vast and expansive world.


    Only by undergoing trials by fire could one shed all superficialities and become a strong leader, capable of restoring the family''s former glory.


    And on this thorny and rugged path, he knew he could no longer be of much help.


    As night fell, their casual conversation drew to a close, and Lin Tianming took out four Sky Fei Fruits to give to his grandfather and the others.


    While the Sky Fei Fruits were not of much use to Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the energy they contained could still save several years of arduous cultivation.


    The four of them accepted the fruits without pretense, and each went back to their rooms to rest.


    One day, outside Green Bamboo Mountain.


    A three-zhang-tall Crowned Spirit Crane flew rapidly towards the Lin Family Clan Grounds, reaching the great formation of the clan grounds in just over ten breaths'' time.


    A young and an old man jumped off the Crowned Spirit Crane, landing on a hilltop.


    The elder, named Sun Dingfeng, a member of the Jiuhua Mountain Sun Clan, was at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level.


    The youth, named Sun Ruiyang, a member of the younger generation of the Sun Family, was in his early twenties, and looked curiously at the distant light screen and said,


    "Seventh Grandpa, is this the Lin Family''s clan grounds?"


    "Hmm¡­" Experience new tales on empire


    The elder remained calm and replied indifferently.


    After putting the Crowned Spirit Crane into the Spirit Beast Bag, he formed a hand seal and sent out two messages, which quickly vanished into the transparent light screen and disappeared.


    Half an hour later, the light screen tore open, and two people stepped out from inside¡ªit was Lin Shilu and Lin Shikang.


    Before even arriving, Lin Shikang walked forward with a cupped fist greeting and a hearty smile,


    "It turns out Daoist Sun has come for a visit; any neglect is regrettable, please forgive us!"


    Upon seeing Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu approach, Sun Dingfeng did not dare to presume, and quickly went forward with Sun Ruiyang.


    "Not at all, Sun Mou came unannounced, and I hope I have not disturbed your tranquil cultivation!"


    "Ruiyang, don''t you hurry to pay respects to the two seniors!"


    Hearing Sun Dingfeng''s instruction, Sun Ruiyang showed respectful demeanor and hurriedly bowed,


    "Junior pays respects to the two seniors!"


    Lin Shikang laughed heartily and praised,


    "Young friend, you need not be so formal. To have reached the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement at such a young age, the Sun Family indeed has a gathering of geniuses!"


    "Well, since Daoist Sun has made a special trip, there must be something to discuss. Please come to the clan residence, and let Lin Mou offer you some hospitality!"


    Sun Dingfeng smiled lightly.


    "Thanks to Daoist Lin!"


    "Please¡­"


    "Please¡­"


    Inside Lin Shikang''s courtyard at the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Shikang and Sun Dingfeng sat in a pavilion, enjoying Spiritual Tea, while Sun Ruiyang stood to the side looking around.


    "Daoist Sun, it has been many years since we last met. Why have you come to visit today?"


    Lin Shikang directly inquired, although he and Lin Shilu already had an idea, they still pretended to be unaware.


    Seeing Lin Shikang and his companion playing dumb, Sun Dingfeng did not call them out on it. Without beating around the bush, he directly stated his purpose.


    "Daoist Lin, I have come on behalf of the Sun Family to pay a visit, hoping to collaborate with the Lin Family. I wonder if you would be interested."


    "Oh..."


    "How would you like to collaborate? Please enlighten me, Daoist Sun!"


    "In one year, the city''s grand competition will be held. Surely, Daoist Lin, you are aware of the Jin Family''s movements these past two years?"


    "Both you and I are well aware that the current Jin Family, with its great strength and wolf-like ambitions, seems to be preparing to make a move against our families."


    "Therefore, the Sun Family intends to form an alliance with the Lin Family, standing together in both advance and retreat to resist the Jin Family. What do you think of this, Daoist Lin?"


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu exchanged glances, communicating with each other through telepathy.


    After only a few moments, they seemed to have reached an agreement. Lin Shikang, with a solemn expression, began to respond.


    "Daoist Sun, I, Lin Mou, am also deeply aware of the Jin Family''s ambition. Alas, the Lin Family''s foundation is thin and our strength is limited, I''m afraid we may not be able to share much of the burden for the Sun Family. Therefore..."


    Seeing Lin Shikang''s pitiable expression, Sun Dingfeng knew that the Lin Family would not easily take a stance without some benefits.


    Fortunately, he had come prepared, never expecting to sway the Lin Family with just a few words.


    Sun Dingfeng took out a dark green storage bag and handed it to Lin Shikang.


    "Daoist Lin, if the Lin Family agrees to the alliance, consider these one thousand talisman papers as a token of sincerity from our Sun Family."


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu extended their divine sense to inspect the contents of the storage bag and both showed a hint of surprise.


    There were two hundred First Order Superior Grade talismans, three hundred Medium Grade talismans, and the remainder, amounting to five hundred, were Lower Grade.


    It seemed the Sun Family was truly putting forth a significant offer, with the given talismans valued at several thousand spirit stones at least.


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu were somewhat tempted; the Lin Family already had grievances with the Jin Family, and the Jin Family''s ambition was no secret. Once their fangs were bared, they would certainly not spare the Lin Family.


    "Daoist Sun, I wonder what the Luo Family and the Wu Family''s views are on this matter?"


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu were also inclined towards forming an alliance, but they did not agree outright, aiming to gain more benefits for the Lin Family.


    Sun Dingfeng thought for a moment before replying:


    "I have already visited the Luo and Wu Families, and both have agreed to form an alliance to confront the Jin Family. Now, only the Lin Family remains!"


    "Although the Jin Family is powerful, taking on all four of our families at once is unlikely to end well for them. Should an opportunity arise, we might eliminate the Jin Family, and their wealth would be divided with the Sun and Lin families each taking thirty percent, while the Luo and Wu Families each take twenty percent."


    "What do you say?"


    Lin Shikang kept a calm demeanor, continually communicating with Lin Shilu through telepathy to weigh the pros and cons.


    Soon, they came to a consensus. The Lin Family and the Jin Family were mortal foes with no chance of reconciliation. Better to take this opportunity to deal them a severe blow, and if possible, to completely eradicate them.


    Making up his mind, Lin Shikang spoke up:


    "Daoist Sun, as a Talisman Crafting Aristocratic Family, the Sun Family possesses a multitude of talismans. I wonder if you could spare a few Second Order talismans?"


    "I am not greedy and only request ten. With them, the Lin Family will join the Sun Family''s ranks!"


    When Lin Shikang agreed to join the alliance, a flash of joy crossed Sun Dingfeng''s face. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At Lin Shikang''s request for ten Second Order Talismans, his expression changed instantly.


    Second Order Talismans were no trivial commodity. Even the Sun Family, with a century of accumulation, had only a limited stock.


    "Daoist Lin, within our Sun Family, Second Order Talismans are also extremely precious and rare. At most, we can provide five. Would that be acceptable?"


    Seeing that Sun Dingfeng''s expression did not seem feigned and considering the Lin Family had already gained quite a bit, Lin Shikang did not further press the issue.


    "Let''s follow Daoist Sun''s proposal. The Lin Family will form an alliance with the Sun Family, united in our cause!"


    Sun Dingfeng retrieved five Second Order Talismans and handed them to Lin Shikang, fulfilling his promised contribution.


    After half an hour of negotiation, the two finalized the details of their alliance.


    The Lin Family pledged to stand firmly with the Sun Family in their fight against the Jin Family. Should they break this vow, those of the Lin Family who had sworn the oath would die violently on the spot.


    "Daoist Lin, now that we have agreed to form an alliance, let us swear an oath to the Heart Demon."


    "Very well!"


    After the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed, both individuals recited their Heart Demon Oaths. Once a mysterious beam of light entered their Sky Spirit Covers, the oath was complete.


    A quarter of an hour later, Sun Dingfeng and his companion left the protective formation of the Lin Family''s clan grounds, boarding a Crowned Spirit Crane and flying away.

 Chapter 90 Qi Refinement Level 9_1

    In his own small courtyard, inside the cultivation room.Lin Tianming sat on a cushion, hands clasped together, eyes slightly closed, with only the sound of his even breathing.


    After several days of cultivation in the secret chamber, he had adjusted his state to its optimum.


    He took out a jade bottle and poured out a greenish pill, which was the very Pozhang Pill he had concocted himself.


    With his cultivation having reached the extreme limit of the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, taking advantage of returning to the Lin Family, he could use the Pozhang Pill to break through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining in one fell swoop.


    Once he was prepared, he took a deep breath and consumed the Pozhang Pill.


    As soon as the pill entered his mouth, a violent surge of spiritual power rapidly swept through his body.


    He felt as if his body was about to ignite, his face turned bright red, veins bulging, presenting a somewhat frightening appearance.


    "I didn''t expect the power of the Pozhang Pill to be so strong; no wonder it can break through the bottleneck!"


    Without time to think further, Lin Tianming quickly operated his cultivation technique to refine the violent spiritual power.


    Time ticked away, the sensation of pricking pain did not diminish in the slightest, but instead grew stronger.


    Lin Tianming showed a look of pain, clenching his teeth tightly, his eyes showing several strands of blood.


    Before long and through the process of cultivation and refinement, the originally violent medicinal power became spiritual power and started to feel more gentle.


    Lin Tianming directed the refined spiritual power towards the Qi Sea within.


    As the spiritual power gradually increased and reached a certain amount, the already crowded Qi Sea seemed to have reached its limit, hardly able to take more.


    Even so, Lin Tianming did not stop, continuing to madly channel spiritual power into the Qi Sea.


    Soon, the shape and volume of the Qi Sea underwent considerable change, expanding and contracting intermittently.


    Lin Tianming knew that he was at a critical juncture and needed to break through the barrier as quickly as possible.


    Focusing his mind, he increased the intensity of refining the pill''s power once more, organizing the spiritual power to repeatedly impact it.


    After numerous impacts, an intense pain spread throughout his body, which then quickly returned to normal.


    Lin Tianming revealed intense joy, repeatedly checking the condition of the Qi Sea within his Seven Sea Dantian.


    The Qi Sea had significantly expanded in size, and there was still a small amount of the pill''s medicinal power left unrefined, which continued to turn into strands of gentle spiritual power flowing in.


    With the help of the Pozhang Pill, Lin Tianming successfully broke through and entered the Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation.


    "Huff huff..."


    Even though he had successfully broken through, Lin Tianming did not rest, continuing to refine the remaining medicinal power to consolidate his cultivation.


    More than ten days passed, Lin Tianming opened his eyes that had been shut for half a month, his gaze flashing with a sharp light.


    After more than twenty days in closed-door cultivation, he had finally achieved a smooth breakthrough.


    Feeling the surging spiritual power, much stronger than at the Qi Refining Eighth Level, if he faced the Wind Shadow Leopard again, he alone would be enough to handle it.


    The exhilarating feeling after a cultivation breakthrough was truly addictive!


    With a moment of reflection, Lin Tianming stood up and left the secret chamber.


    In a few more days, he would return to Luoyun Market.


    Before leaving, he decided to first visit the Hall of Merit to exchange the spoils of battle he had acquired recently, and to resupply his talisman paper and spiritual medicine materials, given that his stock of talismans was nearly depleted.


    Inside the Hall of Merit, Lin Tianming found Lin Shixin and handed him two storage pouches.


    Inside were the corpses of more than twenty Wind Shadow Leopards, including the body of the pack leader, as well as some low-grade spiritual medicine materials and miscellaneous items¡ªall battle spoils.


    Lin Shixin took the storage pouches and sent his Divine Sense into them, meticulously checking the contents.


    After a little more than ten breaths, he had a rough valuation.


    Lin Shixin''s face remained calm, and with a smile, he announced the price.


    "Three thousand six hundred and fifty spirit stones!"


    "Good, Uncle Shi, I want three thousand Spirit Stones, and the rest can be exchanged for talisman paper and Spiritual Medicine!"


    After speaking, Lin Tianming handed Lin Shixin a list.


    Since Merit Points were of no use outside, and the family didn''t have many good items, it was better to prepare more Spirit Stones for times of need.


    It wasn''t long before Lin Shixin took out a storage bag and handed it to Lin Tianming.


    Inside were a large number of Spirit Stones, several dozen Medium and High Quality talisman papers, and a small amount of Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    Having completed the exchange, he chatted idly with Lin Shixin.


    Through their discussion, Lin Tianming learned that Lin Shixin had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage and had exchanged for the Minor Foundation Building Pill, planning to go into closed-door cultivation three months later to attempt the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Besides him, another member of the Lin Family from the Xing generation was also planning to enter closed-door cultivation to make a breakthrough.


    With less than a year until the great competition in Luoyun Market, the Lin Family was doing all they could to prepare for the crisis.


    In just three years, numerous members of the Lin Family had attempted to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, something unimaginable in the past.


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    Unfortunately, Lin Shixin was already ninety-six years old, barely two years younger than the grandfather''s age when he attempted Foundation Establishment, with equally slim hopes.


    "Uncle Shi, the blessed naturally attract good fortune. You will surely succeed!"


    With no other way to help, Lin Tianming could only offer such comfort.


    "Do our best and leave the rest to fate..."


    Lin Shixin''s gaze was firm, seemingly indifferent to the success of his attempt, showing a free and easy demeanor.


    After ending their idle chat and bidding farewell to Lin Shixin, Lin Tianming left the Hall of Merit, summoned the Earth Evil Sword, and flew towards Lin Tianqin''s courtyard.


    As soon as the news of Lin Tianming''s return spread, he was invited to a gathering.


    Unable to politely refuse, he agreed to attend, finally getting Lin Tianqin to leave him alone.


    Otherwise, he would never have peace.


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming was sitting with Lin Tianfeng and others, chatting idly.


    Not having seen them for a year, Lin Tianfeng was still at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, while Lin Tianhong had successfully broken through to the Sixth Level.


    Lin Tianqin, who practiced with great diligence, was at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, and his sister, Lin Tianyue, had made significant progress, reaching the Fourth Level with the help of various elixirs.


    Among their generation, the male members progressed the fastest, while the females lagged somewhat behind, since they hadn''t undergone as many trials.


    The gathering that day was particularly lively, lasting well into the evening before dispersing.


    Lin Tianming said goodbye to everyone and returned to his own courtyard.


    Taking out his storage bag, he began to examine its contents carefully.


    There were over four thousand Spirit Stones, several dozen talisman papers, and more than three hundred elixirs in total; he was certainly not lacking in elixirs.


    After checking his storage bag, Lin Tianming examined the Sword Qi condensed in his Dantian. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had long mastered the Great Sun Sword Qi Art obtained at the auction; the Sword Qi had condensed and, after nearly two years of nurturing, had nearly become tangible, emitting waves of cold air.


    Lin Tianming speculated that this Spirit Art was at least of the Mysterious Grade. Unfortunately, without the latter part of the technique, he couldn''t activate it, which was a true pity.


    It was as if he had a treasure vault right in front of him but lacked the key to open it, leaving him unable to access the treasures within, an extremely frustrating feeling.


    "Huff..."


    There was no use in just thinking about it. The latter half of the Spirit Art was nowhere to be found, and whether he could find it relied on luck.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming brought his palms together and started to run his cultivation technique, beginning his practice.


    Three days later, a month had passed, and it was time to return to Luoyun Market.


    Waiting outside the family''s grand formation was Lin Xingzhi.


    Seeing Lin Tianming flying over, the two greeted each other. They released the Purple Gold Eagle, jumped onto its back, soared a hundred meters into the clouds, and flew towards Luoyun Market.


    After half a day, they arrived at the market.

 Chapter 91 Mysterious Moon Order_1

    Time flew by, and three months passed.It had been several months since I returned to the market, spending three days each month on alchemy, while the rest of the time I dedicated to secluded cultivation, not relaxing for a moment.


    With the help of elixirs, my cultivation level was slowly increasing, but the pace was very slow, and there was still a long way to go to reach the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.


    I shifted my long-seated body and got up from the secret chamber.


    In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lin Tianming appeared on a street in the marketplace.


    Looking around at the shops and the few passers-by, Lin Tianming began to wander leisurely.


    The market was also very calm, with large numbers of cultivators coming and going every day, as usual, showing no signs of anything unusual.


    Perhaps it was the calm before the storm!


    Without realizing it, Lin Tianming found himself in a square at the marketplace, precisely the area where stalls were set up.


    Lin Tianming carefully surveyed the area, which was only around thirty acres, much smaller than Qianchuan Market, but it still had a decent crowd.


    In this thirty-odd acres of space, there were already over two hundred stalls, with several cultivators selecting items at almost every stall.


    It seemed that although Luoyun Market was small, there were still many cultivators engaged in small trades.


    Having nothing better to do, I thought to stroll around since I was there, to see if there might be some gains.


    Lin Tianming entered and started his perusal from a stall by the entrance.


    After passing more than a dozen stalls, most of the items for sale were mostly spiritual medicine materials and demonic beast materials, with a comparatively small proportion of elixirs and spiritual artifacts.


    Thinking about it, I could understand why; after all, Luoyun Market was established at the edge of Luoyun Mountain Range, acting as a foothold for loose cultivators.


    Many loose cultivators teamed up to hunt demonic beasts in the mountains, with most of the materials they obtained being spiritual medicine materials and demonic beast materials.


    Among the loose cultivators, cultivation was already extremely difficult, and the consumption of alchemists and artificers was too large, too much for loose cultivators to afford the hefty initial investments.


    And the proportion of alchemists and artificers in the Cultivation World was still quite small, so in Luoyun Market, the prices of spiritual medicines and demonic beast materials were relatively low.


    Without realizing it, I wandered through dozens of stalls and did not find anything particularly special.


    I had spent only a little over three hundred spirit stones, purchasing a few rather rare spiritual medicine materials and several First Order Late Stage demon beast inner pills, which could be considered a bit of a gain.


    As I strolled along, I made my way to a stall deep within the market.


    Suddenly, the Eye of Five Colors twitched inexplicably.


    It was very strange. Having had the Eye of Five Colors for several years, it had never acted on its own before.


    "It looks like it has discovered something."


    Following the guidance of the Eye of Five Colors, Lin Tianming stopped at a stall.


    The stall''s owner was a young man in his twenties, at the Third Level of Qi Refining, who Lin Tianming judged to be a loose cultivator.


    There were only a little over ten items on the entire stall, all of which were as ordinary as could be.


    Seeing Lin Tianming approach, the young man greeted him with a smile. He had been setting up for half the day without selling much, and with a rare customer, he naturally wanted to offer good service.


    "Fellow Daoist, please look around. Whatever you like, I will give you the best price," he said.


    "Hmm..."


    Lin Tianming said nothing further, and began to search directly through the jumbled pile of beast skins.


    "What is this?"


    Amid the beast skins lay an oval-shaped token, still covered with some dirt, presenting a greyish-brown color. The token''s surface bore no text, just a few spirit beast patterns engraved on it.


    Lin Tianming held the token in his hand, closely examining it.


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    Still not finding anything unusual.


    "Huh."


    Everything this man offered for sale was commonplace, nothing special, except this token that revealed no information, which had to be the object in question.


    After repeatedly examining it and still finding no clues, I decided to buy it regardless of whether or not it was genuine.


    "Fellow Daoist, what is this token, and how many spirit stones are you selling it for?"


    Lin Tianming began to inquire directly.


    "One hundred and fifty spirit stones!"


    The young man originally wanted to shout out a price of two hundred spirit stones, but the cultivators who had heard this price before had all left, obviously feeling it was not worth it.


    Thus, fearing that the cultivator before him would find it too expensive, he figured it would be better to just sell it for one hundred and fifty spirit stones.


    After all, he had not expended much effort to obtain the token, nor had he spent any spirit stones on it.


    "How about one hundred spirit stones?"


    Lin Tianming began to bargain directly, although one hundred spirit stones were truly nothing to him.


    Still, he had to appear reluctant, making the young man believe this item was just an ordinary thing.


    "One hundred and thirty spirit stones..."


    "One hundred and twenty spirit stones..."


    Lin Tianming was unyielding and did not show a particularly strong desire to buy, continuing to discuss the price.


    "Fellow Daoist, if you really want to buy it, one hundred and twenty-five spirit stones, let''s just become friends!" the young cultivator said sincerely.


    "Alright, I''ll take it for the price you''ve said."


    Lin Tianming nodded calmly and then took out one hundred and twenty-five spirit stones from his storage bag and handed them to the young man.


    After checking and confirming the correct amount, the young man handed the token to Lin Tianming.


    Having received the token, Lin Tianming was not in the mood to keep browsing and turned to leave the stall area, heading back to his family''s small courtyard.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming hastily took out the token and inspected it over and over, hoping for some clue.


    After pondering for half an hour, he still couldn''t make heads or tails of it.


    Right, let''s try to refine it and see if that''s of any use.


    Lin Tianming''s expression changed, and he bit his finger, dropping a drop of fresh blood onto the token, closely observing any changes in the token.


    After a quarter of an hour had passed, there was still no movement.


    "Huff!"


    "It seems that won''t work; let''s try some other methods," Lin Tianming muttered to himself. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having struggled for half a day trying various methods, there was still no response.


    "Could it be that I was mistaken!"


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, but quickly dismissed the idea.


    Few words are needed regarding the marvels of the Eye of Five Colors, which had provided him with significant help.


    With its accomplishment in breaking alchemy formations, penetrating illusion techniques, and its rank on the List of Heavenly and Earthly Wonders, it seemed unlikely that he had made a mistake.


    "That''s it, let''s try using the Eye of Five Colors!"


    Having made up his mind, he opened the Eye of Five Colors, placed the token in front of him, and examined it carefully.


    With the help of the Eye of Five Colors, he finally saw something different. The originally dark brown color of the token turned golden yellow, which was truly incredible.


    Not only had the color changed, but the birds and animals on the token had as well, becoming more vivid and lifelike.


    Beyond that, a line of small characters was revealed inside the token.


    "Mysterious Moon Order!"


    "What does this mean?"


    Lin Tianming carefully reviewed all the information in his mind, hoping to recall something related to the Mysterious Moon.


    Despite having consulted many family secrets, heavenly and earthly treasures, and the names of some powerful individuals, there was no clue that could be directly connected to it.


    He pondered for an entire day but came up with nothing.


    "Forget it, forget it..."


    It seemed his knowledge was limited, and it was unrealistic to clarify this matter in a short time.


    He put away the Mysterious Moon token into his storage bag, planning to search for information in the market tomorrow; maybe he could find a clue.

 Chapter 92 Mixed Feelings_1

    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming held a jade slip in his hands, pondering deeply after consulting it.Today, he had purposely bought a large number of books from various shops in the marketplace, including some that recorded the wonders of heaven and earth, but he still hadn''t found any references related to the Mysterious Moon Order.


    Lin Tianming speculated that it was very likely the key to some secret realm or the token of a large family or sect.


    In the vast Cultivation World, there are many dangerous places and secret realms, which contain a multitude of treasures but also numerous prohibitions and formation protections, all extremely powerful. Usually, special tokens or certain items are needed to enter.


    Alternatively, when a secret realm emerges into the world, its prohibitions might be weakened, making entry much safer.


    If one does not have the specific items and attempts to force their way in, it''s very easy to be attacked by the prohibitions, risking loss of life.


    It was said that tens of thousands of years ago, in Xuanzhou, a secret realm was discovered. A Nascent Soul Cultivator rashly entered and was directly killed by the powerful prohibitions. There are not a few such examples in the Cultivation World.


    You must understand that Nascent Soul Cultivators are already powerful figures that can preside over a region; even such individuals can die under prohibitions, which shows that secret realms are not something one can simply enter on a whim.


    Since no relevant records could be found, he could only set the matter aside for now.


    Packing the Mysterious Moon Token and a large number of books into his storage bag, he once again commenced his retreat for cultivation.


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    On the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Shigong sat in the courtyard, closely monitoring the activities of two other courtyards.


    He had been waiting here for a month, as Lin Shixin and Lin Xingyuan were in retreat, impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage, and family members were needed to protect the law. As he was relatively idle, he took on the task.


    In a short while, Clan Leader Lin Shihua entered the courtyard.


    "Ninth Brother, Shixin and Xingyuan have been in retreat for a month now, why is there still no movement?"


    Lin Shihua''s expression was solemn, revealing his anxiety.


    "Shihua, comprehending the insights from our ancestors takes a few days, and judging from the time, regardless of success or failure, we should see results soon. Just be a bit more patient," Lin Shigong said.


    "Alright, there''s nothing else we can do!" Lin Shihua said with a touch of helplessness.


    Suddenly, the aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator spread out.


    A smile flashed across both of their faces concurrently.


    "It''s Xingyuan!"


    "Xingyuan has successfully broken through!"


    A month''s wait finally bore fruit, and they both let out a long sigh of relief.


    Filled with immense joy, Lin Xingyuan''s breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment Stage added another Foundation Establishment Cultivator to the Lin Family, making a total of six.


    After a while, they regained their composure, and Lin Shigong said: Discover hidden tales at empire


    "Shihua, your clan responsibilities are demanding, you shouldn''t waste any more time here. Although Xingyuan has broken through, he still needs to solidify his cultivation. I''m enough to handle things here."


    "Furthermore, keep the news of Xingyuan''s breakthrough confidential for now. Shixin is still in retreat. Instruct the clan members not to approach; my presence is enough!"


    "Alright, Ninth Brother, please take care. If anything happens, just send a message to me."


    "Hmm!"


    Lin Xinghua bowed and left, leaving Lin Shigong to continue guarding Lin Shixin.


    Time flew by, and another ten days passed. Lin Shixin had been in retreat for forty days now. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Shixin''s face was pale. Starting from the day he took the Minor Foundation Building Pill, it had now been thirty days, the final day.


    As he watched the rapidly dissipating power of the pill, with less than half of its strength remaining and a significant amount of spiritual power yet to be refined, Lin Shixin became extremely anxious.


    Over the past month, Lin Shixin had done his utmost to refine spiritual power, but the process was simply too slow. At this rate, he would certainly fail to complete it.


    With only the remaining half of the pill''s power left, Lin Shixin decided to make a last all-out effort. If he still couldn''t break through, he would be stuck in the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Lin Shixin operated his cultivation technique, completely disregarding the piercing pain in his Seven Sea Dantian, refined the last of the pill''s power, and launched another assault for a breakthrough.


    Outside the small courtyard, Lin Shigong''s face was exceedingly grim, burdened with deep concerns.


    At this moment, he was extremely worried about the success or failure of Lin Shixin.


    Lin Shixin and Lin Shigong were not far apart in age and had spent similar years in cultivation. Since childhood, they had played together and learned the knowledge of cultivation together.


    Lin Shixin had a very good nature, optimistic and cheerful, not at all as staid as Lin Shigang and Lin Shiji; he had a good relationship with every one of their clansmen brothers.


    The affection among the peers of the clan was profound; although they were not blood brothers, they were more like true brothers.


    From any perspective, he hoped that Lin Shixin would successfully break through, so that the family could become stronger and not have to part ways with the heavens and earth in twenty years.


    Today was already the fortieth day, and if he did not succeed, he would completely fail and would never have a chance again.


    "Sigh..."


    Lin Shigong sighed again.


    Half a day passed by, and inside the secret chamber.


    Lin Shixin, disregarding the consequences, made several more attempts to break through.


    By now, Lin Shixin''s face was pale as death, disheveled, with blood seeping from his seven orifices, his breath was extremely feeble.


    As the last trace of the medicinal strength faded away, Lin Shixin''s last sliver of hope was completely shattered.


    Lin Shixin stopped his cultivation practice, shook his head with a bitter smile, and felt somewhat downhearted.


    Despite the difficulty of acceptance, the fact was that he had failed, and he could only resign himself to fate.


    He stood up, straightened up his appearance, and walked out of the secret chamber.


    Outside the house, Lin Shigong saw Lin Shixin coming out and hurriedly greeted him.


    Lin Shigong wanted to say something several times but didn''t know what to say, and in the end could only offer words of comfort:


    "Shixin, it''s okay as long as you''ve tried your best, don''t overthink it!"


    "Ninth Brother, I''m fine, you all don''t need to worry!"


    Lin Shixin said with a smile, seemingly having come to terms with reality and recovering his spirits.


    Seeing this, Lin Shigong felt even heavier in his heart.


    "Shixin, you should go back and rest for now. There''s a long road ahead, and the younger generation has yet to grow up; the family still needs you!"


    "Thank you for your concern, Ninth Brother. Such is fate; if I''ve failed, then I''ve failed!"


    Having said that, Lin Shixin cupped his fists in farewell and flew down the mountain.


    Inside Lin Shigong''s courtyard, Lin Shihua hurried over, and the two discussed the outcome for Lin Shixin and the others.


    Lin Shigong sighed repeatedly, "Shihua, your Tenth Brother has failed!"


    Hearing this news, Lin Shihua also turned pale and immediately inquired.


    "How is Tenth Brother doing, and what about his mood?"


    "He''s all right, he''s suffered some backlash, but with some time to recover, he will be fine."


    "Sigh... that''s good!"


    Lin Shihua was also very emotional.


    Too many of the Shi generation had been delayed; if it had been twenty years earlier, the hope for breakthrough would have been much greater.


    With Lin Shixin''s failure to establish his foundation, the Shi generation of the Lin Family had virtually no chance left, with only Lin Shigang and Lin Shihe being too old and having only a theoretical possibility, on top of that, there were no more Minor Foundation Building Pill quotas left for the Shi generation.


    Meanwhile, members of the Xing generation still had potential and with Lin Xingyuan, two people had already succeeded in Foundation Establishment. As long as they had the spiritual objects for Foundation Establishment, the Lin Family was not lacking in cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage.


    "What''s done is done; we can only accept it."


    The two chatted idly for a while and then busied themselves with their own tasks. The Lin Family remained very tranquil, as if there were no ripples at all.

 Chapter 93 Selection of Contestants_1

    Lin Family Clan Grounds, Elders'' Council Hall.Lin Shihua was chatting casually with Lin Xingzhi when clan members occasionally entered.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed, and already more than ten people were present in the great hall, among them Lin Shigong and Lin Xingrong.


    At that moment, Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu entered the hall side by side, and all the clanspeople stood up to greet them.


    The two men nodded in acknowledgement and then each took their seats in the vacant spots.


    Seeing that Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu had arrived, and with most members of the Elders'' Council present, Lin Shihua rose to his feet to speak.


    "Since all our kinsmen have gathered, let us begin," he said.


    "Today, we convene to discuss the upcoming Luoyun Market Competition," he announced.


    "Xingzhi, you have been overseeing the market for nearly two years now, give us a report on the market situation first," he requested.


    "Yes!"


    Lin Xingzhi stood and began to report:


    "Over the past two years, the Luoyun Market has been as peaceful as ever, even the Jin Family has become much less troublesome, with all five major families conducting business in an orderly manner and not disturbing one another, which is extremely abnormal."


    "Strangely, consumable elixirs and various Fu Lu Spiritual Instruments have become sought-after in the shops, with their selling price generally increased by ten percent compared to a few years ago, which clearly indicates that the five major families and some stronger Qi Refining Families are deliberately accumulating resources for war."


    "Although the Jin Family is being quite secretive, they have still revealed some traces of their activity," he observed.


    "All indications point to the Jin Family definitely harboring intentions of making a move," he analyzed.


    "Hmm..."


    The clanspeople began to discuss among themselves, exchanging their own opinions, filling the great hall with lively chatter.


    This information was almost old news to the Lin Family''s high-ranking members and those with higher cultivation, but it was just reiterated to maintain a sense of urgency among the clan members.


    "Xingzhi, do not relax your vigilance, continue to monitor the Jin Family''s movements, and report back promptly with any news," Lin Shihua ordered with a stern expression.


    "Yes!"


    Lin Xingzhi saluted and then sat down again.


    "Next, we need to discuss the candidates for the forthcoming Luoyun Market Competition. Some of the clanspeople present have not experienced it before, so I will explain the rules to everyone first," he said.


    The Luoyun Market Competition has a history of hundreds of years, and the event held every fifty years is extremely important for every family.


    The purpose of hosting the Luoyun Market Competition is to allocate market profits and to avoid direct conflict.


    The family that ranks first in the competition will earn thirty percent of the market''s profit, the second gets twenty percent, the third, fifteen percent, and the fourth and fifth each get ten percent. The remaining fifteen percent is divided among more than ten Qi Refining Families.


    More than two hundred years ago, the Lin Family had twice consecutively taken the first place, but as the talent of subsequent generations declined, they gradually fell to third.


    Therefore, each competition is crucial; the Jin Family has already won first place three times in a row, amassing a great wealth over the span of more than a hundred years.


    It is with this wealth that the Jin Family has grown increasingly stronger, and the gap between the five major families has widened. The Jin Family is clearly no longer satisfied with the status quo.


    The Lin Family, having ranked third for three consecutive competitions, earns over thirty thousand spirit stones per year, with the vast majority of the Lin Family''s wealth coming from the market, highlighting the importance of the Luoyun Market Competition.


    As for the rules of the competition, each of the five major families must select three Qi Refining Stage clan members to compete, with no participant older than forty years. Lin Shilu and Lin Shihua were among those who participated in the last competition.


    When the competition starts, the contestants from the five major families will be taken to the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range to hunt Demonic Beasts as teams.


    The hunting period is one month long; an Initial Phase First Order Demonic Beast is worth ten points, a Medium Stage fifty points, and a Late Stage a hundred points. Rankings are determined by the total points accumulated, and slaying a Second Order Demonic Beast almost guarantees a first place finish.


    Just then, a clan member who had no prior experience spoke up:


    "If we''re forming teams to hunt demonic beasts, couldn''t someone simply bring out a prepared demonic beast corpse to boost their numbers?"


    "Anything you can think of, everyone else can think of too. After hundreds of years of patching loopholes, that method is still unfeasible!"


    "That''s because after each demonic beast is slain, its corpse must be marked with a special seal. This seal is only assigned by drawing lots right before the start of the competition. Not only that, but whether a beast is being used to pad the numbers can be determined based on the time of its death."


    If it''s discovered that a family is helping or that a contestant is cheating, they will be immediately disqualified from participating for the next hundred years. Thus, no family has dared to cheat in this way.


    After Lin Shihua finished explaining, several Xing clan members without experience also understood the rules.


    "Now that everyone understands, let''s recommend candidates for the competition. Each clan member can nominate themselves or someone else, with the final selection to be decided by Foundation Establishment cultivators." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this point, most of the clan members started discussing it.


    In the Lin Family, those under forty with at least Seventh Level Qi Cultivation, considering realm, only qualified seven clan members to be candidates, most of whom were the younger Xing clan members.


    "Tian Ming is the top choice!"


    "I also nominate Tian Ming!"


    Very quickly, many clan members endorsed him, and Lin Tianming was the first to be selected.


    According to the rules, with his Ninth Level Qi Refinement, Lin Tianming''s strength was extraordinarily strong, making him the natural first choice.


    As for the other two candidates, everyone had their own opinions.


    "I nominate Xing Qi, he''s at the Qi Refining Eighth Level and just under forty!"


    "I nominate Xing Yu, he''s also at Qi Refining Eighth Level and meets the criteria."


    Lin Shiji, who had been silent for a long while, suddenly spoke up with his suggestion.


    "I think Tianfeng isn''t bad, even though his cultivation is only at Seventh Level Qi Cultivation, the lad is experienced and strong. The difference of one level isn''t significant, I believe Tianfeng is fully capable."


    Lin Shixin also spoke up supporting Lin Tianfeng.


    After half an hour, various clan members expressed their views.


    In the end, five candidates were left for Lin Shikang and other Foundation Establishment Cultivators to decide on.


    "Third Brother, Ninth Brother, Shi Lu, what are your thoughts?"


    Lin Shihua started to inquire.


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    After several discussions, they decided to select Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng.


    With the candidates determined, Lin Shihua spoke up.


    "The candidates have been determined, with Xing Yu, Tian Ming, and Tianfeng participating. Each will receive a Jade Spirit Fruit to further their progress. As for the rewards after the competition, that will be discussed once it is over."


    "Alright, with the competition matters settled, does anyone have anything else to report?"


    Seeing no one else speak, Lin Shikang stood up and said:


    "There is only half a year left until the Luoyun Market competition. This competition is particularly important as it could trigger a large-scale clan war. Although the risks are high, it is also an opportunity for our Lin Family. All clan members must stay sharp and prepare to face the threat from the Jin Family."


    "Shiji, in three months'' time, all family protective formations must be activated. All clan members are forbidden to leave privately and must not leave their posts unauthorized. Did everyone hear that clearly?"


    "Yes..."


    The clan members responded in unison.


    Leading the way, Lin Shikang was the first to walk out of the hall. In a moment, all the clan members left in order, and this clan meeting concluded.

 Chapter 94 Family Fire Seed (Two in One) _1

    Inside the Hundred Treasures Building at the Luoyun Market.Lin Xingzhi and Lin Tianming were sitting in armchairs, drinking tea and making idle conversation.


    "Tianming, the date of the Market''s grand competition is approaching, and the family has already decided on the participants. You''ll lead the team in the competition, joined by Tianfeng and your Uncle Xing Yu."


    "Tianfeng is also participating?"


    Lin Tianming was somewhat surprised, indicating that the family''s situation didn''t seem optimistic.


    The significance of the Market''s grand competition goes without saying. The Tian Clan Members are still young, and the Xing Clan Members with higher cultivation have exceeded the age limit. If the competition were to be held a decade later, when the Tian Clan Members had grown further, the Lin Family would stand a much better chance.


    Regrettably, things didn''t go as hoped, and the Lin Family was stuck in a transitional period.


    As for his own participation in the competition, Lin Tianming wasn''t surprised.


    When he returned to the family half a year ago, his grandfather had already hinted that it was very likely he''d participate, so he had started preparing early on.


    "Seventeenth Uncle, I''ve already made preparations!"


    Lin Xingzhi nodded his head. Although the cultivations of the family''s participants weren''t particularly high this time¡ªonly Lin Tianming had reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining¡ªhe had a lot of confidence in Lin Tianming.


    "Hmm, you probably don''t know the rules of the competition yet. Let me tell you again, so you''re mentally prepared," Lin Xingzhi said, and explained the rules thoroughly and in detail.


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    After a quarter hour, Lin Tianming nodded to confirm he understood the rules.


    Lin Xingzhi let out a sigh of relief and then handed Lin Tianming a Jade Spirit Fruit.


    "This Jade Spirit Fruit is provided by the family for the three of you. Try to enhance your strengths as much as possible. After the competition is over, there will also be generous rewards!"


    Lin Tianming received the Jade Spirit Fruit and said,


    "Don''t worry, Seventeenth Uncle, we will definitely take first place in the competition!"


    Seeing Lin Tianming full of confidence, Lin Xingzhi was very gratified and couldn''t help but praise,


    "Good! You truly are a fine man of our Lin Family. I believe you can do it!"


    "Tianming, time is tight, you''ve only got half a year. Go into seclusion to cultivate and try to improve your cultivation level as much as possible!"


    "Yes!"


    Lin Tianming agreed wholeheartedly, bowed with his hands clasped before leaving.


    A quarter hour later, he returned to his little courtyard and immediately entered the secret chamber.


    With half a year until the competition and possessing the Jade Spirit Fruit, he could cultivate once more, trying to improve his cultivation level as much as possible.


    Making up his mind, he immediately entered a state of cultivation.


    ...


    Four months passed in a flash. The five great families of the Luoyun Mountain Range were unusually calm, an unprecedented harmony that had lasted nearly two years, truly unexpected.


    ...


    In the northern part of the Luoyun Market, within a valley shrouded in dense fog, seven cultivators arrived on flying swords and descended on a mountaintop.


    Standing on the mountaintop, overlooking the entire valley, a small river about several zhang wide meandered eastward. The large expanse of bamboo forests among the mountains offered a beautiful view, somewhat reminiscent of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Xingrong took out a map made of beast skin and observed the whole valley repeatedly, then compared it carefully.


    After meticulous comparison, he was certain that this was the place mentioned by Lin Shikang.


    This valley, discovered by Lin Shikang many years ago during his travels, was particularly secluded, right on the edge of the Luoyun Mountain Range. Another five hundred li to the north would reach the edge of the Maple Forest Mountain Range.


    The location was complex, at the fringe of the Jin Family''s influence and close to the Maple Forest Mountain Range. Less than two thousand li from the Qianchuan Market, if Lin Xingrong traveled at full speed, it would take just a few days to reach the Qianchuan Market.


    After confirming the location was correct, Lin Xingrong extended his Divine Sense, searching throughout the valley.


    A quarter hour later, finding nothing unusual in the valley, he led the way into the valley, followed closely by the other six.


    Once inside, Lin Xingrong told Lin Xingqi who was behind him,


    "Xingqi, you guys start digging a cave dwelling in the mountain waist right away. It doesn''t need to be big, just enough for the seven of us to live in!"


    "Yes!"


    Lin Xingqi called Lin Tianhong, Lin Tianhu, and the others, and they all took out their Spirit Swords and began digging.


    After half an hour, Lin Xingqi and the others had carved out a passage tens of zhang deep into the mountain waist, with several rooms of varying sizes on each side. Although rudimentary, they were suitable for temporary lodging.


    Lin Xingrong took out a set of First Order Medium Grade array instruments and quickly arranged them around the cave entrance, also setting up several Illusion Techniques, before entering the cave.


    Gathering his fellow clan members, they sat down together.


    Lin Xingrong''s demeanor was solemn as he swept his sharp gaze over the clan members.


    Lin Xingqi, Lin Xingyi, Lin Tianhong, Lin Tianqin, Lin Tianyue, Lin Tianhu, and he himself made up a total of seven people.


    Looking at the two generations of clan members, all of whom were among the most talented in the Lin Family, Lin Xingrong felt both proud and helpless.


    He thought of the task assigned to him by Lin Shikang and the words he had said, and it weighed heavily on him. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Initially, he opposed sending away these clan members, preferring to face whatever came with them, only to be scolded by Lin Shikang. If their lineage really ended, how could they face their ancestors?


    Thinking of the trust placed in him by Lin Shikang, Lin Xingrong felt an enormous sense of responsibility and was extra cautious along the way, for fear of being detected by the Jin Family. For a short distance of just over a thousand li, it took nearly ten days to travel safely.


    In the meantime, the several people were unaware of the full situation and didn''t dare to ask, only knowing they were carrying out a special mission.


    Looking at the perplexed looks of his clan members, Lin Xingrong''s expression turned grave as he laid out the entire situation before them.


    After hearing Lin Xingrong''s explanation, Lin Xingqi''s expression was resolute as he took the lead in volunteering.


    "Brother, is our special mission to stay here in seclusion for half a year? To let the clan members shed blood and sacrifice themselves? I want to go back and face it with the clan. I''m not afraid of death!"

 Chapter 94 Family Fire Seed (Two in One) _2

    "Eleventh Uncle, I''m not afraid of dying either. I don''t want to live a life of constant fear and hiding; I want to go back and face the unknown dangers with my clan members, even if it means being shattered to pieces!"Lin Tianhong also spoke up, pleading to return to Green Bamboo Mountain and join his clan members.


    It wasn''t just the two of them; even the two women, Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianyue, echoed the sentiment.


    Moved by the heartfelt words of the clanspeople, Lin Xingrong was deeply touched.


    "I understand how you feel. When my third uncle sought me out, I felt the same as you. If the family is truly in danger, we must have a contingency in place to reassure our people, otherwise, how can we face our esteemed ancestors!"


    "There is no need for you to worry. Our Lin Family already has six Foundation Establishment Cultivators and a strategic reserve left by our ancestors. It will not be easy for anyone who wants to take down our family. As long as everything is safe after six months, I will naturally bring you back."


    Hearing Lin Xingrong reveal the Lin Family''s hidden strength and trump cards, their reactions were somewhat less intense.


    "Before the tournament in Luoyun Market begins, I will leave for a short while to find Fifteenth Uncle. During the days I''m gone, you must all follow Xing Qi''s arrangements."


    "In summary, during this period, no one is allowed to leave without authorization or reveal themselves with the Lin surname. We must change our appearances and hide our identities, or severe punishment will follow!"


    "Do you understand?"


    "Yes..."


    Despite their reluctance, faced with Lin Xingrong''s commands, they could only obey.


    "Good. Now, each of you pick a secret chamber and begin your closed-door cultivation!"


    The six people bowed and departed after choosing their chambers.


    ...


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Family Elders'' Hall.


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu had both emerged from seclusion and were casually chatting.


    In the past two years, Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu, as the two with the highest cultivation in the family, rarely made public appearances, choosing instead to cultivate in seclusion, striving to break through a minor realm to better manage potential dangers. Continue your saga on empire


    Before long, the assembled clanspeople arrived, and Clan Leader Lin Shihua stood up, convening a meeting.


    "The reason I''ve called everyone here today is for the Luoyun Market tournament. With just one month left, I''d like third brother to make the final arrangements!"


    After speaking, Lin Shihua turned to Lin Shikang.


    Lin Shikang stood up, his expression solemn as he said:


    "The participants for the tournament in Luoyun Market have been decided upon. Shi Lu will lead the team, departing in three days. Xing Rong has already set off in advance, lying in wait near the Luoyun Mountain Range. With Shi Lu in the open and Xing Rong concealed, they can cover for each other."


    "This tournament in Luoyun Market is a fuse; regardless of our ranking, the Jin Family might take action. If the Jin Family moves against Tian Ming and the others, having two Foundation Establishment Cultivators for protection should ensure safe retreats."


    "As for the family estate here, with all the family''s formations fully activated and myself overseeing them, along with the family''s Guardian Spirit Beast and all the clanspeople, it''s unlikely our safety will be threatened unless we''re attacked by a Golden Core Stage Cultivator or a high-order Array Master."


    Hearing Lin Shikang''s words brought a measure of comfort to the Xing Clan Members.


    In nearly a hundred years, the five major families had lived in relative peace, with plenty of minor skirmishes among Qi Refinement participants that could not shake the foundations of the families. Now, with the possibility of a large-scale clan war erupting, many were understandably concerned.


    Seeing the reaction of numerous clanspeople, Lin Shikang continued.


    "Although we have the protection of the great formation, we must not be careless. All clan members must be extra cautious, strictly forbidden from going out privately, ready to face any attack from the Jin Family!" S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Did you all hear that clearly?"


    "We heard clearly!"


    All the clanspeople stood up and responded with a bow.


    Satisfied, Lin Shikang nodded and dismissed the gathering.


    As a large number of Xing Clan Members left the hall, eventually only eight people tacitly remained behind.


    Among the nine people left, eight were of the Shi generation, and the sole person from the Xing generation was Lin Xingyuan, who had just recently made a breakthrough.


    The nine people sat in a circle, none of them speaking first.


    "Cough cough..."


    Seeing no one start the conversation, Lin Shikang spoke up:


    "Shixin, have all the elixirs and talismans been distributed?"


    Lin Shixin''s expression was calm as he replied truthfully:


    "Third Brother, they were distributed half a year ago as required, exhausting all the accumulated resources for war preparations."


    To confront the potential crisis, the Lin Family had greatly enhanced the combat capability of its clanspeople by freely distributing resources accumulated over many years, with almost all Qi Refining Stage clanspeople receiving a portion of the resources.


    The few who didn''t receive resources either didn''t need them, like Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin, who, despite failing to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, were not comparable to ordinary cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage¡ªtherefore, those elixir charms were of little use to them.


    Another part was the clanspeople at the first and second layers of Qi Refining, whose cultivation was too low to be of significant use.


    Those from the third to the ninth layers of Qi Refining could all claim varying quantities of items, principally Lingshen Pills, Huiyuan Pills, and Consolidating Essence Pills, along with talismans of different grades.


    Following multiple orders from the family, the entire Lin Family operated like a war machine.


    "Hmm..."


    After Lin Shixin''s briefing, Lin Shikang said with a sense of gravity to Lin Shilu:


    "Shilu, once this clan war erupts, it will not be like the previous ones; we must make more preparations and keep some contingencies."


    "Among the clan, we have several Tian progeny who are exceptionally talented. As the seeds of the Lin Family, they have already left the clan in secret with Xing Rong and are temporarily hiding their identities. More importantly, Tian Ming, that child''s talents need no elaboration; he is the hope for our family''s rise. If the clan lands are lost, you and Xing Rong must protect him and wait for the younger generations to grow before returning to Green Bamboo Mountain!"


    Hearing Lin Shikang''s arrangements was like hearing a plea to care for his offspring; all the people in the hall felt a heavy heart.


    Seeing that the hall had fallen exceptionally quiet and everyone''s expressions were solemn, Lin Shilu spoke to reassure everyone.


    "Third Brother, our Lin Family has an eight-hundred-year history and has survived several crises. I believe we will get through this one as well¡ªno need to worry too much!"


    "Shilu is right, Third Brother, don''t overthink it!"


    The clan members echoed one after another.


    Hearing the reassurances of everyone, Lin Shikang said with a smile:


    "No need to be too pessimistic, everyone. Although the Jin Family is strong, the Lin Family also has six Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and the Guardian Spirit Beast. Nowadays, the Lin Family is no longer what it once was. Moreover, the Jin Family has no idea about Shi Gong and the others reaching Foundation Establishment; if they underestimate our strength, we can catch them off guard."


    "Besides our Lin Family, the Sun Family is also profound. Perhaps our Lin Family can take this opportunity to rise and dominate the entire Luoyun Mountain Range!"


    At these words, a fiery gleam flickered in the eyes of the clan members.


    The Lin Family had been dormant for two hundred years; if they could restore their past glory, even at the cost of sacrifice, it would be worth it.


    Now, with six Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Lin Family¡ªone more than the Jin Family had openly¡ªit truly held a not-insignificant hope.


    "In any case, although this is a crisis, it is also a great opportunity; all clanspeople must give their all. If we succeed in eradictating the Jin Family, we can rekindle the glory of our ancestors."


    After Lin Shikang''s bold and inspiring speech, the psychological burden on the clanspeople was somewhat lifted.


    Next, Lin Shikang took out a book that contained detailed information on the key members of the Jin Family, the latest intelligence gathered by the family over several years.


    The clan members took turns browsing through it, and Lin Shikang began to narrate.


    "Jin Zhiying, a member of the Jin Family''s Zhi generation, at the Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment, and he reached this level thirty years ago, undoubtedly at the Great Perfection Realm, the highest cultivation in the Jin Family. It''s been thirty years since he last appeared, making him the most dangerous."


    "Jin Zhison, at the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment, an experienced Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Jin Family with formidable strength, who once served as the Clan Leader of the Jin Family, now rarely makes an appearance!"


    "Jin Chaozong, cultivator of the Jin Family''s Chao generation, at the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment, stationed at Luoyun Market, the most frequently seen member of the Jin Family!"


    "Jin Qishan, a cultivator of the Jin Family''s Qi generation, with Dual Spiritual Roots, likely at the Qi Refining Great Perfection Realm, and possibly already at Foundation Establishment. He has great potential; if there''s a chance, he must be killed; otherwise, the Jin Family will become an even more difficult adversary in a few decades."


    ...


    "The information on these individuals might not be entirely accurate, so everyone should only take it as a reference and not let their guard down!"


    After introducing information on more than ten individuals, the clan members finally understood the strength of the Jin Family¡ªit truly was profound.


    After an hour of analysis and discussion, the clanspeople had a good grasp of the Jin Family''s strength.


    Lin Shikang assigned tasks to everyone and then dismissed the clan members.


    All rose to their feet, clasped fists, and departed.

 Chapter 95 - The Grand Competition Begins (Combined Chapter)_1

    Three days later, at Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory.In the plaza outside the Elders'' Council Hall, dozens of people were gathered, almost all of them clan members above the fourth level of Qi Refinement.


    The clan members participating in the Luoyun Market competition were leaving the clan territory today, headed for Luoyun Market. A crowd emerged from their seclusions to see off Lin Shilu and the others.


    Lin Shikang, Lin Shigong, and Clan Leader Lin Shihua, as well as other clan members of the "Shi" generation, were all present without exception. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the plaza, Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng were bidding farewell to familiar clan members.


    Looking at the people before him, Lin Shikang seemed somewhat melancholic.


    Despite having given instructions several times over in the past few days, Lin Shikang still took Lin Shilu aside for a long chat.


    After speaking for a good half an hour, it was Lin Shilu who finally took the initiative to say goodbye.


    "Third brother, Ninth Brother, it''s getting late. We must depart now, please take care of things within the clan!"


    "Hmm, be careful in everything, and remember not to act recklessly!"


    After speaking, Lin Shikang took out a storage bag and handed it to Lin Shilu, whispering something to him.


    More than ten breaths later, not until Lin Shilu had promised repeatedly, did Lin Shikang let out a sigh of relief and personally escorted Lin Shilu and the others outside the Protective Clan Formation.


    In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a large group of clan members appeared at the entrance to the formation.


    Watching the clan members before him, Lin Shilu''s heart felt complex. Parting now, it was hard to predict¡ªif it might be a final farewell.


    "Shi Lu, let''s go!"


    Lin Shikang waved his hand, having already given all the necessary instructions¡ªit was time to set off.


    With slightly reddened eyes, Lin Shilu, accompanied by Lin Tianfeng and others, bowed to a certain tower within the clan and then passed through the light curtain of the Protective Clan Formation.


    Outside the clan''s formation.


    Explore more adventures at empire


    Lin Shilu waved his hands and pulled out a Flying Sword from the storage bag, which he suspended in front of him.


    After casting a Law Decree, the greenish-yellow Spirit Sword swiftly grew to a length of three Zhang. Lin Shilu leaped onto the sword first, followed by Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng.


    Infusing it with Spiritual Power, the Spirit Sword soared into the air, flying towards Luoyun Market in the north.


    Watching Lin Shilu ride the sword away until he disappeared into the horizon, Lin Shikang still did not move.


    After gazing for half an hour, at Lin Shigong''s reminder did he finally snap back to attention, let out a sigh, and turned to Lin Shihua to speak.


    "Has the Protective Clan Formation been fully activated?"


    "It has been activated!"


    Lin Shihua responded truthfully, and then reported on the defense situation of the Lin Family.


    Ever since the Lin Family had entered a state of war preparedness, groups of people patrolled the clan territory every day. Even the range of the Protective Clan Formation had been significantly reduced, covering only the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain and a small town where mortals lived.


    With the reduced range and all the formations activated, the defensive and offensive power of the formation had increased several-fold, but the consumption of Spirit Stones was enormous. If it went on for too long, the Lin Family could not sustain it; they could only hold out for half a year.


    After hearing Lin Shihua''s arrangements, Lin Shikang was very satisfied.


    After disbanding the rest of the clan members, Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua together inspected the clan territory one last time to ensure no oversights, then returned to the Summit of Qingzhu Mountain.


    ...


    At Golden Horn Mountain, Jin Family Clan''s Territory.


    Beneath a thousand-zhang high peak, several rivers converged at the base of the mountain to form a massive waterfall, a spectacular sight to behold.


    Inside a pavilion atop the mountain, Jin Zhiying sat with a man in a black robe in the high seat of the great hall.


    Several members of the Jin Family were seated below, listening to the conversation between Jin Zhiying and the black-robed elder.


    Jin Zhiying lifted a jade teacup, took a sip of Spiritual Tea, and began to chat leisurely with the black-robed elder beside him, speaking very politely.


    "Daoist Zhuang, are you confident in the task you have been entrusted with?"


    In response to Jin Zhiying''s question, the Zhuang-surnamed elder revealed a hint of an unusual expression.


    "I am absolutely certain I can break through the Protective Clan Formation of the other families, but the Lin Family''s formation is of no low grade; I am not overly confident. However, if Jin Daoyou launches a full-force attack, as long as a gap in the formation is opened, I can take advantage of it to find a flaw, and there is a good chance of breaking through the formation."


    Hearing Zhuang Zhenxin''s assurance, Jin Zhiying showed a strange smile.


    The Luoyun Mountain Range had been peaceful for nearly two hundred years. In order to swallow the other four major families in one fell swoop, he had been scheming for decades, and now the time was ripe; it was time to make a move.


    If he was going to strike, he had to inflict a total defeat on the other four major families. If he could acquire the treasures of the Sun Family and Lin Family, he might even have the chance to break through to the Golden Core Realm.


    An excited Jin Zhiying considered this possibility.


    "Hmm, with Daoist Zhuang''s involvement, we''re bound to succeed this time."


    "Here is a small portion of the deposit; after the matter is settled, the Jin Family will provide the remaining Spirit Stones, to your satisfaction!"


    After finishing his words, Jin Zhiying handed over a storage bag to Zhuang Zhenxin.


    After taking the storage bag from Jin Zhiying''s hand and checking its contents with his Divine Sense, Zhuang Zhenxin showed a satisfied smile, quickly regaining his composure.


    "Rest assured, Jin Daoyou, I will do my utmost. However, let me say this clearly: as per our agreement, after the success, I shall have unrestricted access to the collections of the Sun Family and Lin Family, and you must hand over the item I require. I hope Jin Daoyou does not go back on his word.


    Otherwise..."


    Jin Zhiying nodded, confidently saying:


    "Of course, if Daoist Zhuang fulfills the task, the Jin Family will not break its word!"


    "Hmm!"


    Once the two came to an agreement, Jin Zhiying turned his gaze to the many clan members below.


    "Zhisong, the day for the Luoyun Market competition is approaching. You and Chao Zong bring the younger generation along. Act according to plan. That Lin youngster has an exceptional talent; we must ensure his demise. Should he escape, he would become a relentless problem for the future."


    "Understood!"


    Jin Zhison stood up and cupped his hands in response, then took the clan members with him as they departed.


    ...


    Inside a secret chamber in a small courtyard within Luoyun Market, Lin Tianming was operating his Cultivation Technique, inhaling and exhaling Spiritual Energy rhythmically.

 Chapter 95 - The Grand Competition Begins (Combined Chapter)_2

    As a message transmission penetrated the secret chamber, it interrupted Lin Tianming, who had been cultivating for several months.For half a year, Lin Tianming had been in seclusion, cultivating and consuming Jade Spirit Fruits provided by the family, stabilizing his cultivation at the medium stage of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.


    Had the effects of the Jade Spirit Fruits not diminished after repeated doses compared to the first, perhaps with the help of elixirs, he could have made even further progress.


    Opening his eyes, a sharp light flickered within his bright pupils.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming''s aura was extremely stable and contained, and his physical condition was excellent.


    After tidying up the scattered jade boxes and jade bottles around him, he stood up and left the secret chamber.


    Inside the courtyard, Lin Shilu, accompanied by Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingyu, had already arrived at the market, discussing something with Lin Xingzhi and others.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming emerge, Lin Shilu was delighted and waved him over.


    Lin Tianming hurriedly stepped forward to salute,


    "Tianming pays respect to Fifteenth Grandfather and all the elders of our clan."


    "Tianming, come over and sit!"


    "Yes!"


    After Lin Tianming sat down, he greeted Lin Tianfeng.


    Having not seen each other for half a year, Lin Tianfeng had also made significant progress. His cultivation was nearing the peak of the Seventh Level of Qi Refining, with an aura as sharp as a Spirit Sword, particularly striking.


    Unlike him, Lin Tianming''s aura was more subdued, and other than looking robust, he seemed like an ordinary martial artist.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Shilu recounted the rules and details of the Luoyun Market competition once again.


    Even though the others had heard it several times before, they still listened attentively.


    After all, Lin Shilu''s personal experiences with the competition were quite different from what others relayed.


    An hour passed, and Lin Shilu finished introducing the rules of the Luoyun Market competition, the range of the training grounds, and the strength of the Demonic Beasts.


    With Lin Shilu''s careful introduction and shared experiences, Lin Tianming and others learned a great deal.


    In the end, Lin Shilu took out a book and handed it to them.


    "This contains intelligence on the people of the other four major families, only the most important dozen or so. Although it might not be completely accurate, it can serve as a reference. The Sun Family, although our allies, should not be taken lightly. Without a full-scale war erupting, they are still competitors, so proceed with all due caution."


    "Yes!"


    After receiving the book, each person entered a secret chamber for a short-term seclusion, waiting for the start of the Luoyun Market competition.


    ...


    Inside his secret chamber, Lin Tianming took out the book and began to scrutinize it carefully.


    Jin Zhiying, Jin Chaozong, Jin Qishan, Lin Tianming paused when he reached this point.


    Jin Qishan, a dual-Spiritual Roots Cultivator from the Jin Family, only twenty-eight years old, definitely had the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage cultivation, perfectly eligible for the competition. Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt no small pressure.


    "Huff..."


    Exhaling a breath of turbid air, he once again began to study the introductions of the other individuals.


    Sun Dingxian, Sun Ruiqing, Luo Chengjian, Wu Yinbao, he read through the roster of cultivators from each major family one by one, committing them to memory.


    With only one month left, the more he could enhance his cultivation, the safer he would be. Soon after, Lin Tianming resumed his cultivation practice.


    ...


    In a secret chamber within a valley at the northern boundary of the Luoyun Mountain Range, within the territory of the Jin Family,


    Lin Xingrong sat on a stone bed in the secret chamber, talking to himself.


    "There are ten more days until the Luoyun Market competition. It''s about time. We should set out!" Read new adventures at empire


    With that, Lin Xingrong sent out two messages.


    Before long, Lin Xingqi and Lin Tianhong entered the secret chamber.


    Looking at the two, close in age but of different generations, he said solemnly,


    "Xingqi, I will be away for more than a month. During this period, do not leave the cave residence without authorization. If an emergency arises, take the younger ones to the Qianchuan Market and seek out Elder Ye!"


    "If it''s really a last resort and you do go to Qianchuan Market, hand this storage bag over to Elder Ye. I believe after he sees it, he will naturally offer you protection for a while!"


    After speaking, Lin Xingrong pulled out a storage bag and handed it to Lin Xingqi.


    Lin Xingqi took the storage bag with a resolute expression, saying,


    "Rest assured, big brother, I will protect the youngsters and not let you down!"


    Pleased with the response, Lin Xingrong let them return to the secret chamber to cultivate.


    After the two left, Lin Xingrong stood up from the cave and, with a reluctant look, flew away towards the south.


    And so, time swiftly flew by.


    One clear morning, Lin Tianming emerged from the secret chamber and gathered with Lin Tianfeng and others, awaiting Lin Shilu.


    After more than ten breaths, Lin Shilu came out, stood in front of everyone, and scrutinized them repeatedly.


    Then, with satisfaction, he nodded and spoke,


    "Depart!"


    Lin Shilu led the way, with Lin Tianming and the others following closely behind.


    Leaving the courtyard, the four weaved through the streets, heading towards the entrance of Luoyun Market.


    As the great competition of Luoyun Market approached, the flow of people noticeably increased. Many cultivators who enjoyed spectacles left the market area and assembled at the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    When Lin Shilu and the others exited the entrance of the market, they summoned their flying swords, instantly attracting the attention of many cultivators.


    "It''s Elder Lin from the Lin Family!"


    ...


    A few Qi Training Cultivators exclaimed, drawing the gaze of a large number of cultivators towards Lin Tianming and his group.


    Lin Shilu didn''t pay them any mind, leading the others straight westward and quickly disappearing from sight.


    After an hour of expeditious travel, Lin Tianming and the others passed through the vast Guangmao Plain and appeared on top of a mountain hundreds of zhang high.


    Standing in the air, Lin Tianming surveyed the gathering spot below.


    The mountain wasn''t very tall, noticeably standing out on the expansive plain, with a nearly hundred-acre plateau at its peak that surprisingly formed a natural arena. Below the mountain, over a hundred Qi Refining Cultivators had already gathered to watch the fun.


    On the plateau, the Luo and Wu families had already arrived early, and several cultivators from Qi Refining Families were also watching the battle from the stage.


    Descending with his group to one corner of the plaza, the cultivators leading the Luo and Wu families greeted Lin Shilu with smiles.


    Lin Shilu reciprocated each greeting, appearing quite generous and proper.


    Soon after, four people arrived via Sword Flight from the sky, landing not far from the Lin Family Members. The leader of the group was Sun Dingfeng, who had previously gone to Green Bamboo Mountain to seek an alliance.


    Before he even landed, Sun Dingfeng''s hearty laughter could be heard.


    "Haha, I didn''t expect my fellow Daoists to have arrived before me. My respects to you all!"


    Lin Shilu and the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators politely returned the greeting, being very courteous.


    After exchanging pleasantries, they didn''t say much more, each choosing to sit aside and quietly restore their energy.


    With the arrival of the Sun Family, four of the five great families had arrived, leaving only the Jin Family yet to appear.


    A tea''s time had passed, and the number of cultivators who had come to watch the excitement had reached more than two hundred. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Amidst the crowd''s commotion, a few cultivators shouted towards the sky:


    "The Jin Family has arrived, led by none other than Elder Jin Zhison!"


    Hearing the man''s exclamation, a great number of cultivators looked up into the sky, their faces filled with longing.


    Jin Zhison descended opposite the Lin Family members with a calm demeanor, greeting everyone.


    Since there had been no complete falling out, Lin Shilu and Sun Dingfeng didn''t show any unusual expression either, smiling and paying their respects but without much enthusiasm.


    Jin Zhison didn''t mind, appearing as if he had anticipated their response. The unspoken agreement among them felt odd to the onlookers.


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the five great families each took out a Spirit Sword of varying colors and threw them into the air, randomly shifting their positions.


    The five Foundation Establishment Cultivators reached out through the air and each retrieved a Spirit Sword.


    Lin Shilu caught a green Spirit Sword, which was surrounded by strong Wood-attribute Spiritual Power, quite peculiar.


    According to Lin Shilu, these five differently attributed Spirit Swords were crafted hundreds of years ago by a Third Order Artificer at the request of the five great families. Though their grade was only First Order Superior Grade, weaker than even the First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact, they served a special purpose: they could leave a unique mark. After every major competition, when the five great families redistributed the Spirit Swords, one was not allowed to catch the one they had the previous time. Therefore, it was impossible for someone to have the same sword twice within two hundred years.


    After handing the Spirit Sword to Lin Tianming, the other families also passed their Spirit Swords to the younger members of their clans.


    Then, Jin Zhison spoke,


    "Fellow Daoists, now that the Spirit Swords have been distributed, shall we begin?"


    Seeing that Lin Shilu and the others had no objections, Jin Zhison continued,


    "There''s no need to reiterate the rules of Luoyun Market''s grand competition. Your elders have already informed you. During the competition, life and death will be up to fate. Gather here in a month, and the ranking will be decided based on points!"


    After speaking, Jin Zhison instructed Jin Qishan behind him,


    "Go ahead!"


    Jin Zhison and his three companions didn''t hesitate, saluted, and immediately rose on their swords, flying into the western mountains.


    Seeing that Jin Family members had left, the other families didn''t linger either. The elder leaders of the groups gave a few instructions and each chose a direction to depart.


    Lin Shilu also didn''t wait further, instructing Lin Tianming with a few words.


    Lin Tianming and the other two saluted with cupped fists, jumped onto their flying swords, and flew into the western mountain range.

 Chapter 96 Green-Red Mantis_1

    On the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range, within a secluded dense forest, Lin Tianming and his two companions carefully navigated through it.Five whole days had passed, and the trio''s gains were meager.


    They had killed only five Demonic Beasts in the Initial Phase of the First Order, and two in the Medium Stage, totaling less than two hundred points.


    The three of them perched on the branches of a tree beside them, gazing into the depths of the dense forest, deep in thought.


    "Tian Ming, this won''t do. The number of Demonic Beasts in the outer perimeter is really limited. They''re mostly in the Initial Phase, and there are hardly any in the Medium Stage, let alone the Later Stages," said Lin Xingyu, pulling the other two back to reality from their contemplation.


    "Yeah, at this rate, I''m afraid we won''t get much!" Lin Xingyu''s words won Lin Tianfeng''s agreement.


    After much consideration, Lin Tianming realized that in the outer perimeter, where Monster Hunting Squads often train, the number of Demonic Beasts had drastically decreased, and those in the Medium Stage were rarely seen. If things continued like this, progress would be slow.


    Although they were only a three-person team, their overall strength was not weak. In the inner area, as long as they didn''t provoke the larger tribes, there shouldn''t be any danger.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming decisively made a decision.


    "Uncle, Elder Brother, I want to enter the inner area. What do you think?" Lin Tianming asked.


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s suggestion, Lin Xingyu and the other understood. Hunting Demonic Beasts on the periphery might be safe, but it was impossible to win first place in the great competition. If they wanted to achieve a good result, taking risks was inevitable.


    "I have no objections!"


    "Neither do I!"


    With Lin Xingyu and the other''s affirmation, Lin Tianming didn''t say anything more. He led the two of them, turning direction and rushing towards the inner regions of the mountain range.


    Three days later, within a quiet valley, the trio revealed their figures.


    Gazing across, the valley wasn''t large, only several hundred zhang in length, with a large quantity of jungles around, lush vegetation that covered it all very well.


    "Tian Ming, have you discovered anything?" asked Lin Xingyu curiously as he saw Lin Tianming not moving forward, but silently staring at the valley ahead.


    As the two were puzzled, the shrill cries of some creatures caught the attention of all three.


    After a few moments, over forty Demon Insects attacked the trio, kicking up a great amount of dust.


    Once the dust settled, the true forms of the Demon Insects were exposed.


    "It''s the Green-Red Mantis!"


    Before the words were finished, the Green-Red Mantises quickly moved, surrounding the group tightly, yet not attacking, seemingly wary of them.


    Lin Tianming''s face was solemn as he scrutinized the Demon Insects that had encircled them.


    There were well over forty Green-Red Mantises of varying sizes, with the largest ones nearly half a zhang in size, their legs bristling with dense, sharp spines that looked particularly threatening.


    Among the Demon Insects, the largest five were in the Late Stage of the First Order, while the others were either in the Medium Stage or the Initial Phase.


    As both parties were in a standoff, Lin Tianming quickly began to think.


    In the past few days since entering the inner region of the Luoyun Mountain Range, they hadn''t found any particularly suitable Demon Beast Tribe to hunt. Either they were too weak to yield much gain, or they were too strong to risk provoking lightly.


    However, this tribe of Green-Red Mantises, while not weak and not without risks, was a rare equal match for them.


    Seeing that more than half of the hunting period had passed, they had no more time to waste.


    "Uncle, Elder Brother, get ready to make a move!" Lin Tianming decided and began to allocate the tactics.


    "Uncle, you and elder brother each deal with a late stage Demonic Beast, while I''ll hold off the others. Make it quick and decisive, finish off the two late stage Demon Insects then come help me!"


    "Agreed!"


    Lin Xingyu and another answered, each taking out their Spiritual Artifacts, and picked their targets, charging towards the Green-Red Mantises.


    Seeing that the two had made their move, Lin Tianming didn''t hesitate either.


    He summoned eighteen Earth Evil Swords, waved his hands, and the swords as beams of light sank into the ground, setting up the Sword Array to prevent the Demon Insects from escaping.


    He took out another Earth Evil Sword, consecutively releasing several Sword Qi straight towards the Green-Red Mantises.


    Seeing Lin Tianming and his party spring into action, the Green-Red Mantises did not sit and wait for death; the two late-stage Green-Red Mantises waved their limbs crossing them, and several green Wind Blades burst forth, meeting Lin Tianming''s Sword Qi.


    "Boom, boom, boom¡­" Discover hidden tales at empire


    A sound like clashing metal rang out as the Wind Blades and Sword Qi collided together, exploding violently and creating a massive wave of turbulent air.


    On the fringes of the explosion, several initial stage Green-Red Mantises couldn''t evade in time and were flipped by the powerful gusts, crashing into the valley''s rock walls, completely incapacitated.


    As Lin Tianming''s cultivation had increased significantly, a casual blow from him was now comparable to a Cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.


    And the initial stage Demonic Beasts couldn''t even withstand the fluctuations caused by his fighting, as they were directly stunned and knocked out.


    On another side, Lin Tianfeng and another person each faced a late-stage Green-Red Mantis, as fierce battles unfolded between them.


    Since the Green-Red Mantises weren''t very fast, and as long as one was careful of the Wind Blades they emitted, they weren''t difficult to deal with. Each facing a Demonic Beast, they were under no substantial pressure.


    The two continuously summoned several Sword Qi. Sword light flashed, and the Green-Red Mantises were forced to retreat step by step, their defeat being only a matter of time. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing that the two had gained the upper hand, Lin Tianming stopped dividing his attention and focused on the Demon Insects in front of him.


    Before he knew it, Lin Tianming had already battled through dozens of exchanges, both sides sustaining injuries.


    The majority of the initial and medium stage Demon Insects had perished, with only about ten medium stage and above remaining, many of whom were already covered in wounds.


    Lin Tianming had also suffered quite a few superficial wounds, but fortunately, with his Dual Cultivation of Body and Law, relying on his strong defensive power and recovery abilities, the injuries weren''t serious, needing only two days of rest to fully recover.


    After a while, Lin Tianfeng and the other person had each dealt with their Demon Insects and joined Lin Tianming''s battle group.


    With Lin Tianfeng and the other person joining in, the pressure on Lin Tianming suddenly decreased.


    The three attacked from three different directions, the remaining ten or so Demonic Beasts seeing that things looked bleak and started thinking of escape.


    Lin Tianming had already set up his Sword Array and naturally wouldn''t let the Green-Red Mantises succeed.


    He pinched his fingers together, issuing several Law Decrees to activate the Sword Array, trapping all of the remaining Green-Red Mantises within a hundred yards.


    Sensing the vast amount of violent Sword Qi within the Sword Array, the Green-Red Mantises desperately tried to escape the range of the Sword Array.


    Lin Tianming didn''t pause at all, fully activating the Sword Array, shrinking the space within.


    As the space gradually decreased, cries of agony echoed from the Sword Array.


    A short time later, when the last Green-Red Mantis was struck by the Sword Qi and fell to the ground without breath, the battle was over.


    Seeing that all the Demon Insects had perished, Lin Tianming dispelled the Sword Array, collected all the Earth Evil Swords, then collapsed onto the ground, with a pale face but rapidly took out a Huiyuan Pill from his storage bag and swallowed it.


    Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng hadn''t expended much energy, and while Lin Tianming was recovering, they quickly cleared the battlefield.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming had recovered nearly half of his Spiritual Power, and his complexion gradually grew rosier.


    Lin Tianming stood up, took out a Spirit Sword provided for the competition, unleashed Sword Qi, and marked all the Demonic Beast corpses.


    Lin Tianfeng and the other person swiftly dissected the Demonic Beast corpses, removing the useful parts and storing them in their storage bags.

 Chapter 97 Sun Family Seeks Help_1

    After clearing the battlefield and ensuring nothing was overlooked, Lin Tianming and his two companions continued on their way towards the Green-Red Mantis''s cave.After nearly ten days of searching, they finally achieved some results. After calculations, the points they had obtained amounted to over nineteen hundred, which was quite satisfying. The three of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    As for the cave of the Green-Red Mantis, it had yet to be explored; they should be able to find some treasures there, which brought a hint of a smile to their faces.


    Once they had calmed their emotions, the group headed into the valley.


    In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the three of them arrived deep in the valley.


    Looking around, they could see over a dozen caves of various sizes scattered at the base of the mountain, presumably the habitat of the Green-Red Mantis.


    Out of caution, the three did not rashly enter the serene depths of the valley.


    Lin Tianming took out the Earth Evil Sword, sending a slash of Sword Qi flying towards the interior of a cave.


    After a moment, other than a few sharp collision noises from within the cave, there was no other activity.


    After waiting for nearly half a quarter hour and seeing nothing unusual, Lin Tianming spoke.


    "Uncle, Tianfeng, let''s each enter a cave and quickly take whatever useful items we can find. We have limited time and must continue hunting demonic beasts," he said.


    "Alright, everyone be careful!"


    The other two had no objections and each began to act, with Lin Tianming choosing a cave and entering.


    Once inside, he found the cave quite spacious; even with several people walking side by side, it wouldn''t feel crowded.


    They walked deeper along the cave''s passage.


    Only after traversing several dozen yards did they reach the end.


    In the pitch-black depths of the cave, Lin Tianming carefully observed his surroundings.


    He saw that within a space of several yards, there were more than ten snow-white stones scattered in a small pit, each one the size of a fist and completely white.


    "Snow Saliva Crystals!"


    Snow Saliva Crystals were First Order Spiritual Materials, formed from the condensed body fluids of the Green-Red Mantis. Each piece was worth over twenty Spirit Stones; they were widely used in alchemy and artifact refining, with many elixirs requiring them, and could be added in small quantities to artifacts to increase their properties.


    Lin Tianming quickly collected the Snow Saliva Crystals and exited the cave to search another one.


    After half an hour, the group had searched all the caves and totaled eighty-eight Snow Saliva Crystals, with a combined value exceeding seventeen hundred Spirit Stones.


    The three distributed the Snow Saliva Crystals on the spot. Lin Tianming, having exerted the most effort, received thirty-eight, Lin Xingyu got twenty-eight, and Lin Tianfeng got twenty-two.


    The three of them shared a satisfied smile over their haul.


    After distributing their loot, Lin Xingyu spoke up and asked,


    "Tianming, where to next, what''s the plan?"


    Prompted by Lin Xingyu''s question, Lin Tianming began to think.


    With twenty days left until the end of the hunt, their haul was decent, but they didn''t take it lightly. After all, Jin Family''s hunting team was much more formidable.


    Apart from Jin Qishan, the other two members were above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. With such strength, as long as they didn''t provoke Second Order Demonic Beasts, even if they encountered a powerful Demon Beast Tribe, it wouldn''t be difficult to flee if they couldn''t fight, posing little risk.


    In contrast, the Lin Family''s team had varied levels of cultivation; Lin Tianfeng was slightly lower, which caused some difficulty when faced with tribes with many First Order Late Stage beasts, relying entirely on Lin Tianming to hold the fort.


    He Heaved a sigh,


    Lin Tianming said, "Time waits for no one, we can only go deeper to find suitable Demon Beast Tribes and try to obtain as many points as possible."


    "The Jin Family''s strength is a fact, but demonic beasts are not easy to find. Even if the Jin''s are the strongest, they are not guaranteed winners. Anyway, we need to be quick. Aside from necessary healing and cultivation, we must kill more demonic beasts as soon as possible."


    The words of Lin Tianming allowed the other two to relax a little. Since they had entered the competition, they naturally aimed to come first, as it involved forty percent of the market''s fifty-year profits, a large amount of Spirit Stones that they could not afford to give up. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having made up their minds, the three set off again, heading at a fast pace deeper into the heartland, and within a short time, they disappeared into the jungle.


    Just after Lin Tianming and his two companions had left, in less than the time it took to brew a cup of tea, a man dressed in black appeared where the three had just been.


    The man in black arrived at the site of the skirmish and inspected the traces carefully. Although the remnants had been cleaned up and covered by the trio, he managed to find some clues.


    "At last, I''ve found you!"


    The figure in black muttered to himself and, looking in the direction the three had gone, set off in pursuit once again.


    Time flew by, and half a month passed.


    In a valley, Lin Tianming and his two companions stood on a small hill, gazing thoughtfully at the vast marshland below.


    At this point, Lin Tianming and the other two looked extremely weary, with several wounds of varying depth on their bodies that had yet to heal.


    For half a month, the trio did not relax for a moment. They had searched a region spanning hundreds of miles, hunting demonic beasts during the day and resting to heal their wounds at night.


    In that half-month period, they had gone through three major battles, each one perilously close to death. They had all been injured multiple times, with Lin Tianfeng nearly losing his life on one occasion.


    Fortunately, Lin Tianming''s sword array was extremely powerful, capable of attack, defense, and entrapment. Against low-order demonic beasts with limited spirit wisdom, it was highly effective; otherwise, they might have already perished under the onslaught of the beasts.


    Despite the near death experiences, their gains were significant. They had slain more than twenty late-stage First Order demonic beasts and even more than a hundred of the mid-stage variety, accumulating over seven thousand points. Several storage bags were brimming with the bodies of the beasts.


    In addition to the bodies of the demonic beasts, they had collected an immense amount of Spirit Medicine and Spirit Ore, which were likely worth thousands of Spirit Stones when added up¡ªan indeed plentiful haul.


    With only five days left until the deadline for the grand beast-hunting competition, they had traversed an area of several hundred square miles.


    Curiously, for some reason, the trio had not encountered a single team from any of the five great families, nor had they even found a trace, which was quite surprising to Lin Tianming.


    Perhaps the reason was that the Luoyun Mountain Range was simply too vast, spanning thousands of miles, with the outer perimeter and the area near the interior totaling more than two thousand square miles. The likelihood of encountering someone was indeed not great.


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    Lin Tianming speculated silently in his heart.


    Seeing that it was getting late and not suitable for traveling, he turned to Lin Xingyu and said,


    "Uncle, let''s rest here for the night and set off again tomorrow."


    Lin Xingyu, looking visibly exhausted, readily agreed.


    Just as the three of them were preparing to descend the hill, several black dots appeared on the horizon, flying towards them.


    As they drew closer, it was not clear what their intentions were.


    The trio''s expressions tensed, each grabbing their Spiritual Artifacts and hiding behind the hilltop, ready for a potential threat.


    Lin Xingyu, watching the approaching dots, muttered softly,


    "Who has such audacity to fly with a sword in the heart of the Luoyun Mountain Range? Could it be a senior in the Foundation Establishment Stage?"


    Another dozen breaths passed, and the dots grew nearer, the fleeing figures now less than a few hundred yards from the hilltop.


    On closer inspection, they recognized the frantically fleeing individuals as Sun Ruiqing and Sun Chuan Yong from the Sun Family.


    Lin Tianming, realizing this first, felt his heart sink, and began to speculate.


    "The Sun Family members must have encountered cultivators from the Jin Family and are now being chased!"


    Since they had already been spotted, it was too late to hide. All they could do was join forces with the last two members of the Sun Family for a desperate fight.


    Quickly, based on the information he had, Lin Tianming surmised the cause.


    Since the Jin Family had made their move, he couldn''t just sit and await death. After saying this, he took out the Earth Evil Sword and started to set it up stealthily.


    Sun Ruiqing, getting closer, was overjoyed to see Lin Tianming and his group while still in mid-air. He quickly shouted,


    "Lin, save us!"

 Chapter 98 Hanging by a Thread (Two in One)_1

    "Lin, save my life!""The Jin Family has made their move against the major families, and I fear that the people of the Luo and Wu Families have already perished. Now they are hunting us down!"


    In a desperate flight, Sun Ruiqing stumbled upon people from the Lin Family as if grasping at a lifeline.


    From a hundred zhang away, Sun Ruiqing, fleeing in panic, began to shout loudly.


    Hearing Sun Ruiqing''s cries for help, Lin Tianming''s expression changed abruptly.


    The Jin Family was powerful, and to think that the members of the Wu and Luo Families had been killed, no wonder they hadn''t encountered a single team for more than half a month.


    At the moment, Sun Ruiqing and Sun Chuan Yong were in terrible condition, their breaths weak, and with injuries on various parts of their bodies. The number of their people had also decreased, clearly showing they had suffered a major loss.


    Without waiting for Lin Tianming to respond, Sun Ruiqing and the other member from the Sun Family landed on the top of a mountain and immediately took out a couple of elixirs to consume and began to meditate on the spot.


    Seeing the plight of the two from the Sun Family, Lin Tianming and his two companions watched cautiously as several dark shadows approached in pursuit.


    After a mere ten breaths, Jin Qishan and two from the Jin Family arrived, flying on their swords directly above them.


    Seeing that Sun Ruiqing and the other had stopped running, and Lin Tianming''s group was also present, the people from the Jin Family were overjoyed.


    "Haha..."


    "It''s like finding what you''re looking for without even searching for it!


    "The people from the Lin Family are here too, perfect. We''ll deal with you all right here!"


    Hearing Jin Qishan''s arrogant words, as if he wasn''t taking them seriously at all, made the expressions on Lin Tianming and his fellows'' faces turn extremely ugly.


    Lin Tianfeng couldn''t hold back and said:


    "Hmph!"


    "Aren''t you being a bit too arrogant?"


    "Arrogant? Dealing with you few is still child''s play," replied Jin Qishan nonchalantly.


    While the others were engaged in a war of words, Lin Tianming, who had not said a word, quickly thought of a strategy in his mind.


    Among the Jin Family''s three members, Jin Qishan''s aura was exceedingly strong, no weaker than Lin Shiji at his peak. As a top genius of the Jin Family, his methods and trump cards were surely not weak.


    Besides him, among the other two from the Jin Family, Jin Chaoyi was at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining stage and Jin Qisheng was at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement; their abilities were generally a notch higher than those of the Lin and Sun Families.


    Although the cultivation levels of the Lin Family were on the lower side, with the aid of the two from the Sun Family, they held the advantage in numbers.


    Even though the two from the Sun Family were seriously injured, the Sun Family had stood among the top three families for a millennium; with such heritage, Sun Ruiqing must still have some life-saving measures.


    Upon assessing the situation, the Jin Family held an absolute advantage in terms of strength, but Lin Tianming''s side was not without their own opportunities.


    Moreover, there was no way the Jin Family would let them leave peacefully anyway, so it was better to go all out.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming secretly transmitted a message to the cultivators from both families, preparing to strike first.


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    No time to lose!


    Readying the Earth Evil Sword, Lin Tianming unleashed several bouts of Sword Qi, aiming directly at Jin Qishan.


    Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingyu joined hands against Jin Qisheng, while the two from the Sun Family together faced Jin Chaoyi.


    The three battles erupted in an instant.


    Lin Tianming didn''t pay attention to the other two battles, as facing Jin Qishan required his full focus.


    After several tentative exchanges, neither managed to gain an upper hand.


    After a few rounds of testing, Jin Qishan also had a rough idea of Lin Tianming''s strength.


    He initially thought that with the same Dual Spiritual Roots, Lin Tianming would not be weak and could arouse his interest, but found him rather ordinary.


    "Hmph, I''m done playing with you!"


    Following that, Jin Qishan took out a crimson long saber enveloped in a terrifying sinister aura; Lin Tianming guessed it was at least a high-quality Spiritual Artifact. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The dominance of saber cultivators and their destructive power held prestigious positions in the Cultivation World and cultivators of the same level often had terrifying battle capabilities.


    Jin Qishan unleashed three slashes in succession, and the three powerful currents of Blade Qi stirred up a great deal of sand and dust, heading straight for Lin Tianming with overwhelming momentum.


    Feeling the violent Blade Qi, Lin Tianming''s face grew solemn.


    He quickly brought out three Defense Talismans, forming three earthen walls in front of him. Not reassured, he took out a small umbrella-like Spiritual Artifact from his storage bag, poured a great amount of Spiritual Power into it, forming a barrier to protect himself.


    "Puff, puff, puff..."


    Three explosions sounded!


    The three earthen walls formed by the Defense Talismans instantly shattered, and the violent Blade Qi was unstoppable, directly striking the small umbrella Spiritual Artifact.


    After a moment, the small umbrella Spiritual Artifact burst apart, thoroughly pierced by the Blade Qi, breaking into several pieces.


    The Blade Qi had weakened after the consumption of the talisman paper and the defensive Spiritual Artifact, but it still didn''t stop, and continued slashing towards Lin Tianming.


    Caught by surprise and in pain, Lin Tianming quickly dodged to the side.


    However, the Blade Qi was too fast, and he couldn''t completely evade it in time; a strand of the Blade Qi slashed across his arm.


    Feeling intense pain, he saw a wound the size of a fist on his arm, with flesh torn and bone chillingly exposed to the air.


    Lin Tianming, having leapt to the side in a panic, glared straight at Jin Qishan, his expression exceptionally ugly.


    Before the fight began, Lin Tianming had anticipated that Jin Qishan would be difficult to deal with, but the actual encounter was still surprisingly challenging.


    Jin Qishan, intent on settling the battle with three full-powered slashes, was equally surprised.


    After all, he had been in the Great Perfection stage for a year now and would have been preparing to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage if it were not for the Grand Competition.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming was only at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, just about touching the barrier of Great Perfection, but there was still a considerable gap between the small realms.


    Even so, he had not succeeded, merely causing some injuries and not completely incapacitating Lin Tianming.


    After the unsuccessful strike, Jin Qishan put away his playful demeanor and started to take the fight seriously.


    Without giving Lin Tianming a chance to catch his breath, Jin Qishan struck out with a few more slashes, aiming to finish Lin Tianming conclusively.

 Chapter 98 Hanging by a Thread (Two in One)_2

    Just as Jin Qishan made his move, Lin Tianming was also busy. He drew the Earth Evil Sword and unleashed several streaks of sword qi that rushed straight towards Jin Qishan.For a moment, blade qi and sword qi collided fiercely, kicking up a great amount of dust and smoke.


    Seizing the moment in the blink of an eye, he threw out several First Order Superior Grade talismans, and Lin Tianming, with the Earth Evil Sword in hand, turned into a lingering shadow, thrusting directly at Jin Qishan.


    In a contest of spiritual power and offensive force, Lin Tianming did not have the advantage. As a body cultivator, his chances of winning in close combat were much greater.


    As the dust and smoke cleared, Lin Tianming had already closed in on Jin Qishan.


    Jin Qishan had long noticed Lin Tianming''s intent and showed no panic. Hastily, he summoned a small green shield to block Lin Tianming''s Earth Evil Sword.


    Seeing his attack obstructed, Lin Tianming swung out a fist, smashing towards Jin Qishan''s head.


    Lin Tianming, at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining and having consumed a large number of Body Strengthening Pills, had his strength tempered by his cultivation technique. The force of his punch exceeded several thousand pounds.


    Jin Qishan also launched a punch, colliding with Lin Tianming''s fist.


    A loud explosion!


    Jin Qishan was sent flying dozens of feet backwards, crashing through several large rocks before finally stopping.


    As Jin Qishan steadied himself, pain shot through his arm, and he discovered that many of the meridians in his arm were broken. Without a month or more of recuperation, recovery would be very difficult.


    I''ve been careless...


    Who would have thought that Lin Tianming was actually a body cultivator, and his prowess was not low, almost on par with his Qi Refining cultivation, just one punch had crippled an arm.


    The advantaged Lin Tianming didn''t give any chance, charging forward again.


    The injured Jin Qishan wouldn''t dare to be careless anymore. He slashed out several times with his blade and at the same time threw out a huge number of talismans, dozens of them, among which were many Medium Grade and High Quality talismans.


    Seeing the sky filled with a rain of swords, mixed with a multitude of Five Elements Spells engulfing Lin Tianming.


    For a moment, the sky was filled with a storm of fire, sword qi, and blade qi, causing one''s scalp to tingle.


    Jin Qishan took a long breath of relief; with so many talismans coupled with his blade qi, the chance of Lin Tianming rushing out unscathed was nearly impossible.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming''s situation was extremely dire. Trapped in the center, if he couldn''t break through, even as a body cultivator, he would undoubtedly suffer heavy injuries.


    In desperation, Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors.


    He saw the trajectories of the rain of swords and the spells as if they held a traceable pattern.


    Unexpectedly, the Eye of Five Colors had such an ingenious use. With no time to think further,


    Now is the time!


    Lin Tianming didn''t hesitate nor could he afford to, his flexible body navigating through the narrow gaps.


    A moment later, Lin Tianming successfully charged out of the firestorm, wielding the Earth Evil Sword as he slashed towards Jin Qishan.


    At this point, Jin Qishan was completely stunned.


    With so many talismans and blade qi as barriers, for Lin Tianming to rush out in such a short time and with hardly any injury was simply unbelievable.


    In his panic, Jin Qishan once again brought out the green shield in front of him. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Pfft..."


    A piercing loud noise!


    The green shield was knocked flying, slipping right out of his hands, and Jin Qishan''s face turned pale as he frantically tried to dodge.


    In an instant, the Earth Evil Sword made its decisive cut, completely severing Jin Qishan''s arm.


    As Jin Qishan was sent flying back, screams of agony echoed across the entire mountainside.


    Hearing Jin Qishan''s screams, the concentration of the other two Jin Family members was broken.


    Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng seized the opportunity and, with a silent understanding between them, Jin Qisheng was pushed back again and again.


    On another front, although Sun Ruiqing and his companion were injured, the Sun Family, being a talisman-crafting family, threw out dozens of talismans of different grades, engulfing Jin Chaoyi and swallowing him whole.


    For a while, all members of the Jin Family were at a disadvantage.


    Jin Qishan had an arm severed, and the remaining arm''s meridians were mostly broken, greatly diminishing his strength.


    Lin Tianming did not give him a chance, charging over again, ready to completely take out Jin Qishan.


    Lin Shilu had earlier instructed that once they took action, they absolutely could not leave any loose ends, especially the talented Jin Qishan of the Jin Family, who had to die.


    At this point, Jin Qishan deeply regretted being overconfident, but it was too late.


    Knowing he was no match, Jin Qishan attempted to retreat in panic, but his severe injuries made it impossible to shake off Lin Tianming.


    Just as Lin Tianming closed in to within twenty feet, a furious shout came from a thousand feet away.


    "Youngster, you dare!"


    Hearing Jin Chaojiang''s angry shout, Lin Tianming didn''t stop for a second, his sword-heart aimed straight for Jin Qishan.


    Jin Qishan originally thought Lin Tianming would give up, but to his surprise, he didn''t hold back at all.


    For a moment, Jin Qishan''s face turned pale from its previous healthy glow.


    A thousand meters away, Jin Chaojiang''s expression changed dramatically. With a flick of his finger, he hurriedly launched an Ice Sword Technique, hoping to force Lin Tianming to give up his attack on Jin Qishan.


    A resolute look flashed across Lin Tianming''s steadfast face. Even if he didn''t kill Jin Qishan, it would be difficult for them to survive anyway. It was better to go all out and at least ensure Jin Qishan''s death.


    A brief moment passed, followed by a faint sound!


    The Earth Evil Sword pierced through Jin Qishan''s chest, blowing a hole the size of a human head through his upper body.


    Jin Qishan fell at the sound.


    At the same time, the Ice Sword Technique launched by Jin Chaojiang was already closing in on Lin Tianming.


    Having just stabilized his body, Lin Tianming''s face was pale with no time left to dodge.


    An attack from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, even the most common Five Elements Spell, was simply not something an ordinary Qi Refining Cultivator could withstand.


    Lin Tianming did not wish to wait passively for death. Since he couldn''t avoid it, he had to try with all his might.


    In this moment of crisis, Lin Tianming''s intense desire to survive burst forth.


    He quickly took out all his Defense Talismans, more than a dozen in total, all of which he activated, turning them into several earthen walls to shield himself. Discover more content at empire


    He then took a shield out of his storage bag to protect himself thoroughly.


    Just as Lin Tianming completed all his actions, the Ice Sword Technique transformed into an ice sword that broke through the earthen walls.


    The first one was instantly shattered¡­


    The second one was unable to stop it, even for a moment.


    More than a dozen earthen walls broke apart, and the resulting shockwave flattened a section of the mountain top.


    Though the earthen walls didn''t last long, they significantly weakened the Ice Sword''s power. By the time it collided with the shield, nearly half its energy had dissipated.


    Even so, the shield, of First Order Superior Grade, shattered after a mere breath''s time.


    The Ice Sword Technique broke through the small shield and struck Lin Tianming in the chest.


    In an instant, Lin Tianming coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, was sent flying a hundred meters, and slammed into the mountain, creating a human-shaped deep pit.


    Lin Tianfeng and the others also gave up their fierce attack on the critically injured Jin Qisheng and rushed madly to Lin Tianming''s side to pull him out.


    Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingyu''s eyes were bloodshot as they frantically shouted:


    "Sixth brother, wake up!"


    "Tianming, wake up!"


    At this time, Lin Tianming was in a dreadful state, with a fist-sized bloody hole in his chest, many of his meridians severed, resulting in a brief loss of consciousness.


    Lin Tianfeng shouted several times, but there were no responses.


    Seeing this, both of them were completely panicked.


    Lin Tianming''s talent was well-known throughout the clan. As long as he lived, reaching the Foundation Establishment stage was a certainty, and with a bit of chance, advancing to the Golden Core stage was also highly likely. He was key to the family''s resurgence.


    His importance was such that even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the clan could not compare.


    If he were to die here, how would they explain it to the clan, to the ancestors who had passed away?


    At this moment, Lin Tianfeng was extremely grieved; the relationship between the two brothers was excellent¡ªthey had trained together, and despite being the eldest Tian-generation brother, he often needed Lin Tianming''s help.


    In his grief, he held Lin Tianming''s head and shook it while crying out.


    "Cough... Cough..."


    Two coughs suddenly interrupted Lin Tianfeng''s cries.


    "Big brother, stop shaking me!"


    "If you keep shaking me like this, I fear I might die by your hand!"


    Lin Tianfeng and the others suddenly looked at Lin Tianming, who was coughing and spitting blood, and burst into ecstatic shouts.


    "Thank goodness, you''re actually not dead?"


    "What are you saying, do you wish for me to be dead?"


    The pale-faced Lin Tianming couldn''t help but banter with Lin Tianfeng even in his condition.


    Having regained consciousness, Lin Tianming felt a wave of relief. The danger just now had been extremely dire.


    He took out the only defensive talismans he had on him, over a dozen First Order Superior Defense Talisman papers, along with a High Quality defensive spiritual tool, plus the inner armor he wore over his vital parts near the heart to narrowly save his life.


    If his body hadn''t been so strong, a regular Great Perfection Qi Refining Cultivator, in his situation, would have had no chance of survival.


    Foundation Establishment Cultivators were indeed terrifying!


    Coming back to his senses, Jin Chaojiang had already landed on the mountain top, cradling Jin Qishan''s corpse and beginning to examine it.


    Lin Tianming was severely injured, and they were still in danger. Although they had avoided a fatal blow, their current situation remained as perilous as ever.

 Chapter 99 No One Survives (Parts 1 and 2 Combined)_1

    Looking at the gaping hole in Jin Qishan''s chest and his faint breath, such an injury was destined to be beyond salvation.Jin Chaojiang''s face turned pale, his tiger-like eyes bloodshot red.


    When he turned around, Lin Tianming and the other two were immediately stricken with panic.


    Enraged, Jin Chaojiang, holding a long spirit blade, swung out three times in quick succession, unleashing three streams of fiery red Blade Qi, charging straight towards Lin Tianming and his companions.


    Such divine powers were identical to those of Jin Qishan, but when a Foundation Establishment Cultivator made a move, the power was nowhere near that of Jin Qishan''s.


    Seeing the Blade Qi getting closer, and less than thirty feet from the trio,


    there was no escape, especially as they were injured and their defensive spiritual tools had nearly exhausted their power. Facing the full-force strike from the second layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage Jin Chaojiang, Lin Tianming was utterly despairing.


    Struggling was to no avail; the three leaned on each other and slowly closed their eyes, preparing to meet their demise.


    Just then, a shadow clad in black descended from the sky, standing in front of the trio.


    The figure was tall and resolute, a look of determination in his eyes, it was Lin Xingrong who had been tailing Lin Tianming and the others all along.


    "Father!"


    "Eleventh Uncle!"


    A glimmer of joy passed through Lin Tianming and the others; they had all but given up hope, never expecting Lin Xingrong to appear.


    In fact, everyone knew of the Jin Family''s ambitions. The Lin Family had made arrangements to counter them, but Lin Tianming had no idea.


    And Lin Xingrong had been following them for some time, but to avoid startling the snake, he had kept his distance and hadn''t made a move.


    Having landed, Lin Xingrong''s expression was stern. He ignored the three''s confusion, thinking of a plan.


    He had only recently entered the Foundation Establishment Stage, while Jin Chaojiang had already reached the second layer and had to be taken seriously.


    Lin Xingrong, wielding a Spirit Sword, slashed out several bursts of Sword Qi, and at the same time, summoned a Minor Shield Spirit Instrument to firmly protect everyone.


    After taking a series of measures, the Blade Qi and Sword Qi collided explosively.


    For a moment, the battlefield was alight with flames, and the blast wave forced back the members of the Sun Family, who were hundreds of feet away, making them cough up blood.


    The only remaining members of the Jin Family, Jin Chaoyi and Jin Qisheng, had the same fate, now even more seriously injured from the effects of cultivators'' combat.


    The residual effect of the collision was blocked by Lin Xingrong''s shield.


    Thanks to Lin Xingrong''s protection, Lin Tianming and the others managed to evade disaster.


    Having blocked Jin Chaojiang''s attack, Lin Xingrong then turned to inspect the injuries of Lin Tianming and the others.


    Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng were unharmed, just a bit drained, with no significant consequences.


    Lin Tianming, although slightly more injured, wasn''t fatal; with some quiet recuperation for a few days, he would be fine!


    Luckily he arrived in time, or else the outcome would have been dire!


    On the other side, frustrated by his ineffective attack, Jin Chaojiang''s face darkened as he watched Lin Xingrong with wariness and dread. Enjoy new adventures from empire


    Unexpectedly, Lin Xingrong had appeared there and even advanced into the Foundation Establishment Stage¡ªthe Lin Family had kept deep secrets!


    After an exchange, even though Jin Chaojiang''s cultivation was a level higher than Lin Xingrong''s, he still had to look after the seriously wounded Jin Chaoyi and Jin Qisheng, so victory was not guaranteed.


    By now, Jin Chaojiang harbored thoughts of retreat, but it was too late, as the faces had been thoroughly ripped off, and the Lin Family might not hold back.


    Sure enough, Lin Xingrong took the initiative to strike, unwilling to let the Jin Family members go.


    Lin Xingrong unleashed a green-yellow Spirit Sword, slashing out several times, and releasing bursts of Sword Qi at Jin Chaojiang.


    Simultaneously, Jin Chaojiang leapt into the air and swung out several slashes of his own.


    The difference in cultivation between the two men was not substantial; they exchanged blows evenly, making it difficult to determine the superior fighter.


    Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng took the initiative as well, joining with Sun Ruiqing and others to attack Jin Chaoyi and Jin Qisheng.


    Already heavily injured, the two Jin Family members were no match for Lin Tianfeng and his companions and were constantly on the defensive.


    Although Lin Tianming was injured, he relied on elixirs and a strong self-healing ability. His wounds had partially recovered, and he could still exert most of his strength.


    Seeing Lin Tianfeng and the others gaining the upper hand, he decided to assist Lin Xingrong against Jin Chaojiang, knowing that as long as Foundation Establishment Cultivators were still alive, they were always in danger.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming consumed another Huiyuan Pill and Consolidating Essence Pill, drew the Earth Evil Sword, and charged at Jin Chaojiang.


    He unleashed several slashes, blocking Jin Chaojiang''s retreat path, but they were always narrowly dodged.


    While his Sword Qi''s power was limited, it couldn''t be completely ignored. If not evaded, after a few instances, even Jin Chaojiang couldn''t withstand it.


    Father and son coordinated seamlessly. Each time Jin Chaojiang tried to strike at Lin Tianming, Lin Xingrong always managed to block in advance.


    Before they knew it, the fierce battle had raged for half an hour.


    All three were significantly drained, Jin Chaojiang in particular was covered in wounds, continuously on the defensive.


    Lin Xingrong, too, was panting heavily, his spiritual power largely depleted.


    During a lull in the attack, Lin Tianming transmitted a message: S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Father, we can''t drag this out any longer. I''ve already laid down a Sword Array. As long as you can push him into its center and hold him for a moment, I can immediately activate the Sword Array and together we can take him down once and for all!"


    "Good, my spiritual power is running low, we can''t delay any further,"


    Lin Xingrong was well aware of the special cultivation techniques Lin Tianming practiced. Since Lin Tianming was confident, he was naturally willing to give it a try.


    With that, Lin Xingrong used his Technique Divine Power, condensing a massive Sword Qi, which he directed at Jin Chaojiang.


    Lin Tianming also threw out more than ten First Order Superior Grade Attack Talismans, transforming into a sky full of Sword Qi, sealing off Jin Chaojiang''s escape routes.


    Feeling the concentrated Sword Qi from Lin Xingrong and the multitude of talisman papers, Jin Chaojiang''s face turned deathly pale as he hastily summoned a yellow Minor Shield Spirit Instrument to protect himself.

 Chapter 99 No One Survives (Parts 1 and 2 Combined)_2

    "Boom..."A loud blast sounded, and the small shield had a large crack pierced through it.


    The intense impact force struck Jin Chaojiang, causing him to spurt out a mouthful of fresh blood and retreat dozens of feet, landing right in the center of Lin Tianming''s sword array.


    "Now is the moment!"


    Lin Tianming immediately activated the long-prepared sword array, enveloping Jin Chaojiang within it.


    Feeling the roaming Sword Qi, although its power was limited, the quantity was substantial, forcing Jin Chaojiang to change his approach once again.


    Without time to think much, he frantically attacked the barriers of the sword array.


    Each time, the sword array was on the verge of being overwhelmed, and Lin Tianming felt immense pressure.


    Having succeeded, Lin Tianming and his companion naturally wouldn''t let him escape easily.


    In the rush, Lin Xingrong swung his sword several times, sending numerous Sword Qi slashing towards Jin Chaojiang.


    And fully driving the sword array, steadily shrinking its range, he also threw out handfuls of talisman paper, more than twenty in total, among which were long-stored Second Order Golden Sword Talismans.


    In an instant, over twenty First Order Superior Grade attack talismans turned into Sword Qi, along with a Second Order Talisman Golden Sword Talisman''s Sword Qi, and combined with the Sword Qi generated by Lin Tianming''s sword array ¨C a total of over a hundred strands ¨C instantly engulfed Jin Chaojiang''s surroundings.


    Feeling the sword rain coming at him from all directions, alongside Lin Xingrong''s all-out strike, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Jin Chaojiang couldn''t help but feel his scalp tingle with dread.


    At that moment, Jin Chaojiang had no time for further thought, only desperation. If he couldn''t break free from the confines of the sword array, he would be gradually exhausted to death.


    Not daring to hold back, Jin Chaojiang spurted a mouthful of vital blood onto the long saber Spiritual Artifact in his hand and unleashed his Innate Divine Ability.


    "Return to Origin Five Blows!"


    Suddenly, he slashed five times in succession, each strike stronger than the last. With the five blades stacking, a terrifying Blade Qi turned into a heaven-piercing red light blade, striking down upon the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    "Pfff..."


    An earth-shattering explosion!


    After merely a breath''s time, the sword array was directly broken by Jin Chaojiang.


    Lin Tianming suffered backlash, immediately spewing several mouthfuls of fresh blood, his aura instantly wilted.


    Even with the backlash, Lin Tianming still didn''t dare to relax, propping up his half-destroyed body, he slashed out several times, attempting to push Jin Chaojiang back.


    Jin Chaojiang had no intention of caring about that, only wanting to escape the range of the pervasive sword rain.


    Just as he was about to break free to safety, his face full of elation,


    At that moment, the Sword Qi unleashed by Lin Xingrong and the Second Order Golden Sword Talisman''s Sword Qi blasted towards him simultaneously.


    Caught in a pincer attack, Jin Chaojiang faced an even more perilous situation.


    Seeing that it was impossible to dodge both, Jin Chaojiang swiftly made a decision.


    Instantly, he rolled to the side, evading Lin Xingrong''s lethal strike.


    At the same time, the Sword Qi from the Golden Sword Talisman arrived as expected, striking Jin Chaojiang on the back.


    "Pfff..."


    Jin Chaojiang''s physical body endured a sword strike, immediately being sent flying dozens of feet away. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jin Chaojiang, stabilizing his form, spewed out several mouthfuls of fresh blood, his face instantly pale, with a fist-sized hole in his chest ¨C not faring much better than Jin Qishan.


    At that moment, severely injured Jin Chaojiang was greatly diminished in strength, no way he could be a match for Lin Xingrong.


    At the other two battlefronts, seeing Jin Chaojiang''s dismal state, Jin Chaoyi and Jin Qisheng''s faces turned even paler.


    The two were already on the brink of life and death, being besieged; the shock scattered their focus, giving Lin Xingyu and Suo Ruiqing a chance to exploit.


    Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng launched deadly strikes at the same time, bombarding Jin Chaoyi''s body.


    After a moment, Jin Chaoyi was directly cleaved in half, falling dead.


    Meanwhile, Jin Qisheng was overwhelmed by numerous talismans of varying grades.


    Once the sword light dissipated, Jin Qisheng was riddled with holes and utterly devoid of life.


    Seeing two members of the Jin Family dead, Jin Chaojiang was both shocked and furious. He unleashed three more blows to force back Lin Xingrong who was pursuing him, then, dragging his battered body, he fled northward.


    At this point, Jin Chaojiang couldn''t care about danger and plunged into the dense forest to escape for his life.


    Lin Xingrong leapt high, dodging Jin Chaojiang''s Blade Qi, and immediately gave chase.


    One behind the other, they dashed through the woods, quickly vanishing from the sight of the others.


    Seeing Jin Chaojiang heavily injured and fleeing for his life, Lin Xingyu and the others heaved a sigh of relief; Lin Tianming, utterly spent, sat down on the ground with a thud.


    He pulled several elixirs from his storage bag, stuffed them into his mouth all at once, and sat down right there to meditate and recover.


    Lin Xingyu and several others also began to meditate and cultivate.


    In a swamp, Jin Chaojiang, who had escaped from the dense forest, was completely pale.


    After hastily consuming two elixirs, he resumed his flight.


    Shortly thereafter, Lin Xingrong caught up after chasing him for hundreds of miles. The distance between the two shrank to less than a thousand feet.


    Lin Xingrong had no intention of giving up the pursuit and was determined to stop him there and then.


    Mortally wounded and with his spiritual power completely drained, Jin Chaojiang burst forth with an unprecedented speed in a bid to survive; even so, he was still slower than Lin Xingrong.


    As the gap continued to narrow and before he could cross the swamp, Lin Xingrong closed in to a distance of a hundred feet.


    Seeing that he couldn''t escape, Jin Chaojiang seemed to have given up on fleeing and turned around to fight to the death.


    Using the last bit of his spiritual power, he swung three blades toward Lin Xingrong.


    Also drained of spiritual power, Lin Xingrong drew a small shield to block Jin Chaojiang''s desperate attack.


    After a loud explosion,


    Lin Xingrong spat out a mouthful of blood and, after being knocked back, he chased after him once again.


    With no spiritual power left, Jin Chaojiang was like a mortal, tumbling down from the sky.


    At that moment, Jin Chaojiang, utterly despondent, stopped trying to run and laughed manically.


    "Haha... Haha..."


    "You think by killing me you can reverse the situation?"


    "The Lin Family might already be rivers of blood by now!"


    "Haha..."


    Seeing Jin Chaojiang''s deranged behavior, Lin Xingrong''s face showed disdain.


    "Hmph, you think the Lin Family is still the same as it was ten years ago? There''s no way your Jin Family could breach the Protective Clan Formation!"


    Jin Chaojiang had gone mad, and Lin Xingrong showed no mercy, ending his life with a single sword strike.


    Jin Chaojiang finally perished, and Lin Xingrong breathed a sigh of relief.


    He took the storage bag from Jin Chaojiang and cast a Fireball Technique, burning the corpse to ashes on the spot. Read new adventures at empire


    Lin Tianming and others were not in a good state, so Lin Xingrong quickly returned, following the path of the chase at high speed.


    An hour later, Lin Xingrong returned to the site of the fierce battle.


    Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingyu had regained some of their spiritual power after a short rest.


    Lin Tianming''s condition had improved slightly, but his injuries were still serious, and he wouldn''t be able to move normally for several days.


    The condition of the two from the Sun Family was better; they had sustained some injuries, which were not fatal, and they were already able to walk normally. They had been waiting in the same place, not daring to move or leave.


    Upon seeing Lin Xingrong return, they dared not stay and hurriedly stepped forward to pay respects.


    "The juniors have seen Elder Lin and thank Elder Lin for saving our lives. When we return to our clan, we will surely report the truth, and the Sun Family will never forget this kindness. Our elders will personally thank you!"


    Sun Ruiqing stood by nervously with a respectful demeanor.


    Although the Lin Family and Sun Family had formed an alliance, Sun Ruiqing did not dare to mention the spoils of the battle and was entirely unsure about Lin Xingrong''s stance.


    "Sun, my friend, there''s no need for formality. The Lin Family and Sun Family are allies, after all. The Jin Family attacked brazenly, and you gave it your all. There''s no need to be so tense. Rest for a few days, and you can leave this place with me."


    Hearing Lin Xingrong''s words, Sun Ruiqing breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Thank you, Elder. With your permission, I can rest assured!"


    Sun Ruiqing and his companion bowed to Lin Xingrong with sincere respect.


    "Hmm, go and recover through cultivation!"


    Upon receiving the instruction, the two from the Sun Family bowed and left to find a place to sit down and cultivate on the spot.


    After dismissing the two from the Sun Family, Lin Xingrong called Lin Tianfeng over and instructed:


    "Take the storage bags from the Jin Family members and hand them to me. Clean up this place quickly and then go heal your injuries."


    "Yes!"


    Lin Tianfeng got to work quickly, collecting storage bags from the three members of the Jin Family and then clearing up the part of the mountain that had been disrupted.


    An hour later, the traces of the fight were almost erased, and the mountaintop had nearly returned to its original state.


    After checking the injuries of the Lin Family members, Lin Xingrong sat down nearby, took out elixirs, and began to recover his spiritual power and heal injuries while protecting the others as they cultivated.


    For a time, the valley fell into silence, with everyone cultivating and recovering from their injuries.

 Chapter 100 Lin Shilu Trapped (Two in One)_1

    Outside the market, the Great Bi Assembly Ground.Members of the five major families, including Lin Shilu, each sat cross-legged on the spacious open ground.


    The leaders of the Lin Family and the other three clans were closer to each other, and although they were dozens of yards apart, they faintly formed a united front, as if intentionally guarding against Jin Zhison.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu and his companions each had their spirits aloft, faces etched with a trace of worry, pondering or fearing something unknown.


    At the edge of the platform, Jin Zhison appeared quite calm, with a trace of ruthless expression faintly present on his face.


    Jin Qishan and his group had left five days ago, and according to the plan, Jin Chaojiang should have already started to act.


    He was also ready on his side, and as soon as Zhuang Zhenxin arrived, he could take action at any time.


    Just then, a black dot appeared on the horizon, moving towards the plain at an incredibly fast speed.


    In just over ten breaths'' time, Zhuang Zhenxin, dressed in a black robe, approached the space above the platform.


    Before he even arrived, Lin Shilu and the others had already sensed his presence, each standing up to watch Zhuang Zhenxin''s approach with vigilance.


    Zhuang Zhenxin landed beside Jin Zhison, looking at the others present with a mocking gaze.


    "Is he a person from the Jin Family?"


    "He must be a hidden member of the Jin Family, or a hired helper. They''re definitely going to make a move!"


    Lin Shilu loudly reminded everyone,


    Seeing Zhuang Zhenxin reveal his alliance, and with Lin Shilu''s warning, everyone''s face changed dramatically. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jin Zhison already had the cultivation of Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, the highest present, and with this unfamiliar cultivator whose cultivation was still unknown but was surely no less than Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer, such strength truly warranted caution.


    Zhuang Zhenxin paid no attention to everyone''s guesses, and after exchanging a look with Jin Zhison, they both made their move.


    Jin Zhison took out a Circular Ring Spiritual Artifact and inputted several Law Decrees. Suddenly, a large number of fireballs emerged, each as large as buckets¡ªhundreds in number, crazily bombarding towards Lin Shilu and the others with incredible speed.


    With the first strike, he unleashed his strongest method.


    As everyone''s attention was on Jin Zhison''s move, Zhuang Zhenxin took the opportunity to pull out a dark green Array Plate, tossed it into the air, and inputted several Law Decrees.


    Suddenly, a golden light shield appeared in the void, covering the entire platform.


    "Not good, it''s a Formation!"


    Sun Dingfeng immediately yelled, warning the others.


    Everyone''s complexion changed drastically; as Jin Zhison''s attacks drew closer, they each had to concern themselves with their own lives and had no time to stop them.


    Feeling the temperature of the fireball, Lin Shilu''s face grew solemn, and he quickly took out a small shield with a pattern of interlocking blue and red, shielding himself with it.


    The other cultivators also did not dare to be negligent, each taking out various Defensive Spiritual Tools to protect themselves.


    After several booming explosions, screams echoed.


    The platform was left with numerous deep pits, where several Qi Refining Cultivators lay inside, their bodies still emitting flames, evidently dead.


    Among the five Qi Cultivation Great Perfection Cultivators, only Chen Xiaoliang, the Clan Leader of the Chen Clan, survived thanks to a treasured artifact, but he was also severely injured.


    Although the fireballs were formidable, their power became too dispersed as they attacked everyone present, allowing all Foundation Establishment Cultivators to successfully block Jin Zhison''s full-force strike.


    However, the observing Qi Refining Cultivators were not so fortunate. Even those at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage could not withstand it without a treasured artifact for protection, with Chen Xiaoliang as an example.


    After the first strike, Lin Shilu''s face changed dramatically, continuously reminding everyone,


    "Quickly, make your move, prevent them from forming the formation. If we get trapped by the formation, we will all die here!"


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s reminder, they all hastily attacked, trying to stop Zhuang Zhenxin from setting up the formation.


    Lin Shilu was the first to act, bringing out a big sword with hues of blue and yellow, pouring in a large amount of Spiritual Power and swinging it. A stroke of Golden Sword Qi launched towards Zhuang Zhenxin.


    Sun Dingfeng, on the other hand, threw out a large amount of talisman paper, dozens in total, with even two Second Order Talismans among them, indicating he was truly fighting for his life.


    Facing the desperate counterattack of four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, even with Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer cultivation, Jin Zhison was under immense pressure.


    But he had to hold on, to win time for Zhuang Zhenxin to set up the formation. As long as the formation was successfully laid and activated, they could completely turn the tide.


    Jin Zhison didn''t hesitate, immediately pulling out a glittering golden shield from his storage bag, imbued it with a large amount of Spiritual Power, and transformed it into a light screen tens of yards wide that firmly protected him.


    Seeing the golden shield, Sun Dingfeng immediately exclaimed,


    "It''s the Qing Jiao Shield!"


    Hearing Sun Dingfeng''s warning, everyone was taken aback.


    The Qing Jiao Shield was a Magic Artifact made from the Reverse Scale of a Third Order Demon Beast, Qingshui Jiao. It had extremely formidable defensive power and was one of the treasures of the Jin Family, rarely used. They didn''t expect it to appear here.


    It appeared the Jin Family really invested heavily this time.


    A moment passed, and the Golden Light Greatsword and a sky full of sword rain struck the Qing Jiao Shield simultaneously.


    "Crackle and pop, a continuous burst of explosive sounds..."


    Behind the light screen, Jin Zhison turned pale, coughing out mouthfuls of blood. His internal organs churned, and his breath quickly weakened.


    Even with the protection of the Magic Artifact, which blocked ninety percent of the attack, the remaining ten percent still shattered the flesh on his arms, exposing the white bones beneath.


    Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    When the attack briefly ceased, Jin Zhison breathed a sigh of relief.


    If he hadn''t brought the Qing Jiao Shield, taking on the combined desperate strike of four people alone, he might have been reduced to ashes.


    Not achieving their goal with the first strike, Lin Shilu and the others did not dare to delay and launched another attack.


    As their attacks arrived once more, although not as ferocious as the first time, Jin Zhison was already injured and simply could not endure a second strike.

 Chapter 100 Lin Shilu Trapped (Two in One)_2

    Just then, the sky suddenly revealed a pale golden light curtain that enveloped the entire platform. Sand and rocks were flying around, and Sword Qi was wandering everywhere within the platform.The second wave of attacks from several people was continuously depleted by the Sword Qi within the Formation, and ultimately collapsed, allowing Jin Zhison to escape.


    For a moment, the complexions of Lin Shilu and the others turned deathly white.


    "Daoist Zhuang has succeeded!"


    Feeling the activation of the Formation, Jin Zhison was very excited. He leaped up and was pulled by Zhuang Zhenxin, who quickly retreated, directly leaving the range of the Formation.


    Once out of the Formation, Jin Zhison immediately took a Healing Pill, and then vigilantly stared at the several people inside the Formation.


    "Daoist Zhuang, can this Formation trap four Foundation Establishment Cultivators?"


    Faced with Jin Zhison''s question, Zhuang Zhenxin said with a smile,


    "Foundation Establishment Fifth Level Cultivators, not to mention four of them, even if a few more came, it would be nearly impossible for them to break the Formation through attack, unless one of them is a Second Order Array Master, or an Array Master from outside attempts to break the Formation, spending a month or so to study it, or by using a powerful Magic Artifact for the attack. Otherwise, it''s absolutely impossible to break through!"


    "Not only that, the Sword Qi inside will keep wandering without any pattern, and they must keep moving constantly. Even if they can avoid the attacks of the Sword Qi, once their Spiritual Power is exhausted, they will sooner or later be killed!"


    Even if they didn''t die, by the time they got out, their families would have been exterminated, and they wouldn''t be able to escape. This trip''s goal had been achieved, and they could now go and regroup with the main force of their family.


    Hearing Zhuang Zhenxin''s words, Jin Zhison was very shocked. No wonder Jin Zhiying treated him with such courtesy; he couldn''t help but show even greater respect for Zhuang Zhenxin.


    It should be known that Array Masters in the Cultivation World were even rarer than Alchemists, and those above Second Order were even less common. In the entire Wei Kingdom, they were rarely seen, and within the Luoyun Mountain Range, none had been seen for decades. The possibility of someone coming to rescue them was virtually non-existent.


    Seeing Jin Zhison being overwhelmed, Zhuang Zhenxin was somewhat proud, and said to Jin Zhison,


    "Daoist Jin, let''s go. We can go and meet up with your elder brother, and sweep through the territories of the four great families one by one, hoping to find the item I am looking for!"


    Thinking of quickly attacking the territories of the four great families and obtaining a large amount of treasures, the two were very excited.


    "Good, let''s set off now and meet up with elder brother!"


    At Zhuang Zhenxin''s words, Jin Zhison dared not disagree and readily agreed.


    Looking at the large number of Cultivators watching the battle below the mountain, Jin Zhison shouted,


    "If any of you dare to go to the market or report to the four great families, you are declaring yourselves enemies of the Jin Family. Once we find out, there will be no mercy."


    "We wouldn''t dare, wouldn''t dare..."


    The large number of Cultivators had already been scared out of their wits and quickly echoed agreement, with many even offering flattery.


    Jin Zhison and the other paid them no more heed and took to Sword Flight, flying towards the east, soon disappearing into the horizon.


    After the two had left, the Qi Refining Cultivators who had been watching the battle at the foot of the mountain finally breathed a sigh of relief. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jin Zhison had not troubled them; it seemed he didn''t care about these insignificant people. If a massacre had ensued, they would have had no way to resist. Read the latest on empire


    Soon, the Qi Refining Cultivators at the foot of the mountain left, leaving only the few people inside the Formation.


    Within the Formation, a large amount of furious Sword Qi was constantly on the move, causing Lin Shilu and the others to speed up their dodging, moving frantically inside.


    If they were hit by the Sword Qi, even if they didn''t die, they would be gravely injured.


    In between dodging, Lin Shilu released several Sword Qi attacks at the Formation''s light curtain.


    Regrettably, whether it was the Sword Qi or the attack of the Five Elements Spell, they were all absorbed by the light curtain, without showing even a ripple.


    Having no other choice, Lin Shilu could only invite the others to attack together and give it a try.


    "Fellow Daoists, the power of one is of no use at all; we should combine our powers and strike together, attacking the same spot. Maybe there is some hope."


    "I had the same thought!"


    Sun Dingfeng had also realized the difficulty of the Formation and happily agreed.


    The other few had no objections, so they combined their forces to attack the same spot. Although the light curtain clearly trembled, it quickly returned to normal.


    After several attempts, and changing numerous positions, there was still no effect; the Formation remained still.


    As time moved on, their Spiritual Power was rapidly depleting. Soon, they were nearing exhaustion, and the only Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivator who had been alive was already dead, leaving only the four Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    "Daoist Lin, attacking like this is futile. With just the few of us, it''s impossible to break the Formation. It''s better to save some Spiritual Power to avoid the Sword Qi''s attacks and wait for rescue."


    Sun Dingfeng''s words forced the others to accept the reality: they stopped attacking and began to conserve the little spiritual power that remained, weaving their way within the formation.


    Fortunately, the speed of the Sword Qi within the formation was not fast, and it was not difficult for them to avoid it. The consumption of spiritual power was also not rapid. If it had been a Third Order Formation, they would have had no chance to evade it at all.


    As days passed, relying on Huiyuan Pills to restore their spiritual power, they were able to hold on a bit longer.


    At this moment, Huiyuan Pills became the life-saving straw for the Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Half a month went by, and Wu Yingchong from the Wu Family, exhausted of elixirs and unable to persist, was the first to be struck by the Sword Qi and died.


    A renowned Foundation Establishment Cultivator dying because of depleted spiritual power was an unspeakable irony.


    Lin Shilu and Sun Dingfeng, both with higher cultivation and more elixirs, could hold on for another half month without problems.


    By now, everyone was already exhausted to the limit; the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Luo Family were on the verge of collapse. If no rescue came, they would inevitably follow in Wu Yingchong''s footsteps.


    Inside the formation, the three people who were still alive persevered desperately.


    ...


    In the Luoyun Mountain Range, within the valley of great battle.


    Atop a mountain peak, Lin Tianming opened his tightly shut eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air.


    After four days of recovery, Lin Tianming''s injuries had partially healed.


    With the help of elixirs and his powerful self-healing ability, the bloody hole in his arm had healed, leaving only a scar. As long as he did not exert himself for a few days, he would quickly recover.


    Thinking back to the entire battle, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but feel relieved.


    If his father hadn''t followed him all the way and arrived in time at the critical moment, all three of them would have undoubtedly perished there.


    After four days of seated meditation to recover, Lin Tianming''s injuries were partially healed. It was already the day the martial arts competition ended, and it was time for them to set out again.


    Before long, Lin Xingrong gathered everyone, and the two people from the Sun Family also came over.


    Having confirmed that Lin Tianming''s injuries no longer hindered travel, they set off once more towards the outer regions of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    A day later, with Lin Xingrong leading the group, they successfully exited the inner region.


    Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle, and by taking advantage of the Spirit Beast''s flight, they could even use this time to recover briefly. Their speed greatly increased as a result.


    Finally, on the day the competition ended, they arrived at the starting point. By then, the cultivators who had come to watch had long departed, leaving the lively foot of the mountain eerily quiet.


    Seeing the glow surrounding the platform from afar, they were greatly shocked, as it was apparent something unexpected had happened.


    Picking up the pace, they quickly arrived at the base of the platform''s mountain.


    Lin Tianming observed the formation repeatedly and after conjecture, deduced that it was at least a Second Order Formation. However, since none of them were Array Masters, it was impossible to determine exactly what kind of formation it was or how to break it.


    "Father, could there be any way to rescue Fifteenth Grandfather and the others who are trapped in the formation?"


    Faced with Lin Tianming''s question, Lin Xingrong also felt helpless. After all, he wasn''t an Array Master himself, and couldn''t even figure out the type of the formation, let alone how to begin to dismantle it.


    After fruitless discussion, they could only attempt the most straightforward method: using powerful attacks to break through. That was the only thing left to try.


    Resolute, Lin Xingrong took the lead in attacking. With all his strength, the formation did not budge an inch.


    The group attacked several times with combined forces, but similarly achieved nothing.


    The party tried attacking the formation countless times, switching positions, yet the formation naturally showed no response.


    As he saw the worsening condition of Lin Shilu and the others within the formation, Lin Xingrong grew increasingly anxious.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was unusually calm, rapidly considering their options for a long while.


    "Eye of Five Colors!"


    Lin Tianming finally remembered his Eye of Five Colors!


    "The Eye of Five Colors has the ability to see through illusions and barriers. Although I''m not sure about the effects on High Order formations, for a Second Order Formation, it shouldn''t be a problem."


    With his mind made up, Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors and looked towards the formation''s glowing screen on the platform.

 Chapter 101 Escaping the Predicament (Two in One) _1

    Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors, gazing at the formation''s light curtain.Within the invisible and colorless curtain, countless beams of light appeared, each nearly the size of a strand of hair, densely packed and innumerable, ultimately converging towards eight directions of the platform, and at each direction there was an energy cluster, presumably the core of the formation.


    After circling around the platform, Lin Tianming revealed a grave expression.


    "How is it, can you discern anything?"


    Seeing Lin Tianming remaining silent, Lin Xingrong asked anxiously from the side.


    Faced with his father''s pressing question, he began to voice his thoughts.


    "It''s a bit tricky. Based on my estimation, this formation is at least a Second Order lower-grade formation, focused more on trapping than attacking, otherwise Elder Wu and the rest wouldn''t have been able to hold on for long!"


    Hearing what Lin Tianming said, everyone present became even more anxious.


    A Second Order Formation was extremely rare in the Luoyun Mountain Range, apart from the Protective Clan Formations of the five major families, no other power was known to have a Second Order Protective Clan Formation.


    In Wei Kingdom, Second Order Array Masters were essentially venerated by major powers, and even Golden Elixir Forces seldom managed to cultivate them; among Loose Cultivators, they were even rarer. Find your next read on empire


    The few speculated that the person who set up the formation was definitely not a Jin Family Cultivator, but more likely a helper that the Jin Family had sought out to annihilate the four major families.


    No matter their identity or purpose, the pressing matter at hand was naturally to rescue Lin Shilu and the others.


    "Tian Ming, do you have a method to break the formation?"


    An anxious Lin Xingrong asked again.


    Lin Tianming frowned slightly and said helplessly,


    "We can only try to locate the formation''s core and break it, or wait for the formation''s energy to be exhausted, or ask a Golden Elixir Expert to act, for there to be a chance of breaking the formation."


    Hearing what Lin Tianming said, Lin Xingrong''s face grew even grimmer.


    The methods Lin Tianming mentioned were all nearly impossible for them to accomplish.


    "Father, we have no other choice. Elder Wu and the rest can''t wait much longer. We can only do our best and try to break the formation!"


    Time waits for no one. They couldn''t wait for the formation''s energy to run out, nor could they find a Golden Elixir Expert to help, so they could only rely on themselves.


    If they could make use of the Eye of Five Colors, breaking the formation was possible, but it would require time to study and explore.


    "Alright then!"


    Knowing the severity of the situation and lacking other alternatives, Lin Xingrong agreed to let him try.


    "Tian Ming, focus on breaking the formation. I''ll stand guard here. Xing Yu and Tianfeng, you two immediately return to the market, find Xing Zhi and inquire about the situation of the various families. Additionally, find a way to send the news of the Jin Family''s actions back to our clan!"


    "Understood!"


    After the group responded in unison, they sprang into action.


    Sun Ruiqing and another decided not to delay and planned to return to the market with Lin Xingyu to gather news.


    Lin Xingrong also understood the urgency of the situation. Though the major families had anticipated trouble and made some preparations, getting news swiftly was crucial, so he did not stop them from going.


    When everyone had left, Lin Tianming began attempting to break the formation, with Lin Xingrong standing by waiting.


    Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors, scrutinizing the light beams within the curtain.


    The curtain''s light beams were too many, chaotically interwoven, ultimately converging at the eight formation cores.


    His task was to find the essential core among the eight and destroy it to break the formation.


    Having organized his thoughts, Lin Tianming started from the first direction in front of him.


    Looking at the chaotic and dense light beams, Lin Tianming carefully observed each one to locate the source of the beams.


    Three days passed, and Lin Tianming sat to the south, contemplating the light curtain in front of him.


    After analyzing and comparing, the light curtain in front of him was subtly different from other directions.


    Lin Tianming speculated that the formation''s core was likely hidden within this part of the curtain.


    Having identified the specific direction, Lin Tianming once again scrutinized the light beams inside for detailed analysis.


    ...


    Outside Luoyun Market.


    Lin Xingyu and the group of four arrived at a mountaintop outside the market, cautiously observing the entrance, not daring to enter hastily.


    At the entrance, there were still many cultivators coming in and out. Aside from a noticeable decrease in the flow of people, there were no signs of martial law enforcement or a direct shutdown of the market.


    It seemed that the Jin Family had not taken any action against the clanspeople within the market, which was good news.


    Considering there were no abnormalities, the four of them managed to enter the market smoothly.


    Inside the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Xingyu and another met with Lin Xingzhi.


    Although Jin Zhison had threatened the Qi Refining Cultivators watching the competition below the mountain not to spread any word, in the past few days, still, quite a few rumors had emerged.


    Lin Xingzhi had only just learned the news, and with half-belief, was about to go and check it out when he encountered Lin Xingyu and the others returning. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Xingyu recounted the events of the competition, and Lin Xingzhi was taken by surprise.


    Lin Xingrong had killed Jin Chaojiang, making him the only cultivator from the five major families to die in a magical duel in recent decades.


    After calming his emotions, Lin Xingzhi also spoke about the rumors within the market.


    According to rumors from some Qi Refining Cultivators, the Jin Family had assembled a large number of clansmen and gone to the Wu Family''s clan grounds at Jiuhua Mountain. After surrounding it for several days, they broke through the Wu Family''s Protective Clan Formation.


    The Wu Family was annihilated; not even the Foundation Establishment Cultivators managed to escape, with only a very small number of clan members outside surviving the catastrophe.

 Chapter 101 Escaping the Predicament (Two in One) _2

    It had been a month since Lin Shilu and several others were trapped.The news of the Wu Family''s annihilation had spread in the market these last two days, causing a great shock, and the Wu Family members in the market had already fled. As for whether they could escape the pursuit, it was difficult to predict.


    The Jin Family most likely struck at the Wu Family first because the Wu Family''s territory was the closest, and their silent and unexpected annihilation was truly hard to believe.


    Yet, the Wu Family had been annihilated twenty days ago, and the news had only come out now. The Jin Family must have intended to block the information, otherwise, with the distance being within a thousand miles, the news should have been received much earlier.


    The whereabouts of the Jin Family were unknown now, and the next target was hard to determine, likely being either the Sun Family or the Luo Family.


    After Lin Xingyu and the others exchanged the information they each had learned, Lin Xingzhi spoke:


    "Xingyu, you now sneak back to our clan''s territory and relay the news of the Wu Family''s annihilation and the trapping of Fifteenth Uncle back to our family, but remember not to be discovered by the Jin Family. Tianfeng, return to Tian Ming''s side, and I will stay in the market to gather information."


    "Right, everyone, be careful!"


    After assigning their respective tasks, they quickly set into action.


    The gathering place for the competition.


    Lin Tianming had been sitting here for several days, concentrating on breaking the formation.


    At the moment, Lin Tianming''s brows were tightly furrowed, and sweat dripped continuously from his forehead; he had reached the most critical moment.


    Staring at the tens of thousands of light rays within the formation''s light screen, Lin Tianming focused on one of them, contemplating.


    This beam of light seemed very ordinary; it wound around like others, of the same thickness, and didn''t look different compared to the rest.


    But after comparisons and observing for the entire day, Lin Tianming still discovered a subtle difference.


    This particular beam of light would hasten the transfer of energy every half an hour, almost ten times faster, lasting for a quarter of an hour before returning to normal.


    After repeated confirmations, Lin Tianming was certain that this beam of light was the formation''s core.


    Days and nights of relentless study and calculation had left Lin Tianming utterly exhausted.


    Having found the key to breaking the formation, Lin Tianming finally showed a trace of a smile.


    Stay updated through empire


    Lin Shilu and the others had already been trapped for a full month, in extremely difficult circumstances.


    Without any delay, Lin Tianming stood up and took out an Earth Evil Sword from his storage bag.


    Circulating his cultivation technique and injecting a large amount of spiritual energy, he swung the sword with all his might, turning it into a cyan-yellow Sword Qi, and striking at that special beam of light.


    "Pfft..."


    A grating, strange sound cut through the sky, startling Lin Xingrong, who was meditating nearby.


    He immediately stood up and leaped to Lin Tianming''s side, vigilantly watching the light screen.


    When the weird noise stopped, the light screen slowly cracked open and then completely vanished without a trace, revealing the figures of Lin Shilu and the others. The three trapped men were pale, looking like they had aged several years.


    On the platform, seeing the formation broken and the wandering Sword Qi dissipating, Lin Shilu and the other two''s faces showed wild joy, and they all promptly sat on the ground, looking thoroughly drained.


    Being trapped for a full month, Wu Yingchong was worn to death, and Luo Chenggu was also at his limits.


    Lin Shilu and Sun Dingfeng fared slightly better; their cultivation and elixirs had allowed them to hold on, but they were equally exhausted. A few more days of being trapped would have certainly led to death from exhaustion.


    Seeing Lin Shilu''s figure, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingrong''s complexions were ruddy, and they rushed over immediately. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fifteenth Uncle, how are you?"


    Lin Xingrong anxiously inquired about Lin Shilu''s condition.


    Lin Shilu took a Huiyuan Pill and meditated for a quarter of an hour before he could speak; this showed how lucky he was to be alive. Without Lin Tianming, they would have undoubtedly died this time.


    "Xingrong, Tianming, I''m just overly exhausted; I''m feeling a bit better now. I need to cultivate for half a day, you two help to protect me!"


    "Alright, Elder, recover at ease!"


    Having said that, Lin Tianming and the other person stopped asking questions and sat to one side to wait.


    Half a day passed quickly.


    After the recovery, some color finally returned to Lin Shilu''s pale face.


    In half a day''s time, his spiritual power had also recovered by nearly half. Lin Shilu got up and walked to the side, with Lin Tianming and the others following closely.


    In a corner, the two secretly communicated with Lin Shilu, exchanging their respective experiences through voice transmission.


    "Tian Ming, I owe you my life. Without you, I would have truly died here!"


    Upon learning that Lin Tianming had gone five days and nights without closing his eyes to break the formation and rescue several people, Lin Shilu didn''t inquire about the details but sincerely expressed his gratitude.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, you are too polite. We are all Lin Family members, and my success was merely by luck. It is a great relief to us younger generations that you have escaped from danger!"


    "Indeed, Fifteenth Uncle, there''s no need for courtesy, all that we did was our duty!"


    Lin Xing Rong also spoke up in agreement.


    The three of them exchanged words for a good half a quarter hour until Sun Dingfeng and his companions stood up, signaling a pause in their communication.


    Once Sun Dingfeng and his group had regained a fraction of their spiritual power, they approached Lin Tianming and the others.


    After a half-day''s recovery, Sun Dingfeng and his group were in much better condition and immediately came over to express their thanks.


    "Daoist Lin, we will remember this life-saving grace deep in our hearts and will not refuse any request you make in the future!"


    "My fellow Daoists, there''s no need for such formality. Everyone making it out alive is a great fortune in itself, though it is truly unfortunate about Daoist Wu," said Lin solemnly, lamenting repeatedly.


    Upon mentioning Wu Yingchong, Sun Dingfeng and the other''s expressions changed. A stalwart Foundation Establishment Cultivator had died from being utterly drained; their tragic end came at the hands of the Jin Family.


    "Daoist Lin, Daoist Wu''s death is indeed regrettable. Since he is gone, let''s not talk about him. As for his storage bag, let''s leave it with Daoist Lin. Luo Daoyou, you have no objections, right?"


    Sun Dingfeng made the proposal without objections from Luo Chenggu. Given that their survival had entirely depended on the Lin Family''s intervention, they naturally wouldn''t dispute over these belongings.


    Following this, Lin Shilu recounted the experiences of the ordeal, which only stoked the fury of the two men.


    The Sun Family was slightly better off, having lost only one clan member, but the Luo and Wu Family members had been wiped out entirely, causing both men to grind their teeth in resentment, wishing they could immediately march to the Jin Family''s territory for vengeance.


    Lin Shilu advised them not to act rashly and thus was able to stabilize their emotions.


    For a good half an hour, the trio discussed strategies on how to deal with the Jin Family, and after coming to a series of resolutions, they prepared to return to their respective families.


    Just at that moment, Lin Tianfeng, who had returned from the market, rushed over.


    Seeing that Lin Shilu had escaped from danger, Lin Tianfeng was overjoyed and hurriedly went forward to pay his respects.


    Anxious, Lin Xing Rong hastily instructed Lin Tianfeng to report the news from the market as well as from the Jin Family.


    Knowing the critical nature of the news he possessed, Lin Tianfeng did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point by revealing the demise of the Wu Family.


    "What, the Wu Family was annihilated in just five days!"


    "It happened twenty days ago!"


    Sun Dingfeng and Luo Chenggu exclaimed in shock, as everyone present was thoroughly stunned.


    Although they had anticipated that the Jin Family, after trapping Lin Shilu and others, would immediately act, they had not expected that the Wu Family would fall in only five days, especially since they were also a Foundation Establishing family. The outcome was truly beyond expectations.


    Lin Shilu was the first to regain his calm and spoke:


    "Don''t forget, the Array Master the Jin Family brought in is, I deduce, at least a Second Order Mid-Grade Formation Master. With his help, coupled with the Jin Family''s Second Order Attack Artifact, breaking through the Wu Family''s Protective Clan Formation wouldn''t be difficult!"


    The others realized this was indeed the case.


    This person had managed to set up the formation in an extremely short amount of time, clearly indicating that this mysterious cultivator was not to be underestimated.


    Once everyone calmed down, they all had heavy hearts.


    With the Wu Family gone nearly a month, the Jin Family would definitely not sit idly by and would surely continue to attack the other three families'' territories.


    In such a case, the current state of the three families was unknown, and it was foreseen that their situation would not be good.


    Given the Jin Family and Sun Family''s historical enmity, it was highly probable that the Jin Family''s next target would be the Sun Family. Sun Dingfeng, not daring to delay any longer, said:


    "Daoist Lin, we are not yet sure which family''s territory the Jin Family is attacking now. We must set off immediately, return to our family, and strengthen our power to confront the Jin Family."


    "Daoist Sun speaks wisely. We cannot afford to delay!"


    Luo Chenggu strongly agreed with Sun Dingfeng''s remark, echoing him immediately.


    Lin Shilu was also extremely anxious and briefly discussed countermeasures with the others before letting them go without delay.


    Sun Dingfeng and the other person no longer lingered, gave a cupped fist salute, and quickly vanished into the horizon.

 Chapter 102 Sun Family Seeks Refuge (Parts One and Two Combined) _1

    Flying Eagle Mountain, in a concealed valley behind the Sun Family clan territory.After escaping from his predicament, he dared not delay, nor care for his unhealed injuries, and hastily rushed back to Flying Eagle Mountain.


    This place was one of the Sun Family''s secret passages, known only to a dozen or so core clan members, and was one of the contingencies the Sun Family had left behind.


    Sun Dingfeng lay atop a hill, watching as various colors of magical spells streaked across the sky, accompanied by bursts of explosions.


    Clearly, the Jin Family was attacking the Protective Clan Formation.


    Looking at the Protective Clan Formation in front of him, its defensive power had decreased by over half; it seemed it wouldn''t hold out much longer.


    Just then, a red light streaked across the sky, and after the ground shook and the mountains swayed, the Protective Clan Formation collapsed with a loud bang, and flames soared into the sky from within the Sun Family territory.


    "It''s over, it''s all over!"


    Watching as the clan''s great formation was breached, Sun Dingfeng''s face turned even paler, and blood oozed from the corners of his mouth.


    Outside the Sun Family territory, with the formation broken, Jin Zhiying let out a triumphant, strange laugh and immediately charged in, while Zhuang Zhenxin, who had put away a gray pearl, swiftly followed suit.


    This time, aside from leaving behind one Foundation Establishment Cultivator to guard the territory, the Jin Family had dispatched ninety percent of their elite forces¡ªdozens of clan members, each with cultivation at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement or above.


    Inside the Sun Family, as the formation broke, three figures soared into the sky, appearing at the entrance of the clan territory.


    As Jin Zhiying, who had rushed in, saw one of the three, an old man with thinning hair and a goatee, he exclaimed:


    "Old Ghost Sun, you''re actually still alive!"


    The Sun elder''s expression was calm as he feigned composure and spoke: S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Humph, although my life is nearing its end, I won''t die so easily. Since you''ve seen me, why not quickly retreat? Our Sun Family can still let bygones be bygones; otherwise, today will be your death day!"


    Hearing the Sun elder speak plainly, Jin Zhiying seemed to sense a lack of confidence in his voice.


    Thinking of how Sun Dingfeng had been trapped and the Jin Family Cultivators outnumbered the Sun Family by three, and that the three from the Sun Family had cowered within the formation at the time of the breach and clearly dared not engage in battle, now that the formation was broken and they had completely turned hostile, they certainly wouldn''t retreat when they had the absolute upper hand.


    "Don''t think that just because you''re still alive, I''ll be afraid of you. We''ve been planning this for nearly ten years; how could we give up easily!"


    Making up his mind, Jin Zhiying commanded the Jin Family members behind him:


    "Spare no effort; kill them all. The wealth of the Sun Family will be ours!"


    Thinking of the vast treasures they had acquired from defeating the Wu Family, the Jin Family Cultivators behind him showed a fierce gleam in their eyes, swarming forward in full force.


    Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin also attacked at the same time, targeting Sun Anzhong and Sun Dingxian.


    Jin Zhiying, with his Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivation, faced Sun Anzhong at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, while Zhuang Zhenxin and Sun Dingxian were both at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level.


    The four clashed fiercely in the high sky, and the remaining four Foundation Establishment Jin Family Cultivators besieged the lone Sun Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    For a moment, there were flashes of blade and sword light, talisman paper and spells all burst forth, and the entire Sun Family territory descended into chaos.


    Jin Zhiying took out a three-foot-long blood-red blade that emanated a thick murderous aura, clearly a ferocious Second Order Magical Artifact.


    Seeing the blood-red blade, Sun Anzhong''s face turned extremely solemn.


    The Jin Family''s Second Order Attack Artifact, the Thousand Blood Blade, was notorious for its powerful attacks, and many Foundation Establishment Cultivators had died under its edge.


    Being already outmatched in cultivation by Jin Zhiying, he naturally faced great danger in the face of such a vicious weapon.


    As Jin Zhiying slashed three times in succession, transforming the strikes into three blood-colored dragon-shaped Blade Qi, they sliced towards Sun Anzhong.


    Sun Anzhong, not daring to be careless, brought out a black small shield to block the dragon-shaped Blade Qi.


    Three explosive sounds...


    Sun Anzhong''s face turned pale as he churned with blood, the single attack significantly shaking his mind and spirit.


    Steadying himself, Sun Anzhong began to counterattack.


    Before they knew it, the two had exchanged over a dozen rounds of blows, and relying on a large quantity of Second Order talismans, Sun Anzhong temporarily held off Jin Zhiying.


    If Sun Dingxian could defeat Zhuang Zhenxin in time, there was still a possibility of repelling the enemy.


    Meanwhile, Sun Dingxian''s situation was also dire.


    As a Second Order Array Master, Zhuang Zhenxin possessed many magical treasures. Although the two shared the same cultivation level, Sun Dingxian had significantly fewer artifacts and quickly found himself at a disadvantage.


    What was more critical was that, although the Sun Family had nearly two hundred clan members in the battle, there were too few Foundation Establishment Cultivators to hold the line.


    The sole Foundation Establishment Cultivator, besieged by Jin Zhison and two others, was already severely injured and wouldn''t last long before being killed.


    At this point, without the protection of the formation, the Sun Family was completely on the defensive.


    As time slowly passed, Jin Zhison struck with full force, releasing three Blade Qi. After a wretched scream, the Sun Family''s Foundation Establishment Cultivator fell.


    Freely joining Jin Zhiying''s fray, Jin Zhison immediately helped to overwhelm their opponents.


    Jin Zhiying delivered a powerful strike, flinging Sun Anzhong dozens of feet away. He struggled to his feet, his face completely white as he spat mouthfuls of fresh blood.


    With Sun Anzhong retreating step by step, the Sun Family crumbled completely.


    Knowing that all was lost, Sun Anzhong secretly transmitted a message to Sun Dingxian.


    "Dingxian, the game is up, and the Sun Family has reached a dead end. The few clan members with great potential have already left. In any case, I won''t live much longer. In a moment, I will take the Blood Spirit Pill and hold them off for a while; you must escape immediately. As long as the green hills last, there''ll be wood to burn!"


    Hearing Sun Anzhong''s secret transmission, Sun Dingxian''s face turned deathly pale, realizing his own injuries, the desperate state of the Sun Family, and knowing that continuing to fight would not change the outcome; escaping was a helpless move.


    "Ninth Uncle, rest assured, I won''t let our family''s lineage be cut off!"


    Sun Dingxian''s eyes shown with resolution as he looked towards Sun Anzhong and began to transmit his message.


    Sun Anzhong, thus resolved, took out a red elixir from his storage bag and swallowed it.

 Chapter 102 Sun Family Seeks Refuge (Parts One and Two Combined) _2

    A breath''s time had passed, and Sun Anzhong''s aura rapidly soared, ascending a whole level and now no less than that of Jin Zhiying."The Blood Spirit Pill, Old Ghost Sun is going for broke!"


    Jin Zhiying immediately cried out in alarm, swinging his blade several times, attacking Sun Anzhong.


    As Sun Anzhong''s aura surged, he dodged the attacks and gave up on confronting Jin Zhiying, instead aiming to kill Zhuang Zhenxin.


    Zhuang Zhenxin was greatly shocked and immediately ceased his attack on Sun Dingxian, explosively retreating backward.


    Seizing the opportunity, Sun Dingxian didn''t hesitate and instantly fled towards the aft hill of the clan grounds, his speed incredibly fast.


    Perceiving that Sun Dingxian was fleeing, Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin immediately gave chase.


    Having finally gotten the chance, Sun Anzhong, who had already planned for this, naturally would not let them pass.


    Sun Anzhong took out dozens of Second Order Attack Talismans, threw them into the sky, and instantly, numerous fireballs appeared, filling the entire sky, with Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin trapped amidst the sea of flames.


    For a moment, the sea of flames engulfed the entire battlefield, and under indiscriminate attack, both the Sun Family and Jin Family suffered numerous casualties.


    The Jin Family, protected by many Foundation Establishment Cultivators, lost just over a dozen clan members, while the Sun Family had dozens killed.


    "Old Ghost Sun has gone mad; he even disregards his own clan members!"


    Jin Zhiying was both shocked and enraged; although he and Zhuang Zhenxin were unharmed, they were completely blocked from their pursuit, allowing Sun Dingxian to vanish from their sight. To continue the chase would require significant effort.


    When the blaze dissipated, Jin Zhiying and Jin Zhison encircled Sun Anzhong, with Zhuang Zhenxin joining the fray.


    Sun Dingxian was a big problem; if he escaped, the Jin Family would have to be constantly on guard, an endless trouble.


    Only by killing Sun Anzhong could they get past him to chase the fleeing Sun Dingxian.


    In a flash, all three went all out, launching a frenzy of attacks on Sun Anzhong.


    Jin Zhiying once again unleashed a fatal blow, sending forth five strikes of Blood Jiao Blade Qi, layer upon layer, piercing through Sun Anzhong''s black shield.


    Sun Anzhong spat out blood, one arm severed, his combat strength severely reduced.


    "If you want to eradicate our Sun Family, you will have to pay the price!"


    Sun Anzhong''s face was pale as he roared in anger.


    Knowing he couldn''t kill Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin, he targeted Jin Zhison.


    He threw out the remaining dozen or so Second Order Talismans, entangling Jin Zhiying and the others.


    For a moment, resigned to death and dodging no attacks, Sun Anzhong made his way toward Jin Zhison. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Jin Zhiying and the others burst out of the talisman fire sea, they found two corpses lying on the ground.


    Jin Zhiying immediately ran over and picked up the fallen Jin Zhison to examine him.


    Having taken the Blood Spirit Pill and reached Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, Sun Anzhong was gravely wounded, but with a life-for-life strike, he succeeded in dying together with Jin Zhison, a Foundation Establishment Sixth Level.


    Seeing that Jin Zhison had already ceased breathing, Jin Zhiying was deeply grieved.


    A short while later, the entire battlefield became utterly silent.


    Aside from the escaped Sun Dingxian, all the Sun Family members present were killed.


    "Daoist Zhuang and I will chase after the fleeing Sun Dingxian, you all quickly clean up the Jin Family clan grounds, collect the treasures, leave five to keep watch, and then head to Green Bamboo Mountain," Jin Zhiying ordered.


    "Yes!"


    After the surviving Jin Family members respectfully responded, Jin Zhiying did not linger and chased in the direction Sun Dingxian had fled.


    ...


    On a hilltop behind the Sun Family Clan Grounds.


    After breaking away from the battle, Sun Dingxian didn''t stay for a moment and headed straight here.


    Seeing Sun Dingxian appear, Sun Dingfeng lying in wait on the hilltop immediately went up to greet him.


    "Fourth brother, how is the family?"


    Although Sun Dingfeng had guessed the outcome, he still asked, unwilling to give up hope.


    Sun Dingxian did not answer, pulling Sun Dingfeng along as they left without slowing their flight.


    After running for tens of miles, taking advantage of a brief rest, he recounted the events of the great battle.


    Upon hearing this, Sun Dingfeng''s expression turned sorrowful as he shared the predicament of the Spirit Scripture.


    "Fourth brother, what do we do now?"


    Facing Sun Dingfeng''s inquiry, Sun Dingxian also hesitated; the current situation called for flight first, with the possibility of later gathering the younger generations of the Sun Family. However, he also wanted to hear Sun Dingfeng''s opinion.


    "Dingfeng, what are your thoughts?"


    Sun Dingfeng pondered for a moment; to evade pursuit, the only option seemed to be fleeing to Qianchuan Market, but it was too far and unlikely. On the other hand, if they escaped to the Lin Family, only over six hundred miles away, the chances of hope were greater.


    Making up his mind, Sun Dingfeng said:


    "Fourth brother, after breaking free, I discussed with Lin Shilu that if anything happened, we could go to the Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain to stand together against the Jin Family. Moreover, we already had an alliance in place. With the Lin Family''s strength, maybe we can fend off the Jin Family''s pursuit. What do you think?"


    After hearing Sun Dingfeng''s words, Sun Dingxian did not think long and agreed to the suggestion.


    In truth, they had no choice; currently, their only possibility of escaping the pursuit was to join with the Lin Family.


    Deciding on this, the two immediately flew toward the south.


    Sometime later, Jin Zhiying and another also caught up.


    Half a day''s time passed.


    At the Green Bamboo Mountain, the Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    Ever since the market competition began, the Lin Family had been under martial law for two months.


    At this moment, Lin Shiji was personally leading five clan members on patrol at the edge of the Formation.


    Suddenly, they saw two cultivators flying towards them at high speed, stopping just outside the Formation.


    As the two landed, Lin Shiji realized they were Sun Dingfeng and another.


    At this point, Sun Dingfeng and his companion were in terrible condition. While Sun Dingxian was better off, with Foundation Establishment Eighth Level cultivation and not much injury, Sun Dingfeng was already injured and exhausted from the constant fleeing.


    Outside the Formation, Sun Dingxian shouted toward the inside.


    "Sun Dingxian urgently seeks an audience with Lin Shikang, no time to lose, please come out at once!"

 Chapter 102 Sun Family Seeks Refuge (Parts One and Two Combined) _3

    Lin Shi Ji was acutely aware that a bond had been forged with the Sun Family and that today was the day of a great battle, so he naturally did not dare to delay and immediately sent a message to Lin Shi Kang.Not long after, Lin Shi Kang appeared at the edge of the formation.


    He opened the formation, personally welcomed Sun Dingxian inside, and the formation swiftly returned to its original state.


    Without time to rest, Lin Shi Kang anxiously asked,


    "Daoist Sun, what kind of accident has befallen you?"


    Although he had anticipated this, Lin Shi Kang still wanted to inquire personally.


    Sun Dingxian took a deep breath and hurriedly recounted the Sun Family''s ordeal.


    "What? The Sun Family clan grounds have been breached, over a hundred clan members have perished, and only the two of you managed to escape!"


    Hearing Sun Dingxian say this himself, Lin Shi Kang was greatly shocked.


    It should be known that the Sun Family''s time of establishment predates the Lin Family by several hundred years and truly possesses deep foundations with several Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Yet, they too were breached by the Jin Family, who broke through their Protective Clan Formation and slew over a hundred of their clan members.


    But the matter had come to this point, leaving no choice but to believe it.


    As Lin Shi Ji tried to stabilize his emotions, he immediately reminded,


    "Lin, you must be careful. The Jin Family has somehow invited a Second Order Mid-Grade Formation Master. Not only did they lay down formations, entrapping people like Lin Shi Lu for about a month, but they also breached the Protective Clan Formations of both the Wu Family and our Sun Family. They are ruthless like the World Evil Sect!"


    Since Lin Shi Lu and others had not yet returned to the clan grounds for some reason, Lin Shi Kang took Sun Dingxian''s warning very seriously upon hearing it.


    "A Second Order Mid-Grade Formation Master... it seems the Jin Family is indeed well-prepared, otherwise, they wouldn''t have commenced the battle so resolutely!"


    "Indeed, we underestimated them!"


    After discussing, Lin Shi Kang turned to Lin Shi Ji beside him and instructed,


    "Shi Ji, the Jin Family will be here soon. Time is pressing, so take Daoist Sun and the others to rest first. I''ll personally guard this place. Then immediately order all clan members to assemble and be ready to respond to the battle with the Jin Family at any moment!"


    "Alright, I''ll see to it right away!"


    With that, Lin Shi Ji left with Sun Dingfeng and the other person.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin appeared outside of the formation.


    Jin Zhiying saw that Sun Dingxian and the other person had vanished, evidently having entered the Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    "Daoist Zhuang, you first observe the Lin Family''s Protective Clan Formation to see if you can break it. I''ll stay here on guard, as the Lin Family likely doesn''t dare to act rashly either!"


    "Understood!"


    Zhuang Zhenxin immediately began to inspect the perimeter of the formation.


    The appearance of the two men immediately caught the attention of Lin Shi Kang.


    Knowing that Jin Zhiying was at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection realm and that there was Zhuang Zhenxin, who was at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, Lin Shi Kang did not dare to act rashly and could only hope that the Protective Clan Formation could withstand the attack.


    An hour passed, and Zhuang Zhenxin returned to Jin Zhiying''s side.


    Seeing Zhuang Zhenxin''s return, Jin Zhiying asked,


    "How goes it? Do you think you can break the formation?"


    Zhuang Zhenxin, with a calm expression, thought for a moment before replying,


    "The Lin Family is indeed a clan that has produced Golden Elixir Experts. Their Protective Clan Formation is quite mysterious. Although it is difficult, with some extra time, it should be possible to break through!" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Pleased with Zhuang Zhenxin''s response, Jin Zhiying was very satisfied.


    Once they eliminated the Lin Family, the two from the Sun Family couldn''t run either. After that, the Luo Family left would simply be like fish on the chopping block, easily wiped out.


    "Haha, then I am relieved. With Daoist Zhuang making a move, it''s naturally as easy as grasping something in our hands. We''ll rest here for a few days. Once our Jin Family clan members arrive, we''ll take action to break the formation!"


    "Just as Jin Daoyou suggests!"


    Having made up their minds, the two flew to a hilltop outside the formation. While waiting for the Jin Family clan members, they sat down to cultivate.

 Chapter 103 Undermining the Enemys Foundations (Seeking Subscriptions, Seeking Monthly Votes)_1

    Luoyun Market, a secluded room on the third floor of Hundred Treasures Building.Lin Shilu sat in the seat of honor, Lin Tianming and his son, along with Lin Xingzhi, the four of them sat together.


    After a day''s rest and recuperation, Lin Shilu and his companions had all fully recovered.


    Lifting the teacup and taking a sip of the Spiritual Tea, Lin Shilu spoke, inquiring everyone''s opinions.


    "Given the current situation, the Wu Family will be destroyed soon, and the next move of the Jin Family is unknown. Although the Sun Family is a likely possibility, it''s also unpredictable. Where should we go from here?"


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s words, everyone fell into deep thought.


    Soon, Lin Xingrong was the first to speak.


    "Fifteenth Uncle, Tianhong and the others are still in the Jin Family Clan''s Territory. We''ve agreed to meet up once I head over there. As for you all, you should head back to the clan as soon as possible!"


    After a long silence, Lin Tianming spoke.


    "Father, heading back to the clan now is too risky. The Jin Family is powerful, Jin Zhiying is at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Realm, not to mention that cultivator with the surname Zhuang, along with Jin Zhison. Their high order combat power is formidable, and if we encounter them, it''s hard to say if we could even safely enter our clan land, let alone escape."


    "With most of the Jin Family''s elite forces gone, I suggest that we head to the Jin Family Clan''s Territory now and try to break through their Protective Clan Formation."


    Lin Tianming''s suggestion made everyone gasp.


    "Tianming, that''s too risky!"


    Lin Shilu seemed a bit concerned, knowing that with their small number, it would be difficult to come away unscathed if they encountered the Jin Family''s main force.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, we don''t have a better plan right now. You know, the more dangerous a place is, the safer it might be. If we succeed, the Jin Family''s plans will be completely disrupted, and the outcome of the clan war crisis this time will be changed as a result."


    "Regardless of whether it''s feasible, let''s give it a try. If it really doesn''t work, we''ll just abandon the plan. In case we run into Jin Zhiying and the others, we''ll flee north. Once we reach Qianchuan Market, they won''t have any means to deal with us!"


    "Hmm!"


    "Tianming, how confident are you?"


    Lin Shilu seemed slightly tempted.


    If they could break through the Jin Family''s Protective Clan Formation, they could plunder everything, causing severe damage to the Jin Family''s vital energy. The Lin Family could also take this opportunity to develop rapidly and once again become the top family in the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    The plan to undercut the foundation, although very risky, indeed promised a high return. Such an opportunity was extremely rare, and it would indeed be a pity to give up.


    After half a quarter of an hour''s discussion, analyzing the interests and the family''s situation, Lin Shilu agreed to Lin Tianming''s plan.


    After the four of them discussed the plan of action, they decided to set off immediately, knowing that only by surprising their opponent could they achieve unexpected success.


    That night, under cover of darkness, Lin Shilu, Lin Xingrong, Lin Xingzhi, and Lin Tianming quietly left the market and disappeared into the night.


    Since this mission was a stealth attack, having too many people would likely expose them, so only the four of them were involved. Moreover, only a few of the Lin family members outside had high cultivation, and those with low cultivation would be of no help and might even be a burden.


    Outside the market, Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle, and the four of them quickly flew towards Golden Horn Mountain with the help of the Spirit Beast.


    A night passed, and Lin Tianming''s group traveled through the night silently, arriving in a valley near Golden Horn Mountain.


    The four of them rested briefly for four hours, waiting until they had recovered their Spiritual Power before flying towards the Jin Family''s gate.


    The early morning at Golden Horn Mountain was particularly quiet; inside the Protective Clan Formation, Jin Chaojun was leading four Jin Family members on a routine patrol.


    Ever since the Jin Family''s elite forces had left, the clan had immediately gone on high alert, activating all their Protective Clan Formations and patrolling several times a day with extra caution.


    Suddenly, upon spotting Lin Shilu and his party, he was startled but quickly regained his composure.


    Lin Shilu and his party, who had altered their appearances, walked over together and stopped outside the Protective Clan Formation, carefully examining the Jin Family''s Formation.


    Jin Chaojun was extremely cautious about the actions of Lin Shilu''s group and immediately sent a message to Jin Chaohai, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who was left in charge of the clan territory.


    In no time, Jin Chaohai flew over and stood inside the gate, observing Lin Shilu and his companions.


    Seeing the unfamiliar faces of Lin Shilu''s group, he couldn''t recall having any interactions with them in his memory.


    At such a critical period, whether friend or foe, or whatever their motives might be, he dared not let them in.


    Lin Shilu and his companions didn''t have any intention to probe or bluff their way in either. At such a crucial time, it was impossible to fool a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Neither side initiated a conversation, and thus they were at an impasse.


    An hour later, Lin Tianming flew around the Protective Clan Formation, memorizing the base layout of the entire structure in his mind, and then returned to the starting point.


    Upon inspection, he confirmed that indeed, the Jin Family''s Protective Clan Formation was extraordinary, worthy of a family with a heritage spanning over a thousand years.


    Its grade was also a Superior Second Order Formation, somewhat similar to the Lin Family''s own Formation, presumably with eighteen formation eyes. The difficulty of breaking it was significant, much more so than the temporary formation set up by Zhuang Zhenxin. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While the challenge was substantial, it wasn''t entirely hopeless. With the help of the miraculous Eye of Five Colors, Tianming believed it was possible to break the Formation, given some additional time.


    "How about it, are you confident?"


    Lin Shilu eagerly asked through a transmitted message, his eyes filled with anticipation.


    Lin Tianming, with a calm expression, replied:


    "Fifteenth Uncle, although it is somewhat tricky, Tianming still wishes to give it a try!"


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    Seeing Lin Tianming''s determined attitude, coupled with his extraordinary luck, Lin Shilu also made up his mind to attempt it.


    "So be it, whether we succeed or not, I''ll take the risk and go crazy this once. If it comes to it, I''ll die right here!"

 Chapter 103 Undermining the Enemys Foundations (Seeking Subscriptions, Seeking Monthly Votes)_2

    Lin Shilu''s gaze was resolute, revealing a hint of madness, then he assigned tasks to everyone."Xing Rong, you must immediately go to the place where Jin Zhiying must pass when returning to the mountain. Once you discover their tracks, find a way to signal a warning immediately, and we will flee to the north!"


    "Xing Zhi, you are responsible for patrolling, keep watch for their possible exit. I will protect Tian Ming as he works on the formation. As soon as the formation is broken, regroup here immediately. That''s the plan, now go!"


    "Understood..." Explore more adventures at empire


    After Lin Xingrong and Lin Xingzhi bowed with clasped hands, they went their separate ways.


    Once the two had left, Lin Tianming also began working on breaking the formation.


    Lin Shilu sat by his side, watching every movement around them closely so that he could protect Lin Tianming at the first sign of any situation.


    Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors and, through the screen of light, closely examined the structure of the Jin Family''s Great Formation and the pathways of its energy flow.


    As Lin Tianming began studying Jin Family''s Great Formation, at the Lin Family clan grounds in Green Bamboo Mountain, with the Jin Family members fully assembled, Zhuang Zhenxin also began studying the Lin Family''s Protective Clan Formation.


    Lin Shikang, Lin Shigong, Lin Shihua, and Lin Xingyuan, four Foundation Establishment cultivators, all gathered at the main gate, warily watching the Jin Family cultivators outside.


    As the Sun Family clan grounds had been breached, with most of their members dead or injured and only a dozen surviving, the Sun Family was virtually annihilated and utterly drained of vitality.


    The losses to the Jin Family were also not small. Jin Chaojiang had been killed by Lin Xingrong, Jin Zhison and Sun Anzhong had exchanged lives for lives. Aside from Jin Chaohai, who was guarding the clan''s territory, there were only Jin Zhiying, Jin Zhiping, and Jin Chaojiang left¡ªthree people and Zhuang Zhenxin making only four Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    However, the Jin Family''s fighting force was even more formidable. Not to mention Jin Zhiying''s cultivation, Jin Chaozong was at the Foundation Establishment Second Layer, and Jin Zhiping was at the Third Level. Meanwhile, of the Lin Family members present, aside from Lin Shikang at the Eighth Level of Foundation Establishment, all were at the first level, and the Qi Refining clanspeople were also of somewhat lower cultivation.


    If Sun Dingxian and Sun Dingfeng could be counted, they could barely put up a fight. However, the two from the Sun Family had not fully recovered yet, and their combat capabilities were limited. If they were to fight too soon, the Lin Family''s situation would be even more difficult.


    Outside the formation, Zhuang Zhenxin took out a grey bead and threw it at the light screen of the formation.


    The invisible and colorless, and indeed very transparent, light screen suddenly became visible. The structure and energy pathway of the formation appeared faintly in and out of sight as Zhuang Zhenxin immediately began to analyze and deduce with complete focus.


    "Formation Breaking Bead!"


    Lin Shigong cried out in alarm, his expression extremely ugly, and Lin Shihua''s face also changed drastically. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Lin Shigong and others'' faces change, Lin Xingyuan pressed for answers.


    "Third Uncle, what is this bead?"


    Lin Shihua began to explain.


    "The Formation Breaking Bead is a kind of auxiliary treasure. Although it doesn''t have any offensive capabilities, it can be used to assist in breaking formation barriers. It''s scarce in number, highly valuable, and one bead is worth tens of thousands of spirit stones, truly hard to find!"


    After hearing Lin Shihua''s explanation, Lin Xingyuan''s face instantly turned somewhat pale. With such an item, the probability of the Lin Family''s formation being breached skyrocketed.


    Seeing his companions'' distressed expressions, Lin Shikang spoke up to comfort them:


    "Although he has the assistance of the Formation Breaking Bead, breaking the formation in a short time is not so easy. You must know that among the five great families of Luoyun Mountain Range, our Lin Family''s Protective Clan Formation is definitely not inferior to the Jin Family''s, and might even be more formidable."


    Hearing Lin Shikang''s reassuring words, their expressions gradually returned to normal.


    After observing for a long while, Lin Shikang gave instructions.


    "Shigong, a large-scale battle is inevitable now. You three go back and cultivate for a bit, try to increase your skills as much as possible. I will guard here alone, and at the first sign of any situation, I will send a message to you immediately!"


    Lin Shigong and the others nodded, bowed, and left, leaving Lin Shikang alone to guard the place.


    Time flew by, and half a month passed.


    Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family Territory.


    Lin Tianming was sitting in front of an ordinary-looking stone wall, just staring at it intently, lost in thought. Lin Shilu didn''t move an inch, constantly vigilant of every movement around them.


    After half a month of repeated deduction, Lin Tianming hypothesized that the core of the Jin Family''s Protective Formation was very likely hidden within this stone wall.


    Although the place looked unremarkable, filled only with a stone wall and rocks, he still discovered something highly unusual.


    With the Eye of Five Colors opened and after observing for half a day, he found that the stone wall and the rocks added up to exactly eighty-one pieces, arranged at very cunning angles, forming a rudimentary Ninety-Nine Hidden Formation. It looked as though it had formed naturally, and without careful attention, it would be hard to notice.


    But with his careful observation and the assistance of the Eye of Five Colors, Lin Tianming still caught it.


    After a thorough analysis, Lin Tianming revealed a slight smile and fixed his gaze on a certain corner of the stone wall.


    Pointing to a specific spot on the stone wall, Lin Tianming said to Lin Shilu,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, do you see the indented spot on the upper left side of the stone wall?"


    "Hmm, I see it!"


    Seeing Lin Tianming bring it up, Lin Shilu guessed that Lin Tianming might have found a way to break the formation.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, send a message to Uncle Xing Zhi and have him call my father back immediately. Once everyone is assembled, attack the indented spot with all your might. We may be able to break through the Jin Family''s Protective Formation!"


    "Good, you truly are the True Dragon''s Descendant of our Lin Family!"


    Lin Shilu''s face lit up with joy, and after praising him, he immediately sent out a message.


    Half a day later, brothers Lin Xingrong and Lin Xingzhi had both gathered together.


    Upon learning that Lin Tianming had found the weak spot of the Jin Family''s Great Formation, the two were overjoyed.


    After the two had calmed down, Lin Shilu began to make arrangements.


    "Xing Rong, you go to our opposite side and keep an eye on the situation there. The Jin Family likely has an escape route. If you discover anyone fleeing, you must stop them. I will lead Tian Ming and Xing Zhi in the frontal assault for a swift battle. If we cannot overpower them, I will hold the enemy back while you escape with Tian Ming immediately. Understand?"


    "Yes, everyone, be careful!"


    Lin Xingrong and Lin Xingzhi bowed and accepted the orders.


    A quarter of an hour after Lin Xingrong left, Lin Shilu took out an Azure Yellow Great Sword, which was his Magic Artifact, a lower-grade second-order item.


    Lin Shilu poured a large amount of spiritual power into it, and the Azure Yellow Great Sword instantly doubled in size, its blade emitting brilliant spiritual light.


    He leaped dozens of feet into the air, turning into a residual image. Clutching the magical treasure, he thrust directly at the indented point on the upper left corner of the stone wall.


    "Boom..."


    A loud explosion sounded, and the Jin Family''s Protective Formation shook violently before settling down again, only with the might of its barrier significantly reduced.


    Lin Tianming, overjoyed, quickly transmitted his voice:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, this is the spot. Attack it a few more times, and we should be able to completely break through the formation!"


    Without hesitating, Lin Shilu attacked again.


    After three consecutive strikes at the same spot and upon the fourth attack,


    A roaring sound erupted.


    Golden Horn Mountain shook as if an earthquake had struck, and the invisible and colorless barrier suddenly dissipated, exposing every blade of grass and every tree within the Jin Family''s territory to their view.


    Inside the Jin Family''s territory, as the formation vibrated, Jin Chaohai''s face turned pale. It soon returned to normal, and he quickly assembled over two hundred clan members to guard the gate, bracing for the upcoming slaughter.


    As the formation broke and the Jin Family members came into view, Lin Shilu roared like a tiger returning to the forest and a dragon entering the sea, charging directly at Jin Chaohai.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi, each wielding a Spirit Sword, followed him closely, attacking the Jin Family members.


    Without any probing, Lin Shilu swung his sword several times, sending out five Fire Dragon Sword Qis at Jin Chaohai.


    With an earth-shattering strike, Lin Shilu held nothing back. With so few Lin Family members on the offensive, he needed to kill some Qi Refining Stage Cultivators to lessen the pressure on Lin Tianming.


    Facing the raging Fire Dragon Sword Qi, Jin Chaohai''s expression tensed as he threw out more than a dozen Defense Talismans, including several Second Order Defense Talismans. Only with so many talismans was he able to barely block Lin Shilu''s attack.


    Even though he successfully defended himself, he still sustained minor injuries, and a large number of clan members below the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement were directly shaken to death.


    Just one strike had killed dozens of Jin Family members.


    Jin Chaohai had no time to grieve; Lin Shilu gave him no chance to react and locked onto him, launching another attack.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming cut down three swords, attacking the Jin Family members.


    Suddenly, three people charged out beside Jin Chaohai¡ªone at Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage and two at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining¡ªthey all attacked together.

 Chapter 104 Hard-won Victory_1

    Sword Qi assaulted them, the Jin Family''s three members, besieging from all angles, wore expressions tinged with solemnness as they felt the intense fluctuations of Sword Qi.Among the three Jin Family members at Luoyun Market''s auction, Jin Qilong was also present.


    In the face of Lin Tianming''s attack, the leading Jin Chaojun pulled out a dark green shield, poured Spiritual Power into it, and narrowly blocked Lin Tianming''s assault.


    Not far away, Jin Qilong took out a blue gourd, tossed it into the sky, and immediately a dense, foul-smelling, dark green mist emanated from the gourd, surging directly towards Lin Tianming.


    "Poisonous..."


    Lin Tianming dared not take it lightly, waving his hands, eighteen Earth Evil Swords shot out, circling once before transforming into a hundred sword shadows.


    Lin Tianming, manipulating the numerous Earth Evil Swords, shaped them into a sword lotus, shielding himself from the oncoming dense mist.


    "Hmm..."


    The Sword Lotus''s speed greatly decreased, and the surfaces of the Earth Evil Swords instantly made a "sizzling" sound.


    The dense mist, spurred by Jin Qilong, was not only toxic but also hindered the functioning of sword techniques. In less than three breaths'' time, several Earth Evil Swords were corroded, which in turn drastically slowed down the sword shadows.


    With no time for shock, Lin Tianming hastily issued a palm strike, unleashing a Wind Control Skill that instantaneously dispersed the approaching dense mist.


    Seeing Lin Tianming easily neutralizing the poison mist attack, Jin Qilong''s expression shifted.


    This poison mist was something he had put a lot of effort into collecting a large number of poisons to refine. It had a strong corrosive effect on Spiritual Artifacts, and if one absorbed too much poison mist, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would lose their ability to fight.


    Seizing the moment of Jin Qilong''s astonishment, Lin Tianming shifted his gaze to Jin Chaojun.


    Being attacked by too many members of the Jin Family, the longer it dragged on, the more difficult his situation would become.


    He had to quickly kill or seriously injure one person. Even if it was just a serious injury, the pressure on him would be much relieved.


    Having made his decision, Lin Tianming waved his hand, throwing out more than ten attack talismans, among them the Fiery Flame Charm obtained from the auction.


    In the sky, the Second Order talismans transformed into three fireballs the size of buckets, accompanied by several Sword Qi blasts, and killed their way towards the three Jin Family members with incredible speed.


    Taking advantage of the moment they were busy dealing with the attacks, Lin Tianming waved his hands another time, scattering the eighteen Earth Evil Swords across various corners within dozens of yards.


    As the fireballs and Sword Qi drew nearer, the expressions of Jin Qilong''s three members turned exceedingly grave.


    The fireballs approached with such speed and alarming power that, coupled with their close proximity, it was very difficult for the three to evade successfully.


    Left with little time to think, each of the Jin Family members rapidly pulled out a Defensive Spiritual Tool from their storage bags to protect themselves.


    After a series of crackling explosions, the fireballs burst.


    "Ah..."


    After a scream.


    A few cracks appeared on the high-quality Defensive Spiritual Tools of Jin Qilong and Jin Chaojun. Subjected to the violent impact, both men turned pale, their insides churning as they struggled not to vomit.


    Another Jin Family member at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining was not so lucky. Read latest stories on empire


    As he did not have a high-quality Defensive Spiritual Tool, the Second Order talismans, even if their power was split into three, were too much for his Spiritual Artifact to withstand.


    The Fiery Flame Charm turned into a fireball that directly pierced his defenses. When the fireball exploded, it entirely engulfed him, instantly turning him into a Fire Man.


    Watching their tragic kinsman turned to ashes, Jin Chaojun and Jin Qilong''s faces turned alternately green and white.


    Lin Tianming, holding nothing back, took out his very last reserves, using up all his remaining attack talismans.


    With this kind of generous combat style, he succeeded in killing one person with a single strike.


    Without giving Jin Qilong and the others time to react, Lin Tianming immediately activated the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, enveloping the two Jin Family members.


    As Lin Tianming''s cultivation became increasingly profound, the Sword Qi within the Sword Array became more solid and its power grew stronger. After much combat and strategic experience, his abilities had greatly improved.


    Feeling the pressure of the surrounding environment, the two Jin Family members wore grave expressions, carefully dodging the ceaselessly wandering Sword Qi, considerably slowing down their speed.


    Jin Chaojun took out a long spear, poured a great deal of Spiritual Power into it, and attacked the barriers of the Sword Array over and over in a frenzy.


    Jin Qilong, likewise not daring to delay, spurred on even more concentrated poison mist, attempting to corrode the Sword Array.


    Unfortunately, although the dense mist could corrode lower grade Spiritual Artifacts, it had no effect whatsoever on the Sword Array.


    Facing the threat of death, Jin Qilong joined hands with Jin Chaojun to repeatedly assault the barriers of the Sword Array.


    Together, they pushed the Sword Array to the brink of collapse.


    At this time, Lin Tianming''s consumption of Spiritual Power doubled, the pressure was immense, but even so, he firmly held the Sword Array steady.


    Forty yards...


    Thirty yards...


    ...


    As the area within the Sword Array gradually shrank, the two Jin Family members looked even paler and weaker, the Qi Refining Cultivators like ants on a hot pan.


    Outside the Sword Array, numerous cultivators, reduced by six or seven levels, joined hands in the attack on Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi.


    At that moment, various talismans and spells blossomed in the void.


    Busy dealing with the attack inside the Sword Array, and facing the onslaught of the Jin Family members, Lin Tianming was in a particularly dire situation.


    Luckily, Qi Refining cultivators above the eighth level from the Jin Family were reassigned, leaving mostly those at the sixth and seventh levels, with fewer than five above the eighth level, otherwise Lin Tianming and his companions would have already been defeated.


    The Jin Family members attacking Lin Xingzhi totaled dozens. Despite the significant difference in cultivation level, under the attack of so many cultivators, his situation was even more dire than Lin Tianming''s.


    The two of them struggled desperately, knowing that as long as Lin Shilu defeated Jin Chaohai, all problems would be resolved.


    But facing the Jin Family members who regarded death as if returning home, the battle was incredibly fierce. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    High above, Lin Shilu and Jin Chaohai were engaged in a fierce battle. With the advantages of heaven and earth, as well as the assistance from the dozens of family members on the ground, even Jin Chaohai, at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, was able to hold his own against Lin Shilu at the Fourth Level of Foundation Establishment without falling behind too much.

 Chapter 104 Hard-fought Victory_2

    The two had already exchanged blows for dozens of rounds, and Lin Shilu was feeling extremely stifled. He thought that with his higher cultivation and the advantage of his Magic Artifact, he should have been able to quickly kill Jin Chaohai.However, the restraint from the Jin Family Clan''s members below was too troublesome, and even Foundation Establishment Cultivators couldn''t completely ignore it.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi''s situation was dire, Lin Shilu decisively changed strategies.


    Since he couldn''t take down Jin Chaohai in a short time, his only option was to kill the Jin Family Clan''s members on the ground to make Jin Chaohai hesitate.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Shilu threw out several talisman papers, blocking Jin Chaohai for a moment.


    Taking advantage of this brief interval, Lin Shilu unleashed his Sword Qi in a sweeping attack, directly plunging into the group of clan members on the ground, with the attitude of a ravenous wolf pouncing on its prey.


    The sudden shift in target caught the Jin Family members off guard, and Jin Chaohai, having dodged the talisman paper and Sword Qi, was already too late to come to their rescue.


    After the Sword Qi swept through, blood and flesh blurred together in the aftermath, with severed limbs and body parts strewn all over the entrance to the mountain.


    The frenzied attack of Lin Shilu and the horrible death of the clan members made the Jin Family Cultivators'' scalps tingle with fear, and many clan members were scared out of their wits and retreated in panic.


    Knowing that retreating would be useless and would only hasten the Jin Family''s defeat, Jin Chaohai urgently shouted.


    "No retreating, no retreating, speed up the attack..."


    The retreating Jin Family members, most of whom came to their senses, gathered around again, while some female relatives still failed to realize the situation, foolishly thinking they could survive.


    Unfortunately, their realization came a bit too late.


    Taking advantage of the Jin Family members'' hesitation, Lin Tianming was under much less pressure.


    The range covered by the Earth Fiend Sword Formation began to shrink again, now less than thirty feet.


    "Constrict them!"


    At the heart of the Sword Array, Jin Qilong was red-eyed and disheveled, with numerous wounds of varied depths all over his body, looking like a bloodied man.


    Jin Chaojun wasn''t faring any better, his Minor Shield Spirit Instrument was completely riddled with holes. Facing increasingly intense Sword Qi and a shrinking space to survive in, he fell into utter despair.


    Seeing the desperate situation of Jin Qilong and others, Jin Chaohai was frantic and attacked furiously. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shilu, now free to act, naturally wouldn''t let him get his way, immediately stepping in front of Lin Tianming.


    Lin Shilu took out a small azure-red shield, firmly protecting Lin Tianming.


    Just as Jin Chaohai''s attack approached, a loud explosion followed, and two miserable screams came from within the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    Lin Shilu successfully blocked Jin Chaohai''s lethal attack, allowing Lin Tianming to take the opportunity to kill Jin Qilong and the others, gaining his freedom.


    Without further concerns, Lin Shilu once again engaged in battle with Jin Chaohai.


    At the brink of hopelessness, Lin Xingzhi took out a Huiyuan Pill and swallowed it. With a wave of his arms, he threw the eighteen Earth Evil Swords towards the heads of the Jin Family Clan''s members, enveloping dozens of people within.


    With no High Order Cultivator''s attack, the range of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation shrank step by step after activation.


    With Lin Tianming joining in, the two of them fighting together pushed the Jin Family members back, teetering on the edge of collapse.


    With no clan members to restrain him and a gap in the realm between them, Jin Chaohai''s situation rapidly declined, leaving him only capable of defensive measures and inevitably headed for defeat.


    At this point, Jin Chaohai realized that the situation was beyond salvage, his fighting spirit was gone, and he was ready to flee at any moment.


    Jin Chaohai repeated his tactic, launching an all-out strike at Lin Tianming, to make Lin Shilu hesitate, and while Lin Shilu was occupied with the rescue, Jin Chaohai fled towards the back mountain of the Jin Family Clan''s Territory.


    After deflecting the attack for Lin Tianming, Lin Shilu immediately gave chase.


    Well aware of the great threat posed by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, if one were to escape and successfully regroup with Jin Zhiying, they would have no choice but to flee in panic.


    If he had to run with Lin Xingrong, it would be relatively easy, but if he had to take Lin Tianming and the others, the chances of a successful escape were too slim. Under no circumstances could he abandon Lin Tianming, so Jin Chaohai must die.


    Lin Shilu and Jin Chaohai, one pursuing and the other fleeing, turned into two fleeting shadows weaving through the territory of the Jin Family Clan.


    Little did they know, with Jin Chaohai''s escape route cut off, Lin Xingrong had already lain in ambush on the Jin Family''s back mountain. If they tried to break through from the front, they might still have a chance to live, but entering the back mountain meant a near-certain death.


    ...


    The back mountain of the Jin Family.


    Lin Xingrong lay hidden atop a tree, holding a Spirit Sword, releasing his entire Divine Sense, feeling all nearby movements, with each plant and tree appearing in his mind.


    Hearing the successive explosions coming from the Jin Family Clan''s Territory, Lin Xingrong''s expression was grim, extremely concerned about the safety of his companions.


    After the time it took an incense stick to burn, Lin Xingrong spotted Jin Chaohai shooting out from behind a waterfall, flying towards his direction, with a distance of several miles between them.


    Just a few breaths later, Lin Shilu also passed through the waterfall''s water curtain, pursuing Jin Chaohai.


    Lin Xingrong did not act rashly, steadying his mind and expertly hiding among the leaves.


    Focused on escape, Jin Chaohai seemed to have no clue and continued to flee towards Lin Xingrong, with the distance between them closing to less than a thousand zhang.


    Lin Xingrong measured the distance, ready to strike at any moment with a fatal blow.


    Six hundred zhang...


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    Four hundred zhang...


    Just as it neared two hundred zhang, Lin Xingrong leapt up and brandished his sword thrice, slashing towards Jin Chaohai.


    Confronted with the sudden attack, a tremor went through Jin Chaohai''s heart. With the distance too close, he could not dodge in time and had to hastily pull out a minor shield to save his life.


    A booming sound echoed, as if a blazing sun burst in the sky.


    Jin Chaohai took the full force of the blow and was sent flying back dozens of zhang, coughing up several mouthfuls of fresh blood.


    When it rains, it pours; not only had he suffered an injury from taking the blow head-on, but Lin Shilu had drawn within several hundred zhang and was still closing the distance.


    Jin Chaohai, disregarding his injuries and the reasons for the ambush, turned around and immediately fled.


    Lin Xingrong waved his sword several times, blocking his path and buying time for Lin Shilu.


    Realizing Lin Xingrong''s cultivation was two levels lower than his, Jin Chaohai struck out in a panic, hoping to carve a way out.


    Lin Xingrong took out a blood-colored jade pendant and shielded himself with it, immediately retreating explosively.


    With a thunderous crash, the jade pendant smashed to pieces, utterly dissipating into the void.


    Lin Xingrong''s cultivation was indeed slightly lower, and even though Jin Chaohai was injured, his attack was still formidable.


    Facing Jin Chaohai''s desperate attack and unable to dodge, Lin Xingrong was hit by the attack''s shockwave, sent tumbling back dozens of zhang and crashing through several large trees before he managed to stop and stand up, with a pale face, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    Seeing Lin Xingrong being pushed back and a path being cleared, Jin Chaohai felt a surge of joy and immediately tried to dash through.


    As he passed Lin Xingrong, Lin Shilu had already arrived, blocking his way.


    Lin Xingrong, also unconcerned with his injuries, stood up, and together with Lin Shilu, once again surrounded Jin Chaohai.


    After exchanging a nod, the two, as if by tacit understanding, immediately launched an attack, and in no time the three were engaged in battle.


    Alone, Jin Chaohai was no match for Lin Shilu, and with Lin Xingrong, a Foundation Establishment cultivator joining in, he could only defend passively, unable to counterattack.


    As time dragged on, Jin Chaohai''s situation grew increasingly dire, with his injuries worsening and him finding himself in a desperate plight.


    After a forceful strike, Lin Shilu''s voice transmitted,


    "Xingrong, we must finish this quickly, Tian Ming is still fighting, and any delay may lead to unexpected changes!"


    "Alright, let''s join forces for a decisive strike, and finish him off for good!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xingrong threw out more than ten pieces of talisman paper, bombarding Jin Chaohai from above, while Lin Shilu swung out the Azure Yellow Great Sword, thrusting it directly at Jin Chaohai.


    Busy dealing with the talisman papers, Jin Chaohai was in a frantic disarray, desperately using the minor shield in front of him, hoping it could withstand the lethal strike.


    "Boom..."


    In an instant, a loud explosion erupted accompanied by a deluge of sword rain.


    The minor shield was pierced through by Lin Shilu''s magical treasure, creating a huge hole, and the Azure Yellow Great Sword slammed right onto his chest.


    Jin Chaohai''s body soared like a kite with its string cut, drawing an arc as it plummeted to the ground.


    By then, Jin Chaohai''s body was beyond recognition, half of his chest shattered, lifeless.


    Lin Shilu rushed over, seemingly still not reassured; he delivered a stroke of his sword and beheaded Jin Chaohai.


    When Jin Chaohai''s body and head were separated, Lin Shilu retrieved his storage bag, cast a Fireball Technique to incinerate his corpse, and then wiped away any traces of the battle on the ground.


    After cleaning up everything, he immediately took Lin Xingrong and flew towards the inner part of the Jin Family Clan''s Territory.

 Chapter 105 Outbreak of War_1

    The gates of the Jin Family, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi were still in fierce battle with the members of the Jin Family.The Earth Fiend Sword Formation was like a massive tornado, constantly spinning, with Sword Qi moving rapidly both inside and out, trapping dozens of people within it.


    When operated at full power, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation truly was a deadly weapon. It was tremendously powerful against cultivators of lower cultivation than him. Once trapped with no way to attack or escape, the large-scale killing effect was extremely terrifying.


    On the perimeter of the Sword Array, the Jin Family members who weren''t enveloped by the formation didn''t dare to be careless, frantically launching sky-filling Sword Qi and Blade Qi, along with numerous talismans and spells, bombarding Lin Tianming and his companion relentlessly.


    Lin Tianming firmly held the Sword Array in place, keeping it operating normally without any slack, not knowing how many attacks he had endured.


    As the area covered by the Earth Fiend Sword Formation gradually shrank, soon there was less than ninety feet worth of space to move in, continuing to squeeze the living space of the Jin Family members.


    In the process of the Sword Array''s contraction, terrified screams were occasionally heard.


    "Ah! Save me..."


    Regrettably, the Jin Family members who were still alive were all unable to save themselves, let alone rescue others.


    Watching their kin die horribly, the remaining Jin Family members turned pale, looking at the increasingly smaller living space, and each felt utterly hopeless.


    Mercy towards an enemy is harm to oneself and one''s clansmen.


    Well aware of this, Lin Tianming''s eyes were bloodshot, showing not the slightest pity, continuously manipulating the Sword Array, continuing to reap the lives of his enemies.


    For a moment, it was as if hell had come to the living world within the Sword Array.


    Before long, there was no more movement in the Sword Array, and Lin Tianming dispelled it, revealing the horrific scene inside.


    The air was filled with the stench of blood and flesh, and time seemed to stand still.


    The nearly hundred Jin Family members who were still alive looked at the bloody, muddled sight, and quite a few vomited on the spot.


    Some of the Jin Family female cultivators looked again at Lin Tianming, as if they had seen the God of Slaughter, their complexions suddenly losing color.


    Lin Tianming paid no mind to these fearful gazes, once again making his move, intent on wiping out the rest.


    Realizing the situation was hopeless, members of the Jin Family scattered in all directions, running away.


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    Suddenly, with hundreds of targets, Lin Tianming and his companion were overwhelmed and couldn''t catch everyone, with many having already fled hundreds of feet away.


    At that moment, the oppressive presence of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator descended, causing many of the Jin Family members to stop in their tracks, and a few even fell from the sky, vomiting blood repeatedly.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather has finally returned."


    Lin Tianming''s face lit up with immense joy as he continued his assault on the fleeing enemies.


    Lin Shilu arrived and with a swing of his sword, created a barrier of green and yellow Sword Qi, blocking the path of the Jin Family members.


    A few Jin Family cultivators who couldn''t dodge in time, barely touched by the Sword Qi, spat out blood, clearly injured by the Sword Qi and completely lost their combat ability.


    With Lin Shilu''s arrival, Lin Xingrong also followed. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The four of them cornered the nearly hundred remaining Jin Family members from four directions, completely cutting off their escape.


    Screams of agony filled the air...


    After a short time, with the death of the last person, the Jin Family Clan''s Territory suddenly fell silent.


    By then, the main gate of the Jin Family at Golden Horn Mountain had largely collapsed, numerous buildings riddled with holes and several burning fiercely.


    Within the peak of Golden Horn Mountain, corpses were strewn everywhere, the ground soaked red, a scene of brutal carnage.


    The great battle finally ended, with not a single member of the Jin Family surviving.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi were in a terrible state, their Spiritual Power exhausted and their breaths extremely chaotic, sheer willpower keeping them upright.


    Descending from the sky to the ground, the two quickly took out two elixirs and swallowed them, then sat down to meditate and recuperate on the spot.


    Lin Shilu and Lin Xingrong were in better condition, with no significant injuries aside from depleted Spiritual Power.


    "Xing Rong, let''s quickly clean up this place and collect all the spoils of war. Once those two have recovered a bit, we''ll go collect the treasures of the Jin Family,"


    Lin Xingrong nodded and the two began to clear the battlefield, leaving Lin Tianming and his companion to heal and recover.


    In less than an hour, the countless severed limbs and indistinct corpses were burned away and cleared.


    The ravaged Jin Family gates looked much better, the fires consuming the buildings were extinguished, and aside from the traces of broken walls, there was no sign of the previous battle.


    ...


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    Twenty days had passed since the Jin Family members had assembled there.


    Jin Zhiying''s lips curled slightly upward, his eyes burning hot as he stared at the interior of Green Bamboo Mountain, imagining in his mind conquering the Lin Family''s Protective Clan Formation and obtaining a wealth of treasures.


    What he didn''t realize was that, at this very moment, his own Jin Family Clan''s Territory was already littered with corpses, with not a single survivor, except for those who had escaped to this place and the market.


    He could not have imagined that the Lin Family had hidden as many as four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, nor could he foresee that Lin Tianming possessed the Eye of Five Colors, an extraordinary treasure. With little effort, Lin Tianming had broken the formation he was so confident in, killing the majority of the Jin Family members.


    After his daydream, Jin Zhiying remained composed instead of completely losing his mind.


    He deeply understood that the Lin Family, having produced Golden Elixir Experts, was a clan with not insignificant foundations. Although they had been in decline for over two hundred years and had not regained their former glory, they were not a force to be trifled with.


    Snapping back to reality, Jin Zhiying sent a message to Zhuang Zhenxin in front of him;


    "Daoist Zhuang, how is it, any progress?"


    Zhuang Zhenxin turned around with a serious expression;


    "This Lin Family''s formation is indeed extraordinary, perfectly integrated with the terrain of this place, and after hundreds of years of reinforcement, its power is tremendous. It''s very likely that the cultivator who set this Formation was extraordinary, possibly even a Third Order Array Master''s work."

 Chapter 105 The Great War Erupts_2

    Upon hearing Zhuang Zhenxin''s words, Jin Zhiying''s expression turned gloomy, seemingly somewhat disappointed.After planning for such a long time, if he couldn''t seriously damage the Lin and Sun Families, once they caught their breath, they would definitely not let the Jin Family off the hook.


    In that case, the Jin Family''s situation would become extremely difficult, and their current plan would have utterly failed.


    "So you''re saying we''ve failed, according to what Daoist Zhuang has said?"


    Zhuang Zhenxin''s complexion instantly returned to normal, and he offered a faint smile as he hastily began to clarify.


    "Although the Lin Family''s Protective Clan Formation is extraordinary, I''ve almost finished my research and deductions. I believe that within a few days, we''ll have results. We have waited this many days already, a day or two more won''t make a difference."


    Upon hearing Zhuang Zhenxin''s explanation, Jin Zhiying''s expression changed, and he became excited instantly, quickly ordering the Jin Family Members behind him to make all preparations. The moment the formation was breached, they were to immediately attack the Lin Family Members.


    After giving the orders, Jin Family Members raised their arms and cheered, each wearing a confident smile that was indescribably self-assured.


    Within the Lin Family Clan Grounds, inside the Protective Clan Formation.


    Lin Shikang had been guarding the edge of the formation, observing every action of the Jin Family through the light screen of the formation.


    Feeling the energy of the Protective Clan Formation slowing down and seeing the Jin Family Members outside the formation showing joy, Lin Shikang looked solemn and immediately sent out several messages.


    In a short while, Lin Shigong along with several other Foundation Establishment Clan Members of the Lin Family and Sun Dingxian arrived after being alerted, quickly rushing over together.


    After exchanging greetings and seeing Lin Shikang''s grim expression, Lin Shigong anxiously asked, "Third Brother, is there a problem with the formation?"


    Lin Shikang did not conceal anything and shared the changes in the formation as well as the reactions of the Jin Family Members.


    After hearing this, everyone''s expression changed slightly, but they quickly regained their composure.


    Given the situation, the Jin Family would definitely not retreat. A great battle was now inevitable.


    Seeing that the others were not overly perturbed, Lin Shikang was quite pleased and began making arrangements.


    "Daoist Sun, how are your injuries? Have you recovered?"


    Faced with Lin Shikang''s kind inquiry, Sun Dingxian and his companion expressed their thanks with a salute and calmly replied,


    "Our injuries have completely healed. Lin, please give us your commands. Our Sun Family and the Jin Family are irreconcilable enemies. As long as we survive this ordeal, we are willing to form an eternal alliance with the Lin Family and will never betray it."


    Sun Dingxian spoke with sincerity. Learning that the Lin Family had several hidden Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the two of them were greatly shocked. They promptly shared their intentions, hoping to receive the Lin Family''s help.


    When under the eaves, one must bow the head. Faced with the powerful Jin Family, the Sun Family was no match. Perhaps they could truly seek revenge with the help of the Lin Family.


    "Good... With the help of the two Sun brothers, our force''s strength is no less than the Jin Family''s. In a life-and-death battle, the outcome is still uncertain."


    With Sun Dingxian and his companion willing to lend their full support, Lin Shikang felt much more at ease.


    Once he confirmed the condition of the two, Lin Shikang''s lips moved slightly as he secretly transmitted a message to Lin Shihua.


    Sun Dingxian, who was beside him, had already noticed this and presumed it to be about something important. Hence, he didn''t inquire further, as it was natural that the Lin Family''s secrets were not easily revealed.


    After a short while, Lin Shihua bowed and left, his destination unknown.


    Once Lin Shihua had left, Lin Shikang and the others did not take their leave but instead sat to the side and waited. Explore hidden tales at empire


    After half a day, Lin Shikang arrived with dozens of people, all lined up neatly to the side.


    Each one of them already knew what they were about to face, and they each had a fierce look in their eyes, with solemn expressions.


    Lin Shikang stood up with several Foundation Establishment Stage members and walked forward, stopping before the crowd.


    He looked at all the clan members present, both male and female, all of whom were Lin Family Members above the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    Lin Shikang''s gaze swept over each person as if he wanted to remember the face of everyone there.


    After a short pause, Lin Shikang finally spoke.


    "I trust you all are already aware of the challenge we''re about to face. We don''t need to speak of the Jin Family''s strength; many have crossed paths with them, even clashed in battle. In this war, perhaps many of our clan members will perish. Are you afraid?"


    "Not afraid..."


    All the clan members responded in unison, their resounding reply echoing throughout Green Bamboo Mountain.


    "Good, that is the spirit of our Lin Family!"


    "The Jin Family harbors greedy ambitions, striving to dominate the Luoyun Mountain Range. The Wu Family has already been annihilated, and the Sun Family has suffered heavy casualties. Facing such ravenous wolves who have set their sights on our Lin Family, we must fight for our family, for our kin behind us, and for our honor."


    "So, muster your valor. When the enemy comes, slay them and defend the dignity of the Lin Family. Can you do it?"


    "We can!"


    Subsequently, Lin Shikang raised his arm and shouted, "For the family, we swear to protect to the death..."


    "For the family, we swear to protect to the death..."


    Every clan member about to enter the battle clenched their teeth with rising fervor.


    Lin Shikang and a few others faced the formation outside while sitting on the ground, with the clan members behind them following suit, waiting for the imminent battle.


    ...


    A day passed outside the grand formation.


    Zhuang Zhenxin sat in front of the light curtain of the formation, with a grey and white pearl spinning endlessly above his head.


    At that moment, Zhuang Zhenxin''s brows were deeply furrowed, and large beads of sweat continuously fell from his forehead.


    Suddenly, a piercing sound came through, and Zhuang Zhenxin shouted.


    "Now is the moment!"


    Behind him, Jin Zhiying grasped the Jin Family''s Magical Treasure Thousand Blood Blade and leaped dozens of yards high, slashing fiercely at one corner of the light curtain.


    A ferocious blood-red flood dragon smashed against the light curtain.


    "Sizzle..."


    The Lin Family''s Protective Clan Formation shook, the light curtain caved in momentarily before returning to normal, but the operation of the formation seemed to be noticeably affected, its defensive power significantly weakened.


    The Lin Family members all perceived the disturbance immediately, rose to their feet, and tightly grasped talisman paper and Spiritual Artifacts in their hands, vigilantly watching the outside of the light curtain.


    After the initial strike failed, Jin Zhiying acted consecutively, launching three attacks one after another.


    "Roar..."


    The entire gate of the mountain shook slightly, and the invisible, colorless light curtain vanished into thin air, revealing the figures of both clashing clans to each other.


    With faces flushed red, Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin immediately rushed in, followed closely by the Jin Family members, with the great battle on the brink of erupting.


    Just then, a piercing, shrill screech resounded, a sound that captivated one''s soul.


    Suddenly, a three-yard-long green spider crawled swiftly, moving across several mountain peaks with ease and astonishing speed.


    As the sound passed the Lin Family members and reached the attacking Jin Family members, they all paused, their movements inexplicably slowing.


    "A Soul-eating Spider in the Second Order Late Phase!"


    Jin Zhiying exclaimed in alarm, his face turning dark as he immediately halted his advance.


    Although he had known that the Lin Family possessed a Guardian Spirit Beast left by the Patriarch of the Lin Family, its exact type had never been known, and it was unexpected to find it to be a Soul-eating Spider! S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Soul-eating Spider, a Second Order Demon Insect, had unremarkable offensive capabilities but possessed a special skill to launch sonic attacks that could significantly affect a Cultivator''s soul, and its web, capable of trapping enemies, was highly effective, making it one of the rarest of demon insects.


    Jin Zhiying, startled for a moment, quickly recovered and a trace of greed appeared in his eyes.


    With the Patriarch of the Lin Family dead, the insect must be masterless now; such a rare demon insect, if successfully bonded, would surely be a great asset.


    "Kill them all!"


    Jin Zhiying roared, awakening the Jin Family members from their stupor.


    Taking the lead, Jin Zhiying immediately initiated an attack, with the Jin Family members quickly following.


    The great battle erupted, Lin Shikang soared into the air, the Soul-eating Spider closely following him as they both charged towards Jin Zhiying.


    The two men and the spider clashed fiercely, their Sword Qi and Blade Qi colliding continuously, generating waves of turbulence.


    As Lin Shikang fought valiantly, Lin Shihua and Sun Dingfeng joined forces against Jin Zhiping.


    Meanwhile, Lin Shigong and Lin Xingyuan went after Jin Chaozong, with Sun Dingxian confronting Zhuang Zhenxin.


    Ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators took to the sky, forming four major battlegrounds, fiercely engaging with one another.


    Beneath them, the Qi Refining Stage clanspeople, led by the Great Perfection members such as Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin, clashed with the Jin Family amid chaotic battle.


    For a moment, the sky was filled with spells and talisman papers cutting through the heavens, with the Lin Family''s Sword Qi directly colliding with the Jin Family''s Blade Qi.


    Below Green Bamboo Mountain, battles raged everywhere, both sides fighting to the death.


    Thus, the great battle fully erupted.

 Chapter 106 Lin Familys Trump Card_1

    green bamboo mountain, within the lin family clan grounds.in front of the elders'' council''s great hall, a large number of lin family members gathered together, all of them practicing fifth level qi cultivation or below.


    for the sake of family protection, nearly a hundred lin family members did not participate in the great battle. every clan member clenched their fists tightly, their eyes red as they focused on the distant battle unfolding several miles away.


    at the mountain gate, nearly a hundred people were engaged in fierce combat.


    all kinds of bizarre spiritual artifacts appeared, and talismans fluttered throughout the sky. spells of all colors burst forth, with members of both sides sustaining injuries. the lin family members were at a disadvantage.


    before long, most talismans were used up. the qi refining cultivators from the jin family, with killing intent on their faces, charged towards the lin family members.


    lin shiji and lin shixin were the ones to face the brunt of the assault, each taking on several jin family cultivators at once, including a few at the complete qi refining stage. the pressure was immense.


    as the cultivators from the jin family had an overall higher cultivation, the two of them had to take on more burdens. otherwise, many of their clan members would be unable to survive.


    lucky for them, they were no ordinary individuals at great perfection. although their foundation establishment had failed, the minor foundation building pills had transformed their bodies, making their spiritual power even more profound. for the time being, they did not fall into much of a disadvantage.


    the outcome of the great battle wasn''t something the qi refinement realm cultivators could influence. only the victory of foundation establishment clan members could determine the outcome.


    high above in the sky, the situation for the foundation establishment clan members of the lin family was hardly optimistic. even though they had the advantage in numbers, their cultivation levels were much lower.


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    lin shihua, together with sun dingfeng at the fourth level of foundation building, engaged in battle with jin zhiping, who was at the fifth level of foundation establishment.


    sun dingfeng, trapped by formations and facing the destruction of the sun family clan grounds and the death of hundreds of his family members, was enraged beyond measure.


    sun dingfeng''s eyes bloodshot, he grasped dozens of talismans and flung them skyward. in an instant, a sea of fire engulfed jin zhiping.


    while jin zhiping was surrounded by the sea of flames, lin shihua and sun dingfeng struck continuously, and from different angles, two streams of sword qi headed for jin zhiping.


    feeling the encroaching flames around him, jin zhiping, in a panic, quickly took out a shield to protect himself.


    after a breath''s time had passed, the flames extinguished, revealing sun dingfeng''s figure.


    his clothes were tattered, almost none remained intact; the skin that was exposed was scorched black, giving off the stench of something burnt.


    jin zhiping, looking disheveled, swallowed back a mouthful of blood, his fury unbounded. he immediately counterattacked, charging at lin shihua and sun dingfeng.


    the two sides engaged fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand for the moment.


    at another battlefield.


    sun dingxian took out a grey-ink-colored jade pendant, none other than the sun family''s treasured qiankun brush.


    with a casual wave, a streak of golden light appeared in the void, shooting at zhuang zhenxin like a meteor.


    as it was the sun family''s treasured artifact, its power was naturally extraordinary.


    zhuang zhenxin did not dare to be careless, hurriedly taking out a small shield from his storage bag, which turned out to be a second order medium quality magic artifact, and held it squarely in front of him.


    "clang."


    after the burst of noise, sun dingxian''s attack was easily blocked.


    zhuang zhenxin licked his dry lips, not knowing when he had taken out a greenish array flag, tossing it into the air. then his fingers rapidly flipped through several spell gestures, casting them upon the array flag.


    suddenly, the array flag burst into brilliant light, and from it, numerous monster beast souls flew out, easily a hundred, all crazily assaulting sun dingxian.


    startled, sun dingxian hastily retreated while throwing several second order defense talismans in front of him.


    successive explosions resonated in the sky as the second order talismans consumed a great number of monster beast souls, blocking the assault for a brief moment and allowing him to dodge the attack safely.


    zhuang zhenxin did not relent, once again bringing out different treasures, and the two continued their aggressive exchange.


    as an array master, zhuang zhenxin had an endless supply of treasures, and his strength was indeed formidable, pressing sun dingxian continuously.


    without the sun family''s powerfully treasured artifact and the numerous second order talismans, sun dingxian would have likely fallen already. s§×ar?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    on the outskirts of the battlefield, lin shigong and lin xingyuan were fighting jin chaozong.


    together, they matched jin chaozong blow for blow, with neither side able to gain a clear advantage for the time being.


    on the most advantageous part of the battlefield, lin shikang was in fierce battle with jin zhiying, with a soul-eating spider assisting by his side.


    jin zhiying, relying on his foundation establishment great perfection cultivation and coordinating with the jin family''s magical treasure thousand blood blade, attacked ferociously, intent on swiftly concluding the fight.


    "woosh, woosh."


    the formidable blade qi gleamed with blood light, appearing again and again, each strike repelling lin shikang more than ten yards.


    lin shikang stabilized his stance as his blood roiled continuously, his jade pendant spiritual artifact pushed to the limit, shattered by the violent blade qi, turning to ash.


    facing jin zhiying''s relentless attacking frequency, lin shikang''s expression was solemn, the pressure immense.


    despite holding the disadvantage, lin shikang wasn''t resigned to fate. he hastily threw out a few second order talismans, casting them into the sky, which turned into several fire swords charging towards jin zhiying.


    jin zhiying paused, effortlessly striking and shattering the fire swords with a casual blow, his face showing a mocking smile.


    lin shikang hadn''t expected the second order talismans to cause any harm to jin zhiying. to injure jin zhiying, likely only third order talismans would be effective. regardless of how many second order talismans there were, they were useless, serving at best to delay some time.


    using the delay, lin shikang adjusted his condition, readying for a counterattack.


    with a pat of his storage bag, a golden greatsword appeared in front of him. the greatsword glowed golden yellow, and the blade was filled with dense runes. upon its appearance, it slowly absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy, an eerie sight to behold.


    jin zhiying couldn''t help but exclaim, "the golden wind sword!"


    as for the lin family''s golden wind sword, with hundreds of years of interactions among the five major families of luoyun mountain, jin zhiying had long heard of it, yet this was his first time seeing its true form.

 Chapter 106 Lin Familys Trump Card_2

    ```feeling the intense fluctuations of the golden wind sword, it indeed was a genuine second order superior magic artifact, much stronger than their jin family''s thousand blood blade.


    jin zhiying''s face changed, and he immediately became cautious.


    lin shikang gazed at the ancestral relic in front of him with pride. it was known that for nearly two hundred years, the lin family had not wielded the golden wind sword, keeping it as the treasure of the clan, daring not to use it lightly.


    the golden wind sword had played a significant role in the lin family''s enduring legacy after the ancestor''s passing.


    after fighting fiercely for more than a dozen rounds, lin shikang was very clear that relying only on himself and the soul-eating spider, the hope of defeating jin zhiying was slim.


    the moment of life and death had arrived, and if he didn''t use it now, the lin family would likely have a hard time surviving.


    once lin shikang grabbed hold of the golden wind sword, the blade trembled slightly, as if resonating.


    lin shikang infused copious amounts of spiritual power and slashed furiously at jin zhiying several times.


    three streaks of golden sword qi flew directly towards jin zhiying, ripping open a fissure in the ground and devouring a good amount of the air.


    as soon as lin shikang made a move, the soul-eating spider beside him let out a piercing cry, spitting out several strands of spider silk towards jin zhiying.


    jin zhiying, who was about to counterattack, suddenly paused as his divine sense inexplicably experienced a sharp pain, clearly affected by the sonic attack of the soul-eating spider.


    the sonic attack from the second order late phase soul-eating spider was indeed strange; if it were fighting a foundation establishment sixth level cultivator, it could probably easily influence them for a moment.


    and the effect of a moment, with the speed of the soul-eating spider, would allow it to easily close in for an attack.


    jin zhiying steadied his spirit, cast aside the distractions in his mind, and after regaining some composure, he did not dare to delay. he shifted to the side and appeared several meters away, avoiding the spider silk attack of the soul-eating spider.


    after stabilizing his posture, jin zhiying wielded the thousand blood blade, slashing wildly several times, and three streaks of blood-red blade qi collided with the golden sword qi.


    "boom..."


    the explosive sounds spread throughout green bamboo mountain.


    the explosion from the clash between the two second order superior magical treasures shattered several houses next to the gate in an instant, and the surrounding qingling bamboo fell in swathes.


    after the full-force strike, lin shikang was knocked back more than ten meters before he could stabilize his posture. a mouthful of fresh blood surged up, which he forcefully swallowed back down, leaving only a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.


    jin zhiying was similarly knocked back a few meters, his breath in disarray, which he quickly calmed.


    neither of them continued to probe, and they clashed again. the soul-eating spider kept shooting out strands of spider silk, trying to bind jin zhiying''s body.


    unknowingly, the fierce battle between them went for dozens of rounds, and the fight had reached a critical stage.


    as time passed, both sides'' spiritual power and magical treasures were consumed greatly, breaking the long standstill.


    because lin shihua''s cultivation was too low, even with sun dingfeng''s help, he was no match for jin zhiping. after struggling to defend for a while, his spiritual power was nearly depleted.


    seizing the opportunity, jin zhiping delivered a fierce strike. lin shihua''s spiritual power bottomed out, and his dodging speed was greatly reduced. he couldn''t avoid it in time and hurriedly took out a minor shield spirit instrument to protect himself.


    after an explosion...


    the minor shield shattered, the blade qi pierced through it, striking lin shihua on the shoulder.


    "shihua!"


    lin shikang''s face turned pale as he couldn''t help but call out.


    lin shihua''s body flew out like a kite with its string cut, eventually crashing into a large decorative rock.


    the rock crumbled, revealing lin shihua''s figure.


    lin shihua lay in the crater, with a fist-sized bloody hole in his entire left shoulder, and not only that, his left arm was also torn off.


    his face was pale as he coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, struggled to stand, and was about to counterattack when he fell again, lapsing into unconsciousness.


    the injuries were too severe, his spiritual power was entirely depleted, and it was fortunate he did not die on the spot, as he was unable to fight any longer.


    lin shihua''s injuries shook the hearts of all the lin family members.


    on the ground, lin shiji and lin shixin unleashed their full power in one strike, driving back several jin family cultivators and immediately rushed to lin shihua''s side.


    lin shiji unleashed his full power, delivering several sword strikes, holding off the approaching jin family members. s§×arch* the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    lin shixin picked up the gravely wounded and unconscious lin shihua, his expression anxious, repeatedly calling out:


    "twelfth brother..."


    ```


    he called out several times, but there was no response whatsoever.


    after putting lin shihua down, lin shixin''s eyes oozed fresh blood, looking extremely ghastly.


    at that moment, lin shiji, in his frenzy, killed two jin family cultivators with one strike; however, he was immediately attacked by several more jin family cultivators, becoming engulfed in a sea of flames and blade qi.


    when the sea of flames dissipated, lin shiji lay on the ground, his body covered with numerous wounds of varying depths, and a gaping hole in his neck that ceaselessly bled.


    within a short span of merely a dozen breaths, one of the lin family members of the ''shi'' generation had died and another was critically injured; the members of the ''xing'' generation had suffered over ten casualties in battle.


    the tragic death of lin shiji further incited the fury within lin shixin.


    lin shixin let out a few long howls to the sky, death in his eyes as he fixed his murderous gaze upon the jin family cultivators.


    unafraid of death, lin shixin charged toward the jin family members, unleashing even greater strength.


    after killing several people in succession, he still was outnumbered and died, filled with regret.


    high in the sky, lin shikang and jin zhiying had been locked in fierce combat for dozens of rounds.


    faced with jin zhiying''s frenzied attacks, he was constantly suppressed and found no opportunity to assist his fellow clansmen¡ªhis good intentions were rendered powerless by the situation.


    the other foundation establishment cultivators were struggling desperately to hold on. lin shihua was seriously injured, and sun dingfeng, now without anyone to hold him back, was even more hard-pressed and kept retreating in defeat.


    in the face of absolute strength, numerical advantage hardly mattered, especially since their numbers were not much greater.


    continue your adventure with empire


    by this time, all participants were greatly depleted, and the force of their attacks gradually weakened. the jin family stubbornly pushed forward against the lin family members, advancing several miles, quickly approaching the foot of peak of green bamboo mountain.


    jin zhiying, unable to win after prolonged combat, swung his saber several times, unleashing the jin family''s most powerful attack, aiming straight for lin shikang.


    the injured lin shikang was now out of defensive spiritual tools, and his spiritual power was almost spent.


    facing jin zhiying''s full-powered strike, he looked pale and powerless.


    glancing back at the courtyards interspersed among the slopes of green bamboo mountain, he knew he couldn''t retreat, not when jin zhiying''s assault would be lethal to those clan members upon contact.


    at that moment, lin shikang''s expression was grave, and his eyes revealed a hint of madness.


    he took out a palm-sized jade pendant, channeling a law decree into the golden-yellow jade.


    the jade pendant suddenly erupted with a golden light that instantly condensed into a large sword hovering above his head.


    "golden core talisman!"


    jin zhiying''s complexion changed drastically, his voice an anxious stammer as he cried out. all the cultivators present involuntarily halted their attacks.


    the object used by lin shikang was the lin family''s ultimate trump card; as the family''s ancestor passed away in seated meditation, enduring immense pain and dispersing all his spiritual power, he condensed a golden core talisman.


    this talisman retained three full-power strikes from the ancestor, each incredibly potent. it had been used twice before, each time rescuing the lin family from crisis.


    if the golden wind sword was considered the family''s treasure, the golden core talisman was like the guardian deity of the lin family.


    lin shikang shouted loudly, "protect our lin family... strike to kill!"


    the large sword above quickly targeted jin zhiying, moving at a speed that was almost inconceivable.


    seeing the large sword formed by the golden core talisman, jin zhiying''s face turned deathly pale. unable to escape at such speed, he hurriedly took out the jin family''s qing jiao shield and placed all his hopes on it.


    meanwhile, jin zhiying''s blade qi was drawing increasingly close to him. lin shikang shut his eyes, seemingly resigned to a mutual destruction.


    just then, the soul-eating spider leaped forward, thrusting itself in front of him and shielding him with its body.


    "boom boom..."


    two explosions sounded simultaneously, the deafening blasts reverberating through the heavens.


    the soul-eating spider was flung dozens of yards away, lying in a pit with most of its shiny black carapace shattered, its eight legs faintly twitching, apparently not yet dead.


    on the other side, jin zhiying had completely underestimated the power of the golden core talisman.


    the moment the golden sword light struck the qing jiao shield, it pierced through in an instant, swiftly cleaving towards jin zhiying.


    "pfft..."


    a faint sound and jin zhiying''s body was split in two by the golden light greatsword, his body lying still. above the two halves of his corpse, a wisp of retained sword qi from the golden light greatsword lingered.


    under the assault of the golden core talisman, jin zhiying was utterly dead.

 Chapter 107 Complete Annihilation_1

    under the peak of green bamboo mountain, everyone fell into a brief silence.despite sacrificing the jin family''s defense treasure, the qing jiao shield, jin zhiying couldn''t withstand the strike from the golden light greatsword condensed by the golden core talisman and was killed in an extremely gruesome manner.


    even zhuang zhenxin, no stranger to the world''s wonders, witnessed the power of the golden core talisman for the first time and was completely stunned, losing his composure.


    time passed, and before anyone knew how much, lin shikang leapt forward and hurried to lin shihua''s side, hastily feeding him a healing elixir.


    the actions of lin shikang roused the jin family members from their stupor. they gathered around jin zhiping, their eyes filled with grief and terror, and they all watched the lin family members warily.


    zhuang zhenxin, silent as a ghost, watched everyone present. seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he leapt up in an attempt to flee.


    the escape of zhuang zhenxin dealt an additional blow to the already weakened jin family members, but they were powerless to stop him.


    with jin zhiying''s death, the jin family had lost their edge. relying solely on jin zhiping, at the foundation establishment fifth level, victory was impossible.


    zhuang zhenxin fully realized this. with lin shikang free and joining forces with sun dingxian, if they were surrounded, it would be difficult to retreat unscathed, so he prepared to seize the opportunity to flee. s§×ar?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after all, he was alone in the vast world, and there was no place where he couldn''t find refuge!


    as for the jin family, they were nothing more than an alliance of convenience, and zhuang zhenxin would not concern himself with their fate.


    unfortunately for him, lin shikang and sun dingxian were closely monitoring him, prepared for his move. they intercepted him before he got far, with lin shikang blocking his path.


    soon, sun dingxian also caught up. the two of them closed in on zhuang zhenxin from opposite directions, trapping him.


    zhuang zhenxin''s expression changed abruptly, and he hurriedly spoke:


    "daoist lin, daoist sun, this is all a misunderstanding. i was deceived by jin zhiying into taking action. let us settle this matter. i can break through the jin family''s protective formation myself. as for the jin family''s treasures, you can divide them between yourselves. i will not take a single coin. consider it a gesture of apology. what do you say?"


    at this point, zhuang zhenxin utterly abandoned the jin family, offering to help the lin family break the jin family''s formation and proposing to settle the conflict with the jin family''s treasure.


    however, zhuang zhenxin''s words did not diminish the enmity of lin shikang and sun dingxian.


    the great battle that erupted within the luoyun mountain range, with the heavy sins of the jin family and zhuang zhenxin, saw the wu family silently annihilated and the sun family''s territory breached, resulting in the death of over two hundred clan members¡ªa tragedy not seen in hundreds of years.


    such deep-seated hatred and grievance could not be assuaged, even with the generous terms offered by zhuang zhenxin.


    as soon as zhuang zhenxin finished speaking, sun dingxian didn''t even hesitate and immediately shouted in fury.


    "enough of your nonsense! our sun family and you cannot coexist under the same sky. you killed over a hundred of our clan members. i must take your head to appease the souls of our sun family..."


    sun dingxian''s words made zhuang zhenxin''s face darken, and he threatened viciously:


    "without me, breaking through the jin family''s protective formation won''t be so easy. if you really wish to kill me, remember i''m not a pushover. we can all go down together if need be. even if i die, i''ll take some of you with me!"


    lin shikang, standing by, did not speak. thinking of lin shiji and lin shixin, whose bodies were still warm, and the more than twenty clan members killed in the conflict, he felt immense anger.


    to the overtures of zhuang zhenxin, lin shikang''s heart remained unshaken. his only desire was to exterminate this enemy and use his head to honor his deceased clan members.


    lin shikang nodded to sun dingxian, gripped the golden wind sword, and lashed out with several strikes. sun dingxian, holding the qiankun brush, drew across the sky, and a streak of golden light surged towards zhuang zhenxin.


    both cultivators, at the foundation establishment eighth level, attacked simultaneously, each wielding their clan''s sacred treasures. zhuang zhenxin''s face turned grave, yet he was not overly panicked.


    as the assault from the two closed in, zhuang zhenxin placed a small shield he had used before in front of himself.


    he then threw out a green flag, struck a law decree, and conjured a multitude of monster beast souls that charged toward lin shikang and sun dingxian.


    the quiet of the void was once again shattered by bursts of fire and a succession of booming sounds.


    the intense fight involving lin shikang seemed to ignite the fuse of battle. the lin family members at the base of green bamboo mountain peak immediately commenced an attack on the jin family''s clanspeople, igniting a tremendous surge of momentum.


    following jin zhiying''s death and the loss of their linchpin, the jin family members'' will to fight crumbled completely. jin zhiping and jin chaozong, pitted against a host of lin family foundation establishment clan members and sun dingfeng, were at a tremendous disadvantage. read exclusive adventures at empire


    the lin family qi refining clanspeople below, looking every bit the fierce warriors, attacked recklessly, causing heavy losses to the jin family.


    once again, chaos engulfed green bamboo mountain, flames shooting into the sky and screams echoing incessantly.


    as time slowly passed, the fierce combat involving lin shikang had already lasted for a quarter of an hour.


    the relentless onslaught from lin shikang and sun dingxian persisted, wave after wave of continuous assaults unfolding.


    zhuang zhenxin, surrounded and attacked, was forced to give ground, relying solely on his defense treasure to hold on.


    after withstanding their attacks, he saw the small shield in his hands riddled with holes and reduced to scrap.


    with no time to regret, zhuang zhenxin barely caught his breath before two more strikes approached.


    in his panic, he produced another magical treasure to shield himself.


    "boom..."


    zhuang zhenxin was knocked back more than ten paces, spitting several mouthfuls of blood before stabilizing. looking at his severely damaged defense treasure, his face turned pale.


    as the fight continued, not only was he injured, but he had also lost two of his defense treasures, with the last one utterly wrecked. if a few more strikes landed, he would be without any defensive power, and if he couldn''t dodge, he would only be waiting for death.

 Chapter 107 Total Annihilation _2

    lin shikang and his companion were not about to give him time to react, seizing the moment he was injured to attack together once more.lin shikang slashed several times as sun dingfeng also drew one stroke after another, launching several attacks from four different directions aimed at zhuang zhenxin, intent on ending the fight once and for all.


    a trace of despair flashed across zhuang zhenxin''s face, and by now, negotiating terms was no longer possible, so he had no choice but to give it his all and perhaps there would still be a chance to save his own life.


    he took two beads the size of chicken eggs from his storage bag, his face showing a reluctant expression, and then he threw one at each of the two men.


    "spirit detonation beads..."


    upon seeing the two grey-white beads, lin shikang cried out in alarm and immediately retreated explosively.


    daoist sun''s face turned pale, and he hastily retreated as well.


    "boom boom..."


    two thunderous explosions sounded, and two huge fireballs appeared in the sky, spreading a wave of heat in all directions.


    before the spirit detonation beads exploded, lin shikang spat a mouthful of fresh blood onto his golden wind sword, which suddenly swelled a hundred times in size to block in front of him. at the same time, a semi-transparent golden shield bubbled up around him, enveloping his figure.


    sun dingfeng''s face turned deathly white. he slapped his storage bag and took out a blood-red jade pendant. once activated, it transformed into a light shield in front of him.


    after the explosion, the spirit detonation beads blasted a large pit more than thirty feet across into the ground.


    sun dingfeng''s body fell from the sky and crashed into the ground, forming a human-shaped pit.


    there, sun dingfeng lay in the pit, his body mangled and bloody, with only a weak breath remaining; he had completely passed out.


    at the same time, the golden bubble around lin shikang shattered, and the golden wind sword rapidly shrank back to its original form. s~ea??h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    lin shikang coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, then touched the sword blade lightly, his expression filled with immense pain and sorry.


    zhuang zhenxin had intended to take them down with him. thanks to the golden wind sword, lin shikang was lucky enough to avoid a fatal blow, but he was severely injured.


    lin shikang got to his feet and, without paying any attention to the half-dead sun dingfeng, rushed to the spot where zhuang zhenxin was, searching meticulously.


    before long, lin shikang found zhuang zhenxin''s corpse lying in a clump of grass.


    by now, zhuang zhenxin was thoroughly dead, his chest riddled with several gaping holes from which warm blood flowed out, quickly pooling into a small puddle.


    assured of zhuang zhenxin''s death, lin shikang heaved a long sigh of relief.


    he took down the man''s storage bag and decapitated him. lin shikang, holding the golden wind sword in one hand and the severed head in the other, advanced toward the jin family clanspeople.


    before long, lin shikang appeared above a group of his kin.


    the battle was still ongoing, and there were already more than sixty corpses on the ground, most of them from the jin family, with over twenty lin family members dead as well.


    lin shikang didn''t hesitate, heading straight for jin zhiping. explore hidden tales at empire


    seeing lin shikang approaching, jin zhiping turned ashen, knowing that zhuang zhenxin must have been executed. already injured, jin zhiping had been at a disadvantage all along and was struggling to cope. another attack from lin shikang, at the foundation establishment eighth level, left him with no room to escape.


    lin shikang unleashed several swift and incomparably fast sword strikes, aiming directly at jin zhiping.


    with nowhere to run, a completely despairing jin zhiping frantically pulled out a spiritual artifact to shield himself.


    "pfff, pfff, pfff..."


    the golden sword qi, which even ordinary magical treasures could not resist, easily penetrated the first order top-quality spiritual instrument, striking him squarely.


    after a horrific scream, jin zhiping''s body was split into three parts, falling dead on the spot.


    hearing jin zhiping''s agonized scream, jin chaozong was momentarily distracted, giving lin shigong and lin xingyuan the opportunity they needed.


    with another scream, jin chaozong''s body was impaled by both of their spirit swords.


    lin shigong swung his hands horizontally, splitting jin chaozong''s body into pieces; he couldn''t be deader.


    by this time, all the foundation establishment cultivators from the jin family were dead, leaving only more than ten qi refining clanspersons who were surrounded by a group of lin family cultivators.


    all lin family members glared at them with bloodlust, wishing they could tear them limb from limb.


    one middle-aged man from the jin family threw his spiritual artifact away and knelt down.


    "elder lin, i am willing to surrender. please spare my life. i can take you to the jin family clan''s territory and reveal the location of the treasure vault..."


    "enough... do you think you can live just by saying so? the jin family does not shelter cowards such as you..."


    an elder from the jin family scolded and then swung his sword, piercing the body of the clansperson who had surrendered.


    "at this point, don''t even dream of living by surrendering. it''s better to die gloriously. even if we can take one down with us, it''s worth it!"


    with that, the elder initiated an attack, and the men of the jin family followed suit.


    lin shikang and lin shigong sneered in disdain and together unleashed several sword qi bursts, which engulfed all the remaining jin family cultivators.


    after one breath''s time had passed, over ten jin family members fell simultaneously, completely void of life.


    the great battle had ended, and with this crisis resolved, all jin family members were dead, leaving green bamboo mountain entirely quiet.


    ...


    sun dingfeng did not stay in place, disregarding his injuries, he turned into a residual shadow and rushed towards the direction of sun dingxian to escape.


    lin shikang paid no attention to sun dingfeng, and after storing the golden wind sword into his storage bag, he ordered:


    "shi gong, go check on shihua and the soul-eating spider immediately, you must stabilize their injuries and ensure no hidden ailments are left behind!"


    "i''m on it!"


    lin shigong immediately dashed towards lin shihua to inspect his condition.


    fortunately, even though he was seriously injured, lin shikang had timely given him a healing pill to stabilize his condition. he just needed to rest quietly for two months for a full recovery.


    "xing yuan, organize our clanspeople immediately to treat the injured and bury the dead behind the mountain. then assign clanspeople to collect all the spoils of war and bring them to me, and burn the jin family''s corpses right here!"


    "understood!"


    lin xingyuan saluted and took his orders, then after giving out a few commands to the lin family members behind him, he began treating the injured clanspeople.


    after all the orders were given, a drained lin shikang could no longer hold back, repeatedly coughing up clots of blood. his complexion turned pale and he sat down on the ground, shuddering with delayed fear.


    taking out a pill from his storage bag, he swallowed it and began to recover on the spot.


    in a short while, some color finally returned to his face.


    at that moment, sun dingfeng came over with sun dingxian in his arms.


    lin shikang hurriedly got up and inquired.


    "how is daoist sun''s injury, is there any danger to his life?"


    seeing lin shikang''s genuine concern, sun dingfeng did not hide anything and honestly replied:


    "the injury is serious, it''s hard to say whether he can fully recover. it''s heaven''s will, we can only do our best!"


    "hmm..."


    this clan war had thankfully been helped by the sun family. if not for them, even if the lin family had the trump cards left by the old ancestor, it would have been difficult to survive.


    although the sun family''s territory had been breached, and the two came to seek refuge, they had indeed exerted considerable effort in this great battle. though it was cooperation, they also owed a debt of gratitude to the lin family.


    after a bout of reflection, lin shikang said earnestly:


    "if there is anything you need help with, just let us know. as long as the lin family can provide it, we will not refuse."


    seeing the sincerity in lin shikang''s expression, sun dingfeng repeatedly thanked him.


    "thank you, elder lin, for your generous assistance. however, with the great battle just concluded, you must be very busy. the jin family has been severely damaged and cannot easily recover. we will not disturb you further. once our injuries are healed, we will surely visit to offer our thanks personally."


    after speaking, sun dingfeng gave a saluting gesture with his fist and holding sun dingxian, flew towards the mountain gate, quickly disappearing into the sky.


    lin shikang did not try to persuade them to stay. with most of the high-level jin family cultivators dead or injured, the lin family''s power had not been significantly weakened. perhaps it was due to their wariness of the lin family that they chose not to stay in green bamboo mountain to recover.


    no matter what the reason was, it no longer mattered.


    lin shikang couldn''t help but heave a silent sigh:


    "it''s easy to share hardship among people, but hard to share wealth, and even more so for cultivators..."


    gathering his thoughts, lin shikang walked around the inner parts of green bamboo mountain.


    observing the battered state of green bamboo mountain, now devoid of its previous elegance, with corpses and severed limbs of many clanspeople scattered around, his mood was exceptionally heavy.


    lin shihua and the soul-eating spider were seriously injured, lin shiji and lin shixin had fallen, and more than twenty qi refining clanspeople had died in battle, the losses were substantial.


    in the cultivation world, it is so cruel, with battles over cultivation resources erupting every day among sect families.


    the lin family was merely a foundation establishing family at the bottom, such events were daily occurrences.


    the lin family, with its limited depth, only scraped through this disaster by playing their last card, combined with the assistance of the two from the sun family.


    if only they had a few more years, the lin family''s strength would have increased significantly, and the losses would not have been so great.


    alas, man''s plans are inferior to those of heaven.


    what they needed to do now was to soothe the members of the clan, quickly enhance their strength, and expand the family.


    after his reflection, with a look of melancholy, lin shikang muttered softly toward the market area:


    "shi lu, where are you? how are things going for you?"

 Chapter 108 Sweeping through the Spiritual Medicine Garden_1

    the war ended beneath the peak of green bamboo mountain.lin xingyuan organized a large number of clan members to clean up the battlefield, while the injured clansmen each retreated to heal. the corpses of the jin family members were piled up together, forming a small mountain.


    a large circle of clan members gathered around, their fierce eyes yet to return to peace.


    this catastrophe served as a warning to all clansmen: without strong power, even the hope of peaceful cultivation was a delusion. often, trouble came even without seeking it.


    lin shikang, weighed down by heavy emotions, flicked his finger, releasing a fireball that ignited the mountain of corpses.


    soon, the roaring flames were accompanied by the crackling noises of breaking bones, and thick smoke billowed.


    lin xingyuan stepped forward, taking out dozens of storage bags and respectfully handing them to lin shikang.


    upon receiving the storage bags, lin shikang sighed sadly and instructed lin shigong,


    "shigong, properly bury the clansmen who died in battle. their belongings must be handed over intact to their direct descendants. for those who have no direct descendants, have the elders'' council record and keep the items until a descendant with spiritual root is confirmed and then transfer them." sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "um, i''ll handle it immediately."


    after receiving lin shigong''s response, lin shikang''s face turned stern, and he said with murderous intent,


    "after settling the clan''s affairs, you and xingyuan take a group of clansmen and depart for luoyun market at once. gain control of the market, kill all the jin family members there, seize all their possessions, and then find a way to locate shilu and xing rong. this matter requires speed. once it''s done, set out immediately for golden horn mountain and ensure that not a single member of the jin family escapes."


    lin shigong and lin xingyuan''s faces were filled with murderous intent as they replied to lin shikang''s orders and prepared to leave.


    the jin family''s elite had suffered heavy casualties, and as news of the battle of green bamboo mountain wouldn''t be contained for long, the surviving jin family members would surely attempt to flee or hide, posing a potential future problem.


    now, there was no time to lose in taking action against the jin family territory.


    having made the arrangements, lin shikang did not linger and flew toward the summit of green bamboo mountain. find your next read at empire


    three days earlier, within the territory of the golden horn mountain jin family.


    after four hours of recovery and care, lin tianming and lin xingzhi had regained some of their strength and were capable of moving freely.


    lin shilu and lin xingrong had finished cleaning up the battlefield, and the corpses of over a hundred jin family members had already vanished without a trace, their storage bags naturally collected together and guarded by lin shilu.


    seeing that lin tianming and another had risen, and their condition seemed not too bad, lin shilu felt greatly relieved.


    delaying due to injuries, they had not yet seized the jin family''s treasures. now, the opportunity had come to thoroughly explore.


    after a brief exchange of pleasantries, lin xingrong was left to guard the entrance, while lin shilu led lin tianming and lin xingzhi inside the jin family compound.


    the three split into two groups, with lin xingzhi in charge of searching the residential area of the jin family members. these places lacked heavy protective restrictions, and his cultivation was sufficient to cope with them.


    lin tianming and lin shilu focused on locating the spiritual medicine garden and various key jin family institutions, such as the scripture pavilion and the family treasure vault. the protective restrictions of these places were strong, and even lin shilu''s aggressive approach might not guarantee success.


    however, with the help of lin tianming''s eye of five colors, it would be much easier, as even the protective clan formation was not beyond his capability to breach.


    the three entered the clan territory and began a careful search.


    lin tianming and lin shilu didn''t head to the courtyard clusters but flew straight toward the peak of golden horn mountain.


    ```


    standing in the sky, lin tianming opened the eye of five colors and overlooked the entire golden horn mountain region.


    feeling the fluctuations of more than a dozen enchantments that were clearly stronger than those in the ordinary areas, a broad smile spread across lin tianming''s face as he promptly flew toward the nearest location, followed immediately by lin shilu.


    before long, the two appeared in a small valley halfway up the mountain, where the vegetation was lush and the spiritual energy relatively rich.


    lin tianming surveyed the area carefully, deducing that the enchantment was not weak and likely concealed an important treasure. he couldn''t help but feel a sense of anticipation.


    with a focused mind, lin tianming opened the eye of five colors and began to break the enchantment.


    after half an hour, a crack suddenly appeared in the void, revealing a large expanse of spirit fields spanning dozens of acres with numerous spiritual medicines directly visible to the two of them.


    "spiritual medicine garden."


    the faces of lin tianming and his companion turned red as they transformed into two shadows, dashing into the garden.


    the two moved through the spiritual medicine garden, their faces flushing with excitement as they saw the neatly arranged fields full of spiritual medicines and several spirit fruit trees.


    they carefully navigated through the garden, confirming the types of spiritual medicines as well as their age and quantity.


    golden flower grass, fire element grass, shuiyun grass¡ªall the main ingredients for the xisui pill were nearly complete and sufficient to concoct a sizable amount of elixirs.


    just in terms of lingshen pills and huiyuan pills, these commonly used elixir materials for qi refining cultivators were all gathered here in significant numbers, occupying most of the spiritual medicine garden.


    in a corner of the fields, they also discovered two jade spirit fruit trees, adorned with more than ten green fruits that didn''t seem quite ripe yet; lin tianming had no intention to pick or transplant them.


    lin tianming then collected the mature spiritual medicines that matched their age, leaving behind those that were not yet of age. these lower-grade spiritual medicines, with relatively short cycles, didn''t need to be transplanted and only required collection every so often.


    it took more than an hour to collect the first order spiritual medicines. then lin tianming continued further in; the deeper he went, the richer the spiritual energy became, with small plots of fields containing many second order spiritual medicines.


    dragon origin grass and cloudy rain flower, hundreds of stalks of various second order spiritual medicine materials stood neatly in the fields, prospering well, making it evident that the jin family had their expertise in alchemy and cultivation of spiritual medicines.


    after collecting the mature second order spiritual medicines, lin tianming continued inward, quickly reaching the deepest part.


    looking around, there were only a few acres of spirit fields at the very end, with the soil differing from that outside: darker in color and faintly emanating spiritual energy.


    lin tianming approached three spirit grasses about half a foot tall and observed them closely.


    after repeated confirmation, he realized these were the main ingredients for the hun tian pill: the third order spiritual medicine purple yin grass. unfortunately, they hadn''t matured yet, and to use them for alchemy, he would have to wait at least twenty more years.


    although he already possessed the pill formula for the hun tian pill and found some of the auxiliary spiritual medicines in the spiritual medicine garden, it was a pity that the purple yin grass was not yet of age.


    however, twenty-some years was not a long time in the world of cultivators, and the lin family could afford to wait.


    the thought of the family obtaining a batch of purple yin grass in twenty years and thereby concocting the hun tian pill to help their foundation establishment cultivators break through a realm brought a flush to lin tianming''s face. he quickly called over lin shilu and explained the effects of the herb.


    upon hearing this, and seeing the more than ten stalks of purple yin grass, lin shilu''s breathing quickened as well.


    one must know that progression during the foundation establishment stage was slow. it had been more than twenty years since lin shilu entered the foundation establishment stage, and he had barely managed to cultivate to the fourth level, drastically in need of elixirs to aid in his cultivation; relying solely on meditation and breathing exercises was incredibly slow.


    lin shilu carefully collected a few stalks of the purple yin grass and placed them in a prepared jade box, then continued to collect other third order spiritual medicines.


    ```

 Chapter 109 Robbed Clean_1

    a quarter-hour had passed, and the two of them had swept through the area of third order spiritual medicine, obtaining more than thirty mature third order spiritual medicines. most of these were items used by foundation establishment cultivators, and although their value was all lower than that of purple yin grass, they were still not something that second order spiritual medicines could compare with.after spending half a day, they had plundered the spiritual medicine garden, taking everything that met the age requirement for alchemy. high-value spiritual medicines were not spared either, being collected along with the soil to be transplanted into the lin family''s spiritual medicine garden.


    as time went by, the two busied themselves for half a day and obtained more than a thousand pieces of spiritual medicine materials, the vast majority of which were first order spiritual medicines. the truly high-value ones were less than two hundred.


    even so, the value of the jin family''s spiritual medicine garden was much higher than that of the lin family''s. the risk taken initially was well worth it just for the value of this spiritual medicine garden itself.


    with satisfaction, the two left the spiritual medicine garden and flew towards the summit''s plaza.


    atop golden horn mountain was a bluestone plaza that spanned dozens of acres.


    at the far end of the plaza were more than ten lofty stone halls of varying sizes snug against the square, each with several stories and all protected by strong prohibitive spells of varying degrees of power.


    lin tianming casually strolled up, stopped in front of a grand hall, and opened his eye of five colors to begin attempting to break the hall''s prohibitions.


    after spending two days, he had broken the prohibitions of a succession of more than ten halls, all belonging to some of the jin family''s administrative institutions with no substantial loot. they were mostly items that could not be easily taken away.


    looking at the remaining two halls, which must have been where the secret manuals and treasures were stored, lin tianming''s eyes couldn''t help but heat up.


    quickly regaining his composure, lin tianming began to break the prohibitions of the place.


    half a day later, the prohibitions were broken, revealing the entrance to the grand hall. lin tianming and lin shilu walked straight in.


    gazing about, the first floor of the grand hall revealed more than a dozen stone platforms, upon which rested various colored jade slips and some books made of beast skin.


    lin tianming immediately rushed in and picked up a jade slip to examine it.


    sure enough, it was a metal attribute yellow grade technique, identical to the one from the lin family. it was probably not surprising for such common goods to be found in multiple major families.


    after putting down the jade slip in his hand, lin tianming started to inspect the other items.


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    in no time, everything on the first floor of the grand hall had been collected by the two of them.


    they discovered a total of eight yellow grade techniques, three of which overlapped with the yellow grade techniques of the lin family. among the unheard techniques, there were two of wood attribute, and one each of metal, fire, and earth attributes, but none of water attribute.


    the rest of the books were introductions and experiences related to cultivation arts. the creators were probably not of high rank, and thus not very useful. there were also records of miscellaneous and interesting events, which might help someone new to cultivation, but were useless to them.


    lin shilu packed all the items into his storage bag to take back to the family for sorting, and then they went up to the second floor.


    there were not many platforms on the second floor, and even fewer books and jade slips, barely totaling over thirty pieces, but they were all good stuff.


    lin tianming held a jade slip and meticulously examined it. before long, a look of joy appeared on lin tianming''s face.


    "guiyuan heart sutra."


    this jade slip was precisely the cultivation technique practiced by many jin family cultivators, also a mysterious grade, which could be cultivated to the late stage of core formation, with metal attribute, and accompanied by no small divine skills, possessing extremely formidable attacking power. he had learned this firsthand; in terms of attacking power, the divine skills included in this technique were even more formidable than those of the lin family''s fire origin decision.


    after handing over this priceless technique to lin shilu, he then turned his attention to the remaining jade slips.


    an hour later, the two had finished examining the remaining techniques and manuals.


    the other two mysterious grade techniques were one of earth attribute and one of water attribute. with this, the lin family had gathered all of the mysterious grade techniques of the five attributes.


    beyond the techniques, they also found two volumes of alchemy experience. the jin family''s alchemy was renowned throughout the luoyun mountain range and, with nearly a thousand years of continuous improvement, their alchemy experiences did indeed hold many points of value.


    the rest of the manuals contained the jin family''s experience in cultivating spiritual medicine, as well as talisman paper and artifact refining techniques, covering nearly all the arts of cultivation. however, it was uncertain how much they could learn from them.


    it wasn''t long before the two had packed everything into their storage bags and headed towards the third floor. s~ea??h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    unfortunately, after a careful search in every corner of the third floor, they found nothing at all.


    the scripture pavilion of the jin family had been thoroughly looted. lin tianming made his way to the last great hall.


    it didn''t take much time to break through the restrictions, and the two of them walked inside.


    passing through the main hall of the great hall to its depths, there were several rooms on both sides of the corridor. lin tianming noticed that the layout here was somewhat similar to the lin family''s hall of merit and surmised this must be the jin family''s hall of merit.


    thinking that there must be treasures used for daily exchanges by the jin family here, lin tianming and his companion were particularly excited and quickly chose a room to enter.


    lin tianming pushed open the heavy stone door, and what caught his eye were several chests crafted from jade stone. lin tianming immediately rushed over and opened them.


    "spirit stones..."


    lin tianming grabbed a few spirit stones to examine, and they were all low-grade spirit stones.


    after his counting, just in these few chests, there were over thirteen thousand spirit stones.


    they moved the chests out of the room and placed them in the main hall, awaiting the final tally.


    half a day passed, and the two had swept through everything in the great hall three times, gathering all the useful items together into a small mountain.


    looking around, the treasures in front of them were varied: elixirs, spirit grass, spirit stones, spirit ore, demonic beast materials, as well as different quantities of spiritual artifacts and talisman paper, though not in large numbers.


    it was presumed that because of the recent battle, the jin family had carried the spiritual artifacts and talisman paper¡ªresources for war¡ªwith them. still, the loot remained quite valuable.


    lin shilu took out a piece of beast skin and recorded the type and quantity of all the treasures before putting all the treasures into storage bags.


    tian ming watched the vast amount of wealth with shining eyes, his heart blooming with joy.


    after all, the sight of treasures worth over a hundred thousand spirit stones would tempt any qi refining cultivator.


    setting aside the cultivation manuals and the yield from the spiritual medicine garden, just these supplementary cultivation resources were worth at least one hundred thousand spirit stones.


    besides these, there were also over a hundred storage bags from jin family cultivators that hadn''t been tallied. if all were accounted for, the sum might be astronomical.


    watching lin tianming''s eyes narrow into slits, lin shilu spoke with a calm expression.


    "tian ming, the jin family must have another treasure vault!"


    hearing lin shilu''s words, lin tianming snapped back to reality and, after some thought, began to understand.


    any family would not place the accumulation of a thousand years in such an obvious institution. they would opt to store them in multiple locations and keep them hidden to avoid being completely looted in case the family fell, also preserving a slim chance of rising again.


    moreover, the haul here, although not insignificant, was hardly substantial for a family like the jin family that had existed for a thousand years.


    this place was probably where they stored regularly used resources for exchanges by the jin family''s qi refining clanspeople, completely devoid of items used by foundation establishment cultivators.


    therefore, there definitely was another hidden treasure vault; it just was not easy to find.


    lin shilu''s conjecture was something lin tianming totally agreed with.


    afterwards, the two left the great hall and began to search separately within golden horn mountain.

 Chapter 110 Struck it Rich_1

    half a day passed, and the several dozen-mile expanse of the golden horn mountain clan territory had been searched thoroughly by a group of people, but they had not found the location of the jin family''s treasure vault.lin shilu frowned, deep in thought.


    they had searched quite meticulously, practically turning over every inch of the jin family clan''s territory, but still, they hadn''t found it.


    although they had anticipated it wouldn''t be easy, after all, such a secretive matter wouldn''t be known to more than ten people even within the jin family clan.


    "where could it be?"


    while brooding over this conundrum, a loud shout came from not too far away; it was lin tianming who seemed to have found something, prompting lin shilu to immediately rush over.


    at the base of the main peak of golden horn mountain, where several rivers converged, a waterfall dozens of feet wide roared down with imposing momentum, a truly magnificent sight.


    the abundant water resources here formed a substantial mist after evaporation, filling the valley with dense fog, lush and vibrant, with colorful flowers and trees growing beside green rocks, presenting the spectacle of a cave heaven and blessed land.


    at the moment, however, lin tianming wasn''t admiring these beautiful scenes but stood in front of the waterfall, opening his eye of five colors and gazing through the curtain of water at something behind it.


    sensing the faint ripple of a formation behind the water curtain, which appeared and disappeared intermittently, a hint of joy flashed across lin tianming''s face.


    hearing lin tianming''s call, lin shilu quickly arrived beside him and looked in the direction lin tianming was facing, closely sensing the area.


    unfortunately, even with his foundation establishment cultivation, he couldn''t feel that faint fluctuation.


    out of curiosity, lin shilu didn''t ask any questions but quietly waited by the side.


    after an unknown amount of time, lin tianming held an earth evil artifact in his hand and boldly thrust his sword at the mirror-like curtain of water.


    "pff..."


    a strange crisp sound echoed as the mirror-like water curtain suddenly revealed an entrance to a cave, approximately three feet wide.


    lin shilu''s face lit up with joy as he leaped beside lin tianming.


    after releasing two attacks to ensure no dangers lay ahead, the two entered the cave together.


    walking cautiously along the flagstone path, the two headed deeper into the cave.


    in a short while, they reached the end of the cave and found several stone doors at the deepest part.


    the two worked together to push open the heavy stone doors, revealing the contents of the stone chamber.


    what greeted their eyes were several shelves, on which many jade bottles were placed.


    lin tianming rushed forward in a few strides, grabbed a jade bottle, opened it, and began identifying the elixirs inside.


    "second order spirit origin pill!"


    hearing lin tianming''s words, lin shilu''s face brightened, and he eagerly took the pill, carefully examining it.


    lin tianming continued inspecting the remaining jade bottles and in a short time, had checked all the elixirs inside them.


    lin shilu took out a piece of beast skin and began tallying the quantities and types of these elixirs.


    after they finished scouring the first stone chamber, the two continued to rummage through the remaining chambers.


    the second chamber contained a vast amount of spirit stones, far more than what was in the great hall at the top of golden horn mountain. after lin tianming''s count, there were a total of sixty thousand low-grade spirit stones, and in addition, forty-five medium-grade spirit stones.


    holding a fist-sized medium-grade spirit stone in his hand, lin tianming examined it carefully, his expression one of reluctance to let it go.


    to the naked eye, this medium-grade spirit stone was several times bigger than a normal low-grade spirit stone, containing a richer and more pure spiritual energy.


    in the cultivation world, spirit stones are the universal currency. it takes a hundred low-grade spirit stones to exchange for one medium-grade spirit stone, and so on, with a hundred medium-grade spirit stones fetching one high quality spirit stone, although typically no one is willing to trade for them.


    while low-grade spirit stones are quite common and widely circulated, medium-grade spirit stones are much rarer. medium-grade spirit stones can be used as the energy source required for the operation of formations, greatly enhancing their stability. it is said that some fourth order large towns even use supreme spirit stones as their energy source.


    hence, medium-grade spirit stones and above can serve as strategic resource reserves, and even the forces with golden core cultivators wouldn''t easily trade them away.


    forty-five medium-grade spirit stones, that''s four thousand five hundred low-grade spirit stones. plus the other sixty thousand spirit stones, this truly is an immensely great fortune.


    "the jin family really is wealthy¡­"


    after sighing, lin tianming collected all the spirit stones into his storage bag and handed it to lin shilu.


    half an hour passed, and the two completed their search of the remaining stone chambers, walking out of the cave.


    at that moment, their complexions were flushed with excitement, their hearts racing as if a herd of ten thousand horses was charging through them. even lin shilu, well-versed and experienced, felt his heart pounding uncontrollably upon seeing such a tremendous amount of wealth for the first time, and both of their mouths were almost grinning crooked with joy.


    the loot was indeed substantial; having scoured the jin family''s nearly a thousand years of wealth accumulation, they left nothing behind. just in spirit stones from the two treasure vaults, they obtained nearly eighty thousand pieces, not to mention the resources such as elixirs and talismans amounting to a potentially astronomical figure.


    the beaming pair emerged, soon to be joined by lin xingzhi and lin xingrong, and they gathered together for a brief chat.


    lin xingzhi had also scoured every yard and didn''t get much, as few cultivators would leave their treasures in their abodes, keeping almost everything on their person. nevertheless, they still managed to gather some wealth, filling two storage bags.


    lin shilu took the storage bags without counting, planning to bring them back to the clan for the family to sort and tally.


    seeing the two, wearing an air of delighted disbelief, lin xingrong and his companion couldn''t hide their puzzlement.


    lin shilu revealed just a small part of their gains, shocking the two to the core.


    "pathetic, just a few tens of thousands of spirit stones and you look like that!"


    lin shilu muttered under his breath, then paid no further mind to lin xingrong and his companion.


    soon, they gradually recovered their composure, but lin shilu''s expression turned grave.


    it had been about half a month since they left luoyun market, and they had no news about the jin family''s movements or the situation back at home, which was a cause for concern.


    looking at lin shilu''s wistful expression, lin tianming and the others could guess some of the reasons behind it.


    now that they had accomplished their purpose, regardless of whether the jin family was successful or not, they could no longer stay here. once they returned to their clan''s territory, they would truly have to scatter and flee for their lives.


    lin tianming was the first to speak, asking lin shilu for his thoughts.


    "elder wu, what should we do next? go back to our clan, or to luoyun market?"


    faced with lin tianming''s question, lin shilu wanted to return to green bamboo mountain to check things out, but he thought of lin shikang''s instructions and plans and didn''t dare to take lin tianming into danger. he was now tangled and couldn''t make a firm decision.


    "share your thoughts; let''s discuss this together."


    after lin shilu spoke, they started to deliberate. experience tales at empire


    after a short while, through discussion, they reluctantly reached a consensus. sear?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    lin xingrong and lin tianming would temporarily stay near the jin family clan''s territory to take the chance to rendezvous with lin tianhong and the others.


    lin shilu and lin xingzhi would head back to luoyun market first, where the crowds and chaotic environment might allow them to gather some information.


    if the situation permitted, lin shilu alone would sneak back to green bamboo mountain. after all, the jin family''s threat was not yet lifted, and taking them would only be a burden. in the event of danger, the chances of escape were much higher for just one individual.


    after settling their plans, lin shilu took out several storage bags and handed them to lin xingrong. he messaged the group with a few instructions and felt slightly more at ease.


    with everything arranged, lin shilu and lin xingzhi didn''t linger; they mounted their swords and flew south towards luoyun market, soon disappearing into the sky.


    watching lin shilu and his companion leave, lin xingrong spoke up, "tianming, let''s get going too!"


    "yes¡­"


    lin tianming responded and then released the purple gold eagle, feeding it a beast spirit pill. the two of them jumped onto the purple gold eagle''s back and soared into the sky, flying northward, swiftly vanishing without a trace.

 Chapter 111 Gathering of the Falling Clouds_1

    outside luoyun market, two figures swept across the sky and stopped atop a mountain.uncertain of the jin family''s whereabouts, lin shilu dared not rashly enter the market. if his tracks were discovered, it could bring about some unnecessary trouble.


    standing on the mountain, he tried to observe the indistinct city walls in the distance, hoping to gather some information.


    at that moment, several bursts of firelight scattered over the market, followed by the sound of booming explosions.


    lin shilu''s expression immediately tensed, as he attempted to guess what was happening.


    "could it be that the jin family has made a move against our people within the market?"


    if the jin family emerged victorious after attacking the four major families, once they severely damaged the other families, the rule of the market forbidding private fights would likely not be adhered to.


    after all, the rules of luoyun market were also set by the five major families. having defeated the other four families, they would naturally want to annihilate them completely, so there would be no need to follow the rules.


    the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed, causing lin shilu to grow increasingly anxious.


    "xing zhi, you stay nearby and hide. if i''m not back in half an hour, don''t worry about me. immediately go find xing rong and then head together to qianchuan market, understand?"


    the more he worried, the less lin shilu could put his mind at ease, feeling an urgent necessity to ascertain the situation of his clan''s territory. he had to find a way to get there and see for himself.


    hearing lin shilu''s words, even lin xingzhi, as naive as he was, could guess some of the situation. the battle had spread to the market, certainly indicating the outcome of the clan conflict was clear, yet it was still unknown which side was victorious.


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    "fifteenth uncle, my heart is also with the family, so i won''t dissuade you. my cultivation is too weak; i''d only slow you down. please be very careful, and if anything happens, we will wait for you at qianchuan market."


    a trace of worry appeared on lin xingrong''s face as he gave his instructions in response.


    "hmm, be very cautious in everything!"


    with that, lin shilu no longer lingered, running straight down the mountain and quickly towards the direction of the market.


    lin xingzhi watched as lin shilu departed, then found a place to hide himself.


    after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, lin shilu had nearly reached the market entrance.


    by that time, the sound of explosions was echoing within the market, indicating a battle was still ongoing. the normally bustling entrance was now eerily quiet, without a single person in sight.


    as he was observing, several figures successively darted out from the market entrance, some bearing injuries. as soon as they left the market, they fled towards the north without looking back.


    lin shilu scrutinized the fleeing individuals carefully, they didn''t look like lin family disciples. moreover, why were the escaping figures heading north without a backward glance?


    soon after, a foundation establishment cultivator also emerged from the market entrance and quickly pursued the fleeing figures.


    "xing yuan!"


    seeing that the person was lin xingyuan, lin shilu understood at once. it was likely that the lin family had won the clan battle and was now hunting down the remnants of the jin family.


    at that moment, the stone in lin shilu''s heart finally dropped, and he broke into a radiant smile, laughing arrogantly and loudly.


    lin xingyuan, busy with the pursuit, initially didn''t notice lin shilu, who had changed his appearance. however, lin shilu, overwhelmed by excitement, revealed his true face, which then caught lin xingyuan''s attention.


    seeing lin shilu, lin xingyuan was instantly overjoyed, calling out:


    "fifteenth uncle, quickly kill the few who are fleeing; they are all from the jin family!"


    in just a few breaths, the fleeing lin family members had scattered in different directions, with two of them already a thousand feet away.


    without hesitation, lin shilu joined lin xingyuan in the pursuit.


    several qi refining cultivators, limited in speed, could not possibly escape from lin shilu of the fourth level of foundation building.


    in half a breath, lin shilu caught up with the slowest fleeing jin family member, flicking his finger to release a sword qi that easily eliminated the jin family member, who was at the seventh level of qi refining, before continuing the chase after the others.


    ```


    in no time, lin shilu had successively killed several people, leaving only one cultivator who had fled for several miles.


    lin shilu flew after him on his sword, turning into a lingering shadow as he chased down the escapee.


    the fleeing cultivator was called jin chaoyang, the person in charge of the jin family at the market, with the cultivation at the great perfection of qi refining stage.


    earlier that day, two lin family cultivators at the foundation establishment stage had entered the market with several family members, launching a city-wide manhunt for all jin family members. the jin family''s shops had long changed hands, and during the raid, more than a dozen of their kin were killed; only he and a few others had riskedly escaped.


    at the moment, he was clueless, and too panicked to guess what had befallen the jin family, only thinking about escaping back to golden horn mountain as quickly as possible.


    jin chaoyang, already scared out of his wits, pushed his fleeing speed to the limit.


    as lin shilu drew closer and closer, jin chaoyang''s face grew paler, and in his panic, he threw out several first order superior grade talismans, hoping to delay his pursuer.


    unfortunately, with the power of the fourth level of foundation building, these petty tricks were no obstruction at all.


    as the distance closed to less than a hundred paces, lin shilu flicked his fingers repeatedly, shooting out strands of sword qi towards jin chaoyang.


    feeling the oncoming sword qi, jin chaoyang''s face instantly lost all color, and he hurriedly took out a small spiritual shield to block in front of him.


    "whoosh whoosh..."


    after several crisp sounds, small holes appeared in both the shield and jin chaoyang''s body.


    as he saw warm blood streaming from the holes in his chest, he simply could not believe this outcome.


    why had the jin family''s years of plotting, their grip on the clan war, ended in such a tragic defeat?


    alas, no matter what, he could not figure it out.


    with jin chaoyang falling unwillingly, lin shilu took his storage bag, then cast a fireball to burn the body before heading towards the market.


    before long, lin shilu and lin xingyuan returned to the market, walking on the main street.


    by then, all had quieted down inside the market, and many qi refining cultivators watched the lin family members vigilantly, wondering what they were up to.


    soon, the two reached the hundred treasures building, where lin shigong was already waiting at the entrance.


    after exchanging greetings, lin shigong began to inquire,


    "xing yuan, did you manage to kill the fleeing members of the jin family?"


    after lin xingyuan answered truthfully, lin shigong breathed a sigh of relief and then began to ask about the recent affairs of lin shilu.


    lin shilu did not hide anything, starting from the grand competition in the market and swiftly moving to the events of their escape.


    although they had already learned about the entrapment and escape through sun dingfeng, hearing it from lin shilu''s mouth made it all the more real.


    subsequently, lin shigong heard how lin shilu and three others stormed the jin family stronghold, slaughtered hundreds of their members, and took all of the jin family''s wealth.


    the two were already incredibly shocked, their expressions immensely rich.


    had they not known lin shilu wouldn''t joke about such matters, they wouldn''t have believed it.


    after hearty laughter, lin shigong quickly regained his composure before recounting the battle of green bamboo mountain, omitting the news of the deaths of lin shiji and others. s§×ar?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    learning about the battle at green bamboo mountain, lin shilu was equally astounded.


    although he knew the lin family had an ace up its sleeve left by the ancestral patriarch, he''d never witnessed its true power and couldn''t guess whether it would be enough to contend with jin zhiying.


    little did he expect not only the total annihilation of the jin family, but also the slaying of zhuang zhenxin.


    ```

 Chapter 112 Controlling the Workshops_1

    "ninth brother, although we have won this clan war, i wonder how much our family has lost?"lin shilu''s words caused lin shigong''s face to change. he had intended to hide the truth for a while, but now he had no choice but to reveal it.


    knowing he couldn''t hide it for long, lin shigong still chose to tell the truth.


    learning that all the foundation establishment cultivators who participated in the war had suffered various degrees of injury, and that lin shiji and lin shixin had died in battle, lin shilu''s complexion turned instantly ashen.


    "shilu, our fifth brother and the others did not sacrifice in vain. if they know that every member of the jin family has been executed, they would surely rest easy in the underworld!"


    "that''s right, fifteenth uncle. the battle was extremely hard-fought, and every lin family member made sacrifices!"


    seeing lin shilu''s dejected mood, lin xingyuan also spoke up to comfort him.


    "sigh..."


    after sighing deeply, lin shilu gradually regained his composure, and lin shigong, not wanting to see him upset, quickly changed the subject.


    "shilu, i was originally planning a trip to golden horn mountain to take over the jin family clan''s territory, but now it seems unnecessary. from what you''ve said, there are some immature spiritual medicines there that require a foundation establishment clan member to temporarily guard the jin family clan''s territory. we also need to send someone to check on the wu family''s clan land, and it would be best to control those places. as for the follow-up arrangements, let''s discuss them after the elders'' council has deliberated!"


    "whatever you arrange, ninth brother, will be best."


    after agreeing, lin shilu thought about lin xingzhi, who was waiting for him outside the market, and then spoke.


    "ninth brother, since all the jin family foundation establishment cultivators are dead, i''ll go find xing zhi now and have him fetch xing rong to send tian ming and the other juniors back home. after that, he can temporarily remain in the jin family clan''s territory."


    "alright..."


    finishing his words, lin shilu handed over the storage bags of jin chaoyang and several others to lin shigong, then immediately set off toward the market exit.


    after watching lin shilu leave, lin shigong erased the divine sense left on the storage bags and began to inspect a token taken out from one of them.


    once he was sure the token was correct, lin shigong revealed a trace of satisfaction and instructed lin xingyuan standing beside him:


    "xing yuan, now that we''ve taken control of all the jin family''s shops and assets, and obtained the luoyun order, organize some people immediately. let''s go straight to the market city supervisor''s office and replace the current law enforcers with our own, then ensure that the luoyun market''s security is maintained."


    "yes."


    the two didn''t linger and immediately hurried towards the direction of the marketplace auction.


    at the entrance to the auction, a bluestone plaza had already gathered quite a number of cultivators, with many more still hurrying towards the area.


    in the span of a short break, the number of people on the plaza grew, the majority being loose cultivators, as well as members of qi cultivation families and even members of the luoyun market law enforcement team.


    over a hundred cultivators gathered together, and those who had witnessed the battle began to discuss amongst themselves.


    in the past two months, undercurrents had surged within the five major clans of the luoyun mountain range. the jin family took advantage of the market competition when foundation establishment cultivators from other clans were away from their territories and brazenly initiated clan warfare, wiping out the wu family before they could even react.


    it was only several days later that the news reached the luoyun market, causing upheaval. many loose cultivators hurriedly left the market to avoid calamity. within a few short days, the market''s vitality had significantly waned, and the attendance was not even half of what it used to be.


    perhaps out of respect for the market''s rules, there had been peace within the luoyun market. some observant loose cultivators and trading cultivators still remained in the market.


    it wasn''t until today that twenty lin family members suddenly appeared near the jin family''s shops, openly attacking the jin family clan members.


    under the leadership of two foundation establishment cultivators, they were able to capture all of the jin family members within the marketplace in just half an hour.


    the appearance of the lin family members signified the jin family''s defeat, an inconceivable outcome. furthermore, lin shigong and lin xingyuan demonstrated their foundation establishment cultivation, completely stunning the onlookers.


    afterward, many secretly discussed how the jin family, with six foundation establishment clan members, could have been defeated, how many foundation establishment cultivators the lin family actually had, what unknown tactics they used, and just how much strength they had hidden.


    unfortunately, they could not find out.


    ...


    on the bluestone plaza, near the auction venue.


    a qi refining eighth level cultivator sat casually on the stairs in front of the auction house, surrounded by more than a dozen cultivators who gathered around him like stars around the moon.


    "daoist chen, as the captain of the law enforcement team, have you heard any rumors or have any insider information?"


    "yes, regarding the spell battle that has just erupted, i wonder what daoist chen thinks?"


    in the crowd, a few cultivators started asking, hoping to glean some news from him.


    chen jingshan frowned slightly, clueless about these inquiries, he was just as baffled at the moment. sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    still, considering that they were all acquaintances, even though he knew nothing, he still responded with a few words.


    "there''s no need for alarm. the grudges between the five major families should not involve us loose cultivators. whether it''s time for seclusion or business, just carry on. once they have settled their dispute, stability will naturally return."


    "indeed, this is not something we should worry about!"


    "what daoist chen said makes sense, we were overthinking it..."


    after chen jingshan spoke, several cultivators seemed much relieved and echoed his sentiments.


    just then, lin shigong, along with other lin family members, appeared at the edge of the plaza.


    "it''s people from the lin family..."


    "elder lin has succeeded in foundation establishment!"


    several cultivators who had just arrived at the plaza exclaimed in confusion.


    the arrival of lin shigong and his group immediately caused a huge stir, and the cultivators present greeted them with clasped fists, then made way for them.


    "fellow daoists, there''s no need for such courtesy..."


    lin shigong, with a gentle expression, politely responded, greatly endearing himself to those present.


    previously, members of the jin family had always been overbearing, yet due to the jin family''s great power, none dared to voice their anger.


    the lin family, on the other hand, had always been low-key and fair in their dealings, and they had an excellent reputation throughout the luoyun mountain range.


    amidst the cheering of the crowd, lin shigong gestured for everyone to be quiet, walked to the high platform in the plaza, and spoke with righteous indignation:


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    "fellow daoists, the jin family harbored wild ambitions and rashly instigated clan warfare under the pretext of the market city contest. in just a few days, the wu family was annihilated, the sun family clan''s territory was breached, and many of their people were killed or wounded. our lin family risked everything to resist, mobilizing the strength of our entire clan at the cost of heavy sacrifices, and we have now completely eradicated the jin family."


    "what?"


    "completely eradicated the jin family!"


    as lin shigong personally announced the outcome, many had already guessed it, yet there were still many who didn''t know, and they were shocked when they heard the news.


    lin shigong paid them no mind and continued:


    "as the jin family no longer exists, we of the lin family will temporarily take over the management of luoyun market. everyone should carry on with their business without any concern and please inform each other so we can bring the market back to its prosperous state as soon as possible."


    "as for the reformation of the law enforcement team and the market city supervisor roles, clean backgrounds and meeting the requirements are the criteria for all daoists who wish to apply, and the salaries will be increased by twenty percent over the previous rates."


    upon hearing lin shigong''s words, the crowd of cultivators erupted in cheers.


    the demise of the jin family indeed allowed many to vent their pent-up frustrations.


    as for the lin family taking control of the market and raising the salaries of the executive officers, it was naturally considered good news.


    soon, many cultivators stepped forward, eager to sign up, and chen jingshan was among them.


    lin xingyuan also took out a book and began to record their names, which would be kept on file for review and later employment.


    seeing the large number of cultivators signing up without any signs of resistance, the lin family could easily take control of the market.


    lin shigong stood aside, a smile creeping onto his face.

 Chapter 113 Sending Off_1

    time flew, half a month had passed since the destruction of the jin family.the two-month-long clan war had come to a definitive end, with the wu family and the jin family destroyed, the sun family clan grounds breached, and the majority of its members either dead or injured, suffering a devastating blow.


    the unexpected outcome of the war had spread like a storm, first among ten, then among hundreds, until it became known to everyone in the luoyun mountain range; it even reached the neighboring qianchuan market and the huangyang kingdom in jingzhou.


    suddenly, the lin family was in the limelight, their fame spreading far and wide, becoming the most talked-about topic among cultivators.


    gradually, the luoyun market stabilized, and its popularity began to recover.


    in just over ten days, the lin family had exerted a great amount of manpower and resources, effectively taking control of the luoyun market.


    within the market, peace returned to its former state, with all the major shops reopening and the comings and goings of cultivators as usual.


    as for the lin family taking control of the market, unexpectedly, both the sun family and the virtually intact luo family made no statements.


    since neither the sun family nor the luo family raised the issue, the lin family naturally did not bring it up themselves; all parties understood each other''s silence, and for the time being, there were no negotiations.


    ...


    green bamboo mountain, lin family clan grounds.


    through lin xingzhi''s summoning, lin tianming and the other younger members all returned to green bamboo mountain.


    other than lin xingrong, who was stationed at golden horn mountain, and some clan members under lin xingyuan''s command who managed the market, all lin family members who were outside had now returned to green bamboo mountain.


    a few days previous, lin xingzhi had gone to the northern part of golden horn mountain to search for lin tianming and others; upon meeting, he recounted the whole process of the battle on green bamboo mountain.


    upon learning that lin shiji and lin shixin had died in battle, lin tianming felt immensely heavy-hearted. sear?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    lin tianming, having been born to cultivator parents, had lived on green bamboo mountain since childhood.


    as lin xingrong was often stationed at the market, he would follow lin shigong around from an early age, frequently interacting with the shi clan members.


    lin shixin, having no descendants, treated lin tianming as his own grandchild, often spoiling him and showing him special favor.


    lin tianming adored this mischievous elder, and their relationship was extremely close, leading lin shigong to occasionally question whether tianming was truly his own grandchild.


    lin shiji, who was rather stern, treated all the clan members equally; regardless of who erred, he remained unforgiving, with the sole exception of lin tianming, and the two had a tacit coordination during demon-hunting experiences.


    the loss of the two elders lin tianming deeply respected had grieved him for a long time.


    lin xingzhi also knew that lin tianming was troubled inside and could only urge him to diligently pursue cultivation, to strengthen the lin family so that such tragedies would not recur.


    lin tianming, who had a strong sense of belonging to his family, became even more eager to improve his strength in order to protect his family after hearing this.


    only if the family was strong and looked after by a high order cultivator could such incidents be avoided.


    from that point on, the heart of a strong warrior had taken root and begun to sprout within him, growing ever more resolute.


    ...


    green bamboo mountain, lin family ancestral hall.


    in the aftermath of the battle, as the injured clan members emerged from retreat and the exterior members had been gathered, it was time to hold the ceremony to place the spirit tablets in the ancestral hall.


    the ceremony of placing the spirit tablets in the ancestral hall was a common occurrence in the lin family.


    every few years, members of the lin family would pass away naturally or die in accidents, and the ceremony would be performed.


    however, the ceremonies for those clan members were simpler and attended by fewer family members.


    and in this clan war the lin family had faced, they had sacrificed more than twenty of their members in one go, who fought valiantly, dedicating everything to the family.


    therefore, the lin family placed great importance on the ceremony of entering the spirit tablets into the ancestral hall, going so far as to summon all the members who could be spared, just to send off these sacrificed members on their final journey.


    it was only by placing the members'' spirit tablets inside the ancestral hall to allow future generations to pay their respects, after this process was completed, that one was considered to have lived a full life and to have received the family''s recognition.


    the entry of the spirit tablet into the ancestral hall was the highest honor of the lin family, the final resting place for every member of the lin family.


    of course, there were exceptions. either the lin family was completely wiped out, with no descendants to conduct the ceremony, or the family member had committed unforgivable crimes and was so wicked that he was expelled from the family. such a person was considered to no longer be a member of the lin family and naturally could not enter the lin family ancestral hall.


    ...


    at this moment, more than a hundred family members had gathered in the ancestral hall.


    the ancient and heavy hall was utterly silent, each person''s expression extremely solemn, and some even bore tears.


    inside the hall, lin shihua, whose injuries had mostly healed, looked pallid, standing beside him were lin shikang and a few other surviving relatives from the shi generation.


    a flicker of sorrow passed across lin shikang''s face as he said to lin shihua,


    "shihua, begin."


    lin shihua nodded, took a spirit tablet from the wooden table next to him, and placed it on the peach wood altar.


    before long, two more spirit tablets were added to the layer belonging to the shi generation, belonging to lin shiji and lin shixin.


    lin tianming, looking at the numerous spirit tablets on the altar, remembered lin shixin''s kind and amiable face.


    just then, lin shihua loudly recited complex scriptures, followed by a eulogy for the achievements of the two men.


    "family members, pay your respects!"


    lin shikang and the other shi generation relatives bowed first, followed by the xing generation and tian generation members, who knelt and kowtowed thrice before rising.


    then it was the turn for the spirit tablets of the xing generation relatives to be placed on the altar. lin shihua continued to read out the names of the departed, then recited the scriptures.


    the family members paid their respects similarly, but since the xing generation was of the same generation, they did not kneel, only the tian generation members performed the kneeling tribute.


    after the passage of half a day, with the offerings properly arranged and three sticks of zen incense lit, the ceremony of the spirit tablets entering the ancestral hall was completed.


    seeing the family members'' low spirits, lin shikang felt helpless, knowing wounds always needed time to settle.


    he sighed, rallying his spirit before speaking, stay updated with empire


    "my fellow clansmen, the great war has just ended, the brutal process was as if it had just occurred. this is the cruelty of the cultivation world."


    "most of the people here have witnessed the sacrifice of shi ji and the others, the glory of their sacrifice. i hope you do not grieve too much. before the portraits of our ancestors, i believe shi ji and the others do not wish to see you like this."


    "what you need to do now is to remember this history, turn grief and indignation into motivation, and double your efforts in cultivation. strive to make breakthroughs as soon as possible. only when you are strong can you protect the family from harm. do you understand?"


    inspired by lin shikang''s words, everyone''s spirits were lifted, their expressions revealing a formidable aura as they replied in unison,


    "understood!"


    after lin shikang''s admonishment, a hint of vitality finally returned to everyone''s faces.


    seeing the transformation of the family members and the strong cohesion of the family, lin shikang showed a slight smile of relief.


    following lin shihua''s announcement of dismissal, the lin family members orderly left the ancestral hall to return to their normal cultivation.


    after leaving the ancestral hall, lin tianming greeted some relatives before returning to his family''s courtyard with his mother and sister.

 Chapter 114 The Lin Family Makes a Fortune, The Complete Spirit Art_1

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    in lin shikang''s courtyard, the six remaining members of the lin family of shi''s generation sat inside, chatting.


    after the great battle, clan affairs entangled them, and those who were in seclusion stayed secluded, never gathering together.


    now, as matters had gradually been handled and the lin family had returned to the right track, it was naturally time to account for the family''s losses and gains.


    after some idle chat, lin shihua took out a book and, following the recorded counts, began to report. lin shikang and the others listened attentively.


    the lin family''s losses were huge in this battle: not only did more than twenty clan members die in battle, but a substantial amount of elixirs, talismans, and spiritual artifacts were consumed, depleting years of accumulated resources.


    after reporting the losses, it was time to inventory the gains.


    lin shihua took out dozens of storage bags and placed them on the stone table in the middle of the group, all containing possessions of the jin family members who had died on green bamboo mountain. s~ea??h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the six of them each picked up a storage bag from the ground, wiped away the lingering divine sense, and started to check the contents.


    an hour later, they had finished tallying this batch of storage bags from qi refining stage clanspeople.


    in total, there were over 8,500 spirit stones, more than 200 consumable elixirs, fewer than 40 intact spiritual artifacts, and a large number of damaged remnants of spiritual artifacts, with hardly any talismans.


    just calculating the totals, lin shihua''s face darkened as he complained repeatedly,


    "this is far too little, isn''t it? over forty jin family members above the sixth level of qi refining, and this is all the spirit stones they had¡ªan average of barely two hundred spirit stones per person, no better than a loose cultivator."


    lin shigong frowned slightly and said helplessly,


    "that''s quite normal. they were participating in a great war, not strolling through a market. naturally, they wouldn''t carry too many treasures; otherwise, they would just be benefiting the enemy in case they fell."


    "that makes sense."


    lin shihua agreed with a nod and quickly registered it in the book.


    next, lin shigong took out more than ten storage bags, which were the possessions of the jin family cultivators stationed at the market and goods from the jin family shops. the quantity was not small.


    in no time, the group quickly tallied the treasures inside.


    there were over 11,000 spirit stones, more than 600 elixirs, as well as a fair number of talismans and spiritual artifacts, and varying amounts of spiritual medicine and spirit ore.


    although they only obtained a little more than ten storage bags, the wealth inside far exceeded the batch lin shihua had tallied.


    after their estimation, this wealth amounted to about 25,000 spirit stones.


    lin shihua packed up the categorized storage bags, and everyone turned their attention to lin shilu.


    lin shilu had breached jin family''s protective formation and acquired all the wealth of the jin family¡ªa thousand years of accumulation, which was undoubtedly substantial. everyone looked at him with eyes full of expectation and anticipation.


    lin shilu chuckled and calmly handed lin shihua two storage bags, which contained the spirit stones and cultivation techniques they had acquired from the hidden treasure vault of the jin family.


    lin shihua accepted the storage bags and began to inspect them.


    upon seeing nearly 70,000 spirit stones inside, his breath immediately became rapid.


    lin shigong and the others, curious, hurriedly snatched the storage bags from lin shilu''s hands to take turns inspecting them.


    "hiss..."


    apart from lin shilu, everyone''s face turned red, and even lin shikang, who was usually calm, couldn''t help but gasp in shock.


    at this moment, the people present had flushed faces and hearts filled with extreme excitement and agitation that took a long while to subside.


    taking advantage of their distraction, lin shilu took out more than two hundred storage bags and filled the stone table, all belonging to jin family members who had stayed behind in the jin family clan''s territory.


    after about ten breaths, everyone eventually calmed down and began to tally these storage bags.


    cultivation techniques, spirit stones, elixirs, talismans, spiritual artifacts...


    it took nearly half a day to completely tally the treasures inside.


    having seen such a vast quantity of treasures, lin shihua and the others had become numb to it.


    the spirit stones lin shilu brought back neared 120,000, plus five cultivation techniques, numerous books, more than thirty mature third order spiritual medicines, and countless first and second order items.


    after everyone''s estimation, excluding cultivation techniques and books, which were difficult to price, the value of the other treasures was definitely no less than 300,000 spirit stones.


    beyond their shock, they secretly compared the wealth of the jin family to that of the lin family.


    setting aside the value of the cultivation techniques, the wealth worth 300,000 spirit stones was still staggering; at the very least, the lin family couldn''t come close, and they were far behind.


    everyone couldn''t help but sigh, recognizing that the jin family, which had long dominated the market, never falling out of the top three, had amassed a great amount of wealth over a thousand years. they truly were an ancient family with profound foundations.


    after lin shilu finished tallying, there were still a few storage bags in lin shikang''s hands that hadn''t been counted.


    in his possession were the storage bags of jin zhiying and zhuang zhenxin. given their cultivations and their status as second order array masters, their contents must be extraordinary.


    not only that, the treasures looted from the sun family''s territory and the annihilated wu family were also in jin zhiying''s possession.


    although the treasures obtained by lin shilu were already of great value, the items in lin shikang''s possession might surpass those.


    everyone looked eagerly at lin shikang, their eyes burning with anticipation.


    lin shikang did not delay. he immediately took out a dozen storage bags, two of which were very conspicuous and obviously not ordinary.


    lin shikang distributed the storage bags among them, and they began to tally.


    after half an hour, they completed the inspection of the storage bags, everyone''s faces flush with color, and lin shihua even broke out into wild laughter.


    indeed, as they had expected, these dozen storage bags, although few in number, contained no shortage of treasures.

 Chapter 114 The Lin Family Makes a Fortune, The Complete Spirit Art_2

    just the number of spirit stones found in jin zhiying''s storage bag amounted to as many as a hundred thousand pieces, and there were over twenty medium-grade spirit stones.this huge sum of wealth was very likely the combined fortunes of the sun and wu families, concentrated in jin zhiying''s hands.


    besides the enormous amount of spirit stones, the cultivation techniques of the sun and wu families were also among them. excluding the techniques that overlapped with those of the lin family, there were five mysterious-grade techniques and seven yellow-grade techniques.


    there were even over a hundred various classics, amongst which the sun family''s talisman-making insights were particularly precious. many of the other classics weren''t very useful, but they could still provide some references.


    in addition to these, the quantity of various cultivation resources was huge; the combined resources of the two families almost surpassed the treasures lin shilu had obtained from the jin family.


    ...


    lin shikang handed all the treasures over to lin shihua and then took out zhuang zhenxin''s storage bag, ready to explore its contents.


    he put in quite some effort to erase the divine sense on the storage bag.


    with a thought, a flag appeared in lin shikang''s hand¡ªit was the magical treasure zhuang zhenxin had used.


    lin shikang held the green jiao flag with a look of cherished fondness.


    he was very clear about how formidable this magical treasure was.


    at that time, in the face of his and sun dingxian''s joint attack, zhuang zhenxin relied on this array flag to hold out for a long time.


    if not for their own powerful magical treasures, the outcome would have been hard to predict.


    after handing the green jiao flag over to lin shihua for safekeeping, he took out a large number of spirit stones from the storage bag and placed them on the open ground in front of him.


    a small mountain of colorful spirit stones piled up, amounting to over eighty thousand pieces, plus more than ten medium-grade spirit stones.


    beyond that, there were a large number of second order pills and array setup materials, each one anything but ordinary.


    although he didn''t find zhuang zhenxin''s cultivation technique, he found an inheritance of a second order high-grade array master¡ªequally invaluable and capable of greatly filling the void for the family''s array masters.


    soon, the contents of zhuang zhenxin''s storage bag were almost completely tallied, leaving only one jade slip unchecked.


    lin shikang picked up the jade slip and began to examine it, his complexion instantly becoming flush with excitement.


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    lin shilu and the others looked on with puzzlement, wondering what could elicit such surprise, and they urged him on eagerly.


    at this moment, an elated lin shikang was so overwhelmed he found himself at a loss for words, only to see him toss the jade slip towards lin shilu.


    lin shilu caught the jade slip and immediately probed it with his divine sense.


    after a look at the jade slip, his face underwent a dramatic change as he repeatedly exclaimed,


    "no wonder an eminent second order medium-quality array master came to the luoyun mountain range¡ªit was for this item!"


    lin shilu''s words left lin shihua and the others even more perplexed, prompting them to speculate.


    "could it be that there is some treasure of the lin family that zhuang zhenxin covets?"


    with no solutions coming to mind, an anxious lin shihua prompted hurriedly,


    "shilu, stop keeping us in suspense!"


    regaining his composure, lin shilu began,


    "do you still remember the incomplete spirit art that tian ming bought at the qianchuan market auction?"


    hearing lin shilu''s words, lin shihua''s expression changed, and he quickly replied.


    "that incomplete spirit art is still stored in the scripture pavilion. in the past two years, we have been secretly searching for it, to no avail. could it be that zhuang zhenxin is after the part we have?"


    "exactly!"


    "when tian ming obtained the spirit art, he also had me examine it. i can affirm that what we now possess is the latter half. therefore, we now have a complete mysterious-grade spirit art!"


    lin shilu''s definitive answer once again quickened the breaths of lin shihua and the others.


    the preciousness of spirit arts goes without saying; even if they were both of the mysterious grade, the value of a spirit art exceeds that of a cultivation technique by more than tenfold¡ªan exceedingly rare and valuable item that is hard to purchase even with spirit stones.


    such a priceless spirit art, not even the zhenyang sect, one of the three great sects of wei kingdom, would likely possess many; and even if they did, they would probably be only yellow-grade spirit arts.


    now that the lin family has acquired a profound grade spirit art, it''s as if they have gained an ace up their sleeve, an inexhaustible and never-ending advantage.


    practicing the spirit art could significantly enhance the strength of the family members, and in confrontations with peers of the same level, the probability of victory is greatly increased. sear?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after the initial excitement subsided, the group didn''t let the breathtaking joy cloud their judgment; instead, they started to worry.


    if news of the spirit art were to leak out, it''s feared that the golden core forces would immediately make a move to snatch it, turning this treasure into a hot potato.


    the cautious lin shihua, with a somber expression, turned to lin shilu and asked,


    "shilu, have you shown your true faces to anyone? when you returned to the family, was anyone following you?"


    before lin shilu could answer, lin shigong added,


    "exactly, how did he know the upper half of the spirit art was within our family?"


    "apart from zhuang zhenxin, does anyone else know?"


    facing the questions from the group, lin shilu also began to carefully recall the events, and after a good half an hour, he finally said,


    "during our time at the qianchuan market, we were all disguised, and at the time of the tian ming auction, we were in the vip room. moreover, we left several months later."


    "if there was a leak, it''s very likely it came from the auction''s organizers since only they knew what was being sold, and with over a thousand cultivators attending, it''s uncertain whether some skillful person might have noticed something."


    listening to lin shilu''s explanation, lin shihua and the others nodded and said,


    "hmm... indeed, that''s very possible!"


    lin shikang, who had not spoken until now, didn''t care about how the information might have leaked, after all, zhuang zhenxin was dead, and there was no way to confirm.


    "the spirit art is far too important; i guess even zhuang zhenxin would not dare to disclose it. such a treasure, once leaked, is no longer his concern; only golden core forces are qualified to compete."


    "as a loose cultivator, his cultivation was not enough to destroy our lin family, that''s why he cooperated with the jin family. he was alone and without support, and if he failed, he could just flee far away!"


    "at present, what we need to guard against most is the zhenyang sect, since the spirit art was revealed through the qianchuan market, whether zhenyang sect is aware of it or not is unknown."


    "in any case, now that we have obtained the complete spirit art, giving it up is out of the question. we can only be cautious of zhenyang sect''s slightest moves, and once these few years of rumors pass, we will be safe."


    lin shikang''s incisive speculation allowed everyone to heave a sigh of relief.


    the real fear had been the unknown danger, but now, knowing the direction of the threat, the problem was manageable. they just needed to guard against zhenyang sect for a few years to safely weather the storm.


    finally, after discussing amongst themselves, they decided with great caution that only family members above the ninth layer of qi refining would be allowed to cultivate the spirit art, and even then, it was not to be used lightly for fear it would be discovered by the enemy and bring disaster upon the family.


    lin shikang repeatedly instructed everyone to treat this matter with the utmost secrecy.


    lin shihua and the others understood the gravity of the situation and wholeheartedly agreed.


    unknowingly, dusk had arrived, and simply tallying up their gains had taken an entire day.


    it would be difficult for outsiders to imagine that in this great battle, the lin family had emerged as the final winner, gaining the treasures of the jin, sun, and wu families.


    the wealth of the three families plus zhuang zhenxin''s property amounted to nearly three hundred thousand spirit stones, with the value of various other treasures nearing seven hundred thousand.


    beyond these assets, they had obtained over ten different cultivation techniques and numerous scriptures, greatly augmenting the lin family''s foundation.


    looking over the records, the emotions in the hearts of lin shikang and the others were indescribable with excitement.


    one could imagine with these resources, the lin family would finally not be so hard-pressed and could use these assets to quickly enhance the overall strength of the family.


    given ten years, the lin family could certainly add several foundation establishment cultivators, reaching an unprecedented peak in its history.


    after calming their emotions, the group sat down together, drinking tea while discussing family affairs.


    they discussed for over an hour, settling on several major decisions that just needed a few additions before they could be implemented.


    seeing that it was getting late, lin shikang decided not to prolong the discussion and prepared to dismiss everyone.


    "shihua, call a family meeting in three days, and after you return, send out a message to the juniors. this time the family will undergo a major transformation; we''ll significantly improve the members'' treatment and specifically cultivate a few individuals, using the entire family''s resources to aid their foundation establishment."


    "alright, i''ll send out messages to the members early tomorrow morning and meet in the elders'' council hall early morning in three days."


    lin shihua affirmed, and each of the family members bid farewell with a fist salute.

 Chapter 115 Clan Meeting Rewards_1

    one morning at dawn, a rosy light penetrated the small window, illuminating the bedroom.lin tianming stretched lazily, and the fatigue of the past two months gradually dissipated. after several days of rest, his condition had once again reached its peak.


    lin tianming stood up, tidied up his appearance, and then walked towards the outside of the room.


    two days ago, he had received a message from the clan leader, asking him to attend the clan meeting at the elders'' council hall today.


    although the clan leader did not elaborate, lin tianming could guess something.


    the war had ended, and there was much to be done; the lin family had to get back on the right track.


    as such, the purpose and significance of this family council meeting went without saying.


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    putting aside his thoughts, and with some anticipation, lin tianming soared in the direction of the elders'' council.


    at this moment, in the elders'' council hall, several xing clan members were already seated, chatting casually about the matters concerning the clan meeting.


    lin tianming entered the hall, greeted a few of his clan uncles, and then found an empty seat to sit down.


    after a short while, more clan members entered the hall one after another, and soon there were over ten people gathered. s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    looking at some of the unfamiliar faces, it was the first time for them to attend such an important clan meeting.


    a quarter of an hour passed, and several figures appeared at the entrance of the hall.


    seeing lin shikang and several others, including lin shilu, coming in, all the clan members in the hall promptly got up to greet them.


    lin shikang and his group, smiling, instructed everyone to take their seats before sitting down themselves.


    seeing that all the clan members attending the meeting had arrived, the clan leader stood up with a solemn expression and began;


    "today, we are fortunate to gather together to discuss the family''s century-long plan. first, let me report on the situation of our clan members."


    "before the war, the lin family had one hundred and ninety-seven people. after the catastrophic war, our clan suffered heavy losses. twenty-one clan members died in battle, including two from the shi generation, sixteen from the xing generation, and three from the tian generation."


    the sacrificed clan members were qi refiners of at least the fifth level, including several above the eighth level, all of whom were the core strength of our family.


    this single battle resulted in the loss of more than ten percent of our clansmen. had it not been for those below the fifth level of qi refinement not participating in the war, the number of deaths would likely have been double.


    listenting to the clan leader''s report, even though the clan members had already braced themselves.


    but when reminded of the gory past, everyone felt incredibly heavy-hearted. it was as if they were recalling that horrific war, and for a moment, the whole hall fell into a brief silence.


    after this battle, the lin family''s vitality was greatly damaged, and for the next few years, we would face a shortage of personnel.


    fortunately, the jin family had not gone mad enough to strike at mortals; otherwise, in that situation, our family would have been unable to protect itself, let alone care for the lives of the mortals.


    in the vast history of the cultivation world, mortals might be weak, but they are the foundation for cultivators.


    so long as there is a substantial number of mortals, every few years, they will produce a batch of clan members with spiritual roots.


    with such an arrangement, as long as we develop steadily, it won''t take ten years for our family to regain its strength.


    after a short while, clan members gradually emerged from their memories.


    old memories were dredged up, and upon seeing a hint of sadness on the faces of the clan members, lin shihua felt somewhat distressed.


    what the family most needed now was to continue moving forward, not to dwell in prolonged grief. long-term sadness could lead to mental changes that would affect the cultivation of the clan members.


    at this point, lin shikang stood up and started to inquire among the clan members.


    "as our family''s territory continues to expand, and we need people to defend our marketplaces, the number of personnel we can mobilize within the clan is limited. we few old folks have decided to immediately organize a grand spiritual root testing. do you have any suggestions?"


    lin shikang''s change of topic successfully diverted the attention of the grieving clan members.


    one clan member immediately spoke up:


    "the grand spiritual root testing is urgent. i suggest that we test the mortal towns of the jin family and the wu family as well."


    "in addition, we should transfer some mortals from our family towns to those. they can live and reproduce there, spreading the lin family''s values. it will not take many decades before many lin family offspring are born in these places. in the long run, they will forget their past and become part of the lin family mortals."


    lin xingzhao''s suggestion was indeed in line with the lin family''s current situation and won the approval of many clan members,


    "xingzhao''s idea is good. their two families have many commoners, especially the jin family, with over a million people after a thousand years of proliferation. the wu family''s mortals are not as numerous, but there are also a few hundred thousand people."


    "exactly, the jin family and the wu family are extinct, and the mortal towns in their territories should rightfully become part of our family''s map."


    several clan members echoed this sentiment, and for a time, the atmosphere in the hall became enthusiastic.


    lin shihua was very pleased. although significant decisions within the lin family were made by foundation establishment clan members, having more clan members participate and listen to more suggestions can help the lin family develop in the right direction.


    for nearly half a quarter of an hour, various ideas and suggestions were flying, contributing to the family''s strategy. after discussions among the clan members, they reached an agreement.


    lin shihua and the other foundation establishment clan members were very satisfied and comforted. they immediately selected ten clan members, who, after the clan meeting, would immediately carry out the duties of the grand spiritual root testing.


    with satisfactory results for the first major item of business, lin shihua continued to preside over the meeting.


    "next, we will discuss the selection of heads for the enforcement hall and the hall of merit. candidates must be above the seventh level of qi refinement, one chief and one deputy each, and no younger than sixty years old. everyone is welcome to recommend several eligible nominees, and we will decide on the final candidates."

 Chapter 115 Clan Assembly Rewards_2

    as soon as lin shihua had finished speaking, a clansman who was puzzled asked,"clan leader, the clan''s various departments have always been headed by a single hall master. why do we suddenly need two?"


    "previously, it was because the clan''s foundation was too weak, leading to many clansmen advancing slowly in their cultivation. even if they reached the great perfection in their cultivation, they lacked the foundation establishment spiritual objects. as a result, many clansmen stopped cultivating after the age of seventy and instead focused their energies on these affairs."


    "while serving as a hall master does come with a higher monthly salary, it can also hinder your cultivation. the reason for selecting both a chief and a deputy is so that you can take turns in cultivating without halting your progress."


    the words of lin shihua made the xing clan members have a sudden realization.


    before long, several people put forward more than a dozen candidates, among whom lin xingzhi was naturally included.


    there was no choice; among the lin family members who met the qualifications, there were only dozens, and with his ninth level of qi refinement, he was naturally one of the best candidates.


    at the highest place of the great hall, lin shihua and a few others began to communicate through voice transmission.


    after a few nods from everyone, lin shihua announced that lin xingcheng would serve as the hall of merit''s master and lin xingzhi would serve as the enforcement hall master.


    following that, two deputy hall masters were also selected, both of whom were at the seventh level of qi refinement and were older clansmen.


    once the candidates were confirmed, half a day had passed.


    "fellow clan members, after discussing with the shi generation clan members, we are now going to announce a major decision,"


    "from next month onwards, the monthly salary for all clan members will be increased threefold. for example, a clansman at the initial stage of qi refining whose monthly salary is one spirit stone will now receive three spirit stones. all clan members will be treated equally. in addition, all clan tasks will now have their merit points tripled as well."


    the moment lin shihua''s voice fell, the clan members below immediately erupted into excitement.


    a threefold increase, what did that mean? it meant that a clansman in the initial stage of qi refining could exchange their three-month salary for a lingshen pill.


    the threefold increase in monthly salary was not even the biggest benefit; after all, the monthly salary was not a large proportion of a clansman''s income. the main earnings came from clan tasks.


    it could be imagined that if such a policy was maintained for ten years, the overall strength of the lin family could be greatly enhanced. it would be entirely normal for all clan members to improve by one or two levels in their cultivation.


    lin shihua and the others remained calm, as this policy was something they had decided upon after careful consideration.


    the current state of the lin family was very different from the past; they had nearly three hundred thousand spirit stones from the great battle alone, as well as immortal realm resources worth several hundreds of thousands.


    however, the situation for the lin family was that there were too few clan members and overall low levels of cultivation. the ancestral treasure, the golden core talisman, had been used and there were no more miraculous life-changing assets.


    therefore, now that there were the conditions, it was natural to quickly enhance the strength of the clansmen in order to alleviate the family''s worries and survive in the cultivation world.


    seeing the joy and elation on the faces of the clan members below, lin shikang and the others were extremely excited inside. they had finally managed to fulfill their duties to their ancestors.


    as all the clan members were still whispering to each other and expressing their joy,


    lin shihua waved his hand to silence everyone and spoke righteously;


    "with the collective efforts of our clan members, the family has overcome the crisis. the great battle is over, and it is time to implement the rewards."


    "there are too many clan members to announce individually, so i will only announce the names of those who have made significant contributions. as for the rewards for other clan members, a list will be posted at the entrance of all major institutions tomorrow. you may all go there to read it!"


    lin shihua''s words once again excited the clan members in the hall.


    almost a month had passed since the great battle, and the family had not made any announcement, leaving many clan members to think that the family had forgotten about it.


    considering the huge gains from the battle, the rewards were expected to be extremely generous, and some clan members couldn''t wait any longer.


    lin shihua, seeing his clan members eagerly looking at him, couldn''t be bothered to keep them in suspense any longer.


    "the first clan member, lin tianming, is rewarded with ten thousand merit points and can choose any three second order treasures from the family merits hall."


    as soon as lin shihua finished speaking, the clan members below cheered, including lin shilu and several other shi generation clan members who stood up and applauded for lin tianming.


    lin tianming got up and humbly bowed to the clan members. his modest and polite demeanor made the cheering in the hall grow even louder.


    lin shilu also wore a smile and looked envious as he joked to lin shigong,


    "ninth brother, you really have a good grandson!"


    among the younger generation of the lin family, he had the most contact with lin tianming. from trips to qianchuan market, to the market contests, to infiltrating the jin family clan''s territory, and fighting side by side on several occasions, lin tianming had even rescued him when he was trapped.


    he couldn''t find a single fault with lin tianming.


    "i also owe thanks to the care of all the brothers that this young man hasn''t let us old folks down,"


    facing lin shilu''s joke, lin shigong also had a proud look and humbly replied.


    as the applause and cheers subsided, lin shihua continued to read out the names of the clan members.


    "the second clan member, lin xingzhi, is rewarded with three thousand merit points, and can choose any one second order treasure."


    "the third clan member, lin xingyu, is rewarded with two thousand merit points, and can choose any five first order treasures." s~ea??h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "the fourth clan member, lin tianfeng, is rewarded with two thousand merit points, and can choose any five first order treasures."


    ...


    after about fifteen minutes of announcement, lin xingli, lin xingqi, lin xingping, and so on, all of the clan members listed received their rewards.


    the rewards for these clan members varied, with some getting as much as a thousand and others as few as three hundred.


    the clan members also gave applause but it was nowhere near as enthusiastic as when lin tianming was rewarded. experience tales at empire

 Chapter 115 Clan Meeting Rewards_3

    the matter had already been discussed, and the reward list was complete; the meeting was nearing its end.lin shihua spoke with a stern expression:


    "do not forget the hardships you have once endured. now that your monthly stipends have been raised and rewards bestowed, i hope everyone will seize the time to cultivate diligently. do not slack off and strive to achieve foundation establishment as soon as possible so you can relieve the family of its worries. understood?"


    "understood..."


    the clan members responded in unison, each brimming with confidence.


    "good; the clan meeting is concluded. all policies and clan affairs shall be carried out according to the results discussed in the meeting. if there are matters you cannot decide on, you may consult us. you may all leave now."


    after lin shihua announced the end of the meeting, some clan members greeted each other and, after bowing to lin shikang and the others, began to head outside.


    lin tianming was done exchanging greetings with a few uncles and was about to leave when a transmission from lin shigong made him pause.


    "uncles, please go ahead; i still have something to ask of my grandfather!"


    "alright, then you be busy. i''ll invite you to my cave dwelling for a small gathering another day; you must come!"


    several clan members spoke one after another, inviting lin tianming for a visit before they left.


    lin tianming, far from stingy, promised resolutely: read exclusive content at empire


    "rest assured, uncles, as soon as tianming is free, he will surely come over for a drink."


    with lin tianming''s response, they lingered no longer and left the hall together. sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    soon, all the xing clan members had departed, leaving only a few of the shi generation clan members.


    lin shikang and the others stared wide-eyed at him without speaking, which made him somewhat baffled.


    unable to guess why he was kept behind, lin tianming did not initiate conversation.


    after a brief silence, lin shikang spoke with a smile that was not quite a smile:


    "tianming, we''ve kept you behind to give you some good news, incredibly good news."


    lin shikang''s words baffled him even more.


    "good news?"


    "could it be that a rare treasure has been obtained?"


    lin shikang waved his hand, and immediately a jade slip flew out of his sleeve and was deftly caught by lin tianming.


    without pausing, lin tianming probed with his divine sense to read the contents recorded within the jade slip.


    "this is the latter half of the great sun sword qi art!"


    after looking through it, lin tianming was utterly shocked and found it hard to believe. he checked several times before his face lit up with ecstasy.


    for this spirit art, he was exceptionally familiar and had even successfully condensed sword qi, which he had nurtured in his dantian for more than two years.


    lin tianming observed his own dantian, finding that the sword qi had almost solidified and grown by more than a circle in size, yet, despite searching, he could not find the second half of the secret technique. unexpectedly, they had found it.


    "third grandfather, how did you obtain the latter half of the spirit art?"


    lin tianming inquired curiously.


    "it was found in zhuang zhenxin''s storage bag!"


    with lin shikang''s answer, lin tianming quickly worked through his thoughts, soon piecing together the cause and effect.


    "no wonder the jin family couldn''t resist taking action. it seems like zhuang zhenxin had a purpose in mind; otherwise, with his status as a second order array master, he wouldn''t have rashly provoked our family."


    "your speculation coincides with ours. now that he is dead, there''s no way to find more clues. since we have obtained it, it is a fortunate opportunity for the lin family. cultivate in peace, and after you succeed, return the jade slip to the family!"


    lin tianming put away the jade slip, his face still flushed with excitement. overjoyed, he repeatedly expressed:


    "your grandson will certainly work hard. it just so happens that i want to seclude myself for a while to understand this art and attempt a breakthrough."


    "hmm, go ahead!"


    lin tianming gave the group a fist and palm salute and swiftly left the hall.

 Chapter 116 The Grand Bazaar Meeting - Part 1

    green bamboo mountain, a secret chamber in a small courtyard.after the clan meeting concluded, lin tianming told his mother and went straight into the secret chamber, eager to begin his retreat to comprehend the spirit art, without even collecting his reward.


    inside the secret chamber, lin tianming sat cross-legged, holding the spirit art jade slip, and entered a mysterious state.


    ...


    one day, at the small courtyard of lin shikang on the peak of green bamboo mountain.


    lin shikang and other members of the lin family of his generation sat around a stone table, sipping spiritual tea while casually chatting.


    lin shilu picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and calmly said,


    "third brother, what do you think about the sun family''s invitation?"


    lin shikang didn''t immediately speak, instead, he fell into thought.


    three days ago, sun dingfeng and luo chenggu visited the lin family together, bringing some gifts as a token of gratitude for the lin family''s support during the war.


    lin shihua happily accepted the gifts and hosted the two warmly. as they were leaving, sun dingfeng mentioned the convention of the market.


    according to the previous agreements among the five great families, one month after the conclusion of the market competition, the market convention would be held.


    due to the outbreak of war among the five great families, the jin and wu families were completely annihilated, and the market convention had already been delayed for two months.


    if not for the fact that members of the sun and luo families were injured, plus being busy with clan affairs, they would have brought it up sooner.


    now that the foundation establishment cultivators of both families have recovered from their injuries, and with only three of the five great families remaining, fewer families are sharing the market profits. for the sake of profit, concessions would definitely not be made anymore.


    "although the sun family still has two foundation establishment cultivators, even if they ally with the luo family, we don''t need to be too wary of them. we don''t need to worry too much about the market convention!"


    lin shikang''s words were greatly approved by everyone present!


    while the foundation establishment cultivators of the sun family were indeed formidable, only a few dozen clan members remained. and the luo family had always been at the bottom of the five great families, and even without significant losses, neither would be a match for the lin family on their own. s§×ar?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "that''s true, but now that they''re weak, they may very well unite. if that happens, although we won''t fear them, it will certainly bring quite a bit of trouble!"


    lin shihua expressed his concerns, allowing the others to weigh in on the issue.


    lin shikang, composed as ever, promptly said,


    "shihua, given the current situation, it''s highly likely that the two families will unite. with the jin family destroyed, our lin family has become the biggest threat. even though we have shown them kindness, we can''t discount the possibility that they may consider us as enemies."


    "indeed, with that in mind, what attitude should we adopt towards these two families? and during the profit-sharing of the market, what should be our bottom line?"


    lin shilu affirmed lin shikang''s speculation and also brought up the lin family''s stance and bottom line.


    lin shikang nodded and answered,


    "what do you think? how much do you feel should be our bottom line?"


    "fifty percent? sixty percent?"


    lin shihua and the others offered their opinions and suggested a bottom line for the lin family.


    an hour later, after discussion, lin shikang had made up his mind.


    "shilu, three days from now, you''ll represent the lin family at the market convention. adhere to the family''s agreed-upon bottom line of a minimum fifty percent profit, and then try to secure even more benefits for the family. anything that benefits the family, you can decide on your own. if there are any major decisions you''re uncertain about, return and consult with the family first."


    hearing lin shikang''s instructions, lin shilu replied,


    "alright, i''ll set off tomorrow and go to the market convention with xing yuan!"


    after discussing the market convention, the group chatted for a while about clan affairs, and then they all got busy with their own matters.


    three days later, at the fangshi auction house.


    in a vast reception room, there were over a hundred seats around a huge round table.


    this reception room was where the market convention was held. in the past, it was always packed full; however, today only about half of the seats were filled with cultivators participating in the convention.


    the room was somewhat silent at the moment, and on one side of the round table, only sun dingfeng and luo chenggu were sitting and chatting leisurely.


    the two men seemed as if they were long-lost old friends catching up with each other. judging by the situation, there was indeed some connection between their two families.


    below them, all the seats were filled with qi refining cultivators above the qi refining eighth level. they sat divided to either side, each closing their eyes to meditate in preparation for the convention''s start.


    on the third floor of the hundred treasures building, lin xing yuan was pulling out a book, beginning his report on the recent situation in fangshi.


    "fifteenth uncle, it''s been over a month since we took over fangshi. due to a lack of personnel, we''ve kept three of the jin family''s shops with the best locations for ourselves, and have temporarily vacated the rest, planning to rent them out. although their locations aren''t the best, they''re still quite good. strangely enough, such decent shops have had no interested parties."


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    lin shilu wasn''t surprised and explained,


    "that''s not strange. even though the war is over, the interests of the major families in fangshi have yet to reach an agreement, and there remains the risk of another outbreak of war. thus, those cultivators who want to do business are just watching and waiting!"


    lin xing yuan nodded, understanding that the current unstable times weren''t the best for opening a shop.


    after all, every businessman prefers to operate in a bustling and stable market. if the place is constantly in turmoil, it greatly impacts their business.


    "xing yuan, how have the sun and luo families been recently?"


    hearing lin shilu''s question, lin xing yuan reported on the situation of the sun and luo families.


    "half a month ago, the shops of the sun and luo families were back in business. as of now, the relationship between the families is relatively harmonious, everyone is busy with their trade, and no conflicts have erupted. the bustling atmosphere of fangshi has also returned to nearly what it was before. however, some rumors have started circulating recently!"

 Chapter 116 The Grand Bazaar Meeting_2

    "what rumors?"lin shilu urgently asked.


    "a few days ago, a rumor suddenly spread throughout luoyun market, claiming the lin family had rashly seized control of the market, their ambition is not small, apparently aiming to unify the luoyun mountain range!"


    "upon hearing the rumors, i immediately sought to trace their origin, but unfortunately, they spread too quickly and have become common knowledge. we don''t have enough hands, and we''ve been unable to find the source of these rumors!"


    lin shilu let out a cold laugh, which made lin xingyuan rather uneasy, thinking that lin shilu was dissatisfied with him, and he immediately became nervous.


    "it''s perfectly normal that you can''t find the source. it''s clear that either the luo family or the sun family did this intentionally. they just need to give some benefits to a few qi refining cultivators to spread rumors, then quickly leave luoyun market and they''ll be safe, making it natural for you not to be able to find the source."


    lin xingyuan curiously asked,


    "what purpose do the sun and luo families have in spreading rumors? aren''t they afraid of tearing off the disguise and reigniting a great war?"


    lin shilu chuckled lightly and explained,


    "firstly, those who spread the rumors cannot be tracked, they may have already left luoyun market or could have been silenced. there''s no need to worry about us catching them red-handed."


    "as for the sun and luo families spreading rumors, they''re simply seeking sympathy and claiming the moral high ground. once the lin family takes action against them, it will confirm suspicions of our great ambition to unify luoyun, prompting resistance from many loose cultivators and even ostracism by them." s§×arch* the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after hearing lin shilu''s explanation, lin xingyuan came to a realization and immediately understood the reasons behind it.


    "fifteenth uncle, shall we just ignore this and do nothing?"


    "there is absolutely no need to bother with it or to continue investigating. the more intense our reaction, the more likely we are to be misunderstood by those loose cultivators. now that our family has just stabilized, it is unwise to start another conflict. all we need is a stable development for ten years. with tian ming''s terrifying talent and the abundant resources, the gap between the sun and luo families and us will only get bigger. by then, whoever has the bigger fist will call the shots; all other rules will be virtually meaningless!"


    lin shilu''s demeanor remained calm, not at all affected by these trivial matters.


    after all, the lin family had no intention of thoroughly exterminating, only needing to boil the frog in warm water to achieve their goal. there was no need to be hasty, creating enemies everywhere and wasting the favorable situation at present.


    "instruct the family members in luoyun market not to bully others using our power nor to make enemies lightly. the family needs stable development now. if the other party provokes us, there is no need for courtesy, understand?"


    "yes, i will surely keep the family members in line!"


    lin xingyuan responded and then fell silent.


    "hmm, it''s about time. let''s go to the market conference together!"


    with that, lin shilu stood up and left, with lin xingyuan quickly following behind him.


    the two exited the hundred treasures building and walked down the street, causing a huge stir.


    with the jin family annihilated, the strength of the lin family had come to light, shocking all the cultivators.


    seeing lin shilu personally visiting luoyun market, many low-level cultivators came forward to pay their respects, trying to cozy up.


    lin shilu responded with a smile and a few words, then made his way through the crowd toward the auction.


    shortly after, the two entered the grand hall of the auction and immediately went into the reception room.


    seeing lin shilu''s arrival, representatives of the qi refining families all stood up to greet him. sun dingfeng and luo chenggu also stood up to welcome him and then said with a smile,


    "it is indeed elder lin shi lu who graces us with his presence at the conference. we owe you a great debt for your care after being trapped last time, which enabled our successful escape. after the conference, we must treat you to a few drinks to express our gratitude."


    faced with the courteous duo, lin shilu maintained his composure, showing no signs of irregularity.


    he exchanged perfunctory pleasantries and then started chatting with some representatives of the qi refining families.


    lin shilu''s good actions reassured many representatives of the qi refining families, a complete contrast to the once overbearing and arrogant jin family.


    watching lin shilu engage in lively conversation with representatives of the qi refining families, sun dingfeng and his companion felt somewhat awkward for a time.


    after a short while, lin shilu waved his hand to silence the representatives of the qi refining families and stood up to say,


    "i, lin shi lu, welcome all friends to this conference. i hope everyone can work with our families to make luoyun market a stable and prosperous market."


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    "elder lin truly is a role model for our generation..."


    as lin shilu finished speaking, many representatives of the qi refining families began to offer compliments.


    lin shilu continued with a smile and a cupped-hand salute,


    "the great war has just ended, and the jin family''s unrighteous actions have caused huge losses to the four big families. the wu family has even been silently eliminated. faced with the powerful jin family, our lin family had the courage to take responsibility and made great sacrifices, finally thwarting the jin family''s conspiracy."


    "now that all is peaceful in all four directions, the profits of the market should be redistributed. today, as you have all arrived, if you have any thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to raise them."


    after speaking, lin shilu sat down and stopped talking.


    the room suddenly became silent, and no one spoke, resulting in an extremely awkward moment.


    after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed and seeing no one speak up, sun dingfeng covertly winked at he yuanqing, who was sitting diagonally across from him.


    understanding, he yuanqing stood up with clasped hands and began,


    "since the senior members are not speaking up, let me, he yuanqing, throw out a suggestion for discussion. anyone with objections can criticize and correct me. in my view, the lin family indeed played a significant role in this great war, and the sun family also suffered heavy losses. i propose that the lin family receives forty percent, the sun family thirty percent, the wu family fifteen percent, and the remaining fifteen percent be divided among the twelve qi refining families. i wonder what the seniors and friends think about this suggestion?"

 Chapter 116 Market Fair_3

    after he yuanqing finished speaking, he eyed lin shilu''s reaction with what seemed to be a hint of unease.he yuanqing''s words appeared complimentary, but they were obviously under direction from the sun family, and such a despicable act could not have gone unnoticed by lin shilu.


    lin shilu remained calm, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger, and he offered no comment.


    seeing that lin shilu was silent, a representative from the chen clan, chen jingping, stood up and said,


    "he, you are mistaken. the lin family is rightfully the first-ranked family at this market''s competition. elder lin shikang even expended a huge cost to kill jin zhiying, and with several foundation establishment cultivators in the lin family, they are without a doubt the premier family of the luoyun mountain range, both in terms of merit and family strength. in my opinion, the lin family should take sixty percent, the sun family fifteen, the luo family ten, and the remaining fifteen should be divided among the qi refining families."


    as chen jingping finished speaking, the great hall immediately buzzed with activity as dozens of people began to voice their opinions.


    within moments, the dozens of people split into two camps, one favoring the sun family, the other the lin family.


    all of the foundation establishment cultivators from the lin family remained silent, watching the two factions bicker with calm detachment.


    somewhere along the way, he yuanqing spoke up to lin shilu,


    "please, elder lin, give everyone an explanation," he said.


    upon hearing this, lin shilu flashed a fierce smile and suddenly bellowed, "an explanation? what explanation do you want?"


    facing lin shilu''s outburst, he yuanqing''s complexion instantly turned deathly pale, and a trickle of fresh blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.


    seeing he yuanqing injured, sun dingfeng''s face immediately darkened.


    lin shilu''s reaction clearly indicated he was not willing to easily give up the benefits. this made it much harder for the sun family to secure enough interest. after all, facing the powerful lin family, they dared not offend them easily. thus, sun dingfeng inevitably felt less confident.


    "lin, calm down. whatever grievances your lin family has, just speak frankly. we can discuss it. there''s no need for anger. after all, just two months ago, we fought side by side!"


    faced with sun dingfeng''s appeasement, lin shilu''s expression softened slightly. discover more content at empire


    "daoist sun, do not forget that two months ago, the younger generation of my lin family saved the younger generation of your sun family. during the jin family''s pursuit, it was also my lin family that provided shelter. it could be said that my lin family has shown great kindness to your sun family. even daoist luo chenggu was saved by us. now, when it comes to profit distribution, you show this attitude?"


    lin shilu spared no irony in his scathing words, leaving sun dingfeng and the two others visibly embarrassed, and luo chenggu began weakly attempting to mediate.


    "hmph, our lin family will take sixty percent of the profits. as for your two families, you can discuss it amongst yourselves."


    lin shilu''s bold demand visibly altered their expressions.


    the jin family had only taken thirty percent in profits, and with sixty percent, that would be doubling it. this would leave their families with almost no growth in interest, and in the long term, the lin family would only get stronger.


    "lin, sixty percent is indeed too much. the most we can offer is fifty. what do you think?"


    sun dingfeng asked tentatively, as that was the bottom line based on their discussions with the luo family.


    "fifty percent is too little. how about this¡ªsince you and i are of the same realm, let''s have a match. if i win, the lin family gets fifty-five percent. if i lose, we''ll distribute it as luo daoyou suggested, at fifty percent. what do you say?"


    once lin shilu spoke, the whole room erupted, and sun dingfeng''s face changed, filled with hesitation.


    he was quite wary of lin shilu''s strength, but refusing the challenge would be a loss of face. s~ea??h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    sun dingfeng secretly communicated with luo chenggu and, receiving his agreement, spoke up,


    "let''s do as lin suggests. in fact, i would like to witness lin''s strength myself!"


    "very well, then let''s gather outside the market square!"


    with that, lin shilu and lin xingyuan stood up and left the reception room.

 Chapter 117 Profit Sharing_1

    outside luoyun market, at the foot of a barren hilltop, nearly a hundred people were watching a battle.lin shilu stood at the top of the hill, with lin xingyuan not far from him watching. opposite him, sun dingfeng watched with a solemn expression, as if facing a formidable enemy.


    lin shilu instructed lin xingyuan with a few words before speaking out loud,


    "in a duel of magic, blades and swords are blind. should there be any injuries, no grudges shall be sought afterwards. is daoist sun ready?"


    "of course. please enlighten me, daoist lin!"


    after sun dingfeng bowed with his fists, he patted his storage bag, and instantly a red and green longsword appeared in his hand, ready for attack.


    lin shilu responded, and with a forceful wave, the red and green greatsword burst into spiritual light, sending multiple sword qi at an extremely high speed from all directions toward lin shilu.


    lin shilu''s expression remained as usual, as he took out a small blue shield to guard in front of him.


    "the qing jiao shield?"


    "wasn''t it punctured and damaged by lin shikang with a golden core talisman?"


    seeing the small shield in lin shilu''s hands, sun dingfeng''s expression changed. he couldn''t understand how the shield he had personally seen get damaged was now appearing whole in lin shilu''s hands again.


    after several explosive sounds, five beams of sword light bombarded the qing jiao shield. the powerful impact kicked up waves of air, instantly flipping over some qi refining cultivators at the base of the hill. after they steadied themselves, everyone looked up at the two figures on the hilltop in shock.


    once the dust settled, lin shilu''s figure was revealed.


    he was now examining the qing jiao shield in his hands and, after a short while, a satisfied expression crossed his face.


    in the great battle at green bamboo mountain, the sword qi transformed from the golden core talisman had punctured the second order superior magic artifact, the qing jiao shield, and also ended jin zhiying''s life directly.


    although the qing jiao shield had been badly damaged, the material of the artifact itself was extraordinary, and the core and central components were not significantly harmed.


    as a second order artifact refiner, lin shilu replenished a great amount of artifact refining materials and finally repaired the blasted artifact. due to his limited ability, after the repair, it barely reached the standard of a second order medium quality magic artifact, and its defensive power no longer matched that of the jin family''s era.


    even so, a second order medium quality defense artifact was still an extremely rare existence in the luoyun mountain range, and it easily blocked sun dingfeng''s attack.


    seeing lin shilu effortlessly catch his attack, sun dingfeng''s face turned somewhat ugly.


    lin shilu didn''t give sun dingfeng much time to react. he took out his spirit sword artifact and, without hesitation, launched several slashes. meanwhile, he leaped a hundred yards forward, aggressively charging at sun dingfeng.


    "elder lin is indeed formidable!"


    with lin shilu making his move, his overwhelming strength was revealed, shocking the watching clansmen once again, as several cultivators started exclaiming in awe.


    the expression on sun dingfeng''s face grew exceedingly grave; lin shilu''s speed was incredibly fast, and his angle of attack was tricky, making it difficult to avoid the onslaught.


    sun dingfeng patted his storage bag, took out a jade pendant, infused it with spiritual power, and instantly, a fiery red barrier formed in front of him.


    "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."


    a sharp and piercing noise accompanied the arrival of the sword qi.


    the fiery red barrier trembled violently.


    eventually, the sword qi and the fiery red barrier gradually dissipated, and the jade pendant returned to its original form. however, the spirituality of the pendant seemed greatly diminished, indicating it had been significantly depleted.


    behind the barrier, sun dingfeng''s face was slightly pale, and his breath was somewhat disordered. he did not show any abnormalities and forcibly composed himself.


    before he could catch his breath, a storm of attacks from lin shilu followed.


    after hastily dodging, sun dingfeng launched a series of counterattacks.


    for a time, as the two combatants exchanged blows, the fight grew increasingly fierce, and of the two, lin shilu clearly had the upper hand.


    as the intense battle unfolded at the mountaintop, the representatives of the qi refining clans at the foot of the mountain had very different mindsets.


    those supporting the sun family were incredibly anxious, while the qi refining cultivators of the lin family were quite at ease.


    unbeknownst to them, dozens of rounds had already passed in fierce combat.


    after lin shilu''s earth-shattering strike, sun dingfeng was repelled dozens of feet before he managed to stabilize his figure.


    with his face pale and his arms numb, sun dingfeng couldn''t help but spit out a mouthful of fresh blood and said, sear?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "daoist lin''s divine skills are truly extraordinary. i am willing to admit defeat and accept the loss. the profit distribution of the market shall be carried out according to daoist lin''s plan!"


    seeing sun dingfeng concede, lin shilu ceased his attacks, put away his magic artifact into his storage bag, and said with a smile,


    "much obliged, much obliged!"


    with that, lin shilu flew down from the mountaintop, met up with lin xingyuan, and left together.


    back in the meeting room of the luoyun market auction house, the clan cultivators regathered.


    the share of profits for the lin family had been decided, while those of the sun and luo families as well as the rest of the qi refining families had yet to be determined.


    in the meeting room, as dozens started to negotiate, lin shilu and another stood by as silent observers, watching as the group haggled, intervening now and then to secure benefits for the lin family''s allied clans.


    after half a day of negotiation, the profit distribution plan of the market was finalized.


    the lin family obtained fifty-five percent share of the profits, while the sun family, which had contributed a great deal during the battle, obtained twenty percent.


    the luo family, with little to no merits, maintained their original ten percent share.


    the remaining fifteen percent was divided among eight qi refining families, as several had suffered heavy losses during the battle and thus lost their qualification for the distribution.


    as a result, each of the eight qi refining families saw an increase in their share of profits, with the three that initially supported the lin family gaining the most.


    the fiercely loyal chen clan''s profits increased significantly, placing them among the leading clans within the eight major families.


    at this moment, chen jingping''s heart was overflowing with excitement, immensely grateful for his choice. as long as the lin family stood strong, the status of their chen clan would rise with the tide and become very secure.


    the luoyun market assembly had come to an end, and thanks to lin shilu''s efforts, the lin family had gained the most. in addition to securing over half of the profit shares, they also acquired the management rights of the market. by simply assigning foundation establishment clan members to guard the market long-term, they had obtained such significant authority, which was no easy feat.


    inside the hundred treasures building, lin shilu and several others sat opposite each other, discussing the outcome of the market assembly.


    "fifteenth uncle, our family''s goal has been achieved, and there were unexpected gains. undoubtedly, when third uncle and the others find out, they will be thrilled!"


    lin shilu gave a slight smile, very satisfied with the results of the market assembly.


    the rise of the lin family was now unstoppable. though they had the task of guarding the market, the management rights were extraordinarily important. with such authority, the market''s future development would essentially be dictated by the lin family. in the long run, it was only a matter of time before they would have complete control over the luoyun market.


    lin shilu chuckled softly and instructed lin xingyuan,


    "xing yuan, continue to hold our position in the market. the family is currently undergoing reforms, and you cannot neglect your cultivation. in a few years, when someone from the family comes to take over for you, i will return to the family tomorrow to report. the family''s forces are too dispersed at the moment; you must be particularly vigilant and avoid leaving the market lightly!"


    "yes, i will diligently cultivate and safeguard the market for the family!"


    stay tuned to empire


    lin shilu nodded in satisfaction and waved a hand to dismiss lin xingyuan.


    after bowing with clasped hands, lin xingyuan left the secret chamber.

 Chapter 118 One Year_1

    green bamboo mountain clan territory, within a secret chamber.lin tianming sat cross-legged, spiritual light suddenly flashing between his fingers. in the blink of an eye, a faint sword qi burst forth from his fingertips, easily piercing through a shell hanging in the air.


    lifting the shell above his head, lin tianming watched as the moonlight filtered through the hole left by the sword qi, a wave of ecstatic joy flashing across his face.


    after more than ten days of comprehension, he had successfully cultivated the great sun sword qi art. the faint trace of sword qi he had just released was to test the power of his sword qi.


    with merely one percent of his strength, he easily penetrated the shell of a first order inferior demonic beast. this was after only two years of tempering, and it was unimaginable how terrifying it would be if he were to cultivate it for ten years and release it in its entirety.


    "spirit arts truly are formidable, stronger than the divine skills that come with a cultivation technique and surpassing them in pure power by quite a margin. no wonder they are so rare and precious."


    after sighing, lin tianming was quite satisfied with this power.


    with this complete spirit art, it was like having a trump card for a decisive kill. even a foundation establishment cultivator, if slightly careless, could be killed by it.


    having successfully cultivated the spirit art, lin tianming did not immediately leave his retreat but took out several elixirs and began to cultivate again.


    he had reached the ninth layer of qi refining during the family war, and after several life-and-death battles, he was only a step away from the great perfection of qi refining stage.


    now that everything within the family was going well, it was the perfect time to seclude himself to strive for a higher realm.


    having made up his mind, lin tianming once again entered a state of cultivation.


    ...


    green bamboo mountain, within the family elders'' hall.


    lin shihua was discussing affairs with lin shigong when lin xingli entered the hall with more than thirty boys and girls.


    the sight of lin xingli entering the hall brought surprise and joy to lin shihua and lin shigong.


    lin xingli quickly stepped forward to pay his respects, and the children behind him knelt down and followed suit.


    lin shihua nodded and asked impatiently,


    "xingli, are these the boys and girls who were tested at this year''s talent assessment? tell me, how are their aptitudes?"


    lin xingli stepped in front of the group of children and began to report.


    "reporting to the clan leader, this year''s talent assessment was held in twelve towns outside of the family''s town, and thirty-six boys and girls were tested. among them, four have three spiritual roots, twelve with four spiritual roots, and twenty with five spiritual roots."


    in a short while, lin xingli had reported everything about the talent assessment.


    hearing lin xingli''s report, lin shihua''s face brightened with joy.


    to uncover forty-three children with spiritual roots in one assessment was more than double the number from the last time. even though there weren''t many with three spiritual roots, the overall number was substantial.


    with such a number, the lin family''s population could potentially double within a decade. the thought of this excited lin shihua tremendously.


    "xingli, you''ve done an excellent job with the talent assessment. the numbers are quite impressive. immediately take them to the ancestral hall to be recorded in the family''s genealogy."


    "yes!"


    lin xingli replied, then led the group of children to the annex behind the elders'' assembly.


    soon, lin shihua finished naming and enlisting the forty-three clan members into the family genealogy and then led them in the worship of the ancestors.


    after being busy for half of the day, he finally completed the task. stay connected through empire


    lin shihua was the first to walk out of the hall. he turned to lin xingli behind him and said,


    "xingli, send the new members of the clan to shi gang, and have them start learning the basics as soon as possible to set them on the path of cultivation early."


    lin shihua''s command was something lin xingli dared not delay, as he quickly replied:


    "yes, i''ll do it right away!"


    having said that, lin xingli led the boys and girls behind him in a bow before quickly leaving.


    watching them depart, lin shihua turned to lin shigong to inquire about lin tianming''s situation.


    "shihua, ever since the family conference ended, that young man has been in retreat without pause. he only briefly informed me, saying he was comprehending a spirit art. it''s been almost a month now, and i have no idea when he''ll come out of seclusion!"


    lin shigong cursed with a smile on his lips, yet his heart was extremely satisfied.


    lin tianming had always been diligent in his cultivation, gifted as well, being less than twenty-one years old and already at the ninth layer of qi refining. with strength atop his peers, he was truly elite. having such a member, the lin family''s future was bright.


    lin shihua felt equally relieved and envious, praising lin tianming a few times before they each went their separate ways.


    ...


    time flew, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.


    inside the secret chamber where lin tianming was cultivating.


    lin tianming, who was sitting cross-legged, opened his tightly shut eyes, and flashes of sharp light passed through his black pupils.


    in seclusion for a whole year, he hadn''t wasted a moment, taking a month to understand a spirit art, then immediately consuming elixirs to continue his cultivation.


    after a year and consuming a large quantity of elixirs, he finally managed to break through to the great perfection realm of qi refining.


    feeling the spiritual power rapidly flowing through his body, a hint of a smile appeared on his face.


    his spiritual power had broken through, and he didn''t fall behind in body refinement either.


    sending his divine sense into his body, he found that all his internal organs had been strengthened, the robust vitality and explosive power now made his strength even more terrifying.


    just relying on his body, he estimated he could easily withstand an attack from a qi refining eighth level cultivator without any pressure.


    feeling the formidable spiritual power and the explosive strength of his body, he felt very gratified.


    his efforts and the life-and-death battles had paid off, successfully breaking through to the great perfection of qi refining stage before turning twenty-two. such a speed of cultivation had never been heard of in the entire luoyun mountain range.


    even within the wei kingdom, a qi refining great perfection cultivator at the age of twenty-two was an extremely rare existence.


    his goal for the retreat had been achieved, and there was no more possibility for progress, unless he decided to impact the foundation establishment stage.


    feeling his own state, lin tianming abandoned the idea of continuing the seclusion to attempt foundation establishment.


    even though he met the criteria for breakthrough, he wished to gain more experience and settle his achievements before starting the impact on foundation establishment stage.


    having made up his mind, lin tianming tidied up the messy secret chamber, casually casting a rain control technique to comfortably bathe and wash off the grime that had seeped out of his body. he took out a set of clean green robes from his storage bag, changed into them, and walked out of the secret chamber. s§×ar?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    a year had passed, and green bamboo mountain had once again returned to its tranquil and peaceful state.


    a large number of clanspeople were bustling in and out of the mountain gate, each busy and cheerful.


    the entire luoyun mountain range was exceptionally tranquil, the sun family, and luo family were all developing their clans. after the calm, luoyun market regained its former bustling scenes.


    in this year, the lin family had changed a lot. after the spirit root testing conference, many new clanspeople were recruited, and the number had nearly reached two hundred, matching the size at their peak.


    with family policies and a wealth of resources, many clanspeople eagerly broke through their barriers. although there still weren''t too many at the great perfection of qi refining, in no more than three years, the power of the qi refining clanspeople would climb another step.


    after exchanging greetings with some passing clanspeople, lin tianming soon arrived at the alchemy hall.


    casting a law decree, lin tianming walked straight in.

 Chapter 119 New Task_1

    entering the alchemy hall, lin shigong had already been waiting for a long time.it had been a year since he last saw his grandfather, and lin tianming was quite happy, immediately stepping forward to pay his respects.


    seeing his grandson, lin shigong couldn''t hide his joy, his face brimming with a thick smile.


    the two sat down, drinking spiritual tea while chatting.


    lin shigong had also nearly reached three years in the foundation establishment stage. in the past two years, the jin and wu families had been eradicated, and the sun family had suffered heavy losses. the wealth of all three families had fallen into the hands of the lin family.


    the lin family had amassed a great deal of wealth and a large amount of spiritual medicine materials. lin shigong had not been idle; knowing that core formation was beyond his reach in this life, he had barely cultivated at all, focusing all his energy on the alchemy dao, solely to refine the elixirs needed by the foundation establishment cultivators of his family as soon as possible.


    in the span of two years, thanks to decades of accumulation in the alchemy dao, lin shigong, after painstaking research and attempts, had managed to refine second order inferior grade pills. although the success rate and yield were not high, it finally solved the pressing need for cultivation pills within his family, and they were no longer restricted in this aspect.


    after more than two hundred years of silence, the lin family finally saw the emergence of a second order alchemist once again.


    upon learning that his grandfather had successfully become a second order alchemist, lin tianming felt exceedingly joyful and congratulated him repeatedly, which made his grandfather very happy.


    "enough, enough, how have you been in the recent year, any progress?"


    lin shigong waved his hand to stop him, his old face beaming with joy as he asked about lin tianming''s situation with a playful scold.


    lin tianming was in high spirits and reported everything about his year in seclusion without reservation.


    upon learning that lin tianming had reached the great perfection of qi refining stage, and that he had completed the latter half of his spirit art with mighty power, lin shigong was overjoyed and immediately sent out several messages.


    soon after, lin shikang and lin shihua both hurried over.


    everyone took their seats, and lin tianming swiftly poured tea for them, his unperturbed demeanor greatly satisfying them.


    lin shikang nodded in approval, showing a trace of satisfaction before teasingly saying,


    "tianming, you really haven''t let us down. to reach the qi cultivation great perfection at twenty-two, with your current strength, i fear even xing yuan may not be sure to best you."


    after lin shikang finished speaking, lin tianming repeatedly gave a bitter smile before humbly saying,


    "uncle xing yuan is a foundation establishment cultivator, far beyond what qi refining cultivators can compare to. third grandfather shouldn''t overpraise his grandson."


    "third brother, we can''t praise this boy too much. though his talent is remarkable and his cultivation speed and strength are excellent, we mustn''t let him become too arrogant. i''ve heard that there are quite a few examples of people succeeding in foundation establishment in their early twenties in the wei kingdom. i think we must not slack off."


    lin shigong chimed in quickly, with lin shihua adding a few words of agreement.


    at this moment, lin tianming''s thoughts also soared, estimating his own strength.


    in the cultivation path, the qi refinement realm is only the first stage. as long as a mortal is born with a spiritual root, regardless of cultivation resources, they can usually reach the mid qi refining stage with a hundred years of hard cultivation. subsequently, without resources, breaking through another realm would take an immense amount of time.


    in the cultivation world, qi refining cultivators only live longer than ordinary mortals. although they can wield some spells, they are still unable to completely go without food or fly on their own. they can only do so with the help of spiritual artifacts or other external means.


    strictly speaking, qi refining cultivators can''t be considered true cultivators at all, but only mortals who have just glimpsed the dao.


    however, foundation establishment cultivators are different. besides doubling their lifespan, they can abandon grain completely, fly with their own spiritual power, and possess tremendous might with a simple gesture, transcending the mortal world.


    merely breaking through to the foundation establishment was a bottleneck that countless qi refining cultivators couldn''t overcome. within the vast expanse of the luoyun mountain range, the number of qi refining cultivators who successfully established their foundations could be counted on one''s fingers.


    in this way, foundation establishment cultivators were considered the true practitioners of cultivation, with strength that naturally couldn''t be compared to that of qi training cultivators.


    at this moment, his spiritual power had reached the limit of qi refinement, and his body refinement was also nearing its limit.


    with his current strength, if he faced a first-layer foundation establishment cultivator without using the great sun sword qi art, it would be difficult to kill them, but escaping should still pose no problem.


    the elders chatted idly about the family''s recent situation while lin tian ming occasionally chimed in.


    an hour passed, and lin shi kang took a sip of spiritual tea before asking lin tian ming about his future cultivation plans.


    after some thought, considering that the luoyun mountain range was calm and without danger at the moment,


    he, being at leisure and having just broken through to the great perfection of the qi refining stage not long ago, didn''t plan to attempt the foundation establishment soon. he thought it would be good to consolidate his gains and build a solid foundation before making a breakthrough.


    since lin shi kang had taken the initiative to ask, it was highly likely that there were plans afoot, so lin tian ming tentatively asked,


    "third grandfather, i currently have no specific plans. does the family have any arrangements? tian ming is willing to serve the lin family." sea??h th§× n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    lin shi kang nodded, quite satisfied with lin tian ming''s response.


    although he had not spoken directly, lin tian ming was able to intuit the implication and was always willing to contribute to the family. this showed that he was very concerned about the family''s development.


    "tian ming, currently, the family is very stable, and the luoyun market also is at peace. in half a year, the triennial auction of luoyun market will take place. our lin family will be managing the market for the first time and is taking this auction very seriously. you should go and assist xing yuan in the market and preside over the auction."


    upon hearing lin shi kang''s words, lin tian ming was surprised, thinking it would be some significant matter, only to find out it was to preside over an auction.


    "tian ming is willing to go. have the family decided on the auction''s finale item?" find more to read at empire


    lin tian ming readily agreed, to no surprise to lin shi kang, who repeatedly inquired about the circumstances regarding the grand finale auction item from lin shihua.


    following the end of the great conflict between the luoyun mountain range families, although much of their popularity had been restored, it was still not at its zenith.


    now that the lin family had become the strongest family in the luoyun mountain range, controlling over fifty percent of the profit distribution, naturally, they regarded the post-war first auction with great importance.


    the lin family had acquired the wealth of the jin and wu families and had a portion of the sun family''s property too. there were no small number of treasures, and they were certainly flush with resources.


    an hour passed, and after discussion, lin shi kang and the others decided to put a large number of rare treasures up for auction to boost the market''s popularity and expand the lin family''s earnings.


    having settled on the auction items, lin shihua sent a message and then handed a piece of beast skin to lin tian ming.


    "tian ming, these fifteen treasures are coveted by any qi refinement cultivator, and several are also quite useful for foundation establishment cultivators. i''ve already sent a message to xingcheng. after you collect them from the hall of merit, pick a time to depart. the auction will be in your hands."


    lin tian ming took the beast skin and examined the items listed on it.


    pozhang pills, xisui pills, yellow grade techniques, second order pills, and even a third order spiritual medicine were included.


    it seemed that the family indeed placed great importance on this, bringing out many treasured items scarce to the lin family.


    lin tian ming put the beast skin into his storage bag, bowed to the others with a clasped fist, and then slowly withdrew.

 Chapter 120 Bright Jade Fruit_1

    upon receiving instructions from the clan leader, lin tianming left the alchemy hall and prepared to head to the family merits hall to collect the auctioned items.besides that, after the clan meeting, he was eager to enter seclusion to comprehend the spirit art, and he hadn''t even had the time to collect his rewards of ten thousand merit points and three second order treasures from the clan''s major battle.


    with nothing to do at the moment and having exhausted all his treasures, it was natural for him to collect his rewards before heading out, to strengthen himself.


    having made up his mind, lin tianming immediately flew towards the hall of merit.


    before long, lin tianming appeared inside the hall of merit.


    at that time, more than a dozen clansmen were already exchanging items in the great hall; apart from lin xingcheng, there were two executive officers assisting him.


    while lin xingcheng was exchanging spiritual objects for other clansmen, lin tianming waited on the side, observing the clansmen in the hall.


    since lin shixin had fallen in battle, lin xingcheng had taken over as the master of the hall of merit for a year. the family had significantly increased the clan''s basic welfare, and the wealth of the clansmen grew, making exchanges increasingly frequent.


    when lin xingcheng saw lin tianming enter the hall, he came over to greet him once he had finished with the clansman he was helping.


    lin tianming also promptly stepped forward. after a brief exchange of pleasantries, lin xingcheng, who had already received a message from the clan leader, went into the depths of the hall to fetch the treasures from the luoyun market auction for lin tianming. sea??h th§× nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after a short while, lin xingcheng came out and handed a storage bag to lin tianming.


    he took out a beast skin and scanned the storage bag with his divine sense to confirm that the treasures were correct before speaking,


    "uncle, the rewards the family owes me have not been collected yet. i''d like to take this opportunity to collect them today."


    as soon as lin tianming finished speaking, lin xingcheng took out a book to confirm that lin tianming had not collected his rewards yet, and tossed him a book listing second order items for lin tianming to select from.


    "tian ming, i can transfer the merit points to you at any time. for the three second order treasures, you can pick them yourself. let me know what you choose, and i''ll fetch them for you," lin xingcheng said.


    lin tianming opened the book and began looking through it, starting from the first page.


    spirit radiance grass, bright jade fruit, diamond sand, thick shield talisman...


    as he reviewed the second order treasures, both lin tianming and lin xingcheng had a hint of eagerness in their eyes. these second order treasures were no ordinary items, with significant value, enough to tempt any qi refining cultivator to take risks.


    after half a quarter of an hour, lin tianming had finished perusing the book. it listed hundreds of second order treasures, primarily consisting of spiritual medicine materials and spirit ore stones, with a few second order talismans and some elixirs, mostly lower-grade treasures.


    spiritual medicine materials and spirit ores would have limited use for him for the time being. after some thought, he decided to choose two second order talismans¡ªone a medium quality second order golden sword talisman and the other a lower-grade second order thick shield talisman, one for offense and the other for defense, greatly enhancing his chances of survival.


    for the last treasure, he decided to pick a second order spirit fruit, the bright jade fruit. this fruit was somewhat special; although it couldn''t enhance one''s cultivation, it could strengthen a cultivator''s body and enhance the cultivator''s vitality, making it a rare treasure for body cultivators.


    having made his decision, lin tianming took out his family token and handed it to lin xingcheng, saying, "uncle, for the three treasures i''ll choose the medium quality second order golden sword talisman and the thick shield talisman. for the other item, give me the bright jade fruit. please transfer five thousand merit points to me, then exchange forty first order superior talismans with the remaining points, and convert the rest into spirit stones."


    without hesitation, lin xingcheng cast a spell to transfer five thousand merit points to his token.


    a few streaks of spiritual light flashed by, and the display on lin tianming''s family token showed a series of numbers. including his previous assets, he had nearly eight thousand merit points.


    surprised, lin xingcheng went into the depths of the hall to fetch the spirit stones and the other treasures for lin tianming.


    in no time, lin xingzhi handed a storage bag to lin tianming.


    ```


    lin tianming extended his divine sense and found exactly over four thousand spirit stones, two second order talismans, and forty first order superior talismans inside the storage bag. there was also a jade box, which undoubtedly contained the bright jade fruit.


    having confirmed the contents, lin tianming clasped his fist in farewell, left the hall of merit, and flew towards his own courtyard.


    back in his courtyard, lin tianming entered his room and sat cross-legged on the stone bed. he took out his rewards and one by one placed them into his storage bag.


    lin tianming meticulously checked his storage bag. at this moment, it contained a total of six thousand five hundred spirit stones, as well as two second order talismans, thirty first order superior attack talismans, ten defense talismans, along with some spiritual medicine materials and spirit ore that he had obtained earlier¡ªall relatively precious.


    after taking stock of his storage bag, lin tianming contemplated his next steps.


    the trip to luoyun market was still some time away, and he had no intention of departing immediately. after refining the bright jade fruit and resting for a few days, he planned to go to luoyun market and station there for a year. this would allow him to contribute to the family and solidify his cultivation, striving to breakthrough to the foundation establishment in one fell swoop.


    having made up his mind, he took out the bright jade fruit and placed it in the palm of his hand, observing it closely.


    looking at the fist-sized bright jade fruit with its crystalline and translucent flesh, he could smell its pungent yet enticing fragrance.


    without any more hesitation, lin tianming swallowed the bright jade fruit in one gulp.


    as the spirit fruit dissolved, waves of gentle energy were released, slowly circulating through his meridians and traversing his body. the comfortable sensation was almost heavenly and indescribably refreshing.


    lin tianming''s complexion gradually became more rosy as he controlled the energy emitted by the bright jade fruit to temper his internal organs and meridians.


    before he knew it, five days had passed.


    in the room, lin tianming''s clothing was tattered, his entire body enveloped in a thin layer of black mud, looking akin to a beggar. explore more adventures at empire


    opening his eyes and examining his body, he threw a punch with all his might, shattering the stone table in front of him with a gust from the punch.


    feeling the vigorous vitality within his body and spirit, lin tianming revealed a satisfied expression.


    with just one bright jade fruit, his vitality had significantly increased, and with it, his strength had further enhanced. the power to shatter a stone table several meters away with just the wind from his punch far exceeded his expectations.


    the effects of the bright jade fruit were excellent, further strengthening his physique. in terms of body cultivation, he had essentially reached the limit of the qi refinement realm, entirely surpassing his expectations.


    lin tianming stood up, cast a few five elements spells, and after bathing and changing clothes, he tidied up the room, then stepped out.


    that evening, lin tianming had dinner with his family. afterward, they sat in the courtyard for a casual chat.


    years had passed, and his sister''s cultivation had not fallen behind. with the family''s enhanced basic welfare benefits and the elixirs provided by lin tianming and their grandfather, she had reached the peak of the fifth level of qi refinement. it wouldn''t be long before she could break through to the sixth level.


    his mother''s cultivation progress was not significant; over the years, she had only advanced by one minor realm, still staying at the eighth level of qi refinement.


    lin tianming took out several tens of superior spirit essence pills. they were leftovers from his own cultivation; consuming too many would be of little use and might even increase the difficulty of his breakthroughs.


    giving the elixirs to the two of them, several tens of pills were enough for their cultivation for several years.


    both accepted the elixirs without demur, and lin tianming briefed them on his upcoming journey, urging them not to neglect their cultivation.


    not until both of them had agreed did the conversation end, and they each retired to their rooms to rest.


    ```

 Chapter 121 Spreading the News_1

    the next morning, lin tianming bid farewell to his family and set out alone, preparing to head to luoyun market.after leaving the family gates, lin tianming turned his head for one last look at the family''s great formation, which had been repaired.


    during the battle at green bamboo mountain, the family formation had been breached, and the lin family spent a considerable price to repair and greatly enhance the formation''s power.


    feeling the fluctuations of the formation, lin tianming lingered no longer and released the purple gold eagle from the spirit beast bag.


    with a piercing screech, the purple gold eagle shot into the sky and soared freely through the heavens.


    it flew for a full quarter hour before lin tianming forcefully summoned it back, stopping in front of him.


    looking at the purple gold eagle''s massive body, lin tianming was filled with emotion.


    the purple gold eagle had accompanied him for four years, and with the aid of numerous elixirs, it had successfully broken through to the first order superior grade, its strength no less than that of an ordinary ninth layer of qi refining cultivator.


    lin tianming took out a beast spirit pill and let the purple gold eagle consume it, then he leapt onto the back of the spirit beast.


    after consuming the elixir, the purple gold eagle flapped its gigantic wings, let out several excited screeches, and soared high into the sky, heading toward luoyun market in the north.


    sitting atop the spirit beast with the purple gold eagle covering hundreds of meters in an instant, lin tianming''s lips curled up slightly, feeling an indescribable excitement.


    within just half a day, lin tianming arrived at luoyun market.


    at the entrance of luoyun market, more than a dozen qi refining cultivators were queuing to enter the market, while chen jingshan was on duty at the side, collecting fees for entering the market.


    lin tianming walked up directly and presented his family token.


    once chen jingshan saw the green and red interleaved token, his breathing became rapid. others might not understand what this spirit tablet meant, but he was very clear that such a token was only possessed by the most core members of the lin family.


    taken aback, chen jingshan didn''t dare to delay and immediately let him through; lin tianming didn''t linger either and walked straight in.


    after entering the market, lin tianming didn''t head straight for the hundred treasures building but started to stroll around luoyun market.


    over a year had passed since the battle, and the market, with its bustling shops, had now recovered its former peak vitality.


    it took him a little over an hour to visit all the major areas of the market, eventually making his way back to the commercial district.


    upon entering the third floor of the hundred treasures building, lin tianming and lin xingyuan sat in a room, sipping spiritual tea.


    after explaining his purpose, lin tianming took out the storage bag containing the items for the finale and handed it over to lin xingyuan for safekeeping, in anticipation of the auction to be held six months later.


    lin xingyuan received the storage bag and sent his divine sense inside to check the prepared finale items, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.


    not only were there numerous items, but they were also exceedingly precious and rare, reflecting the family''s level of importance placed on this event.


    with these valuable treasures, lin xingyuan felt considerably more at ease, and his confidence in the upcoming auction was solidified.


    after swallowing a calming pill, lin xingyuan asked with a smile,


    "tianming, the family places great importance on this auction. since they have sent you to assist me, do you have any strategies or suggestions? feel free to speak up so we can discuss them!"


    sipping the spiritual tea lightly, lin tianming spoke with a smile,


    "uncle xing yuan, there''s still plenty of time, with half a year until the auction. we might as well reveal some information about the finale items in advance, letting the news spread far and wide. by the time the auction takes place, most of the cultivators in the luoyun mountain range will know about it, ensuring that the attendance will far exceed previous years." s§×ar?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    lin xingyuan nodded after listening, fully endorsing lin tianming''s plan.


    lin tianming then continued,


    "apart from revealing the news ahead of time, i suggest we waive some of the market booth rentals to attract more cultivators. although this will result in a loss of some spirit stones, it''s entirely worthwhile to boost the market gathering''s fame. what do you think, uncle?"


    after hearing lin tianming''s suggestion, lin xingyuan fell into deep thought.


    waiving the booth rental for a few days would mean a loss of several thousand spirit stones for the market, a significant amount indeed.


    after a while, having thought it through, lin xingyuan decided lin tianming''s suggestion was worth trying.


    the loss of spirit stones was substantial, but once the market''s popularity increased, they could recuperate the loss through other means. even if they couldn''t regain it in the short term, the lost spirit stones wouldn''t be too much. such a loss was insignificant for the current lin family.


    having made up his mind, lin xingyuan instructed,


    "tianming, proceed as you''ve said. i''ll immediately have our people distribute the list of finale items and give a heads-up to the other two families. you stay in the market for the next period and help with the alchemy. we''ve accumulated a lot of spiritual medicine materials in the shop over more than a year which haven''t been used for alchemy. since you''re here, i''ll have to trouble you to take care of it, and afterwards, you can have a period of secluded cultivation."


    "very well, i''ll carry out any order from you, uncle!"


    lin tianming hadn''t practiced alchemy in a long while, and with his cultivation progress stalled, he now had plenty of time to properly concoct some first order elixirs and lay the groundwork for the future.


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    seeing lin xingyuan agree to his plan, lin tianming immediately accepted the task.


    afterwards, lin xingyuan sent out several messages with a smile.


    sometime later, two lin family members arrived. they passed on the details of the finale items and conveyed their arrangements. lin tianming then stood up to take his leave, returning to the family''s small courtyard in luoyun market.


    upon entering the family courtyard, lin tianming quickly began a brief period of cultivation.


    two days later, a member of the family brought a large amount of first order elixir materials for lin tianming to refine.


    upon receiving the materials, lin tianming checked them, counting several hundred portions of spiritual medicine materials, most of which were consumable elixirs, along with some spiritual medicine materials for xisui pills and pozhang pills.


    all these elixirs had been mass-produced before. although there were many, they posed no difficulty for him.


    proceeding with ease, lin tianming began concocting the elixirs as time flew by quickly.


    over half a month passed. during lin tianming''s intensive elixir production, news of the auction spread from one to ten and then to a hundred, soon reaching thousands of miles around the market.


    suddenly, from low-order qi refining cultivators to high-order foundation establishment stage loose cultivators, the vast majority had heard of the auction and marvelled at the lin family''s grand gesture. numerous low-order cultivators could hardly wait to participate in the once-every-three-year grand event of luoyun market.


    unaffected by the outside world, lin tianming remained busy with his focused alchemy.


    after a month of refining, with the aid of the eye of five colors, the several hundred portions of spiritual medicine materials were all turned into elixirs.


    looking at the thousands of jade bottles in front of him where nearly all the lingshen pills were of superior quality, and the potency of the pozhang pills was stronger than before.


    after keeping the elixirs for his own use, a slightly tired lin tianming left the secret room and headed to the hundred treasures building.


    on the third floor of the hundred treasures building, lin tianming handed over the elixirs to lin xingyuan, leaving a small portion to be sold in the market''s shop, while more of them were taken by family members back to the lin family.


    after a brief chat, lin tianming returned to his secluded chamber to begin a short period of seclusion, waiting for the arrival of the auction.

 Chapter 122 Qin Xi (The Female Lead Appears)_1

    ```time flew by, and several months passed in a blink of an eye.


    during the time of his seclusion, lin tianming lived a fulfilling life, not only concocting elixirs for his family and cultivating but also taking some time to read through some of the books replicated by his family.


    in nearly half a year, he had perused precious texts on everything from pill concoction and weapon forging to talisman making and formations. although his main focus was on alchemy, learning some basic knowledge could enhance his insight, and perhaps it would come in handy at a critical moment.


    after half a year, having absorbed the precious texts from the jin family and wu family, his gains were indeed significant.


    three days before the auction was set to begin, lin tianming stopped cultivating and prepared to emerge from seclusion to attend the auction.


    stepping out of the secret room and walking on the streets of the market, lin tianming strolled around and looked about leisurely.


    with the auction approaching, luoyun market was exceptionally bustling, its vitality almost doubled compared to usual. a large number of cultivators flooded into the market, some to do business, others to trade their resources. wealthy cultivators were there specifically for the auction because, after all, the best items were only available there.


    unknowingly, lin tianming, while wandering, arrived in the market''s stall area.


    it was early morning, and many cultivators had already rented their stalls. many places were already displaying various treasures. outside the square, there were still many people arriving continuously. sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    looking closely, cultivators of all kinds were selecting treasures, and the endless hawking permeated his ears, completely a scene of a mundane marketplace.


    seeing the busy trading scene, a slight smile crossed lin tianming''s face¡ªit was apparent that this gathering was even more popular than usual.


    watching as more people came to set up their stalls in the square, every spot occupied by cultivators, he no longer lingered and picked up his pace into the square.


    choosing a starting point, he began to meander through the stalls.


    after visiting more than a dozen stalls, which all offered fairly ordinary items¡ªvery attractive to a sixth level qi refining cultivator, but of little use to him¡ªlin tianming wandered aimlessly, his expression unchanged.


    time passed, and by noon he had roamed through a large part of the stall area.


    finally, near the main road, some decent items appeared. lin tianming decisively made his purchases, spending hundreds of spirit stones for a few stems of second order spiritual medicine materials, which were rather rare varieties.


    purchasing these useful spiritual medicine materials in advance, once he entered foundation establishment, he could concoct second order pills for his cultivation.


    as time wore on, just as lin tianming was about to leave, an elderly third level qi refining cultivator caught his attention.


    in the deepest part of the square, at an out-of-the-way spot, a grey-robed old man and a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl sat in front of a stall.


    the grey-robed elder had white speckled hair, sporting a goatee, showing signs of advanced age. when he looked at the girl, his eyes suddenly became spirited.


    the girl sat on the ground, holding a book in her hand, scrutinizing it intently.


    this girl, named qin xi, had delicate features and clear eyes. with a tall and slender figure, she had an indescribable vivacity about her; her green dress was fresh and natural, and once she came of age, she was sure to be a stunner.


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    the grey-robed elder, with a resolute expression, waved a few stems of first order spiritual medicine in his hand, calling out energetically to sell them.


    unfortunately, due to the poor location of his stall and the fact that the items he was selling were too common, passing cultivators showed no interest in inquiring about prices and hurried past him.


    as the day was about to pass, the grey-robed elder''s stall had barely attracted any buyers, only managing to sell a few stems of first order spiritual medicine, and even then at a low price.


    watching the hard-earned spiritual medicine sell for such low prices, the grey-robed elder''s eyes carried a sense of vicissitude and desolation.


    his end was nearing, and he would not live for many more years. in the final moments of his life, surprisingly, a year and a half ago, his granddaughter successfully introduced qi into her body and became a qi refining cultivator, delighting him beyond words.


    he came to luoyun market with the intention of selling the spiritual medicine he had risked his life to gather, to buy several lingshen pills for his granddaughter, to help her enhance her cultivation, so that before his end came, she would have some means of self-protection and be able to survive in the perilous cultivation world.


    unfortunately, his cultivation level was not high, and the spiritual medicine he gathered was too common, leading to a meager income.


    his granddaughter had not been cultivating for long and her cultivation was too low. he would not be able to protect her for many more years, and at this point, he felt somewhat anxious.


    ```


    after a few sighs, the elder showed a hint of helplessness.


    qin xi, standing beside him, rose to her feet and massaged the elder''s back while consoling him with her exceptionally pleasant voice.


    "grandpa, if it really can''t be sold, let it be. you obtained these spiritual medicines at a great cost, and even sustained some injuries in the process. if it doesn''t work out, we can try the lin family''s store. their store is famous in luoyun market and they also purchase spiritual medicine materials. their prices are quite fair, and perhaps we could get more spirit stones to exchange for some healing elixirs for you."


    reassured by his granddaughter''s words, the elder''s complexion grew rosier.


    the lin family was now renowned throughout the luoyun mountain range, and he had heard about their good reputation. if the spiritual medicine indeed couldn''t be sold, they would have to try their luck at the lin family''s store.


    the elder stroked his granddaughter''s hair, gaining back some spirit, and prepared to call out to attract the attention of some cultivators.


    at that moment, lin tianming arrived in front of the elder, crouching down to observe the items laid out before him.


    the elder immediately lit up with joy at lin tianming''s arrival.


    although lin tianming was disguised, his outfit was immaculate, and he carried himself with an air of righteousness. even though he didn''t reveal any aura, the elder could still sense that he was no ordinary cultivator.


    as lin tianming scrutinized the items, the elder spoke up:


    "fellow daoist, please feel free to look. our prices are absolutely fair!"


    as soon as the elder finished speaking, lin tianming saw more than ten types of spiritual medicine, a few tattered books, and a blue jade slip laid out on the beast skin.


    lin tianming disregarded the all-too-common spiritual medicines and focused his attention on the blue jade slip.


    he picked up the jade slip and extended his divine sense to examine the information inside.


    after a few moments, having read the introduction in the jade slip, lin tianming revealed a hint of joy.


    the jade slip contained an ancient pill recipe, and it was a type of elixir for body cultivators to aid in their cultivation. he conjectured that the pills from this recipe were much stronger than the body strengthening pills.


    however, the elder had placed a restriction on the jade slip, preventing full access to the pill''s grade and materials. although lin tianming could have easily broken the restriction, he chose not to.


    looking at the mysterious pill formula, lin tianming decided to purchase it. having made up his mind, lin tianming asked:


    "fellow daoist, how much for this jade slip?"


    hearing lin tianming inquire about the price, the elder was overjoyed, but soon hesitated, not daring to quote a price too hastily for fear of scaring lin tianming away.


    after some thought, the elder''s expression calmed, and he tentatively replied in a low voice:


    "fellow daoist has good eyesight. this jade slip was acquired by chance, and the pill formula it records should be genuine. however, the spiritual medicine materials required are quite peculiar, some of which i have never heard of. it would probably be quite difficult to successfully concoct it. thus, this jade slip isn''t very practical. if you like it, how about fifty spirit stones?"


    lin tianming was surprised to hear this, as the elder seemed too honest. pill formulas were always highly valued, and even a first order medium grade pill formula could easily be sold for over a hundred spirit stones. although the grade of this formula was unknown, and it might not be possible to concoct the pills, he had a feeling that the jade slip would be of some use.


    a hundred spirit stones was not a small amount, but for lin tianming it was hardly significant.


    without any intention of bargaining, he took out one hundred spirit stones and gave them to the elder, buying the jade slip.


    the elder was ecstatic, his expression filled with excitement. some cultivators had examined the pill formula but likely deemed it not worth the risk and hadn''t bought it.


    but lin tianming, without even blinking an eye, made the purchase directly. with these spirit stones, he could buy some elixirs for his granddaughter.


    the girl stared at lin tianming as he spent generously, her curiosity piqued as she sized him up.


    after their gazes met, for some reason, lin tianming''s heart suddenly began to beat wildly, as if a deer were prancing inside, and his blood seemed to boil¡ªa sensation he had never experienced before.


    qin xi''s heart likewise raced, and a blush crept onto her face, making her even more stunningly beautiful.


    in a hurry, lin tianming stuffed the jade slip into his storage bag and lingered no longer, smiling politely and bidding farewell with a clasped fist. he then swiftly left the market area, heading toward the direction of the lin family courtyard.

 Chapter 123 Qianling Pill_1

    hastily returning to the small courtyard, lin tianming immediately entered the secret chamber.sitting on the cushion, he circulated his cultivation technique for a grand circulation, trying to calm himself down.


    for some reason, the thought of that young girl stirred an unexplainable restlessness in his heart.


    it should be noted that he had reached the great perfection of qi cultivation, and over the years, he had encountered many female cultivators, many of whom knew some enchanting techniques. yet even so, he had never been moved.


    beyond the allure of beauty, he had experienced countless battles over the years, and had often hovered on the brink of life and death, facing mortality with an undisturbed composure. it was unexpected that he would lose his composure like this today.


    after a short while, as he focused on his cultivation, his state of mind gradually returned to tranquility.


    half an hour of cultivation later, he took out the purchased jade slip, ready to examine the pill formula.


    extending his divine sense, he erased the restrictions on the jade slip and began to review the pill formula.


    "qianling pill, second order pills?"


    murmuring softly to himself, lin tianming''s face flashed with a knowing smile.


    upon his examination, this was indeed an ancient pill recipe of a medium quality second order without a doubt, not low in grade, with effects similar to the body strengthening pill, but undoubtedly much stronger.


    unfortunately, the spiritual medicine materials recorded in the pill formula were very rare. the main ingredient, qianyuan grass, was extremely scarce, and he had yet to hear of its presence anywhere to date.


    apart from the main ingredient, there were several other important spiritual medicine materials that were quite rare, making it difficult to concoct the pill, which was somewhat regrettable.


    "let it be, let it be."


    having spent only a hundred spirit stones, such a small price for the ganling pill recipe, was already considered extraordinarily lucky.


    as for whether he could concoct it or not, it was still too early to say, he hadn''t reached foundation establishment yet, and he could still use the body strengthening pill for some time; there was no need to be so anxious.


    after adjusting his mindset, he once again closed his eyes and began the practice of inhaling and exhaling.


    two days passed, and the market city auction was held as scheduled.


    finishing his work, lin tianming tidied up the secret chamber and left the small courtyard, heading towards the auction site in the center of the market city.


    along the way, many cultivators, in groups of three or five, were accompanying each other to the auction.


    a quarter of an hour later, lin tianming appeared at the entrance of the auction venue.


    glancing around, he saw cultivators at the entrance formed into two long lines, like two great dragons extending from the entrance to the plaza.


    the number of cultivators in the entire market city, compared to usual, had at least doubled.


    seeing the bustling popularity, which was much higher than the family had anticipated, lin tianming was both surprised and somewhat relieved; it seemed that the original strategy had been quite correct.


    at this moment, lin tianming was in a good mood, ready to bypass the queue and enter the auction hall.


    suddenly, a commotion arose among the queuing cultivators.


    they saw a black-robed elder slowly walking towards them; for a time, the queuing cultivators opened a path for him.


    the black-robed elder wore a calm expression, without any intention of stopping, and walked past the cultivators with his hands behind his back. s§×arch* the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    at the entrance, several market city supervisors were collecting spirit stones to enter the auction. seeing the black-robed elder coming over, they immediately left the cultivators in front of them and stepped forward, bowing continuously and speaking in a very respectful tone, find more chapters on empire


    "junior has seen elder su, elder su, please come inside."


    the elder with the surname su nodded and casually threw thirty spirit stones towards the group.


    the executive officers'' faces brightened with joy as they quickly caught the spirit stones and then took out a round jade token to respectfully present to the elder su.


    elder su waved his hands, summoning the jade token through the air and then headed straight into the interior of the grand hall, soon disappearing from everyone''s view.


    after the elder left, the group wiped the sweat from their foreheads and let out a long sigh of relief.


    in the queue of cultivators below, many were equally astonished; those who were unclear of the elder''s identity kept asking about his name.


    thanks to the introduction by some older cultivators, the younger ones finally learned of the elder''s background.


    it turned out that this man was named su he. he had succeeded in foundation establishment tens of years ago and apart from the major families in the luoyun mountain range, he was one of the few foundation establishment stage loose cultivators with extremely formidable strength.


    as for his current cultivation realm, no one knew for sure, except that twenty years ago, su he was already at the third level of foundation establishment. with twenty years passed, it was estimated that he was at least at the fifth level of foundation establishment or even higher.


    some qi training cultivators couldn''t help but look forward eagerly, it seemed that the treasures provided by the lin family this time were indeed extraordinary, attracting even a cultivator with strength like su he to participate in the auction.


    after a while, with the maintenance of order by a few executive officers, cultivators began to pay the entrance spirit stones one after another.


    lin tianming walked straight past the queue, heading towards the entrance.


    after showing his family token, several executive officers immediately allowed him through.


    entering the grand hall, the public area was already bustling with people, the original five hundred seats had been filled, and some acquainted cultivators sat together chatting, creating an extremely noisy scene.


    cultivators were still queuing at the entrance, and extra seating had been temporarily added around the perimeter, with approximately three hundred new seats, which were also quickly being filled.


    witnessing the bustling scene, lin tianming was again pleasantly surprised.


    collecting his thoughts, lin tianming headed towards the second floor.


    he walked through the long corridor and stopped in front of the door to the deepest room.


    after sending a message, the room''s warding spells opened and lin tianming walked straight in.


    inside the room, lin shilu and lin xingyuan were seated in chairs, drinking spiritual tea and chatting while looking down at the stage below.


    seeing lin shilu appear at the auction, lin tianming was somewhat surprised, then immediately went forward to greet him.


    "fifteenth grandfather, how come you are at the market city? has something happened?"


    lin shilu waved his hand, indicating lin tianming to sit down before explaining,


    "the auction at the market city has attracted many cultivators. the family was worried that xing yuan might not be able to handle the situation. i just happened to have come out of a year-long retreat and wanted to stroll around, so i came to join in the fun. it''s not just me; sun dingfeng from the sun family and luo chenggu from the luo family have also come. from what i know, there are several foundation establishment cultivators in the market city now, with quite a few above the third level of foundation establishment."


    lin shilu''s words sent a shock through lin tianming''s heart.


    he hadn''t expected this market city meeting to draw so many elusive old monsters out of hiding. it was one thing for sun dingfeng and luo chenggu, as they had frequent interactions, but for those foundation establishment loose cultivators to gather was quite rare.


    lin shilu took another sip of his spiritual tea before continuing,


    "after the auction concludes, i have organized a trade meeting that the foundation establishment cultivators will participate in. you two will accompany me there, as the treasures in the hands of a foundation establishment cultivator naturally can''t compare to those at an auction."


    after lin shilu finished speaking, both lin xingyuan and lin tianming readily agreed.


    lin tianming was now somewhat impatient. with most of the auction items being supplied by the lin family, he figured it would be difficult for him to gain much. since there was a chance to trade with foundation establishment cultivators, he was certain their assets would not disappoint him.


    seeing lin tianming''s eager look, lin xingyuan was likewise filled with anticipation, both of them distractedly waiting for the auction to start.

 Chapter 124 Treasures Emerge_1

    time slowly passed, and the eight hundred seats in the hall were now filled with cultivators.several market city supervisors temporarily closed the entrance to the auction, and the noisy auction hall finally became much quieter.


    all cultivators were eagerly looking towards the auction stage, waiting for the auction to officially begin.


    suddenly, a cultivator appeared in the passage; it was chen chong, who had presided over the last market city auction.


    he walked through the passage, greeting some familiar cultivators, and then ascended to the stage. s§×ar?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    surveying the audience, the scale of this auction, the number of participants, and the treasures were unprecedented in a century. hosting such an auction assuredly promised substantial rewards. even chen chong, who had hosted many auctions, felt a surge of excitement.


    with a smile on his face and a cupped fist salute, chen chong waited for the cultivators below to quiet down before he spoke:


    "i am chen chong, honored to meet all seniors and fellow cultivators here. i am invited by the market city to preside over this auction. i welcome everybody for attending."


    "you all know the rules, the highest bidder wins. if you don''t have enough spirit stones, you may use treasures as collateral. without further ado, as i know many of you can hardly wait, i announce that the auction starts now!"


    as chen chong finished speaking, all the cultivators below became excited.


    chen chong still sporting a smile, quickly took out a greenish small shield from his storage bag, displaying it while introducing it to the cultivators present.


    "the first auction item, a first order medium grade defensive spiritual tool, the xuanjia shield, made primarily from the shell of a xuanjia turtle, forged with a great number of precious materials, its defensive power is extremely remarkable. the starting bid is ninety spirit stones, with each increment no less than two spirit stones."


    the very first treasure was a medium grade defensive spiritual tool; the subsequent finale items were naturally extraordinary. it was clear that this auction had indeed invested a lot of capital.


    looking at the greenish shield, medium grade defensive spiritual tools were rare, especially one forged from the shell of a xuanjia turtle. the eyes of many cultivators flashed with fervent expressions.


    "ninety-five spirit stones."


    a qi training cultivator at the sixth level of qi refining, wearing a blue robe, excitedly called out the first price, with a look of absolute determination.


    before his words had settled, other cultivators began to raise their bids.


    "one hundred and twenty spirit stones."


    "one hundred and twenty-five spirit stones."


    ...


    soon, after over a dozen rounds of intense bidding, the price of the xuanjia shield skyrocketed, quickly reaching one hundred and forty spirit stones.


    in the end, only four people continued to bid, and the first bidding blue-robed cultivator was among them.


    one hundred and forty spirit stones was no small amount. the blue-robed cultivator hesitated; to give up would be reluctant, yet it was costly to continue.


    considering the exceptional defensive power of the xuanjia shield, which was indeed a rare find among medium grade defensive spiritual tools, possessing this treasure would allow him to retreat unscathed even when facing a seventh level qi cultivation cultivator.


    after pondering for a moment, he decided not to give up and, gritting his teeth, he made a higher bid.


    "one hundred and fifty spirit stones.


    a few breaths passed, and no one else placed a higher bid.


    with the sound of a gong, the first auction item was successfully sold, with the blue-robed cultivator winning it with a high bid.


    the blue-robed cultivator, with a smile on his face, presented the spirit stones in front of all the cultivators present, exchanged for the treasure, and then sat down satisfied.


    the high price of the first treasure warmed up the atmosphere of the venue, with many cultivators eager and ready to snap up their coveted items.


    chen chong was very pleased and continued to strike while the iron was hot, taking out the second treasure to be bid on by a group of cultivators.


    as the small half of the day passed, nearly a hundred treasures were successfully auctioned off, none failing to sell, with the closing prices often hitting new highs.


    during this time, lin tianming made three bids, spending hundreds of spirit stones to win some items consigned by other cultivators, including two stalks of spirit grass and a green crystal core.


    in the vip room on the second floor, lin tianming fiddled with the crystal core in his hand, contemplating it closely.


    he had acquired the crystal core for just over a hundred spirit stones. at the time, including himself, no one recognized the item, nor did anyone else bid.


    it was about to go unsold when, under the examination of the eye of five colors, he still detected a faint trace of energy. out of curiosity and due to the low price, he decided to bid for the item.


    after lin tianming and the other two took turns examining it, none could discern anything significant, so they placed it in a storage bag to study in detail when they returned.


    at this point, the auction was nearing its end, with only the final showcase item left to be auctioned off.


    after a brief pause, chen chong began the auction for the final showcase items.


    this time, the lin family had prepared fifteen precious treasures; together with the items provided by the sun family and the luo family, there were twenty final showcase items in total, which was twice as many as in past auctions. many of the cultivators in the hall, especially those with higher cultivation, were there primarily for these final showcase items.


    "the first showcase item, three xisui pills with a starting bid of one hundred spirit stones, and each bid must increase by no less than five spirit stones!"


    "the second showcase item, three pozhang pills..."


    "the third showcase item, three jade spirit fruits..."


    ...


    for a moment, treasures were brought out one after the other.


    elxirs, spirit fruits, and spiritual artifacts conducive to breakthroughs for qi refining cultivators were rapidly auctioned off, with all ten of the showcase items provided by the lin family quickly sold.


    the number of treasures auctioned in this session was not small, and the overall value was quite high, especially the elixirs used for breakthroughs. continue reading stories on empire


    items useful for breaking through to the next realm were traditionally the most sought-after, and as such, the atmosphere of the auction was incredibly fervent.


    the appearance of so many rare treasures, although the prices were slightly lower than usual, shocked all the cultivators present with the lin family''s extravagant display.


    some cultivators of limited means, who had not succeeded in the auction, had their eyes opened wide with amazement, feeling their trip was worthwhile just witnessing the auction of so many rare treasures.


    at this time, chen chong was also excited; based solely on this auction, the commission he could extract was a significant sum.


    taking a deep breath to steady himself, chen chong continued to preside over the auction.


    time quickly passed, and an hour later, the last nine showcase items were also successfully auctioned, with each item''s price not falling below three hundred spirit stones.


    especially for the last five treasures, even foundation establishment cultivators joined in the bidding. the second order elixirs were won by sun dingfeng, while the third order spiritual medicine went to su he. other foundation establishment cultivators also reaped their rewards.


    at this point, only one final showcase item remained, and all the cultivators were waiting for it.


    not daring to hesitate, chen chong quickly pulled a jade slip from his storage bag and held it high.


    seeing the item below, the qi training cultivators'' breathing grew rapid, and at this moment, chen chong also began to introduce the final treasure.


    "a metal attribute yellow grade cultivation technique provided by the lin family, with extremely formidable offensive power. starting bid is seventeen thousand spirit stones, and each bid must increase by no less than one hundred spirit stones."


    no sooner had chen chong finished speaking than a cultivator started the bidding.


    "eighteen thousand spirit stones!"


    that was an increase of a thousand spirit stones with just one bid, showing the determination of the bidder to win.


    unfortunately, it wasn''t long before another increased the bid. back and forth the price went, continuously climbing.


    it''s worth noting that techniques are not commonly seen in the luoyun mountain range; most are controlled by large families, and many qi refining families do not have all the five elements attributes.


    families lacking metal attribute techniques, and finding themselves with members of the metal attribute, are forced to cultivate other attribute techniques temporarily. due to the mismatch, the speed of cultivation is greatly compromised. hence, when an opportunity like this arises, they naturally would not let it pass.


    despite the high price to pay, the need to remedy the family''s weaknesses was worth any sacrifice.


    lin tianming and the others were sitting in the vip room on the second floor, witnessing the intense bidding below.

 Chapter 125 Exchange Meeting_1

    on the second floor of the auction, an elderly man sat in the center, flanked by two middle-aged cultivators on chairs; all three were clan members of the min clan from the luoyun mountain range.the min clan, an established qi refining family from the luoyun mountain range, boasted over sixty members with several individuals above the seventh level of qi refinement, ranking them at the forefront in terms of strength and financial power among qi refining families.


    at that moment, the countenances of the two min clan cultivators darkened, and one at the qi refining eighth level asked the elder in the chair of honor,


    "fourth uncle, the price of this cultivation technique has already exceeded expectations. what do we do now? do we continue to raise the bid?"


    explore new worlds at empire


    after hearing this, the elder showed a moment of hesitation, lost in contemplation.


    the min clan''s legacy spanned several hundred years, possessing just three cultivation techniques. they specifically lacked cultivation techniques of the water and metal categories. having finally encountered a metal-category technique, although it was only of yellow grade, it was extremely important for the min clan. giving up the opportunity now would be a true pity.


    having made up his mind, the elder immediately spoke,


    "raise... currently, only three families are still bidding, and within the luoyun mountain range, the qi refining families are probably at their limits. this opportunity is rare. if there are not enough spirit stones, take out the two stalks of third order spiritual medicine from the clan''s reserves to settle the account; we are keeping them without being able to refine any elixirs anyway."


    the words of the elder resonated with the two middle-aged cultivators beside him, who then promptly raised the bid.


    "twenty-one thousand eight hundred spirit stones!"


    a voice emanated from one of the vip rooms on the second floor, plunging the entire venue into silence.


    the elder''s prediction was correct; initially, there were more than ten cultivators bidding, but in the end, only three families were left. after he spontaneously increased the bid by a thousand spirit stones, the other two families indeed gave up on continuing to raise their bids.


    at this point, the cultivators below who were watching the excitement blushed, clearly overwhelmed by the exorbitant price.


    more than twenty thousand spirit stones was an amount most cultivators could not amass in their lifetime. such a transaction price was almost equivalent to that of a foundation establishment pill.


    of course, in the luoyun mountain range, quite a few qi refining families could gather that amount of three thousand spirit stones.


    the key issue was that, oftentimes, even if you possessed spirit stones, it was hard to purchase a foundation establishment pill, and without considerable strength, it was impossible to leave safely with it.


    two hundred years ago, the lin family had experienced a similar incident, when an ancestor successfully won a foundation establishment pill at an auction but was ambushed on the way back to the family. the ancestor was grievously injured and had to abandon the pill to escape. such situations were not uncommon in the cultivation world.


    in the silent auction hall, as a few moments passed and no more bids were made, chen chong had no choice but to announce the result.


    when the sound of the gong echoed, smiles finally appeared on the faces of the three from the min clan.


    the elder surnamed min took out two jade boxes, placed them into a storage bag, and reluctantly threw it to chen chong.


    chen chong accepted the storage bag, seeing the two stalks of third order spiritual medicine and some spirit stones. after confirming the equivalent value, he handed over the jade slip containing the cultivation technique to the min clan cultivator.


    once the transaction was complete, all items in the auction had been sold.


    chen chong clasped his hands, exchanged a few courteous words, and finally declared the auction over.


    afterward, the many cultivators filed out, leaving very few in the hall in short order.


    in the vip room on the second floor, lin tianming and lin shilu chatted idly, while lin xingyuan had taken the lead out of the chamber to retrieve the lin family''s auctioned belongings.


    after a short while, lin xingyuan returned to the chamber.


    "fifteenth uncle, after deducting the commission, the family''s auctioned items fetched a total of twenty-one thousand six hundred spirit stones, plus two stalks of third order lower-grade spiritual medicine. please review them," lin xingyuan said, presenting a black storage bag and a list for lin shilu to inspect.


    lin shilu accepted the storage bag, scanned it with his divine sense, and, finding the count and amount correct, nodded before securing the property into the storage bag.


    "let''s go, the exchange convention should be about to start," he said.


    with that, lin shilu took the lead in rising from his seat in the vip room and headed downstairs, with lin tianming and lin xingyuan promptly following.


    the three passed through several corridors and a long hallway before stopping in front of a stone door.


    after lin shilu formed a hand gesture, he pushed the stone door open with force and strode in.


    lin tianming and the other followed closely behind. by this time, a few cultivators were already inside the stone chamber, sitting and chatting over tea.


    upon seeing lin shilu enter, su he and several other loose cultivators stood to greet him, while sun dingfeng and luo chenggu also got up to exchange pleasantries. s§×ar?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "fellow daoists, i trust you''ve been well," lin shilu said with a knowing smile, approaching with lin xingyuan. after greeting several foundation establishment cultivators, he began to introduce lin tianming.


    "tianming, you''ve already met the daoists from the sun and luo families, and this is senior su. why don''t you come over and pay your respects?"


    upon hearing lin shilu''s instruction, lin tianming stepped forward and clasped his fists in a salute toward the several foundation establishment stage loose cultivators.


    despite his impressive cultivation, su he did not dare to underestimate the lin family and was very cordial. he teased with a smile, "i have long heard of a talented junior from the lin family. today, having the opportunity to meet him, it''s truly remarkable that one so young has already achieved great perfection of qi refining stage. surely a dragon among men, lin, your family is indeed fortunate."


    as su he offered his flattering words, the others chimed in as well.


    "oh, it''s nothing. my junior has done somewhat well, but such an achievement is insignificant in the grand scope of the wei kingdom," lin shilu modestly replied, though a proud and pleased expression could not be concealed on his weathered face.


    lin shilu''s demeanor did not escape the notice of sun dingfeng and the others, who kept their thoughts to themselves but inwardly sneered at the display.

 Chapter 125 Exchange Meet_2

    ``` sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality."The old guy really has no shame, he''s just short of singing praises about his own junior."


    With Lin Shilu''s introduction, Lin Xingyuan and Lin Tianming got to know a few Foundation Establishment Stage Loose Cultivators, including Su He and four others, all possessing cultivation below the third level of the Foundation Establishment.


    After some pleasantries were exchanged, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators each took their seats, while Lin Tianming stood quietly behind Lin Shilu, watching the exchanges of cultivation experiences among several people in the area.


    Before they knew it, a quarter of an hour had passed.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivators had almost finished their exchanges when Sun Dingfeng stood up and said,


    "Fellow daoists, it''s getting late, let''s start the trading event."


    Seeing that the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators had no objections, Lin Shilu nodded his head in agreement, signaling that they could begin.


    Sun Dingfeng slapped his storage bag and took out three Second Order Medium Quality Attack Talismans and two greenish Spirit Ore Stones, holding them in his hand as he said, "These three talismans and two Qingluan Stone ore, in exchange for elixirs that can enhance cultivation, Spiritual Medicine Materials, or an equivalent amount of Spirit Stones."


    Before the words had finished, Lin Shilu waved a hand and threw a Jade Bottle, which Sun Dingfeng caught.


    Sun Dingfeng opened the Jade Bottle to take a look, nodded in satisfaction, and then handed one piece of Qingluan Stone over to Lin Shilu.


    Su He also intended to trade, taking out two stalks of First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Medicine, and successfully exchanged for the other piece of Qingluan Stone.


    At this time, only the Second Order Talismans remained in Sun Dingfeng''s hand as no one else seemed interested. Just as Sun Dingfeng was about to put the talismans away, Lin Tianming spoke up, Explore hidden tales at empire


    "Senior Sun, may I know the price of these Second Order Talismans? I would like to trade with Spirit Stones, if that''s acceptable?"


    Surprised by the inquiry, Sun Dingfeng tossed the three talismans to Lin Tianming and then said,


    "Since you''re a junior, I won''t take advantage of you. Three Second Order Medium Quality Talismans for two thousand Spirit Stones."


    Lin Shilu, sitting on the side, heard that Sun Dingfeng''s price was quite reasonable and nodded toward Lin Tianming, signaling that the deal was acceptable.


    Lin Tianming received the three Second Order Medium Quality Attack Talismans, barely had time to feel excited before putting them into his storage bag, then immediately took out two thousand Spirit Stones and gave them to Sun Dingfeng.


    With Sun Dingfeng''s trade complete, and everyone obtaining items they desired, it was a good start to the event.


    Then, Lin Shilu took out three items for trade, the first being a set of Spirit Swords, each one a Supreme Spiritual Artifact. The second was a First Order Superior Grade Defensive Spiritual Tool, and the third was a Third Order Lower Quality Spiritual Medicine Material.


    "I''ll trade for Second Order or higher Spirit Ore or Second Order Demonic Beast Materials. If there''s something more valuable, I can make up the difference."


    After Lin Shilu stated what he wanted to trade, the cultivators began to inspect the items he provided.


    Li, looking at the set of Spirit Swords, took out two and swung them a few times, appearing vastly satisfied with their quality.


    In the Wei Kingdom, Magic Artifacts are extremely precious, and not all Foundation Establishment Cultivators can afford to use them. Many cultivators below the third level of Foundation Establishment still use First Order Superior Grade or Supreme Spiritual Artifacts.


    Li had been in the Foundation Establishment Stage for less than ten years and had used up all his wealth just to reach Foundation Establishment. He has been using a set of First Order Superior Grade Spirit Swords, which significantly reduced his combat effectiveness.


    The set of Spirit Swords offered by Lin Shilu was not weak in power, making it hard to find a more suitable weapon below the level of Magic Artifacts.


    The more he looked, the more he liked them, and Li soon entertained the idea of a trade.


    Having made up his mind, Li took out a Jade Bottle from his storage bag and tossed it to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu caught the Jade Bottle, extended his Divine Sense to inspect it, and saw a considerable amount of golden sand inside, seemingly an ordinary sand but probably weighing more than a pound.


    Lin Shilu poured out a few grains of sand and rubbed them in his hand. A pleased expression crossed his face as he exclaimed softly.


    "Golden Tide Sand."


    Li nodded and said,


    "Lin, as a Second Order Refiner, you surely understand the value of Golden Tide Sand better than I do. This bottle contains more than a pound of Golden Tide Sand, and if I were to trade it for just the five Supreme Spirit Swords, I would be at a loss."


    After hearing this, Lin Shilu also recognized the validity of Li''s comments.


    Golden Tide Sand is a Third Order Spiritual Ore which can greatly enhance the hardness and attack power of a weapon. It has a miraculous effect, and Golden Core Experts also use this material in their Magical Treasures. It is highly valuable and exceedingly rare; indeed, the value of more than a pound of Golden Tide Sand exceeds that of the Supreme Spiritual Artifacts by a lot.


    As a Second Order Refiner, Lin Shilu really didn''t want to pass up such a rare Spirit Ore, so he inquired about Li''s preference.


    "Then, what treasures would Fellow Daoist Li like to obtain in exchange for this Golden Tide Sand?"


    Li looked at the five Spirit Swords and the Defensive Spiritual Tool and said,


    "Those two Spirit Artifacts and an additional two thousand Spirit Stones. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Lin?"


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Lin Shilu immediately accepted the exchange proposal.


    Both parties secured the treasures, with the remaining Third Order Spiritual Medicine quickly traded to another Loose Cultivator for a piece of Third Order Spirit Iron.


    Thus, Lin Shilu succeeded in trading all three of his items, attaining more than a pound of Golden Tide Sand and a piece of Third Order Spirit Iron.


    Next, Su He brought out two items for trade: one was a foot-tall Spiritual Medicine with purple-black leaves emitting a unique fragrance.


    The other was the corpse of a Second Order Middle Stage Demonic Beast, well-preserved.


    As the items were presented before everyone, Lin Tianming''s eyes suddenly lit up.


    "Purple Yin Grass?"


    Lin Tianming grasped the Spiritual Medicine in his hand, repeatedly confirming its characteristics and attributes.


    ```

 Chapter 125 Exchange Meeting_3

    Before long, Lin Tianming was certain this Spirit Grass was indeed the main Purple Yin Grass required for the Hun Tian Pill formula, and its medicinal age met the alchemy requirements.Several years had passed since he obtained the Hun Tian Pill formula. Stay updated through empire


    During this period, the Lin Family had acquired a vast number of treasures. Although they found Purple Yin Grass in the Jin Family''s Spiritual Medicine Garden, the medicinal age was insufficient to refine the Hun Tian Pill. Unexpectedly, Su He actually possessed mature Purple Yin Grass.


    After placing the Spirit Grass back into the Jade Box, Lin Tianming immediately sent a voice transmission to Lin Shilu, recounting the issue of the Hun Tian Pill formula and the situation with the Purple Yin Grass.


    Lin Shilu nodded. He was aware that Lin Tianming had obtained the Hun Tian Pill formula. Naturally, he wouldn''t let the opportunity to acquire mature Purple Yin Grass slip by. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Su Daoyou, may I ask what item you would like to exchange for your treasure?"


    Su He indicated that he was looking to exchange for elixirs used in cultivation or defensive Magic Artifacts, and if that wasn''t possible, a Supreme Defensive Spirit Artifact would suffice.


    Lin Shilu took out a small round shield, which was also a Supreme Quality Spiritual Artifact.


    After taking the small shield and bargaining with Lin Shilu, Su He completed the exchange smoothly with an additional one thousand Spirit Stones.


    The corpse of a Second Order Demonic Beast was traded to Luo Chenggu for a bottle of elixirs and one thousand Spirit Stones.


    The trade meeting continued; the remaining Foundation Establishment Cultivators also produced some treasures for exchange, though the value was clearly not comparable to the treasures presented by Lin Shilu and the others.


    Even so, Lin Xingyuan exchanged some Spirit Stones and a Spiritual Artifact for items suitable for himself, and Lin Tianming also purchased several Spiritual Medicine Materials of the Second Order, all essential for his cultivation elixir materials.


    Luo Chenggu and the others had some gains as well: each acquired what they needed, exchanging suitable items for useful ones.


    After half a day, the exchange meeting concluded. The cultivators chatted casually for a few moments, said their farewells, and some cultivators left the stone chamber first.


    Lin Shilu and his two companions hadn''t left yet. As Sun Dingfeng and several others departed, only Su He remained with the three of them in the stone chamber.


    Lin Tianming took out tea service and poured a cup of Spiritual Tea for everyone, then sat next to Lin Shilu.


    Sipping from his tea cup, Su He pondered the reason why Lin Shilu had asked him to stay.


    Lin Shilu didn''t beat around the bush and said directly:


    "Su Daoyou, I wonder if you have any more Purple Yin Grass? I would like to exchange for a few more. Rest assured, the price will definitely satisfy you."


    Su He was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. He hadn''t expected Lin Shilu''s reason for asking him to stay was this matter.


    "Lin Daoyou, I truly apologize, this was indeed the only plant, which I have already traded to you. I also suffered some injuries to obtain it."


    While his sincere response left Lin Shilu half-convinced, he nevertheless felt somewhat helpless.


    "Su Daoyou, forgive my impudence, but may I know where you acquired this herb? Can you share this information? Our Lin Family is willing to purchase this news, and we hope Su Daoyou will oblige."


    Upon hearing Lin Shilu''s words, Su He fell into thought. After hesitating and recalling the dangerous process of acquiring the Purple Yin Grass, he agreed to disclose its origin.


    After a quarter of an hour, Su He recounted how he obtained the Purple Yin Grass. Lin Shilu handed over two thousand Spirit Stones to Su He in exchange for a map drawn by Su He.


    Their transaction concluded, Su He didn''t wish to linger and took the initiative to take his leave. Lin Shilu did not stop him, personally seeing him off from the auction.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming and his two companions also left the auction venue and headed to the small courtyard in the market area.

 Chapter 126 Plan_1

    ```Having left the auction hall, Lin Tianming and two others walked on the streets of Luoyun Market.


    Although the triennial auction had ended, the market was still bustling with people, many cultivators who had left the auction empty-handed were browsing stalls and shops.


    Walking on foot, Lin Shilu and his companions attracted the attention of numerous cultivators.


    Lin Shilu had long been famous, and his name was known to nearly all Qi Refining Cultivators; upon seeing him in person, many cultivators came forward to pay their respects. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shilu wore a smile and was very warm, without putting on airs, he chatted casually with some Qi Refining Cultivators, exciting them greatly.


    After a short while, the three managed to disperse the enthusiastic cultivators and returned to the Lin Family Courtyard in Luoyun Market.


    The three sat in the courtyard, Lin Shilu laid out the Beast Skin Map provided by Su He on the stone table, and they each studied the content recorded on the map.


    According to Su He, the Purple Yin Grass was also something he had come across by chance.


    A year ago, he ventured deep into the Luoyun Mountain Range in search of treasure and was chased by a Second Order Superior Demonic Beast. In a bid to save his life, he fled headlong into a valley and managed to shake off the Demonic Beast that was pursuing him.


    After escaping danger, while he searched the valley, he unexpectedly found the Third Order Purple Yin Grass, which made him believe his luck had turned.


    Unfortunately, before he could rejoice, he awoke a slumbering Demonic Beast in the valley. Already greatly weakened, he knew he was no match and was forced to flee for his life again.


    Fortunately, the Demonic Beast had a limited range of activity. He exhausted a great number of treasures and sustained serious injuries, but he managed to escape the territory of the Demonic Beast and saved his life.


    The relieved Su He did not dare to linger in the belly of the Luoyun Mountain Range, left the inner area in haste, and only sought a place to recover his injuries once he reached the peripheral areas.


    Inside the courtyard, Lin Tianming looked at the map and calmly asked,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, do you think what Su told us is credible?"


    To Lin Tianming''s uncertainty, Lin Shilu expressed his opinion.


    "I believe Su He''s words are quite credible. This person has a clear background, has been around Luoyun Market for many years, and holds no grudges against our Lin Family; he is unlikely to deceive us."


    As he finished speaking, Lin Xingyuan, who had been silent, also said,


    "Fifteenth Uncle, it is still best to be cautious relying solely on his account!"


    Lin Shilu nodded, aware that one can never easily trust the words of outsiders.


    "Tian Ming, what do you think? Feel free to speak!"


    Being asked by Lin Shilu, Lin Tianming was also hard-pressed to judge the credibility, but he still shared his opinion.


    "Just now, Su also mentioned that he can''t guarantee whether there are other Purple Yin Grasses in that valley. Regardless of whether there still exists Purple Yin Grass, I suggest we explore it; the benefits of Purple Yin Grass need no explanation. With it, the cultivation of our family''s Foundation Establishment Cultivators can be enhanced. Therefore, this trip is necessary."


    After hearing Lin Tianming''s reasoning, Lin Shilu and another person also found it sensible; indeed, a Third Order Spiritual Medicine such as Purple Yin Grass was entirely worth sending someone for.


    Having decided, Lin Shilu immediately made arrangements. Lin Xingyuan was to continue overseeing the market while he and Lin Tianming would set off at once, returning to the family to discuss the matter with Lin Shikang before making a decision.


    And with a Second Order Superior Demonic Beast guarding that valley, if they let Lin Shikang take charge, it would be much safer.


    After instructing Lin Xingyuan on a few things, Lin Tianming and another got up from the courtyard and prepared to hurry back to the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory.


    Leaving the market, it was almost evening, Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle.


    This Spirit Beast of Lin Tianming was something he was very familiar with; the two of them had traveled to many places on the Purple Gold Eagle, and after more than a year''s absence, he hadn''t expected it to have also advanced in rank.


    The two hopped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, and Lin Shilu praised it highly, looking very pleased.


    ```


    A sharp screech and the Purple Gold Eagle soared into the sky, turning into a lingering shadow as it flew towards the direction of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Seated upon the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, feeling the swift speed that was much faster than before, they probably wouldn''t need more than four hours to hurry back to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    True to their expectations, after a little over an hour and with the Purple Gold Eagle flying at full speed, the two returned to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Tianming and his companion didn''t stop to rest but went straight to Lin Shikang''s cave dwelling.


    The three sat in the small courtyard, drinking tea, and after a short while, Lin Shihua also hurried over.


    Lin Shilu recounted the process of obtaining the Purple Yin Grass and Su He''s words, bringing joy to Lin Shikang and the others.


    Looking at the map Lin Shilu took out, Lin Shikang said with a joyful smile,


    "Shi Lu, you did well. I believe Tian Ming''s view is more prudent. The Purple Yin Grass is extremely important. Regardless of whether it''s true or false, we must explore!"


    Seeing Lin Shikang agree readily, the group discussed the details and plans for searching for the Purple Yin Grass.


    In half a quarter of an hour, Lin Shikang gave his orders for the arrangements after their departure.


    "Shi Lu, this trip will take us deep into the heart of the Luoyun Mountain Range, where there are numerous Second Order Demonic Beasts. It''s not wise to bring too many people. It will be just Shihua and I going lightly equipped. When we leave, the family must leave two behind to guard, so the task falls to you and Shi Gong!"


    "This¡­"


    Upon hearing Lin Shikang''s arrangements, Lin Shilu was somewhat worried.


    According to Su He, there were numerous Second Order Demonic Beasts in that place, and the risk was not small for just the two of them.


    But at the moment, all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the clan were occupied with their tasks, with Lin Xingyuan at the market and Lin Xingrong at Golden Horn Mountain; indeed, there were no clan members available to mobilize.


    Just as Lin Shilu was in a dilemma, he suddenly slapped his forehead and a flicker of joy crossed his face.


    "There''s still this kid! I almost forgot about him!"


    "Third brother, I''m also somewhat worried about just the two of you going. Shihua''s cultivation is not high, and solely relying on him might not be much help. It''s better to take Tian Ming with you. The kid is full of cunning tricks and has some unknown methods that will surely be of help."


    Before he had finished speaking, Lin Tianming also volunteered to join Lin Shikang.


    Thinking of Lin Tianming''s strength, though he was only at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, his might was probably not inferior to Lin Shihua''s. Combined with his endless array of methods, he might indeed be a great help.


    At this point, Lin Shikang was not persistent anymore and said, Stay connected with empire


    "Alright, then tomorrow morning, Shihua and Tian Ming will join me in entering Luoyun Mountain Range to search for Purple Yin Grass, and you will be responsible for guarding the family."


    Seeing Lin Shikang''s agreement, Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming were also pleased and readily agreed.


    Lin Shikang nodded, seeing that the group had come to a decision, and without further ado, he firmly gave his orders,


    "It''s getting late, you''re hurried from traveling, and must be tired. Everyone should return to rest, and we''ll meet at the mountain gate tomorrow morning!"


    "Yes!"


    Lin Shilu and the others stood up to answer, then bade each other farewell, each returning to their own cave dwellings.


    Lin Tianming also returned to the Lin Family Courtyard. His mother was in closed-door cultivation, and after explaining to his sister, he went back to his room to rest.


    Lying on his own bed, it was not long before he fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 127 Crimson Gold Snake_1

    The morning of the next day.The darkness gradually gave way to light, and a ray of sunlight pierced through the fog, shining upon the serene and tranquil peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    At this time, the majority of the clan was still cultivating or deep in slumber, Lin Tianming left his small courtyard and flew towards the mountain gate.


    A period long enough to drink a cup of tea had passed, and Lin Tianming appeared in the square at the mountain gate.


    There was still some time before the agreed hour, and neither Lin Shikang nor Lin Shihua had arrived yet, so Lin Tianming, having nothing better to do, examined the reconstructed mountain gate.


    Several years had passed since the great battle, and the once riddled mountain gate had long been rebuilt.


    Taking two years, the newly constructed mountain gate was located between two small hills; on a plaza below stood several towering pavilions and a hundred-zhang-wide gorge connected the inner part of the clan territory, with the massive mountain gate made of blue stone, majestic and imposing. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at the greatly changed mountain gate, it finally had a bit of the Foundation Establishing families'' momentum.


    Just at that moment, Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua flew out from the gorge and landed on the square.


    Lin Tianming took a step forward and bowed deeply to the two elders.


    "Tian Ming pays respects to Third Grandfather and Twelfth Grandpa!"


    Lin Shikang waved his hand, and Lin Tianming stepped aside, waiting for Lin Shikang''s further instructions.


    "Tian Ming, let''s use your Purple Gold Eagle to travel!"


    Lin Tianming certainly wouldn''t refuse and hurriedly released the Purple Gold Eagle.


    The three men mounted the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Shikang checked the map in his hand, confirmed the direction, and then opened the Protective Clan Formation.


    "Let''s go!"


    The Purple Gold Eagle flapped its wings and soared into the sky, flew through the Protective Clan Formation into the thick fog, and headed towards the Luoyun Mountain Range in the west.


    Half a day went by...


    At noon, on the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range, close to the inner area, the figures of three people appeared on a barren hill.


    With Lin Shikang, a Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, anchoring the rear, the journey was quite smooth; a few First Order Demonic Beasts that obstructed their path were easily slain without much resistance.


    After a brief pause, Lin Shikang once again took out the map to confirm that their route was correct.


    "We are about to enter the inner area of the mountain range soon, and the likelihood of encountering Second Order Demonic Beasts increases significantly. We can''t use the Purple Gold Eagle for travel anymore. From now on, both of you follow closely behind me, and don''t fall behind. If an unexpected situation arises, you two act according to circumstances," he instructed them.


    "Understood!"


    After Lin Shikang gave his instructions, the two nodded, and Lin Tianming stored the Purple Gold Eagle into the Spirit Beast Ring, with all three drawing their weapons, thoroughly prepared.


    Lin Shikang leaped forward, leading the way, with the other two closely following behind, disappearing into the forest.


    Their footsteps were light, their speed was incredibly fast, skimming over the treetops like dragonflies skittering across water.


    Two days went by, and the trio traveled by day and rested at night. They had already ventured hundreds of miles deep into the belly of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Over the past two days, it was not as relaxed as it was in the outer regions. During their journey, they encountered a Demon Beast Tribe led by two Second Order Low-Grade Beasts.


    After a battle, it took some effort before the whole Demon Beast Tribe was slain.


    Once the battlefield was cleared and the territory of the beasts was looted, they only obtained some Second Order Spiritual Medicine, which was not a great gain, but undeterred, they hit the road again.


    A day later, at the edge of a quiet gorge, Lin Tianming and the others halted their steps, standing atop a large tree.


    Before them, two towering mountains stood tall, a magnificent sight to behold.


    In the middle, a bottomless gorge was shrouded in a dense fog, surrounded by lush forests, and the still air held an eerie breath.


    Lin Shikang looked at the surrounding terrain and compared it with the map, finally revealing a trace of a smile on his face.


    "We''ve arrived, this gorge in front of us is the place marked on the map!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming and the other person showed a look of solemnity and joy, and they too started observing this place that left a deep impression on Su He.


    After a Divine Sense detection, they found the fog greatly limited Divine Sense; the deeper they went, the more drastically the coverage reduced, and the discernible areas were eerily quiet, seemingly without anomaly.


    Lin Shikang, with a serious expression, said to Lin Tianming and the other,


    "You must have felt the limitations on Divine Sense. After my probing, I haven''t noticed the presence of Purple Yin Grass for the time being. It seems that if we want to find the Spiritual Medicine, we will have to venture further in!"


    The situation Lin Shikang described was already noticed by the two of them, but since the range of their detection was limited, they weren''t as significantly affected.


    "What are your thoughts? Feel free to speak up!"


    Facing Lin Shikang''s inquiry, Lin Shihua furrowed his brows and resolutely said:


    "Third brother, since we''re already here, we naturally should explore a bit. With your cultivation and the assistance of the Golden Wind Sword, as long as we don''t encounter a Third Order Demon Beast, even if we cannot defeat a Second Order Late Stage Beast, you should be able to escape with Tian Ming."


    Lin Shikang nodded, and seeing that the two had no intention of retreating, he spoke:


    "I''ll go in first to scout. If I encounter an attack, there will surely be a disturbance. At that time, give the signal as we agreed upon, and you two come in to assist me."


    Tian Ming and the other person nodded in agreement. Lin Shikang''s arrangements were more cautious. If the area inside was very dangerous, their entry wouldn''t be much help and would only distract him.


    "Third brother, be careful. If the strength of the demonic beast is too strong, just give up on this operation!"


    After Lin Shihua finished speaking, Tian Ming also advised:


    "Twelfth Grandpa is right. As long as the green hills are there, we won''t fear running out of firewood. A few years from now when our clan has more Foundation Establishment clan members, we can make another attempt!"


    "Don''t worry, I am aware of the risks. You two be careful as well. The area here is relatively safe for now. If I cannot hold against the enemy, you must immediately leave."


    After instructing them, Lin Shikang took out his Magical Treasure, the Golden Wind Sword, and cautiously crept towards the valley.


    As Lin Shikang disappeared from the range of their Divine Sense, Tian Ming and his companion watched over the valley with vigilance, anxiously waiting.


    ¡­


    Time slowly passed, and Lin Shikang had advanced more than ten li.


    At this moment, the valley shrouded in thick fog was eerily silent. As he ventured deeper, both his vision and Divine Sense were increasingly affected, and the sky, which was clear just moments before, gradually darkened.


    Lin Shikang stopped on a large boulder, looking ahead and sensing the surroundings.


    Knowing there might be Second Order demonic beasts, he paused every li to check his surroundings, ensuring safety before proceeding.


    After a century of cultivation, it was precisely because of his prudence that he managed to turn many dangers into safety. He couldn''t afford to be careless now more than ever.


    At this point, Lin Shikang extended his Divine Sense to its fullest, exploring areas he had not checked before.


    With the aid of his Divine Sense, everything in the vicinity was relayed back to his mind, not a single flower or blade of grass escaped his notice.


    "What is this¡­"


    Suddenly, an image of a purple-black plant about a foot tall growing in a crevice of a rockwall flashed through his mind.


    "There is indeed a mature Purple Yin Grass!"


    Upon a meticulous inspection, the Spirit Grass appearing at the edge of his Divine Sense was conclusively a mature Purple Yin Grass.


    Finding the mature Purple Yin Grass after such effort excited Lin Shikang.


    Even then, he did not lower his guard at all, slowly moving forward, weapon in hand, ready to face any unseen dangers.


    As he got closer to the Purple Yin Grass, faint sounds emerged from the once silent valley, hardly perceptible.


    Accompanied by the sound of the wind breaking, a large green-chestnut colored snake shot out from the darkness of the valley.


    The crimson snake moved with surprising agility despite its tens of zhang long body. With its mouth wide open, the metre-long forked tongue lunged at him in a rather horrifying manner.


    "Indeed, it is a Second Order Late Phase Crimson Gold Snake!"


    Lin Shikang''s face changed, and as he hastily retreated, he swung the Magic Artifact in his hand, the Golden Wind Sword, casting several strands of Golden Sword Qi towards the Crimson Gold Snake.


    "Clang, clang, clang..."


    The Crimson Gold Snake twisted its body in an odd fashion, dodging his attack.


    Behind the Crimson Gold Snake, several towering trees bore the brunt of his assault and collapsed in an instant, stirring up thick fog and dust.


    Taking advantage of the moment the Crimson Gold Snake dodged, he had already retreated a hundred zhang away.


    Once he steadied himself and confirmed there was only this demonic beast present, he thrust his Golden Wind Sword into the sky, sending a unique strand of Sword Qi flying a thousand zhang high into the air.


    A golden bamboo pattern formed by the Golden Sword Qi hung high in the sky, its dazzling brilliance lasting for a full three breaths before dissipating.

 Chapter 128 The Power of Spirit Art_1

    Outside the valley, Lin Tianming and his companion hid in the treetops, anxiously waiting and looking ahead.Since Lin Shikang had entered, it had already been half an hour, yet the silent valley remained calm.


    Lin Tianming was somewhat worried about Lin Shikang''s safety and looked tense. He couldn''t help but speak up.


    "Twelfth Grandpa, Third Grandfather has been in there for so long, why is there no movement at all?"


    Lin Shihua also felt anxious inside but dared not show any sign of it. He could only pretend to be calm and said,


    "No movement means that Third Brother is relatively safe. Let''s wait patiently a little longer. Once the message comes, we will immediately go in to assist him!"


    Before he had finished speaking, sudden booming sounds erupted from deep within the gorge.


    The expressions on Lin Tianming and his companion''s faces changed instantly as they focused intently ahead, not daring to miss even the smallest bit of information.


    At that moment, a streak of golden light flashed across the dim sky and soared high, condensing into the shape of a bamboo.


    The Golden Bamboo was extremely conspicuous as it passed through the thick fog and came into their view.


    "What is that?"


    Lin Shihua''s face was flushed as he said to Lin Tianming,


    "That''s the signal method we agreed upon with Third Brother; he''s hinting to us that we can enter!"


    "Twelfth Grandpa, there is no time to delay, let''s go in now!"


    Lin Tianming was the first to react. He reminded Lin Shihua and then charged into the gorge, rushing toward the marked direction.


    Lin Shihua did not dare to hesitate. He leaped forward and quickly followed Lin Tianming''s pace, disappearing at the entrance.


    ...


    Inside the gorge, Lin Tianming and his companion moved like agile monkeys, swiftly navigating the treetops.


    Following the path that Lin Shikang had scouted and marked, they didn''t need to be on guard everywhere.


    As a result, their speed greatly increased, several times faster than when Lin Shikang had entered.


    Despite Lin Shihua''s divine sense and eyesight being obstructed, Lin Tianming relied on the Eye of Five Colors, his vision unaffected in the slightest.


    As the noises grew increasingly intense, they were drawing closer and closer to Lin Shikang''s location.


    After just over ten breaths'' time, they were less than five hundred zhang away from Lin Shikang.


    Ahead of them, Lin Shikang at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level was locked in fierce battle with a Crimson Gold Snake in the late phase of the Second Order.


    Lin Shikang, with a single-handed seal, released a series of fireballs as thick as water buckets accompanied by various grades of talismans, shrouding the massive body of the Crimson Gold Snake.


    "Boom boom boom..."


    The sky rained down fiery attacks on the Crimson Gold Snake, and once the firelight dissipated, the enormous form of the Crimson Gold Snake was revealed.


    Green and yellow scales showed several charred spots, with two areas at the top fleshed open; however, these injuries were merely like scratches to the body of a Second Order Crimson Gold Snake.


    "Hiss..."


    With a piercing shriek, the Crimson Gold Snake violently swung its head, spitting out a yard-long tongue as sticky saliva dribbled from its giant mouth.


    Though it did not sustain a fatal injury, its fury grew as Lin Shikang repeatedly dodged its attacks. The Crimson Gold Snake lashed out with its huge tail, sweeping directly toward Lin Shikang.


    Lin Shikang leaped vertically over a hundred zhang, dodging the strike narrowly. Behind him, several large trees were snapped at the trunk, creating deep pits in the ground.


    Lin Shikang''s expression was grave. After more than a dozen exchanges with the beast, relying on his Golden Wind Sword and combining it with talisman papers, he did not expect to defeat the Crimson Gold Snake but hoped to delay it a while, to wear down its ferocity.


    The Crimson Gold Snake, which had not gained an upper hand after a prolonged battle, glared at Lin Shikang with its blood-red eyes and twisted its body, becoming even more berserk.


    As Lin Shihua and the other arrived, Lin Shikang''s face showed a hint of excitement.


    The three stood side by side atop the few remaining trees, watchfully eyeing the Crimson Gold Snake.


    "Shihua, the two of you distract this beast from the side; we''ll join forces to besiege it. Quick battle to avoid drawing other demonic beasts." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, everyone be careful!"


    The trio exchanged a few words before Lin Shikang took the lead, waving his Golden Wind Sword and unleashing increasingly fierce Sword Qi, stirring the surrounding air into a whistling frenzy.


    Lin Tianming didn''t hesitate, conjuring all his Earth Evil Swords to join Lin Shihua in a flank attack on the Crimson Gold Snake from another side.


    When all three went all out, the canyon was lit with flashes of fire as earthshaking noises echoed around.


    With limited strength, Lin Tianming and his companion didn''t dare to get too close, hovering around the periphery to constrain their foe while taking the opportunity to set up the Sword Array. The Crimson Gold Snake, now forced to be on guard, appeared extremely frustrated throughout the battle.


    As the fight intensified, dozens of rounds went by in brutal combat, reaching a critical and white-hot stage.


    Under the combined attack of the trio, the Crimson Gold Snake started to falter, gradually accumulating wounds all over its body.


    With a full-force attack from the three, the Crimson Gold Snake couldn''t attend to threats from both sides and was forced to twist its body to avoid vital hits.


    The Sword Qi transformed from the Golden Wind Sword was incredibly fast, and the Crimson Gold Snake, failing to dodge, got hit with the Sword Qi on its tail.


    Opening its huge, bloody maw, the Crimson Gold Snake let out a painful shriek. Its tail now bore a massive wound, and it was on the verge of being severed, as thick as a water bucket.


    The pained Crimson Gold Snake completely lost its sanity, its blood-red eyes focusing on Lin Tianming and his partner as if determined to dispose of these two annoying nuisances.


    The Crimson Gold Snake spat out two thick streams of water from its mouth that quickly solidified into hard blocks of ice, hurtling towards Lin Tianming and his companion.


    Seeing the Crimson Gold Snake suddenly change targets, Lin Shikang shouted anxiously:


    "Tianming, that''s the Crimson Gold Snake''s Innate Divine Ability, dodge it quickly!"


    Hearing Lin Shikang''s shout, Lin Tianming and his partner were horrified. They didn''t dare to face the Crimson Gold Snake''s Innate Divine Ability head on and, in a retreat, threw out several Second Order Defense Talismans to form two Defensive Shields in front of them.


    Not daring to hold back and knowing that mere Second Order Defense Talismans might not withstand the assault, they each drew out their Defensive Spiritual Tools to securely protect themselves.


    As the Crimson Gold Snake launched its attack and its attention was diverted, Lin Tianming took a risk and activated the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to envelop the snake''s massive body.


    Feeling the barriers around it and the wandering Sword Qi, the Crimson Gold Snake gave up on its continued assault on Lin Tianming and his partner, striving to break free from the Sword Array.


    "Boom, boom, boom..."


    A series of explosions followed, the talisman-created Shield shattered, and the ice lodged slammed onto the Defensive Spiritual Tools protecting Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua.


    "Thud, thud..."


    With the chilling ice striking their Defensive Spiritual Tools, Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua each spat out mouthfuls of fresh blood. The two were sent flying backward like kites with broken strings, retreating dozens of feet away.


    Regaining their balance, they looked at their nearly destroyed Supreme Quality Spiritual Artifacts with pale faces and a shudder of fear in their hearts.


    If it weren''t for Lin Tianming''s timely activation of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, forcing the Crimson Gold Snake to abandon its target, the two of them would have been in great jeopardy.


    Just as Lin Tianming and his companion escaped the dangerous situation, and while Lin Tianming''s Sword Array had the Crimson Gold Snake trapped for a moment, Lin Shikang bellowed:


    "Beast, meet your end!"


    A silver-white Sword Qi burst forth from his palm, its terrifying energy shining as brightly as sunlight, cutting through the dim sky and heading straight for the Crimson Gold Snake.


    Seeing this familiar and terrifying Sword Qi, Lin Tianming was somewhat stunned and couldn''t help exclaiming:


    "Great Sun Sword Qi Art?"


    The Crimson Gold Snake felt the breath of death and desperately tried to escape its bindings. In just a moment, it broke through the range of the Sword Array.


    The Sword Array broke, and Lin Tianming suffered a backlash, spurting out blood again, his face going utterly pale.


    As the Crimson Gold Snake crossed the Sword Array, the silver-white Sword Qi blasted into its vital seven-inch area.


    "Puff..."


    After a thudding sound, the Crimson Gold Snake fell, its huge head crashing into the ground, carving out a deep pit upon impact.


    The decapitated Crimson Gold Snake was a pitiful sight, blood pouring out and quickly pooling into a puddle. The snake, not yet dead, relied on its strong vitality to continue struggling.


    Unfortunately, with such severe injuries, even a Second Order Demonic Beast was beyond saving.


    In a short while, the Crimson Gold Snake stopped struggling and was clearly lifeless.


    Seeing the Crimson Gold Snake completely dead, Lin Tianming let out a long sigh of relief, and the two injured companions sat down on the ground, exhausted.

 Chapter 129 Treasure All Over_1

    As the Crimson Gold Snake died, Lin Shikang fell from the sky to the ground.With no time to clean up the battlefield, he sat down on the ground, gasping for breath. Seeing that Lin Tianming and the other person were not in grave danger, the three of them each took elixirs and began to recover from their injuries and restore their spiritual power.


    Lin Shikang had merely exhausted a great deal of spiritual power, and his injuries were not serious. Just by taking a few Huiyuan Pills, he could recover to his full victorious state.


    However, there was a significant gap in cultivation between Lin Tianming and the other individual, having been attacked by the Crimson Gold Snake''s innate divine ability. Despite the attack''s short duration, they still sustained serious injuries and would need at least half a month of quiet cultivation to fully recover.


    After half an hour, Lin Shikang had slightly restored some spiritual power and already possessed some self-protective strength.


    He stood up and gazed at the extremely tragic battlefield.


    After the fierce battle, the inside of the canyon was in disarray, lofty trees lay toppled in all directions, and the ground was marred with shocking gullies.


    The enormous body of the Crimson Gold Snake lay on the ground, its head separated from its body, and the blood that had spurted from the wound had collected into a pool of blood, with the smell of blood permeating the air.


    Looking at the mostly intact but headless corpse of the Crimson Gold Snake, Lin Shikang couldn''t help but feel a tremor in his heart.


    He was utterly shocked by the Spirit Art used to finally kill the Crimson Gold Snake.


    Since obtaining the upper part of the Spirit Art, all the higher-ups in the family had tried to cultivate it, and he was one of the first clan members to practice the art.


    Over the years, only a few clan members had successfully condensed Sword Qi, and the Silver-White Sword Qi he had released was the result of over two years of nurturing.


    According to his estimate, the Silver-White Sword Qi released to kill the Crimson Gold Snake was even more powerful than the divine skills that came with the Cultivation Technique. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For such destructive power, which exceeded his expectations, he was very satisfied, and even fantasized that if he could nurture the Sword Qi for ten years, its might could possibly become several times stronger.


    Putting his thoughts aside, he began to clean up the battlefield.


    The entire body of the Second Order Late Phase Crimson Gold Snake was a treasure. Its sharp fangs and tail could be used to craft Attack Talismans, its scales and skin to forge two sets of Defense Artifacts, the Demon Core could be used in alchemy, and consuming the flesh could strengthen the body¡ªtruly, not a single part would go to waste.


    Taking out the magic Artifact Golden Wind Sword, its sharp blade easily pierced through the abdomen of the Crimson Gold Snake, from which he extracted a fist-sized Demon Core.


    He stored the invaluable Demon Core in his storage bag, then proceeded to strip the Crimson Gold Snake of its scales and skin.


    In a short while, the several dozen zhang long body of the Crimson Gold Snake was disassembled, with all the parts usable for pill concoction and weapon forging taken, and even the flesh was cut into sections and arranged to one side.


    Having dealt with the corpse of the Crimson Gold Snake, he tidied up the thoroughly damaged battlefield for half an hour, practically erasing all traces of the great battle.


    After finishing the basic cleaning, nearly an hour had passed.


    Lin Tianming, who had been healing, was the first to stand up, a hint of a rosy hue returning to his pale cheeks.


    Although his injuries were more serious than Lin Shihua''s, given his robust body, their recovery power was not on the same level when compared.


    Lin Tianming''s injuries had basically stabilized at this point, and as long as he didn''t engage in desperate combat again, he could recover on his own with some rest.


    As he stood up, Lin Tianming looked at Lin Shihua beside him, saw that his complexion was gradually improving, and then walked toward Lin Shikang.


    "Tian Ming, how are your injuries?"


    Seeing Lin Tianming stand up and walk over, Lin Shikang asked anxiously.


    "Third Grandfather, my injuries are not serious; you don''t have to worry about me!"


    Lin Tianming replied with a smile, his complexion as ruddy as usual, showing no unusual signs, which finally reassured Lin Shikang.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but inquire,


    "Third Grandfather, the Silver-White Sword Qi you released to kill the Crimson Gold Snake, was it the Great Sun Sword Qi Art?"


    Lin Shikang chuckled and nodded in response to the guess.


    Although Lin Tianming had anticipated this, he couldn''t help but feel surprised when Lin Shikang personally confirmed it.


    The terrifying silver-white Sword Qi had, with one stroke, decapitated the Crimson Gold Snake, and the powerful visual impact was something he would not forget any time soon.


    "Truly worthy of being the legendary Profound Grade Spirit Art!"


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help but sigh with admiration and, at the same time, was exceedingly glad that he had the discerning eye to stumble upon such a great bargain.


    At this point, Lin Shikang''s expression gradually became somber as he earnestly advised,


    "Tianming, the power of this Spirit Art is incredibly strong. I have merely nurtured it for a little over two years, and its explosive power is no less than the innate divine abilities that come with the cultivation technique. In the future, our clansmen must not use this art lightly unless absolutely necessary. If word gets out, it could bring catastrophe to our family!"


    Lin Tianming was well aware of the seriousness of this matter and firmly replied,


    "Tian Ming remembers!"


    "Hmm..."


    Lin Shikang was quite reassured and pleased with this junior family member, and his face soon returned to a state of calm.


    "Tianming, you should collect some of the Crimson Gold Snake''s body, as well as this pool of snake blood; they are excellent supplements for your Spirit Beast, the Purple Gold Eagle. I have already gathered a fair amount to take back to our clan to feed the Soul-eating Spider. With these supplements, I''m sure the Soul-eating Spider can fully recover from its injuries and perhaps even progress further."


    After Lin Shikang''s reminder, Lin Tianming was not bashful and immediately released the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Ring.


    Upon seeing the pool of snake blood and flesh, the Purple Gold Eagle was extremely excited, as if it had encountered some nourishing delicacy.


    "Go ahead."


    At Lin Tianming''s command, the Purple Gold Eagle didn''t hesitate and rushed forward, swallowing half the pool of snake blood in one go before gulping down a segment of snake flesh, excitedly twirling its head.


    Before long, overwhelmed by the strong energy in the blood and flesh and being only at the First Order Late Stage, the Purple Gold Eagle began to feel drowsy.


    "Hehe, this silly bird, acting as if it can''t overeat!"


    Lin Tianming laughingly scolded, then put the drowsy bird back into the Spirit Beast Bag, and took out a huge number of Jade Bottles to collect the remaining half of the snake blood.


    Not only that, but he also deftly gathered several segments of snake flesh to leave some edibles for the foolish bird.


    After busying himself for half an hour, he had collected all the snake blood and flesh from the ground.


    With the site now cleared, Lin Tianming and the other sat down to rest for a while.


    After a little while, Lin Shihua finished his meditation and stood up to walk over to them.


    "Shihua, how are your injuries?"


    "Twelfth Grandpa, how are your injuries?"


    Both Lin Tianming''s questions were laden with concern, warming Lin Shihua''s heart.


    "Third Grandfather, Tianming, my injuries are not serious, and I will recover after some quiet rest. You don''t have to worry!"


    Lin Shihua laughed heartily, seeming almost the same as before the great battle.


    "Third Grandfather, the silver-white Sword Qi that killed the Crimson Gold Snake was...?"


    Lin Shihua stopped short, sharing the same thought as Lin Tianming. As soon as his injuries had slightly healed, he immediately sought confirmation from Lin Shikang about the source of the terrifying Sword Qi.


    Lin Shikang chuckled again, repeating the explanation and likewise did not forget to give further instructions until Lin Shihua promised to comply, which put him somewhat at ease.

 Chapter 130 A Bountiful Harvest_1

    After the matter of Spirit Arts had settled, Lin Shihua no longer brought it up and quickly changed the subject."Third Brother, did you find the Purple Yin Grass?"


    Lin Shihua''s question reminded the two of the ultimate goal of their mission.


    Returning to the main topic, Lin Shikang began to recount what happened after he entered the canyon.


    "I was very cautious upon entering. Every time I advanced a distance, I stopped to confirm it was safe. Indeed, I discovered a stalk of Purple Yin Grass, but the Crimson Gold Snake was extremely well hidden, hoping to ambush me. Fortunately, its strength was no greater than mine, and under my vigilance, it couldn''t gain an advantage!"


    After listening, the two also broke out in a sweat for him. Luckily, Lin Shikang was cautious enough; otherwise, even if he wouldn''t have fallen there, he might have suffered some injuries.


    "Su He, that kid, was lucky and also very cautious. Otherwise, with his cultivation level, facing the powerful Crimson Gold Snake, it would already be fortunate if he didn''t die, no wonder he looked so scared when he mentioned it!"


    Lin Shikang sighed and began to give instructions.


    "This is not a place to linger. Now that everyone''s injuries are stabilized, let''s search this area quickly. Since Purple Yin Grass is of a Yin nature and likes to grow on cliffs and precipices, focus on places that fit these criteria to see if we can find any Purple Yin Grass!"


    "Shihua, you and Tian Ming team up. Do not take it lightly. Search quickly on one side, and after an hour, we''ll gather here."


    Lin Shihua and Lin Tianming nodded, with Lin Shikang leading the way deeper into the canyon, while the two of them chose a direction and started their search.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming and his partner had traveled several miles, and as they went deeper, their Divine Sense and visibility declined significantly.


    At that moment, they arrived at the foot of a mountain, still empty-handed, having found nothing.


    Feeling the damp and chilly environment around them, with a slight breeze, it seemed to fit the growing conditions of the Purple Yin Grass.


    "Tian Ming, this place meets the conditions for the growth of Purple Yin Grass. Let''s speed up our search!"


    Looking at the mountain in front of him, Lin Tianming nodded.


    "Twelfth Grandpa, let''s spread out a bit, that will make us more efficient. But don''t stray too far from each other, in case we need to come to each other''s aid in an emergency!"


    "Alright!"


    Having said that, Lin Shihua leapt up, flying towards the cliff face of the mountain.


    Not to be outdone, Lin Tianming, using the protruding rocks on the cliff as leverage, jumped with the agility of a monkey, his speed not at all inferior to Lin Shihua''s.


    In the midst of moving quickly, Lin Tianming activated his Eye of Five Colors, his gaze piercing through layers of fog, searching for plants on the mountain''s stone wall.


    Though his Divine Sense was greatly restricted, the Eye of Five Colors was unaffected, easily penetrating the fog and seeing the flowers, plants, and trees several miles away.


    After a quarter of an hour of searching, within a crevice of an uneven stone wall, a stalk of Spirit Grass about a foot high appeared in his sight, and not far from it, another half-foot-long plant was growing in a crevice.


    "Purple Yin Grass!"


    Lin Tianming''s expression showed surprise, and he immediately rushed over, his speed increasing yet again.


    Soon, Lin Tianming reached the stone wall.


    He carefully dug up the dark purple Spirit Grass, holding it gently in his hands, and thoroughly checked it.


    "It is indeed a mature Purple Yin Grass beyond doubt!"


    Lin Tianming was thrilled, and after spending nearly half an hour, he finally found a stalk of Purple Yin Grass.


    He placed the Purple Yin Grass into the prepared Jade Box and then dug up the nearby Purple Yin Grass seedling, along with the surrounding soil.


    Having collected the two stalks of Spirit Grass from the area, he embarked on his search again.


    Almost an hour had passed.


    Beneath the mountain where Lin Tianming and his partner were searching, Lin Shikang had already arrived first and was waiting there.


    A figure flashed through the mist and appeared in front of him; it was Lin Shihua, who had been searching the other side of the mountain.


    "Twelfth Grandpa, how were your findings?"


    Seeing Lin Shihua, Lin Tianming''s face revealed a slight smile as he casually asked about his harvest.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s face, which looked as if he had tasted honey, Lin Shihua laughed and said:


    "Heh heh, this old man found a mature Purple Yin Grass and three immature Spiritual Medicines. Looking at your cheerful demeanor, you must have harvested quite a bit, huh?"


    "Hehe..."


    "It won''t be long before it''s time to meet with Third Grandfather, let''s leave this place and report our findings after we''ve regrouped."


    Lin Tianming did not immediately report his harvest, which made Lin Shihua somewhat expectant.


    "Let''s go!"


    Lin Shihua did not press further and took the lead in heading back in the direction they came from, with Lin Tianming quickly following and vanishing on the spot.


    Before long, Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua had returned to the battleground.


    Lin Shikang had already been waiting there for them, and he immediately approached them as he saw Lin Shihua and Lin Tianming come out safely.


    The three briefly mentioned their search experiences and then reported their respective harvests.


    With the highest cultivation level, Lin Shikang searched the largest area and obtained four mature Purple Yin Grasses and seven seedlings.


    Lin Tianming took out three mature Purple Yin Grasses and five seedlings and handed them over to Lin Shikang.


    Taking Lin Tianming''s harvest, Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua were somewhat surprised. They admired him, offering praises after taking a fresh look at him.


    Although Lin Tianming had the lowest cultivation level, he covered a similarly large search area, and his findings, though slightly less than Lin Shikang''s, were not far off.


    This expedition, spanning several days, yielded eight mature Purple Yin Grasses and fifteen seedlings in total.


    The goal of their trip was achieved, and the harvest they obtained far exceeded their expectations.


    The mature Purple Yin Grasses were invaluable, easily selling for thousands of Spirit Stones. There were hardly any willing sellers, so they were essentially priceless.


    Besides that, they had slain a Second Order Late Phase Crimson Gold Snake, acquiring a large amount of Alchemy and Qi Refinement materials. Even if they hadn''t found the Purple Yin Grass, the value from just the corpse of the Crimson Gold Snake made the trip worthwhile.


    Sharing a smile, Lin Tianming and his companions calmed their excited hearts before Lin Shikang spoke:


    "Now that our objective is achieved, we should make our way back to Green Bamboo Mountain!"


    Upon finishing his words, Lin Shikang took out the Beast Skin Map to confirm their route, leading Lin Tianming and his companion along the same path they took when entering.


    Two days later, the three of them successfully left the inner part of the Luoyun Mountain Range and appeared in a valley on the outskirts. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Their journey was quite smooth, with no encounters with Second Order Demonic Beasts, saving them a lot of trouble.


    Since it was getting late and Lin Tianming and his companion were both injured and somewhat exhausted, and considering they were out of danger, there was no need to hurry on their journey.


    That evening, they set up camp on the spot and rested for the night before setting off again the next day.


    The next morning, as the sky began to lighten, Lin Tianming and his companions set off once more, flying toward Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Since the Purple Gold Eagle had fallen into a deep sleep from consuming too much Red Gold Snake Meat and blood, Lin Tianming did not forcefully summon it for transportation.


    Fortunately, they had already left the interior of the Luoyun Mountain Range, and there was no danger. Moreover, with two Foundation Establishment Cultivators and the proximity to the Lin Family''s doorstep, they were safe.


    In just half a day, the three who could only travel by Sword Flight successfully returned to the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory.

 Chapter 131 Mini Gathering_1

    Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Family Clan Grounds...After returning safely to the clan, the three of them sighed with relief upon seeing that everything was as usual, then flew towards the main peak. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In a courtyard, Lin Shikang sent out a message, and then the three sat in the small courtyard drinking tea and chatting leisurely.


    Before long, Lin Shigong and Lin Shilu learned that they had returned from the Luoyun Mountain Range and immediately rushed over.


    With the two joining in, the small courtyard became lively.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Shikang spoke of their experiences during this period, and when he mentioned that Lin Tianming and the others were attacked by a Crimson Gold Snake, almost sustaining serious injuries.


    Hearing this, Lin Shigong''s face changed color for a moment as he anxiously asked about their condition.


    "Tianming, Shihua, are the two of you hurt?"


    Facing Lin Shigong''s concern, Lin Tianming felt a warmth in his heart and hastily replied,


    "Grandfather, our injuries aren''t serious. We only need to rest and recover for half a month and we''ll be completely healed. You don''t need to worry."


    "Yeah, Ninth Brother, the two of us are fine. But this kid Tianming, how come his recovery is so strong? Just a few days have passed, and he''s already as energetic as a dragon and lively as a tiger."


    Lin Shihua comforted Lin Shigong while teasing Lin Tianming, prompting laughter from everyone.


    After a short time, calmness returned to the group.


    Lin Shikang took out eight Jade Boxes containing Purple Yin Grass along with fifteen seedlings of the same and placed them on the round table in front of him, speaking seriously,


    "These Spirit Grass seedlings need to be transplanted into the Clan Spiritual Herb Garden as soon as possible. Shihua will be in charge of this task. As for these eight mature Purple Yin Grasses, plus the one exchanged from Su He, making a total of nine Purple Yin Grasses, we should discuss how to handle them."


    Once he finished speaking, everyone fell into deep thought.


    The underlying meaning of Lin Shikang''s words was naturally to refine the Hun Tian Pill and enhance their cultivation as soon as possible.


    Prior to this, after years of collection by the family, all Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Hun Tian Pill were gathered except for the Purple Yin Grass. Now that the main medicine was found, there was no time to delay.


    Lin Shihua, who was well aware of the family''s situation, was the first to speak up.


    "Ninth Brother, are you confident in refining the Hun Tian Pill now?"


    Lin Shigong shook his head, expressing regret,


    "Although it has been over three years since I broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, my Alchemy skills have improved very little. Currently, I can only refine Second Order Inferior Grade Pills, with a success rate and yield of about thirty to forty percent, which is sufficient to maintain the daily cultivation needs of our Foundation Establishment Cultivators. However, to refine the Second Order Medium Quality Hun Tian Pill is still far beyond my abilities!"


    Lin Shigong''s words meant that the option of refining the pill within the family was out of the question, and they had to find an alternative method.


    "Third Brother, you have been stuck at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level for a long time, and for those below the Sixth Level, the benefits of taking the Hun Tian Pill are too little. Our cultivation levels are too low, and we don''t need the Hun Tian Pill in the short term."


    After Lin Shilu finished speaking, Lin Shihua also added,


    "Shilu is right. I think we should send someone with three portions of the Spiritual Medicine Materials to Qianchuan Market and ask Daoist Ye to take action. As for the remaining six plants, we can store them temporarily in the family''s treasury. In ten or eight years, Ninth Brother should be able to refine them, and by that time, as our cultivation levels have increased, the Hun Tian Pills can be exchanged freely for five thousand Spirit Stone Goodness Points, which is beneficial in both respects!"


    Lin Shihua''s plan and pricing were indeed prudent and reasonable.


    ```


    Seeing no opposition and after deliberation, the arrangement for the Purple Yin Grass was decided on the spot.


    With too few Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the family and their cultivations not high, it was decided that Lin Shilu would take three stalks of Purple Yin Grass and set a date to head to Qianchuan Market, requesting Ye Pinghai''s help to concoct the Hun Tian Pill.


    Besides, he was also to carry a great amount of wealth to purchase scarce resources for the family, such as Second Order talisman paper and Spiritual Medicine Materials, among others.


    Lin Tianming''s request to accompany Lin Shilu was outright rejected on the spot by Lin Shikang.


    The reason was his injury had not yet healed, and since he had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, the family wanted him to stay and urgently prepare for his Foundation Establishment.


    Under the resolute words of the elders, Lin Tianming had no choice but to comply with the arrangement.


    Having settled the matter of the Purple Yin Grass, Lin Shikang then brought up the issue of rewards.


    The Lin Family had always been clear about rewards and punishments since its inception. He was indifferent to the rewards, but Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua had been injured for this cause and naturally deserved a fair reward.


    As Lin Shikang mentioned this, he became silent, and Lin Shilu chuckled and was the first to speak:


    "Third Brother contributed the most, receiving a Hun Tian Pill without cost and an additional reward of three thousand Spirit Stone Goodness Points. As for Shihua and Tianming, each shall receive a reward of five thousand Goodness Points, just enough to exchange for a Hun Tian Pill. How does everyone feel about this?"


    As participants in the search for the Purple Yin Grass, Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua naturally would not voice any opinions, and Lin Shigong, concerning his grandson''s reward, did not speak either.


    Seeing no one raised an objection and considering that not only had Lin Tianming and company been injured on their trip, but they also lost some talisman papers and treasures, they had indeed gone all out in their search for the Purple Yin Grass.


    Lin Shikang, well aware of their efforts, firmly said:


    "I will accept the Hun Tian Pill, but as for the Goodness Points, let''s forget about it. In earlier years, the family resources were scant, and most of them were spent on me. Now, Spirit Stone Goodness Points are of little use to me. As for the rewards for Shihua and Tianming, let''s proceed as Shi Lu suggested!"


    With Lin Shikang''s tone leaving no room for objection, everyone nodded in agreement, thus recognizing the decision.


    With the arrangements for the Purple Yin Grass and the reward matters concluded, Lin Tianming stood up, excused himself from the elders, and prepared to return to his retreat to heal.


    Lin Shihua was equally busy. He not only had to arrange for the transplanting of the Purple Yin Grass seedlings, but he also needed to recover from his injuries to avoid affecting the survival rate of the transplant, as it was Third Order Spirit Grass and not commonplace cabbage; the loss of even a single plant would be exceedingly distressing.


    Lin Shikang said nothing more, only instructing:


    "I still have to discuss the matter of the Crimson Gold Snake''s carcass with Shilu and the others about artifact refining. You can go and be busy; take care not to delay and leave behind some chronic condition!"


    After nodding to the elders, Lin Tianming and company greeted the other clan members and left Lin Shikang''s courtyard together.


    Back at his own courtyard, his mother was still in seclusion and had not emerged yet.


    After chatting idly with his sister for a while, Lin Tianming instructed her not to neglect her cultivation until she fully agreed, and then he plunged into the secret chamber.


    Sitting on the meditation cushion in the chamber, Lin Tianming examined his injuries.


    After a brief respite on the battlefield, his injuries had already recovered by half; the skin wounds had healed, leaving only some meridians in need of proper repair, lest he regret it later due to lingering complications.


    Determined, he quickly took out a dark green elixir from his storage bag, emitting a special fragrance ¡ª it was the top-grade Consolidating Essence Pill he had concocted himself.


    After consuming the Consolidating Essence Pill, the elixir dissolved, slowly turning into gentle streams of Spiritual Power that coursed through the meridians in his body.


    Soon a tingling sensation spread throughout his body, and the gentle Spiritual Power from the elixir began to heal the damaged meridians and wounds.


    ```

 Chapter 132 Asceticism_1

    ```Over ten days had flown by in the blink of an eye.


    Within the secret chamber of his own small courtyard, Lin Tianming opened his eyes and sent out his divine sense to inspect the condition within his body.


    After more than ten days of seclusion, the injuries he had sustained from the intense battle with the Crimson Gold Snake had largely healed.


    Although experiencing injuries was unpleasant, the feeling of rapid improvement in one''s cultivation after recovering from such fully-committed battles was intoxicating.


    At the moment, his Qi Cultivation Great Perfection had hardly advanced, and it was almost impossible to make progress. However, when it came to Body Refinement, his meridians had been strengthened, yet there was still much room for improvement in his internal organs.


    Feeling the surging spiritual energy and his condition throughout his body, even though the improvement was not substantial, he clearly felt stronger than before the battle.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help but smile, then got up to tidy the somewhat disordered secret chamber and stepped out.


    He did not continue his seclusion to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage because he felt it was only a little over half a year since he reached Great Perfection, and the time seemed short. His condition had not reached its peak, and his preparations were not yet ample enough.


    Although, with his innate talent and the Minor Foundation Building Pills he had saved over the years, the chances of breakthrough were extremely high, at least over sixty percent assurance.


    Even so, he wanted to further consolidate his Body Refinement and compress his cultivation and foundation. By doing so, he hoped to achieve the optimal effect with a significant breakthrough when the time came.


    As for how long he needed to settle, it would be at least half a year to possibly one or two years, depending on the situation.


    After leaving his courtyard, Lin Tianming decided to go to the Hall of Merit to collect his rewards.


    In a short while, Lin Tianming appeared inside the Family Merits Hall.


    The Hall of Merit was exceptionally lively every morning, as it was the time for clan members to exchange items, and many of them were busy at work.


    As a prominent figure in the family, his appearance caught the attention of everyone in the hall, many of whom were quite familiar with him.


    Lin Tianming did not neglect them and politely greeted the clan members before having a brief chat with some familiar faces.


    After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it was Lin Tianming''s turn to exchange.


    Lin Tianming stepped forward, greeted Lin Xingcheng, explained his purpose, and handed over his identity token.


    Lin Xingcheng had already been informed about the reward and directly transferred five thousand merit points to him.


    Lin Tianming took the family token, bowed his thanks, and then asked,


    "Uncle, does our family still have any Bright Jade Fruit?"


    "Bright Jade Fruit?"


    Lin Xingcheng furrowed his brows, thought for a while, then replied,


    "That fruit was the spoils from the last battle with the Jin Family. You''re in luck; there''s exactly one left!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming was overjoyed. He had only asked on a whim, not expecting there to be any stock left.


    The effects were quite significant the last time he consumed a Bright Jade Fruit. If he could get another one, it should further enhance his physical strength.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming said,


    "Then I would like to exchange for one Bright Jade Fruit, and two demon cores of late-stage First Order demonic beasts."


    Lin Xingcheng nodded, took out books recording various spiritual objects, checked them, and then said,


    "A Bright Jade Fruit costs seven hundred and fifty spirit stones, and a demon core of a late-stage First Order demonic beast costs two hundred and sixty spirit stones each, making a total of one thousand two hundred and seventy spirit stones."


    ```


    Lin Tianming didn''t hesitate to hand over his identity token, instructing the deduction of the spirit stones.


    Having taken care of this, Lin Xingcheng walked into the depths of the great hall to the storeroom.


    In a short while, he brought out the Bright Jade Fruit and two pure white demon cores and handed them over to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming took the Bright Jade Fruit and tucked it into his storage bag, then picked up the two demon cores to examine them.


    These two demon cores were precisely from the two Dragon Horned Lizards that Lin Tianming and his companions had encountered by accident while searching for the Purple Yin Grass.


    The two lizards had been unlucky; they were almost at the limit of a First Order demon beast, just needing to consume some heavenly materials and earthly treasures to likely advance to Second Order, but they had unluckily crossed paths with the trio as they passed through its territory, and inexplicably lost their lives.


    When they killed the Dragon Horned Lizards, Lin Tianming had his eye on their demon cores but felt embarrassed to ask for them directly and decided to exchange for them upon returning to the family.


    The Purple Gold Eagle had been in the late stage of First Order for a while now, and although it had consumed quite a few Beast Spirit Pills over the years, it was still some distance away from Second Order. If it had two demon cores, in addition to the body and blood of the Crimson Gold Snake, perhaps it could attempt to break through to Second Order.


    Tucking away the rest, after confirming the two demon cores were indeed from the Dragon Horned Lizards, Lin Tianming bid farewell to Lin Xingcheng and flew towards the back mountain.


    Before long, he arrived at the small valley where he had once practiced his Technique Divine Power.


    Not having been here to cultivate for a long time, he looked at the familiar scenery and the training ground where he had once toiled, a determined glint flickering in his eyes.


    Ever since swallowing a portion of the Crimson Gold Snake''s body in the Luoyun Mountain Range and drinking half a pool of its blood, the Purple Gold Eagle had fallen into a brief slumber.


    Now that twenty days had passed, it was time for it to awaken, and Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Ring.


    Having not seen it for twenty days, the Purple Gold Eagle had indeed made great progress. Its body had grown significantly, and its aura had strengthened considerably, indicating it was inching ever closer to Second Order.


    It seemed that the meat and blood of a late-stage Second Order Crimson Gold Snake were indeed a great tonic for the Purple Gold Eagle, yielding even better results than expected.


    Lin Tianming was very satisfied, mounted the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, soared around the outskirts of Green Bamboo Mountain, and then returned to the valley.


    Over the years, due to the impact of wars and many family affairs, he hadn''t been able to cultivate in this place. Now with the opportunity, Lin Tianming began to tirelessly practice his Divine Skills and body techniques in the valley while the Purple Gold Eagle stayed nearby.


    Time flew by, and three months passed quickly.


    Within the first half-month, Lin Tianming was no longer satisfied with cultivating alone and began using the Purple Gold Eagle as a sparring partner, battling with it as he had done in Qingfeng Town.


    Lin Tianming, with Dual Cultivation of Body and Law, coupled with his Great Perfection of Qi Refining stage cultivation, was naturally stronger than the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Therefore, he did not use any spiritual power and relied solely on his physical strength to combat the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Even though the Purple Gold Eagle was a demon beast with the speed of lightning, it struggled against Lin Tianming, a formidable human adversary, and still found no advantage. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After three months of hand-to-hand combat, Lin Tianming exhausted himself every day, and at night switched to his cultivation technique, relying on breathing exercises for cultivation.


    Three months of living under the open sky, enduring the sun and rain, he suppressed his spiritual power cultivation and lived like a mortal.


    The Purple Gold Eagle had it even worse, enduring daily beatings that left it covered in wounds after several months.


    Despite the hardships, the Purple Gold Eagle greatly progressed, consuming a barrel of Crimson Gold Snake blood and some snake meat every day. With the abundance of these treasures and Lin Tianming''s relentless training,


    the current condition of the Purple Gold Eagle had vastly improved from before. Though it had yet to break through to Second Order, it had reached its peak and just needed a bit of luck to advance smoothly.


    After three months of diligent cultivation, Lin Tianming had finished the Red Gold Snake Meat, and the Bright Jade Fruit had been consumed.


    Relying on these treasures, he finally reached the limit in his body refinement. Without further opportunity, both his spiritual power and body refinement were unlikely to make any further progress.


    "It''s time!"

 Chapter 133 Breakthrough Foundation Establishment_2

    Another half month had passed.During this half month, he recalled his experiences from the past twenty-five years, from beginning to end.


    From the joy of familial love at the knees of his parents as a child, to joining the clan school with Lin Tian Qin and other clan members in his youth, and then to the elation of condensing his first strand of Spiritual Power and successfully entering the First Level of Qi Refining.


    The times before becoming a cultivator were warm memories. Thereafter, he began his cultivation, learned Alchemy, took on the task of guarding Qingfeng Town, investigated Ancient Cultivator''s Cave Dwellings for cultivation techniques, journeyed to Qianchuan Market with Lin Shilu, participated in the market competitions, and engaged in life and death battles for his family.


    In this latter part, the deception and cruelty of the Cultivation World were fully displayed.


    During this time, he experienced numerous life and death battles, was seriously injured several times, and suffered countless minor injuries. Each time he faced a life-threatening crisis, he persevered.


    His path to cultivation up to now had been extremely difficult, with over a decade of arduous practice to reach this current step...


    Memories are like smoke, scenes from his early days on the Path of Immortality feel as if they were just yesterday.


    As the images in his mind faded away, Lin Tianming opened his eyes, which had been tightly shut for half a month, and a flash of sharp light passed from the corners of his eyes.


    Now his mental fortitude was stronger than ever, especially in the training of his spirit, he had ascended to a new level. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming''s condition had reached an unprecedented peak.


    Everything was ready, he just needed an east wind!


    Lin Tianming formed hand seals and circulated his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation.


    He took out a Golden Foundation Establishment Pill from his storage bag and swallowed it without hesitation.


    As soon as the elixir entered his mouth, without giving him any time to react, it transformed into a vast and violent Spiritual Power, quickly circulating through his meridians and then converging within his Qi Sea.


    In just less than the time it takes to breathe in, his face turned crimson red, and after a while, it turned deathly pale. The immense Spiritual Power was almost bursting his Qi Sea Dantian.


    At this moment, the violent Spiritual Power was exceedingly domineering as it rampaged through his meridians. Large beads of sweat continuously dripped from his face, and his body was in extreme pain.


    Lin Tianming was not panicked. According to the accounts of breakthroughs and Lin Shikang''s explanations, these reactions were all within his expectations.


    He immediately focused his mind, fully operated his cultivation technique, and following the experiences of his predecessors, refined the violent Spiritual Power before further condensing the Spiritual Power in his Qi Sea into an even purer form.


    In just a short amount of time, the newly condensed Spiritual Power gradually gathered into a mass, almost becoming substantial. Though the amount of Spiritual Power had decreased by hundreds of times through repeated compression and refining, the newly condensed Spiritual Power was much stronger, with just a wisp being far more formidable than before.


    As time passed under the dominion of an even more domineering Heavenly Grade Technique, even the violent Spiritual Power gradually became gentle, flowing through his wide meridians, the medicinal effect of the Minor Foundation Building Pill greatly accelerating the refining rate, making his entire meridian network unobstructed.


    Although the intense pain was still present, it had eased considerably compared to the beginning.


    Before he knew it, two days had already passed.


    Feeling the refined purity of the Spiritual Power in his Qi Sea, at this rate, he speculated that he could complete the transformation of the Spiritual Power in his Dantian within ten days.


    Despite this, Lin Tianming dared not relax in the slightest and continued to maintain an appropriate speed.


    At the same time, in another secret chamber.


    Lin Xingping was also fervently refining the violent medicinal power of the Minor Foundation Building Pill.


    He had taken the pill a few days earlier than Lin Tianming, but his refining speed could not compare, nor could the rate at which he condensed the power.


    Where Lin Tianming had refined more than twenty percent in two days, Lin Xingping had started three days earlier and had not even reached twenty percent with his condensed pure Spiritual Power, the disparity was quite clear.


    At this moment, Lin Xingping''s face alternated between blue and white, his Daoist robe soaked with sweat, as if he was undergoing immense suffering.


    He clenched his teeth, enduring the pain, methodically refining the medicinal power, eventually condensing it into strands of new Spiritual Power.


    At this moment, both individuals in their respective chambers were refining at different paces, drawing ever closer to entering the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Another seven days passed by, and Lin Tianming remained motionless in the secret chamber.


    By then, the medicinal power of the Minor Foundation Building Pill had been almost completely refined, and the violent Spiritual Power was gradually absorbed.


    The Spiritual Power in his Qi Sea had reached the final stage of condensation, with only a small part left to complete.


    For nine days, he had borne the agony, now on the brink of a breakthrough, and began speeding up the refining process, ready to break through in one fell swoop.


    In Lin Shikang''s courtyard.


    Lin Shigong and Lin Shihua sat in the yard, closely monitoring for any signs of activity in two nearby courtyards.


    ```


    "More than twenty days have passed, and still not a hint of movement!"


    Lin Shigong let out a subdued sigh, a trace of worry showing on his face.


    Lin Shikang remained quite calm and said to console him:


    "Shigong, keep your composure. It''s only been a few days. Didn''t you yourself take nearly two months to break through back then?"


    "Eh, that''s true!"


    Lin Shigong''s face reddened, and he sheepishly responded.


    "Third brother, how long do you think it will take Tian Ming to complete his consolidation?"


    After some thought, Lin Shikang replied:


    "I myself had to use a Foundation Establishment Pill to succeed in Foundation Establishment, which has a relatively gentle medicinal power and is quicker to assimilate than the Minor Foundation Building Pill, taking me fourteen days to reconsolidate my spiritual power."


    "Given Tian Ming''s talent and strength, Foundation Establishment shouldn''t be a problem. As for how long it will take, that''s hard to say, but judging from the experiences of Xing Rong and Xing Yuan in their breakthroughs, it''ll likely take at least just over ten days."


    Lin Shigong recalled Lin Xingyuan''s own experience and found himself in agreement with Lin Shikang''s estimate.


    "Let''s hope so!"


    Before the words of Lin Shigong had even faded, a surge of pressure from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator rapidly spread, soon engulfing the entire Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    At the mountainside, in the open area unguarded by prohibitions, some clan members felt this powerful pressure and their expressions immediately changed.


    "Another clan member has succeeded in Foundation Establishment!"


    A large number of clan members stopped in their tracks, looking up at the summit of the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, their faces filled with immense excitement.


    Lin Shikang immediately sensed this pressure and shouted with excitement:


    "It''s Tian Ming, Tian Ming has succeeded!"


    Just before Lin Shikang''s exclamation, Lin Shigong too had felt a pressure stronger than his own emanating.


    Unable to control his aura in the midst of a breakthrough, he knew with utter certainty it was none other than Lin Tianming.


    Knowing that Lin Tianming had succeeded in Foundation Establishment, Lin Shigong was overwhelmed with excitement, laughing heartily with relief.


    Lin Shikang was equally excited and after sharing a knowing smile, he reminded:


    "Shigong, Tian Ming has just broken through and still needs to stabilize. He''s unlikely to come out immediately. Moreover, Xing Shun is still in seclusion. The disturbance just now was too big; go and reassure the clan members. I''ll wait here."


    Lin Shigong nodded, quickly acknowledging and then left the courtyard, flying down the mountain.


    ...


    Within the secret chamber, Lin Tianming''s originally pale face gradually became rosy.


    As the last wisp of spiritual power was refined, a muffled sound came from his Dantian.


    In that instant of breakthrough, a warm current spread throughout his body. Lin Tianming felt the spiritual power within his Qi Sea grow exponentially, and his divine sense began to rapidly increase. At this moment, every flower and blade of grass around him, every movement, was crystal clear in his mind.


    Right then, Lin Tianming was incredibly excited.


    After more than a decade of cultivation, he had finally succeeded in Foundation Establishment. Feeling the boundless power filling his body, he knew it was incomparable to the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage.


    "No wonder they say that one only becomes a true cultivator upon reaching Foundation Establishment. With my current strength, even if ten cultivators at the Great Perfection attacked me together, they wouldn''t stand a chance!"


    After muttering to himself, he extended his divine sense and examined his transformed Qi Sea.


    Your next chapter is on empire


    The spiritual power he once had was vast but thin. Now, although it was only a small cluster, it was completely substantialized.


    It was precisely this small cluster of spiritual power, after repeated compressions and refinements, that could unleash energy more than ten times more potent than before.


    Before long, the excited Tian Ming finally regained his composure.


    His cultivation level had just stabilized and needed further consolidation. A slip at this point could lead to regrettable losses.


    Fully aware of these potential dangers, Lin Tianming brought his hands together and continued to operate his cultivation technique to practice.


    ```

 Chapter 134 More Good News_1

    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming, with hands pressed together, cycled the Cultivation Technique through countless Grand Circulations, clearly entering a state of self-forgetful cultivation.Thin strands of Spiritual Energy enveloped him, then slowly seeped in through his Sky Spirit Cover, and ultimately converged in his fist-sized Qi Sea.


    As the moon set and the sun rose, a half a month passed.


    In the secret chamber, he exhaled a breath of turbid air and once again opened his tightly shut eyes.


    After half a month of consolidating his cultivation, his aura was now stable and introverted, not at all as sharp and floating as it had been immediately following his breakthrough.


    Examining the transformed Spiritual True Essence, he was very satisfied with the results of his cultivation during this period. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Counting from the time he had entered the secret chamber to adjust his state, over forty days had passed. Lin Tianming stretched his body, twisted his slightly stiff limbs, and got up to leave the secret chamber.


    Inside Lin Shikang''s small courtyard, Lin Shigong and Lin Shikang were chatting idly.


    Today, more than forty days had passed since Lin Tianming''s successful Foundation Establishment, but there had been no word from Lin Xingping''s small courtyard.


    At this moment, the joy of Lin Tianming''s successful Foundation Establishment gradually faded, and the two began to worry about Lin Xingping, who was older, failing in his breakthrough.


    Over the years, several clan members had successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, totaling seven Foundation Establishment Clan Members, firmly positioning them as the premier family of the Luoyun Mountain Range. But who would ever feel that having too many Foundation Establishment members was an issue?


    Seeing Lin Shikang''s concern, Lin Shigong forced a wry smile and tried to reassure him:


    "Third brother, Xingping is only sixty, about the same age as when Xing Rong achieved Foundation Establishment. The boy has cultivated diligently and accrued a long period of preparatory time; he still has a fairly good chance of success."


    Lin Shikang let out a wry laugh, then staring into Lin Xingping''s small courtyard, he sighed, "Let''s hope so."


    Before long, Lin Tianming entered the small courtyard, and the expressions on the faces of Lin Shikang and the other swiftly turned to surprise delight.


    "Tianming, you''ve finally emerged from seclusion."


    Lin Shigong was very happy and immediately approached, looking Lin Tianming over carefully.


    "Tianming pays respect to Third Grandfather and Grandfather!"


    Lin Tianming, with a smile, bowed to the two men.


    "Haha... come, take a seat!"


    Lin Shikang waved his hand, and Lin Shigong pulled him over to sit beside them.


    His bottom had barely warmed the seat when, planning to inquire about Lin Xingping''s situation with Foundation Establishment, he was instead bombarded with questions by the two elders about the whole process of his own Foundation Establishment.


    Lin Tianming, finding no alternative, began recounting everything starting from entering the secret chamber, narrating his entire breakthrough experience.


    Upon learning that Lin Tianming had ingested a Minor Foundation Building Pill and succeeded in refining new Spiritual True Essence in just nine days, both elders were astounded.


    At such a rate, Lin Tianming was truly unprecedented in the eight-hundred-year history of the Lin Family. As for whether there would be successors to the feat¡ª that was hard to say.


    Once they had composed themselves, Lin Shikang began to share his own cultivation experience in great detail.


    Lin Tianming listened intently, and as time passed, the meticulous explanations from Lin Shikang resolved many of the problems that had long puzzled him.


    This was the advantage of having elders'' guidance. If one were a Loose Cultivator, relying solely on self-exploration, it would mean much time lost in cultivation.


    An hour passed before he finally took the opportunity to inquire about Lin Xingping''s condition.


    At the mention of this matter, the joyful expression on Lin Shikang''s face became somewhat troubled.


    Just as Lin Tianming was about to offer some comfort, the oppressive aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator once again emanated from a nearby courtyard before quickly subsiding.


    Feeling the stirrings of Foundation Establishment, the three of them changed their expressions simultaneously and soon became excited.


    With Lin Xingping''s successful Foundation Establishment, the Lin Family had gained another Foundation Establishment Cultivator, bringing their total number to eight.


    With such strength, even within the territory of the Wei Kingdom, excluding the Golden Core forces, they could rank among the top of the Foundation Establishing Families, but that was not all. The Lin Family would continue to grow stronger and, given enough time, returning to the ranks of the Golden Core Families was not impossible.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shikang and Lin Shigong couldn''t help but burst into hearty laughter.


    More than ten breaths of time passed as they laughed, and before they knew it, tears of joy streamed down their faces uncontrollably.


    When the Lin Family was first established, it was after all a Golden Core Family. Though they had fallen into decline, they experienced a brief period of brilliance two hundred years ago¡ªyet those days of glory were now in the past.


    In the past few years, when they were surrounded by powerful enemies and their situation was precarious, the Lin Family could only survive in the cracks. Without careful vigilance, they could face calamity, and the family legacy that had lasted for eight hundred years would be destroyed in an instant.


    The family''s predicaments at that time were still vivid in the minds of LaShikang and Lin Shigong; many exceptionally talented family members tragically missed their chances to achieve Foundation Establishment, leading to lifelong regrets.


    Fortunately, heaven favored the Lin Family, and it was at this time that they began their sudden rise.


    In just five short years, through the concerted efforts of the entire family to overcome difficulties, the Lin Family had now reached, and even surpassed, the heights it had been at two hundred years before.


    At this thought, Lin Shikang''s eyes filled with tears once more. When he thought no one was paying attention, he turned his head, waved his sleeve, and wiped away his emotional tears.


    Lin Tianming, witnessing this, couldn''t help but feel his nose tingle, and his eyes began to blur with tears as well.


    Understanding the immense pressure Lin Shikang must have endured in those dire circumstances, he could fully empathize with these emotions.


    Lin Tianming stepped forward and took the hands of Lin Shikang and the others, comforting them,


    "Third Grandfather, Grandfather, Uncle Xingping''s successful Foundation Establishment is a blessing for our family. The Lin Family will only grow stronger from now on. Perhaps in less than a hundred years, we can return to the ranks of the Golden Core Families!"


    After Lin Tianming''s comforting words, Lin Shikang and the others steadied themselves, their emotions gradually calming.


    "Indeed, although the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in our family has reached the highest in our history, we are still among the Foundation Establishing Families. The journey to return to the Golden Core Families remains long and arduous!"


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    Collecting themselves, the three of them sat back down.


    "Tianming, your success in Foundation Establishment brings me great joy. Take this bottle of elixirs as a celebratory gift!"


    Having said this, Lin Shikang quickly took out a Jade Bottle from his storage bag and handed it to Lin Tianming.


    Seeing Lin Shikang present a congratulatory gift, Lin Shigong said with a smile,


    "Haha... Third Brother really plays favorites. When Shihua and I had our breakthroughs, why didn''t we get a bottle of elixirs as a celebratory gift?"


    Lin Shikang gave a wry smile upon hearing Lin Shigong''s playful complaint.


    This was indeed unfair to him. When Lin Shigong had his breakthrough, the family was utterly destitute. Even the elixirs he needed for his own cultivation were intermittent. Often, cultivation relied solely on meditative breathing. In such circumstances, how could he have spare elixirs to give as a gift?


    However, on one point he wasn''t mistaken: he placed great hopes in Lin Tianming, and he hadn''t prepared a gift for Lin Xingping''s accomplishment; indeed, he might have been a bit biased.


    "Tianming, aren''t you going to thank your Third Grandfather? This is the first time he''s been so generous!"


    Reminded by his grandfather, Lin Tianming accepted the Jade Bottle, expressing his thanks respectfully.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming and the others spent a short time gathering together. Since Lin Xingping was still in seclusion to consolidate his cultivation, he would not be able to leave for some time.


    As the evening deepened, following Lin Shikang''s parting words of advice, Lin Tianming left his cave abode and returned to his own home.

 Chapter 135 Tiangang Ninth Sword_1

    Upon returning to his small courtyard, his mother had emerged from seclusion and was cooking a meal, preparing to celebrate his Foundation Establishment.The day after Lin Tianming successfully established his foundation, Lin Shigong specially dispatched clan members to Golden Horn Mountain to share the news of his Foundation Establishment with Lin Xingrong.


    Upon hearing of Lin Tianming''s successful Foundation Establishment, Lin Xingrong was overjoyed. After arranging the affairs of the Jin Family Clan''s Territory, he immediately rushed back to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    It was difficult for him to return to the clan''s lands, primarily to celebrate his son''s Foundation Establishment. Additionally, he hadn''t visited the clan''s territory in two years and saw it as a perfect opportunity to reunite with family.


    At this moment...


    The grandfather was still in Lin Shikang''s courtyard discussing clan affairs and had not returned, while the sister was helping the mother prepare the meal.


    Father and son sat together in the courtyard, sipping on Spiritual Tea. After a brief silence, the atmosphere became a bit awkward.


    At some point, the father''s face turned slightly red, and he stammered out a phrase.


    "Tian Ming... congratulations..."


    Lin Tianming gave an embarrassed smile and said, "Dad, there''s no need for such formality!"


    After speaking, he poured a cup of Spiritual Tea for his father and respectfully handed it over.


    Lin Xingrong took the Spiritual Tea, took a sip, and both of them smiled together.


    The relationship between father and son was subtle. Since Lin Tianming could remember, they hadn''t spent much time together. His father appeared silent and stern, upright and honest, and was quite strict with him.


    In fact, Lin Xingrong took Lin Tianming very seriously in his heart and was silently making sacrifices for him. Although he was strict, it was because he hoped his son could go further on the path towards eternal life.


    Lin Tianming, who profoundly understood this, deeply appreciated his father and harbored no resentment in his heart.


    Soon, the atmosphere relaxed, and Lin Xingrong began to share some of his cultivation experiences.


    Although they were both at the Foundation Establishment First Level, Lin Xingrong had cultivated for two years and, despite his limited experience, Lin Tianming took his words to heart.


    After half an hour passed, Lin Shigong also hurried back, just in time for dinner to be ready. The five of them sat down to begin their meal.


    Lin Shigong was extremely happy that day and had specially prepared a few jars of treasured Spiritual Wine to enhance the joy.


    Lin Shigong picked up his cup, stood up, and after scanning everyone, he said:


    "Today, I am extremely happy. To celebrate Tian Ming''s successful Foundation Establishment, let''s drink together, three generations of us!"


    Lin Tianming and the others got up, raised their cups, and drank.


    That night, the three generations happily drank merrily together, and after dinner, all three were completely drunk and returned to their rooms to rest.


    In fact, Spiritual Wine, brewed with Spirit Fruit and Spiritual Medicine Materials, was not as strong as the alcoholic beverages in the secular world. If they had used even a little Spiritual Power to suppress it, their Foundation Establishment Cultivator bodies and souls wouldn''t have allowed them to get drunk.


    The following morning... Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As a beam of sunlight passed through the small window and shone onto the stone wall of the room,


    Lin Tianming opened his eyes and twisted his head, which felt slightly groggy.


    In a short time, the grogginess dissipated, and he returned to his peak condition in body and spirit.


    At the back mountain of the family, Lin Tianming descended from high above and stopped in the small valley where he had once trained.


    With a piercing cry, the Purple Gold Eagle flew out of a cave halfway up a mountain.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming, the Purple Gold Eagle was extremely excited, rubbing his clothes with its beak as sharp as a sword.


    Having not seen each other for over a month, the Purple Gold Eagle''s body had grown larger once more, clearly benefiting from the Dragon Horned Lizard''s inner core, and further enhancing its strength.


    By now, the Purple Gold Eagle was probably about to reach the peak of Late Stage First Order Demonic Beasts. If it had two Second Order Demon Cores, perhaps it could even attempt to break through to the Second Order.


    Patting the feathers of the Purple Gold Eagle, he was quite satisfied with its progress. Given the chance, he planned to take it to train in the Luoyun Mountain Range, to see if they could hunt down Second Order Demonic Beasts.


    However, now was not the right time. He had only recently succeeded in his Foundation Establishment, and his powers were limited. More importantly, each major realm of the Tiangang Body Art allowed for the cultivation of a new Divine Skill. He needed to, at the very least, succeed in cultivating this new skill and wait until his strength had further increased before venturing out for training.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming leaped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, flew a circle around Green Bamboo Mountain, and then returned to the valley.


    After giving the Purple Gold Eagle the remaining Dragon Horned Lizard''s Demon Core to consume, he let it return to its own excavated cave. Having seen off the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming sat down beneath the cave, ready to comprehend the Divine Skills of his cultivation technique.


    Once he sat down, Lin Tianming began to adjust his state, and after a quarter of an hour, when his condition peaked, he took out the Technique Jade Slip and began to understand it.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming remained motionless, in a mysterious state.


    Time slowly passed, and more than ten days quickly went by...


    Opening his eyes, Lin Tianming revealed a slight smile.


    In the first few days, Lin Tianming revisited the cultivation technique once more. In the subsequent ten days, he focused on comprehending the Divine Skills of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Through his contemplation, he successfully grasped the essence of the second Divine Skill.


    According to the description of the technique, the second attached Divine Skill was called the Tiangang Nine Swords, which was an offensive-oriented skill.


    The Earth Fiend Sword Formation Divine Skill of the Qi Refinement Realm mainly focused on trapping enemies, and its offensive power was not particularly remarkable. It also greatly depended on the right timing. Against cultivators of the same stage, it was naturally easy, but in a cross-level fight, the pressure was considerable. Perhaps it was because he had never activated all thirty-six Earth Evil Swords, leading to some misunderstanding of the Earth Evil Sword''s true power.


    The Tiangang Nine Swords, on the other hand, were all about offense. Each successive sword attack could be stacked, with each sword being more formidable than the last. When nine swords were layered, they corresponded to the nine levels of the Foundation Establishment Stage. With his understanding of the technique, he could only activate the first sword. As his level increased, he could stack the swords for greater offensive power.


    Having comprehended the essence of the skill, Lin Tianming was somewhat excited. He quickly took out an Earth Evil Sword, eager to try out the effects.


    After running his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, he tossed the Earth Evil Sword overhead. Then, with both hands forming seals, he made a strange gesture, followed by a single-handed seal while muttering under his breath.


    "Tiangang Nine Swords First Sword, swift..."


    The surface of the Earth Evil Sword burst into a brilliant golden light, streaking toward a stone wall a thousand feet away like a shooting star.


    In an instant, a loud bang erupted, and stone fragments scattered abundantly in the air as if a celestial maiden were sprinkling flowers.


    Once the dust settled, a giant hole several zhang in diameter appeared on the massive stone wall, the depth of which was unfathomable.


    Seeing such destructive power, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but exclaim in admiration:


    "Just one sword, and that too with a First Order Supreme Quality Earth Evil Sword, has caused such devastation to an entire stone mountain. The Tiangang Nine Swords truly are a fearsome Divine Skill!"


    The downside was that his casting speed was so slow that even a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage could easily dodge it. If he were to use it against an enemy now, it would clearly be premature.


    Even so, he was extremely satisfied with the power of the skill, and with some more practice and familiarity, he should be able to employ it against foes.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming continued to execute the technique over and over again, all for the sake of mastering it completely as soon as possible.

 Chapter 136 Minor Achievement in Divine Skills_1

    Behind Green Bamboo Peak.In a quiet valley, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the ground. Above his head, the Earth Evil Sword emitted a piercing whine before shooting out like lightning, striking the rocky wall.


    "Boom..."


    At that moment, a loud explosion was heard, and the ground began to shake.


    A stone mountain several hundred feet high directly collapsed over a large area, and numerous rocks tumbled down, eventually coalescing to form a new small hill.


    After the shaking had stopped and the dust had cleared, Lin Tianming''s figure was revealed.


    At this moment, he was drenched in sweat, his complexion slightly pale, evidently greatly exhausted.


    For the past month, he had dedicated his days to rigorous practice, sitting in meditation to recover his spiritual power only after it was completely drained, repeatedly attempting, after over a thousand castings, each time pushed to the point of exhaustion before stopping.


    As the saying goes, hard work pays off. The Tiangang Ninth Sword, a divine skill, was finally within his grasp, and he had reached the Minor Achievement Realm.


    His casting speed had now attained instantaneity, and the power had further increased, enough to handle ordinary battles.


    Having reached the Minor Achievement Realm with practice alone, any further progress had become difficult; to attain the Great Achievement Realm, he needed to go through numerous real combats to advance further.


    Managing to reach the Minor Achievement Realm with a month of hard work was already quite remarkable, and for this result, he was very satisfied.


    His goal had been achieved, and the Purple Gold Eagle had ingested another Dragon Horned Lizard Demon Core and was still in deep slumber.


    Three days prior, Lin Shihua had sent a message, instructing him to head to Lin Shikang''s cave dwelling for a gathering the next day, so it was time to leave.


    He rose and tidied up the disheveled scene, glanced at the cave of the Purple Gold Eagle, and then left the valley.


    The next morning, Lin Tianming left his own small courtyard, accompanied by his father as they flew toward the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    In no time at all, the two arrived in front of Lin Shikang''s cave dwelling. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After sending a message, the prohibition in front of the cave dwelling was lifted, and both of them walked straight in.


    In the courtyard, Lin Shikang and Lin Shigong, among a few other Xing Clan members, were sitting on stone chairs, drinking tea and chatting leisurely.


    Lin Tianming and his father walked straight up to the elders and bowed.


    "Tianming pays respect to the elders!"


    "No need for such formalities, come and sit with us!"


    Lin Shikang chuckled and waved them over to sit down.


    Lin Tianming and his father did not decline, stepping forward to sit by their grandfather''s side, one on the left and one on the right.


    It didn''t take long for Lin Xingping to enter the courtyard, exchanging greetings with other clan members present before taking a seat next to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming had come out of seclusion half a month earlier than him and went straight to cultivate divine skills, without having had the chance to congratulate him; now that they had met, the two chatted briefly.


    Lin Shikang, seeing everyone had gathered, said with a smile:


    "Today is truly rare; aside from Xing Yuan holding down Luoyun Market, all seven Foundation Establishment cultivators of our family are gathered here, plus Xingping and Tianming successfully reaching Foundation Establishment, our family has gained two more Foundation Establishment members, truly a cause for celebration!"


    Upon finishing, Lin Shihua also added with a sense of marvel.


    "Third brother is right. They both have been out of seclusion for half a month, each busy with their own tasks, and only today have we all managed to get together; this indeed isn''t easy."


    The others nodded and echoed a few words, after which Lin Shikang spoke about the matter at hand.


    "I''ve asked you all to come today for several purposes. First, to strengthen our bonds and celebrate Tian Ming and Xing Ping''s successful Foundation Establishment. Second, Shi Lu has returned from Qianchuan Market, having completed the Lin Family task perfectly and brought back two Hun Tian Pills. With a Hun Tian Pill, I can finally make further progress without accidents!"


    After Lin Shikang finished speaking, everyone was overjoyed.


    It should be noted that Lin Shikang was at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level Realm during the family war six years ago. Now, in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, each step forward is difficult. Having finally obtained a Hun Tian Pill, it was natural for him to seek a breakthrough as soon as possible.


    In the midst of laughter, Lin Shihua spoke,


    "Third brother, rest assured and focus on your breakthrough. Now that our family is growing stronger each day, we few can manage the clan affairs, and you can concentrate on your cultivation!"


    Tian Ming and the others also spoke up, encouraging Lin Shikang to focus on his seclusion.


    In the current state of Luoyun Mountain, the Lin Family is incomparable, its formidable strength leaving other clans in the dust. Unless faced with the threat of external forces, there would be no danger.


    "Hmm..."


    Lin Shikang smiled knowingly and gave his instructions,


    "Then, it''s settled. I cannot be certain how long this seclusion will take, short as three months, long up to a year. As for the clan''s affairs, you all can discuss and handle them. If there is a major decision that can''t be made, then pass the message to me!"


    "Yes..."


    After the unanimous response, they began to discuss some of the clan affairs.


    The gathering lasted for over an hour, only dispersing around noon.


    When it was time to leave, Lin Shihua called Lin Shikang, his father, and Lin Xingping aside,


    "Xing Rong, the three of you have established your Foundation, so you may choose a cave dwelling at the peak of the main mountain. Since you''ve been in charge of the affairs at Golden Horn Mountain and haven''t had the chance to choose, now that you''re back, why not settle on a dwelling before you leave? What do you think?"


    Lin Shihua''s words excited them.


    The spiritual energy of the peak was far stronger than that of the mid-mountain courtyards. Though the difference might not be noticeable over a short period of cultivation, over a prolonged seclusion, the improvement in cultivation speed could be significant.


    Lin Xingrong spoke, "The younger generation has no objections, we will follow the Clan Leader''s arrangements!"


    Naturally, Tian Ming and the others had no objections, and since many of them were at the peak, Lin Shihua decided to select the cave dwellings immediately.


    After leaving Lin Shikang''s courtyard, Lin Shihua led the three of them around the entire peak.


    Along the way, Lin Shihua also described the situation of some vacant courtyards to them.


    In reality, the layout of the peak''s courtyards was divided into four areas: east, south, west, and north, and they were not too far apart from each other. The few of them had long had an idea of what to expect.


    As the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators grew, the original dozen or so courtyards gradually became occupied by new clan members, leaving not many choices for them to select from.


    After half an hour, Tian Ming and the others each chose a cave dwelling.


    Lin Xingrong and Lin Xingping chose to be on the east side of the courtyards, where Lin Xingyuan''s dwelling was. This way, the Xing Clan Members would be together.


    In the north, where there are several courtyards, only one was still vacant, and all four Foundation Establishment Clan Members of the Lin family gathered there.


    Tian Ming naturally would not choose the north side. It also wouldn''t be quite right to join the senior members of the Xing lineage on the east.


    After some thought, he decided to choose a courtyard on the west side for his dwelling.


    As for the western area, besides him, no other clan members lived there.


    It was perfect, as he preferred a quiet environment. Additionally, the west side offered beautiful scenery near the mountains and was closer to the small valley where he cultivated his Divine Skills¡ªtruly an ideal location.


    After greeting Lin Shihua and securing the courtyard by completing the registration process, Tian Ming and the others received the Formation Token for the courtyard''s protective formation. With the selection of the courtyard concluded, Tian Ming and the others took their leave.

 Chapter 137 Cave Abode_1

    The following morning at dawn, in the room of Lin Tianming.He packed up some essential living necessities briefly before stepping out of the room and into the courtyard.


    Inside the courtyard, his father was sitting and drinking tea, while his mother and sister were also packing up some household items.


    The previous day, after the father and son returned home, they had discussed with his mother about taking advantage of Lin Xingrong''s rare return to the clan lands to relocate the entire family to live on the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The environment and spiritual energy at the peak were much better than at the mountainside. Moving there would also benefit their cultivation, and with Grandfather residing at the peak, the family was now reunited.


    Soon, all the necessary items were packed into storage bags, and the four of them reluctantly left the courtyard that had been their home for many years.


    Before long, the family arrived at the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Parting with their father, Lin Xingrong led his mother and sister to their new home in the East District, while Lin Tianming moved to his own cave dwelling in the West District.


    Standing in the center of the West District, Lin Tianming surveyed the quiet area around him.


    It was incomparable to the East or North Districts; the North District was home to Lin Shikang and several other Foundation Establishment clan members of the Shi generation, along with their direct relatives, and the East District housed Lin Xingyuan and Lin Xingping, among other Foundation Establishment cultivators, along with their many family members. That area would also become lively in time.


    The West District, however, with its courtyards, was still unoccupied except for him, a solitary figure. It was unlikely that any of the Tian generation would reach Foundation Establishment soon, even Lin Tianfeng, the highest in cultivation among them, had only recently broken through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. It would be years before he succeeded in establishing his foundation.


    Fortunately, several years for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was but the span of a few closed-door meditation sessions, hardly considered a long time.


    As the cultivation of Tian generation members gradually progressed, the West District would become lively over the next decade. In a few decades, the ancient courtyards on the peak might even become insufficient, necessitating the construction of many more.


    Pushing these thoughts aside, it wasn''t long before he arrived at a location on the edge of the West District, standing in front of a quaint courtyard.


    Lin Tianming took out his Restriction Order Token, opened it, and entered with confident strides.


    It took him a quarter of an hour to explore the entire courtyard after entering his new dwelling.


    His courtyard covered a vast hundred acres, several times larger than his previous one.


    The facilities in the entire courtyard were comprehensive, including three bedrooms for rest, a reception room, and a varying number of Cultivation Rooms, Pill Refining Rooms, Artifact Forging Rooms, and other various secret chambers.


    Beyond these, there was also a several-acre Spirit Field in the outer courtyard suitable for planting Spiritual Medicine.


    Because it was near the western mountains, this courtyard had even denser spiritual energy than the North District, with clouds and mist often shrouding one corner of the yard, giving it a rather mystical appearance.


    Lin Tianming was very satisfied with his new courtyard.


    He then spent half a day tidying up the entire yard before he left his cave dwelling and headed to Lin Shilu''s courtyard.


    The West District was not far from the North District, separated only by a plaza. For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the journey was a matter of just a few breaths.


    After entering Lin Shilu''s courtyard and exchanging greetings, the two sat down for a casual chat.


    Curious about Lin Tianming''s purpose for visiting, Lin Shilu asked,


    "Tianming, it is rare for you to visit. What brings you here today?"


    Lin Tianming did not beat around the bush; he went straight to the point.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, your grandnephew wishes to forge an Attack Talisman. If the Earth Evil Swords could be upgraded and a few more forged, that would be even better. As a Second Order Refiner, perhaps you could enlighten me."


    "This boy, thinks a magic artifact is as common as a cabbage, that few can be made with just a few words," Lin Shilu thought to himself, his chest tightening upon hearing Lin Tianming''s request, then contemplation set in.


    The set of Spirit Swords wielded by Lin Tianming were crafted by him, and at the time, forging the twenty Earth Evil Swords had consumed a significant amount of his treasured Spirit Ore to produce a set of First Order Top-Quality Spirit Swords.


    Those Supreme Quality First Order swords indeed made him unmatched in the Qi Refinement Realm, with few adversaries. However, they fell short at the Foundation Establishment Stage; unless up against a novice Loose Cultivator, most were using magic artifacts by the Medium Stage. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now that Lin Tianming had successfully established his foundation and his wealth was considerable, it was evident that he was no longer satisfied using mere Spirit Swords against his enemies.


    After pondering for a full quarter-hour, Lin Tianming did not speak to interrupt, waiting patiently the entire time.


    After a short while, Lin Shilu finally spoke with a tone of regret,


    "At the moment, we have some ancillary materials, but we lack the appropriate main material. It''s impossible to forge a Second Order Mid-tier Attack Magical Artifact!"


    After Lin Shilu finished speaking, Lin Tianming''s expression became somewhat downcast.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu changed tack.


    "However, the clan still has quite a few Second Order Qingling Bamboos. I can help you forge seventy-two Earth Evil Swords. It''s feasible to upgrade a few of them into a set of talismans!"


    Once Lin Shilu finished speaking, Lin Tianming finally showed a hint of a smile.


    He knew that the main material for Second Order Mid-tier magical artifacts was difficult to collect; he was just asking casually. Nonetheless, upgrading a few Lower Grade talismans on the existing basis wasn''t a bad idea either.


    Thinking of his Earth Fiend Sword Formation and the significant room for improvement, since an Attack Spirit Weapon was hard to come by in a short time, increasing the number of Earth Evil Swords could greatly enhance his own strength.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming asked again,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, my Earth Fiend Sword Formation can control up to seventy-two spirit swords. The stronger the quality of the spirit swords, the more powerful they will be. If I forge seventy-two First Order Top-Quality Spirit Swords, surely the power of the sword array won''t be inferior to a Second Order Lower Grade magical artifact, right?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shilu revealed a look of astonished admiration.


    "Seventy-two First Order Top-Quality Spirit Swords?"


    "That would require a huge number of spirit stones. Are you sure you want to do this?"


    At that moment, Lin Tianming was also calculating. He currently had twelve thousand Merit Points, which was indeed not a small amount.


    Originally, forging the twenty Earth Evil Swords; the materials alone, including the Second Order Qingling Bamboo, had cost three thousand spirit stones. To forge more than fifty spirit swords, with his current wealth, it was a bit tight.


    However, he was only at the First Layer of Foundation Establishment, and he didn''t need that many spirit swords for the time being. He estimated that gathering fifty-four spirit swords should be feasible.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming said,


    "There''s no need for so many right now. I already have twenty, so I just need to forge thirty-four First Order Top-Quality Spirit Swords to pair with the previous ones to form a complete set of spirit swords. As for the Attack Spirit Weapon, just one will suffice."


    "Hmm, that would be doable!"


    Lin Shilu nodded his head, agreeing with his plan.


    After some thought, he took out a beast skin and laid it out on the stone table in front of him.


    Barely had his fingertip shone with spiritual light when he swiftly wrote down a list of materials on the beast skin.


    In no time, the beast skin listed more than ten types of materials.


    After confirming there were no omissions, Lin Shilu passed the beast skin to Lin Tianming, then said,


    "Retrieve the materials listed here from the clan exchange. I still have some of the other materials here, and there shouldn''t be a problem fulfilling the requirements for this forging."


    Lin Tianming took the beast skin, quickly glanced over it, and then tucked it securely into his storage bag.


    Lin Tianming bowed with clasped hands and said,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, I will exchange for them now and come to find you tomorrow!"


    After he finished speaking, Lin Tianming stood up, ready to leave. At that moment, Lin Shilu spoke again,


    "Kid, if you''re short on Merit Points, this old man will lend you five thousand!"


    "Thank you, Fifteenth Grandfather, but Tianming has Merit Points..."


    Lin Tianming chuckled, gave Lin Shilu a bow with his hands pressed together, and left the small courtyard.

 Chapter 138 Penniless_1

    After leaving Lin Shilu''s courtyard, Lin Tianming returned first to his own cave abode.Sitting in the small courtyard, he spread out the beast skin Lin Shilu had given him.


    He had only glanced briefly at it before and hadn''t had the chance to take a closer look; now, naturally, he wanted to calculate roughly how many Merit Points the artifact refining would require.


    Looking closely, he saw that the beast skin recorded more than a dozen items.


    "One hundred and thirty jin of Second Order Spirit Iron, three Silver Star Stones of Second Order, three strands of Jiuxuan Vine, one hundred jin of Second Order Demon Beast Essence Blood..."


    Half a quarter of an hour later, Lin Tianming had finished going through the list of artifact refining materials on the beast skin.


    At this moment, his expression was somewhat ugly.


    Just the aforementioned materials alone, each of which was no ordinary item, like Second Order Spirit Iron, priced at more than ten Spirit Stones per jin. Just the cost of this item alone would consume more than a thousand Spirit Stones, not to mention that the price of Second Order Qingling Bamboo was even higher.


    The other artifact refining materials were also expensive, each costing hundreds of Spirit Stones.


    He estimated that just the materials for the artifact refining would cost nearly ten thousand Spirit Stones. Fortunately, he was wealthy; an average Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn''t possibly afford it.


    "Never mind, I''ll go to the Hall of Merit to check first," Lin Tianming decided.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming left his cave abode and flew towards the Hall of Merit.


    Before long, Lin Tianming appeared inside the Hall of Merit and found Lin Xingcheng. After exchanging a few cordial words, he got straight to the point. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Uncle, could you help me check how many Merit Points these materials will require?"


    Having said that, he handed the beast skin to Lin Xingcheng so he could check and calculate the cost of the exchange.


    Lin Xingcheng took the beast skin, looked at just two lines, and his eyes twitched. Then he exclaimed in surprise.


    "You need so much? What kind of powerful weapon are you planning to refine?"


    After Lin Tianming explained his plan and thought about the power of his Sword Array, he became resigned.


    "Tianming, wait a moment while I check if we have all these Spiritual Objects and then I''ll calculate the prices for you," Lin Xingcheng said.


    After speaking, he directly picked up the ledger and went towards the back of the great hall to inventory the treasures for him.


    Lin Tianming sat patiently waiting on the side.


    A short half-quarter of an hour quietly passed, and Lin Xingcheng returned, pinching a storage bag in his hand.


    Seeing Lin Xingcheng coming out, Lin Tianming hurriedly asked, "How is it, do we have all the Spiritual Objects?"


    Lin Xingcheng chuckled and then said:


    "You''re really lucky; all the materials listed happen to be Second Order Spiritual Items. Although they''re precious, the family has fortunately collected some, just enough in quantity."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming let out a long sigh of relief.


    These items were indeed precious, but with the treasures from the Jin Family and Wu Family added to the family''s resources, they could be gathered. If they had not been enough, he would have had to make quite an effort to find them elsewhere.


    Lin Xingcheng took out the ledger and started to read out the prices.


    "One jin of Second Order Spirit Iron costs ten Spirit Stones, totalling one thousand three hundred Spirit Stones; one Silver Star Stone costs two hundred and eighty Spirit Stones, totalling eight hundred and forty Spirit Stones; one Jiuxuan Vine costs two hundred and sixty Spirit Stones, totalling seven hundred and eighty Spirit Stones..."


    Lin Tianming listened, and a line slowly formed on his forehead.


    "The total for the aforementioned fourteen materials comes to six thousand seven hundred and fifty Spirit Stones."


    It didn''t take long for Lin Xingcheng to announce the final price, once again causing Lin Tianming''s complexion to change.


    Just the more than a dozen Spiritual Objects listed above would amount to more than six thousand Spirit Stones, not including the five thousand Spirit Stones for the Second Order Qingling Bamboo.


    If he included the Second Order Qingling Bamboo in the calculation, it would be nearly twelve thousand Spirit Stones, over a thousand more than he had anticipated.


    Soon, Lin Tianming came to terms with it.


    This time, to refine thirty-four First Order Supreme Quality Earth Evil Swords, as well as one Magic Artifact, it would cost just over ten thousand Spirit Stones for such a massive number. In truth, this price was quite reasonable.


    To know that a lower grade second-order magic artifact would cost no less than seven or eight thousand spirit stones, and a supreme quality spiritual artifact is also worth hundreds of spirit stones, this price he''s paying is truly insignificant by comparison.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming speculated that Lin Shilu must have had to add quite a few valuable spiritual objects to refine the weapon for him.


    "It seems that I must give up all my wealth to make up for what the old man has spent."


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming spoke up:


    "Uncle, I want all of the above treasures, and also the thirty-four second-order Qingling Bamboos. I''ll exchange for them all at once."


    After speaking, Lin Tianming didn''t care about Lin Xingcheng''s expression and directly handed over his family token.


    Upon hearing that Lin Tianming wanted to exchange for second-order Qingling Bamboos, Lin Xingcheng was so stunned that it took him a good while to come to his senses.


    Afterward, Lin Xingcheng calculated the total price based on the original cost and then accepted his family token.


    As a streak of blue light flashed by, the only remaining eleven thousand five hundred and some Merit Points in his family token were completely deducted. He still had to provide some extra spirit stones to the Hall of Merit.


    After deducting the Merit Points, Lin Xingcheng handed over a storage pouch to Lin Tianming and then took out the token for the bamboo forest, passing it along to him as well.


    The implication was that he would have to go find the bamboos in the forest himself.


    Lin Tianming reluctantly accepted the token, his current strength should make the cutting a fair bit quicker.


    With the exchange for artifact refining materials settled, Lin Tianming looked at his storage pouch and began pondering.


    After such a spree, years of accumulation had been wiped out, and the Merit Points had gone down to zero.


    In the storage pouch, there weren''t many spiritual objects left, only around one thousand six hundred spirit stones and some pills from the Qi Refinement Realm which hadn''t been used up. There were about thirty bottles in total, and only one bottle contained second-order pills, a gift from Lin Shikang when Lin Tianming was breaking through to the Foundation Establishment.


    Besides that, there were also some second-order spiritual medicines that he had slowly collected, intending to use for refining second-order pills.


    The rest were miscellaneous spiritual artifacts, spirit ores, and Demonic Beasts'' bodies and demon cores.


    After taking inventory of his storage pouch, Lin Tianming planned to exchange all ordinary objects utterly for spirit stones to gather as many as possible and serve as compensation for Lin Shilu''s assistance with artifact refining.


    Given that Lin Shilu had helped him many times, and this time, to help him with artifact refining, he was undoubtedly going to use some treasured items, possibly even the Golden Tide Sand obtained from the exchange meeting.


    With such help from Lin Shilu, if he did not show any gratitude, would it not be utterly disheartening!


    Determined, he decided to keep a few bottles of the pills he wouldn''t need, along with two pieces of Earth Mysterious Crystals that had been stored for a long time. All other spiritual items were taken out and laid before Lin Xingcheng.


    "Uncle, please take a look at these items. I want to exchange them all for spirit stones!"


    Lin Xingcheng, faced with the dazzling array of various treasures, was momentarily dazed. Many of the items before him were not ordinary, and even for someone who had been the Hall of Merit''s Master for several years, they were tempting.


    "Uncle?"


    "Hm¡­"


    After being prompted, Lin Xingcheng came back to his senses and began tallying up the various spiritual objects Lin Tianming had provided.


    Seventy-two Superior Spirit Essence Pills, totaling seven hundred and twenty spirit stones, a first-order medium grade attack spirit weapon, valued at one hundred and ten spirit stones¡­" Your next journey awaits at empire


    Half an hour passed, and Lin Xingcheng finished the inventory, and he said to Lin Tianming:


    "After tallying, the total value of these spiritual objects comes to two thousand eight hundred and forty-two spirit stones."


    Lin Tianming nodded his head, indicating his confirmation to exchange.


    Lin Xingcheng, without further words, went back into the storeroom within the passage and took out the exact amount of spirit stones, handing them over to Lin Tianming.


    After receiving the spirit stones, he put them into his storage pouch.


    Following the exchange, his Merit Points were gone, and he had only four thousand five hundred spirit stones left, most of which would have to be given as respect to Lin Shilu.


    Now, he was as poor as a beggar, instantly transported back to years ago.


    Having achieved his goal at the Hall of Merit, Lin Tianming did not linger any longer. After a brief conversation with Lin Xingcheng, he cupped his fists and left the Hall of Merit.

 Chapter 139 Artifact Refining Again_1

    Green Bamboo Mountain, within a vast sea of bamboo.Lin Tianming left the Hall of Merit and headed straight to the Qingling Bamboo sea at the foot of the main peak.


    At this moment, he flew dozens of feet into the air, opened his Eye of Five Colors, and scanned the expanse of the bamboo forest.


    The first time he came to cut Qingling Bamboo, it had taken quite an effort, but with the experience of the first time, this time could be said to be familiar terrain.


    In just a short while, under the powerful vision of the Eye of Five Colors, the dense Qingling Bamboo had nowhere to hide.


    In just the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he easily found the first Second Order Qingling Bamboo, a speed dozens of times faster than his first attempt.


    Lin Tianming leaped forward and flew towards the cliff where the Second Order bamboo was located.


    Reaching the side of the Qlingling Bamboo, he directly took out an Earth Evil Sword and, gauging the position, immediately chopped down.


    "Pff..."


    With one strike, the bamboo shuddered and then, at the base, a thumb-sized notch appeared.


    With a casual split using eighty percent of his strength, he was very pleased to have made a notch in the Qingling Bamboo.


    He then swiftly executed three more swords strikes, each hitting the same spot.


    "Bang..."


    A loud noise echoed as the bowl-thick Qingling Bamboo fell, digging a small pit on the ground.


    A look of delight appeared on Lin Tianming''s face, for with just five sword strikes, he had successfully felled the bamboo at an indeed swift pace.


    He discarded the useless parts of the bamboo, keeping only the main trunk and then stored it in his storage bag.


    The first Qingling Bamboo was successfully acquired in less than half an hour. With his improved cultivation and the aid of the Eye of Five Colors, cutting the bamboo again had become incredibly easy.


    After quickly tidying up the site, he flew back into the sky and resumed his search.


    ...


    As evening approached, the remaining sunshine spilled over the tranquil sea of bamboo.


    With the thirty-fourth Second Order Qingling Bamboo falling to the ground, his journey of cutting came to an end for the day.


    After storing the bamboo in his storage bag, Lin Tianming wove through the bamboo sea and darted towards the exit.


    He took out his token, opened the protective restrictions of the bamboo sea, and left the bamboo sea without looking back.


    From noon till evening, after spending most of the day cutting, he successfully obtained thirty-four pieces of Qingling Bamboo.


    Seeing that it was getting late, Lin Tianming did not go to the Hall of Merit but went straight back to his cave dwelling to rest for the night.


    Back in his cave dwelling, Lin Tianming placed the Artifact Refining materials he exchanged at the Hall of Merit and Second Order Qingling Bamboo into one storage bag, then he took out four thousand spirit stones and two Earth Mysterious Crystals, placing them into another storage bag to give to Lin Shilu the next day.


    After organizing his possessions, his own storage bag now contained just over five hundred spirit stones, one bottle of Second Order Spirit Origin Pills, two First Order Superior Grade defensive spiritual tools, and varying quantities of talisman papers.


    First Order talisman papers had lost much of their usefulness to him unless they were amassed in significant numbers. Otherwise, they hardly made any impact on Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    As for Second Order talisman papers, they didn''t consume much spiritual power and were comparable to attacks from Foundation Establishment cultivators, which had some usefulness. However, he only had two pieces: one Second Order Medium Grade Attack Talisman and one inferior quality Defense Talisman, which provided limited help.


    Now, aside from this batch of high-value Artifact Refining materials and some long-stored spiritual medicine, he was indeed as poor as could be.


    "It looks like once the Artifact Refining is finished, it''s time to venture out and earn some spirit stones!" he muttered to himself, pondering his cultivation plans going forward.


    So far, he had been at the Foundation Establishment stage for less than half a year, and his cultivation was only at the first level. He was relatively safe in the Luoyun Mountain Range, but in the Wei Kingdom, he was not really considered significant.


    There was no need to rush at the moment, as he still had plenty to do.


    After finishing Artifact Refining, the first thing to do would be to practice the Earth Fiend Sword Formation and the Tiangang Ninth Sword, followed by improving his Alchemy, where at minimum he had to learn to concoct Second Order Spirit Origin Pills.


    Once his strength improved, it would be time to venture out, seek treasures, and aid his cultivation.


    Unwittingly, as the bright moon hung in the sky, the night had deepened.


    Lin Tianming put aside his scattered thoughts and, with a weary body, finally fell into a deep sleep.


    ...


    The following morning, Lin Tianming once again started his busy day.


    First thing, he went to the Hall of Merit to return the token for entering the bamboo sea, and then immediately hurried to Lin Shilu''s cave dwelling.


    Upon entering his courtyard, Lin Shilu had already been waiting for him. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Tianming pays respects to Fifteenth Grandfather!"


    After Lin Tianming gave a fist and palm salute, he respectfully handed over two storage bags he had prepared in advance.


    Lin Shilu frowned slightly, took the two storage bags, and then extended his divine sense to start examining them.


    "Hmm, all materials have been gathered as required!"


    "What does this mean?"


    Lin Shilu, pointing to the storage bag containing four thousand spirit stones and two Earth Mysterious Crystals, asked with a puzzled face.


    Lin Tianming maintained a calm demeanor as he earnestly explained:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, you have taken great pains and even used up some of your treasured spiritual objects for the sake of your nephew''s artifact refining. These spirit stones are merely a small gesture of your nephew''s appreciation. Although the amount is trivial, I truly hope you will accept it!"


    Listening to Lin Tianming''s explanation, which was earnest in tone and attitude,


    Lin Shilu, considering that he too had to contribute a fair amount of artifact refining materials for this help, thought that although these spirit stones weren''t much, they represented Tianming''s sincerity. Rejecting them might increase Tianming''s burden.


    With these thoughts in mind, he chuckled and, without standing on ceremony, accepted the two storage bags.


    Seeing Lin Shilu accept the bags, Lin Tianming also breathed a sigh of relief and a knowing smile appeared on his face.


    Lin Shilu felt the same, and the two sat in the courtyard, chatting leisurely for a while, discussing the details of artifact refining.


    After a short time, the details were almost settled, and Lin Shilu spoke:


    "There is no better time than the present to start artifact refining. You should do as before, prepare some artifact refining materials for me from the Qingling Bamboo before you leave."


    Lin Tianming naturally didn''t dare to object, and even if Lin Shilu hadn''t mentioned it, he would have volunteered, so he readily agreed to the task.


    Afterward, the two walked one after another into Lin Shilu''s Artifact Forging Room.


    Looking at the familiar Artifact Forging Room, still laid out as before with no changes,


    Lin Shilu first took out the artifact refining materials one by one and placed them on the stone platform.


    The Third Order Golden Tide Sand, Second Order Red Flame Crystal, and the sharp teeth of a Second Order Crimson Gold Snake¡­


    Lin Tianming looked on as a spectator and, as expected, saw the Golden Tide Sand amongst them, along with over a dozen rare artifact refining materials, which made him click his tongue in amazement.


    It seemed that the four thousand spirit stones and the two Earth Mysterious Crystals he had prepared were indeed trivial compared to the spiritual objects Fifteenth Grandfather had sacrificed! Experience tales at empire


    Fully aware of this, Lin Tianming was extremely moved, yet he said nothing further.


    Having prepared the necessary items, Lin Shilu sat down cross-legged to meditate and adjust his breathing.


    Not daring to disturb, Lin Tianming, with nothing else to do, sat down as well and quietly waited.


    Inside the Artifact Forging Room, the sound of Lin Shilu''s breathing was rhythmic and steady, clearly entering the state needed for artifact refining.


    After adjusting for the better part of the day, he opened his eyes.


    With a single-handed seal, he cast a law decree, and in an instant, a three-foot-long flame spurted from the Earth Fire mouth, perfectly heating the huge furnace cauldron.


    As the Earth Fire erupted, the temperature inside the Artifact Forging Room increased sharply, and the temperature in the cauldron shot up instantly.


    While Lin Shilu was warming the furnace, Lin Tianming took out an Earth Evil Sword, and per his instructions, began cutting the Second Order Qingling Bamboo, leaving the lower part for artifact refining.


    After half an hour of heating the furnace and sensing that the temperature inside the cauldron was right, Lin Shilu knew the time was ripe.


    He took out a large piece of Spirit Iron, threw it decisively into the cauldron, and then controlled the Earth Fire to melt the hard Spirit Iron into molten iron.

 Chapter 140 Complete Set of Earth Evil Swords - 1

    Inside the Artifact Forging Room.As time passed, the temperature in the room had reached its peak.


    Two figures bustled about non-stop, their robes already soaked with sweat.


    "Bang... bang..."


    The sounds of hammering echoed throughout the room, Lin Tianming stripped to the waist, revealing explosive muscles, the sharp lines of his muscles indicative of formidable strength.


    The pair hammered away at the fiery red Spirit Iron, their coordination almost telepathic.


    It was only Second Order Spirit Ore, but the difficulty of extracting and shaping it was substantial, far different from that of First Order Artifact Refining materials.


    After several days of intense refining, only a small portion of the dozens of Second Order Artifact Refining Materials had been processed, and completing them all would take no short amount of time.


    At this point, both showed signs of fatigue.


    Lin Shilu placed the shaped Spirit Iron on a stone platform nearby, then clapped his hands and said with a smile,


    "Tianming, let''s take a short break to recover our strength. Artifact Refining, like Alchemy, requires patience and gradual progress to craft divine weapons. We mustn''t rush!"


    "I shall heed Fifteenth Grandfather''s teachings." Find adventures at empire


    Lin Tianming replied and put down the heavy hammer from the thousand golds, sitting down on the ground with a thud and gasping for air.


    Lin Shilu had long been astonished by Lin Tianming''s physical stamina. With his own cultivation at the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment, he too was exhausted after several days of work.


    That Lin Tianming, who had broken through to the Foundation Establishment first level less than half a year ago, could keep up for so long was truly unexpected.


    "This kid is truly a monstrous talent; his Cultivation Technique must be terrifying indeed!"


    Lin Shilu guessed inwardly but, in perfect tacit understanding, kept silent about the topic of Cultivation Technique.


    After resting for half an hour, both men had recuperated enough strength to begin refining anew.


    Another half a month went by and the two had finally completed the refining process.


    Looking at the various types of Spirit Ore that had been refined and beaten, now more translucent and significantly smaller in size, yet the energy and attributes within the ores made their edges even more fearsomely sharp.


    Lin Shilu looked at their handiwork with satisfaction and was filled with a surge of lofty ambition and passion.


    Since he had started learning Artifact Refining over seventy years ago, his natural talent for it could rank within the top three in the history of the Lin Family. Even though he had been a Second Order Refiner for over thirty years, this was the first time he had forged such a large number of Spirit Swords.


    Furthermore, he had to create a Second Order Attack Talisman for Lin Tianming, presenting a monumental challenge.


    It was because of this that his competitive spirit was ignited, causing his blood to run hot.


    Sensing Lin Shilu''s enthusiasm, Lin Tianming felt a stir of excitement in his heart and admired Lin Shilu even more.


    Next, Lin Shilu, seizing the moment, decided to further fuse the refined Spirit Ores altogether.


    This step was much more difficult than refining, depending not only on the experience of the Artifact Refiner but also on a stricter test of one''s cultivation and spiritual essence.


    Lin Shilu''s expression was grave, not daring to be careless in the least.


    He took out the Sword Embryo forged from Qingling Bamboo and placed it on the stone platform; then he carefully took out the refined Spirit Ore, meticulously hammering and merging them together.


    At this stage, Lin Tianming did not lend a hand.


    After all, he was not an Artifact Refiner, and although he possessed the miraculous Eye of Five Colors to aid him, this step tested the Refiner''s experience. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He did not possess this prerequisite. Helping might have led to the opposite effect, potentially ruining all their previous efforts.


    If they failed, not only would their hard work be in vain, but the precious Spirit Ore reduced to waste was enough to cause them immense distress.


    Knowing this, he stood to the side and watched, not even daring to breathe too loudly, fearing that he might disturb Lin Shilu.


    As time passed, thirty-four Spirit Swords were successfully fused and formed.


    Because Lin Shilu had previously forged twenty Earth Evil Swords, although the number had increased this time, which elevated the difficulty of forging, he still persevered and completed the task.


    Looking at the neat array of Spirit Sword embryos exuding a special aura, which indicated they were already taking shape, Lin Shilu nodded his head, appearing quite satisfied with his work.


    At this moment, the Earth Evil Swords were more than half forged. All that was needed were some adjustments to the specific shapes of the Spirit Swords and then the engraving of the Inscription Array for the forging to be thoroughly completed.


    After a short rest, Lin Shilu threw himself back into the bustling activity of Artifact Refining.


    Following hundreds of hammering steps, a refined Spirit Sword came into being, leaving only the last step of Inscription Array engraving, with all preliminary processes finished.


    Time slowly trickled by, and one Spirit Sword after another took shape.


    A month had passed in this way.


    In the Artifact Forging Room, fifty-four Spirit Swords hung neatly in the air. Every Spirit Sword was identical without any variation.


    With so many Spirit Swords gathered together, all of them emanated strong fluctuations, stirring the air in the Artifact Forging Room, looking immensely powerful.


    Lin Shilu stared at the fifty-four Spirit Swords before him, his face showing a satisfied smile.


    In total, after fifty days of Refining, he had re-forged thirty-four Spirit Swords.


    Moreover, the original twenty Spirit Swords he had made for Lin Tianming were also re-hammered by him, with a portion of rare materials added and the Inscription Arrays re-engraved.


    The fifty-four Spirit Swords now made up a complete set of new Spiritual Instruments. Enhanced by his efforts, their power had increased significantly compared to the previous ones.


    Although each individual Spirit Sword remained a First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instrument, not breaking into the Second Order category, they had reached the limit of First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instruments.


    Looking at his masterpiece, Lin Shilu made a guess internally.


    Fifty-four First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instruments, forming a complete set, would undoubtedly exceed the power of a Lower Quality Second Order Magic Artifact, and could even be comparable to a Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact.


    Regathering his consciousness, Lin Shilu waved his hand, and the fifty-four Spirit Swords flew in front of Lin Tianming.


    "Take a look, are they satisfying?"


    Lin Tianming grabbed a Spirit Sword and scrutinized it carefully.


    Looking at the all too familiar Spirit Sword and feeling the intense fluctuations coming from it, he displayed an expression of not wanting to let it go.


    While touching the blade, Tianming joyfully commented,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, you have labored hard. I am very satisfied with this set of Spirit Swords!"


    "Good to hear you''re satisfied!"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s appraisal, Lin Shilu laughed heartily, the look of tiredness on his face disappearing significantly.


    "After forging these Spirit Swords, my current condition isn''t very good. The materials for a Second Order Attack Artifact have been prepared, but due to my state, I regretfully have to set it aside for now. I will forge it once I''ve recovered. When I''ve completed it, I''ll send word to you!"


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s words, Lin Tianming sincerely replied,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, please focus on recovering first. There is no need to hurry for now!"


    "I shall take my leave, Grandfather; you can summon me if there''s anything!"


    "Go on then!"


    Lin Shilu nodded his head and walked out first, while Lin Tianming stored the fifty-four Spirit Swords into his storage bag and then left the Artifact Forging Room.


    In the small courtyard, Lin Tianming bowed with his hands clasped together and left Lin Shilu''s abode.

 Chapter 141 Trial of Maiden Skill_1

    Having left Lin Shilu''s small courtyard, Lin Tianming returned directly to his own cave dwelling.Although the set of Spirit Swords was completely crafted, Lin Tianming did not immediately begin the consecration process, nor was he overly eager to test the power of the Sword Array.


    After more than a month of intensely helping with Artifact Refining, he was now extremely weary, only able to forcibly suppress the restlessness in his heart.


    After a quick wash, he collapsed onto his bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.


    Before long, a day and two nights had passed, and when he awoke again, it was already the third day.


    Opening his eyes, he sat up and stretched, the previous sense of fatigue was nowhere to be found.


    Feeling that his vigor, aura, and spirit had all returned to optimal condition,


    he had no more reason to wait. He left his cave dwelling and headed straight for the valley where the Purple Gold Eagle resided.


    In no time at all, Lin Tianming appeared outside the cave dwelling of the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Feeling Lin Tianming''s presence, the Purple Gold Eagle became very excited and flew over to him directly.


    Although they were separated for only two months, a brief period, the aura of the Purple Gold Eagle had grown stronger once again.


    As expected, the Dragon Horn Lizard Demon Pill he had fed it before leaving had indeed enhanced its strength.


    At this point, the aura of the Purple Gold Eagle had reached the peak of the First Order Late Stage, just one step away from the Second Order.


    Seeing Lin Tianming, the Purple Gold Eagle was overjoyed, rubbing against his robes as if to curry favor.


    Lin Tianming affectionately stroked the Purple Gold Eagle''s head and, regardless of whether it could understand him or not, he said,


    "Xiao Diao, that''s the name I''ve given you. Right now, your master is very poor and doesn''t have anything for you to eat!"


    The Purple Gold Eagle seemed to understand his words, nodding its head, then let out a sharp cry as if to respond to him.


    Lin Tianming laughed heartily, feeling it quite magical.


    Until now, his commands had been conveyed directly to the Purple Gold Eagle through Divine Sense; he didn''t expect it would understand spoken words as well.


    "It seems although Xiao Diao is just a First Order demonic bird, its Spirit Wisdom isn''t low!"


    Lin Tianming mumbled to himself quietly before taking out a piece of Red Gold Snake Meat, the last he had left, and threw it to Xiao Diao.


    Xiao Diao did not refuse the gift and clamped onto the snake meat with one bite, beginning to devour it eagerly.


    Having taken care of Xiao Diao, Lin Tianming found a flat platform to sit on and prepared to start the consecration process for the new Earth Fiend Swords.


    Soon after, he found himself atop a small hill.


    Finding the place quiet and secluded, very suitable for cultivation, he then sat down on the ground.


    He performed a full cycle of the Grand Circulation to adjust his condition, then took out an Earth Evil Sword and gripped it tightly in his hand.


    Having had previous experience with consecration to claim ownership, the process was now familiar to him. He sprinkled a drop of Lifeblood Essence onto the Spirit Sword.


    Instantly, the bright red blood quickly sank into the body of the sword, soon disappearing.


    Then the Spirit Sword began to tremble as though trying to escape his grasp.


    Lin Tianming had anticipated this and immediately used his Cultivation Technique to suppress it, followed by projecting a thread of his Divine Sense to engrave it into the core of the Spirit Sword.


    An hour flew by quickly.


    A distinctive sound of a sword''s cry rang out. The Spirit Sword that was shaking violently began to calm down and then started rotating around his body non-stop.


    Feeling the connection between himself and the Spirit Sword, Lin Tianming showed a hint of joy on his face.


    After the consecration of the first Earth Evil Sword was finished, Lin Tianming took out another Spirit Sword, repeating the process he just completed.


    In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was incredibly excited.


    Around him, fifty-four Spirit Swords were rapidly spinning, their speed astonishingly swift.


    At a glance, the rotating Spirit Swords had seemingly formed an impregnable shield without any blind spots.


    Because the Spirit Sword was spinning too fast, it stirred up a fierce Gang Wind that whipped up sand, stones, and rotten wood around it.


    Watching the flying sand and rolling stones, Lin Tianming was taken by surprise and also deeply astonished.


    As the Spirit Sword was retracted, the Gang Wind also dissipated, and the valley gradually returned to calm, leaving only a messy site.


    After spending several days, he had finally finished refining all of the Spirit Swords and was now ready to test their power.


    At that thought, Lin Tianming grew very excited.


    Since he wasn''t sure if he could activate all the Spirit Swords and considering he had been able to operate eighteen of them during the Qi Refinement Realm, and now that he had reached Foundation Establishment with a significant increase in Divine Sense, he decided to start with thirty-six swords.


    Without further delay, he waved his hands, and thirty-six Earth Evil Swords shot out, neatly hovering above his head.


    He quickly circulated his Cultivation Technique, then urged the Earth Evil Swords forward, placing them into the Sword Array one by one.


    "Swoosh..."


    As each position was set, he immediately formed seals with his hands and murmured incantations.


    "Earth Fiend Sword Formation, arise..."


    Suddenly, a Barrier materialized from the ground, covering a hundred feet in all directions.


    Inside the Barrier, thousands of Sword Qi went crashing and shuttling through without any pattern.


    "Earth Fiend Sword Formation, grind..."


    With a loud shout from him, the Barrier of the Sword Formation gradually shrank, the space inside became smaller, and the intensity of the Sword Qi grew even more fierce.


    Before long, the Barrier had shrunk to just over ten feet wide and stopped shrinking.


    By now, the Sword Qi inside the Barrier had become terrifyingly dense, almost tangible, and the thousands of Sword Qi were nearly brushing against each other.


    In the area covered by the Barrier, the ground was gouged out by the Sword Qi to more than a yard deep, growing even deeper towards the center.


    It was hard to imagine that if a cultivator were inside the Barrier, facing such fierce and dense Sword Qi, even a First Order Foundation Establishment cultivator would have no chance of survival.


    Feeling the power of the Sword Array, Lin Tianming was overjoyed and couldn''t help but exclaim: S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A thirty-six sword array holds such power; how terrifying would it be with fifty-four?"


    With that in mind, Lin Tianming tried again.


    Once the Sword Array reset, he added the remaining eighteen Earth Evil Swords to the array.


    As he finished channeling his energy, the fifty-four sword array was now fully in place.


    Without hesitation, he activated the Sword Array.


    Once the Sword Array was operational, it covered the same hundred-foot range, the number of Sword Qi within the formation doubled, and the force of the Sword Qi was further enhanced.


    Moreover, the Barrier of the Sword Array became even more solid, like an unbreakable copper wall and iron barrier.


    After a dozen or so breaths, Lin Tianming withdrew the Sword Array.


    At this point, his face was as pale as death, his Spiritual Power completely drained, and his Divine Sense severely depleted.


    From his test, the Sword Array consisting of fifty-four Earth Evil Swords, when fully activated, had a power that was several times greater than that of the thirty-six sword array.


    And with the increase in both the power and number of Spirit Swords, the consumption of Spiritual Power and Divine Sense also increased exponentially.


    With his current cultivation, he could only maintain it for a dozen breaths at most, after which his Spiritual Power and Divine Sense would be greatly depleted, and he would have to stop.


    Lin Tianming wasn''t surprised by this result; after all, greater power comes with greater limitations.


    The Sword Array of thirty-six Earth Evil Swords was also very powerful, greatly surpassing its former strength.


    He estimated that a sixteen blade sword array should be able to easily deal with an average Second Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator, and perhaps even hold its own against a Third Level Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Of course, that was just speculation; there would be many uncertain factors in practice, and the actual outcome would be hard to say, but he was confident.


    Gathering his thoughts, he was now completely out of Spiritual Power and severely drained of Divine Sense, not in any condition to continue.


    Retrieving the Spirit Swords, he quickly tidied up, and then flew towards his cave abode at the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.

 Chapter 142 Significant Improvement_1

    Back to his cave abode.Lin Tianming lay on the bed, exhausted, as he recalled today''s gains in his mind.


    The new Earth Fiend Sword Formation, with its number of Spirit Swords doubled, greatly enhanced his strength, which excited him somewhat.


    And the Second Order Magical Artifact that Lin Shilu had helped him refine, when combined with the Divine Firmament Nine Swords, what kind of power would it wield?


    Given that it was a Second Order Magical Artifact and required Divine Skills that could only be cultivated in the Foundation Establishment Stage, its power was bound to be extraordinary. With the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to trap enemies and the Tiangang Ninth Sword for attack, his strength was about to undergo a qualitative transformation!


    At this thought, he became extremely eager.


    However, refining a Second Order Magical Artifact was no easy task, and Lin Shilu was completely drained; it couldn''t be produced in a short time.


    Now, with the new Earth Fiend Sword Formation, the difficulty of controlling it had increased significantly due to the increased number of Spirit Swords. He had to practice more to enhance the stability and speed of execution of the Sword Array.


    Thinking of this, he decided to go to the valley to practice again tomorrow, aiming to improve the power and stability of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation at the earliest opportunity while waiting for the Second Order Magical Artifact to be refined.


    Before he realized it, Lin Tianming fell into a deep sleep¡­


    The next day before dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and sunshine spread across the land, complementing the continuous mountains, creating a scene like that of heaven on Earth.


    At this time, Green Bamboo Mountain was exceptionally quiet, with the majority of the clan still in deep sleep.


    After a night''s rest, Lin Tianming left his cave and once again arrived at the valley where he had cultivated the day before.


    Such scenes, he could no longer remember how many springs and autumns he had experienced; such painstaking dedication was rare even in the Cultivation World.


    He sat cross-legged on the ground, circulated his Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation, and reached his optimal state.


    Basking in the first rays of the morning sun, a gentle breeze caressed his face.


    With a single wave of his hand, fifty-four Spirit Swords hovered above his head, exuding strands of Sword Qi, shredding the oncoming breeze. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking calmly at the mountain peak ahead, as if second nature, he began to activate the Sword Array.


    In an instant, Gang Wind arose, and Sword Qi danced across the sky, with the sound of howling sword energy never ceasing.


    "Trap!"


    Lin Tianming bellowed, and the Spirit Swords above his head shot out in the blink of an eye.


    In front of him, the Earth Fiend Swords spun madly, forming a barrier as strong as walls of copper and iron, encasing the small mountain peak within it.


    He controlled the Sword Array with all his might, treating the mountain peak as if it were a giant beast, mercilessly grinding it down.


    As the range of the Sword Array became narrower, he stopped when it had contracted to a scope of thirty feet.


    When the dust settled, the small mountain peak was riddled with holes from the bombardment of Sword Qi.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming shook his head, seemingly unsatisfied.


    "Too slow. This mountain is inanimate, but if it were a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, in a breath''s time, they could travel hundreds of feet, escaping from the reach of the Sword Array!"


    After sighing, Lin Tianming''s expression turned resolute as he retrieved all the Spirit Swords.


    Then, he made a move, repeating the actions he had just performed.


    Instantly, the valley was filled with whirling Sword Qi and the piercing sounds of explosions that echoed through the entire valley.


    Time silently slipped by and a month passed¡­


    In the valley, Lin Tianming circulated his Spiritual Power to the extreme, his robe fluttering in the Gang Wind produced by the Sword Array.


    In front of him, under the coverage of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, the sky was filled with Sword Qi, stones flew about, and the stones on the ground were easily crushed.


    Once the Sword Array ceased operation, the mountain peak had drastically decreased, almost leveled by him.


    Lin Tianming sheathed his Spirit Sword, looking at the chaos before him, his expression brimming with excitement.


    After a month of dedicated cultivation, his control over the Earth Fiend Sword Formation had become much more practiced.


    The sword array, consisting of fifty-four Spirit Swords, had its casting speed increased by several folds, capable of near-instantaneous deployment. Furthermore, the stability of the sword array had also significantly improved compared to before.


    Such progress in just one month was somewhat unexpected to him.


    In his joy, Lin Tianming thought to himself,


    "Perhaps it''s because the Earth Fiend Sword Formation has gone through numerous battles and has already reached the Minor Achievement Realm. That''s why, with just an increase in the number of Spirit Swords, the proficiency has improved so swiftly!"


    Returning to his thoughts, Lin Tianming looked at the ravaged valley, feeling a sense of guilt.


    The valley, once filled with birdsong and flower fragrances, hidden beneath lush jungles, now lay bare, stripped of its former grace.


    Thankfully, in this world of cultivation, such severe conditions could recover in just a few months.


    Otherwise, with his destructive power, the hundreds of large and small valleys of Green Bamboo Mountain would not be enough for his devastation.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming pondered.


    Lin Shilu hadn''t yet contacted him about the Artifact Refining, so the Second Order Magical Artifact must not be completed yet.


    As for the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, it had reached a bottleneck; further practice like this would yield no progress.


    Right now, with the sword array cultivation successful and the Magical Artifact still in the making, he was in a period of downtime.


    "Let''s try refining Second Order Pills during this downtime!" he decided.


    Resolved, Lin Tianming sheathed his Spirit Sword, then left the valley and flew toward the Hall of Merit.


    Inside the Hall of Merit, the place was abuzz with over a dozen clan members exchanging Spiritual Objects, and he greeted each of them in passing.


    Soon, it was Lin Tianming''s turn. Approaching Lin Xingcheng, after exchanging a few pleasantries, he said,


    "Uncle, I''d like to exchange for fifty sets of Spirit Essence Pill Materials!"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s request, Lin Xingcheng was slightly surprised.


    He was very aware of Lin Tianming''s level in Alchemy. Logically, he should be attempting to refine Second Order Pills.


    In fact, Lin Tianming was also feeling helpless.


    The reason for exchanging First Order Spirit Essence Pill Materials was that he was currently very poor, with just over five hundred Spirit Stones in his storage bag.


    And as for the materials for Second Order Spirit Essence Pills, he had previously collected just a few sets, nowhere near enough for the consumption needed to attempt Pill Refining. Therefore, he planned to exchange for some Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, refine some First Order Pills to sell, earn Spirit Stones, and then buy some Second Order Spiritual Medicines to practice Alchemy.


    Although he could go to his grandfather and ask for some Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, he was too embarrassed to speak up, especially since he wasn''t yet at his wit''s end.


    While he was thinking, Lin Xingcheng had already calculated the price and fetched the Spiritual Medicine Materials for him.


    "Tianming, fifty sets of First Order Spirit Essence Pill Materials will total four hundred merit points," he said.


    Without hesitation, Lin Tianming took out four hundred Spirit Stones and handed them to Lin Xingcheng.


    After receiving the fifty sets of Spiritual Medicine Materials from Lin Xingcheng''s hands and bidding farewell, he immediately left the Hall of Merit.


    In a short period, Lin Tianming returned to his own cave dwelling from the Hall of Merit.


    Sitting in the Pill Refining Room, he looked at the Spiritual Medicine Materials before him and became reflective.


    Before reaching the Foundation Establishment, he had over ten thousand merit points and Spiritual Objects worth thousands, all spent on Artifact Refining, depleting years of savings, leaving him no choice but to refine pills to earn Spirit Stones.


    "Well, with the Eye of Five Colors to aid me, Pill Refining is nothing but a simple task for me!" he sighed.


    After that exclamation, he began to run his spiritual practice, adjusting his state to its best before starting the Alchemy process.

 Chapter 143 Dilemma_1

    In the Pill Refining Room.A large amount of First Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, neatly arranged on a stone platform, with the Four Symbols Furnace already suspended above the Earth Fire vent.


    Having not refined pills for a long time, the First Order Lingshen Pills had not been made for several years either.


    Lin Tianming was seen forming a spell with one hand, casting a spell onto the Four Symbols Furnace.


    When the Earth Fire spewed out, the scorching flames baked the Pill Furnace, and rapidly, the temperature within the entire Pill Refining Room began to rise, as did the temperature inside the Four Symbols Furnace.


    Seeing that the timing was just about right, he skillfully threw a plant of Spiritual Medicine Materials into the Four Symbols Furnace with both hands.


    With familiar ease, he proceeded with the proficient steps.


    Three days quietly passed by.


    When a strong fragrance of elixirs wafted out of the Pill Refining Room, he lifted the lid of the furnace and took out eight Lingshen Pills, placing them in a prepared Jade Bottle.


    "Done with great success. It''s been a long time since I''ve done alchemy, but luckily my skill in Alchemy has hardly regressed."


    Lin Tianming murmured to himself, tidied up the messy Pill Refining Room, and left the cave dwelling with the newly-refined Lingshen Pills.


    Before long, he arrived at the Hall of Merit.


    Having greeted the clan members working there, he sat opposite Lin Xingcheng and handed over the prepared First Order Lingshen Pills.


    After calculating with Lin Xingcheng, this time using only fifty portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials, they obtained two hundred and thirty-two First Order Lingshen Pills.


    "Two hundred and thirty-two Lingshen Pills can be exchanged for merits totalling one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six points," Lin Xingcheng said.


    Immediately after he spoke, Lin Tianming replied,


    "Uncle, please exchange all of it for the materials needed for Second Order Lingshen Pills."


    Hearing this request, Lin Xingcheng started to calculate and then spoke,


    "The materials for Second Order Lingshen Pills are worth one hundred and sixty merit points per portion. Your merits can only be exchanged for eleven portions, leaving an excess of ninety-six merit points."


    Lin Tianming nodded and said,


    "Uncle, please exchange it for twelve portions of Second Order Lingshen Pill materials, and I will make up the shortfall with Spirit Stones."


    Without pause, he hurriedly took out sixty-four Spirit Stones and handed them to Lin Xingcheng.


    Lin Xingcheng took the Spirit Stones and quickly brought back the Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    Seeing the exchange completed, Lin Tianming did not stay much longer, bid farewell to Lin Xingcheng, and returned to his own cave dwelling.


    Inside the cultivation room, he sat cross-legged on the floor and began to practice breathing exercises, not immediately starting the refinement of Second Order Pills.


    Once he felt his condition was sufficiently adjusted, he took out a great number of Alchemy Experiences and books, and began to meticulously review them.


    These Alchemy Experiences had been collected over the years, some of which were written by his grandfather, the originals of which had long been handed over to the family; what he had were just copied replicas.


    Before refining Second Order Elixirs, he had to make some additional preparations, and although he had already read through the Alchemy Experiences several times, further study would invariably yield some new insights.


    In the evening, after a day''s study, he had finished reading through half of the notes.


    Having stored the read Alchemy Experiences into his storage bag, he then took out a Jade Bottle, poured out one Lingshen Pill from it, and held it between his fingers, closely observing it.


    This bottle contained three Lingshen Pills, the very ones Lin Shikang had gifted to him after his Foundation Establishment breakthrough. Being busy with Artifact Refining and practicing Divine Skills, he had not yet had the chance to consume them.


    Looking at the green and yellow pill, surrounded by faint spiritual energy, a unique fragrance filled the air.


    At this moment, he was somewhat hesitant. He had been cultivating the Tiangang Body Art for seven or eight years, and during these years, aside from cultivating, he had been constantly experimenting.


    He found that just by sitting in meditation and performing breathing exercises, he could withstand the pain generated during cultivation without relying on the Body Strengthening Pill.


    If he took elixirs to cultivate, in a very short amount of time, the excessive spiritual power, without the aid of elixirs, would make it easy to suffer a backlash and produce even more intense pain.


    It was still manageable during the Qi Refinement Realm, but for the Foundation Establishment Stage, he had not tried it and did not dare to attempt it lightly.


    "This might just be the downside of a Heavenly Grade Technique."


    Lin Tianming laughed at himself, seeming to understand, after all, there were no perfect cultivation techniques. To gain stronger power, one must inevitably pay more.


    Gathering his thoughts, considering he still had some First Order Body Strengthening Pills which could alleviate the pain a bit, he felt somewhat eager to try.


    After a while, he made up his mind and swallowed one.


    Upon taking the elixir, a special medicinal power spread out.


    He immediately circulated his cultivation technique, refining the medicinal power, while the generated spiritual power slowly flowed through his meridians, eventually converging in the Seven Sea Dantian.


    In a short time, just as he expected, the pain came, and it grew increasingly severe.


    At this point, his face was pale, and large beads of sweat kept sliding off, quickly disappearing as they hit the ground.


    Enduring the excruciating pain, he waved one hand and immediately took out a Body Strengthening Pill and a Strong Spirit Pill to ingest.


    Once the Body Strengthening Pill was taken, its special medicinal power spread rapidly throughout his body along the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.


    Regrettably, since the Body Strengthening Pill was a First Order Elixir, it could only relieve some of the pain and couldn''t suppress it completely. Nevertheless, it was better than nothing, and it had some effect, allowing his complexion to regain a bit of color.


    Like this, with severe pain, he ran his cultivation technique to its limit, seeking to refine the power of the Lingshen Pill as quickly as possible to escape the extremely painful situation.


    Three days passed.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming opened his eyes, which gradually became clearer from their previous muddiness.


    He examined the increased spiritual power within his Qi Sea Dantian, and although it wasn''t much and the breakthrough was still very far off, it was still several times faster compared to meditative cultivation.


    Seeing that his cultivation had increased slightly beyond expectations, his expression eased a bit.


    "It''s finally over. That bone-eroding sensation is truly not something ordinary people can withstand."


    Lin Tianming muttered softly, his eyes revealing a hint of apprehension.


    During these three days, every moment was an agony for him.


    Fortunately, after several years of cultivation, he had grown numb to ordinary pain, and with mental preparation, along with the aid of the Body Strengthening Pill, he had managed to endure.


    However, a new problem now lay before him.


    If he wanted to use elixirs to achieve a rapid improvement in his cultivation, he had to find Second Order auxiliary pills; otherwise, he could only rely on meditative cultivation.


    Or he could again endure the bone-eroding pain. Although his current cultivation was not very high, and with the Body Strengthening Pills, he could barely hold on for a while, this was not a long-term solution.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming said to himself,


    "It seems that once the magic artifact is finished, I must find a way to go out and look for suitable elixirs to assist in my cultivation. Otherwise, my cultivation might come to a standstill, and in that case, I must expedite the timeline for my experience."


    Regathering his focus, Lin Tianming temporarily buried this thought in his heart.


    Afterward, he formed a seal with both hands, circulating his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, and began to enter a state of recuperation.


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 Chapter 144 Second Order Alchemist_1

    Three days later, Lin Tianming opened his eyes.After several days of regulation and taking Spirit Origin Pills, the side effects had vanished without a trace. At this moment, he had regained his condition.


    "It''s time to get started."


    He muttered to himself and rose to his feet, heading towards the pill refining room.


    Sitting in the pill refining room, he took out the materials for the Second Order Spirit Origin Pill one by one, a total of twenty batches of materials, placing them on a stone platform beside him.


    Out of the twenty batches of spiritual medicine materials, thirteen were exchanged from the Hall of Merit, while the remaining seven had been slowly collected over the past few years.


    Materials for Second Order spiritual medicine are quite valuable. If he failed too often, it would inevitably cause a bit of heartache, so he had to be extra cautious.


    "Huff huff."


    Lin Tianming took a deep breath, relaxed his mind, and prepared to begin refining.


    After more than ten breaths had passed, he suddenly moved. With a single hand forming a spell, he efficiently went through the procedures before starting the alchemy process.


    As the pill furnace finished preheating, he waved his hand, and a piece of spiritual medicine flew into the Four Symbols Furnace.


    At this time, he extended his divine sense to observe the movements within the pill furnace.


    At the same time, he carefully manipulated his divine sense, in conjunction with the power of Earth Fire, to decompose the spiritual medicine and purify it, eventually forming a small cluster of essence brimming with spiritual energy, quietly lying at the bottom of the furnace.


    The first piece of spiritual medicine decomposed very smoothly, boosting his confidence immensely. However, he did not let it go to his head; he was very aware that this was just the first piece of spiritual medicine. There were more than ten other materials to process, and the subsequent steps were even more difficult than the first.


    He methodically decomposed all the spiritual medicine materials and purified them one by one, performing each step with utmost precision.


    An hour later, the furnace contained more than ten different colors of liquid.


    Seeing the variously colored essences of spiritual medicine, Lin Tianming nodded in satisfaction, couldn''t help but remark,


    "The difficulty of decomposing and purifying Second Order spiritual medicine really isn''t something that First Order elixirs can compare to. If it were for decomposing First Order spiritual medicine, it probably wouldn''t even take half an hour, but Second Order spiritual medicine takes more than double the time to complete."


    As the first step was finally completed successfully, he did not dare delay, his expression turning serious once more.


    With a flick of his finger, a spell struck the core of the Earth Fire, and in an instant, a more intense flame burst forth from the furnace mouth.


    In the pill furnace, a surge of heat erupted instantly.


    As the temperature rose further, he took the opportunity to merge two clusters of spiritual medicine essence.


    Soon, the first fusion was successful, and the second went just as smoothly.


    After half an hour, more than ten types of spiritual medicine essences had all been successfully fused, forming a colorful spirit group, suspended within the Four Symbols Furnace.


    Looking at the multicolored essences of spiritual medicine merged together, already taking on the semblance of a pill,


    After a tense half day of refining that went rather smoothly, he was quickly approaching the final step of infusing spirituality.


    Now at the last and most crucial step, if the infusion of spirit was successful, and the elixir had spirituality, he would be considered to have entered the ranks of a Second Order Alchemist.


    Thinking about it, he started to get excited.


    A Second Order Alchemist held an extraordinary position, even in a place filled with mighty figures like Qianchuan Market, and was a person of significant influence.


    In the small region of the Luoyun Mountain Range, a Second Order Alchemist was the ceiling. Apart from his grandfather, who had just made a breakthrough, there was probably no second person.


    And he was about to take that step. Once successful, he would become the second person, and not only that, the only two Second Order Alchemists would both hail from the Lin Family, which was an exhilarating thought.


    At this moment, his expression grew even more solemn as he prepared to begin the last step. Feeling that it was about the right time, he suddenly shouted,


    "Solidify!"


    Before his words had fallen, a burst of spiritual light shone from his fingertips, and a surge of spiritual power shot out, then entered the Four Symbols Furnace.


    Within the pill furnace, the medicine group formed by the fusion of more than ten kinds of spiritual medicine essences was enveloped by a unique spiritual power. In a mere moment, the spiritual power disappeared into the medicine group and was no longer visible.


    After completing these steps, Lin Tianming widened his eyes, closely observing the Four Symbols Furnace, not daring to miss any slight movement.


    Several moments later, still no semblance of a medicinal fragrance emerged from the furnace, nor was there any other movement.


    He opened the lid of the furnace with some confusion, then his expression turned somewhat unsightly, though it quickly returned to normal.


    At this time, inside the Four Symbols Furnace, more than ten pieces of variably-sized pill dregs lay scattered at the bottom, each with a hint of a burnt smell and distinctly different colors.


    Clearly, the first batch of elixirs had ended in failure.


    "This Second Order elixir really isn''t as easy to make as I imagined!"


    He sighed inwardly, Lin Tianming took out the wasted dregs and stored them separately in a Jade Bottle, and then recounted the entire pill refining process.


    Looking at the waste, Lin Tianming speculated that there should be no mistakes in the step of decomposing and purifying the spiritual medicine, as he had been extremely cautious with the assistance of the Eye of Five Colors, nearly achieving perfection.


    The most likely reason for the failure, he figured, must be the step of infusing spirit.


    Infusing spirit followed by solidifying the pill is the most critical and dangerous step in the entire alchemy process. If one does not handle the strength and timing of the infusion properly, it''s easy to fail.


    He was not surprised by the failure of the first batch of elixirs.


    Even with the heaven-defying Eye of Five Colors, such a treasure for Alchemy, it would probably be hard to succeed on the first try.


    After all, this was his first time refining Second Order Elixirs, and compared to First Order Elixirs, the difficulty was not on the same level. If he succeeded in refining on his first attempt, that would be too contrary to the heavens.


    Thinking of this, his expression remained calm, and he did not get discouraged.


    Now that he had identified the problem, it was manageable. With more practice, he was certain to succeed.


    Making up his mind, he prepared to tidy up once more and try again when he was back in the right state.


    The next morning, after a night of recovery, Lin Tianming once again began Alchemy.


    The familiar Pill Refining Room, the familiar Spiritual Medicine and Alchemy steps, everything was orderly and started according to the process.


    In the second furnace refining, the power of the spiritual Infusion was still not enough to meet the requirements for Solidifying Pill, and it also ended in failure.


    In the third furnace, the amount of Spiritual Power needed for Infusion was too much, causing the Elixir Essence to turn into residue directly.


    ...


    Time slowly passed, and a month had gone by just like that.


    Within the Pill Refining Room at this moment, Lin Tianming''s brows were tightly furrowed, Spiritual Light flashing at his fingertips, evidently ready for Infusion of Spirit. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When the Spiritual Light entered the Pill Furnace, and in less than a breath''s time, a rich fragrance of medicine wafted through, quickly filling the entire Pill Refining Room.


    Feeling the medicinal fragrance, he became excited, his heart thrilled, and he couldn''t wait to check on it.


    In an instant, Lin Tianming swiftly lifted the lid of the furnace, and the aroma in the Pill Refining Room suddenly became even more intense.


    Looking closely, he saw three dark green pills suspended motionlessly in the middle of the furnace, each the size of an apricot, with a faint Spiritual Power swirling around them, looking very tempting.


    "These are Second Order Lingshen Pills."


    His expression joyous, he exclaimed without delay.


    Picking up a pill he had refined, he then took out a Second Order Lingshen Pill from his storage bag and placed them side by side.


    Looking at the two pills, he checked everything from their outward appearance to color and the aura of the pills, scrutinizing them closely.


    After repeated examination and comparison, Lin Tianming was certain that these were indeed genuine Second Order Lingshen Pills without a doubt.


    Once he was sure there was no difference in the pills, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.


    After refining for a month, the mere twenty batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials had almost been used up, but at last, success came with the seventeenth furnace, and Second Order Elixirs had been produced.


    Although there were only three pills, he had now taken a significant step forward, qualifying as a competent Second Order Alchemist.


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    During the month, he cultivated through Alchemy by day and meditation by night, and the degree of his hard work was indisputable.


    The Second Order Elixirs having been successfully refined, and with the rest of the time spent in meditation, his cultivation level also grew at a modest pace, reaching the goal he had set before closing up for cultivation.


    Still, Lin Tianming quietly muttered to himself.


    "It could still have been better, more meticulous. Otherwise, I might have succeeded a few furnaces earlier."


    Such thoughts, if known by other Alchemists, would surely make them feel ashamed.


    Merely twenty batches of Alchemy Materials were needed to refine the first batch of Second Order Elixirs, and at such a pace, it was simply against the heavens; such a feat was rare in the Cultivation World and would doubtlessly cause a huge commotion if word got out.


    "Although it wasn''t meticulous enough, the goal was still achieved, and that''s somewhat satisfying."


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Tianming chuckled, the fatigue from the past month visibly diminishing a great deal.


    He reflected on the various problems that had appeared during the month of Alchemy, then summarized his shortcomings, making a series of adjustments.


    Looking at the remaining three batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, he sat down to meditate again to recover, preparing to give it his all and further solidify his Alchemy.


    Ten days later, Lin Tianming walked out of the Pill Refining Room, appearing in the small courtyard.


    Now, there was a faint smile on his face.


    In those ten days, he slowed down the pace of Alchemy, refining a batch every three days. Each time after refining, he would summarize the experience, identifying flaws and methods for improvement.


    After completing all this and adjusting himself to peak condition, he would then begin refining again.


    Under such diligent study and good patience, the last three batches of Alchemy Materials yielded a successful batch, with the number of pills reaching four.


    Beyond that, with every batch, he could feel his progress; with practice over time, the success rate and number of pills would surely improve steadily.


    Sitting in the courtyard, he took out all the Second Order Lingshen Pills and placed them on the stone table.


    From twenty batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, two successful batches resulted in seven pills, and together with two remaining pills from a bottle given by Lin Shikang, he had a total of nine pills left.


    Nowadays, without better auxiliary elixirs, he dared not easily cultivate with the aid of pills, for the pain that came with it was something he did not wish to endure again unless absolutely necessary.


    And Lin Shilu had not sent any news yet, which meant the Magic Artifact had not been successfully refined.


    "I''ll take these pills to the Hall of Merit to exchange for Spiritual Medicine Materials first, then have a reunion with my family. After that, I''ll continue to refine pills and earn Spirit Stones. Once I leave the family, I''ll need a lot of Spirit Stones, and meanwhile, I can wait for news from Lin Shilu."


    Having made up his mind, he stood up and flew towards the Hall of Merit.

 Chapter 145 Successful Artifact Refining_1

    Within the Hall of Merit, Lin Tianming made his appearance.At this time, the Hall of Merit was still bustling with noise, with a large number of clan members busily exchanging various Spiritual Objects.


    Soon enough, it was his turn to step forward and make an exchange.


    After exchanging some pleasantries with Lin Xingcheng and chatting about trivial family matters, Lin Xingcheng then inquired about his purpose for coming.


    Lin Tianming, with a smile on his face, took out three Jade Bottles and placed them on the stone platform before him, saying,


    "Uncle, these three bottles of Second Order Lingshen Pills, I would like to exchange them all for Spiritual Medicine Materials. If they''re not enough, I''ll make up the difference with Spirit Stones."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xingcheng picked up the Jade Bottles from the stone platform, uncapped them to take a look, and his face immediately registered disbelief.


    Stunned for a few moments before regaining his composure, Lin Xingcheng tentatively asked,


    "Tian Ming, did you refine these elixirs yourself?"


    Lin Tianming nodded, affirming the authenticity of the matter, which left Lin Xingcheng looking utterly shocked.


    In fact, even if Lin Tianming had denied it, the unique aura attached to the elixirs would have allowed him to discern who had crafted them.


    The reason he asked again was simply because he was still finding it hard to believe, especially since it had only been a month and a half, and Lin Tianming had successfully refined the Second Order Spirit Origin Pills, which meant he had become a Second Order Alchemist.


    Advancing as an Alchemist is not an easy feat, and for him to have become a Second Order Alchemist in less than ten years was simply too unbelievable.


    After a while, Lin Xingcheng regained his composure and began exchanging the Spiritual Medicine Materials for him.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming left the Hall of Merit carrying ten portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    The original twenty portions of materials had only yielded seven pills, which in turn only allowed for the exchange of seven portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials. The remaining three portions of materials were a combination of the two he had been gifted by Shi Kang and over a hundred Spirit Stones he had added to make up the difference for ten portions.


    In other words, after more than a month, he had incurred considerable losses, but that was the norm for an Alchemist. If Alchemy were so easy, then everyone would be an Alchemist.


    In actuality, with his current pace, he was the envy of many, and it wouldn''t take long for him to turn his losses into profits.


    Thinking of this, he was incredibly excited, and not at all distressed by the initial losses.


    Not long after, Lin Tianming arrived at the Alchemy Hall.


    At that moment, Lin Shigong was organizing Alchemy Materials, preparing to start the Alchemy process.


    Seeing Lin Tianming enter, he greeted him with a smile, quickly set down the Spiritual Medicine Materials in his hands, and said,


    "You rascal, you said you wanted to go into seclusion for Alchemy. It''s perfect timing that you''re here, show me one round of your Alchemy, so I can see what level you''ve reached, and I can give you some guidance."


    Seeing that his grandfather wanted to test his Alchemy skills, Lin Tianming remained calm, showing no sign of perturbation.


    He found a cushion to sit down on, took out the Four Symbols Furnace,prepared the Spiritual Medicine Materials for himself, and then he started to regulate his breath, adjusting his state.


    After half an hour passed, he had reached an optimal state.


    He brought his palms together, and a spell struck the Pill Furnace and the Earth Fire outlet.


    As the Earth Fire surged forth and the temperature of the Pill Furnace reached the necessary degree for Alchemy, he began the refining process.


    Lin Shigong, watching Lin Tianming''s proficient movements from the side, occasionally nodded, his expression filled with anticipation.


    Time slowly slipped by, and half a day quietly elapsed.


    When a fragrance of elixirs wafted out, Lin Tianming eagerly lifted the lid of the Furnace, revealing four elixirs suspended within.


    Lin Shigong waved a hand and caught one of the elixirs between his fingertips to inspect it.


    "Indeed, these are Second Order Lingshen Pills, no doubt about that. This kid''s progress is too fast!"


    After inspecting the elixirs, Lin Shigong was inwardly thrilled, affirming that Lin Tianming had indeed entered the ranks of Second Order Alchemists, and moreover, the success rate was quite good, almost catching up to him.


    Once he calmed down, he then expressed his admiration,


    "You truly didn''t disappoint us; in less than ten years of practice, you''ve successfully stepped into the ranks of Second Order Alchemists."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming did not bask in self-satisfaction. The fact that he managed to successfully refine four pills in the first furnace involved some luck, which he was well aware of. Humbly, he replied,


    "Grandfather, it''s merely my good fortune. In fact, I''ve only just broken through and can barely maintain a thirty percent pill success rate and yield three pills."


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s response, Lin Shigong was very pleased and continued with a smile on his face,


    "You rascal, don''t be too modest. In my opinion, as long as you practice more, you''ll soon surpass me, maybe even catching up to the ranks of Second Order Medium Quality Alchemists faster than I did."


    Lin Tianming let out a small laugh and quickly changed the subject, after which the two of them began to chat leisurely.


    ¡­


    In a room atop the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain designated for Artifact Refining, Lin Shilu was seated on the floor.


    In front of him, a cyan and red Spirit Sword was suspended above a Furnace Cauldron, beneath which, streams of scorching flames were baking it. Experience tales at empire


    He had a serious expression on his face, and sweat dripped down his forehead onto the hot stone platform with a sizzling sound as he flicked his fingers without cease, but he did not let this distract him from inscribing the Inscription Array.


    Such actions he had been maintaining for over a month now.


    In front of him on the blade of the Spirit Sword, countless special runes had emerged, occupying more than ninety percent of the surface area.


    As he kept working without pause, the number of runes continued to grow, about to cover the entire blade soon.


    Time flowed like water, quietly passing by.


    While Lin Tianming was having a casual chat with Grandpa, Lin Shilu sat in a secret room, his fingers suddenly moving to form a special seal.


    A beam of golden light shot out from the tip of his finger and struck the Spirit Sword at the top of the Pill Furnace.


    "Clang clang clang."


    In an instant, a sound of metal striking followed.


    The Spirit Sword, with its red and green hues, began to vibrate violently, and soon, a piercing sound spread throughout the entire Artifact Forging Room.


    Lin Shilu''s face flushed with color as he watched the vibrating Spirit Sword, his fingers moving even faster, shooting inscription after inscription into the body of the sword.


    The Spirit Sword seemed to possess a certain Spirituality and resisted the inscriptions fiercely, vibrating even more intensely as if it wanted to break free from its constraints.


    "Hmph."


    Lin Shilu''s expression became serious, and he muttered to himself.


    "All this effort to forge you, if you were to escape, wouldn''t it be a joke?"


    After a playful smile, he did not stop. While maintaining the vibrations of the Spirit Sword, he forced the last inscription to smash into its body.


    As soon as the inscription made contact with the blade, it quickly merged into the sword, engraving itself on the core system of the Spirit Sword.


    At the same time, the dense runes on the blade shone brightly, illuminating the dim Artifact Forging Room.


    At that moment, the Spirit Sword emitted a piercing sword cry.


    In less than the time of three breaths, the Artifact Forging Room returned to darkness, and the golden inscription on the surface of the Spirit Sword vanished without a trace.


    Inside the Artifact Forging Furnace, a Spirit Sword over a foot long hung quietly in the center, its intermingled red and green colors appearing slightly eerie¡ªas if stained with blood. Intense Sword Qi swirled around it.


    "A Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact!"


    Lin Shilu exclaimed excitedly, then let out a long sigh of relief.


    This was a Second Order Medium Quality Spirit Sword Magic Artifact, forged with a multitude of treasures, including three types of Third Order Forging Materials, having taken a full month and a half to complete, specially crafted for Lin Tianming as a divine weapon.


    An artifact forged with so many treasures, consuming all his dedication, naturally did not need to mention its power, which was anything but ordinary.


    Although he had forged two Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifacts during these years, the difficulty of creating this one was the greatest, prone to failure, but fortunately, it was a success.


    Moreover, among all the treasures he had, this artifact was the one that satisfied him the most.


    Brimming with delight, Lin Shilu slapped the forging furnace, and the Spirit Sword flew out instantly, which he then grasped in his hand.


    His face glowed with health, and his heart was filled with joy as he looked at the red and green Spirit Sword, a satisfied smile on his face.


    "Tian Ming must be really looking forward to this. He will definitely like it when he sees it," he muttered softly to himself before stowing the Spirit Sword in a storage bag and, with a single-handed seal, sent out a Messaging Aura that swiftly passed through the restrictive formations and disappeared without a trace.


    After tidying up the clutter of the Artifact Refining Room, he exited and sat in the small courtyard, waiting.


    ...


    Inside the Alchemy Hall, Lin Tianming and Grandpa chatted, discussing everything from the family''s recent situation to cultivation and Alchemy, chatting for a whole half-hour.


    As the day was drawing to a close, Lin Tianming prepared to stand up and take his leave.


    Just then, a streak of red light pierced through the restrictions of the Alchemy Hall and flew to stop in front of Lin Tianming¡ªit was the Messaging Aura send by Lin Shilu.


    Lin Tianming extended his Divine Sense to quickly browse the content. In less than the time of three breaths, the Messaging Aura dissipated.


    Receiving the message, he became extremely excited and quickly stood up, saying to Grandpa, "Grandpa, I have something urgent to attend to, I won''t bother you any longer. I''ll come to visit another day!"


    Lin Shigong''s face showed displeasure, but after giving a few words of advice, he waved his hand and said, "Go on then!"


    Lin Tianming bowed respectfully to Lin Shigong, then headed out.


    Just at that moment, Lin Shigong seemed to remember something and hastily called out to him.


    Lin Tianming stopped, and saw him take out a storage bag and hand it over.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s puzzled expression, Lin Shigong showed a hint of wistfulness and spoke, "You rascal, did you think I wouldn''t know about you having your Fifteenth Grandfather help with refining an artifact?"


    "Knowing him, forging an artifact for you would certainly cost him dearly. Here, take these two thousand Spirit Stones and three Jade Bottles of elixirs and give them to him," he said.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming felt a lump in his throat, his eyes momentarily welling up before regaining composure.


    Although it had been more than two years since Grandpa reached the level of Second Order Alchemist, given the consumption of Spiritual Medicine required for advancing to Second Order, he probably didn''t have many Spiritual Objects or resources left. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though the family would bear some of the cost, they couldn''t offer too many resources. Thus, these Spirit Stones and elixirs were likely all his grandfather''s net worth.


    With this thought, Lin Tianming was silent for a long time and then, without being pretentious, accepted the storage bag.


    His Grandpa had worried over him so much that when his alchemy skills improved a bit, he would start to profit. Then he could repay his Grandpa double, and for now, these Spirit Stones and elixirs would be given to the Fifteenth Grandfather.


    With his mind made up, Lin Tianming did not linger.


    After bowing to Grandpa once more, he left the Alchemy Hall and headed quickly towards the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.

 Chapter 146 Great Increase in Strength_1

    At the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, within Lin Shilu''s small courtyard.At that moment, Lin Shilu appeared slightly fatigued, sitting on a stone chair, waiting for Lin Tianming''s visit.


    It wasn''t long before a transmission flew in; Lin Shilu waved one hand to open the courtyard''s protective enchantment.


    Outside the courtyard, Lin Tianming rushed over in haste, seeing the enchantment open, he entered without hesitation.


    Upon entering the courtyard and seeing Lin Shilu''s exhausted state, he knew the effort must have been significant.


    Lin Tianming felt touched in his heart, recalling all the help Lin Shilu had provided him, he immediately stepped forward to show his respect with a sincere bow.


    Just as he was about to speak, Lin Shilu chuckled and said,


    "You can''t wait any longer, can you?"


    "This Magic Artifact took a lot of my effort to refine successfully; take a look!"


    As he finished speaking, Lin Shilu waved his sleeve, and a cyan and red Spirit Sword flew out, which Lin Tianming grabbed hold of.


    Lin Tianming looked at the cyan and red Spirit Sword in his hand, which was surrounded by a strong presence of Sword Qi.


    Lin Tianming could hardly believe it, and asked in doubt,


    "Is this a Second Order Medium Grade Magic Artifact?"


    Lin Shilu smiled and stayed silent, neither confirming nor denying.


    Lin Tianming refrained from further questions, swung the Spirit Sword upward, and a faint Sword Qi shot out from the sword itself, easily shattering a nearby stone garden rockery.


    Witnessing the effects, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but express his amazement. Then, he withdrew the Spirit Sword, holding it in his palm with an expression of fondness.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu felt very gratified, his more than a month of laborious Artifact Refining now affirmed by Lin Tianming.


    It took a little while for Lin Tianming to stop waving the sword.


    Lin Shilu picked up a teacup, sipped a bit of Spiritual Tea, and then inquired,


    "How is it? Are you satisfied?"


    Lin Tianming still looked excited, nodding eagerly like a pecking chicken, and spoke very sincerely,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, what are you saying? Such a divine and powerful weapon is terrifyingly potent; there are hardly a few like it even in the entire Luoyun Mountain Range. Of course, I''m satisfied."


    After flattering him for a while, he continued,


    "It''s just that it must have been hard for you during this time."


    Having finished speaking, Lin Tianming took out a storage bag given by his grandfather and handed it over with both hands.


    Lin Shilu scanned the contents of the storage bag with his Divine Sense, his expression momentarily displeased, but soon he regained his calm and said,


    "Tianming, you are being too formal. In crafting this Magic Artifact, you spared no expense. I have already received my payment; take these Spirit Stones back."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming didn''t take back the storage bag, maintaining his posture and saying nothing, as if he would not rest until it was accepted. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For a time, the two were silent, creating an awkward stillness in the air.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s stubbornness, Lin Shilu gave a wry smile and then said,


    "I''ll graciously accept these few elixirs then, but take back the Spirit Stones."


    "This..."


    Seeing Lin Shilu''s slightly angered expression, Lin Tianming didn''t dare to insist anymore and obediently followed his wishes.


    "That''s right."


    Lin Shilu chuckled, waved his hand, and gestured him to sit down.


    The two sat opposite each other, Lin Tianming pouring him a cup of Spiritual Tea,


    Lin Shilu took the cup with a smug look on his face and then said,


    "This Spirit Sword contains lots of valuable materials. It''s the Magic Artifact I''m most satisfied with since I''ve started refining. Don''t let this sword go to waste, you little rascal."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming''s expression turned solemn, his eyes revealing a resolute battle spirit as he patted his chest and said,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, rest assured, I will not waste this sword. I will make it vanquish mighty foes and protect our family, to prove myself to you."


    "Hmm..."


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s determined look and aura, Lin Shilu nodded approvingly and asked,


    "This sword is quite powerful and doesn''t have a name yet. Why don''t you name it? Have you thought of a good one?"


    At this moment, Lin Tianming, touching the icy sword''s body and feeling the surges of Sword Qi it emitted, quickly contemplated in his mind.


    This Spirit Sword was intended for use in combination with the Divine Firmament Nine Swords, focusing on attack. He didn''t care much for a name, so he decided to name it straightforwardly after the Divine Skill¡ªsimple and clear.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming said,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, I have refined this sword to complement a Divine Skill. So let''s name it after the skill; let''s call it the Tiangang Sword. What do you think?"


    Lin Shilu naturally had no objections, he nodded with a laugh, accepting the name before praising,


    "Tiangang Sword, the name is quite fitting and matches the sword''s nature."


    "Excellent!"


    Lin Tianming was very satisfied, finalizing the name of the Spirit Sword, and then the two of them began to chat idly.


    After a quarter of an hour had passed, seeing Lin Shilu''s weary expression, and eager to consecrate the Tiangang Sword and test its power, Lin Tianming planned to take his leave.


    Resolved, he spoke calmly,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, please focus on cultivating to recover your state. I will visit you again after some time has passed."


    Lin Shilu nodded. A month of intense Artifact Refining had taken a great toll on his Divine Sense and Spiritual Power; he indeed felt exhausted.


    With the Spirit Sword now successfully transferred and seeing Lin Tianming''s eagerness, he didn''t hold him back any longer.


    "You little rascal, go on then."


    After admonishing him with a teasing scold and voicing a few reminders, Lin Shilu watched Lin Tianming leave the courtyard.


    ... Continue your journey with empire


    Having left the courtyard, Lin Tianming didn''t delay, immediately flying toward the small valley where he practiced his Divine Skills, at an astonishingly fast speed.

 Chapter 146 Great Increase in Strength_2

    It didn''t take long before he arrived at his destination.There was no one in the valley; it was exceptionally quiet, with only the occasional bird call.


    His expression serene, he took out the Tiangang Sword from his storage bag and held it in his hand.


    Looking at the Tiangang Sword in his hand, the interplay of blue and red hues, and the fluctuations of Sword Qi attached to it, he knew it was indeed not something a First Order Spiritual Tool could compare with.


    Although he had not yet performed the recognition and refinement ritual, and thus could not be certain of the Tiangang Sword''s power, judging from the aura of the Spirit Sword, it definitely qualified as a fine piece among Magic Artifacts.


    Such a Second Order Magical Artifact was naturally precious beyond words.


    To know, a Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact, among the Lin Family''s Foundation Establishment Cultivators, only Lin Shilu and Lin Shikang had, and perhaps only he could have one; even Clan Leader Lin Shihua used only a lower quality Second Order Magical Artifact against foes.


    Not only that, even in Qianchuan Market, the vast majority of Foundation Establishment Cultivators used lower quality Second Order Magical Artifacts, only some with considerable wealth could afford better.


    Thinking of these things, Lin Tianming couldn''t wait to perform the recognition and refinement rite and see how powerful it actually was.


    Having made up his mind, he immediately sat down cross-legged, circulated his Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation, and then began to adjust his state.


    An hour silently passed, his state reached its peak.


    He opened his eyes, waved his hand, and the Tiangang Sword flew over, hovering motionless in front of him.


    He formed spells with one hand, bombarding the Tiangang Sword with spell after spell.


    "Clang, clang, clang..."


    Several sharp noises transmitted, then morphed into melodious sounds similar to wind chimes, extremely pleasant to hear.


    Lin Tianming was not affected at all. He flicked his fingers continuously, the spells speeding further, transforming into strands of Spiritual Light enveloping the entire sword.


    At that moment, the Tiangang Sword began to vibrate violently, seeming to want to escape his control.


    "Thinking of escaping from my palm? I won''t let you have your way!"


    Lin Tianming''s expression turned serious, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, accurately sprayed onto the surface of the sword''s body.


    In an instant, the fresh blood rapidly penetrated into the sword''s body and soon disappeared from sight.


    Meanwhile, the shaking of the Spirit Sword intensified, and Sword Qi began to burst forth. If he was not careful, it could have easily eluded his control.


    Fortunately, he had anticipated this, and as the Spirit Sword vibrated, Lin Tianming fully operated his Cultivation Technique to firmly suppress the sword, then brought forth a strand of Divine Sense to imprint into the sword''s core.


    Seizing the opportunity, he began refining the sword, and then solidly inscribed his Divine Sense onto the core, achieving the purpose of controlling the Spirit Sword.


    As the process advanced, the Spirit Sword''s reaction gradually calmed, no longer resisting fiercely.


    Time slowly passed, and three days went by like this.


    After his relentless refinement through day and night, with a light and airy sword cry, the Tiangang Sword soared out, flying a hundred meters into the sky, and began spinning nonstop.


    Looking up, as the Tiangang Sword spun, a powerful Sword Qi erupted, sweeping up the faint surrounding Spiritual Energy into a massive storm.


    Below the Tiangang Sword, sand and rocks flew, dust filled the air, and numerous stones were pulverized by the Sword Qi.


    "Tiangang Sword, you truly haven''t disappointed me!" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming exclaimed in admiration, then with a wave of his hand, he summoned the Tiangang Sword back to his side.


    With the return of the Tiangang Sword, the process of refining and recognizing the Spirit Sword as its master was also thoroughly completed.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming appeared somewhat fatigued, but looking at the Tiangang Sword that affectionately orbited around him nonstop after being recognized as its master, the tiredness in his eyes dissipated a great deal.


    "The Tiangang Sword is still so spiritual; its power must be extraordinary!"


    After chuckling lightly, he casually waved his hand, and the Tiangang Sword flew into his grasp. He then carefully felt the enthusiasm of the Tiangang Sword.


    "Now that the refinement is complete, it''s time to test the power of Divine Skills."


    After muttering to himself, Lin Tianming tossed the Tiangang Sword into the air, then his hands formed seals, assuming an extremely peculiar gesture.


    At the same time, he immediately began chanting a special spell.


    "Tiangang Nine Swords First Sword, go for it..."


    In an instant, the Tiangang Sword shone brightly with golden light, transforming into a Golden Greatsword that flew at a terrifying speed toward a small hill a thousand feet away.


    When a heaven-shattering boom resonated, the Golden Light Greatsword directly pierced through the several hundred feet tall small hill, blasting a bottomless hole in the middle of its side.


    After the golden Sword Qi dissipated and the dust settled, his figure was revealed.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming''s face was somewhat pale, his spiritual power nearly depleted, and his blood and Qi churned so violently that he almost stumbled.


    He paid no attention to his own condition, and with a leap, he flew to the edge of the hole in the small hill to inspect it.


    After careful inspection, he discovered that the hole had gone straight through the entire hill.


    Although the hill was only a hundred feet in diameter, it had been completely pierced by the sword.


    Seeing the destructive power, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but exclaim, Continue reading stories on empire


    "This Tiangang Sword Qi, when executed with a Second Order magical artifact, is truly terrifyingly powerful."


    After muttering to himself quietly, he began to ponder.


    This Tiangang Sword Qi consumed too much spiritual power, just one strike had used up most of his spiritual energy. Although his spiritual power was only half-full and not at its peak before executing this divine skill, even so, even in his prime, it would cost him dearly to execute the second strike.


    However, the power of this divine skill was truly terrifying. When combined with a Second Order Medium Quality magical artifact, it was definitely one of his strongest divine skills so far.


    He even speculated that this divine skill might not be weaker than the Sword Qi condensed by the Great Sun Sword Qi Art, and it was strong enough to be used as his ultimate trump card.


    The power of the Tiangang Sword exceeded his expectations, but as the magical artifact grew more potent, executing it became increasingly difficult, impacting its speed and stability as well.


    "It seems that I need to practice more to meet the requirements for combat," he said.


    Regaining his thoughts, his expression was still excited. The power of the Tiangang Sword had exceeded his expectations, greatly enhancing his strength.


    With no pressing matters at hand, he naturally wanted to further cultivate this divine skill as soon as possible.


    Resolving to do so, he sat down on the spot and began to recover his spiritual power.


    Time flew swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.


    Within the small valley, the Tiangang Sword above Lin Tianming''s head radiated bright golden light, and a terrifying Sword Qi burst forth, its speed more than double that of the first time he had executed it.


    "Boom..."


    In the blink of an eye, the little mountain, riddled with holes, was struck by the Sword Qi again and subsequently collapsed thunderously.


    However, the penetrative Tiangang Sword Qi didn''t stop there; it continued at lightning speed to strike another mountain.


    With a loud explosion, even the larger hill was pierced through.


    Yet, after piercing the second hill, the Golden Sword Qi quickly dissipated into the sky.


    As the vibrations ended and the sky returned to calm, the hilly valley, now riddled with holes, was revealed.


    The valley, with several hundred-foot-tall hills, had completely collapsed. The original geographical features had been utterly transformed, and anyone not extremely familiar with the place would not be able to recognize its previous appearance.


    Standing up in an open area, Lin Tianming had a sly smile on his face, seemingly very satisfied with the power of the Tiangang Sword Qi.


    For the past month, he had not left the area, practicing day and night nonstop. Whenever his spiritual power returned to its peak, he would begin to execute the Divine Firmament Nine Swords.


    After repeated practice over a month, the first sword of the Tiangang Nine Swords had made great progress. Its casting speed and stability were efficient enough to confront a Foundation Establishment Second Layer cultivator and even hold its ground against a Third Layer cultivator.


    Besides, his spiritual power and proficiency had also slowly improved, bringing him ever closer to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.


    Had he not lacked elixirs to assist in his cultivation, with such diligent practice, he might have already been ready to attempt a breakthrough.


    Gathering his thoughts, he waved his hand and summoned the distant Tiangang Sword back to him, then put it into his storage bag.


    Looking at the drastically altered valley, he left the area without a backward glance, flying towards his cave dwelling.

 Chapter 147 Gossip_1

    The next morning, at dawn.As the first rays of the morning sun pierced the clouds and shone into Lin Tianming''s courtyard,


    he opened his eyes and sat by the window. After a night''s rest, he had recovered his composure. Discover hidden tales at empire S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gazing out the window at the sky, Lin Tianming fell into deep thought.


    Since his entry into the Foundation Establishment Stage, more than half a year had passed.


    Time truly flies, Lin Tianming mused. A year for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator is but one or two sessions of secluded cultivation, and not even considered that long for Qi Refining Cultivators.


    In this half-year span, his progress in cultivation wasn''t significant; he was still at the first layer of Foundation Establishment, barely reaching the Medium Stage and some distance away from the Second Layer.


    But setting aside cultivation, he had made significant advancements in alchemy and Divine Skills.


    He delved into Alchemy, practiced Divine Skills tirelessly, and sought every means to enhance his strength, all to increase his methods of survival.


    Effort does not betray the diligent...


    Fortunately, input correlated with gain. After expending years of accumulation, he had forged an even more massive Sword Array and the formidable Tiangang Sword.


    Now, he had become a Second Order Alchemist, and in Divine Skills, he had the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to trap enemies, the strong offensive technique of the Tiangang Ninth Sword, and the Great Sun Sword Qi Art that he had been refining for years. His methods for confronting opponents had improved significantly.


    "Having been in Foundation Establishment for so long, it''s about time to look for an opportunity to go out for training in half a year!"


    "However, before I leave, I should try to further improve my alchemy. Once I''m out of the family, it will be difficult to find a safe and quiet environment for cultivation like before!"


    After talking to himself, Lin Tianming tidied up his room briefly and then entered the Pill Refining Room.


    Sitting in the Pill Refining Room, he skillfully prepared for alchemy and then began to adjust his state.


    Having refined Second Order Pills twice before, the process was now much easier.


    In the Pill Refining Room, Spiritual Medicine Materials were purified and the Infusion of Spirit was completed. Only when the fragrance of the pills wafted out could the alchemy be deemed successful.


    In the blink of an eye, more than twenty days passed, and the ten batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials he had exchanged for pills were all refined.


    Ten batches of materials yielded success in four rounds of alchemy, with a pill success rate of three to four per batch, which was quite stable.


    He looked at the several Jade Bottles in front of him containing thirteen Second Order Spirit Origin Pills and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.


    After days of practice, he had finally reached a breakeven point with his alchemy skills.


    He planned to exchange the pills he had refined for Spiritual Medicine, take the opportunity to further improve his Alchemy, and earn some Spirit Stones. Otherwise, it would be very troublesome to be penniless when he set out for training.


    After tidying up the Pill Refining Room, he left and flew towards the Hall of Merit.


    Before long, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingcheng were sitting across from each other.


    After a brief chat, Lin Tianming inquired,


    "Uncle, how many Second Order Spirit Origin Pill Materials does the family have left? Are there enough for alchemy?"


    After speaking, Lin Xingcheng took out the ledger to check. With a grave expression, he said,


    "The Materials for the Second Order Spirit Origin Pills are difficult to collect. In the past, the family didn''t have a Second Order Alchemist, so we couldn''t refine Second Order Pills. But over the years, we''ve amassed quite a lot of Materials."


    "The number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the family is increasing, and to supply seven or eight cultivators with pills, we will soon have a shortage of Spiritual Medicine."


    "In the last two years, your grandfather became a Second Order Alchemist and used up a lot of Materials, nearly depleting the reserves we earned from the big family battle."


    "The family''s proficiency in alchemy isn''t high. We can only produce a limited number of pills each month. The materials are collected through Luoyun Market, and adding the substantial Spiritual Medicine Gardens of the Jin and Wu Families, we have managed to ensure a steady supply so far."


    Hearing Lin Xingcheng''s words, Lin Tianming nodded in agreement.


    Alchemists need a large amount of Spiritual Medicine Materials for practice when advancing, which quickly consumes vast resources and it''s difficult to achieve success in a short time. Only those with an exceptional talent for alchemy can attain a certain pill success rate and quantity to break even swiftly; otherwise, most people simply cannot afford the cost.


    His grandfather was lucky. The family spent a great deal of resources for him to practice, allowing them to produce a Second Order Alchemist once again.


    Coming back to his senses, Lin Tianming asked,


    "Uncle, I currently need a lot of Spiritual Medicine Materials to practice. How much can be exchanged?"


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Xingcheng answered,


    "We have just over fifty batches of registered Spiritual Medicine Materials left in the storehouse and the garden. How many do you need?"


    Lin Tianming considered the Spirit Stones he had, totaling just under two thousand, which had been given by his grandfather, along with the thirteen pills he intended to exchange for Spiritual Medicine Materials. After refining them, he planned to convert the pills into Spirit Stones and repay his grandfather.


    Having made up his mind, he took out the pills and Spirit Stones he had and handed them to Lin Xingcheng.


    After taking the pills and Spirit Stones, Lin Xingcheng calculated and went to the storehouse to gather the Spiritual Medicine Materials for him.


    A quarter of an hour later, Lin Tianming left the Hall of Merit with twenty-five batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    Returning to his own courtyard, he once again entered a frenzied state of alchemy.


    Time flew by, and two months passed in a flash.


    Inside the Pill Refining Room, Lin Tianming looked weary as he sat in front of more than twenty Jade Bottles filled with the fruits of his exhaustive alchemy efforts.

 Chapter 147 Insider Information_2

    For the past two months, he spent his days concocting elixirs and his nights meditating to recover his spiritual power and divine sense, not wasting a single moment.Exhausting all the merit points and spirit stones he had, along with the elixirs he previously made, he exchanged for twenty-five portions of spiritual medicine materials. After two months of secluded cultivation, he successfully refined them all.


    As he produced more and more Second Order pills, his alchemy skills improved rapidly.


    Now, when concocting Second Order Lingshen Pills, his success rate stabilized at fifty percent, and he usually produced around four pills per batch, which was a tremendous improvement.


    Before he went into seclusion, he exchanged for twenty-five portions of spiritual medicine materials and successfully obtained forty-eight Second Order Lingshen Pills.


    Looking at his harvest, Lin Tianming revealed a hint of a gratified smile.


    After storing the elixirs in his storage bag and tidying up the Pill Refining Room, he walked out.


    Shortly after, he arrived at the Hall of Merit of the family.


    Finding Lin Xingcheng, they chatted idly for a few moments before he took out fourteen bottles of Lingshen Pills, totaling forty-two Second Order Lingshen Pills.


    Since he was not planning to use the pills for cultivation just yet, he only kept six pills for emergencies and exchanged the vast majority for spirit stones.


    Lin Xingcheng took the elixirs, swept them with his divine sense to confirm they met the standards, and then said,


    "Forty-two pills, totaling six thousand seven hundred and twenty merit points."


    Lin Tianming nodded and said,


    "Uncle, exchange for five portions of spiritual medicine materials, and settle the rest in spirit stones!"


    Lin Xingcheng acknowledged and went into the storeroom deep inside the main hall to get the spiritual medicine and spirit stones for him.


    In no time, Lin Xingcheng came back out with a storage bag, which he handed over to him.


    After receiving the storage bag, he projected his divine sense into it, and saw the items within it appear in his mind¡ªfive portions of spiritual medicine materials and more than five thousand six hundred spirit stones.


    After confirming the amounts were correct, Lin Tianming did not linger. After exchanging a few polite words of thanks, he left the Hall of Merit, feeling completely satisfied, and flew towards the Alchemy Hall.


    In less than half an hour, Lin Tianming appeared outside the grand hall of the Alchemy Hall.


    At that moment, the grand hall was bustling with activity. More than a dozen young family members were sitting on cushions, listening intently to Lin Shigong as he explained the basics of alchemy.


    Among the group of young family members, like him, were those of the same Tian generation, both male and female, all under twenty years old.


    A family member dressed in a golden robe stood up and asked Lin Shigong, who was on the high platform,


    "Ninth Grandpa, is the Golden Elixir Flame that you spoke of unique to Golden Elixir Experts?"


    Hearing the question, Lin Shigong smiled gently, looking amiable and approachable, as he patiently began to answer.


    Outside the grand hall, having witnessed the whole scene, he was momentarily lost in a trance, as if he had returned to the scene from over ten years ago when he was but a teenager.


    Looking at the younger family members focused on learning the basics of alchemy, he too had gone through the same experience ten years ago, except that at that time the family did not have many members, nor did they have the resources or energy to train a large number of alchemists.


    Nowadays, with abundant resources and encouraging policies, coupled with the inheritance of other families, the Lin Family has produced many talents in the Four Arts of Cultivation. Quite a few family members under the age of twenty have become First Order Medium Grade alchemists or even Artifact Refiners.


    Regaining his focus and seeing his grandfather deeply engrossed in teaching, he did not interrupt and quietly waited on the side.


    After half an hour, Lin Shigong finished his lesson and dismissed the family members.


    Once the family members had dispersed, Lin Tianming approached, and the grandfather and grandson sat in the main hall, chatting leisurely.


    "Tian Ming, you''ve been alchemizing a lot lately. What''s your current success rate and pill yield?"


    Seeing his grandfather inquire about his alchemizing, Lin Tian Ming did not hold back and honestly relayed his progress.


    Although his grandfather had long known of his extraordinary talent in alchemy, he was still amazed when he heard the response.


    Back when he achieved Foundation Establishment, it took him three years and hundreds of batches of pills to reach the level Lin Tianming had achieved.


    "My boy, you''re beyond comparison!" sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shigong exclaimed, his face beaming with a broad smile, his heart filled with immense joy.


    After calming down, he asked,


    "You have entered the Foundation Establishment Stage for a while now. Do you have any subsequent plans or intentions?"


    Lin Tianming chuckled, for he had come today precisely to discuss his options with his grandfather and to hear his opinion.


    Since his grandfather had brought it up proactively, he opened his mouth to reply:


    "Grandfather, it will be difficult for me to make progress in the short term. Therefore, I want to go out and gain some experience!"


    Lin Shigong furrowed his brow, remembering the matter mentioned to him by Clan Leader Lin Shihua, before speaking up:


    "Tianming, in another month, it will be time for the family meeting. The family plans to organize a caravan to go to Qianchuan Market for development. I suggest you participate!"


    "Organize a caravan to develop in Qianchuan Market?"


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s puzzled expression, Lin Shigong explained:


    "Several years have passed since the family war, and the Luoyun Market is now well-managed by the family. However, over these years, the number of high-order cultivators in the family has increased rapidly, with many above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining."


    "As the scope of mundane affairs we manage grows larger and the number of Lin Family Members increases dramatically, if we merely rely on Luoyun Market and rest on our laurels, our accumulated resources may be exhausted in ten years, making further development difficult!"


    Hearing his grandfather''s explanation, although Lin Tianming hardly participated in the family''s operation, he quickly understood the underlying reasons.


    After the family war ended, the territory controlled by the Lin Family had expanded to over twenty towns, with a civilian population reaching over two million.


    With such a massive scale of civilians, every three years, the family would gain at least a dozen members with spiritual roots. Over the years, the number of cultivators in the family may have surpassed its peak period.


    As the treatment of clan members improved significantly, sustaining these lower-level cultivators required a large amount of resources from the family each year.


    And this was just part of it; the bulk of the burden lay with the Foundation Establishment Cultivators and those cultivating the Four Arts of Cultivation.


    After all, the monthly stipend for the eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators and more than ten cultivators above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, who formed the upper echelons of the family, wasn''t a small amount of spirit stones.


    In terms of cultivating skills, he was well aware that the consumption was like a bottomless pit. Yet, for the family''s long-term development, supporting the development of the Four Arts of Cultivation, even if costly, was a necessary expense.


    Fortunately, after several years of family support, there had been significant progress in the Four Arts of Cultivation.


    His grandfather and he had both become Second Order Alchemists, and Lin Xingyuan, who had also broken through to Foundation Establishment, had already been a First-Order Superior Grade Alchemist before. It shouldn''t be long before he would reach the Second Order norms.


    When it came to Artifact Refining, it had always been a strong suit for the family.


    Although Lin Shilu remained a Second Grade Medium Quality Artifact Refiner and had difficulty advancing in the short term, the family already had no fewer than five First Order Superior Grade Artifact Refiners, and their number was growing. Once they broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, they would eventually become Second Order Refiners.


    In other skill areas, within the Way of Talisman Making, there was yet to be a Second Order Inscription Master, and there were only two First Order Superior Grade Talisman Makers. However, this area too was developing rapidly, and any talented family members who took up this skill were bound to make a mark.


    As for the Way of Formation Setting, it was too demanding of the clan members'' comprehension abilities. So far, only two had become First Order Medium Grade, but their young age and good talent meant they had a lot of room for improvement.


    Thinking of this, the resources the family needed to consume each year must be astronomical.


    Indeed, after the great war ended, the Lin Family acquired resources worth nearly a million spirit stones, but the current rate of development would not last for long.


    Doing this math, the family did indeed need to find new revenue streams and make more preparations, which was an expected outcome.


    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming finally understood why the family was laying the groundwork in advance.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming asked:


    "Grandfather, do you know how the family plans to arrange this matter? Has any word come out?"


    Considering Lin Tianming''s inquiry, Lin Shigong thought for a moment. The Qianchuan Market affair was not a secret, and moreover, it involved his own grandson, so he spoke directly:


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    "The matter has not yet been decided. However, it has been a topic of private discussion among us old folks. In a few days, the family meeting will be held, and it''s very likely that this matter will come up. Once approved, the implementation will proceed swiftly."


    After saying this, he continued:


    "I am merely giving you a heads-up. You can take this into consideration but there''s no need to put too much concern into it!"


    Lin Tianming nodded in response. With only a month left until the family meeting, there was no need for haste.


    All he needed to do was wait for the family''s decision and consider his options afterwards. As for the time being, he could focus on cultivation and prepare a bit more.


    Having made up his mind, after chatting casually with his grandfather, the two of them left the Alchemy Hall together.

 Chapter 148 The Grand Clan Meeting_1

    Time flies, and the month has quickly passed.During this period, Lin Tianming led a fulfilling life, refining elixirs and delving into the Alchemy Dao during the day, while at night, accompanied by the moonlight, he engaged in seated meditation and breath control.


    Besides, he would occasionally visit the Alchemy Hall to teach basic Alchemy knowledge on behalf of his grandfather, and at the Skill Transmission Hall, he would also lend a helping hand for a few days.


    His arrival excited both Lin Shigong and Lin Shigang immensely, who gladly became absentee managers for a while.


    As for Lin Tianming himself, many of the clan members around ten years of age had never seen him in person. They''d only heard of his glorious deeds, and many had even taken him as a role model.


    Seeing him teach in person, the young clan members were both surprised and delighted. Unlike the stiff Lin Shigong and Lin Shigang, Lin Tianming''s teaching was relaxed and fascinating, easily mingling with the younger clan members.


    After a month of interaction, Lin Tianming got acquainted with quite a few young cultivators in the family and left them with a good impression of himself.


    His cultivation didn''t fall behind either, it continued to grow slowly, and he had used up all the Spiritual Medicine Materials at hand to produce more than twenty elixirs.


    One morning, the dawn pierced the clouds, shining light on every corner of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Within his cave abode on the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Tianming was in the training room.


    Seated on the floor, he opened his eyes that had been closed for quite some time, stood up, stretched his slightly stiff waist, and then tidied up the training room.


    Today was the annual Clan Assembly. In the past, without significant matters to discuss, many higher-ups in the clan would be absent, including him, as he would not attend every time. After all, there were often critical moments in cultivation or breakthroughs, which naturally took precedence.


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    A few days before the start of this Clan Assembly, Lin Shihua had made a point of sending word to him early, asking him to make every effort to attend.


    After learning some advance news from his grandfather, it was evident that this Clan Assembly was very important and that there would certainly be significant matters to discuss.


    "Today is the day of the Clan Assembly, and it''s getting late; I should set out!"


    He murmured softly to himself, then straightened his robes and left his dwelling.


    ...


    At the break of dawn, the light of the morning sun seeped through the clouds, illuminating the land.


    In the entire Green Bamboo Mountain domain, many clan members were moving between the peaks, and a large number of them began to bustle about, with some heading towards the Elders'' Council halfway up the mountain.


    As the number of clan members increased, the courtyards at the foot of the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain multiplied, and the daily activities of the traveling clan members also increased, making Green Bamboo Mountain livelier and livelier.


    However, the bustling scene at the foot of the mountain did not disturb the area at the top of the mountain.


    At the top of the main peak, Lin Tianming left his dwelling in the western courtyards and headed toward the Clan Elders'' Assembly.


    While crossing the enormous Bluestone Plaza, a familiar voice called out.


    "Younger Brother Six."


    Lin Tianming turned his head to see Lin Tianhong emerging from a courtyard in the East District and flying towards him.


    Lin Tianhong, son of Lin Xingping, had moved to live at the top of the Peak after Lin Xing Ping''s Foundation Establishment was successful, residing in his father''s cave dwelling in the East District.


    "Big Brother Two!"


    The two hadn''t seen each other for a long time; he immediately stepped forward, greeting him with a bow, then they chatted casually. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Big Brother Two, it''s been a while since we''ve seen each other, how have you been?"


    Lin Tianhong greeted him with a smile and cheerfully responded,


    "Thanks to the blessing of Younger Brother Six, I''ve been very well. I''ve almost always been in seclusion for the past few years. It''s hard to meet you even when I leave seclusion; such a rare encounter today is indeed not easy."


    "Indeed, it''s been a long time since we''ve had a chance to gather." Sighing, he also sized up Lin Tianhong.


    After a long absence, Lin Tianhong had also reached the Qi Cultivation Eighth Level. It was clear that he was very hardworking in his cultivation and, with his good talent and status as an Alchemist, had doubled his efficiency.


    "Younger Brother Six, many elders will be attending the Clan Assembly today. Do you know why they are assembling on such a grand scale?"


    Seeing Lin Tianhong''s puzzled look, Lin Tianming didn''t keep secrets. Indeed, the day''s Clan Assembly was bound to discuss these issues, so revealing a bit in advance wouldn''t matter.


    With this thought, he briefly shared the reasons his grandfather had mentioned.


    "Forming a caravan? Going to develop in Qianchuan Market!"


    Lin Tianhong was equally puzzled, but after Lin Tianming''s explanation, he excitedly said,


    "No wonder the family is giving such importance to this Clan Assembly. I heard many clan members received summons to attend, and even I am attending for the first time!"


    With excitement on his face, Lin Tianhong didn''t give Lin Tianming time to reply, peppering him with questions in quick succession.


    "Younger Brother Six, I wonder what kind of requirements the family has for the caravan. Otherwise, we might be able to join and contribute to the family!"


    "Indeed, but this is a matter that the family will discuss further. As for the details, we''ll have an answer today."


    Lin Tianming nodded and pondered the matter in his heart.


    Qianchuan Market was, after all, a mid-sized market with no shortage of powerhouses. The opportunities and treasures there were far beyond what Luoyun Mountain Range could offer, so he was also interested in joining.


    However, he conjectured that the caravan would not easily allow the younger generation to participate, as in a place with as many powerhouses as Qianchuan Market, the Qi Refinement Realm simply wasn''t significant.


    Before they knew it, the two had arrived at the Clan Elders'' Assembly.


    Standing before the Elders'' Council Hall, they saw many clan members coming and going, and Lin Tianming and his companion greeted each one.


    Soon, a hearty laugh echoed, and Lin Tianfeng descended from the sky, landing beside them.


    The three exchanged salutes, and Lin Tianfeng didn''t forget to give each a hug, catching them a little off guard.

 Chapter 148 The Grand Clan Meeting_2

    After the three of them split up, Lin Tianfeng joked:"Wow, second brother, you''re doing quite well with your cultivation, already at the Qi Refining Eighth Level. After the clan meeting is over, you''ll have to spar with your big brother!"


    Hearing this and thinking of Lin Tianfeng, that battle maniac who was even one small realm higher than himself, Lin Tianhong''s face immediately changed, showing a hint of fear.


    However, Lin Tianhong was not at all flustered and quickly replied:


    "Big brother, I''m no match for you. If you''re itching to fight, why not let our sixth brother spar with you for a few moves?"


    Before his words fell, Lin Tianfeng''s aura instantly dissipated like a receding tide, and he said with a smile:


    "No, no, the sixth brother is no ordinary person. Sparring with him would be simply asking for trouble!"


    Lin Tianhong chuckled and said, "You''re just bullying me because my cultivation level is one tier lower than yours. When it comes to the sixth brother, you back off, don''t you?"


    Knowing that it was all in jest, Lin Tianming and the others exchanged smiles and no longer discussed the matter, then they entered the great hall together.


    In the great hall, around a huge round table, more than twenty people were already seated, chatting quietly in pairs and groups.


    At the prominent seats, Lin Shihua was meditating quietly, waiting for the clan members to arrive.


    After greeting their fellow clan members, Lin Tianming and the others walked to a corner and found seats for themselves.


    After half an hour had passed, the clan members arrived one after another, and the seats that were originally empty gradually filled up with clanspeople.


    At this moment, the great hall had gathered more than thirty people, all of whom were at or above the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, and many were attending the clan meeting for the first time.


    Looking at the gathering of clanspeople, Lin Tianming fell into thought. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before the great family war, the Lin Family had, at most, only dozens of cultivators above the Fifth Level Qi Practice.


    Now, in the great hall, there were more than thirty clanspeople at or above the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, not including those who were carrying out family missions or were too busy with their secluded cultivation to attend. If everyone were to return to the family, the number would likely not be less than eighty.


    In just a few years, the Lin Family''s combat power had been rapidly restored, setting aside the Foundation Establishment Cultivators not to mention, just the Qi Refinement Stage clanspeople had even surpassed the level before the war.


    From this, it was evident how swiftly the family had developed in these years.


    "So many clanspeople require support; the resources needed must be immense, no wonder the family had to seek alternative solutions," he reflected.


    Just as he was contemplating, a glint of Spiritual Light flashed through the restrictions of the great hall. Led by Lin Shikang, with Lin Shilu and a few others following, a group of people entered the great hall.


    With the exception of Lin Xingrong, who was guarding Golden Horn Mountain, and Lin Xingyuan, who was in charge of overseeing Luoyun Market, all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Lin Family had come.


    Seeing the group enter, Lin Shihua took the lead and the clanspeople in the great hall all stood up and greeted them with a salute.


    Lin Shikang laughed heartily and, along with Lin Shilu and the others behind him, nodded in acknowledgment and greeted some clanspeople.


    When his gaze fell on Lin Tianming, he saluted with his hands, then raised his head to look at Lin Shikang whom he hadn''t seen for over a year.


    Gazing at Lin Shikang''s kindly face, although his presence was restrained and he looked like an ordinary person, for some reason, Lin Tianming still felt an invisible pressure, causing his heart to palpitate.


    "Could it be that Third Grandfather has successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level?"


    He speculated inwardly, recalling the situation with the Hun Tian Pill, and he was convinced of his guess.


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    Lin Shikang smiled calmly, not saying much, and gestured with his hand for all the clanspeople to sit down. He then led Lin Shilu and the others to the higher seats, settling down before awaiting the start of the clan meeting.


    In this gap, Lin Tianming took the opportunity to observe the people around him.


    Scanning the great hall, at the highest place sat Lin Shikang and the other Shikang generation clan members, totaling six. Below them, seated were Clan Leader Lin Xingping and other Xing generation clan members, making up over thirty people in total, all of whom were the core strength of the family.


    At the very bottom were members of the Tian generation from the Lin Family, headed by Lin Tianming, numbering only a few. Apart from the three of them, Lin Tianqin and her sister were also among them.


    After a short while, Lin Shihua stood up and scanned the crowd, which immediately fell silent.


    Seeing that all the clanspeople had arrived, he nodded slightly with a broad smile on his face, then spoke loudly,


    "It is truly delightful that our kin have gathered here despite their busy schedules. I am overjoyed. Today, in addition to our reunion, there are two main purposes: one is to report the clan''s progress over the past three years, and the other is to discuss several important issues. I hope everyone will offer their suggestions and strategize for our family''s benefit."


    "The Clan Leader may command as he pleases. We, the younger generation, will surely do our utmost to share some of the family''s burdens."


    After Lin Xingping spoke, the clanspeople below echoed in agreement.


    Lin Shihua nodded satisfactorily, took out a thick book and opened it, then continued,


    "Firstly, let me report on the clanspeople''s situation. As of today, our family has a total of two hundred and twelve cultivator members, including six of the Shi generation, eighty-eight of the Xing generation, and one hundred and eighteen of the Tian generation."


    "In the past three years, with the reinitiation of the Spirit Testing Convention, our family''s numbers have grown further. To date, we have eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators, two at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, and sixteen clanspeople above the eighth level of Qi Refining."


    As soon as these words were uttered, the venue immediately erupted.


    Although the majority of Qi Refining Stage clanspeople had a rough idea of the family''s strength, hearing it directly from Lin Shihua allowed them to truly appreciate the family''s tremendous progress compared to a few years ago.


    Seeing the excited reactions of the clanspeople, Lin Shihua, as the Clan Leader, and the few remaining members of the Shi generation, felt equally moved and a sense of pride spontaneously arose within them.


    In the past, the Lin Family''s foundation was indeed rather weak, but now, whether it was the Foundation Establishment Stage or the Qi Refining Stage clanspeople, the family''s strength had reached the peak in its history.


    Lin Shihua smiled contentedly and waved his hand to quell the excited clanspeople.


    "Over the past three years, thanks to the Luoyun Market, as well as the two Spirit Lands of Golden Horn Mountain and Jiuhua Mountain, our family has been able to obtain a large amount of Spirit Stones and Spiritual Medicine Materials, as well as some ores and artifact refining materials."


    "According to estimates, in the span of three years, the various resources acquired by the family amount to over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones. After deducting expenses, we have a surplus of more than ten thousand Spirit Stones each year!"


    Upon hearing this, the Qi Refining Stage clanspeople became even more excited.


    It''s important to note that in the past, the Lin Family''s welfare was quite low. If they had a surplus of a thousand Spirit Stones at the end of the year, it was considered quite good.


    Now, despite significantly increasing the welfare of the clanspeople, the three-year surplus exceeded ten thousand Spirit Stones, several times more than before.


    In this way, with just ten years, they could gather enough Spirit Stones for a Foundation Establishment Pill, a feat that would have been impossible without three or four decades in the past.


    During Lin Shihua''s report, the great hall buzzed with conversation as many clanspeople whispered to each other, expressing their excitement.


    After Lin Shihua elaborated on the details, apart from a few who were in the know, all the other clanspeople were thrilled and their expressions revealed a strong sense of confidence.


    Lin Tianming was no less excited. As the family that he heavily valued gradually grew stronger, they could focus on cultivation without being distracted by family affairs, much to his relief.


    As Lin Shihua expounded, the many changes and achievements within the family became known to the clanspeople.


    Every clan member could keenly feel the family''s growth and change, which brought them more confidence and peace of mind.


    An hour later, after Lin Shihua finished reporting the basic situation of the family, the Hall Masters of the various institutions also stood up one by one to report their respective situations.


    From the Four Arts of Cultivation to Law Enforcement and Skill Transmission, to the process of the clanspeople''s experiences, including the allocation of various resources, the introductions were quite detailed.


    Every clan member below listened intently, afraid of missing any key information.


    After all, such a public and transparent family assembly was a rare opportunity to fully understand the family, and such opportunities had been scarce in the history of the clan.


    Lin Tianming also witnessed for the first time how seriously the family took such matters, making public some previously guarded secrets. However, they were matters that could be controlled, and the most important secrets would not be revealed; otherwise, if they fell into the hands of hostile forces, it could easily lead to the family''s destruction.


    The lively family assembly continued, with various family affairs being announced, and half a day passed in this way.

 Chapter 149 Candidates_1

    With the family''s report completed, the clan meeting came to a temporary close.During the short recess, the clan members huddled in small groups, whispering joyfully to each other.


    Lin Tianming was also busy, taking advantage of the opportunity to exchange ideas with several senior clan members, bolstering their relationships.


    A quarter of an hour passed, and Lin Shihua, seated in the place of honor, ceased his chatting. He had not yet stood up when the hall suddenly fell silent.


    Lin Shihua surveyed the assembly, his expression calm, and said,


    "The second half of the clan meeting is about to begin, with five topics for discussion. Should anyone have any opinions, feel free to raise them. I hope you will actively participate and offer your strategies for the good of the family."


    "We will follow the Clan Leader''s wishes!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, several members of the younger generation echoed in agreement, while most of the clan members waited quietly, evidently eager to know the topics of discussion.


    After all, the decisions made at each clan meeting were closely related to every member and were matters of great importance that could greatly alter their current situation.


    "The first item on the agenda is the family''s plan to organize a caravan to set up two shops in Qianchuan Market to mainly sell elixirs and Spiritual Artifacts. This will also allow us to collect various resources for the family. What are your suggestions?"


    As soon as Lin Shihua finished speaking, the previously quiet hall erupted in murmurs, especially from those who had not been privy to the news.


    "Qianchuan Market is a place teeming with all sorts, with numerous sects and families in competition. How can the family secure a foothold there?"


    "Qianchuan Market is the core territory of the Zhenyang Sect. Other than them, there are many Foundation Establishing Families conducting business there, and even several Golden Core Families. Are we at risk of being pushed out?"


    "Which clan member will lead the initiative? It''s surely too dangerous to go without at least a Foundation Establishment Stage leader." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    At this point, the hall was abuzz with various questions tumbling over one another, and some clan members began to voice their opinions.


    Lin Tianming was at this moment lost in thought, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.


    After all, Luoyun Market was a small market, isolated and limited in its access to information and the flow of people, with minimal connection to other regions of Wei Kingdom.


    In the past, due to severe internal strife within the Luoyun Mountain Range, the family had not been inclined to consider expansion and had been exhausted just from maintaining their own enterprise. Even though the family now had full control over the Luoyun Mountain Range, relying solely on Luoyun Market provided very limited profits.


    Though resource shortages weren''t an immediate issue for the family, if the family wished to develop in the long term, or to progress further, merely staying in this small area would be very difficult to achieve.


    Qianchuan Market, being a medium-sized market, ranked high among all markets in the entire Wei Kingdom. With over ten thousand resident cultivators, it saw a substantial circulation of rare treasures and had a huge demand for various resources.


    If the family could establish a solid footing in Qianchuan Market, it could not only earn Spirit Stones but also gather intelligence on the entire Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World. When the time was ripe, the family could collaborate with other families from different regions to boost the family''s influence in Wei Kingdom.


    In other words, if the family wished to advance further and increase its influence in the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World, developing in Qianchuan Market was an excellent and necessary step to take.


    His thoughts aligned with those of the vast majority of the clan members. Regarding the matter of Qianchuan Market, there was virtually no opposition; the only thing under discussion was the choice of personnel for the market.


    True to expectations, this matter was swiftly approved, and many clan members eagerly awaited Lin Shihua''s decision on the selection of the candidate.


    Lin Shihua glanced at Lin Shikang and a few others before speaking,


    "After discussion among us elders, we have decided that the trip to Qianchuan Market will last for three years, with a rotation every three years. Shi Lu will lead the team, responsible for all affairs related to Qianchuan Market. Additionally, we are recruiting five family members with a cultivation level of Seventh Level Qi Cultivation or above to accompany him. Qualified members may register at the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall tomorrow morning."


    "As for those participating in this mission, each person will receive a yearly subsidy of one hundred Spirit Stones, and regular stipends will be issued. Those who perform exceptionally over the three years will be appropriately rewarded by the family."


    Once Lin Shihua announced this, many clan members became eager to take on the task.


    This mission was an excellent opportunity for those in the later stages of Qi Cultivation within the family.


    After all, the tasks assigned within the family usually involved guarding Spirit Lands, finding Spiritual Objects, and the like¡ªeither perilous to accomplish or of little profit. After a year of hard work, it was tough to earn as many Spirit Stones and much time would be lost.


    Managing shops in Qianchuan Market, however, mainly involved overseeing the stores and handling various miscellaneous tasks. The recruitment of Loose Cultivators would assist in these tasks, so their own cultivation would not be hindered. Moreover, with abundant resources, it was easier to acquire a large number of precious items, making it a desirable destination.


    For those well aware of this fact, the eagerness to participate was palpable, and it was expected that by the following morning, numerous clan members would compete to register.


    Seeing the ardor amongst the clan members being harnessed, Lin Shihua and the others were quite pleased.


    As the clan meeting resumed, another half-quarter of an hour passed. The once noisy hall gradually calmed down.


    Following discussions and additional contributions of good suggestions from the clan members, the matter was finally settled.


    The enthusiastic clan meeting continued, and before anyone realized it, most of the day had passed.


    During this time, the family deliberated on numerous significant matters, and one by one, decisions were finalized.


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    For the most part, Lin Tianming observed from the sidelines, occasionally offering his own insights, maintaining an appropriate demeanor.

 Chapter 149 Candidate Selection_2

    At the high seat of the grand hall, Lin Shihua clapped his hands and proclaimed loudly;"Thus it''s decided. In the future, the frequency of the Spiritual Testing Assembly will change from once every three years to once a year, starting from next year."


    The clanspeople below were excited. Today, the family had made quite a few adjustments. Take the Spiritual Testing Assembly, for instance; it used to be once every three years. As the number of mortals in the family continued to increase, sticking with a triennial test would cause many young members to miss out on two years of potential development.


    With the final item on the agenda concluded, the clan meeting, which had lasted for the better part of the day, was drawing to a close.


    Lin Shihua was very satisfied and also quite relieved.


    Although within the clan, those in the Foundation Establishment Stage had absolute say, the clan had been giving more and more consideration to the wishes of the clanspeople. This clan meeting was exceptionally grand, with contributions of ideas from the members, resulting in many significant decisions.


    "The clan meeting is concluded. Everyone should go about their business and remember not to slacken in your cultivation. The assembly is dismissed."


    With Lin Shihua announcing the end of the clan meeting loudly, numerous clanspeople rose to their feet, bowed towards the elder generation seated in the high places, and finally left the grand hall.


    Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong had risen early and said to him;


    "Little brother, Tianhong and I will head back first. We''ll go to register at the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall tomorrow. Wait for our message, and hopefully, we will be selected."


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    After speaking, the two of them gave a fist salute and then walked out of the grand hall together.


    As the throngs of clanspeople left, not even ten minutes passed, and the grand hall was left with less than ten people who silently stayed behind. They were all members of the Shi (world) generation, as well as several important Qi Refining Stage clanspeople.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming bowed to the elders and then earnestly said to Lin Shilu;


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, Tianming requests to accompany you to the Qianchuan Market, and I hope you will grant your permission."


    Lin Shilu chuckled, seemingly having anticipated that he would volunteer himself.


    "Granted. In fact, even if you hadn''t mentioned it, I was planning to take you with me. Having you help me would save a lot of trouble."


    Lin Shikang smiled knowingly and joked;


    "Shilu, with Tianming accompanying you, and with both of your cultivation levels, when combined, you could likely face a Foundation Establishment Seventh Level cultivator without falling short."


    "Indeed, with the two of you together, we will feel much more at ease." Lin Shigong added.


    Lin Tianming looked puzzled, as if understanding from Lin Shikang''s words that Lin Shilu had probably broken through to the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level. When he thought about it, before the family war, Shilu was at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level. It made sense that, after a few years, breaking through was within reason.


    With that thought, he also grew a bit excited and said to Lin Shilu;


    "Congratulations to Fifteenth Grandfather for achieving such great success in your cultivation."


    Lin Shilu smiled and waved his hand to signal that Tianming need not be formal, then he gave his orders;


    "I just had a breakthrough and need to consolidate for a while. We will set out after a month, so you prepare as well during this time." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I shall adhere to Fifteenth Grandfather''s command. Tianming will take his leave first."


    Lin Tianming replied, then stood up, bowed to the elders, and briskly left the grand hall.


    Back in his own cave dwelling, Lin Tianming sat in the training room, deep in thought.


    A month would quickly pass, and before his departure, he needed to make some preparations. He projected his Divine Sense to meticulously inspect the contents of his storage bag.


    Recently, ten batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials had been refined into elixirs, and now he had twenty-eight Second Order Lingshen Pills, as well as five thousand five hundred Spirit Stones.


    Besides that, there were fifty-six Earth Evil Swords, one Tiangang Sword, a Second Order Medium Grade Attack Talisman, and a Lower Grade Defense Talisman. The rest were a collection of various rare types of Spiritual Medicine Materials he had slowly gathered. There was also the Qianling Pill Recipe he had acquired long ago, and the Mysterious Moon Token.


    He still owed his grandfather two thousand Spirit Stones, which he was determined to return before leaving, leaving him with three thousand five hundred stones to use.


    These were all the important items he possessed, not much to speak of, but for an average Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it was not a small amount either.


    After checking his storage bag, Lin Tianming took a deep breath, then sat with crossed hands and started to meditate and cultivate.


    The next morning, Lin Tianming left his cave dwelling and flew towards the Hall of Merit.


    Along the way, many clan members were headed in pairs to the Miscellaneous Hall, apparently ready to register for the mission to the Qianchuan Market.


    Watching the clanspeople in their hurried state, Lin Tianming was taken aback. He greeted the passersby and continued directly to the Hall of Merit.


    In a short while, he appeared inside the Hall of Merit. At this time, the Hall was less crowded than usual as most probably had gone to the Miscellaneous Hall either to register or to watch the excitement.


    After finding Lin Xingcheng, they greeted each other, then sat opposite each other and began to chat idly.


    "It''s a pity I have to stand guard at the Hall of Merit and can''t participate, otherwise I''d also like to gain some experience at Qianchuan Market,"


    Lin Xingcheng said regretfully, a look of longing in his eyes.


    "Uncle, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. You''re almost at Great Perfection in your cultivation. Training within the clan for a while, and going in a few years will be just the same," Lin Tianming comforted him.


    Hearing this, Lin Xingcheng''s expression calmed down, and he let out a wry smile before quickly changing the subject, asking;


    "Tianming, what are you here to exchange today?"


    Lin Tianming took out seven bottles of Second Order Lingshen Pills and handed them to Lin Xingcheng, then said;


    "Uncle, I''d like to exchange for two Second Order low-grade Defense Talismans, and the rest in Spirit Stones."


    Lin Xingcheng received the Jade Bottle and, after verifying there were no issues, calculated the prices.


    "Twenty-one Second Order Lingshen Pills, unit price one hundred and sixty, totaling three thousand three hundred and sixty Spirit Stones. Second Order low-grade Defense Talismans, unit price three hundred and eighty Spirit Stones, totaling seven hundred and sixty Spirit Stones. After deduction, that leaves two thousand six hundred Spirit Stones."


    Lin Tianming nodded, then pondered for a moment. After repaying grandfather two thousand Spirit Stones, and adding the previous five thousand five hundred, he would still have six thousand left.


    With Spirit Stones in hand, one would feel at ease in Qianchuan Market, otherwise, wanting to purchase any treasure would be troublesome.


    Seeing Lin Tianming nod in agreement, Lin Xingcheng entered the depths of the great hall to fetch the items for exchange.


    In a moment, Lin Xingcheng came out, took out Spirit Stones and talismans from his storage bag, and handed them over in person.


    After receiving the Spirit Stones and Second Order Talismans into his own storage bag and exchanging a few words, Lin Tianming bowed his fists and left the Hall of Merit.


    At dawn, after leaving the Hall of Merit, he made his way through Green Bamboo Mountain, intending to return to his cave dwelling to continue his cultivation.


    Just as he flew to the summit of the main peak, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong were already waiting for him.


    At that moment, both of their complexions were rosy, and they seemed very jubilant.


    Lin Tianming descended from the sky, greeted the two with a cupped fist salute, and asked with a smile on his face,


    "Big brother, judging by your expressions, did you manage to register successfully?"


    When Lin Tianming asked, Lin Tianhong displayed a smug look and confidently said,


    "Hehe, fortunately, it was a success, but you wouldn''t know, today''s Miscellaneous Hall... What a scene it was..."


    Both Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong''s eyes crinkled as they watched Lin Tianhong chatter away excitedly, the two exchanged a smile.


    According to Lin Tianhong, today''s registration was extremely popular. More than thirty people were vying to participate, and the two of them were chosen partly because of their youth and partly because, among the Qi Refining clanspeople, they were among the most prominent. Lin Shilu always took good care of the younger generation, so with their close relationship, they were recruited.


    "Big brother, besides the two of you, which other clan members were selected?" Lin Tianming asked curiously.


    When Lin Tianming brought up this matter, Lin Tianfeng helplessly said,


    "Apart from us two, the other three should be Xing Clan Members. We were the first to be selected, after that we left, so the specific participants are still unclear, but I estimate they are definitely cultivators above the eighth level of Qi Refinement."


    After finishing, Lin Tianming shifted the topic and inquired about their plans.


    "Never mind that, I heard from Elder Wu that we''ll depart on time in a month. Do you brothers have any arrangements?"


    As the date drew near, Lin Tianfeng looked serious and discussed his plans.


    "First, I''ll go to the Hall of Merit to exchange for some talismans to ensure survival, then I''ll go into seclusion to cultivate a bit more, aiming to enhance my cultivation as much as possible. After all, Qianchuan Market is not like the family clan. There, although fighting is forbidden, outside the market, there aren''t so many rules."


    After Lin Tianfeng''s reminder, Lin Tianhong, who had been chatting and laughing moments before, suddenly became solemn, then said;


    "That''s the plan. This trip will take three years, and it''s necessary to exchange all our resources for elixirs and talismans, and to prepare more Spirit Stones for any unforeseen needs."


    "You brothers have thought it through. I also plan to cultivate for a short period!"


    No sooner had Lin Tianming finished speaking than Lin Tianfeng took up the conversation.


    "Then brother, I won''t keep you any longer. We''ll meet again in a month!"


    "Till then!"


    After the exchange, Lin Tianming and the others saluted with their fists and turned to fly off in different directions.

 Chapter 150 Revisiting Old Places_1

    Over twenty days hurried past.The day before his departure, Lin Tianming walked out of his cave dwelling and flew towards the small valley where he practiced.


    Ever since he began preparing for his Foundation Establishment, the Purple Gold Eagle had been staying in the valley. Since he was going to Qianchuan Market, it was natural to bring it along, as it could take the place of travel on foot and save a considerable amount of time. As its strength grew, it could also offer some help during battles.


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    In no time at all, Lin Tianming appeared in the valley.


    When his figure appeared in the valley, the Purple Gold Eagle immediately flew over and landed in front of him.


    At this point, after a large number of elixirs from Lin Tianming, the Purple Gold Eagle''s aura had become even stronger. Clearly, it had reached the limit of a First Order Demon Beast.


    Lin Tianming jumped onto its back, fondly stroked its huge head, and then the pair began flying around Green Bamboo Mountain.


    ...


    Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Inside Lin Shikang''s cave dwelling, several members of the Lin Family from the Foundation Establishment Clan were sitting in the courtyard drinking tea.


    Lin Shihua took out three storage bags and handed them to Lin Shilu in front of him, then said,


    "Shilu, these three storage bags each contain fifty thousand Spirit Stones, as well as a large number of Spiritual Objects. They are all items needed to set up a shop."


    Lin Shilu received the storage bags, gave them a scan with his Divine Sense, and his expression grew serious.


    Such a large sum of Spirit Stones and various Spiritual Objects, nearing a total value of a hundred thousand, made it clear that the family was ready to go all out to secure a foothold in Qianchuan Market.


    Seeing the change in Lin Shilu''s expression, Lin Shikang also spoke up at this time,


    "Shilu, you have full authority over matters in Qianchuan Market. If necessary, you can ask Daoist Ye for help. With his connections and cultivation level, he may be able to offer some assistance."


    "If it really becomes impossible to manage, then let it go. Although Qianchuan Market is the family''s preferred location, it''s not irreplaceable. Prioritize your own safety above all else."


    "Yes, Qianchuan Market is filled with all sorts, and although the Lin Family has not made enemies with other forces, you still need to be extremely cautious." Lin Shigong also added a word of advice.


    With his expression returning to calm, Lin Shilu nodded firmly and responded,


    "Please rest assured, elder brothers. Shilu understands the importance and will not let you down. On this trip, I will surely secure a stable footing in Qianchuan Market as soon as possible to pave the way for the family..."


    ...


    As evening approached, the glow of sunset gradually faded and the sky darkened.


    In a valley, Lin Tianming put the Purple Gold Eagle into his Spirit Beast Bag and then, using Sword Flight, headed towards the summit of the main peak.


    A short while later, he did not return to his own dwelling but went to his father''s courtyard instead, intending to reunite with his mother before leaving.


    Entering his father''s courtyard, he found his grandfather and sister already waiting.


    Seeing Lin Tianming come in, Lin Tianyue''s face lit up with joy as she approached and took hold of his arm, acting coquettishly.


    "Brother, you are getting busier by the day and don''t visit Yue''er anymore!"


    "You''re already a Seventh Level Qi Refinement Cultivator, how come you still haven''t grown up?" Lin Tianming teased as he stroked his sister''s hair.


    Lin Tianyue pouted, let go of his arm, and with a sulking expression said,


    "Hmph, I''m also a First Order Medium Grade Talisman Maker now, I don''t care about you anymore; I''m going to help Mother!"


    Lin Tianming chuckled and walked over to his grandfather, then bowed his hands in greeting,


    "Tian Ming pays respects to Grandfather!"


    "Come sit, let''s talk!" Lin Shigong gestured with a wave of his hand.


    As they chatted casually, Lin Tianming took out a storage bag and passed it to Lin Shigong, which contained the two thousand Spirit Stones.


    "Grandfather, Fifteenth Grandfather did not accept any Spirit Stones for the Artifact Refining, so I must return them to their rightful owner!"


    Lin Shigong chuckled, accepted the storage bag without refusal, and then remarked with some emotion,


    "Among the many younger members of our family, your Fifteenth Grandfather has really gone above and beyond for you!"


    "Yes, grandson understands!" Lin Tianming nodded in agreement.


    Lin Shilu had refined artifacts for him several times and provided him with quite a few cultivation resources. The efforts were hardly less than those of a true grandfather, which was indeed remarkable.


    Not just towards him, Lin Shilu was equally generous to other young members of the family, a rarity in the entire Lin Family.


    Thinking about all this, Lin Tianming immediately felt a profound respect.


    After a while, following Lin Shigong''s advice, dinner was ready. The family sat together to eat and casually chatted.


    As his mother placed a piece of Spirit Beast meat into Lin Tianming''s bowl, she looked at him with regret and said,


    "Tianming, your twenty-fifth birthday is coming up soon. It''s a pity that you have to leave for Qianchuan Market tomorrow; otherwise, I would have celebrated it for you!" sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reminded by his mother, Lin Tianming remembered that in half a month, he would turn twenty-five.


    Time had flown, and it had been fifteen years since he embarked on the cultivation path. Having reached the Foundation Establishment Stage for over a year, he thought back on the past decade with its clear images of cultivation, as if it were only yesterday, and couldn''t help feeling a wave of nostalgia.


    Without mention, it was easy to forget, but now recalling it, his pace of cultivation had set him apart. At twenty-four, he had already succeeded in Foundation Establishment. Even in the entire Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World, he was a rare existence.


    Keeping these modest achievements in his heart, Lin Tianming then let out a relieved smile and said,


    "A true man aspires to travel far and make his mark. And even more so for a Cultivator. Isn''t today like an early celebration?"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s words, everyone smiled knowingly.


    As night fell, the harmonious dinner concluded, and Lin Tianming, standing up with his grandfather, prepared to leave.


    As they arrived at the plaza, Lin Shigong took out two bottles of elixirs and handed them to him, then said,

 Chapter 150 Revisiting the Old Place_2

    "Tianming, you will set off tomorrow. I won''t see you off, and I''ve said all that needs to be said. Take these two bottles of elixirs, and deliver them to your father when you pass Golden Horn Mountain."Lin Tianming took the elixirs, his expression determined as he responded:


    "Grandfather, rest assured, I will certainly work hard in my cultivation, and I won''t let you or the family down!"


    "Good, that puts my mind at ease!"


    Lin Shigong replied, then took the lead in departing, heading toward his own cave dwelling.


    Watching Lin Shigong leave, Lin Tianming then lifted his feet and departed, returning to his own cave dwelling.


    ...


    The next morning...


    As dawn was just beginning to break, several people had already gathered in the plaza at the family gate, among them Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong.


    Lin Tianming arrived above the plaza by sword flight, and before he could land, heard Lin Tianfeng''s hearty laughter.


    "Sixth brother, you''re finally here, we''ve just been waiting for Fifteenth Grandfather!"


    Lin Tianming smiled faintly, descended from the sky, then walked forward and bowed to the clan members.


    "I have seen three of my uncles, and two elder brothers."


    "Haha, with Tianming accompanying us, we can be said to be absolutely safe on this journey!" Lin Xingsu said excitedly.


    Before his voice had even faded, Lin Xingli echoed the sentiment.


    "Indeed, originally we thought that only Fifteenth Uncle, a Foundation Establishment, would be leading the team. To think that the True Dragon Prodigy of our family is also joining us, I am now quite reassured!"


    "My clan-born brethren flatter me. In the three years to come, we must rely on each other and fight side by side!" Lin Tianming replied with a smile.


    After that, they chatted idly for a while, becoming more familiar with one another.


    While waiting, Lin Tianming took the opportunity to evaluate their team.


    The three members of the Xing generation were all ascetics with little interaction with him. Nevertheless, they possessed not insignificant cultivation and were young with plenty of potential, no wonder the family valued them.


    Both Lin Xingsu and Lin Xingli were at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, while another member named Lin Xingyao was at the Eighth Level.


    Among those on the journey, Lin Shilu was at the Sixth Level of Foundation Establishment, and with him at the First Level, plus three people at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, and two at the Eighth Level.


    Such strength in the team was considerable; many Foundation Establishing families couldn''t even muster such forces when they were fully deployed.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, with the sound of tearing air, Lin Shilu appeared in the plaza.


    Lin Tianming and the others immediately went forward and respectfully bowed to him.


    "Dispense with the formalities!" Lin Shilu waved his hand, and everyone stood waiting on the side.


    After surveying everyone, Lin Shilu said:


    "Tianming, let''s use your Purple Gold Eagle as our mount. This time we won''t need to detour; we will prepare to go through Golden Horn Mountain, resting for a day or two, and incidentally check on your father!"


    "Alright!"


    "With no detours, not only is our journey much safer now, but we''ll also cut down a lot of time," Lin Tianming said, his expression excited.


    "The hour is late; we depart immediately!"


    After speaking, Lin Shilu took out the token, opened the Protective Clan Formation, and the group of six people left the formation.


    Outside the formation, Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle, then took out a Beast Spirit Pill for the eagle to consume.


    "Your Spirit Beast has advanced rapidly, reaching the peak of a First Order Demon Beast in just seven or eight years!" Lin Shilu remarked admirably.


    Hearing this, the faces of Lin Xingli and the others changed. Although they knew all along that Lin Tianming''s Spirit Beast was strong, they hadn''t realized it was even more formidable than theirs.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming smiled and explained:


    "Xiao Diao has consumed quite a few Spiritual Objects, it has swallowed dozens of elixirs, so reaching this level is inevitable!"


    "That''s true!"


    Lin Shilu nodded, jumped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle first, and the others quickly followed.


    With plenty of space for six people on its huge body, Lin Shilu took out a map and then confirmed the route with Lin Tianming.


    A few breaths later, Lin Tianming gave the command and the Purple Gold Eagle soared into the clouds a thousand yards high, heading north, and soon vanished into the horizon.


    Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Xingli and the others were astounded by its speed.


    Lin Tianming remained calm; he sat with his eyes closed on the eagle''s back, enjoying the sensation of rapid flight.


    As the Purple Gold Eagle continued to grow, its current speed had increased even more than before.


    Previously, it took over twenty days to reach Qianchuan Market, but now, flying at this speed without detours, it was estimated that they could reach Qianchuan Market in about ten days.


    Unknowingly, two days passed.


    Golden Horn Mountain, the Jin Family Clan''s Territory Ruins.


    Several years have passed since the great Clan Battle at Luoyun Mountain, and the territories of the Jin and Wu families were all occupied by the Lin Family.


    Over the years, more and more clan members began to come to Golden Horn Mountain, and Lin Xingrong even stayed here to cultivate.


    Golden Horn Mountain was rich in spiritual energy, making it an excellent place for settling down. Being close to Qianchuan Market also made its location extremely important, serving as a junction for the family.


    In addition to this, Golden Horn Mountain had huge Spirit Fields and a Spiritual Medicine Garden, as well as a not so small area of Golden Flower Trees.


    Golden Flower Trees were First Order Superior Grade Spirit Materials, usable in artifact refining, their value not inferior to that of Qingling Bamboo.


    Many of the Spiritual Medicine Materials and Golden Flower Trees could not be transplanted, and it would be a pity to let the vast Spirit Land crafted by the Jin family over a millennium go to waste.


    Therefore, the family placed great importance on this matter, dispatching a large number of clan members to occupy the land, restoring various Spiritual Objects and ensuring a substantial income each year.


    Such a treasure land was something the family would never give up on, from any perspective.


    At dusk...


    The Golden Horn Mountain was especially quiet at this time, with a clan member patrolling the mountain gate.


    Watching a dark shadow approaching from a distance, Lin Xingyou momentarily lost in thought.


    In an instant, the shadow arrived at the mountain gate.


    Seeing the several people on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Xingyou''s face lit up with excitement; he opened the great formation and immediately stepped forward to greet them.


    "Xingyou pays respects to Fifteenth Uncle, and to my fellow clan members!"


    Lin Tianming and the others returned the salute, exchanging pleasantries, after which Lin Shilu smiled slightly and said,


    "Let''s go inside first, send a message to Xing Rong at once!"


    After sending the message, Lin Shilu walked in, and Lin Tianming and the others followed.


    After entering Golden Horn Mountain and settling the Purple Gold Eagle, the group walked within the interior of Golden Horn Mountain.


    Revisiting the old place and walking on the cobblestone road, Lin Tianming observed the Jin Family Clan''s Territory he hadn''t seen for years.


    After several years of renovation, the traces of the family battle were erased, and the Golden Horn Mountain of today saw no ruins, retaining only some intact buildings. Compared to before, the scale was much reduced, but it still looked exquisite.


    A quarter of an hour passed.


    Lin Tianming and the others arrived at the main peak of Golden Horn Mountain, in a newly built courtyard.


    They sat in the small courtyard waiting, and Lin Xingrong, upon receiving the message, quickly came over.


    Having not seen his father for more than a year, his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer was as expected.


    After exchanging greetings, everyone took their seats, and Lin Xingrong asked about the purpose of their visit with a puzzled look. Explore more at empire


    Lin Shilu didn''t conceal anything and stated the purpose of their visit directly.


    "Qianchuan Market, our family is going to expand into Qianchuan Market?"


    Lin Xingrong was somewhat surprised, but having previously been stationed in Luoyun Market long-term and being well-versed in commerce, he quickly understood the family''s strategic plan.


    Following that, Lin Xingrong also briefed them on the situation in Golden Horn Mountain and discussed various business matters concerning the market.


    After more than an hour of discussion, they had a general understanding of Golden Horn Mountain and gained valuable insights.


    As it was getting late into the night, Lin Shilu finally spoke up and instructed,


    "That''s enough for today. Everyone should go rest, and we''ll set off again early the morning after next!"


    Lin Xingrong nodded, and Lin Xingyou, along with Lin Xingli and the others, left to arrange places for them to rest.


    Once they had departed, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu were arranged to stay in this courtyard to rest.


    After a brief chat, Lin Tianming took out two bottles of elixirs prepared by his grandfather and added one of his own, handing them to his father.


    "Father, these three bottles of elixirs are from grandfather for you!"


    Lin Xingrong was somewhat skeptical but did not show it, calmly saying,


    "I still have some elixirs for my cultivation, let''s take one bottle each!" S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shilu chuckled and replied,


    "Xing Rong, just take them. Tianming is already a Second Order Alchemist, and your father certainly does not lack elixirs, and neither do I!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xingrong''s face lit up with joy, and he accepted the elixirs, storing them in his storage bag.


    After discussing their recent cultivation achievements, Lin Shilu stood up to take his leave and prepare for rest.


    After giving several instructions, Lin Xingrong also rose to leave.


    With everyone gone to rest, Lin Tianming was the last to leave, returning to his own room to rest.

 Chapter 151 Return to Qianchuan_1

    ``` S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Early morning. Golden Horn Mountain.


    Dense fog enveloped the area, the morning glow filtering through the clouds, with the gentle sunshine shining in every corner of Golden Horn Mountain.


    After a day and night of rest, Lin Tianming and his companions appeared at the mountain gate, with Lin Xingrong arriving to see them off.


    After Lin Tianming and his six companions had exchanged bows, they said farewell to Lin Xingrong and set off again, flying north towards Qianchuan Market.


    Golden Horn Mountain lay to the north of Luoyun Market, over two thousand miles away, and was the closest position within the Luoyun Mountain Range to Qianchuan Market.


    With the family''s occupation of Golden Horn Mountain, it could serve as a stepping stone for the Lin Family''s expansion towards greater aspirations, making its significance extraordinary.


    Sitting on the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Shilu took out a map made from beast skin and started examining it carefully with Lin Tianming.


    He pointed at two spots on the map with a serious expression and said,


    "Tianming, after we fly several hundred more miles to the north, we''ll enter the periphery of the Hengyang Mountain Range. Everyone needs to be vigilant from there on!"


    "You and I will take turns on guard. We cannot afford to be negligent!"


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s instructions, Lin Tianming nodded and acknowledged with a casual response before he spoke up:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, with your eighty years of cultivation experience, you must have seen much of the world. Since we''re going to establish ourselves in Qianchuan Market, perhaps you could enlighten us on the basic situation surrounding the market?"


    Seeing Lin Tianming bring up this matter, Lin Shilu naturally wouldn''t refuse, especially since he had already planned to analyze the power dynamics of the surrounding forces to prepare the younger generation psychologically.


    Having made up his mind, he gathered everyone around and began to speak with a grave expression:


    "The Wei Kingdom is also vast, and as for the Golden Elixir Forces, I''m sure you''ve heard of them without me having to mention it."


    "In the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World, there are at least a hundred Foundation Establishing Families. Almost every year, some families vanish, while new ones emerge. With so many families, the vast majority will not cross paths."


    "I will introduce the Foundation Establishing Families near Luoyun Market, which are close to the Luoyun Mountain Range. Keep these in mind, so if conflict arises with them, you will be prepared."


    Lin Tianming and the others nodded. Most of them had only operated within the Luoyun Mountain Range, so they didn''t know much about the outside world. As Lin Shilu started speaking, they all listened intently, showing keen interest.


    After a moment of contemplation, Lin Shilu began his explanation.


    "The vast area more than two thousand miles north of the Luoyun Mountain Range falls under the Hengyang Mountain Range and Luoyang Mountain Range!"


    "These two ranges form a pincer with Luoyun Mountain Range. Being closer to Qianchuan Market, the overall strength of these two mountain ranges is noticeably stronger than that of Luoyun Mountain Range."


    At Lin Shilu''s words, the others immediately showed interest, their eyes filled with anticipation.


    Seeing their reactions, Lin Shilu continued:


    "The Hengyang Mountain Range has seven great Foundation Establishing Families, among which the Chen Clan and Wei Family are powerful, openly boasting five Foundation Establishment Cultivators. The number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the other five families varies, but overall, the strength of the entire Hengyang Mountain Range is more than double that of Luoyun Mountain Range!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianfeng could not help but click his tongue, while the others looked somber.


    Lin Shilu chuckled and continued:


    "You might think that''s all, but actually, the neighboring Luoyang Mountain Range is even stronger!"


    Lin Tianfeng was immediately shocked and eagerly inquired further.


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    "The situation in Luoyang Mountain Range is very different from Hengyang Mountain Range. There, only three major families exist, creating a tripartite balance of power that has persisted for hundreds of years. Each family has a heritage spanning over a thousand years, making them deeply entrenched and powerful."


    "One family also bears the Lin surname, while the other two are the Meng Family and Qiu Family. Each publicly boasts no fewer than seven Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Furthermore, among these three families, there is a considerable number of late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators and beyond!"


    "Hiss... such incredible strength!"


    The others gasped, Lin Tianfeng''s face paled, Lin Tianhong''s expression turned even darker, and even the usually composed Lin Tianming was taken aback.


    Comparing the Lin Family to these other families based on Lin Shilu''s description, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but realize how much the Lin Family lagged behind in overall strength, despite having a similar number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Seeing his younger kinsmen''s expressions of terror, Lin Shilu remained calm, then said:


    "You needn''t worry too much. The Foundation Establishing Families of Hengyang Mountain Range are embroiled in constant internal strife and lack the capacity to entangle with external forces."


    "On the other hand, the situation in Luoyang Mountain Range is comparatively simple. The strength of the three major Foundation Establishing Families is evenly matched; they guard against and suspect each other. None dare act rashly for fear of allowing another to profit off their conflict, leading to over two hundred years of peace."


    Reassured by Lin Shilu''s detailed introduction, Lin Tianming and the others felt somewhat more at ease, yet many questions lingered.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, wouldn''t the Golden Elixir Forces intervene in the internal conflicts between families in different regions?" Lin Tianfeng asked curiously.


    Lin Shilu answered calmly and patiently:


    "In the entire region of Qingzhou, unlike other major states that have developed for tens of thousands of years such as the central Mysterious State, where many forces with ten-thousand-year legacies stand unshakably, Qingzhou has only developed for tens of thousands of years and cannot be compared."


    "Being close to the Demon Race Area, it is one of the Four Battlegrounds. Every day, many forces are extinguished, so many rules and orders are not well established. Over time, the situation here has become quite unique. Qingzhou is vast with sparse populations and chaotic order. Almost all forces just occupy a piece of territory and then wage war on their own."


    ```

 Chapter 151 Return to Qianchuan_2

    Lin Tianfeng and the others nodded their heads, showing expressions of having gained much benefit.Having never left the Luoyun Mountain Range before, they listened to these situations and finally gained a better understanding of the outside world.


    Soon after, Lin Tianming also asked:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, from what you said, if there are no rules or order, doesn''t that mean the major forces can attack each other?"


    Lin Tianfeng echoed the sentiment.


    "Exactly, in that case, won''t major forces fight each other bloody over resources? Yet up to now, we haven''t heard much news about Golden Core forces being exterminated?"


    Lin Shilu''s expression remained calm as he began to explain again.


    "You are not aware of this; even though Qingzhou''s surface lacks explicit rules and order, for powers above Golden Core, the ties are too great. Pull one hair and the whole body is affected; they do not easily engage in large-scale warfare."


    "It is said that among the Human Race''s supreme powerhouses, those at the Divinity Transformation Stage have reached an agreement. Forces above Golden Core should not easily strike against each other to avoid the loss of the high-order combat power of the Human Race."


    "Divinity Transformation Stage powerhouses? An unspoken pact among the peak powerhouses of the Human Race?" Lin Tianming exclaimed in surprise.


    Lin Shilu nodded, then said:


    "It''s only said, whether it is true or false, I, with my limited perspective, cannot clarify."


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    "As for struggles between the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment Families, for those Nascent Soul Cultivators standing at the peak of the Human Race, it''s nothing more than trivial scuffles, not worth mentioning."


    "Even if a life-and-death battle occurs, costing a large number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, low-order cultivators are merely a drop in the ocean when it comes to the overall strength of the Human Race. What truly decides the fate of the Human Race are those powerhouses above the stage of Nascent Soul cultivation."


    "And the Golden Core forces will not engage in major conflicts over small profits, unless it''s for a huge opportunity." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming, hearing Lin Shilu''s words, also found his explanation quite acceptable.


    Upon reflection, if there truly were no limits to rules, wouldn''t it mean one could act recklessly, stripping away the layers, and what chance would those Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment families have to survive?


    Although there are such underlying rules on the surface, the territories of the Human Race are vast with numerous domains. In places like Qingzhou, overt and covert struggles never cease, and in the vast Cultivation World, even the destruction of Golden Core forces wouldn''t create much ripple.


    Looking at it this way, the Cultivation World is still a place where strength is supreme and interests are paramount. Even Divinity Transformation Stage powerhouses would fight fiercely over transcendent resources; this, he had long seen very clearly.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming seemed to have grasped the concept, Lin Shilu was very pleased and then said:


    "You need not be too pessimistic. Although Qingzhou is chaotic and the rules are not perfect, it is much better compared to a thousand years ago. Moreover, among the Three Great Sects of Wei Kingdom and other Golden Core families, there hasn''t been large scale slaughter, and the overall state of Wei Kingdom is relatively stable."


    "As for the Foundation Establishing Families of the Hengyang and Luoyang Mountain Ranges which are closer to our territory, there will be numerous interactions in the future. As for each family, just be careful and cautious. And as for Golden Core forces, we''re not yet at a level to provoke them, just keep a low profile, avoiding trouble where possible but not fearing it, do you understand?"


    Lin Shilu''s expression was serious, as he earnestly cautioned them.


    Lin Tianming and the others clasped their fists and replied in unison:


    "Rest assured, Fifteenth Grandfather, we will definitely be careful and cautious, we won''t casually offend other forces!"


    Hearing Lin Tianming and the others'' responses, Lin Shilu nodded, then no longer spoke, starting to rest with his eyes closed.


    The group also discreetly refrained from asking further questions and each began to meditate and cultivate.


    Lin Tianming sat on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, surveying the rapidly passing scenery, deep in thought about something.


    Flying northward, they crossed over numerous lofty mountains and ridges, drawing ever closer to Qianchuan Market.


    Ten days passed quickly; the Purple Gold Eagle flew high in the sky, crossing the edge of the Hengyang and Luoyang Mountain Ranges.


    They encountered very few other cultivators along the way and finally arrived at the outskirts of Qianchuan Market on the tenth day.


    In a valley a few dozen miles from the market, Lin Tianming and the others landed on a small hill.


    After stowing the Purple Gold Eagle in the Spirit Beast Bag and taking a brief rest, the group of six altered their appearances and began sword flight towards the gate of Qianchuan Market.


    Along the way, the ever-cautious Lin Shilu once again gave some final reminders as they approached the entrance to the market, finally stopping his chatter.


    Lin Tianming was very aware that their task of permanently staying in the market was far from trivial; to gain a foothold in the intricate Qianchuan Market was no easy feat. Should they encroach on the interests of other forces, it was inevitable that some incidents would occur.


    And leading Lin Tianfeng and the others, he also had to be mindful of their safety. As such, both he and Lin Shilu faced no small amount of pressure.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s expression grow somewhat serious, Lin Shilu transmitted a comforting message:


    "When the soldiers arrive, block them, when the water comes, cover it with earth. If worst comes to worst, we can abandon this plan; there''s no need to be too tense!"


    Lin Tianming smiled knowingly and gave Lin Shilu a comforting look.


    Outside Qianchuan Market, the group of six flew on their swords, gazing at the vast city in the distance. Even for Lin Tianming, who was visiting for the second time, the sight was still somewhat shocking.


    For Lin Tianfeng and the others, who were visiting the largest market in the southern Wei Kingdom for the first time, the sight of the buildings reaching into the clouds brought a look of excitement to their faces.


    The group flew close to the market entrance, then proceeded on foot toward the bustling city, where many cultivators still queued up for entry even as dusk approached.


    Lin Shilu led the group forward, simply following in line behind the others.


    After about a quarter of an hour, Lin Shilu paid the full amount of spirit stones, and they entered the city without issue.


    Inside, Lin Shilu led the group down the wide bluestone paved roads.


    As they walked past the bustling scenes along the way, Lin Tianfeng and the others glanced around, taking in the charm of a medium-sized market.


    In no time, they reached the North District of the market, where cave abodes were for rent.


    Looking at the bluestone attic in front of them, Lin Shilu spoke up:


    "We''ll rent a temporary cave abode today, so that we can settle down. Once the shop matters are finalized, we will then move to a longer-term, stable residence!"


    Lin Tianming and the others naturally had no objections. After a brief discussion, Lin Shilu stepped inside, with everyone following suit.


    Upon entering the hall, the receptionist, a Seventh Level of Qi Refinement cultivator, sensing the aura Lin Shilu faintly exuded, hurried over respectfully and asked:


    "Senior, are you here to rent a cave abode? Allow me to introduce our offerings first."


    Lin Shilu nodded, and the receptionist pointed at the light screen in front of them, patiently starting his introduction.


    Shortly after, Lin Shilu pointed to a spot flickering with green light and inquired about the price.


    The receptionist''s face lit up with joy, and he began to explain eagerly.


    "Senior has a good eye. This cave abode is of the Second Order, brimming with spiritual energy. It includes several practice rooms and a pill refining room. It''s located in a rather secluded spot and has just become available. It can be yours for three months at the cost of just sixty spirit stones!"


    "Let''s take this one then, lease it for three months!"


    Lin Shilu nodded in agreement and then took out the spirit stones to hand to the receptionist.


    The receptionist accepted the spirit stones and then produced a book. He infused it with a law decree, and the green light on the screen turned red.


    Having completed these tasks, he respectfully handed over a golden token, the key to the temporary cave abode.


    "Senior, please take your time. When the rental period is nearing its end, you may come here to switch places or extend the lease!"


    Taking the golden token, Lin Shilu and the others left the hall and headed towards the temporary cave abode in the North District.


    In a short while, the group arrived in front of a quiet courtyard.


    Lin Shilu took out the token and cast a law decree, causing a light screen to appear out of thin air, and then led everyone inside.


    Entering the courtyard, they felt the abundant spiritual energy that was almost comparable to that on the Summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, and Lin Tianfeng and the others became quite emotional.


    Lin Shilu swept the entire cave abode with his divine sense to ensure safety, then said:


    "After more than ten days of travel, everyone is tired. Let''s rest early today and discuss our next moves tomorrow morning!"


    "As you command!"


    The group answered in unison and then each chose a room within the cave abode to rest.


    Lin Tianming found a room deep inside the cave abode, entered, and lay down on a bed crafted from jade. Soon, fatigue set in, and he quickly fell asleep.

 Chapter 152 Collecting Information_1

    At the dawn of the next day.In the temporarily rented Cave Mansion Courtyard, Lin Tianming and his group of six people sat around a stone table. After a night of rest, their fatigue from the past ten-plus days had completely vanished.


    Lin Shilu sat in the seat of honor, scanning over everyone before opening his mouth to speak;


    "Now that we''ve arrived at Qianchuan Market, it''s time to discuss our next steps. If anyone has suggestions or advice, feel free to speak up."


    After he finished speaking, the clan members remained silent, and Lin Tianming also fell into deep thought.


    A dozen or so breaths later, seeing that everyone was staring blankly at one another, remaining silent, the atmosphere turned somewhat awkward, Lin Tianming finally spoke leisurely;


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, since we are new here, with no connections and unclear about the market''s operations, acting rashly will likely lead us down many wrong paths."


    Lin Tianfeng, sitting beside him, nodded in agreement, and the others also looked at him expectantly.


    Seeing the expressions of everyone, Lin Tianming didn''t delay any further, continuing to share his thoughts.


    "We shouldn''t be too hasty in renting a shop. We''d better walk around the market to gauge the flow of customers in the business district, as well as the situation with our competitors. Gathering information before starting our business would be the more prudent approach. What do you all think?"


    Before his words could fall, Lin Xingli, with a surprised expression, added;


    "Tianming, your words make sense. Acting hastily will lead to many detours. Plus, we aren''t familiar with the basic situation of the market, which can easily encroach on the interests of other forces. Even though we''re here to do business, there''s still fear of others employing underhanded tactics."


    "Being cautious and gathering more information will definitely not be wrong, and it could help us avoid many unnecessary troubles. We''re just here to do business, so it''s best to be as stable as possible."


    After Lin Tianhong added a sentence, Lin Shilu nodded thoughtfully, a relieved look appeared on his face. Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire


    In truth, he had simply asked casually, gauging the adaptability and abilities of the younger clan members.


    Coming to Qianchuan Market, he had brought these clan members along to act. He had no doubt about Lin Tianming''s abilities, but since they would be in seclusion for the long term, and he didn''t want Lin Tianming to be entangled in worldly matters, managing the market store would need to be left to others.


    Fortunately, the accompanying clan members didn''t act rashly to seek quick success. Their cautious attitudes would serve them well anywhere.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Shilu instructed;


    "You all have spoken well. This matter should indeed not be rushed. In the coming days, feel free to walk around the market and collect information. We''ll discuss it further in a few days before making a decision."


    "Be careful when you go out, and don''t invite trouble." Lin Shilu advised loudly.


    The others nodded in agreement and then left the courtyard together, leaving only Lin Tianming behind.


    "Tianming, I''ve sent a message to Daoist Ye. Tonight, accompany this old man to the Yuxi Restaurant to meet an old friend."


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s instructions, Lin Tianming naturally wouldn''t refuse and agreed on the spot.


    Lin Tianming had already anticipated the purpose of this trip.


    For the clan to gain a foothold in Qianchuan Market, it was possible to consult Ye Pinghai, who had been living there for decades and was also a Second Order Alchemist. Maybe he could provide some guidance.


    Seeing that he understood, Lin Shilu nodded in satisfaction. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming also stood up and cupped his fists, ready to go out for a stroll and casually gather some news.


    Once out of the residential area, Lin Tianming walked on the broad streets, his mind racing with thoughts.


    When it came to where to find the most informed news in the entire market, naturally, it would be venues like restaurants and tea houses. Some cultivators, while drinking and tasting tea, also liked to gossip about the situations of various powers. If he took a tour around these places, he might gain something valuable.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming headed toward the West District of the market.


    A quarter of an hour passed, and he crossed several streets and plazas, arriving at the commercial district of the market.


    In the early hours, the marketplace was bustling with activity as crowds of cultivators shuttled between shops.


    Lin Tianming continued deeper into the market, observing the shops along the street, memorizing their names, and when he encountered some selling elixirs and Spiritual Artifacts, he would browse and also buy a few elixirs to assess their alchemy skill level.


    Before he knew it, half a day had passed. He had visited the entire commercial district of the market and obtained quite a bit of useful information.


    As he calculated, in the entire West District of the market, there were at least over twenty big shops and nearly a hundred smaller ones that sold Second Order Spiritual Items. Almost every few dozen meters, there would be one or two shops, and near the plaza in the much-coveted area, the shops were even more densely packed.


    Looking at this situation, the competition was truly extraordinary.


    Putting this information aside, he soon reached the front of a tower.


    Looking up, he saw a three-story building occupying a not-so-small space, with "Yuxi Restaurant" engraved on the signboard at the entrance.


    Opposite it, there were several even larger restaurants, not only bigger in size but also seemingly higher in rank than Yuxi Restaurant.


    During the noontime, a large number of cultivators entered the restaurant. That''s when Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong quietly appeared in front of him.


    Lin Tianfeng spoke with a smile;


    "Little Sixth, it seems we have similar thoughts. Since we''ve run into each other, let''s have a meal together; it''s a good opportunity to gather some news."


    Lin Tianming was somewhat surprised, not expecting this coincidence, but since Lin Tianfeng suggested it, he naturally wouldn''t object.

 Chapter 152 Gathering Information_2

    Three people stepped into the Yuxi Restaurant, where many were enjoying their drinks and casual conversations in the bustling hall.Upon seeing Lin Tianming and his two companions enter, a Qi Refining Cultivator at the Third Level approached to greet them.


    "Please come in, honored guests. Do you wish to reserve a private room, or would you prefer to dine in the main hall?"


    Lin Tianming chuckled. He had come here precisely to gather intelligence; opting for a private room¡ªwhich often had prohibitions against eavesdropping¡ªwould defeat the purpose.


    Looking at the dozens of tables in the hall, almost all occupied by Qi Refining Cultivators discussing various gossips and happenings of the market.


    Lin Tianming felt a surge of covert delight, yet he maintained a calm demeanor and casually replied:


    "Just in the main hall will be fine!"


    The young man had hoped to serve a few cultivators in a private room, so he could earn a larger hosting commission. He didn''t expect they would choose the main hall.


    "These three clearly have the cultivation of the Late Stage of Qi Refining, yet they picked the most ordinary seating area. Could it be that they are strapped for cash?"


    "There goes my chance for a tip!"


    The young host thought regretfully, but he didn''t let any displeasure show on his face. With a smile, he personally led Lin Tianming and his party to pick out a table.


    The three chose a seat by the window and sat down, after which Lin Tianming took out three Spirit Stones and handed them to the young host.


    "Serve us a table of your specialty dishes, and bring some of your finest Spiritual Wine!"


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    Seeing Lin Tianming offer a tip, the young man''s spirits soared. Taking the Spirit Stones, he scampered off to prepare their meal.


    In no time, a table of exquisite foods was brought before them.


    "Please enjoy, fellow Daoists. Should you need anything, simply call on me!" said the young man.


    Lin Tianming nodded, and the young man tactfully left.


    Before them were several jade plates filled with the aromatic meat of Spirit Beasts, complemented by three flasks of Spiritual Wine.


    The three chatted idly, eating their food, while Lin Tianming pricked up his ears, attentively listening to all the topics being discussed in the hall.


    At that moment, not far from them, a table occupied by four Qi Refining Cultivators burst into conversation as they heartily drank Spiritual Wine.


    One of the men in a white robe set down his wine cup and whispered:


    "Fellow Daoists, have you heard? The Lingxiao Tower to the south of the commercial district is closing down."


    Hearing this topic, Lin Tianming covertly observed their every move and hung on their every word.


    "Lingxiao Tower is closing down?"


    "Impossible, right?" a man in a gray robe questioned.


    Another in a blue shirt shook his head, expressing disbelief:


    "I''ve heard that Lingxiao Tower belongs to the Gao Family of the Qingfeng Mountain Range. It''s been open for over a hundred years, and business has always been good. Why would they close?"


    The man in the white robe spoke with an air of calm, his voice barely audible.


    "That''s where you''re uninformed. A rumor has it that the Gao Family engaged in a fierce battle with Wei Zhou of the Qingfeng Mountain Range. The Gao Family was defeated, suffering heavy casualties. Now they want to sell off their properties quickly and move their family out of Wei Kingdom to escape the pursuit and assassination attempts from the Wei Zhou families."


    The comment left the man in the blue shirt with a changed complexion, exclaiming in surprise:


    "The Gao Family''s strength was considerable before. Even with heavy losses, do they really need to leave the market? After all, no matter how powerful the Wei Zhou families are, they wouldn''t dare to cause trouble in the market, breaking its rules, right?"


    The white-robed man unconvinced, then proceeded to explain.


    "This has to do with the strategic location of the Qingfeng Mountain Range. The Wei Zhou families are powerful; either one is no weaker than the Gao Family. I''ve heard each has five Foundation Establishment members. Their territories control the vital passages, and even if the Gao Family holed up in the market, their stores would run out of treasures to sell soon enough. It''s better to cash in early and start anew elsewhere; there might be a chance for a comeback."


    "Indeed, as long as we have the green mountains, we needn''t worry about firewood. Dragging it out will only weaken them further!"


    Realizing the rationale after the white-robed man''s explanation, the man in the blue shirt switched gears.


    "In the past few decades, the Wei Kingdom has been fairly tranquil, with no large-scale clan wars, a rare period of peace."


    Upon hearing this, the white-robed man''s expression shifted, then he said:


    "Have you all forgotten? Just a few years ago, the Luoyun Mountain Range went through a gruesome battle!"


    As these words fell, a Qi Refining Cultivator at another table nearby suddenly turned to look at the white-robed man.


    This Fifth Level Qi Refining Cultivator stood up, clasped his hands together in greeting, and eagerly inquired:


    "I am Chen Xiu, a Loose Cultivator. This is my first visit to Qianchuan Market. I would be very interested to hear about the great battle you mentioned. Could you please share the story?"


    The man in the white robe chuckled, feeling that since the incident had happened several years ago and many in the market were aware of it, there was nothing to hide.


    Then, the sociable man in the white robe called Chen Xiu to take a seat, and began to speak:


    "Several years ago, a great battle erupted among the major families in the Luoyun Mountain Range. The Jin and Wu families were annihilated, and the Sun Family suffered heavy losses,"


    "It was about a month after the battle in the Luoyun Mountain Range that the news reached Qianchuan Market, causing a huge sensation at that time."


    "Who would have thought that the Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain, unbeknownst to most, had so deeply hidden their strength, boasting six Foundation Establishment Cultivators, who took the initiative to annihilate all members of the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family."


    "You must know, the Jin Family was previously the strongest in the Luoyun Mountain Range, also having several Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and yet they were all wiped out."


    Chen Xiu was astonished to hear this, and replied:


    "Logically, it should have been an evenly matched situation; at the very least, it shouldn''t have led to a clan''s annihilation. And to think that the Jin Family, which ranked first for so long, was so easily defeated?"


    "Heh heh..."


    The man in the white robe sneered and said:


    "This Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain is no minor clan, and definitely not an easy target. You should know that the Lin Family ancestors include a Golden Elixir Expert!"


    "What, a Golden Elixir Expert?"


    Chen Xiu exclaimed, his breathing suddenly becoming rapid.


    Foundation Establishment Cultivators were already beyond their reach, let alone Golden Elixir Experts. For them, Qi Refining Cultivators, it was an almost impossibly distant realm.


    He was stunned for a moment before he calmed down, then he lamented:


    "The Jin Family really had bad luck, stirring up trouble with a family that had a Golden Core Cultivator among its ancestors, and in the end, they failed to steal the chicken and lost the rice!"


    The man in the white robe remained calm, adding a comment.


    "Indeed, a family that has produced a Golden Core Cultivator is not one to be trifled with, and even in decline, it is not so easily obliterated!"


    ...


    Although their voices were not loud, Lin Tianming, sitting a few tables away, could still hear everything clearly.


    Afterward, they stopped discussing the Luoyun Mountain Range and switched to some mundane topics.


    Before they knew it, half a day had quickly passed.


    Throughout the afternoon, Lin Tianming and his two companions never left Yuxi Restaurant, staying inside, drinking and chatting while also gathering information.


    After an afternoon of waiting, the three of them had gained quite a bit, with the most useful piece of information being that the Gao Family''s Lingxiao Tower was changing hands.


    Besides that, they also heard some rumors, but the veracity of those was hard to ascertain.


    As dusk approached, Lin Tianming raised his cup and spoke to Lin Tianfeng and the other:


    "Brother, you and Second Brother go back to our lodgings first; I and Fifteenth Grandfather have some important matters to attend to!"


    Lin Tianfeng looked puzzled but did not ask what the matter was. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Go ahead, Tian Hong and I will wait a while longer before heading back together later in the evening," offered Lin Tianfeng.


    "Alright..."


    Lin Tianming nodded, downed his Spiritual Wine in one gulp, then threw down several dozens of Spirit Stones, saluted Lin Tianfeng and the other with a fist, and then left Yuxi Restaurant.


    Yuxi Restaurant and the Welcoming Establishment were both in the business district, not far apart, separated by just one street.


    Before long, Lin Tianming arrived at the entrance of the Welcoming Establishment.


    There was still a little time before his meeting with Lin Shilu, so Lin Tianming stood on the street, observing the surrounding environment.


    Although it was in the same area as Yuxi Restaurant, the Welcoming Establishment had a better location and was clearly a cut above in class.


    Yuxi Restaurant was a place where Qi Refining Cultivators would go, whereas the Welcoming Establishment was frequented by Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Besides that, the special offerings of the meals and the decorative atmosphere were also quite different, obviously catering to different crowds.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Shilu appeared in his sight.


    "Tianming, we''re hosting this time; let''s go inside and wait!"


    Lin Shilu instructed, then led him towards the Welcoming Establishment.

 Chapter 153 Assistance_1

    In a private room on the second floor of the Welcome Pavilion, Lin Tianming sat opposite the other party.There was still some time before Ye Pinghai''s scheduled arrival, and the two chatted to pass the time.


    He recounted some of the rumors that had been circulating throughout the day and awaited Lin Shilu''s opinion on them.


    Sure enough, upon hearing the news, Lin Shilu was similarly stirred.


    The purpose of their trip to Qianchuan Market was to establish a foothold, but setting up a shop in the market was not so easy,


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    Due to the bustling popularity of Qianchuan Market and consistently good business, most families conducting business there made a handsome profit.


    As a result, various shop spaces in the market had always been highly sought after, with hardly any powers willing to voluntarily give up their lease and forfeit the opportunity to make money.


    And once a location became available, it would quickly be rented by Foundation Establishment Families, with sometimes more than ten families competing to bid for a single shop space, even leading some to form grudges over it.


    Given this, it was not easy for the Lin Family to rent a shop within a short period of time.


    If the Gao Family was indeed planning to sell Lingxiao Tower, it would unquestionably be great news for the Lin Family.


    Having just arrived in the market, they had stumbled upon such a rare opportunity; their luck could be described as extremely good.


    With this thought, Lin Shilu suppressed the excitement in his heart and then inquired,


    "Tianming, what do you think about the likelihood that the Gao Family intends to sell Lingxiao Tower? Is there any hidden secret in this?"


    After some thought and recalling the rumors he had heard that day, Lin Tianming responded,


    "This matter has caused quite a stir, and I don''t think it''s without foundation. Considering the fact that the Gao Family was jointly attacked by Wei Zhou and suffered heavy losses, it is possible that they are indeed contemplating the sale."


    "That makes sense!"


    Lin Shilu nodded, and Lin Tianming continued.


    "If the Gao Family truly intends to sell, many families will surely want to rent it. With our limited power, securing a spot would certainly come at a significant cost!"


    "Without a doubt, numerous Foundation Establishment Families will compete, and our Lin Family, previously not well-known, will find it difficult to stand out."


    After Lin Tianming finished analyzing, Lin Shilu was not disheartened but calmly said,


    "Daoist Ye, having been in the market for many years and being a Second Order High-Grade Alchemy Master, may have some connections. When he arrives, let''s inquire further."


    "We can only do so!"


    No sooner had the words been spoken than the protective enchantments of the private room flashed.


    "Daoist Ye has arrived, let''s go welcome him!"


    After instructing, the two got up. Lin Shilu then made a single-handed seal and cast a Law Decree, which vanished into the enchantment and disappeared.


    As the light flashed again, the entrance to the room revealed the figure of Ye Pinghai.


    After not seeing him for several years, Ye Pinghai''s aura seemed even more formidable.


    Lin Shilu, with Lin Tianming beside him, walked forward with a bright smile and then offered a respectful bow with folded hands.


    "Haha, Brother Ye, it''s been a long time, younger brother pays his respects..." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Junior has seen Elder Ye!" Lin Tianming gave a respectful bow with his hands clasped.


    Ye Pinghai, with a beaming smile as if meeting an old friend, returned the gesture with both hands clasped.


    Then, upon seeing Lin Tianming, he was immediately astonished and spoke in admiring tones.


    "Young Brother Lin is truly a dragon among men. In just a few years, you have already succeeded in Foundation Establishment; such cultivation speed is truly terrifying!"


    Lin Shilu chuckled modestly and responded,


    "Not at all, Brother Ye exalts me. My junior here has only been lucky and diligent, leading to a faster cultivation pace. As for his talent, it is hardly remarkable in the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World!"


    After finishing his words, Ye Pinghai did not continue the subject. He waved his hand to change the topic and said playfully,


    "Now that Young Brother Lin has made a breakthrough, we are both Foundation Establishment Cultivators. You should now address each other as fellow daoists!"


    Lin Tianming shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this and then said,


    "Elder Ye, you flatter me too much. Though we both are at Foundation Establishment, you are at the Ninth Level and a Second Order High-Grade Alchemy Master, a formidable figure in the entirety of Qianchuan Market. How could I compare myself to you?"


    Lin Tianming continued with a series of compliments, and then, with sincerity, said,


    "Moreover, you are as close as brothers with my grandfather and Fifteenth Grandfather, and you have helped the Lin Family many times. If I were to address you as a fellow daoist, would it not upset the order of seniority?"


    "Haha..."


    With Lin Tianming''s explanation, Ye Pinghai laughed heartily, and the atmosphere among them became much warmer.


    Once things calmed down, Ye Pinghai said,


    "Brother Lin has been kind to me, and indeed we have addressed each other as brothers. Since you say so, I''ll take the liberty to forgo formalities. From now on, if you don''t mind, you may call me Grandpa Sea, how about that?"


    "Junior has seen Grandpa Sea!" Lin Tianming instantly agreed, greeting him with a bow.


    Hearing Ye Pinghai''s words and his initiative in showing goodwill towards the Lin Family, Lin Shilu on the side was very pleased and repeatedly agreed,


    "It should be so indeed!"


    After a few pleasantries, Lin Shilu invited Ye Pinghai to take a seat, while Lin Tianming instructed the servants waiting outside to serve a full table of food.


    Each took their seats, and Lin Shilu pulled out two golden gourds, uncorking one to let its fragrance fill the air.


    He stood to pour wine for Ye Pinghai and didn''t forget to add,


    "Brother Ye, these jugs of ''Haoyu Fruit Wine'' were personally brewed by Ninth Brother, infused with a large amount of precious Spiritual Medicine. It enhances cultivation and is not something we commonly consume."

 Chapter 153 Assistance_2

    ```"If it weren''t for our trip to the market city, Ninth Brother specifically asked me to bring a few jars for you, Daoist Ye, insisting that I treat you to a banquet. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have had the chance to enjoy such a delight myself!"


    ```


    ```


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s words, Ye Pinghai let out a chuckle, a look of anticipation appearing on his face.


    ```


    ```


    "Is that so? I must savour them properly then. It would be disrespectful to Shi Gong''s kindness otherwise!"


    ```


    ```


    The enthusiastic Lin Shilu entertained Ye Pinghai, while Lin Tianming sat beside Lin Shilu.


    ```


    ```


    While indulging in spirit beast meat, Lin Tianming also made sure to rise and pour drinks for the two of them.


    ```


    ```


    Drink rounds passed thrice, dishes varied in five courses.


    ```


    ```


    Under the warm reception, with cups of spiritual wine going down one after another, Ye Pinghai was also pondering Lin Shilu''s intentions.


    ```


    ```


    Having lived nearly a hundred years and seen all sorts of people, he knew that Lin Shilu''s enthusiasm today must have been driven by a request.


    ```


    ```


    Knowing this, he took the initiative to ask.


    ```


    ```


    "Lin, if you have any requests where you need assistance, just speak frankly. If I can help, I will, as a way to repay the Lin Family''s life-saving favor!"


    ```


    ```


    Seeing that he directly brought up the matter, Lin Shilu replied with a wry smile:


    ```


    ```


    "As you have guessed, Daoist Ye, I indeed have a matter to discuss!"


    ```


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    "Oh?"


    ```


    ```


    Ye Pinghai was somewhat intrigued. The Lin Family''s requests for his assistance in the past were almost always for alchemy, which for him was merely a matter of expending some time, and he would also charge a basic fee. His efforts could hardly be considered a great contribution.


    ```


    ```


    As for today''s matter, which Lin Shilu was handling with such gravity, he wondered what it could be.


    ```


    ```


    Seeing Ye Pinghai''s expression, Lin Shilu decided not to hide anything further, to avoid displeasing him.


    ```


    ```


    With his mind set, he directly cut to the chase and repeated the purpose of the Lin Family''s trip to the market city.


    ```


    ```


    "Leasing a shop, to establish a foothold in Qianchuan Market?"


    ```


    ```


    "The Lingxiao Tower of the Gao Family might change hands?"


    ```


    ```


    Ye Pinghai was somewhat astonished, but after Lin Shilu''s further explanation, he understood the Lin Family''s farsightedness.


    ```


    ```


    The Lin Family had not lacked this ambition in the past, but they truly didn''t have the strength. Even the Jin Family, once the number one family of the Luoyun Mountain Range, had not been able to secure a foothold in Qianchuan Market.


    ```


    ```


    Now with eight members of the Lin clan at the Foundation Establishment level, such strength allowed them to surpass all others in the Luoyun Mountain Range, and they naturally would not be content to just stagnate in obscurity.


    ```


    ```


    Thinking of this, he very much understood the Lin Family''s demands. However, securing a position in Qianchuan Market was by no means an easy task.


    ```


    ```


    Currently, the powerhouses backing the shops in the market were among the top tier of Foundation Establishing Families. Without real strength and connections, the market wouldn''t give them the time of day.


    ```


    ```


    Furthermore, the leases for the market''s shops start at ten years and with more than two years left until the next cycle, it would be quite a wait for that gap unless they hoped for a mid-term transfer opportunity, which was exceedingly rare. Normally, such a transfer would only occur if a shop could not continue operating.


    ```


    ```


    "If the Gao Family really does transfer their shop, certainly many forces will have their eyes on it¡ªit''ll surely lead to fierce competition," said Ye Pinghai.


    ```


    ```


    Seeing Ye Pinghai''s eyebrows raise and his expression turn grave, falling into silence, Lin Shilu did not dare to rush him, only waiting anxiously.


    ```


    ```


    At that moment, the private room was silent except for the sound of their even breathing.


    ```


    ```


    After more than a dozen breaths passed, Ye Pinghai finally spoke languidly:


    ```


    ```


    "Lin, while this task is challenging, it''s not impossible. If Lingxiao Tower indeed changes hands, we could try. Having spent decades in the market city, I''ve established some connections that might be of use. Perhaps we can negotiate something."


    ```


    ```


    Before he could finish speaking, Lin Shilu was overwhelmed with joy.


    ```


    ```


    He had intended to make an attempt, but had not expected Ye Pinghai to readily agree to the matter. Although success was not guaranteed, the sheer willingness to help was already invaluable.


    ```


    ```


    Otherwise, left to their own devices, they might ramble around aimlessly like headless flies, uncertain of when they would achieve any result.


    ```


    ```


    "Rest assured, Daoist Ye. I will confirm this matter immediately. Once it is true, I will ask for your assistance in navigating it. Regardless of the outcome, I assure you, you will be handsomely rewarded!"


    ```


    ```


    After speaking earnestly, Lin Shilu then took out a storage bag and handed it to Ye Pinghai.


    ```


    ```


    Seeing this, Ye Pinghai waved his hand and said:


    Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire


    ```


    ```


    "The matter has yet to be confirmed¡ªif the Gao Family is unwilling to sell, I would be of no help. It would be better to confirm the veracity of this matter in the coming days. Afterward, it''s not too late to make further plans."


    ```


    ```


    Seeing his determination, Lin Shilu had no choice but to give up and reluctantly took back the storage bag.


    ```


    Lin Tianming, standing to one side, also tastefully stepped forward to fill their cups with Spiritual Wine.


    After that, the two tactfully changed the subject, starting to exchange insights and occasionally chatting about some trivial family matters.


    Lin Tianming, on the other hand, was frantically sweeping through the delicacies on the table, with large amounts of Spirit Beast meat being devoured into his stomach, the smidgen of Spiritual Power contained within the meat nourishing his flesh.


    The banquet continued for over half an hour, and as the sky gradually darkened, Ye Pinghai prepared to take his leave.


    "Lin Brother, you and I should each inquire whether the news about Lingxiao Tower changing hands is true or false. Once there''s any news, you can directly come to my cave dwelling, and we can discuss and plan!"


    Lin Shilu nodded vigorously, his expression excited as he said:


    "Thank you, Elder Brother, for your concern. The moment I have news, I will immediately send a message to you!"


    "Good!" replied Ye Pinghai.


    Subsequently, the three got up, and after leaving the welcoming building, they each gave a salute and walked toward their respective cave dwellings.


    Upon returning to the temporarily rented cave dwelling, Lin Tianfeng and the others had already returned to the courtyard.


    Gathering everyone together, they summarized the information they had collected.


    The information gathered by all was almost identical; within the entire Market City, only the news of the Gao Family''s Lingxiao Tower being transferred had spread.


    Thus, for the time being, the Lin Family could only pin their hopes on this Lingxiao Tower.


    In the courtyard, seeing everyone fall into silence, Lin Tianfeng asked:


    "What should we do next?"


    After another few moments of silence, Lin Shilu, also without any clue, felt somewhat helpless.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming spoke up:


    "Tomorrow, you all should still go out to wander the streets and alleys, gossiping around, and befriend some cultivators to help us establish a foothold in the market. As for the matter of Lingxiao Tower, tomorrow I and Fifteenth Grandfather will go there in person to take a look and then inquire at the Market City Hall. Meanwhile, Elder Ye will confirm the matter through a friend, and I believe it won''t be long before we have an answer!" S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was the only option for now. Hearing Lin Tianming''s arrangement, Lin Shilu felt very reassured and then comforted everyone.


    "Indeed, worrying won''t help. Let''s not be so pessimistic, with Daoist Ye lending us a hand, there is still a considerable hope."


    Hearing these words, the tension eased significantly from Lin Tianfeng and the others.


    Throughout the day, they had mingled in various parts of the Market City, gaining some understanding of the rental situation of shops and becoming thoroughly familiar with the name of Ye Pinghai.


    It could be said that apart from Golden Elixir Experts, within the powerful Qianchuan Market, Ye Pinghai stood out among Foundation Establishment Cultivators, relying on his exquisite Alchemy skills to enjoy unlimited glory and full house of esteemed guests.


    With his assistance, the task indeed became much more manageable.


    Seeing the improved countenance of his companions, Lin Shilu instructed:


    "Let''s proceed according to Tianming''s plan. Tomorrow, everyone will take action on their own, and be careful when you go out!"


    "It''s getting late, everyone should rest now!"


    "Yes!"


    Lin Tianming and the others stood up, bowed, and then headed to their rooms.


    Returning to his room, Lin Tianming sat on the jade-like stone bed, then brought his hands together and started a Grand Circulation.


    Having consumed a lot of Spiritual Wine and a great amount of Spirit Beast meat, a surge of energy within him began to be refined.


    After more than an hour of cultivation, he finally refined most of the energy in his body.


    In the deep quiet of the night, he sat at the bedside, pondering.


    Considering the overall strength of the Lin Family, it was above average among Foundation Establishment families in the Wei Kingdom, and they qualified for sure.


    What mattered most was the attitude of Zhenyang Sect behind Qianchuan Market; this was the crux of the issue. As long as they could manage this connection, the task would become simple.


    "Enough, I''ll go take a look tomorrow and see..."


    Muttering to himself, Lin Tianming lay down to sleep, and soon his snores filled the room.

 Chapter 154 Major Progress_1

    The next day.On a wide cobblestone path, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu walked together.


    It was early morning, the busiest time for the market district, with numerous cultivators shuttling between the various shops lining the sides of the streets.


    On the street, Lin Tianming looked all around, eyeing the bustling commercial area and conversing intermittently with Lin Shilu beside him.


    Feeling the lively scene around him, Lin Tianming showed a hint of pleasure and then spoke up:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, not far ahead is the location of Lingxiao Tower. This street''s position is not bad, close to the central market''s auction, so it''s always bustling with people¡ªan excellent location within the entire commercial district!"


    "Indeed, it''s not bad; the pedestrian traffic here is significant. The surrounding shops are all big, and their business appears to be booming..."


    Lin Shilu nodded and replied. As soon as he entered this street, he felt the difference.


    The two walked on, and soon they arrived in front of a three-story pavilion.


    Stopping in his tracks, Lin Tianming looked up at the building before him.


    This was a three-story pavilion covering over ten acres, beautifully engraved all over. Above its main entrance hung a golden plaque with the words "Lingxiao Tower" written in a dragon-and-phoenix dance script.


    Looking at the imposing Lingxiao Tower, this was their destination for the trip.


    "Come on, let''s go in and take a look first!"


    Lin Shilu commanded, stepping towards the interior of Lingxiao Tower, with Lin Tianming quickly following behind.


    Inside Lingxiao Tower at the moment, the vast hall was nearly empty, with only a few Qi Refining Cultivators selecting treasures. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gao Yuzhou sat at the front desk, looking at the few Qi Refinement Stage customers with a worried expression, heaving sighs from time to time.


    As a member of the Gao Family in charge of Lingxiao Tower''s business for several years, he had never seen it as deserted as in the past month, with each day worse than the last.


    "Who knows if Seventh Uncle has had any success? If there''re no new treasures, I''m afraid Lingxiao Tower won''t be able to hold on much longer!"


    Muttering to himself, Gao Yuzhou''s face showed a look of loss.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming and his companion enter, Gao Yuzhou forced a smile and immediately came forward to greet them.


    "Welcome to our store, honored cultivators. May I ask what you are looking for?" Gao Yuzhou greeted with clasped hands.


    After he finished speaking, Lin Tianming and his companion didn''t say anything, instead examining Gao Yuzhou himself. Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    Seeing Gao Yuzhou''s clearly nervous and insufficiently confident demeanor, Lin Tianming and his companion speculated that Lingxiao Tower''s situation must be extremely dire.


    Feeling their gaze, Gao Yuzhou''s heart sank, though he hid it well, the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators still sensed it.


    With Gao Yuzhou unsure of their purpose, he tried to seem more natural despite the palpitations inside him.


    After several moments passed, Lin Tianming finally retracted his sharp gaze and spoke:


    "I require some Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials and a few bottles of Second Order Spirit Origin Pills."


    Hearing this, Gao Yuzhou''s expression grew even more solemn.


    What Lin Tianming requested were all Second Order items; Lingxiao Tower hadn''t restocked any Spiritual Objects for half a year, relying solely on old inventory to scrape by.


    With the current situation, the Gao Family was both afraid of Lingxiao Tower losing business and of the last bit of stock selling out. Coupled with the prolonged absence of new supplies and many customers unable to purchase what they desired, several regular customers had almost all stopped coming.


    Now, faced with such a large order for Second Order Pills, if this were the past, Gao Yuzhou would have been overjoyed, but now it was a thorny issue.


    Because Lingxiao Tower simply didn''t have that quantity. If he outright refused, it might reveal Lingxiao Tower''s desperate situation.


    Seeing that Gao Yuzhou had not replied for a long time, along with his hesitating look,


    Lin Tianming became even more certain of his suspicion that Lingxiao Tower must be on the brink of collapse.


    A few breaths later, Gao Yuzhou spoke somewhat helplessly:


    "Honored cultivators, as the elixirs have not yet been refined, we presently don''t have sufficient quantity. If you are in a hurry, perhaps you could try your luck at other shops!"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming and his companion, without further words, clasped their fists, turned around, and left Lingxiao Tower directly.


    After coming out of Lingxiao Tower, Lin Tianming and his companion once again took a round around the other shops in the street.


    After half a day, they had toured much of the market district.


    Back at their residence, they sat in the small courtyard chatting casually. Lin Tianming picked up his tea cup, took a light sip, and then said,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, it seems the rumors are indeed true. The Gao Family''s Lingxiao Tower has little stock left. If they don''t get a replenishment, I''m afraid they won''t last much longer."


    "Hmm..."


    Lin Shilu nodded, agreeing with his view.


    After coming out from Lingxiao Tower today, they visited many shops, and even the worst performing shop had more inventory and patronage than Lingxiao Tower.


    By that comparison, if the Gao Family cannot resolve the issue in a short time, it''s only a matter of time before Lingxiao Tower changes owners.


    "Tianming, this is good news. I''ve already sent a message to Brother Ye, and he''s already thinking of a way. Let''s wait patiently for a while!" Lin Shilu said.


    Lin Tianming acknowledged and then added,


    "Good, for the next few days, remind Tianfeng and the others to keep a close watch on Lingxiao Tower and the Gao Family''s movements."


    After speaking, Lin Tianming clasped his hands and returned to his own room.


    ...


    Time swiftly passed by, days turning into weeks.

 Chapter 154 Major Progress_2

    ```In Lin Tianming''s room, a Messaging Aura flew into the room and stopped in front of him.


    ```


    ```


    He opened his eyes, which had been tightly closed for several days, extended his hand to cast a Law Decree, and then the Messaging Aura dispersed, revealing the content of the message.


    ```


    ```


    After a few moments, a smile appeared on his face and he immediately rose and left the room.


    ```


    ```


    In the courtyard, Lin Shilu was waiting. Seeing him emerge, a smile also appeared on his face.


    ```


    ```


    Lin Tianming wasted no time with pleasantries and hurriedly asked,


    ```


    ```


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, did Ye mention the specifics in his communication?"


    ```


    ```


    As Lin Tianming pressed for details, Lin Shilu shook his head in response,


    ```


    ```


    "Li didn''t elaborate; he only requested that the two of us immediately visit his Cave Mansion Courtyard for a discussion." Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire


    ```


    ```


    "I suspect it has something to do with the progress regarding the shop. There''s no time to waste, let''s go right away!"


    ```


    ```


    Subsequently, the two of them left the courtyard together and hurried towards Ye Pinghai''s Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    ```


    ```


    It wasn''t long before Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu arrived at the entrance to Ye Pinghai''s Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    ```


    ```


    Ye Pinghai had been waiting for them. Seeing the visitors, he manipulated a spell to open the cave mansion''s wards, and the two walked in, one after another.


    ```


    ```


    As soon as they entered his Cave Mansion Courtyard, Lin Shilu performed a fist-and-palm salute and immediately began to inquire.


    ```


    ```


    "Ye, has there been progress with the shop?"


    ```


    ```


    Seeing the anxious look on Lin Shilu''s face, Ye Pinghai said with a smile,


    ```


    ```


    "Lin, indeed there has been progress. The Gao Family does intend to transfer the shop, but currently, it''s not just you¡ªmany families are considering taking over Lingxiao Tower."


    ```


    ```


    Upon hearing this, expressions of uncontained joy spread across the faces of Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming.


    ```


    ```


    For the past several days, the two had been losing sleep, constantly focusing on this matter. Since there had been significant progress, their excitement was naturally overwhelming.


    ```


    ```


    As the two gradually calmed down, Ye Pinghai continued,


    ```


    ```


    "Don''t get too excited just yet. Although the transfer is confirmed, there are several competitors who also want to take over Lingxiao Tower."


    ```


    ```


    "Ye, have you confirmed which families they are?" Lin Shilu asked urgently.


    ```


    ```


    "If all goes as expected, the Wei Family and the Zhou Family from Qingfeng Mountain Range will certainly be involved; they have joined forces against the Gao Family. Aside from coveting the Gao Family''s treasures, they surely won''t pass up the shop either!


    ```


    ```


    "In addition to the Wei and Zhou families, there are also the Chen Clan from the Hengyang Mountain Range and the Zhu Family from the Xiuyue Mountain Range. Other Foundation Establishing Families with insufficient strength are hardly a concern; they''re mostly just making up the numbers."


    ```


    ```


    Hearing this news from Ye Pinghai, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu''s expressions turned somewhat unsightly.


    ```


    ```


    For just one shop, there were several families competing whose strength was not inferior to that of the Lin Family. Indeed, success wouldn''t come easily.


    ```


    ```


    With this in mind, Lin Shilu spoke gravely,


    ```


    ```


    "Ye, I''ve heard of these major families. Their strength is indeed remarkable. Does our Lin Family stand a chance at acquiring it?"


    ```


    ```


    After some thought, Ye Pinghai began to analyze.


    ```


    ```


    "To be honest, in comparison to the other four major families, the Lin Family is at a disadvantage. However, your ancestor was a Mid Stage Golden Core Cultivator who once made a name for himself in the Wei Kingdom. Although overall strength is lacking, it doesn''t mean there''s no chance."


    ```


    ```


    Hearing Ye Pinghai''s comforting words, Lin Shilu''s complexion looked a bit better.


    ```


    ```


    However, he understood that even though their ancestor had once been renowned, he had passed away more than six hundred years ago; past fame wouldn''t be of much help now, and it was their own strength that mattered most.


    ```


    ``` sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While Lin Shilu was lost in thought, Ye Pinghai spoke again.


    ```


    ```


    "The reason I messaged you today is because there has been a significant development. I have been visiting old friends these past few days, and it has been somewhat fruitful!"


    ```


    ```


    "Is that so?" Lin Shilu asked eagerly, his face flushing with excitement.


    ```


    ```


    "Just today, I visited Li Xiuyuan. I explained the Lin Family''s appeal to him and we''ve arranged to visit him tomorrow with you."


    ```


    ```


    Before he could finish, Lin Shilu could not contain his joy, and quickly asked,


    ```


    ```


    "Li Xiuyuan? Do you mean that Li Xiuyuan, the Senior Executive Officer of the Market Institution?"


    ```


    ```


    "Exactly!"


    ```


    ```


    Hearing Ye Pinghai confirm it again, this time Lin Tianming was also thrilled.


    ```


    ```


    They had not been idle these past few days, collecting much information about the families and key figures in the market. Li Xiuyuan''s name was indeed well-known to them.


    ```


    This Li Xiuyuan is no ordinary person; he is a core disciple of the Zhenyang Sect with the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, possessing immense strength, and he also holds the position of a senior executive officer in the market institution.


    As everyone knows, the highest-ranking individuals in the market institution are the Golden Elixir Experts, but the Golden Core Cultivators are mostly busy pursuing the path of eternal life and have no time or energy to manage the trivial matters of the market institution.


    Therefore, three senior executive officers are appointed to manage the market institution on their behalf.


    It can be said that when the Golden Core Cultivators are absent, Li Xiuyuan and a few other senior executive officers are the de facto managers of the market institution; their status and strength are extraordinary, and countless Foundation Establishing Families seek to ingratiate themselves with them.


    He couldn''t believe that Ye Pinghai could actually befriend Li Xiuyuan and even get him to help.


    Seeing the puzzled expressions on Lin Tianming and the others, Ye Pinghai also explained:


    "In his early years, Li of the market institution had a low level of cultivation and had requested my help to refine several batches of elixirs; hence, he owed me a favor. Today, when I sought his help, he was willing to lend a hand."


    After pondering for a moment, Ye Pinghai continued:


    "However, although Li holds an office in the market institution, he doesn''t have the final say alone; the other two executive officers also naturally need to be well taken care of."


    After Ye Pinghai finished speaking, Lin Shilu felt relieved and nodded repeatedly in agreement.


    "It goes without saying, Lin of the market institution is willing to help, which is fortunate enough. Still, we cannot let him be busy for nothing. Moreover, I have already made preparations."


    Ye Pinghai nodded and then said:


    "Alright, I have already arranged to meet with him tomorrow. At that time, you shall accompany me to visit him!"


    After a brief chat and finalizing the matter, Lin Tianming and another person took their leave and returned to their own cave mansion.


    Sitting in his cave mansion courtyard, Lin Shilu''s brow was furrowed in hesitation.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming asked:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, is there any difficulty? Please share with Tian Ming and see if your grandnephew can offer help."


    Lin Shilu looked at the several storage bags in front of him and then spoke up:


    "We shall visit Li of the market institution tomorrow. Since we are requesting his services, we naturally must offer some treasures, otherwise, this matter might not succeed."


    "Before departing, the family provided tens of thousands of Spirit Stones for us to establish a store in the market institution. How many Spirit Stones should we offer as compensation to make it appropriate?"


    Lin Tianming laughed upon hearing this, finding it unexpected that Lin Shilu would worry about such a small number of Spirit Stones.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, it''s already quite rare for someone to be willing to help."


    "Furthermore, Lin Family has just arrived with no foundation or connections; we might still need to rely on others in the future. If we appear too stingy, it wouldn''t be beneficial for our development in the market institution."


    Lin Shilu nodded, agreeing with Lin Tianming''s rationale, and later remarked.


    "It is I who am indecisive!"


    Lin Tianming understood his elder, as the Lin Family had previously lived frugally, hating to even spend a single Spirit Stone without breaking it in half, so some hesitation was within reason.


    Lin Shilu regained his focus and then inquired:


    "Tian Ming, how do you think we should allocate these tens of thousands of Spirit Stones?"


    After pondering for a while, Lin Tianming felt that for someone of Li Xiuyuan''s stature, offering five thousand Spirit Stones was too little and would likely not be taken seriously; it would probably take at least ten thousand Spirit Stones to motivate them.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming began expressing his own opinion.


    "How about offering ten thousand Spirit Stones each to Ye and the three senior executive officers of the market institution?"


    "The remaining ten thousand can be used for the store''s rent, and if it''s not enough, we can chip in more Spirit Stones to resolve this matter."


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s suggestion, Lin Shilu almost immediately agreed to this plan without much thought.


    Having agreed on the matter, Lin Shilu said:


    "The hour is getting late; let''s rest for now and go together tomorrow to visit Li of the market institution!"


    "Yes!"


    Lin Tianming responded and then left with a bow, heading to his own room.


    Back in his room, Lin Tianming was still somewhat excited.


    Before coming to Qianchuan Market, he certainly did not expect to make significant progress in just a few days.


    After finally calming down, he formed hand seals and circulated his Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation, beginning to meditate and cultivate.

 Chapter 155 Achieving the Objective_1

    The next morning, Lin Tianming finished his practice early and appeared in the courtyard of the cave mansion.Lin Shilu had also emerged from seclusion and was walking around the courtyard.


    Today, they were going to visit Li Xiuyuan''s cave mansion, and Lin Shilu felt somewhat apprehensive, particularly concerned about the matter with the shop. Whether they could succeed or not depended on today.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming come out, Lin Shilu perked up and greeted him. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire


    The two exchanged pleasantries and then sat down in the courtyard.


    Since there was still time before the agreed meeting, the two chatted idly to pass the time.


    Before they knew it, an hour had passed.


    As the sun shone brightly and the time approached, Lin Shilu spoke up:


    "The time is almost upon us, let''s set out!"


    Lin Tianming nodded, and the two of them, one after the other, left the cave mansion and headed towards Ye Pinghai''s residence.


    Soon, the two met up with Ye Pinghai and proceeded toward the depths of the residential area.


    After a quarter of an hour and several quiet streets, Lin Tianming and his companions stopped in front of a peaceful courtyard.


    Surveying the surroundings and feeling the dense spiritual energy, which was much stronger than at their own place, they were impressed.


    "Is this where Li resides?" Lin Shilu asked.


    "Indeed! Li doesn''t like noise, so he lives in the deepest part of the entire North District!" Ye Pinghai explained.


    Lin Shilu nodded with admiration.


    "This place is rich in spiritual energy, truly an excellent cave mansion!"


    Ye Pinghai smiled faintly, then cautioned the two:


    "Li is powerful and also a Second Order Artifact Refiner, as well as a core disciple of the Zhenyang Sect. So, he can be a little eccentric. Do not offend him. Although I am acquainted with him, I can''t be sure about his temperament."


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming took it seriously and nodded gravely.


    Ye Pinghai then formed a single-handed seal and sent a message into the courtyard''s restrictions.


    Three breaths later, a slit opened in the light screen, and the three men walked straight through.


    Upon entering the courtyard of the cave mansion, they saw a man in a golden robe standing with hands behind his back, waiting for them.


    Ye Pinghai, leading the other two, stepped forward, greeted Li with cupped hands and a bow, and spoke with a smile.


    "Greetings, Li! I apologize for the intrusion today, please allow me to express my regrets first!"


    Li Xiuyuan waved his hand and replied with a smile:


    "Not at all. It''s rare for Ye to visit, and I''m too pleased to even consider it an intrusion!"


    Watching Ye Pinghai and Li Xiuyuan exchange pleasantries and apparently enjoying a close relationship, Lin Tianming felt relieved.


    After the greetings, Ye Pinghai introduced Lin Shilu with a smile.


    "This is Lin Shilu from the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family, a man of remarkable strength and also a Second Order Medium Artifact Refiner. Since you both share the craft of refining, you could exchange some insights."


    Li Xiuyuan regarded Lin Shilu with surprise, as he was around the same age, and asked:


    "Oh, Lin is also a refiner?"


    Lin Shilu greeted with a fist and palm salute and responded modestly.


    "I have merely scratched the surface, incomparable to Li. We really can''t be mentioned in the same breath."


    Hearing this, Li Xiuyuan became enthusiastic and said:


    "You are too modest, Lin. I have the support of my Sect, which has enabled my progress to this day. Although you are a few years older, hailing from a family and burdened with family affairs, it''s already quite remarkable for you to have achieved so much at your age!"


    As Lin Shilu waved his hand in modesty, Ye Pinghai began to introduce Lin Tianming.


    "Li, this young friend is extraordinary, a nephew of Lin, and a Second Order Junior Alchemist!"


    Lin Tianming also stepped forward, saluting with a fist in palm.


    Li Xiuyuan then turned his gaze to Lin Tianming, and upon seeing his age and hearing Ye Pinghai''s introduction, he was taken aback. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Lin Family is indeed full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; no wonder it has produced Golden Core experts. This young friend, not yet thirty, has entered the Foundation Establishment Realm and is a Second Order Alchemist. Such talent is rare even throughout the entire Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Lin Shilu chuckled and humbly interjected:


    "Li holds us in too high esteem. Though my junior is not bad, he can''t be considered much in the Wei Kingdom. I''ve heard that even the Zhenyang Sect has two exceptionally gifted disciples, who have achieved Foundation Establishment in just over ten years of cultivation."


    Li Xiuyuan, calm and yearning, replied,


    "Yet your junior is certainly no less talented than those geniuses. With the right guidance, there''s a hope of achieving the Golden Core Path!"


    "The Golden Core Path is not so easily reached. Such experts are few within the entire Wei Kingdom."


    "But I believe Li has a great chance of taking that step!" Lin Shilu remarked wistfully.


    Ye Pinghai joined in the sentiment,


    "Indeed, we are both nearly a century old. Without against-the-heavens fortune, we might stop here. Li, you are young and supported by the Sect, indeed with great potential."


    Li Xiuyuan laughed heartily and invited the others to take a seat.


    As the group chatted casually, they became closer, much like old friends.


    Initially, Li Xiuyuan was a bit skeptical based solely on Ye Pinghai''s word, but after seeing Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming''s cultivation levels and accomplishments in alchemy and artifact forging, he was greatly astonished.


    After half an hour, the four talked freely about everything from cultivation practice to supernatural skills, allowing Li Xiuyuan to gain a clear understanding of the Lin Family''s strength.


    As the atmosphere was cordial, Ye Pinghai decided to bring up the main topic.

 Chapter 155 Achieving the Goal_2

    "Brother Li, holding a key position in the Market City Hall, commands great respect and authority. Regarding the matter of Gao Family''s Lingxiao Tower, could you possibly offer some convenience?""Indeed, if Brother Li could mediate and negotiate on our behalf, it would be a huge step forward for the Lin Family. Such kindness will certainly be etched in our memory. The Lin Family will spare no effort in any area where we can be of use!" Lin Shilu added.


    Hearing the conversation of the two men, Li Xiuyuan fell into brief contemplation.


    Despite having an extraordinary talent and having reached the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level Realm at a young age, along with his status as a core disciple of the Zhenyang Sect and the support of Golden Elixir Experts as his masters, he was still uncertain about his prospects of advancing to the Golden Core Stage.


    Therefore, taking advantage of his position in managing the market city, he aimed to form as many good karmic bonds as possible, which might help him when he attempted to break through to the Golden Core Realm.


    If anything, he was well aware that the sect could not always be relied upon¡ª even ten thousand steps back.


    Looking at Lin Tianming and considering the Lin Family''s growing strength, along with a talented clan member like Tianming, who was likely to reach the Golden Core Realm, it seemed prudent to have the Lin Family owe him a favor, which could help him out in times of need.


    After musing for a moment, and despite having made up his mind, he still spoke with a troubled expression:


    "Given my friendship with Brother Ye, it is only natural that I offer my help when the Lin Family is in need. However, regarding the issue with the Gao Family''s Lingxiao Tower, other Foundation Establishing Families are involved, and not everything within the market city is decided by me alone. There are two fellow sect members who might have their own thoughts."


    "As such, I need to discuss with the other two sect members before I can provide an answer!"


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Lin Shilu took out three storage bags and handed them over to Li Xiuyuan, then said:


    "This represents a small token of my gratitude. I ask for Brother Li''s help in mediating this matter, and the Lin Family will certainly remember your assistance. Once the matter is settled, you will be amply rewarded!"


    "This..."


    Seeing the three storage bags, Li Xiuyuan naturally understood their implication. With his wealth and status, he did not care about spirit stones; what he valued more was the favor he would owe the Lin Family.


    With an appearance of reluctance, he said:


    "I must decline for myself, Brother Lin will have much need for spirit stones in the future. As for these two storage bags, I will keep them on behalf of my fellow sect members, and you may visit my residence again in three days."


    Listening to Li Xiuyuan''s words and seeing him accept two of the storage bags, Lin Shilu breathed a sigh of relief.


    "One does not thank for great kindness; rest assured, Brother Li, wherever you may need the Lin Family, we will not refuse!" Lin Shilu earnestly expressed his gratitude. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmm...


    "Let''s settle it then; we shall meet again in three days." Li Xiuyuan said.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming and the other two wisely rose to their feet, exchanged salutes, and promptly left his residence.


    Once outside the residence, the trio walked along a deserted cobblestone path.


    With no one around, Lin Shilu took out another prepared storage bag and handed it to Ye Pinghai, then said:


    "Brother Ye, your assistance has been invaluable this time. This modest gesture is not nearly enough to show my appreciation, but please accept it."


    Upon witnessing this, Ye Pinghai''s expression turned displeased:


    "What are you saying, Brother Lin? If I offer help, I do not expect anything in return. Besides, all I did was say a few words and didn''t provide any real assistance. Please, take it back!"


    Seeing Ye Pinghai''s adamant attitude and the slight anger on his face, Lin Shilu had no choice but to nod and take back the storage bag.


    "That''s more like it!" Ye Pinghai said with a chuckle.


    Before they realized it, half a quarter of an hour had passed, and the three returned to Ye Pinghai''s residence.


    Before parting ways, Ye Pinghai spoke:


    "Brother Lin, rest assured, I know Li well enough to say that since he has accepted the other two storage bags and confidently invites you over in three days, he most certainly has a nine out of ten chance."


    "Given that, let me congratulate you in advance, Brother Lin!" Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    Lin Shilu chuckled, clasping his hands in salute:


    "Then I''ll take your auspicious words, Brother Ye. Once the matter is resolved, I will surely come to express my thanks in person!"


    After speaking, the two exchanged salutes and turned to walk towards their respective rented residences.


    Back at his residence, Lin Shilu called together the members of his clan and briefly outlined the results of the trip.


    Upon hearing this news, Lin Tianfeng and the others were overjoyed.


    In the past few days, they had been lingering in every corner of the Market City, running about and working hard for this very matter, and now they had another substantial breakthrough¡ªhow could they not be thrilled?


    The matter of the store was finally about to be settled, and amidst their happiness, the group started with their compliments.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather is mighty, Fifteenth Grandfather has worked hard..."


    Lin Shilu smiled knowingly; he was very aware that even though Lin Tianming hadn''t said much, his role had been even more significant than Lin Shilu''s own.


    Ye Pinghai and Li Xiuyuan were interested in the Lin Family''s potential, as well as Lin Tianming''s potential, which is why they helped so unreservedly, without even wanting any benefits.


    If it were him, he would do the same.


    After all, Lin Tianming''s talent was exceptional¡ªfor someone so young to have achieved so much, should he succeed in reaching the Golden Core Stage, the returns he could bring would be even greater.


    Looking at the group beside him, bubbling with excitement, Lin Shilu smiled knowingly and sent them away.


    Once the others had left, only Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu remained seated in the small courtyard. Then, Lin Shilu began to speak:


    "Tianming, of the forty thousand Spirit Stones we prepared, we''ve only used twenty thousand. Ye and Li Xiuyuan did not take any compensation¡ªwhat do you make of this?"


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Tianming began to respond.


    "Both of them are indeed cunning with age, not taking any compensation. Clearly, they see the potential in our family. Both are close to making a breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm and will surely need substantial resources. Being on good terms with the Lin Family and putting us in their debt benefits them greatly. Once our family advances further, their gains will be immensely substantial..."


    "Hmm..."


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s reply, which understood the entire benefit relationship so thoroughly, felt profoundly reassuring to Lin Shilu.


    "Be that as it may, whatever their reasons, a mutually beneficial relationship is also the best outcome for us."


    "We will wait for news and then pay them a visit in three days."


    Lin Tianming nodded, and after chatting idly for a while, they both returned to their rooms for a brief meditation.


    ...


    Unbeknownst to them, three days passed quickly.


    When the appointed time with Li Xiuyuan arrived, Lin Tianming and company once again left the small courtyard and headed towards his cave dwelling.


    In a short while, the two appeared in Li Xiuyuan''s courtyard.


    At this moment, only the three of them were present; Ye Pinghai did not join the gathering.


    After they exchanged greetings with cupped fists and took their seats, Li Xiuyuan joyfully said:


    "I have not failed in my task; after much cajoling and persuasion, I finally convinced two fellow Sect brothers to rent the Lingxiao Tower from the Gao Family to the Lin Family."


    "Here I congratulate Lin on achieving his wish," Li Xiuyuan said with a fist salute.


    Although they had been prepared on their way over, it was only upon hearing these words that Lin Shilu finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Then Lin Shilu earnestly said:


    "I''m at a loss for words, immensely grateful. Once the shop is up and running, I will surely host Li at the reception hall to show our appreciation and hope that Li will honor us with his presence!"


    "Definitely, definitely..."


    Li Xiuyuan accepted his invitation and then took out a Golden Token, handing it over to Lin Shilu. He said:


    "This token is a symbol for the Market City; every individual or power with a store in the Market City has one. It grants free entry without paying Spirit Stones and allows you to bring up to five people at a time."


    "After discussions with two other fellow Sect brothers, it''s been decided to entrust the Lingxiao Tower to the Lin Family. The Gao Family has not yet vacated the premises, we estimate it will take a few more days. In the meantime, remember to go to the Market City Hall to pay ten years'' worth of store rent and complete the leasing procedures."


    "Good... I will take care of this matter as quickly as possible!" Lin Shilu responded.


    Seeing that everything was now settled, they made small talk for a while before they felt it was time to leave.


    The two of them stood up, cupped their fists in farewell, and left Li Xiuyuan''s cave dwelling.

 Chapter 156 Luoyun Pavilion_1

    Two days later, in the square outside the Qianchuan Market City Hall. Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library EmpireLin Tianming and Lin Shilu stood still, watching the incessant flow of cultivators coming and going, their faces revealing excitement.


    Thanks to Li Xiuyuan''s manipulation behind the scenes, the Lin Family had secured a place in Lingxiao Tower. Today, they had come to pay the shop''s rental fee, intending to finalize the matter swiftly to avoid any unforeseen incidents.


    With their minds made up, the two men didn''t hesitate and stepped towards the grand hall.


    Upon entering the hall, the enormous lobby was bustling with people. Over ten cultivators, dressed in Zhenyang Sect uniforms, were attending to those who had come to conduct business.


    Looking around, the hall was filled with dozens of cultivators, most of whom were above the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, and there were even over a dozen Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    "Qianchuan Market truly is formidable. In the Luoyun Market City Hall, there are scarcely any Foundation Establishment Cultivators conducting business, even those above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining are rare, yet here I easily see over ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators."


    Soon, it was Lin Shilu''s turn to step forward, so he approached.


    A Qi Cultivation Eighth Level disciple of the Zhenyang Sect stood up and spoke in a flat voice,


    "Elder, may I ask what brings you here today?"


    Lin Shilu took out the token that Li Xiuyuan had given him and handed it to the attending Zhenyang Sect disciple.


    "I am a member of the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family, here to pay the shop''s rental fee. I hope you can accommodate me, young friend," Lin Shilu said kindly.


    Before he finished speaking, many cultivators in the entire hall suddenly stopped their tasks, turning their attention this way.


    Due to the Lin Family''s low profile, and although the family''s founding ancestor was a Golden Core expert, the family had been silent for too long, and many younger cultivators had yet to hear of the Lin Family''s prestigious name.


    However, the battle a few years ago in the Luoyun Mountain Range, where the Lin Family eliminated the Jin Family, earning fame in one fell swoop, had caused a sensation across several surrounding regions.


    Lin Shilu''s appearance and the matter of renting a shop caught the attention of many, and the attending Zhenyang Sect disciple was also quite surprised.


    After a few moments, the attending Zhenyang Sect disciple regained his composure and then proceeded to inspect the token.


    A day earlier, he had received instructions from Li Xiuyuan, detailing the affairs of the Lin Family, which had shocked him greatly, prompting him to readily agree to the request.


    Once he confirmed the token was correct, he said with a respectful expression,


    "Elder Lin, I have already received a message from Uncle Li. The Gao Family''s cancellation has been handled properly. You need only pay the rental fee for ten years, a total of thirty thousand spirit stones."


    Lin Shilu nodded and let out a sigh of relief.


    The fifty thousand spirit stones the family brought were just enough, leaving thirty thousand to pay the rental fee. If it had been more than thirty thousand spirit stones, he would have had to borrow spirit stones from other family members, which would disrupt their plans and be quite troublesome.


    Regaining his composure, he took out a prepared storage bag and handed it to the attending cultivator.


    The attending cultivator took the spirit stones without even looking and said a few words before leaving his seat to go deeper into the hall.


    In a short while, he returned to his seat, holding a golden yellow token in his hand.


    The attending executive officer handed the token to Lin Shilu with a bow, then politely said,


    "Elder Lin, this is the restriction order token for the shop in Lingxiao Tower. If you change the shop''s name in the future, remember to register it with the Market City Hall. As for the shop''s rental fee, it should be renewed one year before the end of each ten-year term."


    Lin Shilu nodded slightly, looking completely unpretentious and kindly spoke,


    "Very well, young friend, you have my gratitude. When you have some free time, you are welcome to visit the Lin Family''s shop."


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s offer of friendship, the attending cultivator did not dare to neglect it and quickly responded,


    "Thank you for your generous offer, Elder. My name is Zhao Qianfeng. Whenever I find leisure time, I shall surely pay a visit."


    "Good..." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shilu chuckled happily, feeling very pleased.


    He chatted idly with Zhao Qianfeng for a few more moments, which helped close the distance between them, effectively fostering connections for the younger members of the Lin Family.


    For the Lin Family to gain a firm footing in the market, forming ties with more cultivators, especially ones like Zhao Qianfeng who have the backing of a major power, was essential. Just as this time, having such relationships could be useful in many critical moments and might provide some assistance.


    After a short while, Lin Shilu took his leave from Zhao Qianfeng, and the two of them left the Market City Hall together.


    As soon as they were out of sight, the entire Market City Hall started to buzz with whispers.


    A Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator muttered in confusion, "The Lin Family? Could it be the very same Lin Family that triumphed in the Luoyun Mountain battle a few years ago?"


    No sooner had he spoken than another Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator replied with a smug look,


    "Indeed, it is that Lin Family. I''ve heard that this family is not simple; their founding ancestor was a Golden Core Cultivator who was once renowned throughout the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World."


    "They''ve produced a Golden Elixir Expert!"


    "Exactly! It is said that the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family has six Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and the most formidable among the clan members is at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level with exceedingly powerful strength. Such capability places them at the forefront among all the Foundation Establishing Families in the entire Wei Kingdom."


    The clamorous hall was abuzz, everyone trying to find out more about the Lin Family. And as some cultivators left, they began to spread news of the Lin Family.


    The departing Lin Tianming and his companion were long gone, utterly unaware of this.


    ...


    Upon leaving the Market City Hall, the two men headed straight for the street where Lingxiao Tower was located.


    Soon, they arrived in front of Lingxiao Tower. Lin Shilu took out the restriction order token, opened it, and they walked in.


    The Lingxiao Tower was now deserted as the Gao Family had removed all the remaining items for sale, leaving behind a cluttered space.

 Chapter 156 Luoyun Pavilion_2

    Although the site was a mess, the facilities inside were essentially intact; they just needed to be cleaned and reorganized before they could be used again.It took the two of them half an hour to go through the entire Lingxiao Tower from top to bottom before finally returning to the main hall.


    The location of Lingxiao Tower was close to the market square, an excellent spot, and the interior space was not small at all, with the trading hall alone being over ten zhang in length and width, and having a storeroom, reception room, and rest area, all complete with various enchantments and formations.


    It wouldn''t be long before they could open for business. Lin Shilu nodded, very satisfied with this.


    "Tian Ming, gather Tianfeng and the others, let''s all get together and discuss the next step of the plan," Lin Shilu instructed.


    "Alright, I''ll send them a message right now!" Lin Tianming replied, and with a single-handed seal, sent out a message.


    Toward evening, within the Cave Mansion Courtyard of the North District.


    Lin Tianming and his clan members gathered together, and Lin Shilu, with a smile on his face, addressed them:


    "With the shop''s affairs settled, you can all breathe a sigh of relief. However, should we change the name of Lingxiao Tower? What are your thoughts on this?"


    After a moment of contemplation, Lin Tianming said:


    "Tian Ming suggests we change it. After all, Lingxiao Tower was a name chosen by the Gao Family, and since the Lin Family has taken over the shop, it''s as if a new dynasty has begun¡ªit''s only natural we change the name."


    Lin Tianfeng and the others nodded in agreement, indicating their approval of Lin Tianming''s statement.


    "Since everyone feels this way, let''s come up with a name and decide on it quickly," Lin Shilu said.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming and the others began to contemplate.


    After more than ten breaths of time passed, Lin Tianfeng was the first to suggest a name, which was quickly rejected by everyone else.


    Then Lin Tianming said:


    "The Lin Family hails from the Luoyun Mountain Range, so why not call it Luoyun Pavilion?"


    "That''s a good one..." Lin Tianhong was the first to speak up in agreement.


    Lin Shilu didn''t really care. The Lin Family''s shop in Luoyun Market had been called Hundred Treasures Building for hundreds of years without a name change. He also felt that the name Hundred Treasures Building was too ordinary, but it had been chosen by his ancestors, and he didn''t feel it was right to change it.


    Now that there was this opportunity to open a new shop, naturally, a name that was elegant and meaningful was desired.


    "Not bad, I have no objections!" Lin Shilu said. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    "We have no objections either!" Lin Xingli and the others also spoke up in agreement.


    With the shop name decided, Lin Shilu began to inquire about everyone''s opinions regarding the opening of the shop.


    Lin Xingli, having dealt with the Hundred Treasures Building''s transactions in Luoyun Market many times, had quite a bit to contribute on the matter.


    Lin Tianming also expressed:


    "On the opening day, it certainly needs to be grand. I suggest that all treasures be sold at a ten percent discount for one month. In just half a month, the market assembly will be upon us. If nothing unexpected happens, the number of people in the market will increase several fold. We can take this opportunity to make a name for Luoyun Pavilion!"


    Before he finished speaking, Lin Xingli voiced his objection.


    "Tian Ming, won''t one month be too long? If business is too good, think how many spirit stones we will lose out on!"


    Lin Tianfeng and the others also seemed reluctant but did not state their position.


    After some thought, Lin Tianming then proposed a compromise.


    "Well then, let''s take a step back. Only elixirs will be sold at a ten percent discount for one month; all other treasures will be sold at normal price. This way, the loss will be much smaller!"


    Seeing that Lin Xingli did not hold any further objections, Lin Tianming continued:


    "Do not mind the small profit for now; we have a long way ahead of us. Luoyun Pavilion is just starting out; how can we compete with those shops that have been open for over a hundred years?"


    "This..." Lin Xingli hesitated for a moment.


    Lin Shilu nodded, obviously agreeing with Lin Tianming''s view.


    Lin Tianming chuckled and added:


    "Besides, we can offer Alchemy services, limited to First Order Elixirs only and without charging any fees, using a thirty percent success rate as the baseline; any extra produced will belong to us. This will be a great opportunity for Tianhong and me to practice our alchemy skills while earning spirit stones!"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s idea, Lin Shilu''s eyes lit up, and he silently thought:


    If they took advantage of Lin Tianming''s terrifying rate of successful elixir creation, they could certainly profit greatly while also building Luoyun Pavilion''s reputation.


    Besides, since Lin Tianhong was currently a First-Order Medium Grade Alchemist, if he had a large supply of Spiritual Medicine Materials to practice with, it was imaginable that his alchemy skills would quickly advance, and he could possibly break through to a First-Order Superior Grade Alchemist within a year or two.


    Considering these points, Lin Shilu spoke seriously:


    "Let''s proceed with the suggestions as Tian Ming said. Xing Li will be responsible for the shop''s early affairs while Tianfeng will handle the promotions. Go ahead!"


    "Yes!"


    Lin Xingli and Lin Tianfeng bowed and took their leave, before getting up to pay their respects to Lin Shilu and then departing. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Before they knew it, ten days had passed and today was the grand opening of Luoyun Pavilion.


    Early in the morning, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu had already left the Cave Mansion Courtyard and were heading towards Luoyun Pavilion.


    Over these days, Lin Tianfeng and others were active in every corner of the market, spreading the news of Luoyun Pavilion''s opening.


    Lin Tianming hadn''t been idle either; he helped out at Luoyun Pavilion during the day and returned to the Cave Mansion at night to meditate and cultivate, leading a leisurely yet fulfilling life.


    Walking down the street, a large number of cultivators were heading in the same direction toward Luoyun Pavilion.


    As the day for the market assembly drew nearer, the vibrancy in the market had significantly increased.


    In less than half an hour, the two reached the entrance of Luoyun Pavilion.


    At that moment, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong were preparing to hang a large signboard above the gatehouse.


    In no time, the large signboard was appropriately hung above the gatehouse.

 Chapter 156 Luoyun Pavilion_3

    Outside the attic, a large number of cultivators were watching, many of them seemingly unable to wait any longer.Lin Shilu looked at the bustling scene, estimating that there were a few hundred people in the crowd.


    Once he collected his thoughts, he proceeded to walk to the front with Lin Tianming.


    The two of them stood on either side of the entrance, and at this moment, Lin Xingli gave them a nod, indicating that everything was ready.


    Lin Shilu smiled satisfyingly and then, cupping his fists in salute to the crowd below, he shouted loudly,


    "Fellow Daoists, I am Lin Shilu of the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family. Today is the auspicious day of our store''s opening. I hereby promise that for one month starting from today, all elixirs will be sold at a 10% discount, and we will also provide free alchemy services for First Order Elixirs. Second Order Pills will follow market rules!"


    Before he could even finish, the cultivators below erupted in astonishment, hardly believing their ears, and many groups started discussing among themselves.


    At this time, a cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement bowed to Lin Shilu and said,


    "Elder Lin, is what you said true?"


    "Hehe!"


    "Rest assured, young friend. Our Lin Family has a heritage of nearly a thousand years. How could we speak falsehoods in front of so many fellow Daoists?" Lin Shilu said.


    His words seemed to alleviate many people''s doubts, but there were still some cautious cultivators who didn''t quite believe it. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, offering to help with alchemy for free without taking any payment was unheard of.


    Just then, a figure appeared at the back of the crowd and with a leap, appeared next to Lin Shilu.


    After steadying himself, Ye Pinghai came into view. He took out three Jade Bottles and handed them to Lin Tianming, then said,


    "I came uninvited, brother, to congratulate the Lin Family on your opening day and present three bottles of Second Order Pills!"


    "Haha..."


    "Brother Ye''s presence brings honor to us. I am truly grateful. Once the opening ceremony is over, we must share a few drinks!" Lin Shilu said with a hearty laugh, and then instructed Lin Tianhong behind him,


    "Tianhong, take Ye to rest inside. I will be with you shortly!"


    Lin Tianhong bowed to both Ye Pinghai and Lin Shilu, then led Ye Pinghai into the Luoyun Pavilion.


    With the appearance of Ye Pinghai, personally delivering a congratulatory gift, the cultivators below no longer harbored any doubts.


    After all, Lin Shilu and the Lin Family were not very famous in Qianchuan Market, but Ye Pinghai''s cultivation and alchemy skills were renowned, his reputation in the area as clear as thunder.


    It could be said that within Qianchuan Market, aside from Golden Elixir Experts, Ye Pinghai''s fame was almost universally known.


    The first cultivator to speak out, overjoyed, hurriedly took out three sets of Spirit Essence Pill Materials, expressing his wish for the Lin Family to assist in making the Lingshen Pills.


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    Seeing this, Lin Shilu was very pleased and said,


    "Young friend, there is no need to hurry. Once I unveil the signboard, you may enter our store to register. Once the alchemy is complete, we will send for you to retrieve your elixirs!"


    The first cultivator to speak was overwhelmed with joy and spoke immediately,


    "Then I ask Elder Lin to unveil the signboard first. Although I have limited means, I will definitely be the first to enter the store and purchase some treasures!"


    Lin Shilu chuckled, nodded at Lin Tianming, and the two of them pulled on the red ropes at the same time.


    The red curtain covering the signboard fell, revealing the sparkling golden characters written with a flourish, "Luoyun Pavilion..."


    At that moment, cheers erupted from below, and the excitement reached its peak.


    Seeing the scene exceed expectations, Lin Shilu was thrilled and then spoke,


    "On the day our store opens, I invite all fellow Daoists to move inside for a small gathering. Those who need alchemy services may also enter the store to register!"


    As soon as Lin Shilu finished speaking, the cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement was the first to rush forward, followed by a large number of cultivators who began to approach the Luoyun Pavilion. The crowd soon grew to dozens and more cultivators were quickly on their way.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xingli and the others were all set, and various treasures had already been placed on the display tables, just waiting for customers to arrive.


    Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming entered the Luoyun Pavilion and quickly made their way to the third floor, leaving Lin Xingli and his group bustling about.

 Chapter 157 Booming Business_1

    In the reception room on the third floor of Luoyun Pavilion.Lin Shilu and Ye Pinghai were casually chatting in the chief seats, while Lin Tianming sat below, chiming in from time to time.


    To Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu''s surprise, the arrival of Ye Pinghai brought much interest to the store''s grand opening today.


    Lin Shilu looked excited and cupped his fists in thanks to Ye Pinghai, saying,


    "Thanks to Brother Ye for taking the time to come here amidst your busy schedule, I am truly grateful!"


    "Haha..." Ye Pinghai chuckled and replied,


    "Oh, it''s nothing. I was merely in a good mood and came over to ask for a drink!"


    "Excellent, tonight I will hold a banquet at the Welcoming Guest Building, and Brother Li will also be there. We must drink to our heart''s content!" Lin Shilu said.


    ...


    At the same time, within a tavern in the market, more than a dozen cultivators were gathered, engaging in spirited discussions.


    They ranged from talking about the Four Arts of Cultivation to great battles with demonic beasts, finally leading to scenes of Golden Core experts engaging in duels.


    "Golden Core experts are formidable beings, we must be cautious in speaking of them!" a cultivator interjected.


    Hearing the caution, the person who spoke first revealed a look of fear and hastily changed the topic.


    "I heard that the Lin Family from the Luoyun Mountain Range has taken over the Lingxiao Tower from the Gao Family. What are your thoughts on this?"


    A Qi Refinement Fifth Level cultivator in the crowd, seemingly with some prestige, resolutely said,


    "I hear that today is the day of the store''s grand opening. I also heard that for this occasion, the Lin Family has decided to offer a ten percent discount on all elixirs in the store for an entire month!"


    "Really?" A Qi Refinement Sixth Level cultivator seemed incredulous.


    The Qi Refinement Fifth Level cultivator looked a bit displeased but did not lose his temper, and then said,


    "It should be true. A few days ago, I met a young cultivator from the Lin Family named Lin Tianfeng, whose cultivation is at least at the Qi Refining Eighth Level. He personally mentioned it, so it must be true!"


    Before he had finished speaking, other cultivators who had not yet spoken started asking for information about the Lin Family, as previously many loose cultivators had not paid much attention to them.


    "The Lin Family is no small clan. They have had a Golden Core expert among their ancestors. Although they have declined now, their power remains formidable, with as many as six Foundation Establishment cultivators..."


    "What? That''s formidable!"


    Upon hearing this, the cultivators who were unaware of this fact exclaimed in surprise.


    This scene was repeated in various corners of the market, and news about the Lin Family began to spread widely.


    ...


    As news of the grand opening of Luoyun Pavilion spread through the market, many cultivators came to visit.


    Inside the sales hall on the first floor of Luoyun Pavilion,


    Dozens of people were selecting various treasures, and more cultivators were still making their way towards the Pavilion.


    Lin Xingli and Lin Tianfeng were busy and thrilled.


    "Esteemed friend, this Spirit Sword is a First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instrument, forged primarily from Second Order Qingling Bamboo and infused with Earth Mysterious Crystal as well as many precious materials. Its attack power is extremely formidable. With this weapon, even a Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator may not be your match..."


    Listening to Lin Tianfeng''s introduction, a Qi Refinement Seventh Level cultivator wielded the blue and yellow Spirit Sword, swung it around a few times, and then showed a look of satisfaction.


    After a short while, he put down the Spirit Sword and asked,


    "Indeed, a fine piece! What is the price for this sword?"


    Lin Tianfeng smiled and said without hesitation,


    "This sword was refined by our Lin Family''s Second Order Artifact Refiner, involving a significant amount of precious materials. Even among First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instruments, it is a genuine masterpiece."


    "As today marks the lucky day of our store''s opening, since you have taken an interest in this item, I too wish to make a friend. How about a deal at 260 Spirit Stones?"


    Hearing Lin Tianfeng''s price, coupled with his delightful demeanor, the man considering the sword felt tempted.


    He had come to Qianchuan Market specifically to attend an auction, hoping to win a suitable Spiritual Instrument. Considering the competitive pressure at the auction, even if a good Spiritual Instrument became available, he might not succeed.


    With these thoughts in mind, he made up his mind and then said,


    "Very well, I''ll take the sword for the price you''ve offered!" Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    After speaking, he took out the Spirit Stones and handed them directly to Lin Tianfeng, promptly acquiring the Spirit Sword.


    He chatted with Lin Tianfeng for a while after buying the sword, then took his leave, as many more cultivators continued to inquire about prices.


    Lin Xingli and Lin Tianfeng were relatively free, occasionally finding brief respite amidst the bustle, but Lin Tianhong had a long queue in front of him.


    A Qi Refinement Fifth Level cultivator brought out several portions of Lingshen Pill materials and handed them respectfully to Lin Tianhong.


    Lin Tianhong took the materials in a calm manner, examined them carefully, and then asked,


    "How may I address this friend?"


    "I am Duan Qiu. How long will it take before I can collect my pills?" the cultivator replied nervously.


    After pondering, Lin Tianhong explained,


    "Due to the large number of friends commissioning alchemy, and limited number of alchemists in our shop, it could take as little as half a month to several months to complete the alchemy. Leave your name and a way to contact you, and as soon as the pills are ready, I will send you a message for you to come and collect them!"


    Hearing Lin Tianhong''s explanation, Duan Qiu quickly accepted, nodding his head and confirming the commission for alchemy.


    Lin Tianhong nodded, recorded Duan Qiu''s name and the quantity of Spiritual Medicine Materials in the book, and then noted down the contact method.


    After exchanging a few polite words, Duan Qiu cupped his fists in thanks and then headed toward the sales area of the hall, intending to purchase some treasures.


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 Chapter 157 Booming Business_2

    Watching the queue of people waiting to commission alchemy, Lin Tianhong shouted excitedly,"Next..."


    Such a bustling scene continued until dusk.


    As the sky darkened, there were fewer and fewer people on the street, and many shops closed their doors, ending a day''s business.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed...


    Outside Luoyun Pavilion, a young cultivator at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, with a determined expression and seemingly weathered by the elements, yet his eyes faintly revealed a calm demeanor.


    After gazing at the entrance of Luoyun Pavilion and hesitating, he seemed to have made up his mind and stepped inside.


    At this moment, Luoyun Pavilion was devoid of customers, seemingly about to close for the day.


    Inside the main hall, Lin Xingli was holding a book and carefully counting the various Spiritual Objects on the shelves.


    Upon seeing the cultivator enter, he immediately set down the book and asked,


    "Fellow Daoist, may I know what you need?"


    The entering cultivator bowed with hands clasped and said,


    "I am Li Rong, a Loose Cultivator. I wonder if the matter of representing in alchemy is true?"


    Lin Xingli let out a chuckle and calmly replied,


    "Today is the grand opening of our shop. I''ve made a promise in front of hundreds of fellow Daoists; of course, it''s true. Not to worry, Li Daoist, today alone, dozens of Daoists have entrusted our shop to help with their alchemy!"


    Upon hearing Lin Xingli''s explanation, Li Rong was thrilled and quickly took out more than ten portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials, expressing his wish to have alchemy conducted on his behalf.


    Lin Xingli was somewhat surprised to find that this cultivator at merely the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement was able to present so many Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    He took out the book for recording alchemy commissions, noted Li Rong''s identity details, and left behind a way to transmit messages.


    Li Rong, overcome with excitement, hesitated as if he wanted to say more, which made Lin Xingli curious.


    "Li Daoist, is there another matter?"


    After hesitating, Li Rong finally spoke,


    "Lin Daoist, as a Loose Cultivator, I have only recently come to Qianchuan Market. I wonder if your esteemed shop is hiring staff? I seek a stable job to establish a footing in the market?"


    Hearing Li Rong''s request, Lin Xingli began to ponder.


    Not many from the Lin Family had come to Qianchuan Market, and naturally, neither Lin Shilu nor Lin Tianming would attend to these matters, and while Lin Tianhong also needed to perform alchemy, only the three of them could manage the shop, which would greatly delay their own cultivation.


    Considering that Lin Shilu had mentioned hiring staff before, an idea formed in his mind.


    He was about to send a transmission when Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming descended from the third floor.


    Seeing them come down, Lin Xingli quickly approached and inquired,


    "Fifteenth Uncle, Li Daoist here wishes to apply for a job as a shop assistant. What are your thoughts on this matter?"


    "Oh..." Lin Shilu chuckled and then asked, S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Where are you from, young friend Li? Are you familiar with various treasures?"


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s question, Li Rong remained composed, inwardly joyful, and then began to speak of his background.


    "Elder Lin, I come from the Qingfeng Mountain Range and identify as a Loose Cultivator. I have been traveling around the surrounding regions for years, surviving by hunting Demonic Beasts for cultivation!"


    "Although I am a Loose Cultivator, I have often consulted various annals. I am quite familiar with the common Spiritual Objects of the Cultivation World. I believe I am more than capable of the job."


    At these words, Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming were immediately astonished, and Lin Xingli nearly cried out in surprise.


    Lin Tianming even imagined a Loose Cultivator, at just the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, beginning to roam the surrounding areas and relying on hunting Demonic Beasts to earn Spirit Stones for a living, a life lived on the edge of a knife.


    Consider that many of the Lin Family Disciples at this cultivation level and age had not even experienced a real life-or-death combat.


    Yet here was someone in his twenties who had been traveling through several regions and reached the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, showing his considerable talent and a survival ability that many from the family did not possess.


    After asking a few more questions, Lin Shilu was very satisfied with Li Rong''s performance. His fondness for talent quickly led him to a decision.


    "Young friend Li, I''ve heard enough to understand your situation. I am very pleased. Luoyun Pavilion happens to be hiring shop assistants. The annual salary will be one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones. Come over tomorrow and give it a try!"


    Hearing the generous terms Lin Shilu offered, Li Rong was over the moon.


    A salary of one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones was no small amount. Although it would delay his cultivation, it was very stable. He wouldn''t have to live the rough life he used to lead, always on the edge, tasting blood for survival.


    Once he''d calmed down, Li Rong said nervously,


    "Elder Lin, my younger sister has always followed me. She''s at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, and her knowledge of Spiritual Objects is no less than mine. May I ask if it''s possible to employ her as well?"


    Considering that Lin Xingli and the others also needed to cultivate, Luoyun Pavilion would probably need to hire at least two shop assistants, or it would definitely interfere with their cultivation.


    With that in mind, he nodded and then said,


    "Your siblings have indeed not had it easy. Come together tomorrow. Her salary will be one hundred Spirit Stones a year!"


    After Lin Shilu spoke, Li Rong let out a long sigh of relief, his face alight with ecstasy, and then he said earnestly,


    "Thank you, Elder Lin. I definitely won''t let you down!"


    "Go on then!"


    Lin Shilu waved his hand, and Li Rong quickly made a fist and palm salute before leaving Luoyun Pavilion.


    After Li Rong left, the spacious hall of Luoyun Pavilion was left with just a few of them.


    Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming sat in the shop, waiting for Lin Xingli to finish tallying the various Spiritual Objects.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed, and Lin Xingli quickly completed the tally of Spiritual Objects and the sales for the day.


    Looking at the thick book listing all kinds of Spiritual Medicine and the sales records for the day, Lin Xingli was beside himself with excitement.


    "Fifteenth Uncle, the business today was too good!" Lin Xingli said.


    "Oh, is that so? Give me a report!" Lin Shilu chuckled as he ordered.


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    Lin Xingli flipped open the book, then began to report loudly.


    "Today we sold First Order Elixirs and collected a total of over four thousand two hundred Spirit Stones, mainly consisting of Elixirs used in daily cultivation and fighting."


    "For Second Order Pills, it was over one thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones, mainly composed of Second Order Spirit Origin Pills."


    "Eighteen pieces of First Order Spiritual Tools were sold, and just one Second Order Low-Grade Artifact, totaling over four thousand six hundred Spirit Stones."


    "More than two hundred First Order Talismans and six Second Order Talismans, totaling over two thousand two hundred Spirit Stones, along with various other Spirit Medicine and Spirit Ore, totaling over one thousand four hundred Spirit Stones!"


    "In summary, today''s total sales reached over fourteen thousand two hundred Spirit Stones."


    Before the echo of his voice faded, Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming were ecstatic, shocked by the sales figures.


    In one day, the total reached over fourteen thousand Spirit Stones. After deducting the costs, there would still be a net profit of several thousand Spirit Stones. This rate of earning Spirit Stones was significantly more than the daily profits from Luoyun Market.


    Of course, they also understood that this was only due to the opening day special of selling Elixirs at low prices and with the market conference about to take place, which more than doubled the market''s popularity. That''s what drove such high sales figures.


    Once the conference was over and the market returned to its usual quiet, the sales figures would definitely drop by several times, and maintaining a few thousand Spirit Stones a day would already be considered good.


    Lin Shilu was very satisfied and then asked about the Alchemy commissions.


    Lin Xingli took out the recorded book and began to report.


    "Today, the number of Cultivators who commissioned for Alchemy reached sixty-four. The Spiritual Medicine Materials provided varied, with some bringing over ten portions and others only one or two. After calculating, we have a total of over two hundred and twenty portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials."


    After he finished speaking, Lin Shilu chuckled and teased,


    "Tian Ming, you''ll be busy now!"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming felt somewhat helpless. He had initially thought that a hundred portions of materials would have been good, but who knew that these Cultivators would go so crazy, easily surpassing two hundred portions.


    However, since he''d promised, he had to deliver; otherwise, if Luoyun Pavilion went back on its word, it would have no standing in the market.


    Lin Shilu felt a touch of schadenfreude in his heart, chuckled and then said,


    "It''s getting late, and the time we agreed upon with Ye has come. Call up Tianfeng and the others; we have to celebrate tonight."


    "Yes!"


    Lin Xingli nodded, then after sending out the message, the group of them closed the doors of Luoyun Pavilion and headed towards the guesthouse.

 Chapter 158 Dragon Bone Pill_1

    Welcome Pavilion, a private room.The successful opening of Luoyun Pavilion and its impressive sales had excited all members of the Lin Family, with smiles beaming on their faces all the time.


    Lin Shilu stood up, and Lin Tianming and several family members rose together, each holding a jade cup in their hand. Lin Shilu turned to Ye Pinghai and Li Xiuyuan beside him and said earnestly,


    "Today is an auspicious day for the opening of Luoyun Pavilion. On behalf of the Lin Family, I thank you both for your great support. If there is ever anything that the Lin Family can assist with, we will not hesitate to go through fire and water!"


    Ye Pinghai and Li Xiuyuan exchanged smiles, quickly responding in kind.


    "It was just a small effort, no trouble at all, not worth mentioning. Brother Lin, you don''t have to be so polite!"


    As for their modesty, Lin Shilu was not completely convinced. Ye Pinghai''s likely reason for helping was gratitude for the kindness of the Lin Family, while Li Xiuyuan definitely saw the potential of the Lin Family.


    No matter what the motivation was, they had contributed significantly to the Lin Family''s establishment in the market, so it was proper to show courtesy and make some promises.


    The group finished their Spiritual Wine in one go. Lin Tianming quickly stepped forward to pour more wine and also offered a cup, expressing his gratitude.


    Lin Tianfeng and others also came forward one by one. Aside from toasting, it was a chance to get acquainted with others, which could help build connections in the market later on.


    Ye Pinghai and Li Xiuyuan, with smiles on their faces, looked quite satisfied with the younger generation of the Lin Family, and their estimation of the Lin Family''s overall strength had increased, so they were quite courteous in their demeanor.


    The ambiance of the banquet was harmonious and joyful, lasting until late into the night.


    With bellies full of food and drink and the night growing quiet, the banquet came to an end and Ye Pinghai and Li Xiuyuan stood to bid farewell.


    After exchanging pleasantries, they bowed their fists in departure, left the Welcome Pavilion, and went their separate ways.


    Back at the Cave Mansion Courtyard, Lin Shilu gathered a few people together.


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    After scanning the group, Lin Shilu, still unable to conceal his excitement, spoke up,


    "The sales on the opening day were beyond our expectations. I believe you all are aware of this. From tomorrow, Xing Li and Xing Yao will be responsible for the shop''s business, rotating every three months to be replaced by Tianfeng and Li Rong, whom we have recruited to manage the shop."


    "Tianming and Tianhong will have to work a bit harder, as there''s a large amount of alchemy to do; otherwise, it will take a long time to complete the materials entrusted to us by the cultivators."


    Hearing this, Lin Tianhong felt mixed emotions.


    He was excited to finally have a large quantity of Spiritual Medicine Materials for alchemy, allowing himself to practice his Alchemy without restraint and quickly improve, but it would also mean sacrificing a lot of cultivation time.


    Lin Tianming was indifferent. With his current cultivation level and alchemy efficiency, crafting First Order Elixirs was hardly challenging, and he could use this opportunity to amass considerable wealth.


    Despite the interference with their cultivation, the benefits were significant, and they believed their wealth and value would substantially increase before long.


    Thinking this way, for the family and to earn Spirit Stones, everyone was at ease and filled with enthusiasm.


    "Xing Li, distribute the elixirs collected today to Tianming and the others!" Lin Shilu ordered.


    Without delay, Lin Xingli quickly took out a storage bag and laid out the two hundred and twenty portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials received by Luoyun Pavilion in front of everyone.


    Lin Shilu examined the Spiritual Medicine Materials and, after some thought, began to allocate them. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Tianming, you refine pills quickly, and both your rate of success and the number of pills are high. You''ll be responsible for one hundred and fifty portions, and Tianhong will take care of the remaining materials!"


    "As for the materials we receive later, we''ll bring them back every ten days for Tianming to distribute!"


    Upon hearing Lin Shilu''s arrangement, Lin Tianming and the other had no objections. They each gathered their share of the Spiritual Medicine Materials and placed them into their storage bags.


    Watching the night grow misty and the sky darken, Lin Shilu said no more and then dismissed everyone.


    "It''s getting late; everyone can go back to their tasks!"


    "Yes..."


    The group responded in unison, then stood and returned to their respective rooms.


    Back in his room, Lin Tianming did not go to rest immediately but began to plan his upcoming cultivation.


    Due to the lack of superior pill formulas to aid his cultivation, his progression was not fast.


    "In a few days, there will be a market conference and an auction. I must participate to see if I can find some pill formulas or suitable elixirs."


    He thought to himself, but with several days remaining and nothing much to do, he decided to refine pills¡ªaccumulating Spirit Stones while awaiting the auction.


    Resolved, he immediately took action.


    He left his room and headed towards the Pill Refining Room in the Cave Mansion.


    Sitting in the Pill Refining Room, he routinely cultivated and regulated his breathing, reaching the optimal state before beginning.


    He took out the Four Symbols Furnace, started the Earth Fire, and then one Law Decree after another bombarded the Pill Furnace.


    When the timing was about right, the Spiritual Medicine Materials were methodically broken down and purified, eventually turning into Elixir Essence.


    Making First Order Lingshen Pills and other consumable pills was indeed effortless for him.


    Efficiently and methodically, the fragrant smell of elixirs wafted throughout the Pill Refining Room.


    The next morning, as sunlight pierced through the clouds, Lin Tianming finally opened his eyes.


    Despite being somewhat tired, he showed a satisfied smile upon seeing the dozen Jade Bottles in front of him.


    After a night of alchemy, he had finished processing seven portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials, succeeding in five batches. Each batch had at least six elixirs, totaling thirty-three Lingshen Pills.

 Chapter 158 Dragon Bone Pill_2

    After setting aside the ten elixirs for the client, he could obtain twenty-three elixirs, which, when converted into Spirit Stones, amounted to nearly two hundred Spirit Stones.Nowadays, crafting First Order Elixirs was a breeze, and his speed had improved considerably from before; an evening''s work almost equaled the harvest of a previous day.


    Looking at the remaining Spiritual Medicine, still over a hundred and forty portions, he helplessly stored the elixirs into his storage bag.


    After tidying up the Pill Refining Room, he began a new round of alchemy.


    Time flew by, and three days had passed in the blink of an eye.


    Tomorrow would be the day of the auction. Having furiously crafted elixirs for three days, Lin Tianming was exhausted. He decided to come out of seclusion first and wait to resume after the auction was over.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming packed a large number of Jade Bottles into his storage bag.


    For three whole days, Lin Tianming had not stepped out of the Pill Refining Room.


    Working ceaselessly day and night, his gains were significant. He had crafted fifty portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials and obtained over two hundred elixirs in total.


    After setting aside the portion for the client, he could gain around one hundred and thirty elixirs, claiming a sixty percent share.


    Such hard work had yielded immense results, not only in the form of elixirs but his cultivation had also steadily improved.


    After organizing the cluttered Pill Refining Room, he stepped out and then sat in the small courtyard.


    It wasn''t long before Lin Tianhong also emerged from another Pill Refining Room.


    Seeing Lin Tianming come out of seclusion, Lin Tianhong cheerfully asked,


    "Sixth brother, how was your harvest these past few days?"


    Lin Tianming pursed his lips with a smile, not wanting to discourage Lin Tianhong and dampen his enthusiasm.


    "Second brother, let''s not discuss my situation; rather, how about your harvest these days? How many batches of elixirs did you refine?"


    Seeing that Lin Tianming did not give a direct answer and considering his grotesque efficiency, Lin Tianhong had a rough idea in his mind.


    "Heh heh..." Lin Tianhong could hardly hide his excitement, chuckling as he said,


    "In these past three days, I crafted eighteen portions of materials, garnering over forty elixirs in total. Setting aside those for clients, I could also get nearly twenty for myself!" Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Second brother is truly impressive!" Lin Tianming offered a complimentary remark offhand.


    Lin Tianhong smiled knowingly, then continued,


    "You just love to tease me. I''ve been a First-Order Medium Grade Alchemist for a long time now, so achieving this result was expected. I plan to finish crafting these Spiritual Medicines and then attempt a First Order Superior Grade elixir."


    Lin Tianming nodded, offering words of encouragement,


    "With so many Spiritual Medicine Materials to practice with, second brother will sooner or later become a First Order Superior Grade Alchemist!"


    "Then I shall take your auspicious words to heart!" Lin Tianhong replied with a bow, before shifting the topic.


    "Sixth brother, tomorrow is the market assembly. Are you going to the auction?"


    Facing Lin Tianhong''s inquiry, Lin Tianming replied,


    "Of course, I am going. This is a biennial small assembly, which will certainly feature many rare treasures. If I miss it, I''d have to wait another two years."


    "That is true!"


    "However, you''ll surely be attending the Foundation Establishment Area, while we can only participate in the Qi Refining Area," Lin Tianhong said with regret.


    Lin Tianming chuckled and comforted,


    "You shouldn''t worry too much, second brother. The treasures appearing in the Qi Refining Area are sufficient for your use. The key is whether you have enough Spirit Stones to purchase them!"


    "Ha ha, let''s head to Luoyun Pavilion and see!" Lin Tianhong suggested.


    "Exactly my intention!" Lin Tianming nodded in agreement.


    With the conversation finished, the two left the Cave Mansion Courtyard and headed to Luoyun Pavilion together.


    Upon entering Luoyun Pavilion, Lin Xingli and Lin Xingyao were extremely busy.


    Looking around, the store was still bustling with activity, comparable to the day of its opening.


    After making a round and seeing Lin Xingli overwhelmed with work, Lin Tianhong volunteered to help.


    With nothing else to do, Lin Tianming bid farewell to the others and left Luoyun Pavilion.


    Standing on Bluestone Street, observing the bustling flow of cultivators, Lin Tianming felt somewhat helpless considering his own cultivation issues. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The increase in traffic at the marketplace might bring out some treasures. It seems my only hope lies in the deals at the stalls and the auction."


    After talking to himself, Lin Tianming stepped towards the Southern District of the Market City.


    In no time, he arrived at the stall area of the marketplace.


    As it was the time of the big market assembly, the stall area was extremely lively with hundreds of stalls, and despite not being as busy as the first time he had set up a stall, it was not much different.


    Looking over the vast square with its many stalls, numerous Qi Refining Cultivators were shouting out their wares in a vibrant scene.


    After looking around with hopeful eyes, he picked a direction and began to wander.


    He browsed dozens of stalls in a row, which almost exclusively sold items used by Qi Refining Cultivators and lacked any precious items, let alone any Pill Formulas that could aid his cultivation.


    Nevertheless, he still spent over two hundred Spirit Stones to buy some Spiritual Medicine Materials he could use.


    At this point, he navigated through the stall area, seemingly undiscouraged, and continued towards the most densely packed part of the crowd.


    Half an hour later, he arrived at the best location in the entire stall area, close to the central square.


    As the stall locations improved, so did the cultivation levels of the owners, ranging from the third level of Qi Refining at the outskirts to those at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.


    In the northern part of the area, at a conspicuous stall, a black-robed elder was resting with his eyes closed. In front of him, several Qi Refining Cultivators were selecting treasures.


    The elder acted indifferently and did not bother to explain his wares. When faced with price inquiries from Qi Refining Cultivators, he merely stated a number lukewarmly, prompting the cultivators to leave immediately.

 Chapter 158 Dragon Bone Pill_3

    Standing on the nearby corridor, feeling the faint presence of the elderly man, though it was well-hidden, he still detected something unusual."This person seems to be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!" Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    In fact, although there were not many Foundation Establishment Cultivators within the entire trading area, there were still more than a dozen of them, but none were as indifferent as this elderly man.


    Lin Tianming, curious, approached the man.


    His arrival did not attract the elderly man''s notice, only causing him to frown slightly before he disregarded it.


    "This man is quite interesting!"


    Lin Tianming looked at the items in front of him, then picked up a damaged Jade Slip and held it in his hand.


    Examining its ancient material, it seemed to have some age to it.


    He projected his Divine Sense to read the contents of the Jade Slip, but there was a restriction making it so he could only get a rough idea.


    "This seems to be a pill formula?" Lin Tianming muttered to himself with a frown.


    "Fellow Daoist, does this Jade Slip contain a pill formula? What is its purpose?" Lin Tianming asked.


    The robed elder''s expression remained calm, and after opening his eyes, he still spoke indifferently about the general content of the Jade Slip.


    "This is an Ancient Pill Recipe named the Dragon Bone Pill, Second Order Medium Quality, and it''s a formula to aid in Body Refinement."


    Upon hearing the elder''s introduction, Lin Tianming''s face lit up with ecstasy.


    It was as if he had found exactly what he had been thinking of. If he could acquire this item, his cultivation dilemma would be resolved as well.


    Before he could speak, the robed elder continued: S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Do not get too excited, fellow Daoist. This pill is not so easily concocted; its main ingredient is the inner core of the Second Order Demonic Beast Qinglong Jiao, which is nearly extinct. It is almost impossible to find, otherwise, I would not have sold it."


    The elder''s words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Lin Tianming''s head.


    The Qinglong Jiao, as an ancient demonic beast, although not of a high order, was exceedingly rare. Lin Tianming, having cultivated for over a decade, had never even heard of it. It was said to be extinct on the Nine Provinces Continent, with perhaps only those Ancient Forbidden Lands or central areas of the Demon Race still harboring it.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming''s expression immediately darkened. It had not been easy to find a suitable pill formula, yet there seemed to be little hope of actually concocting it.


    Even so, he still did not want to give up. Whether he could concoct it or not, he wanted to purchase the pill formula for study. There might be a chance, after all, and currently, he had no way of finding another pill formula.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming inquired about the price.


    "Fellow Daoist, what price do you ask for this pill formula?"


    Upon hearing this, the robed elder''s expression showed a hint of peculiarity, then restored to normal.


    "One thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!" the elder said.


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    Hearing this price, Lin Tianming could barely accept it, given that even a typical Second Order pill formula would cost over a thousand Spirit Stones.


    "Fellow Daoist, this pill formula has very little hope of being concocted. How about a cheaper price, one thousand Spirit Stones to make a deal?"


    The robed elder''s expression was unchanged, and then he spoke:


    "Forget it, the old man keeping it is of no use anyway; let''s make a deal at the price you suggest!"


    "However, fellow Daoist, don''t blame me for not warning you, if you can''t concoct the pill after buying this formula, do not bother me with your troubles."


    Lin Tianming nodded, taking out the Spirit Stones and handing them to the elder, while saying:


    "Rest assured, fellow Daoist; once bought, any oversight is my own volition and has nothing to do with you!"


    Hearing this, the elder rarely smiled, then began to count the Spirit Stones.


    Shortly after confirming the Spirit Stones were correct, the elder erased the restriction on the Jade Slip, and then handed it over to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming received the Jade Slip, projecting his Divine Sense to read it.


    In a short while, he confirmed that the content recorded in the Jade Slip was basically the same as what the elder had said. He then gave the elder a cupped fist salute and left the vendor''s stall.


    Looking at the few remaining stalls he had yet to visit, Lin Tianming didn''t feel much interest anymore.


    After scanning the entire trading area, he left and walked towards his rented cave dwelling.

 Chapter 159 Flame Fruit_1

    After returning to his cave dwelling, Lin Tianming immediately entered his room.He had only briefly looked over the pill formula he acquired earlier, but now that he was back in his abode, it was time to study it in detail.


    Sitting upright on the stone bed, he took out the pill formula he had bought from the stall area and extended his Divine Sense to peruse it.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming withdrew his Divine Sense and fell into a deep contemplation.


    The Dragon Bone Pill formula was complete and, according to his estimation, it was undoubtedly a genuine article.


    However, where would he find the main ingredient for this formula, the Demon Core of the Qinglong Jiao?


    Without finding a Qinglong Jiao, he would be unable to obtain its inner core, and thus be unable to concoct the pill.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt somewhat helpless and could only put the matter out of his mind for now, to be addressed when an opportunity arose later. While Qinglong Jiaos were rare, it wasn''t entirely hopeless to find one.


    In the still silence of the night, with eyes tightly closed, Lin Tianming circulated his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation and began to meditate to pass the time, while waiting for tomorrow''s auction.


    The next day, Lin Tianming opened his eyes that had been closed all through the night, tidied up his room, and ended his cultivation to step out of his room.


    As soon as he did, Lin Shilu also came out from the neighboring room, not far away, and the two of them met.


    Lin Shilu''s face showed a trace of excitement, and he casually said,


    "Tianming, let''s go to the auction together. There might even be an exchange event organized by fellow sects, and we must not miss it."


    Lin Tianming let out a chuckle and walked out of the courtyard together with Lin Shilu towards the central auction house in the market city.


    There were quite a few cultivators along the way, all heading in the same direction.


    After passing several Bluestone streets, Lin Tianming and his companion arrived at the plaza in front of the entrance to the auction.


    As the two paused, a voice came over. "This is quite the coincidence, running into Brother Lin wherever I go."


    Turning around, they saw Ye Pinghai approaching and immediately went forward to greet him with a salute.


    "Brother Ye, the auction is quite dull. Why don''t you join me? We''ll at least have a chat to relieve the boredom."


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s invitation, Ye Pinghai did not decline his hospitable offer.


    Since Foundation Establishment Cultivators didn''t need to queue, the three of them passed the line of Qi Training Cultivators and headed towards the entrance. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    An Executive Officer at the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation, who apparently recognized the two, immediately greeted them warmly, Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Greetings to Elder Ye and Elder Lin, please come inside."


    Lin Shilu nodded, but still presented his Market City Token, followed by handing over thirty Spirit Stones to the speaking cultivator.


    The Executive Officer responsible for collecting the admission fee respectfully took the Spirit Stones and then instructed a cultivator beside him to show them the way.


    The three followed the Qi Training Cultivator ahead of them, walked straight to the second floor, and finally entered a private room.


    Everyone took their seats, and the cultivator who led the way stood by the entrance.


    Since there was some time before the auction began, Lin Shilu brought out some Spiritual Tea, and the three chatted leisurely while drinking tea.


    With nothing else to do, Lin Tianming reflected on the matter of the Dragon Bone Pill, and considering Ye Pinghai''s mastery in Second Order Superior Alchemy, who had immersed himself in alchemy for over sixty years, he might have some methods or pill formulas.


    With this thought, Lin Tianming turned to Ye Pinghai and said,


    "Grandpa Sea, do you have any Second Order Pill Recipes for elixirs that aid in Body Cultivation?"


    "Pill recipes for Second Order elixirs for Body Cultivators to consume?"


    Ye Pinghai looked startled, and after contemplating for a while, he directly stated he did not have any, dashing Lin Tianming''s hopes.


    Second Order pill formulas were precious to begin with, and those suited for Body Cultivators were even more exceedingly rare.


    Lin Tianming''s face showed a hint of disappointment, but he did not lose heart. Thinking of the Dragon Bone Pill formula, he asked,


    "Grandpa Sea, Tianming came across an Ancient Pill Recipe yesterday. Could you help the youngster take a look at it?"


    At the mention of this, Ye Pinghai''s eyes lit up with excitement.


    An alchemy enthusiast with exceptional talent, he was thrilled to have an Ancient Pill Recipe to study and suddenly became eager.


    "Oh? Let me have a look."


    Lin Tianming, pleasantly surprised, promptly took out the Dragon Bone Pill formula and respectfully handed it over.


    Ye Pinghai took the Jade Slip, extended his Divine Sense, and started to read the contents recorded within.


    A little while later, with a regretful expression, Ye Pinghai said,


    "The pill is genuine indeed, but where shall we find the inner core of the Azure Dragon Jiao required as the main ingredient? The chances of concocting this pill are practically non-existent."


    Lin Tianming''s face grew even grimmer upon hearing Ye Pinghai''s explanation.


    Suddenly, Ye Pinghai seemed to recall something, and his tone changed.


    "I once acquired the notes of a Third Order Alchemy Master. This alchemist was an oddball; he, too, encountered situations where he couldn''t find the main ingredients for his recipes. Eventually, he sought out Demons Cores with similar attributes to substitute, and astoundingly, he was still able to concoct pills with the same medicinal effect."


    Upon hearing Ye Pinghai''s words, enlightenment dawned upon Lin Tianming.


    There was almost no chance of finding a Qinglong Jiao''s Demon Core, but he couldn''t wait much longer. He had been at the first level of Foundation Establishment for nearly two years and, although he could still slowly increase his cultivation by meditating, he''d rather not dwell on the sluggish pace of his progress.


    There was no waiting around¡ªYe Pinghai''s suggested method might just be worth a try.


    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming''s face regained its luster.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming remained silent, Ye Pinghai then took out a Jade Slip from his storage bag and handed it to him.


    "This?" Lin Tianming asked in confusion.


    "This is the very set of notes from the Third Order Alchemy Master that I mentioned. Although the recorded methods are unconventional, there''s still much of value within." Ye Pinghai explained.

 Chapter 159 Flame Fruit_2

    Seeing that Lin Tianming did not take the Jade Slip or show any reaction, Lin Shilu hurriedly reminded him."You lad, don''t you hurry up and thank your Grandpa Sea? This is summarized by a Third Order Alchemy Master," he urged.


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s reminder, Lin Tianming finally came back to his senses and said with utmost sincerity,


    "Thank you, Grandpa Sea. Once I have understood its contents, I will surely return it to you, sir." Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Ye Pinghai chuckled and said,


    "No worries, I have already comprehended it. Just take it, and you decide how to deal with it."


    Thinking of how Ye Pinghai was all alone in the world yet had repeatedly provided help, Lin Tianming felt deeply moved. He indeed needed this handwritten note at the moment.


    As for repaying the favor in the future, he would make it a point to do so when he was capable.


    With this thought, Lin Tianming did not play coy any longer. He respectfully accepted the Jade Slip and then placed it into his storage bag.


    Lin Shilu and Ye Pinghai nodded in satisfaction and continued to chat leisurely.


    A short while later, bursts of noise came from the auction hall, and the few people quickly shifted their gaze.


    Looking over, the entire second-floor auction hall was more than half as small as the first floor. In the center was a similar high platform surrounded by hundreds of seats and over a hundred private rooms.


    At this moment, only around a hundred of the seats in the public area were occupied, the rest were empty.


    With the appearance of an old man with the demeanor of an immortal on the central high platform, the clamor throughout the hall quieted down.


    The old man had a composed demeanor, his aged face constantly adorned with a smile. He bowed to the hundred or so cultivators below and the surrounding private rooms, then he began to speak,


    "I, Xue Chong, am honored to host the Foundation Establishment Area auction today. As all of you are Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the rules of the auction need not be repeated as you''re doubtless informed," he said.


    "Hehe, many fellow cultivators can''t wait, so I won''t talk nonsense. Let''s start with the first auction item," he declared.


    No sooner had he finished speaking, the old man produced a piece of demonic beast skin in his hand. The whole piece was dark brown and well-preserved. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "One piece of Superior Second Order Savage Spirit Bull beast skin up for auction. The defensive capabilities of this beast are extremely formidable; its skin is an excellent material for crafting inner armor or for Talisman Making. The starting bid is eight hundred Spirit Stones, with each subsequent bid to be no less than ten Spirit Stones," he announced.


    Before the echo faded, several cultivators immediately began to bid, seemingly all Artifact Refiners or Talisman Makers.


    "Eight hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!"


    "Eight hundred and eighty Spirit Stones!"


    The first auction item was a Superior Second Order beast skin, and the price continued to climb, indicating the auction''s emphasis on this sale.


    Lin Tianming and the others, sitting in the private room and chatting idly, watched the heated scene below, and Ye Pinghai joked,


    "Brother Lin, this Savage Spirit Bull''s skin is quite fine, and quite large, too¡ªit''s great material for crafting inner armor."


    Lin Shilu laughed heartily, then replied,


    "I, too, plan to secure this item. If used properly, it should be enough to craft two sets of Lower Second Order inner armor."


    In just over ten breaths'' time, the price of the Savage Spirit Bull''s skin had reached one thousand one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.


    At such a price, the number of bidding cultivators below was dwindling, leaving only three who were still persistent.


    Lin Shilu also made his first bid.


    "One thousand two hundred Spirit Stones."


    "One thousand two hundred and fifty Spirit Stones," a cultivator immediately called out.


    "One thousand three hundred Spirit Stones."


    With Lin Shilu''s significant increase in the bid, the cultivators who had been bidding seemed to give up.


    After several breaths with no further bids, Xue Chong declared the first auction item sold.


    Lin Shilu prepared his Spirit Stones and completed the transaction with Xue Chong through a barrier, both parties obtaining the Spirit Stones and the auction item.


    With the first treasure settled, Xue Chong was very satisfied with the price and continued to host the event.


    "The second treasure, a plant of Six-leaved Purple Sandalwood, a Second Order spirit material, is an exceptional material for Artifact Refining. The starting bid is three hundred Spirit Stones, with increments no less than ten Spirit Stones," he introduced.


    Although the first treasure ignited the atmosphere, the second one was somewhat less impressive. Nevertheless, several cultivators were eagerly bidding.


    "Three hundred and twenty Spirit Stones!"


    ...


    Below, the cultivators continued to bid fiercely. Lin Tianming, who did not practice Artifact Refining, naturally had no interest, and Lin Shilu and Ye Pinghai also looked down upon these items.


    The second treasure was won by a Third Level Foundation Establishment Cultivator for five hundred and twenty Spirit Stones.


    The fiery auction continued, and in a blink of an eye, it had reached the last ten items, the climax of the event.


    After auctioning off hundreds of treasures, nearly all of them were Second Order Spiritual Items, including a considerable amount of Spiritual Medicine Materials, various Spirit Ore Materials, and many parts of Demonic Beasts'' bodies.


    During this time, Lin Tianming spent over a thousand Spirit Stones, acquiring several strains of Spiritual Medicine Materials and one Second Order low-quality Demon Beast Inner Pill, which he planned to feed to the Purple Gold Eagle in hopes of it breaking through to the second order.


    Lin Shilu and Ye Pinghai also made a few bids, each securing some Spiritual Medicine Materials and Artifact Refining Materials. They were not exceptionally precious, but were also not ordinary items.


    As the auction of the common items concluded, everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of the grand finale items.


    After a brief rest, Xue Chong took out another Jade Box and opened it.


    In the Jade Box held by Xue Chong, a fist-sized Spirit Fruit lay inside, its entire form crystal clear and translucent, also emitting an enticing fragrance.


    Xue Chong''s eyes revealed a hint of fervor, but he quickly regained his composure and began the introduction.


    "A Second Order Medium Quality Spirit Fruit, the Flame Fruit, extremely rare, enhances vitality and blood, as well as benefits skin and Divine Sense. The starting bid is one thousand two hundred Spirit Stones, with each increment not less than twenty Spirit Stones!"


    As soon as the words fell, many cultivators'' faces flushed, and their breathing quickened.


    Seeing this item, Lin Tianming was equally thrilled.


    He had long come across this fruit in various tomes; it could strengthen the body as well as fortify the Divine Sense, with very significant effects. However, only one could be consumed, and the effects would halve with each additional ingestion.


    Even so, the effects of the fruit were excellent, and cultivators who had never used it would not easily give up the chance to attain it.


    Although he had attended several auctions and exchange events before, he had never come across such a fruit. Now that he had finally found one, he naturally wouldn''t let it slip away.


    While Lin Tianming was momentarily lost in thought, over ten cultivators began bidding fiercely, and the price of the Flame Fruit had already risen to over fifteen hundred Spirit Stones, and it was still climbing.


    Determined to obtain the fruit, Lin Tianming immediately joined the bidding.


    "One thousand six hundred and twenty Spirit Stones!"


    He raised the bid by a full hundred Spirit Stones in one go, causing many cultivators in the audience to speculate in whispers.


    However, there were still seven or eight cultivators unwilling to give up. Among these bidding cultivators, many came from clans, sects, and other powerful forces, with considerable backing and financial resources not much inferior to his.


    "One thousand six hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!"


    "One thousand seven hundred Spirit Stones!"


    ...


    The price continued to soar, and after more than a dozen rounds of bidding, the Flame Fruit''s price had reached one thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones, about to break the two-thousand barrier.


    By this time, the majority of cultivators had already withdrawn.


    Now somewhat overpriced, only three people, including Lin Tianming, were still in the bidding. All of them were cultivators from private rooms.


    "One thousand nine hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!"


    Lin Tianming didn''t hesitate, raising the bid by one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones and causing the whole audience to gasp.


    He had already consumed many Body Refinement Spirit Fruits and elixirs and was very clear about the benefits they brought to the body and Divine Sense.


    Even if the price was steep, he was willing to pay, knowing well that treasures like this were hard to come by.


    After he called out his bid, the cultivators in the other two private rooms fell into brief silence, seemingly willing to give up.


    Three breaths passed, and just when Xue Chong was about to announce the auction result, one of the private rooms called out a price, seeming to make a final bid.


    "Two thousand Spirit Stones!"


    "Two thousand one hundred Spirit Stones!"


    Before the voice had finished, Lin Tianming instantly upped the bid by another hundred Spirit Stones.


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s new bid, the last bidding cultivator fell completely silent.


    Five breaths went by, and Xue Chong bowed towards the private room where Lin Tianming was located and proceeded to announce the auction result.


    "Congratulations to the Daoist friend in the private room on securing the Flame Fruit for two thousand one hundred Spirit Stones!"


    Hearing Xue Chong declare the result, Lin Tianming let out a sigh of relief.


    Overjoyed, he quickly took out two thousand one hundred Spirit Stones and, with a flick of his hand, sent them all through the restrictive light screen, landing steadily in Xue Chong''s hands.


    After a sweep with his Divine Sense and confirming that the number was correct, Xue Chong flung the Jade Box through the light screen as well, which Lin Tianming caught.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming was somewhat excited, picking up the blood-red Flame Fruit and lovingly admiring it.


    In the center of the auction house, Xue Chong chuckled and resumed hosting the auction.

 Chapter 160 Making Friends_1

    The explosive auction continued.The first climax treasure sold for a high price of two thousand one hundred spirit stones, satisfying all cultivators in attendance.


    Xue Chong was very satisfied. By presiding over this auction, he would receive a generous reward.


    As the atmosphere on the scene gradually relaxed, Xue Chong took out the prepared treasure, the second climax item.


    Looking over, he revealed a fiery red spirit sword about three feet long in his hand, encircled by faint sword qi, clearly an attack talisman.


    Seeing this item, many cultivators flashed eager spiritual light in their eyes.


    Xue Chong waved his hand once, twirling the blade, then started to introduce it.


    "The second climax item, a Second Order Low Grade Artifact, named Fire Cloud Sword, renowned for its formidable attack power; it''s considered an exquisite piece among Second Order Low Grade Artifacts. The starting bid is three thousand spirit stones, and each increment must be no less than twenty spirit stones," he announced.


    As soon as the words fell, a cultivator at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment from the public area couldn''t wait to bid.


    "Three thousand one hundred spirit stones," he shouted.


    The first bid emerged, and an elderly cultivator at the Fourth Level of Foundation Establishment mocked:


    "Bidding so slowly is a waste of time, let an old man bid three thousand five hundred spirit stones," he declared.


    The elder sharply raised the price by several hundred spirit stones, making some eager cultivators give up on bidding.


    Second Order Magical Artifacts are not easily refined and are very precious in the Cultivation World. Many cultivators at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment exhaust all their wealth and even incur debts for the sake of Foundation Establishment.


    Those who have just reached Foundation Establishment typically aren''t wealthy, and hence many cultivators at the Initial and even Medium Stage of Foundation Establishment find it hard to possess a magic artifact.


    That''s why many cultivators at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment attend auctions specifically for Second Order Magical Artifacts.


    Despite the significant price jump made by the elder, many people were not willing to give up easily, for the auction recognized spirit stones, and the one who offered the highest price would obtain the treasure.


    "Three thousand six hundred spirit stones," a middle-aged cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Second Layer bid loudly.


    "Three thousand seven hundred spirit stones,"


    ...


    Lin Tianming and his two companions sat in the private room, watching the intense bidding among cultivators below, looking on as if enjoying a show.


    They had not made a bid throughout, nor did they have any intention to participate in the auction.


    After all, Lin Shilu and Ye Pinghai had entered Foundation Establishment quite early. Lin Shilu was a Second Order Refiner, and Ye Pinghai was a Second Order High-Grade Alchemy Master, both extremely wealthy, each already possessing Second Order Magical Artifacts, and of not low quality either.


    Lin Tianming himself used a complete set of spirit swords and had the Second Order Medium Quality Tiangang Sword for exhibiting his divine skills. The Fire Cloud Sword was decent but of little use to him. More importantly, his spirit stones were limited, and after purchasing the Flame Fruit, he only had a little over two thousand spirit stones left.


    The bidding scene at this moment was extremely hot, and the price was quickly raised to four thousand four hundred spirit stones.


    By this point, the price of the Fire Cloud Sword was somewhat inflated, and many cultivators with limited means had long given up the idea of bidding. Only two cultivators remained in the competition: the afore-mentioned cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Third Layer and the old man who had been fiercely raising the price.


    The two competing cultivators were at odds, neither willing to back down.


    Seeing the middle-aged cultivator increase the bid by fifty spirit stones, the elder''s face started to look rather unpleasant.


    Thinking of the thousands of spirit stones he had painstakingly saved, he yelled to the bidding cultivator:


    "Daoist Zhu, give me some face and let me have this sword, how about it?"


    "Hmph, the rule of the auction is that the highest bidder wins. If you don''t have spirit stones, you shouldn''t participate," the man surnamed Zhu flatly refused, without giving any face to the elder.


    The elder had assumed that since he was two minor realms higher than Daoist Zhu and had asked personally, Daoist Zhu would retreat. But he didn''t expect the man to completely disregard him, which took him by surprise.


    Seeing that Daoist Zhu was not giving in, the angered elder threatened:


    "Fine, fine, there will be other days. Daoist Zhu, you''d better watch yourself when you go out, lest something unfortunate happen to you,"


    "Four thousand six hundred spirit stones,"


    "Four thousand seven hundred spirit stones,"


    Daoist Zhu remained undeterred and continued to increase the bid.


    A few moments passed.


    At this point, the elder''s face was flushed red. After sweeping his divine sense over the spirit stones in his storage bag, he no longer raised the bid, clearly giving up on the auction.


    Xue Chong, seeing that the two contenders were silent, publicly announced the auction result.


    Daoist Zhu was all smiles as he handed over the spirit stones to Xue Chong and then received the Fire Cloud Sword.


    Meanwhile, the elder''s face was red with rage; having lost face, he was fuming and wished he could tear Daoist Zhu to pieces.


    Noticing the elder''s demeanor, Xue Chong''s expression turned cold, and he spoke:


    "Daoist Xu, this is an auction. Any resentments should be resolved outside the market,"


    Hearing Xue Chong''s reminder, Daoist Xu forcibly suppressed the agitation in his heart. Knowing the consequences all too well, no one dared to cause trouble within the market, and he sat down without saying another word. Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Xue Chong nodded and continued to preside over the auction, S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Time slowly passed, and soon an hour had gone by.


    During this period, seven treasures had been consecutively auctioned off, one of which was the Hun Tian Pill that fetched a high price.


    The other treasures were no ordinary items either. Two more Second Order Magical Artifacts, some precious Spiritual Medicine Materials, a Yellow Grade Technique, and a Foundation Establishment Pill were sold.


    The Yellow Grade Technique was bought by a cultivator in a private room for twenty-three thousand spirit stones, and the Foundation Establishment Pill was taken by another in a private room for thirty-one thousand spirit stones, bringing in high prices for all the treasures.

 Chapter 160 Making Friends_2

    Among the finale items up for auction, Lin Shilu had not made a move, and although his family still coveted the Foundation Establishment Pills, considering the intense competition from several private rooms and the challenge of safely transporting it back to the family, it was simply too hot to handle for the Lin Family at present, so Lin Shilu could only give up.Ye Pinghai, on the other hand, spent thousands of Spirit Stones without so much as blinking an eye to win the bidding for two stalks of Third Order Spiritual Medicine Material, evidently showcasing the deep pockets of a Second Order High-Grade Alchemist.


    By this time, the auction had reached its concluding phase, with just one final treasured item yet to be auctioned off.


    The last item to end the auction was always the most precious treasure.


    All the cultivators present fixed their eyes on the final item, with many spectators looking forward with great anticipation.


    The highlight of the Qi Refining Area''s auction was almost a no-brainer¡ªit was definitely either a Foundation Establishment Pill or another Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object.


    And Lin Tianming, attending the Foundation Establishment Area''s auction for the first time, was also curious about what the treasure would be.


    Once the cultivators in the hall had calmed down, Xue Chong decided to skip the preliminaries, took out a Jade Box, and opened it so that all the cultivators could see the item inside.


    Lin Tianming peered intently inside the Jade Box and saw a Jade Slip. A prohibition kept him from knowing whether it contained a cultivation technique or a tome.


    "Brother Xue, what exactly is this Jade Slip?" a cultivator in the hall asked.


    With a chuckle towards the entire hall of cultivators, Xue Chong began his introduction.


    "The tenth and final treasure of the auction is a Water Attribute Mysterious Grade Cultivation Technique called ''Thousand Water Decree'', accompanied by Divine Skills offensive and defensive in one, with considerable power. The starting bid is forty thousand Spirit Stones, with each bid increment no less than fifty Spirit Stones."


    "Mysterious Grade Technique?"


    This was something that hadn''t appeared for a long time. The number of Foundation Establishment Pills and cultivation techniques at small gatherings would sharply decrease, and Mysterious Grade Techniques were even rarer. Many cultivators thought they would only appear at the major gatherings held every ten years.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu were also somewhat surprised, but neither of them was particularly interested. After all, the starting bid was forty thousand Spirit Stones, and one could imagine how high the final bid would go. Moreover, the Lin Family already possessed a complete set of Mysterious Grade Cultivation Techniques for the Five Elements, so they weren''t too keen on this one.


    However, their thoughts differed from those families lacking a Water Attribute Mysterious Grade Technique.


    Sure enough, as soon as Xue Chong finished introducing the technique, bids started coming from within the private rooms, and soon, new bidders joined the auction.


    "Forty-one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!"


    "Forty-two thousand Spirit Stones!"


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    The prices continued to escalate, with each new bid coming from private rooms whose affiliations were unknown, turning the entire auction hall of about a hundred cultivators into mere spectators.


    "Forty-seven thousand Spirit Stones!"


    The bid came out higher by more than ten thousand Spirit Stones than the Foundation Establishment Pill, causing a stir among the numerous cultivators.


    Lin Tianming was equally astonished; this was his first time witnessing the successful auction of a Mysterious Grade Technique.


    After more than ten rounds of bidding, the Mysterious Grade Technique was won by a cultivator in one of the private rooms for a price of forty-seven thousand Spirit Stones.


    Xue Chong and the successful bidder in the private room completed the exchange of Spirit Stones and the technique.


    At this point, all the highlight items had been successfully auctioned off, along with nearly a hundred other spiritual objects, and not a single treasure failed to sell.


    Xue Chong was visibly excited; the auction had concluded successfully, which meant he would receive a substantial amount of salary.


    Once he calmed down, Xue Chong cupped his fists and bowed towards the numerous cultivators sitting below.


    "Thank you, fellow cultivators, for your participation. With all the treasures auctioned off, this auction has come to an end. Until next time!"


    As Xue Chong announced the conclusion, some cultivators who knew each other greeted one another and then started to leave the auction.


    Inside the private room, Lin Tianming and the other two remained seated, casually chatting, not in a rush to leave, as they were waiting to attend the exchange meet for Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    A quarter of an hour later, many of the cultivators had left the venue, but there were still more than ten who remained where they were.


    After surveying the hall, Ye Pinghai turned to Lin Shilu and said:


    "It''s about time, Brother Lin, let''s go!"


    Lin Shilu nodded and followed Ye Pinghai out of the private room.


    The Qi Refining Cultivators waiting outside saw the three men exit and immediately came forward to greet them.


    Without a word, Lin Shilu waved his hand, and ten Spirit Stones appeared out of thin air in the hands of the Qi Refining Cultivator.


    The Qi Refining Cultivator was overjoyed upon seeing the Spirit Stones given by Lin Shilu and repeatedly thanked him with a bow.


    "Thank you, three seniors!"


    Lin Shilu nodded, and afterwards the three of them no longer paid attention to the Qi Refining Cultivators, directly passing by them towards the depths of the passageway.


    After more than ten breaths of time had passed, the three, having traversed several corridors, appeared outside a private room. Given Ye Pinghai often stayed in the market and had attended many auctions and exchange meetings, he led the way, and now they arrived outside a private room.


    With a single-handed seal, he sent a message into the room''s protective restrictions.


    In less than a breath''s time, an opening appeared in the protective restrictions of the room, and the three walked in together.


    They entered a huge private room, already filled with more than ten Cultivators sitting inside, many of whom were engaged in casual conversations with acquaintances.


    Lin Tianming also looked over the numerous Cultivators, and noticed that aside from himself, all the others were at least at the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment or above.


    It was clear that the exchange meeting Ye Pinghai had brought them to was of a higher caliber, most likely not the kind of venue for Cultivators at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Seeing Ye Pinghai enter, many Cultivators hurriedly stood up, proactively greeting him as if they were very familiar with him.


    Ye Pinghai also greeted them in return and then in front of all the Cultivators, began to introduce Lin Tianming and the other.


    "Fellow Daoists, these two represent the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family''s Lin Shilu, and beside him is his nephew¡ªallow me to introduce them to everyone!"


    "So, you are the Daoist friends from the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family, I have long heard of you!"


    Some Cultivators also took the initiative to greet Lin Shilu, and both he and Lin Tianming returned the gesture with a clasped fist, behaving quite courteously.


    Feeling the influence of Ye Pinghai, indeed, was powerful, as the majority of the Cultivators they met were quite polite.


    This was a good opportunity for networking. For the Lin Family to gain a foothold in the market, it was indispensable to cultivate good relations with these highly cultivated Foundation Establishment Cultivators, thereby expanding the Lin Family''s influence.


    The atmosphere was congenial and enthusiastic, and in a short while, Lin Tianming and the other had met over a dozen Cultivators, including Loose Cultivators and several from other families.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed.


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    By this time, two Cultivators entered the room, one of whom was Li Xiuyuan, and the other also wore the attire of the Zhenyang Sect, his cultivation having reached the Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment.


    Lin Tianming guessed that the other Cultivator must be one of the three Executive Officers of the market.


    As the two entered and saw the entirety of the Cultivators, including Ye Pinghai, stand up to welcome them, they greeted Li Xiuyuan and the others.


    "Ye, Lin, you two indeed came as well!"


    Before he was close, the hearty laugh of Li Xiuyuan could be heard.


    The other Cultivators present were somewhat surprised as it made sense for Li Xiuyuan to be courteous to Ye Pinghai, a Second Order High-Grade Alchemy Master with a powerful cultivation. However, it was unexpected that Li Xiuyuan would be as polite to this unfamiliar Lin Family Cultivator, which made some who hadn''t befriended Lin Shilu regret not doing so.


    While some Cultivators were still stunned, Li Xiuyuan also began introducing his fellow Sect member to Lin Shilu and the other.


    "Lin, this is my fellow Sect brother Song Xun. He helped a lot with the store matter last time. Now that we''ve met today, we should visit each other more often if there''s a chance!"


    Both Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming, looking excited, hurriedly greeted Song Xun.


    "So it''s Brother Song. I''ve already heard from both Ye and Li about you. It''s truly an honor to meet you today. Regarding the store matter, I am indebted to Brother Song''s assistance, and when I have leisure time, I will certainly make a visit."


    Song Xun waved his hand, saying with a very courteous expression:


    "It was but a trifle, Brother Lin need not be so formal. Actually, I''ve met your elder brother Lin Shikang before, but it''s been many years since I last saw him, and I suppose he is about to challenge the Golden Core Path soon, isn''t he?"


    "Haha, so Brother Song and my clan brother are old acquaintances. Once I return to the family land, I will surely convey your message on Brother Song''s behalf. As for the Golden Core Path, it''s not that easy. But someone like Brother Song, at such a young age nearing the Golden Core barrier, I admire that immensely," Lin responded.


    Hearing what Lin Shilu had said, Song Xun expressed:


    "As Brother Lin mentioned, how could the Golden Core Path be so easy to challenge? I have only reached where I am by relying on the Sect''s support and having good luck, in truth, it is nothing noteworthy."


    Lin Shilu chuckled and replied:


    "That may be true, but by my estimations, the three young friends have reached the Eighth and Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment. With the help of heaven-defying elixirs, the hopes of successfully breaking through to the Golden Core are not small at all!"


    "Let''s hope so..." Song Xun shook his head, a hint of longing visible in his eyes.


    After a few moments of casual chat, they temporarily parted ways, with Li Xiuyuan and his companion also engaging in idle conversation with other Cultivators.


    Lin Tianming and the other sat with Ye Pinghai, chatting with some new friends while waiting for the exchange meeting to start.

 Chapter 161 Note_1

    After casually chatting for a short while and seeing that the time was about right, Li Xiuyuan stood up and said,"Thank you, fellow cultivators, for attending this exchange meeting that I''ve organized. It has allowed everyone to make some new acquaintances. Let''s get started, and I hope that each of you will find some gains."


    As soon as his words ended, an elderly man with a kindly expression turned to Lin Shilu and said with a smile,


    "Indeed, every time I attend, I get to meet some new friends, which is truly fortunate."


    The person who spoke was named Wei Liqiong, a family cultivator with Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer cultivation, hailing from the Wei Family of the Hengyang Mountain Range, a family whose strength was not inferior to the Lin Family.


    Since this person was interested in making connections, Lin Shilu naturally would not reject him. They nodded to each other as a greeting.


    Lin Shilu responded with a nod to the goodwill expressed by the other cultivators.


    Seeing the warm atmosphere, Li Xiuyuan, as the organizer, began the exchange meeting, and he was the first to present his items for trade.


    With a wave of his hand, three treasures landed steadily on the stone table in front of everyone. They were a Second Order Medium Quality Demon Beast inner pill, a Third Order Low Grade Spiritual Medicine, and a fist-sized golden ore.


    Observing the three treasures, Li Xiuyuan spoke with a smile,


    "I assume I need not mention what these three items are, as everyone likely knows. I''m willing to trade them for Third Order Spiritual Medicine Chunyang Grass, or the Autumn Jade Fruit. If you possess such items, you can trade one for all three."


    Hearing Li Xiuyuan''s proposal, not a single cultivator in the room spoke up, evidently because the items he sought were too precious.


    Lin Tianming also eyed these treasures with great desire, but alas, he had nothing of equal value to offer and could only be a spectator.


    A few moments passed in silence, seeing that no one was speaking up, Li Xiuyuan felt a tinge of disappointment, but he quickly came to terms with it, given the rare nature of his requested items. Even within the Zhenyang Sect, they were hard to come by, and cultivators in the market, even if they had what he needed, would probably not be willing to trade them.


    He reluctantly put away the three treasures, and then it was Song Xun''s turn. He took out two items, a Second Order Low Grade Demon Core and a Third Order Spiritual Medicine.


    Song Xun''s items were of slightly lesser value than Li Xiuyuan''s and didn''t come with any special requirements. As long as the trade was of equal value and he needed the items, he was willing to exchange.


    Soon enough, two cultivators traded goods with Song Xun, each obtaining one of his treasures.


    Then Ye Pinghai also displayed a Hun Tian Pill and a Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact, looking to trade for the Third Order Spiritual Medicine he needed.


    The Hun Tian Pill, which could directly raise the cultivation of a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator by a minor realm, was highly sought after in the Cultivation World. It was quickly traded away by Wei Liqiong at no small expense, while the medium-grade magic artifact was acquired by a Foundation Establishment Sixth Level cultivator.


    In just a short while, Lin Shilu took out two items. One was Golden Tide Sand, and the other was a Second Order Low Grade Artifact.


    Both items were extraordinary, with the Golden Tide Sand being rather precious and the Second Order artifacts always in high demand. Many cultivators, regardless of already possessing a magic artifact, would still be eager to obtain another, either for personal use or to purchase for their kin.


    "Fellow cultivators, I am looking to trade these two treasures for Second Order Qi Cultivation materials. As long as the values are equivalent, I''m willing to trade. If the item provided is of greater value than mine, I can compensate with spirit stones."


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Xiuyuan, with a single wave of his hand, revealed a blood-red stone in his palm.


    "Brother Lin, how about trading this Golden Blood Stone for your Golden Tide Sand?"


    "Mm, then I would be at an advantage, wouldn''t I?" Lin Shilu replied with a chuckle.


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    "It''s fine, Golden Tide Sand is not easy to come by. I don''t mind taking a small loss." Li Xiuyuan didn''t mind and proceeded to trade with Lin Shilu. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The remaining Second Order artifact was also quickly traded away by a Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator, who offered the body of a Second Order Demonic Beast in exchange.


    Lin Shilu was very pleased, as he managed to trade both of his items for things he needed.


    Time flowed on slowly, and the entire exchange meeting lasted for half an hour, featuring treasures that were no less inferior than those auctioned in Foundation Establishment auction houses.


    Lin Tianming witnessed the whole event, his eyes nearly dazzled by the array of treasures.


    As the exchange drew to a close, most cultivators didn''t immediately get up to leave; instead, they engaged in discussions about cultivation and the Four Arts of Cultivation.


    Lin Tianming listened intently, soaking in the many cultivators'' insights on cultivation and alchemy, as well as conversations with a few Second Order Alchemists. In just half an hour, he gained a lot of knowledge.


    The fervent atmosphere lasted until late afternoon. As dusk approached, it was time for the exchange meeting to wind down.


    Li Xiuyuan and Song Xun, as hosts and organizers of the exchange, got up and exchanged greetings with the other cultivators.


    Ye Pinghai and Lin Shilu also stood up, cupped their fists, exchanged a few words with Li Xiuyuan and Song Xun, and then prepared to leave.


    The three of them left the auction, and the bustling plaza outside the auction house quieted down significantly, marking the end of the grand gathering. Some cultivators also slowly departed from the market.


    By now, evening had arrived; the auction and exchange meeting had lasted nearly half a day.


    After parting ways with Ye Pinghai, Lin Tianming and his companion returned to the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Once inside the Cave Mansion Courtyard, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong were already seated in the courtyard.


    Seeing the two return, they quickly got up to greet them.


    Lin Shilu nodded and then asked about their whereabouts and gains for the day.


    Lin Tianfeng and his companion had attended an auction at the Qi Refining Area and, with their assets, managed to bid on several treasures. After the auction ended, they too participated in an exchange and met several Zhenyang Sect Disciples and family cultivators, ending the day on a very positive note.

 Chapter 161 Notes_2

    Lin Shilu nodded, reminded everyone to be cautious and careful, and then left first.As soon as Lin Shilu left, Lin Tianfeng began to talk non-stop, excitedly recounting the auction''s events.


    "Sixth brother, the auction at Qianchuan Market really can''t be compared to that of Luoyun Market. The treasures that appeared were simply a feast for the eyes."


    "Indeed, the Pozhang Pill, Yellow Grade Technique, and Foundation Establishment Pill also appeared. The cultivators were crazy enough, with each round of bidding driving prices higher than the last,"


    Lin Tianhong chimed in.


    Lin Tianming understood their astonishment very well, as it was also their first time attending the auction at Qianchuan Market.


    When he first attended the Qianchuan Market auction, his reaction was almost the same¡ªthe plethora of items nearly dazzled his eyes.


    "So, what treasures did you both manage to win?" Lin Tianming asked.


    Still excited, Lin Tianhong hurriedly said:


    "Big brother and I jointly won a complete demonic beast carcass. With Fifteenth Grandfather''s help, we should be able to refine two decent Spiritual Artifacts."


    "Besides that, we each won a Second Order Talisman to add some life-saving measures for ourselves."


    Lin Tianming nodded and congratulated them.


    Lin Tianfeng was not of low cultivation, and even though he had no special talents, his participation in the family''s Monster Hunting Squad made his fortune quite substantial.


    Lin Tianhong was a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, and his alchemy had improved significantly, placing him at the forefront among his generation in the clan.


    In their generation, whether in terms of cultivation or cultivation technique, they had already far surpassed the previous generations of their clan.


    Thinking of this, he wore a face full of gratification.


    "Big brother, second brother, now that the market assembly is over, what are your plans next?" Lin Tianming inquired.


    After contemplating, Lin Tianfeng answered:


    "This place isn''t like the clan, otherwise I could still hunt demonic beasts. Now that''s not possible, so I plan to occasionally help out at Luoyun Pavilion and spend the rest of the time in seclusion and cultivation. In three months, I''m due to replace Uncle Xing Li to take care of the shop."


    After Lin Tianfeng finished speaking, Lin Tianhong shared his own plans.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather has given us quite a few tasks. I''ll be refining pills during the day and cultivating at night."


    Lin Tianming nodded, fully approving of Lin Tianhong''s arrangement.


    "That''s right, we all have our tasks to attend to, plus we need to cultivate, so there''s hardly any time to idle away."


    Afterward, the three of them chatted for a while before going their separate ways.


    Lin Tianming returned to his room, sat at the edge of his bed, and pondered his upcoming cultivation schedule.


    Having acquired the Flame Fruit from the auction, he naturally had to consume it as soon as possible to enhance his strength, and he also needed to study the notes given to him by Ye Pinghai, aiming to find suitable elixirs to assist in his cultivation at the earliest.


    Moreover, the number of Spiritual Medicine Materials commissioned for pill refining at Luoyun Pavilion was still over a hundred and increasing daily.


    Thinking about this, Lin Tianming felt quite a headache.


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    "Well, first I''ll take the Flame Fruit to enhance the strength of my body and Divine Sense. Then, during the day, I''ll refine the collected Spiritual Medicine Materials into elixirs. At night, I''ll study the notes and cultivate."


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming began to regulate his state, aiming to reach his peak before consuming the Flame Fruit.


    Unconsciously, he had been meditating and cultivating for half an hour.


    At this moment, his state had reached its peak; feeling it was about right, he hurriedly took out the Flame Fruit and held it in his hand.


    Feeling the cool touch of the Flame Fruit and looking at its blood-red flesh, it seemed very appetizing.


    Without any hesitation, he swallowed the Flame Fruit in a single gulp.


    The cool Flame Fruit, upon entering his mouth, immediately felt like he had eaten a mouthful of flame, nothing like the previously cool sensation.


    Lin Tianming bore the pain and swallowed the fist-sized Flame Fruit.


    As the Flame Fruit descended into his belly, a massive amount of heat spread out, intensifying the scorching sensation. Not only that, but his entire body, as well as his soul, felt as if they were being roasted by fire.


    At this time, he felt as though he was being cut a thousand times; sweat poured out all over his body, quickly soaking his clothes.


    Lin Tianming gritted through the pain as he furiously circulated his cultivation technique, refining the energy released by the Flame Fruit into a gentle force, which he then used to pound every part of his body.


    Unbeknownst to him, another hour quickly passed by.


    The intense heat of the Flame Fruit seemed to gradually subside, but he couldn''t tell if he had simply grown numb or if it genuinely wasn''t scalding anymore.


    Lin Tianming remained unmoved, his furrowed brow indicating his determination as a unique energy continued to hammer his internal organs.


    Time hurried away, and in the blink of an eye, ten days had gone by.


    In the training room, Lin Tianming opened his eyes, revealing a faint smile.


    He extended his divine sense to examine the meridians and internal organs throughout his body.


    After the vigorous tempering by the Flame Fruit''s power, the color of his organs had deepened, with hints of gold now appearing in certain areas.


    Not only that, but his meridians had expanded slightly, his skin and bones had strengthened, and even his divine sense had marginally increased.


    At that moment, he felt his body brimming with strength, as if he would never run out of it and could not feel fatigue at all.


    "Huff, huff..."


    Exhaling several breaths of turbid air, Lin Tianming returned his focus and realized his clothes were soiled with impurities that had seeped from his body. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He got up to stretch his limbs, then with a single-hand seal, cast a water-based magic spell to wash away the dirt from his body, followed by using a fire-based spell to dry off.


    He changed into a clean set of clothes and tidied up the cluttered room.


    Sitting on the ground, he took out the note gifted by Ye Pinghai and placed it before him.


    He explored the ancient jade slip given by the old man with his divine sense, perusing the contents it held.


    An hour later, Lin Tianming withdrew his divine sense and fell into deep thought.


    Through his comprehension, the Third Order Alchemy Master''s note revealed to be left by someone called Lingfeng, a Golden Elixir expert from tens of thousands of years ago.


    This person was a Golden Core Cultivator in life, a Third Order Medium Grade Alchemist, and an alchemy fanatic who immersed himself in the Alchemy Dao. He was obsessed with creating and improving pill formulas. Although he didn''t invent any high-order formulas, he did achieve some success in improving existing ones.


    The note specifically detailed his insights and methods for improving the Dragon Bone Pill, but it was uncertain whether they would be successful or not.


    According to Lingfeng''s records, the primary material for refining the Dragon Bone Pill was the inner core of an Azure Dragon Jiao, a creature that was already scarce tens of thousands of years ago and even rarer in the cultivation world of today.


    He believed that the Azure Dragon Jiao, being a fire-attribute spirit beast with a trace of true dragon bloodline¡ªalbeit extremely diluted¡ªwas undoubtedly unique. However, there was another demonic beast in the cultivation world called Qingxu Jiao, which greatly resembled the Azure Dragon Jiao.


    Not only were they both of the fire attribute, but their divine abilities were also very similar, and so were their habits and appearances.


    He speculated that tens of thousands of years ago, both species might have evolved from the same lineage.


    Thus, given how rare the Azure Dragon Jiao was, the relatively more common Qingxu Jiao might serve as a substitute.


    Lingfeng''s views and conjectures seemed to have some merit.


    Stowing the note into his storage bag, Lin Tianming pondered deeply.


    Currently, he didn''t have any better solutions. His cultivation had been consolidating for over a year, relying entirely on meditative practice, with the breakthrough to the second layer of Foundation Establishment seeming infinitely far away.


    Under these circumstances, regardless of whether Lingfeng''s speculated method was viable, he had to attempt it, as he didn''t have time to seek alternative solutions.


    However, he was presently too preoccupied; since Luoyun Pavilion''s opening, especially in the few days before the auction, there were tens of commissions for refining spiritual medicine materials every day. Though the flow of people to the market had significantly diminished thereafter, resulting in a sharp decrease in cultivators requesting alchemy services, the accumulation of half a month had left him with more than three hundred batches of spiritual medicine materials awaiting refinement.


    With Lin Tianhong''s speed of alchemy, who knows how long it would take to complete the refinement. Besides, he also needed to practice cultivation and couldn''t refine continuously day and night.


    Before he addressed the matter of the pill formula, it was necessary to refine as much of the commissioned elixirs as possible, to maintain Luoyun Pavilion''s credibility.


    Lin Tianming now slightly regretted his boastful claim from the past that had led to such strenuous work. No one expected so many cultivators to request alchemy services. Nevertheless, having given his word, he needed to do his best. Otherwise, Luoyun Pavilion wouldn''t be able to establish a foothold in the market.


    Upon further thought, considering he could earn a substantial amount of spirit stones, he didn''t find it too taxing.


    Regaining his focus, Lin Tianming left the room and headed to the Pill Refining Room.


    Entering the Pill Refining Room, he took a brief moment to adjust his breathing, waiting until he was in optimal condition before starting the alchemy process.


    He brought out the Four Symbols Furnace, casting numerous spells upon the pill furnace and the earth fire beneath it.


    After making all the preparations and following a well-versed routine, he proceeded to separate and purify the spiritual medicine materials one by one, until finally solidifying the pill successfully.

 Chapter 162 News of Qingxu Jiao_1

    Time hurried by, and one and a half months had passed.Inside the Pill Refining Room, the fragrance of elixirs wafted from the Four Symbols Furnace, quickly filling the entire room.


    Upon lifting the lid of the Furnace Cauldron, one could see seven Lingshen Pills lying at the bottom, each one full in color with clear patterns encircling the pills.


    "Finally, I''ve finished refining all four hundred batches of materials."


    Lin Tianming talked to himself, then stood up to stretch his limbs, looking at the hundred or so Jade Bottles in front of him with a weary expression.


    Secluded for one and a half months, he had accelerated the pace of his alchemy, ensuring the completion of ten rounds of pill concoction each day before beginning his cultivation.


    Luckily, he had refined First Order elixirs hundreds of times before and was quite familiar with the process. It was such frantic alchemy that further improved his efficiency, ensuring his cultivation was not delayed.


    Over the past month, he had refined most of the over four hundred batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, including the three hundred plus batches left over from his business with Luoyun Pavilion and the hundred batches from the opening day, leaving only a few dozen batches for Lin Tianhong to refine.


    Through his efforts, he had completed the refining of four hundred batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, resulting in more than one thousand five hundred pills, almost all of which were of superior quality.


    After setting aside the elixirs meant for the client, he could at least keep one thousand pills for himself, worth nearly ten thousand Spirit Stones.


    Thinking of the hardships of the past month and earning nearly ten thousand Spirit Stones, a smile emerged on his face.


    "Huff... It''s time to leave seclusion."


    After tidying up the cluttered Pill Refining Room, Lin Tianming returned to his own room.


    Falling onto the stone bed, he soon slept soundly.


    This sleep lasted a full day and night, and he only got up the next morning.


    Feeling the fatigue lifted from his body, and his condition back to its peak, he got up and walked out of the Cave Mansion Courtyard. Walking on the cobblestone road, he headed towards Luoyun Pavilion.


    The biennial Market City meeting had ended, and the flow of people in the Market had significantly decreased. There were noticeably fewer Cultivators he ran into on the road than at peak times.


    Soon, Lin Tianming arrived at Luoyun Pavilion.


    With the Market City meeting over, the business at Luoyun Pavilion seemed to have declined quite a bit. At this moment, a few Qi Refining Cultivators were chatting with the hired shop assistant, Li Rong.


    Lin Xingli and Lin Tianfeng were sitting idle in the shop, chatting. Seeing Lin Tianming approach, a hint of joy crossed their faces.


    After exchanging greetings, they all headed to the third floor of Luoyun Pavilion together.


    "Uncle, how has the business been in the shop recently?" Lin Tianming inquired.


    Upon hearing this question, Lin Xingli answered with a somewhat helpless look,


    "The business at Luoyun Pavilion was very good for the first few days after it opened, with tens of thousands of treasures sold every day and a sizable profit. However, after the Market City meeting, coupled with the dwindling inventory of treasures in the shop, our business has dropped by half."


    Lin Xingli''s explanation indeed had its reasons.


    The business was so good during the first few days after Luoyun Pavilion opened that many of the treasures brought from the family were sold out quickly, and many of the best-selling products were out of stock, leading to a decrease in regular customers over time. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing Lin Xingli''s explanation, Lin Tianming consoled,


    "Uncle, this was expected. After all, no one could have anticipated how smoothly the shop would open before coming to the Market, let alone how good the business would be."


    Lin Xingli nodded, then continued,


    "Although the business has not been great these past days, since we are no longer accepting elixir refining commissions for free, there are quite a few Cultivators still selling Spiritual Medicine Materials, indirectly boosting some business. Maintaining an income of three thousand Spirit Stones a day is still not difficult."


    "It''s already quite good to be able to do this, at least several times better than the shops in Luoyun Market."


    Lin Tianming said casually before inquiring about the status of Lin Shilu and others.


    According to what Lin Xingli said, Lin Shilu had not been seen for a month and was constantly in the Artifact Forging Room, seemingly crafting Magic Artifacts.


    Lin Tianhong was also furiously engaged in Alchemy, although he occasionally came out to have a look, he quickly re-entered the Pill Refining Room.


    Aside from cultivating, Lin Tianfeng occasionally helped out at Luoyun Pavilion and spent his time at various venues in the Market. With his cultivation level and personality, he soon made a large number of acquaintances among the Qi Refining Cultivators.


    Hearing what the two had to say, Lin Tianming felt quite moved.


    In the two months since they had arrived at the Market, it was clear that all of the family members were diligently cultivating and had adapted to the life in the Market.


    Luoyun Pavilion had also fully entered the right track. When business was good, they could earn tens of thousands of Spirit Stones a day. Even when it was not, a daily income of a thousand or two thousand Spirit Stones was still possible. Over a year, this would amass a large profit in Spirit Stones for the family.


    The Lin Family had successfully established a foothold in the Market and made a vast number of Loose Cultivators and other power''s members its allies. The influence of the Luoyun Mountain Lin Family was also gradually expanding. Perhaps in just a few decades, the name of the Lin Family would once again influence the entire Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World.


    Snapping back to reality and casually chatting with Lin Xingli for a few moments, he left Luoyun Pavilion and walked down the Market''s main street.


    The task of pill concoction was finished, and Luoyun Pavilion was on track; now it was time to consider the issue of the Dragon Bone Pill Formula.


    Having made up his mind, he quickly headed towards the Market City Hall.


    In no time at all, he appeared at the Market City Hall.


    He came here because there was a task hall within the Market where one could post tasks they needed help with or accept tasks posted by other Cultivators.


    Whether seeking Spiritual Medicine Materials or information about Demonic Beasts, commissioning Alchemy or Artifact Refining, forming teams for exploration, or even hunting down criminals in the Cultivation World, all could be posted or accepted here as missions.

 Chapter 162 News of Qingxu Jiao_2

    ```He came here to see if there was any news of the Qingxu Jiao, after all, this beast was not found everywhere, and it wasn''t easy to find one. If there was ready information, he wouldn''t have to blindly search for it.


    It was because of this task board that many cultivators looking for specific spiritual objects could save a lot of trouble, which was why this place was very popular among loose cultivators.


    He entered the second floor of the Market City Hall and looked at a huge light screen in the hall, which displayed thousands of text-recorded tasks. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Looking for traces of the Variegated Beast, commission one hundred spirit stones, complete demonic beast carcases are also accepted for direct exchange..."


    "Searching for traces of the Purple Ratan Flower, commission eighty spirit stones, those who have this item can trade directly..."


    "Forming a team to go to the Qianchuan Mountain Range for cultivation experience, five people in total, requires at least Seventh Level of Qi Refinement..."


    "Track and kill the evil cultivator Gu Tong, those who claim his life will be rewarded ten thousand spirit stones..."


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk... Ten thousand spirit stone reward?"


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but exclaim in surprise.


    According to the information recorded on the light screen, this evil cultivator Gu Tong was a loose cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level, who for some reason, had killed a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Meng Family years ago, completely infuriating the family, which then spent a huge amount of money to issue the bounty for his apprehension.


    This Gu Tong was cunning by nature, had no attachments, and lived a nomadic life. Coupled with his formidable strength, although the Meng Family was powerful and had as many as seven members at the Foundation Establishment Stage, it was not easy to locate him within the vast Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World.


    Understanding the reason, Lin Tianming realized this was the case but had no interest; with his own cultivation at the Foundation Establishment First Level, seeking out such a vicious individual was clearly asking for trouble.


    Lin Tianming put the matter aside and continued to look through the tasks.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed, and he had rapidly reviewed over a hundred tasks; most were looking for spiritual medicine materials or demonic beasts, with a few dangerous missions like hunting evil cultivators. The rewards also varied, ranging from fifteen spirit stones to several thousand spirit stones.


    After reviewing many tasks, he decided to also post one looking for the Qingxu Jiao by assembling a large number of experienced people to help him search, which would save a lot of time.


    Resolved, he approached the area where tasks were posted and started chatting with a Zhenyang Sect Disciple at the Qi Refining Eighth Level.


    Lin Tianming was not well-known in the market, but many Zhenyang Sect Disciples had still heard of him, especially since he had made several public appearances in the market lately and had been seen with Li Xiuyuan and Ye Pinghai a few times.


    Seeing him personally coming to post a task, the Executive Officer who was serving him was very polite and subsequently explained to him the process of posting tasks.


    "Elder Lin, posting a task in the market requires five spirit stones and a deposit of one hundred spirit stones; when the task is completed, the remainder of the commission is paid," the officer said.


    "I''d like to post a task for searching for the Qingxu Jiao, the commission is only needed for providing the trail of this beast, how much would be appropriate?" Lin Tianming asked.


    After considering, the receptionist answered:


    "The Qingxu Jiao is a Second Order Demonic Beast. Those who can discover its trail must have at least the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, otherwise, they may not be able to make it out alive. In my humble opinion, a reward of at least several hundred spirit stones is needed to entice someone to take such a risk!"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming felt it made sense and then said:


    "Then let''s set a commission of eight hundred spirit stones. As long as the information is accurate, anyone can claim the commission."


    After finishing his statement, Lin Tianming took out a hundred and five spirit stones and handed them to the receptionist.


    The receptionist took the spirit stones, recorded the transaction, and after leaving a way for him to be messaged, he took his leave.


    Soon, through the execution of the officer, his task also appeared on the light screen for task posting.


    "Looking for traces of Qingxu Jiao, anyone providing information, as long as it''s accurate and true, can claim eight hundred spirit stones, within a three-month period..."


    Lin Tianming looked at the task he had posted and was satisfied; after a brief pause, he returned to his cave dwelling, he only needed to wait for the news now.


    Several days later, Lin Shilu emerged from meditation, which had lasted for over a month, and the two sat down to drink tea and chat in the small courtyard.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, the hand scroll you gave has been fully comprehended, and the methods recorded in it may be feasible," Lin Tianming said.


    "Oh? If it really works, then our family will have another Second Order Pill Recipe!" Lin Shilu said, somewhat excited.


    Lin Tianming took a sip from his teacup and then started talking about his plans.


    "However, according to the hand scroll, the substitute for the main drug in the Dragon Bone Pill is the Qingxu Jiao Inner Pill. This beast is not easy to find, I have already posted a task in the market. If its trail can be found, I must trouble you, elder, to join me in hunting a few demonic beasts!"


    "Hmm... Good, you didn''t get carried away and knew to measure your abilities!"


    ```


    Lin Shilu nodded in praise and then said,


    "I''ve been in closed-door cultivation recently to refine my magic artifact. The piece of Golden Blood Stone I got from the exchange meeting has been incorporated into my artifact. After re-sacrificing it, its power has significantly increased, which is perfect for accompanying you on your journey!"


    "Then I must thank Fifteenth Grandfather in advance!" Lin Tianming was overjoyed and quickly rose to give a respectful bow.


    Lin Shilu waved his hand dismissively and then began to instruct him earnestly,


    "Hmm... as soon as you receive news of the Qingxu Jiao, send a message to me. Remember not to act alone, understand?"


    "Yes..."


    Lin Tianming respectfully responded. After chatting casually for a while, they each returned to their own cultivation rooms.


    Sitting in the cultivation room, Lin Tianming performed a Grand Circulation.


    After about a quarter of an hour, once his condition reached its peak, he took out a Second Order Lingshen Pill and began his cultivation with some difficulty.


    If there was evidence of the Qingxu Jiao''s whereabouts, he would have to leave Qianchuan Market. Before leaving, he wanted to improve his cultivation as much as possible. Despite the excruciating pain he was about to endure, he could not care less, as having even a sliver more of spiritual power meant additional safety.


    As the elixir entered his mouth, intense pain followed immediately, with large beads of sweat falling from his forehead.


    He did not dare to be careless, swallowing a Body Strengthening Pill and frantically running his cultivation technique, all the while enduring the agony to refine the medicinal power.


    Over ten days slowly passed...


    One day, a messaging aura entered his cultivation room, hovering in front of him.


    He sent out his divine sense to check the message recorded by the Spiritual Light.


    "There''s a message!"


    Lin Tianming was thrilled and immediately rose to leave the cave dwelling, rushing toward the Market City Hall.


    After finding the executive officer who had received him, the two struck up a conversation.


    The obsequious executive officer said,


    "Elder Lin, you are in luck. It''s only been just over ten days, and already a cultivator has happened upon the whereabouts of the Qingxu Jiao!"


    "Oh? Bring me to see that cultivator at once!" Lin Tianming urged.


    "Yes!"


    Following the executive officer, he was led to a private room where he was to meet alone with the cultivator who provided the information.


    Inside sat a middle-aged cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, who quickly stood up to pay respects to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming gestured for him to sit and then spoke with a grave expression,


    "It was you who found the trace of the Qingxu Jiao? Speak in detail, and remember not to attempt to deceive me. If I find out there is any falsehood, you will bear the consequences!"


    At Lin Tianming''s threatening words, the cultivator quickly assured him of his honesty and then relayed how he came across the Qingxu Jiao.


    "Elder, half a year ago I was training in the Qianchuan Mountain Range, when by chance I stumbled into a ravine and happened to spot the trace of a Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Jiao. Luckily, I was cautious enough to flee without looking back and managed to narrowly escape with my life."


    As he spoke, his face went pale, displaying an appearance of lingering fear.


    "After I returned to the market city, I learned of the task you had posted. But before I encountered the beast, I had no idea you were seeking the Qingxu Jiao, otherwise the news would not have come so swiftly."


    Listening to the cultivator''s explanation, Lin Tianming was skeptical, but he had no other options at the moment. Whether true or false, he needed to verify for himself.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming did not make things difficult for the man, promptly paid him a deposit of two hundred Spirit Stones, and promised to pay the rest upon confirmation of the accurate information.


    After sending the man away, he had the executive officer withdraw his task.


    After everything was settled, he returned to his cave dwelling to prepare with Lin Shilu before searching for the Qingxu Jiao.

 Chapter 163 Sword Array Displays Its Power_1

    Back in the Cave Mansion Courtyard, Lin Tianming immediately reported the situation of the Qingxu Jiao.Lin Shilu had already been aware of this matter and had instructed him to be cautious.


    Upon learning that someone had provided information about the Qingxu Jiao, he instantly left his closed-door cultivation, deciding to head to the inner parts of the Qianchuan Mountain Range as soon as possible to find the beast, to prevent any mishaps.


    Early the next morning, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu bade Lin Tianfeng farewell and left Qianchuan Market quietly without any fuss.


    The two rode on the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, heading west towards the Qianchuan Mountain Range.


    After two full days of travel, the two of them, along with the beast, appeared on the outer edges of the Qianchuan Mountain Range, close to the inner regions.


    Along the way, they encountered many Qi Refining Cultivators hunting Demonic Beasts on the outskirts, but they ignored them all, pressing on in a particular direction.


    After a night of rest, Lin Tianming stored the Purple Gold Eagle in the Spirit Beast Bag, and the two of them continued on their journey, stepping into the more vast and lush inner regions.


    Along the way, the two were quite cautious, their Magic Artifacts at the ready, prepared to respond quickly to any noise, not as carefree as they were in the outer regions.


    After several days of cautious exploration and nearly circumventing encounters with Second Order Demonic Beasts, they arrived smoothly at the outside of a valley.


    Gazing at the valley overgrown with the ruins of broken walls and boulders, Lin Tianming''s expression grew solemn.


    "Tianming, is this the place that cultivator provided information about?" Lin Shilu inquired.


    Lin Tianming looked at the simple map in his hands, observing the valley in the distance before recalling the words of the cultivator who had provided the information.


    After a brief moment, Lin Tianming nodded and said,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, according to the map and the description given by the cultivator providing the information, it should indeed be this place."


    "Hmm." Lin Shilu gazed ahead thoughtfully.


    "It''s already late in the day, and not suitable for entering, so let''s rest here for the night and restore our spirits before going in to take a look." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes," Lin Tianming complied.


    Having made up their minds, the two searched for a suitable location nearby and prepared to dig out a Temporary Cave Abode to spend the night.


    They quickly found a hidden spot against a cliff face, and Lin Tianming swiftly dug out a cave several meters wide, adequate for an overnight stay.


    Looking at the excavated Temporary Cave Abode, the two entered and settled down for the night.


    "Tianming, you keep watch during the first half of the night, and I will take over in the latter half. At dawn, we''ll venture into the valley to explore," Lin Shilu instructed.


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s orders, Lin Tianming nodded and agreed wholeheartedly.


    The expanse of the Qianchuan Mountain Range dwarfed that of the Luoyun Mountain Range by several times over. It was said that at its center, even Third Order Demon Beasts were not uncommon. Although this place was just a few hundred miles into the inner regions, Third Order Demonic Beasts may not be present, but there would certainly be a fair number of Second Order ones.


    Apart from Demonic Beasts, cultivators also had to be on guard, as this was not the market town, and occurrences of murder and looting were not infrequent.


    Giving the situation the gravity it demanded, they had to be extra careful.


    Sitting at the entrance of the Temporary Cave Abode, Lin Tianming''s Divine Sense was fully deployed, keeping constant vigilance on the outside.


    The night passed quietly, and the two took turns meditating through the night.


    As morning light pierced through the dense fog and shone into the cave, the two got up and looked out over the distant valley.


    Lin Shilu took out a golden greatsword, his own Magic Artifact of Second Order Medium Quality.


    With preparations made, Lin Shilu began giving instructions.


    "Tianming, a Qingxu Jiao is a social beast with varying numbers in a group, ranging from over a dozen to hundreds, and their grades vary too. However, one thing is certain, in every group there is at least one male and one female that are of Second Order grade. Their Divine Skill is of the fire element, which is very powerful, but their weakness is poor perception. We mustn''t confront them head-on but instead move flexibly¡ªunderstand?"


    Lin Tianming nodded confidently and said,


    "Rest assured, Fifteenth Grandfather, I''ve already consulted many texts about this beast and am quite familiar with its habits. I am swift in escaping, and with a precious treasure to protect me, I can even fight a moment with a Second Order Middle Stage Demonic Beast."


    Lin Shilu gave a chuckle, feeling very reassured about Lin Tianming.


    He was quite clear about Lin Tianming''s Divine Skills. Currently, even if faced with a Third Level of Foundation Establishment cultivator, it would be difficult to say who would win.


    "You will follow me later, I will take the lead, and you will watch our back. Although we''re not deep inside the mountain range, we can''t let our guard down. Should things turn south, we have to make a quick escape," Lin Shilu stated earnestly.


    Lin Tianming nodded, not daring to be careless in the slightest as he saw Lin Shilu''s serious demeanor.


    Some time passed, and once they were ready, they began to probe their way towards the distant valley.


    The two made their way through dense woods, covering several miles before gradually approaching the valley.


    Observing the massive area filled with ruins, with many peaks flattened or snapped in half, the craftsmanship seemed supernatural, not likely to be naturally occurring.


    Lin Tianming speculated that this place must have witnessed a monumental battle many years ago to turn the vast valley into what it looked like now.


    And to accomplish this, it would have required the intervention of Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators at the very least.


    With a brief feeling of awe, they continued to make their way into the valley.


    After half a day, they proceeded with extreme caution for about ten miles without encountering any problems.


    Pausing briefly, they stared into the somewhat eerie valley, and Lin Shilu said,

 Chapter 163 Sword Array Demonstrates Power_2

    ```"Tian Ming, have you noticed anything unusual?"


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s words, Lin Tianming reflected on all the encounters along the way.


    Three breaths of time passed, and Lin Tianming seemed to have noticed something different. Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, on our journey, not to mention demonic beasts, we haven''t even seen a wild sparrow, nor have we found any Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasures. Such a strange situation is something I have never encountered before," said Lin Tianming.


    "Hmm,"


    Reminded by Lin Tianming, Lin Shilu also felt it was somewhat incredible.


    "There must be a demonic beast in this place, one that even eats ordinary wild sparrows; otherwise, it wouldn''t be this clean," he said.


    "Although we haven''t found it yet, there is definitely a demonic beast active nearby. We need to be careful," Lin Shilu warned.


    "Alright, let''s continue on our way."


    Lin Tianming nodded and followed Lin Shilu''s pace. The two were less than a few zhang apart, one behind the other, heading deeper into the valley.


    Unnoticed, the two walked for more than an hour, moving several more miles.


    As the vegetation grew sparser, the scene inside the valley became even more desolate.


    After delving over twenty miles ahead, they still hadn''t been attacked or noticed any movement.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming also began to waver, starting to doubt the cultivator who had provided the information.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s complexion turning somewhat grim, Lin Shilu was just about to say something comforting when he heard a faint noise that, though minimal, he still detected.


    "Tian Ming, there''s a noise," Lin Shilu said with a serious expression.


    Hearing the warning, Lin Tianming immediately started looking around, and sure enough, he too soon heard the rustling sound.


    "Sha... shasha..."


    The noise grew clearer, and both of them felt something from deep within the valley approaching rapidly.


    "Tian Ming, get ready to make a move."


    After giving a reminder, Lin Shilu stared intently ahead, holding the Golden Greatsword, and positioned Lin Tianming behind him.


    Feeling the presence getting increasingly closer, Lin Tianming held nothing back.


    He waved his hand, and fifty-six Earth Evil Swords shot out instantly, revolving around him before scattering swiftly and finally hiding beneath the ground.


    Having done this, he formed a single-handed seal, and the Tiangang Sword appeared in his hand out of thin air. The blade vibrated wildly as if it couldn''t wait to attack, eager to taste the flavor of blood.


    Several breaths of time later, the movements in the deep valley became more pronounced. It was only then that they saw what was coming.


    At this point, a few thousand zhang ahead, dozens of large snakes with alternating blue and red bodies were slithering rapidly towards them, twisting their barrel-thick bodies.


    As they drew nearer, the true form of these snakes was revealed; they were unmistakably the Qingxu Snakes they had been searching for.


    Upon seeing the Qingxu Snakes, a smile appeared on Lin Tianming''s face.


    It seemed that the cultivator who provided the information had not deceived him. He wondered how that youngster had managed to survive in the territory of such an assembly of the Qingxu Snake Clan.


    Without time to ponder further, his expression soon turned solemn again.


    Looking around, he realized the Qingxu Snake Clan consisted of dozens of formidable snakes. Leading them were seven Second Order Demon Snakes, one at the Second Order Middle Stage and six at the Second Order Initial Stage, while the rest were made up of First Order Middle-Late Stage Monster Serpents.


    Fortunately, there were no Second Order Late Phase Demon Snakes; otherwise, it would be very difficult for him and Lin Shilu to retreat unharmed.


    Seeing such an assembly of Qingxu Snakes, Lin Shilu also had a serious look, ready to face the snake clan''s attack at any moment.


    "Tian Ming, I will take on that Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake. You just hold off the others, and as long as you don''t get defeated, that''s enough. Once I''ve killed that beast, I''ll come and help you!"


    After dropping those words, Lin Shilu leaped dozens of zhang forward and charged towards the Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming didn''t even have time to respond when Lin Shilu had already engaged with the Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake.


    Lin Shilu''s sword dance unleashed a hundred streaks of Golden Sword Qi that exploded with loud bangs, furiously charging at the Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake.


    ```


    "Clang, clang, clang¡­ Hiss, hiss..."


    Multiple streaks of Sword Qi bombarded the Qingxu Snake''s body, shearing off its scales and revealing the snake''s greenish-yellow hide beneath.


    In pain, the Qingxu Snake opened its blood-spraying maw, hissing a few times before lunging straight for Lin Shilu''s bite, while at the same time, its barrel-thick tail swept across, as if trying to send the infuriated Lin Shilu flying.


    Just one attack, merely slicing off a few scales, hardly causing any substantial injury? Seeing this, Lin Shilu''s expression grew even graver.


    Faced with the Qingxu Snake''s counterattack, Lin Shilu generated wind under his feet and rapidly retreated dozens of yards, dodging the Qingxu Snake''s assault.


    Once stable, he flipped his hand and threw out several Second Order talismans and more than ten First Order talismans, forming a huge rain of swords that engulfed the Qingxu Snake.


    Simultaneously, he leaped up and once again engaged in fierce battle with the Monster Serpent.


    Man and serpent fought vigorously, with earth-shattering noises spreading throughout the valley, the aftermath of the battle shattering the giant green rocks around them.


    While Lin Shilu was entangled with the Qingxu Snake, several Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snakes below rushed towards Lin Shilu, seemingly wanting to aid their leader.


    "Evil beasts, you shall not succeed!"


    Lin Tianming bellowed angrily and then charged towards the Qingxu Snakes ahead.


    Clasping the Tiangang Sword in his hands, he spun it into a Sword Lotus, and numerous streaks of Sword Qi swept out wildly.


    For a time, a ferocious wind blew through the valley, the green Sword Qi was majestic and overwhelming, stopping the rapidly moving Second Order Qingxu Snakes in their tracks.


    "Pfft, pfft, pfft..."


    A powerful blast repelled several Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snakes, with the intense shockwaves of the Gang Wind lifting the hem of his robe.


    Even so, one Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snake managed to slip through his hands and charged towards Lin Shilu.


    Seeing this, he had no time to intervene again; he assumed the Fifteenth Grandfather would be able to handle it.


    After quick contemplation, he fixed his gaze on the Qingxu Snake Clan ahead.


    After his attack, the enraged snake clan seemed furious. They all opened their gaping maws, launching a fierce attack on him like a swarm of locusts passing through.


    For a moment, all he could see were the figures of Qingxu Snakes, darkening the sky and dimming the sunlight.


    Lin Tianming dared not be careless. He opened the Eye of Five Colors and moved through the gaps in an astonishing manner, narrowly avoiding the numerous biting and sweeping tails of the Qingxu Snakes.


    Once stable, he pressed his palms together and pushed his Cultivation Technique to the extreme, the robes whipped by the wildly circulating Spiritual Power around his body.


    "Earth Fiend Sword Formation, trap!"


    As soon as the Law Decree was uttered, the long-hidden Earth Evil Swords burst out from the ground below and began spinning wildly, enveloping an area of a thousand yards nearby.


    Due to the limited Spirit Wisdom of the Qingxu Snakes, equivalent to the intelligence of children, they failed to notice the Earth Fiend Sword Formation hidden beneath them. It wasn''t until the Sword Array started operating and they felt its restrictive force that they began to struggle fiercely to break free.


    Lin Tianming, who had long planned and even risked his life to lure them into the trap, certainly wouldn''t let them get away so easily.


    "Earth Fiend Sword Formation, slay!"


    As he uttered the Law Decree, the area covered by the Sword Array began to shrink gradually, with the Qingxu Snakes inside twisting their bodies and crashing against the barriers of the Sword Array.


    Suddenly, bursts of explosive sounds were heard.


    The range covered by the Sword Array was so vast that it was somewhat weak on the outermost edges, and under the powerful body impacts of the Qingxu Snakes, Lin Tianming was mentally shaken even if they did not break free.


    Enduring the pain, Lin Tianming forced the Cultivation Technique to stabilize the Sword Array, controlling the Sword Qi within to strike the Qingxu Snake Clan.


    Under the fierce movement of the Sword Qi, some First Order Qingxu Snakes were slain in a single contact.


    In just a few breaths, more than twenty First Order Qingxu Snakes had perished, leaving behind only some Middle-Late Stage First Order Monster Serpents, many of which were already heavily wounded, and two Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snakes had been injured.


    As the number of snakes decreased, the overall strength of the snake clan weakened, the range of the Sword Array reduced, it became more stable, and his situation improved significantly.


    In just a single encounter, more than a dozen First Order Qingxu Snakes were killed, and five Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snakes were trapped.


    After being re-forged, the Earth Evil Swords were fully activated for the first time, the Sword Array composed of fifty-six blades was terrifyingly powerful!

 Chapter 164 The Entire Snake Swarm is Wiped Out_1

    With the addition of new Earth Evil Swords, their number significantly increased, causing the Sword Array''s power to grow exponentially.In his first real battle, Lin Tianming was quite satisfied with such results.


    At this moment, more than thirty Qingxu Snakes within the Sword Array frantically tried to escape, but the space they could live in was steadily shrinking. Their massive bodies had become a burden, resulting in the Monster Serpents biting and attacking each other.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming showed no mercy. He had to end the battle quickly to prevent any unexpected changes from arising.


    Making up his mind, he tossed the Tiangang Sword into the sky and then swiftly formed hand seals, chanting the Law Decree.


    "Tiangang Nine Swords First Sword... go!"


    In an instant, the Tiangang Sword glowed with a brilliant golden light, surrounded by numerous streams of Sword Qi.


    As the Law Decree was fully chanted, the Tiangang Sword disappeared from above his head and in the blink of an eye, it went through the Sword Array Barricade and attacked a Second Order Qingxu Snake.


    "Hiss hiss!"


    The Qingxu Snake that was targeted by the Tiangang Sword was in utter terror. As it struggled furiously, it spat out a fireball from its gaping maw, aiming at the Sword Array Barricade that bound it.


    "That Qingxu Snake is fighting desperately!" Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Lin Tianming''s expression turned solemn; he knew that was the Qingxu Snake''s Innate Divine Ability, which was tremendously powerful. However, he had no choice but to endure the damage, as he couldn''t cancel the Sword Array to dodge the attack. Otherwise, if the Qingxu Snake broke free from the Sword Array''s confines, he would be in danger.


    In a split second, Lin Tianming made his decision; even if it meant getting hurt, he had to keep the group of Qingxu Snakes trapped and even aim to kill them.


    When he refocused his mind, the Tiangang Sword struck the Second Order Qingxu Snake at its vital seven-inch area, followed by a thunderous explosion.


    "Pfft..."


    The Qingxu Snake couldn''t dodge in time and the Tiangang Sword decapitated it. The bucket-thick snake head fell to the ground, and simultaneously, a large amount of snake blood sprayed out, quickly pooling into a blood lake. Meanwhile, the Qingxu Snake''s desperate attack, the fireball, collided with the Earth Fiend Sword Array''s Barricade at the same time.


    Another explosion echoed, and under the Qingxu Snake''s Innate Divine Ability attack, the Earth Fiend Sword Array''s Barricade shook violently.


    Lin Tianming''s face turned pale; he strenuously steadied the sword bodies, with his entire True Yuan running at its limit.


    After three breaths of time, the Sword Array Barricade''s shaking stopped, and it remained stable.


    Simultaneously, as the Sword Array continued to shrink, all the Qingxu Snakes inside were injured, and their numbers were greatly diminished once more.


    Lin Tianming was elated, then sighed with relief; he was truly worried the Sword Array would be breached, allowing the Demonic Beasts to escape, which would have caused even more trouble.


    Within the Sword Array, seeing their fellow decapitated, the remaining Demonic Beasts became even more violent. The remaining four Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snakes frenziedly rammed into the Sword Array Barricade.


    "Boom, boom, boom..."


    Under the furious assaults of the desperate Qingxu Snakes, the sound of collisions echoed through the valley, causing the Sword Array to shake wildly.


    Lin Tianming firmly maintained the Sword Array''s operation, gradually reducing its scope and depleting the snakes'' vitality. As long as he could hold on until Lin Shilu was free to assist, they could annihilate all the Qingxu Snakes.


    Time slowly passed...


    At a mound a thousand zhang away, Lin Shilu was engaged in a fierce battle with two Qingxu Snakes.


    He had been fighting the two Second Order Qingxu Snakes for dozens of rounds. Initially overbearing against the Medium Stage Qingxu Snake, the situation changed when another Second Order Initial Stage Monster Serpent joined the fray compelling him to fight two against one, significantly increasing the pressure, leaving the outcome of the battle hanging in the balance for the time being.


    Even though he was fully engaged in battling the two Demonic Beasts, he was also constantly aware of Lin Tianming''s situation.


    Knowing that Lin Tianming alone was holding off several Second Order Demonic Beasts, along with dozens of First Order Demon Beasts, although a single First Order Demon Beast wouldn''t pose much of a threat, the collective numbers were not to be underestimated.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s precarious situation, and with his Spiritual Power depleting rapidly, prolonged conflict would be disadvantageous to them, so he had to resolve the battle quickly to assist Lin Tianming.


    With that thought, Lin Shilu''s expression turned serious, and he rallied his peak momentum.


    As he swung his Spirit Sword, the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth around him became utterly chaotic.


    "Die, beasts!"


    In a flash, several streaks of Golden Sword Qi shot out from his Magic Artifact, each with extreme speed, targeting the Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snake.


    "Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh..."


    Across from Lin Shilu, the two Second Order Qingxu Snakes opened their moon-sized jaws. As the attack drew nearer, the Medium Stage Qingxu Snake swayed its body, shifting more than ten zhang away.


    But the Second Order Initial Stage Monster Serpent, trying to dodge the Sword Qi, found it moving too fast.


    Unable to avoid in time, three streams of Sword Qi struck its vital parts, causing flesh to tear and blood staining its body.


    "Hiss hiss..."


    The Initial Stage Monster Serpent screamed and writhed wildly.


    Lin Shilu''s forceful strike had critically wounded the Initial Stage Monster Serpent, rendering it incapable of fighting and effectively achieving his objective.


    Lin Shilu''s expression remained intense; he felt it was a bit regrettable, but with the Initial Stage Monster Serpent nearly out of combat, his goal was reached.


    He turned to face the remaining Monster Serpent, his gaze filled with a fighting spirit.


    Without any hesitation, he once again wielded his Magic Artifact, charging towards the Monster Serpent. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Monster Serpent was both frightened and infuriated, its companions dead and its body riddled with bloody holes, it was overtaken by an overwhelming rage, determined to devour that human in revenge.


    The Monster Serpent swung its tail, sweeping directly toward Lin Shilu.

 Chapter 164 Mass Extermination of the Snakes_2

    Lin Shilu soared dozens of feet into the air in a single leap, dodging the Monster Serpent''s tail. Beneath him, a giant boulder tens of feet wide exploded with a roar.Thwarted in its attack, the Monster Serpent grew furious. It opened its huge, blood-spitting maw and spat out two fireballs one after the other, coming at him in quick succession.


    Lin Shilu knew well the formidable Divine Skills of this beast; he dared not be careless. He threw out two Second Order Defense Talismans, transforming into two grey barriers that protected him in front.


    "Boom, boom..."


    Two consecutive explosions sounded as the grey barriers were shattered by the fireballs in an instant, creating a massive shockwave.


    The moment the grey barriers exploded, he had already shifted dozens of feet to the side, avoiding the fireballs'' onslaught.


    The hill below was not so fortunate; struck by the fireballs, it was blasted into a deep pit over ten feet wide, and the scorched earth looked ghastly.


    Once he stabilized himself, Lin Shilu''s fingers flickered rapidly, summoning a rain of fire from the sky. Then with a sweep of his robe, he sent a myriad of talisman papers transforming into a torrential Sword Array raining down upon the Monster Serpent.


    For a moment, light from the fire dazzled in all directions, and a series of collision sounds echoed through the gorge.


    The Qingxu Snake was powerful in Divine Skills attacks but was not as agile as other serpent Demonic Beasts.


    The Monster Serpent, unable to dodge in time, sustained numerous additional wounds on its body.


    Before the Monster Serpent could catch its breath, Lin Shilu''s relentless assaults overwhelmed it, the Five Elements Spells mixed with Sword Qi consuming it entirely.


    "Crackle and pop..." The thunderous sounds of explosions never ceased.


    When the firelight dissipated, the Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake had lost most of its scales, and its body was densely covered in wounds, flesh torn and skin split, and its aura significantly weakened.


    "This beast is still not dead?"


    Lin Shilu couldn''t help but exclaim; the Monster Serpent''s vitality was truly formidable. He had used up dozens of talisman papers, more than ten of which were Second Order, and despite his wave after wave of attacks, he still hadn''t managed to kill the Qingxu Snake.


    "Hmph, You beast, you will die today!"


    Lin Shilu cursed, then his hands formed seals and he made a strange gesture, all the while chanting a special Law Decree.


    After a moment, a silver-white Sword Qi condensed above Lin Shilu''s head.


    Suddenly, the valley was filled with flying sand and stones as a wild wind arose, and the Sword Qi above his head grew increasingly fierce.


    "Great Sun Sword Qi Art, Kill!"


    Lin Shilu bellowed, and the silver-white Sword Qi above his head tore through the air towards the Qingxu Snake with the speed of a meteor.


    This Sword Qi was none other than the Mystical Solar Sword Qi Art that Lin Tianming had acquired, having been nurtured within his Qi Sea for several years.


    Now unleashed, the power of the Sword Qi seemed beyond imagination.


    Seeing the terrifying Sword Qi slashing at it, the Qingxu Snake struggled frantically to escape, but it was severely injured, and its speed was inherently slow.


    Realizing that it could not evade, the Qingxu Snake opened its mouth again, ejecting several enormous fireballs, each bigger than the last, in a desperate final stand.


    Several fireballs streaked across the sky, clashing with the silver-white Sword Qi.


    "Boom, boom, boom..."


    A deafening explosion darkened the skies, and the earth seemed to lose its color.


    Following the explosion, a massive blast wave came rolling through, forcing Lin Shilu back dozens of feet before he could stabilize his form.


    By then, his face was pale, and a trickle of fresh blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.


    When the firelight vanished, the Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake lay in two pieces, its massive body still convulsing, as if expressing the Monster Serpent''s unwillingness to die.


    Seeing the only Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake cut down, Lin Shilu''s face lit up with wild joy, and without any hesitation, he swung his sword again, piercing through the twisting body of the Monster Serpent.


    He leaped to the side of the Monster Serpent''s body, extracted its gallbladder, and only then did the creature''s body stop twitching.


    Having done this, Lin Shilu casually exterminated another Monster Serpent that had lost its fighting power, then flew towards Lin Tianming.


    In less than the time of three breaths, he arrived behind Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming was in a critical situation; several Monster Serpents inside the Sword Array were frantically attacking the Sword Array Barricade.


    To survive, they seemed to have realized that concentrated attacks at one point were the key. Under the assaults of the five Monster Serpents, the Sword Array''s stability continued to weaken; after another two strikes, it would surely disintegrate.


    Again, five fireballs bombarded the same spot on the Sword Array, and after a loud explosion, the Sword Array vibrated wildly, teetering on the brink of shattering.


    Lin Tianming''s face was ashen, and a mouthful of fresh blood burst forth.


    At that moment, Lin Shilu arrived on horseback, and with his addition, the pressure on Lin Tianming greatly diminished, and the Sword Array resumed its smooth operation.


    "Tianming, you trap them, and I''ll handle the attack!"


    Lin Shilu hastily shouted, then swung his greatsword, arousing several streaks of Sword Qi, attacking several Second Order Demonic Beasts.


    Lin Tianming was not to be outdone, steadying the Sword Array while his Tiangang Sword repeatedly lashed out.


    "Puff, puff, puff..."


    With the two of them striking in quick succession, screaming incessantly emanated from within the Sword Array.


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    Within the Sword Array, three Second Order Monster Serpents had already been sliced apart by the Sword Qi, while the First Order ones fared even worse, with many being chopped into more than a few segments.


    The gruesome scene did not cease, and the few struggling serpents hardly stirred up any waves.


    Under the joint efforts of the pair, the Demonic Beasts within the Sword Array were like lambs to the slaughter, and death was their inevitable end.


    After less than half an hour, the previously noisy valley suddenly quieted down.


    At this point, looking out over the valley, it was riddled with holes, and deep pits were everywhere, with broken boulders strewn all around¡ªthe valley was a scene of utter devastation.


    Lin Tianming paid it no mind. With a casual wave of his hand, fifty-six Earth Evil Swords quickly converged and began to rotate around him.


    He stowed all the Spirit Swords into his storage bag and then sat down on a fragmented rock, breathing heavily.


    Both were in poor condition, though Lin Shilu was better off, merely having expended a great deal of Spiritual Power but otherwise uninjured.


    Lin Tianming, on the other hand, had operated the massive Earth Fiend Sword Formation while contending with the attacks of five Second Order Demonic Beasts and dozens of First Order ones, completely depleting his Spiritual Power.


    Now his body was battered in numerous places, with some bones visible on his arm, leaving him with less than twenty percent of his strength.


    Had it not been for his strength in Body Cultivation, his powerful vitality and quick recovery, he would not have held on at all.


    The pair had fought against a Qingxu Snake Clan and, after a fierce battle lasting over half an hour, they finally emerged victorious. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shilu took out an elixir to restore Spiritual Power and swallowed it, then spoke,


    "Tianming, this place is unsafe, other Cultivators might hear the commotion at any time. We must quickly meditate to restore our Spiritual Power to be ready for any imminent dangers."


    Lin Tianming nodded, already holding an elixir, which he swallowed before beginning to meditate and cultivate.


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming''s Spiritual Power had recovered somewhat, and the flesh wounds on his body had also healed quite a bit. He got up and walked towards a corpse of one of the Monster Serpents.


    He alone sufficed to clean up the battlefield, allowing Lin Shilu to restore more Spiritual Power to face potential threats.


    He approached the corpse of a Second Order Middle Stage Monster Serpent, his Tiangang Sword swinging rapidly, cutting the serpent''s body, as thick as a water bucket, into segments before stowing them inside his storage bag.


    Even the scattered Scales on the ground needed to be collected; they were excellent material for Artifact Refining. As long as they were plentiful, they could be turned into armor or crafted into shields with exceptional defensive power.


    He did not overlook the small pools of Snake Blood either, collecting them all. Such treasures were hard to come by, and the Purple Gold Eagle was not picky. With so much snake blood, he could swiftly enhance his strength.


    After gathering the Medium Stage Second Order Monster Serpent, he moved to the body of an Initial Stage Second Order one, repeating the process and collecting all usable materials.


    He busied himself for half an hour just to collect the bodies of the dozens of Monster Serpents.


    After completing these tasks, he slightly altered the shocking scene and then walked toward Lin Shilu.


    Seeing Lin Tianming approaching, Lin Shilu opened his eyes, showing a satisfied smile.


    "Finished clearing the battlefield?" asked Lin Shilu.


    "Hehe... all of it has been collected!"


    Lin Tianming chuckled back, and in turn, Lin Shilu smiled meaningfully and said,


    "This group of Demonic Beasts was quite powerful. Let''s explore the territory of the Qingxu Snakes; maybe we''ll find something good!"


    With that, Lin Shilu walked deeper into the valley, and Lin Tianming quickly followed, soon disappearing from the spot.

 Chapter 165 Qingxu Snake Eggs_1

    The two left the battlefield and headed into the valley.With the Qingxu Snake Clan wiped out, there should no longer be any danger within the valley.


    By this time, Lin Shilu had recovered most of his spiritual power, and Lin Tianming had also recovered some. As long as they didn''t encounter a Foundation Establishment Late-Stage Cultivator or a Second Order Late-Phase Demonic Beast, they wouldn''t have problems ensuring their own safety.


    Shortly, the pair advanced more than ten li deep into the valley along the base of the mountain.


    They arrived at a massive stone forest that was much larger than the one near the battlefield and had denser bushes.


    At the center of the stone forest, there were many caves a few zhang wide, distributed around the center, each one a snake burrow.


    Standing atop a huge rock, Lin Shilu surveyed the stone forest ahead and said:


    "Tianming, this vast stone forest must be the Qingxu Snake''s nest. I estimate that a hundred li around are their territory!"


    Lin Tianming nodded. Demonic Beasts had their own territories and usually would not leave them unless driven away by more powerful beasts; otherwise, they would stay and breed within their own lands.


    The territories of Second Order Demonic Beasts ranged from a hundred li to several hundred, while most First Order Demonic Beasts had territories spanning only several tens of li.


    Looking at the stone forest thousands of zhang wide before him, Lin Tianming''s face brimmed with excitement.


    They had expended considerable effort and treasures¡ªjust the talisman paper alone cost them hundreds¡ªto eradicate a clan of snakes, all for the spoils of war. Yet, the bodies and inner cores of the Qingxu Snakes alone had brought them substantial rewards. Moreover, there was the vast territory of the eradicated clan to explore, perhaps yielding some rarely-seen treasures.


    Grinning mischievously, Lin Shilu was also excited but chose not to show it.


    "Tianming, the territory of this snake clan is vast. If we were to inspect it all, we would spread ourselves too thin. Plus, with the surrounding Demonic Beasts eyeing us covetously, let''s just explore a twenty li radius around the stone forest. We can give up on the rest¡ªafter all, our haul is already substantial enough!"


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s instructions, Lin Tianming nodded; he too believed it was wise to be cautious.


    Because within a Demonic Beast''s territory, treasures almost always appeared within a ten li radius of its lair. As for the outer regions, there was hardly anything of value to be found, and venturing out to explore posed significant risks. If they encountered other cultivators or nearby Demonic Beasts, a safe retreat would not be easy.


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    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming spoke up:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, with the snake clan destroyed, there should not be any dangers within. Let''s each take a direction and scout thirty li around. Should there be any danger, we''ll immediately regroup at the center of the stone forest!"


    "Alright, search quickly and signal at once if there''s any trouble!"


    After replying, Lin Shilu immediately flew off to the left, quickly disappearing from sight.


    Lin Tianming wasted no time, swiftly heading in the opposite direction.


    While there shouldn''t be any dangers, Lin Tianming remained cautious, clutching the Earth Evil Sword, ready for any potential threats.


    He weaved through the stone forest, crossing several tens of zhang with each step, quickly covering over ten li.


    In this period, he discovered two Second Order Spiritual Medicines¡ªcommon items, but still worth several hundred Spirit Stones.


    Suddenly, Lin Tianming halted his steps and landed on a rock. A hundred zhang ahead, in a crevice between stones, grew a tree about one zhang tall with over ten bright red fruits.


    Seeing the tree one zhang tall in front of him, Lin Tianming couldn''t help exclaiming excitedly.


    "Qiuxing Fruit!"


    Elated, Lin Tianming leaped high, darting towards the fruit tree.


    Qiuxing Fruit, a Second Order fire-attribute Spirit Fruit, could aid the cultivation of both cultivators and Demonic Beasts, ripening once every sixty years.


    Since it was a naturally formed Spiritual Object, its effects were comparable to a Second Order Spirit Origin Pill, and even stronger, making it particularly effective for fire-attribute cultivators, a truly rare treasure.


    Moreover, unlike the Lingshen Pill, it could be eaten directly without any discomfort.


    And the fruits on this Qiuxing Fruit Tree were all ripe, a timely bounty for him.


    "No wonder such a number of Qingxu Snakes could emerge here, and even seven Second Order Demon Snakes, this tree must have played no small part!"


    After talking to himself, Lin Tianming immediately began to pick the Qiuxing Fruit.


    He took out over a dozen Jade Boxes and, with the Earth Evil Sword in hand, carefully plucked the Qiuxing Fruits one by one before delicately placing them into the boxes.


    A short while later, he had collected twelve Qiuxing Fruits.


    Looking at the one zhang tall Qiuxing Fruit Tree, Lin Tianming frequently stabbed the Earth Evil Sword into the ground, the rugged stone cleaved easily as if it were tofu.


    Having picked the fruits, he wouldn''t pass up the chance to transplant the Qiuxing Fruit Tree. If relocated to his family''s orchard, it could bear fresh Spirit Fruit after sixty years. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In just over a dozen breaths'' time, a pit a zhang wide appeared in the ground, and the Qiuxing Fruit Tree was extracted roots and all, placed into a prepared storage bag.


    Having done all this, Lin Tianming smiled slightly, then turned and left the area without a backward glance, resuming his search.


    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, an hour had passed.


    The area of over twenty li radius had been scouted by the two, who then reconvened at the point of separation.

 Chapter 165 Qingxu Snake Eggs_2

    At this moment, Lin Shilu''s face was flushed with color, indicating a bountiful harvest. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Lin Tianming was equally excited. Seeing the expression on Lin Shilu''s face, he initiated a conversation.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, how was your harvest this time?"


    Lin Shilu chuckled and replied, "I''ve collected eleven second-order Spiritual Medicines and dozens of first-order ones, though they''re all common and not of high value."


    "Moreover, I found a Qiuxing Fruit Tree that bore twelve Spirit Fruits, all ripe!"


    After sharing his own findings, Lin Shilu also asked about Lin Tianming''s gains.


    Lin Tianming grinned from ear to ear, all but his eyes was smiling.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, my gains are nearly the same as yours. However, I found not one but two Xingxing Fruit Trees. Their fruits, also ripe, have all been picked by me, and I even uprooted the trees, ready to bring them back and replant them in the family lands!"


    Upon hearing Lin Tianming''s report, Lin Shilu was overjoyed, his face blooming with smiles.


    The two of them had collected three Qiuxing Fruit Trees and thirty-six ripe Qiuxing Fruits just by raiding the Qingxu Snake Territory, and they hadn''t even explored the entire snake den yet. It was unknown what other treasures they might find inside.


    "Ha ha... You''re ruthless, my boy, but that''s what I like about you!" Lin Shilu teased.


    A smile crossed Lin Tianming''s lips, yet his heart remained undisturbed.


    Lin Shilu said no more; instead, he regarded the changing sky and spoke.


    "Alright, it''s getting late. We shouldn''t linger here too long. Let''s finish scouring the Qingxu Snake Cavern, and leave before dark to return to the Temporary Cave Abode where we stayed overnight. After a night''s rest, we''ll head back to Qianchuan Market early tomorrow morning!"


    "Yes!" Lin Tianming nodded in agreement.


    "We don''t know what lies inside these caverns. It''s better if we don''t split up. We''ll check them one by one, which I believe won''t take long!"


    After Lin Shilu made this suggestion and saw no objection from Lin Tianming, he walked towards one of the caverns. Lin Tianming did not hesitate and immediately followed.


    Inside the cavern, the light was dim, but this posed no problem for the cultivators.


    With caution, the two progressed along the cavern that was a bit taller than a man, covering a hundred paces before reaching the end.


    The journey was uneventful, which relieved them.


    They then came upon a larger cave, akin to a vast secret chamber, with enough space to fit two large rooms.


    After circling inside, they found only some Qingxu Snake Scales, which seemed to have been shed by the Monster Serpents.


    Collecting the Monster Serpent Scales casually, they left the cave and entered another.


    Half an hour quickly passed, and they had explored most of the cavern without finding any valuable items, though they did collect quite a number of Qingxu Snake Scales.


    Lin Tianming was somewhat surprised; traditionally, the probability of finding treasures within a monster''s lair was much higher than within its territory.


    The Qingxu Snake Cavern was filled with scales, and not even a single first-order Spirit Grass could be found, which was wholly unexpected.


    Seeing the disappointment on Lin Tianming''s face, Lin Shilu reassured him:


    "Tian Ming, the caverns we''ve explored are smaller ones. The largest ones are yet to come, and I''m sure the treasures must be concentrated in the caverns of the second-order Qingxu Snakes!"


    Heartened by Lin Shilu''s words, Lin Tianming felt a little better.


    Facing a larger cavern, anticipation filled their expressions, and without hesitating, they entered.


    Likewise uneventful, their journey soon reached its end, arriving at a vast chamber.


    Upon seeing the cavern, which was obviously larger than the others, Lin Tianming and his companion were certain that this was the lair of a second-order Qingxu Snake.


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    With a calm demeanor, Lin Tianming quickly surveyed the interior of the cavern. Under the gaze of his Eye of Five Colors, the pitch-dark cavern was as clear as daylight; no movement could escape his eyes.


    Along the cave, scales were plentiful, all of which were collected by the two of them.


    In addition to that, some incomplete bones and fragments of Spiritual Artifacts lay scattered amidst the soil.


    It seemed this Qingxu Snake had swallowed many cultivators, along with their Spiritual Artifacts. Over time, both bones and fragments were no longer intact, nor could the identity of the unfortunate be discerned.


    ```


    Walking along, Lin Tianming suddenly pointed to a deep pit at the far end of the cave and shouted,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, look there!"


    Lin Shilu followed Lin Tianming''s pointed direction and saw several oval eggs in the pit more than ten meters away, each as large as a water bucket.


    The two hurried over and began examining the eggs in the pit, circling the cave.


    "These are Qingxu Snake eggs!" Lin Shilu exclaimed with delight.


    Lin Tianming was also overjoyed and reached out to touch the eggs, feeling the warmth and assessing the condition inside the eggs.


    After three breaths had passed, he said excitedly,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, these eggs are viable, they should be able to hatch!"


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu quickly reached out and picked up an egg to investigate.


    "Indeed, they hold life force!"


    Overjoyed, Lin Shilu then said,


    "These eggs must have been here for a while, and if it hadn''t been for this great battle, they would likely have hatched soon. Now that we have found them, we must quickly take them back to the clan to be incubated, and then feed them with Lifeblood Essence. This cannot be delayed!"


    Lin Tianming nodded, fully aware of the importance of this matter.


    Taming demonic beasts is not easy. Besides those with great strength forcefully bonding, and giving sufficient benefits to prevent being devoured by a Spirit Beast, there is still the possibility of being devoured if the Spirit Beast''s cultivation is too high.


    However, a Spirit Beast hatched from an egg with one''s Lifeblood Essence, under any circumstances, will not turn on its master.


    Moreover, acquiring a Spirit Beast egg is difficult. They''re either found dead, unable to hatch a Spirit Beast, or the potential of the Spirit Beast is too low, making the egg meaningless. A hatched beast that cannot significantly assist its master is a burden.


    Considering the strength and talent of the Qingxu Snake, though not particularly outstanding, such an opportunity is rare and cannot be sought.


    The two then collected all the eggs and searched the entire cave.


    In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the vast cave had been meticulously searched by the two, and they collected numerous scales, but still no other treasures.


    The two left the snake cavern and quickly moved on to search another cave.


    An hour passed in this way, with every cave being searched thoroughly, and soon all caves had been scoured.


    Emerging from the caves, their faces brimmed with broad smiles.


    In the subsequent twenty-odd caves, they found six more serpent eggs, all with powerful life force and all likely to hatch successfully.


    In addition, they collected a vast number of Qingxu Snake Scales, which serve as the best food for young Qingxu Snakes.


    With these scales, the newly hatched snakes would not lack for food for quite some time, and it is believed that they would grow rapidly, possibly reaching the first-order late stage easily sustained on the scales.


    After exploring the caves, they found no other treasures of the earth but were not the least bit concerned, because the eleven serpent eggs and the huge number of scales were invaluable, almost comparable to a dozen cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining.


    Outside the cave, the setting sun cast its residual glow in the valley, and the sky gradually darkened.


    With a smile on his face and his heart pounding with excitement, Lin Shilu managed to calm himself and then said,


    "Tian Ming, it''s dusk now, and we should not linger here. Let''s set off immediately, return to the Temporary Cave Abode where we rested last night, spend the night, and set off for Qianchuan Market first thing in the morning to plan our next move!"


    "Hmm..."


    Lin Tianming nodded, and the two immediately leapt up and hastened toward the direction they came from.


    With practiced ease, they made good progress and returned to the Temporary Cave Abode before dark.


    Lin Shilu sat down on the floor and said to Lin Tianming,


    "Tian Ming, you will take the first watch tonight as before, and I will take over in the second half of the night!"


    Lin Tianming nodded, sat at the entrance of the abode, closed his eyes, and his Divine Sense constantly monitored the surroundings.


    ```

 Chapter 166 Sword Drawn, Crossbows Cocked_1

    A night of calm passed as the two took turns standing guard.At the break of dawn the next day, Lin Tianming and his companion left the temporary cave shelter.


    After a night of meditation and cultivation, Lin Shilu had completely recovered his spiritual power, and Lin Tianming was also in good shape. Although there were still some minor flesh wounds on his body that hadn''t fully healed, given his strong recovery ability, it would take no more than a couple of days for him to fully recover.


    Feeling the surging spiritual power and vitality within his body, those small injuries had almost no effect on his combat ability.


    Lin Tianming was in good spirits, and the trip had been highly rewarding, which brought a constant, satisfied smile to his handsome face.


    Looking back at the cave shelter they had stayed in for two nights, he then took the initiative to conceal any traces of their dwelling.


    After covering up the cave, Lin Shilu took out the map, they glanced at it briefly, then put it away again.


    The route they had taken on their way here had been almost uneventful, and they decided to continue along the same path back to Qianchuan Market.


    "Let''s set off!" Lin Shilu commanded.


    As soon as he was done speaking, Lin Shilu took the lead, striding away with leaps covering dozens of meters, and Lin Tianming quickly followed suit.


    The two of them swiftly passed over rocks and giant trees, soon disappearing without a trace.


    After half a day of travel, they had covered several hundred miles.


    During this time, they encountered only a few low-order demonic beasts, which they dispatched with ease and quickly moved on, but despite their rapid pace, they still hadn''t exited the most dangerous inner region.


    The sun blazed overhead, in a sky clear of clouds.


    At this moment, they found themselves in a vast swamp.


    The swamp was massive and endless at first glance, peppered with dirt mounds tens of meters high within its confines.


    The two crossed over a mound, planning to thread their way through, but they halted their steps less than a thousand meters in.


    In front of them, two huge and strange demon insects were baring their teeth and blocking their path.


    Both demon insects were about nine meters long, with dark, glossy bodies and hundreds of feet, exuding a fierce and terrifying aura.


    They had passed this way upon entering and hadn''t encountered these two demon insects; unexpectedly, they met them now on their way out.


    They thought to bypass the two demon insects, but, undiscouraged, the insects chased after them for a while, occasionally spitting out ice swords to attack them.


    Lin Tianming was somewhat exasperated. The gains they had made this trip were already substantial. If it were a normal encounter, he wouldn''t bother with them, but surprisingly, these two demon insects were relentless.


    He couldn''t understand why these two Second Order Initial Stage demon insects were trying to trouble them, as it was no different from seeking death.


    Seeing this, it was becoming comical that two cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level were being pursued by two Second Order Initial Stage demon insects.


    Lin Shilu said helplessly,


    "Tian Ming, these are Black Carapace Demon Insects. They like to attack cultivators. Their defensive power is extremely formidable, and they''re also very fast. But since we''ve run into them, we might as well finish them off quickly!"


    Lin Tianming nodded. They each took out their magic artifacts and directly charged at the two Black Carapace Demon Insects.


    Lin Tianming, holding the Tiangang Sword, unleashed three slashes of sword qi that ferociously attacked one of the insects.


    Dealing with these two insects, they were under no pressure, so Lin Tianming did not plan to use the Earth Evil Sword.


    "Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh..."


    Seeing the silver-white sword qi slashing towards it, the demon insect emitted a strange cry and quickly moved its hundred feet, lithely shifting dozens of meters to the side with hardly a sound and easily evading Lin Tianming''s attack.


    Lin Tianming was taken aback, not expecting the demon insect''s speed to be so fast. It also highlighted his own shortcomings.


    In previous battles, he had relied on the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to trap his opponents, attacking them when they were bound, and even cultivators or demonic beasts stronger than him found it hard to survive long in the sword formation.


    But without the suppression of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, the demon insect had easily dodged the attack.


    Missing his initial strike, Lin Tianming dropped his playful expression and got serious.


    With a single-handed seal, a barrage of fireballs rained down from the sky, while at the same time, he swung the Tiangang Sword in his hand anew.


    The demon insect, equally unyielding, raised its head and spat out several ice swords, shooting straight towards Lin Tianming at an incredibly fast pace.


    Lin Tianming raised his hand and conjured a firewall in front of him, and in the instant the ice swords collided with the firewall, made of Five Elements Spiritual Power, they pierced through it.


    "Puff..."


    A soft sound followed, the ice swords slowed slightly, giving Lin Tianming the chance to retreat over ten meters.


    Where he had been standing was now blasted into a deep pit, with mud spewing out to form a small pool.


    Lin Tianming''s expression remained calm as he gripped the Tiangang Sword tightly and once again unleashed several slashes of sword qi. Then, as if riding the wind, he leaped tens of meters toward the demon insect.


    The demon insect bared its teeth and dribbled saliva on the ground, eyeing Lin Tianming''s powerful vitality with evident desire. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    As Lin Tianming approached, the demon insect squirmed all over and spat out a few more ice swords at him. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In less than a moment, the sword qi and ice swords collided.


    Explosions rang out, sending splashes up from the swamp below.


    At the same time, a wave of sword qi triumphantly shattered the demon insect''s ice swords, striking the shell of the demon insect.


    "Clang..."


    A metallic clashing sound erupted, and a palm-sized crack appeared on the demon insect''s shell.

 Chapter 166 Tense Situation_2

    The demon insect, writhing in pain, let out a piercing scream and, after settling down, glared maliciously at Lin Tianming, seemingly very wary of him.Then man and insect clashed once more, spells and Sword Qi attacking wildly. The whole swamp was filled with earth-shattering explosions.


    While Lin Tianming was engaged in fierce battle, atop a mountain several miles away, an elder in black was observing the faint glow of fire in the distance, revealing a bloodthirsty smile.


    "Heh heh... Looks like there''s some strength there; let''s sneak over and see if there''s an opportunity!"


    After muttering to himself, the elder leaped a hundred meters into the air and quickly disappeared into the dense forest.


    Swamp...


    Lin Tianming and the Black Armored Beetle fought for over ten rounds, both sustaining injuries. However, Lin Tianming largely maintained the upper hand, mostly pressing the demon insect in battle.


    Lin Tianming, getting serious, didn''t hold back any longer. He made a move, preparing to settle the battle quickly.


    He tossed the Tiangang Sword into the air and made a special hand seal with both hands, all the while chanting a Law Decree.


    "Tiangang Nine Swords First Sword, kill!"


    Suddenly, countless fireballs appeared in the sky, and amidst a fiery rain, a Golden Light Greatsword plunged down with extreme speed.


    The Black Armored Beetle, sensing the impending powerful aura, frantically wriggled its body in a vain attempt to escape the mud beneath its feet.


    The Black Armored Beetle was unable to evade and could only watch as the Golden Greatsword struck it squarely on the head.


    "Bang..."


    A sharp and loud explosion sounded, and the head of the Black Armored Beetle was cleaved off, falling into a puddle, causing a splash.


    The beetle''s body twitched a few times before becoming motionless, clearly dead beyond any doubt.


    Lin Tianming leapt forward, coming to the side of the demon insect to inspect it.


    On the other side, Lin Shilu finished his battle quicker than Lin Tianming; after all, with his Foundation Establishment Sixth Level cultivation, taking down a Second Order Initial Stage Black Armored Beetle was effortless.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming had ended his battle, Lin Shilu was very satisfied with his performance and said excitedly:


    "Tianming, peel off the insect''s carapace and then extract its inner core. This corpse is also a good thing; I''m sure the Purple Gold Eagle and the Soul Devouring Bead would like it. It''s perfect to let them each swallow one."


    Lin Tianming nodded, his face showing a delighted expression.


    This journey yielded not only several Qingxu Snake bodies but also this Second Order demon insect; the Purple Gold Eagle''s food supply was secured for a short while.


    He quickly removed the inner core of the Black Armored Beetle, then, wielding the Tiangang Sword in his hand, he skilfully removed the insect''s hard shell along with its numerous legs, leaving nothing behind.


    Although he could not forge high-quality Spiritual Artifacts, letting the Artifact Refining learners of the clan practice was still good. If their refining skills were adequate, it was possible to forge First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Artifacts.


    In less than half a quarter of an hour, the shells and limbs of the two Black Armored Beetles were removed and stored in a storage bag, which he handed over to Lin Shilu to take back to the clan.


    The corpses of the demon insects, on the other hand, were kept by Lin Tianming himself. After busying himself for a while, all useful parts were gathered, and the signs of battle were concealed.


    Lin Tianming dusted off his hands and walked over to Lin Shilu, saying:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, let''s set off!"


    "Hmm!"


    Lin Shilu nodded, about to turn and leave when suddenly he seemed to sense something.


    "Tianming, be careful!"


    As he exclaimed, he pushed Lin Tianming with a palm strike, sending him flying back ten yards. He too used the recoil to retreat a dozen yards and landed in a small clearing.


    Just as they left their original positions, nine flying needles struck with terrifying speed, blasting nine deep holes in the ground where they had just been standing.


    "A complete set of Flying Needle Magical Tools?"


    Once stable, Lin Shilu''s expression changed. Holding a Spirit Sword, he tensely stared at a mound in front of him and said:


    "Fellow Daoist, since you''re already here, why hide any longer!"


    From behind a dirt mound hundreds of yards away, an elder in black emerged from the soil, his face full of frustration.


    Earlier, he heard the commotion of Lin Tianming''s battle with the Black Armored Beetle, and using his movements and cultivation, he had sneaked to this hiding spot.


    Upon realizing that Lin Shilu and his companion''s cultivation was weaker than his and that they had expended quite a bit of spiritual power, he harbored malicious intentions.


    Little did he know that Lin Shilu seemed to have been on alert all along, maintaining vigilance and causing his deadly strike to miss and fall short. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now that they were at odds, hoping to leave unscathed was no longer within his control.


    The black-robed elder''s face remained calm as he emerged with dignity and gave Lin Shilu a cupped fist salute, saying,


    "Esteemed fellow Daoist, I harbored no ill intentions. It was merely an accidental slip of the hand. Since we are both unharmed, perhaps we can let bygones be bygones, what say you?"


    Hearing the shameless explanation from the black-robed elder, Lin Shilu''s face was full of disdain.


    A Foundation Establishment Cultivator like himself, how could he "accidentally slip up?" Such an explanation was far too far-fetched. Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Humph!"


    Lin Shilu''s face showed a trace of anger as he glared at the black-robed elder, his mind racing with thoughts.


    The elder was at the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, a full stage higher than him. If he were alone, he would probably not be a match for him.


    But with Lin Tianming here, with his divine skills, he was almost a match for a Third Level of Foundation Establishment, or even a Fourth Level Cultivator. Together, they weren''t entirely without a chance of victory.


    What was more important was that if it wasn''t for his early vigilance, Lin Tianming might have been gravely injured or even killed. If Lin Tianming were to fall, the family''s hope for further advancement would be shattered, and he would become the sinner of the family.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Shilu said with intense anger:


    "A failed strike, and you propose reconciliation, do you truly take me for a clay figure?"


    As Lin Shilu spoke, he unconsciously began to move slowly towards Lin Tianming.


    Joining together, each held their weapon in hand, warily watching the black-robed elder''s every move.


    Although not entirely without a chance of winning, if a fight really broke out, their chances of victory were at best thirty percent, and more likely both would end up injured.


    Thus, they had to be cautious, ready to respond to any threat posed by the elder.


    Upon hearing Lin Shilu''s words, the black-robed elder let out a cold chuckle.


    Although he entertained thoughts of abandoning the fight, his cultivation level was such that even if he could not win, his life would not be in danger, and escaping was still an option.


    It was precisely this cautious, even cowardly, disposition that had allowed him to live for over a century despite having made numerous enemies, and to even cultivate to the late stages of Foundation Establishment.


    Seeing the elder make no rebuttal nor movement, Lin Tianming began to observe the black-robed elder with increased tension.


    He opened his Eye of Five Colors and looked towards the black-robed elder.


    Under Lin Tianming''s gaze, the black-robed elder''s Disguise Technique and the Spiritual Artifact that concealed his aura were rendered ineffective.


    Gazing at his true appearance, Lin Tianming exclaimed.


    "Gu Tong!"


    Lin Shilu stood by with a puzzled expression, but after recalling what Lin Tianming had mentioned upon returning from the Market City Hall, he quickly remembered Gu Tong''s identity.


    Upon hearing Lin Tianming''s exclamation, the elder''s face changed dramatically, losing the composure he had moments before.


    The fact that he had been able to walk the Cultivation World and commit acts that could not stand the light was due to his reliance on his Disguise Technique and Spiritual Artifact for masking his aura.


    Never had he imagined that the Disguise Technique he took pride in would be so easily seen through by Lin Tianming, a thought that terrified him.


    Considering his identity was exposed and the idea that his enemies, if informed, would definitely cause him much trouble, even endangering his life, he decided not to let the two go.


    "To think they have discovered me, these two cannot be spared. If they escape, the trouble will be endless!"


    Making up his mind, his expression turned sinister. He took out a small seal that glinted with golden light from his storage bag, ready to make his move at any moment.


    Seeing the elder''s reaction, Lin Tianming and his companion also braced themselves for a crisis.


    Lin Tianming held the Tiangang Sword tightly, ready for battle, while Lin Shilu gripped his Spirit Sword, vigilantly watching Gu Tong.


    Both sides thus stood in a standoff, neither daring to make a rash move.


    For a moment, the atmosphere was tense as if swords were drawn and bows were bent.

 Chapter 167 The Final Trump Card_1

    After a brief standoff, Gu Tong made the first move.Facing Lin Shilu and his companion, even with a higher cultivation level, he didn''t dare to be careless.


    A wave of his sleeve sent the Golden Seal flying in front of him, and a spell struck it, causing it to grow to half a zhang in size instantly.


    "Overturning Mountain Seal, Suppress!"


    With a loud shout from Gu Tong, the Golden Seal soared into the sky and then slammed down towards Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu remained calm as he wielded his Spirit Sword, slashing furiously at Gu Tong, releasing several fierce Sword Qi.


    At the same time, he stomped his foot and retreated over ten zhang to stabilize his figure.


    When the Sword Qi collided with the Seal, a crackling sound erupted, and flames shot up around them.


    While the two of them were testing each other out, Lin Tianming also sprang into action, moving close to Lin Shilu, with the two forming a pincer attack.


    He did not dare to venture too far away, fearing that if Gu Tong targeted him alone, Lin Shilu wouldn''t be able to look after him.


    Just as Lin Shilu and Gu Tong''s initial exchange ended, and amidst the marsh, Lin Tianming slapped his storage bag, and fifty-six Earth Evil Swords silently emerged from beneath the ground.


    "Hm?"


    A frown creased Gu Tong''s brow as if he had noticed something unusual about Lin Tianming, but he didn''t see him as a threat, considering Lin Tianming''s mere Foundation Establishment first stage could at most cause him a bit of trouble.


    Even though he wasn''t concerned, he still wasn''t going to sit back and be captured without a fight, letting himself fall into a passive position.


    With a single hand forming a law decree, a fireball ignited in his palm and exploded in size after being hit with the spell, surrounded by terrifying high temperatures that dried out the mud around.


    Looking at the terrifying fireball, he smugly slapped it out with his palm, sending it smashing towards Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming kept his expression calm, surprised that Gu Tong would underestimate him so greatly, thinking to finish him off with just a Five Elements Spell forged fireball.


    However, this might be good for him, perhaps at the crucial moment, he could deliver a fatal blow, and thus potentially turn the tide of the battle.


    Refocusing, as the fireball drew closer, Lin Tianming coolly sent out a Sword Qi to collide with it.


    The fireball burst into flames, and Gu Tong''s nonchalant attack was neutralized by Lin Tianming.


    Once the fire and smoke cleared, Lin Shilu and Gu Tong had already engaged in fierce combat, with Gu Tong''s Golden Seal pounding down relentlessly, seemingly determined to crush him there and then.


    Lin Shilu did not dare to hold back either, his Spirit Sword overflowing with Sword Qi as he fought fiercely with Gu Tong.


    Watching Lin Shilu being suppressed by Gu Tong, Lin Tianming became anxious and hurriedly joined the fray to assist him. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the battle reignited and his participation, the two of them didn''t suffer any disadvantages, exchanging blows with great enthusiasm.


    A stick of incense time passed.


    Gu Tong was surprised by the prolonged fight; despite being a whole level above, he wasn''t gaining much of an advantage against the two of them.


    Although there was only one level difference, he was at the Foundation Establishment late stage, and Lin Shilu was only at the middle stage; the gap between the sixth and seventh levels was definitely more than just two ordinary levels.


    In such a situation, with the assistance of Lin Tianming, the two of them managed to avoid defeat.


    Seeing the stalemate continue, Gu Tong appeared unwilling to waste more time. A prolonged fight might expose his identity, attracting numerous enemies all too eager to tear him to pieces.


    With this in mind, he resolved to take care of the problem quickly.


    He took out five small flags of different colors from his storage bag, each embroidered with dense runes.


    As soon as the flags appeared, an icy chill permeated the air, indicating they were no ordinary items.


    Both Lin Shilu and his companion warily watched Gu Tong''s every move, their expressions extremely solemn.


    Gu Tong let out a cold laugh, brimming with confidence.


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    His Five Elements Flag was a rare gem even among Second Order Medium Quality magic artifacts, almost comparable to a Second Order Superior artifact. Sealing numerous cultivators and demonic beasts'' souls within had made the flags incredibly powerful, capable of trapping enemies and muddling their minds; it was with these flags that he had turned the tide in dangerous situations many times.


    Gu Tong threw the Five Rod Flags into the air, hitting them with a spell, and immediately, the flags shone with a mass of green light.


    After a moment, a strong wind began to howl in the sky, and billows of black fog sprayed out of the flags, quickly enveloping the entire sky.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming and the other hurriedly retreated, but the black fog surged too rapidly and soon shrouded them within.


    Feeling the piercing sensation from the fog, which also greatly affected their Divine Sense.


    Besides, it seemed as if a barrier trapped them inside; no matter how they moved, the black fog would immediately catch up, and they just couldn''t shake it off.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were horrified, scrambling through the fog while trying to come up with a solution.


    "Tian Ming, this black fog is very strange!" Lin Shilu warned.


    Lin Tianming nodded, opened his Eye of Five Colors, and looking at the green dots appearing within the fog, he said,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, I''m afraid it''s not just affecting our Divine Sense; it can also disturb our minds. Once we''re lost in it, we''ll be like lambs to the slaughter!"


    Lin Shilu''s face turned incredibly grim, at a loss for what to do.


    Although Lin Tianming''s Divine Sense was greatly affected, his Eye of Five Colors could still clearly see the surroundings.


    Feeling the black fog weakening slightly, covering only a few hundred zhang around them and not expanding further,


    it seemed the fog could only maintain this extent. Although it could move and suppress their Divine Sense and speed, it wasn''t without flaws.

 Chapter 167 The Final Trump Card_2

    Just then, he distinctly felt that the barrier of the black fog had some obvious weaknesses, with the area right in front of Gu Tong being notably thinner.Lin Tianming''s expression brightened as he said to Lin Shilu,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, there''s temporarily no black fog near Gu Tong, and it looks weaker. We can only break through the fog as quickly as possible to stand a chance at killing him. Otherwise, if we continue to drag this out, it''ll be extremely disadvantageous for us."


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu replied,


    "Good, I''ll protect you while you break the black fog''s barricade!"


    With those words, Lin Shilu''s steps shifted as he positioned himself in front of Lin Tianming. He stimulated his Spirit Sword and slashed out several beams of Sword Qi, then led Lin Tianming in a charge towards Gu Tong''s position.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming''s Tiangang Sword had already left his hand, and he formed hand seals, casting Law Decrees upon the Tiangang Sword.


    The Tiangang Sword, infused with a massive amount of Spiritual Power, began to vibrate wildly, as if sensing its master''s will.


    Outside the black fog, Gu Tong chuckled coldly, seemingly believing that the two men were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, with no possibility of passing through the fog.


    He let out a strange laugh and then spat a mouthful of blood essence onto the Five Rod Flag.


    A chill wind swept by, accompanied by sounds of wailing and shrieking intertwined with the roars of Demonic Beasts. Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Suddenly, a multitude of Monster Beast Souls surged out from within the black fog, along with the souls of countless cultivators and ordinary people, all densely clustered into a swarm that was at least tens of thousands strong.


    Among them, over thirty souls bore astonishingly powerful auras, clearly having been Second Order Demonic Beasts or Foundation Establishment Cultivators when alive.


    Faced with so many ferocious souls rushing at them, Lin Tianming and his companion felt a wave of horror gripped their hearts.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu cursed with a fragrant breath,


    "This evil beast, just how many cultivators has he slaughtered, not even sparing ordinary folks who couldn''t even truss a chicken!"


    Lin Tianming also felt sickened, unable to fathom how Gu Tong could be so heartless and maniacal.


    You should know that there was an unspoken rule in the Cultivation World stipulating that cultivators must not harm ordinary people. If one were to massacre ordinary people on a large scale and get caught, it would lead to a combined attack from the entire Cultivation World.


    In the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World, there were not a few demonic cultivators exterminated each year for slaughtering ordinary people on a large scale.


    Yet Gu Tong had secretly mass-murdered tens of thousands of ordinary people and sealed their souls within a Magic Artifact. Such actions were nothing short of lunacy and aroused the ire of both gods and men.


    However, this was not something they needed to consider at the moment. The most important thing was to get out of the range of the black fog and quickly execute this man.


    Fully aware of this, the two made their way through the black fog, with Lin Shilu leading and clearing a safe path for Lin Tianming.


    Inside the black fog, Lin Shilu was the first to engage in fierce combat with a mass of lower-tier souls.


    He casually threw out more than a dozen talisman papers that transformed into a torrential rain of swords to meet the souls.


    "Wuu wuu wuu..."


    Mournful cries echoed as the lower-tier souls within the black fog were slashed into pieces en masse.


    Lin Shilu''s Spirit Sword moved swiftly, its Sword Qi colliding with several formidable souls above.


    Although these souls had been Second Order Demonic Beasts or Foundation Establishment Cultivators in life, their strength as souls after death was greatly reduced, most likely only displaying about ten to twenty percent of their original power.


    Nevertheless, there were just too many souls in the black fog, and as they rushed forward fearlessly, Lin Shilu''s Spiritual Power was rapidly drained.


    After a dozen or so breaths, swathes of souls perished, and they were getting closer and closer to the weaker part of the fog.


    By this time, Lin Shilu''s body was covered in numerous wounds, lying in his own blood, all inflicted by the tearing and biting of the souls.


    Gu Tong saw that most of the souls had died, with only a handful of more powerful ones remaining. The souls of the ordinary people had been wiped out by Lin Shilu.


    Although the lower-tier souls had weak strength, they were all ordinary folks he had kidnapped in small-scale raids. He had spent considerable effort and risked great danger to accumulate such numbers.


    To think that Lin Shilu had depleted the majority of them to deal with the two men, it was painful for him to accept.


    With this in mind, Gu Tong''s face turned red as he slapped out several Law Decrees, and the Golden Seal left his hand, plunging into the black fog.


    Within the black fog, just as Lin Tianming and his companion were about to reach that weaker barrier, Gu Tong''s Golden Seal descended from the sky, bearing down on Lin Shilu with a ferocious strike.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, be careful!" Lin Tianming was the first to spot the golden seal descending swiftly and promptly warned.


    However, Lin Shilu had already been injured and was distracted by his need to protect Lin Tianming. In addition, without the aid of the Eye of Five Colors, his divine sense was greatly impaired, preventing him from detecting the danger in time.


    Despite Lin Tianming''s warning, the golden seal''s speed was simply too fast; Lin Shilu hadn''t even had a chance to react before it was already upon him.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu''s face changed drastically, but he quickly calmed down.


    With a resolute expression, he forcefully slapped Lin Tianming''s back, pushing him towards the weaker part of the black fog.


    As he saw Lin Tianming reach the position, a flash of red light flickered around him, and a blood-colored jade pendant transformed into a red light that shielded him in the front.


    A loud bang ensued, the light from the jade pendant shattered, and the golden seal struck him.


    After a pitiable scream, Lin Shilu spat out mouthfuls of blood and, like a kite with a broken string, was flung away, soon hitting the ground motionless.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather!"


    Seeing Lin Shilu hit by the golden seal, his life or death unknown, Lin Tianming shouted with eyes bloodshot.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was incredibly furious. He didn''t have time to check on Lin Shilu''s condition; he only had to shatter the black fog''s barrier, or they would both certainly die there.


    Lin Shilu had pushed him away in the critical moment just to create an opportunity for him to break through the black fog''s barrier. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For this purpose, he had disregarded his own life and death; for this moment, Lin Tianming could not forsake this sole chance.


    He turned his head, his blood-shot eyes emitting a terrifying murderous aura.


    He began forming hand seals, and with a mouthful of blood on the Tiangang Sword, it started to vibrate madly while emitting a series of sword cries.


    "Tiangang Nine Swords First Sword..."


    The Tiangang Sword released a beam of light that pierced through the sky, ruthlessly striking the weakest part of the black fog barricade.


    "Pff..."


    A massive sound echoed as the black fog disappeared without a trace.


    The black fog dissipated, and the five rod flag in front of Gu Tong fell to the ground, his complexion changing. The black fog that had never been broken was now shattered by Lin Tianming, whom he hadn''t taken seriously.


    Gu Tong had no time to contemplate as, before him, Lin Tianming''s body erupted with a fearsome murderous intent.


    Just as the black fog cleared, Lin Tianming formed hand seals, making a strange gesture while chanting an unusual incantation.


    At that moment, suddenly, a dazzling silver light filled the sky, as blinding as if the sun were right before his eyes.


    Simultaneously, a terrifyingly powerful sword qi took shape above his head, devouring the surrounding spiritual energy.


    This sword qi was the Mystical Solar Sword Qi Art. Lin Tianming had been condensing it for a long time, having nurtured it within his Qi Sea Dantian for several years.


    With Lin Shilu''s life hanging by a thread, and Lin Tianming unable to match Gu Tong using his usual methods, at this moment, to save his own life, he could not worry about anything else.


    This strongest trump card was now his last hope in such a dire situation.


    Sensing the monumental sword qi, several times more potent than Lin Shilu''s attacks, it was hard to imagine that it had been launched by a Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    At this instant, Gu Tong''s face turned ashen. Without any hesitation, he immediately fled in a panic.


    Lin Tianming''s face flushed red, his eyes filled with murderous intent, he pointed in the direction Gu Tong was escaping and bellowed:


    "Great Sun Sword Qi Art, kill!"


    Before the words even faded, the fearsome sword qi streaked across the sky at extreme speed, slashing towards Gu Tong.


    "Aaargh..."


    An utterly miserable cry sounded as the sword qi vanished and the sky returned to normal.


    In a mound a thousand feet ahead of him, Gu Tong''s severed limbs were scattered aside, evidently dead beyond any doubt.

 Chapter 168 Return to the Market Town_1

    Upon witnessing Gu Tong''s definitive demise, Lin Tianming immediately turned and rushed toward Lin Shilu.At that moment, Lin Shilu was covered in blood, his body riddled with wounds, his aura utterly wilted, and a bloody hole directly caved into his chest, where stark white bones could be clearly seen.


    He knelt beside Lin Shilu, calling out anxiously as he checked on him.


    After a little over ten breaths'' time, a bit of color finally returned to Lin Tianming''s pale face.


    Based on his assessment, the situation, although not terrible, was not cause for optimism either.


    Since the Blood-colored Jade Pendant blocked the majority of the Golden Seal''s potency, Lin Shilu was not killed on the spot, but he had still sustained serious injuries.


    At present, his body had numerous wounds and he had lost too much blood, yet for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, these injuries were not fatal.


    What was critical was that the remaining force of the Golden Seal, having penetrated the protection of the Jade Pendant, struck his chest with solid impact, severely damaging his internal organs and severing many of his meridians.


    It would take some time to fully recover from these injuries, and without at least half a year''s care, it would be difficult for him to return to his peak condition.


    With Gu Tong dead and Lin Shilu still alive, Lin Tianming finally let out a long sigh of relief.


    The situation had been dire at the time, with Lin Shilu risking his life to create an opportunity for him, fortunately aided by the Eye of Five Colors, which revealed the weak point in the Black Fog Barricade.


    More importantly, it was the Sword Qi he had condensed for several years that erupted with staggering potency, ultimately slaying Gu Tong.


    The power of the Spirit Art exceeded his expectations; prior to this, he had only seen Lin Shikang use it once, and the Sword Qi he had cultivated for two years outright killed a Second Order Late Phase Crimson Gold Snake.


    As for himself, after carefully nurturing it for several years, the unleashed power far exceeded his expectations, striking down Gu Tong in one blow, leaving him somewhat incredulous.


    Gu Tong was also too foolish, panic-stricken by the power of the Spirit Art, even attempting to flee.


    If he had shown some courage and relied on some Defense Treasures or talisman paper, with his cultivation base to support him, he might have sustained serious injuries at most, and wouldn''t have met such a tragic death. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fortuitously relying on the Spirit Art to survive the ordeal, joy washed over him, but then Lin Tianming''s face turned pale.


    After two consecutive battles, although he wasn''t much injured, his Spiritual Power had been depleted, and they were still not out of danger; he needed to quickly recover his Spiritual Power to face potential threats.


    He fed a healing elixir to Lin Shilu and also swallowed a Huiyuan Pill himself, immediately sitting down to meditate and restore his energy.


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming had regained about twenty to thirty percent of his Spiritual Power, barely enough to defend himself.


    He got up and went over to where Gu Tong had died, pocketing his storage bag and collecting the Five Rod Flag and Golden Seal.


    He clasped the Five Rod Flag in one hand and started examining the Golden Seal with the other.


    Although the Five Rod Flag was an evil Magic Artifact, its power was indeed formidable, with the emitted black fog being extremely elusive and easy to fall for if one was not cautious.


    However, after Lin Shilu''s slaughter, almost all the Monster Beast Souls within were depleted, greatly reducing its power. If he could capture a large number of Monster Beast Souls to seal inside, it might restore its potency and become an artifact for orthodox use.


    The Golden Seal was also a Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact, equally potent, suitable for both offense and defense, a comprehensive tool indeed.


    After clearing the battlefield and erasing any traces of the fight, seeing Gu Tong''s remains, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but reflect on the past events.


    When he saw the bounty issued by the Meng Family at the Market City Hall, this man had been at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level Realm several years ago; unexpectedly, in just a few years, he had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, possessing many formidable methods and an array of precious treasures. No wonder he managed to live well despite having made so many enemies.


    This magical duel had truly been fraught with peril; Gu Tong''s methods were endlessly surprising, and with his cultivation surpassing Lin Shilu, if it weren''t for the might of the Spirit Art and Gu Tong''s cowardice and foolishness, they would have undoubtedly perished here.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt a surge of alarm and silently counted his lucky stars.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming released a fireball that burned Gu Tong''s remains to ash.


    After completing these tasks, he pondered their next move.


    They were still in the swamp, inside the Qianchuan Mountain Range''s inner region, the territory of the Black Armored Beetle. Given the current situation, there was no time for searching; Lin Shilu needed a safe place to recover from his injuries.


    The danger had not yet passed, but they were close to the outer region. If they pushed themselves, they might be able to leave this perilous area before dark and then rest at the edge of the outer region.


    Having made up his mind, he lifted Lin Shilu and, after consulting the map, immediately set off toward the outskirts of the Qianchuan Mountain Range.


    Lin Tianming pushed hard all the way, and, fortunately, he encountered little trouble, barely running into any Second Order Demonic Beasts, and easily shook off any First Order Demon Beasts he did meet.


    Without any hesitation, Lin Tianming finally reached the edge of the outer region just before nightfall. Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    He found a secluded valley, hurriedly created a simple cave dwelling in a rock wall, and the two of them quickly entered.


    Lin Shilu was still unconscious, but he had been given a Consolidating Essence Pill, his wounds had begun to scab over, and his condition slowly stabilized, leaving nothing else but to patiently wait for his natural awakening.


    After making sure he was settled, Lin Tianming sealed the entrance to the cave dwelling and sat down on the ground to cultivate through meditation.

 Chapter 168 Return to the Town Market_2

    Time flitted by, and five days had passed...In the stillness of the cave dwelling, a cough echoed.


    Hearing the sound, Lin Tianming was overwhelmed with joy. He quickly ended his cultivation and hurried towards Lin Shilu.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu had woken up. He tried to sit up unsteadily, but his injuries were too severe, making it a struggle.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming hastily helped him sit up properly, and then with a choked voice, he said,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, I''ve been so worried these past days. You were gravely injured but thankfully, you''re finally awake!"


    Lin Shilu patted Lin Tianming''s shoulder, his face carrying a trace of a warm smile.


    "Child, do not worry. I''m not dying yet. We are both still alive!"


    Looking at Lin Shilu''s heartwarming smile, Lin Tianming felt a twinge in his heart and his eyes moistened with tears.


    In the midst of the battle, his elder was constantly looking out for him, creating opportunities for him even at the brink of life and death, disregarding his own safety.


    It wasn''t just him. Back in the Luoyun Mountain Range, Lin Shiji had also risked his life for the younger generation of the Lin Family. There were numerous such examples.


    Lin Shilu had fought alongside him many times, always selflessly sacrificing for him, treasuring his life more than his own.


    Considering this deep affection, Lin Tianming was greatly moved. It was only because the Lin Family valued loyalty and sacrifice that he could understand this sentiment.


    At that moment, he had an insatiable desire for strength, wishing he could protect his family and carry on this spirit.


    Lin Tianming''s determination was resolute, his demeanor radiating a special aura.


    While he was lost in thought, Lin Shilu began inquiring about what happened during his unconsciousness, and Lin Tianming recounted the whole process without any reservation.


    After listening to Lin Tianming''s explanation, Lin Shilu was overjoyed. He then sucked in a breath of cold air, also filled with anticipation for the Great Sun Sword Qi Art.


    Lin Tianming had obtained the Great Sun Sword Qi Art several years ago. All the Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the family had studied it, but the time it took them to condense the Sword Qi varied. Lin Shilu had only managed to condense Sword Qi for just over a year; its power was limited, so he did not use it in battle.


    "Tianming, you''ve done very well. You are truly the prodigy of our family!" Lin Shilu said, his face beaming with pride and relief.


    Lin Tianming chuckled and then asked,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, what are our next steps? Do we wait for your injuries to heal before returning to the market town, or do we depart right away?"


    Lin Shilu raised his eyebrows slightly, his face a bit pale. He waved his hand and said,


    "My injuries won''t heal quickly, and it''s not advisable for me to travel in this state. How about we recuperate here for a few days? You can also take this time to consume a Qiuxing Fruit for cultivation. What do you think of this arrangement?"


    "Good, I will follow your esteemed guidance!"


    Lin Tianming nodded his approval of Lin Shilu''s plan. They were already away from the inner parts of the mountain range and the likelihood of encountering Second Order Demonic Beasts was not high. With his own cultivation, he could manage.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming sat down and began cultivating, operating his Cultivation Technique.


    Lin Shilu took out an elixir and swallowed it, closing his eyes to meditate and recover from his injuries.


    An hour later, Lin Tianming had adjusted himself to the best state. He then took out a Qiuxing Fruit and swallowed it whole.


    Upon consuming the Spirit Fruit, a gentle energy quickly spread, coursing through his meridians, bringing about an almost heavenly tingling sensation that nearly made him groan aloud.


    The energy of the Qiuxing Fruit was vastly different from that of the Lingshen Pill. Every time he took even a First Order Lingshen Pill, it caused him unbearable pain.


    Feeling this unique energy, he focused fully on his Cultivation Technique to assimilate it, channeling the gentle Spiritual Power into his Seven Sea Dantian.


    With the help of the Qiuxing Fruit, just an hour of cultivation allowed him to refine enough Spiritual Power to match half a month of hard training. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed. Since the beginning of his Foundation Establishment, he had never used proper elixirs for cultivation, nor had he exploited any gifted treasures. As the parched Seven Sea Dantian encountered the Spirit Fruit''s energy, it greedily absorbed the gentle Spiritual Power.


    Inside the cave dwelling, the breathing of the two was steady as they cultivated and healed.


    Time slowly passed, and another ten days went by.


    One morning, Lin Shilu was the first to open his eyes, his pale cheeks showing more color.


    At this time, the flesh wounds on his body had all healed, and most of the meridians within had recovered. Avoiding battle was enough; normal activities posed no problem.


    Lin Tianming also opened his eyes then, his face brimming with smiles. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    After ten days of cultivation, the powerful energy contained in the Qiuxing Fruit was fully refined.


    Now he felt full of power, his mental state reaching an unprecedented peak.


    Just one Qiuxing Fruit had allowed his cultivation to advance a small step, almost reaching the peak of the First Layer. With a few more, he might take this opportunity to attempt breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.


    Lin Tianming was extremely satisfied. Seeing that Lin Shilu had finished his cultivation, he quickly asked how he had recovered.


    Responding to Lin Tianming''s concerned words, Lin Shilu said,


    "Tianming, my injuries have stabilized. As long as I avoid fighting, there will be no issue, and we can set off. Tianfeng and the others must be worrying by now!"


    "Indeed, we''ve been away for over twenty days, which is ten days more than expected. It''s time to leave!"


    Lin Tianming agreed with a word, then started tidying up the cave dwelling. After that, the two of them walked out together and concealed the entrance of the cave once more.

 Chapter 168 Return to the Town Market_3

    After doing this, the two immediately set out, swiftly heading in the direction of Qianchuan Market.Considering Lin Shilu''s injuries, the two did not travel fast, taking two days to leave the more dangerous area.


    Lin Tianming checked the map and ensured that their location was safe, he then released the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Bag.


    After feeding it two sections of late-stage Qingxu Serpent Meat, the two jumped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, which then soared into the sky, heading towards Qianchuan Market.


    ...


    At Qianchuan Market, in a secret room on the third floor of Luoyun Pavilion,


    Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingli, along with a few others, were seated, all looking somewhat anxious.


    Lin Tianfeng stood up and looked out the window, speaking apprehensively,


    "Uncles, before Fifteenth Grandfather and Tianming left, they said that this trip would take at most ten to fifteen days, yet it''s been almost a month now and they still haven''t returned. What shall we do?"


    Lin Xingsu and the others also showed nervous expressions but were at a loss for what to do. After all, with their cultivation, they could only move around the outskirts of the Qianchuan Mountain Range. To enter and search for the two would be like finding a needle in a haystack, truly a hopeless endeavor. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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    Seeing the low morale of the clan members, Lin Xingli spoke to comfort them,


    "Everyone, Fifteenth Uncle and Tianming are not weak in cultivation. Together, they could even handle a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level. It''s just over ten days; perhaps they are delayed by some unexpected treasure!"


    On hearing this, the others finally heaved a sigh of relief. It was indeed very possible; an adventure in the Qianchuan Mountain Range could lead to unexpected delays due to treasures and opportunities.


    Seeing everyone relax a little, Lin Xingli continued,


    "Let''s all return to our cultivation. In another half-month, if they still haven''t returned, we''ll either request Elder Ye to search for them or go back to the clan for help!"


    "That''s all we can do!" Lin Tianfeng replied.


    The rest nodded their heads in agreement, ready to take their leave, when the ward at the door flickered, and Lin Tianming''s figure appeared.


    After a dusty and swift journey, with the help of the Purple Gold Eagle, their speed increased substantially. It only took them two days to return to Tianchuan Market.


    Seeing Lin Tianming return, everyone was overjoyed and hurried to greet him.


    After returning the greetings with a fist salute, Lin Tianming said,


    "Fellow clansmen, Fifteenth Grandfather was severely injured during the trip and has already returned to his cave dwelling to close up and recover!"


    "What?"


    "How is the elder''s condition? Is it serious?" Hearing Tianming''s statement, the clan members asked anxiously.


    "Everyone, there is no need to worry too much. Although Fifteenth Grandfather is quite injured, his condition has stabilized. With a few months of quiet cultivation, he should be able to recover to his peak."


    Relieved by Lin Tianming''s explanation, everyone sighed in relief.


    Each Foundation Establishment clan member was too important to the clan, especially someone like Lin Shilu, who with high seniority was the clan''s only Second Grade Medium Quality Artifact Refiner. With his talent and cultivation, aside from Lin Tianming, he was the clansman most likely to advance to the Golden Core Realm.


    Once the others regained their composure, Lin Tianming revealed part of what had transpired on their journey but did not mention Gu Tong.


    After all, that man was too evil and had attracted many enemies; who knew what kind of grudges and grievances he had.


    Besides, killing a Foundation Establishment Seventh Level cultivator would certainly cause a sensation; for the safety of the clan, it was wiser not to bring this up.


    After hearing Lin Tianming''s account, everyone was shocked. The two had actually wiped out a Qingxu Snake Clan, an achievement beyond imagination.


    And upon learning they acquired several Qingxu Snake Eggs and some Qiuxing Fruit Trees, the clan members were over the moon with excitement, following which they became incredibly joyful.


    Seeing everyone''s happy expressions, Lin Tianming instructed,


    "Fellow clansmen, Fifteenth Grandfather has ordered that nothing about this journey is to be revealed to outsiders, not a single word, otherwise clan law will be enforced!"


    "Yes!"


    The clan members nodded in response, then chatted casually.


    After half an hour had passed, everyone dispersed, and Lin Tianming led a few people back to the cave dwelling to cultivate.

 Chapter 169 Dividing the Spoils_1

    Back to his cave abode, Lin Tianming set aside all minor matters and started taking Qiuxing Fruit, wholeheartedly beginning his closed-door cultivation.Time flew by, and a month had passed.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming, who was sitting on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes, shooting out a bright light.


    "Exhilarating..."


    Feeling the strength in his body increase yet again, his heart surged with excitement, full of praise for the effect of the Qiuxing Fruit.


    Before this, he had been consolidating for almost two years, with extremely slow progress in his cultivation. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a month of closed-door cultivation, he had refined two more Qiuxing Fruits, and the effects of cultivating with Qiuxing Fruit were surprisingly good, whether it was because he had consolidated for too long, or the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage was naturally not difficult to cultivate in.


    At this moment, he was getting closer and closer to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer. If he were to cultivate in closed-door isolation for a long period and consume a large number of Qiuxing Fruits, he was confident he could break through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.


    However, now was not the time for long-term closed-door cultivation. Today, Lin Shilu made a brief exit from his own cultivation retreat and specifically convened him to discuss sect affairs.


    He stood up and left the secret chamber, appearing in the small courtyard.


    Lin Shilu was already sitting in the courtyard waiting; he stepped forward and respectfully bowed, then the two of them took their seats.


    Over the month, Lin Shilu''s complexion had improved a lot, seemingly well on the way to recovery.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Shilu began speaking:


    "My injuries have healed considerably, and now there are two important matters to address!"


    Finished speaking, Lin Shilu took out a dark green storage bag, which belonged to Gu Tong, and casually tossed the storage bag to Lin Tianming, motioning him to do an inventory of the items within.


    Lin Tianming received the storage bag, wiping away the remaining Divine Sense on it. He then extended his own Divine Sense to check the items inside.


    He hadn''t thought it important, but upon examination, he couldn''t help but take in a sharp breath¡ªthey were so numerous that it was staggering to comprehend what Gu Tong must have done to accumulate such wealth.


    Seeing the color rise to his cheeks, Lin Shilu quickly pressed him with questions.


    Without beating around the bush, Lin Tianming upended the storage bag and poured out its most important contents.


    In no time at all, a multitude of treasures¡ªSpirit Stones, elixirs, Spiritual Medicine materials, and Artifact Refining materials¡ªwere spread out before them.


    "What on earth did Gu Tong do, to have such an overwhelming collection of treasures on him?" Lin Shilu exclaimed with an agitated tone.


    As Lin Tianming looked over the vast treasure, he began to tally them up, while Lin Shilu sat beside him taking notes.


    "Thirty-one thousand two hundred and a bit Spirit Stones, one hundred and fifty bottles of First Order Elixir, thirty bottles of Second Order Pills."


    Lin Tianming recited the quantity and type of the treasures, while Lin Shilu recorded them on a piece of Beast Skin.


    "A combined total of several hundred First and Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, three pieces of Third Order Spirit Medicine Material, four Second Order Magical Artifacts, sixteen First Order Spiritual Tools..."


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu had finally finished taking the inventory of Gu Tong''s storage bag.


    Looking at the quantity and types noted on the Beast Skin, they took another sharp breath.


    There were simply too many treasures, with an estimated value of at least a hundred thousand Spirit Stones.


    Included among the more valuable items were Third Order Spiritual Medicine, Second Order Magical Artifacts, various amounts of elixirs, as well as seven corpses of Demonic Beasts at the Second Order Initial Stage, and two bodies of Demonic Beasts at the Second Order Middle Stage, well-preserved enough for Artifact Refining and Talisman Making.


    After inspecting the basic treasures, Lin Tianming and his companion turned their attention to the remaining three Jade Slips and one grey-brown Token.


    "What is this?" Lin Shilu picked up the Token, a puzzled expression on his face, before something seemed to dawn on him.


    "Tianming, doesn''t this Token look similar to the Mysterious Moon Order you acquired several years ago?" Lin Shilu inquired.


    Reminded by Lin Shilu, Lin Tianming took the Token and then opened his Eye of Five Colors to inspect it.


    Looking at the familiar text inside the Token and the lifelike Spirit Beast patterns on its surface, Lin Tianming retrieved the first Token he had acquired and compared them side by side.


    After comparison, he was certain it was indeed the Mysterious Moon Order he had obtained previously.


    Fiddling with the two Orders, Lin Tianming said with a sense of frustration:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, it is indeed the Mysterious Moon Order, but the specific use of this Token is still unknown."


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu started to reassure him.


    "In the Cultivation World, many Secret Realms require either Bloodline Power or a Token to enter. Given how extraordinary this Mysterious Moon Order is, it must be one such item. Although we are not clear on which Secret Realm the Token belongs to, nor do we know the timing and requirements to activate it, it is undeniable that this item is invaluable. You must take good care of it."


    "Besides, since Gu Tong died at our hands and we gained this Mysterious Moon Order, remember that this matter must not be disclosed. Forget the bounty offered by the Meng Family; you only need to inform Elder Wu and the others, so they are aware of the situation!"


    Understanding the gravity of the situation, Lin Tianming nodded and then pondered over Lin Shilu''s elucidation of the Mysterious Moon Order.


    In the Cultivation World, Secret Realms were exceedingly rare, existing within special spaces. It was said that within them lay treasures of the world, but also filled with immense dangers. Those who could enter and emerge alive often brought back precious items, catapulting their status skyward.


    However, Secret Realms were not easy to enter. Many imposed restrictions on the cultivation level of the entrants. Some Realms'' spaces were unstable and could only withstand a certain number of Qi Refining Cultivators, while others were extremely robust and could even permit Divinity Transformation Stage old monsters to enter.


    The timing and location of a Secret Realm''s opening were unfathomable, with some being suppressed by powerful factions through Formations, fixing their locations for thousands or even tens of thousands of years without moving. Meanwhile, ownerless Secret Realms would shift their locations after every opening, retrieving the Tokens that allowed entry and subsequently scattering them anew along the moving path of the Realm.

 Chapter 169 Dividing the Spoils_2

    In summary, the probability of encountering a Secret Realm greatly increases in the vicinity of where a Token is found, and no one who has obtained a Mysterious Realm Token is willing to forfeit such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.Having obtained the Mysterious Moon Order within the borders of the Wei Kingdom, it was very likely that a Secret Realm would open nearby. They only needed to discretely gather information, closely monitor the situation, and wait for the Secret Realm to manifest.


    Lin Tianming gathered his thoughts, tucked the two Tokens away, and patted his chest to assure they would be carefully guarded.


    After Lin Shilu gave a few instructions, the matter of the Tokens was temporarily concluded.


    Examining the remaining three jade slips, each of them picked up one to peruse.


    A tea time passed, and after going through the three jade slips, they finished tallying everything.


    Among these jade slips, one contained a fire attribute Yellow Grade Technique called "Tian Li Fire Scripture," known for its formidable attack power and considered a fine piece among Yellow Grade Techniques¡ªpresumably the one practiced by Gu Tong.


    The other two jade slips, however, were ordinary: one was the insights of a Second Order Artifact Refiner.


    The other was the insights of a Second Order Inscription Master; the quality was limited but still had worthwhile aspects. It could only be taken back to the clan for the members to study, which would enhance their cultivation techniques to some extent.


    Lin Shilu took the Artifact Refiner''s insights and glanced over it before putting it into his storage bag, clearly planning to delve into it.


    After all, he was a Refinement Maniac. Even though the Refiner who left these insights might not be at his level, there was still potential learning to be had that could be helpful.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming retrieved from his storage bag the Magic Artifacts used by Gu Tong: the Five Rod Flag and a Golden Seal named the Overturning Mountain Seal.


    He lined up the two Magic Artifacts in front of him. All the treasures obtained from Gu Tong were now collected in front of the two of them.


    Gazing at the six different kinds of Magic Artifacts, Lin Shilu''s expression was one of great excitement, and Lin Tianming was equally thrilled.


    The Lin Family had many Foundation Establishment Cultivators. During the family battle on Luoyun Mountain, several newly advanced Foundation Establishment members of the clan had only First Order Spiritual Tools to confront their enemies. It was after the annihilation of the Jin Family that they acquired several Magic Artifacts, allowing every Foundation Establishment member to wield a Magic Artifact.


    Now, acquiring six more Magic Artifacts, with the Five Rod Flag and Overturning Mountain Seal both being Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifacts, and a set of nine flying needles that formed a complete Spiritual Tool, the craftsmanship was quite impressive. They were fine artifacts even among those of the same caliber.


    The remaining three Magic Artifacts consisted of two Spirit Swords and a Spiritual Whip over ten yards long, all of which were First Order Inferior Magic Artifacts with average quality, but they were still much better than First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instruments. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at the numerous Spiritual Tools and Magical Treasures, Lin Shilu pondered before saying:


    "Tian Ming, let''s each select two pieces among these Magic Artifacts. As for the Spirit Stones, we''ll each take ten thousand. How about we submit all the remaining treasures to the clan?"


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s proposal, Lin Tianming did not hesitate a moment before gladly agreeing.


    Although these spoils of war were obtained through their joint efforts and rightfully belonged to them¡ªmoreover, the clan had no rules forcing members to hand over their treasures¡ªthe Lin Family had been established for over eight hundred years, and the members traditionally volunteered their contributions, with only the amount varying.


    As Lin Shilu was the main contributor to their gains on this mission and had suffered severe injuries as a result, he showed no concern for the vast amount of treasures. Lin Tianming felt even less entitled to care.


    In terms of power, even if Lin Shilu hadn''t mentioned such an arrangement, Lin Tianming was planning to submit most of his share of the loot.


    However, he also had to consider his own needs, especially since the effects of the Qiuxing Fruits were excellent and he desperately needed them to sustain his cultivation until he found a solution to the elixir issue.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming hesitated. Seeing his manner of holding back, Lin Shilu had already guessed what was on his mind.


    "The Qiuxing Fruits are highly beneficial to you, I''m well aware of that. There are thirty-six in total; take out ten as a share for your Third Brother and the others, and keep the rest for your own cultivation!" said Lin Shilu.


    "Thank you, Fifteenth Grandfather!"


    Lin Tianming removed ten Qiuxing Fruits, placing them amongst the many treasures, then sincerely bowed to him.


    Lin Shilu nodded, then motioned for him to select a Spiritual Tool.


    Lin Tianming wasn''t too sentimental. He looked at the six magic artifacts on the field and hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to choose.


    He had experienced the bizarre attacks of the Five Rod Flag, and the soul attacks within it were also very powerful. However, they had been largely destroyed by Lin Shilu, causing their power to greatly diminish.


    After some thought, Lin Tianming still decided to choose the Five Rod Flag, mainly because the prospects of this artifact were very good. As long as he kept adding souls to it, its power could be quickly enhanced.


    Besides, this artifact could complement his Earth Fiend Sword Formation. With both at his command, enemies simply couldn''t react in time.


    Moreover, he had plenty of Qingxu Snake souls and Black Armored Beetle souls in his possession. If he sealed them all into the flag, its power would surely be no less than during Gu Tong''s period.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming collected the Five Rod Flag and then glanced at the Golden Seal before looking at the nine silver-white needles. In the end, he chose the nine silver-white needles.


    The reason was simple, if he took the two best artifacts for himself, it would be rather unseemly. Furthermore, he already had plenty of magic artifacts, and acquiring the Overturning Mountain Seal wouldn''t significantly increase his strength.


    Since his father still lacked a suitable artifact and it was quite dangerous for him to be alone, he planned to take the nine matching needle artifacts as a gift for him. That way, his father''s safety in defending Golden Horn Mountain would be assured.


    With this in mind, he immediately collected the nine needles and then waited for Lin Shilu to pick his artifact.


    Lin Shilu didn''t hesitate and directly put the Overturning Mountain Seal and the Spirit Sword artifact into his storage bag.


    With the distribution of artifacts complete, Lin Shilu waved one hand and grabbed twenty thousand spirit stones, taking ten thousand from them to give to Lin Tianming.


    Having done all this, he waved his hand again, pulling out several jade bottles from his storage bag, which contained souls he had collected. However, they were mostly from First Order demon beasts, with only two from the Second Order.


    Lin Tianming received the items, feeling incredibly moved. Whatever was on his mind, Lin Shilu seemed to understand clearly, always giving him what he needed without any hesitation.


    Lin Shilu chuckled and gave him a comforting look before speaking,


    "All these things have been distributed now. Leave the First Order elixirs in Luoyun Pavilion and send the elixirs you''ve refined back to the family for our people to use. Sell the inferior ones in the market square!"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming nodded and put all the treasures into a storage bag.


    After finishing this, Lin Tianming took the initiative to say,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, your injuries aren''t fully healed yet, and the Qingxu Snake eggs cannot be delayed. Tianming wishes to leave the market square in half a month to return to the family land, deliver the items we''ve obtained this time, and bring back a batch of spiritual objects to replenish Luoyun Pavilion''s stock."


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s offer to volunteer, Lin Shilu hesitated for a moment.


    He was concerned about letting Lin Tianming leave the market square alone to return to Green Bamboo Mountain, but under current circumstances, a trip back to the family land was indeed necessary.


    Since he was injured and unable to exert even a third of his strength and could not recover to his peak in a short time, it was not appropriate for him to travel.


    After pondering for a good while and considering that Lin Tianming''s strength was not much less than his, Lin Shilu sighed deeply.


    "So be it!"


    "You should cultivate in seclusion these next few days to properly re-refine your artifacts and adjust your condition, then you can set out!"


    After saying this, he spoke earnestly and instructed,


    "I''ll arrange for Xing Li to prepare the family''s elixirs and spirit stones at Luoyun Pavilion. Remember to be careful on this trip; don''t delay too much on the road. When you return, have your Third Uncle bring Xing Ping to the market square as well. With him accompanying you, it will be a bit safer."


    Lin Tianming''s expression was solemn, and he bowed respectfully to Lin Shilu, then pledged confidently,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, rest assured, Tianming will not disappoint and will return to see you as soon as possible!"


    "Hmm... go and cultivate!"


    Lin Tianming nodded, then bowed with a fist, stood up, and walked towards his training room.

 Chapter 170 Thousand Beast Banner_1

    Back in the practice room, Lin Tianming sat on the ground, took out the Five Rod Flag and the Nine Silver Needles, and carefully observed them in his hands.After the battle in the swamp, most of the souls within the Five Rod Flag had been lost, with only a few Monster Beast Souls remaining, which was not a large number, causing the power of the flag to decrease significantly.


    However, this was also good, for if he used it after sacrificial refining, he wouldn''t be mistaken for an evil cultivator, otherwise, he would attract some troubling attention.


    He then looked at the nine silver-white needles, which also formed a set of magic artifacts. Each silver needle was one foot long, its surface carried a bone-chilling coldness, and was also highly poisonous.


    This set of silver needle magic artifacts was exquisitely crafted; its main material must have been the tail stinger of a Myriad Poison Bee at the Second Order Middle Stage or higher. The intense poison, coupled with the unique properties of the sting, made the power of the silver needle set extremely formidable, and when used properly, they were not much less effective than a Second Order Medium Quality magic artifact.


    "Gu Tong was also a ruthless and fierce man, involving himself in many sly deeds, obtaining so many treasures and magic artifacts. He met his end due to his greed, and in the end, it all fell into our laps; fate truly plays with people," Lin Tianming muttered to himself.


    Regaining his composure, there was no time to spare; he needed to quickly complete the sacrificial refining of the Five Rod Flag, and would personally deliver the Nine Silver Needles to his father once he passed by Golden Horn Mountain.


    Lin Tianming smiled knowingly, wasting no more time, and began to operate his Cultivation Technique, preparing to sacrificially refine the Five Rod Flag.


    He circulated his Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation, and once his state reached its peak, he first erased the residual Divine Sense left on the Five Rod Flag.


    After doing these things, he threw the Five Rod Flag into the air, then formed a spell with one hand and continuously cast spells onto the flag.


    "Crackle pop."


    A few light crackling sounds were heard, and the Five Rod Flag immediately began to rotate around him.


    Lin Tianming opened his mouth and spat out a few mouthfuls of essence blood, which quickly merged into the flag, and then into the core of the magic artifact.


    His Divine Sense flared, as he inscribed his own Consciousness Imprint on the core of the Five Rod Flag. As long as he completed this step, the refining would be done.


    The Five Rod Flag seemed somewhat resistant, also violently vibrating as if trying to escape his control.


    Lin Tianming''s nerves were tense, his hands frequently slamming spells onto the flag.


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    Time slowly passed, and five days swiftly went by.


    In the practice room, the vibration of the Five Rod Flag stopped, and it joyously revolved non-stop around him.


    At this moment, the flag''s surface was bright and lustrous, far more vibrant than when it was unclaimed, clearly indicating that the refining was complete.


    Lin Tianming waved his hand and held the Five Rod Flag in his grasp, showing a loving, reluctant-to-part smile.


    After spending days refining it, there was still the need to seal Monster Beast Souls within it; only after completing this step would the flag''s power be restored, and it would be able to assist him during magical duels.


    Without delay, Lin Tianming immediately set out to do just this.


    He took out nearly a hundred Jade Bottles, each containing the soul of a Demonic Beast. Nearly half of these were the souls of Qingxu Snakes, the rest were those he had collected over the years, and some given by Lin Shilu.


    Among these Monster Beast Souls, ten were of the Second Order, stronger but not less potent than what Gu Tong possessed. If all were sealed, their power would certainly be formidable.


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, his hands moving non-stop, releasing the souls from the Jade Bottles.


    The shadows of the Monster Beast Souls emerging from the Jade Bottles immediately lunged at him with bared fangs and claws, appearing extremely fierce.


    "Hmph, already dead and still daring to rebel," he snorted. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming reached out with one hand, drawing in the struggling Monster Beast Souls into his grasp, condensing them into a sphere of light.


    He cast several spells with one hand, then projected the light sphere into the flag¡ªsoon, the light sphere vanished without a trace.


    At the same time, his fingers flicked continuously, casting spells onto the flag, inscribing special sealing runes.


    When a small cluster of dense golden runes were etched on the surface of the flag, the Five Rod Flag vibrated joyously, as if they were famished chicks, obviously very eager to devour the Monster Beast Souls.


    Lin Tianming was very pleased; he continued to release the Monster Beast Souls, following a proficient process to seal the souls within the flag.


    Five days later, in the secret chamber.


    Lin Tianming held the Five Rod Flag, his face filled with excitement.


    He had spent several more days sealing nearly a hundred Monster Beast Souls within the flag.


    The Five Rod Flag was now brightly colored, its surface covered with dense, refined golden runes, looking quite delicate, and even its aura had changed a lot.


    Before, the Five Rod Flag''s surface was dark, as if it belonged to something evil, but now its surface shimmered with golden light, incomparable to its previous state.


    Lin Tianming was very satisfied and was almost eager to test its power, but since he was in the market, he had to suppress this thought for now.


    With the Five Rod Flag refined, he prepared to leave his retreat and hurry back to Green Bamboo Mountain as soon as possible.


    However, the Five Rod Flag had been without a name, and now that he would be using it, it naturally needed a name; after all, he would be using it for a long time to come.


    Once he made up his mind, he began to ponder.


    During the family battle, the magical treasure Zhuang Zhenxin used was the Green Jiao Flag, which had a mysterious similarity in function and attack methods to these five flags; they were both sets of magical artifacts with exceptionally potent power.


    After much thought, considering the flag came from the Qianchuan Mountain Range, Lin Tianming suddenly had an idea.


    "Let''s call it the Thousand Beast Banner; it''s quite fitting considering there are a large number of Monster Beast Souls sealed inside," Lin Tianming murmured to himself, deciding on the name Thousand Beast Banner.

 Chapter 170 Thousand Beast Banner_2

    Explore stories at My Virtual Library EmpireHe was quite satisfied with the name, though now the number of soul banners was not many, but in time, it would definitely reach into the thousands. At that point, the power of the Thousand Beast Banner would undoubtedly become even more formidable.


    After a ten-day closed-door session came to a close, the Thousand Beast Banner was successfully refined, and the collected monster beast souls were all sealed within. His goal had been achieved, and it was time to set off.


    Before leaving, he decided to first go to Luoyun Pavilion to retrieve the treasures and spirit stones he was taking back to the Lin Family, and also to purchase some second-order talismans. After all, the condensed sword qi had already been exhausted, and it would not be of much use for two years. Being alone and leaving Qianchuan Market, he still needed to make more preparations.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming got up, tidied up the practice room, and walked out the door.


    After leaving the cave mansion courtyard, Lin Tianming walked the streets of the market, heading towards the commercial area.


    Before long, he arrived at a grand street. Although he had been here several times already, he still looked around at the shops that had been there for hundreds or even thousands of years.


    This street was not far from Luoyun Pavilion, but it was in a slightly better location. The powers that could occupy this place and set up shops for hundreds or thousands of years, without exception, were renowned sects or families of Wei Kingdom. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Treasure Pavilion, Thousand Medicine Pavilion, Myriad Treasures Shop, Sky Dragon Pavilion...


    Dozens of sumptuous shops lined both sides of the street, each name more resounding than the last.


    But the strength behind these shops was indeed very formidable. Treasure Pavilion was the Zhenyang Sect''s only shop in the market, doing extremely booming business with a multitude of treasures available, though the prices were also incredibly high.


    The Thousand Medicine Pavilion was the Golden Core Sect''s Myriad Medicine Valley''s shop, and Myriad Treasures Shop was the Golden Sword Sect''s. The power behind Sky Dragon Pavilion was even more terrifying than the three great sects of Wei Kingdom.


    For Sky Dragon Pavilion was backed by the Sky Dragon Commerce Association, and the association was the reputed business of Qingzhou''s Tang Family. Their businesses were active across Qing and Ji provinces, and it was said they also had dealings in other major provinces.


    With the Tang Family''s formidable strength, having been passed down for tens of thousands of years and numbering tens of thousands of members, with at least dozens of Golden Core cultivators, and supposedly even Nascent Soul cultivators among them.


    With such strength, they could rank among the foremost powers in Qing and Ji provinces.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt immense aspiration in his heart, and also profound determination, making the Tang Family his goal.


    Lin Tianming put aside his distracting thoughts for the moment, paused to collect his thoughts, and then lifted his feet and walked towards Sky Dragon Pavilion in the middle.


    Upon entering Sky Dragon Pavilion, the interior was buzzing with noise. Over thirty cultivators were selecting various treasures, and several Qi Refining cultivators as receptionists were bustling about.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming enter, a Qi Refining cultivator of the sixth level immediately stepped forward to greet him warmly.


    "Esteemed senior, I am Sun Jie at your service. What treasures do you require? Would you care to enjoy a cup of spiritual tea in one of our elegant private rooms while I retrieve the items for you?"


    Lin Tianming, seeing the person''s respectful and thorough service, nodded his head. He then followed Sun Jie upstairs to find a private room and entered.


    As they settled into the private room, Sun Jie immediately prepared a pot of spiritual tea and then stood respectfully to the side, waiting for Lin Tianming''s instructions.


    Lin Tianming sat on a chair made of precious wood and stated his purpose.


    "Young friend Sun, I''m in need of some second-order talisman paper, the higher the grade the better. Does your pavilion have any for sale?"


    Sun Jie hurriedly introduced a batch of second-order talismans, though they were only lower and medium-grade ones.


    Lin Tianming felt somewhat disappointed as he had come here to see if there were any superior second-order talismans available. If there was a second-order high-quality attack talisman, its power wouldn''t be inferior to the sword qi that previously killed Gu Tong.


    Noticing the look of disappointment on Lin Tianming''s face, Sun Jie spoke,


    "Senior, our Sky Dragon Pavilion does have some high-quality second-order attack talismans. However, I do not have the clearance. How about I invite the chief steward here to discuss directly with you?"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming finally showed a smile. He then took out five spirit stones and handed them to Sun Jie as a tip.


    Sun Jie''s face brightened with joy as he accepted the spirit stones and bowed before leaving the room to presumably fetch the chief steward of the shop.


    After a short while, the sound of footsteps approached the private room, and then a white-robed elder in the Foundation Establishment Stage entered.


    Seeing the newcomer, Lin Tianming immediately rose to his feet to greet him. After all, the visitor could possibly be a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Tang Family, and the Lin Family couldn''t afford to offend them. Respect was due.


    The elderly man saw that Lin Tianming was so young, yet he was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, such a cultivation speed was definitely not ordinary among Loose Cultivators, he must be a scion of a Sect or a family.


    The white-robed elder had a smile on his face, appeared very courteous, and was also quite curious.


    Both seated themselves and began to drink tea, the white-robed elder picked up his teacup and took a gentle sip before he asked:


    "This Daoist friend, I am Tang Xiuyuan, Chief Steward of the Sky Dragon Pavilion. May I know your esteemed name? I heard that you want to purchase a Second Order Superior Attack Talisman?"


    "Hmm... my surname is Chen, as for my given name, it''s not important. I wonder if you have any Second Order Superior Talismans for sale? And what would be the price?"


    Lin Tianming got straight to the point and asked about the Second Order Talismans, without revealing his own identity information. After all, the Tang Family was too powerful, and it was wiser for him to be cautious.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming was unwilling to reveal his name, Tang Xiuyuan did not press further. After all, many Loose Cultivators have such a temperament, asking too much could easily offend someone, and since they were in the business of selling, they were used to such behavior.


    Tang Xiuyuan chuckled, then with a flick of his sleeve, several talismans of different colors appeared, suspended in the air between them.


    Five talismans, all Second Order Superior Attack Talismans, each containing powerful forces. Among them, there were two Fire Attribute Talismans, two Metal Attribute Talismans, and one Water Attribute Talisman.


    Looking at the talismans, Tang Xiuyuan, with a calm and confident demeanor, said:


    "Daoist Chen, these five Second Order Superior Talismans are the best ones in our store. I am not being boastful, but such talismans are hard to find throughout the entire Qianchuan Market."


    Lin Tianming nodded without disputing the claim.


    Second Order Superior Talismans were not common items, the higher the grade, the rarer they were. Even at an auction, they were not often seen, and even for the powerful Foundation Establishing Families of the Wei Kingdom, Second Order Superior Talismans were in limited supply. Only the Tang Family and the Golden Core Forces could afford to sell them.


    Regaining his composure, he took one of the talismans and examined it.


    Feeling the immense power of the flames contained within the talisman, it was many times stronger than any he had acquired before.


    After a while, he showed a satisfied expression.


    "Daoist Tang, how much for one Fire Attribute Talisman and one Metal Attribute Talisman?" Lin Tianming asked directly.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming seemed quite satisfied, Tang Xiuyuan answered composedly:


    "The Fire Attribute Talisman is 3,000 Spirit Stones each, and the Metal Attribute Talisman is 3,300 Spirit Stones each."


    When Tang Xiuyuan announced the prices, Lin Tianming was inwardly shocked.


    Although he had expected it, the Second Order Superior Talismans'' prices were still exorbitant; buying ten of them would almost cost as much as one Foundation Establishment Pill.


    However, upon further contemplation, a Second Order Superior Talisman, at a critical moment, could match the strike of a Late Foundation Establishment Cultivator, potentially altering the outcome.


    With this in mind, he reluctantly accepted the price and said:


    "Daoist Tang, I''ll take one Metal Attribute and one Fire Attribute Talisman. Can the price be a little cheaper? How about 6,000 Spirit Stones for both?"


    Hearing Lin Tianming haggle, Tang Xiuyuan thought it over secretly. Considering Lin Tianming''s young age and his ability to reach Foundation Establishment, his talent must be extraordinary. Purchasing two Superior Talismans in one go, he surely had a substantial wealth and might be worth befriending.


    Making up his mind, Tang Xiuyuan smiled and nodded:


    "As you say, Daoist friend, let''s make it a good connection. If you want to purchase any treasures in the future, just come to me, and I will offer you the lowest price."


    "Haha, then I must thank Daoist Tang. If there''s anything I need in the future, I will surely return." Lin Tianming laughed.


    The two exchanged smiles, and Lin Tianming took out 6,000 Spirit Stones and handed them to Tang Xiuyuan, then took the two Second Order Talismans and put them into his storage bag.


    After completing the transaction, they chatted idly for a while, and despite Tang Xiuyuan''s roundabout inquiries, Lin Tianming still did not disclose any information, which left him quite helpless.


    After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Lin Tianming bid farewell to Tang Xiuyuan, left the Sky Dragon Pavilion, and headed straight towards Luoyun Pavilion.

 Chapter 171 Father-Son Bond_1

    It wasn''t long before he arrived inside Luoyun Pavilion.At this moment, there were more than ten Qi Refining Cultivators in the Luoyun Pavilion, selecting the goods for sale, while Li Rong was busy attending to customers; the scene was bustling.


    Lin Tianming, who rarely had leisure time, had barely inquired about the operation of the shop. Apart from making pills for a fee, he hadn''t been much help. The shop was mainly managed by a few of his uncles from the Lin Family, such as Lin Xingli. With the assistance of Lin Tianfeng, everything was orderly and the profits were considerable.


    However, with his talent and cultivation, the family wouldn''t agree to his involvement in these trifles. The Clan Leader had instructed him multiple times to focus on cultivation, for only with higher cultivation could he provide greater assistance to the family.


    Understanding this well, he had never slacked off, devoting all his thoughts to cultivation and alchemy.


    As for clan affairs, there were elders to worry about them, so he didn''t need to trouble himself.


    Nevertheless, as a member of the Lin Family, he couldn''t be indifferent, lest his clan members thought him too arrogant.


    It had been a long time since he last visited the shop, and the business seemed to be doing well recently, probably due to restocking the treasures they acquired from Gu Tong. With more treasures, the business naturally improved.


    Li Rong and her sibling were modest and courteous with exceptional abilities to read situations and manage the shop. After working as clerks in Luoyun Pavilion for a few months, they had become particularly familiar with its operations, which had significantly boosted the business.


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    Upon seeing Lin Tianming enter, Li Rong quickly set aside his tasks to greet him with a clasped-hands salute.


    Lin Tianming nodded, asked briefly about the state of Luoyun Pavilion, and then went straight to the third floor.


    Entering the secret room on the third floor, Lin Xingli and Lin Xingsu were seated inside with thick books in front of them, apparently recording some accounts.


    Seeing Lin Tianming come in, both men stood up to greet him. After exchanging formalities and salutes, the three of them sat down for tea and casual conversation.


    Lin Xingli had been prepared for Lin Tianming''s visit.


    Several days earlier, Lin Shilu had specially instructed him to have the Spirit Stones earned during the past few months ready; apart from retaining twenty thousand for turnover, all the rest were to be handed over to Lin Tianming to take back to the family.


    After a bit of small talk, Lin Xingli took out a storage bag and an account book, handing them over to Lin Tianming.


    Looking through the account book, Lin Tianming scanned it and, noting the one hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones inside, showed a look of surprise.


    Luoyun Pavilion had been open for over four months, and the results greatly exceeded their expectations with an average monthly sale of treasures worth tens of thousands.


    In just a few months, Luoyun Pavilion had accumulated over one hundred thousand Spirit Stones. The initial shop cost for the family and various treasures worth over one hundred thousand had been almost entirely cashed in.


    In this way, in just four months, they had sold most of the treasures provided by the family and made a profit of at least thirty to forty thousand, enough to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but think to himself.


    "No wonder so many Foundation Establishing Families are eager to establish themselves in medium to large-sized markets. This truly is a profitable place!"


    In reality, the thriving business of Luoyun Pavilion didn''t mean that all shops were doing well; some made losses or even closed down.


    It just so happened that Luoyun Pavilion was lucky; they encountered the market''s biennial small gathering, bolstered by Ye Pinghai''s powerful influence, and the strategy of commissioned pill making, which all contributed to the shop''s booming business.


    Focusing his mind, Lin Tianming clasped his fists toward Lin Xingli and said,


    "Uncle, I will depart tomorrow. With Fifteenth Grandfather injured, the market will be hard work for you all!"


    Lin Xingli and Lin Xingsu shared a smile and waved their hands to say,


    "Tianming, you exaggerate. As members of the Lin Family, you, the cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage, have made greater contributions to the family. We are merely doing what we can!"


    After talking, Lin Tianming saluted the two men and left the secret room.


    After leaving Luoyun Pavilion, he didn''t linger but went straight back to the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Upon entering the training room, he sat down on the floor and then laid several storage bags in front of him.


    One of these was the one given to him by Lin Xingli, containing the Spirit Stones earned by Luoyun Pavilion over the past few months, totaling an impressive one hundred and fifty thousand. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The other storage bags contained six Qingxu Snake Eggs and a large quantity of items from various parts of the Qingxu Snakes, along with three Qiuxing Fruit Trees and some treasures obtained from Gu Tong.


    Staring at the extraordinarily valuable treasures that he was to bring back to the family alone, facing more than ten days journey ahead, Lin Tianming''s expression was incredibly serious.


    This trip was of great responsibility, and he couldn''t guarantee there wouldn''t be any accidents.


    Fortunately, he had prepared, having purchased two Second Order Superior Talismans from the Sky Dragon Pavilion. With these talismans for protection, he was slightly relieved.


    "Hopefully, everything goes well!"


    Muttering softly to himself, Lin Tianming put away all of the storage bags and then began to practice his cultivation.


    Early the next morning, after notifying Lin Shilu and altering his appearance, Lin Tianming directly left the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Having left the market, Lin Tianming flew south for a distance, then released the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Sitting atop the Purple Gold Eagle''s back and reviewing the map, Lin Tianming''s Divine Sense was fully open, constantly monitoring the surroundings.


    The duo, man and beast, streaked across the skies a thousand feet up, heading straight for the south.


    Time flew, and half a month passed by in a flash.


    That evening, a sharp cry rang out as the Purple Gold Eagle appeared above Golden Horn Mountain.

 Chapter 171 Father and Son Bonding_2

    Sitting atop the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming looked quite fatigued; glancing at the familiar mountain gate, he silently let out a sigh of relief.For half a month, he had been traveling alone, his Divine Sense greatly drained. Without Lin Shilu to take turns on watch, he didn''t dare to let the Purple Gold Eagle fly at full speed without reservations, fearing any sudden troubles that might arise.


    Fortunately, the journey went relatively smoothly, although it was slower compared to the trip there, but he had successfully reached Golden Horn Mountain.


    Upon reaching the vicinity of Golden Horn Mountain, this area was part of the Luoyun Mountain Range territory, mostly controlled by the Lin Family; it was considered safe.


    The Purple Gold Eagle landed at the entrance of Golden Horn Mountain, and Lin Tianming jumped down from its back.


    Lin Xingyou, who was responsible for patrolling Golden Horn Mountain, was quite surprised to see him since they had left Golden Horn Mountain only four months ago, and it was unusual for him to return so quickly.


    However, seeing Lin Tianming looking normal, as if nothing significant had happened, Lin Xingyou didn''t ask any further.


    After a brief chat, Lin Tianming directly inquired about his father.


    Lin Xingyou chuckled and then said,


    "Tianming, your father has been in closed-door cultivation all this time. You''ve had a tiring journey, so you might as well rest for the night. I''ll send a message to him. If there''s nothing urgent, we can talk tomorrow!"


    Lin Tianming nodded; now that he had arrived at Golden Horn Mountain, he was not far from the clan estate, out of the danger zone, and there was no need to hurry. He was indeed tired, so resting for the night seemed reasonable.


    "Then I will take Uncle''s advice and rest for today!" Lin Tianming replied.


    Afterwards, Lin Xingyou led Lin Tianming towards the depths of Golden Horn Mountain, quickly arriving at the cave dwelling where Lin Xingrong was in secluded cultivation.


    Lin Xingyou cast a Law Decree, opening Lin Xingrong''s cave dwelling, then said to Lin Tianming,


    "Tianming, go inside by yourself. I still have duties to attend to, so I won''t stay long!" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Uncle, you go ahead with your tasks, we''ll meet again another day!" Lin Tianming gestured his thanks and said goodbye.


    After seeing Lin Xingyou off, Lin Tianming entered his father''s cave dwelling.


    Upon entering the room, he went straight to sleep, releasing the tension he had been holding, and quickly fell into a deep slumber.


    The next morning...


    Lin Tianming opened his eyes, and after a night''s sleep, the fatigue from the past half month vanished without a trace.


    He stretched leisurely and then got up and left the room, entering the small courtyard.


    His father had already come out of seclusion and was sitting in the courtyard drinking Spiritual Tea, seemingly waiting for him.


    Lin Tianming immediately approached and bowed deeply, "Father, your son pays his respects!"


    Lin Xingrong smiled and motioned with his hand, "Sit down, was your journey smooth?"


    Lin Tianming sat across from Lin Xingrong, and after pouring a cup of Spiritual Tea for his father, he said,


    "To reply to father, the journey was quite smooth!"


    "Hmm... family protocol is to return to clan lands once a year, and it hasn''t even been half a year yet, did something happen?" Lin Xingrong asked, puzzled.


    Lin Tianming had anticipated this question and had nothing to conceal, especially from his father, who was one of the high-ranking members of the Lin Family and entitled to know the most classified information.


    Lin Tianming took a sip of the Spiritual Tea and then began recounting the events of the past few months.


    Hearing of the bustling business at Luoyun Pavilion, Lin Xingrong became excited, and upon learning that Lin Shilu had nearly perished in the swamp, his face darkened with anxiety, he asked,


    "How is your Fifteenth Grandfather now?"


    "Father, Fifteenth Grandfather has already recovered a great deal, but he won''t be able to fully recuperate in a short time; to completely recover, he will need at least a few months of dedicated cultivation!"


    Lin Tianming hastened to explain, putting Lin Xingrong at ease at last.


    After talking for nearly half an hour, Lin Xingrong finally understood the course of events and the reason for the rushed return.


    With the trip to Qianchuan Market, Lin Tianming made another contribution, bringing back a plethora of treasures for the family with Lin Shilu, and making the business of Luoyun Pavilion so successful.


    As a father, his face beamed with pride seeing his son work hard and bring honor to the family.


    With that, Lin Xingrong became exhilarated.


    "This is a matter of great importance. Tomorrow, I shall return to Green Bamboo Mountain with you, especially since it''s been a long time since I last went back!" Lin Xingrong said.


    "Good, we''ll set off tomorrow morning!"


    Lin Tianming finished speaking and then took out the nine silver needles he had prepared and handed them to Lin Xingrong, saying,


    "Father, this set of silver needle Magic Artifacts is part of my share. You are safeguarding our territory, and with this treasure, I am sure you will be safer."


    Seeing that Lin Tianming was gifting him a Magic Artifact, Lin Xingrong felt touched but also somewhat embarrassed.


    As a father, he hadn''t been able to help Lin Tianming much in recent years. Now, he often had to rely on his son''s accomplishments.


    Despite coveting the Magic Artifact, he waved his hands and refused, saying,


    "I have a Magic Artifact which I got from the Jin Family. The clan has allocated it to me. Although it is only Second Order Low Quality, it is enough for now. You should keep this set for yourself!"


    Seeing that Lin Xingrong refused to accept it, Lin Tianming knew his father was too proud to accept it. However, for the sake of his safety, he still wanted to persuade him further.


    After a moment of silence, an idea suddenly struck Lin Tianming, and he said with a bright smile,


    "Father, I''ve obtained two Magic Artifacts. The other one, the Thousand Beast Banner, is even more powerful than this set of silver needles. Plus, Fifteenth Grandfather custom-made a Second Order Medium Quality Tiangang Sword for me, so I truly don''t need this one!"


    "If you don''t take it, I''ll gift it to Grandfather!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xingrong''s face flushed with color, and he grabbed the nine silver needles before saying in a pretentiously old-fashioned manner,


    "Never mind, never mind, the old man has been living in the clan''s land; he doesn''t need such a fine Magic Artifact!"


    Seeing his strategy work, Lin Tianming''s face blossomed with joy.


    He found his father very interesting: clearly caring about him a lot yet always coming across as remote and stern. However, with his grandfather, he could live off of his resources, never feeling that it was too much or feeling embarrassed.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s mischievous grin, Lin Xingrong chided him tersely, "You little rascal, what are you laughing at?"


    "Uh... nothing... nothing..." Lin Tianming quickly changed his expression, regaining his composure.


    "Hmph..."


    Lin Xingrong, holding the nine silver needles about a foot in length, examined them affectionately.


    Next to him, Lin Tianming, seeing his father''s fondness for the Magic Artifact, in high spirits, then suggested,


    "Father, this set of silver needle Magic Artifacts hasn''t been named yet. Why don''t you name it?"


    No sooner had he spoken than Lin Xingrong fell into thought. After a few moments, he seemed to have an idea.


    "This Magic Artifact is used for sneak attacks, extremely stealthy. When activated, it''s without a shadow or a trace. How about calling it Shadowless Needle?"


    Remembering how Gu Tong had ambushed them, he hadn''t reacted at all. If it weren''t for Lin Shilu''s powerful Divine Sense detecting something amiss a step ahead and pushing him away at the critical moment, he certainly would have lost his life.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming nodded and said, "Shadowless Needle... truly without shadow or trace!"


    "Haha... Then it''s settled!"


    "It''s called Shadowless Needle!" Lin Xingrong said excitedly.


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    With the name of the Magic Artifact decided upon, Lin Tianming and his son exchanged a smile and then began to chat over tea.


    The father and son enjoyed their conversation immensely, their relationship drawing closer. It was rare for the two of them to sit down together like this, but as their encounters increased, their bond seemed to grow tighter.


    Now they could even share jokes, which would have been impossible in the past.


    After chatting for half an hour, Lin Xingrong finally got up, ready to leave.


    After all, he was to return to Green Bamboo Mountain with Lin Tianming, so the affairs here had to be properly arranged.


    "Father, this Qiuxing Fruit works wonders. Give it a try!"


    Lin Tianming called out to Xingrong, who, with a single wave of his hand, caught two Qiuxing Fruits in his hand.


    Lin Xingrong didn''t stand on ceremony and put the Qiuxing Fruits into his storage bag, giving a smile before turning to leave.


    Lin Tianming chuckled, watching his father leave the cave. Afterward, he returned to the training room.


    The next morning...


    As the daylight dawned with the morning glow piercing through the clouds, and the warm sunlight shone upon the land, the leaves of the Golden Flower Trees swayed in the breeze.


    Within the peaceful Golden Horn Mountain, Lin Tianming and his son left the mountain gate quietly, slipping away unnoticed.


    Sitting astride the Purple Gold Eagle, they flew into the clouds, turning into a fading shadow heading south towards Green Bamboo Mountain.

 Chapter 172 Decision_1

    Two days later, Green Bamboo Mountain...Lin Tianming and his companion were seated on the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, descending at the gate of their clan''s mountain.


    The disciples of the Enforcement Hall responsible for patrolling the gate immediately approached to greet them.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were in great spirits, having successfully returned to the gate with immense wealth, allowing them to relax their tense minds.


    Lin Tianming raised his hand to send out a transmission, then instructed the Purple Gold Eagle to leave on its own; the two of them flew together to the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    At the peak of the main mountain, within Lin Shikang''s cave dwelling.


    He sat on a straw mat with hands clasped in prayer, entering a deep state of cultivation¡ªas such closed-door cultivation was a routine affair for him.


    As the clan member with the highest cultivation, he had successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level two years ago with the aid of a Hun Tian Pill.


    As the clan''s power grew stronger and more clan members reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, there was less need for him to handle everything personally. He only needed to make major decisions with the Shi generation clan members and to hold the general direction of the clan''s development. As for specific execution, that was carried by the Xing generation clan members. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    Thus, a few of the Shi generation clan members, led by him, rarely had idle time and also began to cultivate diligently.


    When the restriction flashed, a transmission entered the training room.


    Lin Shikang opened his eyes and saw the transmission sent by Lin Tianming, revealing a puzzled expression.


    At the same time, Clan Leader Lin Shihua and Lin Shigong felt equally baffled by Lin Tianming''s transmission.


    With a puzzled look, Lin Shikang released a Law Decree after finishing his cultivation and stood up, stepping out of the training room.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming and his son had not gone directly back to their own cave dwelling but had come to his small courtyard to wait while drinking tea.


    Upon seeing Lin Shikang come out, both of them quickly got up to pay their respects with a salute.


    Lin Shikang laughed heartily, gesturing them to sit down, and then asked, "Xing Rong, why did you and your son come back so suddenly?"


    "Third Uncle, it''s great news!" Lin Xingrong said impatiently.


    Hearing this, Lin Shikang''s face brightened with joy as he eagerly inquired, "Oh, what''s the good news? Speak up and let me hear it!"


    Just then, hearty laughter echoed through the courtyard. "What''s this good news? Why such an upheaval?"


    Before the words were finished, Lin Shihua and Lin Shigong stepped into the courtyard together, followed by Lin Xingping.


    Seeing Lin Tianming and his son returning together, Lin Shigong''s face was filled with smiles.


    Lin Tianming and his son quickly stood up to greet them, then exchanged pleasantries with Lin Xingping.


    Lin Xingping replied with a smile, then asked, "Tian Ming, how was everything at the market? Tianhong didn''t slack off, did he?"


    Hearing Lin Xingping''s caring words, Lin Tianming completely understood; after all, it was Lin Tianhong''s first time going to Qianchuan Market and the first time leaving the clan for an extended period. As his father, it was only natural for him to constantly worry about Lin Tianhong.


    Thinking of how Lin Tianhong, although toiling hard at alchemy in the market, had not neglected his cultivation, and even improved his alchemy skills while earning a substantial amount of Spirit Stones, Lin Tianming anticipated great growth.


    With that in mind, Lin Tianming spoke reassuringly, "Uncle Xing Ping, rest assured, everything at the market is fine. Second Brother has been very diligent, dedicating himself daily to alchemy and cultivation. I believe it won''t be many years before he can impact the Foundation Establishment Stage!"


    Relieved to hear about Lin Tianhong from Lin Tianming, Lin Xingping replied with a laugh, "That''s good to hear... Having Tian Ming as a role model, that kid has finally learned to put in some effort!"


    In response to Lin Xingping''s praise, Lin Tianming exchanged pleasantries before they all took their seats.


    In the courtyard, six clan members were now present. Except for Lin Shilu and Lin Xingyuan, who were each in different markets, all the Foundation Establishment clan members of the family had arrived.


    Seeing everyone assembled, Clan Leader Lin Shihua, who could hardly wait any longer, urgently asked about the purpose behind Lin Tianming''s transmission to them.


    Seeing the eager eyes of the clan members upon him, Lin Tianming didn''t dare beat around the bush; he started by recounting his entry into Qianchuan Market.


    Knowing the business at Luoyun Pavilion on its opening day was booming, everyone was excited. Lin Shikang thanked Ye Pinghai for his help while also praising their accomplishments.


    On the side, Lin Shihua expressed his thoughts, "It seems the clan''s decision to develop in Qianchuan Market was correct. Now that Luoyun Pavilion has established itself, the clan has gained an additional source of income!"


    "Indeed... the Luoyun Mountain Range is too small, and the traffic in Luoyun Market is limited. Simply relying on Luoyun Market, the clan won''t advance any further!" Lin Shigong joined in agreement.


    Lin Tianming nodded, feeling that the family''s decision was indeed wise. Although the clan had integrated Luoyun Market and secured a greater dividend right, bringing in a considerable profit over the year¡ªmore than at the peak of the Jin Family¡ªit wasn''t enough.


    But as the clan''s territory and the scale of clan members were rapidly growing, relying solely on the wealth source of Luoyun Market couldn''t support them for long.


    Taking advantage of the clan''s current capital to consider the problems they would face decades later and to take precautions would certainly not be mistaken.


    Seeing Lin Tianming lost in thought, Lin Shigong drew him back, urging him to continue with the rest of the story.


    The mention of Qingxu Snake Eggs and the acquisition of three Qiuxing Fruit Trees left the clan members shocked but then overjoyed. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When they learned that Lin Shilu had been gravely injured by Gu Tong, everyone''s face turned pale with shock, aside from Lin Xingrong, who already knew.


    "What? Shilu was injured?" Lin Shigong asked anxiously, his expression not much different from Lin Xingrong''s when he first heard the news.


    Seeing their concern, Lin Tianming did not delay and quickly shared the details of Lin Shilu''s injury.

 Chapter 172 Decision_2

    "Elders, Fifteenth Grandfather was seriously injured, but fortunately, his foundation was not damaged. With half a year of quiet cultivation, he should fully recover!"Upon hearing this, everyone let out a long sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from their hearts, and their complexions returned to normal.


    Lin Tianming did not say much and simply took out several storage bags and laid them out one by one in front of everyone.


    Then he took out the account book that recorded their contents and handed it to Lin Shihua.


    At the same time, he pointed to the storage bags and explained the details and quantities of the treasures inside.


    It took a full quarter of an hour to clearly explain the origins and circumstances of these items.


    Lin Shihua and the others also took turns examining the storage bags, their faces filled with uncontainable excitement.


    Lin Shikang was the first to regain his composure and said with excitement, "Tianming, you and the others have made another great contribution!"


    Lin Shihua also laughed heartily, saying with emotion,


    "Yes... Luoyun Pavilion has been successfully launched, the business is booming, and we''ve obtained so many treasures. Our Lin Family''s foundation has been further strengthened. We are truly on the rise!"


    Remembering the struggles of the clan decades ago, the remaining members grew contemplative, and the atmosphere became somewhat somber for a moment.


    Lin Tianming was deeply moved, understanding the sentiments of his elders, and he felt a measure of consolation when thinking of the rewards gleaned from each life-and-death struggle.


    A quarter of an hour later, the clan members had regained their calm and began to discuss what to do with this batch of treasures.


    As the stabilizing force of the Lin Family, Lin Shikang scanned the room before asking, "What do you all think about this matter?"


    After a moment of thought, several clan members began to voice their opinions, offering suggestions and strategic reforms for the family.


    Seeing that Lin Shihua had not yet spoken, Lin Shikang asked, "Shihua, as the Clan Leader, what are your thoughts?"


    Lin Shihua was silent for a moment before saying,


    "The success of Luoyun Pavilion in securing a stable position in the market is of utmost importance for the Lin Family. In the next few years, if all goes well, we can expect a steady income of spirit stones, ensuring that the family won''t have to worry about resources for the time being!"


    "Looking at our current situation, the family is not short on resources. It''s time to focus on nurturing some of our people, to help them accelerate their cultivation!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Shikang looked toward Lin Tianming, his thoughts unreadable.


    Lin Shikang always held Lin Tianming in high regard, and since Tianming always made incisive and correct judgments, his opinions naturally carried significant weight.


    "Tianming, let''s hear your thoughts!" Lin Shikang asked, his eyes filled with expectation.


    Lin Tianming was calm, lost in thought.


    He had many ideas about the development of the clan. The clan used to be too poor, and the treatment of the clanspeople was not high, which was an unfortunate reality.


    After the great battle of the Luoyun Mountain, the family made several changes. They organized the Monster Hunting Squad, improved the basic welfare of the clanspeople, and even increased the Merit Points for various clan services significantly, greatly enhancing their enthusiasm.


    Over the years, the results had been quite remarkable, with a significant increase in the number of Foundation Establishment Clan Members and an overall improvement in the cultivation of Qi Refining Stage Clanspeople.


    However, such development made it difficult to nurture High Order Cultivators. To go further, it was necessary to select several individuals with exceptional talents for intensive training, putting the best steel to its best use, to achieve greater returns.


    He had these thoughts not out of any selfishness but simply from considering the best interests of the family.


    Considering these points, Lin Tianming spoke frankly,


    "My opinion aligns with the Clan Leader''s. Currently, the family has sufficient resources and income. In terms of nurturing the junior members with higher talents, it is possible to ramp up efforts. Only with more Foundation Establishment Cultivators can we obtain more resources and a greater say!"


    "By doing so, we can choose a few key individuals from among the clanspeople for intensive cultivation, making preparations to break through to the Golden Core Stage!"


    After he spoke, the room fell into a deep silence as everyone considered his words.


    In the past, the situation was different; the family was too poor, and the goal was merely to develop Foundation Establishment Cultivators, to stand firm against fierce enemies on Luoyun Mountain. The Golden Core Stage was an unimaginably distant dream.


    Now, the times had changed. Within the Luoyun Mountain Range, the Lin Family held an overwhelming advantage and had also established a foothold in Qianchuan Market.


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    With both the internal and external situations unfolding favorably, the Golden Core Stage no longer seemed impossible under such fortuitous conditions.


    "Golden Core Stage..."


    Lin Shikang murmured softly to himself, his eyes revealing a longing gaze as they became fervent.


    Seeing this, Lin Shihua also spoke up,


    "Indeed... Now is the time for the family to look further ahead. The difficulty of reaching the Golden Core Stage is evident¡ªonly five Golden Elixir Forces in the entire Wei Kingdom," he said.


    The others nodded in agreement, seeming to concur with this sentiment.


    After all, in the entire Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World, aside from the three Great Sects, there were only two Golden Core Families.


    This showed the immense difficulty of achieving the Golden Core, difficult by hundreds of times more than Foundation Establishment, requiring not only a great deal of resources but also talent and opportunity! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If the family were to return to its former glory, it was imperative to marshal the entire clan''s efforts, focusing on nurturing the promising individuals to potentially take that step forward.


    After a moment of silence, with no one else speaking, Lin Shikang spoke up,


    "Tianming''s view is certainly logical. I agree with his suggestion. What do you all think? If there''s no objection, let''s settle on this!"


    "I agree!" Lin Shihua said, taking a stance.


    "I agree too," Lin Shigong naturally wouldn''t oppose and immediately voiced his opinion.


    ...


    Soon, the rest followed suit, unanimously agreeing, and the matter was officially decided.

 Chapter 172 Decision_3

    Lin Shikang nodded with satisfaction before speaking with a firm attitude,"Now that this matter is settled, let''s decide on the number and the candidates for key training!"


    "As for the number, three from the Foundation Establishment Stage and seven from the Qi Refinement Realm, forming the Family Elite Ten. They will be exempt from some clan duties and focus solely on cultivation. The first among our clansmen to reach the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, the family will unconditionally provide them with one Foundation Establishment Pill."


    "For the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, upon reaching the late stages of the Foundation Establishment, they will be given a Hun Tian Pill. As for breaking through to the Golden Core Stage, that is still a bit far off. Moreover, Nascent Soul Spiritual Items are not something that can be obtained with Spirit Stones."


    Before he finished speaking, the others nodded their heads in agreement.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was somewhat surprised, as he had not expected Lin Shikang to make such a decisive decision on the matter.


    Lin Shigong was not surprised at all. He understood Lin Shikang''s character quite well. Though usually reticent and unassuming, he had more determination than Lin Shihua, which was why he managed to reach the Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment within a mere century.


    "Third brother, how will we select the candidates?" Lin Shihua asked.


    Lin Tianming then took over the conversation and said,


    "Amongst the Qi Refinement Realm clansmen, we''ll set the age limit at sixty. We''ll choose from the clansmen above the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, selecting the youngest clansman from each level as key training targets. Starting from a subsidy of one hundred Spirit Stones, for each level, we will add an additional hundred Spirit Stones. This will greatly increase their enthusiasm for cultivation and help accelerate their progress!" S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s suggestion, Lin Shikang''s eyes brightened.


    This method of Lin Tianming''s would sufficiently motivate the clansmen; to receive the subsidy, they would need to outpace their peers in cultivation, and competition among them would be more effective than anything else.


    With this in mind, he then added,


    "From the Fourth Level to Great Perfection, there are exactly seven realms, which is indeed fair. However, we must set a limit as well: we''ll settle accounts once a year. Those who are already enjoying support must wait until the end of the current year''s benefits before being replaced."


    "That''s right, otherwise it would be too chaotic!" Lin Shihua said with a nod and a smile.


    Lin Shikang chuckled, then added,


    "As for the candidates from the Foundation Establishment Stage, it will be Shi Lu and Tian Ming, father and son, with an annual subsidy of five thousand Spirit Stones each. When we have more Foundation Establishment Cultivators, we will need to select three candidates from the first, fourth, and seventh levels. And this policy will take effect from the beginning of next year!"


    "Moreover, to prevent clansmen from resorting to unscrupulous methods for the sake of cultivation progress, leading to instability in their realms, we can set up a sparring system, where no external means are allowed. The winner will receive the family subsidy!"


    Lin Shihua nodded and said, "If someone is less skilled, resorts to trickery and cunning, they will be directly disqualified from the benefits of this policy!"


    Everyone nodded their heads, made a few more comments, and then decided on the outcome of this matter.


    With the family policy matters concluded, Lin Shikang was in high spirits. He then instructed Lin Shihua,


    "Shihua, make sure to inform all the clansmen about the Family Elite Ten as soon as possible. There''s only a little more than half a year left until the beginning of next year, which is enough time for them to prepare!"


    "Besides, the Qingxu Snake Eggs that Tian Ming brought back need to be hatched immediately, and the Qiuxing Fruit needs to be transplanted as soon as possible!"


    "Good... I will arrange this right away!" Lin Shihua replied with a nod.


    After finishing, Lin Tianming remembered the words entrusted to him by Lin Shilu and then said,


    "Third Grandfather, Fifteenth Grandfather asked me to convey that in a few days when I return to Qianchuan Market, Uncle Xing Ping will accompany me to the market for cultivation and to also prepare for taking over the guard duties there."


    "Good... You and Shi Lu have been on guard for several years; it''s time for you to come back and focus on your cultivation!"


    "Xing Ping, in a few days, you will depart with Tian Ming; in a few years, that place will rely on you!"


    Lin Xingping stood up and cupped his fists, agreeing to the arrangement.


    With all matters settled, the assembled clansmen also rose to take their leave, exchanging fist salutes before departing in their respective directions.


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    After leaving the courtyard, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping agreed on the day of departure, then returned to his father''s Cave Mansion Courtyard.

 Chapter 173 Hot Discussion_1

    After leaving Lin Shikang''s courtyard, the grandfather and his two grandchildren returned to the father''s cave dwelling.The mother and sister had already received news of their return to the family, and they both came out of seclusion to prepare for a reunion.


    The five family members sat in the courtyard chatting idly; it had been half a year since they last saw each other. The mother''s cultivation level was still at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement. With her Four Spirit Roots talent, if not for the aid of Pozhang Pills, breaking through just by meditating would take at least several years.


    The sister had undergone considerable changes over the years. Now twenty-four years old, she had grown tall and slender, her features growing increasingly delicate and charming, and her personality had matured significantly. She always regarded her brother as a role model, aspiring to follow in his footsteps.


    With a plentiful supply of elixirs for cultivation and her penchant for adventure, she had repeatedly joined peers from the clan in monster hunting squads for trials in the mountain range.


    Over the years, her cultivation level had soared, reaching the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation. Her strength firmly placed her among the top three female cultivators of her generation in the clan, and alongside Lin Tianqin, she was known as one of the Lin Family''s two golden flowers.


    As their cultivation levels grew higher, the siblings spent more time in secluded cultivation and rarely saw each other. Lin Tianming looked at his sister and teased her, saying,


    "Tian Yue, you''ve done well for yourself over these years, daring to venture into the Luoyun Mountain Range?"


    Seeing Lin Tianming looking down on her, Lin Tianyue was reluctant to accept it and pouted in retort.


    "Brother..."


    "We are all from the same family. You dared to guard Qingfeng Town alone at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, and even ventured into the mountains. I''m already at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, and I have clan members teaming up with me, so why can''t I enter the mountains for trials?"


    Lin Tianming was suddenly at a loss for words, not expecting his sister to rebut him so fiercely and without reservation.


    Recognizing his sister''s courage and her fondness for trial through combat, Lin Tianming actually approved. It was for the best, lest she waste her talent and become someone with cultivation but no real strength.


    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming felt quite relieved.


    Seeing Lin Tianming no longer continuing the conversation, Lin Shigong chuckled and then brought up the subject of the Family Elite Ten.


    "Tian Yue, your brother is a key cultivation focus in the Foundation Establishment Stage, and there are seven spots in the Qi Refinement Realm. The youngest among the Qi Refinement Seventh Level clan members gets an annual subsidy of four hundred Spirit Stones from the family, which is no small amount," he said.


    "Yes, you need to work hard and strive to secure one of those spots. With that, you can advance your cultivation faster," added Lin Xingrong.


    "Grandfather, is that true?" Lin Tianyue asked excitedly.


    Faced with Lin Tianyue''s eager question, Lin Tianming interrupted and affirmed,


    "Of course, it''s true. The three of us just came out from Third Grandfather''s cave dwelling, where we were discussing the Family Elite Ten affairs. I expect the family will officially announce it tomorrow."


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Lin Tianyue, upon hearing this significant news, became extremely excited and started dancing around.


    Previously, her cultivation speed had been quite fast; if she could be selected for the Family Elite Ten, it would not only bring honor to her grandparents but also allow her to rapidly increase her cultivation with the help of the family''s rewards.


    At this thought, Lin Tianyue''s excitement was uncontainable, and a confident smile was always present on her face.


    Lin Tianming and the others, seeing her smile, were influenced by her joy, and each of them showed a look of contentment.


    Indeed, once the family policy was implemented, it would surely cause quite a stir. After all, a Qi Refinement Fourth Level got a subsidy of a hundred Spirit Stones a year, which was already a considerable sum. Many Loose Cultivators in the Late Stage of Qi Refining didn''t even have a few hundred Spirit Stones to their name. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And the Lin Family Members, by displaying their talent, could earn a hefty sum of Spirit Stones from the competition. It was expected that no clan member would forgo this significant benefit.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help but conjecture that with this policy, after a few years of competition, the overall strength of the family would surely rise to another level.


    Regaining his composure, the mother also got up and left to prepare the evening meal, while Lin Tianming and the grandparents leisurely discussed their respective cultivation progress.


    The grandfather had long been living with the Lin Family, without major affairs to attend to, almost never leaving clan territory.


    In terms of cultivation, he seemed to be aware of his limited talent, dedicating a few days each month to teaching the Family Alchemists, focusing most of his energy on nurturing clan members and on the Alchemy Dao. Only with the remaining time did he go into secluded cultivation. Though his advancement was slow, he led a comfortable life.


    Lin Xingrong''s situation was much simpler. In the past, he spent years busy with family affairs at Luoyun Market, but recently he had more leisure time. When in charge of guarding Golden Horn Mountain, he could cultivate wholeheartedly. With the help of a substantial amount of elixirs, his cultivation level had rapidly advanced, and he was the first among the subsequent Foundation Establishers to break through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.


    That night, the family of five sat down together for a meal and, after a satisfactory dinner, they parted ways.


    Lin Tianming returned to his own cave dwelling and lay sprawled on his stone bed. He pondered the arrangements for the future.


    He planned to rest for a few days and then set off again, returning to Qianchuan Market. There, he would start concocting Dragon Bone Pills, and afterward, with the help of Sparse Star Fruits, he would strive to break through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer as soon as possible.


    Before he knew it, the one lost in thoughts drifted off to sleep.


    ...


    The next morning, large notices were posted prominently in front of the doors of various major family institutions.


    In front of the Family Affairs Hall, at a peak time when clan members were coming and going, the posted notice was drawing a large crowd of onlookers.


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    Seeing the gathering crowd, some family members who were passing by were drawn over, soon amassing a large group of onlookers.


    In front of the notice, every clan member carefully scrutinized the golden characters, and they were quickly shocked by what they saw.


    One Qi Refinement Fourth Level family member seemed somewhat incredulous. Looking at the stunned crowd, he said,

 Chapter 173 Discussion_2

    "Do you think the announcement about the Family Elite Ten is true?""Nonsense, how could it not be true? Everything''s written so clearly on the notice; is there even need for doubt?"


    "Exactly, it''s blatantly posted right at the entrance of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, how could it be false?"


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    As the crowd regained their composure, they discussed the matters mentioned in the announcement animatedly.


    The first person who spoke was visibly excited as he said to a fellow clan member:


    "The clan''s subsidy is really not small, one hundred Spirit Stones a year for the Fourth Level Qi Practice, plus the basic stipend provided by the family. In one year, one can save up a substantial amount of Spirit Stones and quickly enhance one''s cultivation."


    But then, thinking of his own age¡ªover forty and still at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement¡ªhe said with a mix of helplessness and regret:


    "It''s just a pity that with my talent and cultivation, there''s absolutely no chance of obtaining a seat."


    "Yeah! Our talent destines us to have no part in such benefits!" said another clan member who was at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement.


    At this time, a clan member at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement spoke up.


    "Why doesn''t the family distribute these Spirit Stones evenly, like last time, to enhance the basic welfare and mission rewards? That way, we could also benefit, right?"


    Upon hearing these words, many in the crowd changed their expressions. Lin Xingqu, who was standing among them, immediately interrupted:


    "Mind your words!"


    "You should know that the family has already raised the basic welfare of clan members twice. As far as I know, our family''s basic welfare is much higher than that of other families in Luoyun Mountain. Even the previous Jin Family is far behind!"


    "Indeed, being born into the Lin Family is already a huge stroke of luck, how can you still expect absolute equality?"


    "Keep in mind that Tianming is only in his twenties and has already reached Foundation Establishment, and he''s even a Second Order Alchemist. He has made so many contributions to the family. Should a Hidden Dragon like him be treated the same as you?"


    Immediately, several clan members with the Xing generation sharply rebuked the one who made the suggestion. He left the place in shame, unable to bear the embarrassment.


    Seeing this turn of events, Lin Xingqu then spoke, "My fellow clan members, there''s no need to be disheartened. Having a high talent simply means getting a head start. With the right opportunities, those with lesser talents may not fall far behind those prodigies!"


    "That''s right!" another clan member chimed in.


    "Many Loose Cultivators with lesser talents have also managed to achieve Foundation Establishment, and even those who have broken through to the Golden Core Stage. So there''s no reason for us to waver in our determination to pursue the path!"


    Energized by these words, some of the disheartened clan members picked themselves up, resolving to work hard at their cultivation regardless of whether they could be selected as one of the Qi Refining Seven Champions.


    As some clan members left, news about the Family Elite Ten quickly spread throughout the entire family, becoming a hot topic of discussion.


    And some clan members who had different views even took their grievances to Clan Leader Lin Shihua, hoping the family would treat everyone fairly.


    Almost all of these dissenting clan members had poor talent, and were usually lazy, having contributed little to the family.


    Lin Shihua spared no courtesy for these high-minded clan members, and after a severe scolding, they all fell in line.


    With this lesson before them, those who had been waiting to see how things would unfold no longer dared to voice their objections. After all, the upper echelons of the family were resolute in their stance, and with their cultivation, these onlookers couldn''t stir up any trouble.


    One morning, Lin Tianming emerged from his cave dwelling and made his way to the Elders'' Council. Along the way, he encountered many clan members, which caused quite a stir.


    Many young cultivators of the family had heard of the reputation of the family''s foremost talent but had never seen him in person.


    Lin Tianming greeted the clan members and encouraged some of the younger ones before leaving with a breezy demeanor, leaving only his dashing figure behind.


    It didn''t take long for him to arrive at the Elders'' Council.


    He was mainly there today for the Qingxu Snake Eggs and the Qiuxing Fruit Tree. Before departing from Qianchuan Market, Lin Shilu had repeatedly emphasized the importance of overseeing this matter.


    He also wanted to visit the family''s Spiritual Medicine Garden, so he came to see the Clan Leader.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming, Lin Shihua was quite pleased. Knowing his purpose, he immediately agreed to accompany him to the Spiritual Medicine Garden.


    The two left the Elders'' Council Hall and soon arrived at a secluded ravine in the back mountain.


    Looking at the valley teeming with bird songs and wildflowers, Lin Tianming scrutinized the place carefully.


    As it was his first visit to the Spiritual Medicine Garden, he was quite curious about what it was like inside.


    Lin Shihua chuckled, then took out a token, imbued it with a Law Decree, and suddenly an invisible, intangible barrier at the edge of the valley revealed a stone gate.


    Feeling the rich Spiritual Energy and scent of medicines wafting towards them, Lin Shihua stepped in, walking and explaining:


    "Tianming, our family''s Spiritual Medicine Garden is located in this ravine. It is protected by wards all year round, and there are also several clan members who guard it day and night."


    Hearing Lin Shihua''s explanation, Lin Tianming nodded and showed an expectant look.


    In the Cultivation World, each family or sect places great importance on their Treasure Vaults and Spiritual Medicine Gardens. They are highly valuable and are usually given the best protection.


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    Lin Tianming thought to himself that the Lin Family must have a lot of precious items, given the resources they had acquired over the years.


    After a short while, the two reached deep inside the valley.


    In front of them was a large area of mounds and expansive Spirit Fields. The squared Spirit Fields were arranged neatly, and a vast array of Spiritual Medicine Materials were planted within.


    Gazing out, he saw Golden Bull Grass, Earth Mysterious Mushrooms, Golden Flower Treasures, Mystical Vine Flowers...

 Chapter 173 Hot Discussion_3

    There was no shortage of main medicines, ranging from the most basic Fasting Pills to Third Order Spiritual Medicines.Hundreds of types of Spiritual Medicine Materials were categorized and planted in the planned Spirit Fields. A gentle breeze stirred, causing the leaves of the Spiritual Medicines to flutter and sending a rich medicinal fragrance throughout the entire valley.


    "Hidden Spirit Grass!"


    Lin Tianming discovered the young Hidden Spirit Grass he had originally obtained, growing in the place with the richest Spiritual Energy. However, its medicinal age was still too short. To reach a medicinal age of two hundred years, which was necessary for refining Minor Foundation Building Pills, it would take almost a hundred years.


    Not far from there, a large amount of Third Order Spiritual Medicines were growing, many of which were precious varieties obtained from the Jin Family.


    Looking at the hundreds of High Order Spiritual Medicines, as well as a large amount of Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, Lin Tianming was thrilled. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was just a portion of the Lin Family''s Spiritual Medicine Materials. In the clan lands of the Jin Family and the Wu Family, there were two sizable Spiritual Medicine Gardens. However, those gardens planted common varieties, and except for the Spiritual Medicines and Fruits that couldn''t be transplanted, the slightly more precious ones were all gathered here.


    Regaining their composure, the two of them walked through the medicinal fields toward the hillocks deep in the valley.


    Upon reaching the depths of the valley, the terrain was different from the medicinal fields. The fields were flat and delicate, whereas the hillocks appeared naturally formed.


    Besides that, the soil in the medicinal fields was dark brown, while that on the hillocks was distinctly yellowish-green.


    Looking up, each hillock had various quantities and varieties of Spirit Plants.


    The Jade Spirit Fruit Tree that he had obtained earlier was also growing on one of the hillocks, its green leaves looking healthy and thriving.


    At that moment, several clan members were seen holding tools and digging holes in the hillocks, seemingly transplanting something.


    The two of them didn''t stay and threaded through the paths between the hillocks, arriving where several people were working.


    Seeing Lin Tianming approaching, the busy workers promptly stopped what they were doing and jogged over to greet them.


    Lin Shihua acknowledged their greetings with a nod, and then took out three Xingxing Fruit Trees and placed them in front of the workers.


    "Xing''an, these three Xingxing Fruit Trees are quite important and very precious. They need to be transplanted immediately. Take two people and start on this now!"


    Lin Xing''an, the leader, nodded and instructed his team to carry the Xingxing Fruits to a bare hillock.


    Feeling the rich Spiritual Energy of the place, he waved his Spiritual Artifact in hand and dug a deep pit on the hillock.


    After that, he took out dozens of Spirit Stones and threw them all into the deep pit before placing the Xingxing Fruit Tree inside and covering it with soil.


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    After transplanting the Xingxing Fruit Tree, Lin Xing''an clasped his hands and cast a Five Elements Spell, summoning a large cloud overhead that irrigated the tree thoroughly with rain before he finished his work.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua watched the whole process, with Shihua explaining along the way.


    "Planting Spiritual Medicines and transplanting Spirit Plants is not particularly difficult, as long as there are good Spirit Fields and Spirit Land, you should have no problems. The main thing is long-term maintenance, which requires investing a large number of Spirit Stones to increase the Spiritual Energy and periodically checking the growth of the Spirit Plants, ensuring timely exposure to sunlight and rain. It''s a long-term process!"


    Lin Tianming nodded, quickly grasping the procedures.


    Whether it was Spiritual Medicine Materials or Spirit Fruit Trees, the requirements for the medicinal fields and Spirit Land were quite demanding. For several years after transplantation, they needed a lot of resources and maintenance to survive. However, once they made it through the first few years, the subsequent period would become much easier.


    Half a day went by quickly, and the three Xingxing Fruit Trees were successfully transplanted.


    After giving a few instructions and telling Lin Xing''an to take good care of them, Lin Shihua left the Spiritual Medicine Garden with Lin Tianming.

 Chapter 174 Golden Core Duel_1

    Having left the Spiritual Medicine Garden, Lin Tianming and his companion walked and chatted.Although Lin Xing''an''s cultivation talent was only average, his gift for planting Spiritual Medicines was exceptional. The survival rate of the young spiritual medicine plants and various spirit vegetation under his care was extremely high, which was considered a unique technical talent within the family.


    Lin Shihua introduced him to the scale and planting methods of the Spiritual Medicine Garden along the way, which excited Tianming greatly.


    According to him, the higher the grade of the transplanted Spiritual Medicines and Fruits, the better the soil containing Spiritual Energy needed to be; this was why Spirit Stones had to be added to the spiritual soil.


    Following the end of the battle at Luoyun Mountain, the scale of the Spiritual Medicine Garden had exploded, even harboring a large number of Third Order Spiritual Medicines. The enormous amount of Spiritual Energy required for the growth of so many medicines could no longer be satisfied by a Second Order low-grade Spirit Gathering Array.


    The level of the Spirit Gathering Array in the family''s Spiritual Medicine Garden was too low. It was the same array which the ancient ancestor had asked someone to help set up when the family was founded, and it hadn''t been upgraded in hundreds of years. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, the act of adding Spirit Stones to the soil to temporarily alleviate the issue of insufficient Spiritual Energy was a helpless move.


    At this point, Tianming inquired,


    "Twelfth Grandpa, does our family have any promising Array Masters?"


    Seeing him ask this question, Lin Shihua''s bitter face tinged red, and soon after he sighed with emotion.


    "There''s not much hope in the Xing generation, but there are two clansmen from the Tian generation who have fairly good talents in Formation. They have already become First Order Medium Grade Array Masters. However, this is because the earlier stages are not difficult. Whether they can break through to the Second Order is still hard to say."


    "Formation and Talisman Making have always been weak points for our family, which need long-term accumulation, and we need talented family members to explore it. However, we have made significant progress in these past years, and I believe that in a few decades, we will produce our own Second Order Array Master."


    Tianming nodded, understanding that this matter couldn''t be rushed. As long as the family continued to develop in a positive direction, there would eventually be a clansman with outstanding talent in Formation to make up for the family''s shortcoming.


    Without realizing it, after half a quarter of an hour of flying, following Lin Shihua, the two arrived at the entrance of a valley deep within Green Bamboo Mountain, not far from where Tianming often practiced his Divine Skills.


    However, in his more than twenty years of life, he had never been to this place. After all, Green Bamboo Mountain covered dozens of miles, and there were still many areas he had not set foot in.


    The two paused outside the valley, and then Lin Shihua took out a Token, entered a spell, and opened the barrier to enter the valley.


    Tianming stepped forward to follow, entering the valley with him.


    Inside the valley, the dense forest and rock walls became apparent, the terrain complex and ever-changing, with a plethora of mundane wild animals running about.


    Seeing this, Shihua laughed heartily and began to explain.


    "Tianming, this is the family''s Spirit Beast Garden. The Soul-eating Spider almost lives here as well. Apart from it, the rest are mundane wild animals and some Low-order Monster Beasts, serving as its food."


    Upon hearing these words, Tianming''s interest soared.


    He had never seen the Soul-eating Spider itself, only hearing about it from other clan members. During the last battle at Green Bamboo Mountain, he was scavenging for treasures with Lin Shilu at Golden Horn Mountain and did not partake in the battle here; naturally, he could not witness its true form.


    Just then, a distinctive hissing sound came, and a giant spider appeared in front of the two. It was undoubtedly the Soul-eating Spider.


    The Soul-eating Spider moved its terrifying limbs, baring its fangs and claws at Tianming, giving him quite a scare.


    Seeing this, Shihua chuckled and took a few sections of Crimson Gold Snake corpses from his storage bag, tossing them in front of the spider.


    Only then did the Soul-eating Spider turn around, bite into a piece of Qingxu Serpent Meat, grabbed the remaining sections with its claws, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.


    Watching the direction in which the Soul-eating Spider disappeared, Shihua spoke up,


    "The Soul-eating Spider was a Spirit Beast subdued by our ancient ancestor. At first, it was only at the initial stage of the Second Order. Although our ancient ancestor has been gone for hundreds of years and the Spirit Beast contract has expired, it did not leave the family. After hundreds of years of family provision, its grade has also significantly improved to the Second Order''s late phase."


    "Now, even though the Soul-eating Spider has not taken a new master and is free, it has recognized the family and has even defended the family on multiple occasions. During the last battle at Green Bamboo Mountain, it was even seriously injured, but luckily in recent years, our family acquired plenty of Spiritual Objects, and it quickly recovered from its injuries."


    At this, both became solemn.


    In the Cultivation World, it is not easy for Spirit Beasts to recognize a master. Once the master falls, and the Spirit Beast regains its freedom, most would leave without hesitation. It was rare to see a Spirit Beast like the Soul-eating Spider.


    Although it stayed with the family and accepted the resources provided by the family simply out of mutual needs, during times of family crisis, the Soul-eating Spider played a significant role.


    Just for this alone, the resources provided by the family were in no way wasted.


    "Twelfth Grandpa, how then should the Qingxu Snake Eggs be hatched? Why choose this place?" Tianming asked.


    Shihua frowned and replied without hesitation,


    "We are here only to select a place for the Qingxu snakes. I have studied those Serpent Eggs for a whole night. They need a large amount of essence blood smeared on the eggshells, so that the hatched Qingxu snakes will be in tune with you and naturally attached to you."


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    "Moreover, hatching a Spirit Beast is a long-term process. To meet the hatching requirements for these six Serpent Eggs, we''ll also need a vast amount of treasures for assistance. At the very least, it will take several months to hatch."

 Chapter 174 Golden Core Duel_2

    Hearing Lin Shihua''s explanation, Lin Tianming felt somewhat embarrassed. His knowledge about Spirit Beasts was limited to the basic information recorded in books, and he had not anticipated so many conditions.The value of these Serpent Eggs was not low, and once the hatchlings reached maturity, it would be equivalent to raising a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Even if he hadn''t brought it up, the family elders wouldn''t have overlooked such an important matter.


    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming did not ask further. The two made a round in the valley before returning to where they started.


    Lin Tianming actually found the valley quite to his liking. The enclosed area was not small, and it was home to a large number of common wild animals, making it very suitable for the existence of Spirit Beasts.


    Lin Tianming even secretly thought that if he stayed with the clan for a long time, he could send the Purple Gold Eagle in, and perhaps even mix in the Soul-eating Spider.


    Regaining his composure, the two left the valley together.


    Walking along, Lin Shihua fully promised that he would definitely hatch the Qingxu Serpent as soon as possible.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming felt at ease. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Lin Shihua, he returned to his cave dwelling first.


    There were still two days left before the day agreed with Lin Xingping to leave the clan. With nothing else to do, Lin Tianming entered the training room and began to cultivate.


    Two days later, in the early morning, on the plaza of the clan gate.


    Lin Tianming was the first to wait there. The Purple Gold Eagle stood by his side, nuzzling his clothes with its large beak in a pleasing manner.


    He waved his hand and took out two pieces of First Order Qingxu Serpent Meat, fed them to the Purple Gold Eagle, and finally calmed the greedy creature down.


    In a short while, his father and Lin Xingping arrived in step, landing before him. Lin Tianming immediately approached and gave them his respects.


    "Tianming, there''s no need for such formalities!" Lin Xingping said with a wave of his hand and a smile, apparently in a very good mood.


    His father chuckled, then took out two storage bags and a ledger, handing them to Lin Tianming, saying:


    "The treasures in here are the clan''s resources prepared for the operation of the Luoyun Pavilion. The quantity is considerable, so you must take good care of them!"


    "Father, rest assured, your son will surely deliver these treasures intact to Qianchuan Market and hand them personally to Fifteenth Grandfather!" Lin Tianming replied with a resolute expression.


    "Brother Twelve, don''t worry. With me and Tianming together, there shouldn''t be any problems!" Lin Xingping also said, clasping his fist.


    Lin Xingrong nodded, glanced back at the clan grounds, then declared:


    "Hmm... Time is ticking on, let''s set off!"


    Upon finishing, the three of them and the beast exited the protective clan formation. They then mounted the Purple Gold Eagle''s back, with the eagle carrying them northward.


    In less than two days, they smoothly arrived at Golden Horn Mountain.


    After a short rest overnight, Lin Xingrong watched the two leave until they disappeared into the northern sky, then he returned to his cave dwelling.


    Lin Tianming and the other sat on the Purple Gold Eagle''s back, casually chatting as they felt the rushing mountains and rivers around them.


    Although he had traveled this route to Qianchuan Market several times and had never encountered any danger, Lin Tianming still did not dare to let down his guard.


    He took out a map and pointed to a mark on it, saying:


    "Uncle, this journey is long. We should take turns being on alert!"


    Hearing this, Lin Xingping naturally had no objections. He replied seriously:


    "Of course. Although I have never been to Qianchuan Market, I gathered quite some information before leaving the clan. The Hengyang Mountain Range that we will pass through is not exactly peaceful, so being cautious can do no harm!"


    "Yes, indeed... But no need to be too nervous. A party with two Foundation Establishment Cultivators isn''t one that is easily provoked!" Lin Tianming said with a light smile.


    "That''s true!"


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    The two exchanged smiles, sitting on the Purple Gold Eagle''s back as they flew northward at high speed.


    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several days passed... S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the border of the Hengyang Mountain Range and the Luoyang Mountain Range, in a tranquil valley.


    It was now evening, and Lin Tianming and his companion landed atop a mountain peak.


    Lin Tianming surveyed the thickly forested valley, then swept the area with his Divine Sense, and after confirming there was no danger around, he said:


    "Uncle, let''s rest here for the night and continue our journey tomorrow!"


    "Good, after several days of travel, I''m indeed a bit tired. Besides, since the Qianchuan Market is still at a distance, even if we travel all night, we can''t reach it in a short time. Let''s just rest here for the night!" Lin Xingping said with a smile.


    Once he had finished speaking, Lin Tianming took out the Earth Evil Sword and swiftly carved out a simple cave in a stone wall.


    After casually setting up a couple of concealment Illusion Techniques, the two of them entered, one after the other. They then sat down, preparing to meditate and cultivate.


    Before one Grand Circulation was complete, a thunderous noise suddenly filled the air, and the valley began to shake violently.


    The expressions of Lin Tianming and his companion changed; they quickly ended their cultivation and went to the cave entrance, cautiously checking the situation outside.


    By now, it was dark, and the night was shrouded in a dense fog, making it hard to discern the situation. Lin Tianming didn''t dare use his Divine Sense, lest he be detected.


    Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors and looked towards two glowing masses in the distance, his face immediately turning pale.


    On two mountain peaks several miles away, two elders were fighting fiercely. One of them was wearing a golden Taoist robe with a sun pattern on his chest, exactly like the one on Li Xiuyuan''s robe, clearly identifying him as a cultivator from the Zhenyang Sect without a doubt.


    The other elder wore black and held a glittering golden mirror; when he cast a Law Decree, a silver-white beam of light shot out towards the Zhenyang Sect cultivator.


    The cultivator from the Zhenyang Sect was unruffled. He quickly took out a small umbrella and protected himself with it.


    "Boom..."


    The beam of light hit the umbrella and exploded into a tremendous noise. Beneath the feet of the Zhenyang Sect cultivator, the ground suddenly split open, creating a crevice several zhang wide.


    The Zhenyang Sect cultivator''s face darkened, and he immediately unleashed a sword strike, sending out a tremendous number of Sword Qi, beginning to counterattack.


    Sparks flew from the fierce exchange between the two, their brightness like the brilliance of the sun, illuminating a radius of several tens of miles as if it were daylight.


    Meanwhile, thunderous rumblings could be heard, and the earth shook violently.


    Based on the fluctuations from their battle, they were at least Golden Core Stage seniors.


    Lin Tianming watched with a solemn expression. Although he had been on the cultivation path for some time, this was the first occasion he had witnessed Golden Core Stage cultivators, and, moreover, his first time observing a duel.


    At this moment, he held his breath, not even daring to let out a sigh, his eyes fixated on the distant battle, his mind racing with thoughts.


    He had no idea why those two Golden Core Stage seniors were fighting, nor whether they had noticed them. They might have even already spotted them but simply didn''t care about their presence.


    No matter what the possibility, if the seniors decided to cause trouble, their own levels of cultivation were completely incapable of handling it, and they could only pretend not to see and pray that the two would leave soon.


    After a short while, following a loud explosion, the elder in the black robe shouted angrily and alarmedly at the Zhenyang Sect cultivator:


    "Chen Jingtian, do you really intend to fight to the death with me over a piece of the Mysterious Moon Order?"


    Upon hearing this, the cultivator from the Zhenyang Sect sneered, and then, with determination in his voice, said:


    "Old Monster Gu, why waste time delaying? You are no match for me. Hand over the Mysterious Moon Order obediently, and I can let you leave. Otherwise, today might not end well for you!"


    Seeing Chen Jingtian''s impervious attitude, the cultivator surnamed Gu''s face darkened as he took out a bead with a grey-white pattern and threw it straight at Chen Jingtian.


    Chen Jingtian''s expression turned extremely grim as he hurriedly protected himself with the umbrella, then rapidly retreated.


    "Boom..."


    When the grey-white bead exploded between them, the cultivator surnamed Gu struck out with another beam of light and fled westward without looking back.


    Chen Jingtian leaped to avoid the attack from the cultivator surnamed Gu and immediately pursued the fleeing cultivator.


    Before long, the land quieted down, and the night returned to normal. The two Golden Core cultivators had completely vanished without a trace.

 Chapter 236 175

    Find more to read at My Virtual Library EmpireWithin the Spartan cave abode, Lin Tianming and his companion dared not even let out a heavy breath.


    When the disturbance outside ceased and the darkness fell upon the land once again, the Golden Core Cultivator was nowhere to be seen.


    They did not know how much time had passed with absolute silence surrounding them before Lin Tianming and his companion finally let out a sigh of relief and plopped down onto the ground.


    At this moment, Lin Xingping wore a puzzled expression. With his limited Divine Sense and lacking treasures like the Eye of Five Colors, he could only sense the outbreak of a fierce battle outside but knew none of the specifics.


    Yet with the help of the Eye of Five Colors, Lin Tianming managed to glean some basic information about the battle.


    Based on the course of the battle and the conversation between the two Golden Core cultivators, it seemed that they fought over the Mysterious Moon Order, and eventually, the one surnamed Gu appeared to be outmatched by Chen Jingtian. In a desperate move, he used a grayish-white pearl to create an explosive distraction, allowing him a moment to flee in panic, while Chen, unwilling to let go of the Mysterious Moon Order, pursued relentlessly without a second thought.


    Lin Tianming thought to himself that if even Golden Core cultivators were willing to fight over the Mysterious Moon Order, the two tokens in his possession must be of immense value.


    As he speculated in secret, Lin Xingping beside him asked,


    "Tian Ming, what was the cause of the commotion just now, and what was the outcome?"


    Lin Tianming regained his focus and replied, "There was a battle between two Golden Elixir Experts. One of them was Chen Jingtian, a cultivator from the Zhenyang Sect. The other, surnamed Gu, I''ve never heard of before. There are no Golden Core Cultivators with the surname Gu in the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World, so he must not be from here!"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s words, Lin Xingping''s face showed a shocked expression.


    Golden Core Cultivators were absolute top-tier experts in the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World, often elusive and rarely engaging in open conflict. Such disregard for secrecy in battle was exceedingly rare.


    Lin Tianming, however, was much calmer by then and continued, "The two Golden Core Cultivators fought several rounds, but the one surnamed Gu didn''t seem to be a match for Chen Jingtian and ended up fleeing in a panic!"


    "It''s unclear why they appeared here or fought so fiercely, and the outcome remains unknown. But these matters are none of our concern!"


    Lin Xingping nodded, finally regaining his composure from the shock.


    Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, Lin Tianming spoke gravely, sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Uncle, whether those elders have discovered us or simply don''t care about our presence, it doesn''t matter. We can''t stay here any longer. If they return and find us, it could spell trouble!"


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s serious words, Lin Xingping agreed there was a good chance of that happening and promptly said,


    "At this moment, we can''t worry about anything else. For safety''s sake, we should leave immediately and travel through the night to reach Qianchuan Market as soon as possible!"


    With those words, Lin Tianming and his companion left the temporary cave abode and released their Purple Gold Eagle. Hopping onto its back, they turned into a shadow under the hazy moonlight and vanished into the valley.


    Days flew by, and with no other incidents on the way, they safely arrived on the outskirts of Qianchuan Market.


    After placing the Purple Gold Eagle into the Spirit Beast Bag, they hurried to the market entrance, paid the entrance Spirit Stones, and entered the market.


    Stepping onto the Bluestone Street and into the market, they breathed a sigh of relief and headed straight for the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Once home, Lin Shilu was deep in cultivation practice. Lin Tianming sent a message without disturbing him.


    A short while later, Lin Shilu emerged from the practice room, and they quickly stepped forward to greet him.


    Seeing Lin Tianming and his companion return safely pleased Lin Shilu greatly.


    "Tian Ming, you''ve returned rather swiftly. It hasn''t even been a month, and you''ve already made a round trip!" Lin Shilu said,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, Tian Ming has some important matters to report to you!"


    Seeing Lin Tianming, usually so composed, being so cautious, Lin Shilu promptly invited them to sit and speak.


    The three sat in the courtyard, and Lin Tianming recounted everything they had seen and heard on their journey.


    Upon hearing the recount, Lin Shilu''s expression changed dramatically, his face reflecting his shock.


    Although Lin Tianming was detailed in his recounting, he did not mention the matter of the Mysterious Moon Order. The fight over the token by the two Golden Core cultivators revealed the significance of the matter. For safety''s sake, it was better that fewer people knew.


    "Tian Ming, for the next few days, the two of you should avoid showing your faces, lest someone recognizes you and trouble arises!" Lin Shilu cautioned.


    Lin Tianming and his companion nodded, agreeing to seclude themselves for a period of time to let the issue pass.


    After temporarily setting aside the matter of the Golden Core cultivators'' fight, Lin Tianming handed over the two storage bags brought from the family to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu took the storage bags, and after finalizing the transfer of an enormous amount of cultivation resources, Lin Tianming reported on the family''s matters.


    Learning of the decision to nurture the Family Elite Ten, Lin Shilu was very pleased and agreed wholly with the strategy.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, the subsidy for the Family Elite Ten will start next year. You and I will receive an allocation of five thousand Spirit Stones annually. Before leaving, Third Grandfather had instructed that if it''s inconvenient to collect the subsidy from the family, we could take it from the profits of Luoyun Pavilion!"


    "Hmm..." Lin Shilu nodded and, after instructing them to practice diligently, Lin Xingping was the first to rise and take his leave.


    After he had left, Lin Tianming set up a barrier to ensure privacy, then started speaking about the Mysterious Moon Order.

 Chapter 175 Breakthrough to the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment_2

    ```"What? Those two Golden Core Cultivators actually came to blows over the Mysterious Moon Order?" Lin Shilu exclaimed.


    ```


    ```


    Although he had long suspected that the Mysterious Moon Order was no small matter, he had not expected that two Golden Core Cultivators would fight over it. With this development, the Mysterious Moon Order must be extremely important.


    ```


    ```


    Lin Tianming nodded, recalling the events, and then said,


    ```


    ```


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, what I''m telling you is absolutely true. I was watching the battle from a distance and also vaguely heard what the Cultivator with the surname Gu said¡ªit was indeed about the Mysterious Moon Order without a doubt!"


    ```


    ```


    Lin Shilu naturally did not doubt Lin Tianming''s words and immediately said,


    ```


    ```


    "It seems the Mysterious Moon Order really is extraordinary. The Zhenyang Sect must certainly know the purpose of the token. Even Golden Elixir Experts must take it seriously. Looking at this, the Mysterious Moon Order might soon come into use!"


    ```


    ```


    Lin Tianming nodded, somewhat excitedly saying,


    ```


    ```


    "It''s just that we don''t know what level this Secret Realm is or what the entry conditions are!"


    ```


    ```


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s remark, Lin Shilu recalled the past and then spoke.


    ```


    ```


    "This old man has consulted many texts before, and it is said that when an ownerless Secret Realm emerges, there will be a preparatory period before it officially opens. During this time, the entry restrictions can be discerned from the token allowing entrance!"


    ```


    ```


    As soon as his words fell, Lin Tianming eagerly asked,


    ```


    ```


    "Then by that logic, if even Golden Core Stage Cultivators can enter the Secret Realm, wouldn''t we have slim hope even if we had the token?"


    ```


    ```


    "Indeed, if truly even Golden Core Cultivators can enter, then those at the Foundation Establishment going in would surely be taking a near-certain death risk!"


    ```


    ```


    "In that case, we can only hope that the Secret Realm is limited to those in the Foundation Establishment Stage or the Qi Refinement Realm; otherwise, we would have to hand over the Mysterious Moon Order to the Zhenyang Sect in exchange for some cultivation resources."


    ```


    ```


    Having said that, even Lin Shilu showed a hint of worry in his voice. After all, even in the lowest Yellow Grade Secret Realm, the treasures within were extraordinary. Having obtained the Mysterious Moon Order, they would not give up on such a rare opportunity unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, they would opt to hand it over to the Zhenyang Sect.


    ```


    ```


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s explanation, Lin Tianming felt helpless and could only pray for good luck to be able to enter the Secret Realm and explore it.


    ```


    ```


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s worried expression, Lin Shilu comforted him,


    ```


    ```


    "Tianming, the matter of the Mysterious Moon Order cannot be forced. If it''s our chance, we won''t give up. If not, it just means we were not fated for it, so there''s no need to overthink it!"


    ```


    ```


    After nodding, Lin Tianming showed a slight smile and then said,


    ```


    ```


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, rest assured, Tianming understands. I plan to go into seclusion to cultivate during this period. Please keep an eye on the Mysterious Moon Order in secret. As soon as there is any news, immediately inform me!"


    ```


    Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    ```


    After chatting idly for a bit longer, Lin Tianming prepared to stand up and take his leave.


    ```


    ```


    Before leaving, Lin Shilu repeatedly urged, "The matter of the Mysterious Moon Order must not be revealed at all, and don''t try to inquire about it everywhere. It''s easy for people with motives to notice, and if it''s discovered that we own the Mysterious Moon Order, it will definitely provoke other Cultivators to attempt to seize it. If the Zhenyang Sect becomes aware, the trouble will be even greater, and we might not find refuge anywhere in the Wei Kingdom!"


    ```


    ```


    Fully aware of the importance of this matter, Lin Tianming nodded, promising to keep it to himself. Then he bid farewell to Lin Shilu and returned to his own cultivation room.


    ```


    ```


    Once inside his cultivation room, he sat down cross-legged, contemplating his cultivation plan going forward.


    ```


    ```


    After much thought, he decided to enter closed-door cultivation to raise his cultivation to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer. The matter of the Dragon Bone Pill would be set aside for the time being. Currently, he had more than twenty Qiuxing Fruits, so there was no shortage of treasures needed for short-term cultivation.


    ```


    ```


    Having made up his mind, he began the Grand Circulation, waiting until his condition reached its peak before taking out a Qiuxing Fruit.


    ```


    ```


    Looking at the Qiuxing Fruit brimming with Spiritual Energy, a sight for sore eyes, Lin Tianming did not hesitate to swallow it whole.


    ```


    ```


    As the Spirit Fruit entered his mouth, a gentle energy quickly spread out, traveling along his meridians.


    ```


    ```


    Although this was already the fourth Qiuxing Fruit he had consumed, the tingling sense of satisfaction still brought him immense comfort.


    ```


    ```


    Feeling this special energy, he wasted no time, fully operating his cultivation technique to refine it¡ªturning the energy within the Qiuxing Fruit into gentle Spiritual Power, which ultimately converged in his Seven Sea Dantian.


    ```


    ```


    Time flew by, and thus a year passed.


    ```


    ```


    Inside Lin Tianming''s cultivation room, he sat on the ground, his breathing steady and calm.


    ```


    ```


    Sensing the state of his entire body, Lin Tianming looked into his Seven Sea Dantian, where the abundant Spiritual Power was almost becoming liquid. The Spiritual Power within his Dantian was on the verge of overflowing.


    ```


    His face was calm, and a trace of resolute determination shone from his eyes.


    For the past year, he had ingested a Qiuxing Fruit every month to cultivate, spending the remaining time meditating or crafting elixirs for the Luoyun Pavilion.


    Throughout this time, he had remained in the market district to cultivate, never venturing beyond his own doorsteps, embodying the essence of ascetic practice.


    In the past six months, he had several times forcefully suppressed his cultivation level. After half a year of tempering and settling, feeling that he could no longer hold back, he decided to break through in one fell swoop.


    Having made up his mind, he retrieved another Qiuxing Fruit and, without any hesitation, swallowed it in one gulp.


    As the Spirit Fruit dissolved in his mouth, he familiarly circulated his cultivation technique to refine it, and streams of gentle Spiritual Power flowed into his Qi Sea Dantian.


    Feeling that gentle Spiritual Power, he repeatedly washed against the barriers of the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.


    Time slowly passed, and three days later, the potency of the Qiuxing Fruit was dwindling, soon to be exhausted.


    Lin Tianming''s eyes reflected unwavering determination as he gathered the Spiritual Power he had refined over the past few days, preparing for the final assault.


    Feeling the vast Spiritual Power, Lin Tianming took a deep breath and directed the flood of power straight into the pinnacle of his Qi Sea Dantian.


    A sharp pain surged, Lin Tianming''s complexion turned pale, and soon, beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead and evaporated upon hitting the bluestone floor.


    He endured the pain, controlling the now-liquid Spiritual Power as it bombarded the barriers.


    After who knows how many assaults, suddenly a warm current burst forth, and his Qi Sea Dantian began to expand once more.


    At the same time, the originally liquid Spiritual Power flowed into the expanded Qi Sea Dantian, swiftly becoming even more viscous.


    Not only that, but as the barriers were breached, a torrent of energy surged within his body, cleansing his flesh.


    A foul smell permeated, and his body oozed a stinky black muck, evidently cleansing his body again with the aid of the Spiritual Power combined with the medicinal properties within him.


    Lin Tianming did not dare to delay, swiftly circulating his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, finally exhaling a long breath when his True Yuan flowed through his veins to his entire body.


    At this moment, feeling the vigorous Spiritual Power in his body, clearly thicker and more substantial than before, and containing even greater energy, he was filled with emotion. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having successfully broken through to the second layer of Foundation Establishment, Lin Tianming''s complexion became rosy, his heart brimming with excitement.


    It had been nearly three years since he entered the Foundation Establishment Stage, and with the aid of over ten Qiuxing Fruits, he had successfully broken through to the second layer at this moment.


    Over these years, his cultivation journey was fraught with difficulty. Before breaking through the early stages, he had to rely solely on meditation for cultivation advancement, which was extremely slow. However, this laid a solid foundation for him, and with the aid of the Qiuxing Fruits, he was able to make a breakthrough.


    Regathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming did not immediately rise but continued cultivating to consolidate his position, ensuring he would not suffer a setback from an unstable realm post-breakthrough.


    He circulated his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, rapidly redistributing the Spiritual Power throughout his body.


    Half a month swiftly elapsed...


    In the cultivation room, Lin Tianming, who sat cross-legged on the floor, opened his tightly closed eyes, and a flash of light shot from the corners of his eyes.


    Lin Tianming stood up, feeling the vigorous Spiritual Power within his body circulating with exceptional smoothness, and even his slightest movements contained immense energy.


    He clenched his fist, and his body crackled with several snapping sounds, Lin Tianming''s face brimming with joy.


    After a month of confinement to solidify his practice, his cultivation was now stable at the second layer of Foundation Establishment, and it was very solid.


    "Huff, huff..." he exhaled deeply.


    Seeing the foul-smelling black muck on his body, he then made a Single-handed Seal, casting a Five Elements Spell, conjuring a sphere of rainwater to comfortably bathe himself, then changed into a clean set of green robes.


    Feeling refreshed, he next cast a fireball, which quickly dried the rainwater on the ground with its intense heat.


    After completing these tasks, he tidied up the disordered cultivation room before stepping out.

 Chapter 176 Undercurrents Surge_1

    Lin Tianming left the training room and came to the courtyard.At that moment, Lin Shilu was sitting in the courtyard drinking tea. Lin Tianming didn''t expect to bump into Lin Shilu as soon as he left seclusion. With a smile on his face, he immediately walked up to greet him. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Feeling the aura emitted by Lin Tianming, Lin Shilu rejoiced and exclaimed, "Tianming, have you made a breakthrough, my boy?"


    Lin Tianming''s complexion looked good, and the joy from his breakthrough had yet to subside. Hearing Lin Shilu''s question, he nodded and smiled,


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, if I hadn''t been suppressing my cultivation in order to consolidate it, I might have broken through half a year ago!"


    "Hmm... not bad. Even so, breaking through a realm every three years is still quite fast!" Lin Shilu said. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire


    Lin Tianming nodded; the Foundation Establishment Stage wasn''t as easy to break through as the Qi Refinement Realm. He was fairly satisfied with a progression of one stage every three years.


    After sitting down to chat and drink tea for a bit, Lin Tianming began to inquire about the Mysterious Moon Order.


    Seeing Lin Tianming ask about this, Lin Shilu''s expression grew serious, and he then said, "In the marketplace, there have sporadically been rumors about the Mysterious Moon Order for nearly a year now!"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming immediately became interested!


    Lin Shilu picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and continued, "According to the rumors, a few months ago in the Qianchuan Mountain Range, a Mysterious Moon Order appeared out of nowhere, leading to a frenzied struggle for it. As a result, several Foundation Establishment Cultivators perished, and the Mysterious Moon Order eventually ended up in the hands of a Loose Cultivator named Liu Zhong. This person disappeared with the token, seemingly finding a place to hide, waiting for the Secret Realm to open!"


    "Liu Zhong?"


    Hearing this name, Lin Tianming carefully thought it over but didn''t recall any information about the man.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, who is this Liu Zhong, and how come I have never heard of him?" Lin Tianming asked.


    When it came to Liu Zhong, Lin Shilu''s expression turned grave, seeming to hold considerable wariness towards him.


    "Curiously enough, he and that ancient-surnamed Golden Core Cultivator you''ve met are both from the Huangyang Country Cultivation World in Jingzhou. However, Liu Zhong frequently mingles within Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World. Though a Loose Cultivator, his talent and cultivation are not low; he managed to reach the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level before the age of one hundred. Moreover, this individual is extremely dangerous, quite powerful, and ruthless. To gain opportunities, he would stop at nothing, having committed numerous murderous and plundering acts. If by chance you encounter this man, you must be very careful!"


    After listening to Lin Shilu''s explanation, Lin Tianming nodded, taking mental note of this person''s name to avoid being oblivious when meeting this dangerous figure.


    After advising Lin Tianming, Lin Shilu''s topic subtly shifted.


    "This matter of the Mysterious Moon Order is causing quite a stir in Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World. Cultivators from other regions are flooding into the Qianchuan Mountain Range, hoping to try their luck. The currents are turbulent in Wei Kingdom now, with a vast number of Cultivators gathering here. After all, securing even one token, even if they can''t enter themselves, allows them to trade it with the Great Sects or other forces in exchange for a wealth of resources!"


    It came as a surprise to Lin Tianming that the news of the Mysterious Moon Order was now common knowledge. Now that the word had spread, and so many Cultivators had come to the Qianchuan Mountain Range, he wondered what stance the Zhenyang Sect, the local power, would take.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming asked:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, what are the attitudes of the three Great Sects and the two Great Golden Core Families regarding this issue?"


    Lin Shilu''s brows furrowed, then he replied:


    "At present, Zhenyang Sect has shown no particular stance. After all, there are too many people coming, and even Zhenyang Sect wouldn''t dare to provoke public anger. They''ve merely declared that whoever brings in the Mysterious Moon Order will receive spirit stones or treasures worth tens of thousands, or even choose a Foundation Establishment Pill!"


    "Moreover, Myriad Medicine Valley, Golden Sword Sect, and the two Great Sects, as well as the Yingchuan Chen Family and the West River Li Family, have all put out similar words; whoever submits the Mysterious Moon Order will also receive a vast quantity of spirit stones or treasures."


    Upon hearing all this from Lin Shilu, Lin Tianming immediately understood that every Golden Elixir Force was highly valuing the Mysterious Moon Order, even willing to trade Foundation Establishment Pills for it.


    The preciousness of the Foundation Establishment Pill was self-evident. Even for Golden Elixir Forces, the amount produced each year was very limited, and those pills that made it to the market would inevitably cause fierce competition. For the Mysterious Moon Order, they were indeed investing heavily!


    However, upon careful consideration, although the Foundation Establishment Pills were valuable, if they could obtain more Mysterious Moon Orders, they would be able to send more Cultivators into the Secret Realm to hunt for treasures. The more people entering the Secret Realm, the safer it would be, and the greater the odds of finding treasures.


    If they could find Nascent Soul Spiritual Items, then what they paid for a Foundation Establishment Pill would be negligible.


    Viewed this way, it was understandable why the Golden Elixir Forces attached so much importance to it.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt a rush of excitement.


    They had obtained two Mysterious Moon Orders. If they could enter and find a Nascent Soul Spiritual Item, they might help Lin Shikang break through to the Golden Core Stage, and then the Lin Family could return to glory and become the third Golden Core Family in the Wei Kingdom!


    But for now, the Secret Realm had yet to appear, and the entrance conditions were unknown. Weighing these possibilities seemed futile.


    With this thought, Lin Tianming asked with a sense of resignation:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, does the frequent appearance of the Mysterious Moon Order indicate that the Secret Realm is about to open?"


    Lin Shilu nodded and then said:


    "Indeed, that is very likely. This realm is definitely an unclaimed Secret Realm. With the Mysterious Moon Order emerging in large numbers, it will appear in the world within a few months at the earliest, or three years at the latest!"


    "We have two Mysterious Moon Orders, and under no circumstances can we pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we can enter and obtain Nascent Soul Spiritual Items, Elder Brother''s chances of Core Formation will greatly increase!"

 Chapter 176 Undercurrents Surge_2

    At this point, Lin Shilu''s gaze was resolute, with a hint of longing flashing in his eyes.The Lin Family had languished in obscurity for far too long. Such an opportunity was rare and sought after¡ªperhaps this was the chance their family had been waiting for.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, I implore you to keep a close eye on this matter. As soon as the Secret Realm opens and we learn of the entry requirements, we must act swiftly. We can''t afford to miss this opportunity!" Lin Tianming said with excitement.


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s earnest instructions, Lin Shilu smiled faintly and replied:


    "Rest assured, my boy. I have already instructed Tianfeng and the others to keep a close watch on any news regarding the Mysterious Moon Order. As soon as we receive word, we''ll consult with you on our next steps immediately!"


    "I will enter seclusion to engage in Alchemy and then cultivate, striving to enhance my cultivation as much as possible and make preparations in advance!" Lin Tianming stated.


    "Go ahead!" Lin Shilu waved his hand dismissively.


    "Tian Ming takes his leave!" Lin Tianming bowed and then left the Cave Mansion Courtyard, emerging onto the streets of the marketplace.


    With Lin Shilu attending to the matter of the Mysterious Moon Order, Lin Tianming didn''t need to be distracted by it.


    Now that he had made a breakthrough in cultivation, and despite having more than ten Qiuxing Fruits left, the priority was to attempt producing Dragon Bone Pills as soon as possible, in anticipation of what was to come.


    Otherwise, once he ran out of Qiuxing Fruits and without the aid of elixirs, his cultivation would stagnate, wasting precious time.


    Fortunately, he had already acquired the Qingxu Snake Inner Pill, and most of the other Spiritual Medicine Materials were nearly all collected, only lacking Autumn Night Grass and Xing Luan Fruit to start the alchemy process.


    Although these two ingredients were not exceedingly rare, they were also not commonly found. He planned to visit Sky Dragon Pavilion to see if they stocked these items. If they did, he would buy them immediately and return to refine pills.


    Settling on his plan, he strode briskly down the streets, heading towards the commercial district of the marketplace.


    On the way, the streets bustled with crowds of cultivators, the flow of people significantly increased by two or three times the usual, presumably because of the Mysterious Moon Order, attracting many cultivators to try their luck here.


    He paid them no heed, quickly arriving at Sky Dragon Pavilion where he was led by the receiving cultivator to a private room on the second floor.


    Soon after, Tang Xiuyuan''s hearty laughter reached his ears.


    "Ah, if it isn''t Daoist Chen! It''s been a long while; you have my salutations!" Tang Xiuyuan greeted, bowing with his hands clasped and a smile on his face.


    Lin Tianming stood to return the gesture and then both men sat opposite each other. He took a sip of the Spiritual Tea before him and said:


    "Hehe, indeed, it''s been over a year. I''m here today to look for two types of Spiritual Medicine Materials!"


    Hearing this, and recalling Lin Tianming''s generous spending in the past, Tang Xiuyuan immediately showed interest.


    "Oh? What might those be?"


    "Autumn Night Grass and Xing Luan Fruit! Does your esteemed establishment carry these items?" Lin Tianming asked expectantly, getting straight to the point.


    "Autumn Night Grass? Xing Luan Fruit?" Tang Xiuyuan seemed surprised, but he didn''t show any particular reaction as he said:


    "These items may not be of high tier, merely Second Order inferior grade Spiritual Medicines, and indeed they aren''t common. But, Daoist Chen, you''re in luck¡ªour shop happens to have three stalks of Autumn Night Grass and five Xing Luan Fruits!"


    Lin Tianming, excited to hear that these two types of Spiritual Medicine Materials were available, inquired:


    "May I know the price?"


    "Each stalk of Autumn Night Grass is priced at two hundred and ten Spirit Stones, and each Xing Luan Fruit at one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones!" Tang Xiuyuan replied forthrightly.


    Lin Tianming wasn''t surprised by the prices. Ordinary Second Order inferior grade Spiritual Medicine Materials would typically cost just over a hundred Spirit Stones, but the two types he sought were rarer, hence the higher prices.


    Still, he decided to purchase these Spiritual Medicines.


    Although he would only have materials for three batches, considering that he was merely attempting to produce Dragon Bone Pills for the first time, and unsure of its feasibility, it made sense to try out three batches. If they proved to assist his cultivation, he''d then purchase materials on a larger scale for pill refining.


    "Daoist Tang, I''ll take three portions of each of these two Spiritual Medicine Materials!"


    Having made his decision, Lin Tianming didn''t bother to negotiate and directly handed over one thousand one hundred and seventy Spirit Stones to Tang Xiuyuan.


    Tang Xiuyuan received the Spirit Stones, then with a wave of his sleeve, six Jade Boxes appeared in his hand.


    Lin Tianming took the six Jade Boxes, checking the contents to confirm they were indeed Autumn Night Grass and Xing Luan Fruit of the correct medicinal properties, then stowed them in his storage bag.


    With the transaction complete, Lin Tianming exchanged some pleasantries with Tang Xiuyuan before leaving the Sky Dragon Pavilion and returning to the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    In the Pill Refining Room, Lin Tianming sat on the floor and ran the Cultivation Technique for a cycle of Grand Circulation, bringing his body to its peak condition.


    Opening his eyes, he suddenly produced two Jade Slips. One contained the Dragon Bone Pill Formula he had bought from the stall area, and the other recorded the Alchemy Experience gifted by Ye Pinghai.


    Even though he had already reviewed both Jade Slips several times, committing their contents to memory, he sent out his Divine Sense to go over the recorded information once more. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    After a quarter of an hour had passed, Lin Tianming put away the two Jade Slips and then took out the Four Symbols Furnace.


    He made a Single-handed Seal, expertly ignited the Earth Fire, and then tossed the Four Symbols Furnace to hover steadily above the Earth Fire''s opening.


    Effortlessly completing the preparatory steps before pill refining, he then picked up a Second Order Qingxu Serpent Demon Elixir, examining it in his hand. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at the grey-white inner core, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but reflect on the difficulty of its acquisition.


    Regaining his focus, he arranged all the necessary materials for the Dragon Bone Pill, setting them neatly on the nearby stone platform.


    Now, everything was in place, except for the eastern wind.


    Taking a deep breath, he began warming the furnace, and when the temperature reached the desired level, he tossed a stalk of Spiritual Medicine Material into the Four Symbols Furnace.


    The initial stages of decomposition and purification were no different from regular elixir production, posing no challenge for him.

 Chapter 176 Undertows_3

    Soon, after an hour of high-intensity decomposition and purification, batch after batch of Spiritual Medicine Materials and Spirit Fruits were broken down completely.At the bottom of the Four Symbols Furnace, a multicolored blob of Elixir Essence lay within the furnace.


    Lin Tianming wiped the sweat from his forehead, then tossed the Second Order Qingxu Snake Inner Pill into the Four Symbols Furnace.


    As the ash-white Qingxu Snake Inner Pill entered the incredibly hot furnace, it suddenly came to life, bouncing around wildly.


    Lin Tianming dared not be careless, for a Demon Beast Inner Pill was not as gentle as Spiritual Medicine Materials, and a slight misstep could cause an explosion. The energy contained within a Second Order Demon Core was terrifying; even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator might face mortal danger at such close proximity.


    He focused all his attention on maneuvering his Divine Sense, forcibly suppressing the inner core before starting to break it down.


    As half a day passed, inside the Four Symbols Furnace, the Qingxu Snake Inner Pill had completely disappeared, and the original Elixir Essence had expanded in size, its color also undergoing a drastic change to greenish-red.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming was overjoyed. The most dangerous step was over, and what followed was the most critical Solidifying Pill process. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He took a deep breath, then performed a Single-handed Seal, striking a Law Decree on the Earth Fire vent.


    With a quiet sound, the Earth Fire spurted out, raising the temperature inside the Four Symbols Furnace to another level.


    Lin Tianming had a grave expression, constantly sensing the changes within the Four Symbols Furnace.


    Once the temperature was about right, he slapped the Four Symbols Furnace, unleashing a stream of Spiritual Power from his hand that plunged into the furnace and vanished without a trace.


    With the Infusion of Spirit complete, he controlled the temperature of the Earth Fire while chanting to himself.


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    "Solidify!"


    A piercing sound emanated, followed by several crisp pops from within the Pill Furnace.


    Hearing the noise, Lin Tianming''s face changed color. After the sounds ceased, he immediately lifted the lid of the furnace.


    All that lay inside were a pile of medicinal dregs mixed with two broken pills.


    He picked up one of the shattered elixirs, holding it in his hands and pondering over it carefully.


    "It seems possible to have successfully concocted it; it was just that I didn''t control the temperature and timing of the Infusion of Spirit well, causing the Alchemy to fail!"


    "It looks like the Qingxu Snake Inner Pill can indeed replace the Qinglong Jiao Inner Dan, and it really can be used to concoct the Dragon Bone Pill," Lin Tianming muttered to himself, a smile flashing across his face.


    Although the first batch of elixirs was a failure, it was close to being a success, giving him unlimited hope.


    After cleaning up the wasted medicinal dregs, he began to recuperate, waiting until his condition was at its peak before continuing with the concoction.


    "With three sets of materials, I must successfully create a batch of pills!" he thought to himself, then began to recover his energy.


    Half a day later, Lin Tianming''s condition had recovered, and he once again dove into the intense process of pill concoction.


    Having learned from the first failure, he was extremely cautious while concocting the second batch of elixirs, doing his best to execute each step perfectly.


    With familiarity and diligent effort, he saw his work pay off, successfully solidifying the second batch of pills.


    In the Pill Refining Room, when a unique medicinal fragrance wafted from the Pill Furnace, he didn''t care about his profuse sweating and hastily uncovered the lid of the furnace.


    Inside were five greenish-red pills suspended in the furnace. He immediately took out one pill and carefully examined it.


    "This is certainly a finished product, no doubt about it, but I wonder if it will be effective!"


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, his face expressing excitement.


    However, not being in good condition at the moment, he could only try it out another day.


    With that thought, he closed his eyes and began to meditate, preparing to refine the remaining set of materials and then to test the finished elixirs.

 Chapter 177 The Secret Realm Appears_1

    Two days later...In the alchemy room, a fragrance wafted from the Four Symbols Furnace, quickly filling the entire alchemy room.


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed and hastily lifted the lid of the furnace, only to see five pills, intermingled with shades of green and red, lying at the bottom.


    He stored the pills in a jade bottle, then took out two to carefully compare. The results showed that the pills from both batches were identical, each one saturated with color, indistinguishable from the description of the Dragon Bone Pill.


    From three sets of materials, two successful batches yielded ten pills; both the success rate and quantity of pills were quite impressive.


    Lin Tianming let out a long sigh of relief, then tidied up the pill refining room, and moved on to the cultivation chamber.


    Sitting on a meditation mat in the cultivation chamber, he closed his eyes to regulate his breathing until he reached his peak condition, then opened his eyes.


    Lin Tianming then took out a Lingshen Pill and, without hesitation, swallowed it.


    As soon as the pill entered his mouth, he began to channel his energy to refine it, and the power contained within the pill started to flow through his meridians, bringing on a familiar sense of pain.


    Sweat began to seep out of Lin Tianming''s forehead; clenching his teeth, he quickly swallowed a prepared Dragon Bone Pill.


    The moment the Dragon Bone Pill was ingested, he started to refine it. Within a few breaths, the energy from the Dragon Bone Pill was gentle, like stepping into warm water, the comfortable sensation slowly suppressing the pain in his body.


    "This improved Dragon Bone Pill really works."


    Lin Tianming was ecstatic, and he then started to fully operate his cultivation technique, refining the potency of both the Lingshen Pill and the Dragon Bone Pill.


    As the speed of refinement increased sharply, the power of the Dragon Bone Pill took effect, suppressing the pain from the Lingshen Pill while also improving his physique.


    Crackling sounds came from inside his body.


    He extended his Divine Sense to observe the energetic flow of the pill''s potency quicken within him, eventually seeping into his skin, bones, and organs.


    A unique sensation reached his mind, and simultaneously, assisted by the pill, his sinews and bones began to strengthen until they became more solid and powerful.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t contain his delight, and he retracted his Divine Sense, wholeheartedly devoting himself to cultivation.


    Several days later, Lin Tianming opened his eyes and a smile spread across his face, his heart trembling with excitement.


    The effects of the Dragon Bone Pill were truly unexpected; it not only perfectly suppressed the pain during cultivation but also further strengthened his body, surpassing the Body Strengthening Pill by quite a margin.


    Just one Dragon Bone Pill had made his physique stronger by a notch, an outcome he had never anticipated.


    However, on reflection, the Dragon Bone Pill was hard to come by and quite valuable. The spiritual medicine materials used in a single batch were worth hundreds of Spirit Stones, and more importantly, a Second Order Qingxu Snake Demon Core was valued at over a thousand Spirit Stones. Hence, for this batch of five pills, the cost per pill was several hundred; such an effect was actually to be expected.


    Currently, with nine Dragon Bone Pills and over ten Qiuxing Fruits remaining, he wouldn''t lack resources for cultivation for a few years.


    Regaining his composure, Lin Tianming closed his eyes and resumed cultivation.


    Months later...


    At the southern border of the Wei Kingdom, near the boundary with Jingzhou''s Huangyang Kingdom, a sudden ear-splitting rumble echoed from a colossal canyon.


    The ground shook violently, fissures spreading for several miles around the valley, eventually giving way to a flash of golden light, followed by the sudden appearance of a barrier of light.


    This scene unfolded simultaneously across the vast expanse of land straddling the border between the Wei Kingdom and Huangyang Kingdom.


    The Whirlwind Mountain Range, located at the border of Jingzhou''s Huangyang Kingdom and the Wei Kingdom, and only a thousand miles from the Luoyun Mountain Range of the Wei Kingdom, is a rarely populated and lawless region.


    The same upheaval occurred here as well, the ground splitting open as a barrier of light emerged.


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    At that moment, the nearby cultivators quickly detected the disturbance and all rushed towards its source.


    A middle-aged cultivator at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining flew on a sword towards the heart of the Whirlwind Mountain Range.


    This man was named Li Zhen, a Loose Cultivator who had spent years roaming between the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World and the Huangyang Country Cultivation World.


    Upon noticing the commotion, he was certain that a treasure had emerged and flew straight toward the interior of the Whirlwind Mountain Range without hesitation.


    In no time, he reached the vicinity of the newly formed light barrier.


    By then, over a dozen Qi Refining Cultivators had gathered, all cautiously observing the barrier, hoping to discover something from it.


    All the cultivators present were of the Qi Refining Cultivation level, with limited experience, and were unable to discern anything about the sudden appearance of the light barrier.


    Among the crowd, a cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining became impatient. With a single-handed seal, he unleashed a blast of Sword Qi at the barrier.


    "Clang..."


    With a resounding bang, the Sword Qi rapidly rebounded upon hitting the light barrier, hurtling back towards the cultivator who released it.


    The cultivator let out a scream; unable to dodge in time, his arm was severed by the rebounding Sword Qi.


    He turned pale and his face revealed a look of terror; had he not shifted his body just in time, he might have fallen right there.


    With this earlier example set, everyone else was afraid to act rashly.


    Seeing Li Zhen arrive, the assembled Qi Refining Cultivators stepped back and showed a wary expression.


    Li Zhen looked at the light barrier here and, thinking of the rumors of a secret realm opening in the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World, swiftly concluded that this was indeed the opening of a secret realm.


    However, seeing the vigilant eyes of the crowd and the injured cultivator, he did not betray any unusual reaction.


    Casting another glance at the cultivators present, he no longer paid them any attention and flew away on his sword, disappearing from their sight.


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 Chapter 177 The Secret Realm Appears_2

    Qianchuan Market...In the Lin Family Cave Mansion Courtyard''s training room, there was some strange movement coming from the Mysterious Moon Order inside the storage bag.


    Lin Tianming''s expression changed, and he quickly took out the Mysterious Moon Order, then held it in his hand to inspect it.


    At that moment, the patterns on the Mysterious Moon Order became clear. Not only that, as he infused Spiritual Energy, he distinctly felt waves of fluctuation emanating from the token.


    The Mysterious Moon Order, silent for several years, reacted for the first time.


    A few breaths'' time passed, and Lin Tianming''s face showed ecstatic joy. He immediately sent out a message and then hurriedly rushed out of the training room.


    In no time, in the courtyard of the Cave Mansion, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu were sitting opposite each other.


    Seeing the expression on Lin Tianming''s face, Lin Shilu was instantly alarmed and quickly thought of the reason.


    "Tianming, has the Mysterious Moon Order responded?" he probed.


    After nodding, Lin Tianming replied, "Fifteenth Grandfather, the Mysterious Moon Order just stirred. When I infused it with Spiritual Energy, the patterns on it became clear. From the aura emitting from the token, it is clear that the Secret Realm has materialized!"


    After speaking, Lin Tianming took out a Mysterious Moon Order and passed it to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu''s face lit up with joy as he took the Mysterious Moon Order and began to examine it carefully.


    Indeed, he quickly noticed the aura emanating from the Mysterious Moon Order and also sensed the conditions for entering the Secret Realm.


    At this time, Lin Shilu''s face showed wild excitement as he spoke to himself.


    "This Mysterious Moon Order is truly miraculous. If nothing unexpected occurs, there will be many entrances to the Secret Realm, and the conditions for entry are quite lenient. As long as one is not over a hundred years old, they can carry the token and enter the Secret Realm!"


    Hearing Lin Shilu affirm this, Lin Tianming''s heart was also filled with excitement.


    An age limit of one hundred years was, by the standards of the Cultivation World''s many Secret Realms, not high at all. It is said that some Secret Realms have very peculiar entry requirements, and often not many people meet the criteria, only able to watch helplessly as opportunities slip away before their eyes.


    Regathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming then asked, "Fifteenth Grandfather, what should we do next?"


    "Such an opportunity, even if it is filled with extreme danger, we must not forsake it!"


    "From the current situation, there is a month from the materialization to the opening of the Secret Realm. We need to immediately return to the family and inform the Third Brother and the others, then hasten to find the entrance to the Secret Realm and wait for its opening!"


    Lin Tianming nodded, aware of the urgency and that they had no time to delay.


    "There''s no time to lose; let''s set off for the family at once!" Lin Tianming declared.


    "Yes, let''s take action immediately!" responded Lin Shilu, then issued a transmission, summoning Lin Xingping over.


    Seeing the firm joy on the faces of Lin Tianming and another, Lin Xingping asked curiously:


    "Fifteenth Uncle, I''ve heard many rumors about Secret Realms recently. Does our family have a way to get in?"


    "Hmm... indeed, that''s the case!" Lin Shilu nodded in confirmation, then instructed:


    "Tianming and I must rush back to the family immediately. I leave Qianchuan Market in your hands, Xingping. Remember not to stir up trouble or reveal our whereabouts. Just say we''re in closed-door cultivation if anyone asks. If there''s anything you can''t deal with, you can seek the help of Daoist Ye!"


    Hearing the instructions, Lin Xingping stood up, his expression resolute as he said:


    "Rest assured, Fifteenth Uncle, I will take good care of the market. Please, be safe!"


    "Let''s set off right away!"


    Having spoken, Lin Tianming and the other person immediately got up and left the courtyard of the Cave Mansion. After changing their appearance, they quickly made their way to the market entrance.


    Having left the market, the two of them did not stop for a moment, mounted the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, and turned into a dark shadow flying towards the south.


    Riding on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Shilu''s Divine Sense was fully open, constantly monitoring every movement around them.


    And just like that, ten days passed in a blink of an eye...


    During this period, both the Qianchuan Mountain Range and the Whirlwind Mountain Range of Huangyang Kingdom were abuzz with activity as over ten entrances to the Secret Realm appeared, the news quickly spreading throughout these two regions.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming and the other were blissfully unaware, as they were in the midst of hastened travel.


    With Lin Shilu accompanying him, Lin Tianming didn''t have to worry too much about safety, as the speed of the Purple Gold Eagle was pushed to its limit.


    In ten days, they had travelled from Qianchuan Market to the edge of Green Bamboo Mountain, and even passed by Golden Horn Mountain without having time to stop and greet Lin Xingrong.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming and his companion looked exhausted, but they forewent rest and dove straight into the Protective Clan Formation.


    Shortly thereafter, at the Cave Mansion Courtyard atop the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, where Lin Shikang resided.


    Lin Shikang, Lin Shihua, and Lin Shigong were gathered in the courtyard, staring wide-eyed at the two who had hastily returned.


    Knowing the urgency of the situation, Lin Shilu didn''t hold back and immediately spoke up about the matter at hand.


    "Third brother, the Mysterious Moon Order has activated, the Secret Realm has appeared!"


    "What? The Secret Realm has appeared?"


    "When? And what are the entry restrictions?"


    Upon hearing the news, the others exclaimed in shock, their faces filled with incredulous expressions.


    Lin Shilu was inundated with questions before he could even catch his breath.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming interjected with information about the Mysterious Moon Order. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ten days ago, the Mysterious Moon Order suddenly became active. We confirmed the requirements and restrictions for entering the Secret Realm, and without delay, we rushed back to the family to discuss the matter with our elders!"


    "As for the restriction on entering the Secret Realm, any cultivator below the age of one hundred can enter freely!"


    Upon hearing these restrictions, the Lin Family was completely eligible, and the faces of Lin Shikang and the others were overjoyed.


    Lin Shikang was the first to regain his composure and immediately said:


    "Shilu, among our family members under a hundred years old, your cultivation is the highest. My age doesn''t meet the requirements, so it looks like we must rely on you!"


    Before he finished speaking, Lin Shihua also chimed in. Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Indeed, the Secret Realm is filled with unimaginable dangers. You must be careful on your own. If it truly becomes unsustainable, find a place to hide. When the Secret Realm closes, you will be transported out!"


    After speaking, Lin Shilu frowned, remembering that they only knew of Lin Tianming acquiring one Mysterious Moon Order, but were unaware that over a year ago, the two of them had obtained another token from Gu Tong.


    He chuckled and said, "Third brother, after we killed Gu Tong in the Qianchuan Mountain Range, we acquired another token. We didn''t pay much attention to it at the time and therefore didn''t inform everyone!"


    "Is that true?" Lin Shikang was somewhat incredulous.


    Lin Tianming promptly took out both tokens and placed them before everyone.


    Lin Shikang picked up both tokens to examine them, and then laughed heartily.


    "Truly, the heavens bless our Lin Family. With two tokens, our chances of seizing opportunities have greatly increased!"


    Lin Shihua was also thrilled and quickly added:


    "Tianming''s cultivation is not low, and he has fought side by side with Shilu on many occasions. Let''s settle on these candidates for entering the Secret Realm."


    Lin Shikang nodded, his gaze sweeping over the pair before asking for their opinions.


    Lin Tianming and his companion naturally wouldn''t decline. Although entering the Secret Realm was fraught with immense danger and could even cost them their lives, among the family members under a hundred, only their cultivation was somewhat higher.


    Beyond that, the Secret Realm also offered vast opportunities. If they obtained treasures, they could keep a portion for themselves, which would be of great assistance on their path of cultivation.


    "As Lin Family members, it is our bounden duty!" the two declared in unison.


    Lin Shikang nodded and then instructed:


    "Shihua, you and a few others immediately gather some clanspeople above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. Search around Luoyun Market and the nearby Qianchuan Mountain Range. Once the Secret Realm Entrance is found, report back to the family without delay!"


    "Alright, I''m on it!"


    After responding, Lin Shihua stood up and left to summon family members and search for news.


    With Lin Shihua''s departure, Lin Shikang began to issue orders:


    "Shigong, I must stay to guard the family. You and a few others also need to go out and search for the Secret Realm Entrance. The Qi Refining Clanspeople''s search is too slow; they can hardly gather any news. It will be easier for Foundation Establishment Cultivators to search!"


    "Remember to focus on searching the major mountain ranges. Do not venture too deeply into the mountains and prioritize the mission over everything else!"


    Lin Tianming and the others nodded, understanding the urgency. Despite their fatigue and not having time to rest, they stood up and left the courtyard.


    After exiting the Protective Clan Formation, they briefly discussed before each chose a direction and hurriedly set off.

 Chapter 178 Preparation_1

    In the southern part of the Luoyun Mountain Range, above a mundane city.Through the thick clouds, a Purple Gold Eagle swiftly flew over Qingfeng Town, heading straight towards the south.


    It had been nearly ten years since Lin Tianming last visited Qingfeng Town. Returning to this place and looking down at the vast range of buildings below, he felt a great sense of nostalgia.


    Following the end of the clan war within the Luoyun Mountain Range, many mortals from the Jin and Wu Families had been relocated, gathering in the five major towns of their clan. Now, Qingfeng Town had further expanded in size and its population had noticeably increased.


    Gazing at the newly-built wooden pavilions below and the city having expanded by a third, Lin Tianming didn''t stay long before continuing to fly southward on the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Half a day later, Lin Tianming arrived at the southern part of Qingfeng Town, near the edge of the Whirlwind Mountain Range close to Huangyang Kingdom.


    He stopped atop a hill and gazed at the lofty, distant mountains on the horizon, lost in thought.


    Just then, three Qi Refining Cultivators flew in his direction as a group, their expressions showing some excitement.


    The three cultivators failed to notice Lin Tianming at all until they were a few hundred zhang away, when they finally realized he was standing with his arms folded, waiting for them to approach.


    Seeing Lin Tianming, the fact that they hadn''t detected him sooner surely meant that he must be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, without a doubt.


    The highest-cultivated among them, Xiao Jingshan, looked somewhat nervous upon realizing this and did not dare to leave directly. He bravely came forward to pay his respects, followed closely by the other two who stepped up to the front of Lin Tianming.


    "This younger generation pays respect to the senior!" The three, led by Xiao Jingshan, bowed respectfully with clasped hands.


    Lin Tianming waved dismissively, adopting an indifferent demeanor as he spoke, "Why are you three in such a rush? Has something significant occurred?"


    Upon hearing Lin Tianming''s interrogating words, the faces of Xiao Jingshan and the other two turned pale, and they immediately divulged the strange occurrences within the Whirlwind Mountain Range without any reservations.


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming was puzzled, but at this critical juncture, all peculiar events had to be thoroughly investigated.


    With this in mind, he asked, "Is there a treasure that has appeared? In what exact location?"


    "Senior, the three of us encountered it while cultivating in the Whirlwind Mountain Range. The location is at the edge of the mountain range, roughly a few hundred li to the south," they replied.


    Before they had finished speaking, Lin Tianming remained composed and then spoke,


    "Tell me the details. If I find this information interesting, I could reward you generously!"


    Hearing the promise of a reward, one of the Qi Refining Cultivators at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement immediately started speaking, eager to make a good impression.


    "Senior, it was ten days ago when suddenly, there was a huge noise in that mountain range. The ground shook violently, and a crack opened on the valley floor out of nowhere. Soon after, a light screen appeared between heaven and earth that could reflect attacks. It is very bizarre!"


    "Yes, at the time, many cultivators were drawn over, but no one could do anything about the light screen that appeared out of thin air. Some even had their arms severed by the rebounding attacks!"


    The three took turns explaining the strange happenings, providing far more detail than they had initially offered.


    In no time, Lin Tianming had a rough understanding of the situation and also knew the exact location of the valley.


    "Without a doubt, the strange disturbances within the Whirlwind Mountain Range are the signs of a Secret Realm''s emergence!" Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    Excited by the thought, Lin Tianming kept his emotions hidden, maintaining a distant expression.


    "This information you''ve provided is indeed interesting to me. Here is a little token of appreciation," Lin Tianming said, and casually took out three hundred Spirit Stones, distributing them to the three Qi Refining Cultivators.


    Each person received a hundred Spirit Stones, which was nearly equivalent to several months of their earnings.


    Seeing the Spirit Stones, Xiao Jingshan and the others showed delighted expressions and quickly bowed to express their gratitude.


    Lin Tianming gestured dismissively, then paid them no more attention. Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    Now that he had found the entrance to a Secret Realm, he naturally wanted to investigate it immediately. After that, he would rush back to his clan. His time was pressing, and he needed to reach the Whirlwind Mountain Range with Lin Shilu as soon as possible. It would be a pity to miss the opportunity to enter the Secret Realm due to any delay.


    With this thought, Lin Tianming didn''t linger and, with a great leap covering a hundred zhang, he quickly disappeared into the sky. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Watching Lin Tianming vanish, Xiao Jingshan and the other two let out a sigh of relief, their faces filled with joy as they left together.


    ...


    By evening half a day later, Lin Tianming followed the directions provided by Xiao Jingshan and his companions, quickly arriving near the entrance to the Secret Realm.


    From a distance, he could see the earth cracked open, revealing a light screen with golden light twinkling and emitting faint fluctuations of a prohibition, easily discernible even from behind a small hill.


    "It seems these three had the sense not to deceive me!" Lin Tianming murmured to himself, having confirmed the location of the Secret Realm Entrance. He didn''t care for the darkness of night and turned directly north, flying away.


    Luckily, he wasn''t too far from the Luoyun Mountain and no powers resided in this area. With the Purple Gold Eagle flying at full speed, it wouldn''t take long to enter the territory of his clan.


    ...


    Two days later, Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Tianming, who had rushed back from the edge of the Whirlwind Mountain Range, plunged into the Protective Clan Formation.


    Once back on clan grounds, he immediately sent messages to several elders and made his way to Lin Shikang''s abode to gather.


    In no time, he arrived at Lin Shikang''s cave dwellings.


    Seeing Lin Tianming return first, Lin Shikang quickly pressed, "Tianming, have you located the Secret Realm Entrance?"


    "Third Grandfather, your nephew found an entrance to a Secret Realm at the border of Wei Kingdom and Huangyang Kingdom, within the Whirlwind Mountain Range!" Lin Tianming reported.

 Chapter 178 Preparation_2

    Before the sound of his words faded, Lin Shikang''s expression grew overjoyed, and his stern face instantly flushed with color."Are you certain you saw it with your own eyes?" Lin Shikang asked.


    As Lin Tianming recalled the scene he had witnessed, he assuredly replied:


    "Third Grandfather, even from several miles away, I could easily detect the ripples of the barrier around the entrance to the Secret Realm and that golden glimmering light; I am definitely not mistaken!"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s utterly affirmative words, Lin Shikang nodded, his heart brimming with joy.


    Lin Tianming, just as overjoyed, had sent out messages for a long time yet without seeing Lin Shilu and his grandfather arrive. He then asked:


    "Third Grandfather, have my grandfather and Fifteenth Grandfather not returned yet?"


    Seeing Lin Tianming bring up this matter, Lin Shikang said:


    "You were all spread out in search of the Secret Realm Entrance; they probably haven''t found it yet. You stay with the family, I''ll immediately go and find Shilu!"


    Lin Tianming nodded, then instructed:


    "Before we split up, I was responsible for searching the south, and Fifteenth Grandfather went to the Luoyun Mountain Range in the west. If nothing has gone wrong, he should still be in that direction!"


    "Alright, I''ll be back quickly!"


    With that reply, Lin Shikang immediately vanished from his side, moving so quickly that even Lin Tianming could not detect him.


    "Third Grandfather''s Ninth Layer ability is truly terrifying!"


    Lin Tianming muttered softly to himself, then left his cave dwelling and returned to his own small courtyard.


    Sitting in the training room, Lin Tianming took out the Thousand Beast Banner as well as two Second Order Superior Attack Talismans and placed them before him.


    The entrance to the Secret Realm awaited, and what lay inside would certainly be fraught with deadly perils; he had to make full preparations.


    Gazing at these treasures, he fell deep into thought.


    Currently, in terms of attack, he had the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to entrap enemies, and the Thousand Beast Banner to assist; unfolding both tactics simultaneously would make it exceedingly difficult for foes to dodge.


    The Tiangang Sword would be utilized for launching attacks, and having reached the Foundation Establishment Second Layer, he could now conjure an additional sword strike; he hadn''t tested the power of two conjured swords overlapping, but undoubtedly, it would be astonishing.


    Beyond that, the two Second Order Superior Attack Talismans were the cards up his sleeve for saving his life, not to be used lightly unless in a critical moment.


    It was only a pity that the sword qi generated by the Great Sun Sword Qi Art had already been used, and reassembling it quickly would yield sword qi that was too immature; barely a year and a half old, forcefully conjuring it would probably barely exceed the strength of an ordinary attack¡ªit would be impossible to use it against enemies.


    After reviewing his attack methods, Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    With his strength, he estimated that handling a Foundation Establishment Fourth Level cultivator wouldn''t be a problem, and even if he faced a slightly weaker Foundation Establishment Fifth Level cultivator, he could manage some resistance.


    Collecting his thoughts, Lin Tianming started to organize his defensive measures.


    The defensive artifacts on his person were few, consisting only of two First Order Top-Quality Defensive Spiritual Weapons and three Second Order Low Grade Defense Talismans.


    Since Defense Talismans of Second Order Medium Quality and above were particularly rare, he had not prepared any, but with the Eye of Five Colors to spot flaws, attacking him wouldn''t be so easy either.


    Though his defensive artifacts were few, as long as he did not encounter a Foundation Establishment Late-Stage cultivator, escaping defeat should be no issue. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having gathered his thoughts, Lin Tianming brought his palms together and began to cultivate, circulating his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation.


    Three days later...


    A Messaging Aura flew into his training room, causing Lin Tianming to furrow his brows, then he stood up and left the training room.


    In a short while, he arrived at Lin Shikang''s cave dwelling.


    By then, Lin Shilu and Lin Shikang were sitting in the courtyard, both looking somewhat weary.


    Lin Tianming stepped forward and bowed to the two of them, saying, "I greet Third Grandfather, I greet Fifteenth Grandfather!"


    Lin Shikang waved his hand, motioning him to sit down, while Lin Shilu smiled and then asked:


    "Tianming, you found the entrance to the Secret Realm?"


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, Third Grandfather didn''t tell you?" Lin Tianming asked, somewhat surprised.


    "Of course he did, but it''s just to confirm in passing!" Lin Shilu replied.


    "Alright, Shihua and the others have not yet returned to the family; with time pressing, we cannot wait for them. You two should set out for the entrance to the Secret Realm immediately; as soon as the moment arrives, enter the realm at once!"


    After Lin Shikang finished speaking, he took out two Second Order Medium Grade Attack Talismans and two Second Order Low Grade Defense Talismans and handed them to Lin Tianming and the other person.


    At the same time, he also took out two fiery red beads and handed one to each of them.


    "Fire Spirit Pearl?" Lin Tianming''s complexion was rosy with delight.


    The Fire Spirit Pearl was a one-time offensive treasure, made from the inner core of a Second Order Fire Elemental Demonic Beast. The higher the grade of the inner core, the greater the power of the Fire Spirit Pearl that was refined, and the greater the difficulty of its creation, making it quite precious.


    The Fire Spirit Pearls that Lin Shikang took out were clearly refined from the inner cores of Late Stage Second Order Demonic Beasts, so their power was naturally significant.


    Neither person acted pretentiously and casually accepted the talismans and beads. Lin Shikang then spoke again, advising them:


    "There will definitely be many Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators entering the Secret Realm, as well as people from the Five Great Golden Core Forces; their strengths are very strong. The slightly better treasures from our family are these. You should carry them all, and remember to prioritize your safety. After the Secret Realm closes, I will wait at the entrance to pick you up!"


    Lin Shilu nodded, then stood up and clasped his fists, replying with a resolute expression:


    "Third Brother, rest assured, Tian Ming and I will definitely be cautious and ensure our safe return!"


    "Third Grandfather, don''t worry, we will definitely return safely!" Lin Tianming said with equal firmness.


    "Go then!"


    Lin Tianming and the other stood up, clasped their fists, and together walked out of Lin Shikang''s cave dwelling.


    Once out of the clan''s territory, the two of them wasted no time mounting the Purple Gold Eagle''s back, and then they turned into a streak of afterimage before disappearing from Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Shilu took out the two talismans given by Lin Shikang, and then pulled out a blue shield, which was a Second Order Low Grade Artifact.


    "Tian Ming, last time we killed quite a few Qingxu Snakes and obtained many scales. I used Second Order scales and added a lot of valuable Spirit Materials to refine two Second Order Magical Artifacts. I kept one of the Second Order Medium Quality ones for myself, and this Second Order Low Grade Defense Artifact was specially refined for you," said Lin Shilu.


    As he finished speaking, Lin Shilu passed the little blue shield and the two talismans to Lin Tianming.


    Second Order Defense Artifacts were rare; many Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Loose Cultivators didn''t even have a Second Order Low Grade Attack Artifact, much less a Defense Artifact.


    Yet Lin Shilu always considered Tian Ming''s best interests, unhesitatingly giving the precious Second Order Defense Artifact to him.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming''s eyes turned slightly red, and he quickly spoke up:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, the Secret Realm is full of dangers, and even you dare not say that it will be safe. You should keep it for yourself!"


    Lin Shilu chuckled heartily, speaking earnestly:


    "Silly boy, I have a Second Order Medium Quality Artifact. These talismans are actually not so useful for me; they are better off with you. Only if you are safe will I have no concerns, won''t I?"


    After Lin Shilu said this much, Lin Tianming was no longer ceremonious. He took the small shield and talismans, then waved them around, showing a look of loving them dearly.


    After a hearty laugh, Lin Shilu spoke, reminding Lin Tianming.


    "Name this Defense Artifact and refine it as quickly as possible. This journey is fraught with immense danger but also huge opportunities. Once again, grandfather and grandson fight side by side!"


    "Yes, with grandfather and grandson working together, we will definitely return safely!" Lin Tianming said with determination.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming and the other chatted for a few moments, named the small shield the Green Scale Shield, and then began to close their eyes and rest.


    With the Green Scale Shield, his defense for the trip was further strengthened, taking his strength up another notch.


    Pleased beyond measure, Lin Tianming played with the shield for a while, then circulated his cultivation and rested, waiting for his condition to reach its peak before he began to refine the Green Scale Shield. Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Holding the Green Scale Shield, he cast several Law Decrees, then spat fresh blood onto the shield and began the refinement process.


    One day later, the luster on the Green Scale Shield was bright, and the densely packed runes on its surface became even more lively.


    Seeing that the refinement was almost complete, Lin Tianming began imprinting his Divine Sense into the core of the Green Scale Shield.


    Two days later, the refinement of the Green Scale Shield was completed.


    Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming struck the shield with a Law Decree, then infused it with Spiritual Energy. The Green Scale Shield instantly expanded and quickly formed a solid shield in front of him.


    Lin Tianming slammed a Sword Qi against the shield, which was easily blocked without leaving even a faint mark.


    Lin Tianming was very satisfied and gained some understanding of the Green Scale Shield''s defensive power.


    By his estimation, the shield could easily withstand attacks from someone at the Foundation Building Fourth Level, and even to break through it with his full-powered attack would take considerable effort.


    After handling the shield for a while, Lin Tianming stored it away, and then he closed his eyes to cultivate and rest.

 Chapter 179 Seven-Colored Golden Lotus_1

    Huangyang Kingdom, Whirlwind Mountain Range.The Purple Gold Eagle carried Lin Tianming and his companion southward. After three days of flying with a brief rest overnight, they finally arrived near the Secret Realm Entrance in the evening.


    By that time, more than twenty days had passed since the Secret Realm became visible. When a month was reached, they would be able to enter the realm with the Mysterious Realm Token.


    Lin Tianming and his companion landed in a small valley outside the Secret Realm Entrance, preparing to cultivate there and wait out the last ten days.


    The place was less than fifty miles from the Secret Realm Entrance and far from the land of disputes, which made it relatively safe for the time being.


    They quickly set up a simple cave dwelling in a nearby valley and both entered to begin seclusion.


    The long journey had left Lin Tianming and his companion quite exhausted, with significant consumption of spiritual power and Divine Sense, leaving them in poor condition.


    Both sat cross-legged in the cave. Lin Shilu took out an elixir, swallowed it, and quickly entered a state of cultivation.


    Lin Tianming wasn''t idle either. With ten days left, he wanted to enhance his cultivation as much as possible to survive in the Secret Realm.


    With that thought in mind, he casually took out a Sparse Star Fruit and swallowed it without hesitation.


    Inside the cave dwelling, the sound of their even breathing carried through as they both entered a deep state of cultivation.


    At this moment, many mountain ranges in both Wei Kingdom and Huangyang Kingdom had visible entrances to Secret Realms, the news of which had spread quickly throughout the Cultivation World. From Golden Elixir Experts to Qi Training Cultivators, everyone was paying attention to the affairs of the Secret Realm.


    In the outskirts of the Qianchuan Mountain Range, within the layers of overlapping mountains shrouded in year-round dense fog, lay a scene that looked like a paradise on earth. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before a vast square, Zhenyang Sect''s gate looked majestic and solemn, filled with an ancient air.


    More than ten cultivators stood respectfully on the white jade square, each with a different expression¡ªsome brimming with excitement, others filled with worry, though most remained calm.


    In front of them stood an old man with thinning white hair and a Daoist bearing, hands clasped behind his back. The breeze lifted his robe, revealing an aura of a formidable being.


    This man was named Du Qiong. An old Golden Core Cultivator and the Second Elder of Zhenyang Sect, he had held a high position and had broken through to the Golden Core Stage over two hundred years ago.


    Turning his head to gaze at the more than ten people before him, Du Qiong then spoke seriously,


    "The Xuan Yue Mysterious Realm has opened. This is an unclaimed Profound Secret Realm, extremely dangerous within. Apart from Demonic Beasts, there will also be disciples from other forces!"


    "According to my knowledge, other Golden Core Forces in Wei Kingdom will have varying numbers of disciples entering, and even the neighboring Huangyang Kingdom has many forces that have obtained the Mysterious Moon Order. They too will be involved."


    Upon hearing these words, the expressions of the more than ten people on the field changed somewhat, but none retreated.


    Observing his disciples and Sect members, a fleeting and almost imperceptible smile crossed Du Qiong''s aged face.


    "Chu Jie."


    Hearing Du Qiong''s call, a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level stepped forward, standing respectfully before the elder, awaiting orders.


    "Though this journey is fraught with dangers, it also contains great opportunities. As the disciple with the highest cultivation in the team, you will take charge of leading them."


    "I will heed the Second Elder''s decree," Chu Jie replied firmly and respectfully.


    With a nod, Du Qiong continued,


    "All disciples must follow orders, work together with sincerity, both for yourselves and to obtain more treasures for the Sect. Understand?"


    "We will honor the Second Elder''s decree," all of them answered in unison with a salute.


    Turning away, Du Qiong waved his sleeve, and a palm-sized, intricately crafted boat appeared in his hand¡ªit was a Flying Artifact.


    He sent a spell into the miniature boat, which immediately expanded countless times in size. It quickly transformed into a Spirit Boat over thirty feet long, suspended above the square, and sporadically flickering with the light of runes.


    Seeing the Spirit Boat grow, the eyes of the surrounding cultivators burned with desire, as such Spirit Artifacts¡ªlet alone Magic Artifacts¡ªwere rare, and typically only Golden Elixir Experts could afford to use them.


    "Set off!"


    Without paying further attention to the crowd, Du Qiong leapt up after his light command and landed steadily on the Spirit Boat. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Hearing Du Qiong''s order, the cultivators gathered their focus and one by one jumped onto the Spirit Boat, then stood to one side.


    As Du Qiong looked westward, he cast a spell on the Spirit Boat, which until then had been motionless. Suddenly, the craft shot forward, becoming a blur, and vanished from its original spot.


    As the Secret Realm manifested and its opening approached, such scenes unfolded simultaneously in several Golden Elixir Forces within Wei Kingdom.


    Not just them, but also Foundation Establishing Families and Loose Cultivators rushed in large numbers toward the Secret Realm Entrance. Although many came just for the excitement, there were also cultivators with ulterior motives mixing in among them.


    ...As ten days passed in a flurry...


    Whirlwind Mountain Range at dawn, with night not yet completely gone and the early morning light just starting to rise.


    Inside the simple cave where Lin Tianming and his companion had secluded themselves,


    Lin Shilu was the first to open his eyes, feeling the state of his body, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.


    During these few days, he hadn''t been idle either, cultivating diligently, doing everything possible to improve his cultivation level in preparation for entering the Secret Realm.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming heard movement and also awoke from his deep state of cultivation.


    After ten days, having consumed a Sparse Star Fruit, he had elevated his spiritual power cultivation and organized his offensive and defensive methods, fully preparing himself.


    Lin Tianming got up and walked to the entrance of the cave, where it was just starting to get light. The dim sky was growing brighter as the light screen at the Secret Realm Entrance turned more substantial.

 Chapter 179 Seven-Colored Golden Lotus_2

    "Fifteenth Grandfather, is today the day the secret realm opens?" Lin Tianming asked."Hmm," Lin Shilu nodded, then stood up and, as he walked away, he said:


    "Tianming, today is indeed the day the Secret Realm Entrance opens. Are you prepared?"


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, Tianming has been prepared for a long time. To others, the secret realm may indeed be dangerous, but it also presents a great opportunity. The path of cultivation is inherently against the natural order, and if we, as cultivators, lose our adventurous spirit, we are bound not to get far," Tianming replied.


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s bold and vigorous words, Lin Shilu nodded in satisfaction, feeling immensely gratified in his heart.


    However, considering how important Lin Tianming''s talents were for the family, he could not help but caution: sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Tianming, I''m very pleased with your ambition and spirit, but don''t be overly confident. There are countless strong figures in this world, and many genius cultivators with outstanding talent have fallen halfway."


    "Don''t worry, Fifteenth Grandfather, Tianming remembers your advice," Lin Tianming responded.


    Lin Shilu nodded with a smile, feeling very reassured about Lin Tianming, but he still tirelessly reminded him:


    "The secret realm is full of dangers. The Five Great Golden Core Forces will surely enter, and we must be cautious. Don''t come into conflict with the big powers and prioritize our own safety above everything else."


    Lin Tianming knew that Lin Shilu was nagging him for his own good. Touched by his concern and with a resolute attitude, he said:


    "Understood, please rest assured, elder."


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s confident demeanor, Lin Shilu said no more. "It''s getting late, let us set off now."


    With that, Lin Shilu strode out of the cave, with Lin Tianming following closely behind without delay.


    Outside the cave, after concealing the entrance, the two of them quickly headed toward the distant light barrier.


    An hour and a half later, they arrived at the valley where the Secret Realm Entrance was located.


    By now, dozens of people had already gathered at the valley entrance. They were either alone or in small groups, with more people continuously arriving.


    Looking around, the majority of those present were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, with a few Qi Refining Cultivators standing by and watching from a distance.


    Fortunately, not spotting any trace of the Golden Elixir Forces, the group of cultivators each occupied a small area on the hillside and sat down to meditate, waiting for the secret realm to open.


    Upon seeing this, Lin Tianming and his companion let out a sigh of relief and landed on an unoccupied hilltop.


    Their arrival only caused the cultivators present to frown slightly before disregarding them.


    The two of them naturally did not seek trouble and found a flat spot to sit down and meditate, while also covertly keeping an eye on the activity around them.


    Time slowly passed by, and an hour went by.


    At noon, the sun shone brightly.


    The scorching sunlight shone down on the earth, and the pale golden rays penetrated through the clouds, illuminating the golden light barrier.


    As the color of the light barrier became more solid, everyone knew that the secret realm was about to open.


    At this moment, a black-robed figure suddenly descended from the sky, stopping on a hilltop not far from the Secret Realm Entrance.


    "Long Hai?" a cultivator exclaimed.


    Seeing Long Hai, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator who occupied this hilltop dared not show any dissatisfaction and quickly vacated the spot, moving elsewhere.


    The Black Robed Cultivator ignored everyone''s gazes and sat down on a rock to meditate.


    His reputation seemed to be quite significant, as he made no effort to disguise himself, allowing the cultivators present to recognize him easily.


    Lin Tianming and his companion also had their attention drawn to this person. As they knew, most people would enter the secret realm stealthily, not showing their true appearance, and would even conceal their aura.


    The fact that this person did not bother to hide indicated great confidence in his strength, not worrying about being targeted or robbed.


    Observing Long Hai from several hilltops away, Lin Tianming sent a telepathic message to Lin Shilu.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, have you ever heard of Long Hai?"


    Upon being asked, Lin Shilu pondered for a moment before replying telepathically:


    "Looking at his demeanor, his cultivation is not low, at least at Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, yet within the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World, I have never heard of this name. He is most likely from the Huangyang Country Cultivation World!"


    After hearing this, Lin Tianming''s expression turned grave. A Loose Cultivator with a Foundation Establishment Eighth Level cultivating in this place likely possessed a Mysterious Moon Order. If they encountered this person in the secret realm, their chances of victory were slim.


    "The opening of this secret realm has indeed attracted a large number of cultivators. Apart from the Golden Core Forces, even among the Loose Cultivators, there are some with profound cultivation. It seems this journey is fraught with extreme danger!" Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    Another quarter of an hour passed, and the number of cultivators in the canyon had increased significantly. From a few dozen at the beginning, there were now more than a hundred waiting.


    "Giggle giggle giggle..."


    At that moment, a light laughter came along. A richly dressed young woman suddenly appeared on one of the hilltops, attracting the gaze of most cultivators.


    This woman was dressed in blue palace robes, her eyes were like silk, and she twisted her slender waist as she looked over the crowd.


    Any cultivator her gaze touched, especially those below the late Foundation Establishment stage, could not help but become entranced, falling into a daze.


    Only after a few breaths did the affected cultivators regain their clarity. Those who came to their senses changed their expressions dramatically and no longer dared to look directly into her eyes.


    "Giggle... I didn''t expect Brother Long Hai to be here as well. It seems I won''t be lonely on this trip!"


    The laughter of the richly dressed young woman echoed around, drawing the attention of Lin Tianming and his companion as well.

 Chapter 179 Seven-Colored Golden Lotus_3

    Lin Tianming and his companion also opened their eyes, sizing up the palace-dressed young woman and casting a wary look at the momentarily bewildered cultivators around them.Meanwhile, Long Hai regarded the enchanting woman opposite him with an unchanging expression.


    "Hmph..."


    "Yun Xianzi, there''s no need to put on an act before me. Your little tricks have no effect on me. It would be best for you to keep your distance in the Secret Realm, otherwise I don''t mind destroying beauty!"


    Long Hai coldly uttered these words and then paid no further attention to Yun Yanrong across from him. On the surface, he seemed indifferent, but internally, he was filled with apprehension.


    "Giggle... Brother Long really doesn''t spare any pity for beauties... how boring!"


    Yun Yanrong retorted and then her expression turned serious. She closed her mesmerizing eyes as she waited for the Secret Realm to open.


    Lin Shilu was sizing up this unfamiliar female cultivator when he secretly sent a message to Lin Tianming.


    "Tianming, this female cultivator is not simple. She is skilled in Illusion Technique; once affected by it, even for just a moment or two, one could lose their life!"


    Upon hearing Lin Shilu''s reminder, Lin Tianming nodded. Inwardly, he was curious whether his Eye of Five Colors, which could see through restrictions and formations and had a great suppressing effect on illusions, would be effective against Yun Yanrong whose cultivation far exceeded his own.


    "I hope I don''t run into these two ruthless individuals," Lin Tianming muttered to himself.


    "Tianming, once we enter the Secret Realm, it''s best if we don''t separate. If we do get separated, it''s very dangerous to act alone. We should leave bamboo markers to indicate our path and so facilitate a quick reunion," Lin Shilu instructed via a mental message.


    After receiving Lin Shilu''s orders, Lin Tianming nodded in agreement and, after giving a few instructions, ceased the mental communication as he waited for the Secret Realm to open.


    Time slowly passed, half an hour went by.


    The sunlight was at its peak at this time of the day, and as the golden yellow light on the barrier grew deeper, the opening of the Secret Realm was imminent.


    "Rumble rumble..."


    Once again, the ground began to shake, and a ten-zhang-wide gap slowly formed on the golden yellow barrier.


    "The Secret Realm has opened!" A few cultivators in the crowd pointed at the gap on the barrier, shouting excitedly.


    At that moment, all the cultivators present opened their eyes, their gazes fervently fixed on the gap in the barrier.


    On two mountain peaks, Long Hai and Yun Yanrong each took out a Mysterious Moon Order, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the token. The blood quickly disappeared into the tokens.


    In an instant, the tokens emitted a bright light and then released a sphere of light that directly entered their foreheads and vanished.


    Long Hai and Yun Yanrong leapt up and rushed into the gap in the barrier, disappearing from everyone''s sight.


    Watching the two enter the Secret Realm, cultivators holding the Mysterious Moon Order began to follow suit.


    A cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Second Layer stood atop a mountain peak, taking out a Mysterious Moon Order and spewing blood onto it.


    Just as the blood was about to fall onto the Mysterious Moon Order, a shadow flashed from behind on another peak, snatching the token directly from his hand.


    The blood sprayed onto the stones in front of the cultivator. Realizing what had happened, the shocked cultivator hastily shot out a fireball towards the shadow.


    The shadow turned back and with a slash, a Sword Qi engulfed the panic-stricken cultivator.


    "Ahh... Ahh..."


    Two agonized screams sounded. When the dust settled, the silhouette of the cultivator emerged. Struck back by the shadow, the young cultivator had lost an arm and lay weakened on a stone.


    While everyone was still in a state of shock, the shadow had already taken out blood to activate the token and then dashed as a phantom into the gap of the barrier, vanishing from sight.


    From the token being snatched to the young cultivator being injured, then to the activation of the token and entry into the gap of the barrier ¨C all of these events happened in the blink of an eye.


    Before the crowd could react, a series of actions had been completed.


    With the token snatched and the cultivator wounded, his expression sullen, he immediately took to his flying sword and left.


    This person was quite decisive. Now injured and with his power halved in the presence of so many covetous cultivators, he did not leave, perhaps even his life would have been forfeited there.


    While the departure of the injured young cultivator drew everyone''s attention, Lin Tianming and his companion quickly took out their Mysterious Moon Orders, spitting blood onto the tokens.


    By the time the others reacted, several ferocious-looking cultivators had already rushed over, each clutching a Magic Artifact in their hands.


    For a moment, the flashing of blades and swords seemed to engulf them both.


    Learning from the earlier example, Lin Tianming and his companion were prepared, with Second Order Talisman paper in hand, they activated it, forming several barriers in front of them.


    "Boom boom boom..."


    With several loud crashes, the barriers blocked the attacks. At that moment, the tokens shot out two Spirit Groups.


    As the light spheres entered their foreheads, the two immediately felt a warmth on their brows, and the Spirit Groups eventually vanished into their minds.


    Lin Tianming and his companion dared not delay; Lin Shilu grabbed Lin Tianming with one hand and a Spirit Sword with the other, unleashing a tremendous Sword Qi as they both charged into the gap in the barrier.


    Not until their figures disappeared did the several cultivators who had tried to intercept them curse in frustration. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this time, the expressions on the faces of the cultivators at the scene were all tense, witnessing such a scenario, some cultivators with Mysterious Moon Orders began to hesitate.


    If they activated their tokens, they would inevitably attract the attention of others, possibly even losing their lives if they failed to rush into the Secret Realm Entrance.


    If they didn''t try to use the token, the Mysterious Moon Order in their hand could turn into a mere fantasy, missing out on this opportunity for nothing.

 Chapter 179 Seven-Colored Golden Lotus_4

    Watching as the tear in the light screen gradually shrank, if they didn''t make a move now, it would be too late. Some cultivators seemed to have made up their minds.A cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level was the first to act, but those with impure motives weren''t going to give up the dwindling opportunity.


    Soon, the scene turned chaotic, as cultivators took advantage of the turmoil to activate their tokens, hoping to rush into the Secret Realm Entrance amidst the confusion.


    As the tear at the Secret Realm Entrance slowly closed, the light screen returned to its original form.


    After a chaotic battle, several cultivators still risked their lives to charge into the Secret Realm Entrance, and everyone was above the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level in cultivation, having gone through a baptism of blood and blade to complete the feat perilously.


    The valley at this time was a sorry sight, littered with ruins and over a dozen corpses sprawled on the ground.


    In addition, there were dozens more injured cultivators, each regretfully looking at the restored light screen, their hearts filled with unknown thoughts.


    To obtain opportunity one had to pay a bloody price, but such a shocking scene had nothing to do with Lin Tianming and his companion.


    When Lin Tianming and his partner entered the Secret Realm Entrance, and after a dizzy spell, Lin Tianming found himself in a swamp with no one else around.


    As expected, upon entering the Secret Realm, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu were randomly separated.


    Once everything returned to normal, Lin Tianming started to survey this utterly unfamiliar place.


    It was a vast swamp, as far as the eye could see, shrouded in a pale green poison fog, which even affected his Divine Sense, reducing it by at least a third, he estimated.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming looked tense, quickly taking out a dark green pill from his storage bag¡ªbefore this, he had specially prepared a few such elixirs, spending a hefty sum, and each had retained three pills, in case they encountered this kind of poisonous fog.


    In just a short while, Lin Tianming felt the inhaled poison fog causing a throbbing pain in his chest; his expression grave, he didn''t hesitate to swallow the Detoxifying Pill in his hand.


    Having done all this, he gripped the Tiangang Sword in his hand and swung it a few times, creating a discreet bamboo mark on the ground.


    "I hope Fifteenth Grandfather quickly discovers my mark so we can meet up soon; it''s too dangerous to be alone!"


    After muttering to himself, Lin Tianming, looking at the mark hidden on a mound of dirt, shot off in the direction the bamboo point was indicating.


    After walking for half a day, Lin Tianming arrived beside a pond.


    Standing on a rock at the edge of the pond, Lin Tianming fell into a moment of contemplation.


    "Strange... this swamp is too big. Half a day''s journey and I haven''t reached the edge, nor have I encountered any other cultivators, not even the shadow of a demonic beast!"


    "Is this the legendary, peril-filled Secret Realm?"


    "It feels too unreal!"


    While Lin Tianming talked to himself, he scrutinized the pond spanning tens of feet before him.


    "Eh... This pond seems rather strange!"


    Lin Tianming murmured softly, noticing something odd about the pond in front of him; despite a breeze blowing by, the not-so-small pond remained completely waveless, calm as a mirror, which was simply too eerie.


    Under normal circumstances, winds would create ripples across a body of water of this size, but this pond was too still, unsettlingly so.


    "No matter... this place is too strange. Best to leave for now!"


    Lin Tianming made up his mind; since nothing had emerged, no demonic beasts or treasures, he wouldn''t go looking for trouble.


    Just as he turned to leave, the undisturbed water surface produced a single ripple, and then, from the center of the pond, a seven-colored lotus emerged.


    This lotus had only seven petals, each a different color, swaying in the light wind, casting a beautiful seven-colored halo on the surface of the pond.


    Seeing the lotus appear on the still water, Lin Tianming''s face lit up with joy as he exclaimed.


    "The Seven-Colored Golden Lotus!"


    The Seven-Colored Golden Lotus was a Third Order Spiritual Material, with every part valuable; its petals could be used to refine elixirs, many of which used these petals as auxiliary materials. Consuming the petals could also enhance one''s cultivation.


    Beyond that, once the Golden Lotus''s petals fell, they would form varying numbers of seeds. These seeds were truly precious, each capable of strengthening a cultivator''s vital energy and refining their internal organs with remarkable effects, a rare treasure for Body Cultivators.


    Lin Tianming, watching the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus, started to breathe more heavily.


    "I must obtain it!"


    Lin Tianming thought resolutely. However, the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus was still not fully ripe and probably needed more time before it could form the seeds¡ªan ordeal that could take half a day to several days.


    Apart from that, once the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus matured, it was bound to attract demonic beasts, certainly leading to a struggle for possession.


    Even so, Lin Tianming was not about to pass up such an excellent opportunity. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Deciding, he took out fifty-six Earth Evil Swords and covertly positioned all the Spirit Swords in the swamp surrounding the pond, just in case he encountered other cultivators or demonic beasts, so that he could be prepared.


    After doing all this, the Earth Evil Swords were hidden in the mud, nearly undetectable to the unwary eye.


    Lin Tianming breathed a sigh of relief, then quietly found a small mound, dug out a few feet deep cave, reclined within, and closed in on his mind, concealing his breath as he began to wait.

 Chapter 180 Innocent Bystander_1

    In a valley within the secret realm, Lin Shilu''s steps were light as he flitted across the treetops.From the moment he entered the secret realm until now, when his figure emerged, he was constantly on edge, navigating through this vast valley.


    His luck had been fairly good, not being thrown directly into the path of any demonic beasts, but it wasn''t exceptionally good either, as he hadn''t appeared directly in front of a treasure of heaven and earth. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    At this moment, he had already been traveling through the valley for two days, covering hundreds of miles. He hadn''t encountered any demonic beasts on his way but had collected a few Second Order spiritual medicines, which was somewhat of a reward.


    "Huh? Seems like there''s some noise!" Lin Shilu thought he had discovered something!


    He quickly turned his body and concealed himself within the dense foliage of a large tree, gazing intently ahead.


    Before long, a blue-robed cultivator passed by in front of him, his expression looking somewhat odd, as if, like him, he was puzzled by the lack of living creatures around.


    This was the only cultivator Lin Shilu had discovered in the two days since he had entered the secret realm, and the only living creature he had seen. Apart from this person, there wasn''t even a bird in sight.


    Lin Shilu concealed his presence extremely well; the passing cultivator did not notice him.


    "Forget it, the most important thing now is to find Tian Ming. It''s too dangerous to wander in this vast secret realm alone, I should not create unnecessary complications for now!"


    Lin Shilu secretly thought to himself, and only after the person disappeared in the distance and he could no longer sense his presence, did he emerge from the dense foliage and continue on his way.


    After one day had passed, Lin Shilu finally crossed the vast valley and arrived at a swamp.


    Stopping at the edge of the swamp and looking at the thick poisonous fog before him, he hurriedly took out a Detoxifying Pill and swallowed it, then continued to move forward.


    After walking for a day, he still hadn''t crossed the swamp. Looking around at the poison fog, he felt a bit lost.


    The situation was too peculiar; he had thought the secret realm would be full of dangers at every turn, but to his surprise, he hadn''t encountered anything along the way. He had barely left the valley and now arrived at this swamp, which he had no idea how large it was.


    Having walked for so long and still not out, he was now at a loss about where to go next, making him feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.


    Lin Shilu looked resigned as he was about to adjust his direction and prepare to leave when he quietly discovered a discreet marking on a nearby mound.


    "What''s this?"


    Seeing the marking, he didn''t hesitate a moment and immediately dashed over, arriving at the marked mound.


    Looking at the bamboo marking on the ground, Lin Shilu''s face lit up with joy, and he immediately looked in the direction it pointed.


    "Finally found traces of Tian Ming!" Lin Shilu murmured to himself, his heart filled with excitement.


    He had assumed that the secret realm would scatter them far and wide, but unexpectedly they weren''t too far apart; a few days'' travel, for this secret realm of unknown size, could be considered relatively close. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Perhaps it''s because the two of us entered together that we weren''t scattered too far apart, otherwise it really would have been troublesome!"


    Lin Shilu muttered softly to himself and then quickly followed the direction indicated by the marking.


    ...


    At the swamp, beside a placid pond.


    Time slowly passed, and night gradually fell.


    In the cave by the pond, Lin Tianming''s divine sense was fully activated, constantly monitoring every movement in his surroundings.


    It had been two days since the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus had surfaced, and there was still no sign of a lotus pod forming, let alone seeing the shadow of a lotus seed.


    "Why hasn''t the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus formed yet? If this continues, other cultivators will be attracted, which could spell trouble!"


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, feeling helpless. Despite his urgency, all he could do was wait patiently.


    Deep into the night...


    The petals of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus deepened in color, their multicolored light shining like a bright lamp in the darkness, visible from a hundred yards away.


    A breeze swept by, and the petals of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus began to fall, floating on the calm surface of the water, with a unique fragrance drifting through the air.


    Seeing this, a hint of joy flashed across Lin Tianming''s face, but it quickly turned serious.


    The blooming of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus in the night was so eye-catching that it was bound to cause trouble, especially since demonic beasts were accustomed to being active at night. There was a chance that the beasts would smell the unusual fragrance or see the dazzling light.


    Under such circumstances, obtaining the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus would likely entail a significant struggle!


    "Fortunately, although this poisonous fog brings trouble, it also effectively shields the bright light and prevents the strange aroma of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus from spreading. Only by approaching this pond can the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus be discovered!"


    Hidden in a cave, Lin Tianming thought to himself, praying that no trouble would come his way.


    Unfortunately, his wish was not granted. Ripples suddenly formed on the previously undisturbed water surface, and a large snake covered in green spots emerged from the water, opening its huge mouth as snake saliva dripped from its green-spotted hide onto the pond bank, making one''s scalp tingle.


    "Green-Spotted Poison Python!"


    Upon seeing the snake''s head emerge, Lin Tianming''s face turned anxious, but he dared not make any rash moves.


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python was a water-attribute demonic beast and contained a faint trace of an Ancient True Dragon''s blood. Although diluted, it was not to be underestimated and was quite rare in the current Cultivation World, likely only present in some secret realms.


    And this Green-Spotted Poison Python was a Second Order Late-Stage demon beast. The divine skills of ancient monster serpents were strong, and this snake''s power was probably not less than that of a cultivator at the Eighth Level of Foundation Establishment.


    Thinking this, Lin Tianming inwardly felt alarmed.


    Fortunately, he had not stayed by the pond; otherwise, being discovered by this serpent, he might already have become its prey.

 Chapter 180 Innocent Bystander_2

    Just as his mind wandered beyond the earthly plane, the Green-Spotted Poison Python in the water pool moved. It swam around the pool as if patrolling its surroundings.After circling around, the Green-Spotted Poison Python didn''t seem to detect anything abnormal and returned to the side of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus.


    Looking at the seven colorful petals that had fallen into the pool, the Green-Spotted Poison Python opened its mouth wide and sucked forcefully, causing several petals to slide over along with the water flow.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming felt a pang of regret.


    If Lin Shilu were here, the two of them together might have been able to snatch a few petals, but with his strength alone, he dared not reveal even a breath of his presence, which would be no different from seeking death. He could only watch as the precious petals were swallowed by the monster serpent.


    Just as the monster serpent was about to swallow the petals, a sound of breaking air came.


    A grey-robed cultivator emerged from the poison mist, holding a Crescent Hook Artifact in his hand, and on his Daoist robe hung a dark green gourd.


    "Evil creature, dare not!"


    The grey-robed cultivator shouted angrily, and the Crescent Hook Artifact in his hand shone brightly, sending moon-shaped spots of light directly at the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    Meanwhile, the Green-Spotted Poison Python, seeing the moon-shaped spots of light coming at high speed, had no choice but to abandon the petals at its mouth.


    Raising its head, the Green-Spotted Poison Python saw the approaching spots of light and spat out a green mist, engulfing all the light spots within it.


    "Ssssss...Sss..."


    A series of strange sounds came as the light spots in the green mist corroded, producing a plume of black smoke that rose up.


    Although the attack from the magic artifact was corroded away, the grey-robed cultivator did not panic at all, instead revealing an expression of great joy.


    He slapped his palm towards his waist, and the dark green gourd hanging there suddenly appeared in his hand.


    The grey-robed cultivator formed a single-handed seal, mumbling an incantation, then spat a mouthful of fresh blood onto the dark green gourd.


    The dark green gourd instantly glowed with green light and began to swell crazily until it reached half a zhang in size and then hung suspended in front of the grey-robed cultivator.


    Facing the approaching poison mist, the grey-robed cultivator issued a Law Decree, striking the dark green gourd.


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    The gourd immediately opened its mouth, sucking in the oncoming poison mist.


    Soon... the poison mist sprayed by the Green-Spotted Poison Python was completely absorbed by the gourd, and the scene regained its normal state.


    Seeing this, the monster serpent thrashed its body, as thick as a water bucket, and stirred up waves.


    "Heh heh... This Green-Spotted Poison Python''s toxin is of good quality, enough for this old man to use for a few days!"


    The grey-robed cultivator laughed contentedly, speaking to himself while watching the enraged Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    This gourd of his had a special ingenious use; it was specifically designed to counter all kinds of poisonous mists. It could not only collect the toxic mist of demonic beasts but also release them. It was a nefarious weapon against cultivators. He had used this object multiple times to turn danger into safety, and the role of this dark green gourd was indispensable.


    In the water pool, the infuriated monster serpent would not give up. It swung its massive body, churning up waves, and quickly formed ice walls that covered the sky and whistled towards the grey-robed old man.


    It seemed that the monster serpent possessed not insignificant Spirit Wisdom, knowing that the grey-robed cultivator''s gourd could suck in the poison mist, so it switched to a different method of attack.


    The grey-robed cultivator''s expression became serious as he faced the serpent''s changed method of attack.


    Faced with the overwhelming ice balls, while he retreated, the magic artifact in his hand once again burst forth with spots of light aiming at the monster serpent.


    "Boom boom boom..."


    A series of loud explosions sounded as the moon-shaped spots of light collided with the oncoming ice balls.


    A few moments later, the moon-shaped spots of light were worn down to nothing, but there were still a considerable number of ice balls hurtling towards the grey-robed man.


    The grey-robed man''s face showed a trace of seriousness. He hadn''t expected the Green-Spotted Poison Python''s other means of attack to be so ferocious, momentarily putting him at a disadvantage. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, being a Loose Cultivator who had cultivated to the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level and had slain many powerful enemies and Second Order Demonic Beasts, he had already seen all sorts of strange and wonderful methods.


    As he retreated explosively, he waved his sleeves, and several Second Order Talismans suddenly appeared in his hand, which he triggered without hesitation and threw out.


    As the ice balls slammed into the barriers created by the Second Order Talismans, deafening blasts rang out.


    One by one, the barriers shattered, and the ice balls broke into fragments or fell directly into the mire.


    For a time, the battlefield was splattered with mud, and numerous deep pits appeared, obviously created by the impact of the ice balls.


    At that moment, the grey-robed cultivator stabilized his stance. With a slap to his storage bag, he produced a blood-red curved saber in his hand. It emitted a strong evil aura, causing the temperature in the vicinity to involuntarily drop a few degrees.


    Hidden in the cave, Lin Tianming held his breath, bearing witness to the fierce battle between the grey-robed cultivator and the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    Seeing this man take out the evil-filled Curved Saber Artifact, which was irrefutably a Second Order Medium Quality Artifact and a powerful Blood Evil Blade at that, it seemed he was about to get serious.


    The grey-robed cultivator laughed wildly, with spells flying from his hands and incantations coming from his mouth.


    "Ice Blood Evil Saber, kill!"


    The Blood Evil Blade in his hand glowed intensely, releasing terrifying Blade Qi that shot straight toward the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    In the water pool, the monster serpent moved its body, raising its massive head and spraying out a large amount of dark green liquid, corroding much of the surrounding air.


    In an instant, the blood-colored Blade Qi arrived above the head of the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python twisted its massive body, desperately trying to dodge the terrifying blood-colored Blade Qi.


    However, the speed of the Blade Qi was astonishingly fast. While its massive body had explosive force during attacks, at this crucial moment, it became a burden.

 Chapter 180 Innocent Bystander_3

    ```After a piercing screech, the Green-Spotted Poison Python writhed its body desperately, trying to dodge the fatal attack.


    Alas, having left the water, its flexibility was hindered, and although it avoided the vital parts being hit, its tail was struck by the bloody Blade Qi.


    "Roar roar roar..."


    In pain, the Green-Spotted Poison Python fell back into the pool, rolling about wildly.


    The dark green liquid it spat out enveloped the grey-robed man like a downpour.


    "Sizzle sizzle sizzle..." An acrid stench permeated the air.


    Only when the dark green poison landed on the swamp did the figure of the grey-robed man become visible again.


    At this moment, his complexion had turned a bit pale with numerous holes in his Daoist robe, revealing the flesh underneath, much of which was burnt and charred, portraying a somewhat tragic sight.


    However, the grey-robed cultivator seemed to pay no mind to the minor injuries on his body as he raised his hand to inspect the gourd, a satisfied look appearing on his face.


    "Heh heh... This poison is quite good, many times stronger than the previous poison mists."


    He muttered to himself before raising his eyes to look at the pool where the Green-Spotted Poison Python was.


    The water churned, mixed with scarlet blood, looking quite gorgeous, yet somewhat unnerving.


    Only when the waves had subsided a little did the shape of the Green-Spotted Poison Python reveal itself.


    The Monster Serpent seemed weakened, with an injury several inches long on its tail, revealing the flesh inside, almost being decapitated.


    The serpent no longer dared to expose most of its body, only poking its head above the surface, glaring at the grey-robed cultivator with a malevolent look.


    At this time, the scent of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus in the middle of the pool became even more potent. The proud lotus pod''s color grew even more vibrant, with the seeds inside breaking free from the confines of the pod, revealing translucent seeds.


    Seeing the seeds start to emerge, he estimated that in half an hour, they would be fully exposed and ripe.


    Witnessing this, the grey-robed man''s face lit up with joy as he thought to himself.


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    "I can''t delay any longer. This Secret Realm is filled with danger, and many disciples from the Golden Core Forces have come in. I must fight quickly and decisively, or if discovered by the major powers, all treasures will be lost."


    Determined, his Ice Blood Evil Saber glowed intensely in his hand as a torrent of Sword Qi and fireballs erupted in the sky, charging towards the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python, eying the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus nearby, became extremely agitated, evidently unwilling to relinquish the treasure it had guarded for many years.


    Seeing the human approaching again, the serpent opened its mouth to spray poison, turning into a rain of toxic liquid that shrouded the grey-robed man.


    At the same time, it thrashed its massive tail, sweeping towards the grey-robed man.


    Obviously, with the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus about to ripen, both the grey-robed man and the Green-Spotted Poison Python had become desperate for the chance, sparing no effort in the fight.


    For a time, the swamp shuddered non-stop, and flashes of light zipped through the night.


    Lin Tianming watched the entire scene, not daring to breathe.


    With such a commotion, neither the grey-robed man nor the Green-Spotted Poison Python was something he could contend with alone.


    He simply wished for the battle to end quickly, for the victor to collect the spoils and leave so that he might be free to find as many treasures as possible in this incredibly precious time.


    ...


    On a mound in the northwest corner of the swamp,


    Lin Shilu''s feet lightly touched the ground, leaping dozens of feet to land atop a hill.


    After exiting the ravine, he had come to the midst of this vast swamp, following the markers left by Lin Tianming to his current location.


    His luck had been far better than Lin Tianming''s. Following a similar path through the swamp, he encountered several Second Order Initial Stage Demonic Beasts, which he killed without exerting much effort, gaining numerous Second Order spirit materials, all prized among their tier.


    Standing on the mound, Lin Shilu looked thoughtfully at the faint bamboo patterns beneath him.


    Three days had passed since entering the Secret Realm, and he had traveled nearly a hundred miles in the swamp, spending a whole day without a trace of Lin Tianming.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu felt worried as he gazed in the direction indicated by the markers.


    Just then, a glimmer of light flashed in the night in the direction he was looking at. Despite its briefness, he noticed it.


    "There''s a disturbance. I wonder if it''s Tianming. It looks like I need to quicken my pace."


    His face grew serious, filled with anticipation and concern, his emotions complex.


    Taking a deep breath, he hastened towards the direction of the bamboo markers and soon vanished into the night.


    By the pool, the waves surged, and the sky was ablaze with light.


    The grey-robed man and the Green-Spotted Poison Python had fought dozens of rounds, each giving as good as they got. The battle had reached a fever pitch.


    By now, the grey-robed man''s clothes were torn, his flesh a bloody haze, with large areas corroded by the serpent''s poison. His complexion was pale, and his overall aura was much deflated.


    Conversely, the Green-Spotted Poison Python was in an even more wretched state, its body covered with dense cuts, most of its scales shed, and a small section of its tail already missing.


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python opened its maw and let out a shriek, looking at the cultivator in the distance, seemingly considering retreat.


    Shooting forth a barrage of ice arrows towards the grey-robed man, it then turned and bit towards the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus on the verge of ripening.


    Seeing the serpent''s actions, clearly not intending to wait for the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus to mature, it was preparing to swallow the most precious part, the pod, and flee.


    ```


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 Chapter 180 Innocent Bystander_4

    Although the lotus seeds were not fully mature, falling just short of ripe and thus their effect greatly diminished, they were still far better than obtaining nothing at all, or even perishing here.If the monster serpent succeeded, even if he killed the Green-Spotted Poison Python, he would fail to secure the most precious thing. As a result, his loss would be significant.


    Thinking of these things, the gray-robed man was both shocked and enraged, baring his teeth and grimacing.


    He waved his sleeve, and several Second Order talismans flew out, transforming into various forms of barriers in the path of the ice arrows, while simultaneously, his Ice Slaughter Knife shone brightly as he furiously slashed at the Green-Spotted Poison Python, intent on stopping the monster serpent''s actions.


    The gray-robed man, having employed his most powerful efforts, attacked the Green-Spotted Poison Python with a frenzy.


    Seeing that the ice arrows were mostly dissipated by the barriers formed from the talismans, what remained posed no real threat to the gray-robed man.


    With a storm of attacks arriving, if it still forcefully swallowed the lotus pod, it would surely not have time to escape and its fate would be death right here.


    In that instant, the Green-Spotted Poison Python seemed to recognize the dire situation, and under immense pressure, temporarily gave up on swallowing the lotus pod.


    Even so, under the relentless onslaught of blade Qi and talismans, it had to fight desperately to survive.


    The monster serpent let out a piercing shriek, spitting out a blood arrow that struck with extreme speed, aimed directly at the gray-robed man.


    This blood arrow was the Green-Spotted Poison Python''s Innate Divine Ability, its strongest strike, used only in desperate times to carve a bloody path for its escape. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing the blood arrow coming at an alarmingly high speed,


    the gray-robed man''s expression turned extremely grave. As he retreated, he pulled out the few remaining Defense Talismans, activating them, which transformed into various barriers in front of him.


    After doing all this, he still did not feel assured, and quickly took out a small turtle shell shield, pumping it full of vast spiritual power, until the turtle shell expanded and formed a large shell that covered him before he felt somewhat relieved.


    "Boom..." a thunderous and earthshaking noise erupted.


    The gray-robed man and the Green-Spotted Poison Python''s strikes met at the same time.


    In the blink of an eye, the barriers formed from the talismans shattered one after another, and the Green-Spotted Poison Python''s blood arrow slammed into the turtle shell.


    Although the barriers formed from the talismans had absorbed some of the power of the blood arrow, its force was still incredibly potent,


    "Bang..."


    A loud noise echoed, and a crack suddenly appeared in the turtle shell, while the red ice arrow began to dissipate.


    At the same time, the gray-robed man was flung dozens of meters back by the impact of the ice arrow on the turtle shell, barely managing to steady himself.


    The gray-robed man now looked pale and powerless, with fresh blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, clearly having sustained serious injuries.


    He raised his hand and saw the crack on the turtle shell, which was about to break apart, resulting in the shell''s defensive power being greatly weakened, probably retaining less than thirty percent of its defensive capacity.


    Second Order Defense Artifacts are not commonly seen, even a lower-grade Defense Artifact is nearly equivalent to a medium-grade Attack Talisman.


    Even though he was a cultivator at the late stages of Foundation Establishment, with considerable wealth and status, losing a Defense Artifact was still a painful blow.


    But he didn''t even have time to feel the pain, as the miserable cries of the Green-Spotted Poison Python came from the water.


    Looking over, the monster serpent was twisting its body wildly; almost none of its skin was intact.


    It writhed vigorously, drenched in blood, making no hesitation to flee, no longer caring about the now-ripe Seven-Colored Golden Lotus.


    The monster serpent turned and twisted, moving rapidly through the mud, heading straight in the direction where Lin Tianming was hiding.


    Suddenly, a distinct trail of blood-red colored the swamp, evidently the monster serpent''s blood mixing with the mud.


    For some reason, apart from the direction of the gray-robed cultivator, the monster serpent could have escaped any other way, yet it chose to head in Lin Tianming''s direction.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming was shocked and horrified.


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    "Why drag me into this mess, you beast!" Lin Tianming cursed under his breath, seething with anger.


    He was a bystander caught in the crossfire, initially considering giving up this opportunity, but now he found himself unexpectedly entangled.


    More importantly, even if the gray-robed cultivator was injured and his power somewhat diminished, a cultivator at the Eighth Level of Foundation Establishment was beyond his ability to confront.


    If it were a Fifth Level Foundation Establishment, he wouldn''t have given up on this chance, willing to take the risk, but against an Eighth Level, he knew very well that he was no match.


    "How can I escape this!"


    Lin Tianming was extremely anxious, pondering over strategies in his mind.

 Chapter 181 Annihilate the Enemy_1

    Swamp...The grey-robed man''s mouth twisted into a malicious grin upon seeing the Green-Spotted Poison Python attempting to escape.


    After all, the battle had taken a great deal of effort; he had exhausted an array of tactics and spent a significant amount of treasures, and he had also sustained serious injuries.


    Thus, the gravely injured Green-Spotted Poison Python had to die to quench his fury.


    The grey-robed man put away the turtle shell he had in his hand, then grasped the Ice Slaughter Knife, unleashing a terrifying Blade Qi, which he directed at the fleeing Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    At this moment, the Green-Spotted Poison Python was less than three hundred yards from Lin Tianming, a distance it could quickly cover.


    Lin Tianming''s heart raced with anxiety, uncertain of what to do.


    If he revealed himself, he could hardly guarantee that the grey-robed man would spare him; if he remained hidden, he could only hope that the grey-robed man would kill the Green-Spotted Poison Python before it discovered him.


    Seeing the grey-robed man in pursuit, the Green-Spotted Poison Python was also extremely angry.


    However, with its strength greatly depleted, the Monster Serpent wanted nothing more than to escape this place as quickly as possible, rather than entangle with the grey-robed man.


    Yet the injured Monster Serpent slowed down, its power greatly diminished, unable to break free.


    Just then, the grey-robed man caught up, his presence bursting with Blade Qi, his hands conjuring various Five Elements Spells like fireballs and ice swords.


    "Monster, you think you can escape? No way!"


    The grey-robed man roared in anger, the Ice Slaughter Knife in his hand ablaze with blood light, as he poured down all his methods, instantly engulfing the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    The fury of the storm was clearly intended to kill the Green-Spotted Poison Python in one strike.


    "Boom..."


    Red and yellow light flashed in the night, dazzling like shooting stars.


    The trapped Green-Spotted Poison Python turned its head and spat out another Ice Arrow, confronting the grey-robed cultivator''s attack head-on.


    Unfortunately, the severely injured Green-Spotted Poison Python''s strength was greatly diminished, and its Ice Arrow was immediately overwhelmed by the storm-like Blade Qi, quickly dissipating in the blood light.


    The relentless Blade Qi struck with the speed of lightning.


    In this desperate situation, the gravely injured Green-Spotted Poison Python had no way to dodge; it could only try to move away from its vital areas to find a slim chance of survival.


    In an instant, the blood-colored Blade Qi enveloped the Monster Serpent, countless Blade Qi nicks marking its body as flesh flew and large patches of scales and flesh fell into the mud, staining a large area of the swamp red.


    "Hss hss hss..."


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python opened its mouth, hissing frantically, appearing as if in unbearable pain.


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python struggled mightily, twisting its riddled body, seemingly still desirous of living.


    Meanwhile, the grey-robed man''s face wore a stern expression as he watched the Monster Serpent crawl towards Lin Tianming, a hint of mockery in his eyes.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming''s expression darkened, his inner hopes completely shattered.


    The situation was developing in the worst possible way.


    As the Monster Serpent and the grey-robed man drew closer, Lin Tianming would eventually be discovered if things continued this way.


    Sure enough, the grey-robed man grasping the Snow Evil Blade leapt forward, releasing a burst of Blade Qi that pierced through the Monster Serpent''s vital spots.


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python cried out several times, its enormous body struggling a few moments before it lay still, lifeless.


    The grey-robed man sighed with relief, walked over to the corpse of the Monster Serpent, and began to extract its inner core.


    At that moment, the grey-robed man''s brow furrowed as he looked toward the mound where Lin Tianming was and sneered.


    "Fellow Daoist, show yourself!"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming''s face turned extremely solemn as he reluctantly emerged from the cave and stood atop the mound, warily watching the grey-robed man across from him.


    Their eyes met, and Lin Tianming maintained his composure, bowing to the grey-robed man and explaining,


    "Esteemed fellow Daoist, I was simply here first and happened upon you arriving. However, I mean no harm and do not intend to interfere. As for the spoils of this place, they are all yours, and regarding this matter, I will absolutely not reveal a single word." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing this, the grey-robed man chuckled, also weighing the pros and cons in his heart.


    Since he couldn''t see through Lin Tianming''s cultivation, he hesitated, and since Lin Tianming had stayed hidden, if he had intended to attack, he would have done so by now.


    Since he had not attacked, it was clear that he wasn''t confident, hence his continuous backing down.


    "Enough, let''s test the waters first!"


    The grey-robed man thought to himself, then with a smile, he respectfully replied to Lin Tianming,


    "I see, you may leave at your leisure."


    As soon as these words fell, Lin Tianming''s face lit up with joy, and he appeared very nonchalant.


    He bowed to the grey-robed man and then said casually,


    "Ha ha... thank you for understanding, fellow Daoist... I shall take my leave now."


    With that, Lin Tianming turned to leave, but remained vigilant of the grey-robed cultivator''s every move.


    He was well aware that this man was likely a Loose Cultivator with unpredictable and vicious methods; probably he hesitated to act rashly because he could not fathom Lin Tianming''s cultivation.


    But such a ruthless person would not let him leave so easily, that much was certain.


    As expected, just as Lin Tianming turned around, the grey-robed man''s Blood Evil Blade surged with blood light.


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    Lin Tianming''s face changed, and as he retreated, he clenched several talismans in his hand, and without any hesitation, activated them.


    After a loud explosion, the Blade Qi pierced through the barrier formed by the talismans and slashed toward Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming swiftly dodged the greatly weakened Blade Qi, landing on a small mound.


    Once he had steadied himself, Lin Tianming stared at the grey-robed man, his expression one of shock and anger as he said,


    "What is the meaning of this, fellow Daoist? Why go back on your word?"

 Chapter 181 Extinguishing the Enemy_2

    Upon hearing these words, the man in the gray robe looked at Lin Tianming with a mocking expression.Clearly, after a probing strike, he had gauged Lin Tianming''s approximate strength and knew that in a one-on-one fight, Lin Tianming was absolutely no match for him.


    With this in mind, he no longer pretended to play nice and scoffed,


    "Only the dead tell no tales, so prepare to leave your life behind!"


    Before his words had even finished, the cultivator in the gray robe''s Blood Evil Blade burst into a bright blood light, emitting a multitude of Blade Qi, and slashed toward Lin Tianming.


    Seeing that the gloves were completely off and fearing that turning to run would only hasten his death, Lin Tianming realized the situation was grim. Yet, as his opponent was likely heavily drained of both Spiritual Power and talisman paper after the previous battle, there was still hope to repel him head-on.


    Thinking this, Lin Tianming''s heart hardened and he decided to fight with all his might, holding nothing back for the sake of himself.


    With a wave of his hand, his Tiangang Sword shone brilliantly as it too burst into a barrage of Sword Qi, colliding head-on with the oncoming Blade Qi.


    The two forces exploded upon impact in the sky, with successive booms echoing out. The Blade Qi clearly had the upper hand, breaking through the Sword Qi and continuing its path toward Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming''s face grew stern as he hastily retreated, simultaneously hurling forth the talisman paper in his hand to envelop the cultivator in the gray robe.


    After making these moves, as the Blade Qi drew perilously close, Lin Tianming pulled out his Green Scale Shield and poured in a copious amount of Spiritual Power, causing the shield to bulge and protect him from behind.


    The Blade Qi, weakened by the Sword Qi, struck the Green Scale Shield with a thunderous crash, pushing Lin Tianming back dozens of feet before he could steady himself.


    The swamp was left in shambles, presenting a harrowing sight.


    Following the clash, Lin Tianming felt numbness in his arms and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He forcibly suppressed it and continued to watch his opponent warily.


    Merely one exchange had resulted in minor injuries for Lin Tianming, confirming the formidable strength of the cultivator in the gray robe.


    Upon seeing the Second Order Magical Artifact, the Tiangang Sword, and the Defense Artifact, the Green Scale Shield, in Lin Tianming''s possession, the cultivator hesitated for a moment.


    "This person''s cultivation might not be high, yet he carries such treasures. Could he be a young master from a Golden Elixir Force?"


    "Forget it, no matter which force''s offspring he is, if he dies in the Secret Realm and the job is done cleanly, even the Golden Elixir Experts won''t be able to trace a thing!"


    "If I can obtain a Nascent Soul Spiritual Item in the Secret Realm, I can flee far away. After all, I''m just a lone cultivator."


    The cultivator in the gray robe thought greedily to himself.


    Little did he know, these treasures were but a small part of Lin Tianming''s wealth. Because this person possessed the Dark Green Gourd, designed specifically to counter poison mists, Lin Tianming dared not use his Thousand Beast Banner for fear that the other could capture its black mist and Soul within the gourd ¨C that was the sole reason he hadn''t employed it.


    After another round, both fighters lapsed into a brief interlude, during which Lin Tianming pondered his strategy.


    No longer capable of withstanding a frontal assault, he needed to lure his opponent into the Earth Fiend Sword Formation; with the Sword Array, there might be a sliver of hope.


    Lin Tianming quickly assessed the situation and decided on a plan.


    He took out several more pieces of talisman paper, activated them, and threw them at his adversary. His Tiangang Sword then burst forth with Sword Qi, assaulting the cultivator in the gray robe.


    When Lin Tianming took the offensive, the cultivator was somewhat surprised, but he retaliated with a cold laugh and waved his Blood Evil Blade, unleashing a torrent of Blade Qi again.


    The two of them threw themselves into battle, a whirlwind of attacks igniting the sky as if flowers blossomed in the night.


    With frequent swings of his Blood Evil Blade, the cultivator in the gray robe kept the onslaught of Blade Qi coming, while Lin Tianming was just barely able to hold his ground using a multitude of talismanic weapons and the Green Scale Shield.


    Several rounds of intense fighting rapidly depleted their Spiritual Power. Even though the cultivator had deeper reserves, the successive battles wore him down, preventing him from holding out for much longer.


    Moreover, after several rounds of attack, the power of the cultivator''s offensive visibly weakened, which was indeed good news.


    After exchanging blows, Lin Tianming used his Green Scale Shield to block a strike, and exploiting the rebound force, he leapt towards the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus.


    In the blink of an eye, Lin Tianming appeared above the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus, reaching out to snatch it from the air.


    Seeing this, the cultivator in the gray robe''s complexion darkened, and he surged with Spiritual Light as he leaped toward Lin Tianming. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    The Seven-Colored Golden Lotus was not yet ripe; naturally, Lin Tianming wouldn''t truly destroy the immature plant. His actions were merely to lead the cultivator into the center of the Sword Array. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As expected, in desperation, the cultivator failed to think it through and, with the Blood Evil Blade in hand, entered the center of the Sword Array.


    A hint of joy flashed over the pale-faced Lin Tianming as he pinched a Law Decree and chanted sotto voce.


    "Boom..."


    With the sound of swords humming, the Earth Evil Swords flew up from the depths of the mud, swiftly spinning and quickly forming a Barrier.


    Lin Tianming released a Law Decree with his hands, striking the operating Sword Array.


    "Earth Fiend Sword Formation, entrap!"


    Lin Tianming shouted forcefully while exerting all his strength to command the Sword Array, trapping the cultivator in the gray robe securely within it.


    Feeling the constriction of the Sword Array and the wandering Sword Qi inside, the cultivator''s countenance turned exceedingly gloomy.


    However, he did not panic. Although the Sword Array operated smoothly, it covered a wide area, making it somewhat unstable.


    While the roving Sword Qi was not weak, it was still not too difficult for him to dodge.


    It didn''t take long for the cultivator to assess his situation; his Blood Evil Blade glinted red as he fired Blade Qi against the barrier of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    "Bang bang bang..."


    Under frenzied attacks, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation began to shake violently, teetering on the brink of collapse.

 Chapter 181 Annihilate Enemy_3

    Lin Tianming dared not be careless, ignoring the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, desperately maintaining the stability of the sword array.


    "Simply trapping him like this isn''t a solution, the sword formation must be narrowed quickly, otherwise it won''t be long before he breaks through the barrier and comes out!"


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, and immediately started swinging the Tiangang Sword in an attempt to push back the grey-robed cultivator, to buy himself some time.


    "Tiangang Nine Swords Second Sword!"


    A terrifying burst of Sword Qi shot towards the grey-robed cultivator, its speed so fast it was frightening.


    After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer, this was the first time he had used this Divine Skill. The combined power of the two swords exceeded his expectations.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s attack, the grey-robed cultivator''s face turned solemn, and he took out the damaged turtle shell to shield himself.


    In an instant, the Sword Qi struck the turtle shell, leaving a deep crack and causing the already weakened shell to sustain more damage.


    The grey-robed man was forced back several zhang by the Tiangang Sword Qi, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, evidently suffering an internal injury.


    Seizing the opportunity, Lin Tianming quickly reduced the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, soon reaching a range of several dozen zhang.


    The grey-robed cultivator turned, his ferocious face glaring at Lin Tianming, looking extremely enraged.


    With a flick of his fingers over the Law Decree, he spat out blood onto the Blood Evil Blade, which then merged into the blade and disappeared without a trace.


    At that moment, the Blood Evil Blade began vibrating intensely, letting out series of piercing cries, its blood light growing even more vivid.


    "Blood Evil Heavenly Blade, break for me!"


    A dreadful moonlight shot up into the sky, then burst forth, slamming into the walls of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming''s face filled with horror; he operated the sword formation with all his might in hopes of withstanding this terrifying strike.


    In less than a moment''s time, the already stable Earth Fiend Sword Formation began to shake violently, then it stopped functioning, and the fifty-six Earth Evil Swords fell from the sky, dropping into the mud.


    With the Earth Fiend Sword Formation broken, Lin Tianming''s mind was hit hard. He spat out several mouthfuls of blood, his breath instantly weakening.


    The grey-robed cultivator, now free from confinement, looked even paler. To escape the sword formation, he had been forced to use all his strength, resulting in greater consumption of his spiritual power and further aggravating his injuries.


    His angry gaze fixed on Lin Tianming, now that he had witnessed his Divine Skills, he would no longer take him lightly.


    At this point, Lin Tianming''s complexion was dark. Having spent most of his spiritual power and his injuries worsening, he had less than thirty percent of his strength remaining.


    He gripped the Tiangang Sword, eyeing the grey-robed cultivator in the distance, brainstorming ways to survive.


    However, with limited strength and severe injuries, this situation clearly seemed like a dead end.


    And the grey-robed cultivator would not give him any more chances. As he struck the Law Decree on the Blood Evil Blade, a fierce Blade Qi was unleashed, intending to take Lin Tianming''s life.


    Facing the terrifying Blade Qi, Lin Tianming was all too aware of its power. As the ferocious Blade Qi approached, he bore the intense pain throughout his body and poured a great amount of spiritual power into the Green Scale Shield, desperately blocking this lethal strike. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Pu..."


    Where the Blade Qi struck, a crack opened up in the Green Scale Shield. Lin Tianming flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing into the mud, immediately spewing several mouthfuls of blood, nearly vomiting his internal organs.


    Lin Tianming lay in the mud, his body riddled with open flesh wounds, exposing pale golden bones.


    The grey-robed cultivator''s full-powered strike had been blocked by Lin Tianming using the Green Scale Shield, but the violent force had injured him, and the shield''s defensive power was greatly reduced, unlikely to withstand a second attack.


    Fortunately, the injuries he sustained were external; his meridians were almost unharmed, and with his robust physique, recovery should not be difficult.


    He propped himself up with the Tiangang Sword, shakily standing up from the mud, his eyes bloodshot, staring down the grey-robed cultivator.


    "Hm?"


    Seeing Lin Tianming still alive and able to stand up on his own, the grey-robed cultivator looked utterly incredulous.


    "No matter the reason, meeting me was your bad luck. But considering your exceptional talent, I''ll grant you a quick end!" S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After muttering to himself, the grey-robed cultivator''s Blood Evil Blade once again unleashed a wave of Blade Qi, slashing straight down.


    Lin Tianming watched the oncoming Blade Qi with a wry smile, then closed his eyes to await death.


    Just then, a sound of tearing through the air arrived. Lin Shilu shot towards him at lightning speed, positioning himself firmly in front of Lin Tianming.


    Lin Shilu steadied himself, his spiritual power surged, and he expanded the Green Scale Shield immensely, shielding both of them behind it.


    "Bang..."


    With a loud noise, the Green Scale Shield remained intact, effortlessly blocking the terrifying Blade Qi until it completely dissipated into spots of spiritual light in the night.


    Lin Tianming, who hadn''t felt the separation of his body from his head, opened his eyes to see Lin Shilu''s towering figure and wondered if he was hallucinating.


    He shook his heavy head and lamented, "Fifteenth Grandfather, Tian Ming is going to meet the ancestors, I''m going to break my promise to protect our family!"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s words, Lin Shilu immediately slapped his cheek, hoping to wake him up.


    "Tian Ming, you lad aren''t dead; I''ve arrived in time!"


    Feeling the real sensation on his face and hearing Lin Shilu''s voice, Lin Tianming finally realized that he indeed hadn''t died.


    At the critical moment, Lin Shilu arrived to block the fatal strike, then he turned to inspect Lin Tianming''s injuries. Thankfully, they had not reached the meridians; healing the external wounds wouldn''t be difficult.


    He took out two elixirs and stuffed them in Lin Tianming''s mouth, settling him down before turning around, angrily eyeing the grey-robed cultivator.

 Chapter 181 Exterminate Enemy_4

    At this moment, upon seeing Lin Shilu rush over, the complexion of the gray-robed cultivator turned extremely ugly.


    He had previously been locked in intense battle with the Green-Spotted Poison Python for quite some time, already depleting a large amount of Spiritual Power and Talismanic Weapons. In his attempt to kill Lin Tianming, he had exhausted all his methods, leaving his Spiritual Power nearly spent.


    Now, with Lin Shilu arriving, possessing even stronger strength and Magic Artifacts, under such relentless attack, there was no way he could be his opponent.


    Thinking of this, the cultivator in the gray robe had already developed the intention to retreat, yet he dared not show it, for fear of betraying his weakness to Lin Shilu.


    He feigned composure and, with a calm expression, greeted Lin Shilu with a clasped fist:


    "Fellow Daoist, the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus has matured. Why don''t we stop here and share the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus equally, what do you say?"


    "Heh heh..." Lin Shilu let out a mocking laugh.


    "You nearly took the life of my junior, and had I not arrived in time, even extracting your soul and refining your spirit would not quell my anger!"


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s words, the gray-robed cultivator realized the gravity of the situation, and he knew that today''s matters could not be resolved amicably. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He sighed inwardly, no longer saying much, as the red light from the Blood Evil Blade in his hand intensified and he took the initiative to attack.


    Seeing the corpse of the Green-Spotted Poison Python on the ground, as well as Lin Tianming''s condition, Lin Shilu knew that this man''s power must have been greatly diminished, not worth fearing at all.


    "Hmph... merely the last burst of a dying flame. I will send you on your way and avenge my grandson!"


    Lin Shilu let out a cold chuckle, his Spirit Sword emitting waves of sonorous sword cries while Spiritual Power frantically poured into the sword.


    In an instant, the Spirit Sword blazed with Golden Light and the wind rose fiercely, billowing his robes and revealing a terrifying intent to kill.


    Without any reservations, his move was the strongest attack, intending to end the battle with a single strike.


    "Boom boom boom..."


    A thunderous roar echoed, as blood-red Blade Qi collided with the Golden Sword Qi, exploding in the night sky and forming a huge and dazzling fireball.


    After the strike, neither had the upper hand.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu''s expression changed and he felt the fearsome strength of the man in the gray robe, wondering how Tian Ming had managed to endure for so long against him.


    Regathering his focus, he did not give his adversary any chance to catch a breath as his Spirit Sword once again burst forth with power.


    In an instant, the two were locked in combat, the night sky flashing with light, each burst signifying a fierce clash.


    After nearly ten rounds, the gray-robed man managed to block a strike but his face turned pale and bloodless, gasping for air.


    After a fierce exchange, initially, the two were almost evenly matched, but as the fight progressed, his Spiritual Power depleted rapidly and hit bottom, constantly pressured by Lin Shilu, forcing him into a defensive position.


    At this moment, he felt incredibly stifled. Had he been in peak condition, Lin Shilu would not have been a match for him. Now, with little Spiritual Power left and no Magic Artifacts or talisman paper to help, he found himself on the brink of life and death.


    Lin Shilu''s condition was still much better. Although he also had several wounds and had consumed a lot of Spiritual Power, his combat strength was hardly affected. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Well aware of the dangers in the Secret Realm, he sighed a breath of murky air, resolving to finish off this man quickly.


    Making up his mind, his Spirit Sword glittered with Golden Light, holding a few more talisman papers in hand, and he showered them down on the man in gray, vowing to thoroughly exterminate him.


    Seeing Lin Shilu pull out all the stops without reservation, the man in gray turned deathly pale, knowing his chances were slim.


    The Spiritual Light of his turtle-shell artifact flashed as he poured all of his remaining Spiritual Power into it. The inflated turtle shell protected him from behind, awaiting the judgment of fate.


    At that moment, the gray-robed man intensely regretted not having settled the Green-Spotted Poison Python and that junior earlier. Alas, time could not flow backward, and what was done could not be undone.


    "Boom boom boom..."


    A loud boom erupted, lighting up a thousand zhang radius in the night with a massive fireball.


    As the firelight dissipated and the sky returned to pitch black, it was revealed that many charred limbs were scattered, falling haphazardly among the swamp''s muddy terrain.


    And then, in the night, all fell silent once again, everything returning to calm...

 Chapter 182 Collaboration_1

    Seeing the gray-robed man''s head severed from his body, not a single limb remained intact.


    Lin Shilu let out a long sigh of relief and walked towards Lin Tianming''s location.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming was sitting cross-legged on a mound. Due to the healing pills he had taken earlier, his injuries had slightly improved. Although unable to fight, he was now able to move normally.


    Seeing Lin Shilu kill the gray-robed man without any harm, Lin Tianming was extremely excited inside.


    "Tianming, how are your injuries?"


    Upon hearing Lin Shilu''s concerned greeting, Lin Tianming felt warmth in his heart, and then said:


    "They are mostly superficial wounds, it won''t take long for me to recover to my peak condition."


    Lin Shilu nodded, gave a few instructions for him to rest and recover from his injuries, and then stepped towards the body of the gray-robed man.


    The two of them had finally decided the outcome after a fierce battle.


    However, this was truly a close call. If he hadn''t arrived in time, Lin Tianming might have already fallen.


    As for the gray-robed man, his luck was extremely bad. Despite being a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, after several battles, he was actually killed by Lin Shilu, whose cultivation was two realms lower.


    "This truly is the capriciousness of fate!"


    Lin Shilu sighed, and then collected the storage bag of the gray-robed man.


    After doing these, he immediately went to the edge of the pool, looking at the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus with a face full of ecstasy.


    The Seven-Colored Golden Lotus had now fully matured, and its plump lotus pod was embedded with five crystal-clear seeds. The seven colorful petals that had already fallen were floating on the clear water surface.


    Lin Shilu reached out his palm and, through the air, he gathered the seven petals, then plucked the plump lotus pod.


    Looking at the lotus vine with its petals and pod collected, Lin Shilu felt a bit of regret; it would have been great if he could bring it back to his clan.


    Unfortunately, the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus had extremely high requirements for its growing environment and couldn''t be transplanted, so he had no choice but to leave the vine there. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shilu turned around, then walked towards the body of the Green-Spotted Poison Python, collecting the scales that had fallen along the way.


    These scales were treasures, even higher grade than those of the Qingxu Snake. Lin Tianming''s Green Scale Shield was severely damaged, so it was a good idea to collect some scales to repair his defense artifact.


    Soon, he had gathered enough scales to repair the Green Scale Shield.


    He then swung the Spirit Sword in his hand, cutting off parts suitable for artifact refining, and then chopped the Green-Spotted Poison Python''s body into segments to collect.


    In less than half an hour, the corpse of the monster serpent had vanished without a trace, and the body of the gray-robed cultivator was burnt to ashes by a fireball.


    Lin Shilu did a simple cleanup of the battlefield, erasing a lot of traces.


    After clearing the battlefield, Lin Shilu scanned the pond and the surroundings once more, but unfortunately, did not find any more treasures.


    After a complete search, Lin Shilu finally returned to the original spot.


    After a short rest, Lin Tianming finally regained some spiritual power, the injuries on his body stopped bleeding, and he could move freely.


    The two of them gathered together, with Lin Shilu looking at the calm pond and suddenly speaking:


    "Tianming, this place is extremely dangerous, we must leave immediately and find a place to recuperate and prepare."


    Lin Tianming nodded, and after discussing with each other, they chose a direction and hurried away.


    Half a day later.


    The two of them finally exited the swamp and entered a beautiful valley.


    Lin Shilu''s Divine Sense spread wide, checking the surrounding situation, and found no anomalies.


    After ensuring safety, they immediately found a spot to set up a simple cave abode.


    He raised his hand to cast a few Illusion Techniques, then took out a set of First Order Array Flags and arranged them around the cave.


    After doing these, he felt somewhat at ease, and the two of them then entered.


    Sitting in the cave, Lin Shilu took out the lotus pod of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus, and a special fragrance emitted, soon filling the entire cave.


    Seeing this item, Lin Tianming showed a look of longing.


    Lin Shilu chuckled, and then carefully handed over a lotus seed to Lin Tianming.


    Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    "The time that the Secret Realm is open is limited. We can''t afford any delays now. This lotus seed is extremely effective; it can rapidly restore spiritual power and accelerate injury healing. More importantly, it can assist your physical body in breaking through."


    He listed many benefits in one breath. Then he instructed:


    "Time is of the essence. Use it to recover from your injuries while enhancing the strength of your physical body. Also, bring your Green Scale Shield over, and I will repair it for you."


    Lin Tianming nodded, his complexion filled with excitement.


    With Lin Shilu''s help, the damaged Green Scale Shield could be used again. Otherwise, it would be way too dangerous in the perilous Secret Realm.


    After taking the lotus seed, he handed his Green Scale Shield to Lin Shilu, and then immediately sat down and began rotating his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation to adjust his condition.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu wasn''t idle either.


    He sat down, adjusted his own condition, and then took out a large number of Green-Spotted Poison Python scales and the materials needed for Artifact Refining from his storage bag, and began repairing the Green Scale Shield for Lin Tianming.


    After nearly half an hour, Lin Tianming felt his condition had reached its peak.


    He looked at the lustrous and transparent lotus seed in his hand and swallowed it without hesitation.


    As soon as the lotus seed entered his mouth, a powerful energy immediately burst forth, like a raging fire, extremely domineering.


    Lin Tianming''s face turned red, as the violent energy coursed through his meridians.


    Not daring to delay, he quickly operated his cultivation technique to begin integrating the energy.


    After half a beat, the energy had become milder after integration but was still domineering.

 Chapter 182 Cooperation_2

    He carefully manipulated the stream of energy, guiding it through the seven meridians and eight collaterals, finally converging in the Qi Sea Dantian.


    However, as the energy flowed through, a peculiar sensation reached his mind, and he felt as though he was drifting atop the clouds, experiencing an ultimate level of comfort.


    Not only that, but as more and more energy was refined, his wounds began to tingle pleasantly, visibly healing at a speed visible to the naked eye, quickly scabbing over.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming''s face lit up with great joy, astonished at the unexpectedly powerful effect of the lotus seed.


    Once he collected his thoughts, he focused all his efforts on refining the lotus seed''s energy, further healing his injuries and tempering his own body.


    "Crackle and pop..."


    Sounds resonated as his organs, skin, and meridians were all effectively strengthened by the powerful energy transformation from inside the lotus seed.


    Time quietly slipped away, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.


    In the simple cave abode, Lin Tianming breathed steadily, and from within his body, sounds echoed at intervals with each deep breath.


    After a series of sounds, he opened his tightly shut eyes, and a flash of brilliance flickered through them.


    By then, the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus seed had been completely refined.


    Feeling the quick flow of spiritual power throughout his body, as well as the further strengthened organs and meridians, Lin Tianming clenched his fist, revealing a gratified smile.


    Within three days, his injuries had largely healed, and his strength was now greater than before.


    Lin Tianming stood up and twisted his slightly stiff body, then turned to look at Lin Shilu.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu was busily engaged in repairing the Green Scale Shield, seemingly at a crucial juncture.


    He was seen flickering the spells in his hand, emitting talismans that flew out and then disappeared into the surface of the Green Scale Shield.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, a piercing noise sounded, and the Green Scale Shield lit up with spiritual light before returning to normal.


    With a single wave of his hand, the Green Scale Shield quickly shrank and he grabbed it in his hand.


    After a close examination, Lin Shilu revealed a satisfied expression.


    With the addition of scales from the Green-Spotted Poison Python, the defensive power of the Green Scale Shield, although slightly inferior to before, could still reach about eighty to ninety percent of its original strength, which was very impressive.


    If not for the limited time and materials, restoring the Green Scale Shield to its peak condition was absolutely possible, or even surpassing its previous state wasn''t impossible, considering the scales of the Monster Serpent belonged to a Second Order Late Stage Beast, which was much stronger than those from the initial or middle phases.


    "Tianming, give it a try," Lin Shilu said, chuckling as he tossed the Green Scale Shield to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming caught the Green Scale Shield, activated the spell, and then channeled a large amount of spiritual power into it, causing the palm-sized shield to swell rapidly.


    After a moment, he retracted the shield, sporting a satisfied look on his face.


    "How is it? Are you satisfied?" Lin Shilu asked with a smile.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, to restore the shield''s defensive power to eighty or ninety percent in such a short time exceeds my expectations," Tianming replied.


    "Hmm, indeed it does," Lin Shilu said chuckling again, before taking out the storage bag of the man in the grey robe and handing it to Lin Tianming, gesturing for him to open it and check the spoils of the battle.


    To count their loot was certainly something Lin Tianming enjoyed. He took the storage bag and effortlessly wiped away the remaining Divine Sense from it. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He extended his Divine Sense and took out the items one by one from inside the storage bag, arranging them before both of them. Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    At that moment, the duo looked at the treasure spread before them with an exceptionally thrilled expression.


    The belongings of the cultivator in gray robes were extremely wealthy. After all, as a Loose Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level who had cultivated for nearly a hundred years to reach this realm, he must have done many heinous and murderous acts.


    Just from his storage bag, they obtained more than thirty thousand Spirit Stones, one Third Order Spiritual Medicine, dozens of Second Order Spiritual Medicines, and a complete variety of Second Order Pills, numbering over twenty in total, mostly used for everyday cultivation and combat.


    Besides these, there were varying amounts of Artifact Refining Materials and Demon Beast Corpses, clearly accumulated from his years of hunting or acquired from other cultivators.


    Regrettably, they did not find any high-grade Cultivation Techniques or advanced insights; they only acquired two Yellow Grade Techniques and some experiences from a Second Order Inscription Master, all of which were quite ordinary and not very useful for the Lin Family at this point.


    As for magic artifacts, there were just his eerie Dark Green Gourd and the Blood Evil Blade.


    The defensive tortoiseshell artifact was already badly damaged, nearly reduced to junk, and other defensive measures like talismans had long since been used up.


    Even so, the gains from the battle were still beyond imagination, and excluding the magic artifacts and technique insights, the treasures acquired were worth at least sixty to seventy thousand Spirit Stones.


    Looking at the treasure scattered on the ground, Lin Shilu, with an excited grin, said:


    "Tianming, we''ll split the magic artifacts and Spirit Stones between us, and we''ll divide the pills as well. We''ll select some useful items for ourselves from the rest, and contribute the remainder to our family. What do you think?"


    Naturally, Lin Tianming had no objections, and with understanding smiles, the two of them began the division.


    In the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu had completed their division, each stowing their treasures in their storage bags.


    Lin Tianming obtained the mysterious gourd and was also allotted ten thousand Spirit Stones, while all the pills went to Lin Shilu, since Lin Tianming, being an Alchemist, found the pills relatively unnecessary.


    Apart from this, his greatest interest was in the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus; the effect was simply too beneficial. Just one lotus seed had significantly increased the strength of his body, and if all were refined, he would undoubtedly become even stronger.

 Chapter 182 Cooperation_3

    Lin Shilu knew that Lin Tianming practiced Dual Cultivation of Body and Law, so he only took a petal and a lotus seed, leaving the rest to him.


    From the remaining treasures, Lin Tianming took more than ten relatively uncommon spiritual medicines and the inner core of the Green-Spotted Poison Python, while Lin Shilu accepted several pieces of precious spirit material and some Demonic Beast materials.


    After the allocation, both of them obtained a great number of treasures.


    Lin Shilu gave a knowing smile, then changed the topic to discuss the next plan.


    "Tianming, we have been in the Secret Realm for more than seven days, a quarter of the time has passed. What do you think should be our next move?"


    Lin Tianming pondered for a moment before speaking:


    "We obtained the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus, as well as so many treasures; this journey has already been quite fruitful. If we stay here safely until the Secret Realm closes, that would be the most prudent."


    "However, the Secret Realm is full of opportunities, and such a chance is rare. It would be a pity to waste time just like that."


    Upon hearing this, a flash of spiritual light gleamed in Lin Shilu''s eyes, and he nodded, saying:


    "I have the same considerations. Although we have already gained a lot, these things alone are not enough to raise our family to a new level."


    "Moreover, there''s still plenty of time. If we give up this opportunity, who knows how many years it might be before we can enter a Secret Realm again."


    Lin Tianming nodded his head, finding Lin Shilu''s thoughts aligned with his.


    In the remaining time, as long as they were cautious, and avoided provoking those major forces'' descendants, they wouldn''t have to worry about their lives when encountering ordinary Late Foundation Establishment Cultivators, since the two of them could join forces.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Tianming immediately discussed the next detailed plan with Lin Shilu.


    Half an hour later, the two left the makeshift cave dwelling and appeared in the valley.


    The harsh sun beat down on the quiet, beautiful valley.


    Lin Shilu glanced at the scorching sun overhead, chose a direction, and then entered the dense forest.


    Lin Tianming quickly followed him, and the two disappeared from the spot.


    Time slowly passed, and several days went by.


    They had now reached a vast forest, where they paused atop a tree canopy, pondering the endless forest in the distance.


    After trekking for several days, they still hadn''t left the forest. Gazing at the boundless jungle ahead, Lin Tianming felt a sense of helplessness.


    Over the past few days, they hardly rested, searching for treasures during the day and finding places to rest at night, never wasting a moment.


    Along the way, they encountered a few Loose Cultivators, all of whom wisely avoided each other, and no unnecessary conflicts occurred.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were especially cautious. When they encountered two Second Order Demonic Beasts, they killed them.


    With such efforts, they both gained a fair bit, acquiring dozens of Second Order Spiritual Medicines, most of them quite rare.


    Just then, a series of loud noises came from a valley ahead, alerting both of them instantly.


    "Tianming, there''s noise ahead; it seems like there''s a fight going on," Lin Shilu said.


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s reminder, Lin Tianming nodded and asked with curiosity:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, what shall we do next?"


    Lin Shilu furrowed his brows, feeling somewhat conflicted in his heart. The situation was still unclear, and rash involvement could mean danger.


    However, before he could ponder further, the commotion ahead grew louder, and it was clear that it was moving rapidly.


    Lin Tianming and his partner quickly hid in the nearby bushes and then vigilantly watched ahead.


    In a short while, they saw a man in black hurrying towards their location, his expression quite panicked.


    It wasn''t until the man got closer that the two recognized him; it was Long Hai, whom they had seen at the Secret Realm Entrance.


    It seemed Long Hai had discovered them beforehand, as he came straight towards the bushes, pausing several hundred yards away and looking intently at what was pursuing him. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, a group of Dragon-Eyed Beasts, each about a zhang in size, chased after him. Seeing Long Hai stop fleeing, they halted, baring their teeth and watching him warily, seemingly hesitant to approach.


    Long Hai''s expression grew serious. He turned and addressed the bushes:


    "There''s no need for you two fellow cultivators to hide any longer. I have come here because I''ve already spotted you."


    At these words, Lin Tianming and his companion''s expressions shifted, and they unwillingly emerged from the bushes, then cautiously eyed Long Hai and the Dragon-Eyed Beasts before them.


    Maintaining some distance from Long Hai, they prepared themselves for possible action.


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    "What do you mean, Long Dao-you? We are just passing through, and we bear no grudges against you, nor are we interested in getting involved in your affairs," Lin Shilu said coldly.


    Hearing this, Long Hai maintained a calm expression and looked at them with a wry smile:


    "Now it''s not a matter of whether you want to be involved or not. The Dragon-Eyed Beasts are not weak and have already set their sights on us. It won''t be easy to retreat unharmed without fighting them off."


    Lin Tianming and his partner''s expressions darkened at this, as they looked towards the Dragon Eye Beast Clan opposite them, feeling a touch of helplessness.


    Long Hai''s words weren''t untrue; the power of this group of Dragon-Eyed Beasts was extremely formidable. Fifteen Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts were among them, including two at the Late Stage, and the rest at the Medium Stage and the Initial Stage.


    As for the First Order, there were nearly a hundred of them. Although the strength of the First Order beasts was not a significant threat to them, the sheer number was still quite formidable.


    And such a mighty clan of Dragon-Eyed Beasts was indeed terrifying.


    More importantly, the Dragon-Eyed Beasts were Ancient Exotic Beasts. Although not known for their attack power, they were incredibly fast. Even a Second Order Initial Stage Dragon-Eyed Beast could move faster than a Medium Stage Cultivator, making it easy to imagine the difficulty of retreating unharmed from their clutches.

 Chapter 182 Cooperation_4

    No wonder Lian Longhai, a Loose Cultivator with such a formidable reputation, fled at the wind. Lin Tianming muttered to himself internally.


    Well aware of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts'' formidable strength, Lin Shilu''s expression turned unpleasant as he spoke to Long Hai:


    "Dragon friend, by drawing disaster toward us and involving us innocents, shouldn''t you give us an explanation?"


    "An explanation?"


    Long Hai let out a chuckle, then said:


    "In the nest of these Dragon-Eyed Beasts, there is no shortage of treasures, among which is White Jade Grass. How''s that for an explanation?"


    Hearing mention of White Jade Grass, the two Lin Tianming were shocked.


    White Jade Grass is the main ingredient in crafting Foundation Establishment Pills. Apart from Golden Core Forces, it''s almost impossible to find in the Cultivation World and only appears in such Secret Realms.


    What the Lin Family currently lacked was White Jade Grass. If they could obtain some and craft Foundation Establishment Pills, the clan''s foundation would reach a new level.


    Thinking this, Lin Shilu was very clear-headed. How could one easily believe the words of a stranger?


    Seeing the expression on their faces, Long Hai continued:


    "Although these Dragon-Eyed Beasts are strong, with our combined efforts, it''s not like we have no fighting chance. How about we join forces to kill them and then divide the treasures within?"


    Upon hearing Long Hai''s words, the two Lin Tianming did not believe him and began to communicate in secret.


    "Tianming, do you think there''s truth or deception in his words?"


    Seeing Lin Shilu''s inquiry, Lin Tianming communicated back:


    "Regardless of truth or falsehood, we have no choice now. With his deep cultivation, if he were to leave directly, it would not be easy for us to retreat unharmed. Although cooperating with him is akin to seeking skin from a tiger, it''s still better than facing the Dragon-Eyed Beasts alone."


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s communication, Lin Shilu secretly nodded. Then, he asked aloud:


    "Dragon friend, words alone are no proof. If there really is White Jade Grass, I''m willing to take a chance. But if there isn''t, the two of us will definitely not take the risk."


    Long Hai seemed to anticipate their worries. He waved his sleeve, and suddenly, a spiritual plant about one foot tall with a body of pure white appeared in his hand.


    Seeing this item, it was undoubtedly genuine White Jade Grass, and the two Lin Tianming''s breathing quickened.


    Long Hai put away the White Jade Grass and then asked:


    "How about it? Have the two fellow Daoists thought it through?"


    Lin Shilu nodded, having made up his mind, he replied, "Dragon friend, let''s speak frankly. If we succeed, how shall we divide the spoils of war?"


    Hearing Lin Shilu speak of cooperation, Long Hai smiled and said:


    "Since I discovered this item and my strength is superior to yours, naturally, I should take the larger share. Of the treasures we obtain, I will take seventy percent, and you will take thirty percent."


    As soon as Long Hai proposed his division scheme, Lin Shilu immediately protested.


    "Dragon friend, your words are unfair. It''s true that you discovered this, but seventy percent is too much. Our contribution to the effort should at least give us fifty percent."


    Before he could finish speaking, Long Hai''s expression changed. However, he also had concerns¡ªshould Lin Tianming really decide not to cooperate, it would be impossible for him to escape unscathed alone.


    With this in mind, his attitude softened considerably, and he began to bargain.


    Soon, they reached an agreement: Long Hai would receive sixty percent, and they would get forty percent.


    To this division of spoils, the two Lin Tianming were quite satisfied. Given the current situation, it was unlikely for either party to succeed against the Dragon-Eyed Beasts alone. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only by cooperating could they achieve greater results and was the most advantageous approach.


    Long Hai and Lin Shilu both chuckled, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed. They then looked toward the group of Dragon Eye Beasts ahead.


    Neither side launched an attack, and the Dragon-Eyed Beasts did not dare to initiate one either. The two sides were at a standoff, with a big battle on the verge of erupting. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 183 Join Forces to Exterminate Demons_1

    As the standoff ensued, Lin Tianming was sizing up the Dragon-Eyed Beasts on the opposite side.


    Each of these Dragon-Eyed Beasts was baring their teeth and snarling, with the two strongest at the Second Order Late Phase having an aura almost as formidable as that of the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    Among the dozen or so other Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts, each radiated a robust presence, clearly indicating they were not to be trifled with.


    In the current situation, fraught with extreme risk, Lin Tianming clenched his Tiangang Sword tightly, his expression immensely solemn. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Long Hai, since we have decided to make a move, let''s do it quickly and decisively," Lin Tianming said.


    No sooner had Lin Shilu spoken than he was the first to strike.


    With a flick of his Law Decree, his Spirit Sword glowed brightly with golden light, and the Golden Sword Qi burst forth, cutting towards the group of Dragon-Eyed Beasts in an instant.


    Lin Tianming was no less decisive. With a slap to his storage bag, fifty-six Earth Evil Swords shot out and scattered, quickly forming a Sword Array that enveloped an area several hundred zhang around.


    With the Dragon-Eyed Beasts all clustered together, they were unable to react to Lin Tianming''s sudden move.


    Only the Dragon-Eyed Beasts of the Medium Stage and above managed to escape the range of the Sword Array; the majority were ensnared within it.


    Only when the Sword Array began to operate did the Dragon-Eyed Beasts feel the constraints it imposed, desperately trying to break free.


    At that moment, seeing Lin Tianming and another make their move, Long Hai wasted no time.


    He waved his sleeve and out came a three-foot-long Curved Saber from his hand, emanating a fierce Blade Qi that devoured the surrounding Spiritual Energy, revealing it to be a Second Order Mid-tier Attack Magical Artifact.


    He struck the back of the saber with his palm, unleashing a powerful Blade Qi that slashed at the Dragon-Eyed Beasts trying to break the constraints.


    Where the Blade Qi passed, the Dragon Demonic Beasts scattered to avoid it, but there was still a Second Order Initial Stage Dragon-Eyed Beast that couldn''t escape in time and was cleaved in two by his single strike.


    In a single blow, none of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts below the Late Phase of Second Order proved a match for him, and his Eighth Level Foundation Establishment might was fully showcased.


    Long Hai''s actions, which not only killed an Initial Stage Dragon-Eyed Beast, alleviating a great deal of pressure for himself, but also blocked those attempting to escape from the Sword Array, bought him enough time.


    Seeing the Sword Array begin to function, Long Hai leapt into action, charging toward the two Second Order Late Phase Dragon-Eyed Beasts that had escaped.


    The two Second Order Late Phase Demonic Beasts gathered together. They seemed to recognize Long Hai''s prowess, surrounding him and lunging with their formidable claws towards him.


    The remaining four at the Middle Stage, recklessly charging over, sought to rescue their trapped kin but were intercepted by Lin Shilu.


    In a moment, the entire battlefield was divided into three areas: Long Hai dealt with the two Second Order Late Phase Dragon-Eyed Beasts, Lin Shilu with the four at the Second Order Medium Stage.


    And Lin Tianming contended with the remaining eight at the Second Order Initial Stage, as well as a large number of First Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


    Witnessing a multitude of Demonic Beasts within the Sword Array, Lin Tianming''s countenance was grave, not daring to be the least bit careless.


    While controlling the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, his Tiangang Sword moved frequently in his hands, steadily repressing those Dragon-Eyed Beasts and confining them firmly within.


    For a time, the sky was filled with swirling Sword Qi, and the growls of many First Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts being slaughtered filled the air.


    Seeing a large number of First Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts dying, the eight Second Order ones inside became completely enraged.


    Though restricted by the Sword Array, there was still a large area for them to maneuver around with their remarkable speeds, and the density of the Sword Qi within the array was insufficient to catch them.


    Moreover, the sheer number of the Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts put so much pressure on the Earth Fiend Sword Formation that it began to tremble violently, teetering on the brink of collapse.


    Observing this, Lin Tianming waved his sleeve, casting several Second Order Attack Talismans from his hand, which transformed into copious Sword Qi to block several Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts from completely breaking through the Sword Array''s defenses.


    In the gap created as these Demonic Beasts were thwarted, he stabilized the faltering Sword Array.


    However, even though the Sword Array was made stable once more, it would likely collapse again without some means of suppression.


    With this in mind, he patted his storage bag and the Thousand Beast Banner appeared in his hand instantly.


    The Law Decree in Lin Tianming''s hand flickered and struck the Thousand Beast Banner, infusing it with a massive amount of Spiritual Power. The banner radiated a glow, sending a wave of black mist towards the nine Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


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    At the same time, within the black mist, spheres of light transformed into fearsome giant beast illusions that savagely pounced on the opposing Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


    Inside the Sword Array.


    The eight Dragon-Eyed Beasts roared and lunged, fangs bared and claws waving, engaging in fierce combat with the multitude of Monster Beast Souls.


    "Roar, roar, roar."


    Intense roars erupted as one of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts raised its powerful claws, swatting away a Qingxu Snake Soul from the Initial Stage of the Second Order.


    At that moment, more Monster Beast Souls converged, bounding and tearing into a Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beast, trapping it in their midst.


    The pained Dragon-Eyed Beast grew wildly agitated, struggling hard to break free. Despite its speed, however, it was hard-pressed to escape due to the roaming Sword Qi within the Earth Fiend Sword Formation and the relentless biting of the Monster Beast Souls. Under this double pressure, escape was near impossible.


    Seeing this, the remaining Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts joined the fray, fighting ferociously with the Monster Beast Souls.


    With the addition of these few Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts, the battle took a sharp turn. Despite the large number of souls and a fair number of those at the Second Order, their attacks were considerably weaker than when they were alive, rarely reaching even twenty percent of their original strength.

 Chapter 183 Joining Forces to Exterminate the Demon_2

    For a time, the souls within the Thousand Beast Banner were at a disadvantage, with the souls of the First Order Demonic Beasts dying in great numbers. Only the Second Order managed to hold on, but the entire group of souls was beaten back steadily. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming showed no panic. He spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the Thousand Beast Banner, and the dark green flag suddenly burst into bright light. A thick black fog surged out, quickly enveloping a large area within the sword array.


    As soon as the black fog appeared, the Dragon-Eyed Beasts'' speed was affected, and they barely managed to stop the decline.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming''s Tiangang Sword flickered with silver light and shot towards the Dragon-Eyed Beasts within the black fog.


    "Tiangang Sword Qi Second Sword."


    The sword qi moved with incredible speed, stabbing towards a Dragon-Eyed Beast that was surrounded by monster beast souls.


    The targeted Dragon-Eyed Beast panicked upon seeing the attack of the Tiangang Sword coming, frantically biting at the souls around it, trying to break through and escape.


    However, although the souls'' strength was limited, they were not easily letting it escape due to their overwhelming numbers.


    In an instant, the Tiangang Sword pierced through the body of the Dragon-Eyed Beast, and a pitiful howl sounded as the Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beast was slain by the Tiangang Sword.


    As the Dragon-Eyed Beast fell to the ground, the Tiangang Sword, dripping with blood, returned to Lin Tianming''s hand.


    With the suppression of the sword array and the black fog, and the relentless entanglement by the souls, the Dragon-Eyed Beasts'' speed no longer held any advantage.


    Although Lin Tianming possessed only the strength of the Foundation Establishment Second Layer, the power he burst forth with was definitely not inferior to an ordinary Foundation Establishment Fourth Level cultivator.


    Under such circumstances, dealing with a Second Order Initial Stage Dragon-Eyed Beast was naturally not a problem.


    However, such a confrontation caused him a great drain on his spiritual power. With the overwhelming number of Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts, relying on the Tiangang Ninth Sword to slay them all would likely be somewhat laborious.


    Knowing this, Lin Tianming did not use the Tiangang Ninth Sword again, but instead, he steadily controlled the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, starting to shrink it.


    In the blink of an eye, the range of the sword array shrank to just over two hundred zhang and had become extremely stable.


    As the sword qi inside became more dense, the pressure on the Dragon-Eyed Beasts intensified.


    The Dragon-Eyed Beasts were now extremely terrified, as the remaining seven Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts simultaneously opened their huge maws, spewing out fireballs towards the Sword Array Barricade.


    Seeing the Dragon-Eyed Beasts unleash their Innate Divine Abilities, Lin Tianming''s expression grew extremely grave.


    The attacking power of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts was otherwise not remarkable, but the fireballs produced by the collaborative effort of the seven would certainly be formidable. He feared the Earth Fiend Sword Formation might not withstand their relentless onslaught.


    Thinking this, Lin Tianming slapped his storage bag, and a Flaming Red Talisman suddenly appeared in his hand, which was a Second Order Superior Attack Talisman he had purchased from the Sky Dragon Pavilion.


    As he looked at the fire attribute attack talisman in his hand, a look of pain flickered across his face.


    He had not used it even during the fierce battle with the grey-robed cultivator, considering that a talisman capable of a strike akin to a Late Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn''t be very effective against the grey-robed man at the Eighth Level of Foundation Establishment. That''s why he had kept it until now.


    "This cost three thousand spirit stones," Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    Meanwhile, he threw the talisman into the air and followed by a spell that he cast on the Flaming Red Talisman.


    The talisman instantly shot out countless flames, forming a vast sea of fire that poured down upon the Dragon-Eyed Beasts within the sword array.


    "Boom, rumble..."


    The flames produced by the talisman and the fireballs spat by the seven Dragon-Eyed Beasts collided fiercely, creating a massive mushroom cloud.


    For a moment, the sky was ablaze with red, the heat from the explosion so intense that it roasted the First Order Medium Grade Dragon-Eyed Beasts alive. After the explosion subsided into torrents of flaming rain, it covered the entire sword array, drenching any surviving Dragon-Eyed Beasts, leaving them soaking wet.


    Just one Second Order Superior Attack Talisman had killed eighty percent of the First Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts. Only a few from the First Order Late Stage remained alive, each with varying degrees of injuries.


    The Divine Skills of the seven Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts were interrupted, and they roared in fury; but, upon looking at Lin Tianming again, a trace of fear appeared in their eyes.


    Lin Tianming''s face brightened with joy. Although he had used the precious Second Order Talisman and failed to kill any Second Order Demonic Beasts, it essentially wiped out the First Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts and stopped the Second Order''s Divine Skills, achieving his goal. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    Taking advantage of the moment of dread among the seven Dragon-Eyed Beasts, Lin Tianming reduced the area covered by the Earth Fiend Sword Formation even further, down to a hundred zhang.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming felt secretly delighted, his hand brewing another wave of attack, preparing to further expand his victories.


    His Tiangang Sword glowed brightly as he launched several beams of sword qi, then with a leap, he charged into the sword array.


    He had consumed a fair amount of spiritual power, and with the need to cooperate with Long Hai, with whom he had no previous interaction, he had to reserve some spiritual power to face any crisis that might arise at any time.


    Seeing Lin Tianming actively charge into the sword array, the seven Dragon-Eyed Beasts resumed their snarling and became agitated once more.


    Cultivators and Demonic Beasts usually fought from a distance; Lin Tianming, on the other hand, had charged directly into the midst of seven Dragon-Eyed Beasts for close combat.


    The frenzied Dragon-Eyed Beasts immediately sprang into action, their strong paws lashing out toward Lin Tianming''s forehead. If hit, his head would likely explode in an instant.


    The attack of the Dragon-Eyed Beast was incredibly swift, its paw a mere blur under the sunlight.


    Lin Tianming was not startled; he opened his Eye of Five Colors and effortlessly dodged the furiously swiping paw of the Dragon-Eyed Beast. Then he took to his heels, putting a slight distance between them.


    After a brief disengagement, the seven Dragon-Eyed Beasts were quite surprised. They were known for their speed and yet they did not expect this human cultivator to be equally fast and incredibly precise.

 Chapter 183 Joint Effort to Exterminate the Demon_3

    Little did they know that Lin Tianming had the assistance of the Eye of Five Colors, no matter how fast they were, he could predict their trajectories in advance and make the most ideal evasions.


    Stabilizing his stance, the Tiangang Sword in Lin Tianming''s hand flashed with silver light, and he followed with a slash that repelled the two pursuing Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


    The pained Dragon-Eyed Beasts let out a shriek and then surged forward once more, surrounding Lin Tianming.


    The Tiangang Sword in Lin Tianming''s hand swung frequently as he engaged in close combat with the attacking Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


    For a time, the silvery white sword light flashed, colliding with their iron-hard claws.


    "Clang, clang, clang."


    The sound of metal colliding, thousands of pounds in forces clashing, came like music from the heavens.


    After dozens of exchanges, Lin Tianming, with his powerful physique, did not fall into disadvantage.


    At this point, his body was drenched with sweat, and the temperature of the Tiangang Sword had reached a terrifying level; sweat droplets evaporated into steam as soon as they landed on the sword.


    "Haha, exhilarating!"


    Lin Tianming let out a long howl towards the sky, and as his physique further strengthened, he could match a Second Order Demonic Beast with just his bodily strength. With the aid of the Eye of Five Colors and a vast amount of magic artifacts, his combat power peaked. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While the fierce battle raged, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation revolved continuously, slowly reducing the area it enveloped, compressing the living space of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts along with the Thousand Beast Banner.


    At this time, the area of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation had shrunk to a hundred feet, the Sword Qi within was dense and exceptionally stable.


    By now, the seven surviving Dragon-Eyed Beasts gradually fell into disadvantage and soon began to sustain injuries, forcing the entire group to further retreat.


    Having gained the upper hand, Lin Tianming did not give the Dragon-Eyed Beasts a chance to catch their breath.


    While controlling the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, he unleashed the Tiangang Ninth Sword again. With the suppression and binding of the Sword Array, he successfully inflicted severe wounds on two of the Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


    The gravely wounded Dragon-Eyed Beasts lay on the ground, struggling and howling, their bodies torn in several places, one even having its tail severed, presenting a dismal sight.


    Seeing their compatriots in such a state, the few Dragon-Eyed Beasts still capable of fighting rushed over in fury, gnashing their teeth.


    Lin Tianming remained calm, clashing with them while wielding the Tiangang Sword.


    With two Dragon-Eyed Beasts rendered powerless, the rest of the group steadily retreated, trapped beasts in a fight.


    The remaining five Dragon-Eyed Beasts, in sheer terror, began frantically ramming the barriers of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation in a last-ditch effort.


    Lin Tianming''s sword light flickered as he obstructed them, simultaneously controlling the Sword Array to continuously shrink their living space.


    The current situation was akin to a frog being boiled in warm water, it was only a matter of time.


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    After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea...


    As the Sword Array narrowed to an area of several dozen feet, a miserable cry echoed from within.


    The Earth Fiend Sword Formation also ceased operating and all flew to Lin Tianming''s side, beginning to rotate around him.


    Simultaneously, he put the Thousand Beast Banner into his storage bag, finally letting out a sigh of relief.


    His battle had ended, with all eight Second Order Initial Stage Dragon-Eyed Beasts vanquished.


    Looking across the battlefield on his side, there were corpses everywhere, lying in disarray. The flesh of many lower-order Dragon-Eyed Beasts had been scorched dry by a Second Order Superior Attack Talisman, leaving only a pile of desiccated skeletons.


    Gazing upon this hellish scene, Lin Tianming did not have time to clean up the battlefield as he rushed towards a nearby battle group.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu was locked in fierce combat with three Dragon-Eyed Beasts, and judging from the situation, he seemed to have the upper hand, with one already slain and the rest wounded.


    Lin Tianming was not surprised by this since Lin Shilu was at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level Realm, already nearing the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, and with a plethora of magic artifacts assisting him, dealing with four Second Order Medium Stage Dragon-Eyed Beasts was not challenging.


    With Lin Tianming joining the fight, the struggling Dragon-Eyed Beasts had little power left to resist.


    "Tianming, make it quick!"


    Lin Shilu uttered as he enlarged the Golden Seal in his hand and slapped it down on one of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


    The targeted Dragon-Eyed Beast, seeing this, frantically tried to flee but was blocked by Lin Tianming who had come to assist.


    "Boom..."


    With a loud bang, the three-foot tall body of the Dragon-Eyed Beast was sent flying by the Golden Seal, crashing heavily to the ground and leaving a deep pit upon impact.


    Under the attack of the Overturning Mountain Seal, the robust Dragon-Eyed Beast was still struggling, though it had lost its ability to fight.


    Lin Tianming rushed over and delivered an angry slash, ending the life of the Dragon-Eyed Beast conclusively.


    The remaining two Dragon-Eyed Beasts, sensing the situation, thought of escaping, but it was already too late. Lin Tianhong had already laid down the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, cutting off their escape routes completely.


    Subsequently, the two men repeated their tactics, skilfully coordinating to slay the two Dragon-Eyed Beasts one by one.


    Soon, Lin Tianming and his companion were free to act. After swallowing a Huiyuan Pill each, they started paying attention to the major battle above.


    At that moment, Long Hai was engaged in combat with two Second Order Late Phase Dragon-Eyed Beasts and was gradually gaining the upper hand.


    Long Hai''s three-foot long saber emitted intense Blade Qi, slicing off the tail of one of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts. The pained beast howled in agony.


    Witnessing Long Hai''s upper hand and fearsome strength, the two felt extremely apprehensive.


    "Fellow Daoists, come over and lend me a hand!"

 Chapter 183 Join Forces to Eliminate the Demon _4

    Hearing Long Hai''s call, Lin Shilu said to Lin Tianming:


    "Tian Ming, I will go and lend a hand so we can quickly end the battle, and you should not get involved!"


    Lin Tianming nodded. Facing a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Demonic Beast was still too risky for him; any accidents could lead to more loss than gain, especially since Long Hai was not at a disadvantage even by himself.


    More importantly, he could recover his Spiritual Power as soon as possible, so if Long Hai went back on his word, he could be prepared.


    Watching Lin Shilu join the fray, Lin Tianming did not clean up the battlefield but started meditating on the spot to recover.


    "Boom, boom, boom..."


    Explosive noises emanated from the sky, lasting the time it took to drink a cup of tea before stopping.


    After a short while, Lin Shilu descended from the sky, landing beside Lin Tianming with a flicker of exhaustion in his eyes.


    Soon, Long Hai also descended from the sky, stopping at a distance opposite to the duo.


    The battle over, Long Hai appeared rather pleased, addressing Lin Tianming and company:


    "Fellow cultivators, quickly tally your spoils of war, and after that, we shall enter the lair of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts to plunder."


    Lin Tianming and his companion nodded, beginning to count their spoils of war.


    In less than half a quarter hour, they had collected all the inner cores from the Dragon-Eyed Beasts, stuffing the bodies wholesale into storage bags to be divided up when they had more time.


    After all, these spoils of war were nothing compared to the main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill, the White Jade Grass.


    After gathering the spoils of war, Lin Shilu addressed Long Hai:


    "Lead the way, Brother Long. I hope you won''t play any tricks, or we certainly won''t let it go easily!"


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s threatening words, Long Hai did not respond, but simply chuckled wryly and led the way north.


    Lin Tianming and his companion hastily followed, not daring to let him out of their sight before seeing the White Jade Grass.


    With Long Hai guiding them, it didn''t take long for the trio to arrive at a valley spanning several miles.


    The three stopped, and Lin Tianming and his companion took in their surroundings.


    Looking ahead from about a hundred yards away was a lush, rushing gorge filled with dense vegetation, towering trees, and vibrant flowers, presenting a breathtaking view.


    "Brother Long, is this where the lair of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts is located?" asked Lin Shilu.


    It was hard to believe that the massive population of the Dragon Eye Beast Clan inhabited such a small area.


    "Of course, if you don''t believe me, let us go in and see for ourselves!"


    With those words, Long Hai left them behind and headed into the gorge filled with flowers.


    Lin Tianming and his companion exchanged glances before following.


    Soon, they reached the deepest part of the valley, stopping atop a hill with red soil.


    The soil here was markedly different from that outside the valley, growing darker in hue the deeper one went¡ªquite a peculiar sight.


    Long Hai pointed toward a small area at the top of numerous mounds and said, "Fellow cultivators, please look over there!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming and his companion lifted their gaze, looking toward the direction Long Hai indicated. Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    They saw a patch of blood-red soil at the top of the mounds, covering an area of several acres, sparsely dotted with snow-white Spirit Grass.


    "White Jade Grass!"


    "Indeed, it is White Jade Grass!" Lin Tianming exclaimed with excitement.


    Overjoyed at the sight, Lin Shilu rushed over to inspect it closely.


    Long Hai remained calm; the White Jade Grass in his hand had been collected here, and the sight of it no longer thrilled him as it once had.


    "Fellow cultivators, have I not been true to my word?" he said.


    Lin Shilu, looking much pleased, laughed in response, "Ha-ha... Brother Long, you indeed keep your promises!"


    "I had discovered this place earlier and collected a plant, but then the Dragon-Eyed Beasts detected me and pursued me relentlessly, which is why I sought cooperation with you," Long Hai explained, recounting his harrowing experience and lightening the atmosphere.


    Having joined forces, Long Hai was no longer as indifferent as before. He reminded them with a smile:


    "Fellow cultivators, our recent battle made quite a commotion. If other cultivators, especially those from the Golden Elixir Forces, are attracted, our troubles could multiply!" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shilu and his companion nodded. They needed to remain vigilant; encountering the Golden Elixir Forces could mean getting nothing and possibly even losing their lives here.


    Considering this, he said:


    "Let us quickly gather the grass and then divide our shares afterward!"


    Long Hai naturally had no objections, and taking the lead, he began collecting White Jade Grass. Lin Tianming and his companion, not wanting to fall behind, spread out to collect their own shares.

 Chapter 184 The gathering of the strong _1

    With Long Hai occupying this hilltop, Lin Tianming and his companion continued to walk deeper into the area.


    Soon, they spotted White Jade Grass on different hilltops and began to disperse to collect it.


    Lin Tianming arrived at a hilltop and dug up a mature White Jade Grass, observing it in his hands.


    Aside from seeing the White Jade Grass from afar before the big battle at Long Hai, this counted as his second encounter with this precious Spirit Grass.


    Looking at the snow-white body of the White Jade Grass, Lin Tianming was thrilled. Just on this hilltop, he found three mature White Jade Grass plants, and more than ten saplings¡ªan abundant harvest indeed.


    With several such red-soiled hilltops in this small valley, if they could all yield a few plants, they would be able to divide up quite a number of Spirit Grasses among themselves.


    With that thought, he stored the precious White Jade Grass in a prepared Jade Box, and then began to collect the others. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As for the White Jade Grass saplings, he naturally wouldn''t overlook them. Although the survival rate of this Spiritual Medicine was frighteningly low, even if only one were to survive, it might bring a Foundation Establishment Clan Member to the family, wouldn''t it?


    On two nearby hilltops, Lin Shilu and Long Hai were also busy at work.


    They worked efficiently and meticulously, their faces showing excitement throughout the process.


    Although Long Hai had succeeded in Foundation Establishment and was still a Foundation Establishment Eighth Level cultivator, he had no use for White Jade Grass. However, one plant could easily fetch tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, making it extremely valuable.


    Moreover, he needed to prepare for his breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage, which required accumulating a large amount of Spirit Stones, so the White Jade Grass was essentially bundles and bundles of Spirit Stones to him.


    An hour later, the three of them regrouped.


    "Let''s all take out the White Jade Grass we collected!"


    After Long Hai spoke, he took out more than twenty Jade Boxes and opened them to reveal the White Jade Grass he had collected.


    Lin Tianming and his companion glanced over them¡ªfive mature White Jade Grass plants and twenty-one saplings.


    Following Long Hai, Lin Tianming and his companion also took out all the White Jade Grass they had collected and placed them together.


    "Nine mature White Jade Grass plants, and thirty-seven saplings!"


    Long Hai nodded; the three hadn''t been far apart while collecting, and each had a clear idea of how much Spiritual Medicine the others had obtained.


    They had quite a haul this trip, with fourteen mature White Jade Grass plants and fifty-eight saplings in total.


    Long Hai smiled and said to Lin Tianming and his companion:


    "Fellow cultivators, according to our agreement, I get sixty percent of these White Jade Grass. Eight mature plants are mine, and I''ll take thirty-five saplings, unless there are any objections!"


    Upon hearing Long Hai''s words, Lin Shilu calculated carefully and found the distribution to be fair according to their agreement.


    "Of course, we always keep our word and will not go back on our promises," he replied.


    Long Hai nodded, waved his sleeve, and collected his share of White Jade Grass.


    Without delay, Lin Shilu collected all the remaining Jade Boxes into his storage bag and then addressed Long Hai with a cupped fist:


    "Fellow Daoist Long, I wonder if you would consider selling some of your White Jade Grass to me? I''m willing to pay a high price!"


    "Oh?" Long Hai was somewhat surprised.


    Lin Shilu''s statement, along with the fact that Lin Tianming had been acting in concert throughout, indicated that there was at least one Foundation Establishment Power behind them. Otherwise, they wouldn''t be buying White Jade Grass from him, clearly gathering it for the power behind them, since White Jade Grass was otherwise nearly impossible to find outside.


    Since he himself had reached Foundation Establishment and was not an Alchemist, he had almost no use for White Jade Grass and ultimately intended to sell it. As long as the price was right, it mattered little who the buyer was.


    With this in mind, Long Hai inquired: Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    "What price do you offer?"


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu became even more excited. Long Hai wasn''t opposed to selling to them, otherwise, he could have just refused.


    However, White Jade Grass was not cheap; if the offer was too low, he likely wouldn''t agree.


    "Fellow Daoist Long, for mature White Jade Grass, eleven thousand Spirit Stones per plant, and for the saplings, eight hundred Spirit Stones each. What do you think?" Lin Shilu asked.


    Long Hai found Lin Shilu''s price to be reasonable, even slightly higher than the market rate, so he quickly made up his mind.


    "I agree to your terms without objection," he said.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were overjoyed to learn that Long Hai was willing to sell, as White Jade Grass was extremely important to the Lin Family, and they were willing to buy it at any cost.


    Fortunately, they had recently killed a gray-robed cultivator and obtained thirty thousand Spirit Stones, and with their accumulations over the years, as well as the family''s subsidies of Spirit Stones, they could indeed gather a large fortune.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming and his companion communicated privately to arrange the payment of Spirit Stones.


    They quickly reached a consensus, and Lin Shilu took out all his Spirit Stones, a total of sixty thousand.


    Lin Tianming also took out all his Spirit Stones, a total of fifty thousand, collecting a total of one hundred and ten thousand Spirit Stones.


    They placed all the Spirit Stones in a storage bag, ready to trade with Long Hai for the White Jade Grass.


    "Fellow Daoist Long, we''ve gathered one hundred and ten thousand Spirit Stones in exchange for all your White Jade Grass, and we''ll take the excess in saplings!"


    Long Hai was stunned to hear Lin Shilu''s words, as even he could not produce such a vast fortune.


    Regaining his composure, Long Hai said:


    "I can only sell a maximum of eight mature White Jade Grass plants, but there''s no limit on the saplings."


    Lin Shilu and his companion, seeing Long Hai''s resolute gaze, did not press further and traded for the eight mature White Jade Grass plants and twenty-eight saplings from him.

 Chapter 184 Gathering of the Mighty_2

    The exchange between the two men had nearly depleted Long Hai''s stock of White Jade Grass, leaving him with only one mature plant and eight seedlings.


    After completing the exchange and verifying that the Spirit Stones and White Jade Grass were correct, they walked out of the canyon together.


    As the three of them walked and chatted, Long Hai asked Lin Shilu:


    "Fellow Daoists, this Secret Realm is fraught with danger. What are your plans now?"


    It seemed Long Hai was interested in joining them; after all, the strength of a single person was ultimately limited. If the three worked together, at the very least, their chances of survival would be greater.


    Considering Long Hai''s strength, which both had seen before, Lin Shilu was somewhat tempted to cooperate for the long term.


    After discussing it with Lin Tianming, they decided to go it alone. Although it was riskier, their origins and movements would not be exposed.


    Lin Shilu then politely declined Long Hai''s offer, and Long Hai did not insist.


    After exchanging a fist salute, Long Hai took his leave. Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire


    Watching Long Hai depart, Lin Tianming did not linger either and quickly vanished on the spot.


    After parting with Long Hai, the two did not wander aimlessly but found a secluded valley and carved out a simple cave dwelling.


    The great battle had just ended, and both of their Spiritual Powers were not at their peak; Lin Shilu had also suffered a light injury. It would be very dangerous to move around blindly in this perilous Secret Realm.


    Inside the cave dwelling, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu sat on the ground, their faces full of excitement.


    Lin Shilu took out a mature White Jade Grass, examining it carefully in his palm with an expression of cherishing fondness.


    Lin Tianming watched silently, knowing full well what White Jade Grass meant for people of their stage, so he did not interrupt him.


    Time passed, and Lin Shilu finally looked up, addressing Lin Tianming:


    "Tian Ming, what should we do next? Continue to explore the Secret Realm or stay here and wait for it to close?"


    Lin Shilu''s question plunged Lin Tianming into deep thought.


    They had been in the Secret Realm for less than ten days, and their harvest was enormous. Even if they left now, it would still be a successful trip.


    Moreover, carrying so much White Jade Grass, encountering big trouble and dying in this place would mean the family would gain nothing.


    Considering these things, Lin Tianming felt conflicted; time was plentiful, but running around with so many treasures was incredibly risky.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, Tian Ming doesn''t really mind. Staying here is not a bad idea!"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s view, Lin Shilu made his decision not to wander further and stayed to wait for the closure of the Secret Realm.


    The two smiled at each other, then, with a unified opinion, they began to meditate and cultivate.


    Lin Tianming sat on the ground, began to operate Heaven''s Will, and when his state reached its peak, he took out a lotus seed from the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus and swallowed it in one gulp.


    A familiar energy burst forth, which he slowly refined; soon, the Spiritual Power formed and circulated through his meridians.


    Time flew, and more than ten days passed.


    The ten-plus days of fierce fighting at the beginning of their Secret Realm journey made this period of quiet cultivation a rarity. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    During this opportunity, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu each refined a lotus seed, further increasing their Spiritual Power.


    Inside the cave dwelling, Lin Tianming opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through them, indicating considerable progress in his cultivation.


    Feeling the enhancement of his Spiritual Power throughout his body, he was extremely excited.


    After ten-plus days of arduous cultivation, he had reached the pinnacle of the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment. With one or two more lotus seeds, he was confident that he could make a breakthrough.


    Feeling that Lin Tianming had finished cultivating, Lin Shilu opened his eyes and teased the excited Lin Tianming:


    "Tian Ming, you seem to have made great progress. You must be close to reaching the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, aren''t you?"


    "Heh heh... If I consume two more lotus seeds, I am confident I can break through within half a year!" Lin Tianming replied with a laugh, his eyes filled with confidence.


    "That is incomparable indeed!" Lin Shilu exclaimed, then said:


    "I took more than ten years to advance from the first to the third layer of Foundation Establishment, while you, you rascal, are likely to reach that stage in just a few years. Indeed, you are a monster..."


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Tianming humbly replied:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather flatters me. What were the cultivation conditions like for you back then? I am simply relying on a large number of elixirs and treasures!"


    Before his words had finished, Lin Shilu''s face changed, startling Lin Tianming.


    Seeing the serious expression on Lin Shilu''s face, he asked puzzledly:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, has something gone wrong?"


    Lin Shilu''s expression returned to normal, and then he exclaimed, looking somewhat crazed.


    "Tian Ming, an incredible opportunity... An incredible opportunity!"


    Hearing this news, Lin Tianming was completely baffled but quickly guessed something.


    "Could it be a Nascent Soul Spiritual Item?"


    "Only a Nascent Soul Spiritual Item could make Fifteenth Grandfather so crazed. If this is true, then indeed, it would be an incredible opportunity!"


    Lin Tianming pondered to himself, and before he could speak, Lin Shilu began to explain.


    "Just now, several people rushed past not far from us. Among them, two cultivators mentioned that they discovered a Star Moon Fruit Tree near a colossal lake to the north!"


    "What? A Star Moon Fruit Tree!"


    Lin Tianming exclaimed in shock, his face showing disbelief.


    The Star Moon Fruit Tree, a Third Order Spiritual Fruit tree, blooms once a millennium and bears fruit only once another millennium, producing only nine fruits each time. One fruit could increase a simple 30% chance of making a Golden Core breakthrough¡ªit was considered Heaven-Defying Treasure within the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World.


    Quickly regaining his composure, Lin Tianming asked with an excited expression:

 Chapter 184 A Gathering of the Strong _3

    "Fifteenth Grandfather, it seems we can''t just wait here for the Secret Realm to close!"


    Before the sound of his voice had faded, Lin Shilu, with a face full of longing, hesitantly began to speak:


    "Indeed... Even if we are crushed to pieces, we must strive for the Star Moon Fruit at all costs. Third brother has reached the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, and if he obtains a Star Moon Fruit, he will have a chance to break through to the Golden Core Stage!"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming quickly thought of something and, with a worried expression, said:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, this thing is truly a hot potato. Whoever obtains it will not have an easy time. Do we still have time if we go now?"


    "Hehe... This news must have already spread throughout the Secret Realm by now; otherwise, the person who just passed by wouldn''t have blurted it out like that!"


    "The cultivator who just passed by might have spotted us, yet he spoke without restraint. It''s likely he intended to spread the news..."


    Lin Shilu''s words confounded Lin Tianming. Who would reveal such crucial information without good reason?


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, please quickly clarify what has happened!" urged Lin Tianming.


    Reminded by Lin Tianming''s urgency, Lin Shilu remembered he had only shared half of the information and then continued to speak:


    "According to those two, the Star Moon Fruit Tree is guarded by a group of Tianluan Turtles, among which there is one at the Third Order Early Stage!"


    "A Third Order Early Stage Tianluan Turtle?"


    Lin Tianming''s face flushed red, once more overwhelmed with shock.


    That''s right... A complete group of Tianluan Turtles, including a Third Order one at that. With such a lineup, even if the disciples from the Three Great Sects of Wei Kingdom joined forces, they might not succeed. Only under such circumstances would they spread the news everywhere, presumably to gather everyone''s strength and obtain the treasure smoothly!"


    With the full explanation, Lin Tianming finally saw the light and then said:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, this matter is extremely important. Whether true or false, we must go and verify it before making plans. What do you think?"


    "That is exactly what I intend to do!"


    Lin Shilu nodded, as his thoughts were the same.


    If the news was true, whether loose cultivators or people from Sect Families, at the very least, they would need to gather a large number of cultivators to participate. Otherwise, they could not hope to successfully obtain the Star Moon Fruit!


    This was destined to be a fierce competition, but they first needed to unite and deal with the Tianluan Turtle group.


    "Tianming, there''s no time to lose; let''s set out immediately!" commanded Lin Shilu.


    Lin Tianming nodded, and then the two of them left the cave dwelling together. For their own safety and to avoid exposing family information, they disguised themselves and swiftly headed north.


    Along the way, they crossed many mountains and rivers. They encountered many cultivators who, just like them, were all converging toward the north.


    For several days the two traveled nearly a thousand miles, meeting more and more cultivators. Many groups of cultivators discussed the matter of the Star Moon Fruit.


    As they traveled, everyone''s focus was on hurrying on their way, and harmoniously so, without any thought of starting trouble.


    Lin Tianming quite understood this unusual situation; after all, compared to the Star Moon Fruit, petty profits and personal grudges were simply insignificant.


    Moreover, the cultivators who could partake were all at least at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage and above. When it came to an opportunity to advance to the Golden Core Stage, no one could ignore it.


    Under such circumstances, no one would actively start trouble at this time.


    Early this morning, after traveling non-stop on horseback, the two of them arrived at the outskirts of a massive lake.


    By now, over a hundred people had gathered on the shore, among them were sect members, as well as clan disciples.


    Beyond that, there was also a considerable number of cultivators acting alone or in groups who had hurried over.


    It was foreseeable that the number of people would continue to increase, and although many cultivators were only there to watch the excitement, those with a desire to compete were certainly not in the minority.


    The hundred-plus cultivators scattered about, each finding a spot to wait, and discussed the matter of the Star Moon Fruit without any reservations.


    By this point, one could almost confirm that the news of the Star Moon Fruit was true; otherwise, there would not be so many cultivators waiting here.


    The two chose a spot to settle down, maintaining a safe distance of several hundred zhang from the nearby cultivators, and then began to assess the cultivators and forces present at the scene. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before long, he spotted the cultivators from Zhenyang Sect and Golden Sword Sect, as well as clan members from the West River Li Family, all wearing uniform Daoist robes with distinct insignias, easily identifiable at a glance.


    However, among the multitude of cultivators, there was no sign of anyone from Myriad Medicine Valley or the Yingchuan Chen Family. It was unclear whether they chose not to participate or were simply too spread out to receive the news.


    Lin Tianming surveyed the entire venue, and from the number of people present, there were eleven cultivators from Zhenyang Sect, eight from Golden Sword Sect, and four from the West River Li Family. Although it was difficult to discern the cultivation level of most Golden Elixir force''s disciples, one could presume that they definitely possessed cultivation of at least Foundation Establishment Sixth Level.


    Besides that, he also noticed the Golden Elixir forces from Huangyang Kingdom; Qingyun Valley and Purple Yin Sect were in no way inferior to Zhenyang Sect in strength.


    Another Golden Elixir force was the Pengcheng Liu Family, which also had two Golden Core cultivators from the clan overseeing it, their strength exceeding that of the West River Li Family of the Wei Kingdom.


    Among the Golden Elixir forces from Huangyang Kingdom, the number of people was also sizeable: Qingyun Valley had ten, Purple Yin Sect had nine, and Pengcheng Liu Family had five. In total, they came close to matching the number of disciples from the Golden Elixir forces of Wei Kingdom.


    Three out of the five Golden Elixir forces from Wei Kingdom were present, and similarly, three out of the six major Golden Elixir forces from Huangyang Kingdom were there, with dozens of disciples from these forces combined. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    Among the remaining hundred or so loose cultivators, there were certainly quite a few at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and while no one revealed their true identities, it was certain that many were from Foundation Establishing families.


    The Golden Elixir forces of both countries'' cultivation worlds had each occupied a vast area of the ground, seemingly reaching an unspoken agreement as they awaited the arrival of more cultivators.


    Although having more cultivators join would affect their gains, the more people there were, the smaller their losses would be.


    As for the intentions of the Golden Elixir forces, the loose cultivators and Foundation Establishment Stage families present were well aware, yet no one was willing to give up on such a rare opportunity.


    Seeing so many disciples of the Golden Elixir forces, as well as a great number of loose cultivators and cultivators of unknown origins, Lin Tianming had a serious expression, inwardly murmuring to himself.


    "Such a formation indeed is a gathering of powerful individuals!"


    Lin Shilu''s heart was similarly churning with tumultuous waves, filled with unease.


    In such a setting, they were as ordinary as could be. To gain something in this situation was exceedingly difficult!


    Nevertheless, for the sake of the Star Moon Fruit, they would not easily give up.


    After exchanging views, they unanimously decided to wait and see what moves the Golden Elixir forces would make next.


    Having made up their minds, the two sat cross-legged on the ground, closed their eyes to rest, and waited for the next move.

 Chapter 185 Planning_1

    One day later...


    Since Lin Tianming and another had arrived here, they had been waiting on the side. Except for the disciples of the Golden Elixir Forces, everyone was waiting for the actions of the Golden Elixir Forces.


    Within this day, there were still sporadic cultivators rushing over. After several days of waiting, there were already more than two hundred cultivators gathered here.


    Now, only three days were left until the one-month deadline!


    If they didn''t take action now, or if the process of collecting the Star Moon Fruit wasn''t smooth, they would miss this rare opportunity. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the shore of the vast lake, the Six Major Golden Core Forces occupied the best observation spots.


    The eleven disciples of the Zhenyang Sect were sitting together, excitement written on each person''s face.


    Chu Jie sat squarely in the center. He scanned over the Zhenyang Sect members and then fell into deep thought.


    Upon entering the Secret Realm, they had an average harvest in the first half of their journey. Although they had gathered some White Jade Grass, they hadn''t found anything particularly precious, which had worried him considerably.


    Before entering the Secret Realm, the Second Elder had repeatedly instructed him to seize this opportunity to obtain more treasures for the Sect.


    There were not a few disciples within the Sect with outstanding talent, and the competition was particularly fierce; there were many with greater talent and cultivation than him.


    Under these circumstances, only by securing enough treasures to make a significant contribution to the Sect could he possibly be cultivated as a key figure and be assisted in reaching the Golden Core Stage.


    This time, discovering the Star Moon Fruit was a rare opportunity. Just obtaining a single fruit would suffice as an explanation to the Sect; if they could get two, the reward would be substantial, and with three, his chances of breaking through to the Golden Core Stage would greatly increase.


    Conversely, if he didn''t make enough of a contribution, relying on the Sect to form a Golden Core would be almost unrealistic.


    He recalled again the earnest words of the Second Elder before entering the Secret Realm, as if they had been spoken just yesterday.


    "This time, having discovered the Star Moon Fruit Tree, we must obtain more than two fruits no matter what!"


    Chu Jie silently made up his mind, his expression filled with a fighting spirit.


    Quickly, Chu Jie regained his focus and looked towards the occasionally visible island in the middle of the lake. After erecting a soundproof Barrier, he spoke:


    "Fellow disciples, this news has been spreading for a few days now, and fewer and fewer cultivators are arriving. I don''t think anyone else will come, and the Secret Realm will close soon. If we don''t take action now, there will be no time left!"


    Chu Jie''s words calmed his fellow disciples, and they each began to ponder internally.


    In the crowd, an ordinary-looking man spoke up to remind:


    "Chu, the Tianluan Turtle is very powerful; I''m afraid no one dares to act rashly. We must not become the sacrificial pawns!"


    Before he had finished speaking, another Zhenyang Sect disciple also chimed in.


    "Indeed... Although the Tianluan Turtle is not known for its offensive power among Third Order Demon Beasts, its defensive power is definitely at the top. If we want to kill this beast, ordinary methods will be like scratching an itch."


    "We had people spread the news with the very aim of gathering everyone''s strength. Otherwise, just relying on a few dozen cultivators attacking, it''s simply not going to be successful!" another Zhenyang Sect disciple said.


    Chu Jie was well aware of what his fellow Zhenyang Sect disciples said, but he didn''t feel confident himself.


    Chu Jie looked around and then said:


    "Fellow brothers, the defensive power of the Tianluan Turtle is terrifying. It''s not something that any one or two Golden Elixir forces can handle. We must find allies and cooperate if we are to succeed; what do you think?"


    Upon hearing this, everyone nodded thoughtfully.


    Having cultivated to the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, they were naturally no fools. The Tianluan Turtle was a Third Order Demon Beast, known for its defense, and there were also many Second Order Tianluan Turtles. Just with these people, even possessing treasures left by the Sect, it was impossible.


    With that in mind, everyone spoke in unison: "We will follow whatever instructions you give, Brother Chu!"


    Seeing this, Chu Jie nodded in satisfaction and then looked towards the disciples of the Golden Sword Sect and the clan members of the West River Li Family not far away.


    If they wanted to form an alliance, the Golden Elixir Forces of the Wei Kingdom were, of course, the first choice. Although they were all from the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World and had minor frictions from time to time, there had been no great wars for a thousand years.


    In this view, the Golden Sword Sect and the West River Li Family were much more reliable than the Golden Elixir Forces of Huangyang Kingdom.


    In fact, every one of the Golden Elixir Forces was well aware of his thinking.


    He opened the Barrier, intending to communicate secretly with the people from the Golden Sword Sect and the Li Family.


    Just then, two voice transmissions reached his ears, exactly from Su Yunlong of the Golden Sword Sect and Li Wenyi of the Li Family.


    In a short while, after he had re-established the Barrier, he then said to his fellow disciples:


    "Fellow disciples, Su Daoyou of the Golden Sword Sect and Li Daoyou of the Li Family have just communicated with me to discuss an alliance, which I have agreed to!"


    Upon hearing this, the disciples seemed unsurprised and showed no intention of disagreement.


    Forming an alliance was inevitable; they weren''t concerned about which power to form an alliance with, but about how the benefits would be distributed. If too much of the benefit was given away, they would have less to gain.


    In the crowd, Jia Yuanchun stood up to inquire:


    "Brother Chu, if we succeed, how will the benefits be distributed?"


    Before he could finish, another figure stood up and said fervently: "Our Zhenyang Sect has the most people; splitting the benefits equally would not be fair to us!"


    "Yes... yes..." The crowd agreed one after another. Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 185 Plotting_2

    Seeing everyone turning to him for advice at ordinary times, only to clam up when it came to discussing interests, he felt utterly disgusted.


    However, despite his annoyance, he did not show any abnormality outwardly; after all, he still relied on them to establish great achievements for his sect!


    Thinking of this, he chuckled and expressed with a rather satisfied expression,


    "I dare not make promises lightly, hence I gathered the opinions of all my fellow disciples to discuss this matter with you!"


    "Elder Chu handles matters with utmost care. Coupled with Second Elder''s previous instructions to follow your commands, the alliance is entirely up to you to decide!" sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes... Elder Chu''s cultivation is profound; just take charge directly, we have no objections!"


    Despite not knowing how sincere the flattering words were, Chu Jie was still very satisfied.


    He nodded, scanned his fellow sect members, and then communicated with Su Yunlong and Li Wenyi through voice transmission.


    Within moments, based on the number and strength of disciples from all three sides, they reached a simple agreement regarding the alliance.


    If they succeeded in killing the Tianluan Turtle, the scene was bound to spiral out of control; at that time, the three families would move forward or retreat together to deal with the Golden Core Stage cultivators from Huangyang Kingdom. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire


    As for the treasure distribution, regardless of the quantity of Star Moon Fruits obtained, the Zhenyang Sect would take forty-five percent, Golden Sword Sect forty percent, and the Li Family, fifteen percent.


    If they were fortunate enough to acquire the Star Moon Fruit Tree, given the immense value of the tree, it couldn''t be split into three parts; any distribution would have to be decided by the Golden Core Stage Cultivators of each party.


    Moreover, in cases where it was impractical to split equally, the party obtaining the Star Moon Fruits must provide treasures of equivalent value as compensation.


    But all these terms were predicated on having killed the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, otherwise, all would be but idle chatter.


    As the three major Golden Elixir Forces of Wei Kingdom formed an alliance, the three major Golden Elixir Forces of Huangyang Kingdom also secretly reached an agreement, with terms similar to theirs: the forces with more people got a larger share, while those with fewer got less.


    After all, in the Cultivation World, it has always been might that makes right, and the stronger one''s fist, the greater one''s say.


    Half a quarter hour later...


    By the lakeside, cultivators from Qingyun Valley, Purple Yin Sect, and Pengcheng Liu Family gathered together, putting the other cultivators on alert.


    Among the crowd, Xu Hua of Qingyun Valley stood up and addressed the Zhenyang Sect''s side:


    "Fellow Daoist Chu, the Tianluan Turtle is a Water Attribute Demonic Beast, and its attack power will slightly weaken at noon, which will be our best opportunity to make a move!"


    Hearing Xu Hua''s remarks, no one in the crowd contradicted, evidencing their agreement.


    Chu Jie, along with Su Yunlong and Li Wenyi, nodded to each other and then gathered their disciples, positioning themselves in a stand-off against the cultivators from Huangyang Kingdom.


    The Golden Elixir Forces of Wei Kingdom had more than twenty cultivators, all of which were at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Similarly, the Golden Elixir Forces of Huangyang Kingdom had about the same number of cultivators, all Late Foundation Establishment Cultivators, creating a balanced power on both sides.


    However, the two countries'' cultivators were unlikely to spark any conflict for the time being. Before the Third Order Tianluan Turtle was killed, they needed to restrain themselves and even cooperate sincerely.


    Seeing the movements of the Golden Elixir Forces of the two countries, everyone could guess that it was probably time to take action.


    Lin Tianming and another person were sitting on an open space in the northwest corner, eyeing the cultivators from both sides while remaining vigilant.


    Lin Tianming, observing the dynamics of the scene, voice transmitted to Lin Shilu and asked:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, looking at the scene, the Golden Elixir Forces of Wei Kingdom and Huangyang Kingdom are numerous and immensely powerful. Do you think they stand a chance of success?"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s inquiry, Lin Shilu frowned and then responded:


    "The Third Order Tianluan Turtle is certainly formidable, but facing the onslaught of over a hundred mid- to late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, it is likely to be overwhelmed. However, this battle is sure to result in a substantial number of cultivators falling here!"


    "Oh?"


    Lin Tianming looked puzzled and said, "You''re so confident about this, Fifteenth Grandfather?"


    Lin Shilu''s expression was serious, and his eyes revealed wariness as he explained:


    "Tianming, do you think the Golden Elixir Forces have no trump cards?"


    "Based on my estimation, before entering the Secret Realm, they must have been given powerful treasures by their sects, which will be the key to determining the outcome of this battle!"


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s explanation, Lin Tianming nodded.


    Zhenyang Sect and Golden Sword Sect of Wei Kingdom, as well as Qingyun Valley and Purple Yin Sect of Huangyang Kingdom, have at least several millennia of inheritance as Golden Elixir Forces.


    Entering such an ownerless Secret Realm, they were sure to hold some trump cards; only then could they acquire more treasures and reduce the losses of their disciples.


    Just as he was speculating about their trump cards, the conversation between the cultivators of the two countries interrupted his thoughts.


    At this time, the Golden Elixir Forces of both countries were gathered together, discussing strategies for attacking the Tianluan Turtle.


    Xu Hua chuckled, then decisively addressed Chu Jie:


    "Fellow Daoist Chu, since this place was first discovered by you, could you share some insights into the strength of the Tianluan Turtle herd?"


    After exchanging smiles with Su Yunlong, Chu Jie said:


    "Fellow Daoists of Huangyang Kingdom, it is true that we were the ones to find this place, but we also do not have detailed knowledge of the Tianluan Turtle herd''s exact strength!"


    Upon hearing this, the cultivators from Huangyang Kingdom displayed distinctly displeased expressions.


    The outspoken voice of Wu Xu, the leader of Purple Yin Sect, rang out, directly questioning:


    "Is Fellow Daoist Chu playing with us? We have been waiting here for several days; surely we haven''t been wasting our time for nothing!"

 Chapter 185 Strategy_3

    "Wu Daoyou''s words are very true!" Liu Kaiquan of the Pengcheng Liu Family agreed.


    "Then why do you go around spreading rumors that there is a Star Moon Fruit Tree in the lair of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle?"


    Seeing everyone''s scorn and ridicule, Chu Jie''s face changed, and he immediately sneered back.


    "It''s true I was the one who released the news, but I never forced anyone to come. It was you who coveted the Star Moon Fruits, wasn''t it?"


    "If you didn''t discover any treasure, would you still vent your anger on me?"


    "You... you..."


    Hearing Chu Jie''s mocking words, Wu Xu became infuriated but was unable to retort.


    Seeing the situation getting out of control, Su Yunlong hurriedly stepped in to mediate.


    "Fellow Daoists from Huangyang Kingdom, do not be irritated. Daoist Chu did not deceive us. Think about it, haven''t the cultivators from Zhenyang Sect also been waiting here for such a long time?"


    Even though Su Yunlong''s words were reasonable, they managed to calm the atmosphere.


    Xu Hua nodded and then spoke:


    "Daoist Chu, no more beating around the bush, just be straightforward. Tell us about the situation with the Tianluan Turtle clan. Without killing a Third Order Demonic Beast, our cooperation is necessary, isn''t it?"


    As soon as these words were uttered, Liu Kaiquan echoed them.


    "Yes... I''m not hiding anything either. As long as the Third Order Demonic Beast is not dead, we won''t conflict with each other. Even if we do kill the Third Order Demonic Beast, it will still be based on our abilities. Aren''t we all just trying to fulfill our Sect''s mission?"


    The frankness of these blunt words made people less repelled. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    Chu Jie and the others nodded, their expressions gradually easing.


    "Fellow Daoists, I don''t intend to hide it from you, the matter of the Tianluan Turtle is indeed absolutely true,"


    Chu Jie said, then his expression turned mournful.


    "Twelve of us entered the Secret Realm, and one of our fellow disciples died on the small island in the middle of the lake. Before that disciple perished, he sent back a message using a secret technique, and by judging the disturbances at that time, it was indeed an Early Stage Third Order Tianluan Turtle without a doubt!"


    No sooner had he finished than Xu Hua hurriedly asked, "Was there any mention of the overall strength of the Tianluan Turtle clan?"


    Seeing Xu Hua''s inquiry, Chu Jie''s expression became solemn, and then he responded: Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "According to the description from our perished fellow disciple, there is only one at the Third Order, but there are likely many at the Second Order¡ªno less than dozens of them. Their strength is formidable. That''s the reason why we haven''t driven away so many Loose Cultivators who have come here!"


    Upon hearing Chu Jie''s explanation, everyone seemed to awaken from a dream. No wonder he had spread such important news far and wide.


    "That makes sense... With a Tianluan Turtle clan of such strength, even we, the Six Major Golden Core Forces, might not be able to handle it," said Xu Hua.


    Chu Jie nodded and then shifted the topic.


    "Fellow Daoists, that''s the situation. We don''t have much time. You may want to think of a plan. We must finish this within three days, or we will waste this opportunity!"


    On hearing this, everyone fell into deep thought, and then some suggestions were made, only to be quickly dismissed.


    After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed...


    Seeing that they could not find a reliable method, Xu Hua finally spoke up:


    "If we forcibly attack the Tianluan Turtle''s territory, the risk is too great, and even if we succeed, our losses will certainly be huge. We can try to lure them out!"


    "How do you suggest luring them out? Who would be willing to seek death?" Su Yunlong said.


    "Exactly... Even a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection would be practically going to their death by entering the Tianluan Turtle''s cave in the middle of the lake!" Li Wenyi commented as well.


    "Hehe... take a look at this!"


    Xu Hua chuckled, then took out a jade box, opened it, and placed it in front of everyone.


    Within the jade box lay a spirit grass, half a foot long, entirely water-blue in color, with patterns of clouds adorning it, looking quite peculiar.


    Seeing the spirit grass in the jade box, Chu Jie asked with a surprised and pleased expression, "Is this Tianluan Grass?"


    "Hehe... Chu Daoyou, you have a discerning eye indeed!" Xu Hua responded.


    Tianluan Grass is a Third Order Water Attribute Spirit Grass. Although it''s not of much use in alchemy, with only a scant few elixirs requiring it, it has immense attraction for water attribute demonic beasts, especially the Tianluan Turtle. It''s nearly their favorite spirit material, easily capable of drawing water attribute demonic beasts from a distance.


    "Haha... with this, we can indeed lure the Tianluan Turtles out..." Chu Jie said with a hearty laugh.


    Su Yunlong was also very happy, and then spoke up:


    "We can find a place rich in Fire Attribute Spiritual Energy, set up a Second Order Formation, and then use the Tianluan Grass to attract the Tianluan Turtle clan. With the power of the formation, we might be able to reduce our casualties significantly!"


    Hearing Su Yunlong''s plan, everyone''s expression turned excited, with Xu Hua speaking up:


    "Exactly... That''s also what I was thinking. It is said that Su Daoyou is a Second Order Medium Quality Array Master, so I''m certain he will have a very powerful formation."


    Before he had finished speaking, everyone present was fixating their gaze on Su Yunlong, apparently eager to hear his thoughts.


    Seeing this, Su Yunlong confidently stated:


    "I have a complete set of Second Order Medium Quality Array Flags on me, which can be used to set up a Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation. Although only relying on this formation wouldn''t be enough to kill a Third Order Tianluan Turtle, with the advantage of the right timing and location, restraining its power for a period of time is doable!"


    "Good... This plan is solid!" Chu Jie said.


    "Yeah... Does anyone else have anything to add?" asked Xu Hua.


    Seeing that no one spoke, Chu Jie and the others began to discuss the specific implementation plan.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, the Golden Core forces'' disciples of the two countries reached a consensus: using the Tianluan Grass to attract the Tianluan Turtles into the formation, then combining the power of many cultivators, they planned to kill the Third Order Tianluan Turtles.


    As for the Star Moon Fruit and the spoils of the big battle, it would come down to each person''s capabilities.


    After working out the results and methods, representatives from the Six Major Golden Core Forces gathered together, surveying the loose cultivators present.


    All six were at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Realm, their strength undeniably among the strongest of the over two hundred cultivators present.


    With solemn expressions, Chu Jie among them, addressed all the cultivators present with a fist salute, laying out their plan in full and inviting everyone to join in the fight against the Tianluan Turtle clan.


    As for those who did not want to take action, they had to leave this place by a hundred miles now. If they did not heed the advice and lingered, they would immediately be driven away.


    Those who were unwilling to take action but dared to lay hands on the Star Moon Fruit and spoils after the successful killing of the Tianluan Turtle clan, no matter their background or cultivation, would face pursuit and attack by the Six Major Golden Elixir Forces.


    However, those who did participate would have the right to vie for the Star Moon Fruit and spoils; whether they could obtain them would depend on their own abilities. Of course, if they died here, it wouldn''t be the fault of the Six Forces.


    Hearing Chu Jie''s threats and incentives, along with the stern expressions of the other five, it didn''t seem like a bluff.


    Instantly, the cultivators present began discussing amongst themselves, with many hesitating, although some had no intention of leaving from the start.


    Some cultivators below the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level were very aware of their own limitations; they had come to watch the excitement and maybe pick up some bargains. If they perished here, what use would the Star Moon Fruit be to them?


    Quickly, nearly a hundred people left the scene, yet still, more than a hundred people remained, seemingly reluctant to give up on this opportunity.


    Seeing many cultivators leaving, Lin Tianming was in a dilemma. He then sent a message to Lin Shilu asking:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, what should we do, give up participating, or join their camp?"


    After pondering for a while, Lin Shilu spoke resolutely:


    "Hearing their plan, the feasibility is quite good, and there''s even a considerable chance of success. We''ve come all this way, for the sake of the family''s centuries of effort, I''m willing to stake everything!"


    Seeing Lin Shilu''s determined expression, a fierce fire suddenly ignited in Lin Tianming''s chest, and a surge of momentum arose.


    "For the sake of the family''s long-held expectations, let''s stake everything..."


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s message, the two grandparent and grandchild shared a smile!

 Chapter 186 Siege_1

    Lin Tianming and his companion made up their minds to get involved. Although the hope was slim, if they did not try, there would be no hope at all. By trying, at least there was a glimmer of hope, wasn''t there? S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed, led by the six major Golden Core forces, they planned to temporarily leave the lakeside to find a location rich in fire properties to set up the formation.


    With a small portion giving up the opportunity and those with ulterior motives leaving, those who confirmed their participation followed Chu Jie and the others away.


    The two followed behind a group of cultivators, walking for half an hour before they arrived at a valley filled with boulders.


    About a hundred cultivators stood at the top of the valley, then surveyed the surroundings.


    Looking around, there was a seemingly bottomless canyon with boulders scattered on both sides, and even the ground was reddish-brown soil. A stream of heat wafted out from the depths of the canyon, clearly a natural spirit land of fire.


    At this moment, Su Yunlong, standing at the forefront, smiled joyfully and then said to the cultivators beside him:


    "Fellow daoists, this is a natural fire spirit land I stumbled upon by chance. It is quite suitable for setting up the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation. As long as that Third Order Tianluan Turtle enters the formation, we can certainly weaken its strength within a short time."


    Feeling the intense fire properties of the spiritual power enveloping them, Chu Jie and Xu Hua couldn''t help but reveal a trace of satisfaction.


    "With such a natural spot, our chances of success have greatly increased. As long as that Third Order Tianluan Turtle comes here, it will surely leave its life behind," Chu Jie said excitedly.


    Xu Hua nodded and looked up at the scorching sun overhead, then said as a reminder:


    "We should not delay. Let''s set up the formation before noon and do our best to lure the Third Order Tianluan Turtle here."


    "Indeed, after today''s time passes, we would have to wait another day, and we don''t have much time left," Li Wenyi chimed in.


    "Let''s trouble Su Daoyou to take action and set up the formation, and then place the Tianluan Grass within the formation."


    Xu Hua waved his sleeve, handing over a jade box containing the Tianluan Grass to Su Yunlong, signaling him to quickly set up the formation.


    Su Yunlong took the Tianluan Grass and without hesitation leaped from the mountaintop, landing at the bottom of the valley.


    He scanned the area at the bottom, picked a relatively small and uneven location, and then took out five fire-red flags and a dark-colored array plate.


    After surveying his chosen spot, Su Yunlong nodded with satisfaction, then threw the five flags into the sky, which then steadily disappeared into the soil beneath some boulders.


    At the same time, he made a spell gesture with his hands, light after light of spiritual light bombarding the array plate.


    "Hum hum hum..."


    Some time passed, and a few unique humming sounds emanated.


    A faint red light screen suddenly appeared over the valley, covering a large area. The formation light screen showed briefly before dissipating, and the valley returned to calm.


    He nodded in satisfaction, then took out the Tianluan Grass and placed it at the center of the formation.


    Feeling the formation activate, he then left the formation''s interior and came to the front of the group of cultivators.


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    Looking at his handiwork, Su Yunlong''s eyes gleamed with pride as he said to the cultivators:


    "Fellow daoists, the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation has been activated, and the Tianluan Grass has also been placed inside. Let us all retreat deep into the valley and conceal any traces of our presence, lest we startle the beast unnecessarily."


    "Everyone retreat deep into the valley, and remember to collect your composure so as not to disturb the Tianluan Turtle. Otherwise, if our plan fails, the consequences need not be mentioned by me!"


    After saying this with a threatening tone, Chu Jie led the Zhenyang Sect cultivators away, and the disciples of the other Golden Elixir Forces hurriedly followed suit.


    The remaining cultivators of unknown origin quickly followed; Lin Tianming and his companion blended among them, disappearing in the sky above the canyon.


    They reached deep into the canyon, a few miles away from the formation, where everyone subdued their minds and spirits, waiting for any movement within the formation.


    In the blink of an eye, it was already midday.


    The sun shone brightly at this hour, generating massive amounts of heat from the depths of the canyon. The heat evaporated into dense mist, enveloping the whole valley as if it were a mystical land of immortals.


    Lin Tianming and his companion sat inconspicuously at the back of the crowd, keenly observing any movement at the entrance of the canyon, ready to flee at any moment.


    Although they had a Second Order Formation and over a hundred cultivators to attack the clan of Tianluan Turtles, no one could guarantee that nothing unexpected would happen. If two Third Order Demonic Beasts appeared, all their planning would be in vain. At that time, they would not stay to fight to the death; likely everyone was thinking the same.


    Chu Jie and Xu Hua kept their eyes wide, staring at the dense fog ahead, full of worry.


    After some time had passed at the edge of the valley, one by one, immense turtles appeared. They were huge, each several meters in size, with blue and white intermingled shells easily identifiable on their backs.


    "The Tianluan Turtle clan has finally arrived,"


    Chu Jie and Xu Hua were excited, and spiritual light twinkled faintly from the magic artifacts in their hands, clearly ready to strike.


    All the cultivators on the scene noticed the arrival of the Tianluan Turtles and prepared themselves accordingly.


    However, the figure of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle was still nowhere to be seen, causing the cultivators to feel somewhat helpless, continuing to wait.


    After a short while, a deep and unique sound came.

 Chapter 186 Siege_2

    A Tianluan Turtle, some ten zhang in size, made its way towards the entrance of the gorge, causing the smaller Tianluan Turtles scattered about to make way for it, seemingly fearful. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The largest Tianluan Turtle, though immense in size, was surprisingly agile, instantly shifting a hundred zhang to the side and appearing just outside the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation.


    The gigantic Tianluan Turtle seemed to loathe the place, but at the sight of the Tianluan Grass in the dense mist, it became extremely excited.


    However, this huge Tianluan Turtle was quite cautious. It stretched out its head, staring intently at the Tianluan Grass within the formation, neither stepping inside nor turning away.


    This largest Tianluan Turtle was undoubtedly Third Order, its aura exceptionally strong and easily distinguishable.


    Everyone held their breath at this moment, not daring to make a sound, quietly waiting for the Third Order Tianluan Turtle to enter the formation.


    This was the first time Lin Tianming had seen a Third Order Demon Beast, especially one with such a long lifespan and remarkable resilience. He even thought that if he could subdue this Third Order Tianluan Turtle, his family wouldn''t have to fear the Golden Elixir Forces for a thousand years.


    But he quickly abandoned the idea: A Third Order Demon Beast wouldn''t easily accept a master, and without the strength of the Golden Core Stage to suppress it, subduing it was impossible.


    As he was lost in thought, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle made a move.


    Perhaps the Third Order Tianluan Grass was too tempting for it. After pacing back and forth outside the formation, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle finally decided to swallow the grass.


    All held their breath, waiting for the Third Order Tianluan Turtle to take that step.


    Finally, the Tianluan Turtle raised its massive head, leading a few Second Order Tianluan Turtles into the formation, while the majority remained outside.


    Just as everyone tensed up, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle moved at an astonishing speed, charged to the side of the Tianluan Grass, gulped it down, and then let out a satisfied roar.


    Seeing the Third Order Tianluan Turtle enter the formation, Chu Jie and Xu Hua, among others, grew excited, waiting for Su Yunlong to give the signal to strike.


    As the Third Order Tianluan Turtle entered the formation, an Array Plate flew out of Su Yunlong''s hand, followed by several Law Decrees hitting it.


    The light screen, which had previously dissipated, shone brightly once more, with colors even more vibrant than before.


    "Boom rumble."


    After a ground-shaking tremor, the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation was successfully activated before the Tianluan Turtles inside could react.


    As the formation activated, the temperature within its embrace soared, and countless fireballs fell from the sky, pouring down towards the ground.


    Under the fierce attack of the massive fireballs, the Tianluan Turtles started to dodge, but the fireballs were dense, and many Second Order Tianluan Turtles were hit, quickly getting injured.


    The huge Third Order Tianluan Turtle, despite its speed, was still hit by some fireballs on its shell.


    Yet these terrifying fireballs only left a tiny wound on its carapace, posing no threat to its life.


    "Fellow cultivators, strike quickly!"


    Chu Jie let out a loud shout and then leaped forward, heading towards the entrance of the gorge. Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire


    Behind him, a multitude of cultivators followed closely behind the juniors of the Six Major Golden Core Forces.


    Lin Tianming and his companion symbolically followed suit, always staying alert.


    More than ten breaths later, Chu Jie and the others arrived first at the formation, having rushed there at full speed.


    Inside the formation, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, greatly irritated, began to ram the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation while dodging the fireballs, leading its juniors.


    In the time it took for them to arrive, the formation had already been struck several times by the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, each impact shaking the earth, teetering on the brink of collapse.


    Seeing this, Su Yunlong quickly shouted:


    "Everyone, act quickly to stop them from breaking out of the formation. Once they escape, it will be difficult to deal with this creature."


    Before his words fell, Chu Jie, Xu Hua, and the others from the Golden Core Forces began to attack frantically.


    With a wave of his robe, Chu Jie sent out a set of nine Circular Ring Artifacts, then cast several spells on them. The Nine Ring Artifacts rapidly enlarged and hurtled towards the Third Order Tianluan Turtle at lightning speed.


    Xu Hua was not to be outdone. As the leader of Qingyun Valley, he couldn''t let Chu Jie of Wei Kingdom take all the spotlight.


    He slapped his storage bag, then pulled out a Spirit Sword gleaming with red light and brimming with Spiritual Energy, obviously also a Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact.


    Injecting a great amount of Spiritual Power, the entire Spirit Sword flickered, slashing angrily toward the Third Order Tianluan Turtle inside the formation.


    While the two took action, the remaining cultivators each made their move.


    Lin Tianming took out an Earth Evil Sword. The pair launched a few symbolic attacks, not using even a third of their strength.


    Many cultivators probably shared this mindset, as no one wanted to lead the charge or reveal their strength and methods.


    Still, the combined attack of over a hundred cultivators was terrifying nonetheless.


    For a moment, the entire formation was ablaze, various magic and spiritual artifacts emerged, and countless exotic attacks were unleashed, quickly engulfing the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    "Boom rumble..."


    Explosions rang out, darkening the sky within the formation.


    The multitude of spells and attacks from Spirit Instruments washed over the area, and in just a moment, the Second Order Tianluan Turtles suffered horrific casualties, with nearly only those at the late phase of Second Order surviving, albeit injured.

 Chapter 186 Siege_3

    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle, however, had hardly sustained any damage. The attacks from Foundation Establishment Cultivators had limited destructive power, and when faced with a defensive creature like this turtle, even the combined assaults from Chu Jie and Xu Hua merely left tiny cracks on its shell.


    After one strike, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle became incredibly furious. It lifted its head and let out a shrill screech, then swung its powerful limbs and charged at the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation.


    "Boom..."


    A loud bang erupted, and the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation began to tremble wildly, intense light flickering over the barrier of the formation. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire


    Meanwhile, the Second Order Tianluan Turtles outside the formation launched an attack at the cultivators, seemingly attempting to coordinate with the Third Order Tianluan Turtle inside.


    Seeing this, Chu Jie and the others wore grave expressions. Su Yunlong quickly shouted loudly:


    "All cultivators except for those from the Six Major Golden Core Forces, focus on exterminating the peripheral Tianluan Turtles!"


    Chu Jie and Xu Hua wore cold expressions as well, speaking in a threatening tone:


    "Do not try to hold back or hide your strength. If the Third Order Tianluan Turtle breaks free, nobody will get their hands on the Star Moon Fruit, and nobody will have an easy time!"


    Hearing the words of Chu Jie and the rest, and considering the terrifying power of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, the cultivators began to fight more fiercely.


    Lin Tianming and his companion also unleashed seventy percent of their full strength, at least appearing like typical Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivators. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the battle intensified, the Second Order Tianluan Turtles on the periphery were vastly outnumbered by the cultivators and quickly suffered heavy casualties.


    The key to the battle still lay with the Third Order Tianluan Turtle within the formation.


    As dozens of cultivators from the Six Major Golden Core Forces joined forces, various moves bombarded in a frenzy, and the Second Order Tianluan Turtles were almost completely torn apart, with very few surviving.


    As for the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, its famously defensive shell now bore numerous cracks. Though they weren''t deep, it had still suffered some minor injuries.


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle was unusually angry at this point. In this place rich in fire-attributed spiritual power, the effect on it was not small, and the restrictions of the formation imposed yet another handicap on its strength.


    The enraged Third Order Tianluan Turtle, a mighty Third Order Demon Beast, found it humiliating to be besieged by so many Foundation Establishment Cultivators and to have sustained injuries, which was incredibly frustrating.


    As the infuriated Tianluan Turtle continued to ram the formation relentlessly, the stability of the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation also began to weaken.


    Seeing this, Su Yunlong''s expression became grave, and he quickly explained the situation to the Six Major Golden Core Forces, who all realized the importance of the formation to them.


    "Fellow Daoists, do not hold back any longer. This Third Order Tianluan Turtle is stronger than we expected, and it must be close to the Third Grade Medium Stage!" Chu Jie spoke up.


    Xu Hua and the others exchanged glances, then the magic artifacts in their hands glowed with increased spiritual light, their attacks becoming even more fierce.


    After two rounds of assaults, the Tianluan Turtle seemed to realize that its situation was also dire. Although the regular methods of Foundation Establishment Cultivators couldn''t kill it, if the fight dragged on, unpredictable incidents could occur.


    At that moment, the furious Third Order Tianluan Turtle became even more agitated, suddenly shooting out a barrage of Cold Jade Arrows from its mouth, which heavily bombarded the formation''s barriers.


    "Not good... the Tianluan Turtle''s Innate Divine Ability!" Chu Jie cried out in alarm.


    "Thump, thump, thump..."


    Thunderous booms resounded, and the formation shook violently, teetering on the brink of collapse.


    Chu Jie and the others'' faces changed drastically, their magic artifacts shining brightly, attempting to stop the Third Order Tianluan Turtle from continuing its assault.


    However, it seemed that the Tianluan Turtle was determined, withstanding their attacks in its resolution to break the formation.


    As a torrent of attacks poured down, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle''s Innate Divine Ability, the Cold Jade Arrows, struck the formation once again.


    For a moment, the colors of the sky and earth shifted, and a flurry of attacks slammed against the thick shell of the Tianluan Turtle.


    A section of the Tianluan Turtle''s hefty shell shattered, revealing flesh white as jade.


    The frenzied onslaught from Chu Jie and the others wounded the disregarding Tianluan Turtle, which let out a crazed howl from the pain.


    At the same time, the Cold Jade Arrows also broke through the formation''s barriers.


    Just as the formation shattered, the light screen in the sky dissipated, and the Jade Staff Small Flags burst into flames, quickly burning into ash.


    At that moment, with the formation broken, the enraged Tianluan Turtle turned its head, staring at the disciples of the Six Major Golden Core Forces who had injured it.


    They had underestimated the strength of the Third Order Demon Beast, thinking that with a Second Order Formation and the advantage of terrain they could succeed, but they never imagined that the Third Order Tianluan Turtle would be so powerful and resolute. They had held back throughout the fight, which resulted in the Tianluan Turtle breaking free.


    At that point, the faces of Chu Jie and the others turned pale, and they started to retreat frantically.

 Chapter 187 Collapse_1

    Seeing the Third Order Tianluan Turtle break free, the cultivators who were besieging the remaining demonic beasts immediately ceased their attacks.


    Lin Tianming and his companion hastily retreated, positioning themselves behind the forces of the Six Major Golden Core Powers at the first opportunity.


    With the Tianluan Turtle free and no longer restrained, if it were to go on a rampage, staying within its sight was an invitation to death. They were prepared to flee for their lives at the first sign of danger, letting the Golden Elixir Forces bear the brunt.


    As expected, over a dozen cultivators who were late to retreat, caught off guard, were effortlessly slain by the escaped Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    Those quick enough to evade scrambled away in panic, eventually taking their place behind the Six Major Golden Core Forces, their faces pale as they looked upon the mangled corpses on the ground, all revealing expressions of lingering fear.


    Some of the surviving cultivators, witnessing this scene, immediately wavered in their resolve and, seizing the moment of shock and confusion, stealthily left the valley, evidently abandoning their plans to continue the siege.


    Chu Jie, Xu Hua, and others turned cold, watching the deserting cultivators with faces ashen. They were unable to prevent their departure, as there was no time to deal with the faint-hearted and fearful.


    In the blink of an eye, dozens feared the power of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle and hastily left, leaving behind mostly cultivators above the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even so, nearly a hundred cultivators remained, and the overall strength had not diminished by much. Those willing to stay were still reluctant to give up this opportunity for a breakthrough to the Golden Core.


    After cursing the fleeing cultivators, Chu Jie, Xu Hua, and the others turned their gaze to the Tianluan Turtle flock.


    At this moment, the surviving peripheral Tianluan Turtles, given a chance to breathe, quickly regrouped with the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    With more than ten cultivators slain and dozens abandoning the siege out of fear of the Third Order Demonic Beast''s power, the conflict subsided for a moment. The cultivators and the Tianluan Turtle flock were now facing each other across the valley, the atmosphere extraordinarily tense.


    The current situation was still difficult to predict.


    From a strength perspective, there were still over a hundred cultivators, most being above the Sixth Level of Foundation Establishment, their power still formidable.


    While the Tianluan Turtle flock, despite the Third Order Tianluan Turtle having some injuries, was not significantly affected. Aside from that, with the aid of several dozen Second Order Tianluan Turtles, their strength was no less impressive than that of the cultivators.


    Both sides occupied their own hilltops, prepared for the impending battle.


    Chu Jie, Xu Hua, and the others wore somber expressions as they cautiously observed the enraged Tianluan Turtle flock, ready to engage at any moment.


    After a few moments passed, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle launched its attack, spitting out a barrage of Cold Jade Arrows towards the cultivators.


    "Everyone, be careful, strike quickly and vanquish them!" Xu Hua warned, as the Magic Artifact in his hand radiated intensely, slashing furiously at the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    "All Golden Core disciples, join me in attacking the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, the rest focus on quickly exterminating the Second Order Demonic Beasts, then we''ll all combine forces to deal with the Third Order," Chu Jie bellowed, as he flung his Hoop-shaped Magical Artifact which, after expanding in size, smashed toward the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    Simultaneously, all disciples from the Golden Core Forces made their move.


    Suddenly, a myriad of attacks from various magical artifacts clashed with the Cold Jade Arrows spewed by the Tianluan Turtles.


    "Boom, boom, boom."


    The sky echoed with successive explosions, the Cold Jade Arrows colliding with the Six Forces'' attacks, generating explosive shockwaves, sending debris flying throughout the valley, and the heavens ablaze.


    At this moment, the intense battle was initiated by the Cold Jade Arrows launched by the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, entering a thrilling stage.


    Lin Tianming and his companion remained vigilant, targeting some of the injured Second Order Tianluan Turtles, making their battle surprisingly effortless while conserving their strength and not arousing suspicion among the other cultivators.


    In less than half a quarter of an hour, the valley was littered with corpses, both demonic beasts'' and cultivators''.


    The Tianluan Turtle flock suffered heavy losses, fewer than fifty capable of fighting remained, each bearing some injuries. Yet despite the relentless attacks, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle had not sustained fatal damage.


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    The cultivator''s side also suffered significant losses, with dozens falling there, including over ten offspring of the Six Major Golden Core Forces, most killed by the Divine Skills of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    At this point, the showdown between cultivators and demonic beasts reached its climax.


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle didn''t hesitate to unleash a flurry of Cold Jade Arrows at Chu Jie and the others.


    With the Third Order Demonic Beast''s Spirit Wisdom comparable to that of a human child, it seemed to know which cultivators posed a greater threat, and began to target them.


    As the Third Order Tianluan Turtle adjusted its tactics, Chu Jie, and the others had their complexions change drastically, scattering in haste.


    However, once their formation was broken, the pressure on the Third Order Tianluan Turtle eased, affording it an opportunity to retaliate.


    Seizing this chance, the Tianluan Turtle moved with astonishing speed towards Chu Jie and the Golden Core disciples, intent on wiping them out completely.


    But the Third Order Demonic Beast was too fast, and in the blink of an eye, two more disciples from the Zhenyang Sect had fallen, leaving the rest pale and huddled together.


    Stabilizing their positions, Jia Yuanchun''s face was pale with fright. If not for his quick reflexes dodging a lethal blow, he might well have perished.

 Chapter 187 Collapse_2

    Thinking back to the recent peril, his face gloomy, he spoke to Chu Jie:


    "Brother Chu, the defensive power of this Third Order Tianluan Turtle is too strong; ordinary methods simply can''t kill it, and if we continue like this, it will be impossible to slay it."


    "Indeed, if the Third Order Demon Beast doesn''t die, none of us will get the Star Moon Fruit," another person chimed in.


    Hearing the words of his fellow brothers, Chu Jie''s face turned sour, but he had to face the reality that if they continued this way, not only would they fail to obtain the treasure, but they might also lose their lives here.


    He was extremely conflicted at this moment. If he used the trump card given by his sect, he would inevitably be at a disadvantage when it came time to compete for the Star Moon Fruit. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, the trump card can only be used once; once used, it''s gone. It must be used by everyone together, otherwise, we can''t afford to lose our lifesaving trump card."


    Chu Jie thought to himself, clearly having made up his mind. He shouted to Xu Hua and the others:


    "Fellow Daoists, don''t hold back any longer. I believe your elders have surely given you a trump card. Whatever the means, we must bring them all out, slay the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, and then we will each rely on our own abilities."


    Chu Jie''s words made the descendants of the other Golden Elixir Forces hesitate; none wanted to lose their trump card, but the current situation didn''t allow them to ponder any longer.


    "Alright... Qingyun Valley agrees!" Xu Hua spoke up.


    "The Purple Yin Sect also agrees..."


    "Golden Sword Sect agrees too..."


    As the Four Great Golden Core Sects showed their stance, the representatives from Pengcheng Liu Family and West River Li Family had no choice but to reluctantly agree.


    Seeing this situation, Chu Jie and the others were very satisfied. Their cultivation and strength were the strongest and their numbers the most, so even without their trump cards, it would be easier for them to get the Star Moon Fruit than it would be for the Liu or Li families.


    "Everyone, take action quickly. The six major forces will take care of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle. As for the Second Order ones, they will be left to those Loose Cultivators!" Chu Jie said.


    As he finished speaking, Chu Jie released the Nine Ring Artifacts from his hands, and with a spurt of blood, the nine rings rapidly grew in size and smashed toward the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    At the same time, the remaining cultivators struck again, their attacks clearly stronger than before.


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle, seeing the cultivators'' attacks, moved swiftly to try to avoid their sharp edges.


    However, the Nine Ring Artifacts unleashed by Chu Jie were incredibly fast and, after striking its shell, ensnared its body.


    Seeing the Tianluan Turtle''s speed greatly reduced, Chu Jie''s face lit up with ecstasy.


    The greatest capability of his Nine Ring Artifacts was not to kill the enemy but to trap them. Once entangled by the rings, the speed of escape would greatly diminish, and over time, it would even restrict the Spiritual Power, causing the trapped demon beast to lose its strength¡ªan extremely peculiar power.


    But before he could rejoice, the Nine Ring Artifacts broke two of their number under the violent struggle of the Tianluan Turtle.


    Chu Jie spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, for when the artifacts were damaged, he too suffered a backlash.


    It was then that he realized he had been too naive; with his Second Order Medium Quality artifacts and his Foundation Establishment Ninth Level cultivation, trying to trap a Third Order Demon Beast with just his artifacts was impossible.


    After all, a Third Order Demon Beast is formidable, and if faced alone, it could likely kill him in an instant.


    Although unable to trap the Third Order Tianluan Turtle to death, before the Nine Artifacts completely shattered, they could still greatly reduce the turtle''s speed, serving some purpose.


    "Everyone, seize this opportunity to use your trump cards and completely eliminate this brute," Chu Jie urged.


    "Good... Let''s do it together!" several leading figures replied in unison, preparing to employ their trump measures.


    Seeing everyone''s resolute expressions and agreement to use their trump cards, Chu Jie was thrilled.


    He slapped his storage bag and a talisman paper flashing with red light appeared in his hand, clearly a Golden Core Talisman.


    As soon as the Golden Core Talisman appeared, the surrounding Spiritual Energy was stirred up, and a wild wind howled around Chu Jie.


    All the cultivators turned their attention to the Golden Core Talisman in Chu Jie''s hand, revealing a look of fear.


    At this time, Lin Tianming remained calm while pursuing the Second Order Tianluan Turtle, having already guessed in their hearts that the trump card Chu Jie produced would definitely be either a Third Order Talisman or a Golden Core Talisman condensed by a Golden Core Cultivator.


    After all, the Four Great Golden Core Sects here have been heritage forces for more than a thousand years, and the lineage of Golden Core Stage Cultivators has never been broken; each dying Golden Core Cultivator would condense a Golden Core Talisman, serving as their final contribution to their sect.


    The Patriarch of the Lin Family also left behind a Golden Core Talisman, which on multiple occasions saved the family from danger and preserved their ancestral business.


    Seven or eight years ago, when the Lin Family faced the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family, it was by employing this treasure that they directly killed the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Jin Zhiying without giving him a chance to fight back.


    The power of the Golden Core Talisman was well known to everyone.


    But the three offensive uses within the family''s Golden Core Talisman had been expended, and the Lin Family had lost their protective trump card.


    As for the Golden Core Talisman that Chu Jie produced, whether it had been condensed by an Early Stage Golden Core Cultivator or by an even more powerful Mid Stage Golden Core Cultivator was yet to be determined; only after activation could a rough judgment be made.


    It did not take long for him to know the result.


    As the Golden Core Talisman in Chu Jie''s hand was activated, a gigantic fireball descended from the sky. The entire fireball moved incredibly fast, engulfed in surging flames, with a terrifying temperature that vaporized the surrounding Spiritual Energy.


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    Seeing the Terrifying Fireball, it appeared to be left behind by a fire-elemental Golden Core Expert, and judging by the fearsome temperature, it was very likely condensed by a Mid Stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    It was clear that with the Secret Realm appearing near Wei Kingdom, the Zhenyang Sect, as the local authority, had made extremely thorough preparations and heavily invested in them.

 Chapter 187 Collapse_3

    Chu Jie was thrilled beyond measure, his eyes fixated on the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, eager to witness whether the power of the Golden Core Talisman was as terrifying as the legends suggested.


    Not only that, Xu Hua and others also activated their trump cards.


    In Huangyang Country Cultivation World, Xu Hua and Wu Xu''s trump cards were also Golden Core Talismans, though their power seemed slightly weaker than those of the Zhenyang Sect, while the other three factions'' trump card was a Lower Third Order talisman paper, not as powerful as the Golden Core Talismans, but their might was still formidable.


    The combined trump cards of the Six Major Golden Core Forces created a terrifying momentum that shattered the rocks and vegetation within the gorge.


    At that moment, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, seeing the terrifying fireballs and Sword Qi above, struggled frantically, clearly aware that these attacks could threaten its life.


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle writhed intensely, with the Circular Rings binding its body shattering one after another, leaving only the last two intact.


    Although only two Circular Rings remained to bind it, under normal circumstances, it would hardly need a moment to break free, but there was simply no time to spare in the current situation.


    Facing the all-encompassing attack, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle made a decisive move, retracting its entire body into its massive shell to withstand the trump cards of the six powers.


    "Bang, bang, bang..."


    The massive fireballs were the first to hit the shell of the Tianluan Turtle, instantly engulfing it in a sea of flames.


    At the same time, the other attacks arrived as expected, striking the shell of the Tianluan Turtle from all directions.


    For a moment, the sky was ablaze with fire, and the powerful aftermath opened a deep abyss in the gorge, the resulting surge instantly killing the nearby cultivators and Second Order Demonic Beasts.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were prepared early on, hiding behind the Golden Elixir Forces, protected from being used as cannon fodder.


    After more than ten breaths, the scene became very quiet, everyone waiting for the firelight and smoke to dissipate.


    As the fire died down and the smoke cleared, a miserable cry rang out.


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle was now in a terrible state, its thick shell mostly shattered, two of its limbs severed, as it howled in agony, its aura significantly weakened compared to before.


    Seeing this, everyone was overjoyed.


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle had suffered an unprecedented blow, and with the surrounding humans'' onslaught, killing it was only a matter of time.


    Although Chu Jie''s magic artifact had been destroyed, seeing the main culprit in such a state made him burst into crazed laughter.


    "Strike now, finish this beast!"


    Chu Jie bellowed, pulling out a Second Order Lower Magic Artifact and launching the first attack, with the other cultivators also acting quickly, surrounding and attacking the severely injured Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    Soon, the critically wounded Tianluan Turtle was overwhelmed by a sky full of magical attacks and sword rain. Under such heavy injuries, it was difficult to escape, let alone resist the attacks from so many people.


    However, the dying Third Order Tianluan Turtle, acutely aware of its plight, became insanely fierce, obviously intending to drag some cultivators down with it.


    Cold Jade Arrows shot out in large numbers from its mouth at an incredibly fast speed, assaulting the surrounding cultivators.


    The death-fueled attack of a Third Order Demon Beast was extraordinarily fearsome.


    Some of the cultivators who were too close couldn''t dodge in time and were directly pierced through by the Cold Jade Arrows, falling dead on the spot.


    Meanwhile, the cultivator''s attacks arrived as scheduled, each one draining away at its life force.


    A few breaths later, the ground was littered with corpses and severed limbs, with the Third Order Tianluan Turtle lying lifelessly at the bottom of the gorge, surrounded by the bodies of dozens of cultivators sprawling in all directions.


    In its dying moments, the Third Order Demon Beast took the lives of dozens, with all Six Major Golden Core Forces facing varying degrees of casualties. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the death of the Third Order Demon Beast, the Cultivator Alliance instantly crumbled.


    Chu Jie and Xu Hua were the first to act, vying for the inner core of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle. Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    Since Chu Jie''s magic artifact had been destroyed, and his injuries slowed him down, he ended up losing the inner core to Xu Hua.


    Xu Hua let out a triumphant laugh, then abruptly turned and shot towards the lair of the Tianluan Turtle, not even bothering to contest the corpse.


    Seeing Xu Hua''s action, which was clearly premeditated, the faces of the heirs of the several Golden Core Forces changed, cursing loudly before immediately giving chase.


    Lin Tianming and his companion made a decisive move at the moment Xu Hua turned around, already leaping a hundred yards away.


    Suddenly, a portion of the Loose Cultivators abandoned the corpse of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, rushing towards the beast''s cave as well, their speed not at all inferior to Xu Hua''s, clearly also at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level or above.

 Chapter 188 Grabbing Chestnuts from the Fire_1

    At this moment inside the canyon, corpses were strewn everywhere, with nearly a hundred Tianluan Turtle carcasses as well as a great number of cultivator limbs.


    As the disciples of the Six Major Golden Core Forces and those cultivators intent on competing for the Star Moon Fruit left, the nearly hundred cultivators remaining fought each other without any reservations, vying for the Third Order Tianluan Turtle carcasses and the numerous deceased cultivators'' belongings.


    Those who stayed in the canyon were very clear that with their cultivation, hoping to compete with the disciples of the Six Major Golden Core Forces for the few Star Moon Fruits was extremely unlikely.


    In light of this, it was better to aim for the Tianluan Turtles and the possessions of the dead cultivators. After all, nearly a hundred cultivators had perished here, along with a large number of demon beast corpses, which amounted to a considerable fortune, not to mention the high value of a single Third Order Tianluan Turtle carcass.


    There were no shortage of cultivators with such thoughts, but only the top Foundation Establishment Cultivators would gamble on the chance for the Golden Core Path.


    At this time, the entire canyon was in utter chaos; in the sky, a multitude of spells and magic artifacts collided thunderously. Every cultivator held nothing back, unleashing lethal moves and displaying the full extent of human greed.


    However, Chu Jie and Xu Hua paid no heed to this, considering these treasures to be insignificant compared to the Star Moon Fruits.


    Lin Tianming did the same; in the moment Xu Hua turned around, he hurriedly took a few storage bags from the cultivators and immediately gave chase.


    Chu Jie and others were also infuriated, quickly securing any convenient valuables and chased after them, turning into lingering shadows.


    Xu Hua led the way, racing towards the location of the Tianluan Turtle den, which was that vast lake.


    Following behind him were Chu Jie, Su Yunlong, and Wu Xu.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were also in pursuit, maintaining an above-average speed, with more than a dozen cultivators trailing behind them.


    The group whistled past, arriving in a majestic procession at the lakeside, surpassing the spot where they had initially stopped.


    Xu Hua and others looked at the vaguely visible island in the center of the lake, showing no signs of pausing as they blasted towards it.


    In less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the group of cultivators arrived above the small island.


    Looking around, the island was now enveloped in a dense fog, with numerous caves evident throughout the area.


    With the Tianluan Turtle clan wiped out, the whole island was eerily silent, save for some Tianluan Turtles guarding the nests who looked ferociously at the newcomers, spitting out Cold Jade Arrows to try and blast those who dared to enter their caves. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon seeing a Second Order Tianluan Turtle attacking him, Xu Hua snorted coldly; a flash of spiritual light from the great sword in his hand and a face-to-face strike killed the Second Order Initial Stage Tianluan Turtle.


    The moment he was briefly slowed down, Chu Jie and the others arrived, their faces grim as they looked at Xu Hua.


    At this time, Chu Jie had seven Zhenyang Sect Disciples by his side. Nearby, Su Yunlong of the Golden Sword Sect also had several cultivators, while only three remained from the West River Li Family''s Li Wenyi.


    Opposite them, Xu Hua was accompanied by cultivators from the Purple Yin Sect and the Pengcheng Liu Family, adding up to seventeen cultivators from the three major Golden Elixir Forces of Huangyang Kingdom.


    After the brutal battle in the canyon, the cultivators from both sides had been visibly diminished, all having died at the mouths of Third Order Tianluan Turtles.


    Currently, the strengths of both parties were evenly matched; in terms of numbers, Xu Hua''s side seemed to have a slight advantage.


    However, even though the Golden Elixir Forces were powerful, they couldn''t afford to be complacent. Cultivators with unclear backgrounds like Lin Tianming were also present, numbering over thirty people, among them many above Foundation Establishment Eighth Level.


    Given the circumstances, it was still uncertain who would ultimately claim the Star Moon Fruits.


    At this point, the Loose Cultivators were subtly gathering together, showing no inferiority in momentum compared to Chu Jie and Xu Hua.


    Seeing this, a barely perceptible smile appeared on Xu Hua''s face, as he secretly communicated with Chu Jie and others, seemingly discussing something.


    With the weird atmosphere and the changing expressions of Chu Jie and others, Lin Tianming and the majority of the Loose Cultivators wore serious expressions, readying themselves for an imminent battle.


    As expected, Xu Hua and Chu Jie seemed to have reached some agreement, launching an attack on the nearest cultivators without anyone noticing. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire


    In an instant, the disciples of the Golden Elixir Forces who suddenly took action successfully killed several cultivators.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were prepared, immediately retreating to quickly create distance.


    Following the surprise attack, the remaining twenty or so Loose Cultivators had grim expressions, with someone angrily cursing:


    "Xu Daoyou, what is the meaning of this? We had agreed that upon the death of a Third Order Demon Beast, everyone would have the right to compete for the Star Moon Fruit."


    Hearing these words, Xu Hua and the others sneered, "How naive you are!"


    "With the Third Order Tianluan Turtles dead, what use are you?"


    Infuriated by Xu Hua''s scoffing taunt, the assembled Loose Cultivators were seething with anger, but being overpowered, they could only unite with other Loose Cultivators to confront Xu Hua and his group.


    Xu Hua and his peers were ungentlemanly, seeing that masks were torn off, they attacked directly.


    The Loose Cultivators did not shrink back, retaliating and engaging in a fierce battle.


    Lin Tianming and his partner teamed up against a disciple from the Purple Yin Sect. With their close coordination, they stood toe-to-toe with the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level cultivator without falling behind.


    By now, the situation had become chaotic again, and the previously ceased combat reignited once more.


    Although the average cultivation level of the Six Major Golden Core Forces was superior, there were still more than twenty extra people among the Loose Cultivators.


    Under this situation, the entire battle became even more intense.


    Flares burst in the sky above the island as massive spells and talisman papers collided, and the explosive waves uprooted flowers, plants, and trees from the ground.

 Chapter 188 Grabbing Chestnuts from the Fire_2

    In just a short moment, the picturesque island lay in ruins.


    Meanwhile, screams echoed from time to time, with cultivators from both sides falling here.


    After a small quarter of an hour of intense battle, the fight had reached a fever pitch.


    Xu Hua leapt up, his spirit sword radiating brilliantly, and then a golden sword qi shot out, piercing through the chest of a Foundation Establishment Seventh Level cultivator.


    The defeated cultivator fell to the ground unwillingly, blood gushing from the chest wound, creating a truly desolate scene.


    Seeing the cultivator''s death, Xu Hua sneered and picked a new target, then struck again.


    At this moment, all the loose cultivators were in utter panic, except for a few who remained composed; the rest were ashen-faced, and some even started to beat a retreat.


    As another Foundation Establishment Seventh Level loose cultivator fell to Chu Jie, their body was pierced directly by a spirit sword, and the unwilling cultivator''s body convulsed on the ground in a terrifying sight.


    Seeing this, the remaining alive loose cultivators completely gave up on competing for the Star Moon Fruit.


    With the first cultivator fleeing, it quickly triggered a chain reaction, and another one dashed away in the direction they had come from.


    Soon, the initially numerically superior group of loose cultivators, with some dead and others escaped, was reduced to just over twenty who still held on.


    Seeing that they had the absolute upper hand, Xu Hua refrained from making another move and instead turned to rush alone towards the center of the island.


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    At the same time, Chu Jie, Su Yunlong, and others followed suit, leaving their brothers and sisters to block the loose cultivators.


    Lin Tianming and his companion quickly deduced their intent, which was to leave people to hinder the loose cultivators, while the leaders of the Six Major Golden Core Forces went to seize the Star Moon Fruit.


    Not just them, some among the loose cultivators had also figured it out, soon someone shouted:


    "Fellow daoists, Xu Hua, Chu Jie, and the others have gone to find the Star Moon Fruit, hurry and break through their blockade, or we''ll have no hope at all!"


    Before the words had even faded, the loose cultivators spontaneously converged together, launching an attack on the disciples of the Golden Elixir Forces that were blocking them.


    At this critical juncture, no one hid their cultivation level or held back their strength anymore.


    Lin Tianming''s expression was grave as fifty-six Earth Fiend Swords shot out, trapping several cultivators who were in their way.


    At the same time, the Second Order Talisman in his hand flew out, transforming into a sea of fire that engulfed the enemy.


    After one strike, his attack was easily caught by the enemy; after all, his cultivation was too low, and these techniques were merely time-consuming for them.


    However, before the cultivators within could celebrate, Lin Shilu''s attack had already arrived in haste.


    The sky erupted in Golden Sword Qi, and the Overturning Mountain Seal slammed down furiously.


    A cultivator failed to dodge in time and was directly killed by the sword light and sword qi, his body torn to pieces, a sight most miserable indeed.


    The remaining two''s complexions changed dramatically, then they began attacking the barriers of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, trying to break out.


    But at that moment, a blood-colored blade qi shot towards them with extreme speed.


    The two inside the sword array had not anticipated a third person attacking them and couldn''t react in time; they could only try to dodge vitally.


    Yet the blood-colored blade qi was too fast. A scream pierced the air as one cultivator was unable to dodge in time and was struck dead.


    The other, more decisive, twisted his body to dodge the fatal blow but lost an arm in doing so.


    Inside the sword array, the sole surviving cultivator went pale with a look of terror, fortunate to have kept his life.


    Seeing the blood-colored blade qi, Lin Tianming and his companion immediately recognized that the attacker was none other than Long Hai, with whom they had previously cooperated.


    Similarly, Long Hai, upon seeing the fifty-six Earth Fiend Swords launched simultaneously, knew that the person whose face had changed was the pair who had battled alongside him against the Dragon-Eyed Beast.


    Noticing Long Hai''s intervention, the pair looked towards the approaching Long Hai and then heard his transmitted message. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The three nodded to each other, seemingly in tacit understanding, and together they shot towards the direction where Xu Hua and the others had fallen.


    Due to their sudden burst of power, they killed two of the three that blocked them, leaving the surviving one injured and unable to stop them further.


    The cultivators who wanted to provide support were also busy dealing with the frenzied loose cultivators and couldn''t spare their hands to close the gap.


    Under the watchful eyes of many cultivators, Lin Tianming and the other two quickly disappeared from their view.


    Lin Tianming and the other two''s successful breakthrough also gave the loose cultivators renewed confidence, and their attacks became increasingly fierce.


    Under such circumstances, the pressure on the disciples of the Golden Core Forces doubled, and they began to fall into a disadvantage.


    Meanwhile, the three paid no attention to this, flying towards the center of the island, and subsequently searching for the Star Moon Fruit Tree.


    After more than ten breaths had passed, booming noises echoed from the center of the island, evidently, Chu Jie and his six companions were also fighting fiercely for the chance.


    The trio carefully made their way over, stopping by a hidden cave entrance to watch the intense battle unfolding before them.


    Looking over, Chu Jie, Su Yunlong, and Li Wenyi were fighting together against Xu Hua, Wu Xu, and Liu Kaiquan.


    The six Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level unleashed powerful fluctuations as they clashed, significantly stronger than the Cultivators trying to hold them back.


    Behind the six people, an eye-catching golden fruit tree about three meters tall stood out, with nine silvery-white fruits hanging from its golden trunk. Each fruit was the size of a child''s head, covered in dense patterns, and surrounded by a great amount of Spiritual Energy, appearing extremely tempting.


    "Star Moon Fruit!"


    Seeing this, the three were extremely excited, almost wishing they could rush over and uproot it at once.


    However, they forcefully suppressed the restlessness in their hearts, as it was not the right moment to act. It would be better to wait until the others were embroiled in a critical moment of their battle, increasing the likelihood of obtaining the Star Moon Fruit.


    Soon enough, their opportunity arrived.


    In front of the trio, Chu Jie wielded a large number of Second Order Talisman, at least ten, and without hesitation, he launched them. They transformed into a rain of swords that enveloped Xu Hua and the others.


    At the same time, Su Yunlong slapped his storage bag, and several pale gold beads appeared in his hands¡ªthese were Gold Spirit Beads refined from Demon Beast Inner Pills. They shared some similarities with the Fire Spirit Pearls in Lin Tianming and his companions'' possession, differing only in attributes.


    He threw the Gold Spirit Beads towards Xu Hua and the others, then prepared an even more violent assault.


    Seeing Chu Jie and the others'' strike, Lin Tianming was inwardly amazed.


    "These leaders of the Golden Core Forces truly are extravagant, casually throwing out over a dozen Second Order Talisman and several Gold Spirit Beads. Just these attack methods have already cost tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, it''s simply too wasteful."


    While he was astounded, Xu Hua''s expression turned very grim under the relentless attack, but he didn''t seem overly panicked.


    All he did was wave his robe''s sleeve, and a small umbrella-shaped Defense Artifact covered him, blocking the offensive from Chu Jie and the others.


    After the blow, a series of explosive noises followed, as the umbrella withstood the attacks from Chu Jie and his group.


    When the dust cleared, Xu Hua and the others were still standing.


    At this point, Xu Hua and his companions'' faces were grim as they took out a large number of treasures and began to counter-attack.


    Xu Hua''s Spirit Sword burst forth with earth-shattering Sword Qi, furiously slashing towards Chu Jie and the rest.


    "Boom, boom, boom..."


    Chu Jie and his companions each pulled out their own Defense Artifacts to resist the onslaught from Xu Hua and his group.


    "Bang, bang, bang..."


    The Golden Sword Qi slammed against the Defense Artifacts, and the resultant shockwaves lifted a huge amount of sand and stones, whirling them through the air.


    For a time, the sky was ablaze with fireballs, turning it red.


    Taking advantage of this, Lin Shilu dashed towards the Star Moon Fruit.


    And the several individuals still engaged in fierce combat had not expected someone to have already broken through the blockades and arrived at the scene.


    While the Cultivators were astonished, Lin Shilu quickly surpassed them, reaching the Star Moon Fruit Tree.


    At this moment, without any time for joy, Lin Shilu hesitated not a moment, grabbing three Star Moon Fruits and rapidly retreating.


    Seeing Lin Shilu take away three Star Moon Fruits, everyone''s faces changed dramatically. They immediately stopped their battle, aiming to kill Lin Shilu in order to obtain the fruits.


    Witnessing this situation, Lin Tianming''s expression drastically changed, his Fire Spirit Pearl flying out of his hand towards Chu Jie and the others.


    At the same time, a blood-red long blade in Long Hai''s hand glowed fiercely, unleashing a torrent of terrifying Blade Qi.


    Lin Shilu didn''t dare delay, hurling a handful of talisman paper he had in hand, raining them down on the group like a storm.


    "Boom, boom, boom..."


    Flames soared to the sky, and with the help of numerous treasures, as well as Lin Tianming and Long Hai''s support, Lin Shilu successfully broke through the encirclement and joined his companions.

 Chapter 189 Escape from Death_1

    "Boom boom boom..."


    The Fire Spirit Pearl and a large number of Second Order talismans exploded in the sky, unleashing horrendous waves of fire that instantly illuminated the entire small island.


    In order to help Lin Shilu break through the encirclement, Lin Tianming didn''t care about anything else; he threw the only Fire Spirit Pearl he had, just to make the attackers give up on Lin Shilu.


    At this moment, with grim expressions, Chu Jie and Xu Hua watched the terrifying fireball erupt from the Fire Spirit Pearl, helplessly ceasing their attacks on Lin Shilu and each took out a Defense Artifact to block the assault.


    Fortunately, the power of the Fire Spirit Pearl and the talismans was limited. Had they been Third Order talismans, even a body protected by a magic artifact would have been like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.


    As time silently passed, with the flames gradually dying down, a figure emerged from the remnants of the inferno, clothes in tatters and body charred.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, how are you!"


    Seeing Lin Shilu in such a tragic state, with even his breath weak, Lin Tianming hurriedly went to meet him.


    "There''s no time to talk right now, they''ll catch up soon, we need to run!"


    Lin Shilu secretly transmitted his voice to Lin Tianming, then took out a Star Moon Fruit and unhesitatingly handed it to Long Hai, who was beside him.


    Long Hai, upon seeing the Star Moon Fruit, was ecstatic, and without hesitation swallowed the fruit. Then he heard Lin Shilu''s secret message, his expression became extremely grave.


    In an instant, whatever Lin Shilu had told him, Long Hai, pulling along Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming, turned into a blurred shadow and shot away.


    The faces of Xu Hua and the others, having regained their senses, grew exceedingly dark. To think that the core disciples of the Six Major Golden Core Forces would be played by a Loose Cultivator and even had three Star Moon Fruits snatched from right behind them.


    For whatever reason, if this incident were to spread, they would lose all face in the Cultivation World.


    Thinking this, Chu Jie and his group looked especially ugly. Just when they were preparing to flee, the magic artifacts in their hands started flickering with light.


    Chu Jie and Xu Hua attacked first, followed closely by Wu Xu and Su Yunlong. When the six Foundation Establishment Ninth Level cultivators made their move, it shook the heavens and earth, vowing to stop the trio.


    At that moment, the sky was filled with frenzied Sword Qi, and a barrage of talismans and Law Decrees came at them, sending Lin Tianming and his companions into a state of alarm.


    In his heart, Lin Tianming''s pulse raced. As the three of them made their retreat, Long Hai waved his sleeve and a gray-white talisman paper suddenly appeared in his hand. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing the gray-white talisman paper, which was actually a Second Order Superior Defense Talisman, the complexion of Lin Tianming and the other man finally calmed down.


    Long Hai was well aware of their predicament. Facing the joint attack of six cultivators superior to him in cultivation, even with Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, a moment of carelessness could lead to his demise here.


    In a crisis, the three were tied together. Whether for his own sake or for Lin Tianming and the other man, he had to give it his all.


    Understanding this, Long Hai dared not hold back. He released the gray-white talisman paper from his hand, flung a Law Decree upon it, and the talisman paper immediately flickered with light, then swiftly transformed into a gray barrier behind them.


    At the same time, the attacks from Chu Jie and the others arrived as expected.


    Explosions sounded as their attacks slammed into the barrier created by the Second Order Superior Talisman.


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    The defense of the Second Order Superior Talisman was indeed formidable, successfully blocking the attacks of the six for a moment.


    And though that moment was extremely brief, for Foundation Establishment cultivators in a life-and-death situation, it was enough to cross a distance of several dozen feet.


    Lin Tianming and the other man had fought side by side many times and were in perfect harmony, naturally not letting such a rare opportunity slip by.


    As for Long Hai, it goes without saying. As a Loose Cultivator who managed to reach the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level before the age of a hundred, his path of cultivation was filled with countless trials of life and death.


    Under the assault of the six, he naturally seized the slim chance of survival.


    With the help of the explosive force created by the talisman''s destruction, Lin Tianming and his companions had already moved over a hundred feet away from the six, and the distance was still increasing.


    After the flames dissipated, seeing Lin Tianming and his companions growing ever more distant, the faces of Chu Jie and the others darkened to their limits.


    However, each harboring their own schemes at this moment, actively giving up the struggle against the other Golden Elixir Forces to chase after Lin Tianming did not necessarily guarantee they would be able to kill the three. After all, the strength they had shown was not to be underestimated.


    Thus, the difficulty of seizing the three Star Moon Fruits from them was equally immense.


    But if they stayed here, competing for the remaining six Star Moon Fruits among the Six Major Golden Core Forces, even with extraordinary luck, they couldn''t possibly obtain two or three.


    The six individuals were entangled in their decision, with Chu Jie and Xu Hua and the others being somewhat better off, as they held an absolute advantage among the Sect Cultivators. Even at their worst, securing one Star Moon Fruit was a sure thing.


    But Liu Kaiquan from the Pengcheng Liu Family and Li Wenyi from the West River Li Family made a decision in a very short time.


    They were painfully aware that although they too belonged to the Golden Core Forces, they were at the bottom of the Six Major Golden Core Forces.


    Not only that, but Chu Jie, Xu Hua, and the others, as leaders among the Great Sect Cultivators, were not as simple as they appeared. The difficulty of securing one Star Moon Fruit from the other four was self-evident.


    Considering this, pursuing Lin Tianming and his two companions, despite the dangers, could result in a more substantial reward if successful.


    Thus, taking the smallest risk for the greatest gain was undoubtedly the wisest choice.

 Chapter 189 Escape to Freedom_2

    At that moment, Liu Kaiquan and Li Wenyi didn''t pause for a second; the instant they stabilized their figures, they turned into lingering shadows in pursuit.


    Soon, relying on their superior cultivation, they slowly closed some distance.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming and his two companions, who were frantically fleeing ahead, hadn''t even the chance to catch their breath before having to face a new crisis.


    On their left, the loose cultivators and the Golden Elixir Forces disciples, who had been embroiled in a fierce battle, seemed to have reached a conclusion. Several of the loose cultivators were already heading their way, clearly having broken through the blockade to compete for the Star Moon Fruit. The ones in mad pursuit behind them were six disciples of Golden Core Cultivators.


    Besides, Li Wenyi and Liu Kaiquan were getting closer and closer. If they were held up even for a moment, they would be surrounded and meet with even greater trouble.


    Seeing this, the expressions on the faces of Lin Tianming and his two companions were extremely troubling.


    They had managed to obtain the Star Moon Fruit with great difficulty, burst out from Chu Jie and the others'' encirclement, and now faced these aggressive loose cultivators and a host of Golden Elixir Forces'' descendants.


    The Golden Elixir Forces wouldn''t hold back against them, and if the loose cultivators learned that they had the Star Moon Fruit, they certainly wouldn''t lend a hand. Instead, they would make a move to snatch it, after all, no one would give up such a treasure.


    "It''s truly like facing wolves in front and tigers behind, such ill-fortune!"


    Lin Tianming thought to himself in despair while anxiously trying to figure out a way to escape.


    Watching Li Wenyi and the loose cultivators get closer, Lin Shilu once again took out a Star Moon Fruit, his face showing an unwillingness to part with it.


    Seeing Lin Shilu taking out the Star Moon Fruit, the breath of everyone on the scene quickened, and like ravenous wolves, they pounced towards it.


    For a moment, a myriad of attacks filled the sky as if they couldn''t wait to tear them to shreds on the spot.


    Lin Tianming and Long Hai''s expressions were grave as they simultaneously attacked, trying to carve out a path.


    Sword Qi and Blade Qi burst out from their hands, slashing towards the direction with the fewest people.


    At the same time, Lin Shilu tossed one of the Star Moon Fruits towards the approaching Li Wenyi.


    Suddenly, Li Wenyi''s face was full of confusion. Facing the Star Moon Fruit coming straight at him, he did not hesitate to catch it in his hand.


    Li Wenyi, who had caught the Star Moon Fruit, showed an ecstatic expression, never expecting that the Star Moon Fruit would fall from the sky right into his palm so perfectly.


    "To think it arrived without any effort at all!"


    However, before he could even feel happy, his face turned to one of horror.


    At that moment, apart from a few individuals from the West River Li Family, the eyes of all cultivators greedily fixed on him.


    Only then did he understand that at this moment, the Star Moon Fruit was a hot potato, as well as a death knell. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And at this time, although the cultivators'' gaze shifted, their attacks arrived as promised, and Lin Tianming and his two companions were still not out of danger.


    The frenzied attacks of more than twenty people created a true crisis. The trio dared not be careless; if they lost their lives, what use would it be to keep the treasures?


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    Lin Tianming, fully aware of this, used up all prepared measures in one breath. Whether it was First Order Talismans or Second Order Talismans, any method that could attack or defend was activated without reservation.


    Lin Shilu did the same; he threw out his only remaining Fire Spirit Pearl without any hesitation, hoping to clear a path to survival.


    At the same time, his Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact, the Green Scale Shield, was already protecting the three of them, ready to face the cultivator''s attacks.


    Long Hai also spared no measures; he threw out several Second Order Talismans and then frantically infused a vast amount of spiritual power to activate his defense artifact, forming a gigantic shield in front of the trio.


    "Boom... Boom... Boom..."


    Pops and crackles erupted in the sky as a myriad of attacks broke through the barriers formed by the Defense Talismans and a mass of fireballs, ice swords, and various Sword Qi and Blade Qi hammered against the Defense Artifact.


    At this moment, both the sky and the ground erupted into an endless sea of flames, violently shaking the entire battlefield.


    After enduring for three breaths'' time, the attacks from the sky ceased, and tranquility returned.


    Then, under such an onslaught, Lin Tianming and his companions each spat out a mouthful of blood, their faces quickly paling.


    Taking advantage of a brief lull, and the fact that a great number of cultivators were distracted by the Star Moon Fruit in Li Wenyi''s hands, the three turned into lingering shadows and shot towards a forest-covered mountain range.


    For a full breath''s time, by the time everyone returned to their senses, the trio had vanished into the dense woods, leaving the crowd with faces of disbelief.


    Soon, the cultivators snapped out of it; several chased in the direction Lin Tianming and his party had fled, seemingly unwilling to give up on the murder and robbery.


    The remaining cultivators launched attacks at Li Wenyi, converging on him in a mad pursuit of the Star Moon Fruit.


    At this moment, the most miserable was Liu Kaiquan; empty-handed, he not only failed to catch up with Lin Tianming and his group but also faced the collective onslaught of a large number of cultivators.


    The battle erupted once again, throwing the scene into renewed chaos.


    As for Lin Tianming and his companions, after exhausting all means to escape death, they cared not who would end up with the Star Moon Fruit they had surrendered.


    The trio crazily scurried through the expanse of forest-covered mountains, heedless of any danger along the way.


    Thus, their speed was incredibly fast, with Lin Tianming being dragged through the air by Lin Shilu and Long Hai for the entire journey.


    Time passed quickly, and in half a day, they had traversed several large mountains and covered a few hundred li, putting considerable distance between them and the land of strife.


    Fortunately, the journey was smooth, and the cultivators chasing them, slower than them in escape speed, were shaken off in less than an hour, finally losing track of the trio completely.

 Chapter 189 Escape from Death_3

    After that, they encountered several lone travelers on the road, who were all frightened to see the trio''s fierce and villainous appearance. Fortunately, both parties had no particular intentions, and they quickly disengaged from each other.


    As evening approached, the three had also left danger behind. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming and his companions landed on a secluded mountain peak, then they all took a long breath and showed smiles of someone who had survived a calamity.


    Long Hai took a Huiyuan Pill and looked at Lin Tianming and his companion with a hint of admiration in his eyes.


    He knew that Lin Shilu and his companion''s cultivation was not as advanced as his, but combined, their strength was no less than his own.


    Under such dangerous circumstances, to be able to obtain three Star Moon Fruits despite the attacks from the Six Major Golden Core Forces was an extremely difficult feat.


    Even more precious was the fact that without hesitation he had made a choice in a desperate situation, trading one Star Moon Fruit for a chance at their lives.


    In this respect, both in terms of strength, courage, and character, the two had reached the pinnacle.


    Having cooperated twice, both parties had reaped exceedingly rich rewards.


    Thinking of these things, Long Hai couldn''t help but admire them. On this trip to the Secret Realm, he had gained a wealth of treasures and the priceless Star Moon Fruit; he was very content.


    With these thoughts in mind, he cupped his hands towards the two and said,


    "Fellow Daoists, we have now left danger behind, and the Secret Realm will close in two days. Let us part ways here!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming and his companion showed expressions of regret.


    Although the Secret Realm was about to close, the three of them were all somewhat injured, and with two days remaining, the danger was still unpredictable.


    Given that Long Hai was not weak and they had cooperated several times, if the three of them were to move together and watch out for each other, it would certainly be safer.


    However, a stranger was after all a stranger. Each carrying a Star Moon Fruit, it would be easy to share misfortune together, but sharing fortune was difficult, and it was impossible for either side to be completely unguarded.


    Perhaps it was better for each to go their own way.


    With these thoughts, Lin Shilu no longer insisted on staying. After exchanging methods of communication with Long Hai, they prepared to say their goodbyes and leave.


    "Fellow Daoists, if fate wills it, we shall meet again!"


    Long Hai said with a cupped fist, not asking about their backgrounds or identities. Then, after tossing out eight Jade Boxes with a hearty laugh, he disappeared from their sight.


    Watching Long Hai leave, Lin Shilu opened the Jade Boxes, which contained one mature White Jade Grass and seven seedlings left by Long Hai.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming and his companion showed astonished expressions.


    "Didn''t expect this person to be so loyal and righteous. Although we didn''t discuss rewards when cooperating with him, he still took the initiative to gift us the White Jade Grass in his possession, truly commendable!."


    After sighing, Lin Shilu said, "Tianming, Long Hai is indeed worth getting to know deeply!"


    Lin Tianming nodded, agreeing inwardly. Although most Loose Cultivators were selfish and unscrupulous in achieving their goals, there were also many who were free-spirited.


    Character is a very mysterious thing; often, those who are free-spirited have an easier time overcoming the Heart Demon when breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Regaining his composure, Lin Tianming replied with a smile,


    "Yes, such loyal and righteous Loose Cultivators are indeed rare, we may meet again in the future!"


    "Hmm..." Lin Shilu smiled knowingly, then instructed,


    "We have gained much from this journey, but the danger is not yet over. Let''s immediately find a safe place to retreat for healing. Don''t wander around anymore, just wait for the Secret Realm to close."


    After speaking, Lin Shilu stepped away, followed by Lin Tianming. The two headed rapidly into the depths of the mountain range.


    As night fell, the entire sky turned completely dark. Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    The two traveled dozens of miles, hastily rushing into a quiet canyon.


    With the sky growing darker, it was time for Demonic Beasts to appear, so it was not suitable to wander about anymore.


    The two found a hidden natural cave on the spot and set up several Illusion Arrays and a First Order Formation.


    Having taken precautionary and protective measures, they entered the cave and began to close-off for healing, waiting for the end of their time in the Secret Realm.

 Chapter 190 Convergence_1

    Time flew by, and soon two days had passed.


    In a secluded cave, Lin Tianming and his companion sat on the ground, their breathing steady and regular, the pallor of their faces having returned to a normal, healthy flush.


    After parting ways with Long Hai, the two of them had hurriedly found a natural cave to shelter in before nightfall.


    Over the past two days, all had been rather calm; no accidents had occurred, and they did not step foot outside the cave.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming opened his tightly shut eyes, and a satisfied smile flashed across his face.


    After two days of meditative recovery, the injuries sustained from being attacked had mostly healed, and he could walk and fight normally again.


    Seeing Lin Tianming emerge from his meditation, Lin Shilu also opened his eyes, which flashed with a bright light, indicating that he had also made a good recovery.


    Lin Tianming''s expression brightened with joy as he quickly asked, "Fifteenth Grandfather, how are your injuries?"


    Moved by Lin Tianming''s concern, Lin Shilu laughed heartily while waving his hand, indicating that he was fine.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming could not hide his excitement and blurted out:


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, today is the day the secret realm closes. Our journey here has yielded incredible treasures. Once we return to our family, we will surely surprise Elder Wu and the others!"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s words, Lin Shilu nodded. They had been too weary to rejoice previously.


    Now that the closing of the secret realm was imminent, they could finally leave this dangerous place and return to familiar territory. How could they not be thrilled?


    Lin Shilu''s calm face was infected by Lin Tianming''s enthusiasm, and a smile flickered across it.


    Looking at Lin Tianming, Lin Shilu produced several storage bags and said:


    "Tianming, there''s still some time before the secret realm closes. We should take this opportunity to inventory the storage bags we''ve obtained before!"


    Reminded by Lin Shilu, Lin Tianming recalled that, starting from their ambush of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, they had collected a few unlucky cultivators'' belongings.


    Now that they were out of danger and had nothing else to do, they naturally should sort out their loot.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming chuckled and took out two storage bags, quickly wiping away the remaining Divine Sense on them.


    Lin Shilu also got busy, swiftly cleaning off the Divine Sense from the storage bags before tallying the contents inside.


    In a short while, the two had finished inventorying the five storage bags they had acquired. A mountain of treasures was piled up, including Spirit Stones, elixirs, various Artifact Refining Materials, and a large number of Demonic Beast Materials, nearly blocking the entrance to the cave.


    At this point, both Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu were excited. One sorted the items while the other recorded the ones to be handed over to the family.


    Before long, the two had gone through the five storage bags and determined the amount and types of their unexpected windfall.


    The wealth of the five Foundation Establishment Cultivators, including both Loose Cultivators and Sect Cultivators, was substantial, with the combined value of Spirit Stones alone reaching an impressive total of more than 130,000!


    Beyond that, there were over twenty bottles of Second Order Pills, a large quantity of Spiritual Medicine Materials and Spirit Ore, including three mature White Jade Grass plants and seven seedlings, though the rest weren''t particularly rare or valuable.


    Apart from cultivation resources, there were numerous Magic Artifacts and talisman papers that could enhance their strength. They secured two Second Order Medium Grade Attack Artifacts and two Second Order Low Grade Defense Artifacts, with even one Attack Artifact being quite a treasure.


    However, they were somewhat disappointed not to find any Mysterious Grade Techniques or insights from a Third Order Master. They only obtained one Yellow Grade Technique and insights from a Second Order Refiner, which were of marginal value to the family.


    After all, these were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, some of whom were strong individuals above the fifth level, who should have possessed high-grade Techniques or insights. Yet, they only acquired a few things that were of little significance to the family.


    But the two soon came to terms with it. After all, the treasures they had acquired were numerous enough, and most of these storage bags had been picked up effortlessly. Aside from the most precious Star Moon Fruits and White Jade Grass, just the Spirit Stones and various treasures and Artifacts combined were worth over 200,000 Spirit Stones.


    Looking at the small mountain of Spirit Stones and treasures, Lin Shilu''s face blossomed with happiness. Once he regained his composure, he then said:


    "Tianming, let''s divide these Spirit Stones and talismans between the two of us, and we can hand over all the rest, including the Artifacts, to the family. Those in Xing Ping''s generation don''t have many Artifacts. With this batch, every Foundation Establishment Clan Member in the family will have two Artifacts each, which can greatly enhance our strength!" S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s suggestion, Lin Tianming naturally had no objections.


    Over the years, the two of them had fought in many battles together, experiencing numerous life and death situations. They had acquired so many Spirit Stones and far more Artifacts than even their fathers, so they had more than enough.


    As for the cultivation elixirs and lower-grade Artifacts, they had no shortage and didn''t mind giving them away to their clanspeople.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming readily agreed.


    Lin Shilu nodded in satisfaction, and they each received three Second Order Talismans: two Second Order Medium Grade Attack Talismans and one Second Order Low Grade Defense Talisman.


    During the previous attacks by a group of cultivators, fortunately, part of the damage was blocked by Long Hai''s Defense Artifact. Although their Defense Artifact, the Green Scale Shield, had sustained some damage, Lin Shilu had already repaired it with some Spirit Ore, and it was still usable for the time being. With the addition of these few Second Order Talismans, if they had to fight again, they would barely be adequate.


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    After dividing the Spirit Stones, Lin Shilu received 70,000, while Lin Tianming got 60,000. They picked out a few useful items from the remaining treasures, and collected the rest into different storage bags.

 Chapter 190 Convergence_2

    The two busied themselves for a good quarter of an hour, classifying and recording all the treasures. After completing these tasks, they began to close their eyes to conserve energy, waiting for the secret realm to close and teleport them out.


    Less than half an hour later, a series of rumbling sounds came, and the earth began to shake violently.


    Lin Tianming and his companion opened their eyes and could clearly feel that the spiritual light that had submerged into their Sky Spirit Covers when they entered the secret realm was stirring.


    Lin Shilu exclaimed with a look of surprise and excitement, "Tianming, the secret realm is about to close, let''s get out immediately!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming''s face lit up with excitement. They had waited two days for this moment. Both nodded to each other and immediately dashed out of the natural cavern.


    Soon, the ground stopped shaking, and a dazzling light flashed across the clear blue sky.


    As the light in the sky grew stronger, the two experienced a sharp pain in their divine sense, followed by a bout of dizziness in their minds, and their bodies uncontrollably swept toward the void as if yanked by some force.


    When the two regained their normal senses, they found themselves in an unfamiliar valley.


    Fortunately, there were no other people around, and they both heaved a sigh of relief.


    Lin Shilu extended his divine sense to search the surroundings of the two of them, detecting no abnormalities.


    Regaining his composure, he spoke in an even tone, "Tianming, we are still unable to determine our location, but according to the records, when a secret realm closes, cultivators inside are most likely to be teleported near the entrance."


    Hearing Lin Shilu''s words, Lin Tianming nodded, his tense nerves relaxing a bit.


    He had been genuinely worried that they would be separated upon exiting the secret realm, as was the case when they entered. At such a critical moment, it was certain that some cultivators with impure motives would be out to kill and rob.


    After all, those cultivators with impure motives could not enter the secret realm, but by killing just one person, they could opportunistically seize the fortune obtained from within the realm.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Tianming said to Lin Shilu, "Fifteenth Grandfather, the crisis is not yet over. Let us have the Purple Gold Eagle fly us north immediately. Once we determine our location, we''ll head straight back to the family!"


    Lin Shilu nodded. They carried treasures that were immensely important to the family, and there was no time for consideration; they needed to return to the family as quickly as possible.


    Understanding this, Lin Tianming swiftly released the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Bag.


    After feeding the Purple Gold Eagle a segment of the Green-Spotted Poison Python''s body, the two mounted its back, and the eagle swiftly ascended into the clouds, heading north.


    Sitting on the broad back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Shilu kept his divine sense fully extended, ever vigilant of their surroundings. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Purple Gold Eagle carried the two for nearly a hundred miles. Using the features of the surrounding mountain ranges to guide them, they quickly determined their precise location¡ªwithin the Whirlwind Mountain Range of Huangyang Kingdom.


    However, their position was somewhat deeper in the mountains than the entrance to the secret realm. The journey home would take them across a vast expanse of the Whirlwind Mountain Range, possibly encountering other cultivators.


    Fortunately, as they traveled together, and as long as they did not come across cultivators above the eighth level of Foundation Establishment, they should have nothing to fear with their strength.


    Moreover, within these vast mountains, who would know whether they were of any particular identity or if they had entered the secret realm.


    With this in mind, as long as they remained cautious, they would be able to enter the territory of Wei Kingdom after traveling more than eight hundred miles. Once within Wei Kingdom, they would not be far from the Luoyun Mountain Range. Should they successfully rendezvous with Lin Xingrong, they would be completely safe.


    Resolving to do this, the two decided to fly in a straight line and return to their clan''s territory at top speed.


    Having made up their minds, Lin Tianming signaled to the Purple Gold Eagle, which, understanding his intention, picked up speed and continued flying north.


    ...


    In the Whirlwind Mountain Range, near a valley on the side closer to Wei Kingdom.


    This place was only a couple hundred miles from the edge of the Purple Sun Mountain Range, still at the border between the two countries.


    In the beautiful valley, where vegetation was lush, occasional common wild beasts scurried, unaware of two figures lurking atop a large tree.


    One of them, looking toward the depths of the Whirlwind Mountain Range, mumbled, "Third Uncle, Tianming and his companion should pass by here, shouldn''t they?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xingrong maintained a calm demeanor. Lin Xingrong had already asked this question three times, and each time he had answered, yet he was being asked again.


    A Foundation Establishment Cultivator who can''t remember things?


    Clearly, Lin Xingrong was excessively worried; after all, entering the Secret Realm was too dangerous, and with the large number of Late Foundation Establishment Cultivators entering, even if the two of them joined forces, they couldn''t guarantee their safety.


    Being fully aware of this, Lin Shikang did not get angry, and instead spoke to reassure him,


    "Xingrong, I had an agreement with Tianming before they left, that as soon as they come out of the Whirlwind Mountain Range, they will definitely meet up here. Don''t worry!"


    Upon hearing Lin Shikang''s response, Lin Xingrong finally felt somewhat relieved.


    The family had temporarily summoned him back from Golden Horn Mountain to facilitate their return, and with Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu entering the Secret Realm, the overall strength of the family was now higher with just the two of them.


    With their departure from the family land, the entire family now relied on Lin Shigong and Lin Shihua to oversee the premises, significantly reducing the security of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    However, this was a necessary move. Although the family had many Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they had broken through too recently, so their cultivation was not high. Additionally, they were spread too thin, with Lin Xingyuan presiding over Luoyun Market and Lin Xingping in Qianchuan Market, so he could only be temporarily reassigned.


    However, the family had made considerable progress over these past ten-plus years, with those advancing from the Qi Refinement Realm to the Foundation Establishment Stage experiencing a qualitative leap in overall strength.


    What the family lacked now was time, since ten-plus years were still very brief for Foundation Establishing Families. Given another fifty years, the Lin Family''s Foundation Establishment Cultivators would definitely be able to enter the mid to late phase of the stage.


    By then, the family would no longer face restrictions as they did now.


    "Fifteenth Grandfather, nearly two days have passed since the Secret Realm closed. If they are still in the area of the Whirlwind Mountain Range, they should have arrived by now!" Lin Xingrong said.


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Shikang''s normally unflappable face briefly revealed a hint of concern, but he quickly regained his composure.


    He had always had great confidence in Lin Tianming and the others, especially Tianming. As the most talented member of the family since its foundation, Tianming had been through many battles and his strength far surpassed cultivators at the same level. His quirky, unfettered ideas often led to unexpected advancements.


    Besides these, with the experienced Lin Shilu accompanying him, it was unlikely there would be any mishaps.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Shikang''s expression brightened. Seeing the faint worry on Lin Xingrong''s face, he said,


    "Xingrong, extend your reach a bit more toward the depths of the Whirlwind Mountain Range, but don''t go too far. If any unforeseen incident occurs, I won''t be able to support you in time!"


    Hearing Lin Shikang''s instruction, Lin Xingrong nodded and then swept toward the deeper parts of the mountain range.


    Just as he was turning to leave, Lin Shikang''s expression suddenly turned ecstatic, and he immediately shot off at an unbelievably fast speed.


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    Seeing this, Lin Xingrong guessed the reason and immediately followed.


    An hour later, atop a mountain, Lin Shikang stood with his hands behind his back, watching as a black shadow in the sky grew larger, his face brimming with excitement.


    The pursuing Lin Xingrong, seeing the shadow in the sky, took a long breath of relief.


    Soon, the shadow grew larger, and finally, it landed in front of Lin Shikang. The two people who approached were indeed Lin Tianming and another.


    After two days of continuous travel, they had managed to journey without rest, and thankfully, with their not insignificant cultivation levels and having disguised their appearances, they had a relatively smooth journey, even though they encountered several Foundation Establishment Cultivators. After some probing attacks, realizing the strength of the two, the blocking cultivators had no choice but to watch them leave.


    Having travelled for two days, they finally crossed the Whirlwind Mountain Range safely and without mishap, meeting up with Lin Shikang, whose cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, thus eliminating their immediate danger.


    At this moment, they could finally relax their constantly tense expressions.


    When they reached Lin Shikang, Lin Tianming immediately greeted with a fist and palm salute.


    "Tianming pays respects to Third Grandfather, and to Father!"


    Before the words fell, Lin Shikang stepped forward, taking their hands and asking eagerly, "Was your journey smooth? Have you been injured?"


    Seeing Lin Shikang''s concerned manner, which did not mention any gains at all, Lin Tianming felt deeply gratified.


    Lin Shilu felt the same, but he was well aware of Lin Shikang''s nature. He chuckled, then said,


    "Third Brother, we are both unharmed. It''s not safe to linger here, so let''s return to the family land first. As for the expedition to the Secret Realm, we can talk on the way!"


    "Alright then!"


    "Although we have successfully gathered, we must not be complacent. Let''s set out immediately and head back to the family first!"


    Following Lin Shikang''s words, the group of four hopped onto the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, ready to travel through the night back to Green Bamboo Mountain.

 Chapter 191 Shock_1

    Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    After two days of non-stop travel, the Purple Gold Eagle carried a group of four and dashed straight into the Protective Clan Formation.


    Their hurried journey over the past two days had been quite smooth. With four Foundation Establishment Cultivators moving together, and with Lin Shikang, a Foundation Establishment Ninth Level cultivator, as their rear guard, nobody foolish enough sought to court death by approaching them.


    During the journey, Lin Tianming and his company mentioned nothing of their adventures in the Secret Realm, and Lin Shikang did not inquire.


    However, their ever-present smiles spoke volumes, and knowing them as he did, he was certain their venture had been abundantly fruitful.


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    The reason Lin Tianming and his companion didn''t bring it up was simply because they were too exhausted.


    They had spent the last few days burdened with heavy responsibilities and nerves stretched thin. They were utterly drained, both mentally and physically. Since the treasures were already in their possession, there was no harm in waiting a few more days until the arrival of other important clan members to share their story in detail.


    Understanding this, Lin Shikang and Lin Xingrong kept silent, all wearing looks of anticipation for the day they would reunite with family.


    As the four men and one eagle entered the Protective Clan Formation, Lin Tianming and his companion let out a long sigh of relief, allowing their tense nerves to finally relax.


    Atop the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, on the Bluestone Plaza, Lin Shikang saw the still weary expressions of the two and said,


    "Shilu, you two have worked hard these past days. Go back and rest; we''ll meet at my cave mansion in two days."


    Hearing Lin Shikang''s words, the two men didn''t decline but nodded and bowed before heading towards their respective cave mansions.


    Lin Tianming returned to his cave mansion, without any delay, dove into his room, and collapsed onto the stone bed he hadn''t seen in so long.


    It wasn''t long before he fell into a deep sleep, his room filled with the sound of his even and rhythmic breathing.


    Two days later, early in the morning, Lin Tianming finally opened his eyes and awoke.


    He had slept for a full two days, and the feeling of exhaustion had completely vanished from his body, leaving him in peak condition.


    Lin Tianming got up, stretched, then left his cave mansion and made his way to Lin Shikang''s abode.


    Before long, he arrived at the courtyard of Lin Shikang''s Cave Mansion.


    At that time, Lin Shikang and Lin Shigong were seated in the courtyard, sipping tea and chatting leisurely as they waited for others to arrive.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming enter, their faces lit up with joy, and they hastily invited him to sit down.


    Lin Tianming promptly approached to pay his respects, and afterward sat down to join in their idle chatter.


    Soon, Lin Shilu, Lin Shihua, and Lin Xingrong arrived together.


    After a brief exchange of greetings, the six of them each found seats and continued their conversation.


    With the exception of Lin Xingping and Lin Xingyuan, who were still at Qianchuan Market and Luoyun Market respectively, all six Foundation Establishment Clan Members were now gathered together.


    As the junior among them, Lin Tianming got up to pour tea for his elders. When he came to serve Clan Leader Lin Shihua, he discreetly noticed that in just over a month''s time, the Clan Leader had successfully made a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.


    A surge of happiness washed over Lin Tianming, who then asked, "Twelfth Grandpa, have you successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer?"


    Lin Shihua chuckled and then said reflectively, "We broke through too late and can''t compare to the potential of you youngsters. It has been six or seven years since I entered Foundation Establishment, and it would have been improper not to make a breakthrough."


    Lin Tianming felt helpless hearing Lin Shihua''s reply.


    Many clan members of the Shihua generation were held back by the Lin Family''s lack of resources. Clan Leader Lin Shihua had been tied down with clan obligations, spending at least half the year on affairs other than cultivation¡ªfar less time than Lin Xingrong devoted to his own.


    From the perspective of the cultivation path, the position of Clan Leader was even a heavy burden.


    Grandfather Lin Shigong was in the same boat, serving as the Alchemy Hall Master while being responsible for training the younger generation as well as studying Pill Formulas and conducting Alchemy. Additionally, he was older when he reached his breakthrough, and thus his cultivation progress naturally lagged behind the younger generation.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming offered consolation, "Twelfth Grandpa, having been a long-serving Clan Leader, you''ve shouldered the burden and concerns of the family, it''s the family that has held you back."


    Lin Shihua''s face shone with joy, and he was deeply touched by these words. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ten years ago, the family was on the brink of collapse, and he had resigned himself to the possibility that he would die at the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Who could have imagined...


    That the family would rise so meteorically within such a short span of time, giving him a glimpse of hope for reaching Foundation Establishment, which both he and Lin Shigong managed to seize.


    Meanwhile, Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin failed in their breakthroughs and sacrificed their last bit of strength for the clan during the battle at Green Bamboo Mountain.


    At the thought, Lin Shihua''s eyes reddened slightly, and he spoke with a regretful tone, "Fate is indeed mysterious. It''s just a pity for Elder Shi and the others..."


    Seeing Lin Shihua''s choked speech and his reminiscing expression, Lin Shikang quickly offered a few comforting words.


    Lin Shihua knew he had lost his composure but soon recovered, then he started discussing more pressing matters.


    Seeing the eager looks from the clan members, Lin Shilu chuckled and began recounting their experiences in the Secret Realm.


    "What?"


    "Tian Ming fought alone against a Foundation Establishment Eighth Level cultivator and obtained the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus!"


    Facing Lin Shigong''s exclamations, Lin Tianming replied with an embarrassed smile, "If it wasn''t for Fifteenth Grandfather, I might''ve not made it!"


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu solemnly said,


    "This kid is really bold... Staying near that pool was so dangerous. Next time, you should keep your distance. That way, if things get impossible, you can still make an escape, right?"


    Lin Tianming nodded in agreement, recalling the situation. In such a dangerous Secret Realm, with his own level of cultivation, he indeed should have kept his distance. Seeing that he couldn''t get the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus on his own, he should have been ready to flee rather than staying there and almost losing his life.

 Chapter 191 Shock_2

    Thinking of these things, Lin Tianming spoke up, "The lad will remember not to take risks lightly in the future!"


    "Hmm..."


    Lin Shilu nodded and moved past the subject, continuing to share their experiences, from the two of them partnering up to search for treasures, to their encounter with Long Hai, and finally their cooperation in attacking the Dragon-Eyed Beast tribe, which led to them obtaining more than ten mature White Jade Grasses.


    Upon hearing this news, Lin Shikang and the rest of the clan members were beyond shocked.


    They originally thought that acquiring the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus and some Second Order Spiritual Medicine was decent enough, but they had not expected to obtain the primary ingredient for Foundation Establishment Pills, which the family was in desperate need of.


    With this, the clan now had the ability to refine Foundation Establishment Pills on their own, and these more than ten mature White Jade Grasses could at least create several Foundation Establishment Clan Members.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shikang and a few others laughed heartily, their emotions running high.


    However, before they could celebrate for long, Lin Shilu started talking about the encirclement of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, causing everyone''s heart to once again hang in suspense, as if they were experiencing it themselves.


    If it weren''t for seeing the two return safely and without any major injuries, they would surely think they were joking.


    Only after Lin Shilu mentioned the Star Moon Fruit did they understand why the two had been so reckless, even driving the usually prudent Lin Shilu to take such risks.


    Lin Shilu didn''t stop there; he recounted the entire battle as well as their adventurous feat of obtaining three Star Moon Fruits with Long Hai.


    Hearing this earth-shattering news, all four were breathing rapidly, their faces soon flushing red.


    After a silence lasting more than ten breaths, none of them spoke until Lin Shikang was the first to come around, asking in a probing tone,


    "Shilu... is this... is this true?"


    "Tian Ming... are you not joking?"


    Hearing these hesitant words, which clearly lacked confidence, Lin Shilu frowned, took out the Star Moon Fruits from his storage bag, and placed them in Lin Shikang''s hand.


    Felling the substantial weight in his palm, as well as that peculiar energy fluctuation, Lin Shikang finally believed it.


    Lin Shihua and the rest, seeing the Star Moon Fruit, cautiously approached and inspected the fruit thoroughly, understanding it completely.


    At that moment, the scene was very quiet until everyone confirmed the authenticity of the Star Moon Fruit, and then it completely erupted into excitement.


    Watching Lin Shikang laugh heartily, even with tears brimming in his eyes, Lin Tianming also felt extreme excitement.


    Seeing the thrilled expressions on everyone''s faces and recalling their own nerves stretched tight during those days and the moments seeking a lifeline on the verge of death, they felt that their efforts were entirely worthwhile.


    They were even immensely relieved that they had made the right decision and that their hard work had paid off accordingly.


    Soon, the crowd calmed down from their euphoria, and Lin Shilu continued with what happened next.


    Upon learning that he traded a Star Moon Fruit for a thread of survival, everyone looked relieved, showing not the slightest hint of regret for the loss.


    "Shilu, you both did well. In such a moment of crisis, even if you had to throw away everything, it was necessary!" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing Lin Shikang''s words, Lin Shihua chimed in as well.


    "Yes... having life is better than any treasure!"


    Lin Shilu nodded, recalling the situation at the time, knowing that if one Star Moon Fruit couldn''t resolve the crisis, he would not hesitate to throw away the rest to secure a chance at life.


    He himself wasn''t afraid of death, but given that Lin Tianming was with him, if they had died in the Secret Realm, the loss to the family would certainly exceed a Star Moon Fruit.


    Considering his own talent and the potential he had demonstrated, not to mention the Star Moon Fruit, even for a Nascent Soul Spiritual Item, he would naturally give it up without hesitation.


    Bringing his mind back to the present, Lin Shilu changed the topic and said,


    "Elders, although our journey to the Secret Realm was treacherous, the outcome was very satisfying, and it wasn''t in vain that Tian Ming and I walked through the gates of death twice!"


    Before the words had even finished, Lin Tianming also interjected, saying:


    "Indeed... we must quickly transplant the White Jade Grass seedlings. Although they may not all survive, even if a single plant does, it could create one or two Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the future!"


    After saying this, Lin Shilu handed over all the White Jade Grass seedlings to Lin Shihua and gave the mature White Jade Grass to Lin Tianming to prepare him to refine the Foundation Establishment Pills for storage within the clan.


    Lin Tianming accepted the fifteen mature White Jade Grass plants. Now that his success rate in refining Second Order lower-grade elixirs was quite high, such precious elixirs naturally had to be refined by him.


    However, he planned to enter secluded cultivation for a time. After breaking through to the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, he would practice refining some elixirs to warm up before he began refining the Foundation Establishment Pills, to make the process as foolproof as possible.


    After arranging for the White Jade Grass, Lin Shilu subsequently took out several prepared storage bags, which contained the spiritual objects they had obtained during this period.


    However, the treasures beneficial to them had already been picked out and distributed. Apart from the Second Order Magical Artifacts and elixirs, there were not many valuable items left, but the quantity was exceptionally vast, a rare find for the clan''s Qi Refining Stage Clanspeople.


    Lin Shilu passed the storage bags to Lin Shihua, then spoke:


    "Twelfth Brother, these items were acquired by Tian Ming and myself in the Secret Realm. Apart from the Second Order Magical Artifacts and elixirs which are prepared for you, the rest will be unconditionally turned over to the clan."


    As soon as Lin Shilu finished speaking, Lin Shikang first took the storage bags. After a sweep with his Divine Sense, he found that the treasures inside were numerous, and their value was not at all insignificant.


    Lin Shikang handed the storage bags to Lin Shihua and said:


    "Shilu, let Shihua deposit these treasures into the clan''s treasury. Besides the Spirit Stones you spent on purchasing White Jade Grass, the clan will reward you with thirty thousand Spirit Stones, and Tian Ming with twenty thousand. How does that sound?"


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Lin Shilu began to refuse.


    "Elder Brother, there''s no need for a reward. We already obtained plenty from our trip; this is something we willingly offer to the clan!"


    "Yes, Third Grandfather... Tian Ming and Fifteenth Grandfather don''t lack Spirit Stones. Let''s forego the rewards!" Lin Tianming also chimed in.


    In the Secret Realm, they had each gathered tens of thousands of Spirit Stones from several storage bags they had picked up, along with many treasures. At present, they were not in need of Spirit Stones or cultivation elixirs.


    As for the clan''s rewards, they had no intention of accepting them before they made their offer, let alone after.


    Hearing the response from Lin Tianming and the others, Lin Shikang''s expression turned serious as he said:


    "How could that be acceptable? You''ve already done so much for the clan, it''s only right if you''d accept regardless of the amount!"


    "Stop being so formal. Over the years, you two have toiled and traveled far for the clan, gone through numerous skirmishes, and established countless merits. No matter how small, do not refuse this token of appreciation!"


    "Moreover, now that the clan has the income from Luoyun Market and Luoyun Pavilion, we''re not in the same financial strain as before!"


    Lin Shigong and Lin Xingrong, due to their status, did not speak much, but they also persuaded Lin Shilu to accept, while suggesting that Tian Ming''s reward be skipped since he was already wealthy and did not require much.


    "What do you think, Tian Ming?"


    Lin Shilu left the decision to him, and Lin Tianming hesitated. Faced with Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua''s stern expressions, he was at a loss for words.


    "This... this... alright then!"


    With Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua persistently persuading, Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming had no choice but to accept the reward situation.


    In the end, Lin Shilu took out a storage bag containing the Second Order Pills and several Second Order Magical Artifacts.


    He handed the storage bag to Lin Shihua, then said:


    "Shihua, these Second Order Magical Artifacts are exquisite treasures, used by cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. When you have time, distribute them to Ninth Brother and Xing Yuan!"


    "Haha... then I''ll thank you on behalf of Xing Yuan and the others!"


    Lin Shihua, not one to be overly courteous, accepted the storage bag on behalf of the clan members who had just entered the Foundation Establishment Stage, promising to pass it on to them.


    "Heh heh... I only have one Attack Talisman myself, previously used by a Jin Family Cultivator, indeed its power is quite ordinary. With this Second Order Magical Artifact, my strength can also increase somewhat!"


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    Faced with Lin Shihua murmuring to himself, everyone smiled knowingly, and securely stored their treasures away.

 Chapter 192 Breakthrough_1

    The matter of contributing treasures came to a conclusion, and everyone was in high spirits, sitting down to enjoy tea and chit-chatting about the Star Moon Fruit.


    Lin Shilu picked up the teacup, took a slight sip, and then asked about Lin Shikang''s plans.


    Lin Shikang gave a bitter smile, then began to speak,


    "I am currently at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, it was only with the help of a Hun Tian Pill that I broke through five years ago, and only five years have passed since then, and it''s still uncertain when I''ll enter the Great Perfection Realm, maybe one or two years, or it could take up to ten years, it''s too early to talk about this now!"


    "What''s more important is, it''s not so easy to break through to the Golden Core Stage, and just preparing for it takes a considerable amount of time. Your cultivation is increasing rapidly; I expect it won''t take twenty years for you to attempt breaking through to the Golden Core Stage. And this Star Moon Fruit, let''s leave it for Shilu and Tianming!"


    Hearing Lin Shikang''s words, it was clear he planned to give the opportunity to break through to the Golden Core to those with a higher probability of success, Lin Shilu or Lin Tianming.


    His reasoning was indeed sound.


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    After all, Lin Shilu was not yet ninety years old and had already reached the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level Realm, not far from the Seventh Level. Once he breaks through, he could then use the Hun Tian Pill to break through another realm.


    If all went well, there was indeed a very high probability of him attempting to impact the Golden Core Stage within twenty years.


    Although Lin Tianming was not yet thirty years old and only at the Foundation Establishment Second Layer, his cultivation speed was unbelievably fast. With his talent, it was very possible he would be ready to impact the Golden Core Stage within thirty years.


    From the perspective of potential, the probability of Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming breaking through to the Golden Core Stage was indeed higher than Lin Shikang''s, especially for Tianming, who had at least a seventy percent chance, provided there were no accidents.


    In this light, entrusting this heavy hope to the more promising Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu was also a prudent approach.


    The family would just need to wait longer and plan more meticulously. Although the emergence of a Golden Core Stage family member would be delayed, this arrangement offered a greater assurance.


    Those who were aware of the situation said nothing, and the room fell into silence.


    Lin Tianming too was thinking about this matter, though he was not particularly concerned about the hard-won Star Moon Fruit.


    He was well aware that although Lin Shikang was over a hundred years old, that age was not considered old, and the probability of breaking through with the help of the Star Moon Fruit was not low.


    It was just that he felt too much pressure, wanting to give this rare opportunity to a clan member with a better grasp on success.


    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming said,


    "Third Grandfather, you should break through to the Great Perfection Realm as soon as possible and then attempt the Golden Core Stage with the Star Moon Fruit. If we delay for decades, it may become even more difficult to break through."


    As soon as he finished, Lin Shilu also began to persuade.


    "That''s right, Third Brother... Tianming and I share the same view. Even if you fail, at the worst, we can wait a few more decades. With Tianming''s talent and cultivation, it''s completely worth the wait!" sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon, others like Lin Shigong also started to agree.


    Seeing the clan members all speaking up and persuading, and even Lin Shilu indicating that if he failed to break through, it would be okay if their generation never progressed beyond the Foundation Establishment Stage,


    Lin Shikang was deeply comforted and also quite fearful at hearing this.


    To say he didn''t want to break through to the Golden Core Stage would be a lie; no one would easily give up that slim chance of breakthrough, and he felt the same.


    And breaking through to the Golden Core Stage would not only fulfill the centuries-old aspirations of the family but also double his lifespan, allowing him to live up to five hundred years. If he found an elixir that could extend life, he might even be able to protect the family for several hundred years.


    It was because of this that he dared not gamble with the family''s fate on this hard-won opportunity.


    At this point, Lin Shikang let out a rueful smile, then spoke up,


    "It''s too early to discuss this now. Let''s wait until I reach Foundation Establishment Great Perfection before we decide. What do you all think?"


    Hearing Lin Shikang''s words, though it sounded like he might be buying time, he hadn''t outright refused, showing some signs of relenting.


    Lin Shilu chuckled and then adopted a serious demeanor,


    "Then, for now, let''s follow Third Brother''s words. However, I have to make it clear upfront, you better not slack off. Although it seems calm now, and the family is thriving, no one can be certain when a crisis might arise. Don''t let it be that when the moment of danger comes, our opportunity is lost because our cultivation was insufficient!"


    "Indeed, Third Grandfather..."


    Lin Tianming smiled and then sternly said,


    "Our ancestors broke through to the Golden Core Stage at the age of one hundred and sixty, and you are not even one hundred and thirty years old. Even if you delay for another twenty years, would you still not be younger than the ancestor at that time?"


    Lin Tianming''s words elicited laughter from the clan members, and Grandfather Lin Shigong also joined in,


    "Third Brother... listen to this, wasn''t it even harder for our ancestor all alone? And yet he managed to do it. Now with the substantial support of the family, you shouldn''t have any psychological burdens!"


    After this, the usually silent Lin Shihua chimed in.


    "Exactly... if you ask me, with this Star Moon Fruit, Third Brother''s probability to break through to the Golden Core Stage is at least forty percent or more, which is much higher than what our ancestor had."


    Listening to his clan members, a fierce fire ignited deep inside Lin Shikang, and his conviction seemed to become even firmer.


    Lin Shikang stood up, bowed with cupped hands to everyone present, and then confidently said,


    "Very well... since everyone has such faith in me, I will borrow your auspicious words and give it my best effort!"


    "Ha ha... that''s more like it..."

 Chapter 192 Breakthrough_2

    Lin Shilu chuckled, and everyone''s faces were filled with excitement; the entire scene was bustling and lively.


    Shortly after a brief chat of half an hour, they exchanged information about some clan affairs and then left with cupped fists.


    Before leaving, Lin Shikang instructed him and Lin Shilu to stay in the clan for a few years of cultivation. Lin Xingping would be stationed in Qianchuan Market for several years. With Luoyun Pavilion establishing a foothold, their presence there would no longer make much difference.


    As for his task, it was, of course, to focus on cultivation and the preparation of Foundation Establishment Pills. After all, the family already had quite a few members above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, all waiting for the Foundation Establishment Pills for breakthrough. Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire


    Both Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu nodded and agreed to this matter, as it was a good opportunity for cultivation.


    In the end, Lin Tianming and his two grandchildren left the cave dwelling together, heading toward his father''s dwelling.


    With the secret realm journey over, Lin Tianming would also likely stay within the clan for long-term cultivation for a few years.


    However, before starting his seclusion, he would first reunite with his family and then commence closed-door cultivation and the preparation of Foundation Establishment Pills.


    That night, upon learning of Lin Tianming''s safe return, his mother and sister hurriedly came out of seclusion. Seeing Lin Tianming return unharmed, his mother''s worried heart could finally relax.


    From his departure to Qianchuan Market to now, after not seeing him for two years, his mother''s cultivation had reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, not far from the Great Perfection Realm. Following this rate of cultivation, she would likely make a move to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage within three years. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And his sister had seized a spot amongst the Qi Refining Seven Champions. With the resources provided by her grandfather and brother Lin Tianming, she had made rapid progress in the past two years, also reaching the Qi Refining Eighth Level, becoming one of the fastest cultivating women of the Tian generation in the clan.


    With the current cultivation levels of the mother and daughter, plus an abundance of resources, it was highly probable they could impact the Foundation Establishment Stage together.


    In the evening, the family of five finished their dinner and sat in the small courtyard chatting about everything from clan members to cultivation and even to the Four Arts of Cultivation, talking for quite some time.


    In the two years he had been stationed in Qianchuan Market, apart from sending serpent eggs and Spirit Stones back to the clan and quickly returning from the last secret realm affair, he had no time to attend to the clan''s internal matters.


    Listening to the others, the selection of the Qi Refining Seven Champions had taken place last year. Except for the Great Perfection slot, which was secured by Lin Xingzhi, the six slots from the Fourth to Ninth Layer of Qi Refining were all taken by members of the Tian generation.


    Lin Tianfeng was the one who obtained the Ninth Layer slot, while Lin Tianqin took the Eighth Layer. It was a pity for Lin Tianhong; although also at the Eighth Layer, he was a year older than Lin Tianqin and had to concede.


    Despite his likely superior strength at the same realm, as a male member of the clan, it was difficult for him to challenge her.


    And Lin Tianyue, his sister, won the Seventh Layer slot. Now that she had broken through to the Eighth Layer, Lin Tianqin no longer had a chance past this year, especially since Lin Tianyue, his sister, was seven years younger than this elder sister of the Tian generation.


    As for the clan members below the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, apart from Lin Tianhu at the Sixth Level being a familiar face, the rest started cultivation after the battle at Green Bamboo Mountain and all had the talent of Three Spiritual Roots, also all exceptionally talented young cultivators.


    With lesser hardships in their cultivation journey and the clan doubling the monthly stipend and merit points for services over the past ten years, the resources for the new generation''s cultivation significantly increased.


    With resource assistance, their pace of cultivation was much faster than during the times of Lin Tianfeng and his peers.


    This is the result of the clan''s strength; they were also fortunate to live in a good era where the resources for cultivators in the clan currently far exceeded those of the other two major clans by several times.


    At this rate, the disparity between the three major clans of Luoyun Mountain would only grow wider and wider.


    Before they knew it, the night grew quiet...


    The casual conversation was drawing to a close, and Lin Tianming took out a large number of Spirit Stones and elixirs to distribute to his family members.


    He did not share the petals and seeds of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus with his grandfather and father, not because he was stingy, but because there were too few of them. Moreover, since he practised Dual Cultivation of Body and Law, it would have the greatest effect if he used them himself.


    Seeing the vast number of Spirit Stones Lin Tianming brought out¡ªtotally thirty thousand¡ªand more than ten bottles of Second Order Pills, as well as some Qi Refinement elixirs for his sister and mother to use.


    Considering Lin Tianming''s current cultivation and wealth, probably only Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu could surpass him.


    Under such circumstances, his grandfather did not refuse, and each of them accepted some Spirit Stones and elixirs before putting an end to their chat.


    After his grandfather gave several words of advice, they finally got up to leave his father''s small courtyard.


    The two grandchildren walked on the road, then parted ways at the empty Bluestone Plaza, each returning to their own cave dwellings.


    Lin Tianming entered the training room, sat on the meditation cushion, and reflected on his cultivation schedule.


    After experiencing trials in adversity, he felt that he was not far from the third level of Foundation Establishment, and decided to attempt a breakthrough first.


    With his mind made up, he began to cultivate and breathe deeply, rotating his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, and when his condition reached its peak, he immediately took out a petal of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus and held it in his hand.


    Looking at the brightly colored petal emanating bursts of special fragrance, it was refreshing and delightful to the senses.


    He had previously consumed lotus seeds and was extremely satisfied with the effects, and with six petals left that he had never used before, his anticipation for these petals began to rise.


    Regathering his focus, he swallowed the petal without hesitation.


    The bright petal dissolved in his mouth, a special sweetness spread, refreshing the mind and spirit.


    The energy from the petal was gentle and began to overflow soon after consumption, not at all violent like the lotus seeds.


    Lin Tianming did not hesitate to start refining it, the energy contained in the petal was slowly refined and then transformed into spiritual power that flowed along his meridians, eventually converging in his Seven Sea Dantian.


    Feeling the refined spiritual power and its effects, it was somewhat inferior to that of the lotus seeds, but still significantly better than the effects of Second Order Pills.


    Moreover, refining such heaven and earth treasures did not cause any discomfort or side effects, making the use of Dragon Bone Pills unnecessary.


    In light of this, even he did not want to endure the previous agonizing pain.


    Returning to his task, Lin Tianming did not pause and continued to cultivate at full strength, quickly refining the energy contained within the petal.


    Time passed slowly, and half a year went by in this way.


    In the cultivation room, Lin Tianming was statue-like, having remained in seclusion without moving an inch for half a year.


    At this moment, he was at the very peak of the second layer of the Foundation Establishment, on the verge of a breakthrough at any time.


    During the half-year period, he had consumed three petals of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus, and this was the fourth.


    Feeling that the energy of this petal was nearly refined, yet still without a successful breakthrough.


    Lin Tianming increased his pace, frantically refining the remaining energy, and then marshaled the immense spiritual power to mount one final assault.


    By now, the spiritual power in his Dantian had reached its limit; all it needed was an infusion of even greater spiritual energy to break through the shackles.


    With a determined expression, he controlled the accumulated vast spiritual energy, pouring it into his Qi Sea Dantian, and then began to impact the barrier of the third level of Foundation Establishment.


    Time and again, he sweated profusely, the accumulated spiritual energy began to wane a little, still without a successful breakthrough.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming''s expression turned frenzied.


    "Today, I must break through the third level of Foundation Establishment... break for me!"


    Lin Tianming gritted his teeth and concentrated all his spiritual energy together, charging madly against the realm''s barrier.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, a peculiar sound emanated.


    His Qi Sea Dantian suddenly broke its restraints, like a dam bursting, and a great flood of river water poured into a vast lake or sea.


    Feeling the increase in spiritual power throughout his body, he was much stronger than before, and moreover, the exhilaration of the breakthrough filled him with immense excitement.


    Now that he had successfully broken through, Lin Tianming let out a long sigh of relief.


    It was not easy to make a breakthrough, and if his realm was not stable, causing a fall back, it would waste another year or two to re-cultivate.


    If he fell back in his realm, although he would be free from the boundaries of that realm, wasting two precious years to re-cultivate was not desirable, so naturally, he had to solidify his cultivation as soon as possible.


    With this in mind, he dared not be careless and instantly set out to cultivate and regulate his breath, running his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, and started to consolidate his cultivation.

 Chapter 193 Foundation Establishment Pill Success_1

    Half a month later.


    Inside the training room, Lin Tianming opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing briefly through his clear gaze.


    Sensing the formidable strength after his breakthrough, he stood up and clenched his fists, his true yuan swiftly circulating throughout his body.


    "Crack, crackle..."


    The sounds of bones vibrating and popping resonated, his spiritual power flowing extremely smoothly throughout his body.


    Lin Tianming couldn''t help but smile knowingly and began to talk to himself.


    "This Third Level of Foundation Establishment is indeed much stronger than the Second Layer, my strength has doubled, and I should be able to hold my own against a cultivator at the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment without falling into a disadvantage," he mused.


    Previously in the secret realm, he had already sparred with Second Order Middle Stage demonic beasts and had not fallen into a disadvantage either.


    According to his judgment, after breaking through to the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, relying on a few Second Order magical artifacts and the Earth Fiend Sword Formation in his hands, he would not be at much of a disadvantage when fighting against cultivators below the Sixth Level of Foundation Establishment.


    However, this was just a rough estimate, after all, there were many core disciples from great sects whose talents were even higher than his, and they possessed a multitude of precious treasures, capable of unleashing even more formidable power.


    Regaining his composure, he tidied up the training room before walking out.


    As he walked, he pondered his future cultivation plans.


    Now that he had successfully broken through, and as he would not be leaving the clan''s territory for a short time, it was naturally time to start preparing to forge Foundation Establishment Pills.


    For half a year, the family had been collecting auxiliary herbs for the Foundation Establishment Pill, which were not considered extremely rare. Over the years, the family had acquired quite a few spiritual medicines, and now they were fully capable of gathering them together.


    Moreover, there were already clan members who met the requirements for impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage, so forging Foundation Establishment Pills had become a matter of urgency.


    Thinking of this, he changed direction and flew towards the towering mountains behind the main peak.


    The Purple Gold Eagle had reached the First Order Peak Period a while ago, and when he returned to the clan after the secret realm had ended, he had intended to help it break through to the Second Order, making future travels faster and safer.


    Soon, Lin Tianming arrived at the valley where he once practiced his divine skills.


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    Looking at a huge cave on the side of the mountain, he called out loudly, and the Purple Gold Eagle quickly flew over and landed in front of him, rubbing its enormous beak against his clothes in an almost comical manner.


    Lin Tianming caressed its feathers, with a doting expression on his face.


    The Purple Gold Eagle had been with him for nearly ten years, and as the gap in their combat abilities grew wider, although it hadn''t provided much help in battle, it had been quite useful shuttling through various markets and mountain ranges over the years.


    One could say that the Purple Gold Eagle had contributed significantly not just to him, but to the entire family as well.


    From any perspective, helping it break through to the Second Order was only right and proper.


    With these thoughts, he patted his storage bag and took out two gray-white demon cores.


    Advancing as a demonic beast was even harder than for cultivators. The Purple Gold Eagle had consumed many First Order demon beast inner pills before, and its realm growth had been quite slow.


    Fortunately, they had long lifespans, and with these two Second Order demon cores, coupled with some demon beast corpses and blood, it should be enough to help it break through to the Second Order.


    At this moment, seeing the two Second Order Initial Stage demon beast inner pills in Lin Tianming''s hand, the Purple Gold Eagle''s eyes gleamed, clearly impatient.


    It excitedly screeched, seemingly aware that Lin Tianming was going to help it break through, and began rubbing its beak against his clothes again.


    Lin Tianming touched the Purple Gold Eagle''s slightly golden feathers, finally calming it down.


    Over the years, he had traveled far and wide and been through many great battles. During his journey in the secret realm, he had also obtained many Second Order demon cores. Among them, the Green-Spotted Poison Python''s inner core was at the Second Order Late Phase, and it was the only Second Order Late Phase inner core he had.


    Beyond that, Lin Shilu had given him two of the Second Order Middle Stage Dragon-Eyed Beast inner pills, and during the Tianluan Turtle''s great battle, he had acquired three Second Order Middle Stage Tianluan Turtle inner pills, as well as numerous Second Order Initial Stage inner pills.


    With more than ten Second Order monster beast inner pills at hand, including several Second Order Middle Stage demon cores, he had plenty.


    With so many demon beast inner pills, as well as a considerable number of demonic beast corpses and blood, it was more than enough to help the Purple Gold Eagle advance to the Second Order Middle or Late Phase. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming chuckled and took out several portions of the Green-Spotted Poison Python''s body, tossing them to the Purple Gold Eagle.


    The Purple Gold Eagle, thrilled, swallowed the monster serpent''s body in one gulp and then eagerly fixed its gaze on the two demon cores in Lin Tianming''s hands.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming laughed and teasingly chided:


    "Hey hey... after eating so many good things, if you can''t advance to the Second Order, watch how I''ll deal with you."


    Without waiting for the Purple Gold Eagle''s reaction, he threw the two demon beast inner pills straight to it.


    The Purple Gold Eagle didn''t hesitate to gulp down the two Second Order demon beast inner pills, unfazed by the risk of the explosive energy from the cores potentially bursting its body.


    "This bird... truly worthy of being a demonic beast!" Lin Tianming laughed and cursed.


    If a Foundation Establishment Cultivator were to swallow these Second Order inner cores whole, they would certainly lose their life, and even a Golden Core Cultivator could suffer serious injuries or be on the verge of death.


    Yet, the path to advancement for demonic beasts was so simple and brutal¡ªeither the bodies of cultivators or heavenly treasures, as well as demonic beasts'' bodies and inner cores, were all consumed directly.


    Relying on their unique natural gifts, they could easily convert it to the energy needed for their breakthroughs.


    Coming to his senses, the Purple Gold Eagle took Lin Tianming around Green Bamboo Mountain for a flight, and finally, they returned to the original spot.


    Before leaving, he specifically instructed the Purple Gold Eagle to immediately start refining the demon beast inner pills and to break through to the Second Order as soon as possible.


    The Purple Gold Eagle screeched a few times, conveying a sense of utter confidence.

 Chapter 193 The Success of the Foundation Establishment Pill_2

    Lin Tianming nodded, then left the familiar small valley without looking back and headed to the Hall of Merit.


    It wasn''t long before he saw Lin Xingcheng, and the two sat opposite each other, making small talk.


    Lin Tianming chuckled, then teased Lin Xingcheng by saying, "Uncle, having not seen you for a few years, you must be close to impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage, right?"


    Lin Xingcheng laughed wryly, then responded,


    "It''s not that easy. Although with your alchemy skills, it won''t take long to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, but looking at the current situation, it seems like it will take at least a few years of preparation for a successful breakthrough!"


    Hearing Lin Xingcheng''s words, Lin Tianming nodded in agreement¡ªmore preparation was definitely safer; unless absolutely necessary, rushing a breakthrough was indeed dangerous.


    After exchanging a few more words, Lin Xingcheng''s tone shifted, already anticipating the purpose of Lin Tianming''s visit.


    As the Clan Leader of the Hall of Merit and one of the high-ranking members of the clan, he was well aware of Lin Tianming''s return to the clan and the White Jade Grass he had brought with him.


    Moreover, half a year earlier, the Clan Leader had instructed him to gather the auxiliary herbs for more than ten batches of Foundation Establishment Pills in the shortest time possible, clearly intending to refine Foundation Establishment Pills without doubt.


    Knowing this, he was immensely excited; the Minor Foundation Building Pills that Lin Tianming had obtained earlier, after being distributed by the clan, left no more exchange quotas for the Xing clan members.


    Now that the clan had obtained White Jade Grass and had the capability to refine it, they would have more effective Foundation Establishment Pills to use; even if the exchange for Merit Points was higher, clan members would prioritize the Foundation Establishment Pills over the Minor Foundation Building Pills.


    After all, the Minor Foundation Building Pills could only increase the chances of breakthrough by twenty percent, while Foundation Establishment Pills could reach fifty percent, a significantly better outcome.


    With this in mind, for their own successful breakthrough, most would choose the Foundation Establishment Pills first, unless clan members who lacked enough Merit Points would opt for the Minor Foundation Building Pills. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Regaining his composure, Lin Xingcheng, looking excited, greeted Lin Tianming and then headed straight to the storeroom.


    In a short while, he came out with a storage bag, which he then handed to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming received the storage bag and swept it with his Divine Sense, confirming the count and medicinal properties of the fifteen batches of Foundation Establishment Pill''s auxiliary herbs met the refining requirements.


    After the handover was complete, Lin Xingcheng began to give additional instructions.


    "Tianming, the Clan Leader has instructed that once you refine the Foundation Establishment Pills, aside from contributing thirty percent to the clan, keep three for yourself, and if there are more Foundation Establishment Pills, exchange them all at the Family Merits Hall¡ªthe clan will repurchase each one for thirty thousand Spirit Stones!"


    Hearing these words, Lin Tianming nodded and accepted the task.


    In fact, even if the clan didn''t mention it, he would have done the same, for Foundation Establishment Pills were tremendously valuable and fundamental to a clan.


    Even if the surplus Foundation Establishment Pills were his, he wouldn''t let them out of the clan.


    He couldn''t forget the scene of the family''s plight over a decade ago, nor the history of the sacrifices of many ancestors for a single Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Regaining his focus, Lin Tianming didn''t linger long. After bidding farewell to Lin Xingcheng, he headed to the Alchemy Hall.


    Soon, he arrived inside the Alchemy Hall.


    At the moment, Lin Shigong was teaching a few young clan members about alchemy. Lin Tianming didn''t disturb them and stood quietly to the side, waiting.


    Finally, after the grandfather dispatched the youngsters, they found a spot to sit down, drink tea, and chat casually.


    Lin Tianming took a sip from his teacup, enjoying the rich aroma of the Spiritual Tea, the unique taste lingering in his mouth.


    "Not bad... This Spiritual Tea is excellent!"


    Lin Tianming exclaimed, then said,


    "Grandfather, I plan to start refining the Foundation Establishment Pills and would like to borrow the Three Star Furnace. My Four Symbols Furnace is somewhat lacking in grade. Although it is not unusable, it would still be advantageous to increase the success rate of the pill formation as much as possible!"


    Upon hearing Lin Tianming''s request, Lin Shigong promptly took out a fiery red Pill Furnace, which was the very Three Star Furnace he had used for many years.


    Lin Shigong handed the Three Star Furnace to Lin Tianming and then asked, "You''re starting the refining so soon, kid?"


    "If you need this old man''s help, just say the word. I''ve got plenty of time. Although my alchemy skills aren''t as good as yours, I''ve got no problem assisting you!"


    Lin Tianming chuckled and quickly replied,


    "Grandfather, I''ve got it under control. With the Three Star Furnace, I have even greater confidence. You should take this opportunity to go into seclusion and strive to break through to the second layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage!"


    Seeing Lin Tianming decline his offer graciously, Lin Shigong didn''t insist.


    After a few simple admonishments, Lin Tianming finally got up, bowed with cupped hands.


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    Having bid farewell to his grandfather and leaving the Alchemy Hall, he returned to his own cave dwelling.


    Sitting in the Pill Refining Room, he sat cross-legged on the ground, running his cultivation techniques to breathe and adjust his condition.


    When his condition reached its peak, Lin Tianming didn''t immediately begin refining but took out a large number of Jade Slips and books, all of them containing Pill Formulas and Alchemy Experiences.


    With a wave of his hand, he grabbed an Alchemy Experience in hand and began to ruminate and comprehend it.


    Although he had already gone over these experiences several times and knew their contents by heart, when it came to refining Foundation Establishment Pills, he preferred to be more meticulous; producing one more pill might result in one more Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    In such circumstances, it was only natural to be cautious, striving for perfection without fail.


    Several days quickly passed by.


    Lin Tianming reviewed all the Pill Formulas and Alchemy Experiences in his possession, whether they were for Second Order or Third Order Alchemists, all over again.

 Chapter 193 Success of the Foundation Establishment Pill_3

    Although he had reviewed it many times, each time he delved into it, he felt his understanding of the Alchemy Dao deepened.


    "I don''t know if it''s an illusion or if there really is progress!"


    After muttering to himself, Lin Tianming then put all of the pill formulas and insights into his storage bag.


    Having done that, he began the preparations for alchemy, taking out a complete set of Foundation Establishment Pill Spiritual Materials and placing them on the stone platform beside him, sorted into different categories.


    Next, he checked the Earth Fire and the Pill Furnace. After making sure all the details were perfect, he began to adjust his state.


    It was unclear how much time had passed, but he eventually reached his peak condition.


    All was ready except for the right opportunity!


    Lin Tianming opened his eyes, formed seals with his hands, and struck the Earth Fire''s vent with a Law Decree.


    As the Earth Fire erupted, the temperature in the Pill Refining Room began to slowly rise. He placed the Three Star Furnace above the Earth Fire, starting the various preparations for alchemy.


    When the temperature inside the Three Star Furnace reached a critical point, he immediately took out a piece of Spiritual Medicine Material and tossed it into the furnace to begin the basic decomposition process.


    The procedure was the same as for other elixirs; he had already successfully refined numerous Second Order Pills, so decomposing these auxiliary medicines wasn''t difficult.


    Soon, after over an hour of intense decomposition, each Spiritual Medicine Material and Spirit Fruit was processed.


    At the bottom of the Three Star Furnace, a mass of multicolored Elixir Essence lay there.


    Lin Tianming wiped the sweat from his forehead and gazed at the liquid essence of the Spiritual Medicine, showing a satisfied expression. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the auxiliary medicines decomposed, the main medicine, White Jade Grass, was left to be processed.


    He looked at the Spirit Grass with a jade-like sheen and took a deep breath. This White Jade Grass had cost him 11,000 Spirit Stones to purchase from Long Hai; its value was certainly not low.


    After a brief distraction, he quickly regained his calm and resolutely threw the White Jade Grass into the Three Star Furnace.


    At that moment, he opened his Eye of Five Colors to observe the White Jade Grass inside the Three Star Furnace, focusing his Divine Sense to start the decomposition.


    Half a day passed.


    Inside the Three Star Furnace, the Elixir Essence had grown larger in volume and changed dramatically in color, becoming a mix of blue and white that looked akin to a piece of Supreme Quality jade.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming was overjoyed. With all the Spiritual Medicine Materials decomposed, the next crucial step was the Solidifying Pill.


    He took a deep breath and formed a Single-handed Seal, then struck the Earth Fire''s vent with another Law Decree. Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire


    A soft sound followed, and the Earth Fire burst forth, raising the temperature in the Three Star Furnace by another notch.


    Lin Tianming''s expression became serious, attentively sensing every change inside the Three Star Furnace.


    When the temperature seemed right, he slapped the Three Star Furnace with his palm, and a burst of Spiritual Power shot out from his hand into the furnace and disappeared without a trace.


    "Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle..."


    A few noises sounded out, marking the completion of Infusion of Spirit. While controlling the Earth Fire''s temperature, he murmured to himself.


    "Solidify the pill!"


    In an instant, a distinct sound echoed, followed by a few crisp crackles from within the Pill Furnace.


    The noise suggested that the pills might have shattered.


    Lin Tianming''s face changed, showing an expression of distress. As the noise subsided, he promptly lifted the lid off the furnace to look inside.


    He saw a pile of residue mixed with some broken pieces of a pill, emitting an unpleasant odor.


    He picked up a fragment of the failed elixir, holding it carefully in his hand to ponder over.


    "This Foundation Establishment Pill is indeed difficult; failure to control the temperature and timing of the infusion of spirit led to the failure of the alchemy process!"


    Lin Tianming talked to himself, thereafter contemplating the reasons for failure in his mind and summarizing the issues to watch out for next time.


    The entire process of this batch of pills was smooth; the decomposition and purification were done meticulously¡ªhow could it have failed?


    Lin Tianming wore a puzzled expression as he recalled the entire procedure and pondered over the reasons for the failure.


    "It seems that during the pill solidification, the timing of the spirit infusion and the Earth Fire didn''t match, leading to the failure of this batch!"


    Lin Tianming murmured to himself, quickly pinpointing the problem.


    "Let''s try another furnace and hope for success!"


    Though the first batch had failed, he was not discouraged at all. After all, it was his first attempt at producing this pill, and failure was nothing unusual.


    Moreover, although the Foundation Establishment Pill was classified as a Second Order Inferior Grade Pill, the difficulty of its refinement could rival many Second Order Medium Quality pills.


    After clearing out the wasted residue, he took out another set of Spiritual Medicine Materials and placed them on the stone platform.


    Once that was done, he began to recuperate until his condition peaked before continuing to refine.


    "Materials are hard to come by; they must be refined successfully soon so as not to waste them. This complete set of materials cost more than 10,000 Spirit Stones!" he muttered to himself, thinking in his heart.


    Half a day later, Lin Tianming recovered, and once again, he plunged into the intensive alchemy process.


    With the lesson learned from the first failure, he was extra careful with the second furnace, striving to perfect every step.


    The entire process went smoothly, as familiar as the path beneath one''s feet, with each step of decomposition, purification, and the control of infusion and Earth Fire right on point.


    His efforts bore fruit; his cultivation made a breakthrough, and aided by the Eye of Five Colors, he succeeded in solidifying the pills in the second furnace.


    In the Pill Refining Room at that moment, a unique fragrance wafted from the Pill Furnace.


    Not caring about his sweaty forehead and weary expression, he quickly lifted off the furnace lid.


    He saw three pills with a blue and white hue suspended inside the furnace, immediately taking one out and comparing it with the Pill Formula, examining it in great detail.


    "After careful verification, this is undoubtedly a finished product. I just don''t know how effective it is yet!"


    Lin Tianming thought excitedly, his face expressing immense joy.


    The process of refining two batches of Foundation Establishment Pills¡ªfailing the first and succeeding the second¡ªcould be considered a smooth start.


    Though he usually managed to produce about five pills of Second Order Inferior Grade elixirs, and this batch only yielded three, considering the difficulty of refining Foundation Establishment Pills, Lin Tianming was still extremely satisfied.


    He placed the three Foundation Establishment Pills into a prepared Jade Bottle, then began to recuperate, waiting for his condition to recover before starting to forge ahead and refine a few more batches.

 Chapter 194 Announcement of News_1

    One day later.


    As his condition recovered, Lin Tianming opened his eyes and took out three plump Foundation Establishment Pills, looking overjoyed.


    Feeling that his state was just right, he planned to refine a few more batches of elixirs, striving to improve both the pill concoction rate and the number of successful pills.


    Having made up his mind, he took out another portion of Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill and began pill refining. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    Familiar with the procedure, one by one, the Spiritual Medicine Materials were decomposed and purified into differently colored liquid essences, which settled at the bottom of the Three Star Furnace, waiting for the infusion of spirit and pill solidification.


    Two months hurried by.


    In the Pill Refining Room, Lin Tianming looked at the seventeen Jade Bottles laid out before him, his expression quite satisfied.


    Since he had entered the Pill Refining Room for secluded cultivation, nearly three months had passed.


    The difficulty of refining Foundation Establishment Pills was not small; only three to four batches could be refined each month. Forcing more could affect both the rate of pill success and the number of pills, so he wasn''t in a rush. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He proceeded carefully and steadily, always waiting to return to his peak condition before starting on the next batch of elixirs.


    After all, the auxiliary herbs for Foundation Establishment Pills were the lesser concern, but the main herb, White Jade Grass, was limited. Wasting one meant one less available; refining an extra one could potentially create another Foundation Establishment Cultivator for the clan.


    Under such cautious conditions, he successfully refined four batches from seven portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials, yielding a total of seventeen Foundation Establishment Pills, all of good quality. While not reaching the highest quality, they were still quite rare.


    With these seventeen Foundation Establishment Pills, even if the restrictions were completely lifted, the clan wouldn''t have to worry about Foundation Establishment for its members for the next ten years.


    Contemplating this, Lin Tianming''s expression became ecstatic as he put the Jade Bottles into his storage bag, then tidied up, preparing to end this period of pill refining.


    The reason he was emerging from seclusion now, aside from having addressed the urgent need for Foundation Establishment Pills, was because he wanted to save half of the Spiritual Medicine Materials until he became a Second Order Medium Quality or Second Order Superior Alchemist before continuing refining.


    By then, if he could refine top-quality Foundation Establishment Pills, the medicinal power within them would be stronger, increasing the odds of breakthrough just a bit.


    And that slim chance, in many instances, could change a person''s destiny.


    Back then, when Lin Shixin was breaking through to Foundation Establishment, if he had used such a pill, his odds of success would have greatly increased, with at least a sixty to seventy percent chance of entering the Foundation Establishment Realm.


    Regrettably, the clan''s resources were insufficient at the time, and even the Minor Foundation Building Pill was their last lifeline.


    Under the pressure of formidable enemies and advancing age, they had no choice but to stake everything on one gamble. Under the same age constraints, Lin Shigong seized that final opportunity, breaking through at the last moment and thus changing his own fate.


    Recalling Lin Shixin''s unruly character and his amiable face, always fooling around and joking with him, and the many times he had offered assistance, Lin Tianming''s bright eyes were filled with a reflective look.


    His thoughts returning, he sighed helplessly.


    "Perhaps this is destiny; it''s such a pity for Tenth Uncle."


    Listening to his own sigh echoing in the Pill Refining Room brought him back to reality.


    Having tidied up the Pill Refining Room, Lin Tianming then left his cave residence and headed towards the Family Merits Hall.


    Soon, he met Lin Xingcheng.


    The two of them sat opposite each other, exchanging greetings, and then Lin Tianming directly took out fifteen Jade Bottles and passed them to Lin Xingcheng.


    Lin Xingcheng took a bottle and opened it, his breathing becoming hurried at once.


    Even though he knew he would eventually see the real Foundation Establishment Pills and was also preparing to exchange Merit Points for them, the sight of these actual elixirs still thrilled him immensely.


    Seeing Lin Xingcheng''s excited expression, Lin Tianming spoke up,


    "Uncle, out of the fifteen portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials, seven have been refined. The rest will be continued after my alchemy skills have further improved."


    After speaking, he passed a storage bag containing the remaining eight portions of Foundation Establishment Pill Spiritual Materials to Lin Xingcheng.


    Lin Xingcheng took some time to calm down before taking the storage bag and checking its contents. He then said,


    "The fifteen Foundation Establishment Pills you''ve given are for the clan, fulfilling the requirements. These remaining eight portions of materials, strictly speaking, belong to you personally."


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming didn''t refuse and said,


    "These Spiritual Medicine Materials are extremely valuable and unsafe to carry on me. I will leave them with the clan for safekeeping and will come to collect them when I plan to refine Foundation Establishment Pills."


    After he spoke, Lin Xingcheng put away the storage bag and personally assured that he would take good care of the materials and report honestly to the Clan Leader.


    Lin Tianming nodded, and after a few more casual words, he said his goodbyes and left.


    Watching Lin Tianming depart, Lin Xingcheng hurriedly took the Foundation Establishment Pills that Lin Tianming had brought to the Clan Elders'' Assembly to report in person.


    He soon arrived at the Elders'' Council Hall.


    At that moment, Lin Shihua was discussing something with several clan members. After giving a few instructions, he turned around.


    Seeing Lin Xingcheng''s arrival, Lin Shihua seemed a bit surprised, chuckled, and asked, "Xingcheng, what brings you here today? It''s not yet the day for the monthly report, is it?"


    Lin Xingcheng stepped forward and respectfully bowed, then took out the storage bag Lin Tianming had given him and handed it to Lin Shihua for inspection.


    Lin Shihua furrowed his brow, wondering what could have happened so recently, but when he saw the Foundation Establishment Pills inside the storage bag, his breathing immediately quickened.

 Chapter 194 Announcement of News_2

    Several breaths of time passed, Lin Shihua calmed down before instructing,


    "Xingcheng, I will temporarily keep the Foundation Establishment Pill. After I discuss it with the Third Brother and the others, I will message you, and then we can announce the exchange price."


    "By the Clan Leader''s decree."


    Lin Xingcheng respectfully complied, then cupped his fist and left the Elders'' Council Hall.


    At this point, Lin Tianming had already returned to his own cave dwelling. He sat cross-legged in the secret chamber, pondering his next arrangements.


    Over the past few years, he had been running around everywhere: markets, taking part in secret realms, refining pills for the Luoyun Pavilion and the clan, indeed delaying a lot of time.


    Now that the Foundation Establishment Pill had been refined, there were enough for the clan to use for a very long time. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Next, he should also go into secluded cultivation, practicing Divine Skills in his free time to exert the power of Tiangang Sword Qi Third Sword.


    There were still two petals left of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus. He planned to fully refine them before going to the back mountain to practice the Tiangang Sword Qi Third Sword.


    Once the Divine Skills were completely mastered, he could lead the clan''s Monster Hunting Squad to train in the Luoyun Mountain Range, experiencing real combat while doing some things within his ability for the clan.


    Having made up his mind, he sat up straight, then started to form hand signs and ran the Cultivation Technique for a Grand Circulation.


    When his state reached its peak, he took out a petal of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus and swallowed it.


    A special energy poured out, and he immediately cycled the Cultivation Technique to refine it into Spiritual Energy, eventually gathering it in the Seven Sea Dantian.


    Feeling the slowly increasing Spiritual Power within the Seven Sea Dantian, Lin Tianming''s expression was joyful as he continued to refine.


    In the secret chamber, the even breathing of Lin Tianming could be heard, clearly indicating he had entered a deep state of cultivation.


    At the Summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, in the cave dwelling of Lin Shikang.


    A few Xing Clan Members of the Shi generation were sitting together chatting casually, with more than a dozen Jade Bottles placed in front of them¡ªthese were the Foundation Establishment Pills that Lin Tianming had refined.


    At the moment, the few of them had smiles on their faces, looking quite excited.


    Lin Shihua picked up a Foundation Establishment Pill, examined it in his hand, and then asked,


    "The Foundation Establishment Pills that Tianming refined are of good quality. Now, there are also a few people in the clan who are prepared to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage. How should these pills be distributed, and at what price shall they be exchanged?"


    After speaking, Lin Shilu chuckled and said,


    "In the Qianchuan Market auctions, a Foundation Establishment Pill basically goes for around thirty thousand Spirit Stones each. This price is not small pressure for those younger clan members; I''m afraid the vast majority of the clanspeople won''t be able to offer that much."


    Hearing this, Lin Shigong also began to voice his opinion.


    "Indeed, thirty thousand Spirit Stones is not a small amount. When I exchanged for a Minor Foundation Building Pill, I took out all the Spirit Stones I had and sold quite a few treasures before I could afford the Spirit Stones for the exchange. Those younger generations who have been cultivating for decades would still find it unaffordable, even if they took out everything they had."


    As his words ended, Lin Shihua also spoke up,


    "Yes, I suggest we adjust the exchange prices of all treasures. In the past, the Hall of Merit used to buy them below market price and sold them at the same price. We resorted to this last-ditch strategy because the clan was too poor."


    "Now that the clan is better than before, with extra income, let''s also make an adjustment. Whether buying or exchanging, we will use the market price as the standard. For high-value treasures like the Foundation Establishment Pill, we will sell it at 80% of the price to reduce the pressure on the younger generations as much as possible."


    Hearing the suggestions discussed by the few, Lin Shikang gave it some thought before speaking,


    "I have no objections. On top of that, we can make some further adjustments. Those clanspeople who do not have enough Spirit Stones can first pay more than half of the Stones, and the remaining half can be repaid slowly over time."


    "That''s good, the young ones won''t have any worries now," Lin Shilu chuckled.


    Hearing this, the rest of the group smiled knowingly and decided on the matter.


    Then, Lin Shikang spoke again.


    "In half a year, Tianfeng and Tianhong''s three-year term will be up," Lin Shikang said. "Those two should also be close to meeting the conditions for impacting the Foundation Establishment stage. It''s time to call them back and prepare for their Foundation Establishment."


    "Then, which clanspeople should we send to Qianchuan Market for some experience?" Lin Shihua asked.


    After contemplating for a moment, Lin Shikang opened his mouth and said,


    "Tian Qin and Tian Yue, the two girls, are quite good. One is an alchemist, and the other is a talisman maker. Their cultivation is not low, and with Xing Ping leading in the market, and the Luoyun Pavilion increasingly stable, they can indeed go there and prepare for Foundation Establishment."


    Upon hearing this, several people nodded. The two golden flowers of the family had considerable cultivation and possessed not-to-be-snubbed skills. After cultivating for so many years, apart from joining the Monster Hunting Squad into the Luoyun Mountain Range, they had never gone out to gain experience. Taking this opportunity to visit Qianchuan Market was indeed a good choice.


    Lin Shihua chuckled and stored all the Foundation Establishment Pills, then said,


    "Alright, I''ll choose some of the clanspeople to go with Tian Yue in half a year to Qianchuan Market to replace Tianfeng and the others."


    "At that time, let Tian Ming escort them to Qianchuan Market and bring back Tianfeng and the rest."


    "Hmm, let''s arrange it this way," Lin Shikang nodded and said with a smile.


    Once the conversation was finished, they chatted idly for a few moments and then left, each returning to their own cave dwellings.


    The next day, outside the main halls of the family''s major institutions, notices posted attracted many clanspeople to gather around.


    Previously, the news about the White Jade Grass was known only to a few of the family''s upper echelons.


    But now, the news about the Foundation Establishment Pills was made public, as was the adjusted exchange price at the Hall of Merit.


    The two explosive pieces of news quickly spread throughout the entire family, causing a great commotion.


    Outside the major institutions, the gathered clanspeople were excited and discussed the news about the Foundation Establishment Pills.


    The news about the Foundation Establishment Pills had all the clanspeople thrilled. With these pills, the Xing clan members saw reignited hopes for achieving Foundation Establishment.


    Previously, although there were three Minor Foundation Building Pills left, those were allocated to the Tian clan members. With Lin Xingping''s successful Foundation Establishment, the Xing clan members had already used up their quota.


    But now, with the even more effective Foundation Establishment Pills available without any exchange restrictions, as long as clanspeople reached Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage and were under a hundred years old, they could exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Under such circumstances, for those clanspeople above the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, a mere decade or so of diligent cultivation could give them hope to breakthrough.


    Moreover, the Foundation Establishment Pill was priced at an exchange rate of 24,000 spirit stones, a price that brought even more joy to the Qi Refining Stage clanspeople of the family.


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    Before, many were worried they might meet the required cultivation level but couldn''t gather enough spirit stones to exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill, causing unnecessary delays.


    Now, with an 80% discount on the pill and the option to pre-pay half the price, meaning just 12,000 spirit stones, they could exchange for the pill in advance.


    With the family''s twice-increased salaries, the Qi Refining Stage clanspeople now had the capability to accumulate spirit stones.


    For those clanspeople at the Eighth or Ninth Levels of Qi Refinement, gathering seven or eight thousand spirit stones was not difficult at all. With some borrowed spirit stones, they could quickly gather enough for the advance payment.


    As expected, right after the announcement regarding the exchange of Foundation Establishment Pills, Lin Xingzhi was the first to find Lin Xingcheng, easily producing 12,000 spirit stones and exchanging them on the spot for the first Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Under the envious gaze of his fellow clanspeople, he accepted the precious pill, equally excited and ready to begin preparations for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, ready to impact the stage whenever conditions permitted.


    Besides Lin Xingzhi, Lin Xingcheng had also reached the Great Perfection Realm of Qi Refining and was the second to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill.


    However, he had just broken through to the Great Perfection Realm of Qi Refining; he would need at least two to three years to consolidate before attempting to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The remaining clanspeople above the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement were all like chickens injected with adrenaline, preparing to cultivate crazily, as well as accumulate the 12,000 spirit stones necessary to exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Instantly, the entire family was once again caught up in a frenzy of cultivation and training, all striving desperately to advance their cultivation and accumulate spirit stones, making preparations for the future.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming knew nothing of this, still immersed in his secluded cultivation.

 Chapter 195 Purple Gold Eagle Breakthrough_1

    Three months hurried by.


    Inside the practice room, Lin Tianming sat upright on the cushion and then opened his eyes.


    "Huu huu..."


    He exhaled a breath of foul air, then stood up and exited the secret chamber, ending his three-month cultivation.


    During these three months, the last two petals of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus he had left were also consumed and refined; thanks to his hard cultivation, his cultivation became even more solid.


    Although he was still far from reaching the Foundation Building Fourth Level, he was still immensely satisfied with this speed.


    The reason he was emerging now was to practice his Divine Skills, as mastering them soon would increase his strength a bit more.


    Having made up his mind, he left his cave dwelling and flew towards the rear mountain.


    In a short while, he arrived at the valley where he had practiced his Divine Skills before.


    Not far from the Purple Gold Eagle''s cave, Lin Tianming called out, but for a long period, there was no response from the Purple Gold Eagle.


    It seemed that the Purple Gold Eagle was sleeping or perhaps at a critical moment of breaking through to the Second Order.


    Lin Tianming didn''t disturb it; he chose another valley not too far away and relatively quiet and began practicing his Divine Skills there.


    In the valley, Lin Tianming was bare-chested, revealing his explosive muscles and aesthetically-pleasing lines, drenched in sweat.


    He formed a Single-handed Seal, and the Law Decree slammed into the Tiangang Sword.


    "Tiangang Sword Qi Third Sword, strike!"


    In an instant, the surface of the Tiangang Sword in his hand glowed brightly, transforming into a phantom shadow, shooting towards a large tree a thousand feet away.


    "Puff..."


    A loud noise rang out as the half yard thick tree exploded from the middle and then fell, creating a deep pit on the ground.


    Lin Tianming leaped over, and seeing the tree that was easily broken, he revealed a contemplative expression.


    The power of the Tiangang Sword Qi Third Sword was truly formidable, definitely the strongest Divine Skill he possessed currently.


    However, it consumed a lot of Spiritual Power to execute, and the casting speed wasn''t fast enough; the Sword Qi was easy for the enemy to dodge.


    But this was just the beginning; he was still not very accustomed to it, after practicing more, he should be able to bring it to the Minor Achievement Realm and use it in combat.


    With these thoughts, he was not at all discouraged; on the contrary, he was full of confidence.


    Lin Tianming retreated a hundred yards, and then once again he wielded the Tiangang Sword, beginning to practice his Divine Skills repeatedly.


    Each time he would deplete all the Spiritual Power in his body, then meditate and cultivate until he fully recovered, then start practicing again.


    Time flew by, and another two months had passed.


    In the valley, Lin Tianming was sweating profusely, practicing the Tiangang Sword Qi over and over again.


    The Tiangang Sword in his hand flashed with silver light, turning into a phantom that streaked toward a large tree a thousand yards away.


    "Bang..."


    After a loud explosion, the entire giant tree burst apart, turning into scattered wood chips, floating through the valley like celestial flowers.


    Lin Tianming ceased his practice; although he appeared quite exhausted, he still had a satisfied smile on his face.


    After two months of arduous practice, not stepping out of the valley once, practicing Divine Skills, and waiting for the Purple Gold Eagle to break through.


    Unsure of how many times he had practiced, but with his efforts, the casting speed of the Tiangang Sword Qi had greatly improved, and its power and accuracy had also significantly increased, clearly reaching the Minor Achievement Realm.


    The current Tiangang Sword Qi Third Sword, with its triple overlay, was exceptionally powerful.


    Having reached the Minor Achievement Realm, it was more than enough to handle cultivators below the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, and if he met slower enemies, he could easily kill them.


    Lin Tianming was very pleased, stored the Tiangang Sword away, and prepared to meditate and restore the nearly depleted Spiritual Power in his body.


    As he was about to turn around, a sharp screeching sound spread throughout the valley, familiar yet piercing.


    At the same time, an aura of the Foundation Establishment Stage rushed towards him.


    "The Purple Gold Eagle is breaking through!"


    Upon hearing this commotion, Lin Tianming was overjoyed, not minding his fatigue, and flew towards the valley where the Purple Gold Eagle''s nest was located.


    Soon, he arrived at the valley.


    By then, the Purple Gold Eagle had already left its nest, emanating a strong presence.


    Seeing Lin Tianming come, it was extremely excited, dragging its huge body unsteadily towards him.


    Looking over, many feathers from the Purple Gold Eagle had fallen onto the ground, and its expression looked somewhat listless.


    However, from the eyes of the Purple Gold Eagle, there was clearly an excited look.


    Apparently, after several months of slumber, the Purple Gold Eagle had successfully advanced to Second Order Lower Grade.


    Seeing the successful breakthrough of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming was very happy.


    He walked up, took several sections of the Green-Spotted Poison Python''s body from his storage bag, and tossed them to the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Then he took out several First Order Demon Beast Inner Pills and let the Purple Gold Eagle swallow them all at once. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Purple Gold Eagle swallowed the snake meat and Demon Beast Inner Pills in one gulp, affectionately nuzzling his clothes, appearing very excited.


    Lin Tianming patted the beak of the Purple Gold Eagle and then said,


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    "Xiao Diao, you, this bird, have finally broken through, and it wasn''t in vain that I invested so many resources in you!"


    Hearing this, the Purple Gold Eagle cried out grievously, as if to say that for a Demonic Beast, breaking through was even harder than for a cultivator.


    Lin Tianming chuckled, naturally not about to argue with a bird.


    Just then, several figures flew towards them; it was Lin Shilu, Lin Shihua, and two Qi Refining Stage clanspeople from the Enforcement Hall.


    Seeing them approach, it was obvious they were alerted by the disturbance caused by the Purple Gold Eagle''s breakthrough, and so they came to check.

 Chapter 195 Purple Gold Eagles Breakthrough_2

    Lin Tianming immediately approached and saluted the several people with clasped hands.


    Lin Shilu waved his hand, and next to him Lin Shihua, wearing a smile, then began to speak:


    "Tianming, the Purple Gold Eagle has broken through to Second Order, this is indeed a cause for great celebration!"


    "Hehe..." Lin Tianming chuckled and waved his hand as he spoke:


    "Xiao Diao has indeed made quite a few contributions over the years. I used two Second Order Monster Beast Inner Pellets and added some of the body of a Green-Spotted Poison Python, finally helping it break through to the Second Order. It was worth the effort of nurturing it so diligently!"


    Hearing this, Lin Shihua chuckled and said:


    "Hmm... the Purple Gold Eagle indeed played a significant role for our clan, consider this Yunshang Grass as a reward for it from our family!"


    With that said, he took out a water blue Spirit Grass and handed it to Lin Tianming.


    Yunshang Grass is a Second Order High Grade Spiritual Medicine Material with a stabilizing effect on the injuries of Demonic Beasts; though it is of little use to a cultivator, for a Demonic Beast, it is an excellent healing medicine.


    Upon seeing the Yunshang Grass, Lin Tianming''s expression was one of delighted surprise; with this grass, the Purple Gold Eagle could recover from its injuries quickly and stabilize its newly advanced rank.


    "Then, I shall thank the family on behalf of the Purple Gold Eagle!" Lin Tianming said, cupping his fist in gratitude.


    "Oh, and Tianming, in a month''s time, the Purple Gold Eagle''s injuries should be mostly healed. At that time, you''ll represent the family on a trip to escort Tian Qin and the others to Qianchuan Market and collect the past year''s Spirit Stone earnings from Luoyun Pavilion to bring back with your brother Tianfeng and the others!"


    Hearing Lin Shihua''s instructions, Lin Tianming nodded and agreed to the task.


    With the Purple Gold Eagle''s breakthrough, its flying speed was certain to increase significantly. The Tiangang Sword Qi Third Sword had also been cultivated to the Minor Achievement Realm. Presently having no pressing matters, Lin Tianming found it convenient to make the trip for the family, as coming and going would not take more than a month.


    Seeing Lin Tianming agree promptly, Lin Shilu chuckled and said:


    "Tianming, hand over your Green Scale Shield to me. It was hastily repaired during our last venture into the secret realm. Since you''re going to Qianchuan Market, I''ll take the time to fully repair it for you. In case any mishap occurs, it will provide you with some safety."


    The Green Scale Shield had proved quite useful during their venture into the secret realm. After several major battles, it had only been simply repaired once. However, it could currently exhibit only about eighty percent of its defensive power. With Lin Shilu''s repairs, this trip would surely be safer.


    Thinking of all this, Lin Tianming was overjoyed and began to express his thanks graciously.


    "I thank you, Fifteenth Grandfather."


    Afterward, he slapped his storage bag and hurriedly handed the Green Scale Shield to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu accepted the shield. The two did not stay long and, after a few more words of instruction, left the valley with the patrolling clan members.


    As he watched them leave, Lin Tianming held the Yunshang Grass in hand and instructed:


    "Xiao Diao, this Yunshang Grass can help stabilize your realm and injuries quickly. Take this medicine, and after one month''s time, we''ll be heading to Qianchuan Market again."


    The Purple Gold Eagle looked at the blue Yunshang Grass with an almost instinctive longing, and as soon as Lin Tianming tossed it, the eagle swallowed it immediately.


    After swallowing the Yunshang Grass, the Purple Gold Eagle gave an excited cry and, with a flap of its massive wings, easily stirred up a whirlwind in the valley.


    "This silly bird..."


    Watching the excited Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming lightly scolded with a laugh and then gave a few more instructions before leaving the valley.


    Having returned to his own cave dwelling, Lin Tianming once again entered the secret chamber. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire


    Sitting cross-legged, he took out many jade bottles from his storage bag, all filled with Monster Beast Souls obtained from the venture into the secret realm, tallying up to well over a hundred.


    Most of these Monster Beast Souls were those of Tianluan Turtles, some of which he had slain together with Lin Shilu. Though fewer in number, they were basically all Second Order Demonic Beasts.


    Among the souls taken from the Tianluan Turtle group, the Second Order ones were few, numbering only about twenty; the rest were First Order.


    Otherwise, amid such chaos, the stronger Monster Beast Souls would have already been targeted by other cultivators. He saw no need to fight over such little things.


    Besides, among these hundred-plus Monster Beast Souls, the most powerful were those of the Green-Spotted Poison Python, which were also the rare Second Order Late-Stage Monster Beast Souls. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at the multitude of glowing orbs, within which were fierce and translucent shadows, Lin Tianming''s expression was joyful as he took out the Thousand Beast Banner, preparing to seal all the Monster Beast Souls inside to further enhance the artifact''s power.


    He tossed the Thousand Beast Banner into the air, sprayed a mouthful of essence blood onto the Five Rod Flag, and then pinched a spell, sending strands of Spiritual Light blasting onto the flags.


    In an instant, the Five Rod Flags shone brightly and started to revolve around him at an incredibly fast speed.


    Without pause, Lin Tianming continued to throw Monster Beast Souls at the spinning Thousand Beast Banner and frequently issued sealing inscriptions with his hands, merging them onto the banner.


    The Thousand Beast Banner seemed quite spirited, joyfully swallowing the Monster Beast Souls and merging them into the vast pool of souls.


    Wearing a pleased smile, Lin Tianming once again took out a Monster Beast Soul from a jade bottle and skillfully sealed it within the Thousand Beast Banner.


    After more than ten days, the hundred-plus Monster Beast Souls had all been sealed.


    At this point, the Thousand Beast Banner radiated layers of Spiritual Light, looking as though its power and spirituality had once again increased.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming looked at the Five Rod Flags circling around him, displaying special luminescence, and then showed a satisfied expression.

 Chapter 195 Purple Gold Eagle Breakthrough_3

    Before this, the Thousand Beast Banner already contained the souls of several hundred demonic beasts. Although the overall strength of the beast souls was rather weak, the addition of this batch of powerful souls greatly enhanced the power of the banner, which also possessed immense potential for further growth.


    "If this Thousand Beast Banner had tens of thousands of demonic beasts within it, how great would its power be? Maybe it could even advance to the level of a Second Order Superior,"


    Lin Tianming mused to himself, envisioning the day when the number of beast souls in the Thousand Beast Banner would break through ten thousand.


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    After a short while, he collected his thoughts, tidied up the messy cultivation room, and then settled back onto the cushion.


    There were still twenty days left before the trip to Qianchuan Market. By now, he had completed cultivating his Divine Skills, the Purple Gold Eagle had broken through to the Second Order, and the Thousand Beast Banner had been re-cultivated.


    Most of the preparations were done. With nothing else to do, he decided to engage in a brief period of cultivation, waiting for the day of departure to draw near.


    Having made up his mind, he took out a Second Order Lingshen Pill and swallowed it without hesitation.


    As the elixir entered his body, it turned into a furious energy that raced along the pathways of his meridians.


    Soon, the familiar feeling of intense pain arrived. His face grew pale, and large beads of sweat dripped onto the bluestone floor.


    "This damned cultivation technique is practically torture!"


    Lin Tianming cursed internally, but he quickly regained his composure.


    After all, when he had decided to cultivate this technique, it had been made clear to him, and it was his own choice. With the great strength it provided, enduring such inhuman pain seemed worth it. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He gritted his teeth against the pain until his body was nearly numb, then quickly took out a Dragon Bone Pill from his storage bag and swallowed it.


    As soon as the Dragon Bone Pill was consumed, he began to refine the energy contained within the elixir.


    Not long after, as the medicinal power of the Dragon Bone Pill spread, the pain in his body began to ease, returning to normal shortly after.


    Lin Tianming let out a long sigh of relief, then concentrated on refining the energy and strengthening his physique.


    The twenty days passed in the blink of an eye.


    On this day, Lin Tianming left his dwelling and came to the valley where the cave of the Purple Gold Eagle was located.


    As soon as he appeared, before he could call out, the Purple Gold Eagle had already flown out of the cave and was heading towards him, clearly having sensed his arrival.


    Looking at the Purple Gold Eagle now, its feathers were even brighter than before. Previously, only a small patch on its head had golden-yellow feathers, but now its entire head was covered with them, giving it a rather majestic appearance.


    Moreover, the current aura of the Purple Gold Eagle was quite formidable, giving him the impression that it was no weaker than those demonic beasts that had been in the Second Order for a long time.


    Lin Tianming smiled and, after forming a spell with his hands, shot a fireball towards the Purple Gold Eagle.


    The sudden appearance of the massive fireball, filled with terrifying heat and explosive power, would have turned the large Purple Gold Eagle into a roasted bird if hit directly.


    The Purple Gold Eagle showed no panic. It flapped its huge wings, retreating a bit, and spat out successive large fireballs that collided with the fireball Lin Tianming had fired.


    "Boom boom boom..."


    The two fireballs collided in the sky, instantly exploding into a sea of fire that rained down, burning all the trees on the hillside to ashes.


    For a time, the entire hill became barren.


    The excited Purple Gold Eagle let out a triumphant cry, evidently seeking praise for showcasing its strength.


    However, before it could delight in its achievement, Lin Tianming charged over. His skinny fists, seemingly harmless, smashed directly against the Purple Gold Eagle''s body.


    In an instant, the mournful cries of the Purple Gold Eagle echoed as its large body was sent flying, crashing into a small hill and leveling the entire mound in an instant.


    Flapping its wings a couple of times, just as the Purple Gold Eagle was about to rise, Lin Tianming''s teasing voice rang out.


    "Heh heh... You big yellow bird, just after breaking through to the Second Order, let''s see how you handle this!"


    Lin Tianming chuckled and struck the Purple Gold Eagle with his clenched fist.


    Soon, the valley was filled with the bird''s pitiful cries.


    At that moment, several clan members from a nearby patrol heard the huge commotion caused by the exploding fireballs and quickly rushed over to investigate.


    Seeing Lin Tianming beating up the massive Purple Gold Eagle stunned the patrolling clan members, and their admiration for him deepened.


    The watchers stayed where they were, not daring to get close or interrupt.


    One of them, a Sixth Level of Qi Refinement clansman, observing the battered Purple Gold Eagle, said to his companions:


    "Let''s move on. Tian Ming seems to be sparring with the Purple Gold Eagle. With his strength, no accidents are likely to happen."


    "That''s right... We still have our patrol duties. Let''s leave," another clan member replied.


    With that, the five of them engaged in Sword Flight and quickly disappeared into the mountain ranges.


    A tea-time later, the wails in the valley finally ceased.


    By this point, the Purple Gold Eagle''s feathers were disheveled, many on the ground, and its aura had diminished, looking quite sorry for itself.


    Lin Tianming was also panting heavily, with most of his clothes shredded, revealing his bronze-skinned body, and several long wounds on both his arms and chest, clearly inflicted by the claws of the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Just moments ago, in the valley, one man and one bird engaged in fierce combat. Lin Tianming had suppressed his strength to the level of Foundation Establishment, fighting dozens of rounds with the Purple Gold Eagle to test its capabilities.

 Chapter 195 Purple Gold Eagle Breakthrough_4

    Even though he had suppressed his cultivation realm, having battled extensively and being a dual cultivator of body and law, Lin Tianming was bolstered by his strong life force and experience. The Purple Gold Eagle was simply no match and spent most of the time on the receiving end of the attack.


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    However, the Purple Gold Eagle wasn''t weak either. After taking beating after beating, it finally erupted in a rage, unleashing a fierce counterattack that even managed to wound Lin Tianming.


    At this moment, both man and bird stopped fighting and collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air heavily.


    "Not bad, Xiao Diao. To have sparred with me until now and not fallen behind much," Lin Tianming said with a chuckle. He then took out a piece of the Green-Spotted Poison Python''s carcass and tossed it to the Purple Gold Eagle.


    The Purple Gold Eagle quickly stood up, clamped the snake meat in its beak, and gobbled it down without a tremor, soon emitting a satisfied sound.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming smiled knowingly. The attacking talents of flying monster beasts lie not in close combat but in their long-range attack capabilities and rapid flight.


    The Purple Gold Eagle''s innate physique wasn''t bad either. It must have consumed a large amount of elixirs and heavenly treasures, making its body extremely formidable. Its offensive and defensive power were both quite impressive and obviously, it wasn''t any weaker than those monster beasts that specialized in close combat.


    After his assessment, the Purple Gold Eagle could stand toe to toe with him in close combat despite his suppressed cultivation level, and didn''t fall behind much. Given this, the strength of the Purple Gold Eagle was undoubtedly stronger than a cultivator who had just entered the Foundation Establishment stage, and it might not necessarily lose even if it faced a Second Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator alone.


    In this regard, Lin Tianming was extremely satisfied with the growth rate and strength of the Purple Gold Eagle; all the resources he had expended to help it break through were not in vain.


    After a while, Lin Tianming recovered his strength. With a casual wave of his hand, he changed into a clean, green shirt and then rose to walk towards the Purple Gold Eagle.


    The Purple Gold Eagle immediately stood up and rubbed Lin Tianming''s clothes with its beak, sharp enough to cut through iron like mud.


    "Come, take me for a flight around, let''s see how fast you are," Lin Tianming said and leapt onto the Purple Gold Eagle''s back, standing there quietly.


    No sooner had he settled than the Purple Gold Eagle began flapping its gigantic wings and soared into the sky, flying towards the distant mountain range.


    Lin Tianming stood on the Purple Gold Eagle''s back, circling around the vast Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory on its back.


    Feeling the speed of the Purple Gold Eagle as it flew, it was more than three times faster than before its breakthrough.


    Lin Tianming thought to himself that with this speed, he could travel from his family to the Qianchuan Market in five days at full speed, which was beyond reproach.


    At least in the Wei Kingdom, apart from flying artifacts and more powerful flying spiritual birds, there was nothing faster than the Purple Gold Eagle.


    While Second Order Demonic Beasts were perhaps not rare within Foundation Establishing Families in the Wei Kingdom, flying Second Order Demonic Beasts were extremely scarce.


    Besides the Golden Elixir Forces possessing varying numbers of Second Order flying spiritual birds, only a few top-tier Foundation Establishing families owned them.


    Not only did the Lin Family possess a late-phase Second Order Soul-Eating Spider, but they also had an early-phase Second Order Purple Gold Eagle. Additionally, they had as many as eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators with a projected exponential growth in the coming decades.


    From this angle, as long as a Golden Core cultivator emerged within the family, they could ascend to the forefront of the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World.


    With this thought, Lin Tianming felt a surge of excitement, and his blood boiled unconsciously.


    Unknowingly, the Purple Gold Eagle had already soared past the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain with its wings that could blot out the sun, and the winds stirred by its flapping swiftly caught the attention of the tribe members.


    "Look... that''s Tianming and the early Second Order Purple Gold Eagle," an excited Xing Clan member shouted.


    A young tribesman, looking up at Lin Tianming in the sky, exclaimed with an admiring expression, "It''s Sixth Brother; he''s so strong! His own strength is formidable, and he even has a Second Order Purple Gold Eagle as his spiritual pet."


    At the foot of the peak, many tribespeople lifted their heads to gaze at the Purple Gold Eagle and Lin Tianming in the sky, their faces filled with excitement and admiration.


    The crowd stopped in their tracks, looking up at the pair in the sky, and burst into discussions.


    A Fifth Level of Qi Refinement Xing Clan Cultivator looked up at Lin Tianming above him and then spoke to his companion beside him:


    "Tianming has been in the Foundation Establishment stage for about five years now, hasn''t he? With his talent, he should have reached the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment by now," he said.


    Hearing these words, a middle-aged cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement immediately responded, "Xing Ya, you''re really underestimating our clan''s Hidden Dragon. Although none of us know Tian Ming''s exact level of cultivation, judging by his past speed of cultivation, he must be at least at the second layer of Foundation Establishment by now, and there''s even a great chance he''s reached the third layer."


    Upon hearing this, the surrounding clan members gasped in surprise, and soon someone else spoke up.


    "No way? How old is Tian Ming, just over thirty years old, and already so formidable?"


    "Hehe..."


    The cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement furrowed his brows, a smug smile spreading on his face as he spoke:


    "You need to realize that Tian Ming was only twenty-six when he established his foundation. It''s impossible for any of us to break through two layers in five years, but for him, it''s entirely possible."


    Before he had even finished speaking, everyone took a deep breath.


    A youth under twenty from the clan bowed to the speaker and then asked:


    "Uncle, does Sixth Brother really cultivate so quickly? At this rate, if everything goes well, wouldn''t he be able to attempt the Golden Core Stage within a hundred years?"


    These words from the young cultivator aroused the interest of everyone present, and a cultivator at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement also interjected a word.


    "Yes, assuming he''s now at the second layer of Foundation Establishment and has nearly sixty years left, there''s great hope that he''ll reach the Great Perfection Realm of Foundation Establishment," they said.


    At that moment, the cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement gestured with his hand, and everyone ceased their discussions to listen attentively to his words.


    Seeing this, he resolutely said, "In my opinion, under smooth conditions, Tian Ming has at least a 70% chance of reaching the Great Perfection Realm of Foundation Establishment before the age of one hundred, and even breaking through to the Golden Core Stage is highly possible."


    "What?"


    The gaping mouths of several people revealed their shock.


    Seeing this, a clan member at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, excited, then said:


    "The Golden Core Stage? If that day really comes, our clan could restore its former glory and once again become the sixth Golden Elixir Force in the Wei Kingdom."


    At that time, aside from those Xing clan members above the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, everyone was greatly astonished.


    The older clan members had almost all witnessed Lin Tianming''s meteoric rise and had immense confidence in him.


    As for the younger Tian clan members, apart from a few who were about the same age as Lin Tianming, many had never even seen him in person and only heard about the clan''s Hidden Dragon from their elders.


    But today, not only did they witness his true face, but also heard a great deal about his feats from the Xing clan members, making their admiration for him grow even stronger.


    Seeing the worshipful gazes of the Tian clan members, the Xing clan members spoke seriously:


    "You youngsters should take Tian Ming as your example. It''s not realistic to say you''ll surpass him, but as the clan''s foundation grows stronger and the rewards and benefits improve, it''s absolutely possible for you to break through to Foundation Establishment with a bit more diligence."


    "Yes... Back when the clan''s foundations were poor, the same-level rewards barely reached half of what they are now, and with our lack of talent and no resources, we wasted many years," another member added.


    "So, the situation is different now. Even those with average talent, as long as they work hard and with the support of the clan''s resources, have a great chance of breaking through to Foundation Establishment," they continued.


    Hearing these words, the young clan members all bowed in thanks, their expressions becoming resolute.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming had already soared past over their heads, quickly arriving at the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Purple Gold Eagle carried him around the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory for a full quarter of an hour, proving to be much faster than before.


    This speed excited Lin Tianming. He ordered the Purple Gold Eagle to land on the Bluestone Plaza at the peak, hopped off its back, and made his way to his father''s cave dwelling.


    The Purple Gold Eagle, without delay, continued flying toward the rear mountain, quickly disappearing from sight.

 Chapter 196 Leaving_1

    ```


    It wasn''t long before he arrived at his father''s cave mansion courtyard.


    Sitting in the courtyard, his mother and younger sister also came out upon hearing the news, and the three of them sat in the yard, drinking tea and chatting leisurely.


    Lin Tianming lifted his teacup to taste a sip, and then took out two Second Order talismans and five thousand spirit stones from his storage bag, handing them to Lin Tianyue.


    "Tianyue, you will be going to Qianchuan Market to gain experience tomorrow, Take these two Second Order talismans, they will make you a bit safer out there!"


    Seeing the two Second Order talismans in Lin Tianming''s hands, one a Second Order Low Grade Attack Talisman and the other a Second Order Low Grade Defense Talisman, Lin Tianyue''s expression lit up with joy.


    "Brother... I''m already a First Order Superior Grade talisman maker, and I''ve saved up some spirit stones over the years, I''ll take the talismans, but let''s forget about the spirit stones, I still have quite a few!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming didn''t insist. Although five thousand spirit stones did not mean much to him, relying too much on her brother would not be beneficial for Lin Tianyue''s growth.


    Thinking this, he didn''t persist and put the spirit stones away.


    Lin Tianyue took the two Second Order talismans, inspecting them carefully in her hands and showing a look of adoration.


    As a talisman maker herself, she certainly had seen many Second Order talismans, but Second Order Defense Talismans were rare, and it was perfect that Lin Tianming had given her one, which she could study to perhaps enhance her own talisman-making skills.


    Seeing Lin Tianyue''s expression, Lin Tianming felt very gratified.


    Their mother also took out several pieces of Late Stage First Order Demonic Beast skins, and then said meaningfully:


    "Tianyue, this is your first time going to Qianchuan Market, and you''ll be gone for three years. I can''t compare to your brother and don''t have anything nice to give you, but since you''re a talisman maker, take these beast skins for talisman making!"


    After speaking, she handed the pieces of beast skin to Lin Tianyue.


    "Mother, why say such things? Even a single spirit stone is the most precious gift in your daughter''s eyes!"


    Lin Tianyue spoke joyfully, then took the beast skins from her mother''s hands and placed them into her storage bag.


    Afterward, the three of them sat together chatting leisurely, and Lin Tianyue spoke up:


    "Brother, you''ve been in Qianchuan Market for a few years, tell me about the situation there."


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming chuckled. Even if his sister hadn''t asked, he still would have told her ¡ª why else had he come so early that day?


    "Qianchuan Market is one of the two medium-sized markets governed by the Zhenyang Sect of Wei Kingdom, also a renowned existence throughout the entire kingdom, with numerous powerhouses, including Golden Core Cultivators!"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianyue''s expression brightened with excitement and she looked forward to the trip even more.


    Lin Tianming didn''t beat around the bush and continued:


    "Generally speaking, the market is relatively safe, with fighting prohibited inside. There are many Loose Cultivators and countless treasures, and business is extremely prosperous¡ªit really is a paradise for cultivators."


    As he spoke, Lin Tianming seemed to remember something and said excitedly:


    "You''re in luck, in half a month''s time, the ten-year market fair will take place!"


    Hearing about the market fair, Lin Tianyue immediately showed interest. She had attended Luoyun Market''s fair the year before last and witnessed many extraordinary treasures and events, so the thought of a fair was always memorable to her.


    "A market fair? Is it like the one at Luoyun Market?" Lin Tianyue inquired.


    As Lin Tianyue asked this, Lin Tianming frowned slightly and then explained: Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The market fair at Qianchuan Market can''t be compared to Luoyun Market''s; not only are there more participants, but the rank of the treasures appearing is also several levels higher. It''s said that even Golden Elixir Experts might participate!"


    Before he could finish, Lin Tianyue was visibly shocked, clearly overwhelmed by the revelation.


    Lin Tianming continued to speak: "You think that''s all there is? Qianchuan Market is filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. The Foundation Establishment Late-Stage Cultivators are countless, and the number of natural treasures is beyond measure. Every market fair draws cultivators from surrounding areas, and even from the neighboring Huangyang Kingdom. With every fair, the number of people in the market easily surpasses tens of thousands!"


    "A market with tens of thousands of people, that certainly exceeds Luoyun Market!" Lin Tianyue said with emotion upon hearing this.


    "Brother, how is the Lin Family perceived in Wei Kingdom nowadays?"


    "How is the business in Luoyun Pavilion?"


    "Is the competition fierce among the shops inside the market?"


    One question after another rolled off Lin Tianyue''s tongue, rendering Lin Tianming momentarily speechless.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t withhold anything, taking an hour to share all he knew. He detailed the forces in Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World, the background of the market, and the well-known cultivators and shops inside it, explaining all the crucial information once over.


    In doing so, Lin Tianyue was no longer completely ignorant and gained a deeper understanding of her family and the Cultivation World of Wei Kingdom, leaving her better prepared to survive on her own without feeling utterly in the dark.


    Unbeknownst to them, the sky had already darkened.


    At that moment, Lin Shigong walked in, his expression looking rather excited.


    Seeing Lin Shigong enter, the three rose to greet him respectfully.


    Lin Shigong waved his hand and then sat down, and Lin Tianming promptly offered a cup of Spiritual Tea with all due respect.


    Lin Shigong took a sip of the Spiritual Tea and then said to Ren Yuxuan sitting beside him:


    "Yuxuan, go prepare dinner, let''s give Tianyue a proper send-off!"


    "Father, please rest, I''ll go prepare the dinner now!"


    Ren Yuxuan replied respectfully and then headed deeper into the courtyard to prepare dinner for them.


    Watching their mother leave, Lin Tianming chuckled and asked:


    ```

 Chapter 196 Departure_2

    "Grandfather, have you broken through to the second layer of Foundation Establishment?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shigong''s expression slightly changed as he spoke:


    "You rascal, I haven''t leaked a hint of aura, how did you detect it?"


    "Hehe... It might seem to you that you haven''t leaked, but at such a close distance, your grandson naturally has a way to sense it," Lin Tianming said with a smile.


    Seeing this explanation, Lin Shigong furrowed his brows, said nothing more, then took out a defense artifact from his storage bag and handed it to Lin Tianming¡ªit was the Green Scale Shield that Lin Shilu had taken away.


    Lin Tianming took the Green Scale Shield and casually played with it, then revealed a satisfied smile.


    After Lin Shilu''s repairs and the addition of some precious treasures, the Green Scale Shield was now thoroughly repaired, its defensive power even stronger than before it was damaged.


    Seeing this, Lin Shigong also took out two Second Order Talismans and handed them to Lin Tianyue, saying:


    "Tian Yue, you''re going to the market for three years, and your grandfather doesn''t have much to give. Take these two Second Order Talismans and carry them with you!"


    "Thank you, Grandfather!"


    Lin Tianyue quickly thanked him and then took the two talismans from Lin Shigong, revealing an overjoyed smile.


    "Tian Ming, remember to stop for a night when you pass by Golden Horn Mountain tomorrow and take the opportunity to visit your father!"


    "Grandfather, rest assured, I will definitely visit Father!" Lin Tianming said.


    Lin Shigong nodded and started to give long and earnest instructions, no different from when he had set off for Qingfeng Town.


    After speaking for nearly half an hour, the brother and sister kept nodding their heads, occasionally interjecting a few words.


    Seeing that Lin Shigong showed no sign of stopping, Lin Tianming helplessly said, "Grandfather... rest assured, Qianchuan Market is not a desolate wilderness. As long as we don''t leave the market, there won''t be any danger!"


    Seeing Lin Tianming speak up, Lin Tianyue also chimed in.


    "Yes, Grandfather... with Uncle Xing Ping watching over us in the market, and in case of any unresolved major issue, we can still ask Venerable Ye for help, right!"


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    Seeing Lin Tianming and his sister speak to this point, Lin Shigong nodded, his heart somewhat relaxed, and he stopped his relentless talking.


    Then, Lin Tianming changed the subject, chatted leisurely for a while, and then began to have a meal.


    Except for Lin Xingrong, who was stationed at Golden Horn Mountain and had not returned, the family of four ate and chatted, the atmosphere very harmonious.


    After a satisfying meal, the grandfather and grandson left the courtyard of the cave mansion where their mother lived.


    As the two walked along the road, Lin Shigong took out several storage bags and handed them to Lin Tianming, saying:


    "The vast resources from these past years have all been collected by the clan. The Clan Leader asked me to pass them to you to bring to Luoyun Pavilion for Xing Ping."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming took the storage bags and inspected them. They indeed contained a huge amount of resources; by his estimate, they were worth nearly a hundred thousand Spirit Stones.


    Lin Tianming put away the storage bags and then said:


    "Grandfather, this trip coincides with the great assembly period of Qianchuan Market. I shall catch the auction and will need to stay for some days. Adding on the accumulated Spiritual Medicine Materials of Luoyun Pavilion, I have to help with the refinement. After busying with all that, it will take at least a month, but I will return with Tianfeng and the others within two months at most."


    "Hm... Try not to cause trouble and come back early!"


    After Lin Shigong gave his advice, the two went their separate ways, each heading back to their own cave mansion.


    In no time, Lin Tianming was back at his cave mansion. Instead of continuing with his cultivation, he lay straight on his stone bed, ready to rest well for the night.


    Soon, he fell into a deep sleep, snores filling the room.


    The next morning, at the clan''s entrance gate plaza.


    Five clan members were already waiting there, including both men and women. Lin Tianyue and Lin Tianqin were among them.


    Lin Xingqi and Lin Xingyi were also present. As members of the clan selected to go to Qianchuan Market, the pair, being of an older generation and age, were clearly part of a team composed of middle-aged clan members.


    The remaining clan member was Lin Tianhu. In just over a decade, his cultivation had soared, reaching the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement.


    At such a speed, even the well-resourced Lin Tianyue was slower, which was quite inconceivable.


    Apart from Lin Tianhu, who was at the Qi Refining Eighth Level, the other four were at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, making it a team of no weak strength.


    This lineup was in no way inferior to the group of clan members like Lin Tianfeng and the others. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They chatted with each other while waiting for Lin Tianming to arrive.


    After a short while, Lin Tianming arrived on the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, landing before everyone.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming, the group greeted him with formalities.


    Lin Tianming laughed and exchanged greetings with them.


    "Uncles, second sister, and Tianhu, Tian Ming greets you all!"


    Seeing how polite Lin Tianming was, Lin Xingqi and Lin Xingyi did not dare to be casual. They immediately clasped their fists and bowed:


    "Tian Ming, there''s no need for such courtesy. In terms of cultivation, we two cannot compare to you!"


    Tian Ming joked in response, "Uncle speaks jestingly. We are a family, not a sect. The rules of the clan must not be overstepped. Even if Tian Ming were a Golden Core Cultivator, he would still regard himself as a junior in the presence of family elders."


    Hearing this, the expressions of Lin Xingqi and Lin Xingyi eased, and they started chatting casually with Lin Tianming.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Tianming looked around at everyone and then spoke up: "The hour is late. Let''s set out!"


    "Yes!" they replied in unison.


    Although privately they observed seniority, Lin Tianming was courteous, but as the leader and the highest cultivator in the team, even the elders had to obey.

 Chapter 196 Departure_3

    Lin Tianming nodded and led several people towards the Protective Clan Formation, with the Purple Gold Eagle following behind. They quickly arrived at the edge of the Protective Clan Formation.


    Lin Tianming took out the Family Token, cast a Law Decree, and a gap opened in the light screen of the Protective Clan Formation. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    The group leaped through, exiting the Protective Clan Formation.


    Outside the formation, they all jumped onto the back of the massive Purple Gold Eagle. Lin Tianming gave a command, and the eagle immediately soared into the air, flying into the clouds a thousand feet high, before it turned into a black shadow, heading towards Qianchuan Market in the north.


    Seated on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, everyone settled into a lotus position, forming a small circle.


    The speed of the Purple Gold Eagle was incredibly fast, as fierce winds swept past them and the surrounding mountains gradually receded into the distance.


    Lin Tianming looked over the group and then began to talk, sharing basic information about Qianchuan Market and the Cultivation World.


    Everyone listened intently, afraid to miss any information.


    As Lin Tianming spoke, various strange and unusual questions were raised by the others.


    Lin Tianming patiently explained everything, not holding back any answer he knew.


    Soon, thanks to his meticulous explanations, everyone''s understanding of the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World and Qianchuan Market had deepened, and aside from the already knowledgeable Lin Tianyue, the rest had learned a great deal.


    A day later, the Purple Gold Eagle had already appeared above Golden Horn Mountain.


    The clan members responsible for patrolling saw the figure of the Purple Gold Eagle and immediately sent a message to Lin Xingrong, then waited at the mountain gate.


    The Purple Gold Eagle landed at the mountain gate. Everyone jumped down and greeted Lin Xingyou.


    After exchanging pleasantries and discussing some family affairs, Lin Tianming asked,


    "Uncle, has my father finished his secluded cultivation?"


    "Tianming, I''ve already sent a message to your father, and he has replied that he''s on his way here!"


    Before the voice faded, Lin Xingrong''s figure appeared before the group.


    Lin Tianming and his sister Lin Tianyue immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "We greet father!"


    Lin Xingrong chuckled as he saw his children, helped them up, and then greeted the other clan members behind them.


    After chatting casually for a few moments, Lin Xingrong turned to Lin Xingyou and instructed,


    "Let''s rest here for the day. Xingyou, immediately have someone prepare the evening meal. Tonight we''ll take the opportunity to gather."


    Hearing the order, Lin Xingyou nodded.


    "Good! This is a rare chance, I''ll immediately send a message to the clan members who aren''t in seclusion. Tonight, a grand gathering!"


    Then the group headed towards the interior of Golden Horn Mountain, quickly arriving at Lin Xingrong''s Cave Mansion District.


    That evening, over ten clan members who guarded Golden Horn Mountain gathered with the six people from Lin Tianming''s group to toast and enjoy themselves, creating a harmonious atmosphere.


    The discussion covered everything from cultivation exchanges and the Four Arts of Cultivation to the odd tales and gossip of the Cultivation World.


    They also organized a small clan cultivator exchange meeting, as those who usually stayed on Golden Horn Mountain seldom returned to their family, often running out of Spiritual and Elixir Pills.


    As alchemists, Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianyue naturally had a good stock of pills, which they sold on the spot at friendly prices to their clansmen, making everyone very happy.


    As the night fell and the lively banquet ended, Lin Xingyou led everyone away to arrange accommodations for them.


    Naturally, Lin Tianming and his sister stayed overnight in Lin Xingrong''s Cave Mansion.


    In Lin Xingrong''s courtyard, Lin Tianming recounted everything about the Foundation Establishment Pill and the reforms made by the family, which delighted his father immensely.


    Then Lin Tianming produced two bottles of elixirs and handed them to his father, claiming they were from grandfather to be given to him.


    Lin Xingrong didn''t make a fuss, took the two bottles of elixirs, and began to give instructions.


    In the past, Lin Xingrong was reticent with Lin Tianming, but as his son grew increasingly mature and had surpassed him in cultivation, he completely let go of his worries. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianyue, as a woman, had hardly ever left the family during her more than ten years of cultivation, and the furthest she had gone was to Luoyun Market, and that too, under the supervision of family elders.


    Given this, she had virtually no experience in handling matters, which made it hard for him to rest at ease.


    In response to her father''s words of advice, Lin Tianyue confidently assured him that she would be careful.


    Lin Tianming also spoke up to reassure their father, finally putting Lin Xingrong''s mind at ease.


    "Well, if Yue''er is confident, then as a father, I am relieved!"


    "You''ll leave tomorrow, and I won''t see you off. Just be careful, both of you!"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming and Lin Tianyue nodded, bowed to their father, and then each returned to their rooms to rest.


    Once in his room, Lin Tianming immediately fell asleep, preparing to fully rest up for the journey ahead tomorrow.


    Early the next morning.


    It was just getting light, and the morning glow, piercing through the dense morning fog, shone onto the main peak of Golden Horn Mountain. Occasionally some mundane wild beasts would shuttle back and forth in front of the mountain gate.


    In silence, Lin Tianming and his group of six left Golden Horn Mountain, carried by the Purple Gold Eagle as they flew towards Qianchuan Market in the north.


    With the eagle flying at full strength, their speed was incredibly fast. The mountains, with their layers upon layers, whizzed by below, while the Gang Wind in the high altitude tossed their hair about.


    Sitting upright on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming''s Divine Sense covered the surrounding area, capturing every rustle of grass, making him appear as steadfast as a bamboo, unaffected by the roaring Gang Wind.


    The others, however, were struggling. Lin Xingqi and Lin Xingyi momentarily lost focus but quickly stabilized their postures. Being relatively older, they had gone through numerous battles and had plenty of experience, so they adapted quickly to the Purple Gold Eagle''s sudden burst of speed.


    Lin Tianhu might have had the lowest cultivation, but he seemed to have good experience. His Spiritual Power flowed slowly through him, and he quickly stabilized his posture, earning a new level of respect from Lin Tianming.

 Chapter 196 Departure_4

    Lin Tianyue and Lin Tianqin were buffeted by the strong Gang Wind, which made them lose their composure as they had not yet adapted.


    Lin Tianyue steadied herself and said indignantly, "Hmph, that darn Xiao Diao, why wasn''t it this fast yesterday? It suddenly sped up, making this young lady look bad."


    Her words made everyone burst into laughter. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming said, "We weren''t in a hurry to travel quickly yesterday. With its breakthrough to the Second Order, it could easily reach Golden Horn Mountain, so there was no need to fly so fast. Now, we''re headed to Qianchuan Market, and the journey is far. If we flew at the same speed as before, it would delay us a lot of time."


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s explanation, Lin Tianyue nodded helplessly, and then she sat cross-legged on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, stabilizing herself with her spiritual power without speaking.


    Each of them stabilized their own postures as the Purple Gold Eagle accelerated greatly, flying northward over numerous mountains and rivers.


    Time slowly passed by, and several days went by in this manner.


    In a mountain valley on the outskirts of Qianchuan Market, the Purple Gold Eagle descended from the high sky, and Lin Tianming, along with the group, dismounted from its back and gathered together.


    Thanks to the significant increase in the Purple Gold Eagle''s flying speed, just a few days of travel had smoothly brought them to the outskirts of Qianchuan Market.


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    With a clear route and a smooth journey, no mishaps occurred along the way.


    Atop a quiet hill, Lin Tianming looked up at the edge of the sky where the outlines of a city could be faintly seen and said to the others,


    "The city that can be vaguely seen ahead is our destination, Qianchuan Market. Next, we will proceed with Sword Flight. Remember not to cause any trouble and avoid unnecessary problems."


    "Don''t worry, Tian Ming. We all know the rules of the market, we won''t cause any trouble," Lin Xingqi said with a smile.


    Lin Tianming nodded. He had already told them this several times, but he just couldn''t help worrying.


    Seeing that everyone was resolute and their cultivation wasn''t low, and with elders watching over, he said no more and immediately took off into the air, flying towards the entrance of Qianchuan Market.


    Lin Tianyue and the others quickly followed suit, and the six of them shot towards the market entrance.


    As they neared the entrance of the market, there were several cultivators flying by on the road, some in groups, others alone, each hastening on their way.


    Clearly, as the days of the grand market assembly were drawing near, loose cultivators and family-team cultivators alike from the outskirts of Qianchuan Market were all rushing to participate and witness the grandeur of the event.


    Lin Tianming and his group had disguised themselves and were heading towards the market entrance as a team.


    At the entrance, there was already a long line of cultivators waiting to enter the city. When Lin Tianming and his party of six arrived, they immediately attracted a great deal of attention from the other cultivators.


    Their group was too eye-catching. All six members had high cultivation levels, while those in line were all at the Qi Refinement Realm, unable to discern the true cultivation of Lin Tianming''s group.


    But it was certain that they were a family team, presumably comprised of cultivators at least at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. Under such circumstances, many cultivators were secretly guessing the background of this team.


    Lin Tianming, seeing this, paid no mind and led his group straight past the line of cultivators to the Market City Supervisor who was collecting the entrance fee.


    Now that he was quite wealthy, he didn''t intend to make everyone wait in line. By paying some extra Spirit Stones, they could gain priority entry into the city.


    At that moment, he took out several dozen Spirit Stones and handed them to the collecting officer, exchanging a few words with him through a secret transmission.


    The officer, upon seeing the Spirit Stones and after exchanging a few words with Lin Tianming, instantly brightened up with joy and did not hesitate to let them through.


    After Lin Tianming thanked him, he led the group towards the inner sections of the market, appearing among the shops.


    Upon entering the market, the bustling crowds filled the streets; numerous cultivators moved between the various shops, giving the market a very lively atmosphere.


    Lin Tianyue and Lin Tianqin began to look around eagerly, as if they were impatient to experience all that the shops had to offer.


    Lin Tianming laughed softly to himself, as it was their first visit to Qianchuan Market, and such reactions were normal out of curiosity.


    He recalled his first time visiting Qianchuan Market; he had been no different from them.


    With that thought, he said nothing more and looked at Luoyun Pavilion, which was now so close. He decided not to visit any shops at first, but instead to go directly to the Cave Mansion Courtyard they had rented.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming chuckled and said,


    "After several days of travel, everyone must be tired. Let''s first head to the family''s rented Cave Mansion Courtyard in the market. Tomorrow, Tianfeng can take you all to look around. He has many friends in the market and can help you integrate quickly into this place."


    Everyone nodded in agreement and followed Lin Tianming''s steps toward the Cave Mansion Courtyard.

 Chapter 197 Rumors and Gathering_1

    In the market cave dwelling, the figures of Lin Tianming and a few others appeared.


    Upon hearing that several people had arrived at Qianchuan Market, Lin Xingping and many clan members stopped their cultivation one after another, rushing over from their training rooms or Luoyun Pavilion.


    The clan members simply greeted each other before all gathering in the courtyard to chat idly.


    Lin Tianming and a few others of the Tian generation formed a small group, each sharing the various events of the past two years.


    Lin Xingping and his peers of the Tian generation sat together, discussing the recent developments.


    Having not seen each other for a long while, everyone was in a great mood, with Lin Tianfeng laughing throughout, sharing amusing stories from the market and delighting both Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianyue.


    In the midst of casual conversation, Lin Tianming also inquired from Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingping about any news, looking to see if, following their journey to the Secret Realm, there had been any reaction from Qianchuan Market, and if they could gather some useful information.


    Since Lin Tianfeng often mingled in various places within Qianchuan Market and was acquainted with many cultivators of different statuses, his information was certainly well-informed.


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    Seeing that Lin Tianming was so concerned about this, Lin Tianfeng did not dare to withhold anything, divulging all the news he had learned.


    As expected, during the time in the Secret Realm, many powerful Loose Cultivators took part, and some obtained a great deal of treasures and left unscathed, later spreading the news widely, creating a buzz in the Cultivation World that even the Golden Core Forces couldn''t stop.


    There had also been rumors about the Luoyun Mountain Range a while before, which were quickly discovered by the clanspeople in the market and then reported to the family, hence Lin Tianming and the others were aware of this.


    However, it was unknown who had spread these rumors, nor was it possible to discern their truth, but everything remained calm and so eventually, the matter was forgotten.


    According to Lin Tianfeng, after the journey to the Secret Realm, some significant events that took place there were being circulated in the market, causing quite a stir.


    Among the swirling rumors, two major incidents had become the talk of the town, discussed for a long time.


    The first involved the Zhenyang Sect discovering a Star Moon Fruit Tree, spreading the news to gather a large force of cultivators and Loose Cultivators to besiege a Third Order Tianluan Turtle. After the Third Order Tianluan Turtle perished, several Golden Core Forces vied for the Star Moon Fruit Tree and its nine fruits.


    Following a fierce battle, three of the nine Star Moon Fruits vanished without a trace, the remaining six being divided between the Wei Kingdom and the Golden Core Forces of Huangyang Kingdom.


    Qingyun Valley acquired two Star Moon Fruits, whereas the West River Li Family fared the worst, with Li Wenyi perishing under the onslaught of many cultivators; this resulted in the loss of the Li Family Cultivators'' qualification to vie for the Star Moon Fruits.


    The remaining four Golden Core Forces each secured a Star Moon Fruit, whereas the other three Star Moon Fruits and the inner core of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle were said to be obtained by Loose Cultivators who changed their appearance and went to great lengths to hide their identities, hence no one knew who they were.


    At that point, Lin Tianming chuckled, for what they didn''t realize was that one of the Star Moon Fruits had been obtained by the Lin Family.


    What was even less known was the pivotal role he and Lin Shilu played in the entire siege of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle; otherwise, the West River Li Family wouldn''t have met such a dire fate, and Li Wenyi wouldn''t have perished within the Secret Realm.


    As for the precious Star Moon Fruit Tree, after intense contention, it was acquired by the Zhenyang Sect.


    However, the other Golden Core Forces wouldn''t let it go so easily, and high-ranking members, undoubtedly, would negotiate over this object. As for the ultimate outcome, aside from the Golden Core Forces involved, no one else knew.


    The second significant incident was equally unbelievable: Myriad Medicine Valley, in alliance with Huangyang Kingdom''s Liujin Gate and several other Golden Elixir Forces, jointly attacked the lair of a Third Order Wind Xun Beast, acquiring several Yuqiong Fruits.


    The Yuqiong Fruit, also a Spirit Fruit meant to aid Core Formation, wasn''t far behind the Star Moon Fruit in effectiveness, making it one of the treasures of immense value as well.


    However, they did not have the best of luck, as this Wind Xun Beast was remarkably swift and formidable in its attacks.


    Despite their numerical advantage, killing it was no easy feat. Ultimately, the descendants of the Golden Core Forces had to reveal their trump cards, forcing the Wind Xun Beast to abandon its lair''s Yuqiong Fruits. Only after a hard-fought battle did it manage to escape their siege.


    While the cultivators'' goal was achieved, with each Golden Core Force involved acquiring a Yuqiong Fruit, the fierce battle resulted in nearly half their members perishing, with tremendous losses sustained.


    After Lin Tianfeng finished reporting all the news about these matters, the weight on Lin Tianming''s heart was finally lifted.


    Previously he and Lin Shilu, along with a few family higher-ups who were privy to the facts, had been quite worried that their identities would be exposed, attracting the greed of other forces, or even the Golden Core Forces.


    Now it was all good, as it had been over half a year since the incident, and throughout the Wei Kingdom, there had been no talk of any forces or renowned Loose Cultivators being killed. Clearly, the Golden Core Forces were uncertain about the identities of those who obtained the Star Moon Fruits.


    They could not possibly exterminate all Foundation Establishing Families based on baseless speculations; if they really did so, even the Golden Core Forces would become the public enemy of all Loose Cultivators and would have difficulty establishing themselves in the Cultivation World.


    At this point, Lin Tianming heaved a long sigh of relief, then proceeded to tell of his and Lin Shilu''s experiences after leaving the market, including their venture into the Secret Realm.


    Except for the number of Foundation Establishment Pills they crafted from the Star Moon Fruits and White Jade Grass, which was kept secret, he disclosed almost everything else.


    Upon hearing the thrilling tale of the journey to the Secret Realm, aside from Lin Tianyue who was already informed, the other clan members were overwhelmed with shock. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 197 Rumors and Gathering_2

    Upon learning that the clan had liberalized access to Foundation Establishment Pills and greatly reduced the burdens on the clanspeople, the few Qi Refining Stage Clanspeople staying behind in the market let out a long sigh of relief, their hearts swelling with excitement.


    Their cultivation had reached the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement or Great Perfection Realm, and making a move to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage was to be put on the agenda, allowing them to start making early preparations.


    Overwhelmed with excitement, and finally gathering their spirits, Lin Tianfeng chuckled and turned to Lin Tianming to ask,


    "Little Brother Six, it''s been a long time since we saw each other, and how do I feel that you seem to have become stronger again? Have you possibly broken through to the Third Level of Foundation Establishment?"


    "Purely by good fortune, I managed to break through, that''s all."


    Hearing Lin Tianfeng inquire about his cultivation level, Lin Tianming didn''t conceal it, nor did he have anything to hide, and he simply acknowledged the fact.


    When Lin Tianfeng and the others heard Lin Tianming generously admit this, they were incredibly astonished, secretly thinking, "Is this kid even human? His rate of cultivation is just too fast, and the gap between their cultivation levels is growing larger and larger."


    However, none of them displayed their thoughts, merely teasing him a few times, taking it all as a joke.


    Lin Tianming chuckled and inquired, "Big Brother, returning to the clan this time, you should be starting to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage, right?"


    Seeing Lin Tianming ask, Lin Tianfeng''s expression immediately grew solemn as he then said,


    "I have already broken through to the Great Perfection Realm. As long as I have a Foundation Establishment Pill, I would be able to retreat and impact the Foundation Establishment Stage within two years. For this, I have been preparing for a long time. Having been on the cultivation path for over thirty years, I''ve been waiting for this day."


    To this, Lin Tianming had already anticipated.


    While Lin Tianfeng''s talent wasn''t considered outstanding in the clan, it was still quite good, and with his traditionally diligent cultivation practice and frequent participation in the clan''s training, his cultivation was incredibly solid. With the assistance of a Foundation Establishment Pill, the chance of breakthrough would likely not be small.


    Thinking of these things, Lin Tianming said with great confidence, "Big Brother, your cultivation is solid, you''ve participated in many major battles, and your foundation is extremely stable. The probability of breaking through the Foundation Establishment is at least sixty percent, so there''s no need to worry too much."


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s comforting words, Lin Tianfeng''s confidence soared, and his desire to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage grew even more fervent.


    "Haha, then I''ll take the good words of Little Brother Six. With your encouragement, my heart feels much at ease," Lin Tianfeng said with a cupped-fist laugh.


    Lin Tianming nodded and then changed the topic, addressing Lin Tianhong, "Second Brother, with Big Brother working so hard, you must also be close to impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage, right?"


    Seeing Lin Tianming turn to him, Lin Tianhong responded solemnly,


    "I can''t compare to Big Brother. It was only recently that I broke through to Qi Refining Great Perfection. I''m not yet equipped to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage in the short term. I plan to consolidate for two or three years before considering it. After all, we''re still young. Consolidating for a few years will increase the likelihood of a successful breakthrough when the time comes."


    Hearing Lin Tianhong''s sensible plan, Lin Tianming nodded, inwardly giving his approval.


    Then, Lin Tianming began to inquire about the cultivation realms of Lin Xing Li and the others. Lin Xing Li and his peers were overjoyed, each sharing their own circumstances.


    Before they came to Qianchuan Market, they each were at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refinement. After three years of cultivation, Lin Xingyao''s cultivation had also reached the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, even almost touching the edge of the Great Perfection Realm.


    As for Lin Xingsu and Lin Xing Li, they were currently at the Qi Refining Great Perfection Realm and would only need to calmly prepare for two years, appropriately consolidating their cultivation, to have a not low chance of making a successful breakthrough.


    After listening to their perspectives, Lin Tianming felt he understood the situation quite well, and his heart was filled with satisfaction.


    Given the current state, although no new Foundation Establishment Stage members had appeared in the clan in the past few years, a solid foundation had been laid. Lin Xing Li, Lin Xingsu, Lin Xingcheng, and Lin Xingzhi, these four members of the Xing generation, had preliminarily met the conditions to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Beyond that, among the Tian generation of clanspeople, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong were also at the Qi Refining Great Perfection Realm. In the years ahead, Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianyue, among others from the Tian generation, will also successively reach the Qi Refining Great Perfection Realm and begin to emerge as a large group of seeds ready to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Looking at it now, the various policies and reforms that the clan began a decade ago are about to yield a rich reward.


    At this thought, Lin Tianming''s heart was filled with intense excitement, and he couldn''t help but envision a scene where Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the clan filled the sky.


    Unconsciously, the group of clanspeople engaged in a long exchange, each obtaining a great deal of insight. Through introductions from Lin Tianfeng and the others, Lin Tianyue and her peers came to have a deeper understanding of the basic situation of the market.


    The atmosphere at this moment was excellent, Lin Tianming''s mood was buoyant, and a reassuring smile was constantly on his face.


    Watching the lively scene, Lin Tianming said to Lin Tianfeng with a smile,


    "Big brother, these next few days you take Tianqin and the others around the market to get familiar with the situation at Qianchuan Market and Luoyun Pavilion. When the auction starts, you all can participate together. It''s not easy to come upon such a grand meeting that happens only once every ten years. We must not give up this opportunity."


    Before he had finished speaking, the hearty voice of Lin Tianfeng rang out.


    "Sixth brother, rest assured, the grand market meeting is just a few days away. In these days, I will definitely take Tianqin and the others for a good stroll, and I''ll introduce a few female cultivators to them as well."


    "Then, thank you, big brother." Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianyue said excitedly, expressing their thanks.


    Lin Tianming looked around at everyone and nodded toward Lin Xingping before saying,


    "That''s all for today. Everyone is tired from traveling these past few days. Go back and rest."


    After he finished, Lin Tianfeng left with several clanspeople to select their rooms and prepare to rest, leaving Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping behind without departing.


    After everyone had left, Lin Tianming took out several storage bags he had brought from the family and handed them to Lin Xingping, then inquired about the business situation of the Luoyun Pavilion. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Xingping took the storage bags and began to report on the business of Luoyun Pavilion.


    After Lin Xingping''s introduction, Lin Tianming basically understood the overall situation of the Luoyun Pavilion for the past two years.


    The business was similar to what it was when he was there, quite stable over the past two years. However, there had been some improvements lately, entirely due to the influence of the grand market meeting.


    Generally speaking, making a few thousand spirit stones in profit each month was hardly difficult. During the time of the market meeting, that could go up to several tens of thousands of spirit stones in a month, but such opportunities were not many.


    Lin Tianming picked up his tea cup and took a sip of spiritual tea before saying with a smile, Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    "This is already quite good. Business can''t be booming every day; there are always slow and busy seasons. All of this relies on the strategic operation by Uncle."


    Facing Lin Tianming''s compliment, Lin Xingping waved his hand and said, "It''s the foundation you and Fifteenth Uncle laid down, along with everyone''s efforts, that led to the results today. I''m just doing my duty."


    Then, Lin Xingping changed the subject and said,


    "Tianming, many cultivators have come to Luoyun Pavilion these past few days, all of them loose cultivators looking to request alchemy services. Since you were not around, I did not have Xing Li and the others take on this business. What do you think?"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming chuckled and said,


    "Let Uncle Xing Li handle this matter. Now that Tianqin and I have come to Qianchuan Market, along with Tianhong, the three of us can do the alchemy for about a month, and that won''t leave much left over."


    When Lin Tianming spoke up, Lin Xingping was delighted. With Lin Tianming joining in, the matter would be much easier to handle. Attracting those cultivators commissioning alchemy would not only enhance the reputation of Luoyun Pavilion but would also indirectly boost the shop''s business. Plus, it would allow the alchemists to quickly improve their alchemy skills¡ªit was a win-win-win situation.


    Although the alchemists in the family might be a bit tired, the benefits were plenty and well worth expanding the business for.


    Thinking of this, Lin Xingping excitedly said,


    "Good, I will arrange this matter as soon as possible and before you leave, I will hand over the accounts and profits for the last two years of Luoyun Pavilion to take back to the family."


    Lin Tianming nodded in agreement and then invited Lin Xingping to attend the auction together, and they quickly set a date to meet in a few days'' time.


    "Alright, let us call it a day. Tianming, you should rest early, and we will meet again in a few days," said Lin Xingping.


    "Uncle, have a good rest. Tianming takes his leave."


    Lin Tianming cupped his hands towards Lin Xingping, then stood up and walked toward the rooms deeper inside the courtyard.


    Once back in his room, he lay straight down on the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 198 Fake Golden Core Talisman_1

    The next day, Lin Tianming left the Cave Mansion Courtyard and headed towards the market district.


    As the grand gathering at the market drew closer, the streets were bustling with cultivators, and the market''s foot traffic had further increased, noticeably busier than the day before.


    During his expedition to the Secret Realm, his Second Order talismans had all been consumed. Of the few storage bags he had found, he had originally divided three talismans and even given two of those to Lin Tianyue, leaving him with only one Second Order Low Quality Attack Talisman.


    In his storage bag now, apart from Spirit Stones and elixirs, there were hardly any consumable treasures. If he were to encounter a fierce battle, relying solely on his own abilities would require considerable effort.


    Since he had enough Spirit Stones, it was natural to make ample preparations for his own safety.


    Having made up his mind, he headed straight for the Sky Dragon Pavilion without any hesitation.


    Before long, he arrived in front of the Sky Dragon Pavilion.


    As he stepped in, a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator came forward to greet him.


    "Is Daoist Tang in?"


    "If senior is looking for Daoist Tang, please follow me!" the welcoming cultivator replied respectfully and led the way to the second floor, with Lin Tianming following behind.


    The cultivator showed him to a private room, served a pot of Spiritual Tea, and then retreated.


    Lin Tianming had been sitting quietly for a while when a hearty and familiar voice reached his ears.


    "It turns out to be Daoist Chen visiting us, my apologies for the oversight!"


    When Lin Tianming saw Tang Xiuyuan coming over, he quickly got up, clasped his fists in greeting, and then said with a smile,


    "Haha... not at all, I am sitting in this private room being served excellent Spiritual Tea, enjoying such leisure and elegance. How could there be any neglect!"


    Tang Xiuyuan chuckled, invited Lin Tianming to sit down, and after pouring him a cup of Spiritual Tea, said,


    "I''m glad you don''t mind, Daoist Chen. It''s rare to see you today, and we should definitely take the opportunity to meet up and relieve the longing I''ve been feeling!"


    Hearing these insincerely flattering words, Lin Tianming''s hair stood on end, although his expression remained as usual, showing nothing out of the ordinary.


    He took a sip from the teacup and went straight to the point.


    "Here I am. Today I''m looking to purchase some treasures, and I hope Daoist Tang can offer me a good deal!"


    "What do you need, Daoist Chen? I will certainly offer you a favorable price!" asked Tang Xiuyuan. Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    "Either Second Order talismans or other one-time consumable treasures would be fine. I need both Attack Talismans and Defense Talismans, the higher the grade the better!"


    "Besides that, there''s also the Autumn Leaf Grass and Xing Luan Fruit that I asked you to look out for, the more the better!"


    Hearing this, Tang Xiuyuan''s complexion lit up with joy, deducing from Lin Tianming''s tone that a big business deal was coming.


    He suppressed the joy in his heart and said, "Please wait a moment, Daoist Chen. I''ll prepare the Autumn Leaf Grass and Xing Luan Fruit for you, and I''ll bring out a precious treasure that will surely not disappoint!"


    With that, Tang Xiuyuan left the private room.


    Lin Tianming sat and drank his tea, his face full of anticipation.


    Less than the time it takes to drink a pot of tea, Tang Xiuyuan returned to the private room, carrying a storage bag with unknown contents.


    Tang Xiuyuan chuckled and then took out over a dozen stems of Autumn Leaf Grass and eight Xing Luan Fruits, placing them on the stone table in the mountain retreat.


    He then brought out more than twenty Second Order talismans, including several High Quality Attack Talismans; the rest were Medium Quality Talismans, and among them were some Defense Talismans, with even two Second Order Medium Quality Talismans present.


    Looking at the more than twenty Second Order talismans, all of which were rare and valuable, Lin Tianming was very satisfied, but he didn''t show any particular reaction.


    Lin Tianming carefully examined the High Quality Attack Talismans he held in his hand and then asked,


    "What are the prices for these talismans and Spiritual Medicine Materials?"


    Tang Xiuyuan chuckled and then announced the prices, which were almost the same as those from previous purchases.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming nodded. These were higher grade talismans, usually hard to come by, and since they were available, he naturally wanted to purchase some for potential emergencies.


    Having made up his mind, he began to discuss the types and quantities of talismans he wanted.


    "Daoist Tang, I''ll take all these Spirit Grasses. I want three Superior Attack Talismans, three Medium Quality Talismans, and all of the Defense Talismans!" sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s request to buy eleven Second Order talismans in one go, including five Superior Attack Talismans, Tang Xiuyuan was ecstatic.


    It didn''t take long for Tang Xiuyuan to calculate that the eleven Second Order talismans Lin Tianming wanted were worth nearly twenty thousand Spirit Stones, truly a significant transaction.


    Lin Tianming was evidently willing to spend Spirit Stones, clearly intending to diversify his offensive methods as much as possible.


    Lin Tianming toyed with several High Quality Talismans and, remembering Tang Xiuyuan''s previous mention of a precious treasure, asked,


    "Daoist Tang, may I know what the precious treasure you spoke of is?"


    Daoist Tang chuckled, promptly took out a grey talisman from the storage bag, and handed it to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming took the grey talisman and examined it carefully, revealing a pensive expression.


    The grey talisman was surrounded by Spiritual Power, occasionally devouring the faint Spiritual Energy around it. Its surface color was somewhat dull, giving it a peculiar feeling.


    After a moment, he tentatively asked, "Could this be a Golden Core Talisman? Yet it doesn''t quite seem like it."


    Tang Xiuyuan smiled ambiguously, remained silent for a moment, and then answered, "Daoist Chen has a discerning eye indeed. This is indeed a Golden Core Talisman."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming was astonished and was just about to speak when Daoist Tang continued, "However, strictly speaking, this talisman cannot be considered a true Golden Core Talisman, since the attack sealed within it does not reach the level of Golden Elixir Experts. It can only be seen as a semi-finished product, also known as a Fake Golden Core Talisman."

 Chapter 198 Fake Golden Core Talisman_2

    With Tang Xiuyuan''s explanation, Lin Tianming, puzzled, asked, "Daoist Tang, why is this so? Can Golden Core Talismans also have incomplete products?"


    Tang Xiuyuan smiled and then began to narrate the origin of the Golden Core Talisman.


    "This talisman is condensed by a Fake Core Cultivator, whose effects are significantly less than those of a true Golden Core Cultivator, but it''s much more powerful than the attacks of a common Great Perfection Cultivator. Compared to a Second Order Superior Attack Talisman, this one is incomparable."


    "Fake Core Cultivators are those who have failed to break through to the Golden Core Realm. They have condensed a Golden Core but failed to withstand the Threefold Golden Elixir Thunder Tribulation. Nevertheless, the True Essence Spiritual Power inside their bodies has already been formed, maintaining a Fake Elixir Realm. Their strength lies somewhere between that of a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator and a Golden Core Cultivator," he explained.


    "As for this Fake Golden Core Talisman, it is a concentration of the Fake Core Cultivator after they passed on. Although its effects cannot surpass a true Golden Core Talisman, its power should certainly not be underestimated."


    Once Tang Xiuyuan finished speaking, Lin Tianming completely understood the origins of the talisman and then said:


    "Daoist Tang indeed has broad vision. In this light, it''s no wonder you''re willing to part with this talisman. If it were a complete Golden Core Talisman, I''m afraid your pavilion wouldn''t sell it at all."


    "Hehe... That goes without saying. If it were a real Golden Core Talisman, even we, the Sky Dragon Pavilion, or any Golden Elixir Forces, wouldn''t easily part with it," Tang Xiuyuan said with a smile. Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    Lin Tianming nodded, then asked, "So, at what price is this Fake Golden Core Talisman being sold?"


    "Since Daoist Chen has asked, I won''t ask for too much¡ªthirteen thousand Spirit Stones for you," Tang Xiuyuan said.


    "Thirteen thousand Spirit Stones?" Lin Tianming exclaimed in surprise.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s astonished expression, Tang Xiuyuan''s face changed slightly, then he said:


    "This is a Fake Golden Core Talisman, after all, not something that a Second Order Superior Attack Talisman can compare with. At an auction, this item could easily go for more than fifteen thousand Spirit Stones. I''m giving you this low price because I feel a sense of kinship with Daoist Chen."


    Thinking it over carefully, Lin Tianming then felt reassured.


    While the price of this Fake Golden Core Talisman could compare to more than four Second Order Superior Attack Talismans, those talismans could at best injure a Foundation Establishment Late-Stage Cultivator and would struggle to directly kill one. However, even an incomplete Golden Core Talisman could unexpectedly kill a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator.


    With such a comparison, spending thirteen thousand Spirit Stones for such a deadly weapon was certainly not a loss.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming promptly took out thirty-five thousand Spirit Stones and handed them to Tang Xiuyuan, signaling he would buy the Fake Golden Core Talisman along with the Spiritual Medicine Materials and Second Order Talismans.


    Tang Xiuyuan received the hefty amount of Spirit Stones, verified the quantity, and then looked surprised.


    He didn''t expect Lin Tianming to be so decisive and affluent. He wondered whether Lin Tianming was a core disciple of some Golden Elixir Force or a direct heir of a prominent Foundation Establishing Family. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, Lin Tianming did not reveal any information from beginning to end, nor did he expose any cultivation or secrets, leaving Tang Xiuyuan rather helpless.


    Returning to his senses, Tang Xiuyuan handed over the Fake Golden Core Talisman and all other talismans and spiritual medicines to Lin Tianming. The transaction was complete¡ªLin Tianming acquired a large number of talismans, and Tang Xiuyuan sold treasures for a substantial amount of Spirit Stones.


    At this point, Lin Tianming, despite having spent over thirty thousand Spirit Stones, did not feel any pain at the cost.


    He was now exceedingly wealthy, having received fifty thousand Spirit Stones for advancing the White Jade Grass purchase for his family. Before coming to Qianchuan Market, he had collected that sum, and together with several storage bags from the Secret Realm, his personal Spirit Stone tally had increased by more than sixty thousand. In total, he had over a hundred twenty thousand Spirit Stones.


    In addition to that, he had many treasures. The Foundation Establishment Pill Spiritual Medicine Materials stored by his family were, strictly speaking, his personal possessions; he wasn''t short on Spirit Stones for the time being.


    Gathering his thoughts, while chatting casually, Lin Tianming then inquired, "Daoist Tang, does your shop also have any Second Order Alchemy Furnaces for sale? The higher the quality, the better."


    "Second Order Alchemy Furnace?" Tang Xiuyuan pondered.


    After a short while, he replied, "Second Order Pill Furnaces are not easy to find. Even in our Sky Dragon Pavilion, they are rare. We only have two Second Order Inferior Grade Alchemy Furnaces, which I''m afraid might not meet Daoist Chen''s standards."


    At this, Lin Tianming was somewhat disappointed.


    He still relied on the Four Symbols Furnace, a First Order Superior Grade Pill Furnace, for alchemy. It could barely be used to concoct Second Order Inferior Grade Pills, but its pill formation rate and yield were impacted. As his alchemy skills improved, the Four Symbols Furnace no longer met his needs.


    Second Order Pill Furnaces were hard to acquire. A furnace of the same grade was worth at least several times more than a magic artifact of equivalent grade, especially those of Second Order Medium Quality or above, which were even rarer and more precious.


    However, he didn''t think much of Second Order Inferior Grade Pill Furnaces¡ªif he bought one, it would only be a matter of a decade or so before it ceased to satisfy his needs.


    Previously when he concocted Foundation Establishment Pills, he had borrowed his grandfather''s Three Star Furnace; otherwise, the pill formation rate and yield would have been even lower. His grandfather had even suggested that he use the Three Star Furnace himself, an offer he directly declined.


    Under these circumstances, he would need at least a Second Order Medium Quality Pill Furnace to last him a few decades; so that he wouldn''t need to search for a new furnace before entering the Golden Core Stage.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s slightly disappointed expression, Tang Xiuyuan suddenly thought of something and then spoke up:

 Chapter 198 Fake Golden Core Talisman_3

    "Daoist Chen, there''s no need to be disheartened," Lin Tianming said. "To my knowledge, in a few days at the auction, there will be a Second Order Medium Grade Pill Furnace up for bid. You might try your luck there. With your financial resources, it should not be too difficult to secure the item."


    Hearing this news, Lin Tianming''s face lit up with joy. He hadn''t expected Tang Xiuyuan to be privy to such information, much less to share such favorable news with him.


    However, considering the terrifying background of Sky Dragon Pavilion, it wasn''t strange for them to know such information. After all, at the Luoyun Market auction, local powers with some strength generally had access to the list of key auction items before the event, and this unspoken rule was equally applicable to the larger Qianchuan Market.


    Regaining his composure, Lin Tianming cupped his hands and bowed to Tang Xiuyuan, "I thank Daoist Tang. I have reaped much today and won''t stay long. I shall come to visit you at the pavilion another day."


    "Farewell."


    Having expressed his intentions to leave, Tang Xiuyuan also stood up and returned the gesture, cupping his hands and bowing. He then watched Lin Tianming leave the Luoyun Pavilion and disappear into the bustling crowd.


    Upon leaving Sky Dragon Pavilion, Lin Tianming stood on the bluestone-paved street and observed the cultivators coming and going, lost in thought.


    Having frequented the market, he knew that every time there was a gathering, the vending area would be bustling with popularity.


    Even though the peddling cultivators had lower cultivation levels and their treasures weren''t considered remarkable by his current standards, they weren''t entirely useless. With some luck, he could find overlooked treasures, although the chances were slim.


    However, since the auction wouldn''t start for a few days, and he was idle anyway, he thought a quick stroll wouldn''t take much time.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming followed the crowd and headed towards the vending area''s plaza.


    In less than half an hour, he arrived at the vending plaza and stood at its edge.


    Looking out, he saw that the numerous stalls were already crowded with people, and the noisy flow of individuals, mixed with a few shouts from Qi Refining Cultivators, resembled a worldly marketplace.


    He glanced over the vending area and then walked in a particular direction, soon arriving at a cultivator''s stall.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming approach, the sitting cultivator immediately stood up and enthusiastically introduced the herbs and ores laid out in front of him.


    Lin Tianming didn''t speak and scanned the beast skin that displayed various Spiritual Medicine Materials and ores, showing a look of disappointment.


    While the displayed items might be considered decent for Qi Refining Cultivators, they were quite ordinary and even somewhat unnecessary to someone with high standards like himself.


    Nevertheless, out of respect for the eager Qi Refining Cultivator''s enthusiasm, he spent several dozen Spirit Stones and bought a few herbs that he could use.


    After paying the Spirit Stones, he collected the Spiritual Medicine Materials and, under the grateful gaze of the vendor, headed deeper into the vending area.


    In less than half an hour, as he wandered around, he had already covered a large part of the vending area.


    During this time, he bought some Spiritual Medicine Materials and a few pieces of Beast Skin, intending to give the latter to Lin Tianyue for Talisman Making, and keeping the former for his own use.


    Beyond that, he didn''t come across anything exceptional. Common items were not in short supply for him, but he wasn''t surprised. One couldn''t always be lucky, nor could one expect to encounter great finds every time.


    He stood at the edge of the vending area and sighed. Glancing at the scorching sun in the sky, he headed back to his Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    It wasn''t long before he returned to the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Only Lin Xingyao was on duty at the courtyard; Lin Xingping was cultivating, and the other clan members had been taken out by Lin Tianfeng to enjoy themselves. Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire


    After exchanging a few pleasantries with the on-duty Lin Xingyao, he planned to refine a portion of the Spiritual Medicine Materials collected from the Luoyun Market as soon as possible, so that after the auction ended, they could quickly return to the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Resolved, he went straight into the Pill Refining Room.


    Sitting in the Pill Refining Room, he looked at the hundreds of portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials, most of which were First Order, with only a small fraction tailored for Second Order Pills.


    He habitually exercised his cultivation to regulate his breathing and peak his condition. After making a series of preparations, he started with the more challenging types of materials to refine, leaving the simpler ones to Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianhong.


    Before long, the Earth Fire was burning in the Pill Refining Room, and batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials were being broken down and purified.


    With practiced ease, a distinct fragrance of elixirs emerged from the Four Symbols Furnace every few half-days, and pill after pill was thus created.

 Chapter 199 The Lin Familys Name_1

    Several days later, the market auction was held as scheduled.


    At this time, Qianchuan Market was bustling with activity, its foot traffic more than doubling the usual amount.


    On this day, Lin Tianming emerged from seclusion, and together with Lin Xingping, led a mighty procession of clan members out of the cave dwelling, towards the location of the auction.


    Their group was grand in scale, and the subtle aura emanating from Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping caught the attention of many cultivators.


    Some Qi Refining Cultivators who were acquainted with the group greeted Lin Tianfeng and others warmly; Lin Tianfeng responded with equal courtesy, surprising many Loose Cultivators with his grace.


    It wasn''t until they disappeared into the crowd that some unfamiliar Loose Cultivators began to inquire about their origin and background with the surrounding cultivators.


    A cultivator who had just greeted Lin Tianfeng chuckled and then, with a look of surprise, said:


    "Friend, have you been in seclusion for so long or have you not visited Qianchuan Market for over a decade to not have heard the name of the Lin Family from the Luoyun Mountain Range?"


    Upon hearing this, the inquiring cultivator showed an embarrassed expression and then spoke up:


    "I am Feng Meng, I haven''t been to Qianchuan Market in a long time. I''ve been active near Liuyun Market, so I''m out of the loop!"


    "Can it be the same Lin Family from Green Bamboo Mountain that rose like a comet over ten years ago?"


    Before the question was finished, a Qi Refining Cultivator with a reverent look and tone said, "That''s precisely the Lin Family that Daoist Feng mentioned!"


    Hearing this, Feng Meng suddenly realized and remembered how, ten years ago, the Lin Family had quietly risen, uprooting the once-dominant Jin Family and revealing their collective strength.


    Furthermore, the Luoyun Pavilion had gained a considerable reputation in the market over the years, selling treasures that were both fine and inexpensive, and helping cultivators with alchemy, accumulating a vast amount of popularity and goodwill.


    With Lin Tianfeng being adept at networking and having made many cultivator acquaintances over the years, the reputation of the Luoyun Pavilion had spread far and wide, making the Lin Family behind it well-known and further expanding their influence.


    Aside from Feng Meng, other Loose Cultivators who were unaware of the Lin Family''s details also showed expressions of awe and began inquiring about the various deeds of the Lin Family with the cultivators beside them.


    Informed cultivators also took delight in recounting the various deeds and rumors of the Lin Family, further dispersing their influence.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming and his party had long since walked away, utterly unaware of these discussions.


    The group walked along the Bluestone Street. Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianyue chattered incessantly, while Lin Tianfeng patiently introduced the various aspects of the market to the two golden flowers of the family.


    Lin Tianming chatted idly with Lin Xingping, leading the clan members through the crowd towards the auction.


    Soon, they arrived at the square in front of the auction house.


    At that moment, a large number of cultivators were standing in a long queue, orderly handing over Spirit Stones before being allowed passage by the Market City Supervisor.


    Lin Tianming and the others bypassed the line and headed towards the interior.


    Upon reaching the Market City Supervisor, Lin Xingping immediately took out the Luoyun Pavilion''s shop Token and handed it to him.


    Upon seeing the Luoyun Pavilion Token, the Market City Supervisor''s expression changed instantly, and he respectfully said:


    "So it is the Elders from the Lin Family. I am Song Yunzhi, Uncle Li''s junior. He has instructed that if Daoists from the Lin Family come to participate in the auction, they should be allowed to pass directly, and two VIP rooms shall be arranged for the Lin Elders!"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming chuckled, appreciating the gesture from Li Xiuyuan, acknowledging that even though arranging two VIP rooms did not cost much in terms of Spirit Stones, for someone of his stature to extend such a courtesy meant a great deal.


    However, they could not blatantly disregard the rules and cause Li Xiuyuan to be the subject of gossip.


    With that in mind, he quickly took out two hundred Spirit Stones and handed them to Song Yunzhi, then said:


    "Li is too courteous. I accept his kindness on behalf of the Lin Family, but the market''s order must not be broken. These Spirit Stones will reserve two VIP rooms, and the rest is for you, young friend Song, and your fellow disciples, to buy some Spiritual Wine. After the auction is over, I will treat Li to a drink of Spiritual Wine."


    "Haha... In that case, I thank Elder Lin on behalf of my juniors!"


    Song Yunzhi nodded, expressed his thanks with a cupped fist salute, and then respectfully accepted the Spirit Stones, instructing two Qi Refining female cultivators at the Third Level to lead the way.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming laughed heartily and said:


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    "Good... You young friends should often visit the Luoyun Pavilion and share some cultivation insights with our younger generation!"


    "I have already met Daoist Tianfeng and will certainly visit at a later date!" replied Song Yunzhi.


    After the conversation, Lin Tianming nodded and led the clan members, following the Qi Refining female cultivators into the inner part of the auction.


    As they left, the cultivators in line started whispering among themselves, many showing envious expressions.


    In the Cultivation World, this is the display of strength. For those formidable Foundation Establishing Families or long-established cultivators, even those with Golden Core Strength would not ignore them. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While the market has rules, many conveniences are offered to attract those powerful Foundation Establishing Families, and such matters are an open secret.


    In the grand hall on the first floor of the auction, after instructing Lin Tianfeng on a few matters, Lin Tianming alongside Lin Xingping went straight to the second floor and finally entered one of the VIP rooms.


    Both settled into their seats, and the guiding female cultivators respectfully stood by the entrance.

 Chapter 199 The Name of Lin Family_2

    As there was still some time before the auction started, Lin Shilu took out the Spiritual Tea, and the two of them chatted idly while drinking tea.


    At this moment, the main hall of the auction house filled with the sound of a bustling crowd, and the two shifted their gaze toward the noise.


    Looking around, the seats in the public area were already filled with a majority of cultivators; some of them were dressed in odd and unusual clothes, and did not seem to be from Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World.


    Apart from that, the cultivators'' levels of cultivation varied greatly, with some above the Seventh Level of Foundation Establishment, and a few whose aura was chaotic, as if they had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage and had not yet consolidated their cultivation.


    Seeing the variety of attire and exchanging information with other cultivators, Lin Tianming and his companion exchanged smiles, discussing the state of the cultivation world in various countries.


    A quarter of an hour later, as the seats in the auction house were filled, an elder emerged from behind the curtain; it was Xue Chong, who had previously hosted the auction, and he made his way to the central stage while greeting the attendees with folded hands.


    With the elder''s appearance, the noisy atmosphere gradually calmed down, and occasionally, a few cultivators greeted Xue Chong.


    Xue Chong''s expression was serene, and a smile was ever-present on his face. He bowed to the hundred or so cultivators below and the private rooms around before speaking:


    "I, Xue Chong, am honored to host today''s Foundation Establishment Area auction. Many of you are familiar faces, and a lot have attended auctions multiple times. As for the rules, I believe there''s no need to repeat them, as you all know them well!"


    "Hehe... The treasures this time are all rare and unprecedented; many fellow cultivators can hardly wait any longer, so let''s get straight to the point. Let us begin the auction with the first item."


    After he spoke, an elder''s hand revealed a fiery red talisman paper, surrounded by dazzling Spiritual Light, looking quite powerful.


    "One Second Order Medium Quality Defense Talisman for the starting bid of one thousand Spirit Stones, with each bid increment not less than twenty Spirit Stones."


    No sooner had his voice fallen, a few cultivators immediately started bidding, all of them being at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment or below.


    "One thousand and fifty Spirit Stones!"


    "One thousand and eighty Spirit Stones!"


    The first item for auction was a Second Order Medium Quality Defense Talisman; a Medium Grade Defense Talisman was quite valuable and not easy to come by. In the Qianchuan Market, only some large stores had them, and the prices were not low.


    As the opening item of the auction, the prices continued to climb, indicating the significance the auctioneers placed on this sale.


    While Lin Tianming and his partner chatted in their private room, they observed the fiery bidding below. Lin Tianming had plenty of Second Order Talismans on him, and even more so, he had as many as five Defense Talismans, which were enough for a while, so he had no intention of bidding. Lin Xingping, on the other hand, seemed to be considering making a bid.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming chuckled and said to Lin Xingping:


    "Uncle, Medium Quality Defense Talismans are rare, and the power of this talisman seems impressive. It looks like the cultivator who made this talisman is quite skilled. If you like it, don''t let the chance slip by!"


    "That''s true, let''s see how it goes first - if the price is right, I might just make a bid..." Lin Xingping replied.


    Just then, the price of the Second Order Medium Quality Defense Talisman had reached one thousand three hundred and twenty Spirit Stones.


    Such a price had already surpassed the value of a typical Second Order Medium Quality Defense Talisman, and the number of cultivators below still bidding was dwindling, with only two remaining persistent.


    Seeing the two bidders hesitating, Lin Xingping made his first bid.


    "One thousand three hundred and eighty Spirit Stones!"


    With Lin Xingping significantly raising the price, the cultivators who had been bidding seemed to give up on continuing their bids.


    After a few breaths with no further bids, Xue Chong announced the first item sold on the spot.


    Lin Xingping prepared the Spirit Stones, completed the transaction with Xue Chong through a barrier, and both parties obtained the Spirit Stones and the item.


    The first treasure sold for a high price, satisfying Lin Xingping, while Xue Chong continued to preside over the auction.


    "The second treasure, a Second Order Spirit Material Mature Millet Seed Tree, an excellent material for Artifact Refining. The starting bid is three hundred and fifty Spirit Stones, with each bid increment not less than ten Spirit Stones."


    The first item had whipped up enthusiasm, and although the second was somewhat less exciting, there were still many cultivators bidding fiercely.


    "Three hundred and seventy Spirit Stones!"


    ...


    The cultivators below continued their intense bidding, and neither Lin Tianming nor Lin Xingping, who weren''t into Artifact Refining, had any intention of bidding. They drank their Spiritual Tea as mere spectators, thoroughly enjoying themselves. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The second treasure was acquired by a cultivator at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment for five hundred and forty Spirit Stones.


    The heated auction continued and, in the blink of an eye, it was time for the last ten showstopping items.


    After auctioning off hundreds of treasures, nearly all Second Order Spiritual Items, there were plenty of Spiritual Medicine Materials, various Spirit Ore Materials, and numerous Demonic Beast bodies.


    During this period, Lin Tianming spent more than three thousand spirit stones to purchase a few stalks of Spiritual Medicine Materials, all rare and precious varieties.


    Besides, Lin Shilu was busy with his cultivation and had no time to attend the auction; he specifically bid on two fist-sized pieces of Obsidian Iron to prepare for gifting Lin Shilu for Artifact Refining.


    After all, the elder had been very generous to him, going all out to forge the Earth Evil Sword and Tiangang Sword for him, and had repaired his Magic Artifacts many times, not to mention how many cherished treasures he had spent on his behalf.


    Now that such an opportunity had arisen, he naturally wanted to express his gratitude.


    Lin Xingping also made several bids, acquiring some fairly good treasures to further strengthen his power.


    As the auction of ordinary items concluded, everyone''s anticipation grew for the climactic final items.


    After a brief rest, Xue Chong took out a Jade Box again and opened it.


    Inside the Jade Box held by Xue Chong lay a fist-sized Spirit Fruit, the whole fruit appearing translucent and emitting an enticing fragrance.


    It was yet another Flame Fruit; previously, he had successfully bid for one at a high price of two thousand one hundred spirit stones.


    The effect of the Flame Fruit was notable, and he had been longing for it ever since; unexpectedly, another one appeared as the finale of this auction.


    However, only one Flame Fruit could be consumed, and the effect was greatly diminished with repeated use, which was truly a pity.


    As he was momentarily lost in thought, many cultivators in the auction hall had flushed faces, their breathing suddenly quickened.


    The Flame Fruit held little allure for those cultivators who had already consumed it, but more than ninety percent of the cultivators, including Lin Xingping, were drooling over it.


    As expected, as soon as Xue Chong announced the starting bid, more than ten cultivators immediately began a heated competition, and after a dozen rounds of bidding, the price of the Flame Fruit had already risen to more than one thousand six hundred spirit stones and was still climbing.


    At this point, Lin Xingping was resolute, having made up his mind to obtain the fruit, he joined the bidding straight away.


    "One thousand seven hundred twenty spirit stones!"


    He raised the bid by one hundred spirit stones in one go, leading many cultivators to secretly speculate.


    Even so, there were still several cultivators who were not ready to give up easily; after all, the Flame Fruit was quite rare, hardly seen in ordinary times, and it was only during market gatherings that it might appear. Missing this opportunity meant waiting several years.


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    "One thousand six hundred fifty spirit stones!"


    "One thousand seven hundred spirit stones!"


    ...


    The price continued to rise; after several more rounds of bidding, the Flame Fruit''s price had reached over one thousand nine hundred spirit stones and was about to break the two-thousand-mark barrier.


    By then, with such a price, most cultivators had decided to give up on further bidding.


    Lin Xingping seemed hell-bent on winning; as soon as the last bid was called, he was the first to call out his bid, raising the price by dozens of spirit stones each time, suppressing those cultivators who were still hesitant.


    "Two thousand three hundred fifty spirit stones!"


    After three rounds of bidding, once he called out the price, the remaining two competing cultivators did not raise their bids any further.


    As five breaths of time passed with no further bids, Xue Chong bowed toward the VIP room where Lin Tianming was, and then announced the result of the auction.


    Upon hearing Xue Chong''s announcement of the successful bid, Lin Xingping let out a long sigh of relief.


    Surprised and delighted, he quickly took out two thousand three hundred fifty spirit stones and completed the transaction with Xue Chong across the restrictive barrier.


    In the VIP room, Lin Xingping was excited, holding the blood-red Flame Fruit and admiring it lovingly.


    The first finale treasure sold for the high price of two thousand three hundred fifty spirit stones, much to the thrill of all the cultivators present.


    This price was more than two hundred spirit stones higher than when Lin Tianming bid for the Flame Fruit, showing that the same treasure sold for a higher price at large gatherings than at smaller ones.


    However, Lin Xingping didn''t mind in the least¡ªhe was willing to pay more if necessary, as treasures were serendipitous; once missed, who knows how long it would be till the next opportunity.

 Chapter 200 Blueflame Furnace_1

    ```


    The first star item was successfully auctioned, snapped up by Lin Xingping through spirited bidding at a high price, igniting the atmosphere of the auction hall.


    In the center of the auction, Xue Chong looked around at the excited crowd with a satisfied smile, continuing to preside over the proceedings.


    He waved his hand for silence; as the room''s excitement calmed down, he promptly brought out the second star item.


    Looking over, he revealed a silver-white Spirit Ruler in his hand about two-feet long, its surface covered with dense, golden runes, an impressively Second Order Lower Quality Attack Talisman.


    Many cultivators'' eyes lit up with avid spiritual light at the sight of the glittering small ruler.


    Although the attack treasures of Lin Tianming and his companion were numerous and the power of the Spirit Ruler was not weak, they were not keen on wasting Spirit Stones.


    However, many Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivators in the audience, still utilizing First Order Spiritual Tools against their enemies, burst into fierce bidding the moment Xue Chong announced the starting price.


    "Five thousand two hundred Spirit Stones."


    "I bid five thousand four hundred Spirit Stones," shouted a cultivator rising from the crowd.


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    Lin Tianming and his companion sat in the VIP room, observing the intense bidding below as they chatted leisurely over tea, waiting for the dust to settle on this item.


    A teatime later, the small ruler was bought by a Third Level of Foundation Establishment cultivator for four thousand four hundred Spirit Stones.


    With the second star item settled, the third item was taken out by Xue Chong, yet another piece the pair showed no interest in.


    They still had no intention of bidding, quietly waiting for the remaining star auction items.


    Time gradually passed, and soon an hour went by.


    In this period, five star items had been consecutively auctioned off, each fetching a high price.


    At the time of the fifth item, Lin Tianming finally took action, expending over nine thousand Spirit Stones to win a fierce competition for a Third Order Spirit Ore Red Copper Crystal as a filial gift for Lin Shilu.


    Red Copper Crystal is a high-quality material used in Artifact Refining, able to greatly enhance the toughness and power of magical instruments; even some Golden Elixir Experts'' Magical Treasures incorporate this material. Among Third Order Spiritual Ores, it is considered top-notch.


    In the VIP room, Lin Tianming, holding the red stone, imagining the scene where he would present the Black Meteoric Iron and Red Copper Crystal to Lin Shilu, couldn''t help but show an excited expression on his face.


    The auction continued, with Lin Tianming and his companion in the VIP room looking on expectantly.


    Before they knew it, it was nearing the end of the auction. The first eight items featured many rarely seen treasures: Hun Tian Pill, Second Order Medium Quality Offensive Magical Instruments, Three Sessions Spiritual Medicine Materials¡ªeach commanded a high price.


    Now, the atmosphere in the venue was boiling with anticipation, with only the last two star items left to be auctioned.


    The final two star items have always been the most precious, and each time they met with bids that reached astronomical prices.


    All the cultivators in attendance fixed their eyes on Xue Chong, their expressions filled with eager anticipation. Many who did not have the means to participate in the bidding felt just witnessing such a spectacle was worth their while.


    In the center of the auction, Xue Chong chuckled and then placed a little cauldron that was red and blue in color in his palm.


    As soon as the small cauldron appeared, it immediately elicited gasps from the cultivators in attendance, drawing Lin Tianming back to reality from his reverie.


    Gazing at it, the small, palm-sized, red and blue cauldron was extremely delicate, covered with dense runes, and was clearly a Second Order Medium Grade Alchemy Furnace.


    Xue Chong struck it with a Law Decree, and the little cauldron instantly shone with Spiritual Light, then began to enlarge until it was the size of a table before it stopped growing.


    Looking at the exquisite little cauldron, Xue Chong''s expression turned eager as he reluctantly shifted his gaze from it to the cultivators in front and began to introduce the item.


    "This furnace is named the Blueflame Furnace, Second Order Medium Quality, capable of significantly increasing pill-concocting success rates and pill quantities. It''s a rare treasure; fellow daoists who practice Alchemy shouldn''t miss it," explained Xue Chong.


    Even Second Order Medium Quality Magical Instruments were rarely seen, let alone a Second Order Medium Grade Pill Furnace, which was extremely rare. Many well-known Second Order Medium Grade Alchemists, and even High Quality Alchemists, often use Lower Order Alchemy Furnaces.


    And a Second Order Superior Alchemy Furnace is so valuable that it''s almost always a hereditary treasure, almost never auctioned. Amongst the circulating pill furnaces within Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World, a Second Order Medium Grade Pill Furnace was already the best available.


    Furthermore, there were plenty of Alchemists in the Cultivation World, but good Alchemy Furnaces were scarce.


    One could say a Second Order Medium Grade Pill Furnace was in high demand within the entire Wei Kingdom Cultivation World, always sparking fierce competition whenever it became available.


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    "Brother Xue, what''s the starting price? Stop beating around the bush," an impatient cultivator called out, pressing for an answer.


    "Hehe... The Blueflame Furnace will start at thirty-three thousand Spirit Stones, and each bid must be at least one hundred Spirit Stones higher," Xue Chong detailed.


    Before his words fell, numerous bids were already being called from several VIP rooms, heating up the scene instantly. Many cultivators breathed rapidly, ready for an intense bidding war.


    Lin Tianming, equally thrilled, sighed in relief when he saw the Blueflame Furnace featured as the ninth star item. He had been tipped off by Tang Xiuyuan back at the Sky Dragon Pavilion and, now that he had personally witnessed it, began to prepare himself resolutely to win it.


    While he was contemplating, the bidding for the Blueflame Furnace had already gone through several rounds, shooting up to thirty-seven thousand Spirit Stones, with numerous cultivators on stand-by, ready to jump into the fray.


    ```

 Chapter 200 Blueflame Furnace_2

    After several more rounds of bidding, a voice from a VIP room called out a price of 41,000 spirit stones, pushing the atmosphere in the hall to a climax. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside the VIP room, Lin Xingping was so shocked that he could hardly take it anymore. The price of the Blueflame Furnace had already reached the amount required to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill, with more than 10,000 spirit stones to spare, and it was still increasing.


    Seeing the cultivators in these VIP rooms bid so ferociously, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but click his tongue, thinking that these people really didn''t consider spirit stones as anything important.


    But after thinking about it, it wasn''t surprising. A Second Order Low Quality Magic Artifact cost several thousand spirit stones, and a Second Order Medium Quality artifact went for over ten thousand. Considering that pill furnaces have always been rare and precious, and that they are valued several times higher than attack artifacts of the same grade, it was not strange that a Second Order Medium Grade pill furnace would fetch tens of thousands of spirit stones.


    True to expectations, there were still over a dozen VIP rooms persisting in the bidding war, clearly not willing to give up easily.


    Lin Tianming wasn''t planning to just watch the fun unfold. The moment the previous VIP room announced their price, he called out a bid of 46,000 spirit stones.


    Hearing the price from Lin Tianming''s VIP room, which increased by 3,000 spirit stones in one go, many cultivators were immediately stunned.


    At this moment, Lin Xingping was again shocked beyond belief. He had already spent most of his savings on second order talisman paper and Flame Fruits, yet Lin Tianming kept his composure even after calling out more than ten thousand spirit stones.


    "This young man is really too rich!" Lin Xingping thought secretly, but he didn''t say anything. After all, Lin Tianming was always prudent, and since he made a bid, he surely had his reasons.


    Regaining his composure, the whole auction house suddenly fell silent, the faces of cultivators who came to enjoy the show flushed and their breathing quickened.


    In a certain VIP room, two Foundation Establishment cultivators sat side by side. One of them was grim-faced, swearing profusely.


    The other, an old man with a bitter smile, noticing his companion''s restlessness, took the opportunity to advise,


    "Hong Hao, this is an auction, where the highest bidder wins by rule. Besides, every alchemist powerful enough to join this bidding war is overflowing with wealth. Although your cultivation is strong and you are a young Second Order Alchemist, the cultivation world is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. There are many talented individuals out there who surpass you, and you really need to change your arrogant ways. Otherwise, if you clash with someone formidable, you''ll be at a disadvantage."


    Seeing the old man''s advice, the young cultivator''s expression eased slightly, but he still looked rather displeased. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    "I understand, but I''m determined to get this Blueflame Furnace, no matter the price," Wei Honghao said emphatically.


    Thereupon, seeing the young man''s resolve, the old man shook his head helplessly and said nothing more to avoid upsetting him further.


    "47,000 spirit stones!"


    The young cultivator remained unyielding. Although he did not raise the bid by much, adding a thousand spirit stones in one breath was still significant.


    Lin Tianming remained unphased and instantly matched the increased bid with an additional thousand spirit stones of his own.


    As the two of them continued to bid, raising the price by a thousand each time, the Blueflame Furnace''s price had already broken the fifty-thousand threshold, reaching a frightening 54,000 spirit stones.


    By this point, the entire auction had fallen into absolute silence, with only Lin Tianming and the young cultivator still in competition, all eyes fixated on the two VIP rooms.


    Encountering someone so determined to win, Lin Tianming felt a slight irritation but quickly calmed down.


    When it comes to a contest of spirit stones, he was by no means inferior. Although he had spent tens of thousands on Second Order Talismans earlier, he still had seventy to eighty thousand spirit stones on him and was not worried about running out.


    Even though the Blueflame Furnace had sold for an exorbitant price, if he managed to produce just two more Foundation Establishment Pills with it, he would recover the cost.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Tianming remained unwavered and raised the bid once again.


    "55,000 spirit stones!"


    Hearing the price, the young cultivator could not contain himself any longer, crushing the spirit stone he had been toying with into dust.


    "56,000 spirit stones!" the young cultivator called out his bid once more.


    "Hong Hao, just let it go. The cultivator you''re bidding against clearly has far greater wealth than you, and it''s very likely he comes from a Great Sect or one of those top Foundation Establishment families."


    Hearing these words, the young cultivator''s face turned displeased, as if he had lost his rationality. Seizing the lull, he said towards the elder:


    "Fourth Grandpa, if we don''t bid for the Blueflame Furnace, it won''t be easy to find another Second Order Medium Grade Pill Furnace. How many more spirit stones do you have? I want to take one more gamble!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the elder''s expression became grave, and he then earnestly cautioned:


    "I''ve already loaned you more than ten thousand spirit stones, and now I only have two thousand left. We simply don''t have the confidence to engage in a dogfight with them to the end!"


    Upon hearing this, the young cultivator''s expression dimmed. He called out another price, then fixed his gaze in the direction where Lin Tianming was seated.


    "Fifty-nine thousand spirit stones!"


    Lin Tianming declared his bid without hesitation, prepared to increase his offer at any moment.


    However, as soon as he made his bid, the other party did not raise the price any further; it seemed they had given up.


    Within the private room where Wei Honghao was, his face was exceedingly grim. The elder beside him began to advise him.


    After a few words of persuasion, Wei Honghao reluctantly nodded his head. The Wei Family was also one of the Foundation Establishing Families of the Hengyang Mountain Range, and their influence ranked high even throughout the Wei Kingdom; however, the price of the Blueflame Furnace was too steep, his personal supply of spirit stones limited, so he could only abandon the idea of continuing the bidding.


    Xue Chong looked towards the direction of the young cultivator, wearing an expression of anticipation. He truly wished for the other party to keep raising the bid, further driving up the price of the Blueflame Furnace, so that he could receive a more substantial reward.


    However, his hopes were not met.


    A few moments passed, the auction hall remained silent, and no cultivator advanced the bid beyond fifty-nine thousand spirit stones offered by Lin Tianming.


    Xue Chong sighed helplessly, then publicly announced that the ninth auction item, the Blueflame Furnace, was sold for fifty-nine thousand spirit stones.


    Hearing Xue Chong''s resonant voice, Lin Tianming breathed a sigh of relief, then prepared the spirit stones, completing the transaction through the barrier of the private room.


    Not long after, Lin Tianming received the Blueflame Furnace and began to closely inspect it, his expression extremely excited.


    He casually played with it for a while; satisfied with the Alchemy Furnace despite the heavy expenditure of spirit stones, he still felt it was worth it.


    With the transaction of the treasure completed, the suffocating atmosphere in the auction hall was lifted, and a host of cultivators began murmuring amongst themselves. Many were secretly speculating about the identity of the person who had won the bid.


    Unfortunately, with the barrier in place, no one could know their identity information, except for the Zhenyang Sect behind the auction.


    Returning his focus, the auction continued.


    Lin Tianming was also filled with anticipation, reasoning that since the ninth item was a Second Order Medium Grade Pill Furnace, the final auction treasure should be even more precious.


    While he was speculating, Xue Chong had already brought out a water-blue jade box adorned with myriad runes, clearly indicating it was no ordinary object.


    "The final star item, a Gold Fruit, with a starting bid of one hundred thousand spirit stones, and each increment must be no less than two hundred spirit stones!"


    As soon as he finished, the entire hall of cultivators gasped, many completely astounded.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping both breathed heavily, equally shocked.


    The Gold Fruit was a Third Order Spiritual Fruit that matured once every five thousand years, and it was one of the rare items that could increase the chances of advancing to the Golden Core Realm by ten percent. Although just a one in ten chance, it was still the dream treasure of all Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    After all, often times, a ten percent chance is enough to change a person''s fate. If one could step into the Golden Core Realm, their lifespan would greatly increase, propelling them into the ranks of High Order Cultivators and becoming a powerful figure revered by thousands.


    In light of this, no matter how many spirit stones it cost, no one would be stingy with such external possessions.


    Although the Lin Family already had a Star Moon Fruit, they still coveted any treasure that could aid in Core Formation.


    At this moment, the auction hall was deathly silent; needles could be heard dropping, and the atmosphere had fallen into a strange calm.

 Chapter 201 - Belonging_1

    Time passed indiscernibly when Xue Chong, seeing the situation, let out a cough, and only then did he bring the mesmerized cultivators back to their senses.


    Soon, the bidding started like a tempestuous storm, with the price of the Gold Fruit skyrocketing, quickly surpassing 120,000 Spirit Stones.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming and his companion''s faces flushed with health as they sat in the VIP room drinking Spiritual Tea and watching the intense bidding among the cultivators, without any intention to participate.


    Despite their intense desire for it, hearing the fierce bidding, they could only express regret. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    More importantly, this Gold Fruit was a hot potato¡ªeven if they could successfully win the bid, there was no way to safely bring it back to their family.


    At this time, the number of cultivators bidding below gradually lessened, with only a few VIP rooms still participating, each belonging to either the top families of Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World or Loose Cultivators above the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level.


    In one of the VIP rooms, Ye Pinghai sat on a precious wooden armchair, staring at the intense bidding below and showing a pensive expression.


    He had cultivated to the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level and was very close to reaching the Great Perfection Realm, so he needed to prepare in advance for the impact of the Golden Core Stage. He had been preparing for more than ten years, accumulating a significant amount of wealth. He attended the auction today because he had learned of the Gold Fruit''s presence through Li Xiuyuan in advance.


    Not just him, many top Foundation Establishing families and Loose Cultivators from Qianchuan Market, who got wind of it early, aimed precisely for the most precious items like the Blueflame Furnace and this Gold Fruit.


    Although the Gold Fruit could only increase the Core Formation rate by ten percent, in today''s Cultivation World, it was one of the rare Nascent Soul Spiritual Items that even a Golden Core force like Zhenyang Sect could not easily obtain in sufficient quantities.


    As for why a Gold Fruit would appear in this auction, no one knew for sure¡ªit could be to attract popularity for the market, or the item might have come from the hands of a Loose Cultivator.


    Regardless of the reason, his goal was very straightforward. If he gave up the chance to bid for the Gold Fruit now, he would have to wait another ten years until the next grand meeting¡ªmoreover, he might not be successful in the bid, further delaying several years.


    With these thoughts, he firmed his resolve. With the wealth that he had amassed as a Second Order High-Grade Alchemy Master over many hard years, it was worth it to bid for the Gold Fruit.


    After an unknown passage of time, he regained his composure and joined the fierce bidding.


    "146,000 Spirit Stones."


    Ye Pinghai announced his price, increasing it by 3,000 stones in one breath to a staggering almost 150,000, plunging the whole venue into a brief silence again.


    At this point, many cultivators breathed rapidly, not even daring to let out a loud breath.


    The previous bids were mere child''s play¡ªit was only now that the real top forces had joined the battle.


    "147,000 Spirit Stones."


    "149,000 Spirit Stones."


    After more than ten rounds of bidding, the price of the Gold Fruit had reached 163,000 Spirit Stones.


    At this stage, including Ye Pinghai, only three were still bidding, the rest of the bidders having been deterred by the frightening price.


    Both Lin Tianming and his companion were also shocked; the price of over 160,000 Spirit Stones was enough to purchase several Foundation Establishment Pills. Each bid was increased by thousands, and the price was still climbing.


    "This Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World and Qianchuan Market really are places full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; to nonchalantly offer tens of thousands of Spirit Stones without a second thought, it seems our previous assessment on the family''s strength was too optimistic."


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, yet his heart remained undisturbed, after all, the family was on the rise. Given another ten years, the family would reach a new peak and could match the standard of the top Foundation Establishing Families.


    In the VIP room where Ye Pinghai was, he appeared extremely composed, displaying the courage of a sinking ship, and bid 175,000 Spirit Stones, raising the stakes by 6,000 at once.


    A few breaths passed without another bid from any VIP room; the whole scene descended into silence.


    Xue Chong was excited at this point. Seeing that no one else was bidding, he publicly announced the results of the auction.


    Upon hearing the announcement, Ye Pinghai was thrilled, hastily taking out 175,000 Spirit Stones. Through the restrictions of the VIP room, he threw his storage bag out, and it landed firmly in Xue Chong''s hands.


    Xue Chong received the storage bag, used his Divine Sense to count the Spirit Stones and, confirming the correct amount, immediately threw the Jade Box containing the Gold Fruit towards Ye Pinghai''s VIP room.


    Ye Pinghai caught the Jade Box, opened it at once, and looked at the golden fruit inside, containing powerful energy, his expression one of unrestrained excitement.


    Not knowing how much time had passed, atop the auction stage, Xue Chong surveyed the whole venue, then announced the end of the Foundation Establishment Area auction.


    In the public seating area, many Foundation Establishment Cultivators had yet to regain their senses, clearly shocked by the astronomical price of over 170,000 Spirit Stones.


    Only when some cultivators stood up and greeted Xue Chong did they come back to themselves. After exchanging pleasantries with some acquaintances, they orderly left the venue.


    In the VIP room where Lin Tianming was, the two watched the cultivators gradually leaving and were in no rush to leave themselves.


    At this moment, Lin Xingping was extremely excited. Attending the auction had been quite rewarding for them, and they had witnessed such an intense bidding process, making the trip worthwhile. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire


    After the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed, Lin Tianming finally stood up, turned to Lin Xingping, and said, "Uncle, there''s a swap meet next. Do you want to take a look?"


    Hearing this, Lin Xingping nodded, agreeing with the idea.

 Chapter 201 - Belonging_2

    Seeing this, Lin Tianming stood up and walked toward the exit of the VIP room, with Lin Xingping following closely behind.


    Upon leaving the VIP room, the female cultivator standing at the door had not left. Seeing Lin Tianming and his companion emerge, she immediately greeted them.


    Lin Tianming casually took out twenty spirit stones and handed them to the female cultivator, and then he led Lin Xingping further down the corridor. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a short while, they entered a secret chamber where more than ten cultivators were already engaged in casual conversation, some of whom were familiar faces.


    Upon seeing the two men enter, several Foundation Establishment cultivators immediately stood up to welcome them, specifically those they had met at a previous exchange meeting, showing great courtesy.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping did not dare to act arrogantly and immediately performed a fist-and-palm salute in greeting, then started to chat with the familiar cultivators.


    As this was Lin Xingping''s first time attending an exchange meeting and he was unfamiliar with many of the cultivators, the intention today was to introduce him to some so that his future guardianship of the market would be more convenient.


    Seeing Lin Xingping''s unfamiliar face, a cultivator promptly asked, "Lin, it''s been a while since we''ve seen Daoist Lin Shilu. Who might this fellow Daoist be?"


    Lin Tianming let out a chuckle and then earnestly replied,


    "Daoist Meng, my Fifteenth Grandfather is currently in secluded cultivation, and this person beside me is my uncle Lin Xingping. From now on, our Lin Family will have him stationed in the market. I hope fellow Daoists can do us the honor of lending a hand in times of crisis."


    "No problem at all. The name of the Lin Family is well-known to all. I presume there are no fools bold enough to cause trouble," said Meng Zhaosong, the first to compliment.


    The rest of the cultivators were also very polite, echoing the sentiment.


    "Indeed, the Lin Family is thriving like the midday sun, rising swiftly among the many Foundation Establishing families in the Wei Kingdom. Nobody dares to offend them lightly," they said.


    Lin Tianming and his company''s faces flushed with modesty as they continuously waved their hands, displaying great humility.


    While Lin Tianming and the others were chatting leisurely, some previously unacquainted cultivators, seeing the respect shown to Lin Tianming, quickly exchanged whispers with nearby cultivators to inquire about the background of the two.


    After learning that Lin Tianming and his companion were from the recently prominent Lin Family of Luoyun Mountain, some cultivators took the initiative to come over and greet them.


    Lin Tianming was very courteous in response to these kind gestures, engaging in mutual exchange.


    At this moment, Ye Pinghai also entered the secret chamber, seeing that Lin Tianming had already arrived, he greeted him with a smile.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingrong quickly got up and returned the salute with a fist-and-palm salute, then laughed and said,


    "Grandpa Sea, as I expected, how could you possibly miss this rare opportunity for a gathering?"


    Ye Pinghai nodded and replied with a hearty laugh.


    "Of course, this grand market meeting happens only once every ten years. With so many Daoists rarely gathering, it''s only natural for an old man like me to join the fun," he said.


    "That''s right, a rare opportunity indeed. Usually, everyone is busy with their cultivation; such chances are indeed few and far between," agreed the other cultivators.


    Everyone nodded, then took their seats and chatted briefly, waiting for the exchange meeting to begin.


    Soon after, Li Xiuyuan and Song Xun walked into the secret chamber together, accompanied by Tang Xiuyuan. Seeing the three arrive, all the cultivators in the chamber promptly stood up to welcome them.


    After saluting the crowd with a fist-and-palm greeting, the three made their way directly towards Lin Tianming and Ye Pinghai.


    Seeing Tang Xiuyuan attending the exchange meeting and coming with Li Xiuyuan was not a surprise to Lin Tianming. Given his role as the person in charge of Sky Dragon Pavilion in Qianchuan Market and his origin from the top-tier Tang Family of Qingzhou, his status was naturally not to be taken lightly, not even by the Zhenyang Sect.


    When Tang Xiuyuan saw Lin Tianming, he chuckled and took the initiative to greet him.


    "I didn''t expect Daoist Chen to be from the Lin Family. No wonder the first time we met, I had the impression of your extraordinary background."


    Hearing this, Li Xiuyuan, Song Xun, and the other cultivators were taken aback. Li Xiuyuan then asked with a smile, "Daoist Tang, you''re acquainted with young Lin?"


    Lin Tianming nodded and said somewhat awkwardly, "I''ve had the fortune of meeting Daoist Tang a few times before. I had always concealed my true name and background, which has led to some misunderstandings. If I''ve given any offense, I hope Daoist Tang can forgive me."


    "Don''t worry about it, it''s perfectly normal for cultivators to hide their identities from one another. Lin, don''t give it another thought, it''s no big deal to me," Tang Xiuyuan replied with a smile.


    Listening to Tang Xiuyuan and Lin Tianming''s explanation, several cultivators nodded, understanding the reasons behind it.


    They all laughed, dissolving the awkwardness, and after exchanging formalities, they began to chat casually.


    Many cultivators present were unfamiliar faces, and upon hearing the conversation among several people and seeing that renowned cultivators from Qianchuan Market were very polite to Lin Tianming, many noted Lin Tianming and the Lin Family in their minds. In the future, they would naturally be more cautious to avoid provoking these powerful Foundation Establishment families.


    After a short while, as Li Xiuyuan and two others entered, no other cultivators continued to come. Finding that no more were joining, Li Xiuyuan stood up and announced the start of the exchange meeting.


    Once everyone had settled down, he waved one hand and two treasures landed steadily on the stone table in front of the crowd. Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire


    Looking over them, both items were extraordinary: one a Second Order Medium Stage Demon Beast Inner Pill, and the other a Second Order Medium Grade Attack Magical Artifact.


    Admiring the two treasures, Li Xiuyuan smiled and then said, "These two items of mine are but ordinary, so there are no restrictions. As long as I deem the items offered in exchange satisfactory, anything can be traded."


    No sooner had he finished speaking, a cultivator took out a Third Order Spirit Medicine Material and a cultivation-enhancing Spiritual Fruit to trade for his two treasures.


    Next, Song Xun also brought out two treasures, and after some comparison, successfully traded for two items he wanted.


    In a short time, several well-known Foundation Establishment cultivators completed their trades, and Ye Pinghai brought out a Hun Tian Pill and a Second Order Spiritual Fruit, exchanging them for a precious Third Order Spirit Medicine Material.


    What Tang Xiuyuan put forth was also impressive: a Third Order Solid Gold Stone and a Second Order Late-Stage Demon Beast Inner Pill.


    Soon, Song Xun traded for the Solid Gold Stone, and the Second Order Late-Stage Demon Beast Inner Pill was traded to a Loose Cultivator.


    As several renowned cultivators looked at him with anticipation, Lin Tianming felt embarrassed.


    He hadn''t planned on acquiring any particular treasures at the exchange meeting, as aside from Demon Beast Inner Pills and talismans, he didn''t have much suitable for trading.


    Still, with many eyes on him, he took out a Second Order Mid-tier Dragon Eye Beast Inner Pill, as well as an ordinary Third Order Spirit Medicine Material, and placed them on the stone platform in front of him.


    Although these items were not the most precious, they were above average among the treasures and were swiftly traded away by several Loose Cultivators.


    In return, Lin Tianming acquired a Third Order Spiritual Ore and several pieces of Second Order Initial Stage Beast Skin Armor, planning to gift the ore to Lin Shilu and the beast skin to Lin Tianyue.


    As Lin Tianming completed his trades, when it was Lin Xingping''s turn, he decisively stated that he would not participate.


    Lin Tianming had anticipated this. His Foundation Establishment phase was still short, and having spent all his Spirit Stones on Second Order Talismans and the Flame Fruit, he had no high-value treasures that could interest these cultivators.


    It seemed better to abstain than to be the subject of ridicule.


    Seeing Lin Xingping abstaining from trading, the next cultivator moved past him and continued the exchange meeting.


    An hour later, the exchange meeting concluded. Except for Lin Xingping, all the cultivators had traded for items they desired, though a few treasures remained unclaimed.


    In the private room, Li Xiuyuan and the others chatted briefly, then organized a sharing of cultivation experiences, including discussions on the Four Arts of Cultivation.


    As Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping''s cultivation levels were too low, they didn''t show off unnecessarily, instead absorbing the experiences shared by others with patience.


    As dusk approached, the day-long auction and exchange meeting drew to a close.


    Laughter echoed through the large private room with the atmosphere among the cultivators being extremely amiable. Lin Tianming and his companion made a few more acquaintances and gained much experience, sparing them some detours on the cultivation path.


    After half a quarter of an hour, Li Xiuyuan stood up, bowed with cupped hands to the group of cultivators, and then said,


    "Fellow Daoists, this exchange meeting has concluded successfully. As we have all gathered here and each has gained something, I look forward to continuing our interactions next time!"


    As his words ended, some cultivators greeted each other and then stood up to leave.


    Lin Tianming and his companion bid farewell to the other cultivators and also stood up to leave, departing the auction with Ye Pinghai.


    While walking through the streets of the market, Lin Tianming arranged to visit Ye Pinghai another day, who graciously agreed to the invitation.


    Only when the two reached the Cave Mansion District did they part ways, each returning to their own caves.

 Chapter 202 Extensive Alchemy_1

    Having returned to the Cave Mansion, Lin Tianfeng and the other members of the family had already returned in advance.


    Seeing the lively group sitting in the courtyard chatting idly and sharing amusing stories from the auction, Lin Tianming and his companion joined in.


    After exchanging greetings, Lin Tianming inquired about everyone''s gains.


    Lin Tianfeng let out a chuckle and then took out a Second Order Junior Attack Talisman and a crystal clear Spirit Fruit, excitedly discussing the auction process at the Qi Refining Area.


    Lin Tianyue and Lin Tianqin also had fruitful results, each snapping up some good materials for alchemy and talisman making. During the subsequent exchange meeting, they also obtained some elixirs and Spirit Fruits that would enhance their cultivation, reaping a rich harvest indeed.


    The rest of the group had also gained considerably, acquiring various treasures and becoming acquainted with many cultivators from the Sect Families, as well as some highly skilled Loose Cultivators.


    Through these days of understanding and connections made with other cultivators, the new family members were able to integrate more swiftly into the Qianchuan Market.


    As they listened to the accounts, Lin Tianming and his companion nodded, feeling much reassured.


    Lin Tianming then asked about the recent cultivation plans of the family members, in preparation for their return to the Lin Family.


    Upon Lin Tianming''s inquiry, Lin Tianfeng immediately responded, "Sixth Brother, just give your instructions. I don''t have any specific plans for this period. I will cultivate by assimilating the Spirit Fruit I have, and then get Tianhu and the others acquainted with the business at the Luoyun Pavilion."


    Before he finished speaking, Lin Tianhu chimed in, "Yes, Sixth Brother, if you, Second Brother, and Third Sister are going to do alchemy, just give us your direct orders."


    Lin Tianming nodded then began to think about his own arrangements.


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    In the past few days, he had nearly completed making half of the Second Order Pills, and there were still many left, including the accumulation from recent days, plus a lot of materials for First Order Elixirs. Fortunately, with Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianhong, who were both First Order Superior Grade Alchemists, the making of First Order Elixirs could be left to them.


    Beyond that, he had acquired the Blueflame Furnace from the auction. He believed that, once he had bonded with it and started refining elixirs, his speed would increase significantly.


    With these thoughts in mind, he said, "Next, Second Brother and Third Sister will start making First Order Elixir materials accumulated by the Luoyun Pavilion. I will handle the Second Order ones. Uncle Xing Ping will be in closed-door cultivation, and the Pavilion is quite busy right now, so the rest of the family should take turns helping out at the Luoyun Pavilion."


    Hearing the orders, Lin Tianfeng and the others immediately agreed and then stood up to leave, leaving Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping sitting in the courtyard.


    After the departure of the others, Lin Xingping still looked excited. After calming down, he said, "Tianming, you better start your closed-door cultivation to assimilate the Blueflame Furnace as soon as possible. I will also assimilate the Flame Fruit. It should not take many days before I can leave seclusion. I''ll pay attention to the market in the meantime, and I believe nothing unexpected will happen."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming nodded and responded, "Alright, Uncle, go ahead with your cultivation in seclusion. Once I have assimilated the Blueflame Furnace, I''ll also have to refine elixirs for a while. Once we have processed a good amount of the Spiritual Medicine materials accumulated by the Luoyun Pavilion, I will take Tianfeng and the others back to the family."


    After a few more words, the two said farewell with clasped hands and headed towards their respective training rooms.


    Lin Tianming didn''t delay either. He had been eager to get the Blueflame Furnace since the moment he received it. If it were not for the fact that he was still at the auction and didn''t have the conditions to assimilate the pill furnace, he would have wanted to begin immediately.


    Now back in the Cave Mansion Courtyard, he naturally wanted to start assimilating it right away. Thinking this, he immediately entered a training room.


    Sitting cross-legged on a cushion, he took out the blue and red Blueflame Furnace and placed it in front of him. Excitement filled his expression as he looked at the exquisite Blueflame Furnace.


    With this Blueflame Furnace, the Lin Family possessed its third Second Order Pill Furnace, in addition to the Three Star Furnace used by himself and his grandfather, while another Second Order Junior Pill Furnace was in use by Lin Xingyuan.


    Moreover, the Lin Family was making equal strides in alchemy and Artifact Refining. Lin Shilu, as a Second Grade Medium Quality Artifact Refiner, was highly skilled in the Way of Artifact Refining and was regarded as preeminent in the entire Luoyun Mountain Range.


    In the sphere of alchemy, they had Lin Shigong and Lin Xingyuan, both Second Order Junior Alchemists, and with the assistance of the Blueflame Furnace, breaking through to Second Order Medium Quality should not take long. At most five years, or perhaps ten years, they would surely step into the rank of Second Order Medium Quality.


    As for First Order Alchemists, there were many clan members with considerable talent. Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianqin were both First Order Superior Grade. As long as they successfully established their Foundation, becoming Second Order Alchemists should be a natural success.


    At that time, the family''s alchemy domain would have several Second Order Alchemists, and this alchemic strength would be sufficient to step onto a new stage.


    He did not know how much time had passed before he came back to his senses and began to regulate his breath and circulate his cultivation technique.


    Half an hour later, after circulating his Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation and ensuring that his state reached its peak, he formed hand seals and cast spells which transformed into beams of Spiritual Light bombarding the Blueflame Furnace.


    "Humming..."


    The Blueflame Furnace emitted a series of sounds, its surface gleaming brightly, followed by intense vibrations, as it swelled to the size of a table before quietly settling in front of him, motionless.


    On closer inspection, the exquisite patterns and tiny inscriptions on the Pill Furnace were clearly visible, and numerous lifelike depictions of Demonic Beasts emerged, lending the entire Pill Furnace an air of indomitable grandeur.


    Looking at the hard-earned Blueflame Furnace, his expression was one of excitement. He then spat a mouthful of blood essence onto the Blueflame Furnace.


    In an instant, as the blood essence touched the surface of the Pill Furnace, the entire furnace erupted with an invisible aura, creating gusts of wind that stirred the faint Spiritual Energy of the training room. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 202 Alchemy on a Large Scale_2

    ```


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming grew even more excited, thinking to himself, "It seems that the Blueflame Furnace''s grade is unexpectedly high, almost reaching the level of a Second Order Superior artifact."


    Recollecting his mind, at this moment, the surface of the Blueflame Furnace burst with spiritual light and began to spin wildly.


    Lin Tianming brought his palms together and then cast a series of spells onto the pill furnace.


    At the same time, he started to focus his consciousness, controlling his divine sense to penetrate the central system of the Blueflame Furnace. As long as he could imprint his consciousness on it and refine it once more, his great accomplishment would be complete.


    By then, the entire cultivation room was flickering with light, and strange sounds were emerging. Lin Tianming was in the midst of intense refining.


    Time flew by, and several days passed in the blink of an eye.


    In the cultivation room, Lin Tianming looked somewhat weary, but he did not mind it. After casting another spell, he slowly began to wrap up his work.


    Lin Tianming felt the Blueflame Furnace in tune with his mind, as if it were a part of his own body, clearly indicating successful refining.


    At this point, the Blueflame Furnace stopped spinning, silently standing on the floor before him.


    Looking at it, the previously unclaimed Blueflame Furnace, though lively in appearance, had a somewhat dim luster. But now, after his refinement, it looked more spirited, with a bright surface sheen and occasional flashes of demonic beast phantoms that seemed to have come back to life.


    Looking at the successfully refined Blueflame Furnace, Lin Tianming waved his hand, and the Blueflame Furnace instantly shrank dramatically, turning back to palm-size, and he caught it in his hand.


    He infused it with spiritual power, the entire Blueflame Furnace glowed brilliantly and swelled rapidly before starting to spin alongside him.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming was thrilled, and he took the Blueflame Furnace back into his hands for a close inspection, appearing to be utterly lovestruck by it.


    After several days of refining, he finally succeeded in claiming and refining the Blueflame Furnace.


    Inside the cultivation room, Lin Tianming took a deep breath and then began to meditate with closed eyes, waiting to return to peak condition. Then he would start alchemy to test the effect of the Blueflame Furnace.


    Half a day later, once his condition had fully recovered, he went to the pill refining room. After sitting on the cushion, he took out some Second Order Lingshen Pill spiritual medicine materials, ready to begin alchemy.


    With preparations complete, he performed a Grand Circulation, and then cast a spell onto the Earth Fire vent.


    When the Earth Fire erupted, a wave of heat spread, and the temperature in the pill refining room began to rise gradually, the high temperatures created by the flowing heat waves causing his robe to billow.


    Then, unhurriedly, he took out the Blueflame Furnace and cast a spell onto it, making it rapidly inflate before it was suspended in the air above the Earth Fire.


    Once the temperature inside the Blueflame Furnace reached the required threshold for alchemy, he immediately threw in a piece of spiritual medicine material into the furnace.


    "Sizzle sizzle sizzle."


    The spiritual medicine materials entered the Blueflame Furnace and were quickly refined by the high heat, emitting a faintly special fragrance.


    He ignored this and began the most basic process of decomposition and purification, turning each piece of spiritual medicine material into essence that collected at the bottom of the furnace.


    Soon, after more than an hour of intense decomposition and purification, the pieces of spiritual medicine material were completely broken down.


    At the bottom of the Blueflame Furnace, a multicolored mass of elixir essence lay within.


    Lin Tianming wiped the sweat from his forehead, gazing at the essence of the spiritual medicine, showing a satisfied expression.


    With the Blueflame Furnace, his impression was that this pill furnace was better than his grandfather''s Three Star Furnace; it was more intuitive to use, the efficiency of the decomposition and purification was improved by more than thirty percent, and the resulting elixir essence was purer.


    This significant change was a great help and enhancement to his alchemy.


    At this thought, he was extremely excited and prepared to complete the final steps of Infusion of Spirit and Solidifying Pill to see the results of this batch of pills.


    He took a deep breath and with a single-handed seal, cast another spell onto the Earth Fire vent.


    With a soft sound, the bright red Earth Fire burst forth, directly heating the bottom of the Blueflame Furnace.


    At that moment, the temperature inside the Blueflame Furnace skyrocketed within a very short time.


    Seeing that the temperature was about right, he struck the Three Star Furnace with his palm, and immediately, a blast of spiritual power surged into the furnace and disappeared.


    Suddenly, Lin Tianming shouted, "Solidify the pill!"


    In an instant, a unique fragrance of elixirs emanated from the furnace, quickly filling the entire pill refining room.


    ```


    Seeing this, he didn''t bother about the beads of sweat on his forehead and hurriedly lifted the lid of the furnace to take a look.


    Inside the furnace, eight dull gray pills were suspended. He immediately took out one and began to carefully examine it in his hand.


    After a short while, Lin Tianming''s face revealed an extremely excited expression.


    This batch of pills had been refined incredibly smoothly. Even though they were just ordinary Second Order Lingshen Pills, which he had refined many times before, the energy contained in the pills refined with the Blueflame Furnace seemed somewhat higher.


    Not only that, the yield was typically six pills, with seven occurring in rare cases, but this first batch yielded eight.


    This made it clear that with the help of the Blueflame Furnace, his yield and the success rate of pill production might have both improved.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt joyful and was very pleased with the Blueflame Furnace''s performance.


    "Each time I can produce one or two more pills, and if they are valuable pills, in one or two instances, I could make back the nearly sixty thousand Spirit Stones spent to buy this Blueflame Furnace. Indeed, it was worth it," Lin Tianming thought to himself. He then collected the pills from the bottom of the furnace, ready to strike while the iron was hot and promptly refine all the materials.


    Determined, he immediately sprang into action.


    In no time, the Pill Refining Room was engulfed in waves of heat. Every half day, bursts of medicinal fragrance spread out.


    The days of frenzied pill refining quietly passed by, and without realizing it, a month had gone by.


    In the Pill Refining Room, Lin Tianming had several hundred Jade Bottles arranged in front of him¡ªall the fruits of his labor over the past month.


    During this month, he spent his days pill refining and his nights in meditation, not wasting a single moment.


    With such hard work, he achieved tremendous gains. All the Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials accumulated by Luoyun Pavilion had been fully refined by him, and he had also managed to refine more than a third of the First Order Spiritual Medicine Materials. He left the rest for Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianqin to refine.


    Since acquiring the Blueflame Furnace, there had been a slight increase in both his pill success rate and yield. After a month of continuous pill refining, he had crafted over a hundred Second Order Pills and just as many First Order Pills. After setting aside those owed to the people who commissioned the pills, he could keep over sixty percent.


    With over two hundred pills, their value had already surpassed twenty thousand Spirit Stones, earning him back nearly half the capital for the Blueflame Furnace.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was exhilarated and in high spirits.


    After tidying up the cluttered Pill Refining Room, he took all the pills and left.


    Shortly after, he arrived at the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Seated in the courtyard, he sent out several messages to gather his family members.


    Before long, except for Lin Xingyao and Lin Tianhu, who were guarding the Luoyun Pavilion, the others had all arrived in haste.


    They exchanged greetings and then sat down to chat leisurely for a while. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming handed over the hundred-plus bottles of pills he had prepared in advance to Lin Xingping and then asked Lin Tianhong about his and the others'' accomplishments over the month.


    Lin Tianhong chuckled and said, "The First Order Spiritual Medicine Materials accumulated by the Luoyun Pavilion have been mostly refined by us. Aside from the portion we owe to those commissioning pills, the two of us have acquired close to a hundred pills. The remaining twenty percent of the materials will be left for Tianqin. I believe it won''t take long for her to finish refining them all!"


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    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming nodded and felt happy for them.


    Although their pill refining was arduous, after a month, not only could they improve their pill production skills, but they also obtained a large number of pills. Nearly a hundred pills were worth close to a thousand Spirit Stones. With more opportunities like this, it would take less than ten years to gather enough Spirit Stones for the Foundation Establishment Pills.


    Regathering his focus, Lin Tianming looked around at everyone and then said, "It''s been over a month since we left the family. The auction has been attended, the Spiritual Medicine Materials have been almost fully refined, and all matters are settled. Tomorrow morning, let us set out to return to the family!"


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s words, everyone was overwhelmingly excited. They had left the family three years ago, and finally, they could return.


    "We''re going home tomorrow!" Lin Tianfeng said excitedly.


    "Everyone should go and rest. We''ll gather tomorrow morning!" Lin Tianming said with a smile.


    Lin Tianfeng and the others nodded, stood up, and left one after another. After a short time, only Lin Tianming and his siblings, along with Lin Xingping, remained in the courtyard.


    Seeing everyone depart, Lin Tianming spoke, "Uncle, I''ve already messaged Old Ye. Let''s set out!"


    "Mm... let''s go!" Lin Xingping nodded in response.


    With that, the three of them left the Cave Mansion Courtyard and headed towards Ye Pinghai''s abode.

 Chapter 203 Guess_1

    In the North District of Qianchuan Market, outside a delicate and quiet residence.


    Lin Tianming and his two companions paused for a moment before a message was sent out, and the residence''s gate swiftly opened automatically. The three stepped in.


    At that time, Ye Pinghai was sitting in the small courtyard, waiting for Lin Tianming''s visit.


    Upon seeing the three enter the courtyard, he politely stood up, greeting Lin Tianming and the others.


    "Tian Ming has met Grandpa Sea," Lin Tianming saluted with folded hands, and Lin Xingping also greeted Ye Pinghai with clasped fists.


    Ye Pinghai waved his hand in a dismissing gesture and then turned to Lin Tianyue, asking, "Heh heh, I am truly delighted by the visit of the three young friends. Is this Elder Shi Gong''s granddaughter?"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianyue nodded and then bowed respectfully, "Tian Yue has seen Elder Ye. I have often heard grandfather and my brother mention the elder. I have been in the market for some days now, and it is only today that I have come to pay respects. I hope elder will not blame the younger generation for any disrespect."


    "It''s no trouble at all. Your grandfather and your elders are very good friends of mine, and the Lin Family has been kind to me, so there''s no need for such politeness. Just call me as Tian Ming does from now on," Ye Pinghai replied.


    "I will follow Grandpa Sea''s instructions," said Lin Tianyue, once again bowing respectfully. Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Hmm." Ye Pinghai nodded and then with a wave of his sleeve, a rather exquisite silver-white small sword and a jade bottle appeared in his hand.


    Ye Pinghai waved the spirit sword in his hand, its nimble blade quickly turning into a series of afterimages, clearly a supreme quality spiritual artifact.


    "This Ice Sword was obtained by me in my early years; among supreme quality spiritual artifacts, it''s considered a fine item. This Jade Ring Pill in the bottle will benefit your cultivation. Consider them a meeting gift from me," Ye Pinghai said.


    Seeing the Ice Sword and Jade Ring Pill, Lin Tianming was excited. The aura from the spiritual artifact suggested it was very close to the standard of a Second Order Magical Artifact, extremely nimble yet possessing formidable piercing power¡ªindeed, it was a rare treasure among spiritual artifacts.


    The Jade Ring Pill was an elixir that improved cultivation, its effects even stronger than the Lingshen Pill. However, spiritual medicine is hard to find, and only a few Golden Elixir Forces had a small reserve of it.


    Both items were exceptional treasures. It was clear to see that Ye Pinghai was very pleased with Lin Tianyue to present such valuable items.


    "Tian Yue, Grandpa Sea is quite generous; you should accept these," Lin Tianming said.


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s reminder, Lin Tianyue, looking delighted, quickly took over the Ice Sword and Jade Ring Pill and thanked Ye Pinghai respectfully.


    Ye Pinghai nodded, very satisfied, and then invited the three to sit down and chat casually.


    After conversing leisurely for a while, Ye Pinghai changed the topic and solemnly asked, "Tian Ming, what is Daoist Shi Kang''s current cultivation level? If nothing unexpected happens, he should be close to reaching the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Realm. Does he have any chance of impacting the Golden Core Stage?"


    These words made Lin Tianming''s heart tighten. The family had always kept the advancement of Shi Kang to the Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment a secret, known only by the most core members.


    Ye Pinghai''s direct inquiry was puzzling, leaving Lin Tianming uncertain of his intentions and what his plans were, yet it was inappropriate to outright reject answering.


    Musing over these thoughts, Lin Tianming said with a wry smile, "The younger generation is not clear about Third Grandfather''s exact cultivation level. At your level, every step forward is extremely difficult. As for the Golden Core Stage, without heaven-defying treasures, it''s an unreachable realm and not something easily achieved."


    Hearing this, Ye Pinghai fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.


    Quickly recovering, he said with a resigned tone, "That''s true, without heaven-defying treasures, the hopes of impacting the Golden Core Stage are slim."


    Lin Tianming nodded in agreement and then said, "Today, I came to visit you, Elder, because I will return to my family tomorrow. My sister and uncle will remain in the market. I earnestly request Grandpa Sea to look after them. If there''s an opportunity in the future, we will invite Grandpa Sea to visit Green Bamboo Mountain."


    After finishing, Ye Pinghai maintained his composure, then firmly added:


    "As long as your family members do not provoke the Golden Core Forces, there won''t be any danger in the market. Even the Golden Core Forces will give this old man some face. Rest assured and go in peace."


    "Moreover, in a few years, perhaps less than five or within ten, I plan to visit Green Bamboo Mountain to meet with your elders and discuss some important matters."


    Hearing that Ye Pinghai intended to visit Green Bamboo Mountain and had significant matters to discuss with his Third Grandfather and others, Lin Tianming couldn''t help but speculate.


    After pondering carefully, given Ye Pinghai''s status and cultivation, Lin Tianming couldn''t fathom what matter would require the Lin Family''s assistance. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Could he be planning to impact the Golden Core Stage?" Lin Tianming thought suddenly, feeling a spark of realization. That was the only possibility; otherwise, he couldn''t see any reason for Ye Pinghai to seek help from the Lin Family.


    Keeping his expression neutral without directly addressing the issue, since no one would lightly disclose such significant matters, Lin Tianming said, "I will then thank Grandpa Sea in advance for his help. Once I have returned to my family, I will surely mention this to Third Grandfather and the others and await Grandpa Sea''s arrival at Green Bamboo Mountain."


    "In no more than five or ten years, I shall surely make the personal visit," Ye Pinghai said excitedly.


    Then, after chatting casually for half an hour and as the evening approached, they got up to say their goodbyes and returned to the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Sitting in the courtyard, Lin Tianming took out the acquired Second Order Demonic Beast skin armors from the exchange and handed them to Lin Tianyue, then instructed her, "These beast skins were specially prepared for you by your brother. I will return to the family tomorrow. Spend the next three years peacefully cultivating in the market. The outside world is too dangerous; never leave on your own. Always follow Uncle Xing Ping''s arrangements and hopefully, when you return to the family after three years, you can directly impact the Foundation Establishment Stage."

 Chapter 203 Guessing_2

    Hearing Lin Tianming''s instructions, Lin Tianyue nodded her head and took the demonic beast skin armor he handed over, saying:


    "Understood, brother. You can rest assured, I will definitely follow the arrangements. Be careful on your journey."


    "Alright, go cultivate. We are leaving tomorrow morning, so we won''t be disturbing you anymore," Lin Tianming said.


    Lin Tianyue nodded her head, then walked towards the depths of the courtyard, disappearing into the night.


    At this moment, Lin Xingping also took out a book and three storage bags, handing them to Lin Tianming and saying, "This is the profit from Luoyun Pavilion for the past two years, totaling over eighty thousand spirit stones, as well as a batch of precious cultivation resources. The details are all recorded in the book. Be careful on the road."


    Lin Tianming accepted the storage bags and the book, his Divine Sense sweeping through them to verify the contents, then spoke, "Uncle, don''t worry. Tianhong is returning to the family with me tomorrow. I believe it won''t be more than a few years before he can attempt to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage. With his talent and age, the chance of success is great, so you need not worry too much."


    "As for Tianyue and the others, and Luoyun Pavilion, I''ll leave them in your care, Uncle. If there is anything you can''t resolve, you can go ask Elder Ye for help."


    "Mm, rest assured. I won''t see you off when you leave the market tomorrow," said Lin Xingping.


    "Alright, Uncle, rest early. I should head back, too."


    With those words, Lin Tianming bowed with clasped hands, then headed to his own room, and both men returned to their rooms.


    That night, Lin Tianming didn''t cultivate but went to bed early, preparing to rest well.


    The next morning, dawn was just breaking.


    Lin Tianfeng and the others were ready to go, sitting in the courtyard waiting for Lin Tianming to come out.


    After a short while, Lin Tianming came out and greeted everyone with a smile, "Everyone looks spirited!"


    Lin Tianfeng laughed and said with an excited expression, "Well, of course! It''s been three years since we''ve been home, and I do miss the days on Green Bamboo Mountain."


    "Since everyone is eager to return home, let''s not delay any longer. Let''s go home!"


    With those words, Lin Tianming took the lead, and Lin Tianfeng and the others followed closely behind.


    Soon, they left the market in a grand procession and arrived in a valley more than ten miles outside the market.


    Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle from its Spirit Beast Bag, and then they all jumped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Feeling the aura of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianfeng couldn''t contain his excitement and blurted out, "It has broken through to Second Order?"


    "Mm... has been for half a year!" Lin Tianming nodded in response. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing Lin Tianming''s affirmative words, the others were visibly excited. With the breakthrough of the Purple Gold Eagle, the family had added another Foundation Establishment combat power, and it was a flying Spiritual Bird at that.


    Seeing the excitement of his companions, Lin Tianming glanced at the map and then issued a command to the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Understanding, the Purple Gold Eagle with everyone on its back soared into the sky, entering the thousand-foot-high clouds and reaching its top speed as it shot towards the south.


    A few days later, Lin Tianming and the others successfully returned to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    After entering the mountain gate, Lin Tianming bade farewell to the others and then hastened to Lin Shikang''s cave abode.


    It wasn''t long before he saw Lin Shikang, and Lin Shihua, having heard the news, hurried over as well.


    The three of them sat in the courtyard chatting over tea. Lin Tianming asked, "Is Fifteenth Grandfather in secluded cultivation?"


    "Hmm..." Lin Shikang nodded and said with a laugh, "After coming out of the Secret Realm, Shi Lu showed signs of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level. With everything going smoothly, it''s time for him to go into seclusion to attempt the breakthrough!"


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming was thrilled. If Lin Shilu broke through to the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, the family would have an additional Foundation Establishment Late-Stage Cultivator, raising the family''s strength to a new level.


    Given this, the family''s two Foundation Establishment Late-Stage Cultivators were stepping into the threshold of the top Foundation Establishing Families of the Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s excitement, Lin Shihua asked about the trip to the market, "Tianming, was the trip to Qianchuan Market smooth?"


    Lin Tianming collected his thoughts and then reported the entire process of the trip to Qianchuan.


    At the same time, Lin Tianming took out several storage bags and handed them to Lin Shihua.


    After listening to the whole process, Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua nodded. Lin Shihua checked the storage bags and then expressed satisfaction.


    "Tianming, you''ve worked hard on this trip. Now you can focus on cultivating in the family, aiming for an early breakthrough to the Foundation Building Fourth Level," Lin Shikang said.


    Lin Tianming nodded, "Third Grandfather, rest assured. Tianming won''t neglect his cultivation!"


    "Hmm, go ahead!" Lin Shikang waved his hand and said.


    Just as Lin Tianming was about to get up, he remembered the words of Ye Pinghai and spoke:


    "Right, Third Grandfather, before I left the Qianchuan Market, I made a special trip with Uncle Xing Ping and Tian Yue to pay a visit to Elder Ye!"


    Hearing this, Lin Shikang nodded, extremely satisfied with how Lin Tianming had handled things. "You did well; he has been of great help to the family over the years, and he indeed deserves a visit!"


    Lin Tianming chuckled and began to talk about what Ye Pinghai had mentioned during the visit.


    "Elder Ye said he would be back to Green Bamboo Mountain in the coming years to visit you and a few other elders, as he has important matters to consult about, though he didn''t mention what it was about!"


    "Ye Pinghai inquired about my cultivation level? He even asked about my confidence in reaching the Golden Core Stage and intends to visit Green Bamboo Mountain?"


    Lin Shikang was somewhat surprised; Ye Pinghai had not visited Green Bamboo Mountain for over thirty years, and with his cultivation level and influence, his sudden visit must have some motive.


    After reflecting for several days, Lin Tianming had an uncertain idea, but he could not confirm it.


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    With these thoughts, he immediately said: "Third Grandfather, didn''t the auction at the market convention feature a Gold Fruit?"


    "In my opinion, with Elder Ye''s cultivation and wealth, I think he must have participated in the auction, and he might even have acquired the Gold Fruit!"


    "As for his reasons for visiting, it''s very likely related to his impacting the Golden Core Stage and perhaps seeking assistance from the Lin Family!"


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Shikang and another person did not speak but started to ponder over the possibility.


    After a short while, Lin Shikang nodded and then said, "This speculation of yours is indeed very plausible!"


    At this time, Lin Shihua also spoke up: "Third brother, impacting the Golden Core Stage, loose cultivators always do so in secret, seeking a quiet and safe place to break through, who would make a big show of it and spread the word around!"


    "Yes, Third Grandfather!" Lin Tianming echoed:


    "Even though Elder Ye has always had a good relationship with our Lin Family, and is even close friends with a few of the elders, the importance of the Golden Core Stage is too great. Would he really disclose this matter to you?"


    As soon as the words fell, Lin Shikang smiled and then shared his own opinion.


    "What Tian Ming said does make some sense, but impacting the Golden Core Stage is extremely tough, especially during the final Threefold Golden Elixir Thunder Tribulation. Many cultivators can condense a Golden Core but fail to successfully pass the tribulation and ultimately perish, leaving only a very small number who survive with the aid of treasures and remain in the Fake Elixir Realm!"


    "It can be said that this Threefold Golden Elixir Thunder Tribulation is the biggest obstacle on the path to the Golden Core!"


    "And as a loose cultivator, Ye Pinghai cannot impact the Golden Core Realm within the market; without a stable and safe place for the breakthrough and no one to protect him, rashly attempting it would be incredibly dangerous."


    "If he comes to the Lin Family for help and borrows some high-quality defensive artifacts, his chances of breaking through the Golden Core Stage will greatly increase!"


    "Considering this, that''s very likely the reason for his visit!"


    Hearing Lin Shikang discuss this matter, Lin Tianming and the other person suddenly saw the light and felt that it was indeed a strong possibility.


    However, Lin Tianming still had some doubts, and he then asked:


    "Third Grandfather, Elder Ye is well-known in the entire Wei Kingdom''s Cultivation World, and many powers owe him favors. If he seeks help from other forces, shouldn''t it be easy?"


    "Yeah... If he seeks help from the Zhenyang Sect, wouldn''t the breakthrough be even more secure?" Lin Shihua said.


    "Zhenyang Sect?"


    Lin Shikang snorted coldly and explained: "You think the Zhenyang Sect would be that benevolent?"


    "Even if they were willing to help, he''d probably have to pay a heavy price, or they might even kick him when he''s down."


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming and the other person nodded, fully agreeing with his statement, knowing the complex inner workings of sects, with various factions and the constant undercurrent of power struggles, it indeed wasn''t a guarantee of safety.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming and the other person had no further questions, Lin Shikang continued:


    "These are all our speculations, after all. If it''s really as suspected, helping him would be to our advantage, but whether it is so or not, we''ll know when he actually visits!"


    "Also, this matter should not be spread around. Only the few of us should know, understand?"


    "Understood!"


    Lin Tianming and the other person nodded in agreement, chatted for a bit longer, and then left Lin Shikang''s cave dwelling together, each returning to their own.

 Chapter 204 Training Once Again_1

    Back to his cave dwelling, Lin Tianming lay on his stone bed, relaxed his tense nerves, and soon fell into a deep sleep.


    The next morning, after a night of rest, Lin Tianming stepped out of his cave dwelling, feeling no trace of fatigue.


    It was early morning, and the warm sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining on his mature face.


    He stretched lazily, his entire body relaxed, and he exuded a vibrant vitality.


    Over the years, bustling about ceaselessly, he was now at ease with all affairs smoothly handled and calm both inside and outside the family; his leisure was incomparably comfortable.


    Looking around at some of the empty courtyards, perhaps in a few years, the Tian-generation family members would successively break through to Foundation Establishment, bringing new occupants here and enlivening the area.


    He strolled through the courtyard, idly wandering while contemplating his next plans.


    With no clan tasks for the short term and no worries about resources for cultivation, he could finally devote himself to uninterrupted cultivation for a few years.


    Unconsciously, he arrived at his mother''s cave dwelling. His sister had gone to Qianchuan Market, and these past few years his mother had peacefully secluded herself, preparing to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    After a brief reunion, Lin Tianming left behind some top-quality elixirs and then departed.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming paid a visit to his grandfather. The grandfather and grandson sat sipping tea and chatting in the small courtyard.


    Lin Shigong lifted his teacup and took a sip, then asked, "Tianming, now that you''re quite free, what are your plans for the future?" Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    Lin Tianming thought for a moment; he had originally planned to temper himself in Luoyun Mountain Range but had his schedule disrupted by the trip to Qianchuan Market.


    Now with ample time, he could perhaps lead family members who were above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining to the Luoyun Mountain Range for experience, meanwhile consolidating their cultivation and honing their divine skills.


    Having thought this through, Lin Tianming shared his thoughts, quickly gaining Lin Shigong''s approval and encouragement.


    Lin Tianming was not surprised by this, as experience was beneficial for both the family and himself; it could not only enhance combat experience but also consolidate cultivation. And with some luck, it could yield heaven-sent treasures, accumulating wealth.


    More importantly, it could strengthen the faith of family members on the cultivation path, helping them to understand the purpose of cultivation¡ªtruly a case of killing several birds with one stone.


    At that moment, Lin Shigong looked at his grandson with a satisfied expression.


    He was very proud and comforted by his grandson, whose cultivation advanced rapidly, who always considered the clan in every regard, who was indifferent to personal gain or loss, and who had become increasingly mature and stable with age, displaying a character and temperament beyond reproach.


    "Tianming, experience is a good thing, but you must be careful. Go and discuss the matter with your Twelfth Grandpa. I believe he will also support this initiative,"


    Upon hearing his grandfather''s words, Lin Tianming immediately stood up to take his leave and headed towards the Elders'' Council Hall.


    In no time, he met with Clan Leader Lin Shihua.


    The two sat in the Elders'' Council Hall, and Lin Tianming proposed the idea of the venture, then awaited the Clan Leader''s directives.


    Lin Shihua chuckled and said, "That''s a good thing. The clan''s ventures have never ceased over the years, but none with Foundation Establishment Cultivators, only those above the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement attending in groups; their strength is limited, and they have not ventured deep into Luoyun Mountain Range."


    In the past, the clan''s expeditions were almost always on the fringes of the internal regions. After years of hunting, the outer demonic beasts were reduced to one-tenth of their original number, making it relatively safe as long as one remains cautious of the Second Order Demonic Beasts inside.


    "Since you are willing to lead the venture, you can advance toward Golden Horn Mountain. With your strength, there is no difficulty in clearing out the Second Order Initial Stage beasts around the periphery, and even a singular Second Order Middle Stage beast is unlikely to match you," S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing what the Clan Leader said, Lin Tianming nodded. Now, with his Third Level of Foundation Establishment and being a Dual Cultivator of Body and Law, ordinary Second Order Initial Stage demonic beasts were no match for him; even if he faced a Second Order Middle Stage beast, he could retreat intact.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s confident expression, Lin Shihua continued;


    "Pushing toward the direction of Golden Horn Mountain has many benefits. After sweeping through those demonic beasts, a safe route to Golden Horn Mountain can be opened. With the explosive growth of mortal family members in recent years, some of them can be relocated to live around the area. If we come across some rivers and mountains with richer Spiritual Energy, we can develop Spirit Fields or Spiritual Medicine Gardens, growing Spirit Valley Elixirs and accumulating Spirit Stones for the clan."


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming strongly agreed. The family''s numbers were growing quickly, and their annual consumption of Spirit Stones was vast. If they relied solely on Luoyun Market and Luoyun Pavilion, they would eventually be unable to sustain the clan''s expenses; they needed to put those with poor talent and low cultivation to good use.


    Their cultivation was low and their talent lacking, rendering them unremarkable in the Four Arts of Cultivation, but they were quite sufficient for planting Spirit Valley crops and guarding the lower-order Spiritual Medicine Gardens.


    "It''s perfect timing. Tianfeng and Tianhong are about to meet the requirements for Foundation Establishment, along with some Xing Clan Members whose cultivation is all above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. We can assemble some clan members to open up Luoyun Mountain, simultaneously tempering them," Lin Shihua said.


    Lin Tianming nodded. The clan''s current generation was advancing rapidly in cultivation. Aside from some Xing Clan Members who had participated in the battle of Luoyun Mountain, many had not undergone much life-or-death experience, like Lin Xingqi and Lin Tianhong, who had been secretly taken away by Lin Xingrong as the clan''s lifeline and thus missed the thrilling battle of Luoyun Mountain.


    As their cultivation had reached the threshold for Foundation Establishment, leading them to experience and settle would perhaps ease their own impacts on the Foundation Establishment Stage.

 Chapter 204 Again Training_2

    Returning his attention, Lin Tianming spoke, "The Clan Leader has issued an order that all clan members above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining must participate in a trial within two years, barring special circumstances. Please ask Fifteenth Grandfather to lead the mission; we will clear the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range and, incidentally, forge a safe passage to Golden Horn Mountain."


    "Hmm... I will arrange this matter later," Lin Shihua nodded in response.


    "Then, Twelfth Grandpa is busy, Tianming will take his leave first." Lin Tianming stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and walked out of the Elders'' Council Hall.


    After leaving the Elders'' Council Hall, Lin Tianming walked on the paths of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    It was exactly noon, and a large number of clan members were bustling between various clan institutions, making the clan''s atmosphere seem very lively.


    At that moment, a voice came from behind.


    He turned his head to see Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong approaching him side by side, greeting him from a distance away.


    Lin Tianming returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute and immediately asked, "Big brother, second brother, what brings you here?"


    Excited after returning from Qianchuan Market, Lin Tianfeng spoke, "The two of us are preparing to exchange for some treasures at the Hall of Merit and then enter seclusion to cultivate for a while."


    Hearing this, it seemed the two brothers were not here to find him; it was merely a chance encounter.


    However, thinking of the trial discussed with the Clan Leader, Lin Tianming mentioned the matter to them. After all, they would soon be informed and needed to participate in this trial.


    After a short while, Lin Tianfeng and the others nodded. They naturally had no objections to the clan''s arrangements, nor did they dare to have any.


    "Sixth brother, we''ll participate in the first batch of the trial. Let us reunite in three months, hoping to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage after this trial," Lin Tianfeng said.


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Lin Tianhong excitedly added, "Yes, I wanted to consolidate my cultivation; this is a great opportunity."


    "Mm... Use these next few months to prepare well. In three months, we will enter the mountains for the trial," Lin Tianming said, and after bidding farewell to the two, he returned to his cave dwelling.


    Back in his cave dwelling, he went straight to the training room and began another session of seclusion, striving to further improve his cultivation.


    The next morning, notices were posted at the entrance of every clan institution.


    Crowds of clan members gathered to observe, and although the mountain trial wasn''t directly relevant to cultivators below Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, it did not stop everyone from discussing it.


    Soon, the news of the clan organizing those above Ninth Layer of Qi Refining for the mountain trial spread throughout the clan, drawing a lot of attention.


    Aside from those in seclusion or not present in the clan, the rest of the clan was informed about the matter.


    Moreover, the members in seclusion would eventually learn about it, as there were still three months before the mountains were to be entered, and since the groups were being split into two waves, there was ample time to prepare.


    Meanwhile, those eligible for the trial rushed to the Hall of Merit to extensively prepare elixirs and talismans, readying themselves for departure at any moment.


    As for Lin Tianming, he was in seclusion in the training room, oblivious to these developments.


    Time flew by swiftly, and three months passed just like that.


    On this day, in the plaza in front of the clan gate, Lin Xingzhi stood at the forefront, his gaze sweeping over the gathered cultivators.


    At that moment, the plaza was filled with more than a dozen people. As the Enforcement Hall Master, Lin Xingzhi was also there with his Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage cultivation.


    Below him were Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong, as well as Lin Xingyu, who was also at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, totaling four clan members with that level of cultivation.


    And the remaining individuals, all at the Ninth Layer Qi Refining stage, were all backbone forces of the clan.


    Lin Xingzhi and the others struck up casual conversation, waiting for Lin Tianming''s arrival.


    After a short while, Lin Tianming arrived via Sword Flight and landed beside Lin Xingzhi.


    After exchanging greetings, Lin Tianming said with a smile, "Clan Uncle, long time no see, and now even you are participating!"


    "Even though I serve as the Enforcement Hall Master, I still meet the requirements for this trial. It''s a good opportunity to venture out in the trial and then return to the clan to seclude myself and impact the Foundation Establishment Stage!" responded Lin Xingzhi.


    Lin Tianming nodded, glanced at the nine people on the field, and said to Lin Xingzhi:


    "Uncle, have all the clansmen for this training gathered?"


    Lin Xingzhi chuckled, and then responded, "Fifteenth Uncle is still in secluded cultivation. We are the first group of clansmen to enter the mountain, and we have all assembled here. Another group of clansmen will be led by Fifteenth Uncle to replace us in half a year."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming nodded, no wonder Lin Xingcheng and Lin Xingshun, and the others with Great Perfection cultivation weren''t seen.


    After scanning the crowd of clansmen, Lin Tianming suddenly spoke up:


    "This mountain training will last for half a year; the purpose needs no further explanation. Everyone here is the backbone of the family. I hope you seize this opportunity to temper yourselves, so that upon returning to the clan, you can breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage at the earliest."


    "Let''s set off!"


    Lin Tianming waved his hand and stepped past the Protective Clan Formation, followed by a crowd of clansmen who promptly disappeared from the spot.


    Once out of the Protective Clan Formation, Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle, leading everyone towards the bordering Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, fierce winds howled past their ears, and the rivers and valleys behind them gradually receded into the distance.


    The group sat together, discussing matters related to their training. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming asked, "Does anyone have any suggestions for this training?"


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    Hearing this, Lin Xingzhi spoke up, "For this training, the family hasn''t set any particular goals. We will clear out the demonic beasts along the way towards Golden Horn Mountain, penetrating deeper into the mountain range according to our strength¡ªthere are no mandatory requirements."


    "We can infiltrate a few dozen miles into the interior, and then advance towards Golden Horn Mountain''s direction. With our line-up, and having Little Sixth Brother anchoring us, it shouldn''t be difficult," Lin Tianfeng said with a smile.


    After hearing the thoughts of the few, Lin Tianming chuckled and said, "A few dozen miles... let''s see. If the demonic beasts are not too strong, even infiltrating two hundred miles shouldn''t be a problem!"


    Hearing this, Lin Xingzhi and the others had solemn expressions on their faces, seemingly apprehensive.


    Although the Luoyun Mountain Range isn''t as vast as the Qianchuan Mountain Range, it still covers a thousand miles or so, and the core interior is home to a large number of Second Order demonic beasts¡ªits strength should not be underestimated.


    And Lin Tianming''s words about infiltrating two hundred miles would nearly reach the territories of those Second Order Middle Stage demonic beasts.


    Considering this, Lin Xingzhi quickly said, "Tianming, let''s first test out the actual situation with the demonic beasts. If conditions allow, we still have no objections!"


    "Alright then, let''s go see what we''re up against first," Lin Tianming replied.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming didn''t insist, the others breathed a sigh of relief.


    After half a day, the Purple Gold Eagle with all the clansmen arrived in a valley.


    With the high-speed flight of the Purple Gold Eagle, coupled with the near-eradication of the outer demonic beasts, they didn''t need to worry about danger and thus moved quickly. In just half a day, they had reached the borderline between the outer and inner areas of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Standing on top of a small hill, Lin Tianming took out a map to check their location with Lin Xingzhi.


    Behind them, Lin Tianfeng and the others were cleaning up the battlefield, taking down demon cores and useful materials from some First Order demonic beasts.


    This place bordered the inner region, and it was also the territory of a First Order demon beast tribe with just over twenty members and not particularly strong. He didn''t even have to lift a finger, and his clansmen tackled them effortlessly.


    In no time, Lin Tianfeng and the others finished cleaning up the battlefield and gathered together.


    Looking at his excited companions, Lin Tianming then asked, "How did the battle go, and how is everyone''s condition?"


    Lin Tianfeng, energized, began reporting the results. "All twenty-seven First Order demonic beasts have been slaughtered, including four at the First Order Late Stage, seven at the Middle Stage, and the rest were all at the Initial Phase!"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming nodded, then instructed, "Search their lair thoroughly but safely, heed no carelessness. After the cave is searched, we''ll camp here for tonight. Tomorrow, we will infiltrate deeper into the mountain range!"


    "Okay!"


    Lin Tianfeng replied and led a few men deeper into the valley, leaving Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi standing there.

 Chapter 205 Sword Venom Scorpion_1

    The next morning,


    in the misty canyon, Lin Tianming and his clanspeople gathered together.


    After scouring the dens of the Demonic Beasts the previous day, they had acquired some Spiritual Medicine Materials. These were all rather common varieties, and the quantities were not significant; the harvest was quite average.


    The night passed peacefully, with no unexpected incidents.


    The clanspeople convened, and among them, Lin Tianming''s seniority was not the highest, but his cultivation was. Everyone eagerly awaited his instructions.


    As the leader of this expedition, Lin Tianming scanned the crowd and quickly made a decision¡ªto continue deeper into the Luoyun Mountain Range.


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    After briefing the clanspeople, the group set off, swiftly making their way into the dense forests deep within the mountain range.


    The clanspeople moved swiftly¡ªevery one of them was at least at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. With Lin Tianming, who was at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, leading them, they felt much more assured and ventured on with few concerns.


    While the clanspeople were at ease, Lin Tianming dared not be careless; the Tiangang Sword was always in his hand, and his Divine Sense enveloped their surroundings, alert to any potential dangers.


    The group proceeded without incident, pushing deeper into the mountain ridges.


    Three days flew by in a flash.


    Over these few days, Lin Tianming and the others had traveled over a hundred miles, encountering only a lone Demonic Beast at the First Order Late Stage, which was swiftly slain by the group.


    Now, they arrived at a hill, where Lin Tianming stood on the summit, gazing thoughtfully at the dense mounds in the distance.


    "Tianming, is there something moving?" Lin Xingzhi asked.


    After a moment, Lin Tianming''s gaze shifted back, his expression somewhat solemn.


    "Everyone, prepare for battle!"


    With that command, Lin Tianming immediately took out fifty-six Earth Evil Swords and tossed them into the air. The swords quickly scattered, then disappeared underground.


    Seeing Lin Tianming''s reaction and his verbal warning, Lin Xingzhi and others promptly got ready for combat.


    Just then, the ground began to tremble. Their expressions changed as they focused on the noise coming from ahead.


    Lin Tianming, who had been through numerous life-and-death battles, stayed calm. He pivoted, shielding his fellow clanspeople behind him, ready for the appearance of the Demonic Beasts.


    In no time, dust kicked up into the air.


    Once the dust settled, the silhouettes of dozens of Demonic Beasts became visible as they converged, fixing their gaze on Lin Tianming and his companions, poised to attack at any moment. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Scorpion Clan beasts!" Lin Tianfeng shouted.


    Surveying the scene, it was indeed a Scorpion Clan group, numbering over fifty, among which were two Second Order Initial Stage beasts, evidently a male and a female pair.


    Beyond them were more than ten First Order Late Stage beasts, and the rest were at the Initial Phase and Medium Stage¡ªhardly a threat.


    "Leave those two Second Order beasts to me; eliminate the rest as quickly as you can!"


    After shouting his orders, Lin Tianming, gripping the Tiangang Sword, charged forth with the speed of an arrow.


    At the same time, Lin Xingzhi and Lin Tianfeng were the first to engage, unleashing a flurry of attacks and charging towards two First Order Late Stage Sword Venom Scorpions.


    Upon witnessing Lin Tianming and his kinsmen take action, the two Second Order Scorpions let out a shrill cry, wielding their giant pincers, and leaped a hundred yards towards Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming snorted coldly. His Tiangang Sword radiated a brilliant Spiritual Light, sending out streaks of Sword Qi at extreme speed, slashing towards the Scorpions.


    "Boom!"


    The Scorpions hastily dodged the attack and then swiped their massive pincers towards Lin Tianming.


    Seeing the incoming giant pincers, Lin Tianming knew a direct hit could cause serious damage, even with his Dual Cultivation of Body and Law.


    Fortunately, the Scorpions weren''t very fast, and their Second Order Initial Stage wasn''t very high, making them not too difficult to dodge.


    Lin Tianming, unruffled, dodged and released multiple bursts of Sword Qi from his Tiangang Sword.


    This time, one Scorpion wasn''t so lucky. Under the barrage of Qi, it failed to evade in time and was struck by a burst of Sword Qi on its tail.


    "Crackle and pop..." A series of metallic clangs rang out as cracks formed on the Scorpion''s black shell-tail.


    "Hiss..." The Scorpion writhed in pain, wildly swinging its venomous tail spike like an invisible sword, stabbing towards Lin Tianming.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming''s expression turned grave. His attack failed to sever the Scorpion''s not-so-large tail, which was somewhat unexpected.


    This was his first encounter with such a beast. Although he had heard of them and seen descriptions in books,


    after one exchange, it was clear their attack and defensive power were extremely strong, but their speed was a significant weakness.


    Now, as the Scorpion''s venomous tail spike drew near, Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors, slowing the seemingly lightning-fast attack.


    Elated, Lin Tianming moved like the wind, effortlessly dodging the furious blow.


    But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the other Scorpion''s attack promptly followed.


    Facing the fierce onslaught of the two Scorpions, with the help of the Eye of Five Colors, Lin Tianming became a blur, weaving between them.


    Meanwhile, he seized every opportunity to counterattack.


    At this time, the entire mound was under siege. Lin Tianming fought fiercely with the two Second Order Scorpions at the edge, with constant, thunderous blasts echoing as countless mounds were battered into a mess by their respective attacks.


    Not far from them, Lin Xingzhi and his fellow clansmen battled with the First Order Scorpions.


    Although the Scorpions had a numerical advantage, Lin Xingzhi and the others were not outmatched in cultivation. With experience in battle and strength nearly at the limit of the Qi Refinement Realm, they held their own.

 Chapter 205 Sword Venom Scorpion_2

    Under such circumstances, the Sword Venom Scorpions were being suppressed by them; the corpses of early to mid-stage Demonic Beasts lay scattered everywhere, with only a few mid-stage or higher beasts clinging to life thanks to their tough defensive carapaces.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming felt relieved. He no longer needed to split his focus on the clan members and could concentrate fully on dealing with the two Second Order Sword Venom Scorpions.


    After dodging another strike, the two Second Order Sword Venom Scorpions were squeezed together, getting closer and closer to the center of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    Perfect opportunity!


    Lin Tianming performed the hand seals, chanting under his breath.


    "Earth Fiend Sword Formation, activate!"


    The Earth Evil Swords hidden beneath the ground shot into the sky, spinning rapidly in an exceedingly short amount of time.


    Quickly, the sword array was activated, and an invisible barrier enveloped the area within several hundred yards.


    At the moment the sword array was activated, a pressing feeling came over them, with copious amounts of Sword Qi roaming about. The two Sword Venom Scorpions seemed to realize that something was amiss and scrambled, in a panic, to escape the coverage of the sword array.


    Seeing this, how could Lin Tianming let them have their way?


    "Tiangang Ninth Sword, third strike!"


    Lin Tianming thundered, the Tiangang Sword flew from his hand, carrying silvery-white light and shooting towards the Sword Venom Scorpions within the sword array.


    In an instant, the Tiangang Sword was already in front of the Sword Venom Scorpion.


    "Bang..."


    A loud noise erupted. In their panic, the Sword Venom Scorpions were too slow to evade, hampered by the constricting sensation of the sword array, and harassed by the Sword Qi within it, leaving them unable to dodge.


    The Tiangang Sword, carrying an earth-shattering momentum, directly struck the back of one of the Sword Venom Scorpions.


    With a wretched cry, the scorpion''s back shell split open over a large area, exposing the flesh underneath.


    At this point, the Sword Venom Scorpion, struck by the Tiangang Sword, writhed painfully, severely injured but not yet dead.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming was overjoyed. This was the first time he used the third strike of the Tiangang Ninth Sword in combat, and the power of the three overlapping strikes was indeed fierce, causing severe damage to the defensively impressive Sword Venom Scorpion.


    The other Sword Venom Scorpion that had evaded the attack saw its companion severely wounded and immediately became enraged.


    It let out an angry hiss and then raised its terrifying stinger, spewing out a large amount of dark brown venom.


    As soon as the venom was released, a pungent, fishy smell spread, and the air itself seemed to corrode with a sizzling sound.


    For a creature like the Sword Venom Scorpion, its venom is the most dangerous weapon. If one were covered in its venom head-on, even cultivators at the Medium Stage of Foundation Establishment would be gravely injured, if not killed.


    Seeing the venom spurting towards him at a terrifying speed, Lin Tianming didn''t dare to be careless.


    As he retreated explosively, he threw out a Second Order inferior-grade Defense Talisman, which after infusing it with Spiritual Power, rapidly turned into a light screen in front of him. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the blink of an eye, the dark brown venom came into contact with the light screen.


    "Sizzle sizzle sizzle..."


    A series of harsh sounds echoed. The light screen instantly burst into flames and could only hold for a brief moment before the venom corroded it into a puff of black smoke that dissipated between heaven and earth.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming''s eyebrows were tightly knit, not expecting the venom to be so terrifying that a Second Order inferior-grade talisman was so easily destroyed.


    Facing the continuing onslaught of venom, he quickly brought out the Green Scale Shield in front of him.


    In that instant, a small amount of the venom splashed onto the Green Scale Shield causing more black smoke to billow, disappearing quickly.


    Fortunately, the Green Scale Shield blocked the horrific venom, but a small amount of venom still corroded a part of the shield, reducing its spirituality and thereby decreasing the shield''s overall defensive power.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming didn''t have time to lament the damage to the Green Scale Shield; filled with anger, he once again unleashed the third strike of the Tiangang Ninth Sword.


    At the same time, with a pinch of his Law Decree, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation had shrunk to a range of a hundred yards. Inside, the Sword Qi was incredibly dense, and the barriers were exceptionally solid.


    Watching the sword qi roaming inside the formation becoming stronger and the even more terrifying Tiangang Sword assaulting, the trapped Sword Venom Scorpion frantically charged at the barriers of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, struggling desperately to break free.


    Regrettably, its strength was limited, and under such an overwhelming attack, any response was already too late.


    "Boom..."


    A loud explosion sounded as the Tiangang Sword directly struck the head of the Sword Venom Scorpion.


    A miserable scream was heard, and the scorpion''s head instantly shattered. The Tiangang Sword had pierced through its head, and its three-zhang-long body fell to the ground. After a few instinctive twitches, there was no more movement; it was clearly killed by the Tiangang Sword.


    Seeing this, another Sword Venom Scorpion dead and one severely injured and deprived of its fighting ability, the outcome of the battle was decided, and Lin Tianming''s expression was filled with surprise and joy.


    Facing the only dying Sword Venom Scorpion left, he leaped forward, the Tiangang Sword in his hand piercing straight through the heavily injured scorpion, ending its life.


    Having dealt with the two Sword Venom Scorpions, he then turned his head to observe the battle of his clan members.


    At that moment, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingzhi''s First Order High-Grade Spiritual Artifacts in their hands burst forth with powerful Sword Qi, stirring up dust clouds and alternating flashes of firelight and the sounds of explosions.


    The Lin Family members held an absolute advantage, with many of the low-order Monster Beasts already dead. The Scorpion Clan was already no match for the power of the Lin Family, and now they were in even more of a retreat, likely unable to hold out much longer before being completely annihilated.


    Lin Tianming stood on top of a mound, and although he had expended over half of his Spiritual Power, his own strength still peaked.


    He had no intention of joining the battle, as this trial was meant to temper his clan members. Besides, they held a definitive upper hand; steady and assured victory was just a matter of time as long as they eradicated the remaining members of the Scorpion Clan.


    In such a situation, he had no reason to intervene.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianfeng, seeing that the two Second Order Sword Venom Scorpions had been killed, was surprised and delighted, suddenly laughing heartily:


    "Uncle Xingzhi, let''s have a little competition to see who can end the battle faster, shall we?"


    Hearing Lin Tianfeng''s words, Lin Xingzhi, after repelling a First Order Late Stage Sword Venom Scorpion with his sword, responded with a chuckle, "Hehe... you lad dare to challenge me, if you lose, you have to give me two jars of Jade Flower Brew!"


    "Fine... we''ll bet two jars of Jade Flower Brew!"


    After Lin Tianfeng shouted, the Spirit Sword in his hand erupted with even more intense Spiritual Light, a shocking golden Sword Qi shot out, cutting towards the Sword Venom Scorpion in front of him.


    Seeing Lin Tianfeng going all out with his strongest Divine Skill, Lin Xingzhi did not show weakness either.


    He poured a massive amount of Spiritual Power into his Spirit Sword, causing his First Order High-Grade Spiritual Artifact to burst with Spiritual Light, unleashing countless tiny silvery Sword Qi projectiles, bombarding his targeted Sword Venom Scorpion.


    Lin Tianming, watching the battle from the side, judged their strength.


    "Uncle Xingzhi, who has reached the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage longer, has had two more years of experience. Plus, he has been battle-hardened and shone brilliantly in the great battle at Luoyun Mountain. He should be the first to finish the battle!" Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    Sure enough, as his mind returned to the present, Lin Xingzhi''s Sword Qi struck the head of the Sword Venom Scorpion.


    A metallic clash resonated, followed by a scream.


    The head of the Sword Venom Scorpion hit by Lin Xingzhi''s Sword Qi shattered, with copious amounts of blood and dark brown fluids spewing out, the mixture immediately corroding the mound beneath the beast into a deep pit.


    Meanwhile, the scorpion twitched a few times and then laid still, evidently dead from Lin Xingzhi''s attack.


    Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire


    On the other side, Lin Tianfeng''s attack struck the Sword Venom Scorpion at the same time.


    However, the outcomes were different. The carapace on the back of the scorpion struck by Lin Tianfeng broke apart, exposing the internal organs, and it struggled on the ground without dying immediately.


    With this, the difference between their strikes was clear.


    "Haha... Tianfeng, you better not back out!" Lin Xingzhi shouted excitedly.


    "I, Tianfeng, a man of my word, will accept the loss!"


    After replying, Lin Tianfeng swung his Spirit Sword once more, bringing an end to the life of the injured Sword Venom Scorpion.

 Chapter 206 Qilin Beast_1

    Lin Tianming stared at the battlefield of his fellow clansmen, as Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingzhi finished their battle, the entire Sword Venom Scorpion Clan was already at the end of its road.


    "Tianfeng, quickly help our clansmen finish the battle!"


    After Lin Xingzhi shouted, he pounced toward the remaining Sword Venom Scorpions like a tiger descending the mountain.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianfeng was not to be outdone, and with a wild laugh, he too joined the fray.


    With the addition of Lin Tianfeng and another, what was already a winning situation for Lin Tianhong and the others became an overwhelming rout, encircling and slaughtering the remaining Sword Venom Scorpions. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fire soared to the sky amidst the mounds, screams mingled with the clanging of metal echoed forth.


    After the time it takes to brew a pot of tea passed, all movement stopped on the hills, signaling the end of the battle.


    Looking around, the hills were now riddled with holes¡ªmany of them caused by attacks from various Lingjian Spells, resulting in a lot of deep pits either blasted by Sword Qi or corroded into existence by the venom of the Sword Venom Scorpions. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    At this time, Lin Tianfeng and the excited clansmen gathered around Lin Tianming.


    Seeing that everyone had finished the battle without major injuries¡ªonly Lin Tianhong and Lin Xingxiao looked a bit pale, but they appeared to be alright¡ªLin Tianming swept his gaze over the people and carelessly asked out of concern, "The battle is over, did anyone get hurt?"


    Lin Tianhong took out a Consolidating Essence Pill and swallowed it before replying, "The venom of those Sword Venom Scorpions is quite tricky, barely a touch and it corroded a small part of my arm. But it''s not serious, I only need a few days of rest to recover!"


    No sooner had his words fallen than Lin Xingxiao spoke, "Tianhong and I have similar injuries, just some minor ones. It won''t take long to recover!"


    After Lin Tianhong and the other had spoken, the rest remained silent, clearly indicating that they were uninjured.


    Lin Tianming nodded, approving of his clansmen''s performance, and then ordered, "Everyone, quickly clean up the battlefield. After that, find their nests, collect all the treasures, and then we can rest here overnight!"


    "Alright... let''s be swift and avoid wasting time!" Lin Xingzhi followed up right after speaking and took some people with him to collect the corpses of the demonic beasts.


    Seeing everyone busily getting to work in their excitement, Lin Tianming headed toward the two Second Order Sword Venom Scorpions he had killed.


    Arriving beside a Second Order Sword Venom Scorpion, he swung his Tiangang Sword, extracted the demon beast''s inner pill, and then easily sliced off the creature''s shell to store in his storage bag.


    Every part of this Sword Venom Scorpion was treasure; its shell was extremely tough and could serve as a main material, combined with some Spirit Ore Stones to refine a shield.


    The other parts such as the venomous stings and pincers were also good Artifact Refining Materials, useful for making attack-type weapons.


    Soon, he had finished dissecting the corpse of a Second Order Sword Venom Scorpion, collecting all usable parts, including the soul and flesh, as they also contained a considerable amount of energy. Although cultivators couldn''t consume it, the Purple Gold Eagle was not picky, and it would make a fine meal for it.


    After a quarter of an hour, the battlefield was cleansed. The ground was littered with the limbs of Sword Venom Scorpions, mostly Low-order Monster Beast bodies, and numerous discarded items.


    At this time, every clansman was brimming with excitement; the spoils from this battle were not small. A clan of over fifty Sword Venom Scorpions could fetch a good number of Spirit Stones from just their corpses, not to mention their yet-to-be-collected nests.


    With the thought of the Sword Venom Scorpion Clan''s nests, Lin Tianming wore an expectant look and led several people in the direction the demonic beasts had come from.


    In a short time, they arrived at a place crisscrossed with ravines.


    Looking around at the edge of the ravine, there were many holes of varying sizes, scattered in every direction with nearly a hundred in number.


    From the aura emanating above and the size of these caves, they were positive these were the nests of the Sword Venom Scorpions.


    Lin Tianfeng and the others couldn''t contain their excitement, showing eagerness to begin.


    Looking into the unfathomable caves, Lin Tianming deployed his Divine Sense to scan the area and detected nothing unusual.


    "I''ve already checked, there''s no danger in the ravines, but as for inside the caves, that''s unknown. Everyone split up into pairs, stay alert, and go gather the treasures inside!"


    After Lin Tianming gave the command, Lin Xingzhi and the others nodded in acknowledgment and quickly formed four teams.


    Lin Xingzhi and four other Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage clansmen each took a Ninth Layer of Qi Refining clansman; the one extra person was allocated to Lin Tianhong''s team.


    After all, it was obvious that Lin Tianhong''s strength was somewhat weaker after the group battle. Having an extra person on his team meant their overall strength improved, nearly matching the other three teams.


    Following their descent into the ravine, Lin Tianming also jumped down, heading straight for the two largest caves.


    Entering one of the caves, Lin Tianming carefully proceeded deeper, his Tiangang Sword in hand.


    Soon, he reached the end and found several stalks of Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, all of fairly good quality.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming remained calm. Although he didn''t find anything of high value, the discovery was still satisfying.


    He quickly collected the Spiritual Medicine Materials and then moved on to another cave.


    The second cave was the same, containing several stalks of the same variety of Spiritual Medicine Materials and nothing else.


    Not discouraged by this, Lin Tianming pressed on. After all, the Sword Venom Scorpion Clan''s strength was limited. The two highest-ranked demonic beasts were only at the Second Order Initial Stage and were unlikely to possess any remarkable treasures.

 Chapter 1 - 1: Some Basic Settings of this Book_1

    Chapter 1: Some Basic Settings of this Book_1


    Chapter 1: Some Basic Settings of this Book_1


    Cultivation Realms: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Divinity Transformation


    (Corresponding to Demonic Beasts of 1st to 5th Order)


    PS: Only the Human Race with a Spiritual Root can cultivate. Innate differences can¡¯t easily be reversed by ordinary treasures. Demonic Beasts cultivate their bodies, and the higher their grade, the higher their Spirit Wisdom.


    ¡­


    Lifespan:


    120 years of Qi Cultivation, 250 years of Foundation Establishment, 600 years of Golden Core, 1500 years of Nascent Soul, 5000 years to Become a God


    ...


    (Demonic Beasts¡¯ lifespans are roughly 5 times that of the Human Race)


    PS: Ordinary humans generally live to about 50, though some strong and sturdy martial artists can live to their eighties or nineties.


    ¡­


    Weapons:


    Spiritual Artifact, Magic Artifact, Magical Treasure, Spiritual Treasure, Ancient Treasure (corresponding to Qi Refinement~Divinity Transformation; starting from Magical Treasure, no further grade distinction)


    Heavenly Spiritual Treasure (a rarity from the upper realms)


    PS: Weapons are divided into offensive and defensive, and regardless of the grade, there are differences in quality and spirituality, naturally leading to different effects.


    ¡­


    Spiritual Root: Basic Five Elements properties + Ice, Wind, Thunder


    PS: The Human Race starts to test for Spiritual Roots at age ten, and only those who possess them can embark on the path of cultivation.


    ¡­


    Spirit Stone: Low-Grade, Medium Grade, High Quality, Supreme Quality S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Exchange Ratio: 100-1


    PS: Medium and Low-Grade Spirit Stones are the most widely circulated among Cultivators. Once reaching the level of High-Quality Spirit Stones, these are typically used as energy sources for formations and are usually found with cultivators above the Golden Core Stage, considered a scarce strategic resource.


    ¡­


    Cultivation Technique; Yellow Grade, Mysterious, Earth, Heaven


    Spirit Art: Yellow Grade, Mysterious, Earth, Heaven


    PS: Yellow Grade is the lowest, and it goes up from there. Different grades of Cultivation Techniques come with varying strengths of Divine Skills and differ in the number of skills they convey.


    PS: Like Cultivation Techniques, Spirit Arts are special offensive methods that significantly enhance a Cultivator¡¯s attack power. Generally used as trump cards, they are extremely precious.


    ¡­


    Treasure settings: 1st to 5th Order


    Spiritual Medicines, Fruits, and Ores: 1st to 5th Order.


    PS: 1st and 2nd Order treasures are divided into low, medium, and high quality. 3rd Order and above treasures are not divided by quality, but there¡¯s still a significant difference in rarity and effect.


    ¡­


    Price Base:


    The value of treasures by order: 1st Order¡ª1-100 Spirit Stones, 2nd Order¡ª500-5,000 Spirit Stones, 3rd Order¡ª50,000 to 1,000,000 Spirit Stones.


    4th Order: 10 million to 500 million Low-Grade Spirit Stones.


    5th Order: Priceless treasures, not attainable with ordinary Spirit Stones.


    ¡­


    Human Race regional introduction: Huarong Realm, Nine Provinces Continent


    Nine Provinces Continent: Qingzhou, Jingzhou, Yangzhou, Binzhou, Xuanzhou, Yunzhou, Huazhou, Youzhou, Jizhou.


    Overseas Three Islands: Changxing Island, Jiuxuan Island, Luolan Island


    PS: Each continent varies in size. Xuanzhou, Yunzhou, and Huazhou are the central regions of the Human Race, with extremely ancient inheritances. Currently, the Immortal Path flourishes there, with numerous clan powers.


    Qingzhou and Jizhou are close to the Endless Forest and are new territories for the Human Race, while the power and inheritances of the other seven provinces vary, and their overall strengths differ accordingly.


    ¡­


    Vein Introduction:


    PS: In this book, there¡¯s no such thing as veins. Any mountain, river, or stream can serve as a habitat, the only difference being the concentration of Spiritual Energy. However, formations, Spirit Stones, and special treasures can be used to modify the concentration of Spiritual Energy.


    Typically, a long-standing power¡¯s base is the result of thousands of years of accumulation and transformation to become a Cave Heaven and Blessed Land.


    ¡­


    Monster Race species: Demon Race, Barbarian Race, Sea Demon Race


    Demonic Beast territory: Endless Forest


    Barbarian territory: Endless Forest


    Sea Demon territory: Endless Sea Domain


    PS: The Endless Forest covers a vast area, home to both terrestrial Demonic Beasts and the Barbarian Race, though the Barbarian Race occupies a smaller proportion.


    The Barbarian Race has good innate talents but a shorter inheritance period, making their overall strength much weaker than that of the terrestrial Demonic Beasts and the Sea Demons.


    Barbarian characteristics: They have the appearance of a beast head on a human body and can freely transform into the body of a Demonic Beast in battle. With extremely high innate talents, they are the offspring of High Order terrestrial Demonic Beasts combined with the Human Race, essentially inheriting the advantages of both races. They possess higher Spirit Wisdom than pure Demonic Beasts, but still not as high as Human Cultivators.


    ¡­


    That¡¯s all the settings for now, with more additions to come as the story progresses. Other realms will also be added as the plot advances.


    ¡­


    ¡°`

 Chapter 2 - 2: The main family member_1

    Chapter 2: The main family member_1


    Chapter 2: The main family member_1


    ¡°`


    As I worked on this Chapter quite late, the main text has already reached over 500 Chapters, and what follows is the current situation of the protagonist¡¯s family.


    PS: This setting only records the core family members. As the plot progresses, the cultivation levels, positions, and even the deaths of some family members will be updated accordingly.


    If there are any mistakes, I hope readers will point them out in the comments!


    ¡­


    Family: Lin Family


    ...


    Location: Nine Provinces Continent, Qingzhou, Wei Kingdom, Luoyun Mountain Range


    Male protagonist: Lin Tianming (Mid Stage Golden Core, Third Order Alchemy Master)


    Female protagonist: Qin Xi (Early Stage Golden Core)


    ¡­


    Generation setup: Ren Yi Zhi Jiu Rong, Yu You Meng Qiu Ying, Huan Cheng Yi Shi Xing, Tian Chang Qing Jing Zheng, Qian Ao Jin Ze Cheng.


    Founding Ancestor: Lin Renfeng (Mid Stage Golden Core)


    Lin Shigong (protagonist¡¯s grandfather)


    Lin Xingrong (protagonist¡¯s father)


    Ren Yuxuan (protagonist¡¯s mother, Foundation Establishment Seventh Level)


    Lin Changqing (protagonist¡¯s son)


    ¡­ Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Core family members:


    Clan Leader: Lin Shihua (Foundation Establishment Ninth Level)


    Deputy Clan Leader: Lin Xingrong (Foundation Establishment Great Perfection)


    Great Elder: Lin Shikang (Early Stage Golden Core)


    Second Elder: Lin Shigong (Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, Second Order High-Grade Alchemy Master)


    Third Elder: Lin Shilu (Early Stage Golden Core, Third Order Artifact Refiner)


    ¡­


    The ten major family institutions:


    Elders¡¯ Council: Comprising the Great Elders and the protagonist couple as members


    Enforcement Hall: Lin Xingzhi (Foundation Establishment Great Perfection)


    Hall of Merit: Lin Xingcheng (Foundation Establishment Eighth Level)


    Miscellaneous Affairs Hall: Lin Xingli (Foundation Establishment Seventh Level)


    Scripture Pavilion: Lin Xingping (Foundation Establishment Great Perfection)


    Alchemy Hall: Lin Xingyuan (Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, Second Order Superior Alchemy Master)


    Artifact Refining Hall: Lin Xingshun (Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, Second Order Superior Artifact Refiner)


    Skill Transmission Hall: Lin Xingyu (Foundation Establishment Eighth Level)


    Talisman Crafting Hall: Lin Xingqi (Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, Second Order High-Grade Talisman Master)


    Formation Hall: Lin Tianluo (Foundation Establishment Sixth Level, Second Order Medium Quality Array Master)


    ¡­


    Tian generation core family members:


    Lin Tianfeng (Foundation Establishment Great Perfection)


    Lin Tianqin (Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, Second Order Superior Alchemy Master)


    Lin Tianhong (Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, Second Order Superior Alchemy Master)


    Lin Tianyue (Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, Second Order High-Grade Talisman Maker)


    Lin Tianhu (Foundation Establishment Great Perfection)


    Lin Tianluo (Foundation Establishment Sixth Level, Second Order Medium Quality Array Master)


    Lin Tianbo (Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, Second Order Superior Artifact Refiner)


    Lin Tianyun (Wind Spirit Root, Early Stage Golden Core)


    Lin Tiancheng (Foundation Establishment Eighth Level)


    Lin Tianhai (Foundation Establishment Seventh Level)


    ¡­


    ¡°`

 Chapter 3 - 3 - 1: Nine Provinces Continent (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 3 ¨C 1: Nine Provinces Continent (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1


    Chapter 3: Chapter 1: Nine Provinces Continent (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1


    The Nine Provinces Continent, where myriad races stand tall and countless beings thrive, spans billions of miles with oceans covering a tremendous 80%, leaving only 20% as land.


    Seen from the distant skies, it resembles a giant water orb, a blend of azure and green, breathtakingly beautiful.


    According to records by the Human Race, this realm is known as the Huarong Realm.


    It is said to have existed for tens of billions of years, but the exact duration is uncertain due to its ancient past.


    The land is divided into nine provinces, namely Qingzhou, Jingzhou, Yangzhou, Binzhou, Xuanzhou, Yunzhou, Huazhou, Youzhou, and Jizhou, which are nine vast territories.


    Each province is immeasurably large, encompassing millions of miles.


    ...


    This is a world for cultivators, where even mortals would find it difficult to traverse a single province in their lifetime.


    To the south of Jingzhou Land, there are more than ten thousand islands of various sizes; the large ones are half the size of a province, the small ones only span a hundred miles, and there are countless islets tens of miles across.


    This region is the outer area of the Nine Provinces Continent. Being close to the sea, it is rich in aquatic resources, and ordinary people living on the islands in the inner sea make their living by fishing.


    I once heard old fishermen claim that terrifying demonic beasts live beyond the outer sea.


    They are of various forms, extremely ferocious, and incidents of eating humans occur from time to time, including sharks dozens of meters long and giant turtles the size of a small hill, though it¡¯s unclear whether these tales are true or false.


    Since then, fishermen have only dared to live within a hundred miles of the inner sea, earning their livelihood through fishing and aquaculture.


    Outside the vast expanse of the southern sea islands and the mainland, powerful races like Sea Demons, the Demon Race, and the Barbarian Race can be found.


    Qingzhou is located in the southwest of the Nine Provinces Continent, bordered by Jizhou to the north and Jingzhou to the south.


    In the areas west of Qingzhou and Jizhou, a mighty Demon Race dwells, inhabiting a vast primordial forest full of numerous mountain ranges and rivers, where towering trees hundreds of feet high are everywhere.


    Demonic beasts multiply and survive here, living off Spiritual Trees, Spiritual Medicine, and metal minerals; it¡¯s a forbidden land where humans rarely set foot.


    Since the birth of the Human Race, a million years have passed, while the Demon Race has proliferated for several million years. They possess longevity far exceeding that of humans, sometimes living several times longer.


    The Demon Race¡¯s long lifespan, coupled with their robust physiques, make them the favored children of the heavens.


    The impressive innate abilities of the Demon Race have always been the envy of human cultivators, yet the difficulties in the Demon Race¡¯s advancement are substantially greater than those of humans.


    The intellect of low-order monster beasts is similar to that of a young child; only Third Order demonic beasts and above experience a significant increase in intelligence.


    For a million years, the formidable strength of the Demon Race has subtly surpassed that of the Human Race.


    The Nine Provinces Continent is often plagued by the havoc of the Demon Race, and beast tides attack frequently, with each one posing a life-and-death test for human cultivators.


    Thus, the human and demon races have been natural enemies since ancient times.


    Beyond Jingzhou to the south and east of Yangzhou and Binzhou lies an extensive sea area inhabited by an even more powerful Sea Demon Race. The land¡¯s Demon Race is just a branch of the Sea Demon Race.


    It is said that millions of years before the birth of humankind, parts of the Sea Demon Race migrated to live on land.


    After a million years of evolution, the sea creatures that came ashore have adapted to life on land, giving birth to many strange and exotic beasts with varying innate gifts.


    Today¡¯s Nine Provinces Continent has become a place of habitation after tens of thousands of years of wars between the human and demon races, fought by countless mighty beings.


    To the north of Youzhou lies a vast area of vast deserts and prairies, where the wild Barbarian Race lives.


    They are the offspring of the Human Race and Demon Race, with varying body sizes and bizarre forms, such as two-winged bodies, bovine heads on human torsos, embodying features of both human and demon races, and possessing exceptional talents.


    The land of the Barbarian Race abounds with fire and metal attribute Spiritual Objects, making it a paradise for cultivators of the fire and metal attributes.


    Meanwhile, Qingzhou, Jizhou, and the Demon Race¡¯s lands are rich in wood, metal, and earth attribute Spiritual Objects, while regions like Jingzhou and Yangzhou have a prevalence of water attribute Spiritual Objects.


    In the Nine Provinces Continent, Yunzhou and Xuanzhou are the largest two provinces, each of which is bigger than Qingzhou and Jizhou combined.


    Yunzhou and Xuanzhou are the central regions of the Human Race, and through hundreds of thousands of years of heritage, these two provinces have become a hub for High Order Cultivators. With prosperous trade and abundant resources, they boast numerous Sect Families, making them a paradise for cultivators.


    As the Human Race continued to grow stronger, the resources of the seven provincial lands were no longer sufficient for the proliferation of Human Cultivators.


    The lands of Qingzhou and Jizhou had been gradually conquered from the hands of the Demon Race over tens of thousands of years.


    With their complex terrains and numerous unknown spiritual veins, mineral ores, and Spiritual Medicines, they attracted many adventurers who came in search of treasures and experiences, making these lands a prime destination for numerous cultivators¡¯ adventures and treasure hunts.


    To date, the population of the Human Race numbers in the hundreds of millions, with 99% being ordinary mortals.


    It is not easy for a cultivator to be born, as only those with a Spiritual Root can cultivate. Among the offspring of mortals, only one in ten thousand may be born with a Spiritual Root, and the vast majority possess the most common Four Spirit Roots or Five Spirit Roots, which without extraordinary opportunities, make Core Formation unlikely in their lifetime.


    However, children born to cultivators have a much higher chance of possessing a Spiritual Root compared to mortals, and their Spiritual Roots tend to be superior. The likelihood of having Three or Four Spirit Roots is not small, and with proper nurturing, Foundation Establishment becomes hopeful.


    For those with a Single Spirit Root, the path of cultivation is much easier. Barring any premature demise, reaching the Golden Core Stage is almost assured, and the prospects of attaining the Nascent Soul Stage are very hopeful.


    Of course, the quality of one¡¯s Spiritual Root is not a definitive factor on the path of Dao and does not determine the ultimate limit of a cultivator.


    Many favored sons of the heavens have perished prematurely or collapsed midway, while numerous cultivators of average aptitude have defied the odds and reached the pinnacle among humans.


    Legend has it that, hundreds of thousands of years ago, an ancestor of the Human Race with Five Spirit Roots ascended to the Divinity Transformation Stage within a millennium and successfully ascended, a feat not commonly seen in a million years, yet not unprecedented.


    The path of cultivation is inherently an act of defiance against the heavens, and with each advancement comes numerous perils and trials. The consequences range from a fallen state to death on the spot.


    Even so, this does not diminish the cultivator¡¯s longing for immortality.


    In the Cultivation World, the realms of cultivators are divided into Qi Refinement Realm, Foundation Establishment Stage, Golden Core Stage, Nascent Soul Stage, and Divinity Transformation Stage.


    Both the Qi Refinement Realm and the Foundation Establishment Stage are divided into nine levels, with levels one to three being the early stage, four to six the medium stage, and seven to nine the late stage, followed by the Great Perfection Realm.


    After entering the Golden Core Stage, the realms are directly divided into the early, medium, late, and Great Perfection Realm.


    In the Huarong Cultivation World, the Demon Race and Barbarian Race cultivate their bodies, while Human Cultivators cultivate Spiritual Power.


    Mortals have a lifespan of over sixty years, with eighty being considered old age. The lifespans for the Qi Refinement Realm is one hundred and twenty years, the Foundation Establishment Stage two hundred and fifty-odd years, the Golden Core Stage over five hundred years, the Nascent Soul Stage around one thousand two hundred years, and the Divinity Transformation Stage over three thousand years.


    Upon reaching the Golden Core Stage, one has the abilities to soar through the skies and reshape landscapes and is considered among the ranks of High Order Cultivators. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The longing for power becomes an ever deeper obsession.


    The division of realms for the Demon Race and Barbarian Race corresponds to those of Human Cultivators, with Monster Beasts from first to fifth order, each also divided into early, medium, and late stages.


    First Order Monster Beasts correspond to cultivators at the Qi Refinement Realm, while Second Order corresponds to those at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Third Order Demon Beasts have fully awakened Spirit Wisdom, corresponding to the Golden Core Stage; Fourth Order Demon Beasts can transform into human form, with divine skills on par with Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators; those at the Divinity Transformation Stage of the Demon Race are not much different from humans.


    Tens of thousands of years ago, Jizhou and Qingzhou were still territories of the Demon Race. The Human and Demon Races waged war for over a hundred years, with even Nascent Soul Stage experts falling by the dozens and countless lower-order cultivators killed or injured.


    It is said that even Divinity Transformation Stage old monsters suffered casualties, though it¡¯s unclear whether this is true.


    Since then, the Demon Race willingly ceded the two provinces as a buffer zone.


    Moreover, compared to the vast expanse of the Demon Race¡¯s territories, the areas of Qingzhou and Jizhou are not large; these two provinces are but a drop in the bucket for the Demonic Lands, barely worth mentioning.


    For nearly ten thousand years, humans and demons have coexisted relatively peacefully. Beast tides occur from time to time but on a small scale, mostly involving Low-order Monster Beasts invading the borders of the Human Race, causing no significant damage to the foundation of both races.


    Over tens of thousands of years, both humans and demons have exercised restraint, recuperating and propagating.

 Chapter 4 - 4 - 2: Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain (Please Collect and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 4 ¨C 2: Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain (Please Collect and Recommend)_1


    Chapter 4: Chapter 2: Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain (Please Collect and Recommend)_1


    In the southern part of Qingzhou Wei Kingdom, Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Green Bamboo Mountain is a corner of the Luoyun Mountain Range, which spans thousands of miles.


    Besides the Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain, there are the Jin Family of Golden Horn Mountain, the Sun Family of Flying Eagle Mountain, the Wu Family of Jiuhua Mountain, and the Luo Family of Baiyun Mountain.


    All five major families have Foundation Establishment Cultivators in residence, along with more than twenty smaller Qi Refining families nestled there.


    From atop the main peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, it resembles a coiled giant serpent with the head looking like a massive piece of bamboo, a thousand feet tall, standing at the center of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The whole area of Green Bamboo Mountain stretches over a hundred miles, with gorges at the bottom, underground rivers throughout, and diverse landforms. The mountaintop is often shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, resembling a paradise on earth.


    ...


    Green Bamboo Mountain is covered in thickets of Qingling Bamboo, which are extremely flexible and counted among the first order wood attribute spirit materials.


    When Qingling Bamboo is added in the process of Artifact Refining, it can significantly enhance the resilience of a Spiritual Artifact, and it is widely used in refining flying swords, making it a premium Artifact Refining Material.


    Green Bamboo Mountain is the ancestral land of the Lin Family, whose legacy has lasted for over eight hundred years.


    Its founder was the Patriarch of the Lin Family, Lin Renfeng, who, during his life, was a Mid Stage Golden Core Cultivator. At the age of four hundred, he got injured while treasure hunting and gathering elixirs in the demon territory of Maple Forest Mountain Range.


    Gravely injured, he fled back to Qingzhou. Due to injuries in his energy channels, he could no longer make any progress in cultivation after recovering. Dispirited, he established the Lin Family on Green Bamboo Mountain using his life savings.


    The Lin Family currently has 175 cultivators. In the six hundred years since the Patriarch¡¯s passing, the Lin Family members have slowly grown in number and the family line has passed down over ten generations.


    After more than eight hundred years of development, the Lin Family has achieved a certain level of renown in the southern part of Qingzhou Wei Kingdom. Currently, there are two Foundation Establishment Cultivators and over a hundred Qi Refining Cultivators within the family.


    Within a courtyard on the mountainside of Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Tianming was sitting upright on his bed.


    In his hand, he held a milky-white stone as he cultivated. The stone, about the size of a toddler¡¯s fist, was crystal clear and stunningly beautiful. Spiritual Energy was flowing along his meridians, eventually converging within his dantian.


    After meditating for over an hour, the milky-white stone gradually shrank and finally, turned into a wisp of blue smoke and vanished.


    A hint of joy flashed in Lin Tianming¡¯s eyes as he eagerly used his Divine Sense to check his dantian.


    He saw that his dantian had clearly expanded, and he was not far from the Fifth Level of Qi Practice. If he could refine about a dozen more Spirit Stones, he should be able to reach the Fifth Level of Qi Practice.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but sigh with emotion, reflecting that cultivating with Spirit Stones truly sped up the process. A single Low-Grade Spirit Stone was equivalent to several days of his strenuous cultivation.


    Lin Tianming, a cultivator of the Lin Family from Green Bamboo Mountain, possessed Dual Spiritual Roots of wood and fire. At sixteen years of age, he was at the Fourth Level of Qi Practice, clad in a green shirt, with handsome features and eyes that occasionally revealed a trace of maturity and wisdom.


    Unconsciously, he had been cultivating for several hours.


    As evening approached, after using up two Spirit Stones, though he had a pained expression on his face, seeing the increase in Spiritual Power in his dantian and feeling himself getting closer to the Fifth Level of Qi Practice made it worthwhile.


    With many cultivators within the Lin Family and limited financial resources, during the early stages of Qi Practice, only one Spirit Stone was distributed monthly. In the middle stages of Qi Practice, three Low-Grade Spirit Stones were given each month. To gain more resources for cultivation, one must contribute to the family by taking on family tasks, earning Spirit Stones or elixirs for cultivation. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After half a day of cultivation, feeling his stomach rumble, he stretched, pushed open the room door, and happened to run into Lin Tianyue coming his way.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming, Lin Tianyue bounced over and, shaking his arm, said,


    ¡°Brother, mother sent me to call you for the meal!¡±


    Lin Tianming affectionately stroked Lin Tianyue¡¯s hair and chuckled,


    ¡°Funny you should mention it, I was just getting hungry!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then. Time for dinner!¡±


    Saying this, he led Lin Tianyue to the main hall.


    Lin Tianyue, Lin Tianming¡¯s younger sister, dressed in red, bore a certain resemblance to him, and was bound to become a stunning beauty in adulthood.


    This year, Lin Tianyue was twelve years old. With Triple Spiritual Roots of metal, wood, and fire, she had been cultivating for two years and was at the First Level of Qi Practice, showing considerable talent within the Lin Family.


    In the main hall, Ren Yuxuan was arranging the tableware.


    Before Lin Tianming even entered, Ren Yuxuan could hear his voice in the distance.


    ¡°Mother, what delicious food are we having today?¡±


    As he spoke, Lin Tianming jogged into the hall and took a seat, grabbing a bowl of food and wolfing it down.


    His mother Ren Yuxuan wore a look of sympathy, repeatedly saying,


    ¡°Eat slowly, there¡¯s plenty more.¡±


    Seeing this, Lin Tianyue commented with a look of disgust, ¡°Brother, eat slower. No one¡¯s going to snatch it from you.¡±


    Lin Tianming chuckled and asked, ¡°When is Dad coming back?¡±


    Hearing this, a look of longing flashed in the eyes of their mother and quickly faded away.


    ¡°Your father went to escort a batch of Artifact Refining Materials and some Spiritual Artifacts to our store in Luoyun Market. It will be a few more days before he returns.¡±


    ¡°Before he left, he specifically instructed that I should supervise you in your cultivation diligently, so you can strive to break through to the fifth level of Qi Practice sooner and begin undertaking family missions to relieve some of the family¡¯s burdens,¡±


    His mother¡¯s words filled Lin Tianming with longing.


    ¡°Mother, I understand!¡±


    ¡°I will definitely cultivate diligently and contribute to the family as soon as possible. The world is vast, and I have longed to go out and see it for myself.¡±


    Ever since Lin Tianming was found to possess dual spiritual roots at the age of ten, the family had placed high hopes on him.


    In the past eight hundred years of the Lin Family, only the patriarch Lin Renfeng was born with dual spiritual roots of metal and fire. For the following eight hundred years, the best among the Lin Family had only three spiritual roots, and most family members had either four or five.


    In major sects or clans, with abundant resources, it might be possible to reach Core Formation, but the Lin Family, with its shallow foundations, simply couldn¡¯t afford that.


    After dinner, his mother began to clear the dishes, while Tianming and Tianyue sat in the courtyard, with Tianming instructing Tianyue in the Five Elements Spell.


    All of a sudden, Tianming pinched a technique with his fingers, a wax-yellow flame flickering at the tip. He then shouted abruptly:


    ¡°Go¡­¡±


    The flame, originally the size of a thumb, instantly expanded into a fireball several meters in diameter and shot towards the sky with the speed of an arrow.


    A loud boom filled the air, and the shockwave from the explosion spread out in all directions.


    Tianyue looked at her brother with admiration and said cheerfully:


    ¡°I want to be as powerful as brother.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded affirmatively and then meticulously explained the Five Elements Spell once more.


    The Fireball Technique, a basic spell, harnesses one¡¯s divine sense to control the fire attribute spiritual power within spiritual energy, concentrating it together. The stronger the divine sense, the more single-attribute spiritual power is gathered, and the greater the power and precision of the spell.


    The basic spells of the Five Elements can be practiced after introducing Qi into the body, starting from the first level of Qi Refining.


    ¡°You must study diligently and practice frequently, and if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, ask Seventh Grandpa tomorrow at the Skill Transmission Hall, you got that?¡±


    Lin Tianming instructed.


    ¡°Got it, brother, I will definitely work hard. I won¡¯t keep you any longer, I¡¯m going to find Tianqin. You can get back to what you were doing.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, his sister had run off and disappeared from sight.


    Upon returning to the main hall, he saw his mother approaching him, holding a dark green storage bag in her hand.


    ¡°Tianming, this is what your father asked me to give you before he went to the market. Your father and I have been saving these for the past two years to speed up your cultivation.¡±


    As she said this, she handed the storage bag to Tianming, who blushed with curiosity and asked:


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Ren Yuxuan did not explain but simply said calmly:


    ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡±


    Lin Tianming accepted the dark green storage bag and examined it with great interest, feeling immensely pleased with himself.


    Anxious to see what his father, Lin Xingrong, had left for him that needed a storage bag, he returned to his room.


    Pulling out the dark green storage bag, he admired the gold-threaded embroidery of birds and beasts on it; it was extremely attractive, clearly incomparable to his own basic storage pouch.


    He imprinted his divine sense onto the storage bag, and after half an hour of refining, he probed inside with his divine sense to check the contents.


    It was a First Order Medium Grade storage bag with a space the size of a room, containing thirty-five low-grade spirit stones, a bottle of Lingshen Pills with three bright green, shiny pills inside.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but pick up a Lingshen Pill, examining it with curious delight.


    Lingshen Pills, commonly used elixirs by cultivators in the Qi Refining stage, are packed with spiritual energy and far more effective than the energy from spirit stones.


    Each Lingshen Pill represented a month¡¯s hard cultivation saved, and three Lingshen Pills were worth at least twenty low-grade spirit stones.


    He packed away the spirit stones and Lingshen Pills and took out his original storage bag, which was inferior in quality, with only enough space to fit something the size of a table.


    Each family member who successfully introduces Qi into the body and enters the first level of Qi Refining to become a cultivator receives a First Order Inferior storage bag, a flying sword, and three low-grade spirit stones.


    He previously had five low-grade spirit stones left, so now he had a total of forty low-grade spirit stones and three Lingshen Pills.


    With enough resources for the next year or two, fully refining them would undoubtedly make reaching the fifth level of Qi Practice a certainty, and perhaps even the sixth level was within reach.


    After arranging his belongings, he lay on the bed. He hadn¡¯t had a proper rest due to the high intensity of his meditation and cultivation over the past half month.


    It wasn¡¯t even half an hour before the room was filled with the sound of his snoring.

 Chapter 5 - 5 - 3: First Attempt at Alchemy (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 5 ¨C 3: First Attempt at Alchemy (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1


    Chapter 5: Chapter 3: First Attempt at Alchemy (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1


    At dawn, a ray of sunlight pierced through the small window of the attic, shining on Lin Tianming¡¯s face.


    Opening his eyes, he stretched lazily out of bed, the fatigue of half a month dissipating without a trace. Cultivators too needed a balance of work and rest; constant seclusion for cultivation was detrimental to advancement in the later stages.


    Pushing the door open, he stepped out of his family¡¯s courtyard. The morning in Green Bamboo Mountain was exceptionally lively, with clan members moving through the mountain paths.


    The morning sun resembled a fiery red disc, hanging beside the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain. At the foot of the mountain, a vast expanse of green Qingling Bamboo stretched over a hundred acres, and more than a hundred attics on the mountain¡¯s waistline encircled Green Bamboo Peak in pairs and trios, a sight too beautiful for words.


    Releasing his divine sense, a green and red flying sword materialized in Lin Tianming¡¯s hand. Seven feet long and half a foot wide, it was extremely sharp, capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud. The family called it the Green Bamboo Sword, a low-grade spiritual artifact.


    Every clan member who reached the third level of Qi Cultivation could receive a Green Bamboo Sword from the Family Merits Hall to serve as a tool for repelling enemies and transportation.


    ...


    Summoning the flying sword, he cast a spell on it, and the sword instantly grew several times larger. Lin Tianming leaped onto it, steering the Green Bamboo Sword straight to the family¡¯s Alchemy Hall.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming arrived at an attic on the mountainside. There stood a five-story-tall building with a large plaque hanging over its entrance, flamboyantly inscribed with the words ¡°Alchemy Hall.¡±


    This building appeared no different from an ordinary attic, but in reality, it was protected by several restrictive formations.


    Lin Tianming took out a green token from his storage bag, pinched a law decree with his hands, and murmured incantations.


    A beam of green light shot from the token towards the attic, and in the blink of an eye, a large gap opened in the formation. Lin Tianming stepped forward and mysteriously disappeared from sight.


    Inside the Alchemy Hall, Lin Tianming passed through several alchemy rooms familiarly, as if he often visited this place, before finally stopping at the door of the innermost room.


    Seated within the room was an old man in his seventies, sitting upright on a meditation cushion.


    The elder was dressed in a gray Daoist robe, with most of his hair already white and a long goat beard, exuding a friendly and amiable appearance.


    In front of the elder was a flaming red pill furnace, three feet tall. The entire pillar furnace was red, with three legs and beautifully carved designs¡ªit was a second-order medium-grade Three Star Furnace.


    The Three Star Furnace was one of the second-order pill furnaces the Alchemy Hall possessed, its legacy spanning more than three hundred years, a relic of an ancestral Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist of the family.


    Now the treasure of the Alchemy Hall, the Three Star Furnace was for the use of family alchemists and was overseen by Lin Tianming¡¯s grandfather, Lin Shigong.


    Next to the furnace, on a stone table, lay a dozen Spirit Grasses of various colors, surrounded by spiritual energy.


    This elder was none other than Lin Tianming¡¯s grandfather, Lin Shigong, at the Great Perfection Realm of Qi Cultivation. He was the ninth in seniority among the Shi generation of the Lin Family and was nearly a hundred years old¡ªone of the only two alchemists in the family.


    The Lin Family had a history exceeding eight hundred years, with numerous members. The generations were distinguished as follows: Ren, Yi, Zhi, Jiu, Rong; Yu, You, Meng, Qiu, Ying; Huan, Cheng, Yi, Shi, Xing; Tian, Chang, Qing, Jing, Zheng; Qian, Ao, Jin, Ze, Cheng; with the ancestral founder being Lin Renfeng.


    Lin Tianming, a member of the Tian generation, was the sixteenth descendant of the Lin Family, ranking sixth among his generation. His father, Lin Xingrong, was the eleventh in the Xing generation.


    The Lin Family had 175 cultivators and over fifty thousand mortals, spread across major towns within a thousand miles around Green Bamboo Mountain. Lin Family mortals intermarried with the local population, and all descendants bore the surname Lin.


    Lin Tianming entered the room and bowed respectfully to the elder.


    ¡°Grandson Tianming pays his respects to Grandfather.¡±


    Lin Shigong examined his grandson with a satisfied face:


    ¡°You have been diligent, already at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement.¡±


    ¡°Remember, cultivation is like sailing against the current; if you don¡¯t advance, you will fall behind,¡± Lin Shigong pointed to the meditation cushions in front of him and said, ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    Lin Tianming glanced at the five meditation cushions and randomly picked one to sit down.


    After a few breaths passed, the Alchemy Hall¡¯s early warning formation flickered slightly.


    Lin Shigong took out a token. Several spells were cast, opening a gap in the restriction, and a man and a woman entered.


    The man was named Lin Tianhong, twenty-two years old, at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, with the aptitude of Three Spiritual Roots. He was the son of Lin Xingping, Tianming¡¯s cousin, and ranked second in the Tian generation.


    The woman was Lin Tianqin, twenty-one years old, also at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, with the same Three Spiritual Roots aptitude, and the daughter of Lin Xingsu, ranking third in the Tian generation.


    Within the Lin Family, those below the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement did not study crafts, focusing solely on cultivation.


    Upon reaching the Fourth Level, one could choose from the four crafts: alchemy, artifact refining, talisman making, and formation techniques; by the Fifth Level, one was expected to contribute to the family.


    In the Cultivation World, mastering a craft may be time-consuming and tedious, but upon achieving proficiency, one could quickly accumulate some resources for cultivation, aiding in the swift advancement of cultivation.


    Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianqin bowed to Lin Shigong and greeted in unison:


    ¡°Tianhong and Tianqin pay respects to Ninth Grandpa.¡±


    Lin Shigong said sternly:


    ¡°Find a place to sit. Today, we will learn the basics of alchemy. Feel free to ask questions if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    After Lin Tianming and the others sat down properly, Lin Shigong began to explain.


    Alchemy starts with having a pill formula, spiritual medicine, a pill furnace, earth fire, or an alternative such as Heaven and Earth Marvelous Fire. Missing any of these renders the process impossible, and the higher the grade of the elixir, the more difficult it is to make.


    Beyond the necessary materials, the art of alchemy also demands strict requirements for a cultivator¡¯s divine sense.


    The stronger the divine sense, the greater the help in alchemy. It allows for the precise purification and extraction of the essence of spiritual medicine and seizing the optimal moment for solidifying the pill, thereby significantly increasing the success rate of pill formation.


    Today, we will discuss the most basic Fasting Pill, which is the most common first-order elixir. Consuming one Fasting Pill allows for half a month without the need for food.


    The Fasting Pill can replace food but does not increase cultivation level. It is the irreplaceable choice for Qi Refining Cultivators during secluded cultivation. Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, one can forego food and drink for several years.


    Lin Tianming and the others listened intently, asking various questions along the way, to which Lin Shigong patiently provided answers one by one.


    An hour had passed in the blink of an eye, and Lin Tianming and his two companions committed the basic knowledge to heart, brimming with interest in alchemy.


    ¡°Now, I will practice making a batch of Fasting Pills. Watch closely,¡± Lin Shigong said.


    Lin Shigong placed the Three Star Furnace above the Earth Fire vent. With the casting of a spell, dozens of flames gently spurted from the vent, raising the room¡¯s temperature substantially in an instant.


    ¡°This is Golden Bull Grass, this is Fire Ganoderma, and this is Nine-direction Flower¡­¡± Lin Shigong swiftly tossed over a dozen types of First Order Spiritual Medicine into the Three Star Furnace, his hands continuously forming incantations. After about two quarters of an hour, Lin Shigong shouted,


    ¡°Solidify¡­¡±


    A fragrance filled the room as Lin Shigong concluded his work.


    In the Three Star Furnace lay seven brown pills, each the size of an eyeball, with a rich fragrance assailing the senses, and a bit of black residue at the bottom of the furnace.


    Lin Shigong nodded and said,


    ¡°From one batch of medicinal ingredients, up to ten pills could be made, but that assurance is only given to a High Order Alchemist making Low-grade Pills. Normally, if three pills are solidified, it¡¯s considered passing.¡±


    After speaking, he collected the seven Fasting Pills and placed them into his storage bag. Then he took out three sets of ingredients for Fasting Pills. Once ready, Lin Shigong instructed,


    ¡°Tianhong, you try it first.¡±


    Hearing the instruction, Lin Tianhong looked somewhat nervous, but still mustered his courage to respond,


    ¡°Yes, Ninth Grandpa!¡±


    Lin Tianhong took a deep breath, channeled his energy, pinched an incantation with two fingers, and cast his spell over the Alchemy Furnace. As Earth Fire flowed out, he sequentially threw over a dozen types of Spiritual Medicine into the furnace, casting several spells upon it.


    A quarter of an hour later, there were a few crackling noises from the furnace, but the pills failed to solidify successfully, ending in a heap of broken residue¡ªa failed initial attempt.


    Lin Tianhong managed a wry smile, sweating profusely, realizing that alchemy was indeed not as simple as he had thought.


    ¡°Tianqin, your turn!¡±


    Upon Lin Shigong¡¯s command, Lin Tianqin started to channel her energy, casting a spell onto the Alchemy Furnace and began her attempt at alchemy.


    After another quarter of an hour, there were similar cracking sounds and, just like Tianhong, she too failed to successfully create a pill.


    Lin Shigong was calm, apparently not angry, and then he spoke,


    ¡°You two didn¡¯t purify the Spiritual Medicine for long enough, which wasted some essence and resulted in insufficient medicinal strength, ultimately leading to the failure of the pill solidification. It¡¯s perfectly normal to fail on your first alchemy attempt¡ªit requires much more practice.¡±


    Lin Tianming and his companions nodded, their expressions a mix of understanding and confusion.


    Lin Shigong said no more, preparing to continue with more attempts.


    ¡°Tianming, it¡¯s your turn. Remember, don¡¯t be impatient!¡±


    Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the cushion, relaxing his body and mind, taking a deep breath to get into the best state.


    With incantations in hand, he cast a spell, offering up his Divine Sense to monitor the intensity of the Earth Fire closely. He methodically tossed the Spiritual Medicine into the furnace, step by step isolating the essence of the herbs at the bottom of the furnace.


    After a quarter of an hour, infusing his Spiritual Power forcefully, seeing the timing was nearly right, he too couldn¡¯t help but shout,


    ¡°Solidify¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the scent of the medicine filled the air.


    Upon uncovering the lid of the furnace, two oval pills floated in the center, with quite a bit of residue at the bottom, and the pills were misshapen with cracks and missing pieces, qualifying only as defective products.


    Lin Tianming concluded his work, feeling completely drained, a clear sign of overexertion, yet his heart was filled with joy. For a first attempt at alchemy, this result was quite extraordinary.


    Lin Shigong was inwardly astonished, yet he managed to appear utterly composed.


    To produce defective products on the very first attempt at alchemy was quite an achievement. He knew well that in his own time, it had taken him dozens of tries to reach the level Lin Tianming had achieved on his first go.


    Lin Shigong pointed out where Lin Tianming had fallen short and gave him some encouragement.


    There were six sets of ingredients left, and the three of them took turns practicing as the better part of the day slipped by unnoticed.


    In Lin Tianming¡¯s last batch of ingredients, one pill solidified, with two defected pieces. Lin Tianqin managed to produce defected pills, while Lin Tianhong did not succeed at all.


    Lin Shigong packed up the Alchemy Furnace and said sternly,


    ¡°I leave you three with Alchemy Insights Jade Tubes¡ªthese contain my lifelong experience combined with the insights passed down by my predecessors. Make sure to study them well and strive to master the art of pill-making as soon as possible.¡±


    After a few words of encouragement, he allowed the three to leave.


    Lin Tianming and his two companions respectfully bowed and said,


    ¡°Thank you, Grandfather (Ninth Grandpa), for your careful teaching; we shall take our leave now.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The trio left the Alchemy Hall together.


    Lin Tianming smiled and bid farewell to Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianqin,


    ¡°Second Brother, Third Sister, today has been exhausting. I won¡¯t impose any further. I would like to invite you both to my home another day to discuss the art of alchemy and cultivation.¡±


    After Lin Tianhong and the others agreed, they each said their goodbyes and departed.


    Lin Tianming left the Alchemy Hall and summoned his Green Bamboo Sword, ascending into the sky, and vanished on the horizon.

 Chapter 6 - 6 - 4: Comprehending Alchemy Experience_1

    Chapter 6 ¨C 4: Comprehending Alchemy Experience_1


    Chapter 6: Chapter 4: Comprehending Alchemy Experience_1


    ¡°`


    Returning to his small courtyard as evening fell, he had dinner and then headed early to his room.


    He took out the alchemy experience left by his grandfather and studied it earnestly.


    Lin Shigong was a First Order Superior Grade Alchemist, capable of concocting most First Order elixirs, and was the best alchemist in the Lin Family.


    Due to his inability to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, he had always been unable to concoct Second Order Pills.


    Besides him, the Lin Family also had a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, Lin Tianming¡¯s clan uncle Lin Xingyuan, ranked fifth among the Xing generation, at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, and one of the most talented among his generation in the family.


    ...


    Alchemists are highly respected in the Cultivation World, regardless of whether they are low order cultivators, high order cultivators, or even the high order Demon Beast Race, all rely on elixirs for assistance.


    For hundreds of thousands of years in the Cultivation World, not only has the number of demons and humans increased, but it has become increasingly difficult for high order cultivators to break through their stages; the biggest reason being the scarcity of Spiritual Medicine resources.


    It is said that tens of thousands of years ago, during the ancient times, the number of high order cultivators in both human and demon races was several times more than now.


    During that period, there was an abundance of Spiritual Medicine and objects, and resources for cultivation were plentiful; the four great skills of pill concoction, weapon forging, formation, and talisman making reached unprecedented heights.


    After hundreds of thousands of years of continuous mining and extraction, the scarcity of Spiritual Medicine and objects has led to the loss of many ancient pill recipes and the extinction of their concoction methods.


    Alchemists can fully utilize the utmost effects of Spiritual Medicine, refining and condensing its essence into pills, which not only doesn¡¯t waste the Spiritual Medicine but also diminishes its side effects.


    Therefore, elixirs have always been an in-demand resource in the Cultivation World.


    First and Second Order elixirs are manageable, available for sale in various markets, but Third and Fourth Order elixirs are much more rare, generally hard to come by unless one attends large markets or auctions. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And with high order alchemists being just as scarce, it¡¯s clear to see why alchemists are in such demand.


    Cultivating an alchemist requires a large number of resources; every alchemist is a product forged through a mountain of various Spiritual Medicines.


    The other three major skills are equally difficult to cultivate, and the cost is something Loose Cultivators can hardly afford.


    In the eight hundred years of the Lin Family, First Order Alchemists have never been in short supply, and only two Second Order Alchemists have ever emerged¡ªone Second Order Junior Alchemist and one Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist.


    The main reason is that the Lin Family¡¯s financial resources are limited; with a large number of clan members to support, they cannot afford the materials needed by alchemists, which also leads to the difficulty of the Lin Family in producing high order cultivators.


    The Lin Family¡¯s income mainly comes from the First Order Artifact Refining material Qingling Bamboo from Green Bamboo Mountain. Every year they sell a batch of Qingling Bamboo Spirit Material, and the family also earns some Spirit Stones by forging a portion into Spiritual Artifacts.


    The Lin Family itself has several First Order Artifact Refiners, and even a Second Order Artifact Refiner. The Qingling Sword is made by the Lin Family¡ªpart is used by ourselves, most are sold to other Loose Cultivators through market shops.


    As for alchemy, the Lin Family can only prioritize the needs of Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators; Second Order elixirs, needed by Foundation Establishment Cultivators, can only be purchased in various markets.


    Due to the restrictions in the pill aspect, the Lin Family has made the resolve to cultivate their own Second Order Alchemists.


    Lin Tianming, Lin Tianhong, and Lin Tianqin all have Spiritual Roots suitable for alchemy and are young with great potential, thus they are the primary targets for intensive training.


    He took out the alchemy experience left by his grandfather and pondered over it with full concentration.


    Fasting Pills, Lingshen Pills, Huadu Pills, Huiyuan Pills, Xisui Pills, Pozhang Pills¡­


    Huadu Pills, First Order Medium Grade Elixirs, can neutralize most First Order Demon Beast toxins but have limited effects on the toxins of some ancient demons with exceptional talents, only able to suppress the spread of the toxins temporarily and unable to completely cure them.


    Although it can¡¯t neutralize all toxins, it can suppress the majority, making it one of the must-have pills for human cultivators.


    Huiyuan Pills, First Order Medium Grade Elixirs, are effective in rapidly restoring spiritual power; a single pill can replenish nearly half of one¡¯s spiritual power in a brief moment.


    Huiyuan Pills and Huadu Pills are both consumable elixirs, essential in combat for cultivators and can save one¡¯s life at critical moments.


    Xisui Pills, First Order Superior Grade Elixirs, have the effect of cleansing the marrow and expanding meridians, thereby strengthening the cultivator¡¯s physical body, accelerating the absorption of spiritual energy, and expanding the capacity of one¡¯s Qi Sea and Dantian by ten percent, which is immensely heaven-defying.


    ¡°`


    Cultivators engaged in a duel of spells, and having even a slight increase in Spiritual Energy meant an extra layer of protection. Often, the outcome of such battles hinged on the competition of who had the most profound Spiritual Energy reserves. The Xisui Pill is one of the elixirs within the First Order Spiritual Medicine with a relatively higher degree of difficulty to concoct.


    The Pozhang Pill, a First Order Superior Grade elixir, contains a large amount of Spiritual Energy. After consumption, it can break through the bottleneck of the Qi Refining Realm. It is expensive, with each Pozhang Pill selling for hundreds of Spirit Stones. Each sale is quickly snapped up, the Pozhang Pill and the Xisui Pill are among the most popular elixirs for Qi Training Cultivators.


    Only one can be taken, and taking more is ineffective.


    The Alchemy Experience documents detailed information on over twenty different types of elixirs and pill formulas that are widely known in the Cultivation World, along with an introduction to hundreds of types of Spiritual Medicine.


    To his surprise, there was even an introduction to the Foundation Establishment Pill!


    The Foundation Establishment Pill, a Second Order elixir, aids cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, increasing the chances of successful Foundation Establishment by fifty percent. It is one of the spiritual objects for Foundation Establishment.


    The Foundation Establishment Pill is exactly what the Lin Family lacks the most.


    The scarcity of the Foundation Establishment Pill is due to its main ingredient, the White Jade Grass that¡¯s five hundred years old, which is extremely difficult to cultivate, not easy to transplant, and has a very low survival rate.


    It must satisfy the five hundred years of medicinal age before it can be used for alchemy. It¡¯s relatively easier to survive from seed cultivation, but the cultivation time is too long, making it possible only for great cultivation sects and families with thousands of years of heritage to grow them.


    Wild White Jade Grass is extremely rare, as the vast majority have already been discovered and harvested by cultivators, and it probably only appears in lands inhabited by the Demon Race.


    The reason why the Lin Family has only two Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators is because of the exorbitant price of the Foundation Establishment Pill, which sells for tens of thousands of Spirit Stones per pill. Only a small amount of Foundation Establishment Pills appears at auctions, where major clans and powers bid against each other fiercely¡ªit¡¯s a seller¡¯s market with no availability at any price.


    A single Foundation Establishment Pill requires the Lin Family to accumulate wealth for several decades, hence it is the lifeline of small families, and major powers would not readily let Foundation Establishment Pills flow to the outside.


    After reviewing the various pill formulas and elixirs, he delved into the study of the Alchemy Experience.


    Because his father Lin Xingrong was frequently traveling between the family and Luoyun Market, rarely reuniting with the family, he followed his grandfather Lin Shigong from an early age, helping to sort Spiritual Medicine and organize pill formula materials.


    Under such influence, he became fascinated with the art of Alchemy from a young age and demonstrated a talent for it, earning his grandfather¡¯s deep affection. His grandfather, feeling his own age, had long wanted to pass on all his skills to his grandson and have him carry on the legacy.


    Today, after concocting three batches of ingredients, he managed to produce only one Fasting Pill¡ªwith flaws. Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but feel, alchemy was indeed not easy.


    With his grandfather¡¯s verbal guidance and personal instruction, Lin Tianming¡¯s understanding of the path of Alchemy had risen to a new level. What he needed now was diligent practice and relentless experimentation.


    Tomorrow, he would go to the Family Merits Hall to see if he could get an Alchemy Furnace and a few kinds of Spiritual Medicine. To perform Alchemy, in addition to Spiritual Medicine and the Pill Furnace, one must also use Earth Fire.


    Before reaching Core Formation, a cultivator¡¯s Mana is not pure enough, and the flames they generate do not reach high enough temperatures. They must rely on Earth Fire for both Alchemy and Artifact Refining. Once in the Core Formation Stage, they can use their own Golden Core Fire for both processes, which is far more effective than Earth Fire.


    Beneath the Lin Family Clan Grounds flows a vein of Earth Fire that has existed for a long time, present since the establishment of the clan.


    After great effort by the founding ancestor, who set up formations and opened up five rooms for both the Alchemy Room and the Artifact Refining room, the use of Earth Fire for Alchemy and Artifact Refining has generated quite a wealth for the Lin Family over more than eight hundred years.


    The Lin Family has also developed over the past eight hundred years, leveraging the Golden Core Stage cultivation of the founding ancestor Lin Renfeng to quickly stabilize their footing on Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The Lin Family has grown from just over ten members in the early days to one hundred seventy-five Cultivators and hundreds of thousands of non-cultivators to date.


    After the passing of the old ancestor, the family went through several internal struggles and was nearly brought to ruin.


    Surviving hardships through the protective treasures left behind by the old ancestor, the Lin Family members became more united, gradually regaining their strength in recent years.


    After comprehending his grandfather¡¯s Alchemy Experience, Lin Tianming made significant progress, and with diligent practice, he believed that he could master Alchemy on his own before long.


    This is the advantage of a family, having an elder who teaches without reservation, greatly reducing the potential for mistakes, as one would barely understand the most basic processes if left to fumble through on their own.


    After contemplating for three hours, Lin Tianming put away the Jade Tube and lay back on his bed.


    Late at night, the Qingfeng Bamboo outside his window rustled in the wind, and a fatigued Lin Tianming fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 7 - 7 - 6 Successful Alchemy_1

    Chapter 7 ¨C 6 Successful Alchemy_1


    Chapter 7: Chapter 6 Successful Alchemy_1


    The next morning at the Lin Family Hall of Merit.


    More than a dozen people gathered in the grand hall on the first floor of the Family Merits Hall, consisting of men and women, elders, young adults in their twenties, and middle-aged women. They were all Lin Family members exchanging merit points or trading various materials for weapon crafting and talisman making.


    A young man in a blue robe took out several stalks of spiritual medicine, a demon core from a demonic beast, and various parts of a demonic beast¡¯s body from his storage bag.


    An elder in a white robe efficiently picked up the spiritual medicine materials to inspect them while three youngsters with a thick book stood by, making records.


    The book¡¯s cover was made of green, oily beast skin, with densely packed runes swirling on the surface, giving it a rather peculiar appearance.


    The elder was none other than the Hall of Merit¡¯s Master of the Lin Family, Lin Shixin, at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining Realm, who was also over ninety years old¡ªabout the same age as his own grandfather.


    ...


    Lin Shixin had watched over the family¡¯s treasury for more than forty years, experienced and knowledgeable, known for his fairness, responsible for collecting and exchanging all kinds of cultivation resources.


    As Lin Shixin counted and verified the items, he called out loudly:


    ¡°Two stalks of Golden Flower Grass, each worth eight merit points, a total of sixteen merit points, three stalks of Wind Spirit Grass, each for six merit points, totaling eighteen merit points, one stalk of Jade Ginseng for five merit points.¡±


    ¡°One First Order Medium Grade Three-eyed Wolf demon core for eighteen merit points, four Three-eyed Wolf claws for a total of twelve merit points, one demonic eye bead for five merit points, and one Three-eyed Wolf skin for eight merit points, adding up to eighty-two merit points in total.¡±


    The young man in the blue robe, seeming a bit surprised at the price, then spoke excitedly:


    ¡°Uncle Ten, help me exchange for three Lingshen Pills, one Huadu Pill, one Huiyuan Pill, and one First Order Superior Attack Talisman.¡±


    Lin Shixin nodded, checked the ledger, and proclaimed aloud:


    ¡°Three Lingshen Pills, each for eight merit points, totaling twenty-four merit points, one Huadu Pill for twelve merit points, one Huiyuan Pill for eight merit points, and one First Order Superior Attack Talisman for fifteen merit points.¡±


    ¡°That makes fifty-nine merit points altogether, leaving a balance of twenty-three merit points after deduction.¡±


    Before the words were finished, the young man in blue handed his Family Token to Lin Shixin.


    After Lin Shixin cast several law decrees, a series of red numeric figures flashed and then disappeared.


    Lin Shixin then went into the treasury to get the items for the family member and handed them over.


    The young man took his Family Token and the exchanged items, bowed with his fists and left the Hall of Merit.


    The family had established a complete exchange mechanism; one merit point could be exchanged for one Low-Grade Spirit Stone.


    Exchanges for various materials and elixirs from the family¡¯s treasury were made at the market prices of the Cultivation World.


    However, selling materials to the family could only yield eighty to ninety percent of the market price, as the family needed Spirit Stones for its operation and to support its High Order Cultivators, thus it needed to make a profit as well.


    For example, the two stalks of Golden Flower Grass brought by the young man in blue would have exchanged for ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones each in the market, but in the family, they could only be exchanged for eight or nine Low-Grade Spirit Stones each.


    After the young man in blue left, a steady stream of family members continued to come and go, some selling, some buying, bringing lively activity to the entire Hall of Merit.


    In the noisy crowd, a young man in a green shirt appeared, it was Lin Tianming.


    Yesterday, he barely managed to concoct a flawed Fasting Pill on his first attempt at alchemy. Today, he planned to visit the Hall of Merit to see if there were any Alchemy Furnaces available.


    After exchanging customary greetings with his peers and elders, he approached Lin Shixin to pay his respects:


    ¡°Grandson Tianming, greets Uncle Ten.¡±


    Lin Shixin nodded and couldn¡¯t help teasing him: ¡°You little rascal, just tell me what you want to exchange.¡±


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t waste any time and stated his purpose directly.


    ¡°Uncle Ten, do you have any Alchemy Furnaces? I am learning alchemy and lack both a Pill Furnace and spiritual medicines, so I thought to come and have a look.¡±


    After hearing this, Lin Shixin replied, ¡°The family has only four Pill Furnaces in total, and the only Second Order Medium Quality Dan Furnace is used by your grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Your Fifth Uncle has exchanged the one First Order Superior Grade Alchemy Furnace, and currently, only two First Order Medium Grade Dan Furnaces are left.¡±


    While speaking, Lin Shixin took out two Dan Furnaces and placed them on the counter.


    Upon closer inspection, one was a fiery red furnace with three legs and four handles, named the Four Symbols Furnace. It was previously a First Order Superior Grade Dan Furnace, but for some reason, its grade had dropped to a First Order Medium Grade. It must have been damaged during a spell battle.


    Despite the grade drop, it was still significantly better to use than an ordinary First Order Medium Grade Alchemy Furnace, and it could be quite decent if repaired.


    The other was a blue-green Alchemy Furnace about three feet tall, adorned with runes on its body, named the Azure Mist Furnace, which was also a First Order Medium Grade Dan Furnace, left by a Lin Family ancestor.


    ¡®The Four Symbols Furnace requires two hundred and fifty merit points, and the Azure Mist Furnace requires one hundred and twenty merit points. Which one do you want to exchange for?¡¯


    When Lin Tianming heard the prices, he was taken aback. The thirty-five Spirit Stones given by Ren Yuxuan, along with three Lingshen Pills and his own Spirit Stones, were nowhere near enough even for half an Alchemy Furnace.


    It seemed like his hope to exchange for an Alchemy Furnace today was dashed.


    With an involuntary wry smile, Lin Tianming said:


    ¡°Uncle Ten, it seems I can¡¯t get a Dan Furnace. The combined merit points and Spirit Stones are far from enough. I can only exchange for some Fasting Pill spiritual medicines to concoct elixirs.¡±


    The Fasting Pill requires eleven different types of common spiritual medicines, each valued at three Merit Points. Each portion of the spiritual medicine can be used to concoct three batches of Fasting Pills.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll exchange for ten portions of Fasting Pill ingredients.¡±


    Once he finished speaking, he took out his Family Token. After a few breaths, the Merit Points on the token were all reset to zero. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming had not yet reached the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement and could not take on family tasks, thus he was unable to earn Merit Spirit Stones. The thirty Merit Points on the token were given to him by his mother, Ren Yuxuan.


    Ren Yuxuan, possessing Four Spirit Roots and aged fifty-three, was at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. Knowing that her chances for Foundation Establishment were slim, she saved up most of the cultivation resources for Lin Tianming and Lin Xingrong to cultivate with.


    In the Cultivation World, if one can¡¯t reach Foundation Establishment before the age of seventy, the difficulty of doing so increases significantly after seventy.


    Qi Refining Cultivators have a lifespan of slightly over one hundred and twenty years. Once they exceed half of their lifespan, their vital energy gradually declines, making Foundation Establishment increasingly difficult.


    Most Lin Family members, upon reaching fifty years of age without advancing to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, would conserve cultivation resources to pass on to their offsprings who possessed better talents.


    Members of the Lin Family rarely marry before the age of forty.


    Only those with extremely poor talent or those without ambition would marry and have children early. This way, they could maximize the use of limited resources and focus on nurturing the next generation.


    The spiritual roots of Lin Tianming¡¯s parents were not very good. His father, Lin Xingrong, was a Four Spirit Roots cultivator at fifty-five years old, who had reached the Ninth Level of Qi Refining Realm. His mother, Ren Yuxuan, also had Four Spirit Roots and was at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement at fifty-three years old.


    Since the birth of Lin Tianming, Ren Yuxuan had been saving cultivation resources for more than a decade, reserving them for her son while also supporting Lin Xingrong¡¯s cultivation.


    Otherwise, for Lin Xingrong alone, it would be very difficult to reach Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.


    After the Merit Points on the token were reset to zero and he had collected ten portions of Fasting Pill ingredients, he bid farewell to Lin Shixin and left the Hall of Merit to head straight for the Alchemy Hall.


    Less than half an hour later, Lin Tianming appeared before his grandfather, Lin Shigong.


    ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯ve exchanged for ten portions of Fasting Pill ingredients. I want to concoct Fasting Pills. I don¡¯t have extra Merit Points to exchange for an Alchemy Furnace, so I can only borrow your Three Star Furnace for a bit,¡± he said.


    Lin Shigong didn¡¯t hesitate, he took out his Alchemy Furnace, gave several instructions, and left the pill room.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t rush to start alchemy, but instead practiced cultivation for half a day to adjust his condition.


    In the pill room, Lin Tianming¡¯s hands formed seals, casting several Law Decrees onto the Alchemy Furnace. Earth Fire surged forth, and after controlling the temperature, he warmed up the furnace for a quarter of an hour.


    He threw in the spiritual medicines one by one, brought out his Divine Sense, and operated his cultivation method to fully purify the medicines.


    A quarter of an hour later, he opened the lid of the furnace, and fragrance filled the air. A Fasting Pill hung in the center of the furnace.


    Overjoyed, Lin Tianming took out the Fasting Pill and inspected it carefully. It was undoubtedly a complete Fasting Pill.


    There were still plenty of medicinal ingredients left. Having had a good start, he continued to strike while the iron was hot. He casually threw the freshly concocted Fasting Pill into his mouth, and the hunger he had been feeling for the past half-day disappeared instantly.


    After four hours, he had finished processing one portion of the spiritual medicine. The first batch yielded one pill, the second batch failed to produce any, and the third batch also yielded one pill. Overall, he was quite satisfied.


    After continuously concocting three batches of Fasting Pills, his Spiritual Power was completely depleted, and his Divine Sense overly exhausted. He had to meditate and cultivate to recover before he could continue with alchemy.


    Time swiftly passed, half a month had gone by. Lin Tianming stepped out of the pill room. Over the course of half a month, he had frenziedly crafted Fasting Pills, using up all the spiritual medicines.


    His effort had been rewarded. After dozens of attempts, the success rate of the final third of the materials had surpassed sixty percent, yielding at least three and sometimes up to five Fasting Pills per batch.


    In half a month¡¯s time, from the ten portions of spiritual medicines exchanged, after thirty batches of concocting, he ultimately produced thirty-nine Fasting Pills. After consuming one, he had thirty-eight left.


    Lin Tianming found his grandfather Lin Shigong to return the Three Star Furnace and report his alchemy results.


    Lin Shigong was so astounded that he stared in disbelief and couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily, exclaiming, ¡°Heaven bless the Lin Family, Heaven bless the Lin Family¡­¡±


    After exuberantly shouting for more than a dozen breaths, Lin Shigong finally regained his composure.


    ¡°You little devil, you¡¯re barely considered a First Order Inferior Alchemist now. Seeing how serious you are, this old man must reward you properly. Hand over your family token,¡± he said.


    Lin Tianming did not put on airs and directly handed over the Family Token to Lin Shigong.


    His grandfather took out his own Family Token and with a swipe of his hands, added three hundred Merit Points to Lin Tianming¡¯s token.


    Lin Shigong said, ¡°Go and exchange for the Four Symbols Furnace at the Hall of Merit. That Dan Furnace is indeed good and will help you quickly concoct pills.¡±


    ¡°Once you can concoct First Order Medium-Grade elixirs, I will ask your Third Grandfather to help you repair the Four Symbols Furnace. If there are materials for crafting, perhaps he could even upgrade it to a Second Order Dan Furnace,¡± he added.


    Lin Tianming nodded, took the token, bowed with his hands clasped, and said goodbye to his grandfather.


    Time slowly went by¡­


    After half a month of frenzied alchemy, his Spiritual Power and Divine Sense were greatly drained. After concocting three batches of pills, he needed to meditate for half a day to recover before he could continue with alchemy, leaving him utterly exhausted.


    Although alchemy was strenuous, by replenishing what had been consumed, his cultivation base steadily improved, and his Divine Sense grew a bit. He felt that he was getting ever closer to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    With three Lingshen Pills left, Lin Tianming planned to go into seclusion to cultivate for a while. He would not come out of seclusion until he had broken through to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.

 Chapter 8 - 8 - 7 Qi Refinement Level 5_1

    Chapter 8 ¨C 7 Qi Refinement Level 5_1


    Chapter 8: Chapter 7 Qi Refinement Level 5_1


    The next day, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the stone bed.


    His eyes closed, hands clasped together, he adeptly performed a Grand Circulation.


    Specks of blue and red light gathered sporadically above Lin Tianming¡¯s head, slowly sinking into the Sky Spirit Cover, following through the seven meridians and eight channels of his body, and finally converging in the Seven Sea Dantian.


    After a full circulation, his meridians flowed smoothly, and he took out a bottle of elixirs. Pouring one out, it was indeed a Lingshen Pill. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without hesitation, Lin Tianming swallowed the pill.


    Its rich fragrance and sweet taste were refreshing to the spirit.


    ...


    Immediately, he began to refine the pill, transforming it into streams of violent spiritual power that surged into the Qi Sea Dantian, where he saw the Dantian slowly expanding at a minimal rate.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s cultivation method was one of the family legacies, the Fire Origin Decision, a Fire Attribute Mysterious Grade technique with a very powerful attack but comparatively slow cultivation speed. It could be cultivated up to the late stage of Core Formation.


    In the Cultivation World, techniques are divided into Heavenly, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow grades. Techniques of the Heavenly grade are the highest and can be cultivated up to the Divinity Transformation Stage, followed by Earth-grade techniques, which can reach the Nascent Soul Stage, while the lowest Yellow-grade techniques only allow cultivation up to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The Lin Family had a legacy of over eight hundred years with only five techniques: two of Mysterious Grade and three of Yellow Grade. They had collected techniques for all Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, but had no techniques for unusual attributes.


    Spiritual Roots like the Wind Spirit Root, Ice Spirit Root, Thunder Spiritual Root, and other unusual attributes are exceedingly rare, and their corresponding techniques are even harder to collect. Even millennia-old cultivation families or top sects may not possess such unusual attribute techniques.


    The Fire Origin Decision and Spring Wood Creation Classic are the only two Mysterious Grade techniques the family possesses, each one capable of being cultivated to the late stage of Core Formation.


    The Spring Wood Creation Classic is relatively mild and easier to cultivate with fewer bottlenecks, making it the usual choice for those in the clan with the Wood Attribute Spiritual Root.


    Besides that, there are three Yellow Grade techniques. The Metal Attribute technique, Golden Gang Classic, has extremely strong offensive power.


    The Water Attribute technique, the Water Origin Sword Decision, is a sword technique that can at most control nine Flying Swords to form a Sword Array, useful for both offense and defense and quite extraordinary.


    The Earth Attribute technique, Thick Earth Decision, can congeal an earth shield with excellent defensive power but slightly weaker offensive ability, so not many clanspeople cultivate this technique.


    Time passed quietly, and it took Lin Tianming three days in seclusion to fully refine the first Lingshen Pill, his cultivation reaching the peak of the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement.


    With one pill consumed and two remaining, Lin Tianming planned to continue taking Lingshen Pills, attempting to break through to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    He continued to consume another Lingshen Pill and began the refinement process once more.


    Lin Tianming controllingly harnessed the immense medicinal power, repeatedly assaulting his Dantian countless times.


    Finally, two days later, the Qi Sea of his Dantian expanded several times over, allowing Lin Tianming to enter the Fifth Level of Qi Practice.


    Feeling his power multiply, Lin Tianming was ecstatic with joy.


    The original size of his Dantian was like a bucket, but now it was the size of a small pond, its capacity increased several times over and his spiritual power denser.


    Having just made a breakthrough, Lin Tianming did not rush to leave seclusion; instead, he continued to meditate for five more days to further consolidate his cultivation.


    After ten days of seclusion, the gains were tremendous for Lin Tianming. With two Lingshen Pills, he had smoothly advanced to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, with one pill still remaining¡ªfar better than expected.


    Advancing to the Fifth Level of Qi Practice so swiftly was fortunate, thanks to the half-month retreat he had previously, during which he had concocted elixirs and used up a large amount of spiritual power, later replenishing through cultivation, allowing his strength to grow steadily.


    Because of a solid foundation, he had managed to break through smoothly. Although he wanted to continue taking elixirs to further enhance his cultivation,


    considering there was only one Lingshen Pill left, its effects might not be significant.


    Excessive consumption of elixirs in succession might affect the foundation, so a gradual and methodical approach was safest.


    Deciding it was time, Lin Tianming concluded his seclusion and pushed open the door to step out.


    It was still early in the day, and, recalling the 300 merit points awarded by his grandfather, Lin Tianming summoned his Flying Sword, leaped onto it, and headed straight for the Family Merits Hall.


    With his cultivation breakthrough, even the speed of Sword Flight had more than doubled, the wind whistling past his ears, fluttering his blue robe loudly.


    Along the way, Lin Tianming passed by many important halls of the Lin Family, encountering numerous Lin Family members who were busily engaged in their tasks. After greeting each of them, Lin Tianming bid farewell and left.


    Through long-term development, the Lin Family¡¯s rules were rather strict, with clear principles of respecting the elderly and loving the young and distinct rewards and punishments, forming a complete family system.


    The Lin Family had ten departments, namely the Elders¡¯ Council, Enforcement Hall, Skill Transmission Hall, Hall of Merit, Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, Scripture Pavilion, Alchemy Hall, Artifact Training Hall, Talisman Crafting Hall, and Formation Hall.


    The Elders¡¯ Council was composed of the Clan Leader and the various Hall Masters. Minor decisions were made after deliberation among the members of the Elders¡¯ Council, while major resolutions needed to be referred to Foundation Establishment Stage supreme elders.


    The Enforcement Hall was responsible for supervising all clan members, dealing with those who abused their power for personal gain, bullied men and women, committed fratricide, or defected from the clan, enforcing the family rules accordingly.


    If a violation of the clan rules was verified, the offender might be detained on the lighter end or have their cultivation removed and be confined within the clan until death for more serious offenses.


    Under the strict clan rules, Lin Family members did not dare to overstep the family law.


    The Enforcement Hall was also responsible for tracking down murderers, leading clan members in experiential training, and assuming authority in external armed conflicts and battles.


    The Skill Transmission Hall¡¯s duties involved propagating the deeds and development progress of the clan¡¯s ancestors, fostering a sense of belonging among the clan members, teaching cultivation methods and secret techniques to those newly embarked on the path of cultivation, and taking on the responsibility of introductory education for the clan members.


    The Hall of Merit managed the Lin Family¡¯s treasury and all public properties possessed by the clan, such as the Spiritual Medicine Garden and the mines. It also dealt with resource exchange and proxy selling for the clan members.


    The Miscellaneous Affairs Hall was responsible for scheduling and executing various clan tasks. Once Lin Family members reached the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, they were expected to contribute to the clan, completing at least one family task within their capabilities every three years and receiving rewards upon completion.


    Family members under thirty years old who had not broken through to the fifth level could focus solely on cultivation and were exempt from tasks. Conversely, even those at the First Level of Qi Refining had to accept responsibilities after reaching thirty years of age, as the family would not support idlers.


    The Scripture Pavilion safeguarded all kinds of cultivation methods, secret techniques, and ancient texts of the family, providing suitable secret cultivation texts for those newly initiated into the path of cultivation.


    The Alchemy Hall, Artifact Training Hall, Talisman Crafting Hall, and Formation Hall were institutions established by the family to cultivate skilled talents. Upon reaching the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, one could choose any specialty based on their innate gifts and preferences to pursue further training.


    Naturally, choosing not to cultivate a skill or even cultivating multiple skills was also possible, as the family did not force any member.


    After hundreds of years of optimization and reforms, the current system was formed, which has been in effect for three hundred years without any major changes.


    Inside the Family Merits Hall, Lin Tianming appeared before Lin Shixin.


    Lin Tianming clasped his hands and bowed respectfully, saying,


    ¡°Great-Nephew pays respects to Great-Uncle Ten.¡±


    Lin Shixin waved his hand, indicating that he need not be overly courteous.


    ¡°Great-Uncle Ten, I wish to sell thirty-eight Fasting Pills.¡±


    As he spoke, he took out the thirty-eight Fasting Pills he had concocted and handed them over to Lin Shixin for inspection.


    Lin Shixin examined the elixirs closely for a moment before speaking,


    ¡°Thirty-eight Fasting Pills, one Spirit Stone each, calculating at a discount of twenty percent, that makes a total of thirty merits.¡±


    Lin Tianming took out his Family Token and said,


    ¡°I want to exchange for a Four Symbols Furnace, plus ten sets of Fasting Pill Spiritual Medicine, and five sets of Lingshen Pill Spiritual Medicine.¡±


    Lin Shixin quickly did the calculations: the Four Symbols Furnace cost 250 merits, each set of Fasting Pill Spiritual Medicine cost 3 merits, totaling 30 merits, and each set of Lingshen Pill Spiritual Medicine cost 8 merits, totaling 40 merits, adding up to a total expenditure of 320 merits.


    Selling the concocted thirty-eight Fasting Pills, he earned thirty merits, which balanced out exactly.


    Lin Tianming thought to himself that once the success rate and the number of pills produced in the later stages increased, he should be able to make a profit.


    Lin Shixin deducted the merits from his token, leaving himself with only ten merits.


    Gathering the Four Symbols Furnace along with ten sets of Fasting Pill Spiritual Medicine and five sets of Lingshen Pill Spiritual Medicine, Lin Tianming bowed and left the Hall of Merit.

 Chapter 9 - 9 - 8 Taking Over Family Duties_1

    Chapter 9 ¨C 8 Taking Over Family Duties_1


    Chapter 9: Chapter 8 Taking Over Family Duties_1


    Lin Family¡¯s Miscellaneous Hall.


    A five-story tall pavilion, built of a large number of boulders, more than ten zhang high, where many family members received clan tasks.


    Lin Tianming was one of the many family members.


    On the first floor of the Miscellaneous Hall, a giant gold screen showed rows of clan tasks in bold red characters.


    Every once in a while, a task or several tasks would disappear at the same time, evidently taken on by a member of the Lin Family.


    Looking closely at the screen, there were densely packed hundreds of family tasks.


    ...


    ¡°Find two Golden Yuan Grass within six months, reward thirty Merit Points upon completion, minimum requirement of Sixth Level of Qi Refinement.¡±


    ¡°Guard the Clan Spiritual Herb Garden for one year, reward fifteen Merit Points upon completion, no cultivation level requirement.¡±


    ¡°Accompany the Enforcement Hall to clear the Demonic Beasts from the Luoyun Mountain Range, duration one year, reward eighty Merit Points upon completion, minimum requirement of Seventh Level Qi Cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Defend Qingfeng Town for three years, reward sixty Merit Points upon completion, minimum requirement of Third Level of Qi Refining.¡±


    After watching for half an hour, he had looked through all the family tasks.


    He could take on most of them, but either they were too time-consuming or extremely risky.


    In his several years of cultivating, Lin Tianming had mastered the Five Elements Spell and Technique Secret Arts, and had sparred with his peers in the family, but he had never been in real combat.


    The task of clearing the Demonic Beasts in the Luoyun Mountain Range would not only let him practice all sorts of spells and secret techniques but would also increase his combat experience, harden himself, and besides, he was extremely longing for the outside world.


    Unfortunately, the task of clearing out the Demonic Beasts required a minimum cultivation level of Seventh Level Qi Cultivation, and he was only at the Fifth Level, thus he couldn¡¯t take on this task.


    The task of defending Qingfeng Town wasn¡¯t bad either. Although three years was a long time, he could return to the family for half a month each year to visit relatives and refill cultivation resources.


    Determined, Lin Tianming decided to take on the task of defending Qingfeng Town.


    Collecting his thoughts, he walked towards the front desk of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, had a few words with the Executive Officer, and smoothly took on the task of defending Qingfeng Town.


    For tasks like defending clan grounds or guarding assets, one could receive the task rewards in advance, since they were long-term and not very dangerous, allowing the use of these rewards to exchange for resources and continue cultivating at the new location.


    Having received the task rewards in advance, he planned to exchange them for some cultivation resources to take with him to Qingfeng Town for continuing his alchemy and cultivation.


    One year was neither long nor short, but he had only one Spirit Essence Pill, forty Spirit Stones, materials for ten Fasting Pills, and materials for five Spirit Essence Pills, which might not be enough to last the year.


    After previously purchasing a Pill Furnace and alchemy materials, he had ten Merit Points left, plus the sixty Merit Points from the task reward, totaling seventy Merit Points, allowing him to buy some more alchemy materials, striving to produce Spirit Essence Pills.


    Lin Tianming pondered silently, and soon arrived at the Hall of Merit.


    He found Grandpa Shi, Lin Shixin, and successfully exchanged for ten sets of Spirit Essence Pill materials, costing a total of eighty Merit Points.


    Although there wouldn¡¯t be much danger in defending Qingfeng Town, it was still best to prepare some means of fighting the enemy, and he exchanged for two First Order Superior Attack Talismans for a total of thirty Merit Points, spending a total of one hundred and ten Merit Points.


    After using all his Merit Points, his Family Token balance was zero, and he also had to add forty Spirit Stones to his expenses. With exactly forty Spirit Stones left, he replenished everything and then took the Spiritual Medicine and talismans to leave the Hall of Merit.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s current assets, aside from ten sets of Fasting Pill materials and fifteen sets of Spirit Essence Pill materials.


    Besides those, he also had two First Order Superior Attack Talismans and one Spirit Essence Pill, with neither Spirit Stones nor Merit Points left. Excluding these cultivation resources, he could be considered utterly impoverished.


    The task required him to arrive at Qingfeng Town within ten days to replace the previous Lin family member in charge. There was still plenty of time, and he could still refine his Five Elements Spell and secret techniques to enhance their proficiency and strengthen himself.


    He summoned his Green Bamboo Sword, leapt onto it, and flew toward a valley partway up Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Half an hour passed.


    Lin Tianming appeared in a valley, dense with jungle and large trees everywhere, with wild animals often appearing in the valley, and a small river about three zhang wide running through it.


    This ravine was a natural training ground Lin Tianming found while practicing his spells, scarcely visited by people.


    When he first started cultivating, he liked to practice his Five Elements Spell and secret techniques here, using the wild animals as targets. After practicing, he could enjoy roasted meat, with a small part of his cultivation time spent here.


    Lin Tianming sat on a boulder several zhang in size and skillfully ran his Fire Origin Decision through a Grand Circulation.


    After adjusting his state, he started to use a secret technique that came with the cultivation technique.


    ¡°Huoyuan Slash!¡±


    A giant sword made up of thousands of fierce flames hung above Lin Tianming¡¯s head. Within several zhang of the surrounding vegetation, it all withered instantly, clearly scorched to death by the heatwave.


    Lin Tianming shouted:


    ¡°Go!¡±


    The giant sword composed of thousands of flames appeared a hundred zhang away in an instant, slashing towards a large tree from high above.


    The tree, as thick as a water bucket, split in two in an instant, its severed area blackened, its moisture evaporated away, leaving only a dead stump.


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡±


    Despite performing the technique multiple times, Lin Tianming was still awed by its immense power.


    However, this technique consumed too much Spiritual Power. His entire reservoir of Spiritual Power could barely perform it a few times before becoming exhausted. In combat, he dared not cast it lightly, keeping it as a trump card.


    In the following several days, after more than ten attempts using the Huoyuan Slash until all his Spiritual Power was depleted each time.


    After such arduous training, Lin Tianming was now able to execute the technique in half a breath, which could give him an advantage over his opponent.


    Five Elements Spells could also be cast instantly, greatly increasing speed. During this time, several wild beasts became victims, inexplicably burned by fire swords or bound by tendrils formed from spiritual power.


    In the past few days, Lin Tianming had also indulged his appetite for good food, enjoying black bear paws, white tiger meat, and even the unfortunate large flying birds, such as the eagle.


    More than half of the ten days had passed, and before leaving, he still had to say goodbye to his grandfather and mother.


    Although he had followed his father to Luoyun Market twice before, he was always restricted and never left his father¡¯s sight.


    As this would be the first time Lin Tianming left the clan grounds alone, he started to look forward to the outside world.


    Gathering his thoughts, he took the remaining uneaten meat and left on his sword.


    Within the small courtyard of the Lin family home.


    Grandfather Lin Shigong managed the Alchemy Hall. There were too few alchemists in the clan and the alchemy tasks were heavy. Learning that Lin Tianming had accepted the task of guarding Qingfeng Town, he rarely came back to this small home for a family reunion.


    His father, Lin Xingrong, had also just returned from Luoyun Market to the clan and would rest for a few days before setting out again to guard Luoyun Market.


    The three generations sat under the maple tree in the courtyard, drinking tea, while Lin Tianming¡¯s mother and sister were rinsing beast meat, preparing dinner.


    At this moment, Grandfather Lin Shigong wore a worried expression, feeling somewhat concerned.


    Lin Tianming had been brought up by him since childhood. With his dual spiritual roots talent and his alchemy talent that far exceeded his own, he really did not want him to venture out alone away from the clan lands. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Qingfeng Town was not far from Green Bamboo Mountain, just over six hundred li away, it was indeed not too far, as one could reach it on a flying sword in just two days.


    Besides that, Qingfeng Town was located in the inland area. Although the demonic beasts of the Luoyun Mountain Range were numerous, they would find it difficult to cross the Lin Family Clan Grounds and attack the town situated behind them.


    However, the opponents of the Human Race were not just demonic beasts. It was not uncommon among humans to kill for treasures. There were many who would head to Luoyun Mountain Range or deep into the Demon Race territory to seek fortune and experience.


    If one were to encounter evil cultivators, odds would likely be against them. His grandson, new to the world, had no experience in survival, making it truly difficult to feel entirely at ease.


    Lin Shigong, with a look of concern, solemnly said,


    ¡°Tianming, I have been an alchemist for the clan for over sixty years, and the majority of the clan¡¯s elixirs come from my hands.¡±


    ¡°I can speak to your twelfth uncle and ask for a different clan task for you. I suppose he would give me that courtesy.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shigong¡¯s words, Lin Xingrong, his face red with embarrassment, said,


    ¡°Father¡­¡±


    ¡°If everyone were like you, how would the Clan Leader manage the family? Although you have worked hard and made great contributions, you cannot abuse your power for personal gain. We shouldn¡¯t give people reason to speak ill of us.¡±


    After listening, Lin Tianming also spoke righteously,


    ¡°Grandfather, a flower in a greenhouse cannot grow tall. You cannot always stand behind me.¡±


    ¡°The Cultivation World is filled with experts, with over a thousand great clans and families. The Lin Family is merely one of many small families. Without enduring the trials of real fire, how can one become strong?¡±


    Seeing his grandfather¡¯s expression softening a bit, Lin Tianming continued to speak, seizing the opportunity to persuade him further.


    ¡°Qingfeng Town is not too far from the family¡¯s residence, and being situated inland, as long as I don¡¯t actively seek trouble, there won¡¯t be any danger.¡±


    ¡°For this experience, I¡¯ve exchanged for two First Order Superior Attack Talismans. I have more than enough to protect myself, and I will take good care of myself. You don¡¯t have to worry!¡±


    Having said this, Lin Tianming looked up at Lin Shigong with big eyes.


    Hearing these words, Lin Shigong felt they were quite reasonable.


    Too much protection indeed makes it hard to achieve anything. Thinking of this, his facial expression improved significantly.


    ¡°Take these two First Order Superior Defense Talismans, two bottles of Lingshen Pills, three Huiyuan Pills, one Huadu Pill, and twenty sets of Spirit Origin Pill ingredients,¡± he said as he pulled out quite a few items, not forgetting to give detailed instructions.


    ¡°Remember, you must not neglect either cultivation or alchemy. After one year, you must return for a few days, so I can verify your progress in alchemy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will follow Grandfather¡¯s decree!¡±


    Lin Tianming replied firmly, feeling moved and also reflecting.


    Luckily, his grandfather was an alchemist with an abundance of elixirs, which further solidified his determination to work hard in his cultivation, to become an alchemist himself, to make his grandfather proud, and to bring honor to the family.


    Taking the items from his grandfather and regaining his composure, Lin Tianming began to instruct Lin Shigong,


    ¡°You must also look after your health and not overwork yourself¡­¡±


    Lin Xingrong, who managed the family¡¯s business in Luoyun Market, was well-traveled and skilled in dealing with people. He passed his experience on to Lin Tianming piece by piece.


    He didn¡¯t provide any resources but instead gave Lin Tianming a map of Qingzhou and Jizhou, advising,


    ¡°Remember to stay calm and composed, humble yet not servile, and always think thrice before acting!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Father¡­¡±


    Afterward, the three generations talked for a while, and dinner was also ready.


    The family gathered together, a rare occasion, with Grandfather bringing out his long-cherished Spiritual Wine. They enjoyed a joyful family meal to celebrate Lin Tianming¡¯s departure.

 Chapter 10 - 10 - 9 Qingfeng Town_1

    Chapter 10 ¨C 9 Qingfeng Town_1


    Chapter 10: Chapter 9 Qingfeng Town_1


    The next morning at dawn, outside the grand formation of Lin Family¡¯s residence.


    Grandfather Lin Shigong, father Lin Xingrong, mother Ren Yuxuan, and sister Lin Tianyue were there to see off Lin Tianming.


    Ren Yuxuan¡¯s eyes were red. When no one was paying attention, she secretly handed Lin Tianming a storage bag, filled with unknown items.


    Despite repeated instructions last night, Grandfather Lin Shigong still couldn¡¯t help but give endless reminders.


    ¡°Remember to be careful, and do not neglect your alchemy and cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, Dad. Tianming is not a child anymore, and it¡¯s getting late. We should set off as soon as possible!¡± Lin Xingrong said with a worried look as he urged.


    ...


    Lin Shigong¡¯s face flushed red, and then he spoke:


    ¡°It¡¯s my old age showing improper emotions. Go ahead, Tianming, don¡¯t worry about us, focus on your cultivation, and come back to see us as soon as the year is up!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face was calm, and he spoke with determination:


    ¡°Grandfather, Father, Mother, Sister, I¡¯m leaving. I will take good care of myself and cultivate diligently. I¡¯ll strive to return soon. Take care of yourselves!¡±


    Having said that, he brought out his Green Bamboo Sword, leapt onto the blade, and reluctantly rose into the air, flying towards the east.


    Standing on the Green Bamboo Sword, the wind caused his green robe to flap loudly. Passing over mountains and rivers, Lin Tianming felt a whirlwind of emotions.


    He had always looked forward to leaving the family residence early, to travel the Nine Provinces Continent, to see the great rivers and mountains, to witness the heroes of all tribes.


    Having left for just half a day, he began to miss his family. With a reluctant heart, he continued on the road to Qingfeng Town.


    Qingfeng Town was more than six hundred li from Green Bamboo Mountain. With full-speed flight and his speed, he could arrive in two days. Departing five days early afforded plenty of time, so there was no need to hurry on his way.


    After half a day of Sword Flight, over half of his spiritual power was consumed.


    For the sake of unexpected circumstances, he saved half of his spiritual power for emergencies. It was best to be cautious on his first venture into the world, as it was still early and there was no harm in recovering before continuing on the journey.


    Just ahead, there was a small valley with a river ten zhang wide, towards which he flew.


    Landing on a large tree, he took out the storage bag given by Ren Yuxuan.


    Inside were three Lingshen Pills, one Huiyuan Pill, one Huadu Pill, and forty low-grade spirit stones.


    Looking at the elixirs and spirit stones in the storage bag, his thoughts were abundant.


    This must have been left by his father, Lin Xingrong. It was impossible for his mother, with only the Seventh Layer of Qi Refinement and no particularly outstanding skills, to often provide resources for him and his sister to cultivate.


    Although his father was seldom at Green Bamboo Mountain and did not show much concern, he was silently contributing.


    At this thought, Lin Tianming was very moved.


    He quietly placed the items back in the storage bag and summed up his current possessions.


    He currently had ten Lingshen Pills, four Huiyuan Pills, two Huadu Pills, and forty low-grade spirit stones, along with enough herbs for ten Fasting Pills and thirty-five batches of Spirit Origin Pill ingredients.


    Two first order superior attack talismans, two first order superior defense talismans, one Elemental Fire Bottle, and one set of Alchemy Experience summarized by his grandfather.


    He also had maps of Qingzhou and Jizhou, detailed with the mountain ranges of major countries, the territory of medium to large family sects, and family residence locations.


    The Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain was marked on the map, though it was not prominent.


    This net worth, valued at least in the hundreds of spirit stones, could very well be more than what Lin Family cultivators with the Seventh or Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement possessed.


    The four first order high-quality talismans, two attack and two defense talismans, would be more than enough for self-protection, as long as he did not encounter a cultivator at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement.


    Taking up the map, he carefully discerned his location; he had flown a hundred li and should now be over Jinyu Mountain, a small mountain range the size of a hundred li.


    He sorted his possessions, closed his eyes, and began to meditate and cultivate.


    An hour later, having recovered, he resumed his journey, continuing to fly eastwards.


    Three days passed.


    A town spanning dozens of li gradually came into view, a plain filled with vast rice paddies, hardly a hill in sight, offering an extremely open vista.


    Feeling the atmosphere of this place, he sensed that the spiritual energy was far less than at Green Bamboo Mountain, probably not even sixty percent as strong.


    Luckily, he had plenty of spiritual medicine and Lingshen Pills, otherwise relying solely on practice for cultivation, the effect would not be satisfactory.


    Green Bamboo Mountain was located in the Luoyun Mountain Range. During the time of their ancestor, the family had spent a great deal to deploy a second order superior formation, which significantly increased the level of spiritual energy due to its inherent spirit-gathering power.


    Qingfeng Town, however, was only part of the secular world, so it was not surprising that the spiritual energy was thin.


    In a matter of breaths, he flew over the town.


    What came into view were densely packed houses, orderly streets, and a multitude of Lin Family commoners looking up with admiration and envy, some kneeling on the ground and murmuring prayers. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In every direction of the town, there was a city wall spanning thousands of meters, several zhang high, with a gate in the middle displaying a placard.


    The placard, made of red sandalwood and measuring several zhang in length and one zhang in width, bore the three large characters for Qingfeng Town.


    In the center of the town stood the tallest and most imposing tower in the entire town, five stories high, built entirely of marble. Its gray-white walls were particularly eye-catching.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t linger; he headed straight for the attic.


    Less than half an hour later, Lin Tianming landed directly in the square in front of the attic.


    A few moments passed, and out of the attic emerged a middle-aged man, about sixty years old, with the cultivation of the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, a clan uncle of the Lin Family by the name of Lin Xingche.


    Before this, the two had met several times but had never interacted much.


    Lin Tianming quickly walked forward, bowing with his hands clasped in salute, and said,


    ¡°Tianming pays his respects to Clan Uncle!¡±


    Lin Xingche didn¡¯t put on airs; he greeted him with a smile and said,


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formalities, nephew. You must be weary from your travels, please come inside to rest for a while.¡±


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t refuse, and the two entered the grand hall of the attic together.


    Before leaving, Lin Xingche instructed the Lin Family commoners nearby,


    ¡°Send someone to prepare a table of food for the grand hall, and summon the town mayor as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The commoner from the Lin Family responded, bowed respectfully, and then left.


    Inside the grand hall, Lin Xingche brought out the tea set and the two sat opposite each other, starting to enjoy the tea and chat.


    Lin Xingche made pleasantries and said,


    ¡°I originally thought that the one who would take over my guardian duty would be another clansman, but I never expected it would be our Lin Family¡¯s pride, truly beyond anyone¡¯s expectations.¡±


    Lin Tianming chuckled and modestly replied,


    ¡°I dare not claim to be the pride, with so many in the Wei Kingdom blessed with outstanding talents, not to mention in larger regions like Qingzhou or Yunzhou and Xuanzhou.¡±


    Lin Xingche didn¡¯t say much more and began to introduce Qingfeng Town to Lin Tianming.


    Qingfeng Town is one of the Lin Family commoners¡¯ five major gathering places, with nearly a hundred thousand people, of medium scale, with a history of over five hundred years of city construction, and an important resource of commoners for the Lin Family. Every three years, it can produce several clansmen with Spiritual Roots.


    In two years¡¯ time, it will be time for the clan¡¯s triennial Spirit Root Testing Ceremony, when people should arrive to test the suitable-aged clansmen of Qingfeng Town and take those with Spiritual Roots back to the family¡¯s territory for cultivation.


    Qingfeng Town lies five hundred li south, within the territory of the Huangyang Kingdom of Jingzhou, in the Whirlwind Mountain Range¡ªa no man¡¯s land.


    Occasionally, low-order Demonic Beasts lose their way and intrude into Qingfeng Town¡¯s jurisdiction. Remember to be vigilant and refrain from crossing the border into Jingzhou territory recklessly, for their cultivation standards far exceed Qingzhou¡¯s, and do not stir up trouble or make enemies for the family.


    Three hundred li west is the end of the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Ziyun Mountain Range in Qingzhou. In the thousand-li radius, there are no cultivator families. There are also many Demonic Beasts in the Ziyun Mountain Range, so there won¡¯t be any danger as long as you don¡¯t stray more than a hundred li from Qingfeng Town.


    Lin Xingche talked for half an hour. Then the Lin Family commoners brought in over ten different types of dishes and drinks. While eating and drinking, they continued discussing Qingfeng Town.


    Less than fifteen minutes later, an elderly man over fifty, with white hair, entered the grand hall, supported by two young adults.


    All three knelt down together and said in unison,


    ¡°Welcome, great ancestor, to Qingfeng Town.¡±


    Before the elder could finish speaking, Lin Tianming raised his hand with a wave, and the three were lifted and stood up in midair.


    Stunned, the three stood there with flushed faces, looking somewhat at a loss.


    Lin Tianming spoke calmly,


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formalities. I¡¯ve been briefed sufficiently on Qingfeng Town by Clan Uncle. For the next three years, I will be stationed here to protect Qingfeng Town and ensure its peace.¡±


    Lin Tianming then asked the elder to introduce himself and the other clansmen.


    The elder¡¯s face lit up as he began to speak,


    ¡°I am Lin Sheng, a thirty-second generation clansman of the Lin Family from Qingfeng Town, and have been serving as the town mayor for over twenty years.¡±


    ¡°These are my sons, Lin Shan and Lin Hai. Both are quite astute. I am getting on in years and find it hard to get around. I¡¯m afraid I might not be able to serve you closely, great ancestor. I ask for your understanding, but please feel free to command them for anything,¡± he added, turning to his sons.


    After saying this, he instructed his sons:


    ¡°You two brothers, make yourselves fully available to serve the great ancestor. Any lapses will be met with family discipline!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shan and Lin Hai were visibly apprehensive, nodding repeatedly and promptly agreeing.


    In front of everyone, Lin Xingche handed over the control token for the attic¡¯s restrictions to Lin Tianming and then let the three leave.


    The two continued their meal, and after a few cups of wine, Lin Xingche bid farewell to Lin Tianming, planning to rest for the night and set off at dawn to return to the family¡¯s territory and report back.


    Lin Tianming also raised a cup in respect and wished his clan uncle a safe journey, then they retired to their respective rooms to rest.


    After traveling tirelessly for three days, Lin Tianming was thoroughly exhausted. Finally relaxed, he fell onto the bed and immediately fell asleep.


    Lin Sheng and Lin Hai stayed outside the attic, not straying a step away.


    The next morning, Lin Tianming saw off Clan Uncle Lin Xingche for several tens of li before returning. He surveyed the area around Qingfeng Town Clan Territory for ten li to ensure safety and then went back to the secret chamber in the attic.

 Chapter 11 - 11 - 10 Daily Cultivation_1

    Chapter 11 ¨C 10 Daily Cultivation_1


    Chapter 11: Chapter 10 Daily Cultivation_1


    In the secret room of the attic, Lin Tianming sat upright on the meditation cushion.


    After several days of cultivation, the spiritual power in his Qi Sea Dantian had increased only slightly; relying solely on meditation here would bring minimal results.


    Before coming here, he had exchanged some spiritual medicine from the Family Merits Hall, and together with the Lingshen Pills given by his grandfather and father, he had as many as ten, a considerable number.


    Lin Tianming planned to take a Lingshen Pill once a month, which would just be enough to last a year. The remaining time would be used for pill concoction and meditation.


    Having decided that, he took out several sets of fasting pill materials and then consecutively retrieved the Elemental Fire Bottle and the Four Symbols Furnace.


    The Earth Fire inside the Elemental Fire Bottle was collected with the help of Elder Wu by his grandfather.


    ...


    According to his grandfather, the Elemental Fire Bottle turned out to be a First Order Medium Grade spiritual bottle, specifically for containing various types of flames or treasured spiritual objects.


    Without Earth Fire in Qingfeng Town, pill concoction was impossible, and it was quite a struggle when they collected the fire.


    It appeared that his grandfather had already considered everything thoroughly; he himself had been careless. If encountered in a battle of magic, such oversight could be disastrous¡ªa lesson to always be vigilant.


    His storage bag wasn¡¯t short of fasting pill spiritual medicine materials, with as many as ten sets, each capable of making three batches, and thus thirty batches in total.


    At Green Bamboo Mountain, ten sets of materials yielded thirty-nine fasting pills, already qualifying him as a competent First Order Lower-Grade Alchemist with a success rate around fifty percent, and more than three pills per batch.


    Everything was ready, except for the crucial element.


    After skillfully adjusting his breathing through cultivation, a series of spells were cast onto the Elemental Fire Bottle.


    Instantly, the Elemental Fire Bottle expanded to the size of a bucket, and a stream of crimson flames surged out, soaring the temperature in the secret room.


    He placed the Four Symbols Furnace over the Elemental Fire Bottle, heating the furnace for a quarter of an hour as the temperature inside the furnace slowly increased.


    Every quarter of an hour, a herb was tossed into the furnace, then the furnace lid was closed.


    The spiritual medicine gradually melted into a spiritual liquid, a faint fragrance of medicine filling the entire room.


    With practiced ease, he decomposed, purified, separated, infused spirit, and condensed the mixture into elixirs.


    Half an hour later, the scent of the medicine was even more intense, and merely smelling it could reduce one¡¯s hunger significantly.


    Lifting the lid of the furnace, five fasting pills hovered within. He took out each fasting pill and placed them into exquisite little jade bottles.


    Elixirs could only be stored in jade bottles. The jade bottles had a higher density and contained a trace of faint spiritual energy, whereas ordinary bottles could hardly retain the spiritual energy of the pills. In a few days, the pill¡¯s energy would dissipate, its internal power leaked out, turning it into waste.


    Before coming to Qingfeng Town, he specifically prepared several hundred jade bottles to store the elixirs he concocted. Every alchemist would prepare a good number of jade bottles; high-grade elixirs were stored one pill per bottle.


    After concocting a batch of fasting pills and obtaining five pills, he continued to concoct the remaining two batches of spiritual medicine.


    Four hours later, a set of materials for three batches of fasting pills had been completely concocted.


    Taking half of the day, he had finally finished concocting the three batches of fasting pills, with a rest period of a quarter of an hour¡¯s breathing adjustment between each batch.


    Under careful precautions, two out of three batches were successful, and the success rate had reached seventy percent.


    The first batch produced five pills, the second batch failed, and the third batch produced six pills¡ªa result that left him very satisfied.


    After completing one set of fasting pill materials, there was still more than half of the residual spiritual energy left in his Qi Sea Dantian.


    At the Fourth Level of Qi Practice, concocting three batches of fasting pills would deplete all his spiritual power, and he would have to meditate to restore it.


    After reaching the Fifth Level Qi Practice, it took less than half of the three batches of Fasting Pills to finish the process, and both the success rate and the number of pills produced increased significantly, highlighting the importance of cultivation level in mastering the Four Arts of Cultivation.


    He continued to make Fasting Pills until his Spiritual Power was completely depleted.


    In the blink of an eye, night had fallen, a bright moon hung in the sky, and Qingfeng Town was silent except for the occasional cries of children from within a few houses.


    After a whole day of making Fasting Pills, he exhausted all his Spiritual Power and used three sets of Spiritual Medicine Materials to make nine batches of elixirs.


    His experience in alchemy grew substantially; the First Order Inferior Fasting Pill now had a stable success rate of over seventy percent, and the yield was no fewer than five pills per batch, with the highest reaching as many as eight pills.


    Tallying the day¡¯s proceeds, he had a total of thirty-eight Fasting Pills, which, if exchanged for Spirit Stones, would be valued at thirty-eight Low-Grade Spirit Stones.


    For the Lin Family Members living on Green Bamboo Mountain with a cultivation level of Fifth Level Qi Practice, it would take a whole year to accumulate thirty-eight Low-Grade Spirit Stones, just based on what the family distributed.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how lucrative the profession of an alchemist was in the Cultivation World, given that just making First Order Inferior elixirs could be so profitable.


    Cultivators consume vast resources in their cultivation practice, and alchemists can quickly earn Spirit Stones and Spiritual Medicine for other cultivators by making elixirs, which they then use for their own cultivation and to trade for other resources.


    Every alchemist has a wide network of contacts, making it easy for many cultivators to become indebted to them. The risk of offending an alchemist is quite significant; they could find themselves troubled by many indebted parties, which is why High Order Alchemists are so respected, and one wouldn¡¯t dare to offend them lightly.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming stored the Fasting Pills in his storage bag and began to cultivate.


    Lin Tianming found that every time he cultivated after exhausting himself through alchemy, his cultivation practice progressed twice as efficiently.


    After replenishing the depleted Spiritual Power, the Spiritual Power within his Seven Seas Dantian grew at a visibly fast rate, and his Divine Sense was also slowly improving after the high-intensity consumption and recovery.


    The Four Arts of Cultivation can fortify a cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense; over time, the cumulative increase is considerable.


    The assistance of a strong Divine Sense to a cultivator is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.


    The stronger the Divine Sense, the larger the area it can cover; at the Fifth Level Qi Practice, Lin Tianming¡¯s Divine Sense could already encompass several miles, able to detect the metabolic processes of every blade of grass and tree.


    Born with an exceptionally powerful Divine Sense, Lin Tianming¡¯s abilities at the Fifth Level Qi Practice were probably no less than those of an ordinary Sixth Level of Qi Refining cultivator, if not even stronger.


    A powerful Divine Sense is of great significance in combat, mastering the Four Arts of Cultivation, practicing techniques, and concealing one¡¯s presence. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With it, one can control more and stronger Spiritual Artifacts and Magical Treasures, cast secret techniques more smoothly, detect enemies earlier, and better conceal oneself, greatly enhancing a cultivator¡¯s overall strength.


    In terms of the Four Arts of Cultivation, a stronger Divine Sense increases success rates and efficiency in both Alchemy and Artifact Refining, Talisman Making, and Formation.


    However, in the Cultivation World, secret techniques to train the Divine Sense are extremely rare and significantly more challenging to practice than cultivation techniques, perhaps only found in central regions of the Human Race like Yunzhou and Xuanzhou.


    In the remote provinces of Qingzhou and Jizhou, with their mere ten thousand years of development and shallow foundation, secret techniques for training the Divine Sense are incredibly rare and highly treasured.


    It is said that during the ancient times tens of thousands of years ago, there was no shortage of Heavenly Grade Techniques and strange and precious secret techniques, with numerous outstanding figures emerging.


    There were even rumors of the emergence of Immortal Realm manuals, though it is unknown whether they were true or false.


    In the quiet of the night, having fully recovered his Spiritual Power and his Divine Sense restored to normal, his Spiritual Power flowed smoothly and unimpeded.


    He looked at the slightly increased amount of Spiritual Power in his Dantian with a sense of satisfaction.


    It had been only a month since he reached the Fifth Level Qi Practice, and he still had some way to go before reaching the Sixth Level. Therefore, he decided not to cultivate any further and to rest easy instead.


    After a full day of Alchemy and cultivation, he felt a faint sense of fatigue.


    Lin Tianming left the secret chamber and walked towards the adjacent room, gradually disappearing into the night.

 Chapter 12 - 12 - 11: A Chance Encounter with Cultivators Dueling - Part 1

    Chapter 12 ¨C 11: A Chance Encounter with Cultivators Dueling ¨C Part 1


    Chapter 12: Chapter 11: A Chance Encounter with Cultivators Dueling ¨C Part 1


    Time flew by, and Lin Tianming had been stationed in Qingfeng Town for two months.


    During those two months, Lin Tianming had only refined Fasting Pills twice, producing thirty-eight pills on the first attempt.


    The second time, he also used up materials for three batches of Fasting Pills, yielding forty-two pills, bringing the total to exactly eighty Fasting Pills.


    In the meantime, he would assimilate one Lingshen Pill each month. Having assimilated two Lingshen Pills, his cultivation level had significantly increased. He had reached the late phase of the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement and was getting ever closer to the Sixth Level. He believed the breakthrough to the Sixth Level would likely happen within the next couple of months.


    Over the two months, apart from rigorous practice, it was still rigorous practice. He had not left his home and was quite satisfied with the progress in his cultivation despite the hardship.


    At the beginning of each month, Lin Tianming would patrol a radius of several dozen miles around Qingfeng Town.


    ...


    He hadn¡¯t encountered any Demonic Beasts, only a few Mortal Beasts, which he casually killed and brought back to Qingfeng Town for the Lin Family mortals to feast on, much to the widening of many eyes among the Lin Family mortals.


    These Mortal Beasts were also descendants of the Demon Race, but their bloodlines had severely degenerated and they no longer had the ability to evolve. However, their flesh was full of vigorous energy, and when consumed by mortals, it could greatly enhance their strength and vitality.


    Over time, it would strengthen their bodies and make them resistant to diseases; reaching a certain amount could perhaps extend their lives by a decade or eight years.


    In the secular world, although there were also a small number of mortals who practiced martial arts, taking on beasts alone was more likely dangerous than not. The ease with which he killed them garnered immense admiration from the Lin Family mortals, and their respect for Lin Tianming deepened.


    At dawn, the fiery sun slowly rose, its rays shining upon the Nine Provinces Continent.


    Lin Tianming appeared outside the pavilion on the square, where numerous mortals knelt in reverence.


    Under the gaze of all, Lin Tianming summoned his Green Bamboo Sword. With a leap, he jumped onto it and rose into the air, flying out of the town.


    As usual, he planned to survey the perimeter around Qingfeng Town with the town as the center, checking for any Demonic Beasts that might harm the people.


    Last time he had patrolled a radius of just over fifty miles around Qingfeng Town, but today he planned to expand the area to a hundred-mile radius to ensure the safety of the region as much as possible.


    Outside the town, in the fields at dawn, a network of rivers was dense, and large swaths of rice seedlings, fresh and green, grew promisingly.


    Many Lin Family mortals were laboring in the fields. They moved in groups through the rice fields, busy farming, chatting, and laughing.


    A boy of about ten years old skillfully harvested the crops in the field.


    The yield was very good this year. An elder nearby, his face beaming with joy and respect, couldn¡¯t help but exclaim,


    ¡°Thank goodness our Lin Family is blessed by our immortal ancestors. Now, with favorable winds and rains, we can live and reproduce in peace.¡±


    The boy, looking puzzled, asked,


    ¡°Grandpa, are there really immortals in this world? Did our Lin Family really have immortals?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there are immortals. Over thirty years ago, when I was just a child, younger than you, I saw one with my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°That immortal could fly through the air, command the power of water and fire at will, and had the ability to move mountains and fill seas. Even the ferocious tigers were killed in an instant by the immortal. I will never forget it for the rest of my life.¡±


    The elder spoke passionately about the immortal, filled with admiration and longing.


    The boy¡¯s face was filled with yearning, and he said firmly,


    ¡°I also want to become an immortal, to protect our family and Qingfeng Town.¡±


    Hearing this, his grandfather grew serious. In a little over a year, it would be time for the Lin Family¡¯s Spirit Testing. He must send his grandson to try.


    With both his son and daughter-in-law having passed away at a young age, his grandson had grown up with him, raised through hardship. If he were to pass away, leaving his grandson helpless, what would become of him? If the boy could become an immortal and be entered into the Lin Family records, he himself could die content.


    Watching the many mortals happily farming or harvesting crops in the field, Lin Tianming was also touched by their joy.


    Continuing west, he soared towards the direction of the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Ziyun Mountain Range.


    The Ziyun Mountain Range was a small range, spanning just over a thousand miles, less than one-fifth the size of the Luoyun Mountain Range, with sparse spiritual energy. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Purple Cloud Mountain Range got its name because it resembled the shape of clouds. Inside the mountain range, there weren¡¯t many Demonic Beasts. Mostly there were First Order Demon Beasts, and Second Order Demonic Beasts were rare. They lived within the Purple Cloud Mountain Range and seldom ventured out of their territory.


    In the vast Qingzhou, small mountain ranges like this one were countless, and thus, no cultivation sects had taken control of this area.


    However, with the increasing number of cultivators in the land of Qingzhou and the expansion of other state¡¯s forces, Qingzhou would sooner or later become overcrowded and its natural resources would start to dwindle.


    But those concerns were not something he needed to consider at the moment.


    Lin Tianming deployed his Divine Sense and continued to survey the nearby area for several miles.


    A few miles ahead, on a small hill, there were two cultivators dueling with magic. Judging from the fluctuations caused by their duel, they were at least at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement or above.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t dare to keep going forward and immediately retreated, finding a place to hide in a small valley nearby. He used a concealment spell to hide exceptionally well.


    A few miles away, a cultivator in a red robe said indignantly,


    ¡°Jin Daoyou, I was the first to discover that Cave Mansion. After exploring the Cave Mansion, I said we would divide the treasures with a split of sixty-forty in your favor. Yet, you, taking advantage of being one level higher in cultivation than me, actually propose an eighty-twenty split. That¡¯s just too much to ask.¡±


    ¡°If you want to monopolize the treasures, just say so directly. Why make so many excuses? Even though you are one level higher in cultivation than me, does that mean I¡¯m easy to bully?¡±


    The other cultivator, a man in a white robe with a murderous aura, didn¡¯t waste words. With a cold smile, he commanded three Spirit Swords to form a Sword Array that shot towards the man in the red robe at high speed.


    The Red Robe Cultivator, greatly alarmed, sacrificed a hammer-shaped Spiritual Artifact, pouring a tremendous amount of Spiritual Power into it. The dual hammers turned into a red light phantom and violently smashed down towards the man in the white robe.


    With a booming sound, a massive explosion erupted, and flames scattered in all directions.


    The white-robed man was sent flying backwards several yards, his clothes barely covering his body, with blood traces at the corner of his mouth, clearly sustaining serious internal injuries.


    As for the Red Robe Cultivator, his upper garment was completely shredded, exposing his entire upper body, with several inch-long bloody holes on his shoulder. Had he not been a Body Cultivator, full of vibrant blood and Qi which allowed him to quickly dodge vital areas, he might have already fallen.


    Both were extremely shocked. Now that they had gone past the point of reconciliation, it would be difficult to end things amicably. They had no choice but to fight desperately. If it were indeed the Cave Mansion of a Nascent Soul Master, it would be worth the risk.


    Having said that, both prepared their strongest attacks, intending to kill the other on the spot in order to take sole possession of the Cave Mansion Ruins.


    The white-robed cultivator sacrificed a Flying Sword, casting several spells on it. The Sword Qi on the blade soared several times, and with a spray of essence blood on the three swords, the Sword Qi became even more agile.


    The white-robed man shouted loudly,


    ¡°Three Stars Spirit Sword Technique, kill¡­¡±


    In an instant, the three Spirit Swords merged into one, sending a berserk and nimble Sword Qi hurtling straight towards the man in the red robe.


    The Red Robe Cultivator, unfazed, grasped the dual hammers in his hands.


    Spiritual Power overflowed from his entire body, and the bloody holes on his shoulders healed at a visible rate. His whole body emanated an unstoppable aura.


    After using the Secret Art of Dominating Body Technique, the Red Robe Cultivator, holding a golden hammer in each hand, charged towards the white-robed cultivator as vigorously as if he had a cultivator¡¯s body.


    His speed was so fast it made onlookers gape in astonishment.


    With a thunderous explosion, fire and debris flew in all directions. A shockwave from the blast spread out, with the two men at its center, toppling and snapping the towering trees within a hundred yards.


    The scene was a complete mess, too horrible to behold.


    After the smoke cleared and the dust settled,


    the white-robed man was seen lying motionless on the ground, at the bottom of a pit a zhang in diameter. His meridians were completely severed, his flesh blurred with blood; he was so dead that he could be no deader.


    The Red Robe Cultivator, with a pale face, stood dozens of yards away, with a hole the size of a fist in his chest. He leaned against a rock, his breaths weak, looking greatly depleted.


    He quickly took out a Consolidating Essence Pill, a healing elixir, popped it into his mouth, and sat down to meditate and recover from his injuries.


    That battle had been extremely fierce. For him, at the Eighth Level of Qi Cultivation against an opponent at the Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation, had he not used that heaven-defying secret technique, it might have been him lying dead.

 Chapter 13 - 13 - 12: Fight Back Between Life and Death_1

    Chapter 13 ¨C 12: Fight Back Between Life and Death_1


    Chapter 13: Chapter 12: Fight Back Between Life and Death_1


    Lin Tianming concealed himself in the adjacent valley, suppressing all of his presence, and witnessed the entire process of the battle between two cultivators above the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, utterly shocked.


    Fortunately, he discovered them in time and halted his motion instead of colliding head-on with the two cultivators, or else it would have been very difficult to escape.


    Beyond the shock, he was also worried that their intense battle had possibly exposed his presence.


    Otherwise, with his own fifth level Qi Cultivation, he feared that the man in the red robe would silence him to keep the secret. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He didn¡¯t dare to leave rashly, which could easily reveal himself; he couldn¡¯t risk it.


    Now he was in a dilemma, hoping he had gone unnoticed, and could only wait for the other to leave before making any plans.


    ...


    At this moment, time seemed incredibly slow.


    A quarter of an hour later.


    The man in the red robe stood up, his injuries somewhat recovered, the bleeding had stopped, and he had regained some of his spiritual power.


    He collected the storage bag of the man in the white robe and cast a Fireball Technique, incinerating the corpse to erase all traces.


    Having done all this, the man in the red robe glanced at the little hill where Lin Tianming was hiding and shouted disdainfully; ¡°Fellow Daoist, after watching for so long, isn¡¯t it time to show yourself?¡±


    Lin Tianming had not expected that the other had discovered him long ago but had simply disregarded him until the battle was over before dealing with him.


    Lin Tianming no longer hid and walked out of the valley with a wry smile.


    He flew unhurriedly toward the man in the red robe, stopped at a distance of a hundred zhang to maintain a safe distance, giving him some time to react in case a fight ensued.


    Lin Tianming spoke calmly; ¡°I am Lin Tianming, a disciple of the Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain, tasked with guarding Qingfeng Town. I was just passing by on patrol and meant no harm. Fellow Daoist can leave directly.¡±


    ¡°I am ignorant of the deeds you committed and the words you spoke just now. I have tasks waiting and will not delay further, farewell!¡±


    After saying this, he clasped his hands together, turned around, and without looking back, he flew towards Qingfeng Town on his sword at full speed, quickly covering several miles.


    The man in the red robe thought, since this person comes from the Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain and this place is merely over five hundred miles from Green Bamboo Mountain, if he reports to his clan and they send a Foundation Establishment elder, it will be extremely difficult to investigate the cave dwelling later.


    Whether he knows anything or not, this person cannot be allowed to live.


    Even though he was injured and at less than a third of his peak strength, this person was only at the fifth level of Qi Cultivation; capturing him should be easy.


    After killing him, he would immediately head back to Jingzhou in Huangyang Kingdom to lay low. The Lin Family¡¯s reach had not extended to the land of Jingzhou yet, and in the future, there might be a chance to return secretly to explore the cave dwelling.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    ¡°Since you have run into this, your luck is to blame; only the dead can keep secrets.¡±


    Lin Tianming hadn¡¯t even gone several miles when the man in the red robe rode his giant hammer, flying through the air, in pursuit of Lin Tianming.


    Seeing that the distance between them was rapidly closing and that catching up was just a matter of time, Lin Tianming was frantic with urgency, fearing that escape would be difficult.


    Cooling down, he thought that the man had suffered serious injuries and after the great battle with the man in the white robe, a significant amount of spiritual power would have been drained; his full strength would surely be less than half.


    He still had two First Order Superior Attack Talismans and two Defense Talismans. In a fight to the death, he might not necessarily lose. It would be best to fly a distance first, wearing down some of the man¡¯s spiritual power before considering a counterattack.


    Lin Tianming was in the lead with the man in the red robe chasing from behind.


    A chase ensued for dozens of miles until they were less than a mile apart.


    Lin Tianming decided not to flee any longer and landed in a small valley ahead, taking out a Huiyuan Pill to swallow, hoping to recover as much spiritual power as possible.


    The man in the red robe had used up a considerable amount of the small portion of spiritual power he had just recovered in the chase over dozens of miles. If the chase went on for dozens more miles, he would have to give up, but the boy seemed to have reached his limit sooner than expected.


    ¡°Truly, heaven is helping me.¡±


    ¡°Boy, can¡¯t hold out any longer, right? Go to hell then!¡±


    The man in the red robe, with his spiritual power substantially depleted and not fit for prolonged battle, directly unleashed his strongest attack, intending to finish off Lin Tianming in one strike.


    After executing the Secret Art of Dominating Body Technique, the man in the red robe, with a hammer in each hand and incredibly quick movements, charged straight at Lin Tianming.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming instantly released a First Order Superior Defense Talisman and Attack Talisman to counter the man in the red robe¡¯s powerful strike.


    Having witnessed the full strength of the red-robed man¡¯s strike, which had annihilated the man in white robes during their fight, Lin Tianming dared not take any chances.


    The Attack Talisman transformed into a golden Spirit Sword emanating powerful sword qi, equivalent to the full force strike of a cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, charging straight towards the man in the red robe.


    The Defense Talisman turned into a huge shield with the spiritual power of the earth elements flowing rapidly on its surface. The shield, several zhang in size, positioned itself in front of Lin Tianming.


    After releasing the two talismans, he ran his cultivation technique at full power, forming hand seals with both hands and unleashing his strongest strike, the Huoyuan Slash, pouring all of his remaining spiritual power into it.


    A giant fiery-red sword materialized, with flames burning intensely on it, its sword qi astonishing, surging forth with power several times greater than when he executed it at the fourth level of Qi Practice.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming held nothing back and struck with all his might.


    Lin Tianming bellowed,


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    Within moments, the red-robed man was a hundred zhang away from Lin Tianming, wielding his twin hammers, as a massive hammer phantom loomed in the air, heading straight for Lin Tianming.


    In an instant, the Flying Sword of the High-Quality Talisman was about to make contact with the giant hammer.


    With a loud bang¡­


    The golden Spirit Sword exploded and dissipated, but it had managed to delay the hammer for half a breath¡¯s time and drain much of its power; however, it didn¡¯t stop and continued to bear down on Lin Tianming.


    The hammer phantom slammed directly into the Defense Shield.


    With a thunderous noise, after enduring for several breaths, the shield shattered into pieces, and the powerful shockwave sent Lin Tianming flying several zhang away.


    The moment the shield broke, the giant fire sword formed by the Huoyuan Slash also collided with the hammer phantom.


    The hammer phantom held out for less than half a breath¡¯s time before dissipating into specks of spiritual light scattering in all directions.


    After the hammer phantom dispersed, the giant sword encountered no resistance as it made its way towards the red-robed man.


    The man in the red robe¡¯s face was filled with disbelief, never imagining that Lin Tianming had so many tricks up his sleeve, possessing both a First Order Superior Attack Talisman and Defense Talisman, and could unleash such tremendous power with his divine skills.


    Wanting to use other techniques, he found himself with hardly any spiritual power to utilize.


    Beyond his fear, he was left without options.


    With a booming sound,


    The red-robed man was struck by the giant sword made of flames, sent flying back dozens of zhang, crashing through several large trees before coming to a stop.


    His entire body was charred black, his flesh a blurry mess, as he lay motionless, clearly having fallen.


    Lin Tianming was tossed several zhang by the blast wave, landing to one side. His inner qi and blood roiled, his meridians were in disorder, and his entire body bore over ten ghastly wounds.


    If it weren¡¯t for the two First Order High-Quality Talismans, which absorbed a great deal of destructive force, he would have likely faced grim odds.


    With his spiritual power almost completely exhausted after that forceful strike, if he hadn¡¯t been able to kill the man in the red robe, he would have certainly been the one to die.


    At this time, if a cultivator at the First Level of Qi Refining were to appear, a single Fireball Technique could easily allow them to reap the benefits without effort.


    Struggling to sit up, he took out a Huiyuan Pill, threw it into his mouth, and began meditating right there to recover.


    After a quarter of an hour, he had recovered a small part of his spiritual power, and the injuries on his body gradually improved.


    No longer caring to survey the area, knowing it was not safe to stay for long, he needed to find a secure place to heal and recover.


    Forming seals with his hands, he cast a Fireball Technique to burn the red-robed man¡¯s corpse.


    He collected both men¡¯s storage bags and Spiritual Artifacts, erasing any traces of the fight.


    Casting the Green Bamboo Sword, he soared on the sword, flying towards the direction of Qingfeng Town.


    After half a day, Lin Tianming, dragging his injured body, appeared outside the pavilion in the plaza, without regard for the horrified stares of the common people, he instructed Lin Shan and Lin Hai,


    ¡°Do not disturb my cultivation unless it is important,¡± then he walked into the interior of the pavilion.


    Without stopping for rest, he headed straight to the secret chamber beside him, sat on the stone bed, and began to cultivate and heal his injuries.

 Chapter 14 - 14 - 13 Inventory of Gains_1

    Chapter 14 ¨C 13 Inventory of Gains_1


    Chapter 14: Chapter 13 Inventory of Gains_1


    Within the secret chamber of the attic, Lin Tianming sat on the stone bed.


    He was like an old monk in deep meditation, with specks of spiritual light slowly converging above his head.


    After being forced to kill the man in the red robe, he hastened back to Qingfeng Town. His internal injuries were severe, and he had no time to recover his depleted spiritual power or heal the wounds in his meridians.


    He summoned his divine sense to inspect the condition of his body and meridians, and it was only upon close examination that he realized the extreme danger he had been in.


    The external wounds on his body were not a major concern; although the skin was ripped and flesh burst open, these could gradually heal by themselves, and some of the wounds had already started to scab over.


    However, the internal injuries were far worse than he had imagined, with several meridians on the verge of snapping at any moment. If he had continued to forcefully engage in battle, it was likely he would have ended up either dead or crippled, and even if he had recovered, his path of cultivation would have become extremely difficult to progress any further.


    ...


    Unknowingly, Lin Tianming had been sitting in the secret chamber for over a month, not moving a single step.


    After a month of healing, his meridians had slowly recovered from the brink of breaking, and his body¡¯s condition had reached its peak.


    His cultivation had also made significant progress through life-and-death battles, reaching the pinnacle of the Fifth Level of Qi Practice. He could even catch a glimpse of the realm of the Sixth Level, and if he persisted in cultivating for another month or so, he should be able to break through.


    Lin Tianming did not rush to go into seclusion and make a breakthrough, instead choosing to inspect the storage bags of the Jin surname cultivator and the man in the red robe.


    His injuries were quite severe at the time, and he was in constant danger, leaving him no time to check the contents of the two storage bags. Now that he had recovered, of course, it was time to take stock of his gains.


    First, he took out the storage bag of the Jin surname cultivator and wiped away the residual divine sense imprint.


    The Jin surname cultivator was dead, and his divine sense imprint was easily erased. Lin Tianming extended his own divine sense to check the contents of the Jin surname cultivator¡¯s storage bag.


    ¡°Good heavens¡­ this guy was too rich!¡± Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but exclaim.


    Six Lingshen Pills, fifty-five low-grade spirit stones, three Huiyuan Pills, one Huadu Pill, and two Consolidating Essence Pills.


    There were also materials for concocting Lingshen Pills¡ªtwenty sets in total, three stalks of Golden Flower Grass, three stalks of Fire Element Grass, and more than thirty stalks of other lower-order spiritual medicine.


    The Consolidating Essence Pill is a healing pill for Qi Training Cultivators, a First Order Superior Grade elixir. If one were to take this pill to aid in recovering from injuries, it would at least halve the time needed to heal.


    Clearly, the Jin surname cultivator was also an alchemist, having collected a good number of elixirs and spiritual medicine materials.


    Golden Flower Grass and Fire Element Grass are both First Order Superior Grade spiritual medicine materials, each stalk valued at ten low-grade spirit stones and are main ingredients in concocting the Xisui Pill; with only three main medicinal herbs left to find, he could begin to concoct the Xisui Pill.


    There was also one First Order Superior Attack Talisman, three First Order Medium Grade Spirit Swords, and two Jade Cylinders.


    Lin Tianming tirelessly searched through the Jade Cylinder for the cultivation technique owned by the Jin surname cultivator. He had personally witnessed its divine power, the Three Stars Spirit Sword Technique¡ªa Sword Array formed by the overlapping of three Spirit Swords with formidable attacking strength, which nearly killed the man in the red robe outright.


    After taking the Technique and contemplating it for a quarter of an hour, he gained a certain understanding of it.


    This was a Metal Attribute Profound Grade Technique, which could be cultivated up to the Late Stage of Core Formation with notable power.


    Although its grade was not below the Fire Origin Decision he practiced, he was unable to cultivate it himself and could only hand it over to his family.


    The family did not yet have a Metal Attribute Profound Grade Technique, and this technique should earn him quite a reward¡ªit would only be known after he handed it in. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Putting away the Technique, he continued to search through the remaining Jade Cylinder, which turned out to contain Alchemy Experience.


    The Alchemy Experience was left by a Third Order Low-grade Alchemist at the Core Formation Stage. It was this alchemy heritage that had allowed him to swiftly become a First-Order Medium Grade Alchemist, amassing a substantial amount of resources and thus advancing to the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement.


    The family had never produced a Third Order Alchemy Master; Tian Ming decided to set aside the alchemy experience for further study later on, which he could submit to the family. The cultivation technique and the alchemy experience should be exchangeable for a large amount of merit.


    This inheritance was tantamount to that of a Profound Grade Technique; its value was immeasurable.


    After inventorying the storage bag of the Zhou surname cultivator, the loot he obtained took Tian Ming by surprise; the cultivator¡¯s possessions were not a small amount more than what Tian Ming had when he left Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Amidst his astonishment, he could not help but look forward to inspecting the red-robed man¡¯s storage bag even more.


    He skillfully wiped away the remaining consciousness imprint on the storage bag and sent out his divine sense.


    Two Lingshen Pills, one Huiyuan Pill, one Consolidating Essence Pill, one Huadu Pill, thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones, one Shuiyun Grass plant, more than ten First Order Inferior Spiritual Medicines, one First Order Superior Defense Talisman, one jade tube, and one map.


    Shuiyun Grass was also a First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Medicine, a main ingredient for concocting the Xisui Pill, with each plant valued at ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones. With two main medicines and more than ten First Order Inferior Spiritual Medicines still needed, he would be able to collect all the ingredients necessary for concocting Xisui Pills.


    He picked up the only jade tube present. The golden runes that twined around it indicated that it was no ordinary item¡ªlikely the Profound Grade Technique practiced by the red-robed man.


    After attempting to refine it, he extended his divine sense and ceaselessly bombarded the rune barriers on the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinder, spending half a day and always falling just short of breaking through.


    It seemed that his divine sense was not strong enough yet; he estimated that at least the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement would likely be required to break those rune barriers.


    Having no other choice, Tian Ming set it aside for the time being and planned to attempt it again once his cultivation reached the Sixth Level of Qi Cultivation.


    Reluctantly putting away the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinder, Tian Ming acknowledged that this technique must be extraordinary for it to have such high entry requirements. The red-robed man must have only just begun practicing it yet already possessed such formidable power, and Tian Ming couldn¡¯t help but anticipate the day he would unlock it.


    He took out the remaining half-zhang-sized map; the map was made of beast skin, adorned with several markings on its surface and traces of blood that had not quite dried, clearly indicating that it was not made more than five years ago.


    The bendy routes on the map traversed through mountains and rivers.


    According to the map, the cave dwelling was located about five hundred li west of Qingfeng Town, in a valley within the core area of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range.


    With Tian Ming¡¯s current level of cultivation too low to safely explore the cave dwelling, he would need to reach at least the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation before attempting it.


    It would be best to wait until he unlocked the red-robed man¡¯s Profound Grade Technique and acquired some life-saving measures before heading there. Otherwise, venturing into the Purple Cloud Mountain Range would be courting death.


    Packing up all of the spoils of war, he placed them into his own storage bag.


    Now, with an exceptional surplus of elixirs, including those gained from looting¡ªsixteen Lingshen Pills, seven Huiyuan Pills, three Consolidating Essence Pills, four Huadu Pills, and one hundred and twenty-five Low-Grade Spirit Stones¡ªTian Ming was truly wealthy.


    Apart from that, he also acquired a not-inconsiderable amount of Spiritual Medicine Materials; he already had four sets of Fasting Pill materials and thirty-five sets of Spirit Essence Pill materials, and with the loot, he now had fifty-five sets of Spirit Essence Pill materials. With three types of main herbs for the Xisui Pill already collected, he was only two herbs short of being ready to start alchemy.


    In terms of offensive measures, in order to slay the red-robed man, he had used one First Order Superior Attack Talisman and one Defense Talisman. From their possessions, he obtained one First Order Superior Grade Talisman and one Defense Talisman each, leaving him with two First Order Superior Attack Talismans and two Defense Talismans.


    The greatest gains of this battle were the large quantity of Spiritual Medicine Materials, but the most valuable were the cultivation technique and alchemy experience, followed by the Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    The status of the cave dwelling marked on the map had yet to be explored; it could belong to someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage or even the Core Formation Stage, which would only be confirmed once explored.


    Tian Ming had a multitude of resources at his disposal, all of which had been planned for use, so there was no longer any need to be frugal.


    His cultivation had reached the peak of the Fifth Level of Qi Practice, and he could take a Lingshen Pill at any moment to break through to the Sixth Level.


    With his mind set, Tian Ming decided to first advance to the Sixth Level of Qi Cultivation before planning further cultivation arrangements.


    Sitting cross-legged, he took out a Lingshen Pill and swallowed it, then began his attempt to break through to the Sixth Level of Qi Cultivation.

 Chapter 15 - 15 - 14 Breaking Through Qi Cultivation Level 6_1

    Chapter 15 ¨C 14 Breaking Through Qi Cultivation Level 6_1


    Chapter 15: Chapter 14 Breaking Through Qi Cultivation Level 6_1


    Within the secret chamber in Qingfeng Town.


    Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on a cushion, motionless.


    After expending a day¡¯s time to refine a Lingshen Pill, he had elevated his cultivation to the peak of the Fifth Level.


    He had already attempted to breakthrough the realm on three occasions, all of which had been unsuccessful.


    At this moment, his Seven Sea Dantian had expanded to the summit of the Fifth Level Qi Practice, just a step away from the threshold.


    His first duel had almost cost him his life, and if not for his substantial resources and the fact that the Red Robe Cultivator was injured, wielding only about thirty percent of his full strength, his luck might have been less favorable.


    ...


    Lin Tianming¡¯s gaze was resolute, his yearning for strength growing ever stronger, he vowed to achieve a breakthrough today.


    He took out another Lingshen Pill and forcefully shoved it into his mouth.


    Circulating his cultivation technique, he frenziedly refined the medicinal power contained within the Lingshen Pill.


    Controlling the volatile spiritual power of the Lingshen Pill, he persistently assailed his Qi Sea Dantian over and over.


    After numerous attempts, he finally succeeded on the sixth onslaught, breaking through.


    The Sea of Qi within his Dantian expanded, his spiritual power became several times more abundant than before. Lin Tianming was overjoyed as, after two days and refining two Lingshen Pills, he had finally secured his breakthrough.


    Feeling the manifold increase in his spiritual power and cultivation, should he duel with the man in the Red Robe again, he wouldn¡¯t be as badly embarrassed.


    Having just made a breakthrough, he still needed to consolidate it thoroughly.


    Lin Tianming continued his closed-door cultivation to solidify his newfound realm.


    Three days later, his realm had been firmly established.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming had three Spirit Swords and two giant hammers laid out before him, belonging to the Jin surname cultivator and the man in the Red Robe respectively.


    Throughout his seclusion, as he was recovering from his injuries and breaking through, he had not had the time to refine these two Spiritual Artifacts.


    Now at last he could refine them, enriching his combat arsenal for future engagements with cultivators, potentially increasing his chances of victory. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He picked up the three Spirit Swords and carefully contemplated them.


    Each of the three Spirit Swords was a First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Instrument; when stacked together, their power could compare to a First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instrument¡ªa truly remarkable set of Spiritual Instruments. However, it was a pity that he did not possess a Sword Array cultivation technique to bring out their maximum potential.


    He took the hammers, which also formed a set of Spiritual Instruments, each weighing a thousand jin, suitable for those who practiced Body Cultivation and possessing extraordinary power.


    Both sets of Spiritual Instruments were not ideally suited for him, but since he had never possessed a First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Instrument, he planned to refine one of the Spirit Swords. Even though he wouldn¡¯t be able to unleash its full potential, it still would be far stronger than his inferior-grade Green Bamboo Sword.


    Having said that, he took out a Spirit Sword and began the refinement process after wiping clean the Divine Sense from its surface.


    Three days quietly passed, and Lin Tianming successfully refined a Spirit Sword and decided to give it a name.


    The sword, which he acquired while defending Qingfeng Town, shall be named Qingfeng Sword.


    The two giant hammer Spiritual Instruments could only be exchanged for Merit Points at an opportunity, or sold in the market for Spirit Stones.


    Ten days later, Lin Tianming emerged from seclusion.


    His cultivation was stable at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining; his complexion was rosy, and his aura extremely steady.


    After spending more than a month recovering from injuries and breaking through, it was time to go out and survey the surroundings of Qingfeng Town.


    Since he had taken on the task of defending the town, he needed to do it properly and thoroughly.


    As always, he flew out of the town, making a hundred-mile circuit around Qingfeng Town.


    In half an hour, he arrived at the small hill where he dueled the Red Robe Cultivator.


    The traces from the previous duel were gradually being concealed by the newly grown trees and underbrush, and without meticulous examination, it would be hard to detect that a battle had occurred here.


    ¡°`


    Continuing to fly in circles forward, he encountered no Demonic Beasts, only a few unlucky wild animals which he easily killed and brought back to Qingfeng Town for the mortals to eat.


    Ordinarily, patrolling the area would take half a day, but now, with his cultivation like a rising tide and his Spiritual Power more profound, his speed had increased significantly.


    In just half a day, Lin Tianming returned to the secret room inside the attic.


    With some rare leisure time, he took out the Alchemy Experience he had obtained from a cultivator surnamed Jin.


    A jade tube, interlaced with patterns of green and ink, appeared in Lin Tianming¡¯s hand.


    He deployed his Divine Sense to investigate the Alchemy Experience recorded inside the jade tube.


    This jade tube was left by True Person Yuhua, who, during his lifetime, was a Mid Stage Nascent Soul cultivator and a Third Order Low-grade Alchemist from Jingzhou. He had perished over three thousand years ago.


    True Person Yuhua was one of the many cultivators who came to Qingzhou in search of treasures and experience.


    In the tens of thousands of years prior, a large number of Loose Cultivators from the other seven provinces flocked to Qingzhou in search of treasures and experience; those from families and sects were also not in the minority.


    Qingzhou, with its abundant natural treasures, is near the Demon Race territory, and the struggle between the human and demon races, especially those of Fourth Order and below, has never ceased.


    Risk and opportunity coexist. A great number of cultivators have fallen in Qingzhou, while many have also acquired vast resources and soared to great heights.


    Qingzhou never lacks opportunities, nor does it lack the loss of lives.


    True Person Yuhua became one of the many victims of Qingzhou¡¯s opportunities.


    The jade tube recorded True Person Yuhua¡¯s understanding of Alchemy and also contained more than a dozen Pill Formulas, all of which were commonly used ¨C with even several Third Order Elixir Recipes included.


    Lingshen Pill, Huiyuan Pill, Consolidating Essence Pill, Huadu Pill ¨C these commonly used consumable elixirs could be refined into Fourth Order Elixirs given sufficiently aged medicinal ingredients, even suitable for Nascent Soul True Monarchs to consume.


    As for the Spiritual Medicines needed by the Divinity Transformation Stage old monsters, the peak powers of the human realm, they could not be created from these ordinary Spiritual Medicine materials.


    Among the experiences were four Pill Formulas that Lin Tianming had not previously collected.


    Nurturing Spirit Pill, a First Order Superior Grade elixir used by Spirit Beasts for cultivation, similar in effect to the Lingshen Pill used by the Human Race but much more potent, suitable only for the bodies of Demonic Beasts.


    Some of the Spiritual Medicine materials used in refining the Nurturing Spirit Pill overlap with those used for the Lingshen Pill, but the main ingredient is far more precious.


    If he had the opportunity to subdue a Demonic Beast, this pill would come in handy.


    Body Strengthening Pill, a First Order Superior Grade elixir that strengthens a cultivator¡¯s vitality and alleviates pain ¨C one of the elixirs used by Body Cultivators to aid their Body Refinement practice, and quite expensive.


    Strong Spirit Pill, a First Order Superior Grade elixir that can slowly increase one¡¯s Divine Sense, extremely precious; a single Strong Spirit Pill is worth as much as a Pozhang Pill.


    Although the effect on increasing Divine Sense is not very strong, it is still remarkably advantageous, and the effects can be significant with substantial consumption.


    However, the materials required for refinement are exceedingly precious, and ordinary cultivators don¡¯t have enough resources to support such an extravagant consumption.


    Minor Foundation Building Pill, a Second Order Low-grade elixir, that can increase a cultivator¡¯s likelihood of achieving Foundation Establishment by twenty percent, is a simplified version of the Foundation Establishment Pill; its efficacy is only a small fraction of the latter¡¯s, but nonetheless, it¡¯s remarkably advantageous.


    Lin Tianming was extremely excited; Foundation Establishment Pills are extremely difficult to obtain. Every pill used by the family had to be accumulated through decades of wealth, obtained at great risk.


    This was why there were only two Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Lin Family; there were several at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, but they were all stuck at the Great Perfection Realm, unable to progress an inch.


    The Lin Family¡¯s foundation was too weak, the resources far from sufficient to support so many family members.


    If he could refine Minor Foundation Building Pills, those elders of the Lin Family stuck at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage would have a good chance of entering the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The Foundation Establishment Pill is precious because the main ingredient, White Jade Grass, is extremely rare and difficult to cultivate or transplant.


    The Minor Foundation Building Pill uses Hidden Spirit Grass as the main ingredient instead of White Jade Grass. Though also very valuable, it¡¯s far less rare than White Jade Grass.


    Packing away the jade tube, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time.


    Just based on the value of this Minor Foundation Building Pill Formula alone, it is worth as much as a single Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Minor Foundation Building Pills could greatly relieve the family¡¯s financial pressure, allowing those elders at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage to avoid dying in the Qi Refinement Realm.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 16 - 16 - 15: Refining the Lingshen Pill_1

    Chapter 16 ¨C 15: Refining the Lingshen Pill_1


    Chapter 16: Chapter 15: Refining the Lingshen Pill_1


    ¡°`


    Having been in Qingfeng Town for three months, my cultivation level has broken through from the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement to the sixth after consuming four Lingshen Pills, and I still have sixteen more.


    In such a thin Spiritual Energy environment, to be able to advance a level in just over three months, the role of elixirs was crucial.


    Now, I, Lin Tianming, have a fair amount of Spiritual Medicine and elixirs, but they are not inexhaustible.


    There is no need to be too frugal with cultivation resources now; I plan to consume two Lingshen Pills each month to advance my cultivation, and spend the rest of the time making elixirs.


    With sixteen Lingshen Pills, consuming two a month, I can barely make it last for a year. However, if there are enough elixirs, I could completely afford to take four a month, which would significantly speed up my cultivation advancement.


    ...


    The success rate and quantity of Fasting Pills have become very high, it¡¯s time to try crafting the First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Medicine, the Lingshen Pill.


    With fifty-five sets of Lingshen Pill materials in hand, attempting to refine fifty-five batches should yield a successful portion.


    That should help replenish some of the elixirs; if the quantity is substantial, I could increase the monthly consumption by one or two pills, accelerating the cultivation progress.


    No sooner said than done, I immediately take out the Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Fasting Pills.


    Before starting on the Lingshen Pills, I intend to get a feel for it with the Fasting Pills.


    After all, the materials for the Lingshen Pill are precious, costing several times more, and the difficulty of making them is much higher. They can¡¯t be wasted easily.


    As a matter of habit, I regulate my breathing for a quarter of an hour to reach my optimal state.


    I take out the Pill Furnace and the Huo Yuan Bottle, consecutively casting multiple Law Decrees on both.


    With practiced ease, I begin the alchemy for the Fasting Pills.


    Half a day later, I have refined all the remaining four sets of Fasting Pill materials.


    I yield fifty-six pills, which is fourteen more than the previous time I used one more set of Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    The success rate has increased again, which pleases me, Lin Tianming, greatly.


    Having refined all the Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Fasting Pills, I now have one hundred and thirty-six pills in hand, which should be exchangeable for a hundred and ten points of Shi Gong¡ªa quite substantial fortune.


    After completing the Fasting Pills, I continue with the plan to craft Lingshen Pills.


    I take out the Alchemy Experience written by my grandfather Lin Shigong and the Jade Tube left by True Person Yuhua.


    Although Grandfather Lin Shigong¡¯s alchemy skills are by no means comparable to those of True Person Yuhua, they still encompass the experiences of several generations of the Lin Family¡¯s alchemists, which are quite valuable.


    It takes half a day, but I revisit the experiences of both alchemists, focusing on learning from our predecessors¡¯ alchemy knowledge.


    I take out three sets of Lingshen Pill materials and place them on the stone table beside me.


    After regulating my breath for an hour, I commence the alchemy for the Lingshen Pills.


    This being my first time crafting a First Order Medium Grade elixir, I must be cautious.


    I cycle my cultivation through a Grand Circulation, emitting several Law Decrees in orderly succession upon the Four Symbols Furnace.


    One by one, I toss a set of Lingshen Pill materials into the Four Symbols Furnace, controlling the flame of the Huo Yuan Bottle, breaking down and refining the Spiritual Medicine.


    I time my movements and layer several Law Decrees, injecting Spiritual Energy.


    A few breaths pass.


    ¡°Solidify.¡±


    ¡°Puff.¡±


    A strange sound emanates from the Four Symbols Furnace, accompanied by a slight tremor.


    I, Lin Tianming, quickly open the furnace.


    Inside, I see three fragmented, half-formed pills scattered at the bottom of the furnace.


    Just as expected, the first batch of Lingshen Pills is a failure.


    But I¡¯m undeterred, I pick up the broken pieces of the pills and begin to ponder over them intently.


    ¡°`


    He pulled out True Person Yuhua¡¯s Alchemy Experience and focused on analyzing the reasons for the failure.


    After pondering over it several times, it seemed that the issue lay with the lack of precise control over the flame during the decomposition of the Spiritual Medicine, leading to impurities not being fully broken down, preventing the pill from solidifying.


    There are over a dozen types of Spiritual Medicine used to refine the Lingshen Pill, each with different properties and medicinal characteristics, and each requires different intensities of flame to extract and decompose. The flame¡¯s strength must be controlled according to the properties of the Spiritual Medicine.


    Otherwise, the Spiritual Medicine can easily be under-refined, or if the flame is too strong, the impurities can also be extracted and merge with the essence, making the pill difficult to form or causing the batch to be wasted.


    Alchemy is an art that highly values one¡¯s state of mind; the control of the flame and the timing of opening the furnace are not fixed.


    A high-order Alchemist will have a prediction for what kind of flame strength is needed for each type of Spiritual Medicine.


    Different flames and different temperatures are required for refining different elixirs, and the needed strength of the fire and the refining duration vary significantly as well.


    This judgment can also be prone to errors; therefore, an Alchemist will make on-the-fly adjustments to the flame strength and the timing of the pill¡¯s removal based on the changes during the refining process.


    But even the most skilled alchemists can¡¯t guarantee their judgments are 100% accurate; even a slight mishap can cause a batch of elixirs to be ruined.


    Thus, even experienced alchemist veterans can only maintain a certain success rate.


    The failure of the first batch was an expected outcome; even with exceptional talent, in the million years of the Cultivation World, no cultivator has ever succeeded on their first attempt at alchemy.


    Having deduced the reasons for his failure, Lin Tianming once again took out a set of Spirit Essence Pill Materials and redid all the preliminary preparations, step by step.


    He was exceedingly careful with every detail.


    In extracting each piece of Spiritual Medicine, he would use all of his Divine Sense to extract every bit of essence from them.


    He sequentially completed the decomposition of the dozen types of Spiritual Medicine.


    An hour later.


    ¡°Solidify.¡±


    A fragrant scent filled the entire secret chamber.


    Two pill pellets hovered in the center of the Four Symbols Furnace.


    Lin Tianming excitedly picked up one of the elixirs to examine if it was a complete Lingshen Pill.


    He pulled out a Lingshen Pill given to him by his grandfather for comparison.


    He placed the two Lingshen Pills side by side.


    The Lingshen Pill his grandfather gave was of an ink-green color, with patterns of dark and light green, its surface shiny and smooth.


    Comparing the colors, his own Lingshen Pill appeared almost identical.


    The Lingshen Pill looked normal, but something felt off.


    After careful comparison several times, he realized that his grandfather¡¯s Lingshen Pill had a small amount of Spiritual Energy circling around its surface, while the one he refined had none.


    Recollecting the entire alchemy process, he realized that the step he lacked was the proper Infusion of Spirit; he had infused too much Spiritual Energy, exceeding the Lingshen Pill¡¯s limits and disrupting its balance.


    This was the biggest reason for the failure of this attempt.


    Over the course of five days, through repeated practice and analysis of failures,


    he finally succeeded on the eighth attempt. During this period, he encountered various mistakes and issues; after repeatedly reviewing, checking, and comparing, and after multiple refining attempts, he finally succeeded.


    He carefully compared and observed the successfully refined Lingshen Pill with his fingers, and it seemed almost identical, from the color, Spiritual Power, and scent, it was undoubtedly a genuine Lingshen Pill. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming breathed a sigh of relief. The materials for so many Spiritual Medicine Materials could have bought a significant number of elixirs.


    The resources and time spent during this period were significant; had he not succeeded, he could hardly afford such an expenditure.


    With a successful example at hand, all he needed to do next was practice more to improve the success rate and quantity of pills yielded.


    That said, Lin Tianming delved into a frenzy of alchemy and cultivation.

 Chapter 17 - 17 - 16 Arduous Cultivation_1

    Chapter 17 ¨C 16 Arduous Cultivation_1 Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chapter 17: Chapter 16 Arduous Cultivation_1


    ¡°`


    Time flew by swiftly, and months passed silently.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming sat motionless on the meditation cushion.


    Bits of star-like spiritual energy wandered around his body, slowly entering through the Sky Spirit Cover or his fingertips, gradually permeating his entire being.


    An hour later, Lin Tianming ended his practice.


    Opening his eyes, a flash of brilliance streaked across his pupils, his body¡¯s aura stable and profound.


    ...


    Several jade bottles lay scattered haphazardly inside the chamber, as empty as can be, with only faint traces of spiritual energy and medicinal fragrance lingering within.


    By this time, Lin Tianming had been in closed-door cultivation for several months.


    During this period, he fervently engaged in alchemy and cultivation, practicing alchemy until completely exhausted and his spiritual power was depleted before stopping.


    Afterward, he would perform breathing exercises to recover his spiritual power and divine sense.


    Prolonged alchemy not only consumed a great deal of spiritual energy but also placed a tremendous strain on the divine sense, leaving him extremely weary each time he overused it.


    He always pushed himself to the limit, spending days bitterly polishing his practice without ever resorting to Spirit Essence Pills or Restorative Elixirs.


    Though arduous, the rewards were incredibly rich.


    Over the months, fifty-five sets of Spirit Essence Pill materials were completely refined.


    The difficulty of producing Spirit Essence Pills was not minor, being several times harder than making Fasting Pills.


    Out of fifty-five sets of Spirit Essence Pill materials, only sixteen batches were successfully alchemized, barely reaching a thirty percent success rate.


    The number of pills per batch varied between three and four, ultimately resulting in fifty Spirit Essence Pills.


    Combined with the fourteen remaining pills after his successful breakthrough to the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, he had a total of sixty-four pills.


    Throughout these months, he never relaxed his regimen of alchemy or cultivation, consistently taking two Spirit Essence Pills each month, leaving fifty-four pills remaining.


    Fortunately, the effort spent on alchemy also played a part; otherwise, it might have been impossible to reach the Medium Stage of the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement so soon based solely on the pills.


    Although he had no shortage of pills for his practice, Lin Tianming chose not to continue his closed-door cultivation.


    Instead, he prepared to leave seclusion to temper himself in the mountains near Qingfeng Town, to refine his realm further and solidify his gains before seeking another opportunity for a breakthrough.


    Cultivation itself is an act of defying the heavens and changing one¡¯s fate. Although Lin Tianming had excellent talents, he was not a Cultivator with a Sky Spirit Root or a Hetero-attribute Spirit Root but merely one with above-average potential.


    Even those with Sky Spirit Root or Hetero-attribute Spirit Root need to temper and consolidate their experiences to avoid encountering too many bottlenecks.


    Overreliance on elixirs could add significant obstacles during Core Formation and Nascent Soul stages; to journey further on the path of Immortality, stepping out for real-world experience was a necessity.


    During these months, Lin Tianming always completed the monthly inspections as expected.


    Now, the time had come for the eighth inspection, and Lin Tianming emerged from seclusion, appearing in the courtyard outside the loft.


    The Lin Family¡¯s Mortal Race brothers, Lin Shan and Lin Hai, tasked with awaiting his orders, had taken turns keeping vigil outside the loft for over half a year, never once leaving their post.


    Seeing Lin Tianming emerge from the grand hall, Lin Shan ran up to him, bowing respectfully.


    ¡°Lin Shan greets the old ancestor with respect, congratulations on the grand achievement of your divine abilities.¡±


    These brothers were indeed thoughtful. Aside from the first time they came to Qingfeng Town, they had not received any specific instructions, yet they continued to wait diligently day and night, anticipating orders.


    Lin Tianming spoke nonchalantly,


    ¡°No need for formalities. Take these discarded pill residues; they still contain quite a bit of elixir essence. Though they¡¯re of no use to Cultivators, if common folk stew them into a medicinal soup, it can strengthen the body, improve health, and eliminate chronic illnesses. There is enough here for dozens of your people to use.¡±


    With a wave of his hands, a mass of elixir residues flew towards Lin Shan, landing firmly in his palm, a full handful.


    Lin Shan was overjoyed but also visibly apprehensive as he thanked Lin Tianming!


    Although useless for Cultivators, even the small amount of remaining essence in these discarded pill residues was a significant tonic for Mortals. Having collected many such residues from pill production, they could be gifted to the Lin Family¡¯s Mortal members, an effortless act of generosity.


    ¡°`


    The mayors of the Lin Family¡¯s five major Mortal Towns all descended directly from ancestors who were cultivators, though their bloodlines had become extremely diluted over dozens of generations. Nevertheless, the probability of a cultivator emerging from their lineage was still higher than that of average mortals, and leaving a good karma for oneself was certainly not improper.


    Lin Tianming no longer paid attention and, summoning the Qingfeng Sword, flew towards the outskirts of Qingfeng Town.


    In half a day¡¯s time, he carefully patrolled the area within a hundred miles around Qingfeng Town and had already slain more than ten Mortal Beasts.


    Releasing all his Divine Sense, every animal and plant within ten miles flashed through his mind.


    ¡°Huh,¡±


    After almost half a year stationed in Qingfeng Town, he had never encountered Demonic Beasts. However, today, he ran into a Striped Crocodile.


    The Striped Crocodile was a Middle Stage First-Order Monster Beast. Adult Striped Crocodiles were Second Order Middle Stage beasts, so this one must only be a juvenile.


    Striped Crocodiles were gregarious creatures, with smaller groups numbering over ten and larger ones having over a hundred. It was strange to see just one in this place.


    This place was over a hundred miles to the west of Qingfeng Town, less than a hundred miles from the outer periphery of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range. Logically, Monster Beasts shouldn¡¯t appear here.


    Having discovered one, there was naturally no reason to let it go. It would serve as an opportunity to temper himself since it was the first time he had encountered a Monster Beast and thus was also the first time he would duel with one.


    He drove the Qingfeng Sword at full power, turning it into a streak of cyan escape light, heading straight for the Monster Beast several miles away.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming appeared in a small valley. The valley stretched for more than ten miles, with dense forests on both sides and a river more than thirty feet wide flowing across the valley floor.


    The river flowed from west to east, with the upstream being precisely the Purple Cloud Mountain Range. This Striped Crocodile must have come downstream along this river.


    The calm river occasionally rippled slightly, making it very difficult to notice anything unusual without careful observation.


    A Striped Crocodile, three zhang wide and over ten zhang long, was hiding at the bottom of the river, swimming quickly upstream.


    The creature must have sensed Lin Tianming¡¯s formidable presence and, knowing it could not match him, had decided to hide under the water and flee.


    ¡°Hmph,¡±


    Do you think you can get away by hiding? I won¡¯t be able to deal with you?


    This expedition for cultivation experience might last as short as half a month or as long as several months, with no way to determine an exact time.


    He must clear out the beasts within a hundred miles. If during his journey of cultivation one of them ran toward Qingfeng Town, countless mortals would surely be met with tragedy.


    Summoning the Qingfeng Sword, he infused it with a large amount of Spiritual Energy. The sword became a streak of cyan light and moved with incredible speed.


    ¡°With a loud boom,¡±


    The cyan sword light split the river, a few dozen zhang deep, and without any hesitation, rushed towards the Striped Crocodile.


    The Striped Crocodile moved its massive body quickly and agilely at the bottom of the river, likely aware that it couldn¡¯t evade Lin Tianming¡¯s attack.


    Suddenly, it turned its head and shot a water sword from its vast mouth. The water sword was half a zhang thick and rapidly shot towards the cyan giant sword.


    The two attacks collided with a thunderous roar and only held for the briefest of moments before they exploded.


    The river churned continuously, and the powerful shockwave threw fish and shrimp onto the banks, while many were torn to pieces.


    With a single easy strike deflected by the Striped Crocodile, Lin Tianming was not irritated. He made three more swift sword slashes, attacking the Striped Crocodile once again.


    The Striped Crocodile did not attempt to dodge; instead, it spat out water swords while rapidly moving towards Lin Tianming.


    All three water swords exploded in front, blocking the attacks released by Lin Tianming. As the explosions covered its movements, the Striped Crocodile opened its gaping maw and charged directly at Lin Tianming.


    Without any panic, Lin Tianming quickly executed the Technique Secret Art, Huoyuan Slash, turning it into a fiery sword, heading straight for the Striped Crocodile¡¯s gaping mouth.


    With a loud bang, the Striped Crocodile¡¯s body twisted wildly, rolling dozens of times in the river before floating motionless on the surface.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s unrestrained strike had sent the fiery sword straight into the maw of the Striped Crocodile, pulverizing its insides completely, thus ending its life.


    Lin Tianming quickly tidied up the battlefield, skinned the Striped Crocodile with haste, extracted a pure white Demon Core from its body, then cut off its four sharp claws and the whole tail before leaving on his sword.

 Chapter 18 - 18 - 17 Investigating the Cave Dwelling_1

    Chapter 18 ¨C 17 Investigating the Cave Dwelling_1


    Chapter 18: Chapter 17 Investigating the Cave Dwelling_1


    A few hours later¡­


    A streak of azure light shot across the sky, as Lin Tianming stood atop the Qingfeng Sword, appearing in a small valley over two hundred miles west of Qingfeng Town.


    This was the peripheral area of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range, a large expanse of hills teeming with lush vegetation and dense foliage, with small mountains hundreds of feet tall dotting the landscape.


    Having carefully scouted the area within a hundred miles of Qingfeng Town and eliminated a large number of mortal beasts, he had ensured no worries lay in wait to disrupt his journey of training and experience.


    Killing the Striped Crocodile, he obtained some materials for weapon forging, its hide could be combined with other materials to craft a set of defensive inner armor, whose defensive power would surely not be lacking.


    The long tail, on the other hand, could be used to craft a whip-like attack spirit weapon, which was also worth a good number of spirit stones, not to be squandered.


    ...


    As dusk approached, since demonic beasts were mostly nocturnal, it was unwise to enter the Purple Cloud Mountain Range at this time. It would be safer to set out after dawn the next day.


    Lin Tianming landed on top of a small mountain, drew the Qingfeng Sword, and hacked more than ten times, chiseling out a cavern of several zhangs on a giant stone wall, creating a simple cave mansion to rest for the night so he could recover and then enter the Purple Cloud Mountain Range in good condition.


    He weaved a few spells with his fingers, setting up some simple illusions to cover the entrance of the cave mansion, then stepped inside.


    Seen from the outside, this place was covered by a forest. Dozens of trees of various sizes obscured the entire rock wall. Such defenses could easily deter low-order monster beasts, but against high-order monster beasts or cultivators, they would provide no hiding place.


    Inside the secret chamber, Lin Tianming wore an expression of hesitation and indecision.


    This journey was bound to be brief, after all, he had his duty to protect the town. Leaving without permission for too long, should anything happen, would be difficult to justify to his clan.


    However, the uncertainties of training were beyond control, and no one could predict what might happen.


    His cultivation was not high; although the Purple Cloud Mountain Range was just a small mountain range, unlikely to house high-order demonic beasts, there were definitely plenty of second-order demonic beasts, as proven by the Striped Crocodile he had just killed.


    After pondering deeply for half an hour, Lin Tianming made a decision.


    He would keep the duration of this trip to within three months and wouldn¡¯t blindly traverse the Purple Cloud Mountain Range.


    The map he had obtained from killing the man in the red robe, likely created by the murdered man himself, marked the location of the cave mansion ruins he had mentioned.


    ¡°Since they managed to explore once without harm, it should not be too dangerous!¡± Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    No sooner had he finished speaking than he spread out the map in front of him, studying it closely.


    According to the routes on the map, there were several circled locations, likely the territories of certain demonic beast clans. He would confirm the route once again, and if it proved too perilous, he would abandon it, perhaps exploring it after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. Merely scouting the path should carry little risk.


    After considering his plan for an hour, he started cultivating to recuperate and restore his state. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next day at dawn, the morning sunlight shone into the valley, as flocks of birds flew over the mountain tops.


    Lin Tianming appeared outside the stone wall, dispelled the illusions, and chopped down a few large trees to cover up the cave where he had rested the night before.


    Taking out the map, he carefully determined the direction and then began running swiftly. His speed matched that of a cheetah charging at full force, extremely agile as he headed further into the Purple Cloud Mountain Range.


    The reason for not using sword flight was that flying in the territories of demonic beasts was extremely dangerous. Without any cover, being such an obvious target makes one easily detected, and even directly attacked, posing great danger.


    After half a day, Lin Tianming arrived just outside an area known as the Stone Forest, where the trees were sparse and countless large rocks lay haphazardly together, creating an eerily silent and bizarre scene.


    Lin Tianming carefully discerned his direction. At this point, he had already crossed the periphery of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range; along the way, he hadn¡¯t encountered many demonic beasts, only a few first-order inferior ones.


    Lin Tianming had no desire to fight unnecessarily. He avoided conflict where he could, and if pursued relentlessly, he would kill quickly, retrieve the demon core and make a swift departure.


    Utilizing his divine sense, he cautiously scanned the surrounding area for several miles. From this place, he should be entering the inner region of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range.


    ¡°Huh¡­ Earth Spirit Ganoderma¡­¡±


    He could see seven Earth Spirit Ganoderma growing within the crevices of the stone wall, each as large as a brick and dazzlingly colorful on the surface, a feast for the eyes.


    Moreover, there were over thirty Earth Mysterious Mice, most of which were at the First Order Initial Phase, but three were Demonic Beasts at the First Order Middle Stage, with one nearly advancing to the First Order Late Stage.


    The Earth Spirit Ganoderma was a First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Medicine, and one of the main ingredients for refining Xisui Pills. Lin Tianming had already gathered Golden Flower Grass, Fire Element Grass, and Shuiyun Grass. If he could acquire this Earth Spirit Ganoderma, he would only be short of the Mystical Vine Flower to refine the Xisui Pill.


    The Earth Mysterious Mouse was an earth-attribute Demonic Beast, with thick skin and sharp teeth, and it moved incredibly fast. It was fond of eating earth-attribute Spirit Material and earth-attribute ores; this clump of Earth Spirit Ganoderma was likely their food that they were guarding.


    Lin Tianming thought calmly. There were many of them, and although most were First Order Inferior Demonic Beasts that posed no harm to him, if he were to be surrounded by a few Superior Beasts, he might have a difficult time escaping.


    If he left, there would be no risk in bypassing this place.


    But looking at those seven Earth Spirit Ganoderma, he truly could not bear to give them up.


    If it were any other Spiritual Medicine, he might have considered the risk too high and given up directly, but this was one of the five main ingredients for refining Xisui Pills, a rare find that¡¯s not easily encountered again if missed.


    He had quite a few First Order Superior Talismans, so at worst, he would expend one or two of them. As long as he wasn¡¯t surrounded, he could fight or run if defeat seemed imminent.


    No more hesitation¡ªhe acted!


    Lin Tianming transformed into a streak of light, covering several meters in a blink, and charged directly toward the clump of Earth Spirit Ganoderma.


    The three Middle Stage First Order Earth Mysterious Mice were the first to react. Opening their mouths wide as buckets, they lunged at Lin Tianming¡¯s head with a bite.


    Lin Tianming summoned the Qingfeng Sword and swung it with all his might, sending a sweeping Sword Qi towards the numerous mouse horde.


    With several crackling sounds¡­


    A few Initial Phase First Order Earth Mysterious Mice couldn¡¯t dodge in time and were sent flying, painfully slamming into a stone wall beside them, and no longer able to stand up, they could only howl in agony.


    Lin Tianming drew a breath of cold air, pushed the Qingfeng Sword to its limit, and chopped at the Inferior Earth Mysterious Mice, only to see that they didn¡¯t die, a testament to the formidable defense of these earth-attributed Demonic Beasts.


    After slashing with three more swords, all the Earth Mysterious Mice began to leap and dodge to the left and right.


    Seizing the moment while they dodged the Sword Qi, he sprinted full force toward the Spiritual Medicines.


    Three breaths later, Lin Tianming successfully reached the top of the stone wall, quickly scooped up an Earth Spirit Ganoderma with the Qingfeng Sword, and stored it in his storage bag.


    The three Middle Stage First Order Earth Mysterious Mice were thoroughly enraged and simultaneously spewed a few chunks of jade stones from their bellies. The stones smashed toward Lin Tianming with astonishing speed. Being hit by even one could end in severe injury or death.


    Just as the stones were about to hit Lin Tianming, he had already collected five Earth Spirit Ganoderma, with two left behind, he could only give up on them. He took out a First Order Superior Defense Talisman and transformed it into a shield in front of him.


    With a loud explosion, shockwaves rippled.


    Using the sound and shockwaves from the explosion, Lin Tianming swiftly fled on his sword, speedier than before.


    Behind him, a group of Earth Mysterious Mice chased, but after a full circuit, they stopped pursuing. It seemed like he had left their territory, so they reluctantly retreated.


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming landed on top of a massive pine tree. Affected by the explosion¡¯s impact, his body was struck by a searing pain, but fortunately, he had retreated in time, and his injuries were not serious.


    He was also lucky to have acted decisively, avoiding a head-on conflict. The Qingfeng Sword, when struck against the First Order Inferior Earth Mysterious Mice, only inflicted severe wounds, disabling their ability to fight.


    Otherwise, with the defensive power of the Middle Stage Earth Mysterious Mice, it would have been impossible for him to deal with them.


    This collection of Spiritual Medicine cost him a First Order Superior Defensive Talisman. The value of the talisman was almost equivalent to an Earth Spirit Ganoderma, but he succeeded in obtaining five century-old Earth Spirit Ganoderma.


    All things considered, he still made a considerable gain, and it wasn¡¯t in vain that he risked harvesting the medicine.


    With a smile on his face, Lin Tianming took out the several Earth Spirit Ganoderma and carefully stored each in a specially made Jade Box to prevent the loss of their medicinal properties, waiting to collect the Mystical Vine Flower to attempt refining the Xisui Pill.


    After storing the Earth Spirit Ganoderma in his storage bag, he sat atop the tree and began to meditate and regulate his breath, waiting to recover his full condition.

 Chapter 19 - 19 - 18: Slaying the Spirit-Connecting Python_1

    Chapter 19 ¨C 18: Slaying the Spirit-Connecting Python_1


    Chapter 19: Chapter 18: Slaying the Spirit-Connecting Python_1


    The next morning, Lin Tianming opened his eyes.


    It had been nine days since he left Qingfeng Town Clan Territory. During these nine days, he had traveled by day and rested at night to recuperate and ensure his condition was stable.


    After a night of recuperating, his body was filled with strength, and both his spirit and Divine Sense had reached their peak state. He was about to set off once more and tread the path of exploration. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming took out the map and carefully observed the situation and directions of this area.


    He should now be near Qinghe Mountain, less than a hundred miles away from the cave dwelling¡¯s location.


    This place had already entered the central area of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range. First Order Late Stage Demon Beasts were everywhere, and he had to be fully alert, otherwise danger could strike at any time.


    ...


    Having confirmed the direction, Lin Tianming summoned his Qingfeng Sword and held a First Order Defense Talisman in his hand, carefully making his way through the jungle, not moving as fast as before.


    Lin Tianming was extremely cautious, taking a step and then using his Divine Sense, observing his surroundings for any dangers before continuing on his journey.


    After half a day, he had only covered a little over thirty miles. During that time, he encountered many First Order Inferior and Medium Grade Spiritual Medicine, which he collected one by one.


    Lin Tianming was elated as he put three Purple Mysterious Flowers into his storage bag, which already contained more than twenty First Order Spiritual Medicine.


    Seeing so many Spiritual Medicine materials, Lin Tianming frowned slightly. Even if he didn¡¯t locate the cave dwelling, with the Spirit Medicine materials collected over the past few days, the value had reached no less than a hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s journey of over thirty miles had been very safe, without encountering a single demon beast. However, the abnormality indicated that something strange was going on.


    Lin Tianming stopped and carefully observed his surroundings.


    Three peaks converged at this place, with several rivers converging at the bottom of the valley. A dense mist covered the entire valley, severely limiting his Divine Sense, which could only probe a few hundred feet. There were dozens of caves of various sizes in the mountains, and it was unclear where they led.


    Taking out the map, he carefully compared his position and realized he had deviated over thirty miles from the route.


    It seemed that his greed for the low-tier Spiritual Medicine had clouded his vision, gradually causing him to stray from the path.


    Lin Tianming decided to return the way he came, to the place where he had previously sat and recuperated, and then restart his journey following the route on the map.


    Just as he was about to turn his head to leave, he lifted his eyes to see that, without his notice, a gigantic python, dozens of meters in length, had raised its enormous head and was looking at him, hissing with a long forked tongue, looking extremely terrifying.


    ¡°A First Order Late Stage Spirit-Connecting Python!¡±


    It was actually a Spirit-Connecting Python. An adult Spirit-Connecting Python was a Second Order Late Phase Beast, carrying a hint of the ancient dragon¡¯s bloodline, with unparalleled attacking power. Among Second Order Demonic Beasts, it was one of the most formidable.


    Seeing the dozen or so caves of varying sizes on this section of the mountain, it was likely a den belonging to a group of Spirit-Connecting Pythons.


    It was critical to escape immediately, as waiting for an even stronger Spirit-Connecting Python to emerge meant certain death.


    Lin Tianming, fully aware of this, turned and transformed into a streak of green light, quickly weaving through the forest.


    As Lin Tianming fled, the Spirit-Connecting Python watching him swiftly twisted its body, pursuing him. Despite its massive size, it moved through the forest with great agility.


    Having only run a few miles, Lin Tianming was already caught up by the Spirit-Connecting Python.


    The Spirit-Connecting Python opened its vast mouth and lunged straight for Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming leaped, swiftly dodging behind a big tree and avoiding the Spirit-Connecting Python¡¯s deadly strike.


    Several large trees were bitten in half, their thirty-meter-high trunks crashing down, while Lin Tianming was panting next to a large tree.


    It seemed that escaping was not going to be easy.


    The speed of this Spirit-Connecting Python was at least half faster than Lin Tianming¡¯s¡ªcompeting in speed was certainly not an option. His only chance of escape was to either beat back the serpent or kill it.


    The piercing pain in his arm and a few palm-sized scars brought Lin Tianming back to the present.


    The mere droplets of the python¡¯s saliva had corroded his arm, its venom fiercely potent indeed, befitting the exceptional among First Order Demonic Beasts.


    Ignoring the injuries on his arm, Lin Tianming¡¯s entire body shone with spiritual light.


    He drew out the Qingfeng Sword, slashed several times, and without concern for the precious Spirit Stones, immediately brought out a First Order Superior Attack Talisman.


    A blue giant sword and several sword Qis charged straight at the Spirit-Connecting Python.


    The Spirit-Connecting Python was no less fierce, sweeping its tail as thick as a water barrel directly at Lin Tianming.


    The azure sword clashed with the green and white tail of the python, metal-on-metal sounds echoing throughout the valley. Immediately, sparks flew in all directions, and trees fell in swathes¡ªan extreme spectacle.


    The python was exceedingly furious now, its eyes the size of a human head fixed deadly on the cultivator before it, readying its next wave of attacks.


    Lin Tianming carefully calculated; to kill the serpent, finding its weak point was essential.


    The python¡¯s body was enveloped in green scales with fearsome defensive power; achieving a kill was tough. The only chance was to risk targeting its vital seven-inch section.


    Having settled on a plan, he had no choice but to hazardly approach the serpent¡¯s main body. To attack a snake¡¯s critical seven-inch section was the only path to victory; lingering longer only spelled greater danger if he wished to leave safely.


    He slashed thrice more, drawing the python¡¯s attention.


    Availing of its momentary distraction, Lin Tianming moved swiftly. His body turned into a blur, and while moving, he didn¡¯t forget to form hand seals, directly summoning his strongest Divine Skill, Fire Origin Decision.


    Half a breath later¡­


    The fiery giant sword, with a massive blaze, struck the python right below its head at the seven-inch position.


    With a thunderous boom!


    The seven-inch section of the python burst into bloodshed. Its massive body twisted frantically, blood spurting all around, a ghastly sight to behold.


    In torment, the Spirit-Connecting Python rolled, lashing out with its remaining strength, sweeping its enormous tail at Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t evade in time and got struck by the tail¡¯s end, sustaining minor damage¡ªseveral ribs broken, a gash across the chest revealing a grim white bone.


    Dragging his injured body, Lin Tianming showed no mercy, furiously continuing to wield the Qingfeng Sword, gutting the python.


    Strike when the enemy is sick, take their life¡ªafter all, compassion for an enemy is irresponsibility towards oneself, a truth well known to all.


    After some moments, Lin Tianming extracted the Demon Core from the Spirit-Connecting Python, cut off the reverse scale on its back, and took out a Jade Bottle to gather a large amount of blood, nearly enough to fill a small pond.


    Before leaving, he also peeled off the python¡¯s skin and stored it in a bag, transforming into a shadow and retracing the path he¡¯d come by.


    Half a day passed.


    Following the path he had taken, Lin Tianming returned to his previous route on the map, settling down cross-legged atop the canopy of a large tree.


    He had been too busy fleeing to recover his mana or tend to his injuries.


    Once out of danger, he hurriedly took out a Huadu Pill and a Consolidating Essence Pill. The power of both elixirs rapidly mended his body¡¯s meridians and internal organs.

 Chapter 20 - 20 - 19 Successfully Entering _1

    Chapter 20 ¨C 19 Successfully Entering _1


    Chapter 20: Chapter 19 Successfully Entering _1


    Five days quietly passed, and Lin Tianming slowly opened his eyes.


    After several days of recovery, his wounds had basically healed, and he was ready to set out again.


    However, he must avoid life-and-death battles as much as possible. At present, he could only exert about eighty percent of his full strength, so he had to be even more cautious.


    In over half a year since coming from Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory to Qingfeng Town, after several fierce battles, numerous brushes with danger, and many injuries,


    Lin Tianming¡¯s combat skills had become extremely proficient. He could instantaneously unleash various Cultivation Technique Secret Arts and had reached the peak of his current level, his fighting strength unlike any previous time.


    His cultivation had risen from the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement to the Late Stage of Sixth Level, not far from reaching the Seventh Level.


    ...


    Indeed, tempering through life-and-death battles proved to be the best method of cultivation; only after undergoing trials between life and death could breakthroughs happen naturally when the time came. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the Purple Cloud Mountain Range, there were many Second Order Demonic Beasts. Even though he hadn¡¯t encountered any on the way, they definitely existed, so he still had to be careful, not stray from the path, and if he fell into danger once more, it would be troublesome¡ª not every time could he escape by sheer luck.


    Taking out the map, and after identifying the right direction, Lin Tianming continued on the road to find the Cave Mansion Ruins.


    Lin Tianming followed the indications on the map, undistracted by the occasional low-order Spirit Grasses he found around, pressing forward single-mindedly, solely to find the Cave Mansion Ruins as soon as possible.


    Two days went by, and with the guidance of the map, exploring carefully and avoiding dangerous spots many times, Lin Tianming arrived at the base of a mountain.


    The entire mountain was a thousand feet tall, with a bare surface, only very few trees growing in the crevices of the rock face.


    A gigantic river at the base of the mountain wound around the structure, cascading stones forming over a dozen waterfalls of various sizes, and the entire gorge was shrouded in thick mist. The spiritual energy was denser than the outside world by a considerable margin, almost comparable to the richness of Green Bamboo Mountain¡ªtruly an earthly paradise.


    Taking out the map, he carefully examined it, comparing it several times in detail.


    ¡°It should be this place without a doubt¡­,¡± Lin Tianming muttered to himself.


    Putting away the map, Lin Tianming could hardly contain his elation. After more than ten days of searching, several dire situations, and multiple pursuits by numerous Demonic Beasts along the way, he had finally found the location marked on the map.


    But upon close inspection, he saw that this place simply had a considerably denser spiritual energy and beyond that, it appeared indistinct from any other place.


    The mountain looked ethereal and otherworldly, but that did not ensure its authenticity. Possibly, it was just Illusion Technique or Formation Barrier, only meant to deceive the eyes and ears of others.


    Without further ado, Lin Tianming released all his Divine Sense, surveilling the entire mountain and its surroundings.


    An hour slipped by silently, after exploring twice, and still, nothing unusual was detected.


    Continuing to expand the search radius, he combed through a more than ten-mile radius around the mountain.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Suddenly, Lin Tianming noticed that behind the curtain of water from a waterfall, there seemed to be fluctuations of a Formation Barrier, intermittent and subtle. Though slight, they were still picked up by his senses.


    Behind the Formation Barrier must be where the Cave Mansion lay. It looked as though the power of the barrier had considerably weakened. He decided to strike with full force to see if he could open it. If it opened, he naturally had to explore it, but if it couldn¡¯t be opened, he would have to give up for the time being.


    Resolved, Lin Tianming invoked the Qingfeng Sword, leaped onto it, and flew towards the waterfall with the Formation Barrier fluctuations.


    Passing through the curtain of the waterfall to the pond below, more than ten snow-white fish, each nearly the size of a small boat with sharp fangs and teeth, leaped out of the water surface and ferociously bit towards Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Snow Spirit Fish!¡±


    Snow Spirit Fish, First Order Late Stage Water Attribute Demonic Beasts, usually live in groups. They dwell in the icy river canyons, with varying numbers in a group. Large groups can have more than ten thousand individuals. When they gather together, even Second Order Demonic Beasts can be devoured in an instant. They are indeed very ferocious.


    There were more than ten Snow Spirit Fish, only three of which were at the Late Stage of the First Order, while the rest were Medium and Early Stage Demonic Beasts. Over ten Snow Spirit Fish attacking at the same time posed a threat not to be underestimated.


    Lin Tianming, still injured and not fully recovered, didn¡¯t dare to face them head-on. He threw out a First Order Superior Defensive Talisman, which transformed into a several zhang large shield. It protected his entire body from behind.


    Over ten Snow Spirit Fish slammed into the huge shield created by the talisman. It only held for a moment before exploding. The attack of the Snow Spirit Fish was blocked, and they fell into the pond.


    Seizing this opportunity, Lin Tianming formed a hand seal and cast Huoyuan Slash. A streak of blue and red light shot directly toward the barrier behind the water screen.


    With a loud boom, the flaming great sword transformed by the Huoyuan Slash hit the barrier.


    In less than a moment, a half-zhang large gap appeared in the barrier.


    Now was the moment. Lin Tianming turned into a lingering shadow as he rushed into the formation barrier.


    After a spell of dizziness.


    Lin Tianming appeared inside a hundred zhang large cave. The entire cave was dug out of the mountain body and must have been a temporary dwelling for a High Order Cultivator to cultivate; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been so spacious.


    Lin Tianming carefully observed his surroundings. The whole cave consisted of five chambers, the largest being over thirty zhang in size, and the smallest over ten zhang.


    Lin Tianming cautiously stepped in, clenching the Qingfeng Sword in his hand. Still not feeling reassured, he took the single remaining First Order Attack Talisman and Defense Talisman from his storage bag and held them in his hand. Should any unexpected situation arise, they could save his life.


    Upon entering the cave mansion, the first thing that caught his eye was a stone chamber of over ten zhang in size. It was a complete mess; many stone tables and chairs were already half-destroyed. Time had taken its toll, with ordinary stone materials unable to withstand the wear of years, splitting into uneven pieces. It appeared that this place was a reception hall and contained nothing of value.


    Lin Tianming did not linger and continued to walk further inside. To the right of the reception hall was a chamber protected by a golden light screen, obviously a Formation Barrier. Despite its age, the power it retained was not insignificant.


    Lin Tianming exerted his full strength to deploy the Huoyuan Slash, bombarding the barrier.


    I saw several ripples flash across the barrier but it remained unshaken ¨C the calm light screen rapidly returned to its tranquil state.


    After the unsuccessful attack, Lin Tianming felt the fluctuations of the barrier, making multiple attempts to attack, but none could break the Formation Barrier. It seemed that a single person would have a hard time shattering the barrier.


    After several failed forceful attempts, he knew he needed to think of a solution. The barrier was also a formation, so there had to be a weak point.


    Lin Tianming began to study the entire Formation Barrier.


    Unknowingly, he spent half a day pondering over it. Although he had not discovered its weakness, it wasn¡¯t without some clues.


    Based on the remaining fluctuations and effects of the barrier, it must have existed for at least ten thousand years, and it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it had been tens of thousands of years.


    The grade of the Formation Barrier was at least Third Order, otherwise, it couldn¡¯t have lasted such a long time.


    The power of the entire Formation Barrier had dwindled from its prolonged use, retaining barely a ten-thousandth of its original strength. Tian Ming estimated that even if he did not attack the formation forcibly, after waiting a few hundred to a thousand years for the central Spirit Stone of the barrier to deplete completely, the Formation Barrier would self-destruct.


    But Lin Tianming could not possibly wait that long. The opportunity was right in front of him, and no one could resist a chance that was within easy reach.

 Chapter 21 - 21 - 20 Treasure Hunting_1

    Chapter 21 ¨C 20 Treasure Hunting_1


    Chapter 21: Chapter 20 Treasure Hunting_1


    Ten days flew by in a flash.


    The entire ancient dungeon was silent save for Lin Tianming, who watched the light screen intently, replaying the entire formation barrier in his mind countless times and occasionally gesturing with his hands non-stop.


    At this moment, he looked haggard; soon after, his complexion flushed with excitement and astonishment.


    ¡°I found it!¡±


    Lin Tianming was thrilled beyond measure, his days of diligent research and numerous rehearsals had finally enabled him to discern the barrier¡¯s weak point.


    In the top left corner of the formation¡¯s light screen lay a rather ordinary beam of light, which should be the fulcrum connecting the light screen. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Lin Tianming made hand signs and deployed the Huoyuan Slash¡ªa powerful flame-formed great sword stabbed toward a corner of the light screen.


    A piercing screech rang out as the light screen shattered, dissolving into specks of spiritual light and vanishing completely.


    Thankfully, the barrier¡¯s existence was so ancient that its defensive power had significantly weakened, otherwise, even if he had found the central point, it would have been impossible for him to break it no matter the tricks he deployed.


    The misty light screen in front of the stone chamber dissipated, revealing a chamber over thirty yards in size.


    ¡°Empty?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t entirely empty, for spread across the ground lay the remains of a massive demonic beast, most of its body already turned to ash.


    From the surviving skeletal structure, it seemed to be a flying spirit beast of the flying creature lineage¡ªlikely the ancient dungeon owner¡¯s mode of flight.


    It appeared this chamber was meant for a spirit beast, which, given the weight of ages, had died, leaving only its remains behind.


    Demonic beasts had lifespans several times longer than the human race, and yet, this one was tragically trapped and died here, suggesting the antiquity of the dungeon as being from ten thousand years ago.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face showed disappointment, having exerted so much effort to open the barrier, yet gaining nothing in return.


    There were still several chambers left; surely, they couldn¡¯t all be spirit beast rooms, Lin Tianming thought resentfully.


    He turned and left the first chamber, heading down the passage.


    He discovered that each chamber was sealed by the same kind of formation barrier, with virtually no difference in the remaining force, all laid down by the dungeon owner at the same time.


    This was incredibly good news. Since he had found the weak point of the barrier, there was no need to waste energy searching any further.


    Returning to the second chamber, he carefully examined and searched it again.


    Utilizing the Huoyuan Slash effortlessly, he stabbed at the light beam on the light screen; the barrier of the second chamber dispersed.


    A scattering of demonic beast bones lay in the middle of the chamber.


    ¡°Another spirit beast room?¡±


    Without looking back, Lin Tianming headed straight for the third chamber.


    He broke the barrier directly; the scent of elixirs seeped out in advance.


    ¡°Spiritual Medicine Garden!¡±


    Lin Tianming rushed in with joy, moving even faster than if he were fleeing for his life, his posture that of a tiger or wolf.


    ¡°Two hundred-year-old Hidden Spirit Grass, it¡¯s actually Hidden Spirit Grass!¡± Lin Tianming exclaimed.


    Hidden Spirit Grass was a primary ingredient in concocting the Second Order minor elixir, the Minor Foundation Building Pill. Although only some twenty-odd plants met the age requirement for alchemy, this still thrilled Lin Tianming immensely.


    The more than twenty stalks of Hidden Spirit Grass could completely resolve the Lin Family¡¯s urgent crisis, and for the family, they were simply treasures beyond measure.


    There was also a large number of True Soul Grass and Brahman Blood Grass, all of which were two-hundred-year-old Spiritual Medicines.


    True Soul Grass was the main ingredient for concocting Strong Spirit Pills, which could increase a trace of Divine Sense. With long-term use, the incremental Divine Sense would become quite substantial.


    Brahman Blood Grass was the main ingredient for concocting Body Strengthening Pills, which were elixirs consumed during Body Cultivation. They could enhance one¡¯s Qi blood and eliminate pain during cultivation, and were extremely precious.


    Besides these, there were many other Spiritual Medicine Materials, all commonly used in combat and cultivation, with most of them being ingredients for Lingshen Pills.


    Lin Tianming quickly collected all the Spiritual Medicines that met the requirements for concoction, placing them into a Jade Box. Those herbs not old enough were pulled out, soil and all, to be transplanted into the Clan Spiritual Herb Garden.


    Half an hour later, he successfully collected all the Spiritual Medicines, exited the stone chamber, and moved deeper into the passage.


    Upon breaking the Formation Barrier of the stone chamber, he was met with a ten-zhang-sized room that lay in ruins, with only fragments scattered across the floor. It must have been where the owner of the cave mansion practiced alchemy and artifact refining, but now it was beyond repair with nothing left behind.


    Turning around with a hint of disappointment, Lin Tianming walked towards the stone chamber at the very depths of the cave mansion.


    In front of the final stone chamber of the entire cave mansion, Lin Tianming broke the barrier and saw a skeleton of a cultivator, still intact and sitting cross-legged on a cushion.


    The entire skeleton was abnormally large; its arm bones were bigger than Lin Tianming¡¯s arms, and every bone in its body was larger than those of an average person, emitting a special radiance that was truly unbelievable.


    In front of the skeleton lay a large number of weapon fragments scattered on the ground. The vast majority had completely disintegrated into residue, presumably unable to withstand the passage of time, losing their Spiritual Power and turning into a pile of refuse.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming wore a bitterly disappointed expression.


    It was such a pity that good Magical Treasures or even higher grade Spiritual Treasures had turned to ash. Anyone who saw such a scene would feel heartache.


    With a trace of reluctance, Lin Tianming rummaged through the pile of artifact fragments, hoping to find something useful.


    After turning them over and over again for half an hour, he found two useful items.


    One was a Jade Tube, its surface enveloped in golden light and runes, identical to the one he had obtained from the Red Robe Cultivator, likely also containing a Cultivation Technique.


    Lin Tianming took out the Jade Tube he got from the body of the Red Robe Cultivator and placed them side by side; they were indeed exactly the same.


    He surmised that it must be the same Cultivation Technique, divided into two parts; the part he acquired earlier was the first half, and the part from this place was the latter half.


    Lin Tianming pondered seriously, if it was the same Cultivation Technique, how had the Red Robe Cultivator he killed obtained the first half?


    After contemplating for half an hour and surmising multiple theories, all seemed inconceivable. He guessed that as the Formation Barriers of the place gradually weakened, some of the remaining treasures slipped out at the edge of the barrier¡¯s collapse, which happened to be obtained by the Red Robe Cultivator. After all, such events were not uncommon in the Cultivation World.


    Lin Tianming unleashed his Divine Sense into it, but his mind was met with a hazy gray scene that revealed nothing, so he retreated, his face pale and the exertion had clearly taken its toll on him.


    This was not something he could comprehend at his current level; he estimated that one would need to be at least at the Foundation Establishment Stage to glimpse a clue.


    He put the Jade Tube into his storage bag and shifted his attention to another remaining item.


    It was a stone with five hundred mottled colors, approximately the size of a fist, with a pitted and uneven surface. Aside from its attractive colors, it seemed no different from an ordinary stone.


    Lin Tianming carefully recalled the odd treasures and secret tombs he had read about, going over the introductions of those wonders of heaven and earth, but he still found no mention of this stone or anything similar.


    It was impossible for Lin Tianming to believe the stone was without use. Considering that, over the years, even weapon artifacts had turned into dust and debris, yet this stone had remained. It must also be one of the wonders of heaven and earth, and he assumed not many people knew about it¡ªit was just him who was unaware.


    Uncertain of what it was for now, he had no choice but to explore it slowly in the future and reluctantly put the stone into his storage bag.


    After searching the entire cave mansion several times, ensuring nothing was overlooked, he collected the remains of the cave mansion¡¯s owner, intending to carry them outside and find a valley for burial.


    Although he did not know the name or origin of this person, or why they had perished here, that was no longer important. But having benefited from this person, the least he could do was take care of some final affairs. After all, it was merely a matter of convenience.


    With that, he left the cave mansion and appeared behind the waterfall¡¯s curtain of water.

 Chapter 22 - 22 - 21 Purple Gold Eagle_1

    Chapter 22 ¨C 21 Purple Gold Eagle_1


    Chapter 22: Chapter 21 Purple Gold Eagle_1


    On the outskirts of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range, a cultivator clad in green robes slowly flew over a mountaintop, heading eastward, looking quite haggard.


    This person was Lin Tianming, who had spent several days escaping from the ruins of the Cave Mansion, covered in grime and dirt.


    Along the way, he had been involved in several life-and-death encounters. Had Lin Tianming not always been cautious, always adhering to the principle of ¡°if you can¡¯t beat them, run,¡± he might very well have perished in there.


    Moreover, Lin Tianming had exhausted all of his means of fighting enemies. As he emerged from the Cave Mansion, he was obstructed once again by a group of Snow Spirit Fish in the water. More than twenty of them leaped to attack him, and it was only by timely deploying his last remaining First Order Superior Defense Talisman that he narrowly escaped.


    As a result, he sustained not insignificant injuries.


    Not only did he encounter the Snow Spirit Fish, but along the way, he inexplicably ran into a Second Order Late-Stage Demon Beast. He used an Attack Talisman to stall it for a moment, which allowed him to successfully escape with his life.


    ...


    Now, he didn¡¯t have a single talisman left on him, truly penniless.


    Half an hour later, Lin Tianming appeared before the Cave Mansion where he had stayed a night before entering the mountain range, pushing aside a large tree that blocked the entrance and walked inside after deploying a few Illusion Techniques and warning restrictions.


    Sitting on the stone bed inside the secret chamber, he took out a Consolidating Essence Pill and swallowed it to recover from his injuries.


    Having left Qingfeng Town Clan Territory just over a month ago, and not in a hurry, Lin Tianming planned to return to Qingfeng Town only after he had fully recovered.


    Half a month swiftly passed by, and Lin Tianming opened his tightly shut eyes.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s aura had significantly increased, and he appeared to have reached the peak of the Sixth Level of Qi Refining, on the verge of breaking through to the Seventh Level at any moment.


    Having been away for over a month and fully recovered from his injuries, it was time to return to Qingfeng Town, otherwise, he would have a hard time explaining himself to his family if anything were to happen.


    Exiting the Cave Mansion, he removed the restrictions and used a large tree to cover the entrance once again.


    Summoning the Qingfeng Sword, he turned into a streak of green light, shooting straight toward Qingfeng Town in the east.


    Having disappeared for over a month, the patrol task had been delayed by half a month. Before going back, Lin Tianming planned to patrol the area within a hundred miles around Qingfeng Town.


    In a large plain over fifty miles west of Qingfeng Town, numerous mortals were busy working in the fields, with men and women bustling about joyously.


    Suddenly, a series of demonic winds blew through the sky, and several older adults and half-grown children could not withstand the fierce winds, with some being blown several dozen feet high.


    Most of the mortals who had not yet been lifted by the wind ran together toward a row of large trees on the embankment, hoping to find a tree to take shelter from the wind.


    In the midst of the chaos, someone suddenly shouted in terror, ¡°There¡¯s a demon in the sky!¡±


    Hearing this, a multitude of mortals uniformly looked up to the sky with expressions of excessive fear on their faces.


    They could see the monster in the sky getting closer, a piercing scream rang out, causing several of them to bleed from their nostrils and mouths.


    An experienced elder yelled in fright, ¡°It¡¯s a Flying Monster Beast!¡±


    A Purple Gold Eagle, several dozen feet in size, came into view, with a golden beak resembling a dagger, slightly curved. Its wide wings, when fully spread, spanned over a dozen feet, and it moved with incredible speed; in an instant, it was hovering just above the heads of the mortals.


    The Purple Gold Eagle, a Flying Monster Beast, was said to contain a trace of the Gold-winged Roc¡¯s bloodline in its body. If the bloodline was pure enough and they could revert back to their ancestors successfully, they would evolve into Gold-winged Rocs, which were extremely powerful.


    An adult Purple Gold Eagle was a Second Order Late Phase beast known for its lightning-fast speed, ranking near the top among Flying Monster Beasts. However, this Purple Gold Eagle was merely a First Order Medium Stage beast, still in its juvenile phase.


    The Purple Gold Eagle seemed to appear within the range of the Purple Cloud Mountain Range by chance, likely having unintentionally flown out of the peripheral area. Given its speed, it could fly from the Purple Cloud Mountain Range to Qingfeng Town in merely fifteen minutes.


    Upon seeing the multitude of mortals, the Purple Gold Eagle dove down and extended its sharp claws, snatching up several people before preparing to fly off with them.


    Lin Tianming just happened to be patrolling the area and saw the beast causing harm to the people. Naturally, he had to take action to teach the beast a lesson and rescue the captured mortals.


    Suddenly, a furious shout echoed through the sky!


    ¡°Monstrous beast, halt!¡±


    Lin Tianming chased after it, riding on the Qingfeng Sword, his hands continuously forming seals, casting a Fireball Technique and hurling it towards the Purple Gold Eagle to intercept it for a moment.


    The Purple Gold Eagle flapped its wings furiously, spitting out a fireball that collided with Lin Tianming¡¯s Fireball Technique.


    The two flames violently collided in mid-air, and after a loud explosion, the fireballs burst apart, scattering hot air waves in all directions.


    Numerous ordinary people were swept up by the blast and were knocked head over heels.


    Many of the commoners, after their initial fright, regained their senses, their faces flushed with joy, and exclaimed with madness,


    ¡°It¡¯s a cultivator!¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face was grave as he prepared several Law Decrees with his hands, ready to summon the Divine Ability Fire Yuan Slash to directly slay the beast.


    The Purple Gold Eagle released the humans in its claws, as a cultivator¡¯s flesh and blood were more than a hundred times better than that of an ordinary person. Diving down, it headed straight for Lin Tianming, intending to kill him on the spot.


    Lin Tianming cast several spells to hold the falling ordinary people aloft and placed them on the mountain behind him.


    With no worries behind him, he poured all his strength into the Fire Yuan Slash, transforming it into a huge sword enveloped by a blue and red escape light, and it collided with the beak of the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Several metallic clangs reverberated through the heavens, and hurting from the impact, the Purple Gold Eagle realized it was no match, and beat its wings frantically to escape the area.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming swung another giant sword slash. The Purple Gold Eagle was unable to dodge in time, and the flame-enveloped great sword sliced right into its wing.


    With a sizzle¡­ S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The several-zhang-long Purple Gold Eagle fell straight from the sky and smashed into the ground, creating a huge crater.


    The Purple Gold Eagle now lay gasping, a half-zhang-long gash on its left wing bleeding profusely, bones and flesh clearly visible, and it still flickered its wings, attempting to take off and flee once more.


    After struggling dozens of times, it still could not fly. As its vitality grew weaker, the Purple Gold Eagle lay there with wide eyes, viciously staring at Lin Tianming in front of it.


    Lin Tianming did not continue to attack, but was pondering something else.


    The Purple Gold Eagle was severely injured. Killing it would be easy, but if he could subdue it, it would be a great help during fights and journeys.


    The Purple Gold Eagle was extremely fast in flight and could also be useful in combat, making it suitable for taming and cultivation.


    Lin Tianming stood aside, deploying his Divine Sense to infiltrate the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s sea of consciousness, attempting to leave his mark on the creature¡¯s soul.


    The Purple Gold Eagle resisted fiercely, but to little effect; it could only struggle and show great resistance.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed.


    Lin Tianming successfully left his Divine Sense mark on the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s soul, completely controlling its life. If the beast were to resist, he only needed a thought to detonate its soul and kill it.


    This Purple Gold Eagle was only in its juvenile stage with low Spirit Wisdom. Although it was highly resistant, it had no choice; its fate was controlled by Lin Tianming, and it could not resist, only able to whine in pain, bowing its head and rubbing against the hem of Lin Tianming¡¯s clothes, expressing submission.


    Since the Demonic Beast had sincerely submitted, Lin Tianming took out two Lingshen Pills and one Consolidating Essence Pill from his storage bag and tossed them to the Purple Gold Eagle, which opened its mouth and swallowed the elixirs before lying in the pit to recover from its injuries.


    Although the elixirs used for cultivation and healing by cultivators were not as effective for Demonic Beasts as they were for humans, they were still significantly helpful. And since Lin Tianming did not have any elixirs suitable for healing Demonic Beasts, he had to make do with the Lingshen Pill and Consolidating Essence Pill for now.


    Lin Tianming instructed the nearby ordinary people to leave while he stayed to watch over the Purple Gold Eagle, waiting for it to recover from its injuries.

 Chapter 23 - 23 - 22: Return to Qingfeng Town (Please bookmark and recommend)_1

    Chapter 23 ¨C 22: Return to Qingfeng Town (Please bookmark and recommend)_1


    Chapter 23: Chapter 22: Return to Qingfeng Town (Please bookmark and recommend)_1


    Time elapsed, and ten days swiftly passed.


    Atop a mountain peak, a cultivator in blue robes stood, with a giant bird several meters tall standing quietly behind him.


    Having ingested two Lingshen Pills and one Consolidating Essence Pill, the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s injuries had partially healed, with the wounds on its wings mended, now capable of normal flight. However, it couldn¡¯t fly too fast, or else it risked leaving behind hidden complications, detrimental to future advancement.


    During the ten days at this place, while the Purple Gold Eagle was recovering, Lin Tianming was busy elsewhere, appearing in a small mountain valley.


    The valley was surrounded by several mountains, with a river flowing through at the bottom and dense fog swirling around. Pine forests stretched like a sea, and the scenery was simply breathtaking.


    Lin Tianming buried the remains of the cave mansion¡¯s owner, fulfilling a long-standing wish.


    ...


    Having waited in this place for ten days, it was time to return to Qingfeng Town. It had been nearly two months since he had ventured into the Purple Cloud Mountain Range to find the cave mansion, and ten months since he arrived at Qingfeng Town. With only two more months left, he could return to Green Bamboo Mountain to visit his family.


    In these ten months, Lin Tianming had been continuously busy¡ªnot only had he successfully located the cave mansion ruins, but he also plundered a variety of Spiritual Medicines from it, found a complete Cultivation Technique, and a multicolored stone of unknown purpose.


    Previously, he had also killed the Red Robe Cultivator and acquired the Profound Grade Technique and the legacy of a Third Order Alchemy Master from the man surnamed Jin, reaping great rewards.


    Carrying such wealth, Lin Tianming was quite concerned that if he died or lost it, the loss would be tremendous for the Lin Family.


    But since there were only two months left in the year, he decided to wait a bit longer.


    Once he returned to the Lin Family, he planned to immediately hand over the Profound Grade Technique and the Third Order Alchemy Master¡¯s legacy. He also needed to submit a portion of the Hidden Spirit Grass, the main ingredient for the Minor Foundation Building Pill, and in return, he should receive a considerable amount of virtue within the family.


    Since the inception of the Lin Family, there were only two Cultivation Techniques available. The rest had been accumulated over hundreds of years, with some being purchased and others obtained fortuitously. Every single technique was hard-earned, leading to the family¡¯s current status.


    The Minor Foundation Building Pill was a Second Order elixir. Currently, just a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, he was far from being able to refine Second Order Pills. It was unlikely that his family could refine them either. How to turn them into elixirs would be a matter for the elders to discuss. However, those concerns were beyond his purview.


    While the Lin Family did not enforce the submission of any treasures found by their members abroad, and the compensation they offered was far less than selling those items independently,


    as a member of the family, one can¡¯t be excessively selfish. Techniques and legacies are the foundation of cultivation. It¡¯s better to submit them to the family to boost the strength of many family members and enhance the family¡¯s heritage.


    Every cultivator in the Lin Family, upon discovering their Spiritual Root in the first year, is guided in cultivation by the elders of the Skill Transmission Hall. This accelerates the newcomer¡¯s understanding of the path of cultivation and instills a sense of belonging and identity towards the family.


    You must know, the first lesson upon entering the Skill Transmission Hall is to memorize the eight centuries of the Lin Family¡¯s history, bearing the influential ancestors of each era in mind and remembering the family¡¯s tribulations during its moments of crisis.


    To be prepared in times of peace is what allows a family to thrive perpetually.


    The family¡¯s foundational education provides the initial cultivation resources to its members, facilitating faster cultivation and instilling a greater sense of unity and selflessness within Lin Family members. That is the difference between a family and a Loose Cultivator.


    You must know that it¡¯s much harder for Loose Cultivators, who start cultivation without any knowledge of the Dao, without techniques, and without resources, relying solely on their personal exploration and resource-finding. Their efficiency is far lower compared to family clans.


    In the Cultivation World, most Loose Cultivators undergo many life-and-death trials. Those who survive are strong, and high-order Loose Cultivators abound, with a significant number of them being powerful figures.


    ¡°`


    Rumors say that in Yunzhou and Xuanzhou, there are even a few Loose Cultivators in the Divinity Transformation Stage, each of whom is a super powerful figure seated in their own territory, famous and commendable. It is uncertain whether these rumors are true or false.


    Withdrawing his wandering thoughts from beyond the heavens, Lin Tianming jumped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle. After settling down, the Purple Gold Eagle flapped its massive wings, circling over Qingfeng Town at an incredible speed.


    As the fierce wind blew past his ears during the flight, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Covering a hundred miles by himself using Sword Flight would take at least half a day, yet the Purple Gold Eagle only took two hours, more than doubling the speed.


    After spending half a day patrolling the hundred-mile radius around Qingfeng Town, and having killed most of the Mortal Beasts during the last patrol, there were few beasts left in the entire area. Finding no abnormalities while circling around, he returned to Qingfeng Town.


    When the Purple Gold Eagle appeared in the square of Qingfeng Town, a great number of mortals were terrified, scattering and running away, causing a stampede incident.


    There were also some bold mortals who stayed to watch the excitement, even making a spectacle of discussing it animatedly.


    Suddenly, Lin Tianming¡¯s voice echoed throughout the entire town of Qingfeng Town.


    ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s no need to panic. This beast is my spiritual mount and has been subdued by me. It will not harm you!¡±


    After speaking, he no longer paid attention to the expressions of the crowd, fed two Lingshen Pills to the Purple Gold Eagle, and issued a command to it. He then turned and entered the great hall, leaving only the Purple Gold Eagle in the square, which soon lay down and fell asleep, digesting the power of the medicine.


    The members of the Clan were curiously watching the Purple Gold Eagle, as if they were looking at some rare treasure. After all, such a large bird was something most mortals would never see in their lifetimes, truly a rare spectacle.


    From time to time, an elder would speak astonishing words:


    ¡°Ten days ago, this old man personally witnessed the entire process of a Lin Family immortal battling this beast. I saw the immortal conjure a huge sword made of flames, cutting a sword wound a meter long in the wing of the beast, causing it to fall straight from the sky and crash into the ground, creating a huge pit, nearly killing the creature on the spot!¡±


    The elder¡¯s words sparked an uproar in the crowd.


    Suddenly, a large number of mortals crazily gathered around the elder, asking him to recount the entire process.


    The elder spoke passionately and exaggeratedly about what he had seen and heard, praising Lin Tianming to the skies.


    All the people listened intently, with expressions of worship on their faces.


    Inside the great hall, Lin Tianming was seated on a cushion.


    In the ten months since he left Green Bamboo Mountain, his cultivation had reached the peak of the Sixth Level of Qi Refining. With dedicated practice for some time, he could steadily make a breakthrough.


    With two months left in the year, the time was neither long nor short. He still could not check the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinder received from the Red Robe Cultivator, so he decided to practice and aim to elevate his cultivation to the Seventh Level of Qi Refining first.


    Having said that, Lin Tianming began to meditate and breathe regulation. Half a quarter hour later, he took out a Lingshen Pill and swallowed it. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He controlled the immense spiritual power of the Lingshen Pill, repeatedly striking at the Seven Sea Dantian.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 24 - 24 - 23 Breakthrough Qi Cultivation Level 7 (Please Collect and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 24 ¨C 23 Breakthrough Qi Cultivation Level 7 (Please Collect and Recommend)_1


    Chapter 24: Chapter 23 Breakthrough Qi Cultivation Level 7 (Please Collect and Recommend)_1


    ¡°`


    Half a month flew by, and in the secret chamber, Lin Tianming sat upright on the meditation cushion.


    In the past half-month, he had already refined two Lingshen Pills. Despite several attempts, he had failed to enter the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation; each time, it was a near miss from breaking through the restraints at the Sixth Level.


    It seemed that reaching the Seventh Level really wasn¡¯t that easy. There was a significant hurdle between the Sixth and Seventh Levels of Qi Cultivation. The Sixth Level was still considered mid-stage cultivation, while reaching the Seventh meant advancing to the later stages¡ªa completely different league.


    After hesitating for a moment, Lin Tianming decided to continue taking the Lingshen Pills and make another attempt at breaking through to the Seventh Level. If it still wasn¡¯t successful, he would have to give up and seek another opportunity to break through.


    Taking out three Lingshen Pills, a crazed look flashed across Lin Tianming¡¯s face as he threw all three pills into his mouth at once.


    ...


    At this moment, the violent spiritual energy of the three Lingshen Pills rampaged through his meridians, completely out of control.


    It felt as though his entire body was teetering on the brink of exploding. The terrifying pain permeated his nerves and brain, and many parts of his body had split open, with flesh tearing and blood pouring from the seven orifices¡ªa truly miserable sight.


    ¡°I¡¯m done for¡­¡± Lin Tianming now greatly regretted his recklessness. He should not have consumed three pills at once; the power of the medicine was beyond his imagination and now utterly uncontrollable.


    Enduring the intense pain, Lin Tianming tried to lead the spiritual energy from the Lingshen Pills to surge towards his Seven Sea Dantian.


    After half an hour of perseverance and two attempts, the pain did not diminish in the slightest; if anything, it intensified.


    Unbeknownst to him, Lin Tianming had completely passed out, collapsing onto the meditation cushion.


    An indeterminate amount of time passed before Lin Tianming slowly opened his eyes.


    Now naked, with his robust XX swaying, his green tunic had long since turned to ash. Many parts of his body were covered with a layer of black filth, emitting a faint stench.


    ¡°Eh¡­ I¡¯m actually still alive?¡± Overwhelmed with joy, Lin Tianming was taken aback.


    It took a few moments for him to calm his excited heart and feel a wave of relief.


    The pain he had experienced was maddening¡ªas if a wild horse had broken free, the spiritual power had been uncontrollable and wreaked havoc, making him suffer intensely.


    He felt as if he had been on the verge of death and was about to give up when darkness overtook him. Who would have thought that he wouldn¡¯t actually die?


    A great calamity spared brings a bright future! In the future, unless absolutely necessary, he dare not be so reckless again¡ªit wasn¡¯t every time one could be this lucky.


    Gathering his thoughts, he realized he was naked, which startled him. He was thankful that he was alone; otherwise, had he been exposed, he would have been too ashamed to face anyone.


    With a gesture, Lin Tianming cast a water-based spell, causing a heavy rain to fall from above and enjoyed a comfortable bath. He then took a set of green clothes from his storage bag and dressed himself.


    A handsome young man stood erect, his features still holding a trace of youthful innocence.


    He then used a minor fire-based spell to dry the damp floor before sitting back on the cushion.


    Deploying his Divine Sense to check, he was overjoyed to find that he had indeed successfully reached the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation.


    Not only had he survived, but against all odds and in a stroke of serendipity, he had even entered the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation¡ªfate¡¯s wheel turns in mysterious ways.


    Feeling the explosive spiritual energy throughout his body, the strength of his spiritual power was indeed incomparable to that of the Sixth Level.


    ¡°` S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Seven Sea Dantian had expanded several times over, brimming with robust and majestic spiritual power that almost felt tangible. When the next magic duel came, his divine skills would surely surge.


    Lin Tianming moved a bit and then sat down again, practicing a complete Grand Circulation to begin his closed-door consolidation of cultivation.


    Three days later, Lin Tianming emerged from seclusion, appearing in the square outside the attic hall.


    Before closing off, he had given two Lingshen Pills to the Purple Gold Eagle. Twenty days had passed, and the Purple Gold Eagle had completely recovered from its injuries, its overall presence even stronger than before its submission.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the lack of suitable elixirs for spirit beasts, having to settle for the Lingshen Pills, it could have helped it grow more rapidly, providing even more support to Lin Tianming.


    Seeing Lin Tianming walking towards it, the Purple Gold Eagle was also quite excited, trotting over and rubbing his golden beak, thick as a man¡¯s thigh, against the hem of Lin Tianming¡¯s clothes in a pleasing manner.


    The Purple Gold Eagle was only at the First Order Middle Stage, still in its juvenile period, with limited spirit wisdom ¨C much like a mischievous human child.


    If it weren¡¯t for Lin Tianming¡¯s strict orders not to wander off, it might have slipped out already. It wouldn¡¯t be considered an adult until it reached the Second Order Middle Stage, when its spirit wisdom would significantly increase.


    This Purple Gold Eagle of Lin Tianming had a trace of Gold-winged Roc bloodline. With proper nurturing, it would also become a great asset. However, advancing as a demonic beast was quite difficult, requiring vast resources. If nurtured properly, it could protect the Lin Family for an even longer duration.


    In the Cultivation World, Sect Families would raise several spirit beasts to guard their clans, as beasts live several times longer than the Human Race, providing extended protection to the family or sect.


    The Lin Family had a Guardian Spirit Beast at the Second Order Late Phase, cultivated only after the ancestral founder Lin Renfeng established the clan. It had stepped forward in times of family crises after the ancestor Lin Renfeng¡¯s passing, suffering many injuries.


    At that time, it was only at the Second Order Middle Stage. Several hundred years later, it had barely advanced past a minor realm, illustrating the extreme difficulty of advancement. With the loss of ancestor Lin Renfeng, the family¡¯s foundation was too shallow. Lacking even Foundation Establishment Cultivators, advancing to the Third Order might have been possible otherwise.


    It is said that some sects specialized in commanding spirit beasts boast incredible strength, possessing numerous Fourth Order Great Demons. In the central area of the Nine Provinces, even sightings of Fifth Order Spirit Beasts have occurred.


    Lin Tianming affectionately patted the head of the Purple Gold Eagle, also excited, looking forward to enhancing his bond with the spirit beast.


    The Purple Gold Eagle, which had been unable to fly for half a month while waiting in place, was eagerly anticipating a flight. Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s approach, it showed a desire to fly out for a spin. Lin Tianming readily agreed.


    Mounting the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s back, they soared into the sky, heading straight for the outskirts of the town.


    Circling around Qingfeng Town, taking in the magnificent vistas, and dreaming of the vast skies over the Nine Provinces Continent, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of anticipation.


    Half an hour later, they returned to Qingfeng Town, landing in the square; he instructed the Purple Gold Eagle not to fly beyond a ten-mile radius of Qingfeng Town during his closed-door sessions and gave it three Lingshen Pills to help it break through to the First Order Late Stage.


    After settling the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming returned to the secret chamber in the attic.


    Sitting on the meditation cushion, Lin Tianming took out the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinders he had obtained from the red-robed man and from the cave dwelling, pondering over them.


    Both Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinders were golden in color, with dense golden runes winding around their surfaces, almost certainly part of the same technique.


    Observing the cylinders closely, he noticed they were absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy, a truly incredible phenomenon.


    This had to be a top-level, earth-shattering Cultivation Technique. Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed, his anticipation for this technique growing even stronger.


    He had previously attempted to probe the upper half of this technique, but his cultivation and Divine Sense fell just short. Now that he had successfully reached the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, with both mana and Divine Sense greatly increased, he naturally wanted to investigate.


    Extending his Divine Sense slowly into the Jade Cylinder.


    After a short while, Lin Tianming¡¯s face showed shock, as if he faced a formidable enemy, not knowing what astonishing thing he had discovered.

 Chapter 25 - 25 - 24 Tiangang Body Art (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 25 ¨C 24 Tiangang Body Art (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1


    Chapter 25: Chapter 24 Tiangang Body Art (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming¡¯s face was stricken with terror, his complexion drastically changing.


    A few moments later, his complexion gradually regained its rosiness as he fell into deep contemplation.


    ¡°Haha¡­ Hahaha¡­¡± Lin Tianming burst into open laughter, as if driven to madness!


    The Tiangang Body Art turned out to be a Heavenly Grade Technique that allowed for the dual cultivation of body and law and could be practiced up to the Late Stage of Becoming a God ¡ª a top-notch technique with formidable offense and defense, yet it required terrifying amounts of cultivation resources.


    Seeing the introduction of the technique, Lin Tianming wore a serious expression.


    Not only was a vast amount of resources needed for cultivation, but the process itself was also extremely arduous, involving the cultivation of both the spiritual power and the cultivators¡¯ own bodies.


    ...


    Starting from the vital organs and extending to skin, bone, and soul, the cultivation process was excruciatingly painful, and few cultivators could bear it.


    But the rewards were directly proportional to the efforts, and this Technique Divine Power was well-rounded in both offense and defense, with few weaknesses.


    If cultivated to a profound level, it would easily allow one to defeat cultivators and Demonic Beasts of the same stage, making it one of the rare top-tier techniques known.


    Before his realization, Lin Tianming had surmised that such a technique must be of a High Order, but it was hard to imagine that it was actually a Heavenly Grade Technique, surpassing his expectations by far.


    In the Cultivation World, although there were quite a few Heavenly Grade Techniques, they were mostly controlled by Millennium Great Clans, with very few escaping into the outside world, appearing only occasionally in Ancient Cultivator¡¯s Cave Dwellings.


    Every time a Heavenly Grade Technique appeared, it was through a bloody struggle and conflict, and countless cultivators had died in these battles.


    The fact that Lin Tianming had obtained such a top-tier technique was a testament to his incredible destiny.


    Destiny, though intangible and invisible, was vitally important in the journey of cultivation and could almost determine a cultivator¡¯s potential. Furthermore, it often allowed those with such destiny to sense danger early, turning ill fortune into good.


    Every top-notch, super-powerful cultivator was someone blessed with great destiny, and Lin Tianming was clearly among them.


    The Tiangang Body Art was divided into an upper and lower part; the upper could be cultivated up to the Late Stage of Core Formation and the lower up to the Late Stage of Becoming a God, being one of the top techniques in the Cultivation World.


    In the ancient times tens of thousands of years ago, there were not a few super-powerful cultivators who practiced this technique.


    As the Cultivation World¡¯s resources dwindled over time, and the massively resource-dependent Tiangang Body Art became too burdensome for most cultivators to practice, the number of cultivators of this technique decreased, and it gradually vanished from the Cultivation World, not seen for tens of thousands of years.


    ¡°To cultivate or not to cultivate?¡±


    Lin Tianming wore a solemn expression, seemingly hesitant.


    The Lin Family had shallow foundations and struggled to even cultivate a Core Formation Cultivator, far from comparing to those super sects and clans.


    This technique demanded not only high aptitude, but also a tremendous dependency on resources and the endurance of great pain.


    Although he considered himself above average in talent and had a tenacious will, he could not count on his family for resources; he would have to rely on himself.


    Lin Tianming, since childhood, had browsed through the family¡¯s treasured books and longed to explore the civilizations of the vast Nine Provinces Continent, with the ambition to become a super-powerful cultivator revered by all, able to traverse the magnificent expanse of the Nine Provinces.


    To achieve these dreams was incredibly difficult, and cultivation was absolutely critical.


    The vastness of the Nine Provinces was unimaginable; even a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator would find it difficult to cross a single province, and to travel throughout the Nine Provinces, one needed at least a Nascent Soul Stage cultivation.


    The thought of journeying across the Nine Provinces invigorated him, filling him with a boiling passion and a sense of soaring ambition. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cultivators are meant to defy fate, to contend with the heavens and battle with the earth. If one cannot become a strong protector, then what is the point of cultivation? Better to settle down early, marry, and enjoy life!


    Returning to reality, his current practice of the Fire Origin Decision could only take him up to the Late Stage of Core Formation; to give up such a defiance of the heavens would truly be a pity.


    ¡°To cultivate or not to cultivate?¡±


    ¡°Cultivate¡­ As a man of spirit, I shall achieve greatness or die trying.¡±


    Lin Tianming wore a determined expression, as there was no better choice at the moment, neglecting to cultivate the Heavenly Grade Technique would indeed be a waste.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming continued to comprehend the first half of the cultivation technique, adeptly committing the formula to memory.


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye.


    The cultivation technique was now committed to memory and could be recited almost without thinking.


    To cultivate this technique, it was necessary to dissipate all the Spiritual Power that had been cultivated up to the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement and start over from the First Level of Qi Refining.


    Upon re-cultivating, one only needed to operate the cultivation technique to refill the already formed Seven Sea Dantian without encountering any bottlenecks.


    Having said that, Lin Tianming once again entered a state of seclusion.


    Several days passed in a moment, and inside the secret chamber, Lin Tianming had successfully dissipated all his Spiritual Power.


    Lin Tianming was resolute, starting the practice was like an arrow released from its bow, with no path of retreat, he could only press on courageously.


    After reviewing the formula of the Tiangang Body Art, he began to breathe in and out, taking out a Lingshen Pill from his storage bag and swallowing it. The pill quickly transformed into streams of Spiritual Power that filled the Seven Sea Dantian.


    As he cultivated his Spiritual Power, the tingling in his body intensified.


    This pain was already intense at the Qi Refinement stage, bearable only through his own willpower. Without elixirs to assist at the Core Formation stage, one would likely die from the agony.


    The Lingshen Pills might not be enough to cultivate his physical body. Fortunately, when exploring the Ancient Cultivator¡¯s Cave Dwellings, he had killed a Spirit-Connecting Python, whose flesh and blood could be used in conjunction with cultivating his own body.


    He took out a jade bottle containing a full bottle of Spirit-Connecting Python¡¯s blood, and drank the python blood in large gulps straight from the bottle.


    The scorching hot blood of the Spirit-Connecting Python slowly entered his body, quickly refining it. A special type of Spiritual Power slowly strengthened Lin Tianming¡¯s internal organs.


    The effects of this blood were quite significant, though not plentiful. Combined with the Lingshen Pills, it was just enough to keep up with his Spiritual Power cultivation. By the time his cultivation ended, the body of the Spirit-Connecting Python would also come in handy.


    To cultivate faster, he would probably need to frequent the periphery of the Demon Race territory, where else could he find demonic beasts or resources for his use?


    With each passing day, after refining ten Lingshen Pills, Lin Tianming¡¯s cultivation soared!


    Qi Refining Second Level¡­


    Qi Refining Third Level¡­


    Qi Refining Seventh Level¡­


    Lin Tianming¡¯s internal organs gradually transformed, showing faint traces of golden yellow. With time, it was highly possible that they would become entirely golden.


    Half a month later, Lin Tianming successfully re-cultivated his cultivation base. He had plenty of elixirs and Spirit-Connecting Python blood to assist him. Combined with his not-so-high original cultivation, it would have been difficult to re-cultivate in such a short time otherwise.


    After redoing his cultivation, his Spiritual Power was vast and mighty, far stronger than before.


    His vitality surged throughout his body, and his Spiritual Power cultivation and recovery were a bit faster. Without using any Spiritual Power, his punch weighed a thousand pounds; if it struck a Middle Stage First Order monster beast, it would likely be seriously injured, if not dead.


    If he cultivated to an even higher level, how terrifying that would be. Achieving physical strength comparable to that of demonic beasts was quite possible, and even surpassing them was not an improbable hope.


    Feeling the surging power within him, Lin Tianming was very excited, his desire for strength growing even more intense.


    As the year¡¯s deadline approached, with less than a month remaining, he had redone his cultivation technique, but the task remained daunting; he still had to cultivate the associated mystical techniques.


    When leaving Green Bamboo Mountain, he had a large number of High-Quality First Order talismans for self-preservation. Now, without means to confront enemies, encountering danger would be as precarious as a lamb awaiting slaughter. He needed to quickly complete the cultivation of the Mystical Techniques.


    Lin Tianming took out the cultivation technique, sat quietly to the side, and slowly began to comprehend the Mystical Techniques.


    Soon, he was deep in arduous cultivation.

 Chapter 26 - 26 - 25: Earth Fiend Sword Formation (Please Collect and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 26 ¨C 25: Earth Fiend Sword Formation (Please Collect and Recommend)_1


    Chapter 26: Chapter 25: Earth Fiend Sword Formation (Please Collect and Recommend)_1


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the floor.


    He had been comprehending the first mystical technique attached to the Tiangang Body Art for several days without moving a step.


    At this moment, Lin Tianmaking¡¯s expression was calm as he thoroughly studied the secret technique, with his mind envisioning a terrifyingly powerful Sword Array!


    With each major realm achieved in the Tiangang Body Art, one could unlock a Divine Skill, and what Lin Tianming was comprehending now was the very first one.


    ¡°Earth Fiend Sword Formation!¡±


    The Earth Fiend Sword Formation was created based on the arrangement of the Earth Fiend Seventy-six Stars. When fully activated, its power was earth-shattering, and Lin Tianming admired the ingenious thoughts of its creator to the extreme after seeing it.


    ...


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°The people of ancient times were truly remarkable, to have created such against-the-heaven cultivation techniques. They were indeed worthy of the golden age of cultivation!¡±


    When the Earth Fiend Sword Formation was deployed, it could mobilize seventy-two Spirit Swords to trap the enemy within, capable of confining or shredding them.


    The higher the level of the Spirit Swords, the stronger the attack power and the speed was incredibly fast. The attack was extremely powerful but it was also a test for the cultivator¡¯s own Spiritual Power, Divine Sense, and physique.


    In varying levels of cultivation, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation could mobilize a different number of Spirit Swords. In the Qi Refinement Realm, one could simultaneously wield a maximum of thirty-six First Order Spirit Swords¡ªthe magnitude of that attacking power was unimaginable!


    In the Cultivation World, Sword Cultivators have always been among the top in terms of attack power, and their Sword Array Divine Skills are even more formidable.


    After several days, having practiced the formation in his mind over a hundred times, Lin Tianming carefully grasped the layout, sequence, and key points of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation. He basically felt ready to attempt using it.


    With more practice and fine-tuning, he would achieve instant activation, increasing both the power and precision of the Sword Formation.


    Although he had successfully cultivated the secret technique, Lin Tianming currently only had three First Order Medium Grade Spirit Swords, and the number was a bit short.


    Even though he had just entered the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement and couldn¡¯t possibly deploy all thirty-six Spirit Swords at once, he deduced that he could still mobilize about a dozen or more.


    Since it was currently difficult to gather enough Spirit Swords, he could only try forming a simple Sword Array with three swords. The power should not be less than that of the Divine Ability Fire Yuan Slash included in his previous cultivation technique!


    He took out three Spirit Swords from his storage bag, and they levitated neatly in front of Lin Tianming.


    These three Spirit Swords were spoils from the time he killed the man in red. Back then, without any Sword Formation techniques, he could only refine one Spirit Sword for traveling and fighting.


    Now, he needed to refine the remaining two Spirit Swords to form a Sword Array for defense. In the event of a sudden emergency, he would not be thrown into disarray and lose his life. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Two days later, Lin Tianming successfully refined the two Spirit Swords. He could now try deploying a small Sword Array to see just how powerful it really was, something he was looking forward to.


    The mystical techniques that came with a Heavenly Grade Technique would certainly not be underestimated, and it would definitely be more powerful than the Three Stars Spirit Sword Technique used by the man surnamed Jin. As for the exact power it held, only a trial would tell.


    With less than half a month left until the one-year deadline, time was pressing, and Lin Tianming decided to leave the seclusion.


    There was no open land within the city, and a simple gesture from a cultivator could unleash a power capable of shaking the heavens and earth.


    Therefore, the city was not suitable for practicing such mystical techniques, and Lin Tianming planned to find an open space outside Qingfeng Town to start trying.


    Before long, Lin Tianming appeared on the pavilion¡¯s outer square, where the Purple Gold Eagle lay snoozing heavily on the ground.


    Lin Tianming walked slowly towards the Purple Gold Eagle. The beast sensed its master¡¯s presence before Lin Tianming got close, immediately getting up and trotted over, fawning and seeking approval.


    At first, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t notice but upon closer inspection, he found that Purple Gold Eagle had successfully advanced to the First Order Late Stage, and he was overjoyed.


    It had been over three months since they left the Purple Cloud Mountain Range. The Eagle was already in the First Order Middle Stage and not far from the Late Stage.


    Although the Lingshen Pills fed to the Purple Gold Eagle were not very effective, the quantity it consumed was not small, especially when considering that he, himself, only took two or three Lingshen Pills for cultivation each month.


    Lin Tianming spared no expense on the growth of the Purple Gold Eagle; had his fortune not increased significantly, he truly wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford its upkeep!


    Both master and beast had made breakthroughs, and with his cultivation technique nearly complete, Lin Tianming felt like he was blessed with triple happiness and couldn¡¯t contain his excitement!


    With a command, he jumped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, and they turned into a streak of light, rushing out of the city.


    Man and beast freely soared outside Qingfeng Town.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, he descended into a secluded small valley.


    Lin Tianming sat at the top of a hill while the Purple Gold Eagle soared nearby, watching out and also chasing some wild animals for fun.


    Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Lin Tianming then summoned three Qingfeng Swords and began the cultivation technique for a full Grand Circulation.


    Suddenly, Lin Tianming shouted loudly.


    ¡°Go¡­¡±


    In the span of three breaths, the three Qingfeng Swords instantly appeared above a huge rock a hundred yards away, spinning ceaselessly and stirring up whirlwinds that tangled the surrounding flowers, plants, and trees into disarray, with only the massive rock remaining unshaken due to its immense weight.


    At this moment, the three Spirit Swords spun rapidly, using their Sword Qi to form a barrel-like trapping array that ensnared the giant rock completely.


    Seeing the effect of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation¡¯s trapping array, Lin Tianming was pleasantly surprised; he estimated that an average cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement would have a hard time breaking out without some heaven-defying method.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help clicking his tongue. If he were to fully summon all thirty-six Spirit Swords to form the sword array, even a cultivator at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement would struggle to break out.


    After testing the trapping power, Lin Tianming was extremely satisfied with the might, which had far exceeded his expectations!


    ¡°Grind and kill!¡±


    Lin Tianming made another hand gesture, muttering words under his breath!


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    The Spirit Swords forming the sword array swiftly intercrossed, stabbing toward the center!


    In an instant, the hundred-yard rock appeared as fragile as tofu, and in just a few breaths, it crumbled into pieces.


    Lin Tianming was also shocked by such power!


    Witnessing the scene, he couldn¡¯t help but think that if he were trapped inside without a substantial number of Defense Talismans and relied only on offensive methods, he would likely face a nine out of ten chance of death.


    After finishing his practice, Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    From what he could see, whether it was the trapping or the killing formation, the power truly lived up to a top-level Heavenly Grade Technique, and indeed made one shudder with fear.


    After calibrating his fluctuating emotions, Lin Tianming did not let arrogance get the better of him.


    The Nine Provinces Continent had a million-year legacy with no shortage of exceptional beings and top-level techniques.


    If he had such means, it was inevitable that other cultivators would as well.


    Therefore, when combating enemies, one must never be complacent; a single mistake could mean no chance of survival.


    Having experienced the effects of the trapping and killing formations, he realized that since this was his first time deploying the mystical technique, he hadn¡¯t yet fully grasped the essence, making the spellcasting process too long.


    A span of three breaths was far too long, as an enemy would not stand still waiting to die.


    After all, a cultivator¡¯s movements were agile, and their speed was extraordinary; they would likely have vanished long before.


    The higher the level of the secret technique, the more difficult the cultivation, and to use it to its fullest potential, hundreds of practice sessions would be required.


    Otherwise, a technique initially grasped might not be as effective as a basic Five Elements Cultivation Technique perfected to its utmost.


    Since he had already sufficiently mastered the basic principles and with more than ten days left before his return to Green Bamboo Mountain, he could take this opportunity to practice further, ensuring an additional layer of safety on his journey home.


    Under the scorching sun, Lin Tianming delved into his arduous practice once again.


    Every time his Spiritual Power was reduced to less than half, he would take a Lingshen Pill to recover to an ample state and then resume his practice.


    ¡­

 Chapter 27 - 27 - 26 Returning Home (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 27 ¨C 26 Returning Home (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1


    Chapter 27: Chapter 26 Returning Home (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1


    The blazing sun shone mercilessly, roasting the earth without a hint of compassion.


    In the valley, a young man in green robes was forming hand seals and casting spells, as a sword array made up of spirit swords wreaked havoc, leaving no corner untouched.


    The entire valley was now riddled with gaping wounds; swathes of forests and vegetation had fallen in great patches, and hundreds of boulders had been shattered to gravel. The valley had endured great devastation, lying in disarray.


    Fortunately, due to the spiritual energy of this world, it possesses astonishing resilience and creativity.


    The current sorry state of the valley would, in less than half a year, be once again covered by vegetation ¨C one cannot help but marvel at the sheer wonder of nature.


    Lin Tianming had been cultivating the sword array here for nearly half a month, and time had flown by swiftly, marking almost a year since he left the Lin Family¡¯s residence at Green Bamboo Mountain.


    ...


    In the span of a year, Lin Tianming had grown considerably, not just in terms of cultivation but also in his spiritual refinement.


    Before this, Lin Tianming had never been away from the family¡¯s residence for such a long time, away from his family¡¯s watchful eyes.


    Now, Lin Tianming was cultivating alone, and he bore the safety of over a hundred thousand mortals on his shoulders. From a fledgling, he had grown to fly on his own; though he didn¡¯t fly high or far, he had taken his first step, which was no easy feat.


    With time pressing, Lin Tianming had made significant progress with his day and night practices over the past half month.


    From taking three breaths to form a complete sword array initially, to now being able to cast it smoothly within half a breath, and greatly enhancing its attacking power, his improvement was undeniable.


    Apart from Lin Tianming¡¯s diligent effort, the Purple Gold Eagle also played a huge role.


    The Purple Gold Eagle, with more than a dozen wounds on its body, hung its head dejectedly, its spirit subdued, looking thoroughly tormented.


    For over ten days, the Purple Gold Eagle had been used by Lin Tianming as a sparring partner. In the beginning, relying on its speed, the eagle would fly unopposed over his head, occasionally even taunting him.


    But in the last few days, with Lin Tianming giving his all, the eagle had found it increasingly difficult to escape. Each time it was trapped, it was left disheveled and pitiful after being beaten.


    Seeing the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s downtrodden appearance, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily, feeling extremely refreshed. He took a piece of the Spirit-Connecting Python¡¯s body from his storage bag and threw it to the eagle.


    The Purple Gold Eagle didn¡¯t hesitate, biting into it immediately. Sustaining injuries was somewhat compensated, and it quickly forgot its sense of loss.


    Through rigorous practice, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation had reached the Minor Achievement Realm. This gave Lin Tianming an added layer of protection in battles, ensuring he was not completely defenseless.


    Lin Tianming, satisfied with the fruits of his grueling cultivation, decided to take a break from practicing and prepare for his return to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The man and the bird, after a brief rest, soared into the sky, circling Qingfeng Town to survey the surroundings.


    A return journey home would also take close to a month, and it was necessary to inspect the area.


    As dusk approached, Lin Tianming stood with his hands behind his back in the plaza before the grand hall. After surveying the surroundings of Qingfeng Town and clearing some wild beasts, he and the creature returned to Qingfeng Town.


    Lin Shan, responsible for awaiting tasks, stood by respectfully.


    Lin Tianming instructed,


    ¡°The time for my one-year familial visit has arrived. I will depart tomorrow to return to Green Bamboo Mountain. The journey will take at least half a month, and at most one month. I have also cleared all of the mortal beasts within a hundred li from the town, so there should be no danger.¡±


    Lin Shan, overjoyed, also sincerely thanked Lin Tianming on behalf of the people of Qingfeng Town for his protection, ensuring that the town had enjoyed a peaceful year with few mortal casualties.


    Before Lin Tianming took charge of Qingfeng Town, perhaps the clan members assigned to this task were not as responsible, or maybe they did not have as high a cultivation level as him.


    Thus, every year more than a few mortals would die at the maws of beasts, and there had even been instances where hundreds of mortals perished.


    After giving instructions for his departure, Lin Tianming left, leaving Lin Shan standing by the side.


    Lin Tianming entered the loft¡¯s grand hall, while the Purple Gold Eagle perched on top of the loft, entering a brief slumber.


    Inside the loft¡¯s room, Lin Tianming lay on the stone bed, finally able to relax his tense nerves.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, the faint sound of breathing could be heard as Lin Tianming fell into a deep sleep.


    For half a month, he had been cultivating his Technique Divine Power day and night, only resting normally for three nights. With the immense consumption of divine sense and spiritual power, he was already extremely weary.


    Now he could finally sleep peacefully. Without realizing, he slipped into a dreamland.


    The next morning, a slight breeze blew through the window sill into the room.


    Lin Tianming slowly opened his eyes and stretched luxuriously, feeling refreshed after a night of deep sleep, having reached an optimal state of vitality and spirit.


    During the tranquil and serene early morning.


    While most of the mortal people were still in deep slumber, Lin Tianming leaped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle and headed west, silently disappearing into the horizon.


    Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming was thrilled and kept urging the eagle to fly faster.


    A year of solitude had made him miss his clan members deeply. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He missed his grandfather¡¯s nagging, his father¡¯s stern teachings, his mother¡¯s warmth and concern, and his sister¡¯s chattering while clinging to his arm.


    Perhaps sensing its master¡¯s mood, the Purple Gold Eagle no longer played tricks and flew with full force, faster than it had ever flown before.


    A man and a beast turned into a speck in the sky, swiftly flying across and vanishing in the blink of an eye.


    Having set out in the early morning and after spending an entire day traveling at full speed, with only two brief pauses,


    He finally arrived at the outskirts of Green Bamboo Mountain, a few tens of miles away, just before sunset.


    At this time, the red sun was about to level with the horizon, and the afterglow of the sunset spread over the land, creating a peaceful scene.


    This was the exact time when the Lin Family¡¯s Enforcement Hall patrol team was changing shifts. More than ten Lin Family Cultivators gathered at the mountain gate, among them a youth, who was Lin Tianfeng, the eldest of the Tian generation.


    Lin Tianfeng was twenty-five years old this year, with Three Spiritual Roots and at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining. Previously, he had always been the highest-ranking cultivator of the Lin Family¡¯s Tian generation. Lin Tianfeng, gifted and diligent in his cultivation, delighted in practicing combat and traveling, hence he served as an Executive Officer in the Enforcement Hall. He was responsible for patrols at this time.


    Among the many cultivators, a red-robed woman stood out, her clear eyes full of spiritual energy, waist-length hair, and porcelain-like skin ¨C it was Lin Tianming¡¯s sister, Lin Tianyue.


    Not having seen her for a year, the thirteen-year-old Lin Tianyue had changed quite a bit. Not only had her cultivation reached the Third Level of Qi Refining, but her appearance had also blossomed from a young girl into a graceful figure, destined to be a beauty that could cause the downfall of nations.


    Lin Tianyue wore an expression of worry at the moment.


    Her brother¡¯s year-long stationing period was over, and by all rights, he should have returned yesterday. She waited here but did not see him return. Now it was getting dark, and he still hadn¡¯t come back. She feared he might have encountered some danger.


    Seeing Lin Tianyue looking so worried, Lin Tianfeng also spoke up to comfort her,


    ¡°Ninth sister, when the sixth brother left, he was already at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining with significant divine skills. With his talent, there¡¯s a great hope he¡¯ll break through to the Sixth Level of Qi Refining. He might have been delayed by something. You go back first, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m responsible for the patrol. As soon as he returns, I¡¯ll immediately send you a message.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, big brother. It¡¯s not very late yet. I¡¯ll wait a little longer for brother,¡± she replied.


    Before Lin Tianyue¡¯s words had finished, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s face revealed a look of happy surprise, obviously, his divine sense had already detected Lin Tianming¡¯s presence, quickly approaching Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The rest of the people, noticing the change in Lin Tianfeng, could roughly guess what was happening but were not sure.


    Only a little more than ten breaths had passed.


    In the distance, against the red glow of the sunset, a dark silhouette flew towards the clan¡¯s land, unbelievably fast.


    As time went by, the silhouette that was as small as a sesame seed rapidly grew into a sizable flying creature more than ten zhang in size.


    A crowd of clan members stared in amazement at the fierce-looking demonic beast, disbelief written all over their faces.


    The one who had arrived was Lin Tianming, standing on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, looking like an immortal with a tranquil demeanor, though his heart was already filled with excitement.


    After a year of absence, and traveling with full effort from dawn until dusk, he finally returned at this moment to his long-awaited family residence.

 Chapter 28 - 28 - 27 Grandpa鈥檚 Shock (Please Favorite/Recommend) _1

    Chapter 28 ¨C 27 Grandpa¡¯s Shock (Please Favorite/Recommend) _1


    Chapter 28: Chapter 27 Grandpa¡¯s Shock (Please Favorite/Recommend) _1


    Under the stunned gazes of everyone, a person and a beast landed outside the Protective Clan Formation.


    Lin Tianming took out his Identity Token, cast a spell, and a streak of blue light vanished into the colorless light curtain of the Five Elements.


    A moment later, the light curtain revealed an entrance over thirty feet wide, and the interior scenery of Green Bamboo Mountain came into view as the person and beast stepped inside in unison.


    As soon as his foot touched the ground, Lin Tianming found himself enveloped in a fiery embrace as a red figure ran up and clung to him, gripping so tightly he nearly couldn¡¯t breathe. It was his younger sister, Lin Tianyue.


    Feeling his sister¡¯s longing, Lin Tianming wrapped one arm around her waist and comforted her by stroking her hair with his other hand.


    After a few breaths, the girl calmed down, and Lin Tianming, holding his sister¡¯s hand, approached Lin Tianfeng and the others to give a fist salute.


    ...


    ¡®Tianming pays respect to our fellow clansmen.¡¯


    After each of them returned the salute with a fist-clenched gesture, Lin Tianfeng began to speak.


    ¡®Younger brother, Tianyue here has been waiting for your return every day, not moving an inch. You must both be weary. We have patrolling duties and cannot stay for long. You¡¯ve had a tiring journey, so head back and rest early. I¡¯ll be sure to visit when I have some free time.¡¯


    ¡®Please proceed as you like, elder brother. I will invite you all to visit on another day.¡¯


    After exchanging salutes, they parted ways.


    Lin Tianming, holding Lin Tianyue¡¯s hand, with the Purple Gold Eagle following behind them, walked along a cobblestone path towards the midsection of Green Bamboo Peak.


    Gazing at their familiar family grounds, Lin Tianming felt extremely happy at the moment. His sister chatted nonstop all the way, evidently yearning for the outside world.


    Seeing the look in his sister¡¯s eyes, identical to his own back then, full of longing for the world beyond, he reflected on how one truly starts to miss the warmth of family and the memories of home life only after being away for some time.


    In the Cultivation World where strength reigns supreme, murders for treasure and battles with Demonic Beasts are commonplace, countless people meet untimely deaths each day, and numerous family Sects are decimated. All these struggles stem from the pursuit of cultivation resources and the desire to strengthen one¡¯s own power.


    In this perilous Cultivation World, he bore the expectations of revitalizing and protecting his family, with every family member striving toward this daunting goal.


    The path of cultivation can be bleak. While kinship may sometimes become a bond that ties, it is also the beacon that illuminates one¡¯s way. Some cultivate in search of immortality, but not Lin Tianming¡ªhe cultivates to protect.


    In this moment, a subtle change took place within Lin Tianming¡¯s heart. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Walking toward the mountain midsection, they passed many fellow clansmen Cultivators. Lin Tianming greeted each one, and under the envious eyes of many clansmen, the siblings finally returned to their own small courtyard.


    After receiving Lin Tianyue¡¯s message, Grandfather and parents all set aside their work, released a quiet sigh of relief, and gathered outside the courtyard, eagerly awaiting Lin Tianming and his sister, their joy evident beyond words.


    Lin Tianming ran over and bowed respectfully to his grandfather and parents.


    ¡®Tianming pays his respects to Grandfather, Father, and Mother.¡¯


    Grandfather Lin Shigong, grinning ear to ear and squinting, grabbed Lin Tianming and Lin Tianyue by the hand and headed into the courtyard, unconcerned about his son and daughter-in-law¡¯s reactions.


    The parents hurried to follow, and the family, full of harmonious joy, sat around a stone table in the courtyard to chat leisurely.


    Inside the courtyard, Lin Shigong said with a smile,


    ¡®You lad, your cultivation has actually broken through to the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation. I thought reaching the Sixth Level would be good enough, but you didn¡¯t let me down. It seems you have not been idle this past year. That¡¯s good. So, the success rate and number of pills produced when refining First Order Inferior elixirs must be quite high, right?¡¯


    ¡®Grandfather, your grandson has successfully refined the Lingshen Pill, maintaining a success rate of forty percent and producing at least three pills each time, generally around four.¡¯


    ¡®What!¡¯


    A First Order Medium Grade Lingshen Pill can guarantee a pill formation rate of forty percent, with at least three pills produced,¡¯


    Lin Shigong was both shocked and overjoyed. In just one year, such great progress had been made, turning into a qualified First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, which really took people by surprise. It seemed that his grandson¡¯s alchemy talent was even higher than imagined.


    The parents and sister were also overjoyed, and began to ask Lin Tianming about his experiences over the past year.


    In the first half of the year guarding Qingfeng Town, Lin Tianming focused on cultivation and alchemy, consuming a lot of Spiritual Medicine Materials, which logically led to his successful advancement to a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist.


    Had it not been for exploring the Cave Mansion Ruins in the latter half of the year, suffering injuries several times, and spending time cultivating Divine Skills without access to Spiritual Medicine Materials, he would not have temporarily set aside the practice of alchemy. Given enough Spiritual Medicine Materials, it would not have been impossible for him to produce First Order Superior Grade elixirs.


    This time returning home to visit, aside from submitting the Mysterious Grade Technique and the inheritance of a Third Order Alchemist, he also needed to replenish his supply of Spiritual Medicine Materials fully. With substantial wealth, he could exchange for as many alchemy materials as possible to take back to Qingfeng Town to quickly enhance his alchemy skills.


    Suddenly, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression turned solemn, and with a series of hand gestures, he set up a Prohibition Barrier to envelop everyone, preventing others from prying into their actions and conversations.


    Upon witnessing this, grandpa and the others knew that Lin Tianming had some very important matter to discuss and waited for him to speak.


    Today, Tianming took out from his storage bag the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinder (Three Stars Spirit Sword Technique) and True Person Yuhua¡¯s Alchemy Experience that he had obtained, and placed them on the stone table.


    His father, quick on the uptake, grabbed the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinder, while grandpa got his hands on True Person Yuhua¡¯s Alchemy Experience, deploying his Divine Sense to check it out.


    In three breaths¡¯ time, the faces of Lin Shigong and Lin Xingrong flushed with excitement. Grandpa¡¯s wrinkled face was as red as a monkey¡¯s butt, his excitement evident, not at all like a man nearing a hundred years old.


    Grandfather and father gradually regained their composure and exchanged the jade cylinders to explore them.


    Lin Tianming then took out more than ten Jade Boxes and placed them in front of them.


    Grandpa quickly opened a Jade Box!


    ¡°Hidden Spirit Grass¡±


    Grandpa Lin Shigong went completely wild with excitement, laughing madly,


    ¡°Heaven blesses the Lin Family, heaven blesses the Lin Family! These more than ten Hidden Spirit Grasses, if used well, are worth at least three Foundation Establishment Pills¡±


    Upon hearing this, father remembered that True Person Yuhua¡¯s Alchemy Experience mentioned a formula for the Minor Foundation Building Pill, and his breathing became rapid¡ªwith good reason, as Hidden Spirit Grass was tied to one¡¯s chances of reaching Foundation Establishment Stage!


    Mother and sister watched the jubilation of the three family members with complete bewilderment.


    After reviewing the three items, grandfather and father calmed down and began to inquire about the origins of these items, showing some concern.


    Lin Tianming recounted the incident where he was forced to kill the man in the red robe and included the Hidden Spirit Grass among the items obtained from him.


    Upon hearing this, everyone was dumbfounded. Mother had already cried herself into a mess. She wasn¡¯t concerned with techniques or elixirs; she just wanted her son to be safe and sound.


    He spoke this way after careful consideration, for Lin Tianming did not plan to submit the Heavenly Grade Technique. After all, wealth should not be flaunted, and with the many gossips, no one could guarantee what thoughts the family might have.


    The matter of the Heavenly Grade Technique was too important; the fewer people knew, the better, especially now when it couldn¡¯t be disclosed, or it might bring disaster upon the family. Everyone understood the logic that though a man may be blameless, possessing a treasured jade invites crime.


    At this moment, grandpa spoke with a grave expression,


    ¡°This matter is of great importance. Tianming, you rest for a while. I need to immediately send a message to the Clan Leader and various Hall Masters. We will convene a meeting in the Elders¡¯ Council in half an hour.¡±


    Having said that, Lin Shigong performed a hand gesture, and more than a dozen fire-red Spiritual Birds formed from gathered spiritual energy flew off in all directions and quickly disappeared from sight.

 Chapter 29 - 29 - 28 Family Meeting (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 29 ¨C 28 Family Meeting (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1


    Atop the main peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, on the square in front of a pavilion, a man in white robes and another in gray robes walked towards each other. These were the only two Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Lin Family.


    The man in white was named Lin Shikang, with cultivation at the Seventh Level of Foundation Establishment, aged one hundred and ten, and the third in seniority among his generation¡ªhe was the oldest and highest in rank within the Lin Family.


    The man in gray was Lin Shilu, ranked fifteenth in his generation, with cultivation at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, aged eighty-three, and he was also the only Second Order Artifact Refiner in the Lin Family.


    ¡¯Elder brother, has Ninth Brother suddenly summoned us because something significant has occurred?¡¯


    Lin Shilu asked in confusion. Lin Shikang had the highest cultivation level in the Lin Family, and Lin Shilu hoped to gather some information from him.


    Lin Shikang also looked puzzled as he spoke,


    ¡¯Shi Gong only sent a message for us to gather at the Elders¡¯ Council. He was secretive and didn¡¯t say much, so it must not be anything disastrous. If it were, he wouldn¡¯t have mentioned nothing at all. Don¡¯t worry. We have both been in secluded cultivation these past few years. It¡¯s an excellent opportunity for us to go and see.¡¯


    ...


    ¡¯Haha, Elder brother has a point. I have been refining artifacts every day for the past two years¡ªit¡¯s time for a rest.¡¯


    With that said, the two flew together towards the waist of the main peak.


    At the same time, at several important pavilions on the mountainside of Green Bamboo Mountain, one after another person flew out, all with puzzled expressions, heading in the same direction.


    In a pavilion located in the midst of Green Bamboo Peak¡¯s waist, a large elliptical round table more than ten meters wide stood in the center of the hall, surrounded by more than twenty bluestone seats. At this time, four elders were already seated.


    One of the elders, who was the Hall of Merit¡¯s Master Lin Shixin, spoke up,


    ¡¯What is Ninth Brother up to? He hasn¡¯t made such a fuss in over ten years. What¡¯s so serious?¡¯


    Another elder in a green robe said;


    ¡¯Tian Ming took on the guard duty at Qingfeng Town and has come back to visit relatives. He even brought back a Purple Gold Eagle. It couldn¡¯t be because of this trivial matter, could it?¡¯


    The speaker was the Clan Leader of the Lin Family, Lin Shihua, ranked twelfth among his generation at eighty-eight years old, at the Great Perfection Realm of Qi Refinement, and had been the family head for fifteen years.


    ¡¯It¡¯s highly unlikely. The Purple Gold Eagle brought by Tian Ming may be exceptional and talented, but it¡¯s far from enough to alarm all of us. Let us not speculate further and wait; we¡¯ll know everything shortly.¡¯


    The other elders agreed, ¡¯Indeed, let¡¯s wait. Perhaps Elder brothers will also join us.¡¯


    After half an hour had passed, several more people arrived. At this point, the hall had gathered more than a dozen family members, including the older generation of Shi clan members, as well as several who were in their prime from the Xing line. The hall now concentrated most of the Lin Family¡¯s top combat power apart from the Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Outside the great hall, Lin Tianming followed behind his grandfather and father, the three of them proceeding together towards the Clan Elders¡¯ Assembly Hall.


    Normally, given Lin Tianming¡¯s rank and strength, he would not qualify to attend the Clan Elders¡¯ Assembly, but his grandfather wanted him to speak directly to the elders and advocate for himself, as it was overall improper for the older generation to embarrass a junior.


    Suddenly, two streaks of azure light appeared, and two middle-aged cultivators appeared before the grandfather and grandson.


    Lin Tianming was taken aback. They had appeared before him without a sound, and he hadn¡¯t noticed them at all. They must undoubtedly be Foundation Establishment Cultivators, as no one at the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement could achieve such a feat otherwise.


    Indeed, his father saluted with a fist and bow;


    ¡¯Nephew Xing Rong pays his respects to Third Uncle and Fifteenth Uncle.¡¯


    Lin Tianming also saluted with a fist;


    ¡¯Great-Grandson Tian Ming pays his respects to Third Grandfather and Fifteenth Grandfather.¡¯


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu nodded in satisfaction and encouraged Lin Tianming:


    ¡¯At seventeen, you¡¯ve reached the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation and are a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist. You truly haven¡¯t let us old fellows down. You must continue to work hard; the future of our family is depending on you to take up the burden.¡¯


    ¡¯Thank you, Third Grandfather and Fifteenth Grandfather. I will surely work hard to strive for an early Core Formation and restore our family¡¯s glory.¡¯


    The grandfathers nodded contentedly and then entered the grand hall together, with Lin Tianming following behind.


    After the five of them entered the grand hall, all the elders inside stood up, greeted each other, and sat down one by one.


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu sat at the highest seats, with Clan Leader Lin Shihua, Grandfather Lin Shigong, and Lin Shiji, who was the Enforcement Hall Master and one of the three Complete Qi Refining clan members, sitting in order. Lin Shiji was one hundred and five years old this year and ranked fifth among the Shi generation.


    Sitting behind were several clan members at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, including Head of the Skill Transmission Hall Lin Shigang, Head of the Scripture Pavilion Lin Shihe, and Hall of Merit¡¯s Master Lin Shixin.


    The eldest, Lin Shikang, ranked third, while the youngest, Lin Shilu, ranked fifteenth; only these eight members of the Lin Family¡¯s Shi generation were alive.


    The heads of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, Artifact Refining Hall, and Talisman Crafting Hall were held by members of the Xing generation. Though the Formation Hall existed in name, it lacked a qualified Array Master and remained vacant for the time being.


    Several important members of the Xing generation were present as well, such as Lin Tianming¡¯s father, Lin Xingrong, who managed the family¡¯s businesses in Luoyun Market and was responsible for the security and transactions of all shops and goods there, wielding power not the slightest inferior to any of the hall masters present.


    There were also a few specialized talents within the grand hall, ensuring that the people gathered here were truly the elite of the Lin Family.


    After everyone had taken their seats, Lin Tianming paid his respects to all the elders and then stood behind his grandfather, remaining silent.


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, Clan Leader Lin Shihua began to speak:


    ¡¯Ninth Brother, you¡¯ve called us all here, even startling Third Brother and Fifteen. Everyone is quite busy; if there is something important, please speak quickly and don¡¯t beat around the bush.¡¯


    Lin Shigong stood up and said:


    ¡¯What I¡¯m about to share today is indeed joyous news. Tianming has acquired a Mysterious Grade Technique, an Alchemy Insights Jade Tube from a Third Order Alchemist, and over a dozen crucial ingredients needed for the Minor Foundation Building Pills.¡¯


    Ssssss¡­


    All the family members in the grand hall, except for the knowledgeable grandfathers and father, took in a sharp breath, their faces flushing with excitement. Each of the three items was worth a fortune.


    ¡¯Quick, quick, let¡¯s see them!¡¯ Caught up in the excitement, Clan Leader Lin Shihua couldn¡¯t help but urge.


    Lin Tianming stepped forward, placed the technique and the Alchemy Experience, as well as fifteen jade boxes on the stone table, and then stepped back.


    Lin Shikang, Lin Shilu, and Lin Shihua each picked up one of the items to examine, while several elders began to inspect the jade boxes containing Hidden Spirit Grass.


    ¡¯Truly, the heavens bless our Lin Family, the heavens bless our Lin Family.¡¯


    Lin Shihua was the first to burst out laughing, his expression filled with frenzy. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All the clan members present couldn¡¯t help but laugh with joy, silently heaving a sigh of relief.


    The Lin Family had been living rather frugally for the past decade. Fifteen years ago, in order to enable Lin Shilu¡¯s Foundation Establishment, they had exhausted decades of savings. Coupled with intentional difficulties from several forces within the Luoyun Mountain Range, the Lin Family had faced tough times, only able to bear insults silently.


    Had it not been for other families¡¯ hesitance to provoke the legacy left by our ancestors, the Lin Family might have already been pushed out of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Now, with this windfall, holding firm for another ten years, if they could successfully raise a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the Lin Family would no longer need to swallow their pride.

 Chapter 30 - 30 - 29 Rewards (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 30 ¨C 29 Rewards (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1


    After a quarter of an hour of taking turns to inspect the items, everyone had a clear understanding of the three objects at hand.


    The excitement and joy gradually subsided, and Clan Leader Lin Shihua asked Lin Tianming about how he came into possession of the items, in case they needed to be prepared for any trouble that might arise.


    Under the scrutiny of many clan members, Lin Tianming recounted the whole event, deliberately omitting the matter of the Heavenly Grade Technique.


    Learning that the treasures came from a loose cultivator and that no traces were discovered afterward, everyone unanimously breathed a sigh of relief.


    Any one of these three items could cause several clans at the Foundation Establishment Stage to fight bloody battles. The family elders were very clear that in these troubled times, it was not easy to make enemies.


    Now that the facts were clear, it was natural to discuss the disposition of the items.


    After thoughtful consideration, Lin Tianming took the initiative to speak:


    ...


    ¡°All three items will be handed over to the clan in exchange for a portion of merit and spirit stones. As for the creation of Minor Foundation Building Pills, I request three to be given to Lin Tianming without any cost, with the excess managed by the clan.¡±


    Fifteen batches of Minor Foundation Building Pills could be refined from the fifteen Hidden Spirit Grasses. The main ingredient, Hidden Spirit Grass, was precious, but the other auxiliary medicinal ingredients were manageable. The Lin Family Treasure Vault could gather most, and the few that were missing could be bought at some cost.


    If the alchemist was competent, with fifteen batches of ingredients and a success rate of thirty percent, they could expect about fifteen pills. Accounting for the alchemist¡¯s remuneration, more than ten pills were a certainty.


    To request three pills without compensation was by no means an excessive demand considering his contribution.


    Upon hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, many family elders began to ponder and even discuss in small groups. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Some clan members argued there were many in the Lin Family at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement and Great Perfection who greatly needed the Minor Foundation Building Pills; three pills were too many. One would be appropriate, with additional compensation in spirit stones or merit.


    However, a portion of the elders believed Lin Tianming¡¯s request was not excessive at all. He had made significant contributions to the Lin Family, and it would not be right to demand the items from him; they should unconditionally fulfill his request.


    The great hall immediately buzzed with debate. Those in support of Lin Tianming were mostly elders of the Shi generation, while those who opposed were predominantly Xing Clan members.


    At that moment, when the main hall was abuzz with arguments,


    a loud shout thundered through the hall like an explosion, silencing everyone.


    ¡°Enough! Our family has survived numerous crises over eight hundred years, yet now we bicker shamefully over the fortune a junior has found. How does this look?¡±


    ¡°If the family is to prosper, we must be as fair as possible; mere exploitation and plundering are no different from banditry and only serve to dishearten our clan members.¡±


    ¡°Put yourself in Tianming¡¯s position and ask whether you would still be willing to dedicate yourself to the family. We are a family, not a sect. We need young people like Tianming; otherwise, when we pass away, we won¡¯t have the face to meet our ancestors.¡±


    After a scolding from Lin Shikang, who had the highest cultivation in the Lin Family, the opposing elders all bowed their heads in shame, their faces flushed with embarrassment.


    With the staunch support of two Foundation Establishment Stage elders, the family elders reached a unanimous decision.


    Clan Leader Lin Shihua spoke:


    ¡°Award Tian Ming five thousand merit points or low-grade spirit stones, waive the restriction on performing family missions, award fifty sets of Lingshen Pill alchemical materials, fifty sets of various First Order Superior Grade alchemical spiritual medicines, ten High Quality Talisman papers, and three First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instruments, with the type unrestricted.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, if Minor Foundation Building Pills are created, regardless of the total number, three will be given to Lin Tianming without any compensation.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming was very satisfied, feeling that the clan had been quite fair. Although the three items would fetch at least a hundred thousand spirit stones in the market, the family¡¯s finances were indeed limited. Besides, the creation of Minor Foundation Building Pills also required substantial resources.


    Even if the family had the will, it could not easily provide a hundred thousand spirit stones without compromising normal operations. The only option was to offer additional rewards in the form of medicinal materials, means to contend with adversaries, and some special privileges.


    Finally, Lin Shikang said to Lin Tianming:


    ¡°Tian Ming, the family truly has its difficulties. These awards are hardly worth mentioning. I hope you don¡¯t take it to heart. When the family¡¯s finances improve in the future, we will make every effort to compensate you.¡±


    When Lin Tianming heard this, he was also deeply moved! He stood up to express his gratitude, saying:


    ¡°Tianming is a member of the family, too, running with the blood of the Lin Family. Those ancestors who laid down their lives for the family with selfless devotion, my contribution is nothing compared to theirs, all the elders need not blame themselves.¡±


    ¡°Look, even a teenager has a stronger sense of duty than many of our clan members,¡±


    Lin Shikang¡¯s ironic comment made those clan members who had initially opposed him feel even more ashamed and embarrassed.


    Discussions of the rewards came to an end, and it was now time to talk about the method for refining the Minor Foundation Building Pills.


    There was not a qualified Second Order Alchemist in the Lin Family, so to refine these pills, they would have to seek the help of an alchemist from outside.


    Many clan members also started a discussion about this.


    In the entire Luoyun Mountain Range, Second Order Alchemists were rare, and a few of them were closely related to the Lin Family¡¯s rival clans, making it extremely difficult to ask for their help.


    Furthermore, although the Minor Foundation Building Pills were not as precious as the Foundation Establishment Pills, they were valuable nonetheless, and the Lin Family dared not let even the slightest rumor leak out with such large quantities at stake.


    If the opposing forces got wind of it, they might very well kill for treasure, and even if they managed to keep it safe, they would suffer significant losses.


    After some discussion, the senior family members unanimously decided to take the Spiritual Medicine Materials to Qianchuan Market in the Wei Kingdom and ask Ye Pinghai, an old friend of Lin Shigong, for help in refining them.


    Ye Pinghai was a Loose Cultivator, at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and a Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist. In his earlier years during the Qi Refinement period, he was saved by Lin Shigong. The two became close friends, exchanged alchemy techniques, and on several occasions had refined precious elixirs for the Lin Family, making him the best candidate for help.


    After discussions and arrangements by the senior family members, for the coming month, the family would collect other Spiritual Medicine Materials needed for refining the Minor Foundation Building Pills. In a month, Lin Shilu, accompanied by Lin Tianming, would set off to Qianchuan Market to look for Ye Pinghai.


    The reason for taking Lin Tianming was twofold, one for the experience, and two because Lin Tianming was a direct descendant of Lin Shigong. By going there, he could learn alchemy from Ye Pinghai as well as build a good relationship.


    Having the direct guidance of a Second Order Alchemist would be of great help in improving Lin Tianming¡¯s skills in alchemy. Moreover, with Lin Tianming¡¯s extraordinary abilities and all the Lin Family members at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement busy with family affairs, taking him along would be a significant advantage.


    The task of guarding Qingfeng Town would be taken over by another family member.


    The matter of the treasures came to a close, the clan members left the great hall one after another, and Lin Tianming along with his grandparents, also stood up to leave.


    Back in his courtyard, Lin Tianming took out a large piece of Spirit-Connecting Python meat and handed it to Ren Yuxuan to prepare a feast for the evening, so the family could joyfully share a reunion dinner.


    After the meal, Lin Tianming took out twenty Lingshen Pills and gave fifteen to his mother and five to his sister.


    His sister happily accepted the Lingshen Pills and ran off to cultivate. In the year that Lin Tianming was away, their mother had given her two Lingshen Pills to aid in her cultivation, which helped her successfully break through to the Third Level of Qi Refinement.


    Seeing so many Lingshen Pills, his mother became both touched and happy, seeing her son so accomplished, far surpassing her own achievements, with a future that seemed boundless, she couldn¡¯t help but feel proud.


    ¡¯Mother, you¡¯re getting on in years, and the chances of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage are slim; you should keep these pills for yourself,¡¯


    ¡¯Mother, I¡¯m now a qualified First Order Medium Grade Alchemist. These pills were all refined by myself, and at least for now, I have no shortage of elixirs for cultivation. You always saved all the Spirit Stones and elixirs for Tian Yue and me; now, it¡¯s time for your son to repay you.¡¯


    Lin Shigong and Lin Xingrong also joined in, trying to persuade her:


    ¡¯Yuxuan, I¡¯m afraid this boy is now several times wealthier than I am, aside from Third Brother and Shi Lu, no one in the family is richer than him.¡¯


    ¡¯Yes, Yuxuan, this boy is not the same as before. Just take them and catch up on the cultivation you¡¯ve missed out on over the years.¡¯


    Moved to near tears by everyone¡¯s earnest urging, Ren Yuxuan accepted the pills and stored them in her bag.


    As it was getting very late, after some words of advice from his grandfather and father, Lin Tianming returned to his own room.


    Exhausted, he lay down on the bed he had slept in for over ten years and fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 31 - 31 - 30 Redeeming Rewards (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 31 ¨C 30 Redeeming Rewards (Please Bookmark and Recommend)_1


    The next morning, a slightly glaring ray of sunlight shone through the small window onto Lin Tianming¡¯s handsome face.


    Opening his eyes tinged with a hint of spirituality, Lin Tianming got up, tidied up his room, and prepared to head out.


    The family¡¯s rewards had been determined, and today he was to go to the Hall of Merit to claim them. In addition to his own rewards, he also needed to exchange some materials that he didn¡¯t need for merit points and purchase some essentials.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming stepped out the door, summoned the Qingfeng Sword, hopped onto it, and flew toward the mid-mountain pavilion. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside the Family Merits Hall, the place buzzed with voices as many family cultivators presented spiritual medicines or demonic beast inner pills and bodies to the executive officers at the main hall. Among the plethora of spiritual objects, most were common first-order items.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming enter, everyone stopped what they were doing and greeted him.


    As the one with the highest talent since the patriarch of the Lin Family, Lin Tianming was naturally the focus of attention for all the clan members.


    ...


    In the face of the clan members¡¯ goodwill, Lin Tianming greeted them with a fist and palm salute, showing no difference in treatment despite their lower cultivation levels. With the demeanor of a gentleman and the respect of a junior, he won a round of encouraging cheers and applause.


    Lin Shixin was very satisfied with this. The child¡¯s cultivation strength and temperament were top-tier, making him the future hope of the family. With some luck, provided he didn¡¯t die young, there was a great hope of leading the family back into the ranks of Core Formation Stage clans.


    After greeting the clan members in the hall, Lin Tianming now approached Lin Shixin and bowed respectfully, saying:


    ¡°Tianming pays respect to Fifteenth Grandfather.¡±


    Lin Shixin squinted his eyes and smiled, responding:


    ¡°Your reward has been prepared. Whatever you need, just say it, and I¡¯ll fetch it for you, especially First Order Superior Grade spiritual medicine materials, talisman paper, and spiritual artifacts.¡±


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, for the First Order Superior Grade spiritual medicine materials, I will need twenty-five portions of each spiritual medicine material listed on these two pill formulas,¡± Tianming said.


    After speaking, Lin Tianming handed Lin Shixin two pill formulas, which undoubtedly were for refining the Strong Spirit Pill and the Body Strengthening Pill, which were aids for cultivating the Tiangang Body Art.


    Lin Shixin glanced at the pill formulas, and his old face turned alternately blue and purple as a voice couldn¡¯t help but rise in his heart:


    ¡°This little rascal sure knows how to choose, picking the more precious ones from among the first order spiritual medicines.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, this child¡¯s talent and temperament are beyond reproach, and the family¡¯s future depends on him. It¡¯s fine to look after him a bit more. Besides, what he¡¯s asking for are all First Order Superior Grade spiritual medicines; they are just a bit more precious, and there¡¯s no violation of the rules.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and tell me about the talisman paper and the spiritual artifacts, and I¡¯ll fetch them all for you,¡± Lin Shixin urged.


    Lin Tianming continued:


    ¡°I need four First Order Superior Attack Talisman papers, and four Defense Talisman papers, as well as two Speed Evasion Talisman papers.¡±


    ¡°For spiritual artifacts, I would like three defensive spiritual tools. That¡¯s all, and additionally, I want to sell a batch of Fasting Pills.¡±


    Having said that, Lin Tianming took out the Fasting Pills he had refined, a total of one hundred. Originally, after refining all the materials for the Fasting Pills, he obtained one hundred and thirty-six.


    Having consumed some during his year of seclusion, he was left with a bit over one hundred and twenty. By selling one hundred, he would keep just over twenty for personal use. After all, he was still in the Qi Refinement Realm, and he couldn¡¯t be without Fasting Pills during his seclusion.


    Only upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage could he truly fast and survive solely on spiritual energy for an extended period.


    ¡°One hundred Fasting Pills in exchange for eighty merit points, is there anything else?¡± Lin Shixin asked.


    Lin Tianming frowned slightly and cautiously inquired:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, does our Green Bamboo Mountain still have Second Order Qingling Bamboo for sale?¡±


    Lin Shixin asked with some confusion:


    ¡°What do you need the Second Order Qingling Bamboo for? There are plenty of First Order ones, but not many Second Order ones. Even in the Hundred-mile Bamboo Forest, there are less than a hundred Second Order Qingling Bamboo. These are the batch with the oldest age; our family has rarely let them go!¡±


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t give it much thought and went straight to the point in his reply:


    ¡°I want to exchange for twenty Second Order Qingling Bamboo. Please ask Fifteenth Grandfather to help me refine a complete set of Flying Sword Instruments. My current spiritual artifacts are too substandard and do not allow me to utilize my full strength.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, forget it!¡±


    After his initial shock, Lin Shixin began to elaborate.


    ¡°Each Qingling Bamboo is quite valuable. It has excellent tensile strength and is extremely sharp, indeed making it one of the best materials for refining spirit swords.


    ¡°Each Second Order Qingling Bamboo costs one hundred and fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones. It¡¯s not something the average person can afford, so if you want it, you¡¯ll have to chop it down yourself!¡±


    After hearing this, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but be stunned as well. At one hundred and fifty spirit stones each, twenty would cost three thousand spirit stones, an amount indeed unaffordable for the average person. If not for having made significant contributions to the family and received a hefty reward, he truly wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford it.


    After half a moment, Lin Shixin handed a storage bag over to Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Everything is inside. Count them, and hand me your token as well.¡±


    Lin Tianming respectfully took out his token and handed it to Lin Shixin.


    Lin Shixin then took out a token several times larger, formed a hand seal with both hands, and a burst of blue light flashed. A number lit up on Lin Tianming¡¯s token for a few breaths before disappearing.


    At this moment, there were an additional two thousand and eighty merits on Lin Tianming¡¯s family token. Five thousand merits vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving just so little.


    Lin Tianming felt the pinch acutely. In the past, he would have been reluctant to spend even a few dozen spirit stones, but now he had spent several thousand in one go. Thinking about this made his heart bleed.


    Taking the storage bag, Lin Tianming probed it with his divine sense. Inside the bag were over a hundred portions of various spirit grasses, four differently colored talisman papers, and three defensive spiritual tools.


    The three spiritual tools were all unique¡ªone was a turtle shell-like shield, another a small umbrella, and the last item was red inner armor. Lin Tianming gave them a cursory check.


    Lin Shixin took out another token made of Qingling bamboo material and handed it to Lin Tianming, saying:


    ¡°This token is for entry into the deep part of the bamboo forest. Without it, if one rashly intrudes, they probably won¡¯t last long before being blasted to death by the ward.¡±


    Lin Tianming received the token and gave Lin Shixin a bow before departing.


    Half a moment later, Lin Tianming appeared at the bottom of a valley at the foot of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The entire valley was shrouded in mist, and the bamboo sea was endless to the eye, the area likely close to a hundred miles in size.


    Lin Tianming took out a token, cast a spell, and a light screen appeared out of thin air. The screen tore open to reveal an entrance several feet wide, with a powerful metal attribute aura assailing him.


    Because the bamboo forest was so vast and sealed off by great arrays all year round, the strong metal attribute spiritual energy trapped here was greatly beneficial to the growth of the Qingling Bamboo.


    Qingling Bamboo is a First Order Spiritual Material that requires a five-hundred-year growth cycle. The vast majority are just First Order Spiritual Materials, and only an extremely small number of Qingling Bamboo can grow into Second Order Spiritual Material by chance.


    The Lin Family had chosen to establish the family here originally because they happened upon a large expanse of Qingling Bamboo by chance, thus occupying this place.


    After more than eight hundred years of development, the area of Qingling Bamboo had more than doubled, and there were several hundred Second Order Qingling Bamboo. Every year some are used up or sold, leaving nearly a hundred which is one of the Lin Family¡¯s greatest assets.


    Lin Tianming tucked the token into his storage bag, leaped up, and entered through the light screen.

 Chapter 32 - 32 - 31: Cutting Down Qingling Bamboo (Please Collect and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 32 ¨C 31: Cutting Down Qingling Bamboo (Please Collect and Recommend)_1


    In the dense bamboo forest of blue and yellow hues, Lin Tianming looked around.


    Massive Qingling Bamboos were growing in the firm crevices of rocks, with varying heights and thickness.


    The tall ones could reach several zhang in height, as thick as the mouth of a bowl, with blue-yellow trunks and very few leaves, all several centuries old and suitable for crafting instruments.


    The short ones were less than half a zhang, colored blue, with denser leaves, averaging around a hundred years old.


    Qingling Bamboo has a long growth cycle, starting as finger-thick shoots of white jade color, gradually growing into blue, hundred-year-old specimens, and finally, blue-yellow when they reach full maturity.


    Lin Tianming swiftly shuttled through the bamboo forest, meticulously searching for Second Order Qingling Bamboo.


    An hour had passed, and Lin Tianming¡¯s expression turned liver-colored; among tens of thousands of Qingling Bamboos, he hadn¡¯t found a single Second Order one.


    ...


    The task was indeed daunting, given the vast area and difficulty in distinguishing them. The Second Order Qingling Bamboos and the five-century-old ones looked similar, both as thick as the mouth of a bowl with sparse leaves. The only difference was that the Second Order¡¯s color was pure gold, while the ordinary ones were paler in blue-yellow.


    The entire Qingling Bamboo Forest spanned dozens of li, with several hundred thousand bamboos. To find the mere hundred Second Order specimens was certainly difficult.


    After resting for a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming continued on his quest.


    Time passed quickly, and another hour went by.


    Suddenly, amidst the thick bamboo, a golden bamboo stood tall among a cluster of five-century-old Qingling Bamboos.


    Overjoyed, Lin Tianming disappeared and reappeared beside the golden Second Order Qingling Bamboo.


    This Qingling Bamboo was several zhang tall, bowl-thick, completely golden, and the surface shone brilliantly¡ªundoubtedly a Second Order specimen.


    Lin Tianming carefully observed the growing environment of this Qingling Bamboo, hoping to deduce the factors for Second Order growth and find a shortcut to locate the remaining nineteen.


    He saw that it grew in rock crevices, surrounded mostly by mature, five-century Qingling Bamboos, hinting at a significant difference from the valley below¡ªhigher up the rocks, the greater the likelihood of finding Second Order bamboos.


    Lin Tianming tentatively concluded this was the case and decided in his subsequent searches to take to the air, identifying areas where the bamboo leaves were sparser and the groves taller, indicating greater possibilities for Second Order plants, and to focus on these patches to significantly improve efficiency.


    Resolved, Lin Tianming drew his Qingfeng Sword and began to cut down the bamboo.


    Three consecutive sword strikes hit the same spot, yet only a thumb-sized nick was made in the golden Qingling Bamboo.


    Lin Tianming was surprised; he was a body cultivator who practiced the top-notch Heavenly Grade Technique, Tiangang Body Art, possessing strength several times that of normal cultivators at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, yet he had only managed to inflict such a minor cut. To completely sever it, he anticipated a considerable amount of effort would be required.


    Activating his cultivation technique with full force, Lin Tianming delivered multiple sword strikes, each expanding the cut until, after more than fifty strikes, the bowl-thick Qingling Bamboo fell with a sound.


    ¡°Puff¡­¡±


    A loud noise echoed as the several zhang tall Qingling Bamboo crashed heavily to the ground, creating a half-foot deep trench.


    Lin Tianming lifted the Qingling Bamboo, sweat bead appearing on his forehead; he tried to lift it three times without success.


    It wasn¡¯t until he channeled his spiritual power and exerted his full strength, with thousands of jin erupting from his hands, that he managed to hoist the Qingling Bamboo and stow it in his storage bag.


    Having successfully secured the bamboo, Lin Tianming wiped his hands and sat panting on a nearby rock to rest.


    Lin Tianming thought to himself that each Second Order Qingling Bamboo must weigh at least a few thousand jin; with its hard material and excellent flexibility, swords crafted from it would surely be extraordinary.


    After resting for a short while, Lin Tianming continued on his journey to find more Second Order Qingling Bamboos.


    Having succeeded in his first attempt, Lin Tianming no longer aimlessly wandered the forest but flew above it, carefully discerning the densely populated areas of five-century Qingling Bamboos.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°That clump of bamboo about a hundred zhang ahead is taller on average, with sparser leaves, mostly five-century Qingling Bamboos. The chances of finding Second Order ones should not be small.¡±


    Lin Tianming swiftly flew to that part of the bamboo forest and began his meticulous search.


    ¡°As expected, there are Second Order Qingling Bamboos,¡±


    Lin Tianming was quite delighted, confident that with this method, the twenty Qingling Bamboos could be quickly found.


    Two days flew by!


    Inside the Qingling Bamboo Forest, Lin Tianming expertly placed a Second Order Qingling Bamboo down, swiftly lifting the several-thousand-jin bamboo stalk and stowing it into his storage bag.


    Having finally cut down twenty stalks of Second Order Qingling Bamboo, after two days of non-stop swinging of the Qingfeng Sword, his arms were sore and swollen.


    If he had not been a Body Cultivator with a cultivation not considered weak, had it been the time he was at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, he likely could not have chopped down many in one day. Banking on his profound cultivation, he had completed the target within two days.


    Having reached the required quantity, Lin Tianming was very satisfied and couldn¡¯t wait to take the twenty stalks of Second Order Qingling Bamboo to Fifteenth Uncle to ask for his help with artifact forging.


    Considering his weapons as a significant shortcoming, he was eager to forge a sufficient number of Spirit Swords. If the grade could all be at First Order Superior, his combat power would at least double. Even facing a cultivator in the Late Stage of Qi Refining, he would be able to retreat unscathed.


    Upon reaching the edge of the bamboo forest, Lin Tianming took out his token, cast a Law Decree, and a slit appeared in the light screen; he stepped through without hesitation.


    After the span of a single breath, Lin Tianming had successfully emerged from the bamboo forest.


    He summoned a Qingfeng Sword, leaped onto the blade, and left flying through the sky.


    In half an hour, at the Family Merits Hall, Lin Tianming found Lin Shixin.


    ¡°Elder Wu, I have gathered all twenty stalks of Second Order Qingling Bamboo and have come to return the token.¡±


    Lin Tianming respectfully handed over the token, exchanged a few pleasantries with Lin Shixin, and then bade farewell as he left the Hall of Merit.


    A short while later, in the Family Alchemy Hall, Lin Tianming appeared before his grandfather Lin Shigong and bowed respectfully:


    ¡°Your grandson greets you, grandfather!¡±


    Lin Shigong waved his hand and smiled, instructing:


    ¡°Cheeky boy, come and sit down!¡±


    Lin Tianming chuckled, sat down directly on the cushion in front of him, and stated his purpose.


    ¡°Grandfather, I spent three thousand merit points at once to exchange for twenty stalks of Second Order Qingling Bamboo in the Hall of Merit, intending to ask Fifteenth Grandfather to help forge a batch of Spirit Swords. Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t left a communication mark with Fifteenth Grandfather, so I¡¯ve come to ask for your help to see if Fifteenth Grandfather can help with the forging.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing his grandson¡¯s purpose, Lin Shigong was greatly startled!


    ¡°This rapscallion, what a spender, to blow three thousand merit points like that. The Mysterious Grade Cultivation Technique Fire Origin Decision that he cultivates doesn¡¯t even require so many Spirit Swords, right?¡±


    Lin Shixin was very puzzled by such extravagant spending and thus questioned Lin Tianming why he needed so many Spirit Swords.


    Lin Tianming hesitated and fumbled, and after much deliberation, he still did not reveal the Heavenly Grade Technique he was cultivating. He only mentioned that his Cultivation Technique was related to Sword Arrays.


    He emphasized repeatedly, asking his grandfather to keep it a secret, or it might bring disaster to the family!


    Seeing his grandson so serious, Lin Shixin no longer pressed the matter, knowing everyone had their secrets.


    And Lin Tianming had always been smart and stable, so if he didn¡¯t speak of it, he naturally had his reasons.


    With these thoughts, Lin Shigong earnestly advised:


    ¡°Since it¡¯s so important, remember never to reveal it lightly in front of others. People in the Cultivation World constantly commit murders and rob others of their treasures; you can¡¯t just trust anyone easily, understand?¡±


    Lin Tianming agreed wholeheartedly, easing his grandfather¡¯s concerns.


    Afterward, Lin Shigong formed a seal with one hand and sent a message to Lin Shilu, inquiring whether he could take on the forging task.


    In half an hour, a beam of Spiritual Light passed through the restrictions of the building, stopping in front of Lin Shigong. He read the message, and after the Spiritual Light dissipated, he spoke up:


    ¡°Your Fifteenth Grandfather has agreed to help. He told you to go directly to the summit of Green Bamboo Peak, where he and your Third Grandfather are cultivating in their main mountain abode. You can go find him there.¡±


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately took leave of Lin Shigong, planning to go directly to Lin Shilu.


    Before leaving, Lin Shigong took out eight hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones and a bottle of Second Order Lingshen Pill, handing them to Lin Tianming as a reward for the forging help.


    Lin Tianming, unpretentious, accepted the Spirit Stones and elixir, and left.

 Chapter 33 - 33 - 32: Observing Practice Equipment (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 33 ¨C 32: Observing Practice Equipment (Please Favorite and Recommend)_1


    ¡°`


    Summit of Qingzhu Mountain.


    The entire mountain stood a thousand zhang high, its top a flat land of more than ten li in size, a truly spectacular sight!


    Lin Tianming was also climbing to the peak for the first time. From this height, he surveyed the entire Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory; from halfway up the mountain, peaks rose one after another, stretching for over a hundred li, resembling a veritable fairyland.


    The summit spanned more than ten li, the terrain remarkably flat, as if a supreme being had cleaved off the entire mountaintop with a single sword!


    Feeling the density of the spiritual energy in this place, it was a cut above that of the mid-mountain regions; no doubt, long-term cultivation here would yield twice the results with half the effort.


    The ancestors truly were blessed with foresight; otherwise, to find such a land rich in spiritual energy would be no easy task. Such Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands were a rare sight in the whole Luoyun Mountain Range.


    ...


    Shaking off his distant thoughts, Lin Tianming headed towards the rear of the vast Bluestone Plaza.


    Atop Green Bamboo Mountain Peak lay a massive Bluestone Plaza. Around the plaza stood several courtyards of varying sizes.


    Each courtyard occupied a substantial area, their exteriors solemn and sacred, inspiring awe in those who looked upon them.


    In the Lin Family, only those who had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage could bring their direct relatives to live at the peak of the mountain. This was a privilege reserved for Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Lin Tianming walked directly to the outside of one of the courtyards, pausing to press his palms together and cast a beam of Spiritual Light into the restrictive enchantment.


    A few breaths later, the restriction opened a passage, and Lin Tianming entered without hesitation, then mysteriously vanished from sight.


    Inside the courtyard, Lin Shilu sat on a meditation cushion in the center, examining a Spirit Sword in his hand. He repeatedly channeled Spiritual Power into it, waving the sword through the air.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming did not dare to interrupt and stood respectfully to the side, awaiting Lin Shilu¡¯s instructions.


    Half an hour later, Lin Shilu stored the Spirit Sword in his storage bag, turned, smiled, and then said,


    ¡°Tianming, come over and sit!¡±


    ¡°Tianming greets Fifteenth Grandfather!¡±


    After giving a respectful salute, Lin Tianming sat down on a meditation cushion opposite Lin Shilu.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, due to the lack of a suitable Spirit Sword, I¡¯ve exchanged for twenty stalks of Second Order Qingling Bamboo from the Family Merits Hall. I was hoping you could help forge them into a set of Flying Sword Instruments. Would you be able to assist me?¡±


    After several moments of silence, Lin Tianming, feeling increasingly anxious, tentatively continued, S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I would not expect you to labour without compensation. I will pay you according to the market rate when the time comes. After all, forging a complete set of Spiritual Artifacts does consume a fair amount of supplementary materials and time. Offering compensation is the least I can do.¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, Lin Shilu frowned slightly, his face showing displeasure as he spoke,


    ¡°Within the family, we do not differentiate between each other¡¯s households. Crafting a complete set of Second Order Spirit Swords is indeed a challenge, but I am confident in forging a First Order set.¡±


    ¡°Back in my days at the Qi Refinement Realm, I often relied on your grandfather¡¯s help with Alchemy. Rest assured, hand over the Second Order Qingling Bamboo; without delay, I¡¯ll get to work immediately and aim to finish them as soon as possible.¡±


    Lin Tianming was both surprised and moved by the response, thanking his elder profusely.


    Family cultivators, when able, would always assist each other. Should he find success in the future, he must also contribute to the family.


    After handing over the twenty stalks of Second Order Qingling Bamboo to Lin Shilu, Lin Tianming was about to take his leave when Lin Shilu suddenly said,


    ¡°If you have no other matters, stay and assist me. You can also learn some basics of Artifact Refining. Should you have a talent for it, it could bring great aid to your cultivation journey.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will heed Fifteenth Grandfather¡¯s teachings.¡±


    After Lin Tianming responded, Lin Shilu stood up to leave, and Lin Tianming quickly followed his steps.


    ¡°`


    Although he had never refined any artifact or even had the chance to observe the process, watching the entire artifact refining process on-site was not an easy opportunity to come by.


    A few breaths passed, and Lin Shilu walked through the corridor, stopping in front of a secret chamber.


    Lin Tianming waited beside, feeling the abundant fire element spiritual power in the air; it must undoubtedly be the Refining Room.


    The more than ten courtyards on the summit of Green Bamboo Mountain each came with a Pill Refining Room and an Artifact Forging Room, through which the tributaries of the Earth Fire passed, providing the most basic conditions for pill concoction and weapon forging.


    Lin Shilu opened the restrictions and stepped in; Lin Tianming hurriedly followed.


    Inside the Artifact Forging Room, a cauldron about the size of a yard stood in the center of the chamber, surrounded by numerous stone platforms with various tools laid out.


    After a brief moment of breathing regulation, Lin Shilu was ready to begin artifact refining.


    He skillfully ignited the Earth Fire, eliciting a three-feet-long flame that burst forth, perfectly suspended under the cauldron.


    He arranged the Second Order Qingling Bamboo neatly to one side, at the same time taking out a number of differently colored ores and placing them on the stone platform.


    Lin Shilu grabbed a large chunk of Spirit Iron Ore and tossed it into the cauldron, then adjusted the intensity of the Earth Fire, furiously burning the cauldron.


    As time passed, the Spirit Iron the size of a bucket gradually melted into a puddle of iron liquid.


    After an hour of repeated purification, the Spirit Iron, once the size of a bucket, was refined into twenty fist-sized ores, crystal clear and translucent.


    New n????vel chapters are published on .c¦Ò?.


    At this point, the originally ink-colored raw ore had astonishingly become as beautiful as Spirit Stones.


    While refining, Lin Shilu gave instructions to Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Cut the Second Order Qingling Bamboo at two-thirds of its length; to forge a Spirit Sword, only the bottom half of the entire bamboo is needed. You can keep the tip part for forging other lower grade spirit swords.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s instructions, Lin Tianming began to cut the Qingling Bamboo one by one, handing over the section as thick as the mouth of a bowl to Lin Shilu.


    Two days passed, and Lin Shilu had refined over a dozen different colored ores one by one, divided into twenty portions of crystal clear Spirit Ore.


    Twenty stalks of Qingling Bamboo were also trimmed to be three zhang long, twenty stalks neatly lined up in a row.


    Lin Shilu placed the entire Qingling Bamboo on the stone platform beside, took out a hammer with an extremely large head, and began to pound the whole stalk of Qingling Bamboo on the stone platform without respite.


    After half a day, the three-zhang-long Qingling Bamboo gradually shrunk in size and shape, turning from a bamboo thick as a bowl to a three-feet-long sword embryo, with the surface color turning more golden.


    Lin Tianming also widened his eyes in amazement; the transformation of the ores was still within his expectations, but the conversion of Qingling Bamboo into a sword embryo was truly incredible.


    As Lin Shilu hammered the Qingling Bamboo, every half an hour, he would add a type of ore to the sword embryo, increase the force of his hammering, and continue adding more ore.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu was drenched in sweat, focusing intently on hammering the Spirit Sword embryo.


    Lin Tianming, too, began to ponder on the side, committing Lin Shilu¡¯s entire process and techniques to memory, thinking that perhaps he might attempt it when the time was ripe.


    However, given his limited time, it was unlikely he could devote a vast amount of time and energy solely on artifact refining, but learning some experience was still necessary.


    After most of a day, the Spirit Sword embryos were successively infused with more than ten types of colored ores, resulting in a completely golden sword, with two intertwining lines of azure and red running from the tip to the hilt, laying the foundation for the entire Spirit Sword.


    Feeling the faint Sword Qi emanating from the Spirit Sword, Lin Tianming was very satisfied; if he added the remaining inscriptions to the sword body, its might would likely be even more formidable.


    Lin Shilu, too, was extremely pleased at this point; although he was a Second Grade Medium Quality Artifact Refiner and had forged a great number of First Order Superior Grade Spirit Swords, when it came to the power of the sword embryos alone, this particular Spirit Sword embryo satisfied him the most.


    This was still only the Spirit Sword embryo, accounting for only half of the success; the subsequent Inscription Array needed to be carved before it could be considered a complete Spiritual Artifact.


    Lin Shilu took a brief rest for a quarter of an hour and then threw himself back into the most important task of Inscription marking.

 Chapter 34 - 34 - 33 A Set of Qingfeng Swords (Please Collect and Recommend)_1

    Chapter 34 ¨C 33 A Set of Qingfeng Swords (Please Collect and Recommend)_1


    In Lin Shilu¡¯s refining room, Lin Shilu was at this moment, focusing intently on inscribing engravings, as golden-yellow runes sunk one by one into the Spirit Sword in front of him.


    An hour later, the golden runes revealed themselves one by one on the entire sword body, the tiny runes gradually spreading over the entirety of the sword.


    At this time, the whole Spirit Sword was emitting a strong Sword Qi, its grade had evidently reached that of a First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instrument without a doubt.


    Both Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming were overwhelmed with joy, with Lin Tianming feeling particularly excited.


    Originally thinking that crafting a First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instrument would be a success, they hadn¡¯t expected to actually forge a First Order Top-Quality Spirit Sword. If all twenty Sword Embryos were made into First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instruments to form a Sword Array, its might would unquestionably be more terrifying. Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but look forward to that.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu was also very satisfied, as he had successfully become a Second Order Medium Quality Refiner half a year ago. He took helping Tianming with refining very seriously.


    Before the refining process, the chances of producing a First Order Superior Grade were very high, and the possibility of a First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instrument was not slim either.


    ...


    Second Order Qingling Bamboo was already considered one of the best materials among Second Order materials, and Lin Shilu did not only bring out a large quantity of high-quality auxiliary materials but also a significant amount of treasured Second Order Spirit Iron. It was quite the bloodletting, but thankfully the results were satisfactory.


    In the Cultivation World, even most of the cultivators at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment still combat using Spiritual Instruments, most of which are First Order Superior Grade or Top-Quality.


    More advanced Magic Artifacts are only accessible to those cultivators who are in the middle or later stages of Foundation Establishment and are quite wealthy.


    Lin Tianming investing such a great deal in refining, his attack power was certain to increase significantly.


    Striking while the iron was hot, the grandfather and grandson worked together with renewed vigor and re-immersed themselves in the refining process.


    Twenty days passed in silence, and the day to go to Qianchuan Market was approaching; the sounds of hammering were continuous in Lin Shilu¡¯s refining room.


    The pair were currently taking turns hammering a Second Order Qingling Bamboo. Before their eyes, the once bowl-thick Qingling Bamboo gradually took the shape of a Spirit Sword Embryo, its form nearly complete.


    Lin Shilu added a piece of Second Order ore, and together they hammered away without stopping.


    After half a month of teamwork, they developed a great synergy, the two massive hammers striking the Spirit Sword Embryo rapidly; the rhythm of their hammering was expertly controlled, greatly increasing the efficiency.


    Otherwise, if Lin Shilu were to refine alone, not only would it be very exhausting, but it would also be difficult to complete the forging of twenty Spirit Swords within a month.


    Having successfully forged the rudimentary shape of the Spirit Sword, Lin Shilu, without taking any rest, continued with the process of inscribing engravings.


    After one and a half hours of inscribing, the final Spirit Sword was completely finished. Twenty Spirit Swords were neatly suspended in the refining room, each radiating powerful fluctuations.


    Twenty stalks of Qingling Bamboo, with a large addition of various ores, even including three types of Second Order, had been successfully forged into twenty First Order Top-Quality complete set Spirit Swords.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu looked utterly exhausted. After over twenty continuous days of refining, his Spiritual Power and mental energy had been greatly spent. Lin Tianming was also very weary, now only wanting a good sleep for a couple of days.


    Lin Shilu arranged for Lin Tianming to rest in the next room. The two of them took their rest, each collapsing onto a stone bed and falling into a deep sleep.


    The pair slept for a full two days, and on the morning of the third day, Lin Shilu emerged from his room and sat down to enjoy tea on a cushion in the courtyard.


    In his room, Lin Tianming opened his clear, bright eyes. After sleeping for a full two days, he was completely rejuvenated, his sharp gaze particularly keen.


    After grooming himself, Lin Tianming stepped out of his room and saw Lin Shilu sitting in the courtyard; he immediately went forward to pay his respects.


    Lin Tianming spoke with earnest sincerity:


    ¡°Nephew Tianming pays his respects to Fifteenth Grandfather, thanking Fifteenth Grandfather for his painstaking efforts and consideration. This humble gift is a token of my deepest gratitude, and I humbly ask Fifteenth Grandfather to kindly accept it.¡±


    Lin Tianming took out the eight hundred Spirit Stones given by his grandfather and two hundred he had gathered himself, totaling one thousand Spirit Stones, along with a bottle of Second Order Lingshen Pills, and respectfully handed them over to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s complexion was rosy as he calmly said:


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for the Spirit Stones. These Spirit Stones and elixirs are surely the result of your grandfather¡¯s hard work. With the family¡¯s modest foundation, it is difficult for each clan member to cultivate. When I was still in the Qi Refinement Realm, I greatly benefited from your grandfather¡¯s support, which allowed me to quickly advance to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.¡±


    ¡°Concerning the distribution of Foundation Establishment Pills, it was your grandfather who voluntarily withdrew from the competition. Coupled with the family¡¯s full support, I might have found it difficult to succeed in Foundation Establishment. It can be said that your grandfather has made many contributions to the whole family, and to me. Therefore, you may take back the Spirit Stones, but since there¡¯s some Second Order Qingling Bamboo material left, and Second Order Pills are useful for my cultivation, I will accept them without ceremony.¡±


    ¡°If you need any more help, just ask. If it¡¯s within my capabilities, I will not refuse,¡± Lin Shilu said with a seriously earnest expression.


    ¡°Elder, I exchanged for a First Order High-Quality Alchemy Furnace at the Hall of Merit, but its grade has fallen to a First Order Medium-Grade Dan Furnace. Could you please help me repair it?¡±


    As he spoke, Lin Tianming took out the Four Symbols Furnace and handed it to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu received the Four Symbols Furnace, examining it carefully to ascertain the degree of damage and to see whether it could currently be repaired.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Shilu finally spoke:


    ¡°Leave it to me. Although the grade has fallen, the damage isn¡¯t severe, and it won¡¯t take much material to fix. It won¡¯t take more than three days to upgrade it back to a First Order High-Quality level. With only a few days left in the month, you should go back and refine your set of Spirit Swords. In seven days, we will gather outside the family¡¯s grand array and set off on time to Qianchuan Market.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lin Tianming received the set of Spirit Swords, bowed respectfully, and then left the yard.


    In his own courtyard, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged, taking out all twenty Spirit Swords and suspending them in the air.


    As he grasped one of the Spirit Swords in his hand, its powerful and violent fluctuations caused the surrounding Spiritual Energy to churn chaotically. The Spirit Sword vibrated continuously in his palm, attempting to break free from Lin Tianming¡¯s control. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    An unrefined Spirit Sword whose ownership hadn¡¯t been established couldn¡¯t contain its aura, and it could only be controlled by successfully refining it.


    ¡°Hmph, having put so much effort and materials into this, it would be a major loss if I didn¡¯t refine you.¡±


    Lin Tianming released a drop of his Lifeblood Essence onto the Spirit Sword, which quickly absorbed into the blade and vanished.


    He began to circulate his Cultivation Technique, imprinting his Lifeblood Essence and Divine Sense at the core of the Spirit Sword, carefully refining it.


    An hour later, Lin Tianming had refined the first Spirit Sword, which spun continuously around him, glowing a brilliant golden hue.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming and the Spirit Sword were in perfect sync, and the violent Sword Qi fluctuations of the entire blade were completely contained, indistinguishable from an ordinary Spirit Sword when not actively released.


    The Spirit Sword joyfully circled around Lin Tianming. Like a young child, it occasionally brushed against his body as if trying to please him.


    After storing the Spirit Sword he had refined and claimed as his own, Lin Tianming once again entered a state of refining and cultivation.

 Chapter 35 - 35 - 34 Preparations Before Departure_1

    Chapter 35 ¨C 34 Preparations Before Departure_1


    Time quietly passed, and three days flitted by in a hurry.


    In his small courtyard, Lin Tianming was tightly clutching a golden spirit sword, currently channeling his energy to refine and claim it as his own.


    An hour passed, and Lin Tianming loosened his grip on the spirit sword, which swiftly left the palm of his hand, spinning endlessly around him.


    After five consecutive days of refining, Lin Tianming finally succeeded in claiming all twenty spirit swords as his own.


    He took out all the spirit swords, and they lined up neatly in front of him. Each one was a first order top-quality spiritual instrument.


    So many spirit swords, and a complete set at that¡ªgiven their power, if put up for auction, it¡¯s feared that even twenty thousand spirit stones might not be enough to buy them.


    The mere Second Order Qingling Bamboo was worth more than three thousand spirit stones, and adding to that the various types of Second Order Spirit Ore treasured by Lin Shilu, as well as some first order supplementary materials, took them nearly a month to refine successfully. It would have to sell for at least ten thousand spirit stones at a minimum. Its value almost enough to buy a Minor Foundation Building Pill.


    ...


    Clutching one of the spirit swords, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t bear to put it down; he hadn¡¯t yet given the sword a name. After pondering deeply for a quarter of an hour, he decided to name it the Earth Evil Sword.


    Using the Earth Evil Sword in conjunction with the Earth Fiend Sword Formation made the name particularly fitting.


    After completing the refining and ownership ritual, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t wait to test its power.


    He put away the twenty Earth Evil Swords and stepped out of the room, riding his sword towards the valley where he had once practiced the Fire Origin Decision.


    A quarter of an hour later, Lin Tianming arrived in the valley.


    Circulating his cultivation technique, Lin Tianming tried to activate the Earth Evil Sword.


    An Earth Evil Sword shot up into the sky. Its intense sword qi, almost tangible, whipped the surrounding flowers, grass, and trees into shreds.


    Surprised and delighted by such power, Lin Tianming fully controlled more spirit swords to join in.


    One after another, the Earth Evil Swords joined the unceasing rotation of the sword formation, the aura of the entire formation growing stronger. A strong wind picked up in the whole valley; trees within a thousand zhang were snapped by the wind, with some being uprooted entirely.


    After about ten breaths¡¯ time had passed, Lin Tianming was drenched in sweat, looking like he had reached his limit.


    Within the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, the number of spirit swords had reached fifteen. The formation, made of fifteen first order top-quality Earth Evil Swords, was as impregnable as a fortified wall. Underneath the formation, trees and rocks rapidly vanished into nothingness, unable to withstand the power of the swords and directly sublimating. The sheer might of the formation was terrifying.


    Lin Tianming quickly maneuvered the sword formation to move towards a nearby stone mountain.


    ¡°Annihilate.¡±


    In a blink, stones the size of ten-odd zhang turned into dust; a hundred zhang deep hole appeared in the ground, its depths unseen, and the entire mountain shook.


    Lin Tianming retracted the sword formation and placed all the Earth Evil Swords back into his storage bag.


    Exerting his full power, he could only control fifteen spirit swords to form the sword array at once, and could only maintain it for half a quarter of an hour. His Divine Sense and spiritual power were largely spent. If he were to control the sword formation for a long time during combat, exceeding the burden on his Divine Sense and spiritual power, he feared there might be significant injuries. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Still, the power of the fifteen spirit swords forming the Earth Evil Sword Formation was indeed terrifying. An ordinary cultivator at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, if trapped, would likely have to pay a heavy price to escape.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but sigh; powerful methods also demanded powerful control over spiritual power and Divine Sense. It was only logical to have such limitations; otherwise, low-level cultivators with access to advanced Mystical Techniques could defy the natural order and battle across several realms, which would be too contrary to the heavens.


    Having tested the sword array¡¯s power and with only two days left of the month, Lin Tianming finished his practice. He put all the spirit swords back into his storage bag, transformed into a escaping light, and headed straight for the Family Merits Hall.


    The Qianchuan Market was located more than three thousand li to the north of Green Bamboo Mountain and the journey required passing through the Luoyun Market.


    The Luoyun Market was situated in the central area of the Luoyun Mountain Range. It was a small-scale market co-established by the five Foundation Establishing families of the range, along with over ten Qi Refining families. Foundation Establishment Cultivators were already the strongest in the market, and there was always one stationed there year-round, with ten-year rotations among the five great Foundation Establishing families. For this ten-year period, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family was in residence.


    Whereas the Qianchuan Market was a medium-sized market, well-known throughout the Southern Wei Kingdom, even Core Formation Cultivators had made several appearances there. In the Southern Wei Kingdom, it was one of the foremost markets.


    The journey was long and merely getting on the road required more than ten days. Finding Ye Pinghai would take time too, and even if everything went smoothly, it was likely to take half a year. If not, one to two years were a strong possibility.


    The trip was not a short one. There were plenty of spiritual instruments, talismans, and spiritual medicine. I needed to prepare before leaving.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming headed straight to the Family Merits Hall.


    Inside the Hall of Merit, Lin Tianming stepped in.


    Lin Shixin was exchanging spiritual medicine for family members. Lin Tianming wasn¡¯t in a rush and stood by, waiting his turn.


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming approached to pay his respects:


    ¡°Nephew Tianming pays respect to Uncle Shi.¡±


    Lin Shixin responded with a smile:


    ¡°You young fellow aren¡¯t what you used to be. You lack for nothing, be it spiritual medicine, instruments, or talismans. What more do you need?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Shi, does the family have any Mystical Vine Flowers?¡±


    ¡°First Order Superior Grade Mystical Vine Flower?¡±


    ¡°We have some in stock. Do you want them? Ten low-grade spirit stones per plant. How many would you like?¡±


    Lin Tianming replied:


    ¡°I would like five Mystical Vine Flowers, two Fire Element Grass, two Golden Flower Grass, and four Shuiyun Grass. Do you have all these?¡±


    ¡°Yes, all these are First Order Superior Grade spiritual medicine, ten low-grade spirit stones each plant, totaling one hundred and thirty spirit stones.¡±


    Lin Tianming had previously obtained some of the spiritual medicine materials for Xisui Pills. He wanted to supplement them, gather enough for five sets of materials, and prepare to refine them to consume as soon as possible.


    He then inquired about the materials for Pozhang Pills. The family had all the auxiliary ingredients, but not the main medicinal ingredient, the Dragon Origin Fruit. Lin Tianming had to spend one hundred and twenty spirit stones to purchase three sets of auxiliary medicine for the Pozhang Pills. He would try to acquire the Dragon Origin Fruit when he reached Qianchuan Market and refine it into elixirs.


    The resources in Qianchuan Market were far richer than those of Green Bamboo Mountain. Even Third Order spiritual medicine appeared from time to time, so finding the Dragon Origin Fruit should not be difficult.


    Lin Tianming took out his family token and deducted two hundred and fifty merit points, leaving him with less than two thousand.


    After storing away all the spiritual medicine materials, Lin Tianming did not linger and, after bidding farewell to Lin Shixin, left.


    Entering his family¡¯s courtyard, Lin Tianming stepped inside.


    Lin Tianyue was sitting cross-legged in the courtyard. When she saw Lin Tianming, she immediately stood up and rushed into his embrace.


    Lin Tianming affectionately patted his sister¡¯s hair and asked if their mother was at home.


    Lin Tianyue said:


    ¡°Mother has been in seclusion recently. She didn¡¯t focus on cultivation for the past few years and left most of the spirit stones and some elixirs from grandfather for us, siblings. She relied solely on breathing exercises and only advanced from the Sixth Level of Qi Refining to the Seventh Level five years ago. Now that brother has given her more than ten Lingshen Pills, she naturally went into seclusion to improve her cultivation level.¡±


    ¡°Father left the family estate ten days ago; you were refining artifacts and he couldn¡¯t wait. So, he went directly to Luoyun Market. Grandfather and Mother surely know that you will be leaving the family soon, and they will probably return in the next day or two to spend some time together.¡±


    At that time, Lin Tianyue was still at the Third Level of Qi Cultivation, but her aura was notably more full-bodied and robust¡ªit seemed she hadn¡¯t been slacking in the past half-month.


    The siblings sat cross-legged in the courtyard, and Lin Tianming did his best to guide his sister¡¯s cultivation while waiting for their grandfather and mother to emerge from seclusion.

 Chapter 36 - 36 - 35 Grandfather鈥檚 Entrustment_1

    Chapter 36 ¨C 35 Grandfather¡¯s Entrustment_1


    ¡°`


    At dusk, the waning rays of the setting sun bathed their small courtyard in a warm glow.


    Brother and sister, Lin Tianming and Lin Tianyue, were sitting at the stone table. After guiding his sister through her daily cultivation, Lin Tianyue persisted in coaxing Lin Tianming, insisting that her brother tell her about the events that had taken place while he was safeguarding Qingfeng Town.


    Worn down by her nagging, Lin Tianming began recounting his story, starting with the moment he left the family residence.


    Lin Tianming spoke non-stop, his tale lasting a quarter of an hour, spanning from the patrol mission to the forced counterattack, to the killing of the man in the red robe in a duel of magic.


    Upon hearing this part, Lin Tianyue¡¯s rosy and handsome face quickly turned pale, as if she herself had been in the midst of the ordeal.


    Lin Tianming continued with his account, and Lin Tianyue listened intently, covering the battles with the Striped Crocodile, the sneaky harvesting of Earth Spirit Ganoderma, the inadvertent trespass into the Spirit-Connecting Python¡¯s territory, and the embarrassing escape.


    ...


    Lin Tianming concealed the matter of the Cultivation Technique, which was of great consequence; the fewer who knew, the better. But he shared unreservedly the dramatic events of battling and fleeing for his life.


    Since she had started her cultivation and had become a cultivator, it was only natural to clarify the realities of the Cultivation World and let his sister understand the true nature of it so that she could adapt more quickly in the future.


    In this moment, Lin Tianyue¡¯s heart was greatly affected. Having grown up with exceptional living conditions, carefree cultivation within the family residence, a grandfather who was an alchemist, parents who were cultivators, and a brother with extraordinary talent, she had never faced any danger from her childhood until now.


    The experiences her brother spoke of revealed that the Cultivation World was indeed filled with crises and opportunities. The law of the survival of the fittest was exemplified most vividly and cruelly.


    Unknowingly, the brother and sister had been talking for half an hour; the sun had set, and darkness was gradually descending.


    Ren Yuxuan, who had been in closed-door cultivation for a fortnight, opened her beautiful eyes, and a trace of joy crossed her delicate, moist face.


    Finally, she had reached the Qi Refining Eighth Level. For the past five years, she had rarely consumed elixirs, devoting her time to guiding and taking care of Lin Tianming and his sister. She hadn¡¯t had the chance to focus solely on her cultivation in seclusion. Relying on a substantial amount of elixirs, building up her energy and releasing it in controlled amounts, she had naturally progressed and successfully reached the Qi Refining Eighth Level, her overall aura significantly more robust than before.


    With only one day left before Lin Tianming had to leave the family, it was natural for Ren Yuxuan to emerge from seclusion to see her son off. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ren Yuxuan stood up, left the secret chamber, walked down the long corridor, and appeared in the courtyard.


    Upon seeing their mother come out of seclusion, Lin Tianming and his sister immediately stepped forward to greet her.


    ¡°Tianming greets Mother. Congratulations on successfully advancing to the Qi Refining Eighth Level!¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s Divine Sense made it impossible for his sister to notice the advancement, but not him. His Divine Sense might even be stronger than his mother¡¯s at the Qi Refining Eighth Level. Moreover, since Ren Yuxuan did not conceal her cultivation, her advancement was easily detected.


    Lin Tianyue, upon hearing of her mother¡¯s successful advancement, was also overjoyed. She grabbed her mother¡¯s arm and shook it ceaselessly, displaying the demeanor of a doting daughter.


    ¡°Alright, I will go cook a feast. We¡¯ll sit down together for a good meal tonight. Tianming, send a message to your grandfather, asking him to come back for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will send the message to Grandfather right away.¡±


    Just as Lin Tianming was about to send the message, Grandfather Lin Shigong walked in through the door, crossing the threshold into the small courtyard, and sat down at the stone table nearby.


    ¡°`


    Lin Tianming and his companion hurriedly performed a salute!


    Lin Shigong had them sit down before speaking:


    ¡°Tianming, the day after tomorrow, early in the morning, you will set out on your journey. The road is long and far from the influence of our family. Qianchuan Market is a place where masters gather, including Core Formation Stage seniors. You must be cautious in everything you do when outside and must not act recklessly. Consult your Fifteenth Grandfather on all matters. He has often traveled outside these past years, and his Divine Skills are not weak. You must obey his orders and remember not to draw unnecessary trouble to our family.¡±


    Lin Tianming replied earnestly:


    ¡°Grandfather, rest assured, I will surely follow behind Fifteenth Grandfather and will not take risks lightly, nor will I carelessly cause trouble.¡±


    Lin Shigong was very satisfied. After a year of guarding Qingfeng Town, his grandson had matured a lot. He had fought life-and-death battles with cultivators and Demonic Beasts. Although it was unknown which Cultivation Technique he was practicing, his Divine Skills were surely remarkable. Coupled with his extraordinary fortune, he was already fit to survive on his own in the Cultivation World.


    After a year of experience, Lin Tianming was wise and resourceful, with plenty of combat experience and substantial knowledge. He also had a large number of Spiritual Artifacts and talisman paper for fighting against enemies. With significant Divine Skills and a heart dedicated to the path of cultivation, if we protect him everywhere and are too protective, he may find it difficult to travel far.


    Lin Tianming sat respectfully on the side, listening to his grandfather Lin Shigong¡¯s commands.


    ¡°Ye Pinghai is an old acquaintance of mine, who values friendship and righteousness. Although it has been more than ten years since we last met, every time the family sends someone to Qianchuan Market, they visit him, and he has helped us refine Second Order Pills many times.¡±


    ¡°When this man was still in the Qi Refinement Realm, I helped him, and he owed us a favor. However, over the years, with the many times he has helped us refine pills, the favor he owed us has long been repaid.¡±


    ¡°Although he is a Loose Cultivator, his talent is extremely high. He has already entered the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and he has a considerable chance of entering the Golden Core Stage. He is also a Second Order Alchemist. When you visit him, you must not offend him. If you can get him to personally guide you for a while, the gains will not be small.¡±


    Lin Tianming firmly responded, repeatedly assuring his grandfather to be at ease, which finally put Lin Shigong¡¯s mind at rest.


    Lin Tianming was also very eager to see Qianchuan Market, to witness the famous market in the southern Wei Kingdom and to encounter various strong figures there.


    The grandfather and grandchildren sat in the courtyard discussing for half an hour, and Ren Yuxuan had prepared a lavish meal. Aside from Lin Xingrong who was in Luoyun Market, the four sat together to have dinner.


    After a meal and plenty of drinks, Lin Tianming and the others each returned to their rooms, and Grandfather went back to the Alchemy Hall for cultivation.


    Sitting on the stone bed in his room, Lin Tianming carefully went through the items in his storage bag to avoid mistakenly estimating his own resources and strength.


    At this time, Lin Tianming still had over twenty Lingshen Pills, several Huiyuan Pills, Huadu Pills, and Consolidating Essence Pills each, which meant he basically wouldn¡¯t be lacking consumption-type pills for a while.


    He had materials for fifty Spirit Essence Pills, twenty-five portions each of Strong Spirit Pills, Body Strengthening Pills, along with assistance elixirs for cultivating the Tiangang Body Art. However, as he was not yet able to refine them on his own, it was essential to refine some of these pills during his trip to Qianchuan Market to aid in cultivation. Otherwise, as his cultivation rose, enduring the pain purely on his own would be nearly impossible for long. Refining pills had become a must on his agenda.


    His means for dealing with enemies were also strong. His own Cultivation Technique was not inferior, and combined with the Sword Array, plus ten First Order Superior Grade talisman papers and three First Order Superior Grade Defensive Spiritual Tools, ordinary cultivators at the Qi Refining Eighth Level were not his match, and he even had a fair chance of victory against those at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.


    Lin Tianming packed each resource neatly into the storage bag, placing different types of Spiritual Medicine and talisman paper in separate locations in an orderly fashion.


    At this point, the night was deep, and Lin Tianming did not continue his cultivation; instead, he relaxed, lay down on the stone bed, and fell straight to sleep.

 Chapter 37 - 37 - 36 Setting Out_1

    Chapter 37 ¨C 36 Setting Out_1


    Early in the morning, a red sun slowly rose along the horizon.


    At this time, Green Bamboo Mountain was especially tranquil, with the majority of the clan members who were not in secluded cultivation still asleep.


    Lin Tianming sat on the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, appearing outside the Protective Clan Formation.


    It was silent all around, utterly quiet.


    It was still early, and there was half a quarter of an hour until the arranged time, Lin Shilu had not yet appeared, so Lin Tianming sat down on a green stone nearby to wait.


    Before half a quarter of an hour had passed, a sound of tearing through the air came along, a ripple appeared in the clan¡¯s great formation, and a streak of white light escaped, stopping in front of Lin Tianming. It was Lin Shilu, who had arrived. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming immediately stepped forward to greet him.


    ...


    Lin Shilu nodded, then threw out a pill furnace, which was the Four Symbols Furnace that Lin Tianming had asked Lin Shilu to help repair.


    By this time, after several days of Lin Shilu¡¯s repairs, with the addition of some Spirit Ore and Spiritual Objects, and the restoration of its inscriptions, the grade of the Four Symbols Furnace had successfully returned to First Order Superior Grade. The fine cracks on its surface had long since disappeared, and the entire furnace was a fiery red color with a delicate gloss, obviously the complete appearance of a pill furnace.


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed, as the successful repair of the Four Symbols Furnace meant that his chances of successfully refining First Order Superior Grade elixirs were greatly increased.


    In his happiness, Lin Tianming sincerely expressed his gratitude:


    ¡°Nephew thanks Fifteenth Grandfather for his help. I am deeply grateful. If there is hope for me to become a Second Order Alchemist one day, I will repay Fifteenth Grandfather for his generous assistance!¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re all family, no need for such formalities. It¡¯s getting late, the journey is long, so you better set off quickly!¡±


    Lin Tianming readily agreed and took the initiative to say:


    ¡°My Purple Gold Eagle is quite fast, so we can hurry to our destination and save a lot of time and effort. However, once we reach Qianchuan Market, we¡¯ll have to leave it outside if we don¡¯t have a Spirit Beast Bag, which could be a minor inconvenience.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu took out a dark green Spirit Beast Bag and tossed it to Lin Tianming.


    As a Second Order Artifact Refiner, a Spirit Beast Bag was several times more precious than a storage bag, but it was not considered a rare item. He had an extra one, so he decided to give it to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming received the Spirit Beast Bag with delight on his face.


    With the Spirit Beast Bag, there was no need to leave the Purple Gold Eagle outside the market. This was much safer, as if a Foundation Establishment Cultivator stumbled upon it, with the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s notable bloodline, it might be captured to be used as a Spirit Beast, inviting a lot of trouble.


    With the Spirit Beast Bag, there was no need to worry about that.


    Lin Shilu took out a Beast Skin map and confirmed the direction with Lin Tianming, discussing the route as well.


    ¡°This trip to Qianchuan Market carries the expectations of the Elders¡¯ Council members. With limited time, we must reach Qianchuan Market as soon as possible, find Ye Pinghai, and refine the Minor Foundation Building Pill to safely bring it back to the clan.¡±


    ¡°We must be cautious and careful, not allowing other cultivation families to detect us. Otherwise, they may interfere or even attempt to kill and seize treasures. This is entirely possible. Therefore, for this trip, we must disguise ourselves, avoiding other families¡¯ territories as much as possible, and remember not to reveal our true purpose.¡±


    In half a quarter of an hour, the two of them had discussed and agreed on the route. If they went straight, they would need to pass through Luoyun Market and the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family¡¯s family residence.


    Luoyun Market was perennially guarded by Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and the Jin Family had always been at odds with the Lin Family, provoking them multiple times and injuring several clansmen.


    Alas, with the Jin Family¡¯s strong power, the Lin Family could only swallow their grievances and remember the enmity in their hearts, waiting for the right conditions and the right time to seek justice.


    After discussion, they decided to bypass Luoyun Market and the other families¡¯ territories, willing to spend several times more time to ensure safety.


    For nearly a hundred years, the Lin Family had struggled to survive among the five major families. The Minor Foundation Building Pill was too important, a spiritual object that could boost the family¡¯s strength in a short time, hence it required utmost caution and prioritizing safety.


    Having made up their minds, Lin Shilu took out two black conical hats, which turned out to be First Order Medium Grade spiritual artifacts. They could alter appearance, change voice, and conceal one¡¯s aura.


    Even for those at Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, it would be quite difficult to discern their true faces. However, for Nascent Soul Masters with powerful divine sense, a careful investigation could still easily reveal them.


    The two of them then used a Disguise Technique. Lin Shilu transformed into an old man, with a face full of wrinkles, whitening hair, and an elderly voice, appearing to be at an advanced age.


    Lin Tianming transformed into a middle-aged man, his face covered with a rough beard, a spitting image of a rugged hearty fellow.


    The two of them sat on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, instructing it to fly thousands of feet high into the air and speed towards the north.


    Lin Shilu sat calmly on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, appearing as if he were closing his eyes to rest; in reality, he had extended his Divine Sense in all directions, probing the surroundings for several dozen miles.


    Along the way, they encountered some Qi Refining Stage Cultivators; upon being detected, they released a hint of Foundation Establishment Stage aura. Startled Qi Refining Cultivators would no longer bother them, immediately leaving them be.


    The two traveled at full speed during the day and rested at night; their journey was quite smooth.


    Time hurried by, and twenty days passed in the blink of an eye.


    Lin Tianming and his companion proceeded cautiously, avoiding large mountain ranges and territories of families with Foundation Establishment Cultivators. When they did encounter Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they intentionally steered clear to avoid unnecessary troubles.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, is that Maple Forest Mountain Range up ahead?¡±


    Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming held a map in his hands, carefully determining his location based on the terrain¡¯s features.


    ¡°Hmm, the mountains covered with maple forests stretching for a hundred miles, it is undoubtedly Maple Forest Mountain Range!¡±


    Lin Shilu confirmed Lin Tianming¡¯s question, then continued,


    ¡°This place isn¡¯t far from Qianchuan Market, just less than five hundred miles away. It¡¯s getting late, and this area is on the outskirts of Qianchuan Market, relatively safe. Let¡¯s rest here for the night and set out again tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Tianming agreed enthusiastically, then instructed the Purple Gold Eagle to descend into a valley.


    After landing, Lin Tianming surveyed the valley, seeing the sky full of red leaves that painted the valley a crimson hue, a scenery most picturesque.


    Lin Tianming waved a Spirit Sword, swiftly carving out a simple cave abode halfway up the mountainside, casting two Illusion Techniques to conceal the entrance before both retreated into the cave to rest.


    The next day, as dawn broke, they resumed their journey towards Qianchuan Market.


    After traveling tirelessly for the better part of the day, Lin Tianming and his companion finally arrived on the outskirts of Qianchuan Market.


    Landing several miles away from the market¡¯s city gates on a small hill, they stowed the Purple Gold Eagle in the Spirit Beast Bag and took out their Flying Swords, flying toward Qianchuan Market.


    Approaching within several miles of the city gates, they could see with the naked eye a gigantic city sprawling on the horizon, its walls a hundred feet high, gleaming silver-white, and spanning at least dozens of miles. The city, built against a mountain thousands of feet tall, was majestically impressive.


    A brilliant golden light shield enveloped the entire city from east to west, north to south, clearly the work of a great array.


    Lin Shilu looked on calmly, while Lin Tianming, witnessing such a grand city for the first time, with city gates towering over ten feet high, was dumbfounded and utterly astonished.


    Such a grand city, with its Formation likely a Fourth Order Great Array, could even withstand attacks from Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators for a while. It certainly was incomparable to Luoyun Market.


    Having been to this place a few times before, Lin Shilu wasn¡¯t as shocked as Lin Tianming, though he had had a more intense reaction than Lin Tianming upon his first visit to Qianchuan Market.


    Lin Shilu calmly reminded,


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go and enter the city quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    In less than half an hour, they were near the city gates, both descending to the ground, where a line was forming to enter the city¡ªdozens of people.


    Most of them were Qi Refining Cultivators, generally from the mid to late stages, with more than a dozen Foundation Establishment Cultivators present.


    The two followed closely, preparing to enter the city.

 Chapter 38 - 38 - 37 Qianchuan Market_1

    Chapter 38 ¨C 37 Qianchuan Market_1


    At the entrance of Qianchuan Market, ten cultivators were collecting the entrance fee, among them a Foundation Establishment cultivator was leading the team.


    One of the cultivators shouted loudly,


    ¡°To enter the market, each person must pay five spirit stones to enter, remember that fighting within the market is prohibited. Violators will be subject to on-the-spot execution by the Law Enforcement Team.¡±


    Lin Tianming wore a bitter expression on his face; five spirit stones per person was indeed not cheap.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but sigh, many low-order loose cultivators would need half a year to save up five low-grade spirit stones, just to pay the entrance fee. Considering the flow of people here, he wondered how many spirit stones they would collect in a day, easily in the tens of thousands. The daily entrance fee was almost the same as the Lin Family¡¯s annual income.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, do you know if Core Formation cultivators have to pay the entrance fee?¡±


    Lin Shilu, with a face full of disdain, answered,


    ...


    ¡°Of course, Core Formation cultivators don¡¯t have to pay. At that level, they are esteemed figures, not only in Wei Kingdom but also in Qingzhou, revered as a powerful presence wherever they go. As far as I know, there are always several Core Formation cultivators present in Qianchuan Market all year round, including both loose cultivators and members from great sect families.¡±


    Having said that, he didn¡¯t care about Lin Tianming¡¯s reaction.


    Lin Shilu paid ten low-grade spirit stones, and after the scrutinizing cultivator let them through, the two of them were able to enter the city.


    Once inside the city, they were on a wide road paved with bluestone, which was very broad. On both sides of the road, there were building after building, all different kinds of shops.


    The entire market was divided into four zones: east, south, west, and north. The entrance area was located in the West District, which was full of large shops opened by various commerce alliances, offering a wide variety, from elixirs to magic artifacts, and talisman papers to formations.


    ¡°Elixir Pavilion,¡± ¡°Hundred Treasures Hall,¡± ¡°Sundry Goods Shop,¡± ¡°Tavern,¡± ¡°Inn¡±¡ª such a dazzling array of establishments. Lin Tianming was very eager to go in and broaden his horizons, but the time was not right yet.


    Moving further in, they reached the East District of the entire market.


    Here stood a colossal building, towering dozens of feet high, the tallest in the whole market, covering a hundred acres; it was the core institution of the market, consisting of the auction house and Market City Hall.


    Nearby, dozens of courtyards served as the residences of the market¡¯s administrators and high-order cultivators. It was presumed that Core Formation cultivators lived here.


    The North District was the residential area for cultivators, with thousands of neat courtyards arrayed in order, all developed by the market as dwellings, available for short-term or long-term stays, and quite expensive. Many cultivators preferring short stays chose to rent inns as the more economical option.


    The South District was a vast square where cultivators could freely trade. Every cultivator who entered the city could rent a space spanning several square meters as a stall to sell their goods.


    In the entire market, the Law Enforcement Team often patrolled, ensuring excellent public order. Hardly any cultivator dared to fight within the market. As for the grudges between cultivators, they were beyond the market¡¯s control once outside its bounds.


    One could say that the market provided a stable and prosperous sanctuary for the loose cultivators of the Cultivation World, where their cultivation efforts could be redoubled.


    In the Cultivation World, markets could bring vast wealth, and each one was backed by sect families, without which it would be difficult to achieve such a scale.


    And Qianchuan Market was established under the leadership of one of the Three Great Sects of Wei Kingdom, the Zhenyang Sect, bringing in a hefty sum of spirit stones to the sect every year.


    The Zhenyang Sect was one of the three great sects in Wei Kingdom, with multiple Core Formation cultivators to its name, over a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, and more than a thousand disciples, making it the leading power in the Southern Wei Kingdom.


    In the land of the Qingzhou Wei Kingdom, aside from the Zhenyang Sect, there are also two major sects, the ¡°Myriad Medicine Valley¡± and the ¡°Golden Sword Sect,¡± as well as two major families, the Yingchuan Chen Family and the West River Li Family, each with a varying number of Core Formation Cultivators stationed there.


    Listening to Lin Shilu¡¯s introduction, the two of them walked along the bustling streets, weaving through the clamorous West City.


    Lin Tianming felt his head spin as he passed by the various shops, with the shop boys shouting out front, much like the cities of the Secular World, except this city was entirely dominated by cultivators.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming and his companion made their way through the lively West City and arrived outside the great hall for renting cave dwellings.


    After discussing, they hadn¡¯t settled on the duration of their visit, which might be as short as three months or as long as a year; both decided that renting a small cave dwelling would be more cost-effective and safer.


    The two entered the great hall, where a huge divine map displayed thousands of red dots representing occupied cave dwellings and hundreds of green dots for those available for selection.


    Inside the hall, more than ten cultivators bustled about selecting cave dwellings, including several at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Lin Tianming and his companion approached the reception desk, and immediately a sixth-level Qi Refining Cultivator promptly greeted them.


    ¡°Welcome, seniors, to select a cave dwelling. Please examine the map above and instruct the junior if you find one suitable. This junior will introduce them to you,¡± the attendant said.


    Lin Shilu nodded thoughtfully while studying the large screen.


    The receptionist began to effusively introduce the options.


    ¡°The dots on the map above are divided into two major areas, inner and outer. Near the inner city area are the First Order cave dwellings with ten acres of space, and the inner ones are Second Order dwellings with thirty acres. The price for a First Order dwelling is five low-grade Spirit Stones per month, while a Second Order dwelling costs twenty low-grade Spirit Stones per month. The minimum rental period is one month. Which kind of dwelling would you like to choose?¡± he asked. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shilu pointed to one of the Second Order cave dwellings, took out one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, and handed them to the receptionist Qi Refining Cultivator.


    Upon receiving the Spirit Stones, the receptionist quickly scanned them with his Divine Sense and then handed Lin Shilu a turquoise token, saying,


    ¡°Senior, please keep the token safe. You can proceed directly to the cave dwelling, as the token will automatically sense its specific location. When you display the token, it will unlock the various formations of the dwelling. If your rental period ends and you wish to extend, you can come to the hall to complete the procedures. If there¡¯s anything else you need, please feel free to instruct this junior.¡±


    Lin Shilu took the token, and he and Lin Tianming walked out of the great hall, heading towards the location of their cave dwelling.


    Along the way, Lin Shilu held the token, navigating through dozens of alleys, sensing the location of the dwelling.


    Within less than half an hour, the two stopped in front of a small courtyard located deep within the North District, a very quiet place. Lin Shilu displayed the token and cast a Law Decree, walking in first with Lin Tianming immediately following.


    Upon entering the courtyard, they saw a yard of several zhang, complete with stone tables and chairs, artificial mountains, and a pond, fully equipped with guest rooms on either side, rooms for training, secret chambers for alchemy and refining, and even Earth Fire. The layout was quite refined, accommodating several cultivators without issue.


    Feeling the Spiritual Energy of this place, which was in no way inferior to Green Bamboo Mountain and considering the one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones for half a year¡¯s tenancy, it was hardly a surprise.


    By now, twilight had fallen, and after more than twenty days of travel, both decided to rest first and visit Ye Pinghai the next day, as a show of respect.


    They each picked a guest room and settled in. Weary from over twenty days of outdoor hardship, Lin Tianming was too exhausted to practice cultivation, so he immediately fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 39 - 39 - 38 Dragon Origin Grass_1

    Chapter 39 ¨C 38 Dragon Origin Grass_1


    The next day, after a night of rest, Lin Tianming and his companion felt their fatigue of over twenty days vanish as they sat in the small courtyard, sipping tea and chatting leisurely.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, did you keep a way to contact Senior Ye? Otherwise, in such a vast market, how could we possibly find a Foundation Establishment Cultivator? It¡¯s almost like looking for a needle in a haystack.¡±


    Lin Shilu picked up a teacup from the stone table, took a sip, and calmly said:


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to Qianchuan Market a few times and have even met Daoist Ye once. I kept a way to contact him. Let me send a message now; I believe he will reply once he receives it, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Lin Shilu formed a hand gesture and sent a message. In less than a moment, a flash of spiritual light soared into the void and disappeared.


    Half an hour passed, and Lin Shilu had yet to receive any reply. Lin Tianming and he were both quite helpless.


    The Lin Family had taken significant risks on this journey, living through difficult times and threatened by rival families¡¯ ambitions to swallow them up. They had luckily come across this opportunity to quickly increase their strength and had rushed to Qianchuan Market, but they could not afford to waste much time here.


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    As Lin Shilu grew anxious, he comforted Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Daoist Ye, as a Loose Cultivator, has been cultivating in Qianchuan Market for a long time. It¡¯s hard to say how long a cultivator might spend in seclusion for alchemy, so it may not be easy to meet him. Although we are pressed for time, we mustn¡¯t act in haste and lose our footing.¡±


    Lin Tianming showed a helpless expression, knowing that being anxious wasn¡¯t a solution, and they could only continue to wait.


    Time ticked away in this tense atmosphere, and soon half a day had elapsed.


    Suddenly, a flash of spiritual light flew into the courtyard, hovering in front of Lin Shilu. He projected his divine sense into it, and a voice echoed in his ear.


    ¡°It is a joy to have friends come from afar. This evening, at the West District¡¯s Welcome Pavilion, Lin is cordially invited to a banquet. Please be sure to come.¡±


    Having heard everything, the spiritual light dissolved on the spot, turning into specks of light that vanished.


    Any trace of anxiety in Lin Shilu vanished completely.


    Lin Tianming, full of concern, asked, ¡°Is that a reply from Senior Ye?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, it¡¯s a reply from Daoist Ye. He invites us to the Welcome Pavilion in the West District this evening for a banquet.¡±


    Hearing that, Lin Tianming finally breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Senior Ye was not in a prolonged retreat; otherwise, they would have no idea how long they might have to wait to meet him.


    With half a day left before the appointed time, Lin Tianming was not inclined to cultivate; instead, he said to Lin Shilu:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, there¡¯s still plenty of time. I would like to wander around the marketplace to experience this place¡¯s prosperity. Please allow me!¡±


    Lin Shilu pondered for a moment. Since fighting was prohibited in the market, and as long as they stayed within, it would be relatively safe. Thinking it was natural for him to see the world since he brought him along, Lin Shilu gave his consent.


    ¡°Remember to come back before evening, don¡¯t stir up trouble, and don¡¯t leave Qianchuan Market on your own. If there¡¯s an emergency, contact me immediately. Go ahead!¡±


    Lin Tianming readily agreed, then withdrew from the courtyard and headed towards the West District.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming appeared in the bustling West District, where row upon row of shops left him overwhelmed and at a loss for what to do, clearly spoilt for choice.


    Recalling the spiritual medicine materials needed for concocting Pozhang Pills, Lin Tianming realized he was still lacking a key ingredient, the Dragon Origin Grass. Though the Dragon Origin Grass was a First Order Superior Grade spirit grass, its preciousness surpassed most Second Order Spiritual Medicines.


    The Dragon Origin Grass required a very special environment to grow, needing a place where the blood of a Third Order Flood Dragon had been spilled in order to have a chance of sprouting. Third Order Flood Dragons were on par with Core Formation Cultivators; their blood was exceedingly precious and naturally not easy to come by.


    As he walked, a store named Thousand Herbs Pavilion caught his attention. Its massive signboard exuded grandeur. As its name suggested, it was likely a store specializing in selling Spiritual and Elixir Pills. With a glimmer of hope, Lin Tianming entered to see if he could purchase the needed herb.


    Upon entering the Thousand Herbs Pavilion, Lin Tianming was immediately greeted by an attendant at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, who was very enthusiastic and said with a smile,


    ¡°Daoist friend, please take a seat. My surname is Qin, and I¡¯m responsible for receiving visitors to our store. Whatever spirit herbs or elixirs you need, or if you wish to sell some spiritual medicine materials, please feel free to speak up. I¡¯m not boasting, but our store has virtually everything that a Qi Refining Stage Cultivator might need.¡±


    Lin Tianming looked disdainful, wondering if they even had Foundation Establishment Pills.


    ¡°Oh? Do you have Dragon Origin Grass by any chance?¡±


    The expression of the cultivator surnamed Qin changed subtly at the mention of Dragon Origin Grass, which was not cheap. The whole store had only a few Dragon Origin Grass plants, and he surmised the visitor must be an alchemist wanting to concoct elixirs or needing it for an elder in his family. The attendant gathered his thoughts and responded calmly,


    ¡°We do, but the price is sizeable¡ªeighty Low-Grade Spirit Stones per plant. How many would you like?¡±


    Lin Tianming was immediately delighted. He hadn¡¯t been able to find a single Dragon Origin Grass in the Lin Family¡¯s storeroom, and to think he could easily find it in Qianchuan Market, despite the steep price, was no small feat.


    ¡°I would like three plants of Dragon Origin Grass. Could you possibly offer a lower price?¡± Although his storage bag still contained over a thousand spirit stones, a significant sum indeed, Lin Tianming put on an embarrassed face, hoping to haggle.


    The cultivator surnamed Qin pondered for a moment, considering that this cultivator was buying three plants of Dragon Origin Grass in one go and must be at least a First-Order Medium Grade Alchemist. Anticipating future purchases of spiritual medicine, he decided to initiate a friendship. Alchemists were highly sought after in the Cultivation World, and he might need the cultivator¡¯s help in the future. It was worth fostering a good relationship for potential benefits.


    ¡°Daoist friend, I can give you the lowest price of seventy-five spirit stones per plant. If you will come back to purchase more spiritual medicine in the future, please look after our business, and I will make sure to offer you the best price available.¡±


    Lin Tianming regarded the sincere demeanor of the Qin surnamed cultivator and didn¡¯t suspect any deceit. Saving fifteen spirit stones on the three plants wasn¡¯t a small sum, so he gladly agreed.


    The attendant poured a cup of tea for Lin Tianming and then went into the storeroom to get the Dragon Origin Grass for him.


    Lin Tianming sat in the guest chair at the side, sipping his tea while waiting patiently.


    After a short while, the cultivator surnamed Qin returned to the hall, holding three jade boxes, which he handed to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming carefully examined them. The entire spirit herb was a vivid red, resembling fresh blood, with three palm-sized leaves at the top of the stalk. The aroma was rich; there was no doubt it was the hundred-year-old Dragon Origin Grass.


    Once he confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the Dragon Origin Grass, Lin Tianming decisively took out two hundred twenty-five spirit stones and handed them to the cultivator surnamed Qin.


    After a quick sweep of his Divine Sense over the spirit stones, Qin surnamed cultivator accepted them and prompted Lin Tianming to continue enjoying his tea, keen on becoming closer.


    While drinking the tea, Lin Tianming inquired about the market, exchanged a few pleasantries, and promised to take care of his business in the future. Then, Lin Tianming left the Thousand Herbs Pavilion.


    Since it was still early, Lin Tianming strolled around the West District, browsing through a variety of stores, looking at all the dazzling treasures. He saw so much that it nearly made his head spin, but he didn¡¯t purchase anything, content with just broadening his horizons.


    Time ticked away, and the sun was about to set. Recalling Lin Shilu¡¯s instructions, Lin Tianming left the West District to head toward the rented cave dwelling, preparing to meet up and go to the Welcoming Guests Tower to visit Ye Pinghai.

 Chapter 40 - 40 - 39 Ye Pinghai _1

    Chapter 40 ¨C 39 Ye Pinghai _1


    Arriving back at the courtyard, with half an hour to go until the appointed time, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu sat down to drink tea and pass the time.


    ¡°Kid, did you find anything good while you were out?¡±


    ¡°Reporting to Fifteenth Grandfather, I had a substantial haul. I purchased several spiritual medicine materials that our Family Merits Hall doesn¡¯t have. They are for alchemy. Today was quite the eye-opener; there are indeed countless treasures in the market. It simply cannot compare to Luoyun Market. Indeed, it is a paradise for cultivators. Once our clan grows stronger, we must expand our business here. If managed well, the gains would undoubtedly be substantial.¡±


    ¡°That is true. The foundation of our family is too shallow. For nearly a century, our situation has been increasingly difficult. Even within the Luoyun Mountain Range, we¡¯re struggling to survive between the cracks. Who doesn¡¯t want to expand the family business? Ye Pinghai is a Second Order Alchemist and is quite young, about the same age as this old man, and has already reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment. A Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist, his talent is not low, and he has a fair chance of reaching the Core Formation Stage. When you meet him, you must show respect and not offend him. Remember, you are the hope for our family¡¯s rise. Remember to focus on your cultivation, and reach Foundation Establishment early to relieve some of the family¡¯s pressure.¡±


    Lin Tianming agreed, and the two of them began to chat leisurely.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late; it¡¯s almost time for our appointment. Let¡¯s head out.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ...


    Lin Shilu stood up from the courtyard, and Lin Tianming followed behind him as they headed towards the West District of the market.


    In less than fifteen minutes, they had passed through numerous cultivator dwellings and arrived on a broad road in the West District.


    In view, at a prominent location, stood a magnificent pavilion with the glorious gold and jade. The huge plaque was flamboyantly inscribed with three large characters: Welcome Pavilion, exuding an extraordinary aura.


    The two men, one in front of the other, stepped into the Welcome Pavilion. Inside, a vast number of cultivators were dining on the first floor, most of them in the Qi Refining Stage, chatting in groups of threes and twos, and the noisy sound was ceaseless to the ears.


    Upon seeing the two enter the main hall, a servant at the Fourth Level of Qi Practice hurried over to greet them with great respect and asked,


    ¡¯Esteemed guests, please come inside. Are you here for an appointment, or would you like a table for yourselves?¡¯


    ¡¯For an appointment. We¡¯re specially invited by Daoist Ye of Ye Pinghai. Where is Daoist Ye at the moment? Has he arrived?¡¯


    Hearing this, the servant showed even more respect and couldn¡¯t help feeling envious.


    Ye Pinghai¡¯s name resounded throughout Qianchuan Market; not only was he at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, but he was also a Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist. Aside from Core Formation Stage experts, Ye Pinghai was one of the few Second Order Alchemists, with an extremely esteemed status. There were countless cultivators seeking his help, and the fact that these two were invited to dine with him suggested that they were no ordinary individuals.


    ¡¯Elder, please follow me. Daoist Ye has already arrived and is waiting in a private room on the second floor.¡¯


    Following the attendant, Lin Tianming and his companion ascended to the second floor. Compared to the bustling noise on the first floor, the second floor was much quieter. Each room was a separate private space, and as Lin Tianming observed the rich and splendid decorations in the corridor, he mused that meal here must cost quite a lot.


    After a little more than ten breaths, they passed through several corridors and the party of three stopped at the entrance to a private room deep inside the second floor.


    The cultivator in charge of reception said respectfully,


    ¡¯Elder Ye is already waiting inside, you can go directly in, your humble servant will wait outside, and should you have any instructions, feel free to summon me at any time,¡¯


    Lin Shilu nodded with satisfaction and tossed three Spirit Stones to the receptionist. The receptionist caught the Spirit Stones with a face full of surprise and thanked him respectfully; three Spirit Stones were a considerable amount for a First Order Rogue Cultivator like him, who, with poor natural talent, had a great need for cultivation resources. This necessity forced him to work as a receptionist at the Welcome Pavilion, toiling to earn Spirit Stones. Reliant on his salary and tips, he could earn around a dozen Spirit Stones each month, enough to buy a Lingshen Pill to aid in his Qi Cultivation, which had only reached the Fourth Level Qi Practice ¡ª a feat not easily accomplished.


    Lin Shilu paid no more attention to the receptionist and entered the private room with Lin Tianming, leaving the excited receptionist standing outside.


    Upon entering the private room, they saw a middle-aged cultivator in blue robes sitting at the round table, with sharp brows and piercing eyes, very heroic-looking ¡ª it was Ye Pinghai. On the round table were over a dozen jade containers filled with food that looked delicious. The entire room was overflowing with enticing aromas.


    Seeing Lin Shilu and others enter the private room, Ye Haiping stood up to welcome them, acting very courteously and completely without pretense.


    ¡¯It brings me great joy to have an old friend visit. Please take a seat quickly. The fine food of this establishment is quite delicious. Daoist Lin, make sure to eat plenty as we talk over the meal.¡¯


    Lin Shilu revealed a hint of a smile, replying very sincerely,


    ¡¯It¡¯s an unexpected honor to disturb you, please forgive me, Daoist Ye. Today¡¯s rare meeting will certainly call for a toast later on, as a token of my respect.¡¯ S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯This is my family¡¯s Lin Shigong¡¯s grandson, Lin Tianming, also a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, here specifically to meet Daoist Ye at Luoyun Market.¡¯


    ¡¯Tianming, don¡¯t hesitate to greet Elder Ye.¡¯


    Lin Tianming bowed with his fists clasped and said, ¡¯I often hear my grandfather speak of Elder Ye, and hold you in high regard. Today, I finally have the chance to meet you in person. Junior Tianming greets Elder Ye.¡¯ Throughout the process, he behaved neither submissively nor arrogantly, but composed and calm.


    ¡¯Hm, I have not seen Brother Shi Gong for many years and it¡¯s truly regrettable. His grandson truly carries an extraordinary bearing, most impressive. Please take your seat.¡¯


    Pleased with Lin Tianming¡¯s demeanor, Ye Haiping took out two bottles of first-order Lingshen Pills from his storage bag and presented them to Lin Tianming as a greeting gift. After that, he happily invited the two to sit down. Having filled the cups with wine, he cast a restrictive spell to prevent eavesdropping.


    ¡¯Brother Lin, it¡¯s been many years since we¡¯ve met. Today we must have a good exchange of insights. Tianming, make sure to eat well too. The Spirit Beast meat prepared by the Welcome Pavilion is quite exceptional, consuming more can strengthen a cultivator¡¯s vitality and it¡¯s not insignificant for your cultivation.¡¯


    Lin Tianming nodded like a pecking chick, helping himself unreservedly to the delicious food before him. After biting into a chunk of beast meat, he swallowed it down in large bites. The savory meat melted in his mouth, bolstering Lin Tianming¡¯s physical body with spiritual power, clearly from a First Order Superior Grade Spirit Beast. Consuming a few bites appeared to have increased his strength somewhat. Although the effect was small, regular consumption would likely yield good results.


    Raising his cup of wine, Lin Tianming took the initiative to toast Ye Pinghai, and the three of them drank it down in one go.


    After the Spiritual Wine hit his throat, a fiery sensation rushed straight to his head. It was obviously not ordinary wine but must have been high-age Spiritual Medicine soaked liquor. Just one sip had slightly increased Lin Tianming¡¯s spiritual power. Considering Elder Ye was also an alchemist, brewing some Spiritual Wine shouldn¡¯t be too difficult; this must be from his private collection.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s manner of eating caused Lin Shilu to look on disdainfully, silently chiding the boy in his heart for his disgraceful behavior.


    Lin Shilu and Ye Haiping began chatting over their Spiritual Wine, discussing not only about cultivation but also about Pill Concoction and Weapon Forging. Though they were Alchemist and Artifact Refiner respectively, the essence of crafting in both fields shared many similarities, making their conversation harmonious.


    As numerous dishes came and went, and after several rounds of wine, the three men¡¯s faces turned red. Several bottles of high-quality Spiritual Wine had been consumed, and they began to discuss serious matters.

 Chapter 41 - 41 - 40 Guidance on Alchemy_1

    Chapter 41 ¨C 40 Guidance on Alchemy_1


    Lin Shilu looked around cautiously and said,


    ¡°Ye, my grandson and I have traveled thousands of miles to Qianchuan Market to seek your help in concocting elixirs. Rest assured, the reward will definitely satisfy you.¡±


    ¡°However, the elixirs to be concocted this time, though not high-grade, are no small matter. This issue must not be publicized or leaked out. I hope Ye can keep it confidential.¡±


    Seeing Lin Shilu take the matter so seriously, Ye Haiping became curious and asked, ¡°What kind of pills are so important to the Lin Family that you value them so highly?¡±


    Lin Shilu took out a pill formula written on a piece of beast skin and handed it to Ye Pinghai. It detailed the ¡°Minor Foundation Building Pill¡± that Lin Tianming had obtained from the ancient cultivator¡¯s cave dwellings.


    Ye Pinghai took the pill formula and began to carefully examine it, evaluating its authenticity for a full quarter of an hour.


    Shocked yet incredulous, Ye realized that the Minor Foundation Building Pill in Qingzhou was indeed a precious item. While easier to conjure and with good effects, the concoction of the Minor Foundation Building Pill and its spiritual medicine materials were relatively simple.


    ...


    Ye judged that the pill formula was indeed an ancient one, unheard of before, and possibly even one that had emerged from the human heartlands of Xuanzhou or Yunzhou. Its authenticity seemed high, and in a remote place like Qingzhou, it was indeed invaluable. No wonder Lin Shilu was so cautious.


    ¡°Brother Lin, rest assured. Brother Shi Gong owes me a life-saving debt. I swear by my Heart Demon that I will keep this matter completely confidential and will not reveal the slightest bit. Should there be a leak, may I suffer and die in the Heart Demon Tribulation.¡±


    Lin Shilu was also surprised. He dared not ask for such a serious oath, and yet Ye volunteered it, which spoke volumes of Ye Haiping¡¯s trustworthiness.


    Had the family¡¯s foundation not been so weak, devoid of a Second Order Alchemist, and the training of one taken decades and immense resources, they could not afford to wait.


    Otherwise, they would not entrust such an important matter to an outsider, and it was fortunate Ye Haiping knew to repay kindness. Otherwise, they really would have to take enormous risks.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally relaxed. He took out a storage bag and handed it to Ye Pinghai.


    ¡°Brother Ye, I cannot thank you enough for your great kindness. Our Lin Family has extended aid to you many times. Before coming here, the Clan Elders¡¯ Assembly promised that should you ever need the Lin Family¡¯s assistance within our means, you need only command us. There are fifteen portions of Minor Foundation Building Pill spiritual medicine materials in this storage bag. No matter the number of pills concocted, the Lin Family will show its gratitude after they are made, as per industry practice.¡±


    In the Cultivation World, there are established norms for asking fellow cultivators to concoct elixirs or craft tools. For instance, in alchemy, one brings one¡¯s own materials, and the alchemist, upon completion, may keep thirty percent of the finished pills as compensation. If there is an uneven number, compensation can be made with equivalent spirit stones.


    If the alchemy fails, the alchemist only needs to pay fifty percent of the spiritual medicine¡¯s value in spirit stones as compensation. Should there be another division method, it can be agreed upon beforehand, provided both parties approve. The same general rules apply to tool crafting.


    Ye Pinghai took the storage bag, checked the spiritual medicine materials to ensure nothing was missing, and then said,


    ¡°Though the Minor Foundation Building Pill is not too difficult to concoct, it¡¯s not easy either. I need to prepare and adjust my condition to try to produce as many pills as possible. The entire process will likely take at least half a year.¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You can wait for a while in the market. Also, please have Tian Ming come over to assist me, and I¡¯ll take the opportunity to offer him some guidance too. How much he learns will be up to him.¡±


    Ye Pinghai¡¯s offer was a significant help to Lin Tianming and intended to reassure Lin Shilu. After all, being personally guided by a Second Order Alchemist in potion crafting would accelerate the improvement of one¡¯s skills far more than solitary practice.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was extremely excited. It had been a long time since he had concocted any elixirs. His trip to Qianchuan Market was aimed at concocting the Xisui Pill, Pozhang Pill, and the critical Body Strengthening Pill and Strong Spirit Pill for his practice. These pills were all First Order Superior Grade, and with Ye Pinghai¡¯s personal guidance, the chances of successful concoction would greatly increase.


    ¡°Thank you Senior Ye, I will definitely work hard and not let you down,¡± Lin Tianming earnestly said.


    As night fell, having discussed and agreed on all arrangements, Lin Shilu, and two others left the guesthouse, bid each other farewell, and after agreeing to have Lin Tianming go to Ye Pinghai¡¯s dwelling to study at dawn the next day, they each returned to their own dwellings.


    On the way back, Lin Shilu was very happy. He was charged with the heavy responsibility of the family¡¯s development, carrying the family¡¯s expectations, and thankfully, everything went very smoothly. As long as he brought the Minor Foundation Building Pills back to the family, he would have completed his mission perfectly.


    When they returned to the small courtyard, each retired to their rooms, Lin Tianming went to sleep peacefully, to rest up for tomorrow when he would begin making elixirs.


    Early in the morning, Lin Tianming appeared at the entrance of a small courtyard, sent a message inside, and after a few moments, he walked in.


    The entire small courtyard was slightly larger than the one rented by Lin Shilu, modestly decorated, and Ye Pinghai was already waiting inside.


    ¡°I pay my respects to Senior Ye!¡±


    Ye Pinghai nodded slightly with a smile and asked, ¡°Which elixirs can you make now? What is the success rate of your pills?¡±


    ¡°To answer Senior, I am currently making First Order Medium Grade Lingshen Pills, Huiyuan Pills, and Consolidating Essence Pills, with a success rate of forty percent and about four pills per batch.¡±


    Ye Pinghai was also shocked after hearing this; a seventeen-year-old who could become a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, with a success rate and pill count that were not low. Such alchemy talent, he estimated, was like a phoenix feather or unicorn horn in the entire Wei Kingdom, probably only outdone by geniuses in the distant Cloud and Mystery States.


    ¡°Follow me to the Alchemy Room. I will guide you in alchemy for a few days. Afterwards, I need to devote myself to making the Minor Foundation Building Pills. You can leave after watching a few batches, pay close attention, and it will be easier for you to make Second Order Pills in the future.¡±


    Lin Tianming agreed respectfully and followed Ye Pinghai into the Alchemy Room.


    ¡°First, make a batch of First Order Medium Grade Lingshen Pills for me to see. Adjust your state well, I will give you pointers from the side, and when it¡¯s about right, try making First Order High Quality elixirs.¡±


    Lin Tianming took out his Four Symbols Furnace and Spiritual Medicine Materials, habitually circulated his cultivation technique to regulate his breath, drew forth the Earth Fire, and in half an incense stick¡¯s time, controlled the temperature of the Pill Furnace and Earth Fire.


    When it was about right, he began melting down the Spiritual Medicine Materials one by one, refining and purifying them. After an hour, a pleasant fragrance permeated the entire Alchemy Room.


    Opening the furnace lid, five Lingshen Pills were suspended in the furnace, each one bright and glossy, all being high-quality products.


    Lin Tianming was thrilled, as he mostly got four pills in his batches of elixirs, and it was rare to have five. Unexpectedly, his first batch today yielded five pills, and the time it took was also reduced significantly.


    Upon reflection, he attributed it to his increased cultivation, stronger Divine Sense, and the fact that his Four Symbols Furnace had been restored from First Order Superior Grade to Second Order Lower Grade, which made his alchemy even more smooth and effective.


    Ye Pinghai picked up an elixir between two fingers, scrutinizing it carefully, nodding occasionally, shaking his head at times, and it was unclear whether he was satisfied or not.


    ¡°Young man, you¡¯ve already done very well, but the details aren¡¯t quite perfect. The vintages of the Spiritual Medicine Materials aren¡¯t uniform, the refinement times vary, and the moment of opening the furnace isn¡¯t fixed. You should adjust based on the actual situation, which can greatly improve the pill success rate and pill count. Try again later,¡± suggested Ye Pinghai.


    Lin Tianming listened patiently, thought for a brief period, and then started making elixirs once again.

 Chapter 42 - 42 - 41 Refining Xisui Pill_1

    Chapter 42 ¨C 41 Refining Xisui Pill_1


    ¡°` S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the Alchemy Room, Lin Tianming sat upright on his meditation cushion as Ye Pinghai stood by his side, occasionally offering a few words of guidance.


    After a day of Alchemy, Lin Tianming had already attempted to concoct three cauldrons of Lingshen Pills. Despite the failure of the second batch, the third batch yielded six successful pills, reflecting both a steady increase in his success rate and the number of pills produced.


    At the moment, Lin Tianming was in the midst of concocting the fourth cauldron of Lingshen Pills, wholeheartedly infusing his Spiritual Power into the process, preparing to solidify the pills once a sufficient amount had been instilled.


    A sudden roar from Ye Pinghai nearly startled Lin Tianming into breaking out in a cold sweat.


    ¡°Boy, the time is now!¡±


    ¡°Solidify!¡±


    ...


    A refreshing fragrance filled the air as the fourth cauldron of elixirs was successfully concocted.


    Upon opening the lid of the cauldron, seven pills with an intermingling of black and green hues were suspended within. They had a uniform and bright appearance with Spiritual Energy swirling around them.


    ¡°The youth is indeed teachable, truly teachable!¡±


    Ye Pinghai was extremely pleased, exclaiming in admiration repeatedly.


    With his guidance, Lin Tianming¡¯s success rate and pill count had risen sharply, to the point that he was fully capable of trying to concoct First Order Superior Grade elixirs. With Ye Pinghai there to guide him, the chances of success were high.


    Lin Tianming also found, to his unexpected delight, that following Ye Pinghai¡¯s advice to adjust to the optimal timing based on the properties of the Spiritual Medicine indeed provided significant help in Alchemy, visibly improving both the success rate and the number of pills, and greatly speeding up the process as well.


    After a moment of contemplation, Ye Pinghai spoke up:


    ¡°Your improvement is not insignificant; you can now attempt to concoct First Order Superior Grade elixirs. Have you decided which elixir to try? Do you have the Spiritual Medicine and Pill Formula?¡±


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t dare to delay, hastily replying:


    ¡°In response to my senior¡¯s question, this junior wishes to try concocting the Xisui Pill. I already have both the Pill Formula and the required Spiritual Medicine Materials at the ready. I only need to rest for four hours to recover before I can begin, and I humbly ask for senior¡¯s permission!¡±


    ¡°Hm, you recover first. I shall wait here,¡± Ye Pinghai answered.


    Lin Tianming began to meditate to recover, while Ye Pinghai reviewed the Pill Formula for the Minor Foundation Building Pill on the side, preparing in advance for the subsequent concoction.


    Once four hours had passed, Lin Tianming was almost fully recovered, nearly at his peak condition.


    He took out the five portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Xisui Pill and arranged them beside him. After a series of preparations, he commenced with the Alchemy.


    It took him over an hour just to break down and purify the more than ten types of Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    As time slipped away, and just before the phase of solidifying the pill, Lin Tianming infused Spiritual Energy and there was a crisp sound, shattering the silence¡ªthe first cauldron of Xisui Pills was a failed concoction.


    Upon opening the lid of the cauldron, a slightly putrid smell rushed out, catching Lin Tianming off guard and almost bringing tears to his eyes.


    A pile of pill residue lay at the bottom of the cauldron. Lin Tianming scooped up the wasted residue and placed it in the prepared Jade Bottle. The Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Xisui Pill were not cheap, so he could not afford to waste them; they might come in handy at some point.


    It was then that Ye Pinghai also spoke up:


    ¡°Boy, not all elixirs require the same intensity of fire, and this is especially true for higher-level elixirs where the adjustment of the fire becomes increasingly complex. Some elixirs need a fierce fire for successful pill solidification, and the First Order Superior Grade elixirs certainly do. You¡¯ll need to try a few more times, but the hopes for success are not small.¡±


    ¡°`


    Hearing these words, Lin Tianming suddenly realized and was not discouraged, although it was already a slim hope for success for the first trial at alchemy, failure was inevitable, and with these limitations in place, it was no wonder he had not succeeded.


    With his mindset adjusted, Lin Tianming tried again to refine the Xisui Pill.


    As a day went by, after three consecutive failures, Lin Tianming refused to be superstitious and persisted in starting the fourth attempt at refining the Xisui Pill.


    Now well-versed in the process, he skillfully navigated through it, and when it was time to solidify the pill, Lin Tianming controlled the Earth Fire, instantly doubling its vitality.


    A piercing sound broke the silence, and after persevering for a moment, a fragrant aroma filled the air, Lin Tianming finished up and couldn¡¯t wait to lift the lid of the furnace.


    Three golden pills were suspended in the furnace, and Lin Tianming was ecstatic, meticulously examining a Xisui Pill he picked up.


    Bright in color and full of spiritual energy, they were indeed genuine Xisui Pills. After three trial adjustments, he finally succeeded on the fourth attempt at refining.


    Ye Pinghai was expressionless, but inside he was quite surprised and inwardly marveled, acknowledging that the boy indeed had a high talent for alchemy.


    The reason he had said to try a few more times was to encourage and console, he had never expected success in the fourth furnace; it was truly unbelievable.


    Reflecting on his own past, where it took him more than ten years to reach the status of a First Order Superior Grade Alchemist and over forty years to become a Second Order Alchemist, he was deemed a genius Alchemist by many Cultivators in Qianchuan Market.


    And this young man, having cultivated for only so many years, had already entered the rank of a First Order Superior Grade Alchemist¡ªit was enough to drive one mad with envy!


    Lin Tianming placed the Xisui Pills into a Jade Bottle, intending to strike while the iron was hot, to solidify his Alchemy and refine the last batch of Xisui Pill Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    Having succeeded once, the process felt effortless when he tried it again, and within half a day, Lin Tianming had used up the last batch of Xisui Pill Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    The fifth furnace material luckily succeeded in forming pills, and out of five furnaces of Spiritual Medicine Materials, the last two succeeded in creating pills, each with three pills, which surprised Lin Tianming very much.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was officially a qualified First Order Superior Grade Alchemist. The hard work of several days had not been in vain.


    Success in alchemy always comes after trials, and having succeeded once, subsequent refining of other First Order Superior Grade elixirs should become easier.


    Lin Tianming put away the Four Symbols Furnace, and gave the three Xisui Pills to Ye Pinghai. Although these pills were not much to Ye Pinghai, Lin Tianming still wanted to express his gratitude.


    Overwhelmed with emotion, it took him a long time to calm down. With his Divine Sense and Spiritual Power exhausted, it was not suitable to refine pills again. He sincerely expressed his thanks.


    ¡°Junior greatly appreciates the guidance of the senior. Without your meticulous explanations and guidance, I do not know when I would have succeeded. I will keep this great kindness in mind and if one day I reach the Core Formation Stage, I will repay this debt.¡±


    At this time, Ye Pinghai felt very fortunate for his good deeds. It is better to deliver charcoal in snowy weather than to add flowers on a brocade, and this youth¡¯s talent was extremely high; who knew if he might one day rely on him.


    Ye Pinghai was also very courteous, without any pretension, and replied,


    ¡°It¡¯s all due to your talent and understanding, friend. Even if I didn¡¯t say it, you would have understood eventually. There¡¯s no need for the pills. I have already taken the Xisui Pill, and taking more is pointless. Your family needs these elixirs more, you should keep them for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve achieved your goal and I have almost finished adjusting, we can start refining the Minor Foundation Building Pills. I aim to complete the commission as soon as possible and let you return to your family. You should spend the remaining month here, observing the process, hoping it will help you.¡±


    Lin Tianming respectfully said, ¡°I honor your instruction, senior.¡±


    Ye Pinghai then tidied up the Alchemy Room and began to meditate in preparation for his next refinement.


    Lin Tianming sat down on the spot, recalling the entire process of alchemy to consolidate his understanding, and healed to recover his condition.

 Chapter 43 - 43 - 42 Observing Alchemy_1

    Chapter 43 ¨C 42 Observing Alchemy_1


    The next day, Lin Tianming opened his tightly shut eyes from the night before, as did Ye Pinghai.


    Lin Tianming took the initiative to step forward and pay his respects, waiting for Ye Pinghai¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°Today, I will begin refining Minor Foundation Building Pills. You can watch for a few furnaces, then you¡¯ll be able to leave my cave abode and return to your cultivation,¡± Ye Pinghai said.


    Lin Tianming replied calmly, ¡°I will follow Senior¡¯s orders without any objection.¡±


    Ye Pinghai nodded, took out a fiery-red Pill Furnace from his storage bag, and laid out a set of Spiritual Medicine Materials, ready for refining, on a stone platform beside him.


    The entire Pill Furnace was fiery red, its surface densely covered with runes, exuding a powerful Spiritual Energy¡ªclearly, it was a Second Order Superior Pill Furnace, two minor grades higher than the Four Symbols Furnace he normally used.


    However, Lin Tianming was only momentarily surprised before he quickly regained his composure. After all, Ye Pinghai was at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage and also a Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist. With many years of Alchemy under his belt, his wealth was likely astonishing and far beyond what Lin Tianming could compare with.


    ...


    After Ye Pinghai took out the Pill Furnace from the storage bag, a faint fragrance filled the Alchemy Room¡ªevidence that the Pill Furnace, after long-term use in pill refining, had been imbued with the scent of elixirs. This was the result of extensive alchemic practice.


    With a flick of a Law Decree, he struck the Pill Furnace, which instantly inflated dozens of times from the size of a palm to that of a water tank, hovering above the vent of the Earth Fire, motionless.


    Ye Pinghai sat on a cushion and began to channel his energy. Half an hour later, Earth Fire erupted, and a large flame as thick as a water bucket blazed directly onto the Pill Furnace. The temperature of the Pill Furnace climbed steadily, and the color of the Earth Fire had turned from fiery red to include a hint of gold. The temperature in the Alchemy Room had risen by dozens of degrees, and Lin Tianming was dripping with sweat. Any ordinary person would have found it difficult to endure even half an hour there and would likely have been roasted alive.


    As time progressed, and half a day passed, Ye Pinghai felt that the time was about right and began to throw a Spiritual Medicine into the Pill Furnace, using all his might to channel Spiritual Power and Divine Sense to decompose and purify the medicine, finally turning it into a clump of green-yellow liquid suspended in the furnace.


    Lin Tianming sat beside him, watching carefully and earnestly, not daring to miss the slightest detail.


    Seeing that Ye Pinghai had spent half a day just preheating the furnace¡ªa process tens of times longer than his own¡ªit was clear that refining Second Order Pills was indeed incomparable to First Order Elixirs. He estimated that the consumption of Spiritual Power and Divine Sense must also be enormous, Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    One by one, he decomposed and purified over a dozen types of Spiritual Medicine Materials, turning them into over a dozen clumps of various colored Spiritual Liquids. This single step alone had taken three days¡¯ time.


    Ye Pinghai began to Infuse Spirit. His face contorted with veins throbbing on his forehead, exhibiting a look of strain.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t know that Ye Pinghai had been decomposing and purifying Spiritual Medicine continuously for three days without replenishing his Spiritual Power. Most of his energy had been depleted, and the process of Infusion of Spirit for refining the Minor Foundation Building Pill was extremely draining. If not for deep cultivation, the task would have been even more arduous.


    After more than ten breaths, Ye Pinghai felt his infusion of Spiritual Power had reached its limit and suddenly let out a roar as loud as thunder.


    ¡°Solidify Pill!¡±


    Following the roar, he manipulated the power of the Earth Fire, which instantly surged several times in strength. The flames that had been steady beneath the Pill Furnace spread out to cover the entire furnace. The temperature in the Alchemy Room rose another notch, and it was clear that the moisture in the air was evaporating speedily; Tianming¡¯s soaked blue shirt dried almost immediately.


    After a few more moments of intense heating, an overpowering scent spread rapidly. Lin Tianming was exhilarated¡ªby the looks of it, the refining was a success.


    Ye Pinghai also wore an expression of joy, deeply exhaled a sigh of relief, and a wave of fatigue washed over him.


    He removed the lid of the furnace, and three pills hung within it, their fragrance so strong that one whiff seemed to revive the spirits, the entire pills were a brilliant golden-yellow, their surfaces marked by delicate, beautiful patterns, undoubtedly complete Minor Foundation Building Pills.


    Ye Pinghai took out two Minor Foundation Building Pills, examined them repeatedly, and after confirming there were no omissions, he placed them into the prepared Jade Bottle and handed them directly to Lin Tianming.


    ¡°These three Minor Foundation Building Pills, you should first deliver them to Lin, the process of making them took too long, nearly seven days for one furnace, and it was also my first time making such pills, the consumption was not small, I need three days to recover before I can continue making more.¡±


    ¡°I suggest that it¡¯s best for you to return these three Minor Foundation Building Pills to your clan immediately so that your clansmen can take them, then come back to Qianchuan Market to receive the remaining pills. There¡¯s plenty of time for that. With such an arrangement, you can enable your Qi Refining Great Perfection clan members to establish their foundations sooner rather than later, and maybe by the time you return, some of them will have already succeeded.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded thoughtfully, also feeling that Ye Pinghai made a lot of sense, so he took the Jade Bottle, prepared to return to the cave dwelling in the market, and hand over the pills to Lin Shilu.


    After Lin Tianming took his leave, Ye Pinghai began meditating on the spot to cultivate and recover his significantly drained state.


    Upon leaving Ye Pinghai¡¯s cave dwelling, Lin Tianming hurried back to the small courtyard rented by Lin Shilu without delay.


    He cast a Law Decree, entered the small courtyard, and with a face full of joy, he seemed radiant and very excited, quickly running up to Lin Shilu and even forgetting the most basic formalities towards an elder, but fortunately, Lin Shilu didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, these three Minor Foundation Building Pills are from Ye¡¯s first batch of Spiritual Medicine Materials. Ye instructed me to deliver them to you immediately.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, Ye suggested that you take these three Minor Foundation Building Pills and depart at once to return to our clan, so that our clansmen can take them as soon as possible. By the time we return to the clan, we may already have elders who have successfully established their foundation.¡±


    ¡°Now, for our clan, time is of the essence, and I also believe what Ye says makes sense. It will take at least half a year to finish making the fifteen batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, and it would be a waste of time for you to just wait here.¡±


    Lin Shilu listened and pondered on the side. As the saying goes, ¡¯be wary of others,¡¯ and though he didn¡¯t quite believe that Ye Pinghai meant harm, one could never be too careful!


    ¡°Tian Ming, during the entire pill-making process, were you watching all the time? Did you notice anything amiss?¡±


    ¡°To reply to Fifteenth Grandfather, I stood by and observed the entire process of pill-making by Ye, and I did not notice anything unusual. Additionally, the pills match the records exactly, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, in that case, let¡¯s proceed with that plan. I will personally take the three Minor Foundation Building Pills back to our clan, and you stay in the market. After three days, head to Ye Pinghai¡¯s cave dwelling to continue learning Alchemy.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, focus on your cultivation and studies, and remember not to step out of the market in your free time nor stir up trouble within it. Once I¡¯ve delivered the pills to our clan, I will return immediately to join you.¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming readily agreed, took out the Spirit Beast Bag and two bottles of Lingshen Pills to give to Lin Shilu, suggesting that riding the Purple Gold Eagle back to Green Bamboo Mountain could make the journey quicker and safer.


    Lin Shilu took the Spirit Beast Bag and the pills, handed the Token of the cave dwelling over to Lin Tianming, and set off immediately on his journey.

 Chapter 44 - 44 - 43 Marrow Cleansing_1

    Chapter 44 ¨C 43 Marrow Cleansing_1


    Having left Qianchuan Market, Lin Shilu released the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Bag and threw a Lingshen Pill towards it.


    The Purple Gold Eagle didn¡¯t hesitate, biting it directly and swallowing, displaying a look of satisfaction.


    Mounting the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, the majestic creature took to the skies, swiftly rising hundreds of feet into the clouds and turning into a streak of light as it flew southward, disappearing into the vast expanse of clouds in just a few breaths¡¯ time.


    In the secret chamber of his cave dwelling, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the ground, having previously refined six Xisui Pills and now prepared to take one during this lull.


    He took out a Xisui Pill and swallowed it without hesitation.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, a series of crackling sounds erupted from his body, continuing relentlessly for half an hour.


    Waves of intense pain spread rapidly through every part of his body. Lin Tianming endured the pain as beads of sweat the size of soybeans couldn¡¯t stop falling from his forehead; his entire body was soaking as if drenched in rain.


    ...


    Once the half-hour had passed, the pain subsided, and he gradually returned to normal.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s body emitted a layer of black grime with a nauseating stench, more than ten times the amount expelled during his previous breakthrough, as if he had been buried in a mud pit for several days.


    Rising to his feet, Lin Tianming formed a hand seal and cast the Rain Control Technique, enjoying a comfortable shower in the artificially created rain, then took out a set of green robes from his storage bag to wear.


    On inspecting his body, his skin was as white as jade, tender and smooth, with muscles visibly bulkier.


    Throwing a punch, the feeble spiritual energy in the air burst apart, his strength having greatly increased; previously one punch exceeded a thousand jins, now he estimated it to be around one thousand two hundred jins.


    Lin Tianming examined his body¡¯s meridians and found that his whole circulatory system had become thicker and more robust, nearly ten percent larger than before, and the flow of spiritual power was much smoother. Although it seemed minor, the cumulative effect over time was significant.


    Lin Tianming was quite satisfied with the effects of the Xisui Pill, holding it in even higher regard. The only pity was that a cultivator could only use one pill, as consuming more wouldn¡¯t greatly enhance the effect.


    Sighing at his own greed, Lin Tianming felt a pang of regret.


    Still having five Xisui Pills left, he could either gift them to close kinfolk or sell them for a good price.


    Casting several Flame Techniques, he dried the water on the ground, tidied up the slightly messy secret chamber, and prepared to go out for a stroll, knowing there wasn¡¯t much risk as long as he didn¡¯t leave the market.


    Before long, a burly man appeared on the broad cobblestone path, none other than Lin Tianming casually wandering around the market.


    ¡°I¡¯ve pretty much visited all the stores in the West District. I¡¯ve never been to the stall area in the Southern District,¡± Lin Tianming thought to himself, deciding to head there to see what it was like.


    Having made up his mind, he set off towards the Southern District.


    In a vast square, hundreds of stalls were set up, with hundreds of cultivators haggling fiercely, bustling with activity. Most of them were in the Qi Refinement Realm, and among the cultivators, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t make out the exact level of some, guessing they were either several orders higher than himself or were using special Spiritual Artifacts to conceal their true cultivation. Likewise, disguised and with his identity changed, it was unlikely anyone in the Foundation Establishment Stage could discern his real cultivation level.


    Renting a stall space only cost five spirit stones, which allowed one to set up for the whole day in the square; considering the lively crowd and the brisk business, it was quite a bargain.


    Lin Tianming weaved through the square, carefully inspecting the items on each stall. Most were common spiritual medicine materials, or demon beast inner cores and carcasses, and some stalls had Fu Lu Spiritual Instruments, but the grades weren¡¯t high, mostly First Order, low to mid-grade. Stalls selling elixirs were few, only five or six in number, and the elixirs were extremely ordinary.


    It made sense, Lin Tianming considered. The cultivators who set up stalls here were mostly low-level, only able to offer common goods. They wouldn¡¯t bring out high-quality elixirs and talismans for trade unless they were in desperate need of spirit stones.


    Lin Tianming meandered his way through the market, occasionally chatting with the cultivators behind their stalls, but he didn¡¯t buy anything. Instead, he was scouting the prices of various items. If he got the chance, he also planned to set up a stall to exchange some of his useless items for Spirit Stones.


    After asking around more than ten times, Lin Tianming had a fairly good grasp of the prices and goods at Qianchuan Market and continued to wander leisurely.


    He had strolled around for half a day without spotting anything that caught his eye. He had no need for Spiritual Medicine Materials or elixirs and talismans, so it seemed unlikely that he would find anything worthwhile. Lin Tianming continued browsing with diminishing interest.


    As he delved further into the square, a middle-aged blue-robed cultivator caught Lin Tianming¡¯s attention.


    The cultivator appeared to be around sixty years old, with more than twenty items on display at his stall. There were a variety of elixirs suitable for Qi Refining Cultivators, several grades of Spirit Grass, and a few Jade Tubes.


    The man sat on the ground with his eyes closed, exuding a sense of calm. Unlike the other stall owners who were calling out to attract attention, this man seemed unconcerned about whether he had any customers or not, which made him stand out from the rest.


    Judging by the items on the ground, this person must also be an Alchemist, selling items related to Alchemy and displaying an aloof temperament, quite different from the ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators.


    Lin Tianming picked up a Jade Tube and started to examine them one by one. Most of them were Pill Formulas that only showed names and descriptions, with the contents not visible.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually a Pill Formula called the Beast Spirit Pill,¡± he said to himself.


    Lin Tianming was rather surprised. As the name suggested, the Beast Spirit Pill was an elixir used by Demonic Beasts for cultivation. It was similar to the Lingshen Pill used by cultivators but was specifically for Demonic Beasts and not suitable for humans, as their bodies couldn¡¯t endure the potency. Mild cases could result in disability, while severe cases could lead to death.


    A slight excitement stirred within Lin Tianming. After wandering around for half a day, he finally found something useful. He decided to buy the Pill Formula, as it would be perfect for the Purple Gold Eagle to consume for rapid growth. Furthermore, he could also use it for other Spirit Beasts he might tame in the future.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming took the initiative to ask.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, how much are you selling this Beast Spirit Pill Formula for?¡± he inquired.


    The blue-robed cultivator opened his eyes, which had been tightly shut, and said calmly, ¡°A fixed price, ninety Spirit Stones for the formula!¡±


    ¡°And how much for this ¡¯Chronicle of Heavenly and Earthly Wonders¡¯?¡± Lin Tianming asked, pointing to a book made from Beast Skin in front of him.


    ¡°Ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones,¡± came the reply.


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but show his surprise. The Pill Formula was indeed something he urgently needed. Together with the book that recorded heavenly and earthly wonders, he decided to make the purchase. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Lin Tianming was not short of Spirit Stones, he still put on an embarrassed expression and said, ¡°Fellow Daoist, I would like to offer three bottles of Lingshen Pills in exchange, and how about you include the book as a bonus gift?¡±


    The blue-robed cultivator pondered for a moment and agreed to the trade after a few seconds.


    Lin Tianming handed over the three bottles of Lingshen Pills to the blue-robed cultivator. Once the cultivator had removed the seals on the Jade Tubes, Lin Tianming collected the Pill Formula and the book into his storage bag and resumed casually wandering around the square.


    As half a day passed and evening approached, after spending most of the day at the market, besides purchasing the Jade Tubes and the book of wonders, he also bought several plants of Spiritual Medicine. They were the main ingredients for the Strong Spirit Pill and the Body Strengthening Pill and all were paid for with Lingshen Pills instead of Spirit Stones.


    Lin Tianming had a good supply of Lingshen Pills; he had used more than a dozen today, and with the same number remaining, plus the reward of Spiritual Medicine Materials from his family, there was no shortage. He could refine the medicines into elixirs at any time, and if he couldn¡¯t use them all, he needed to sell some.


    After leaving the Southern District, he hurried toward the North District. Ye Pinghai was still resting for two more days before he could resume Alchemy. Since it was not convenient to disturb him, Lin Tianming could only return to his cave dwelling to rest and make further plans.

 Chapter 45 - 45 - 44 Eye of Five Colors_1

    Chapter 45 ¨C 44 Eye of Five Colors_1


    Back in his cave dwelling, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the cushion in the secret room.


    With both hands holding the Jade Tube, he reviewed the Pill Formula for the Beast Spirit Pill with complete concentration.


    The Beast Spirit Pill and the Lingshen Pill had similar effects, and the required materials were almost the same, except the main ingredient was replaced with a Demon Core. The higher the grade of the Demon Core, the better the effect of the Beast Spirit Pill that was refined from it.


    The difficulty of refining it was only slightly higher than that of the Lingshen Pill. The Purple Gold Eagle was still quite important to Lin Tianming. It could be used not only for traveling, greatly increasing speed, but also to provide some assistance during spell battles. If nurtured properly, advancing to the Second Order was only a matter of time. With the Beast Spirit Pill, the Purple Gold Eagle could advance rapidly.


    After putting away the Pill Formula Jade Tube into his storage bag, he took out the Chronicle of Heavenly and Earthly Wonders and started to search through it carefully.


    He had seen introductions to some heavenly and earthly wonders in his family several times, most of which were low-order items. There were only a few high-order wonders recorded, but the Cultivation World was vast and deep, with cultivation existing for hundreds of thousands of years. Although most species were almost the same, every region had different wonders, and many Spiritual Objects were not even collected completely.


    Purchasing this book was not just to broaden his horizons, but also to see if he could find clues about the stone from the Ancient Cultivator¡¯s Cave Dwellings.


    ...


    Lin Tianming was convinced that the colorful stone was definitely no ordinary item; otherwise, it would not have been preserved intact over tens of thousands of years. Even Magical Treasures of Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators turned to ashes, but the stone remained intact, which surely made it extraordinary.


    He flipped open the thick book, which had hundreds of pages. Each page recorded one type of Spiritual Object. The first part was all about introductions to Spirit Grass, not only with names and pictures, but also with information about their growing environments and characteristics, even including the method of harvesting. The descriptions were very detailed.


    ¡°Nine-Leaf Golden Lotus,¡± a Fourth Order Spirit Grass, with a growth period of nine thousand years. Every thousand years a leaf would bloom, and each leaf greatly enhanced the Divine Sense and physical body of the Cultivator, an incredible treasure for those who practice Body Cultivation.


    ¡°Gold Glaze Bodhi,¡± a Fourth Order Spirit Fruit with a growth period of five thousand years. Each fruit could increase the odds of achieving Nascent Soul by thirty percent, a truly priceless treasure.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. In Wei Kingdom, Nascent Soul Masters were already formidable beings. If the Gold Glaze Bodhi appeared, it would undoubtedly lead to bloodshed because it was a Nascent Soul Spiritual Item, and it was likely that no Nascent Soul Master would be able to resist it.


    After looking through hundreds of pages, all introductions were to Third or Fourth Order Spirit Medicines, not a single Fifth Order Spirit Medicine. Thinking about it, it made sense since Fifth Order Spirit Medicines had at least a growth cycle of ten thousand years or even longer and were used by those in the Divinity Transformation Stage. That realm was too remote to be recorded.


    He read through the entire night, from Spirit Grass to minerals, as well as Spirit Insects and Spiritual Fire. Seven or eight precious items were covered, and he was about to finish reading the whole book.


    With only ten pages left, he could finish reading the entire book. Lin Tianming continued to flip through.


    The last ten pages were dedicated to the List of Heavenly and Earthly Wonders, recording ten extremely precious objects among the final pages. Some were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, and others were almost mythological in nature, with their actual existence still uncertain.


    Lin Tianming read carefully and, as he turned to the fifth last page, an illustration completely stunned him.


    There, displayed on the page, was a multicolored stone; the book described it as a Spiritual Object known as the Soul Beast¡¯s Eye, which was said to be the third eye of an ancient Demonic Beast, the Soul Beast.


    As for the Soul Beast, it was a very unique species among Demonic Beasts. They were already extremely rare in ancient times, and in today¡¯s Cultivation World, they had been extinct for tens of thousands of years. Moreover, only Soul Beasts of the Fourth Order and above could grow the third eye, which made the Soul Beast¡¯s Eye extremely rare in the Cultivation World.


    The Soul Beast¡¯s Eye could be refined and transformed into a Cultivator¡¯s third eye, inheriting the Soul Beast¡¯s natural talents and Divine Skills. It could see through most Illusion Techniques and Formations and also had an ability to attack with Divine Sense, making it impossible to guard against and extraordinarily powerful. Consequently, the Soul Beast¡¯s Eye was ranked among the ten great heavenly and earthly wonders.


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed beyond measure. Although he had suspected this item was extraordinary, he did not expect it to be so treasured, no wonder it was named as one of the ten great heavenly and earthly wonders.


    He quickly took out the stone from his storage bag and began to scrutinize it, not missing the slightest detail.


    After carefully comparing, Lin Tianming was incredibly certain that the stone he had obtained was undoubtedly the Soul Beast¡¯s Eye.


    He never expected to have acquired such a treasure. Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t believe it; he couldn¡¯t help but slap his face twice, wanting to make sure he was not dreaming.


    ¡°Slap slap slap,¡± three loud slaps rang out against his face.


    There was a sensation of pain, apparently not a dream¡ªthis was real!


    ¡°Haha,¡± Lin Tianming laughed wildly, utterly delighted. He had completely lost his mind, appearing quite comical.


    After a brief bout of madness, Lin Tianming gradually regained his composure.


    This kind of treasure needed to be refined and assimilated as soon as possible to enhance one¡¯s own strength; otherwise, delay could lead to unforeseen changes.


    Lin Tianming sat down right there and swallowed the Soul Beast¡¯s Eye, directing his Divine Sense to chase it towards the sea of consciousness. The Soul Beast¡¯s Eye, however, seemed to be a living thing, desperately trying to escape. As it thrashed about wildly, Lin Tianming suffered agonizing pain, and blood started to seep from all seven apertures, while his skin began to crack and burst open, looking extremely miserable. If it weren¡¯t for his body¡¯s cultivation, he would have likely passed out.


    ¡°Hmph, once you¡¯re in my sea of consciousness, it¡¯s definitely not possible for you to escape,¡± he muttered.


    Enduring the intense pain, Lin Tianming mobilized all his Divine Sense into a large hand and controlled the Soul Beast¡¯s Eye, slowly refining it; otherwise, he might have been tormented to death.


    Inside the sea of consciousness, the fist-sized Soul Beast¡¯s Eye, after several hours of refining, was already half assimilated, gradually transforming into wisps of five-colored light orbs gathering to one side. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With ongoing slow refinement, the pain in his body gradually lessened, and the torn flesh began to heal.


    A day passed, and Lin Tianming finally refined the entire Soul Beast¡¯s Eye into a walnut-sized ball of five-colored divine light gathered in his sea of consciousness.


    Lin Tianming manipulated this ball of five-colored divine light and slowly merged it into his forehead. Suddenly, a smooth spot right in the middle of his forehead split open, and the five-colored divine light burst forth. For a moment, it was as though a five-colored sun hung above his head¡ªthe dim secret chamber instantly brightened up dramatically, and the emitted divine light was dazzling to the eye.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming discovered that the control center and key points of the entire cave dwelling¡¯s restrictions were completely exposed under the Soul Beast¡¯s Eye, making it incredibly simple to break through them.


    Lin Tianming was shocked, the Soul Beast¡¯s Eye was truly defying the heavens¡ªsuch an artifact used for breaking formations was essentially like cheating!


    Although it was unclear if it was effective against all formations, it certainly could see through most Fourth Order and lower formations. Even if it couldn¡¯t fully unravel them, it would provide plenty of clues, greatly assisting in breaking formations¡ªit was already immensely heaven-defying.


    He closed the Soul Beast¡¯s Eye, and it merged directly into the skin and disappeared from view, making him look no different from a normal person.


    Very satisfied, Lin Tianming decided to give the Soul Beast¡¯s Eye a name; after much contemplation, he decided to name it the Eye of Five Colors.


    When used, the Eye of Five Colors would burst forth with blinding five-colored divine light, so being named after the five colors was fitting. With that decided, it was settled.


    Having chosen a name, he prepared to leave his retreat and head to Ye Pinghai¡¯s cave dwelling. After three days of recovery, he could once more attempt to refine the Minor Foundation Building Pill.

 Chapter 46 - 46 - 45: Crazy Alchemy_1

    Chapter 46 ¨C 45: Crazy Alchemy_1


    Ye Pinghai, cloaked in a grey robe within his cave abode, pinched a series of hand seals and cast spells onto the Pill Furnace, filling the entire secret chamber with scorching air.


    Lin Tianming and Ye Pinghai were each seated in their own secret chamber, fervently concocting elixirs.


    While Ye Pinghai was refining the Minor Foundation Building Pill, Lin Tianming was also busy at work in the adjacent Alchemy Room, crafting the Lingshen Pill.


    Lin Tianming engaged in alchemy non-stop for seven to eight days, refining pills by day and meditating at night to recover his expended spiritual power and Divine Sense. His daily schedule was full and arduous.


    As his cultivation rose, Lin Tianming mastered the creation of First Order Medium Grade Lingshen Pills, and both the success rate and quantity of pills increased substantially.


    The success rate of First Order Medium Grade Lingshen Pills could reach 60%, and the quantity was remarkably stable, always above seven per batch. Even more efficiently, after refining five batches of pills each day, Lin Tianming still had a small reserve of spiritual power. Such is the advantage of profound cultivation¡ªit was no longer like before, when refining three batches would leave him completely drained.


    In the process of refining Lingshen Pills, Lin Tianming, with an experimental mindset, activated his Eye of Five Colors to see if it would aid in alchemy, and was pleasantly surprised. The Eye of Five Colors easily allowed him to discern the internal structure and impurities of each Spiritual Medicine.


    ...


    In truth, it wasn¡¯t really a surprise. The Eye of Five Colors, capable of penetrating even restrictive formations, would naturally view lower-tier Spiritual Medicines with ease.


    Leveraging this special ability, Lin Tianming could handle purification, breakdown, and even Solidifying Pill with incredible precision, substantially improving the success rate and pill count¡ªa near perfect 80% success rate and nine pills per batch, almost reaching the limits of Pill Refining.


    Moreover, the Lingshen Pills he refined had an efficacy 10% higher than regular Lingshen Pills; they were truly superior among Superior Spirit Essence Pills.


    With the help of the Eye of Five Colors, Lin Tianming completed refining more than forty batches of Lingshen Pills without much effort, yielding a large stockpile of over three hundred Lingshen Pills.


    In the Cultivation World, a First Order Medium Grade Lingshen Pill typically sells for eight Low-Grade Spirit Stones, while in some places it fetches nine. Even calculating by the lower price, three hundred pills amounted to two thousand four hundred Spirit Stones¡ªa considerable fortune indeed.


    With so many Lingshen Pills on hand, they would undoubtedly exceed his own needs during the Qi Refinement Realm. Once he returned to the clan, he planned to sell the majority through the clan¡¯s market shops. Such superior quality Lingshen Pills would not lack for buyers, or he could choose to keep them within the clan, offering them to fellow clan members, as it was rare to encounter such fine quality. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming considered his next steps.


    He had nearly finished refining all the materials for the clan¡¯s rewarded Lingshen Pills. What remained were materials for twenty-five batches of Body Strengthening Pill and Strong Spirit Pill, as well as three batches for the Pozhang Pill, signaling the time to attempt a large-scale refinement of First Order High-Quality elixirs.


    Additionally, he needed to refine the Beast Spirit Pill as soon as possible, utilizing the two Demon Cores in his possession. One was the Spotted Crocodile Inner Pill obtained while defending Qingfeng Town, and the other was an inner core of the Spirit-Connecting Python. Both were suitable for concocting the Beast Spirit Pill.


    The two Demon Cores on hand, from the Spotted Crocodile at Medium Stage and the Spirit-Connecting Python at Late First Order, were more than sufficient for the refinement of the Beast Spirit Pills.


    Lin Tianming decided to first refine the Beast Spirit Pills before tackling the more advanced Strong Spirit and Body Strengthening Pills.


    Falling into a rhythm, Lin Tianming worked deftly. There was not a significant difference between the Beast Spirit Pill and the Lingshen Pill, except that disassembling a Demon Core was much more challenging than work with Spiritual Medicine. The Demon Core was far more volatile, making it easier for the pill to explode during the process, which could potentially cause severe damage to the Pill Furnace.


    Lin Tianming carefully dissected the Striped Crocodile¡¯s Demon Core. Fortunately, everything went smoothly, no explosion occurred, and within fifteen minutes, the Demon Core was successfully refined. What followed was familiar territory, and in less than half an hour, the first batch of Beast Spirit Pills emerged from the furnace.


    Five green-yellow elixirs hovered inside the furnace, each one slightly larger than a Lingshen Pill, with a potency that was certainly more violent.


    In less than half a day, another First Order Late Stage Demon Core was transformed into Beast Spirit Pills. Seven pills solidified, and along with those from the first batch, there were twelve Beast Spirit Pills in total¡ªenough to last the Purple Gold Eagle for a while.


    He took out the Spiritual Medicine Materials needed for the Body Strengthening Pill and neatly arranged them on the stone platform next door.


    Lin Tianming quickly got into the swing of things. The difficulty of refining the Body Strengthening Pill and Strong Spirit Pill should be about the same as that of the Xisui Pill, so there was definitely no problem in refining them. He just didn¡¯t know what the pill success rate and yield would be.


    Previously, without the Eye of Five Colors, when refining the Xisui Pill, the success rate had reached thirty percent. With the Eye of Five Colors, it should improve somewhat.


    Time flew by, and more than twenty days had passed. Lin Tianming had been staying in the Alchemy Room for nearly a month now.


    In the Alchemy Room next door, Ye Pinghai was still refining pills. Each batch of Minor Foundation Building Pills took him seven days to refine. After resting for three days, he would resume his alchemy. He hadn¡¯t completed his seclusion yet.


    Lin Tianming had refined almost all of his Alchemy Materials, leaving only a small amount of Spiritual Medicine Materials in his storage bag.


    In this one month, Lin Tianming had made significant progress. When refining First Order Superior Grade Strong Spirit Pill and Body Strengthening Pill with the help of the Eye of Five Colors, his success rate remained above sixty percent, while the number of pills yielded hovered around six per batch.


    After a month of hard work, he obtained ninety Body Strengthening Pills and eighty-five Strong Spirit Pills. There was no longer a shortage of elixirs for the Qi Refinement Realm. He planned to focus all his energy on cultivation from now on. It had been nearly half a year since he had engaged in serious cultivation or consumed many elixirs, as he had been allowing his progress to consolidate.


    Now, not only had he solved the shortage of elixirs needed for his cultivation, but he had also managed to refine two batches of his three sets of Pozhang Pill Spiritual Medicine Materials, resulting in eleven pills.


    The Pozhang Pill was extremely expensive and had great effects. After consumption, it could remove bottlenecks and induce a breakthrough in one¡¯s realm, which was extraordinary. Initially, just buying three main ingredients had cost him over two hundred Spirit Stones. A single Pozhang Pill could sell for at least one hundred Spirit Stones in the market, and it was hardly available for purchase. Only a very few were auctioned at exorbitant prices, and each time they did, they sold for sky-high amounts.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming felt quite emotional. Two years ago, using a Spirit Stone would cause him immense heartache. Now, his total worth added up was no less than ten thousand Spirit Stones. Among Qi Refining Cultivators, he was truly a tycoon. Perhaps only the core descendants of major families could compare with him.


    He put all the elixirs into his storage bag, tidied up the mess in the secret chamber, and walked out of the Alchemy Room.


    Outside the room, it was dusk. After a month of relentless alchemy, he was extremely exhausted. Lin Tianming walked through the streets, heading toward his dwelling in the North District.


    Lying on his stone bed, Lin Tianming fell into contemplation.


    ¡°I wonder if Fifteenth Grandfather has taken the Minor Foundation Building Pills back to the family. By the timeline, they should have already reached the family. Even if he didn¡¯t stay, and came straight back to Qianchuan Market, a round trip would take forty days. Now, all I can do is wait patiently and hope everything goes smoothly. After all, the medicine is too precious, and I can¡¯t help but worry.¡±


    Unknowingly, the tired Lin Tianming fell into a deep sleep. In less than fifteen minutes, he was sound asleep.

 Chapter 47 - 47 - 46 Distribution of Minor Foundation Building Pills_1

    Chapter 47 ¨C 46 Distribution of Minor Foundation Building Pills_1


    Time rewound to ten days ago!


    Outside of the Lin Family¡¯s protective formation, it was Lin Tianfeng¡¯s turn to lead the patrol duty this month. A clan member gazed towards the exterior of the grand formation and spotted a dark shadow swiftly approaching from the distant horizon.


    What initially seemed like a tiny sesame-sized dot had, in just over a dozen breaths, transformed into a massive bird spanning more than ten zhang.


    ¡°It¡¯s Tianming¡¯s Purple Gold Eagle!¡±


    At this moment, Lin Tianfeng was also puzzled, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Sixth Brother heading to Qianchuan Market to carry out a clan mission, rumored to take half a year? How come he has returned in just over a month?¡±


    The secret mission of Lin Tianming to Qianchuan Market for alchemy was known only to the Elders¡¯ Council within the clan. Lin Tianfeng was only aware that Tianming had gone to Qianchuan Market but did not know the details of the mission. He knew this much only because he was among one of the highest cultivation levels of the clan¡¯s younger generation.


    As the Purple Gold Eagle drew closer, everyone realized that it was Lin Shilu who sat on its back.


    ...


    At this moment, he looked utterly haggard, having flown from dawn until dusk each day to find a place to rest, with few stops in between. Under such hasty travel, he managed to return to Green Bamboo Mountain in just eighteen days, which was quite an accomplishment.


    Lin Shilu took out the family identity token and cast a spell on it. In the invisible and colorless sky, suddenly a gap opened up, through which a person and a beast flew into the Protective Clan Formation. The rift quickly mended and then disappeared. From the outside looking towards the clan¡¯s land, everything appeared hazy and indistinct once more.


    After entering the formation, Lin Tianfeng and the others immediately came up to pay their respects.


    Lin Shilu, in a rush, nodded briefly and merely said a word for them to continue patrolling before he swiftly departed. He could not afford to care about fatigue at the moment; along with the beast, he flew towards the Clan Elders¡¯ Assembly Hall.


    Before entering the formation, Lin Shilu had already sent a message, instructing clan members of the Shi generation like Lin Shikang to go to the Elders¡¯ Council, to hand over the three Minor Foundation Building Pills in person, and to make the first round of distribution. This would enable clan members who met the requirements to begin Foundation Establishment as soon as possible and enhance the clan¡¯s strength.


    Inside the Elders¡¯ Council Hall, eight members of the Lin Family of the Shi generation gathered. Lin Shikang sat at the head of the table as the eight settled around it.


    Lin Shigong was tense. Seeing Lin Shilu return alone without the sight of his grandson Lin Tianming, he began to worry wildly.


    The mission Lin Tianming undertook to Qianchuan Market carried significant risk. The Sun Family of Golden Horn Mountain had always been hostile towards the Lin Family, resulting in constant friction. Furthermore, with numerous powerful individuals in the market, even Foundation Establishment Cultivators could not ensure absolute safety, let alone Lin Tianming, who was merely at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. Shi Gong couldn¡¯t help but feel concerned.


    Lin Shilu then spoke:


    ¡°Now that all eight brothers are present, let¡¯s formally begin the meeting.¡±


    A smile tinged Lin Shilu¡¯s weary face as he took out a jade bottle from his storage bag and placed it in the center of the round table.


    Besides Lin Shikang, Lin Shigong, and Lin Shilu, the other five people¡¯s faces blossomed with joy, presumably guessing what was in the bottle.


    Lin Shigong, exceedingly anxious, blurted out without a care for what was inside the bottle.


    ¡°Little Fifteen, where is Tianming? Why didn¡¯t he come back with you? Has something happened?¡±


    Lin Shigong¡¯s barrage of questions left his brothers in the grand hall taken aback, and then they burst into laughter, even the usually stern Lin Shiji included.


    Caught off guard, Lin Shigong pondered and realized he was overthinking it. Noting Lin Shilu¡¯s expression devoid of any sadness, surely nothing bad could have happened to Tianming.


    The other six in the hall could tell, and only the mentally preoccupied Lin Shigong had missed it.


    Lin Shixin, known for his playful nature, couldn¡¯t resist chiming in:


    ¡°Ninth Brother, seeing the look on little Fifteen, you should know that Tianming is safe. Yet, you didn¡¯t see it. Really, when the mind is in chaos, even intelligence slips away, haha¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shigong came to his senses, his face flushed with embarrassment as he laughed awkwardly.


    Lin Shikang snatched the jade bottle out of the air, inspected a Minor Foundation Building Pill closely before tossing it to Lin Shigong:


    Lin Shigong caught the pill between his fingers and took out a jade tube left by Third Order Alchemy Master Yuhua, comparing it thoroughly.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, Lin Shigong nodded with satisfaction, his voice tingling with excitement as he began to speak.


    ¡°This elixir is undoubtedly a genuine Minor Foundation Building Pill!¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone aside from Lin Shilu and another who had already reached Foundation Establishment, revealed a fervent gleam in their eyes.


    Lin Shikang also opened his mouth at this time to ask Lin Shilu:


    ¡°Why are there only three Minor Foundation Building Pills? Tianming had turned in fifteen Hidden Spirit Grass!¡±


    Lin Shilu shared Lin Tianming¡¯s thoughts with all his brothers, and everyone nodded in approval, fully recognizing Lin Tianming¡¯s arrangement.


    Now, time was money, even the hope of the entire clan; the Lin Family indeed needed these elixirs very much. Used properly, they could significantly enhance the Lin Family¡¯s overall strength within just ten years, and indeed, the significance was extraordinary.


    At this point, Lin Shikang stood up and said:


    ¡°Now let us discuss the allocation of these three Minor Foundation Building Pills, as well as the subsequent distribution issues!¡±


    Instantly, the atmosphere in the entire hall ignited, with all but Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu, who had established their Foundation, getting involved in a heated debate. Among the remaining six, the youngest, Lin Shihua, was nearly ninety years old with only thirty years of life left, while Lin Shiji was just over a hundred. The sooner they consumed the pill, the greater their hope for Foundation Establishment. Everyone wanted to secure a Minor Foundation Building Pill as soon as possible to retain the hope of entering the Foundation Establishment stage, after all, no one wanted to die.


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu, sitting close together, whispered into each other¡¯s ears, completely ignoring the relentless debates of the others.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu reached a unanimous decision.


    Lin Shikang stood up, silencing all his brothers before speaking out:


    ¡°These three Minor Foundation Building Pills are just the first batch of elixirs, with more to come, though the quantity is yet to be determined. However, it is estimated that there will be at least five more. There¡¯s no need for such urgency.¡±


    ¡°Shilu and I have decided to give these three to Lin Shiji, Lin Shigong, and Lin Shihua, who are already at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining stage. These pills aren¡¯t free, though; they require an exchange of eight-thousand merit points. After all, the family has paid a huge price to produce these medicines. When the rest of the elixirs come back, as long as you have enough merit points, any clan member can exchange for them!¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°For the three of you remaining, you will of course have priority for the exchange. Conveniently, all of you are at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. Even with the elixirs, you can¡¯t consume them in a short time. In the next half year, you can focus on cultivating fully, striving to reach Great Perfection earlier, and then using these pills to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage wouldn¡¯t be too late.¡±


    When the others heard this, seeing that Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu had reached a consensus, and their reasoning sound, no one dared to voice any objections, fearing it would provoke the opposition of all the clan members.


    Lin Shikang collected the three Minor Foundation Building Pills and asked everyone to return and arrange their resources and merit points. Once they had enough, they could come back to exchange with him, after all, acquiring eight-thousand merit points was not an easy feat.


    Even for the best alchemist in the family, coming up with eight-thousand merit points at once was quite difficult, unless one sold all their personal property.


    One by one, the people bid farewell and dispersed. As they left, Lin Shilu called Lin Shigong aside and asked for the Family Token.


    Lin Shilu took out his own Family Token, imprinted a Law Decree, and transferred three-thousand merit points from it to Lin Shigong.


    ¡°This is what Tianming asked me to pass on to you, his two-thousand merit points, along with the thousand I¡¯m lending you, making up three-thousand in total.¡±


    Lin Shigong¡¯s face reddened with embarrassment, for he had not expected to be borrowing his grandson¡¯s merit points at such a time.


    But upon reflection, he realized that these merit points were indeed something he desperately needed right now. It solved his urgent need so he wouldn¡¯t have to sell any spiritual objects or elixirs.


    Lin Shigong did not refuse, saying:


    ¡°Thank you, fifteenth brother. As soon as I sell some spiritual medicines and treasures, I¡¯ll return these merit points to you.¡±


    Lin Shilu smiled in response. After exchanging goodbyes, they each went their own way. Lin Shilu arranged the time to return to Qianchuan Market before leaving.


    Lin Shilu planned to rest for two days before setting off again. After all, with Tianming alone in the market, he was somewhat worried. If he hadn¡¯t been utterly exhausted, departing immediately wouldn¡¯t have been impossible. Fortunately, the market was relatively safe, and with Ye Pinghai looking out for him, there shouldn¡¯t be any significant danger.

 Chapter 48 - 48 - 47 Large Market Gathering_1

    Chapter 48 ¨C 47 Large Market Gathering_1


    One clear morning in Qianchuan Market, at the plaza in the Southern District.


    After half a month of secluded alchemy, Lin Tianming emerged from his retreat. Since Ye Pinghai was still refining Minor Foundation Building Pills and shouldn¡¯t be disturbed, Lin Tianming planned to set up a stall to sell off some useless spiritual medicine materials, elixirs, and spiritual artifacts he had on hand.


    Lin Tianming approached the exterior of a stone building, where already quite a few cultivators were coming and going, all there to rent stall spaces. The vast majority were below the Eighth Level of Qi Refinement, and there were a few whose cultivation levels he couldn¡¯t discern.


    Taking a deep breath, Lin Tianming walked into the hall.


    Within the hall, five cultivators dressed in uniform attire stood out conspicuously, embroidered with a bright sun on their golden clothes, the emblem of the Zhenyang Sect of the Wei Kingdom.


    Since Qianchuan Market was a property of Zhenyang Sect, managing the market and related affairs naturally were taken as tasks assigned to the inner sect disciples of the sect.


    With over a thousand members in Zhenyang Sect, only inner sect disciples above the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement were issued such robes, a uniform attire. Lower-level cultivators below the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement could be considered only as outer sect disciples, with hardly any status to speak of, and could barely count as members of the Zhenyang Sect.


    ...


    In Zhenyang Sect, only the cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage were considered core disciples, not to mention the even higher ranked true disciples, each one being a young talent with extraordinary gifts.


    Zhenyang Sect controlled two medium-sized markets, with Qianchuan Market being just one of them. The other medium-sized market was located to the north of the Zhenyang Sect, over ten thousand miles from here.


    Lin Tianming felt very envious, wishing that one day the Lin Family could also have thousands of members, uniform attire, and manage a medium-sized market like Qianchuan Market.


    Inside the hall, four Zhenyang Sect cultivators were attending to others who came to rent stalls. There was one cultivator whose spot was conveniently vacant, so Lin Tianming quickly stepped forward and started talking to the sect disciple in charge.


    After some conversation and choosing his spot, Lin Tianming took out five low-grade spirit stones and handed them to the disciple, receiving a gold-yellow card in exchange.


    The card served as a permit for setting up a stall. The enforcement team often patrolled the entire Southern District plaza to maintain order and check whether the stallholders had all the proper documentation. Those without a card who attempted to blend in and set up a stall illegally would be apprehended and punished. There were even cases where those who resisted were killed on the spot.


    Lin Tianming pocketed the card and left the hall, heading towards the center of the plaza.


    By then, the plaza already had over a hundred stalls set up, with more cultivators continuously arriving.


    For some reason, today¡¯s market seemed exceptionally bustling to Lin Tianming, much to his surprise.


    In a hurry, he found the spot he¡¯d selected, a corner in the western part of the plaza, covering a few square meters. It wasn¡¯t in the center and wasn¡¯t near the edge of the plaza; the location was quite ordinary indeed.


    He thought he was up early, but others had been earlier, and the better spots had already been rented out, leaving only these peripheral corners available.


    Lin Tianming spread out a piece of beast skin on the ground and sat down.


    He took eleven bottles of Lingshen Pills out of his storage bag. They were common Lingshen Pills not refined with the help of the Eye of Five Colors, and these were all he had left. Although their potency couldn¡¯t compare with those refined later, they were still decent among the common Lingshen Pills and should sell well.


    As for the Superior Spirit Essence Pills he refined later, he didn¡¯t dare sell them here as it could attract unnecessary trouble. He could only take them himself or sell them to the family for exchange and use by the clan members.


    Half a quarter of an hour had passed, and in front of Lin Tianming lay quite a few items. Besides the eleven bottles of Lingshen Pills, there were also over thirty pieces of First Order Spiritual Medicine¡ªrewards from his days guarding Qingfeng Town. He kept about a dozen of the medicines that had multiple purposes and sold all the other Lingshen Pill materials and some of the useless Spiritual Objects, exchanging them for Spirit Stones.


    He also brought out a set of hammers, Spiritual Artifacts, which he had obtained from the Red Robe Cultivator. More than half a year had passed since the fight, and given the distance to Qianchuan Market and its teeming, diverse crowd where countless Spiritual Artifacts changed hands daily, it was the perfect opportunity to sell those ill-gotten gains. However, he had no plans to sell the three Spirit Swords Spiritual Artifact he had acquired; after using them for some time, he thought they would be very suitable for Lin Tianyue.


    The items Lin Tianming set out for his stall were numerous, including elixirs, Spiritual Medicine materials, and Spiritual Artifacts, all of fine quality and almost entirely acquired from Qingfeng Town.


    As time moved on, after half an hour, the plaza surprisingly hosted hundreds of stalls, which even astonished Lin Tianming.


    ¡°What day is it today that the number of stalls has more than tripled suddenly? It¡¯s truly strange.¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The female cultivator at the stall next to Lin Tianming was in the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, about thirty years old in appearance, dressed like a noblewoman; it was unclear whether it was her true appearance or if she had altered it somehow.


    Lin Tianming took the initiative to start a conversation, aiming to glean some information.


    ¡°Excuse me, fairy, do you know why today there are so many fellow cultivators setting up stalls? The number has increased several-fold.¡±


    The well-dressed lady, seeing the extraordinary items Lin Tianming had for sale, intended to become acquainted with him.


    ¡°My name is Xin Qing, just a Loose Cultivator. May I ask the esteemed name of this fellow daoist?¡±


    ¡°I am Chen Tian, also a Loose Cultivator. Pleased to meet you, Fairy Xin.¡±


    Lin Tianming replied calmly, with a hint of a smile, deliberately using a different name and not revealing his real one. He picked a rather common surname, as Chen was a major family name within Wei Kingdom and countless cultivators bore it.


    ¡°Is this your first time at Qianchuan Market? Don¡¯t you know about the decennial grand assembly of the market?¡±


    Lin Tianming gave an embarrassed smile and listened as Xin Qing explained the origins of the grand assembly.


    It turned out that Qianchuan Market held a small assembly every two years and a grand assembly every ten years. In three days, the decennial grand assembly would take place, attracting numerous cultivators into the market to buy items needed for their cultivation or to conduct business and earn Spirit Stones. Some cultivators came just for the spectacle. It was said that even Nascent Soul Masters might attend the trade conference.


    Each market assembly featured several large auctions where various cultivation techniques, manuals, elixirs, Spiritual Artifacts, and many rare treasures were presented. At the last grand assembly for Qi Refining Cultivators, even Foundation Establishment Pills had appeared¡ªfive of them¡ªwith each selling for more than 30,000 Spirit Stones, the finale of the Qi Refining auction stage.


    Hearing Xin Qing¡¯s explanation, Lin Tianming was quite surprised. Foundation Establishment Pills were available, no wonder so many cultivators flocked to Qianchuan Market.


    Lin Tianming was deeply moved at that moment, considering how the Lin Family, established for eight hundred years on Green Bamboo Mountain, had always found the struggle for Foundation Establishment to be immensely difficult, with many forebears sacrificing for it. Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator family like the Lin¡¯s, which had never lacked for cultivators, found it hard, which made one imagine the plight of Qi Refining families and Loose Cultivators being even more challenging.


    Time gradually passed, and eventually, all the stalls in the Southern District¡¯s plaza were occupied by cultivators, with groups of cultivators entering to shop and enlivening the area.


    Lin Tianming paused his casual conversation with Xin Qing as they returned to their respective stalls, ready to deal with cultivators who came to inquire about the prices.

 Chapter 49 - 49 - 48 Setting up a Stall_1

    Chapter 49 ¨C 48 Setting up a Stall_1


    In the southern district of Qianchuan Market, a large number of cultivators flooded into the bazaar. Within just half an hour, the number of people had quickly surpassed a thousand and continued to grow. The entire trading area was bustling with activity.


    After starting his stall, Lin Tianming had waited for half an hour for a customer to arrive. Finally, a male cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement came by.


    This person, named Qin Yun, was a First Order Rogue Cultivator who frequented various big markets. He traded in spiritual medicine materials for a profit and had amassed quite a substantial wealth.


    With the grand gathering at the market imminent, Qin Yun decided to sell the spiritual medicine he had accrued and planned to buy some elixirs for his cultivation. The elixirs in the large shops were all more expensive than those at the stalls, so he simply went to the stalls to try his luck, saving whatever money he could.


    After visiting several stalls that sold elixirs and finding only Lingshen Pills with mediocre potency, which he suspected were crafted by just-emerging First Order Medium Grade alchemists due to their poor quality, he was not very impressed. They were priced at eight spirit stones each, which really was not a good value for the money.


    It was not until he reached Lin Tianming¡¯s stall and examined the elixirs that he judged the alchemist who made them to be extraordinary, certainly not comparable to the half-competent ones he¡¯d seen before. Very satisfied with the elixirs, he was eager to buy and promptly asked about the price.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, how much are you selling your Lingshen Pills for?¡±


    ...


    Having waited half an hour for business to pick up, Lin Tianming stood up and replied with a calm tone.


    ¡°The price for a single pill is nine spirit stones, or twenty-five for three.¡±


    Qin Yun hardly thought about it before cheerfully taking out fifty spirit stones and buying two bottles. Had he not been limited by the number of spirit stones he had, he would have liked to buy a couple more. Although they were one spirit stone more expensive than where he had asked previously, the potency of these Lingshen Pills was so good that it was hard to come by, making the extra cost worthwhile.


    Lin Tianming received the spirit stones and handed over two bottles of Lingshen Pills to Qin Yun, who then left to continue browsing other stalls.


    Finally making his first sale, Lin Tianming relaxed a bit. It would have been quite embarrassing if he had not sold anything. He was confident that with his high-quality elixirs, selling out shouldn¡¯t be hard.


    Within an hour after Qin Yun¡¯s departure, Lin Tianming sold only a few First Order Spirit Grass, making a total of sixteen spirit stones. During this time, several cultivators with lower levels of cultivation had asked for prices but did not buy anything. Judging by the look of frustration and longing on their faces as they left, it was likely they didn¡¯t have enough spirit stones and had no choice but to give up.


    Wave after wave of Qi Refining Cultivators came to inquire about the prices but left disappointed. Almost all of them were persons of scant means, many from clans or low-ranking members of sects.


    On the other hand, the Loose Cultivators were not so destitute. Although they lacked support, they also had no commitments to hold them back, living on the edge and tasting danger. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. Those Loose Cultivators who survived were all people of considerable wealth.


    Although Lin Tianming was from a clan, he was willing to face danger. Just by defending Qingfeng Town, he had become quite rich, and his cultivation had also progressed rapidly.


    In contrast, those clan members and sect disciples with lesser talents, accustomed to a peaceful life and afraid to take risks, relied on benefits to get by, taking on only safe family tasks to earn spirit stones. Such a life, over the long term, could only lead to further moral decline.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming continued to wait for customers.


    As noon arrived, the number of cultivators in the market reached its peak, with nearly every stall having at least one cultivator selecting suitable items.


    At Lin Tianming¡¯s stall, a muscular man with a bare upper body was perusing the items.


    This man was tall and burly, towering over Lin Tianming by quite a bit. His bulging muscles were obvious, and he made no effort to conceal his aura. Astonishingly, he was a cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining, and a Body Cultivator at that. His chest, hands, and arms bore more than a dozen scars. Although healed, faint traces still remained.


    Many cultivators who were strolling around were attracted by this man. One of them, a cultivator in yellow robes, said in surprise,


    ¡¯That¡¯s Tie Feng. He¡¯s a ruthless guy.¡¯


    Another cultivator, at the third level of Qi Cultivation, curiously asked, ¡¯Who is Tie Feng?¡¯


    A number of people who had not heard of this man gathered around to listen as the cultivator in yellow robes spoke at length, his words tinged with a hint of wariness.


    ¡¯Tie Feng is a ruthless man, a lone cultivator. When he was at the fifth level of Qi Practice, he would often search for medicine in the Fire Cloud Mountain Range. No one knows how many Demonic Beasts at the middle stage of the First Order he has killed. It¡¯s said that he has even exchanged blows with Demonic Beasts at the late stage of the First Order and came back unscathed. Tell me, isn¡¯t that ruthless?¡¯


    The onlookers, many cultivators among them, took a deep breath in awe and couldn¡¯t help but reveal expressions of admiration and respect. They thought to themselves that they should be sensible if they ever encountered this man and try not to offend him.


    The Fire Cloud Mountain Range was located more than eight hundred miles west of Qianchuan Market. It marked the boundary between the Demonic Lands and the territory of the Human Race. It belonged to the outer regions, housing numerous First Order Demonic Beasts and some Spiritual Objects. It was a place of experience for many low-level cultivators.


    Tie Feng, hearing the conversations of the crowd, paid no attention. He carefully assessed the two massive hammers, which were Spiritual Artifacts, in his hands. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Swinging the hammers that weighed over a thousand pounds¡ªsmashing, chopping, quickly moving them back and forth more than a dozen times, stirring up a breeze with each motion¡ªhe felt very satisfied.


    As his cultivation increased, his previous weapon, a big stick that was a low-quality Spiritual Artifact, with mediocre power, could no longer fully leverage his strength. Just so happened, he had luckily found a dozen or so High-Quality First Order Spirit Grasses in the Fire Cloud Mountain Range, sold them for more than a hundred Spirit Stones, and with the Spirit Stones he previously had, it was just enough to buy a good Spiritual Artifact to enhance his strength.


    ¡¯Fellow Daoist, what are the names of these two hammer-type Spiritual Artifacts? How much are they selling for?¡¯


    Lin Tianming explained with an almost smiling demeanor,


    ¡¯These two hammer-type Spiritual Artifacts are called the Sky Shaker Hammers. They are both at the Medium Grade of the First Order. Each hammer weighs a thousand pounds and is part of a set, extremely suitable for a Body Cultivator like Brother Tie, capable of unleashing the greatest power. I will sell the pair together. Seeing Brother Tie¡¯s extraordinary strength, I will give you the lowest price¡ªjust one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones.¡¯


    Tie Feng felt that the two Sky Shaker Hammers were indeed very suitable for him, capable of greatly enhancing his strength, and the price was fairly reasonable. Such Spiritual Artifacts would probably cost two hundred Spirit Stones in the shops of the West District.


    He set down the Sky Shaker Hammers and picked up a bottle of Lingshen Pills to inspect. Pleased with the elixirs, he decided to buy a bottle to aid his cultivation.


    Having decided on his purchases, he asked Lin Tianming to give him a better deal.


    Lin Tianming was straightforward; he sold the two Sky Shaker Hammers and a bottle of Lingshen Pills for two hundred Spirit Stones, giving Tie Feng a five Spirit Stone discount. Tie Feng was very grateful and inquired about the next time Lin Tianming would set up his stall, deciding to become a long-term customer.


    Lin Tianming bowed with an apologetic expression and said,


    ¡¯Brother Tie, I must apologize. My name is Chen Tian, also a rogue cultivator who has no fixed abode and considers the four seas my home. However, I do come to Qianchuan Market quite often, so we could exchange contact methods. If fate allows, we shall meet again.¡¯


    Not insisting further, Tie Feng exchanged contact information with him and, after bowing, took his leave. Before departing, he did not forget to promote Lin Tianming¡¯s stall, and many cultivators, hearing of the quality of Lin Tianming¡¯s elixirs, rushed to purchase. In less than half a day, all of the elixirs and Spiritual Medicine had sold out, with even Xin Qing from the neighboring stall buying a bottle of Lingshen Pills.


    Lin Tianming packed up his stall and left the Southern District, heading towards his cave dwelling.

 Chapter 50 - 50 - 49 Auction_1

    Chapter 50 ¨C 49 Auction_1


    In the secret chamber of the cave abode, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the cushion, extending his Divine Sense to take inventory of the items in his storage bag.


    Today¡¯s stall brought in a decent haul; eleven Lingshen Pills sold for two hundred and eighty-six Spirit Stones, two Sky Shaker Hammers went for one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones, and various other low-level Spirit Grasses sold for fifty-four Spirit Stones. Only seven or eight common Spiritual Medicines remained unsold. The day¡¯s sales totaled five hundred and twenty Spirit Stones.


    After calculating the income from the stall, and adding the thousand Spirit Stones Lin Shigong funded for the making of the Earth Evil Sword, which Lin Shilu didn¡¯t charge for his work, Lin Tianming hadn¡¯t had the chance to repay Lin Shigong, so they were unused, sitting in his bag. Including his own Spirit Stones, he now had over seventeen hundred Spirit Stones in his storage bag¡ªa substantial amount of money. Lin Tianming, the very image of a rich country gentleman, chuckled as he put the Spirit Stones back into the bag.


    While at the stall, he heard from Xin Qing that there would be several Qi Refinement Realm auctions in three days, where many rare items would be available. Lin Tianming¡¯s interest was immediately piqued. With plenty of Spirit Stones and no shortage of elixirs, he planned to see what treasures were there; he might find some good things to buy.


    With three days until the auction began and nothing else to do, Lin Tianming thought about the Superior Spirit Essence Pill he had yet to test. He took out a pill and began his cultivation practice.


    As soon as the Lingshen Pill entered his mouth, Lin Tianming quickly activated his Cultivation Technique to refine the vast medicinal power spreading rapidly throughout his body, eventually flowing into the Seven Sea Dantian.


    For half a year, having not used any elixirs for cultivation, his cultivation had stagnated. The rush of Spiritual Power into the Seven Sea Dantian was like sweet rain after a long drought, instantly refreshing Lin Tianming.


    ...


    As time passed, within less than fifteen minutes of cultivation, intense pain had almost numbed him. He took a Body Strengthening Pill. In a few breaths, the prickling sensation throughout his body lessened considerably, and slowly returned to normal.


    Without the Body Strengthening Pill to aid in cultivation, the pain from this technique was unbearable for ordinary people. Just the consumption of various elixirs needed for auxiliary cultivation was something average Cultivators couldn¡¯t afford, no wonder such Cultivation Techniques had been lost to history.


    The power of the Lingshen Pill slowly entered the Dantian. The Seven Sea Dantian, starved for Spiritual Energy for so long, voraciously absorbed it. The Qi Sea, which hadn¡¯t grown in six months, also slowly started to expand. Though still some distance from reaching the Eighth Level of Qi Cultivation, it wasn¡¯t too far off.


    Assisted by the Body Strengthening Pill, Lin Tianming could now cultivate without worries. Thanks to the elixirs, his Spiritual Power increased rapidly.


    After cultivating for two whole days, he completely refined one Lingshen Pill. The potent medicinal power surprised Lin Tianming. Produced with the help of the Eye of Five Colors, the Lingshen Pill¡¯s potency was a full twenty percent higher than any elixir he had used before, truly a superior quality elixir.


    The effect of the Body Strengthening Pill was also excellent, not only alleviating the pain of cultivation but also swiftly enhancing his physique. His strength incrementally increased. Given time, he would be able to match a Spiritual Artifact¡¯s power with his body alone, securing an invincible position.


    After the three days were up, Lin Tianming emerged from his retreat, his aura stable and robust. He walked out of his cave dwelling, heading towards the tallest and grandest building in the Eastern District of the Market City.


    Many Cultivators were already on the road, heading towards the auction site, all intending to participate in the auction.


    In fifteen minutes, Lin Tianming arrived in front of a massive hall which stood five stories tall and covered thousands of square meters, exuding grandeur. This hall was the largest auction building in the Market City.


    It was said that the first floor was for Qi Training Cultivators¡¯ auctions, the second floor for Foundation Establishment Cultivator auctions, and the third floor was where Nascent Soul Masters freely traded. With each higher level, space decreased. As for the fourth and fifth floors, no one knew exactly what transpired there.


    ¡°`


    The Market City auction held several sessions each month, with only a small portion of the seats open and the Spiritual Objects on offer relatively mediocre. It was only during the grand assembly that all seats were open, and sometimes the treasures that appeared could even make a Foundation Establishment Cultivator envious.


    At this moment, a queue of several dozen meters had formed in front of the grand hall, all cultivators preparing to enter the auction. Almost all of them were at the Fifth Level Qi Practice or above, including two openly at the Foundation Establishment Stage. There were undoubtedly many more in disguise, most likely aiming for the Foundation Establishment Pills.


    Lin Tianming followed the queue closely, slowly moving forward.


    As he approached the entrance, a Qi Training Cultivator donned in Zhenyang Sect attire was collecting Spirit Stones.


    For the Qi Refinement Realm auction, the common area charged each cultivator three Spirit Stones, while the high-end private rooms cost twenty Spirit Stones each and could admit up to four people.


    Lin Tianming decided to get a private room. Although it was much more expensive in Spirit Stones, he could afford it now given his considerable wealth. Plus, the private rooms came with protective enchantments that made it difficult to leak one¡¯s whereabouts. His family¡¯s affairs were too critical, and it was better to err on the side of caution.


    When it was Lin Tianming¡¯s turn, he took out twenty Spirit Stones and handed them to the Zhenyang Sect cultivator. Upon receiving a token marked with a number, he stepped into the inner hall, where a charming female cultivator came forward to lead Lin Tianming to the private room corresponding to the number on his token.


    The charming female cultivator had a lovely face and was dressed in green. Her figure was exceptionally voluptuous. Judging by her bone age, she was just over twenty years old and at the Third Level Qi Practice.


    In the Cultivation World, the path of cultivation was even more challenging for female Loose Cultivators. Without talent or backing, they could only earn meager incomes doing lowly chores or serve as maids or Furnace Cauldrons for the powerful, which was far from easy. Some sought suitable dao companions to cooperate with, making survival somewhat easier.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming had not hesitated to choose a private room, the female cultivator knew he was not an ordinary Qi Training Cultivator and must be quite wealthy. If she provided good service, perhaps she could receive some gratuity.


    The guide swayed her hips as she led the way, nearly eliciting a reaction from Lin Tianming, who was still a virgin.


    Lin Tianming took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and followed the female cultivator.


    Arriving at a private room, Lin Tianming took out his token, which was engraved with the number forty-six. He verified that the room matched the number on the token, deactivated the protective barrier, and walked in. The female cultivator followed him inside, brewed a cup of Spiritual Tea for Lin Tianming, and then stood to the side. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As time passed, the number of cultivators entering the auction gradually decreased. In the center of the entire ground floor was a high platform, surrounded by five concentric circles with hundreds of seats, each row fully occupied.


    Above the common area, dozens of private rooms encircled the platform, each covering ten square meters and protected by barriers against Divine Sense. The view was excellent, and Lin Tianming felt the twenty Spirit Stones were well spent.


    Lin Tianming sipped the Spiritual Tea and patiently waited for the auction to begin.


    Half an hour later, the stone doors at the first-floor entrance closed, and the somewhat noisy auction hall quickly became quiet.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 51 - 51 - 50 Second Order Golden Sword Talisman_1

    Chapter 51 ¨C 50 Second Order Golden Sword Talisman_1


    At the auction, an elder of advanced age slowly made his way onto the stage. This person had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, his white hair suggesting he was probably a few years older than Lin Shigong.


    Upon seeing the elder, someone from the crowd said, ¡°Unexpectedly, it¡¯s Ruan Dao-you hosting. Surely the treasures this time are nothing ordinary!¡±


    Many cultivators who had never heard of the man began inquiring amongst their neighbors who were familiar with him.


    ¡°Ruan Dao-you is a gold-medal auctioneer, having been in the auctioneering business for almost fifty years. He has conducted hundreds of auctions, handling countless treasures, and hasn¡¯t participated in an auction for nearly a decade. The items he handles are certainly no common goods!¡±


    After hearing the cultivator¡¯s explanation, the auction hall was abuzz, but it quickly settled down again, indicating that this person¡¯s reputation was indeed not small.


    ¡°I, Ruan Jingtian, bid welcome to all fellow cultivators attending this auction. I won¡¯t belabor the rules: the highest bidder wins. If your spirit stones are insufficient, other treasures can be mortgaged. Enough talk, let¡¯s proceed without further ado. I announce, the auction begins.¡±


    As soon as Ruan Jingtian finished speaking, a beautiful woman dressed in red, with captivating charm and a provocatively twisting waist, walked swiftly up to the stage. She held a tray in her hands, covered in red cloth, hiding the treasure beneath.


    ...


    The eyes of many cultivators in the auction lit up with desire, nearly devouring the woman with their gazes, though it was unclear whether it was for the treasure or the woman herself.


    Ruan Jingtian paid no attention to the atmosphere below, raised his voice infused with a trace of mana, and started the bidding:


    ¡°The first auction item, a complete set of First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Artifacts, the Five-Child Mysterious Water Beads.¡±


    The captivating woman unveiled the red cloth to reveal five beads the size of an infant¡¯s fist, their grayish-green bodies quite pleasing to the eye.


    ¡°The Five-Child Mysterious Water Beads, each one a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact. When activated together, they can instantly unleash a hundred-zhang wave to trap foes, or release numerous ice arrows, possessing formidable power. They are not only good for trapping enemies but also for killing them. Truly a powerful set of Spiritual Artifacts. The starting bid is three hundred and fifty spirit stones, and each subsequent bid must increase by at least five spirit stones.¡±


    Hearing the introduction, Lin Tianming found himself quite fond of this Spiritual Artifact but, already owning the superior Earth Evil Sword and a complete set of Supreme Grade Spiritual Artifacts, he didn¡¯t care to waste spirit stones, thus the Qi Refining Cultivators below were impatient.


    Instantly the auction became fiercely competitive, with multiple cultivators beginning to bid.


    A cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement shouted, ¡°I bid three hundred and sixty spirit stones.¡±


    Before the echo died down, another cultivator called out mockingly.


    ¡°Three hundred and sixty stones for such an item, what a joke. I bid three hundred and seventy spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°I bid three hundred and eighty spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°Four hundred spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°Four hundred and eighty spirit stones.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    After over ten rounds of bidding, the Five-Child Mysterious Water Beads were sold for four hundred and eighty spirit stones to a White Robed Cultivator who appeared to cultivate water-based techniques, and thus could exploit the full potential of these beads.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but comment that the price of the Five-Child Mysterious Water Beads was somewhat inflated, even though they were indeed a fine set. A single bead was nearly as valuable as the two Earthly Hammer Weapons he had sold, yet the price was more than ten percent higher than the usual market rate.


    The preciousness of the first item quickly inflamed the atmosphere, leaving everyone increasingly expectant for the upcoming treasures.


    ¡°A First Order Medium Grade defensive Spiritual Artifact, Vajra Armor, crafted from the hide of the First Order Superior Grade Demonic Beast Silver-Horned Lizard, it boasts extreme defensive power. The starting bid is eighty spirit stones, with each increase no less than five spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°Ninety stones!¡±


    ¡°One hundred stones!¡±


    ¡°One hundred and ten stones!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°One hundred and thirty-five stones!¡±


    Ultimately, it was acquired by a cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement.


    Ruan Jingtian successively brought out a series of auction items, elixirs, talisman paper, spiritual artifacts, mostly needed by Qi Refining Stage Cultivators, and the transaction prices kept rising, making the atmosphere of the auction get increasingly intense.


    Lin Tianming did not participate in the bidding process at all, as he was not lacking in elixirs or spiritual artifacts. These treasures, if presented half a year earlier, might have excited him, but now, it was hard for them to pique his interest.


    ¡°We will now proceed with the final ten showstopper treasures of the auction, my fellow Daoists, you may want to keep your eyes peeled!¡±


    Ruan Jingtian¡¯s words pushed the atmosphere of the entire auction to a climax; many cultivators who hadn¡¯t bid before were now fully alert, having waited for such a long time specifically for these showstopper items.


    ¡°The first item up for auction is a First Order Superior Grade elixir, the Xisui Pill, with a quantity of three, auctioning one at a time, with a starting bid of one hundred spirit stones, and each bid must be no less than five spirit stones!¡±


    The charming woman stepped onto the platform again, pouring an elixir from the jade bottle, pinching it between her delicate fingers, and displaying it for the many cultivators to see.


    Instantly, a bid was called out from a private room!


    ¡°One hundred and ten spirit stones!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°One hundred and forty spirit stones!¡±


    The entire venue was astounded. After a fierce competition, a cultivator in a private room won the bid with one hundred and forty spirit stones.


    The first Xisui Pill was sold at a high price, and the other two were not cheap either, being sold for one hundred and thirty and one hundred and thirty-five spirit stones respectively. Only one was bought by a cultivator in the open area of the auction, while the other two were acquired by cultivators in private rooms.


    Lin Tianming was also very surprised; he had not expected the Xisui Pill to be so sought after, prompting such frenzy among the cultivators. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much the Xisui Pills he had refined were worth in spirit stones!


    The auction continued, and the value of the showstopper treasures became increasingly higher. During the third item, a bottle of Pozhang Pills was sold, with each of the three elixirs fetching a high price of no less than one hundred and eighty spirit stones.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but sigh; these cultivators were truly crazy!


    ¡°The fourth item for auction, a Second Order inferior grade Golden Sword Talisman, upon activation, can unleash a Golden Sword Qi, powerful enough to be comparable to the full-force blow of an Initial Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator!¡±


    ¡°Starting bid of two hundred and twenty spirit stones, with each bid increase being no less than ten spirit stones.¡±


    After Ruan Jingtian¡¯s introduction came to an end, a cultivator in a private room immediately started bidding.


    ¡°Two hundred and thirty spirit stones!¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Two hundred and forty spirit stones!¡±


    After six rounds of bidding, the price for this talisman quickly climbed to two hundred and ninety spirit stones.


    At this point, Lin Tianming also wanted to win this talisman. He had quite a few First Order Superior Grade talisman paper, and with the help of spiritual artifacts and talisman paper, facing a Ninth Layer of Qi Refining was not a big problem, but it was quite difficult to inflict fatal damage on a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage. If he had a Second Order Talisman, he could completely turn the tide, and even possess a sliver of counterattacking power against a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    ¡°Three hundred and twenty spirit stones!¡±


    Lin Tianming raised the price by thirty spirit stones in one breath, hoping to discourage the other bidders.


    At that moment, someone in a private room spoke:


    ¡°Three hundred and forty spirit stones, if any fellow Daoist bids higher, I will withdraw!¡±


    Then, the auction became silent, with no further bids.


    ¡°Three hundred and fifty spirit stones!¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Lin Tianming shouted out a new bid!


    Eventually, after the countdown, no one outbid Lin Tianming, and he successfully won the item.


    Lin Tianming took out the spirit stones and threw them towards the platform from the private room, where Ruan Jingtian caught them in one swoop. After verifying the amount was correct, he threw the Golden Sword Talisman to Lin Tianming.

 Chapter 52 - 52 - 51: Another Auction_1

    Chapter 52 ¨C 51: Another Auction_1


    In the private room, Lin Tianming picked up the Golden Sword Talisman, inspecting it over and over, feeling the furious spiritual power within the talisman paper, and looking completely infatuated with it.


    With this talisman paper in hand, even if he encountered a Great Completion Cultivator who was completely unguarded, he might be able to inflict fatal damage.


    Thinking of this, spending 350 spirit stones seemed entirely worth it. He didn¡¯t feel the slightest sting of regret, and suddenly became very generous.


    The maid attending him had a rosy complexion and looked on with envy, occasionally throwing sultry glances at Lin Tianming. She had witnessed his lavish spending; such a wealthy client must have an extraordinary fortune!


    After storing the Golden Sword Talisman in his storage bag, Lin Tianming breathed a sigh of relief and continued to pay attention to the progression of the auction.


    ¡°The sixth treasure, a Second Order inferior Alchemy Furnace¡ªthe Cloud Dust Furnace!¡±


    A blue pill furnace stood on the stage covered with densely packed inscriptions, delicately intricate. Spiritual energy swirled around its surface, making it very attractive to look at. Its quality was not inferior to the Four Symbols Furnace that Lin Tianming used.


    ...


    Upon seeing this item, the atmosphere in the auction hall heated up.


    Ruan Jingtian silenced the crowd and began the introduction.


    ¡°The Cloud Dust Furnace, a Second Order inferior Alchemy Furnace, starting at 900 spirit stones, each bid must be at least 10 spirit stones higher than the previous!¡±


    No sooner had his voice faded than a cultivator in a private room bid.


    ¡°950 spirit stones!¡±


    ¡°1000 spirit stones!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°1300 spirit stones!¡±


    The entire place buzzed with shock. Some cultivators who weren¡¯t serious about bidding inhaled sharply; raising the bid by 300 spirit stones in one go was likely an attempt to intimidate those with covetous eyes, showing a determination to win.


    Sure enough, after the dramatic price increase, many cultivators who had intended to bid gave up. A normal Second Order inferior pill furnace was worth just over 1000 spirit stones, so the current price was already somewhat inflated.


    In the end, only three cultivators in private rooms continued to bid, and after two rounds of competition, the Cloud Dust Furnace was won for 1400 spirit stones.


    The auction wasn¡¯t even halfway through its final items, and there had already been Second Order talisman paper and a Second Order Alchemy Furnace on offer.


    This auction had indeed brought forth many valuable items, and each treasure presented was a rare find for a Qi Refining Stage Cultivator. Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but wonder what the remaining five items would be.


    ¡°The seventh treasure, a set of Second Order inferior Array Plates, capable of setting up a Two Yi Four Symbols Formation, which can trap and kill enemies. Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator trapped inside would not die but would be certainly flayed, starting at 1300 spirit stones, with each bid increasing by at least 20 spirit stones.¡±


    As soon as Ruan Jingtian finished introducing it, someone placed a bid.


    ¡°1400 spirit stones!¡±


    ¡°1550 spirit stones!¡±


    ¡­


    After more than a dozen rounds of bidding, almost all came from cultivators in private rooms, likely family clan members given their frenzied bidding.


    A Second Order inferior formation was more than enough to serve as a Protective Clan Formation for a family of Qi Refining Cultivators. Even many families with Foundation Establishment Cultivators used Second Order medium-quality formations.


    The Lin Family¡¯s Protective Clan Formation was only a Second Order superior formation, acquired at great cost by an ancestor. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thanks to this formation, they had repelled attacks several times, preserving the clan from annihilation.


    Therefore, every time formations appeared at an auction, they would incite intense bidding from numerous families, pushing the final price to astonishing heights.


    ¡°1900 spirit stones!¡±


    A brief silence fell over the hall, and no further bids were placed. Finally, a cultivator in one of the private rooms won the bid.


    Lin Tianming had spent over three hundred spirit stones on a Second Order talisman, which could only be used once, while a formation could be used over a long period, even though maintaining the formation¡¯s operation required quite a few spirit stones. Spending nearly two thousand spirit stones on the Array Plates was indeed worth it!


    The auction continued, and seven items had already been auctioned off. The appearance of several Second Order Treasures had already been an eye-opener, and with three more treasured items remaining, they were sure to be even more precious.


    ¡°The eighth auction item, the Great Sun Sword Qi Art, is a secret technique. Only half of it is available, it¡¯s not the complete secret technique, and its utility is still unknown. It is a consigned item by a fellow cultivator. The starting price is one thousand two hundred Spirit Stones, and each bid must increase by no less than twenty Spirit Stones.¡±


    At this moment, the entire hall fell silent; everyone was calculating whether to bid or not, and Lin Tianming was also caught in thought.


    If this were a complete secret technique, even the lowest Yellow Grade Secret Technique could easily auction off for tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, but it was unclear whether it could be cultivated.


    Lin Tianming calculated that one thousand two hundred Spirit Stones was already quite a lot. If he bought it and couldn¡¯t cultivate it or find the other half of the secret technique, it would be like throwing money into the water.


    After a good ten breaths of time with no one bidding, Lin Tianming considered and decided to bid. If he could cultivate it or find the other half, he could make a fortune.


    ¡°One thousand two hundred and twenty Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°One thousand two hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!¡±


    Right after Lin Tianming spoke, another cultivator increased the bid, presumably sharing the same thought as him, looking to see if they could pick up a bargain. The risk was substantial, but so was the potential reward, and there were quite a few clever people indeed!


    ¡°One thousand three hundred and fifty Spirit Stones¡±


    Lin Tianming raised the bid by a hundred Spirit Stones in one breath. If that person bid again, he planned to give up, as he had less than one thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones left.


    As expected, the other party did not seem very keen on auctioning for this item and stopped raising the bid.


    Eventually, Lin Tianming got his wish and acquired the incomplete secret technique for one thousand three hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.


    He paid the Spirit Stones on the spot, obtained the secret technique, and put it into his storage bag, planning to consult it once he returned to his cave dwelling.


    The auction continued. Surprisingly, the eighth treasure was a Water Attribute Yellow Grade Technique, which fetched fierce bidding and eventually sold for twenty-three thousand Spirit Stones, causing Lin Tianming to be taken aback and quietly marvel at the insanity.


    The ninth treasure was three Jiuyang Fruits. Consuming one Jiuyang Fruit could increase the probability of breaking through by twenty percent, making it one of the few Spiritual Objects that directly enhance the chance of Foundation Establishment and was extremely precious.


    The final price was also quite terrifying, with each fruit fetching no less than thirteen thousand Spirit Stones.


    The ten ultimate treasures were down to the last one, and it was estimated that the hearts of the cultivators present already had an idea, with the vast majority of the cultivators in the private rooms there for this item.


    ¡°The tenth treasure, three Foundation Establishment Pills, to be auctioned separately, starting at twenty thousand per pill, with each increase not to be less than fifty Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Twenty thousand one hundred Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Twenty-seven thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones!¡±


    Within just over ten rounds, the price had already approached twenty-eight thousand Spirit Stones.


    Lin Tianming, sitting in the private room, watched the excitement, with probably over ninety percent of the people in the auction hall looking on eagerly for excitement.


    ¡°Twenty-nine thousand Spirit Stones!¡±


    Finally, no one else made a bid. The person who had made the bid heaved a great sigh of relief and couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly elated.


    When Ruan Jingtian announced the result, the bidding cultivator wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Having spent all his resources, he finally obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill.


    The first Foundation Establishment Pill ended up selling for a high price of twenty-nine thousand Spirit Stones.


    The subsequent two also sold for over twenty-eight thousand Spirit Stones each, with the average price of the three Foundation Establishment Pills being nearly twenty percent higher than the auction price at the grand gathering ten years ago.


    All treasures were successfully auctioned off, with not a single item passed up, and with prices almost one to two percent higher than ten years prior. Thinking of the commission he could draw, Ruan Jingtian couldn¡¯t help but reveal a pleased expression.


    ¡°Thank you, fellow Daoists, for your patronage. We will continue at our next auction!¡±


    With the auction ended, the cultivators in the main hall rose to their feet and slowly walked outside.


    Lin Tianming took out three Spirit Stones and rewarded the maid waiting by his side, then left the private room without looking back.

 Chapter 53 - 53 - 52 Great Sun Sword Qi Art_1

    Chapter 53 ¨C 52 Great Sun Sword Qi Art_1


    Returning to his cave abode, Lin Tianming sat on the cushion in the secret chamber, holding a golden jade cylinder in his hand¡ªit was the secret technique for which he had paid over a thousand spirit stones.


    After carefully reviewing the secret technique, Lin Tianming fell into a contemplative state.


    According to the method recorded in the secret technique, one had to draw a small portion of spiritual power from the Dantian and cultivate it into a strand of sword qi, nurturing it within the Seven Sea Dantian. The longer it was nurtured, the more powerful the sword qi would be when unleashed; it was indeed a secret technique.


    Unfortunately, this secret technique was only a fragment, merely half-complete, and its grade was unclear. It only recorded the condensation method of the Great Sun Sword Qi and lacked the mental cultivation technique for deploying the secret technique. Without finding the latter half, it was fundamentally unusable, making it somewhat of a white elephant.


    No wonder so few cultivators at the auction were willing to bid. If it were a complete secret technique, it certainly would not be put up for auction.


    Lin Tianming pondered over the condensation method of the secret technique several times and decided to first condense the sword embryo before anything else. He could nurture it within the Dantian; if he could find the latter half in the future, he would have to obtain it no matter what. This could potentially be the first secret technique the Lin Family had acquired since its founding, greatly enhancing the strength and foundation of the family¡¯s cultivators.


    After fully comprehending the method of condensation, Lin Tianming began to cultivate the secret technique; his first step was to successfully condense the sword qi.


    ...


    Following the method recorded in the secret technique, he had to strip a portion of the spiritual power formed in the Dantian. This process was both dangerous and painful. If one did not handle the timing and amount correctly, it was easy to damage one¡¯s foundation, making it extremely difficult to cultivate.


    Lin Tianming circulated his cultivation technique, deployed his Divine Sense, and with the aid of the Eye of Five Colors, attempted to separate a portion of spiritual power¡ªabout ten percent of the total.


    After three days of cultivation, he still hadn¡¯t succeeded in separating it. Each attempt brought immense suffering, even more so than when he cultivated the Tiangang Body Art.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s face was pale, and he was drenched in sweat, the very picture of excessive energy depletion.


    Just as he began to entertain the thought of giving up, he successfully separated a small portion of spiritual power, which gathered near the Dantian and remained stationary. Lin Tianming was overjoyed at this and focused his Divine Sense, mastering the amount of spiritual power until it met the requirements of the cultivation process, and then stopped extracting.


    With the help of the Eye of Five Colors, he successfully extracted the spiritual power very precisely, exactly ten percent of the total. The first and most difficult step was finally completed; what remained was to cultivate the spiritual power into a strand of sword qi and nurture it in the Dantian, warming it daily with spiritual power until his task was accomplished.


    Two days hastened past, and during this time, Lin Tianming¡¯s complexion remained pale, a listless figure as though he had suffered a severe illness¡ªall a consequence of cultivating the secret technique.


    Separating ten percent of his spiritual power had turned half a year¡¯s worth of diligent cultivation to ashes, his strength now diminished rather than increased.


    Lin Tianming started circulating his cultivation technique again to go into closed-door healing and recover from his injuries.


    After a total of eight days in seclusion, having successfully condensed the sword qi three days earlier, there now rested a small golden sword quietly in his Dantian, surrounded by spiritual power that constantly nourished the sword qi. During the last three days, Lin Tianming had been cultivating and recovering from his injuries, eventually regaining most of his strength.


    A message suddenly flew into the secret chamber, and after reading it, Lin Tianming revealed a trace of a smile¡ªit was news that Fifteenth Grandfather had hurried back.


    With a smile on his face, Lin Tianming prepared to go out and welcome him.


    It had been over forty days since Lin Shilu had left Qianchuan Market on his own. Having only rested at the family for two days, and not yet fully recovered, he had set out again, worried about Lin Tianming.


    Hurrying back over this forty-day journey, Lin Shilu also looked greatly fatigued, but he had finally made it back in time.


    Having lifted the prohibitions, Lin Shilu walked in, and Lin Tianming was already waiting in the yard.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, you¡¯re back. Was everything smooth on your way?¡±


    Lin Tianming asked anxiously.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s complexion, Lin Shilu asked in anger, ¡°Tianming, why do you look like this? Are you injured?¡±


    Lin Tianming recounted the whole story about the auction of the secret technique, including how he successfully refined the Sword Qi, telling it like it was.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shilu chastised him with palpable alarm:


    ¡°You lad have quite the nerve, taking up a cultivation technique of dubious authenticity for direct cultivation; if there were any problems, it¡¯s entirely possible you could have exploded and died on the spot.¡±


    ¡°Alright, remember not to be reckless in the future. Keep matters regarding the secret technique quiet for now; we will look for it in secret. Should we find it, it would naturally be a fortunate discovery for the Lin Family. If we don¡¯t, let¡¯s just consider the money spent as a lesson.¡±


    The grandfather and grandson sat in the yard as Lin Shilu recounted his experiences of the past forty-plus days.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been on the move for over forty days, basically following the same route I took to the market, though I took some detours. The journey was relatively smooth, and having the Purple Gold Eagle for transportation certainly sped things up considerably; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible to return so quickly.¡±


    ¡°After I delivered the three elixirs to our clan, the members of the Lin Family with the character ¡¯Shi¡¯ in their generation¡¯s name discussed and have already decided on the distribution of the elixirs. Your grandfather, Elder Wu, and Twelfth Grandpa are all at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage and are among the most suitable candidates. Given their significant contributions to the family over the years, they naturally received priority, requiring eight thousand merit points in exchange for one pill. With their accumulations over so many years, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. If nothing unexpected has occurred, they should be in seclusion by now!¡±


    After listening, Lin Tianming asked with concern: Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, can they be successful?¡±


    ¡°Tianming, cultivation is fundamentally an act of defying the heavens and changing fate. Nobody can be absolutely certain of success. They are not young; the youngest, your Twelfth Uncle, is already over eighty years old. With the Minor Foundation Building Pill, he should have a thirty percent chance of success. Your grandfather and Elder Wu will have a slightly lower chance, but there should be a bit over twenty percent chance for them as well. This is far stronger than those who try to break through without any external aid. Even if they don¡¯t successfully enter the Foundation Establishment Stage, they won¡¯t be in any danger. Without a heaven-defying opportunity, this is as far as they can go in this life. It¡¯s an unavoidable circumstance.¡±


    ¡°Worrying now is useless; we can only hope they are successful!¡±


    After some thought, Lin Tianming realized that indeed no one could be of help in the matter of making a breakthrough, they could only pray for their success.


    Setting this topic aside for the moment, the two discussed Ye Pinghai¡¯s alchemy matters.


    Since Lin Shilu left the Qianchuan Market, Lin Tianming spent close to half a month cultivating and attending auctions, spending his other time diligently practicing alchemy in Ye Pinghai¡¯s cave dwelling.


    Ye Pinghai had just started refining Minor Foundation Building Pills, with a success rate of about thirty percent. With multiple refining sessions, this rate should improve; how much it would improve would only become clear once all the materials were processed.


    After half an hour of conversation, the grandfather and grandson continued their cultivation in Qianchuan Market, settling on their next steps. Lin Shilu then instructed Lin Tianming not to slack off before they each returned to their secret chambers for secluded cultivation, planning to wait until Ye Pinghai¡¯s alchemy was complete before returning to the clan.

 Chapter 54 - 54 - 53 Double Happiness Arrives_1

    Chapter 54 ¨C 53 Double Happiness Arrives_1


    Lin Tianming and his companion each returned to their secret chamber, estimating that it would take Ye Pinghai several months to refine the Minor Foundation Building Pill, they decided to have a short period of closed-door meditation.


    In the secret chamber, while Lin Tianming was healing his injuries, he also began to cultivate, the spiritual power extracted by condensing sword qi was significant, and it would require several months of diligent cultivation to replenish.


    He took out a Lingshen Pill and consumed it together with a Body Strengthening Pill, feeling the powerful medicinal strength, and the spiritual power lost in condensing sword qi gradually recovered.


    At the top of the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, within a courtyard, Lin Shigong sat motionless on a meditation cushion.


    In his hand was a Jade Tube, which recorded the breakthrough processes and experiences of more than a dozen ancestors of the Lin Family. Lin Shigong pondered carefully, not daring to miss a single detail.


    Not far from the courtyard, two other people were also in closed-door meditation, pondering over the Jade Tube; they were Lin Shiji and Lin Shihua.


    Since Lin Shilu returned to Green Bamboo Mountain and the selection for the Foundation Establishment Pill was confirmed, Lin Shigong immediately exchanged most of the precious Spiritual Medicine he had collected, and the elixirs he had refined over the years, all for merit points.


    ...


    Nearly spending half of his wealth, coupled with the merit points borrowed from Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu, they finally gathered eight thousand points and successfully exchanged for a Minor Foundation Building Pill.


    Lin Shiji and Lin Shihua were the same, though both at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage and one as the Enforcement Hall Master and the other as the current Clan Leader, their wealth accumulation still fell short of Lin Shigong¡¯s, considering Lin Shigong was the Lin Family member with the highest level in alchemy, and his wealth was naturally more substantial.


    However, as the Enforcement Hall Master and Clan Leader of the Lin Family, their wealth was not something ordinary family members could compare with; they exchanged all their accumulated resources into merit points, and after borrowing some, they also reached eight thousand points and successfully exchanged for a Minor Foundation Building Pill.


    Right on the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, taking advantage of the thick spiritual energy at the peak, each person chose a courtyard for secluded meditation, fully committed to impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    After three days passed, Lin Shigong had memorized the contents of the Jade Tube, adjusted himself to the optimal state and took out a Minor Foundation Building Pill without any hesitation, and swallowed it.


    In just a breath¡¯s time, his originally slightly pale cheeks instantly turned bright red. An immense amount of spiritual power almost burst his Seven Sea Dantian, causing him excruciating pain.


    Lin Shigong concentrated his mind and, according to his ancestors¡¯ experiences, knew that it was time to refine the spiritual power fully, further condensing the spiritual power within the entire Qi Sea into a purer form.


    Lin Shigong guided the vast spiritual energy, refining it bit by bit. Half a day passed, and he had only refined a fraction; the efficiency was exceptionally low. To complete the condensation, it would probably take a month or so.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do. I must speed up. The substantial medicinal power of the Minor Foundation Building Pill can only last for one month, and if the condensation is not completed within this timeframe, the breakthrough will fail,¡± he thought to himself.


    At this moment, Lin Shigong was utterly frenzied, completely disregarding the heart-wrenching pain, even if his orifices bled, he did not stop and continued to refine the spiritual power with all his might.


    Twenty-five days passed in a flash, and Lin Shikang was sitting in his courtyard, not cultivating in seclusion, but protecting the three attempting to break through.


    Only a small part of the Lin Family¡¯s core members knew that Lin Shigong and the others were attempting the breakthrough, the entire family secretly went on alert, and the Protective Clan Formation was also activated, to aid in their breakthrough.


    For the past half-month, Lin Shikang was extremely anxious, constantly worried about the three individuals. Despite his restlessness, he occasionally glanced towards the courtyards of Lin Shigong and the others.


    The time for the month-long duration was drawing near, with only five days remaining. Failure to break through in time would mean halting their progress for life.


    Lin Shikang recalled that when he broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage in his fifties, it took only fourteen days to succeed.


    Now twenty-five days had passed, and there was still no movement from the three, which was naturally worrisome.


    Just then, a muffled sound came from one courtyard, followed by the fleeting pressure of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    ¡°It¡¯s Shihua¡¯s place, haha¡­ Shihua has successfully established his foundation!¡±


    Overjoyed, Lin Shikang hurried out of his courtyard and flew towards the courtyard where Lin Shihua was meditating.


    Inside Lin Shihua¡¯s meditation courtyard, his face was flushed red as he burst into laughter¡­


    After entering the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage more than a decade ago, he finally succeeded in Foundation Establishment, feeling the surging spiritual power that was incomparable to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.


    After Lin Shihua finished his cultivation, he sighed in relief, walked out of the courtyard, and met Lin Shikang who came rushing over.


    Lin Shikang¡¯s face brimmed with smiles as he clasped his hands together in congratulations and said, S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Shihua, congratulations on successfully entering the Foundation Establishment Stage. Our Lin Family has finally produced a third Foundation Establishment Cultivator. In order to restore our former glory, we have finally taken a step forward.¡±


    Lin Shihua¡¯s face was also flushed with color, not yet recovered from his joy, his excitement ineffable!


    ¡°Thank you, third brother, for your protection. How are the fifth and the ninth brother doing?¡±


    Lin Shikang wore a helpless expression, smiling wryly as he replied,


    ¡°There¡¯s still no movement from Shigong and the others. We have only five days left until the one-month deadline. Whether they can succeed or not will be revealed in these few days!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shihua¡¯s face also changed dramatically, and he smiled bitterly again and again.


    He had not yet recovered from the shock of his own breakthrough, and he was acutely aware of the difficulty of breaking through. That he had succeeded was already fortunate; his ninth brother, who was more than a decade older than him, would likely face even greater challenges.


    The members of the Lin Family, since detecting their Spiritual Roots, had all grown up on Green Bamboo Mountain. They learned enlightenment education together, studied the knowledge of cultivation, and even learned the arts of cultivation together.


    Over the years, they supported each other. Although the blood ties among many family members had become extremely thin, or even non-existent, the bond formed over decades was stronger than those between real brothers.


    In the early stages of his cultivation, Lin Shihua was often taken care of by Lin Shigong. He had always admired his selflessness and even took him as a role model. It was because of his fair and prudent style of handling affairs that he was elected Clan Leader.


    So, he was very hopeful that Lin Shigong would succeed.


    ¡°Shihua, you¡¯ve just made a breakthrough. Return and consolidate it in seclusion. We¡¯re helpless while waiting, and as for their breakthroughs, they can only rely on themselves. I¡¯m here to watch over things; there won¡¯t be any issues,¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll go back and consolidate first. Please take care of things here, third brother!¡±


    With a cupped fist, Lin Shihua left to seclude himself inside the courtyard.


    Four more days passed, and Lin Shikang had remained outside the courtyard where Lin Shigong and the other was in seclusion, never leaving. At this moment, Lin Shikang was sighing with regret and growing more anxious by the minute. Only one day remained, and it seemed there really was no hope left.


    Suddenly, another muffled boom rang out, followed by the breath of a Foundation Establishment Stage which confronted them directly; it returned to normal within a few breaths.


    Lin Shikang was instantly overjoyed, nearly rushing into the cave dwelling, but fortunately, he managed to stop himself in time!


    ¡°It¡¯s Ninth Brother, Ninth Brother did it, hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Ninth Brother has succeeded in Foundation Establishment!¡±


    In the secret chamber, Lin Shigong was disheveled and covered in dried blood, his aura extremely chaotic. His previously gray-white hair was slowly turning black, and his aged face was growing visibly younger, with the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes vanishing. He looked completely like a middle-aged man.


    Feeling the surging spiritual power, Lin Shigong¡¯s face was filled with astonishment, almost unable to believe!


    ¡°Have I entered the Foundation Establishment Stage? Have I really entered the Foundation Establishment Stage?¡±


    He tried casting a spell!


    Boom¡­


    The stone table instantly shattered into pieces, feeling the surging spiritual power, which indeed was the might that only came with the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    ¡°I¡¯ve succeeded, I¡¯ve actually succeeded¡­¡±


    Lin Shigong was suddenly overcome with tears of joy, crying profusely. If he had not succeeded this time, he could have only stopped at this stage.

 Chapter 55 - 55 - 54 Six Months_1

    Chapter 55 ¨C 54 Six Months_1


    The day after Lin Shigong¡¯s breakthrough, which was also the last day of the thirtieth, Lin Shiji came out of seclusion, walking out of the courtyard.


    Lin Shiji¡¯s face was full of disappointment, despondent, and his already aged visage became even more weathered.


    ¡°I¡¯m old now, perhaps this is fate!¡± Lin Shiji muttered to himself in his heart.


    Lin Shikang, who had been waiting outside all this time, approached Lin Shiji with a look of sympathy and comforted him,


    ¡°Little brother, you have done your best. Take a good rest for a while, the Enforcement Hall now has young people to support it, you don¡¯t have to work too hard!¡±


    Lin Shiji nodded. Before secluding himself, he had felt that hope was slim, but he still wanted to try one last time, just in case he succeeded! After all, no one wants to stop making progress.


    ¡°Elder brother, did the ninth and twelfth brothers succeed?¡±


    ...


    Although during the breakthrough, he felt two Foundation Establishment Stage auras, he still wanted to confirm their authenticity.


    ¡°Shihua is a bit younger, he took twenty-five days to break through as well. Shi Gong¡¯s situation was more dangerous, he only succeeded yesterday!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shiji¡¯s bitter face also revealed a slight smile. Two out of three people had a breakthrough, which was already a great fortune.


    ¡°Elder brother, please convey my congratulations to Shi Gong and the others when they leave seclusion. I will take my leave now, there is a lot to do at the Enforcement Hall!¡±


    Lin Shikang nodded, halted his words, wanting to say something to console him, but not knowing how to start.


    Watching Lin Shiji walk away from the square, his lonely figure was heart-wrenching.


    Lin Shikang shook his head, his heart filled with bitterness and a sense of lament. If it were not for the family¡¯s weak foundation, there would¡¯ve been a fair chance if it was twenty years earlier. Time waits for no one!


    Let it be, let it be.


    Upon reflection, the success of the two was unexpected, yet seeing Lin Shiji¡¯s failure still made it hard to hold back the regret.


    After Lin Shiji left, Lin Shikang also returned to his own small courtyard, waiting for Lin Shigong and the other to consolidate their cultivated strength and come out of seclusion.


    Sitting in his small courtyard, Lin Shikang was also pondering the future development of the family.


    The news of Lin Shigong¡¯s two breakthroughs should still be kept secret, as a hidden strength. With two more Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the Lin Family¡¯s power had greatly increased; no longer would they have to swallow their pride, but they also could not be too ostentatious. The Lin Family needed time to quickly elevate their overall strength.


    In Qianchuan Market, Lin Tianming sat in a secret chamber within his cave dwelling, hands joined, eyes tightly shut, with beads of sweat occasionally seeping from his forehead, diligently cultivating.


    Time swiftly passed, and half a year had gone by.


    Lin Tianming would visit Ye Pinghai¡¯s Alchemy Room every month to learn for several days, and the rest of the time he dedicated to cultivation.


    During this half year, Lin Tianming made significant progress. With a large amount of high-quality elixirs, his cultivation had been rapidly recovering.


    As early as three months ago, Lin Tianming had fully recovered the spiritual power he had lost, and not only that, the progress in the following three months was also substantial. His cultivation was nearing the late stage of the Seventh Level Qi Cultivation. With another year or half, it was very likely he would reach the Eighth Level Qi Cultivation.


    In addition to his spiritual power, his body refinement also made great strides. All his meridians throughout his body had become thicker, a full size larger than before, and his physical strength had also increased considerably.


    After half a year of arduous cultivation, as he opened his eyes, feeling the surging spiritual power within him, Lin Tianming was very satisfied.


    Just then, a message from Ye Pinghai entered the secret chamber.


    ¡¯Elder Ye spent eight months, finally refining all the Spiritual Medicine Materials.¡¯


    Lin Tianming emerged from his seclusion, and, stepping out of the secret chamber, he took a seat in the courtyard to await Lin Shilu.


    At the same time, Lin Shilu had received the message and, hastily gathering some Artifact Refining Materials, he hastily left his own seclusion.


    Upon seeing Lin Shilu emerge, Lin Tianming hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.


    ¡¯Fifteenth Grandfather, you¡¯ve received the message from Elder Ye as well, haven¡¯t you?¡¯


    Lin Shilu replied with a calm face, ¡¯Indeed, let¡¯s go. We shall pay a visit to his abode.¡¯


    In half an hour, the two of them had arrived inside Ye Pinghai¡¯s abode.


    Lin Shilu and Ye Pinghai were sitting opposite each other, with Lin Tianming sitting below Lin Shilu, occasionally rising to pour a cup of Spiritual Tea for them both.


    Ye Pinghai picked up the jade tea cup, took a sip of the Spiritual Tea, and said with a pleased expression,


    ¡¯Lin, I am pleased to report that the task you entrusted to me has been successfully completed, and now is the time to deliver the results.¡¯


    After speaking, Ye Pinghai took out five Jade Bottles and handed them to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu received the Jade Bottles with a chuckle of joy, his face brimming with delight. He extended his Divine Sense to inspect them and within the five bottles were fourteen pills that were unmistakably Minor Foundation Building Pills.


    Overjoyed, Lin Shilu spoke with sincere gratitude,


    ¡¯Brother Ye has been tirelessly engaged in Alchemy for over half a year, consuming substantial resources. You should rest for a few days, there¡¯s really no need for such hurry. My grandson and I have already waited for more than half a year, so a few more days would not make a difference.¡¯


    After half an hour of pleasantries and exchanging many words of thanks, Lin Shilu took out a storage bag containing eight thousand Spirit Stones, along with two Jade Bottles, totaling six Minor Foundation Building Pills, which he handed over to Ye Pinghai. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shilu, following the customs of Alchemy, gave Ye Pinghai thirty percent of the pills as a reward for his assistance.


    From the fifteen batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials for Minor Foundation Building Pills, seventeen pills were successfully produced ¨C which surprised Lin Shilu. He had thought that procuring fifteen pills would have been more than satisfactory and had not anticipated that Ye Pinghai¡¯s Alchemy skills would yield such a welcome bonus.


    Although Minor Foundation Building Pills are only considered Second Order Lower Quality, their difficulty of refinement is on par with many Second Order Medium Quality pills.


    The reason there were seventeen pills was because there were plentiful Spiritual Medicine Materials, and after multiple refinements, practice makes perfect. The final two batches presented four pills each, hence exceeding the expected amount by two.


    After pondering for a short moment, Ye Pinghai did not decline the offer. He took the Jade Bottles in hand, poured out one Minor Foundation Building Pill, placed it into a separate Jade Bottle, and then returned it to Lin Shilu.


    ¡¯Lin, I will not turn down the five Minor Foundation Building Pills and the Spirit Stones, but you should take this one pill back. Your family needs these pills more than I do.¡¯


    Lin Shilu hastened to decline, but ultimately, at the insistent demand of Ye Pinghai, he accepted the pill.


    This trip to Qianchuan Market had achieved its aim. With these nine Minor Foundation Building Pills, the Lin Family now possessed a total of twelve, allowing many of their clan members to commence Foundation Establishment without delay.


    That evening, Lin Shilu spent more than three hundred Spirit Stones to host a lavish banquet at the Welcoming Guests Tower in gratitude for Ye Pinghai¡¯s assistance.


    Ye Pinghai attended the banquet as promised and in high spirits, and they drank over ten bottles of wine brewed from Spirit Fruits. The cost of the Spiritual Wine alone amounted to more than a hundred Spirit Stones.


    Lin Tianming offered toasts several times throughout the evening, earnestly expressing his thanks to Ye Pinghai for his assistance in Alchemy. Ye Pinghai had always valued Lin Tianming¡¯s talent and character, and he treasured him so much that he considered taking him as a disciple, consistently offering guidance; otherwise, he would not have wasted his time and effort.


    Taking advantage of the banquet, Lin Shilu spent several thousand Spirit Stones to purchase a batch of Second Order Pills from Ye Pinghai at a low price, mainly consisting of Lingshen Pills, along with some restorative Huiyuan Pills and Consolidating Essence Pills.


    After eating and drinking their fill, Lin Shilu excused himself, deciding to depart at dawn the following day to return to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Ye Pinghai did not hold back, offering only a few polite words of well-wishing before they each said farewell and returned to their respective dwellings to rest.

 Chapter 56 - 56 - 55 Returning to Green Bamboo Mountain_1

    Chapter 56 ¨C 55 Returning to Green Bamboo Mountain_1


    The next morning, just outside Qianchuan Market, a fiery red morning glow hung suspended in the azure sky, brushed by a light breeze that spoke of endless beauty.


    Lin Tianming and his companion left the market and, after flying on their swords for more than ten miles, stopped atop a small mountain.


    Releasing the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Bag, it had grown significantly larger over the past half-year.


    With the Beast Spirit Pill, the Purple Gold Eagle rapidly grew with the help of the monthly elixirs. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Taking a Beast Spirit Pill from his storage bag and tossing it to the Purple Gold Eagle, it caught it in one bite and swallowed, lets out a joyous screech, and affectionately nuzzled Lin Tianming with its massive head, looking quite eager to please.


    ¡°Alright, stop fussing, we need to get on our way!¡±


    Lin Tianming and his companion mounted the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, which swiftly ascended hundreds of feet into the air and streaked away as a beam of light, flying south.


    ...


    Having Lin Shilu accompany him made the journey much easier for Lin Tianming, who sat on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, enjoying the scenery along the way, quite content.


    Following their previous route and with the familiarity of the path, the journey went smoothly. Coupled with the increased speed of the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s flight, they arrived near Green Bamboo Mountain in just half a month.


    Looking at the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain in the distance, Lin Tianming felt a surge of excitement. Having been away for half a year, he deeply missed his clan.


    Wondering whether his grandfather had successfully established his foundation, with a mix of nervousness and anticipation, the two humans and one beast plunged into the Protective Clan Formation and disappeared.


    Once inside the Protective Clan Formation, Lin Shilu finally let out a sigh of relief!


    ¡°Tianming, you go back first. Tomorrow, come to the Clan Elders¡¯ Assembly with your grandfather. We have matters to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lin Tianming bowed his hands in a salute and flew towards the mountainside.


    Watching Lin Tianming¡¯s retreating figure, Lin Shilu was very pleased.


    This child is meticulous in thought, exceptional in talent, and extraordinary in fate; truly a promising individual!


    Lin Shilu did not linger any longer and vanished from the spot.


    Lin Tianming did not return to his own small courtyard but headed straight to the Alchemy Hall to check on his grandfather¡¯s breakthrough.


    Outside the Alchemy Hall, Lin Tianming chanced upon Lin Tianhong, who was just coming out.


    Lin Tianming greeted him, ¡°Tianming pays his respects to Second Brother!¡±


    ¡°Sixth Brother, it¡¯s been a while. You¡¯re finally back!¡±


    The two of them had studied alchemy together, and it had been nearly two years since they had last seen each other.


    Lin Tianhong had also progressed from the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement to the Fifth Level, a significant improvement.


    ¡°Second Brother, is Grandfather inside?¡±


    ¡°Ninth Grandpa is inside. I¡¯ve just come out from seeing him; he happens to be free right now. You¡¯ve been away for so long, I won¡¯t disturb you further. Go on in.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall go inside, and we¡¯ll catch up another day!¡±


    ¡°Sure, we brothers have all been deeply immersed in our own cultivation for several years; we haven¡¯t gathered for quite some time. One day soon, let¡¯s call First Brother and Third Sister to join us for a proper reunion.¡±


    After parting from Lin Tianhong, he turned and walked into the great hall.


    Walking into the main hall of the Alchemy Hall, Lin Shigong was already seated inside, waiting for Lin Tianming.


    Reunited with his grandfather after many months, Lin Shigong¡¯s appearance had drastically changed. The once predominantly gray hair was now nowhere to be seen, replaced by a head of jet-black hair, giving him the appearance of a middle-aged man.


    ¡°`


    After a cultivator has successfully completed Foundation Establishment, they can live for more than two hundred and fifty years, and at this time Lin Shigong was less than a hundred years old, indeed still considered a middle-aged man.


    Having confirmed that grandfather had succeeded in Foundation Establishment, Lin Tianming was extremely excited.


    Not only does the Lin Family gain another Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, but it is also very likely to gain a Second Order Alchemist.


    Lin Shigong¡¯s alchemy had been stagnating at the superior grade of First Order for dozens of years; if it hadn¡¯t been for the barrier in his cultivation, he would probably have advanced to Second Order long ago. Now that his cultivation has broken through, becoming a Second Order Alchemist should just be a matter of time.


    After calming his excited emotions, Lin Tianming began to offer his congratulations.


    ¡°Congratulations to grandfather on entering the Foundation Establishment Stage!¡±


    Lin Shigong was also very happy at this time. A few years ago, he had thought that he was doomed to never succeed in Foundation Establishment, and he really didn¡¯t expect to have even a sliver of chance, truly a testament to the unpredictable nature of life.


    ¡°Hmph, I was fortunate to succeed in Foundation Establishment. This time, I really owe it to you. My twelfth brother and I have succeeded, but it¡¯s a pity for the fifth brother¡­¡±


    Seeing the look of regret on Lin Shilu¡¯s face, Lin Tianming knew that Lin Shiji had failed in Foundation Establishment.


    ¡°Grandfather, the foundation of our family is really too weak. Many of our clan members have wasted decades for nothing, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t be attempting Foundation Establishment at the age of a hundred. There¡¯s nothing that can be done about it!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Before us, there were several clan members who exhausted their lifespan without even obtaining the spiritual objects to assist in Foundation Establishment. Their forced breakthrough attempts also weren¡¯t successful. Compared to them, we¡¯re actually quite lucky.¡±


    After being comforted by Lin Tianming, Lin Shigong felt somewhat better and then asked Lin Tianming about his experiences in Qianchuan Market.


    Then, Lin Tianming set up a restrictive spell and began to recount his experiences over the past half year to Lin Shigong.


    ¡°To have actually obtained twelve Minor Foundation Building Pills this time!¡±


    Lin Shigong was stunned, his face flushing with waves of red. If he didn¡¯t know his grandson so well, he almost wouldn¡¯t dare to believe it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Ye Pinghai would truly be a person worth befriending. We are really indebted to him this time. Otherwise, our family would have had to expend great effort at much higher risk, and it would have been very difficult to obtain such a number of Minor Foundation Building Pills.¡±


    Lin Tianming also expressed his gratitude:


    ¡°Senior Ye indeed gave his all to help. He not only assisted with alchemy, but he also taught me a lot. Now my skills in alchemy have improved greatly, and I am able to produce common First Order Superior Grade elixirs, with both a high success rate and yield.¡±


    Before coming back, I decided it¡¯s still best not to reveal the secret of the Eye of Five Colors. This matter is too important and must be approached with caution; it¡¯s better not to let the old man know.


    ¡°Good, good, you really haven¡¯t disappointed me. The thing I am proudest of in my life is you. Continue working hard, and strive to surpass our ancestors as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, grandson will definitely work hard!¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, I bid on a secret technique at the auction in Qianchuan Market. Please take a look at it.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shigong became even more excited, half doubtingly asking:


    ¡°You also bid on a Spirit Art?¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, retrieved the Secret Art Jade Tube from his storage bag, and handed it over to Lin Shigong for inspection.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Shigong¡¯s face slowly returned to its normal color from the excitement.


    ¡°What a pity, a pity!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only the upper half. No wonder it was up for auction. Trying to find the lower half is undoubtedly like searching for a needle in a haystack, but that¡¯s not to say there¡¯s no hope. If it¡¯s real, then we¡¯ve made a huge profit. Even if it¡¯s a fake, losing some Spirit Stones is no big deal.¡±


    ¡°We should not reveal this secret technique to the other clan members for now. I¡¯ll discuss it with your third uncle and the others. We can only search for it in secret. If we can find it, it would be a great fortune for our Lin Family, but if we can¡¯t, then let it be.¡±


    Lin Tianming readily agreed. Lin Shilu had already exhorted him on this, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t speak of it to others.


    The two talked for a full hour until they finally left the Alchemy Hall together and returned to their own small courtyard.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 57 - 57 - 56 The Dust Settles_1

    Chapter 57 ¨C 56 The Dust Settles_1


    Having returned to their small courtyard, mother and sister were overjoyed to learn of Lin Tianming¡¯s return to the family and rushed back to this humble home.


    The family reunited for dinner, with only Lin Xingrong still away in Luoyun Market, a significant regret.


    After dinner, mother and sister each went to their cultivation, leaving only Lin Shigong and Lin Tianming to sit in the courtyard for a casual chat.


    ¡¯Grandfather, Fifteenth Grandfather asked me to tell you that at dawn tomorrow, we should go to the Elders¡¯ Council for a clan meeting, and he wants me to join as well,¡¯ Lin Tianming said.


    Lin Shigong, sipping his Spiritual Tea with a calm expression, replied,


    ¡¯I suspect it¡¯s to fulfill the promise of the three Minor Foundation Building Pills for you and to discuss the development of the family for the next few years, as well as external relations. The family has been silent for a long time now, and it¡¯s time to take a step forward.¡¯


    ¡¯With my twelfth brother and I successful in Foundation Establishment, the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in our family is no less than that of the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family. Although there is a slight gap in cultivation, the Lin Family is not the same as before and naturally can no longer yield in every situation.¡¯


    ...


    ¡¯Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family!¡¯


    ¡¯Is the Jin Family very strong?¡¯ Lin Tianming asked immediately, his interest piqued.


    ¡¯Grandfather, what is the actual strength of the five major families of the Luoyun Mountain Range like?¡¯ he inquired eagerly.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s interest, Lin Shigong opened up to explain. Sooner or later, Tian Ming would have to deal with those families, and knowing both oneself and the enemy would ensure he would not be defeated. Understanding more would not be harmful.


    ¡¯According to investigations, out of the five major families in the Luoyun Mountain Range, the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family has four Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the open, but whether there are more in hiding is unknown. Moreover, a person of exceptional talent has emerged from the Jin Family, known as Jin Qishan, who is twenty-six, possesses Dual Spiritual Roots, and has already reached the Qi Refining Eighth Level¡ªan innate prodigy.¡¯¡±


    ¡¯In addition, the Flying Eagle Mountain Sun Family has three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, while the Jiuhua Mountain Wu Family and Baiyun Mountain Luo Family each have two.¡¯


    ¡¯Currently, the Jin Family¡¯s strength is the strongest, and aside from the Sun Family, none of the other three can deal with them alone.¡¯


    ¡¯The Jin Family and the Sun Family have always been at odds with each other. Under the mutual restraint of the Jin and Sun families, our Lin Family and the other two have banded together for mutual warmth, allowing us to secure a foothold in the Luoyun Mountain Range. However, the taste of survival in such a narrow gap is truly stifling.¡¯


    As Lin Shigong said this, he shook his head with a helpless expression on his face.


    Over two hundred years ago, the Lin Family was the strongest, monopolizing forty percent of the market profits. In just over a century, they had completely declined, and although they were not the weakest among the five major families, they were not much stronger.


    ¡¯Grandfather, let¡¯s take it slowly. The family is getting stronger and stronger, and it¡¯s just a matter of time before we regain our past glory,¡¯ Lin Tianming comforted.


    The younger generation of the Lin Family had shown excellent talent, including an individual with Dual Spiritual Roots and several with Three Spiritual Roots¡ªa true gathering of exceptional talents.


    After more than half an hour of casual conversation, Lin Tianming also gained a general understanding of the other four major families, including some key members, committing them firmly to memory.


    The next day at dawn, Lin Tianming followed his grandfather to the Clan Elders¡¯ Assembly.


    In the Council Hall of the Elders¡¯ Assembly, more than ten family members had already arrived, with Lin Shihua and Lin Shixin chatting among themselves.


    Seeing Lin Shigong enter, everyone quickly stood up, and Lin Tianming greeted everyone politely.


    Those attending the Clan Elders¡¯ Assembly were all the core strength of the Lin Family, mostly those with real power. Nearly everyone who could make it was there, save for those who were indispensable elsewhere.


    Before long, two figures entered the Council Hall together; it was Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu arriving last.


    The crowd stood up to greet them, and Lin Tianming also stepped forward to salute.


    Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, Lin Shihua began to speak:


    ¡°Fellow clansmen, since everyone is here, let¡¯s begin the meeting. The main topics are the distribution of Foundation Establishment Pills and the future development of our clan, as well as our stance towards other families.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the distribution of the Minor Foundation Building Pills. Apart from the three promised to Tian Ming, there are six left. Feel free to speak your minds and let¡¯s come together to discuss a fair and just outcome.¡±


    Right then, the Hall Master of the Skill Transmission Hall, Lin Shigang, was the first to speak out:


    ¡°The remaining six Minor Foundation Building Pills should be allocated from among our clansmen. Whoever first reaches the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage can exchange it for eight thousand good deeds to establish their foundation as soon as possible and enhance the overall strength of the family. When facing the Jin Family, we¡¯ll have a stronger foundation!¡±


    No sooner had these words been spoken than a clan member of the Xing generation began to object.


    ¡°With only six Minor Foundation Building Pills, the number is still small. Moreover, the clan has already expended a large amount of wealth in their production, depleting most of our funds accumulated over decades. The main ingredient, Hidden Spirit Grass, although we have transplanted dozens of plants, has a low survival rate, and we won¡¯t be able to use them to produce elixirs for a hundred years.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Therefore, for the next hundred years, it will be very difficult for us to obtain spiritual objects that can aid in Foundation Establishment. For this reason, I suggest we keep two pills in reserve, to retain a glimmer of hope in times of crisis, allowing the family to recover as quickly as possible.¡±


    Many from the Xing generation supported this proposition, echoing their agreement.


    The Council Hall immediately became lively, essentially dividing into two camps: the younger Qi Refinement Cultivators of the Xing generation and the older, yet-to-establish Foundation members of the Shi generation.


    The Shi generation was no longer young. Apart from the four who had successfully established their foundation, including Lin Shiji who had failed in his attempt, there were only three others, all at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. The youngest among them, Lin Shixin, was already over ninety years old, not more than two years younger than Lin Shigong, with hardly any potential left. Even with the aid of Minor Foundation Building Pills, the hope of establishing a foundation was very slim.


    Lin Tianming sat silently behind his grandfather, and not only him, but none of the Lin Family Foundation Building Cultivators spoke up, nor did they openly express their stance.


    An hour passed, and the two generations could still not reach a consensus.


    Lin Shikang, who had been silent until then, communicated secretly with Lin Shilu and the other three, asking for their opinions. After all, the views of those in the Foundation Establishment Stage carried weight and were crucial in deciding major clan issues.


    After a long deliberation, Lin Shilu, standing from the perspective of the family, found the words of the Xing generation more convincing. For the Shi generation, even with the aid of Minor Foundation Building Pills, the probability of successful Foundation Establishment was very low. It would be better to give the opportunity to the younger members to maximize the family¡¯s strength.


    Not only did Lin Shilu think this way, but the other three Foundation Establishment Cultivators mostly felt the same. However, since Lin Shigong had managed to establish his foundation at an advanced age, there was a precedent. To directly cut off the hope of Lin Shixin and others seemed too harsh; after all, no one wanted to die.


    After discussion among the few Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Lin Shikang stood up and said:


    ¡°Let¡¯s divide the six Minor Foundation Building Pills into three parts: one for the Shi generation, three for the Xing generation, and two for the Tian generation. Whichever clan member reaches the Great Perfection first can exchange for them.¡±


    As soon as this was stated, the previously bustling Council Hall fell silent as everyone pondered the suggestion.


    At that moment, Lin Shixin gratefully looked towards Lin Shikang and the others, nodding his head in thanks. After all, they had still preserved the hope for those of his generation to establish their foundation; it was just a matter of whether they could seize the opportunity.


    There was only so much in the way of resources; naturally, the most effective resources should be used for the clan members with the best talents.


    After a quiet moment, lasting only about ten breaths, and seeing that there were no objections, Lin Shilu took out the three Minor Foundation Building Pills and handed them to Lin Tianming. The remaining six were entrusted to Lin Shixin for safekeeping, settling the distribution of the pills.


    Lin Tianming secured the three Minor Foundation Building Pills into his storage bag. With these three elixirs, there was a good chance his parents could establish their foundation.

 Chapter 58 - 58: Listing Thoughts_1

    Chapter 58: Listing Thoughts_1


    Dear readers, I just received a suggestion from the editor to release my book tomorrow.


    Upon hearing this plan, wow wow wow¡­ I¡¯m so anxious right now!


    What should I do, everyone?


    Let me tell you the exact time the book will go live, and here I am, on my knees, begging for your support and subscription!


    ¡°Lin Family¡¯s Cultivation Journey¡± will be officially released at 12 PM on August 20th, 2021.


    I¡¯m begging for subscriptions¡­ begging for votes¡­ Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since the book is going live, I might as well write a few words of feelings because after all, this is my first time writing a novel.


    ...


    First of all, I want to thank every reader friend who has collected, recommended, and tipped. (I¡¯m lazy and there are too many people, so I won¡¯t list everyone individually)


    It¡¯s every one of your collections, every comment, every recommendation vote, every monthly vote, and every tip that have given me the motivation to continue writing!


    Really¡­.


    Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is open the assistant app to see how many collections have increased and how many recommendation votes I¡¯ve received.


    I don¡¯t know how many times I check each day; one could say I¡¯m even more active than when it comes to my salary.


    It¡¯s with everyone¡¯s support that I¡¯ve been able to persist, and I sincerely want to say thank you to all of you¡­


    Next, I¡¯d like to thank my editor, Editor Niqiu¡­


    As a novice writer, I¡¯m like a needle in a haystack among many authors, not an exaggeration in the slightest.


    My journey from signing the contract to now going live has been relatively smooth, and I¡¯ve received quite a few recommendations, for which I am truly grateful.


    Okay, now let¡¯s talk about some personal thoughts!


    Up to this point, I¡¯m quite satisfied with the book¡¯s performance; as a newbie with such an updating speed, to achieve these results and even surpass expectations is more than satisfying.


    Now, I must sincerely apologize to all my reader friends.


    My updates have been too few; I feel I¡¯ve really let down the readers who have been with me all this time!


    I feel somewhat guilty and hope to receive everyone¡¯s understanding¡­


    Starting next month, I will dedicate more time to writing and try to update more frequently to repay everyone¡¯s support.


    Last but not least, a bit about myself!


    I am a new writer! (So new! Don¡¯t laugh when I tell you, but the first few readers will know, in my first two chapters I didn¡¯t even divide paragraphs; a two-thousand-word chapter was just one massive paragraph. There were even readers who commented to remind me, and I felt so embarrassed. I quickly revised and divided the paragraphs because I didn¡¯t know how to use the writing software at the time. Thankfully, I corrected it in time; otherwise, I would have been too ashamed to face anyone.)


    I only started writing novels to fulfill a small dream of mine. It was an impulsive decision, and that¡¯s how I started writing this novel.


    Just like that, I began, groping my way through and pondering as I went.


    Family saga novels are much more difficult to write than those about Loose Cultivators, especially since I have no stockpile of written chapters, no outline, and no detailed outline; I rely purely on passion in my writing.


    In the beginning, it was okay, but the further I wrote, the more difficult it became. There were more characters and the content grew more complex. Some details were not meticulous and the logic not coherent, leading to quite a few reader complaints.


    Some of the more intense comments from readers hit me hard, but I still managed to keep my composure.


    Freedom of speech is everyone¡¯s most fundamental right. I am deeply grateful to those readers who have criticized and corrected me, and even more so to those who have supported and comforted me, which is very touching. Thank you all¡­


    Writing is not easy. Just typing for a few hours every day and persisting for dozens of days has been tough, something any author can relate to. From the initial passion to the later stage when it almost becomes a burden,


    I hope on this lonely and lengthy journey of writing, I can find like-minded friends and together create a quality novel.


    No matter what the future holds, I will continue writing with this gratitude, striving to provide more exciting content as a way to give back to everyone.


    In closing, I ask everyone to support the legal version of the novel. Spend the money equivalent to a bottle of water or pack of cigarettes to support the author. If you¡¯re a student and can¡¯t afford it, then read a pirated copy if you must!


    Finally, I beg for your subscription, and if possible, setting up a recurring subscription would be even better.


    Everyone, Xiao Yan is counting on you all!

 Chapter 59 - 59 - 57: Arrangements (Please Subscribe) _1

    Chapter 59 ¨C 57: Arrangements (Please Subscribe) _1


    The distribution of the Minor Foundation Building Pills has been settled, and Lin Shihua, as the Clan Leader, stood up and began to speak:


    ¡°Now, let me report on the family¡¯s situation over the past five years!¡±


    ¡°As of today, the family has a total of 175 cultivators, with 12 from the Shi generation, 98 from the Xing generation, and 65 from the Tian generation. (Note: Female cultivators who marry into the Lin Family are counted by their husband¡¯s generation for the purpose of family records. For example, Ren Yuxuan, Lin Tianming¡¯s mother, is recorded under the Xing generation without changing her name.)¡±


    ¡°Among them, there are four at the Foundation Establishment Stage, one at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, eleven at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, and the rest are all below the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.¡±


    ¡°In the past five years, after expenditures, the family has a remaining total of more than 11,000 Accumulated Spirit Stones. The recent production of Minor Foundation Building Pills consumed the accumulation of over twenty years, making it hard for us to allocate funds for the next decade!¡±


    Upon reaching this point, Lin Shihua couldn¡¯t help but reveal a look of worry, which quickly returned to calm.


    The family is still too poor; fortunately, Lin Tianming brought back a large quantity of Hidden Spirit Grass. With the addition of a large amount of other auxiliary medicines and spending tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, the family managed to refine fifteen Minor Foundation Building Pills. Thankfully, the results were satisfying, and obtaining a large number of the pills could boost the family¡¯s overall strength in a short time.


    ...


    Just as Lin Shihua finished speaking, Lin Shikang, who had been immersed in thought, continued the conversation!


    ¡°Looking at the current situation, the family¡¯s funds are almost depleted, only enough to pay one year¡¯s monthly stipends, so I suggest organizing a large group of family members above the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement to form Monster Hunting Squads. In batches, they should enter the Luoyun Mountain Range for training. Not only can they hunt Demonic Beasts to earn Spirit Stones, but they can also look for Spirit Grass. By using what they find, we¡¯ll engage in lots of alchemy and crafting, then sell the items in the market. This will quickly increase the wealth of the family members and the family, as well as significantly expedite their breakthroughs in cultivation. It¡¯s truly a win-win-win situation.¡±


    ¡°As for the Monster Hunting Squads, they will be led by Shi Ji, each team consisting of ten members. As long as they don¡¯t venture too deep into the mountain range, safety isn¡¯t a major concern. Regarding the schedule, they will rotate every six months.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, we¡¯ll use the family¡¯s stored elixirs and Spiritual Artifacts as rewards to motivate everyone. The spoils obtained by the family members will be the responsibility of Shi Lu for crafting and Shi Gong for alchemy. The sales will still be handled by Xing Rong. What does everyone think?¡±


    Lin Shigong was the first to speak up, ¡°I agree with Third Brother¡¯s suggestion!¡±


    ¡°I also agree with Third Brother¡¯s suggestion!¡±


    ¡­


    Lin Shilu and other Foundation Establishment Cultivators echoed their agreement, and several elders from the Xing generation also expressed their support.


    Lin Shikang nodded, very satisfied, as nearly half of the family members had already agreed.


    ¡°Does anyone else have any opinions?¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shikang¡¯s gaze swept over the younger generation of the family in the grand hall, lingering on Lin Tianming for a few moments longer.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming stood up and took the initiative to speak.


    ¡°I strongly support Third Grandfather¡¯s proposal. I¡¯m willing to be the first to sign up and be part of the first group to enter the mountain range, to set an example for the younger members of the family.¡±


    Lin Shikang and others were very satisfied with Lin Tianming¡¯s response, and their expectations of this junior increased!


    Flowers nurtured in a greenhouse will never grow strong; only by enduring storms will they progress further on the path of cultivation.


    After fifteen minutes of discussion, the direction for the family¡¯s strategic planning for the upcoming years was basically decided.


    As Clan Leader, Lin Shihua spoke once more.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s discuss the situation with the other four major families. Everyone is welcome to speak freely.¡±


    At that moment, a Clan Member from the Xing generation stood up, his face serious as he began to speak.


    ¡°Recently, the open and covert struggle between the Jin Family and the Sun Family has become increasingly fierce. Both are secretly accumulating strength, stockpiling various elixirs, Spiritual Artifacts, and talisman papers. All signs indicate that the two families are likely to break out into large-scale clan warfare in the coming years.¡±


    Many of the clansmen present, upon hearing the news, had their faces change dramatically; it seemed the peace that had lasted for over a hundred years might soon be broken.


    ¡°I estimate that the outbreak is very likely to occur in three years!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shihua¡¯s words, some clansmen seemed not to understand, Lin Tianming was also in a fog, not clear on why the estimate was set for three years later, but people like Lin Shikang instantly understood.


    Seeing some of the younger clansmen looking puzzled, Lin Shikang began to explain.


    ¡°Three years from now is the grand competition of the market that happens once every fifty years!¡±


    At these words, a few younger members who had not experienced the grand market competition asked curiously about the reason.


    The grand market competition was a contest between the five major families of the Luoyun Mountain Range, held once every fifty years, having been held more than ten times. Based upon the competition¡¯s rankings, they allocated the benefits of the market for a fifty-year period, with benefits primarily involving various rents and ownership of the shops.


    The first place in the grand market competition would receive thirty percent, the second would obtain twenty percent, and the last three would each get ten percent. The remaining twenty percent would be distributed among more than ten Qi Refining families.


    Such a distribution plan had been implemented for hundreds of years. The best ranking the Lin Family had ever achieved was second place, bringing in twenty percent of the market¡¯s benefits, while the first place had always been occupied by the Jin and Sun families.


    The Jin Family and Sun Family were indigenous inhabitants of the Luoyun Mountain Range, their clans established several hundred years earlier than the Lin Family. Although they had never produced a Core Formation Cultivator, the families were numerous, with the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators never falling below three each year, a sign of their considerable depth.


    At the establishment of the clan, considering the well-being of future generations, the ancestor of the Lin Family did not make things difficult for the Jin and Sun families, despite not being able to utilize eighty percent of his strength due to injuries. He simply chose Green Bamboo Mountain as the familial territory.


    The Lin Family only achieved a dominant position for nearly a hundred years during the lifetime of the clan progenitor, Lin Renfeng. Leaning on the Core Formation Stage of cultivation, they managed to suppress the local snakes, the Jin and Sun families, for a time.


    Because the Jin and Sun families feared Lin Renfeng¡¯s cultivation level and did not dare to offend the Lin Family, they focused on their development peacefully for a hundred years. This allowed the Lin Family to gain a firm foothold, leading to today¡¯s situation; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been so easy to secure a place in the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    After Lin Shikang¡¯s explanation, the few clansmen who were previously confused finally came to a realization.


    ¡°No wonder the Jin and Sun families are making such moves, their targets might very well be our three families. We must be on guard!¡±


    The perspective of one of the Xing Clan Members was acknowledged by many clansmen.


    Lin Shihua also spoke up:


    ¡°In these troubled times, regardless of which family they target or what their intentions are, I think it¡¯s necessary for us to be cautious. In the next few years, we must also secretly gather all kinds of resources, but discreetly so as not to alert them. Moreover, the news about Ninth Brother and me reaching Foundation Establishment must not be leaked. Who knows, this might be the Lin Family¡¯s opportunity to rise!¡±


    ¡°Makes sense!¡±


    Lin Shihua¡¯s arrangement received everyone¡¯s agreement!


    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no need to worry too much. We also have four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and that number will only grow. As long as we are united, we have nothing to fear from the Jin Family.¡±


    Lin Shikang¡¯s words were like a calming pill for the Xing Clan Members; with four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the Lin Family were no weaker than the Jin and Sun families.


    ¡°In the coming years, the Lin Family must keep a low profile, try not to draw the attention of other families. If faced with their provocations, we should avoid friction as much as possible, for the time being, we have to be patient. We will accumulate our strengths in secret, to respond to any unknown threats.¡±


    ¡°Shi Ji, you¡¯re in charge of organizing the Monster Hunting Squad. The faster, the better. Let¡¯s proceed with this plan, everyone go and make preparations!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    After a full half day of the clan meeting came to an end, many clan members began to leave the great hall. Lin Tianming also followed the crowd out, leaving only Lin Shigong and the three others behind, presumably to discuss some important matter.

 Chapter 60 - 60 - 58 The Shock of the Brothers_1

    Chapter 60 ¨C 58 The Shock of the Brothers_1


    The next day, a notice was posted in front of several important buildings of the family, attracting a large crowd of clan members.


    ¡¯Organizing a Monster Hunting Squad to hunt demonic beasts in the mountains!¡¯


    ¡¯Participants will be rewarded with varying amounts of merit points according to their cultivation level in advance. The spoils from hunting will be distributed by the team itself. The minimum requirement is a Fifth Level Qi Practice or above. Those interested should quickly register at the Enforcement Hall.¡¯


    The crowd was very lively at this time, discussing the content of the notice.


    ¡¯The Luoyun Mountain Range is not like our family territory; there are many demonic beasts. For those below the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, the risk of entering is not small.¡¯


    ¡¯But isn¡¯t Elder Wu leading the teams? With ten members per team, as long as we don¡¯t encounter Second Order Demonic Beasts, there shouldn¡¯t be much risk.¡¯ S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¯That may be, but the probability of encountering Second Order Demonic Beasts is not small. The rewards are high, but the risks are too. It might be better to take on more watchkeeping tasks.¡¯


    ...


    Indeed, but the rewards are truly substantial. As long as we don¡¯t run into Second Order Demonic Beasts, the gains are sure to be significant. However, I have tasks at hand and definitely won¡¯t make it for the first batch.


    The comments from this cultivator resonated with some of the clan members, while a few members were tempted by the lucrative rewards to participate.


    At this moment, Lin Tianhong, who had recently reached the Fifth Level Qi Practice, was flying towards the Hall of Merit on his Spirit Sword, ready to undertake a family task.


    Upon landing at the entrance to the Hall of Merit and seeing a large number of clan members gathered around something, he couldn¡¯t help being drawn over.


    The onlookers greeted Lin Tianhong courteously as he approached, and Lin Tianhong returned their salutations with fist-and-palm salutes.


    After reading the content of the notice, Lin Tianhong began to ponder.


    The Lin Family¡¯s Enforcement Hall does organize personnel to venture into the mountain range for experience, but it¡¯s usually limited to the outermost areas, mainly clearing the vicinity of a few hundred miles near the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory. The scale isn¡¯t large, and as long as one doesn¡¯t go deep into the mountains, there¡¯s basically no risk.


    I¡¯m now capable of making Lingshen Pills. If I accept alchemy tasks, it¡¯s safer and the rewards are not bad either. However, I¡¯ve never had any real experience, nor have I ever truly fought using magic. This could be a very good opportunity.


    At this moment, Lin Tianhong was incredibly conflicted about whether to participate or not!


    ¡°Right, the sixth brother has a high cultivation level, and he has taken on guard tasks alone before. I should ask for his thoughts; maybe he¡¯ll go too!¡±


    Deciding, a hint of joy flashed across Lin Tianhong¡¯s face as he bid farewell to the clan members and flew toward Lin Tianming¡¯s residence.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianhong arrived outside the courtyard of Lin Tianming¡¯s home.


    Lin Tianming was just about to leave for the Enforcement Hall to sign up for the Monster Hunting Squad when he encountered Lin Tianhong descending from the sky.


    ¡°Sixth brother, are you going out? I have something to ask you!¡±


    Surprised, Lin Tianming quickly invited Lin Tianhong into the courtyard, and the two sat opposite each other.


    ¡°Second brother, what brings you here? Just say the word if there¡¯s anything I can help with, I will not refuse!¡±


    ¡°The family is organizing a Monster Hunting Squad to gain experience in the Luoyun Mountain Range. Have you heard about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, I was just about to head to the Enforcement Hall to sign up for the Monster Hunting Squad!¡±


    Hearing what Lin Tianming said, Lin Tianhong was overjoyed!


    ¡°That¡¯s great! I came to ask if you¡¯d like to join me, and now it¡¯s settled. We can fight side by side!¡±


    Surprised by Lin Tianhong¡¯s intentions, Lin Tianming knew that clan members with special skills naturally preferred safer tasks, and it was rare to find someone like Lin Tianhong who was willing to take risks.


    ¡°No time to delay, let¡¯s go to the Enforcement Hall to register right now.¡±


    The two left the courtyard together and flew toward the Enforcement Hall.


    All along the way, at many core locations of the family, clusters of clan members were discussing the matter of hunting demonic beasts. Lin Tianming and Lin Tianhong did not stop.


    Before long, the two appeared outside a cyan-grey pavilion, the very Enforcement Hall of the family. The two stepped inside the main hall without hesitation.


    Inside the main hall, Lin Tianfeng was also there. Seeing Lin Tianming and Lin Tianhong, he immediately greeted them!


    After exchanging courtesies, the three sat down together.


    ¡°Second brother, sixth brother, are you joining the Monster Hunting Squad?¡±


    Lin Tianhong also spoke up:


    ¡°Exactly, Tianming and I want to join the Monster Hunting Squad. Big brother, have you signed up?¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m going to participate. I¡¯ve already registered with Elder Wu. With me included, there are currently five people signed up. If you both join in, we can quickly reach ten people and set off.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming was quite surprised. It seemed that most of the family members were still concerned about the high risks and didn¡¯t want to participate, otherwise there wouldn¡¯t be so few.


    ¡°Big brother, take us to register!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Lin Tianfeng was very excited. He had always liked adventure and had joined the Law Enforcement Team early on, already having fought a few battles and gained rich experience.


    Many in the family had grown accustomed to a comfortable life. Opting for stability was still a good thing, but without boldness, it would be difficult to cultivate to higher levels. The Lin Family needed members who dared to take risks.


    The three of them stood up and walked to the depths of the grand hall, where they met Lin Shiji.


    Lin Tianming and his brothers bowed with their fists clasped and explained their purpose.


    Lin Shiji was quite surprised. Although he had known that Tian Ming would participate, he had not expected Tianhong to sign up as well!


    Lin Shiji¡¯s expression remained calm as he spoke solemnly,


    ¡°This time is not like the minor skirmishes of the past, but a real fight against demonic beasts, and we might even encounter second-order ones. The risk is indeed not small.¡±


    ¡°Have you thought this through?¡±


    Lin Tianming and his company answered in unison, with conviction,


    ¡°We have thought it through!¡±


    Lin Shilu took out a piece of beast skin and recorded the names of Lin Tianming and his companion. Then he asked for their Family Tokens. Their tokens were updated with an additional twenty merit points, and Tianming¡¯s with thirty.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re now registered. You¡¯ll be part of the first squad. Gather at the Enforcement Hall in seven days and then depart for the Luoyun Mountain Range.¡±


    ¡°The additional merit points promised by the family have already been awarded to you. In these few days, prepare well, especially with elixirs and talismans. This journey won¡¯t be short, and injuries are inevitable, so try to prepare as many resources as you can!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Tianming and his companions clasped their fists and left the Enforcement Hall.


    Outside the grand hall, Tianfeng and his companion were all smiles, loudly boasting about how many demonic beasts they would kill, which made Tianming smile slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the Hall of Merit to exchange some talisman paper and elixirs. Do you two want to come along?¡±


    ¡°Big brother, I¡¯ll come too!¡±


    ¡°Big brother, you two go ahead, I¡¯ve already prepared in advance!¡±


    After speaking, Tianming took out two bottles of elixirs. They were the Superior Spirit Essence Pills he had concocted himself, which he then gave to his brothers.


    ¡°Sixth brother, thank you for your kindness, but as your elder, how could I take things from you!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, I¡¯m an alchemist myself, and I¡¯m not really short on elixirs. You keep them.¡±


    ¡°Come on, I still have plenty of elixirs. Consider this a small token of my sentiment, don¡¯t refuse it.¡±


    After Tianming¡¯s persistent insistence, they finally accepted the gift.


    The three shared a knowing smile, and Tianming clasped his hands in farewell before taking off on his Spirit Sword.


    Left behind, Tianfeng took an elixir out after Tianming disappeared, revealing a surprised expression.


    ¡°Second brother, take a look at this Lingshen Pill, doesn¡¯t it seem different?¡±


    Tianhong shuddered as he looked and responded in shock,


    ¡°This¡­ really is different, the medicinal strength feels almost stronger by a notch or two compared to regular Lingshen Pills!¡±


    As an alchemist, although Tianhong¡¯s success rate in concocting Lingshen Pills was relatively low, having succeeded a few times, he could easily recognize the difference in the pills.


    However, where these Superior Spirit Essence Pills came from was a mystery. If they were crafted by Lin Shigong, it might make sense. But if they were the work of Tian Ming, it would be truly frightening!


    Time passed, and the two eventually calmed down and flew together to the Hall of Merit.


    ¡°`


    New n????vel chapters are published on .c¦Ò?.

 Chapter 61 - 61 - 59 Entering the Mountain_1

    Chapter 61 ¨C 59 Entering the Mountain_1


    Back at his family¡¯s small courtyard, Lin Tianming entered the secret chamber.


    It was still early, and he could cultivate in seclusion before departure, striving to enhance his strength as much as possible. The stronger he was, the easier it would be to survive.


    After swallowing a Lingshen Pill, he activated his cultivation technique to refine the power contained in the elixir. Streams of spiritual power slowly flowed into his Seven Sea Dantian, causing his Qi Sea to expand at a faint rate.


    Looking down at the spiritual power in his Qi Sea, which was nearly half full, each stream brimming with immense energy, a hint of a smile crossed Lin Tianming¡¯s face.


    Seven days passed in this manner.


    Within the secret chamber, Lin Tianming opened his eyes that had been shut for several days, a gleam flashing in the corners.


    ¡°Huff¡­¡±


    ...


    He exhaled a few breaths of stale air and got up to leave the secret chamber.


    In the evening, as a light breeze blew, the Lin family sat in the courtyard, casually chatting.


    Lin Shigong had also returned, babbling as always.


    ¡°Remember to follow the team, do not act alone. I¡¯ve already instructed Fifth Brother to keep a close watch on you¡­¡±


    And so on¡­


    Listening to his grandfather¡¯s nagging and his mother¡¯s admonitions, Lin Tianming felt warmth in his heart despite having heard them several times before.


    Though the Lin Family¡¯s foundations were weak, at the end of the day, it was still a reliance, a bond, and a faith.


    Faith is a peculiar thing. Without faith, without goals, there is no motivation. People without these live their lives in a muddle.


    After sipping some Spiritual Tea, Lin Tianming spoke with a faint smile.


    ¡°Grandfather, Mother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve grown up. I¡¯ll take good care of myself and act within my capabilities. You can rest assured, I will definitely make you proud!¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s resolute eyes, grandfather and mother did not say much more.


    Lin Tianming then shifted the topic to his younger sister.


    After all, he had grown up and wouldn¡¯t spend much time at Green Bamboo Mountain. She would be the only company for grandfather and mother.


    In recent years, Lin Tianyue had been cultivating diligently. Thanks to the abundant resources provided by Lin Tianming and grandfather, she led her peers in cultivation among the children of her age, becoming the first to break through to the Third Level of Qi Refining. She had already started learning the basics and just lacked practical experience.


    Unfortunately, Lin Tianyue was not interested in alchemy, but rather had a keen interest in talisman paper. Otherwise, with the guidance of the two most skilled alchemists from the Lin Family, she could have achieved twice the result with half the effort.


    Lin Shigong tried to persuade her many times but could not change her mind. Lin Tianming, on the other hand, was quite open-minded, thinking that choosing a preferred skill could lead to even greater achievements.


    The warm scene, bathed in moonlight, brought a harmonious end to the family¡¯s casual conversation.


    The next morning, Lin Tianming bid his mother farewell and left the house. The Purple Gold Eagle followed behind as he flew towards the Enforcement Hall.


    It was still early, and in front of the deserted square, more than a dozen clan members had gathered.


    Lin Tianming descended nearby, greeted the many clan members, and then walked over to chat with Lin Tianfeng and others.


    Lin Tianfeng had also just arrived a short while ago. The three of them sized up the strength of the Monster Hunting Squad.


    Among the registered clan members, aside from the three of them from the Tian generation, the other seven were from the Xing generation.


    The cultivation levels of the seven clan uncles varied, with the highest being Lin Xingzhi at the Qi Refining Eighth Level, three at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, three at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, plus Lin Tianming at Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, Lin Tianfeng at Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, Lin Tianhong at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, and Lin Shiji at Qi Cultivation Great Perfection, this lineup was almost comparable to the strength of more than half of the Qi Refining Families.


    After half an hour, Lin Shiji arrived, and everyone saluted him.


    Taking out a small booklet, Lin Shiji glanced over everyone and nodded, confirming that the number of people was correct.


    ¡°Now that everyone has arrived, I¡¯ll say a few words!¡±


    ¡°The primary purpose of organizing this monster hunt is to train you. Therefore, you are a team, and all actions must be under command. Remember not to act alone or take unnecessary risks that could endanger fellow clan members.¡±


    ¡°Also, in the mountain range, we will inevitably encounter people from other families, and even many loose cultivators. Remember not to stir up trouble and bring unnecessary hassle.¡±


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late; let¡¯s set off!¡±


    Lin Shiji took the lead, with everyone following behind him.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, the group flew out of the Protective Clan Formation, gathered together, and waited for Lin Shiji¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Tianming, the journey is not short. Let your Purple Gold Eagle carry everyone for a part of the way. This can save us a lot of time and spiritual power.¡±


    Lin Tianming readily agreed, summoned the Purple Gold Eagle, and Lin Shiji leaped onto its back. Lin Tianming and the others quickly followed suit.


    Before long, all eleven people were on board, sitting on the ground, not at all cramped. As the Purple Gold Eagle had grown rapidly, it was now larger and capable of flying with more than ten people without affecting its speed. It could even handle a few more passengers without issue.


    Lin Shiji took out a map and pointed to a place named Qingyang Mountain, located over three hundred li to the west of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Tianming gave the command, and the Purple Gold Eagle, flapping its wings, soared to a hundred zhang high and flew westward.


    The Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s speed was swift, the strong wind whipping everyone¡¯s robes and making a fluttering noise.


    Lin Shiji sat at the forefront, as calm as a monk in meditation, his expression serene, lost in thought.


    Lin Tianming and the others were not on their first expedition either. Many clan members had combat experience, and Lin Tianfeng was even known as the family¡¯s battle maniac, having participated in several demonic beast encirclements, rich in experience.


    Lin Tianhong was quite nervous at this moment; his face showed a change of color, and cold sweat seeped from his forehead, prompting laughter and jest from everyone.


    In just half a day¡¯s time, with the speed of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming and his group had flown more than three hundred li and arrived at Qingyang Mountain, landing in a valley.


    Everyone jumped down from the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s back, and Lin Tianming put the eagle into the Spirit Beast Bag as he began to survey the area.


    The entire valley was verdant with vegetation covering a vast expanse of forest, and a river flowed through the valley from east to west.


    This place was on the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range. Further west was the gathering place of demonic beasts.


    After arranging the formation, Lin Shiji led the way, speeding westward.


    Everyone followed one after another, with Lin Tianming using his Divine Sense to carefully monitor every movement around them.


    Lin Xingzhi, aside from Lin Shiji, was the highest level practitioner present and walked at the rear of the group.


    The three younger members of the Lin Family, including Lin Tianming, walked in the middle, which allowed them more time to react to sudden situations and avoid being easily attacked.


    As they ventured deeper, the fog in the forest grew thicker, greatly affecting the scope of the Divine Sense, which reduced its coverage by thirty percent.


    Half a day passed, and Lin Tianming and his group had shuttled nearly a hundred li to the west, entering a valley.


    The whole valley was not large, only a few li in size, with sparse trees and interspersed with many stone forests.


    It was now evening when the demonic beasts became active, significantly increasing the likelihood of encountering them.


    Considering the safety of his clan members, Lin Shiji decided to spend the night here and continue on the next day.


    Everyone sat down in a circle to recuperate, leaving two people in a pair to take turns keeping watch. Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianfeng would take the last watch, while Lin Tianming paired with a clan uncle at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement for the first watch.


    Lin Tianming and his partner didn¡¯t practice cultivation; instead, they sat facing two different directions, north and south, carefully observing every movement around them.


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 Chapter 62 - 62 - 60 Attack_1

    Chapter 62 ¨C 60 Attack_1


    The sky gradually darkened, and a bright moon hung in the sky.


    It was just the start of the night, not yet the time when demonic beasts roamed, and all around was silent.


    Rustle, rustle, rustle¡­


    The gentle breeze stirred the leaves, creating bursts of sound.


    Lin Tianming sat to one side, closely observing the movements around him, and although it was not yet deep into the night, he had to be vigilant.


    An hour and a half passed, and in this time, nothing untoward happened. Lin Tianming was relieved from his duty, replaced by two other clan uncles to continue the night watch.


    After focusing intently for most of the day, he was now extremely tired.


    ...


    Lin Tianming and his clansmen sat together, circulating their cultivation techniques and began meditating. Despite the dangers in the area, the spiritual energy was quite dense, slowly restoring the spent spiritual power!


    In the deep of the night, Lin Xingzhi and Lin Xingcheng took over the responsibility of the night watch, sitting to one side, concentrating fully on monitoring the activities around them.


    Rustle, rustle, rustle¡­


    Rustle, rustle, rustle¡­


    Several such noises caught the attention of Lin Xingzhi.


    ¡°Xingcheng, have you noticed anything?¡±


    Lin Xingcheng explored their surroundings carefully but found nothing unusual.


    ¡°No, just some sounds of leaves rustling. Are you making too much out of it?¡±


    After hearing Lin Xingcheng¡¯s words, Lin Xingzhi did not relax his caution, but became even more careful.


    ¡°Could it be that I¡¯m overthinking it!¡±


    ¡°No, those few sounds just now, although nearly identical to the sound of wind blowing through leaves, were different. The sounds were noticeably sharper, with a faint clashing noise!¡±


    Rustle, rustle, rustle¡­


    Again came several noises, getting louder and closer!


    ¡°Everyone be alert, something¡¯s happening!¡±


    Lin Xingzhi suddenly shouted loudly, alarming those who were meditating; everyone got to their feet.


    At the same moment Lin Xingzhi raised the alarm, a piercing noise was heard.


    A huge scorpion, a full zhang in size, burst forth from the earth, rapidly speeding toward them.


    The entire scorpion was silvery-white with a golden tail stinger, and its two large claws were even bigger than a water bucket, looking fierce and malevolent.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Silver Earth Scorpion!¡±


    In the moment Lin Xingzhi warned of danger, the Silver Earth Scorpion was already less than ten zhang from him, close enough to attack instantly.


    The Silver Earth Scorpion already opened its gaping maw, extending its two large claws toward Lin Xingzhi in an attack.


    Fortunately, Lin Xingzhi had been alert, gripping a Superior Grade First Order defense talisman in his hand to prepare for emergencies.


    The instant he came under attack, Lin Xingzhi didn¡¯t hesitate to activate the defense talisman in his hand.


    The talisman transformed into an earthen wall, blocking the deadly strike from the Silver Earth Scorpion. Taking advantage of the beast being obstructed, Lin Xingzhi swiftly retreated to his people¡¯s side, watching the front warily.


    Its failed strike allowing the target to escape enraged the Silver Earth Scorpion, which emitted a sharp, angry shriek.


    Rustle, rustle, rustle¡­


    After more than ten breaths, over thirty Silver Earth Scorpions emerged from the ground, thoroughly surrounding Lin Tianming and his companions.


    The awakened members of the party each drew their Spiritual Artifacts, ready to battle at any moment.


    Lin Shiji¡¯s expression was serious as his mind raced.


    The number of Silver Earth Scorpions attacking them was not few; there were over thirty, with three Late Stage First Order Demonic Beasts among them, and the rest were mostly Mid Stage First Order with a small number of Early Stage.


    And the Silver Earth Scorpion that ambushed Lin Xingzhi was almost at the point of breaking through to the Second Order, posing the greatest threat. It seemed this was a clan, or there wouldn¡¯t be such numbers.


    Although there were not many at the First Order Late Stage, the quantity at the Medium Stage was overwhelming, with each person having to deal with several at once, creating significant pressure.


    ¡°Xingzhi, Xingcheng, you two are responsible for holding off the two Late Stage First Order Silver Earth Scorpions, Tianming, you and the others move quickly to eliminate the rest of the Silver Earth Scorpions. Be swift, lest other Demonic Beasts are attracted, which would complicate matters!¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After tasks were allocated, Lin Shiji summoned a Spirit Sword and took the initiative to attack the leading Silver Earth Scorpion.


    Seeing Lin Shiji¡¯s offensive, the leading Silver Earth Scorpion swiftly crawled forward to meet him, its speed astonishing.


    Within half a breath¡¯s time, Lin Shiji and the Silver Earth Scorpion were locked in combat.


    Lin Xingzhi and Lin Xingcheng each picked out a Silver Earth Scorpion and attacked.


    The rest of the people hurriedly followed suit, each summoning their Spiritual Artifacts to join the battle against the Silver Earth Scorpions.


    Instantly, a brilliant display of fire and various colors of sword light mixed with magical hues slashed through the night sky.


    ¡°Bang bang bang¡­¡±


    The entire valley was in turmoil, a constant clashing sound akin to metal striking metal, exceptionally grating on the ears.


    Lin Tianming wielded an Earth Evil Sword, swinging it several times in rapid succession, sending several Sword Qi strikes towards the Silver Earth Scorpions.


    ¡°Bang bang!¡±


    Two Silver Earth Scorpions, unable to avoid, were struck by Lin Tianming¡¯s Sword Qi and sent flying backward.


    The two struck Silver Earth Scorpions revealed several palm-sized cracks on their bodies, wailing in pain, they stood up again and lunged at Lin Tianming with their bites.


    ¡°They scarcely got hurt. The shell of these Silver Earth Scorpions is too formidable!¡±


    It should be known that although Lin Tianming was only at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, he could easily match the attack of an ordinary Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator with the usage of a Heavenly Grade Technique and Dual Cultivation of Body and Law!


    In the midst of his surprise, five Silver Earth Scorpions attacked again, assaulting Lin Tianming from different angles simultaneously.


    Lin Tianming leaped dozens of yards into the air and quietly stirred fifteen Earth Evil Swords into forming a Sword Array, enveloping a hundred yards radius below.


    Luckily, the Silver Earth Scorpions had extremely low Spirit Wisdom and were completely unprepared, getting trapped within the Sword Array without any defenses; among them, four of the Medium Stage and one of the Initial Stage.


    The five Silver Earth Scorpions seemed oblivious to the imminent danger until Sword Qi began to fill the area covered by the Sword Array. Only then did they sense the scent of death and scram to escape in all directions.


    The five Silver Earth Scorpions desperately rammed against the Sword Qi-created Sword Array, attempting to flee from this perilous place.


    Unfortunately, the Silver Earth Scorpions¡¯ impact force and defensive power were far from adequate. They were repeatedly repelled by the Sword Qi, covered in wounds.


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    ¡°Today is a good day to test the might of this Sword Array on you!¡±


    ¡°Annihilate!¡±


    As the space within the Sword Array shrank and the Sword Qi intensified, an Initial Stage Silver Earth Scorpion was directly beheaded by the Sword Qi, dying on the spot. The remaining four Silver Earth Scorpions struggled desperately to break free from the Sword Array¡¯s confinement.


    After more than a dozen breaths¡¯ time, the remaining four Silver Earth Scorpions were thoroughly exterminated. Lin Tianming heaved a sigh of relief and observed the situation of his clansmen, preparing to lend his aid.


    Not far from Lin Tianming, Lin Tianhong was being besieged by three Silver Earth Scorpions, two of Medium Stage and one of Initial Stage.


    At that moment, Lin Tianhong was in an exceptionally difficult situation, with several injuries on his body, more than half of his Spiritual Power depleted, and he was steadily being forced back.


    Lin Tianhong threw a First Order Medium Grade Defense Talisman, blocking the attack of the Silver Earth Scorpions and quickly retreating.


    Lin Tianming charged forward with a burst of speed, fully urging several Earth Evil Swords together into one Sword Qi strike. Launching a surprise attack, he directly slew one Medium Stage Silver Earth Scorpion.


    With Lin Tianming¡¯s intervention, the most significant threat was eliminated, allowing Lin Tianhong to regain his footing. With the pressure suddenly reduced, he began counterattacking, moving to kill the remaining two Silver Earth Scorpions.


    Elsewhere, Lin Tianfeng was also battling three Medium Stage Silver Earth Scorpions and not falling behind at all. Relying on his rich combat experience, he should manage to achieve victory.


    The other clansmen, not novices in fighting Demonic Beasts, were also holding their own against several Silver Earth Scorpions without faltering.

 Chapter 63 - 63 - 61 Group Battle_1

    Chapter 63 ¨C 61 Group Battle_1


    On another battlefield, Lin Shiji was engaged in a fierce battle with a Silver Earth Scorpion, and neither side seemed to gain much of an advantage.


    Following a brutal strike that repelled the Silver Earth Scorpion, Lin Shiji leaped onto a large rock dozens of feet in size, brought his palms together, and concentrated a Golden Sword Qi above his head, which he shot out, slashing towards the Silver Earth Scorpion.


    ¡°Damn beast, meet your death!¡±


    As the sword fell, a burst of Sword Qi exploded, sending sand and stones scattering within a range of dozens of feet. Wherever the sword light passed, two of the Silver Earth Scorpion¡¯s legs were severed by the Sword Qi.


    The Silver Earth Scorpion let out two agonizing howls, writhing in pain and becoming even more frenzied. As it bared its teeth in a grimace, it shot a dark brown poison from its tail stinger at Lin Shiji.


    Shocked, Lin Shiji¡¯s escape speed soared, instantly shifting more than ten feet away to land on a tree.


    While Lin Shiji narrowly avoided the attack, the rock he had just stepped on instantly dissolved into a pool of dark brown liquid, corroding a large hole in the ground.


    ...


    Seeing the power, Lin Shiji couldn¡¯t help but exclaim.


    ¡°This poison¡¯s corrosive strength is indeed formidable!¡±


    As the strike missed, the injured Silver Earth Scorpion contemplated retreating, burrowing into the ground and shuttling rapidly, planning to flee.


    Lin Shiji hurriedly followed, chasing after the escaping Silver Earth Scorpion, with a distance of dozens of feet between man and beast.


    Because the Silver Earth Scorpion had lost two legs, its speed was greatly reduced, but it was still very fast underground. Lin Shiji couldn¡¯t keep up for a short time, and the gap widened further.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming had just helped Lin Tianhong kill a Silver Earth Scorpion and was preparing to support Lin Shiji, but unexpectedly, the Silver Earth Scorpion actually fled, and it was heading straight in Lin Tianming¡¯s direction.


    Seeing Lin Tianming approaching from a distance, Lin Shiji was overjoyed and shouted eagerly,


    ¡°Tianming, stop this beast!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shiji¡¯s shout, Lin Tianming swiftly launched several Sword Qi attacks, heading straight for the underground, planning to force the Silver Earth Scorpion to the surface.


    ¡°Puff puff puff¡­¡±


    With several crisp sounds, the Sword Qi exploded just in front of the Silver Earth Scorpion. Hindered by the blasts, the escaping creature revealed half of its body.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t hesitate and took out an Attack Talisman, activating it immediately, turning it into a Golden Sword Qi that raced towards the Silver Earth Scorpion. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a bang, the Sword Qi struck the Silver Earth Scorpion, pushing it back several feet onto a colossal rock. The powerful impact shattered several pieces of the rock, and another leg of the Silver Earth Scorpion was severed, significantly slowing its speed.


    The Silver Earth Scorpion had not yet stabilized its body when Lin Tianming spared no effort and immediately operated the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to envelop the creature within.


    The panicked Silver Earth Scorpion desperately tried to break out of the Sword Array¡¯s range.


    Lin Tianming maintained the operation of the Sword Array at full strength, pushing the power of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to its limits. However, his Spiritual Power was draining rapidly.


    The Silver Earth Scorpion was extremely frenzied, ramming multiple times, and the strong impacts inflicted no small damage on Lin Tianming¡¯s psyche, causing a trace of blood to seep from the corner of his mouth.


    As his Spiritual Power was severely depleted, the Silver Earth Scorpion eventually escaped on the sixth charge.


    At this point, the Silver Earth Scorpion was covered in wounds with several legs injured by Sword Qi, and its burrowing speed was weakened yet again.


    Just as the Silver Earth Scorpion had broken free, Lin Shiji caught up and slashed out three swords in quick succession, with the furious Sword Qi heading straight for the injured beast.


    In the blink of an eye, the Golden Sword Qi struck the Silver Earth Scorpion¡¯s head.


    ¡°Puff puff puff¡­¡±


    Following several explosive sounds, the several-meter-long Silver Earth Scorpion collapsed onto the ground, crushing the stones beneath it into fragments.


    Seeing the strongest Silver Earth Scorpion dead, Lin Shiji and Lin Tianming finally let out a long sigh of relief, gasping for breath as they sat on the ground, clearly exhausted.


    ¡°Tian Ming, thankfully you held it off. We finally killed the beast.¡±


    Overflowing with joy, Lin Shiji smiled and sincerely praised Lin Tianming.


    If it weren¡¯t for Lin Tianming holding off the Silver Earth Scorpion, allowing him to arrive in time, exhausting all his Spiritual Power, and consecutively unleashing three Sword Qi, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill the beast so smoothly. Otherwise, given the Silver Earth Scorpion¡¯s speed¡ªeven if it were slightly injured¡ªcatching up to it would have been nearly impossible.


    Meanwhile, with Lin Tianfeng and the others successfully dealing with the Silver Earth Scorpions they were fighting, they immediately aided the other clan members. After a tough battle, not a single one of the thirty-plus Silver Earth Scorpions escaped; all perished there.


    At this point, the valley was strewn with severed limbs. The trees and stones that had once stood there were now broken or shattered, the whole place a complete mess.


    The eleven of them sat in a circle, each tremendously drained, but all had smiles on their faces. They each took a Huiyuan Pill and sat down to meditate, recovering their depleted Spiritual Power.


    Since it was Lin Tianhong¡¯s first time in real combat, he lacked experience and still got quite injured with the help of his clansmen, but no one perished, which was extremely fortunate.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, as everyone¡¯s Spiritual Power had started to recover, Lin Shiji stood up and instructed them.


    ¡°Quickly remove the carapaces and Demon Cores from these Silver Earth Scorpions. Don¡¯t forget the poison stingers and the two large pincers¡ªtheir parts are excellent materials for Artifact Refining.¡±


    ¡°We can also collect some of their venom, and the flesh can be taken back; consuming it over time is beneficial!¡±


    Upon hearing the orders, a hint of joy flashed across everyone¡¯s faces as they rushed toward the corpses of the Silver Earth Scorpions, separating all the useful parts.


    Although the battle was dangerous, and some were slightly injured while also expending some talisman paper and elixirs, the rewards were substantial, easily compensating for those losses and promising a good amount of Spirit Stones.


    The corpse of a Silver Earth Scorpion was a treasure all over; its Demon Core could be used for Alchemy, its carapace could be crafted into a defensive Spiritual Artifact, and its poison stingers and large pincers were valuable materials for Attack Spirit Weapons, which could fetch a good price.


    Everyone was busy disassembling the corpses of the Silver Earth Scorpions. Lin Tianming was not falling behind, removing the carapace from a First Order Middle Stage Silver Earth Scorpion¡ªindeed valuable, as even resisting one of his swords only caused a crack without affecting its suitability for Artifact Refining.


    A quarter of an hour passed, and the Silver Earth Scorpions¡ªonce bloodied and dismembered¡ªwere meticulously dismantled, their useful limbs stored in storage bags, while the useless parts were buried on the spot, leaving the chaotic valley much cleaner.


    After cleaning up the battlefield, everyone handed their storage bags over to Lin Shiji for safekeeping. Lin Shiji took out a piece of Beast Skin and recorded everyone¡¯s achievements. At the end of the hunting expedition, they would hand it over to the clan to exchange for Spirit Stones and distribute them according to their contributions.


    Taking the storage bags from everyone, Lin Shiji was very satisfied and arranged their next move.


    ¡°There was a sizable number of Silver Earth Scorpions; we must have intruded into their territory. Since we¡¯ve killed them all, there likely aren¡¯t many Silver Earth Scorpions of the First Order Middle Stage or above left. This area should be safe for now. Let¡¯s search the vicinity and see if we can find their lair; we might gain some more treasures. If found, immediately notify everyone!¡±


    ¡°Everyone split into pairs and search within a radius of more than ten miles. Remember not to go too far and accidentally enter the territory of other Demonic Beasts, as it would be very dangerous if we can¡¯t provide timely assistance!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Lin Tianming paired up with Lin Tianfeng, Lin Tianhong with Lin Xingzhi, and they were divided into five groups, each searching in different directions.


    Lin Tianming and his companion chose one direction and started their careful search.


    Half a quarter of an hour went by, and after covering quite a bit of ground, they found no traces.

 Chapter 64 - 64 - 62 Earth Mysterious Crystal_1

    Chapter 64 ¨C 62 Earth Mysterious Crystal_1


    ¡°`


    Lin Tianming and another carefully searched, walking more than ten miles away.


    Unintentionally, they arrived at a Stone Forest, spanning about a thousand acres, surrounded by valley and thick fog.


    Lin Tianming suddenly stopped in his tracks, opened his Eye of Five Colors, and observed the area.


    ¡°Huh, there¡¯s something strange here!¡±


    The earth attribute Spiritual Energy in the entire Stone Forest was particularly intense, the ratio was significantly higher than other places.


    ¡°Brother, have you noticed anything special about this place?¡±


    ...


    Lin Tianfeng had already checked several times, and apart from being very concealed and greatly limited Divine Sense, there was nothing else strange.


    ¡°Sixth brother, did you see anything different?¡±


    ¡°Um, the earth attribute Spiritual Energy here is very concentrated, with Stone Forest spread all over, and considering the Silver Earth Scorpions are earth attribute Demonic Beasts, I reckon, there¡¯s a high chance this is their den!¡±


    After being reminded by Lin Tianming, Lin Tianfeng hurriedly projected his Divine Sense and carefully sensed the differences in the Spiritual Energy.


    After some perception, Lin Tianfeng said with a smile:


    ¡°Indeed, if one doesn¡¯t carefully explore, they really won¡¯t find it!¡±


    Lin Tianming immediately transmitted the news to the other clan members, and the two watched the movements within the Stone Forest with vigilance.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed, and upon receiving the transmission, Lin Shiji and a group of clan members gathered behind Lin Tianming.


    Lin Shiji asked calmly, ¡°Tianming, have you found the den of the Silver Earth Scorpions?¡±


    ¡°Elder Wu, it is almost certain it¡¯s this place, let me try and then we¡¯ll know!¡±


    Taking out an Earth Evil Sword, Lin Tianming swung it three times, sending three waves of Sword Qi straight into the Stone Forest.


    ¡°Pfft pfft pfft¡­¡±


    The ground shook a few times, and several large rocks were shattered by the Sword Qi, scattering in all directions.


    Sounds of crawling came from the Stone Forest, quite noisy, judging from the numbers, there should be quite a few Demonic Beasts.


    ¡°Ssss ssss ssss¡­¡±


    Startled, one Silver Earth Scorpion after another scuttled up from the ground, at least thirty of them, scurrying to escape.


    Having confirmed that this place was the Silver Earth Scorpion¡¯s territory, Lin Shiji began to give orders.


    ¡°Hmph, they are merely Silver Earth Scorpions in the First Order Initial Phase, there aren¡¯t many in the Medium Stage, everyone quickly surround and kill them, don¡¯t let them escape!¡±


    Everyone drew their weapons and quickly encircled the Stone Forest, there were no Silver Earth Scorpions in the First Order Late Stage, these in the Initial Phase would eventually be killed.


    Lin Tianming consecutively unleashed several slashes, the Silver Earth Scorpions in the First Order Initial Phase simply couldn¡¯t withstand, and were killed one after another, those in the First Order Medium Stage couldn¡¯t last much longer, it just took a bit more effort.


    In just half a quarter of an hour, all the juvenile Silver Earth Scorpions were killed.


    Quickly clearing the battlefield, everyone gathered together again.


    ¡°The entire Silver Earth Scorpion group has been killed, there shouldn¡¯t be any dangers inside, still, be cautious, in pairs of two, go in and scour, hopefully we can find some useful items.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shiji¡¯s instructions, everyone couldn¡¯t wait and rushed into the Stone Forest.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Tianfeng paired up and quickly moved through the Stone Forest, carefully searching.


    ¡°Earth Spirit Ganoderma¡±


    Lin Tianfeng showed a flash of delight, quickly collecting several Earth Spirit Ganoderma.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, everyone had scoured the whole Stone Forest and finally gathered together.


    ¡°I found three Earth Spirit Ganoderma!¡±


    ¡°I found two Earth Spirit Ganoderma!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Lin Tianfeng also began to report: ¡°I found five Earth Spirit Ganoderma!¡±


    ¡°`


    Lin Tianming searched many areas as well, but he found nothing at all.


    Lin Shiji showed a hint of disappointment. With such a large Silver Earth Scorpion group and such an extensive cave system, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator entering it and facing the combined attack of the entire Silver Earth Scorpion group wouldn¡¯t come out with much of a benefit.


    After over ten people exerted so much effort, they had only found a little over a dozen Earth Spirit Ganoderma, worth just over two hundred Spirit Stones¡ªnot considered a significant gain at all.


    With a hint of disappointment in his expression, Lin Shiji said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s just leave.¡±


    Just as Lin Shiji turned around, Lin Tianming spoke up.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Lin Shiji turned back, looking at Lin Tianming with a puzzled face.


    ¡°Elder Wu, the proportion of earth attribute Spiritual Energy here is extremely high, which is very strange. Allow me to investigate a bit more; there might be some unexpected discoveries!¡±


    Having said that, Lin Tianming went straight to the depths of the Stone Forest to a spot where the earth attribute Spiritual Energy was the densest. He took out the Earth Evil Sword and began to wave it, stroke after stroke.


    A quarter of an hour later, a hole a few dozen feet wide appeared in the center of the Stone Forest, more than ten feet deep.


    The deeper they dug, the denser the earth attribute Spiritual Energy became. The soil gradually turned into rocks, making it increasingly difficult to excavate.


    Everyone jumped in and began to help with the digging.


    An hour passed, and they had dug nearly four hundred feet deep. The originally loose soil had transformed into rock, significantly harder, and every foot they dug required a great deal of effort. Two of the clan uncles were already thinking of giving up; one of them tried to persuade the others,


    ¡°Tianming, stop digging, we¡¯ve already wasted several hours. It¡¯s unlikely we¡¯ll find anything else!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, let¡¯s call it quits!¡±


    Another uncle chimed in. Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong wanted to speak up for Lin Tianming but, considering their lower status and strength, they ended up not saying anything. They could only sigh in resignation and continued to dig alongside Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming ignored their advice and kept digging tirelessly as he neared a depth of five hundred feet. The soil that was originally black had turned to a lighter shade of gray, and with every foot dug, it became increasingly difficult.


    Lin Tianming grew even more confident that there must be some earth attribute Spiritual Objects in this place, and as a result, he worked even harder.


    Another hour passed, and at that point, they had dug beyond five hundred feet deep.


    Lin Tianming struck fiercely with his sword, breaking open a half-a-foot wide hole in the gray rock wall. A strong surge of earth attribute Spiritual Energy rushed at them through the opening.


    Looking inside through the gap, a fist-sized rock of grayish-white stood out against the darker stones, catching the eye.


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed, exclaiming, S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°There¡¯s a discovery here!¡±


    All the clan members felt the intense and rich change in the Spiritual Energy and, hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s shout, gathered around.


    Lin Tianming carefully used the Earth Evil Sword to extract the grayish-white rock, examining it closely.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Earth Mysterious Crystal!¡±


    Lin Tianming was certain. Although he wasn¡¯t an Artifact Refiner, he had read many books on Spirit Materials and was familiar with some common ones.


    The Earth Mysterious Crystal was a Second Order Inferior Spirit Ore of great value, useful in the crafting of Defensive Spiritual Tools. Adding just a small amount could greatly enhance the Defensive Spiritual Tools¡¯ defensive power and ductility, making it a high-quality material for Artifact Refining.


    The amount Lin Tianming held in his hands could be used three times more than enough for creating a First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Artifact and was worth hundreds of Spirit Stones.


    Now, all the clan members were extremely excited. The two uncles who had wanted to give up earlier shamelessly praised Lin Tianming for his insight.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t pay them any heed and handed the Earth Mysterious Crystal to Lin Shiji for confirmation.


    Taking the Earth Mysterious Crystal, Lin Shiji weighed it thoughtfully several times and said with certainty,


    ¡°This is undoubtedly an Earth Mysterious Crystal. This place must be a small Spirit Vein. The only question is the amount of reserves. You all keep digging and explore how much there is. I¡¯ll go out right away and set up a concealed Formation to hide this place.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The crowd responded in unison, digging vigorously.


    Lin Shiji turned around and flew out of the cave, stopping outside the Stone Forest.


    He took out an Array Plate and four Array Flags from his storage bag, quickly setting up a Formation that enveloped the entire Stone Forest. Then he put up several Illusion Techniques to fully conceal the Stone Forest.

 Chapter 65 - 65 - 63 Mining_1

    Chapter 65 ¨C 63 Mining_1


    After arranging the formation and activating it, a nearly transparent light curtain enveloped the entire Stone Forest.


    This was a set of First Order Medium Grade array plate and array flags, named the Kui Star Array, specially borrowed from the clan for this monster hunt. It was quite valuable and could be used for trapping enemies and defense. It could even withstand attacks from Foundation Establishment Cultivators for a short period.


    Having set up the formation, Lin Shiji clasped his hands and began to mutter incantations.


    ¡°Swift.¡±


    Once the illusion technique was successfully deployed, the area that had been a Stone Forest transformed quietly into a small valley, indistinguishable from the surrounding hillsides in its ordinariness.


    Having arranged two illusion techniques in succession, Lin Shiji was very satisfied. Although they were now close to the inner region of the Luoyun Mountain Range, it was hard to guarantee that no cultivators would pass by and discover something. With the formation and illusion disguising the area, the clan members would be much safer.


    After repeatedly ensuring there were no errors, Lin Shiji turned and entered the cave.


    ...


    Inside the cave, Lin Tianming and the others were all gathered together, discussing.


    Upon investigation, the entire Spirit Vein was located beneath the Stone Forest at a depth of over five hundred feet, covering an area of seven to eight hundred mu. The thickness of the Spirit Ore was less than a hundred feet, indeed a small spirit vein.


    Although the vein spanned nearly a thousand mu, ninety-nine percent of it was ordinary rock, and very hard at that, making excavation quite difficult.


    Seeing Lin Shiji come down, everyone respectfully greeted him.


    ¡°Tianming, what are the results of the exploration? How large is the reserve, and what is the difficulty in mining?¡±


    Lin Shiji¡¯s string of questions also reflected his anticipation for how much they might actually gain.


    ¡°Elder Wu, after exploring, we¡¯ve found that this is a tiny Spirit Vein, covering more than seven hundred mu. We cannot accurately estimate the total reserves just yet; we can only get the actual amount after mining it all. I suspect the reserves won¡¯t be large, otherwise, this place wouldn¡¯t be occupied by just a First Order Silver Earth Scorpion!¡±


    Most people agreed with Lin Tianming¡¯s speculation; if it were a large vein, the Silver Earth Scorpion colony wouldn¡¯t be able to defend it, and cultivators would have already discovered it.


    After Lin Tianming¡¯s analysis, Lin Shiji¡¯s excited expression calmed a bit.


    ¡°Alright, since the reserve is not large, let¡¯s not report it to the clan just yet. This place is hundreds of miles from our clan territory, and many cultivators come here for trials. If it¡¯s discovered, we could have serious trouble. You all start mining as quickly as possible. Whatever Earth Mysterious Crystals you find will be your own. I¡¯ll keep watch outside.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Everyone started mining with full enthusiasm, even those clan members who had initially advised Lin Tianming to give up on the excavation, now vigorously wielded their Spiritual Artifacts and dug hard.


    The whole cave was bustling with activity, the ten cultivators working like mortals tilling the fields, except their hoes were replaced by various oddly shaped Spiritual Artifacts.


    Lin Tianming was bare-shouldered, his impressive muscles exposed, drenched in sweat as he dug. Being a Body Cultivator, he made use of his strength of over a thousand jin, which allowed him to dig much faster.


    In half a day¡¯s time, Lin Tianhong nearby was already at the brink of collapse. With his Fifth Level Qi Refinement cultivation, digging through these extremely hard rocks was indeed strenuous, and his speed was nowhere near Lin Tianming¡¯s.


    The clan members started the excavation around the edge of the Spirit Vein. It took them half a month to make a complete circle, yielding only one or two Earth Mysterious Crystals of small size, but they were already content with this.


    Two months flew by, and the land below had completely changed. On top of the former Spirit Vein, ten channels about half a zhang in size appeared, all neatly piercing through beneath the Stone Forest.


    For over two months, everyone had barely rested, working day and night at the excavation.


    As the last ten or so mu were excavated, everyone was so exhausted they slumped together, gasping for air.


    At that moment, all the clan members were ragged, sweaty, and grimy, looking little different from the beggars of the Secular World, perhaps even more pitiful.


    As a Body Cultivator, Lin Tianming¡¯s overall condition was much better. After sending a message to Lin Shiji, Lin Tianming sat down on the ground to wait for him.


    It only took a dozen or so breaths for Lin Shiji to walk in, his face beaming with joy, impatient to ask about their findings.


    ¡°Uncle Wu, I dug up eleven pieces!¡±


    A clan member from the Xing generation was visibly excited, grinning broadly as he took eleven Earth Mysterious Crystals out of his storage bag, most of them the size of a fist.


    ¡°I dug up thirteen pieces!¡±


    Another clan uncle took out his Earth Mysterious Crystals, piling them together with the rest.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, it was the turn of the three juniors, including Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianfeng took out nine Earth Mysterious Crystals from his storage bag, surprising all the elders.


    After all, excavating a single Earth Mysterious Crystal was no easy task. It was still manageable near the fringe areas, but as one went deeper, the rocks became harder. It often required resting for half a day after digging for half, and it was common to find nothing even after digging for more than ten days.


    With Lin Tianfeng being only at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, his yield could compare with the elders at the Seventh or Eighth Level, which was indeed surprising.


    Seeing Lin Tianfeng handing over so many, Lin Tianhong didn¡¯t want to fall behind and took out seven Earth Mysterious Crystals, placing them aside.


    Lin Tianhong, with the lowest cultivation, also had seven Earth Mysterious Crystals, which was certainly not easy.


    Lin Shiji nodded in satisfaction. The harvests of the two juniors were not inferior to those of the Xing Clan Members, which was both unexpected and delightful.


    Lin Tianming was the last one, and with his strength and luck, Lin Shiji¡¯s expectation grew even stronger.


    Without any hesitation, Lin Tianming cheerfully took out twenty-eight Earth Mysterious Crystals from his storage bag and set them aside.


    The crowd inhaled sharply in astonishment. Although they had suspected that Lin Tianming¡¯s haul would not be small, they had not expected it to be this substantial.


    Among the other nine, Lin Xingzhi had the most, with only fifteen pieces. Lin Tianming¡¯s harvest was almost double that, truly frightening.


    In fact, Lin Tianming had not taken out everything and had kept five larger ones for himself, believing that the others had not fully disclosed their finds either. After all, these were personal gains, and it was reasonable to volunteer some while keeping a few.


    By now, the fist-sized Earth Mysterious Crystals had nearly piled into a small hill.


    Lin Shiji was very excited, his old face flushed with exhilaration. The family had expended its assets accumulated over decades to refine the Minor Foundation Building Pill and was currently facing financial difficulties.


    These hundred-plus Earth Mysterious Crystals were worth at least twenty thousand Spirit Stones. Other than the rewards for the clan members, some profit in Spirit Stones could also lighten the family¡¯s financial burden.


    All present smiled knowingly, and many clan members started to express their emotions.


    They felt fortunate to have joined the Monster Hunting Squad. The profit from selling the materials of the Silver Earth Scorpion and Earth Spirit Ganoderma alone was worth quite a few Spirit Stones. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone had dug up a significant number of Earth Mysterious Crystals; even Lin Tianhong, who had the least, could expect a reward of at least a thousand Spirit Stones.


    With such a substantial amount of Spirit Stones, reaching the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage was not far off. If one could save up eight thousand Spirit Stones, exchanging them for a Minor Foundation Building Pill and entering the Foundation Establishment Stage was a possibility.


    At that moment, Lin Shiji spoke up, bringing the clan members back from their reveries.


    ¡°I will take care of the Earth Mysterious Crystals for now. I have recorded the amount each person has contributed, and when we return to the clan, head to the Hall of Merit to claim your rewards.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still early, and everyone is quite tired. You may cultivate here for two days, and we¡¯ll set out again after that for some training nearby.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    After responding in unison, everyone sat down where they were and began their cultivation.

 Chapter 66 - 66 - 64: Being the Yellow Sparrow for Once_1

    Chapter 66 ¨C 64: Being the Yellow Sparrow for Once_1


    Outside Stone Forest, Lin Tianming and the others had gathered together, each one of them brimming with smiles. The fatigue they had previously shown had long since disappeared; after two days of rest and recovery, all the clan members had returned to their optimal condition.


    Lin Shiji, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes and looked at the assembled crowd, making arrangements for the next steps.


    Having entered the Luoyun Mountain Range for two and a half months, there was still some time left before the six-month period was up.


    Although the group¡¯s gains had far exceeded expectations, their soaring spirits led him to decide to continue with the adventure.


    The Array Flags were retracted, the cave entrance was buried, and they made sure to conceal any traces of the skirmishes as much as possible.


    After confirming that nothing had been missed, Lin Shiji took out a map made from Beast Skin and repeatedly confirmed their direction.


    Since the western part was the inner region of the Luoyun Mountain Range, where even Second Order Demonic Beasts sometimes appeared, the Monster Hunting Squad did not dare to tread lightly there due to their limited strength.


    ...


    The south, however, was a good choice; close to the Purple Cloud Mountain Range near Huangyang Kingdom, the area was sparsely populated and not too far from Green Bamboo Mountain. It was relatively safe, and they could also clear out the Demonic Beasts around the Mortal Towns for training.


    Having made up their minds, the group set off on their journey.


    After surviving an attack by Demonic Beasts, everyone was extremely cautious, and even under the bright sunshine, they dared not let their guard down.


    Lin Shiji led the clan members through the outer regions of the Luoyun Mountain Range, searching for Spiritual Medicine and hunting Demonic Beasts as they went.


    In a beautiful valley on the south side of Green Bamboo Mountain, at the outer borders of the Luoyun Mountain Range,


    Lin Tianhong was locked in fierce combat with an Azure Toad Beast in the First Order Middle Stage, exchanging numerous blows. The rest of the clan members had no intention of helping and were all watching the fight. Lin Tianming occasionally discussed the situation with Lin Tianfeng.


    ¡°Big brother, how long do you think it will take Second Brother to kill the Azure Toad Beast?¡±


    Lin Tianfeng furrowed his brows, sharing his opinion while watching Lin Tianhong¡¯s battle tactics.


    ¡°I believe Second Brother can claim victory, but it will take at least several dozen more exchanges. Although the Azure Toad Beast¡¯s attack power isn¡¯t strong, its speed is incredibly fast and very troublesome to handle. Even if I were to step in, it would require quite an effort!¡±


    As the two were conversing, the wounds on the Azure Toad Beast¡¯s body multiplied, and Lin Tianhong steadily gained the upper hand.


    Lin Tianhong brought his hands together, a Flaming Red Sword Qi forming above his head, and he slashed directly towards the Azure Toad Beast.


    ¡°Huoyuan Slash¡±


    As an Alchemist, Lin Tianhong naturally possessed a Fire Spiritual Root. For him, the Fire Origin Decision¡ªone of the Lin Family¡¯s few Fire-attribute Profound Grade Techniques¡ªwas the clear choice for a Cultivation Technique. Although the Sword Qi Lin Tianhong had mustered was noticeably less potent than Lin Tianming¡¯s at the same level, it was not far off.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    As the Flaming Red Sword Qi closed in, the Azure Toad Beast desperately tried to evade, but the attack¡¯s speed was too fast, and unable to escape, it suffered a fatal blow solidly.


    The half-zhang-sized Azure Toad Beast was struck by the Sword Qi, a huge wound opening up on its neck, nearly severing its head from its body.


    After a tough fight, the Azure Toad Beast was slain. Lin Tianhong removed its Demon Core and some useful materials, then retreated to the side to rest and recuperate.


    Over the past two months, whenever they encountered Demonic Beasts in the First Order Initial Phase or Middle Stage, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong took turns combating them. Through these trials, they quickly improved their combat experiences.


    Lin Tianhong¡¯s progress was particularly noticeable; he was now easily handling most of the First Order Middle Stage Demonic Beasts, a significant improvement from his beleaguered state during the Silver Earth Scorpion¡¯s encirclement. If he were to battle three Silver Earth Scorpions again, even without Lin Tianming¡¯s assistance, he would not be in mortal peril.


    Lin Tianming also took action thrice, each time against First Order Late Stage Demonic Beasts, and each time he pushed himself to his limits.


    After several fights, the greatest achievement was bringing the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to the Minor Achievement Realm; it could now be deployed in an instant, with increased precision and power. Even without the assistance of talisman paper and other external forces, facing a First Order Late Stage Demonic Beast alone became quite effortless, a significant progress.


    However, over more than half a month, the Monster Hunting Squad hadn¡¯t found much Spiritual Medicine, killing only about a dozen Demonic Beasts, and obtained some Artifact Refining Materials, which wasn¡¯t worth many Spirit Stones.


    This gain, compared to the group battle in the Stone Forest, was negligible. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no helping it; finding even the tiny Earth Mysterious Crystal Spirit Ore was already a stroke of good luck. In the outer areas of the Luoyun Mountain Range, countless cultivators trained and sought treasures every day, and the vast majority of treasures had long been claimed. Second Order Spirit Ores like Earth Mysterious Crystals were rare, truly a matter of luck and not something one could simply find.


    A group of clansmen continued on their way, traversing within the mountains and ridges.


    In the southern part of the Luoyun Mountain Range, several days passed by while Lin Tianming and his group were journeying through a dense forest.


    Suddenly, the leader Lin Shiji halted, his expression serious, signaling that there was a situation ahead.


    ¡°Stop, take cover.¡±


    At his instruction, everyone leapt into the thick bushes, concealing their auras, blending in with the surrounding foliage.


    More than ten breaths passed in a tense atmosphere, and two injured Yellow Spirit Monkeys briefly stopped in the dense forest in front of them before hastily escaping deeper into the woods.


    Just after the Yellow Spirit Monkeys vanished, and merely ten or so breaths later, five cultivators arrived in pursuit, stopping at the tree where the monkeys had been.


    All five cultivators had at least reached the Qi Refining Eighth Level, with the leader named Song Lixin at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage. He was the founder of this Monster Hunting Squad, rich in hunting experience, and frequented both the Purple Cloud Mountain Range and the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Song Lixin paused where the Yellow Spirit Monkeys had passed, looked at a few drops of blood on the ground before him, and appeared to be pondering something as he gazed in the direction the monkeys had fled.


    ¡°Daoist Chen, these Yellow Spirit Monkeys escape too quickly, they¡¯re agile and cunning. After chasing them for half a day, we¡¯re finally closing in. They¡¯re injured now, let¡¯s follow the blood trail and hurry up!¡±


    Hearing Song Lixin¡¯s words, the other cultivators were excited and readily agreed.


    The five of them followed the blood trail of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys and chased after them into the depths of the forest.


    After half an hour, Lin Shiji emerged, gathering the clansmen together with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°This Monster Hunting Squad is strong, though fewer in number than us, all are above the Qi Refining Eighth Level, with one at the Great Perfection Realm leading them. They¡¯re going to great lengths to hunt down two Yellow Spirit Monkeys, which surely means they¡¯re after something big. What do you all think?¡±


    The clansmen expressed their opinions, with two cultivators at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining suggesting retreat, while others suggested following to see what was happening before deciding. The three young members, including Lin Tianming, being of relatively low strength, kept silent.


    Seeing Lin Tianming not speaking, Lin Shiji proactively asked for his opinion.


    ¡°Elder Wu, esteemed clan uncles, they just passed through the forest in front of us. The fact that they didn¡¯t discover us at such a close distance is good news.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of their intention, we should follow them and see what opportunity unfolds. A man doesn¡¯t grow rich without his fair share of chance, nor does a horse fatten without its night grazing. If it truly is an opportunity, why not seize the chance to be the mantis stalking the cicada?¡±


    After listening, the clansmen generally agreed with this idea. Greater risks could mean greater rewards; if the younger members were unafraid, what was there for them to fear?


    Seeing no objections from the clansmen, Lin Shiji gave further instructions.


    ¡°Their squad is not weak; everyone must remember to be careful and cautious, not to expose our location and intent. If they engage in combat, don¡¯t hold back, let none escape, or we may bring disaster upon our family. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Lin Shiji led the way, with everyone carefully suppressing their auras and stealthily following behind Song Lixin¡¯s Monster Hunting Squad.

 Chapter 67 - 67 - 65 Watching the Battle _1

    Chapter 67 ¨C 65 Watching the Battle _1


    In the depths of the dense forest, Song Lixin and his four companions paused atop a large tree, no longer pushing forward.


    The blood trail had abruptly vanished at this location, and the Yellow Spirit Monkey that had been pursued for half a day was nowhere to be seen; the reason for this was unknown.


    Leading the group, Song Lixin scrutinized the dense forest ahead with meticulous eyes.


    At this moment, the forest was eerily silent, with an unsettling air hanging in the still atmosphere.


    Furrowing his brows, Song Lixin formed hand seals with both hands, casting several spells in quick succession that shot directly into the forest in front of them.


    Waves of energy shattered the shrubbery in the vicinity of a hundred acres, felling swathes of trees cut at midsection¡ªhuge trees over thirty feet tall toppled in all directions, kicking up clouds of dust that obscured the vision of the group temporarily.


    With the cultivation of Complete Qi Refining combined with his unrestrained attacks, Song Lixin flattened what had been an intensely thick forest.


    ...


    After a brief moment, as the billowing dust dispersed, a hill approximately a hundred feet tall was revealed.


    Looking more closely, the entire hill spanned several hundred acres, with several lush fruit trees growing upon it¡ªeach tree about a few dozen feet tall and sparsely dotted with some red fruits.


    The cultivator surnamed Chen immediately cried out in astonishment.


    ¡¯It¡¯s the Jade Spirit Fruit, we¡¯re going to be rich!¡¯


    The rest of the cultivators were greatly excited, having let go of the Yellow Spirit Monkey, they had followed behind simply to find the spiritual objects of its territory; Song Lixin¡¯s guess had proven correct, and the four of them began to flatter him in turn.


    Hearing the obsequious words of the cultivators, Song Lixin nodded with satisfaction.


    ¡¯You¡¯re all a bit too early with your celebrations; though we¡¯ve found the spiritual objects, they won¡¯t be so easy to obtain. Yellow Spirit Monkeys are communal demonic beasts; small groups consist of over a dozen, while larger groups boast over a hundred. If you wish to obtain the Spirit Fruit, you cannot avoid a fierce battle.¡¯


    ¡¯Let me be upfront¡ªI want forty percent of all the Spirit Fruit; the four of you can divide the remaining sixty percent. No objections, right?¡¯


    ¡¯Brother Song, forgive my bluntness, but although you are our monster hunting leader with the highest cultivation and have strategized for us along the way, surely earning great merit, forty percent is indeed too much. Divided amongst us four, there would be very little left.¡¯


    ¡¯Exactly!¡¯


    The other cultivators chimed in one after another, forming an implicit alliance of common interests. When their own benefits were at stake, no one was willing to back down, and they were no longer as flattering as before.


    ¡¯Alright, the lowest I¡¯ll go is thirty percent¡ªthat¡¯s my bottom line. If there are still objections, I¡¯ll back out.¡¯


    After some haggling and under pressure, there was a temporary compromise; Song Lixin accepted the thirty percent distribution plan.


    ¡¯Hmph, I¡¯ll let you make a fuss for now; after the fight, I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m capable of.¡¯


    Underneath his scholarly demeanor, Song Lixin¡¯s face revealed a hint of ruthlessness that was not easily detected.


    Even before gaining possession of the spiritual objects, the five cultivators were already at odds, each scheming for their own advantage, unwilling to come out at a loss.


    ¡¯Alright, the treasure has been found¡ªlet¡¯s try to approach where the Red Spirit Peach is located, and see what this Yellow Spirit Monkey is capable of.¡¯


    Song Lixin led the group towards the small hill.


    In half an hour, they arrived at the foot of the hill and observed from a distance of a hundred paces. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The hill was anything but quiet. There was bustling activity and a few monkey calls, quite noisy, with nearly a hundred Yellow Spirit Monkeys gathered under the largest Jade Spirit Fruit Tree.


    One giant Yellow Spirit Monkey sat in the tree, its chestnut fur interspersed with strands of golden hair. Its aura had reached the Late Stage of First Order, evidently the leader of the group.


    Watching two injured Yellow Spirit Monkeys in front of it, the leader¡¯s eyes flashed with a sharp ferocity. It leaped from the towering fruit tree, darting between the trunks, and headed out of the forest, followed by a large group of Yellow Spirit Monkeys.


    Song Lixin and the four others took out their respective Spiritual Artifacts and entered the forest cautiously, barely a hundred paces in.


    Suddenly, nearly a hundred Yellow Spirit Monkeys leaped out of the forest, encircling the cultivators. Without hesitation, they attacked the five cultivators.


    The Yellow Spirit Monkey leader took the lead, pounding its chest and stomping its feet, and in a blur of motion, it closed in with astonishing speed.


    A pair of sharp claws directly lunged at Song Lixin, and the Yellow Spirit Monkeys in the back closely followed, ganging up on the group of five in clusters.


    Facing the wave-like assault, the five cultivators did not panic in the slightest. They stood back to back forming a large circle, cooperating with each other to counterattack.


    Song Lixin summoned a gourd-shaped spiritual artifact, emitting a vast expanse of white frost, transforming into three large White Ice Pythons that lunged towards the oncoming leader of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys.


    The leader of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys, upon being attacked, deftly flipped to dodge, but the offspring behind it were significantly slower. One Medium Stage Yellow Spirit Monkey that had not yet closed in was immediately killed on the spot.


    Despite being hindered, the attack of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys did not cease in the slightest.


    A pair of sharp claws was about to grasp Song Lixin¡¯s head.


    If he were caught, his head would likely shatter instantly, with no chance of surviving.


    In a fit of shock and anger, Song Lixin hastily took out a First Order Medium Grade small shield shaped spiritual artifact, blocking it in front of him.


    The Yellow Spirit Monkey¡¯s claw made a gash in the shield, severely damaging Song Lixin¡¯s spiritual artifact with one strike.


    Song Lixin quickly retreated, creating some distance.


    The thwarted attack completely enraged the entire tribe of Yellow Spirit Monkeys, who became even more frenzied.


    The raging horde of monkeys attacked the five people without fear of death, making the fight much more intense.


    In a matter of half a quarter hour, the horde of monkeys suffered heavy casualties. Many of the First Order Yellow Spirit Monkeys had died or were injured, leaving less than twenty. There were also more than twenty Medium Stage ones, and even eight in the Late Stage.


    The five cultivators were scattered by the onslaught, each becoming surrounded and fighting individually, which instantly increased the pressure on them.


    The cultivator with the surname Xie took deep breaths, his spiritual power greatly depleted, as he used every means he had to preserve his life.


    At this moment, he deeply regretted being so greedy as to take such a risk.


    In his haste, he threw out his last Defense Talisman, which formed a wall of earth to block the Yellow Spirit Monkey in front of him.


    After only holding on for barely more than ten breaths, the horde of monkeys breached the earth wall. The cultivator surnamed Xie, filled with terror, was overwhelmed by a group of Yellow Spirit Monkeys before he could react and put up a resistance.


    When the horde dispersed, they left behind a corpse torn to pieces, a sight of extreme misery. The cultivator surnamed Xie had fallen on the spot.


    Seeing this tragic sight, a cultivator with the surname Chen who was being attacked yelled urgently,


    ¡°Brother Song, don¡¯t hold back anymore, or that fool¡¯s fate will be ours!¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone unleashed their most powerful moves without reservation.


    Instantly, talisman papers were thrown out as if they were worthless, and all sorts of spiritual artifacts were pushed to their limits.


    Song Lixin and the leader of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys fought fiercely for hundreds of rounds. By now, the leader of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys was covered in wounds, with one arm left and countless injuries on its body, its strength drastically reduced by half.


    Song Lixin wasn¡¯t in much better condition, with his spiritual power nearly depleted, more than ten wounds on his body, with several places exposing bone directly to the air, and his breathing extremely ragged.


    The other four were not much different, their spiritual power nearly exhausted, their treasures mostly consumed, and their strength greatly diminished.


    Without any further hesitation, the four stabilized the situation quickly and even gained the upper hand.


    The whole tribe of monkeys was mostly dead or wounded, leaving only over twenty survivors from nearly a hundred Yellow Spirit Monkeys¡ªall of whom were in the Medium Stage or above.


    Seeing that the situation was hopeless and that there was no chance of victory, the leader of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys was the first to dive into the dense forest, with the surviving Yellow Spirit Monkeys immediately following, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.


    Song Lixin did not pursue. At this point, all of them had sustained injuries, their spiritual power was greatly depleted, and if they encountered other Demonic Beasts, it would likely be impossible to escape.


    Seeing the Yellow Spirit Monkeys vanish, the four had yet to catch their breath,


    When Lin Shiji and his people, hiding in the shadows, took advantage of Song Lixin and the others¡¯ momentary relaxation to stealthily approach, the distance between them getting closer and closer.

 Chapter 68 - 68 - 66 Despair_1

    Chapter 68 ¨C 66 Despair_1


    In the dense forest, Lin Shiji and his group proceeded with extreme caution.


    While Song Lixin and his men were fiercely battling, Lin Shiji had already made thorough preparations, silently instructing Lin Tianming and the others, arranging the plan.


    As the Yellow Spirit Monkey disappeared into the depths of the dense forest, Song Lixin and his three companions quickly took out a Huiyuan Pill from their storage bag and consumed it.


    As Lin Shiji and his men got closer and closer, the distance was now less than a hundred yards.


    Suddenly, Song Lixin seemed to notice something, hastily leaping to the top of a tree tens of yards high, looking down at Lin Shiji and his men with a mix of shock and anger.


    ¡°Not good, he¡¯s spotted us, attack!¡±


    Realizing they had been discovered, Lin Shiji immediately sprang into action without a moment¡¯s delay, his first move a lethal technique.


    ...


    He launched a streak of Golden Sword Qi, aiming straight for one of the men in white robes among the four.


    According to Lin Shiji¡¯s plan, even though his Lin Family Cultivators outnumbered the opponents, there was a significant gap in cultivation levels, so they had to seriously injure one person to lessen the pressure for the younger members.


    Considering that Song Lixin¡¯s cultivation was almost equals to his own and that it would be very difficult to kill a Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator named Chen in one blow, Lin Shiji targeted a Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator in white robes, with his own Great Perfection cultivation, the chances of success in a sneak attack were significant.


    Lin Shiji crazily circulated his Spiritual Power, sending the ferocious Sword Qi hurtling towards the man in white robes.


    The man in white robes, both shocked and enraged, hastily struck out with his sword, hoping to block Lin Shiji¡¯s fatal blow.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    Following the explosive sound, the two Sword Qis violently collided!


    In less than half a breath¡¯s time, the man in white robes¡¯ attack was shattered, and Lin Shiji¡¯s Sword Qi bore down on him.


    Unable to dodge in time, the man in white robes froze in place, watching helplessly as the Sword Qi tore through his body.


    With the sneak attack, it was a one-strike kill, and Song Lixin¡¯s group lost another member.


    At the same moment the man in white robes was struck, the cultivator surnamed Chen and another companion hurriedly retreated to Song Lixin¡¯s side, their expressions extremely tense.


    The Lin Family Members followed suit, standing beside Lin Shiji, each holding a Spiritual Artifact in their hands, warily watching Song Lixin¡¯s three remaining people.


    The two sides stood off against each other, weapons at the ready, neither side speaking, the atmosphere eerily unnatural.


    Both sides sized each other up, each contemplating their next move.


    Observing Lin Shiji¡¯s cultivation, also at the Great Perfection Realm, with an aura even more profound than his own, and considering the collective strength of all the family members, was not to be underestimated.


    Whereas Song Lixin¡¯s group had already lost two members, leaving only three remaining with significant depletion of energy, likely not strong enough to withstand them.


    Nevertheless, Song Lixin feigned composure, rapidly considering his options.


    The three of them were in terrible condition, hoping to buy some time, recover as much Spiritual Power as possible, and cling to a sliver of hope for survival.


    If they could give up a portion of the Jade Spirit Fruits and leave, that would naturally be best, but he couldn¡¯t be sure ¨C he could only do his best to try.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, let¡¯s not resort to violence. I am Song Lixin, might there be some misunderstanding?¡±


    ¡°We can overlook the issue of the sneak attack. You can have the Jade Spirit Fruits, just allow us to leave, can you?¡±


    With a trace of anxiety, Song Lixin quickly spoke up, trying to calm the killing intent of the Lin Family Members.


    Lin Shiji sneered repeatedly, with no intention of responding, prepared to strike continuously, not allowing them any moment to catch their breath.


    Lin Shiji took out a three-foot-long Spirit Sword, channeling a tremendous amount of Spiritual Power, slashing out several streaks of Sword Qi, heading straight for Song Lixin.


    The violent Sword Qi whipped up fierce winds, engulfing the surrounding trees.


    Song Lixin, who had just restored a small portion of his spiritual power, wore a grave expression, knowing that despite the promise of numerous benefits, a battle was unavoidable, and he had to go all out.


    In a hurry, Song Lixin took out his small shield, damaged by the attack of the Yellow Spirit Monkey, to block several attempted strikes from Lin Shiji.


    After some probing, Lin Shiji¡¯s attacks grew stronger with each move he made.


    Song Lixin, as a Loose Cultivator at the Great Perfection, had substantial resources. He whipped out several talismans in quick succession, neutralizing Lin Shiji¡¯s offensive and even managing to counterattack.


    As the two fiercely battled with their magic, Lin Tianming and his fellow Lin Family Members surrounded the other two opponents.


    The Cultivator with the surname Chen was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining and not severely injured, making it difficult for anyone present, aside from Lin Shiji, to defeat him; the other Cultivator, also at Ninth Layer, was gravely injured, which left him to be besieged by Lin Xingcheng and the rest of the family members.


    Once their opponents were determined, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi tacitly teamed up to encircle the Cultivator named Chen.


    In his first confrontation with an adversary at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, Lin Tianming was exceedingly cautious. He drew his Earth Fiend Sword, releasing several strikes to drain the scant spiritual power of Cultivator Chen and silently laid out the Earth Fiend Sword Formation without a sound.


    Lin Xingzhi was not to be outdone; the three exchanged a series of spells and sword qi. Their blows matched one another¡¯s, leading to a stalemate that was difficult to break.


    Lin Xingcheng and the others also carefully besieged the other Cultivator. Although their cultivation base was inferior, they relied on a large number of First Order Medium Grade talisman papers, and with their superior numbers, they kept the upper hand.


    On the three battlefields, the fierce combat raged on, with both parties using every trick in the book, including talismans, spiritual instruments, and spells, leaving no technique unutilized. The already ravaged hillock was being remade once again under the reverberations of the fight.


    As time passed, Cultivator Chen¡¯s complexion grew increasingly pale.


    Under the relentless onslaught from Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi, Cultivator Chen¡¯s spiritual power was vastly depleted, forcing him into a defensive posture. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If it were during a time of full strength, neither Lin Tianming nor Lin Xingzhi would have been a match for him, which was incredibly frustrating.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do. I can¡¯t drag this out any longer, going all out might still give me a chance to live!¡±


    Cultivator Chen calculated internally, readying himself to fight with all his might.


    Taking advantage of a brief lull in the attack, Cultivator Chen pulled out a snow-white bead, brimming with violent spiritual power, and without hesitation, hurled it towards Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi.


    ¡°Tian Ming, watch out!¡±


    Lin Xingzhi cried out in shock, retreating explosively while shouting to alert Lin Tianming.


    Seeing the white bead hurtling toward him, and sensing the immense power it contained, he knew it was no trivial thing.


    Lin Tianming quickly backed away, releasing two High Quality First Order Defense Talismans in quick succession, forming two walls in front of him.


    The white bead drew nearer and collided with the earthen walls created by the talismans, exploding with a loud boom.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    The first wall was breached in an instant by the explosive force, and the second one disintegrated shortly after.


    The shockwave from the explosion and the roaring blast of air sent Lin Tianming flying back, halting only after crashing through several towering trees.


    Lin Xingzhi, who was further away and retreated in time, along with deploying a Defense Talisman, received only some internal injuries, but they were not serious.


    Lin Tianming rose from the ground, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.


    He hadn¡¯t anticipated the bead¡¯s formidable power, which his High Quality talismans could barely withstand for a moment.


    Lucky to have retreated in time and not overestimated himself, and with the benefits of his body refinement practice, he avoided serious harm. Using two High Quality First Order Defense Talismans was undoubtedly worth it.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi hadn¡¯t sustained significant injuries, Cultivator Chen¡¯s face turned ashen.


    This bead had cost Cultivator Chen a great deal to acquire, and there was only one. He had always saved it as a life-saving measure.


    Resigned to use it, he had high hopes that if he could kill any one of them, he might have a chance to escape with his life. But his desperate gambit yielded nothing, and his situation became dire.

 Chapter 69 - 69 - 67: Counterattack_1

    Chapter 69 ¨C 67: Counterattack_1


    There was no time for rest, and the frenzied Lin Tianming took no chances. Seizing the opportunity, he activated the already laid Sword Array, enveloping the Chen Surname Cultivator within the confines of the formation.


    Feeling the oppressive power of the Sword Array, the Chen Surname Cultivator was terrified and desperately tried to escape the reach of the Sword Array.


    Overwhelmed by the Sword Array, dodging the roaming Sword Qi within, the restrained Chen Surname Cultivator faced an unprecedented dilemma.


    Under heavy pressure, the Chen Surname Cultivator dared not be careless.


    Without any reservations, he threw out all the Attack Talismans he had at his disposal. Among the colorful dozen or so talismans, most were of Medium Grade, with only a few of High Quality.


    The combined power of the dozen talismans was exceptionally violent, like a tempest of snow and rain. Pouring down, they fiercely struck the formation¡¯s light barrier.


    A trembling that could shake the earth and mountains followed, and within a few breaths of time, the light barrier shattered.


    ...


    With the Earth Fiend Sword Formation broken, Lin Tianming once again coughed up blood, his spirit damaged and injured yet again.


    Ignoring his own injuries, Lin Tianming threw out three Attack Talismans, transforming into three Golden Light Greatswords, and shot straight towards the Chen Surname Cultivator.


    Behind him, Lin Xingzhi was also exerting his Technique Divine Power, condensing a golden Sword Qi that hovered above his head.


    ¡°Go¡­¡±


    Under their pincer attack, they gave no quarter.


    With an explosive sound, the Golden Light Greatswords pierced through the body of the Chen Surname Cultivator.


    Lin Tianming and his companion collapsed to the ground, gasping for air with a look of extreme exhaustion.


    Seeing the Chen Surname Cultivator¡¯s gruesome death, the cultivators being attacked by Lin Xingcheng were shocked. In their moment of distraction, Lin Xingcheng seized the opportunity and killed them on the spot.


    As Lin Tianming and the others¡¯ battle concluded, the confrontation between Lin Shiji and Song Lixin was reaching its end.


    Lin Shiji had been at the Great Perfection Realm for nearly thirty years, having reached its peak. He had served as the Law Enforcement Hall Master for decades, experienced in many battles, with countless cultivators and Monster Beasts falling at his hands. His combat experience was ample, and his wealth was beyond what ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators could compare to. Song Lixin, even in his prime, was no match for him.


    As time went on, and with his Spiritual Power depleted, Song Lixin¡¯s injuries worsened under Lin Shiji¡¯s relentless attacks¡ªhe was at the end of his rope.


    The freed Lin Family members, working together to besiege him, were too much for Song Lixin to handle.


    Facing attacks from all directions and drained of energy, Song Lixin was deeply unwilling to yield. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In despair, Song Lixin went completely mad.


    ¡°Hmph! If I must die, I¡¯ll take two with me.¡±


    He took out a radiant red talisman from his storage bag. A strong aura spilled out, clearly a Second Order talisman, its ferocity not much less than the Golden Sword Talisman Lin Tianming had purchased.


    In rage, he threw it into the sky, and instantly from the talisman, a Monster Beast Soul burst forth and fiercely lunged toward Lin Shiji.


    Recognizing the aura of a Second Order talisman, Lin Shiji panicked and bellowed:


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    Everyone scattered, fleeing in all directions. Lin Tianming threw out two First Order Superior Defense Talismans, transforming them into two earthen walls in front of Lin Shiji.


    No sooner had he thrown the talismans than he leaped into the air, soaring a hundred yards up.


    Song Lixin had gone completely mad, directing all his resentment towards Lin Shiji, determined to drag him down even in death.


    Unbelievably, Song Lixin possessed a Second Order talisman¡ªsomething no one had anticipated. All one could do was silently pray that Lin Shiji would survive this calamity.


    Facing the astonishly fast Monster Beast Soul, Lin Shiji could no longer dodge and had to resist with all his might. If he could withstand it, he would survive; if not, he would perish alongside his attacker.


    In a rush, he pulled a Blood-red Jade Pendant from his storage bag, its surface wreathed with Spiritual Energy, clearly no ordinary item.


    Injecting a Law Decree, the Blood-red Jade Pendant swelled to several yards in size, sheltering Lin Shiji closely behind it.


    Just as the jade pendant protected Lin Shiji, the ferocious beast soul slammed into the earthen wall with a loud impact.


    The first barrier was broken!


    The second barrier managed to hold for a moment before also shattering with a loud bang.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    The moment the demonic beast soul struck the blood-red jade pendant, it exploded, sending Lin Shiji flying with the violent shock waves. He crashed through several large trees before finally coming to a stop.


    A Second Order talisman, comparable to the full-force strike of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, was terrifying indeed.


    At this moment, Lin Shiji¡¯s body was in tatters, his breath weak and faltering, covered in wounds from head to toe. Several ribs were completely broken, and he spat out blood before falling into unconsciousness.


    All the Lin Family Members were injured. Lin Xingzhi, the closest to Lin Shiji, was mentally shaken by the mere remnants of the blast, vomiting several mouthfuls of blood. Had he been the one attacked, he would likely have fallen.


    The other members of the clan were further away and suffered only superficial injuries, which were not serious.


    Steadying himself from the blast, Lin Tianming immediately rushed over and held Lin Shiji tightly, calling out hurriedly.


    ¡°Elder Wu, please wake up!¡±


    In his panic, Lin Tianming shouted several times without any response, and took out two Consolidating Essence Pills, making Lin Shiji swallow them.


    At this moment, all the Lin Family Members¡¯ eyes were filled with murderous intent. Lin Xingcheng and a few others slashed out in anger, sending ferocious sword qi at Song Lixin.


    Song Lixin, drained of all spiritual power, was completely despairing, making no attempt to dodge or defend, clearly resigning himself to his fate.


    With a scream, Song Lixin fell heavily to the ground.


    After more than ten attacks, Song Lixin¡¯s body was torn apart, leaving behind only two dark green storage bags.


    Having killed Song Lixin, the recovered Lin Xingzhi and the others immediately ran over to Lin Tianming¡¯s side, looking at Lin Shiji with concern.


    Lin Xingzhi checked Lin Shiji¡¯s condition and breathed a sigh of relief, consoling everyone.


    ¡°Uncle Wu is still breathing, just severely injured and not in any immediate danger. Tianming has already made him take two Consolidating Essence Pills. He just needs to rest quietly for a while and should be able to recover.¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Xingzhi¡¯s words, everyone finally relaxed.


    Lin Shiji, being of a high seniority and old age, if anything happened to him, it would be difficult to explain to the clan.


    With Lin Shiji unconscious and Lin Xingzhi being older in both age and cultivation, he temporarily became the backbone of the Lin Family.


    ¡°Tianfeng, Tianhong, the two of you stay and watch over Uncle Wu. Everyone else, quickly clean up the battlefield. We must also collect the Jade Spirit Fruit. Lastly, gather all the spoils of war together. I will register them, and we¡¯ll hand them over to the clan for processing!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Everyone nodded and set to work.


    Lin Tianming looked over the small hill that was in disarray, strewn with various limbs and the bodies of dozens of Yellow Spirit Monkeys.


    Picking up the storage bags of several people and handing them to Lin Xingzhi, he also processed the bodies of the Yellow Spirit Monkeys, taking the demon cores and some useful crafting materials, filling several storage bags.


    After half an hour, the originally tragic site looked much better, at least not as bloody.


    All the clanspeople sat together on the ground, taking Huiyuan Pills to recover their spiritual power, while Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong remained to protect them.


    After half an hour of cultivation, the clanspeople had recovered a fair amount of spiritual power and now had some self-defensive capability.


    The injured Lin Shiji, with the help of the Consolidating Essence Pill¡¯s medicinal strength, had his condition temporarily stabilized. With a few days of rest, he should be able to wake up.


    After examining Lin Shiji¡¯s injuries, Lin Xingzhi gathered everyone and moved deeper into the dense forest.


    The formidable enemy was dead, and after all the effort they had expended, they could finally harvest the Jade Spirit Fruit!

 Chapter 70 - 70 - 68 Generous Rewards_1

    Chapter 70 ¨C 68 Generous Rewards_1


    The Yellow Spirit Monkeys had all fled, and at this point, the dense forest bore no dangers, so Lin Xingzhi led a group of clan members deep into the woods.


    At the top of a hill, there was a clearing several acres in size where six fruit trees, each more than ten zhang tall, grew.


    Upon closer inspection, the trees¡ªlush green in color¡ªwere adorned with more than ten bright red fruits. Each spirit fruit was slightly larger than a fist, looked clear and lustrous, and radiated strong fluctuations of spiritual energy. They were Jade Spirit Fruits.


    Jade Spirit Fruits were First Order spirit fruits, which only bore fruit once every hundred years. They could be consumed directly and were one of the supportive spiritual objects for Qi Refining Cultivators to cultivate with, and thus quite precious.


    Every Jade Spirit Fruit contained an abundant amount of spiritual power¡ªthe energy they contained was no less than that in Lingshen Pills. They were typically used to break through minor cultivation bottlenecks. Although their effect was not as miraculous as Pozhang Pills, they weren¡¯t much less so, and each Jade Spirit Fruit was valued at seventy to eighty Spirit Stones.


    At this moment, the Jade Spirit Fruits were at the critical point of ripeness. They only needed a few more days before they could be harvested.


    The clan members all sat down together, cultivating while guarding the unconscious Lin Shiji.


    ...


    Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and around noon, following two coughs, the Lin Shiji, who had been unconscious for several days, finally woke up.


    After coughing up two mouthfuls of clotted blood, Lin Shiji¡¯s complexion had improved significantly since the time he was injured.


    Everyone gathered around, expressing their concern for Lin Shiji¡¯s injuries.


    The awakened Lin Shiji paid no mind to his own injuries. Instead, his first concern was the status of his clansmen, placing their lives above his own, which deeply moved all the clan members.


    With tears in his eyes, Lin Xingzhi reported everything that had happened since Lin Shiji lost consciousness, which finally put Lin Shiji¡¯s mind at ease.


    ¡°Xingzhi, you did well. I don¡¯t have many days left to live, but you are the future of our family. The entire process and gains from this trial, I will report truthfully to the Elders¡¯ Council. The rewards might not equal the items obtained, but they will certainly be substantial.¡±


    Lin Shiji showed a gratified smile and praised all the clan members before starting to talk about his own injuries.


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t worry, my injuries have stabilized. I just need to rest quietly for a while to fully recover. However, I won¡¯t be able to take action during this time. We must be careful and cautious on our way back. Once we exit the mountain range, we will be safe.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, all the spirit fruits must be harvested, and we should transplant several Jade Spirit Fruit Trees back to the family¡¯s Spiritual Medicine Garden to enhance our family¡¯s foundation. If they survive, they could yield nearly a hundred more Spirit Fruits in a hundred years!¡±


    After instructing the clan members, Lin Shiji took out a green storage bag and handed it to Lin Xingzhi, asking him to pack the fruit trees in the bag and transplant them back at the family¡¯s estate. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Taking the storage bag, Lin Xingzhi extended his divine sense to inspect it and couldn¡¯t help showing a trace of a smile.


    The storage bag Lin Shiji had given had nearly a hundred cubic zhang of space, more than enough to fit the six Jade Spirit Fruit Trees¡ªseveral times larger than the one Lin Xingzhi was using¡ªsolving the problem of insufficient space perfectly.


    After arranging everything, Lin Shiji took out a Huiyuan Pill, swallowed it, and sat down cross-legged to recover from his injuries.


    Three days later, with a fragrance filling the air, the cultivators who were meditating all opened their eyes.


    ¡°The Jade Spirit Fruits are ripe!¡±


    Lin Xingzhi, his face brightened with joy, said,


    ¡°Tianfeng, Tianhong, Tian Ming, you three go and pick the Jade Spirit Fruits. Take the surrounding soil as well, and dig up the Jade Spirit Fruit Trees with their roots. The rest of you, stay on guard; the scent of the spirit fruits might attract some Demonic Beasts, so we must act quickly. Once we achieve our objective, we need to retreat immediately. As long as we are out of the mountain range, we will be safe!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡±


    The clan members responded in unison and immediately set to work.


    Lin Tianming and the others each leaped onto a Jade Spirit Fruit Tree, carefully picking the fruits and placing them into jade boxes.


    A quarter of an hour later, Lin Tianming finished harvesting two trees, picking twelve Jade Spirit Fruits from the first and eleven from the second.


    After plucking the fruits, he took out the Earth Evil Sword from his storage bag and began to dig around the trees.


    Only after digging three zhang deep did he stop, grasped the tree trunk as thick as a water bucket, and exerted all his strength to uproot the entire fruit tree along with the soil.


    Just as Lin Tianming and the others had placed the six fruit trees into their storage bag, several First Order Demon Beasts, drawn by the scent of the spirit fruits, rushed over and were promptly intercepted and slain by Lin Xingzhi.


    Once Lin Tianming and the others had secured the fruit trees, they immediately went to find Lin Shiji.


    Seeing Lin Tianming and the others emerge, Lin Shiji quickly asked:


    ¡°Tianming, did you succeed?¡±


    ¡°We did!¡±


    ¡°All six Jade Spirit Fruit Trees bore ripe fruit; we harvested a total of eighty-three Jade Spirit Fruits. We also successfully uprooted the six trees, which just need to be brought back to the clan in time for transplanting into the Spiritual Medicine Garden.¡±


    After reporting their harvest, Lin Tianming and his group each took out their storage bags and handed them to Lin Shiji.


    Upon receiving the storage bags, Lin Shiji examined them once over and quickly gathered Lin Xingzhi and others.


    After some discussion, the family members all retreated without any hesitation, moving through the dense forest and heading out of the mountain range.


    In less than half a day¡¯s time, following the trail they had come by, the family members appeared on a vast plain, already out of the Luoyun Mountain Range and into the territory controlled by the Human Race.


    Having successfully navigated out of the dense forest onto the plains, they were essentially safe; everyone breathed a sigh of relief,


    ¡°We¡¯ve finally made it out!¡±


    Everyone showed a trace of exhilarated smiles; their haul this trip had far exceeded expectations, and now they could finally return to the clan.


    Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle from its Spirit Beast Bag and fed it a Beast Spirit Pill.


    Everyone climbed onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, which flew carrying the group as they rushed towards Green Bamboo Mountain.


    It was now noon, and the Purple Gold Eagle appeared near Green Bamboo Mountain. After a full day¡¯s journey, Lin Tianming and the others finally made it back to the clan.


    Once inside the grand formation, they encountered many fellow clan members, which drew the attention of several others.


    People speculated about the results of the trip and even discussed it in private.


    Since Lin Shiji had already instructed them not to reveal the details and results of the trip, the participants naturally did not share anything.


    After dismissing the gathered clan members, they all went back to their homes, waiting for the clan¡¯s rewards.


    Lin Shiji did not delay any longer and immediately flew towards the Summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, ready to discuss matters with several members of the Shi generation.


    In a courtyard at the Summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, the seven Lin Family members of the Shi generation gathered for a casual chat after receiving a message.


    ¡°With Fifth Brother personally leading the expedition, I wonder what their haul was this time!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shixin¡¯s words, Lin Shilu said with a smile:


    ¡°It must be significant; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have called us all together!¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡±


    The group sipped tea while discussing recent events.


    After a short while, Lin Shiji appeared in the courtyard.


    Seeing Lin Shiji enter, everyone got up to greet him.


    Sensing Lin Shiji¡¯s wan aura, the family members quickly inquired:


    ¡°Fifth Brother, are you injured?¡±


    ¡°My injury is nothing serious. With some rest, I will recover; you don¡¯t need to worry, brothers.¡±


    Lin Shiji reassured the family members and started to recount the recent events in detail.


    As he described lurking in the shadows and the final fierce battle, everyone felt a shiver of concern.

 Chapter 71 - 71 - 69 Generosity of the Family_1

    Chapter 71 ¨C 69 Generosity of the Family_1


    Having finished recounting the events of the past half year, in the presence of the clan members, he took out more than ten differently colored storage bags.


    After hearing the process, all the clan members waited curiously, the loot this time was substantial, it was the perfect opportunity to enhance the Lin Family¡¯s foundation.


    Lin Shiji picked up a storage bag and a beast skin for recording, and began to recite fluently.


    ¡°These five storage bags all contain the Demon Cores of Silver Earth Scorpions as well as parts usable for artificing, totaling sixty-six Silver Earth Scorpion corpses of varying grades.¡±


    ¡°This storage bag contains all of the eighty-three Jade Spirit Fruits obtained.¡±


    ¡°This storage bag holds six Jade Spirit Fruit trees, very intact, including the surrounding soil dug up together, which increases the likelihood of survival.¡±


    ¡°These two storage bags contain one hundred and thirty-three pieces of Earth Mysterious Crystal Ore, roughly the size of a fist, with only a few slightly larger.¡±


    ...


    ¡­


    Lin Shiji took out all the Spiritual Medicine, Spirit Ore, and Demonic Beast materials for artificing and detailed the experiences one by one.


    Listening, everyone was overjoyed. The wealth they had acquired was indeed substantial, worth at least tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.


    In the end, Lin Shiji produced five storage bags, the very ones seized from Song Lixin and his companions during the surprise attack at the crucial moment.


    The wealth of Song Lixin and his four companions was the hard-won result of the entire Monster Hunting Squad, and no one had opened them privately, deliberately saving them until last to decide on rewards based on the contents when opened in front of everyone.


    Hearing Lin Shiji¡¯s explanation, everyone was greatly reassured. Lin Shiji¡¯s actions were indeed fair and just, without the slightest hint of greed, earning the respect of all the clan members.


    He took out the first storage bag, which belonged to an Artificer at the Qi Refining Eighth Level with the surname Xie.


    Lin Shiji took out all the items from the storage bag and laid them out on an open space in the courtyard.


    Three hundred and sixty Spirit Stones, a bottle of Lingshen Pills, various amounts of Huiyuan Pills, Consolidating Essence Pills, and other consumable Spiritual Medicine, a Medium Grade Attack Spirit Weapon, and a number of First Order Spiritual Medicines and Demonic Beast Materials. These common items amounted to a total wealth of around a thousand or so Spirit Stones.


    Before long, Lin Shiji had taken out the wealth of the four others, excluding Song Lixin, which were all necessities for cultivation.


    Apart from the wealth of a cultivator with the surname Chen, valued at four thousand Spirit Stones, the wealth of the other two was somewhat higher than that of cultivator Xie, barely reaching three thousand Spirit Stones.


    Among the four, the cultivator Chen was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining with formidable strength, having participated in the Monster Hunting Squad multiple times; naturally, his accumulated wealth wasn¡¯t small.


    Unfortunately, there were no Cultivation Techniques discovered; after all, it¡¯s rare for Qi Refining rogue cultivators to have complete techniques, to even carry any is even less common.


    The crowd felt a bit disappointed, but considering the amount of treasure they obtained, they quickly came to terms with it. Moreover, the Lin Family wasn¡¯t in great need of Yellow Grade Techniques; Mysterious Grade Techniques would be of more interest.


    FInally, with all expectations set, Lin Shiji took out Song Lixin¡¯s storage bag and removed all the items.


    In no time, the ground was covered with items; everyone¡¯s breath hitched as they checked over the array of riches.


    Now, the ground was covered in Spirit Stones, elixirs, and Spiritual Artifacts of every kind, bewitching the eye with their quantity and variety.


    Lin Shixin, as the Hall of Merit¡¯s Master, stepped forward and, while inspecting, recited each item one by one.


    ¡°One thousand six hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, five First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Instruments, three Lower Grade Spiritual Instruments, one First Order Superior Grade artificing furnace, a number of First Order artificing materials, twelve Second Order Spirit Ores!¡±


    After the first round of introduction, everybody was discussing in low voices.


    ¡°Judging by the artificing materials in his storage bag, Song Lixin must be at least a First Order Medium Grade Artificer, absolutely!¡±


    ¡°This guy is really rich, just these Spirit Stones, Spiritual Instruments, and artificing materials are worth over four thousand Spirit Stones, surpassing any of the others!¡±


    Lin Shixin paid no mind and continued the inventory count.


    ¡°Two bottles of Lingshen Pill, various consumables elixirs, thirty First Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, five Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, five First Order Medium Grade talisman paper, two High Quality Talisman papers, and several Demonic Beast Materials!¡±


    With the majority of the items accounted for, their value was nearly six thousand Spirit Stones, with just one Jade Tube left to be inspected.


    Lin Shixin picked up the Jade Tube and summoned his Divine Sense to examine its contents.


    After a few moments, a hint of joy appeared on his face.


    ¡°This is a Profound Grade Technique of inferior quality, a Water Attribute Cultivation Technique, named the ¡¯Kanli Water Scripture¡¯!¡±


    Lin Shixin¡¯s words once again took everyone present by surprise.


    In the eight hundred years of the Lin Family¡¯s history, nearly a thousand clan members had worked hard to acquire two Profound Grade Techniques, both of which had been obtained during the ancestral patriarch¡¯s era.


    For nearly five hundred years, no Profound Grade Techniques had been obtained, and it just so happened that the clan lacked a Water, Earth, or Wood Attribute Profound Grade Technique. It was truly incredible that they had now acquired a Profound Grade Technique.


    One must know that when Lin Tianming attended the Qianchuan Market auction, even a Yellow Grade Technique with a Water Attribute went for more than twenty thousand Spirit Stones. Although this Profound Grade Technique was relatively ordinary, it was still worth tens of thousands of Spirit Stones at the very least.


    Lin Shixin tossed the Technique to Lin Shikang and others to verify, and in the end, it was confirmed indeed to be a Water Attribute Profound Grade Technique.


    With all treasures appraised, it took a full quarter hour before everyone could recover from their joy.


    Lin Shiji and others had achieved great merit by obtaining a large number of treasures. Lin Shikang took the initiative to open the discussion on how the clan members should be rewarded!


    After half an hour of discussion, a decision was made.


    As the leader, Lin Shiji, who was seriously injured, was awarded three thousand Merit Points, one First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instrument, two High Quality Talisman papers, and one Jade Spirit Fruit. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Xingzhi, whose performance was outstanding, was awarded two thousand Merit Points and one Jade Spirit Fruit.


    Lin Xingcheng was awarded one thousand five hundred Merit Points and one Jade Spirit Fruit, and other Seventh Level Qi Cultivators in the family were rewarded with one thousand Merit Points and one Jade Spirit Fruit each.


    Although the three juniors Lin Tianming, Lin Tianfeng, and Lin Tianhong had relatively low cultivation levels, they actively participated in the trials and set an example for the younger generation of the clan, with exceptional performance. Especially Lin Tianming, who, at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, was not inferior to the cultivators at the Ninth Layer and even discovered the Earth Mysterious Crystal, thus deserving the main credit.


    Therefore, considering that these individuals had always been the focus of the family¡¯s cultivation resources, and that the family¡¯s finances had been depleted due to the creation of the Minor Foundation Building Pills, it was natural to fulfill the previously established training plans now that a substantial fortune had been acquired.


    Lin Tianming was rewarded with two thousand five hundred Merit Points, one Jade Spirit Fruit, three High Quality Talisman papers, and one Medium Grade Spiritual Instrument.


    Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong were both awarded one thousand five hundred Merit Points, one Jade Spirit Fruit, two High Quality Talisman papers, and one Medium Grade Spiritual Instrument.


    Their rewards were even more generous than those given to Seventh Level Qi Cultivators in the family, and Lin Tianming¡¯s reward even surpassed that of Lin Xingzhi, a Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator. The family was indeed generous this time.


    Once the rewards were decided, Lin Shiji handed over all the items to Lin Shixin for safekeeping on the spot.


    Apart from the Jade Spirit Fruits awarded, the surplus Jade Spirit Fruits were to be exchanged at market value, and anyone was allowed to exchange for them.


    The Jade Spirit Fruit Tree was also transplanted to the Spiritual Medicine Garden without delay, with clan members assigned to tend to it carefully; in a hundred years, it would bring yet another large bounty of resources.


    With all matters settled, everyone busied themselves and dispersed.


    Lin Tianming also immediately returned home to see his mother and sister. After some leisurely conversation, he retired to his room to rest.


    Half a year of trials had left him extremely exhausted. Within just over ten breaths, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 72 - 72 - 70 Claiming Rewards_1

    Chapter 72 ¨C 70 Claiming Rewards_1


    Early the next morning, after a night¡¯s rest, Lin Tianming stepped out from his long-missed room.


    As soon as he left the house, he ran into Lin Tianyue coming head-on.


    Seeing Lin Tianming, Lin Tianyue was also delighted and quickly spoke:


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s so lively outside, the deeds of our Monster Hunting Squad have already spread. Now, many brothers and sisters really admire you!¡±


    Hearing what Lin Tianyue said, Lin Tianming pondered for a moment. Lin Shiji had long given orders that no news should be revealed to anyone until the family had discussed the results, especially the deeds of killing Song Lixin and others. Therefore, Lin Tianming had not even told his mother and sister. Since the whole clan now knew, it must have been deliberated by the family already.


    ¡°Tianyue, where did you see this news?¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Notices have been posted in several places in the family where there is a lot of foot traffic. I think the family is deliberately promoting it. Besides, the family has rewarded us with a lot of good stuff. You should check it out.¡±


    ...


    Lin Tianming said goodbye to his sister and left the small courtyard, flying directly towards the Enforcement Hall.


    In front of the main hall of the Enforcement Hall, a notice was posted on a wall, and more than a dozen people gathered around, chatting idly and giving their opinions.


    It wasn¡¯t just the entrance of the Enforcement Hall that was bustling; other important clan locations were also full of clan members discussing.


    Lin Tianming jumped down from his Spirit Sword and landed at the edge of the crowd, greeting the clanspeople with a smile.


    The clanspeople returned the greeting, without the slightest sense of using their seniority to act superior. After all, Lin Tianming was gifted, already at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. His grandfather had reached Foundation Establishment, and each member of his family was very powerful, so everyone was extremely polite.


    The clanspeople asked Lin Tianming about the Monster Hunting Squad¡¯s encounter, and he did not hold back, roughly narrating the process of the fierce battle with the Silver Earth Scorpion.


    However, he did not reveal the ambush on Song Lixin and others. After all, profiting unscrupulously from an unprovoked advantage was not something to be proud of.


    But that¡¯s how the Cultivation World is. With scarce resources, the competition is even more bloody than in the mortal world. Those who do not compete for resources will eventually be eliminated. The survival of the fittest is vividly demonstrated in the Cultivation World.


    Even such a partial recounting sent the clanspeople¡¯s blood surging, and those with sufficient strength expressed their desire to join the Monster Hunting Squad.


    Those who were not strong enough felt regretful but also planned to practice diligently, hoping to join the Monster Hunting Squad soon.


    Through the family¡¯s extensive promotion and encouragement, plus the generous rewards from Lin Tianming and others, the enthusiasm of some clanspeople was fully ignited.


    Those with less innate talent, who subconsciously preferred to cultivate within the clan lands, seemed to have had a change of heart. Although their number was not large, the change was satisfying nonetheless.


    Feeling the passion of the clanspeople, Lin Tianming was very clear that a comfortable life indeed wears away the clanspeople¡¯s sense of crisis. To develop and grow, one must have a spirit of adventure and sacrifice; otherwise, they would eventually fade away in the world of cultivation.


    After some casual conversation, Lin Tianming bid farewell to everyone and entered the Enforcement Hall.


    Upon entering the Enforcement Hall, he found Lin Tianfeng and greeted him. Lin Tianming then inquired about the notice.


    As a member of the Enforcement Hall, Lin Tianfeng naturally had already asked the Hall Master Lin Shiji.


    ¡°Sixth brother, I have asked Elder Wu. To encourage our clanspeople, the arrangement was indeed made by the family. The rewards can be collected at any time at the Enforcement Hall,¡± said Lin Tianfeng, his face beaming with joy. The rewards were indeed substantial¡ª1500 merit points and the Jade Spirit Fruit were enough for him to reach the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, not to mention the Fu Lu Spiritual Instrument. With his significantly increased strength, he planned to undergo further challenges once his cultivation was higher. He was a true battle enthusiast.


    While Lin Tianming was chatting with Lin Tianfeng, a confused Lin Tianhong also arrived.


    They hadn¡¯t arrived yet, but their voices could be heard from afar.


    ¡°Big Brother, Sixth Brother, is the notice at the entrance for real?¡±


    Lin Tianhong seemed to have his doubts, as the rewards were indeed too generous, and he had to come over to confirm.


    Lin Tianfeng was also very excited and quickly repeated Lin Shiji¡¯s exact words, dispelling any hesitation the two may have had.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Hall of Merit and claim our reward. I¡¯ve long coveted that Jade Spirit Fruit, and with it, I¡¯m eighty percent sure that I can break through to the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement!¡±


    With an excited expression, Lin Tianfeng invited Lin Tianming and the other to join him.


    Lin Tianming and the other happily agreed, and the trio set off from the Enforcement Hall, flying towards the Hall of Merit on the other side.


    Inside the Hall of Merit, a large number of clan members had already gathered. Members of the Monster Hunting Squad were mostly there to receive their rewards, attracting many other clan members to watch the excitement.


    In the noisy hall, the arrival of Lin Tianming and his two companions caught the attention of all the clan members.


    After all, these three were the leading figures among the Lin Family¡¯s Tian generation, with the highest cultivation among their peers, and even many of the Xing Clan Members could not compare.


    Lin Tianming and his two companions smiled and greeted their elders and brothers before lining up to collect their rewards.


    A great number of clan members watched as Lin Shixin distributed a large number of merit points and handed out the Jade Spirit Fruits, all of them green with envy and itching to venture into the Luoyun Mountain Range for training.


    The waiting Xing Clan Members were visibly excited, completely satisfied with the clan¡¯s rewards; after all, with so many merit points, they could cultivate for a long time.


    Time passed quickly, and half an hour later, it was Lin Tianming¡¯s trio¡¯s turn.


    Lin Tianfeng was the first to claim his prize, not only crediting the merit points to his token but also receiving the Jade Spirit Fruit for his Fu Lu Spiritual Instrument, standing ecstatically to one side while waiting.


    Lin Tianhong claimed his merit points and exchanged for a Pill Furnace and a large quantity of Spiritual Medicine Materials, apparently planning to perform a large amount of alchemy to improve his alchemical skills.


    When it was Lin Tianming¡¯s turn, he hardly lacked resources. He had plenty of elixirs, and those suitable for the Qi Refinement Realm were almost sufficient. The talisman paper and Spiritual Artifact he had been rewarded previously were also enough for the time being.


    After much consideration, he decided to exchange for some Spiritual Medicine Materials, planning to refine them into elixirs to sell back to the family. With his own refined elixirs, clan members could quickly improve their cultivation, he could practice his craft, and he could also earn Spirit Stones. Otherwise, not practicing alchemy for a long time might cause his skills to regress.


    He exchanged for a large quantity of elixir materials, all for consumptive pills like the Lingshen Pill, Consolidating Essence Pill, and Huiyuan Pill, as well as materials for five Xisui Pills. Since the materials for Xisui Pills were hard to gather, that was all there was, and Lin Tianming took them all.


    After bidding farewell to the crowd of clan members, the three stepped out of the Hall of Merit together.


    ¡°Second Brother, Sixth Brother, after this training, I feel that my bottleneck has loosened. I plan to go into seclusion for cultivation. I won¡¯t leave until I break through to the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement!¡±


    Lin Tianfeng spoke with full confidence about his plans.


    Lin Tianhong also intended to go into seclusion for cultivation. Having just entered the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the Sixth Level even with the Jade Spirit Fruit and planned to undergo quiet cultivation for a while. He wanted to enhance his alchemy and accumulate more experience before consuming the Jade Spirit Fruit towards the later stage of the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    ¡°Big Brother, Second Brother, I too will go into seclusion. It¡¯s been over a year since I reached the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. This is a good time to focus on cultivation and, with the help of the Jade Spirit Fruit, there¡¯s a good chance of reaching the Eighth Level.¡±


    After discussing their future plans, the three bid each other farewell and flew off in different directions.

 Chapter 73 - 73 - 71: Closed-Door Training (Please Subscribe, Asking for Votes)_1

    Chapter 73 ¨C 71: Closed-Door Training (Please Subscribe, Asking for Votes)_1


    Watching Lin Tianfeng and the other leave, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t immediately go home but flew towards the Alchemy Hall instead.


    Having not seen his grandfather for half a year, returning to the Lin Family naturally meant paying a visit.


    Upon entering the Alchemy Hall, aside from Lin Shigong, he saw no other clan members.


    Compared to the bustling noise of the Enforcement Hall and the Hall of Merit, the Alchemy Hall was much quieter, after all, the Lin Family only had five true alchemists.


    The Alchemy Hall was only used for exchange and learning, and with the help of Earth Fire for alchemy, it was only lively at those times. Most of the time, it was just Lin Shigong here.


    Seeing his grandfather, Lin Tianming was very happy and hurried forward to pay his respects.


    Lin Shigong also hadn¡¯t seen Lin Tianming for a long time; he pulled Lin Tianming to sit down, and the two chatted over Spiritual Tea.


    ...


    ¡°Grandfather, my father should be close to reaching the Great Perfection realm now, right?¡±


    Lin Tianming rarely encountered Lin Xingrong and could only inquire about his father¡¯s situation through his grandfather and mother.


    ¡°Your father has been accumulating for several years, and the last time he came back, he was on the verge of a breakthrough. With a large number of elixirs to assist, without accidents, he should be able to enter the Great Perfection of Qi Refining stage within half a year. He¡¯s still young, and with a Minor Foundation Building Pill to help him impact the Foundation Establishment Stage, there¡¯s a great hope of success!¡±


    Lin Shigong was very gratified. He once thought that he would never break through the Foundation Establishment Stage in this lifetime, and he was quite pessimistic about Lin Xingrong¡¯s future. It was very likely he would follow his own path, dying old in the Qi Refinement Realm. The family was too poor, and thinking about it made him feel helpless.


    Nowadays, the Lin Family¡¯s predicament has greatly improved. The hope for Foundation Establishment is much greater than before, and it¡¯s finally developing in a good direction.


    ¡°Grandfather, I want to go into seclusion for a while, at least half a year, to strive for a breakthrough to the Eighth Level of Qi Refinement.¡±


    Seeing the confident expression on Lin Tianming¡¯s face, Lin Shigong¡¯s face beamed with a smile. He was quite satisfied with Lin Tianming¡¯s efforts and naturally supported him.


    ¡°Good, there¡¯s nothing big happening in the clan at this time, except for the Monster Hunting Squad and the Spirit Root Testing Ceremony. The clan has already arranged for people to handle it. You just focus on your cultivation. I¡¯ve also gathered spiritual medicine materials for half a year, and I want to try refining Second Order Pills. Previously, my cultivation wasn¡¯t sufficient, and the elixirs needed for the third brother and the others had to be bought from outside. Now that there are more and more Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the consumption is huge. Refining our own elixirs can save a lot of Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, not to mention that it¡¯s expensive to buy them from outside. During special times, you can¡¯t even buy them if you want to!¡±


    The two chatted leisurely for an hour, from cultivation to alchemy. Through the exchange, both the grandfather and the grandson benefited a great deal.


    After the chat, Lin Tianming took out a Minor Foundation Building Pill and handed it to Lin Shigong, instructing him to pass it to his father once he reached the Great Perfection, to aid him in his early breakthrough.


    With two more Minor Foundation Building Pills and five stems of Hidden Spirit Grass left, at least there was no need to worry about not having enough.


    After saying farewell to his grandfather, Lin Tianming returned to his own small courtyard. He took out a large number of elixirs and handed them to his mother and sister, including Xisui Pills and Pozhang Pills, for them to cultivate in peace and strive for a breakthrough of one or two realms.


    Having greeted all his close clan members, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t delay any further and directly entered the secret chamber.


    He sat cross-legged on the cushion, practiced his breathing and ran his Cultivation Technique through one Grand Circulation.


    More than a year had passed since the last breakthrough.


    During the half-year with the Monster Hunting Squad, through extensive practice, his cultivation also reached the peak of the Seventh Level of Qi Refining, and with step-by-step cultivation, a breakthrough was bound to happen sooner or later.


    Feeling the weak growth of Spiritual Power in his Dantian and the accompanying pain in his body, Lin Tianming took out a large number of elixirs and placed them beside him.


    Lingshen Pills, Body Strengthening Pills, Strong Spirit Pills¡ªall were key items aiding cultivation, especially the Body Strengthening Pill, which greatly alleviated the pain of cultivation; otherwise, it would be impossible to endure.


    After consuming the elixirs, he fully absorbed the rich Spiritual Power within. His Qi Sea and Dantian grew at a slow pace.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming sat motionless, entering the best state for cultivation, similar to an old monk in meditation.


    During Lin Tianming¡¯s closed-door cultivation, the triennial Spirit Root Testing Ceremony arrived on schedule, and the Lin Family arranged for six clan members to descend the mountain to preside over the ceremony in the mortal towns.


    The clan placed great importance on the Spirit Root Testing Ceremony and cared deeply for the lives of mortals; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have stationed people in such places with sparse spiritual energy year after year.


    Even though the probability of finding a mortal with a Spiritual Root was much smaller than that of descendants of cultivators, with the vast population, a few were always discovered each year.


    By controlling a vast population, the clan could quickly increase its size, continuously integrating fresh blood. With an increasing population, the probability of encountering cultivators with exceptional talents grew larger.


    Of the current 170-plus members of the Lin Family, nearly half came from mortal towns, highlighting the significance of mortals to the Lin Family.


    Therefore, having control over a large population of mortals was also considered one of the clan¡¯s foundational strengths.


    In the southern part of Green Bamboo Mountain, outside Qingfeng Town, a cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining was flying towards the town on a Flying Sword.


    Before long, he flew directly over the town walls and headed toward the central stone tower.


    This person was named Lin Xingli, a cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining who was the Executive Officer sent by the Lin Family to preside over the Spirit Root Testing Ceremony.


    The triennial Spirit Root Testing Ceremony was held as scheduled, with the Lin Family dispatching six members to oversee it, five of whom were responsible for five major towns, while the remaining one oversaw the area at the foot of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    All six regions were places where the Lin Family¡¯s mortals gathered, and compared to the five major towns, the small town at the foot of Green Bamboo Mountain, with only fifty to sixty thousand people, had a much higher probability of discovering individuals with Spiritual Roots.


    The reason was straightforward: the mortals in that town were close relatives of Lin Family cultivators, with a cultivator emerging from within their lineage within the last ten generations, which significantly increased the probability of discovering individuals with Spiritual Roots compared to those who had never had a Spiritual Root emerge.


    Lin Xingli soared past the densely clustered mortal houses and appeared over a large square.


    At that moment, the square was filled with thousands of teenagers, about evenly split between boys and girls, most appearing to be around eleven or twelve years old, with a few thirteen-year-olds as well.


    A youth who happened to look up saw a middle-aged man standing on a Flying Sword, suspended in the air, and shouted in shock.


    ¡°A celestial being¡­¡±


    Upon hearing the shout, everyone raised their heads to look up at the sky, and many Lin Family mortals respectfully knelt and began to worship.


    Lin Xingli shouted in a voice filled with Spiritual Power. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Silence all! Line up orderly. The official testing begins tomorrow. Anyone who makes noise or causes a commotion will be deprived of the right to be tested!¡±


    Lin Xingli¡¯s words instantly hushed the previously noisy crowd, making it so quiet you could hear a pin drop.


    Having said that, he no longer paid attention to the waiting mortals. He formed a hand seal with one hand, cast a Law Decree, and entered the building.


    Less than ten breaths later, the protective restrictions were opened, and a cultivator at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining emerged.


    This cultivator, smiling as he walked, greeted Lin Xingli:


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Brother Thirteen to be overseeing the Spirit Root Testing Ceremony here. Please rest inside for a moment, brother. I¡¯ll instruct the town mayor to prepare a banquet to welcome and cleanse the dust of travel for you.¡±


    Lin Xingli returned the smile and the greeting, and the two entered the restriction one after the other before disappearing, leaving behind a crowd of mortals anxiously waiting.


    Inside the secret chamber, Lin Xingli sat opposite the other man, exchanging pleasantries.


    Soon after, Lin Shan¡¯s subordinates delivered a lavish dinner. Lin Xingli and the other man sat opposite each other, eating and conversing, confirming that the Spirit Root Testing Ceremony would commence at the break of dawn.

 Chapter 78 - 78 - 74 Breakthrough_1

    Chapter 78 ¨C 74 Breakthrough_1


    Time swiftly passed, and it had already been half a year since the Spirit Testing Conference.


    The Lin Family was very calm, operating in an orderly fashion.


    Following the example set by Lin Tianming and others in monster hunting, the clan¡¯s interest in hunting demonic beasts greatly increased.


    In this half-year period, the family formed two monster hunting squads, which went to the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range for experience and training.


    The first batch of family members who joined the hunting squads received generous rewards, and nearly all of them began to cultivate in seclusion.


    The older generation of cultivators was also busy. Lin Shikang, the person with the highest cultivation in the family and its guardian, also cultivated diligently, striving to make further progress.


    As the family¡¯s only Second Order Artifact Refiner, Lin Shilu was extremely busy, toiling in both cultivation and artifact refinement, turning large amounts of demonic beast materials and Qingling Bamboo into spiritual artifacts.


    ...


    Lin Shigong successfully entered the Foundation Establishment Stage and began to try his hand at refining Second Order Pills, eager to quickly produce elixirs to assist his clan members in their cultivation.


    Clan Leader Lin Shihua was also actively managing the family, selling large quantities of First Order Spiritual Tools and various artifact materials in exchange for a significant amount of spiritual medicine materials and elixirs. He bought various talisman papers to subsidize family members, accelerating their cultivation while also refining spiritual artifacts for them and handing out talisman papers to enhance their combat methods.


    In anticipation of a foreseeable crisis, the Lin Family was secretly accumulating strength to face the unknown dangers ahead.


    All family members were cultivating with great effort, desperately wishing to break through to the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage so they could exchange for a Minor Foundation Building Pill and attempt Foundation Establishment.


    The newly inducted family members lived fulfilling lives, learning basic cultivation knowledge every day at the Skill Transmission Hall.


    Under Lin Shigang¡¯s guidance, the family members who had just embarked on the path of cultivation were growing rapidly, and their sense of belonging to the Lin Family was gradually strengthening. It wouldn¡¯t be long before they could fully integrate into the family.


    Lin Tianhu cultivated with great dedication, his aspiration toward the Dao firm and resilient. Having completed the basic knowledge, he attempted Qi Introduction into his body.


    Because he possessed a Metal Attribute Spiritual Root, the one with the highest affinity, he naturally cultivated the family¡¯s Mysterious Grade Technique, the Three Stars Spirit Sword Technique.


    Inside a secret chamber of a small courtyard, Lin Tianhu sat cross-legged on a mat, adjusting himself to the optimal state.


    Since he had already committed the incantations and mental techniques of the Cultivation Technique to memory, he attempted to circulate the technique, meditatively sensing the Spiritual Energy around him.


    After trying for over ten days, he had yet to succeed.


    As the eighteenth day passed, Lin Tianhu showed no sign of slackening, continuing his cultivation in the secret chamber aside from his required daily studies.


    Persistence pays off for those with determination!


    After nineteen days of unwavering effort, he finally succeeded in sensing a faint gold-tinged Spiritual Energy in the air.


    Lin Tianhu patiently guided the Spiritual Energy into his body, converging it in his Qi Sea Dantian.


    Several days passed, and after over a hundred failures, he finally succeeded in introducing a thread of Spiritual Energy into his body, reaching the First Level of Qi Refining and becoming a qualified cultivator.


    After rejoicing, he stabilized his progress and then left the secret chamber to go to the Skill Transmission Hall, seeking out Lin Shigang to record his achievement.


    Upon hearing Lin Tianhu¡¯s report, Lin Shigang was greatly surprised and hastily asked Lin Tianhu to demonstrate his achievement.


    Lin Tianhu pinched his fingers together and a strand of Spiritual Energy danced at his fingertips, indeed successfully achieving Qi Introduction.


    Lin Shigang was very comforted and highly satisfied.


    Lin Tianhu indeed worked extremely hard, and his speed of cultivation was remarkable. It took him only twenty-two days to successfully introduce Qi into his body, nearly comparable to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming had Dual Spiritual Roots and grew up on Green Bamboo Mountain. Influenced by his parents¡¯ long-term guidance, he took just sixteen days to achieve Qi Introduction, breaking a record that had stood for hundreds of years in the Lin Family.


    Ordinary cultivators with Three Spiritual Roots would be considered exceptional if they achieved Qi Introduction within a month.


    Those with Four Spiritual roots were slower still, and there were many cultivators with Five Spirit Roots who took half a year or more. There were even cases of Loose Cultivators without guidance who failed to achieve it even after decades.


    Lin Tianhu, who succeeded in just twenty-three days, could be ranked in the top five in the history of the Lin Family, illustrating his high talent and understanding, marking him as a promising seedling worthy of great cultivation effort from the family.


    Having informed Lin Tianhu to go to the Hall of Merit to claim the family benefits and urged him to diligently cultivate, Lin Tianhu once again immersed himself in arduous cultivation.


    The Lin Family was operating methodically, with all its members rapidly growing stronger.


    In the secret chamber of a small courtyard on the mountainside.


    Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on a cushion, hands clasped together, having sustained his cultivation for a long span of half a year.


    Several jade bottles were messily scattered in front of him, their contents long since depleted.


    Following the end of the monster hunt, his cultivation level had reached the peak of Qi Refining Seventh Level.


    After consuming the only Jade Spirit Fruit he had, he leveraged the powerful spiritual energy contained within the fruit and successfully broke through to the Eighth Level of Qi Refinement.


    Over the span of six months, Lin Tianming focused on stabilizing his realm and, with the aid of elixirs, enhanced both his body and divine sense.


    Lin Tianming, who hadn¡¯t moved for a long time, opened his eyes, assessing the condition of his whole body.


    After half a year of rigorous cultivation, his cultivation level had greatly advanced, feeling the surging spiritual power much stronger than when he was at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The aspect of body refinement also steadily improved through battles and elixirs, essentially keeping pace with his Qi Refining cultivation level.


    With the breakthrough in cultivation, his strength surged once again, feeling the power when clenching his fist¡ªit was probably no less than two thousand catties.


    Not only had his Qi Refinement and body refinement increased, but the growth of his divine sense was also significant.


    With a large supply of Strong Spirit Pills, Lin Tianming would consume one every month.


    Having continued this sweet-like consumption for over a year,


    taking one or two Strong Spirit Pills only provided a very limited increase in divine sense, barely noticeable.


    However, over more than a year of accumulation, the effects were quite evident.


    In this extra year, the increase in divine sense accounted for almost a tenth of the total divine sense.


    In the Cultivation World, methods to increase divine sense were extremely rare, aside from cultivation arts like frequent alchemy and artifact creation, which could slowly increase it, one had to rely on certain treasures or elixirs.


    But treasures were scarce and precious, high order elixirs were too slow to obtain, simply unattainable, one had to choose from common elixirs, among which Strong Spirit Pill was a well-known option.


    Even the most common Strong Spirit Pills were unaffordable for most cultivators, as spirit stones used for cultivation were insufficient, and who would spend vast resources to cultivate divine sense and refine the body?


    After examining his body and feeling the mighty divine sense, Lin Tianming was extremely satisfied.


    Exhaling a breath of stale air, Lin Tianming got up and left the secret chamber.


    At dusk, Lin Shigong also returned from the Alchemy Hall to the small courtyard, and Lin Xingrong made a rare trip back to the family.


    By now Lin Tianming was nearly nineteen years old, and his family was rarely gathered together like this.


    After dinner, the family of five sat in the courtyard for casual conversation.


    Three years had passed since Lin Tianming broke through to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement at the age of sixteen.


    With the help of experience and numerous elixirs, Lin Tianming¡¯s progress was rapid, breaking through to Qi Refining Eighth Level in a mere three years, roughly one level per year, leaving his peers far behind.


    His parents were very pleased with the cultivation of Lin Tianming and his siblings. There was no need to mention Lin Tianming any further, as he was the fastest cultivator among the Lin Family¡¯s generation named Tian.


    Lin Tianyue was also nearly fifteen years old, growing tall and graceful, with her cultivation level reaching the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, and she was recognized alongside Lin Tianqin as one of the two ¡°golden flowers¡± of the Lin Family.


    With no need to support Lin Tianming anymore and with the aid of a large number of elixirs, his mother¡¯s cultivation also sped up significantly, having broken through to the Eighth Level of Qi Refinement.


    Lin Xingrong had also smoothly broken through to the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage and, having returned to the family, prepared to enter seclusion calmly to attempt breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

 Chapter 79 - 79 - 75: Conscripted as a Strong Man_1

    Chapter 79 ¨C 75: Conscripted as a Strong Man_1


    During casual conversation, Lin Shigong took out a Minor Foundation Building Pill and handed it to Lin Xingrong.


    Gazing at the precious Minor Foundation Building Pill, Lin Xingrong certainly knew where it came from, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat embarrassed to benefit from his son¡¯s achievements.


    ¡°Father, this Minor Foundation Building Pill is what Tian Ming has earned. I¡¯ve almost prepared the merit points, I¡¯ll go back to the Hall of Merit and exchange for it myself!¡±


    Lin Xingrong strongly insisted, wanting to rely on his own merit points to exchange for the Minor Foundation Building Pill from the family.


    Though it required a huge amount of merit points, having been stationed in Luoyun Market for over twenty years, his accumulated wealth, although not eight thousand, was not much less.


    Lin Xingrong¡¯s idea was met with stern criticism from Lin Shigong.


    You should know that three generations of the Lin Family have all set their sights on the remaining six Minor Foundation Building Pills, with competition especially intense.


    ...


    Among the Shi clan members, it was still manageable, but for some unknown reason, Lin Shigang and Lin Shihe had given up the competition, ceding the last remaining Minor Foundation Building Pill spot of the Shi generation to Lin Shixin.


    It was likely because Lin Shigang and the others realized they were too old, and the probability of breaking through was even lower than it had been for Lin Shigong, so they decided to give away a favor easily rather than wasting a lot of merit points for an impossible breakthrough.


    It could also be that an agreement was reached among the three, but other clan members didn¡¯t know about it, and even so, it still deeply touched Lin Shixin.


    As for the competition among the Xing clan members, it was even more fierce.


    Most of the Shi generation had already exhausted their potential, with only Lin Shixin holding hope for a breakthrough.


    Meanwhile, a large portion of Xing clan members under sixty still had a significant amount of time, and breaking through remained a promising prospect.


    As such, the competition for Minor Foundation Building Pills was far too intense, and no one would willingly give up unless they had an extremely poor Spiritual Root, effectively barring them from reaching the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage before the age of one hundred.


    Although many Xing clan members did not know that Lin Tianming had three more Minor Foundation Building Pills, all the core clan members were aware.


    If they were to join the fray, it would undoubtedly invite criticism.


    After receiving Lin Shigong¡¯s severe criticism, Lin Xingrong changed his mind. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he was getting older, delaying further would only make the breakthrough more difficult, so he finally accepted the goodwill from Tian Ming.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. We¡¯re all family; why make such sharp distinctions? I took advantage of this youngster back then!¡±


    ¡°Had it not been for the Minor Foundation Building Pill, I would have turned to dust in twenty years. Time waits for no one!¡±


    After considering it, Lin Xingrong realized it was indeed the case and accepted the Minor Foundation Building Pill.


    Seeing Lin Xingrong accept the Minor Foundation Building Pill and sipping the Spiritual Tea, Lin Shigong was very satisfied.


    Lin Tianming and his mother joined in, persuading Lin Xingrong not to be obstinate.


    The earlier one breaks through in their cultivation, the better. It had been delayed previously due to a lack of conditions, but now that the conditions were met, it was naturally best to proceed as quickly as possible.


    After the encouragement and persuasion of the four, Lin Xingrong was deeply moved and resolutely decided to break through as soon as possible.


    Hearing Lin Xingrong¡¯s response, the urgent task now was to assist Lin Xingrong in his breakthrough.


    Lin Shigong sent a message, informing the Clan Leader and Lin Shikang of the closed-door cultivation for the breakthrough.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Lin Shigong received a reply.


    After checking Lin Shikang¡¯s response, Lin Shigong¡¯s complexion was ruddy as he spoke.


    ¡°Xingrong, Third Brother and Shihua have replied. I¡¯ll take you to the summit of the main peak tomorrow for your closed-door breakthrough. Some experiences of our predecessors will naturally be handed over to you, just focus on breaking through.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Since Lin Shigong had already arranged everything, Lin Xingrong stopped being unnecessarily polite.


    After organizing Lin Xingrong¡¯s breakthrough, Lin Shigong instructed Lin Tianming.


    ¡°During the time of your father¡¯s breakthrough, I will be at the peak guarding him, and you, my boy, will just be idle. You are to stay in the Alchemy Hall for a while, taking charge of all the First Order elixirs for the Lin Family. Collect the Spiritual Medicine Materials from the Hall of Merit; I¡¯ll explain to Shixin with a message.¡±


    Conscripted by his grandfather and having just achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, Lin Tianming was looking forward to consolidating his gains, it had been quite a while since he had last practiced alchemy.


    ¡°Grandson obeys!¡±


    After arranging all the matters, the family ended their casual conversation and returned to their rooms to rest.


    The next morning, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingrong left their courtyard together.


    After leaving the house, the two flew in opposite directions.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s destination was the Family Merits Hall, while Lin Xingrong was headed for the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Before long, Lin Tianming arrived at the Hall of Merit.


    The Hall of Merit was particularly lively at the moment as the second batch of the Monster Hunting Squad had just concluded their half-year of training.


    In the hall of the Hall of Merit, Lin Shiji led a large group of Xing Clan Members to gather together.


    Although several of them were pale and their breathing was chaotic, showing signs of injury, they had all safely returned to the Lin Family.


    Each person¡¯s face was brimming with a thick smile, seemingly quite satisfied with the gains from their training.


    Lin Shiji took out a large number of jade boxes and placed them on the stone table, while throwing three storage bags to Lin Shixin for inspection.


    Lin Shixin took out the records, registering all the Spiritual Medicine Materials and Demonic Beast Materials in the books.


    In half an hour, he appraised the value of all the training gains and on the spot allocated Merit points to the members of the Monster Hunting Squad.


    After receiving their share, all the clan members exchanged their points for various elixirs and talisman papers, then cheerfully left the Hall of Merit.


    Lin Tianming immediately stepped forward and began to pay his respects to Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin.


    ¡°Tianming pays respects to Elder Wu and to Uncle Ten!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you lad have made a breakthrough!¡±


    Lin Shiji, composed as ever, teased Lin Tianming with a smile that was not quite a smile.


    Lin Tianming, smiling at the two of them, humbly responded:


    ¡°Thanks to your blessings, I had the luck to make a breakthrough recently.¡±


    ¡°Elder Wu, have your injuries healed?¡±


    Instead of continuing with light-hearted banter, Lin Tianming inquired about Lin Shiji¡¯s injuries.


    ¡°A mere scratch, it healed in half a month, otherwise how could I continue to train outside!¡±


    ¡°Elder Wu is strong and vigorous, truly formidable!¡±


    Lin Tianming heaped on the flattery, eliciting hearty laughter from Lin Shixin and even eliciting a rare laugh from the usually stern Lin Shiji.


    After a few moments of casual conversation, Lin Shiji took his leave.


    Once Lin Shiji was far enough away, Lin Shixin broached a more serious topic.


    ¡°Your grandfather has already spoken to me; you¡¯d better take this seriously, lad. Spiritual Medicine Materials are not easy to come by.¡±


    Lin Shixin only knew that Lin Tianming was a First-Order Medium Grade Alchemist and had not seen him practice alchemy, nor had he seen any elixirs he had refined. Unclear about his alchemy level, he seemed somewhat uneasy and repeatedly cautioned.


    ¡°Understood, don¡¯t worry, sir. If the elixirs don¡¯t turn out well, I¡¯ll compensate!¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s confident expression,


    Lin Shixin thought, This young man usually is quite reliable, and besides, since Ninth Brother has spoken, he must be sure of himself.


    Lin Shixin took out various Spiritual Medicine Materials, checked the quantities with Lin Tianming, and did not forget to remind him about the quantity of elixirs required to be handed over.


    ¡°Understood, just wait and see, sir!¡±


    Lin Tianming replied with full confidence, easing Lin Shixin¡¯s worries.


    The amount Lin Shixin mentioned only required a 40% pill formation rate, which was a meager effort for Lin Tianming.


    After safely storing the hundreds of Spiritual Medicine Materials provided by Lin Shixin, Lin Tianming planned to exchange for some Demon Cores for alchemy purposes.


    The dozen or so Beast Spirit Pills he had refined at Qianchuan Market were depleted months ago, and the Purple Gold Eagle had completely run out of elixirs.


    With some time on his hands, it was a good opportunity to refine more Beast Spirit Pills to last a while longer.


    ¡°Uncle Ten, how many First Order Late Stage Demon Pills do you have? I need fifteen.¡±


    Lin Shixin was surprised¡ªwhat did this young man want so many Demon Pills for!


    ¡°We have quite a few in stock now, with even more from the early and medium stages, mostly from the hands of the Monster Hunting Squad.¡±


    ¡°Each First Order Late Stage Demon Pill costs twelve points of Merit, totalling one hundred and eighty points!¡±


    Hearing the price, Lin Tianming did not hesitate to take out his Identity Token, transferred his Merit points, and exchanged for fifteen Demon Pills.


    Once all the materials and Demon Pills were secure in his storage bag, he bid farewell and left.


    Upon exiting the Hall of Merit, he headed straight for the Alchemy Hall.

 Chapter 80 - 80 - 76 Guiding Lin Tianqin_1

    Chapter 80 ¨C 76 Guiding Lin Tianqin_1


    At the summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, within a secluded courtyard.


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shigong sat in the courtyard, sipping Spiritual Tea.


    Lin Shikang took out several Jade Tubes and handed them to Lin Xingrong, which contained the breakthrough experiences of more than a dozen of the Lin Family ancestors.


    Not only that, he also personally narrated his own experiences and feelings during his breakthrough.


    Lin Xingrong stood by, his expression calm, listening intently and committing every word to memory.


    After all, what is contained in the Jade Tubes is never as easy to understand as what is spoken firsthand.


    For a full half an hour, Lin Shikang finished relating all his experiences.


    ...


    Lin Shigong gave several earnest admonitions before allowing Lin Xingrong to leave.


    As he watched Lin Xingrong walk to the secret chamber, Lin Shigong seemed somewhat distracted, his expression a mix of flurry and nervousness.


    Even before the retreat for the breakthrough had begun, Lin Shigong started to worry.


    Seeing Lin Shigong¡¯s expression, Lin Shikang felt helpless but only could offer advice.


    ¡°Ninth brother, Xingrong has always been promising, and he is still young; there is hope yet. Whether he breaks through or not, his life is not in danger, so don¡¯t worry too much!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s attempt to console him, Lin Shigong sighed helplessly.


    After all, a breakthrough is something no one else can aid with; one can only rely on oneself.


    Do your humanly best and leave the rest to fate!


    Cultivation itself is about defying fate¡ªsucceed, and a bright future awaits; fail, and all chances are lost.


    Regaining his composure, Lin Shigong steadied himself and said:


    ¡°Third brother, the breakthrough will take at least a month. It¡¯s enough that I keep watch here¡ªyou go about your business!¡±


    Seeing that Lin Shigong had stabilized his mindset, Lin Shikang did not object and left after a few comforting words.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Xingrong took out the Jade Tubes and began to scrutinize them intently.


    Before long, he was completely engrossed in the contents of the tubes.


    Outside the Alchemy Hall on the mountainside, Lin Tianming descended from the sky, on the verge of entering the hall.


    An appealing voice entered his mind!


    ¡°Sixth brother, wait for me!¡±


    Lin Tianming turned around, Lin Tianqin was hurrying towards him.


    After several years, Lin Tianqin had already broken through to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement and, as revealed by Lin Tianhong, she had also successfully become a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist.


    ¡°Third sister, long time no see. You¡¯ve become even more beautiful!¡±


    Lin Tianming teased Lin Tianqin with a hearty chuckle.


    But Lin Tianqin wasn¡¯t having any of it, her expression tinged with a hint of sullenness, she started to scold Lin Tianming incessantly.


    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re such a busybody. We hardly encountered each other in years!¡±


    ¡°In this period, you guys have done well, tagging along with Elder Wu on your adventures, and you didn¡¯t even include me!¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all men, able to handle the fighting; you are like a golden flower in our family, third sister!¡±


    Lin Tianqin found herself silenced by the flattery.


    Lin Tianming kept smiling bitterly. Knowing Lin Tianqin very well since they grew up together, he quickly complimented her, which finally appeased her.


    Lin Tianqin pouted, and upon hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s pleas for mercy, her anger finally subsided.


    Having soothed Lin Tianqin, Lin Tianming quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°Third sister, are you here to see someone or to craft elixirs?¡±


    ¡°Alchemy. I can manage crafting Lingshen Pills well enough, but my success rate with other consumable elixirs isn¡¯t high. I¡¯ve prepared some Spiritual Medicine Materials to practice more.¡±


    Lin Tianqin said with a smile, explaining her purpose.


    ¡°I also need to craft a large number of elixirs; it¡¯s a good opportunity for us to exchange knowledge!¡±


    Lin Tianming proactively suggested the exchange, mainly aiming to guide Lin Tianqin.


    With his First Order Superior Grade skills and astounding success rate in crafting elixirs, he believed guiding her was well within his capability.


    Hearing what Lin Tianming said, Lin Tianqin gladly agreed, and the two of them walked towards the Alchemy Hall side by side.


    After choosing an Alchemy Room, they sat on meditation cushions and exchanged their Alchemy Experience.


    Lin Tianming did not hold back and shared his experience with Lin Tianqin.


    Initially, Lin Tianqin had thought that Lin Tianming¡¯s Alchemy was not much different from theirs, but as he explained his experience, many of her confusions suddenly cleared up.


    As Lin Tianqin pondered Lin Tianming¡¯s words, she realized that this was not an exchange but guidance.


    After half an hour had passed, Lin Tianqin was utterly astounded.


    ¡°Your progress has been way too fast!¡±


    ¡°Are you even capable of refining First Order Superior Grade elixirs now?¡±


    Facing several questions, Lin Tianming did not hide anything and openly admitted.


    ¡°Younger Brother is impressive, Sister admires you!¡±


    Lin Tianqin couldn¡¯t help but praise him, concluding the guidance session!


    Lin Tianming let Lin Tianqin attempt to refine a batch of elixirs first while he gave guidance from the side.


    Lin Tianqin took out the Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Huiyuan Pill and neatly placed them aside before pulling out an azure blue Pill Furnace from her storage bag, its surface etched with many patterns.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the family run out of Pill Furnaces?¡±


    Lin Tianming was very puzzled.


    After Lin Tianqin explained, it turned out to be a First Order Inferior Alchemy Furnace which she had specially asked a clan member to buy from the market for her.


    ¡°No wonder!¡±


    Lin Tianqin struck the Pill Furnace with several Law Decrees, and as the Earth Fire surged out, she tempered the Alchemy Furnace.


    Half an hour later, a sudden crisp sound rang out!


    The first attempt at refining ended in failure.


    Lin Tianqin was not discouraged and prepared to start the refining process all over again.


    With Lin Tianming overseeing and timely correcting her mistakes, she successfully produced three pills on the third attempt.


    Overjoyed, Lin Tianqin realized that following the methods taught by Lin Tianming, the pills indeed formed quickly.


    While the iron was hot, Lin Tianqin refined several batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, managing to maintain a stable 30% success rate, producing three to four pills per batch.


    In front of Lin Tianqin, Lin Tianming refined a batch of Huiyuan Pills himself.


    As a scent of medicine filled the air, Lin Tianming lifted the lid of the furnace, and Lin Tianqin took out a Huiyuan Pill between her fingers, examining it carefully. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon close inspection, Lin Tianqin was completely stunned.


    ¡°This success rate and number of pills are just too terrifying!¡±


    ¡°The medicinal strength contained is also stronger than what the others have refined!¡±


    ¡°This must be the epitome of Exquisite Yuan Returning Pills!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, affirming Lin Tianqin¡¯s thoughts.


    Lin Tianqin had no choice but to accept the reality; this guy was just too exaggerated and beyond comparison.


    After Lin Tianming¡¯s demonstration, Lin Tianqin benefited significantly and tried Alchemy once more.


    Several days later, under Lin Tianming¡¯s guidance,


    Lin Tianqin¡¯s pill success rate steadily improved, and she could maintain a 40% success rate, with the number of pills also remaining stable at around four per batch.


    With more practice, she could attempt to refine other types of pills.


    Just as Lin Tianqin had run out of Spiritual Medicine Materials, she took the initiative to say goodbye and leave.


    ¡°Younger Brother, thank you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve run out of Spiritual Medicine Materials too, so I¡¯ll head back now. After you finish refining your pills, I¡¯ll host a banquet to celebrate, and remember to invite Tian Yue and Big Brother too. It has been a long time since we¡¯ve all gathered together.¡±


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll definitely visit you when the few of us are free!¡±


    Lin Tianqin sincerely expressed her gratitude, and Lin Tianming graciously agreed to attend without any refusal.


    Lin Tianqin was very happy, tidied up her belongings, and without further delay, left the Alchemy Room.


    Following Lin Tianqin¡¯s departure, Lin Tianming also began to meditate and adjust his breathing, preparing to start Alchemy.

 Chapter 81 - 81 - 77 Adding Another Foundation Establishment _1

    Chapter 81 ¨C 77 Adding Another Foundation Establishment _1


    ¡°`


    After seeing Lin Tianqin off, Lin Tianming began to prepare for alchemy.


    The family had provided him with hundreds of batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, mostly for the Lingshen Pill and the Huiyuan Pill, but also included a smaller proportion of Consolidating Essence Pill and Huadu Pill materials, which are for healing.


    Sitting on the cushion, he took a deep breath and began to regulate his breath.


    Before alchemy, it was still best to adjust his condition to its peak, and even though making these elixirs posed no real challenge to him, treating the process with respect was always the right thing to do.


    After cultivating diligently for most of the day, Lin Tianming¡¯s condition had reached its peak.


    He organized all the Spiritual Medicine Materials neatly together.


    ...


    Taking out the Four Symbols Furnace, he cast several Law Decrees to control the temperature of the Earth Fire and made all the necessary preparations.


    Concocting a First Order Medium Grade elixirs was a simple task for Lin Tianming.


    With practiced ease, he cultivated while simultaneously carrying out alchemy and in just over half a month¡¯s time, and without expending much effort, he had refined all seventy-odd batches of Lingshen Pill materials.


    Compared to the past when he could only refine a few batches of Lingshen Pills a day, depleting his Spiritual Power, his cultivation and Divine Sense were now much stronger; if he tried his hardest, he could probably finish them all in seven or eight days.


    If Lin Tianhong or Lin Tianqin were to do the refining, it would definitely take half a year to complete, not to mention the rate of success in forming the pills.


    He was quite satisfied with the speed of this alchemy session.


    At this moment, in front of Lin Tianming, hundreds of Jade Bottles were neatly arranged, each containing three pills.


    With over seventy batches of Lingshen Pill materials, and with the help of the Eye of Five Colors, all of the Lingshen Pills he refined were of excellent quality, amounting to a total of four hundred seventy-two Lingshen Pills.


    Looking at so many Lingshen Pills, Lin Tianming was very pleased.


    According to the rules of the Hall of Merit, out of so many Lingshen Pill materials, he only needed to submit one hundred fifty Lingshen Pills, and the rest belonged to the Alchemist.


    In this way, Lin Tianming could keep over three hundred pills, worth nearly three thousand Spirit Stones.


    Truly, alchemists could make a fortune. Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help thinking that if he specifically helped people refine elixirs in the market, he could earn a substantial amount of Spirit Stones in a month.


    In fact, with the aid of the Eye of Five Colors, Lin Tianming¡¯s success rate in concocting Lingshen Pills was thirty percent higher than that of a seasoned First Order Superior Grade Alchemist, yielding more pills and at a faster speed.


    Taking a seasoned Alchemist like Lin Shigong as a comparison, he could only ensure a fifty percent success rate and an output of about six pills per batch; to finish refining over seventy batches, it would probably take him two months.


    After such hard work for two months, he could only get a reward of nearly one hundred pills, although it was worth eight or nine hundred Spirit Stones, raising an Alchemist required quite a lot of resources.


    Doing the maths, while the reward was considerable, it wasn¡¯t unacceptable; not every Alchemist was as defying as Lin Tianming.


    Having placed all the Lingshen Pills into his storage bag, he began to refine other types of elixirs.


    Another ten days passed, and all the Spiritual Medicine Materials had been refined.


    Lin Tianming started to tally up the harvest from his month of busy work.


    Four hundred seventy-two Lingshen Pills!


    One hundred ten Huiyuan Pills!


    Eighty-six Consolidating Essence Pills!


    Sixty-one Huadu Pills!


    Eighty-four Beast Spirit Pills!


    Lin Tianming separated the elixirs that needed to be submitted, placing them in a lower-grade storage bag, then collected the ones that belonged to him inside his storage bag.


    With plenty of time to spare, he decided to submit the elixirs at the Hall of Merit when he was free. He also still had plenty of Lingshen Pills on him; he wouldn¡¯t run out during the Qi Refinements stage, so he could exchange them for other resources or for Spirit Stones.


    It had been just over a month since he started alchemy, and his father had been in seclusion for a month as well; there should be a result by now!


    With some free time at hand, naturally, he wanted to check on the situation.


    After tidying up the chaotic Alchemy Room, Lin Tianming left the room and flew towards the Summit of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    In half an hour, Lin Tianming arrived at the small courtyard where Lin Xingrong was in seclusion.


    Lin Shigong had already been guarding there for over thirty days, without moving a step.


    ¡°`


    Since Lin Xingrong entered the secret chamber, it had been thirty-five days.


    The reason why it took such a long time without coming out was because Lin Xingrong was very cautious. He spent half a month just comprehending the breakthrough insights and several more days adjusting to the best state before taking the Minor Foundation Building Pill. In fact, it only lasted for half a month.


    Lin Shigong¡¯s face, unaware of the reasons, turned somewhat pale as he occasionally sighed heavily. Lin Tianming guessed that he probably hadn¡¯t completed the breakthrough yet.


    But as long as one didn¡¯t leave the retreat, there was still hope.


    Approaching his grandfather, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t speak and sat down next to him to wait.


    Inside the secret chamber, Lin Xingrong¡¯s face flushed red while he endured excruciating pain, fully concentrating on condensing the spiritual power in his dantian into a sea of qi, reaching the most critical juncture.


    With the remaining frenzied spiritual power of the Minor Foundation Building Pill not much left, Lin Xingrong resolutely quickened the pace of refinement.


    Three days passed, and Lin Xingrong had gathered a sea of qi within his dantian, reaching the most crucial moment.


    If he reached a certain critical point, he would succeed in the breakthrough.


    Lin Xingrong was refining the medicinal power of the Minor Foundation Building Pill and quickly converging it with his original spiritual power.


    After numerous cycles of compression, he finally condensed all his spiritual power into a substantial spiritual liquid.


    At this moment, the spiritual power had turned from a gas into a viscous spiritual liquid, each drop containing violent energy.


    Just as he was about to breakthrough the critical point, the aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator spread rapidly, unstoppable, and soon permeated the entire Summit of Qingzhu Mountain.


    After taking the Minor Foundation Building Pill and refining it for a full twenty days, he finally made the breakthrough.


    After a bout of euphoria passed, Lin Xingrong swiftly regained his composure and began to consolidate his cultivation.


    In the courtyard outside the secret chamber, a familiar aura approached.


    ¡°It¡¯s father, father has made the breakthrough!¡±


    Lin Tianming said excitedly, unable to hold back.


    Lin Shigong was equally excited. After worrying for over thirty days, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    Lin Xingrong was still in his prime years, and with the help of the Minor Foundation Building Pill, his chances of making a breakthrough were far higher than his own.


    But no one dared to say that making a breakthrough was a sure thing; there were risks, and the outcome was unpredictable.


    Although failing the breakthrough did not pose a risk to one¡¯s life, in several decades, he would die due to the depletion of his lifespan if he failed.


    If he failed, it would be a heartbreaking experience to have a man with black hair send off one with white.


    Even though such things are commonplace in the Cultivation World, no one wants to go through such a painful separation.


    A quarter of an hour later, Lin Shigong gradually calmed down and began giving instructions to Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Alright, your father has just made his breakthrough, and his realm is not stable; he still needs to consolidate his cultivation. You go back and tell your mother the good news, and I will go find your third uncle and the others!¡±


    ¡°Yes, grandson will go now!¡±


    Lin Tianming readily agreed with a beaming smile, bowed to his grandfather, and left straight away.


    On his way, Lin Tianming was in a particularly good mood.


    Although he grew up following his grandfather, with few encounters and even less basic communication with his father, the bond of kinship was thick, and he felt genuinely happy.


    In a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming arrived back at his own courtyard.


    His mother and sister were sitting in the courtyard, faces tense, having been worried all along.


    For over a month, the anxious two did not cultivate, spending their days waiting for news from Lin Xingrong.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming come in, his sister quickly asked.


    ¡°Brother, how is father?¡±


    ¡°Today, father successfully made the breakthrough!¡± Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s confirmation, the mother and daughter both let out a huge sigh of relief, with his sister cheering loudly.

 Chapter 82 - 82 - 78: The Current State of the Family_1

    Chapter 82 ¨C 78: The Current State of the Family_1


    At the summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, within the courtyard of Lin Shikang.


    After over a month of consolidation of his cultivation, Lin Xingrong emerged from seclusion and, together with Lin Shigong, paid a visit to Lin Shikang.


    They were all usually busy with their own affairs, with barely any opportunity to gather together, but, taking advantage of the family¡¯s first junior to successfully achieve Foundation Establishment, Clan Leader Lin Shihua and Lin Shilu also set aside their affairs to join Lin Shigong and his son, thus all five Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Lin Family were together, which was particularly difficult to arrange.


    The five of them sat in the courtyard, casually chatting while exchanging insights on cultivation.


    Mainly, it was Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu who were speaking, with the other three listening.


    After all, they had only broken through for a year and had hardly any experience to share.


    An hour later, with the guidance from Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu, all three had gained a great deal.


    ...


    The five sat there drinking spiritual tea, happily chatting about family matters.


    They talked about everything from their childhood days in the Skill Transmission Hall to learning various skills and, finally, the situation of the family.


    Years ago, the circumstances of the family were not promising.


    With only two Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Lin Family, the Jin Family watched greedily, coveting the Lin Family¡¯s wealth, and amidst the undercurrents of the entire Luoyun Mountain Range, danger lurked everywhere with the flash of swords and shadows of danger.


    For the Lin Family to have survived surrounded by formidable enemies in the Luoyun Mountain Range for nearly a century was no easy feat.


    Every step could lead to an abyss; under such tremendous pressure, Lin Shikang and his partner tread cautiously, guarding the family with great care.


    Silently, the strength of the Lin Family had grown exponentially, and the high-level battle power of the five Foundation Establishment cultivators was now no less than that of the Jin Family.


    Now they could finally breathe a sigh of relief; the family was becoming stronger and stronger, living up to the expectations of their ancestors.


    Especially Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu, whose faces were always brimming with smiles, felt an immense sense of contentment in their hearts.


    Before the breakthroughs of Lin Shigong and his peers, all the burdens of the Lin Family rested on the shoulders of Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu.


    But now things were different; the strength of the Lin Family had greatly increased, with five Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the highest number in the history of the Lin Family.


    It must be said that this was a tremendous progress, and the Lin Family, which had lain dormant for more than two hundred years, finally reclaimed its former glory, naturally stirring up a fervent passion.


    If it were just one strong generation, that wouldn¡¯t be anything special, but several generations of the Lin Family were remarkable, especially the Tian generation, which produced individuals with immense talent like Lin Tianming. There were also several people with the Three Spiritual Roots Aptitude.


    And the biggest reason for the drastic increase in the Lin Family¡¯s strength was Lin Tianming!


    Without the opportunities he had encountered, there would have been no Minor Foundation Building Pills, and the family wouldn¡¯t have achieved such a leap in just a few short years.


    Lin Shikang was filled with emotion; with the successive breakthroughs of Lin Shigong and the others, he finally felt he could account to his ancestors.


    As they talked, taking advantage of the gathering of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the discussion turned to the family¡¯s development.


    Clan Leader Lin Shihua, in charge of the family¡¯s operations, started by introducing the latest situation.


    Lin Shihua began to speak about the family¡¯s recent status, according to the latest information he had received.


    A year had passed since Lin Shigong and others had successfully established their Foundations, and significant changes had occurred within the Lin Family.


    Starting with the encouragement to join the Monster Hunting Squad, the family had deployed its many years of accumulated resources, greatly improving the treatment of family cultivators.


    With the help of these resources, many cultivators with good talent had broken through a minor realm.


    And the decision to form the Monster Hunting Squad had unexpectedly brought the family a great amount of wealth on its first expedition.


    Although the gains in the latter half of the year were somewhat less than the first, the obtained Demonic Beast Materials and spiritual medicines were also sizable. Once all were refined, it represented another substantial fortune.


    It also allowed family members to rapidly break through their cultivation levels through such trials.


    The first batch to join the Monster Hunting Squad had nearly all broken through with the help of the Jade Spirit Fruit, far exceeding expectations with the squad¡¯s effectiveness.


    In the shadows, the family focused on amassing resources, selling a tremendous amount of Qingling Bamboo and liquidating all temporarily redundant properties to acquire a large sum of spirit stones. These were then exchanged for spiritual medicines or Spiritual Instrument Talismans and other resources, which were rewarded to the clan members with the sole purpose of enhancing their strength.


    If the five major families of the Luoyun Mountain Range truly came to blows, holding onto those possessions would be of little use; in the unfortunate event of their fall, they would merely benefit the enemy.


    Among the younger generation, there were not many from the Xing generation with potential. Lin Xingrong¡¯s talent was nothing exceptional, it was only with the help of an alchemist like Lin Shigong that he became the first to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    However, the Tian generation was quite impressive. There was no need to mention Lin Tianming in particular, the fastest cultivator in the history of the Lin Family.


    Besides Lin Tianming, there were Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong, as well as Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianhu¡ªall possessing Three Spiritual Roots, making their aptitude far superior to that of the two generations above them. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Given fifty years, if the Lin Family cultivated its members properly, it could potentially nurture several Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Unfortunately, time waits for no one, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for the Lin Family to maintain its independence.


    The conflict between the Jin Family and the Sun Family had become irreconcilable, and a major battle was now inevitable.


    Since it couldn¡¯t be avoided, what needed to be considered was how to secure the greatest benefits for the family¡ªthis could also be the opportunity for the family¡¯s rise.


    At this point, Lin Shigong and others expressed their own opinions.


    After discussing for half an hour and pooling their wisdom, they finally reached a consensus on a course of action.


    Since the news of Lin Shigong and others achieving Foundation Establishment had not been revealed, the Jin Family and the Sun Family, unaware of this, might lower their guard. They could fight to their demise, allowing the Lin Family to act last and gain the maximum benefit.


    The Lin Family already had a feud with the Jin Family, and if the conditions allowed, they could completely destroy them.


    Time was short; there were only two years left. The Lin Family needed to grow stronger as quickly as possible.


    In this period, they had to accelerate resource accumulation, nurture the exceptionally talented clan members, and maximize the enhancement of their strength.


    The half-day gathering established the family¡¯s development direction for the next two years, and everyone bid farewell and departed.


    Lin Shigong and Lin Xingrong left together, flying towards their courtyard.


    Receiving the news, Lin Tianming and his sister waited outside the family gate to welcome them.


    Soon after, Lin Shigong and the other person descended from the sky and landed in front of Lin Tianming.


    Lin Shigong¡¯s face was flushed with excitement, indescribable joy, while Lin Xingrong maintained a solemn expression, showing neither happiness nor anger.


    Lin Tianming and his sister hurriedly stepped forward to offer their congratulations.


    ¡°Congratulations, Father, on your successful entry into the Foundation Establishment Stage!¡±


    ¡°You siblings are thoughtful. If it weren¡¯t for Tianming, I might have never succeeded in reaching Foundation Establishment in my lifetime!¡±


    Lin Xingrong said earnestly, which took Lin Tianming by surprise.


    ¡°Father has a strong foundation. The Minor Foundation Building Pill is just the icing on the cake; breaking through was only a matter of time!¡±


    Lin Tianming flattered as well, prompting everyone to burst into laughter.


    ¡°Alright, enough jesting. Where¡¯s your mother?¡±


    ¡°Mother is busy preparing dinner to celebrate for you. It should be ready soon!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s go inside and talk!¡±


    Lin Shigong went in first, and the others followed.


    Inside the courtyard, the mother had already prepared a large table full of delicious food. Lin Tian Yue couldn¡¯t wait to start eating, drawing a scolding from their mother.


    After dinner, the family sat contentedly in the courtyard, chatting idly.

 Chapter 83 - 83 - 79: Gathering Among Peers_1

    Chapter 83 ¨C 79: Gathering Among Peers_1


    The next morning, in the Hall of Merit, Lin Shixin received several jade boxes from a clan member.


    After opening and checking them, once he had confirmed the years and types of the spiritual medicines, he transferred the Merit Points to the exchanging clansman.


    Seeing that the person in front of him had completed the exchange and had left, Lin Tianming hurried forward to pay his respects.


    ¡°Tianming pays respects to Uncle Ten!¡±


    Lin Shixin frowned slightly and said with a half-smile,


    ¡°You scamp, no need for such formalities. What brings you here today? If you want to exchange for something, do it quickly¡ªI¡¯m quite busy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to submit elixirs!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Submit elixirs?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve finished concocting them already? Is the quantity up to the required standard?¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It had not been very long, only two months had passed, and Lin Shixin seemed to find it hard to believe that Lin Tianming had already finished concocting.


    Previously, even Lin Shigong needed close to two months to finish processing so many materials.


    Without explaining, Lin Tianming took out the prepared storage bag and handed it to Lin Shixin.


    Lin Shixin took the storage bag and reached out with his Divine Sense to examine it.


    To his astonishment as soon as he looked!


    ¡°All these elixirs came from you?¡±


    Lin Shixin took out a Lingshen Pill and couldn¡¯t stop examining it as if he couldn¡¯t let it go.


    ¡°Yes, one hundred and fifty of them, no more, no less!¡±


    Lin Tianming said with a smile.


    In his astonishment, Lin Shixin checked the elixirs and, after confirming the quantity and grade were correct, noted them down in a thick book.


    Lin Tianming took out over a hundred jade bottles from the storage bag and filled the table in front of him.


    Three hundred Lingshen Pills!


    Fifty Huiyuan Pills!


    Fifty Consolidating Essence Pills!


    Twenty Xisui Pills!


    Six Pozhang Pills!


    Aside from the Strong Spirit Pill and the Body Strengthening Pill required for cultivation, he left behind nearly a hundred Lingshen Pills and six Pozhang Pills, as well as five Xisui Pills. After setting aside a few of each type of consumable elixir, he took out everything else.


    Aside from one Pozhang Pill that he planned to consume himself, he left five Pozhang Pills and Xisui Pills, which he could give to his mother and sister or sell.


    Lin Tianming took out a vast quantity of elixirs that he had accumulated over nearly two years.


    Such a multitude of elixirs, clearly all from Lin Tianming¡¯s own hands, thoroughly astounded Lin Shixin!


    Out of over four hundred elixirs, the majority were of exceptional quality, and just these elixirs alone nearly equaled the clan¡¯s annual consumption.


    Lin Shixin was completely speechless and numb to Lin Tianming¡¯s achievements!


    He thought to himself, ¡°This kid is a monster!¡±


    After Lin Shixin had examined them, he assessed the total value of all the elixirs.


    ¡°A total of six thousand and two hundred Merit Points!¡±


    Lin Shixin gave the total, which was not far from the estimate Lin Tianming had in mind, so he decided to proceed with the exchange.


    Even if there were some differences, a few hundred Merit Points more or less would simply mean he had to concoct a few more batches of elixirs given her stature and wealth.


    Lin Tianming took out his Family Token and handed it to Lin Shixin while speaking,


    ¡°Uncle Ten, I¡¯d like five thousand Merit Points, and the rest can be exchanged for Spirit Stones!¡±


    Having spent all his Spirit Stones at Qianchuan Market, he needed to exchange for some Spirit Stones to carry with him.


    After all, outside of the family, transactions either required bartering or payment with Spirit Stones¡ªMerit Points from the family were not recognized elsewhere, so having some Spirit Stones on hand was a precautionary measure.


    In a short while, Lin Shixin transferred five thousand Merit Points to Lin Tianming.


    By this time, Lin Tianming¡¯s Family Token had accumulated nearly ten thousand Merit Points.


    With so many Merit Points, aside from Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu, it was likely that not even the Clan Leader or Grandfather could compare.


    Lin Tianming thought about his own worth compared to that of the various Foundation Establishment Clan Members.


    After handing over the elixirs and exchanging all the accumulated ones, Lin Tianming said goodbye to Lin Shixin and walked out of the Hall of Merit.


    Summoning an Earth Evil Sword, he soared into the sky and flew towards a courtyard located halfway up the mountain.


    In no time at all, he appeared at the entrance of an exquisitely small courtyard.


    This was the residence of Lin Tianqin.


    A few days ago, Lin Tianqin had sent him a message, arranging to meet today.


    In recent years, as their generation¡¯s cultivation had improved, the time spent in closed-door cultivation had gotten longer, or they were involved in family missions, leaving little time to gather as often as before.


    Since Lin Tianqin had invited him and the opportunity was rare, he naturally wanted to attend to familiarize himself with new clan members and to foster relationships among them.


    With a pinch of his fingers, he sent a message that entered the courtyard.


    Shortly after, two women in red dresses, with long hair draped over their shoulders and joyful expressions on their faces, came out from the courtyard. They were Lin Tianqin and her younger sister, Lin Tianyue.


    ¡°Sixth Brother, please come in quickly!¡±


    Lin Tianqin was very enthusiastic; she was delighted that Lin Tianming had come to the gathering.


    ¡°Brother, why are you so slow?¡±


    ¡°Big Brother and Second Brother have already arrived, and quite a few clan brothers and sisters as well. We were just waiting for you!¡±


    Lin Tianyue didn¡¯t hold back, starting to chide Lin Tianming.


    Before Lin Tianming could explain, the two of them grabbed one of his arms each and pulled him towards the courtyard.


    Inside the courtyard, more than twenty clan members sat together, both men and women; the oldest, Lin Tianfeng, was twenty-seven years old, and the youngest, Lin Tianhu, was eleven.


    In the past half-year, Lin Tianfeng had already broken through to the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, while Lin Tianhong was still at the Fifth Level. Although he hadn¡¯t broken through, his aura was strong, and he was not far from the Sixth Level, ready to break through at any time.


    The courtyard was exceptionally lively, with the younger clan members discussing cultivation matters, while the few older ones chatted over tea.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming enter, Lin Tianfeng and the others stood up to welcome him.


    ¡°Sixth Brother, come and take a seat!¡±


    ¡°Tianming greets all the brothers and sisters!¡±


    Lin Tianming greeted everyone with a fist and palm salute.


    The clan members all returned the greeting politely.


    As the host, Lin Tianqin took the initiative to introduce to Lin Tianming many younger clan members whom he had not yet met.


    When she introduced Lin Tianhu, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but take a good look.


    He had heard about this clan brother who had been making waves lately and had long wanted to meet him.


    Lin Tianhu had spent a year at Green Bamboo Mountain, and from his original thinness, he had become sturdy. He was handsome with a sharp gaze, and his cultivation was stable at the First Level of Qi Refining.


    Lin Tianhu immediately gave a respectful fist and palm salute.


    ¡°Clan brother, there¡¯s no need for such formalities. If you have any difficulties in cultivation, feel free to seek me out. I¡¯ll help if I can,¡± Lin Tianming said earnestly, showing goodwill and speaking sincerely, which greatly increased Lin Tianhu¡¯s good impression.


    ¡°Yes, if there are any difficulties, I¡¯ll be sure to tell Sixth Brother. I thank Sixth Brother in advance!¡±


    After introducing the clan members, Lin Tianming started to have an enjoyable chat with Lin Tianfeng and a few others.


    The whole gathering was incredibly lively, and everyone was very happy.


    The young clan members were very curious about the demon hunting trip, and Lin Tianfeng, not being stingy, animatedly recounted the events.


    He made fun of Lin Tianhong¡¯s embarrassing moments when he was surrounded by the Silver Earth Scorpion and his significant improvement after the experience.


    Having a vivid example incited envy among the clan members.


    The impressive strength of Lin Tianming earned the admiration of many brothers and sisters.


    After talking about their experiences, they began to discuss their skills.


    Lin Tianming, Lin Tianhong, and Lin Tianqin, all Alchemists, took turns sharing their experiences with everyone.


    The lively gathering lasted for half a day and did not disperse until the evening.


    After promising to participate in the gatherings more often, everyone bid their farewells and left. Lin Tianming and Lin Tianyue returned to their own courtyard together.

 Chapter 84 - 84 - 80: Heading to Luoyun Market_1

    Chapter 84 ¨C 80: Heading to Luoyun Market_1


    Two months later, within the Elders¡¯ Council Hall, Lin Shihua sat in the highest seat, with several clan members seated below, including Lin Xingzhi and Lin Xingrong.


    Having received an urgent message from the Clan Leader, Lin Tianming, who was cultivating at the time, immediately left his seclusion and hastened to the Elders¡¯ Council Hall.


    After greeting his elders with a clasped fist salute, the puzzled Lin Tianming took a seat to the side, waiting for the Clan Leader¡¯s decision.


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, the Clan Leader began to issue orders.


    ¡°Xing Rong, now that you are at the Foundation Establishment Stage, the family has decided to recall you. If you return to Luoyun Market, the Jin Family might detect your presence and expose our family¡¯s strength. Therefore, for the next few years, you should avoid making public appearances and take the opportunity to cultivate well within the clan.¡±


    Lin Xingrong listened very calmly, as if he had anticipated this.


    ¡°If I leave, who will take care of the business in Luoyun Market?¡±


    ...


    Lin Shihua smiled and looked towards Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Let Xing Zhi and Tian Ming go. It will be a good experience for them!¡±


    Both Lin Xingzhi and Lin Tianming showed surprised expressions upon hearing this, while Lin Xingrong seemed somewhat concerned.


    ¡°Tian Ming is too young; there are too many complex matters in the market, and the powers are deeply intertwined. He lacks worldly experience. I suggest sending a different member of the Xing generation to go instead.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With Xing Zhi in charge of overseeing the market, Tian Ming will only handle the business of the Hundred Treasures Building and alchemy. Xing Yuan has reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining and wishes to return to seclusion. Currently, all of our clan members above the Eighth Level of Qi Refining have their duties and cannot be spared, so we¡¯re sending Tian Ming to fill in for a while.¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Xingrong spoke up:


    ¡°Well then, we indeed lack manpower in the clan. If it¡¯s just to manage the alchemy and business at the Hundred Treasures Building, then let him go.¡±


    With Lin Xingrong no longer objecting, Lin Shihua turned to Lin Tianming as if to ask for his thoughts.


    ¡°Tian Ming is willing to expend effort for the family!¡±


    ¡°Good, you will depart in seven days!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Lin Tianming and the others rose with a clasped fist, left the hall, and didn¡¯t rush off immediately.


    Lin Xingzhi and Lin Xingrong started chatting idly, while Lin Tianming waited to the side.


    ¡°Xing Zhi, the market is not like the clan, there are dangers everywhere. I¡¯m entrusting Tian Ming to you. He¡¯s still young; take care of him in all affairs.¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You can rest assured, brother. I will do my utmost. Tian Ming is not weak in cultivation and has meticulous thoughts. We have fought side by side before; I hold him in high regard!¡±


    Lin Xingzhi gave his chest a reassuring pat, putting Lin Xingrong¡¯s concerns to rest. After a brief chat and setting a time, they each went their separate ways.


    On the way back, Lin Xingrong talked in detail about the situation in the market, allowing Lin Tianming to understand more and to prepare well.


    According to Lin Xingrong, the public order of Luoyun Market was nowhere near that of Qianchuan Market.


    While it was not to the extent of open conflict within the market, one could not guarantee safety once outside the market.


    In another two years, there would be a grand competition in the market; the situation had not been stable in recent years. It happened that the Jin Family Cultivators were stationed in Luoyun Market, which could spell danger if they had any ill intentions.


    However, the possibility of the Jin Family taking preemptive action was slim. Although the Jin Family was powerful, it was not yet capable of confronting the other families simultaneously.


    If they really engaged in underhand tactics and incurred the wrath of the crowd, they would also be unable to face the fury of the other families.


    As for the market itself, the five great families competed fairly in business, each with its own special features.


    The Lin Family¡¯s Spiritual Artifacts were extremely popular, the Jin Family¡¯s level of Alchemy was high, and the Sun Family¡¯s talisman paper was peerless, while the other two families were somewhat inferior, yet not to be underestimated.


    After Lin Xingrong¡¯s introduction, Lin Tianming had a much better understanding of the market.


    With seven days to go, Lin Tianming did not seclude himself for cultivation but went to the Scripture Pavilion instead, studying a vast amount of information, especially on various Spiritual Objects.


    In the following days, he followed Lin Shixin to learn about management, from receiving guests and dealing with people to authenticating treasures and bookkeeping, learning everything thoroughly.


    After days of this, he had accumulated a wealth of experience in handling affairs and could manage a shop without panicking.


    Seven days hurried by.


    One morning, Lin Tianming appeared at the entrance to the Lin Family¡¯s array.


    He took out a Beast Spirit Pill and tossed it to the Purple Gold Eagle, who swallowed it in one gulp and excitedly circled overhead.


    The Purple Gold Eagle had been following Lin Tianming for two years, having consumed more than a dozen Beast Spirit Pills, and had advanced to the late stage of the First Order, ensuring Lin Tianming¡¯s efforts were not in vain.


    After its advancement, the body of the Purple Gold Eagle had grown to nearly twenty zhang, and its feathers had undergone a subtle change, with golden feathers becoming more abundant, seemingly nearing adulthood.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed, and Lin Xingzhi arrived on sword flight, stopping in front of Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming greeted with a fist and palm salute.


    ¡°Tianming pays respect to Uncle Seventeen!¡±


    Lin Xingzhi quickly returned the gesture, acting very courteously.


    He was well aware of Lin Tianming¡¯s strength; a fight to the death with him would likely leave him with little chance of victory.


    ¡°Tianming, let¡¯s set off!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Having said that, Lin Tianming and the other each took out a black conical hat to wear. Lin Xingzhi disguised himself as a rugged burly man, while Lin Tianming took on the appearance of a scholar.


    They called back the Purple Gold Eagle and leaped onto its back, flying into the clouds and heading north.


    Atop the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming and his companion chatted idly. Lin Xingzhi, having been to Luoyun Market several times, shared the information he had learned with Lin Tianming.


    Accompanied by beautiful scenery, they flew smoothly over mountains and rivers all the way.


    In less than half a day, Lin Tianming and his companion arrived at the outskirts of Luoyun Market.


    As they beheld a span of buildings revealed on the horizon, they leaped off the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s back, stored it in the Spirit Beast Bag, and continued on sword flight.


    Another half a quarter of an hour passed, and Lin Tianming landed in an open space. They walked together towards the market entrance.


    This wasn¡¯t Lin Tianming¡¯s first visit; he had come with his father before but had not paid much attention to the market, nor had he strolled through it.


    Now that he was going to stay in the market for an extended period, it was natural to learn more.


    As they walked, they took in the sights of Luoyun Market.


    The market occupied an area of only a few li, merely one-tenth the size of Qianchuan Market, hardly comparable at all.


    Even the market array was worlds apart. According to Lin Xingzhi, it was a Second Order array.


    The difference in the flow of people was also significant. Back when they entered Qianchuan Market, cultivators queued in long lines, but here at Luoyun Market, they entered in twos and threes without any need for queuing.


    Soon after, they arrived at the entrance.


    Lin Xingzhi took out two Golden Tokens, each inscribed with a ¡°Lin¡± character, serving as a pass for Luoyun Market.


    Each of the Five Great Families of Luoyun had twenty of these tokens, which could be used to bypass the city entrance fee when necessary.


    After the guards inspected and verified the tokens, they allowed them through, and both men marched into the market.


    Inside, the market was divided into four areas, with an auction house at the center.


    The overall layout was not much different from Qianchuan Market, only smaller in scale with fewer buildings, essentially a miniaturized version of Qianchuan Market.


    As they walked the streets, it didn¡¯t take long before they stopped at a compound in the Southern District.


    Lin Xingzhi took out the Restriction Order Token for the compound, deactivated the restriction, and they walked in.


    This place was the family¡¯s assembly point at that time, and the clan members were busy in the shops, with nobody around for the moment.


    They each chose a room and entered to rest.

 Chapter 85 - 85 - 81 Hundred Treasures Building_1

    Chapter 85 ¨C 81 Hundred Treasures Building_1


    As evening approached, shops suspended their business and clan members returned to the courtyard in Luoyun Market one after another.


    Lin Xingzhi gathered everyone together.


    Many clan members were seeing Lin Tianming for the first time and were very curious about this rising star within the clan.


    Lin Tianming, as a junior, paid his respects by clasping his fists and bowing in front of everyone, which greatly increased their affection for him.


    Thanks to Lin Xingzhi¡¯s introductions, Lin Tianming also became familiar with these clan members.


    Including Lin Xingzhi and Lin Tianming, there were a total of fourteen Lin Family members in the market, with a variety of cultivation levels.


    Among the twelve, Lin Xingyuan was at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement and a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist. With Lin Tianming taking over, he was soon to return to the family, which would then make thirteen people including Lin Tianming¡¯s elder brother, Lin Xingzhi.


    ...


    Among the other clan members, one was at the Qi Refining Eighth Level, managing the Hundred Treasures Building, and two were at the Qi Refining Seventh Level, acting as shopkeepers for the inn and restaurant, with the rest all below the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    Twelve clan members managed three shops.


    The core asset, Hundred Treasures Building, was run by three members, primarily dealing with the purchase and sale of spiritual objects, bringing the family a substantial income every year.


    The inn and the restaurant were less profitable, with mediocre income, but were better than none.


    Actually, the main source of income for the Lin Family in the market was not from the three main shops but rather the rental income from shop leases and the revenues from the market itself.


    There were over a hundred shops in the trading area of the Luoyun Market. The Lin Family owned only a little over ten stores, while the Jin Family owned more than thirty. The five major families took up eighty percent of the shops, while over ten Qi Refining Families occupied the remaining twenty percent.


    Although the Lin Family had more than ten shops, they did not have enough clan members to operate them all, so they only kept three that were in good locations for themselves and rented out the rest.


    The Lin Family was not alone in this approach; the other four major families operated in the same manner.


    In terms of market income, the real profits came from the rental fees for the stalls, the leased cave dwellings, the profits from the auction house, and the spirit stones paid for entering the market. These were the true sources of wealth.


    The market was a cornucopia for the five major families, yielding immense profits each year. That¡¯s why they valued it so much and competed for their interests, both openly and in secret.


    After chatting leisurely for half an hour, Lin Tianming learned quite a lot about the market, and the clan members got to know each other better.


    Late at night, they concluded their casual conversations and returned to their rooms to rest.


    The next day, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi visited the Hundred Treasures Building.


    Lin Tianming looked around.


    The entire Hundred Treasures Building had three floors. The first floor contained items commonly used by Qi Refining Cultivators.


    The second floor had some Second Order items, although not in great numbers, roughly dozens of kinds, with few sales, since there were too few Foundation Establishment Cultivators in such a place.


    The third floor served as a temporary residence for the family¡¯s cultivators and rooms for entertaining distinguished guests.


    Upon entering the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Xingzhi took out the account books, and after reconciling them with Lin Xingshun and restocking some elixirs and talismans, Lin Xingzhi left.


    Lin Tianming then worked with Lin Xingyuan to turn all the spiritual medicine received by the Hundred Treasures Building into elixirs.


    When Lin Tianming completed his first batch of elixirs, Lin Xingyuan was completely astounded.


    Before the alchemy, Lin Xingyuan had planned to stay for half a year, waiting for Lin Tianming¡¯s alchemy skills to be sufficient before leaving.


    Who could have thought that his skills in alchemy would far surpass his own and even exceed those of Lin Shigong. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since Lin Tianming¡¯s skills were so high, Lin Xingyuan no longer stayed and, after saying goodbye to everyone, went straight back to the family.


    Inside Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingshun drank spiritual tea while discussing the business situation of the Hundred Treasures Building.


    Lin Xingshun took out the account book and began to introduce.


    ¡°Currently, we profit several hundred spirit stones a month, and on good months we can make over a thousand. The main income comes from the sale of spiritual artifacts, with elixirs as a secondary source,¡± he said.


    Hearing Lin Xingshun¡¯s presentation, Lin Tianming furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Uncle, is business really that bad?¡±


    ¡°Competition in the market is too fierce. Jin Family¡¯s shop has a multitude of elixirs and their Spiritual Artifacts are not bad either. Sun Family¡¯s talisman business is extremely hot; it¡¯s considered good if they can profit a few hundred Spirit Stones each month. As far as I know, Wu Family and Luo Family are even worse off than us, not to mention the Qi Refining Families.¡±


    Lin Xingshun said helplessly.


    ¡°Never mind, uncle, roughly how many Spiritual Medicine Materials can we procure each month?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve never really focused on acquiring Spiritual Medicine, so not a lot. If we don¡¯t prioritize the type, perhaps a little over two hundred plants.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, uncle. I¡¯ll be doing a lot of alchemy in the future, so you should aggressively purchase Spiritual Medicine during this time. Even if it costs one or two more Spirit Stones each, don¡¯t hesitate!¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Lin Xingshun seemed a bit uncertain, unsure of what to decide!


    ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry. In no more than two months, I assure you that you¡¯ll see the results.¡±


    Initially, Lin Xingshun was hesitant, wondering whether or not to do as this talented younger relative suggested.


    ¡°Well, all right, if he dares to take charge, then let him!¡±


    Lin Tianming said confidently, giving the hesitant Lin Xingshun a reassurance.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll give the orders. Once we have the Spiritual Medicine Materials, I¡¯ll send them to you immediately.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±


    Having convinced Lin Xingshun, Lin Tianming took his leave and returned to his small courtyard to continue his cultivation.


    Two weeks later, Lin Xingshun brought over a batch of Lingshen Pill and Consolidating Essence Pill materials, totaling over forty portions.


    Lin Tianming immediately began alchemy.


    In just seven days, Lin Tianming delivered over eighty elixirs, keeping one hundred and fifty for himself.


    Taking the elixirs made by Lin Tianming, Lin Xingshun began to inspect them and was equally astonished.


    ¡°Did you make these?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I recommend that uncle sells these elixirs at a ten percent discount to quickly establish our reputation. After a period, we can adjust the prices. Don¡¯t worry about this slight loss!¡±


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s do as you say.¡±


    Lin Xingshun was very excited and immediately instructed his staff.


    Over the next several days, the Cultivators kept coming to purchase elixirs non-stop. Thanks to the high-quality Lingshen Pills, the eighty-plus elixirs were quickly sold out.


    The business at the Hundred Treasures Building became increasingly booming, even the other unsold Spiritual Objects sold out.


    Two months went by in a flash.


    During this period, Lin Tianming had a fulfilling time, either alchemizing or cultivating, and occasionally working at the shop as an assistant.


    Meanwhile, the Hundred Treasures Building aggressively purchased Spiritual Medicine. With Lin Tianming present, the materials were quickly turned into elixirs and sold through the shop.


    With the high-quality elixirs, the business of the Hundred Treasures Building improved significantly, with the daily turnover more than doubling.


    Lin Tianming also accumulated several thousand Spirit Stones thanks to the rewards from alchemy.


    The Shopkeeper of the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Xingshun, was also thrilled. In two months, he had turned the average Hundred Treasures Building into the most popular shop in the market, earning a considerable amount of dividends.


    From then on, whenever Lin Tianming had suggestions, Lin Xingshun had no doubts and was fully supportive.


    Just like this, Lin Tianming rapidly improved the business at the Hundred Treasures Building.


    In a room on the third floor of the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi were drinking Spiritual Tea. Both were very happy and engaged in a cheerful conversation.

 Chapter 86 - 86 - 82 Strolling Through the Market_1

    Chapter 86 ¨C 82 Strolling Through the Market_1


    It had been half a year since Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi arrived at Luoyun Market. Following tradition, Lin Xingzhi was to return to Green Bamboo Mountain, bringing back the income and resources secretly acquired over the past six months to the Lin Family.


    On the third floor of the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi were drinking Spiritual Tea and chatting merrily.


    Before long, Lin Xingshun also walked in.


    While sipping tea, the three of them discussed the income of the Hundred Treasures Building over the past six months.


    Lin Xingshun took out the account book and started to give a detailed report.


    ¡°In half a year, the Hundred Treasures Building¡¯s income was over 23,500 Spirit Stones, of which the income from elixirs was 16,120 stones, Spiritual Artifacts brought in 4,260 stones, talisman paper 920 stones, and the various other materials added up to more than 2,300 stones!¡±


    Lin Xingshun reported the sales for the half-year period in succession.


    ...


    Lin Xingzhi was taken aback when he heard this.


    Although Lin Xingshun reported an approximate amount each month and it was more than double compared to previous years, Lin Xingzhi couldn¡¯t have imagined it would reach over five times that amount.


    Unperturbed by Lin Xingzhi¡¯s shock, Lin Xingshun continued his report.


    ¡°The income was over 23,500 stones, with expenses amounting to over 15,800 stones, making for a net profit of over 7,800 stones.¡±


    Lin Xingzhi, now numb to the surprise, was aware of the net income and quickly regained his composure.


    In just half a year, the gross sales and net income had skyrocketed by fivefold; even a net profit of 2,000 stones in the previous six months would have been extremely rare.


    After reporting the income, Lin Xingshun took out a storage bag and handed it to Lin Xingzhi.


    ¡°Xingzhi, there are 6,000 Spirit Stones in here, just in time for your trip back to the family. The remaining 1,800 stones are for operational funds.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Lin Xingzhi took the storage bag and spoke to the other two:


    ¡°I will report truthfully. I¡¯m setting off for the family home tomorrow. Our business¡¯s success has drawn the attention of the other major families, so be careful during this time!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, and be cautious on your journey as well!¡±


    ¡°The Purple Gold Eagle is fast and can also assist me. I¡¯ve already instructed it to hasten our travel!¡±


    After giving his instructions, Lin Tianming took out two Beast Spirit Pills and a Spirit Beast Bag and handed them to Lin Xingzhi.


    ¡°Thanks! I¡¯ll make a quick trip there and back. Do you have anything you want me to take back to the family?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Neither do I!¡±


    Seeing that the other two had nothing to send back to the family, Lin Xingzhi did not linger and left with a fist salute.


    After a brief conversation with Lin Xingshun, Lin Tianming left the Hundred Treasures Building and began to stroll around the market.


    Although it had been half a year since he arrived, he had either been cultivating or practicing alchemy and had not properly explored the marketplace.


    Standing on a street in the marketplace, Lin Tianming surveyed the surrounding shops and layouts.


    The entire shopping district had only about a hundred buildings, all designed as pavilions; they were likely built uniformly by the market.


    The Hundred Treasures Building was located at the entrance of the entire shopping district, and the dozen or so pavilions nearby were in prime locations. Besides the Hundred Treasures Building, a few other shops belonged to the five major families.


    The shop owned by the Jin Family was known as Shendan Pavilion, which always did exceptionally well among the major families. Lin Tianming decided to go in and have a look around, wanting to check out the market conditions as well.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming headed towards the Shendan Pavilion.


    Soon, Lin Tianming arrived at the entrance of a multi-story building.


    The entire tower wasn¡¯t much different from the Lin Family¡¯s Hundred Treasures Building in size, also boasting a three-story structure. Golden characters spelling ¡°Shendan Pavilion¡± danced on the plaque above the main door, giving off a rather imposing vibe.


    Stepping through the vermillion doors of Shendan Pavilion, Lin Tianming found himself in a large hall covering hundreds of square feet with seven or eight Cultivators selecting treasures.


    As Lin Tianming entered, a Sixth Level of Qi Refinement attendant came to greet him.


    ¡°Welcome, fellow Daoist, to Shendan Pavilion. Are you looking to purchase elixirs or Spiritual Instrument Talismans? We at Shendan Pavilion have it all!¡±


    The shop assistant¡¯s expression remained calm as he quickly evaluated Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just looking around!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, and seeing his shabby appearance, the shop assistant¡¯s face immediately changed, and he no longer paid attention to him.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t get angry and continued to select items on display by himself.


    In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Lin Tianming had looked through all the items on the first floor. They were all ordinary elixirs, without even a single Pozhang Pill or Xisui Pill.


    The variety of elixirs was a bit more than that of the Lin Family¡¯s Hundred Treasures Building, and the quality was slightly better than those refined by Lin Xingyuan, yet they were sold for the same price. Buying in large quantities even came with some small gifts to lure customers, no wonder their business was much better.


    Having finished with the first floor, Lin Tianming followed the shop assistant to the second floor. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The elixirs on the second floor are much fewer than those on the first, but almost all of them are First Order Superior Grade, and they even have Pozhang Pills!¡±


    Lin Tianming found the shop assistant and inquired about the price.


    ¡°Pozhang Pills, one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones each!¡±


    Hearing the price quoted by the shop assistant, Lin Tianming was startled.


    One hundred and eighty Spirit Stones was almost the same price as in the Qianchuan Market auction.


    At the auction in Qianchuan Market, many cultivators bid against each other to reach this price.


    Yet here, in this small market where seeing someone at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining was rare, they were selling for one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones each.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°Do the cultivators who buy these elixirs have no brains?¡±


    After inquiring about the prices of some better elixirs for quite a while, he finally purchased a bottle of Lingshen Pills to study.


    After wasting so much time, the shop assistant was dry-mouthed from talking, and he was only able to sell this small amount of elixirs.


    With an ashen face, the shop assistant saw Lin Tianming out of the Shendan Pavilion, obviously quite annoyed.


    After leaving the Shendan Pavilion, Lin Tianming turned around and continued to stroll casually.


    Before long, he appeared in the Sun Family¡¯s shop.


    The Sun Family¡¯s shop was slightly smaller than the Jin Family¡¯s, and the display tables were filled with a large amount of talisman papers.


    Lin Tianming carefully selected, ranging from the most common Swift Travel Talismans and Five Elements Class Spell Talismans to the powerful Superior Attack Talismans, there were hundreds of types, colorful and fascinating to behold.


    Lin Tianming looked around while also inquiring about the prices.


    ¡°Swift Travel Talisman, five for three Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°Fireball Talisman, one Spirit Stone each!¡±


    ¡°First Order Superior Attack Talisman, fifteen Spirit Stones each!¡±


    The Sun Family shop¡¯s assistant was much more patient, tirelessly explaining the uses and prices of talismans; their customer service attitude was much better than that of the Jin Family.


    Lin Tianming quite liked talismans because they did not consume much Spiritual Power, and their attack power was not to be underestimated.


    Even the most common Five Elements Class Spell Talismans, when dozens are activated at once against an enemy, can be quite powerful, making it hard for even a Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivator to come out unscathed.


    Moreover, they were much cheaper than Spiritual Artifacts, and almost every cultivator carried a few.


    After looking for half an hour, Lin Tianming decided to buy a few to try out.


    He found the shop assistant and purchased one First Order Superior Attack Talisman and a Defense Talisman, spending thirty Spirit Stones.


    He took out the Spirit Stones and handed them to the shop assistant, who quickly presented the two talismans.


    Receiving the talismans, Lin Tianming bowed his fists and left, continuing his casual stroll.


    Strolling until evening, Lin Tianming had nearly toured the entire market, purchasing some items from the five major families.


    After a whole day, Lin Tianming also had a pretty good understanding of the market situation and knew a bit about the prices and other shops¡¯ situations.


    As the shops closed for the day, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t linger and returned to the small courtyard.

 Chapter 87 - 87 - 83 Heavy Losses_1

    Chapter 87 ¨C 83 Heavy Losses_1


    ¡°`


    On the third floor of the Shendan Pavilion, a middle-aged cultivator in a golden robe sat in a secret chamber deep inside, with his hands clasped and eyes tightly shut, cultivating in meditation. The slight fluctuation of energy emanating from him clearly indicated that he was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This person was named Jin Chaozong, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Jin Family, who had been stationed in Luoyun Market for several years.


    After a short while, a man in a gray robe arrived outside the secret chamber where Jin Chaozong was cultivating.


    He cast a Law Decree, and after the barrier was opened, the man in the gray robe walked in.


    The man in the gray robe came up to Jin Chaozong and bowed respectfully before speaking.


    ¡°Clan Uncle, I have a matter to consult with you. I ask for Clan Uncle to make a decision!¡±


    ...


    Jin Chaozong opened his eyes, his expression displeased as he spoke,


    ¡°Speak quickly if you have something to say. I need to continue my cultivation and don¡¯t have much time to handle trivial matters.¡±


    His reaction made the man in the gray robe anxious, and he quickly started to speak.


    ¡°Clan Uncle, the business at Shendan Pavilion has been extremely poor in the past few months. According to my investigation, a new alchemist has come to the Hundred Treasures Building of the Lin Family, crafting elixirs of a rarely seen high quality, snatching away our significant business. In the past few months, the income of the Shendan Pavilion was halved.¡±


    ¡°What? Income cut by half¡­¡±


    ¡°Lin Family alchemist, Superior Grade elixirs¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Jin Chaozong showed a hint of anger, alarming the man in the gray robe, who immediately knelt down.


    Ignoring the man in the gray robe, Jin Chaozong muttered to himself, carefully recalling the information about the Lin Family members.


    ¡°The Lin Family only has Lin Shigong as a First Order Superior Grade Alchemist. While the color of the pills he refines is not bad, it definitely should not compare to Fifth Brother¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°Bring the pills here for me to see!¡±


    The man in the gray robe hurriedly took out a bottle of Lingshen Pills and a bottle of Huiyuan Pills and respectfully handed them to Jin Chaozong.


    Taking the two bottles of Superior Grade elixirs refined by Lin Tianming, Jin Chaozong took out the pills and observed them closely.


    He too was astonished after examining the pills.


    ¡°How can the quality of these pills be so high? They definitely weren¡¯t made by Lin Shigong; there must be another master!¡±


    ¡°But who would it be?¡±


    After racking his brains for half an hour, Jin Chaozong still had no clue.


    ¡°Enough, the family¡¯s secret scheming has reached a critical moment. We must not expose ourselves, or we could lose all of our previous efforts.¡±


    After pondering for half an hour, he began instructing the man in the gray robe.


    ¡°For now, do not stir up any trouble over the matter of the elixir¡ªreduce the prices of all elixirs by ten to twenty percent to try and win back some customers!¡±


    ¡°Remember not to provoke the Sun Family and the Lin Family; both of them are exceedingly secretive.¡±


    ¡°After a few days, I will return to the family to inform the Clan Leader about this and have the family members secretly investigate!¡±


    Having made up his mind, Jin Chaozong then instructed.


    ¡°Yes, I will go at once to take care of it!¡±


    Having said that, the man in the gray robe withdrew.


    Outside the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Xingzhi, who had been back at the Lin Family territory for a month, returned to Luoyun Market.


    Stepping into the Hundred Treasures Building, he went straight to the third floor, where Lin Tianming and Lin Xingshun were sitting together, chatting leisurely in a room.


    Seeing Lin Xingzhi come in, Lin Tianming and the other immediately stood up and greeted him.


    ¡°Seventh Uncle, you¡¯ve finally returned. Was your journey smooth?¡±


    Lin Xingzhi looked excited, showing no signs of fatigue.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Tian Ming, the trip went rather smoothly, thanks to your Purple Gold Eagle, it saved me quite a bit of time!¡±


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three of them sat down for tea.


    Having finished a cup of Spiritual Tea, Lin Xingzhi returned the Spirit Beast Bag to Lin Tianming and then took out five hundred Spirit Stones from his storage bag, giving four hundred to Lin Tianming and one hundred to Lin Xingshun.


    According to Lin Xingzhi, the reason for the windfall of Spirit Stones was the Lin Family¡¯s reward for the profits of the Hundred Treasures Building, which had multiplied several times over in the past half-year.


    Lin Xingshun was ecstatic, as the reward of one hundred Spirit Stones was equivalent to his annual salary.


    Amidst his excitement, he couldn¡¯t help but secretly think to himself that the Lin Family was indeed generous. Fortunately, he had followed Tian Ming¡¯s plans, allowing him to reap substantial benefits.


    An excited Lin Xingshun accepted the Spirit Stones, repeatedly vowing to redouble his efforts and manage the Hundred Treasures Building well.


    Lin Tianming did not stand on ceremony, taking the Spirit Stones and putting them into his own storage bag.


    During their casual conversation, Lin Xingshun reported the state of affairs at the Hundred Treasures Building during Lin Xingzhi¡¯s month-long absence.


    ¡°This month, business at the Hundred Treasures Building has declined quite a bit. Compared to the previous months, profits have plummeted by forty percent. It must be some movements from the other families.¡±


    ¡°After a few days of investigation, I noticed many shops lowering their prices and selling off a large number of treasures, leading to many customers being drawn away.¡±


    Lin Xingzhi¡¯s expression changed slightly as he asked Lin Tianming for his opinion on the matter.


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Tianming began to speak.


    ¡°The business downturn was expected; the market can only accommodate so much. Without any large-scale confrontations, the demand for elixirs has decreased substantially. Having made a significant profit for half a year is already quite an achievement!¡±


    Upon hearing Tian Ming¡¯s analysis, both Lin Xingzhis seemed to agree, and their expressions finally improved.


    The Luoyun Market was only so big, and there were only so many cultivators. Those who could afford to use Lingshen Pills for cultivation every month were in the minority; most people couldn¡¯t afford to buy many elixirs in a year.


    Thus, by leveraging high-quality elixirs at relatively affordable prices, making a sizable amount of Spirit Stones in half a year was already quite remarkable.


    Lin Tianming continued with his analysis without stopping.


    ¡°Over the past six months, under our influence, the Jin Family¡¯s Shendan Pavilion has taken the heaviest hit, with sales rapidly declining and massive losses incurred.¡±


    ¡°They have now reacted and taken several measures, so they¡¯ve started cutting prices. We need not bother with that; we just need to be wary of them causing trouble.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Having listened to Tian Ming¡¯s analysis, Lin Xingzhi also expressed agreement.


    ¡°The Hundred Treasures Building competes fairly and hasn¡¯t used any dishonorable tactics. Besides, the big market gathering is only three months away. No one would risk causing trouble at this time!¡±


    ¡°Xingshun, carry on as usual during this period. As long as the Jin Family doesn¡¯t cause us any problems, we can ignore them!¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do that!¡±


    With that settled, Lin Xingshun left, leaving Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi in the room.


    After Lin Xingshun¡¯s departure, Lin Tianming inquired about the market gathering from Lin Xingzhi.


    The Luoyun Market gathering was much like the Qianchuan Market gathering, though the Luoyun Market did not differentiate between major and minor markets and always held its gathering once every three years.


    During the Luoyun Market gathering, there was also an auction event, but without separate sessions. Both Qi Refinement Realm cultivators and Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators participated in a single auction venue, so as long as Qi Refinement Stage cultivators had enough Spirit Stones, they could compete in bidding with Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Of course, whether they could leave the market safely afterward was another matter.


    The auction event was the most important part of the market gathering. The five major families each provided one star item for the auction. The rest were provided by individual cultivators, with the auction house taking a five percent commission on the selling price of each item as an auction fee.


    After a detailed introduction from Lin Xingzhi, Lin Tianming had a good understanding, finding it quite similar to the Qianchuan Market auction event.


    ¡°Tian Ming, the auction is three months away, and I¡¯ve brought the centerpiece item with me. If you want to go, you can join me, and we can look out for each other.¡±


    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s still plenty of time. The Hundred Treasures Building has a sufficient stock of elixirs, so there¡¯s no need to produce more for now. I¡¯ll return and cultivate for a while. After three months, we¡¯ll attend the auction together!¡±


    After arranging a time with Lin Xingzhi, Lin Tianming bowed and took his leave.

 Chapter 88 - 88 - 84 Sky Fei Fruit_1

    Chapter 88 ¨C 84 Sky Fei Fruit_1


    In the secret chamber of the small courtyard, Lin Tianming sat on the meditation cushion with his palms together, entering a state of deep and self-forgetting cultivation.


    Over two months had passed by swiftly, and Lin Tianming¡¯s life had been remarkably fulfilling. He spent a few days each month on alchemy and devoted the remainder to arduous cultivation.


    Having been in Luoyun Market for over half a year, his cultivation progress was exceedingly slow. Despite consuming many Lingshen Pills, he had barely reached the middle stage of the Qi Cultivation Eighth Level, still some distance from the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.


    Seeing that intensive cultivation was not very effective, Lin Tianming decided to emerge from seclusion, as the market assembly was just a few days away and it would be a good opportunity to take a look around.


    Exhaling a turbid breath, Lin Tianming stood up and left the secret chamber.


    He took out a black conical hat, wore it on his head to conceal some of his cultivation, steadying it at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, and walked outside.


    On the streets of the market, Lin Tianming strolled aimlessly.


    ...


    As the day of the market¡¯s assembly drew nearer, many cultivators emerging from secluded cultivation left their cave dwellings to attend the auction, noticeably increasing the number of cultivators in the market.


    Walking along, Lin Tianming arrived at a square where quite a few cultivators were gathering in small groups.


    Among the crowd, a rough-looking burly man began to shout, ¡¯Forming a team to hunt demonic beasts in the Luoyun Mountain Range, still in need of three people, Qi Refining Sixth Level and above are welcome.¡¯


    ¡¯It¡¯s Song Yu forming a team. His strength is not weak and he has rich experience; he always manages to get quite a few good things. Hurry and sign up to join.¡¯


    Several Qi Refining cultivators at the Sixth Level heard Song Yu¡¯s call and ran over.


    Soon after, three cultivators with happy faces emerged, evidently having been successfully selected for Song Yu¡¯s team, while a few others looked disappointed, not being selected due to insufficient cultivation and had to search for another team.


    Lin Tianming did not linger and continued on his way, preparing to cross the square and head towards the Hundred Treasures Building.


    Just as he was about to leave the square, a man in a gray robe blocked Lin Tianming¡¯s path.


    This man was around fifty, with a cultivation at the Qi Refining Eighth Level and a fairly handsome countenance.


    Lin Tianming was very puzzled, quickly recalling in his mind that he had never seen this person before, nor had they interacted. His abrupt obstruction was clearly for a purpose to discuss.


    As expected, seeing Lin Tianming did not react excessively, the man in the green robe introduced himself.


    ¡¯Fellow Daoist, my name is Li Yuancheng, a loose cultivator. May I have a word with you in private?¡¯


    Since Lin Tianming was at leisure, he nodded and followed Li Yuancheng to a corner of the square.


    Seeing no one around, Li Yuancheng smiled and cupped his fist in greeting;


    ¡¯I apologize for the abrupt obstruction, Fellow Daoist. Please forgive my rudeness.¡¯


    Lin Tianming responded calmly, ¡¯If Fellow Daoist has something to say, just say it. I¡¯m quite busy and don¡¯t have much time to engage in idle chatter.¡¯


    Seeing that Lin Tianming seemed displeased, Li Yuancheng no longer beat around the bush and started communicating via transmission.


    ¡¯Fellow Daoist, would you be interested in joining a hunt for demonic beasts? I accidentally discovered a Sky Fei Fruit Tree, but it¡¯s guarded by a group of demonic beasts, so I¡¯d like to invite you to join me and retrieve the treasure. What do you say?¡¯


    ¡¯Sky Fei Fruit!¡¯


    ¡¯A fruit that can enhance the cultivation of Qi Refining cultivators, its effects not inferior to the Jade Spirit Fruit that Lin Tianming had.¡¯


    Hearing what Li Yuancheng said, Lin Tianming was somewhat tempted.


    Having cultivated for over half a year, he had been stuck at the mid-stage of the Qi Refining Eighth Level for quite a while, even the Jade Spirit Fruit had been used, and only the Pozhang Pill remained untaken. He wanted to save it for when he reached the peak of the Qi Refining Eighth Level to break through smoothly to another realm, potentially reaching the peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining directly.


    Although the treasure was appealing, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help pondering.


    With so many cultivators in the square, why did he seek him out specifically? What was his purpose?


    Furthermore, Li Yuancheng had not mentioned how many Sky Fei Fruits there were, how they would be divided, what kind of Demonic Beasts were guarding them, the number of beasts, and the extent of their strength were all unknown.


    Anyway, no matter what his purposes might be, I should ask for more details. If it really doesn¡¯t work out, giving up is also an option. There¡¯s no need to take unnecessary risks!


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming began to inquire.


    ¡°Li, there are thousands of Cultivators here at the market. Why did you choose to find me?¡±


    ¡°Though there are over a thousand Cultivators at the market, when you discount the members of the five major families, how many Loose Cultivators are there above the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement? When seeking treasure, it¡¯s better to find Cultivators at the Seventh and Eighth Levels of Qi Refining. Otherwise, even if you obtain the treasure, it¡¯s hard to get much of a share. If your cultivation is too low, you won¡¯t be of much use!¡±


    Hearing Li Yuancheng¡¯s explanation, Lin Tianming stopped overthinking and asked Li Yuancheng to detail the treasure-hunting plan and how the spoils would be divided before deciding whether to join.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s interest, Li Yuancheng began to share his plan.


    ¡°In a valley on the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range, I personally saw a Sky Fei Fruit Tree with ten fruits on it, guarded by a group of Wind Shadow Leopards. There are more than twenty of them, with a few at the First Order Late Stage, and the rest at Medium and Early Stages.¡±


    ¡°I have already found three other Qi Refining Cultivators at the Seventh Level to hunt for this treasure with. Five of us together, without any unforeseen mishaps, there shouldn¡¯t be much danger.¡±


    ¡°Once we obtain the Sky Fei Fruits, we¡¯ll divide them equally, with each person getting two Spirit Fruits. After the deed is done, as the organizer, each of you will have to compensate me with fifty Spirit Stones for providing the information.¡±


    After Li Yuancheng finished, Lin Tianming felt the plan and the division scheme were quite acceptable. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he could obtain two Sky Fei Fruits, coupled with Pozhang Pills, he likely could cultivate up to the Qi Cultivation Ninth Level Peak, which made Lin Tianming somewhat tempted.


    But the auction was coming up soon, and he had already agreed to attend it with Lin Xingzhi. If there was a scheduling conflict, he would have to give up on the treasure hunt.


    ¡°Li, if I were to join, when would we depart?¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s desire to participate, Li Yuancheng breathed a sigh of relief and responded:


    ¡°The auction is nearly upon us, and the Sky Fei Fruits still need some time to ripen. We plan to replenish our resources before heading out in ten days!¡±


    Lin Tianming noted the schedule Li Yuancheng mentioned would not clash with the auction. However, he thought it best to inform Lin Xingzhi, since going out posed certain risks.


    ¡°Li, may I have a day to consider? If I don¡¯t reply by this time tomorrow, don¡¯t wait for me!¡±


    ¡°Fine, there¡¯s still time. I¡¯ll wait a day for you.¡±


    After speaking, Lin Tianming and Li Yuancheng exchanged contact methods and agreed to reply within a day, then left the square.


    Upon returning to his courtyard, Lin Tianming went straight to Lin Xingzhi and relayed Li Yuancheng¡¯s invitation and the plan for the Sky Fei Fruits.


    ¡°Sky Fei Fruits, indeed a fine object!¡±


    Lin Xingzhi was also quite eager, but as the family¡¯s representative in the Luoyun Market and burdened with numerous responsibilities, he was unable to accompany him. Otherwise, he would want a share of the spoils as well.


    Though he coveted the treasure, Lin Xingzhi was not blinded by greed.


    ¡°Tianming, do you think this is credible? If the family were to go together, there would be no worries, but you must consider carefully when it comes to the words of Loose Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Seventeen, personally, I¡¯m rather confident in what Li Yuancheng has told us. Even if there¡¯s some hidden scheme, with my strength, escaping unscathed shouldn¡¯t be a problem!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true!¡±


    Lin Xingzhi was quite aware of Lin Tianming¡¯s abilities. Being on par with Cultivators at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, and now having broken through to the Eighth Level, even if he encountered Great Completion Cultivators, he should have no problem escaping if he couldn¡¯t win.


    ¡°Very well, since you¡¯re confident, then prepare some extra measures. It¡¯s always better to be safe.¡±


    With Lin Xingzhi agreeing to his plan, Lin Tianming sent a message to inform Li Yuancheng of his decision.

 Chapter 89 - 89 - 85 Auction Begins_1

    Chapter 89 ¨C 85 Auction Begins_1


    ¡°`


    Three days passed and the triennial Luoyun Market gathering was about to begin.


    Over the past few days, the number of cultivators in Luoyun Market had greatly increased. Aside from those who were preoccupied with urgent matters, almost every cultivator who wasn¡¯t in closed-door cultivation had come to participate in the auction.


    After all, only once every three years, items rarely seen at other times often appeared at this event.


    Although many cultivators below the fifth level of Qi Refinement didn¡¯t have significant buying power, they also enjoyed joining the crowd to broaden their horizons, which was pleasant enough.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi walked out of the Hundred Treasures Building together, heading towards the auction hall in the center of the market.


    Scattered along the way, cultivators of all levels, both male and female, were heading towards the auction, bringing the market to life.


    ...


    After half a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming and his companion arrived at the entrance to the auction.


    This was Lin Tianming¡¯s first time attending the Luoyun Market auction, and he couldn¡¯t help but observe the enormous structure before him.


    The first thing that caught his eye was a three-tier circular stone hall spanning tens of acres, with a huge stone gate on which hung a plaque inscribed with the three big characters of the auction.


    At the entrance, over a dozen cultivators were already queuing up, as two executive officers of the auction collected spirit stones for entry.


    Lin Xingzhi, leading Lin Tianming, bypassed the queue and headed straight into the venue.


    Lin Xingzhi showed a blue token with a few small characters on it. The officer glanced at it and immediately allowed them to pass, with the pair disappearing amidst the envious looks of the crowd.


    After inquiring, Lin Tianming learned that the market managers from the five major families all had a token that allowed them direct access with five accompanying cultivators and also a VIP room spanning several square meters.


    Upon entering the inner field of the auction, they saw a circular podium in the center with hundreds of seats around it forming the general seating area of the auction room, nearly half of which were already occupied.


    Lin Xingzhi led Lin Tianming to one of the VIP rooms on the second floor. After they entered, Lin Xingzhi said to Lin Tianming,


    ¡°Tianming, I¡¯m going to submit the family¡¯s final auction item. It won¡¯t be long before I return. Rest here for a moment!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    After finishing, Lin Xingzhi turned and left the VIP room, heading deep into the second floor.


    With nothing else to do, Lin Tianming sat in the VIP room and looked over the auction.


    The second floor of the auction hall also had dozens of VIP rooms, all of which had the ability to block divine sense probing, and the layout of the auction wasn¡¯t much different from Qianchuan Market¡ªessentially a smaller version.


    Another quarter of an hour passed, and as the seats in the venue gradually filled up, Lin Xingzhi also returned to the VIP room.


    The two chatted casually, and Lin Tianming, quite curious, asked about the final auction item offered by the family.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s interest, he began to speak.


    ¡°For this market gathering, the family considers it quite important. The final item is a set of five first order superior grade spirit swords, forged by Fifteenth Uncle!¡±


    Hearing Lin Xingzhi¡¯s explanation, Lin Tianming seemed unsurprised.


    He thought it made sense, as Lin Family¡¯s Qingling Bamboo was a fine material for crafting, with their specialty being spiritual artifacts. Although they had many elixirs, they wouldn¡¯t sell those with significant effects at such a time.


    Therefore, offering a spiritual artifact was expected. Considering the initial cost of two thousand good deeds just for the Qingling Bamboo to forge twenty Earth Evil Swords, the value of a set of five superior grade spirit swords was certainly high enough to be the final auction item.


    A quarter of an hour went by, and the hundreds of seats were all filled. A grey-robed man stepped onto the central stage.


    Lin Xingzhi, sitting to the side, began to introduce him to Lin Tianming.


    This man was Chen Chong, a professional auctioneer, a loose cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining stage, and had been specially invited by the market.


    As the auction hall gradually quieted down, Chen Chong started with a bow and addressed the crowd.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, my name is Chen Chong, and I have the honor of presiding over this auction. I welcome everyone¡¯s presence here!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°Everyone knows the rules, the highest bidder will win; if you don¡¯t have enough spirit stones, you can mortgage treasures. Alright, enough chitchat, let the auction begin now!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Chong took a ring-shaped treasure out of his storage bag and showed it to the cultivators present.


    ¡°The first item for auction is a First Order Superior Grade Spirit Beast Ring, with interior space extending over a hundred feet, divided into several sections, capable of holding several Demonic Beasts at the same time. It¡¯s quite rare, so don¡¯t miss this opportunity!¡±


    ¡°The starting bid is eighty spirit stones, and each subsequent bid must be at least five spirit stones more!¡±


    ¡°Ninety spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Ninety-five spirit stones¡­¡±


    As soon as Chen Chong finished speaking, there were immediately cultivators calling out their bids.


    Indeed, a High-Quality Spirit Beast Ring was rare and an essential item for cultivators who liked to keep Spirit Beasts. Usually, only medium-sized markets like Qianchuan Market had them for sale and they would be quickly snatched up.


    Lin Tianming also wanted to bid for this item; the Spirit Beast Bag given to him by Lin Shilu was the lowest grade, and after accommodating the Purple Gold Eagle, there was hardly any space left. If the Purple Gold Eagle continued to grow, it would soon be too large to fit.


    After several rounds of bidding, the price of the Spirit Beast Ring swiftly rose to one hundred and thirty spirit stones.


    ¡°One hundred sixty spirit stones¡­¡±


    When Lin Tianming¡¯s bid was heard, increasing the price by thirty spirit stones in one go, the entire venue was abuzz, with many cultivators expressing their amazement.


    ¡°It must be someone from one of the five major families, truly wealthy and generous. One hundred fifty spirit stones could buy so many Lingshen Pills for cultivation!¡±


    Sure enough, the increase of thirty spirit stones in one go stunned everyone in the venue.


    A few breaths of time passed with no other cultivators bidding, and Lin Tianming successfully won the auction.


    He took out one hundred sixty spirit stones and tossed them to Chen Chong. Upon confirmation that they were correct, Chen Chong threw the Spirit Beast Ring back to him, which Lin Tianming caught.


    Picking up the Spirit Beast Ring, Lin Tianming examined it closely, unable to let go.


    With the first auction item concluded, its sky-high price sparked a fervent atmosphere, setting a great tone for the rest of the event.


    Chen Chong continued to preside over the auction.


    ¡°The second item for auction, a First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact, the Vajra Sword. It¡¯s powerful, with a starting bid of seventy spirit stones, and each subsequent bid must be at least three spirit stones higher.¡±


    ¡°Seventy-five spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡°One hundred and five spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Lin Tianming had no interest in the category of Spiritual Artifacts, merely watching the many cultivators bid from his VIP room. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Lin Tianming wasn¡¯t interested, some cultivators below the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement found it quite desirable, and the competition was fierce. In the end, the Vajra Sword was sold for one hundred ten spirit stones to a cultivator at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    Lin Tianming was quite surprised by this price; a First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact was worth around eighty spirit stones, and one of good quality up to one hundred. He didn¡¯t expect it to reach one hundred ten.


    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh that all items in this small market were more expensive compared to medium and large markets.


    Recollecting his thoughts, he continued to watch the auction.


    An hour passed, and dozens of items had been auctioned off without a single failure to sell, heating up the atmosphere in the venue even more.


    In the meantime, Lin Tianming spent several hundred spirit stones to acquire several types of Spiritual Medicine, all main ingredients for refining Strong Spirit Pills.


    Lin Xingzhi also acquired several treasures, and both of them gained something.


    As time progressed, the auction also came to a close, leaving just the last ten star items.

 Chapter 90 - 90 - 86: Fiery Flame Charm and Hun Tian Pill (Two-in-One)_1

    Chapter 90 ¨C 86: Fiery Flame Charm and Hun Tian Pill (Two-in-One)_1


    As the auction drew to a close, the atmosphere reached its most intense moment.


    Chen Chong was very satisfied, as the treasures offered in this auction were generally quite valuable. There were many pieces of spiritual medicine and spiritual instrument talismans, and the prices kept climbing to new highs.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the following are the last ten finale treasures!¡±


    ¡°The first item, a Xisui Pill. I need not explain its function, as you all know. The starting bid is one hundred spirit stones, and each bid must not be less than five spirit stones!¡±


    No sooner had his voice faded did someone begin to bid.


    ¡°One hundred and ten spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡°One hundred and fifteen spirit stones¡­¡±


    ...


    ¡­


    After more than ten rounds of intense bidding, the Xisui Pill was finally sold to a man in white robes for the high price of one hundred and forty-five spirit stones.


    Lin Tianming, having witnessed the process, was very surprised that a Xisui Pill could actually sell for one hundred and forty-five spirit stones, which was only higher than the prices at Qianchuan Market.


    Thinking about it carefully, it wasn¡¯t strange. In a small place like Luoyun Market, where the level of cultivation wasn¡¯t high and alchemists were few, elixirs were even rarer, so the prices naturally soared.


    ¡°The second finale item¡­¡±


    ¡°The third finale item¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Many finale items were auctioned in succession: First Order Superior Grade elixirs, various Fu Lu spiritual instruments, all of which were high-quality goods, fetching prices that set new records.


    Under the fervent atmosphere, the auction continued.


    Chen Chong then took out five cyan and yellow spirit swords from his storage bag and tossed them in front of him, where they hovered in place. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°They¡¯re First Order Superior Grade spirit swords!¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s a complete set of spirit swords!¡±


    Several cultivators with exceptional vision called out in surprise, drawing the attention of all the cultivators present.


    Chen Chong smiled and began his introduction.


    ¡°The seventh item, a complete set of five First Order Superior Grade spirit swords, crafted mainly from Second Order Qingling Bamboo by the Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain, with a starting bid of three hundred and fifty spirit stones, and each bid must not be lower than five spirit stones!¡±


    As soon as Chen Chong finished introducing the set of spirit swords, several eager cultivators immediately called out their bids.


    ¡°Three hundred and sixty spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Three hundred and eighty spirit stones¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming and his companion sat in the VIP room, watching the cultivators below engage in fierce bidding and showing satisfied smiles.


    In another VIP room, a cultivator with a calm expression watched the five spirit swords with great interest.


    ¡°Four hundred and seventy spirit stones¡­¡±


    A voice called out from one of the VIP rooms on the second floor!


    The scene immediately fell silent, and everyone looked up to the second floor, seemingly trying to determine the source of the voice.


    However, the VIP rooms were protected by restrictions that prevented divine sense from probing, so no one knew who had made the bid. They could only guess that it must be someone from a certain family, as it would be difficult for a loose cultivator to have such financial power.


    After a fierce competition, the five spirit swords were sold for the high price of four hundred and seventy spirit stones.


    The auction continued, with just the last three finale items remaining.


    As the seventh item had been a complete set of superior-grade spirit swords, the remaining finale items were surely even more valuable, and all the cultivators were extremely anticipatory.


    Without pausing, while everyone¡¯s emotions were running high, Chen Chong took out a fiery red talisman paper from his storage bag.


    ¡°The eighth finale item, a Second Order Inferior Grade Fiery Flame Charm talisman. Once activated, it can summon a great force of flames, its power equivalent to a full-force strike by a cultivator in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment. Its attack power is extremely formidable, provided by the Sun Family, with a starting bid of three hundred and fifty spirit stones, and each bid must not be lower than five spirit stones,¡±


    Seeing this item, all the cultivators¡¯ breath quickened.


    A Second Order talisman was extremely rare in Luoyun Market, creating a fierce struggle every time one appeared.


    Such a rare item was incredibly difficult to produce; besides the Sun Family, no other power was known to be able to create them, and it was unexpected that they would be willing to auction such an item.


    Seeing the Fiery Flame Charm, Lin Tianming immediately became interested.


    Although he still had a Second Order Golden Sword Talisman unused, no one ever complained about having too many trump cards.


    With plenty of spirit stones on hand, after browsing the market several times, he had not found any Second Order talismans. They were difficult to purchase even with spirit stones, unless one was at Qianchuan Market, where there were a few for sale.


    Now that he had come across it, he naturally wanted to make every effort to obtain it.


    In addition to him, many other cultivators in the venue, including people from several Foundation Establishing families, shared that thought.


    After a brief silence, a frenzy of bidding ensued.


    The bidding, starting from three hundred and sixty spirit stones, quickly soared to four hundred and forty.


    ¡°Four hundred and fifty spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Four hundred and seventy spirit stones¡­¡±


    By this point, only people from the seven VIP rooms were bidding; the ordinary cultivators did not have the financial means to compete and could only watch from the sidelines.


    ¡°Four hundred and eighty spirit stones¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming continued to bid, seemingly unconcerned with the inflated price.


    In a VIP room on the second floor, three Jin Family cultivators sat sipping spiritual tea. Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s bid, one of the young cultivators refused to be outdone and continued to raise the bid.


    ¡°Five hundred and twenty spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡±


    Many cultivators were already astonished; over five hundred spirit stones was far more than the value of an ordinary Second Order talisman.


    ¡°Five hundred and eighty spirit stones¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming bid without batting an eye, determined to win.


    Bidding against other cultivators for spirit stones, he was not afraid; among all the Qi Refining cultivators present, there were definitely not many whose wealth surpassed his, not even those in the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    In the VIP room of the Jin Family, an elder spoke to the bidding young cultivator:


    ¡°Qi Long, let it go. Don¡¯t get carried away. Even if the other families get this item, it won¡¯t change their fate.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    After the young cultivator responded calmly, he stopped bidding.


    A few moments passed, and no one else made another bid.

 Chapter 91 - 91 - 86: Fiery Flame Charm and Hun Tian Pill (Two-in-One)_2

    Chapter 91 ¨C 86: Fiery Flame Charm and Hun Tian Pill (Two-in-One)_2


    Lin Tianming also got what he wanted, acquiring the Fiery Flame Charm for the sky-high price of five hundred and eighty spirit stones.


    Lin Tianming took out the spirit stones and threw them towards the platform where Chen Chong was, and after they were checked and confirmed to be correct, the Fiery Flame Charm was thrown to Lin Tianming in the VIP room.


    After receiving the Fiery Flame Charm, he pinched it in his hand and looked over it several times before putting it into his storage bag.


    ¡°The ninth and final highlight, a set of First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Artifacts called the Shadowless Needles, made up of seven precious needles. Each one is a superior grade Spiritual Artifact with immense power, provided by the Jin Family. The starting bid is five hundred and eighty spirit stones, with each increase required to be no less than ten spirit stones,¡± announced the auctioneer.


    Flying needle sets were extremely difficult to forge and scarce in number, unpredictable in battle, hence extremely popular among cultivators.


    No sooner had the voice fallen, than many cultivators began to bid fiercely, quickly surpassing the finale item provided by the Lin Family.


    ¡°Five hundred and ninety spirit stones¡­¡±


    ...


    ¡°Six hundred and ten spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡­


    In just seven or eight rounds of bidding, the price of the Shadowless Needles soared rapidly, quickly reaching seven hundred spirit stones and continuing to rise.


    Lin Xingzhi was very interested in this set of Spiritual Artifacts, and he joined the bidding, but was soon surpassed by other cultivators¡¯ offers.


    ¡°Eight hundred and ten spirit stones¡­¡±


    After a cultivator in a VIP room raised the bid by fifty spirit stones in one go, silence fell upon the entire venue. Your next chapter is on empire


    Although Lin Xingzhi bid several times, he had to give up reluctantly as the price was too high.


    Many cultivators were guessing which powerful buyer it could be, but there was no answer.


    With the ninth treasure settled, only the final item remained, spurring much speculation.


    ¡°Spiritual Artifact¡­¡±


    ¡°Elixirs¡­¡±


    ¡°Cultivation Technique¡­¡±


    Or some other treasure, alas, it remained unknown¡­


    As everyone awaited in anticipation, Chen Chong brought out a golden jade slip and began to introduce it.


    ¡°The final treasure, a Pill Formula for a Hun Tian Pill.¡±


    ¡°The Hun Tian Pill is a Second Order Pill that, when ingested by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, allows them to directly break through a minor realm, similar to the Pozhang Pill, but specifically for Foundation Establishment cultivators¡ªa truly heaven-defying item. The starting price is nine hundred spirit stones, with each increase required to be no less than ten spirit stones!¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd was completely electrified.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually a Second Order Pill, and one that assists in breaking through realms!¡±


    Upon hearing Chen Chong¡¯s words, Lin Xingzhi¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he turned to Lin Tianming saying,


    ¡°Tianming, this pill¡¯s effects are tremendous; we must acquire it for our family, and later the family can compensate us for the spirit stones!¡±


    The same scene played out in various VIP rooms.


    ¡°Nine hundred and thirty spirit stones¡­¡±


    One VIP room took the lead with a bid, immediately raising it by thirty spirit stones.


    ¡°Nine hundred and fifty spirit stones¡­¡±


    Lin Xingzhi also entered a bid, but unfortunately, there were quite a few forces determined to win, and his bid was quickly surpassed by a new price.


    ¡°One thousand one hundred and twenty spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡°One thousand three hundred spirit stones¡­¡±


    Throughout the auction, more than ten VIP rooms participated in the bidding, and the scene grew more and more intense, swiftly reaching one thousand three hundred spirit stones.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Luoyun Market truly has hidden dragons and crouching tigers!¡±


    The five major families bidding was inevitable, but in the entire Luoyun Mountain Range, only those families had Foundation Establishment cultivators. The other bidders must be Loose Cultivators or hidden Foundation Establishment cultivators from Qi Refining families, otherwise no Qi Refinement Stage cultivator would buy this Pill Formula.


    As the price climbed higher and higher, some forces seemed to give up bidding.


    ¡°One thousand four hundred spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡°One thousand six hundred spirit stones¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming raised the bid by two hundred spirit stones in one breath, once again igniting the atmosphere of the entire venue.


    Many cultivators were astounded, and numerous ones who had gained nothing, not even having made a bid, sighed in admiration. They thought that the auction had truly been an eye-opener with its record-breaking prices, making their trip worthwhile.


    Inside Jin Family¡¯s VIP room, the young cultivator making the bids had a gloomy expression. Every time he offered a price, the opposite VIP room raised their bid, as if to deliberately counter him.


    ¡°Hmph, trying to compete with the Jin Family in terms of wealth? Even the Sun Family is no match for us!¡± he sneered.


    With that, Jin Qilong bid again.


    ¡°Seventeen hundred spirit stones!¡±


    ¡°Eighteen hundred spirit stones!¡±


    ¡­


    After several rounds, the price quickly broke through two thousand spirit stones, reaching a terrifying two thousand four hundred spirit stones.


    Lin Tianming did not yield an inch, clearly determined to win.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, could you give our Jin Family some face and yield the pill formula to us?¡±


    Jin Qilong spoke out, directly invoking his family¡¯s name, hoping to make Lin Tianming back down.


    ¡°Forgive my plain speaking, but the auction has always been won by the highest bidder. Let¡¯s not break the rules!¡±


    Lin Tianming spoke up in refusal, not giving Jin Qilong any face.


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s rejection, the Jin Family cultivators¡¯ faces turned livid, their eyes bloodshot, as if they wished to immediately charge over and tear the refuser to pieces.


    The Jin elder, seeing Jin Qilong¡¯s gloomy expression, stepped forward to persuade:


    ¡°Never mind. With such a high price, the bidding cultivator must be from one of the five major families. Let them have it.¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°After all, these families won¡¯t be hopping around for many more years. The production of second order pills is extremely difficult, and spiritual medicine is not easy to gather. Without a couple of years¡¯ effort, it would be very hard to collect them all. It¡¯s better to let them gather the spiritual medicine materials and then seize them all at once. By then, won¡¯t everything belong to our Jin Family?¡±


    Hearing the words of the Jin elder, Jin Qilong¡¯s expression gradually returned to normal.


    After a few moments passed and seeing that no one else made a bid, Chen Chong announced the auction a success.


    Lin Tianming took out all the one thousand six hundred spirit stones he had, added to the eight hundred spirit stones Lin Xingzhi had on him, pooled enough spirit stones, and threw them out of the VIP room, which were caught by Chen Chong.


    After verifying the correct number of spirit stones, Chen Chong threw the jade slip into the VIP room where Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi were.


    Lin Tianming caught the jade slip, stretched out his divine sense, broke the ban on the jade slip, and checked the pill and spiritual medicine formulas once again.


    After careful consideration, indeed the pill formula was genuine, but the main medicine was the third order spiritual medicine Purple Yin Grass, and several of the auxiliary medicines were also precious. It would be difficult to gather them in a short period of time; indeed, the pill was not so easy to concoct.


    ¡°Uncle Seventeen, the pill formula is indeed genuine!¡±


    A hint of joy flashed across Lin Xingzhi, who quickly spoke:


    ¡°Good, when we leave later, blend into the departing crowd amidst the chaos. Don¡¯t run about, head straight back to the Hundred Treasures Building. I also need to collect the spirit stones from the auctioned family items. If I leave directly, it would be more suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Alright, everyone be careful!¡±


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi had confirmed their exit strategy and continued to watch the auction.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, this auction has come to a satisfactory end. I hope you will all join again in three years. Farewell!¡±


    After declaring the end of the auction, Chen Chong left with a salute.


    The cultivators at the auction all hurriedly stood up and walked towards the exit.


    Lin Tianming left the VIP room by himself and, taking advantage of the chaos, quickly blended into the crowd and rushed to the Hundred Treasures Building.


    Within half a quarter hour, Lin Tianming smoothly entered the Hundred Treasures Building and only let out a sigh of relief when he sat down in his third-floor room.


    Although the market explicitly prohibited private fighting, with immense interests at stake, there was no telling whether some would take risks.


    Being extremely cautious and careful along the way, fortunately, everything went smoothly, and it seemed unlikely that anyone had exposed to which power the pill formula belonged.


    Half a day later, Lin Xingzhi also returned to the Hundred Treasures Building.


    The two sat in the third-floor room drinking tea and chatting leisurely.


    ¡°Uncle Seventeen, I¡¯ve already arranged with Li Yuancheng. In seven days, I¡¯ll need to venture out to the market to look for the Sky Fei Fruit. During this period, it¡¯ll be up to you to oversee the market!¡±


    ¡°Tianming, be careful out there, and remember not to easily trust strangers. If the situation changes, return to the market immediately.¡±


    Lin Xingzhi repeated his warnings, worried that Lin Tianming might not be aware of the dangers he could face since he was essential for the family¡¯s rise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have the Fiery Flame Charm, and with my strength, as long as I don¡¯t encounter Foundation Establishment Cultivators or Second Order Demonic Beasts, there won¡¯t be any danger.¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s words finally put Lin Xingzhi¡¯s mind at ease.


    After entrusting the Hun Tian Pill formula to Lin Xingzhi, Lin Tianming left the Hundred Treasures Building and returned to his courtyard.


    With seven days until the arranged meeting, neither long nor short, Lin Tianming planned to cultivate for a while, get himself into the best condition, and then keep the appointment.


    Entering a secret chamber, he sat cross-legged on a straw mat, cycled the cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, and quickly entered a state of deep cultivation.


    He took out a Lingshen Pill and a Body Strengthening Pill to consume, felt the violent spiritual power, and operated his cultivation technique at full strength to rapidly assimilate the medicinal power.


    In a short while, another bout of intense pain struck, and sweat began to bead on Lin Tianming¡¯s forehead.


    Seven days passed quickly¡­

 Chapter 92 - 92 - 87: Successfully Obtaining the Fruit (Combined Chapter)_1

    Chapter 92 ¨C 87: Successfully Obtaining the Fruit (Combined Chapter)_1


    At high noon, outside Luoyun Market.


    In a lush green valley, four cultivators gathered, among them three men and one woman.


    Aside from the organizer, Li Yuancheng, there were two other male cultivators, and the only female cultivator was radiant with beauty, dressed in blue palace attire with towering hair buns, akin to that of a noblewoman. She was Li Yuancheng¡¯s companion, Song Yurong.


    ¡°Daoist Li, why hasn¡¯t this kid shown up yet? If he doesn¡¯t come soon, let¡¯s not wait for him. That way, there¡¯ll be one less person to share the fruits with.¡±


    A man, visibly displeased, spoke to Li Yuancheng, seemingly confident about the journey to obtain the fruits.


    ¡°Daoist Lu, please be patient. There is still a quarter of an hour left until the appointed time, and this trip to get the fruit is not guaranteed to succeed. One more person means one more layer of security.¡±


    Before he finished speaking, a burly man flew in on a sword from the east and landed beside Li Yuancheng¡ªit was Lin Tianming, who had altered his appearance.


    ...


    Upon seeing the four people, Lin Tianming greeted them with a fist and palm salute:


    ¡°I¡¯m late, please forgive me. My name is Chen Tian, and I greet all the fellow Daoists here, as well as this fairy maiden.¡±


    Song Yurong gracefully performed a curtsy, revealing a slight smile as she said:


    ¡°My name is Song Yurong. I greet you, Daoist Chen!¡±


    Li Yuancheng, with a kind expression, began to introduce Lin Tianming to the others.


    ¡°This is Daoist Qiu Jinsong¡­¡±


    ¡°And this is Daoist Lu Ming¡­¡±


    After exchanging greetings, everyone began to get acquainted with one another.


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, Li Yuancheng took out a map made from beast skin to confirm the direction, then flew toward the west with the others quickly following behind. Find more to read at empire


    After flying for an entire day, from noon till evening, the group of five successfully arrived at the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    As it was getting dark, they didn¡¯t proceed further but found a small hill to rest on for the night.


    ¡­


    The next morning, the five set off again.


    Two days passed, and after crossing more than a dozen peaks, covering over three hundred miles, they entered deep within the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    With Li Yuancheng leading the way, the journey was rather safe, encountering very few demonic beasts, until they arrived in a valley.


    Looking around, the forest was dense, and there were numerous large trees that would take several people to embrace, with mist swirling within the valley, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Yuancheng pointed toward the forest ahead and said:


    ¡°The Sky Fei Fruit Tree is within this dense forest. I stumbled upon it by accident. It¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s guarded by a pack of Wind Shadow Leopards, otherwise I would have taken the fruits long ago!¡±


    ¡°Wind Shadow Leopards!¡±


    Lu Ming revealed a hint of apprehension.


    Li Yuancheng¡¯s expression remained calm as he began to describe the Wind Shadow Leopards.


    ¡°These demonic beasts are extremely fast and have formidable attack power. They come and go without a trace and are very adept at ambushes. Everyone must be careful.¡±


    Saying so, Li Yuancheng took out a snow-white whip about a zhang long, a high quality spiritual artifact.


    His companion Song Yurong was not to be outdone, producing a medium grade flying sword in hand.


    Everyone took out their spiritual artifacts, with Lin Tianming wielding an Earth Evil Sword and holding a high quality talisman paper, ready to deal with any unexpected dangers.


    Catching sight of Lin Tianming¡¯s spirit sword and talisman paper, a flicker of barely noticeable greed flashed in Lu Ming¡¯s eyes, which quickly returned to normal, revealing a highly wary expression.


    Seeing that everyone was prepared, Li Yuancheng led the way deeper inside.


    Soon, they reached the inner part of the valley where the trees gradually thinned, improving visibility.


    At the end of their line of sight, a fruit tree about a zhang tall grew on a mound, its green and red leaves adorned with over a dozen emerald-like fruits.


    ¡°Sky Fei Fruit!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, there are such fruits!¡±


    Upon seeing the treasure, Lu Ming and Qiu Jinsong called out in excitement, looking eager to proceed.


    In their excitement, they were unaware that danger had already quietly approached.


    Since entering the valley, Lin Tianming had his divine sense fully extended and his Eye of Five Colors open, guarding against unknown dangers, and had not relaxed for a moment, remaining cautious.


    A gust of wind passed through the valley, bringing a bone-chilling coolness that made everyone shiver.


    At that moment, several roars were heard.


    More than fifty Wind Shadow Leopards broke into a sprint, turning into streaks of afterimages, and in a few moments, they had charged from several hundred zhang away in the dense forest to right before the group.


    Looking over, among the pack of Wind Shadow Leopards, there was one at the late-stage peak, nearly breaking through to Second Order, obviously the leader of this pack. There were also six at the late-stage, and the rest were at the First Order middle and initial phases.


    ¡°Daoist Li, you said there were only about thirty, why has their number increased so much?¡±


    Lu Ming¡¯s face turned pale as he exclaimed, questioning Li Yuancheng.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why either; the number of Wind Shadow Leopards has almost doubled!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless to investigate now. It¡¯s already impossible to run away. Everyone, don¡¯t hold back. Fight with all you¡¯ve got, or we¡¯re all in danger!¡±


    No sooner had Li Yuancheng finished speaking than several late-stage Wind Shadow Leopards were already upon them. The pack leader charged straight at Lin Tianming, seemingly sensing him as the greatest threat.


    After a brief moment of panic, Lin Tianming and Li Yuancheng quickly reacted, each urging on their spiritual artifacts.


    Lin Tianming slashed repeatedly, his fierce sword qi forcing the pack leader to retreat. He quietly set up a Sword Array and swiftly retreated, falling back behind the others.


    Li Yuancheng brandished his whip spiritual artifact, attacking left and right. The versatile whip was particularly effective against the incredibly fast Wind Shadow Leopards.


    Several of the First Order initial and middle-stage Wind Shadow Leopards couldn¡¯t dodge in time and were struck by the whip, promptly ending their lives.


    The rest also used their techniques, and being fully prepared, they didn¡¯t fall into disadvantage.

 Chapter 93 - 93 - 87: Successfully Obtaining the Fruit (Combined Chapter)_2

    Chapter 93 ¨C 87: Successfully Obtaining the Fruit (Combined Chapter)_2


    The ambush had failed, and many of the dozen or so Wind Shadow Leopards had died immediately; the rest were all mid-stage Demonic Beasts.


    Instead of continuing the attack, the Wind Shadow Leopards surrounded the group, seeking an opportunity, lying in wait for the perfect moment to strike.


    After a stalemate that lasted for more than ten breaths, the Wind Shadow Leopards launched another onslaught.


    Seeming to have recognized Lin Tianming¡¯s prowess, they gave up on direct combat with him and instead made a beeline for Lu Ming.


    The battle erupted anew.


    Lu Ming¡¯s face darkened as he took out two talisman papers from his storage bag and tossed them into the air, forming a torrential sword rain that temporarily trapped the leader of the Wind Shadow Leopards.


    The remaining Wind Shadow Leopards had already charged in, and the battlefield immediately plunged into chaos, as the frenzied spiritual power from various Spiritual Artifacts crisscrossed the sky.


    ...


    Lin Tianming drew the eighteen Earth Evil Swords, danced out a Sword Lotus resembling the God of Slaughter, killing several mid-stage Wind Shadow Leopards around him, without meeting any resistance.


    On the other side, the leader of the Wind Shadow Leopards broke free and charged towards the cultivator with the surname Lu.


    After over a dozen brutal exchanges, Lu Ming was already severely injured.


    Having exhausted all his tricks, Lu Ming threw his last talisman paper and fled in panic, not forgetting to shout as he ran.


    ¡°Save me¡­¡±


    At this moment, everyone was surrounded by Wind Shadow Leopards in varying numbers, and Lin Tianming, being the farthest away, could not attend to him.


    After a few breaths, the leader of the Wind Shadow Leopards burst through the barrier in front of it and, with a gaping maw, charged straight for Lu Ming.


    ¡°Roar¡­¡±


    With the lightning speed of the Wind Shadow Leopard, the desperate Lu Ming had no chance to dodge and was directly bitten, his body falling lifeless on the spot.


    Now dead, Lu Ming left four injured survivors behind. Among them, Qiu Jinsong was gravely hurt, his strength reduced to a mere tenth of what it was.


    The Wind Shadow Leopard pack had suffered heavy casualties, with only a dozen mid-to-late-stage beasts remaining, their dead bodies turning the ground a crimson red. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After half an hour of fierce combat, both humans and beasts had sustained grievous injuries, and the cultivators had used up most of their spiritual power.


    ¡°Li, you and I will take on the leader of the Wind Shadow Leopards while the others quickly dispatch the rest,¡± Lin Tianming shouted to Li Yuancheng.


    ¡°We must be quick, or we won¡¯t last much longer. If we don¡¯t succeed, all of us will die here!¡±


    Amid their dire conditions and critical situation, Lin Tianming called out to Li Yuancheng.


    ¡°Good!¡±


    All three responded in unison.


    Seeing the tragic state of the cultivator with the surname Lu, Lin Tianming and the others held nothing back and fought with all their might once more.


    Lin Tianming took out four First Order Superior Attack Talismans in a row and, after activating them, sent four streams of Sword Qi speeding towards the Wind Shadow Leopards.


    Simultaneously, he activated a previously laid Earth Fiend Sword Formation, enveloping the leader of the Wind Shadow Leopards within it.


    Li Yuancheng took out a white pearl and spat it towards the leader of the Wind Shadow Leopards.


    Overwhelmed by a strong sense of crisis, the Wind Shadow Leopard leader panicked within the Sword Array, frantically striking against the barriers of the formation, trying to break free from the Earth Fiend Sword Formation¡¯s constraints.


    But Lin Tianming had laid his plans well in advance, and wouldn¡¯t let it escape so easily.


    A few breaths later, the four Sword Qi and the pearl struck the Wind Shadow Leopard from several directions simultaneously.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    A series of explosions resounded through the valley¡­


    A blaze shot up into the sky; after the flying sand and stones settled, the figure of the Wind Shadow Leopard leader was revealed.


    The Wind Shadow Leopard leader was now lying in a huge pit, convulsing, with half its body gone, its organs exposed for all to see ¨C a pitiable sight that clearly indicated it was on the brink of death.


    Seeing the dire state of the Wind Shadow Leopard leader, Lin Tianming and Li Yuancheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Such a steep price paid, and had they not vanquished it, whether they could survive the ordeal would have been uncertain.


    Elsewhere, Song Yurong and Qiu Jinsong were being besieged by several late-stage Wind Shadow Leopards; both were in peril, continuously losing ground.


    Song Yurong was faring slightly better, relying on numerous talisman papers and her Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact sword, retreating while fighting, and was not in immediate danger of defeating.


    Qiu Jinsong, previously severely wounded and having lost an arm, had barely held on for half an hour, and was now completely drained.


    At the moment when the Wind Shadow Leopard leader fell, Qiu Jinsong, in a burst of rage, repelled one of the leopards only to have another powerful claw plunge through his chest.


    Looking at the fist-sized hole in his chest, his blood gushing out, Qiu Jinsong¡¯s complexion turned deathly pale within moments.


    Feeling his body grow increasingly cold, he completely gave in to despair.


    Now with free hands, Lin Tianming and Li Yuancheng came to the aid, significantly reducing the pressure on Song Yurong.


    The remaining Wind Shadow Leopards were no match for them and were swiftly slain by the group.


    With the death of the last Wind Shadow Leopard, the fierce battle finally came to an end.


    Half an hour before, five lively individuals had stood, now only three remained alive.


    The grisly deaths of Lu Ming and his companion were etched in their memories, leaving no time to collect treasures; Lin Tianming and his two companions simply collapsed onto the ground.


    Lin Tianming took out a Huiyuan Pill from his storage bag and swallowed it, quickly recovering his nearly depleted spiritual power.


    After a quarter of an hour, the trio gradually regained some of their spiritual power.


    At this moment, Li Yuancheng and his wife were extremely tense, clutching their spiritual artifacts in their hands, not daring to let down their guard.


    After this battle, they had completely understood Lin Tianming¡¯s strength; even at their peak, joining forces, they were no match for him.


    The carcasses of the Wind Shadow Leopards scattered across the field, along with the storage bags of Lu Ming¡¯s party, plus the Sky Fei Fruit, undoubtedly represented an immense fortune. If Lin Tianming were to attack again, their chances of survival were slim.


    Lin Tianming was also on high alert, closely watching every move made by Li Yuancheng and his wife.


    Another quarter of an hour passed, and the silence began to feel exceedingly awkward.


    Finally, Lin Tianming broke the silence.


    ¡°Li, let¡¯s quickly distribute the treasures. It isn¡¯t safe to stay here for long,¡± said Lin Tianming.


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    Relieved that Lin Tianming didn¡¯t seem to intend to attack, Li Yuancheng and his wife finally relaxed a little.


    ¡°Daoist Chen is very powerful. Without you, I¡¯m afraid we would have been wiped out on this journey,¡± said Li Yuancheng, lavishing praise before the division of treasure.


    ¡°I think we should do it like this: The storage bags of Lu Ming¡¯s party go to you, the spiritual artifacts to us as a couple, the carcass of the Wind Shadow Leopard leader to you, and we split the rest of the carcasses equally. As for the Sky Fei Fruits, you take sixty percent, and we take forty percent. How does that sound?¡±


    After proposing his plan, Li Yuancheng waited anxiously; given Lin Tianming¡¯s formidable strength, it was only fair he received the larger share, but it was uncertain if he would be satisfied.


    Lin Tianming thought it over. The carcass of the Wind Shadow Leopard leader, which held the greatest value, would be his, and surely the storage bags of Lu Ming¡¯s party contained all of their wealth. The spiritual artifacts were negligible in comparison. Li Yuancheng¡¯s proposal was quite sincere. Asking for a few more Sky Fei Fruits would suffice.


    ¡°Li, I have no objections to the rest, but as for the Sky Fei Fruits, taking more doesn¡¯t add much benefit. Your couple can keep two, and the rest are mine. How about that?¡±


    ¡°So be it,¡±


    Without hesitation, Li Yuancheng agreed to Lin Tianming¡¯s terms.


    Having divided the spoils, the three of them began to get themselves busy.


    Lin Tianming collected Lu Ming¡¯s storage bags and the spiritual artifacts, handing the latter over to Li Yuancheng.


    They then started disassembling the carcasses of the Wind Shadow Leopards, taking all useful materials with them.


    An hour later, the battlefield was cleared, and the three of them headed towards the Sky Fei Fruit Tree.


    By now, the Sky Fei Fruits had ripened, ten emerald-like spirit fruits hanging from the tree.


    Song Yurong stepped forward to harvest the Sky Fei Fruits, while Lin Tianming and Li Yuancheng chatted leisurely on the side.


    The Sky Fei Fruit ripened once every hundred years, and its effects surpassed even the Jade Spirit Fruit, but it was a pity that the tree could not be transplanted.


    Lin Tianming took out a map, located their position, and made a mark for his clan to return and harvest the fruits after a century.


    In a short while, Song Yurong had picked all of the spirit fruits and placed them in jade boxes, handing eight of them to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming accepted the jade boxes without fuss and put them back into his storage bag.


    After surviving a perilous battle and the test of shared interests, Li Yuancheng and his wife had come to a clearer understanding of Lin Tianming, at the very least, not a traitor. They became inclined to befriend him.


    ¡°Daoist Chen, we¡¯re still within the heart of the mountain range and have yet to leave danger behind. Why don¡¯t we travel together back to the market city?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same!¡±


    Having accomplished their mission of treasure hunting, the three of them did not linger and departed along the path they had come.


    Three days later, Lin Tianming and his companions emerged from a small hill on the periphery of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    ¡°Li, Fairy Song, let¡¯s meet again someday!¡±


    ¡°Daoist Chen, let¡¯s meet again someday!¡±


    The three of them saluted each other simultaneously. Lin Tianming summoned his Earth Evil Sword and took to the sky, soon disappearing into the horizon.


    After Lin Tianming had left, Li Yuancheng gazed in the direction Lin Tianming had gone and muttered,


    ¡°Daoist Chen is incredibly strong, and his talismans are of excellent quality. I wonder if he¡¯s a loose cultivator or someone from the sect families¡­¡±


    Song Yurong, her complexion rosy, seemed to have realized something.


    ¡°Husband, my intuition tells me he¡¯s certainly not a loose cultivator. He¡¯s very likely from one of the five major families of the Luoyun Mountain Range, perhaps even someone from the core disciples of Zhenyang Sect. We must make a good connection with him¡­¡±

 Chapter 94 - 94 - 88 Inventory of Harvest_1

    Chapter 94 ¨C 88 Inventory of Harvest_1


    In Luoyun Market, within a secret chamber of a small courtyard.


    After bidding farewell to Li Yuancheng and his wife, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t wander aimlessly, but instead returned straight to the market.


    He hastily sent a message to Lin Xingzhi to assure his safety and then entered the secret chamber.


    Sitting on the cushion in the secret chamber, he took out the storage bags of Lu Ming and Qiu Jinsong, ready to tally his gains.


    The trip to obtain the Sky Fei Fruit had taken just half a month and had gone quite smoothly, costing only several High-Quality Talismans. With the storage bags of the two, he expected to make a hefty profit.


    First, he picked up Lu Ming¡¯s storage bag and easily erased the remaining Divine Sense from it.


    He extended his Divine Sense and began to carefully examine the contents.


    ...


    Over two hundred and sixty Spirit Stones, a few Lingshen Pills and other consumable elixirs, several stalks of Spiritual Medicine Materials, and a fair amount of miscellaneous items, but nothing particularly valuable.


    This person had been cornered by the Wind Shadow Leopard and used up all his tricks. His Spiritual Artifact had even been given to Li Yuancheng and his wife, so there really wasn¡¯t much left.


    ¡°Huff¡­¡±


    Taking a deep breath, he shifted his focus to the other storage bag.


    Qiu Jinsong was at the Qi Refining Eighth Level, not weak by any means, so his net worth should be a bit more substantial.


    Erasing the Divine Sense, he started to probe within.


    In no time at all, a slight smile appeared on Lin Tianming¡¯s face.


    Compared to Lu Ming, Qiu Jinsong¡¯s wealth was much more substantial; he had over six hundred Spirit Stones, various elixirs in abundance, and some Spirit Ore and other items, all quite ordinary.


    After Lin Tianming¡¯s estimation, the assets of the two men together were worth over a thousand Spirit Stones. Subtracting the Talismans and elixirs consumed in the fight, he had still made a tidy sum.


    Not only the personal wealth of the two men, but also the numerous Wind Shadow Leopard carcasses would yield plenty of materials for crafting, and the eight Sky Fei Fruits alone were worth thousands of Spirit Stones.


    After tallying up the gains, he transferred the Spirit Stones and useful Spiritual Medicine and Spirit Ore into his own storage bag and threw useless items haphazardly into another, planning to sell them off when he found the time.


    Having done all that, Lin Tianming fell into contemplation.


    As the day of the big competition in Luoyun Market drew nearer, with just over a year left, he had obtained the Sky Fei Fruit. By harnessing its medicinal power, he could reach the peak of Qi Refining Eighth Level and then break through a minor realm with the help of Pozhang Pills.


    Resolved, he closed his eyes and entered a brief state of cultivation.


    After a night¡¯s rest and gathering his energy, he got up and left the courtyard.


    Half an hour passed, and on the third floor of Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Xingzhi was sitting enjoying some tea.


    Before Lin Tianming could arrive, a hearty greeting was heard.


    ¡°Seventeenth Uncle, how have you been recently?¡±


    Turning his head and seeing Lin Tianming, Lin Xingzhi immediately beamed with joy and hurriedly responded.


    ¡°Good, you lad have finally returned. If you hadn¡¯t come back in a few more days, I would have gone to the Luoyun Mountain Range to look for you!¡±


    Lin Tianming sat down, sipping tea and casually chatting, recounting the adventure of acquiring the treasure in brief.


    ¡°Eight Sky Fei Fruits!¡±


    Learning of Lin Tianming¡¯s gains, Lin Xingzhi was quite surprised and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little envious.


    ¡°This kid¡¯s luck is too good; he always gains quite the treasure haul every time he goes out!¡±


    Seeing a look of longing on Lin Xingzhi¡¯s face, Lin Tianming took out a Sky Fei Fruit and offered it with a clasped fist.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Seventeenth Uncle, you¡¯ve already consumed the Jade Spirit Fruit, and it will be difficult for your cultivation to increase much in a short time. Please accept this Sky Fei Fruit as a modest token of my regard¡­¡±


    Lin Xingzhi stared intently at the Sky Fei Fruit, wanting to accept it but feeling embarrassed; after all, it seemed inappropriate to take a hard-won treasure from a junior.


    ¡°Tian Ming, I appreciate the thought!¡±


    Lin Xingzhi took the Sky Fei Fruit and afterward drew two hundred Spirit Stones from his storage bag and handed them to Lin Tianming as compensation. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming tried to refuse several times, but Lin Xingzhi insisted he take them, otherwise he would not accept his kindness.


    Lin Tianming did not put on airs and accepted the spirit stones.


    The two were in good spirits, and Lin Xingzhi asked Lin Tianming about his plans.


    ¡°In two months, I can make a trip back to the family. It¡¯s not too long nor too short a time. I plan to refine the Sky Fei Fruit to improve my cultivation as much as possible!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s set off together in two months!¡±


    Having agreed upon a time, Lin Tianming rose to take his leave.


    Before long, he returned to the secret chamber in the small courtyard.


    Sitting on the cushion, he began to operate his cultivation technique and quickly reached the optimal state for cultivation.


    With a thought, a fruit appeared between his fingers out of thin air.


    The fruit was about the size of a toddler¡¯s fist, all over in green like jade. The small spirit fruit contained tremendous energy, a mere sniff of which was refreshing and clarifying.


    Lin Tianming did not hesitate and swallowed the Sky Fei Fruit in one bite.


    Upon entering his mouth, the Sky Fei Fruit melted immediately. The contained spiritual power was very gentle, not at all violent like that of the Jade Spirit Fruit.


    He quickly operated his cultivation technique to refine the energy of the Sky Fei Fruit, transforming it into streams of spiritual power that flowed into his Dantian, slowly enlarging his Qi Sea and progressing towards the later stage.


    Time slowly passed, and the two months went by.


    Inside the secret chamber, Lin Tianming opened his eyes, a hint of joy flashing across his face.


    It took nearly a month to successfully refine the Sky Fei Fruit.


    Although he had not broken through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, his spiritual power had reached the limit of the Qi Refining Eighth Level.


    Lin Tianming was very pleased. With another half a year of seclusion, he could easily break through with the help of a Pozhang Pill.


    It was only a pity that time did not permit it, otherwise he really could have given it a try.


    The two-month period had arrived, and the day he had agreed upon with Lin Xingzhi was tomorrow. It was time to leave seclusion.


    He got up and walked out of the secret chamber, heading towards the Hundred Treasures Building.


    During the seclusion, he had refined a number of elixirs, enough to keep the Hundred Treasures Building operating for several months.


    After handing over the elixirs to Lin Xingshun, he asked about the business situation over the past few months.


    Thanks to the market assembly, the business had improved in the past two months. The income of the Hundred Treasures Building was stable, earning a large amount of spirit stones for the family.


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming rose to take his leave and returned to the family¡¯s small courtyard.


    The next morning, when the sky was still dimly lit, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi set out from the market together and appeared at the top of a mountain outside the city.


    Over the past two months, Lin Xingzhi¡¯s aura had become even more substantial. It seemed that after consuming the Sky Fei Fruit, his cultivation had become more profound.


    ¡°Congratulations, Seventeenth Uncle, on the great progress in your cultivation. You mustn¡¯t be far from the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage now!¡±


    Upon Lin Tianming¡¯s inquiry, Lin Xingzhi spoke sincerely: Explore stories at empire


    ¡°Thanks to you, kid. With the help of the Sky Fei Fruit, I saved several years of arduous cultivation. Otherwise, without three to five years of effort, it would not have been possible to reach this level!¡±


    He released the Purple Gold Eagle and fed it a Beast Spirit Pill before the two of them hopped onto its back.


    The Purple Gold Eagle soared into the sky, heading into the clouds, and became a lingering shadow that quickly disappeared into the horizon.


    The journey home is always a pleasure, and the two enjoyed the scenery and chatted leisurely along the way.


    By half a day, the two and the eagle smoothly appeared outside the Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Tianming took out the family token, cast several law decrees, and, once the great formation was open, flew straight in.


    ¡°Tianming, I have some errands to run. I¡¯ll contact you when the day of departure is confirmed!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Xingzhi left on a flying sword, and Lin Tianming did not stay longer, heading to his family¡¯s small courtyard.

 Chapter 95 - 95 - 89 Alliance_1

    Chapter 95 ¨C 89 Alliance_1


    At dusk, upon learning that Lin Tianming had returned to the clan, both Grandpa and Father hurried back to their own small courtyard.


    The five of them sat in the courtyard, enjoying tea and idle chat, which was indescribably comfortable.


    According to Grandpa, the Lin Family had undergone significant changes in recent years. With the substantial improvement of basic welfare for the clan and encouragement for members to gain experience, a large number of clanspeople strove to break through, and the younger generation progressed at an incredible speed, multiplying the overall strength of the Lin Family by several times.


    Lin Tianming also reported his experiences over the past year, in order not to worry his family, he did not mention those bloody and dangerous encounters.


    However, his accounts clearly could not deceive Grandpa and his father.


    Having lived for nearly a hundred years and having seen too much of the survival of the fittest and the killing for treasures, Lin Shigong knew these were simply the rules of the Cultivation World.


    As Lin Tianming¡¯s growth accelerated, Lin Shigong¡¯s views about him were quietly changing.


    ...


    Once wishing for him to spend his entire life within the clan grounds, he was now very clear.


    The talent of Lin Tianming, and the responsibilities he bore, destined him to venture beyond the Luoyun Mountain Range, and even leave the Wei Kingdom to explore a more vast and expansive world.


    Only by undergoing trials by fire could one shed all superficialities and become a strong leader, capable of restoring the family¡¯s former glory.


    And on this thorny and rugged path, he knew he could no longer be of much help.


    As night fell, their casual conversation drew to a close, and Lin Tianming took out four Sky Fei Fruits to give to his grandfather and the others.


    While the Sky Fei Fruits were not of much use to Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the energy they contained could still save several years of arduous cultivation.


    The four of them accepted the fruits without pretense, and each went back to their rooms to rest.


    One day, outside Green Bamboo Mountain.


    A three-zhang-tall Crowned Spirit Crane flew rapidly towards the Lin Family Clan Grounds, reaching the great formation of the clan grounds in just over ten breaths¡¯ time.


    A young and an old man jumped off the Crowned Spirit Crane, landing on a hilltop.


    The elder, named Sun Dingfeng, a member of the Jiuhua Mountain Sun Clan, was at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level.


    The youth, named Sun Ruiyang, a member of the younger generation of the Sun Family, was in his early twenties, and looked curiously at the distant light screen and said,


    ¡°Seventh Grandpa, is this the Lin Family¡¯s clan grounds?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Experience new tales on empire


    The elder remained calm and replied indifferently.


    After putting the Crowned Spirit Crane into the Spirit Beast Bag, he formed a hand seal and sent out two messages, which quickly vanished into the transparent light screen and disappeared.


    Half an hour later, the light screen tore open, and two people stepped out from inside¡ªit was Lin Shilu and Lin Shikang. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before even arriving, Lin Shikang walked forward with a cupped fist greeting and a hearty smile,


    ¡°It turns out Daoist Sun has come for a visit; any neglect is regrettable, please forgive us!¡±


    Upon seeing Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu approach, Sun Dingfeng did not dare to presume, and quickly went forward with Sun Ruiyang.


    ¡°Not at all, Sun Mou came unannounced, and I hope I have not disturbed your tranquil cultivation!¡±


    ¡°Ruiyang, don¡¯t you hurry to pay respects to the two seniors!¡±


    Hearing Sun Dingfeng¡¯s instruction, Sun Ruiyang showed respectful demeanor and hurriedly bowed,


    ¡°Junior pays respects to the two seniors!¡±


    Lin Shikang laughed heartily and praised,


    ¡°Young friend, you need not be so formal. To have reached the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement at such a young age, the Sun Family indeed has a gathering of geniuses!¡±


    ¡°Well, since Daoist Sun has made a special trip, there must be something to discuss. Please come to the clan residence, and let Lin Mou offer you some hospitality!¡±


    Sun Dingfeng smiled lightly.


    ¡°Thanks to Daoist Lin!¡±


    ¡°Please¡­¡±


    ¡°Please¡­¡±


    Inside Lin Shikang¡¯s courtyard at the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Shikang and Sun Dingfeng sat in a pavilion, enjoying Spiritual Tea, while Sun Ruiyang stood to the side looking around.


    ¡°Daoist Sun, it has been many years since we last met. Why have you come to visit today?¡±


    Lin Shikang directly inquired, although he and Lin Shilu already had an idea, they still pretended to be unaware.


    Seeing Lin Shikang and his companion playing dumb, Sun Dingfeng did not call them out on it. Without beating around the bush, he directly stated his purpose.


    ¡°Daoist Lin, I have come on behalf of the Sun Family to pay a visit, hoping to collaborate with the Lin Family. I wonder if you would be interested.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°How would you like to collaborate? Please enlighten me, Daoist Sun!¡±


    ¡°In one year, the city¡¯s grand competition will be held. Surely, Daoist Lin, you are aware of the Jin Family¡¯s movements these past two years?¡±


    ¡°Both you and I are well aware that the current Jin Family, with its great strength and wolf-like ambitions, seems to be preparing to make a move against our families.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, the Sun Family intends to form an alliance with the Lin Family, standing together in both advance and retreat to resist the Jin Family. What do you think of this, Daoist Lin?¡±


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu exchanged glances, communicating with each other through telepathy.


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    After only a few moments, they seemed to have reached an agreement. Lin Shikang, with a solemn expression, began to respond.


    ¡°Daoist Sun, I, Lin Mou, am also deeply aware of the Jin Family¡¯s ambition. Alas, the Lin Family¡¯s foundation is thin and our strength is limited, I¡¯m afraid we may not be able to share much of the burden for the Sun Family. Therefore¡­¡±


    Seeing Lin Shikang¡¯s pitiable expression, Sun Dingfeng knew that the Lin Family would not easily take a stance without some benefits.


    Fortunately, he had come prepared, never expecting to sway the Lin Family with just a few words.


    Sun Dingfeng took out a dark green storage bag and handed it to Lin Shikang.


    ¡°Daoist Lin, if the Lin Family agrees to the alliance, consider these one thousand talisman papers as a token of sincerity from our Sun Family.¡±


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu extended their divine sense to inspect the contents of the storage bag and both showed a hint of surprise.


    There were two hundred First Order Superior Grade talismans, three hundred Medium Grade talismans, and the remainder, amounting to five hundred, were Lower Grade.


    It seemed the Sun Family was truly putting forth a significant offer, with the given talismans valued at several thousand spirit stones at least.


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu were somewhat tempted; the Lin Family already had grievances with the Jin Family, and the Jin Family¡¯s ambition was no secret. Once their fangs were bared, they would certainly not spare the Lin Family.


    ¡°Daoist Sun, I wonder what the Luo Family and the Wu Family¡¯s views are on this matter?¡±


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu were also inclined towards forming an alliance, but they did not agree outright, aiming to gain more benefits for the Lin Family.


    Sun Dingfeng thought for a moment before replying:


    ¡°I have already visited the Luo and Wu Families, and both have agreed to form an alliance to confront the Jin Family. Now, only the Lin Family remains!¡±


    ¡°Although the Jin Family is powerful, taking on all four of our families at once is unlikely to end well for them. Should an opportunity arise, we might eliminate the Jin Family, and their wealth would be divided with the Sun and Lin families each taking thirty percent, while the Luo and Wu Families each take twenty percent.¡±


    ¡°What do you say?¡±


    Lin Shikang kept a calm demeanor, continually communicating with Lin Shilu through telepathy to weigh the pros and cons.


    Soon, they came to a consensus. The Lin Family and the Jin Family were mortal foes with no chance of reconciliation. Better to take this opportunity to deal them a severe blow, and if possible, to completely eradicate them.


    Making up his mind, Lin Shikang spoke up:


    ¡°Daoist Sun, as a Talisman Crafting Aristocratic Family, the Sun Family possesses a multitude of talismans. I wonder if you could spare a few Second Order talismans?¡±


    ¡°I am not greedy and only request ten. With them, the Lin Family will join the Sun Family¡¯s ranks!¡±


    When Lin Shikang agreed to join the alliance, a flash of joy crossed Sun Dingfeng¡¯s face.


    At Lin Shikang¡¯s request for ten Second Order Talismans, his expression changed instantly.


    Second Order Talismans were no trivial commodity. Even the Sun Family, with a century of accumulation, had only a limited stock.


    ¡°Daoist Lin, within our Sun Family, Second Order Talismans are also extremely precious and rare. At most, we can provide five. Would that be acceptable?¡±


    Seeing that Sun Dingfeng¡¯s expression did not seem feigned and considering the Lin Family had already gained quite a bit, Lin Shikang did not further press the issue.


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow Daoist Sun¡¯s proposal. The Lin Family will form an alliance with the Sun Family, united in our cause!¡±


    Sun Dingfeng retrieved five Second Order Talismans and handed them to Lin Shikang, fulfilling his promised contribution.


    After half an hour of negotiation, the two finalized the details of their alliance.


    The Lin Family pledged to stand firmly with the Sun Family in their fight against the Jin Family. Should they break this vow, those of the Lin Family who had sworn the oath would die violently on the spot.


    ¡°Daoist Lin, now that we have agreed to form an alliance, let us swear an oath to the Heart Demon.¡±


    ¡°Very well!¡±


    After the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed, both individuals recited their Heart Demon Oaths. Once a mysterious beam of light entered their Sky Spirit Covers, the oath was complete.


    A quarter of an hour later, Sun Dingfeng and his companion left the protective formation of the Lin Family¡¯s clan grounds, boarding a Crowned Spirit Crane and flying away.

 Chapter 96 - 96 - 90 Qi Refinement Level 9_1

    Chapter 96 ¨C 90 Qi Refinement Level 9_1


    In his own small courtyard, inside the cultivation room.


    Lin Tianming sat on a cushion, hands clasped together, eyes slightly closed, with only the sound of his even breathing.


    After several days of cultivation in the secret chamber, he had adjusted his state to its optimum.


    He took out a jade bottle and poured out a greenish pill, which was the very Pozhang Pill he had concocted himself.


    With his cultivation having reached the extreme limit of the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, taking advantage of returning to the Lin Family, he could use the Pozhang Pill to break through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining in one fell swoop.


    Once he was prepared, he took a deep breath and consumed the Pozhang Pill.


    As soon as the pill entered his mouth, a violent surge of spiritual power rapidly swept through his body.


    ...


    He felt as if his body was about to ignite, his face turned bright red, veins bulging, presenting a somewhat frightening appearance.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the power of the Pozhang Pill to be so strong; no wonder it can break through the bottleneck!¡±


    Without time to think further, Lin Tianming quickly operated his cultivation technique to refine the violent spiritual power.


    Time ticked away, the sensation of pricking pain did not diminish in the slightest, but instead grew stronger.


    Lin Tianming showed a look of pain, clenching his teeth tightly, his eyes showing several strands of blood.


    Before long and through the process of cultivation and refinement, the originally violent medicinal power became spiritual power and started to feel more gentle.


    Lin Tianming directed the refined spiritual power towards the Qi Sea within.


    As the spiritual power gradually increased and reached a certain amount, the already crowded Qi Sea seemed to have reached its limit, hardly able to take more.


    Even so, Lin Tianming did not stop, continuing to madly channel spiritual power into the Qi Sea.


    Soon, the shape and volume of the Qi Sea underwent considerable change, expanding and contracting intermittently.


    Lin Tianming knew that he was at a critical juncture and needed to break through the barrier as quickly as possible.


    Focusing his mind, he increased the intensity of refining the pill¡¯s power once more, organizing the spiritual power to repeatedly impact it.


    After numerous impacts, an intense pain spread throughout his body, which then quickly returned to normal.


    Lin Tianming revealed intense joy, repeatedly checking the condition of the Qi Sea within his Seven Sea Dantian.


    The Qi Sea had significantly expanded in size, and there was still a small amount of the pill¡¯s medicinal power left unrefined, which continued to turn into strands of gentle spiritual power flowing in.


    With the help of the Pozhang Pill, Lin Tianming successfully broke through and entered the Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation.


    ¡°Huff huff¡­¡±


    Even though he had successfully broken through, Lin Tianming did not rest, continuing to refine the remaining medicinal power to consolidate his cultivation.


    More than ten days passed, Lin Tianming opened his eyes that had been shut for half a month, his gaze flashing with a sharp light.


    After more than twenty days in closed-door cultivation, he had finally achieved a smooth breakthrough.


    Feeling the surging spiritual power, much stronger than at the Qi Refining Eighth Level, if he faced the Wind Shadow Leopard again, he alone would be enough to handle it.


    The exhilarating feeling after a cultivation breakthrough was truly addictive!


    With a moment of reflection, Lin Tianming stood up and left the secret chamber.


    In a few more days, he would return to Luoyun Market.


    Before leaving, he decided to first visit the Hall of Merit to exchange the spoils of battle he had acquired recently, and to resupply his talisman paper and spiritual medicine materials, given that his stock of talismans was nearly depleted.


    Inside the Hall of Merit, Lin Tianming found Lin Shixin and handed him two storage pouches.


    Inside were the corpses of more than twenty Wind Shadow Leopards, including the body of the pack leader, as well as some low-grade spiritual medicine materials and miscellaneous items¡ªall battle spoils.


    Lin Shixin took the storage pouches and sent his Divine Sense into them, meticulously checking the contents.


    After a little more than ten breaths, he had a rough valuation.


    Lin Shixin¡¯s face remained calm, and with a smile, he announced the price.


    ¡°Three thousand six hundred and fifty spirit stones!¡±


    ¡°Good, Uncle Shi, I want three thousand Spirit Stones, and the rest can be exchanged for talisman paper and Spiritual Medicine!¡±


    After speaking, Lin Tianming handed Lin Shixin a list.


    Since Merit Points were of no use outside, and the family didn¡¯t have many good items, it was better to prepare more Spirit Stones for times of need.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Lin Shixin took out a storage bag and handed it to Lin Tianming.


    Inside were a large number of Spirit Stones, several dozen Medium and High Quality talisman papers, and a small amount of Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    Having completed the exchange, he chatted idly with Lin Shixin.


    Through their discussion, Lin Tianming learned that Lin Shixin had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage and had exchanged for the Minor Foundation Building Pill, planning to go into closed-door cultivation three months later to attempt the Foundation Establishment Stage. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Besides him, another member of the Lin Family from the Xing generation was also planning to enter closed-door cultivation to make a breakthrough.


    With less than a year until the great competition in Luoyun Market, the Lin Family was doing all they could to prepare for the crisis.


    In just three years, numerous members of the Lin Family had attempted to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, something unimaginable in the past.


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    Unfortunately, Lin Shixin was already ninety-six years old, barely two years younger than the grandfather¡¯s age when he attempted Foundation Establishment, with equally slim hopes.


    ¡°Uncle Shi, the blessed naturally attract good fortune. You will surely succeed!¡±


    With no other way to help, Lin Tianming could only offer such comfort.


    ¡°Do our best and leave the rest to fate¡­¡±


    Lin Shixin¡¯s gaze was firm, seemingly indifferent to the success of his attempt, showing a free and easy demeanor.


    After ending their idle chat and bidding farewell to Lin Shixin, Lin Tianming left the Hall of Merit, summoned the Earth Evil Sword, and flew towards Lin Tianqin¡¯s courtyard.


    As soon as the news of Lin Tianming¡¯s return spread, he was invited to a gathering.


    Unable to politely refuse, he agreed to attend, finally getting Lin Tianqin to leave him alone.


    Otherwise, he would never have peace.


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming was sitting with Lin Tianfeng and others, chatting idly.


    Not having seen them for a year, Lin Tianfeng was still at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, while Lin Tianhong had successfully broken through to the Sixth Level.


    Lin Tianqin, who practiced with great diligence, was at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, and his sister, Lin Tianyue, had made significant progress, reaching the Fourth Level with the help of various elixirs.


    Among their generation, the male members progressed the fastest, while the females lagged somewhat behind, since they hadn¡¯t undergone as many trials.


    The gathering that day was particularly lively, lasting well into the evening before dispersing.


    Lin Tianming said goodbye to everyone and returned to his own courtyard.


    Taking out his storage bag, he began to examine its contents carefully.


    There were over four thousand Spirit Stones, several dozen talisman papers, and more than three hundred elixirs in total; he was certainly not lacking in elixirs.


    After checking his storage bag, Lin Tianming examined the Sword Qi condensed in his Dantian.


    He had long mastered the Great Sun Sword Qi Art obtained at the auction; the Sword Qi had condensed and, after nearly two years of nurturing, had nearly become tangible, emitting waves of cold air.


    Lin Tianming speculated that this Spirit Art was at least of the Mysterious Grade. Unfortunately, without the latter part of the technique, he couldn¡¯t activate it, which was a true pity.


    It was as if he had a treasure vault right in front of him but lacked the key to open it, leaving him unable to access the treasures within, an extremely frustrating feeling.


    ¡°Huff¡­¡±


    There was no use in just thinking about it. The latter half of the Spirit Art was nowhere to be found, and whether he could find it relied on luck.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming brought his palms together and started to run his cultivation technique, beginning his practice.


    Three days later, a month had passed, and it was time to return to Luoyun Market.


    Waiting outside the family¡¯s grand formation was Lin Xingzhi.


    Seeing Lin Tianming flying over, the two greeted each other. They released the Purple Gold Eagle, jumped onto its back, soared a hundred meters into the clouds, and flew towards Luoyun Market.


    After half a day, they arrived at the market.

 Chapter 97 - 97 - 91 Mysterious Moon Order_1

    Chapter 97 ¨C 91 Mysterious Moon Order_1


    Time flew by, and three months passed.


    It had been several months since I returned to the market, spending three days each month on alchemy, while the rest of the time I dedicated to secluded cultivation, not relaxing for a moment.


    With the help of elixirs, my cultivation level was slowly increasing, but the pace was very slow, and there was still a long way to go to reach the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.


    I shifted my long-seated body and got up from the secret chamber.


    In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lin Tianming appeared on a street in the marketplace.


    Looking around at the shops and the few passers-by, Lin Tianming began to wander leisurely.


    The market was also very calm, with large numbers of cultivators coming and going every day, as usual, showing no signs of anything unusual.


    ...


    Perhaps it was the calm before the storm!


    Without realizing it, Lin Tianming found himself in a square at the marketplace, precisely the area where stalls were set up.


    Lin Tianming carefully surveyed the area, which was only around thirty acres, much smaller than Qianchuan Market, but it still had a decent crowd.


    In this thirty-odd acres of space, there were already over two hundred stalls, with several cultivators selecting items at almost every stall.


    It seemed that although Luoyun Market was small, there were still many cultivators engaged in small trades.


    Having nothing better to do, I thought to stroll around since I was there, to see if there might be some gains.


    Lin Tianming entered and started his perusal from a stall by the entrance.


    After passing more than a dozen stalls, most of the items for sale were mostly spiritual medicine materials and demonic beast materials, with a comparatively small proportion of elixirs and spiritual artifacts.


    Thinking about it, I could understand why; after all, Luoyun Market was established at the edge of Luoyun Mountain Range, acting as a foothold for loose cultivators.


    Many loose cultivators teamed up to hunt demonic beasts in the mountains, with most of the materials they obtained being spiritual medicine materials and demonic beast materials.


    Among the loose cultivators, cultivation was already extremely difficult, and the consumption of alchemists and artificers was too large, too much for loose cultivators to afford the hefty initial investments.


    And the proportion of alchemists and artificers in the Cultivation World was still quite small, so in Luoyun Market, the prices of spiritual medicines and demonic beast materials were relatively low. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without realizing it, I wandered through dozens of stalls and did not find anything particularly special.


    I had spent only a little over three hundred spirit stones, purchasing a few rather rare spiritual medicine materials and several First Order Late Stage demon beast inner pills, which could be considered a bit of a gain.


    As I strolled along, I made my way to a stall deep within the market.


    Suddenly, the Eye of Five Colors twitched inexplicably.


    It was very strange. Having had the Eye of Five Colors for several years, it had never acted on its own before.


    ¡°It looks like it has discovered something.¡±


    Following the guidance of the Eye of Five Colors, Lin Tianming stopped at a stall.


    The stall¡¯s owner was a young man in his twenties, at the Third Level of Qi Refining, who Lin Tianming judged to be a loose cultivator.


    There were only a little over ten items on the entire stall, all of which were as ordinary as could be.


    Seeing Lin Tianming approach, the young man greeted him with a smile. He had been setting up for half the day without selling much, and with a rare customer, he naturally wanted to offer good service.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, please look around. Whatever you like, I will give you the best price,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming said nothing further, and began to search directly through the jumbled pile of beast skins.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Amid the beast skins lay an oval-shaped token, still covered with some dirt, presenting a greyish-brown color. The token¡¯s surface bore no text, just a few spirit beast patterns engraved on it.


    Lin Tianming held the token in his hand, closely examining it.


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    Still not finding anything unusual.


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    Everything this man offered for sale was commonplace, nothing special, except this token that revealed no information, which had to be the object in question.


    After repeatedly examining it and still finding no clues, I decided to buy it regardless of whether or not it was genuine.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, what is this token, and how many spirit stones are you selling it for?¡±


    Lin Tianming began to inquire directly.


    ¡°One hundred and fifty spirit stones!¡±


    The young man originally wanted to shout out a price of two hundred spirit stones, but the cultivators who had heard this price before had all left, obviously feeling it was not worth it.


    Thus, fearing that the cultivator before him would find it too expensive, he figured it would be better to just sell it for one hundred and fifty spirit stones.


    After all, he had not expended much effort to obtain the token, nor had he spent any spirit stones on it.


    ¡°How about one hundred spirit stones?¡±


    Lin Tianming began to bargain directly, although one hundred spirit stones were truly nothing to him.


    Still, he had to appear reluctant, making the young man believe this item was just an ordinary thing.


    ¡°One hundred and thirty spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡°One hundred and twenty spirit stones¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming was unyielding and did not show a particularly strong desire to buy, continuing to discuss the price.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, if you really want to buy it, one hundred and twenty-five spirit stones, let¡¯s just become friends!¡± the young cultivator said sincerely.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take it for the price you¡¯ve said.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded calmly and then took out one hundred and twenty-five spirit stones from his storage bag and handed them to the young man.


    After checking and confirming the correct amount, the young man handed the token to Lin Tianming.


    Having received the token, Lin Tianming was not in the mood to keep browsing and turned to leave the stall area, heading back to his family¡¯s small courtyard.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming hastily took out the token and inspected it over and over, hoping for some clue.


    After pondering for half an hour, he still couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it.


    Right, let¡¯s try to refine it and see if that¡¯s of any use.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression changed, and he bit his finger, dropping a drop of fresh blood onto the token, closely observing any changes in the token.


    After a quarter of an hour had passed, there was still no movement.


    ¡°Huff!¡±


    ¡°It seems that won¡¯t work; let¡¯s try some other methods,¡± Lin Tianming muttered to himself.


    Having struggled for half a day trying various methods, there was still no response.


    ¡°Could it be that I was mistaken!¡±


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, but quickly dismissed the idea.


    Few words are needed regarding the marvels of the Eye of Five Colors, which had provided him with significant help.


    With its accomplishment in breaking alchemy formations, penetrating illusion techniques, and its rank on the List of Heavenly and Earthly Wonders, it seemed unlikely that he had made a mistake.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, let¡¯s try using the Eye of Five Colors!¡±


    Having made up his mind, he opened the Eye of Five Colors, placed the token in front of him, and examined it carefully.


    With the help of the Eye of Five Colors, he finally saw something different. The originally dark brown color of the token turned golden yellow, which was truly incredible.


    Not only had the color changed, but the birds and animals on the token had as well, becoming more vivid and lifelike.


    Beyond that, a line of small characters was revealed inside the token.


    ¡°Mysterious Moon Order!¡±


    ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    Lin Tianming carefully reviewed all the information in his mind, hoping to recall something related to the Mysterious Moon.


    Despite having consulted many family secrets, heavenly and earthly treasures, and the names of some powerful individuals, there was no clue that could be directly connected to it.


    He pondered for an entire day but came up with nothing.


    ¡°Forget it, forget it¡­¡±


    It seemed his knowledge was limited, and it was unrealistic to clarify this matter in a short time.


    He put away the Mysterious Moon token into his storage bag, planning to search for information in the market tomorrow; maybe he could find a clue.

 Chapter 98 - 98 - 92 Mixed Feelings_1

    Chapter 98 ¨C 92 Mixed Feelings_1


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming held a jade slip in his hands, pondering deeply after consulting it.


    Today, he had purposely bought a large number of books from various shops in the marketplace, including some that recorded the wonders of heaven and earth, but he still hadn¡¯t found any references related to the Mysterious Moon Order.


    Lin Tianming speculated that it was very likely the key to some secret realm or the token of a large family or sect.


    In the vast Cultivation World, there are many dangerous places and secret realms, which contain a multitude of treasures but also numerous prohibitions and formation protections, all extremely powerful. Usually, special tokens or certain items are needed to enter. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alternatively, when a secret realm emerges into the world, its prohibitions might be weakened, making entry much safer.


    If one does not have the specific items and attempts to force their way in, it¡¯s very easy to be attacked by the prohibitions, risking loss of life.


    It was said that tens of thousands of years ago, in Xuanzhou, a secret realm was discovered. A Nascent Soul Cultivator rashly entered and was directly killed by the powerful prohibitions. There are not a few such examples in the Cultivation World.


    ...


    You must understand that Nascent Soul Cultivators are already powerful figures that can preside over a region; even such individuals can die under prohibitions, which shows that secret realms are not something one can simply enter on a whim.


    Since no relevant records could be found, he could only set the matter aside for now.


    Packing the Mysterious Moon Token and a large number of books into his storage bag, he once again commenced his retreat for cultivation.


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    On the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Shigong sat in the courtyard, closely monitoring the activities of two other courtyards.


    He had been waiting here for a month, as Lin Shixin and Lin Xingyuan were in retreat, impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage, and family members were needed to protect the law. As he was relatively idle, he took on the task.


    In a short while, Clan Leader Lin Shihua entered the courtyard.


    ¡°Ninth Brother, Shixin and Xingyuan have been in retreat for a month now, why is there still no movement?¡±


    Lin Shihua¡¯s expression was solemn, revealing his anxiety.


    ¡°Shihua, comprehending the insights from our ancestors takes a few days, and judging from the time, regardless of success or failure, we should see results soon. Just be a bit more patient,¡± Lin Shigong said.


    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s nothing else we can do!¡± Lin Shihua said with a touch of helplessness.


    Suddenly, the aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator spread out.


    A smile flashed across both of their faces concurrently.


    ¡°It¡¯s Xingyuan!¡±


    ¡°Xingyuan has successfully broken through!¡±


    A month¡¯s wait finally bore fruit, and they both let out a long sigh of relief.


    Filled with immense joy, Lin Xingyuan¡¯s breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment Stage added another Foundation Establishment Cultivator to the Lin Family, making a total of six.


    After a while, they regained their composure, and Lin Shigong said: Discover hidden tales at empire


    ¡°Shihua, your clan responsibilities are demanding, you shouldn¡¯t waste any more time here. Although Xingyuan has broken through, he still needs to solidify his cultivation. I¡¯m enough to handle things here.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, keep the news of Xingyuan¡¯s breakthrough confidential for now. Shixin is still in retreat. Instruct the clan members not to approach; my presence is enough!¡±


    ¡°Alright, Ninth Brother, please take care. If anything happens, just send a message to me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Lin Xinghua bowed and left, leaving Lin Shigong to continue guarding Lin Shixin.


    Time flew by, and another ten days passed. Lin Shixin had been in retreat for forty days now.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Shixin¡¯s face was pale. Starting from the day he took the Minor Foundation Building Pill, it had now been thirty days, the final day.


    As he watched the rapidly dissipating power of the pill, with less than half of its strength remaining and a significant amount of spiritual power yet to be refined, Lin Shixin became extremely anxious.


    Over the past month, Lin Shixin had done his utmost to refine spiritual power, but the process was simply too slow. At this rate, he would certainly fail to complete it.


    With only the remaining half of the pill¡¯s power left, Lin Shixin decided to make a last all-out effort. If he still couldn¡¯t break through, he would be stuck in the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Lin Shixin operated his cultivation technique, completely disregarding the piercing pain in his Seven Sea Dantian, refined the last of the pill¡¯s power, and launched another assault for a breakthrough.


    Outside the small courtyard, Lin Shigong¡¯s face was exceedingly grim, burdened with deep concerns.


    At this moment, he was extremely worried about the success or failure of Lin Shixin.


    Lin Shixin and Lin Shigong were not far apart in age and had spent similar years in cultivation. Since childhood, they had played together and learned the knowledge of cultivation together.


    Lin Shixin had a very good nature, optimistic and cheerful, not at all as staid as Lin Shigang and Lin Shiji; he had a good relationship with every one of their clansmen brothers.


    The affection among the peers of the clan was profound; although they were not blood brothers, they were more like true brothers.


    From any perspective, he hoped that Lin Shixin would successfully break through, so that the family could become stronger and not have to part ways with the heavens and earth in twenty years.


    Today was already the fortieth day, and if he did not succeed, he would completely fail and would never have a chance again.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Lin Shigong sighed again.


    Half a day passed by, and inside the secret chamber.


    Lin Shixin, disregarding the consequences, made several more attempts to break through.


    By now, Lin Shixin¡¯s face was pale as death, disheveled, with blood seeping from his seven orifices, his breath was extremely feeble.


    As the last trace of the medicinal strength faded away, Lin Shixin¡¯s last sliver of hope was completely shattered.


    Lin Shixin stopped his cultivation practice, shook his head with a bitter smile, and felt somewhat downhearted.


    Despite the difficulty of acceptance, the fact was that he had failed, and he could only resign himself to fate.


    He stood up, straightened up his appearance, and walked out of the secret chamber.


    Outside the house, Lin Shigong saw Lin Shixin coming out and hurriedly greeted him.


    Lin Shigong wanted to say something several times but didn¡¯t know what to say, and in the end could only offer words of comfort:


    ¡°Shixin, it¡¯s okay as long as you¡¯ve tried your best, don¡¯t overthink it!¡±


    ¡°Ninth Brother, I¡¯m fine, you all don¡¯t need to worry!¡±


    Lin Shixin said with a smile, seemingly having come to terms with reality and recovering his spirits.


    Seeing this, Lin Shigong felt even heavier in his heart.


    ¡°Shixin, you should go back and rest for now. There¡¯s a long road ahead, and the younger generation has yet to grow up; the family still needs you!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Ninth Brother. Such is fate; if I¡¯ve failed, then I¡¯ve failed!¡±


    Having said that, Lin Shixin cupped his fists in farewell and flew down the mountain.


    Inside Lin Shigong¡¯s courtyard, Lin Shihua hurried over, and the two discussed the outcome for Lin Shixin and the others.


    Lin Shigong sighed repeatedly, ¡°Shihua, your Tenth Brother has failed!¡±


    Hearing this news, Lin Shihua also turned pale and immediately inquired.


    ¡°How is Tenth Brother doing, and what about his mood?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s all right, he¡¯s suffered some backlash, but with some time to recover, he will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ that¡¯s good!¡±


    Lin Shihua was also very emotional.


    Too many of the Shi generation had been delayed; if it had been twenty years earlier, the hope for breakthrough would have been much greater.


    With Lin Shixin¡¯s failure to establish his foundation, the Shi generation of the Lin Family had virtually no chance left, with only Lin Shigang and Lin Shihe being too old and having only a theoretical possibility, on top of that, there were no more Minor Foundation Building Pill quotas left for the Shi generation.


    Meanwhile, members of the Xing generation still had potential and with Lin Xingyuan, two people had already succeeded in Foundation Establishment. As long as they had the spiritual objects for Foundation Establishment, the Lin Family was not lacking in cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage.


    ¡°What¡¯s done is done; we can only accept it.¡±


    The two chatted idly for a while and then busied themselves with their own tasks. The Lin Family remained very tranquil, as if there were no ripples at all.

 Chapter 99 - 99 - 93: Selection of Contestants_1

    Chapter 99 ¨C 93: Selection of Contestants_1


    Lin Family Clan Grounds, Elders¡¯ Council Hall. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shihua was chatting casually with Lin Xingzhi when clan members occasionally entered.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed, and already more than ten people were present in the great hall, among them Lin Shigong and Lin Xingrong.


    At that moment, Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu entered the hall side by side, and all the clanspeople stood up to greet them.


    The two men nodded in acknowledgement and then each took their seats in the vacant spots.


    Seeing that Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu had arrived, and with most members of the Elders¡¯ Council present, Lin Shihua rose to his feet to speak.


    ¡°Since all our kinsmen have gathered, let us begin,¡± he said.


    ...


    ¡°Today, we convene to discuss the upcoming Luoyun Market Competition,¡± he announced.


    ¡°Xingzhi, you have been overseeing the market for nearly two years now, give us a report on the market situation first,¡± he requested.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Xingzhi stood and began to report:


    ¡°Over the past two years, the Luoyun Market has been as peaceful as ever, even the Jin Family has become much less troublesome, with all five major families conducting business in an orderly manner and not disturbing one another, which is extremely abnormal.¡±


    ¡°Strangely, consumable elixirs and various Fu Lu Spiritual Instruments have become sought-after in the shops, with their selling price generally increased by ten percent compared to a few years ago, which clearly indicates that the five major families and some stronger Qi Refining Families are deliberately accumulating resources for war.¡±


    ¡°Although the Jin Family is being quite secretive, they have still revealed some traces of their activity,¡± he observed.


    ¡°All indications point to the Jin Family definitely harboring intentions of making a move,¡± he analyzed.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    The clanspeople began to discuss among themselves, exchanging their own opinions, filling the great hall with lively chatter.


    This information was almost old news to the Lin Family¡¯s high-ranking members and those with higher cultivation, but it was just reiterated to maintain a sense of urgency among the clan members.


    ¡°Xingzhi, do not relax your vigilance, continue to monitor the Jin Family¡¯s movements, and report back promptly with any news,¡± Lin Shihua ordered with a stern expression.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Xingzhi saluted and then sat down again.


    ¡°Next, we need to discuss the candidates for the forthcoming Luoyun Market Competition. Some of the clanspeople present have not experienced it before, so I will explain the rules to everyone first,¡± he said.


    The Luoyun Market Competition has a history of hundreds of years, and the event held every fifty years is extremely important for every family.


    The purpose of hosting the Luoyun Market Competition is to allocate market profits and to avoid direct conflict.


    The family that ranks first in the competition will earn thirty percent of the market¡¯s profit, the second gets twenty percent, the third, fifteen percent, and the fourth and fifth each get ten percent. The remaining fifteen percent is divided among more than ten Qi Refining Families.


    More than two hundred years ago, the Lin Family had twice consecutively taken the first place, but as the talent of subsequent generations declined, they gradually fell to third.


    Therefore, each competition is crucial; the Jin Family has already won first place three times in a row, amassing a great wealth over the span of more than a hundred years.


    It is with this wealth that the Jin Family has grown increasingly stronger, and the gap between the five major families has widened. The Jin Family is clearly no longer satisfied with the status quo.


    The Lin Family, having ranked third for three consecutive competitions, earns over thirty thousand spirit stones per year, with the vast majority of the Lin Family¡¯s wealth coming from the market, highlighting the importance of the Luoyun Market Competition.


    As for the rules of the competition, each of the five major families must select three Qi Refining Stage clan members to compete, with no participant older than forty years. Lin Shilu and Lin Shihua were among those who participated in the last competition.


    When the competition starts, the contestants from the five major families will be taken to the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range to hunt Demonic Beasts as teams.


    The hunting period is one month long; an Initial Phase First Order Demonic Beast is worth ten points, a Medium Stage fifty points, and a Late Stage a hundred points. Rankings are determined by the total points accumulated, and slaying a Second Order Demonic Beast almost guarantees a first place finish.


    Just then, a clan member who had no prior experience spoke up:


    ¡°If we¡¯re forming teams to hunt demonic beasts, couldn¡¯t someone simply bring out a prepared demonic beast corpse to boost their numbers?¡±


    ¡°Anything you can think of, everyone else can think of too. After hundreds of years of patching loopholes, that method is still unfeasible!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because after each demonic beast is slain, its corpse must be marked with a special seal. This seal is only assigned by drawing lots right before the start of the competition. Not only that, but whether a beast is being used to pad the numbers can be determined based on the time of its death.¡±


    If it¡¯s discovered that a family is helping or that a contestant is cheating, they will be immediately disqualified from participating for the next hundred years. Thus, no family has dared to cheat in this way.


    After Lin Shihua finished explaining, several Xing clan members without experience also understood the rules.


    ¡°Now that everyone understands, let¡¯s recommend candidates for the competition. Each clan member can nominate themselves or someone else, with the final selection to be decided by Foundation Establishment cultivators.¡±


    At this point, most of the clan members started discussing it.


    In the Lin Family, those under forty with at least Seventh Level Qi Cultivation, considering realm, only qualified seven clan members to be candidates, most of whom were the younger Xing clan members.


    ¡°Tian Ming is the top choice!¡±


    ¡°I also nominate Tian Ming!¡±


    Very quickly, many clan members endorsed him, and Lin Tianming was the first to be selected.


    According to the rules, with his Ninth Level Qi Refinement, Lin Tianming¡¯s strength was extraordinarily strong, making him the natural first choice.


    As for the other two candidates, everyone had their own opinions.


    ¡°I nominate Xing Qi, he¡¯s at the Qi Refining Eighth Level and just under forty!¡±


    ¡°I nominate Xing Yu, he¡¯s also at Qi Refining Eighth Level and meets the criteria.¡±


    Lin Shiji, who had been silent for a long while, suddenly spoke up with his suggestion.


    ¡°I think Tianfeng isn¡¯t bad, even though his cultivation is only at Seventh Level Qi Cultivation, the lad is experienced and strong. The difference of one level isn¡¯t significant, I believe Tianfeng is fully capable.¡±


    Lin Shixin also spoke up supporting Lin Tianfeng.


    After half an hour, various clan members expressed their views.


    In the end, five candidates were left for Lin Shikang and other Foundation Establishment Cultivators to decide on.


    ¡°Third Brother, Ninth Brother, Shi Lu, what are your thoughts?¡±


    Lin Shihua started to inquire.


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    After several discussions, they decided to select Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng.


    With the candidates determined, Lin Shihua spoke up.


    ¡°The candidates have been determined, with Xing Yu, Tian Ming, and Tianfeng participating. Each will receive a Jade Spirit Fruit to further their progress. As for the rewards after the competition, that will be discussed once it is over.¡±


    ¡°Alright, with the competition matters settled, does anyone have anything else to report?¡±


    Seeing no one else speak, Lin Shikang stood up and said:


    ¡°There is only half a year left until the Luoyun Market competition. This competition is particularly important as it could trigger a large-scale clan war. Although the risks are high, it is also an opportunity for our Lin Family. All clan members must stay sharp and prepare to face the threat from the Jin Family.¡±


    ¡°Shiji, in three months¡¯ time, all family protective formations must be activated. All clan members are forbidden to leave privately and must not leave their posts unauthorized. Did everyone hear that clearly?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    The clan members responded in unison.


    Leading the way, Lin Shikang was the first to walk out of the hall. In a moment, all the clan members left in order, and this clan meeting concluded.

 Chapter 100 - 100 - 94 Family Fire Seed (Two in One) _1

    Chapter 100 ¨C 94 Family Fire Seed (Two in One) _1


    Inside the Hundred Treasures Building at the Luoyun Market.


    Lin Xingzhi and Lin Tianming were sitting in armchairs, drinking tea and making idle conversation.


    ¡°Tianming, the date of the Market¡¯s grand competition is approaching, and the family has already decided on the participants. You¡¯ll lead the team in the competition, joined by Tianfeng and your Uncle Xing Yu.¡±


    ¡°Tianfeng is also participating?¡±


    Lin Tianming was somewhat surprised, indicating that the family¡¯s situation didn¡¯t seem optimistic.


    The significance of the Market¡¯s grand competition goes without saying. The Tian Clan Members are still young, and the Xing Clan Members with higher cultivation have exceeded the age limit. If the competition were to be held a decade later, when the Tian Clan Members had grown further, the Lin Family would stand a much better chance.


    Regrettably, things didn¡¯t go as hoped, and the Lin Family was stuck in a transitional period.


    ...


    As for his own participation in the competition, Lin Tianming wasn¡¯t surprised.


    When he returned to the family half a year ago, his grandfather had already hinted that it was very likely he¡¯d participate, so he had started preparing early on.


    ¡°Seventeenth Uncle, I¡¯ve already made preparations!¡±


    Lin Xingzhi nodded his head. Although the cultivations of the family¡¯s participants weren¡¯t particularly high this time¡ªonly Lin Tianming had reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining¡ªhe had a lot of confidence in Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Hmm, you probably don¡¯t know the rules of the competition yet. Let me tell you again, so you¡¯re mentally prepared,¡± Lin Xingzhi said, and explained the rules thoroughly and in detail.


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    After a quarter hour, Lin Tianming nodded to confirm he understood the rules.


    Lin Xingzhi let out a sigh of relief and then handed Lin Tianming a Jade Spirit Fruit.


    ¡°This Jade Spirit Fruit is provided by the family for the three of you. Try to enhance your strengths as much as possible. After the competition is over, there will also be generous rewards!¡±


    Lin Tianming received the Jade Spirit Fruit and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Seventeenth Uncle, we will definitely take first place in the competition!¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming full of confidence, Lin Xingzhi was very gratified and couldn¡¯t help but praise,


    ¡°Good! You truly are a fine man of our Lin Family. I believe you can do it!¡±


    ¡°Tianming, time is tight, you¡¯ve only got half a year. Go into seclusion to cultivate and try to improve your cultivation level as much as possible!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Tianming agreed wholeheartedly, bowed with his hands clasped before leaving.


    A quarter hour later, he returned to his little courtyard and immediately entered the secret chamber.


    With half a year until the competition and possessing the Jade Spirit Fruit, he could cultivate once more, trying to improve his cultivation level as much as possible.


    Making up his mind, he immediately entered a state of cultivation.


    ¡­


    Four months passed in a flash. The five great families of the Luoyun Mountain Range were unusually calm, an unprecedented harmony that had lasted nearly two years, truly unexpected.


    ¡­


    In the northern part of the Luoyun Market, within a valley shrouded in dense fog, seven cultivators arrived on flying swords and descended on a mountaintop.


    Standing on the mountaintop, overlooking the entire valley, a small river about several zhang wide meandered eastward. The large expanse of bamboo forests among the mountains offered a beautiful view, somewhat reminiscent of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Xingrong took out a map made of beast skin and observed the whole valley repeatedly, then compared it carefully.


    After meticulous comparison, he was certain that this was the place mentioned by Lin Shikang.


    This valley, discovered by Lin Shikang many years ago during his travels, was particularly secluded, right on the edge of the Luoyun Mountain Range. Another five hundred li to the north would reach the edge of the Maple Forest Mountain Range.


    The location was complex, at the fringe of the Jin Family¡¯s influence and close to the Maple Forest Mountain Range. Less than two thousand li from the Qianchuan Market, if Lin Xingrong traveled at full speed, it would take just a few days to reach the Qianchuan Market.


    After confirming the location was correct, Lin Xingrong extended his Divine Sense, searching throughout the valley.


    A quarter hour later, finding nothing unusual in the valley, he led the way into the valley, followed closely by the other six.


    Once inside, Lin Xingrong told Lin Xingqi who was behind him,


    ¡°Xingqi, you guys start digging a cave dwelling in the mountain waist right away. It doesn¡¯t need to be big, just enough for the seven of us to live in!¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Xingqi called Lin Tianhong, Lin Tianhu, and the others, and they all took out their Spirit Swords and began digging.


    After half an hour, Lin Xingqi and the others had carved out a passage tens of zhang deep into the mountain waist, with several rooms of varying sizes on each side. Although rudimentary, they were suitable for temporary lodging.


    Lin Xingrong took out a set of First Order Medium Grade array instruments and quickly arranged them around the cave entrance, also setting up several Illusion Techniques, before entering the cave.


    Gathering his fellow clan members, they sat down together.


    Lin Xingrong¡¯s demeanor was solemn as he swept his sharp gaze over the clan members.


    Lin Xingqi, Lin Xingyi, Lin Tianhong, Lin Tianqin, Lin Tianyue, Lin Tianhu, and he himself made up a total of seven people.


    Looking at the two generations of clan members, all of whom were among the most talented in the Lin Family, Lin Xingrong felt both proud and helpless.


    He thought of the task assigned to him by Lin Shikang and the words he had said, and it weighed heavily on him.


    Initially, he opposed sending away these clan members, preferring to face whatever came with them, only to be scolded by Lin Shikang. If their lineage really ended, how could they face their ancestors?


    Thinking of the trust placed in him by Lin Shikang, Lin Xingrong felt an enormous sense of responsibility and was extra cautious along the way, for fear of being detected by the Jin Family. For a short distance of just over a thousand li, it took nearly ten days to travel safely.


    In the meantime, the several people were unaware of the full situation and didn¡¯t dare to ask, only knowing they were carrying out a special mission.


    Looking at the perplexed looks of his clan members, Lin Xingrong¡¯s expression turned grave as he laid out the entire situation before them.


    After hearing Lin Xingrong¡¯s explanation, Lin Xingqi¡¯s expression was resolute as he took the lead in volunteering.


    ¡°Brother, is our special mission to stay here in seclusion for half a year? To let the clan members shed blood and sacrifice themselves? I want to go back and face it with the clan. I¡¯m not afraid of death!¡±

 Chapter 101 - 101 - 94 Family Fire Seed (Two in One) _2

    Chapter 101 ¨C 94 Family Fire Seed (Two in One) _2


    ¡°Eleventh Uncle, I¡¯m not afraid of dying either. I don¡¯t want to live a life of constant fear and hiding; I want to go back and face the unknown dangers with my clan members, even if it means being shattered to pieces!¡±


    Lin Tianhong also spoke up, pleading to return to Green Bamboo Mountain and join his clan members.


    It wasn¡¯t just the two of them; even the two women, Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianyue, echoed the sentiment.


    Moved by the heartfelt words of the clanspeople, Lin Xingrong was deeply touched.


    ¡°I understand how you feel. When my third uncle sought me out, I felt the same as you. If the family is truly in danger, we must have a contingency in place to reassure our people, otherwise, how can we face our esteemed ancestors!¡±


    ¡°There is no need for you to worry. Our Lin Family already has six Foundation Establishment Cultivators and a strategic reserve left by our ancestors. It will not be easy for anyone who wants to take down our family. As long as everything is safe after six months, I will naturally bring you back.¡±


    Hearing Lin Xingrong reveal the Lin Family¡¯s hidden strength and trump cards, their reactions were somewhat less intense.


    ...


    ¡°Before the tournament in Luoyun Market begins, I will leave for a short while to find Fifteenth Uncle. During the days I¡¯m gone, you must all follow Xing Qi¡¯s arrangements.¡±


    ¡°In summary, during this period, no one is allowed to leave without authorization or reveal themselves with the Lin surname. We must change our appearances and hide our identities, or severe punishment will follow!¡±


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Despite their reluctance, faced with Lin Xingrong¡¯s commands, they could only obey.


    ¡°Good. Now, each of you pick a secret chamber and begin your closed-door cultivation!¡±


    The six people bowed and departed after choosing their chambers.


    ¡­


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Family Elders¡¯ Hall.


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu had both emerged from seclusion and were casually chatting.


    In the past two years, Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu, as the two with the highest cultivation in the family, rarely made public appearances, choosing instead to cultivate in seclusion, striving to break through a minor realm to better manage potential dangers. Continue your saga on empire


    Before long, the assembled clanspeople arrived, and Clan Leader Lin Shihua stood up, convening a meeting.


    ¡°The reason I¡¯ve called everyone here today is for the Luoyun Market tournament. With just one month left, I¡¯d like third brother to make the final arrangements!¡±


    After speaking, Lin Shihua turned to Lin Shikang.


    Lin Shikang stood up, his expression solemn as he said:


    ¡°The participants for the tournament in Luoyun Market have been decided upon. Shi Lu will lead the team, departing in three days. Xing Rong has already set off in advance, lying in wait near the Luoyun Mountain Range. With Shi Lu in the open and Xing Rong concealed, they can cover for each other.¡±


    ¡°This tournament in Luoyun Market is a fuse; regardless of our ranking, the Jin Family might take action. If the Jin Family moves against Tian Ming and the others, having two Foundation Establishment Cultivators for protection should ensure safe retreats.¡±


    ¡°As for the family estate here, with all the family¡¯s formations fully activated and myself overseeing them, along with the family¡¯s Guardian Spirit Beast and all the clanspeople, it¡¯s unlikely our safety will be threatened unless we¡¯re attacked by a Golden Core Stage Cultivator or a high-order Array Master.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s words brought a measure of comfort to the Xing Clan Members.


    In nearly a hundred years, the five major families had lived in relative peace, with plenty of minor skirmishes among Qi Refinement participants that could not shake the foundations of the families. Now, with the possibility of a large-scale clan war erupting, many were understandably concerned.


    Seeing the reaction of numerous clanspeople, Lin Shikang continued.


    ¡°Although we have the protection of the great formation, we must not be careless. All clan members must be extra cautious, strictly forbidden from going out privately, ready to face any attack from the Jin Family!¡±


    ¡°Did you all hear that clearly?¡±


    ¡°We heard clearly!¡±


    All the clanspeople stood up and responded with a bow.


    Satisfied, Lin Shikang nodded and dismissed the gathering.


    As a large number of Xing Clan Members left the hall, eventually only eight people tacitly remained behind.


    Among the nine people left, eight were of the Shi generation, and the sole person from the Xing generation was Lin Xingyuan, who had just recently made a breakthrough.


    The nine people sat in a circle, none of them speaking first.


    ¡°Cough cough¡­¡±


    Seeing no one start the conversation, Lin Shikang spoke up:


    ¡°Shixin, have all the elixirs and talismans been distributed?¡±


    Lin Shixin¡¯s expression was calm as he replied truthfully:


    ¡°Third Brother, they were distributed half a year ago as required, exhausting all the accumulated resources for war preparations.¡±


    To confront the potential crisis, the Lin Family had greatly enhanced the combat capability of its clanspeople by freely distributing resources accumulated over many years, with almost all Qi Refining Stage clanspeople receiving a portion of the resources.


    The few who didn¡¯t receive resources either didn¡¯t need them, like Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin, who, despite failing to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, were not comparable to ordinary cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage¡ªtherefore, those elixir charms were of little use to them.


    Another part was the clanspeople at the first and second layers of Qi Refining, whose cultivation was too low to be of significant use.


    Those from the third to the ninth layers of Qi Refining could all claim varying quantities of items, principally Lingshen Pills, Huiyuan Pills, and Consolidating Essence Pills, along with talismans of different grades.


    Following multiple orders from the family, the entire Lin Family operated like a war machine.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    After Lin Shixin¡¯s briefing, Lin Shikang said with a sense of gravity to Lin Shilu:


    ¡°Shilu, once this clan war erupts, it will not be like the previous ones; we must make more preparations and keep some contingencies.¡±


    ¡°Among the clan, we have several Tian progeny who are exceptionally talented. As the seeds of the Lin Family, they have already left the clan in secret with Xing Rong and are temporarily hiding their identities. More importantly, Tian Ming, that child¡¯s talents need no elaboration; he is the hope for our family¡¯s rise. If the clan lands are lost, you and Xing Rong must protect him and wait for the younger generations to grow before returning to Green Bamboo Mountain!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s arrangements was like hearing a plea to care for his offspring; all the people in the hall felt a heavy heart.


    Seeing that the hall had fallen exceptionally quiet and everyone¡¯s expressions were solemn, Lin Shilu spoke to reassure everyone.


    ¡°Third Brother, our Lin Family has an eight-hundred-year history and has survived several crises. I believe we will get through this one as well¡ªno need to worry too much!¡±


    ¡°Shilu is right, Third Brother, don¡¯t overthink it!¡±


    The clan members echoed one after another.


    Hearing the reassurances of everyone, Lin Shikang said with a smile:


    ¡°No need to be too pessimistic, everyone. Although the Jin Family is strong, the Lin Family also has six Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and the Guardian Spirit Beast. Nowadays, the Lin Family is no longer what it once was. Moreover, the Jin Family has no idea about Shi Gong and the others reaching Foundation Establishment; if they underestimate our strength, we can catch them off guard.¡±


    ¡°Besides our Lin Family, the Sun Family is also profound. Perhaps our Lin Family can take this opportunity to rise and dominate the entire Luoyun Mountain Range!¡±


    At these words, a fiery gleam flickered in the eyes of the clan members.


    The Lin Family had been dormant for two hundred years; if they could restore their past glory, even at the cost of sacrifice, it would be worth it.


    Now, with six Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Lin Family¡ªone more than the Jin Family had openly¡ªit truly held a not-insignificant hope. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°In any case, although this is a crisis, it is also a great opportunity; all clanspeople must give their all. If we succeed in eradictating the Jin Family, we can rekindle the glory of our ancestors.¡±


    After Lin Shikang¡¯s bold and inspiring speech, the psychological burden on the clanspeople was somewhat lifted.


    Next, Lin Shikang took out a book that contained detailed information on the key members of the Jin Family, the latest intelligence gathered by the family over several years.


    The clan members took turns browsing through it, and Lin Shikang began to narrate.


    ¡°Jin Zhiying, a member of the Jin Family¡¯s Zhi generation, at the Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment, and he reached this level thirty years ago, undoubtedly at the Great Perfection Realm, the highest cultivation in the Jin Family. It¡¯s been thirty years since he last appeared, making him the most dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Jin Zhison, at the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment, an experienced Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Jin Family with formidable strength, who once served as the Clan Leader of the Jin Family, now rarely makes an appearance!¡±


    ¡°Jin Chaozong, cultivator of the Jin Family¡¯s Chao generation, at the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment, stationed at Luoyun Market, the most frequently seen member of the Jin Family!¡±


    ¡°Jin Qishan, a cultivator of the Jin Family¡¯s Qi generation, with Dual Spiritual Roots, likely at the Qi Refining Great Perfection Realm, and possibly already at Foundation Establishment. He has great potential; if there¡¯s a chance, he must be killed; otherwise, the Jin Family will become an even more difficult adversary in a few decades.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°The information on these individuals might not be entirely accurate, so everyone should only take it as a reference and not let their guard down!¡±


    After introducing information on more than ten individuals, the clan members finally understood the strength of the Jin Family¡ªit truly was profound.


    After an hour of analysis and discussion, the clanspeople had a good grasp of the Jin Family¡¯s strength.


    Lin Shikang assigned tasks to everyone and then dismissed the clan members.


    All rose to their feet, clasped fists, and departed.

 Chapter 102 - 102 - 95 - The Grand Competition Begins (Combined Chapter)_1

    Chapter 102 ¨C 95 ¨C The Grand Competition Begins (Combined Chapter)_1


    Three days later, at Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory.


    In the plaza outside the Elders¡¯ Council Hall, dozens of people were gathered, almost all of them clan members above the fourth level of Qi Refinement.


    The clan members participating in the Luoyun Market competition were leaving the clan territory today, headed for Luoyun Market. A crowd emerged from their seclusions to see off Lin Shilu and the others.


    Lin Shikang, Lin Shigong, and Clan Leader Lin Shihua, as well as other clan members of the ¡°Shi¡± generation, were all present without exception.


    In the plaza, Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng were bidding farewell to familiar clan members.


    Looking at the people before him, Lin Shikang seemed somewhat melancholic.


    Despite having given instructions several times over in the past few days, Lin Shikang still took Lin Shilu aside for a long chat.


    ...


    After speaking for a good half an hour, it was Lin Shilu who finally took the initiative to say goodbye.


    ¡°Third brother, Ninth Brother, it¡¯s getting late. We must depart now, please take care of things within the clan!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, be careful in everything, and remember not to act recklessly!¡±


    After speaking, Lin Shikang took out a storage bag and handed it to Lin Shilu, whispering something to him.


    More than ten breaths later, not until Lin Shilu had promised repeatedly, did Lin Shikang let out a sigh of relief and personally escorted Lin Shilu and the others outside the Protective Clan Formation.


    In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a large group of clan members appeared at the entrance to the formation.


    Watching the clan members before him, Lin Shilu¡¯s heart felt complex. Parting now, it was hard to predict¡ªif it might be a final farewell.


    ¡°Shi Lu, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Lin Shikang waved his hand, having already given all the necessary instructions¡ªit was time to set off.


    With slightly reddened eyes, Lin Shilu, accompanied by Lin Tianfeng and others, bowed to a certain tower within the clan and then passed through the light curtain of the Protective Clan Formation.


    Outside the clan¡¯s formation.


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    Lin Shilu waved his hands and pulled out a Flying Sword from the storage bag, which he suspended in front of him.


    After casting a Law Decree, the greenish-yellow Spirit Sword swiftly grew to a length of three Zhang. Lin Shilu leaped onto the sword first, followed by Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng.


    Infusing it with Spiritual Power, the Spirit Sword soared into the air, flying towards Luoyun Market in the north.


    Watching Lin Shilu ride the sword away until he disappeared into the horizon, Lin Shikang still did not move.


    After gazing for half an hour, at Lin Shigong¡¯s reminder did he finally snap back to attention, let out a sigh, and turned to Lin Shihua to speak.


    ¡°Has the Protective Clan Formation been fully activated?¡±


    ¡°It has been activated!¡±


    Lin Shihua responded truthfully, and then reported on the defense situation of the Lin Family.


    Ever since the Lin Family had entered a state of war preparedness, groups of people patrolled the clan territory every day. Even the range of the Protective Clan Formation had been significantly reduced, covering only the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain and a small town where mortals lived.


    With the reduced range and all the formations activated, the defensive and offensive power of the formation had increased several-fold, but the consumption of Spirit Stones was enormous. If it went on for too long, the Lin Family could not sustain it; they could only hold out for half a year.


    After hearing Lin Shihua¡¯s arrangements, Lin Shikang was very satisfied.


    After disbanding the rest of the clan members, Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua together inspected the clan territory one last time to ensure no oversights, then returned to the Summit of Qingzhu Mountain.


    ¡­


    At Golden Horn Mountain, Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory.


    Beneath a thousand-zhang high peak, several rivers converged at the base of the mountain to form a massive waterfall, a spectacular sight to behold.


    Inside a pavilion atop the mountain, Jin Zhiying sat with a man in a black robe in the high seat of the great hall.


    Several members of the Jin Family were seated below, listening to the conversation between Jin Zhiying and the black-robed elder.


    Jin Zhiying lifted a jade teacup, took a sip of Spiritual Tea, and began to chat leisurely with the black-robed elder beside him, speaking very politely.


    ¡°Daoist Zhuang, are you confident in the task you have been entrusted with?¡±


    In response to Jin Zhiying¡¯s question, the Zhuang-surnamed elder revealed a hint of an unusual expression.


    ¡°I am absolutely certain I can break through the Protective Clan Formation of the other families, but the Lin Family¡¯s formation is of no low grade; I am not overly confident. However, if Jin Daoyou launches a full-force attack, as long as a gap in the formation is opened, I can take advantage of it to find a flaw, and there is a good chance of breaking through the formation.¡±


    Hearing Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s assurance, Jin Zhiying showed a strange smile.


    The Luoyun Mountain Range had been peaceful for nearly two hundred years. In order to swallow the other four major families in one fell swoop, he had been scheming for decades, and now the time was ripe; it was time to make a move.


    If he was going to strike, he had to inflict a total defeat on the other four major families. If he could acquire the treasures of the Sun Family and Lin Family, he might even have the chance to break through to the Golden Core Realm.


    An excited Jin Zhiying considered this possibility.


    ¡°Hmm, with Daoist Zhuang¡¯s involvement, we¡¯re bound to succeed this time.¡±


    ¡°Here is a small portion of the deposit; after the matter is settled, the Jin Family will provide the remaining Spirit Stones, to your satisfaction!¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After finishing his words, Jin Zhiying handed over a storage bag to Zhuang Zhenxin.


    After taking the storage bag from Jin Zhiying¡¯s hand and checking its contents with his Divine Sense, Zhuang Zhenxin showed a satisfied smile, quickly regaining his composure.


    ¡°Rest assured, Jin Daoyou, I will do my utmost. However, let me say this clearly: as per our agreement, after the success, I shall have unrestricted access to the collections of the Sun Family and Lin Family, and you must hand over the item I require. I hope Jin Daoyou does not go back on his word.


    Otherwise¡­¡±


    Jin Zhiying nodded, confidently saying:


    ¡°Of course, if Daoist Zhuang fulfills the task, the Jin Family will not break its word!¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Once the two came to an agreement, Jin Zhiying turned his gaze to the many clan members below.


    ¡°Zhisong, the day for the Luoyun Market competition is approaching. You and Chao Zong bring the younger generation along. Act according to plan. That Lin youngster has an exceptional talent; we must ensure his demise. Should he escape, he would become a relentless problem for the future.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Jin Zhison stood up and cupped his hands in response, then took the clan members with him as they departed.


    ¡­


    Inside a secret chamber in a small courtyard within Luoyun Market, Lin Tianming was operating his Cultivation Technique, inhaling and exhaling Spiritual Energy rhythmically.

 Chapter 103 - 103 - 95 - The Grand Competition Begins (Combined Chapter)_2

    Chapter 103 ¨C 95 ¨C The Grand Competition Begins (Combined Chapter)_2


    As a message transmission penetrated the secret chamber, it interrupted Lin Tianming, who had been cultivating for several months.


    For half a year, Lin Tianming had been in seclusion, cultivating and consuming Jade Spirit Fruits provided by the family, stabilizing his cultivation at the medium stage of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.


    Had the effects of the Jade Spirit Fruits not diminished after repeated doses compared to the first, perhaps with the help of elixirs, he could have made even further progress.


    Opening his eyes, a sharp light flickered within his bright pupils.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s aura was extremely stable and contained, and his physical condition was excellent.


    After tidying up the scattered jade boxes and jade bottles around him, he stood up and left the secret chamber.


    Inside the courtyard, Lin Shilu, accompanied by Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingyu, had already arrived at the market, discussing something with Lin Xingzhi and others.


    ...


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming emerge, Lin Shilu was delighted and waved him over.


    Lin Tianming hurriedly stepped forward to salute,


    ¡°Tianming pays respect to Fifteenth Grandfather and all the elders of our clan.¡±


    ¡°Tianming, come over and sit!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    After Lin Tianming sat down, he greeted Lin Tianfeng.


    Having not seen each other for half a year, Lin Tianfeng had also made significant progress. His cultivation was nearing the peak of the Seventh Level of Qi Refining, with an aura as sharp as a Spirit Sword, particularly striking.


    Unlike him, Lin Tianming¡¯s aura was more subdued, and other than looking robust, he seemed like an ordinary martial artist.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Shilu recounted the rules and details of the Luoyun Market competition once again.


    Even though the others had heard it several times before, they still listened attentively.


    After all, Lin Shilu¡¯s personal experiences with the competition were quite different from what others relayed.


    An hour passed, and Lin Shilu finished introducing the rules of the Luoyun Market competition, the range of the training grounds, and the strength of the Demonic Beasts.


    With Lin Shilu¡¯s careful introduction and shared experiences, Lin Tianming and others learned a great deal.


    In the end, Lin Shilu took out a book and handed it to them.


    ¡°This contains intelligence on the people of the other four major families, only the most important dozen or so. Although it might not be completely accurate, it can serve as a reference. The Sun Family, although our allies, should not be taken lightly. Without a full-scale war erupting, they are still competitors, so proceed with all due caution.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    After receiving the book, each person entered a secret chamber for a short-term seclusion, waiting for the start of the Luoyun Market competition.


    ¡­


    Inside his secret chamber, Lin Tianming took out the book and began to scrutinize it carefully.


    Jin Zhiying, Jin Chaozong, Jin Qishan, Lin Tianming paused when he reached this point.


    Jin Qishan, a dual-Spiritual Roots Cultivator from the Jin Family, only twenty-eight years old, definitely had the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage cultivation, perfectly eligible for the competition. Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt no small pressure.


    ¡°Huff¡­¡±


    Exhaling a breath of turbid air, he once again began to study the introductions of the other individuals.


    Sun Dingxian, Sun Ruiqing, Luo Chengjian, Wu Yinbao, he read through the roster of cultivators from each major family one by one, committing them to memory.


    With only one month left, the more he could enhance his cultivation, the safer he would be. Soon after, Lin Tianming resumed his cultivation practice.


    ¡­


    In a secret chamber within a valley at the northern boundary of the Luoyun Mountain Range, within the territory of the Jin Family,


    Lin Xingrong sat on a stone bed in the secret chamber, talking to himself.


    ¡°There are ten more days until the Luoyun Market competition. It¡¯s about time. We should set out!¡± Read new adventures at empire


    With that, Lin Xingrong sent out two messages.


    Before long, Lin Xingqi and Lin Tianhong entered the secret chamber.


    Looking at the two, close in age but of different generations, he said solemnly,


    ¡°Xingqi, I will be away for more than a month. During this period, do not leave the cave residence without authorization. If an emergency arises, take the younger ones to the Qianchuan Market and seek out Elder Ye!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s really a last resort and you do go to Qianchuan Market, hand this storage bag over to Elder Ye. I believe after he sees it, he will naturally offer you protection for a while!¡±


    After speaking, Lin Xingrong pulled out a storage bag and handed it to Lin Xingqi.


    Lin Xingqi took the storage bag with a resolute expression, saying,


    ¡°Rest assured, big brother, I will protect the youngsters and not let you down!¡±


    Pleased with the response, Lin Xingrong let them return to the secret chamber to cultivate.


    After the two left, Lin Xingrong stood up from the cave and, with a reluctant look, flew away towards the south.


    And so, time swiftly flew by.


    One clear morning, Lin Tianming emerged from the secret chamber and gathered with Lin Tianfeng and others, awaiting Lin Shilu.


    After more than ten breaths, Lin Shilu came out, stood in front of everyone, and scrutinized them repeatedly.


    Then, with satisfaction, he nodded and spoke,


    ¡°Depart!¡±


    Lin Shilu led the way, with Lin Tianming and the others following closely behind.


    Leaving the courtyard, the four weaved through the streets, heading towards the entrance of Luoyun Market.


    As the great competition of Luoyun Market approached, the flow of people noticeably increased. Many cultivators who enjoyed spectacles left the market area and assembled at the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    When Lin Shilu and the others exited the entrance of the market, they summoned their flying swords, instantly attracting the attention of many cultivators.


    ¡°It¡¯s Elder Lin from the Lin Family!¡± S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    A few Qi Training Cultivators exclaimed, drawing the gaze of a large number of cultivators towards Lin Tianming and his group.


    Lin Shilu didn¡¯t pay them any mind, leading the others straight westward and quickly disappearing from sight.


    After an hour of expeditious travel, Lin Tianming and the others passed through the vast Guangmao Plain and appeared on top of a mountain hundreds of zhang high.


    Standing in the air, Lin Tianming surveyed the gathering spot below.


    The mountain wasn¡¯t very tall, noticeably standing out on the expansive plain, with a nearly hundred-acre plateau at its peak that surprisingly formed a natural arena. Below the mountain, over a hundred Qi Refining Cultivators had already gathered to watch the fun.


    On the plateau, the Luo and Wu families had already arrived early, and several cultivators from Qi Refining Families were also watching the battle from the stage.


    Descending with his group to one corner of the plaza, the cultivators leading the Luo and Wu families greeted Lin Shilu with smiles.


    Lin Shilu reciprocated each greeting, appearing quite generous and proper.


    Soon after, four people arrived via Sword Flight from the sky, landing not far from the Lin Family Members. The leader of the group was Sun Dingfeng, who had previously gone to Green Bamboo Mountain to seek an alliance.


    Before he even landed, Sun Dingfeng¡¯s hearty laughter could be heard.


    ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t expect my fellow Daoists to have arrived before me. My respects to you all!¡±


    Lin Shilu and the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators politely returned the greeting, being very courteous.


    After exchanging pleasantries, they didn¡¯t say much more, each choosing to sit aside and quietly restore their energy.


    With the arrival of the Sun Family, four of the five great families had arrived, leaving only the Jin Family yet to appear.


    A tea¡¯s time had passed, and the number of cultivators who had come to watch the excitement had reached more than two hundred.


    Amidst the crowd¡¯s commotion, a few cultivators shouted towards the sky:


    ¡°The Jin Family has arrived, led by none other than Elder Jin Zhison!¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯s exclamation, a great number of cultivators looked up into the sky, their faces filled with longing.


    Jin Zhison descended opposite the Lin Family members with a calm demeanor, greeting everyone.


    Since there had been no complete falling out, Lin Shilu and Sun Dingfeng didn¡¯t show any unusual expression either, smiling and paying their respects but without much enthusiasm.


    Jin Zhison didn¡¯t mind, appearing as if he had anticipated their response. The unspoken agreement among them felt odd to the onlookers.


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the five great families each took out a Spirit Sword of varying colors and threw them into the air, randomly shifting their positions.


    The five Foundation Establishment Cultivators reached out through the air and each retrieved a Spirit Sword.


    Lin Shilu caught a green Spirit Sword, which was surrounded by strong Wood-attribute Spiritual Power, quite peculiar.


    According to Lin Shilu, these five differently attributed Spirit Swords were crafted hundreds of years ago by a Third Order Artificer at the request of the five great families. Though their grade was only First Order Superior Grade, weaker than even the First Order Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact, they served a special purpose: they could leave a unique mark. After every major competition, when the five great families redistributed the Spirit Swords, one was not allowed to catch the one they had the previous time. Therefore, it was impossible for someone to have the same sword twice within two hundred years.


    After handing the Spirit Sword to Lin Tianming, the other families also passed their Spirit Swords to the younger members of their clans.


    Then, Jin Zhison spoke,


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, now that the Spirit Swords have been distributed, shall we begin?¡±


    Seeing that Lin Shilu and the others had no objections, Jin Zhison continued,


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to reiterate the rules of Luoyun Market¡¯s grand competition. Your elders have already informed you. During the competition, life and death will be up to fate. Gather here in a month, and the ranking will be decided based on points!¡±


    After speaking, Jin Zhison instructed Jin Qishan behind him,


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    Jin Zhison and his three companions didn¡¯t hesitate, saluted, and immediately rose on their swords, flying into the western mountains.


    Seeing that Jin Family members had left, the other families didn¡¯t linger either. The elder leaders of the groups gave a few instructions and each chose a direction to depart.


    Lin Shilu also didn¡¯t wait further, instructing Lin Tianming with a few words.


    Lin Tianming and the other two saluted with cupped fists, jumped onto their flying swords, and flew into the western mountain range.

 Chapter 104 - 104 - 96 Green-Red Mantis_1

    Chapter 104 ¨C 96 Green-Red Mantis_1


    On the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range, within a secluded dense forest, Lin Tianming and his two companions carefully navigated through it.


    Five whole days had passed, and the trio¡¯s gains were meager.


    They had killed only five Demonic Beasts in the Initial Phase of the First Order, and two in the Medium Stage, totaling less than two hundred points.


    The three of them perched on the branches of a tree beside them, gazing into the depths of the dense forest, deep in thought.


    ¡°Tian Ming, this won¡¯t do. The number of Demonic Beasts in the outer perimeter is really limited. They¡¯re mostly in the Initial Phase, and there are hardly any in the Medium Stage, let alone the Later Stages,¡± said Lin Xingyu, pulling the other two back to reality from their contemplation.


    ¡°Yeah, at this rate, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t get much!¡± Lin Xingyu¡¯s words won Lin Tianfeng¡¯s agreement.


    After much consideration, Lin Tianming realized that in the outer perimeter, where Monster Hunting Squads often train, the number of Demonic Beasts had drastically decreased, and those in the Medium Stage were rarely seen. If things continued like this, progress would be slow.


    ...


    Although they were only a three-person team, their overall strength was not weak. In the inner area, as long as they didn¡¯t provoke the larger tribes, there shouldn¡¯t be any danger.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming decisively made a decision. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Uncle, Elder Brother, I want to enter the inner area. What do you think?¡± Lin Tianming asked.


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s suggestion, Lin Xingyu and the other understood. Hunting Demonic Beasts on the periphery might be safe, but it was impossible to win first place in the great competition. If they wanted to achieve a good result, taking risks was inevitable.


    ¡°I have no objections!¡±


    ¡°Neither do I!¡±


    With Lin Xingyu and the other¡¯s affirmation, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t say anything more. He led the two of them, turning direction and rushing towards the inner regions of the mountain range.


    Three days later, within a quiet valley, the trio revealed their figures.


    Gazing across, the valley wasn¡¯t large, only several hundred zhang in length, with a large quantity of jungles around, lush vegetation that covered it all very well.


    ¡°Tian Ming, have you discovered anything?¡± asked Lin Xingyu curiously as he saw Lin Tianming not moving forward, but silently staring at the valley ahead.


    As the two were puzzled, the shrill cries of some creatures caught the attention of all three.


    After a few moments, over forty Demon Insects attacked the trio, kicking up a great amount of dust.


    Once the dust settled, the true forms of the Demon Insects were exposed.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Green-Red Mantis!¡±


    Before the words were finished, the Green-Red Mantises quickly moved, surrounding the group tightly, yet not attacking, seemingly wary of them.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face was solemn as he scrutinized the Demon Insects that had encircled them.


    There were well over forty Green-Red Mantises of varying sizes, with the largest ones nearly half a zhang in size, their legs bristling with dense, sharp spines that looked particularly threatening.


    Among the Demon Insects, the largest five were in the Late Stage of the First Order, while the others were either in the Medium Stage or the Initial Phase.


    As both parties were in a standoff, Lin Tianming quickly began to think.


    In the past few days since entering the inner region of the Luoyun Mountain Range, they hadn¡¯t found any particularly suitable Demon Beast Tribe to hunt. Either they were too weak to yield much gain, or they were too strong to risk provoking lightly.


    However, this tribe of Green-Red Mantises, while not weak and not without risks, was a rare equal match for them.


    Seeing that more than half of the hunting period had passed, they had no more time to waste.


    ¡°Uncle, Elder Brother, get ready to make a move!¡± Lin Tianming decided and began to allocate the tactics.


    ¡°Uncle, you and elder brother each deal with a late stage Demonic Beast, while I¡¯ll hold off the others. Make it quick and decisive, finish off the two late stage Demon Insects then come help me!¡±


    ¡°Agreed!¡±


    Lin Xingyu and another answered, each taking out their Spiritual Artifacts, and picked their targets, charging towards the Green-Red Mantises.


    Seeing that the two had made their move, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t hesitate either.


    He summoned eighteen Earth Evil Swords, waved his hands, and the swords as beams of light sank into the ground, setting up the Sword Array to prevent the Demon Insects from escaping.


    He took out another Earth Evil Sword, consecutively releasing several Sword Qi straight towards the Green-Red Mantises.


    Seeing Lin Tianming and his party spring into action, the Green-Red Mantises did not sit and wait for death; the two late-stage Green-Red Mantises waved their limbs crossing them, and several green Wind Blades burst forth, meeting Lin Tianming¡¯s Sword Qi.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡± Discover hidden tales at empire


    A sound like clashing metal rang out as the Wind Blades and Sword Qi collided together, exploding violently and creating a massive wave of turbulent air.


    On the fringes of the explosion, several initial stage Green-Red Mantises couldn¡¯t evade in time and were flipped by the powerful gusts, crashing into the valley¡¯s rock walls, completely incapacitated.


    As Lin Tianming¡¯s cultivation had increased significantly, a casual blow from him was now comparable to a Cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.


    And the initial stage Demonic Beasts couldn¡¯t even withstand the fluctuations caused by his fighting, as they were directly stunned and knocked out.


    On another side, Lin Tianfeng and another person each faced a late-stage Green-Red Mantis, as fierce battles unfolded between them.


    Since the Green-Red Mantises weren¡¯t very fast, and as long as one was careful of the Wind Blades they emitted, they weren¡¯t difficult to deal with. Each facing a Demonic Beast, they were under no substantial pressure.


    The two continuously summoned several Sword Qi. Sword light flashed, and the Green-Red Mantises were forced to retreat step by step, their defeat being only a matter of time.


    Seeing that the two had gained the upper hand, Lin Tianming stopped dividing his attention and focused on the Demon Insects in front of him.


    Before he knew it, Lin Tianming had already battled through dozens of exchanges, both sides sustaining injuries.


    The majority of the initial and medium stage Demon Insects had perished, with only about ten medium stage and above remaining, many of whom were already covered in wounds.


    Lin Tianming had also suffered quite a few superficial wounds, but fortunately, with his Dual Cultivation of Body and Law, relying on his strong defensive power and recovery abilities, the injuries weren¡¯t serious, needing only two days of rest to fully recover.


    After a while, Lin Tianfeng and the other person had each dealt with their Demon Insects and joined Lin Tianming¡¯s battle group.


    With Lin Tianfeng and the other person joining in, the pressure on Lin Tianming suddenly decreased.


    The three attacked from three different directions, the remaining ten or so Demonic Beasts seeing that things looked bleak and started thinking of escape.


    Lin Tianming had already set up his Sword Array and naturally wouldn¡¯t let the Green-Red Mantises succeed.


    He pinched his fingers together, issuing several Law Decrees to activate the Sword Array, trapping all of the remaining Green-Red Mantises within a hundred yards.


    Sensing the vast amount of violent Sword Qi within the Sword Array, the Green-Red Mantises desperately tried to escape the range of the Sword Array.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t pause at all, fully activating the Sword Array, shrinking the space within.


    As the space gradually decreased, cries of agony echoed from the Sword Array.


    A short time later, when the last Green-Red Mantis was struck by the Sword Qi and fell to the ground without breath, the battle was over.


    Seeing that all the Demon Insects had perished, Lin Tianming dispelled the Sword Array, collected all the Earth Evil Swords, then collapsed onto the ground, with a pale face but rapidly took out a Huiyuan Pill from his storage bag and swallowed it.


    Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng hadn¡¯t expended much energy, and while Lin Tianming was recovering, they quickly cleared the battlefield.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming had recovered nearly half of his Spiritual Power, and his complexion gradually grew rosier.


    Lin Tianming stood up, took out a Spirit Sword provided for the competition, unleashed Sword Qi, and marked all the Demonic Beast corpses.


    Lin Tianfeng and the other person swiftly dissected the Demonic Beast corpses, removing the useful parts and storing them in their storage bags.

 Chapter 105 - 105 - 97 Sun Family Seeks Help_1

    Chapter 105 ¨C 97 Sun Family Seeks Help_1


    After clearing the battlefield and ensuring nothing was overlooked, Lin Tianming and his two companions continued on their way towards the Green-Red Mantis¡¯s cave.


    After nearly ten days of searching, they finally achieved some results. After calculations, the points they had obtained amounted to over nineteen hundred, which was quite satisfying. The three of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    As for the cave of the Green-Red Mantis, it had yet to be explored; they should be able to find some treasures there, which brought a hint of a smile to their faces.


    Once they had calmed their emotions, the group headed into the valley.


    In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the three of them arrived deep in the valley.


    Looking around, they could see over a dozen caves of various sizes scattered at the base of the mountain, presumably the habitat of the Green-Red Mantis.


    Out of caution, the three did not rashly enter the serene depths of the valley.


    ...


    Lin Tianming took out the Earth Evil Sword, sending a slash of Sword Qi flying towards the interior of a cave.


    After a moment, other than a few sharp collision noises from within the cave, there was no other activity.


    After waiting for nearly half a quarter hour and seeing nothing unusual, Lin Tianming spoke.


    ¡°Uncle, Tianfeng, let¡¯s each enter a cave and quickly take whatever useful items we can find. We have limited time and must continue hunting demonic beasts,¡± he said.


    ¡°Alright, everyone be careful!¡±


    The other two had no objections and each began to act, with Lin Tianming choosing a cave and entering.


    Once inside, he found the cave quite spacious; even with several people walking side by side, it wouldn¡¯t feel crowded.


    They walked deeper along the cave¡¯s passage.


    Only after traversing several dozen yards did they reach the end.


    In the pitch-black depths of the cave, Lin Tianming carefully observed his surroundings.


    He saw that within a space of several yards, there were more than ten snow-white stones scattered in a small pit, each one the size of a fist and completely white.


    ¡°Snow Saliva Crystals!¡±


    Snow Saliva Crystals were First Order Spiritual Materials, formed from the condensed body fluids of the Green-Red Mantis. Each piece was worth over twenty Spirit Stones; they were widely used in alchemy and artifact refining, with many elixirs requiring them, and could be added in small quantities to artifacts to increase their properties.


    Lin Tianming quickly collected the Snow Saliva Crystals and exited the cave to search another one.


    After half an hour, the group had searched all the caves and totaled eighty-eight Snow Saliva Crystals, with a combined value exceeding seventeen hundred Spirit Stones.


    The three distributed the Snow Saliva Crystals on the spot. Lin Tianming, having exerted the most effort, received thirty-eight, Lin Xingyu got twenty-eight, and Lin Tianfeng got twenty-two.


    The three of them shared a satisfied smile over their haul.


    After distributing their loot, Lin Xingyu spoke up and asked,


    ¡°Tianming, where to next, what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    Prompted by Lin Xingyu¡¯s question, Lin Tianming began to think.


    With twenty days left until the end of the hunt, their haul was decent, but they didn¡¯t take it lightly. After all, Jin Family¡¯s hunting team was much more formidable. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Apart from Jin Qishan, the other two members were above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. With such strength, as long as they didn¡¯t provoke Second Order Demonic Beasts, even if they encountered a powerful Demon Beast Tribe, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to flee if they couldn¡¯t fight, posing little risk.


    In contrast, the Lin Family¡¯s team had varied levels of cultivation; Lin Tianfeng was slightly lower, which caused some difficulty when faced with tribes with many First Order Late Stage beasts, relying entirely on Lin Tianming to hold the fort.


    He Heaved a sigh,


    Lin Tianming said, ¡°Time waits for no one, we can only go deeper to find suitable Demon Beast Tribes and try to obtain as many points as possible.¡±


    ¡°The Jin Family¡¯s strength is a fact, but demonic beasts are not easy to find. Even if the Jin¡¯s are the strongest, they are not guaranteed winners. Anyway, we need to be quick. Aside from necessary healing and cultivation, we must kill more demonic beasts as soon as possible.¡±


    The words of Lin Tianming allowed the other two to relax a little. Since they had entered the competition, they naturally aimed to come first, as it involved forty percent of the market¡¯s fifty-year profits, a large amount of Spirit Stones that they could not afford to give up.


    Having made up their minds, the three set off again, heading at a fast pace deeper into the heartland, and within a short time, they disappeared into the jungle.


    Just after Lin Tianming and his two companions had left, in less than the time it took to brew a cup of tea, a man dressed in black appeared where the three had just been.


    The man in black arrived at the site of the skirmish and inspected the traces carefully. Although the remnants had been cleaned up and covered by the trio, he managed to find some clues.


    ¡°At last, I¡¯ve found you!¡±


    The figure in black muttered to himself and, looking in the direction the three had gone, set off in pursuit once again.


    Time flew by, and half a month passed.


    In a valley, Lin Tianming and his two companions stood on a small hill, gazing thoughtfully at the vast marshland below.


    At this point, Lin Tianming and the other two looked extremely weary, with several wounds of varying depth on their bodies that had yet to heal.


    For half a month, the trio did not relax for a moment. They had searched a region spanning hundreds of miles, hunting demonic beasts during the day and resting to heal their wounds at night.


    In that half-month period, they had gone through three major battles, each one perilously close to death. They had all been injured multiple times, with Lin Tianfeng nearly losing his life on one occasion.


    Fortunately, Lin Tianming¡¯s sword array was extremely powerful, capable of attack, defense, and entrapment. Against low-order demonic beasts with limited spirit wisdom, it was highly effective; otherwise, they might have already perished under the onslaught of the beasts.


    Despite the near death experiences, their gains were significant. They had slain more than twenty late-stage First Order demonic beasts and even more than a hundred of the mid-stage variety, accumulating over seven thousand points. Several storage bags were brimming with the bodies of the beasts.


    In addition to the bodies of the demonic beasts, they had collected an immense amount of Spirit Medicine and Spirit Ore, which were likely worth thousands of Spirit Stones when added up¡ªan indeed plentiful haul.


    With only five days left until the deadline for the grand beast-hunting competition, they had traversed an area of several hundred square miles.


    Curiously, for some reason, the trio had not encountered a single team from any of the five great families, nor had they even found a trace, which was quite surprising to Lin Tianming.


    Perhaps the reason was that the Luoyun Mountain Range was simply too vast, spanning thousands of miles, with the outer perimeter and the area near the interior totaling more than two thousand square miles. The likelihood of encountering someone was indeed not great.


    Continue your adventure with empire


    Lin Tianming speculated silently in his heart.


    Seeing that it was getting late and not suitable for traveling, he turned to Lin Xingyu and said,


    ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s rest here for the night and set off again tomorrow.¡±


    Lin Xingyu, looking visibly exhausted, readily agreed.


    Just as the three of them were preparing to descend the hill, several black dots appeared on the horizon, flying towards them.


    As they drew closer, it was not clear what their intentions were.


    The trio¡¯s expressions tensed, each grabbing their Spiritual Artifacts and hiding behind the hilltop, ready for a potential threat.


    Lin Xingyu, watching the approaching dots, muttered softly,


    ¡°Who has such audacity to fly with a sword in the heart of the Luoyun Mountain Range? Could it be a senior in the Foundation Establishment Stage?¡±


    Another dozen breaths passed, and the dots grew nearer, the fleeing figures now less than a few hundred yards from the hilltop.


    On closer inspection, they recognized the frantically fleeing individuals as Sun Ruiqing and Sun Chuan Yong from the Sun Family.


    Lin Tianming, realizing this first, felt his heart sink, and began to speculate.


    ¡°The Sun Family members must have encountered cultivators from the Jin Family and are now being chased!¡±


    Since they had already been spotted, it was too late to hide. All they could do was join forces with the last two members of the Sun Family for a desperate fight.


    Quickly, based on the information he had, Lin Tianming surmised the cause.


    Since the Jin Family had made their move, he couldn¡¯t just sit and await death. After saying this, he took out the Earth Evil Sword and started to set it up stealthily.


    Sun Ruiqing, getting closer, was overjoyed to see Lin Tianming and his group while still in mid-air. He quickly shouted,


    ¡°Lin, save us!¡±

 Chapter 106 - 106 - 98 Hanging by a Thread (Two in One)_1

    Chapter 106 ¨C 98 Hanging by a Thread (Two in One)_1


    ¡°Lin, save my life!¡±


    ¡°The Jin Family has made their move against the major families, and I fear that the people of the Luo and Wu Families have already perished. Now they are hunting us down!¡±


    In a desperate flight, Sun Ruiqing stumbled upon people from the Lin Family as if grasping at a lifeline.


    From a hundred zhang away, Sun Ruiqing, fleeing in panic, began to shout loudly.


    Hearing Sun Ruiqing¡¯s cries for help, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression changed abruptly.


    The Jin Family was powerful, and to think that the members of the Wu and Luo Families had been killed, no wonder they hadn¡¯t encountered a single team for more than half a month.


    At the moment, Sun Ruiqing and Sun Chuan Yong were in terrible condition, their breaths weak, and with injuries on various parts of their bodies. The number of their people had also decreased, clearly showing they had suffered a major loss.


    ...


    Without waiting for Lin Tianming to respond, Sun Ruiqing and the other member from the Sun Family landed on the top of a mountain and immediately took out a couple of elixirs to consume and began to meditate on the spot.


    Seeing the plight of the two from the Sun Family, Lin Tianming and his two companions watched cautiously as several dark shadows approached in pursuit.


    After a mere ten breaths, Jin Qishan and two from the Jin Family arrived, flying on their swords directly above them.


    Seeing that Sun Ruiqing and the other had stopped running, and Lin Tianming¡¯s group was also present, the people from the Jin Family were overjoyed.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like finding what you¡¯re looking for without even searching for it!


    ¡°The people from the Lin Family are here too, perfect. We¡¯ll deal with you all right here!¡±


    Hearing Jin Qishan¡¯s arrogant words, as if he wasn¡¯t taking them seriously at all, made the expressions on Lin Tianming and his fellows¡¯ faces turn extremely ugly.


    Lin Tianfeng couldn¡¯t hold back and said:


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit too arrogant?¡±


    ¡°Arrogant? Dealing with you few is still child¡¯s play,¡± replied Jin Qishan nonchalantly.


    While the others were engaged in a war of words, Lin Tianming, who had not said a word, quickly thought of a strategy in his mind.


    Among the Jin Family¡¯s three members, Jin Qishan¡¯s aura was exceedingly strong, no weaker than Lin Shiji at his peak. As a top genius of the Jin Family, his methods and trump cards were surely not weak.


    Besides him, among the other two from the Jin Family, Jin Chaoyi was at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining stage and Jin Qisheng was at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement; their abilities were generally a notch higher than those of the Lin and Sun Families.


    Although the cultivation levels of the Lin Family were on the lower side, with the aid of the two from the Sun Family, they held the advantage in numbers.


    Even though the two from the Sun Family were seriously injured, the Sun Family had stood among the top three families for a millennium; with such heritage, Sun Ruiqing must still have some life-saving measures.


    Upon assessing the situation, the Jin Family held an absolute advantage in terms of strength, but Lin Tianming¡¯s side was not without their own opportunities.


    Moreover, there was no way the Jin Family would let them leave peacefully anyway, so it was better to go all out.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming secretly transmitted a message to the cultivators from both families, preparing to strike first.


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    No time to lose!


    Readying the Earth Evil Sword, Lin Tianming unleashed several bouts of Sword Qi, aiming directly at Jin Qishan.


    Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingyu joined hands against Jin Qisheng, while the two from the Sun Family together faced Jin Chaoyi.


    The three battles erupted in an instant.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t pay attention to the other two battles, as facing Jin Qishan required his full focus.


    After several tentative exchanges, neither managed to gain an upper hand.


    After a few rounds of testing, Jin Qishan also had a rough idea of Lin Tianming¡¯s strength.


    He initially thought that with the same Dual Spiritual Roots, Lin Tianming would not be weak and could arouse his interest, but found him rather ordinary.


    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m done playing with you!¡±


    Following that, Jin Qishan took out a crimson long saber enveloped in a terrifying sinister aura; Lin Tianming guessed it was at least a high-quality Spiritual Artifact.


    The dominance of saber cultivators and their destructive power held prestigious positions in the Cultivation World and cultivators of the same level often had terrifying battle capabilities.


    Jin Qishan unleashed three slashes in succession, and the three powerful currents of Blade Qi stirred up a great deal of sand and dust, heading straight for Lin Tianming with overwhelming momentum.


    Feeling the violent Blade Qi, Lin Tianming¡¯s face grew solemn.


    He quickly brought out three Defense Talismans, forming three earthen walls in front of him. Not reassured, he took out a small umbrella-like Spiritual Artifact from his storage bag, poured a great amount of Spiritual Power into it, forming a barrier to protect himself.


    ¡°Puff, puff, puff¡­¡±


    Three explosions sounded!


    The three earthen walls formed by the Defense Talismans instantly shattered, and the violent Blade Qi was unstoppable, directly striking the small umbrella Spiritual Artifact.


    After a moment, the small umbrella Spiritual Artifact burst apart, thoroughly pierced by the Blade Qi, breaking into several pieces.


    The Blade Qi had weakened after the consumption of the talisman paper and the defensive Spiritual Artifact, but it still didn¡¯t stop, and continued slashing towards Lin Tianming.


    Caught by surprise and in pain, Lin Tianming quickly dodged to the side.


    However, the Blade Qi was too fast, and he couldn¡¯t completely evade it in time; a strand of the Blade Qi slashed across his arm.


    Feeling intense pain, he saw a wound the size of a fist on his arm, with flesh torn and bone chillingly exposed to the air.


    Lin Tianming, having leapt to the side in a panic, glared straight at Jin Qishan, his expression exceptionally ugly.


    Before the fight began, Lin Tianming had anticipated that Jin Qishan would be difficult to deal with, but the actual encounter was still surprisingly challenging.


    Jin Qishan, intent on settling the battle with three full-powered slashes, was equally surprised.


    After all, he had been in the Great Perfection stage for a year now and would have been preparing to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage if it were not for the Grand Competition.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming was only at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, just about touching the barrier of Great Perfection, but there was still a considerable gap between the small realms. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even so, he had not succeeded, merely causing some injuries and not completely incapacitating Lin Tianming.


    After the unsuccessful strike, Jin Qishan put away his playful demeanor and started to take the fight seriously.


    Without giving Lin Tianming a chance to catch his breath, Jin Qishan struck out with a few more slashes, aiming to finish Lin Tianming conclusively.

 Chapter 107 - 107 - 98 Hanging by a Thread (Two in One)_2

    Chapter 107 ¨C 98 Hanging by a Thread (Two in One)_2


    Just as Jin Qishan made his move, Lin Tianming was also busy. He drew the Earth Evil Sword and unleashed several streaks of sword qi that rushed straight towards Jin Qishan.


    For a moment, blade qi and sword qi collided fiercely, kicking up a great amount of dust and smoke.


    Seizing the moment in the blink of an eye, he threw out several First Order Superior Grade talismans, and Lin Tianming, with the Earth Evil Sword in hand, turned into a lingering shadow, thrusting directly at Jin Qishan.


    In a contest of spiritual power and offensive force, Lin Tianming did not have the advantage. As a body cultivator, his chances of winning in close combat were much greater.


    As the dust and smoke cleared, Lin Tianming had already closed in on Jin Qishan.


    Jin Qishan had long noticed Lin Tianming¡¯s intent and showed no panic. Hastily, he summoned a small green shield to block Lin Tianming¡¯s Earth Evil Sword.


    Seeing his attack obstructed, Lin Tianming swung out a fist, smashing towards Jin Qishan¡¯s head.


    ...


    Lin Tianming, at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining and having consumed a large number of Body Strengthening Pills, had his strength tempered by his cultivation technique. The force of his punch exceeded several thousand pounds.


    Jin Qishan also launched a punch, colliding with Lin Tianming¡¯s fist.


    A loud explosion!


    Jin Qishan was sent flying dozens of feet backwards, crashing through several large rocks before finally stopping.


    As Jin Qishan steadied himself, pain shot through his arm, and he discovered that many of the meridians in his arm were broken. Without a month or more of recuperation, recovery would be very difficult.


    I¡¯ve been careless¡­


    Who would have thought that Lin Tianming was actually a body cultivator, and his prowess was not low, almost on par with his Qi Refining cultivation, just one punch had crippled an arm.


    The advantaged Lin Tianming didn¡¯t give any chance, charging forward again.


    The injured Jin Qishan wouldn¡¯t dare to be careless anymore. He slashed out several times with his blade and at the same time threw out a huge number of talismans, dozens of them, among which were many Medium Grade and High Quality talismans.


    Seeing the sky filled with a rain of swords, mixed with a multitude of Five Elements Spells engulfing Lin Tianming.


    For a moment, the sky was filled with a storm of fire, sword qi, and blade qi, causing one¡¯s scalp to tingle.


    Jin Qishan took a long breath of relief; with so many talismans coupled with his blade qi, the chance of Lin Tianming rushing out unscathed was nearly impossible.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s situation was extremely dire. Trapped in the center, if he couldn¡¯t break through, even as a body cultivator, he would undoubtedly suffer heavy injuries.


    In desperation, Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors.


    He saw the trajectories of the rain of swords and the spells as if they held a traceable pattern.


    Unexpectedly, the Eye of Five Colors had such an ingenious use. With no time to think further,


    Now is the time!


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t hesitate nor could he afford to, his flexible body navigating through the narrow gaps.


    A moment later, Lin Tianming successfully charged out of the firestorm, wielding the Earth Evil Sword as he slashed towards Jin Qishan.


    At this point, Jin Qishan was completely stunned.


    With so many talismans and blade qi as barriers, for Lin Tianming to rush out in such a short time and with hardly any injury was simply unbelievable.


    In his panic, Jin Qishan once again brought out the green shield in front of him.


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    A piercing loud noise!


    The green shield was knocked flying, slipping right out of his hands, and Jin Qishan¡¯s face turned pale as he frantically tried to dodge.


    In an instant, the Earth Evil Sword made its decisive cut, completely severing Jin Qishan¡¯s arm.


    As Jin Qishan was sent flying back, screams of agony echoed across the entire mountainside.


    Hearing Jin Qishan¡¯s screams, the concentration of the other two Jin Family members was broken.


    Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng seized the opportunity and, with a silent understanding between them, Jin Qisheng was pushed back again and again.


    On another front, although Sun Ruiqing and his companion were injured, the Sun Family, being a talisman-crafting family, threw out dozens of talismans of different grades, engulfing Jin Chaoyi and swallowing him whole.


    For a while, all members of the Jin Family were at a disadvantage.


    Jin Qishan had an arm severed, and the remaining arm¡¯s meridians were mostly broken, greatly diminishing his strength.


    Lin Tianming did not give him a chance, charging over again, ready to completely take out Jin Qishan.


    Lin Shilu had earlier instructed that once they took action, they absolutely could not leave any loose ends, especially the talented Jin Qishan of the Jin Family, who had to die.


    At this point, Jin Qishan deeply regretted being overconfident, but it was too late.


    Knowing he was no match, Jin Qishan attempted to retreat in panic, but his severe injuries made it impossible to shake off Lin Tianming.


    Just as Lin Tianming closed in to within twenty feet, a furious shout came from a thousand feet away.


    ¡°Youngster, you dare!¡±


    Hearing Jin Chaojiang¡¯s angry shout, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t stop for a second, his sword-heart aimed straight for Jin Qishan.


    Jin Qishan originally thought Lin Tianming would give up, but to his surprise, he didn¡¯t hold back at all.


    For a moment, Jin Qishan¡¯s face turned pale from its previous healthy glow.


    A thousand meters away, Jin Chaojiang¡¯s expression changed dramatically. With a flick of his finger, he hurriedly launched an Ice Sword Technique, hoping to force Lin Tianming to give up his attack on Jin Qishan. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A resolute look flashed across Lin Tianming¡¯s steadfast face. Even if he didn¡¯t kill Jin Qishan, it would be difficult for them to survive anyway. It was better to go all out and at least ensure Jin Qishan¡¯s death.


    A brief moment passed, followed by a faint sound!


    The Earth Evil Sword pierced through Jin Qishan¡¯s chest, blowing a hole the size of a human head through his upper body.


    Jin Qishan fell at the sound.


    At the same time, the Ice Sword Technique launched by Jin Chaojiang was already closing in on Lin Tianming.


    Having just stabilized his body, Lin Tianming¡¯s face was pale with no time left to dodge.


    An attack from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, even the most common Five Elements Spell, was simply not something an ordinary Qi Refining Cultivator could withstand.


    Lin Tianming did not wish to wait passively for death. Since he couldn¡¯t avoid it, he had to try with all his might.


    In this moment of crisis, Lin Tianming¡¯s intense desire to survive burst forth.


    He quickly took out all his Defense Talismans, more than a dozen in total, all of which he activated, turning them into several earthen walls to shield himself. Discover more content at empire


    He then took a shield out of his storage bag to protect himself thoroughly.


    Just as Lin Tianming completed all his actions, the Ice Sword Technique transformed into an ice sword that broke through the earthen walls.


    The first one was instantly shattered¡­


    The second one was unable to stop it, even for a moment.


    More than a dozen earthen walls broke apart, and the resulting shockwave flattened a section of the mountain top.


    Though the earthen walls didn¡¯t last long, they significantly weakened the Ice Sword¡¯s power. By the time it collided with the shield, nearly half its energy had dissipated.


    Even so, the shield, of First Order Superior Grade, shattered after a mere breath¡¯s time.


    The Ice Sword Technique broke through the small shield and struck Lin Tianming in the chest.


    In an instant, Lin Tianming coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, was sent flying a hundred meters, and slammed into the mountain, creating a human-shaped deep pit.


    Lin Tianfeng and the others also gave up their fierce attack on the critically injured Jin Qisheng and rushed madly to Lin Tianming¡¯s side to pull him out.


    Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingyu¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as they frantically shouted:


    ¡°Sixth brother, wake up!¡±


    ¡°Tianming, wake up!¡±


    At this time, Lin Tianming was in a dreadful state, with a fist-sized bloody hole in his chest, many of his meridians severed, resulting in a brief loss of consciousness.


    Lin Tianfeng shouted several times, but there were no responses.


    Seeing this, both of them were completely panicked.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s talent was well-known throughout the clan. As long as he lived, reaching the Foundation Establishment stage was a certainty, and with a bit of chance, advancing to the Golden Core stage was also highly likely. He was key to the family¡¯s resurgence.


    His importance was such that even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the clan could not compare.


    If he were to die here, how would they explain it to the clan, to the ancestors who had passed away?


    At this moment, Lin Tianfeng was extremely grieved; the relationship between the two brothers was excellent¡ªthey had trained together, and despite being the eldest Tian-generation brother, he often needed Lin Tianming¡¯s help.


    In his grief, he held Lin Tianming¡¯s head and shook it while crying out.


    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­¡±


    Two coughs suddenly interrupted Lin Tianfeng¡¯s cries.


    ¡°Big brother, stop shaking me!¡±


    ¡°If you keep shaking me like this, I fear I might die by your hand!¡±


    Lin Tianfeng and the others suddenly looked at Lin Tianming, who was coughing and spitting blood, and burst into ecstatic shouts.


    ¡°Thank goodness, you¡¯re actually not dead?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, do you wish for me to be dead?¡±


    The pale-faced Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but banter with Lin Tianfeng even in his condition.


    Having regained consciousness, Lin Tianming felt a wave of relief. The danger just now had been extremely dire.


    He took out the only defensive talismans he had on him, over a dozen First Order Superior Defense Talisman papers, along with a High Quality defensive spiritual tool, plus the inner armor he wore over his vital parts near the heart to narrowly save his life.


    If his body hadn¡¯t been so strong, a regular Great Perfection Qi Refining Cultivator, in his situation, would have had no chance of survival.


    Foundation Establishment Cultivators were indeed terrifying!


    Coming back to his senses, Jin Chaojiang had already landed on the mountain top, cradling Jin Qishan¡¯s corpse and beginning to examine it.


    Lin Tianming was severely injured, and they were still in danger. Although they had avoided a fatal blow, their current situation remained as perilous as ever.

 Chapter 108 - 108 - 99: No One Survives (Parts 1 and 2 Combined)_1

    Chapter 108 ¨C 99: No One Survives (Parts 1 and 2 Combined)_1


    Looking at the gaping hole in Jin Qishan¡¯s chest and his faint breath, such an injury was destined to be beyond salvation.


    Jin Chaojiang¡¯s face turned pale, his tiger-like eyes bloodshot red.


    When he turned around, Lin Tianming and the other two were immediately stricken with panic.


    Enraged, Jin Chaojiang, holding a long spirit blade, swung out three times in quick succession, unleashing three streams of fiery red Blade Qi, charging straight towards Lin Tianming and his companions.


    Such divine powers were identical to those of Jin Qishan, but when a Foundation Establishment Cultivator made a move, the power was nowhere near that of Jin Qishan¡¯s.


    Seeing the Blade Qi getting closer, and less than thirty feet from the trio,


    there was no escape, especially as they were injured and their defensive spiritual tools had nearly exhausted their power. Facing the full-force strike from the second layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage Jin Chaojiang, Lin Tianming was utterly despairing.


    ...


    Struggling was to no avail; the three leaned on each other and slowly closed their eyes, preparing to meet their demise.


    Just then, a shadow clad in black descended from the sky, standing in front of the trio.


    The figure was tall and resolute, a look of determination in his eyes, it was Lin Xingrong who had been tailing Lin Tianming and the others all along.


    ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°Eleventh Uncle!¡±


    A glimmer of joy passed through Lin Tianming and the others; they had all but given up hope, never expecting Lin Xingrong to appear.


    In fact, everyone knew of the Jin Family¡¯s ambitions. The Lin Family had made arrangements to counter them, but Lin Tianming had no idea.


    And Lin Xingrong had been following them for some time, but to avoid startling the snake, he had kept his distance and hadn¡¯t made a move.


    Having landed, Lin Xingrong¡¯s expression was stern. He ignored the three¡¯s confusion, thinking of a plan.


    He had only recently entered the Foundation Establishment Stage, while Jin Chaojiang had already reached the second layer and had to be taken seriously.


    Lin Xingrong, wielding a Spirit Sword, slashed out several bursts of Sword Qi, and at the same time, summoned a Minor Shield Spirit Instrument to firmly protect everyone.


    After taking a series of measures, the Blade Qi and Sword Qi collided explosively.


    For a moment, the battlefield was alight with flames, and the blast wave forced back the members of the Sun Family, who were hundreds of feet away, making them cough up blood.


    The only remaining members of the Jin Family, Jin Chaoyi and Jin Qisheng, had the same fate, now even more seriously injured from the effects of cultivators¡¯ combat.


    The residual effect of the collision was blocked by Lin Xingrong¡¯s shield.


    Thanks to Lin Xingrong¡¯s protection, Lin Tianming and the others managed to evade disaster.


    Having blocked Jin Chaojiang¡¯s attack, Lin Xingrong then turned to inspect the injuries of Lin Tianming and the others.


    Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng were unharmed, just a bit drained, with no significant consequences.


    Lin Tianming, although slightly more injured, wasn¡¯t fatal; with some quiet recuperation for a few days, he would be fine!


    Luckily he arrived in time, or else the outcome would have been dire!


    On the other side, frustrated by his ineffective attack, Jin Chaojiang¡¯s face darkened as he watched Lin Xingrong with wariness and dread. Enjoy new adventures from empire


    Unexpectedly, Lin Xingrong had appeared there and even advanced into the Foundation Establishment Stage¡ªthe Lin Family had kept deep secrets!


    After an exchange, even though Jin Chaojiang¡¯s cultivation was a level higher than Lin Xingrong¡¯s, he still had to look after the seriously wounded Jin Chaoyi and Jin Qisheng, so victory was not guaranteed.


    By now, Jin Chaojiang harbored thoughts of retreat, but it was too late, as the faces had been thoroughly ripped off, and the Lin Family might not hold back.


    Sure enough, Lin Xingrong took the initiative to strike, unwilling to let the Jin Family members go. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Xingrong unleashed a green-yellow Spirit Sword, slashing out several times, and releasing bursts of Sword Qi at Jin Chaojiang.


    Simultaneously, Jin Chaojiang leapt into the air and swung out several slashes of his own.


    The difference in cultivation between the two men was not substantial; they exchanged blows evenly, making it difficult to determine the superior fighter.


    Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng took the initiative as well, joining with Sun Ruiqing and others to attack Jin Chaoyi and Jin Qisheng.


    Already heavily injured, the two Jin Family members were no match for Lin Tianfeng and his companions and were constantly on the defensive.


    Although Lin Tianming was injured, he relied on elixirs and a strong self-healing ability. His wounds had partially recovered, and he could still exert most of his strength.


    Seeing Lin Tianfeng and the others gaining the upper hand, he decided to assist Lin Xingrong against Jin Chaojiang, knowing that as long as Foundation Establishment Cultivators were still alive, they were always in danger.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming consumed another Huiyuan Pill and Consolidating Essence Pill, drew the Earth Evil Sword, and charged at Jin Chaojiang.


    He unleashed several slashes, blocking Jin Chaojiang¡¯s retreat path, but they were always narrowly dodged.


    While his Sword Qi¡¯s power was limited, it couldn¡¯t be completely ignored. If not evaded, after a few instances, even Jin Chaojiang couldn¡¯t withstand it.


    Father and son coordinated seamlessly. Each time Jin Chaojiang tried to strike at Lin Tianming, Lin Xingrong always managed to block in advance.


    Before they knew it, the fierce battle had raged for half an hour.


    All three were significantly drained, Jin Chaojiang in particular was covered in wounds, continuously on the defensive.


    Lin Xingrong, too, was panting heavily, his spiritual power largely depleted.


    During a lull in the attack, Lin Tianming transmitted a message:


    ¡°Father, we can¡¯t drag this out any longer. I¡¯ve already laid down a Sword Array. As long as you can push him into its center and hold him for a moment, I can immediately activate the Sword Array and together we can take him down once and for all!¡±


    ¡°Good, my spiritual power is running low, we can¡¯t delay any further,¡±


    Lin Xingrong was well aware of the special cultivation techniques Lin Tianming practiced. Since Lin Tianming was confident, he was naturally willing to give it a try.


    With that, Lin Xingrong used his Technique Divine Power, condensing a massive Sword Qi, which he directed at Jin Chaojiang.


    Lin Tianming also threw out more than ten First Order Superior Grade Attack Talismans, transforming into a sky full of Sword Qi, sealing off Jin Chaojiang¡¯s escape routes.


    Feeling the concentrated Sword Qi from Lin Xingrong and the multitude of talisman papers, Jin Chaojiang¡¯s face turned deathly pale as he hastily summoned a yellow Minor Shield Spirit Instrument to protect himself.

 Chapter 109 - 109 - 99: No One Survives (Parts 1 and 2 Combined)_2

    Chapter 109 ¨C 99: No One Survives (Parts 1 and 2 Combined)_2


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    A loud blast sounded, and the small shield had a large crack pierced through it.


    The intense impact force struck Jin Chaojiang, causing him to spurt out a mouthful of fresh blood and retreat dozens of feet, landing right in the center of Lin Tianming¡¯s sword array.


    ¡°Now is the moment!¡±


    Lin Tianming immediately activated the long-prepared sword array, enveloping Jin Chaojiang within it.


    Feeling the roaming Sword Qi, although its power was limited, the quantity was substantial, forcing Jin Chaojiang to change his approach once again.


    Without time to think much, he frantically attacked the barriers of the sword array.


    ...


    Each time, the sword array was on the verge of being overwhelmed, and Lin Tianming felt immense pressure.


    Having succeeded, Lin Tianming and his companion naturally wouldn¡¯t let him escape easily.


    In the rush, Lin Xingrong swung his sword several times, sending numerous Sword Qi slashing towards Jin Chaojiang.


    And fully driving the sword array, steadily shrinking its range, he also threw out handfuls of talisman paper, more than twenty in total, among which were long-stored Second Order Golden Sword Talismans.


    In an instant, over twenty First Order Superior Grade attack talismans turned into Sword Qi, along with a Second Order Talisman Golden Sword Talisman¡¯s Sword Qi, and combined with the Sword Qi generated by Lin Tianming¡¯s sword array ¨C a total of over a hundred strands ¨C instantly engulfed Jin Chaojiang¡¯s surroundings.


    Feeling the sword rain coming at him from all directions, alongside Lin Xingrong¡¯s all-out strike, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Jin Chaojiang couldn¡¯t help but feel his scalp tingle with dread.


    At that moment, Jin Chaojiang had no time for further thought, only desperation. If he couldn¡¯t break free from the confines of the sword array, he would be gradually exhausted to death.


    Not daring to hold back, Jin Chaojiang spurted a mouthful of vital blood onto the long saber Spiritual Artifact in his hand and unleashed his Innate Divine Ability.


    ¡°Return to Origin Five Blows!¡±


    Suddenly, he slashed five times in succession, each strike stronger than the last. With the five blades stacking, a terrifying Blade Qi turned into a heaven-piercing red light blade, striking down upon the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    ¡°Pfff¡­¡±


    An earth-shattering explosion!


    After merely a breath¡¯s time, the sword array was directly broken by Jin Chaojiang.


    Lin Tianming suffered backlash, immediately spewing several mouthfuls of fresh blood, his aura instantly wilted.


    Even with the backlash, Lin Tianming still didn¡¯t dare to relax, propping up his half-destroyed body, he slashed out several times, attempting to push Jin Chaojiang back.


    Jin Chaojiang had no intention of caring about that, only wanting to escape the range of the pervasive sword rain.


    Just as he was about to break free to safety, his face full of elation,


    At that moment, the Sword Qi unleashed by Lin Xingrong and the Second Order Golden Sword Talisman¡¯s Sword Qi blasted towards him simultaneously.


    Caught in a pincer attack, Jin Chaojiang faced an even more perilous situation.


    Seeing that it was impossible to dodge both, Jin Chaojiang swiftly made a decision.


    Instantly, he rolled to the side, evading Lin Xingrong¡¯s lethal strike.


    At the same time, the Sword Qi from the Golden Sword Talisman arrived as expected, striking Jin Chaojiang on the back.


    ¡°Pfff¡­¡±


    Jin Chaojiang¡¯s physical body endured a sword strike, immediately being sent flying dozens of feet away.


    Jin Chaojiang, stabilizing his form, spewed out several mouthfuls of fresh blood, his face instantly pale, with a fist-sized hole in his chest ¨C not faring much better than Jin Qishan.


    At that moment, severely injured Jin Chaojiang was greatly diminished in strength, no way he could be a match for Lin Xingrong.


    At the other two battlefronts, seeing Jin Chaojiang¡¯s dismal state, Jin Chaoyi and Jin Qisheng¡¯s faces turned even paler.


    The two were already on the brink of life and death, being besieged; the shock scattered their focus, giving Lin Xingyu and Suo Ruiqing a chance to exploit.


    Lin Xingyu and Lin Tianfeng launched deadly strikes at the same time, bombarding Jin Chaoyi¡¯s body.


    After a moment, Jin Chaoyi was directly cleaved in half, falling dead.


    Meanwhile, Jin Qisheng was overwhelmed by numerous talismans of varying grades.


    Once the sword light dissipated, Jin Qisheng was riddled with holes and utterly devoid of life.


    Seeing two members of the Jin Family dead, Jin Chaojiang was both shocked and furious. He unleashed three more blows to force back Lin Xingrong who was pursuing him, then, dragging his battered body, he fled northward.


    At this point, Jin Chaojiang couldn¡¯t care about danger and plunged into the dense forest to escape for his life.


    Lin Xingrong leapt high, dodging Jin Chaojiang¡¯s Blade Qi, and immediately gave chase.


    One behind the other, they dashed through the woods, quickly vanishing from the sight of the others.


    Seeing Jin Chaojiang heavily injured and fleeing for his life, Lin Xingyu and the others heaved a sigh of relief; Lin Tianming, utterly spent, sat down on the ground with a thud.


    He pulled several elixirs from his storage bag, stuffed them into his mouth all at once, and sat down right there to meditate and recover.


    Lin Xingyu and several others also began to meditate and cultivate.


    In a swamp, Jin Chaojiang, who had escaped from the dense forest, was completely pale.


    After hastily consuming two elixirs, he resumed his flight.


    Shortly thereafter, Lin Xingrong caught up after chasing him for hundreds of miles. The distance between the two shrank to less than a thousand feet.


    Lin Xingrong had no intention of giving up the pursuit and was determined to stop him there and then.


    Mortally wounded and with his spiritual power completely drained, Jin Chaojiang burst forth with an unprecedented speed in a bid to survive; even so, he was still slower than Lin Xingrong.


    As the gap continued to narrow and before he could cross the swamp, Lin Xingrong closed in to a distance of a hundred feet.


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t escape, Jin Chaojiang seemed to have given up on fleeing and turned around to fight to the death.


    Using the last bit of his spiritual power, he swung three blades toward Lin Xingrong.


    Also drained of spiritual power, Lin Xingrong drew a small shield to block Jin Chaojiang¡¯s desperate attack.


    After a loud explosion,


    Lin Xingrong spat out a mouthful of blood and, after being knocked back, he chased after him once again.


    With no spiritual power left, Jin Chaojiang was like a mortal, tumbling down from the sky. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, Jin Chaojiang, utterly despondent, stopped trying to run and laughed manically.


    ¡°Haha¡­ Haha¡­¡±


    ¡°You think by killing me you can reverse the situation?¡±


    ¡°The Lin Family might already be rivers of blood by now!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    Seeing Jin Chaojiang¡¯s deranged behavior, Lin Xingrong¡¯s face showed disdain.


    ¡°Hmph, you think the Lin Family is still the same as it was ten years ago? There¡¯s no way your Jin Family could breach the Protective Clan Formation!¡±


    Jin Chaojiang had gone mad, and Lin Xingrong showed no mercy, ending his life with a single sword strike.


    Jin Chaojiang finally perished, and Lin Xingrong breathed a sigh of relief.


    He took the storage bag from Jin Chaojiang and cast a Fireball Technique, burning the corpse to ashes on the spot. Read new adventures at empire


    Lin Tianming and others were not in a good state, so Lin Xingrong quickly returned, following the path of the chase at high speed.


    An hour later, Lin Xingrong returned to the site of the fierce battle.


    Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingyu had regained some of their spiritual power after a short rest.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s condition had improved slightly, but his injuries were still serious, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to move normally for several days.


    The condition of the two from the Sun Family was better; they had sustained some injuries, which were not fatal, and they were already able to walk normally. They had been waiting in the same place, not daring to move or leave.


    Upon seeing Lin Xingrong return, they dared not stay and hurriedly stepped forward to pay respects.


    ¡°The juniors have seen Elder Lin and thank Elder Lin for saving our lives. When we return to our clan, we will surely report the truth, and the Sun Family will never forget this kindness. Our elders will personally thank you!¡±


    Sun Ruiqing stood by nervously with a respectful demeanor.


    Although the Lin Family and Sun Family had formed an alliance, Sun Ruiqing did not dare to mention the spoils of the battle and was entirely unsure about Lin Xingrong¡¯s stance.


    ¡°Sun, my friend, there¡¯s no need for formality. The Lin Family and Sun Family are allies, after all. The Jin Family attacked brazenly, and you gave it your all. There¡¯s no need to be so tense. Rest for a few days, and you can leave this place with me.¡±


    Hearing Lin Xingrong¡¯s words, Sun Ruiqing breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thank you, Elder. With your permission, I can rest assured!¡±


    Sun Ruiqing and his companion bowed to Lin Xingrong with sincere respect.


    ¡°Hmm, go and recover through cultivation!¡±


    Upon receiving the instruction, the two from the Sun Family bowed and left to find a place to sit down and cultivate on the spot.


    After dismissing the two from the Sun Family, Lin Xingrong called Lin Tianfeng over and instructed:


    ¡°Take the storage bags from the Jin Family members and hand them to me. Clean up this place quickly and then go heal your injuries.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Tianfeng got to work quickly, collecting storage bags from the three members of the Jin Family and then clearing up the part of the mountain that had been disrupted.


    An hour later, the traces of the fight were almost erased, and the mountaintop had nearly returned to its original state.


    After checking the injuries of the Lin Family members, Lin Xingrong sat down nearby, took out elixirs, and began to recover his spiritual power and heal injuries while protecting the others as they cultivated.


    For a time, the valley fell into silence, with everyone cultivating and recovering from their injuries.

 Chapter 110 - 110 - 100 Lin Shilu Trapped (Two in One)_1

    Chapter 110 ¨C 100 Lin Shilu Trapped (Two in One)_1


    Outside the market, the Great Bi Assembly Ground.


    Members of the five major families, including Lin Shilu, each sat cross-legged on the spacious open ground.


    The leaders of the Lin Family and the other three clans were closer to each other, and although they were dozens of yards apart, they faintly formed a united front, as if intentionally guarding against Jin Zhison.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu and his companions each had their spirits aloft, faces etched with a trace of worry, pondering or fearing something unknown.


    At the edge of the platform, Jin Zhison appeared quite calm, with a trace of ruthless expression faintly present on his face.


    Jin Qishan and his group had left five days ago, and according to the plan, Jin Chaojiang should have already started to act. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was also ready on his side, and as soon as Zhuang Zhenxin arrived, he could take action at any time.


    ...


    Just then, a black dot appeared on the horizon, moving towards the plain at an incredibly fast speed.


    In just over ten breaths¡¯ time, Zhuang Zhenxin, dressed in a black robe, approached the space above the platform.


    Before he even arrived, Lin Shilu and the others had already sensed his presence, each standing up to watch Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s approach with vigilance.


    Zhuang Zhenxin landed beside Jin Zhison, looking at the others present with a mocking gaze.


    ¡°Is he a person from the Jin Family?¡±


    ¡°He must be a hidden member of the Jin Family, or a hired helper. They¡¯re definitely going to make a move!¡±


    Lin Shilu loudly reminded everyone,


    Seeing Zhuang Zhenxin reveal his alliance, and with Lin Shilu¡¯s warning, everyone¡¯s face changed dramatically.


    Jin Zhison already had the cultivation of Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, the highest present, and with this unfamiliar cultivator whose cultivation was still unknown but was surely no less than Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer, such strength truly warranted caution.


    Zhuang Zhenxin paid no attention to everyone¡¯s guesses, and after exchanging a look with Jin Zhison, they both made their move.


    Jin Zhison took out a Circular Ring Spiritual Artifact and inputted several Law Decrees. Suddenly, a large number of fireballs emerged, each as large as buckets¡ªhundreds in number, crazily bombarding towards Lin Shilu and the others with incredible speed.


    With the first strike, he unleashed his strongest method.


    As everyone¡¯s attention was on Jin Zhison¡¯s move, Zhuang Zhenxin took the opportunity to pull out a dark green Array Plate, tossed it into the air, and inputted several Law Decrees.


    Suddenly, a golden light shield appeared in the void, covering the entire platform.


    ¡°Not good, it¡¯s a Formation!¡±


    Sun Dingfeng immediately yelled, warning the others.


    Everyone¡¯s complexion changed drastically; as Jin Zhison¡¯s attacks drew closer, they each had to concern themselves with their own lives and had no time to stop them.


    Feeling the temperature of the fireball, Lin Shilu¡¯s face grew solemn, and he quickly took out a small shield with a pattern of interlocking blue and red, shielding himself with it.


    The other cultivators also did not dare to be negligent, each taking out various Defensive Spiritual Tools to protect themselves.


    After several booming explosions, screams echoed.


    The platform was left with numerous deep pits, where several Qi Refining Cultivators lay inside, their bodies still emitting flames, evidently dead.


    Among the five Qi Cultivation Great Perfection Cultivators, only Chen Xiaoliang, the Clan Leader of the Chen Clan, survived thanks to a treasured artifact, but he was also severely injured.


    Although the fireballs were formidable, their power became too dispersed as they attacked everyone present, allowing all Foundation Establishment Cultivators to successfully block Jin Zhison¡¯s full-force strike.


    However, the observing Qi Refining Cultivators were not so fortunate. Even those at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage could not withstand it without a treasured artifact for protection, with Chen Xiaoliang as an example.


    After the first strike, Lin Shilu¡¯s face changed dramatically, continuously reminding everyone,


    ¡°Quickly, make your move, prevent them from forming the formation. If we get trapped by the formation, we will all die here!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s reminder, they all hastily attacked, trying to stop Zhuang Zhenxin from setting up the formation.


    Lin Shilu was the first to act, bringing out a big sword with hues of blue and yellow, pouring in a large amount of Spiritual Power and swinging it. A stroke of Golden Sword Qi launched towards Zhuang Zhenxin.


    Sun Dingfeng, on the other hand, threw out a large amount of talisman paper, dozens in total, with even two Second Order Talismans among them, indicating he was truly fighting for his life.


    Facing the desperate counterattack of four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, even with Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer cultivation, Jin Zhison was under immense pressure.


    But he had to hold on, to win time for Zhuang Zhenxin to set up the formation. As long as the formation was successfully laid and activated, they could completely turn the tide.


    Jin Zhison didn¡¯t hesitate, immediately pulling out a glittering golden shield from his storage bag, imbued it with a large amount of Spiritual Power, and transformed it into a light screen tens of yards wide that firmly protected him.


    Seeing the golden shield, Sun Dingfeng immediately exclaimed,


    ¡°It¡¯s the Qing Jiao Shield!¡±


    Hearing Sun Dingfeng¡¯s warning, everyone was taken aback.


    The Qing Jiao Shield was a Magic Artifact made from the Reverse Scale of a Third Order Demon Beast, Qingshui Jiao. It had extremely formidable defensive power and was one of the treasures of the Jin Family, rarely used. They didn¡¯t expect it to appear here.


    It appeared the Jin Family really invested heavily this time.


    A moment passed, and the Golden Light Greatsword and a sky full of sword rain struck the Qing Jiao Shield simultaneously.


    ¡°Crackle and pop, a continuous burst of explosive sounds¡­¡±


    Behind the light screen, Jin Zhison turned pale, coughing out mouthfuls of blood. His internal organs churned, and his breath quickly weakened.


    Even with the protection of the Magic Artifact, which blocked ninety percent of the attack, the remaining ten percent still shattered the flesh on his arms, exposing the white bones beneath.


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    When the attack briefly ceased, Jin Zhison breathed a sigh of relief.


    If he hadn¡¯t brought the Qing Jiao Shield, taking on the combined desperate strike of four people alone, he might have been reduced to ashes.


    Not achieving their goal with the first strike, Lin Shilu and the others did not dare to delay and launched another attack.


    As their attacks arrived once more, although not as ferocious as the first time, Jin Zhison was already injured and simply could not endure a second strike.

 Chapter 111 - 111 - 100 Lin Shilu Trapped (Two in One)_2

    Chapter 111 ¨C 100 Lin Shilu Trapped (Two in One)_2


    Just then, the sky suddenly revealed a pale golden light curtain that enveloped the entire platform. Sand and rocks were flying around, and Sword Qi was wandering everywhere within the platform.


    The second wave of attacks from several people was continuously depleted by the Sword Qi within the Formation, and ultimately collapsed, allowing Jin Zhison to escape.


    For a moment, the complexions of Lin Shilu and the others turned deathly white.


    ¡°Daoist Zhuang has succeeded!¡±


    Feeling the activation of the Formation, Jin Zhison was very excited. He leaped up and was pulled by Zhuang Zhenxin, who quickly retreated, directly leaving the range of the Formation.


    Once out of the Formation, Jin Zhison immediately took a Healing Pill, and then vigilantly stared at the several people inside the Formation.


    ¡°Daoist Zhuang, can this Formation trap four Foundation Establishment Cultivators?¡±


    ...


    Faced with Jin Zhison¡¯s question, Zhuang Zhenxin said with a smile,


    ¡°Foundation Establishment Fifth Level Cultivators, not to mention four of them, even if a few more came, it would be nearly impossible for them to break the Formation through attack, unless one of them is a Second Order Array Master, or an Array Master from outside attempts to break the Formation, spending a month or so to study it, or by using a powerful Magic Artifact for the attack. Otherwise, it¡¯s absolutely impossible to break through!¡±


    ¡°Not only that, the Sword Qi inside will keep wandering without any pattern, and they must keep moving constantly. Even if they can avoid the attacks of the Sword Qi, once their Spiritual Power is exhausted, they will sooner or later be killed!¡±


    Even if they didn¡¯t die, by the time they got out, their families would have been exterminated, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. This trip¡¯s goal had been achieved, and they could now go and regroup with the main force of their family.


    Hearing Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s words, Jin Zhison was very shocked. No wonder Jin Zhiying treated him with such courtesy; he couldn¡¯t help but show even greater respect for Zhuang Zhenxin.


    It should be known that Array Masters in the Cultivation World were even rarer than Alchemists, and those above Second Order were even less common. In the entire Wei Kingdom, they were rarely seen, and within the Luoyun Mountain Range, none had been seen for decades. The possibility of someone coming to rescue them was virtually non-existent.


    Seeing Jin Zhison being overwhelmed, Zhuang Zhenxin was somewhat proud, and said to Jin Zhison,


    ¡°Daoist Jin, let¡¯s go. We can go and meet up with your elder brother, and sweep through the territories of the four great families one by one, hoping to find the item I am looking for!¡±


    Thinking of quickly attacking the territories of the four great families and obtaining a large amount of treasures, the two were very excited.


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s set off now and meet up with elder brother!¡±


    At Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s words, Jin Zhison dared not disagree and readily agreed.


    Looking at the large number of Cultivators watching the battle below the mountain, Jin Zhison shouted,


    ¡°If any of you dare to go to the market or report to the four great families, you are declaring yourselves enemies of the Jin Family. Once we find out, there will be no mercy.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare, wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡±


    The large number of Cultivators had already been scared out of their wits and quickly echoed agreement, with many even offering flattery.


    Jin Zhison and the other paid them no more heed and took to Sword Flight, flying towards the east, soon disappearing into the horizon. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the two had left, the Qi Refining Cultivators who had been watching the battle at the foot of the mountain finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Jin Zhison had not troubled them; it seemed he didn¡¯t care about these insignificant people. If a massacre had ensued, they would have had no way to resist. Read the latest on empire


    Soon, the Qi Refining Cultivators at the foot of the mountain left, leaving only the few people inside the Formation.


    Within the Formation, a large amount of furious Sword Qi was constantly on the move, causing Lin Shilu and the others to speed up their dodging, moving frantically inside.


    If they were hit by the Sword Qi, even if they didn¡¯t die, they would be gravely injured.


    In between dodging, Lin Shilu released several Sword Qi attacks at the Formation¡¯s light curtain.


    Regrettably, whether it was the Sword Qi or the attack of the Five Elements Spell, they were all absorbed by the light curtain, without showing even a ripple.


    Having no other choice, Lin Shilu could only invite the others to attack together and give it a try.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, the power of one is of no use at all; we should combine our powers and strike together, attacking the same spot. Maybe there is some hope.¡±


    ¡°I had the same thought!¡±


    Sun Dingfeng had also realized the difficulty of the Formation and happily agreed.


    The other few had no objections, so they combined their forces to attack the same spot. Although the light curtain clearly trembled, it quickly returned to normal.


    After several attempts, and changing numerous positions, there was still no effect; the Formation remained still.


    As time moved on, their Spiritual Power was rapidly depleting. Soon, they were nearing exhaustion, and the only Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivator who had been alive was already dead, leaving only the four Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    ¡°Daoist Lin, attacking like this is futile. With just the few of us, it¡¯s impossible to break the Formation. It¡¯s better to save some Spiritual Power to avoid the Sword Qi¡¯s attacks and wait for rescue.¡±


    Sun Dingfeng¡¯s words forced the others to accept the reality: they stopped attacking and began to conserve the little spiritual power that remained, weaving their way within the formation.


    Fortunately, the speed of the Sword Qi within the formation was not fast, and it was not difficult for them to avoid it. The consumption of spiritual power was also not rapid. If it had been a Third Order Formation, they would have had no chance to evade it at all.


    As days passed, relying on Huiyuan Pills to restore their spiritual power, they were able to hold on a bit longer.


    At this moment, Huiyuan Pills became the life-saving straw for the Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Half a month went by, and Wu Yingchong from the Wu Family, exhausted of elixirs and unable to persist, was the first to be struck by the Sword Qi and died.


    A renowned Foundation Establishment Cultivator dying because of depleted spiritual power was an unspeakable irony.


    Lin Shilu and Sun Dingfeng, both with higher cultivation and more elixirs, could hold on for another half month without problems.


    By now, everyone was already exhausted to the limit; the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Luo Family were on the verge of collapse. If no rescue came, they would inevitably follow in Wu Yingchong¡¯s footsteps.


    Inside the formation, the three people who were still alive persevered desperately.


    ¡­


    In the Luoyun Mountain Range, within the valley of great battle.


    Atop a mountain peak, Lin Tianming opened his tightly shut eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air.


    After four days of recovery, Lin Tianming¡¯s injuries had partially healed.


    With the help of elixirs and his powerful self-healing ability, the bloody hole in his arm had healed, leaving only a scar. As long as he did not exert himself for a few days, he would quickly recover.


    Thinking back to the entire battle, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved.


    If his father hadn¡¯t followed him all the way and arrived in time at the critical moment, all three of them would have undoubtedly perished there.


    After four days of seated meditation to recover, Lin Tianming¡¯s injuries were partially healed. It was already the day the martial arts competition ended, and it was time for them to set out again.


    Before long, Lin Xingrong gathered everyone, and the two people from the Sun Family also came over.


    Having confirmed that Lin Tianming¡¯s injuries no longer hindered travel, they set off once more towards the outer regions of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    A day later, with Lin Xingrong leading the group, they successfully exited the inner region.


    Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle, and by taking advantage of the Spirit Beast¡¯s flight, they could even use this time to recover briefly. Their speed greatly increased as a result.


    Finally, on the day the competition ended, they arrived at the starting point. By then, the cultivators who had come to watch had long departed, leaving the lively foot of the mountain eerily quiet.


    Seeing the glow surrounding the platform from afar, they were greatly shocked, as it was apparent something unexpected had happened.


    Picking up the pace, they quickly arrived at the base of the platform¡¯s mountain.


    Lin Tianming observed the formation repeatedly and after conjecture, deduced that it was at least a Second Order Formation. However, since none of them were Array Masters, it was impossible to determine exactly what kind of formation it was or how to break it.


    ¡°Father, could there be any way to rescue Fifteenth Grandfather and the others who are trapped in the formation?¡±


    Faced with Lin Tianming¡¯s question, Lin Xingrong also felt helpless. After all, he wasn¡¯t an Array Master himself, and couldn¡¯t even figure out the type of the formation, let alone how to begin to dismantle it.


    After fruitless discussion, they could only attempt the most straightforward method: using powerful attacks to break through. That was the only thing left to try.


    Resolute, Lin Xingrong took the lead in attacking. With all his strength, the formation did not budge an inch.


    The group attacked several times with combined forces, but similarly achieved nothing.


    The party tried attacking the formation countless times, switching positions, yet the formation naturally showed no response.


    As he saw the worsening condition of Lin Shilu and the others within the formation, Lin Xingrong grew increasingly anxious.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was unusually calm, rapidly considering their options for a long while.


    ¡°Eye of Five Colors!¡±


    Lin Tianming finally remembered his Eye of Five Colors!


    ¡°The Eye of Five Colors has the ability to see through illusions and barriers. Although I¡¯m not sure about the effects on High Order formations, for a Second Order Formation, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    With his mind made up, Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors and looked towards the formation¡¯s glowing screen on the platform.

 Chapter 112 - 112 - 101: Escaping the Predicament (Two in One) _1

    Chapter 112 ¨C 101: Escaping the Predicament (Two in One) _1


    Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors, gazing at the formation¡¯s light curtain.


    Within the invisible and colorless curtain, countless beams of light appeared, each nearly the size of a strand of hair, densely packed and innumerable, ultimately converging towards eight directions of the platform, and at each direction there was an energy cluster, presumably the core of the formation.


    After circling around the platform, Lin Tianming revealed a grave expression.


    ¡°How is it, can you discern anything?¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming remaining silent, Lin Xingrong asked anxiously from the side.


    Faced with his father¡¯s pressing question, he began to voice his thoughts.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit tricky. Based on my estimation, this formation is at least a Second Order lower-grade formation, focused more on trapping than attacking, otherwise Elder Wu and the rest wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold on for long!¡±


    ...


    Hearing what Lin Tianming said, everyone present became even more anxious.


    A Second Order Formation was extremely rare in the Luoyun Mountain Range, apart from the Protective Clan Formations of the five major families, no other power was known to have a Second Order Protective Clan Formation.


    In Wei Kingdom, Second Order Array Masters were essentially venerated by major powers, and even Golden Elixir Forces seldom managed to cultivate them; among Loose Cultivators, they were even rarer. Find your next read on empire


    The few speculated that the person who set up the formation was definitely not a Jin Family Cultivator, but more likely a helper that the Jin Family had sought out to annihilate the four major families.


    No matter their identity or purpose, the pressing matter at hand was naturally to rescue Lin Shilu and the others.


    ¡°Tian Ming, do you have a method to break the formation?¡±


    An anxious Lin Xingrong asked again.


    Lin Tianming frowned slightly and said helplessly,


    ¡°We can only try to locate the formation¡¯s core and break it, or wait for the formation¡¯s energy to be exhausted, or ask a Golden Elixir Expert to act, for there to be a chance of breaking the formation.¡±


    Hearing what Lin Tianming said, Lin Xingrong¡¯s face grew even grimmer.


    The methods Lin Tianming mentioned were all nearly impossible for them to accomplish.


    ¡°Father, we have no other choice. Elder Wu and the rest can¡¯t wait much longer. We can only do our best and try to break the formation!¡±


    Time waits for no one. They couldn¡¯t wait for the formation¡¯s energy to run out, nor could they find a Golden Elixir Expert to help, so they could only rely on themselves.


    If they could make use of the Eye of Five Colors, breaking the formation was possible, but it would require time to study and explore.


    ¡°Alright then!¡±


    Knowing the severity of the situation and lacking other alternatives, Lin Xingrong agreed to let him try.


    ¡°Tian Ming, focus on breaking the formation. I¡¯ll stand guard here. Xing Yu and Tianfeng, you two immediately return to the market, find Xing Zhi and inquire about the situation of the various families. Additionally, find a way to send the news of the Jin Family¡¯s actions back to our clan!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    After the group responded in unison, they sprang into action.


    Sun Ruiqing and another decided not to delay and planned to return to the market with Lin Xingyu to gather news.


    Lin Xingrong also understood the urgency of the situation. Though the major families had anticipated trouble and made some preparations, getting news swiftly was crucial, so he did not stop them from going.


    When everyone had left, Lin Tianming began attempting to break the formation, with Lin Xingrong standing by waiting.


    Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors, scrutinizing the light beams within the curtain.


    The curtain¡¯s light beams were too many, chaotically interwoven, ultimately converging at the eight formation cores.


    His task was to find the essential core among the eight and destroy it to break the formation.


    Having organized his thoughts, Lin Tianming started from the first direction in front of him.


    Looking at the chaotic and dense light beams, Lin Tianming carefully observed each one to locate the source of the beams.


    Three days passed, and Lin Tianming sat to the south, contemplating the light curtain in front of him.


    After analyzing and comparing, the light curtain in front of him was subtly different from other directions.


    Lin Tianming speculated that the formation¡¯s core was likely hidden within this part of the curtain.


    Having identified the specific direction, Lin Tianming once again scrutinized the light beams inside for detailed analysis.


    ¡­


    Outside Luoyun Market. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Xingyu and the group of four arrived at a mountaintop outside the market, cautiously observing the entrance, not daring to enter hastily.


    At the entrance, there were still many cultivators coming in and out. Aside from a noticeable decrease in the flow of people, there were no signs of martial law enforcement or a direct shutdown of the market.


    It seemed that the Jin Family had not taken any action against the clanspeople within the market, which was good news.


    Considering there were no abnormalities, the four of them managed to enter the market smoothly.


    Inside the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Xingyu and another met with Lin Xingzhi.


    Although Jin Zhison had threatened the Qi Refining Cultivators watching the competition below the mountain not to spread any word, in the past few days, still, quite a few rumors had emerged.


    Lin Xingzhi had only just learned the news, and with half-belief, was about to go and check it out when he encountered Lin Xingyu and the others returning.


    Lin Xingyu recounted the events of the competition, and Lin Xingzhi was taken by surprise.


    Lin Xingrong had killed Jin Chaojiang, making him the only cultivator from the five major families to die in a magical duel in recent decades.


    After calming his emotions, Lin Xingzhi also spoke about the rumors within the market.


    According to rumors from some Qi Refining Cultivators, the Jin Family had assembled a large number of clansmen and gone to the Wu Family¡¯s clan grounds at Jiuhua Mountain. After surrounding it for several days, they broke through the Wu Family¡¯s Protective Clan Formation.


    The Wu Family was annihilated; not even the Foundation Establishment Cultivators managed to escape, with only a very small number of clan members outside surviving the catastrophe.

 Chapter 113 - 113 - 101: Escaping the Predicament (Two in One) _2

    Chapter 113 ¨C 101: Escaping the Predicament (Two in One) _2


    It had been a month since Lin Shilu and several others were trapped.


    The news of the Wu Family¡¯s annihilation had spread in the market these last two days, causing a great shock, and the Wu Family members in the market had already fled. As for whether they could escape the pursuit, it was difficult to predict.


    The Jin Family most likely struck at the Wu Family first because the Wu Family¡¯s territory was the closest, and their silent and unexpected annihilation was truly hard to believe.


    Yet, the Wu Family had been annihilated twenty days ago, and the news had only come out now. The Jin Family must have intended to block the information, otherwise, with the distance being within a thousand miles, the news should have been received much earlier.


    The whereabouts of the Jin Family were unknown now, and the next target was hard to determine, likely being either the Sun Family or the Luo Family.


    After Lin Xingyu and the others exchanged the information they each had learned, Lin Xingzhi spoke:


    ¡°Xingyu, you now sneak back to our clan¡¯s territory and relay the news of the Wu Family¡¯s annihilation and the trapping of Fifteenth Uncle back to our family, but remember not to be discovered by the Jin Family. Tianfeng, return to Tian Ming¡¯s side, and I will stay in the market to gather information.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Right, everyone, be careful!¡± sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After assigning their respective tasks, they quickly set into action.


    The gathering place for the competition.


    Lin Tianming had been sitting here for several days, concentrating on breaking the formation.


    At the moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed, and sweat dripped continuously from his forehead; he had reached the most critical moment.


    Staring at the tens of thousands of light rays within the formation¡¯s light screen, Lin Tianming focused on one of them, contemplating.


    This beam of light seemed very ordinary; it wound around like others, of the same thickness, and didn¡¯t look different compared to the rest.


    But after comparisons and observing for the entire day, Lin Tianming still discovered a subtle difference.


    This particular beam of light would hasten the transfer of energy every half an hour, almost ten times faster, lasting for a quarter of an hour before returning to normal.


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    After repeated confirmations, Lin Tianming was certain that this beam of light was the formation¡¯s core.


    Days and nights of relentless study and calculation had left Lin Tianming utterly exhausted.


    Having found the key to breaking the formation, Lin Tianming finally showed a trace of a smile.


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    Lin Shilu and the others had already been trapped for a full month, in extremely difficult circumstances.


    Without any delay, Lin Tianming stood up and took out an Earth Evil Sword from his storage bag.


    Circulating his cultivation technique and injecting a large amount of spiritual energy, he swung the sword with all his might, turning it into a cyan-yellow Sword Qi, and striking at that special beam of light.


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    A grating, strange sound cut through the sky, startling Lin Xingrong, who was meditating nearby.


    He immediately stood up and leaped to Lin Tianming¡¯s side, vigilantly watching the light screen.


    When the weird noise stopped, the light screen slowly cracked open and then completely vanished without a trace, revealing the figures of Lin Shilu and the others. The three trapped men were pale, looking like they had aged several years.


    On the platform, seeing the formation broken and the wandering Sword Qi dissipating, Lin Shilu and the other two¡¯s faces showed wild joy, and they all promptly sat on the ground, looking thoroughly drained.


    Being trapped for a full month, Wu Yingchong was worn to death, and Luo Chenggu was also at his limits.


    Lin Shilu and Sun Dingfeng fared slightly better; their cultivation and elixirs had allowed them to hold on, but they were equally exhausted. A few more days of being trapped would have certainly led to death from exhaustion.


    Seeing Lin Shilu¡¯s figure, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingrong¡¯s complexions were ruddy, and they rushed over immediately.


    ¡°Fifteenth Uncle, how are you?¡±


    Lin Xingrong anxiously inquired about Lin Shilu¡¯s condition.


    Lin Shilu took a Huiyuan Pill and meditated for a quarter of an hour before he could speak; this showed how lucky he was to be alive. Without Lin Tianming, they would have undoubtedly died this time.


    ¡°Xingrong, Tianming, I¡¯m just overly exhausted; I¡¯m feeling a bit better now. I need to cultivate for half a day, you two help to protect me!¡±


    ¡°Alright, Elder, recover at ease!¡±


    Having said that, Lin Tianming and the other person stopped asking questions and sat to one side to wait.


    Half a day passed quickly.


    After the recovery, some color finally returned to Lin Shilu¡¯s pale face.


    In half a day¡¯s time, his spiritual power had also recovered by nearly half. Lin Shilu got up and walked to the side, with Lin Tianming and the others following closely.


    In a corner, the two secretly communicated with Lin Shilu, exchanging their respective experiences through voice transmission.


    ¡°Tian Ming, I owe you my life. Without you, I would have truly died here!¡±


    Upon learning that Lin Tianming had gone five days and nights without closing his eyes to break the formation and rescue several people, Lin Shilu didn¡¯t inquire about the details but sincerely expressed his gratitude.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, you are too polite. We are all Lin Family members, and my success was merely by luck. It is a great relief to us younger generations that you have escaped from danger!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Fifteenth Uncle, there¡¯s no need for courtesy, all that we did was our duty!¡±


    Lin Xing Rong also spoke up in agreement.


    The three of them exchanged words for a good half a quarter hour until Sun Dingfeng and his companions stood up, signaling a pause in their communication.


    Once Sun Dingfeng and his group had regained a fraction of their spiritual power, they approached Lin Tianming and the others.


    After a half-day¡¯s recovery, Sun Dingfeng and his group were in much better condition and immediately came over to express their thanks.


    ¡°Daoist Lin, we will remember this life-saving grace deep in our hearts and will not refuse any request you make in the future!¡±


    ¡°My fellow Daoists, there¡¯s no need for such formality. Everyone making it out alive is a great fortune in itself, though it is truly unfortunate about Daoist Wu,¡± said Lin solemnly, lamenting repeatedly.


    Upon mentioning Wu Yingchong, Sun Dingfeng and the other¡¯s expressions changed. A stalwart Foundation Establishment Cultivator had died from being utterly drained; their tragic end came at the hands of the Jin Family.


    ¡°Daoist Lin, Daoist Wu¡¯s death is indeed regrettable. Since he is gone, let¡¯s not talk about him. As for his storage bag, let¡¯s leave it with Daoist Lin. Luo Daoyou, you have no objections, right?¡±


    Sun Dingfeng made the proposal without objections from Luo Chenggu. Given that their survival had entirely depended on the Lin Family¡¯s intervention, they naturally wouldn¡¯t dispute over these belongings.


    Following this, Lin Shilu recounted the experiences of the ordeal, which only stoked the fury of the two men.


    The Sun Family was slightly better off, having lost only one clan member, but the Luo and Wu Family members had been wiped out entirely, causing both men to grind their teeth in resentment, wishing they could immediately march to the Jin Family¡¯s territory for vengeance.


    Lin Shilu advised them not to act rashly and thus was able to stabilize their emotions.


    For a good half an hour, the trio discussed strategies on how to deal with the Jin Family, and after coming to a series of resolutions, they prepared to return to their respective families.


    Just at that moment, Lin Tianfeng, who had returned from the market, rushed over.


    Seeing that Lin Shilu had escaped from danger, Lin Tianfeng was overjoyed and hurriedly went forward to pay his respects.


    Anxious, Lin Xing Rong hastily instructed Lin Tianfeng to report the news from the market as well as from the Jin Family.


    Knowing the critical nature of the news he possessed, Lin Tianfeng did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point by revealing the demise of the Wu Family.


    ¡°What, the Wu Family was annihilated in just five days!¡±


    ¡°It happened twenty days ago!¡±


    Sun Dingfeng and Luo Chenggu exclaimed in shock, as everyone present was thoroughly stunned.


    Although they had anticipated that the Jin Family, after trapping Lin Shilu and others, would immediately act, they had not expected that the Wu Family would fall in only five days, especially since they were also a Foundation Establishing family. The outcome was truly beyond expectations.


    Lin Shilu was the first to regain his calm and spoke:


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the Array Master the Jin Family brought in is, I deduce, at least a Second Order Mid-Grade Formation Master. With his help, coupled with the Jin Family¡¯s Second Order Attack Artifact, breaking through the Wu Family¡¯s Protective Clan Formation wouldn¡¯t be difficult!¡±


    The others realized this was indeed the case.


    This person had managed to set up the formation in an extremely short amount of time, clearly indicating that this mysterious cultivator was not to be underestimated.


    Once everyone calmed down, they all had heavy hearts.


    With the Wu Family gone nearly a month, the Jin Family would definitely not sit idly by and would surely continue to attack the other three families¡¯ territories.


    In such a case, the current state of the three families was unknown, and it was foreseen that their situation would not be good.


    Given the Jin Family and Sun Family¡¯s historical enmity, it was highly probable that the Jin Family¡¯s next target would be the Sun Family. Sun Dingfeng, not daring to delay any longer, said:


    ¡°Daoist Lin, we are not yet sure which family¡¯s territory the Jin Family is attacking now. We must set off immediately, return to our family, and strengthen our power to confront the Jin Family.¡±


    ¡°Daoist Sun speaks wisely. We cannot afford to delay!¡±


    Luo Chenggu strongly agreed with Sun Dingfeng¡¯s remark, echoing him immediately.


    Lin Shilu was also extremely anxious and briefly discussed countermeasures with the others before letting them go without delay.


    Sun Dingfeng and the other person no longer lingered, gave a cupped fist salute, and quickly vanished into the horizon.

 Chapter 114 - 114 - 102 Sun Family Seeks Refuge (Parts One and Two Combined) _1

    Chapter 114 ¨C 102 Sun Family Seeks Refuge (Parts One and Two Combined) _1


    Flying Eagle Mountain, in a concealed valley behind the Sun Family clan territory.


    After escaping from his predicament, he dared not delay, nor care for his unhealed injuries, and hastily rushed back to Flying Eagle Mountain.


    This place was one of the Sun Family¡¯s secret passages, known only to a dozen or so core clan members, and was one of the contingencies the Sun Family had left behind.


    Sun Dingfeng lay atop a hill, watching as various colors of magical spells streaked across the sky, accompanied by bursts of explosions.


    Clearly, the Jin Family was attacking the Protective Clan Formation.


    Looking at the Protective Clan Formation in front of him, its defensive power had decreased by over half; it seemed it wouldn¡¯t hold out much longer.


    Just then, a red light streaked across the sky, and after the ground shook and the mountains swayed, the Protective Clan Formation collapsed with a loud bang, and flames soared into the sky from within the Sun Family territory.


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s all over!¡±


    Watching as the clan¡¯s great formation was breached, Sun Dingfeng¡¯s face turned even paler, and blood oozed from the corners of his mouth.


    Outside the Sun Family territory, with the formation broken, Jin Zhiying let out a triumphant, strange laugh and immediately charged in, while Zhuang Zhenxin, who had put away a gray pearl, swiftly followed suit.


    This time, aside from leaving behind one Foundation Establishment Cultivator to guard the territory, the Jin Family had dispatched ninety percent of their elite forces¡ªdozens of clan members, each with cultivation at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement or above.


    Inside the Sun Family, as the formation broke, three figures soared into the sky, appearing at the entrance of the clan territory.


    As Jin Zhiying, who had rushed in, saw one of the three, an old man with thinning hair and a goatee, he exclaimed:


    ¡°Old Ghost Sun, you¡¯re actually still alive!¡±


    The Sun elder¡¯s expression was calm as he feigned composure and spoke:


    ¡°Humph, although my life is nearing its end, I won¡¯t die so easily. Since you¡¯ve seen me, why not quickly retreat? Our Sun Family can still let bygones be bygones; otherwise, today will be your death day!¡±


    Hearing the Sun elder speak plainly, Jin Zhiying seemed to sense a lack of confidence in his voice.


    Thinking of how Sun Dingfeng had been trapped and the Jin Family Cultivators outnumbered the Sun Family by three, and that the three from the Sun Family had cowered within the formation at the time of the breach and clearly dared not engage in battle, now that the formation was broken and they had completely turned hostile, they certainly wouldn¡¯t retreat when they had the absolute upper hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re still alive, I¡¯ll be afraid of you. We¡¯ve been planning this for nearly ten years; how could we give up easily!¡±


    Making up his mind, Jin Zhiying commanded the Jin Family members behind him:


    ¡°Spare no effort; kill them all. The wealth of the Sun Family will be ours!¡±


    Thinking of the vast treasures they had acquired from defeating the Wu Family, the Jin Family Cultivators behind him showed a fierce gleam in their eyes, swarming forward in full force.


    Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin also attacked at the same time, targeting Sun Anzhong and Sun Dingxian.


    Jin Zhiying, with his Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivation, faced Sun Anzhong at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, while Zhuang Zhenxin and Sun Dingxian were both at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level.


    The four clashed fiercely in the high sky, and the remaining four Foundation Establishment Jin Family Cultivators besieged the lone Sun Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    For a moment, there were flashes of blade and sword light, talisman paper and spells all burst forth, and the entire Sun Family territory descended into chaos.


    New n????vel chapters are published on .c¦Ò?.


    Jin Zhiying took out a three-foot-long blood-red blade that emanated a thick murderous aura, clearly a ferocious Second Order Magical Artifact.


    Seeing the blood-red blade, Sun Anzhong¡¯s face turned extremely solemn.


    The Jin Family¡¯s Second Order Attack Artifact, the Thousand Blood Blade, was notorious for its powerful attacks, and many Foundation Establishment Cultivators had died under its edge.


    Being already outmatched in cultivation by Jin Zhiying, he naturally faced great danger in the face of such a vicious weapon.


    As Jin Zhiying slashed three times in succession, transforming the strikes into three blood-colored dragon-shaped Blade Qi, they sliced towards Sun Anzhong.


    Sun Anzhong, not daring to be careless, brought out a black small shield to block the dragon-shaped Blade Qi.


    Three explosive sounds¡­


    Sun Anzhong¡¯s face turned pale as he churned with blood, the single attack significantly shaking his mind and spirit.


    Steadying himself, Sun Anzhong began to counterattack.


    Before they knew it, the two had exchanged over a dozen rounds of blows, and relying on a large quantity of Second Order talismans, Sun Anzhong temporarily held off Jin Zhiying.


    If Sun Dingxian could defeat Zhuang Zhenxin in time, there was still a possibility of repelling the enemy.


    Meanwhile, Sun Dingxian¡¯s situation was also dire.


    As a Second Order Array Master, Zhuang Zhenxin possessed many magical treasures. Although the two shared the same cultivation level, Sun Dingxian had significantly fewer artifacts and quickly found himself at a disadvantage.


    What was more critical was that, although the Sun Family had nearly two hundred clan members in the battle, there were too few Foundation Establishment Cultivators to hold the line.


    The sole Foundation Establishment Cultivator, besieged by Jin Zhison and two others, was already severely injured and wouldn¡¯t last long before being killed.


    At this point, without the protection of the formation, the Sun Family was completely on the defensive.


    As time slowly passed, Jin Zhison struck with full force, releasing three Blade Qi. After a wretched scream, the Sun Family¡¯s Foundation Establishment Cultivator fell.


    Freely joining Jin Zhiying¡¯s fray, Jin Zhison immediately helped to overwhelm their opponents. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jin Zhiying delivered a powerful strike, flinging Sun Anzhong dozens of feet away. He struggled to his feet, his face completely white as he spat mouthfuls of fresh blood.


    With Sun Anzhong retreating step by step, the Sun Family crumbled completely.


    Knowing that all was lost, Sun Anzhong secretly transmitted a message to Sun Dingxian.


    ¡°Dingxian, the game is up, and the Sun Family has reached a dead end. The few clan members with great potential have already left. In any case, I won¡¯t live much longer. In a moment, I will take the Blood Spirit Pill and hold them off for a while; you must escape immediately. As long as the green hills last, there¡¯ll be wood to burn!¡±


    Hearing Sun Anzhong¡¯s secret transmission, Sun Dingxian¡¯s face turned deathly pale, realizing his own injuries, the desperate state of the Sun Family, and knowing that continuing to fight would not change the outcome; escaping was a helpless move.


    ¡°Ninth Uncle, rest assured, I won¡¯t let our family¡¯s lineage be cut off!¡±


    Sun Dingxian¡¯s eyes shown with resolution as he looked towards Sun Anzhong and began to transmit his message.


    Sun Anzhong, thus resolved, took out a red elixir from his storage bag and swallowed it.

 Chapter 115 - 115 - 102 Sun Family Seeks Refuge (Parts One and Two Combined) _2

    Chapter 115 ¨C 102 Sun Family Seeks Refuge (Parts One and Two Combined) _2


    A breath¡¯s time had passed, and Sun Anzhong¡¯s aura rapidly soared, ascending a whole level and now no less than that of Jin Zhiying.


    ¡°The Blood Spirit Pill, Old Ghost Sun is going for broke!¡±


    Jin Zhiying immediately cried out in alarm, swinging his blade several times, attacking Sun Anzhong.


    As Sun Anzhong¡¯s aura surged, he dodged the attacks and gave up on confronting Jin Zhiying, instead aiming to kill Zhuang Zhenxin.


    Zhuang Zhenxin was greatly shocked and immediately ceased his attack on Sun Dingxian, explosively retreating backward.


    Seizing the opportunity, Sun Dingxian didn¡¯t hesitate and instantly fled towards the aft hill of the clan grounds, his speed incredibly fast.


    Perceiving that Sun Dingxian was fleeing, Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin immediately gave chase.


    ...


    Having finally gotten the chance, Sun Anzhong, who had already planned for this, naturally would not let them pass. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sun Anzhong took out dozens of Second Order Attack Talismans, threw them into the sky, and instantly, numerous fireballs appeared, filling the entire sky, with Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin trapped amidst the sea of flames.


    For a moment, the sea of flames engulfed the entire battlefield, and under indiscriminate attack, both the Sun Family and Jin Family suffered numerous casualties.


    The Jin Family, protected by many Foundation Establishment Cultivators, lost just over a dozen clan members, while the Sun Family had dozens killed.


    ¡°Old Ghost Sun has gone mad; he even disregards his own clan members!¡±


    Jin Zhiying was both shocked and enraged; although he and Zhuang Zhenxin were unharmed, they were completely blocked from their pursuit, allowing Sun Dingxian to vanish from their sight. To continue the chase would require significant effort.


    When the blaze dissipated, Jin Zhiying and Jin Zhison encircled Sun Anzhong, with Zhuang Zhenxin joining the fray.


    Sun Dingxian was a big problem; if he escaped, the Jin Family would have to be constantly on guard, an endless trouble.


    Only by killing Sun Anzhong could they get past him to chase the fleeing Sun Dingxian.


    In a flash, all three went all out, launching a frenzy of attacks on Sun Anzhong.


    Jin Zhiying once again unleashed a fatal blow, sending forth five strikes of Blood Jiao Blade Qi, layer upon layer, piercing through Sun Anzhong¡¯s black shield.


    Sun Anzhong spat out blood, one arm severed, his combat strength severely reduced.


    ¡°If you want to eradicate our Sun Family, you will have to pay the price!¡±


    Sun Anzhong¡¯s face was pale as he roared in anger.


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t kill Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin, he targeted Jin Zhison.


    He threw out the remaining dozen or so Second Order Talismans, entangling Jin Zhiying and the others.


    For a moment, resigned to death and dodging no attacks, Sun Anzhong made his way toward Jin Zhison.


    When Jin Zhiying and the others burst out of the talisman fire sea, they found two corpses lying on the ground.


    Jin Zhiying immediately ran over and picked up the fallen Jin Zhison to examine him.


    Having taken the Blood Spirit Pill and reached Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, Sun Anzhong was gravely wounded, but with a life-for-life strike, he succeeded in dying together with Jin Zhison, a Foundation Establishment Sixth Level.


    Seeing that Jin Zhison had already ceased breathing, Jin Zhiying was deeply grieved.


    A short while later, the entire battlefield became utterly silent.


    Aside from the escaped Sun Dingxian, all the Sun Family members present were killed.


    ¡°Daoist Zhuang and I will chase after the fleeing Sun Dingxian, you all quickly clean up the Jin Family clan grounds, collect the treasures, leave five to keep watch, and then head to Green Bamboo Mountain,¡± Jin Zhiying ordered.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    After the surviving Jin Family members respectfully responded, Jin Zhiying did not linger and chased in the direction Sun Dingxian had fled.


    ¡­


    On a hilltop behind the Sun Family Clan Grounds.


    After breaking away from the battle, Sun Dingxian didn¡¯t stay for a moment and headed straight here.


    Seeing Sun Dingxian appear, Sun Dingfeng lying in wait on the hilltop immediately went up to greet him.


    ¡°Fourth brother, how is the family?¡±


    Although Sun Dingfeng had guessed the outcome, he still asked, unwilling to give up hope.


    Sun Dingxian did not answer, pulling Sun Dingfeng along as they left without slowing their flight.


    After running for tens of miles, taking advantage of a brief rest, he recounted the events of the great battle.


    Upon hearing this, Sun Dingfeng¡¯s expression turned sorrowful as he shared the predicament of the Spirit Scripture.


    ¡°Fourth brother, what do we do now?¡±


    Facing Sun Dingfeng¡¯s inquiry, Sun Dingxian also hesitated; the current situation called for flight first, with the possibility of later gathering the younger generations of the Sun Family. However, he also wanted to hear Sun Dingfeng¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°Dingfeng, what are your thoughts?¡±


    Sun Dingfeng pondered for a moment; to evade pursuit, the only option seemed to be fleeing to Qianchuan Market, but it was too far and unlikely. On the other hand, if they escaped to the Lin Family, only over six hundred miles away, the chances of hope were greater.


    Making up his mind, Sun Dingfeng said:


    ¡°Fourth brother, after breaking free, I discussed with Lin Shilu that if anything happened, we could go to the Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain to stand together against the Jin Family. Moreover, we already had an alliance in place. With the Lin Family¡¯s strength, maybe we can fend off the Jin Family¡¯s pursuit. What do you think?¡±


    After hearing Sun Dingfeng¡¯s words, Sun Dingxian did not think long and agreed to the suggestion.


    In truth, they had no choice; currently, their only possibility of escaping the pursuit was to join with the Lin Family.


    Deciding on this, the two immediately flew toward the south.


    Sometime later, Jin Zhiying and another also caught up.


    Half a day¡¯s time passed.


    At the Green Bamboo Mountain, the Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    Ever since the market competition began, the Lin Family had been under martial law for two months.


    At this moment, Lin Shiji was personally leading five clan members on patrol at the edge of the Formation.


    Suddenly, they saw two cultivators flying towards them at high speed, stopping just outside the Formation.


    As the two landed, Lin Shiji realized they were Sun Dingfeng and another.


    At this point, Sun Dingfeng and his companion were in terrible condition. While Sun Dingxian was better off, with Foundation Establishment Eighth Level cultivation and not much injury, Sun Dingfeng was already injured and exhausted from the constant fleeing.


    Outside the Formation, Sun Dingxian shouted toward the inside.


    ¡°Sun Dingxian urgently seeks an audience with Lin Shikang, no time to lose, please come out at once!¡±

 Chapter 116 - 116 - 102 Sun Family Seeks Refuge (Parts One and Two Combined) _3

    Chapter 116 ¨C 102 Sun Family Seeks Refuge (Parts One and Two Combined) _3


    Lin Shi Ji was acutely aware that a bond had been forged with the Sun Family and that today was the day of a great battle, so he naturally did not dare to delay and immediately sent a message to Lin Shi Kang.


    Not long after, Lin Shi Kang appeared at the edge of the formation.


    He opened the formation, personally welcomed Sun Dingxian inside, and the formation swiftly returned to its original state.


    Without time to rest, Lin Shi Kang anxiously asked,


    ¡°Daoist Sun, what kind of accident has befallen you?¡±


    Although he had anticipated this, Lin Shi Kang still wanted to inquire personally.


    Sun Dingxian took a deep breath and hurriedly recounted the Sun Family¡¯s ordeal.


    ...


    ¡°What? The Sun Family clan grounds have been breached, over a hundred clan members have perished, and only the two of you managed to escape!¡±


    Hearing Sun Dingxian say this himself, Lin Shi Kang was greatly shocked.


    It should be known that the Sun Family¡¯s time of establishment predates the Lin Family by several hundred years and truly possesses deep foundations with several Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Yet, they too were breached by the Jin Family, who broke through their Protective Clan Formation and slew over a hundred of their clan members.


    But the matter had come to this point, leaving no choice but to believe it.


    As Lin Shi Ji tried to stabilize his emotions, he immediately reminded,


    ¡°Lin, you must be careful. The Jin Family has somehow invited a Second Order Mid-Grade Formation Master. Not only did they lay down formations, entrapping people like Lin Shi Lu for about a month, but they also breached the Protective Clan Formations of both the Wu Family and our Sun Family. They are ruthless like the World Evil Sect!¡±


    Since Lin Shi Lu and others had not yet returned to the clan grounds for some reason, Lin Shi Kang took Sun Dingxian¡¯s warning very seriously upon hearing it.


    ¡°A Second Order Mid-Grade Formation Master¡­ it seems the Jin Family is indeed well-prepared, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have commenced the battle so resolutely!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we underestimated them!¡±


    After discussing, Lin Shi Kang turned to Lin Shi Ji beside him and instructed,


    ¡°Shi Ji, the Jin Family will be here soon. Time is pressing, so take Daoist Sun and the others to rest first. I¡¯ll personally guard this place. Then immediately order all clan members to assemble and be ready to respond to the battle with the Jin Family at any moment!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see to it right away!¡±


    With that, Lin Shi Ji left with Sun Dingfeng and the other person.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin appeared outside of the formation.


    Jin Zhiying saw that Sun Dingxian and the other person had vanished, evidently having entered the Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    ¡°Daoist Zhuang, you first observe the Lin Family¡¯s Protective Clan Formation to see if you can break it. I¡¯ll stay here on guard, as the Lin Family likely doesn¡¯t dare to act rashly either!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Zhuang Zhenxin immediately began to inspect the perimeter of the formation.


    The appearance of the two men immediately caught the attention of Lin Shi Kang.


    Knowing that Jin Zhiying was at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection realm and that there was Zhuang Zhenxin, who was at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, Lin Shi Kang did not dare to act rashly and could only hope that the Protective Clan Formation could withstand the attack.


    An hour passed, and Zhuang Zhenxin returned to Jin Zhiying¡¯s side.


    Seeing Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s return, Jin Zhiying asked,


    ¡°How goes it? Do you think you can break the formation?¡±


    Zhuang Zhenxin, with a calm expression, thought for a moment before replying,


    ¡°The Lin Family is indeed a clan that has produced Golden Elixir Experts. Their Protective Clan Formation is quite mysterious. Although it is difficult, with some extra time, it should be possible to break through!¡±


    Pleased with Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s response, Jin Zhiying was very satisfied.


    Once they eliminated the Lin Family, the two from the Sun Family couldn¡¯t run either. After that, the Luo Family left would simply be like fish on the chopping block, easily wiped out.


    ¡°Haha, then I am relieved. With Daoist Zhuang making a move, it¡¯s naturally as easy as grasping something in our hands. We¡¯ll rest here for a few days. Once our Jin Family clan members arrive, we¡¯ll take action to break the formation!¡±


    ¡°Just as Jin Daoyou suggests!¡±


    Having made up their minds, the two flew to a hilltop outside the formation. While waiting for the Jin Family clan members, they sat down to cultivate.


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 Chapter 119 - 119 - 104 Hard-won Victory_1

    Chapter 119 ¨C 104 Hard-won Victory_1


    Sword Qi assaulted them, the Jin Family¡¯s three members, besieging from all angles, wore expressions tinged with solemnness as they felt the intense fluctuations of Sword Qi.


    Among the three Jin Family members at Luoyun Market¡¯s auction, Jin Qilong was also present.


    In the face of Lin Tianming¡¯s attack, the leading Jin Chaojun pulled out a dark green shield, poured Spiritual Power into it, and narrowly blocked Lin Tianming¡¯s assault.


    Not far away, Jin Qilong took out a blue gourd, tossed it into the sky, and immediately a dense, foul-smelling, dark green mist emanated from the gourd, surging directly towards Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Poisonous¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming dared not take it lightly, waving his hands, eighteen Earth Evil Swords shot out, circling once before transforming into a hundred sword shadows.


    Lin Tianming, manipulating the numerous Earth Evil Swords, shaped them into a sword lotus, shielding himself from the oncoming dense mist.


    ...


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    The Sword Lotus¡¯s speed greatly decreased, and the surfaces of the Earth Evil Swords instantly made a ¡°sizzling¡± sound. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The dense mist, spurred by Jin Qilong, was not only toxic but also hindered the functioning of sword techniques. In less than three breaths¡¯ time, several Earth Evil Swords were corroded, which in turn drastically slowed down the sword shadows.


    With no time for shock, Lin Tianming hastily issued a palm strike, unleashing a Wind Control Skill that instantaneously dispersed the approaching dense mist.


    Seeing Lin Tianming easily neutralizing the poison mist attack, Jin Qilong¡¯s expression shifted. Your adventure continues at empire


    This poison mist was something he had put a lot of effort into collecting a large number of poisons to refine. It had a strong corrosive effect on Spiritual Artifacts, and if one absorbed too much poison mist, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would lose their ability to fight.


    Seizing the moment of Jin Qilong¡¯s astonishment, Lin Tianming shifted his gaze to Jin Chaojun.


    Being attacked by too many members of the Jin Family, the longer it dragged on, the more difficult his situation would become.


    He had to quickly kill or seriously injure one person. Even if it was just a serious injury, the pressure on him would be much relieved.


    Having made his decision, Lin Tianming waved his hand, throwing out more than ten attack talismans, among them the Fiery Flame Charm obtained from the auction.


    In the sky, the Second Order talismans transformed into three fireballs the size of buckets, accompanied by several Sword Qi blasts, and killed their way towards the three Jin Family members with incredible speed.


    Taking advantage of the moment they were busy dealing with the attacks, Lin Tianming waved his hands another time, scattering the eighteen Earth Evil Swords across various corners within dozens of yards.


    As the fireballs and Sword Qi drew nearer, the expressions of Jin Qilong¡¯s three members turned exceedingly grave.


    The fireballs approached with such speed and alarming power that, coupled with their close proximity, it was very difficult for the three to evade successfully.


    Left with little time to think, each of the Jin Family members rapidly pulled out a Defensive Spiritual Tool from their storage bags to protect themselves.


    After a series of crackling explosions, the fireballs burst.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    After a scream.


    A few cracks appeared on the high-quality Defensive Spiritual Tools of Jin Qilong and Jin Chaojun. Subjected to the violent impact, both men turned pale, their insides churning as they struggled not to vomit.


    Another Jin Family member at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining was not so lucky.


    As he did not have a high-quality Defensive Spiritual Tool, the Second Order talismans, even if their power was split into three, were too much for his Spiritual Artifact to withstand.


    The Fiery Flame Charm turned into a fireball that directly pierced his defenses. When the fireball exploded, it entirely engulfed him, instantly turning him into a Fire Man.


    Watching their tragic kinsman turned to ashes, Jin Chaojun and Jin Qilong¡¯s faces turned alternately green and white.


    Lin Tianming, holding nothing back, took out his very last reserves, using up all his remaining attack talismans.


    With this kind of generous combat style, he succeeded in killing one person with a single strike.


    Without giving Jin Qilong and the others time to react, Lin Tianming immediately activated the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, enveloping the two Jin Family members.


    As Lin Tianming¡¯s cultivation became increasingly profound, the Sword Qi within the Sword Array became more solid and its power grew stronger. After much combat and strategic experience, his abilities had greatly improved.


    Feeling the pressure of the surrounding environment, the two Jin Family members wore grave expressions, carefully dodging the ceaselessly wandering Sword Qi, considerably slowing down their speed.


    Jin Chaojun took out a long spear, poured a great deal of Spiritual Power into it, and attacked the barriers of the Sword Array over and over in a frenzy.


    Jin Qilong, likewise not daring to delay, spurred on even more concentrated poison mist, attempting to corrode the Sword Array.


    Unfortunately, although the dense mist could corrode lower grade Spiritual Artifacts, it had no effect whatsoever on the Sword Array.


    Facing the threat of death, Jin Qilong joined hands with Jin Chaojun to repeatedly assault the barriers of the Sword Array.


    Together, they pushed the Sword Array to the brink of collapse.


    At this time, Lin Tianming¡¯s consumption of Spiritual Power doubled, the pressure was immense, but even so, he firmly held the Sword Array steady.


    Forty yards¡­


    Thirty yards¡­


    ¡­


    As the area within the Sword Array gradually shrank, the two Jin Family members looked even paler and weaker, the Qi Refining Cultivators like ants on a hot pan.


    Outside the Sword Array, numerous cultivators, reduced by six or seven levels, joined hands in the attack on Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi.


    At that moment, various talismans and spells blossomed in the void.


    Busy dealing with the attack inside the Sword Array, and facing the onslaught of the Jin Family members, Lin Tianming was in a particularly dire situation.


    Luckily, Qi Refining cultivators above the eighth level from the Jin Family were reassigned, leaving mostly those at the sixth and seventh levels, with fewer than five above the eighth level, otherwise Lin Tianming and his companions would have already been defeated.


    The Jin Family members attacking Lin Xingzhi totaled dozens. Despite the significant difference in cultivation level, under the attack of so many cultivators, his situation was even more dire than Lin Tianming¡¯s.


    The two of them struggled desperately, knowing that as long as Lin Shilu defeated Jin Chaohai, all problems would be resolved.


    But facing the Jin Family members who regarded death as if returning home, the battle was incredibly fierce.


    High above, Lin Shilu and Jin Chaohai were engaged in a fierce battle. With the advantages of heaven and earth, as well as the assistance from the dozens of family members on the ground, even Jin Chaohai, at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, was able to hold his own against Lin Shilu at the Fourth Level of Foundation Establishment without falling behind too much.

 Chapter 120 - 120 - 104: Hard-fought Victory_2

    Chapter 120 ¨C 104: Hard-fought Victory_2


    The two had already exchanged blows for dozens of rounds, and Lin Shilu was feeling extremely stifled. He thought that with his higher cultivation and the advantage of his Magic Artifact, he should have been able to quickly kill Jin Chaohai.


    However, the restraint from the Jin Family Clan¡¯s members below was too troublesome, and even Foundation Establishment Cultivators couldn¡¯t completely ignore it.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi¡¯s situation was dire, Lin Shilu decisively changed strategies.


    Since he couldn¡¯t take down Jin Chaohai in a short time, his only option was to kill the Jin Family Clan¡¯s members on the ground to make Jin Chaohai hesitate.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Shilu threw out several talisman papers, blocking Jin Chaohai for a moment.


    Taking advantage of this brief interval, Lin Shilu unleashed his Sword Qi in a sweeping attack, directly plunging into the group of clan members on the ground, with the attitude of a ravenous wolf pouncing on its prey.


    The sudden shift in target caught the Jin Family members off guard, and Jin Chaohai, having dodged the talisman paper and Sword Qi, was already too late to come to their rescue.


    ...


    After the Sword Qi swept through, blood and flesh blurred together in the aftermath, with severed limbs and body parts strewn all over the entrance to the mountain.


    The frenzied attack of Lin Shilu and the horrible death of the clan members made the Jin Family Cultivators¡¯ scalps tingle with fear, and many clan members were scared out of their wits and retreated in panic.


    Knowing that retreating would be useless and would only hasten the Jin Family¡¯s defeat, Jin Chaohai urgently shouted.


    ¡°No retreating, no retreating, speed up the attack¡­¡±


    The retreating Jin Family members, most of whom came to their senses, gathered around again, while some female relatives still failed to realize the situation, foolishly thinking they could survive.


    Unfortunately, their realization came a bit too late.


    Taking advantage of the Jin Family members¡¯ hesitation, Lin Tianming was under much less pressure.


    The range covered by the Earth Fiend Sword Formation began to shrink again, now less than thirty feet.


    ¡°Constrict them!¡±


    At the heart of the Sword Array, Jin Qilong was red-eyed and disheveled, with numerous wounds of varied depths all over his body, looking like a bloodied man.


    Jin Chaojun wasn¡¯t faring any better, his Minor Shield Spirit Instrument was completely riddled with holes. Facing increasingly intense Sword Qi and a shrinking space to survive in, he fell into utter despair.


    Seeing the desperate situation of Jin Qilong and others, Jin Chaohai was frantic and attacked furiously.


    Lin Shilu, now free to act, naturally wouldn¡¯t let him get his way, immediately stepping in front of Lin Tianming.


    Lin Shilu took out a small azure-red shield, firmly protecting Lin Tianming.


    Just as Jin Chaohai¡¯s attack approached, a loud explosion followed, and two miserable screams came from within the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    Lin Shilu successfully blocked Jin Chaohai¡¯s lethal attack, allowing Lin Tianming to take the opportunity to kill Jin Qilong and the others, gaining his freedom.


    Without further concerns, Lin Shilu once again engaged in battle with Jin Chaohai.


    At the brink of hopelessness, Lin Xingzhi took out a Huiyuan Pill and swallowed it. With a wave of his arms, he threw the eighteen Earth Evil Swords towards the heads of the Jin Family Clan¡¯s members, enveloping dozens of people within.


    With no High Order Cultivator¡¯s attack, the range of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation shrank step by step after activation.


    With Lin Tianming joining in, the two of them fighting together pushed the Jin Family members back, teetering on the edge of collapse.


    With no clan members to restrain him and a gap in the realm between them, Jin Chaohai¡¯s situation rapidly declined, leaving him only capable of defensive measures and inevitably headed for defeat.


    At this point, Jin Chaohai realized that the situation was beyond salvage, his fighting spirit was gone, and he was ready to flee at any moment.


    Jin Chaohai repeated his tactic, launching an all-out strike at Lin Tianming, to make Lin Shilu hesitate, and while Lin Shilu was occupied with the rescue, Jin Chaohai fled towards the back mountain of the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory.


    After deflecting the attack for Lin Tianming, Lin Shilu immediately gave chase.


    Well aware of the great threat posed by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, if one were to escape and successfully regroup with Jin Zhiying, they would have no choice but to flee in panic.


    If he had to run with Lin Xingrong, it would be relatively easy, but if he had to take Lin Tianming and the others, the chances of a successful escape were too slim. Under no circumstances could he abandon Lin Tianming, so Jin Chaohai must die.


    Lin Shilu and Jin Chaohai, one pursuing and the other fleeing, turned into two fleeting shadows weaving through the territory of the Jin Family Clan.


    Little did they know, with Jin Chaohai¡¯s escape route cut off, Lin Xingrong had already lain in ambush on the Jin Family¡¯s back mountain. If they tried to break through from the front, they might still have a chance to live, but entering the back mountain meant a near-certain death.


    ¡­


    The back mountain of the Jin Family.


    Lin Xingrong lay hidden atop a tree, holding a Spirit Sword, releasing his entire Divine Sense, feeling all nearby movements, with each plant and tree appearing in his mind.


    Hearing the successive explosions coming from the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory, Lin Xingrong¡¯s expression was grim, extremely concerned about the safety of his companions.


    After the time it took an incense stick to burn, Lin Xingrong spotted Jin Chaohai shooting out from behind a waterfall, flying towards his direction, with a distance of several miles between them.


    Just a few breaths later, Lin Shilu also passed through the waterfall¡¯s water curtain, pursuing Jin Chaohai.


    Lin Xingrong did not act rashly, steadying his mind and expertly hiding among the leaves.


    Focused on escape, Jin Chaohai seemed to have no clue and continued to flee towards Lin Xingrong, with the distance between them closing to less than a thousand zhang.


    Lin Xingrong measured the distance, ready to strike at any moment with a fatal blow.


    Six hundred zhang¡­


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    Four hundred zhang¡­


    Just as it neared two hundred zhang, Lin Xingrong leapt up and brandished his sword thrice, slashing towards Jin Chaohai.


    Confronted with the sudden attack, a tremor went through Jin Chaohai¡¯s heart. With the distance too close, he could not dodge in time and had to hastily pull out a minor shield to save his life.


    A booming sound echoed, as if a blazing sun burst in the sky. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jin Chaohai took the full force of the blow and was sent flying back dozens of zhang, coughing up several mouthfuls of fresh blood.


    When it rains, it pours; not only had he suffered an injury from taking the blow head-on, but Lin Shilu had drawn within several hundred zhang and was still closing the distance.


    Jin Chaohai, disregarding his injuries and the reasons for the ambush, turned around and immediately fled.


    Lin Xingrong waved his sword several times, blocking his path and buying time for Lin Shilu.


    Realizing Lin Xingrong¡¯s cultivation was two levels lower than his, Jin Chaohai struck out in a panic, hoping to carve a way out.


    Lin Xingrong took out a blood-colored jade pendant and shielded himself with it, immediately retreating explosively.


    With a thunderous crash, the jade pendant smashed to pieces, utterly dissipating into the void.


    Lin Xingrong¡¯s cultivation was indeed slightly lower, and even though Jin Chaohai was injured, his attack was still formidable.


    Facing Jin Chaohai¡¯s desperate attack and unable to dodge, Lin Xingrong was hit by the attack¡¯s shockwave, sent tumbling back dozens of zhang and crashing through several large trees before he managed to stop and stand up, with a pale face, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    Seeing Lin Xingrong being pushed back and a path being cleared, Jin Chaohai felt a surge of joy and immediately tried to dash through.


    As he passed Lin Xingrong, Lin Shilu had already arrived, blocking his way.


    Lin Xingrong, also unconcerned with his injuries, stood up, and together with Lin Shilu, once again surrounded Jin Chaohai.


    After exchanging a nod, the two, as if by tacit understanding, immediately launched an attack, and in no time the three were engaged in battle.


    Alone, Jin Chaohai was no match for Lin Shilu, and with Lin Xingrong, a Foundation Establishment cultivator joining in, he could only defend passively, unable to counterattack.


    As time dragged on, Jin Chaohai¡¯s situation grew increasingly dire, with his injuries worsening and him finding himself in a desperate plight.


    After a forceful strike, Lin Shilu¡¯s voice transmitted,


    ¡°Xingrong, we must finish this quickly, Tian Ming is still fighting, and any delay may lead to unexpected changes!¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s join forces for a decisive strike, and finish him off for good!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xingrong threw out more than ten pieces of talisman paper, bombarding Jin Chaohai from above, while Lin Shilu swung out the Azure Yellow Great Sword, thrusting it directly at Jin Chaohai.


    Busy dealing with the talisman papers, Jin Chaohai was in a frantic disarray, desperately using the minor shield in front of him, hoping it could withstand the lethal strike.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    In an instant, a loud explosion erupted accompanied by a deluge of sword rain.


    The minor shield was pierced through by Lin Shilu¡¯s magical treasure, creating a huge hole, and the Azure Yellow Great Sword slammed right onto his chest.


    Jin Chaohai¡¯s body soared like a kite with its string cut, drawing an arc as it plummeted to the ground.


    By then, Jin Chaohai¡¯s body was beyond recognition, half of his chest shattered, lifeless.


    Lin Shilu rushed over, seemingly still not reassured; he delivered a stroke of his sword and beheaded Jin Chaohai.


    When Jin Chaohai¡¯s body and head were separated, Lin Shilu retrieved his storage bag, cast a Fireball Technique to incinerate his corpse, and then wiped away any traces of the battle on the ground.


    After cleaning up everything, he immediately took Lin Xingrong and flew towards the inner part of the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory.

 Chapter 121 - 121 - 105 Outbreak of War_1

    Chapter 121 ¨C 105 Outbreak of War_1


    The gates of the Jin Family, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi were still in fierce battle with the members of the Jin Family.


    The Earth Fiend Sword Formation was like a massive tornado, constantly spinning, with Sword Qi moving rapidly both inside and out, trapping dozens of people within it.


    When operated at full power, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation truly was a deadly weapon. It was tremendously powerful against cultivators of lower cultivation than him. Once trapped with no way to attack or escape, the large-scale killing effect was extremely terrifying.


    On the perimeter of the Sword Array, the Jin Family members who weren¡¯t enveloped by the formation didn¡¯t dare to be careless, frantically launching sky-filling Sword Qi and Blade Qi, along with numerous talismans and spells, bombarding Lin Tianming and his companion relentlessly.


    Lin Tianming firmly held the Sword Array in place, keeping it operating normally without any slack, not knowing how many attacks he had endured.


    As the area covered by the Earth Fiend Sword Formation gradually shrank, soon there was less than ninety feet worth of space to move in, continuing to squeeze the living space of the Jin Family members.


    In the process of the Sword Array¡¯s contraction, terrified screams were occasionally heard.


    ...


    ¡°Ah! Save me¡­¡±


    Regrettably, the Jin Family members who were still alive were all unable to save themselves, let alone rescue others.


    Watching their kin die horribly, the remaining Jin Family members turned pale, looking at the increasingly smaller living space, and each felt utterly hopeless.


    Mercy towards an enemy is harm to oneself and one¡¯s clansmen.


    Well aware of this, Lin Tianming¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, showing not the slightest pity, continuously manipulating the Sword Array, continuing to reap the lives of his enemies.


    For a moment, it was as if hell had come to the living world within the Sword Array.


    Before long, there was no more movement in the Sword Array, and Lin Tianming dispelled it, revealing the horrific scene inside. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The air was filled with the stench of blood and flesh, and time seemed to stand still.


    The nearly hundred Jin Family members who were still alive looked at the bloody, muddled sight, and quite a few vomited on the spot.


    Some of the Jin Family female cultivators looked again at Lin Tianming, as if they had seen the God of Slaughter, their complexions suddenly losing color.


    Lin Tianming paid no mind to these fearful gazes, once again making his move, intent on wiping out the rest.


    Realizing the situation was hopeless, members of the Jin Family scattered in all directions, running away.


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    Suddenly, with hundreds of targets, Lin Tianming and his companion were overwhelmed and couldn¡¯t catch everyone, with many having already fled hundreds of feet away.


    At that moment, the oppressive presence of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator descended, causing many of the Jin Family members to stop in their tracks, and a few even fell from the sky, vomiting blood repeatedly.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather has finally returned.¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face lit up with immense joy as he continued his assault on the fleeing enemies.


    Lin Shilu arrived and with a swing of his sword, created a barrier of green and yellow Sword Qi, blocking the path of the Jin Family members.


    A few Jin Family cultivators who couldn¡¯t dodge in time, barely touched by the Sword Qi, spat out blood, clearly injured by the Sword Qi and completely lost their combat ability.


    With Lin Shilu¡¯s arrival, Lin Xingrong also followed.


    The four of them cornered the nearly hundred remaining Jin Family members from four directions, completely cutting off their escape.


    Screams of agony filled the air¡­


    After a short time, with the death of the last person, the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory suddenly fell silent.


    By then, the main gate of the Jin Family at Golden Horn Mountain had largely collapsed, numerous buildings riddled with holes and several burning fiercely.


    Within the peak of Golden Horn Mountain, corpses were strewn everywhere, the ground soaked red, a scene of brutal carnage.


    The great battle finally ended, with not a single member of the Jin Family surviving.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi were in a terrible state, their Spiritual Power exhausted and their breaths extremely chaotic, sheer willpower keeping them upright.


    Descending from the sky to the ground, the two quickly took out two elixirs and swallowed them, then sat down to meditate and recuperate on the spot.


    Lin Shilu and Lin Xingrong were in better condition, with no significant injuries aside from depleted Spiritual Power.


    ¡°Xing Rong, let¡¯s quickly clean up this place and collect all the spoils of war. Once those two have recovered a bit, we¡¯ll go collect the treasures of the Jin Family,¡±


    Lin Xingrong nodded and the two began to clear the battlefield, leaving Lin Tianming and his companion to heal and recover.


    In less than an hour, the countless severed limbs and indistinct corpses were burned away and cleared.


    The ravaged Jin Family gates looked much better, the fires consuming the buildings were extinguished, and aside from the traces of broken walls, there was no sign of the previous battle.


    ¡­


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    Twenty days had passed since the Jin Family members had assembled there.


    Jin Zhiying¡¯s lips curled slightly upward, his eyes burning hot as he stared at the interior of Green Bamboo Mountain, imagining in his mind conquering the Lin Family¡¯s Protective Clan Formation and obtaining a wealth of treasures.


    What he didn¡¯t realize was that, at this very moment, his own Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory was already littered with corpses, with not a single survivor, except for those who had escaped to this place and the market.


    He could not have imagined that the Lin Family had hidden as many as four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, nor could he foresee that Lin Tianming possessed the Eye of Five Colors, an extraordinary treasure. With little effort, Lin Tianming had broken the formation he was so confident in, killing the majority of the Jin Family members.


    After his daydream, Jin Zhiying remained composed instead of completely losing his mind.


    He deeply understood that the Lin Family, having produced Golden Elixir Experts, was a clan with not insignificant foundations. Although they had been in decline for over two hundred years and had not regained their former glory, they were not a force to be trifled with.


    Snapping back to reality, Jin Zhiying sent a message to Zhuang Zhenxin in front of him;


    ¡°Daoist Zhuang, how is it, any progress?¡±


    Zhuang Zhenxin turned around with a serious expression;


    ¡°This Lin Family¡¯s formation is indeed extraordinary, perfectly integrated with the terrain of this place, and after hundreds of years of reinforcement, its power is tremendous. It¡¯s very likely that the cultivator who set this Formation was extraordinary, possibly even a Third Order Array Master¡¯s work.¡±

 Chapter 122 - 122 - 105 The Great War Erupts_2

    Chapter 122 ¨C 105 The Great War Erupts_2


    Upon hearing Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s words, Jin Zhiying¡¯s expression turned gloomy, seemingly somewhat disappointed. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After planning for such a long time, if he couldn¡¯t seriously damage the Lin and Sun Families, once they caught their breath, they would definitely not let the Jin Family off the hook.


    In that case, the Jin Family¡¯s situation would become extremely difficult, and their current plan would have utterly failed.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying we¡¯ve failed, according to what Daoist Zhuang has said?¡±


    Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s complexion instantly returned to normal, and he offered a faint smile as he hastily began to clarify.


    ¡°Although the Lin Family¡¯s Protective Clan Formation is extraordinary, I¡¯ve almost finished my research and deductions. I believe that within a few days, we¡¯ll have results. We have waited this many days already, a day or two more won¡¯t make a difference.¡±


    Upon hearing Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s explanation, Jin Zhiying¡¯s expression changed, and he became excited instantly, quickly ordering the Jin Family Members behind him to make all preparations. The moment the formation was breached, they were to immediately attack the Lin Family Members.


    ...


    After giving the orders, Jin Family Members raised their arms and cheered, each wearing a confident smile that was indescribably self-assured.


    Within the Lin Family Clan Grounds, inside the Protective Clan Formation.


    Lin Shikang had been guarding the edge of the formation, observing every action of the Jin Family through the light screen of the formation.


    Feeling the energy of the Protective Clan Formation slowing down and seeing the Jin Family Members outside the formation showing joy, Lin Shikang looked solemn and immediately sent out several messages.


    In a short while, Lin Shigong along with several other Foundation Establishment Clan Members of the Lin Family and Sun Dingxian arrived after being alerted, quickly rushing over together.


    After exchanging greetings and seeing Lin Shikang¡¯s grim expression, Lin Shigong anxiously asked, ¡°Third Brother, is there a problem with the formation?¡±


    Lin Shikang did not conceal anything and shared the changes in the formation as well as the reactions of the Jin Family Members.


    After hearing this, everyone¡¯s expression changed slightly, but they quickly regained their composure.


    Given the situation, the Jin Family would definitely not retreat. A great battle was now inevitable.


    Seeing that the others were not overly perturbed, Lin Shikang was quite pleased and began making arrangements.


    ¡°Daoist Sun, how are your injuries? Have you recovered?¡±


    Faced with Lin Shikang¡¯s kind inquiry, Sun Dingxian and his companion expressed their thanks with a salute and calmly replied,


    ¡°Our injuries have completely healed. Lin, please give us your commands. Our Sun Family and the Jin Family are irreconcilable enemies. As long as we survive this ordeal, we are willing to form an eternal alliance with the Lin Family and will never betray it.¡±


    Sun Dingxian spoke with sincerity. Learning that the Lin Family had several hidden Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the two of them were greatly shocked. They promptly shared their intentions, hoping to receive the Lin Family¡¯s help.


    When under the eaves, one must bow the head. Faced with the powerful Jin Family, the Sun Family was no match. Perhaps they could truly seek revenge with the help of the Lin Family.


    ¡°Good¡­ With the help of the two Sun brothers, our force¡¯s strength is no less than the Jin Family¡¯s. In a life-and-death battle, the outcome is still uncertain.¡±


    With Sun Dingxian and his companion willing to lend their full support, Lin Shikang felt much more at ease.


    Once he confirmed the condition of the two, Lin Shikang¡¯s lips moved slightly as he secretly transmitted a message to Lin Shihua.


    Sun Dingxian, who was beside him, had already noticed this and presumed it to be about something important. Hence, he didn¡¯t inquire further, as it was natural that the Lin Family¡¯s secrets were not easily revealed.


    After a short while, Lin Shihua bowed and left, his destination unknown.


    Once Lin Shihua had left, Lin Shikang and the others did not take their leave but instead sat to the side and waited. Explore hidden tales at empire


    After half a day, Lin Shikang arrived with dozens of people, all lined up neatly to the side.


    Each one of them already knew what they were about to face, and they each had a fierce look in their eyes, with solemn expressions.


    Lin Shikang stood up with several Foundation Establishment Stage members and walked forward, stopping before the crowd.


    He looked at all the clan members present, both male and female, all of whom were Lin Family Members above the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    Lin Shikang¡¯s gaze swept over each person as if he wanted to remember the face of everyone there.


    After a short pause, Lin Shikang finally spoke.


    ¡°I trust you all are already aware of the challenge we¡¯re about to face. We don¡¯t need to speak of the Jin Family¡¯s strength; many have crossed paths with them, even clashed in battle. In this war, perhaps many of our clan members will perish. Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°Not afraid¡­¡±


    All the clan members responded in unison, their resounding reply echoing throughout Green Bamboo Mountain.


    ¡°Good, that is the spirit of our Lin Family!¡±


    ¡°The Jin Family harbors greedy ambitions, striving to dominate the Luoyun Mountain Range. The Wu Family has already been annihilated, and the Sun Family has suffered heavy casualties. Facing such ravenous wolves who have set their sights on our Lin Family, we must fight for our family, for our kin behind us, and for our honor.¡±


    ¡°So, muster your valor. When the enemy comes, slay them and defend the dignity of the Lin Family. Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°We can!¡±


    Subsequently, Lin Shikang raised his arm and shouted, ¡°For the family, we swear to protect to the death¡­¡±


    ¡°For the family, we swear to protect to the death¡­¡±


    Every clan member about to enter the battle clenched their teeth with rising fervor.


    Lin Shikang and a few others faced the formation outside while sitting on the ground, with the clan members behind them following suit, waiting for the imminent battle.


    ¡­


    A day passed outside the grand formation.


    Zhuang Zhenxin sat in front of the light curtain of the formation, with a grey and white pearl spinning endlessly above his head.


    At that moment, Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s brows were deeply furrowed, and large beads of sweat continuously fell from his forehead.


    Suddenly, a piercing sound came through, and Zhuang Zhenxin shouted.


    ¡°Now is the moment!¡±


    Behind him, Jin Zhiying grasped the Jin Family¡¯s Magical Treasure Thousand Blood Blade and leaped dozens of yards high, slashing fiercely at one corner of the light curtain.


    A ferocious blood-red flood dragon smashed against the light curtain.


    ¡°Sizzle¡­¡±


    The Lin Family¡¯s Protective Clan Formation shook, the light curtain caved in momentarily before returning to normal, but the operation of the formation seemed to be noticeably affected, its defensive power significantly weakened.


    The Lin Family members all perceived the disturbance immediately, rose to their feet, and tightly grasped talisman paper and Spiritual Artifacts in their hands, vigilantly watching the outside of the light curtain.


    After the initial strike failed, Jin Zhiying acted consecutively, launching three attacks one after another.


    ¡°Roar¡­¡±


    The entire gate of the mountain shook slightly, and the invisible, colorless light curtain vanished into thin air, revealing the figures of both clashing clans to each other.


    With faces flushed red, Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin immediately rushed in, followed closely by the Jin Family members, with the great battle on the brink of erupting.


    Just then, a piercing, shrill screech resounded, a sound that captivated one¡¯s soul.


    Suddenly, a three-yard-long green spider crawled swiftly, moving across several mountain peaks with ease and astonishing speed.


    As the sound passed the Lin Family members and reached the attacking Jin Family members, they all paused, their movements inexplicably slowing.


    ¡°A Soul-eating Spider in the Second Order Late Phase!¡±


    Jin Zhiying exclaimed in alarm, his face turning dark as he immediately halted his advance.


    Although he had known that the Lin Family possessed a Guardian Spirit Beast left by the Patriarch of the Lin Family, its exact type had never been known, and it was unexpected to find it to be a Soul-eating Spider!


    The Soul-eating Spider, a Second Order Demon Insect, had unremarkable offensive capabilities but possessed a special skill to launch sonic attacks that could significantly affect a Cultivator¡¯s soul, and its web, capable of trapping enemies, was highly effective, making it one of the rarest of demon insects.


    Jin Zhiying, startled for a moment, quickly recovered and a trace of greed appeared in his eyes.


    With the Patriarch of the Lin Family dead, the insect must be masterless now; such a rare demon insect, if successfully bonded, would surely be a great asset.


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    Jin Zhiying roared, awakening the Jin Family members from their stupor.


    Taking the lead, Jin Zhiying immediately initiated an attack, with the Jin Family members quickly following.


    The great battle erupted, Lin Shikang soared into the air, the Soul-eating Spider closely following him as they both charged towards Jin Zhiying.


    The two men and the spider clashed fiercely, their Sword Qi and Blade Qi colliding continuously, generating waves of turbulence.


    As Lin Shikang fought valiantly, Lin Shihua and Sun Dingfeng joined forces against Jin Zhiping.


    Meanwhile, Lin Shigong and Lin Xingyuan went after Jin Chaozong, with Sun Dingxian confronting Zhuang Zhenxin.


    Ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators took to the sky, forming four major battlegrounds, fiercely engaging with one another.


    Beneath them, the Qi Refining Stage clanspeople, led by the Great Perfection members such as Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin, clashed with the Jin Family amid chaotic battle.


    For a moment, the sky was filled with spells and talisman papers cutting through the heavens, with the Lin Family¡¯s Sword Qi directly colliding with the Jin Family¡¯s Blade Qi.


    Below Green Bamboo Mountain, battles raged everywhere, both sides fighting to the death.


    Thus, the great battle fully erupted.

 Chapter 123 - 123 - 106 Lin Family鈥檚 Trump Card_1

    Chapter 123 ¨C 106 Lin Family¡¯s Trump Card_1


    Green Bamboo Mountain, within the Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    In front of the Elders¡¯ Council¡¯s great hall, a large number of Lin Family Members gathered together, all of them practicing Fifth Level Qi Cultivation or below.


    For the sake of family protection, nearly a hundred Lin Family Members did not participate in the great battle. Every clan member clenched their fists tightly, their eyes red as they focused on the distant battle unfolding several miles away.


    At the mountain gate, nearly a hundred people were engaged in fierce combat.


    All kinds of bizarre Spiritual Artifacts appeared, and talismans fluttered throughout the sky. Spells of all colors burst forth, with members of both sides sustaining injuries. The Lin Family Members were at a disadvantage.


    Before long, most talismans were used up. The Qi Refining Cultivators from the Jin Family, with killing intent on their faces, charged towards the Lin Family Members.


    Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin were the ones to face the brunt of the assault, each taking on several Jin Family Cultivators at once, including a few at the Complete Qi Refining stage. The pressure was immense.


    ...


    As the cultivators from the Jin Family had an overall higher cultivation, the two of them had to take on more burdens. Otherwise, many of their clan members would be unable to survive. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lucky for them, they were no ordinary individuals at Great Perfection. Although their Foundation Establishment had failed, the Minor Foundation Building Pills had transformed their bodies, making their spiritual power even more profound. For the time being, they did not fall into much of a disadvantage.


    The outcome of the great battle wasn¡¯t something the Qi Refinement Realm cultivators could influence. Only the victory of Foundation Establishment Clan Members could determine the outcome.


    High above in the sky, the situation for the Foundation Establishment Clan Members of the Lin Family was hardly optimistic. Even though they had the advantage in numbers, their cultivation levels were much lower.


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    Lin Shihua, together with Sun Dingfeng at the Fourth Level of Foundation Building, engaged in battle with Jin Zhiping, who was at the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment.


    Sun Dingfeng, trapped by formations and facing the destruction of the Sun Family Clan Grounds and the death of hundreds of his family members, was enraged beyond measure.


    Sun Dingfeng¡¯s eyes bloodshot, he grasped dozens of talismans and flung them skyward. In an instant, a sea of fire engulfed Jin Zhiping.


    While Jin Zhiping was surrounded by the sea of flames, Lin Shihua and Sun Dingfeng struck continuously, and from different angles, two streams of Sword Qi headed for Jin Zhiping.


    Feeling the encroaching flames around him, Jin Zhiping, in a panic, quickly took out a shield to protect himself.


    After a breath¡¯s time had passed, the flames extinguished, revealing Sun Dingfeng¡¯s figure.


    His clothes were tattered, almost none remained intact; the skin that was exposed was scorched black, giving off the stench of something burnt.


    Jin Zhiping, looking disheveled, swallowed back a mouthful of blood, his fury unbounded. He immediately counterattacked, charging at Lin Shihua and Sun Dingfeng.


    The two sides engaged fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand for the moment.


    At another battlefield.


    Sun Dingxian took out a grey-ink-colored Jade Pendant, none other than the Sun Family¡¯s treasured Qiankun Brush.


    With a casual wave, a streak of golden light appeared in the void, shooting at Zhuang Zhenxin like a meteor.


    As it was the Sun Family¡¯s treasured artifact, its power was naturally extraordinary.


    Zhuang Zhenxin did not dare to be careless, hurriedly taking out a small shield from his storage bag, which turned out to be a Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact, and held it squarely in front of him.


    ¡°Clang.¡±


    After the burst of noise, Sun Dingxian¡¯s attack was easily blocked.


    Zhuang Zhenxin licked his dry lips, not knowing when he had taken out a greenish Array Flag, tossing it into the air. Then his fingers rapidly flipped through several spell gestures, casting them upon the Array Flag.


    Suddenly, the Array Flag burst into brilliant light, and from it, numerous Monster Beast Souls flew out, easily a hundred, all crazily assaulting Sun Dingxian.


    Startled, Sun Dingxian hastily retreated while throwing several Second Order Defense Talismans in front of him.


    Successive explosions resonated in the sky as the Second Order Talismans consumed a great number of Monster Beast Souls, blocking the assault for a brief moment and allowing him to dodge the attack safely.


    Zhuang Zhenxin did not relent, once again bringing out different treasures, and the two continued their aggressive exchange.


    As an Array Master, Zhuang Zhenxin had an endless supply of treasures, and his strength was indeed formidable, pressing Sun Dingxian continuously.


    Without the Sun Family¡¯s powerfully treasured artifact and the numerous Second Order Talismans, Sun Dingxian would have likely fallen already.


    On the outskirts of the battlefield, Lin Shigong and Lin Xingyuan were fighting Jin Chaozong.


    Together, they matched Jin Chaozong blow for blow, with neither side able to gain a clear advantage for the time being.


    On the most advantageous part of the battlefield, Lin Shikang was in fierce battle with Jin Zhiying, with a Soul-eating Spider assisting by his side.


    Jin Zhiying, relying on his Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivation and coordinating with the Jin Family¡¯s Magical Treasure Thousand Blood Blade, attacked ferociously, intent on swiftly concluding the fight.


    ¡°Woosh, woosh.¡±


    The formidable Blade Qi gleamed with blood light, appearing again and again, each strike repelling Lin Shikang more than ten yards.


    Lin Shikang stabilized his stance as his blood roiled continuously, his Jade Pendant Spiritual Artifact pushed to the limit, shattered by the violent Blade Qi, turning to ash.


    Facing Jin Zhiying¡¯s relentless attacking frequency, Lin Shikang¡¯s expression was solemn, the pressure immense.


    Despite holding the disadvantage, Lin Shikang wasn¡¯t resigned to fate. He hastily threw out a few Second Order Talismans, casting them into the sky, which turned into several fire swords charging towards Jin Zhiying.


    Jin Zhiying paused, effortlessly striking and shattering the fire swords with a casual blow, his face showing a mocking smile.


    Lin Shikang hadn¡¯t expected the Second Order Talismans to cause any harm to Jin Zhiying. To injure Jin Zhiying, likely only Third Order Talismans would be effective. Regardless of how many Second Order Talismans there were, they were useless, serving at best to delay some time.


    Using the delay, Lin Shikang adjusted his condition, readying for a counterattack.


    With a pat of his storage bag, a Golden Greatsword appeared in front of him. The greatsword glowed golden yellow, and the blade was filled with dense runes. Upon its appearance, it slowly absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy, an eerie sight to behold.


    Jin Zhiying couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°The Golden Wind Sword!¡±


    As for the Lin Family¡¯s Golden Wind Sword, with hundreds of years of interactions among the five major families of Luoyun Mountain, Jin Zhiying had long heard of it, yet this was his first time seeing its true form.

 Chapter 124 - 124 - 106: Lin Family鈥檚 Trump Card_2

    Chapter 124 ¨C 106: Lin Family¡¯s Trump Card_2


    ¡°`


    Feeling the intense fluctuations of the Golden Wind Sword, it indeed was a genuine Second Order Superior Magic Artifact, much stronger than their Jin Family¡¯s Thousand Blood Blade.


    Jin Zhiying¡¯s face changed, and he immediately became cautious.


    Lin Shikang gazed at the ancestral relic in front of him with pride. It was known that for nearly two hundred years, the Lin Family had not wielded the Golden Wind Sword, keeping it as the treasure of the clan, daring not to use it lightly.


    The Golden Wind Sword had played a significant role in the Lin Family¡¯s enduring legacy after the ancestor¡¯s passing.


    After fighting fiercely for more than a dozen rounds, Lin Shikang was very clear that relying only on himself and the Soul-eating Spider, the hope of defeating Jin Zhiying was slim.


    The moment of life and death had arrived, and if he didn¡¯t use it now, the Lin Family would likely have a hard time surviving.


    ...


    Once Lin Shikang grabbed hold of the Golden Wind Sword, the blade trembled slightly, as if resonating.


    Lin Shikang infused copious amounts of spiritual power and slashed furiously at Jin Zhiying several times.


    Three streaks of Golden Sword Qi flew directly towards Jin Zhiying, ripping open a fissure in the ground and devouring a good amount of the air.


    As soon as Lin Shikang made a move, the Soul-eating Spider beside him let out a piercing cry, spitting out several strands of spider silk towards Jin Zhiying.


    Jin Zhiying, who was about to counterattack, suddenly paused as his divine sense inexplicably experienced a sharp pain, clearly affected by the sonic attack of the Soul-eating Spider.


    The sonic attack from the Second Order Late Phase Soul-eating Spider was indeed strange; if it were fighting a Foundation Establishment Sixth Level cultivator, it could probably easily influence them for a moment.


    And the effect of a moment, with the speed of the Soul-eating Spider, would allow it to easily close in for an attack.


    Jin Zhiying steadied his spirit, cast aside the distractions in his mind, and after regaining some composure, he did not dare to delay. He shifted to the side and appeared several meters away, avoiding the spider silk attack of the Soul-eating Spider.


    After stabilizing his posture, Jin Zhiying wielded the Thousand Blood Blade, slashing wildly several times, and three streaks of blood-red Blade Qi collided with the Golden Sword Qi.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    The explosive sounds spread throughout Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The explosion from the clash between the two Second Order Superior Magical Treasures shattered several houses next to the gate in an instant, and the surrounding Qingling Bamboo fell in swathes.


    After the full-force strike, Lin Shikang was knocked back more than ten meters before he could stabilize his posture. A mouthful of fresh blood surged up, which he forcefully swallowed back down, leaving only a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.


    Jin Zhiying was similarly knocked back a few meters, his breath in disarray, which he quickly calmed.


    Neither of them continued to probe, and they clashed again. The Soul-eating Spider kept shooting out strands of spider silk, trying to bind Jin Zhiying¡¯s body.


    Unknowingly, the fierce battle between them went for dozens of rounds, and the fight had reached a critical stage.


    As time passed, both sides¡¯ spiritual power and magical treasures were consumed greatly, breaking the long standstill.


    Because Lin Shihua¡¯s cultivation was too low, even with Sun Dingfeng¡¯s help, he was no match for Jin Zhiping. After struggling to defend for a while, his spiritual power was nearly depleted.


    Seizing the opportunity, Jin Zhiping delivered a fierce strike. Lin Shihua¡¯s spiritual power bottomed out, and his dodging speed was greatly reduced. He couldn¡¯t avoid it in time and hurriedly took out a Minor Shield Spirit Instrument to protect himself.


    After an explosion¡­


    The Minor Shield shattered, the Blade Qi pierced through it, striking Lin Shihua on the shoulder.


    ¡°Shihua!¡±


    Lin Shikang¡¯s face turned pale as he couldn¡¯t help but call out.


    Lin Shihua¡¯s body flew out like a kite with its string cut, eventually crashing into a large decorative rock.


    The rock crumbled, revealing Lin Shihua¡¯s figure.


    Lin Shihua lay in the crater, with a fist-sized bloody hole in his entire left shoulder, and not only that, his left arm was also torn off.


    His face was pale as he coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, struggled to stand, and was about to counterattack when he fell again, lapsing into unconsciousness.


    The injuries were too severe, his spiritual power was entirely depleted, and it was fortunate he did not die on the spot, as he was unable to fight any longer.


    Lin Shihua¡¯s injuries shook the hearts of all the Lin Family Members.


    On the ground, Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin unleashed their full power in one strike, driving back several Jin Family cultivators and immediately rushed to Lin Shihua¡¯s side.


    Lin Shiji unleashed his full power, delivering several sword strikes, holding off the approaching Jin Family Members.


    Lin Shixin picked up the gravely wounded and unconscious Lin Shihua, his expression anxious, repeatedly calling out:


    ¡°Twelfth brother¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    He called out several times, but there was no response whatsoever.


    After putting Lin Shihua down, Lin Shixin¡¯s eyes oozed fresh blood, looking extremely ghastly.


    At that moment, Lin Shiji, in his frenzy, killed two Jin Family Cultivators with one strike; however, he was immediately attacked by several more Jin Family Cultivators, becoming engulfed in a sea of flames and blade qi.


    When the sea of flames dissipated, Lin Shiji lay on the ground, his body covered with numerous wounds of varying depths, and a gaping hole in his neck that ceaselessly bled.


    Within a short span of merely a dozen breaths, one of the Lin Family members of the ¡¯Shi¡¯ generation had died and another was critically injured; the members of the ¡¯Xing¡¯ generation had suffered over ten casualties in battle.


    The tragic death of Lin Shiji further incited the fury within Lin Shixin.


    Lin Shixin let out a few long howls to the sky, death in his eyes as he fixed his murderous gaze upon the Jin Family Cultivators.


    Unafraid of death, Lin Shixin charged toward the Jin Family members, unleashing even greater strength.


    After killing several people in succession, he still was outnumbered and died, filled with regret.


    High in the sky, Lin Shikang and Jin Zhiying had been locked in fierce combat for dozens of rounds. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Faced with Jin Zhiying¡¯s frenzied attacks, he was constantly suppressed and found no opportunity to assist his fellow clansmen¡ªhis good intentions were rendered powerless by the situation.


    The other Foundation Establishment Cultivators were struggling desperately to hold on. Lin Shihua was seriously injured, and Sun Dingfeng, now without anyone to hold him back, was even more hard-pressed and kept retreating in defeat.


    In the face of absolute strength, numerical advantage hardly mattered, especially since their numbers were not much greater.


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    By this time, all participants were greatly depleted, and the force of their attacks gradually weakened. The Jin Family stubbornly pushed forward against the Lin Family members, advancing several miles, quickly approaching the foot of Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Jin Zhiying, unable to win after prolonged combat, swung his saber several times, unleashing the Jin Family¡¯s most powerful attack, aiming straight for Lin Shikang.


    The injured Lin Shikang was now out of Defensive Spiritual Tools, and his spiritual power was almost spent.


    Facing Jin Zhiying¡¯s full-powered strike, he looked pale and powerless.


    Glancing back at the courtyards interspersed among the slopes of Green Bamboo Mountain, he knew he couldn¡¯t retreat, not when Jin Zhiying¡¯s assault would be lethal to those clan members upon contact.


    At that moment, Lin Shikang¡¯s expression was grave, and his eyes revealed a hint of madness.


    He took out a palm-sized jade pendant, channeling a Law Decree into the golden-yellow jade.


    The jade pendant suddenly erupted with a golden light that instantly condensed into a large sword hovering above his head.


    ¡°Golden Core Talisman!¡±


    Jin Zhiying¡¯s complexion changed drastically, his voice an anxious stammer as he cried out. All the Cultivators present involuntarily halted their attacks.


    The object used by Lin Shikang was the Lin Family¡¯s ultimate trump card; as the family¡¯s ancestor passed away in seated meditation, enduring immense pain and dispersing all his spiritual power, he condensed a Golden Core Talisman.


    This talisman retained three full-power strikes from the ancestor, each incredibly potent. It had been used twice before, each time rescuing the Lin Family from crisis.


    If the Golden Wind Sword was considered the family¡¯s treasure, the Golden Core Talisman was like the guardian deity of the Lin Family.


    Lin Shikang shouted loudly, ¡°Protect our Lin Family¡­ strike to kill!¡±


    The large sword above quickly targeted Jin Zhiying, moving at a speed that was almost inconceivable.


    Seeing the large sword formed by the Golden Core Talisman, Jin Zhiying¡¯s face turned deathly pale. Unable to escape at such speed, he hurriedly took out the Jin Family¡¯s Qing Jiao Shield and placed all his hopes on it.


    Meanwhile, Jin Zhiying¡¯s blade qi was drawing increasingly close to him. Lin Shikang shut his eyes, seemingly resigned to a mutual destruction.


    Just then, the Soul-eating Spider leaped forward, thrusting itself in front of him and shielding him with its body.


    ¡°Boom boom¡­¡±


    Two explosions sounded simultaneously, the deafening blasts reverberating through the heavens.


    The Soul-eating Spider was flung dozens of yards away, lying in a pit with most of its shiny black carapace shattered, its eight legs faintly twitching, apparently not yet dead.


    On the other side, Jin Zhiying had completely underestimated the power of the Golden Core Talisman.


    The moment the golden sword light struck the Qing Jiao Shield, it pierced through in an instant, swiftly cleaving towards Jin Zhiying.


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    A faint sound and Jin Zhiying¡¯s body was split in two by the Golden Light Greatsword, his body lying still. Above the two halves of his corpse, a wisp of retained Sword Qi from the Golden Light Greatsword lingered.


    Under the assault of the Golden Core Talisman, Jin Zhiying was utterly dead.

 Chapter 125 - 125 - 107: Complete Annihilation_1

    Chapter 125 ¨C 107: Complete Annihilation_1


    Under the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, everyone fell into a brief silence. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Despite sacrificing the Jin Family¡¯s Defense Treasure, the Qing Jiao Shield, Jin Zhiying couldn¡¯t withstand the strike from the Golden Light Greatsword condensed by the Golden Core Talisman and was killed in an extremely gruesome manner.


    Even Zhuang Zhenxin, no stranger to the world¡¯s wonders, witnessed the power of the Golden Core Talisman for the first time and was completely stunned, losing his composure.


    Time passed, and before anyone knew how much, Lin Shikang leapt forward and hurried to Lin Shihua¡¯s side, hastily feeding him a healing elixir.


    The actions of Lin Shikang roused the Jin Family members from their stupor. They gathered around Jin Zhiping, their eyes filled with grief and terror, and they all watched the Lin Family members warily.


    Zhuang Zhenxin, silent as a ghost, watched everyone present. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he leapt up in an attempt to flee.


    The escape of Zhuang Zhenxin dealt an additional blow to the already weakened Jin Family members, but they were powerless to stop him.


    ...


    With Jin Zhiying¡¯s death, the Jin Family had lost their edge. Relying solely on Jin Zhiping, at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level, victory was impossible.


    Zhuang Zhenxin fully realized this. With Lin Shikang free and joining forces with Sun Dingxian, if they were surrounded, it would be difficult to retreat unscathed, so he prepared to seize the opportunity to flee.


    After all, he was alone in the vast world, and there was no place where he couldn¡¯t find refuge!


    As for the Jin Family, they were nothing more than an alliance of convenience, and Zhuang Zhenxin would not concern himself with their fate.


    Unfortunately for him, Lin Shikang and Sun Dingxian were closely monitoring him, prepared for his move. They intercepted him before he got far, with Lin Shikang blocking his path.


    Soon, Sun Dingxian also caught up. The two of them closed in on Zhuang Zhenxin from opposite directions, trapping him.


    Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s expression changed abruptly, and he hurriedly spoke:


    ¡°Daoist Lin, Daoist Sun, this is all a misunderstanding. I was deceived by Jin Zhiying into taking action. Let us settle this matter. I can break through the Jin Family¡¯s Protective Formation myself. As for the Jin Family¡¯s treasures, you can divide them between yourselves. I will not take a single coin. Consider it a gesture of apology. What do you say?¡±


    At this point, Zhuang Zhenxin utterly abandoned the Jin Family, offering to help the Lin Family break the Jin Family¡¯s Formation and proposing to settle the conflict with the Jin Family¡¯s treasure.


    However, Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s words did not diminish the enmity of Lin Shikang and Sun Dingxian.


    The great battle that erupted within the Luoyun Mountain Range, with the heavy sins of the Jin Family and Zhuang Zhenxin, saw the Wu Family silently annihilated and the Sun Family¡¯s territory breached, resulting in the death of over two hundred clan members¡ªa tragedy not seen in hundreds of years.


    Such deep-seated hatred and grievance could not be assuaged, even with the generous terms offered by Zhuang Zhenxin.


    As soon as Zhuang Zhenxin finished speaking, Sun Dingxian didn¡¯t even hesitate and immediately shouted in fury.


    ¡°Enough of your nonsense! Our Sun Family and you cannot coexist under the same sky. You killed over a hundred of our clan members. I must take your head to appease the souls of our Sun Family¡­¡±


    Sun Dingxian¡¯s words made Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s face darken, and he threatened viciously:


    ¡°Without me, breaking through the Jin Family¡¯s Protective Formation won¡¯t be so easy. If you really wish to kill me, remember I¡¯m not a pushover. We can all go down together if need be. Even if I die, I¡¯ll take some of you with me!¡±


    Lin Shikang, standing by, did not speak. Thinking of Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin, whose bodies were still warm, and the more than twenty clan members killed in the conflict, he felt immense anger.


    To the overtures of Zhuang Zhenxin, Lin Shikang¡¯s heart remained unshaken. His only desire was to exterminate this enemy and use his head to honor his deceased clan members.


    Lin Shikang nodded to Sun Dingxian, gripped the Golden Wind Sword, and lashed out with several strikes. Sun Dingxian, holding the Qiankun Brush, drew across the sky, and a streak of golden light surged towards Zhuang Zhenxin.


    Both cultivators, at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, attacked simultaneously, each wielding their clan¡¯s sacred treasures. Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s face turned grave, yet he was not overly panicked.


    As the assault from the two closed in, Zhuang Zhenxin placed a small shield he had used before in front of himself.


    He then threw out a green flag, struck a Law Decree, and conjured a multitude of Monster Beast Souls that charged toward Lin Shikang and Sun Dingxian.


    The quiet of the void was once again shattered by bursts of fire and a succession of booming sounds.


    The intense fight involving Lin Shikang seemed to ignite the fuse of battle. The Lin Family Members at the base of Green Bamboo Mountain Peak immediately commenced an attack on the Jin Family¡¯s clanspeople, igniting a tremendous surge of momentum.


    Following Jin Zhiying¡¯s death and the loss of their linchpin, the Jin Family members¡¯ will to fight crumbled completely. Jin Zhiping and Jin Chaozong, pitted against a host of Lin Family Foundation Establishment Clan Members and Sun Dingfeng, were at a tremendous disadvantage. Read exclusive adventures at empire


    The Lin Family Qi Refining Clanspeople below, looking every bit the fierce warriors, attacked recklessly, causing heavy losses to the Jin Family.


    Once again, chaos engulfed Green Bamboo Mountain, flames shooting into the sky and screams echoing incessantly.


    As time slowly passed, the fierce combat involving Lin Shikang had already lasted for a quarter of an hour.


    The relentless onslaught from Lin Shikang and Sun Dingxian persisted, wave after wave of continuous assaults unfolding.


    Zhuang Zhenxin, surrounded and attacked, was forced to give ground, relying solely on his Defense Treasure to hold on.


    After withstanding their attacks, he saw the small shield in his hands riddled with holes and reduced to scrap.


    With no time to regret, Zhuang Zhenxin barely caught his breath before two more strikes approached.


    In his panic, he produced another Magical Treasure to shield himself.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    Zhuang Zhenxin was knocked back more than ten paces, spitting several mouthfuls of blood before stabilizing. Looking at his severely damaged Defense Treasure, his face turned pale.


    As the fight continued, not only was he injured, but he had also lost two of his Defense Treasures, with the last one utterly wrecked. If a few more strikes landed, he would be without any defensive power, and if he couldn¡¯t dodge, he would only be waiting for death.

 Chapter 126 - 126 - 107: Total Annihilation _2

    Chapter 126 ¨C 107: Total Annihilation _2


    Lin Shikang and his companion were not about to give him time to react, seizing the moment he was injured to attack together once more.


    Lin Shikang slashed several times as Sun Dingfeng also drew one stroke after another, launching several attacks from four different directions aimed at Zhuang Zhenxin, intent on ending the fight once and for all.


    A trace of despair flashed across Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s face, and by now, negotiating terms was no longer possible, so he had no choice but to give it his all and perhaps there would still be a chance to save his own life.


    He took two beads the size of chicken eggs from his storage bag, his face showing a reluctant expression, and then he threw one at each of the two men.


    ¡°Spirit Detonation Beads¡­¡±


    Upon seeing the two grey-white beads, Lin Shikang cried out in alarm and immediately retreated explosively.


    Daoist Sun¡¯s face turned pale, and he hastily retreated as well.


    ...


    ¡°Boom boom¡­¡±


    Two thunderous explosions sounded, and two huge fireballs appeared in the sky, spreading a wave of heat in all directions.


    Before the Spirit Detonation Beads exploded, Lin Shikang spat a mouthful of fresh blood onto his Golden Wind Sword, which suddenly swelled a hundred times in size to block in front of him. At the same time, a semi-transparent golden shield bubbled up around him, enveloping his figure.


    Sun Dingfeng¡¯s face turned deathly white. He slapped his storage bag and took out a blood-red jade pendant. Once activated, it transformed into a light shield in front of him.


    After the explosion, the Spirit Detonation Beads blasted a large pit more than thirty feet across into the ground.


    Sun Dingfeng¡¯s body fell from the sky and crashed into the ground, forming a human-shaped pit.


    There, Sun Dingfeng lay in the pit, his body mangled and bloody, with only a weak breath remaining; he had completely passed out.


    At the same time, the golden bubble around Lin Shikang shattered, and the Golden Wind Sword rapidly shrank back to its original form.


    Lin Shikang coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, then touched the sword blade lightly, his expression filled with immense pain and sorry.


    Zhuang Zhenxin had intended to take them down with him. Thanks to the Golden Wind Sword, Lin Shikang was lucky enough to avoid a fatal blow, but he was severely injured.


    Lin Shikang got to his feet and, without paying any attention to the half-dead Sun Dingfeng, rushed to the spot where Zhuang Zhenxin was, searching meticulously.


    Before long, Lin Shikang found Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s corpse lying in a clump of grass.


    By now, Zhuang Zhenxin was thoroughly dead, his chest riddled with several gaping holes from which warm blood flowed out, quickly pooling into a small puddle.


    Assured of Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s death, Lin Shikang heaved a long sigh of relief.


    He took down the man¡¯s storage bag and decapitated him. Lin Shikang, holding the Golden Wind Sword in one hand and the severed head in the other, advanced toward the Jin Family clanspeople.


    Before long, Lin Shikang appeared above a group of his kin.


    The battle was still ongoing, and there were already more than sixty corpses on the ground, most of them from the Jin Family, with over twenty Lin Family members dead as well.


    Lin Shikang didn¡¯t hesitate, heading straight for Jin Zhiping. Explore hidden tales at empire


    Seeing Lin Shikang approaching, Jin Zhiping turned ashen, knowing that Zhuang Zhenxin must have been executed. Already injured, Jin Zhiping had been at a disadvantage all along and was struggling to cope. Another attack from Lin Shikang, at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, left him with no room to escape.


    Lin Shikang unleashed several swift and incomparably fast sword strikes, aiming directly at Jin Zhiping.


    With nowhere to run, a completely despairing Jin Zhiping frantically pulled out a spiritual artifact to shield himself.


    ¡°Pfff, pfff, pfff¡­¡±


    The Golden Sword Qi, which even ordinary magical treasures could not resist, easily penetrated the First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instrument, striking him squarely. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a horrific scream, Jin Zhiping¡¯s body was split into three parts, falling dead on the spot.


    Hearing Jin Zhiping¡¯s agonized scream, Jin Chaozong was momentarily distracted, giving Lin Shigong and Lin Xingyuan the opportunity they needed.


    With another scream, Jin Chaozong¡¯s body was impaled by both of their Spirit Swords.


    Lin Shigong swung his hands horizontally, splitting Jin Chaozong¡¯s body into pieces; he couldn¡¯t be deader.


    By this time, all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Jin Family were dead, leaving only more than ten Qi Refining clanspersons who were surrounded by a group of Lin Family Cultivators.


    All Lin Family members glared at them with bloodlust, wishing they could tear them limb from limb.


    One middle-aged man from the Jin Family threw his spiritual artifact away and knelt down.


    ¡°Elder Lin, I am willing to surrender. Please spare my life. I can take you to the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory and reveal the location of the treasure vault¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough¡­ do you think you can live just by saying so? The Jin Family does not shelter cowards such as you¡­¡±


    An elder from the Jin Family scolded and then swung his sword, piercing the body of the clansperson who had surrendered.


    ¡°At this point, don¡¯t even dream of living by surrendering. It¡¯s better to die gloriously. Even if we can take one down with us, it¡¯s worth it!¡±


    With that, the elder initiated an attack, and the men of the Jin Family followed suit.


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shigong sneered in disdain and together unleashed several Sword Qi bursts, which engulfed all the remaining Jin Family Cultivators.


    After one breath¡¯s time had passed, over ten Jin Family members fell simultaneously, completely void of life.


    The great battle had ended, and with this crisis resolved, all Jin Family members were dead, leaving Green Bamboo Mountain entirely quiet.


    ¡­


    Sun Dingfeng did not stay in place, disregarding his injuries, he turned into a residual shadow and rushed towards the direction of Sun Dingxian to escape.


    Lin Shikang paid no attention to Sun Dingfeng, and after storing the Golden Wind Sword into his storage bag, he ordered:


    ¡°Shi Gong, go check on Shihua and the Soul-eating Spider immediately, you must stabilize their injuries and ensure no hidden ailments are left behind!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡±


    Lin Shigong immediately dashed towards Lin Shihua to inspect his condition.


    Fortunately, even though he was seriously injured, Lin Shikang had timely given him a healing pill to stabilize his condition. He just needed to rest quietly for two months for a full recovery.


    ¡°Xing Yuan, organize our clanspeople immediately to treat the injured and bury the dead behind the mountain. Then assign clanspeople to collect all the spoils of war and bring them to me, and burn the Jin Family¡¯s corpses right here!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Lin Xingyuan saluted and took his orders, then after giving out a few commands to the Lin Family Members behind him, he began treating the injured clanspeople.


    After all the orders were given, a drained Lin Shikang could no longer hold back, repeatedly coughing up clots of blood. His complexion turned pale and he sat down on the ground, shuddering with delayed fear.


    Taking out a pill from his storage bag, he swallowed it and began to recover on the spot.


    In a short while, some color finally returned to his face.


    At that moment, Sun Dingfeng came over with Sun Dingxian in his arms.


    Lin Shikang hurriedly got up and inquired.


    ¡°How is Daoist Sun¡¯s injury, is there any danger to his life?¡±


    Seeing Lin Shikang¡¯s genuine concern, Sun Dingfeng did not hide anything and honestly replied:


    ¡°The injury is serious, it¡¯s hard to say whether he can fully recover. It¡¯s Heaven¡¯s will, we can only do our best!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    This clan war had thankfully been helped by the Sun Family. If not for them, even if the Lin Family had the trump cards left by the old ancestor, it would have been difficult to survive.


    Although the Sun Family¡¯s territory had been breached, and the two came to seek refuge, they had indeed exerted considerable effort in this great battle. Though it was cooperation, they also owed a debt of gratitude to the Lin Family.


    After a bout of reflection, Lin Shikang said earnestly:


    ¡°If there is anything you need help with, just let us know. As long as the Lin Family can provide it, we will not refuse.¡±


    Seeing the sincerity in Lin Shikang¡¯s expression, Sun Dingfeng repeatedly thanked him.


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Lin, for your generous assistance. However, with the great battle just concluded, you must be very busy. The Jin Family has been severely damaged and cannot easily recover. We will not disturb you further. Once our injuries are healed, we will surely visit to offer our thanks personally.¡±


    After speaking, Sun Dingfeng gave a saluting gesture with his fist and holding Sun Dingxian, flew towards the mountain gate, quickly disappearing into the sky.


    Lin Shikang did not try to persuade them to stay. With most of the high-level Jin Family Cultivators dead or injured, the Lin Family¡¯s power had not been significantly weakened. Perhaps it was due to their wariness of the Lin Family that they chose not to stay in Green Bamboo Mountain to recover.


    No matter what the reason was, it no longer mattered.


    Lin Shikang couldn¡¯t help but heave a silent sigh:


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to share hardship among people, but hard to share wealth, and even more so for cultivators¡­¡±


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Shikang walked around the inner parts of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Observing the battered state of Green Bamboo Mountain, now devoid of its previous elegance, with corpses and severed limbs of many clanspeople scattered around, his mood was exceptionally heavy.


    Lin Shihua and the Soul-eating Spider were seriously injured, Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin had fallen, and more than twenty Qi Refining clanspeople had died in battle, the losses were substantial.


    In the Cultivation World, it is so cruel, with battles over cultivation resources erupting every day among Sect Families.


    The Lin Family was merely a Foundation Establishing Family at the bottom, such events were daily occurrences.


    The Lin Family, with its limited depth, only scraped through this disaster by playing their last card, combined with the assistance of the two from the Sun Family.


    If only they had a few more years, the Lin Family¡¯s strength would have increased significantly, and the losses would not have been so great.


    Alas, man¡¯s plans are inferior to those of Heaven.


    What they needed to do now was to soothe the members of the clan, quickly enhance their strength, and expand the family.


    After his reflection, with a look of melancholy, Lin Shikang muttered softly toward the market area:


    ¡°Shi Lu, where are you? How are things going for you?¡±

 Chapter 127 - 127 - 108: Sweeping through the Spiritual Medicine Garden_1

    Chapter 127 ¨C 108: Sweeping through the Spiritual Medicine Garden_1


    The war ended beneath the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Xingyuan organized a large number of clan members to clean up the battlefield, while the injured clansmen each retreated to heal. The corpses of the Jin Family members were piled up together, forming a small mountain.


    A large circle of clan members gathered around, their fierce eyes yet to return to peace.


    This catastrophe served as a warning to all clansmen: without strong power, even the hope of peaceful cultivation was a delusion. Often, trouble came even without seeking it.


    Lin Shikang, weighed down by heavy emotions, flicked his finger, releasing a fireball that ignited the mountain of corpses.


    Soon, the roaring flames were accompanied by the crackling noises of breaking bones, and thick smoke billowed. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Xingyuan stepped forward, taking out dozens of storage bags and respectfully handing them to Lin Shikang.


    ...


    Upon receiving the storage bags, Lin Shikang sighed sadly and instructed Lin Shigong,


    ¡°Shigong, properly bury the clansmen who died in battle. Their belongings must be handed over intact to their direct descendants. For those who have no direct descendants, have the Elders¡¯ Council record and keep the items until a descendant with Spiritual Root is confirmed and then transfer them.¡±


    ¡°Um, I¡¯ll handle it immediately.¡±


    After receiving Lin Shigong¡¯s response, Lin Shikang¡¯s face turned stern, and he said with murderous intent,


    ¡°After settling the clan¡¯s affairs, you and Xingyuan take a group of clansmen and depart for Luoyun Market at once. Gain control of the market, kill all the Jin Family members there, seize all their possessions, and then find a way to locate Shilu and Xing Rong. This matter requires speed. Once it¡¯s done, set out immediately for Golden Horn Mountain and ensure that not a single member of the Jin Family escapes.¡±


    Lin Shigong and Lin Xingyuan¡¯s faces were filled with murderous intent as they replied to Lin Shikang¡¯s orders and prepared to leave.


    The Jin Family¡¯s elite had suffered heavy casualties, and as news of the Battle of Green Bamboo Mountain wouldn¡¯t be contained for long, the surviving Jin Family members would surely attempt to flee or hide, posing a potential future problem.


    Now, there was no time to lose in taking action against the Jin Family territory.


    Having made the arrangements, Lin Shikang did not linger and flew toward the summit of Green Bamboo Mountain. Find your next read at empire


    Three days earlier, within the territory of the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family.


    After four hours of recovery and care, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi had regained some of their strength and were capable of moving freely.


    Lin Shilu and Lin Xingrong had finished cleaning up the battlefield, and the corpses of over a hundred Jin Family members had already vanished without a trace, their storage bags naturally collected together and guarded by Lin Shilu.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming and another had risen, and their condition seemed not too bad, Lin Shilu felt greatly relieved.


    Delaying due to injuries, they had not yet seized the Jin Family¡¯s treasures. Now, the opportunity had come to thoroughly explore.


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lin Xingrong was left to guard the entrance, while Lin Shilu led Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi inside the Jin Family compound.


    The three split into two groups, with Lin Xingzhi in charge of searching the residential area of the Jin Family members. These places lacked heavy protective restrictions, and his cultivation was sufficient to cope with them.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu focused on locating the Spiritual Medicine Garden and various key Jin Family institutions, such as the Scripture Pavilion and the Family Treasure Vault. The protective restrictions of these places were strong, and even Lin Shilu¡¯s aggressive approach might not guarantee success.


    However, with the help of Lin Tianming¡¯s Eye of Five Colors, it would be much easier, as even the Protective Clan Formation was not beyond his capability to breach.


    The three entered the clan territory and began a careful search.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu didn¡¯t head to the courtyard clusters but flew straight toward the peak of Golden Horn Mountain.


    ¡°`


    Standing in the sky, Lin Tianming opened the Eye of Five Colors and overlooked the entire Golden Horn Mountain region.


    Feeling the fluctuations of more than a dozen enchantments that were clearly stronger than those in the ordinary areas, a broad smile spread across Lin Tianming¡¯s face as he promptly flew toward the nearest location, followed immediately by Lin Shilu.


    Before long, the two appeared in a small valley halfway up the mountain, where the vegetation was lush and the spiritual energy relatively rich.


    Lin Tianming surveyed the area carefully, deducing that the enchantment was not weak and likely concealed an important treasure. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of anticipation.


    With a focused mind, Lin Tianming opened the Eye of Five Colors and began to break the enchantment.


    After half an hour, a crack suddenly appeared in the void, revealing a large expanse of Spirit Fields spanning dozens of acres with numerous Spiritual Medicines directly visible to the two of them.


    ¡°Spiritual Medicine Garden.¡±


    The faces of Lin Tianming and his companion turned red as they transformed into two shadows, dashing into the garden.


    The two moved through the Spiritual Medicine Garden, their faces flushing with excitement as they saw the neatly arranged fields full of Spiritual Medicines and several Spirit Fruit Trees.


    They carefully navigated through the garden, confirming the types of Spiritual Medicines as well as their age and quantity.


    Golden Flower Grass, Fire Element Grass, Shuiyun Grass¡ªall the main ingredients for the Xisui Pill were nearly complete and sufficient to concoct a sizable amount of elixirs.


    Just in terms of Lingshen Pills and Huiyuan Pills, these commonly used elixir materials for Qi Refining Cultivators were all gathered here in significant numbers, occupying most of the Spiritual Medicine Garden.


    In a corner of the fields, they also discovered two Jade Spirit Fruit Trees, adorned with more than ten green fruits that didn¡¯t seem quite ripe yet; Lin Tianming had no intention to pick or transplant them.


    Lin Tianming then collected the mature Spiritual Medicines that matched their age, leaving behind those that were not yet of age. These lower-grade Spiritual Medicines, with relatively short cycles, didn¡¯t need to be transplanted and only required collection every so often.


    It took more than an hour to collect the First Order Spiritual Medicines. Then Lin Tianming continued further in; the deeper he went, the richer the spiritual energy became, with small plots of fields containing many Second Order Spiritual Medicines.


    Dragon Origin Grass and Cloudy Rain Flower, hundreds of stalks of various Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials stood neatly in the fields, prospering well, making it evident that the Jin Family had their expertise in Alchemy and cultivation of Spiritual Medicines.


    After collecting the mature Second Order Spiritual Medicines, Lin Tianming continued inward, quickly reaching the deepest part.


    Looking around, there were only a few acres of Spirit Fields at the very end, with the soil differing from that outside: darker in color and faintly emanating spiritual energy.


    Lin Tianming approached three Spirit Grasses about half a foot tall and observed them closely.


    After repeated confirmation, he realized these were the main ingredients for the Hun Tian Pill: the Third Order Spiritual Medicine Purple Yin Grass. Unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t matured yet, and to use them for Alchemy, he would have to wait at least twenty more years.


    Although he already possessed the Pill Formula for the Hun Tian Pill and found some of the auxiliary Spiritual Medicines in the Spiritual Medicine Garden, it was a pity that the Purple Yin Grass was not yet of age.


    However, twenty-some years was not a long time in the world of cultivators, and the Lin Family could afford to wait.


    The thought of the family obtaining a batch of Purple Yin Grass in twenty years and thereby concocting the Hun Tian Pill to help their Foundation Establishment Cultivators break through a realm brought a flush to Lin Tianming¡¯s face. He quickly called over Lin Shilu and explained the effects of the herb.


    Upon hearing this, and seeing the more than ten stalks of Purple Yin Grass, Lin Shilu¡¯s breathing quickened as well.


    One must know that progression during the Foundation Establishment Stage was slow. It had been more than twenty years since Lin Shilu entered the Foundation Establishment Stage, and he had barely managed to cultivate to the Fourth Level, drastically in need of elixirs to aid in his cultivation; relying solely on meditation and breathing exercises was incredibly slow.


    Lin Shilu carefully collected a few stalks of the Purple Yin Grass and placed them in a prepared Jade Box, then continued to collect other Third Order Spiritual Medicines.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 128 - 128 - 109 Robbed Clean_1

    Chapter 128 ¨C 109 Robbed Clean_1


    A quarter-hour had passed, and the two of them had swept through the area of Third Order Spiritual Medicine, obtaining more than thirty mature Third Order Spiritual Medicines. Most of these were items used by Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and although their value was all lower than that of Purple Yin Grass, they were still not something that Second Order Spiritual Medicines could compare with.


    After spending half a day, they had plundered the Spiritual Medicine Garden, taking everything that met the age requirement for alchemy. High-value Spiritual Medicines were not spared either, being collected along with the soil to be transplanted into the Lin Family¡¯s Spiritual Medicine Garden.


    As time went by, the two busied themselves for half a day and obtained more than a thousand pieces of Spiritual Medicine Materials, the vast majority of which were First Order Spiritual Medicines. The truly high-value ones were less than two hundred.


    Even so, the value of the Jin Family¡¯s Spiritual Medicine Garden was much higher than that of the Lin Family¡¯s. The risk taken initially was well worth it just for the value of this Spiritual Medicine Garden itself.


    With satisfaction, the two left the Spiritual Medicine Garden and flew towards the summit¡¯s plaza.


    Atop Golden Horn Mountain was a Bluestone Plaza that spanned dozens of acres.


    At the far end of the plaza were more than ten lofty stone halls of varying sizes snug against the square, each with several stories and all protected by strong prohibitive spells of varying degrees of power.


    ...


    Lin Tianming casually strolled up, stopped in front of a grand hall, and opened his Eye of Five Colors to begin attempting to break the hall¡¯s prohibitions.


    After spending two days, he had broken the prohibitions of a succession of more than ten halls, all belonging to some of the Jin Family¡¯s administrative institutions with no substantial loot. They were mostly items that could not be easily taken away.


    Looking at the remaining two halls, which must have been where the secret manuals and treasures were stored, Lin Tianming¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but heat up.


    Quickly regaining his composure, Lin Tianming began to break the prohibitions of the place.


    Half a day later, the prohibitions were broken, revealing the entrance to the grand hall. Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu walked straight in.


    Gazing about, the first floor of the grand hall revealed more than a dozen stone platforms, upon which rested various colored Jade Slips and some books made of beast skin.


    Lin Tianming immediately rushed in and picked up a Jade Slip to examine it.


    Sure enough, it was a Metal Attribute Yellow Grade Technique, identical to the one from the Lin Family. It was probably not surprising for such common goods to be found in multiple major Families.


    After putting down the Jade Slip in his hand, Lin Tianming started to inspect the other items.


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    In no time, everything on the first floor of the grand hall had been collected by the two of them.


    They discovered a total of eight Yellow Grade Techniques, three of which overlapped with the Yellow Grade Techniques of the Lin Family. Among the unheard Techniques, there were two of Wood Attribute, and one each of Metal, Fire, and Earth Attributes, but none of Water Attribute.


    The rest of the books were introductions and experiences related to cultivation arts. The creators were probably not of high rank, and thus not very useful. There were also records of miscellaneous and interesting events, which might help someone new to cultivation, but were useless to them.


    Lin Shilu packed all the items into his storage bag to take back to the family for sorting, and then they went up to the second floor.


    There were not many platforms on the second floor, and even fewer books and Jade Slips, barely totaling over thirty pieces, but they were all good stuff.


    Lin Tianming held a Jade Slip and meticulously examined it. Before long, a look of joy appeared on Lin Tianming¡¯s face.


    ¡°Guiyuan Heart Sutra.¡±


    This Jade Slip was precisely the cultivation technique practiced by many Jin Family Cultivators, also a Mysterious Grade, which could be cultivated to the Late Stage of Core Formation, with Metal Attribute, and accompanied by no small Divine Skills, possessing extremely formidable attacking power. He had learned this firsthand; in terms of attacking power, the Divine Skills included in this technique were even more formidable than those of the Lin Family¡¯s Fire Origin Decision.


    After handing over this priceless technique to Lin Shilu, he then turned his attention to the remaining Jade Slips.


    An hour later, the two had finished examining the remaining techniques and manuals.


    The other two Mysterious Grade Techniques were one of Earth Attribute and one of Water Attribute. With this, the Lin Family had gathered all of the Mysterious Grade Techniques of the five attributes.


    Beyond the techniques, they also found two volumes of Alchemy Experience. The Jin Family¡¯s alchemy was renowned throughout the Luoyun Mountain Range and, with nearly a thousand years of continuous improvement, their alchemy experiences did indeed hold many points of value.


    The rest of the manuals contained the Jin Family¡¯s experience in cultivating Spiritual Medicine, as well as talisman paper and Artifact Refining techniques, covering nearly all the arts of cultivation. However, it was uncertain how much they could learn from them.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the two had packed everything into their storage bags and headed towards the third floor. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, after a careful search in every corner of the third floor, they found nothing at all.


    The Scripture Pavilion of the Jin Family had been thoroughly looted. Lin Tianming made his way to the last great hall.


    It didn¡¯t take much time to break through the restrictions, and the two of them walked inside.


    Passing through the main hall of the great hall to its depths, there were several rooms on both sides of the corridor. Lin Tianming noticed that the layout here was somewhat similar to the Lin Family¡¯s Hall of Merit and surmised this must be the Jin Family¡¯s Hall of Merit.


    Thinking that there must be treasures used for daily exchanges by the Jin Family here, Lin Tianming and his companion were particularly excited and quickly chose a room to enter.


    Lin Tianming pushed open the heavy stone door, and what caught his eye were several chests crafted from jade stone. Lin Tianming immediately rushed over and opened them.


    ¡°Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming grabbed a few Spirit Stones to examine, and they were all Low-Grade Spirit Stones.


    After his counting, just in these few chests, there were over thirteen thousand Spirit Stones.


    They moved the chests out of the room and placed them in the main hall, awaiting the final tally.


    Half a day passed, and the two had swept through everything in the great hall three times, gathering all the useful items together into a small mountain.


    Looking around, the treasures in front of them were varied: elixirs, Spirit Grass, Spirit Stones, Spirit Ore, Demonic Beast Materials, as well as different quantities of Spiritual Artifacts and talisman paper, though not in large numbers.


    It was presumed that because of the recent battle, the Jin Family had carried the Spiritual Artifacts and talisman paper¡ªresources for war¡ªwith them. Still, the loot remained quite valuable.


    Lin Shilu took out a piece of Beast Skin and recorded the type and quantity of all the treasures before putting all the treasures into storage bags.


    Tian Ming watched the vast amount of wealth with shining eyes, his heart blooming with joy.


    After all, the sight of treasures worth over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones would tempt any Qi Refining Cultivator.


    Setting aside the Cultivation Manuals and the yield from the Spiritual Medicine Garden, just these supplementary cultivation resources were worth at least one hundred thousand Spirit Stones.


    Besides these, there were also over a hundred storage bags from Jin Family Cultivators that hadn¡¯t been tallied. If all were accounted for, the sum might be astronomical.


    Watching Lin Tianming¡¯s eyes narrow into slits, Lin Shilu spoke with a calm expression.


    ¡°Tian Ming, the Jin Family must have another Treasure Vault!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s words, Lin Tianming snapped back to reality and, after some thought, began to understand.


    Any family would not place the accumulation of a thousand years in such an obvious institution. They would opt to store them in multiple locations and keep them hidden to avoid being completely looted in case the family fell, also preserving a slim chance of rising again.


    Moreover, the haul here, although not insignificant, was hardly substantial for a family like the Jin Family that had existed for a thousand years.


    This place was probably where they stored regularly used resources for exchanges by the Jin Family¡¯s Qi Refining clanspeople, completely devoid of items used by Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Therefore, there definitely was another hidden Treasure Vault; it just was not easy to find.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s conjecture was something Lin Tianming totally agreed with.


    Afterwards, the two left the great hall and began to search separately within Golden Horn Mountain.

 Chapter 129 - 129 - 110: Struck it Rich_1

    Chapter 129 ¨C 110: Struck it Rich_1


    Half a day passed, and the several dozen-mile expanse of the Golden Horn Mountain Clan Territory had been searched thoroughly by a group of people, but they had not found the location of the Jin Family¡¯s treasure vault.


    Lin Shilu frowned, deep in thought.


    They had searched quite meticulously, practically turning over every inch of the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory, but still, they hadn¡¯t found it.


    Although they had anticipated it wouldn¡¯t be easy, after all, such a secretive matter wouldn¡¯t be known to more than ten people even within the Jin Family Clan.


    ¡°Where could it be?¡±


    While brooding over this conundrum, a loud shout came from not too far away; it was Lin Tianming who seemed to have found something, prompting Lin Shilu to immediately rush over.


    At the base of the main peak of Golden Horn Mountain, where several rivers converged, a waterfall dozens of feet wide roared down with imposing momentum, a truly magnificent sight.


    ...


    The abundant water resources here formed a substantial mist after evaporation, filling the valley with dense fog, lush and vibrant, with colorful flowers and trees growing beside green rocks, presenting the spectacle of a cave heaven and blessed land.


    At the moment, however, Lin Tianming wasn¡¯t admiring these beautiful scenes but stood in front of the waterfall, opening his Eye of Five Colors and gazing through the curtain of water at something behind it.


    Sensing the faint ripple of a formation behind the water curtain, which appeared and disappeared intermittently, a hint of joy flashed across Lin Tianming¡¯s face.


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s call, Lin Shilu quickly arrived beside him and looked in the direction Lin Tianming was facing, closely sensing the area.


    Unfortunately, even with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, he couldn¡¯t feel that faint fluctuation.


    Out of curiosity, Lin Shilu didn¡¯t ask any questions but quietly waited by the side.


    After an unknown amount of time, Lin Tianming held an Earth Evil Artifact in his hand and boldly thrust his sword at the mirror-like curtain of water.


    ¡°Pff¡­¡±


    A strange crisp sound echoed as the mirror-like water curtain suddenly revealed an entrance to a cave, approximately three feet wide.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s face lit up with joy as he leaped beside Lin Tianming.


    After releasing two attacks to ensure no dangers lay ahead, the two entered the cave together.


    Walking cautiously along the flagstone path, the two headed deeper into the cave.


    In a short while, they reached the end of the cave and found several stone doors at the deepest part. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two worked together to push open the heavy stone doors, revealing the contents of the stone chamber.


    What greeted their eyes were several shelves, on which many jade bottles were placed.


    Lin Tianming rushed forward in a few strides, grabbed a jade bottle, opened it, and began identifying the elixirs inside.


    ¡°Second Order Spirit Origin Pill!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, Lin Shilu¡¯s face brightened, and he eagerly took the pill, carefully examining it.


    Lin Tianming continued inspecting the remaining jade bottles and in a short time, had checked all the elixirs inside them.


    Lin Shilu took out a piece of beast skin and began tallying the quantities and types of these elixirs.


    After they finished scouring the first stone chamber, the two continued to rummage through the remaining chambers.


    The second chamber contained a vast amount of Spirit Stones, far more than what was in the great hall at the top of Golden Horn Mountain. After Lin Tianming¡¯s count, there were a total of sixty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and in addition, forty-five Medium-Grade Spirit Stones.


    Holding a fist-sized Medium-Grade Spirit Stone in his hand, Lin Tianming examined it carefully, his expression one of reluctance to let it go.


    To the naked eye, this Medium-Grade Spirit Stone was several times bigger than a normal Low-Grade Spirit Stone, containing a richer and more pure Spiritual Energy.


    In the Cultivation World, Spirit Stones are the universal currency. It takes a hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones to exchange for one Medium-Grade Spirit Stone, and so on, with a hundred Medium-Grade Spirit Stones fetching one High Quality Spirit Stone, although typically no one is willing to trade for them.


    While Low-Grade Spirit Stones are quite common and widely circulated, Medium-Grade Spirit Stones are much rarer. Medium-Grade Spirit Stones can be used as the energy source required for the operation of Formations, greatly enhancing their stability. It is said that some Fourth Order large towns even use Supreme Spirit Stones as their energy source.


    Hence, medium-grade spirit stones and above can serve as strategic resource reserves, and even the forces with Golden Core cultivators wouldn¡¯t easily trade them away.


    Forty-five medium-grade spirit stones, that¡¯s four thousand five hundred low-grade spirit stones. Plus the other sixty thousand spirit stones, this truly is an immensely great fortune.


    ¡°The Jin Family really is wealthy¡­¡±


    After sighing, Lin Tianming collected all the spirit stones into his storage bag and handed it to Lin Shilu.


    Half an hour passed, and the two completed their search of the remaining stone chambers, walking out of the cave.


    At that moment, their complexions were flushed with excitement, their hearts racing as if a herd of ten thousand horses was charging through them. Even Lin Shilu, well-versed and experienced, felt his heart pounding uncontrollably upon seeing such a tremendous amount of wealth for the first time, and both of their mouths were almost grinning crooked with joy.


    The loot was indeed substantial; having scoured the Jin Family¡¯s nearly a thousand years of wealth accumulation, they left nothing behind. Just in spirit stones from the two treasure vaults, they obtained nearly eighty thousand pieces, not to mention the resources such as elixirs and talismans amounting to a potentially astronomical figure.


    The beaming pair emerged, soon to be joined by Lin Xingzhi and Lin Xingrong, and they gathered together for a brief chat.


    Lin Xingzhi had also scoured every yard and didn¡¯t get much, as few cultivators would leave their treasures in their abodes, keeping almost everything on their person. Nevertheless, they still managed to gather some wealth, filling two storage bags.


    Lin Shilu took the storage bags without counting, planning to bring them back to the clan for the family to sort and tally.


    Seeing the two, wearing an air of delighted disbelief, Lin Xingrong and his companion couldn¡¯t hide their puzzlement.


    Lin Shilu revealed just a small part of their gains, shocking the two to the core.


    ¡°Pathetic, just a few tens of thousands of spirit stones and you look like that!¡±


    Lin Shilu muttered under his breath, then paid no further mind to Lin Xingrong and his companion.


    Soon, they gradually recovered their composure, but Lin Shilu¡¯s expression turned grave.


    It had been about half a month since they left Luoyun Market, and they had no news about the Jin Family¡¯s movements or the situation back at home, which was a cause for concern.


    Looking at Lin Shilu¡¯s wistful expression, Lin Tianming and the others could guess some of the reasons behind it.


    Now that they had accomplished their purpose, regardless of whether the Jin Family was successful or not, they could no longer stay here. Once they returned to their clan¡¯s territory, they would truly have to scatter and flee for their lives.


    Lin Tianming was the first to speak, asking Lin Shilu for his thoughts.


    ¡°Elder Wu, what should we do next? Go back to our clan, or to Luoyun Market?¡±


    Faced with Lin Tianming¡¯s question, Lin Shilu wanted to return to Green Bamboo Mountain to check things out, but he thought of Lin Shikang¡¯s instructions and plans and didn¡¯t dare to take Lin Tianming into danger. He was now tangled and couldn¡¯t make a firm decision.


    ¡°Share your thoughts; let¡¯s discuss this together.¡±


    After Lin Shilu spoke, they started to deliberate. Experience tales at empire


    After a short while, through discussion, they reluctantly reached a consensus.


    Lin Xingrong and Lin Tianming would temporarily stay near the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory to take the chance to rendezvous with Lin Tianhong and the others.


    Lin Shilu and Lin Xingzhi would head back to Luoyun Market first, where the crowds and chaotic environment might allow them to gather some information.


    If the situation permitted, Lin Shilu alone would sneak back to Green Bamboo Mountain. After all, the Jin Family¡¯s threat was not yet lifted, and taking them would only be a burden. In the event of danger, the chances of escape were much higher for just one individual.


    After settling their plans, Lin Shilu took out several storage bags and handed them to Lin Xingrong. He messaged the group with a few instructions and felt slightly more at ease.


    With everything arranged, Lin Shilu and Lin Xingzhi didn¡¯t linger; they mounted their swords and flew south towards Luoyun Market, soon disappearing into the sky.


    Watching Lin Shilu and his companion leave, Lin Xingrong spoke up, ¡°Tianming, let¡¯s get going too!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming responded and then released the Purple Gold Eagle, feeding it a Beast Spirit Pill. The two of them jumped onto the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s back and soared into the sky, flying northward, swiftly vanishing without a trace.

 Chapter 130 - 130 - 111 Gathering of the Falling Clouds_1

    Chapter 130 ¨C 111 Gathering of the Falling Clouds_1


    Outside Luoyun Market, two figures swept across the sky and stopped atop a mountain.


    Uncertain of the Jin Family¡¯s whereabouts, Lin Shilu dared not rashly enter the market. If his tracks were discovered, it could bring about some unnecessary trouble.


    Standing on the mountain, he tried to observe the indistinct city walls in the distance, hoping to gather some information.


    At that moment, several bursts of firelight scattered over the market, followed by the sound of booming explosions.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s expression immediately tensed, as he attempted to guess what was happening.


    ¡°Could it be that the Jin Family has made a move against our people within the market?¡±


    If the Jin Family emerged victorious after attacking the four major families, once they severely damaged the other families, the rule of the market forbidding private fights would likely not be adhered to.


    ...


    After all, the rules of Luoyun Market were also set by the five major families. Having defeated the other four families, they would naturally want to annihilate them completely, so there would be no need to follow the rules.


    The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed, causing Lin Shilu to grow increasingly anxious.


    ¡°Xing Zhi, you stay nearby and hide. If I¡¯m not back in half an hour, don¡¯t worry about me. Immediately go find Xing Rong and then head together to Qianchuan Market, understand?¡±


    The more he worried, the less Lin Shilu could put his mind at ease, feeling an urgent necessity to ascertain the situation of his clan¡¯s territory. He had to find a way to get there and see for himself.


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s words, even Lin Xingzhi, as naive as he was, could guess some of the situation. The battle had spread to the market, certainly indicating the outcome of the clan conflict was clear, yet it was still unknown which side was victorious.


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    ¡°Fifteenth Uncle, my heart is also with the family, so I won¡¯t dissuade you. My cultivation is too weak; I¡¯d only slow you down. Please be very careful, and if anything happens, we will wait for you at Qianchuan Market.¡±


    A trace of worry appeared on Lin Xingrong¡¯s face as he gave his instructions in response.


    ¡°Hmm, be very cautious in everything!¡±


    With that, Lin Shilu no longer lingered, running straight down the mountain and quickly towards the direction of the market.


    Lin Xingzhi watched as Lin Shilu departed, then found a place to hide himself.


    After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lin Shilu had nearly reached the market entrance.


    By that time, the sound of explosions was echoing within the market, indicating a battle was still ongoing. The normally bustling entrance was now eerily quiet, without a single person in sight.


    As he was observing, several figures successively darted out from the market entrance, some bearing injuries. As soon as they left the market, they fled towards the north without looking back.


    Lin Shilu scrutinized the fleeing individuals carefully, they didn¡¯t look like Lin Family disciples. Moreover, why were the escaping figures heading north without a backward glance?


    Soon after, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator also emerged from the market entrance and quickly pursued the fleeing figures.


    ¡°Xing Yuan!¡±


    Seeing that the person was Lin Xingyuan, Lin Shilu understood at once. It was likely that the Lin Family had won the clan battle and was now hunting down the remnants of the Jin Family.


    At that moment, the stone in Lin Shilu¡¯s heart finally dropped, and he broke into a radiant smile, laughing arrogantly and loudly.


    Lin Xingyuan, busy with the pursuit, initially didn¡¯t notice Lin Shilu, who had changed his appearance. However, Lin Shilu, overwhelmed by excitement, revealed his true face, which then caught Lin Xingyuan¡¯s attention.


    Seeing Lin Shilu, Lin Xingyuan was instantly overjoyed, calling out:


    ¡°Fifteenth Uncle, quickly kill the few who are fleeing; they are all from the Jin Family!¡±


    In just a few breaths, the fleeing Lin Family members had scattered in different directions, with two of them already a thousand feet away.


    Without hesitation, Lin Shilu joined Lin Xingyuan in the pursuit.


    Several Qi Refining Cultivators, limited in speed, could not possibly escape from Lin Shilu of the Fourth Level of Foundation Building.


    In half a breath, Lin Shilu caught up with the slowest fleeing Jin Family member, flicking his finger to release a Sword Qi that easily eliminated the Jin Family member, who was at the Seventh Level of Qi Refining, before continuing the chase after the others.


    ¡°`


    In no time, Lin Shilu had successively killed several people, leaving only one cultivator who had fled for several miles. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shilu flew after him on his sword, turning into a lingering shadow as he chased down the escapee.


    The fleeing cultivator was called Jin Chaoyang, the person in charge of the Jin Family at the market, with the cultivation at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.


    Earlier that day, two Lin Family cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage had entered the market with several family members, launching a city-wide manhunt for all Jin Family members. The Jin Family¡¯s shops had long changed hands, and during the raid, more than a dozen of their kin were killed; only he and a few others had riskedly escaped.


    At the moment, he was clueless, and too panicked to guess what had befallen the Jin Family, only thinking about escaping back to Golden Horn Mountain as quickly as possible.


    Jin Chaoyang, already scared out of his wits, pushed his fleeing speed to the limit.


    As Lin Shilu drew closer and closer, Jin Chaoyang¡¯s face grew paler, and in his panic, he threw out several First Order Superior Grade talismans, hoping to delay his pursuer.


    Unfortunately, with the power of the Fourth Level of Foundation Building, these petty tricks were no obstruction at all.


    As the distance closed to less than a hundred paces, Lin Shilu flicked his fingers repeatedly, shooting out strands of sword qi towards Jin Chaoyang.


    Feeling the oncoming sword qi, Jin Chaoyang¡¯s face instantly lost all color, and he hurriedly took out a small spiritual shield to block in front of him.


    ¡°Whoosh whoosh¡­¡±


    After several crisp sounds, small holes appeared in both the shield and Jin Chaoyang¡¯s body.


    As he saw warm blood streaming from the holes in his chest, he simply could not believe this outcome.


    Why had the Jin Family¡¯s years of plotting, their grip on the clan war, ended in such a tragic defeat?


    Alas, no matter what, he could not figure it out.


    With Jin Chaoyang falling unwillingly, Lin Shilu took his storage bag, then cast a fireball to burn the body before heading towards the market.


    Before long, Lin Shilu and Lin Xingyuan returned to the market, walking on the main street.


    By then, all had quieted down inside the market, and many Qi Refining Cultivators watched the Lin Family members vigilantly, wondering what they were up to.


    Soon, the two reached the Hundred Treasures Building, where Lin Shigong was already waiting at the entrance.


    After exchanging greetings, Lin Shigong began to inquire,


    ¡°Xing Yuan, did you manage to kill the fleeing members of the Jin Family?¡±


    After Lin Xingyuan answered truthfully, Lin Shigong breathed a sigh of relief and then began to ask about the recent affairs of Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu did not hide anything, starting from the grand competition in the market and swiftly moving to the events of their escape.


    Although they had already learned about the entrapment and escape through Sun Dingfeng, hearing it from Lin Shilu¡¯s mouth made it all the more real.


    Subsequently, Lin Shigong heard how Lin Shilu and three others stormed the Jin Family stronghold, slaughtered hundreds of their members, and took all of the Jin Family¡¯s wealth.


    The two were already incredibly shocked, their expressions immensely rich.


    Had they not known Lin Shilu wouldn¡¯t joke about such matters, they wouldn¡¯t have believed it.


    After hearty laughter, Lin Shigong quickly regained his composure before recounting the battle of Green Bamboo Mountain, omitting the news of the deaths of Lin Shiji and others.


    Learning about the battle at Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Shilu was equally astounded.


    Although he knew the Lin Family had an ace up its sleeve left by the ancestral Patriarch, he¡¯d never witnessed its true power and couldn¡¯t guess whether it would be enough to contend with Jin Zhiying.


    Little did he expect not only the total annihilation of the Jin Family, but also the slaying of Zhuang Zhenxin.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 131 - 131 - 112: Controlling the Workshops_1

    Chapter 131 ¨C 112: Controlling the Workshops_1


    ¡°Ninth Brother, although we have won this clan war, I wonder how much our family has lost?¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s words caused Lin Shigong¡¯s face to change. He had intended to hide the truth for a while, but now he had no choice but to reveal it.


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t hide it for long, Lin Shigong still chose to tell the truth.


    Learning that all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators who participated in the war had suffered various degrees of injury, and that Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin had died in battle, Lin Shilu¡¯s complexion turned instantly ashen.


    ¡°Shilu, our Fifth Brother and the others did not sacrifice in vain. If they know that every member of the Jin Family has been executed, they would surely rest easy in the underworld!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Fifteenth Uncle. The battle was extremely hard-fought, and every Lin Family Member made sacrifices!¡±


    Seeing Lin Shilu¡¯s dejected mood, Lin Xingyuan also spoke up to comfort him.


    ...


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    After sighing deeply, Lin Shilu gradually regained his composure, and Lin Shigong, not wanting to see him upset, quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°Shilu, I was originally planning a trip to Golden Horn Mountain to take over the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory, but now it seems unnecessary. From what you¡¯ve said, there are some immature Spiritual Medicines there that require a Foundation Establishment Clan Member to temporarily guard the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory. We also need to send someone to check on the Wu Family¡¯s clan land, and it would be best to control those places. As for the follow-up arrangements, let¡¯s discuss them after the Elders¡¯ Council has deliberated!¡±


    ¡°Whatever you arrange, Ninth Brother, will be best.¡±


    After agreeing, Lin Shilu thought about Lin Xingzhi, who was waiting for him outside the market, and then spoke.


    ¡°Ninth Brother, since all the Jin Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators are dead, I¡¯ll go find Xing Zhi now and have him fetch Xing Rong to send Tian Ming and the other juniors back home. After that, he can temporarily remain in the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Finishing his words, Lin Shilu handed over the storage bags of Jin Chaoyang and several others to Lin Shigong, then immediately set off toward the market exit.


    After watching Lin Shilu leave, Lin Shigong erased the Divine Sense left on the storage bags and began to inspect a Token taken out from one of them.


    Once he was sure the Token was correct, Lin Shigong revealed a trace of satisfaction and instructed Lin Xingyuan standing beside him:


    ¡°Xing Yuan, now that we¡¯ve taken control of all the Jin Family¡¯s shops and assets, and obtained the Luoyun Order, organize some people immediately. Let¡¯s go straight to the Market City Supervisor¡¯s office and replace the current law enforcers with our own, then ensure that the Luoyun Market¡¯s security is maintained.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The two didn¡¯t linger and immediately hurried towards the direction of the marketplace auction.


    At the entrance to the auction, a Bluestone Plaza had already gathered quite a number of Cultivators, with many more still hurrying towards the area.


    In the span of a short break, the number of people on the plaza grew, the majority being Loose Cultivators, as well as members of Qi Cultivation families and even members of the Luoyun Market Law Enforcement Team.


    Over a hundred Cultivators gathered together, and those who had witnessed the battle began to discuss amongst themselves.


    In the past two months, undercurrents had surged within the five major clans of the Luoyun Mountain Range. The Jin Family took advantage of the market competition when Foundation Establishment Cultivators from other clans were away from their territories and brazenly initiated clan warfare, wiping out the Wu Family before they could even react.


    It was only several days later that the news reached the Luoyun Market, causing upheaval. Many Loose Cultivators hurriedly left the market to avoid calamity. Within a few short days, the market¡¯s vitality had significantly waned, and the attendance was not even half of what it used to be.


    Perhaps out of respect for the market¡¯s rules, there had been peace within the Luoyun Market. Some observant Loose Cultivators and trading Cultivators still remained in the market.


    It wasn¡¯t until today that twenty Lin Family Members suddenly appeared near the Jin Family¡¯s shops, openly attacking the Jin Family Clan Members.


    Under the leadership of two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they were able to capture all of the Jin Family Members within the marketplace in just half an hour.


    The appearance of the Lin Family Members signified the Jin Family¡¯s defeat, an inconceivable outcome. Furthermore, Lin Shigong and Lin Xingyuan demonstrated their Foundation Establishment cultivation, completely stunning the onlookers.


    Afterward, many secretly discussed how the Jin Family, with six Foundation Establishment Clan Members, could have been defeated, how many Foundation Establishment Cultivators the Lin Family actually had, what unknown tactics they used, and just how much strength they had hidden.


    Unfortunately, they could not find out.


    ¡­


    On the Bluestone Plaza, near the auction venue.


    A Qi Refining Eighth Level Cultivator sat casually on the stairs in front of the auction house, surrounded by more than a dozen Cultivators who gathered around him like stars around the moon.


    ¡°Daoist Chen, as the captain of the Law Enforcement Team, have you heard any rumors or have any insider information?¡±


    ¡°Yes, regarding the spell battle that has just erupted, I wonder what Daoist Chen thinks?¡±


    In the crowd, a few cultivators started asking, hoping to glean some news from him.


    Chen Jingshan frowned slightly, clueless about these inquiries, he was just as baffled at the moment.


    Still, considering that they were all acquaintances, even though he knew nothing, he still responded with a few words.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for alarm. The grudges between the five major families should not involve us loose cultivators. Whether it¡¯s time for seclusion or business, just carry on. Once they have settled their dispute, stability will naturally return.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, this is not something we should worry about!¡±


    ¡°What Daoist Chen said makes sense, we were overthinking it¡­¡±


    After Chen Jingshan spoke, several cultivators seemed much relieved and echoed his sentiments.


    Just then, Lin Shigong, along with other Lin Family members, appeared at the edge of the plaza.


    ¡°It¡¯s people from the Lin Family¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Lin has succeeded in Foundation Establishment!¡±


    Several cultivators who had just arrived at the plaza exclaimed in confusion.


    The arrival of Lin Shigong and his group immediately caused a huge stir, and the cultivators present greeted them with clasped fists, then made way for them.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, there¡¯s no need for such courtesy¡­¡±


    Lin Shigong, with a gentle expression, politely responded, greatly endearing himself to those present.


    Previously, members of the Jin Family had always been overbearing, yet due to the Jin Family¡¯s great power, none dared to voice their anger.


    The Lin Family, on the other hand, had always been low-key and fair in their dealings, and they had an excellent reputation throughout the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Amidst the cheering of the crowd, Lin Shigong gestured for everyone to be quiet, walked to the high platform in the plaza, and spoke with righteous indignation:


    Discover exclusive tales at empire


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, the Jin Family harbored wild ambitions and rashly instigated clan warfare under the pretext of the Market City Contest. In just a few days, the Wu Family was annihilated, the Sun Family Clan¡¯s Territory was breached, and many of their people were killed or wounded. Our Lin Family risked everything to resist, mobilizing the strength of our entire clan at the cost of heavy sacrifices, and we have now completely eradicated the Jin Family.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Completely eradicated the Jin Family!¡±


    As Lin Shigong personally announced the outcome, many had already guessed it, yet there were still many who didn¡¯t know, and they were shocked when they heard the news.


    Lin Shigong paid them no mind and continued:


    ¡°As the Jin Family no longer exists, we of the Lin Family will temporarily take over the management of Luoyun Market. Everyone should carry on with their business without any concern and please inform each other so we can bring the market back to its prosperous state as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°As for the reformation of the Law Enforcement Team and the Market City Supervisor roles, clean backgrounds and meeting the requirements are the criteria for all Daoists who wish to apply, and the salaries will be increased by twenty percent over the previous rates.¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Shigong¡¯s words, the crowd of cultivators erupted in cheers.


    The demise of the Jin Family indeed allowed many to vent their pent-up frustrations.


    As for the Lin Family taking control of the market and raising the salaries of the executive officers, it was naturally considered good news.


    Soon, many cultivators stepped forward, eager to sign up, and Chen Jingshan was among them.


    Lin Xingyuan also took out a book and began to record their names, which would be kept on file for review and later employment.


    Seeing the large number of cultivators signing up without any signs of resistance, the Lin Family could easily take control of the market.


    Lin Shigong stood aside, a smile creeping onto his face.


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 Chapter 132 - 132 - 113 Sending Off_1

    Chapter 132 ¨C 113 Sending Off_1


    Time flew, half a month had passed since the destruction of the Jin Family.


    The two-month-long clan war had come to a definitive end, with the Wu Family and the Jin Family destroyed, the Sun Family clan grounds breached, and the majority of its members either dead or injured, suffering a devastating blow.


    The unexpected outcome of the war had spread like a storm, first among ten, then among hundreds, until it became known to everyone in the Luoyun Mountain Range; it even reached the neighboring Qianchuan Market and the Huangyang Kingdom in Jingzhou.


    Suddenly, the Lin Family was in the limelight, their fame spreading far and wide, becoming the most talked-about topic among cultivators.


    Gradually, the Luoyun Market stabilized, and its popularity began to recover.


    In just over ten days, the Lin Family had exerted a great amount of manpower and resources, effectively taking control of the Luoyun Market.


    Within the market, peace returned to its former state, with all the major shops reopening and the comings and goings of cultivators as usual.


    ...


    As for the Lin Family taking control of the market, unexpectedly, both the Sun Family and the virtually intact Luo Family made no statements.


    Since neither the Sun Family nor the Luo Family raised the issue, the Lin Family naturally did not bring it up themselves; all parties understood each other¡¯s silence, and for the time being, there were no negotiations.


    ¡­


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Family clan grounds.


    Through Lin Xingzhi¡¯s summoning, Lin Tianming and the other younger members all returned to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Other than Lin Xingrong, who was stationed at Golden Horn Mountain, and some clan members under Lin Xingyuan¡¯s command who managed the market, all Lin Family members who were outside had now returned to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    A few days previous, Lin Xingzhi had gone to the northern part of Golden Horn Mountain to search for Lin Tianming and others; upon meeting, he recounted the whole process of the battle on Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Upon learning that Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin had died in battle, Lin Tianming felt immensely heavy-hearted.


    Lin Tianming, having been born to cultivator parents, had lived on Green Bamboo Mountain since childhood.


    As Lin Xingrong was often stationed at the market, he would follow Lin Shigong around from an early age, frequently interacting with the Shi Clan members.


    Lin Shixin, having no descendants, treated Lin Tianming as his own grandchild, often spoiling him and showing him special favor.


    Lin Tianming adored this mischievous elder, and their relationship was extremely close, leading Lin Shigong to occasionally question whether Tianming was truly his own grandchild.


    Lin Shiji, who was rather stern, treated all the clan members equally; regardless of who erred, he remained unforgiving, with the sole exception of Lin Tianming, and the two had a tacit coordination during demon-hunting experiences.


    The loss of the two elders Lin Tianming deeply respected had grieved him for a long time.


    Lin Xingzhi also knew that Lin Tianming was troubled inside and could only urge him to diligently pursue cultivation, to strengthen the Lin Family so that such tragedies would not recur.


    Lin Tianming, who had a strong sense of belonging to his family, became even more eager to improve his strength in order to protect his family after hearing this.


    Only if the family was strong and looked after by a High Order Cultivator could such incidents be avoided.


    From that point on, the heart of a strong warrior had taken root and begun to sprout within him, growing ever more resolute.


    ¡­


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Family Ancestral Hall.


    In the aftermath of the battle, as the injured clan members emerged from retreat and the exterior members had been gathered, it was time to hold the ceremony to place the spirit tablets in the ancestral hall.


    The ceremony of placing the spirit tablets in the ancestral hall was a common occurrence in the Lin Family.


    Every few years, members of the Lin Family would pass away naturally or die in accidents, and the ceremony would be performed.


    However, the ceremonies for those clan members were simpler and attended by fewer family members.


    And in this clan war the Lin Family had faced, they had sacrificed more than twenty of their members in one go, who fought valiantly, dedicating everything to the family.


    Therefore, the Lin Family placed great importance on the ceremony of entering the spirit tablets into the ancestral hall, going so far as to summon all the members who could be spared, just to send off these sacrificed members on their final journey.


    It was only by placing the members¡¯ spirit tablets inside the ancestral hall to allow future generations to pay their respects, after this process was completed, that one was considered to have lived a full life and to have received the family¡¯s recognition.


    The entry of the spirit tablet into the ancestral hall was the highest honor of the Lin Family, the final resting place for every member of the Lin Family.


    Of course, there were exceptions. Either the Lin Family was completely wiped out, with no descendants to conduct the ceremony, or the family member had committed unforgivable crimes and was so wicked that he was expelled from the family. Such a person was considered to no longer be a member of the Lin Family and naturally could not enter the Lin Family Ancestral Hall.


    ¡­


    At this moment, more than a hundred family members had gathered in the ancestral hall. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The ancient and heavy hall was utterly silent, each person¡¯s expression extremely solemn, and some even bore tears.


    Inside the hall, Lin Shihua, whose injuries had mostly healed, looked pallid, standing beside him were Lin Shikang and a few other surviving relatives from the Shi generation.


    A flicker of sorrow passed across Lin Shikang¡¯s face as he said to Lin Shihua,


    ¡°Shihua, begin.¡±


    Lin Shihua nodded, took a spirit tablet from the wooden table next to him, and placed it on the peach wood altar.


    Before long, two more spirit tablets were added to the layer belonging to the Shi generation, belonging to Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin.


    Lin Tianming, looking at the numerous spirit tablets on the altar, remembered Lin Shixin¡¯s kind and amiable face.


    Just then, Lin Shihua loudly recited complex scriptures, followed by a eulogy for the achievements of the two men.


    ¡°Family members, pay your respects!¡±


    Lin Shikang and the other Shi generation relatives bowed first, followed by the Xing generation and Tian generation members, who knelt and kowtowed thrice before rising.


    Then it was the turn for the spirit tablets of the Xing generation relatives to be placed on the altar. Lin Shihua continued to read out the names of the departed, then recited the scriptures.


    The family members paid their respects similarly, but since the Xing generation was of the same generation, they did not kneel, only the Tian generation members performed the kneeling tribute.


    After the passage of half a day, with the offerings properly arranged and three sticks of zen incense lit, the ceremony of the spirit tablets entering the ancestral hall was completed.


    Seeing the family members¡¯ low spirits, Lin Shikang felt helpless, knowing wounds always needed time to settle.


    He sighed, rallying his spirit before speaking, Stay updated with empire


    ¡°My fellow clansmen, the great war has just ended, the brutal process was as if it had just occurred. This is the cruelty of the Cultivation World.¡±


    ¡°Most of the people here have witnessed the sacrifice of Shi Ji and the others, the glory of their sacrifice. I hope you do not grieve too much. Before the portraits of our ancestors, I believe Shi Ji and the others do not wish to see you like this.¡±


    ¡°What you need to do now is to remember this history, turn grief and indignation into motivation, and double your efforts in cultivation. Strive to make breakthroughs as soon as possible. Only when you are strong can you protect the family from harm. Do you understand?¡±


    Inspired by Lin Shikang¡¯s words, everyone¡¯s spirits were lifted, their expressions revealing a formidable aura as they replied in unison,


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    After Lin Shikang¡¯s admonishment, a hint of vitality finally returned to everyone¡¯s faces.


    Seeing the transformation of the family members and the strong cohesion of the family, Lin Shikang showed a slight smile of relief.


    Following Lin Shihua¡¯s announcement of dismissal, the Lin Family members orderly left the ancestral hall to return to their normal cultivation.


    After leaving the ancestral hall, Lin Tianming greeted some relatives before returning to his family¡¯s courtyard with his mother and sister.

 Chapter 133 - 133 - 114: The Lin Family Makes a Fortune, The Complete Spirit Art_1

    Chapter 133 ¨C 114: The Lin Family Makes a Fortune, The Complete Spirit Art_1


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    Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    In Lin Shikang¡¯s courtyard, the six remaining members of the Lin Family of Shi¡¯s generation sat inside, chatting.


    After the great battle, clan affairs entangled them, and those who were in seclusion stayed secluded, never gathering together.


    Now, as matters had gradually been handled and the Lin Family had returned to the right track, it was naturally time to account for the family¡¯s losses and gains.


    After some idle chat, Lin Shihua took out a book and, following the recorded counts, began to report. Lin Shikang and the others listened attentively.


    The Lin Family¡¯s losses were huge in this battle: not only did more than twenty clan members die in battle, but a substantial amount of elixirs, talismans, and spiritual artifacts were consumed, depleting years of accumulated resources.


    ...


    After reporting the losses, it was time to inventory the gains.


    Lin Shihua took out dozens of storage bags and placed them on the stone table in the middle of the group, all containing possessions of the Jin Family members who had died on Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The six of them each picked up a storage bag from the ground, wiped away the lingering divine sense, and started to check the contents.


    An hour later, they had finished tallying this batch of storage bags from Qi Refining Stage clanspeople.


    In total, there were over 8,500 spirit stones, more than 200 consumable elixirs, fewer than 40 intact spiritual artifacts, and a large number of damaged remnants of spiritual artifacts, with hardly any talismans.


    Just calculating the totals, Lin Shihua¡¯s face darkened as he complained repeatedly,


    ¡°This is far too little, isn¡¯t it? Over forty Jin Family members above the Sixth Level of Qi Refining, and this is all the spirit stones they had¡ªan average of barely two hundred spirit stones per person, no better than a Loose Cultivator.¡±


    Lin Shigong frowned slightly and said helplessly,


    ¡°That¡¯s quite normal. They were participating in a great war, not strolling through a market. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t carry too many treasures; otherwise, they would just be benefiting the enemy in case they fell.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    Lin Shihua agreed with a nod and quickly registered it in the book.


    Next, Lin Shigong took out more than ten storage bags, which were the possessions of the Jin Family Cultivators stationed at the market and goods from the Jin Family shops. The quantity was not small.


    In no time, the group quickly tallied the treasures inside.


    There were over 11,000 spirit stones, more than 600 elixirs, as well as a fair number of talismans and spiritual artifacts, and varying amounts of Spiritual Medicine and Spirit Ore.


    Although they only obtained a little more than ten storage bags, the wealth inside far exceeded the batch Lin Shihua had tallied.


    After their estimation, this wealth amounted to about 25,000 spirit stones.


    Lin Shihua packed up the categorized storage bags, and everyone turned their attention to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu had breached Jin Family¡¯s Protective Formation and acquired all the wealth of the Jin Family¡ªa thousand years of accumulation, which was undoubtedly substantial. Everyone looked at him with eyes full of expectation and anticipation.


    Lin Shilu chuckled and calmly handed Lin Shihua two storage bags, which contained the spirit stones and Cultivation Techniques they had acquired from the hidden treasure vault of the Jin Family.


    Lin Shihua accepted the storage bags and began to inspect them.


    Upon seeing nearly 70,000 spirit stones inside, his breath immediately became rapid.


    Lin Shigong and the others, curious, hurriedly snatched the storage bags from Lin Shilu¡¯s hands to take turns inspecting them.


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡±


    Apart from Lin Shilu, everyone¡¯s face turned red, and even Lin Shikang, who was usually calm, couldn¡¯t help but gasp in shock.


    At this moment, the people present had flushed faces and hearts filled with extreme excitement and agitation that took a long while to subside.


    Taking advantage of their distraction, Lin Shilu took out more than two hundred storage bags and filled the stone table, all belonging to Jin Family members who had stayed behind in the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory.


    After about ten breaths, everyone eventually calmed down and began to tally these storage bags.


    Cultivation Techniques, Spirit Stones, Elixirs, Talismans, Spiritual Artifacts¡­


    It took nearly half a day to completely tally the treasures inside.


    Having seen such a vast quantity of treasures, Lin Shihua and the others had become numb to it.


    The spirit stones Lin Shilu brought back neared 120,000, plus five Cultivation Techniques, numerous books, more than thirty mature Third Order Spiritual Medicines, and countless First and Second Order items.


    After everyone¡¯s estimation, excluding Cultivation Techniques and books, which were difficult to price, the value of the other treasures was definitely no less than 300,000 spirit stones.


    Beyond their shock, they secretly compared the wealth of the Jin Family to that of the Lin Family.


    Setting aside the value of the Cultivation Techniques, the wealth worth 300,000 spirit stones was still staggering; at the very least, the Lin Family couldn¡¯t come close, and they were far behind.


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but sigh, recognizing that the Jin Family, which had long dominated the market, never falling out of the top three, had amassed a great amount of wealth over a thousand years. They truly were an ancient family with profound foundations.


    After Lin Shilu finished tallying, there were still a few storage bags in Lin Shikang¡¯s hands that hadn¡¯t been counted.


    In his possession were the storage bags of Jin Zhiying and Zhuang Zhenxin. Given their cultivations and their status as Second Order Array Masters, their contents must be extraordinary.


    Not only that, the treasures looted from the Sun Family¡¯s territory and the annihilated Wu Family were also in Jin Zhiying¡¯s possession.


    Although the treasures obtained by Lin Shilu were already of great value, the items in Lin Shikang¡¯s possession might surpass those.


    Everyone looked eagerly at Lin Shikang, their eyes burning with anticipation.


    Lin Shikang did not delay. He immediately took out a dozen storage bags, two of which were very conspicuous and obviously not ordinary.


    Lin Shikang distributed the storage bags among them, and they began to tally.


    After half an hour, they completed the inspection of the storage bags, everyone¡¯s faces flush with color, and Lin Shihua even broke out into wild laughter.


    Indeed, as they had expected, these dozen storage bags, although few in number, contained no shortage of treasures.

 Chapter 134 - 134 - 114: The Lin Family Makes a Fortune, The Complete Spirit Art_2

    Chapter 134 ¨C 114: The Lin Family Makes a Fortune, The Complete Spirit Art_2


    Just the number of spirit stones found in Jin Zhiying¡¯s storage bag amounted to as many as a hundred thousand pieces, and there were over twenty medium-grade spirit stones.


    This huge sum of wealth was very likely the combined fortunes of the Sun and Wu Families, concentrated in Jin Zhiying¡¯s hands.


    Besides the enormous amount of spirit stones, the cultivation techniques of the Sun and Wu Families were also among them. Excluding the techniques that overlapped with those of the Lin Family, there were five mysterious-grade techniques and seven yellow-grade techniques.


    There were even over a hundred various classics, amongst which the Sun Family¡¯s talisman-making insights were particularly precious. Many of the other classics weren¡¯t very useful, but they could still provide some references.


    In addition to these, the quantity of various cultivation resources was huge; the combined resources of the two families almost surpassed the treasures Lin Shilu had obtained from the Jin Family.


    ¡­


    Lin Shikang handed all the treasures over to Lin Shihua and then took out Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s storage bag, ready to explore its contents.


    ...


    He put in quite some effort to erase the divine sense on the storage bag.


    With a thought, a flag appeared in Lin Shikang¡¯s hand¡ªit was the magical treasure Zhuang Zhenxin had used.


    Lin Shikang held the Green Jiao Flag with a look of cherished fondness.


    He was very clear about how formidable this magical treasure was. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that time, in the face of his and Sun Dingxian¡¯s joint attack, Zhuang Zhenxin relied on this array flag to hold out for a long time.


    If not for their own powerful magical treasures, the outcome would have been hard to predict.


    After handing the Green Jiao Flag over to Lin Shihua for safekeeping, he took out a large number of spirit stones from the storage bag and placed them on the open ground in front of him.


    A small mountain of colorful spirit stones piled up, amounting to over eighty thousand pieces, plus more than ten medium-grade spirit stones.


    Beyond that, there were a large number of second order pills and array setup materials, each one anything but ordinary.


    Although he didn¡¯t find Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s cultivation technique, he found an inheritance of a second order high-grade array master¡ªequally invaluable and capable of greatly filling the void for the family¡¯s array masters.


    Soon, the contents of Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s storage bag were almost completely tallied, leaving only one jade slip unchecked.


    Lin Shikang picked up the jade slip and began to examine it, his complexion instantly becoming flush with excitement.


    Your journey continues on empire


    Lin Shilu and the others looked on with puzzlement, wondering what could elicit such surprise, and they urged him on eagerly.


    At this moment, an elated Lin Shikang was so overwhelmed he found himself at a loss for words, only to see him toss the jade slip towards Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu caught the jade slip and immediately probed it with his divine sense.


    After a look at the jade slip, his face underwent a dramatic change as he repeatedly exclaimed,


    ¡°No wonder an eminent second order medium-quality array master came to the Luoyun Mountain Range¡ªit was for this item!¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s words left Lin Shihua and the others even more perplexed, prompting them to speculate.


    ¡°Could it be that there is some treasure of the Lin Family that Zhuang Zhenxin covets?¡±


    With no solutions coming to mind, an anxious Lin Shihua prompted hurriedly,


    ¡°Shilu, stop keeping us in suspense!¡±


    Regaining his composure, Lin Shilu began,


    ¡°Do you still remember the incomplete spirit art that Tian Ming bought at the Qianchuan Market auction?¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s words, Lin Shihua¡¯s expression changed, and he quickly replied.


    ¡°That incomplete spirit art is still stored in the Scripture Pavilion. In the past two years, we have been secretly searching for it, to no avail. Could it be that Zhuang Zhenxin is after the part we have?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°When Tian Ming obtained the spirit art, he also had me examine it. I can affirm that what we now possess is the latter half. Therefore, we now have a complete mysterious-grade spirit art!¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s definitive answer once again quickened the breaths of Lin Shihua and the others.


    The preciousness of spirit arts goes without saying; even if they were both of the mysterious grade, the value of a spirit art exceeds that of a cultivation technique by more than tenfold¡ªan exceedingly rare and valuable item that is hard to purchase even with spirit stones.


    Such a priceless spirit art, not even the Zhenyang Sect, one of the Three Great Sects of Wei Kingdom, would likely possess many; and even if they did, they would probably be only yellow-grade spirit arts.


    Now that the Lin Family has acquired a Profound Grade Spirit Art, it¡¯s as if they have gained an ace up their sleeve, an inexhaustible and never-ending advantage.


    Practicing the Spirit Art could significantly enhance the strength of the family members, and in confrontations with peers of the same level, the probability of victory is greatly increased.


    After the initial excitement subsided, the group didn¡¯t let the breathtaking joy cloud their judgment; instead, they started to worry.


    If news of the Spirit Art were to leak out, it¡¯s feared that the Golden Core forces would immediately make a move to snatch it, turning this treasure into a hot potato.


    The cautious Lin Shihua, with a somber expression, turned to Lin Shilu and asked,


    ¡°Shilu, have you shown your true faces to anyone? When you returned to the family, was anyone following you?¡±


    Before Lin Shilu could answer, Lin Shigong added,


    ¡°Exactly, how did he know the upper half of the Spirit Art was within our family?¡±


    ¡°Apart from Zhuang Zhenxin, does anyone else know?¡±


    Facing the questions from the group, Lin Shilu also began to carefully recall the events, and after a good half an hour, he finally said,


    ¡°During our time at the Qianchuan Market, we were all disguised, and at the time of the Tian Ming auction, we were in the VIP room. Moreover, we left several months later.¡±


    ¡°If there was a leak, it¡¯s very likely it came from the auction¡¯s organizers since only they knew what was being sold, and with over a thousand cultivators attending, it¡¯s uncertain whether some skillful person might have noticed something.¡±


    Listening to Lin Shilu¡¯s explanation, Lin Shihua and the others nodded and said,


    ¡°Hmm¡­ indeed, that¡¯s very possible!¡±


    Lin Shikang, who had not spoken until now, didn¡¯t care about how the information might have leaked, after all, Zhuang Zhenxin was dead, and there was no way to confirm.


    ¡°The Spirit Art is far too important; I guess even Zhuang Zhenxin would not dare to disclose it. Such a treasure, once leaked, is no longer his concern; only Golden Core forces are qualified to compete.¡±


    ¡°As a Loose Cultivator, his cultivation was not enough to destroy our Lin Family, that¡¯s why he cooperated with the Jin Family. He was alone and without support, and if he failed, he could just flee far away!¡±


    ¡°At present, what we need to guard against most is the Zhenyang Sect, since the Spirit Art was revealed through the Qianchuan Market, whether Zhenyang Sect is aware of it or not is unknown.¡±


    ¡°In any case, now that we have obtained the complete Spirit Art, giving it up is out of the question. We can only be cautious of Zhenyang Sect¡¯s slightest moves, and once these few years of rumors pass, we will be safe.¡±


    Lin Shikang¡¯s incisive speculation allowed everyone to heave a sigh of relief.


    The real fear had been the unknown danger, but now, knowing the direction of the threat, the problem was manageable. They just needed to guard against Zhenyang Sect for a few years to safely weather the storm.


    Finally, after discussing amongst themselves, they decided with great caution that only family members above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining would be allowed to cultivate the Spirit Art, and even then, it was not to be used lightly for fear it would be discovered by the enemy and bring disaster upon the family.


    Lin Shikang repeatedly instructed everyone to treat this matter with the utmost secrecy.


    Lin Shihua and the others understood the gravity of the situation and wholeheartedly agreed.


    Unknowingly, dusk had arrived, and simply tallying up their gains had taken an entire day.


    It would be difficult for outsiders to imagine that in this great battle, the Lin Family had emerged as the final winner, gaining the treasures of the Jin, Sun, and Wu Families.


    The wealth of the three families plus Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s property amounted to nearly three hundred thousand Spirit Stones, with the value of various other treasures nearing seven hundred thousand.


    Beyond these assets, they had obtained over ten different Cultivation Techniques and numerous scriptures, greatly augmenting the Lin Family¡¯s foundation.


    Looking over the records, the emotions in the hearts of Lin Shikang and the others were indescribable with excitement.


    One could imagine with these resources, the Lin Family would finally not be so hard-pressed and could use these assets to quickly enhance the overall strength of the family.


    Given ten years, the Lin Family could certainly add several Foundation Establishment Cultivators, reaching an unprecedented peak in its history.


    After calming their emotions, the group sat down together, drinking tea while discussing family affairs.


    They discussed for over an hour, settling on several major decisions that just needed a few additions before they could be implemented.


    Seeing that it was getting late, Lin Shikang decided not to prolong the discussion and prepared to dismiss everyone.


    ¡°Shihua, call a family meeting in three days, and after you return, send out a message to the juniors. This time the family will undergo a major transformation; we¡¯ll significantly improve the members¡¯ treatment and specifically cultivate a few individuals, using the entire family¡¯s resources to aid their Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send out messages to the members early tomorrow morning and meet in the Elders¡¯ Council Hall early morning in three days.¡±


    Lin Shihua affirmed, and each of the family members bid farewell with a fist salute.

 Chapter 135 - 135 - 115: Clan Meeting Rewards_1

    Chapter 135 ¨C 115: Clan Meeting Rewards_1


    One morning at dawn, a rosy light penetrated the small window, illuminating the bedroom.


    Lin Tianming stretched lazily, and the fatigue of the past two months gradually dissipated. After several days of rest, his condition had once again reached its peak.


    Lin Tianming stood up, tidied up his appearance, and then walked towards the outside of the room.


    Two days ago, he had received a message from the Clan Leader, asking him to attend the clan meeting at the Elders¡¯ Council Hall today.


    Although the Clan Leader did not elaborate, Lin Tianming could guess something.


    The war had ended, and there was much to be done; the Lin Family had to get back on the right track.


    As such, the purpose and significance of this family council meeting went without saying.


    ...


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    Putting aside his thoughts, and with some anticipation, Lin Tianming soared in the direction of the Elders¡¯ Council.


    At this moment, in the Elders¡¯ Council Hall, several Xing Clan Members were already seated, chatting casually about the matters concerning the clan meeting.


    Lin Tianming entered the hall, greeted a few of his clan uncles, and then found an empty seat to sit down.


    After a short while, more clan members entered the hall one after another, and soon there were over ten people gathered.


    Looking at some of the unfamiliar faces, it was the first time for them to attend such an important clan meeting.


    A quarter of an hour passed, and several figures appeared at the entrance of the hall.


    Seeing Lin Shikang and several others, including Lin Shilu, coming in, all the clan members in the hall promptly got up to greet them.


    Lin Shikang and his group, smiling, instructed everyone to take their seats before sitting down themselves.


    Seeing that all the clan members attending the meeting had arrived, the Clan Leader stood up with a solemn expression and began;


    ¡°Today, we are fortunate to gather together to discuss the family¡¯s century-long plan. First, let me report on the situation of our clan members.¡±


    ¡°Before the war, the Lin Family had one hundred and ninety-seven people. After the catastrophic war, our clan suffered heavy losses. Twenty-one clan members died in battle, including two from the Shi generation, sixteen from the Xing generation, and three from the Tian generation.¡±


    The sacrificed clan members were Qi Refiners of at least the Fifth Level, including several above the Eighth Level, all of whom were the core strength of our family.


    This single battle resulted in the loss of more than ten percent of our clansmen. Had it not been for those below the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement not participating in the war, the number of deaths would likely have been double.


    Listenting to the Clan Leader¡¯s report, even though the clan members had already braced themselves.


    But when reminded of the gory past, everyone felt incredibly heavy-hearted. It was as if they were recalling that horrific war, and for a moment, the whole hall fell into a brief silence. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After this battle, the Lin Family¡¯s vitality was greatly damaged, and for the next few years, we would face a shortage of personnel.


    Fortunately, the Jin Family had not gone mad enough to strike at mortals; otherwise, in that situation, our family would have been unable to protect itself, let alone care for the lives of the mortals.


    In the vast history of the Cultivation World, mortals might be weak, but they are the foundation for Cultivators.


    So long as there is a substantial number of mortals, every few years, they will produce a batch of clan members with Spiritual Roots.


    With such an arrangement, as long as we develop steadily, it won¡¯t take ten years for our family to regain its strength.


    After a short while, clan members gradually emerged from their memories.


    Old memories were dredged up, and upon seeing a hint of sadness on the faces of the clan members, Lin Shihua felt somewhat distressed.


    What the family most needed now was to continue moving forward, not to dwell in prolonged grief. Long-term sadness could lead to mental changes that would affect the cultivation of the clan members.


    At this point, Lin Shikang stood up and started to inquire among the clan members.


    ¡°As our family¡¯s territory continues to expand, and we need people to defend our marketplaces, the number of personnel we can mobilize within the clan is limited. We few old folks have decided to immediately organize a grand Spiritual Root Testing. Do you have any suggestions?¡±


    Lin Shikang¡¯s change of topic successfully diverted the attention of the grieving clan members.


    One clan member immediately spoke up:


    ¡°The grand Spiritual Root Testing is urgent. I suggest that we test the mortal towns of the Jin Family and the Wu Family as well.¡±


    ¡°In addition, we should transfer some mortals from our family towns to those. They can live and reproduce there, spreading the Lin Family¡¯s values. It will not take many decades before many Lin Family offspring are born in these places. In the long run, they will forget their past and become part of the Lin Family mortals.¡±


    Lin Xingzhao¡¯s suggestion was indeed in line with the Lin Family¡¯s current situation and won the approval of many clan members,


    ¡°Xingzhao¡¯s idea is good. Their two families have many commoners, especially the Jin Family, with over a million people after a thousand years of proliferation. The Wu Family¡¯s mortals are not as numerous, but there are also a few hundred thousand people.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, the Jin Family and the Wu Family are extinct, and the mortal towns in their territories should rightfully become part of our family¡¯s map.¡±


    Several clan members echoed this sentiment, and for a time, the atmosphere in the hall became enthusiastic.


    Lin Shihua was very pleased. Although significant decisions within the Lin Family were made by Foundation Establishment Clan Members, having more clan members participate and listen to more suggestions can help the Lin Family develop in the right direction.


    For nearly half a quarter of an hour, various ideas and suggestions were flying, contributing to the family¡¯s strategy. After discussions among the clan members, they reached an agreement.


    Lin Shihua and the other Foundation Establishment Clan Members were very satisfied and comforted. They immediately selected ten clan members, who, after the clan meeting, would immediately carry out the duties of the grand Spiritual Root Testing.


    With satisfactory results for the first major item of business, Lin Shihua continued to preside over the meeting.


    ¡°Next, we will discuss the selection of heads for the Enforcement Hall and the Hall of Merit. Candidates must be above the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, one chief and one deputy each, and no younger than sixty years old. Everyone is welcome to recommend several eligible nominees, and we will decide on the final candidates.¡±

 Chapter 136 - 136 - 115 Clan Assembly Rewards_2

    Chapter 136 ¨C 115 Clan Assembly Rewards_2


    As soon as Lin Shihua had finished speaking, a clansman who was puzzled asked,


    ¡°Clan Leader, the clan¡¯s various departments have always been headed by a single Hall Master. Why do we suddenly need two?¡±


    ¡°Previously, it was because the clan¡¯s foundation was too weak, leading to many clansmen advancing slowly in their cultivation. Even if they reached the Great Perfection in their cultivation, they lacked the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects. As a result, many clansmen stopped cultivating after the age of seventy and instead focused their energies on these affairs.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°While serving as a Hall Master does come with a higher monthly salary, it can also hinder your cultivation. The reason for selecting both a chief and a deputy is so that you can take turns in cultivating without halting your progress.¡±


    The words of Lin Shihua made the Xing Clan Members have a sudden realization.


    Before long, several people put forward more than a dozen candidates, among whom Lin Xingzhi was naturally included.


    There was no choice; among the Lin Family members who met the qualifications, there were only dozens, and with his Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, he was naturally one of the best candidates.


    ...


    At the highest place of the great hall, Lin Shihua and a few others began to communicate through voice transmission.


    After a few nods from everyone, Lin Shihua announced that Lin Xingcheng would serve as the Hall of Merit¡¯s Master and Lin Xingzhi would serve as the Enforcement Hall Master.


    Following that, two deputy Hall Masters were also selected, both of whom were at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement and were older clansmen.


    Once the candidates were confirmed, half a day had passed.


    ¡°Fellow clan members, after discussing with the Shi Generation Clan Members, we are now going to announce a major decision,¡±


    ¡°From next month onwards, the monthly salary for all clan members will be increased threefold. For example, a clansman at the initial stage of Qi Refining whose monthly salary is one Spirit Stone will now receive three Spirit Stones. All clan members will be treated equally. In addition, all clan tasks will now have their Merit Points tripled as well.¡±


    The moment Lin Shihua¡¯s voice fell, the clan members below immediately erupted into excitement.


    A threefold increase, what did that mean? It meant that a clansman in the initial stage of Qi Refining could exchange their three-month salary for a Lingshen Pill.


    The threefold increase in monthly salary was not even the biggest benefit; after all, the monthly salary was not a large proportion of a clansman¡¯s income. The main earnings came from clan tasks.


    It could be imagined that if such a policy was maintained for ten years, the overall strength of the Lin Family could be greatly enhanced. It would be entirely normal for all clan members to improve by one or two levels in their cultivation.


    Lin Shihua and the others remained calm, as this policy was something they had decided upon after careful consideration.


    The current state of the Lin Family was very different from the past; they had nearly three hundred thousand Spirit Stones from the great battle alone, as well as Immortal Realm resources worth several hundreds of thousands.


    However, the situation for the Lin Family was that there were too few clan members and overall low levels of cultivation. The ancestral treasure, the Golden Core Talisman, had been used and there were no more miraculous life-changing assets.


    Therefore, now that there were the conditions, it was natural to quickly enhance the strength of the clansmen in order to alleviate the family¡¯s worries and survive in the Cultivation World.


    Seeing the joy and elation on the faces of the clan members below, Lin Shikang and the others were extremely excited inside. They had finally managed to fulfill their duties to their ancestors.


    As all the clan members were still whispering to each other and expressing their joy,


    Lin Shihua waved his hand to silence everyone and spoke righteously;


    ¡°With the collective efforts of our clan members, the family has overcome the crisis. The great battle is over, and it is time to implement the rewards.¡±


    ¡°There are too many clan members to announce individually, so I will only announce the names of those who have made significant contributions. As for the rewards for other clan members, a list will be posted at the entrance of all major institutions tomorrow. You may all go there to read it!¡±


    Lin Shihua¡¯s words once again excited the clan members in the hall.


    Almost a month had passed since the great battle, and the family had not made any announcement, leaving many clan members to think that the family had forgotten about it.


    Considering the huge gains from the battle, the rewards were expected to be extremely generous, and some clan members couldn¡¯t wait any longer.


    Lin Shihua, seeing his clan members eagerly looking at him, couldn¡¯t be bothered to keep them in suspense any longer.


    ¡°The first clan member, Lin Tianming, is rewarded with ten thousand Merit Points and can choose any three Second Order Treasures from the Family Merits Hall.¡±


    As soon as Lin Shihua finished speaking, the clan members below cheered, including Lin Shilu and several other Shi Generation Clan Members who stood up and applauded for Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming got up and humbly bowed to the clan members. His modest and polite demeanor made the cheering in the hall grow even louder.


    Lin Shilu also wore a smile and looked envious as he joked to Lin Shigong,


    ¡°Ninth Brother, you really have a good grandson!¡±


    Among the younger generation of the Lin Family, he had the most contact with Lin Tianming. From trips to Qianchuan Market, to the market contests, to infiltrating the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory, and fighting side by side on several occasions, Lin Tianming had even rescued him when he was trapped.


    He couldn¡¯t find a single fault with Lin Tianming.


    ¡°I also owe thanks to the care of all the brothers that this young man hasn¡¯t let us old folks down,¡±


    Facing Lin Shilu¡¯s joke, Lin Shigong also had a proud look and humbly replied.


    As the applause and cheers subsided, Lin Shihua continued to read out the names of the clan members.


    ¡°The second clan member, Lin Xingzhi, is rewarded with three thousand Merit Points, and can choose any one Second Order Treasure.¡±


    ¡°The third clan member, Lin Xingyu, is rewarded with two thousand Merit Points, and can choose any five First Order Treasures.¡±


    ¡°The fourth clan member, Lin Tianfeng, is rewarded with two thousand Merit Points, and can choose any five First Order Treasures.¡±


    ¡­


    After about fifteen minutes of announcement, Lin Xingli, Lin Xingqi, Lin Xingping, and so on, all of the clan members listed received their rewards.


    The rewards for these clan members varied, with some getting as much as a thousand and others as few as three hundred.


    The clan members also gave applause but it was nowhere near as enthusiastic as when Lin Tianming was rewarded. Experience tales at empire

 Chapter 137 - 137 - 115 Clan Meeting Rewards_3

    Chapter 137 ¨C 115 Clan Meeting Rewards_3


    The matter had already been discussed, and the reward list was complete; the meeting was nearing its end.


    Lin Shihua spoke with a stern expression:


    ¡°Do not forget the hardships you have once endured. Now that your monthly stipends have been raised and rewards bestowed, I hope everyone will seize the time to cultivate diligently. Do not slack off and strive to achieve Foundation Establishment as soon as possible so you can relieve the family of its worries. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Understood¡­¡±


    The clan members responded in unison, each brimming with confidence.


    ¡°Good; the clan meeting is concluded. All policies and clan affairs shall be carried out according to the results discussed in the meeting. If there are matters you cannot decide on, you may consult us. You may all leave now.¡±


    After Lin Shihua announced the end of the meeting, some clan members greeted each other and, after bowing to Lin Shikang and the others, began to head outside.


    ...


    Lin Tianming was done exchanging greetings with a few uncles and was about to leave when a transmission from Lin Shigong made him pause.


    ¡°Uncles, please go ahead; I still have something to ask of my grandfather!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then you be busy. I¡¯ll invite you to my cave dwelling for a small gathering another day; you must come!¡±


    Several clan members spoke one after another, inviting Lin Tianming for a visit before they left.


    Lin Tianming, far from stingy, promised resolutely: Read exclusive content at empire


    ¡°Rest assured, uncles, as soon as Tianming is free, he will surely come over for a drink.¡±


    With Lin Tianming¡¯s response, they lingered no longer and left the hall together.


    Soon, all the Xing Clan Members had departed, leaving only a few of the Shi Generation clan members. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shikang and the others stared wide-eyed at him without speaking, which made him somewhat baffled.


    Unable to guess why he was kept behind, Lin Tianming did not initiate conversation.


    After a brief silence, Lin Shikang spoke with a smile that was not quite a smile:


    ¡°Tianming, we¡¯ve kept you behind to give you some good news, incredibly good news.¡±


    Lin Shikang¡¯s words baffled him even more.


    ¡°Good news?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that a rare treasure has been obtained?¡±


    Lin Shikang waved his hand, and immediately a Jade Slip flew out of his sleeve and was deftly caught by Lin Tianming.


    Without pausing, Lin Tianming probed with his Divine Sense to read the contents recorded within the Jade Slip.


    ¡°This is the latter half of the Great Sun Sword Qi Art!¡±


    After looking through it, Lin Tianming was utterly shocked and found it hard to believe. He checked several times before his face lit up with ecstasy.


    For this Spirit Art, he was exceptionally familiar and had even successfully condensed Sword Qi, which he had nurtured in his Dantian for more than two years.


    Lin Tianming observed his own Dantian, finding that the Sword Qi had almost solidified and grown by more than a circle in size, yet, despite searching, he could not find the second half of the secret technique. Unexpectedly, they had found it.


    ¡°Third Grandfather, how did you obtain the latter half of the Spirit Art?¡±


    Lin Tianming inquired curiously.


    ¡°It was found in Zhuang Zhenxin¡¯s storage bag!¡±


    With Lin Shikang¡¯s answer, Lin Tianming quickly worked through his thoughts, soon piecing together the cause and effect.


    ¡°No wonder the Jin Family couldn¡¯t resist taking action. It seems like Zhuang Zhenxin had a purpose in mind; otherwise, with his status as a Second Order Array Master, he wouldn¡¯t have rashly provoked our family.¡±


    ¡°Your speculation coincides with ours. Now that he is dead, there¡¯s no way to find more clues. Since we have obtained it, it is a fortunate opportunity for the Lin Family. Cultivate in peace, and after you succeed, return the Jade Slip to the family!¡±


    Lin Tianming put away the Jade Slip, his face still flushed with excitement. Overjoyed, he repeatedly expressed:


    ¡°Your grandson will certainly work hard. It just so happens that I want to seclude myself for a while to understand this art and attempt a breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, go ahead!¡±


    Lin Tianming gave the group a fist and palm salute and swiftly left the hall.

 Chapter 138 - 138 - 116: The Grand Bazaar Meeting - Part 1

    Chapter 138 ¨C 116: The Grand Bazaar Meeting ¨C Part 1


    Green Bamboo Mountain, a secret chamber in a small courtyard.


    After the clan meeting concluded, Lin Tianming told his mother and went straight into the secret chamber, eager to begin his retreat to comprehend the Spirit Art, without even collecting his reward.


    Inside the secret chamber, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged, holding the Spirit Art Jade Slip, and entered a mysterious state.


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    One day, at the small courtyard of Lin Shikang on the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Shikang and other members of the Lin Family of his generation sat around a stone table, sipping Spiritual Tea while casually chatting.


    Lin Shilu picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and calmly said,


    ...


    ¡°Third Brother, what do you think about the Sun Family¡¯s invitation?¡±


    Lin Shikang didn¡¯t immediately speak, instead, he fell into thought.


    Three days ago, Sun Dingfeng and Luo Chenggu visited the Lin Family together, bringing some gifts as a token of gratitude for the Lin Family¡¯s support during the war.


    Lin Shihua happily accepted the gifts and hosted the two warmly. As they were leaving, Sun Dingfeng mentioned the convention of the market.


    According to the previous agreements among the Five Great Families, one month after the conclusion of the market competition, the market convention would be held.


    Due to the outbreak of war among the Five Great Families, the Jin and Wu Families were completely annihilated, and the market convention had already been delayed for two months.


    If not for the fact that members of the Sun and Luo Families were injured, plus being busy with clan affairs, they would have brought it up sooner.


    Now that the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of both families have recovered from their injuries, and with only three of the Five Great Families remaining, fewer families are sharing the market profits. For the sake of profit, concessions would definitely not be made anymore.


    ¡°Although the Sun Family still has two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, even if they ally with the Luo Family, we don¡¯t need to be too wary of them. We don¡¯t need to worry too much about the market convention!¡±


    Lin Shikang¡¯s words were greatly approved by everyone present!


    While the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Sun Family were indeed formidable, only a few dozen clan members remained. And the Luo Family had always been at the bottom of the Five Great Families, and even without significant losses, neither would be a match for the Lin Family on their own.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but now that they¡¯re weak, they may very well unite. If that happens, although we won¡¯t fear them, it will certainly bring quite a bit of trouble!¡±


    Lin Shihua expressed his concerns, allowing the others to weigh in on the issue.


    Lin Shikang, composed as ever, promptly said,


    ¡°Shihua, given the current situation, it¡¯s highly likely that the two families will unite. With the Jin Family destroyed, our Lin Family has become the biggest threat. Even though we have shown them kindness, we can¡¯t discount the possibility that they may consider us as enemies.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, with that in mind, what attitude should we adopt towards these two families? And during the profit-sharing of the market, what should be our bottom line?¡±


    Lin Shilu affirmed Lin Shikang¡¯s speculation and also brought up the Lin Family¡¯s stance and bottom line.


    Lin Shikang nodded and answered,


    ¡°What do you think? How much do you feel should be our bottom line?¡±


    ¡°Fifty percent? Sixty percent?¡±


    Lin Shihua and the others offered their opinions and suggested a bottom line for the Lin Family.


    An hour later, after discussion, Lin Shikang had made up his mind.


    ¡°Shilu, three days from now, you¡¯ll represent the Lin Family at the market convention. Adhere to the family¡¯s agreed-upon bottom line of a minimum fifty percent profit, and then try to secure even more benefits for the family. Anything that benefits the family, you can decide on your own. If there are any major decisions you¡¯re uncertain about, return and consult with the family first.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s instructions, Lin Shilu replied,


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll set off tomorrow and go to the market convention with Xing Yuan!¡±


    After discussing the market convention, the group chatted for a while about clan affairs, and then they all got busy with their own matters.


    Three days later, at the Fangshi auction house.


    In a vast reception room, there were over a hundred seats around a huge round table.


    This reception room was where the market convention was held. In the past, it was always packed full; however, today only about half of the seats were filled with cultivators participating in the convention.


    The room was somewhat silent at the moment, and on one side of the round table, only Sun Dingfeng and Luo Chenggu were sitting and chatting leisurely.


    The two men seemed as if they were long-lost old friends catching up with each other. Judging by the situation, there was indeed some connection between their two families.


    Below them, all the seats were filled with Qi Refining Cultivators above the Qi Refining Eighth Level. They sat divided to either side, each closing their eyes to meditate in preparation for the convention¡¯s start.


    On the third floor of the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Xing Yuan was pulling out a book, beginning his report on the recent situation in Fangshi.


    ¡°Fifteenth Uncle, it¡¯s been over a month since we took over Fangshi. Due to a lack of personnel, we¡¯ve kept three of the Jin Family¡¯s shops with the best locations for ourselves, and have temporarily vacated the rest, planning to rent them out. Although their locations aren¡¯t the best, they¡¯re still quite good. Strangely enough, such decent shops have had no interested parties.¡±


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    Lin Shilu wasn¡¯t surprised and explained,


    ¡°That¡¯s not strange. Even though the war is over, the interests of the major families in Fangshi have yet to reach an agreement, and there remains the risk of another outbreak of war. Thus, those cultivators who want to do business are just watching and waiting!¡±


    Lin Xing Yuan nodded, understanding that the current unstable times weren¡¯t the best for opening a shop.


    After all, every businessman prefers to operate in a bustling and stable market. If the place is constantly in turmoil, it greatly impacts their business.


    ¡°Xing Yuan, how have the Sun and Luo Families been recently?¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s question, Lin Xing Yuan reported on the situation of the Sun and Luo Families.


    ¡°Half a month ago, the shops of the Sun and Luo Families were back in business. As of now, the relationship between the families is relatively harmonious, everyone is busy with their trade, and no conflicts have erupted. The bustling atmosphere of Fangshi has also returned to nearly what it was before. However, some rumors have started circulating recently!¡±

 Chapter 139 - 139 - 116: The Grand Bazaar Meeting_2

    Chapter 139 ¨C 116: The Grand Bazaar Meeting_2


    ¡°What rumors?¡±


    Lin Shilu urgently asked.


    ¡°A few days ago, a rumor suddenly spread throughout Luoyun Market, claiming the Lin Family had rashly seized control of the market, their ambition is not small, apparently aiming to unify the Luoyun Mountain Range!¡±


    ¡°Upon hearing the rumors, I immediately sought to trace their origin, but unfortunately, they spread too quickly and have become common knowledge. We don¡¯t have enough hands, and we¡¯ve been unable to find the source of these rumors!¡±


    Lin Shilu let out a cold laugh, which made Lin Xingyuan rather uneasy, thinking that Lin Shilu was dissatisfied with him, and he immediately became nervous.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfectly normal that you can¡¯t find the source. It¡¯s clear that either the Luo Family or the Sun Family did this intentionally. They just need to give some benefits to a few Qi Refining Cultivators to spread rumors, then quickly leave Luoyun Market and they¡¯ll be safe, making it natural for you not to be able to find the source.¡±


    Lin Xingyuan curiously asked,


    ...


    ¡°What purpose do the Sun and Luo Families have in spreading rumors? Aren¡¯t they afraid of tearing off the disguise and reigniting a great war?¡±


    Lin Shilu chuckled lightly and explained,


    ¡°Firstly, those who spread the rumors cannot be tracked, they may have already left Luoyun Market or could have been silenced. There¡¯s no need to worry about us catching them red-handed.¡±


    ¡°As for the Sun and Luo Families spreading rumors, they¡¯re simply seeking sympathy and claiming the moral high ground. Once the Lin Family takes action against them, it will confirm suspicions of our great ambition to unify Luoyun, prompting resistance from many Loose Cultivators and even ostracism by them.¡±


    After hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s explanation, Lin Xingyuan came to a realization and immediately understood the reasons behind it.


    ¡°Fifteenth Uncle, shall we just ignore this and do nothing?¡±


    ¡°There is absolutely no need to bother with it or to continue investigating. The more intense our reaction, the more likely we are to be misunderstood by those Loose Cultivators. Now that our family has just stabilized, it is unwise to start another conflict. All we need is a stable development for ten years. With Tian Ming¡¯s terrifying talent and the abundant resources, the gap between the Sun and Luo Families and us will only get bigger. By then, whoever has the bigger fist will call the shots; all other rules will be virtually meaningless!¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s demeanor remained calm, not at all affected by these trivial matters. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, the Lin Family had no intention of thoroughly exterminating, only needing to boil the frog in warm water to achieve their goal. There was no need to be hasty, creating enemies everywhere and wasting the favorable situation at present.


    ¡°Instruct the family members in Luoyun Market not to bully others using our power nor to make enemies lightly. The family needs stable development now. If the other party provokes us, there is no need for courtesy, understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will surely keep the family members in line!¡±


    Lin Xingyuan responded and then fell silent.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s go to the market conference together!¡±


    With that, Lin Shilu stood up and left, with Lin Xingyuan quickly following behind him.


    The two exited the Hundred Treasures Building and walked down the street, causing a huge stir.


    With the Jin Family annihilated, the strength of the Lin Family had come to light, shocking all the Cultivators.


    Seeing Lin Shilu personally visiting Luoyun Market, many low-level Cultivators came forward to pay their respects, trying to cozy up.


    Lin Shilu responded with a smile and a few words, then made his way through the crowd toward the auction.


    Shortly after, the two entered the grand hall of the auction and immediately went into the reception room.


    Seeing Lin Shilu¡¯s arrival, representatives of the Qi Refining Families all stood up to greet him. Sun Dingfeng and Luo Chenggu also stood up to welcome him and then said with a smile,


    ¡°It is indeed Elder Lin Shi Lu who graces us with his presence at the conference. We owe you a great debt for your care after being trapped last time, which enabled our successful escape. After the conference, we must treat you to a few drinks to express our gratitude.¡±


    Faced with the courteous duo, Lin Shilu maintained his composure, showing no signs of irregularity.


    He exchanged perfunctory pleasantries and then started chatting with some representatives of the Qi Refining Families.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s good actions reassured many representatives of the Qi Refining Families, a complete contrast to the once overbearing and arrogant Jin Family.


    Watching Lin Shilu engage in lively conversation with representatives of the Qi Refining Families, Sun Dingfeng and his companion felt somewhat awkward for a time.


    After a short while, Lin Shilu waved his hand to silence the representatives of the Qi Refining Families and stood up to say,


    ¡°I, Lin Shi Lu, welcome all friends to this conference. I hope everyone can work with our families to make Luoyun Market a stable and prosperous market.¡±


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    ¡°Elder Lin truly is a role model for our generation¡­¡±


    As Lin Shilu finished speaking, many representatives of the Qi Refining Families began to offer compliments.


    Lin Shilu continued with a smile and a cupped-hand salute,


    ¡°The great war has just ended, and the Jin Family¡¯s unrighteous actions have caused huge losses to the four big families. The Wu Family has even been silently eliminated. Faced with the powerful Jin Family, our Lin Family had the courage to take responsibility and made great sacrifices, finally thwarting the Jin Family¡¯s conspiracy.¡±


    ¡°Now that all is peaceful in all four directions, the profits of the market should be redistributed. Today, as you have all arrived, if you have any thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to raise them.¡±


    After speaking, Lin Shilu sat down and stopped talking.


    The room suddenly became silent, and no one spoke, resulting in an extremely awkward moment.


    After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed and seeing no one speak up, Sun Dingfeng covertly winked at He Yuanqing, who was sitting diagonally across from him.


    Understanding, He Yuanqing stood up with clasped hands and began,


    ¡°Since the senior members are not speaking up, let me, He Yuanqing, throw out a suggestion for discussion. Anyone with objections can criticize and correct me. In my view, the Lin Family indeed played a significant role in this great war, and the Sun Family also suffered heavy losses. I propose that the Lin Family receives forty percent, the Sun Family thirty percent, the Wu Family fifteen percent, and the remaining fifteen percent be divided among the twelve Qi Refining Families. I wonder what the seniors and friends think about this suggestion?¡±

 Chapter 140 - 140 - 116 Market Fair_3

    Chapter 140 ¨C 116 Market Fair_3


    After He Yuanqing finished speaking, he eyed Lin Shilu¡¯s reaction with what seemed to be a hint of unease.


    He Yuanqing¡¯s words appeared complimentary, but they were obviously under direction from the Sun Family, and such a despicable act could not have gone unnoticed by Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu remained calm, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger, and he offered no comment.


    Seeing that Lin Shilu was silent, a representative from the Chen Clan, Chen Jingping, stood up and said,


    ¡°He, you are mistaken. The Lin Family is rightfully the first-ranked family at this market¡¯s competition. Elder Lin Shikang even expended a huge cost to kill Jin Zhiying, and with several Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Lin Family, they are without a doubt the premier family of the Luoyun Mountain Range, both in terms of merit and family strength. In my opinion, the Lin Family should take sixty percent, the Sun Family fifteen, the Luo Family ten, and the remaining fifteen should be divided among the Qi Refining Families.¡±


    As Chen Jingping finished speaking, the great hall immediately buzzed with activity as dozens of people began to voice their opinions.


    Within moments, the dozens of people split into two camps, one favoring the Sun Family, the other the Lin Family.


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    All of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Lin Family remained silent, watching the two factions bicker with calm detachment.


    Somewhere along the way, He Yuanqing spoke up to Lin Shilu,


    ¡°Please, Elder Lin, give everyone an explanation,¡± he said.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shilu flashed a fierce smile and suddenly bellowed, ¡°An explanation? What explanation do you want?¡±


    Facing Lin Shilu¡¯s outburst, He Yuanqing¡¯s complexion instantly turned deathly pale, and a trickle of fresh blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.


    Seeing He Yuanqing injured, Sun Dingfeng¡¯s face immediately darkened.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s reaction clearly indicated he was not willing to easily give up the benefits. This made it much harder for the Sun Family to secure enough interest. After all, facing the powerful Lin Family, they dared not offend them easily. Thus, Sun Dingfeng inevitably felt less confident.


    ¡°Lin, calm down. Whatever grievances your Lin Family has, just speak frankly. We can discuss it. There¡¯s no need for anger. After all, just two months ago, we fought side by side!¡±


    Faced with Sun Dingfeng¡¯s appeasement, Lin Shilu¡¯s expression softened slightly. Discover more content at empire


    ¡°Daoist Sun, do not forget that two months ago, the younger generation of my Lin Family saved the younger generation of your Sun Family. During the Jin Family¡¯s pursuit, it was also my Lin Family that provided shelter. It could be said that my Lin Family has shown great kindness to your Sun Family. Even Daoist Luo Chenggu was saved by us. Now, when it comes to profit distribution, you show this attitude?¡±


    Lin Shilu spared no irony in his scathing words, leaving Sun Dingfeng and the two others visibly embarrassed, and Luo Chenggu began weakly attempting to mediate.


    ¡°Hmph, our Lin Family will take sixty percent of the profits. As for your two families, you can discuss it amongst yourselves.¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s bold demand visibly altered their expressions.


    The Jin Family had only taken thirty percent in profits, and with sixty percent, that would be doubling it. This would leave their families with almost no growth in interest, and in the long term, the Lin Family would only get stronger.


    ¡°Lin, sixty percent is indeed too much. The most we can offer is fifty. What do you think?¡±


    Sun Dingfeng asked tentatively, as that was the bottom line based on their discussions with the Luo Family.


    ¡°Fifty percent is too little. How about this¡ªsince you and I are of the same realm, let¡¯s have a match. If I win, the Lin Family gets fifty-five percent. If I lose, we¡¯ll distribute it as Luo Daoyou suggested, at fifty percent. What do you say?¡±


    Once Lin Shilu spoke, the whole room erupted, and Sun Dingfeng¡¯s face changed, filled with hesitation.


    He was quite wary of Lin Shilu¡¯s strength, but refusing the challenge would be a loss of face.


    Sun Dingfeng secretly communicated with Luo Chenggu and, receiving his agreement, spoke up,


    ¡°Let¡¯s do as Lin suggests. In fact, I would like to witness Lin¡¯s strength myself!¡±


    ¡°Very well, then let¡¯s gather outside the market square!¡±


    With that, Lin Shilu and Lin Xingyuan stood up and left the reception room.

 Chapter 141 - 141 - 117 Profit Sharing_1

    Chapter 141 ¨C 117 Profit Sharing_1


    Outside Luoyun Market, at the foot of a barren hilltop, nearly a hundred people were watching a battle.


    Lin Shilu stood at the top of the hill, with Lin Xingyuan not far from him watching. Opposite him, Sun Dingfeng watched with a solemn expression, as if facing a formidable enemy.


    Lin Shilu instructed Lin Xingyuan with a few words before speaking out loud,


    ¡°In a duel of magic, blades and swords are blind. Should there be any injuries, no grudges shall be sought afterwards. Is Daoist Sun ready?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Please enlighten me, Daoist Lin!¡±


    After Sun Dingfeng bowed with his fists, he patted his storage bag, and instantly a red and green longsword appeared in his hand, ready for attack.


    Lin Shilu responded, and with a forceful wave, the red and green greatsword burst into spiritual light, sending multiple sword qi at an extremely high speed from all directions toward Lin Shilu.


    ...


    Lin Shilu¡¯s expression remained as usual, as he took out a small blue shield to guard in front of him.


    ¡°The Qing Jiao Shield?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it punctured and damaged by Lin Shikang with a Golden Core Talisman?¡±


    Seeing the small shield in Lin Shilu¡¯s hands, Sun Dingfeng¡¯s expression changed. He couldn¡¯t understand how the shield he had personally seen get damaged was now appearing whole in Lin Shilu¡¯s hands again.


    After several explosive sounds, five beams of sword light bombarded the Qing Jiao Shield. The powerful impact kicked up waves of air, instantly flipping over some Qi Refining Cultivators at the base of the hill. After they steadied themselves, everyone looked up at the two figures on the hilltop in shock.


    Once the dust settled, Lin Shilu¡¯s figure was revealed.


    He was now examining the Qing Jiao Shield in his hands and, after a short while, a satisfied expression crossed his face.


    In the great battle at Green Bamboo Mountain, the sword qi transformed from the Golden Core Talisman had punctured the Second Order Superior Magic Artifact, the Qing Jiao Shield, and also ended Jin Zhiying¡¯s life directly.


    Although the Qing Jiao Shield had been badly damaged, the material of the artifact itself was extraordinary, and the core and central components were not significantly harmed.


    As a Second Order Artifact Refiner, Lin Shilu replenished a great amount of artifact refining materials and finally repaired the blasted artifact. Due to his limited ability, after the repair, it barely reached the standard of a Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact, and its defensive power no longer matched that of the Jin Family¡¯s era.


    Even so, a Second Order Medium Quality Defense Artifact was still an extremely rare existence in the Luoyun Mountain Range, and it easily blocked Sun Dingfeng¡¯s attack.


    Seeing Lin Shilu effortlessly catch his attack, Sun Dingfeng¡¯s face turned somewhat ugly.


    Lin Shilu didn¡¯t give Sun Dingfeng much time to react. He took out his Spirit Sword artifact and, without hesitation, launched several slashes. Meanwhile, he leaped a hundred yards forward, aggressively charging at Sun Dingfeng.


    ¡°Elder Lin is indeed formidable!¡±


    With Lin Shilu making his move, his overwhelming strength was revealed, shocking the watching clansmen once again, as several cultivators started exclaiming in awe.


    The expression on Sun Dingfeng¡¯s face grew exceedingly grave; Lin Shilu¡¯s speed was incredibly fast, and his angle of attack was tricky, making it difficult to avoid the onslaught.


    Sun Dingfeng patted his storage bag, took out a jade pendant, infused it with spiritual power, and instantly, a fiery red barrier formed in front of him.


    ¡°Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡­¡±


    A sharp and piercing noise accompanied the arrival of the sword qi.


    The fiery red barrier trembled violently.


    Eventually, the sword qi and the fiery red barrier gradually dissipated, and the jade pendant returned to its original form. However, the spirituality of the pendant seemed greatly diminished, indicating it had been significantly depleted.


    Behind the barrier, Sun Dingfeng¡¯s face was slightly pale, and his breath was somewhat disordered. He did not show any abnormalities and forcibly composed himself.


    Before he could catch his breath, a storm of attacks from Lin Shilu followed.


    After hastily dodging, Sun Dingfeng launched a series of counterattacks. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For a time, as the two combatants exchanged blows, the fight grew increasingly fierce, and of the two, Lin Shilu clearly had the upper hand.


    As the intense battle unfolded at the mountaintop, the representatives of the Qi Refining clans at the foot of the mountain had very different mindsets.


    Those supporting the Sun Family were incredibly anxious, while the Qi Refining Cultivators of the Lin Family were quite at ease.


    Unbeknownst to them, dozens of rounds had already passed in fierce combat.


    After Lin Shilu¡¯s earth-shattering strike, Sun Dingfeng was repelled dozens of feet before he managed to stabilize his figure.


    With his face pale and his arms numb, Sun Dingfeng couldn¡¯t help but spit out a mouthful of fresh blood and said,


    ¡°Daoist Lin¡¯s divine skills are truly extraordinary. I am willing to admit defeat and accept the loss. The profit distribution of the market shall be carried out according to Daoist Lin¡¯s plan!¡±


    Seeing Sun Dingfeng concede, Lin Shilu ceased his attacks, put away his magic artifact into his storage bag, and said with a smile,


    ¡°Much obliged, much obliged!¡±


    With that, Lin Shilu flew down from the mountaintop, met up with Lin Xingyuan, and left together.


    Back in the meeting room of the Luoyun Market auction house, the clan cultivators regathered.


    The share of profits for the Lin Family had been decided, while those of the Sun and Luo Families as well as the rest of the Qi Refining Families had yet to be determined.


    In the meeting room, as dozens started to negotiate, Lin Shilu and another stood by as silent observers, watching as the group haggled, intervening now and then to secure benefits for the Lin Family¡¯s allied clans.


    After half a day of negotiation, the profit distribution plan of the market was finalized.


    The Lin Family obtained fifty-five percent share of the profits, while the Sun Family, which had contributed a great deal during the battle, obtained twenty percent.


    The Luo Family, with little to no merits, maintained their original ten percent share.


    The remaining fifteen percent was divided among eight Qi Refining Families, as several had suffered heavy losses during the battle and thus lost their qualification for the distribution.


    As a result, each of the eight Qi Refining Families saw an increase in their share of profits, with the three that initially supported the Lin Family gaining the most.


    The fiercely loyal Chen Clan¡¯s profits increased significantly, placing them among the leading clans within the eight major families.


    At this moment, Chen Jingping¡¯s heart was overflowing with excitement, immensely grateful for his choice. As long as the Lin Family stood strong, the status of their Chen Clan would rise with the tide and become very secure.


    The Luoyun Market assembly had come to an end, and thanks to Lin Shilu¡¯s efforts, the Lin Family had gained the most. In addition to securing over half of the profit shares, they also acquired the management rights of the market. By simply assigning Foundation Establishment Clan Members to guard the market long-term, they had obtained such significant authority, which was no easy feat.


    Inside the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Shilu and several others sat opposite each other, discussing the outcome of the market assembly.


    ¡°Fifteenth Uncle, our family¡¯s goal has been achieved, and there were unexpected gains. Undoubtedly, when Third Uncle and the others find out, they will be thrilled!¡±


    Lin Shilu gave a slight smile, very satisfied with the results of the market assembly.


    The rise of the Lin Family was now unstoppable. Though they had the task of guarding the market, the management rights were extraordinarily important. With such authority, the market¡¯s future development would essentially be dictated by the Lin Family. In the long run, it was only a matter of time before they would have complete control over the Luoyun Market.


    Lin Shilu chuckled softly and instructed Lin Xingyuan,


    ¡°Xing Yuan, continue to hold our position in the market. The family is currently undergoing reforms, and you cannot neglect your cultivation. In a few years, when someone from the family comes to take over for you, I will return to the family tomorrow to report. The family¡¯s forces are too dispersed at the moment; you must be particularly vigilant and avoid leaving the market lightly!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will diligently cultivate and safeguard the market for the family!¡±


    Stay tuned to empire


    Lin Shilu nodded in satisfaction and waved a hand to dismiss Lin Xingyuan.


    After bowing with clasped hands, Lin Xingyuan left the secret chamber.

 Chapter 142 - 142 - 118 One Year_1

    Chapter 142 ¨C 118 One Year_1


    Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory, within a secret chamber.


    Lin Tianming sat cross-legged, spiritual light suddenly flashing between his fingers. In the blink of an eye, a faint Sword Qi burst forth from his fingertips, easily piercing through a shell hanging in the air.


    Lifting the shell above his head, Lin Tianming watched as the moonlight filtered through the hole left by the Sword Qi, a wave of ecstatic joy flashing across his face.


    After more than ten days of comprehension, he had successfully cultivated the Great Sun Sword Qi Art. The faint trace of Sword Qi he had just released was to test the power of his Sword Qi.


    With merely one percent of his strength, he easily penetrated the shell of a First Order Inferior Demonic Beast. This was after only two years of tempering, and it was unimaginable how terrifying it would be if he were to cultivate it for ten years and release it in its entirety.


    ¡°Spirit Arts truly are formidable, stronger than the Divine Skills that come with a Cultivation Technique and surpassing them in pure power by quite a margin. No wonder they are so rare and precious.¡±


    After sighing, Lin Tianming was quite satisfied with this power.


    ...


    With this complete Spirit Art, it was like having a trump card for a decisive kill. Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, if slightly careless, could be killed by it.


    Having successfully cultivated the Spirit Art, Lin Tianming did not immediately leave his retreat but took out several elixirs and began to cultivate again.


    He had reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining during the family war, and after several life-and-death battles, he was only a step away from the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.


    Now that everything within the family was going well, it was the perfect time to seclude himself to strive for a higher realm.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming once again entered a state of cultivation.


    ¡­


    Green Bamboo Mountain, within the Family Elders¡¯ Hall.


    Lin Shihua was discussing affairs with Lin Shigong when Lin Xingli entered the hall with more than thirty boys and girls.


    The sight of Lin Xingli entering the hall brought surprise and joy to Lin Shihua and Lin Shigong.


    Lin Xingli quickly stepped forward to pay his respects, and the children behind him knelt down and followed suit.


    Lin Shihua nodded and asked impatiently,


    ¡°Xingli, are these the boys and girls who were tested at this year¡¯s Talent Assessment? Tell me, how are their aptitudes?¡±


    Lin Xingli stepped in front of the group of children and began to report.


    ¡°Reporting to the Clan Leader, this year¡¯s Talent Assessment was held in twelve towns outside of the family¡¯s town, and thirty-six boys and girls were tested. Among them, four have Three Spiritual Roots, twelve with Four Spiritual Roots, and twenty with Five Spiritual Roots.¡±


    In a short while, Lin Xingli had reported everything about the Talent Assessment.


    Hearing Lin Xingli¡¯s report, Lin Shihua¡¯s face brightened with joy.


    To uncover forty-three children with Spiritual Roots in one assessment was more than double the number from the last time. Even though there weren¡¯t many with Three Spiritual Roots, the overall number was substantial.


    With such a number, the Lin Family¡¯s population could potentially double within a decade. The thought of this excited Lin Shihua tremendously.


    ¡°Xingli, you¡¯ve done an excellent job with the Talent Assessment. The numbers are quite impressive. Immediately take them to the ancestral hall to be recorded in the family¡¯s genealogy.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Xingli replied, then led the group of children to the annex behind the Elders¡¯ Assembly.


    Soon, Lin Shihua finished naming and enlisting the forty-three clan members into the family genealogy and then led them in the worship of the ancestors.


    After being busy for half of the day, he finally completed the task. Stay connected through empire


    Lin Shihua was the first to walk out of the hall. He turned to Lin Xingli behind him and said,


    ¡°Xingli, send the new members of the clan to Shi Gang, and have them start learning the basics as soon as possible to set them on the path of cultivation early.¡±


    Lin Shihua¡¯s command was something Lin Xingli dared not delay, as he quickly replied:


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do it right away!¡±


    Having said that, Lin Xingli led the boys and girls behind him in a bow before quickly leaving.


    Watching them depart, Lin Shihua turned to Lin Shigong to inquire about Lin Tianming¡¯s situation.


    ¡°Shihua, ever since the family conference ended, that young man has been in retreat without pause. He only briefly informed me, saying he was comprehending a Spirit Art. It¡¯s been almost a month now, and I have no idea when he¡¯ll come out of seclusion!¡±


    Lin Shigong cursed with a smile on his lips, yet his heart was extremely satisfied.


    Lin Tianming had always been diligent in his cultivation, gifted as well, being less than twenty-one years old and already at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. With strength atop his peers, he was truly elite. Having such a member, the Lin Family¡¯s future was bright.


    Lin Shihua felt equally relieved and envious, praising Lin Tianming a few times before they each went their separate ways.


    ¡­


    Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.


    Inside the secret chamber where Lin Tianming was cultivating.


    Lin Tianming, who was sitting cross-legged, opened his tightly shut eyes, and flashes of sharp light passed through his black pupils.


    In seclusion for a whole year, he hadn¡¯t wasted a moment, taking a month to understand a Spirit Art, then immediately consuming elixirs to continue his cultivation.


    After a year and consuming a large quantity of elixirs, he finally managed to break through to the Great Perfection Realm of Qi Refining.


    Feeling the spiritual power rapidly flowing through his body, a hint of a smile appeared on his face.


    His spiritual power had broken through, and he didn¡¯t fall behind in Body Refinement either.


    Sending his Divine Sense into his body, he found that all his internal organs had been strengthened, the robust vitality and explosive power now made his strength even more terrifying.


    Just relying on his body, he estimated he could easily withstand an attack from a Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator without any pressure.


    Feeling the formidable spiritual power and the explosive strength of his body, he felt very gratified.


    His efforts and the life-and-death battles had paid off, successfully breaking through to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage before turning twenty-two. Such a speed of cultivation had never been heard of in the entire Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Even within the Wei Kingdom, a Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivator at the age of twenty-two was an extremely rare existence.


    His goal for the retreat had been achieved, and there was no more possibility for progress, unless he decided to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Feeling his own state, Lin Tianming abandoned the idea of continuing the seclusion to attempt Foundation Establishment.


    Even though he met the criteria for breakthrough, he wished to gain more experience and settle his achievements before starting the impact on Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming tidied up the messy secret chamber, casually casting a Rain Control Technique to comfortably bathe and wash off the grime that had seeped out of his body. He took out a set of clean green robes from his storage bag, changed into them, and walked out of the secret chamber.


    A year had passed, and Green Bamboo Mountain had once again returned to its tranquil and peaceful state.


    A large number of clanspeople were bustling in and out of the mountain gate, each busy and cheerful.


    The entire Luoyun Mountain Range was exceptionally tranquil, the Sun Family, and Luo Family were all developing their clans. After the calm, Luoyun Market regained its former bustling scenes.


    In this year, the Lin Family had changed a lot. After the Spirit Root Testing Conference, many new clanspeople were recruited, and the number had nearly reached two hundred, matching the size at their peak.


    With family policies and a wealth of resources, many clanspeople eagerly broke through their barriers. Although there still weren¡¯t too many at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, in no more than three years, the power of the Qi Refining clanspeople would climb another step.


    After exchanging greetings with some passing clanspeople, Lin Tianming soon arrived at the Alchemy Hall.


    Casting a Law Decree, Lin Tianming walked straight in.

 Chapter 143 - 143 - 119 New Task_1

    Chapter 143 ¨C 119 New Task_1


    Entering the Alchemy Hall, Lin Shigong had already been waiting for a long time.


    It had been a year since he last saw his grandfather, and Lin Tianming was quite happy, immediately stepping forward to pay his respects.


    Seeing his grandson, Lin Shigong couldn¡¯t hide his joy, his face brimming with a thick smile.


    The two sat down, drinking Spiritual Tea while chatting.


    Lin Shigong had also nearly reached three years in the Foundation Establishment Stage. In the past two years, the Jin and Wu families had been eradicated, and the Sun Family had suffered heavy losses. The wealth of all three families had fallen into the hands of the Lin Family.


    The Lin Family had amassed a great deal of wealth and a large amount of Spiritual Medicine Materials. Lin Shigong had not been idle; knowing that Core Formation was beyond his reach in this life, he had barely cultivated at all, focusing all his energy on the Alchemy Dao, solely to refine the elixirs needed by the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of his family as soon as possible.


    In the span of two years, thanks to decades of accumulation in the Alchemy Dao, Lin Shigong, after painstaking research and attempts, had managed to refine Second Order Inferior Grade Pills. Although the success rate and yield were not high, it finally solved the pressing need for cultivation pills within his family, and they were no longer restricted in this aspect.


    ...


    After more than two hundred years of silence, the Lin Family finally saw the emergence of a Second Order Alchemist once again.


    Upon learning that his grandfather had successfully become a Second Order Alchemist, Lin Tianming felt exceedingly joyful and congratulated him repeatedly, which made his grandfather very happy.


    ¡°Enough, enough, how have you been in the recent year, any progress?¡±


    Lin Shigong waved his hand to stop him, his old face beaming with joy as he asked about Lin Tianming¡¯s situation with a playful scold.


    Lin Tianming was in high spirits and reported everything about his year in seclusion without reservation.


    Upon learning that Lin Tianming had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, and that he had completed the latter half of his Spirit Art with mighty power, Lin Shigong was overjoyed and immediately sent out several messages.


    Soon after, Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua both hurried over.


    Everyone took their seats, and Lin Tianming swiftly poured tea for them, his unperturbed demeanor greatly satisfying them.


    Lin Shikang nodded in approval, showing a trace of satisfaction before teasingly saying,


    ¡°Tianming, you really haven¡¯t let us down. To reach the Qi Cultivation Great Perfection at twenty-two, with your current strength, I fear even Xing Yuan may not be sure to best you.¡±


    After Lin Shikang finished speaking, Lin Tianming repeatedly gave a bitter smile before humbly saying,


    ¡°Uncle Xing Yuan is a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, far beyond what Qi Refining Cultivators can compare to. Third Grandfather shouldn¡¯t overpraise his grandson.¡±


    ¡°Third Brother, we can¡¯t praise this boy too much. Though his talent is remarkable and his cultivation speed and strength are excellent, we mustn¡¯t let him become too arrogant. I¡¯ve heard that there are quite a few examples of people succeeding in Foundation Establishment in their early twenties in the Wei Kingdom. I think we must not slack off.¡±


    Lin Shigong chimed in quickly, with Lin Shihua adding a few words of agreement.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s thoughts also soared, estimating his own strength.


    In the cultivation path, the Qi Refinement Realm is only the first stage. As long as a mortal is born with a Spiritual Root, regardless of cultivation resources, they can usually reach the Mid Qi Refining Stage with a hundred years of hard cultivation. Subsequently, without resources, breaking through another realm would take an immense amount of time.


    In the Cultivation World, Qi Refining Cultivators only live longer than ordinary mortals. Although they can wield some spells, they are still unable to completely go without food or fly on their own. They can only do so with the help of Spiritual Artifacts or other external means. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Strictly speaking, Qi Refining Cultivators can¡¯t be considered true Cultivators at all, but only mortals who have just glimpsed the Dao.


    However, Foundation Establishment Cultivators are different. Besides doubling their lifespan, they can abandon grain completely, fly with their own spiritual power, and possess tremendous might with a simple gesture, transcending the mortal world.


    Merely breaking through to the Foundation Establishment was a bottleneck that countless Qi Refining Cultivators couldn¡¯t overcome. Within the vast expanse of the Luoyun Mountain Range, the number of Qi Refining Cultivators who successfully established their foundations could be counted on one¡¯s fingers.


    In this way, Foundation Establishment Cultivators were considered the true practitioners of cultivation, with strength that naturally couldn¡¯t be compared to that of Qi Training Cultivators.


    At this moment, his spiritual power had reached the limit of Qi Refinement, and his body refinement was also nearing its limit.


    With his current strength, if he faced a first-layer Foundation Establishment Cultivator without using the Great Sun Sword Qi Art, it would be difficult to kill them, but escaping should still pose no problem.


    The elders chatted idly about the family¡¯s recent situation while Lin Tian Ming occasionally chimed in.


    An hour passed, and Lin Shi Kang took a sip of Spiritual Tea before asking Lin Tian Ming about his future cultivation plans.


    After some thought, considering that the Luoyun Mountain Range was calm and without danger at the moment,


    he, being at leisure and having just broken through to the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage not long ago, didn¡¯t plan to attempt the Foundation Establishment soon. He thought it would be good to consolidate his gains and build a solid foundation before making a breakthrough.


    Since Lin Shi Kang had taken the initiative to ask, it was highly likely that there were plans afoot, so Lin Tian Ming tentatively asked,


    ¡°Third Grandfather, I currently have no specific plans. Does the family have any arrangements? Tian Ming is willing to serve the Lin Family.¡±


    Lin Shi Kang nodded, quite satisfied with Lin Tian Ming¡¯s response.


    Although he had not spoken directly, Lin Tian Ming was able to intuit the implication and was always willing to contribute to the family. This showed that he was very concerned about the family¡¯s development.


    ¡°Tian Ming, currently, the family is very stable, and the Luoyun Market also is at peace. In half a year, the triennial auction of Luoyun Market will take place. Our Lin Family will be managing the market for the first time and is taking this auction very seriously. You should go and assist Xing Yuan in the market and preside over the auction.¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Shi Kang¡¯s words, Lin Tian Ming was surprised, thinking it would be some significant matter, only to find out it was to preside over an auction.


    ¡°Tian Ming is willing to go. Have the family decided on the auction¡¯s finale item?¡± Find more to read at empire


    Lin Tian Ming readily agreed, to no surprise to Lin Shi Kang, who repeatedly inquired about the circumstances regarding the grand finale auction item from Lin Shihua.


    Following the end of the great conflict between the Luoyun Mountain Range families, although much of their popularity had been restored, it was still not at its zenith.


    Now that the Lin Family had become the strongest family in the Luoyun Mountain Range, controlling over fifty percent of the profit distribution, naturally, they regarded the post-war first auction with great importance.


    The Lin Family had acquired the wealth of the Jin and Wu families and had a portion of the Sun Family¡¯s property too. There were no small number of treasures, and they were certainly flush with resources.


    An hour passed, and after discussion, Lin Shi Kang and the others decided to put a large number of rare treasures up for auction to boost the market¡¯s popularity and expand the Lin Family¡¯s earnings.


    Having settled on the auction items, Lin Shihua sent a message and then handed a piece of Beast Skin to Lin Tian Ming.


    ¡°Tian Ming, these fifteen treasures are coveted by any Qi Refinement Cultivator, and several are also quite useful for Foundation Establishment Cultivators. I¡¯ve already sent a message to Xingcheng. After you collect them from the Hall of Merit, pick a time to depart. The auction will be in your hands.¡±


    Lin Tian Ming took the Beast Skin and examined the items listed on it.


    Pozhang Pills, Xisui Pills, Yellow Grade Techniques, Second Order Pills, and even a Third Order Spiritual Medicine were included.


    It seemed that the family indeed placed great importance on this, bringing out many treasured items scarce to the Lin Family.


    Lin Tian Ming put the Beast Skin into his storage bag, bowed to the others with a clasped fist, and then slowly withdrew.

 Chapter 144 - 144 - 120: Bright Jade Fruit_1

    Chapter 144 ¨C 120: Bright Jade Fruit_1


    Upon receiving instructions from the Clan Leader, Lin Tianming left the Alchemy Hall and prepared to head to the Family Merits Hall to collect the auctioned items.


    Besides that, after the clan meeting, he was eager to enter seclusion to comprehend the Spirit Art, and he hadn¡¯t even had the time to collect his rewards of ten thousand Merit Points and three Second Order Treasures from the clan¡¯s major battle.


    With nothing to do at the moment and having exhausted all his treasures, it was natural for him to collect his rewards before heading out, to strengthen himself.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming immediately flew towards the Hall of Merit.


    Before long, Lin Tianming appeared inside the Hall of Merit.


    At that time, more than a dozen clansmen were already exchanging items in the great hall; apart from Lin Xingcheng, there were two Executive Officers assisting him.


    While Lin Xingcheng was exchanging Spiritual Objects for other clansmen, Lin Tianming waited on the side, observing the clansmen in the hall.


    ...


    Since Lin Shixin had fallen in battle, Lin Xingcheng had taken over as the Master of the Hall of Merit for a year. The family had significantly increased the clan¡¯s basic welfare, and the wealth of the clansmen grew, making exchanges increasingly frequent.


    When Lin Xingcheng saw Lin Tianming enter the hall, he came over to greet him once he had finished with the clansman he was helping.


    Lin Tianming also promptly stepped forward. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lin Xingcheng, who had already received a message from the Clan Leader, went into the depths of the hall to fetch the treasures from the Luoyun Market auction for Lin Tianming.


    After a short while, Lin Xingcheng came out and handed a storage bag to Lin Tianming.


    He took out a beast skin and scanned the storage bag with his Divine Sense to confirm that the treasures were correct before speaking,


    ¡°Uncle, the rewards the family owes me have not been collected yet. I¡¯d like to take this opportunity to collect them today.¡±


    As soon as Lin Tianming finished speaking, Lin Xingcheng took out a book to confirm that Lin Tianming had not collected his rewards yet, and tossed him a book listing Second Order items for Lin Tianming to select from.


    ¡°Tian Ming, I can transfer the Merit Points to you at any time. For the three Second Order Treasures, you can pick them yourself. Let me know what you choose, and I¡¯ll fetch them for you,¡± Lin Xingcheng said.


    Lin Tianming opened the book and began looking through it, starting from the first page.


    Spirit Radiance Grass, Bright Jade Fruit, Diamond Sand, Thick Shield Talisman¡­


    As he reviewed the Second Order Treasures, both Lin Tianming and Lin Xingcheng had a hint of eagerness in their eyes. These Second Order Treasures were no ordinary items, with significant value, enough to tempt any Qi Refining Cultivator to take risks.


    After half a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming had finished perusing the book. It listed hundreds of Second Order Treasures, primarily consisting of Spiritual Medicine Materials and Spirit Ore Stones, with a few Second Order Talismans and some elixirs, mostly lower-grade treasures.


    Spiritual Medicine Materials and Spirit Ores would have limited use for him for the time being. After some thought, he decided to choose two Second Order Talismans¡ªone a Medium Quality Second Order Golden Sword Talisman and the other a lower-grade Second Order Thick Shield Talisman, one for offense and the other for defense, greatly enhancing his chances of survival.


    For the last treasure, he decided to pick a Second Order Spirit Fruit, the Bright Jade Fruit. This fruit was somewhat special; although it couldn¡¯t enhance one¡¯s cultivation, it could strengthen a cultivator¡¯s body and enhance the cultivator¡¯s vitality, making it a rare treasure for Body Cultivators.


    Having made his decision, Lin Tianming took out his family token and handed it to Lin Xingcheng, saying, ¡°Uncle, for the three treasures I¡¯ll choose the Medium Quality Second Order Golden Sword Talisman and the Thick Shield Talisman. For the other item, give me the Bright Jade Fruit. Please transfer five thousand Merit Points to me, then exchange forty First Order Superior Talismans with the remaining points, and convert the rest into Spirit Stones.¡±


    Without hesitation, Lin Xingcheng cast a spell to transfer five thousand Merit Points to his token.


    A few streaks of Spiritual Light flashed by, and the display on Lin Tianming¡¯s family token showed a series of numbers. Including his previous assets, he had nearly eight thousand Merit Points.


    Surprised, Lin Xingcheng went into the depths of the hall to fetch the Spirit Stones and the other treasures for Lin Tianming.


    In no time, Lin Xingzhi handed a storage bag to Lin Tianming.


    ¡°`


    Lin Tianming extended his divine sense and found exactly over four thousand spirit stones, two second order talismans, and forty first order superior talismans inside the storage bag. There was also a jade box, which undoubtedly contained the Bright Jade Fruit.


    Having confirmed the contents, Lin Tianming clasped his fist in farewell, left the Hall of Merit, and flew towards his own courtyard.


    Back in his courtyard, Lin Tianming entered his room and sat cross-legged on the stone bed. He took out his rewards and one by one placed them into his storage bag.


    Lin Tianming meticulously checked his storage bag. At this moment, it contained a total of six thousand five hundred spirit stones, as well as two second order talismans, thirty first order superior attack talismans, ten defense talismans, along with some spiritual medicine materials and spirit ore that he had obtained earlier¡ªall relatively precious.


    After taking stock of his storage bag, Lin Tianming contemplated his next steps.


    The trip to Luoyun Market was still some time away, and he had no intention of departing immediately. After refining the Bright Jade Fruit and resting for a few days, he planned to go to Luoyun Market and station there for a year. This would allow him to contribute to the family and solidify his cultivation, striving to breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment in one fell swoop.


    Having made up his mind, he took out the Bright Jade Fruit and placed it in the palm of his hand, observing it closely.


    Looking at the fist-sized Bright Jade Fruit with its crystalline and translucent flesh, he could smell its pungent yet enticing fragrance.


    Without any more hesitation, Lin Tianming swallowed the Bright Jade Fruit in one gulp.


    As the spirit fruit dissolved, waves of gentle energy were released, slowly circulating through his meridians and traversing his body. The comfortable sensation was almost heavenly and indescribably refreshing.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s complexion gradually became more rosy as he controlled the energy emitted by the Bright Jade Fruit to temper his internal organs and meridians. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before he knew it, five days had passed.


    In the room, Lin Tianming¡¯s clothing was tattered, his entire body enveloped in a thin layer of black mud, looking akin to a beggar. Explore more adventures at


    Opening his eyes and examining his body, he threw a punch with all his might, shattering the stone table in front of him with a gust from the punch.


    Feeling the vigorous vitality within his body and spirit, Lin Tianming revealed a satisfied expression.


    With just one Bright Jade Fruit, his vitality had significantly increased, and with it, his strength had further enhanced. The power to shatter a stone table several meters away with just the wind from his punch far exceeded his expectations.


    The effects of the Bright Jade Fruit were excellent, further strengthening his physique. In terms of body cultivation, he had essentially reached the limit of the Qi Refinement Realm, entirely surpassing his expectations.


    Lin Tianming stood up, cast a few Five Elements Spells, and after bathing and changing clothes, he tidied up the room, then stepped out.


    That evening, Lin Tianming had dinner with his family. Afterward, they sat in the courtyard for a casual chat.


    Years had passed, and his sister¡¯s cultivation had not fallen behind. With the family¡¯s enhanced basic welfare benefits and the elixirs provided by Lin Tianming and their grandfather, she had reached the peak of the fifth level of Qi Refinement. It wouldn¡¯t be long before she could break through to the sixth level.


    His mother¡¯s cultivation progress was not significant; over the years, she had only advanced by one minor realm, still staying at the eighth level of Qi Refinement.


    Lin Tianming took out several tens of Superior Spirit Essence Pills. They were leftovers from his own cultivation; consuming too many would be of little use and might even increase the difficulty of his breakthroughs.


    Giving the elixirs to the two of them, several tens of pills were enough for their cultivation for several years.


    Both accepted the elixirs without demur, and Lin Tianming briefed them on his upcoming journey, urging them not to neglect their cultivation.


    Not until both of them had agreed did the conversation end, and they each retired to their rooms to rest.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 145 - 145 - 121 Spreading the News_1

    Chapter 145 ¨C 121 Spreading the News_1


    The next morning, Lin Tianming bid farewell to his family and set out alone, preparing to head to Luoyun Market.


    After leaving the family gates, Lin Tianming turned his head for one last look at the family¡¯s great formation, which had been repaired.


    During the battle at Green Bamboo Mountain, the family formation had been breached, and the Lin Family spent a considerable price to repair and greatly enhance the formation¡¯s power.


    Feeling the fluctuations of the formation, Lin Tianming lingered no longer and released the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Bag.


    With a piercing screech, the Purple Gold Eagle shot into the sky and soared freely through the heavens.


    It flew for a full quarter hour before Lin Tianming forcefully summoned it back, stopping in front of him.


    Looking at the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s massive body, Lin Tianming was filled with emotion.


    ...


    The Purple Gold Eagle had accompanied him for four years, and with the aid of numerous elixirs, it had successfully broken through to the First Order Superior Grade, its strength no less than that of an ordinary Ninth Layer of Qi Refining cultivator.


    Lin Tianming took out a Beast Spirit Pill and let the Purple Gold Eagle consume it, then he leapt onto the back of the spirit beast.


    After consuming the elixir, the Purple Gold Eagle flapped its gigantic wings, let out several excited screeches, and soared high into the sky, heading toward Luoyun Market in the north.


    Sitting atop the spirit beast with the Purple Gold Eagle covering hundreds of meters in an instant, Lin Tianming¡¯s lips curled up slightly, feeling an indescribable excitement.


    Within just half a day, Lin Tianming arrived at Luoyun Market.


    At the entrance of Luoyun Market, more than a dozen Qi Refining Cultivators were queuing to enter the market, while Chen Jingshan was on duty at the side, collecting fees for entering the market.


    Lin Tianming walked up directly and presented his Family Token.


    Once Chen Jingshan saw the green and red interleaved Token, his breathing became rapid. Others might not understand what this Spirit Tablet meant, but he was very clear that such a Token was only possessed by the most core members of the Lin Family.


    Taken aback, Chen Jingshan didn¡¯t dare to delay and immediately let him through; Lin Tianming didn¡¯t linger either and walked straight in.


    After entering the market, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t head straight for the Hundred Treasures Building but started to stroll around Luoyun Market.


    Over a year had passed since the battle, and the market, with its bustling shops, had now recovered its former peak vitality.


    It took him a little over an hour to visit all the major areas of the market, eventually making his way back to the commercial district.


    Upon entering the third floor of the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingyuan sat in a room, sipping Spiritual Tea.


    After explaining his purpose, Lin Tianming took out the storage bag containing the items for the finale and handed it over to Lin Xingyuan for safekeeping, in anticipation of the auction to be held six months later.


    Lin Xingyuan received the storage bag and sent his Divine Sense inside to check the prepared finale items, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.


    Not only were there numerous items, but they were also exceedingly precious and rare, reflecting the family¡¯s level of importance placed on this event.


    With these valuable treasures, Lin Xingyuan felt considerably more at ease, and his confidence in the upcoming auction was solidified.


    After swallowing a Calming Pill, Lin Xingyuan asked with a smile,


    ¡°Tianming, the family places great importance on this auction. Since they have sent you to assist me, do you have any strategies or suggestions? Feel free to speak up so we can discuss them!¡±


    Sipping the Spiritual Tea lightly, Lin Tianming spoke with a smile,


    ¡°Uncle Xing Yuan, there¡¯s still plenty of time, with half a year until the auction. We might as well reveal some information about the finale items in advance, letting the news spread far and wide. By the time the auction takes place, most of the cultivators in the Luoyun Mountain Range will know about it, ensuring that the attendance will far exceed previous years.¡±


    Lin Xingyuan nodded after listening, fully endorsing Lin Tianming¡¯s plan.


    Lin Tianming then continued,


    ¡°Apart from revealing the news ahead of time, I suggest we waive some of the market booth rentals to attract more cultivators. Although this will result in a loss of some spirit stones, it¡¯s entirely worthwhile to boost the market gathering¡¯s fame. What do you think, Uncle?¡±


    After hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s suggestion, Lin Xingyuan fell into deep thought.


    Waiving the booth rental for a few days would mean a loss of several thousand spirit stones for the market, a significant amount indeed.


    After a while, having thought it through, Lin Xingyuan decided Lin Tianming¡¯s suggestion was worth trying.


    The loss of spirit stones was substantial, but once the market¡¯s popularity increased, they could recuperate the loss through other means. Even if they couldn¡¯t regain it in the short term, the lost spirit stones wouldn¡¯t be too much. Such a loss was insignificant for the current Lin Family.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Xingyuan instructed,


    ¡°Tianming, proceed as you¡¯ve said. I¡¯ll immediately have our people distribute the list of finale items and give a heads-up to the other two families. You stay in the market for the next period and help with the alchemy. We¡¯ve accumulated a lot of spiritual medicine materials in the shop over more than a year which haven¡¯t been used for alchemy. Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of it, and afterwards, you can have a period of secluded cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll carry out any order from you, Uncle!¡±


    Lin Tianming hadn¡¯t practiced alchemy in a long while, and with his cultivation progress stalled, he now had plenty of time to properly concoct some first order elixirs and lay the groundwork for the future.


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    Seeing Lin Xingyuan agree to his plan, Lin Tianming immediately accepted the task.


    Afterwards, Lin Xingyuan sent out several messages with a smile.


    Sometime later, two Lin Family members arrived. They passed on the details of the finale items and conveyed their arrangements. Lin Tianming then stood up to take his leave, returning to the Family¡¯s small courtyard in Luoyun Market.


    Upon entering the Family courtyard, Lin Tianming quickly began a brief period of cultivation.


    Two days later, a member of the family brought a large amount of first order elixir materials for Lin Tianming to refine.


    Upon receiving the materials, Lin Tianming checked them, counting several hundred portions of spiritual medicine materials, most of which were consumable elixirs, along with some Spiritual Medicine Materials for Xisui Pills and Pozhang Pills.


    All these elixirs had been mass-produced before. Although there were many, they posed no difficulty for him.


    Proceeding with ease, Lin Tianming began concocting the elixirs as time flew by quickly.


    Over half a month passed. During Lin Tianming¡¯s intensive elixir production, news of the auction spread from one to ten and then to a hundred, soon reaching thousands of miles around the market.


    Suddenly, from low-order Qi Refining cultivators to high-order Foundation Establishment Stage Loose Cultivators, the vast majority had heard of the auction and marvelled at the Lin Family¡¯s grand gesture. Numerous low-order cultivators could hardly wait to participate in the once-every-three-year grand event of Luoyun Market. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unaffected by the outside world, Lin Tianming remained busy with his focused alchemy.


    After a month of refining, with the aid of the Eye of Five Colors, the several hundred portions of spiritual medicine materials were all turned into elixirs.


    Looking at the thousands of jade bottles in front of him where nearly all the Lingshen Pills were of superior quality, and the potency of the Pozhang Pills was stronger than before.


    After keeping the elixirs for his own use, a slightly tired Lin Tianming left the secret room and headed to the Hundred Treasures Building.


    On the third floor of the Hundred Treasures Building, Lin Tianming handed over the elixirs to Lin Xingyuan, leaving a small portion to be sold in the market¡¯s shop, while more of them were taken by family members back to the Lin Family.


    After a brief chat, Lin Tianming returned to his secluded chamber to begin a short period of seclusion, waiting for the arrival of the auction.

 Chapter 146 - 146 - 122: Qin Xi (The Female Lead Appears)_1

    Chapter 146 ¨C 122: Qin Xi (The Female Lead Appears)_1


    ¡°`


    Time flew by, and several months passed in a blink of an eye.


    During the time of his seclusion, Lin Tianming lived a fulfilling life, not only concocting elixirs for his family and cultivating but also taking some time to read through some of the books replicated by his family.


    In nearly half a year, he had perused precious texts on everything from pill concoction and weapon forging to talisman making and formations. Although his main focus was on alchemy, learning some basic knowledge could enhance his insight, and perhaps it would come in handy at a critical moment.


    After half a year, having absorbed the precious texts from the Jin Family and Wu Family, his gains were indeed significant.


    Three days before the auction was set to begin, Lin Tianming stopped cultivating and prepared to emerge from seclusion to attend the auction.


    Stepping out of the secret room and walking on the streets of the market, Lin Tianming strolled around and looked about leisurely.


    ...


    With the auction approaching, Luoyun Market was exceptionally bustling, its vitality almost doubled compared to usual. A large number of cultivators flooded into the market, some to do business, others to trade their resources. Wealthy cultivators were there specifically for the auction because, after all, the best items were only available there.


    Unknowingly, Lin Tianming, while wandering, arrived in the market¡¯s stall area.


    It was early morning, and many cultivators had already rented their stalls. Many places were already displaying various treasures. Outside the square, there were still many people arriving continuously.


    Looking closely, cultivators of all kinds were selecting treasures, and the endless hawking permeated his ears, completely a scene of a mundane marketplace.


    Seeing the busy trading scene, a slight smile crossed Lin Tianming¡¯s face¡ªit was apparent that this gathering was even more popular than usual.


    Watching as more people came to set up their stalls in the square, every spot occupied by cultivators, he no longer lingered and picked up his pace into the square.


    Choosing a starting point, he began to meander through the stalls.


    After visiting more than a dozen stalls, which all offered fairly ordinary items¡ªvery attractive to a Sixth Level Qi Refining cultivator, but of little use to him¡ªLin Tianming wandered aimlessly, his expression unchanged.


    Time passed, and by noon he had roamed through a large part of the stall area.


    Finally, near the main road, some decent items appeared. Lin Tianming decisively made his purchases, spending hundreds of spirit stones for a few stems of Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, which were rather rare varieties.


    Purchasing these useful spiritual medicine materials in advance, once he entered Foundation Establishment, he could concoct Second Order Pills for his cultivation.


    As time wore on, just as Lin Tianming was about to leave, an elderly Third Level Qi Refining cultivator caught his attention.


    In the deepest part of the square, at an out-of-the-way spot, a grey-robed old man and a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl sat in front of a stall.


    The grey-robed elder had white speckled hair, sporting a goatee, showing signs of advanced age. When he looked at the girl, his eyes suddenly became spirited.


    The girl sat on the ground, holding a book in her hand, scrutinizing it intently.


    This girl, named Qin Xi, had delicate features and clear eyes. With a tall and slender figure, she had an indescribable vivacity about her; her green dress was fresh and natural, and once she came of age, she was sure to be a stunner.


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    The grey-robed elder, with a resolute expression, waved a few stems of First Order Spiritual Medicine in his hand, calling out energetically to sell them.


    Unfortunately, due to the poor location of his stall and the fact that the items he was selling were too common, passing cultivators showed no interest in inquiring about prices and hurried past him.


    As the day was about to pass, the grey-robed elder¡¯s stall had barely attracted any buyers, only managing to sell a few stems of First Order Spiritual Medicine, and even then at a low price.


    Watching the hard-earned spiritual medicine sell for such low prices, the grey-robed elder¡¯s eyes carried a sense of vicissitude and desolation. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His end was nearing, and he would not live for many more years. In the final moments of his life, surprisingly, a year and a half ago, his granddaughter successfully introduced Qi into her body and became a Qi Refining cultivator, delighting him beyond words.


    He came to Luoyun Market with the intention of selling the spiritual medicine he had risked his life to gather, to buy several Lingshen Pills for his granddaughter, to help her enhance her cultivation, so that before his end came, she would have some means of self-protection and be able to survive in the perilous cultivation world.


    Unfortunately, his cultivation level was not high, and the spiritual medicine he gathered was too common, leading to a meager income.


    His granddaughter had not been cultivating for long and her cultivation was too low. He would not be able to protect her for many more years, and at this point, he felt somewhat anxious.


    ¡°`


    After a few sighs, the elder showed a hint of helplessness.


    Qin Xi, standing beside him, rose to her feet and massaged the elder¡¯s back while consoling him with her exceptionally pleasant voice.


    ¡°Grandpa, if it really can¡¯t be sold, let it be. You obtained these Spiritual Medicines at a great cost, and even sustained some injuries in the process. If it doesn¡¯t work out, we can try the Lin Family¡¯s store. Their store is famous in Luoyun Market and they also purchase Spiritual Medicine Materials. Their prices are quite fair, and perhaps we could get more Spirit Stones to exchange for some healing elixirs for you.¡±


    Reassured by his granddaughter¡¯s words, the elder¡¯s complexion grew rosier.


    The Lin Family was now renowned throughout the Luoyun Mountain Range, and he had heard about their good reputation. If the Spiritual Medicine indeed couldn¡¯t be sold, they would have to try their luck at the Lin Family¡¯s store.


    The elder stroked his granddaughter¡¯s hair, gaining back some spirit, and prepared to call out to attract the attention of some cultivators.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming arrived in front of the elder, crouching down to observe the items laid out before him.


    The elder immediately lit up with joy at Lin Tianming¡¯s arrival.


    Although Lin Tianming was disguised, his outfit was immaculate, and he carried himself with an air of righteousness. Even though he didn¡¯t reveal any aura, the elder could still sense that he was no ordinary cultivator.


    As Lin Tianming scrutinized the items, the elder spoke up:


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, please feel free to look. Our prices are absolutely fair!¡±


    As soon as the elder finished speaking, Lin Tianming saw more than ten types of Spiritual Medicine, a few tattered books, and a blue Jade Slip laid out on the beast skin.


    Lin Tianming disregarded the all-too-common Spiritual Medicines and focused his attention on the blue Jade Slip.


    He picked up the Jade Slip and extended his Divine Sense to examine the information inside.


    After a few moments, having read the introduction in the Jade Slip, Lin Tianming revealed a hint of joy.


    The Jade Slip contained an Ancient Pill Recipe, and it was a type of elixir for Body Cultivators to aid in their cultivation. He conjectured that the pills from this recipe were much stronger than the Body Strengthening Pills.


    However, the elder had placed a restriction on the Jade Slip, preventing full access to the pill¡¯s grade and materials. Although Lin Tianming could have easily broken the restriction, he chose not to.


    Looking at the mysterious Pill Formula, Lin Tianming decided to purchase it. Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming asked:


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, how much for this Jade Slip?¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming inquire about the price, the elder was overjoyed, but soon hesitated, not daring to quote a price too hastily for fear of scaring Lin Tianming away.


    After some thought, the elder¡¯s expression calmed, and he tentatively replied in a low voice:


    ¡°Fellow Daoist has good eyesight. This Jade Slip was acquired by chance, and the Pill Formula it records should be genuine. However, the Spiritual Medicine Materials required are quite peculiar, some of which I have never heard of. It would probably be quite difficult to successfully concoct it. Thus, this Jade Slip isn¡¯t very practical. If you like it, how about fifty Spirit Stones?¡±


    Lin Tianming was surprised to hear this, as the elder seemed too honest. Pill Formulas were always highly valued, and even a First Order Medium Grade Pill Formula could easily be sold for over a hundred Spirit Stones. Although the grade of this formula was unknown, and it might not be possible to concoct the pills, he had a feeling that the Jade Slip would be of some use.


    A hundred Spirit Stones was not a small amount, but for Lin Tianming it was hardly significant.


    Without any intention of bargaining, he took out one hundred Spirit Stones and gave them to the elder, buying the Jade Slip.


    The elder was ecstatic, his expression filled with excitement. Some Cultivators had examined the Pill Formula but likely deemed it not worth the risk and hadn¡¯t bought it.


    But Lin Tianming, without even blinking an eye, made the purchase directly. With these Spirit Stones, he could buy some elixirs for his granddaughter.


    The girl stared at Lin Tianming as he spent generously, her curiosity piqued as she sized him up.


    After their gazes met, for some reason, Lin Tianming¡¯s heart suddenly began to beat wildly, as if a deer were prancing inside, and his blood seemed to boil¡ªa sensation he had never experienced before.


    Qin Xi¡¯s heart likewise raced, and a blush crept onto her face, making her even more stunningly beautiful.


    In a hurry, Lin Tianming stuffed the Jade Slip into his storage bag and lingered no longer, smiling politely and bidding farewell with a clasped fist. He then swiftly left the market area, heading toward the direction of the Lin Family Courtyard.

 Chapter 147 - 147 - 123 Qianling Pill_1

    Chapter 147 ¨C 123 Qianling Pill_1


    Hastily returning to the small courtyard, Lin Tianming immediately entered the secret chamber.


    Sitting on the cushion, he circulated his cultivation technique for a Grand Circulation, trying to calm himself down.


    For some reason, the thought of that young girl stirred an unexplainable restlessness in his heart.


    It should be noted that he had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Cultivation, and over the years, he had encountered many female cultivators, many of whom knew some enchanting techniques. Yet even so, he had never been moved.


    Beyond the allure of beauty, he had experienced countless battles over the years, and had often hovered on the brink of life and death, facing mortality with an undisturbed composure. It was unexpected that he would lose his composure like this today.


    After a short while, as he focused on his cultivation, his state of mind gradually returned to tranquility.


    Half an hour of cultivation later, he took out the purchased jade slip, ready to examine the pill formula.


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    Extending his Divine Sense, he erased the restrictions on the jade slip and began to review the pill formula.


    ¡°Qianling Pill, Second Order Pills?¡±


    Murmuring softly to himself, Lin Tianming¡¯s face flashed with a knowing smile.


    Upon his examination, this was indeed an Ancient Pill Recipe of a Medium Quality Second Order without a doubt, not low in grade, with effects similar to the Body Strengthening Pill, but undoubtedly much stronger.


    Unfortunately, the Spiritual Medicine Materials recorded in the pill formula were very rare. The main ingredient, Qianyuan Grass, was extremely scarce, and he had yet to hear of its presence anywhere to date.


    Apart from the main ingredient, there were several other important Spiritual Medicine Materials that were quite rare, making it difficult to concoct the pill, which was somewhat regrettable.


    ¡°Let it be, let it be.¡±


    Having spent only a hundred Spirit Stones, such a small price for the Ganling Pill Recipe, was already considered extraordinarily lucky.


    As for whether he could concoct it or not, it was still too early to say, he hadn¡¯t reached Foundation Establishment yet, and he could still use the Body Strengthening Pill for some time; there was no need to be so anxious.


    After adjusting his mindset, he once again closed his eyes and began the practice of inhaling and exhaling.


    Two days passed, and the market city auction was held as scheduled.


    Finishing his work, Lin Tianming tidied up the secret chamber and left the small courtyard, heading towards the auction site in the center of the market city.


    Along the way, many cultivators, in groups of three or five, were accompanying each other to the auction.


    A quarter of an hour later, Lin Tianming appeared at the entrance of the auction venue.


    Glancing around, he saw cultivators at the entrance formed into two long lines, like two great dragons extending from the entrance to the plaza.


    The number of cultivators in the entire market city, compared to usual, had at least doubled.


    Seeing the bustling popularity, which was much higher than the family had anticipated, Lin Tianming was both surprised and somewhat relieved; it seemed that the original strategy had been quite correct.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was in a good mood, ready to bypass the queue and enter the auction hall.


    Suddenly, a commotion arose among the queuing cultivators.


    They saw a black-robed elder slowly walking towards them; for a time, the queuing cultivators opened a path for him.


    The black-robed elder wore a calm expression, without any intention of stopping, and walked past the cultivators with his hands behind his back.


    At the entrance, several market city supervisors were collecting Spirit Stones to enter the auction. Seeing the black-robed elder coming over, they immediately left the cultivators in front of them and stepped forward, bowing continuously and speaking in a very respectful tone, Find more chapters on .com


    ¡°Junior has seen Elder Su, Elder Su, please come inside.¡±


    The Elder with the surname Su nodded and casually threw thirty Spirit Stones towards the group.


    The Executive Officers¡¯ faces brightened with joy as they quickly caught the Spirit Stones and then took out a round Jade Token to respectfully present to the Elder Su.


    Elder Su waved his hands, summoning the Jade Token through the air and then headed straight into the interior of the grand hall, soon disappearing from everyone¡¯s view.


    After the elder left, the group wiped the sweat from their foreheads and let out a long sigh of relief.


    In the queue of Cultivators below, many were equally astonished; those who were unclear of the elder¡¯s identity kept asking about his name.


    Thanks to the introduction by some older Cultivators, the younger ones finally learned of the elder¡¯s background.


    It turned out that this man was named Su He. He had succeeded in Foundation Establishment tens of years ago and apart from the major families in the Luoyun Mountain Range, he was one of the few Foundation Establishment stage Loose Cultivators with extremely formidable strength.


    As for his current cultivation realm, no one knew for sure, except that twenty years ago, Su He was already at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment. With twenty years passed, it was estimated that he was at least at the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment or even higher.


    Some Qi Training Cultivators couldn¡¯t help but look forward eagerly, it seemed that the treasures provided by the Lin Family this time were indeed extraordinary, attracting even a Cultivator with strength like Su He to participate in the auction.


    After a while, with the maintenance of order by a few Executive Officers, Cultivators began to pay the entrance Spirit Stones one after another.


    Lin Tianming walked straight past the queue, heading towards the entrance.


    After showing his Family Token, several Executive Officers immediately allowed him through.


    Entering the grand hall, the public area was already bustling with people, the original five hundred seats had been filled, and some acquainted Cultivators sat together chatting, creating an extremely noisy scene.


    Cultivators were still queuing at the entrance, and extra seating had been temporarily added around the perimeter, with approximately three hundred new seats, which were also quickly being filled.


    Witnessing the bustling scene, Lin Tianming was again pleasantly surprised.


    Collecting his thoughts, Lin Tianming headed towards the second floor.


    He walked through the long corridor and stopped in front of the door to the deepest room.


    After sending a message, the room¡¯s warding spells opened and Lin Tianming walked straight in.


    Inside the room, Lin Shilu and Lin Xingyuan were seated in chairs, drinking Spiritual Tea and chatting while looking down at the stage below.


    Seeing Lin Shilu appear at the auction, Lin Tianming was somewhat surprised, then immediately went forward to greet him.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, how come you are at the Market City? Has something happened?¡±


    Lin Shilu waved his hand, indicating Lin Tianming to sit down before explaining,


    ¡°The auction at the Market City has attracted many Cultivators. The family was worried that Xing Yuan might not be able to handle the situation. I just happened to have come out of a year-long retreat and wanted to stroll around, so I came to join in the fun. It¡¯s not just me; Sun Dingfeng from the Sun Family and Luo Chenggu from the Luo Family have also come. From what I know, there are several Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Market City now, with quite a few above the Third Level of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s words sent a shock through Lin Tianming¡¯s heart.


    He hadn¡¯t expected this Market City meeting to draw so many elusive old monsters out of hiding. It was one thing for Sun Dingfeng and Luo Chenggu, as they had frequent interactions, but for those Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators to gather was quite rare.


    Lin Shilu took another sip of his Spiritual Tea before continuing,


    ¡°After the auction concludes, I have organized a trade meeting that the Foundation Establishment Cultivators will participate in. You two will accompany me there, as the treasures in the hands of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator naturally can¡¯t compare to those at an auction.¡±


    After Lin Shilu finished speaking, both Lin Xingyuan and Lin Tianming readily agreed.


    Lin Tianming was now somewhat impatient. With most of the auction items being supplied by the Lin Family, he figured it would be difficult for him to gain much. Since there was a chance to trade with Foundation Establishment Cultivators, he was certain their assets would not disappoint him.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s eager look, Lin Xingyuan was likewise filled with anticipation, both of them distractedly waiting for the auction to start.

 Chapter 148 - 148 - 124 Treasures Emerge_1

    Chapter 148 ¨C 124 Treasures Emerge_1


    Time slowly passed, and the eight hundred seats in the hall were now filled with cultivators.


    Several Market City Supervisors temporarily closed the entrance to the auction, and the noisy auction hall finally became much quieter.


    All cultivators were eagerly looking towards the auction stage, waiting for the auction to officially begin.


    Suddenly, a cultivator appeared in the passage; it was Chen Chong, who had presided over the last Market City auction.


    He walked through the passage, greeting some familiar cultivators, and then ascended to the stage.


    Surveying the audience, the scale of this auction, the number of participants, and the treasures were unprecedented in a century. Hosting such an auction assuredly promised substantial rewards. Even Chen Chong, who had hosted many auctions, felt a surge of excitement.


    With a smile on his face and a cupped fist salute, Chen Chong waited for the cultivators below to quiet down before he spoke:


    ...


    ¡°I am Chen Chong, honored to meet all seniors and fellow cultivators here. I am invited by the Market City to preside over this auction. I welcome everybody for attending.¡±


    ¡°You all know the rules, the highest bidder wins. If you don¡¯t have enough spirit stones, you may use treasures as collateral. Without further ado, as I know many of you can hardly wait, I announce that the auction starts now!¡±


    As Chen Chong finished speaking, all the cultivators below became excited.


    Chen Chong still sporting a smile, quickly took out a greenish small shield from his storage bag, displaying it while introducing it to the cultivators present.


    ¡°The first auction item, a First Order Medium Grade Defensive Spiritual Tool, the Xuanjia Shield, made primarily from the shell of a Xuanjia Turtle, forged with a great number of precious materials, its defensive power is extremely remarkable. The starting bid is ninety spirit stones, with each increment no less than two spirit stones.¡±


    The very first treasure was a Medium Grade defensive spiritual tool; the subsequent finale items were naturally extraordinary. It was clear that this auction had indeed invested a lot of capital.


    Looking at the greenish shield, Medium Grade defensive spiritual tools were rare, especially one forged from the shell of a Xuanjia Turtle. The eyes of many cultivators flashed with fervent expressions.


    ¡°Ninety-five spirit stones.¡±


    A Qi Training Cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining, wearing a blue robe, excitedly called out the first price, with a look of absolute determination.


    Before his words had settled, other cultivators began to raise their bids.


    ¡°One hundred and twenty spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°One hundred and twenty-five spirit stones.¡±


    ¡­


    Soon, after over a dozen rounds of intense bidding, the price of the Xuanjia Shield skyrocketed, quickly reaching one hundred and forty spirit stones.


    In the end, only four people continued to bid, and the first bidding blue-robed cultivator was among them.


    One hundred and forty spirit stones was no small amount. The blue-robed cultivator hesitated; to give up would be reluctant, yet it was costly to continue.


    Considering the exceptional defensive power of the Xuanjia Shield, which was indeed a rare find among Medium Grade defensive spiritual tools, possessing this treasure would allow him to retreat unscathed even when facing a Seventh Level Qi Cultivation cultivator.


    After pondering for a moment, he decided not to give up and, gritting his teeth, he made a higher bid.


    ¡°One hundred and fifty spirit stones.


    A few breaths passed, and no one else placed a higher bid.


    With the sound of a gong, the first auction item was successfully sold, with the blue-robed cultivator winning it with a high bid.


    The blue-robed cultivator, with a smile on his face, presented the spirit stones in front of all the cultivators present, exchanged for the treasure, and then sat down satisfied.


    The high price of the first treasure warmed up the atmosphere of the venue, with many cultivators eager and ready to snap up their coveted items.


    Chen Chong was very pleased and continued to strike while the iron was hot, taking out the second treasure to be bid on by a group of cultivators.


    As the small half of the day passed, nearly a hundred treasures were successfully auctioned off, none failing to sell, with the closing prices often hitting new highs.


    During this time, Lin Tianming made three bids, spending hundreds of spirit stones to win some items consigned by other cultivators, including two stalks of spirit grass and a green crystal core.


    In the VIP room on the second floor, Lin Tianming fiddled with the crystal core in his hand, contemplating it closely.


    He had acquired the crystal core for just over a hundred spirit stones. At the time, including himself, no one recognized the item, nor did anyone else bid.


    It was about to go unsold when, under the examination of the Eye of Five Colors, he still detected a faint trace of energy. Out of curiosity and due to the low price, he decided to bid for the item. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After Lin Tianming and the other two took turns examining it, none could discern anything significant, so they placed it in a storage bag to study in detail when they returned.


    At this point, the auction was nearing its end, with only the final showcase item left to be auctioned off.


    After a brief pause, Chen Chong began the auction for the final showcase items.


    This time, the Lin Family had prepared fifteen precious treasures; together with the items provided by the Sun Family and the Luo Family, there were twenty final showcase items in total, which was twice as many as in past auctions. Many of the cultivators in the hall, especially those with higher cultivation, were there primarily for these final showcase items.


    ¡°The first showcase item, three Xisui Pills with a starting bid of one hundred spirit stones, and each bid must increase by no less than five spirit stones!¡±


    ¡°The second showcase item, three Pozhang Pills¡­¡±


    ¡°The third showcase item, three Jade Spirit Fruits¡­¡±


    ¡­


    For a moment, treasures were brought out one after the other.


    Elxirs, spirit fruits, and spiritual artifacts conducive to breakthroughs for Qi Refining Cultivators were rapidly auctioned off, with all ten of the showcase items provided by the Lin Family quickly sold.


    The number of treasures auctioned in this session was not small, and the overall value was quite high, especially the elixirs used for breakthroughs. Continue reading stories on .com


    Items useful for breaking through to the next realm were traditionally the most sought-after, and as such, the atmosphere of the auction was incredibly fervent.


    The appearance of so many rare treasures, although the prices were slightly lower than usual, shocked all the cultivators present with the Lin Family¡¯s extravagant display.


    Some cultivators of limited means, who had not succeeded in the auction, had their eyes opened wide with amazement, feeling their trip was worthwhile just witnessing the auction of so many rare treasures.


    At this time, Chen Chong was also excited; based solely on this auction, the commission he could extract was a significant sum.


    Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Chen Chong continued to preside over the auction.


    Time quickly passed, and an hour later, the last nine showcase items were also successfully auctioned, with each item¡¯s price not falling below three hundred spirit stones.


    Especially for the last five treasures, even Foundation Establishment Cultivators joined in the bidding. The Second Order elixirs were won by Sun Dingfeng, while the Third Order Spiritual Medicine went to Su He. Other Foundation Establishment Cultivators also reaped their rewards.


    At this point, only one final showcase item remained, and all the cultivators were waiting for it.


    Not daring to hesitate, Chen Chong quickly pulled a jade slip from his storage bag and held it high.


    Seeing the item below, the Qi Training Cultivators¡¯ breathing grew rapid, and at this moment, Chen Chong also began to introduce the final treasure.


    ¡°A Metal Attribute Yellow Grade Cultivation Technique provided by the Lin Family, with extremely formidable offensive power. Starting bid is seventeen thousand spirit stones, and each bid must increase by no less than one hundred spirit stones.¡±


    No sooner had Chen Chong finished speaking than a cultivator started the bidding.


    ¡°Eighteen thousand spirit stones!¡±


    That was an increase of a thousand spirit stones with just one bid, showing the determination of the bidder to win.


    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before another increased the bid. Back and forth the price went, continuously climbing.


    It¡¯s worth noting that techniques are not commonly seen in the Luoyun Mountain Range; most are controlled by large families, and many Qi Refining Families do not have all the Five Elements attributes.


    Families lacking Metal Attribute techniques, and finding themselves with members of the Metal Attribute, are forced to cultivate other attribute techniques temporarily. Due to the mismatch, the speed of cultivation is greatly compromised. Hence, when an opportunity like this arises, they naturally would not let it pass.


    Despite the high price to pay, the need to remedy the family¡¯s weaknesses was worth any sacrifice.


    Lin Tianming and the others were sitting in the VIP room on the second floor, witnessing the intense bidding below.

 Chapter 149 - 149 - 125: Exchange Meeting_1

    Chapter 149 ¨C 125: Exchange Meeting_1


    On the second floor of the auction, an elderly man sat in the center, flanked by two middle-aged cultivators on chairs; all three were clan members of the Min Clan from the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    The Min Clan, an established Qi Refining family from the Luoyun Mountain Range, boasted over sixty members with several individuals above the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, ranking them at the forefront in terms of strength and financial power among Qi Refining families.


    At that moment, the countenances of the two Min Clan cultivators darkened, and one at the Qi Refining Eighth Level asked the elder in the chair of honor,


    ¡°Fourth uncle, the price of this Cultivation Technique has already exceeded expectations. What do we do now? Do we continue to raise the bid?¡±


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    After hearing this, the elder showed a moment of hesitation, lost in contemplation.


    The Min Clan¡¯s legacy spanned several hundred years, possessing just three Cultivation Techniques. They specifically lacked Cultivation Techniques of the water and metal categories. Having finally encountered a metal-category technique, although it was only of Yellow Grade, it was extremely important for the Min Clan. Giving up the opportunity now would be a true pity.


    ...


    Having made up his mind, the elder immediately spoke,


    ¡°Raise¡­ Currently, only three families are still bidding, and within the Luoyun Mountain Range, the Qi Refining families are probably at their limits. This opportunity is rare. If there are not enough Spirit Stones, take out the two stalks of Third Order Spiritual Medicine from the clan¡¯s reserves to settle the account; we are keeping them without being able to refine any elixirs anyway.¡±


    The words of the elder resonated with the two middle-aged cultivators beside him, who then promptly raised the bid.


    ¡°Twenty-one thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones!¡±


    A voice emanated from one of the VIP rooms on the second floor, plunging the entire venue into silence.


    The elder¡¯s prediction was correct; initially, there were more than ten cultivators bidding, but in the end, only three families were left. After he spontaneously increased the bid by a thousand Spirit Stones, the other two families indeed gave up on continuing to raise their bids.


    At this point, the cultivators below who were watching the excitement blushed, clearly overwhelmed by the exorbitant price. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    More than twenty thousand Spirit Stones was an amount most cultivators could not amass in their lifetime. Such a transaction price was almost equivalent to that of a Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Of course, in the Luoyun Mountain Range, quite a few Qi Refining families could gather that amount of three thousand Spirit Stones.


    The key issue was that, oftentimes, even if you possessed Spirit Stones, it was hard to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill, and without considerable strength, it was impossible to leave safely with it.


    Two hundred years ago, the Lin Family had experienced a similar incident, when an ancestor successfully won a Foundation Establishment Pill at an auction but was ambushed on the way back to the family. The ancestor was grievously injured and had to abandon the pill to escape. Such situations were not uncommon in the Cultivation World.


    In the silent auction hall, as a few moments passed and no more bids were made, Chen Chong had no choice but to announce the result.


    When the sound of the gong echoed, smiles finally appeared on the faces of the three from the Min Clan.


    The elder surnamed Min took out two Jade Boxes, placed them into a storage bag, and reluctantly threw it to Chen Chong.


    Chen Chong accepted the storage bag, seeing the two stalks of Third Order Spiritual Medicine and some Spirit Stones. After confirming the equivalent value, he handed over the Jade Slip containing the Cultivation Technique to the Min Clan cultivator.


    Once the transaction was complete, all items in the auction had been sold.


    Chen Chong clasped his hands, exchanged a few courteous words, and finally declared the auction over.


    Afterward, the many cultivators filed out, leaving very few in the hall in short order.


    In the VIP room on the second floor, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu chatted idly, while Lin Xingyuan had taken the lead out of the chamber to retrieve the Lin Family¡¯s auctioned belongings.


    After a short while, Lin Xingyuan returned to the chamber.


    ¡°Fifteenth uncle, after deducting the commission, the family¡¯s auctioned items fetched a total of twenty-one thousand six hundred Spirit Stones, plus two stalks of Third Order lower-grade Spiritual Medicine. Please review them,¡± Lin Xingyuan said, presenting a black storage bag and a list for Lin Shilu to inspect.


    Lin Shilu accepted the storage bag, scanned it with his Divine Sense, and, finding the count and amount correct, nodded before securing the property into the storage bag.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, the Exchange Convention should be about to start,¡± he said.


    With that, Lin Shilu took the lead in rising from his seat in the VIP room and headed downstairs, with Lin Tianming and Lin Xingyuan promptly following.


    The three passed through several corridors and a long hallway before stopping in front of a stone door.


    After Lin Shilu formed a hand gesture, he pushed the stone door open with force and strode in.


    Lin Tianming and the other followed closely behind. By this time, a few cultivators were already inside the stone chamber, sitting and chatting over tea.


    Upon seeing Lin Shilu enter, Su He and several other Loose Cultivators stood to greet him, while Sun Dingfeng and Luo Chenggu also got up to exchange pleasantries.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, I trust you¡¯ve been well,¡± Lin Shilu said with a knowing smile, approaching with Lin Xingyuan. After greeting several Foundation Establishment Cultivators, he began to introduce Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Tianming, you¡¯ve already met the Daoists from the Sun and Luo families, and this is Senior Su. Why don¡¯t you come over and pay your respects?¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s instruction, Lin Tianming stepped forward and clasped his fists in a salute toward the several Foundation Establishment Stage Loose Cultivators.


    Despite his impressive cultivation, Su He did not dare to underestimate the Lin Family and was very cordial. He teased with a smile, ¡°I have long heard of a talented junior from the Lin Family. Today, having the opportunity to meet him, it¡¯s truly remarkable that one so young has already achieved Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage. Surely a dragon among men, Lin, your family is indeed fortunate.¡±


    As Su He offered his flattering words, the others chimed in as well.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. My junior has done somewhat well, but such an achievement is insignificant in the grand scope of the Wei Kingdom,¡± Lin Shilu modestly replied, though a proud and pleased expression could not be concealed on his weathered face.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s demeanor did not escape the notice of Sun Dingfeng and the others, who kept their thoughts to themselves but inwardly sneered at the display.

 Chapter 150 - 150 - 125: Exchange Meet_2

    Chapter 150 ¨C 125: Exchange Meet_2


    ¡°`


    ¡°The old guy really has no shame, he¡¯s just short of singing praises about his own junior.¡±


    With Lin Shilu¡¯s introduction, Lin Xingyuan and Lin Tianming got to know a few Foundation Establishment Stage Loose Cultivators, including Su He and four others, all possessing cultivation below the third level of the Foundation Establishment.


    After some pleasantries were exchanged, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators each took their seats, while Lin Tianming stood quietly behind Lin Shilu, watching the exchanges of cultivation experiences among several people in the area.


    Before they knew it, a quarter of an hour had passed.


    The Foundation Establishment Cultivators had almost finished their exchanges when Sun Dingfeng stood up and said,


    ¡°Fellow daoists, it¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s start the trading event.¡±


    ...


    Seeing that the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators had no objections, Lin Shilu nodded his head in agreement, signaling that they could begin.


    Sun Dingfeng slapped his storage bag and took out three Second Order Medium Quality Attack Talismans and two greenish Spirit Ore Stones, holding them in his hand as he said, ¡°These three talismans and two Qingluan Stone ore, in exchange for elixirs that can enhance cultivation, Spiritual Medicine Materials, or an equivalent amount of Spirit Stones.¡±


    Before the words had finished, Lin Shilu waved a hand and threw a Jade Bottle, which Sun Dingfeng caught.


    Sun Dingfeng opened the Jade Bottle to take a look, nodded in satisfaction, and then handed one piece of Qingluan Stone over to Lin Shilu.


    Su He also intended to trade, taking out two stalks of First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Medicine, and successfully exchanged for the other piece of Qingluan Stone.


    At this time, only the Second Order Talismans remained in Sun Dingfeng¡¯s hand as no one else seemed interested. Just as Sun Dingfeng was about to put the talismans away, Lin Tianming spoke up, Explore hidden tales at


    ¡°Senior Sun, may I know the price of these Second Order Talismans? I would like to trade with Spirit Stones, if that¡¯s acceptable?¡±


    Surprised by the inquiry, Sun Dingfeng tossed the three talismans to Lin Tianming and then said,


    ¡°Since you¡¯re a junior, I won¡¯t take advantage of you. Three Second Order Medium Quality Talismans for two thousand Spirit Stones.¡±


    Lin Shilu, sitting on the side, heard that Sun Dingfeng¡¯s price was quite reasonable and nodded toward Lin Tianming, signaling that the deal was acceptable.


    Lin Tianming received the three Second Order Medium Quality Attack Talismans, barely had time to feel excited before putting them into his storage bag, then immediately took out two thousand Spirit Stones and gave them to Sun Dingfeng.


    With Sun Dingfeng¡¯s trade complete, and everyone obtaining items they desired, it was a good start to the event.


    Then, Lin Shilu took out three items for trade, the first being a set of Spirit Swords, each one a Supreme Spiritual Artifact. The second was a First Order Superior Grade Defensive Spiritual Tool, and the third was a Third Order Lower Quality Spiritual Medicine Material.


    ¡°I¡¯ll trade for Second Order or higher Spirit Ore or Second Order Demonic Beast Materials. If there¡¯s something more valuable, I can make up the difference.¡±


    After Lin Shilu stated what he wanted to trade, the cultivators began to inspect the items he provided.


    Li, looking at the set of Spirit Swords, took out two and swung them a few times, appearing vastly satisfied with their quality.


    In the Wei Kingdom, Magic Artifacts are extremely precious, and not all Foundation Establishment Cultivators can afford to use them. Many cultivators below the third level of Foundation Establishment still use First Order Superior Grade or Supreme Spiritual Artifacts.


    Li had been in the Foundation Establishment Stage for less than ten years and had used up all his wealth just to reach Foundation Establishment. He has been using a set of First Order Superior Grade Spirit Swords, which significantly reduced his combat effectiveness.


    The set of Spirit Swords offered by Lin Shilu was not weak in power, making it hard to find a more suitable weapon below the level of Magic Artifacts.


    The more he looked, the more he liked them, and Li soon entertained the idea of a trade.


    Having made up his mind, Li took out a Jade Bottle from his storage bag and tossed it to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu caught the Jade Bottle, extended his Divine Sense to inspect it, and saw a considerable amount of golden sand inside, seemingly an ordinary sand but probably weighing more than a pound.


    Lin Shilu poured out a few grains of sand and rubbed them in his hand. A pleased expression crossed his face as he exclaimed softly.


    ¡°Golden Tide Sand.¡±


    Li nodded and said,


    ¡°Lin, as a Second Order Refiner, you surely understand the value of Golden Tide Sand better than I do. This bottle contains more than a pound of Golden Tide Sand, and if I were to trade it for just the five Supreme Spirit Swords, I would be at a loss.¡±


    After hearing this, Lin Shilu also recognized the validity of Li¡¯s comments.


    Golden Tide Sand is a Third Order Spiritual Ore which can greatly enhance the hardness and attack power of a weapon. It has a miraculous effect, and Golden Core Experts also use this material in their Magical Treasures. It is highly valuable and exceedingly rare; indeed, the value of more than a pound of Golden Tide Sand exceeds that of the Supreme Spiritual Artifacts by a lot.


    As a Second Order Refiner, Lin Shilu really didn¡¯t want to pass up such a rare Spirit Ore, so he inquired about Li¡¯s preference.


    ¡°Then, what treasures would Fellow Daoist Li like to obtain in exchange for this Golden Tide Sand?¡±


    Li looked at the five Spirit Swords and the Defensive Spiritual Tool and said,


    ¡°Those two Spirit Artifacts and an additional two thousand Spirit Stones. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Lin?¡±


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Lin Shilu immediately accepted the exchange proposal.


    Both parties secured the treasures, with the remaining Third Order Spiritual Medicine quickly traded to another Loose Cultivator for a piece of Third Order Spirit Iron.


    Thus, Lin Shilu succeeded in trading all three of his items, attaining more than a pound of Golden Tide Sand and a piece of Third Order Spirit Iron. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Next, Su He brought out two items for trade: one was a foot-tall Spiritual Medicine with purple-black leaves emitting a unique fragrance.


    The other was the corpse of a Second Order Middle Stage Demonic Beast, well-preserved.


    As the items were presented before everyone, Lin Tianming¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.


    ¡°Purple Yin Grass?¡±


    Lin Tianming grasped the Spiritual Medicine in his hand, repeatedly confirming its characteristics and attributes.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 151 - 151 - 125: Exchange Meeting_3

    Chapter 151 ¨C 125: Exchange Meeting_3


    Before long, Lin Tianming was certain this Spirit Grass was indeed the main Purple Yin Grass required for the Hun Tian Pill formula, and its medicinal age met the alchemy requirements.


    Several years had passed since he obtained the Hun Tian Pill formula. Stay updated through empire


    During this period, the Lin Family had acquired a vast number of treasures. Although they found Purple Yin Grass in the Jin Family¡¯s Spiritual Medicine Garden, the medicinal age was insufficient to refine the Hun Tian Pill. Unexpectedly, Su He actually possessed mature Purple Yin Grass.


    After placing the Spirit Grass back into the Jade Box, Lin Tianming immediately sent a voice transmission to Lin Shilu, recounting the issue of the Hun Tian Pill formula and the situation with the Purple Yin Grass.


    Lin Shilu nodded. He was aware that Lin Tianming had obtained the Hun Tian Pill formula. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t let the opportunity to acquire mature Purple Yin Grass slip by.


    ¡°Su Daoyou, may I ask what item you would like to exchange for your treasure?¡± sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su He indicated that he was looking to exchange for elixirs used in cultivation or defensive Magic Artifacts, and if that wasn¡¯t possible, a Supreme Defensive Spirit Artifact would suffice.


    ...


    Lin Shilu took out a small round shield, which was also a Supreme Quality Spiritual Artifact.


    After taking the small shield and bargaining with Lin Shilu, Su He completed the exchange smoothly with an additional one thousand Spirit Stones.


    The corpse of a Second Order Demonic Beast was traded to Luo Chenggu for a bottle of elixirs and one thousand Spirit Stones.


    The trade meeting continued; the remaining Foundation Establishment Cultivators also produced some treasures for exchange, though the value was clearly not comparable to the treasures presented by Lin Shilu and the others.


    Even so, Lin Xingyuan exchanged some Spirit Stones and a Spiritual Artifact for items suitable for himself, and Lin Tianming also purchased several Spiritual Medicine Materials of the Second Order, all essential for his cultivation elixir materials.


    Luo Chenggu and the others had some gains as well: each acquired what they needed, exchanging suitable items for useful ones.


    After half a day, the exchange meeting concluded. The cultivators chatted casually for a few moments, said their farewells, and some cultivators left the stone chamber first.


    Lin Shilu and his two companions hadn¡¯t left yet. As Sun Dingfeng and several others departed, only Su He remained with the three of them in the stone chamber.


    Lin Tianming took out tea service and poured a cup of Spiritual Tea for everyone, then sat next to Lin Shilu.


    Sipping from his tea cup, Su He pondered the reason why Lin Shilu had asked him to stay.


    Lin Shilu didn¡¯t beat around the bush and said directly:


    ¡°Su Daoyou, I wonder if you have any more Purple Yin Grass? I would like to exchange for a few more. Rest assured, the price will definitely satisfy you.¡±


    Su He was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. He hadn¡¯t expected Lin Shilu¡¯s reason for asking him to stay was this matter.


    ¡°Lin Daoyou, I truly apologize, this was indeed the only plant, which I have already traded to you. I also suffered some injuries to obtain it.¡±


    While his sincere response left Lin Shilu half-convinced, he nevertheless felt somewhat helpless.


    ¡°Su Daoyou, forgive my impudence, but may I know where you acquired this herb? Can you share this information? Our Lin Family is willing to purchase this news, and we hope Su Daoyou will oblige.¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s words, Su He fell into thought. After hesitating and recalling the dangerous process of acquiring the Purple Yin Grass, he agreed to disclose its origin.


    After a quarter of an hour, Su He recounted how he obtained the Purple Yin Grass. Lin Shilu handed over two thousand Spirit Stones to Su He in exchange for a map drawn by Su He.


    Their transaction concluded, Su He didn¡¯t wish to linger and took the initiative to take his leave. Lin Shilu did not stop him, personally seeing him off from the auction.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming and his two companions also left the auction venue and headed to the small courtyard in the market area.

 Chapter 152 - 152 - 126 Plan_1

    Chapter 152 ¨C 126 Plan_1


    ¡°`


    Having left the auction hall, Lin Tianming and two others walked on the streets of Luoyun Market.


    Although the triennial auction had ended, the market was still bustling with people, many cultivators who had left the auction empty-handed were browsing stalls and shops.


    Walking on foot, Lin Shilu and his companions attracted the attention of numerous cultivators.


    Lin Shilu had long been famous, and his name was known to nearly all Qi Refining Cultivators; upon seeing him in person, many cultivators came forward to pay their respects.


    Lin Shilu wore a smile and was very warm, without putting on airs, he chatted casually with some Qi Refining Cultivators, exciting them greatly.


    After a short while, the three managed to disperse the enthusiastic cultivators and returned to the Lin Family Courtyard in Luoyun Market.


    ...


    The three sat in the courtyard, Lin Shilu laid out the Beast Skin Map provided by Su He on the stone table, and they each studied the content recorded on the map.


    According to Su He, the Purple Yin Grass was also something he had come across by chance.


    A year ago, he ventured deep into the Luoyun Mountain Range in search of treasure and was chased by a Second Order Superior Demonic Beast. In a bid to save his life, he fled headlong into a valley and managed to shake off the Demonic Beast that was pursuing him.


    After escaping danger, while he searched the valley, he unexpectedly found the Third Order Purple Yin Grass, which made him believe his luck had turned.


    Unfortunately, before he could rejoice, he awoke a slumbering Demonic Beast in the valley. Already greatly weakened, he knew he was no match and was forced to flee for his life again.


    Fortunately, the Demonic Beast had a limited range of activity. He exhausted a great number of treasures and sustained serious injuries, but he managed to escape the territory of the Demonic Beast and saved his life.


    The relieved Su He did not dare to linger in the belly of the Luoyun Mountain Range, left the inner area in haste, and only sought a place to recover his injuries once he reached the peripheral areas.


    Inside the courtyard, Lin Tianming looked at the map and calmly asked,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, do you think what Su told us is credible?¡±


    To Lin Tianming¡¯s uncertainty, Lin Shilu expressed his opinion.


    ¡°I believe Su He¡¯s words are quite credible. This person has a clear background, has been around Luoyun Market for many years, and holds no grudges against our Lin Family; he is unlikely to deceive us.¡±


    As he finished speaking, Lin Xingyuan, who had been silent, also said,


    ¡°Fifteenth Uncle, it is still best to be cautious relying solely on his account!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, aware that one can never easily trust the words of outsiders.


    ¡°Tian Ming, what do you think? Feel free to speak!¡±


    Being asked by Lin Shilu, Lin Tianming was also hard-pressed to judge the credibility, but he still shared his opinion.


    ¡°Just now, Su also mentioned that he can¡¯t guarantee whether there are other Purple Yin Grasses in that valley. Regardless of whether there still exists Purple Yin Grass, I suggest we explore it; the benefits of Purple Yin Grass need no explanation. With it, the cultivation of our family¡¯s Foundation Establishment Cultivators can be enhanced. Therefore, this trip is necessary.¡±


    After hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s reasoning, Lin Shilu and another person also found it sensible; indeed, a Third Order Spiritual Medicine such as Purple Yin Grass was entirely worth sending someone for.


    Having decided, Lin Shilu immediately made arrangements. Lin Xingyuan was to continue overseeing the market while he and Lin Tianming would set off at once, returning to the family to discuss the matter with Lin Shikang before making a decision.


    And with a Second Order Superior Demonic Beast guarding that valley, if they let Lin Shikang take charge, it would be much safer.


    After instructing Lin Xingyuan on a few things, Lin Tianming and another got up from the courtyard and prepared to hurry back to the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory.


    Leaving the market, it was almost evening, Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle.


    This Spirit Beast of Lin Tianming was something he was very familiar with; the two of them had traveled to many places on the Purple Gold Eagle, and after more than a year¡¯s absence, he hadn¡¯t expected it to have also advanced in rank.


    The two hopped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, and Lin Shilu praised it highly, looking very pleased.


    ¡°`


    A sharp screech and the Purple Gold Eagle soared into the sky, turning into a lingering shadow as it flew towards the direction of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Seated upon the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, feeling the swift speed that was much faster than before, they probably wouldn¡¯t need more than four hours to hurry back to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    True to their expectations, after a little over an hour and with the Purple Gold Eagle flying at full speed, the two returned to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Tianming and his companion didn¡¯t stop to rest but went straight to Lin Shikang¡¯s cave dwelling.


    The three sat in the small courtyard, drinking tea, and after a short while, Lin Shihua also hurried over.


    Lin Shilu recounted the process of obtaining the Purple Yin Grass and Su He¡¯s words, bringing joy to Lin Shikang and the others.


    Looking at the map Lin Shilu took out, Lin Shikang said with a joyful smile,


    ¡°Shi Lu, you did well. I believe Tian Ming¡¯s view is more prudent. The Purple Yin Grass is extremely important. Regardless of whether it¡¯s true or false, we must explore!¡±


    Seeing Lin Shikang agree readily, the group discussed the details and plans for searching for the Purple Yin Grass.


    In half a quarter of an hour, Lin Shikang gave his orders for the arrangements after their departure.


    ¡°Shi Lu, this trip will take us deep into the heart of the Luoyun Mountain Range, where there are numerous Second Order Demonic Beasts. It¡¯s not wise to bring too many people. It will be just Shihua and I going lightly equipped. When we leave, the family must leave two behind to guard, so the task falls to you and Shi Gong!¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s arrangements, Lin Shilu was somewhat worried.


    According to Su He, there were numerous Second Order Demonic Beasts in that place, and the risk was not small for just the two of them.


    But at the moment, all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the clan were occupied with their tasks, with Lin Xingyuan at the market and Lin Xingrong at Golden Horn Mountain; indeed, there were no clan members available to mobilize.


    Just as Lin Shilu was in a dilemma, he suddenly slapped his forehead and a flicker of joy crossed his face.


    ¡°There¡¯s still this kid! I almost forgot about him!¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Third brother, I¡¯m also somewhat worried about just the two of you going. Shihua¡¯s cultivation is not high, and solely relying on him might not be much help. It¡¯s better to take Tian Ming with you. The kid is full of cunning tricks and has some unknown methods that will surely be of help.¡±


    Before he had finished speaking, Lin Tianming also volunteered to join Lin Shikang.


    Thinking of Lin Tianming¡¯s strength, though he was only at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, his might was probably not inferior to Lin Shihua¡¯s. Combined with his endless array of methods, he might indeed be a great help.


    At this point, Lin Shikang was not persistent anymore and said, Stay connected with


    ¡°Alright, then tomorrow morning, Shihua and Tian Ming will join me in entering Luoyun Mountain Range to search for Purple Yin Grass, and you will be responsible for guarding the family.¡±


    Seeing Lin Shikang¡¯s agreement, Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming were also pleased and readily agreed.


    Lin Shikang nodded, seeing that the group had come to a decision, and without further ado, he firmly gave his orders,


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, you¡¯re hurried from traveling, and must be tired. Everyone should return to rest, and we¡¯ll meet at the mountain gate tomorrow morning!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Shilu and the others stood up to answer, then bade each other farewell, each returning to their own cave dwellings.


    Lin Tianming also returned to the Lin Family Courtyard. His mother was in closed-door cultivation, and after explaining to his sister, he went back to his room to rest.


    Lying on his own bed, it was not long before he fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 153 - 153 - 127 Crimson Gold Snake_1

    Chapter 153 ¨C 127 Crimson Gold Snake_1


    The morning of the next day.


    The darkness gradually gave way to light, and a ray of sunlight pierced through the fog, shining upon the serene and tranquil peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    At this time, the majority of the clan was still cultivating or deep in slumber, Lin Tianming left his small courtyard and flew towards the mountain gate.


    A period long enough to drink a cup of tea had passed, and Lin Tianming appeared in the square at the mountain gate.


    There was still some time before the agreed hour, and neither Lin Shikang nor Lin Shihua had arrived yet, so Lin Tianming, having nothing better to do, examined the reconstructed mountain gate.


    Several years had passed since the great battle, and the once riddled mountain gate had long been rebuilt.


    Taking two years, the newly constructed mountain gate was located between two small hills; on a plaza below stood several towering pavilions and a hundred-zhang-wide gorge connected the inner part of the clan territory, with the massive mountain gate made of blue stone, majestic and imposing.


    ...


    Looking at the greatly changed mountain gate, it finally had a bit of the Foundation Establishing families¡¯ momentum.


    Just at that moment, Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua flew out from the gorge and landed on the square.


    Lin Tianming took a step forward and bowed deeply to the two elders.


    ¡°Tian Ming pays respects to Third Grandfather and Twelfth Grandpa!¡±


    Lin Shikang waved his hand, and Lin Tianming stepped aside, waiting for Lin Shikang¡¯s further instructions.


    ¡°Tian Ming, let¡¯s use your Purple Gold Eagle to travel!¡±


    Lin Tianming certainly wouldn¡¯t refuse and hurriedly released the Purple Gold Eagle.


    The three men mounted the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Shikang checked the map in his hand, confirmed the direction, and then opened the Protective Clan Formation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The Purple Gold Eagle flapped its wings and soared into the sky, flew through the Protective Clan Formation into the thick fog, and headed towards the Luoyun Mountain Range in the west.


    Half a day went by¡­


    At noon, on the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range, close to the inner area, the figures of three people appeared on a barren hill.


    With Lin Shikang, a Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, anchoring the rear, the journey was quite smooth; a few First Order Demonic Beasts that obstructed their path were easily slain without much resistance.


    After a brief pause, Lin Shikang once again took out the map to confirm that their route was correct.


    ¡°We are about to enter the inner area of the mountain range soon, and the likelihood of encountering Second Order Demonic Beasts increases significantly. We can¡¯t use the Purple Gold Eagle for travel anymore. From now on, both of you follow closely behind me, and don¡¯t fall behind. If an unexpected situation arises, you two act according to circumstances,¡± he instructed them.


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    After Lin Shikang gave his instructions, the two nodded, and Lin Tianming stored the Purple Gold Eagle into the Spirit Beast Ring, with all three drawing their weapons, thoroughly prepared.


    Lin Shikang leaped forward, leading the way, with the other two closely following behind, disappearing into the forest.


    Their footsteps were light, their speed was incredibly fast, skimming over the treetops like dragonflies skittering across water.


    Two days went by, and the trio traveled by day and rested at night. They had already ventured hundreds of miles deep into the belly of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Over the past two days, it was not as relaxed as it was in the outer regions. During their journey, they encountered a Demon Beast Tribe led by two Second Order Low-Grade Beasts.


    After a battle, it took some effort before the whole Demon Beast Tribe was slain.


    Once the battlefield was cleared and the territory of the beasts was looted, they only obtained some Second Order Spiritual Medicine, which was not a great gain, but undeterred, they hit the road again.


    A day later, at the edge of a quiet gorge, Lin Tianming and the others halted their steps, standing atop a large tree.


    Before them, two towering mountains stood tall, a magnificent sight to behold.


    In the middle, a bottomless gorge was shrouded in a dense fog, surrounded by lush forests, and the still air held an eerie breath.


    Lin Shikang looked at the surrounding terrain and compared it with the map, finally revealing a trace of a smile on his face.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, this gorge in front of us is the place marked on the map!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming and the other person showed a look of solemnity and joy, and they too started observing this place that left a deep impression on Su He.


    After a Divine Sense detection, they found the fog greatly limited Divine Sense; the deeper they went, the more drastically the coverage reduced, and the discernible areas were eerily quiet, seemingly without anomaly.


    Lin Shikang, with a serious expression, said to Lin Tianming and the other,


    ¡°You must have felt the limitations on Divine Sense. After my probing, I haven¡¯t noticed the presence of Purple Yin Grass for the time being. It seems that if we want to find the Spiritual Medicine, we will have to venture further in!¡±


    The situation Lin Shikang described was already noticed by the two of them, but since the range of their detection was limited, they weren¡¯t as significantly affected.


    ¡°What are your thoughts? Feel free to speak up!¡±


    Facing Lin Shikang¡¯s inquiry, Lin Shihua furrowed his brows and resolutely said:


    ¡°Third brother, since we¡¯re already here, we naturally should explore a bit. With your cultivation and the assistance of the Golden Wind Sword, as long as we don¡¯t encounter a Third Order Demon Beast, even if we cannot defeat a Second Order Late Stage Beast, you should be able to escape with Tian Ming.¡±


    Lin Shikang nodded, and seeing that the two had no intention of retreating, he spoke:


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in first to scout. If I encounter an attack, there will surely be a disturbance. At that time, give the signal as we agreed upon, and you two come in to assist me.¡±


    Tian Ming and the other person nodded in agreement. Lin Shikang¡¯s arrangements were more cautious. If the area inside was very dangerous, their entry wouldn¡¯t be much help and would only distract him.


    ¡°Third brother, be careful. If the strength of the demonic beast is too strong, just give up on this operation!¡±


    After Lin Shihua finished speaking, Tian Ming also advised:


    ¡°Twelfth Grandpa is right. As long as the green hills are there, we won¡¯t fear running out of firewood. A few years from now when our clan has more Foundation Establishment clan members, we can make another attempt!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am aware of the risks. You two be careful as well. The area here is relatively safe for now. If I cannot hold against the enemy, you must immediately leave.¡±


    After instructing them, Lin Shikang took out his Magical Treasure, the Golden Wind Sword, and cautiously crept towards the valley. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Lin Shikang disappeared from the range of their Divine Sense, Tian Ming and his companion watched over the valley with vigilance, anxiously waiting.


    ¡­


    Time slowly passed, and Lin Shikang had advanced more than ten li.


    At this moment, the valley shrouded in thick fog was eerily silent. As he ventured deeper, both his vision and Divine Sense were increasingly affected, and the sky, which was clear just moments before, gradually darkened.


    Lin Shikang stopped on a large boulder, looking ahead and sensing the surroundings.


    Knowing there might be Second Order demonic beasts, he paused every li to check his surroundings, ensuring safety before proceeding.


    After a century of cultivation, it was precisely because of his prudence that he managed to turn many dangers into safety. He couldn¡¯t afford to be careless now more than ever.


    At this point, Lin Shikang extended his Divine Sense to its fullest, exploring areas he had not checked before.


    With the aid of his Divine Sense, everything in the vicinity was relayed back to his mind, not a single flower or blade of grass escaped his notice.


    ¡°What is this¡­¡±


    Suddenly, an image of a purple-black plant about a foot tall growing in a crevice of a rockwall flashed through his mind.


    ¡°There is indeed a mature Purple Yin Grass!¡±


    Upon a meticulous inspection, the Spirit Grass appearing at the edge of his Divine Sense was conclusively a mature Purple Yin Grass.


    Finding the mature Purple Yin Grass after such effort excited Lin Shikang.


    Even then, he did not lower his guard at all, slowly moving forward, weapon in hand, ready to face any unseen dangers.


    As he got closer to the Purple Yin Grass, faint sounds emerged from the once silent valley, hardly perceptible.


    Accompanied by the sound of the wind breaking, a large green-chestnut colored snake shot out from the darkness of the valley.


    The crimson snake moved with surprising agility despite its tens of zhang long body. With its mouth wide open, the metre-long forked tongue lunged at him in a rather horrifying manner.


    ¡°Indeed, it is a Second Order Late Phase Crimson Gold Snake!¡±


    Lin Shikang¡¯s face changed, and as he hastily retreated, he swung the Magic Artifact in his hand, the Golden Wind Sword, casting several strands of Golden Sword Qi towards the Crimson Gold Snake.


    ¡°Clang, clang, clang¡­¡±


    The Crimson Gold Snake twisted its body in an odd fashion, dodging his attack.


    Behind the Crimson Gold Snake, several towering trees bore the brunt of his assault and collapsed in an instant, stirring up thick fog and dust.


    Taking advantage of the moment the Crimson Gold Snake dodged, he had already retreated a hundred zhang away.


    Once he steadied himself and confirmed there was only this demonic beast present, he thrust his Golden Wind Sword into the sky, sending a unique strand of Sword Qi flying a thousand zhang high into the air.


    A golden bamboo pattern formed by the Golden Sword Qi hung high in the sky, its dazzling brilliance lasting for a full three breaths before dissipating.

 Chapter 154 - 154 - 128: The Power of Spirit Art_1

    Chapter 154 ¨C 128: The Power of Spirit Art_1


    Outside the valley, Lin Tianming and his companion hid in the treetops, anxiously waiting and looking ahead.


    Since Lin Shikang had entered, it had already been half an hour, yet the silent valley remained calm.


    Lin Tianming was somewhat worried about Lin Shikang¡¯s safety and looked tense. He couldn¡¯t help but speak up.


    ¡°Twelfth Grandpa, Third Grandfather has been in there for so long, why is there no movement at all?¡±


    Lin Shihua also felt anxious inside but dared not show any sign of it. He could only pretend to be calm and said,


    ¡°No movement means that Third Brother is relatively safe. Let¡¯s wait patiently a little longer. Once the message comes, we will immediately go in to assist him!¡±


    Before he had finished speaking, sudden booming sounds erupted from deep within the gorge.


    ...


    The expressions on Lin Tianming and his companion¡¯s faces changed instantly as they focused intently ahead, not daring to miss even the smallest bit of information.


    At that moment, a streak of golden light flashed across the dim sky and soared high, condensing into the shape of a bamboo.


    The Golden Bamboo was extremely conspicuous as it passed through the thick fog and came into their view.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Lin Shihua¡¯s face was flushed as he said to Lin Tianming,


    ¡°That¡¯s the signal method we agreed upon with Third Brother; he¡¯s hinting to us that we can enter!¡±


    ¡°Twelfth Grandpa, there is no time to delay, let¡¯s go in now!¡±


    Lin Tianming was the first to react. He reminded Lin Shihua and then charged into the gorge, rushing toward the marked direction.


    Lin Shihua did not dare to hesitate. He leaped forward and quickly followed Lin Tianming¡¯s pace, disappearing at the entrance.


    ¡­


    Inside the gorge, Lin Tianming and his companion moved like agile monkeys, swiftly navigating the treetops.


    Following the path that Lin Shikang had scouted and marked, they didn¡¯t need to be on guard everywhere.


    As a result, their speed greatly increased, several times faster than when Lin Shikang had entered.


    Despite Lin Shihua¡¯s divine sense and eyesight being obstructed, Lin Tianming relied on the Eye of Five Colors, his vision unaffected in the slightest.


    As the noises grew increasingly intense, they were drawing closer and closer to Lin Shikang¡¯s location.


    After just over ten breaths¡¯ time, they were less than five hundred zhang away from Lin Shikang.


    Ahead of them, Lin Shikang at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level was locked in fierce battle with a Crimson Gold Snake in the late phase of the Second Order.


    Lin Shikang, with a single-handed seal, released a series of fireballs as thick as water buckets accompanied by various grades of talismans, shrouding the massive body of the Crimson Gold Snake.


    ¡°Boom boom boom¡­¡±


    The sky rained down fiery attacks on the Crimson Gold Snake, and once the firelight dissipated, the enormous form of the Crimson Gold Snake was revealed.


    Green and yellow scales showed several charred spots, with two areas at the top fleshed open; however, these injuries were merely like scratches to the body of a Second Order Crimson Gold Snake.


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡±


    With a piercing shriek, the Crimson Gold Snake violently swung its head, spitting out a yard-long tongue as sticky saliva dribbled from its giant mouth.


    Though it did not sustain a fatal injury, its fury grew as Lin Shikang repeatedly dodged its attacks. The Crimson Gold Snake lashed out with its huge tail, sweeping directly toward Lin Shikang.


    Lin Shikang leaped vertically over a hundred zhang, dodging the strike narrowly. Behind him, several large trees were snapped at the trunk, creating deep pits in the ground.


    Lin Shikang¡¯s expression was grave. After more than a dozen exchanges with the beast, relying on his Golden Wind Sword and combining it with talisman papers, he did not expect to defeat the Crimson Gold Snake but hoped to delay it a while, to wear down its ferocity.


    The Crimson Gold Snake, which had not gained an upper hand after a prolonged battle, glared at Lin Shikang with its blood-red eyes and twisted its body, becoming even more berserk.


    As Lin Shihua and the other arrived, Lin Shikang¡¯s face showed a hint of excitement.


    The three stood side by side atop the few remaining trees, watchfully eyeing the Crimson Gold Snake.


    ¡°Shihua, the two of you distract this beast from the side; we¡¯ll join forces to besiege it. Quick battle to avoid drawing other demonic beasts.¡±


    ¡°Alright, everyone be careful!¡±


    The trio exchanged a few words before Lin Shikang took the lead, waving his Golden Wind Sword and unleashing increasingly fierce Sword Qi, stirring the surrounding air into a whistling frenzy.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t hesitate, conjuring all his Earth Evil Swords to join Lin Shihua in a flank attack on the Crimson Gold Snake from another side.


    When all three went all out, the canyon was lit with flashes of fire as earthshaking noises echoed around.


    With limited strength, Lin Tianming and his companion didn¡¯t dare to get too close, hovering around the periphery to constrain their foe while taking the opportunity to set up the Sword Array. The Crimson Gold Snake, now forced to be on guard, appeared extremely frustrated throughout the battle.


    As the fight intensified, dozens of rounds went by in brutal combat, reaching a critical and white-hot stage.


    Under the combined attack of the trio, the Crimson Gold Snake started to falter, gradually accumulating wounds all over its body.


    With a full-force attack from the three, the Crimson Gold Snake couldn¡¯t attend to threats from both sides and was forced to twist its body to avoid vital hits.


    The Sword Qi transformed from the Golden Wind Sword was incredibly fast, and the Crimson Gold Snake, failing to dodge, got hit with the Sword Qi on its tail.


    Opening its huge, bloody maw, the Crimson Gold Snake let out a painful shriek. Its tail now bore a massive wound, and it was on the verge of being severed, as thick as a water bucket.


    The pained Crimson Gold Snake completely lost its sanity, its blood-red eyes focusing on Lin Tianming and his partner as if determined to dispose of these two annoying nuisances.


    The Crimson Gold Snake spat out two thick streams of water from its mouth that quickly solidified into hard blocks of ice, hurtling towards Lin Tianming and his companion.


    Seeing the Crimson Gold Snake suddenly change targets, Lin Shikang shouted anxiously:


    ¡°Tianming, that¡¯s the Crimson Gold Snake¡¯s Innate Divine Ability, dodge it quickly!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s shout, Lin Tianming and his partner were horrified. They didn¡¯t dare to face the Crimson Gold Snake¡¯s Innate Divine Ability head on and, in a retreat, threw out several Second Order Defense Talismans to form two Defensive Shields in front of them.


    Not daring to hold back and knowing that mere Second Order Defense Talismans might not withstand the assault, they each drew out their Defensive Spiritual Tools to securely protect themselves.


    As the Crimson Gold Snake launched its attack and its attention was diverted, Lin Tianming took a risk and activated the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to envelop the snake¡¯s massive body.


    Feeling the barriers around it and the wandering Sword Qi, the Crimson Gold Snake gave up on its continued assault on Lin Tianming and his partner, striving to break free from the Sword Array.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    A series of explosions followed, the talisman-created Shield shattered, and the ice lodged slammed onto the Defensive Spiritual Tools protecting Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua.


    ¡°Thud, thud¡­¡±


    With the chilling ice striking their Defensive Spiritual Tools, Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua each spat out mouthfuls of fresh blood. The two were sent flying backward like kites with broken strings, retreating dozens of feet away.


    Regaining their balance, they looked at their nearly destroyed Supreme Quality Spiritual Artifacts with pale faces and a shudder of fear in their hearts.


    If it weren¡¯t for Lin Tianming¡¯s timely activation of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, forcing the Crimson Gold Snake to abandon its target, the two of them would have been in great jeopardy.


    Just as Lin Tianming and his companion escaped the dangerous situation, and while Lin Tianming¡¯s Sword Array had the Crimson Gold Snake trapped for a moment, Lin Shikang bellowed:


    ¡°Beast, meet your end!¡±


    A silver-white Sword Qi burst forth from his palm, its terrifying energy shining as brightly as sunlight, cutting through the dim sky and heading straight for the Crimson Gold Snake. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing this familiar and terrifying Sword Qi, Lin Tianming was somewhat stunned and couldn¡¯t help exclaiming:


    ¡°Great Sun Sword Qi Art?¡±


    The Crimson Gold Snake felt the breath of death and desperately tried to escape its bindings. In just a moment, it broke through the range of the Sword Array.


    The Sword Array broke, and Lin Tianming suffered a backlash, spurting out blood again, his face going utterly pale.


    As the Crimson Gold Snake crossed the Sword Array, the silver-white Sword Qi blasted into its vital seven-inch area.


    ¡°Puff¡­¡±


    After a thudding sound, the Crimson Gold Snake fell, its huge head crashing into the ground, carving out a deep pit upon impact.


    The decapitated Crimson Gold Snake was a pitiful sight, blood pouring out and quickly pooling into a puddle. The snake, not yet dead, relied on its strong vitality to continue struggling.


    Unfortunately, with such severe injuries, even a Second Order Demonic Beast was beyond saving.


    In a short while, the Crimson Gold Snake stopped struggling and was clearly lifeless.


    Seeing the Crimson Gold Snake completely dead, Lin Tianming let out a long sigh of relief, and the two injured companions sat down on the ground, exhausted.

 Chapter 155 - 155 - 129: Treasure All Over_1

    Chapter 155 ¨C 129: Treasure All Over_1


    As the Crimson Gold Snake died, Lin Shikang fell from the sky to the ground.


    With no time to clean up the battlefield, he sat down on the ground, gasping for breath. Seeing that Lin Tianming and the other person were not in grave danger, the three of them each took elixirs and began to recover from their injuries and restore their spiritual power.


    Lin Shikang had merely exhausted a great deal of spiritual power, and his injuries were not serious. Just by taking a few Huiyuan Pills, he could recover to his full victorious state.


    However, there was a significant gap in cultivation between Lin Tianming and the other individual, having been attacked by the Crimson Gold Snake¡¯s innate divine ability. Despite the attack¡¯s short duration, they still sustained serious injuries and would need at least half a month of quiet cultivation to fully recover.


    After half an hour, Lin Shikang had slightly restored some spiritual power and already possessed some self-protective strength.


    He stood up and gazed at the extremely tragic battlefield.


    After the fierce battle, the inside of the canyon was in disarray, lofty trees lay toppled in all directions, and the ground was marred with shocking gullies.


    ...


    The enormous body of the Crimson Gold Snake lay on the ground, its head separated from its body, and the blood that had spurted from the wound had collected into a pool of blood, with the smell of blood permeating the air.


    Looking at the mostly intact but headless corpse of the Crimson Gold Snake, Lin Shikang couldn¡¯t help but feel a tremor in his heart.


    He was utterly shocked by the Spirit Art used to finally kill the Crimson Gold Snake.


    Since obtaining the upper part of the Spirit Art, all the higher-ups in the family had tried to cultivate it, and he was one of the first clan members to practice the art.


    Over the years, only a few clan members had successfully condensed Sword Qi, and the Silver-White Sword Qi he had released was the result of over two years of nurturing.


    According to his estimate, the Silver-White Sword Qi released to kill the Crimson Gold Snake was even more powerful than the divine skills that came with the Cultivation Technique.


    For such destructive power, which exceeded his expectations, he was very satisfied, and even fantasized that if he could nurture the Sword Qi for ten years, its might could possibly become several times stronger.


    Putting his thoughts aside, he began to clean up the battlefield.


    The entire body of the Second Order Late Phase Crimson Gold Snake was a treasure. Its sharp fangs and tail could be used to craft Attack Talismans, its scales and skin to forge two sets of Defense Artifacts, the Demon Core could be used in alchemy, and consuming the flesh could strengthen the body¡ªtruly, not a single part would go to waste.


    Taking out the magic Artifact Golden Wind Sword, its sharp blade easily pierced through the abdomen of the Crimson Gold Snake, from which he extracted a fist-sized Demon Core.


    He stored the invaluable Demon Core in his storage bag, then proceeded to strip the Crimson Gold Snake of its scales and skin.


    In a short while, the several dozen zhang long body of the Crimson Gold Snake was disassembled, with all the parts usable for pill concoction and weapon forging taken, and even the flesh was cut into sections and arranged to one side.


    Having dealt with the corpse of the Crimson Gold Snake, he tidied up the thoroughly damaged battlefield for half an hour, practically erasing all traces of the great battle.


    After finishing the basic cleaning, nearly an hour had passed. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming, who had been healing, was the first to stand up, a hint of a rosy hue returning to his pale cheeks.


    Although his injuries were more serious than Lin Shihua¡¯s, given his robust body, their recovery power was not on the same level when compared.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s injuries had basically stabilized at this point, and as long as he didn¡¯t engage in desperate combat again, he could recover on his own with some rest.


    As he stood up, Lin Tianming looked at Lin Shihua beside him, saw that his complexion was gradually improving, and then walked toward Lin Shikang.


    ¡°Tian Ming, how are your injuries?¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming stand up and walk over, Lin Shikang asked anxiously.


    ¡°Third Grandfather, my injuries are not serious; you don¡¯t have to worry about me!¡±


    Lin Tianming replied with a smile, his complexion as ruddy as usual, showing no unusual signs, which finally reassured Lin Shikang.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but inquire,


    ¡°Third Grandfather, the Silver-White Sword Qi you released to kill the Crimson Gold Snake, was it the Great Sun Sword Qi Art?¡±


    Lin Shikang chuckled and nodded in response to the guess.


    Although Lin Tianming had anticipated this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised when Lin Shikang personally confirmed it.


    The terrifying silver-white Sword Qi had, with one stroke, decapitated the Crimson Gold Snake, and the powerful visual impact was something he would not forget any time soon.


    ¡°Truly worthy of being the legendary Profound Grade Spirit Art!¡±


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but sigh with admiration and, at the same time, was exceedingly glad that he had the discerning eye to stumble upon such a great bargain.


    At this point, Lin Shikang¡¯s expression gradually became somber as he earnestly advised,


    ¡°Tianming, the power of this Spirit Art is incredibly strong. I have merely nurtured it for a little over two years, and its explosive power is no less than the innate divine abilities that come with the cultivation technique. In the future, our clansmen must not use this art lightly unless absolutely necessary. If word gets out, it could bring catastrophe to our family!¡±


    Lin Tianming was well aware of the seriousness of this matter and firmly replied,


    ¡°Tian Ming remembers!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Lin Shikang was quite reassured and pleased with this junior family member, and his face soon returned to a state of calm.


    ¡°Tianming, you should collect some of the Crimson Gold Snake¡¯s body, as well as this pool of snake blood; they are excellent supplements for your Spirit Beast, the Purple Gold Eagle. I have already gathered a fair amount to take back to our clan to feed the Soul-eating Spider. With these supplements, I¡¯m sure the Soul-eating Spider can fully recover from its injuries and perhaps even progress further.¡±


    After Lin Shikang¡¯s reminder, Lin Tianming was not bashful and immediately released the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Ring.


    Upon seeing the pool of snake blood and flesh, the Purple Gold Eagle was extremely excited, as if it had encountered some nourishing delicacy.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    At Lin Tianming¡¯s command, the Purple Gold Eagle didn¡¯t hesitate and rushed forward, swallowing half the pool of snake blood in one go before gulping down a segment of snake flesh, excitedly twirling its head.


    Before long, overwhelmed by the strong energy in the blood and flesh and being only at the First Order Late Stage, the Purple Gold Eagle began to feel drowsy.


    ¡°Hehe, this silly bird, acting as if it can¡¯t overeat!¡±


    Lin Tianming laughingly scolded, then put the drowsy bird back into the Spirit Beast Bag, and took out a huge number of Jade Bottles to collect the remaining half of the snake blood.


    Not only that, but he also deftly gathered several segments of snake flesh to leave some edibles for the foolish bird.


    After busying himself for half an hour, he had collected all the snake blood and flesh from the ground.


    With the site now cleared, Lin Tianming and the other sat down to rest for a while.


    After a little while, Lin Shihua finished his meditation and stood up to walk over to them.


    ¡°Shihua, how are your injuries?¡±


    ¡°Twelfth Grandpa, how are your injuries?¡±


    Both Lin Tianming¡¯s questions were laden with concern, warming Lin Shihua¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Third Grandfather, Tianming, my injuries are not serious, and I will recover after some quiet rest. You don¡¯t have to worry!¡±


    Lin Shihua laughed heartily, seeming almost the same as before the great battle.


    ¡°Third Grandfather, the silver-white Sword Qi that killed the Crimson Gold Snake was¡­?¡±


    Lin Shihua stopped short, sharing the same thought as Lin Tianming. As soon as his injuries had slightly healed, he immediately sought confirmation from Lin Shikang about the source of the terrifying Sword Qi.


    Lin Shikang chuckled again, repeating the explanation and likewise did not forget to give further instructions until Lin Shihua promised to comply, which put him somewhat at ease.

 Chapter 156 - 156 - 130 A Bountiful Harvest_1

    Chapter 156 ¨C 130 A Bountiful Harvest_1


    After the matter of Spirit Arts had settled, Lin Shihua no longer brought it up and quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°Third Brother, did you find the Purple Yin Grass?¡±


    Lin Shihua¡¯s question reminded the two of the ultimate goal of their mission.


    Returning to the main topic, Lin Shikang began to recount what happened after he entered the canyon.


    ¡°I was very cautious upon entering. Every time I advanced a distance, I stopped to confirm it was safe. Indeed, I discovered a stalk of Purple Yin Grass, but the Crimson Gold Snake was extremely well hidden, hoping to ambush me. Fortunately, its strength was no greater than mine, and under my vigilance, it couldn¡¯t gain an advantage!¡±


    After listening, the two also broke out in a sweat for him. Luckily, Lin Shikang was cautious enough; otherwise, even if he wouldn¡¯t have fallen there, he might have suffered some injuries.


    ¡°Su He, that kid, was lucky and also very cautious. Otherwise, with his cultivation level, facing the powerful Crimson Gold Snake, it would already be fortunate if he didn¡¯t die, no wonder he looked so scared when he mentioned it!¡±


    ...


    Lin Shikang sighed and began to give instructions.


    ¡°This is not a place to linger. Now that everyone¡¯s injuries are stabilized, let¡¯s search this area quickly. Since Purple Yin Grass is of a Yin nature and likes to grow on cliffs and precipices, focus on places that fit these criteria to see if we can find any Purple Yin Grass!¡±


    ¡°Shihua, you and Tian Ming team up. Do not take it lightly. Search quickly on one side, and after an hour, we¡¯ll gather here.¡±


    Lin Shihua and Lin Tianming nodded, with Lin Shikang leading the way deeper into the canyon, while the two of them chose a direction and started their search.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming and his partner had traveled several miles, and as they went deeper, their Divine Sense and visibility declined significantly.


    At that moment, they arrived at the foot of a mountain, still empty-handed, having found nothing.


    Feeling the damp and chilly environment around them, with a slight breeze, it seemed to fit the growing conditions of the Purple Yin Grass.


    ¡°Tian Ming, this place meets the conditions for the growth of Purple Yin Grass. Let¡¯s speed up our search!¡±


    Looking at the mountain in front of him, Lin Tianming nodded.


    ¡°Twelfth Grandpa, let¡¯s spread out a bit, that will make us more efficient. But don¡¯t stray too far from each other, in case we need to come to each other¡¯s aid in an emergency!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Having said that, Lin Shihua leapt up, flying towards the cliff face of the mountain.


    Not to be outdone, Lin Tianming, using the protruding rocks on the cliff as leverage, jumped with the agility of a monkey, his speed not at all inferior to Lin Shihua¡¯s.


    In the midst of moving quickly, Lin Tianming activated his Eye of Five Colors, his gaze piercing through layers of fog, searching for plants on the mountain¡¯s stone wall.


    Though his Divine Sense was greatly restricted, the Eye of Five Colors was unaffected, easily penetrating the fog and seeing the flowers, plants, and trees several miles away.


    After a quarter of an hour of searching, within a crevice of an uneven stone wall, a stalk of Spirit Grass about a foot high appeared in his sight, and not far from it, another half-foot-long plant was growing in a crevice.


    ¡°Purple Yin Grass!¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression showed surprise, and he immediately rushed over, his speed increasing yet again.


    Soon, Lin Tianming reached the stone wall.


    He carefully dug up the dark purple Spirit Grass, holding it gently in his hands, and thoroughly checked it.


    ¡°It is indeed a mature Purple Yin Grass beyond doubt!¡±


    Lin Tianming was thrilled, and after spending nearly half an hour, he finally found a stalk of Purple Yin Grass.


    He placed the Purple Yin Grass into the prepared Jade Box and then dug up the nearby Purple Yin Grass seedling, along with the surrounding soil.


    Having collected the two stalks of Spirit Grass from the area, he embarked on his search again.


    Almost an hour had passed.


    Beneath the mountain where Lin Tianming and his partner were searching, Lin Shikang had already arrived first and was waiting there.


    A figure flashed through the mist and appeared in front of him; it was Lin Shihua, who had been searching the other side of the mountain.


    ¡°Twelfth Grandpa, how were your findings?¡±


    Seeing Lin Shihua, Lin Tianming¡¯s face revealed a slight smile as he casually asked about his harvest.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s face, which looked as if he had tasted honey, Lin Shihua laughed and said:


    ¡°Heh heh, this old man found a mature Purple Yin Grass and three immature Spiritual Medicines. Looking at your cheerful demeanor, you must have harvested quite a bit, huh?¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long before it¡¯s time to meet with Third Grandfather, let¡¯s leave this place and report our findings after we¡¯ve regrouped.¡±


    Lin Tianming did not immediately report his harvest, which made Lin Shihua somewhat expectant.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Lin Shihua did not press further and took the lead in heading back in the direction they came from, with Lin Tianming quickly following and vanishing on the spot.


    Before long, Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua had returned to the battleground.


    Lin Shikang had already been waiting there for them, and he immediately approached them as he saw Lin Shihua and Lin Tianming come out safely.


    The three briefly mentioned their search experiences and then reported their respective harvests.


    With the highest cultivation level, Lin Shikang searched the largest area and obtained four mature Purple Yin Grasses and seven seedlings.


    Lin Tianming took out three mature Purple Yin Grasses and five seedlings and handed them over to Lin Shikang.


    Taking Lin Tianming¡¯s harvest, Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua were somewhat surprised. They admired him, offering praises after taking a fresh look at him.


    Although Lin Tianming had the lowest cultivation level, he covered a similarly large search area, and his findings, though slightly less than Lin Shikang¡¯s, were not far off.


    This expedition, spanning several days, yielded eight mature Purple Yin Grasses and fifteen seedlings in total.


    The goal of their trip was achieved, and the harvest they obtained far exceeded their expectations.


    The mature Purple Yin Grasses were invaluable, easily selling for thousands of Spirit Stones. There were hardly any willing sellers, so they were essentially priceless.


    Besides that, they had slain a Second Order Late Phase Crimson Gold Snake, acquiring a large amount of Alchemy and Qi Refinement materials. Even if they hadn¡¯t found the Purple Yin Grass, the value from just the corpse of the Crimson Gold Snake made the trip worthwhile.


    Sharing a smile, Lin Tianming and his companions calmed their excited hearts before Lin Shikang spoke:


    ¡°Now that our objective is achieved, we should make our way back to Green Bamboo Mountain!¡±


    Upon finishing his words, Lin Shikang took out the Beast Skin Map to confirm their route, leading Lin Tianming and his companion along the same path they took when entering.


    Two days later, the three of them successfully left the inner part of the Luoyun Mountain Range and appeared in a valley on the outskirts.


    Their journey was quite smooth, with no encounters with Second Order Demonic Beasts, saving them a lot of trouble.


    Since it was getting late and Lin Tianming and his companion were both injured and somewhat exhausted, and considering they were out of danger, there was no need to hurry on their journey.


    That evening, they set up camp on the spot and rested for the night before setting off again the next day.


    The next morning, as the sky began to lighten, Lin Tianming and his companions set off once more, flying toward Green Bamboo Mountain. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since the Purple Gold Eagle had fallen into a deep sleep from consuming too much Red Gold Snake Meat and blood, Lin Tianming did not forcefully summon it for transportation.


    Fortunately, they had already left the interior of the Luoyun Mountain Range, and there was no danger. Moreover, with two Foundation Establishment Cultivators and the proximity to the Lin Family¡¯s doorstep, they were safe.


    In just half a day, the three who could only travel by Sword Flight successfully returned to the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory.

 Chapter 157 - 157 - 131 Mini Gathering_1

    Chapter 157 ¨C 131 Mini Gathering_1


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Family Clan Grounds¡­


    After returning safely to the clan, the three of them sighed with relief upon seeing that everything was as usual, then flew towards the main peak.


    In a courtyard, Lin Shikang sent out a message, and then the three sat in the small courtyard drinking tea and chatting leisurely.


    Before long, Lin Shigong and Lin Shilu learned that they had returned from the Luoyun Mountain Range and immediately rushed over.


    With the two joining in, the small courtyard became lively.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Shikang spoke of their experiences during this period, and when he mentioned that Lin Tianming and the others were attacked by a Crimson Gold Snake, almost sustaining serious injuries.


    Hearing this, Lin Shigong¡¯s face changed color for a moment as he anxiously asked about their condition.


    ...


    ¡°Tianming, Shihua, are the two of you hurt?¡±


    Facing Lin Shigong¡¯s concern, Lin Tianming felt a warmth in his heart and hastily replied, S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Grandfather, our injuries aren¡¯t serious. We only need to rest and recover for half a month and we¡¯ll be completely healed. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Ninth Brother, the two of us are fine. But this kid Tianming, how come his recovery is so strong? Just a few days have passed, and he¡¯s already as energetic as a dragon and lively as a tiger.¡±


    Lin Shihua comforted Lin Shigong while teasing Lin Tianming, prompting laughter from everyone.


    After a short time, calmness returned to the group.


    Lin Shikang took out eight Jade Boxes containing Purple Yin Grass along with fifteen seedlings of the same and placed them on the round table in front of him, speaking seriously,


    ¡°These Spirit Grass seedlings need to be transplanted into the Clan Spiritual Herb Garden as soon as possible. Shihua will be in charge of this task. As for these eight mature Purple Yin Grasses, plus the one exchanged from Su He, making a total of nine Purple Yin Grasses, we should discuss how to handle them.¡±


    Once he finished speaking, everyone fell into deep thought.


    The underlying meaning of Lin Shikang¡¯s words was naturally to refine the Hun Tian Pill and enhance their cultivation as soon as possible.


    Prior to this, after years of collection by the family, all Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Hun Tian Pill were gathered except for the Purple Yin Grass. Now that the main medicine was found, there was no time to delay.


    Lin Shihua, who was well aware of the family¡¯s situation, was the first to speak up.


    ¡°Ninth Brother, are you confident in refining the Hun Tian Pill now?¡±


    Lin Shigong shook his head, expressing regret,


    ¡°Although it has been over three years since I broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, my Alchemy skills have improved very little. Currently, I can only refine Second Order Inferior Grade Pills, with a success rate and yield of about thirty to forty percent, which is sufficient to maintain the daily cultivation needs of our Foundation Establishment Cultivators. However, to refine the Second Order Medium Quality Hun Tian Pill is still far beyond my abilities!¡±


    Lin Shigong¡¯s words meant that the option of refining the pill within the family was out of the question, and they had to find an alternative method.


    ¡°Third Brother, you have been stuck at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level for a long time, and for those below the Sixth Level, the benefits of taking the Hun Tian Pill are too little. Our cultivation levels are too low, and we don¡¯t need the Hun Tian Pill in the short term.¡±


    After Lin Shilu finished speaking, Lin Shihua also added,


    ¡°Shilu is right. I think we should send someone with three portions of the Spiritual Medicine Materials to Qianchuan Market and ask Daoist Ye to take action. As for the remaining six plants, we can store them temporarily in the family¡¯s treasury. In ten or eight years, Ninth Brother should be able to refine them, and by that time, as our cultivation levels have increased, the Hun Tian Pills can be exchanged freely for five thousand Spirit Stone Goodness Points, which is beneficial in both respects!¡±


    Lin Shihua¡¯s plan and pricing were indeed prudent and reasonable.


    ¡°`


    Seeing no opposition and after deliberation, the arrangement for the Purple Yin Grass was decided on the spot.


    With too few Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the family and their cultivations not high, it was decided that Lin Shilu would take three stalks of Purple Yin Grass and set a date to head to Qianchuan Market, requesting Ye Pinghai¡¯s help to concoct the Hun Tian Pill.


    Besides, he was also to carry a great amount of wealth to purchase scarce resources for the family, such as Second Order talisman paper and Spiritual Medicine Materials, among others.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s request to accompany Lin Shilu was outright rejected on the spot by Lin Shikang.


    The reason was his injury had not yet healed, and since he had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, the family wanted him to stay and urgently prepare for his Foundation Establishment.


    Under the resolute words of the elders, Lin Tianming had no choice but to comply with the arrangement.


    Having settled the matter of the Purple Yin Grass, Lin Shikang then brought up the issue of rewards.


    The Lin Family had always been clear about rewards and punishments since its inception. He was indifferent to the rewards, but Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua had been injured for this cause and naturally deserved a fair reward.


    As Lin Shikang mentioned this, he became silent, and Lin Shilu chuckled and was the first to speak:


    ¡°Third Brother contributed the most, receiving a Hun Tian Pill without cost and an additional reward of three thousand Spirit Stone Goodness Points. As for Shihua and Tianming, each shall receive a reward of five thousand Goodness Points, just enough to exchange for a Hun Tian Pill. How does everyone feel about this?¡±


    As participants in the search for the Purple Yin Grass, Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua naturally would not voice any opinions, and Lin Shigong, concerning his grandson¡¯s reward, did not speak either.


    Seeing no one raised an objection and considering that not only had Lin Tianming and company been injured on their trip, but they also lost some talisman papers and treasures, they had indeed gone all out in their search for the Purple Yin Grass.


    Lin Shikang, well aware of their efforts, firmly said:


    ¡°I will accept the Hun Tian Pill, but as for the Goodness Points, let¡¯s forget about it. In earlier years, the family resources were scant, and most of them were spent on me. Now, Spirit Stone Goodness Points are of little use to me. As for the rewards for Shihua and Tianming, let¡¯s proceed as Shi Lu suggested!¡±


    With Lin Shikang¡¯s tone leaving no room for objection, everyone nodded in agreement, thus recognizing the decision.


    With the arrangements for the Purple Yin Grass and the reward matters concluded, Lin Tianming stood up, excused himself from the elders, and prepared to return to his retreat to heal.


    Lin Shihua was equally busy. He not only had to arrange for the transplanting of the Purple Yin Grass seedlings, but he also needed to recover from his injuries to avoid affecting the survival rate of the transplant, as it was Third Order Spirit Grass and not commonplace cabbage; the loss of even a single plant would be exceedingly distressing.


    Lin Shikang said nothing more, only instructing:


    ¡°I still have to discuss the matter of the Crimson Gold Snake¡¯s carcass with Shilu and the others about artifact refining. You can go and be busy; take care not to delay and leave behind some chronic condition!¡±


    After nodding to the elders, Lin Tianming and company greeted the other clan members and left Lin Shikang¡¯s courtyard together.


    Back at his own courtyard, his mother was still in seclusion and had not emerged yet.


    After chatting idly with his sister for a while, Lin Tianming instructed her not to neglect her cultivation until she fully agreed, and then he plunged into the secret chamber.


    Sitting on the meditation cushion in the chamber, Lin Tianming examined his injuries.


    After a brief respite on the battlefield, his injuries had already recovered by half; the skin wounds had healed, leaving only some meridians in need of proper repair, lest he regret it later due to lingering complications.


    Determined, he quickly took out a dark green elixir from his storage bag, emitting a special fragrance ¡ª it was the top-grade Consolidating Essence Pill he had concocted himself.


    After consuming the Consolidating Essence Pill, the elixir dissolved, slowly turning into gentle streams of Spiritual Power that coursed through the meridians in his body.


    Soon a tingling sensation spread throughout his body, and the gentle Spiritual Power from the elixir began to heal the damaged meridians and wounds.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 158 - 158 - 132 Asceticism_1

    Chapter 158 ¨C 132 Asceticism_1


    ¡°`


    Over ten days had flown by in the blink of an eye.


    Within the secret chamber of his own small courtyard, Lin Tianming opened his eyes and sent out his divine sense to inspect the condition within his body.


    After more than ten days of seclusion, the injuries he had sustained from the intense battle with the Crimson Gold Snake had largely healed.


    Although experiencing injuries was unpleasant, the feeling of rapid improvement in one¡¯s cultivation after recovering from such fully-committed battles was intoxicating.


    At the moment, his Qi Cultivation Great Perfection had hardly advanced, and it was almost impossible to make progress. However, when it came to Body Refinement, his meridians had been strengthened, yet there was still much room for improvement in his internal organs.


    Feeling the surging spiritual energy and his condition throughout his body, even though the improvement was not substantial, he clearly felt stronger than before the battle.


    ...


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but smile, then got up to tidy the somewhat disordered secret chamber and stepped out.


    He did not continue his seclusion to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage because he felt it was only a little over half a year since he reached Great Perfection, and the time seemed short. His condition had not reached its peak, and his preparations were not yet ample enough.


    Although, with his innate talent and the Minor Foundation Building Pills he had saved over the years, the chances of breakthrough were extremely high, at least over sixty percent assurance.


    Even so, he wanted to further consolidate his Body Refinement and compress his cultivation and foundation. By doing so, he hoped to achieve the optimal effect with a significant breakthrough when the time came.


    As for how long he needed to settle, it would be at least half a year to possibly one or two years, depending on the situation. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After leaving his courtyard, Lin Tianming decided to go to the Hall of Merit to collect his rewards.


    In a short while, Lin Tianming appeared inside the Family Merits Hall.


    The Hall of Merit was exceptionally lively every morning, as it was the time for clan members to exchange items, and many of them were busy at work.


    As a prominent figure in the family, his appearance caught the attention of everyone in the hall, many of whom were quite familiar with him.


    Lin Tianming did not neglect them and politely greeted the clan members before having a brief chat with some familiar faces.


    After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it was Lin Tianming¡¯s turn to exchange.


    Lin Tianming stepped forward, greeted Lin Xingcheng, explained his purpose, and handed over his identity token.


    Lin Xingcheng had already been informed about the reward and directly transferred five thousand merit points to him.


    Lin Tianming took the family token, bowed his thanks, and then asked,


    ¡°Uncle, does our family still have any Bright Jade Fruit?¡±


    ¡°Bright Jade Fruit?¡±


    Lin Xingcheng furrowed his brows, thought for a while, then replied,


    ¡°That fruit was the spoils from the last battle with the Jin Family. You¡¯re in luck; there¡¯s exactly one left!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming was overjoyed. He had only asked on a whim, not expecting there to be any stock left.


    The effects were quite significant the last time he consumed a Bright Jade Fruit. If he could get another one, it should further enhance his physical strength.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming said,


    ¡°Then I would like to exchange for one Bright Jade Fruit, and two demon cores of late-stage First Order demonic beasts.¡±


    Lin Xingcheng nodded, took out books recording various spiritual objects, checked them, and then said,


    ¡°A Bright Jade Fruit costs seven hundred and fifty spirit stones, and a demon core of a late-stage First Order demonic beast costs two hundred and sixty spirit stones each, making a total of one thousand two hundred and seventy spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°`


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t hesitate to hand over his identity token, instructing the deduction of the spirit stones.


    Having taken care of this, Lin Xingcheng walked into the depths of the great hall to the storeroom.


    In a short while, he brought out the Bright Jade Fruit and two pure white demon cores and handed them over to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming took the Bright Jade Fruit and tucked it into his storage bag, then picked up the two demon cores to examine them.


    These two demon cores were precisely from the two Dragon Horned Lizards that Lin Tianming and his companions had encountered by accident while searching for the Purple Yin Grass.


    The two lizards had been unlucky; they were almost at the limit of a First Order demon beast, just needing to consume some heavenly materials and earthly treasures to likely advance to Second Order, but they had unluckily crossed paths with the trio as they passed through its territory, and inexplicably lost their lives.


    When they killed the Dragon Horned Lizards, Lin Tianming had his eye on their demon cores but felt embarrassed to ask for them directly and decided to exchange for them upon returning to the family.


    The Purple Gold Eagle had been in the late stage of First Order for a while now, and although it had consumed quite a few Beast Spirit Pills over the years, it was still some distance away from Second Order. If it had two demon cores, in addition to the body and blood of the Crimson Gold Snake, perhaps it could attempt to break through to Second Order. Enjoy exclusive adventures from


    Tucking away the rest, after confirming the two demon cores were indeed from the Dragon Horned Lizards, Lin Tianming bid farewell to Lin Xingcheng and flew towards the back mountain.


    Before long, he arrived at the small valley where he had once practiced his Technique Divine Power.


    Not having been here to cultivate for a long time, he looked at the familiar scenery and the training ground where he had once toiled, a determined glint flickering in his eyes.


    Ever since swallowing a portion of the Crimson Gold Snake¡¯s body in the Luoyun Mountain Range and drinking half a pool of its blood, the Purple Gold Eagle had fallen into a brief slumber.


    Now that twenty days had passed, it was time for it to awaken, and Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Ring.


    Having not seen it for twenty days, the Purple Gold Eagle had indeed made great progress. Its body had grown significantly, and its aura had strengthened considerably, indicating it was inching ever closer to Second Order.


    It seemed that the meat and blood of a late-stage Second Order Crimson Gold Snake were indeed a great tonic for the Purple Gold Eagle, yielding even better results than expected.


    Lin Tianming was very satisfied, mounted the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, soared around the outskirts of Green Bamboo Mountain, and then returned to the valley.


    Over the years, due to the impact of wars and many family affairs, he hadn¡¯t been able to cultivate in this place. Now with the opportunity, Lin Tianming began to tirelessly practice his Divine Skills and body techniques in the valley while the Purple Gold Eagle stayed nearby.


    Time flew by, and three months passed quickly.


    Within the first half-month, Lin Tianming was no longer satisfied with cultivating alone and began using the Purple Gold Eagle as a sparring partner, battling with it as he had done in Qingfeng Town.


    Lin Tianming, with Dual Cultivation of Body and Law, coupled with his Great Perfection of Qi Refining stage cultivation, was naturally stronger than the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Therefore, he did not use any spiritual power and relied solely on his physical strength to combat the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Even though the Purple Gold Eagle was a demon beast with the speed of lightning, it struggled against Lin Tianming, a formidable human adversary, and still found no advantage.


    After three months of hand-to-hand combat, Lin Tianming exhausted himself every day, and at night switched to his cultivation technique, relying on breathing exercises for cultivation.


    Three months of living under the open sky, enduring the sun and rain, he suppressed his spiritual power cultivation and lived like a mortal.


    The Purple Gold Eagle had it even worse, enduring daily beatings that left it covered in wounds after several months.


    Despite the hardships, the Purple Gold Eagle greatly progressed, consuming a barrel of Crimson Gold Snake blood and some snake meat every day. With the abundance of these treasures and Lin Tianming¡¯s relentless training,


    the current condition of the Purple Gold Eagle had vastly improved from before. Though it had yet to break through to Second Order, it had reached its peak and just needed a bit of luck to advance smoothly.


    After three months of diligent cultivation, Lin Tianming had finished the Red Gold Snake Meat, and the Bright Jade Fruit had been consumed.


    Relying on these treasures, he finally reached the limit in his body refinement. Without further opportunity, both his spiritual power and body refinement were unlikely to make any further progress.


    ¡°It¡¯s time!¡±

 Chapter 159 - 159 - 133: Breakthrough Foundation Establishment (1)

    Chapter 159 ¨C 133: Breakthrough Foundation Establishment (1)


    ¡°`


    ¡°It¡¯s time!¡±


    After Lin Tianming summoned back the Purple Gold Eagle, he muttered.


    He was about to prepare for the Foundation Establishment Stage, and the duration of his seclusion was uncertain¡ªit could be one month, three months, or perhaps even longer. During this period, he planned to leave the Purple Gold Eagle here.


    This place had clear mountains and waters and was situated on the outskirts of Green Bamboo Mountain. Wild beasts were plentiful, and there was ample space for flying¡ªit was indeed suitable for the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s life.


    He left behind a Demon Core from a Dragon Horned Lizard, then issued a command for the Purple Gold Eagle to live independently for a while, without leaving the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory.


    In a short while, Lin Tianming rose to his feet and flew toward the peak of the main Green Bamboo Mountain Peak.


    ... sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside the small courtyard of Lin Shigong on the Green Bamboo Mountain Peak.


    Except for Lin Shilu who had gone to Qianchuan Market and had not returned, a few other Foundation Establishment Elders, like Lin Shikang, were sitting in the courtyard drinking tea.


    While chatting leisurely, they were also guessing the implications of Lin Tianming summoning them.


    Lin Shikang picked up his teacup and sipped lightly, his face brimming with a broad smile, as if he had already figured it out.


    ¡°Tianming must be preparing for his Foundation Establishment, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t mobilize us like this!¡±


    Lin Shikang¡¯s words mirrored the thoughts of the other two. Lin Shihua also said with a smile,


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s almost certain, the lad has always been prudent, and he seldom seeks us out, so it must be concerning the matter of Foundation Establishment!¡±


    As the two chatted and laughed about their grandson, Lin Shigong beside them wore an expression full of excitement.


    He was extremely attentive to the matter of Lin Tianming¡¯s Foundation Establishment, having already prepared the ancestral breakthrough insights, waiting for this day to arrive.


    At this moment, the three men were filled with anticipation, waiting for Lin Tianming to arrive.


    Not much time had passed.


    Lin Tianming entered the courtyard, and seeing that the three were already waiting, he immediately went forward, bowing deeply to his elders.


    Lin Shikang chuckled, waved his hand, and indicated for him to sit down before talking.


    Lin Tianming was not pretentious. He sat down, exchanged a few casual remarks, and then promptly got to the point, explaining the purpose of his visit.


    Upon hearing Lin Tianming personally speak of Foundation Establishment, Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua remained composed, but Lin Shigong got a bit agitated, repeatedly saying,


    ¡°Good, good, good, our Lin Family will add one or two more Foundation Establishment members!¡±


    ¡°One or two Foundation Establishment Cultivators?¡±


    Lin Tianming was puzzled. Were there other family members besides himself who were preparing for Foundation Establishment?


    ¡°Hehe¡­ aside from you, your Uncle Xing Ping is also preparing for Foundation Establishment!¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t surprising upon reflection. Since Lin Xingyuan¡¯s successful Foundation Establishment, three years had passed. Due to the impact of the great battle, there had been a two-year gap in the family¡¯s Cultivation Great Perfection members.


    In the two years since the end of the battle, the Lin Family¡¯s wealth had exploded, greatly enhancing the welfare of the family members. Along with the surviving members¡¯ remarkable military merits, they received numerous rewards, and their cultivation speed soared rapidly.


    After two years of development, Lin Xingzhi and several others were at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, and any moment they could reach Great Perfection. As time passed, more family members would meet the requirements for Foundation Establishment.


    Turning back, Lin Shikang said with a smile,


    ¡°Tianming, next, we¡¯ll explain our own experiences when we broke through. Listen carefully, it will be quite helpful for your Foundation Establishment.¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face lit up with joy. Although the family had ancestral breakthrough experiences summarized, having them personally narrated by Lin Shikang, who was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, would naturally be more effective than reading.


    He quickly stood up and bowed, carefully listening to Lin Shikang¡¯s narrative, afraid of missing a word.


    Unknowingly, half a day had passed.


    After Lin Shikang¡¯s account, with occasional interjections by Lin Shihua and Lin Shigong, all the steps and precautions of breaking through to Foundation Establishment were firmly memorized.


    After listening to the elders¡¯ admonitions and guidance, Lin Tianming said,


    ¡°I plan to start my seclusion in three days, and, after adjusting my state, I will take the Minor Foundation Building Pill and begin impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Explore new worlds at


    Lin Shikang nodded in approval of his plan and then said,


    ¡°Xing Ping will probably start his seclusion too. At that time, you two will choose adjacent courtyards for your peaceful seclusion, and I will personally protect you. I wish you success in advance!¡±


    Lin Tianming bowed once again, with a determined look in his eyes, ¡°Thank you, Third Grandfather, I will do my best!¡±


    Lin Shigong nodded in encouragement, then took out the breakthrough insights he had organized and handed them personally to Lin Tianming.


    After receiving the insights and bowing to his three elders, Lin Tianming slowly exited the courtyard.


    That night, Lin Tianming discussed his plans with his younger sister and mother. Hearing his plans, his mother became somewhat worried.


    ¡°Mother, I am confident, I will definitely succeed!¡±


    After consoling her for a while, the mother finally felt better. She then instructed her daughter to check on the Purple Gold Eagle from time to time, lest it wander off.


    Having made these arrangements, Lin Tianming went back to his room to rest.


    Three days later, on the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    In the secret chambers of two small courtyards not far from each other, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping each sat on a meditation mat.


    He took out the breakthrough insights his grandfather had organized, spending two days to carefully review them until they were embedded in his memory before stopping.


    Then, sitting upright, he began to circulate his cultivation technique while closing his eyes, sinking into a state of recollection.


    ¡°Qingfeng Town, the family battle, Jin Qilong¡­¡±


    As memories shifted from their original blur to gradually becoming vivid and clear, Lin Tianming¡¯s expressions alternated between joy and anger, inconsistent and far removed from his usual composed demeanor.


    After a short while, Lin Tianming¡¯s face gradually returned to calm, and the sounds of even breathing emerged from the chamber. At this moment, Lin Tianming entered a mysterious state.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 160 - 160 - 133 Breakthrough Foundation Establishment_2

    Chapter 160 ¨C 133 Breakthrough Foundation Establishment_2


    Another half month had passed.


    During this half month, he recalled his experiences from the past twenty-five years, from beginning to end.


    From the joy of familial love at the knees of his parents as a child, to joining the clan school with Lin Tian Qin and other clan members in his youth, and then to the elation of condensing his first strand of Spiritual Power and successfully entering the First Level of Qi Refining.


    The times before becoming a cultivator were warm memories. Thereafter, he began his cultivation, learned Alchemy, took on the task of guarding Qingfeng Town, investigated Ancient Cultivator¡¯s Cave Dwellings for cultivation techniques, journeyed to Qianchuan Market with Lin Shilu, participated in the market competitions, and engaged in life and death battles for his family.


    In this latter part, the deception and cruelty of the Cultivation World were fully displayed.


    During this time, he experienced numerous life and death battles, was seriously injured several times, and suffered countless minor injuries. Each time he faced a life-threatening crisis, he persevered.


    His path to cultivation up to now had been extremely difficult, with over a decade of arduous practice to reach this current step¡­


    ...


    Memories are like smoke, scenes from his early days on the Path of Immortality feel as if they were just yesterday.


    As the images in his mind faded away, Lin Tianming opened his eyes, which had been tightly shut for half a month, and a flash of sharp light passed from the corners of his eyes.


    Now his mental fortitude was stronger than ever, especially in the training of his spirit, he had ascended to a new level.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s condition had reached an unprecedented peak.


    Everything was ready, he just needed an east wind!


    Lin Tianming formed hand seals and circulated his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation.


    He took out a Golden Foundation Establishment Pill from his storage bag and swallowed it without hesitation.


    As soon as the elixir entered his mouth, without giving him any time to react, it transformed into a vast and violent Spiritual Power, quickly circulating through his meridians and then converging within his Qi Sea.


    In just less than the time it takes to breathe in, his face turned crimson red, and after a while, it turned deathly pale. The immense Spiritual Power was almost bursting his Qi Sea Dantian.


    At this moment, the violent Spiritual Power was exceedingly domineering as it rampaged through his meridians. Large beads of sweat continuously dripped from his face, and his body was in extreme pain.


    Lin Tianming was not panicked. According to the accounts of breakthroughs and Lin Shikang¡¯s explanations, these reactions were all within his expectations.


    He immediately focused his mind, fully operated his cultivation technique, and following the experiences of his predecessors, refined the violent Spiritual Power before further condensing the Spiritual Power in his Qi Sea into an even purer form.


    In just a short amount of time, the newly condensed Spiritual Power gradually gathered into a mass, almost becoming substantial. Though the amount of Spiritual Power had decreased by hundreds of times through repeated compression and refining, the newly condensed Spiritual Power was much stronger, with just a wisp being far more formidable than before.


    As time passed under the dominion of an even more domineering Heavenly Grade Technique, even the violent Spiritual Power gradually became gentle, flowing through his wide meridians, the medicinal effect of the Minor Foundation Building Pill greatly accelerating the refining rate, making his entire meridian network unobstructed.


    Although the intense pain was still present, it had eased considerably compared to the beginning.


    Before he knew it, two days had already passed.


    Feeling the refined purity of the Spiritual Power in his Qi Sea, at this rate, he speculated that he could complete the transformation of the Spiritual Power in his Dantian within ten days.


    Despite this, Lin Tianming dared not relax in the slightest and continued to maintain an appropriate speed.


    At the same time, in another secret chamber.


    Lin Xingping was also fervently refining the violent medicinal power of the Minor Foundation Building Pill. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had taken the pill a few days earlier than Lin Tianming, but his refining speed could not compare, nor could the rate at which he condensed the power.


    Where Lin Tianming had refined more than twenty percent in two days, Lin Xingping had started three days earlier and had not even reached twenty percent with his condensed pure Spiritual Power, the disparity was quite clear.


    At this moment, Lin Xingping¡¯s face alternated between blue and white, his Daoist robe soaked with sweat, as if he was undergoing immense suffering.


    He clenched his teeth, enduring the pain, methodically refining the medicinal power, eventually condensing it into strands of new Spiritual Power.


    At this moment, both individuals in their respective chambers were refining at different paces, drawing ever closer to entering the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Another seven days passed by, and Lin Tianming remained motionless in the secret chamber.


    By then, the medicinal power of the Minor Foundation Building Pill had been almost completely refined, and the violent Spiritual Power was gradually absorbed.


    The Spiritual Power in his Qi Sea had reached the final stage of condensation, with only a small part left to complete.


    For nine days, he had borne the agony, now on the brink of a breakthrough, and began speeding up the refining process, ready to break through in one fell swoop.


    In Lin Shikang¡¯s courtyard.


    Lin Shigong and Lin Shihua sat in the yard, closely monitoring for any signs of activity in two nearby courtyards.


    ¡°`


    ¡°More than twenty days have passed, and still not a hint of movement!¡±


    Lin Shigong let out a subdued sigh, a trace of worry showing on his face.


    Lin Shikang remained quite calm and said to console him:


    ¡°Shigong, keep your composure. It¡¯s only been a few days. Didn¡¯t you yourself take nearly two months to break through back then?¡±


    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s true!¡±


    Lin Shigong¡¯s face reddened, and he sheepishly responded.


    ¡°Third brother, how long do you think it will take Tian Ming to complete his consolidation?¡±


    After some thought, Lin Shikang replied:


    ¡°I myself had to use a Foundation Establishment Pill to succeed in Foundation Establishment, which has a relatively gentle medicinal power and is quicker to assimilate than the Minor Foundation Building Pill, taking me fourteen days to reconsolidate my spiritual power.¡±


    ¡°Given Tian Ming¡¯s talent and strength, Foundation Establishment shouldn¡¯t be a problem. As for how long it will take, that¡¯s hard to say, but judging from the experiences of Xing Rong and Xing Yuan in their breakthroughs, it¡¯ll likely take at least just over ten days.¡±


    Lin Shigong recalled Lin Xingyuan¡¯s own experience and found himself in agreement with Lin Shikang¡¯s estimate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so!¡±


    Before the words of Lin Shigong had even faded, a surge of pressure from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator rapidly spread, soon engulfing the entire Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    At the mountainside, in the open area unguarded by prohibitions, some clan members felt this powerful pressure and their expressions immediately changed.


    ¡°Another clan member has succeeded in Foundation Establishment!¡±


    A large number of clan members stopped in their tracks, looking up at the summit of the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, their faces filled with immense excitement.


    Lin Shikang immediately sensed this pressure and shouted with excitement:


    ¡°It¡¯s Tian Ming, Tian Ming has succeeded!¡±


    Just before Lin Shikang¡¯s exclamation, Lin Shigong too had felt a pressure stronger than his own emanating.


    Unable to control his aura in the midst of a breakthrough, he knew with utter certainty it was none other than Lin Tianming.


    Knowing that Lin Tianming had succeeded in Foundation Establishment, Lin Shigong was overwhelmed with excitement, laughing heartily with relief.


    Lin Shikang was equally excited and after sharing a knowing smile, he reminded:


    ¡°Shigong, Tian Ming has just broken through and still needs to stabilize. He¡¯s unlikely to come out immediately. Moreover, Xing Shun is still in seclusion. The disturbance just now was too big; go and reassure the clan members. I¡¯ll wait here.¡±


    Lin Shigong nodded, quickly acknowledging and then left the courtyard, flying down the mountain.


    ¡­


    Within the secret chamber, Lin Tianming¡¯s originally pale face gradually became rosy.


    As the last wisp of spiritual power was refined, a muffled sound came from his Dantian.


    In that instant of breakthrough, a warm current spread throughout his body. Lin Tianming felt the spiritual power within his Qi Sea grow exponentially, and his divine sense began to rapidly increase. At this moment, every flower and blade of grass around him, every movement, was crystal clear in his mind.


    Right then, Lin Tianming was incredibly excited.


    After more than a decade of cultivation, he had finally succeeded in Foundation Establishment. Feeling the boundless power filling his body, he knew it was incomparable to the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage.


    ¡°No wonder they say that one only becomes a true cultivator upon reaching Foundation Establishment. With my current strength, even if ten cultivators at the Great Perfection attacked me together, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance!¡±


    After muttering to himself, he extended his divine sense and examined his transformed Qi Sea.


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    The spiritual power he once had was vast but thin. Now, although it was only a small cluster, it was completely substantialized.


    It was precisely this small cluster of spiritual power, after repeated compressions and refinements, that could unleash energy more than ten times more potent than before.


    Before long, the excited Tian Ming finally regained his composure.


    His cultivation level had just stabilized and needed further consolidation. A slip at this point could lead to regrettable losses.


    Fully aware of these potential dangers, Lin Tianming brought his hands together and continued to operate his cultivation technique to practice.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 161 - 161 - 134: More Good News_1

    Chapter 161 ¨C 134: More Good News_1


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming, with hands pressed together, cycled the Cultivation Technique through countless Grand Circulations, clearly entering a state of self-forgetful cultivation.


    Thin strands of Spiritual Energy enveloped him, then slowly seeped in through his Sky Spirit Cover, and ultimately converged in his fist-sized Qi Sea.


    As the moon set and the sun rose, a half a month passed.


    In the secret chamber, he exhaled a breath of turbid air and once again opened his tightly shut eyes.


    After half a month of consolidating his cultivation, his aura was now stable and introverted, not at all as sharp and floating as it had been immediately following his breakthrough.


    Examining the transformed Spiritual True Essence, he was very satisfied with the results of his cultivation during this period.


    Counting from the time he had entered the secret chamber to adjust his state, over forty days had passed. Lin Tianming stretched his body, twisted his slightly stiff limbs, and got up to leave the secret chamber.


    ...


    Inside Lin Shikang¡¯s small courtyard, Lin Shigong and Lin Shikang were chatting idly.


    Today, more than forty days had passed since Lin Tianming¡¯s successful Foundation Establishment, but there had been no word from Lin Xingping¡¯s small courtyard.


    At this moment, the joy of Lin Tianming¡¯s successful Foundation Establishment gradually faded, and the two began to worry about Lin Xingping, who was older, failing in his breakthrough. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Over the years, several clan members had successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, totaling seven Foundation Establishment Clan Members, firmly positioning them as the premier family of the Luoyun Mountain Range. But who would ever feel that having too many Foundation Establishment members was an issue?


    Seeing Lin Shikang¡¯s concern, Lin Shigong forced a wry smile and tried to reassure him:


    ¡°Third brother, Xingping is only sixty, about the same age as when Xing Rong achieved Foundation Establishment. The boy has cultivated diligently and accrued a long period of preparatory time; he still has a fairly good chance of success.¡±


    Lin Shikang let out a wry laugh, then staring into Lin Xingping¡¯s small courtyard, he sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡±


    Before long, Lin Tianming entered the small courtyard, and the expressions on the faces of Lin Shikang and the other swiftly turned to surprise delight.


    ¡°Tianming, you¡¯ve finally emerged from seclusion.¡±


    Lin Shigong was very happy and immediately approached, looking Lin Tianming over carefully.


    ¡°Tianming pays respect to Third Grandfather and Grandfather!¡±


    Lin Tianming, with a smile, bowed to the two men.


    ¡°Haha¡­ come, take a seat!¡±


    Lin Shikang waved his hand, and Lin Shigong pulled him over to sit beside them.


    His bottom had barely warmed the seat when, planning to inquire about Lin Xingping¡¯s situation with Foundation Establishment, he was instead bombarded with questions by the two elders about the whole process of his own Foundation Establishment.


    Lin Tianming, finding no alternative, began recounting everything starting from entering the secret chamber, narrating his entire breakthrough experience.


    Upon learning that Lin Tianming had ingested a Minor Foundation Building Pill and succeeded in refining new Spiritual True Essence in just nine days, both elders were astounded.


    At such a rate, Lin Tianming was truly unprecedented in the eight-hundred-year history of the Lin Family. As for whether there would be successors to the feat¡ª that was hard to say.


    Once they had composed themselves, Lin Shikang began to share his own cultivation experience in great detail.


    Lin Tianming listened intently, and as time passed, the meticulous explanations from Lin Shikang resolved many of the problems that had long puzzled him.


    This was the advantage of having elders¡¯ guidance. If one were a Loose Cultivator, relying solely on self-exploration, it would mean much time lost in cultivation.


    An hour passed before he finally took the opportunity to inquire about Lin Xingping¡¯s condition.


    At the mention of this matter, the joyful expression on Lin Shikang¡¯s face became somewhat troubled.


    Just as Lin Tianming was about to offer some comfort, the oppressive aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator once again emanated from a nearby courtyard before quickly subsiding.


    Feeling the stirrings of Foundation Establishment, the three of them changed their expressions simultaneously and soon became excited.


    With Lin Xingping¡¯s successful Foundation Establishment, the Lin Family had gained another Foundation Establishment Cultivator, bringing their total number to eight.


    With such strength, even within the territory of the Wei Kingdom, excluding the Golden Core forces, they could rank among the top of the Foundation Establishing Families, but that was not all. The Lin Family would continue to grow stronger and, given enough time, returning to the ranks of the Golden Core Families was not impossible.


    Thinking of this, Lin Shikang and Lin Shigong couldn¡¯t help but burst into hearty laughter.


    More than ten breaths of time passed as they laughed, and before they knew it, tears of joy streamed down their faces uncontrollably.


    When the Lin Family was first established, it was after all a Golden Core Family. Though they had fallen into decline, they experienced a brief period of brilliance two hundred years ago¡ªyet those days of glory were now in the past.


    In the past few years, when they were surrounded by powerful enemies and their situation was precarious, the Lin Family could only survive in the cracks. Without careful vigilance, they could face calamity, and the family legacy that had lasted for eight hundred years would be destroyed in an instant.


    The family¡¯s predicaments at that time were still vivid in the minds of LaShikang and Lin Shigong; many exceptionally talented family members tragically missed their chances to achieve Foundation Establishment, leading to lifelong regrets.


    Fortunately, heaven favored the Lin Family, and it was at this time that they began their sudden rise.


    In just five short years, through the concerted efforts of the entire family to overcome difficulties, the Lin Family had now reached, and even surpassed, the heights it had been at two hundred years before.


    At this thought, Lin Shikang¡¯s eyes filled with tears once more. When he thought no one was paying attention, he turned his head, waved his sleeve, and wiped away his emotional tears.


    Lin Tianming, witnessing this, couldn¡¯t help but feel his nose tingle, and his eyes began to blur with tears as well.


    Understanding the immense pressure Lin Shikang must have endured in those dire circumstances, he could fully empathize with these emotions.


    Lin Tianming stepped forward and took the hands of Lin Shikang and the others, comforting them,


    ¡°Third Grandfather, Grandfather, Uncle Xingping¡¯s successful Foundation Establishment is a blessing for our family. The Lin Family will only grow stronger from now on. Perhaps in less than a hundred years, we can return to the ranks of the Golden Core Families!¡±


    After Lin Tianming¡¯s comforting words, Lin Shikang and the others steadied themselves, their emotions gradually calming.


    ¡°Indeed, although the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in our family has reached the highest in our history, we are still among the Foundation Establishing Families. The journey to return to the Golden Core Families remains long and arduous!¡±


    Find adventures at


    Collecting themselves, the three of them sat back down.


    ¡°Tianming, your success in Foundation Establishment brings me great joy. Take this bottle of elixirs as a celebratory gift!¡±


    Having said this, Lin Shikang quickly took out a Jade Bottle from his storage bag and handed it to Lin Tianming.


    Seeing Lin Shikang present a congratulatory gift, Lin Shigong said with a smile,


    ¡°Haha¡­ Third Brother really plays favorites. When Shihua and I had our breakthroughs, why didn¡¯t we get a bottle of elixirs as a celebratory gift?¡±


    Lin Shikang gave a wry smile upon hearing Lin Shigong¡¯s playful complaint.


    This was indeed unfair to him. When Lin Shigong had his breakthrough, the family was utterly destitute. Even the elixirs he needed for his own cultivation were intermittent. Often, cultivation relied solely on meditative breathing. In such circumstances, how could he have spare elixirs to give as a gift?


    However, on one point he wasn¡¯t mistaken: he placed great hopes in Lin Tianming, and he hadn¡¯t prepared a gift for Lin Xingping¡¯s accomplishment; indeed, he might have been a bit biased.


    ¡°Tianming, aren¡¯t you going to thank your Third Grandfather? This is the first time he¡¯s been so generous!¡±


    Reminded by his grandfather, Lin Tianming accepted the Jade Bottle, expressing his thanks respectfully.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming and the others spent a short time gathering together. Since Lin Xingping was still in seclusion to consolidate his cultivation, he would not be able to leave for some time.


    As the evening deepened, following Lin Shikang¡¯s parting words of advice, Lin Tianming left his cave abode and returned to his own home.

 Chapter 162 - 162 - 135 Tiangang Ninth Sword_1

    Chapter 162 ¨C 135 Tiangang Ninth Sword_1


    Upon returning to his small courtyard, his mother had emerged from seclusion and was cooking a meal, preparing to celebrate his Foundation Establishment.


    The day after Lin Tianming successfully established his foundation, Lin Shigong specially dispatched clan members to Golden Horn Mountain to share the news of his Foundation Establishment with Lin Xingrong.


    Upon hearing of Lin Tianming¡¯s successful Foundation Establishment, Lin Xingrong was overjoyed. After arranging the affairs of the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory, he immediately rushed back to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    It was difficult for him to return to the clan¡¯s lands, primarily to celebrate his son¡¯s Foundation Establishment. Additionally, he hadn¡¯t visited the clan¡¯s territory in two years and saw it as a perfect opportunity to reunite with family.


    At this moment¡­


    The grandfather was still in Lin Shikang¡¯s courtyard discussing clan affairs and had not returned, while the sister was helping the mother prepare the meal.


    Father and son sat together in the courtyard, sipping on Spiritual Tea. After a brief silence, the atmosphere became a bit awkward.


    ...


    At some point, the father¡¯s face turned slightly red, and he stammered out a phrase.


    ¡°Tian Ming¡­ congratulations¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming gave an embarrassed smile and said, ¡°Dad, there¡¯s no need for such formality!¡±


    After speaking, he poured a cup of Spiritual Tea for his father and respectfully handed it over.


    Lin Xingrong took the Spiritual Tea, took a sip, and both of them smiled together.


    The relationship between father and son was subtle. Since Lin Tianming could remember, they hadn¡¯t spent much time together. His father appeared silent and stern, upright and honest, and was quite strict with him.


    In fact, Lin Xingrong took Lin Tianming very seriously in his heart and was silently making sacrifices for him. Although he was strict, it was because he hoped his son could go further on the path towards eternal life.


    Lin Tianming, who profoundly understood this, deeply appreciated his father and harbored no resentment in his heart.


    Soon, the atmosphere relaxed, and Lin Xingrong began to share some of his cultivation experiences.


    Although they were both at the Foundation Establishment First Level, Lin Xingrong had cultivated for two years and, despite his limited experience, Lin Tianming took his words to heart.


    After half an hour passed, Lin Shigong also hurried back, just in time for dinner to be ready. The five of them sat down to begin their meal.


    Lin Shigong was extremely happy that day and had specially prepared a few jars of treasured Spiritual Wine to enhance the joy.


    Lin Shigong picked up his cup, stood up, and after scanning everyone, he said:


    ¡°Today, I am extremely happy. To celebrate Tian Ming¡¯s successful Foundation Establishment, let¡¯s drink together, three generations of us!¡±


    Lin Tianming and the others got up, raised their cups, and drank.


    That night, the three generations happily drank merrily together, and after dinner, all three were completely drunk and returned to their rooms to rest.


    In fact, Spiritual Wine, brewed with Spirit Fruit and Spiritual Medicine Materials, was not as strong as the alcoholic beverages in the secular world. If they had used even a little Spiritual Power to suppress it, their Foundation Establishment Cultivator bodies and souls wouldn¡¯t have allowed them to get drunk.


    The following morning¡­ S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As a beam of sunlight passed through the small window and shone onto the stone wall of the room,


    Lin Tianming opened his eyes and twisted his head, which felt slightly groggy.


    In a short time, the grogginess dissipated, and he returned to his peak condition in body and spirit.


    At the back mountain of the family, Lin Tianming descended from high above and stopped in the small valley where he had once trained.


    With a piercing cry, the Purple Gold Eagle flew out of a cave halfway up a mountain.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming, the Purple Gold Eagle was extremely excited, rubbing his clothes with its beak as sharp as a sword.


    Having not seen each other for over a month, the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s body had grown larger once more, clearly benefiting from the Dragon Horned Lizard¡¯s inner core, and further enhancing its strength.


    By now, the Purple Gold Eagle was probably about to reach the peak of Late Stage First Order Demonic Beasts. If it had two Second Order Demon Cores, perhaps it could even attempt to break through to the Second Order.


    Patting the feathers of the Purple Gold Eagle, he was quite satisfied with its progress. Given the chance, he planned to take it to train in the Luoyun Mountain Range, to see if they could hunt down Second Order Demonic Beasts.


    However, now was not the right time. He had only recently succeeded in his Foundation Establishment, and his powers were limited. More importantly, each major realm of the Tiangang Body Art allowed for the cultivation of a new Divine Skill. He needed to, at the very least, succeed in cultivating this new skill and wait until his strength had further increased before venturing out for training.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming leaped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, flew a circle around Green Bamboo Mountain, and then returned to the valley.


    After giving the Purple Gold Eagle the remaining Dragon Horned Lizard¡¯s Demon Core to consume, he let it return to its own excavated cave. Having seen off the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming sat down beneath the cave, ready to comprehend the Divine Skills of his cultivation technique.


    Once he sat down, Lin Tianming began to adjust his state, and after a quarter of an hour, when his condition peaked, he took out the Technique Jade Slip and began to understand it.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming remained motionless, in a mysterious state.


    Time slowly passed, and more than ten days quickly went by¡­


    Opening his eyes, Lin Tianming revealed a slight smile.


    In the first few days, Lin Tianming revisited the cultivation technique once more. In the subsequent ten days, he focused on comprehending the Divine Skills of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Through his contemplation, he successfully grasped the essence of the second Divine Skill.


    According to the description of the technique, the second attached Divine Skill was called the Tiangang Nine Swords, which was an offensive-oriented skill.


    The Earth Fiend Sword Formation Divine Skill of the Qi Refinement Realm mainly focused on trapping enemies, and its offensive power was not particularly remarkable. It also greatly depended on the right timing. Against cultivators of the same stage, it was naturally easy, but in a cross-level fight, the pressure was considerable. Perhaps it was because he had never activated all thirty-six Earth Evil Swords, leading to some misunderstanding of the Earth Evil Sword¡¯s true power.


    The Tiangang Nine Swords, on the other hand, were all about offense. Each successive sword attack could be stacked, with each sword being more formidable than the last. When nine swords were layered, they corresponded to the nine levels of the Foundation Establishment Stage. With his understanding of the technique, he could only activate the first sword. As his level increased, he could stack the swords for greater offensive power.


    Having comprehended the essence of the skill, Lin Tianming was somewhat excited. He quickly took out an Earth Evil Sword, eager to try out the effects.


    After running his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, he tossed the Earth Evil Sword overhead. Then, with both hands forming seals, he made a strange gesture, followed by a single-handed seal while muttering under his breath.


    ¡°Tiangang Nine Swords First Sword, swift¡­¡±


    The surface of the Earth Evil Sword burst into a brilliant golden light, streaking toward a stone wall a thousand feet away like a shooting star.


    In an instant, a loud bang erupted, and stone fragments scattered abundantly in the air as if a celestial maiden were sprinkling flowers.


    Once the dust settled, a giant hole several zhang in diameter appeared on the massive stone wall, the depth of which was unfathomable.


    Seeing such destructive power, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration:


    ¡°Just one sword, and that too with a First Order Supreme Quality Earth Evil Sword, has caused such devastation to an entire stone mountain. The Tiangang Nine Swords truly are a fearsome Divine Skill!¡±


    The downside was that his casting speed was so slow that even a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage could easily dodge it. If he were to use it against an enemy now, it would clearly be premature.


    Even so, he was extremely satisfied with the power of the skill, and with some more practice and familiarity, he should be able to employ it against foes.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming continued to execute the technique over and over again, all for the sake of mastering it completely as soon as possible.

 Chapter 163 - 163 - 136: Minor Achievement in Divine Skills_1

    Chapter 163 ¨C 136: Minor Achievement in Divine Skills_1


    Behind Green Bamboo Peak.


    In a quiet valley, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the ground. Above his head, the Earth Evil Sword emitted a piercing whine before shooting out like lightning, striking the rocky wall.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    At that moment, a loud explosion was heard, and the ground began to shake.


    A stone mountain several hundred feet high directly collapsed over a large area, and numerous rocks tumbled down, eventually coalescing to form a new small hill.


    After the shaking had stopped and the dust had cleared, Lin Tianming¡¯s figure was revealed.


    At this moment, he was drenched in sweat, his complexion slightly pale, evidently greatly exhausted.


    ...


    For the past month, he had dedicated his days to rigorous practice, sitting in meditation to recover his spiritual power only after it was completely drained, repeatedly attempting, after over a thousand castings, each time pushed to the point of exhaustion before stopping.


    As the saying goes, hard work pays off. The Tiangang Ninth Sword, a divine skill, was finally within his grasp, and he had reached the Minor Achievement Realm.


    His casting speed had now attained instantaneity, and the power had further increased, enough to handle ordinary battles.


    Having reached the Minor Achievement Realm with practice alone, any further progress had become difficult; to attain the Great Achievement Realm, he needed to go through numerous real combats to advance further.


    Managing to reach the Minor Achievement Realm with a month of hard work was already quite remarkable, and for this result, he was very satisfied.


    His goal had been achieved, and the Purple Gold Eagle had ingested another Dragon Horned Lizard Demon Core and was still in deep slumber.


    Three days prior, Lin Shihua had sent a message, instructing him to head to Lin Shikang¡¯s cave dwelling for a gathering the next day, so it was time to leave.


    He rose and tidied up the disheveled scene, glanced at the cave of the Purple Gold Eagle, and then left the valley.


    The next morning, Lin Tianming left his own small courtyard, accompanied by his father as they flew toward the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    In no time at all, the two arrived in front of Lin Shikang¡¯s cave dwelling.


    After sending a message, the prohibition in front of the cave dwelling was lifted, and both of them walked straight in.


    In the courtyard, Lin Shikang and Lin Shigong, among a few other Xing Clan members, were sitting on stone chairs, drinking tea and chatting leisurely.


    Lin Tianming and his father walked straight up to the elders and bowed.


    ¡°Tianming pays respect to the elders!¡±


    ¡°No need for such formalities, come and sit with us!¡±


    Lin Shikang chuckled and waved them over to sit down.


    Lin Tianming and his father did not decline, stepping forward to sit by their grandfather¡¯s side, one on the left and one on the right.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Lin Xingping to enter the courtyard, exchanging greetings with other clan members present before taking a seat next to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming had come out of seclusion half a month earlier than him and went straight to cultivate divine skills, without having had the chance to congratulate him; now that they had met, the two chatted briefly.


    Lin Shikang, seeing everyone had gathered, said with a smile:


    ¡°Today is truly rare; aside from Xing Yuan holding down Luoyun Market, all seven Foundation Establishment cultivators of our family are gathered here, plus Xingping and Tianming successfully reaching Foundation Establishment, our family has gained two more Foundation Establishment members, truly a cause for celebration!¡±


    Upon finishing, Lin Shihua also added with a sense of marvel.


    ¡°Third brother is right. They both have been out of seclusion for half a month, each busy with their own tasks, and only today have we all managed to get together; this indeed isn¡¯t easy.¡±


    The others nodded and echoed a few words, after which Lin Shikang spoke about the matter at hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked you all to come today for several purposes. First, to strengthen our bonds and celebrate Tian Ming and Xing Ping¡¯s successful Foundation Establishment. Second, Shi Lu has returned from Qianchuan Market, having completed the Lin Family task perfectly and brought back two Hun Tian Pills. With a Hun Tian Pill, I can finally make further progress without accidents!¡±


    After Lin Shikang finished speaking, everyone was overjoyed.


    It should be noted that Lin Shikang was at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level Realm during the family war six years ago. Now, in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, each step forward is difficult. Having finally obtained a Hun Tian Pill, it was natural for him to seek a breakthrough as soon as possible.


    In the midst of laughter, Lin Shihua spoke,


    ¡°Third brother, rest assured and focus on your breakthrough. Now that our family is growing stronger each day, we few can manage the clan affairs, and you can concentrate on your cultivation!¡±


    Tian Ming and the others also spoke up, encouraging Lin Shikang to focus on his seclusion.


    In the current state of Luoyun Mountain, the Lin Family is incomparable, its formidable strength leaving other clans in the dust. Unless faced with the threat of external forces, there would be no danger.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Lin Shikang smiled knowingly and gave his instructions,


    ¡°Then, it¡¯s settled. I cannot be certain how long this seclusion will take, short as three months, long up to a year. As for the clan¡¯s affairs, you all can discuss and handle them. If there is a major decision that can¡¯t be made, then pass the message to me!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    After the unanimous response, they began to discuss some of the clan affairs.


    The gathering lasted for over an hour, only dispersing around noon.


    When it was time to leave, Lin Shihua called Lin Shikang, his father, and Lin Xingping aside,


    ¡°Xing Rong, the three of you have established your Foundation, so you may choose a cave dwelling at the peak of the main mountain. Since you¡¯ve been in charge of the affairs at Golden Horn Mountain and haven¡¯t had the chance to choose, now that you¡¯re back, why not settle on a dwelling before you leave? What do you think?¡±


    Lin Shihua¡¯s words excited them.


    The spiritual energy of the peak was far stronger than that of the mid-mountain courtyards. Though the difference might not be noticeable over a short period of cultivation, over a prolonged seclusion, the improvement in cultivation speed could be significant.


    Lin Xingrong spoke, ¡°The younger generation has no objections, we will follow the Clan Leader¡¯s arrangements!¡±


    Naturally, Tian Ming and the others had no objections, and since many of them were at the peak, Lin Shihua decided to select the cave dwellings immediately.


    After leaving Lin Shikang¡¯s courtyard, Lin Shihua led the three of them around the entire peak.


    Along the way, Lin Shihua also described the situation of some vacant courtyards to them.


    In reality, the layout of the peak¡¯s courtyards was divided into four areas: east, south, west, and north, and they were not too far apart from each other. The few of them had long had an idea of what to expect.


    As the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators grew, the original dozen or so courtyards gradually became occupied by new clan members, leaving not many choices for them to select from.


    After half an hour, Tian Ming and the others each chose a cave dwelling.


    Lin Xingrong and Lin Xingping chose to be on the east side of the courtyards, where Lin Xingyuan¡¯s dwelling was. This way, the Xing Clan Members would be together.


    In the north, where there are several courtyards, only one was still vacant, and all four Foundation Establishment Clan Members of the Lin family gathered there.


    Tian Ming naturally would not choose the north side. It also wouldn¡¯t be quite right to join the senior members of the Xing lineage on the east.


    After some thought, he decided to choose a courtyard on the west side for his dwelling.


    As for the western area, besides him, no other clan members lived there.


    It was perfect, as he preferred a quiet environment. Additionally, the west side offered beautiful scenery near the mountains and was closer to the small valley where he cultivated his Divine Skills¡ªtruly an ideal location. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After greeting Lin Shihua and securing the courtyard by completing the registration process, Tian Ming and the others received the Formation Token for the courtyard¡¯s protective formation. With the selection of the courtyard concluded, Tian Ming and the others took their leave.

 Chapter 164 - 164 - 137: Cave Abode_1

    Chapter 164 ¨C 137: Cave Abode_1 S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The following morning at dawn, in the room of Lin Tianming.


    He packed up some essential living necessities briefly before stepping out of the room and into the courtyard.


    Inside the courtyard, his father was sitting and drinking tea, while his mother and sister were also packing up some household items.


    The previous day, after the father and son returned home, they had discussed with his mother about taking advantage of Lin Xingrong¡¯s rare return to the clan lands to relocate the entire family to live on the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The environment and spiritual energy at the peak were much better than at the mountainside. Moving there would also benefit their cultivation, and with Grandfather residing at the peak, the family was now reunited.


    Soon, all the necessary items were packed into storage bags, and the four of them reluctantly left the courtyard that had been their home for many years.


    Before long, the family arrived at the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    ...


    Parting with their father, Lin Xingrong led his mother and sister to their new home in the East District, while Lin Tianming moved to his own cave dwelling in the West District.


    Standing in the center of the West District, Lin Tianming surveyed the quiet area around him.


    It was incomparable to the East or North Districts; the North District was home to Lin Shikang and several other Foundation Establishment clan members of the Shi generation, along with their direct relatives, and the East District housed Lin Xingyuan and Lin Xingping, among other Foundation Establishment cultivators, along with their many family members. That area would also become lively in time.


    The West District, however, with its courtyards, was still unoccupied except for him, a solitary figure. It was unlikely that any of the Tian generation would reach Foundation Establishment soon, even Lin Tianfeng, the highest in cultivation among them, had only recently broken through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. It would be years before he succeeded in establishing his foundation.


    Fortunately, several years for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was but the span of a few closed-door meditation sessions, hardly considered a long time.


    As the cultivation of Tian generation members gradually progressed, the West District would become lively over the next decade. In a few decades, the ancient courtyards on the peak might even become insufficient, necessitating the construction of many more.


    Pushing these thoughts aside, it wasn¡¯t long before he arrived at a location on the edge of the West District, standing in front of a quaint courtyard.


    Lin Tianming took out his Restriction Order Token, opened it, and entered with confident strides.


    It took him a quarter of an hour to explore the entire courtyard after entering his new dwelling.


    His courtyard covered a vast hundred acres, several times larger than his previous one.


    The facilities in the entire courtyard were comprehensive, including three bedrooms for rest, a reception room, and a varying number of Cultivation Rooms, Pill Refining Rooms, Artifact Forging Rooms, and other various secret chambers.


    Beyond these, there was also a several-acre Spirit Field in the outer courtyard suitable for planting Spiritual Medicine.


    Because it was near the western mountains, this courtyard had even denser spiritual energy than the North District, with clouds and mist often shrouding one corner of the yard, giving it a rather mystical appearance.


    Lin Tianming was very satisfied with his new courtyard.


    He then spent half a day tidying up the entire yard before he left his cave dwelling and headed to Lin Shilu¡¯s courtyard.


    The West District was not far from the North District, separated only by a plaza. For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the journey was a matter of just a few breaths.


    After entering Lin Shilu¡¯s courtyard and exchanging greetings, the two sat down for a casual chat.


    Curious about Lin Tianming¡¯s purpose for visiting, Lin Shilu asked,


    ¡°Tianming, it is rare for you to visit. What brings you here today?¡±


    Lin Tianming did not beat around the bush; he went straight to the point.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, your grandnephew wishes to forge an Attack Talisman. If the Earth Evil Swords could be upgraded and a few more forged, that would be even better. As a Second Order Refiner, perhaps you could enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°This boy, thinks a magic artifact is as common as a cabbage, that few can be made with just a few words,¡± Lin Shilu thought to himself, his chest tightening upon hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s request, then contemplation set in.


    The set of Spirit Swords wielded by Lin Tianming were crafted by him, and at the time, forging the twenty Earth Evil Swords had consumed a significant amount of his treasured Spirit Ore to produce a set of First Order Top-Quality Spirit Swords.


    Those Supreme Quality First Order swords indeed made him unmatched in the Qi Refinement Realm, with few adversaries. However, they fell short at the Foundation Establishment Stage; unless up against a novice Loose Cultivator, most were using magic artifacts by the Medium Stage.


    Now that Lin Tianming had successfully established his foundation and his wealth was considerable, it was evident that he was no longer satisfied using mere Spirit Swords against his enemies.


    After pondering for a full quarter-hour, Lin Tianming did not speak to interrupt, waiting patiently the entire time.


    After a short while, Lin Shilu finally spoke with a tone of regret,


    ¡°At the moment, we have some ancillary materials, but we lack the appropriate main material. It¡¯s impossible to forge a Second Order Mid-tier Attack Magical Artifact!¡±


    After Lin Shilu finished speaking, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression became somewhat downcast.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu changed tack.


    ¡°However, the clan still has quite a few Second Order Qingling Bamboos. I can help you forge seventy-two Earth Evil Swords. It¡¯s feasible to upgrade a few of them into a set of talismans!¡±


    Once Lin Shilu finished speaking, Lin Tianming finally showed a hint of a smile.


    He knew that the main material for Second Order Mid-tier magical artifacts was difficult to collect; he was just asking casually. Nonetheless, upgrading a few Lower Grade talismans on the existing basis wasn¡¯t a bad idea either.


    Thinking of his Earth Fiend Sword Formation and the significant room for improvement, since an Attack Spirit Weapon was hard to come by in a short time, increasing the number of Earth Evil Swords could greatly enhance his own strength.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming asked again,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, my Earth Fiend Sword Formation can control up to seventy-two spirit swords. The stronger the quality of the spirit swords, the more powerful they will be. If I forge seventy-two First Order Top-Quality Spirit Swords, surely the power of the sword array won¡¯t be inferior to a Second Order Lower Grade magical artifact, right?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shilu revealed a look of astonished admiration.


    ¡°Seventy-two First Order Top-Quality Spirit Swords?¡±


    ¡°That would require a huge number of spirit stones. Are you sure you want to do this?¡±


    At that moment, Lin Tianming was also calculating. He currently had twelve thousand Merit Points, which was indeed not a small amount.


    Originally, forging the twenty Earth Evil Swords; the materials alone, including the Second Order Qingling Bamboo, had cost three thousand spirit stones. To forge more than fifty spirit swords, with his current wealth, it was a bit tight.


    However, he was only at the First Layer of Foundation Establishment, and he didn¡¯t need that many spirit swords for the time being. He estimated that gathering fifty-four spirit swords should be feasible.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming said,


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for so many right now. I already have twenty, so I just need to forge thirty-four First Order Top-Quality Spirit Swords to pair with the previous ones to form a complete set of spirit swords. As for the Attack Spirit Weapon, just one will suffice.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that would be doable!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded his head, agreeing with his plan.


    After some thought, he took out a beast skin and laid it out on the stone table in front of him.


    Barely had his fingertip shone with spiritual light when he swiftly wrote down a list of materials on the beast skin.


    In no time, the beast skin listed more than ten types of materials.


    After confirming there were no omissions, Lin Shilu passed the beast skin to Lin Tianming, then said,


    ¡°Retrieve the materials listed here from the clan exchange. I still have some of the other materials here, and there shouldn¡¯t be a problem fulfilling the requirements for this forging.¡±


    Lin Tianming took the beast skin, quickly glanced over it, and then tucked it securely into his storage bag.


    Lin Tianming bowed with clasped hands and said,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, I will exchange for them now and come to find you tomorrow!¡±


    After he finished speaking, Lin Tianming stood up, ready to leave. At that moment, Lin Shilu spoke again,


    ¡°Kid, if you¡¯re short on Merit Points, this old man will lend you five thousand!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Fifteenth Grandfather, but Tianming has Merit Points¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming chuckled, gave Lin Shilu a bow with his hands pressed together, and left the small courtyard.

 Chapter 165 - 165 - 138: Penniless_1

    Chapter 165 ¨C 138: Penniless_1


    After leaving Lin Shilu¡¯s courtyard, Lin Tianming returned first to his own cave abode.


    Sitting in the small courtyard, he spread out the beast skin Lin Shilu had given him.


    He had only glanced briefly at it before and hadn¡¯t had the chance to take a closer look; now, naturally, he wanted to calculate roughly how many Merit Points the artifact refining would require.


    Looking closely, he saw that the beast skin recorded more than a dozen items.


    ¡°One hundred and thirty jin of Second Order Spirit Iron, three Silver Star Stones of Second Order, three strands of Jiuxuan Vine, one hundred jin of Second Order Demon Beast Essence Blood¡­¡±


    Half a quarter of an hour later, Lin Tianming had finished going through the list of artifact refining materials on the beast skin.


    At this moment, his expression was somewhat ugly.


    ...


    Just the aforementioned materials alone, each of which was no ordinary item, like Second Order Spirit Iron, priced at more than ten Spirit Stones per jin. Just the cost of this item alone would consume more than a thousand Spirit Stones, not to mention that the price of Second Order Qingling Bamboo was even higher.


    The other artifact refining materials were also expensive, each costing hundreds of Spirit Stones.


    He estimated that just the materials for the artifact refining would cost nearly ten thousand Spirit Stones. Fortunately, he was wealthy; an average Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn¡¯t possibly afford it.


    ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll go to the Hall of Merit to check first,¡± Lin Tianming decided.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming left his cave abode and flew towards the Hall of Merit.


    Before long, Lin Tianming appeared inside the Hall of Merit and found Lin Xingcheng. After exchanging a few cordial words, he got straight to the point.


    ¡°Uncle, could you help me check how many Merit Points these materials will require?¡±


    Having said that, he handed the beast skin to Lin Xingcheng so he could check and calculate the cost of the exchange.


    Lin Xingcheng took the beast skin, looked at just two lines, and his eyes twitched. Then he exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°You need so much? What kind of powerful weapon are you planning to refine?¡±


    After Lin Tianming explained his plan and thought about the power of his Sword Array, he became resigned.


    ¡°Tianming, wait a moment while I check if we have all these Spiritual Objects and then I¡¯ll calculate the prices for you,¡± Lin Xingcheng said.


    After speaking, he directly picked up the ledger and went towards the back of the great hall to inventory the treasures for him.


    Lin Tianming sat patiently waiting on the side.


    A short half-quarter of an hour quietly passed, and Lin Xingcheng returned, pinching a storage bag in his hand.


    Seeing Lin Xingcheng coming out, Lin Tianming hurriedly asked, ¡°How is it, do we have all the Spiritual Objects?¡±


    Lin Xingcheng chuckled and then said:


    ¡°You¡¯re really lucky; all the materials listed happen to be Second Order Spiritual Items. Although they¡¯re precious, the family has fortunately collected some, just enough in quantity.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming let out a long sigh of relief.


    These items were indeed precious, but with the treasures from the Jin Family and Wu Family added to the family¡¯s resources, they could be gathered. If they had not been enough, he would have had to make quite an effort to find them elsewhere.


    Lin Xingcheng took out the ledger and started to read out the prices.


    ¡°One jin of Second Order Spirit Iron costs ten Spirit Stones, totalling one thousand three hundred Spirit Stones; one Silver Star Stone costs two hundred and eighty Spirit Stones, totalling eight hundred and forty Spirit Stones; one Jiuxuan Vine costs two hundred and sixty Spirit Stones, totalling seven hundred and eighty Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming listened, and a line slowly formed on his forehead.


    ¡°The total for the aforementioned fourteen materials comes to six thousand seven hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for Lin Xingcheng to announce the final price, once again causing Lin Tianming¡¯s complexion to change.


    Just the more than a dozen Spiritual Objects listed above would amount to more than six thousand Spirit Stones, not including the five thousand Spirit Stones for the Second Order Qingling Bamboo.


    If he included the Second Order Qingling Bamboo in the calculation, it would be nearly twelve thousand Spirit Stones, over a thousand more than he had anticipated.


    Soon, Lin Tianming came to terms with it.


    This time, to refine thirty-four First Order Supreme Quality Earth Evil Swords, as well as one Magic Artifact, it would cost just over ten thousand Spirit Stones for such a massive number. In truth, this price was quite reasonable.


    To know that a lower grade second-order magic artifact would cost no less than seven or eight thousand spirit stones, and a supreme quality spiritual artifact is also worth hundreds of spirit stones, this price he¡¯s paying is truly insignificant by comparison.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming speculated that Lin Shilu must have had to add quite a few valuable spiritual objects to refine the weapon for him.


    ¡°It seems that I must give up all my wealth to make up for what the old man has spent.¡±


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming spoke up:


    ¡°Uncle, I want all of the above treasures, and also the thirty-four second-order Qingling Bamboos. I¡¯ll exchange for them all at once.¡±


    After speaking, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t care about Lin Xingcheng¡¯s expression and directly handed over his family token. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing that Lin Tianming wanted to exchange for second-order Qingling Bamboos, Lin Xingcheng was so stunned that it took him a good while to come to his senses.


    Afterward, Lin Xingcheng calculated the total price based on the original cost and then accepted his family token.


    As a streak of blue light flashed by, the only remaining eleven thousand five hundred and some Merit Points in his family token were completely deducted. He still had to provide some extra spirit stones to the Hall of Merit.


    After deducting the Merit Points, Lin Xingcheng handed over a storage pouch to Lin Tianming and then took out the token for the bamboo forest, passing it along to him as well.


    The implication was that he would have to go find the bamboos in the forest himself.


    Lin Tianming reluctantly accepted the token, his current strength should make the cutting a fair bit quicker.


    With the exchange for artifact refining materials settled, Lin Tianming looked at his storage pouch and began pondering.


    After such a spree, years of accumulation had been wiped out, and the Merit Points had gone down to zero.


    In the storage pouch, there weren¡¯t many spiritual objects left, only around one thousand six hundred spirit stones and some pills from the Qi Refinement Realm which hadn¡¯t been used up. There were about thirty bottles in total, and only one bottle contained second-order pills, a gift from Lin Shikang when Lin Tianming was breaking through to the Foundation Establishment.


    Besides that, there were also some second-order spiritual medicines that he had slowly collected, intending to use for refining second-order pills.


    The rest were miscellaneous spiritual artifacts, spirit ores, and Demonic Beasts¡¯ bodies and demon cores.


    After taking inventory of his storage pouch, Lin Tianming planned to exchange all ordinary objects utterly for spirit stones to gather as many as possible and serve as compensation for Lin Shilu¡¯s assistance with artifact refining.


    Given that Lin Shilu had helped him many times, and this time, to help him with artifact refining, he was undoubtedly going to use some treasured items, possibly even the Golden Tide Sand obtained from the exchange meeting.


    With such help from Lin Shilu, if he did not show any gratitude, would it not be utterly disheartening!


    Determined, he decided to keep a few bottles of the pills he wouldn¡¯t need, along with two pieces of Earth Mysterious Crystals that had been stored for a long time. All other spiritual items were taken out and laid before Lin Xingcheng.


    ¡°Uncle, please take a look at these items. I want to exchange them all for spirit stones!¡±


    Lin Xingcheng, faced with the dazzling array of various treasures, was momentarily dazed. Many of the items before him were not ordinary, and even for someone who had been the Hall of Merit¡¯s Master for several years, they were tempting.


    ¡°Uncle?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    After being prompted, Lin Xingcheng came back to his senses and began tallying up the various spiritual objects Lin Tianming had provided.


    Seventy-two Superior Spirit Essence Pills, totaling seven hundred and twenty spirit stones, a first-order medium grade attack spirit weapon, valued at one hundred and ten spirit stones¡­¡± Your next journey awaits at


    Half an hour passed, and Lin Xingcheng finished the inventory, and he said to Lin Tianming:


    ¡°After tallying, the total value of these spiritual objects comes to two thousand eight hundred and forty-two spirit stones.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded his head, indicating his confirmation to exchange.


    Lin Xingcheng, without further words, went back into the storeroom within the passage and took out the exact amount of spirit stones, handing them over to Lin Tianming.


    After receiving the spirit stones, he put them into his storage pouch.


    Following the exchange, his Merit Points were gone, and he had only four thousand five hundred spirit stones left, most of which would have to be given as respect to Lin Shilu.


    Now, he was as poor as a beggar, instantly transported back to years ago.


    Having achieved his goal at the Hall of Merit, Lin Tianming did not linger any longer. After a brief conversation with Lin Xingcheng, he cupped his fists and left the Hall of Merit.

 Chapter 166 - 166 - 139: Artifact Refining Again_1

    Chapter 166 ¨C 139: Artifact Refining Again_1


    Green Bamboo Mountain, within a vast sea of bamboo.


    Lin Tianming left the Hall of Merit and headed straight to the Qingling Bamboo sea at the foot of the main peak.


    At this moment, he flew dozens of feet into the air, opened his Eye of Five Colors, and scanned the expanse of the bamboo forest.


    The first time he came to cut Qingling Bamboo, it had taken quite an effort, but with the experience of the first time, this time could be said to be familiar terrain.


    In just a short while, under the powerful vision of the Eye of Five Colors, the dense Qingling Bamboo had nowhere to hide.


    In just the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he easily found the first Second Order Qingling Bamboo, a speed dozens of times faster than his first attempt.


    Lin Tianming leaped forward and flew towards the cliff where the Second Order bamboo was located.


    ...


    Reaching the side of the Qlingling Bamboo, he directly took out an Earth Evil Sword and, gauging the position, immediately chopped down.


    ¡°Pff¡­¡±


    With one strike, the bamboo shuddered and then, at the base, a thumb-sized notch appeared.


    With a casual split using eighty percent of his strength, he was very pleased to have made a notch in the Qingling Bamboo.


    He then swiftly executed three more swords strikes, each hitting the same spot.


    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    A loud noise echoed as the bowl-thick Qingling Bamboo fell, digging a small pit on the ground.


    A look of delight appeared on Lin Tianming¡¯s face, for with just five sword strikes, he had successfully felled the bamboo at an indeed swift pace.


    He discarded the useless parts of the bamboo, keeping only the main trunk and then stored it in his storage bag.


    The first Qingling Bamboo was successfully acquired in less than half an hour. With his improved cultivation and the aid of the Eye of Five Colors, cutting the bamboo again had become incredibly easy.


    After quickly tidying up the site, he flew back into the sky and resumed his search.


    ¡­


    As evening approached, the remaining sunshine spilled over the tranquil sea of bamboo.


    With the thirty-fourth Second Order Qingling Bamboo falling to the ground, his journey of cutting came to an end for the day.


    After storing the bamboo in his storage bag, Lin Tianming wove through the bamboo sea and darted towards the exit.


    He took out his token, opened the protective restrictions of the bamboo sea, and left the bamboo sea without looking back.


    From noon till evening, after spending most of the day cutting, he successfully obtained thirty-four pieces of Qingling Bamboo.


    Seeing that it was getting late, Lin Tianming did not go to the Hall of Merit but went straight back to his cave dwelling to rest for the night.


    Back in his cave dwelling, Lin Tianming placed the Artifact Refining materials he exchanged at the Hall of Merit and Second Order Qingling Bamboo into one storage bag, then he took out four thousand spirit stones and two Earth Mysterious Crystals, placing them into another storage bag to give to Lin Shilu the next day.


    After organizing his possessions, his own storage bag now contained just over five hundred spirit stones, one bottle of Second Order Spirit Origin Pills, two First Order Superior Grade defensive spiritual tools, and varying quantities of talisman papers.


    First Order talisman papers had lost much of their usefulness to him unless they were amassed in significant numbers. Otherwise, they hardly made any impact on Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    As for Second Order talisman papers, they didn¡¯t consume much spiritual power and were comparable to attacks from Foundation Establishment cultivators, which had some usefulness. However, he only had two pieces: one Second Order Medium Grade Attack Talisman and one inferior quality Defense Talisman, which provided limited help.


    Now, aside from this batch of high-value Artifact Refining materials and some long-stored spiritual medicine, he was indeed as poor as could be.


    ¡°It looks like once the Artifact Refining is finished, it¡¯s time to venture out and earn some spirit stones!¡± he muttered to himself, pondering his cultivation plans going forward.


    So far, he had been at the Foundation Establishment stage for less than half a year, and his cultivation was only at the first level. He was relatively safe in the Luoyun Mountain Range, but in the Wei Kingdom, he was not really considered significant.


    There was no need to rush at the moment, as he still had plenty to do.


    After finishing Artifact Refining, the first thing to do would be to practice the Earth Fiend Sword Formation and the Tiangang Ninth Sword, followed by improving his Alchemy, where at minimum he had to learn to concoct Second Order Spirit Origin Pills.


    Once his strength improved, it would be time to venture out, seek treasures, and aid his cultivation.


    Unwittingly, as the bright moon hung in the sky, the night had deepened.


    Lin Tianming put aside his scattered thoughts and, with a weary body, finally fell into a deep sleep.


    ¡­


    The following morning, Lin Tianming once again started his busy day.


    First thing, he went to the Hall of Merit to return the token for entering the bamboo sea, and then immediately hurried to Lin Shilu¡¯s cave dwelling. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon entering his courtyard, Lin Shilu had already been waiting for him.


    ¡°Tianming pays respects to Fifteenth Grandfather!¡±


    After Lin Tianming gave a fist and palm salute, he respectfully handed over two storage bags he had prepared in advance.


    Lin Shilu frowned slightly, took the two storage bags, and then extended his divine sense to start examining them.


    ¡°Hmm, all materials have been gathered as required!¡±


    ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    Lin Shilu, pointing to the storage bag containing four thousand spirit stones and two Earth Mysterious Crystals, asked with a puzzled face.


    Lin Tianming maintained a calm demeanor as he earnestly explained:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, you have taken great pains and even used up some of your treasured spiritual objects for the sake of your nephew¡¯s artifact refining. These spirit stones are merely a small gesture of your nephew¡¯s appreciation. Although the amount is trivial, I truly hope you will accept it!¡±


    Listening to Lin Tianming¡¯s explanation, which was earnest in tone and attitude,


    Lin Shilu, considering that he too had to contribute a fair amount of artifact refining materials for this help, thought that although these spirit stones weren¡¯t much, they represented Tianming¡¯s sincerity. Rejecting them might increase Tianming¡¯s burden.


    With these thoughts in mind, he chuckled and, without standing on ceremony, accepted the two storage bags.


    Seeing Lin Shilu accept the bags, Lin Tianming also breathed a sigh of relief and a knowing smile appeared on his face.


    Lin Shilu felt the same, and the two sat in the courtyard, chatting leisurely for a while, discussing the details of artifact refining.


    After a short time, the details were almost settled, and Lin Shilu spoke:


    ¡°There is no better time than the present to start artifact refining. You should do as before, prepare some artifact refining materials for me from the Qingling Bamboo before you leave.¡±


    Lin Tianming naturally didn¡¯t dare to object, and even if Lin Shilu hadn¡¯t mentioned it, he would have volunteered, so he readily agreed to the task.


    Afterward, the two walked one after another into Lin Shilu¡¯s Artifact Forging Room.


    Looking at the familiar Artifact Forging Room, still laid out as before with no changes,


    Lin Shilu first took out the artifact refining materials one by one and placed them on the stone platform.


    The Third Order Golden Tide Sand, Second Order Red Flame Crystal, and the sharp teeth of a Second Order Crimson Gold Snake¡­


    Lin Tianming looked on as a spectator and, as expected, saw the Golden Tide Sand amongst them, along with over a dozen rare artifact refining materials, which made him click his tongue in amazement.


    It seemed that the four thousand spirit stones and the two Earth Mysterious Crystals he had prepared were indeed trivial compared to the spiritual objects Fifteenth Grandfather had sacrificed! Experience tales at


    Fully aware of this, Lin Tianming was extremely moved, yet he said nothing further.


    Having prepared the necessary items, Lin Shilu sat down cross-legged to meditate and adjust his breathing.


    Not daring to disturb, Lin Tianming, with nothing else to do, sat down as well and quietly waited.


    Inside the Artifact Forging Room, the sound of Lin Shilu¡¯s breathing was rhythmic and steady, clearly entering the state needed for artifact refining.


    After adjusting for the better part of the day, he opened his eyes.


    With a single-handed seal, he cast a law decree, and in an instant, a three-foot-long flame spurted from the Earth Fire mouth, perfectly heating the huge furnace cauldron.


    As the Earth Fire erupted, the temperature inside the Artifact Forging Room increased sharply, and the temperature in the cauldron shot up instantly.


    While Lin Shilu was warming the furnace, Lin Tianming took out an Earth Evil Sword, and per his instructions, began cutting the Second Order Qingling Bamboo, leaving the lower part for artifact refining.


    After half an hour of heating the furnace and sensing that the temperature inside the cauldron was right, Lin Shilu knew the time was ripe.


    He took out a large piece of Spirit Iron, threw it decisively into the cauldron, and then controlled the Earth Fire to melt the hard Spirit Iron into molten iron.

 Chapter 167 - 167 - 140: Complete Set of Earth Evil Swords - 1

    Chapter 167 ¨C 140: Complete Set of Earth Evil Swords ¨C 1


    Inside the Artifact Forging Room.


    As time passed, the temperature in the room had reached its peak.


    Two figures bustled about non-stop, their robes already soaked with sweat.


    ¡°Bang¡­ bang¡­¡±


    The sounds of hammering echoed throughout the room, Lin Tianming stripped to the waist, revealing explosive muscles, the sharp lines of his muscles indicative of formidable strength.


    The pair hammered away at the fiery red Spirit Iron, their coordination almost telepathic.


    It was only Second Order Spirit Ore, but the difficulty of extracting and shaping it was substantial, far different from that of First Order Artifact Refining materials. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    After several days of intense refining, only a small portion of the dozens of Second Order Artifact Refining Materials had been processed, and completing them all would take no short amount of time.


    At this point, both showed signs of fatigue.


    Lin Shilu placed the shaped Spirit Iron on a stone platform nearby, then clapped his hands and said with a smile,


    ¡°Tianming, let¡¯s take a short break to recover our strength. Artifact Refining, like Alchemy, requires patience and gradual progress to craft divine weapons. We mustn¡¯t rush!¡±


    ¡°I shall heed Fifteenth Grandfather¡¯s teachings.¡± Find adventures at


    Lin Tianming replied and put down the heavy hammer from the thousand golds, sitting down on the ground with a thud and gasping for air.


    Lin Shilu had long been astonished by Lin Tianming¡¯s physical stamina. With his own cultivation at the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment, he too was exhausted after several days of work.


    That Lin Tianming, who had broken through to the Foundation Establishment first level less than half a year ago, could keep up for so long was truly unexpected.


    ¡°This kid is truly a monstrous talent; his Cultivation Technique must be terrifying indeed!¡±


    Lin Shilu guessed inwardly but, in perfect tacit understanding, kept silent about the topic of Cultivation Technique.


    After resting for half an hour, both men had recuperated enough strength to begin refining anew.


    Another half a month went by and the two had finally completed the refining process.


    Looking at the various types of Spirit Ore that had been refined and beaten, now more translucent and significantly smaller in size, yet the energy and attributes within the ores made their edges even more fearsomely sharp.


    Lin Shilu looked at their handiwork with satisfaction and was filled with a surge of lofty ambition and passion.


    Since he had started learning Artifact Refining over seventy years ago, his natural talent for it could rank within the top three in the history of the Lin Family. Even though he had been a Second Order Refiner for over thirty years, this was the first time he had forged such a large number of Spirit Swords.


    Furthermore, he had to create a Second Order Attack Talisman for Lin Tianming, presenting a monumental challenge.


    It was because of this that his competitive spirit was ignited, causing his blood to run hot.


    Sensing Lin Shilu¡¯s enthusiasm, Lin Tianming felt a stir of excitement in his heart and admired Lin Shilu even more.


    Next, Lin Shilu, seizing the moment, decided to further fuse the refined Spirit Ores altogether.


    This step was much more difficult than refining, depending not only on the experience of the Artifact Refiner but also on a stricter test of one¡¯s cultivation and spiritual essence.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s expression was grave, not daring to be careless in the least.


    He took out the Sword Embryo forged from Qingling Bamboo and placed it on the stone platform; then he carefully took out the refined Spirit Ore, meticulously hammering and merging them together.


    At this stage, Lin Tianming did not lend a hand.


    After all, he was not an Artifact Refiner, and although he possessed the miraculous Eye of Five Colors to aid him, this step tested the Refiner¡¯s experience.


    He did not possess this prerequisite. Helping might have led to the opposite effect, potentially ruining all their previous efforts.


    If they failed, not only would their hard work be in vain, but the precious Spirit Ore reduced to waste was enough to cause them immense distress.


    Knowing this, he stood to the side and watched, not even daring to breathe too loudly, fearing that he might disturb Lin Shilu.


    As time passed, thirty-four Spirit Swords were successfully fused and formed.


    Because Lin Shilu had previously forged twenty Earth Evil Swords, although the number had increased this time, which elevated the difficulty of forging, he still persevered and completed the task.


    Looking at the neat array of Spirit Sword embryos exuding a special aura, which indicated they were already taking shape, Lin Shilu nodded his head, appearing quite satisfied with his work.


    At this moment, the Earth Evil Swords were more than half forged. All that was needed were some adjustments to the specific shapes of the Spirit Swords and then the engraving of the Inscription Array for the forging to be thoroughly completed.


    After a short rest, Lin Shilu threw himself back into the bustling activity of Artifact Refining.


    Following hundreds of hammering steps, a refined Spirit Sword came into being, leaving only the last step of Inscription Array engraving, with all preliminary processes finished.


    Time slowly trickled by, and one Spirit Sword after another took shape.


    A month had passed in this way.


    In the Artifact Forging Room, fifty-four Spirit Swords hung neatly in the air. Every Spirit Sword was identical without any variation.


    With so many Spirit Swords gathered together, all of them emanated strong fluctuations, stirring the air in the Artifact Forging Room, looking immensely powerful.


    Lin Shilu stared at the fifty-four Spirit Swords before him, his face showing a satisfied smile.


    In total, after fifty days of Refining, he had re-forged thirty-four Spirit Swords.


    Moreover, the original twenty Spirit Swords he had made for Lin Tianming were also re-hammered by him, with a portion of rare materials added and the Inscription Arrays re-engraved.


    The fifty-four Spirit Swords now made up a complete set of new Spiritual Instruments. Enhanced by his efforts, their power had increased significantly compared to the previous ones.


    Although each individual Spirit Sword remained a First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instrument, not breaking into the Second Order category, they had reached the limit of First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instruments.


    Looking at his masterpiece, Lin Shilu made a guess internally.


    Fifty-four First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instruments, forming a complete set, would undoubtedly exceed the power of a Lower Quality Second Order Magic Artifact, and could even be comparable to a Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact.


    Regathering his consciousness, Lin Shilu waved his hand, and the fifty-four Spirit Swords flew in front of Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Take a look, are they satisfying?¡±


    Lin Tianming grabbed a Spirit Sword and scrutinized it carefully.


    Looking at the all too familiar Spirit Sword and feeling the intense fluctuations coming from it, he displayed an expression of not wanting to let it go.


    While touching the blade, Tianming joyfully commented,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, you have labored hard. I am very satisfied with this set of Spirit Swords!¡±


    ¡°Good to hear you¡¯re satisfied!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s appraisal, Lin Shilu laughed heartily, the look of tiredness on his face disappearing significantly.


    ¡°After forging these Spirit Swords, my current condition isn¡¯t very good. The materials for a Second Order Attack Artifact have been prepared, but due to my state, I regretfully have to set it aside for now. I will forge it once I¡¯ve recovered. When I¡¯ve completed it, I¡¯ll send word to you!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s words, Lin Tianming sincerely replied,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, please focus on recovering first. There is no need to hurry for now!¡±


    ¡°I shall take my leave, Grandfather; you can summon me if there¡¯s anything!¡±


    ¡°Go on then!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded his head and walked out first, while Lin Tianming stored the fifty-four Spirit Swords into his storage bag and then left the Artifact Forging Room.


    In the small courtyard, Lin Tianming bowed with his hands clasped together and left Lin Shilu¡¯s abode.

 Chapter 168 - 168 - 141 Trial of Maiden Skill_1

    Chapter 168 ¨C 141 Trial of Maiden Skill_1


    Having left Lin Shilu¡¯s small courtyard, Lin Tianming returned directly to his own cave dwelling.


    Although the set of Spirit Swords was completely crafted, Lin Tianming did not immediately begin the consecration process, nor was he overly eager to test the power of the Sword Array.


    After more than a month of intensely helping with Artifact Refining, he was now extremely weary, only able to forcibly suppress the restlessness in his heart.


    After a quick wash, he collapsed onto his bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.


    Before long, a day and two nights had passed, and when he awoke again, it was already the third day.


    Opening his eyes, he sat up and stretched, the previous sense of fatigue was nowhere to be found.


    Feeling that his vigor, aura, and spirit had all returned to optimal condition,


    ...


    he had no more reason to wait. He left his cave dwelling and headed straight for the valley where the Purple Gold Eagle resided.


    In no time at all, Lin Tianming appeared outside the cave dwelling of the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Feeling Lin Tianming¡¯s presence, the Purple Gold Eagle became very excited and flew over to him directly.


    Although they were separated for only two months, a brief period, the aura of the Purple Gold Eagle had grown stronger once again.


    As expected, the Dragon Horn Lizard Demon Pill he had fed it before leaving had indeed enhanced its strength.


    At this point, the aura of the Purple Gold Eagle had reached the peak of the First Order Late Stage, just one step away from the Second Order.


    Seeing Lin Tianming, the Purple Gold Eagle was overjoyed, rubbing against his robes as if to curry favor.


    Lin Tianming affectionately stroked the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s head and, regardless of whether it could understand him or not, he said,


    ¡°Xiao Diao, that¡¯s the name I¡¯ve given you. Right now, your master is very poor and doesn¡¯t have anything for you to eat!¡±


    The Purple Gold Eagle seemed to understand his words, nodding its head, then let out a sharp cry as if to respond to him.


    Lin Tianming laughed heartily, feeling it quite magical.


    Until now, his commands had been conveyed directly to the Purple Gold Eagle through Divine Sense; he didn¡¯t expect it would understand spoken words as well.


    ¡°It seems although Xiao Diao is just a First Order demonic bird, its Spirit Wisdom isn¡¯t low!¡±


    Lin Tianming mumbled to himself quietly before taking out a piece of Red Gold Snake Meat, the last he had left, and threw it to Xiao Diao.


    Xiao Diao did not refuse the gift and clamped onto the snake meat with one bite, beginning to devour it eagerly.


    Having taken care of Xiao Diao, Lin Tianming found a flat platform to sit on and prepared to start the consecration process for the new Earth Fiend Swords.


    Soon after, he found himself atop a small hill.


    Finding the place quiet and secluded, very suitable for cultivation, he then sat down on the ground.


    He performed a full cycle of the Grand Circulation to adjust his condition, then took out an Earth Evil Sword and gripped it tightly in his hand.


    Having had previous experience with consecration to claim ownership, the process was now familiar to him. He sprinkled a drop of Lifeblood Essence onto the Spirit Sword.


    Instantly, the bright red blood quickly sank into the body of the sword, soon disappearing.


    Then the Spirit Sword began to tremble as though trying to escape his grasp.


    Lin Tianming had anticipated this and immediately used his Cultivation Technique to suppress it, followed by projecting a thread of his Divine Sense to engrave it into the core of the Spirit Sword.


    An hour flew by quickly.


    A distinctive sound of a sword¡¯s cry rang out. The Spirit Sword that was shaking violently began to calm down and then started rotating around his body non-stop.


    Feeling the connection between himself and the Spirit Sword, Lin Tianming showed a hint of joy on his face.


    After the consecration of the first Earth Evil Sword was finished, Lin Tianming took out another Spirit Sword, repeating the process he just completed.


    In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was incredibly excited.


    Around him, fifty-four Spirit Swords were rapidly spinning, their speed astonishingly swift.


    At a glance, the rotating Spirit Swords had seemingly formed an impregnable shield without any blind spots.


    Because the Spirit Sword was spinning too fast, it stirred up a fierce Gang Wind that whipped up sand, stones, and rotten wood around it.


    Watching the flying sand and rolling stones, Lin Tianming was taken by surprise and also deeply astonished.


    As the Spirit Sword was retracted, the Gang Wind also dissipated, and the valley gradually returned to calm, leaving only a messy site.


    After spending several days, he had finally finished refining all of the Spirit Swords and was now ready to test their power.


    At that thought, Lin Tianming grew very excited.


    Since he wasn¡¯t sure if he could activate all the Spirit Swords and considering he had been able to operate eighteen of them during the Qi Refinement Realm, and now that he had reached Foundation Establishment with a significant increase in Divine Sense, he decided to start with thirty-six swords.


    Without further delay, he waved his hands, and thirty-six Earth Evil Swords shot out, neatly hovering above his head.


    He quickly circulated his Cultivation Technique, then urged the Earth Evil Swords forward, placing them into the Sword Array one by one.


    ¡°Swoosh¡­¡±


    As each position was set, he immediately formed seals with his hands and murmured incantations.


    ¡°Earth Fiend Sword Formation, arise¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a Barrier materialized from the ground, covering a hundred feet in all directions.


    Inside the Barrier, thousands of Sword Qi went crashing and shuttling through without any pattern.


    ¡°Earth Fiend Sword Formation, grind¡­¡±


    With a loud shout from him, the Barrier of the Sword Formation gradually shrank, the space inside became smaller, and the intensity of the Sword Qi grew even more fierce.


    Before long, the Barrier had shrunk to just over ten feet wide and stopped shrinking.


    By now, the Sword Qi inside the Barrier had become terrifyingly dense, almost tangible, and the thousands of Sword Qi were nearly brushing against each other.


    In the area covered by the Barrier, the ground was gouged out by the Sword Qi to more than a yard deep, growing even deeper towards the center.


    It was hard to imagine that if a cultivator were inside the Barrier, facing such fierce and dense Sword Qi, even a First Order Foundation Establishment cultivator would have no chance of survival.


    Feeling the power of the Sword Array, Lin Tianming was overjoyed and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim:


    ¡°A thirty-six sword array holds such power; how terrifying would it be with fifty-four?¡±


    With that in mind, Lin Tianming tried again.


    Once the Sword Array reset, he added the remaining eighteen Earth Evil Swords to the array.


    As he finished channeling his energy, the fifty-four sword array was now fully in place.


    Without hesitation, he activated the Sword Array.


    Once the Sword Array was operational, it covered the same hundred-foot range, the number of Sword Qi within the formation doubled, and the force of the Sword Qi was further enhanced.


    Moreover, the Barrier of the Sword Array became even more solid, like an unbreakable copper wall and iron barrier.


    After a dozen or so breaths, Lin Tianming withdrew the Sword Array.


    At this point, his face was as pale as death, his Spiritual Power completely drained, and his Divine Sense severely depleted.


    From his test, the Sword Array consisting of fifty-four Earth Evil Swords, when fully activated, had a power that was several times greater than that of the thirty-six sword array.


    And with the increase in both the power and number of Spirit Swords, the consumption of Spiritual Power and Divine Sense also increased exponentially.


    With his current cultivation, he could only maintain it for a dozen breaths at most, after which his Spiritual Power and Divine Sense would be greatly depleted, and he would have to stop.


    Lin Tianming wasn¡¯t surprised by this result; after all, greater power comes with greater limitations.


    The Sword Array of thirty-six Earth Evil Swords was also very powerful, greatly surpassing its former strength. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He estimated that a sixteen blade sword array should be able to easily deal with an average Second Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator, and perhaps even hold its own against a Third Level Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Of course, that was just speculation; there would be many uncertain factors in practice, and the actual outcome would be hard to say, but he was confident.


    Gathering his thoughts, he was now completely out of Spiritual Power and severely drained of Divine Sense, not in any condition to continue.


    Retrieving the Spirit Swords, he quickly tidied up, and then flew towards his cave abode at the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.

 Chapter 169 - 169 - 142 Significant Improvement_1

    Chapter 169 ¨C 142 Significant Improvement_1


    Back to his cave abode.


    Lin Tianming lay on the bed, exhausted, as he recalled today¡¯s gains in his mind.


    The new Earth Fiend Sword Formation, with its number of Spirit Swords doubled, greatly enhanced his strength, which excited him somewhat.


    And the Second Order Magical Artifact that Lin Shilu had helped him refine, when combined with the Divine Firmament Nine Swords, what kind of power would it wield?


    Given that it was a Second Order Magical Artifact and required Divine Skills that could only be cultivated in the Foundation Establishment Stage, its power was bound to be extraordinary. With the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to trap enemies and the Tiangang Ninth Sword for attack, his strength was about to undergo a qualitative transformation!


    At this thought, he became extremely eager.


    However, refining a Second Order Magical Artifact was no easy task, and Lin Shilu was completely drained; it couldn¡¯t be produced in a short time.


    ...


    Now, with the new Earth Fiend Sword Formation, the difficulty of controlling it had increased significantly due to the increased number of Spirit Swords. He had to practice more to enhance the stability and speed of execution of the Sword Array.


    Thinking of this, he decided to go to the valley to practice again tomorrow, aiming to improve the power and stability of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation at the earliest opportunity while waiting for the Second Order Magical Artifact to be refined.


    Before he realized it, Lin Tianming fell into a deep sleep¡­


    The next day before dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and sunshine spread across the land, complementing the continuous mountains, creating a scene like that of heaven on Earth.


    At this time, Green Bamboo Mountain was exceptionally quiet, with the majority of the clan still in deep sleep.


    After a night¡¯s rest, Lin Tianming left his cave and once again arrived at the valley where he had cultivated the day before.


    Such scenes, he could no longer remember how many springs and autumns he had experienced; such painstaking dedication was rare even in the Cultivation World.


    He sat cross-legged on the ground, circulated his Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation, and reached his optimal state.


    Basking in the first rays of the morning sun, a gentle breeze caressed his face.


    With a single wave of his hand, fifty-four Spirit Swords hovered above his head, exuding strands of Sword Qi, shredding the oncoming breeze.


    Looking calmly at the mountain peak ahead, as if second nature, he began to activate the Sword Array.


    In an instant, Gang Wind arose, and Sword Qi danced across the sky, with the sound of howling sword energy never ceasing.


    ¡°Trap!¡±


    Lin Tianming bellowed, and the Spirit Swords above his head shot out in the blink of an eye.


    In front of him, the Earth Fiend Swords spun madly, forming a barrier as strong as walls of copper and iron, encasing the small mountain peak within it.


    He controlled the Sword Array with all his might, treating the mountain peak as if it were a giant beast, mercilessly grinding it down.


    As the range of the Sword Array became narrower, he stopped when it had contracted to a scope of thirty feet.


    When the dust settled, the small mountain peak was riddled with holes from the bombardment of Sword Qi.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming shook his head, seemingly unsatisfied.


    ¡°Too slow. This mountain is inanimate, but if it were a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, in a breath¡¯s time, they could travel hundreds of feet, escaping from the reach of the Sword Array!¡±


    After sighing, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression turned resolute as he retrieved all the Spirit Swords.


    Then, he made a move, repeating the actions he had just performed.


    Instantly, the valley was filled with whirling Sword Qi and the piercing sounds of explosions that echoed through the entire valley.


    Time silently slipped by and a month passed¡­


    In the valley, Lin Tianming circulated his Spiritual Power to the extreme, his robe fluttering in the Gang Wind produced by the Sword Array.


    In front of him, under the coverage of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, the sky was filled with Sword Qi, stones flew about, and the stones on the ground were easily crushed.


    Once the Sword Array ceased operation, the mountain peak had drastically decreased, almost leveled by him.


    Lin Tianming sheathed his Spirit Sword, looking at the chaos before him, his expression brimming with excitement.


    After a month of dedicated cultivation, his control over the Earth Fiend Sword Formation had become much more practiced.


    The sword array, consisting of fifty-four Spirit Swords, had its casting speed increased by several folds, capable of near-instantaneous deployment. Furthermore, the stability of the sword array had also significantly improved compared to before.


    Such progress in just one month was somewhat unexpected to him.


    In his joy, Lin Tianming thought to himself,


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because the Earth Fiend Sword Formation has gone through numerous battles and has already reached the Minor Achievement Realm. That¡¯s why, with just an increase in the number of Spirit Swords, the proficiency has improved so swiftly!¡±


    Returning to his thoughts, Lin Tianming looked at the ravaged valley, feeling a sense of guilt. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The valley, once filled with birdsong and flower fragrances, hidden beneath lush jungles, now lay bare, stripped of its former grace.


    Thankfully, in this world of cultivation, such severe conditions could recover in just a few months.


    Otherwise, with his destructive power, the hundreds of large and small valleys of Green Bamboo Mountain would not be enough for his devastation.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming pondered.


    Lin Shilu hadn¡¯t yet contacted him about the Artifact Refining, so the Second Order Magical Artifact must not be completed yet.


    As for the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, it had reached a bottleneck; further practice like this would yield no progress.


    Right now, with the sword array cultivation successful and the Magical Artifact still in the making, he was in a period of downtime.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try refining Second Order Pills during this downtime!¡± he decided.


    Resolved, Lin Tianming sheathed his Spirit Sword, then left the valley and flew toward the Hall of Merit.


    Inside the Hall of Merit, the place was abuzz with over a dozen clan members exchanging Spiritual Objects, and he greeted each of them in passing.


    Soon, it was Lin Tianming¡¯s turn. Approaching Lin Xingcheng, after exchanging a few pleasantries, he said,


    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯d like to exchange for fifty sets of Spirit Essence Pill Materials!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s request, Lin Xingcheng was slightly surprised.


    He was very aware of Lin Tianming¡¯s level in Alchemy. Logically, he should be attempting to refine Second Order Pills.


    In fact, Lin Tianming was also feeling helpless.


    The reason for exchanging First Order Spirit Essence Pill Materials was that he was currently very poor, with just over five hundred Spirit Stones in his storage bag.


    And as for the materials for Second Order Spirit Essence Pills, he had previously collected just a few sets, nowhere near enough for the consumption needed to attempt Pill Refining. Therefore, he planned to exchange for some Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, refine some First Order Pills to sell, earn Spirit Stones, and then buy some Second Order Spiritual Medicines to practice Alchemy.


    Although he could go to his grandfather and ask for some Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, he was too embarrassed to speak up, especially since he wasn¡¯t yet at his wit¡¯s end.


    While he was thinking, Lin Xingcheng had already calculated the price and fetched the Spiritual Medicine Materials for him.


    ¡°Tianming, fifty sets of First Order Spirit Essence Pill Materials will total four hundred merit points,¡± he said.


    Without hesitation, Lin Tianming took out four hundred Spirit Stones and handed them to Lin Xingcheng.


    After receiving the fifty sets of Spiritual Medicine Materials from Lin Xingcheng¡¯s hands and bidding farewell, he immediately left the Hall of Merit.


    In a short period, Lin Tianming returned to his own cave dwelling from the Hall of Merit.


    Sitting in the Pill Refining Room, he looked at the Spiritual Medicine Materials before him and became reflective.


    Before reaching the Foundation Establishment, he had over ten thousand merit points and Spiritual Objects worth thousands, all spent on Artifact Refining, depleting years of savings, leaving him no choice but to refine pills to earn Spirit Stones.


    ¡°Well, with the Eye of Five Colors to aid me, Pill Refining is nothing but a simple task for me!¡± he sighed.


    After that exclamation, he began to run his spiritual practice, adjusting his state to its best before starting the Alchemy process.

 Chapter 170 - 170 - 143 Dilemma_1

    Chapter 170 ¨C 143 Dilemma_1


    In the Pill Refining Room.


    A large amount of First Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, neatly arranged on a stone platform, with the Four Symbols Furnace already suspended above the Earth Fire vent.


    Having not refined pills for a long time, the First Order Lingshen Pills had not been made for several years either.


    Lin Tianming was seen forming a spell with one hand, casting a spell onto the Four Symbols Furnace.


    When the Earth Fire spewed out, the scorching flames baked the Pill Furnace, and rapidly, the temperature within the entire Pill Refining Room began to rise, as did the temperature inside the Four Symbols Furnace.


    Seeing that the timing was just about right, he skillfully threw a plant of Spiritual Medicine Materials into the Four Symbols Furnace with both hands.


    With familiar ease, he proceeded with the proficient steps.


    ...


    Three days quietly passed by.


    When a strong fragrance of elixirs wafted out of the Pill Refining Room, he lifted the lid of the furnace and took out eight Lingshen Pills, placing them in a prepared Jade Bottle.


    ¡°Done with great success. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve done alchemy, but luckily my skill in Alchemy has hardly regressed.¡±


    Lin Tianming murmured to himself, tidied up the messy Pill Refining Room, and left the cave dwelling with the newly-refined Lingshen Pills.


    Before long, he arrived at the Hall of Merit.


    Having greeted the clan members working there, he sat opposite Lin Xingcheng and handed over the prepared First Order Lingshen Pills.


    After calculating with Lin Xingcheng, this time using only fifty portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials, they obtained two hundred and thirty-two First Order Lingshen Pills.


    ¡°Two hundred and thirty-two Lingshen Pills can be exchanged for merits totalling one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six points,¡± Lin Xingcheng said.


    Immediately after he spoke, Lin Tianming replied,


    ¡°Uncle, please exchange all of it for the materials needed for Second Order Lingshen Pills.¡±


    Hearing this request, Lin Xingcheng started to calculate and then spoke,


    ¡°The materials for Second Order Lingshen Pills are worth one hundred and sixty merit points per portion. Your merits can only be exchanged for eleven portions, leaving an excess of ninety-six merit points.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded and said,


    ¡°Uncle, please exchange it for twelve portions of Second Order Lingshen Pill materials, and I will make up the shortfall with Spirit Stones.¡±


    Without pause, he hurriedly took out sixty-four Spirit Stones and handed them to Lin Xingcheng.


    Lin Xingcheng took the Spirit Stones and quickly brought back the Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    Seeing the exchange completed, Lin Tianming did not stay much longer, bid farewell to Lin Xingcheng, and returned to his own cave dwelling.


    Inside the cultivation room, he sat cross-legged on the floor and began to practice breathing exercises, not immediately starting the refinement of Second Order Pills.


    Once he felt his condition was sufficiently adjusted, he took out a great number of Alchemy Experiences and books, and began to meticulously review them.


    These Alchemy Experiences had been collected over the years, some of which were written by his grandfather, the originals of which had long been handed over to the family; what he had were just copied replicas.


    Before refining Second Order Elixirs, he had to make some additional preparations, and although he had already read through the Alchemy Experiences several times, further study would invariably yield some new insights.


    In the evening, after a day¡¯s study, he had finished reading through half of the notes.


    Having stored the read Alchemy Experiences into his storage bag, he then took out a Jade Bottle, poured out one Lingshen Pill from it, and held it between his fingers, closely observing it.


    This bottle contained three Lingshen Pills, the very ones Lin Shikang had gifted to him after his Foundation Establishment breakthrough. Being busy with Artifact Refining and practicing Divine Skills, he had not yet had the chance to consume them.


    Looking at the green and yellow pill, surrounded by faint spiritual energy, a unique fragrance filled the air.


    At this moment, he was somewhat hesitant. He had been cultivating the Tiangang Body Art for seven or eight years, and during these years, aside from cultivating, he had been constantly experimenting.


    He found that just by sitting in meditation and performing breathing exercises, he could withstand the pain generated during cultivation without relying on the Body Strengthening Pill.


    If he took elixirs to cultivate, in a very short amount of time, the excessive spiritual power, without the aid of elixirs, would make it easy to suffer a backlash and produce even more intense pain.


    It was still manageable during the Qi Refinement Realm, but for the Foundation Establishment Stage, he had not tried it and did not dare to attempt it lightly.


    ¡°This might just be the downside of a Heavenly Grade Technique.¡±


    Lin Tianming laughed at himself, seeming to understand, after all, there were no perfect cultivation techniques. To gain stronger power, one must inevitably pay more.


    Gathering his thoughts, considering he still had some First Order Body Strengthening Pills which could alleviate the pain a bit, he felt somewhat eager to try.


    After a while, he made up his mind and swallowed one.


    Upon taking the elixir, a special medicinal power spread out.


    He immediately circulated his cultivation technique, refining the medicinal power, while the generated spiritual power slowly flowed through his meridians, eventually converging in the Seven Sea Dantian.


    In a short time, just as he expected, the pain came, and it grew increasingly severe.


    At this point, his face was pale, and large beads of sweat kept sliding off, quickly disappearing as they hit the ground.


    Enduring the excruciating pain, he waved one hand and immediately took out a Body Strengthening Pill and a Strong Spirit Pill to ingest.


    Once the Body Strengthening Pill was taken, its special medicinal power spread rapidly throughout his body along the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.


    Regrettably, since the Body Strengthening Pill was a First Order Elixir, it could only relieve some of the pain and couldn¡¯t suppress it completely. Nevertheless, it was better than nothing, and it had some effect, allowing his complexion to regain a bit of color.


    Like this, with severe pain, he ran his cultivation technique to its limit, seeking to refine the power of the Lingshen Pill as quickly as possible to escape the extremely painful situation. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Three days passed.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming opened his eyes, which gradually became clearer from their previous muddiness.


    He examined the increased spiritual power within his Qi Sea Dantian, and although it wasn¡¯t much and the breakthrough was still very far off, it was still several times faster compared to meditative cultivation.


    Seeing that his cultivation had increased slightly beyond expectations, his expression eased a bit.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally over. That bone-eroding sensation is truly not something ordinary people can withstand.¡±


    Lin Tianming muttered softly, his eyes revealing a hint of apprehension.


    During these three days, every moment was an agony for him.


    Fortunately, after several years of cultivation, he had grown numb to ordinary pain, and with mental preparation, along with the aid of the Body Strengthening Pill, he had managed to endure.


    However, a new problem now lay before him.


    If he wanted to use elixirs to achieve a rapid improvement in his cultivation, he had to find Second Order auxiliary pills; otherwise, he could only rely on meditative cultivation.


    Or he could again endure the bone-eroding pain. Although his current cultivation was not very high, and with the Body Strengthening Pills, he could barely hold on for a while, this was not a long-term solution.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming said to himself,


    ¡°It seems that once the magic artifact is finished, I must find a way to go out and look for suitable elixirs to assist in my cultivation. Otherwise, my cultivation might come to a standstill, and in that case, I must expedite the timeline for my experience.¡±


    Regathering his focus, Lin Tianming temporarily buried this thought in his heart.


    Afterward, he formed a seal with both hands, circulating his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, and began to enter a state of recuperation.

 Chapter 171 - 171 - 144 Second Order Alchemist_1

    Chapter 171 ¨C 144 Second Order Alchemist_1


    Three days later, Lin Tianming opened his eyes.


    After several days of regulation and taking Spirit Origin Pills, the side effects had vanished without a trace. At this moment, he had regained his condition.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get started.¡±


    He muttered to himself and rose to his feet, heading towards the pill refining room.


    Sitting in the pill refining room, he took out the materials for the Second Order Spirit Origin Pill one by one, a total of twenty batches of materials, placing them on a stone platform beside him.


    Out of the twenty batches of spiritual medicine materials, thirteen were exchanged from the Hall of Merit, while the remaining seven had been slowly collected over the past few years.


    Materials for Second Order spiritual medicine are quite valuable. If he failed too often, it would inevitably cause a bit of heartache, so he had to be extra cautious.


    ...


    ¡°Huff huff.¡±


    Lin Tianming took a deep breath, relaxed his mind, and prepared to begin refining.


    After more than ten breaths had passed, he suddenly moved. With a single hand forming a spell, he efficiently went through the procedures before starting the alchemy process.


    As the pill furnace finished preheating, he waved his hand, and a piece of spiritual medicine flew into the Four Symbols Furnace.


    At this time, he extended his divine sense to observe the movements within the pill furnace.


    At the same time, he carefully manipulated his divine sense, in conjunction with the power of Earth Fire, to decompose the spiritual medicine and purify it, eventually forming a small cluster of essence brimming with spiritual energy, quietly lying at the bottom of the furnace.


    The first piece of spiritual medicine decomposed very smoothly, boosting his confidence immensely. However, he did not let it go to his head; he was very aware that this was just the first piece of spiritual medicine. There were more than ten other materials to process, and the subsequent steps were even more difficult than the first.


    He methodically decomposed all the spiritual medicine materials and purified them one by one, performing each step with utmost precision.


    An hour later, the furnace contained more than ten different colors of liquid.


    Seeing the variously colored essences of spiritual medicine, Lin Tianming nodded in satisfaction, couldn¡¯t help but remark,


    ¡°The difficulty of decomposing and purifying Second Order spiritual medicine really isn¡¯t something that First Order elixirs can compare to. If it were for decomposing First Order spiritual medicine, it probably wouldn¡¯t even take half an hour, but Second Order spiritual medicine takes more than double the time to complete.¡±


    As the first step was finally completed successfully, he did not dare delay, his expression turning serious once more.


    With a flick of his finger, a spell struck the core of the Earth Fire, and in an instant, a more intense flame burst forth from the furnace mouth.


    In the pill furnace, a surge of heat erupted instantly.


    As the temperature rose further, he took the opportunity to merge two clusters of spiritual medicine essence.


    Soon, the first fusion was successful, and the second went just as smoothly.


    After half an hour, more than ten types of spiritual medicine essences had all been successfully fused, forming a colorful spirit group, suspended within the Four Symbols Furnace. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at the multicolored essences of spiritual medicine merged together, already taking on the semblance of a pill,


    After a tense half day of refining that went rather smoothly, he was quickly approaching the final step of infusing spirituality.


    Now at the last and most crucial step, if the infusion of spirit was successful, and the elixir had spirituality, he would be considered to have entered the ranks of a Second Order Alchemist.


    Thinking about it, he started to get excited.


    A Second Order Alchemist held an extraordinary position, even in a place filled with mighty figures like Qianchuan Market, and was a person of significant influence.


    In the small region of the Luoyun Mountain Range, a Second Order Alchemist was the ceiling. Apart from his grandfather, who had just made a breakthrough, there was probably no second person.


    And he was about to take that step. Once successful, he would become the second person, and not only that, the only two Second Order Alchemists would both hail from the Lin Family, which was an exhilarating thought.


    At this moment, his expression grew even more solemn as he prepared to begin the last step. Feeling that it was about the right time, he suddenly shouted,


    ¡°Solidify!¡±


    Before his words had fallen, a burst of spiritual light shone from his fingertips, and a surge of spiritual power shot out, then entered the Four Symbols Furnace.


    Within the pill furnace, the medicine group formed by the fusion of more than ten kinds of spiritual medicine essences was enveloped by a unique spiritual power. In a mere moment, the spiritual power disappeared into the medicine group and was no longer visible.


    After completing these steps, Lin Tianming widened his eyes, closely observing the Four Symbols Furnace, not daring to miss any slight movement.


    Several moments later, still no semblance of a medicinal fragrance emerged from the furnace, nor was there any other movement.


    He opened the lid of the furnace with some confusion, then his expression turned somewhat unsightly, though it quickly returned to normal.


    At this time, inside the Four Symbols Furnace, more than ten pieces of variably-sized pill dregs lay scattered at the bottom, each with a hint of a burnt smell and distinctly different colors.


    Clearly, the first batch of elixirs had ended in failure.


    ¡°This Second Order elixir really isn¡¯t as easy to make as I imagined!¡±


    He sighed inwardly, Lin Tianming took out the wasted dregs and stored them separately in a Jade Bottle, and then recounted the entire pill refining process.


    Looking at the waste, Lin Tianming speculated that there should be no mistakes in the step of decomposing and purifying the spiritual medicine, as he had been extremely cautious with the assistance of the Eye of Five Colors, nearly achieving perfection.


    The most likely reason for the failure, he figured, must be the step of infusing spirit.


    Infusing spirit followed by solidifying the pill is the most critical and dangerous step in the entire alchemy process. If one does not handle the strength and timing of the infusion properly, it¡¯s easy to fail.


    He was not surprised by the failure of the first batch of elixirs.


    Even with the heaven-defying Eye of Five Colors, such a treasure for Alchemy, it would probably be hard to succeed on the first try.


    After all, this was his first time refining Second Order Elixirs, and compared to First Order Elixirs, the difficulty was not on the same level. If he succeeded in refining on his first attempt, that would be too contrary to the heavens.


    Thinking of this, his expression remained calm, and he did not get discouraged.


    Now that he had identified the problem, it was manageable. With more practice, he was certain to succeed.


    Making up his mind, he prepared to tidy up once more and try again when he was back in the right state.


    The next morning, after a night of recovery, Lin Tianming once again began Alchemy.


    The familiar Pill Refining Room, the familiar Spiritual Medicine and Alchemy steps, everything was orderly and started according to the process.


    In the second furnace refining, the power of the spiritual Infusion was still not enough to meet the requirements for Solidifying Pill, and it also ended in failure.


    In the third furnace, the amount of Spiritual Power needed for Infusion was too much, causing the Elixir Essence to turn into residue directly.


    ¡­


    Time slowly passed, and a month had gone by just like that.


    Within the Pill Refining Room at this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed, Spiritual Light flashing at his fingertips, evidently ready for Infusion of Spirit.


    When the Spiritual Light entered the Pill Furnace, and in less than a breath¡¯s time, a rich fragrance of medicine wafted through, quickly filling the entire Pill Refining Room.


    Feeling the medicinal fragrance, he became excited, his heart thrilled, and he couldn¡¯t wait to check on it.


    In an instant, Lin Tianming swiftly lifted the lid of the furnace, and the aroma in the Pill Refining Room suddenly became even more intense.


    Looking closely, he saw three dark green pills suspended motionlessly in the middle of the furnace, each the size of an apricot, with a faint Spiritual Power swirling around them, looking very tempting.


    ¡°These are Second Order Lingshen Pills.¡±


    His expression joyous, he exclaimed without delay.


    Picking up a pill he had refined, he then took out a Second Order Lingshen Pill from his storage bag and placed them side by side.


    Looking at the two pills, he checked everything from their outward appearance to color and the aura of the pills, scrutinizing them closely.


    After repeated examination and comparison, Lin Tianming was certain that these were indeed genuine Second Order Lingshen Pills without a doubt.


    Once he was sure there was no difference in the pills, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.


    After refining for a month, the mere twenty batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials had almost been used up, but at last, success came with the seventeenth furnace, and Second Order Elixirs had been produced.


    Although there were only three pills, he had now taken a significant step forward, qualifying as a competent Second Order Alchemist.


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    During the month, he cultivated through Alchemy by day and meditation by night, and the degree of his hard work was indisputable.


    The Second Order Elixirs having been successfully refined, and with the rest of the time spent in meditation, his cultivation level also grew at a modest pace, reaching the goal he had set before closing up for cultivation.


    Still, Lin Tianming quietly muttered to himself.


    ¡°It could still have been better, more meticulous. Otherwise, I might have succeeded a few furnaces earlier.¡±


    Such thoughts, if known by other Alchemists, would surely make them feel ashamed.


    Merely twenty batches of Alchemy Materials were needed to refine the first batch of Second Order Elixirs, and at such a pace, it was simply against the heavens; such a feat was rare in the Cultivation World and would doubtlessly cause a huge commotion if word got out.


    ¡°Although it wasn¡¯t meticulous enough, the goal was still achieved, and that¡¯s somewhat satisfying.¡±


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Tianming chuckled, the fatigue from the past month visibly diminishing a great deal.


    He reflected on the various problems that had appeared during the month of Alchemy, then summarized his shortcomings, making a series of adjustments.


    Looking at the remaining three batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, he sat down to meditate again to recover, preparing to give it his all and further solidify his Alchemy.


    Ten days later, Lin Tianming walked out of the Pill Refining Room, appearing in the small courtyard.


    Now, there was a faint smile on his face.


    In those ten days, he slowed down the pace of Alchemy, refining a batch every three days. Each time after refining, he would summarize the experience, identifying flaws and methods for improvement.


    After completing all this and adjusting himself to peak condition, he would then begin refining again.


    Under such diligent study and good patience, the last three batches of Alchemy Materials yielded a successful batch, with the number of pills reaching four.


    Beyond that, with every batch, he could feel his progress; with practice over time, the success rate and number of pills would surely improve steadily.


    Sitting in the courtyard, he took out all the Second Order Lingshen Pills and placed them on the stone table.


    From twenty batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, two successful batches resulted in seven pills, and together with two remaining pills from a bottle given by Lin Shikang, he had a total of nine pills left.


    Nowadays, without better auxiliary elixirs, he dared not easily cultivate with the aid of pills, for the pain that came with it was something he did not wish to endure again unless absolutely necessary.


    And Lin Shilu had not sent any news yet, which meant the Magic Artifact had not been successfully refined.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take these pills to the Hall of Merit to exchange for Spiritual Medicine Materials first, then have a reunion with my family. After that, I¡¯ll continue to refine pills and earn Spirit Stones. Once I leave the family, I¡¯ll need a lot of Spirit Stones, and meanwhile, I can wait for news from Lin Shilu.¡±


    Having made up his mind, he stood up and flew towards the Hall of Merit.

 Chapter 172 - 172 - 145 Successful Artifact Refining_1

    Chapter 172 ¨C 145 Successful Artifact Refining_1


    Within the Hall of Merit, Lin Tianming made his appearance.


    At this time, the Hall of Merit was still bustling with noise, with a large number of clan members busily exchanging various Spiritual Objects.


    Soon enough, it was his turn to step forward and make an exchange.


    After exchanging some pleasantries with Lin Xingcheng and chatting about trivial family matters, Lin Xingcheng then inquired about his purpose for coming.


    Lin Tianming, with a smile on his face, took out three Jade Bottles and placed them on the stone platform before him, saying,


    ¡°Uncle, these three bottles of Second Order Lingshen Pills, I would like to exchange them all for Spiritual Medicine Materials. If they¡¯re not enough, I¡¯ll make up the difference with Spirit Stones.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xingcheng picked up the Jade Bottles from the stone platform, uncapped them to take a look, and his face immediately registered disbelief.


    ...


    Stunned for a few moments before regaining his composure, Lin Xingcheng tentatively asked,


    ¡°Tian Ming, did you refine these elixirs yourself?¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, affirming the authenticity of the matter, which left Lin Xingcheng looking utterly shocked.


    In fact, even if Lin Tianming had denied it, the unique aura attached to the elixirs would have allowed him to discern who had crafted them.


    The reason he asked again was simply because he was still finding it hard to believe, especially since it had only been a month and a half, and Lin Tianming had successfully refined the Second Order Spirit Origin Pills, which meant he had become a Second Order Alchemist.


    Advancing as an Alchemist is not an easy feat, and for him to have become a Second Order Alchemist in less than ten years was simply too unbelievable.


    After a while, Lin Xingcheng regained his composure and began exchanging the Spiritual Medicine Materials for him.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming left the Hall of Merit carrying ten portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The original twenty portions of materials had only yielded seven pills, which in turn only allowed for the exchange of seven portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials. The remaining three portions of materials were a combination of the two he had been gifted by Shi Kang and over a hundred Spirit Stones he had added to make up the difference for ten portions.


    In other words, after more than a month, he had incurred considerable losses, but that was the norm for an Alchemist. If Alchemy were so easy, then everyone would be an Alchemist.


    In actuality, with his current pace, he was the envy of many, and it wouldn¡¯t take long for him to turn his losses into profits.


    Thinking of this, he was incredibly excited, and not at all distressed by the initial losses.


    Not long after, Lin Tianming arrived at the Alchemy Hall.


    At that moment, Lin Shigong was organizing Alchemy Materials, preparing to start the Alchemy process.


    Seeing Lin Tianming enter, he greeted him with a smile, quickly set down the Spiritual Medicine Materials in his hands, and said,


    ¡°You rascal, you said you wanted to go into seclusion for Alchemy. It¡¯s perfect timing that you¡¯re here, show me one round of your Alchemy, so I can see what level you¡¯ve reached, and I can give you some guidance.¡±


    Seeing that his grandfather wanted to test his Alchemy skills, Lin Tianming remained calm, showing no sign of perturbation.


    He found a cushion to sit down on, took out the Four Symbols Furnace,prepared the Spiritual Medicine Materials for himself, and then he started to regulate his breath, adjusting his state.


    After half an hour passed, he had reached an optimal state.


    He brought his palms together, and a spell struck the Pill Furnace and the Earth Fire outlet.


    As the Earth Fire surged forth and the temperature of the Pill Furnace reached the necessary degree for Alchemy, he began the refining process.


    Lin Shigong, watching Lin Tianming¡¯s proficient movements from the side, occasionally nodded, his expression filled with anticipation.


    Time slowly slipped by, and half a day quietly elapsed.


    When a fragrance of elixirs wafted out, Lin Tianming eagerly lifted the lid of the Furnace, revealing four elixirs suspended within.


    Lin Shigong waved a hand and caught one of the elixirs between his fingertips to inspect it.


    ¡°Indeed, these are Second Order Lingshen Pills, no doubt about that. This kid¡¯s progress is too fast!¡±


    After inspecting the elixirs, Lin Shigong was inwardly thrilled, affirming that Lin Tianming had indeed entered the ranks of Second Order Alchemists, and moreover, the success rate was quite good, almost catching up to him.


    Once he calmed down, he then expressed his admiration,


    ¡°You truly didn¡¯t disappoint us; in less than ten years of practice, you¡¯ve successfully stepped into the ranks of Second Order Alchemists.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming did not bask in self-satisfaction. The fact that he managed to successfully refine four pills in the first furnace involved some luck, which he was well aware of. Humbly, he replied,


    ¡°Grandfather, it¡¯s merely my good fortune. In fact, I¡¯ve only just broken through and can barely maintain a thirty percent pill success rate and yield three pills.¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s response, Lin Shigong was very pleased and continued with a smile on his face,


    ¡°You rascal, don¡¯t be too modest. In my opinion, as long as you practice more, you¡¯ll soon surpass me, maybe even catching up to the ranks of Second Order Medium Quality Alchemists faster than I did.¡±


    Lin Tianming let out a small laugh and quickly changed the subject, after which the two of them began to chat leisurely.


    ¡­


    In a room atop the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain designated for Artifact Refining, Lin Shilu was seated on the floor.


    In front of him, a cyan and red Spirit Sword was suspended above a Furnace Cauldron, beneath which, streams of scorching flames were baking it. Experience tales at


    He had a serious expression on his face, and sweat dripped down his forehead onto the hot stone platform with a sizzling sound as he flicked his fingers without cease, but he did not let this distract him from inscribing the Inscription Array.


    Such actions he had been maintaining for over a month now.


    In front of him on the blade of the Spirit Sword, countless special runes had emerged, occupying more than ninety percent of the surface area.


    As he kept working without pause, the number of runes continued to grow, about to cover the entire blade soon.


    Time flowed like water, quietly passing by.


    While Lin Tianming was having a casual chat with Grandpa, Lin Shilu sat in a secret room, his fingers suddenly moving to form a special seal.


    A beam of golden light shot out from the tip of his finger and struck the Spirit Sword at the top of the Pill Furnace.


    ¡°Clang clang clang.¡±


    In an instant, a sound of metal striking followed.


    The Spirit Sword, with its red and green hues, began to vibrate violently, and soon, a piercing sound spread throughout the entire Artifact Forging Room.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s face flushed with color as he watched the vibrating Spirit Sword, his fingers moving even faster, shooting inscription after inscription into the body of the sword.


    The Spirit Sword seemed to possess a certain Spirituality and resisted the inscriptions fiercely, vibrating even more intensely as if it wanted to break free from its constraints.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s expression became serious, and he muttered to himself.


    ¡°All this effort to forge you, if you were to escape, wouldn¡¯t it be a joke?¡±


    After a playful smile, he did not stop. While maintaining the vibrations of the Spirit Sword, he forced the last inscription to smash into its body.


    As soon as the inscription made contact with the blade, it quickly merged into the sword, engraving itself on the core system of the Spirit Sword.


    At the same time, the dense runes on the blade shone brightly, illuminating the dim Artifact Forging Room.


    At that moment, the Spirit Sword emitted a piercing sword cry.


    In less than the time of three breaths, the Artifact Forging Room returned to darkness, and the golden inscription on the surface of the Spirit Sword vanished without a trace.


    Inside the Artifact Forging Furnace, a Spirit Sword over a foot long hung quietly in the center, its intermingled red and green colors appearing slightly eerie¡ªas if stained with blood. Intense Sword Qi swirled around it.


    ¡°A Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact!¡±


    Lin Shilu exclaimed excitedly, then let out a long sigh of relief.


    This was a Second Order Medium Quality Spirit Sword Magic Artifact, forged with a multitude of treasures, including three types of Third Order Forging Materials, having taken a full month and a half to complete, specially crafted for Lin Tianming as a divine weapon.


    An artifact forged with so many treasures, consuming all his dedication, naturally did not need to mention its power, which was anything but ordinary.


    Although he had forged two Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifacts during these years, the difficulty of creating this one was the greatest, prone to failure, but fortunately, it was a success.


    Moreover, among all the treasures he had, this artifact was the one that satisfied him the most.


    Brimming with delight, Lin Shilu slapped the forging furnace, and the Spirit Sword flew out instantly, which he then grasped in his hand.


    His face glowed with health, and his heart was filled with joy as he looked at the red and green Spirit Sword, a satisfied smile on his face.


    ¡°Tian Ming must be really looking forward to this. He will definitely like it when he sees it,¡± he muttered softly to himself before stowing the Spirit Sword in a storage bag and, with a single-handed seal, sent out a Messaging Aura that swiftly passed through the restrictive formations and disappeared without a trace.


    After tidying up the clutter of the Artifact Refining Room, he exited and sat in the small courtyard, waiting.


    ¡­


    Inside the Alchemy Hall, Lin Tianming and Grandpa chatted, discussing everything from the family¡¯s recent situation to cultivation and Alchemy, chatting for a whole half-hour.


    As the day was drawing to a close, Lin Tianming prepared to stand up and take his leave.


    Just then, a streak of red light pierced through the restrictions of the Alchemy Hall and flew to stop in front of Lin Tianming¡ªit was the Messaging Aura send by Lin Shilu.


    Lin Tianming extended his Divine Sense to quickly browse the content. In less than the time of three breaths, the Messaging Aura dissipated.


    Receiving the message, he became extremely excited and quickly stood up, saying to Grandpa, ¡°Grandpa, I have something urgent to attend to, I won¡¯t bother you any longer. I¡¯ll come to visit another day!¡±


    Lin Shigong¡¯s face showed displeasure, but after giving a few words of advice, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Go on then!¡±


    Lin Tianming bowed respectfully to Lin Shigong, then headed out.


    Just at that moment, Lin Shigong seemed to remember something and hastily called out to him.


    Lin Tianming stopped, and saw him take out a storage bag and hand it over.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s puzzled expression, Lin Shigong showed a hint of wistfulness and spoke, ¡°You rascal, did you think I wouldn¡¯t know about you having your Fifteenth Grandfather help with refining an artifact?¡±


    ¡°Knowing him, forging an artifact for you would certainly cost him dearly. Here, take these two thousand Spirit Stones and three Jade Bottles of elixirs and give them to him,¡± he said.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming felt a lump in his throat, his eyes momentarily welling up before regaining composure.


    Although it had been more than two years since Grandpa reached the level of Second Order Alchemist, given the consumption of Spiritual Medicine required for advancing to Second Order, he probably didn¡¯t have many Spiritual Objects or resources left.


    Even though the family would bear some of the cost, they couldn¡¯t offer too many resources. Thus, these Spirit Stones and elixirs were likely all his grandfather¡¯s net worth.


    With this thought, Lin Tianming was silent for a long time and then, without being pretentious, accepted the storage bag.


    His Grandpa had worried over him so much that when his alchemy skills improved a bit, he would start to profit. Then he could repay his Grandpa double, and for now, these Spirit Stones and elixirs would be given to the Fifteenth Grandfather.


    With his mind made up, Lin Tianming did not linger.


    After bowing to Grandpa once more, he left the Alchemy Hall and headed quickly towards the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.

 Chapter 173 - 173 - 146: Great Increase in Strength_1

    Chapter 173 ¨C 146: Great Increase in Strength_1


    At the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, within Lin Shilu¡¯s small courtyard.


    At that moment, Lin Shilu appeared slightly fatigued, sitting on a stone chair, waiting for Lin Tianming¡¯s visit.


    It wasn¡¯t long before a transmission flew in; Lin Shilu waved one hand to open the courtyard¡¯s protective enchantment.


    Outside the courtyard, Lin Tianming rushed over in haste, seeing the enchantment open, he entered without hesitation.


    Upon entering the courtyard and seeing Lin Shilu¡¯s exhausted state, he knew the effort must have been significant.


    Lin Tianming felt touched in his heart, recalling all the help Lin Shilu had provided him, he immediately stepped forward to show his respect with a sincere bow.


    Just as he was about to speak, Lin Shilu chuckled and said,


    ...


    ¡°You can¡¯t wait any longer, can you?¡±


    ¡°This Magic Artifact took a lot of my effort to refine successfully; take a look!¡±


    As he finished speaking, Lin Shilu waved his sleeve, and a cyan and red Spirit Sword flew out, which Lin Tianming grabbed hold of.


    Lin Tianming looked at the cyan and red Spirit Sword in his hand, which was surrounded by a strong presence of Sword Qi.


    Lin Tianming could hardly believe it, and asked in doubt,


    ¡°Is this a Second Order Medium Grade Magic Artifact?¡±


    Lin Shilu smiled and stayed silent, neither confirming nor denying.


    Lin Tianming refrained from further questions, swung the Spirit Sword upward, and a faint Sword Qi shot out from the sword itself, easily shattering a nearby stone garden rockery.


    Witnessing the effects, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but express his amazement. Then, he withdrew the Spirit Sword, holding it in his palm with an expression of fondness.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu felt very gratified, his more than a month of laborious Artifact Refining now affirmed by Lin Tianming.


    It took a little while for Lin Tianming to stop waving the sword.


    Lin Shilu picked up a teacup, sipped a bit of Spiritual Tea, and then inquired,


    ¡°How is it? Are you satisfied?¡±


    Lin Tianming still looked excited, nodding eagerly like a pecking chicken, and spoke very sincerely,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, what are you saying? Such a divine and powerful weapon is terrifyingly potent; there are hardly a few like it even in the entire Luoyun Mountain Range. Of course, I¡¯m satisfied.¡±


    After flattering him for a while, he continued,


    ¡°It¡¯s just that it must have been hard for you during this time.¡±


    Having finished speaking, Lin Tianming took out a storage bag given by his grandfather and handed it over with both hands.


    Lin Shilu scanned the contents of the storage bag with his Divine Sense, his expression momentarily displeased, but soon he regained his calm and said,


    ¡°Tianming, you are being too formal. In crafting this Magic Artifact, you spared no expense. I have already received my payment; take these Spirit Stones back.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t take back the storage bag, maintaining his posture and saying nothing, as if he would not rest until it was accepted. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For a time, the two were silent, creating an awkward stillness in the air.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s stubbornness, Lin Shilu gave a wry smile and then said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll graciously accept these few elixirs then, but take back the Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Seeing Lin Shilu¡¯s slightly angered expression, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t dare to insist anymore and obediently followed his wishes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Lin Shilu chuckled, waved his hand, and gestured him to sit down.


    The two sat opposite each other, Lin Tianming pouring him a cup of Spiritual Tea,


    Lin Shilu took the cup with a smug look on his face and then said,


    ¡°This Spirit Sword contains lots of valuable materials. It¡¯s the Magic Artifact I¡¯m most satisfied with since I¡¯ve started refining. Don¡¯t let this sword go to waste, you little rascal.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression turned solemn, his eyes revealing a resolute battle spirit as he patted his chest and said,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, rest assured, I will not waste this sword. I will make it vanquish mighty foes and protect our family, to prove myself to you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s determined look and aura, Lin Shilu nodded approvingly and asked,


    ¡°This sword is quite powerful and doesn¡¯t have a name yet. Why don¡¯t you name it? Have you thought of a good one?¡±


    At this moment, Lin Tianming, touching the icy sword¡¯s body and feeling the surges of Sword Qi it emitted, quickly contemplated in his mind.


    This Spirit Sword was intended for use in combination with the Divine Firmament Nine Swords, focusing on attack. He didn¡¯t care much for a name, so he decided to name it straightforwardly after the Divine Skill¡ªsimple and clear.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming said,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, I have refined this sword to complement a Divine Skill. So let¡¯s name it after the skill; let¡¯s call it the Tiangang Sword. What do you think?¡±


    Lin Shilu naturally had no objections, he nodded with a laugh, accepting the name before praising,


    ¡°Tiangang Sword, the name is quite fitting and matches the sword¡¯s nature.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡±


    Lin Tianming was very satisfied, finalizing the name of the Spirit Sword, and then the two of them began to chat idly.


    After a quarter of an hour had passed, seeing Lin Shilu¡¯s weary expression, and eager to consecrate the Tiangang Sword and test its power, Lin Tianming planned to take his leave.


    Resolved, he spoke calmly,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, please focus on cultivating to recover your state. I will visit you again after some time has passed.¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded. A month of intense Artifact Refining had taken a great toll on his Divine Sense and Spiritual Power; he indeed felt exhausted.


    With the Spirit Sword now successfully transferred and seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s eagerness, he didn¡¯t hold him back any longer.


    ¡°You little rascal, go on then.¡±


    After admonishing him with a teasing scold and voicing a few reminders, Lin Shilu watched Lin Tianming leave the courtyard.


    ¡­ Continue your journey with


    Having left the courtyard, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t delay, immediately flying toward the small valley where he practiced his Divine Skills, at an astonishingly fast speed.

 Chapter 174 - 174 - 146 Great Increase in Strength_2

    Chapter 174 ¨C 146 Great Increase in Strength_2


    It didn¡¯t take long before he arrived at his destination.


    There was no one in the valley; it was exceptionally quiet, with only the occasional bird call.


    His expression serene, he took out the Tiangang Sword from his storage bag and held it in his hand.


    Looking at the Tiangang Sword in his hand, the interplay of blue and red hues, and the fluctuations of Sword Qi attached to it, he knew it was indeed not something a First Order Spiritual Tool could compare with.


    Although he had not yet performed the recognition and refinement ritual, and thus could not be certain of the Tiangang Sword¡¯s power, judging from the aura of the Spirit Sword, it definitely qualified as a fine piece among Magic Artifacts.


    Such a Second Order Magical Artifact was naturally precious beyond words.


    To know, a Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact, among the Lin Family¡¯s Foundation Establishment Cultivators, only Lin Shilu and Lin Shikang had, and perhaps only he could have one; even Clan Leader Lin Shihua used only a lower quality Second Order Magical Artifact against foes.


    ...


    Not only that, even in Qianchuan Market, the vast majority of Foundation Establishment Cultivators used lower quality Second Order Magical Artifacts, only some with considerable wealth could afford better.


    Thinking of these things, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t wait to perform the recognition and refinement rite and see how powerful it actually was.


    Having made up his mind, he immediately sat down cross-legged, circulated his Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation, and then began to adjust his state.


    An hour silently passed, his state reached its peak.


    He opened his eyes, waved his hand, and the Tiangang Sword flew over, hovering motionless in front of him.


    He formed spells with one hand, bombarding the Tiangang Sword with spell after spell.


    ¡°Clang, clang, clang¡­¡±


    Several sharp noises transmitted, then morphed into melodious sounds similar to wind chimes, extremely pleasant to hear.


    Lin Tianming was not affected at all. He flicked his fingers continuously, the spells speeding further, transforming into strands of Spiritual Light enveloping the entire sword.


    At that moment, the Tiangang Sword began to vibrate violently, seeming to want to escape his control.


    ¡°Thinking of escaping from my palm? I won¡¯t let you have your way!¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression turned serious, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, accurately sprayed onto the surface of the sword¡¯s body.


    In an instant, the fresh blood rapidly penetrated into the sword¡¯s body and soon disappeared from sight.


    Meanwhile, the shaking of the Spirit Sword intensified, and Sword Qi began to burst forth. If he was not careful, it could have easily eluded his control.


    Fortunately, he had anticipated this, and as the Spirit Sword vibrated, Lin Tianming fully operated his Cultivation Technique to firmly suppress the sword, then brought forth a strand of Divine Sense to imprint into the sword¡¯s core.


    Seizing the opportunity, he began refining the sword, and then solidly inscribed his Divine Sense onto the core, achieving the purpose of controlling the Spirit Sword.


    As the process advanced, the Spirit Sword¡¯s reaction gradually calmed, no longer resisting fiercely.


    Time slowly passed, and three days went by like this.


    After his relentless refinement through day and night, with a light and airy sword cry, the Tiangang Sword soared out, flying a hundred meters into the sky, and began spinning nonstop.


    Looking up, as the Tiangang Sword spun, a powerful Sword Qi erupted, sweeping up the faint surrounding Spiritual Energy into a massive storm.


    Below the Tiangang Sword, sand and rocks flew, dust filled the air, and numerous stones were pulverized by the Sword Qi.


    ¡°Tiangang Sword, you truly haven¡¯t disappointed me!¡±


    Lin Tianming exclaimed in admiration, then with a wave of his hand, he summoned the Tiangang Sword back to his side.


    With the return of the Tiangang Sword, the process of refining and recognizing the Spirit Sword as its master was also thoroughly completed.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming appeared somewhat fatigued, but looking at the Tiangang Sword that affectionately orbited around him nonstop after being recognized as its master, the tiredness in his eyes dissipated a great deal.


    ¡°The Tiangang Sword is still so spiritual; its power must be extraordinary!¡±


    After chuckling lightly, he casually waved his hand, and the Tiangang Sword flew into his grasp. He then carefully felt the enthusiasm of the Tiangang Sword.


    ¡°Now that the refinement is complete, it¡¯s time to test the power of Divine Skills.¡±


    After muttering to himself, Lin Tianming tossed the Tiangang Sword into the air, then his hands formed seals, assuming an extremely peculiar gesture.


    At the same time, he immediately began chanting a special spell.


    ¡°Tiangang Nine Swords First Sword, go for it¡­¡±


    In an instant, the Tiangang Sword shone brightly with golden light, transforming into a Golden Greatsword that flew at a terrifying speed toward a small hill a thousand feet away.


    When a heaven-shattering boom resonated, the Golden Light Greatsword directly pierced through the several hundred feet tall small hill, blasting a bottomless hole in the middle of its side.


    After the golden Sword Qi dissipated and the dust settled, his figure was revealed.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s face was somewhat pale, his spiritual power nearly depleted, and his blood and Qi churned so violently that he almost stumbled.


    He paid no attention to his own condition, and with a leap, he flew to the edge of the hole in the small hill to inspect it.


    After careful inspection, he discovered that the hole had gone straight through the entire hill.


    Although the hill was only a hundred feet in diameter, it had been completely pierced by the sword.


    Seeing the destructive power, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, Continue reading stories on .com


    ¡°This Tiangang Sword Qi, when executed with a Second Order magical artifact, is truly terrifyingly powerful.¡±


    After muttering to himself quietly, he began to ponder.


    This Tiangang Sword Qi consumed too much spiritual power, just one strike had used up most of his spiritual energy. Although his spiritual power was only half-full and not at its peak before executing this divine skill, even so, even in his prime, it would cost him dearly to execute the second strike.


    However, the power of this divine skill was truly terrifying. When combined with a Second Order Medium Quality magical artifact, it was definitely one of his strongest divine skills so far.


    He even speculated that this divine skill might not be weaker than the Sword Qi condensed by the Great Sun Sword Qi Art, and it was strong enough to be used as his ultimate trump card.


    The power of the Tiangang Sword exceeded his expectations, but as the magical artifact grew more potent, executing it became increasingly difficult, impacting its speed and stability as well.


    ¡°It seems that I need to practice more to meet the requirements for combat,¡± he said.


    Regaining his thoughts, his expression was still excited. The power of the Tiangang Sword had exceeded his expectations, greatly enhancing his strength.


    With no pressing matters at hand, he naturally wanted to further cultivate this divine skill as soon as possible.


    Resolving to do so, he sat down on the spot and began to recover his spiritual power.


    Time flew swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.


    Within the small valley, the Tiangang Sword above Lin Tianming¡¯s head radiated bright golden light, and a terrifying Sword Qi burst forth, its speed more than double that of the first time he had executed it.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the little mountain, riddled with holes, was struck by the Sword Qi again and subsequently collapsed thunderously.


    However, the penetrative Tiangang Sword Qi didn¡¯t stop there; it continued at lightning speed to strike another mountain.


    With a loud explosion, even the larger hill was pierced through.


    Yet, after piercing the second hill, the Golden Sword Qi quickly dissipated into the sky.


    As the vibrations ended and the sky returned to calm, the hilly valley, now riddled with holes, was revealed.


    The valley, with several hundred-foot-tall hills, had completely collapsed. The original geographical features had been utterly transformed, and anyone not extremely familiar with the place would not be able to recognize its previous appearance.


    Standing up in an open area, Lin Tianming had a sly smile on his face, seemingly very satisfied with the power of the Tiangang Sword Qi.


    For the past month, he had not left the area, practicing day and night nonstop. Whenever his spiritual power returned to its peak, he would begin to execute the Divine Firmament Nine Swords.


    After repeated practice over a month, the first sword of the Tiangang Nine Swords had made great progress. Its casting speed and stability were efficient enough to confront a Foundation Establishment Second Layer cultivator and even hold its ground against a Third Layer cultivator. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Besides, his spiritual power and proficiency had also slowly improved, bringing him ever closer to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.


    Had he not lacked elixirs to assist in his cultivation, with such diligent practice, he might have already been ready to attempt a breakthrough.


    Gathering his thoughts, he waved his hand and summoned the distant Tiangang Sword back to him, then put it into his storage bag.


    Looking at the drastically altered valley, he left the area without a backward glance, flying towards his cave dwelling.

 Chapter 175 - 175 - 147 Gossip_1

    Chapter 175 ¨C 147 Gossip_1


    The next morning, at dawn. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the first rays of the morning sun pierced the clouds and shone into Lin Tianming¡¯s courtyard,


    he opened his eyes and sat by the window. After a night¡¯s rest, he had recovered his composure. Discover hidden tales at


    Gazing out the window at the sky, Lin Tianming fell into deep thought.


    Since his entry into the Foundation Establishment Stage, more than half a year had passed.


    Time truly flies, Lin Tianming mused. A year for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator is but one or two sessions of secluded cultivation, and not even considered that long for Qi Refining Cultivators.


    In this half-year span, his progress in cultivation wasn¡¯t significant; he was still at the first layer of Foundation Establishment, barely reaching the Medium Stage and some distance away from the Second Layer.


    ...


    But setting aside cultivation, he had made significant advancements in alchemy and Divine Skills.


    He delved into Alchemy, practiced Divine Skills tirelessly, and sought every means to enhance his strength, all to increase his methods of survival.


    Effort does not betray the diligent¡­


    Fortunately, input correlated with gain. After expending years of accumulation, he had forged an even more massive Sword Array and the formidable Tiangang Sword.


    Now, he had become a Second Order Alchemist, and in Divine Skills, he had the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to trap enemies, the strong offensive technique of the Tiangang Ninth Sword, and the Great Sun Sword Qi Art that he had been refining for years. His methods for confronting opponents had improved significantly.


    ¡°Having been in Foundation Establishment for so long, it¡¯s about time to look for an opportunity to go out for training in half a year!¡±


    ¡°However, before I leave, I should try to further improve my alchemy. Once I¡¯m out of the family, it will be difficult to find a safe and quiet environment for cultivation like before!¡±


    After talking to himself, Lin Tianming tidied up his room briefly and then entered the Pill Refining Room.


    Sitting in the Pill Refining Room, he skillfully prepared for alchemy and then began to adjust his state.


    Having refined Second Order Pills twice before, the process was now much easier.


    In the Pill Refining Room, Spiritual Medicine Materials were purified and the Infusion of Spirit was completed. Only when the fragrance of the pills wafted out could the alchemy be deemed successful.


    In the blink of an eye, more than twenty days passed, and the ten batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials he had exchanged for pills were all refined.


    Ten batches of materials yielded success in four rounds of alchemy, with a pill success rate of three to four per batch, which was quite stable.


    He looked at the several Jade Bottles in front of him containing thirteen Second Order Spirit Origin Pills and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.


    After days of practice, he had finally reached a breakeven point with his alchemy skills.


    He planned to exchange the pills he had refined for Spiritual Medicine, take the opportunity to further improve his Alchemy, and earn some Spirit Stones. Otherwise, it would be very troublesome to be penniless when he set out for training.


    After tidying up the Pill Refining Room, he left and flew towards the Hall of Merit.


    Before long, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingcheng were sitting across from each other.


    After a brief chat, Lin Tianming inquired,


    ¡°Uncle, how many Second Order Spirit Origin Pill Materials does the family have left? Are there enough for alchemy?¡±


    After speaking, Lin Xingcheng took out the ledger to check. With a grave expression, he said,


    ¡°The Materials for the Second Order Spirit Origin Pills are difficult to collect. In the past, the family didn¡¯t have a Second Order Alchemist, so we couldn¡¯t refine Second Order Pills. But over the years, we¡¯ve amassed quite a lot of Materials.¡±


    ¡°The number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the family is increasing, and to supply seven or eight cultivators with pills, we will soon have a shortage of Spiritual Medicine.¡±


    ¡°In the last two years, your grandfather became a Second Order Alchemist and used up a lot of Materials, nearly depleting the reserves we earned from the big family battle.¡±


    ¡°The family¡¯s proficiency in alchemy isn¡¯t high. We can only produce a limited number of pills each month. The materials are collected through Luoyun Market, and adding the substantial Spiritual Medicine Gardens of the Jin and Wu Families, we have managed to ensure a steady supply so far.¡±


    Hearing Lin Xingcheng¡¯s words, Lin Tianming nodded in agreement.


    Alchemists need a large amount of Spiritual Medicine Materials for practice when advancing, which quickly consumes vast resources and it¡¯s difficult to achieve success in a short time. Only those with an exceptional talent for alchemy can attain a certain pill success rate and quantity to break even swiftly; otherwise, most people simply cannot afford the cost.


    His grandfather was lucky. The family spent a great deal of resources for him to practice, allowing them to produce a Second Order Alchemist once again.


    Coming back to his senses, Lin Tianming asked,


    ¡°Uncle, I currently need a lot of Spiritual Medicine Materials to practice. How much can be exchanged?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Xingcheng answered,


    ¡°We have just over fifty batches of registered Spiritual Medicine Materials left in the storehouse and the garden. How many do you need?¡±


    Lin Tianming considered the Spirit Stones he had, totaling just under two thousand, which had been given by his grandfather, along with the thirteen pills he intended to exchange for Spiritual Medicine Materials. After refining them, he planned to convert the pills into Spirit Stones and repay his grandfather.


    Having made up his mind, he took out the pills and Spirit Stones he had and handed them to Lin Xingcheng.


    After taking the pills and Spirit Stones, Lin Xingcheng calculated and went to the storehouse to gather the Spiritual Medicine Materials for him.


    A quarter of an hour later, Lin Tianming left the Hall of Merit with twenty-five batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    Returning to his own courtyard, he once again entered a frenzied state of alchemy.


    Time flew by, and two months passed in a flash.


    Inside the Pill Refining Room, Lin Tianming looked weary as he sat in front of more than twenty Jade Bottles filled with the fruits of his exhaustive alchemy efforts.

 Chapter 176 - 176 - 147: Insider Information_2

    Chapter 176 ¨C 147: Insider Information_2


    For the past two months, he spent his days concocting elixirs and his nights meditating to recover his spiritual power and divine sense, not wasting a single moment.


    Exhausting all the merit points and spirit stones he had, along with the elixirs he previously made, he exchanged for twenty-five portions of spiritual medicine materials. After two months of secluded cultivation, he successfully refined them all.


    As he produced more and more Second Order pills, his alchemy skills improved rapidly.


    Now, when concocting Second Order Lingshen Pills, his success rate stabilized at fifty percent, and he usually produced around four pills per batch, which was a tremendous improvement.


    Before he went into seclusion, he exchanged for twenty-five portions of spiritual medicine materials and successfully obtained forty-eight Second Order Lingshen Pills.


    Looking at his harvest, Lin Tianming revealed a hint of a gratified smile.


    After storing the elixirs in his storage bag and tidying up the Pill Refining Room, he walked out.


    ...


    Shortly after, he arrived at the Hall of Merit of the family.


    Finding Lin Xingcheng, they chatted idly for a few moments before he took out fourteen bottles of Lingshen Pills, totaling forty-two Second Order Lingshen Pills.


    Since he was not planning to use the pills for cultivation just yet, he only kept six pills for emergencies and exchanged the vast majority for spirit stones.


    Lin Xingcheng took the elixirs, swept them with his divine sense to confirm they met the standards, and then said,


    ¡°Forty-two pills, totaling six thousand seven hundred and twenty merit points.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded and said,


    ¡°Uncle, exchange for five portions of spiritual medicine materials, and settle the rest in spirit stones!¡±


    Lin Xingcheng acknowledged and went into the storeroom deep inside the main hall to get the spiritual medicine and spirit stones for him.


    In no time, Lin Xingcheng came back out with a storage bag, which he handed over to him.


    After receiving the storage bag, he projected his divine sense into it, and saw the items within it appear in his mind¡ªfive portions of spiritual medicine materials and more than five thousand six hundred spirit stones.


    After confirming the amounts were correct, Lin Tianming did not linger. After exchanging a few polite words of thanks, he left the Hall of Merit, feeling completely satisfied, and flew towards the Alchemy Hall.


    In less than half an hour, Lin Tianming appeared outside the grand hall of the Alchemy Hall.


    At that moment, the grand hall was bustling with activity. More than a dozen young family members were sitting on cushions, listening intently to Lin Shigong as he explained the basics of alchemy.


    Among the group of young family members, like him, were those of the same Tian generation, both male and female, all under twenty years old.


    A family member dressed in a golden robe stood up and asked Lin Shigong, who was on the high platform,


    ¡°Ninth Grandpa, is the Golden Elixir Flame that you spoke of unique to Golden Elixir Experts?¡±


    Hearing the question, Lin Shigong smiled gently, looking amiable and approachable, as he patiently began to answer.


    Outside the grand hall, having witnessed the whole scene, he was momentarily lost in a trance, as if he had returned to the scene from over ten years ago when he was but a teenager.


    Looking at the younger family members focused on learning the basics of alchemy, he too had gone through the same experience ten years ago, except that at that time the family did not have many members, nor did they have the resources or energy to train a large number of alchemists.


    Nowadays, with abundant resources and encouraging policies, coupled with the inheritance of other families, the Lin Family has produced many talents in the Four Arts of Cultivation. Quite a few family members under the age of twenty have become First Order Medium Grade alchemists or even Artifact Refiners.


    Regaining his focus and seeing his grandfather deeply engrossed in teaching, he did not interrupt and quietly waited on the side.


    After half an hour, Lin Shigong finished his lesson and dismissed the family members.


    Once the family members had dispersed, Lin Tianming approached, and the grandfather and grandson sat in the main hall, chatting leisurely.


    ¡°Tian Ming, you¡¯ve been alchemizing a lot lately. What¡¯s your current success rate and pill yield?¡±


    Seeing his grandfather inquire about his alchemizing, Lin Tian Ming did not hold back and honestly relayed his progress. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although his grandfather had long known of his extraordinary talent in alchemy, he was still amazed when he heard the response.


    Back when he achieved Foundation Establishment, it took him three years and hundreds of batches of pills to reach the level Lin Tianming had achieved.


    ¡°My boy, you¡¯re beyond comparison!¡±


    Lin Shigong exclaimed, his face beaming with a broad smile, his heart filled with immense joy.


    After calming down, he asked,


    ¡°You have entered the Foundation Establishment Stage for a while now. Do you have any subsequent plans or intentions?¡±


    Lin Tianming chuckled, for he had come today precisely to discuss his options with his grandfather and to hear his opinion.


    Since his grandfather had brought it up proactively, he opened his mouth to reply:


    ¡°Grandfather, it will be difficult for me to make progress in the short term. Therefore, I want to go out and gain some experience!¡±


    Lin Shigong furrowed his brow, remembering the matter mentioned to him by Clan Leader Lin Shihua, before speaking up:


    ¡°Tianming, in another month, it will be time for the family meeting. The family plans to organize a caravan to go to Qianchuan Market for development. I suggest you participate!¡±


    ¡°Organize a caravan to develop in Qianchuan Market?¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s puzzled expression, Lin Shigong explained:


    ¡°Several years have passed since the family war, and the Luoyun Market is now well-managed by the family. However, over these years, the number of high-order cultivators in the family has increased rapidly, with many above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.¡±


    ¡°As the scope of mundane affairs we manage grows larger and the number of Lin Family Members increases dramatically, if we merely rely on Luoyun Market and rest on our laurels, our accumulated resources may be exhausted in ten years, making further development difficult!¡±


    Hearing his grandfather¡¯s explanation, although Lin Tianming hardly participated in the family¡¯s operation, he quickly understood the underlying reasons.


    After the family war ended, the territory controlled by the Lin Family had expanded to over twenty towns, with a civilian population reaching over two million.


    With such a massive scale of civilians, every three years, the family would gain at least a dozen members with spiritual roots. Over the years, the number of cultivators in the family may have surpassed its peak period.


    As the treatment of clan members improved significantly, sustaining these lower-level cultivators required a large amount of resources from the family each year.


    And this was just part of it; the bulk of the burden lay with the Foundation Establishment Cultivators and those cultivating the Four Arts of Cultivation.


    After all, the monthly stipend for the eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators and more than ten cultivators above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, who formed the upper echelons of the family, wasn¡¯t a small amount of spirit stones.


    In terms of cultivating skills, he was well aware that the consumption was like a bottomless pit. Yet, for the family¡¯s long-term development, supporting the development of the Four Arts of Cultivation, even if costly, was a necessary expense.


    Fortunately, after several years of family support, there had been significant progress in the Four Arts of Cultivation.


    His grandfather and he had both become Second Order Alchemists, and Lin Xingyuan, who had also broken through to Foundation Establishment, had already been a First-Order Superior Grade Alchemist before. It shouldn¡¯t be long before he would reach the Second Order norms.


    When it came to Artifact Refining, it had always been a strong suit for the family.


    Although Lin Shilu remained a Second Grade Medium Quality Artifact Refiner and had difficulty advancing in the short term, the family already had no fewer than five First Order Superior Grade Artifact Refiners, and their number was growing. Once they broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, they would eventually become Second Order Refiners.


    In other skill areas, within the Way of Talisman Making, there was yet to be a Second Order Inscription Master, and there were only two First Order Superior Grade Talisman Makers. However, this area too was developing rapidly, and any talented family members who took up this skill were bound to make a mark.


    As for the Way of Formation Setting, it was too demanding of the clan members¡¯ comprehension abilities. So far, only two had become First Order Medium Grade, but their young age and good talent meant they had a lot of room for improvement.


    Thinking of this, the resources the family needed to consume each year must be astronomical.


    Indeed, after the great war ended, the Lin Family acquired resources worth nearly a million spirit stones, but the current rate of development would not last for long.


    Doing this math, the family did indeed need to find new revenue streams and make more preparations, which was an expected outcome.


    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming finally understood why the family was laying the groundwork in advance.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming asked:


    ¡°Grandfather, do you know how the family plans to arrange this matter? Has any word come out?¡±


    Considering Lin Tianming¡¯s inquiry, Lin Shigong thought for a moment. The Qianchuan Market affair was not a secret, and moreover, it involved his own grandson, so he spoke directly:


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    ¡°The matter has not yet been decided. However, it has been a topic of private discussion among us old folks. In a few days, the family meeting will be held, and it¡¯s very likely that this matter will come up. Once approved, the implementation will proceed swiftly.¡±


    After saying this, he continued:


    ¡°I am merely giving you a heads-up. You can take this into consideration but there¡¯s no need to put too much concern into it!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded in response. With only a month left until the family meeting, there was no need for haste.


    All he needed to do was wait for the family¡¯s decision and consider his options afterwards. As for the time being, he could focus on cultivation and prepare a bit more.


    Having made up his mind, after chatting casually with his grandfather, the two of them left the Alchemy Hall together.

 Chapter 177 - 177 - 148 The Grand Clan Meeting_1

    Chapter 177 ¨C 148 The Grand Clan Meeting_1


    Time flies, and the month has quickly passed.


    During this period, Lin Tianming led a fulfilling life, refining elixirs and delving into the Alchemy Dao during the day, while at night, accompanied by the moonlight, he engaged in seated meditation and breath control.


    Besides, he would occasionally visit the Alchemy Hall to teach basic Alchemy knowledge on behalf of his grandfather, and at the Skill Transmission Hall, he would also lend a helping hand for a few days.


    His arrival excited both Lin Shigong and Lin Shigang immensely, who gladly became absentee managers for a while.


    As for Lin Tianming himself, many of the clan members around ten years of age had never seen him in person. They¡¯d only heard of his glorious deeds, and many had even taken him as a role model.


    Seeing him teach in person, the young clan members were both surprised and delighted. Unlike the stiff Lin Shigong and Lin Shigang, Lin Tianming¡¯s teaching was relaxed and fascinating, easily mingling with the younger clan members.


    After a month of interaction, Lin Tianming got acquainted with quite a few young cultivators in the family and left them with a good impression of himself.


    ...


    His cultivation didn¡¯t fall behind either, it continued to grow slowly, and he had used up all the Spiritual Medicine Materials at hand to produce more than twenty elixirs.


    One morning, the dawn pierced the clouds, shining light on every corner of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Within his cave abode on the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Tianming was in the training room.


    Seated on the floor, he opened his eyes that had been closed for quite some time, stood up, stretched his slightly stiff waist, and then tidied up the training room.


    Today was the annual Clan Assembly. In the past, without significant matters to discuss, many higher-ups in the clan would be absent, including him, as he would not attend every time. After all, there were often critical moments in cultivation or breakthroughs, which naturally took precedence.


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    A few days before the start of this Clan Assembly, Lin Shihua had made a point of sending word to him early, asking him to make every effort to attend.


    After learning some advance news from his grandfather, it was evident that this Clan Assembly was very important and that there would certainly be significant matters to discuss.


    ¡°Today is the day of the Clan Assembly, and it¡¯s getting late; I should set out!¡±


    He murmured softly to himself, then straightened his robes and left his dwelling.


    ¡­


    At the break of dawn, the light of the morning sun seeped through the clouds, illuminating the land.


    In the entire Green Bamboo Mountain domain, many clan members were moving between the peaks, and a large number of them began to bustle about, with some heading towards the Elders¡¯ Council halfway up the mountain.


    As the number of clan members increased, the courtyards at the foot of the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain multiplied, and the daily activities of the traveling clan members also increased, making Green Bamboo Mountain livelier and livelier.


    However, the bustling scene at the foot of the mountain did not disturb the area at the top of the mountain.


    At the top of the main peak, Lin Tianming left his dwelling in the western courtyards and headed toward the Clan Elders¡¯ Assembly.


    While crossing the enormous Bluestone Plaza, a familiar voice called out.


    ¡°Younger Brother Six.¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming turned his head to see Lin Tianhong emerging from a courtyard in the East District and flying towards him.


    Lin Tianhong, son of Lin Xingping, had moved to live at the top of the Peak after Lin Xing Ping¡¯s Foundation Establishment was successful, residing in his father¡¯s cave dwelling in the East District.


    ¡°Big Brother Two!¡±


    The two hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time; he immediately stepped forward, greeting him with a bow, then they chatted casually.


    ¡°Big Brother Two, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve seen each other, how have you been?¡±


    Lin Tianhong greeted him with a smile and cheerfully responded,


    ¡°Thanks to the blessing of Younger Brother Six, I¡¯ve been very well. I¡¯ve almost always been in seclusion for the past few years. It¡¯s hard to meet you even when I leave seclusion; such a rare encounter today is indeed not easy.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve had a chance to gather.¡± Sighing, he also sized up Lin Tianhong.


    After a long absence, Lin Tianhong had also reached the Qi Cultivation Eighth Level. It was clear that he was very hardworking in his cultivation and, with his good talent and status as an Alchemist, had doubled his efficiency.


    ¡°Younger Brother Six, many elders will be attending the Clan Assembly today. Do you know why they are assembling on such a grand scale?¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianhong¡¯s puzzled look, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t keep secrets. Indeed, the day¡¯s Clan Assembly was bound to discuss these issues, so revealing a bit in advance wouldn¡¯t matter.


    With this thought, he briefly shared the reasons his grandfather had mentioned.


    ¡°Forming a caravan? Going to develop in Qianchuan Market!¡±


    Lin Tianhong was equally puzzled, but after Lin Tianming¡¯s explanation, he excitedly said,


    ¡°No wonder the family is giving such importance to this Clan Assembly. I heard many clan members received summons to attend, and even I am attending for the first time!¡±


    With excitement on his face, Lin Tianhong didn¡¯t give Lin Tianming time to reply, peppering him with questions in quick succession.


    ¡°Younger Brother Six, I wonder what kind of requirements the family has for the caravan. Otherwise, we might be able to join and contribute to the family!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but this is a matter that the family will discuss further. As for the details, we¡¯ll have an answer today.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded and pondered the matter in his heart.


    Qianchuan Market was, after all, a mid-sized market with no shortage of powerhouses. The opportunities and treasures there were far beyond what Luoyun Mountain Range could offer, so he was also interested in joining.


    However, he conjectured that the caravan would not easily allow the younger generation to participate, as in a place with as many powerhouses as Qianchuan Market, the Qi Refinement Realm simply wasn¡¯t significant.


    Before they knew it, the two had arrived at the Clan Elders¡¯ Assembly.


    Standing before the Elders¡¯ Council Hall, they saw many clan members coming and going, and Lin Tianming and his companion greeted each one.


    Soon, a hearty laugh echoed, and Lin Tianfeng descended from the sky, landing beside them.


    The three exchanged salutes, and Lin Tianfeng didn¡¯t forget to give each a hug, catching them a little off guard.

 Chapter 178 - 178 - 148 The Grand Clan Meeting_2

    Chapter 178 ¨C 148 The Grand Clan Meeting_2


    After the three of them split up, Lin Tianfeng joked:


    ¡°Wow, second brother, you¡¯re doing quite well with your cultivation, already at the Qi Refining Eighth Level. After the clan meeting is over, you¡¯ll have to spar with your big brother!¡±


    Hearing this and thinking of Lin Tianfeng, that battle maniac who was even one small realm higher than himself, Lin Tianhong¡¯s face immediately changed, showing a hint of fear.


    However, Lin Tianhong was not at all flustered and quickly replied:


    ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m no match for you. If you¡¯re itching to fight, why not let our sixth brother spar with you for a few moves?¡±


    Before his words fell, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s aura instantly dissipated like a receding tide, and he said with a smile:


    ¡°No, no, the sixth brother is no ordinary person. Sparring with him would be simply asking for trouble!¡±


    ...


    Lin Tianhong chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re just bullying me because my cultivation level is one tier lower than yours. When it comes to the sixth brother, you back off, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Knowing that it was all in jest, Lin Tianming and the others exchanged smiles and no longer discussed the matter, then they entered the great hall together.


    In the great hall, around a huge round table, more than twenty people were already seated, chatting quietly in pairs and groups.


    At the prominent seats, Lin Shihua was meditating quietly, waiting for the clan members to arrive.


    After greeting their fellow clan members, Lin Tianming and the others walked to a corner and found seats for themselves.


    After half an hour had passed, the clan members arrived one after another, and the seats that were originally empty gradually filled up with clanspeople.


    At this moment, the great hall had gathered more than thirty people, all of whom were at or above the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, and many were attending the clan meeting for the first time.


    Looking at the gathering of clanspeople, Lin Tianming fell into thought.


    Before the great family war, the Lin Family had, at most, only dozens of cultivators above the Fifth Level Qi Practice.


    Now, in the great hall, there were more than thirty clanspeople at or above the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, not including those who were carrying out family missions or were too busy with their secluded cultivation to attend. If everyone were to return to the family, the number would likely not be less than eighty.


    In just a few years, the Lin Family¡¯s combat power had been rapidly restored, setting aside the Foundation Establishment Cultivators not to mention, just the Qi Refinement Stage clanspeople had even surpassed the level before the war.


    From this, it was evident how swiftly the family had developed in these years.


    ¡°So many clanspeople require support; the resources needed must be immense, no wonder the family had to seek alternative solutions,¡± he reflected.


    Just as he was contemplating, a glint of Spiritual Light flashed through the restrictions of the great hall. Led by Lin Shikang, with Lin Shilu and a few others following, a group of people entered the great hall. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the exception of Lin Xingrong, who was guarding Golden Horn Mountain, and Lin Xingyuan, who was in charge of overseeing Luoyun Market, all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Lin Family had come.


    Seeing the group enter, Lin Shihua took the lead and the clanspeople in the great hall all stood up and greeted them with a salute.


    Lin Shikang laughed heartily and, along with Lin Shilu and the others behind him, nodded in acknowledgment and greeted some clanspeople.


    When his gaze fell on Lin Tianming, he saluted with his hands, then raised his head to look at Lin Shikang whom he hadn¡¯t seen for over a year.


    Gazing at Lin Shikang¡¯s kindly face, although his presence was restrained and he looked like an ordinary person, for some reason, Lin Tianming still felt an invisible pressure, causing his heart to palpitate.


    ¡°Could it be that Third Grandfather has successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level?¡±


    He speculated inwardly, recalling the situation with the Hun Tian Pill, and he was convinced of his guess.


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    Lin Shikang smiled calmly, not saying much, and gestured with his hand for all the clanspeople to sit down. He then led Lin Shilu and the others to the higher seats, settling down before awaiting the start of the clan meeting.


    In this gap, Lin Tianming took the opportunity to observe the people around him.


    Scanning the great hall, at the highest place sat Lin Shikang and the other Shikang generation clan members, totaling six. Below them, seated were Clan Leader Lin Xingping and other Xing generation clan members, making up over thirty people in total, all of whom were the core strength of the family.


    At the very bottom were members of the Tian generation from the Lin Family, headed by Lin Tianming, numbering only a few. Apart from the three of them, Lin Tianqin and her sister were also among them.


    After a short while, Lin Shihua stood up and scanned the crowd, which immediately fell silent.


    Seeing that all the clanspeople had arrived, he nodded slightly with a broad smile on his face, then spoke loudly,


    ¡°It is truly delightful that our kin have gathered here despite their busy schedules. I am overjoyed. Today, in addition to our reunion, there are two main purposes: one is to report the clan¡¯s progress over the past three years, and the other is to discuss several important issues. I hope everyone will offer their suggestions and strategize for our family¡¯s benefit.¡±


    ¡°The Clan Leader may command as he pleases. We, the younger generation, will surely do our utmost to share some of the family¡¯s burdens.¡±


    After Lin Xingping spoke, the clanspeople below echoed in agreement.


    Lin Shihua nodded satisfactorily, took out a thick book and opened it, then continued,


    ¡°Firstly, let me report on the clanspeople¡¯s situation. As of today, our family has a total of two hundred and twelve cultivator members, including six of the Shi generation, eighty-eight of the Xing generation, and one hundred and eighteen of the Tian generation.¡±


    ¡°In the past three years, with the reinitiation of the Spirit Testing Convention, our family¡¯s numbers have grown further. To date, we have eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators, two at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, and sixteen clanspeople above the eighth level of Qi Refining.¡±


    As soon as these words were uttered, the venue immediately erupted.


    Although the majority of Qi Refining Stage clanspeople had a rough idea of the family¡¯s strength, hearing it directly from Lin Shihua allowed them to truly appreciate the family¡¯s tremendous progress compared to a few years ago.


    Seeing the excited reactions of the clanspeople, Lin Shihua, as the Clan Leader, and the few remaining members of the Shi generation, felt equally moved and a sense of pride spontaneously arose within them.


    In the past, the Lin Family¡¯s foundation was indeed rather weak, but now, whether it was the Foundation Establishment Stage or the Qi Refining Stage clanspeople, the family¡¯s strength had reached the peak in its history.


    Lin Shihua smiled contentedly and waved his hand to quell the excited clanspeople.


    ¡°Over the past three years, thanks to the Luoyun Market, as well as the two Spirit Lands of Golden Horn Mountain and Jiuhua Mountain, our family has been able to obtain a large amount of Spirit Stones and Spiritual Medicine Materials, as well as some ores and artifact refining materials.¡±


    ¡°According to estimates, in the span of three years, the various resources acquired by the family amount to over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones. After deducting expenses, we have a surplus of more than ten thousand Spirit Stones each year!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the Qi Refining Stage clanspeople became even more excited.


    It¡¯s important to note that in the past, the Lin Family¡¯s welfare was quite low. If they had a surplus of a thousand Spirit Stones at the end of the year, it was considered quite good.


    Now, despite significantly increasing the welfare of the clanspeople, the three-year surplus exceeded ten thousand Spirit Stones, several times more than before.


    In this way, with just ten years, they could gather enough Spirit Stones for a Foundation Establishment Pill, a feat that would have been impossible without three or four decades in the past.


    During Lin Shihua¡¯s report, the great hall buzzed with conversation as many clanspeople whispered to each other, expressing their excitement.


    After Lin Shihua elaborated on the details, apart from a few who were in the know, all the other clanspeople were thrilled and their expressions revealed a strong sense of confidence.


    Lin Tianming was no less excited. As the family that he heavily valued gradually grew stronger, they could focus on cultivation without being distracted by family affairs, much to his relief.


    As Lin Shihua expounded, the many changes and achievements within the family became known to the clanspeople.


    Every clan member could keenly feel the family¡¯s growth and change, which brought them more confidence and peace of mind.


    An hour later, after Lin Shihua finished reporting the basic situation of the family, the Hall Masters of the various institutions also stood up one by one to report their respective situations.


    From the Four Arts of Cultivation to Law Enforcement and Skill Transmission, to the process of the clanspeople¡¯s experiences, including the allocation of various resources, the introductions were quite detailed.


    Every clan member below listened intently, afraid of missing any key information.


    After all, such a public and transparent family assembly was a rare opportunity to fully understand the family, and such opportunities had been scarce in the history of the clan.


    Lin Tianming also witnessed for the first time how seriously the family took such matters, making public some previously guarded secrets. However, they were matters that could be controlled, and the most important secrets would not be revealed; otherwise, if they fell into the hands of hostile forces, it could easily lead to the family¡¯s destruction.


    The lively family assembly continued, with various family affairs being announced, and half a day passed in this way.

 Chapter 179 - 179 - 149 Candidates_1

    Chapter 179 ¨C 149 Candidates_1


    With the family¡¯s report completed, the clan meeting came to a temporary close.


    During the short recess, the clan members huddled in small groups, whispering joyfully to each other.


    Lin Tianming was also busy, taking advantage of the opportunity to exchange ideas with several senior clan members, bolstering their relationships.


    A quarter of an hour passed, and Lin Shihua, seated in the place of honor, ceased his chatting. He had not yet stood up when the hall suddenly fell silent.


    Lin Shihua surveyed the assembly, his expression calm, and said,


    ¡°The second half of the clan meeting is about to begin, with five topics for discussion. Should anyone have any opinions, feel free to raise them. I hope you will actively participate and offer your strategies for the good of the family.¡±


    ¡°We will follow the Clan Leader¡¯s wishes!¡±


    ...


    As soon as he finished speaking, several members of the younger generation echoed in agreement, while most of the clan members waited quietly, evidently eager to know the topics of discussion.


    After all, the decisions made at each clan meeting were closely related to every member and were matters of great importance that could greatly alter their current situation.


    ¡°The first item on the agenda is the family¡¯s plan to organize a caravan to set up two shops in Qianchuan Market to mainly sell elixirs and Spiritual Artifacts. This will also allow us to collect various resources for the family. What are your suggestions?¡±


    As soon as Lin Shihua finished speaking, the previously quiet hall erupted in murmurs, especially from those who had not been privy to the news.


    ¡°Qianchuan Market is a place teeming with all sorts, with numerous sects and families in competition. How can the family secure a foothold there?¡±


    ¡°Qianchuan Market is the core territory of the Zhenyang Sect. Other than them, there are many Foundation Establishing Families conducting business there, and even several Golden Core Families. Are we at risk of being pushed out?¡±


    ¡°Which clan member will lead the initiative? It¡¯s surely too dangerous to go without at least a Foundation Establishment Stage leader.¡±


    ¡­


    At this point, the hall was abuzz with various questions tumbling over one another, and some clan members began to voice their opinions.


    Lin Tianming was at this moment lost in thought, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.


    After all, Luoyun Market was a small market, isolated and limited in its access to information and the flow of people, with minimal connection to other regions of Wei Kingdom.


    In the past, due to severe internal strife within the Luoyun Mountain Range, the family had not been inclined to consider expansion and had been exhausted just from maintaining their own enterprise. Even though the family now had full control over the Luoyun Mountain Range, relying solely on Luoyun Market provided very limited profits.


    Though resource shortages weren¡¯t an immediate issue for the family, if the family wished to develop in the long term, or to progress further, merely staying in this small area would be very difficult to achieve.


    Qianchuan Market, being a medium-sized market, ranked high among all markets in the entire Wei Kingdom. With over ten thousand resident cultivators, it saw a substantial circulation of rare treasures and had a huge demand for various resources.


    If the family could establish a solid footing in Qianchuan Market, it could not only earn Spirit Stones but also gather intelligence on the entire Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World. When the time was ripe, the family could collaborate with other families from different regions to boost the family¡¯s influence in Wei Kingdom.


    In other words, if the family wished to advance further and increase its influence in the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, developing in Qianchuan Market was an excellent and necessary step to take.


    His thoughts aligned with those of the vast majority of the clan members. Regarding the matter of Qianchuan Market, there was virtually no opposition; the only thing under discussion was the choice of personnel for the market.


    True to expectations, this matter was swiftly approved, and many clan members eagerly awaited Lin Shihua¡¯s decision on the selection of the candidate.


    Lin Shihua glanced at Lin Shikang and a few others before speaking,


    ¡°After discussion among us elders, we have decided that the trip to Qianchuan Market will last for three years, with a rotation every three years. Shi Lu will lead the team, responsible for all affairs related to Qianchuan Market. Additionally, we are recruiting five family members with a cultivation level of Seventh Level Qi Cultivation or above to accompany him. Qualified members may register at the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°As for those participating in this mission, each person will receive a yearly subsidy of one hundred Spirit Stones, and regular stipends will be issued. Those who perform exceptionally over the three years will be appropriately rewarded by the family.¡±


    Once Lin Shihua announced this, many clan members became eager to take on the task.


    This mission was an excellent opportunity for those in the later stages of Qi Cultivation within the family.


    After all, the tasks assigned within the family usually involved guarding Spirit Lands, finding Spiritual Objects, and the like¡ªeither perilous to accomplish or of little profit. After a year of hard work, it was tough to earn as many Spirit Stones and much time would be lost.


    Managing shops in Qianchuan Market, however, mainly involved overseeing the stores and handling various miscellaneous tasks. The recruitment of Loose Cultivators would assist in these tasks, so their own cultivation would not be hindered. Moreover, with abundant resources, it was easier to acquire a large number of precious items, making it a desirable destination.


    For those well aware of this fact, the eagerness to participate was palpable, and it was expected that by the following morning, numerous clan members would compete to register.


    Seeing the ardor amongst the clan members being harnessed, Lin Shihua and the others were quite pleased.


    As the clan meeting resumed, another half-quarter of an hour passed. The once noisy hall gradually calmed down.


    Following discussions and additional contributions of good suggestions from the clan members, the matter was finally settled.


    The enthusiastic clan meeting continued, and before anyone realized it, most of the day had passed.


    During this time, the family deliberated on numerous significant matters, and one by one, decisions were finalized. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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    For the most part, Lin Tianming observed from the sidelines, occasionally offering his own insights, maintaining an appropriate demeanor.

 Chapter 180 - 180 - 149 Candidate Selection_2

    Chapter 180 ¨C 149 Candidate Selection_2


    At the high seat of the grand hall, Lin Shihua clapped his hands and proclaimed loudly;


    ¡°Thus it¡¯s decided. In the future, the frequency of the Spiritual Testing Assembly will change from once every three years to once a year, starting from next year.¡±


    The clanspeople below were excited. Today, the family had made quite a few adjustments. Take the Spiritual Testing Assembly, for instance; it used to be once every three years. As the number of mortals in the family continued to increase, sticking with a triennial test would cause many young members to miss out on two years of potential development.


    With the final item on the agenda concluded, the clan meeting, which had lasted for the better part of the day, was drawing to a close.


    Lin Shihua was very satisfied and also quite relieved.


    Although within the clan, those in the Foundation Establishment Stage had absolute say, the clan had been giving more and more consideration to the wishes of the clanspeople. This clan meeting was exceptionally grand, with contributions of ideas from the members, resulting in many significant decisions.


    ¡°The clan meeting is concluded. Everyone should go about their business and remember not to slacken in your cultivation. The assembly is dismissed.¡±


    ...


    With Lin Shihua announcing the end of the clan meeting loudly, numerous clanspeople rose to their feet, bowed towards the elder generation seated in the high places, and finally left the grand hall.


    Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong had risen early and said to him;


    ¡°Little brother, Tianhong and I will head back first. We¡¯ll go to register at the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall tomorrow. Wait for our message, and hopefully, we will be selected.¡±


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    After speaking, the two of them gave a fist salute and then walked out of the grand hall together.


    As the throngs of clanspeople left, not even ten minutes passed, and the grand hall was left with less than ten people who silently stayed behind. They were all members of the Shi (world) generation, as well as several important Qi Refining Stage clanspeople.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming bowed to the elders and then earnestly said to Lin Shilu;


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, Tianming requests to accompany you to the Qianchuan Market, and I hope you will grant your permission.¡±


    Lin Shilu chuckled, seemingly having anticipated that he would volunteer himself.


    ¡°Granted. In fact, even if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I was planning to take you with me. Having you help me would save a lot of trouble.¡±


    Lin Shikang smiled knowingly and joked;


    ¡°Shilu, with Tianming accompanying you, and with both of your cultivation levels, when combined, you could likely face a Foundation Establishment Seventh Level cultivator without falling short.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, with the two of you together, we will feel much more at ease.¡± Lin Shigong added.


    Lin Tianming looked puzzled, as if understanding from Lin Shikang¡¯s words that Lin Shilu had probably broken through to the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level. When he thought about it, before the family war, Shilu was at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level. It made sense that, after a few years, breaking through was within reason.


    With that thought, he also grew a bit excited and said to Lin Shilu;


    ¡°Congratulations to Fifteenth Grandfather for achieving such great success in your cultivation.¡±


    Lin Shilu smiled and waved his hand to signal that Tianming need not be formal, then he gave his orders;


    ¡°I just had a breakthrough and need to consolidate for a while. We will set out after a month, so you prepare as well during this time.¡±


    ¡°I shall adhere to Fifteenth Grandfather¡¯s command. Tianming will take his leave first.¡±


    Lin Tianming replied, then stood up, bowed to the elders, and briskly left the grand hall.


    Back in his own cave dwelling, Lin Tianming sat in the training room, deep in thought.


    A month would quickly pass, and before his departure, he needed to make some preparations. He projected his Divine Sense to meticulously inspect the contents of his storage bag.


    Recently, ten batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials had been refined into elixirs, and now he had twenty-eight Second Order Lingshen Pills, as well as five thousand five hundred Spirit Stones.


    Besides that, there were fifty-six Earth Evil Swords, one Tiangang Sword, a Second Order Medium Grade Attack Talisman, and a Lower Grade Defense Talisman. The rest were a collection of various rare types of Spiritual Medicine Materials he had slowly gathered. There was also the Qianling Pill Recipe he had acquired long ago, and the Mysterious Moon Token.


    He still owed his grandfather two thousand Spirit Stones, which he was determined to return before leaving, leaving him with three thousand five hundred stones to use.


    These were all the important items he possessed, not much to speak of, but for an average Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it was not a small amount either.


    After checking his storage bag, Lin Tianming took a deep breath, then sat with crossed hands and started to meditate and cultivate.


    The next morning, Lin Tianming left his cave dwelling and flew towards the Hall of Merit.


    Along the way, many clan members were headed in pairs to the Miscellaneous Hall, apparently ready to register for the mission to the Qianchuan Market.


    Watching the clanspeople in their hurried state, Lin Tianming was taken aback. He greeted the passersby and continued directly to the Hall of Merit.


    In a short while, he appeared inside the Hall of Merit. At this time, the Hall was less crowded than usual as most probably had gone to the Miscellaneous Hall either to register or to watch the excitement.


    After finding Lin Xingcheng, they greeted each other, then sat opposite each other and began to chat idly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity I have to stand guard at the Hall of Merit and can¡¯t participate, otherwise I¡¯d also like to gain some experience at Qianchuan Market,¡±


    Lin Xingcheng said regretfully, a look of longing in his eyes.


    ¡°Uncle, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. You¡¯re almost at Great Perfection in your cultivation. Training within the clan for a while, and going in a few years will be just the same,¡± Lin Tianming comforted him.


    Hearing this, Lin Xingcheng¡¯s expression calmed down, and he let out a wry smile before quickly changing the subject, asking;


    ¡°Tianming, what are you here to exchange today?¡±


    Lin Tianming took out seven bottles of Second Order Lingshen Pills and handed them to Lin Xingcheng, then said;


    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯d like to exchange for two Second Order low-grade Defense Talismans, and the rest in Spirit Stones.¡±


    Lin Xingcheng received the Jade Bottle and, after verifying there were no issues, calculated the prices.


    ¡°Twenty-one Second Order Lingshen Pills, unit price one hundred and sixty, totaling three thousand three hundred and sixty Spirit Stones. Second Order low-grade Defense Talismans, unit price three hundred and eighty Spirit Stones, totaling seven hundred and sixty Spirit Stones. After deduction, that leaves two thousand six hundred Spirit Stones.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, then pondered for a moment. After repaying grandfather two thousand Spirit Stones, and adding the previous five thousand five hundred, he would still have six thousand left.


    With Spirit Stones in hand, one would feel at ease in Qianchuan Market, otherwise, wanting to purchase any treasure would be troublesome.


    Seeing Lin Tianming nod in agreement, Lin Xingcheng entered the depths of the great hall to fetch the items for exchange.


    In a moment, Lin Xingcheng came out, took out Spirit Stones and talismans from his storage bag, and handed them over in person.


    After receiving the Spirit Stones and Second Order Talismans into his own storage bag and exchanging a few words, Lin Tianming bowed his fists and left the Hall of Merit.


    At dawn, after leaving the Hall of Merit, he made his way through Green Bamboo Mountain, intending to return to his cave dwelling to continue his cultivation.


    Just as he flew to the summit of the main peak, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong were already waiting for him. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, both of their complexions were rosy, and they seemed very jubilant.


    Lin Tianming descended from the sky, greeted the two with a cupped fist salute, and asked with a smile on his face,


    ¡°Big brother, judging by your expressions, did you manage to register successfully?¡±


    When Lin Tianming asked, Lin Tianhong displayed a smug look and confidently said,


    ¡°Hehe, fortunately, it was a success, but you wouldn¡¯t know, today¡¯s Miscellaneous Hall¡­ What a scene it was¡­¡±


    Both Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong¡¯s eyes crinkled as they watched Lin Tianhong chatter away excitedly, the two exchanged a smile.


    According to Lin Tianhong, today¡¯s registration was extremely popular. More than thirty people were vying to participate, and the two of them were chosen partly because of their youth and partly because, among the Qi Refining clanspeople, they were among the most prominent. Lin Shilu always took good care of the younger generation, so with their close relationship, they were recruited.


    ¡°Big brother, besides the two of you, which other clan members were selected?¡± Lin Tianming asked curiously.


    When Lin Tianming brought up this matter, Lin Tianfeng helplessly said,


    ¡°Apart from us two, the other three should be Xing Clan Members. We were the first to be selected, after that we left, so the specific participants are still unclear, but I estimate they are definitely cultivators above the eighth level of Qi Refinement.¡±


    After finishing, Lin Tianming shifted the topic and inquired about their plans.


    ¡°Never mind that, I heard from Elder Wu that we¡¯ll depart on time in a month. Do you brothers have any arrangements?¡±


    As the date drew near, Lin Tianfeng looked serious and discussed his plans.


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll go to the Hall of Merit to exchange for some talismans to ensure survival, then I¡¯ll go into seclusion to cultivate a bit more, aiming to enhance my cultivation as much as possible. After all, Qianchuan Market is not like the family clan. There, although fighting is forbidden, outside the market, there aren¡¯t so many rules.¡±


    After Lin Tianfeng¡¯s reminder, Lin Tianhong, who had been chatting and laughing moments before, suddenly became solemn, then said;


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan. This trip will take three years, and it¡¯s necessary to exchange all our resources for elixirs and talismans, and to prepare more Spirit Stones for any unforeseen needs.¡±


    ¡°You brothers have thought it through. I also plan to cultivate for a short period!¡±


    No sooner had Lin Tianming finished speaking than Lin Tianfeng took up the conversation.


    ¡°Then brother, I won¡¯t keep you any longer. We¡¯ll meet again in a month!¡±


    ¡°Till then!¡±


    After the exchange, Lin Tianming and the others saluted with their fists and turned to fly off in different directions.

 Chapter 181 - 181 - 150 Revisiting Old Places_1

    Chapter 181 ¨C 150 Revisiting Old Places_1


    Over twenty days hurried past.


    The day before his departure, Lin Tianming walked out of his cave dwelling and flew towards the small valley where he practiced.


    Ever since he began preparing for his Foundation Establishment, the Purple Gold Eagle had been staying in the valley. Since he was going to Qianchuan Market, it was natural to bring it along, as it could take the place of travel on foot and save a considerable amount of time. As its strength grew, it could also offer some help during battles.


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    In no time at all, Lin Tianming appeared in the valley.


    When his figure appeared in the valley, the Purple Gold Eagle immediately flew over and landed in front of him.


    At this point, after a large number of elixirs from Lin Tianming, the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s aura had become even stronger. Clearly, it had reached the limit of a First Order Demon Beast.


    ...


    Lin Tianming jumped onto its back, fondly stroked its huge head, and then the pair began flying around Green Bamboo Mountain.


    ¡­


    Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Inside Lin Shikang¡¯s cave dwelling, several members of the Lin Family from the Foundation Establishment Clan were sitting in the courtyard drinking tea.


    Lin Shihua took out three storage bags and handed them to Lin Shilu in front of him, then said,


    ¡°Shilu, these three storage bags each contain fifty thousand Spirit Stones, as well as a large number of Spiritual Objects. They are all items needed to set up a shop.¡±


    Lin Shilu received the storage bags, gave them a scan with his Divine Sense, and his expression grew serious.


    Such a large sum of Spirit Stones and various Spiritual Objects, nearing a total value of a hundred thousand, made it clear that the family was ready to go all out to secure a foothold in Qianchuan Market.


    Seeing the change in Lin Shilu¡¯s expression, Lin Shikang also spoke up at this time,


    ¡°Shilu, you have full authority over matters in Qianchuan Market. If necessary, you can ask Daoist Ye for help. With his connections and cultivation level, he may be able to offer some assistance.¡±


    ¡°If it really becomes impossible to manage, then let it go. Although Qianchuan Market is the family¡¯s preferred location, it¡¯s not irreplaceable. Prioritize your own safety above all else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Qianchuan Market is filled with all sorts, and although the Lin Family has not made enemies with other forces, you still need to be extremely cautious.¡± Lin Shigong also added a word of advice.


    With his expression returning to calm, Lin Shilu nodded firmly and responded,


    ¡°Please rest assured, elder brothers. Shilu understands the importance and will not let you down. On this trip, I will surely secure a stable footing in Qianchuan Market as soon as possible to pave the way for the family¡­¡±


    ¡­


    As evening approached, the glow of sunset gradually faded and the sky darkened.


    In a valley, Lin Tianming put the Purple Gold Eagle into his Spirit Beast Bag and then, using Sword Flight, headed towards the summit of the main peak.


    A short while later, he did not return to his own dwelling but went to his father¡¯s courtyard instead, intending to reunite with his mother before leaving.


    Entering his father¡¯s courtyard, he found his grandfather and sister already waiting.


    Seeing Lin Tianming come in, Lin Tianyue¡¯s face lit up with joy as she approached and took hold of his arm, acting coquettishly.


    ¡°Brother, you are getting busier by the day and don¡¯t visit Yue¡¯er anymore!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already a Seventh Level Qi Refinement Cultivator, how come you still haven¡¯t grown up?¡± Lin Tianming teased as he stroked his sister¡¯s hair.


    Lin Tianyue pouted, let go of his arm, and with a sulking expression said,


    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m also a First Order Medium Grade Talisman Maker now, I don¡¯t care about you anymore; I¡¯m going to help Mother!¡±


    Lin Tianming chuckled and walked over to his grandfather, then bowed his hands in greeting,


    ¡°Tian Ming pays respects to Grandfather!¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Come sit, let¡¯s talk!¡± Lin Shigong gestured with a wave of his hand.


    As they chatted casually, Lin Tianming took out a storage bag and passed it to Lin Shigong, which contained the two thousand Spirit Stones.


    ¡°Grandfather, Fifteenth Grandfather did not accept any Spirit Stones for the Artifact Refining, so I must return them to their rightful owner!¡±


    Lin Shigong chuckled, accepted the storage bag without refusal, and then remarked with some emotion,


    ¡°Among the many younger members of our family, your Fifteenth Grandfather has really gone above and beyond for you!¡±


    ¡°Yes, grandson understands!¡± Lin Tianming nodded in agreement.


    Lin Shilu had refined artifacts for him several times and provided him with quite a few cultivation resources. The efforts were hardly less than those of a true grandfather, which was indeed remarkable.


    Not just towards him, Lin Shilu was equally generous to other young members of the family, a rarity in the entire Lin Family.


    Thinking about all this, Lin Tianming immediately felt a profound respect.


    After a while, following Lin Shigong¡¯s advice, dinner was ready. The family sat together to eat and casually chatted.


    As his mother placed a piece of Spirit Beast meat into Lin Tianming¡¯s bowl, she looked at him with regret and said,


    ¡°Tianming, your twenty-fifth birthday is coming up soon. It¡¯s a pity that you have to leave for Qianchuan Market tomorrow; otherwise, I would have celebrated it for you!¡±


    Reminded by his mother, Lin Tianming remembered that in half a month, he would turn twenty-five.


    Time had flown, and it had been fifteen years since he embarked on the cultivation path. Having reached the Foundation Establishment Stage for over a year, he thought back on the past decade with its clear images of cultivation, as if it were only yesterday, and couldn¡¯t help feeling a wave of nostalgia.


    Without mention, it was easy to forget, but now recalling it, his pace of cultivation had set him apart. At twenty-four, he had already succeeded in Foundation Establishment. Even in the entire Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, he was a rare existence.


    Keeping these modest achievements in his heart, Lin Tianming then let out a relieved smile and said,


    ¡°A true man aspires to travel far and make his mark. And even more so for a Cultivator. Isn¡¯t today like an early celebration?¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, everyone smiled knowingly.


    As night fell, the harmonious dinner concluded, and Lin Tianming, standing up with his grandfather, prepared to leave.


    As they arrived at the plaza, Lin Shigong took out two bottles of elixirs and handed them to him, then said,

 Chapter 182 - 182 - 150 Revisiting the Old Place_2

    Chapter 182 ¨C 150 Revisiting the Old Place_2


    ¡°Tianming, you will set off tomorrow. I won¡¯t see you off, and I¡¯ve said all that needs to be said. Take these two bottles of elixirs, and deliver them to your father when you pass Golden Horn Mountain.¡±


    Lin Tianming took the elixirs, his expression determined as he responded:


    ¡°Grandfather, rest assured, I will certainly work hard in my cultivation, and I won¡¯t let you or the family down!¡±


    ¡°Good, that puts my mind at ease!¡±


    Lin Shigong replied, then took the lead in departing, heading toward his own cave dwelling.


    Watching Lin Shigong leave, Lin Tianming then lifted his feet and departed, returning to his own cave dwelling.


    ¡­


    ...


    The next morning¡­


    As dawn was just beginning to break, several people had already gathered in the plaza at the family gate, among them Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong.


    Lin Tianming arrived above the plaza by sword flight, and before he could land, heard Lin Tianfeng¡¯s hearty laughter.


    ¡°Sixth brother, you¡¯re finally here, we¡¯ve just been waiting for Fifteenth Grandfather!¡±


    Lin Tianming smiled faintly, descended from the sky, then walked forward and bowed to the clan members.


    ¡°I have seen three of my uncles, and two elder brothers.¡±


    ¡°Haha, with Tianming accompanying us, we can be said to be absolutely safe on this journey!¡± Lin Xingsu said excitedly.


    Before his voice had even faded, Lin Xingli echoed the sentiment.


    ¡°Indeed, originally we thought that only Fifteenth Uncle, a Foundation Establishment, would be leading the team. To think that the True Dragon Prodigy of our family is also joining us, I am now quite reassured!¡±


    ¡°My clan-born brethren flatter me. In the three years to come, we must rely on each other and fight side by side!¡± Lin Tianming replied with a smile.


    After that, they chatted idly for a while, becoming more familiar with one another.


    While waiting, Lin Tianming took the opportunity to evaluate their team.


    The three members of the Xing generation were all ascetics with little interaction with him. Nevertheless, they possessed not insignificant cultivation and were young with plenty of potential, no wonder the family valued them.


    Both Lin Xingsu and Lin Xingli were at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, while another member named Lin Xingyao was at the Eighth Level.


    Among those on the journey, Lin Shilu was at the Sixth Level of Foundation Establishment, and with him at the First Level, plus three people at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, and two at the Eighth Level.


    Such strength in the team was considerable; many Foundation Establishing families couldn¡¯t even muster such forces when they were fully deployed.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, with the sound of tearing air, Lin Shilu appeared in the plaza.


    Lin Tianming and the others immediately went forward and respectfully bowed to him.


    ¡°Dispense with the formalities!¡± Lin Shilu waved his hand, and everyone stood waiting on the side.


    After surveying everyone, Lin Shilu said:


    ¡°Tianming, let¡¯s use your Purple Gold Eagle as our mount. This time we won¡¯t need to detour; we will prepare to go through Golden Horn Mountain, resting for a day or two, and incidentally check on your father!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    ¡°With no detours, not only is our journey much safer now, but we¡¯ll also cut down a lot of time,¡± Lin Tianming said, his expression excited.


    ¡°The hour is late; we depart immediately!¡±


    After speaking, Lin Shilu took out the token, opened the Protective Clan Formation, and the group of six people left the formation.


    Outside the formation, Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle, then took out a Beast Spirit Pill for the eagle to consume.


    ¡°Your Spirit Beast has advanced rapidly, reaching the peak of a First Order Demon Beast in just seven or eight years!¡± Lin Shilu remarked admirably.


    Hearing this, the faces of Lin Xingli and the others changed. Although they knew all along that Lin Tianming¡¯s Spirit Beast was strong, they hadn¡¯t realized it was even more formidable than theirs.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming smiled and explained:


    ¡°Xiao Diao has consumed quite a few Spiritual Objects, it has swallowed dozens of elixirs, so reaching this level is inevitable!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, jumped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle first, and the others quickly followed.


    With plenty of space for six people on its huge body, Lin Shilu took out a map and then confirmed the route with Lin Tianming.


    A few breaths later, Lin Tianming gave the command and the Purple Gold Eagle soared into the clouds a thousand yards high, heading north, and soon vanished into the horizon.


    Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Xingli and the others were astounded by its speed.


    Lin Tianming remained calm; he sat with his eyes closed on the eagle¡¯s back, enjoying the sensation of rapid flight.


    As the Purple Gold Eagle continued to grow, its current speed had increased even more than before.


    Previously, it took over twenty days to reach Qianchuan Market, but now, flying at this speed without detours, it was estimated that they could reach Qianchuan Market in about ten days.


    Unknowingly, two days passed.


    Golden Horn Mountain, the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory Ruins.


    Several years have passed since the great Clan Battle at Luoyun Mountain, and the territories of the Jin and Wu families were all occupied by the Lin Family.


    Over the years, more and more clan members began to come to Golden Horn Mountain, and Lin Xingrong even stayed here to cultivate.


    Golden Horn Mountain was rich in spiritual energy, making it an excellent place for settling down. Being close to Qianchuan Market also made its location extremely important, serving as a junction for the family.


    In addition to this, Golden Horn Mountain had huge Spirit Fields and a Spiritual Medicine Garden, as well as a not so small area of Golden Flower Trees.


    Golden Flower Trees were First Order Superior Grade Spirit Materials, usable in artifact refining, their value not inferior to that of Qingling Bamboo.


    Many of the Spiritual Medicine Materials and Golden Flower Trees could not be transplanted, and it would be a pity to let the vast Spirit Land crafted by the Jin family over a millennium go to waste.


    Therefore, the family placed great importance on this matter, dispatching a large number of clan members to occupy the land, restoring various Spiritual Objects and ensuring a substantial income each year.


    Such a treasure land was something the family would never give up on, from any perspective. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At dusk¡­


    The Golden Horn Mountain was especially quiet at this time, with a clan member patrolling the mountain gate.


    Watching a dark shadow approaching from a distance, Lin Xingyou momentarily lost in thought.


    In an instant, the shadow arrived at the mountain gate.


    Seeing the several people on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Xingyou¡¯s face lit up with excitement; he opened the great formation and immediately stepped forward to greet them.


    ¡°Xingyou pays respects to Fifteenth Uncle, and to my fellow clan members!¡±


    Lin Tianming and the others returned the salute, exchanging pleasantries, after which Lin Shilu smiled slightly and said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first, send a message to Xing Rong at once!¡±


    After sending the message, Lin Shilu walked in, and Lin Tianming and the others followed.


    After entering Golden Horn Mountain and settling the Purple Gold Eagle, the group walked within the interior of Golden Horn Mountain.


    Revisiting the old place and walking on the cobblestone road, Lin Tianming observed the Jin Family Clan¡¯s Territory he hadn¡¯t seen for years.


    After several years of renovation, the traces of the family battle were erased, and the Golden Horn Mountain of today saw no ruins, retaining only some intact buildings. Compared to before, the scale was much reduced, but it still looked exquisite.


    A quarter of an hour passed.


    Lin Tianming and the others arrived at the main peak of Golden Horn Mountain, in a newly built courtyard.


    They sat in the small courtyard waiting, and Lin Xingrong, upon receiving the message, quickly came over.


    Having not seen his father for more than a year, his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer was as expected.


    After exchanging greetings, everyone took their seats, and Lin Xingrong asked about the purpose of their visit with a puzzled look. Explore more at


    Lin Shilu didn¡¯t conceal anything and stated the purpose of their visit directly.


    ¡°Qianchuan Market, our family is going to expand into Qianchuan Market?¡±


    Lin Xingrong was somewhat surprised, but having previously been stationed in Luoyun Market long-term and being well-versed in commerce, he quickly understood the family¡¯s strategic plan.


    Following that, Lin Xingrong also briefed them on the situation in Golden Horn Mountain and discussed various business matters concerning the market.


    After more than an hour of discussion, they had a general understanding of Golden Horn Mountain and gained valuable insights.


    As it was getting late into the night, Lin Shilu finally spoke up and instructed,


    ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. Everyone should go rest, and we¡¯ll set off again early the morning after next!¡±


    Lin Xingrong nodded, and Lin Xingyou, along with Lin Xingli and the others, left to arrange places for them to rest.


    Once they had departed, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu were arranged to stay in this courtyard to rest.


    After a brief chat, Lin Tianming took out two bottles of elixirs prepared by his grandfather and added one of his own, handing them to his father.


    ¡°Father, these three bottles of elixirs are from grandfather for you!¡±


    Lin Xingrong was somewhat skeptical but did not show it, calmly saying,


    ¡°I still have some elixirs for my cultivation, let¡¯s take one bottle each!¡±


    Lin Shilu chuckled and replied,


    ¡°Xing Rong, just take them. Tianming is already a Second Order Alchemist, and your father certainly does not lack elixirs, and neither do I!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xingrong¡¯s face lit up with joy, and he accepted the elixirs, storing them in his storage bag.


    After discussing their recent cultivation achievements, Lin Shilu stood up to take his leave and prepare for rest.


    After giving several instructions, Lin Xingrong also rose to leave.


    With everyone gone to rest, Lin Tianming was the last to leave, returning to his own room to rest.

 Chapter 183 - 183 - 151: Return to Qianchuan_1

    Chapter 183 ¨C 151: Return to Qianchuan_1


    ¡°`


    Early morning. Golden Horn Mountain.


    Dense fog enveloped the area, the morning glow filtering through the clouds, with the gentle sunshine shining in every corner of Golden Horn Mountain.


    After a day and night of rest, Lin Tianming and his companions appeared at the mountain gate, with Lin Xingrong arriving to see them off.


    After Lin Tianming and his six companions had exchanged bows, they said farewell to Lin Xingrong and set off again, flying north towards Qianchuan Market.


    Golden Horn Mountain lay to the north of Luoyun Market, over two thousand miles away, and was the closest position within the Luoyun Mountain Range to Qianchuan Market.


    With the family¡¯s occupation of Golden Horn Mountain, it could serve as a stepping stone for the Lin Family¡¯s expansion towards greater aspirations, making its significance extraordinary.


    ...


    Sitting on the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Shilu took out a map made from beast skin and started examining it carefully with Lin Tianming.


    He pointed at two spots on the map with a serious expression and said,


    ¡°Tianming, after we fly several hundred more miles to the north, we¡¯ll enter the periphery of the Hengyang Mountain Range. Everyone needs to be vigilant from there on!¡±


    ¡°You and I will take turns on guard. We cannot afford to be negligent!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s instructions, Lin Tianming nodded and acknowledged with a casual response before he spoke up:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, with your eighty years of cultivation experience, you must have seen much of the world. Since we¡¯re going to establish ourselves in Qianchuan Market, perhaps you could enlighten us on the basic situation surrounding the market?¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming bring up this matter, Lin Shilu naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse, especially since he had already planned to analyze the power dynamics of the surrounding forces to prepare the younger generation psychologically.


    Having made up his mind, he gathered everyone around and began to speak with a grave expression:


    ¡°The Wei Kingdom is also vast, and as for the Golden Elixir Forces, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of them without me having to mention it.¡±


    ¡°In the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, there are at least a hundred Foundation Establishing Families. Almost every year, some families vanish, while new ones emerge. With so many families, the vast majority will not cross paths.¡±


    ¡°I will introduce the Foundation Establishing Families near Luoyun Market, which are close to the Luoyun Mountain Range. Keep these in mind, so if conflict arises with them, you will be prepared.¡±


    Lin Tianming and the others nodded. Most of them had only operated within the Luoyun Mountain Range, so they didn¡¯t know much about the outside world. As Lin Shilu started speaking, they all listened intently, showing keen interest.


    After a moment of contemplation, Lin Shilu began his explanation.


    ¡°The vast area more than two thousand miles north of the Luoyun Mountain Range falls under the Hengyang Mountain Range and Luoyang Mountain Range!¡±


    ¡°These two ranges form a pincer with Luoyun Mountain Range. Being closer to Qianchuan Market, the overall strength of these two mountain ranges is noticeably stronger than that of Luoyun Mountain Range.¡±


    At Lin Shilu¡¯s words, the others immediately showed interest, their eyes filled with anticipation.


    Seeing their reactions, Lin Shilu continued:


    ¡°The Hengyang Mountain Range has seven great Foundation Establishing Families, among which the Chen Clan and Wei Family are powerful, openly boasting five Foundation Establishment Cultivators. The number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the other five families varies, but overall, the strength of the entire Hengyang Mountain Range is more than double that of Luoyun Mountain Range!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianfeng could not help but click his tongue, while the others looked somber.


    Lin Shilu chuckled and continued:


    ¡°You might think that¡¯s all, but actually, the neighboring Luoyang Mountain Range is even stronger!¡±


    Lin Tianfeng was immediately shocked and eagerly inquired further.


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    ¡°The situation in Luoyang Mountain Range is very different from Hengyang Mountain Range. There, only three major families exist, creating a tripartite balance of power that has persisted for hundreds of years. Each family has a heritage spanning over a thousand years, making them deeply entrenched and powerful.¡±


    ¡°One family also bears the Lin surname, while the other two are the Meng Family and Qiu Family. Each publicly boasts no fewer than seven Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Furthermore, among these three families, there is a considerable number of late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators and beyond!¡±


    ¡°Hiss¡­ such incredible strength!¡±


    The others gasped, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s face paled, Lin Tianhong¡¯s expression turned even darker, and even the usually composed Lin Tianming was taken aback.


    Comparing the Lin Family to these other families based on Lin Shilu¡¯s description, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but realize how much the Lin Family lagged behind in overall strength, despite having a similar number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Seeing his younger kinsmen¡¯s expressions of terror, Lin Shilu remained calm, then said:


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry too much. The Foundation Establishing Families of Hengyang Mountain Range are embroiled in constant internal strife and lack the capacity to entangle with external forces.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, the situation in Luoyang Mountain Range is comparatively simple. The strength of the three major Foundation Establishing Families is evenly matched; they guard against and suspect each other. None dare act rashly for fear of allowing another to profit off their conflict, leading to over two hundred years of peace.¡±


    Reassured by Lin Shilu¡¯s detailed introduction, Lin Tianming and the others felt somewhat more at ease, yet many questions lingered.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, wouldn¡¯t the Golden Elixir Forces intervene in the internal conflicts between families in different regions?¡± Lin Tianfeng asked curiously.


    Lin Shilu answered calmly and patiently:


    ¡°In the entire region of Qingzhou, unlike other major states that have developed for tens of thousands of years such as the central Mysterious State, where many forces with ten-thousand-year legacies stand unshakably, Qingzhou has only developed for tens of thousands of years and cannot be compared.¡±


    ¡°Being close to the Demon Race Area, it is one of the Four Battlegrounds. Every day, many forces are extinguished, so many rules and orders are not well established. Over time, the situation here has become quite unique. Qingzhou is vast with sparse populations and chaotic order. Almost all forces just occupy a piece of territory and then wage war on their own.¡±


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 Chapter 184 - 184 - 151: Return to Qianchuan_2

    Chapter 184 ¨C 151: Return to Qianchuan_2


    Lin Tianfeng and the others nodded their heads, showing expressions of having gained much benefit.


    Having never left the Luoyun Mountain Range before, they listened to these situations and finally gained a better understanding of the outside world.


    Soon after, Lin Tianming also asked:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, from what you said, if there are no rules or order, doesn¡¯t that mean the major forces can attack each other?¡±


    Lin Tianfeng echoed the sentiment.


    ¡°Exactly, in that case, won¡¯t major forces fight each other bloody over resources? Yet up to now, we haven¡¯t heard much news about Golden Core forces being exterminated?¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s expression remained calm as he began to explain again.


    ...


    ¡°You are not aware of this; even though Qingzhou¡¯s surface lacks explicit rules and order, for powers above Golden Core, the ties are too great. Pull one hair and the whole body is affected; they do not easily engage in large-scale warfare.¡±


    ¡°It is said that among the Human Race¡¯s supreme powerhouses, those at the Divinity Transformation Stage have reached an agreement. Forces above Golden Core should not easily strike against each other to avoid the loss of the high-order combat power of the Human Race.¡±


    ¡°Divinity Transformation Stage powerhouses? An unspoken pact among the peak powerhouses of the Human Race?¡± Lin Tianming exclaimed in surprise.


    Lin Shilu nodded, then said:


    ¡°It¡¯s only said, whether it is true or false, I, with my limited perspective, cannot clarify.¡±


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    ¡°As for struggles between the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment Families, for those Nascent Soul Cultivators standing at the peak of the Human Race, it¡¯s nothing more than trivial scuffles, not worth mentioning.¡±


    ¡°Even if a life-and-death battle occurs, costing a large number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, low-order cultivators are merely a drop in the ocean when it comes to the overall strength of the Human Race. What truly decides the fate of the Human Race are those powerhouses above the stage of Nascent Soul cultivation.¡±


    ¡°And the Golden Core forces will not engage in major conflicts over small profits, unless it¡¯s for a huge opportunity.¡±


    Lin Tianming, hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s words, also found his explanation quite acceptable.


    Upon reflection, if there truly were no limits to rules, wouldn¡¯t it mean one could act recklessly, stripping away the layers, and what chance would those Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment families have to survive?


    Although there are such underlying rules on the surface, the territories of the Human Race are vast with numerous domains. In places like Qingzhou, overt and covert struggles never cease, and in the vast Cultivation World, even the destruction of Golden Core forces wouldn¡¯t create much ripple.


    Looking at it this way, the Cultivation World is still a place where strength is supreme and interests are paramount. Even Divinity Transformation Stage powerhouses would fight fiercely over transcendent resources; this, he had long seen very clearly.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming seemed to have grasped the concept, Lin Shilu was very pleased and then said:


    ¡°You need not be too pessimistic. Although Qingzhou is chaotic and the rules are not perfect, it is much better compared to a thousand years ago. Moreover, among the Three Great Sects of Wei Kingdom and other Golden Core families, there hasn¡¯t been large scale slaughter, and the overall state of Wei Kingdom is relatively stable.¡±


    ¡°As for the Foundation Establishing Families of the Hengyang and Luoyang Mountain Ranges which are closer to our territory, there will be numerous interactions in the future. As for each family, just be careful and cautious. And as for Golden Core forces, we¡¯re not yet at a level to provoke them, just keep a low profile, avoiding trouble where possible but not fearing it, do you understand?¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s expression was serious, as he earnestly cautioned them.


    Lin Tianming and the others clasped their fists and replied in unison:


    ¡°Rest assured, Fifteenth Grandfather, we will definitely be careful and cautious, we won¡¯t casually offend other forces!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming and the others¡¯ responses, Lin Shilu nodded, then no longer spoke, starting to rest with his eyes closed.


    The group also discreetly refrained from asking further questions and each began to meditate and cultivate.


    Lin Tianming sat on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, surveying the rapidly passing scenery, deep in thought about something.


    Flying northward, they crossed over numerous lofty mountains and ridges, drawing ever closer to Qianchuan Market.


    Ten days passed quickly; the Purple Gold Eagle flew high in the sky, crossing the edge of the Hengyang and Luoyang Mountain Ranges.


    They encountered very few other cultivators along the way and finally arrived at the outskirts of Qianchuan Market on the tenth day.


    In a valley a few dozen miles from the market, Lin Tianming and the others landed on a small hill.


    After stowing the Purple Gold Eagle in the Spirit Beast Bag and taking a brief rest, the group of six altered their appearances and began sword flight towards the gate of Qianchuan Market.


    Along the way, the ever-cautious Lin Shilu once again gave some final reminders as they approached the entrance to the market, finally stopping his chatter.


    Lin Tianming was very aware that their task of permanently staying in the market was far from trivial; to gain a foothold in the intricate Qianchuan Market was no easy feat. Should they encroach on the interests of other forces, it was inevitable that some incidents would occur.


    And leading Lin Tianfeng and the others, he also had to be mindful of their safety. As such, both he and Lin Shilu faced no small amount of pressure.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s expression grow somewhat serious, Lin Shilu transmitted a comforting message:


    ¡°When the soldiers arrive, block them, when the water comes, cover it with earth. If worst comes to worst, we can abandon this plan; there¡¯s no need to be too tense!¡±


    Lin Tianming smiled knowingly and gave Lin Shilu a comforting look.


    Outside Qianchuan Market, the group of six flew on their swords, gazing at the vast city in the distance. Even for Lin Tianming, who was visiting for the second time, the sight was still somewhat shocking.


    For Lin Tianfeng and the others, who were visiting the largest market in the southern Wei Kingdom for the first time, the sight of the buildings reaching into the clouds brought a look of excitement to their faces.


    The group flew close to the market entrance, then proceeded on foot toward the bustling city, where many cultivators still queued up for entry even as dusk approached.


    Lin Shilu led the group forward, simply following in line behind the others.


    After about a quarter of an hour, Lin Shilu paid the full amount of spirit stones, and they entered the city without issue.


    Inside, Lin Shilu led the group down the wide bluestone paved roads.


    As they walked past the bustling scenes along the way, Lin Tianfeng and the others glanced around, taking in the charm of a medium-sized market.


    In no time, they reached the North District of the market, where cave abodes were for rent.


    Looking at the bluestone attic in front of them, Lin Shilu spoke up:


    ¡°We¡¯ll rent a temporary cave abode today, so that we can settle down. Once the shop matters are finalized, we will then move to a longer-term, stable residence!¡±


    Lin Tianming and the others naturally had no objections. After a brief discussion, Lin Shilu stepped inside, with everyone following suit.


    Upon entering the hall, the receptionist, a Seventh Level of Qi Refinement cultivator, sensing the aura Lin Shilu faintly exuded, hurried over respectfully and asked:


    ¡°Senior, are you here to rent a cave abode? Allow me to introduce our offerings first.¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, and the receptionist pointed at the light screen in front of them, patiently starting his introduction.


    Shortly after, Lin Shilu pointed to a spot flickering with green light and inquired about the price.


    The receptionist¡¯s face lit up with joy, and he began to explain eagerly.


    ¡°Senior has a good eye. This cave abode is of the Second Order, brimming with spiritual energy. It includes several practice rooms and a pill refining room. It¡¯s located in a rather secluded spot and has just become available. It can be yours for three months at the cost of just sixty spirit stones!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take this one then, lease it for three months!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded in agreement and then took out the spirit stones to hand to the receptionist.


    The receptionist accepted the spirit stones and then produced a book. He infused it with a law decree, and the green light on the screen turned red.


    Having completed these tasks, he respectfully handed over a golden token, the key to the temporary cave abode.


    ¡°Senior, please take your time. When the rental period is nearing its end, you may come here to switch places or extend the lease!¡±


    Taking the golden token, Lin Shilu and the others left the hall and headed towards the temporary cave abode in the North District.


    In a short while, the group arrived in front of a quiet courtyard.


    Lin Shilu took out the token and cast a law decree, causing a light screen to appear out of thin air, and then led everyone inside.


    Entering the courtyard, they felt the abundant spiritual energy that was almost comparable to that on the Summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, and Lin Tianfeng and the others became quite emotional.


    Lin Shilu swept the entire cave abode with his divine sense to ensure safety, then said:


    ¡°After more than ten days of travel, everyone is tired. Let¡¯s rest early today and discuss our next moves tomorrow morning!¡±


    ¡°As you command!¡±


    The group answered in unison and then each chose a room within the cave abode to rest.


    Lin Tianming found a room deep inside the cave abode, entered, and lay down on a bed crafted from jade. Soon, fatigue set in, and he quickly fell asleep.

 Chapter 185 - 185 - 152 Collecting Information_1

    Chapter 185 ¨C 152 Collecting Information_1


    At the dawn of the next day.


    In the temporarily rented Cave Mansion Courtyard, Lin Tianming and his group of six people sat around a stone table. After a night of rest, their fatigue from the past ten-plus days had completely vanished.


    Lin Shilu sat in the seat of honor, scanning over everyone before opening his mouth to speak;


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve arrived at Qianchuan Market, it¡¯s time to discuss our next steps. If anyone has suggestions or advice, feel free to speak up.¡±


    After he finished speaking, the clan members remained silent, and Lin Tianming also fell into deep thought.


    A dozen or so breaths later, seeing that everyone was staring blankly at one another, remaining silent, the atmosphere turned somewhat awkward, Lin Tianming finally spoke leisurely;


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, since we are new here, with no connections and unclear about the market¡¯s operations, acting rashly will likely lead us down many wrong paths.¡±


    ...


    Lin Tianfeng, sitting beside him, nodded in agreement, and the others also looked at him expectantly.


    Seeing the expressions of everyone, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t delay any further, continuing to share his thoughts.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be too hasty in renting a shop. We¡¯d better walk around the market to gauge the flow of customers in the business district, as well as the situation with our competitors. Gathering information before starting our business would be the more prudent approach. What do you all think?¡±


    Before his words could fall, Lin Xingli, with a surprised expression, added;


    ¡°Tianming, your words make sense. Acting hastily will lead to many detours. Plus, we aren¡¯t familiar with the basic situation of the market, which can easily encroach on the interests of other forces. Even though we¡¯re here to do business, there¡¯s still fear of others employing underhanded tactics.¡±


    ¡°Being cautious and gathering more information will definitely not be wrong, and it could help us avoid many unnecessary troubles. We¡¯re just here to do business, so it¡¯s best to be as stable as possible.¡±


    After Lin Tianhong added a sentence, Lin Shilu nodded thoughtfully, a relieved look appeared on his face. Your journey continues on .com


    In truth, he had simply asked casually, gauging the adaptability and abilities of the younger clan members.


    Coming to Qianchuan Market, he had brought these clan members along to act. He had no doubt about Lin Tianming¡¯s abilities, but since they would be in seclusion for the long term, and he didn¡¯t want Lin Tianming to be entangled in worldly matters, managing the market store would need to be left to others.


    Fortunately, the accompanying clan members didn¡¯t act rashly to seek quick success. Their cautious attitudes would serve them well anywhere.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Shilu instructed;


    ¡°You all have spoken well. This matter should indeed not be rushed. In the coming days, feel free to walk around the market and collect information. We¡¯ll discuss it further in a few days before making a decision.¡±


    ¡°Be careful when you go out, and don¡¯t invite trouble.¡± Lin Shilu advised loudly.


    The others nodded in agreement and then left the courtyard together, leaving only Lin Tianming behind.


    ¡°Tianming, I¡¯ve sent a message to Daoist Ye. Tonight, accompany this old man to the Yuxi Restaurant to meet an old friend.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s instructions, Lin Tianming naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse and agreed on the spot.


    Lin Tianming had already anticipated the purpose of this trip.


    For the clan to gain a foothold in Qianchuan Market, it was possible to consult Ye Pinghai, who had been living there for decades and was also a Second Order Alchemist. Maybe he could provide some guidance.


    Seeing that he understood, Lin Shilu nodded in satisfaction.


    Lin Tianming also stood up and cupped his fists, ready to go out for a stroll and casually gather some news.


    Once out of the residential area, Lin Tianming walked on the broad streets, his mind racing with thoughts.


    When it came to where to find the most informed news in the entire market, naturally, it would be venues like restaurants and tea houses. Some cultivators, while drinking and tasting tea, also liked to gossip about the situations of various powers. If he took a tour around these places, he might gain something valuable.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming headed toward the West District of the market.


    A quarter of an hour passed, and he crossed several streets and plazas, arriving at the commercial district of the market.


    In the early hours, the marketplace was bustling with activity as crowds of cultivators shuttled between shops.


    Lin Tianming continued deeper into the market, observing the shops along the street, memorizing their names, and when he encountered some selling elixirs and Spiritual Artifacts, he would browse and also buy a few elixirs to assess their alchemy skill level.


    Before he knew it, half a day had passed. He had visited the entire commercial district of the market and obtained quite a bit of useful information.


    As he calculated, in the entire West District of the market, there were at least over twenty big shops and nearly a hundred smaller ones that sold Second Order Spiritual Items. Almost every few dozen meters, there would be one or two shops, and near the plaza in the much-coveted area, the shops were even more densely packed.


    Looking at this situation, the competition was truly extraordinary.


    Putting this information aside, he soon reached the front of a tower.


    Looking up, he saw a three-story building occupying a not-so-small space, with ¡°Yuxi Restaurant¡± engraved on the signboard at the entrance.


    Opposite it, there were several even larger restaurants, not only bigger in size but also seemingly higher in rank than Yuxi Restaurant.


    During the noontime, a large number of cultivators entered the restaurant. That¡¯s when Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong quietly appeared in front of him.


    Lin Tianfeng spoke with a smile; S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Little Sixth, it seems we have similar thoughts. Since we¡¯ve run into each other, let¡¯s have a meal together; it¡¯s a good opportunity to gather some news.¡±


    Lin Tianming was somewhat surprised, not expecting this coincidence, but since Lin Tianfeng suggested it, he naturally wouldn¡¯t object.

 Chapter 186 - 186 - 152 Gathering Information_2

    Chapter 186 ¨C 152 Gathering Information_2


    Three people stepped into the Yuxi Restaurant, where many were enjoying their drinks and casual conversations in the bustling hall.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming and his two companions enter, a Qi Refining Cultivator at the Third Level approached to greet them.


    ¡°Please come in, honored guests. Do you wish to reserve a private room, or would you prefer to dine in the main hall?¡±


    Lin Tianming chuckled. He had come here precisely to gather intelligence; opting for a private room¡ªwhich often had prohibitions against eavesdropping¡ªwould defeat the purpose.


    Looking at the dozens of tables in the hall, almost all occupied by Qi Refining Cultivators discussing various gossips and happenings of the market.


    Lin Tianming felt a surge of covert delight, yet he maintained a calm demeanor and casually replied:


    ¡°Just in the main hall will be fine!¡±


    ...


    The young man had hoped to serve a few cultivators in a private room, so he could earn a larger hosting commission. He didn¡¯t expect they would choose the main hall.


    ¡°These three clearly have the cultivation of the Late Stage of Qi Refining, yet they picked the most ordinary seating area. Could it be that they are strapped for cash?¡±


    ¡°There goes my chance for a tip!¡±


    The young host thought regretfully, but he didn¡¯t let any displeasure show on his face. With a smile, he personally led Lin Tianming and his party to pick out a table.


    The three chose a seat by the window and sat down, after which Lin Tianming took out three Spirit Stones and handed them to the young host.


    ¡°Serve us a table of your specialty dishes, and bring some of your finest Spiritual Wine!¡±


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    Seeing Lin Tianming offer a tip, the young man¡¯s spirits soared. Taking the Spirit Stones, he scampered off to prepare their meal.


    In no time, a table of exquisite foods was brought before them.


    ¡°Please enjoy, fellow Daoists. Should you need anything, simply call on me!¡± said the young man.


    Lin Tianming nodded, and the young man tactfully left.


    Before them were several jade plates filled with the aromatic meat of Spirit Beasts, complemented by three flasks of Spiritual Wine.


    The three chatted idly, eating their food, while Lin Tianming pricked up his ears, attentively listening to all the topics being discussed in the hall.


    At that moment, not far from them, a table occupied by four Qi Refining Cultivators burst into conversation as they heartily drank Spiritual Wine.


    One of the men in a white robe set down his wine cup and whispered:


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, have you heard? The Lingxiao Tower to the south of the commercial district is closing down.¡±


    Hearing this topic, Lin Tianming covertly observed their every move and hung on their every word.


    ¡°Lingxiao Tower is closing down?¡±


    ¡°Impossible, right?¡± a man in a gray robe questioned.


    Another in a blue shirt shook his head, expressing disbelief:


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Lingxiao Tower belongs to the Gao Family of the Qingfeng Mountain Range. It¡¯s been open for over a hundred years, and business has always been good. Why would they close?¡±


    The man in the white robe spoke with an air of calm, his voice barely audible.


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re uninformed. A rumor has it that the Gao Family engaged in a fierce battle with Wei Zhou of the Qingfeng Mountain Range. The Gao Family was defeated, suffering heavy casualties. Now they want to sell off their properties quickly and move their family out of Wei Kingdom to escape the pursuit and assassination attempts from the Wei Zhou families.¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The comment left the man in the blue shirt with a changed complexion, exclaiming in surprise:


    ¡°The Gao Family¡¯s strength was considerable before. Even with heavy losses, do they really need to leave the market? After all, no matter how powerful the Wei Zhou families are, they wouldn¡¯t dare to cause trouble in the market, breaking its rules, right?¡±


    The white-robed man unconvinced, then proceeded to explain.


    ¡°This has to do with the strategic location of the Qingfeng Mountain Range. The Wei Zhou families are powerful; either one is no weaker than the Gao Family. I¡¯ve heard each has five Foundation Establishment members. Their territories control the vital passages, and even if the Gao Family holed up in the market, their stores would run out of treasures to sell soon enough. It¡¯s better to cash in early and start anew elsewhere; there might be a chance for a comeback.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, as long as we have the green mountains, we needn¡¯t worry about firewood. Dragging it out will only weaken them further!¡±


    Realizing the rationale after the white-robed man¡¯s explanation, the man in the blue shirt switched gears.


    ¡°In the past few decades, the Wei Kingdom has been fairly tranquil, with no large-scale clan wars, a rare period of peace.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the white-robed man¡¯s expression shifted, then he said:


    ¡°Have you all forgotten? Just a few years ago, the Luoyun Mountain Range went through a gruesome battle!¡±


    As these words fell, a Qi Refining Cultivator at another table nearby suddenly turned to look at the white-robed man.


    This Fifth Level Qi Refining Cultivator stood up, clasped his hands together in greeting, and eagerly inquired:


    ¡°I am Chen Xiu, a Loose Cultivator. This is my first visit to Qianchuan Market. I would be very interested to hear about the great battle you mentioned. Could you please share the story?¡±


    The man in the white robe chuckled, feeling that since the incident had happened several years ago and many in the market were aware of it, there was nothing to hide.


    Then, the sociable man in the white robe called Chen Xiu to take a seat, and began to speak:


    ¡°Several years ago, a great battle erupted among the major families in the Luoyun Mountain Range. The Jin and Wu families were annihilated, and the Sun Family suffered heavy losses,¡±


    ¡°It was about a month after the battle in the Luoyun Mountain Range that the news reached Qianchuan Market, causing a huge sensation at that time.¡±


    ¡°Who would have thought that the Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain, unbeknownst to most, had so deeply hidden their strength, boasting six Foundation Establishment Cultivators, who took the initiative to annihilate all members of the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family.¡±


    ¡°You must know, the Jin Family was previously the strongest in the Luoyun Mountain Range, also having several Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and yet they were all wiped out.¡±


    Chen Xiu was astonished to hear this, and replied:


    ¡°Logically, it should have been an evenly matched situation; at the very least, it shouldn¡¯t have led to a clan¡¯s annihilation. And to think that the Jin Family, which ranked first for so long, was so easily defeated?¡±


    ¡°Heh heh¡­¡±


    The man in the white robe sneered and said:


    ¡°This Lin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain is no minor clan, and definitely not an easy target. You should know that the Lin Family ancestors include a Golden Elixir Expert!¡±


    ¡°What, a Golden Elixir Expert?¡±


    Chen Xiu exclaimed, his breathing suddenly becoming rapid.


    Foundation Establishment Cultivators were already beyond their reach, let alone Golden Elixir Experts. For them, Qi Refining Cultivators, it was an almost impossibly distant realm.


    He was stunned for a moment before he calmed down, then he lamented:


    ¡°The Jin Family really had bad luck, stirring up trouble with a family that had a Golden Core Cultivator among its ancestors, and in the end, they failed to steal the chicken and lost the rice!¡±


    The man in the white robe remained calm, adding a comment.


    ¡°Indeed, a family that has produced a Golden Core Cultivator is not one to be trifled with, and even in decline, it is not so easily obliterated!¡±


    ¡­


    Although their voices were not loud, Lin Tianming, sitting a few tables away, could still hear everything clearly.


    Afterward, they stopped discussing the Luoyun Mountain Range and switched to some mundane topics.


    Before they knew it, half a day had quickly passed.


    Throughout the afternoon, Lin Tianming and his two companions never left Yuxi Restaurant, staying inside, drinking and chatting while also gathering information.


    After an afternoon of waiting, the three of them had gained quite a bit, with the most useful piece of information being that the Gao Family¡¯s Lingxiao Tower was changing hands.


    Besides that, they also heard some rumors, but the veracity of those was hard to ascertain.


    As dusk approached, Lin Tianming raised his cup and spoke to Lin Tianfeng and the other:


    ¡°Brother, you and Second Brother go back to our lodgings first; I and Fifteenth Grandfather have some important matters to attend to!¡±


    Lin Tianfeng looked puzzled but did not ask what the matter was.


    ¡°Go ahead, Tian Hong and I will wait a while longer before heading back together later in the evening,¡± offered Lin Tianfeng.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, downed his Spiritual Wine in one gulp, then threw down several dozens of Spirit Stones, saluted Lin Tianfeng and the other with a fist, and then left Yuxi Restaurant.


    Yuxi Restaurant and the Welcoming Establishment were both in the business district, not far apart, separated by just one street.


    Before long, Lin Tianming arrived at the entrance of the Welcoming Establishment.


    There was still a little time before his meeting with Lin Shilu, so Lin Tianming stood on the street, observing the surrounding environment.


    Although it was in the same area as Yuxi Restaurant, the Welcoming Establishment had a better location and was clearly a cut above in class.


    Yuxi Restaurant was a place where Qi Refining Cultivators would go, whereas the Welcoming Establishment was frequented by Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Besides that, the special offerings of the meals and the decorative atmosphere were also quite different, obviously catering to different crowds.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Shilu appeared in his sight.


    ¡°Tianming, we¡¯re hosting this time; let¡¯s go inside and wait!¡±


    Lin Shilu instructed, then led him towards the Welcoming Establishment.

 Chapter 187 - 187 - 153 Assistance_1

    Chapter 187 ¨C 153 Assistance_1


    In a private room on the second floor of the Welcome Pavilion, Lin Tianming sat opposite the other party.


    There was still some time before Ye Pinghai¡¯s scheduled arrival, and the two chatted to pass the time.


    He recounted some of the rumors that had been circulating throughout the day and awaited Lin Shilu¡¯s opinion on them.


    Sure enough, upon hearing the news, Lin Shilu was similarly stirred.


    The purpose of their trip to Qianchuan Market was to establish a foothold, but setting up a shop in the market was not so easy,


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    Due to the bustling popularity of Qianchuan Market and consistently good business, most families conducting business there made a handsome profit.


    ...


    As a result, various shop spaces in the market had always been highly sought after, with hardly any powers willing to voluntarily give up their lease and forfeit the opportunity to make money.


    And once a location became available, it would quickly be rented by Foundation Establishment Families, with sometimes more than ten families competing to bid for a single shop space, even leading some to form grudges over it.


    Given this, it was not easy for the Lin Family to rent a shop within a short period of time.


    If the Gao Family was indeed planning to sell Lingxiao Tower, it would unquestionably be great news for the Lin Family.


    Having just arrived in the market, they had stumbled upon such a rare opportunity; their luck could be described as extremely good.


    With this thought, Lin Shilu suppressed the excitement in his heart and then inquired,


    ¡°Tianming, what do you think about the likelihood that the Gao Family intends to sell Lingxiao Tower? Is there any hidden secret in this?¡±


    After some thought and recalling the rumors he had heard that day, Lin Tianming responded,


    ¡°This matter has caused quite a stir, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s without foundation. Considering the fact that the Gao Family was jointly attacked by Wei Zhou and suffered heavy losses, it is possible that they are indeed contemplating the sale.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, and Lin Tianming continued.


    ¡°If the Gao Family truly intends to sell, many families will surely want to rent it. With our limited power, securing a spot would certainly come at a significant cost!¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt, numerous Foundation Establishment Families will compete, and our Lin Family, previously not well-known, will find it difficult to stand out.¡±


    After Lin Tianming finished analyzing, Lin Shilu was not disheartened but calmly said,


    ¡°Daoist Ye, having been in the market for many years and being a Second Order High-Grade Alchemy Master, may have some connections. When he arrives, let¡¯s inquire further.¡±


    ¡°We can only do so!¡±


    No sooner had the words been spoken than the protective enchantments of the private room flashed.


    ¡°Daoist Ye has arrived, let¡¯s go welcome him!¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After instructing, the two got up. Lin Shilu then made a single-handed seal and cast a Law Decree, which vanished into the enchantment and disappeared.


    As the light flashed again, the entrance to the room revealed the figure of Ye Pinghai.


    After not seeing him for several years, Ye Pinghai¡¯s aura seemed even more formidable.


    Lin Shilu, with Lin Tianming beside him, walked forward with a bright smile and then offered a respectful bow with folded hands.


    ¡°Haha, Brother Ye, it¡¯s been a long time, younger brother pays his respects¡­¡±


    ¡°Junior has seen Elder Ye!¡± Lin Tianming gave a respectful bow with his hands clasped.


    Ye Pinghai, with a beaming smile as if meeting an old friend, returned the gesture with both hands clasped.


    Then, upon seeing Lin Tianming, he was immediately astonished and spoke in admiring tones.


    ¡°Young Brother Lin is truly a dragon among men. In just a few years, you have already succeeded in Foundation Establishment; such cultivation speed is truly terrifying!¡±


    Lin Shilu chuckled modestly and responded,


    ¡°Not at all, Brother Ye exalts me. My junior here has only been lucky and diligent, leading to a faster cultivation pace. As for his talent, it is hardly remarkable in the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World!¡±


    After finishing his words, Ye Pinghai did not continue the subject. He waved his hand to change the topic and said playfully,


    ¡°Now that Young Brother Lin has made a breakthrough, we are both Foundation Establishment Cultivators. You should now address each other as fellow daoists!¡±


    Lin Tianming shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this and then said,


    ¡°Elder Ye, you flatter me too much. Though we both are at Foundation Establishment, you are at the Ninth Level and a Second Order High-Grade Alchemy Master, a formidable figure in the entirety of Qianchuan Market. How could I compare myself to you?¡±


    Lin Tianming continued with a series of compliments, and then, with sincerity, said,


    ¡°Moreover, you are as close as brothers with my grandfather and Fifteenth Grandfather, and you have helped the Lin Family many times. If I were to address you as a fellow daoist, would it not upset the order of seniority?¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    With Lin Tianming¡¯s explanation, Ye Pinghai laughed heartily, and the atmosphere among them became much warmer.


    Once things calmed down, Ye Pinghai said,


    ¡°Brother Lin has been kind to me, and indeed we have addressed each other as brothers. Since you say so, I¡¯ll take the liberty to forgo formalities. From now on, if you don¡¯t mind, you may call me Grandpa Sea, how about that?¡±


    ¡°Junior has seen Grandpa Sea!¡± Lin Tianming instantly agreed, greeting him with a bow.


    Hearing Ye Pinghai¡¯s words and his initiative in showing goodwill towards the Lin Family, Lin Shilu on the side was very pleased and repeatedly agreed,


    ¡°It should be so indeed!¡±


    After a few pleasantries, Lin Shilu invited Ye Pinghai to take a seat, while Lin Tianming instructed the servants waiting outside to serve a full table of food.


    Each took their seats, and Lin Shilu pulled out two golden gourds, uncorking one to let its fragrance fill the air.


    He stood to pour wine for Ye Pinghai and didn¡¯t forget to add,


    ¡°Brother Ye, these jugs of ¡¯Haoyu Fruit Wine¡¯ were personally brewed by Ninth Brother, infused with a large amount of precious Spiritual Medicine. It enhances cultivation and is not something we commonly consume.¡±

 Chapter 188 - 188 - 153 Assistance_2

    Chapter 188 ¨C 153 Assistance_2


    ¡°`


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for our trip to the market city, Ninth Brother specifically asked me to bring a few jars for you, Daoist Ye, insisting that I treat you to a banquet. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to enjoy such a delight myself!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s words, Ye Pinghai let out a chuckle, a look of anticipation appearing on his face.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ...


    ¡°Is that so? I must savour them properly then. It would be disrespectful to Shi Gong¡¯s kindness otherwise!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    The enthusiastic Lin Shilu entertained Ye Pinghai, while Lin Tianming sat beside Lin Shilu.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    While indulging in spirit beast meat, Lin Tianming also made sure to rise and pour drinks for the two of them.


    ¡°`


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    Drink rounds passed thrice, dishes varied in five courses.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Under the warm reception, with cups of spiritual wine going down one after another, Ye Pinghai was also pondering Lin Shilu¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°`


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    Having lived nearly a hundred years and seen all sorts of people, he knew that Lin Shilu¡¯s enthusiasm today must have been driven by a request.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Knowing this, he took the initiative to ask.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Lin, if you have any requests where you need assistance, just speak frankly. If I can help, I will, as a way to repay the Lin Family¡¯s life-saving favor!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Seeing that he directly brought up the matter, Lin Shilu replied with a wry smile:


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°As you have guessed, Daoist Ye, I indeed have a matter to discuss!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Ye Pinghai was somewhat intrigued. The Lin Family¡¯s requests for his assistance in the past were almost always for alchemy, which for him was merely a matter of expending some time, and he would also charge a basic fee. His efforts could hardly be considered a great contribution.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    As for today¡¯s matter, which Lin Shilu was handling with such gravity, he wondered what it could be.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Seeing Ye Pinghai¡¯s expression, Lin Shilu decided not to hide anything further, to avoid displeasing him.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    With his mind set, he directly cut to the chase and repeated the purpose of the Lin Family¡¯s trip to the market city.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Leasing a shop, to establish a foothold in Qianchuan Market?¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°The Lingxiao Tower of the Gao Family might change hands?¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Ye Pinghai was somewhat astonished, but after Lin Shilu¡¯s further explanation, he understood the Lin Family¡¯s farsightedness.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    The Lin Family had not lacked this ambition in the past, but they truly didn¡¯t have the strength. Even the Jin Family, once the number one family of the Luoyun Mountain Range, had not been able to secure a foothold in Qianchuan Market.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Now with eight members of the Lin clan at the Foundation Establishment level, such strength allowed them to surpass all others in the Luoyun Mountain Range, and they naturally would not be content to just stagnate in obscurity.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Thinking of this, he very much understood the Lin Family¡¯s demands. However, securing a position in Qianchuan Market was by no means an easy task.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Currently, the powerhouses backing the shops in the market were among the top tier of Foundation Establishing Families. Without real strength and connections, the market wouldn¡¯t give them the time of day.


    ¡°`


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    Furthermore, the leases for the market¡¯s shops start at ten years and with more than two years left until the next cycle, it would be quite a wait for that gap unless they hoped for a mid-term transfer opportunity, which was exceedingly rare. Normally, such a transfer would only occur if a shop could not continue operating.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°If the Gao Family really does transfer their shop, certainly many forces will have their eyes on it¡ªit¡¯ll surely lead to fierce competition,¡± said Ye Pinghai.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Seeing Ye Pinghai¡¯s eyebrows raise and his expression turn grave, falling into silence, Lin Shilu did not dare to rush him, only waiting anxiously.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    At that moment, the private room was silent except for the sound of their even breathing.


    ¡°`


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    After more than a dozen breaths passed, Ye Pinghai finally spoke languidly:


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Lin, while this task is challenging, it¡¯s not impossible. If Lingxiao Tower indeed changes hands, we could try. Having spent decades in the market city, I¡¯ve established some connections that might be of use. Perhaps we can negotiate something.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Before he could finish speaking, Lin Shilu was overwhelmed with joy.


    ¡°`


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    He had intended to make an attempt, but had not expected Ye Pinghai to readily agree to the matter. Although success was not guaranteed, the sheer willingness to help was already invaluable.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Otherwise, left to their own devices, they might ramble around aimlessly like headless flies, uncertain of when they would achieve any result.


    ¡°` Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Rest assured, Daoist Ye. I will confirm this matter immediately. Once it is true, I will ask for your assistance in navigating it. Regardless of the outcome, I assure you, you will be handsomely rewarded!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    After speaking earnestly, Lin Shilu then took out a storage bag and handed it to Ye Pinghai.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Seeing this, Ye Pinghai waved his hand and said:


    Stay updated via .com


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°The matter has yet to be confirmed¡ªif the Gao Family is unwilling to sell, I would be of no help. It would be better to confirm the veracity of this matter in the coming days. Afterward, it¡¯s not too late to make further plans.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Seeing his determination, Lin Shilu had no choice but to give up and reluctantly took back the storage bag.


    ¡°`


    Lin Tianming, standing to one side, also tastefully stepped forward to fill their cups with Spiritual Wine.


    After that, the two tactfully changed the subject, starting to exchange insights and occasionally chatting about some trivial family matters.


    Lin Tianming, on the other hand, was frantically sweeping through the delicacies on the table, with large amounts of Spirit Beast meat being devoured into his stomach, the smidgen of Spiritual Power contained within the meat nourishing his flesh.


    The banquet continued for over half an hour, and as the sky gradually darkened, Ye Pinghai prepared to take his leave.


    ¡°Lin Brother, you and I should each inquire whether the news about Lingxiao Tower changing hands is true or false. Once there¡¯s any news, you can directly come to my cave dwelling, and we can discuss and plan!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded vigorously, his expression excited as he said:


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Brother, for your concern. The moment I have news, I will immediately send a message to you!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± replied Ye Pinghai.


    Subsequently, the three got up, and after leaving the welcoming building, they each gave a salute and walked toward their respective cave dwellings.


    Upon returning to the temporarily rented cave dwelling, Lin Tianfeng and the others had already returned to the courtyard.


    Gathering everyone together, they summarized the information they had collected.


    The information gathered by all was almost identical; within the entire Market City, only the news of the Gao Family¡¯s Lingxiao Tower being transferred had spread.


    Thus, for the time being, the Lin Family could only pin their hopes on this Lingxiao Tower.


    In the courtyard, seeing everyone fall into silence, Lin Tianfeng asked:


    ¡°What should we do next?¡±


    After another few moments of silence, Lin Shilu, also without any clue, felt somewhat helpless.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming spoke up:


    ¡°Tomorrow, you all should still go out to wander the streets and alleys, gossiping around, and befriend some cultivators to help us establish a foothold in the market. As for the matter of Lingxiao Tower, tomorrow I and Fifteenth Grandfather will go there in person to take a look and then inquire at the Market City Hall. Meanwhile, Elder Ye will confirm the matter through a friend, and I believe it won¡¯t be long before we have an answer!¡±


    It was the only option for now. Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s arrangement, Lin Shilu felt very reassured and then comforted everyone.


    ¡°Indeed, worrying won¡¯t help. Let¡¯s not be so pessimistic, with Daoist Ye lending us a hand, there is still a considerable hope.¡±


    Hearing these words, the tension eased significantly from Lin Tianfeng and the others.


    Throughout the day, they had mingled in various parts of the Market City, gaining some understanding of the rental situation of shops and becoming thoroughly familiar with the name of Ye Pinghai.


    It could be said that apart from Golden Elixir Experts, within the powerful Qianchuan Market, Ye Pinghai stood out among Foundation Establishment Cultivators, relying on his exquisite Alchemy skills to enjoy unlimited glory and full house of esteemed guests.


    With his assistance, the task indeed became much more manageable.


    Seeing the improved countenance of his companions, Lin Shilu instructed:


    ¡°Let¡¯s proceed according to Tianming¡¯s plan. Tomorrow, everyone will take action on their own, and be careful when you go out!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, everyone should rest now!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Tianming and the others stood up, bowed, and then headed to their rooms.


    Returning to his room, Lin Tianming sat on the jade-like stone bed, then brought his hands together and started a Grand Circulation.


    Having consumed a lot of Spiritual Wine and a great amount of Spirit Beast meat, a surge of energy within him began to be refined.


    After more than an hour of cultivation, he finally refined most of the energy in his body.


    In the deep quiet of the night, he sat at the bedside, pondering.


    Considering the overall strength of the Lin Family, it was above average among Foundation Establishment families in the Wei Kingdom, and they qualified for sure.


    What mattered most was the attitude of Zhenyang Sect behind Qianchuan Market; this was the crux of the issue. As long as they could manage this connection, the task would become simple.


    ¡°Enough, I¡¯ll go take a look tomorrow and see¡­¡±


    Muttering to himself, Lin Tianming lay down to sleep, and soon his snores filled the room.

 Chapter 189 - 189 - 154 Major Progress_1

    Chapter 189 ¨C 154 Major Progress_1


    The next day.


    On a wide cobblestone path, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu walked together.


    It was early morning, the busiest time for the market district, with numerous cultivators shuttling between the various shops lining the sides of the streets.


    On the street, Lin Tianming looked all around, eyeing the bustling commercial area and conversing intermittently with Lin Shilu beside him.


    Feeling the lively scene around him, Lin Tianming showed a hint of pleasure and then spoke up:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, not far ahead is the location of Lingxiao Tower. This street¡¯s position is not bad, close to the central market¡¯s auction, so it¡¯s always bustling with people¡ªan excellent location within the entire commercial district!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not bad; the pedestrian traffic here is significant. The surrounding shops are all big, and their business appears to be booming¡­¡±


    ...


    Lin Shilu nodded and replied. As soon as he entered this street, he felt the difference.


    The two walked on, and soon they arrived in front of a three-story pavilion.


    Stopping in his tracks, Lin Tianming looked up at the building before him.


    This was a three-story pavilion covering over ten acres, beautifully engraved all over. Above its main entrance hung a golden plaque with the words ¡°Lingxiao Tower¡± written in a dragon-and-phoenix dance script.


    Looking at the imposing Lingxiao Tower, this was their destination for the trip.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go in and take a look first!¡±


    Lin Shilu commanded, stepping towards the interior of Lingxiao Tower, with Lin Tianming quickly following behind.


    Inside Lingxiao Tower at the moment, the vast hall was nearly empty, with only a few Qi Refining Cultivators selecting treasures.


    Gao Yuzhou sat at the front desk, looking at the few Qi Refinement Stage customers with a worried expression, heaving sighs from time to time.


    As a member of the Gao Family in charge of Lingxiao Tower¡¯s business for several years, he had never seen it as deserted as in the past month, with each day worse than the last. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Who knows if Seventh Uncle has had any success? If there¡¯re no new treasures, I¡¯m afraid Lingxiao Tower won¡¯t be able to hold on much longer!¡±


    Muttering to himself, Gao Yuzhou¡¯s face showed a look of loss.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming and his companion enter, Gao Yuzhou forced a smile and immediately came forward to greet them.


    ¡°Welcome to our store, honored cultivators. May I ask what you are looking for?¡± Gao Yuzhou greeted with clasped hands.


    After he finished speaking, Lin Tianming and his companion didn¡¯t say anything, instead examining Gao Yuzhou himself. Enjoy exclusive chapters from


    Seeing Gao Yuzhou¡¯s clearly nervous and insufficiently confident demeanor, Lin Tianming and his companion speculated that Lingxiao Tower¡¯s situation must be extremely dire.


    Feeling their gaze, Gao Yuzhou¡¯s heart sank, though he hid it well, the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators still sensed it.


    With Gao Yuzhou unsure of their purpose, he tried to seem more natural despite the palpitations inside him.


    After several moments passed, Lin Tianming finally retracted his sharp gaze and spoke:


    ¡°I require some Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials and a few bottles of Second Order Spirit Origin Pills.¡±


    Hearing this, Gao Yuzhou¡¯s expression grew even more solemn.


    What Lin Tianming requested were all Second Order items; Lingxiao Tower hadn¡¯t restocked any Spiritual Objects for half a year, relying solely on old inventory to scrape by.


    With the current situation, the Gao Family was both afraid of Lingxiao Tower losing business and of the last bit of stock selling out. Coupled with the prolonged absence of new supplies and many customers unable to purchase what they desired, several regular customers had almost all stopped coming.


    Now, faced with such a large order for Second Order Pills, if this were the past, Gao Yuzhou would have been overjoyed, but now it was a thorny issue.


    Because Lingxiao Tower simply didn¡¯t have that quantity. If he outright refused, it might reveal Lingxiao Tower¡¯s desperate situation.


    Seeing that Gao Yuzhou had not replied for a long time, along with his hesitating look,


    Lin Tianming became even more certain of his suspicion that Lingxiao Tower must be on the brink of collapse.


    A few breaths later, Gao Yuzhou spoke somewhat helplessly:


    ¡°Honored cultivators, as the elixirs have not yet been refined, we presently don¡¯t have sufficient quantity. If you are in a hurry, perhaps you could try your luck at other shops!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming and his companion, without further words, clasped their fists, turned around, and left Lingxiao Tower directly.


    After coming out of Lingxiao Tower, Lin Tianming and his companion once again took a round around the other shops in the street.


    After half a day, they had toured much of the market district.


    Back at their residence, they sat in the small courtyard chatting casually. Lin Tianming picked up his tea cup, took a light sip, and then said,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, it seems the rumors are indeed true. The Gao Family¡¯s Lingxiao Tower has little stock left. If they don¡¯t get a replenishment, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t last much longer.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, agreeing with his view.


    After coming out from Lingxiao Tower today, they visited many shops, and even the worst performing shop had more inventory and patronage than Lingxiao Tower.


    By that comparison, if the Gao Family cannot resolve the issue in a short time, it¡¯s only a matter of time before Lingxiao Tower changes owners.


    ¡°Tianming, this is good news. I¡¯ve already sent a message to Brother Ye, and he¡¯s already thinking of a way. Let¡¯s wait patiently for a while!¡± Lin Shilu said.


    Lin Tianming acknowledged and then added,


    ¡°Good, for the next few days, remind Tianfeng and the others to keep a close watch on Lingxiao Tower and the Gao Family¡¯s movements.¡±


    After speaking, Lin Tianming clasped his hands and returned to his own room.


    ¡­


    Time swiftly passed by, days turning into weeks.

 Chapter 190 - 190 - 154 Major Progress_2

    Chapter 190 ¨C 154 Major Progress_2


    ¡°`


    In Lin Tianming¡¯s room, a Messaging Aura flew into the room and stopped in front of him.


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    He opened his eyes, which had been tightly closed for several days, extended his hand to cast a Law Decree, and then the Messaging Aura dispersed, revealing the content of the message.


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    ¡°`


    ...


    After a few moments, a smile appeared on his face and he immediately rose and left the room.


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    In the courtyard, Lin Shilu was waiting. Seeing him emerge, a smile also appeared on his face.


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    Lin Tianming wasted no time with pleasantries and hurriedly asked,


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    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, did Ye mention the specifics in his communication?¡±


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    As Lin Tianming pressed for details, Lin Shilu shook his head in response,


    ¡°`


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    ¡°Li didn¡¯t elaborate; he only requested that the two of us immediately visit his Cave Mansion Courtyard for a discussion.¡± Your next chapter awaits on


    ¡°`


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    ¡°I suspect it has something to do with the progress regarding the shop. There¡¯s no time to waste, let¡¯s go right away!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Subsequently, the two of them left the courtyard together and hurried towards Ye Pinghai¡¯s Cave Mansion Courtyard.


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    It wasn¡¯t long before Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu arrived at the entrance to Ye Pinghai¡¯s Cave Mansion Courtyard.


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    Ye Pinghai had been waiting for them. Seeing the visitors, he manipulated a spell to open the cave mansion¡¯s wards, and the two walked in, one after another.


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    As soon as they entered his Cave Mansion Courtyard, Lin Shilu performed a fist-and-palm salute and immediately began to inquire.


    ¡°`


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    ¡°Ye, has there been progress with the shop?¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Seeing the anxious look on Lin Shilu¡¯s face, Ye Pinghai said with a smile,


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Lin, indeed there has been progress. The Gao Family does intend to transfer the shop, but currently, it¡¯s not just you¡ªmany families are considering taking over Lingxiao Tower.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Upon hearing this, expressions of uncontained joy spread across the faces of Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming.


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    ¡°`


    For the past several days, the two had been losing sleep, constantly focusing on this matter. Since there had been significant progress, their excitement was naturally overwhelming.


    ¡°`


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    As the two gradually calmed down, Ye Pinghai continued,


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited just yet. Although the transfer is confirmed, there are several competitors who also want to take over Lingxiao Tower.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Ye, have you confirmed which families they are?¡± Lin Shilu asked urgently.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°If all goes as expected, the Wei Family and the Zhou Family from Qingfeng Mountain Range will certainly be involved; they have joined forces against the Gao Family. Aside from coveting the Gao Family¡¯s treasures, they surely won¡¯t pass up the shop either!


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°In addition to the Wei and Zhou families, there are also the Chen Clan from the Hengyang Mountain Range and the Zhu Family from the Xiuyue Mountain Range. Other Foundation Establishing Families with insufficient strength are hardly a concern; they¡¯re mostly just making up the numbers.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Hearing this news from Ye Pinghai, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu¡¯s expressions turned somewhat unsightly.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    For just one shop, there were several families competing whose strength was not inferior to that of the Lin Family. Indeed, success wouldn¡¯t come easily.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    With this in mind, Lin Shilu spoke gravely,


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Ye, I¡¯ve heard of these major families. Their strength is indeed remarkable. Does our Lin Family stand a chance at acquiring it?¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    After some thought, Ye Pinghai began to analyze.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°To be honest, in comparison to the other four major families, the Lin Family is at a disadvantage. However, your ancestor was a Mid Stage Golden Core Cultivator who once made a name for himself in the Wei Kingdom. Although overall strength is lacking, it doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s no chance.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Hearing Ye Pinghai¡¯s comforting words, Lin Shilu¡¯s complexion looked a bit better.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    However, he understood that even though their ancestor had once been renowned, he had passed away more than six hundred years ago; past fame wouldn¡¯t be of much help now, and it was their own strength that mattered most.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    While Lin Shilu was lost in thought, Ye Pinghai spoke again.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°The reason I messaged you today is because there has been a significant development. I have been visiting old friends these past few days, and it has been somewhat fruitful!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lin Shilu asked eagerly, his face flushing with excitement.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Just today, I visited Li Xiuyuan. I explained the Lin Family¡¯s appeal to him and we¡¯ve arranged to visit him tomorrow with you.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Before he could finish, Lin Shilu could not contain his joy, and quickly asked,


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Li Xiuyuan? Do you mean that Li Xiuyuan, the Senior Executive Officer of the Market Institution?¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Hearing Ye Pinghai confirm it again, this time Lin Tianming was also thrilled. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    They had not been idle these past few days, collecting much information about the families and key figures in the market. Li Xiuyuan¡¯s name was indeed well-known to them.


    ¡°`


    This Li Xiuyuan is no ordinary person; he is a core disciple of the Zhenyang Sect with the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, possessing immense strength, and he also holds the position of a senior executive officer in the market institution.


    As everyone knows, the highest-ranking individuals in the market institution are the Golden Elixir Experts, but the Golden Core Cultivators are mostly busy pursuing the path of eternal life and have no time or energy to manage the trivial matters of the market institution.


    Therefore, three senior executive officers are appointed to manage the market institution on their behalf.


    It can be said that when the Golden Core Cultivators are absent, Li Xiuyuan and a few other senior executive officers are the de facto managers of the market institution; their status and strength are extraordinary, and countless Foundation Establishing Families seek to ingratiate themselves with them.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that Ye Pinghai could actually befriend Li Xiuyuan and even get him to help.


    Seeing the puzzled expressions on Lin Tianming and the others, Ye Pinghai also explained:


    ¡°In his early years, Li of the market institution had a low level of cultivation and had requested my help to refine several batches of elixirs; hence, he owed me a favor. Today, when I sought his help, he was willing to lend a hand.¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Ye Pinghai continued:


    ¡°However, although Li holds an office in the market institution, he doesn¡¯t have the final say alone; the other two executive officers also naturally need to be well taken care of.¡±


    After Ye Pinghai finished speaking, Lin Shilu felt relieved and nodded repeatedly in agreement.


    ¡°It goes without saying, Lin of the market institution is willing to help, which is fortunate enough. Still, we cannot let him be busy for nothing. Moreover, I have already made preparations.¡±


    Ye Pinghai nodded and then said:


    ¡°Alright, I have already arranged to meet with him tomorrow. At that time, you shall accompany me to visit him!¡±


    After a brief chat and finalizing the matter, Lin Tianming and another person took their leave and returned to their own cave mansion.


    Sitting in his cave mansion courtyard, Lin Shilu¡¯s brow was furrowed in hesitation.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming asked:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, is there any difficulty? Please share with Tian Ming and see if your grandnephew can offer help.¡±


    Lin Shilu looked at the several storage bags in front of him and then spoke up:


    ¡°We shall visit Li of the market institution tomorrow. Since we are requesting his services, we naturally must offer some treasures, otherwise, this matter might not succeed.¡±


    ¡°Before departing, the family provided tens of thousands of Spirit Stones for us to establish a store in the market institution. How many Spirit Stones should we offer as compensation to make it appropriate?¡±


    Lin Tianming laughed upon hearing this, finding it unexpected that Lin Shilu would worry about such a small number of Spirit Stones.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, it¡¯s already quite rare for someone to be willing to help.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, Lin Family has just arrived with no foundation or connections; we might still need to rely on others in the future. If we appear too stingy, it wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for our development in the market institution.¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, agreeing with Lin Tianming¡¯s rationale, and later remarked.


    ¡°It is I who am indecisive!¡±


    Lin Tianming understood his elder, as the Lin Family had previously lived frugally, hating to even spend a single Spirit Stone without breaking it in half, so some hesitation was within reason.


    Lin Shilu regained his focus and then inquired:


    ¡°Tian Ming, how do you think we should allocate these tens of thousands of Spirit Stones?¡±


    After pondering for a while, Lin Tianming felt that for someone of Li Xiuyuan¡¯s stature, offering five thousand Spirit Stones was too little and would likely not be taken seriously; it would probably take at least ten thousand Spirit Stones to motivate them.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming began expressing his own opinion.


    ¡°How about offering ten thousand Spirit Stones each to Ye and the three senior executive officers of the market institution?¡±


    ¡°The remaining ten thousand can be used for the store¡¯s rent, and if it¡¯s not enough, we can chip in more Spirit Stones to resolve this matter.¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s suggestion, Lin Shilu almost immediately agreed to this plan without much thought.


    Having agreed on the matter, Lin Shilu said:


    ¡°The hour is getting late; let¡¯s rest for now and go together tomorrow to visit Li of the market institution!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Tianming responded and then left with a bow, heading to his own room.


    Back in his room, Lin Tianming was still somewhat excited.


    Before coming to Qianchuan Market, he certainly did not expect to make significant progress in just a few days.


    After finally calming down, he formed hand seals and circulated his Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation, beginning to meditate and cultivate.

 Chapter 191 - 191 - 155: Achieving the Objective_1

    Chapter 191 ¨C 155: Achieving the Objective_1


    The next morning, Lin Tianming finished his practice early and appeared in the courtyard of the cave mansion.


    Lin Shilu had also emerged from seclusion and was walking around the courtyard.


    Today, they were going to visit Li Xiuyuan¡¯s cave mansion, and Lin Shilu felt somewhat apprehensive, particularly concerned about the matter with the shop. Whether they could succeed or not depended on today.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming come out, Lin Shilu perked up and greeted him. Enjoy new tales from


    The two exchanged pleasantries and then sat down in the courtyard.


    Since there was still time before the agreed meeting, the two chatted idly to pass the time.


    Before they knew it, an hour had passed.


    ...


    As the sun shone brightly and the time approached, Lin Shilu spoke up:


    ¡°The time is almost upon us, let¡¯s set out!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, and the two of them, one after the other, left the cave mansion and headed towards Ye Pinghai¡¯s residence.


    Soon, the two met up with Ye Pinghai and proceeded toward the depths of the residential area.


    After a quarter of an hour and several quiet streets, Lin Tianming and his companions stopped in front of a peaceful courtyard.


    Surveying the surroundings and feeling the dense spiritual energy, which was much stronger than at their own place, they were impressed.


    ¡°Is this where Li resides?¡± Lin Shilu asked.


    ¡°Indeed! Li doesn¡¯t like noise, so he lives in the deepest part of the entire North District!¡± Ye Pinghai explained.


    Lin Shilu nodded with admiration.


    ¡°This place is rich in spiritual energy, truly an excellent cave mansion!¡±


    Ye Pinghai smiled faintly, then cautioned the two: S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Li is powerful and also a Second Order Artifact Refiner, as well as a core disciple of the Zhenyang Sect. So, he can be a little eccentric. Do not offend him. Although I am acquainted with him, I can¡¯t be sure about his temperament.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming took it seriously and nodded gravely.


    Ye Pinghai then formed a single-handed seal and sent a message into the courtyard¡¯s restrictions.


    Three breaths later, a slit opened in the light screen, and the three men walked straight through.


    Upon entering the courtyard of the cave mansion, they saw a man in a golden robe standing with hands behind his back, waiting for them.


    Ye Pinghai, leading the other two, stepped forward, greeted Li with cupped hands and a bow, and spoke with a smile.


    ¡°Greetings, Li! I apologize for the intrusion today, please allow me to express my regrets first!¡±


    Li Xiuyuan waved his hand and replied with a smile:


    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s rare for Ye to visit, and I¡¯m too pleased to even consider it an intrusion!¡±


    Watching Ye Pinghai and Li Xiuyuan exchange pleasantries and apparently enjoying a close relationship, Lin Tianming felt relieved.


    After the greetings, Ye Pinghai introduced Lin Shilu with a smile.


    ¡°This is Lin Shilu from the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family, a man of remarkable strength and also a Second Order Medium Artifact Refiner. Since you both share the craft of refining, you could exchange some insights.¡±


    Li Xiuyuan regarded Lin Shilu with surprise, as he was around the same age, and asked:


    ¡°Oh, Lin is also a refiner?¡±


    Lin Shilu greeted with a fist and palm salute and responded modestly.


    ¡°I have merely scratched the surface, incomparable to Li. We really can¡¯t be mentioned in the same breath.¡±


    Hearing this, Li Xiuyuan became enthusiastic and said:


    ¡°You are too modest, Lin. I have the support of my Sect, which has enabled my progress to this day. Although you are a few years older, hailing from a family and burdened with family affairs, it¡¯s already quite remarkable for you to have achieved so much at your age!¡±


    As Lin Shilu waved his hand in modesty, Ye Pinghai began to introduce Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Li, this young friend is extraordinary, a nephew of Lin, and a Second Order Junior Alchemist!¡±


    Lin Tianming also stepped forward, saluting with a fist in palm.


    Li Xiuyuan then turned his gaze to Lin Tianming, and upon seeing his age and hearing Ye Pinghai¡¯s introduction, he was taken aback.


    ¡°The Lin Family is indeed full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; no wonder it has produced Golden Core experts. This young friend, not yet thirty, has entered the Foundation Establishment Realm and is a Second Order Alchemist. Such talent is rare even throughout the entire Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Lin Shilu chuckled and humbly interjected:


    ¡°Li holds us in too high esteem. Though my junior is not bad, he can¡¯t be considered much in the Wei Kingdom. I¡¯ve heard that even the Zhenyang Sect has two exceptionally gifted disciples, who have achieved Foundation Establishment in just over ten years of cultivation.¡±


    Li Xiuyuan, calm and yearning, replied,


    ¡°Yet your junior is certainly no less talented than those geniuses. With the right guidance, there¡¯s a hope of achieving the Golden Core Path!¡±


    ¡°The Golden Core Path is not so easily reached. Such experts are few within the entire Wei Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°But I believe Li has a great chance of taking that step!¡± Lin Shilu remarked wistfully.


    Ye Pinghai joined in the sentiment,


    ¡°Indeed, we are both nearly a century old. Without against-the-heavens fortune, we might stop here. Li, you are young and supported by the Sect, indeed with great potential.¡±


    Li Xiuyuan laughed heartily and invited the others to take a seat.


    As the group chatted casually, they became closer, much like old friends.


    Initially, Li Xiuyuan was a bit skeptical based solely on Ye Pinghai¡¯s word, but after seeing Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming¡¯s cultivation levels and accomplishments in alchemy and artifact forging, he was greatly astonished.


    After half an hour, the four talked freely about everything from cultivation practice to supernatural skills, allowing Li Xiuyuan to gain a clear understanding of the Lin Family¡¯s strength.


    As the atmosphere was cordial, Ye Pinghai decided to bring up the main topic.

 Chapter 192 - 192 - 155: Achieving the Goal_2

    Chapter 192 ¨C 155: Achieving the Goal_2


    ¡°Brother Li, holding a key position in the Market City Hall, commands great respect and authority. Regarding the matter of Gao Family¡¯s Lingxiao Tower, could you possibly offer some convenience?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, if Brother Li could mediate and negotiate on our behalf, it would be a huge step forward for the Lin Family. Such kindness will certainly be etched in our memory. The Lin Family will spare no effort in any area where we can be of use!¡± Lin Shilu added.


    Hearing the conversation of the two men, Li Xiuyuan fell into brief contemplation.


    Despite having an extraordinary talent and having reached the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level Realm at a young age, along with his status as a core disciple of the Zhenyang Sect and the support of Golden Elixir Experts as his masters, he was still uncertain about his prospects of advancing to the Golden Core Stage.


    Therefore, taking advantage of his position in managing the market city, he aimed to form as many good karmic bonds as possible, which might help him when he attempted to break through to the Golden Core Realm.


    If anything, he was well aware that the sect could not always be relied upon¡ª even ten thousand steps back.


    Looking at Lin Tianming and considering the Lin Family¡¯s growing strength, along with a talented clan member like Tianming, who was likely to reach the Golden Core Realm, it seemed prudent to have the Lin Family owe him a favor, which could help him out in times of need.


    ...


    After musing for a moment, and despite having made up his mind, he still spoke with a troubled expression:


    ¡°Given my friendship with Brother Ye, it is only natural that I offer my help when the Lin Family is in need. However, regarding the issue with the Gao Family¡¯s Lingxiao Tower, other Foundation Establishing Families are involved, and not everything within the market city is decided by me alone. There are two fellow sect members who might have their own thoughts.¡±


    ¡°As such, I need to discuss with the other two sect members before I can provide an answer!¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Lin Shilu took out three storage bags and handed them over to Li Xiuyuan, then said:


    ¡°This represents a small token of my gratitude. I ask for Brother Li¡¯s help in mediating this matter, and the Lin Family will certainly remember your assistance. Once the matter is settled, you will be amply rewarded!¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Seeing the three storage bags, Li Xiuyuan naturally understood their implication. With his wealth and status, he did not care about spirit stones; what he valued more was the favor he would owe the Lin Family.


    With an appearance of reluctance, he said: sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I must decline for myself, Brother Lin will have much need for spirit stones in the future. As for these two storage bags, I will keep them on behalf of my fellow sect members, and you may visit my residence again in three days.¡±


    Listening to Li Xiuyuan¡¯s words and seeing him accept two of the storage bags, Lin Shilu breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°One does not thank for great kindness; rest assured, Brother Li, wherever you may need the Lin Family, we will not refuse!¡± Lin Shilu earnestly expressed his gratitude.


    ¡°Hmm¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s settle it then; we shall meet again in three days.¡± Li Xiuyuan said.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming and the other two wisely rose to their feet, exchanged salutes, and promptly left his residence.


    Once outside the residence, the trio walked along a deserted cobblestone path.


    With no one around, Lin Shilu took out another prepared storage bag and handed it to Ye Pinghai, then said:


    ¡°Brother Ye, your assistance has been invaluable this time. This modest gesture is not nearly enough to show my appreciation, but please accept it.¡±


    Upon witnessing this, Ye Pinghai¡¯s expression turned displeased:


    ¡°What are you saying, Brother Lin? If I offer help, I do not expect anything in return. Besides, all I did was say a few words and didn¡¯t provide any real assistance. Please, take it back!¡±


    Seeing Ye Pinghai¡¯s adamant attitude and the slight anger on his face, Lin Shilu had no choice but to nod and take back the storage bag.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Ye Pinghai said with a chuckle.


    Before they realized it, half a quarter of an hour had passed, and the three returned to Ye Pinghai¡¯s residence.


    Before parting ways, Ye Pinghai spoke:


    ¡°Brother Lin, rest assured, I know Li well enough to say that since he has accepted the other two storage bags and confidently invites you over in three days, he most certainly has a nine out of ten chance.¡±


    ¡°Given that, let me congratulate you in advance, Brother Lin!¡± Find more to read at


    Lin Shilu chuckled, clasping his hands in salute:


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take your auspicious words, Brother Ye. Once the matter is resolved, I will surely come to express my thanks in person!¡±


    After speaking, the two exchanged salutes and turned to walk towards their respective rented residences.


    Back at his residence, Lin Shilu called together the members of his clan and briefly outlined the results of the trip.


    Upon hearing this news, Lin Tianfeng and the others were overjoyed.


    In the past few days, they had been lingering in every corner of the Market City, running about and working hard for this very matter, and now they had another substantial breakthrough¡ªhow could they not be thrilled?


    The matter of the store was finally about to be settled, and amidst their happiness, the group started with their compliments.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather is mighty, Fifteenth Grandfather has worked hard¡­¡±


    Lin Shilu smiled knowingly; he was very aware that even though Lin Tianming hadn¡¯t said much, his role had been even more significant than Lin Shilu¡¯s own.


    Ye Pinghai and Li Xiuyuan were interested in the Lin Family¡¯s potential, as well as Lin Tianming¡¯s potential, which is why they helped so unreservedly, without even wanting any benefits.


    If it were him, he would do the same.


    After all, Lin Tianming¡¯s talent was exceptional¡ªfor someone so young to have achieved so much, should he succeed in reaching the Golden Core Stage, the returns he could bring would be even greater.


    Looking at the group beside him, bubbling with excitement, Lin Shilu smiled knowingly and sent them away.


    Once the others had left, only Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu remained seated in the small courtyard. Then, Lin Shilu began to speak:


    ¡°Tianming, of the forty thousand Spirit Stones we prepared, we¡¯ve only used twenty thousand. Ye and Li Xiuyuan did not take any compensation¡ªwhat do you make of this?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Tianming began to respond.


    ¡°Both of them are indeed cunning with age, not taking any compensation. Clearly, they see the potential in our family. Both are close to making a breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm and will surely need substantial resources. Being on good terms with the Lin Family and putting us in their debt benefits them greatly. Once our family advances further, their gains will be immensely substantial¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s reply, which understood the entire benefit relationship so thoroughly, felt profoundly reassuring to Lin Shilu.


    ¡°Be that as it may, whatever their reasons, a mutually beneficial relationship is also the best outcome for us.¡±


    ¡°We will wait for news and then pay them a visit in three days.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, and after chatting idly for a while, they both returned to their rooms for a brief meditation.


    ¡­


    Unbeknownst to them, three days passed quickly.


    When the appointed time with Li Xiuyuan arrived, Lin Tianming and company once again left the small courtyard and headed towards his cave dwelling.


    In a short while, the two appeared in Li Xiuyuan¡¯s courtyard.


    At this moment, only the three of them were present; Ye Pinghai did not join the gathering.


    After they exchanged greetings with cupped fists and took their seats, Li Xiuyuan joyfully said:


    ¡°I have not failed in my task; after much cajoling and persuasion, I finally convinced two fellow Sect brothers to rent the Lingxiao Tower from the Gao Family to the Lin Family.¡±


    ¡°Here I congratulate Lin on achieving his wish,¡± Li Xiuyuan said with a fist salute.


    Although they had been prepared on their way over, it was only upon hearing these words that Lin Shilu finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Then Lin Shilu earnestly said:


    ¡°I¡¯m at a loss for words, immensely grateful. Once the shop is up and running, I will surely host Li at the reception hall to show our appreciation and hope that Li will honor us with his presence!¡±


    ¡°Definitely, definitely¡­¡±


    Li Xiuyuan accepted his invitation and then took out a Golden Token, handing it over to Lin Shilu. He said:


    ¡°This token is a symbol for the Market City; every individual or power with a store in the Market City has one. It grants free entry without paying Spirit Stones and allows you to bring up to five people at a time.¡±


    ¡°After discussions with two other fellow Sect brothers, it¡¯s been decided to entrust the Lingxiao Tower to the Lin Family. The Gao Family has not yet vacated the premises, we estimate it will take a few more days. In the meantime, remember to go to the Market City Hall to pay ten years¡¯ worth of store rent and complete the leasing procedures.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ I will take care of this matter as quickly as possible!¡± Lin Shilu responded.


    Seeing that everything was now settled, they made small talk for a while before they felt it was time to leave.


    The two of them stood up, cupped their fists in farewell, and left Li Xiuyuan¡¯s cave dwelling.

 Chapter 193 - 193 - 156 Luoyun Pavilion_1

    Chapter 193 ¨C 156 Luoyun Pavilion_1


    Two days later, in the square outside the Qianchuan Market City Hall. Continue reading stories on


    Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu stood still, watching the incessant flow of cultivators coming and going, their faces revealing excitement.


    Thanks to Li Xiuyuan¡¯s manipulation behind the scenes, the Lin Family had secured a place in Lingxiao Tower. Today, they had come to pay the shop¡¯s rental fee, intending to finalize the matter swiftly to avoid any unforeseen incidents.


    With their minds made up, the two men didn¡¯t hesitate and stepped towards the grand hall.


    Upon entering the hall, the enormous lobby was bustling with people. Over ten cultivators, dressed in Zhenyang Sect uniforms, were attending to those who had come to conduct business.


    Looking around, the hall was filled with dozens of cultivators, most of whom were above the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, and there were even over a dozen Foundation Establishment Cultivators. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    ...


    ¡°Qianchuan Market truly is formidable. In the Luoyun Market City Hall, there are scarcely any Foundation Establishment Cultivators conducting business, even those above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining are rare, yet here I easily see over ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators.¡±


    Soon, it was Lin Shilu¡¯s turn to step forward, so he approached.


    A Qi Cultivation Eighth Level disciple of the Zhenyang Sect stood up and spoke in a flat voice,


    ¡°Elder, may I ask what brings you here today?¡±


    Lin Shilu took out the token that Li Xiuyuan had given him and handed it to the attending Zhenyang Sect disciple.


    ¡°I am a member of the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family, here to pay the shop¡¯s rental fee. I hope you can accommodate me, young friend,¡± Lin Shilu said kindly.


    Before he finished speaking, many cultivators in the entire hall suddenly stopped their tasks, turning their attention this way.


    Due to the Lin Family¡¯s low profile, and although the family¡¯s founding ancestor was a Golden Core expert, the family had been silent for too long, and many younger cultivators had yet to hear of the Lin Family¡¯s prestigious name.


    However, the battle a few years ago in the Luoyun Mountain Range, where the Lin Family eliminated the Jin Family, earning fame in one fell swoop, had caused a sensation across several surrounding regions.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s appearance and the matter of renting a shop caught the attention of many, and the attending Zhenyang Sect disciple was also quite surprised.


    After a few moments, the attending Zhenyang Sect disciple regained his composure and then proceeded to inspect the token.


    A day earlier, he had received instructions from Li Xiuyuan, detailing the affairs of the Lin Family, which had shocked him greatly, prompting him to readily agree to the request.


    Once he confirmed the token was correct, he said with a respectful expression,


    ¡°Elder Lin, I have already received a message from Uncle Li. The Gao Family¡¯s cancellation has been handled properly. You need only pay the rental fee for ten years, a total of thirty thousand spirit stones.¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded and let out a sigh of relief.


    The fifty thousand spirit stones the family brought were just enough, leaving thirty thousand to pay the rental fee. If it had been more than thirty thousand spirit stones, he would have had to borrow spirit stones from other family members, which would disrupt their plans and be quite troublesome.


    Regaining his composure, he took out a prepared storage bag and handed it to the attending cultivator.


    The attending cultivator took the spirit stones without even looking and said a few words before leaving his seat to go deeper into the hall.


    In a short while, he returned to his seat, holding a golden yellow token in his hand.


    The attending executive officer handed the token to Lin Shilu with a bow, then politely said,


    ¡°Elder Lin, this is the restriction order token for the shop in Lingxiao Tower. If you change the shop¡¯s name in the future, remember to register it with the Market City Hall. As for the shop¡¯s rental fee, it should be renewed one year before the end of each ten-year term.¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded slightly, looking completely unpretentious and kindly spoke,


    ¡°Very well, young friend, you have my gratitude. When you have some free time, you are welcome to visit the Lin Family¡¯s shop.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s offer of friendship, the attending cultivator did not dare to neglect it and quickly responded,


    ¡°Thank you for your generous offer, Elder. My name is Zhao Qianfeng. Whenever I find leisure time, I shall surely pay a visit.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­¡±


    Lin Shilu chuckled happily, feeling very pleased.


    He chatted idly with Zhao Qianfeng for a few more moments, which helped close the distance between them, effectively fostering connections for the younger members of the Lin Family.


    For the Lin Family to gain a firm footing in the market, forming ties with more cultivators, especially ones like Zhao Qianfeng who have the backing of a major power, was essential. Just as this time, having such relationships could be useful in many critical moments and might provide some assistance.


    After a short while, Lin Shilu took his leave from Zhao Qianfeng, and the two of them left the Market City Hall together.


    As soon as they were out of sight, the entire Market City Hall started to buzz with whispers.


    A Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator muttered in confusion, ¡°The Lin Family? Could it be the very same Lin Family that triumphed in the Luoyun Mountain battle a few years ago?¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than another Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator replied with a smug look,


    ¡°Indeed, it is that Lin Family. I¡¯ve heard that this family is not simple; their founding ancestor was a Golden Core Cultivator who was once renowned throughout the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve produced a Golden Elixir Expert!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! It is said that the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family has six Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and the most formidable among the clan members is at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level with exceedingly powerful strength. Such capability places them at the forefront among all the Foundation Establishing Families in the entire Wei Kingdom.¡±


    The clamorous hall was abuzz, everyone trying to find out more about the Lin Family. And as some cultivators left, they began to spread news of the Lin Family.


    The departing Lin Tianming and his companion were long gone, utterly unaware of this.


    ¡­


    Upon leaving the Market City Hall, the two men headed straight for the street where Lingxiao Tower was located.


    Soon, they arrived in front of Lingxiao Tower. Lin Shilu took out the restriction order token, opened it, and they walked in.


    The Lingxiao Tower was now deserted as the Gao Family had removed all the remaining items for sale, leaving behind a cluttered space.

 Chapter 194 - 194 - 156 Luoyun Pavilion_2

    Chapter 194 ¨C 156 Luoyun Pavilion_2


    Although the site was a mess, the facilities inside were essentially intact; they just needed to be cleaned and reorganized before they could be used again.


    It took the two of them half an hour to go through the entire Lingxiao Tower from top to bottom before finally returning to the main hall.


    The location of Lingxiao Tower was close to the market square, an excellent spot, and the interior space was not small at all, with the trading hall alone being over ten zhang in length and width, and having a storeroom, reception room, and rest area, all complete with various enchantments and formations.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before they could open for business. Lin Shilu nodded, very satisfied with this.


    ¡°Tian Ming, gather Tianfeng and the others, let¡¯s all get together and discuss the next step of the plan,¡± Lin Shilu instructed.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send them a message right now!¡± Lin Tianming replied, and with a single-handed seal, sent out a message.


    Toward evening, within the Cave Mansion Courtyard of the North District.


    ...


    Lin Tianming and his clan members gathered together, and Lin Shilu, with a smile on his face, addressed them:


    ¡°With the shop¡¯s affairs settled, you can all breathe a sigh of relief. However, should we change the name of Lingxiao Tower? What are your thoughts on this?¡±


    After a moment of contemplation, Lin Tianming said:


    ¡°Tian Ming suggests we change it. After all, Lingxiao Tower was a name chosen by the Gao Family, and since the Lin Family has taken over the shop, it¡¯s as if a new dynasty has begun¡ªit¡¯s only natural we change the name.¡±


    Lin Tianfeng and the others nodded in agreement, indicating their approval of Lin Tianming¡¯s statement.


    ¡°Since everyone feels this way, let¡¯s come up with a name and decide on it quickly,¡± Lin Shilu said.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming and the others began to contemplate.


    After more than ten breaths of time passed, Lin Tianfeng was the first to suggest a name, which was quickly rejected by everyone else.


    Then Lin Tianming said:


    ¡°The Lin Family hails from the Luoyun Mountain Range, so why not call it Luoyun Pavilion?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good one¡­¡± Lin Tianhong was the first to speak up in agreement.


    Lin Shilu didn¡¯t really care. The Lin Family¡¯s shop in Luoyun Market had been called Hundred Treasures Building for hundreds of years without a name change. He also felt that the name Hundred Treasures Building was too ordinary, but it had been chosen by his ancestors, and he didn¡¯t feel it was right to change it.


    Now that there was this opportunity to open a new shop, naturally, a name that was elegant and meaningful was desired.


    ¡°Not bad, I have no objections!¡± Lin Shilu said. Discover more stories at


    ¡°We have no objections either!¡± Lin Xingli and the others also spoke up in agreement.


    With the shop name decided, Lin Shilu began to inquire about everyone¡¯s opinions regarding the opening of the shop.


    Lin Xingli, having dealt with the Hundred Treasures Building¡¯s transactions in Luoyun Market many times, had quite a bit to contribute on the matter.


    Lin Tianming also expressed:


    ¡°On the opening day, it certainly needs to be grand. I suggest that all treasures be sold at a ten percent discount for one month. In just half a month, the market assembly will be upon us. If nothing unexpected happens, the number of people in the market will increase several fold. We can take this opportunity to make a name for Luoyun Pavilion!¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Lin Xingli voiced his objection.


    ¡°Tian Ming, won¡¯t one month be too long? If business is too good, think how many spirit stones we will lose out on!¡±


    Lin Tianfeng and the others also seemed reluctant but did not state their position.


    After some thought, Lin Tianming then proposed a compromise. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s take a step back. Only elixirs will be sold at a ten percent discount for one month; all other treasures will be sold at normal price. This way, the loss will be much smaller!¡±


    Seeing that Lin Xingli did not hold any further objections, Lin Tianming continued:


    ¡°Do not mind the small profit for now; we have a long way ahead of us. Luoyun Pavilion is just starting out; how can we compete with those shops that have been open for over a hundred years?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Lin Xingli hesitated for a moment.


    Lin Shilu nodded, obviously agreeing with Lin Tianming¡¯s view.


    Lin Tianming chuckled and added:


    ¡°Besides, we can offer Alchemy services, limited to First Order Elixirs only and without charging any fees, using a thirty percent success rate as the baseline; any extra produced will belong to us. This will be a great opportunity for Tianhong and me to practice our alchemy skills while earning spirit stones!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s idea, Lin Shilu¡¯s eyes lit up, and he silently thought:


    If they took advantage of Lin Tianming¡¯s terrifying rate of successful elixir creation, they could certainly profit greatly while also building Luoyun Pavilion¡¯s reputation.


    Besides, since Lin Tianhong was currently a First-Order Medium Grade Alchemist, if he had a large supply of Spiritual Medicine Materials to practice with, it was imaginable that his alchemy skills would quickly advance, and he could possibly break through to a First-Order Superior Grade Alchemist within a year or two.


    Considering these points, Lin Shilu spoke seriously:


    ¡°Let¡¯s proceed with the suggestions as Tian Ming said. Xing Li will be responsible for the shop¡¯s early affairs while Tianfeng will handle the promotions. Go ahead!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Xingli and Lin Tianfeng bowed and took their leave, before getting up to pay their respects to Lin Shilu and then departing.


    ¡­


    Before they knew it, ten days had passed and today was the grand opening of Luoyun Pavilion.


    Early in the morning, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu had already left the Cave Mansion Courtyard and were heading towards Luoyun Pavilion.


    Over these days, Lin Tianfeng and others were active in every corner of the market, spreading the news of Luoyun Pavilion¡¯s opening.


    Lin Tianming hadn¡¯t been idle either; he helped out at Luoyun Pavilion during the day and returned to the Cave Mansion at night to meditate and cultivate, leading a leisurely yet fulfilling life.


    Walking down the street, a large number of cultivators were heading in the same direction toward Luoyun Pavilion.


    As the day for the market assembly drew nearer, the vibrancy in the market had significantly increased.


    In less than half an hour, the two reached the entrance of Luoyun Pavilion.


    At that moment, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong were preparing to hang a large signboard above the gatehouse.


    In no time, the large signboard was appropriately hung above the gatehouse.

 Chapter 195 - 195 - 156 Luoyun Pavilion_3

    Chapter 195 ¨C 156 Luoyun Pavilion_3


    Outside the attic, a large number of cultivators were watching, many of them seemingly unable to wait any longer.


    Lin Shilu looked at the bustling scene, estimating that there were a few hundred people in the crowd.


    Once he collected his thoughts, he proceeded to walk to the front with Lin Tianming.


    The two of them stood on either side of the entrance, and at this moment, Lin Xingli gave them a nod, indicating that everything was ready.


    Lin Shilu smiled satisfyingly and then, cupping his fists in salute to the crowd below, he shouted loudly,


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, I am Lin Shilu of the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family. Today is the auspicious day of our store¡¯s opening. I hereby promise that for one month starting from today, all elixirs will be sold at a 10% discount, and we will also provide free alchemy services for First Order Elixirs. Second Order Pills will follow market rules!¡±


    Before he could even finish, the cultivators below erupted in astonishment, hardly believing their ears, and many groups started discussing among themselves.


    ...


    At this time, a cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement bowed to Lin Shilu and said,


    ¡°Elder Lin, is what you said true?¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, young friend. Our Lin Family has a heritage of nearly a thousand years. How could we speak falsehoods in front of so many fellow Daoists?¡± Lin Shilu said.


    His words seemed to alleviate many people¡¯s doubts, but there were still some cautious cultivators who didn¡¯t quite believe it.


    After all, offering to help with alchemy for free without taking any payment was unheard of.


    Just then, a figure appeared at the back of the crowd and with a leap, appeared next to Lin Shilu.


    After steadying himself, Ye Pinghai came into view. He took out three Jade Bottles and handed them to Lin Tianming, then said,


    ¡°I came uninvited, brother, to congratulate the Lin Family on your opening day and present three bottles of Second Order Pills!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Ye¡¯s presence brings honor to us. I am truly grateful. Once the opening ceremony is over, we must share a few drinks!¡± Lin Shilu said with a hearty laugh, and then instructed Lin Tianhong behind him,


    ¡°Tianhong, take Ye to rest inside. I will be with you shortly!¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianhong bowed to both Ye Pinghai and Lin Shilu, then led Ye Pinghai into the Luoyun Pavilion.


    With the appearance of Ye Pinghai, personally delivering a congratulatory gift, the cultivators below no longer harbored any doubts.


    After all, Lin Shilu and the Lin Family were not very famous in Qianchuan Market, but Ye Pinghai¡¯s cultivation and alchemy skills were renowned, his reputation in the area as clear as thunder.


    It could be said that within Qianchuan Market, aside from Golden Elixir Experts, Ye Pinghai¡¯s fame was almost universally known.


    The first cultivator to speak out, overjoyed, hurriedly took out three sets of Spirit Essence Pill Materials, expressing his wish for the Lin Family to assist in making the Lingshen Pills.


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    Seeing this, Lin Shilu was very pleased and said,


    ¡°Young friend, there is no need to hurry. Once I unveil the signboard, you may enter our store to register. Once the alchemy is complete, we will send for you to retrieve your elixirs!¡±


    The first cultivator to speak was overwhelmed with joy and spoke immediately,


    ¡°Then I ask Elder Lin to unveil the signboard first. Although I have limited means, I will definitely be the first to enter the store and purchase some treasures!¡±


    Lin Shilu chuckled, nodded at Lin Tianming, and the two of them pulled on the red ropes at the same time.


    The red curtain covering the signboard fell, revealing the sparkling golden characters written with a flourish, ¡°Luoyun Pavilion¡­¡±


    At that moment, cheers erupted from below, and the excitement reached its peak.


    Seeing the scene exceed expectations, Lin Shilu was thrilled and then spoke,


    ¡°On the day our store opens, I invite all fellow Daoists to move inside for a small gathering. Those who need alchemy services may also enter the store to register!¡±


    As soon as Lin Shilu finished speaking, the cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement was the first to rush forward, followed by a large number of cultivators who began to approach the Luoyun Pavilion. The crowd soon grew to dozens and more cultivators were quickly on their way.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xingli and the others were all set, and various treasures had already been placed on the display tables, just waiting for customers to arrive.


    Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming entered the Luoyun Pavilion and quickly made their way to the third floor, leaving Lin Xingli and his group bustling about.

 Chapter 196 - 196 - 157 Booming Business_1

    Chapter 196 ¨C 157 Booming Business_1


    In the reception room on the third floor of Luoyun Pavilion.


    Lin Shilu and Ye Pinghai were casually chatting in the chief seats, while Lin Tianming sat below, chiming in from time to time.


    To Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu¡¯s surprise, the arrival of Ye Pinghai brought much interest to the store¡¯s grand opening today.


    Lin Shilu looked excited and cupped his fists in thanks to Ye Pinghai, saying,


    ¡°Thanks to Brother Ye for taking the time to come here amidst your busy schedule, I am truly grateful!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Ye Pinghai chuckled and replied,


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I was merely in a good mood and came over to ask for a drink!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Excellent, tonight I will hold a banquet at the Welcoming Guest Building, and Brother Li will also be there. We must drink to our heart¡¯s content!¡± Lin Shilu said.


    ¡­


    At the same time, within a tavern in the market, more than a dozen cultivators were gathered, engaging in spirited discussions.


    They ranged from talking about the Four Arts of Cultivation to great battles with demonic beasts, finally leading to scenes of Golden Core experts engaging in duels.


    ¡°Golden Core experts are formidable beings, we must be cautious in speaking of them!¡± a cultivator interjected.


    Hearing the caution, the person who spoke first revealed a look of fear and hastily changed the topic.


    ¡°I heard that the Lin Family from the Luoyun Mountain Range has taken over the Lingxiao Tower from the Gao Family. What are your thoughts on this?¡±


    A Qi Refinement Fifth Level cultivator in the crowd, seemingly with some prestige, resolutely said,


    ¡°I hear that today is the day of the store¡¯s grand opening. I also heard that for this occasion, the Lin Family has decided to offer a ten percent discount on all elixirs in the store for an entire month!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± A Qi Refinement Sixth Level cultivator seemed incredulous.


    The Qi Refinement Fifth Level cultivator looked a bit displeased but did not lose his temper, and then said,


    ¡°It should be true. A few days ago, I met a young cultivator from the Lin Family named Lin Tianfeng, whose cultivation is at least at the Qi Refining Eighth Level. He personally mentioned it, so it must be true!¡±


    Before he had finished speaking, other cultivators who had not yet spoken started asking for information about the Lin Family, as previously many loose cultivators had not paid much attention to them.


    ¡°The Lin Family is no small clan. They have had a Golden Core expert among their ancestors. Although they have declined now, their power remains formidable, with as many as six Foundation Establishment cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s formidable!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the cultivators who were unaware of this fact exclaimed in surprise.


    This scene was repeated in various corners of the market, and news about the Lin Family began to spread widely.


    ¡­


    As news of the grand opening of Luoyun Pavilion spread through the market, many cultivators came to visit.


    Inside the sales hall on the first floor of Luoyun Pavilion, sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dozens of people were selecting various treasures, and more cultivators were still making their way towards the Pavilion.


    Lin Xingli and Lin Tianfeng were busy and thrilled.


    ¡°Esteemed friend, this Spirit Sword is a First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instrument, forged primarily from Second Order Qingling Bamboo and infused with Earth Mysterious Crystal as well as many precious materials. Its attack power is extremely formidable. With this weapon, even a Qi Refining Eighth Level cultivator may not be your match¡­¡±


    Listening to Lin Tianfeng¡¯s introduction, a Qi Refinement Seventh Level cultivator wielded the blue and yellow Spirit Sword, swung it around a few times, and then showed a look of satisfaction.


    After a short while, he put down the Spirit Sword and asked,


    ¡°Indeed, a fine piece! What is the price for this sword?¡±


    Lin Tianfeng smiled and said without hesitation,


    ¡°This sword was refined by our Lin Family¡¯s Second Order Artifact Refiner, involving a significant amount of precious materials. Even among First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instruments, it is a genuine masterpiece.¡±


    ¡°As today marks the lucky day of our store¡¯s opening, since you have taken an interest in this item, I too wish to make a friend. How about a deal at 260 Spirit Stones?¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianfeng¡¯s price, coupled with his delightful demeanor, the man considering the sword felt tempted.


    He had come to Qianchuan Market specifically to attend an auction, hoping to win a suitable Spiritual Instrument. Considering the competitive pressure at the auction, even if a good Spiritual Instrument became available, he might not succeed.


    With these thoughts in mind, he made up his mind and then said,


    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll take the sword for the price you¡¯ve offered!¡± Find more to read at


    After speaking, he took out the Spirit Stones and handed them directly to Lin Tianfeng, promptly acquiring the Spirit Sword.


    He chatted with Lin Tianfeng for a while after buying the sword, then took his leave, as many more cultivators continued to inquire about prices.


    Lin Xingli and Lin Tianfeng were relatively free, occasionally finding brief respite amidst the bustle, but Lin Tianhong had a long queue in front of him.


    A Qi Refinement Fifth Level cultivator brought out several portions of Lingshen Pill materials and handed them respectfully to Lin Tianhong.


    Lin Tianhong took the materials in a calm manner, examined them carefully, and then asked,


    ¡°How may I address this friend?¡±


    ¡°I am Duan Qiu. How long will it take before I can collect my pills?¡± the cultivator replied nervously.


    After pondering, Lin Tianhong explained,


    ¡°Due to the large number of friends commissioning alchemy, and limited number of alchemists in our shop, it could take as little as half a month to several months to complete the alchemy. Leave your name and a way to contact you, and as soon as the pills are ready, I will send you a message for you to come and collect them!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianhong¡¯s explanation, Duan Qiu quickly accepted, nodding his head and confirming the commission for alchemy.


    Lin Tianhong nodded, recorded Duan Qiu¡¯s name and the quantity of Spiritual Medicine Materials in the book, and then noted down the contact method.


    After exchanging a few polite words, Duan Qiu cupped his fists in thanks and then headed toward the sales area of the hall, intending to purchase some treasures.

 Chapter 197 - 197 - 157: Booming Business_2

    Chapter 197 ¨C 157: Booming Business_2


    Watching the queue of people waiting to commission alchemy, Lin Tianhong shouted excitedly,


    ¡°Next¡­¡±


    Such a bustling scene continued until dusk.


    As the sky darkened, there were fewer and fewer people on the street, and many shops closed their doors, ending a day¡¯s business.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed¡­


    Outside Luoyun Pavilion, a young cultivator at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, with a determined expression and seemingly weathered by the elements, yet his eyes faintly revealed a calm demeanor.


    After gazing at the entrance of Luoyun Pavilion and hesitating, he seemed to have made up his mind and stepped inside.


    ...


    At this moment, Luoyun Pavilion was devoid of customers, seemingly about to close for the day.


    Inside the main hall, Lin Xingli was holding a book and carefully counting the various Spiritual Objects on the shelves.


    Upon seeing the cultivator enter, he immediately set down the book and asked,


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, may I know what you need?¡±


    The entering cultivator bowed with hands clasped and said,


    ¡°I am Li Rong, a Loose Cultivator. I wonder if the matter of representing in alchemy is true?¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Xingli let out a chuckle and calmly replied,


    ¡°Today is the grand opening of our shop. I¡¯ve made a promise in front of hundreds of fellow Daoists; of course, it¡¯s true. Not to worry, Li Daoist, today alone, dozens of Daoists have entrusted our shop to help with their alchemy!¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Xingli¡¯s explanation, Li Rong was thrilled and quickly took out more than ten portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials, expressing his wish to have alchemy conducted on his behalf.


    Lin Xingli was somewhat surprised to find that this cultivator at merely the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement was able to present so many Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    He took out the book for recording alchemy commissions, noted Li Rong¡¯s identity details, and left behind a way to transmit messages.


    Li Rong, overcome with excitement, hesitated as if he wanted to say more, which made Lin Xingli curious.


    ¡°Li Daoist, is there another matter?¡±


    After hesitating, Li Rong finally spoke,


    ¡°Lin Daoist, as a Loose Cultivator, I have only recently come to Qianchuan Market. I wonder if your esteemed shop is hiring staff? I seek a stable job to establish a footing in the market?¡±


    Hearing Li Rong¡¯s request, Lin Xingli began to ponder.


    Not many from the Lin Family had come to Qianchuan Market, and naturally, neither Lin Shilu nor Lin Tianming would attend to these matters, and while Lin Tianhong also needed to perform alchemy, only the three of them could manage the shop, which would greatly delay their own cultivation.


    Considering that Lin Shilu had mentioned hiring staff before, an idea formed in his mind.


    He was about to send a transmission when Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming descended from the third floor.


    Seeing them come down, Lin Xingli quickly approached and inquired,


    ¡°Fifteenth Uncle, Li Daoist here wishes to apply for a job as a shop assistant. What are your thoughts on this matter?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lin Shilu chuckled and then asked,


    ¡°Where are you from, young friend Li? Are you familiar with various treasures?¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s question, Li Rong remained composed, inwardly joyful, and then began to speak of his background.


    ¡°Elder Lin, I come from the Qingfeng Mountain Range and identify as a Loose Cultivator. I have been traveling around the surrounding regions for years, surviving by hunting Demonic Beasts for cultivation!¡±


    ¡°Although I am a Loose Cultivator, I have often consulted various annals. I am quite familiar with the common Spiritual Objects of the Cultivation World. I believe I am more than capable of the job.¡±


    At these words, Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming were immediately astonished, and Lin Xingli nearly cried out in surprise.


    Lin Tianming even imagined a Loose Cultivator, at just the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, beginning to roam the surrounding areas and relying on hunting Demonic Beasts to earn Spirit Stones for a living, a life lived on the edge of a knife.


    Consider that many of the Lin Family Disciples at this cultivation level and age had not even experienced a real life-or-death combat.


    Yet here was someone in his twenties who had been traveling through several regions and reached the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, showing his considerable talent and a survival ability that many from the family did not possess.


    After asking a few more questions, Lin Shilu was very satisfied with Li Rong¡¯s performance. His fondness for talent quickly led him to a decision.


    ¡°Young friend Li, I¡¯ve heard enough to understand your situation. I am very pleased. Luoyun Pavilion happens to be hiring shop assistants. The annual salary will be one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones. Come over tomorrow and give it a try!¡±


    Hearing the generous terms Lin Shilu offered, Li Rong was over the moon.


    A salary of one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones was no small amount. Although it would delay his cultivation, it was very stable. He wouldn¡¯t have to live the rough life he used to lead, always on the edge, tasting blood for survival.


    Once he¡¯d calmed down, Li Rong said nervously,


    ¡°Elder Lin, my younger sister has always followed me. She¡¯s at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, and her knowledge of Spiritual Objects is no less than mine. May I ask if it¡¯s possible to employ her as well?¡±


    Considering that Lin Xingli and the others also needed to cultivate, Luoyun Pavilion would probably need to hire at least two shop assistants, or it would definitely interfere with their cultivation.


    With that in mind, he nodded and then said,


    ¡°Your siblings have indeed not had it easy. Come together tomorrow. Her salary will be one hundred Spirit Stones a year!¡±


    After Lin Shilu spoke, Li Rong let out a long sigh of relief, his face alight with ecstasy, and then he said earnestly,


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Lin. I definitely won¡¯t let you down!¡±


    ¡°Go on then!¡±


    Lin Shilu waved his hand, and Li Rong quickly made a fist and palm salute before leaving Luoyun Pavilion.


    After Li Rong left, the spacious hall of Luoyun Pavilion was left with just a few of them.


    Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming sat in the shop, waiting for Lin Xingli to finish tallying the various Spiritual Objects.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed, and Lin Xingli quickly completed the tally of Spiritual Objects and the sales for the day.


    Looking at the thick book listing all kinds of Spiritual Medicine and the sales records for the day, Lin Xingli was beside himself with excitement.


    ¡°Fifteenth Uncle, the business today was too good!¡± Lin Xingli said.


    ¡°Oh, is that so? Give me a report!¡± Lin Shilu chuckled as he ordered.


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    Lin Xingli flipped open the book, then began to report loudly.


    ¡°Today we sold First Order Elixirs and collected a total of over four thousand two hundred Spirit Stones, mainly consisting of Elixirs used in daily cultivation and fighting.¡±


    ¡°For Second Order Pills, it was over one thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones, mainly composed of Second Order Spirit Origin Pills.¡±


    ¡°Eighteen pieces of First Order Spiritual Tools were sold, and just one Second Order Low-Grade Artifact, totaling over four thousand six hundred Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°More than two hundred First Order Talismans and six Second Order Talismans, totaling over two thousand two hundred Spirit Stones, along with various other Spirit Medicine and Spirit Ore, totaling over one thousand four hundred Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°In summary, today¡¯s total sales reached over fourteen thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.¡±


    Before the echo of his voice faded, Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming were ecstatic, shocked by the sales figures.


    In one day, the total reached over fourteen thousand Spirit Stones. After deducting the costs, there would still be a net profit of several thousand Spirit Stones. This rate of earning Spirit Stones was significantly more than the daily profits from Luoyun Market.


    Of course, they also understood that this was only due to the opening day special of selling Elixirs at low prices and with the market conference about to take place, which more than doubled the market¡¯s popularity. That¡¯s what drove such high sales figures.


    Once the conference was over and the market returned to its usual quiet, the sales figures would definitely drop by several times, and maintaining a few thousand Spirit Stones a day would already be considered good.


    Lin Shilu was very satisfied and then asked about the Alchemy commissions.


    Lin Xingli took out the recorded book and began to report.


    ¡°Today, the number of Cultivators who commissioned for Alchemy reached sixty-four. The Spiritual Medicine Materials provided varied, with some bringing over ten portions and others only one or two. After calculating, we have a total of over two hundred and twenty portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials.¡±


    After he finished speaking, Lin Shilu chuckled and teased,


    ¡°Tian Ming, you¡¯ll be busy now!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming felt somewhat helpless. He had initially thought that a hundred portions of materials would have been good, but who knew that these Cultivators would go so crazy, easily surpassing two hundred portions.


    However, since he¡¯d promised, he had to deliver; otherwise, if Luoyun Pavilion went back on its word, it would have no standing in the market.


    Lin Shilu felt a touch of schadenfreude in his heart, chuckled and then said,


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, and the time we agreed upon with Ye has come. Call up Tianfeng and the others; we have to celebrate tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lin Xingli nodded, then after sending out the message, the group of them closed the doors of Luoyun Pavilion and headed towards the guesthouse.

 Chapter 198 - 198 - 158 Dragon Bone Pill_1

    Chapter 198 ¨C 158 Dragon Bone Pill_1


    Welcome Pavilion, a private room.


    The successful opening of Luoyun Pavilion and its impressive sales had excited all members of the Lin Family, with smiles beaming on their faces all the time.


    Lin Shilu stood up, and Lin Tianming and several family members rose together, each holding a jade cup in their hand. Lin Shilu turned to Ye Pinghai and Li Xiuyuan beside him and said earnestly,


    ¡°Today is an auspicious day for the opening of Luoyun Pavilion. On behalf of the Lin Family, I thank you both for your great support. If there is ever anything that the Lin Family can assist with, we will not hesitate to go through fire and water!¡±


    Ye Pinghai and Li Xiuyuan exchanged smiles, quickly responding in kind.


    ¡°It was just a small effort, no trouble at all, not worth mentioning. Brother Lin, you don¡¯t have to be so polite!¡±


    As for their modesty, Lin Shilu was not completely convinced. Ye Pinghai¡¯s likely reason for helping was gratitude for the kindness of the Lin Family, while Li Xiuyuan definitely saw the potential of the Lin Family.


    ...


    No matter what the motivation was, they had contributed significantly to the Lin Family¡¯s establishment in the market, so it was proper to show courtesy and make some promises.


    The group finished their Spiritual Wine in one go. Lin Tianming quickly stepped forward to pour more wine and also offered a cup, expressing his gratitude.


    Lin Tianfeng and others also came forward one by one. Aside from toasting, it was a chance to get acquainted with others, which could help build connections in the market later on.


    Ye Pinghai and Li Xiuyuan, with smiles on their faces, looked quite satisfied with the younger generation of the Lin Family, and their estimation of the Lin Family¡¯s overall strength had increased, so they were quite courteous in their demeanor.


    The ambiance of the banquet was harmonious and joyful, lasting until late into the night.


    With bellies full of food and drink and the night growing quiet, the banquet came to an end and Ye Pinghai and Li Xiuyuan stood to bid farewell.


    After exchanging pleasantries, they bowed their fists in departure, left the Welcome Pavilion, and went their separate ways. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Back at the Cave Mansion Courtyard, Lin Shilu gathered a few people together.


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    After scanning the group, Lin Shilu, still unable to conceal his excitement, spoke up,


    ¡°The sales on the opening day were beyond our expectations. I believe you all are aware of this. From tomorrow, Xing Li and Xing Yao will be responsible for the shop¡¯s business, rotating every three months to be replaced by Tianfeng and Li Rong, whom we have recruited to manage the shop.¡±


    ¡°Tianming and Tianhong will have to work a bit harder, as there¡¯s a large amount of alchemy to do; otherwise, it will take a long time to complete the materials entrusted to us by the cultivators.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianhong felt mixed emotions.


    He was excited to finally have a large quantity of Spiritual Medicine Materials for alchemy, allowing himself to practice his Alchemy without restraint and quickly improve, but it would also mean sacrificing a lot of cultivation time.


    Lin Tianming was indifferent. With his current cultivation level and alchemy efficiency, crafting First Order Elixirs was hardly challenging, and he could use this opportunity to amass considerable wealth.


    Despite the interference with their cultivation, the benefits were significant, and they believed their wealth and value would substantially increase before long.


    Thinking this way, for the family and to earn Spirit Stones, everyone was at ease and filled with enthusiasm.


    ¡°Xing Li, distribute the elixirs collected today to Tianming and the others!¡± Lin Shilu ordered.


    Without delay, Lin Xingli quickly took out a storage bag and laid out the two hundred and twenty portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials received by Luoyun Pavilion in front of everyone.


    Lin Shilu examined the Spiritual Medicine Materials and, after some thought, began to allocate them.


    ¡°Tianming, you refine pills quickly, and both your rate of success and the number of pills are high. You¡¯ll be responsible for one hundred and fifty portions, and Tianhong will take care of the remaining materials!¡±


    ¡°As for the materials we receive later, we¡¯ll bring them back every ten days for Tianming to distribute!¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s arrangement, Lin Tianming and the other had no objections. They each gathered their share of the Spiritual Medicine Materials and placed them into their storage bags.


    Watching the night grow misty and the sky darken, Lin Shilu said no more and then dismissed everyone.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late; everyone can go back to their tasks!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    The group responded in unison, then stood and returned to their respective rooms.


    Back in his room, Lin Tianming did not go to rest immediately but began to plan his upcoming cultivation.


    Due to the lack of superior pill formulas to aid his cultivation, his progression was not fast.


    ¡°In a few days, there will be a market conference and an auction. I must participate to see if I can find some pill formulas or suitable elixirs.¡±


    He thought to himself, but with several days remaining and nothing much to do, he decided to refine pills¡ªaccumulating Spirit Stones while awaiting the auction.


    Resolved, he immediately took action.


    He left his room and headed towards the Pill Refining Room in the Cave Mansion.


    Sitting in the Pill Refining Room, he routinely cultivated and regulated his breathing, reaching the optimal state before beginning.


    He took out the Four Symbols Furnace, started the Earth Fire, and then one Law Decree after another bombarded the Pill Furnace.


    When the timing was about right, the Spiritual Medicine Materials were methodically broken down and purified, eventually turning into Elixir Essence.


    Making First Order Lingshen Pills and other consumable pills was indeed effortless for him.


    Efficiently and methodically, the fragrant smell of elixirs wafted throughout the Pill Refining Room.


    The next morning, as sunlight pierced through the clouds, Lin Tianming finally opened his eyes.


    Despite being somewhat tired, he showed a satisfied smile upon seeing the dozen Jade Bottles in front of him.


    After a night of alchemy, he had finished processing seven portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials, succeeding in five batches. Each batch had at least six elixirs, totaling thirty-three Lingshen Pills.

 Chapter 199 - 199 - 158: Dragon Bone Pill_2

    Chapter 199 ¨C 158: Dragon Bone Pill_2


    After setting aside the ten elixirs for the client, he could obtain twenty-three elixirs, which, when converted into Spirit Stones, amounted to nearly two hundred Spirit Stones.


    Nowadays, crafting First Order Elixirs was a breeze, and his speed had improved considerably from before; an evening¡¯s work almost equaled the harvest of a previous day.


    Looking at the remaining Spiritual Medicine, still over a hundred and forty portions, he helplessly stored the elixirs into his storage bag.


    After tidying up the Pill Refining Room, he began a new round of alchemy.


    Time flew by, and three days had passed in the blink of an eye.


    Tomorrow would be the day of the auction. Having furiously crafted elixirs for three days, Lin Tianming was exhausted. He decided to come out of seclusion first and wait to resume after the auction was over.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming packed a large number of Jade Bottles into his storage bag.


    ...


    For three whole days, Lin Tianming had not stepped out of the Pill Refining Room.


    Working ceaselessly day and night, his gains were significant. He had crafted fifty portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials and obtained over two hundred elixirs in total.


    After setting aside the portion for the client, he could gain around one hundred and thirty elixirs, claiming a sixty percent share.


    Such hard work had yielded immense results, not only in the form of elixirs but his cultivation had also steadily improved.


    After organizing the cluttered Pill Refining Room, he stepped out and then sat in the small courtyard.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Lin Tianhong also emerged from another Pill Refining Room.


    Seeing Lin Tianming come out of seclusion, Lin Tianhong cheerfully asked,


    ¡°Sixth brother, how was your harvest these past few days?¡±


    Lin Tianming pursed his lips with a smile, not wanting to discourage Lin Tianhong and dampen his enthusiasm.


    ¡°Second brother, let¡¯s not discuss my situation; rather, how about your harvest these days? How many batches of elixirs did you refine?¡±


    Seeing that Lin Tianming did not give a direct answer and considering his grotesque efficiency, Lin Tianhong had a rough idea in his mind.


    ¡°Heh heh¡­¡± Lin Tianhong could hardly hide his excitement, chuckling as he said,


    ¡°In these past three days, I crafted eighteen portions of materials, garnering over forty elixirs in total. Setting aside those for clients, I could also get nearly twenty for myself!¡± Read the latest on


    ¡°Second brother is truly impressive!¡± Lin Tianming offered a complimentary remark offhand.


    Lin Tianhong smiled knowingly, then continued,


    ¡°You just love to tease me. I¡¯ve been a First-Order Medium Grade Alchemist for a long time now, so achieving this result was expected. I plan to finish crafting these Spiritual Medicines and then attempt a First Order Superior Grade elixir.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, offering words of encouragement,


    ¡°With so many Spiritual Medicine Materials to practice with, second brother will sooner or later become a First Order Superior Grade Alchemist!¡±


    ¡°Then I shall take your auspicious words to heart!¡± Lin Tianhong replied with a bow, before shifting the topic.


    ¡°Sixth brother, tomorrow is the market assembly. Are you going to the auction?¡±


    Facing Lin Tianhong¡¯s inquiry, Lin Tianming replied,


    ¡°Of course, I am going. This is a biennial small assembly, which will certainly feature many rare treasures. If I miss it, I¡¯d have to wait another two years.¡±


    ¡°That is true!¡±


    ¡°However, you¡¯ll surely be attending the Foundation Establishment Area, while we can only participate in the Qi Refining Area,¡± Lin Tianhong said with regret.


    Lin Tianming chuckled and comforted,


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry too much, second brother. The treasures appearing in the Qi Refining Area are sufficient for your use. The key is whether you have enough Spirit Stones to purchase them!¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ha ha, let¡¯s head to Luoyun Pavilion and see!¡± Lin Tianhong suggested.


    ¡°Exactly my intention!¡± Lin Tianming nodded in agreement.


    With the conversation finished, the two left the Cave Mansion Courtyard and headed to Luoyun Pavilion together.


    Upon entering Luoyun Pavilion, Lin Xingli and Lin Xingyao were extremely busy.


    Looking around, the store was still bustling with activity, comparable to the day of its opening.


    After making a round and seeing Lin Xingli overwhelmed with work, Lin Tianhong volunteered to help.


    With nothing else to do, Lin Tianming bid farewell to the others and left Luoyun Pavilion.


    Standing on Bluestone Street, observing the bustling flow of cultivators, Lin Tianming felt somewhat helpless considering his own cultivation issues.


    ¡°The increase in traffic at the marketplace might bring out some treasures. It seems my only hope lies in the deals at the stalls and the auction.¡±


    After talking to himself, Lin Tianming stepped towards the Southern District of the Market City.


    In no time, he arrived at the stall area of the marketplace.


    As it was the time of the big market assembly, the stall area was extremely lively with hundreds of stalls, and despite not being as busy as the first time he had set up a stall, it was not much different.


    Looking over the vast square with its many stalls, numerous Qi Refining Cultivators were shouting out their wares in a vibrant scene.


    After looking around with hopeful eyes, he picked a direction and began to wander.


    He browsed dozens of stalls in a row, which almost exclusively sold items used by Qi Refining Cultivators and lacked any precious items, let alone any Pill Formulas that could aid his cultivation.


    Nevertheless, he still spent over two hundred Spirit Stones to buy some Spiritual Medicine Materials he could use.


    At this point, he navigated through the stall area, seemingly undiscouraged, and continued towards the most densely packed part of the crowd.


    Half an hour later, he arrived at the best location in the entire stall area, close to the central square.


    As the stall locations improved, so did the cultivation levels of the owners, ranging from the third level of Qi Refining at the outskirts to those at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.


    In the northern part of the area, at a conspicuous stall, a black-robed elder was resting with his eyes closed. In front of him, several Qi Refining Cultivators were selecting treasures.


    The elder acted indifferently and did not bother to explain his wares. When faced with price inquiries from Qi Refining Cultivators, he merely stated a number lukewarmly, prompting the cultivators to leave immediately.

 Chapter 200 - 200 - 158 Dragon Bone Pill_3

    Chapter 200 ¨C 158 Dragon Bone Pill_3


    Standing on the nearby corridor, feeling the faint presence of the elderly man, though it was well-hidden, he still detected something unusual.


    ¡°This person seems to be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!¡± Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    In fact, although there were not many Foundation Establishment Cultivators within the entire trading area, there were still more than a dozen of them, but none were as indifferent as this elderly man.


    Lin Tianming, curious, approached the man.


    His arrival did not attract the elderly man¡¯s notice, only causing him to frown slightly before he disregarded it.


    ¡°This man is quite interesting!¡±


    Lin Tianming looked at the items in front of him, then picked up a damaged Jade Slip and held it in his hand.


    ...


    Examining its ancient material, it seemed to have some age to it.


    He projected his Divine Sense to read the contents of the Jade Slip, but there was a restriction making it so he could only get a rough idea.


    ¡°This seems to be a pill formula?¡± Lin Tianming muttered to himself with a frown.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, does this Jade Slip contain a pill formula? What is its purpose?¡± Lin Tianming asked.


    The robed elder¡¯s expression remained calm, and after opening his eyes, he still spoke indifferently about the general content of the Jade Slip.


    ¡°This is an Ancient Pill Recipe named the Dragon Bone Pill, Second Order Medium Quality, and it¡¯s a formula to aid in Body Refinement.¡±


    Upon hearing the elder¡¯s introduction, Lin Tianming¡¯s face lit up with ecstasy.


    It was as if he had found exactly what he had been thinking of. If he could acquire this item, his cultivation dilemma would be resolved as well.


    Before he could speak, the robed elder continued: sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Do not get too excited, fellow Daoist. This pill is not so easily concocted; its main ingredient is the inner core of the Second Order Demonic Beast Qinglong Jiao, which is nearly extinct. It is almost impossible to find, otherwise, I would not have sold it.¡±


    The elder¡¯s words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Lin Tianming¡¯s head.


    The Qinglong Jiao, as an ancient demonic beast, although not of a high order, was exceedingly rare. Lin Tianming, having cultivated for over a decade, had never even heard of it. It was said to be extinct on the Nine Provinces Continent, with perhaps only those Ancient Forbidden Lands or central areas of the Demon Race still harboring it.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression immediately darkened. It had not been easy to find a suitable pill formula, yet there seemed to be little hope of actually concocting it.


    Even so, he still did not want to give up. Whether he could concoct it or not, he wanted to purchase the pill formula for study. There might be a chance, after all, and currently, he had no way of finding another pill formula.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming inquired about the price.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, what price do you ask for this pill formula?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the robed elder¡¯s expression showed a hint of peculiarity, then restored to normal.


    ¡°One thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!¡± the elder said.


    Your adventure continues at


    Hearing this price, Lin Tianming could barely accept it, given that even a typical Second Order pill formula would cost over a thousand Spirit Stones.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, this pill formula has very little hope of being concocted. How about a cheaper price, one thousand Spirit Stones to make a deal?¡±


    The robed elder¡¯s expression was unchanged, and then he spoke:


    ¡°Forget it, the old man keeping it is of no use anyway; let¡¯s make a deal at the price you suggest!¡±


    ¡°However, fellow Daoist, don¡¯t blame me for not warning you, if you can¡¯t concoct the pill after buying this formula, do not bother me with your troubles.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, taking out the Spirit Stones and handing them to the elder, while saying:


    ¡°Rest assured, fellow Daoist; once bought, any oversight is my own volition and has nothing to do with you!¡±


    Hearing this, the elder rarely smiled, then began to count the Spirit Stones.


    Shortly after confirming the Spirit Stones were correct, the elder erased the restriction on the Jade Slip, and then handed it over to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming received the Jade Slip, projecting his Divine Sense to read it.


    In a short while, he confirmed that the content recorded in the Jade Slip was basically the same as what the elder had said. He then gave the elder a cupped fist salute and left the vendor¡¯s stall.


    Looking at the few remaining stalls he had yet to visit, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t feel much interest anymore.


    After scanning the entire trading area, he left and walked towards his rented cave dwelling.

 Chapter 201 - 159: Flame Fruit_1

    Chapter 201: Chapter 159: Flame Fruit_1


    After returning to his cave dwelling, Lin Tianming immediately entered his room.


    He had only briefly looked over the pill formula he acquired earlier, but now that he was back in his abode, it was time to study it in detail.


    Sitting upright on the stone bed, he took out the pill formula he had bought from the stall area and extended his Divine Sense to peruse it.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming withdrew his Divine Sense and fell into a deep contemplation.


    The Dragon Bone Pill formula was complete and, according to his estimation, it was undoubtedly a genuine article.


    However, where would he find the main ingredient for this formula, the Demon Core of the Qinglong Jiao?


    ...


    Without finding a Qinglong Jiao, he would be unable to obtain its inner core, and thus be unable to concoct the pill.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt somewhat helpless and could only put the matter out of his mind for now, to be addressed when an opportunity arose later. While Qinglong Jiaos were rare, it wasn¡¯t entirely hopeless to find one.


    In the still silence of the night, with eyes tightly closed, Lin Tianming circulated his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation and began to meditate to pass the time, while waiting for tomorrow¡¯s auction.


    The next day, Lin Tianming opened his eyes that had been closed all through the night, tidied up his room, and ended his cultivation to step out of his room.


    As soon as he did, Lin Shilu also came out from the neighboring room, not far away, and the two of them met.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s face showed a trace of excitement, and he casually said,


    ¡°Tianming, let¡¯s go to the auction together. There might even be an exchange event organized by fellow sects, and we must not miss it.¡±


    Lin Tianming let out a chuckle and walked out of the courtyard together with Lin Shilu towards the central auction house in the market city.


    There were quite a few cultivators along the way, all heading in the same direction.


    After passing several Bluestone streets, Lin Tianming and his companion arrived at the plaza in front of the entrance to the auction.


    As the two paused, a voice came over. ¡°This is quite the coincidence, running into Brother Lin wherever I go.¡±


    Turning around, they saw Ye Pinghai approaching and immediately went forward to greet him with a salute.


    ¡°Brother Ye, the auction is quite dull. Why don¡¯t you join me? We¡¯ll at least have a chat to relieve the boredom.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s invitation, Ye Pinghai did not decline his hospitable offer.


    Since Foundation Establishment Cultivators didn¡¯t need to queue, the three of them passed the line of Qi Training Cultivators and headed towards the entrance.


    An Executive Officer at the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation, who apparently recognized the two, immediately greeted them warmly,


    ¡°Greetings to Elder Ye and Elder Lin, please come inside.¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, but still presented his Market City Token, followed by handing over thirty Spirit Stones to the speaking cultivator.


    The Executive Officer responsible for collecting the admission fee respectfully took the Spirit Stones and then instructed a cultivator beside him to show them the way.


    The three followed the Qi Training Cultivator ahead of them, walked straight to the second floor, and finally entered a private room.


    Everyone took their seats, and the cultivator who led the way stood by the entrance.


    Since there was some time before the auction began, Lin Shilu brought out some Spiritual Tea, and the three chatted leisurely while drinking tea.


    With nothing else to do, Lin Tianming reflected on the matter of the Dragon Bone Pill, and considering Ye Pinghai¡¯s mastery in Second Order Superior Alchemy, who had immersed himself in alchemy for over sixty years, he might have some methods or pill formulas.


    With this thought, Lin Tianming turned to Ye Pinghai and said,


    ¡°Grandpa Sea, do you have any Second Order Pill Recipes for elixirs that aid in Body Cultivation?¡±


    ¡°Pill recipes for Second Order elixirs for Body Cultivators to consume?¡±


    Ye Pinghai looked startled, and after contemplating for a while, he directly stated he did not have any, dashing Lin Tianming¡¯s hopes.


    Second Order pill formulas were precious to begin with, and those suited for Body Cultivators were even more exceedingly rare.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face showed a hint of disappointment, but he did not lose heart. Thinking of the Dragon Bone Pill formula, he asked,


    ¡°Grandpa Sea, Tianming came across an Ancient Pill Recipe yesterday. Could you help the youngster take a look at it?¡±


    At the mention of this, Ye Pinghai¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement.


    An alchemy enthusiast with exceptional talent, he was thrilled to have an Ancient Pill Recipe to study and suddenly became eager.


    ¡°Oh? Let me have a look.¡±


    Lin Tianming, pleasantly surprised, promptly took out the Dragon Bone Pill formula and respectfully handed it over.


    Ye Pinghai took the Jade Slip, extended his Divine Sense, and started to read the contents recorded within.


    A little while later, with a regretful expression, Ye Pinghai said,


    ¡°The pill is genuine indeed, but where shall we find the inner core of the Azure Dragon Jiao required as the main ingredient? The chances of concocting this pill are practically non-existent.¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face grew even grimmer upon hearing Ye Pinghai¡¯s explanation.


    Suddenly, Ye Pinghai seemed to recall something, and his tone changed.


    ¡°I once acquired the notes of a Third Order Alchemy Master. This alchemist was an oddball; he, too, encountered situations where he couldn¡¯t find the main ingredients for his recipes. Eventually, he sought out Demons Cores with similar attributes to substitute, and astoundingly, he was still able to concoct pills with the same medicinal effect.¡±


    Upon hearing Ye Pinghai¡¯s words, enlightenment dawned upon Lin Tianming.


    There was almost no chance of finding a Qinglong Jiao¡¯s Demon Core, but he couldn¡¯t wait much longer. He had been at the first level of Foundation Establishment for nearly two years and, although he could still slowly increase his cultivation by meditating, he¡¯d rather not dwell on the sluggish pace of his progress.


    There was no waiting around¡ªYe Pinghai¡¯s suggested method might just be worth a try.


    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming¡¯s face regained its luster.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming remained silent, Ye Pinghai then took out a Jade Slip from his storage bag and handed it to him. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This?¡± Lin Tianming asked in confusion.


    ¡°This is the very set of notes from the Third Order Alchemy Master that I mentioned. Although the recorded methods are unconventional, there¡¯s still much of value within.¡± Ye Pinghai explained.


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 Chapter 202 - 159: Flame Fruit_2

    Chapter 202: Chapter 159: Flame Fruit_2


    Seeing that Lin Tianming did not take the Jade Slip or show any reaction, Lin Shilu hurriedly reminded him.


    ¡°You lad, don¡¯t you hurry up and thank your Grandpa Sea? This is summarized by a Third Order Alchemy Master,¡± he urged.


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s reminder, Lin Tianming finally came back to his senses and said with utmost sincerity,


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Sea. Once I have understood its contents, I will surely return it to you, sir.¡±


    Ye Pinghai chuckled and said,


    ¡°No worries, I have already comprehended it. Just take it, and you decide how to deal with it.¡±


    ...


    Thinking of how Ye Pinghai was all alone in the world yet had repeatedly provided help, Lin Tianming felt deeply moved. He indeed needed this handwritten note at the moment.


    As for repaying the favor in the future, he would make it a point to do so when he was capable.


    With this thought, Lin Tianming did not play coy any longer. He respectfully accepted the Jade Slip and then placed it into his storage bag.


    Lin Shilu and Ye Pinghai nodded in satisfaction and continued to chat leisurely.


    A short while later, bursts of noise came from the auction hall, and the few people quickly shifted their gaze.


    Looking over, the entire second-floor auction hall was more than half as small as the first floor. In the center was a similar high platform surrounded by hundreds of seats and over a hundred private rooms.


    At this moment, only around a hundred of the seats in the public area were occupied, the rest were empty.


    With the appearance of an old man with the demeanor of an immortal on the central high platform, the clamor throughout the hall quieted down.


    The old man had a composed demeanor, his aged face constantly adorned with a smile. He bowed to the hundred or so cultivators below and the surrounding private rooms, then he began to speak,


    ¡°I, Xue Chong, am honored to host the Foundation Establishment Area auction today. As all of you are Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the rules of the auction need not be repeated as you¡¯re doubtless informed,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hehe, many fellow cultivators can¡¯t wait, so I won¡¯t talk nonsense. Let¡¯s start with the first auction item,¡± he declared.


    No sooner had he finished speaking, the old man produced a piece of demonic beast skin in his hand. The whole piece was dark brown and well-preserved.


    ¡°One piece of Superior Second Order Savage Spirit Bull beast skin up for auction. The defensive capabilities of this beast are extremely formidable; its skin is an excellent material for crafting inner armor or for Talisman Making. The starting bid is eight hundred Spirit Stones, with each subsequent bid to be no less than ten Spirit Stones,¡± he announced.


    Before the echo faded, several cultivators immediately began to bid, seemingly all Artifact Refiners or Talisman Makers.


    ¡°Eight hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°Eight hundred and eighty Spirit Stones!¡±


    The first auction item was a Superior Second Order beast skin, and the price continued to climb, indicating the auction¡¯s emphasis on this sale.


    Lin Tianming and the others, sitting in the private room and chatting idly, watched the heated scene below, and Ye Pinghai joked,


    ¡°Brother Lin, this Savage Spirit Bull¡¯s skin is quite fine, and quite large, too¡ªit¡¯s great material for crafting inner armor.¡±


    Lin Shilu laughed heartily, then replied,


    ¡°I, too, plan to secure this item. If used properly, it should be enough to craft two sets of Lower Second Order inner armor.¡±


    In just over ten breaths¡¯ time, the price of the Savage Spirit Bull¡¯s skin had reached one thousand one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.


    At such a price, the number of bidding cultivators below was dwindling, leaving only three who were still persistent.


    Lin Shilu also made his first bid.


    ¡°One thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°One thousand two hundred and fifty Spirit Stones,¡± a cultivator immediately called out.


    ¡°One thousand three hundred Spirit Stones.¡±


    With Lin Shilu¡¯s significant increase in the bid, the cultivators who had been bidding seemed to give up.


    After several breaths with no further bids, Xue Chong declared the first auction item sold.


    Lin Shilu prepared his Spirit Stones and completed the transaction with Xue Chong through a barrier, both parties obtaining the Spirit Stones and the auction item.


    With the first treasure settled, Xue Chong was very satisfied with the price and continued to host the event.


    ¡°The second treasure, a plant of Six-leaved Purple Sandalwood, a Second Order spirit material, is an exceptional material for Artifact Refining. The starting bid is three hundred Spirit Stones, with increments no less than ten Spirit Stones,¡± he introduced.


    Although the first treasure ignited the atmosphere, the second one was somewhat less impressive. Nevertheless, several cultivators were eagerly bidding.


    ¡°Three hundred and twenty Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡­


    Below, the cultivators continued to bid fiercely. Lin Tianming, who did not practice Artifact Refining, naturally had no interest, and Lin Shilu and Ye Pinghai also looked down upon these items.


    The second treasure was won by a Third Level Foundation Establishment Cultivator for five hundred and twenty Spirit Stones.


    The fiery auction continued, and in a blink of an eye, it had reached the last ten items, the climax of the event.


    After auctioning off hundreds of treasures, nearly all of them were Second Order Spiritual Items, including a considerable amount of Spiritual Medicine Materials, various Spirit Ore Materials, and many parts of Demonic Beasts¡¯ bodies.


    During this time, Lin Tianming spent over a thousand Spirit Stones, acquiring several strains of Spiritual Medicine Materials and one Second Order low-quality Demon Beast Inner Pill, which he planned to feed to the Purple Gold Eagle in hopes of it breaking through to the second order.


    Lin Shilu and Ye Pinghai also made a few bids, each securing some Spiritual Medicine Materials and Artifact Refining Materials. They were not exceptionally precious, but were also not ordinary items.


    As the auction of the common items concluded, everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of the grand finale items.


    After a brief rest, Xue Chong took out another Jade Box and opened it.


    In the Jade Box held by Xue Chong, a fist-sized Spirit Fruit lay inside, its entire form crystal clear and translucent, also emitting an enticing fragrance.


    Xue Chong¡¯s eyes revealed a hint of fervor, but he quickly regained his composure and began the introduction.


    ¡°A Second Order Medium Quality Spirit Fruit, the Flame Fruit, extremely rare, enhances vitality and blood, as well as benefits skin and Divine Sense. The starting bid is one thousand two hundred Spirit Stones, with each increment not less than twenty Spirit Stones!¡±


    As soon as the words fell, many cultivators¡¯ faces flushed, and their breathing quickened.


    Seeing this item, Lin Tianming was equally thrilled.


    He had long come across this fruit in various tomes; it could strengthen the body as well as fortify the Divine Sense, with very significant effects. However, only one could be consumed, and the effects would halve with each additional ingestion.


    Even so, the effects of the fruit were excellent, and cultivators who had never used it would not easily give up the chance to attain it.


    Although he had attended several auctions and exchange events before, he had never come across such a fruit. Now that he had finally found one, he naturally wouldn¡¯t let it slip away.


    While Lin Tianming was momentarily lost in thought, over ten cultivators began bidding fiercely, and the price of the Flame Fruit had already risen to over fifteen hundred Spirit Stones, and it was still climbing.


    Determined to obtain the fruit, Lin Tianming immediately joined the bidding.


    ¡°One thousand six hundred and twenty Spirit Stones!¡±


    He raised the bid by a full hundred Spirit Stones in one go, causing many cultivators in the audience to speculate in whispers.


    However, there were still seven or eight cultivators unwilling to give up. Among these bidding cultivators, many came from clans, sects, and other powerful forces, with considerable backing and financial resources not much inferior to his.


    ¡°One thousand six hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°One thousand seven hundred Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡­


    The price continued to soar, and after more than a dozen rounds of bidding, the Flame Fruit¡¯s price had reached one thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones, about to break the two-thousand barrier.


    By this time, the majority of cultivators had already withdrawn.


    Now somewhat overpriced, only three people, including Lin Tianming, were still in the bidding. All of them were cultivators from private rooms.


    ¡°One thousand nine hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!¡±


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t hesitate, raising the bid by one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones and causing the whole audience to gasp.


    He had already consumed many Body Refinement Spirit Fruits and elixirs and was very clear about the benefits they brought to the body and Divine Sense. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if the price was steep, he was willing to pay, knowing well that treasures like this were hard to come by.


    After he called out his bid, the cultivators in the other two private rooms fell into brief silence, seemingly willing to give up.


    Three breaths passed, and just when Xue Chong was about to announce the auction result, one of the private rooms called out a price, seeming to make a final bid.


    ¡°Two thousand Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°Two thousand one hundred Spirit Stones!¡±


    Before the voice had finished, Lin Tianming instantly upped the bid by another hundred Spirit Stones.


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s new bid, the last bidding cultivator fell completely silent.


    Five breaths went by, and Xue Chong bowed towards the private room where Lin Tianming was located and proceeded to announce the auction result.


    ¡°Congratulations to the Daoist friend in the private room on securing the Flame Fruit for two thousand one hundred Spirit Stones!¡±


    Hearing Xue Chong declare the result, Lin Tianming let out a sigh of relief.


    Overjoyed, he quickly took out two thousand one hundred Spirit Stones and, with a flick of his hand, sent them all through the restrictive light screen, landing steadily in Xue Chong¡¯s hands.


    After a sweep with his Divine Sense and confirming that the number was correct, Xue Chong flung the Jade Box through the light screen as well, which Lin Tianming caught.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming was somewhat excited, picking up the blood-red Flame Fruit and lovingly admiring it.


    In the center of the auction house, Xue Chong chuckled and resumed hosting the auction.


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 Chapter 203 - 160 Making Friends_1

    Chapter 203: Chapter 160 Making Friends_1


    The explosive auction continued.


    The first climax treasure sold for a high price of two thousand one hundred spirit stones, satisfying all cultivators in attendance.


    Xue Chong was very satisfied. By presiding over this auction, he would receive a generous reward.


    As the atmosphere on the scene gradually relaxed, Xue Chong took out the prepared treasure, the second climax item.


    Looking over, he revealed a fiery red spirit sword about three feet long in his hand, encircled by faint sword qi, clearly an attack talisman.


    Seeing this item, many cultivators flashed eager spiritual light in their eyes.


    ...


    Xue Chong waved his hand once, twirling the blade, then started to introduce it.


    ¡°The second climax item, a Second Order Low Grade Artifact, named Fire Cloud Sword, renowned for its formidable attack power; it¡¯s considered an exquisite piece among Second Order Low Grade Artifacts. The starting bid is three thousand spirit stones, and each increment must be no less than twenty spirit stones,¡± he announced.


    As soon as the words fell, a cultivator at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment from the public area couldn¡¯t wait to bid.


    ¡°Three thousand one hundred spirit stones,¡± he shouted.


    The first bid emerged, and an elderly cultivator at the Fourth Level of Foundation Establishment mocked:


    ¡°Bidding so slowly is a waste of time, let an old man bid three thousand five hundred spirit stones,¡± he declared.


    The elder sharply raised the price by several hundred spirit stones, making some eager cultivators give up on bidding.


    Second Order Magical Artifacts are not easily refined and are very precious in the Cultivation World. Many cultivators at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment exhaust all their wealth and even incur debts for the sake of Foundation Establishment.


    Those who have just reached Foundation Establishment typically aren¡¯t wealthy, and hence many cultivators at the Initial and even Medium Stage of Foundation Establishment find it hard to possess a magic artifact.


    That¡¯s why many cultivators at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment attend auctions specifically for Second Order Magical Artifacts.


    Despite the significant price jump made by the elder, many people were not willing to give up easily, for the auction recognized spirit stones, and the one who offered the highest price would obtain the treasure.


    ¡°Three thousand six hundred spirit stones,¡± a middle-aged cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Second Layer bid loudly.


    ¡°Three thousand seven hundred spirit stones,¡±


    ¡­


    Lin Tianming and his two companions sat in the private room, watching the intense bidding among cultivators below, looking on as if enjoying a show.


    They had not made a bid throughout, nor did they have any intention to participate in the auction.


    After all, Lin Shilu and Ye Pinghai had entered Foundation Establishment quite early. Lin Shilu was a Second Order Refiner, and Ye Pinghai was a Second Order High-Grade Alchemy Master, both extremely wealthy, each already possessing Second Order Magical Artifacts, and of not low quality either.


    Lin Tianming himself used a complete set of spirit swords and had the Second Order Medium Quality Tiangang Sword for exhibiting his divine skills. The Fire Cloud Sword was decent but of little use to him. More importantly, his spirit stones were limited, and after purchasing the Flame Fruit, he only had a little over two thousand spirit stones left.


    The bidding scene at this moment was extremely hot, and the price was quickly raised to four thousand four hundred spirit stones.


    By this point, the price of the Fire Cloud Sword was somewhat inflated, and many cultivators with limited means had long given up the idea of bidding. Only two cultivators remained in the competition: the afore-mentioned cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Third Layer and the old man who had been fiercely raising the price.


    The two competing cultivators were at odds, neither willing to back down.


    Seeing the middle-aged cultivator increase the bid by fifty spirit stones, the elder¡¯s face started to look rather unpleasant.


    Thinking of the thousands of spirit stones he had painstakingly saved, he yelled to the bidding cultivator:


    ¡°Daoist Zhu, give me some face and let me have this sword, how about it?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, the rule of the auction is that the highest bidder wins. If you don¡¯t have spirit stones, you shouldn¡¯t participate,¡± the man surnamed Zhu flatly refused, without giving any face to the elder.


    The elder had assumed that since he was two minor realms higher than Daoist Zhu and had asked personally, Daoist Zhu would retreat. But he didn¡¯t expect the man to completely disregard him, which took him by surprise.


    Seeing that Daoist Zhu was not giving in, the angered elder threatened:


    ¡°Fine, fine, there will be other days. Daoist Zhu, you¡¯d better watch yourself when you go out, lest something unfortunate happen to you,¡±


    ¡°Four thousand six hundred spirit stones,¡±


    ¡°Four thousand seven hundred spirit stones,¡±


    Daoist Zhu remained undeterred and continued to increase the bid.


    A few moments passed.


    At this point, the elder¡¯s face was flushed red. After sweeping his divine sense over the spirit stones in his storage bag, he no longer raised the bid, clearly giving up on the auction.


    Xue Chong, seeing that the two contenders were silent, publicly announced the auction result.


    Daoist Zhu was all smiles as he handed over the spirit stones to Xue Chong and then received the Fire Cloud Sword.


    Meanwhile, the elder¡¯s face was red with rage; having lost face, he was fuming and wished he could tear Daoist Zhu to pieces.


    Noticing the elder¡¯s demeanor, Xue Chong¡¯s expression turned cold, and he spoke:


    ¡°Daoist Xu, this is an auction. Any resentments should be resolved outside the market,¡±


    Hearing Xue Chong¡¯s reminder, Daoist Xu forcibly suppressed the agitation in his heart. Knowing the consequences all too well, no one dared to cause trouble within the market, and he sat down without saying another word.


    Xue Chong nodded and continued to preside over the auction,


    Time slowly passed, and soon an hour had gone by.


    During this period, seven treasures had been consecutively auctioned off, one of which was the Hun Tian Pill that fetched a high price.


    The other treasures were no ordinary items either. Two more Second Order Magical Artifacts, some precious Spiritual Medicine Materials, a Yellow Grade Technique, and a Foundation Establishment Pill were sold.


    The Yellow Grade Technique was bought by a cultivator in a private room for twenty-three thousand spirit stones, and the Foundation Establishment Pill was taken by another in a private room for thirty-one thousand spirit stones, bringing in high prices for all the treasures.


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 Chapter 204 - 160 Making Friends_2

    Chapter 204: Chapter 160 Making Friends_2


    Among the finale items up for auction, Lin Shilu had not made a move, and although his family still coveted the Foundation Establishment Pills, considering the intense competition from several private rooms and the challenge of safely transporting it back to the family, it was simply too hot to handle for the Lin Family at present, so Lin Shilu could only give up.


    Ye Pinghai, on the other hand, spent thousands of Spirit Stones without so much as blinking an eye to win the bidding for two stalks of Third Order Spiritual Medicine Material, evidently showcasing the deep pockets of a Second Order High-Grade Alchemist.


    By this time, the auction had reached its concluding phase, with just one final treasured item yet to be auctioned off.


    The last item to end the auction was always the most precious treasure.


    All the cultivators present fixed their eyes on the final item, with many spectators looking forward with great anticipation.


    The highlight of the Qi Refining Area¡¯s auction was almost a no-brainer¡ªit was definitely either a Foundation Establishment Pill or another Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object.


    ...


    And Lin Tianming, attending the Foundation Establishment Area¡¯s auction for the first time, was also curious about what the treasure would be.


    Once the cultivators in the hall had calmed down, Xue Chong decided to skip the preliminaries, took out a Jade Box, and opened it so that all the cultivators could see the item inside.


    Lin Tianming peered intently inside the Jade Box and saw a Jade Slip. A prohibition kept him from knowing whether it contained a cultivation technique or a tome.


    ¡°Brother Xue, what exactly is this Jade Slip?¡± a cultivator in the hall asked.


    With a chuckle towards the entire hall of cultivators, Xue Chong began his introduction.


    ¡°The tenth and final treasure of the auction is a Water Attribute Mysterious Grade Cultivation Technique called ¡®Thousand Water Decree¡¯, accompanied by Divine Skills offensive and defensive in one, with considerable power. The starting bid is forty thousand Spirit Stones, with each bid increment no less than fifty Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Mysterious Grade Technique?¡±


    This was something that hadn¡¯t appeared for a long time. The number of Foundation Establishment Pills and cultivation techniques at small gatherings would sharply decrease, and Mysterious Grade Techniques were even rarer. Many cultivators thought they would only appear at the major gatherings held every ten years.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu were also somewhat surprised, but neither of them was particularly interested. After all, the starting bid was forty thousand Spirit Stones, and one could imagine how high the final bid would go. Moreover, the Lin Family already possessed a complete set of Mysterious Grade Cultivation Techniques for the Five Elements, so they weren¡¯t too keen on this one.


    However, their thoughts differed from those families lacking a Water Attribute Mysterious Grade Technique.


    Sure enough, as soon as Xue Chong finished introducing the technique, bids started coming from within the private rooms, and soon, new bidders joined the auction.


    ¡°Forty-one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°Forty-two thousand Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡­


    The prices continued to escalate, with each new bid coming from private rooms whose affiliations were unknown, turning the entire auction hall of about a hundred cultivators into mere spectators.


    ¡°Forty-seven thousand Spirit Stones!¡±


    The bid came out higher by more than ten thousand Spirit Stones than the Foundation Establishment Pill, causing a stir among the numerous cultivators.


    Lin Tianming was equally astonished; this was his first time witnessing the successful auction of a Mysterious Grade Technique.


    After more than ten rounds of bidding, the Mysterious Grade Technique was won by a cultivator in one of the private rooms for a price of forty-seven thousand Spirit Stones.


    Xue Chong and the successful bidder in the private room completed the exchange of Spirit Stones and the technique.


    At this point, all the highlight items had been successfully auctioned off, along with nearly a hundred other spiritual objects, and not a single treasure failed to sell. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xue Chong was visibly excited; the auction had concluded successfully, which meant he would receive a substantial amount of salary.


    Once he calmed down, Xue Chong cupped his fists and bowed towards the numerous cultivators sitting below.


    ¡°Thank you, fellow cultivators, for your participation. With all the treasures auctioned off, this auction has come to an end. Until next time!¡±


    As Xue Chong announced the conclusion, some cultivators who knew each other greeted one another and then started to leave the auction.


    Inside the private room, Lin Tianming and the other two remained seated, casually chatting, not in a rush to leave, as they were waiting to attend the exchange meet for Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    A quarter of an hour later, many of the cultivators had left the venue, but there were still more than ten who remained where they were.


    After surveying the hall, Ye Pinghai turned to Lin Shilu and said:


    ¡°It¡¯s about time, Brother Lin, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded and followed Ye Pinghai out of the private room.


    The Qi Refining Cultivators waiting outside saw the three men exit and immediately came forward to greet them.


    Without a word, Lin Shilu waved his hand, and ten Spirit Stones appeared out of thin air in the hands of the Qi Refining Cultivator.


    The Qi Refining Cultivator was overjoyed upon seeing the Spirit Stones given by Lin Shilu and repeatedly thanked him with a bow.


    ¡°Thank you, three seniors!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, and afterwards the three of them no longer paid attention to the Qi Refining Cultivators, directly passing by them towards the depths of the passageway.


    After more than ten breaths of time had passed, the three, having traversed several corridors, appeared outside a private room. Given Ye Pinghai often stayed in the market and had attended many auctions and exchange meetings, he led the way, and now they arrived outside a private room.


    With a single-handed seal, he sent a message into the room¡¯s protective restrictions.


    In less than a breath¡¯s time, an opening appeared in the protective restrictions of the room, and the three walked in together.


    They entered a huge private room, already filled with more than ten Cultivators sitting inside, many of whom were engaged in casual conversations with acquaintances.


    Lin Tianming also looked over the numerous Cultivators, and noticed that aside from himself, all the others were at least at the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment or above.


    It was clear that the exchange meeting Ye Pinghai had brought them to was of a higher caliber, most likely not the kind of venue for Cultivators at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Seeing Ye Pinghai enter, many Cultivators hurriedly stood up, proactively greeting him as if they were very familiar with him.


    Ye Pinghai also greeted them in return and then in front of all the Cultivators, began to introduce Lin Tianming and the other.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, these two represent the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family¡¯s Lin Shilu, and beside him is his nephew¡ªallow me to introduce them to everyone!¡±


    ¡°So, you are the Daoist friends from the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family, I have long heard of you!¡±


    Some Cultivators also took the initiative to greet Lin Shilu, and both he and Lin Tianming returned the gesture with a clasped fist, behaving quite courteously.


    Feeling the influence of Ye Pinghai, indeed, was powerful, as the majority of the Cultivators they met were quite polite.


    This was a good opportunity for networking. For the Lin Family to gain a foothold in the market, it was indispensable to cultivate good relations with these highly cultivated Foundation Establishment Cultivators, thereby expanding the Lin Family¡¯s influence.


    The atmosphere was congenial and enthusiastic, and in a short while, Lin Tianming and the other had met over a dozen Cultivators, including Loose Cultivators and several from other families.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed.


    By this time, two Cultivators entered the room, one of whom was Li Xiuyuan, and the other also wore the attire of the Zhenyang Sect, his cultivation having reached the Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment.


    Lin Tianming guessed that the other Cultivator must be one of the three Executive Officers of the market.


    As the two entered and saw the entirety of the Cultivators, including Ye Pinghai, stand up to welcome them, they greeted Li Xiuyuan and the others.


    ¡°Ye, Lin, you two indeed came as well!¡±


    Before he was close, the hearty laugh of Li Xiuyuan could be heard.


    The other Cultivators present were somewhat surprised as it made sense for Li Xiuyuan to be courteous to Ye Pinghai, a Second Order High-Grade Alchemy Master with a powerful cultivation. However, it was unexpected that Li Xiuyuan would be as polite to this unfamiliar Lin Family Cultivator, which made some who hadn¡¯t befriended Lin Shilu regret not doing so.


    While some Cultivators were still stunned, Li Xiuyuan also began introducing his fellow Sect member to Lin Shilu and the other.


    ¡°Lin, this is my fellow Sect brother Song Xun. He helped a lot with the store matter last time. Now that we¡¯ve met today, we should visit each other more often if there¡¯s a chance!¡±


    Both Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming, looking excited, hurriedly greeted Song Xun.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Brother Song. I¡¯ve already heard from both Ye and Li about you. It¡¯s truly an honor to meet you today. Regarding the store matter, I am indebted to Brother Song¡¯s assistance, and when I have leisure time, I will certainly make a visit.¡±


    Song Xun waved his hand, saying with a very courteous expression:


    ¡°It was but a trifle, Brother Lin need not be so formal. Actually, I¡¯ve met your elder brother Lin Shikang before, but it¡¯s been many years since I last saw him, and I suppose he is about to challenge the Golden Core Path soon, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Haha, so Brother Song and my clan brother are old acquaintances. Once I return to the family land, I will surely convey your message on Brother Song¡¯s behalf. As for the Golden Core Path, it¡¯s not that easy. But someone like Brother Song, at such a young age nearing the Golden Core barrier, I admire that immensely,¡± Lin responded.


    Hearing what Lin Shilu had said, Song Xun expressed:


    ¡°As Brother Lin mentioned, how could the Golden Core Path be so easy to challenge? I have only reached where I am by relying on the Sect¡¯s support and having good luck, in truth, it is nothing noteworthy.¡±


    Lin Shilu chuckled and replied:


    ¡°That may be true, but by my estimations, the three young friends have reached the Eighth and Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment. With the help of heaven-defying elixirs, the hopes of successfully breaking through to the Golden Core are not small at all!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so¡­¡± Song Xun shook his head, a hint of longing visible in his eyes.


    After a few moments of casual chat, they temporarily parted ways, with Li Xiuyuan and his companion also engaging in idle conversation with other Cultivators.


    Lin Tianming and the other sat with Ye Pinghai, chatting with some new friends while waiting for the exchange meeting to start.


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 Chapter 205 - 161 Note_1

    Chapter 205: Chapter 161 Note_1


    After casually chatting for a short while and seeing that the time was about right, Li Xiuyuan stood up and said,


    ¡°Thank you, fellow cultivators, for attending this exchange meeting that I¡¯ve organized. It has allowed everyone to make some new acquaintances. Let¡¯s get started, and I hope that each of you will find some gains.¡±


    As soon as his words ended, an elderly man with a kindly expression turned to Lin Shilu and said with a smile,


    ¡°Indeed, every time I attend, I get to meet some new friends, which is truly fortunate.¡±


    The person who spoke was named Wei Liqiong, a family cultivator with Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer cultivation, hailing from the Wei Family of the Hengyang Mountain Range, a family whose strength was not inferior to the Lin Family.


    Since this person was interested in making connections, Lin Shilu naturally would not reject him. They nodded to each other as a greeting.


    ...


    Lin Shilu responded with a nod to the goodwill expressed by the other cultivators.


    Seeing the warm atmosphere, Li Xiuyuan, as the organizer, began the exchange meeting, and he was the first to present his items for trade.


    With a wave of his hand, three treasures landed steadily on the stone table in front of everyone. They were a Second Order Medium Quality Demon Beast inner pill, a Third Order Low Grade Spiritual Medicine, and a fist-sized golden ore.


    Observing the three treasures, Li Xiuyuan spoke with a smile,


    ¡°I assume I need not mention what these three items are, as everyone likely knows. I¡¯m willing to trade them for Third Order Spiritual Medicine Chunyang Grass, or the Autumn Jade Fruit. If you possess such items, you can trade one for all three.¡±


    Hearing Li Xiuyuan¡¯s proposal, not a single cultivator in the room spoke up, evidently because the items he sought were too precious.


    Lin Tianming also eyed these treasures with great desire, but alas, he had nothing of equal value to offer and could only be a spectator.


    A few moments passed in silence, seeing that no one was speaking up, Li Xiuyuan felt a tinge of disappointment, but he quickly came to terms with it, given the rare nature of his requested items. Even within the Zhenyang Sect, they were hard to come by, and cultivators in the market, even if they had what he needed, would probably not be willing to trade them.


    He reluctantly put away the three treasures, and then it was Song Xun¡¯s turn. He took out two items, a Second Order Low Grade Demon Core and a Third Order Spiritual Medicine.


    Song Xun¡¯s items were of slightly lesser value than Li Xiuyuan¡¯s and didn¡¯t come with any special requirements. As long as the trade was of equal value and he needed the items, he was willing to exchange.


    Soon enough, two cultivators traded goods with Song Xun, each obtaining one of his treasures.


    Then Ye Pinghai also displayed a Hun Tian Pill and a Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact, looking to trade for the Third Order Spiritual Medicine he needed.


    The Hun Tian Pill, which could directly raise the cultivation of a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator by a minor realm, was highly sought after in the Cultivation World. It was quickly traded away by Wei Liqiong at no small expense, while the medium-grade magic artifact was acquired by a Foundation Establishment Sixth Level cultivator.


    In just a short while, Lin Shilu took out two items. One was Golden Tide Sand, and the other was a Second Order Low Grade Artifact.


    Both items were extraordinary, with the Golden Tide Sand being rather precious and the Second Order artifacts always in high demand. Many cultivators, regardless of already possessing a magic artifact, would still be eager to obtain another, either for personal use or to purchase for their kin.


    ¡°Fellow cultivators, I am looking to trade these two treasures for Second Order Qi Cultivation materials. As long as the values are equivalent, I¡¯m willing to trade. If the item provided is of greater value than mine, I can compensate with spirit stones.¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Xiuyuan, with a single wave of his hand, revealed a blood-red stone in his palm.


    ¡°Brother Lin, how about trading this Golden Blood Stone for your Golden Tide Sand?¡±


    ¡°Mm, then I would be at an advantage, wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Lin Shilu replied with a chuckle.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Golden Tide Sand is not easy to come by. I don¡¯t mind taking a small loss.¡± Li Xiuyuan didn¡¯t mind and proceeded to trade with Lin Shilu.


    The remaining Second Order artifact was also quickly traded away by a Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator, who offered the body of a Second Order Demonic Beast in exchange.


    Lin Shilu was very pleased, as he managed to trade both of his items for things he needed.


    Time flowed on slowly, and the entire exchange meeting lasted for half an hour, featuring treasures that were no less inferior than those auctioned in Foundation Establishment auction houses.


    Lin Tianming witnessed the whole event, his eyes nearly dazzled by the array of treasures.


    As the exchange drew to a close, most cultivators didn¡¯t immediately get up to leave; instead, they engaged in discussions about cultivation and the Four Arts of Cultivation.


    Lin Tianming listened intently, soaking in the many cultivators¡¯ insights on cultivation and alchemy, as well as conversations with a few Second Order Alchemists. In just half an hour, he gained a lot of knowledge.


    The fervent atmosphere lasted until late afternoon. As dusk approached, it was time for the exchange meeting to wind down.


    Li Xiuyuan and Song Xun, as hosts and organizers of the exchange, got up and exchanged greetings with the other cultivators.


    Ye Pinghai and Lin Shilu also stood up, cupped their fists, exchanged a few words with Li Xiuyuan and Song Xun, and then prepared to leave.


    The three of them left the auction, and the bustling plaza outside the auction house quieted down significantly, marking the end of the grand gathering. Some cultivators also slowly departed from the market. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By now, evening had arrived; the auction and exchange meeting had lasted nearly half a day.


    After parting ways with Ye Pinghai, Lin Tianming and his companion returned to the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Once inside the Cave Mansion Courtyard, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong were already seated in the courtyard.


    Seeing the two return, they quickly got up to greet them.


    Lin Shilu nodded and then asked about their whereabouts and gains for the day.


    Lin Tianfeng and his companion had attended an auction at the Qi Refining Area and, with their assets, managed to bid on several treasures. After the auction ended, they too participated in an exchange and met several Zhenyang Sect Disciples and family cultivators, ending the day on a very positive note.


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 Chapter 206 - 161 Notes_2

    Chapter 206: Chapter 161 Notes_2


    Lin Shilu nodded, reminded everyone to be cautious and careful, and then left first.


    As soon as Lin Shilu left, Lin Tianfeng began to talk non-stop, excitedly recounting the auction¡¯s events.


    ¡°Sixth brother, the auction at Qianchuan Market really can¡¯t be compared to that of Luoyun Market. The treasures that appeared were simply a feast for the eyes.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the Pozhang Pill, Yellow Grade Technique, and Foundation Establishment Pill also appeared. The cultivators were crazy enough, with each round of bidding driving prices higher than the last,¡±


    Lin Tianhong chimed in.


    Lin Tianming understood their astonishment very well, as it was also their first time attending the auction at Qianchuan Market.


    ...


    When he first attended the Qianchuan Market auction, his reaction was almost the same¡ªthe plethora of items nearly dazzled his eyes.


    ¡°So, what treasures did you both manage to win?¡± Lin Tianming asked.


    Still excited, Lin Tianhong hurriedly said:


    ¡°Big brother and I jointly won a complete demonic beast carcass. With Fifteenth Grandfather¡¯s help, we should be able to refine two decent Spiritual Artifacts.¡±


    ¡°Besides that, we each won a Second Order Talisman to add some life-saving measures for ourselves.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded and congratulated them.


    Lin Tianfeng was not of low cultivation, and even though he had no special talents, his participation in the family¡¯s Monster Hunting Squad made his fortune quite substantial.


    Lin Tianhong was a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, and his alchemy had improved significantly, placing him at the forefront among his generation in the clan.


    In their generation, whether in terms of cultivation or cultivation technique, they had already far surpassed the previous generations of their clan.


    Thinking of this, he wore a face full of gratification.


    ¡°Big brother, second brother, now that the market assembly is over, what are your plans next?¡± Lin Tianming inquired.


    After contemplating, Lin Tianfeng answered:


    ¡°This place isn¡¯t like the clan, otherwise I could still hunt demonic beasts. Now that¡¯s not possible, so I plan to occasionally help out at Luoyun Pavilion and spend the rest of the time in seclusion and cultivation. In three months, I¡¯m due to replace Uncle Xing Li to take care of the shop.¡±


    After Lin Tianfeng finished speaking, Lin Tianhong shared his own plans.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather has given us quite a few tasks. I¡¯ll be refining pills during the day and cultivating at night.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, fully approving of Lin Tianhong¡¯s arrangement.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we all have our tasks to attend to, plus we need to cultivate, so there¡¯s hardly any time to idle away.¡±


    Afterward, the three of them chatted for a while before going their separate ways.


    Lin Tianming returned to his room, sat at the edge of his bed, and pondered his upcoming cultivation schedule.


    Having acquired the Flame Fruit from the auction, he naturally had to consume it as soon as possible to enhance his strength, and he also needed to study the notes given to him by Ye Pinghai, aiming to find suitable elixirs to assist in his cultivation at the earliest.


    Moreover, the number of Spiritual Medicine Materials commissioned for pill refining at Luoyun Pavilion was still over a hundred and increasing daily.


    Thinking about this, Lin Tianming felt quite a headache.


    ¡°Well, first I¡¯ll take the Flame Fruit to enhance the strength of my body and Divine Sense. Then, during the day, I¡¯ll refine the collected Spiritual Medicine Materials into elixirs. At night, I¡¯ll study the notes and cultivate.¡±


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming began to regulate his state, aiming to reach his peak before consuming the Flame Fruit.


    Unconsciously, he had been meditating and cultivating for half an hour.


    At this moment, his state had reached its peak; feeling it was about right, he hurriedly took out the Flame Fruit and held it in his hand.


    Feeling the cool touch of the Flame Fruit and looking at its blood-red flesh, it seemed very appetizing.


    Without any hesitation, he swallowed the Flame Fruit in a single gulp.


    The cool Flame Fruit, upon entering his mouth, immediately felt like he had eaten a mouthful of flame, nothing like the previously cool sensation.


    Lin Tianming bore the pain and swallowed the fist-sized Flame Fruit.


    As the Flame Fruit descended into his belly, a massive amount of heat spread out, intensifying the scorching sensation. Not only that, but his entire body, as well as his soul, felt as if they were being roasted by fire.


    At this time, he felt as though he was being cut a thousand times; sweat poured out all over his body, quickly soaking his clothes.


    Lin Tianming gritted through the pain as he furiously circulated his cultivation technique, refining the energy released by the Flame Fruit into a gentle force, which he then used to pound every part of his body.


    Unbeknownst to him, another hour quickly passed by.


    The intense heat of the Flame Fruit seemed to gradually subside, but he couldn¡¯t tell if he had simply grown numb or if it genuinely wasn¡¯t scalding anymore.


    Lin Tianming remained unmoved, his furrowed brow indicating his determination as a unique energy continued to hammer his internal organs.


    Time hurried away, and in the blink of an eye, ten days had gone by.


    In the training room, Lin Tianming opened his eyes, revealing a faint smile.


    He extended his divine sense to examine the meridians and internal organs throughout his body.


    After the vigorous tempering by the Flame Fruit¡¯s power, the color of his organs had deepened, with hints of gold now appearing in certain areas.


    Not only that, but his meridians had expanded slightly, his skin and bones had strengthened, and even his divine sense had marginally increased.


    At that moment, he felt his body brimming with strength, as if he would never run out of it and could not feel fatigue at all.


    ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡±


    Exhaling several breaths of turbid air, Lin Tianming returned his focus and realized his clothes were soiled with impurities that had seeped from his body.


    He got up to stretch his limbs, then with a single-hand seal, cast a water-based magic spell to wash away the dirt from his body, followed by using a fire-based spell to dry off.


    He changed into a clean set of clothes and tidied up the cluttered room.


    Sitting on the ground, he took out the note gifted by Ye Pinghai and placed it before him.


    He explored the ancient jade slip given by the old man with his divine sense, perusing the contents it held.


    An hour later, Lin Tianming withdrew his divine sense and fell into deep thought.


    Through his comprehension, the Third Order Alchemy Master¡¯s note revealed to be left by someone called Lingfeng, a Golden Elixir expert from tens of thousands of years ago.


    This person was a Golden Core Cultivator in life, a Third Order Medium Grade Alchemist, and an alchemy fanatic who immersed himself in the Alchemy Dao. He was obsessed with creating and improving pill formulas. Although he didn¡¯t invent any high-order formulas, he did achieve some success in improving existing ones.


    The note specifically detailed his insights and methods for improving the Dragon Bone Pill, but it was uncertain whether they would be successful or not.


    According to Lingfeng¡¯s records, the primary material for refining the Dragon Bone Pill was the inner core of an Azure Dragon Jiao, a creature that was already scarce tens of thousands of years ago and even rarer in the cultivation world of today.


    He believed that the Azure Dragon Jiao, being a fire-attribute spirit beast with a trace of true dragon bloodline¡ªalbeit extremely diluted¡ªwas undoubtedly unique. However, there was another demonic beast in the cultivation world called Qingxu Jiao, which greatly resembled the Azure Dragon Jiao.


    Not only were they both of the fire attribute, but their divine abilities were also very similar, and so were their habits and appearances.


    He speculated that tens of thousands of years ago, both species might have evolved from the same lineage. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, given how rare the Azure Dragon Jiao was, the relatively more common Qingxu Jiao might serve as a substitute.


    Lingfeng¡¯s views and conjectures seemed to have some merit.


    Stowing the note into his storage bag, Lin Tianming pondered deeply.


    Currently, he didn¡¯t have any better solutions. His cultivation had been consolidating for over a year, relying entirely on meditative practice, with the breakthrough to the second layer of Foundation Establishment seeming infinitely far away.


    Under these circumstances, regardless of whether Lingfeng¡¯s speculated method was viable, he had to attempt it, as he didn¡¯t have time to seek alternative solutions.


    However, he was presently too preoccupied; since Luoyun Pavilion¡¯s opening, especially in the few days before the auction, there were tens of commissions for refining spiritual medicine materials every day. Though the flow of people to the market had significantly diminished thereafter, resulting in a sharp decrease in cultivators requesting alchemy services, the accumulation of half a month had left him with more than three hundred batches of spiritual medicine materials awaiting refinement.


    With Lin Tianhong¡¯s speed of alchemy, who knows how long it would take to complete the refinement. Besides, he also needed to practice cultivation and couldn¡¯t refine continuously day and night.


    Before he addressed the matter of the pill formula, it was necessary to refine as much of the commissioned elixirs as possible, to maintain Luoyun Pavilion¡¯s credibility.


    Lin Tianming now slightly regretted his boastful claim from the past that had led to such strenuous work. No one expected so many cultivators to request alchemy services. Nevertheless, having given his word, he needed to do his best. Otherwise, Luoyun Pavilion wouldn¡¯t be able to establish a foothold in the market.


    Upon further thought, considering he could earn a substantial amount of spirit stones, he didn¡¯t find it too taxing.


    Regaining his focus, Lin Tianming left the room and headed to the Pill Refining Room.


    Entering the Pill Refining Room, he took a brief moment to adjust his breathing, waiting until he was in optimal condition before starting the alchemy process.


    He brought out the Four Symbols Furnace, casting numerous spells upon the pill furnace and the earth fire beneath it.


    After making all the preparations and following a well-versed routine, he proceeded to separate and purify the spiritual medicine materials one by one, until finally solidifying the pill successfully.


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 Chapter 207 - 162 News of Qingxu Jiao_1

    Chapter 207: Chapter 162 News of Qingxu Jiao_1


    Time hurried by, and one and a half months had passed.


    Inside the Pill Refining Room, the fragrance of elixirs wafted from the Four Symbols Furnace, quickly filling the entire room.


    Upon lifting the lid of the Furnace Cauldron, one could see seven Lingshen Pills lying at the bottom, each one full in color with clear patterns encircling the pills.


    ¡°Finally, I¡¯ve finished refining all four hundred batches of materials.¡±


    Lin Tianming talked to himself, then stood up to stretch his limbs, looking at the hundred or so Jade Bottles in front of him with a weary expression.


    Secluded for one and a half months, he had accelerated the pace of his alchemy, ensuring the completion of ten rounds of pill concoction each day before beginning his cultivation.


    ...


    Luckily, he had refined First Order elixirs hundreds of times before and was quite familiar with the process. It was such frantic alchemy that further improved his efficiency, ensuring his cultivation was not delayed.


    Over the past month, he had refined most of the over four hundred batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, including the three hundred plus batches left over from his business with Luoyun Pavilion and the hundred batches from the opening day, leaving only a few dozen batches for Lin Tianhong to refine.


    Through his efforts, he had completed the refining of four hundred batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials, resulting in more than one thousand five hundred pills, almost all of which were of superior quality.


    After setting aside the elixirs meant for the client, he could at least keep one thousand pills for himself, worth nearly ten thousand Spirit Stones.


    Thinking of the hardships of the past month and earning nearly ten thousand Spirit Stones, a smile emerged on his face.


    ¡°Huff¡­ It¡¯s time to leave seclusion.¡±


    After tidying up the cluttered Pill Refining Room, Lin Tianming returned to his own room.


    Falling onto the stone bed, he soon slept soundly.


    This sleep lasted a full day and night, and he only got up the next morning.


    Feeling the fatigue lifted from his body, and his condition back to its peak, he got up and walked out of the Cave Mansion Courtyard. Walking on the cobblestone road, he headed towards Luoyun Pavilion.


    The biennial Market City meeting had ended, and the flow of people in the Market had significantly decreased. There were noticeably fewer Cultivators he ran into on the road than at peak times.


    Soon, Lin Tianming arrived at Luoyun Pavilion.


    With the Market City meeting over, the business at Luoyun Pavilion seemed to have declined quite a bit. At this moment, a few Qi Refining Cultivators were chatting with the hired shop assistant, Li Rong.


    Lin Xingli and Lin Tianfeng were sitting idle in the shop, chatting. Seeing Lin Tianming approach, a hint of joy crossed their faces.


    After exchanging greetings, they all headed to the third floor of Luoyun Pavilion together. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Uncle, how has the business been in the shop recently?¡± Lin Tianming inquired.


    Upon hearing this question, Lin Xingli answered with a somewhat helpless look,


    ¡°The business at Luoyun Pavilion was very good for the first few days after it opened, with tens of thousands of treasures sold every day and a sizable profit. However, after the Market City meeting, coupled with the dwindling inventory of treasures in the shop, our business has dropped by half.¡±


    Lin Xingli¡¯s explanation indeed had its reasons.


    The business was so good during the first few days after Luoyun Pavilion opened that many of the treasures brought from the family were sold out quickly, and many of the best-selling products were out of stock, leading to a decrease in regular customers over time.


    Hearing Lin Xingli¡¯s explanation, Lin Tianming consoled,


    ¡°Uncle, this was expected. After all, no one could have anticipated how smoothly the shop would open before coming to the Market, let alone how good the business would be.¡±


    Lin Xingli nodded, then continued,


    ¡°Although the business has not been great these past days, since we are no longer accepting elixir refining commissions for free, there are quite a few Cultivators still selling Spiritual Medicine Materials, indirectly boosting some business. Maintaining an income of three thousand Spirit Stones a day is still not difficult.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already quite good to be able to do this, at least several times better than the shops in Luoyun Market.¡±


    Lin Tianming said casually before inquiring about the status of Lin Shilu and others.


    According to what Lin Xingli said, Lin Shilu had not been seen for a month and was constantly in the Artifact Forging Room, seemingly crafting Magic Artifacts.


    Lin Tianhong was also furiously engaged in Alchemy, although he occasionally came out to have a look, he quickly re-entered the Pill Refining Room.


    Aside from cultivating, Lin Tianfeng occasionally helped out at Luoyun Pavilion and spent his time at various venues in the Market. With his cultivation level and personality, he soon made a large number of acquaintances among the Qi Refining Cultivators.


    Hearing what the two had to say, Lin Tianming felt quite moved.


    In the two months since they had arrived at the Market, it was clear that all of the family members were diligently cultivating and had adapted to the life in the Market.


    Luoyun Pavilion had also fully entered the right track. When business was good, they could earn tens of thousands of Spirit Stones a day. Even when it was not, a daily income of a thousand or two thousand Spirit Stones was still possible. Over a year, this would amass a large profit in Spirit Stones for the family.


    The Lin Family had successfully established a foothold in the Market and made a vast number of Loose Cultivators and other power¡¯s members its allies. The influence of the Luoyun Mountain Lin Family was also gradually expanding. Perhaps in just a few decades, the name of the Lin Family would once again influence the entire Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World.


    Snapping back to reality and casually chatting with Lin Xingli for a few moments, he left Luoyun Pavilion and walked down the Market¡¯s main street.


    The task of pill concoction was finished, and Luoyun Pavilion was on track; now it was time to consider the issue of the Dragon Bone Pill Formula.


    Having made up his mind, he quickly headed towards the Market City Hall.


    In no time at all, he appeared at the Market City Hall.


    He came here because there was a task hall within the Market where one could post tasks they needed help with or accept tasks posted by other Cultivators.


    Whether seeking Spiritual Medicine Materials or information about Demonic Beasts, commissioning Alchemy or Artifact Refining, forming teams for exploration, or even hunting down criminals in the Cultivation World, all could be posted or accepted here as missions.


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 Chapter 208 - 162 News of Qingxu Jiao_2

    Chapter 208: Chapter 162 News of Qingxu Jiao_2


    ¡°`


    He came here to see if there was any news of the Qingxu Jiao, after all, this beast was not found everywhere, and it wasn¡¯t easy to find one. If there was ready information, he wouldn¡¯t have to blindly search for it.


    It was because of this task board that many cultivators looking for specific spiritual objects could save a lot of trouble, which was why this place was very popular among loose cultivators.


    He entered the second floor of the Market City Hall and looked at a huge light screen in the hall, which displayed thousands of text-recorded tasks.


    ¡°Looking for traces of the Variegated Beast, commission one hundred spirit stones, complete demonic beast carcases are also accepted for direct exchange¡­¡±


    ¡°Searching for traces of the Purple Ratan Flower, commission eighty spirit stones, those who have this item can trade directly¡­¡±


    ...


    ¡°Forming a team to go to the Qianchuan Mountain Range for cultivation experience, five people in total, requires at least Seventh Level of Qi Refinement¡­¡±


    ¡°Track and kill the evil cultivator Gu Tong, those who claim his life will be rewarded ten thousand spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­ Ten thousand spirit stone reward?¡±


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in surprise.


    According to the information recorded on the light screen, this evil cultivator Gu Tong was a loose cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level, who for some reason, had killed a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Meng Family years ago, completely infuriating the family, which then spent a huge amount of money to issue the bounty for his apprehension.


    This Gu Tong was cunning by nature, had no attachments, and lived a nomadic life. Coupled with his formidable strength, although the Meng Family was powerful and had as many as seven members at the Foundation Establishment Stage, it was not easy to locate him within the vast Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World.


    Understanding the reason, Lin Tianming realized this was the case but had no interest; with his own cultivation at the Foundation Establishment First Level, seeking out such a vicious individual was clearly asking for trouble.


    Lin Tianming put the matter aside and continued to look through the tasks.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed, and he had rapidly reviewed over a hundred tasks; most were looking for spiritual medicine materials or demonic beasts, with a few dangerous missions like hunting evil cultivators. The rewards also varied, ranging from fifteen spirit stones to several thousand spirit stones.


    After reviewing many tasks, he decided to also post one looking for the Qingxu Jiao by assembling a large number of experienced people to help him search, which would save a lot of time.


    Resolved, he approached the area where tasks were posted and started chatting with a Zhenyang Sect Disciple at the Qi Refining Eighth Level.


    Lin Tianming was not well-known in the market, but many Zhenyang Sect Disciples had still heard of him, especially since he had made several public appearances in the market lately and had been seen with Li Xiuyuan and Ye Pinghai a few times.


    Seeing him personally coming to post a task, the Executive Officer who was serving him was very polite and subsequently explained to him the process of posting tasks.


    ¡°Elder Lin, posting a task in the market requires five spirit stones and a deposit of one hundred spirit stones; when the task is completed, the remainder of the commission is paid,¡± the officer said.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to post a task for searching for the Qingxu Jiao, the commission is only needed for providing the trail of this beast, how much would be appropriate?¡± Lin Tianming asked.


    After considering, the receptionist answered:


    ¡°The Qingxu Jiao is a Second Order Demonic Beast. Those who can discover its trail must have at least the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, otherwise, they may not be able to make it out alive. In my humble opinion, a reward of at least several hundred spirit stones is needed to entice someone to take such a risk!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming felt it made sense and then said:


    ¡°Then let¡¯s set a commission of eight hundred spirit stones. As long as the information is accurate, anyone can claim the commission.¡±


    After finishing his statement, Lin Tianming took out a hundred and five spirit stones and handed them to the receptionist.


    The receptionist took the spirit stones, recorded the transaction, and after leaving a way for him to be messaged, he took his leave.


    Soon, through the execution of the officer, his task also appeared on the light screen for task posting.


    ¡°Looking for traces of Qingxu Jiao, anyone providing information, as long as it¡¯s accurate and true, can claim eight hundred spirit stones, within a three-month period¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming looked at the task he had posted and was satisfied; after a brief pause, he returned to his cave dwelling, he only needed to wait for the news now.


    Several days later, Lin Shilu emerged from meditation, which had lasted for over a month, and the two sat down to drink tea and chat in the small courtyard.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, the hand scroll you gave has been fully comprehended, and the methods recorded in it may be feasible,¡± Lin Tianming said.


    ¡°Oh? If it really works, then our family will have another Second Order Pill Recipe!¡± Lin Shilu said, somewhat excited.


    Lin Tianming took a sip from his teacup and then started talking about his plans.


    ¡°However, according to the hand scroll, the substitute for the main drug in the Dragon Bone Pill is the Qingxu Jiao Inner Pill. This beast is not easy to find, I have already posted a task in the market. If its trail can be found, I must trouble you, elder, to join me in hunting a few demonic beasts!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Good, you didn¡¯t get carried away and knew to measure your abilities!¡±


    ¡°`


    Lin Shilu nodded in praise and then said,


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in closed-door cultivation recently to refine my magic artifact. The piece of Golden Blood Stone I got from the exchange meeting has been incorporated into my artifact. After re-sacrificing it, its power has significantly increased, which is perfect for accompanying you on your journey!¡±


    ¡°Then I must thank Fifteenth Grandfather in advance!¡± Lin Tianming was overjoyed and quickly rose to give a respectful bow.


    Lin Shilu waved his hand dismissively and then began to instruct him earnestly,


    ¡°Hmm¡­ as soon as you receive news of the Qingxu Jiao, send a message to me. Remember not to act alone, understand?¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming respectfully responded. After chatting casually for a while, they each returned to their own cultivation rooms.


    Sitting in the cultivation room, Lin Tianming performed a Grand Circulation.


    After about a quarter of an hour, once his condition reached its peak, he took out a Second Order Lingshen Pill and began his cultivation with some difficulty.


    If there was evidence of the Qingxu Jiao¡¯s whereabouts, he would have to leave Qianchuan Market. Before leaving, he wanted to improve his cultivation as much as possible. Despite the excruciating pain he was about to endure, he could not care less, as having even a sliver more of spiritual power meant additional safety.


    As the elixir entered his mouth, intense pain followed immediately, with large beads of sweat falling from his forehead.


    He did not dare to be careless, swallowing a Body Strengthening Pill and frantically running his cultivation technique, all the while enduring the agony to refine the medicinal power.


    Over ten days slowly passed¡­


    One day, a messaging aura entered his cultivation room, hovering in front of him.


    He sent out his divine sense to check the message recorded by the Spiritual Light.


    ¡°There¡¯s a message!¡±


    Lin Tianming was thrilled and immediately rose to leave the cave dwelling, rushing toward the Market City Hall.


    After finding the executive officer who had received him, the two struck up a conversation.


    The obsequious executive officer said,


    ¡°Elder Lin, you are in luck. It¡¯s only been just over ten days, and already a cultivator has happened upon the whereabouts of the Qingxu Jiao!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Bring me to see that cultivator at once!¡± Lin Tianming urged.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Following the executive officer, he was led to a private room where he was to meet alone with the cultivator who provided the information.


    Inside sat a middle-aged cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, who quickly stood up to pay respects to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming gestured for him to sit and then spoke with a grave expression,


    ¡°It was you who found the trace of the Qingxu Jiao? Speak in detail, and remember not to attempt to deceive me. If I find out there is any falsehood, you will bear the consequences!¡±


    At Lin Tianming¡¯s threatening words, the cultivator quickly assured him of his honesty and then relayed how he came across the Qingxu Jiao.


    ¡°Elder, half a year ago I was training in the Qianchuan Mountain Range, when by chance I stumbled into a ravine and happened to spot the trace of a Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Jiao. Luckily, I was cautious enough to flee without looking back and managed to narrowly escape with my life.¡±


    As he spoke, his face went pale, displaying an appearance of lingering fear.


    ¡°After I returned to the market city, I learned of the task you had posted. But before I encountered the beast, I had no idea you were seeking the Qingxu Jiao, otherwise the news would not have come so swiftly.¡±


    Listening to the cultivator¡¯s explanation, Lin Tianming was skeptical, but he had no other options at the moment. Whether true or false, he needed to verify for himself.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming did not make things difficult for the man, promptly paid him a deposit of two hundred Spirit Stones, and promised to pay the rest upon confirmation of the accurate information.


    After sending the man away, he had the executive officer withdraw his task.


    After everything was settled, he returned to his cave dwelling to prepare with Lin Shilu before searching for the Qingxu Jiao.


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 Chapter 209 - 163 Sword Array Displays Its Power_1

    Chapter 209: Chapter 163 Sword Array Displays Its Power_1


    Back in the Cave Mansion Courtyard, Lin Tianming immediately reported the situation of the Qingxu Jiao.


    Lin Shilu had already been aware of this matter and had instructed him to be cautious.


    Upon learning that someone had provided information about the Qingxu Jiao, he instantly left his closed-door cultivation, deciding to head to the inner parts of the Qianchuan Mountain Range as soon as possible to find the beast, to prevent any mishaps.


    Early the next morning, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu bade Lin Tianfeng farewell and left Qianchuan Market quietly without any fuss.


    The two rode on the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, heading west towards the Qianchuan Mountain Range.


    After two full days of travel, the two of them, along with the beast, appeared on the outer edges of the Qianchuan Mountain Range, close to the inner regions.


    ...


    Along the way, they encountered many Qi Refining Cultivators hunting Demonic Beasts on the outskirts, but they ignored them all, pressing on in a particular direction.


    After a night of rest, Lin Tianming stored the Purple Gold Eagle in the Spirit Beast Bag, and the two of them continued on their journey, stepping into the more vast and lush inner regions.


    Along the way, the two were quite cautious, their Magic Artifacts at the ready, prepared to respond quickly to any noise, not as carefree as they were in the outer regions.


    After several days of cautious exploration and nearly circumventing encounters with Second Order Demonic Beasts, they arrived smoothly at the outside of a valley.


    Gazing at the valley overgrown with the ruins of broken walls and boulders, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression grew solemn.


    ¡°Tianming, is this the place that cultivator provided information about?¡± Lin Shilu inquired.


    Lin Tianming looked at the simple map in his hands, observing the valley in the distance before recalling the words of the cultivator who had provided the information.


    After a brief moment, Lin Tianming nodded and said,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, according to the map and the description given by the cultivator providing the information, it should indeed be this place.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Lin Shilu gazed ahead thoughtfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s already late in the day, and not suitable for entering, so let¡¯s rest here for the night and restore our spirits before going in to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lin Tianming complied.


    Having made up their minds, the two searched for a suitable location nearby and prepared to dig out a Temporary Cave Abode to spend the night.


    They quickly found a hidden spot against a cliff face, and Lin Tianming swiftly dug out a cave several meters wide, adequate for an overnight stay.


    Looking at the excavated Temporary Cave Abode, the two entered and settled down for the night.


    ¡°Tianming, you keep watch during the first half of the night, and I will take over in the latter half. At dawn, we¡¯ll venture into the valley to explore,¡± Lin Shilu instructed.


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s orders, Lin Tianming nodded and agreed wholeheartedly.


    The expanse of the Qianchuan Mountain Range dwarfed that of the Luoyun Mountain Range by several times over. It was said that at its center, even Third Order Demon Beasts were not uncommon. Although this place was just a few hundred miles into the inner regions, Third Order Demonic Beasts may not be present, but there would certainly be a fair number of Second Order ones.


    Apart from Demonic Beasts, cultivators also had to be on guard, as this was not the market town, and occurrences of murder and looting were not infrequent.


    Giving the situation the gravity it demanded, they had to be extra careful. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sitting at the entrance of the Temporary Cave Abode, Lin Tianming¡¯s Divine Sense was fully deployed, keeping constant vigilance on the outside.


    The night passed quietly, and the two took turns meditating through the night.


    As morning light pierced through the dense fog and shone into the cave, the two got up and looked out over the distant valley.


    Lin Shilu took out a golden greatsword, his own Magic Artifact of Second Order Medium Quality.


    With preparations made, Lin Shilu began giving instructions.


    ¡°Tianming, a Qingxu Jiao is a social beast with varying numbers in a group, ranging from over a dozen to hundreds, and their grades vary too. However, one thing is certain, in every group there is at least one male and one female that are of Second Order grade. Their Divine Skill is of the fire element, which is very powerful, but their weakness is poor perception. We mustn¡¯t confront them head-on but instead move flexibly¡ªunderstand?¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded confidently and said,


    ¡°Rest assured, Fifteenth Grandfather, I¡¯ve already consulted many texts about this beast and am quite familiar with its habits. I am swift in escaping, and with a precious treasure to protect me, I can even fight a moment with a Second Order Middle Stage Demonic Beast.¡±


    Lin Shilu gave a chuckle, feeling very reassured about Lin Tianming.


    He was quite clear about Lin Tianming¡¯s Divine Skills. Currently, even if faced with a Third Level of Foundation Establishment cultivator, it would be difficult to say who would win.


    ¡°You will follow me later, I will take the lead, and you will watch our back. Although we¡¯re not deep inside the mountain range, we can¡¯t let our guard down. Should things turn south, we have to make a quick escape,¡± Lin Shilu stated earnestly.


    Lin Tianming nodded, not daring to be careless in the slightest as he saw Lin Shilu¡¯s serious demeanor.


    Some time passed, and once they were ready, they began to probe their way towards the distant valley.


    The two made their way through dense woods, covering several miles before gradually approaching the valley.


    Observing the massive area filled with ruins, with many peaks flattened or snapped in half, the craftsmanship seemed supernatural, not likely to be naturally occurring.


    Lin Tianming speculated that this place must have witnessed a monumental battle many years ago to turn the vast valley into what it looked like now.


    And to accomplish this, it would have required the intervention of Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators at the very least.


    With a brief feeling of awe, they continued to make their way into the valley.


    After half a day, they proceeded with extreme caution for about ten miles without encountering any problems.


    Pausing briefly, they stared into the somewhat eerie valley, and Lin Shilu said,


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 Chapter 210 - 163: Sword Array Demonstrates Power_2

    Chapter 210: Chapter 163: Sword Array Demonstrates Power_2


    ¡°`


    ¡°Tian Ming, have you noticed anything unusual?¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s words, Lin Tianming reflected on all the encounters along the way.


    Three breaths of time passed, and Lin Tianming seemed to have noticed something different.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, on our journey, not to mention demonic beasts, we haven¡¯t even seen a wild sparrow, nor have we found any Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasures. Such a strange situation is something I have never encountered before,¡± said Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Hmm,¡±


    ...


    Reminded by Lin Tianming, Lin Shilu also felt it was somewhat incredible.


    ¡°There must be a demonic beast in this place, one that even eats ordinary wild sparrows; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be this clean,¡± he said.


    ¡°Although we haven¡¯t found it yet, there is definitely a demonic beast active nearby. We need to be careful,¡± Lin Shilu warned.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s continue on our way.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded and followed Lin Shilu¡¯s pace. The two were less than a few zhang apart, one behind the other, heading deeper into the valley.


    Unnoticed, the two walked for more than an hour, moving several more miles.


    As the vegetation grew sparser, the scene inside the valley became even more desolate.


    After delving over twenty miles ahead, they still hadn¡¯t been attacked or noticed any movement.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming also began to waver, starting to doubt the cultivator who had provided the information.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s complexion turning somewhat grim, Lin Shilu was just about to say something comforting when he heard a faint noise that, though minimal, he still detected.


    ¡°Tian Ming, there¡¯s a noise,¡± Lin Shilu said with a serious expression.


    Hearing the warning, Lin Tianming immediately started looking around, and sure enough, he too soon heard the rustling sound.


    ¡°Sha¡­ shasha¡­¡±


    The noise grew clearer, and both of them felt something from deep within the valley approaching rapidly.


    ¡°Tian Ming, get ready to make a move.¡±


    After giving a reminder, Lin Shilu stared intently ahead, holding the Golden Greatsword, and positioned Lin Tianming behind him.


    Feeling the presence getting increasingly closer, Lin Tianming held nothing back.


    He waved his hand, and fifty-six Earth Evil Swords shot out instantly, revolving around him before scattering swiftly and finally hiding beneath the ground.


    Having done this, he formed a single-handed seal, and the Tiangang Sword appeared in his hand out of thin air. The blade vibrated wildly as if it couldn¡¯t wait to attack, eager to taste the flavor of blood.


    Several breaths of time later, the movements in the deep valley became more pronounced. It was only then that they saw what was coming.


    At this point, a few thousand zhang ahead, dozens of large snakes with alternating blue and red bodies were slithering rapidly towards them, twisting their barrel-thick bodies.


    As they drew nearer, the true form of these snakes was revealed; they were unmistakably the Qingxu Snakes they had been searching for.


    Upon seeing the Qingxu Snakes, a smile appeared on Lin Tianming¡¯s face.


    It seemed that the cultivator who provided the information had not deceived him. He wondered how that youngster had managed to survive in the territory of such an assembly of the Qingxu Snake Clan.


    Without time to ponder further, his expression soon turned solemn again.


    Looking around, he realized the Qingxu Snake Clan consisted of dozens of formidable snakes. Leading them were seven Second Order Demon Snakes, one at the Second Order Middle Stage and six at the Second Order Initial Stage, while the rest were made up of First Order Middle-Late Stage Monster Serpents.


    Fortunately, there were no Second Order Late Phase Demon Snakes; otherwise, it would be very difficult for him and Lin Shilu to retreat unharmed.


    Seeing such an assembly of Qingxu Snakes, Lin Shilu also had a serious look, ready to face the snake clan¡¯s attack at any moment.


    ¡°Tian Ming, I will take on that Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake. You just hold off the others, and as long as you don¡¯t get defeated, that¡¯s enough. Once I¡¯ve killed that beast, I¡¯ll come and help you!¡±


    After dropping those words, Lin Shilu leaped dozens of zhang forward and charged towards the Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t even have time to respond when Lin Shilu had already engaged with the Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s sword dance unleashed a hundred streaks of Golden Sword Qi that exploded with loud bangs, furiously charging at the Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Clang, clang, clang¡­ Hiss, hiss¡­¡±


    Multiple streaks of Sword Qi bombarded the Qingxu Snake¡¯s body, shearing off its scales and revealing the snake¡¯s greenish-yellow hide beneath.


    In pain, the Qingxu Snake opened its blood-spraying maw, hissing a few times before lunging straight for Lin Shilu¡¯s bite, while at the same time, its barrel-thick tail swept across, as if trying to send the infuriated Lin Shilu flying.


    Just one attack, merely slicing off a few scales, hardly causing any substantial injury? Seeing this, Lin Shilu¡¯s expression grew even graver.


    Faced with the Qingxu Snake¡¯s counterattack, Lin Shilu generated wind under his feet and rapidly retreated dozens of yards, dodging the Qingxu Snake¡¯s assault.


    Once stable, he flipped his hand and threw out several Second Order talismans and more than ten First Order talismans, forming a huge rain of swords that engulfed the Qingxu Snake.


    Simultaneously, he leaped up and once again engaged in fierce battle with the Monster Serpent.


    Man and serpent fought vigorously, with earth-shattering noises spreading throughout the valley, the aftermath of the battle shattering the giant green rocks around them. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While Lin Shilu was entangled with the Qingxu Snake, several Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snakes below rushed towards Lin Shilu, seemingly wanting to aid their leader.


    ¡°Evil beasts, you shall not succeed!¡±


    Lin Tianming bellowed angrily and then charged towards the Qingxu Snakes ahead.


    Clasping the Tiangang Sword in his hands, he spun it into a Sword Lotus, and numerous streaks of Sword Qi swept out wildly.


    For a time, a ferocious wind blew through the valley, the green Sword Qi was majestic and overwhelming, stopping the rapidly moving Second Order Qingxu Snakes in their tracks.


    ¡°Pfft, pfft, pfft¡­¡±


    A powerful blast repelled several Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snakes, with the intense shockwaves of the Gang Wind lifting the hem of his robe.


    Even so, one Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snake managed to slip through his hands and charged towards Lin Shilu.


    Seeing this, he had no time to intervene again; he assumed the Fifteenth Grandfather would be able to handle it.


    After quick contemplation, he fixed his gaze on the Qingxu Snake Clan ahead.


    After his attack, the enraged snake clan seemed furious. They all opened their gaping maws, launching a fierce attack on him like a swarm of locusts passing through.


    For a moment, all he could see were the figures of Qingxu Snakes, darkening the sky and dimming the sunlight.


    Lin Tianming dared not be careless. He opened the Eye of Five Colors and moved through the gaps in an astonishing manner, narrowly avoiding the numerous biting and sweeping tails of the Qingxu Snakes.


    Once stable, he pressed his palms together and pushed his Cultivation Technique to the extreme, the robes whipped by the wildly circulating Spiritual Power around his body.


    ¡°Earth Fiend Sword Formation, trap!¡±


    As soon as the Law Decree was uttered, the long-hidden Earth Evil Swords burst out from the ground below and began spinning wildly, enveloping an area of a thousand yards nearby.


    Due to the limited Spirit Wisdom of the Qingxu Snakes, equivalent to the intelligence of children, they failed to notice the Earth Fiend Sword Formation hidden beneath them. It wasn¡¯t until the Sword Array started operating and they felt its restrictive force that they began to struggle fiercely to break free.


    Lin Tianming, who had long planned and even risked his life to lure them into the trap, certainly wouldn¡¯t let them get away so easily.


    ¡°Earth Fiend Sword Formation, slay!¡±


    As he uttered the Law Decree, the area covered by the Sword Array began to shrink gradually, with the Qingxu Snakes inside twisting their bodies and crashing against the barriers of the Sword Array.


    Suddenly, bursts of explosive sounds were heard.


    The range covered by the Sword Array was so vast that it was somewhat weak on the outermost edges, and under the powerful body impacts of the Qingxu Snakes, Lin Tianming was mentally shaken even if they did not break free.


    Enduring the pain, Lin Tianming forced the Cultivation Technique to stabilize the Sword Array, controlling the Sword Qi within to strike the Qingxu Snake Clan.


    Under the fierce movement of the Sword Qi, some First Order Qingxu Snakes were slain in a single contact.


    In just a few breaths, more than twenty First Order Qingxu Snakes had perished, leaving behind only some Middle-Late Stage First Order Monster Serpents, many of which were already heavily wounded, and two Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snakes had been injured.


    As the number of snakes decreased, the overall strength of the snake clan weakened, the range of the Sword Array reduced, it became more stable, and his situation improved significantly.


    In just a single encounter, more than a dozen First Order Qingxu Snakes were killed, and five Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snakes were trapped.


    After being re-forged, the Earth Evil Swords were fully activated for the first time, the Sword Array composed of fifty-six blades was terrifyingly powerful!


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 Chapter 211 - 164: The Entire Snake Swarm is Wiped Out_1

    Chapter 211: Chapter 164: The Entire Snake Swarm is Wiped Out_1


    With the addition of new Earth Evil Swords, their number significantly increased, causing the Sword Array¡¯s power to grow exponentially.


    In his first real battle, Lin Tianming was quite satisfied with such results.


    At this moment, more than thirty Qingxu Snakes within the Sword Array frantically tried to escape, but the space they could live in was steadily shrinking. Their massive bodies had become a burden, resulting in the Monster Serpents biting and attacking each other.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming showed no mercy. He had to end the battle quickly to prevent any unexpected changes from arising.


    Making up his mind, he tossed the Tiangang Sword into the sky and then swiftly formed hand seals, chanting the Law Decree.


    ¡°Tiangang Nine Swords First Sword¡­ go!¡±


    ...


    In an instant, the Tiangang Sword glowed with a brilliant golden light, surrounded by numerous streams of Sword Qi.


    As the Law Decree was fully chanted, the Tiangang Sword disappeared from above his head and in the blink of an eye, it went through the Sword Array Barricade and attacked a Second Order Qingxu Snake.


    ¡°Hiss hiss!¡±


    The Qingxu Snake that was targeted by the Tiangang Sword was in utter terror. As it struggled furiously, it spat out a fireball from its gaping maw, aiming at the Sword Array Barricade that bound it.


    ¡°That Qingxu Snake is fighting desperately!¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression turned solemn; he knew that was the Qingxu Snake¡¯s Innate Divine Ability, which was tremendously powerful. However, he had no choice but to endure the damage, as he couldn¡¯t cancel the Sword Array to dodge the attack. Otherwise, if the Qingxu Snake broke free from the Sword Array¡¯s confines, he would be in danger.


    In a split second, Lin Tianming made his decision; even if it meant getting hurt, he had to keep the group of Qingxu Snakes trapped and even aim to kill them.


    When he refocused his mind, the Tiangang Sword struck the Second Order Qingxu Snake at its vital seven-inch area, followed by a thunderous explosion.


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    The Qingxu Snake couldn¡¯t dodge in time and the Tiangang Sword decapitated it. The bucket-thick snake head fell to the ground, and simultaneously, a large amount of snake blood sprayed out, quickly pooling into a blood lake. Meanwhile, the Qingxu Snake¡¯s desperate attack, the fireball, collided with the Earth Fiend Sword Array¡¯s Barricade at the same time. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another explosion echoed, and under the Qingxu Snake¡¯s Innate Divine Ability attack, the Earth Fiend Sword Array¡¯s Barricade shook violently.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face turned pale; he strenuously steadied the sword bodies, with his entire True Yuan running at its limit.


    After three breaths of time, the Sword Array Barricade¡¯s shaking stopped, and it remained stable.


    Simultaneously, as the Sword Array continued to shrink, all the Qingxu Snakes inside were injured, and their numbers were greatly diminished once more.


    Lin Tianming was elated, then sighed with relief; he was truly worried the Sword Array would be breached, allowing the Demonic Beasts to escape, which would have caused even more trouble.


    Within the Sword Array, seeing their fellow decapitated, the remaining Demonic Beasts became even more violent. The remaining four Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snakes frenziedly rammed into the Sword Array Barricade.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    Under the furious assaults of the desperate Qingxu Snakes, the sound of collisions echoed through the valley, causing the Sword Array to shake wildly.


    Lin Tianming firmly maintained the Sword Array¡¯s operation, gradually reducing its scope and depleting the snakes¡¯ vitality. As long as he could hold on until Lin Shilu was free to assist, they could annihilate all the Qingxu Snakes.


    Time slowly passed¡­


    At a mound a thousand zhang away, Lin Shilu was engaged in a fierce battle with two Qingxu Snakes.


    He had been fighting the two Second Order Qingxu Snakes for dozens of rounds. Initially overbearing against the Medium Stage Qingxu Snake, the situation changed when another Second Order Initial Stage Monster Serpent joined the fray compelling him to fight two against one, significantly increasing the pressure, leaving the outcome of the battle hanging in the balance for the time being.


    Even though he was fully engaged in battling the two Demonic Beasts, he was also constantly aware of Lin Tianming¡¯s situation.


    Knowing that Lin Tianming alone was holding off several Second Order Demonic Beasts, along with dozens of First Order Demon Beasts, although a single First Order Demon Beast wouldn¡¯t pose much of a threat, the collective numbers were not to be underestimated.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s precarious situation, and with his Spiritual Power depleting rapidly, prolonged conflict would be disadvantageous to them, so he had to resolve the battle quickly to assist Lin Tianming.


    With that thought, Lin Shilu¡¯s expression turned serious, and he rallied his peak momentum.


    As he swung his Spirit Sword, the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth around him became utterly chaotic.


    ¡°Die, beasts!¡±


    In a flash, several streaks of Golden Sword Qi shot out from his Magic Artifact, each with extreme speed, targeting the Second Order Initial Stage Qingxu Snake.


    ¡°Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡­¡±


    Across from Lin Shilu, the two Second Order Qingxu Snakes opened their moon-sized jaws. As the attack drew nearer, the Medium Stage Qingxu Snake swayed its body, shifting more than ten zhang away.


    But the Second Order Initial Stage Monster Serpent, trying to dodge the Sword Qi, found it moving too fast.


    Unable to avoid in time, three streams of Sword Qi struck its vital parts, causing flesh to tear and blood staining its body.


    ¡°Hiss hiss¡­¡±


    The Initial Stage Monster Serpent screamed and writhed wildly.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s forceful strike had critically wounded the Initial Stage Monster Serpent, rendering it incapable of fighting and effectively achieving his objective.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s expression remained intense; he felt it was a bit regrettable, but with the Initial Stage Monster Serpent nearly out of combat, his goal was reached.


    He turned to face the remaining Monster Serpent, his gaze filled with a fighting spirit.


    Without any hesitation, he once again wielded his Magic Artifact, charging towards the Monster Serpent.


    The Monster Serpent was both frightened and infuriated, its companions dead and its body riddled with bloody holes, it was overtaken by an overwhelming rage, determined to devour that human in revenge.


    The Monster Serpent swung its tail, sweeping directly toward Lin Shilu.


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 Chapter 212 - 164 Mass Extermination of the Snakes_2

    Chapter 212: Chapter 164 Mass Extermination of the Snakes_2


    Lin Shilu soared dozens of feet into the air in a single leap, dodging the Monster Serpent¡¯s tail. Beneath him, a giant boulder tens of feet wide exploded with a roar.


    Thwarted in its attack, the Monster Serpent grew furious. It opened its huge, blood-spitting maw and spat out two fireballs one after the other, coming at him in quick succession.


    Lin Shilu knew well the formidable Divine Skills of this beast; he dared not be careless. He threw out two Second Order Defense Talismans, transforming into two grey barriers that protected him in front.


    ¡°Boom, boom¡­¡±


    Two consecutive explosions sounded as the grey barriers were shattered by the fireballs in an instant, creating a massive shockwave.


    The moment the grey barriers exploded, he had already shifted dozens of feet to the side, avoiding the fireballs¡¯ onslaught.


    ...


    The hill below was not so fortunate; struck by the fireballs, it was blasted into a deep pit over ten feet wide, and the scorched earth looked ghastly.


    Once he stabilized himself, Lin Shilu¡¯s fingers flickered rapidly, summoning a rain of fire from the sky. Then with a sweep of his robe, he sent a myriad of talisman papers transforming into a torrential Sword Array raining down upon the Monster Serpent.


    For a moment, light from the fire dazzled in all directions, and a series of collision sounds echoed through the gorge.


    The Qingxu Snake was powerful in Divine Skills attacks but was not as agile as other serpent Demonic Beasts.


    The Monster Serpent, unable to dodge in time, sustained numerous additional wounds on its body.


    Before the Monster Serpent could catch its breath, Lin Shilu¡¯s relentless assaults overwhelmed it, the Five Elements Spells mixed with Sword Qi consuming it entirely.


    ¡°Crackle and pop¡­¡± The thunderous sounds of explosions never ceased.


    When the firelight dissipated, the Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake had lost most of its scales, and its body was densely covered in wounds, flesh torn and skin split, and its aura significantly weakened.


    ¡°This beast is still not dead?¡±


    Lin Shilu couldn¡¯t help but exclaim; the Monster Serpent¡¯s vitality was truly formidable. He had used up dozens of talisman papers, more than ten of which were Second Order, and despite his wave after wave of attacks, he still hadn¡¯t managed to kill the Qingxu Snake.


    ¡°Hmph, You beast, you will die today!¡±


    Lin Shilu cursed, then his hands formed seals and he made a strange gesture, all the while chanting a special Law Decree.


    After a moment, a silver-white Sword Qi condensed above Lin Shilu¡¯s head.


    Suddenly, the valley was filled with flying sand and stones as a wild wind arose, and the Sword Qi above his head grew increasingly fierce.


    ¡°Great Sun Sword Qi Art, Kill!¡±


    Lin Shilu bellowed, and the silver-white Sword Qi above his head tore through the air towards the Qingxu Snake with the speed of a meteor.


    This Sword Qi was none other than the Mystical Solar Sword Qi Art that Lin Tianming had acquired, having been nurtured within his Qi Sea for several years.


    Now unleashed, the power of the Sword Qi seemed beyond imagination.


    Seeing the terrifying Sword Qi slashing at it, the Qingxu Snake struggled frantically to escape, but it was severely injured, and its speed was inherently slow.


    Realizing that it could not evade, the Qingxu Snake opened its mouth again, ejecting several enormous fireballs, each bigger than the last, in a desperate final stand.


    Several fireballs streaked across the sky, clashing with the silver-white Sword Qi.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    A deafening explosion darkened the skies, and the earth seemed to lose its color.


    Following the explosion, a massive blast wave came rolling through, forcing Lin Shilu back dozens of feet before he could stabilize his form.


    By then, his face was pale, and a trickle of fresh blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.


    When the firelight vanished, the Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake lay in two pieces, its massive body still convulsing, as if expressing the Monster Serpent¡¯s unwillingness to die.


    Seeing the only Second Order Middle Stage Qingxu Snake cut down, Lin Shilu¡¯s face lit up with wild joy, and without any hesitation, he swung his sword again, piercing through the twisting body of the Monster Serpent.


    He leaped to the side of the Monster Serpent¡¯s body, extracted its gallbladder, and only then did the creature¡¯s body stop twitching.


    Having done this, Lin Shilu casually exterminated another Monster Serpent that had lost its fighting power, then flew towards Lin Tianming.


    In less than the time of three breaths, he arrived behind Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming was in a critical situation; several Monster Serpents inside the Sword Array were frantically attacking the Sword Array Barricade.


    To survive, they seemed to have realized that concentrated attacks at one point were the key. Under the assaults of the five Monster Serpents, the Sword Array¡¯s stability continued to weaken; after another two strikes, it would surely disintegrate.


    Again, five fireballs bombarded the same spot on the Sword Array, and after a loud explosion, the Sword Array vibrated wildly, teetering on the brink of shattering.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face was ashen, and a mouthful of fresh blood burst forth.


    At that moment, Lin Shilu arrived on horseback, and with his addition, the pressure on Lin Tianming greatly diminished, and the Sword Array resumed its smooth operation.


    ¡°Tianming, you trap them, and I¡¯ll handle the attack!¡±


    Lin Shilu hastily shouted, then swung his greatsword, arousing several streaks of Sword Qi, attacking several Second Order Demonic Beasts.


    Lin Tianming was not to be outdone, steadying the Sword Array while his Tiangang Sword repeatedly lashed out.


    ¡°Puff, puff, puff¡­¡±


    With the two of them striking in quick succession, screaming incessantly emanated from within the Sword Array.


    Within the Sword Array, three Second Order Monster Serpents had already been sliced apart by the Sword Qi, while the First Order ones fared even worse, with many being chopped into more than a few segments.


    The gruesome scene did not cease, and the few struggling serpents hardly stirred up any waves.


    Under the joint efforts of the pair, the Demonic Beasts within the Sword Array were like lambs to the slaughter, and death was their inevitable end.


    After less than half an hour, the previously noisy valley suddenly quieted down.


    At this point, looking out over the valley, it was riddled with holes, and deep pits were everywhere, with broken boulders strewn all around¡ªthe valley was a scene of utter devastation.


    Lin Tianming paid it no mind. With a casual wave of his hand, fifty-six Earth Evil Swords quickly converged and began to rotate around him.


    He stowed all the Spirit Swords into his storage bag and then sat down on a fragmented rock, breathing heavily.


    Both were in poor condition, though Lin Shilu was better off, merely having expended a great deal of Spiritual Power but otherwise uninjured.


    Lin Tianming, on the other hand, had operated the massive Earth Fiend Sword Formation while contending with the attacks of five Second Order Demonic Beasts and dozens of First Order ones, completely depleting his Spiritual Power.


    Now his body was battered in numerous places, with some bones visible on his arm, leaving him with less than twenty percent of his strength.


    Had it not been for his strength in Body Cultivation, his powerful vitality and quick recovery, he would not have held on at all.


    The pair had fought against a Qingxu Snake Clan and, after a fierce battle lasting over half an hour, they finally emerged victorious.


    Lin Shilu took out an elixir to restore Spiritual Power and swallowed it, then spoke,


    ¡°Tianming, this place is unsafe, other Cultivators might hear the commotion at any time. We must quickly meditate to restore our Spiritual Power to be ready for any imminent dangers.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, already holding an elixir, which he swallowed before beginning to meditate and cultivate.


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming¡¯s Spiritual Power had recovered somewhat, and the flesh wounds on his body had also healed quite a bit. He got up and walked towards a corpse of one of the Monster Serpents.


    He alone sufficed to clean up the battlefield, allowing Lin Shilu to restore more Spiritual Power to face potential threats.


    He approached the corpse of a Second Order Middle Stage Monster Serpent, his Tiangang Sword swinging rapidly, cutting the serpent¡¯s body, as thick as a water bucket, into segments before stowing them inside his storage bag.


    Even the scattered Scales on the ground needed to be collected; they were excellent material for Artifact Refining. As long as they were plentiful, they could be turned into armor or crafted into shields with exceptional defensive power.


    He did not overlook the small pools of Snake Blood either, collecting them all. Such treasures were hard to come by, and the Purple Gold Eagle was not picky. With so much snake blood, he could swiftly enhance his strength. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After gathering the Medium Stage Second Order Monster Serpent, he moved to the body of an Initial Stage Second Order one, repeating the process and collecting all usable materials.


    He busied himself for half an hour just to collect the bodies of the dozens of Monster Serpents.


    After completing these tasks, he slightly altered the shocking scene and then walked toward Lin Shilu.


    Seeing Lin Tianming approaching, Lin Shilu opened his eyes, showing a satisfied smile.


    ¡°Finished clearing the battlefield?¡± asked Lin Shilu.


    ¡°Hehe¡­ all of it has been collected!¡±


    Lin Tianming chuckled back, and in turn, Lin Shilu smiled meaningfully and said,


    ¡°This group of Demonic Beasts was quite powerful. Let¡¯s explore the territory of the Qingxu Snakes; maybe we¡¯ll find something good!¡±


    With that, Lin Shilu walked deeper into the valley, and Lin Tianming quickly followed, soon disappearing from the spot.


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 Chapter 213 - 165 Qingxu Snake Eggs_1

    Chapter 213: Chapter 165 Qingxu Snake Eggs_1


    The two left the battlefield and headed into the valley.


    With the Qingxu Snake Clan wiped out, there should no longer be any danger within the valley.


    By this time, Lin Shilu had recovered most of his spiritual power, and Lin Tianming had also recovered some. As long as they didn¡¯t encounter a Foundation Establishment Late-Stage Cultivator or a Second Order Late-Phase Demonic Beast, they wouldn¡¯t have problems ensuring their own safety.


    Shortly, the pair advanced more than ten li deep into the valley along the base of the mountain.


    They arrived at a massive stone forest that was much larger than the one near the battlefield and had denser bushes.


    At the center of the stone forest, there were many caves a few zhang wide, distributed around the center, each one a snake burrow.


    ... S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Standing atop a huge rock, Lin Shilu surveyed the stone forest ahead and said:


    ¡°Tianming, this vast stone forest must be the Qingxu Snake¡¯s nest. I estimate that a hundred li around are their territory!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded. Demonic Beasts had their own territories and usually would not leave them unless driven away by more powerful beasts; otherwise, they would stay and breed within their own lands.


    The territories of Second Order Demonic Beasts ranged from a hundred li to several hundred, while most First Order Demonic Beasts had territories spanning only several tens of li.


    Looking at the stone forest thousands of zhang wide before him, Lin Tianming¡¯s face brimmed with excitement.


    They had expended considerable effort and treasures¡ªjust the talisman paper alone cost them hundreds¡ªto eradicate a clan of snakes, all for the spoils of war. Yet, the bodies and inner cores of the Qingxu Snakes alone had brought them substantial rewards. Moreover, there was the vast territory of the eradicated clan to explore, perhaps yielding some rarely-seen treasures.


    Grinning mischievously, Lin Shilu was also excited but chose not to show it.


    ¡°Tianming, the territory of this snake clan is vast. If we were to inspect it all, we would spread ourselves too thin. Plus, with the surrounding Demonic Beasts eyeing us covetously, let¡¯s just explore a twenty li radius around the stone forest. We can give up on the rest¡ªafter all, our haul is already substantial enough!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s instructions, Lin Tianming nodded; he too believed it was wise to be cautious.


    Because within a Demonic Beast¡¯s territory, treasures almost always appeared within a ten li radius of its lair. As for the outer regions, there was hardly anything of value to be found, and venturing out to explore posed significant risks. If they encountered other cultivators or nearby Demonic Beasts, a safe retreat would not be easy.


    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming spoke up:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, with the snake clan destroyed, there should not be any dangers within. Let¡¯s each take a direction and scout thirty li around. Should there be any danger, we¡¯ll immediately regroup at the center of the stone forest!¡±


    ¡°Alright, search quickly and signal at once if there¡¯s any trouble!¡±


    After replying, Lin Shilu immediately flew off to the left, quickly disappearing from sight.


    Lin Tianming wasted no time, swiftly heading in the opposite direction.


    While there shouldn¡¯t be any dangers, Lin Tianming remained cautious, clutching the Earth Evil Sword, ready for any potential threats.


    He weaved through the stone forest, crossing several tens of zhang with each step, quickly covering over ten li.


    In this period, he discovered two Second Order Spiritual Medicines¡ªcommon items, but still worth several hundred Spirit Stones.


    Suddenly, Lin Tianming halted his steps and landed on a rock. A hundred zhang ahead, in a crevice between stones, grew a tree about one zhang tall with over ten bright red fruits.


    Seeing the tree one zhang tall in front of him, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help exclaiming excitedly.


    ¡°Qiuxing Fruit!¡±


    Elated, Lin Tianming leaped high, darting towards the fruit tree.


    Qiuxing Fruit, a Second Order fire-attribute Spirit Fruit, could aid the cultivation of both cultivators and Demonic Beasts, ripening once every sixty years.


    Since it was a naturally formed Spiritual Object, its effects were comparable to a Second Order Spirit Origin Pill, and even stronger, making it particularly effective for fire-attribute cultivators, a truly rare treasure.


    Moreover, unlike the Lingshen Pill, it could be eaten directly without any discomfort.


    And the fruits on this Qiuxing Fruit Tree were all ripe, a timely bounty for him.


    ¡°No wonder such a number of Qingxu Snakes could emerge here, and even seven Second Order Demon Snakes, this tree must have played no small part!¡±


    After talking to himself, Lin Tianming immediately began to pick the Qiuxing Fruit.


    He took out over a dozen Jade Boxes and, with the Earth Evil Sword in hand, carefully plucked the Qiuxing Fruits one by one before delicately placing them into the boxes.


    A short while later, he had collected twelve Qiuxing Fruits.


    Looking at the one zhang tall Qiuxing Fruit Tree, Lin Tianming frequently stabbed the Earth Evil Sword into the ground, the rugged stone cleaved easily as if it were tofu.


    Having picked the fruits, he wouldn¡¯t pass up the chance to transplant the Qiuxing Fruit Tree. If relocated to his family¡¯s orchard, it could bear fresh Spirit Fruit after sixty years.


    In just over a dozen breaths¡¯ time, a pit a zhang wide appeared in the ground, and the Qiuxing Fruit Tree was extracted roots and all, placed into a prepared storage bag.


    Having done all this, Lin Tianming smiled slightly, then turned and left the area without a backward glance, resuming his search.


    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, an hour had passed.


    The area of over twenty li radius had been scouted by the two, who then reconvened at the point of separation.


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 Chapter 214 - 165 Qingxu Snake Eggs_2

    Chapter 214: Chapter 165 Qingxu Snake Eggs_2


    At this moment, Lin Shilu¡¯s face was flushed with color, indicating a bountiful harvest.


    Lin Tianming was equally excited. Seeing the expression on Lin Shilu¡¯s face, he initiated a conversation.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, how was your harvest this time?¡±


    Lin Shilu chuckled and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve collected eleven second-order Spiritual Medicines and dozens of first-order ones, though they¡¯re all common and not of high value.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, I found a Qiuxing Fruit Tree that bore twelve Spirit Fruits, all ripe!¡±


    After sharing his own findings, Lin Shilu also asked about Lin Tianming¡¯s gains.


    ...


    Lin Tianming grinned from ear to ear, all but his eyes was smiling.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, my gains are nearly the same as yours. However, I found not one but two Xingxing Fruit Trees. Their fruits, also ripe, have all been picked by me, and I even uprooted the trees, ready to bring them back and replant them in the family lands!¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s report, Lin Shilu was overjoyed, his face blooming with smiles.


    The two of them had collected three Qiuxing Fruit Trees and thirty-six ripe Qiuxing Fruits just by raiding the Qingxu Snake Territory, and they hadn¡¯t even explored the entire snake den yet. It was unknown what other treasures they might find inside.


    ¡°Ha ha¡­ You¡¯re ruthless, my boy, but that¡¯s what I like about you!¡± Lin Shilu teased.


    A smile crossed Lin Tianming¡¯s lips, yet his heart remained undisturbed.


    Lin Shilu said no more; instead, he regarded the changing sky and spoke.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s getting late. We shouldn¡¯t linger here too long. Let¡¯s finish scouring the Qingxu Snake Cavern, and leave before dark to return to the Temporary Cave Abode where we stayed overnight. After a night¡¯s rest, we¡¯ll head back to Qianchuan Market early tomorrow morning!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Lin Tianming nodded in agreement.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what lies inside these caverns. It¡¯s better if we don¡¯t split up. We¡¯ll check them one by one, which I believe won¡¯t take long!¡±


    After Lin Shilu made this suggestion and saw no objection from Lin Tianming, he walked towards one of the caverns. Lin Tianming did not hesitate and immediately followed.


    Inside the cavern, the light was dim, but this posed no problem for the cultivators.


    With caution, the two progressed along the cavern that was a bit taller than a man, covering a hundred paces before reaching the end.


    The journey was uneventful, which relieved them.


    They then came upon a larger cave, akin to a vast secret chamber, with enough space to fit two large rooms.


    After circling inside, they found only some Qingxu Snake Scales, which seemed to have been shed by the Monster Serpents.


    Collecting the Monster Serpent Scales casually, they left the cave and entered another.


    Half an hour quickly passed, and they had explored most of the cavern without finding any valuable items, though they did collect quite a number of Qingxu Snake Scales.


    Lin Tianming was somewhat surprised; traditionally, the probability of finding treasures within a monster¡¯s lair was much higher than within its territory.


    The Qingxu Snake Cavern was filled with scales, and not even a single first-order Spirit Grass could be found, which was wholly unexpected.


    Seeing the disappointment on Lin Tianming¡¯s face, Lin Shilu reassured him:


    ¡°Tian Ming, the caverns we¡¯ve explored are smaller ones. The largest ones are yet to come, and I¡¯m sure the treasures must be concentrated in the caverns of the second-order Qingxu Snakes!¡±


    Heartened by Lin Shilu¡¯s words, Lin Tianming felt a little better.


    Facing a larger cavern, anticipation filled their expressions, and without hesitating, they entered.


    Likewise uneventful, their journey soon reached its end, arriving at a vast chamber.


    Upon seeing the cavern, which was obviously larger than the others, Lin Tianming and his companion were certain that this was the lair of a second-order Qingxu Snake.


    With a calm demeanor, Lin Tianming quickly surveyed the interior of the cavern. Under the gaze of his Eye of Five Colors, the pitch-dark cavern was as clear as daylight; no movement could escape his eyes.


    Along the cave, scales were plentiful, all of which were collected by the two of them.


    In addition to that, some incomplete bones and fragments of Spiritual Artifacts lay scattered amidst the soil.


    It seemed this Qingxu Snake had swallowed many cultivators, along with their Spiritual Artifacts. Over time, both bones and fragments were no longer intact, nor could the identity of the unfortunate be discerned.


    ¡°`


    Walking along, Lin Tianming suddenly pointed to a deep pit at the far end of the cave and shouted,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, look there!¡±


    Lin Shilu followed Lin Tianming¡¯s pointed direction and saw several oval eggs in the pit more than ten meters away, each as large as a water bucket.


    The two hurried over and began examining the eggs in the pit, circling the cave.


    ¡°These are Qingxu Snake eggs!¡± Lin Shilu exclaimed with delight.


    Lin Tianming was also overjoyed and reached out to touch the eggs, feeling the warmth and assessing the condition inside the eggs.


    After three breaths had passed, he said excitedly,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, these eggs are viable, they should be able to hatch!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu quickly reached out and picked up an egg to investigate.


    ¡°Indeed, they hold life force!¡±


    Overjoyed, Lin Shilu then said,


    ¡°These eggs must have been here for a while, and if it hadn¡¯t been for this great battle, they would likely have hatched soon. Now that we have found them, we must quickly take them back to the clan to be incubated, and then feed them with Lifeblood Essence. This cannot be delayed!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, fully aware of the importance of this matter.


    Taming demonic beasts is not easy. Besides those with great strength forcefully bonding, and giving sufficient benefits to prevent being devoured by a Spirit Beast, there is still the possibility of being devoured if the Spirit Beast¡¯s cultivation is too high.


    However, a Spirit Beast hatched from an egg with one¡¯s Lifeblood Essence, under any circumstances, will not turn on its master.


    Moreover, acquiring a Spirit Beast egg is difficult. They¡¯re either found dead, unable to hatch a Spirit Beast, or the potential of the Spirit Beast is too low, making the egg meaningless. A hatched beast that cannot significantly assist its master is a burden.


    Considering the strength and talent of the Qingxu Snake, though not particularly outstanding, such an opportunity is rare and cannot be sought. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two then collected all the eggs and searched the entire cave.


    In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the vast cave had been meticulously searched by the two, and they collected numerous scales, but still no other treasures.


    The two left the snake cavern and quickly moved on to search another cave.


    An hour passed in this way, with every cave being searched thoroughly, and soon all caves had been scoured.


    Emerging from the caves, their faces brimmed with broad smiles.


    In the subsequent twenty-odd caves, they found six more serpent eggs, all with powerful life force and all likely to hatch successfully.


    In addition, they collected a vast number of Qingxu Snake Scales, which serve as the best food for young Qingxu Snakes.


    With these scales, the newly hatched snakes would not lack for food for quite some time, and it is believed that they would grow rapidly, possibly reaching the first-order late stage easily sustained on the scales.


    After exploring the caves, they found no other treasures of the earth but were not the least bit concerned, because the eleven serpent eggs and the huge number of scales were invaluable, almost comparable to a dozen cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining.


    Outside the cave, the setting sun cast its residual glow in the valley, and the sky gradually darkened.


    With a smile on his face and his heart pounding with excitement, Lin Shilu managed to calm himself and then said,


    ¡°Tian Ming, it¡¯s dusk now, and we should not linger here. Let¡¯s set off immediately, return to the Temporary Cave Abode where we rested last night, spend the night, and set off for Qianchuan Market first thing in the morning to plan our next move!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, and the two immediately leapt up and hastened toward the direction they came from.


    With practiced ease, they made good progress and returned to the Temporary Cave Abode before dark.


    Lin Shilu sat down on the floor and said to Lin Tianming,


    ¡°Tian Ming, you will take the first watch tonight as before, and I will take over in the second half of the night!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, sat at the entrance of the abode, closed his eyes, and his Divine Sense constantly monitored the surroundings.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 215 - 166 Sword Drawn, Crossbows Cocked_1

    Chapter 215: Chapter 166 Sword Drawn, Crossbows Cocked_1


    A night of calm passed as the two took turns standing guard.


    At the break of dawn the next day, Lin Tianming and his companion left the temporary cave shelter.


    After a night of meditation and cultivation, Lin Shilu had completely recovered his spiritual power, and Lin Tianming was also in good shape. Although there were still some minor flesh wounds on his body that hadn¡¯t fully healed, given his strong recovery ability, it would take no more than a couple of days for him to fully recover.


    Feeling the surging spiritual power and vitality within his body, those small injuries had almost no effect on his combat ability.


    Lin Tianming was in good spirits, and the trip had been highly rewarding, which brought a constant, satisfied smile to his handsome face.


    Looking back at the cave shelter they had stayed in for two nights, he then took the initiative to conceal any traces of their dwelling.


    ...


    After covering up the cave, Lin Shilu took out the map, they glanced at it briefly, then put it away again.


    The route they had taken on their way here had been almost uneventful, and they decided to continue along the same path back to Qianchuan Market.


    ¡°Let¡¯s set off!¡± Lin Shilu commanded.


    As soon as he was done speaking, Lin Shilu took the lead, striding away with leaps covering dozens of meters, and Lin Tianming quickly followed suit.


    The two of them swiftly passed over rocks and giant trees, soon disappearing without a trace.


    After half a day of travel, they had covered several hundred miles.


    During this time, they encountered only a few low-order demonic beasts, which they dispatched with ease and quickly moved on, but despite their rapid pace, they still hadn¡¯t exited the most dangerous inner region.


    The sun blazed overhead, in a sky clear of clouds.


    At this moment, they found themselves in a vast swamp.


    The swamp was massive and endless at first glance, peppered with dirt mounds tens of meters high within its confines.


    The two crossed over a mound, planning to thread their way through, but they halted their steps less than a thousand meters in.


    In front of them, two huge and strange demon insects were baring their teeth and blocking their path.


    Both demon insects were about nine meters long, with dark, glossy bodies and hundreds of feet, exuding a fierce and terrifying aura.


    They had passed this way upon entering and hadn¡¯t encountered these two demon insects; unexpectedly, they met them now on their way out.


    They thought to bypass the two demon insects, but, undiscouraged, the insects chased after them for a while, occasionally spitting out ice swords to attack them.


    Lin Tianming was somewhat exasperated. The gains they had made this trip were already substantial. If it were a normal encounter, he wouldn¡¯t bother with them, but surprisingly, these two demon insects were relentless.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why these two Second Order Initial Stage demon insects were trying to trouble them, as it was no different from seeking death.


    Seeing this, it was becoming comical that two cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level were being pursued by two Second Order Initial Stage demon insects.


    Lin Shilu said helplessly,


    ¡°Tian Ming, these are Black Carapace Demon Insects. They like to attack cultivators. Their defensive power is extremely formidable, and they¡¯re also very fast. But since we¡¯ve run into them, we might as well finish them off quickly!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded. They each took out their magic artifacts and directly charged at the two Black Carapace Demon Insects.


    Lin Tianming, holding the Tiangang Sword, unleashed three slashes of sword qi that ferociously attacked one of the insects.


    Dealing with these two insects, they were under no pressure, so Lin Tianming did not plan to use the Earth Evil Sword.


    ¡°Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡­¡±


    Seeing the silver-white sword qi slashing towards it, the demon insect emitted a strange cry and quickly moved its hundred feet, lithely shifting dozens of meters to the side with hardly a sound and easily evading Lin Tianming¡¯s attack.


    Lin Tianming was taken aback, not expecting the demon insect¡¯s speed to be so fast. It also highlighted his own shortcomings.


    In previous battles, he had relied on the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to trap his opponents, attacking them when they were bound, and even cultivators or demonic beasts stronger than him found it hard to survive long in the sword formation.


    But without the suppression of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, the demon insect had easily dodged the attack.


    Missing his initial strike, Lin Tianming dropped his playful expression and got serious.


    With a single-handed seal, a barrage of fireballs rained down from the sky, while at the same time, he swung the Tiangang Sword in his hand anew.


    The demon insect, equally unyielding, raised its head and spat out several ice swords, shooting straight towards Lin Tianming at an incredibly fast pace.


    Lin Tianming raised his hand and conjured a firewall in front of him, and in the instant the ice swords collided with the firewall, made of Five Elements Spiritual Power, they pierced through it.


    ¡°Puff¡­¡±


    A soft sound followed, the ice swords slowed slightly, giving Lin Tianming the chance to retreat over ten meters.


    Where he had been standing was now blasted into a deep pit, with mud spewing out to form a small pool.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression remained calm as he gripped the Tiangang Sword tightly and once again unleashed several slashes of sword qi. Then, as if riding the wind, he leaped tens of meters toward the demon insect.


    The demon insect bared its teeth and dribbled saliva on the ground, eyeing Lin Tianming¡¯s powerful vitality with evident desire.


    As Lin Tianming approached, the demon insect squirmed all over and spat out a few more ice swords at him.


    In less than a moment, the sword qi and ice swords collided.


    Explosions rang out, sending splashes up from the swamp below. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the same time, a wave of sword qi triumphantly shattered the demon insect¡¯s ice swords, striking the shell of the demon insect.


    ¡°Clang¡­¡±


    A metallic clashing sound erupted, and a palm-sized crack appeared on the demon insect¡¯s shell.


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 Chapter 216 - 166 Tense Situation_2

    Chapter 216: Chapter 166 Tense Situation_2


    The demon insect, writhing in pain, let out a piercing scream and, after settling down, glared maliciously at Lin Tianming, seemingly very wary of him.


    Then man and insect clashed once more, spells and Sword Qi attacking wildly. The whole swamp was filled with earth-shattering explosions.


    While Lin Tianming was engaged in fierce battle, atop a mountain several miles away, an elder in black was observing the faint glow of fire in the distance, revealing a bloodthirsty smile.


    ¡°Heh heh¡­ Looks like there¡¯s some strength there; let¡¯s sneak over and see if there¡¯s an opportunity!¡±


    After muttering to himself, the elder leaped a hundred meters into the air and quickly disappeared into the dense forest.


    Swamp¡­


    ...


    Lin Tianming and the Black Armored Beetle fought for over ten rounds, both sustaining injuries. However, Lin Tianming largely maintained the upper hand, mostly pressing the demon insect in battle.


    Lin Tianming, getting serious, didn¡¯t hold back any longer. He made a move, preparing to settle the battle quickly.


    He tossed the Tiangang Sword into the air and made a special hand seal with both hands, all the while chanting a Law Decree.


    ¡°Tiangang Nine Swords First Sword, kill!¡±


    Suddenly, countless fireballs appeared in the sky, and amidst a fiery rain, a Golden Light Greatsword plunged down with extreme speed.


    The Black Armored Beetle, sensing the impending powerful aura, frantically wriggled its body in a vain attempt to escape the mud beneath its feet.


    The Black Armored Beetle was unable to evade and could only watch as the Golden Greatsword struck it squarely on the head.


    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    A sharp and loud explosion sounded, and the head of the Black Armored Beetle was cleaved off, falling into a puddle, causing a splash.


    The beetle¡¯s body twitched a few times before becoming motionless, clearly dead beyond any doubt.


    Lin Tianming leapt forward, coming to the side of the demon insect to inspect it.


    On the other side, Lin Shilu finished his battle quicker than Lin Tianming; after all, with his Foundation Establishment Sixth Level cultivation, taking down a Second Order Initial Stage Black Armored Beetle was effortless.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming had ended his battle, Lin Shilu was very satisfied with his performance and said excitedly:


    ¡°Tianming, peel off the insect¡¯s carapace and then extract its inner core. This corpse is also a good thing; I¡¯m sure the Purple Gold Eagle and the Soul Devouring Bead would like it. It¡¯s perfect to let them each swallow one.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, his face showing a delighted expression.


    This journey yielded not only several Qingxu Snake bodies but also this Second Order demon insect; the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s food supply was secured for a short while.


    He quickly removed the inner core of the Black Armored Beetle, then, wielding the Tiangang Sword in his hand, he skilfully removed the insect¡¯s hard shell along with its numerous legs, leaving nothing behind.


    Although he could not forge high-quality Spiritual Artifacts, letting the Artifact Refining learners of the clan practice was still good. If their refining skills were adequate, it was possible to forge First Order Superior Grade Spiritual Artifacts.


    In less than half a quarter of an hour, the shells and limbs of the two Black Armored Beetles were removed and stored in a storage bag, which he handed over to Lin Shilu to take back to the clan.


    The corpses of the demon insects, on the other hand, were kept by Lin Tianming himself. After busying himself for a while, all useful parts were gathered, and the signs of battle were concealed.


    Lin Tianming dusted off his hands and walked over to Lin Shilu, saying:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, let¡¯s set off!¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, about to turn and leave when suddenly he seemed to sense something.


    ¡°Tianming, be careful!¡±


    As he exclaimed, he pushed Lin Tianming with a palm strike, sending him flying back ten yards. He too used the recoil to retreat a dozen yards and landed in a small clearing.


    Just as they left their original positions, nine flying needles struck with terrifying speed, blasting nine deep holes in the ground where they had just been standing.


    ¡°A complete set of Flying Needle Magical Tools?¡±


    Once stable, Lin Shilu¡¯s expression changed. Holding a Spirit Sword, he tensely stared at a mound in front of him and said:


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, since you¡¯re already here, why hide any longer!¡±


    From behind a dirt mound hundreds of yards away, an elder in black emerged from the soil, his face full of frustration.


    Earlier, he heard the commotion of Lin Tianming¡¯s battle with the Black Armored Beetle, and using his movements and cultivation, he had sneaked to this hiding spot.


    Upon realizing that Lin Shilu and his companion¡¯s cultivation was weaker than his and that they had expended quite a bit of spiritual power, he harbored malicious intentions.


    Little did he know that Lin Shilu seemed to have been on alert all along, maintaining vigilance and causing his deadly strike to miss and fall short.


    Now that they were at odds, hoping to leave unscathed was no longer within his control.


    The black-robed elder¡¯s face remained calm as he emerged with dignity and gave Lin Shilu a cupped fist salute, saying,


    ¡°Esteemed fellow Daoist, I harbored no ill intentions. It was merely an accidental slip of the hand. Since we are both unharmed, perhaps we can let bygones be bygones, what say you?¡±


    Hearing the shameless explanation from the black-robed elder, Lin Shilu¡¯s face was full of disdain.


    A Foundation Establishment Cultivator like himself, how could he ¡°accidentally slip up?¡± Such an explanation was far too far-fetched.


    ¡°Humph!¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s face showed a trace of anger as he glared at the black-robed elder, his mind racing with thoughts.


    The elder was at the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, a full stage higher than him. If he were alone, he would probably not be a match for him.


    But with Lin Tianming here, with his divine skills, he was almost a match for a Third Level of Foundation Establishment, or even a Fourth Level Cultivator. Together, they weren¡¯t entirely without a chance of victory.


    What was more important was that if it wasn¡¯t for his early vigilance, Lin Tianming might have been gravely injured or even killed. If Lin Tianming were to fall, the family¡¯s hope for further advancement would be shattered, and he would become the sinner of the family.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Shilu said with intense anger:


    ¡°A failed strike, and you propose reconciliation, do you truly take me for a clay figure?¡±


    As Lin Shilu spoke, he unconsciously began to move slowly towards Lin Tianming.


    Joining together, each held their weapon in hand, warily watching the black-robed elder¡¯s every move.


    Although not entirely without a chance of winning, if a fight really broke out, their chances of victory were at best thirty percent, and more likely both would end up injured. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, they had to be cautious, ready to respond to any threat posed by the elder.


    Upon hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s words, the black-robed elder let out a cold chuckle.


    Although he entertained thoughts of abandoning the fight, his cultivation level was such that even if he could not win, his life would not be in danger, and escaping was still an option.


    It was precisely this cautious, even cowardly, disposition that had allowed him to live for over a century despite having made numerous enemies, and to even cultivate to the late stages of Foundation Establishment.


    Seeing the elder make no rebuttal nor movement, Lin Tianming began to observe the black-robed elder with increased tension.


    He opened his Eye of Five Colors and looked towards the black-robed elder.


    Under Lin Tianming¡¯s gaze, the black-robed elder¡¯s Disguise Technique and the Spiritual Artifact that concealed his aura were rendered ineffective.


    Gazing at his true appearance, Lin Tianming exclaimed.


    ¡°Gu Tong!¡±


    Lin Shilu stood by with a puzzled expression, but after recalling what Lin Tianming had mentioned upon returning from the Market City Hall, he quickly remembered Gu Tong¡¯s identity.


    Upon hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s exclamation, the elder¡¯s face changed dramatically, losing the composure he had moments before.


    The fact that he had been able to walk the Cultivation World and commit acts that could not stand the light was due to his reliance on his Disguise Technique and Spiritual Artifact for masking his aura.


    Never had he imagined that the Disguise Technique he took pride in would be so easily seen through by Lin Tianming, a thought that terrified him.


    Considering his identity was exposed and the idea that his enemies, if informed, would definitely cause him much trouble, even endangering his life, he decided not to let the two go.


    ¡°To think they have discovered me, these two cannot be spared. If they escape, the trouble will be endless!¡±


    Making up his mind, his expression turned sinister. He took out a small seal that glinted with golden light from his storage bag, ready to make his move at any moment.


    Seeing the elder¡¯s reaction, Lin Tianming and his companion also braced themselves for a crisis.


    Lin Tianming held the Tiangang Sword tightly, ready for battle, while Lin Shilu gripped his Spirit Sword, vigilantly watching Gu Tong.


    Both sides thus stood in a standoff, neither daring to make a rash move.


    For a moment, the atmosphere was tense as if swords were drawn and bows were bent.


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 Chapter 217 - 167 The Final Trump Card_1

    Chapter 217: Chapter 167 The Final Trump Card_1


    After a brief standoff, Gu Tong made the first move.


    Facing Lin Shilu and his companion, even with a higher cultivation level, he didn¡¯t dare to be careless.


    A wave of his sleeve sent the Golden Seal flying in front of him, and a spell struck it, causing it to grow to half a zhang in size instantly.


    ¡°Overturning Mountain Seal, Suppress!¡±


    With a loud shout from Gu Tong, the Golden Seal soared into the sky and then slammed down towards Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu remained calm as he wielded his Spirit Sword, slashing furiously at Gu Tong, releasing several fierce Sword Qi.


    ...


    At the same time, he stomped his foot and retreated over ten zhang to stabilize his figure.


    When the Sword Qi collided with the Seal, a crackling sound erupted, and flames shot up around them.


    While the two of them were testing each other out, Lin Tianming also sprang into action, moving close to Lin Shilu, with the two forming a pincer attack.


    He did not dare to venture too far away, fearing that if Gu Tong targeted him alone, Lin Shilu wouldn¡¯t be able to look after him.


    Just as Lin Shilu and Gu Tong¡¯s initial exchange ended, and amidst the marsh, Lin Tianming slapped his storage bag, and fifty-six Earth Evil Swords silently emerged from beneath the ground. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    A frown creased Gu Tong¡¯s brow as if he had noticed something unusual about Lin Tianming, but he didn¡¯t see him as a threat, considering Lin Tianming¡¯s mere Foundation Establishment first stage could at most cause him a bit of trouble.


    Even though he wasn¡¯t concerned, he still wasn¡¯t going to sit back and be captured without a fight, letting himself fall into a passive position.


    With a single hand forming a law decree, a fireball ignited in his palm and exploded in size after being hit with the spell, surrounded by terrifying high temperatures that dried out the mud around.


    Looking at the terrifying fireball, he smugly slapped it out with his palm, sending it smashing towards Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming kept his expression calm, surprised that Gu Tong would underestimate him so greatly, thinking to finish him off with just a Five Elements Spell forged fireball.


    However, this might be good for him, perhaps at the crucial moment, he could deliver a fatal blow, and thus potentially turn the tide of the battle.


    Refocusing, as the fireball drew closer, Lin Tianming coolly sent out a Sword Qi to collide with it.


    The fireball burst into flames, and Gu Tong¡¯s nonchalant attack was neutralized by Lin Tianming.


    Once the fire and smoke cleared, Lin Shilu and Gu Tong had already engaged in fierce combat, with Gu Tong¡¯s Golden Seal pounding down relentlessly, seemingly determined to crush him there and then.


    Lin Shilu did not dare to hold back either, his Spirit Sword overflowing with Sword Qi as he fought fiercely with Gu Tong.


    Watching Lin Shilu being suppressed by Gu Tong, Lin Tianming became anxious and hurriedly joined the fray to assist him.


    With the battle reignited and his participation, the two of them didn¡¯t suffer any disadvantages, exchanging blows with great enthusiasm.


    A stick of incense time passed.


    Gu Tong was surprised by the prolonged fight; despite being a whole level above, he wasn¡¯t gaining much of an advantage against the two of them.


    Although there was only one level difference, he was at the Foundation Establishment late stage, and Lin Shilu was only at the middle stage; the gap between the sixth and seventh levels was definitely more than just two ordinary levels.


    In such a situation, with the assistance of Lin Tianming, the two of them managed to avoid defeat.


    Seeing the stalemate continue, Gu Tong appeared unwilling to waste more time. A prolonged fight might expose his identity, attracting numerous enemies all too eager to tear him to pieces.


    With this in mind, he resolved to take care of the problem quickly.


    He took out five small flags of different colors from his storage bag, each embroidered with dense runes.


    As soon as the flags appeared, an icy chill permeated the air, indicating they were no ordinary items.


    Both Lin Shilu and his companion warily watched Gu Tong¡¯s every move, their expressions extremely solemn.


    Gu Tong let out a cold laugh, brimming with confidence.


    His Five Elements Flag was a rare gem even among Second Order Medium Quality magic artifacts, almost comparable to a Second Order Superior artifact. Sealing numerous cultivators and demonic beasts¡¯ souls within had made the flags incredibly powerful, capable of trapping enemies and muddling their minds; it was with these flags that he had turned the tide in dangerous situations many times.


    Gu Tong threw the Five Rod Flags into the air, hitting them with a spell, and immediately, the flags shone with a mass of green light.


    After a moment, a strong wind began to howl in the sky, and billows of black fog sprayed out of the flags, quickly enveloping the entire sky.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming and the other hurriedly retreated, but the black fog surged too rapidly and soon shrouded them within.


    Feeling the piercing sensation from the fog, which also greatly affected their Divine Sense.


    Besides, it seemed as if a barrier trapped them inside; no matter how they moved, the black fog would immediately catch up, and they just couldn¡¯t shake it off.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were horrified, scrambling through the fog while trying to come up with a solution.


    ¡°Tian Ming, this black fog is very strange!¡± Lin Shilu warned.


    Lin Tianming nodded, opened his Eye of Five Colors, and looking at the green dots appearing within the fog, he said,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not just affecting our Divine Sense; it can also disturb our minds. Once we¡¯re lost in it, we¡¯ll be like lambs to the slaughter!¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s face turned incredibly grim, at a loss for what to do.


    Although Lin Tianming¡¯s Divine Sense was greatly affected, his Eye of Five Colors could still clearly see the surroundings.


    Feeling the black fog weakening slightly, covering only a few hundred zhang around them and not expanding further,


    it seemed the fog could only maintain this extent. Although it could move and suppress their Divine Sense and speed, it wasn¡¯t without flaws.


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 Chapter 218 - 167: The Final Trump Card_2

    Chapter 218: Chapter 167: The Final Trump Card_2


    Just then, he distinctly felt that the barrier of the black fog had some obvious weaknesses, with the area right in front of Gu Tong being notably thinner.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression brightened as he said to Lin Shilu,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, there¡¯s temporarily no black fog near Gu Tong, and it looks weaker. We can only break through the fog as quickly as possible to stand a chance at killing him. Otherwise, if we continue to drag this out, it¡¯ll be extremely disadvantageous for us.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu replied,


    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll protect you while you break the black fog¡¯s barricade!¡±


    With those words, Lin Shilu¡¯s steps shifted as he positioned himself in front of Lin Tianming. He stimulated his Spirit Sword and slashed out several beams of Sword Qi, then led Lin Tianming in a charge towards Gu Tong¡¯s position.


    ...


    At this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s Tiangang Sword had already left his hand, and he formed hand seals, casting Law Decrees upon the Tiangang Sword.


    The Tiangang Sword, infused with a massive amount of Spiritual Power, began to vibrate wildly, as if sensing its master¡¯s will.


    Outside the black fog, Gu Tong chuckled coldly, seemingly believing that the two men were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, with no possibility of passing through the fog.


    He let out a strange laugh and then spat a mouthful of blood essence onto the Five Rod Flag.


    A chill wind swept by, accompanied by sounds of wailing and shrieking intertwined with the roars of Demonic Beasts.


    Suddenly, a multitude of Monster Beast Souls surged out from within the black fog, along with the souls of countless cultivators and ordinary people, all densely clustered into a swarm that was at least tens of thousands strong.


    Among them, over thirty souls bore astonishingly powerful auras, clearly having been Second Order Demonic Beasts or Foundation Establishment Cultivators when alive.


    Faced with so many ferocious souls rushing at them, Lin Tianming and his companion felt a wave of horror gripped their hearts.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu cursed with a fragrant breath,


    ¡°This evil beast, just how many cultivators has he slaughtered, not even sparing ordinary folks who couldn¡¯t even truss a chicken!¡±


    Lin Tianming also felt sickened, unable to fathom how Gu Tong could be so heartless and maniacal.


    You should know that there was an unspoken rule in the Cultivation World stipulating that cultivators must not harm ordinary people. If one were to massacre ordinary people on a large scale and get caught, it would lead to a combined attack from the entire Cultivation World.


    In the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, there were not a few demonic cultivators exterminated each year for slaughtering ordinary people on a large scale.


    Yet Gu Tong had secretly mass-murdered tens of thousands of ordinary people and sealed their souls within a Magic Artifact. Such actions were nothing short of lunacy and aroused the ire of both gods and men.


    However, this was not something they needed to consider at the moment. The most important thing was to get out of the range of the black fog and quickly execute this man.


    Fully aware of this, the two made their way through the black fog, with Lin Shilu leading and clearing a safe path for Lin Tianming.


    Inside the black fog, Lin Shilu was the first to engage in fierce combat with a mass of lower-tier souls.


    He casually threw out more than a dozen talisman papers that transformed into a torrential rain of swords to meet the souls.


    ¡°Wuu wuu wuu¡­¡±


    Mournful cries echoed as the lower-tier souls within the black fog were slashed into pieces en masse.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s Spirit Sword moved swiftly, its Sword Qi colliding with several formidable souls above.


    Although these souls had been Second Order Demonic Beasts or Foundation Establishment Cultivators in life, their strength as souls after death was greatly reduced, most likely only displaying about ten to twenty percent of their original power.


    Nevertheless, there were just too many souls in the black fog, and as they rushed forward fearlessly, Lin Shilu¡¯s Spiritual Power was rapidly drained.


    After a dozen or so breaths, swathes of souls perished, and they were getting closer and closer to the weaker part of the fog.


    By this time, Lin Shilu¡¯s body was covered in numerous wounds, lying in his own blood, all inflicted by the tearing and biting of the souls.


    Gu Tong saw that most of the souls had died, with only a handful of more powerful ones remaining. The souls of the ordinary people had been wiped out by Lin Shilu.


    Although the lower-tier souls had weak strength, they were all ordinary folks he had kidnapped in small-scale raids. He had spent considerable effort and risked great danger to accumulate such numbers.


    To think that Lin Shilu had depleted the majority of them to deal with the two men, it was painful for him to accept.


    With this in mind, Gu Tong¡¯s face turned red as he slapped out several Law Decrees, and the Golden Seal left his hand, plunging into the black fog.


    Within the black fog, just as Lin Tianming and his companion were about to reach that weaker barrier, Gu Tong¡¯s Golden Seal descended from the sky, bearing down on Lin Shilu with a ferocious strike.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, be careful!¡± Lin Tianming was the first to spot the golden seal descending swiftly and promptly warned.


    However, Lin Shilu had already been injured and was distracted by his need to protect Lin Tianming. In addition, without the aid of the Eye of Five Colors, his divine sense was greatly impaired, preventing him from detecting the danger in time.


    Despite Lin Tianming¡¯s warning, the golden seal¡¯s speed was simply too fast; Lin Shilu hadn¡¯t even had a chance to react before it was already upon him.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu¡¯s face changed drastically, but he quickly calmed down.


    With a resolute expression, he forcefully slapped Lin Tianming¡¯s back, pushing him towards the weaker part of the black fog.


    As he saw Lin Tianming reach the position, a flash of red light flickered around him, and a blood-colored jade pendant transformed into a red light that shielded him in the front.


    A loud bang ensued, the light from the jade pendant shattered, and the golden seal struck him.


    After a pitiable scream, Lin Shilu spat out mouthfuls of blood and, like a kite with a broken string, was flung away, soon hitting the ground motionless.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather!¡±


    Seeing Lin Shilu hit by the golden seal, his life or death unknown, Lin Tianming shouted with eyes bloodshot.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was incredibly furious. He didn¡¯t have time to check on Lin Shilu¡¯s condition; he only had to shatter the black fog¡¯s barrier, or they would both certainly die there.


    Lin Shilu had pushed him away in the critical moment just to create an opportunity for him to break through the black fog¡¯s barrier.


    For this purpose, he had disregarded his own life and death; for this moment, Lin Tianming could not forsake this sole chance.


    He turned his head, his blood-shot eyes emitting a terrifying murderous aura.


    He began forming hand seals, and with a mouthful of blood on the Tiangang Sword, it started to vibrate madly while emitting a series of sword cries.


    ¡°Tiangang Nine Swords First Sword¡­¡±


    The Tiangang Sword released a beam of light that pierced through the sky, ruthlessly striking the weakest part of the black fog barricade.


    ¡°Pff¡­¡±


    A massive sound echoed as the black fog disappeared without a trace.


    The black fog dissipated, and the five rod flag in front of Gu Tong fell to the ground, his complexion changing. The black fog that had never been broken was now shattered by Lin Tianming, whom he hadn¡¯t taken seriously.


    Gu Tong had no time to contemplate as, before him, Lin Tianming¡¯s body erupted with a fearsome murderous intent.


    Just as the black fog cleared, Lin Tianming formed hand seals, making a strange gesture while chanting an unusual incantation.


    At that moment, suddenly, a dazzling silver light filled the sky, as blinding as if the sun were right before his eyes.


    Simultaneously, a terrifyingly powerful sword qi took shape above his head, devouring the surrounding spiritual energy.


    This sword qi was the Mystical Solar Sword Qi Art. Lin Tianming had been condensing it for a long time, having nurtured it within his Qi Sea Dantian for several years.


    With Lin Shilu¡¯s life hanging by a thread, and Lin Tianming unable to match Gu Tong using his usual methods, at this moment, to save his own life, he could not worry about anything else.


    This strongest trump card was now his last hope in such a dire situation.


    Sensing the monumental sword qi, several times more potent than Lin Shilu¡¯s attacks, it was hard to imagine that it had been launched by a Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    At this instant, Gu Tong¡¯s face turned ashen. Without any hesitation, he immediately fled in a panic.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face flushed red, his eyes filled with murderous intent, he pointed in the direction Gu Tong was escaping and bellowed:


    ¡°Great Sun Sword Qi Art, kill!¡±


    Before the words even faded, the fearsome sword qi streaked across the sky at extreme speed, slashing towards Gu Tong.


    ¡°Aaargh¡­¡±


    An utterly miserable cry sounded as the sword qi vanished and the sky returned to normal.


    In a mound a thousand feet ahead of him, Gu Tong¡¯s severed limbs were scattered aside, evidently dead beyond any doubt.


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 Chapter 219 - 168: Return to the Market Town_1

    Chapter 219: Chapter 168: Return to the Market Town_1


    Upon witnessing Gu Tong¡¯s definitive demise, Lin Tianming immediately turned and rushed toward Lin Shilu.


    At that moment, Lin Shilu was covered in blood, his body riddled with wounds, his aura utterly wilted, and a bloody hole directly caved into his chest, where stark white bones could be clearly seen.


    He knelt beside Lin Shilu, calling out anxiously as he checked on him.


    After a little over ten breaths¡¯ time, a bit of color finally returned to Lin Tianming¡¯s pale face.


    Based on his assessment, the situation, although not terrible, was not cause for optimism either.


    Since the Blood-colored Jade Pendant blocked the majority of the Golden Seal¡¯s potency, Lin Shilu was not killed on the spot, but he had still sustained serious injuries.


    ...


    At present, his body had numerous wounds and he had lost too much blood, yet for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, these injuries were not fatal.


    What was critical was that the remaining force of the Golden Seal, having penetrated the protection of the Jade Pendant, struck his chest with solid impact, severely damaging his internal organs and severing many of his meridians.


    It would take some time to fully recover from these injuries, and without at least half a year¡¯s care, it would be difficult for him to return to his peak condition.


    With Gu Tong dead and Lin Shilu still alive, Lin Tianming finally let out a long sigh of relief.


    The situation had been dire at the time, with Lin Shilu risking his life to create an opportunity for him, fortunately aided by the Eye of Five Colors, which revealed the weak point in the Black Fog Barricade.


    More importantly, it was the Sword Qi he had condensed for several years that erupted with staggering potency, ultimately slaying Gu Tong.


    The power of the Spirit Art exceeded his expectations; prior to this, he had only seen Lin Shikang use it once, and the Sword Qi he had cultivated for two years outright killed a Second Order Late Phase Crimson Gold Snake.


    As for himself, after carefully nurturing it for several years, the unleashed power far exceeded his expectations, striking down Gu Tong in one blow, leaving him somewhat incredulous.


    Gu Tong was also too foolish, panic-stricken by the power of the Spirit Art, even attempting to flee.


    If he had shown some courage and relied on some Defense Treasures or talisman paper, with his cultivation base to support him, he might have sustained serious injuries at most, and wouldn¡¯t have met such a tragic death.


    Fortuitously relying on the Spirit Art to survive the ordeal, joy washed over him, but then Lin Tianming¡¯s face turned pale.


    After two consecutive battles, although he wasn¡¯t much injured, his Spiritual Power had been depleted, and they were still not out of danger; he needed to quickly recover his Spiritual Power to face potential threats.


    He fed a healing elixir to Lin Shilu and also swallowed a Huiyuan Pill himself, immediately sitting down to meditate and restore his energy.


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming had regained about twenty to thirty percent of his Spiritual Power, barely enough to defend himself.


    He got up and went over to where Gu Tong had died, pocketing his storage bag and collecting the Five Rod Flag and Golden Seal.


    He clasped the Five Rod Flag in one hand and started examining the Golden Seal with the other.


    Although the Five Rod Flag was an evil Magic Artifact, its power was indeed formidable, with the emitted black fog being extremely elusive and easy to fall for if one was not cautious.


    However, after Lin Shilu¡¯s slaughter, almost all the Monster Beast Souls within were depleted, greatly reducing its power. If he could capture a large number of Monster Beast Souls to seal inside, it might restore its potency and become an artifact for orthodox use.


    The Golden Seal was also a Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact, equally potent, suitable for both offense and defense, a comprehensive tool indeed.


    After clearing the battlefield and erasing any traces of the fight, seeing Gu Tong¡¯s remains, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but reflect on the past events.


    When he saw the bounty issued by the Meng Family at the Market City Hall, this man had been at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level Realm several years ago; unexpectedly, in just a few years, he had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, possessing many formidable methods and an array of precious treasures. No wonder he managed to live well despite having made so many enemies.


    This magical duel had truly been fraught with peril; Gu Tong¡¯s methods were endlessly surprising, and with his cultivation surpassing Lin Shilu, if it weren¡¯t for the might of the Spirit Art and Gu Tong¡¯s cowardice and foolishness, they would have undoubtedly perished here.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt a surge of alarm and silently counted his lucky stars.


    Gathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming released a fireball that burned Gu Tong¡¯s remains to ash.


    After completing these tasks, he pondered their next move.


    They were still in the swamp, inside the Qianchuan Mountain Range¡¯s inner region, the territory of the Black Armored Beetle. Given the current situation, there was no time for searching; Lin Shilu needed a safe place to recover from his injuries.


    The danger had not yet passed, but they were close to the outer region. If they pushed themselves, they might be able to leave this perilous area before dark and then rest at the edge of the outer region.


    Having made up his mind, he lifted Lin Shilu and, after consulting the map, immediately set off toward the outskirts of the Qianchuan Mountain Range.


    Lin Tianming pushed hard all the way, and, fortunately, he encountered little trouble, barely running into any Second Order Demonic Beasts, and easily shook off any First Order Demon Beasts he did meet.


    Without any hesitation, Lin Tianming finally reached the edge of the outer region just before nightfall.


    He found a secluded valley, hurriedly created a simple cave dwelling in a rock wall, and the two of them quickly entered.


    Lin Shilu was still unconscious, but he had been given a Consolidating Essence Pill, his wounds had begun to scab over, and his condition slowly stabilized, leaving nothing else but to patiently wait for his natural awakening.


    After making sure he was settled, Lin Tianming sealed the entrance to the cave dwelling and sat down on the ground to cultivate through meditation.


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 Chapter 220 - 168: Return to the Town Market_2

    Chapter 220: Chapter 168: Return to the Town Market_2


    Time flitted by, and five days had passed¡­


    In the stillness of the cave dwelling, a cough echoed.


    Hearing the sound, Lin Tianming was overwhelmed with joy. He quickly ended his cultivation and hurried towards Lin Shilu.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu had woken up. He tried to sit up unsteadily, but his injuries were too severe, making it a struggle.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming hastily helped him sit up properly, and then with a choked voice, he said,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, I¡¯ve been so worried these past days. You were gravely injured but thankfully, you¡¯re finally awake!¡±


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    Lin Shilu patted Lin Tianming¡¯s shoulder, his face carrying a trace of a warm smile.


    ¡°Child, do not worry. I¡¯m not dying yet. We are both still alive!¡±


    Looking at Lin Shilu¡¯s heartwarming smile, Lin Tianming felt a twinge in his heart and his eyes moistened with tears.


    In the midst of the battle, his elder was constantly looking out for him, creating opportunities for him even at the brink of life and death, disregarding his own safety.


    It wasn¡¯t just him. Back in the Luoyun Mountain Range, Lin Shiji had also risked his life for the younger generation of the Lin Family. There were numerous such examples.


    Lin Shilu had fought alongside him many times, always selflessly sacrificing for him, treasuring his life more than his own.


    Considering this deep affection, Lin Tianming was greatly moved. It was only because the Lin Family valued loyalty and sacrifice that he could understand this sentiment.


    At that moment, he had an insatiable desire for strength, wishing he could protect his family and carry on this spirit.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s determination was resolute, his demeanor radiating a special aura.


    While he was lost in thought, Lin Shilu began inquiring about what happened during his unconsciousness, and Lin Tianming recounted the whole process without any reservation.


    After listening to Lin Tianming¡¯s explanation, Lin Shilu was overjoyed. He then sucked in a breath of cold air, also filled with anticipation for the Great Sun Sword Qi Art.


    Lin Tianming had obtained the Great Sun Sword Qi Art several years ago. All the Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the family had studied it, but the time it took them to condense the Sword Qi varied. Lin Shilu had only managed to condense Sword Qi for just over a year; its power was limited, so he did not use it in battle.


    ¡°Tianming, you¡¯ve done very well. You are truly the prodigy of our family!¡± Lin Shilu said, his face beaming with pride and relief.


    Lin Tianming chuckled and then asked,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, what are our next steps? Do we wait for your injuries to heal before returning to the market town, or do we depart right away?¡±


    Lin Shilu raised his eyebrows slightly, his face a bit pale. He waved his hand and said,


    ¡°My injuries won¡¯t heal quickly, and it¡¯s not advisable for me to travel in this state. How about we recuperate here for a few days? You can also take this time to consume a Qiuxing Fruit for cultivation. What do you think of this arrangement?¡±


    ¡°Good, I will follow your esteemed guidance!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded his approval of Lin Shilu¡¯s plan. They were already away from the inner parts of the mountain range and the likelihood of encountering Second Order Demonic Beasts was not high. With his own cultivation, he could manage.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming sat down and began cultivating, operating his Cultivation Technique.


    Lin Shilu took out an elixir and swallowed it, closing his eyes to meditate and recover from his injuries.


    An hour later, Lin Tianming had adjusted himself to the best state. He then took out a Qiuxing Fruit and swallowed it whole.


    Upon consuming the Spirit Fruit, a gentle energy quickly spread, coursing through his meridians, bringing about an almost heavenly tingling sensation that nearly made him groan aloud.


    The energy of the Qiuxing Fruit was vastly different from that of the Lingshen Pill. Every time he took even a First Order Lingshen Pill, it caused him unbearable pain.


    Feeling this unique energy, he focused fully on his Cultivation Technique to assimilate it, channeling the gentle Spiritual Power into his Seven Sea Dantian.


    With the help of the Qiuxing Fruit, just an hour of cultivation allowed him to refine enough Spiritual Power to match half a month of hard training.


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed. Since the beginning of his Foundation Establishment, he had never used proper elixirs for cultivation, nor had he exploited any gifted treasures. As the parched Seven Sea Dantian encountered the Spirit Fruit¡¯s energy, it greedily absorbed the gentle Spiritual Power.


    Inside the cave dwelling, the breathing of the two was steady as they cultivated and healed.


    Time slowly passed, and another ten days went by.


    One morning, Lin Shilu was the first to open his eyes, his pale cheeks showing more color.


    At this time, the flesh wounds on his body had all healed, and most of the meridians within had recovered. Avoiding battle was enough; normal activities posed no problem.


    Lin Tianming also opened his eyes then, his face brimming with smiles.


    After ten days of cultivation, the powerful energy contained in the Qiuxing Fruit was fully refined.


    Now he felt full of power, his mental state reaching an unprecedented peak.


    Just one Qiuxing Fruit had allowed his cultivation to advance a small step, almost reaching the peak of the First Layer. With a few more, he might take this opportunity to attempt breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.


    Lin Tianming was extremely satisfied. Seeing that Lin Shilu had finished his cultivation, he quickly asked how he had recovered.


    Responding to Lin Tianming¡¯s concerned words, Lin Shilu said,


    ¡°Tianming, my injuries have stabilized. As long as I avoid fighting, there will be no issue, and we can set off. Tianfeng and the others must be worrying by now!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we¡¯ve been away for over twenty days, which is ten days more than expected. It¡¯s time to leave!¡±


    Lin Tianming agreed with a word, then started tidying up the cave dwelling. After that, the two of them walked out together and concealed the entrance of the cave once more.


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 Chapter 221 - 168: Return to the Town Market_3

    Chapter 221: Chapter 168: Return to the Town Market_3


    After doing this, the two immediately set out, swiftly heading in the direction of Qianchuan Market.


    Considering Lin Shilu¡¯s injuries, the two did not travel fast, taking two days to leave the more dangerous area.


    Lin Tianming checked the map and ensured that their location was safe, he then released the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Bag.


    After feeding it two sections of late-stage Qingxu Serpent Meat, the two jumped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, which then soared into the sky, heading towards Qianchuan Market.


    ¡­


    At Qianchuan Market, in a secret room on the third floor of Luoyun Pavilion,


    ...


    Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingli, along with a few others, were seated, all looking somewhat anxious.


    Lin Tianfeng stood up and looked out the window, speaking apprehensively,


    ¡°Uncles, before Fifteenth Grandfather and Tianming left, they said that this trip would take at most ten to fifteen days, yet it¡¯s been almost a month now and they still haven¡¯t returned. What shall we do?¡±


    Lin Xingsu and the others also showed nervous expressions but were at a loss for what to do. After all, with their cultivation, they could only move around the outskirts of the Qianchuan Mountain Range. To enter and search for the two would be like finding a needle in a haystack, truly a hopeless endeavor.


    Seeing the low morale of the clan members, Lin Xingli spoke to comfort them,


    ¡°Everyone, Fifteenth Uncle and Tianming are not weak in cultivation. Together, they could even handle a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level. It¡¯s just over ten days; perhaps they are delayed by some unexpected treasure!¡±


    On hearing this, the others finally heaved a sigh of relief. It was indeed very possible; an adventure in the Qianchuan Mountain Range could lead to unexpected delays due to treasures and opportunities.


    Seeing everyone relax a little, Lin Xingli continued,


    ¡°Let¡¯s all return to our cultivation. In another half-month, if they still haven¡¯t returned, we¡¯ll either request Elder Ye to search for them or go back to the clan for help!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all we can do!¡± Lin Tianfeng replied.


    The rest nodded their heads in agreement, ready to take their leave, when the ward at the door flickered, and Lin Tianming¡¯s figure appeared.


    After a dusty and swift journey, with the help of the Purple Gold Eagle, their speed increased substantially. It only took them two days to return to Tianchuan Market.


    Seeing Lin Tianming return, everyone was overjoyed and hurried to greet him.


    After returning the greetings with a fist salute, Lin Tianming said,


    ¡°Fellow clansmen, Fifteenth Grandfather was severely injured during the trip and has already returned to his cave dwelling to close up and recover!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°How is the elder¡¯s condition? Is it serious?¡± Hearing Tianming¡¯s statement, the clan members asked anxiously.


    ¡°Everyone, there is no need to worry too much. Although Fifteenth Grandfather is quite injured, his condition has stabilized. With a few months of quiet cultivation, he should be able to recover to his peak.¡±


    Relieved by Lin Tianming¡¯s explanation, everyone sighed in relief.


    Each Foundation Establishment clan member was too important to the clan, especially someone like Lin Shilu, who with high seniority was the clan¡¯s only Second Grade Medium Quality Artifact Refiner. With his talent and cultivation, aside from Lin Tianming, he was the clansman most likely to advance to the Golden Core Realm.


    Once the others regained their composure, Lin Tianming revealed part of what had transpired on their journey but did not mention Gu Tong.


    After all, that man was too evil and had attracted many enemies; who knew what kind of grudges and grievances he had.


    Besides, killing a Foundation Establishment Seventh Level cultivator would certainly cause a sensation; for the safety of the clan, it was wiser not to bring this up. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s account, everyone was shocked. The two had actually wiped out a Qingxu Snake Clan, an achievement beyond imagination.


    And upon learning they acquired several Qingxu Snake Eggs and some Qiuxing Fruit Trees, the clan members were over the moon with excitement, following which they became incredibly joyful.


    Seeing everyone¡¯s happy expressions, Lin Tianming instructed,


    ¡°Fellow clansmen, Fifteenth Grandfather has ordered that nothing about this journey is to be revealed to outsiders, not a single word, otherwise clan law will be enforced!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The clan members nodded in response, then chatted casually.


    After half an hour had passed, everyone dispersed, and Lin Tianming led a few people back to the cave dwelling to cultivate.


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 Chapter 222 - 169: Dividing the Spoils_1

    Chapter 222: Chapter 169: Dividing the Spoils_1


    Back to his cave abode, Lin Tianming set aside all minor matters and started taking Qiuxing Fruit, wholeheartedly beginning his closed-door cultivation.


    Time flew by, and a month had passed.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming, who was sitting on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes, shooting out a bright light.


    ¡°Exhilarating¡­¡±


    Feeling the strength in his body increase yet again, his heart surged with excitement, full of praise for the effect of the Qiuxing Fruit.


    Before this, he had been consolidating for almost two years, with extremely slow progress in his cultivation.


    ...


    After a month of closed-door cultivation, he had refined two more Qiuxing Fruits, and the effects of cultivating with Qiuxing Fruit were surprisingly good, whether it was because he had consolidated for too long, or the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage was naturally not difficult to cultivate in.


    At this moment, he was getting closer and closer to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer. If he were to cultivate in closed-door isolation for a long period and consume a large number of Qiuxing Fruits, he was confident he could break through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.


    However, now was not the time for long-term closed-door cultivation. Today, Lin Shilu made a brief exit from his own cultivation retreat and specifically convened him to discuss sect affairs.


    He stood up and left the secret chamber, appearing in the small courtyard.


    Lin Shilu was already sitting in the courtyard waiting; he stepped forward and respectfully bowed, then the two of them took their seats.


    Over the month, Lin Shilu¡¯s complexion had improved a lot, seemingly well on the way to recovery.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Shilu began speaking:


    ¡°My injuries have healed considerably, and now there are two important matters to address!¡±


    Finished speaking, Lin Shilu took out a dark green storage bag, which belonged to Gu Tong, and casually tossed the storage bag to Lin Tianming, motioning him to do an inventory of the items within.


    Lin Tianming received the storage bag, wiping away the remaining Divine Sense on it. He then extended his own Divine Sense to check the items inside.


    He hadn¡¯t thought it important, but upon examination, he couldn¡¯t help but take in a sharp breath¡ªthey were so numerous that it was staggering to comprehend what Gu Tong must have done to accumulate such wealth.


    Seeing the color rise to his cheeks, Lin Shilu quickly pressed him with questions.


    Without beating around the bush, Lin Tianming upended the storage bag and poured out its most important contents.


    In no time at all, a multitude of treasures¡ªSpirit Stones, elixirs, Spiritual Medicine materials, and Artifact Refining materials¡ªwere spread out before them.


    ¡°What on earth did Gu Tong do, to have such an overwhelming collection of treasures on him?¡± Lin Shilu exclaimed with an agitated tone.


    As Lin Tianming looked over the vast treasure, he began to tally them up, while Lin Shilu sat beside him taking notes.


    ¡°Thirty-one thousand two hundred and a bit Spirit Stones, one hundred and fifty bottles of First Order Elixir, thirty bottles of Second Order Pills.¡±


    Lin Tianming recited the quantity and type of the treasures, while Lin Shilu recorded them on a piece of Beast Skin.


    ¡°A combined total of several hundred First and Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, three pieces of Third Order Spirit Medicine Material, four Second Order Magical Artifacts, sixteen First Order Spiritual Tools¡­¡±


    After half an hour, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu had finally finished taking the inventory of Gu Tong¡¯s storage bag.


    Looking at the quantity and types noted on the Beast Skin, they took another sharp breath.


    There were simply too many treasures, with an estimated value of at least a hundred thousand Spirit Stones.


    Included among the more valuable items were Third Order Spiritual Medicine, Second Order Magical Artifacts, various amounts of elixirs, as well as seven corpses of Demonic Beasts at the Second Order Initial Stage, and two bodies of Demonic Beasts at the Second Order Middle Stage, well-preserved enough for Artifact Refining and Talisman Making.


    After inspecting the basic treasures, Lin Tianming and his companion turned their attention to the remaining three Jade Slips and one grey-brown Token.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Lin Shilu picked up the Token, a puzzled expression on his face, before something seemed to dawn on him. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Tianming, doesn¡¯t this Token look similar to the Mysterious Moon Order you acquired several years ago?¡± Lin Shilu inquired.


    Reminded by Lin Shilu, Lin Tianming took the Token and then opened his Eye of Five Colors to inspect it.


    Looking at the familiar text inside the Token and the lifelike Spirit Beast patterns on its surface, Lin Tianming retrieved the first Token he had acquired and compared them side by side.


    After comparison, he was certain it was indeed the Mysterious Moon Order he had obtained previously.


    Fiddling with the two Orders, Lin Tianming said with a sense of frustration:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, it is indeed the Mysterious Moon Order, but the specific use of this Token is still unknown.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu started to reassure him.


    ¡°In the Cultivation World, many Secret Realms require either Bloodline Power or a Token to enter. Given how extraordinary this Mysterious Moon Order is, it must be one such item. Although we are not clear on which Secret Realm the Token belongs to, nor do we know the timing and requirements to activate it, it is undeniable that this item is invaluable. You must take good care of it.¡±


    ¡°Besides, since Gu Tong died at our hands and we gained this Mysterious Moon Order, remember that this matter must not be disclosed. Forget the bounty offered by the Meng Family; you only need to inform Elder Wu and the others, so they are aware of the situation!¡±


    Understanding the gravity of the situation, Lin Tianming nodded and then pondered over Lin Shilu¡¯s elucidation of the Mysterious Moon Order.


    In the Cultivation World, Secret Realms were exceedingly rare, existing within special spaces. It was said that within them lay treasures of the world, but also filled with immense dangers. Those who could enter and emerge alive often brought back precious items, catapulting their status skyward.


    However, Secret Realms were not easy to enter. Many imposed restrictions on the cultivation level of the entrants. Some Realms¡¯ spaces were unstable and could only withstand a certain number of Qi Refining Cultivators, while others were extremely robust and could even permit Divinity Transformation Stage old monsters to enter.


    The timing and location of a Secret Realm¡¯s opening were unfathomable, with some being suppressed by powerful factions through Formations, fixing their locations for thousands or even tens of thousands of years without moving. Meanwhile, ownerless Secret Realms would shift their locations after every opening, retrieving the Tokens that allowed entry and subsequently scattering them anew along the moving path of the Realm.


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 Chapter 223 - 169: Dividing the Spoils_2

    Chapter 223: Chapter 169: Dividing the Spoils_2


    In summary, the probability of encountering a Secret Realm greatly increases in the vicinity of where a Token is found, and no one who has obtained a Mysterious Realm Token is willing to forfeit such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


    Having obtained the Mysterious Moon Order within the borders of the Wei Kingdom, it was very likely that a Secret Realm would open nearby. They only needed to discretely gather information, closely monitor the situation, and wait for the Secret Realm to manifest.


    Lin Tianming gathered his thoughts, tucked the two Tokens away, and patted his chest to assure they would be carefully guarded.


    After Lin Shilu gave a few instructions, the matter of the Tokens was temporarily concluded.


    Examining the remaining three jade slips, each of them picked up one to peruse.


    A tea time passed, and after going through the three jade slips, they finished tallying everything.


    ...


    Among these jade slips, one contained a fire attribute Yellow Grade Technique called ¡°Tian Li Fire Scripture,¡± known for its formidable attack power and considered a fine piece among Yellow Grade Techniques¡ªpresumably the one practiced by Gu Tong.


    The other two jade slips, however, were ordinary: one was the insights of a Second Order Artifact Refiner.


    The other was the insights of a Second Order Inscription Master; the quality was limited but still had worthwhile aspects. It could only be taken back to the clan for the members to study, which would enhance their cultivation techniques to some extent.


    Lin Shilu took the Artifact Refiner¡¯s insights and glanced over it before putting it into his storage bag, clearly planning to delve into it.


    After all, he was a Refinement Maniac. Even though the Refiner who left these insights might not be at his level, there was still potential learning to be had that could be helpful.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming retrieved from his storage bag the Magic Artifacts used by Gu Tong: the Five Rod Flag and a Golden Seal named the Overturning Mountain Seal.


    He lined up the two Magic Artifacts in front of him. All the treasures obtained from Gu Tong were now collected in front of the two of them.


    Gazing at the six different kinds of Magic Artifacts, Lin Shilu¡¯s expression was one of great excitement, and Lin Tianming was equally thrilled.


    The Lin Family had many Foundation Establishment Cultivators. During the family battle on Luoyun Mountain, several newly advanced Foundation Establishment members of the clan had only First Order Spiritual Tools to confront their enemies. It was after the annihilation of the Jin Family that they acquired several Magic Artifacts, allowing every Foundation Establishment member to wield a Magic Artifact.


    Now, acquiring six more Magic Artifacts, with the Five Rod Flag and Overturning Mountain Seal both being Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifacts, and a set of nine flying needles that formed a complete Spiritual Tool, the craftsmanship was quite impressive. They were fine artifacts even among those of the same caliber.


    The remaining three Magic Artifacts consisted of two Spirit Swords and a Spiritual Whip over ten yards long, all of which were First Order Inferior Magic Artifacts with average quality, but they were still much better than First Order Top-Quality Spiritual Instruments.


    Looking at the numerous Spiritual Tools and Magical Treasures, Lin Shilu pondered before saying:


    ¡°Tian Ming, let¡¯s each select two pieces among these Magic Artifacts. As for the Spirit Stones, we¡¯ll each take ten thousand. How about we submit all the remaining treasures to the clan?¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s proposal, Lin Tianming did not hesitate a moment before gladly agreeing.


    Although these spoils of war were obtained through their joint efforts and rightfully belonged to them¡ªmoreover, the clan had no rules forcing members to hand over their treasures¡ªthe Lin Family had been established for over eight hundred years, and the members traditionally volunteered their contributions, with only the amount varying.


    As Lin Shilu was the main contributor to their gains on this mission and had suffered severe injuries as a result, he showed no concern for the vast amount of treasures. Lin Tianming felt even less entitled to care.


    In terms of power, even if Lin Shilu hadn¡¯t mentioned such an arrangement, Lin Tianming was planning to submit most of his share of the loot.


    However, he also had to consider his own needs, especially since the effects of the Qiuxing Fruits were excellent and he desperately needed them to sustain his cultivation until he found a solution to the elixir issue.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming hesitated. Seeing his manner of holding back, Lin Shilu had already guessed what was on his mind.


    ¡°The Qiuxing Fruits are highly beneficial to you, I¡¯m well aware of that. There are thirty-six in total; take out ten as a share for your Third Brother and the others, and keep the rest for your own cultivation!¡± said Lin Shilu.


    ¡°Thank you, Fifteenth Grandfather!¡±


    Lin Tianming removed ten Qiuxing Fruits, placing them amongst the many treasures, then sincerely bowed to him.


    Lin Shilu nodded, then motioned for him to select a Spiritual Tool.


    Lin Tianming wasn¡¯t too sentimental. He looked at the six magic artifacts on the field and hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to choose.


    He had experienced the bizarre attacks of the Five Rod Flag, and the soul attacks within it were also very powerful. However, they had been largely destroyed by Lin Shilu, causing their power to greatly diminish.


    After some thought, Lin Tianming still decided to choose the Five Rod Flag, mainly because the prospects of this artifact were very good. As long as he kept adding souls to it, its power could be quickly enhanced.


    Besides, this artifact could complement his Earth Fiend Sword Formation. With both at his command, enemies simply couldn¡¯t react in time.


    Moreover, he had plenty of Qingxu Snake souls and Black Armored Beetle souls in his possession. If he sealed them all into the flag, its power would surely be no less than during Gu Tong¡¯s period.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming collected the Five Rod Flag and then glanced at the Golden Seal before looking at the nine silver-white needles. In the end, he chose the nine silver-white needles.


    The reason was simple, if he took the two best artifacts for himself, it would be rather unseemly. Furthermore, he already had plenty of magic artifacts, and acquiring the Overturning Mountain Seal wouldn¡¯t significantly increase his strength.


    Since his father still lacked a suitable artifact and it was quite dangerous for him to be alone, he planned to take the nine matching needle artifacts as a gift for him. That way, his father¡¯s safety in defending Golden Horn Mountain would be assured.


    With this in mind, he immediately collected the nine needles and then waited for Lin Shilu to pick his artifact.


    Lin Shilu didn¡¯t hesitate and directly put the Overturning Mountain Seal and the Spirit Sword artifact into his storage bag.


    With the distribution of artifacts complete, Lin Shilu waved one hand and grabbed twenty thousand spirit stones, taking ten thousand from them to give to Lin Tianming.


    Having done all this, he waved his hand again, pulling out several jade bottles from his storage bag, which contained souls he had collected. However, they were mostly from First Order demon beasts, with only two from the Second Order.


    Lin Tianming received the items, feeling incredibly moved. Whatever was on his mind, Lin Shilu seemed to understand clearly, always giving him what he needed without any hesitation.


    Lin Shilu chuckled and gave him a comforting look before speaking,


    ¡°All these things have been distributed now. Leave the First Order elixirs in Luoyun Pavilion and send the elixirs you¡¯ve refined back to the family for our people to use. Sell the inferior ones in the market square!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming nodded and put all the treasures into a storage bag.


    After finishing this, Lin Tianming took the initiative to say,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, your injuries aren¡¯t fully healed yet, and the Qingxu Snake eggs cannot be delayed. Tianming wishes to leave the market square in half a month to return to the family land, deliver the items we¡¯ve obtained this time, and bring back a batch of spiritual objects to replenish Luoyun Pavilion¡¯s stock.¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s offer to volunteer, Lin Shilu hesitated for a moment.


    He was concerned about letting Lin Tianming leave the market square alone to return to Green Bamboo Mountain, but under current circumstances, a trip back to the family land was indeed necessary.


    Since he was injured and unable to exert even a third of his strength and could not recover to his peak in a short time, it was not appropriate for him to travel.


    After pondering for a good while and considering that Lin Tianming¡¯s strength was not much less than his, Lin Shilu sighed deeply.


    ¡°So be it!¡±


    ¡°You should cultivate in seclusion these next few days to properly re-refine your artifacts and adjust your condition, then you can set out!¡±


    After saying this, he spoke earnestly and instructed,


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for Xing Li to prepare the family¡¯s elixirs and spirit stones at Luoyun Pavilion. Remember to be careful on this trip; don¡¯t delay too much on the road. When you return, have your Third Uncle bring Xing Ping to the market square as well. With him accompanying you, it will be a bit safer.¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression was solemn, and he bowed respectfully to Lin Shilu, then pledged confidently,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, rest assured, Tianming will not disappoint and will return to see you as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ go and cultivate!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, then bowed with a fist, stood up, and walked towards his training room.


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 Chapter 224 - 170 Thousand Beast Banner_1

    Chapter 224: Chapter 170 Thousand Beast Banner_1


    Back in the practice room, Lin Tianming sat on the ground, took out the Five Rod Flag and the Nine Silver Needles, and carefully observed them in his hands.


    After the battle in the swamp, most of the souls within the Five Rod Flag had been lost, with only a few Monster Beast Souls remaining, which was not a large number, causing the power of the flag to decrease significantly.


    However, this was also good, for if he used it after sacrificial refining, he wouldn¡¯t be mistaken for an evil cultivator, otherwise, he would attract some troubling attention.


    He then looked at the nine silver-white needles, which also formed a set of magic artifacts. Each silver needle was one foot long, its surface carried a bone-chilling coldness, and was also highly poisonous.


    This set of silver needle magic artifacts was exquisitely crafted; its main material must have been the tail stinger of a Myriad Poison Bee at the Second Order Middle Stage or higher. The intense poison, coupled with the unique properties of the sting, made the power of the silver needle set extremely formidable, and when used properly, they were not much less effective than a Second Order Medium Quality magic artifact.


    ¡°Gu Tong was also a ruthless and fierce man, involving himself in many sly deeds, obtaining so many treasures and magic artifacts. He met his end due to his greed, and in the end, it all fell into our laps; fate truly plays with people,¡± Lin Tianming muttered to himself.


    ... S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Regaining his composure, there was no time to spare; he needed to quickly complete the sacrificial refining of the Five Rod Flag, and would personally deliver the Nine Silver Needles to his father once he passed by Golden Horn Mountain.


    Lin Tianming smiled knowingly, wasting no more time, and began to operate his Cultivation Technique, preparing to sacrificially refine the Five Rod Flag.


    He circulated his Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation, and once his state reached its peak, he first erased the residual Divine Sense left on the Five Rod Flag.


    After doing these things, he threw the Five Rod Flag into the air, then formed a spell with one hand and continuously cast spells onto the flag.


    ¡°Crackle pop.¡±


    A few light crackling sounds were heard, and the Five Rod Flag immediately began to rotate around him.


    Lin Tianming opened his mouth and spat out a few mouthfuls of essence blood, which quickly merged into the flag, and then into the core of the magic artifact.


    His Divine Sense flared, as he inscribed his own Consciousness Imprint on the core of the Five Rod Flag. As long as he completed this step, the refining would be done.


    The Five Rod Flag seemed somewhat resistant, also violently vibrating as if trying to escape his control.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s nerves were tense, his hands frequently slamming spells onto the flag.


    Time slowly passed, and five days swiftly went by.


    In the practice room, the vibration of the Five Rod Flag stopped, and it joyously revolved non-stop around him.


    At this moment, the flag¡¯s surface was bright and lustrous, far more vibrant than when it was unclaimed, clearly indicating that the refining was complete.


    Lin Tianming waved his hand and held the Five Rod Flag in his grasp, showing a loving, reluctant-to-part smile.


    After spending days refining it, there was still the need to seal Monster Beast Souls within it; only after completing this step would the flag¡¯s power be restored, and it would be able to assist him during magical duels.


    Without delay, Lin Tianming immediately set out to do just this.


    He took out nearly a hundred Jade Bottles, each containing the soul of a Demonic Beast. Nearly half of these were the souls of Qingxu Snakes, the rest were those he had collected over the years, and some given by Lin Shilu.


    Among these Monster Beast Souls, ten were of the Second Order, stronger but not less potent than what Gu Tong possessed. If all were sealed, their power would certainly be formidable.


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, his hands moving non-stop, releasing the souls from the Jade Bottles.


    The shadows of the Monster Beast Souls emerging from the Jade Bottles immediately lunged at him with bared fangs and claws, appearing extremely fierce.


    ¡°Hmph, already dead and still daring to rebel,¡± he snorted.


    Lin Tianming reached out with one hand, drawing in the struggling Monster Beast Souls into his grasp, condensing them into a sphere of light.


    He cast several spells with one hand, then projected the light sphere into the flag¡ªsoon, the light sphere vanished without a trace.


    At the same time, his fingers flicked continuously, casting spells onto the flag, inscribing special sealing runes.


    When a small cluster of dense golden runes were etched on the surface of the flag, the Five Rod Flag vibrated joyously, as if they were famished chicks, obviously very eager to devour the Monster Beast Souls.


    Lin Tianming was very pleased; he continued to release the Monster Beast Souls, following a proficient process to seal the souls within the flag.


    Five days later, in the secret chamber.


    Lin Tianming held the Five Rod Flag, his face filled with excitement.


    He had spent several more days sealing nearly a hundred Monster Beast Souls within the flag.


    The Five Rod Flag was now brightly colored, its surface covered with dense, refined golden runes, looking quite delicate, and even its aura had changed a lot.


    Before, the Five Rod Flag¡¯s surface was dark, as if it belonged to something evil, but now its surface shimmered with golden light, incomparable to its previous state.


    Lin Tianming was very satisfied and was almost eager to test its power, but since he was in the market, he had to suppress this thought for now.


    With the Five Rod Flag refined, he prepared to leave his retreat and hurry back to Green Bamboo Mountain as soon as possible.


    However, the Five Rod Flag had been without a name, and now that he would be using it, it naturally needed a name; after all, he would be using it for a long time to come.


    Once he made up his mind, he began to ponder.


    During the family battle, the magical treasure Zhuang Zhenxin used was the Green Jiao Flag, which had a mysterious similarity in function and attack methods to these five flags; they were both sets of magical artifacts with exceptionally potent power.


    After much thought, considering the flag came from the Qianchuan Mountain Range, Lin Tianming suddenly had an idea.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it the Thousand Beast Banner; it¡¯s quite fitting considering there are a large number of Monster Beast Souls sealed inside,¡± Lin Tianming murmured to himself, deciding on the name Thousand Beast Banner.


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 Chapter 225 - 170 Thousand Beast Banner_2

    Chapter 225: Chapter 170 Thousand Beast Banner_2


    He was quite satisfied with the name, though now the number of soul banners was not many, but in time, it would definitely reach into the thousands. At that point, the power of the Thousand Beast Banner would undoubtedly become even more formidable.


    After a ten-day closed-door session came to a close, the Thousand Beast Banner was successfully refined, and the collected monster beast souls were all sealed within. His goal had been achieved, and it was time to set off.


    Before leaving, he decided to first go to Luoyun Pavilion to retrieve the treasures and spirit stones he was taking back to the Lin Family, and also to purchase some second-order talismans. After all, the condensed sword qi had already been exhausted, and it would not be of much use for two years. Being alone and leaving Qianchuan Market, he still needed to make more preparations.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming got up, tidied up the practice room, and walked out the door.


    After leaving the cave mansion courtyard, Lin Tianming walked the streets of the market, heading towards the commercial area.


    Before long, he arrived at a grand street. Although he had been here several times already, he still looked around at the shops that had been there for hundreds or even thousands of years.


    ...


    This street was not far from Luoyun Pavilion, but it was in a slightly better location. The powers that could occupy this place and set up shops for hundreds or thousands of years, without exception, were renowned sects or families of Wei Kingdom.


    Treasure Pavilion, Thousand Medicine Pavilion, Myriad Treasures Shop, Sky Dragon Pavilion¡­


    Dozens of sumptuous shops lined both sides of the street, each name more resounding than the last.


    But the strength behind these shops was indeed very formidable. Treasure Pavilion was the Zhenyang Sect¡¯s only shop in the market, doing extremely booming business with a multitude of treasures available, though the prices were also incredibly high.


    The Thousand Medicine Pavilion was the Golden Core Sect¡¯s Myriad Medicine Valley¡¯s shop, and Myriad Treasures Shop was the Golden Sword Sect¡¯s. The power behind Sky Dragon Pavilion was even more terrifying than the three great sects of Wei Kingdom.


    For Sky Dragon Pavilion was backed by the Sky Dragon Commerce Association, and the association was the reputed business of Qingzhou¡¯s Tang Family. Their businesses were active across Qing and Ji provinces, and it was said they also had dealings in other major provinces.


    With the Tang Family¡¯s formidable strength, having been passed down for tens of thousands of years and numbering tens of thousands of members, with at least dozens of Golden Core cultivators, and supposedly even Nascent Soul cultivators among them.


    With such strength, they could rank among the foremost powers in Qing and Ji provinces.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt immense aspiration in his heart, and also profound determination, making the Tang Family his goal.


    Lin Tianming put aside his distracting thoughts for the moment, paused to collect his thoughts, and then lifted his feet and walked towards Sky Dragon Pavilion in the middle.


    Upon entering Sky Dragon Pavilion, the interior was buzzing with noise. Over thirty cultivators were selecting various treasures, and several Qi Refining cultivators as receptionists were bustling about.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming enter, a Qi Refining cultivator of the sixth level immediately stepped forward to greet him warmly.


    ¡°Esteemed senior, I am Sun Jie at your service. What treasures do you require? Would you care to enjoy a cup of spiritual tea in one of our elegant private rooms while I retrieve the items for you?¡±


    Lin Tianming, seeing the person¡¯s respectful and thorough service, nodded his head. He then followed Sun Jie upstairs to find a private room and entered.


    As they settled into the private room, Sun Jie immediately prepared a pot of spiritual tea and then stood respectfully to the side, waiting for Lin Tianming¡¯s instructions.


    Lin Tianming sat on a chair made of precious wood and stated his purpose.


    ¡°Young friend Sun, I¡¯m in need of some second-order talisman paper, the higher the grade the better. Does your pavilion have any for sale?¡±


    Sun Jie hurriedly introduced a batch of second-order talismans, though they were only lower and medium-grade ones.


    Lin Tianming felt somewhat disappointed as he had come here to see if there were any superior second-order talismans available. If there was a second-order high-quality attack talisman, its power wouldn¡¯t be inferior to the sword qi that previously killed Gu Tong.


    Noticing the look of disappointment on Lin Tianming¡¯s face, Sun Jie spoke,


    ¡°Senior, our Sky Dragon Pavilion does have some high-quality second-order attack talismans. However, I do not have the clearance. How about I invite the chief steward here to discuss directly with you?¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming finally showed a smile. He then took out five spirit stones and handed them to Sun Jie as a tip.


    Sun Jie¡¯s face brightened with joy as he accepted the spirit stones and bowed before leaving the room to presumably fetch the chief steward of the shop.


    After a short while, the sound of footsteps approached the private room, and then a white-robed elder in the Foundation Establishment Stage entered.


    Seeing the newcomer, Lin Tianming immediately rose to his feet to greet him. After all, the visitor could possibly be a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Tang Family, and the Lin Family couldn¡¯t afford to offend them. Respect was due.


    The elderly man saw that Lin Tianming was so young, yet he was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, such a cultivation speed was definitely not ordinary among Loose Cultivators, he must be a scion of a Sect or a family.


    The white-robed elder had a smile on his face, appeared very courteous, and was also quite curious.


    Both seated themselves and began to drink tea, the white-robed elder picked up his teacup and took a gentle sip before he asked:


    ¡°This Daoist friend, I am Tang Xiuyuan, Chief Steward of the Sky Dragon Pavilion. May I know your esteemed name? I heard that you want to purchase a Second Order Superior Attack Talisman?¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ my surname is Chen, as for my given name, it¡¯s not important. I wonder if you have any Second Order Superior Talismans for sale? And what would be the price?¡±


    Lin Tianming got straight to the point and asked about the Second Order Talismans, without revealing his own identity information. After all, the Tang Family was too powerful, and it was wiser for him to be cautious.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming was unwilling to reveal his name, Tang Xiuyuan did not press further. After all, many Loose Cultivators have such a temperament, asking too much could easily offend someone, and since they were in the business of selling, they were used to such behavior.


    Tang Xiuyuan chuckled, then with a flick of his sleeve, several talismans of different colors appeared, suspended in the air between them.


    Five talismans, all Second Order Superior Attack Talismans, each containing powerful forces. Among them, there were two Fire Attribute Talismans, two Metal Attribute Talismans, and one Water Attribute Talisman.


    Looking at the talismans, Tang Xiuyuan, with a calm and confident demeanor, said:


    ¡°Daoist Chen, these five Second Order Superior Talismans are the best ones in our store. I am not being boastful, but such talismans are hard to find throughout the entire Qianchuan Market.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded without disputing the claim.


    Second Order Superior Talismans were not common items, the higher the grade, the rarer they were. Even at an auction, they were not often seen, and even for the powerful Foundation Establishing Families of the Wei Kingdom, Second Order Superior Talismans were in limited supply. Only the Tang Family and the Golden Core Forces could afford to sell them.


    Regaining his composure, he took one of the talismans and examined it.


    Feeling the immense power of the flames contained within the talisman, it was many times stronger than any he had acquired before.


    After a while, he showed a satisfied expression.


    ¡°Daoist Tang, how much for one Fire Attribute Talisman and one Metal Attribute Talisman?¡± Lin Tianming asked directly.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming seemed quite satisfied, Tang Xiuyuan answered composedly:


    ¡°The Fire Attribute Talisman is 3,000 Spirit Stones each, and the Metal Attribute Talisman is 3,300 Spirit Stones each.¡±


    When Tang Xiuyuan announced the prices, Lin Tianming was inwardly shocked.


    Although he had expected it, the Second Order Superior Talismans¡¯ prices were still exorbitant; buying ten of them would almost cost as much as one Foundation Establishment Pill.


    However, upon further contemplation, a Second Order Superior Talisman, at a critical moment, could match the strike of a Late Foundation Establishment Cultivator, potentially altering the outcome.


    With this in mind, he reluctantly accepted the price and said:


    ¡°Daoist Tang, I¡¯ll take one Metal Attribute and one Fire Attribute Talisman. Can the price be a little cheaper? How about 6,000 Spirit Stones for both?¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming haggle, Tang Xiuyuan thought it over secretly. Considering Lin Tianming¡¯s young age and his ability to reach Foundation Establishment, his talent must be extraordinary. Purchasing two Superior Talismans in one go, he surely had a substantial wealth and might be worth befriending.


    Making up his mind, Tang Xiuyuan smiled and nodded:


    ¡°As you say, Daoist friend, let¡¯s make it a good connection. If you want to purchase any treasures in the future, just come to me, and I will offer you the lowest price.¡±


    ¡°Haha, then I must thank Daoist Tang. If there¡¯s anything I need in the future, I will surely return.¡± Lin Tianming laughed.


    The two exchanged smiles, and Lin Tianming took out 6,000 Spirit Stones and handed them to Tang Xiuyuan, then took the two Second Order Talismans and put them into his storage bag.


    After completing the transaction, they chatted idly for a while, and despite Tang Xiuyuan¡¯s roundabout inquiries, Lin Tianming still did not disclose any information, which left him quite helpless.


    After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Lin Tianming bid farewell to Tang Xiuyuan, left the Sky Dragon Pavilion, and headed straight towards Luoyun Pavilion.


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 Chapter 226 - 171 Father-Son Bond_1

    Chapter 226: Chapter 171 Father-Son Bond_1


    It wasn¡¯t long before he arrived inside Luoyun Pavilion.


    At this moment, there were more than ten Qi Refining Cultivators in the Luoyun Pavilion, selecting the goods for sale, while Li Rong was busy attending to customers; the scene was bustling.


    Lin Tianming, who rarely had leisure time, had barely inquired about the operation of the shop. Apart from making pills for a fee, he hadn¡¯t been much help. The shop was mainly managed by a few of his uncles from the Lin Family, such as Lin Xingli. With the assistance of Lin Tianfeng, everything was orderly and the profits were considerable.


    However, with his talent and cultivation, the family wouldn¡¯t agree to his involvement in these trifles. The Clan Leader had instructed him multiple times to focus on cultivation, for only with higher cultivation could he provide greater assistance to the family.


    Understanding this well, he had never slacked off, devoting all his thoughts to cultivation and alchemy.


    As for clan affairs, there were elders to worry about them, so he didn¡¯t need to trouble himself.


    ...


    Nevertheless, as a member of the Lin Family, he couldn¡¯t be indifferent, lest his clan members thought him too arrogant.


    It had been a long time since he last visited the shop, and the business seemed to be doing well recently, probably due to restocking the treasures they acquired from Gu Tong. With more treasures, the business naturally improved.


    Li Rong and her sibling were modest and courteous with exceptional abilities to read situations and manage the shop. After working as clerks in Luoyun Pavilion for a few months, they had become particularly familiar with its operations, which had significantly boosted the business.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming enter, Li Rong quickly set aside his tasks to greet him with a clasped-hands salute.


    Lin Tianming nodded, asked briefly about the state of Luoyun Pavilion, and then went straight to the third floor.


    Entering the secret room on the third floor, Lin Xingli and Lin Xingsu were seated inside with thick books in front of them, apparently recording some accounts.


    Seeing Lin Tianming come in, both men stood up to greet him. After exchanging formalities and salutes, the three of them sat down for tea and casual conversation.


    Lin Xingli had been prepared for Lin Tianming¡¯s visit.


    Several days earlier, Lin Shilu had specially instructed him to have the Spirit Stones earned during the past few months ready; apart from retaining twenty thousand for turnover, all the rest were to be handed over to Lin Tianming to take back to the family.


    After a bit of small talk, Lin Xingli took out a storage bag and an account book, handing them over to Lin Tianming.


    Looking through the account book, Lin Tianming scanned it and, noting the one hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones inside, showed a look of surprise.


    Luoyun Pavilion had been open for over four months, and the results greatly exceeded their expectations with an average monthly sale of treasures worth tens of thousands.


    In just a few months, Luoyun Pavilion had accumulated over one hundred thousand Spirit Stones. The initial shop cost for the family and various treasures worth over one hundred thousand had been almost entirely cashed in.


    In this way, in just four months, they had sold most of the treasures provided by the family and made a profit of at least thirty to forty thousand, enough to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but think to himself.


    ¡°No wonder so many Foundation Establishing Families are eager to establish themselves in medium to large-sized markets. This truly is a profitable place!¡±


    In reality, the thriving business of Luoyun Pavilion didn¡¯t mean that all shops were doing well; some made losses or even closed down.


    It just so happened that Luoyun Pavilion was lucky; they encountered the market¡¯s biennial small gathering, bolstered by Ye Pinghai¡¯s powerful influence, and the strategy of commissioned pill making, which all contributed to the shop¡¯s booming business.


    Focusing his mind, Lin Tianming clasped his fists toward Lin Xingli and said,


    ¡°Uncle, I will depart tomorrow. With Fifteenth Grandfather injured, the market will be hard work for you all!¡±


    Lin Xingli and Lin Xingsu shared a smile and waved their hands to say,


    ¡°Tianming, you exaggerate. As members of the Lin Family, you, the cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage, have made greater contributions to the family. We are merely doing what we can!¡±


    After talking, Lin Tianming saluted the two men and left the secret room.


    After leaving Luoyun Pavilion, he didn¡¯t linger but went straight back to the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Upon entering the training room, he sat down on the floor and then laid several storage bags in front of him.


    One of these was the one given to him by Lin Xingli, containing the Spirit Stones earned by Luoyun Pavilion over the past few months, totaling an impressive one hundred and fifty thousand.


    The other storage bags contained six Qingxu Snake Eggs and a large quantity of items from various parts of the Qingxu Snakes, along with three Qiuxing Fruit Trees and some treasures obtained from Gu Tong.


    Staring at the extraordinarily valuable treasures that he was to bring back to the family alone, facing more than ten days journey ahead, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression was incredibly serious.


    This trip was of great responsibility, and he couldn¡¯t guarantee there wouldn¡¯t be any accidents.


    Fortunately, he had prepared, having purchased two Second Order Superior Talismans from the Sky Dragon Pavilion. With these talismans for protection, he was slightly relieved.


    ¡°Hopefully, everything goes well!¡±


    Muttering softly to himself, Lin Tianming put away all of the storage bags and then began to practice his cultivation.


    Early the next morning, after notifying Lin Shilu and altering his appearance, Lin Tianming directly left the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Having left the market, Lin Tianming flew south for a distance, then released the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Sitting atop the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s back and reviewing the map, Lin Tianming¡¯s Divine Sense was fully open, constantly monitoring the surroundings.


    The duo, man and beast, streaked across the skies a thousand feet up, heading straight for the south.


    Time flew, and half a month passed by in a flash.


    That evening, a sharp cry rang out as the Purple Gold Eagle appeared above Golden Horn Mountain.


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 Chapter 227 - 171 Father and Son Bonding_2

    Chapter 227: Chapter 171 Father and Son Bonding_2


    Sitting atop the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming looked quite fatigued; glancing at the familiar mountain gate, he silently let out a sigh of relief.


    For half a month, he had been traveling alone, his Divine Sense greatly drained. Without Lin Shilu to take turns on watch, he didn¡¯t dare to let the Purple Gold Eagle fly at full speed without reservations, fearing any sudden troubles that might arise.


    Fortunately, the journey went relatively smoothly, although it was slower compared to the trip there, but he had successfully reached Golden Horn Mountain.


    Upon reaching the vicinity of Golden Horn Mountain, this area was part of the Luoyun Mountain Range territory, mostly controlled by the Lin Family; it was considered safe.


    The Purple Gold Eagle landed at the entrance of Golden Horn Mountain, and Lin Tianming jumped down from its back.


    Lin Xingyou, who was responsible for patrolling Golden Horn Mountain, was quite surprised to see him since they had left Golden Horn Mountain only four months ago, and it was unusual for him to return so quickly.


    ...


    However, seeing Lin Tianming looking normal, as if nothing significant had happened, Lin Xingyou didn¡¯t ask any further.


    After a brief chat, Lin Tianming directly inquired about his father.


    Lin Xingyou chuckled and then said,


    ¡°Tianming, your father has been in closed-door cultivation all this time. You¡¯ve had a tiring journey, so you might as well rest for the night. I¡¯ll send a message to him. If there¡¯s nothing urgent, we can talk tomorrow!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded; now that he had arrived at Golden Horn Mountain, he was not far from the clan estate, out of the danger zone, and there was no need to hurry. He was indeed tired, so resting for the night seemed reasonable.


    ¡°Then I will take Uncle¡¯s advice and rest for today!¡± Lin Tianming replied.


    Afterwards, Lin Xingyou led Lin Tianming towards the depths of Golden Horn Mountain, quickly arriving at the cave dwelling where Lin Xingrong was in secluded cultivation.


    Lin Xingyou cast a Law Decree, opening Lin Xingrong¡¯s cave dwelling, then said to Lin Tianming,


    ¡°Tianming, go inside by yourself. I still have duties to attend to, so I won¡¯t stay long!¡±


    ¡°Uncle, you go ahead with your tasks, we¡¯ll meet again another day!¡± Lin Tianming gestured his thanks and said goodbye.


    After seeing Lin Xingyou off, Lin Tianming entered his father¡¯s cave dwelling.


    Upon entering the room, he went straight to sleep, releasing the tension he had been holding, and quickly fell into a deep slumber.


    The next morning¡­


    Lin Tianming opened his eyes, and after a night¡¯s sleep, the fatigue from the past half month vanished without a trace.


    He stretched leisurely and then got up and left the room, entering the small courtyard.


    His father had already come out of seclusion and was sitting in the courtyard drinking Spiritual Tea, seemingly waiting for him.


    Lin Tianming immediately approached and bowed deeply, ¡°Father, your son pays his respects!¡±


    Lin Xingrong smiled and motioned with his hand, ¡°Sit down, was your journey smooth?¡±


    Lin Tianming sat across from Lin Xingrong, and after pouring a cup of Spiritual Tea for his father, he said,


    ¡°To reply to father, the journey was quite smooth!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ family protocol is to return to clan lands once a year, and it hasn¡¯t even been half a year yet, did something happen?¡± Lin Xingrong asked, puzzled.


    Lin Tianming had anticipated this question and had nothing to conceal, especially from his father, who was one of the high-ranking members of the Lin Family and entitled to know the most classified information.


    Lin Tianming took a sip of the Spiritual Tea and then began recounting the events of the past few months.


    Hearing of the bustling business at Luoyun Pavilion, Lin Xingrong became excited, and upon learning that Lin Shilu had nearly perished in the swamp, his face darkened with anxiety, he asked,


    ¡°How is your Fifteenth Grandfather now?¡±


    ¡°Father, Fifteenth Grandfather has already recovered a great deal, but he won¡¯t be able to fully recuperate in a short time; to completely recover, he will need at least a few months of dedicated cultivation!¡±


    Lin Tianming hastened to explain, putting Lin Xingrong at ease at last.


    After talking for nearly half an hour, Lin Xingrong finally understood the course of events and the reason for the rushed return.


    With the trip to Qianchuan Market, Lin Tianming made another contribution, bringing back a plethora of treasures for the family with Lin Shilu, and making the business of Luoyun Pavilion so successful.


    As a father, his face beamed with pride seeing his son work hard and bring honor to the family.


    With that, Lin Xingrong became exhilarated.


    ¡°This is a matter of great importance. Tomorrow, I shall return to Green Bamboo Mountain with you, especially since it¡¯s been a long time since I last went back!¡± Lin Xingrong said.


    ¡°Good, we¡¯ll set off tomorrow morning!¡±


    Lin Tianming finished speaking and then took out the nine silver needles he had prepared and handed them to Lin Xingrong, saying,


    ¡°Father, this set of silver needle Magic Artifacts is part of my share. You are safeguarding our territory, and with this treasure, I am sure you will be safer.¡±


    Seeing that Lin Tianming was gifting him a Magic Artifact, Lin Xingrong felt touched but also somewhat embarrassed.


    As a father, he hadn¡¯t been able to help Lin Tianming much in recent years. Now, he often had to rely on his son¡¯s accomplishments.


    Despite coveting the Magic Artifact, he waved his hands and refused, saying,


    ¡°I have a Magic Artifact which I got from the Jin Family. The clan has allocated it to me. Although it is only Second Order Low Quality, it is enough for now. You should keep this set for yourself!¡±


    Seeing that Lin Xingrong refused to accept it, Lin Tianming knew his father was too proud to accept it. However, for the sake of his safety, he still wanted to persuade him further.


    After a moment of silence, an idea suddenly struck Lin Tianming, and he said with a bright smile,


    ¡°Father, I¡¯ve obtained two Magic Artifacts. The other one, the Thousand Beast Banner, is even more powerful than this set of silver needles. Plus, Fifteenth Grandfather custom-made a Second Order Medium Quality Tiangang Sword for me, so I truly don¡¯t need this one!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t take it, I¡¯ll gift it to Grandfather!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xingrong¡¯s face flushed with color, and he grabbed the nine silver needles before saying in a pretentiously old-fashioned manner,


    ¡°Never mind, never mind, the old man has been living in the clan¡¯s land; he doesn¡¯t need such a fine Magic Artifact!¡±


    Seeing his strategy work, Lin Tianming¡¯s face blossomed with joy.


    He found his father very interesting: clearly caring about him a lot yet always coming across as remote and stern. However, with his grandfather, he could live off of his resources, never feeling that it was too much or feeling embarrassed.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s mischievous grin, Lin Xingrong chided him tersely, ¡°You little rascal, what are you laughing at?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ nothing¡­ nothing¡­¡± Lin Tianming quickly changed his expression, regaining his composure.


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡±


    Lin Xingrong, holding the nine silver needles about a foot in length, examined them affectionately.


    Next to him, Lin Tianming, seeing his father¡¯s fondness for the Magic Artifact, in high spirits, then suggested,


    ¡°Father, this set of silver needle Magic Artifacts hasn¡¯t been named yet. Why don¡¯t you name it?¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than Lin Xingrong fell into thought. After a few moments, he seemed to have an idea.


    ¡°This Magic Artifact is used for sneak attacks, extremely stealthy. When activated, it¡¯s without a shadow or a trace. How about calling it Shadowless Needle?¡±


    Remembering how Gu Tong had ambushed them, he hadn¡¯t reacted at all. If it weren¡¯t for Lin Shilu¡¯s powerful Divine Sense detecting something amiss a step ahead and pushing him away at the critical moment, he certainly would have lost his life. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming nodded and said, ¡°Shadowless Needle¡­ truly without shadow or trace!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ Then it¡¯s settled!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called Shadowless Needle!¡± Lin Xingrong said excitedly.


    With the name of the Magic Artifact decided upon, Lin Tianming and his son exchanged a smile and then began to chat over tea.


    The father and son enjoyed their conversation immensely, their relationship drawing closer. It was rare for the two of them to sit down together like this, but as their encounters increased, their bond seemed to grow tighter.


    Now they could even share jokes, which would have been impossible in the past.


    After chatting for half an hour, Lin Xingrong finally got up, ready to leave.


    After all, he was to return to Green Bamboo Mountain with Lin Tianming, so the affairs here had to be properly arranged.


    ¡°Father, this Qiuxing Fruit works wonders. Give it a try!¡±


    Lin Tianming called out to Xingrong, who, with a single wave of his hand, caught two Qiuxing Fruits in his hand.


    Lin Xingrong didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and put the Qiuxing Fruits into his storage bag, giving a smile before turning to leave.


    Lin Tianming chuckled, watching his father leave the cave. Afterward, he returned to the training room.


    The next morning¡­


    As the daylight dawned with the morning glow piercing through the clouds, and the warm sunlight shone upon the land, the leaves of the Golden Flower Trees swayed in the breeze.


    Within the peaceful Golden Horn Mountain, Lin Tianming and his son left the mountain gate quietly, slipping away unnoticed.


    Sitting astride the Purple Gold Eagle, they flew into the clouds, turning into a fading shadow heading south towards Green Bamboo Mountain.


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 Chapter 228 - 172 Decision_1

    Chapter 228: Chapter 172 Decision_1


    Two days later, Green Bamboo Mountain¡­


    Lin Tianming and his companion were seated on the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, descending at the gate of their clan¡¯s mountain.


    The disciples of the Enforcement Hall responsible for patrolling the gate immediately approached to greet them.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were in great spirits, having successfully returned to the gate with immense wealth, allowing them to relax their tense minds.


    Lin Tianming raised his hand to send out a transmission, then instructed the Purple Gold Eagle to leave on its own; the two of them flew together to the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    At the peak of the main mountain, within Lin Shikang¡¯s cave dwelling.


    ...


    He sat on a straw mat with hands clasped in prayer, entering a deep state of cultivation¡ªas such closed-door cultivation was a routine affair for him.


    As the clan member with the highest cultivation, he had successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level two years ago with the aid of a Hun Tian Pill.


    As the clan¡¯s power grew stronger and more clan members reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, there was less need for him to handle everything personally. He only needed to make major decisions with the Shi generation clan members and to hold the general direction of the clan¡¯s development. As for specific execution, that was carried by the Xing generation clan members.


    Thus, a few of the Shi generation clan members, led by him, rarely had idle time and also began to cultivate diligently.


    When the restriction flashed, a transmission entered the training room.


    Lin Shikang opened his eyes and saw the transmission sent by Lin Tianming, revealing a puzzled expression.


    At the same time, Clan Leader Lin Shihua and Lin Shigong felt equally baffled by Lin Tianming¡¯s transmission.


    With a puzzled look, Lin Shikang released a Law Decree after finishing his cultivation and stood up, stepping out of the training room.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming and his son had not gone directly back to their own cave dwelling but had come to his small courtyard to wait while drinking tea.


    Upon seeing Lin Shikang come out, both of them quickly got up to pay their respects with a salute.


    Lin Shikang laughed heartily, gesturing them to sit down, and then asked, ¡°Xing Rong, why did you and your son come back so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°Third Uncle, it¡¯s great news!¡± Lin Xingrong said impatiently.


    Hearing this, Lin Shikang¡¯s face brightened with joy as he eagerly inquired, ¡°Oh, what¡¯s the good news? Speak up and let me hear it!¡±


    Just then, hearty laughter echoed through the courtyard. ¡°What¡¯s this good news? Why such an upheaval?¡±


    Before the words were finished, Lin Shihua and Lin Shigong stepped into the courtyard together, followed by Lin Xingping.


    Seeing Lin Tianming and his son returning together, Lin Shigong¡¯s face was filled with smiles.


    Lin Tianming and his son quickly stood up to greet them, then exchanged pleasantries with Lin Xingping.


    Lin Xingping replied with a smile, then asked, ¡°Tian Ming, how was everything at the market? Tianhong didn¡¯t slack off, did he?¡±


    Hearing Lin Xingping¡¯s caring words, Lin Tianming completely understood; after all, it was Lin Tianhong¡¯s first time going to Qianchuan Market and the first time leaving the clan for an extended period. As his father, it was only natural for him to constantly worry about Lin Tianhong.


    Thinking of how Lin Tianhong, although toiling hard at alchemy in the market, had not neglected his cultivation, and even improved his alchemy skills while earning a substantial amount of Spirit Stones, Lin Tianming anticipated great growth.


    With that in mind, Lin Tianming spoke reassuringly, ¡°Uncle Xing Ping, rest assured, everything at the market is fine. Second Brother has been very diligent, dedicating himself daily to alchemy and cultivation. I believe it won¡¯t be many years before he can impact the Foundation Establishment Stage!¡±


    Relieved to hear about Lin Tianhong from Lin Tianming, Lin Xingping replied with a laugh, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear¡­ Having Tian Ming as a role model, that kid has finally learned to put in some effort!¡±


    In response to Lin Xingping¡¯s praise, Lin Tianming exchanged pleasantries before they all took their seats.


    In the courtyard, six clan members were now present. Except for Lin Shilu and Lin Xingyuan, who were each in different markets, all the Foundation Establishment clan members of the family had arrived.


    Seeing everyone assembled, Clan Leader Lin Shihua, who could hardly wait any longer, urgently asked about the purpose behind Lin Tianming¡¯s transmission to them. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing the eager eyes of the clan members upon him, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t dare beat around the bush; he started by recounting his entry into Qianchuan Market.


    Knowing the business at Luoyun Pavilion on its opening day was booming, everyone was excited. Lin Shikang thanked Ye Pinghai for his help while also praising their accomplishments.


    On the side, Lin Shihua expressed his thoughts, ¡°It seems the clan¡¯s decision to develop in Qianchuan Market was correct. Now that Luoyun Pavilion has established itself, the clan has gained an additional source of income!¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­ the Luoyun Mountain Range is too small, and the traffic in Luoyun Market is limited. Simply relying on Luoyun Market, the clan won¡¯t advance any further!¡± Lin Shigong joined in agreement.


    Lin Tianming nodded, feeling that the family¡¯s decision was indeed wise. Although the clan had integrated Luoyun Market and secured a greater dividend right, bringing in a considerable profit over the year¡ªmore than at the peak of the Jin Family¡ªit wasn¡¯t enough.


    But as the clan¡¯s territory and the scale of clan members were rapidly growing, relying solely on the wealth source of Luoyun Market couldn¡¯t support them for long.


    Taking advantage of the clan¡¯s current capital to consider the problems they would face decades later and to take precautions would certainly not be mistaken.


    Seeing Lin Tianming lost in thought, Lin Shigong drew him back, urging him to continue with the rest of the story.


    The mention of Qingxu Snake Eggs and the acquisition of three Qiuxing Fruit Trees left the clan members shocked but then overjoyed.


    When they learned that Lin Shilu had been gravely injured by Gu Tong, everyone¡¯s face turned pale with shock, aside from Lin Xingrong, who already knew.


    ¡°What? Shilu was injured?¡± Lin Shigong asked anxiously, his expression not much different from Lin Xingrong¡¯s when he first heard the news.


    Seeing their concern, Lin Tianming did not delay and quickly shared the details of Lin Shilu¡¯s injury.


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 Chapter 229 - 172 Decision_2

    Chapter 229: Chapter 172 Decision_2


    ¡°Elders, Fifteenth Grandfather was seriously injured, but fortunately, his foundation was not damaged. With half a year of quiet cultivation, he should fully recover!¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone let out a long sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from their hearts, and their complexions returned to normal.


    Lin Tianming did not say much and simply took out several storage bags and laid them out one by one in front of everyone.


    Then he took out the account book that recorded their contents and handed it to Lin Shihua.


    At the same time, he pointed to the storage bags and explained the details and quantities of the treasures inside.


    It took a full quarter of an hour to clearly explain the origins and circumstances of these items.


    ...


    Lin Shihua and the others also took turns examining the storage bags, their faces filled with uncontainable excitement.


    Lin Shikang was the first to regain his composure and said with excitement, ¡°Tianming, you and the others have made another great contribution!¡±


    Lin Shihua also laughed heartily, saying with emotion,


    ¡°Yes¡­ Luoyun Pavilion has been successfully launched, the business is booming, and we¡¯ve obtained so many treasures. Our Lin Family¡¯s foundation has been further strengthened. We are truly on the rise!¡±


    Remembering the struggles of the clan decades ago, the remaining members grew contemplative, and the atmosphere became somewhat somber for a moment.


    Lin Tianming was deeply moved, understanding the sentiments of his elders, and he felt a measure of consolation when thinking of the rewards gleaned from each life-and-death struggle.


    A quarter of an hour later, the clan members had regained their calm and began to discuss what to do with this batch of treasures.


    As the stabilizing force of the Lin Family, Lin Shikang scanned the room before asking, ¡°What do you all think about this matter?¡±


    After a moment of thought, several clan members began to voice their opinions, offering suggestions and strategic reforms for the family.


    Seeing that Lin Shihua had not yet spoken, Lin Shikang asked, ¡°Shihua, as the Clan Leader, what are your thoughts?¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shihua was silent for a moment before saying,


    ¡°The success of Luoyun Pavilion in securing a stable position in the market is of utmost importance for the Lin Family. In the next few years, if all goes well, we can expect a steady income of spirit stones, ensuring that the family won¡¯t have to worry about resources for the time being!¡±


    ¡°Looking at our current situation, the family is not short on resources. It¡¯s time to focus on nurturing some of our people, to help them accelerate their cultivation!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Shikang looked toward Lin Tianming, his thoughts unreadable.


    Lin Shikang always held Lin Tianming in high regard, and since Tianming always made incisive and correct judgments, his opinions naturally carried significant weight.


    ¡°Tianming, let¡¯s hear your thoughts!¡± Lin Shikang asked, his eyes filled with expectation.


    Lin Tianming was calm, lost in thought.


    He had many ideas about the development of the clan. The clan used to be too poor, and the treatment of the clanspeople was not high, which was an unfortunate reality.


    After the great battle of the Luoyun Mountain, the family made several changes. They organized the Monster Hunting Squad, improved the basic welfare of the clanspeople, and even increased the Merit Points for various clan services significantly, greatly enhancing their enthusiasm.


    Over the years, the results had been quite remarkable, with a significant increase in the number of Foundation Establishment Clan Members and an overall improvement in the cultivation of Qi Refining Stage Clanspeople.


    However, such development made it difficult to nurture High Order Cultivators. To go further, it was necessary to select several individuals with exceptional talents for intensive training, putting the best steel to its best use, to achieve greater returns.


    He had these thoughts not out of any selfishness but simply from considering the best interests of the family.


    Considering these points, Lin Tianming spoke frankly,


    ¡°My opinion aligns with the Clan Leader¡¯s. Currently, the family has sufficient resources and income. In terms of nurturing the junior members with higher talents, it is possible to ramp up efforts. Only with more Foundation Establishment Cultivators can we obtain more resources and a greater say!¡±


    ¡°By doing so, we can choose a few key individuals from among the clanspeople for intensive cultivation, making preparations to break through to the Golden Core Stage!¡±


    After he spoke, the room fell into a deep silence as everyone considered his words.


    In the past, the situation was different; the family was too poor, and the goal was merely to develop Foundation Establishment Cultivators, to stand firm against fierce enemies on Luoyun Mountain. The Golden Core Stage was an unimaginably distant dream.


    Now, the times had changed. Within the Luoyun Mountain Range, the Lin Family held an overwhelming advantage and had also established a foothold in Qianchuan Market.


    With both the internal and external situations unfolding favorably, the Golden Core Stage no longer seemed impossible under such fortuitous conditions.


    ¡°Golden Core Stage¡­¡±


    Lin Shikang murmured softly to himself, his eyes revealing a longing gaze as they became fervent.


    Seeing this, Lin Shihua also spoke up,


    ¡°Indeed¡­ Now is the time for the family to look further ahead. The difficulty of reaching the Golden Core Stage is evident¡ªonly five Golden Elixir Forces in the entire Wei Kingdom,¡± he said.


    The others nodded in agreement, seeming to concur with this sentiment.


    After all, in the entire Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, aside from the three Great Sects, there were only two Golden Core Families.


    This showed the immense difficulty of achieving the Golden Core, difficult by hundreds of times more than Foundation Establishment, requiring not only a great deal of resources but also talent and opportunity!


    If the family were to return to its former glory, it was imperative to marshal the entire clan¡¯s efforts, focusing on nurturing the promising individuals to potentially take that step forward.


    After a moment of silence, with no one else speaking, Lin Shikang spoke up,


    ¡°Tianming¡¯s view is certainly logical. I agree with his suggestion. What do you all think? If there¡¯s no objection, let¡¯s settle on this!¡±


    ¡°I agree!¡± Lin Shihua said, taking a stance.


    ¡°I agree too,¡± Lin Shigong naturally wouldn¡¯t oppose and immediately voiced his opinion.


    ¡­


    Soon, the rest followed suit, unanimously agreeing, and the matter was officially decided.


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 Chapter 230 - 172 Decision_3

    Chapter 230: Chapter 172 Decision_3


    Lin Shikang nodded with satisfaction before speaking with a firm attitude,


    ¡°Now that this matter is settled, let¡¯s decide on the number and the candidates for key training!¡±


    ¡°As for the number, three from the Foundation Establishment Stage and seven from the Qi Refinement Realm, forming the Family Elite Ten. They will be exempt from some clan duties and focus solely on cultivation. The first among our clansmen to reach the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, the family will unconditionally provide them with one Foundation Establishment Pill.¡±


    ¡°For the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, upon reaching the late stages of the Foundation Establishment, they will be given a Hun Tian Pill. As for breaking through to the Golden Core Stage, that is still a bit far off. Moreover, Nascent Soul Spiritual Items are not something that can be obtained with Spirit Stones.¡±


    Before he finished speaking, the others nodded their heads in agreement.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was somewhat surprised, as he had not expected Lin Shikang to make such a decisive decision on the matter.


    ...


    Lin Shigong was not surprised at all. He understood Lin Shikang¡¯s character quite well. Though usually reticent and unassuming, he had more determination than Lin Shihua, which was why he managed to reach the Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment within a mere century.


    ¡°Third brother, how will we select the candidates?¡± Lin Shihua asked.


    Lin Tianming then took over the conversation and said,


    ¡°Amongst the Qi Refinement Realm clansmen, we¡¯ll set the age limit at sixty. We¡¯ll choose from the clansmen above the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, selecting the youngest clansman from each level as key training targets. Starting from a subsidy of one hundred Spirit Stones, for each level, we will add an additional hundred Spirit Stones. This will greatly increase their enthusiasm for cultivation and help accelerate their progress!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s suggestion, Lin Shikang¡¯s eyes brightened.


    This method of Lin Tianming¡¯s would sufficiently motivate the clansmen; to receive the subsidy, they would need to outpace their peers in cultivation, and competition among them would be more effective than anything else.


    With this in mind, he then added,


    ¡°From the Fourth Level to Great Perfection, there are exactly seven realms, which is indeed fair. However, we must set a limit as well: we¡¯ll settle accounts once a year. Those who are already enjoying support must wait until the end of the current year¡¯s benefits before being replaced.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, otherwise it would be too chaotic!¡± Lin Shihua said with a nod and a smile.


    Lin Shikang chuckled, then added, S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°As for the candidates from the Foundation Establishment Stage, it will be Shi Lu and Tian Ming, father and son, with an annual subsidy of five thousand Spirit Stones each. When we have more Foundation Establishment Cultivators, we will need to select three candidates from the first, fourth, and seventh levels. And this policy will take effect from the beginning of next year!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, to prevent clansmen from resorting to unscrupulous methods for the sake of cultivation progress, leading to instability in their realms, we can set up a sparring system, where no external means are allowed. The winner will receive the family subsidy!¡±


    Lin Shihua nodded and said, ¡°If someone is less skilled, resorts to trickery and cunning, they will be directly disqualified from the benefits of this policy!¡±


    Everyone nodded their heads, made a few more comments, and then decided on the outcome of this matter.


    With the family policy matters concluded, Lin Shikang was in high spirits. He then instructed Lin Shihua,


    ¡°Shihua, make sure to inform all the clansmen about the Family Elite Ten as soon as possible. There¡¯s only a little more than half a year left until the beginning of next year, which is enough time for them to prepare!¡±


    ¡°Besides, the Qingxu Snake Eggs that Tian Ming brought back need to be hatched immediately, and the Qiuxing Fruit needs to be transplanted as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ I will arrange this right away!¡± Lin Shihua replied with a nod.


    After finishing, Lin Tianming remembered the words entrusted to him by Lin Shilu and then said,


    ¡°Third Grandfather, Fifteenth Grandfather asked me to convey that in a few days when I return to Qianchuan Market, Uncle Xing Ping will accompany me to the market for cultivation and to also prepare for taking over the guard duties there.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ You and Shi Lu have been on guard for several years; it¡¯s time for you to come back and focus on your cultivation!¡±


    ¡°Xing Ping, in a few days, you will depart with Tian Ming; in a few years, that place will rely on you!¡±


    Lin Xingping stood up and cupped his fists, agreeing to the arrangement.


    With all matters settled, the assembled clansmen also rose to take their leave, exchanging fist salutes before departing in their respective directions.


    After leaving the courtyard, Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping agreed on the day of departure, then returned to his father¡¯s Cave Mansion Courtyard.


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 Chapter 231 - 173: Hot Discussion_1

    Chapter 231: Chapter 173: Hot Discussion_1


    After leaving Lin Shikang¡¯s courtyard, the grandfather and his two grandchildren returned to the father¡¯s cave dwelling.


    The mother and sister had already received news of their return to the family, and they both came out of seclusion to prepare for a reunion.


    The five family members sat in the courtyard chatting idly; it had been half a year since they last saw each other. The mother¡¯s cultivation level was still at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement. With her Four Spirit Roots talent, if not for the aid of Pozhang Pills, breaking through just by meditating would take at least several years.


    The sister had undergone considerable changes over the years. Now twenty-four years old, she had grown tall and slender, her features growing increasingly delicate and charming, and her personality had matured significantly. She always regarded her brother as a role model, aspiring to follow in his footsteps.


    With a plentiful supply of elixirs for cultivation and her penchant for adventure, she had repeatedly joined peers from the clan in monster hunting squads for trials in the mountain range.


    Over the years, her cultivation level had soared, reaching the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation. Her strength firmly placed her among the top three female cultivators of her generation in the clan, and alongside Lin Tianqin, she was known as one of the Lin Family¡¯s two golden flowers.


    ...


    As their cultivation levels grew higher, the siblings spent more time in secluded cultivation and rarely saw each other. Lin Tianming looked at his sister and teased her, saying,


    ¡°Tian Yue, you¡¯ve done well for yourself over these years, daring to venture into the Luoyun Mountain Range?¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming looking down on her, Lin Tianyue was reluctant to accept it and pouted in retort. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°We are all from the same family. You dared to guard Qingfeng Town alone at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, and even ventured into the mountains. I¡¯m already at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, and I have clan members teaming up with me, so why can¡¯t I enter the mountains for trials?¡±


    Lin Tianming was suddenly at a loss for words, not expecting his sister to rebut him so fiercely and without reservation.


    Recognizing his sister¡¯s courage and her fondness for trial through combat, Lin Tianming actually approved. It was for the best, lest she waste her talent and become someone with cultivation but no real strength.


    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming felt quite relieved.


    Seeing Lin Tianming no longer continuing the conversation, Lin Shigong chuckled and then brought up the subject of the Family Elite Ten.


    ¡°Tian Yue, your brother is a key cultivation focus in the Foundation Establishment Stage, and there are seven spots in the Qi Refinement Realm. The youngest among the Qi Refinement Seventh Level clan members gets an annual subsidy of four hundred Spirit Stones from the family, which is no small amount,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, you need to work hard and strive to secure one of those spots. With that, you can advance your cultivation faster,¡± added Lin Xingrong.


    ¡°Grandfather, is that true?¡± Lin Tianyue asked excitedly.


    Faced with Lin Tianyue¡¯s eager question, Lin Tianming interrupted and affirmed,


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. The three of us just came out from Third Grandfather¡¯s cave dwelling, where we were discussing the Family Elite Ten affairs. I expect the family will officially announce it tomorrow.¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Lin Tianyue, upon hearing this significant news, became extremely excited and started dancing around.


    Previously, her cultivation speed had been quite fast; if she could be selected for the Family Elite Ten, it would not only bring honor to her grandparents but also allow her to rapidly increase her cultivation with the help of the family¡¯s rewards.


    At this thought, Lin Tianyue¡¯s excitement was uncontainable, and a confident smile was always present on her face.


    Lin Tianming and the others, seeing her smile, were influenced by her joy, and each of them showed a look of contentment.


    Indeed, once the family policy was implemented, it would surely cause quite a stir. After all, a Qi Refinement Fourth Level got a subsidy of a hundred Spirit Stones a year, which was already a considerable sum. Many Loose Cultivators in the Late Stage of Qi Refining didn¡¯t even have a few hundred Spirit Stones to their name.


    And the Lin Family Members, by displaying their talent, could earn a hefty sum of Spirit Stones from the competition. It was expected that no clan member would forgo this significant benefit.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but conjecture that with this policy, after a few years of competition, the overall strength of the family would surely rise to another level.


    Regaining his composure, the mother also got up and left to prepare the evening meal, while Lin Tianming and the grandparents leisurely discussed their respective cultivation progress.


    The grandfather had long been living with the Lin Family, without major affairs to attend to, almost never leaving clan territory.


    In terms of cultivation, he seemed to be aware of his limited talent, dedicating a few days each month to teaching the Family Alchemists, focusing most of his energy on nurturing clan members and on the Alchemy Dao. Only with the remaining time did he go into secluded cultivation. Though his advancement was slow, he led a comfortable life.


    Lin Xingrong¡¯s situation was much simpler. In the past, he spent years busy with family affairs at Luoyun Market, but recently he had more leisure time. When in charge of guarding Golden Horn Mountain, he could cultivate wholeheartedly. With the help of a substantial amount of elixirs, his cultivation level had rapidly advanced, and he was the first among the subsequent Foundation Establishers to break through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.


    That night, the family of five sat down together for a meal and, after a satisfactory dinner, they parted ways.


    Lin Tianming returned to his own cave dwelling and lay sprawled on his stone bed. He pondered the arrangements for the future.


    He planned to rest for a few days and then set off again, returning to Qianchuan Market. There, he would start concocting Dragon Bone Pills, and afterward, with the help of Sparse Star Fruits, he would strive to break through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer as soon as possible.


    Before he knew it, the one lost in thoughts drifted off to sleep.


    ¡­


    The next morning, large notices were posted prominently in front of the doors of various major family institutions.


    In front of the Family Affairs Hall, at a peak time when clan members were coming and going, the posted notice was drawing a large crowd of onlookers.


    Seeing the gathering crowd, some family members who were passing by were drawn over, soon amassing a large group of onlookers.


    In front of the notice, every clan member carefully scrutinized the golden characters, and they were quickly shocked by what they saw.


    One Qi Refinement Fourth Level family member seemed somewhat incredulous. Looking at the stunned crowd, he said,


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 Chapter 232 - 173 Discussion_2

    Chapter 232: Chapter 173 Discussion_2


    ¡°Do you think the announcement about the Family Elite Ten is true?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, how could it not be true? Everything¡¯s written so clearly on the notice; is there even need for doubt?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s blatantly posted right at the entrance of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, how could it be false?¡±


    ¡­


    As the crowd regained their composure, they discussed the matters mentioned in the announcement animatedly.


    The first person who spoke was visibly excited as he said to a fellow clan member:


    ...


    ¡°The clan¡¯s subsidy is really not small, one hundred Spirit Stones a year for the Fourth Level Qi Practice, plus the basic stipend provided by the family. In one year, one can save up a substantial amount of Spirit Stones and quickly enhance one¡¯s cultivation.¡±


    But then, thinking of his own age¡ªover forty and still at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement¡ªhe said with a mix of helplessness and regret:


    ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that with my talent and cultivation, there¡¯s absolutely no chance of obtaining a seat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Our talent destines us to have no part in such benefits!¡± said another clan member who was at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement.


    At this time, a clan member at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement spoke up.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the family distribute these Spirit Stones evenly, like last time, to enhance the basic welfare and mission rewards? That way, we could also benefit, right?¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing these words, many in the crowd changed their expressions. Lin Xingqu, who was standing among them, immediately interrupted:


    ¡°Mind your words!¡±


    ¡°You should know that the family has already raised the basic welfare of clan members twice. As far as I know, our family¡¯s basic welfare is much higher than that of other families in Luoyun Mountain. Even the previous Jin Family is far behind!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, being born into the Lin Family is already a huge stroke of luck, how can you still expect absolute equality?¡±


    ¡°Keep in mind that Tianming is only in his twenties and has already reached Foundation Establishment, and he¡¯s even a Second Order Alchemist. He has made so many contributions to the family. Should a Hidden Dragon like him be treated the same as you?¡±


    Immediately, several clan members with the Xing generation sharply rebuked the one who made the suggestion. He left the place in shame, unable to bear the embarrassment.


    Seeing this turn of events, Lin Xingqu then spoke, ¡°My fellow clan members, there¡¯s no need to be disheartened. Having a high talent simply means getting a head start. With the right opportunities, those with lesser talents may not fall far behind those prodigies!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± another clan member chimed in.


    ¡°Many Loose Cultivators with lesser talents have also managed to achieve Foundation Establishment, and even those who have broken through to the Golden Core Stage. So there¡¯s no reason for us to waver in our determination to pursue the path!¡±


    Energized by these words, some of the disheartened clan members picked themselves up, resolving to work hard at their cultivation regardless of whether they could be selected as one of the Qi Refining Seven Champions.


    As some clan members left, news about the Family Elite Ten quickly spread throughout the entire family, becoming a hot topic of discussion.


    And some clan members who had different views even took their grievances to Clan Leader Lin Shihua, hoping the family would treat everyone fairly.


    Almost all of these dissenting clan members had poor talent, and were usually lazy, having contributed little to the family.


    Lin Shihua spared no courtesy for these high-minded clan members, and after a severe scolding, they all fell in line.


    With this lesson before them, those who had been waiting to see how things would unfold no longer dared to voice their objections. After all, the upper echelons of the family were resolute in their stance, and with their cultivation, these onlookers couldn¡¯t stir up any trouble.


    One morning, Lin Tianming emerged from his cave dwelling and made his way to the Elders¡¯ Council. Along the way, he encountered many clan members, which caused quite a stir.


    Many young cultivators of the family had heard of the reputation of the family¡¯s foremost talent but had never seen him in person.


    Lin Tianming greeted the clan members and encouraged some of the younger ones before leaving with a breezy demeanor, leaving only his dashing figure behind.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to arrive at the Elders¡¯ Council.


    He was mainly there today for the Qingxu Snake Eggs and the Qiuxing Fruit Tree. Before departing from Qianchuan Market, Lin Shilu had repeatedly emphasized the importance of overseeing this matter.


    He also wanted to visit the family¡¯s Spiritual Medicine Garden, so he came to see the Clan Leader.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming, Lin Shihua was quite pleased. Knowing his purpose, he immediately agreed to accompany him to the Spiritual Medicine Garden.


    The two left the Elders¡¯ Council Hall and soon arrived at a secluded ravine in the back mountain.


    Looking at the valley teeming with bird songs and wildflowers, Lin Tianming scrutinized the place carefully.


    As it was his first visit to the Spiritual Medicine Garden, he was quite curious about what it was like inside.


    Lin Shihua chuckled, then took out a token, imbued it with a Law Decree, and suddenly an invisible, intangible barrier at the edge of the valley revealed a stone gate.


    Feeling the rich Spiritual Energy and scent of medicines wafting towards them, Lin Shihua stepped in, walking and explaining:


    ¡°Tianming, our family¡¯s Spiritual Medicine Garden is located in this ravine. It is protected by wards all year round, and there are also several clan members who guard it day and night.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shihua¡¯s explanation, Lin Tianming nodded and showed an expectant look.


    In the Cultivation World, each family or sect places great importance on their Treasure Vaults and Spiritual Medicine Gardens. They are highly valuable and are usually given the best protection.


    Lin Tianming thought to himself that the Lin Family must have a lot of precious items, given the resources they had acquired over the years.


    After a short while, the two reached deep inside the valley.


    In front of them was a large area of mounds and expansive Spirit Fields. The squared Spirit Fields were arranged neatly, and a vast array of Spiritual Medicine Materials were planted within.


    Gazing out, he saw Golden Bull Grass, Earth Mysterious Mushrooms, Golden Flower Treasures, Mystical Vine Flowers¡­


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 Chapter 233 - 173: Hot Discussion_3

    Chapter 233: Chapter 173: Hot Discussion_3


    There was no shortage of main medicines, ranging from the most basic Fasting Pills to Third Order Spiritual Medicines.


    Hundreds of types of Spiritual Medicine Materials were categorized and planted in the planned Spirit Fields. A gentle breeze stirred, causing the leaves of the Spiritual Medicines to flutter and sending a rich medicinal fragrance throughout the entire valley.


    ¡°Hidden Spirit Grass!¡±


    Lin Tianming discovered the young Hidden Spirit Grass he had originally obtained, growing in the place with the richest Spiritual Energy. However, its medicinal age was still too short. To reach a medicinal age of two hundred years, which was necessary for refining Minor Foundation Building Pills, it would take almost a hundred years.


    Not far from there, a large amount of Third Order Spiritual Medicines were growing, many of which were precious varieties obtained from the Jin Family.


    Looking at the hundreds of High Order Spiritual Medicines, as well as a large amount of Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, Lin Tianming was thrilled.


    ...


    This was just a portion of the Lin Family¡¯s Spiritual Medicine Materials. In the clan lands of the Jin Family and the Wu Family, there were two sizable Spiritual Medicine Gardens. However, those gardens planted common varieties, and except for the Spiritual Medicines and Fruits that couldn¡¯t be transplanted, the slightly more precious ones were all gathered here.


    Regaining their composure, the two of them walked through the medicinal fields toward the hillocks deep in the valley.


    Upon reaching the depths of the valley, the terrain was different from the medicinal fields. The fields were flat and delicate, whereas the hillocks appeared naturally formed.


    Besides that, the soil in the medicinal fields was dark brown, while that on the hillocks was distinctly yellowish-green.


    Looking up, each hillock had various quantities and varieties of Spirit Plants. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Jade Spirit Fruit Tree that he had obtained earlier was also growing on one of the hillocks, its green leaves looking healthy and thriving.


    At that moment, several clan members were seen holding tools and digging holes in the hillocks, seemingly transplanting something.


    The two of them didn¡¯t stay and threaded through the paths between the hillocks, arriving where several people were working.


    Seeing Lin Tianming approaching, the busy workers promptly stopped what they were doing and jogged over to greet them.


    Lin Shihua acknowledged their greetings with a nod, and then took out three Xingxing Fruit Trees and placed them in front of the workers.


    ¡°Xing¡¯an, these three Xingxing Fruit Trees are quite important and very precious. They need to be transplanted immediately. Take two people and start on this now!¡±


    Lin Xing¡¯an, the leader, nodded and instructed his team to carry the Xingxing Fruits to a bare hillock.


    Feeling the rich Spiritual Energy of the place, he waved his Spiritual Artifact in hand and dug a deep pit on the hillock.


    After that, he took out dozens of Spirit Stones and threw them all into the deep pit before placing the Xingxing Fruit Tree inside and covering it with soil.


    After transplanting the Xingxing Fruit Tree, Lin Xing¡¯an clasped his hands and cast a Five Elements Spell, summoning a large cloud overhead that irrigated the tree thoroughly with rain before he finished his work.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua watched the whole process, with Shihua explaining along the way.


    ¡°Planting Spiritual Medicines and transplanting Spirit Plants is not particularly difficult, as long as there are good Spirit Fields and Spirit Land, you should have no problems. The main thing is long-term maintenance, which requires investing a large number of Spirit Stones to increase the Spiritual Energy and periodically checking the growth of the Spirit Plants, ensuring timely exposure to sunlight and rain. It¡¯s a long-term process!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, quickly grasping the procedures.


    Whether it was Spiritual Medicine Materials or Spirit Fruit Trees, the requirements for the medicinal fields and Spirit Land were quite demanding. For several years after transplantation, they needed a lot of resources and maintenance to survive. However, once they made it through the first few years, the subsequent period would become much easier.


    Half a day went by quickly, and the three Xingxing Fruit Trees were successfully transplanted.


    After giving a few instructions and telling Lin Xing¡¯an to take good care of them, Lin Shihua left the Spiritual Medicine Garden with Lin Tianming.


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 Chapter 234 - 174 Golden Core Duel_1

    Chapter 234: Chapter 174 Golden Core Duel_1


    Having left the Spiritual Medicine Garden, Lin Tianming and his companion walked and chatted.


    Although Lin Xing¡¯an¡¯s cultivation talent was only average, his gift for planting Spiritual Medicines was exceptional. The survival rate of the young spiritual medicine plants and various spirit vegetation under his care was extremely high, which was considered a unique technical talent within the family.


    Lin Shihua introduced him to the scale and planting methods of the Spiritual Medicine Garden along the way, which excited Tianming greatly.


    According to him, the higher the grade of the transplanted Spiritual Medicines and Fruits, the better the soil containing Spiritual Energy needed to be; this was why Spirit Stones had to be added to the spiritual soil.


    Following the end of the battle at Luoyun Mountain, the scale of the Spiritual Medicine Garden had exploded, even harboring a large number of Third Order Spiritual Medicines. The enormous amount of Spiritual Energy required for the growth of so many medicines could no longer be satisfied by a Second Order low-grade Spirit Gathering Array.


    The level of the Spirit Gathering Array in the family¡¯s Spiritual Medicine Garden was too low. It was the same array which the ancient ancestor had asked someone to help set up when the family was founded, and it hadn¡¯t been upgraded in hundreds of years.


    ...


    Thus, the act of adding Spirit Stones to the soil to temporarily alleviate the issue of insufficient Spiritual Energy was a helpless move.


    At this point, Tianming inquired,


    ¡°Twelfth Grandpa, does our family have any promising Array Masters?¡±


    Seeing him ask this question, Lin Shihua¡¯s bitter face tinged red, and soon after he sighed with emotion.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much hope in the Xing generation, but there are two clansmen from the Tian generation who have fairly good talents in Formation. They have already become First Order Medium Grade Array Masters. However, this is because the earlier stages are not difficult. Whether they can break through to the Second Order is still hard to say.¡±


    ¡°Formation and Talisman Making have always been weak points for our family, which need long-term accumulation, and we need talented family members to explore it. However, we have made significant progress in these past years, and I believe that in a few decades, we will produce our own Second Order Array Master.¡±


    Tianming nodded, understanding that this matter couldn¡¯t be rushed. As long as the family continued to develop in a positive direction, there would eventually be a clansman with outstanding talent in Formation to make up for the family¡¯s shortcoming.


    Without realizing it, after half a quarter of an hour of flying, following Lin Shihua, the two arrived at the entrance of a valley deep within Green Bamboo Mountain, not far from where Tianming often practiced his Divine Skills.


    However, in his more than twenty years of life, he had never been to this place. After all, Green Bamboo Mountain covered dozens of miles, and there were still many areas he had not set foot in.


    The two paused outside the valley, and then Lin Shihua took out a Token, entered a spell, and opened the barrier to enter the valley.


    Tianming stepped forward to follow, entering the valley with him.


    Inside the valley, the dense forest and rock walls became apparent, the terrain complex and ever-changing, with a plethora of mundane wild animals running about.


    Seeing this, Shihua laughed heartily and began to explain.


    ¡°Tianming, this is the family¡¯s Spirit Beast Garden. The Soul-eating Spider almost lives here as well. Apart from it, the rest are mundane wild animals and some Low-order Monster Beasts, serving as its food.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Tianming¡¯s interest soared.


    He had never seen the Soul-eating Spider itself, only hearing about it from other clan members. During the last battle at Green Bamboo Mountain, he was scavenging for treasures with Lin Shilu at Golden Horn Mountain and did not partake in the battle here; naturally, he could not witness its true form.


    Just then, a distinctive hissing sound came, and a giant spider appeared in front of the two. It was undoubtedly the Soul-eating Spider.


    The Soul-eating Spider moved its terrifying limbs, baring its fangs and claws at Tianming, giving him quite a scare.


    Seeing this, Shihua chuckled and took a few sections of Crimson Gold Snake corpses from his storage bag, tossing them in front of the spider.


    Only then did the Soul-eating Spider turn around, bite into a piece of Qingxu Serpent Meat, grabbed the remaining sections with its claws, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.


    Watching the direction in which the Soul-eating Spider disappeared, Shihua spoke up,


    ¡°The Soul-eating Spider was a Spirit Beast subdued by our ancient ancestor. At first, it was only at the initial stage of the Second Order. Although our ancient ancestor has been gone for hundreds of years and the Spirit Beast contract has expired, it did not leave the family. After hundreds of years of family provision, its grade has also significantly improved to the Second Order¡¯s late phase.¡±


    ¡°Now, even though the Soul-eating Spider has not taken a new master and is free, it has recognized the family and has even defended the family on multiple occasions. During the last battle at Green Bamboo Mountain, it was even seriously injured, but luckily in recent years, our family acquired plenty of Spiritual Objects, and it quickly recovered from its injuries.¡±


    At this, both became solemn.


    In the Cultivation World, it is not easy for Spirit Beasts to recognize a master. Once the master falls, and the Spirit Beast regains its freedom, most would leave without hesitation. It was rare to see a Spirit Beast like the Soul-eating Spider.


    Although it stayed with the family and accepted the resources provided by the family simply out of mutual needs, during times of family crisis, the Soul-eating Spider played a significant role.


    Just for this alone, the resources provided by the family were in no way wasted.


    ¡°Twelfth Grandpa, how then should the Qingxu Snake Eggs be hatched? Why choose this place?¡± Tianming asked.


    Shihua frowned and replied without hesitation,


    ¡°We are here only to select a place for the Qingxu snakes. I have studied those Serpent Eggs for a whole night. They need a large amount of essence blood smeared on the eggshells, so that the hatched Qingxu snakes will be in tune with you and naturally attached to you.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, hatching a Spirit Beast is a long-term process. To meet the hatching requirements for these six Serpent Eggs, we¡¯ll also need a vast amount of treasures for assistance. At the very least, it will take several months to hatch.¡±


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 Chapter 235 - 174 Golden Core Duel_2

    Chapter 235: Chapter 174 Golden Core Duel_2


    Hearing Lin Shihua¡¯s explanation, Lin Tianming felt somewhat embarrassed. His knowledge about Spirit Beasts was limited to the basic information recorded in books, and he had not anticipated so many conditions.


    The value of these Serpent Eggs was not low, and once the hatchlings reached maturity, it would be equivalent to raising a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Even if he hadn¡¯t brought it up, the family elders wouldn¡¯t have overlooked such an important matter.


    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming did not ask further. The two made a round in the valley before returning to where they started.


    Lin Tianming actually found the valley quite to his liking. The enclosed area was not small, and it was home to a large number of common wild animals, making it very suitable for the existence of Spirit Beasts.


    Lin Tianming even secretly thought that if he stayed with the clan for a long time, he could send the Purple Gold Eagle in, and perhaps even mix in the Soul-eating Spider.


    Regaining his composure, the two left the valley together.


    ...


    Walking along, Lin Shihua fully promised that he would definitely hatch the Qingxu Serpent as soon as possible.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming felt at ease. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Lin Shihua, he returned to his cave dwelling first.


    There were still two days left before the day agreed with Lin Xingping to leave the clan. With nothing else to do, Lin Tianming entered the training room and began to cultivate.


    Two days later, in the early morning, on the plaza of the clan gate.


    Lin Tianming was the first to wait there. The Purple Gold Eagle stood by his side, nuzzling his clothes with its large beak in a pleasing manner.


    He waved his hand and took out two pieces of First Order Qingxu Serpent Meat, fed them to the Purple Gold Eagle, and finally calmed the greedy creature down.


    In a short while, his father and Lin Xingping arrived in step, landing before him. Lin Tianming immediately approached and gave them his respects.


    ¡°Tianming, there¡¯s no need for such formalities!¡± Lin Xingping said with a wave of his hand and a smile, apparently in a very good mood.


    His father chuckled, then took out two storage bags and a ledger, handing them to Lin Tianming, saying:


    ¡°The treasures in here are the clan¡¯s resources prepared for the operation of the Luoyun Pavilion. The quantity is considerable, so you must take good care of them!¡±


    ¡°Father, rest assured, your son will surely deliver these treasures intact to Qianchuan Market and hand them personally to Fifteenth Grandfather!¡± Lin Tianming replied with a resolute expression.


    ¡°Brother Twelve, don¡¯t worry. With me and Tianming together, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems!¡± Lin Xingping also said, clasping his fist.


    Lin Xingrong nodded, glanced back at the clan grounds, then declared:


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Time is ticking on, let¡¯s set off!¡±


    Upon finishing, the three of them and the beast exited the protective clan formation. They then mounted the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s back, with the eagle carrying them northward.


    In less than two days, they smoothly arrived at Golden Horn Mountain.


    After a short rest overnight, Lin Xingrong watched the two leave until they disappeared into the northern sky, then he returned to his cave dwelling.


    Lin Tianming and the other sat on the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s back, casually chatting as they felt the rushing mountains and rivers around them.


    Although he had traveled this route to Qianchuan Market several times and had never encountered any danger, Lin Tianming still did not dare to let down his guard.


    He took out a map and pointed to a mark on it, saying:


    ¡°Uncle, this journey is long. We should take turns being on alert!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Xingping naturally had no objections. He replied seriously:


    ¡°Of course. Although I have never been to Qianchuan Market, I gathered quite some information before leaving the clan. The Hengyang Mountain Range that we will pass through is not exactly peaceful, so being cautious can do no harm!¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed¡­ But no need to be too nervous. A party with two Foundation Establishment Cultivators isn¡¯t one that is easily provoked!¡± Lin Tianming said with a light smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s true!¡±


    A party of two Foundation Establishment Cultivators ranks considerably high among the forces within Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World. Unless there are life-and-death grudges, almost no one would provoke them.


    The two exchanged smiles, sitting on the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s back as they flew northward at high speed.


    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several days passed¡­


    At the border of the Hengyang Mountain Range and the Luoyang Mountain Range, in a tranquil valley.


    It was now evening, and Lin Tianming and his companion landed atop a mountain peak.


    Lin Tianming surveyed the thickly forested valley, then swept the area with his Divine Sense, and after confirming there was no danger around, he said:


    ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s rest here for the night and continue our journey tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Good, after several days of travel, I¡¯m indeed a bit tired. Besides, since the Qianchuan Market is still at a distance, even if we travel all night, we can¡¯t reach it in a short time. Let¡¯s just rest here for the night!¡± Lin Xingping said with a smile.


    Once he had finished speaking, Lin Tianming took out the Earth Evil Sword and swiftly carved out a simple cave in a stone wall.


    After casually setting up a couple of concealment Illusion Techniques, the two of them entered, one after the other. They then sat down, preparing to meditate and cultivate.


    Before one Grand Circulation was complete, a thunderous noise suddenly filled the air, and the valley began to shake violently.


    The expressions of Lin Tianming and his companion changed; they quickly ended their cultivation and went to the cave entrance, cautiously checking the situation outside.


    By now, it was dark, and the night was shrouded in a dense fog, making it hard to discern the situation. Lin Tianming didn¡¯t dare use his Divine Sense, lest he be detected.


    Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors and looked towards two glowing masses in the distance, his face immediately turning pale.


    On two mountain peaks several miles away, two elders were fighting fiercely. One of them was wearing a golden Taoist robe with a sun pattern on his chest, exactly like the one on Li Xiuyuan¡¯s robe, clearly identifying him as a cultivator from the Zhenyang Sect without a doubt.


    The other elder wore black and held a glittering golden mirror; when he cast a Law Decree, a silver-white beam of light shot out towards the Zhenyang Sect cultivator.


    The cultivator from the Zhenyang Sect was unruffled. He quickly took out a small umbrella and protected himself with it.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    The beam of light hit the umbrella and exploded into a tremendous noise. Beneath the feet of the Zhenyang Sect cultivator, the ground suddenly split open, creating a crevice several zhang wide.


    The Zhenyang Sect cultivator¡¯s face darkened, and he immediately unleashed a sword strike, sending out a tremendous number of Sword Qi, beginning to counterattack.


    Sparks flew from the fierce exchange between the two, their brightness like the brilliance of the sun, illuminating a radius of several tens of miles as if it were daylight.


    Meanwhile, thunderous rumblings could be heard, and the earth shook violently.


    Based on the fluctuations from their battle, they were at least Golden Core Stage seniors.


    Lin Tianming watched with a solemn expression. Although he had been on the cultivation path for some time, this was the first occasion he had witnessed Golden Core Stage cultivators, and, moreover, his first time observing a duel.


    At this moment, he held his breath, not even daring to let out a sigh, his eyes fixated on the distant battle, his mind racing with thoughts.


    He had no idea why those two Golden Core Stage seniors were fighting, nor whether they had noticed them. They might have even already spotted them but simply didn¡¯t care about their presence.


    No matter what the possibility, if the seniors decided to cause trouble, their own levels of cultivation were completely incapable of handling it, and they could only pretend not to see and pray that the two would leave soon.


    After a short while, following a loud explosion, the elder in the black robe shouted angrily and alarmedly at the Zhenyang Sect cultivator: S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Chen Jingtian, do you really intend to fight to the death with me over a piece of the Mysterious Moon Order?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the cultivator from the Zhenyang Sect sneered, and then, with determination in his voice, said:


    ¡°Old Monster Gu, why waste time delaying? You are no match for me. Hand over the Mysterious Moon Order obediently, and I can let you leave. Otherwise, today might not end well for you!¡±


    Seeing Chen Jingtian¡¯s impervious attitude, the cultivator surnamed Gu¡¯s face darkened as he took out a bead with a grey-white pattern and threw it straight at Chen Jingtian.


    Chen Jingtian¡¯s expression turned extremely grim as he hurriedly protected himself with the umbrella, then rapidly retreated.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    When the grey-white bead exploded between them, the cultivator surnamed Gu struck out with another beam of light and fled westward without looking back.


    Chen Jingtian leaped to avoid the attack from the cultivator surnamed Gu and immediately pursued the fleeing cultivator.


    Before long, the land quieted down, and the night returned to normal. The two Golden Core cultivators had completely vanished without a trace.


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 Chapter 236 - 236: 175

    Chapter 236: 175


    Within the Spartan cave abode, Lin Tianming and his companion dared not even let out a heavy breath.


    When the disturbance outside ceased and the darkness fell upon the land once again, the Golden Core Cultivator was nowhere to be seen.


    They did not know how much time had passed with absolute silence surrounding them before Lin Tianming and his companion finally let out a sigh of relief and plopped down onto the ground.


    At this moment, Lin Xingping wore a puzzled expression. With his limited Divine Sense and lacking treasures like the Eye of Five Colors, he could only sense the outbreak of a fierce battle outside but knew none of the specifics.


    Yet with the help of the Eye of Five Colors, Lin Tianming managed to glean some basic information about the battle.


    Based on the course of the battle and the conversation between the two Golden Core cultivators, it seemed that they fought over the Mysterious Moon Order, and eventually, the one surnamed Gu appeared to be outmatched by Chen Jingtian. In a desperate move, he used a grayish-white pearl to create an explosive distraction, allowing him a moment to flee in panic, while Chen, unwilling to let go of the Mysterious Moon Order, pursued relentlessly without a second thought.


    ...


    Lin Tianming thought to himself that if even Golden Core cultivators were willing to fight over the Mysterious Moon Order, the two tokens in his possession must be of immense value.


    As he speculated in secret, Lin Xingping beside him asked,


    ¡°Tian Ming, what was the cause of the commotion just now, and what was the outcome?¡±


    Lin Tianming regained his focus and replied, ¡°There was a battle between two Golden Elixir Experts. One of them was Chen Jingtian, a cultivator from the Zhenyang Sect. The other, surnamed Gu, I¡¯ve never heard of before. There are no Golden Core Cultivators with the surname Gu in the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, so he must not be from here!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, Lin Xingping¡¯s face showed a shocked expression.


    Golden Core Cultivators were absolute top-tier experts in the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, often elusive and rarely engaging in open conflict. Such disregard for secrecy in battle was exceedingly rare.


    Lin Tianming, however, was much calmer by then and continued, ¡°The two Golden Core Cultivators fought several rounds, but the one surnamed Gu didn¡¯t seem to be a match for Chen Jingtian and ended up fleeing in a panic!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unclear why they appeared here or fought so fiercely, and the outcome remains unknown. But these matters are none of our concern!¡±


    Lin Xingping nodded, finally regaining his composure from the shock.


    Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, Lin Tianming spoke gravely,


    ¡°Uncle, whether those elders have discovered us or simply don¡¯t care about our presence, it doesn¡¯t matter. We can¡¯t stay here any longer. If they return and find us, it could spell trouble!¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s serious words, Lin Xingping agreed there was a good chance of that happening and promptly said,


    ¡°At this moment, we can¡¯t worry about anything else. For safety¡¯s sake, we should leave immediately and travel through the night to reach Qianchuan Market as soon as possible!¡±


    With those words, Lin Tianming and his companion left the temporary cave abode and released their Purple Gold Eagle. Hopping onto its back, they turned into a shadow under the hazy moonlight and vanished into the valley.


    Days flew by, and with no other incidents on the way, they safely arrived on the outskirts of Qianchuan Market. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After placing the Purple Gold Eagle into the Spirit Beast Bag, they hurried to the market entrance, paid the entrance Spirit Stones, and entered the market.


    Stepping onto the Bluestone Street and into the market, they breathed a sigh of relief and headed straight for the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Once home, Lin Shilu was deep in cultivation practice. Lin Tianming sent a message without disturbing him.


    A short while later, Lin Shilu emerged from the practice room, and they quickly stepped forward to greet him.


    Seeing Lin Tianming and his companion return safely pleased Lin Shilu greatly.


    ¡°Tian Ming, you¡¯ve returned rather swiftly. It hasn¡¯t even been a month, and you¡¯ve already made a round trip!¡± Lin Shilu said,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, Tian Ming has some important matters to report to you!¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming, usually so composed, being so cautious, Lin Shilu promptly invited them to sit and speak.


    The three sat in the courtyard, and Lin Tianming recounted everything they had seen and heard on their journey.


    Upon hearing the recount, Lin Shilu¡¯s expression changed dramatically, his face reflecting his shock.


    Although Lin Tianming was detailed in his recounting, he did not mention the matter of the Mysterious Moon Order. The fight over the token by the two Golden Core cultivators revealed the significance of the matter. For safety¡¯s sake, it was better that fewer people knew.


    ¡°Tian Ming, for the next few days, the two of you should avoid showing your faces, lest someone recognizes you and trouble arises!¡± Lin Shilu cautioned.


    Lin Tianming and his companion nodded, agreeing to seclude themselves for a period of time to let the issue pass.


    After temporarily setting aside the matter of the Golden Core cultivators¡¯ fight, Lin Tianming handed over the two storage bags brought from the family to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu took the storage bags, and after finalizing the transfer of an enormous amount of cultivation resources, Lin Tianming reported on the family¡¯s matters.


    Learning of the decision to nurture the Family Elite Ten, Lin Shilu was very pleased and agreed wholly with the strategy.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, the subsidy for the Family Elite Ten will start next year. You and I will receive an allocation of five thousand Spirit Stones annually. Before leaving, Third Grandfather had instructed that if it¡¯s inconvenient to collect the subsidy from the family, we could take it from the profits of Luoyun Pavilion!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lin Shilu nodded and, after instructing them to practice diligently, Lin Xingping was the first to rise and take his leave.


    After he had left, Lin Tianming set up a barrier to ensure privacy, then started speaking about the Mysterious Moon Order.


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 Chapter 237 - 175: Breakthrough to the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment_2

    Chapter 237: Chapter 175: Breakthrough to the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment_2


    ¡°`


    ¡°What? Those two Golden Core Cultivators actually came to blows over the Mysterious Moon Order?¡± Lin Shilu exclaimed.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Although he had long suspected that the Mysterious Moon Order was no small matter, he had not expected that two Golden Core Cultivators would fight over it. With this development, the Mysterious Moon Order must be extremely important.


    ¡°`


    ...


    ¡°`


    Lin Tianming nodded, recalling the events, and then said,


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, what I¡¯m telling you is absolutely true. I was watching the battle from a distance and also vaguely heard what the Cultivator with the surname Gu said¡ªit was indeed about the Mysterious Moon Order without a doubt!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Lin Shilu naturally did not doubt Lin Tianming¡¯s words and immediately said,


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°It seems the Mysterious Moon Order really is extraordinary. The Zhenyang Sect must certainly know the purpose of the token. Even Golden Elixir Experts must take it seriously. Looking at this, the Mysterious Moon Order might soon come into use!¡±


    ¡°` sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°`


    Lin Tianming nodded, somewhat excitedly saying,


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t know what level this Secret Realm is or what the entry conditions are!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s remark, Lin Shilu recalled the past and then spoke.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°This old man has consulted many texts before, and it is said that when an ownerless Secret Realm emerges, there will be a preparatory period before it officially opens. During this time, the entry restrictions can be discerned from the token allowing entrance!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    As soon as his words fell, Lin Tianming eagerly asked,


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Then by that logic, if even Golden Core Stage Cultivators can enter the Secret Realm, wouldn¡¯t we have slim hope even if we had the token?¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Indeed, if truly even Golden Core Cultivators can enter, then those at the Foundation Establishment going in would surely be taking a near-certain death risk!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°In that case, we can only hope that the Secret Realm is limited to those in the Foundation Establishment Stage or the Qi Refinement Realm; otherwise, we would have to hand over the Mysterious Moon Order to the Zhenyang Sect in exchange for some cultivation resources.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Having said that, even Lin Shilu showed a hint of worry in his voice. After all, even in the lowest Yellow Grade Secret Realm, the treasures within were extraordinary. Having obtained the Mysterious Moon Order, they would not give up on such a rare opportunity unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, they would opt to hand it over to the Zhenyang Sect.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s explanation, Lin Tianming felt helpless and could only pray for good luck to be able to enter the Secret Realm and explore it.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s worried expression, Lin Shilu comforted him,


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Tianming, the matter of the Mysterious Moon Order cannot be forced. If it¡¯s our chance, we won¡¯t give up. If not, it just means we were not fated for it, so there¡¯s no need to overthink it!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    After nodding, Lin Tianming showed a slight smile and then said,


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, rest assured, Tianming understands. I plan to go into seclusion to cultivate during this period. Please keep an eye on the Mysterious Moon Order in secret. As soon as there is any news, immediately inform me!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    After chatting idly for a bit longer, Lin Tianming prepared to stand up and take his leave.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Before leaving, Lin Shilu repeatedly urged, ¡°The matter of the Mysterious Moon Order must not be revealed at all, and don¡¯t try to inquire about it everywhere. It¡¯s easy for people with motives to notice, and if it¡¯s discovered that we own the Mysterious Moon Order, it will definitely provoke other Cultivators to attempt to seize it. If the Zhenyang Sect becomes aware, the trouble will be even greater, and we might not find refuge anywhere in the Wei Kingdom!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Fully aware of the importance of this matter, Lin Tianming nodded, promising to keep it to himself. Then he bid farewell to Lin Shilu and returned to his own cultivation room.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Once inside his cultivation room, he sat down cross-legged, contemplating his cultivation plan going forward.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    After much thought, he decided to enter closed-door cultivation to raise his cultivation to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer. The matter of the Dragon Bone Pill would be set aside for the time being. Currently, he had more than twenty Qiuxing Fruits, so there was no shortage of treasures needed for short-term cultivation.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Having made up his mind, he began the Grand Circulation, waiting until his condition reached its peak before taking out a Qiuxing Fruit.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Looking at the Qiuxing Fruit brimming with Spiritual Energy, a sight for sore eyes, Lin Tianming did not hesitate to swallow it whole.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    As the Spirit Fruit entered his mouth, a gentle energy quickly spread out, traveling along his meridians.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Although this was already the fourth Qiuxing Fruit he had consumed, the tingling sense of satisfaction still brought him immense comfort.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Feeling this special energy, he wasted no time, fully operating his cultivation technique to refine it¡ªturning the energy within the Qiuxing Fruit into gentle Spiritual Power, which ultimately converged in his Seven Sea Dantian.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Time flew by, and thus a year passed.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Inside Lin Tianming¡¯s cultivation room, he sat on the ground, his breathing steady and calm.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Sensing the state of his entire body, Lin Tianming looked into his Seven Sea Dantian, where the abundant Spiritual Power was almost becoming liquid. The Spiritual Power within his Dantian was on the verge of overflowing.


    ¡°`


    His face was calm, and a trace of resolute determination shone from his eyes.


    For the past year, he had ingested a Qiuxing Fruit every month to cultivate, spending the remaining time meditating or crafting elixirs for the Luoyun Pavilion.


    Throughout this time, he had remained in the market district to cultivate, never venturing beyond his own doorsteps, embodying the essence of ascetic practice.


    In the past six months, he had several times forcefully suppressed his cultivation level. After half a year of tempering and settling, feeling that he could no longer hold back, he decided to break through in one fell swoop.


    Having made up his mind, he retrieved another Qiuxing Fruit and, without any hesitation, swallowed it in one gulp.


    As the Spirit Fruit dissolved in his mouth, he familiarly circulated his cultivation technique to refine it, and streams of gentle Spiritual Power flowed into his Qi Sea Dantian.


    Feeling that gentle Spiritual Power, he repeatedly washed against the barriers of the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.


    Time slowly passed, and three days later, the potency of the Qiuxing Fruit was dwindling, soon to be exhausted.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s eyes reflected unwavering determination as he gathered the Spiritual Power he had refined over the past few days, preparing for the final assault.


    Feeling the vast Spiritual Power, Lin Tianming took a deep breath and directed the flood of power straight into the pinnacle of his Qi Sea Dantian.


    A sharp pain surged, Lin Tianming¡¯s complexion turned pale, and soon, beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead and evaporated upon hitting the bluestone floor.


    He endured the pain, controlling the now-liquid Spiritual Power as it bombarded the barriers.


    After who knows how many assaults, suddenly a warm current burst forth, and his Qi Sea Dantian began to expand once more.


    At the same time, the originally liquid Spiritual Power flowed into the expanded Qi Sea Dantian, swiftly becoming even more viscous.


    Not only that, but as the barriers were breached, a torrent of energy surged within his body, cleansing his flesh.


    A foul smell permeated, and his body oozed a stinky black muck, evidently cleansing his body again with the aid of the Spiritual Power combined with the medicinal properties within him.


    Lin Tianming did not dare to delay, swiftly circulating his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, finally exhaling a long breath when his True Yuan flowed through his veins to his entire body.


    At this moment, feeling the vigorous Spiritual Power in his body, clearly thicker and more substantial than before, and containing even greater energy, he was filled with emotion.


    Having successfully broken through to the second layer of Foundation Establishment, Lin Tianming¡¯s complexion became rosy, his heart brimming with excitement.


    It had been nearly three years since he entered the Foundation Establishment Stage, and with the aid of over ten Qiuxing Fruits, he had successfully broken through to the second layer at this moment.


    Over these years, his cultivation journey was fraught with difficulty. Before breaking through the early stages, he had to rely solely on meditation for cultivation advancement, which was extremely slow. However, this laid a solid foundation for him, and with the aid of the Qiuxing Fruits, he was able to make a breakthrough.


    Regathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming did not immediately rise but continued cultivating to consolidate his position, ensuring he would not suffer a setback from an unstable realm post-breakthrough.


    He circulated his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, rapidly redistributing the Spiritual Power throughout his body.


    Half a month swiftly elapsed¡­


    In the cultivation room, Lin Tianming, who sat cross-legged on the floor, opened his tightly closed eyes, and a flash of light shot from the corners of his eyes.


    Lin Tianming stood up, feeling the vigorous Spiritual Power within his body circulating with exceptional smoothness, and even his slightest movements contained immense energy.


    He clenched his fist, and his body crackled with several snapping sounds, Lin Tianming¡¯s face brimming with joy.


    After a month of confinement to solidify his practice, his cultivation was now stable at the second layer of Foundation Establishment, and it was very solid.


    ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± he exhaled deeply.


    Seeing the foul-smelling black muck on his body, he then made a Single-handed Seal, casting a Five Elements Spell, conjuring a sphere of rainwater to comfortably bathe himself, then changed into a clean set of green robes.


    Feeling refreshed, he next cast a fireball, which quickly dried the rainwater on the ground with its intense heat.


    After completing these tasks, he tidied up the disordered cultivation room before stepping out.


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 Chapter 238 - 176: Undercurrents Surge_1

    Chapter 238: Chapter 176: Undercurrents Surge_1


    Lin Tianming left the training room and came to the courtyard.


    At that moment, Lin Shilu was sitting in the courtyard drinking tea. Lin Tianming didn¡¯t expect to bump into Lin Shilu as soon as he left seclusion. With a smile on his face, he immediately walked up to greet him.


    Feeling the aura emitted by Lin Tianming, Lin Shilu rejoiced and exclaimed, ¡°Tianming, have you made a breakthrough, my boy?¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s complexion looked good, and the joy from his breakthrough had yet to subside. Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s question, he nodded and smiled,


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, if I hadn¡¯t been suppressing my cultivation in order to consolidate it, I might have broken through half a year ago!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ not bad. Even so, breaking through a realm every three years is still quite fast!¡± Lin Shilu said.


    ...


    Lin Tianming nodded; the Foundation Establishment Stage wasn¡¯t as easy to break through as the Qi Refinement Realm. He was fairly satisfied with a progression of one stage every three years.


    After sitting down to chat and drink tea for a bit, Lin Tianming began to inquire about the Mysterious Moon Order.


    Seeing Lin Tianming ask about this, Lin Shilu¡¯s expression grew serious, and he then said, ¡°In the marketplace, there have sporadically been rumors about the Mysterious Moon Order for nearly a year now!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming immediately became interested!


    Lin Shilu picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and continued, ¡°According to the rumors, a few months ago in the Qianchuan Mountain Range, a Mysterious Moon Order appeared out of nowhere, leading to a frenzied struggle for it. As a result, several Foundation Establishment Cultivators perished, and the Mysterious Moon Order eventually ended up in the hands of a Loose Cultivator named Liu Zhong. This person disappeared with the token, seemingly finding a place to hide, waiting for the Secret Realm to open!¡±


    ¡°Liu Zhong?¡±


    Hearing this name, Lin Tianming carefully thought it over but didn¡¯t recall any information about the man.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, who is this Liu Zhong, and how come I have never heard of him?¡± Lin Tianming asked.


    When it came to Liu Zhong, Lin Shilu¡¯s expression turned grave, seeming to hold considerable wariness towards him.


    ¡°Curiously enough, he and that ancient-surnamed Golden Core Cultivator you¡¯ve met are both from the Huangyang Country Cultivation World in Jingzhou. However, Liu Zhong frequently mingles within Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World. Though a Loose Cultivator, his talent and cultivation are not low; he managed to reach the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level before the age of one hundred. Moreover, this individual is extremely dangerous, quite powerful, and ruthless. To gain opportunities, he would stop at nothing, having committed numerous murderous and plundering acts. If by chance you encounter this man, you must be very careful!¡±


    After listening to Lin Shilu¡¯s explanation, Lin Tianming nodded, taking mental note of this person¡¯s name to avoid being oblivious when meeting this dangerous figure.


    After advising Lin Tianming, Lin Shilu¡¯s topic subtly shifted.


    ¡°This matter of the Mysterious Moon Order is causing quite a stir in Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World. Cultivators from other regions are flooding into the Qianchuan Mountain Range, hoping to try their luck. The currents are turbulent in Wei Kingdom now, with a vast number of Cultivators gathering here. After all, securing even one token, even if they can¡¯t enter themselves, allows them to trade it with the Great Sects or other forces in exchange for a wealth of resources!¡±


    It came as a surprise to Lin Tianming that the news of the Mysterious Moon Order was now common knowledge. Now that the word had spread, and so many Cultivators had come to the Qianchuan Mountain Range, he wondered what stance the Zhenyang Sect, the local power, would take.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming asked:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, what are the attitudes of the three Great Sects and the two Great Golden Core Families regarding this issue?¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s brows furrowed, then he replied:


    ¡°At present, Zhenyang Sect has shown no particular stance. After all, there are too many people coming, and even Zhenyang Sect wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke public anger. They¡¯ve merely declared that whoever brings in the Mysterious Moon Order will receive spirit stones or treasures worth tens of thousands, or even choose a Foundation Establishment Pill!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, Myriad Medicine Valley, Golden Sword Sect, and the two Great Sects, as well as the Yingchuan Chen Family and the West River Li Family, have all put out similar words; whoever submits the Mysterious Moon Order will also receive a vast quantity of spirit stones or treasures.¡±


    Upon hearing all this from Lin Shilu, Lin Tianming immediately understood that every Golden Elixir Force was highly valuing the Mysterious Moon Order, even willing to trade Foundation Establishment Pills for it.


    The preciousness of the Foundation Establishment Pill was self-evident. Even for Golden Elixir Forces, the amount produced each year was very limited, and those pills that made it to the market would inevitably cause fierce competition. For the Mysterious Moon Order, they were indeed investing heavily!


    However, upon careful consideration, although the Foundation Establishment Pills were valuable, if they could obtain more Mysterious Moon Orders, they would be able to send more Cultivators into the Secret Realm to hunt for treasures. The more people entering the Secret Realm, the safer it would be, and the greater the odds of finding treasures.


    If they could find Nascent Soul Spiritual Items, then what they paid for a Foundation Establishment Pill would be negligible.


    Viewed this way, it was understandable why the Golden Elixir Forces attached so much importance to it.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt a rush of excitement.


    They had obtained two Mysterious Moon Orders. If they could enter and find a Nascent Soul Spiritual Item, they might help Lin Shikang break through to the Golden Core Stage, and then the Lin Family could return to glory and become the third Golden Core Family in the Wei Kingdom!


    But for now, the Secret Realm had yet to appear, and the entrance conditions were unknown. Weighing these possibilities seemed futile.


    With this thought, Lin Tianming asked with a sense of resignation:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, does the frequent appearance of the Mysterious Moon Order indicate that the Secret Realm is about to open?¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded and then said:


    ¡°Indeed, that is very likely. This realm is definitely an unclaimed Secret Realm. With the Mysterious Moon Order emerging in large numbers, it will appear in the world within a few months at the earliest, or three years at the latest!¡±


    ¡°We have two Mysterious Moon Orders, and under no circumstances can we pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we can enter and obtain Nascent Soul Spiritual Items, Elder Brother¡¯s chances of Core Formation will greatly increase!¡±


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 Chapter 239 - 176: Undercurrents Surge_2

    Chapter 239: Chapter 176: Undercurrents Surge_2


    At this point, Lin Shilu¡¯s gaze was resolute, with a hint of longing flashing in his eyes.


    The Lin Family had languished in obscurity for far too long. Such an opportunity was rare and sought after¡ªperhaps this was the chance their family had been waiting for.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, I implore you to keep a close eye on this matter. As soon as the Secret Realm opens and we learn of the entry requirements, we must act swiftly. We can¡¯t afford to miss this opportunity!¡± Lin Tianming said with excitement.


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s earnest instructions, Lin Shilu smiled faintly and replied:


    ¡°Rest assured, my boy. I have already instructed Tianfeng and the others to keep a close watch on any news regarding the Mysterious Moon Order. As soon as we receive word, we¡¯ll consult with you on our next steps immediately!¡±


    ¡°I will enter seclusion to engage in Alchemy and then cultivate, striving to enhance my cultivation as much as possible and make preparations in advance!¡± Lin Tianming stated.


    ...


    ¡°Go ahead!¡± Lin Shilu waved his hand dismissively.


    ¡°Tian Ming takes his leave!¡± Lin Tianming bowed and then left the Cave Mansion Courtyard, emerging onto the streets of the marketplace.


    With Lin Shilu attending to the matter of the Mysterious Moon Order, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t need to be distracted by it.


    Now that he had made a breakthrough in cultivation, and despite having more than ten Qiuxing Fruits left, the priority was to attempt producing Dragon Bone Pills as soon as possible, in anticipation of what was to come.


    Otherwise, once he ran out of Qiuxing Fruits and without the aid of elixirs, his cultivation would stagnate, wasting precious time.


    Fortunately, he had already acquired the Qingxu Snake Inner Pill, and most of the other Spiritual Medicine Materials were nearly all collected, only lacking Autumn Night Grass and Xing Luan Fruit to start the alchemy process.


    Although these two ingredients were not exceedingly rare, they were also not commonly found. He planned to visit Sky Dragon Pavilion to see if they stocked these items. If they did, he would buy them immediately and return to refine pills.


    Settling on his plan, he strode briskly down the streets, heading towards the commercial district of the marketplace.


    On the way, the streets bustled with crowds of cultivators, the flow of people significantly increased by two or three times the usual, presumably because of the Mysterious Moon Order, attracting many cultivators to try their luck here.


    He paid them no heed, quickly arriving at Sky Dragon Pavilion where he was led by the receiving cultivator to a private room on the second floor. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon after, Tang Xiuyuan¡¯s hearty laughter reached his ears.


    ¡°Ah, if it isn¡¯t Daoist Chen! It¡¯s been a long while; you have my salutations!¡± Tang Xiuyuan greeted, bowing with his hands clasped and a smile on his face.


    Lin Tianming stood to return the gesture and then both men sat opposite each other. He took a sip of the Spiritual Tea before him and said:


    ¡°Hehe, indeed, it¡¯s been over a year. I¡¯m here today to look for two types of Spiritual Medicine Materials!¡±


    Hearing this, and recalling Lin Tianming¡¯s generous spending in the past, Tang Xiuyuan immediately showed interest.


    ¡°Oh? What might those be?¡±


    ¡°Autumn Night Grass and Xing Luan Fruit! Does your esteemed establishment carry these items?¡± Lin Tianming asked expectantly, getting straight to the point.


    ¡°Autumn Night Grass? Xing Luan Fruit?¡± Tang Xiuyuan seemed surprised, but he didn¡¯t show any particular reaction as he said:


    ¡°These items may not be of high tier, merely Second Order inferior grade Spiritual Medicines, and indeed they aren¡¯t common. But, Daoist Chen, you¡¯re in luck¡ªour shop happens to have three stalks of Autumn Night Grass and five Xing Luan Fruits!¡±


    Lin Tianming, excited to hear that these two types of Spiritual Medicine Materials were available, inquired:


    ¡°May I know the price?¡±


    ¡°Each stalk of Autumn Night Grass is priced at two hundred and ten Spirit Stones, and each Xing Luan Fruit at one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones!¡± Tang Xiuyuan replied forthrightly.


    Lin Tianming wasn¡¯t surprised by the prices. Ordinary Second Order inferior grade Spiritual Medicine Materials would typically cost just over a hundred Spirit Stones, but the two types he sought were rarer, hence the higher prices.


    Still, he decided to purchase these Spiritual Medicines.


    Although he would only have materials for three batches, considering that he was merely attempting to produce Dragon Bone Pills for the first time, and unsure of its feasibility, it made sense to try out three batches. If they proved to assist his cultivation, he¡¯d then purchase materials on a larger scale for pill refining.


    ¡°Daoist Tang, I¡¯ll take three portions of each of these two Spiritual Medicine Materials!¡±


    Having made his decision, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t bother to negotiate and directly handed over one thousand one hundred and seventy Spirit Stones to Tang Xiuyuan.


    Tang Xiuyuan received the Spirit Stones, then with a wave of his sleeve, six Jade Boxes appeared in his hand.


    Lin Tianming took the six Jade Boxes, checking the contents to confirm they were indeed Autumn Night Grass and Xing Luan Fruit of the correct medicinal properties, then stowed them in his storage bag.


    With the transaction complete, Lin Tianming exchanged some pleasantries with Tang Xiuyuan before leaving the Sky Dragon Pavilion and returning to the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    In the Pill Refining Room, Lin Tianming sat on the floor and ran the Cultivation Technique for a cycle of Grand Circulation, bringing his body to its peak condition.


    Opening his eyes, he suddenly produced two Jade Slips. One contained the Dragon Bone Pill Formula he had bought from the stall area, and the other recorded the Alchemy Experience gifted by Ye Pinghai.


    Even though he had already reviewed both Jade Slips several times, committing their contents to memory, he sent out his Divine Sense to go over the recorded information once more.


    After a quarter of an hour had passed, Lin Tianming put away the two Jade Slips and then took out the Four Symbols Furnace.


    He made a Single-handed Seal, expertly ignited the Earth Fire, and then tossed the Four Symbols Furnace to hover steadily above the Earth Fire¡¯s opening.


    Effortlessly completing the preparatory steps before pill refining, he then picked up a Second Order Qingxu Serpent Demon Elixir, examining it in his hand.


    Looking at the grey-white inner core, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but reflect on the difficulty of its acquisition.


    Regaining his focus, he arranged all the necessary materials for the Dragon Bone Pill, setting them neatly on the nearby stone platform.


    Now, everything was in place, except for the eastern wind.


    Taking a deep breath, he began warming the furnace, and when the temperature reached the desired level, he tossed a stalk of Spiritual Medicine Material into the Four Symbols Furnace.


    The initial stages of decomposition and purification were no different from regular elixir production, posing no challenge for him.


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 Chapter 240 - 176 Undertows_3

    Chapter 240: Chapter 176 Undertows_3


    Soon, after an hour of high-intensity decomposition and purification, batch after batch of Spiritual Medicine Materials and Spirit Fruits were broken down completely.


    At the bottom of the Four Symbols Furnace, a multicolored blob of Elixir Essence lay within the furnace.


    Lin Tianming wiped the sweat from his forehead, then tossed the Second Order Qingxu Snake Inner Pill into the Four Symbols Furnace.


    As the ash-white Qingxu Snake Inner Pill entered the incredibly hot furnace, it suddenly came to life, bouncing around wildly.


    Lin Tianming dared not be careless, for a Demon Beast Inner Pill was not as gentle as Spiritual Medicine Materials, and a slight misstep could cause an explosion. The energy contained within a Second Order Demon Core was terrifying; even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator might face mortal danger at such close proximity.


    He focused all his attention on maneuvering his Divine Sense, forcibly suppressing the inner core before starting to break it down.


    ...


    As half a day passed, inside the Four Symbols Furnace, the Qingxu Snake Inner Pill had completely disappeared, and the original Elixir Essence had expanded in size, its color also undergoing a drastic change to greenish-red.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming was overjoyed. The most dangerous step was over, and what followed was the most critical Solidifying Pill process.


    He took a deep breath, then performed a Single-handed Seal, striking a Law Decree on the Earth Fire vent.


    With a quiet sound, the Earth Fire spurted out, raising the temperature inside the Four Symbols Furnace to another level.


    Lin Tianming had a grave expression, constantly sensing the changes within the Four Symbols Furnace.


    Once the temperature was about right, he slapped the Four Symbols Furnace, unleashing a stream of Spiritual Power from his hand that plunged into the furnace and vanished without a trace.


    With the Infusion of Spirit complete, he controlled the temperature of the Earth Fire while chanting to himself.


    ¡°Solidify!¡±


    A piercing sound emanated, followed by several crisp pops from within the Pill Furnace.


    Hearing the noise, Lin Tianming¡¯s face changed color. After the sounds ceased, he immediately lifted the lid of the furnace.


    All that lay inside were a pile of medicinal dregs mixed with two broken pills.


    He picked up one of the shattered elixirs, holding it in his hands and pondering over it carefully.


    ¡°It seems possible to have successfully concocted it; it was just that I didn¡¯t control the temperature and timing of the Infusion of Spirit well, causing the Alchemy to fail!¡±


    ¡°It looks like the Qingxu Snake Inner Pill can indeed replace the Qinglong Jiao Inner Dan, and it really can be used to concoct the Dragon Bone Pill,¡± Lin Tianming muttered to himself, a smile flashing across his face.


    Although the first batch of elixirs was a failure, it was close to being a success, giving him unlimited hope.


    After cleaning up the wasted medicinal dregs, he began to recuperate, waiting until his condition was at its peak before continuing with the concoction. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°With three sets of materials, I must successfully create a batch of pills!¡± he thought to himself, then began to recover his energy.


    Half a day later, Lin Tianming¡¯s condition had recovered, and he once again dove into the intense process of pill concoction.


    Having learned from the first failure, he was extremely cautious while concocting the second batch of elixirs, doing his best to execute each step perfectly.


    With familiarity and diligent effort, he saw his work pay off, successfully solidifying the second batch of pills.


    In the Pill Refining Room, when a unique medicinal fragrance wafted from the Pill Furnace, he didn¡¯t care about his profuse sweating and hastily uncovered the lid of the furnace.


    Inside were five greenish-red pills suspended in the furnace. He immediately took out one pill and carefully examined it.


    ¡°This is certainly a finished product, no doubt about it, but I wonder if it will be effective!¡±


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, his face expressing excitement.


    However, not being in good condition at the moment, he could only try it out another day.


    With that thought, he closed his eyes and began to meditate, preparing to refine the remaining set of materials and then to test the finished elixirs.


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 Chapter 241 - 177 The Secret Realm Appears_1

    Chapter 241: Chapter 177 The Secret Realm Appears_1


    Two days later¡­


    In the alchemy room, a fragrance wafted from the Four Symbols Furnace, quickly filling the entire alchemy room.


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed and hastily lifted the lid of the furnace, only to see five pills, intermingled with shades of green and red, lying at the bottom.


    He stored the pills in a jade bottle, then took out two to carefully compare. The results showed that the pills from both batches were identical, each one saturated with color, indistinguishable from the description of the Dragon Bone Pill.


    From three sets of materials, two successful batches yielded ten pills; both the success rate and quantity of pills were quite impressive.


    Lin Tianming let out a long sigh of relief, then tidied up the pill refining room, and moved on to the cultivation chamber.


    ...


    Sitting on a meditation mat in the cultivation chamber, he closed his eyes to regulate his breathing until he reached his peak condition, then opened his eyes.


    Lin Tianming then took out a Lingshen Pill and, without hesitation, swallowed it.


    As soon as the pill entered his mouth, he began to channel his energy to refine it, and the power contained within the pill started to flow through his meridians, bringing on a familiar sense of pain.


    Sweat began to seep out of Lin Tianming¡¯s forehead; clenching his teeth, he quickly swallowed a prepared Dragon Bone Pill.


    The moment the Dragon Bone Pill was ingested, he started to refine it. Within a few breaths, the energy from the Dragon Bone Pill was gentle, like stepping into warm water, the comfortable sensation slowly suppressing the pain in his body.


    ¡°This improved Dragon Bone Pill really works.¡±


    Lin Tianming was ecstatic, and he then started to fully operate his cultivation technique, refining the potency of both the Lingshen Pill and the Dragon Bone Pill.


    As the speed of refinement increased sharply, the power of the Dragon Bone Pill took effect, suppressing the pain from the Lingshen Pill while also improving his physique.


    Crackling sounds came from inside his body.


    He extended his Divine Sense to observe the energetic flow of the pill¡¯s potency quicken within him, eventually seeping into his skin, bones, and organs.


    A unique sensation reached his mind, and simultaneously, assisted by the pill, his sinews and bones began to strengthen until they became more solid and powerful.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t contain his delight, and he retracted his Divine Sense, wholeheartedly devoting himself to cultivation. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Several days later, Lin Tianming opened his eyes and a smile spread across his face, his heart trembling with excitement.


    The effects of the Dragon Bone Pill were truly unexpected; it not only perfectly suppressed the pain during cultivation but also further strengthened his body, surpassing the Body Strengthening Pill by quite a margin.


    Just one Dragon Bone Pill had made his physique stronger by a notch, an outcome he had never anticipated.


    However, on reflection, the Dragon Bone Pill was hard to come by and quite valuable. The spiritual medicine materials used in a single batch were worth hundreds of Spirit Stones, and more importantly, a Second Order Qingxu Snake Demon Core was valued at over a thousand Spirit Stones. Hence, for this batch of five pills, the cost per pill was several hundred; such an effect was actually to be expected.


    Currently, with nine Dragon Bone Pills and over ten Qiuxing Fruits remaining, he wouldn¡¯t lack resources for cultivation for a few years.


    Regaining his composure, Lin Tianming closed his eyes and resumed cultivation.


    Months later¡­


    At the southern border of the Wei Kingdom, near the boundary with Jingzhou¡¯s Huangyang Kingdom, a sudden ear-splitting rumble echoed from a colossal canyon.


    The ground shook violently, fissures spreading for several miles around the valley, eventually giving way to a flash of golden light, followed by the sudden appearance of a barrier of light.


    This scene unfolded simultaneously across the vast expanse of land straddling the border between the Wei Kingdom and Huangyang Kingdom.


    The Whirlwind Mountain Range, located at the border of Jingzhou¡¯s Huangyang Kingdom and the Wei Kingdom, and only a thousand miles from the Luoyun Mountain Range of the Wei Kingdom, is a rarely populated and lawless region.


    The same upheaval occurred here as well, the ground splitting open as a barrier of light emerged.


    At that moment, the nearby cultivators quickly detected the disturbance and all rushed towards its source.


    A middle-aged cultivator at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining flew on a sword towards the heart of the Whirlwind Mountain Range.


    This man was named Li Zhen, a Loose Cultivator who had spent years roaming between the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World and the Huangyang Country Cultivation World.


    Upon noticing the commotion, he was certain that a treasure had emerged and flew straight toward the interior of the Whirlwind Mountain Range without hesitation.


    In no time, he reached the vicinity of the newly formed light barrier.


    By then, over a dozen Qi Refining Cultivators had gathered, all cautiously observing the barrier, hoping to discover something from it.


    All the cultivators present were of the Qi Refining Cultivation level, with limited experience, and were unable to discern anything about the sudden appearance of the light barrier.


    Among the crowd, a cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining became impatient. With a single-handed seal, he unleashed a blast of Sword Qi at the barrier.


    ¡°Clang¡­¡±


    With a resounding bang, the Sword Qi rapidly rebounded upon hitting the light barrier, hurtling back towards the cultivator who released it.


    The cultivator let out a scream; unable to dodge in time, his arm was severed by the rebounding Sword Qi.


    He turned pale and his face revealed a look of terror; had he not shifted his body just in time, he might have fallen right there.


    With this earlier example set, everyone else was afraid to act rashly.


    Seeing Li Zhen arrive, the assembled Qi Refining Cultivators stepped back and showed a wary expression.


    Li Zhen looked at the light barrier here and, thinking of the rumors of a secret realm opening in the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, swiftly concluded that this was indeed the opening of a secret realm.


    However, seeing the vigilant eyes of the crowd and the injured cultivator, he did not betray any unusual reaction.


    Casting another glance at the cultivators present, he no longer paid them any attention and flew away on his sword, disappearing from their sight.


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 Chapter 242 - 177: The Secret Realm Appears_2

    Chapter 242: Chapter 177: The Secret Realm Appears_2


    Qianchuan Market¡­


    In the Lin Family Cave Mansion Courtyard¡¯s training room, there was some strange movement coming from the Mysterious Moon Order inside the storage bag.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression changed, and he quickly took out the Mysterious Moon Order, then held it in his hand to inspect it.


    At that moment, the patterns on the Mysterious Moon Order became clear. Not only that, as he infused Spiritual Energy, he distinctly felt waves of fluctuation emanating from the token.


    The Mysterious Moon Order, silent for several years, reacted for the first time.


    A few breaths¡¯ time passed, and Lin Tianming¡¯s face showed ecstatic joy. He immediately sent out a message and then hurriedly rushed out of the training room.


    ...


    In no time, in the courtyard of the Cave Mansion, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu were sitting opposite each other.


    Seeing the expression on Lin Tianming¡¯s face, Lin Shilu was instantly alarmed and quickly thought of the reason.


    ¡°Tianming, has the Mysterious Moon Order responded?¡± he probed.


    After nodding, Lin Tianming replied, ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, the Mysterious Moon Order just stirred. When I infused it with Spiritual Energy, the patterns on it became clear. From the aura emitting from the token, it is clear that the Secret Realm has materialized!¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After speaking, Lin Tianming took out a Mysterious Moon Order and passed it to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s face lit up with joy as he took the Mysterious Moon Order and began to examine it carefully.


    Indeed, he quickly noticed the aura emanating from the Mysterious Moon Order and also sensed the conditions for entering the Secret Realm.


    At this time, Lin Shilu¡¯s face showed wild excitement as he spoke to himself.


    ¡°This Mysterious Moon Order is truly miraculous. If nothing unexpected occurs, there will be many entrances to the Secret Realm, and the conditions for entry are quite lenient. As long as one is not over a hundred years old, they can carry the token and enter the Secret Realm!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu affirm this, Lin Tianming¡¯s heart was also filled with excitement.


    An age limit of one hundred years was, by the standards of the Cultivation World¡¯s many Secret Realms, not high at all. It is said that some Secret Realms have very peculiar entry requirements, and often not many people meet the criteria, only able to watch helplessly as opportunities slip away before their eyes.


    Regathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming then asked, ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, what should we do next?¡±


    ¡°Such an opportunity, even if it is filled with extreme danger, we must not forsake it!¡±


    ¡°From the current situation, there is a month from the materialization to the opening of the Secret Realm. We need to immediately return to the family and inform the Third Brother and the others, then hasten to find the entrance to the Secret Realm and wait for its opening!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, aware of the urgency and that they had no time to delay.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose; let¡¯s set off for the family at once!¡± Lin Tianming declared.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s take action immediately!¡± responded Lin Shilu, then issued a transmission, summoning Lin Xingping over.


    Seeing the firm joy on the faces of Lin Tianming and another, Lin Xingping asked curiously:


    ¡°Fifteenth Uncle, I¡¯ve heard many rumors about Secret Realms recently. Does our family have a way to get in?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ indeed, that¡¯s the case!¡± Lin Shilu nodded in confirmation, then instructed:


    ¡°Tianming and I must rush back to the family immediately. I leave Qianchuan Market in your hands, Xingping. Remember not to stir up trouble or reveal our whereabouts. Just say we¡¯re in closed-door cultivation if anyone asks. If there¡¯s anything you can¡¯t deal with, you can seek the help of Daoist Ye!¡±


    Hearing the instructions, Lin Xingping stood up, his expression resolute as he said:


    ¡°Rest assured, Fifteenth Uncle, I will take good care of the market. Please, be safe!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s set off right away!¡±


    Having spoken, Lin Tianming and the other person immediately got up and left the courtyard of the Cave Mansion. After changing their appearance, they quickly made their way to the market entrance.


    Having left the market, the two of them did not stop for a moment, mounted the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, and turned into a dark shadow flying towards the south.


    Riding on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Shilu¡¯s Divine Sense was fully open, constantly monitoring every movement around them.


    And just like that, ten days passed in a blink of an eye¡­


    During this period, both the Qianchuan Mountain Range and the Whirlwind Mountain Range of Huangyang Kingdom were abuzz with activity as over ten entrances to the Secret Realm appeared, the news quickly spreading throughout these two regions.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming and the other were blissfully unaware, as they were in the midst of hastened travel.


    With Lin Shilu accompanying him, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t have to worry too much about safety, as the speed of the Purple Gold Eagle was pushed to its limit.


    In ten days, they had travelled from Qianchuan Market to the edge of Green Bamboo Mountain, and even passed by Golden Horn Mountain without having time to stop and greet Lin Xingrong.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming and his companion looked exhausted, but they forewent rest and dove straight into the Protective Clan Formation.


    Shortly thereafter, at the Cave Mansion Courtyard atop the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, where Lin Shikang resided.


    Lin Shikang, Lin Shihua, and Lin Shigong were gathered in the courtyard, staring wide-eyed at the two who had hastily returned.


    Knowing the urgency of the situation, Lin Shilu didn¡¯t hold back and immediately spoke up about the matter at hand.


    ¡°Third brother, the Mysterious Moon Order has activated, the Secret Realm has appeared!¡±


    ¡°What? The Secret Realm has appeared?¡±


    ¡°When? And what are the entry restrictions?¡±


    Upon hearing the news, the others exclaimed in shock, their faces filled with incredulous expressions.


    Lin Shilu was inundated with questions before he could even catch his breath.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming interjected with information about the Mysterious Moon Order.


    ¡°Ten days ago, the Mysterious Moon Order suddenly became active. We confirmed the requirements and restrictions for entering the Secret Realm, and without delay, we rushed back to the family to discuss the matter with our elders!¡±


    ¡°As for the restriction on entering the Secret Realm, any cultivator below the age of one hundred can enter freely!¡±


    Upon hearing these restrictions, the Lin Family was completely eligible, and the faces of Lin Shikang and the others were overjoyed.


    Lin Shikang was the first to regain his composure and immediately said:


    ¡°Shilu, among our family members under a hundred years old, your cultivation is the highest. My age doesn¡¯t meet the requirements, so it looks like we must rely on you!¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Lin Shihua also chimed in.


    ¡°Indeed, the Secret Realm is filled with unimaginable dangers. You must be careful on your own. If it truly becomes unsustainable, find a place to hide. When the Secret Realm closes, you will be transported out!¡±


    After speaking, Lin Shilu frowned, remembering that they only knew of Lin Tianming acquiring one Mysterious Moon Order, but were unaware that over a year ago, the two of them had obtained another token from Gu Tong.


    He chuckled and said, ¡°Third brother, after we killed Gu Tong in the Qianchuan Mountain Range, we acquired another token. We didn¡¯t pay much attention to it at the time and therefore didn¡¯t inform everyone!¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Lin Shikang was somewhat incredulous.


    Lin Tianming promptly took out both tokens and placed them before everyone.


    Lin Shikang picked up both tokens to examine them, and then laughed heartily.


    ¡°Truly, the heavens bless our Lin Family. With two tokens, our chances of seizing opportunities have greatly increased!¡±


    Lin Shihua was also thrilled and quickly added:


    ¡°Tianming¡¯s cultivation is not low, and he has fought side by side with Shilu on many occasions. Let¡¯s settle on these candidates for entering the Secret Realm.¡±


    Lin Shikang nodded, his gaze sweeping over the pair before asking for their opinions.


    Lin Tianming and his companion naturally wouldn¡¯t decline. Although entering the Secret Realm was fraught with immense danger and could even cost them their lives, among the family members under a hundred, only their cultivation was somewhat higher.


    Beyond that, the Secret Realm also offered vast opportunities. If they obtained treasures, they could keep a portion for themselves, which would be of great assistance on their path of cultivation.


    ¡°As Lin Family members, it is our bounden duty!¡± the two declared in unison.


    Lin Shikang nodded and then instructed:


    ¡°Shihua, you and a few others immediately gather some clanspeople above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. Search around Luoyun Market and the nearby Qianchuan Mountain Range. Once the Secret Realm Entrance is found, report back to the family without delay!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on it!¡±


    After responding, Lin Shihua stood up and left to summon family members and search for news.


    With Lin Shihua¡¯s departure, Lin Shikang began to issue orders:


    ¡°Shigong, I must stay to guard the family. You and a few others also need to go out and search for the Secret Realm Entrance. The Qi Refining Clanspeople¡¯s search is too slow; they can hardly gather any news. It will be easier for Foundation Establishment Cultivators to search!¡±


    ¡°Remember to focus on searching the major mountain ranges. Do not venture too deeply into the mountains and prioritize the mission over everything else!¡±


    Lin Tianming and the others nodded, understanding the urgency. Despite their fatigue and not having time to rest, they stood up and left the courtyard.


    After exiting the Protective Clan Formation, they briefly discussed before each chose a direction and hurriedly set off.


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 Chapter 243 - 178 Preparation_1

    Chapter 243: Chapter 178 Preparation_1


    In the southern part of the Luoyun Mountain Range, above a mundane city.


    Through the thick clouds, a Purple Gold Eagle swiftly flew over Qingfeng Town, heading straight towards the south.


    It had been nearly ten years since Lin Tianming last visited Qingfeng Town. Returning to this place and looking down at the vast range of buildings below, he felt a great sense of nostalgia.


    Following the end of the clan war within the Luoyun Mountain Range, many mortals from the Jin and Wu Families had been relocated, gathering in the five major towns of their clan. Now, Qingfeng Town had further expanded in size and its population had noticeably increased.


    Gazing at the newly-built wooden pavilions below and the city having expanded by a third, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t stay long before continuing to fly southward on the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Half a day later, Lin Tianming arrived at the southern part of Qingfeng Town, near the edge of the Whirlwind Mountain Range close to Huangyang Kingdom.


    ...


    He stopped atop a hill and gazed at the lofty, distant mountains on the horizon, lost in thought.


    Just then, three Qi Refining Cultivators flew in his direction as a group, their expressions showing some excitement.


    The three cultivators failed to notice Lin Tianming at all until they were a few hundred zhang away, when they finally realized he was standing with his arms folded, waiting for them to approach.


    Seeing Lin Tianming, the fact that they hadn¡¯t detected him sooner surely meant that he must be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, without a doubt.


    The highest-cultivated among them, Xiao Jingshan, looked somewhat nervous upon realizing this and did not dare to leave directly. He bravely came forward to pay his respects, followed closely by the other two who stepped up to the front of Lin Tianming.


    ¡°This younger generation pays respect to the senior!¡± The three, led by Xiao Jingshan, bowed respectfully with clasped hands.


    Lin Tianming waved dismissively, adopting an indifferent demeanor as he spoke, ¡°Why are you three in such a rush? Has something significant occurred?¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s interrogating words, the faces of Xiao Jingshan and the other two turned pale, and they immediately divulged the strange occurrences within the Whirlwind Mountain Range without any reservations.


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming was puzzled, but at this critical juncture, all peculiar events had to be thoroughly investigated.


    With this in mind, he asked, ¡°Is there a treasure that has appeared? In what exact location?¡±


    ¡°Senior, the three of us encountered it while cultivating in the Whirlwind Mountain Range. The location is at the edge of the mountain range, roughly a few hundred li to the south,¡± they replied.


    Before they had finished speaking, Lin Tianming remained composed and then spoke,


    ¡°Tell me the details. If I find this information interesting, I could reward you generously!¡±


    Hearing the promise of a reward, one of the Qi Refining Cultivators at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement immediately started speaking, eager to make a good impression.


    ¡°Senior, it was ten days ago when suddenly, there was a huge noise in that mountain range. The ground shook violently, and a crack opened on the valley floor out of nowhere. Soon after, a light screen appeared between heaven and earth that could reflect attacks. It is very bizarre!¡±


    ¡°Yes, at the time, many cultivators were drawn over, but no one could do anything about the light screen that appeared out of thin air. Some even had their arms severed by the rebounding attacks!¡±


    The three took turns explaining the strange happenings, providing far more detail than they had initially offered.


    In no time, Lin Tianming had a rough understanding of the situation and also knew the exact location of the valley.


    ¡°Without a doubt, the strange disturbances within the Whirlwind Mountain Range are the signs of a Secret Realm¡¯s emergence!¡± Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    Excited by the thought, Lin Tianming kept his emotions hidden, maintaining a distant expression.


    ¡°This information you¡¯ve provided is indeed interesting to me. Here is a little token of appreciation,¡± Lin Tianming said, and casually took out three hundred Spirit Stones, distributing them to the three Qi Refining Cultivators.


    Each person received a hundred Spirit Stones, which was nearly equivalent to several months of their earnings.


    Seeing the Spirit Stones, Xiao Jingshan and the others showed delighted expressions and quickly bowed to express their gratitude. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming gestured dismissively, then paid them no more attention.


    Now that he had found the entrance to a Secret Realm, he naturally wanted to investigate it immediately. After that, he would rush back to his clan. His time was pressing, and he needed to reach the Whirlwind Mountain Range with Lin Shilu as soon as possible. It would be a pity to miss the opportunity to enter the Secret Realm due to any delay.


    With this thought, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t linger and, with a great leap covering a hundred zhang, he quickly disappeared into the sky.


    Watching Lin Tianming vanish, Xiao Jingshan and the other two let out a sigh of relief, their faces filled with joy as they left together.


    ¡­


    By evening half a day later, Lin Tianming followed the directions provided by Xiao Jingshan and his companions, quickly arriving near the entrance to the Secret Realm.


    From a distance, he could see the earth cracked open, revealing a light screen with golden light twinkling and emitting faint fluctuations of a prohibition, easily discernible even from behind a small hill.


    ¡°It seems these three had the sense not to deceive me!¡± Lin Tianming murmured to himself, having confirmed the location of the Secret Realm Entrance. He didn¡¯t care for the darkness of night and turned directly north, flying away.


    Luckily, he wasn¡¯t too far from the Luoyun Mountain and no powers resided in this area. With the Purple Gold Eagle flying at full speed, it wouldn¡¯t take long to enter the territory of his clan.


    ¡­


    Two days later, Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Tianming, who had rushed back from the edge of the Whirlwind Mountain Range, plunged into the Protective Clan Formation.


    Once back on clan grounds, he immediately sent messages to several elders and made his way to Lin Shikang¡¯s abode to gather.


    In no time, he arrived at Lin Shikang¡¯s cave dwellings.


    Seeing Lin Tianming return first, Lin Shikang quickly pressed, ¡°Tianming, have you located the Secret Realm Entrance?¡±


    ¡°Third Grandfather, your nephew found an entrance to a Secret Realm at the border of Wei Kingdom and Huangyang Kingdom, within the Whirlwind Mountain Range!¡± Lin Tianming reported.


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 Chapter 244 - 178 Preparation_2

    Chapter 244: Chapter 178 Preparation_2


    Before the sound of his words faded, Lin Shikang¡¯s expression grew overjoyed, and his stern face instantly flushed with color.


    ¡°Are you certain you saw it with your own eyes?¡± Lin Shikang asked.


    As Lin Tianming recalled the scene he had witnessed, he assuredly replied:


    ¡°Third Grandfather, even from several miles away, I could easily detect the ripples of the barrier around the entrance to the Secret Realm and that golden glimmering light; I am definitely not mistaken!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s utterly affirmative words, Lin Shikang nodded, his heart brimming with joy.


    Lin Tianming, just as overjoyed, had sent out messages for a long time yet without seeing Lin Shilu and his grandfather arrive. He then asked:


    ...


    ¡°Third Grandfather, have my grandfather and Fifteenth Grandfather not returned yet?¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming bring up this matter, Lin Shikang said:


    ¡°You were all spread out in search of the Secret Realm Entrance; they probably haven¡¯t found it yet. You stay with the family, I¡¯ll immediately go and find Shilu!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, then instructed:


    ¡°Before we split up, I was responsible for searching the south, and Fifteenth Grandfather went to the Luoyun Mountain Range in the west. If nothing has gone wrong, he should still be in that direction!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be back quickly!¡±


    With that reply, Lin Shikang immediately vanished from his side, moving so quickly that even Lin Tianming could not detect him.


    ¡°Third Grandfather¡¯s Ninth Layer ability is truly terrifying!¡±


    Lin Tianming muttered softly to himself, then left his cave dwelling and returned to his own small courtyard.


    Sitting in the training room, Lin Tianming took out the Thousand Beast Banner as well as two Second Order Superior Attack Talismans and placed them before him.


    The entrance to the Secret Realm awaited, and what lay inside would certainly be fraught with deadly perils; he had to make full preparations.


    Gazing at these treasures, he fell deep into thought.


    Currently, in terms of attack, he had the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to entrap enemies, and the Thousand Beast Banner to assist; unfolding both tactics simultaneously would make it exceedingly difficult for foes to dodge.


    The Tiangang Sword would be utilized for launching attacks, and having reached the Foundation Establishment Second Layer, he could now conjure an additional sword strike; he hadn¡¯t tested the power of two conjured swords overlapping, but undoubtedly, it would be astonishing.


    Beyond that, the two Second Order Superior Attack Talismans were the cards up his sleeve for saving his life, not to be used lightly unless in a critical moment.


    It was only a pity that the sword qi generated by the Great Sun Sword Qi Art had already been used, and reassembling it quickly would yield sword qi that was too immature; barely a year and a half old, forcefully conjuring it would probably barely exceed the strength of an ordinary attack¡ªit would be impossible to use it against enemies.


    After reviewing his attack methods, Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    With his strength, he estimated that handling a Foundation Establishment Fourth Level cultivator wouldn¡¯t be a problem, and even if he faced a slightly weaker Foundation Establishment Fifth Level cultivator, he could manage some resistance.


    Collecting his thoughts, Lin Tianming started to organize his defensive measures.


    The defensive artifacts on his person were few, consisting only of two First Order Top-Quality Defensive Spiritual Weapons and three Second Order Low Grade Defense Talismans.


    Since Defense Talismans of Second Order Medium Quality and above were particularly rare, he had not prepared any, but with the Eye of Five Colors to spot flaws, attacking him wouldn¡¯t be so easy either.


    Though his defensive artifacts were few, as long as he did not encounter a Foundation Establishment Late-Stage cultivator, escaping defeat should be no issue.


    Having gathered his thoughts, Lin Tianming brought his palms together and began to cultivate, circulating his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation.


    Three days later¡­


    A Messaging Aura flew into his training room, causing Lin Tianming to furrow his brows, then he stood up and left the training room.


    In a short while, he arrived at Lin Shikang¡¯s cave dwelling.


    By then, Lin Shilu and Lin Shikang were sitting in the courtyard, both looking somewhat weary.


    Lin Tianming stepped forward and bowed to the two of them, saying, ¡°I greet Third Grandfather, I greet Fifteenth Grandfather!¡±


    Lin Shikang waved his hand, motioning him to sit down, while Lin Shilu smiled and then asked:


    ¡°Tianming, you found the entrance to the Secret Realm?¡±


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, Third Grandfather didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Lin Tianming asked, somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Of course he did, but it¡¯s just to confirm in passing!¡± Lin Shilu replied. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Alright, Shihua and the others have not yet returned to the family; with time pressing, we cannot wait for them. You two should set out for the entrance to the Secret Realm immediately; as soon as the moment arrives, enter the realm at once!¡±


    After Lin Shikang finished speaking, he took out two Second Order Medium Grade Attack Talismans and two Second Order Low Grade Defense Talismans and handed them to Lin Tianming and the other person.


    At the same time, he also took out two fiery red beads and handed one to each of them.


    ¡°Fire Spirit Pearl?¡± Lin Tianming¡¯s complexion was rosy with delight.


    The Fire Spirit Pearl was a one-time offensive treasure, made from the inner core of a Second Order Fire Elemental Demonic Beast. The higher the grade of the inner core, the greater the power of the Fire Spirit Pearl that was refined, and the greater the difficulty of its creation, making it quite precious.


    The Fire Spirit Pearls that Lin Shikang took out were clearly refined from the inner cores of Late Stage Second Order Demonic Beasts, so their power was naturally significant.


    Neither person acted pretentiously and casually accepted the talismans and beads. Lin Shikang then spoke again, advising them:


    ¡°There will definitely be many Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators entering the Secret Realm, as well as people from the Five Great Golden Core Forces; their strengths are very strong. The slightly better treasures from our family are these. You should carry them all, and remember to prioritize your safety. After the Secret Realm closes, I will wait at the entrance to pick you up!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, then stood up and clasped his fists, replying with a resolute expression:


    ¡°Third Brother, rest assured, Tian Ming and I will definitely be cautious and ensure our safe return!¡±


    ¡°Third Grandfather, don¡¯t worry, we will definitely return safely!¡± Lin Tianming said with equal firmness.


    ¡°Go then!¡±


    Lin Tianming and the other stood up, clasped their fists, and together walked out of Lin Shikang¡¯s cave dwelling.


    Once out of the clan¡¯s territory, the two of them wasted no time mounting the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s back, and then they turned into a streak of afterimage before disappearing from Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Shilu took out the two talismans given by Lin Shikang, and then pulled out a blue shield, which was a Second Order Low Grade Artifact.


    ¡°Tian Ming, last time we killed quite a few Qingxu Snakes and obtained many scales. I used Second Order scales and added a lot of valuable Spirit Materials to refine two Second Order Magical Artifacts. I kept one of the Second Order Medium Quality ones for myself, and this Second Order Low Grade Defense Artifact was specially refined for you,¡± said Lin Shilu.


    As he finished speaking, Lin Shilu passed the little blue shield and the two talismans to Lin Tianming.


    Second Order Defense Artifacts were rare; many Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Loose Cultivators didn¡¯t even have a Second Order Low Grade Attack Artifact, much less a Defense Artifact.


    Yet Lin Shilu always considered Tian Ming¡¯s best interests, unhesitatingly giving the precious Second Order Defense Artifact to him.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s eyes turned slightly red, and he quickly spoke up:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, the Secret Realm is full of dangers, and even you dare not say that it will be safe. You should keep it for yourself!¡±


    Lin Shilu chuckled heartily, speaking earnestly:


    ¡°Silly boy, I have a Second Order Medium Quality Artifact. These talismans are actually not so useful for me; they are better off with you. Only if you are safe will I have no concerns, won¡¯t I?¡±


    After Lin Shilu said this much, Lin Tianming was no longer ceremonious. He took the small shield and talismans, then waved them around, showing a look of loving them dearly.


    After a hearty laugh, Lin Shilu spoke, reminding Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Name this Defense Artifact and refine it as quickly as possible. This journey is fraught with immense danger but also huge opportunities. Once again, grandfather and grandson fight side by side!¡±


    ¡°Yes, with grandfather and grandson working together, we will definitely return safely!¡± Lin Tianming said with determination.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming and the other chatted for a few moments, named the small shield the Green Scale Shield, and then began to close their eyes and rest.


    With the Green Scale Shield, his defense for the trip was further strengthened, taking his strength up another notch.


    Pleased beyond measure, Lin Tianming played with the shield for a while, then circulated his cultivation and rested, waiting for his condition to reach its peak before he began to refine the Green Scale Shield.


    Holding the Green Scale Shield, he cast several Law Decrees, then spat fresh blood onto the shield and began the refinement process.


    One day later, the luster on the Green Scale Shield was bright, and the densely packed runes on its surface became even more lively.


    Seeing that the refinement was almost complete, Lin Tianming began imprinting his Divine Sense into the core of the Green Scale Shield.


    Two days later, the refinement of the Green Scale Shield was completed.


    Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming struck the shield with a Law Decree, then infused it with Spiritual Energy. The Green Scale Shield instantly expanded and quickly formed a solid shield in front of him.


    Lin Tianming slammed a Sword Qi against the shield, which was easily blocked without leaving even a faint mark.


    Lin Tianming was very satisfied and gained some understanding of the Green Scale Shield¡¯s defensive power.


    By his estimation, the shield could easily withstand attacks from someone at the Foundation Building Fourth Level, and even to break through it with his full-powered attack would take considerable effort.


    After handling the shield for a while, Lin Tianming stored it away, and then he closed his eyes to cultivate and rest.


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 Chapter 245 - 179 Seven-Colored Golden Lotus_1

    Chapter 245: Chapter 179 Seven-Colored Golden Lotus_1


    Huangyang Kingdom, Whirlwind Mountain Range.


    The Purple Gold Eagle carried Lin Tianming and his companion southward. After three days of flying with a brief rest overnight, they finally arrived near the Secret Realm Entrance in the evening.


    By that time, more than twenty days had passed since the Secret Realm became visible. When a month was reached, they would be able to enter the realm with the Mysterious Realm Token.


    Lin Tianming and his companion landed in a small valley outside the Secret Realm Entrance, preparing to cultivate there and wait out the last ten days.


    The place was less than fifty miles from the Secret Realm Entrance and far from the land of disputes, which made it relatively safe for the time being.


    They quickly set up a simple cave dwelling in a nearby valley and both entered to begin seclusion.


    ...


    The long journey had left Lin Tianming and his companion quite exhausted, with significant consumption of spiritual power and Divine Sense, leaving them in poor condition.


    Both sat cross-legged in the cave. Lin Shilu took out an elixir, swallowed it, and quickly entered a state of cultivation.


    Lin Tianming wasn¡¯t idle either. With ten days left, he wanted to enhance his cultivation as much as possible to survive in the Secret Realm. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With that thought in mind, he casually took out a Sparse Star Fruit and swallowed it without hesitation.


    Inside the cave dwelling, the sound of their even breathing carried through as they both entered a deep state of cultivation.


    At this moment, many mountain ranges in both Wei Kingdom and Huangyang Kingdom had visible entrances to Secret Realms, the news of which had spread quickly throughout the Cultivation World. From Golden Elixir Experts to Qi Training Cultivators, everyone was paying attention to the affairs of the Secret Realm.


    In the outskirts of the Qianchuan Mountain Range, within the layers of overlapping mountains shrouded in year-round dense fog, lay a scene that looked like a paradise on earth.


    Before a vast square, Zhenyang Sect¡¯s gate looked majestic and solemn, filled with an ancient air.


    More than ten cultivators stood respectfully on the white jade square, each with a different expression¡ªsome brimming with excitement, others filled with worry, though most remained calm.


    In front of them stood an old man with thinning white hair and a Daoist bearing, hands clasped behind his back. The breeze lifted his robe, revealing an aura of a formidable being.


    This man was named Du Qiong. An old Golden Core Cultivator and the Second Elder of Zhenyang Sect, he had held a high position and had broken through to the Golden Core Stage over two hundred years ago.


    Turning his head to gaze at the more than ten people before him, Du Qiong then spoke seriously,


    ¡°The Xuan Yue Mysterious Realm has opened. This is an unclaimed Profound Secret Realm, extremely dangerous within. Apart from Demonic Beasts, there will also be disciples from other forces!¡±


    ¡°According to my knowledge, other Golden Core Forces in Wei Kingdom will have varying numbers of disciples entering, and even the neighboring Huangyang Kingdom has many forces that have obtained the Mysterious Moon Order. They too will be involved.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, the expressions of the more than ten people on the field changed somewhat, but none retreated.


    Observing his disciples and Sect members, a fleeting and almost imperceptible smile crossed Du Qiong¡¯s aged face.


    ¡°Chu Jie.¡±


    Hearing Du Qiong¡¯s call, a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level stepped forward, standing respectfully before the elder, awaiting orders.


    ¡°Though this journey is fraught with dangers, it also contains great opportunities. As the disciple with the highest cultivation in the team, you will take charge of leading them.¡±


    ¡°I will heed the Second Elder¡¯s decree,¡± Chu Jie replied firmly and respectfully.


    With a nod, Du Qiong continued,


    ¡°All disciples must follow orders, work together with sincerity, both for yourselves and to obtain more treasures for the Sect. Understand?¡±


    ¡°We will honor the Second Elder¡¯s decree,¡± all of them answered in unison with a salute.


    Turning away, Du Qiong waved his sleeve, and a palm-sized, intricately crafted boat appeared in his hand¡ªit was a Flying Artifact.


    He sent a spell into the miniature boat, which immediately expanded countless times in size. It quickly transformed into a Spirit Boat over thirty feet long, suspended above the square, and sporadically flickering with the light of runes.


    Seeing the Spirit Boat grow, the eyes of the surrounding cultivators burned with desire, as such Spirit Artifacts¡ªlet alone Magic Artifacts¡ªwere rare, and typically only Golden Elixir Experts could afford to use them.


    ¡°Set off!¡±


    Without paying further attention to the crowd, Du Qiong leapt up after his light command and landed steadily on the Spirit Boat.


    Hearing Du Qiong¡¯s order, the cultivators gathered their focus and one by one jumped onto the Spirit Boat, then stood to one side.


    As Du Qiong looked westward, he cast a spell on the Spirit Boat, which until then had been motionless. Suddenly, the craft shot forward, becoming a blur, and vanished from its original spot.


    As the Secret Realm manifested and its opening approached, such scenes unfolded simultaneously in several Golden Elixir Forces within Wei Kingdom.


    Not just them, but also Foundation Establishing Families and Loose Cultivators rushed in large numbers toward the Secret Realm Entrance. Although many came just for the excitement, there were also cultivators with ulterior motives mixing in among them.


    ¡­As ten days passed in a flurry¡­


    Whirlwind Mountain Range at dawn, with night not yet completely gone and the early morning light just starting to rise.


    Inside the simple cave where Lin Tianming and his companion had secluded themselves,


    Lin Shilu was the first to open his eyes, feeling the state of his body, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.


    During these few days, he hadn¡¯t been idle either, cultivating diligently, doing everything possible to improve his cultivation level in preparation for entering the Secret Realm.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming heard movement and also awoke from his deep state of cultivation.


    After ten days, having consumed a Sparse Star Fruit, he had elevated his spiritual power cultivation and organized his offensive and defensive methods, fully preparing himself.


    Lin Tianming got up and walked to the entrance of the cave, where it was just starting to get light. The dim sky was growing brighter as the light screen at the Secret Realm Entrance turned more substantial.


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 Chapter 246 - 179 Seven-Colored Golden Lotus_2

    Chapter 246: Chapter 179 Seven-Colored Golden Lotus_2


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, is today the day the secret realm opens?¡± Lin Tianming asked.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Lin Shilu nodded, then stood up and, as he walked away, he said:


    ¡°Tianming, today is indeed the day the Secret Realm Entrance opens. Are you prepared?¡±


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, Tianming has been prepared for a long time. To others, the secret realm may indeed be dangerous, but it also presents a great opportunity. The path of cultivation is inherently against the natural order, and if we, as cultivators, lose our adventurous spirit, we are bound not to get far,¡± Tianming replied.


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s bold and vigorous words, Lin Shilu nodded in satisfaction, feeling immensely gratified in his heart.


    However, considering how important Lin Tianming¡¯s talents were for the family, he could not help but caution:


    ...


    ¡°Tianming, I¡¯m very pleased with your ambition and spirit, but don¡¯t be overly confident. There are countless strong figures in this world, and many genius cultivators with outstanding talent have fallen halfway.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Fifteenth Grandfather, Tianming remembers your advice,¡± Lin Tianming responded.


    Lin Shilu nodded with a smile, feeling very reassured about Lin Tianming, but he still tirelessly reminded him:


    ¡°The secret realm is full of dangers. The Five Great Golden Core Forces will surely enter, and we must be cautious. Don¡¯t come into conflict with the big powers and prioritize our own safety above everything else.¡±


    Lin Tianming knew that Lin Shilu was nagging him for his own good. Touched by his concern and with a resolute attitude, he said:


    ¡°Understood, please rest assured, elder.¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s confident demeanor, Lin Shilu said no more. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, let us set off now.¡±


    With that, Lin Shilu strode out of the cave, with Lin Tianming following closely behind without delay.


    Outside the cave, after concealing the entrance, the two of them quickly headed toward the distant light barrier.


    An hour and a half later, they arrived at the valley where the Secret Realm Entrance was located.


    By now, dozens of people had already gathered at the valley entrance. They were either alone or in small groups, with more people continuously arriving.


    Looking around, the majority of those present were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, with a few Qi Refining Cultivators standing by and watching from a distance.


    Fortunately, not spotting any trace of the Golden Elixir Forces, the group of cultivators each occupied a small area on the hillside and sat down to meditate, waiting for the secret realm to open.


    Upon seeing this, Lin Tianming and his companion let out a sigh of relief and landed on an unoccupied hilltop.


    Their arrival only caused the cultivators present to frown slightly before disregarding them.


    The two of them naturally did not seek trouble and found a flat spot to sit down and meditate, while also covertly keeping an eye on the activity around them.


    Time slowly passed by, and an hour went by.


    At noon, the sun shone brightly.


    The scorching sunlight shone down on the earth, and the pale golden rays penetrated through the clouds, illuminating the golden light barrier.


    As the color of the light barrier became more solid, everyone knew that the secret realm was about to open.


    At this moment, a black-robed figure suddenly descended from the sky, stopping on a hilltop not far from the Secret Realm Entrance.


    ¡°Long Hai?¡± a cultivator exclaimed.


    Seeing Long Hai, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator who occupied this hilltop dared not show any dissatisfaction and quickly vacated the spot, moving elsewhere.


    The Black Robed Cultivator ignored everyone¡¯s gazes and sat down on a rock to meditate.


    His reputation seemed to be quite significant, as he made no effort to disguise himself, allowing the cultivators present to recognize him easily.


    Lin Tianming and his companion also had their attention drawn to this person. As they knew, most people would enter the secret realm stealthily, not showing their true appearance, and would even conceal their aura.


    The fact that this person did not bother to hide indicated great confidence in his strength, not worrying about being targeted or robbed.


    Observing Long Hai from several hilltops away, Lin Tianming sent a telepathic message to Lin Shilu.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, have you ever heard of Long Hai?¡±


    Upon being asked, Lin Shilu pondered for a moment before replying telepathically:


    ¡°Looking at his demeanor, his cultivation is not low, at least at Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, yet within the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, I have never heard of this name. He is most likely from the Huangyang Country Cultivation World!¡±


    After hearing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression turned grave. A Loose Cultivator with a Foundation Establishment Eighth Level cultivating in this place likely possessed a Mysterious Moon Order. If they encountered this person in the secret realm, their chances of victory were slim.


    ¡°The opening of this secret realm has indeed attracted a large number of cultivators. Apart from the Golden Core Forces, even among the Loose Cultivators, there are some with profound cultivation. It seems this journey is fraught with extreme danger!¡± Lin Tianming thought to himself. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another quarter of an hour passed, and the number of cultivators in the canyon had increased significantly. From a few dozen at the beginning, there were now more than a hundred waiting.


    ¡°Giggle giggle giggle¡­¡±


    At that moment, a light laughter came along. A richly dressed young woman suddenly appeared on one of the hilltops, attracting the gaze of most cultivators.


    This woman was dressed in blue palace robes, her eyes were like silk, and she twisted her slender waist as she looked over the crowd.


    Any cultivator her gaze touched, especially those below the late Foundation Establishment stage, could not help but become entranced, falling into a daze.


    Only after a few breaths did the affected cultivators regain their clarity. Those who came to their senses changed their expressions dramatically and no longer dared to look directly into her eyes.


    ¡°Giggle¡­ I didn¡¯t expect Brother Long Hai to be here as well. It seems I won¡¯t be lonely on this trip!¡±


    The laughter of the richly dressed young woman echoed around, drawing the attention of Lin Tianming and his companion as well.


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 Chapter 247 - 179 Seven-Colored Golden Lotus_3

    Chapter 247: Chapter 179 Seven-Colored Golden Lotus_3


    Lin Tianming and his companion also opened their eyes, sizing up the palace-dressed young woman and casting a wary look at the momentarily bewildered cultivators around them.


    Meanwhile, Long Hai regarded the enchanting woman opposite him with an unchanging expression.


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡±


    ¡°Yun Xianzi, there¡¯s no need to put on an act before me. Your little tricks have no effect on me. It would be best for you to keep your distance in the Secret Realm, otherwise I don¡¯t mind destroying beauty!¡±


    Long Hai coldly uttered these words and then paid no further attention to Yun Yanrong across from him. On the surface, he seemed indifferent, but internally, he was filled with apprehension.


    ¡°Giggle¡­ Brother Long really doesn¡¯t spare any pity for beauties¡­ how boring!¡±


    ...


    Yun Yanrong retorted and then her expression turned serious. She closed her mesmerizing eyes as she waited for the Secret Realm to open.


    Lin Shilu was sizing up this unfamiliar female cultivator when he secretly sent a message to Lin Tianming.


    ¡°Tianming, this female cultivator is not simple. She is skilled in Illusion Technique; once affected by it, even for just a moment or two, one could lose their life!¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s reminder, Lin Tianming nodded. Inwardly, he was curious whether his Eye of Five Colors, which could see through restrictions and formations and had a great suppressing effect on illusions, would be effective against Yun Yanrong whose cultivation far exceeded his own.


    ¡°I hope I don¡¯t run into these two ruthless individuals,¡± Lin Tianming muttered to himself.


    ¡°Tianming, once we enter the Secret Realm, it¡¯s best if we don¡¯t separate. If we do get separated, it¡¯s very dangerous to act alone. We should leave bamboo markers to indicate our path and so facilitate a quick reunion,¡± Lin Shilu instructed via a mental message.


    After receiving Lin Shilu¡¯s orders, Lin Tianming nodded in agreement and, after giving a few instructions, ceased the mental communication as he waited for the Secret Realm to open.


    Time slowly passed, half an hour went by.


    The sunlight was at its peak at this time of the day, and as the golden yellow light on the barrier grew deeper, the opening of the Secret Realm was imminent.


    ¡°Rumble rumble¡­¡±


    Once again, the ground began to shake, and a ten-zhang-wide gap slowly formed on the golden yellow barrier.


    ¡°The Secret Realm has opened!¡± A few cultivators in the crowd pointed at the gap on the barrier, shouting excitedly.


    At that moment, all the cultivators present opened their eyes, their gazes fervently fixed on the gap in the barrier.


    On two mountain peaks, Long Hai and Yun Yanrong each took out a Mysterious Moon Order, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the token. The blood quickly disappeared into the tokens.


    In an instant, the tokens emitted a bright light and then released a sphere of light that directly entered their foreheads and vanished.


    Long Hai and Yun Yanrong leapt up and rushed into the gap in the barrier, disappearing from everyone¡¯s sight.


    Watching the two enter the Secret Realm, cultivators holding the Mysterious Moon Order began to follow suit.


    A cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Second Layer stood atop a mountain peak, taking out a Mysterious Moon Order and spewing blood onto it.


    Just as the blood was about to fall onto the Mysterious Moon Order, a shadow flashed from behind on another peak, snatching the token directly from his hand.


    The blood sprayed onto the stones in front of the cultivator. Realizing what had happened, the shocked cultivator hastily shot out a fireball towards the shadow.


    The shadow turned back and with a slash, a Sword Qi engulfed the panic-stricken cultivator.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Ahh¡­¡±


    Two agonized screams sounded. When the dust settled, the silhouette of the cultivator emerged. Struck back by the shadow, the young cultivator had lost an arm and lay weakened on a stone.


    While everyone was still in a state of shock, the shadow had already taken out blood to activate the token and then dashed as a phantom into the gap of the barrier, vanishing from sight.


    From the token being snatched to the young cultivator being injured, then to the activation of the token and entry into the gap of the barrier ¨C all of these events happened in the blink of an eye.


    Before the crowd could react, a series of actions had been completed.


    With the token snatched and the cultivator wounded, his expression sullen, he immediately took to his flying sword and left.


    This person was quite decisive. Now injured and with his power halved in the presence of so many covetous cultivators, he did not leave, perhaps even his life would have been forfeited there. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While the departure of the injured young cultivator drew everyone¡¯s attention, Lin Tianming and his companion quickly took out their Mysterious Moon Orders, spitting blood onto the tokens.


    By the time the others reacted, several ferocious-looking cultivators had already rushed over, each clutching a Magic Artifact in their hands.


    For a moment, the flashing of blades and swords seemed to engulf them both.


    Learning from the earlier example, Lin Tianming and his companion were prepared, with Second Order Talisman paper in hand, they activated it, forming several barriers in front of them.


    ¡°Boom boom boom¡­¡±


    With several loud crashes, the barriers blocked the attacks. At that moment, the tokens shot out two Spirit Groups.


    As the light spheres entered their foreheads, the two immediately felt a warmth on their brows, and the Spirit Groups eventually vanished into their minds.


    Lin Tianming and his companion dared not delay; Lin Shilu grabbed Lin Tianming with one hand and a Spirit Sword with the other, unleashing a tremendous Sword Qi as they both charged into the gap in the barrier.


    Not until their figures disappeared did the several cultivators who had tried to intercept them curse in frustration.


    At this time, the expressions on the faces of the cultivators at the scene were all tense, witnessing such a scenario, some cultivators with Mysterious Moon Orders began to hesitate.


    If they activated their tokens, they would inevitably attract the attention of others, possibly even losing their lives if they failed to rush into the Secret Realm Entrance.


    If they didn¡¯t try to use the token, the Mysterious Moon Order in their hand could turn into a mere fantasy, missing out on this opportunity for nothing.


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 Chapter 248 - 179 Seven-Colored Golden Lotus_4

    Chapter 248: Chapter 179 Seven-Colored Golden Lotus_4


    Watching as the tear in the light screen gradually shrank, if they didn¡¯t make a move now, it would be too late. Some cultivators seemed to have made up their minds.


    A cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level was the first to act, but those with impure motives weren¡¯t going to give up the dwindling opportunity.


    Soon, the scene turned chaotic, as cultivators took advantage of the turmoil to activate their tokens, hoping to rush into the Secret Realm Entrance amidst the confusion.


    As the tear at the Secret Realm Entrance slowly closed, the light screen returned to its original form.


    After a chaotic battle, several cultivators still risked their lives to charge into the Secret Realm Entrance, and everyone was above the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level in cultivation, having gone through a baptism of blood and blade to complete the feat perilously.


    The valley at this time was a sorry sight, littered with ruins and over a dozen corpses sprawled on the ground.


    ...


    In addition, there were dozens more injured cultivators, each regretfully looking at the restored light screen, their hearts filled with unknown thoughts.


    To obtain opportunity one had to pay a bloody price, but such a shocking scene had nothing to do with Lin Tianming and his companion.


    When Lin Tianming and his partner entered the Secret Realm Entrance, and after a dizzy spell, Lin Tianming found himself in a swamp with no one else around.


    As expected, upon entering the Secret Realm, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu were randomly separated.


    Once everything returned to normal, Lin Tianming started to survey this utterly unfamiliar place.


    It was a vast swamp, as far as the eye could see, shrouded in a pale green poison fog, which even affected his Divine Sense, reducing it by at least a third, he estimated.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming looked tense, quickly taking out a dark green pill from his storage bag¡ªbefore this, he had specially prepared a few such elixirs, spending a hefty sum, and each had retained three pills, in case they encountered this kind of poisonous fog.


    In just a short while, Lin Tianming felt the inhaled poison fog causing a throbbing pain in his chest; his expression grave, he didn¡¯t hesitate to swallow the Detoxifying Pill in his hand.


    Having done all this, he gripped the Tiangang Sword in his hand and swung it a few times, creating a discreet bamboo mark on the ground.


    ¡°I hope Fifteenth Grandfather quickly discovers my mark so we can meet up soon; it¡¯s too dangerous to be alone!¡±


    After muttering to himself, Lin Tianming, looking at the mark hidden on a mound of dirt, shot off in the direction the bamboo point was indicating.


    After walking for half a day, Lin Tianming arrived beside a pond.


    Standing on a rock at the edge of the pond, Lin Tianming fell into a moment of contemplation. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Strange¡­ this swamp is too big. Half a day¡¯s journey and I haven¡¯t reached the edge, nor have I encountered any other cultivators, not even the shadow of a demonic beast!¡±


    ¡°Is this the legendary, peril-filled Secret Realm?¡±


    ¡°It feels too unreal!¡±


    While Lin Tianming talked to himself, he scrutinized the pond spanning tens of feet before him.


    ¡°Eh¡­ This pond seems rather strange!¡±


    Lin Tianming murmured softly, noticing something odd about the pond in front of him; despite a breeze blowing by, the not-so-small pond remained completely waveless, calm as a mirror, which was simply too eerie.


    Under normal circumstances, winds would create ripples across a body of water of this size, but this pond was too still, unsettlingly so.


    ¡°No matter¡­ this place is too strange. Best to leave for now!¡±


    Lin Tianming made up his mind; since nothing had emerged, no demonic beasts or treasures, he wouldn¡¯t go looking for trouble.


    Just as he turned to leave, the undisturbed water surface produced a single ripple, and then, from the center of the pond, a seven-colored lotus emerged.


    This lotus had only seven petals, each a different color, swaying in the light wind, casting a beautiful seven-colored halo on the surface of the pond.


    Seeing the lotus appear on the still water, Lin Tianming¡¯s face lit up with joy as he exclaimed.


    ¡°The Seven-Colored Golden Lotus!¡±


    The Seven-Colored Golden Lotus was a Third Order Spiritual Material, with every part valuable; its petals could be used to refine elixirs, many of which used these petals as auxiliary materials. Consuming the petals could also enhance one¡¯s cultivation.


    Beyond that, once the Golden Lotus¡¯s petals fell, they would form varying numbers of seeds. These seeds were truly precious, each capable of strengthening a cultivator¡¯s vital energy and refining their internal organs with remarkable effects, a rare treasure for Body Cultivators.


    Lin Tianming, watching the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus, started to breathe more heavily.


    ¡°I must obtain it!¡±


    Lin Tianming thought resolutely. However, the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus was still not fully ripe and probably needed more time before it could form the seeds¡ªan ordeal that could take half a day to several days.


    Apart from that, once the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus matured, it was bound to attract demonic beasts, certainly leading to a struggle for possession.


    Even so, Lin Tianming was not about to pass up such an excellent opportunity.


    Deciding, he took out fifty-six Earth Evil Swords and covertly positioned all the Spirit Swords in the swamp surrounding the pond, just in case he encountered other cultivators or demonic beasts, so that he could be prepared.


    After doing all this, the Earth Evil Swords were hidden in the mud, nearly undetectable to the unwary eye.


    Lin Tianming breathed a sigh of relief, then quietly found a small mound, dug out a few feet deep cave, reclined within, and closed in on his mind, concealing his breath as he began to wait.


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 Chapter 249 - 180 Innocent Bystander_1

    Chapter 249: Chapter 180 Innocent Bystander_1


    In a valley within the secret realm, Lin Shilu¡¯s steps were light as he flitted across the treetops.


    From the moment he entered the secret realm until now, when his figure emerged, he was constantly on edge, navigating through this vast valley.


    His luck had been fairly good, not being thrown directly into the path of any demonic beasts, but it wasn¡¯t exceptionally good either, as he hadn¡¯t appeared directly in front of a treasure of heaven and earth.


    At this moment, he had already been traveling through the valley for two days, covering hundreds of miles. He hadn¡¯t encountered any demonic beasts on his way but had collected a few Second Order spiritual medicines, which was somewhat of a reward.


    ¡°Huh? Seems like there¡¯s some noise!¡± Lin Shilu thought he had discovered something!


    He quickly turned his body and concealed himself within the dense foliage of a large tree, gazing intently ahead. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Before long, a blue-robed cultivator passed by in front of him, his expression looking somewhat odd, as if, like him, he was puzzled by the lack of living creatures around.


    This was the only cultivator Lin Shilu had discovered in the two days since he had entered the secret realm, and the only living creature he had seen. Apart from this person, there wasn¡¯t even a bird in sight.


    Lin Shilu concealed his presence extremely well; the passing cultivator did not notice him.


    ¡°Forget it, the most important thing now is to find Tian Ming. It¡¯s too dangerous to wander in this vast secret realm alone, I should not create unnecessary complications for now!¡±


    Lin Shilu secretly thought to himself, and only after the person disappeared in the distance and he could no longer sense his presence, did he emerge from the dense foliage and continue on his way.


    After one day had passed, Lin Shilu finally crossed the vast valley and arrived at a swamp.


    Stopping at the edge of the swamp and looking at the thick poisonous fog before him, he hurriedly took out a Detoxifying Pill and swallowed it, then continued to move forward.


    After walking for a day, he still hadn¡¯t crossed the swamp. Looking around at the poison fog, he felt a bit lost.


    The situation was too peculiar; he had thought the secret realm would be full of dangers at every turn, but to his surprise, he hadn¡¯t encountered anything along the way. He had barely left the valley and now arrived at this swamp, which he had no idea how large it was.


    Having walked for so long and still not out, he was now at a loss about where to go next, making him feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.


    Lin Shilu looked resigned as he was about to adjust his direction and prepare to leave when he quietly discovered a discreet marking on a nearby mound.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Seeing the marking, he didn¡¯t hesitate a moment and immediately dashed over, arriving at the marked mound.


    Looking at the bamboo marking on the ground, Lin Shilu¡¯s face lit up with joy, and he immediately looked in the direction it pointed.


    ¡°Finally found traces of Tian Ming!¡± Lin Shilu murmured to himself, his heart filled with excitement.


    He had assumed that the secret realm would scatter them far and wide, but unexpectedly they weren¡¯t too far apart; a few days¡¯ travel, for this secret realm of unknown size, could be considered relatively close.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because the two of us entered together that we weren¡¯t scattered too far apart, otherwise it really would have been troublesome!¡±


    Lin Shilu muttered softly to himself and then quickly followed the direction indicated by the marking.


    ¡­


    At the swamp, beside a placid pond.


    Time slowly passed, and night gradually fell.


    In the cave by the pond, Lin Tianming¡¯s divine sense was fully activated, constantly monitoring every movement in his surroundings.


    It had been two days since the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus had surfaced, and there was still no sign of a lotus pod forming, let alone seeing the shadow of a lotus seed.


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus formed yet? If this continues, other cultivators will be attracted, which could spell trouble!¡±


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, feeling helpless. Despite his urgency, all he could do was wait patiently.


    Deep into the night¡­


    The petals of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus deepened in color, their multicolored light shining like a bright lamp in the darkness, visible from a hundred yards away.


    A breeze swept by, and the petals of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus began to fall, floating on the calm surface of the water, with a unique fragrance drifting through the air.


    Seeing this, a hint of joy flashed across Lin Tianming¡¯s face, but it quickly turned serious.


    The blooming of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus in the night was so eye-catching that it was bound to cause trouble, especially since demonic beasts were accustomed to being active at night. There was a chance that the beasts would smell the unusual fragrance or see the dazzling light.


    Under such circumstances, obtaining the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus would likely entail a significant struggle!


    ¡°Fortunately, although this poisonous fog brings trouble, it also effectively shields the bright light and prevents the strange aroma of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus from spreading. Only by approaching this pond can the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus be discovered!¡±


    Hidden in a cave, Lin Tianming thought to himself, praying that no trouble would come his way.


    Unfortunately, his wish was not granted. Ripples suddenly formed on the previously undisturbed water surface, and a large snake covered in green spots emerged from the water, opening its huge mouth as snake saliva dripped from its green-spotted hide onto the pond bank, making one¡¯s scalp tingle.


    ¡°Green-Spotted Poison Python!¡±


    Upon seeing the snake¡¯s head emerge, Lin Tianming¡¯s face turned anxious, but he dared not make any rash moves.


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python was a water-attribute demonic beast and contained a faint trace of an Ancient True Dragon¡¯s blood. Although diluted, it was not to be underestimated and was quite rare in the current Cultivation World, likely only present in some secret realms.


    And this Green-Spotted Poison Python was a Second Order Late-Stage demon beast. The divine skills of ancient monster serpents were strong, and this snake¡¯s power was probably not less than that of a cultivator at the Eighth Level of Foundation Establishment.


    Thinking this, Lin Tianming inwardly felt alarmed.


    Fortunately, he had not stayed by the pond; otherwise, being discovered by this serpent, he might already have become its prey.


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 Chapter 250 - 180 Innocent Bystander_2

    Chapter 250: Chapter 180 Innocent Bystander_2


    Just as his mind wandered beyond the earthly plane, the Green-Spotted Poison Python in the water pool moved. It swam around the pool as if patrolling its surroundings.


    After circling around, the Green-Spotted Poison Python didn¡¯t seem to detect anything abnormal and returned to the side of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus.


    Looking at the seven colorful petals that had fallen into the pool, the Green-Spotted Poison Python opened its mouth wide and sucked forcefully, causing several petals to slide over along with the water flow.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming felt a pang of regret.


    If Lin Shilu were here, the two of them together might have been able to snatch a few petals, but with his strength alone, he dared not reveal even a breath of his presence, which would be no different from seeking death. He could only watch as the precious petals were swallowed by the monster serpent.


    Just as the monster serpent was about to swallow the petals, a sound of breaking air came.


    ...


    A grey-robed cultivator emerged from the poison mist, holding a Crescent Hook Artifact in his hand, and on his Daoist robe hung a dark green gourd.


    ¡°Evil creature, dare not!¡±


    The grey-robed cultivator shouted angrily, and the Crescent Hook Artifact in his hand shone brightly, sending moon-shaped spots of light directly at the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    Meanwhile, the Green-Spotted Poison Python, seeing the moon-shaped spots of light coming at high speed, had no choice but to abandon the petals at its mouth.


    Raising its head, the Green-Spotted Poison Python saw the approaching spots of light and spat out a green mist, engulfing all the light spots within it.


    ¡°Ssssss¡­Sss¡­¡±


    A series of strange sounds came as the light spots in the green mist corroded, producing a plume of black smoke that rose up.


    Although the attack from the magic artifact was corroded away, the grey-robed cultivator did not panic at all, instead revealing an expression of great joy.


    He slapped his palm towards his waist, and the dark green gourd hanging there suddenly appeared in his hand.


    The grey-robed cultivator formed a single-handed seal, mumbling an incantation, then spat a mouthful of fresh blood onto the dark green gourd.


    The dark green gourd instantly glowed with green light and began to swell crazily until it reached half a zhang in size and then hung suspended in front of the grey-robed cultivator.


    Facing the approaching poison mist, the grey-robed cultivator issued a Law Decree, striking the dark green gourd.


    The gourd immediately opened its mouth, sucking in the oncoming poison mist.


    Soon¡­ the poison mist sprayed by the Green-Spotted Poison Python was completely absorbed by the gourd, and the scene regained its normal state.


    Seeing this, the monster serpent thrashed its body, as thick as a water bucket, and stirred up waves.


    ¡°Heh heh¡­ This Green-Spotted Poison Python¡¯s toxin is of good quality, enough for this old man to use for a few days!¡±


    The grey-robed cultivator laughed contentedly, speaking to himself while watching the enraged Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    This gourd of his had a special ingenious use; it was specifically designed to counter all kinds of poisonous mists. It could not only collect the toxic mist of demonic beasts but also release them. It was a nefarious weapon against cultivators. He had used this object multiple times to turn danger into safety, and the role of this dark green gourd was indispensable.


    In the water pool, the infuriated monster serpent would not give up. It swung its massive body, churning up waves, and quickly formed ice walls that covered the sky and whistled towards the grey-robed old man.


    It seemed that the monster serpent possessed not insignificant Spirit Wisdom, knowing that the grey-robed cultivator¡¯s gourd could suck in the poison mist, so it switched to a different method of attack.


    The grey-robed cultivator¡¯s expression became serious as he faced the serpent¡¯s changed method of attack.


    Faced with the overwhelming ice balls, while he retreated, the magic artifact in his hand once again burst forth with spots of light aiming at the monster serpent.


    ¡°Boom boom boom¡­¡±


    A series of loud explosions sounded as the moon-shaped spots of light collided with the oncoming ice balls. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A few moments later, the moon-shaped spots of light were worn down to nothing, but there were still a considerable number of ice balls hurtling towards the grey-robed man.


    The grey-robed man¡¯s face showed a trace of seriousness. He hadn¡¯t expected the Green-Spotted Poison Python¡¯s other means of attack to be so ferocious, momentarily putting him at a disadvantage.


    However, being a Loose Cultivator who had cultivated to the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level and had slain many powerful enemies and Second Order Demonic Beasts, he had already seen all sorts of strange and wonderful methods.


    As he retreated explosively, he waved his sleeves, and several Second Order Talismans suddenly appeared in his hand, which he triggered without hesitation and threw out.


    As the ice balls slammed into the barriers created by the Second Order Talismans, deafening blasts rang out.


    One by one, the barriers shattered, and the ice balls broke into fragments or fell directly into the mire.


    For a time, the battlefield was splattered with mud, and numerous deep pits appeared, obviously created by the impact of the ice balls.


    At that moment, the grey-robed cultivator stabilized his stance. With a slap to his storage bag, he produced a blood-red curved saber in his hand. It emitted a strong evil aura, causing the temperature in the vicinity to involuntarily drop a few degrees.


    Hidden in the cave, Lin Tianming held his breath, bearing witness to the fierce battle between the grey-robed cultivator and the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    Seeing this man take out the evil-filled Curved Saber Artifact, which was irrefutably a Second Order Medium Quality Artifact and a powerful Blood Evil Blade at that, it seemed he was about to get serious.


    The grey-robed cultivator laughed wildly, with spells flying from his hands and incantations coming from his mouth.


    ¡°Ice Blood Evil Saber, kill!¡±


    The Blood Evil Blade in his hand glowed intensely, releasing terrifying Blade Qi that shot straight toward the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    In the water pool, the monster serpent moved its body, raising its massive head and spraying out a large amount of dark green liquid, corroding much of the surrounding air.


    In an instant, the blood-colored Blade Qi arrived above the head of the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python twisted its massive body, desperately trying to dodge the terrifying blood-colored Blade Qi.


    However, the speed of the Blade Qi was astonishingly fast. While its massive body had explosive force during attacks, at this crucial moment, it became a burden.


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 Chapter 251 - 180 Innocent Bystander_3

    Chapter 251: Chapter 180 Innocent Bystander_3


    ¡°`


    After a piercing screech, the Green-Spotted Poison Python writhed its body desperately, trying to dodge the fatal attack.


    Alas, having left the water, its flexibility was hindered, and although it avoided the vital parts being hit, its tail was struck by the bloody Blade Qi.


    ¡°Roar roar roar¡­¡±


    In pain, the Green-Spotted Poison Python fell back into the pool, rolling about wildly.


    The dark green liquid it spat out enveloped the grey-robed man like a downpour.


    ... sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Sizzle sizzle sizzle¡­¡± An acrid stench permeated the air.


    Only when the dark green poison landed on the swamp did the figure of the grey-robed man become visible again.


    At this moment, his complexion had turned a bit pale with numerous holes in his Daoist robe, revealing the flesh underneath, much of which was burnt and charred, portraying a somewhat tragic sight.


    However, the grey-robed cultivator seemed to pay no mind to the minor injuries on his body as he raised his hand to inspect the gourd, a satisfied look appearing on his face.


    ¡°Heh heh¡­ This poison is quite good, many times stronger than the previous poison mists.¡±


    He muttered to himself before raising his eyes to look at the pool where the Green-Spotted Poison Python was.


    The water churned, mixed with scarlet blood, looking quite gorgeous, yet somewhat unnerving.


    Only when the waves had subsided a little did the shape of the Green-Spotted Poison Python reveal itself.


    The Monster Serpent seemed weakened, with an injury several inches long on its tail, revealing the flesh inside, almost being decapitated.


    The serpent no longer dared to expose most of its body, only poking its head above the surface, glaring at the grey-robed cultivator with a malevolent look.


    At this time, the scent of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus in the middle of the pool became even more potent. The proud lotus pod¡¯s color grew even more vibrant, with the seeds inside breaking free from the confines of the pod, revealing translucent seeds.


    Seeing the seeds start to emerge, he estimated that in half an hour, they would be fully exposed and ripe.


    Witnessing this, the grey-robed man¡¯s face lit up with joy as he thought to himself.


    ¡°I can¡¯t delay any longer. This Secret Realm is filled with danger, and many disciples from the Golden Core Forces have come in. I must fight quickly and decisively, or if discovered by the major powers, all treasures will be lost.¡±


    Determined, his Ice Blood Evil Saber glowed intensely in his hand as a torrent of Sword Qi and fireballs erupted in the sky, charging towards the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python, eying the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus nearby, became extremely agitated, evidently unwilling to relinquish the treasure it had guarded for many years.


    Seeing the human approaching again, the serpent opened its mouth to spray poison, turning into a rain of toxic liquid that shrouded the grey-robed man.


    At the same time, it thrashed its massive tail, sweeping towards the grey-robed man.


    Obviously, with the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus about to ripen, both the grey-robed man and the Green-Spotted Poison Python had become desperate for the chance, sparing no effort in the fight.


    For a time, the swamp shuddered non-stop, and flashes of light zipped through the night.


    Lin Tianming watched the entire scene, not daring to breathe.


    With such a commotion, neither the grey-robed man nor the Green-Spotted Poison Python was something he could contend with alone.


    He simply wished for the battle to end quickly, for the victor to collect the spoils and leave so that he might be free to find as many treasures as possible in this incredibly precious time.


    ¡­


    On a mound in the northwest corner of the swamp,


    Lin Shilu¡¯s feet lightly touched the ground, leaping dozens of feet to land atop a hill.


    After exiting the ravine, he had come to the midst of this vast swamp, following the markers left by Lin Tianming to his current location.


    His luck had been far better than Lin Tianming¡¯s. Following a similar path through the swamp, he encountered several Second Order Initial Stage Demonic Beasts, which he killed without exerting much effort, gaining numerous Second Order spirit materials, all prized among their tier.


    Standing on the mound, Lin Shilu looked thoughtfully at the faint bamboo patterns beneath him.


    Three days had passed since entering the Secret Realm, and he had traveled nearly a hundred miles in the swamp, spending a whole day without a trace of Lin Tianming.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu felt worried as he gazed in the direction indicated by the markers.


    Just then, a glimmer of light flashed in the night in the direction he was looking at. Despite its briefness, he noticed it.


    ¡°There¡¯s a disturbance. I wonder if it¡¯s Tianming. It looks like I need to quicken my pace.¡±


    His face grew serious, filled with anticipation and concern, his emotions complex.


    Taking a deep breath, he hastened towards the direction of the bamboo markers and soon vanished into the night.


    By the pool, the waves surged, and the sky was ablaze with light.


    The grey-robed man and the Green-Spotted Poison Python had fought dozens of rounds, each giving as good as they got. The battle had reached a fever pitch.


    By now, the grey-robed man¡¯s clothes were torn, his flesh a bloody haze, with large areas corroded by the serpent¡¯s poison. His complexion was pale, and his overall aura was much deflated.


    Conversely, the Green-Spotted Poison Python was in an even more wretched state, its body covered with dense cuts, most of its scales shed, and a small section of its tail already missing.


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python opened its maw and let out a shriek, looking at the cultivator in the distance, seemingly considering retreat.


    Shooting forth a barrage of ice arrows towards the grey-robed man, it then turned and bit towards the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus on the verge of ripening.


    Seeing the serpent¡¯s actions, clearly not intending to wait for the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus to mature, it was preparing to swallow the most precious part, the pod, and flee.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 252 - 180 Innocent Bystander_4

    Chapter 252: Chapter 180 Innocent Bystander_4


    Although the lotus seeds were not fully mature, falling just short of ripe and thus their effect greatly diminished, they were still far better than obtaining nothing at all, or even perishing here.


    If the monster serpent succeeded, even if he killed the Green-Spotted Poison Python, he would fail to secure the most precious thing. As a result, his loss would be significant.


    Thinking of these things, the gray-robed man was both shocked and enraged, baring his teeth and grimacing.


    He waved his sleeve, and several Second Order talismans flew out, transforming into various forms of barriers in the path of the ice arrows, while simultaneously, his Ice Slaughter Knife shone brightly as he furiously slashed at the Green-Spotted Poison Python, intent on stopping the monster serpent¡¯s actions.


    The gray-robed man, having employed his most powerful efforts, attacked the Green-Spotted Poison Python with a frenzy.


    Seeing that the ice arrows were mostly dissipated by the barriers formed from the talismans, what remained posed no real threat to the gray-robed man.


    ...


    With a storm of attacks arriving, if it still forcefully swallowed the lotus pod, it would surely not have time to escape and its fate would be death right here.


    In that instant, the Green-Spotted Poison Python seemed to recognize the dire situation, and under immense pressure, temporarily gave up on swallowing the lotus pod.


    Even so, under the relentless onslaught of blade Qi and talismans, it had to fight desperately to survive.


    The monster serpent let out a piercing shriek, spitting out a blood arrow that struck with extreme speed, aimed directly at the gray-robed man.


    This blood arrow was the Green-Spotted Poison Python¡¯s Innate Divine Ability, its strongest strike, used only in desperate times to carve a bloody path for its escape.


    Seeing the blood arrow coming at an alarmingly high speed,


    the gray-robed man¡¯s expression turned extremely grave. As he retreated, he pulled out the few remaining Defense Talismans, activating them, which transformed into various barriers in front of him.


    After doing all this, he still did not feel assured, and quickly took out a small turtle shell shield, pumping it full of vast spiritual power, until the turtle shell expanded and formed a large shell that covered him before he felt somewhat relieved.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡± a thunderous and earthshaking noise erupted.


    The gray-robed man and the Green-Spotted Poison Python¡¯s strikes met at the same time.


    In the blink of an eye, the barriers formed from the talismans shattered one after another, and the Green-Spotted Poison Python¡¯s blood arrow slammed into the turtle shell.


    Although the barriers formed from the talismans had absorbed some of the power of the blood arrow, its force was still incredibly potent,


    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    A loud noise echoed, and a crack suddenly appeared in the turtle shell, while the red ice arrow began to dissipate.


    At the same time, the gray-robed man was flung dozens of meters back by the impact of the ice arrow on the turtle shell, barely managing to steady himself.


    The gray-robed man now looked pale and powerless, with fresh blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, clearly having sustained serious injuries.


    He raised his hand and saw the crack on the turtle shell, which was about to break apart, resulting in the shell¡¯s defensive power being greatly weakened, probably retaining less than thirty percent of its defensive capacity.


    Second Order Defense Artifacts are not commonly seen, even a lower-grade Defense Artifact is nearly equivalent to a medium-grade Attack Talisman.


    Even though he was a cultivator at the late stages of Foundation Establishment, with considerable wealth and status, losing a Defense Artifact was still a painful blow.


    But he didn¡¯t even have time to feel the pain, as the miserable cries of the Green-Spotted Poison Python came from the water.


    Looking over, the monster serpent was twisting its body wildly; almost none of its skin was intact.


    It writhed vigorously, drenched in blood, making no hesitation to flee, no longer caring about the now-ripe Seven-Colored Golden Lotus.


    The monster serpent turned and twisted, moving rapidly through the mud, heading straight in the direction where Lin Tianming was hiding.


    Suddenly, a distinct trail of blood-red colored the swamp, evidently the monster serpent¡¯s blood mixing with the mud.


    For some reason, apart from the direction of the gray-robed cultivator, the monster serpent could have escaped any other way, yet it chose to head in Lin Tianming¡¯s direction.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming was shocked and horrified.


    ¡°Why drag me into this mess, you beast!¡± Lin Tianming cursed under his breath, seething with anger.


    He was a bystander caught in the crossfire, initially considering giving up this opportunity, but now he found himself unexpectedly entangled.


    More importantly, even if the gray-robed cultivator was injured and his power somewhat diminished, a cultivator at the Eighth Level of Foundation Establishment was beyond his ability to confront.


    If it were a Fifth Level Foundation Establishment, he wouldn¡¯t have given up on this chance, willing to take the risk, but against an Eighth Level, he knew very well that he was no match.


    ¡°How can I escape this!¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming was extremely anxious, pondering over strategies in his mind.


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 Chapter 253 - 181: Annihilate the Enemy_1

    Chapter 253: Chapter 181: Annihilate the Enemy_1


    Swamp¡­


    The grey-robed man¡¯s mouth twisted into a malicious grin upon seeing the Green-Spotted Poison Python attempting to escape.


    After all, the battle had taken a great deal of effort; he had exhausted an array of tactics and spent a significant amount of treasures, and he had also sustained serious injuries.


    Thus, the gravely injured Green-Spotted Poison Python had to die to quench his fury.


    The grey-robed man put away the turtle shell he had in his hand, then grasped the Ice Slaughter Knife, unleashing a terrifying Blade Qi, which he directed at the fleeing Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    At this moment, the Green-Spotted Poison Python was less than three hundred yards from Lin Tianming, a distance it could quickly cover.


    ...


    Lin Tianming¡¯s heart raced with anxiety, uncertain of what to do.


    If he revealed himself, he could hardly guarantee that the grey-robed man would spare him; if he remained hidden, he could only hope that the grey-robed man would kill the Green-Spotted Poison Python before it discovered him.


    Seeing the grey-robed man in pursuit, the Green-Spotted Poison Python was also extremely angry.


    However, with its strength greatly depleted, the Monster Serpent wanted nothing more than to escape this place as quickly as possible, rather than entangle with the grey-robed man.


    Yet the injured Monster Serpent slowed down, its power greatly diminished, unable to break free.


    Just then, the grey-robed man caught up, his presence bursting with Blade Qi, his hands conjuring various Five Elements Spells like fireballs and ice swords.


    ¡°Monster, you think you can escape? No way!¡±


    The grey-robed man roared in anger, the Ice Slaughter Knife in his hand ablaze with blood light, as he poured down all his methods, instantly engulfing the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    The fury of the storm was clearly intended to kill the Green-Spotted Poison Python in one strike.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    Red and yellow light flashed in the night, dazzling like shooting stars.


    The trapped Green-Spotted Poison Python turned its head and spat out another Ice Arrow, confronting the grey-robed cultivator¡¯s attack head-on.


    Unfortunately, the severely injured Green-Spotted Poison Python¡¯s strength was greatly diminished, and its Ice Arrow was immediately overwhelmed by the storm-like Blade Qi, quickly dissipating in the blood light.


    The relentless Blade Qi struck with the speed of lightning.


    In this desperate situation, the gravely injured Green-Spotted Poison Python had no way to dodge; it could only try to move away from its vital areas to find a slim chance of survival.


    In an instant, the blood-colored Blade Qi enveloped the Monster Serpent, countless Blade Qi nicks marking its body as flesh flew and large patches of scales and flesh fell into the mud, staining a large area of the swamp red.


    ¡°Hss hss hss¡­¡±


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python opened its mouth, hissing frantically, appearing as if in unbearable pain.


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python struggled mightily, twisting its riddled body, seemingly still desirous of living.


    Meanwhile, the grey-robed man¡¯s face wore a stern expression as he watched the Monster Serpent crawl towards Lin Tianming, a hint of mockery in his eyes.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression darkened, his inner hopes completely shattered.


    The situation was developing in the worst possible way.


    As the Monster Serpent and the grey-robed man drew closer, Lin Tianming would eventually be discovered if things continued this way.


    Sure enough, the grey-robed man grasping the Snow Evil Blade leapt forward, releasing a burst of Blade Qi that pierced through the Monster Serpent¡¯s vital spots.


    The Green-Spotted Poison Python cried out several times, its enormous body struggling a few moments before it lay still, lifeless. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The grey-robed man sighed with relief, walked over to the corpse of the Monster Serpent, and began to extract its inner core.


    At that moment, the grey-robed man¡¯s brow furrowed as he looked toward the mound where Lin Tianming was and sneered.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, show yourself!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s face turned extremely solemn as he reluctantly emerged from the cave and stood atop the mound, warily watching the grey-robed man across from him.


    Their eyes met, and Lin Tianming maintained his composure, bowing to the grey-robed man and explaining,


    ¡°Esteemed fellow Daoist, I was simply here first and happened upon you arriving. However, I mean no harm and do not intend to interfere. As for the spoils of this place, they are all yours, and regarding this matter, I will absolutely not reveal a single word.¡±


    Hearing this, the grey-robed man chuckled, also weighing the pros and cons in his heart.


    Since he couldn¡¯t see through Lin Tianming¡¯s cultivation, he hesitated, and since Lin Tianming had stayed hidden, if he had intended to attack, he would have done so by now.


    Since he had not attacked, it was clear that he wasn¡¯t confident, hence his continuous backing down.


    ¡°Enough, let¡¯s test the waters first!¡±


    The grey-robed man thought to himself, then with a smile, he respectfully replied to Lin Tianming,


    ¡°I see, you may leave at your leisure.¡±


    As soon as these words fell, Lin Tianming¡¯s face lit up with joy, and he appeared very nonchalant.


    He bowed to the grey-robed man and then said casually,


    ¡°Ha ha¡­ thank you for understanding, fellow Daoist¡­ I shall take my leave now.¡±


    With that, Lin Tianming turned to leave, but remained vigilant of the grey-robed cultivator¡¯s every move.


    He was well aware that this man was likely a Loose Cultivator with unpredictable and vicious methods; probably he hesitated to act rashly because he could not fathom Lin Tianming¡¯s cultivation.


    But such a ruthless person would not let him leave so easily, that much was certain.


    As expected, just as Lin Tianming turned around, the grey-robed man¡¯s Blood Evil Blade surged with blood light.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face changed, and as he retreated, he clenched several talismans in his hand, and without any hesitation, activated them.


    After a loud explosion, the Blade Qi pierced through the barrier formed by the talismans and slashed toward Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming swiftly dodged the greatly weakened Blade Qi, landing on a small mound.


    Once he had steadied himself, Lin Tianming stared at the grey-robed man, his expression one of shock and anger as he said,


    ¡°What is the meaning of this, fellow Daoist? Why go back on your word?¡±


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 Chapter 254 - 181 Extinguishing the Enemy_2

    Chapter 254: Chapter 181 Extinguishing the Enemy_2


    Upon hearing these words, the man in the gray robe looked at Lin Tianming with a mocking expression.


    Clearly, after a probing strike, he had gauged Lin Tianming¡¯s approximate strength and knew that in a one-on-one fight, Lin Tianming was absolutely no match for him.


    With this in mind, he no longer pretended to play nice and scoffed,


    ¡°Only the dead tell no tales, so prepare to leave your life behind!¡±


    Before his words had even finished, the cultivator in the gray robe¡¯s Blood Evil Blade burst into a bright blood light, emitting a multitude of Blade Qi, and slashed toward Lin Tianming.


    Seeing that the gloves were completely off and fearing that turning to run would only hasten his death, Lin Tianming realized the situation was grim. Yet, as his opponent was likely heavily drained of both Spiritual Power and talisman paper after the previous battle, there was still hope to repel him head-on.


    ...


    Thinking this, Lin Tianming¡¯s heart hardened and he decided to fight with all his might, holding nothing back for the sake of himself.


    With a wave of his hand, his Tiangang Sword shone brilliantly as it too burst into a barrage of Sword Qi, colliding head-on with the oncoming Blade Qi.


    The two forces exploded upon impact in the sky, with successive booms echoing out. The Blade Qi clearly had the upper hand, breaking through the Sword Qi and continuing its path toward Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face grew stern as he hastily retreated, simultaneously hurling forth the talisman paper in his hand to envelop the cultivator in the gray robe.


    After making these moves, as the Blade Qi drew perilously close, Lin Tianming pulled out his Green Scale Shield and poured in a copious amount of Spiritual Power, causing the shield to bulge and protect him from behind.


    The Blade Qi, weakened by the Sword Qi, struck the Green Scale Shield with a thunderous crash, pushing Lin Tianming back dozens of feet before he could steady himself.


    The swamp was left in shambles, presenting a harrowing sight.


    Following the clash, Lin Tianming felt numbness in his arms and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He forcibly suppressed it and continued to watch his opponent warily.


    Merely one exchange had resulted in minor injuries for Lin Tianming, confirming the formidable strength of the cultivator in the gray robe.


    Upon seeing the Second Order Magical Artifact, the Tiangang Sword, and the Defense Artifact, the Green Scale Shield, in Lin Tianming¡¯s possession, the cultivator hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°This person¡¯s cultivation might not be high, yet he carries such treasures. Could he be a young master from a Golden Elixir Force?¡±


    ¡°Forget it, no matter which force¡¯s offspring he is, if he dies in the Secret Realm and the job is done cleanly, even the Golden Elixir Experts won¡¯t be able to trace a thing!¡±


    ¡°If I can obtain a Nascent Soul Spiritual Item in the Secret Realm, I can flee far away. After all, I¡¯m just a lone cultivator.¡±


    The cultivator in the gray robe thought greedily to himself.


    Little did he know, these treasures were but a small part of Lin Tianming¡¯s wealth. Because this person possessed the Dark Green Gourd, designed specifically to counter poison mists, Lin Tianming dared not use his Thousand Beast Banner for fear that the other could capture its black mist and Soul within the gourd ¨C that was the sole reason he hadn¡¯t employed it.


    After another round, both fighters lapsed into a brief interlude, during which Lin Tianming pondered his strategy.


    No longer capable of withstanding a frontal assault, he needed to lure his opponent into the Earth Fiend Sword Formation; with the Sword Array, there might be a sliver of hope.


    Lin Tianming quickly assessed the situation and decided on a plan.


    He took out several more pieces of talisman paper, activated them, and threw them at his adversary. His Tiangang Sword then burst forth with Sword Qi, assaulting the cultivator in the gray robe.


    When Lin Tianming took the offensive, the cultivator was somewhat surprised, but he retaliated with a cold laugh and waved his Blood Evil Blade, unleashing a torrent of Blade Qi again.


    The two of them threw themselves into battle, a whirlwind of attacks igniting the sky as if flowers blossomed in the night. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With frequent swings of his Blood Evil Blade, the cultivator in the gray robe kept the onslaught of Blade Qi coming, while Lin Tianming was just barely able to hold his ground using a multitude of talismanic weapons and the Green Scale Shield.


    Several rounds of intense fighting rapidly depleted their Spiritual Power. Even though the cultivator had deeper reserves, the successive battles wore him down, preventing him from holding out for much longer.


    Moreover, after several rounds of attack, the power of the cultivator¡¯s offensive visibly weakened, which was indeed good news.


    After exchanging blows, Lin Tianming used his Green Scale Shield to block a strike, and exploiting the rebound force, he leapt towards the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus.


    In the blink of an eye, Lin Tianming appeared above the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus, reaching out to snatch it from the air.


    Seeing this, the cultivator in the gray robe¡¯s complexion darkened, and he surged with Spiritual Light as he leaped toward Lin Tianming.


    The Seven-Colored Golden Lotus was not yet ripe; naturally, Lin Tianming wouldn¡¯t truly destroy the immature plant. His actions were merely to lead the cultivator into the center of the Sword Array.


    As expected, in desperation, the cultivator failed to think it through and, with the Blood Evil Blade in hand, entered the center of the Sword Array.


    A hint of joy flashed over the pale-faced Lin Tianming as he pinched a Law Decree and chanted sotto voce.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    With the sound of swords humming, the Earth Evil Swords flew up from the depths of the mud, swiftly spinning and quickly forming a Barrier.


    Lin Tianming released a Law Decree with his hands, striking the operating Sword Array.


    ¡°Earth Fiend Sword Formation, entrap!¡±


    Lin Tianming shouted forcefully while exerting all his strength to command the Sword Array, trapping the cultivator in the gray robe securely within it.


    Feeling the constriction of the Sword Array and the wandering Sword Qi inside, the cultivator¡¯s countenance turned exceedingly gloomy.


    However, he did not panic. Although the Sword Array operated smoothly, it covered a wide area, making it somewhat unstable.


    While the roving Sword Qi was not weak, it was still not too difficult for him to dodge.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the cultivator to assess his situation; his Blood Evil Blade glinted red as he fired Blade Qi against the barrier of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    ¡°Bang bang bang¡­¡±


    Under frenzied attacks, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation began to shake violently, teetering on the brink of collapse.


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 Chapter 255 - 181 Annihilate Enemy_3

    Chapter 255: Chapter 181 Annihilate Enemy_3


    Lin Tianming dared not be careless, ignoring the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, desperately maintaining the stability of the sword array.


    ¡°Simply trapping him like this isn¡¯t a solution, the sword formation must be narrowed quickly, otherwise it won¡¯t be long before he breaks through the barrier and comes out!¡±


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, and immediately started swinging the Tiangang Sword in an attempt to push back the grey-robed cultivator, to buy himself some time.


    ¡°Tiangang Nine Swords Second Sword!¡±


    A terrifying burst of Sword Qi shot towards the grey-robed cultivator, its speed so fast it was frightening.


    After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer, this was the first time he had used this Divine Skill. The combined power of the two swords exceeded his expectations.


    ...


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s attack, the grey-robed cultivator¡¯s face turned solemn, and he took out the damaged turtle shell to shield himself.


    In an instant, the Sword Qi struck the turtle shell, leaving a deep crack and causing the already weakened shell to sustain more damage.


    The grey-robed man was forced back several zhang by the Tiangang Sword Qi, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, evidently suffering an internal injury.


    Seizing the opportunity, Lin Tianming quickly reduced the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, soon reaching a range of several dozen zhang.


    The grey-robed cultivator turned, his ferocious face glaring at Lin Tianming, looking extremely enraged.


    With a flick of his fingers over the Law Decree, he spat out blood onto the Blood Evil Blade, which then merged into the blade and disappeared without a trace.


    At that moment, the Blood Evil Blade began vibrating intensely, letting out series of piercing cries, its blood light growing even more vivid.


    ¡°Blood Evil Heavenly Blade, break for me!¡±


    A dreadful moonlight shot up into the sky, then burst forth, slamming into the walls of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s face filled with horror; he operated the sword formation with all his might in hopes of withstanding this terrifying strike.


    In less than a moment¡¯s time, the already stable Earth Fiend Sword Formation began to shake violently, then it stopped functioning, and the fifty-six Earth Evil Swords fell from the sky, dropping into the mud.


    With the Earth Fiend Sword Formation broken, Lin Tianming¡¯s mind was hit hard. He spat out several mouthfuls of blood, his breath instantly weakening.


    The grey-robed cultivator, now free from confinement, looked even paler. To escape the sword formation, he had been forced to use all his strength, resulting in greater consumption of his spiritual power and further aggravating his injuries.


    His angry gaze fixed on Lin Tianming, now that he had witnessed his Divine Skills, he would no longer take him lightly.


    At this point, Lin Tianming¡¯s complexion was dark. Having spent most of his spiritual power and his injuries worsening, he had less than thirty percent of his strength remaining.


    He gripped the Tiangang Sword, eyeing the grey-robed cultivator in the distance, brainstorming ways to survive.


    However, with limited strength and severe injuries, this situation clearly seemed like a dead end.


    And the grey-robed cultivator would not give him any more chances. As he struck the Law Decree on the Blood Evil Blade, a fierce Blade Qi was unleashed, intending to take Lin Tianming¡¯s life.


    Facing the terrifying Blade Qi, Lin Tianming was all too aware of its power. As the ferocious Blade Qi approached, he bore the intense pain throughout his body and poured a great amount of spiritual power into the Green Scale Shield, desperately blocking this lethal strike.


    ¡°Pu¡­¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Where the Blade Qi struck, a crack opened up in the Green Scale Shield. Lin Tianming flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing into the mud, immediately spewing several mouthfuls of blood, nearly vomiting his internal organs.


    Lin Tianming lay in the mud, his body riddled with open flesh wounds, exposing pale golden bones.


    The grey-robed cultivator¡¯s full-powered strike had been blocked by Lin Tianming using the Green Scale Shield, but the violent force had injured him, and the shield¡¯s defensive power was greatly reduced, unlikely to withstand a second attack.


    Fortunately, the injuries he sustained were external; his meridians were almost unharmed, and with his robust physique, recovery should not be difficult.


    He propped himself up with the Tiangang Sword, shakily standing up from the mud, his eyes bloodshot, staring down the grey-robed cultivator.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming still alive and able to stand up on his own, the grey-robed cultivator looked utterly incredulous.


    ¡°No matter the reason, meeting me was your bad luck. But considering your exceptional talent, I¡¯ll grant you a quick end!¡±


    After muttering to himself, the grey-robed cultivator¡¯s Blood Evil Blade once again unleashed a wave of Blade Qi, slashing straight down.


    Lin Tianming watched the oncoming Blade Qi with a wry smile, then closed his eyes to await death.


    Just then, a sound of tearing through the air arrived. Lin Shilu shot towards him at lightning speed, positioning himself firmly in front of Lin Tianming.


    Lin Shilu steadied himself, his spiritual power surged, and he expanded the Green Scale Shield immensely, shielding both of them behind it.


    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    With a loud noise, the Green Scale Shield remained intact, effortlessly blocking the terrifying Blade Qi until it completely dissipated into spots of spiritual light in the night.


    Lin Tianming, who hadn¡¯t felt the separation of his body from his head, opened his eyes to see Lin Shilu¡¯s towering figure and wondered if he was hallucinating.


    He shook his heavy head and lamented, ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, Tian Ming is going to meet the ancestors, I¡¯m going to break my promise to protect our family!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, Lin Shilu immediately slapped his cheek, hoping to wake him up.


    ¡°Tian Ming, you lad aren¡¯t dead; I¡¯ve arrived in time!¡±


    Feeling the real sensation on his face and hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s voice, Lin Tianming finally realized that he indeed hadn¡¯t died.


    At the critical moment, Lin Shilu arrived to block the fatal strike, then he turned to inspect Lin Tianming¡¯s injuries. Thankfully, they had not reached the meridians; healing the external wounds wouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    He took out two elixirs and stuffed them in Lin Tianming¡¯s mouth, settling him down before turning around, angrily eyeing the grey-robed cultivator.


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 Chapter 256 - 181 Exterminate Enemy_4

    Chapter 256: Chapter 181 Exterminate Enemy_4


    At this moment, upon seeing Lin Shilu rush over, the complexion of the gray-robed cultivator turned extremely ugly.


    He had previously been locked in intense battle with the Green-Spotted Poison Python for quite some time, already depleting a large amount of Spiritual Power and Talismanic Weapons. In his attempt to kill Lin Tianming, he had exhausted all his methods, leaving his Spiritual Power nearly spent.


    Now, with Lin Shilu arriving, possessing even stronger strength and Magic Artifacts, under such relentless attack, there was no way he could be his opponent.


    Thinking of this, the cultivator in the gray robe had already developed the intention to retreat, yet he dared not show it, for fear of betraying his weakness to Lin Shilu.


    He feigned composure and, with a calm expression, greeted Lin Shilu with a clasped fist:


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus has matured. Why don¡¯t we stop here and share the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus equally, what do you say?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Heh heh¡­¡± Lin Shilu let out a mocking laugh.


    ¡°You nearly took the life of my junior, and had I not arrived in time, even extracting your soul and refining your spirit would not quell my anger!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s words, the gray-robed cultivator realized the gravity of the situation, and he knew that today¡¯s matters could not be resolved amicably.


    He sighed inwardly, no longer saying much, as the red light from the Blood Evil Blade in his hand intensified and he took the initiative to attack.


    Seeing the corpse of the Green-Spotted Poison Python on the ground, as well as Lin Tianming¡¯s condition, Lin Shilu knew that this man¡¯s power must have been greatly diminished, not worth fearing at all.


    ¡°Hmph¡­ merely the last burst of a dying flame. I will send you on your way and avenge my grandson!¡±


    Lin Shilu let out a cold chuckle, his Spirit Sword emitting waves of sonorous sword cries while Spiritual Power frantically poured into the sword.


    In an instant, the Spirit Sword blazed with Golden Light and the wind rose fiercely, billowing his robes and revealing a terrifying intent to kill.


    Without any reservations, his move was the strongest attack, intending to end the battle with a single strike.


    ¡°Boom boom boom¡­¡±


    A thunderous roar echoed, as blood-red Blade Qi collided with the Golden Sword Qi, exploding in the night sky and forming a huge and dazzling fireball.


    After the strike, neither had the upper hand.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu¡¯s expression changed and he felt the fearsome strength of the man in the gray robe, wondering how Tian Ming had managed to endure for so long against him.


    Regathering his focus, he did not give his adversary any chance to catch a breath as his Spirit Sword once again burst forth with power.


    In an instant, the two were locked in combat, the night sky flashing with light, each burst signifying a fierce clash.


    After nearly ten rounds, the gray-robed man managed to block a strike but his face turned pale and bloodless, gasping for air.


    After a fierce exchange, initially, the two were almost evenly matched, but as the fight progressed, his Spiritual Power depleted rapidly and hit bottom, constantly pressured by Lin Shilu, forcing him into a defensive position.


    At this moment, he felt incredibly stifled. Had he been in peak condition, Lin Shilu would not have been a match for him. Now, with little Spiritual Power left and no Magic Artifacts or talisman paper to help, he found himself on the brink of life and death.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s condition was still much better. Although he also had several wounds and had consumed a lot of Spiritual Power, his combat strength was hardly affected. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Well aware of the dangers in the Secret Realm, he sighed a breath of murky air, resolving to finish off this man quickly.


    Making up his mind, his Spirit Sword glittered with Golden Light, holding a few more talisman papers in hand, and he showered them down on the man in gray, vowing to thoroughly exterminate him.


    Seeing Lin Shilu pull out all the stops without reservation, the man in gray turned deathly pale, knowing his chances were slim.


    The Spiritual Light of his turtle-shell artifact flashed as he poured all of his remaining Spiritual Power into it. The inflated turtle shell protected him from behind, awaiting the judgment of fate.


    At that moment, the gray-robed man intensely regretted not having settled the Green-Spotted Poison Python and that junior earlier. Alas, time could not flow backward, and what was done could not be undone.


    ¡°Boom boom boom¡­¡±


    A loud boom erupted, lighting up a thousand zhang radius in the night with a massive fireball.


    As the firelight dissipated and the sky returned to pitch black, it was revealed that many charred limbs were scattered, falling haphazardly among the swamp¡¯s muddy terrain.


    And then, in the night, all fell silent once again, everything returning to calm¡­


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 Chapter 257 - 182 Collaboration_1

    Chapter 257: Chapter 182 Collaboration_1


    Seeing the gray-robed man¡¯s head severed from his body, not a single limb remained intact.


    Lin Shilu let out a long sigh of relief and walked towards Lin Tianming¡¯s location.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming was sitting cross-legged on a mound. Due to the healing pills he had taken earlier, his injuries had slightly improved. Although unable to fight, he was now able to move normally.


    Seeing Lin Shilu kill the gray-robed man without any harm, Lin Tianming was extremely excited inside.


    ¡°Tianming, how are your injuries?¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s concerned greeting, Lin Tianming felt warmth in his heart, and then said:


    ...


    ¡°They are mostly superficial wounds, it won¡¯t take long for me to recover to my peak condition.¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, gave a few instructions for him to rest and recover from his injuries, and then stepped towards the body of the gray-robed man.


    The two of them had finally decided the outcome after a fierce battle.


    However, this was truly a close call. If he hadn¡¯t arrived in time, Lin Tianming might have already fallen.


    As for the gray-robed man, his luck was extremely bad. Despite being a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level, after several battles, he was actually killed by Lin Shilu, whose cultivation was two realms lower.


    ¡°This truly is the capriciousness of fate!¡±


    Lin Shilu sighed, and then collected the storage bag of the gray-robed man.


    After doing these, he immediately went to the edge of the pool, looking at the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus with a face full of ecstasy.


    The Seven-Colored Golden Lotus had now fully matured, and its plump lotus pod was embedded with five crystal-clear seeds. The seven colorful petals that had already fallen were floating on the clear water surface.


    Lin Shilu reached out his palm and, through the air, he gathered the seven petals, then plucked the plump lotus pod.


    Looking at the lotus vine with its petals and pod collected, Lin Shilu felt a bit of regret; it would have been great if he could bring it back to his clan.


    Unfortunately, the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus had extremely high requirements for its growing environment and couldn¡¯t be transplanted, so he had no choice but to leave the vine there.


    Lin Shilu turned around, then walked towards the body of the Green-Spotted Poison Python, collecting the scales that had fallen along the way.


    These scales were treasures, even higher grade than those of the Qingxu Snake. Lin Tianming¡¯s Green Scale Shield was severely damaged, so it was a good idea to collect some scales to repair his defense artifact.


    Soon, he had gathered enough scales to repair the Green Scale Shield.


    He then swung the Spirit Sword in his hand, cutting off parts suitable for artifact refining, and then chopped the Green-Spotted Poison Python¡¯s body into segments to collect.


    In less than half an hour, the corpse of the monster serpent had vanished without a trace, and the body of the gray-robed cultivator was burnt to ashes by a fireball.


    Lin Shilu did a simple cleanup of the battlefield, erasing a lot of traces.


    After clearing the battlefield, Lin Shilu scanned the pond and the surroundings once more, but unfortunately, did not find any more treasures.


    After a complete search, Lin Shilu finally returned to the original spot.


    After a short rest, Lin Tianming finally regained some spiritual power, the injuries on his body stopped bleeding, and he could move freely.


    The two of them gathered together, with Lin Shilu looking at the calm pond and suddenly speaking:


    ¡°Tianming, this place is extremely dangerous, we must leave immediately and find a place to recuperate and prepare.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, and after discussing with each other, they chose a direction and hurried away.


    Half a day later.


    The two of them finally exited the swamp and entered a beautiful valley.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s Divine Sense spread wide, checking the surrounding situation, and found no anomalies.


    After ensuring safety, they immediately found a spot to set up a simple cave abode.


    He raised his hand to cast a few Illusion Techniques, then took out a set of First Order Array Flags and arranged them around the cave.


    After doing these, he felt somewhat at ease, and the two of them then entered.


    Sitting in the cave, Lin Shilu took out the lotus pod of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus, and a special fragrance emitted, soon filling the entire cave.


    Seeing this item, Lin Tianming showed a look of longing.


    Lin Shilu chuckled, and then carefully handed over a lotus seed to Lin Tianming.


    ¡°The time that the Secret Realm is open is limited. We can¡¯t afford any delays now. This lotus seed is extremely effective; it can rapidly restore spiritual power and accelerate injury healing. More importantly, it can assist your physical body in breaking through.¡±


    He listed many benefits in one breath. Then he instructed:


    ¡°Time is of the essence. Use it to recover from your injuries while enhancing the strength of your physical body. Also, bring your Green Scale Shield over, and I will repair it for you.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, his complexion filled with excitement.


    With Lin Shilu¡¯s help, the damaged Green Scale Shield could be used again. Otherwise, it would be way too dangerous in the perilous Secret Realm.


    After taking the lotus seed, he handed his Green Scale Shield to Lin Shilu, and then immediately sat down and began rotating his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation to adjust his condition.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu wasn¡¯t idle either.


    He sat down, adjusted his own condition, and then took out a large number of Green-Spotted Poison Python scales and the materials needed for Artifact Refining from his storage bag, and began repairing the Green Scale Shield for Lin Tianming.


    After nearly half an hour, Lin Tianming felt his condition had reached its peak.


    He looked at the lustrous and transparent lotus seed in his hand and swallowed it without hesitation.


    As soon as the lotus seed entered his mouth, a powerful energy immediately burst forth, like a raging fire, extremely domineering.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face turned red, as the violent energy coursed through his meridians.


    Not daring to delay, he quickly operated his cultivation technique to begin integrating the energy.


    After half a beat, the energy had become milder after integration but was still domineering.


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 Chapter 258 - 182 Cooperation_2

    Chapter 258: Chapter 182 Cooperation_2


    He carefully manipulated the stream of energy, guiding it through the seven meridians and eight collaterals, finally converging in the Qi Sea Dantian.


    However, as the energy flowed through, a peculiar sensation reached his mind, and he felt as though he was drifting atop the clouds, experiencing an ultimate level of comfort.


    Not only that, but as more and more energy was refined, his wounds began to tingle pleasantly, visibly healing at a speed visible to the naked eye, quickly scabbing over.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s face lit up with great joy, astonished at the unexpectedly powerful effect of the lotus seed.


    Once he collected his thoughts, he focused all his efforts on refining the lotus seed¡¯s energy, further healing his injuries and tempering his own body.


    ¡°Crackle and pop¡­¡±


    ...


    Sounds resonated as his organs, skin, and meridians were all effectively strengthened by the powerful energy transformation from inside the lotus seed.


    Time quietly slipped away, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.


    In the simple cave abode, Lin Tianming breathed steadily, and from within his body, sounds echoed at intervals with each deep breath.


    After a series of sounds, he opened his tightly shut eyes, and a flash of brilliance flickered through them.


    By then, the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus seed had been completely refined.


    Feeling the quick flow of spiritual power throughout his body, as well as the further strengthened organs and meridians, Lin Tianming clenched his fist, revealing a gratified smile.


    Within three days, his injuries had largely healed, and his strength was now greater than before.


    Lin Tianming stood up and twisted his slightly stiff body, then turned to look at Lin Shilu.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu was busily engaged in repairing the Green Scale Shield, seemingly at a crucial juncture. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was seen flickering the spells in his hand, emitting talismans that flew out and then disappeared into the surface of the Green Scale Shield.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, a piercing noise sounded, and the Green Scale Shield lit up with spiritual light before returning to normal.


    With a single wave of his hand, the Green Scale Shield quickly shrank and he grabbed it in his hand.


    After a close examination, Lin Shilu revealed a satisfied expression.


    With the addition of scales from the Green-Spotted Poison Python, the defensive power of the Green Scale Shield, although slightly inferior to before, could still reach about eighty to ninety percent of its original strength, which was very impressive.


    If not for the limited time and materials, restoring the Green Scale Shield to its peak condition was absolutely possible, or even surpassing its previous state wasn¡¯t impossible, considering the scales of the Monster Serpent belonged to a Second Order Late Stage Beast, which was much stronger than those from the initial or middle phases.


    ¡°Tianming, give it a try,¡± Lin Shilu said, chuckling as he tossed the Green Scale Shield to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming caught the Green Scale Shield, activated the spell, and then channeled a large amount of spiritual power into it, causing the palm-sized shield to swell rapidly.


    After a moment, he retracted the shield, sporting a satisfied look on his face.


    ¡°How is it? Are you satisfied?¡± Lin Shilu asked with a smile.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, to restore the shield¡¯s defensive power to eighty or ninety percent in such a short time exceeds my expectations,¡± Tianming replied.


    ¡°Hmm, indeed it does,¡± Lin Shilu said chuckling again, before taking out the storage bag of the man in the grey robe and handing it to Lin Tianming, gesturing for him to open it and check the spoils of the battle.


    To count their loot was certainly something Lin Tianming enjoyed. He took the storage bag and effortlessly wiped away the remaining Divine Sense from it.


    He extended his Divine Sense and took out the items one by one from inside the storage bag, arranging them before both of them.


    At that moment, the duo looked at the treasure spread before them with an exceptionally thrilled expression.


    The belongings of the cultivator in gray robes were extremely wealthy. After all, as a Loose Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level who had cultivated for nearly a hundred years to reach this realm, he must have done many heinous and murderous acts.


    Just from his storage bag, they obtained more than thirty thousand Spirit Stones, one Third Order Spiritual Medicine, dozens of Second Order Spiritual Medicines, and a complete variety of Second Order Pills, numbering over twenty in total, mostly used for everyday cultivation and combat.


    Besides these, there were varying amounts of Artifact Refining Materials and Demon Beast Corpses, clearly accumulated from his years of hunting or acquired from other cultivators.


    Regrettably, they did not find any high-grade Cultivation Techniques or advanced insights; they only acquired two Yellow Grade Techniques and some experiences from a Second Order Inscription Master, all of which were quite ordinary and not very useful for the Lin Family at this point.


    As for magic artifacts, there were just his eerie Dark Green Gourd and the Blood Evil Blade.


    The defensive tortoiseshell artifact was already badly damaged, nearly reduced to junk, and other defensive measures like talismans had long since been used up.


    Even so, the gains from the battle were still beyond imagination, and excluding the magic artifacts and technique insights, the treasures acquired were worth at least sixty to seventy thousand Spirit Stones.


    Looking at the treasure scattered on the ground, Lin Shilu, with an excited grin, said:


    ¡°Tianming, we¡¯ll split the magic artifacts and Spirit Stones between us, and we¡¯ll divide the pills as well. We¡¯ll select some useful items for ourselves from the rest, and contribute the remainder to our family. What do you think?¡±


    Naturally, Lin Tianming had no objections, and with understanding smiles, the two of them began the division.


    In the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu had completed their division, each stowing their treasures in their storage bags.


    Lin Tianming obtained the mysterious gourd and was also allotted ten thousand Spirit Stones, while all the pills went to Lin Shilu, since Lin Tianming, being an Alchemist, found the pills relatively unnecessary.


    Apart from this, his greatest interest was in the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus; the effect was simply too beneficial. Just one lotus seed had significantly increased the strength of his body, and if all were refined, he would undoubtedly become even stronger.


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 Chapter 259 - 182 Cooperation_3

    Chapter 259: Chapter 182 Cooperation_3


    Lin Shilu knew that Lin Tianming practiced Dual Cultivation of Body and Law, so he only took a petal and a lotus seed, leaving the rest to him.


    From the remaining treasures, Lin Tianming took more than ten relatively uncommon spiritual medicines and the inner core of the Green-Spotted Poison Python, while Lin Shilu accepted several pieces of precious spirit material and some Demonic Beast materials.


    After the allocation, both of them obtained a great number of treasures.


    Lin Shilu gave a knowing smile, then changed the topic to discuss the next plan.


    ¡°Tianming, we have been in the Secret Realm for more than seven days, a quarter of the time has passed. What do you think should be our next move?¡±


    Lin Tianming pondered for a moment before speaking:


    ...


    ¡°We obtained the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus, as well as so many treasures; this journey has already been quite fruitful. If we stay here safely until the Secret Realm closes, that would be the most prudent.¡±


    ¡°However, the Secret Realm is full of opportunities, and such a chance is rare. It would be a pity to waste time just like that.¡±


    Upon hearing this, a flash of spiritual light gleamed in Lin Shilu¡¯s eyes, and he nodded, saying:


    ¡°I have the same considerations. Although we have already gained a lot, these things alone are not enough to raise our family to a new level.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s still plenty of time. If we give up this opportunity, who knows how many years it might be before we can enter a Secret Realm again.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded his head, finding Lin Shilu¡¯s thoughts aligned with his.


    In the remaining time, as long as they were cautious, and avoided provoking those major forces¡¯ descendants, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about their lives when encountering ordinary Late Foundation Establishment Cultivators, since the two of them could join forces.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Tianming immediately discussed the next detailed plan with Lin Shilu.


    Half an hour later, the two left the makeshift cave dwelling and appeared in the valley.


    The harsh sun beat down on the quiet, beautiful valley.


    Lin Shilu glanced at the scorching sun overhead, chose a direction, and then entered the dense forest.


    Lin Tianming quickly followed him, and the two disappeared from the spot.


    Time slowly passed, and several days went by.


    They had now reached a vast forest, where they paused atop a tree canopy, pondering the endless forest in the distance.


    After trekking for several days, they still hadn¡¯t left the forest. Gazing at the boundless jungle ahead, Lin Tianming felt a sense of helplessness.


    Over the past few days, they hardly rested, searching for treasures during the day and finding places to rest at night, never wasting a moment.


    Along the way, they encountered a few Loose Cultivators, all of whom wisely avoided each other, and no unnecessary conflicts occurred.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were especially cautious. When they encountered two Second Order Demonic Beasts, they killed them.


    With such efforts, they both gained a fair bit, acquiring dozens of Second Order Spiritual Medicines, most of them quite rare.


    Just then, a series of loud noises came from a valley ahead, alerting both of them instantly.


    ¡°Tianming, there¡¯s noise ahead; it seems like there¡¯s a fight going on,¡± Lin Shilu said.


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s reminder, Lin Tianming nodded and asked with curiosity:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, what shall we do next?¡±


    Lin Shilu furrowed his brows, feeling somewhat conflicted in his heart. The situation was still unclear, and rash involvement could mean danger.


    However, before he could ponder further, the commotion ahead grew louder, and it was clear that it was moving rapidly.


    Lin Tianming and his partner quickly hid in the nearby bushes and then vigilantly watched ahead.


    In a short while, they saw a man in black hurrying towards their location, his expression quite panicked.


    It wasn¡¯t until the man got closer that the two recognized him; it was Long Hai, whom they had seen at the Secret Realm Entrance.


    It seemed Long Hai had discovered them beforehand, as he came straight towards the bushes, pausing several hundred yards away and looking intently at what was pursuing him.


    At that moment, a group of Dragon-Eyed Beasts, each about a zhang in size, chased after him. Seeing Long Hai stop fleeing, they halted, baring their teeth and watching him warily, seemingly hesitant to approach.


    Long Hai¡¯s expression grew serious. He turned and addressed the bushes:


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you two fellow cultivators to hide any longer. I have come here because I¡¯ve already spotted you.¡±


    At these words, Lin Tianming and his companion¡¯s expressions shifted, and they unwillingly emerged from the bushes, then cautiously eyed Long Hai and the Dragon-Eyed Beasts before them.


    Maintaining some distance from Long Hai, they prepared themselves for possible action.


    ¡°What do you mean, Long Dao-you? We are just passing through, and we bear no grudges against you, nor are we interested in getting involved in your affairs,¡± Lin Shilu said coldly.


    Hearing this, Long Hai maintained a calm expression and looked at them with a wry smile: S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s not a matter of whether you want to be involved or not. The Dragon-Eyed Beasts are not weak and have already set their sights on us. It won¡¯t be easy to retreat unharmed without fighting them off.¡±


    Lin Tianming and his partner¡¯s expressions darkened at this, as they looked towards the Dragon Eye Beast Clan opposite them, feeling a touch of helplessness.


    Long Hai¡¯s words weren¡¯t untrue; the power of this group of Dragon-Eyed Beasts was extremely formidable. Fifteen Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts were among them, including two at the Late Stage, and the rest at the Medium Stage and the Initial Stage.


    As for the First Order, there were nearly a hundred of them. Although the strength of the First Order beasts was not a significant threat to them, the sheer number was still quite formidable.


    And such a mighty clan of Dragon-Eyed Beasts was indeed terrifying.


    More importantly, the Dragon-Eyed Beasts were Ancient Exotic Beasts. Although not known for their attack power, they were incredibly fast. Even a Second Order Initial Stage Dragon-Eyed Beast could move faster than a Medium Stage Cultivator, making it easy to imagine the difficulty of retreating unharmed from their clutches.


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 Chapter 260 - 182 Cooperation_4

    Chapter 260: Chapter 182 Cooperation_4


    No wonder Lian Longhai, a Loose Cultivator with such a formidable reputation, fled at the wind. Lin Tianming muttered to himself internally.


    Well aware of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts¡¯ formidable strength, Lin Shilu¡¯s expression turned unpleasant as he spoke to Long Hai:


    ¡°Dragon friend, by drawing disaster toward us and involving us innocents, shouldn¡¯t you give us an explanation?¡±


    ¡°An explanation?¡±


    Long Hai let out a chuckle, then said:


    ¡°In the nest of these Dragon-Eyed Beasts, there is no shortage of treasures, among which is White Jade Grass. How¡¯s that for an explanation?¡±


    ...


    Hearing mention of White Jade Grass, the two Lin Tianming were shocked.


    White Jade Grass is the main ingredient in crafting Foundation Establishment Pills. Apart from Golden Core Forces, it¡¯s almost impossible to find in the Cultivation World and only appears in such Secret Realms.


    What the Lin Family currently lacked was White Jade Grass. If they could obtain some and craft Foundation Establishment Pills, the clan¡¯s foundation would reach a new level.


    Thinking this, Lin Shilu was very clear-headed. How could one easily believe the words of a stranger?


    Seeing the expression on their faces, Long Hai continued:


    ¡°Although these Dragon-Eyed Beasts are strong, with our combined efforts, it¡¯s not like we have no fighting chance. How about we join forces to kill them and then divide the treasures within?¡±


    Upon hearing Long Hai¡¯s words, the two Lin Tianming did not believe him and began to communicate in secret.


    ¡°Tianming, do you think there¡¯s truth or deception in his words?¡±


    Seeing Lin Shilu¡¯s inquiry, Lin Tianming communicated back:


    ¡°Regardless of truth or falsehood, we have no choice now. With his deep cultivation, if he were to leave directly, it would not be easy for us to retreat unharmed. Although cooperating with him is akin to seeking skin from a tiger, it¡¯s still better than facing the Dragon-Eyed Beasts alone.¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s communication, Lin Shilu secretly nodded. Then, he asked aloud:


    ¡°Dragon friend, words alone are no proof. If there really is White Jade Grass, I¡¯m willing to take a chance. But if there isn¡¯t, the two of us will definitely not take the risk.¡±


    Long Hai seemed to anticipate their worries. He waved his sleeve, and suddenly, a spiritual plant about one foot tall with a body of pure white appeared in his hand.


    Seeing this item, it was undoubtedly genuine White Jade Grass, and the two Lin Tianming¡¯s breathing quickened.


    Long Hai put away the White Jade Grass and then asked:


    ¡°How about it? Have the two fellow Daoists thought it through?¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, having made up his mind, he replied, ¡°Dragon friend, let¡¯s speak frankly. If we succeed, how shall we divide the spoils of war?¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu speak of cooperation, Long Hai smiled and said:


    ¡°Since I discovered this item and my strength is superior to yours, naturally, I should take the larger share. Of the treasures we obtain, I will take seventy percent, and you will take thirty percent.¡±


    As soon as Long Hai proposed his division scheme, Lin Shilu immediately protested.


    ¡°Dragon friend, your words are unfair. It¡¯s true that you discovered this, but seventy percent is too much. Our contribution to the effort should at least give us fifty percent.¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Long Hai¡¯s expression changed. However, he also had concerns¡ªshould Lin Tianming really decide not to cooperate, it would be impossible for him to escape unscathed alone.


    With this in mind, his attitude softened considerably, and he began to bargain.


    Soon, they reached an agreement: Long Hai would receive sixty percent, and they would get forty percent.


    To this division of spoils, the two Lin Tianming were quite satisfied. Given the current situation, it was unlikely for either party to succeed against the Dragon-Eyed Beasts alone.


    Only by cooperating could they achieve greater results and was the most advantageous approach.


    Long Hai and Lin Shilu both chuckled, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed. They then looked toward the group of Dragon Eye Beasts ahead.


    Neither side launched an attack, and the Dragon-Eyed Beasts did not dare to initiate one either. The two sides were at a standoff, with a big battle on the verge of erupting.


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 Chapter 261 - 183: Join Forces to Exterminate Demons_1

    Chapter 261: Chapter 183: Join Forces to Exterminate Demons_1


    As the standoff ensued, Lin Tianming was sizing up the Dragon-Eyed Beasts on the opposite side.


    Each of these Dragon-Eyed Beasts was baring their teeth and snarling, with the two strongest at the Second Order Late Phase having an aura almost as formidable as that of the Green-Spotted Poison Python.


    Among the dozen or so other Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts, each radiated a robust presence, clearly indicating they were not to be trifled with.


    In the current situation, fraught with extreme risk, Lin Tianming clenched his Tiangang Sword tightly, his expression immensely solemn.


    ¡°Long Hai, since we have decided to make a move, let¡¯s do it quickly and decisively,¡± Lin Tianming said.


    No sooner had Lin Shilu spoken than he was the first to strike.


    ...


    With a flick of his Law Decree, his Spirit Sword glowed brightly with golden light, and the Golden Sword Qi burst forth, cutting towards the group of Dragon-Eyed Beasts in an instant.


    Lin Tianming was no less decisive. With a slap to his storage bag, fifty-six Earth Evil Swords shot out and scattered, quickly forming a Sword Array that enveloped an area several hundred zhang around.


    With the Dragon-Eyed Beasts all clustered together, they were unable to react to Lin Tianming¡¯s sudden move.


    Only the Dragon-Eyed Beasts of the Medium Stage and above managed to escape the range of the Sword Array; the majority were ensnared within it.


    Only when the Sword Array began to operate did the Dragon-Eyed Beasts feel the constraints it imposed, desperately trying to break free.


    At that moment, seeing Lin Tianming and another make their move, Long Hai wasted no time. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He waved his sleeve and out came a three-foot-long Curved Saber from his hand, emanating a fierce Blade Qi that devoured the surrounding Spiritual Energy, revealing it to be a Second Order Mid-tier Attack Magical Artifact.


    He struck the back of the saber with his palm, unleashing a powerful Blade Qi that slashed at the Dragon-Eyed Beasts trying to break the constraints.


    Where the Blade Qi passed, the Dragon Demonic Beasts scattered to avoid it, but there was still a Second Order Initial Stage Dragon-Eyed Beast that couldn¡¯t escape in time and was cleaved in two by his single strike.


    In a single blow, none of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts below the Late Phase of Second Order proved a match for him, and his Eighth Level Foundation Establishment might was fully showcased.


    Long Hai¡¯s actions, which not only killed an Initial Stage Dragon-Eyed Beast, alleviating a great deal of pressure for himself, but also blocked those attempting to escape from the Sword Array, bought him enough time.


    Seeing the Sword Array begin to function, Long Hai leapt into action, charging toward the two Second Order Late Phase Dragon-Eyed Beasts that had escaped.


    The two Second Order Late Phase Demonic Beasts gathered together. They seemed to recognize Long Hai¡¯s prowess, surrounding him and lunging with their formidable claws towards him.


    The remaining four at the Middle Stage, recklessly charging over, sought to rescue their trapped kin but were intercepted by Lin Shilu.


    In a moment, the entire battlefield was divided into three areas: Long Hai dealt with the two Second Order Late Phase Dragon-Eyed Beasts, Lin Shilu with the four at the Second Order Medium Stage.


    And Lin Tianming contended with the remaining eight at the Second Order Initial Stage, as well as a large number of First Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


    Witnessing a multitude of Demonic Beasts within the Sword Array, Lin Tianming¡¯s countenance was grave, not daring to be the least bit careless.


    While controlling the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, his Tiangang Sword moved frequently in his hands, steadily repressing those Dragon-Eyed Beasts and confining them firmly within.


    For a time, the sky was filled with swirling Sword Qi, and the growls of many First Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts being slaughtered filled the air.


    Seeing a large number of First Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts dying, the eight Second Order ones inside became completely enraged.


    Though restricted by the Sword Array, there was still a large area for them to maneuver around with their remarkable speeds, and the density of the Sword Qi within the array was insufficient to catch them.


    Moreover, the sheer number of the Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts put so much pressure on the Earth Fiend Sword Formation that it began to tremble violently, teetering on the brink of collapse.


    Observing this, Lin Tianming waved his sleeve, casting several Second Order Attack Talismans from his hand, which transformed into copious Sword Qi to block several Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts from completely breaking through the Sword Array¡¯s defenses.


    In the gap created as these Demonic Beasts were thwarted, he stabilized the faltering Sword Array.


    However, even though the Sword Array was made stable once more, it would likely collapse again without some means of suppression.


    With this in mind, he patted his storage bag and the Thousand Beast Banner appeared in his hand instantly.


    The Law Decree in Lin Tianming¡¯s hand flickered and struck the Thousand Beast Banner, infusing it with a massive amount of Spiritual Power. The banner radiated a glow, sending a wave of black mist towards the nine Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


    At the same time, within the black mist, spheres of light transformed into fearsome giant beast illusions that savagely pounced on the opposing Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


    Inside the Sword Array.


    The eight Dragon-Eyed Beasts roared and lunged, fangs bared and claws waving, engaging in fierce combat with the multitude of Monster Beast Souls.


    ¡°Roar, roar, roar.¡±


    Intense roars erupted as one of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts raised its powerful claws, swatting away a Qingxu Snake Soul from the Initial Stage of the Second Order.


    At that moment, more Monster Beast Souls converged, bounding and tearing into a Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beast, trapping it in their midst.


    The pained Dragon-Eyed Beast grew wildly agitated, struggling hard to break free. Despite its speed, however, it was hard-pressed to escape due to the roaming Sword Qi within the Earth Fiend Sword Formation and the relentless biting of the Monster Beast Souls. Under this double pressure, escape was near impossible.


    Seeing this, the remaining Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts joined the fray, fighting ferociously with the Monster Beast Souls.


    With the addition of these few Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts, the battle took a sharp turn. Despite the large number of souls and a fair number of those at the Second Order, their attacks were considerably weaker than when they were alive, rarely reaching even twenty percent of their original strength.


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 Chapter 262 - 183: Joining Forces to Exterminate the Demon_2

    Chapter 262: Chapter 183: Joining Forces to Exterminate the Demon_2


    For a time, the souls within the Thousand Beast Banner were at a disadvantage, with the souls of the First Order Demonic Beasts dying in great numbers. Only the Second Order managed to hold on, but the entire group of souls was beaten back steadily.


    Lin Tianming showed no panic. He spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the Thousand Beast Banner, and the dark green flag suddenly burst into bright light. A thick black fog surged out, quickly enveloping a large area within the sword array.


    As soon as the black fog appeared, the Dragon-Eyed Beasts¡¯ speed was affected, and they barely managed to stop the decline.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s Tiangang Sword flickered with silver light and shot towards the Dragon-Eyed Beasts within the black fog.


    ¡°Tiangang Sword Qi Second Sword.¡±


    The sword qi moved with incredible speed, stabbing towards a Dragon-Eyed Beast that was surrounded by monster beast souls.


    ...


    The targeted Dragon-Eyed Beast panicked upon seeing the attack of the Tiangang Sword coming, frantically biting at the souls around it, trying to break through and escape.


    However, although the souls¡¯ strength was limited, they were not easily letting it escape due to their overwhelming numbers.


    In an instant, the Tiangang Sword pierced through the body of the Dragon-Eyed Beast, and a pitiful howl sounded as the Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beast was slain by the Tiangang Sword.


    As the Dragon-Eyed Beast fell to the ground, the Tiangang Sword, dripping with blood, returned to Lin Tianming¡¯s hand.


    With the suppression of the sword array and the black fog, and the relentless entanglement by the souls, the Dragon-Eyed Beasts¡¯ speed no longer held any advantage.


    Although Lin Tianming possessed only the strength of the Foundation Establishment Second Layer, the power he burst forth with was definitely not inferior to an ordinary Foundation Establishment Fourth Level cultivator.


    Under such circumstances, dealing with a Second Order Initial Stage Dragon-Eyed Beast was naturally not a problem.


    However, such a confrontation caused him a great drain on his spiritual power. With the overwhelming number of Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts, relying on the Tiangang Ninth Sword to slay them all would likely be somewhat laborious.


    Knowing this, Lin Tianming did not use the Tiangang Ninth Sword again, but instead, he steadily controlled the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, starting to shrink it.


    In the blink of an eye, the range of the sword array shrank to just over two hundred zhang and had become extremely stable.


    As the sword qi inside became more dense, the pressure on the Dragon-Eyed Beasts intensified.


    The Dragon-Eyed Beasts were now extremely terrified, as the remaining seven Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts simultaneously opened their huge maws, spewing out fireballs towards the Sword Array Barricade.


    Seeing the Dragon-Eyed Beasts unleash their Innate Divine Abilities, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression grew extremely grave.


    The attacking power of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts was otherwise not remarkable, but the fireballs produced by the collaborative effort of the seven would certainly be formidable. He feared the Earth Fiend Sword Formation might not withstand their relentless onslaught.


    Thinking this, Lin Tianming slapped his storage bag, and a Flaming Red Talisman suddenly appeared in his hand, which was a Second Order Superior Attack Talisman he had purchased from the Sky Dragon Pavilion.


    As he looked at the fire attribute attack talisman in his hand, a look of pain flickered across his face.


    He had not used it even during the fierce battle with the grey-robed cultivator, considering that a talisman capable of a strike akin to a Late Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn¡¯t be very effective against the grey-robed man at the Eighth Level of Foundation Establishment. That¡¯s why he had kept it until now.


    ¡°This cost three thousand spirit stones,¡± Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    Meanwhile, he threw the talisman into the air and followed by a spell that he cast on the Flaming Red Talisman.


    The talisman instantly shot out countless flames, forming a vast sea of fire that poured down upon the Dragon-Eyed Beasts within the sword array.


    ¡°Boom, rumble¡­¡±


    The flames produced by the talisman and the fireballs spat by the seven Dragon-Eyed Beasts collided fiercely, creating a massive mushroom cloud.


    For a moment, the sky was ablaze with red, the heat from the explosion so intense that it roasted the First Order Medium Grade Dragon-Eyed Beasts alive. After the explosion subsided into torrents of flaming rain, it covered the entire sword array, drenching any surviving Dragon-Eyed Beasts, leaving them soaking wet.


    Just one Second Order Superior Attack Talisman had killed eighty percent of the First Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts. Only a few from the First Order Late Stage remained alive, each with varying degrees of injuries.


    The Divine Skills of the seven Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts were interrupted, and they roared in fury; but, upon looking at Lin Tianming again, a trace of fear appeared in their eyes.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face brightened with joy. Although he had used the precious Second Order Talisman and failed to kill any Second Order Demonic Beasts, it essentially wiped out the First Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts and stopped the Second Order¡¯s Divine Skills, achieving his goal.


    Taking advantage of the moment of dread among the seven Dragon-Eyed Beasts, Lin Tianming reduced the area covered by the Earth Fiend Sword Formation even further, down to a hundred zhang.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming felt secretly delighted, his hand brewing another wave of attack, preparing to further expand his victories. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His Tiangang Sword glowed brightly as he launched several beams of sword qi, then with a leap, he charged into the sword array.


    He had consumed a fair amount of spiritual power, and with the need to cooperate with Long Hai, with whom he had no previous interaction, he had to reserve some spiritual power to face any crisis that might arise at any time.


    Seeing Lin Tianming actively charge into the sword array, the seven Dragon-Eyed Beasts resumed their snarling and became agitated once more.


    Cultivators and Demonic Beasts usually fought from a distance; Lin Tianming, on the other hand, had charged directly into the midst of seven Dragon-Eyed Beasts for close combat.


    The frenzied Dragon-Eyed Beasts immediately sprang into action, their strong paws lashing out toward Lin Tianming¡¯s forehead. If hit, his head would likely explode in an instant.


    The attack of the Dragon-Eyed Beast was incredibly swift, its paw a mere blur under the sunlight.


    Lin Tianming was not startled; he opened his Eye of Five Colors and effortlessly dodged the furiously swiping paw of the Dragon-Eyed Beast. Then he took to his heels, putting a slight distance between them.


    After a brief disengagement, the seven Dragon-Eyed Beasts were quite surprised. They were known for their speed and yet they did not expect this human cultivator to be equally fast and incredibly precise.


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 Chapter 263 - 183: Joint Effort to Exterminate the Demon_3

    Chapter 263: Chapter 183: Joint Effort to Exterminate the Demon_3


    Little did they know that Lin Tianming had the assistance of the Eye of Five Colors, no matter how fast they were, he could predict their trajectories in advance and make the most ideal evasions.


    Stabilizing his stance, the Tiangang Sword in Lin Tianming¡¯s hand flashed with silver light, and he followed with a slash that repelled the two pursuing Dragon-Eyed Beasts. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The pained Dragon-Eyed Beasts let out a shriek and then surged forward once more, surrounding Lin Tianming.


    The Tiangang Sword in Lin Tianming¡¯s hand swung frequently as he engaged in close combat with the attacking Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


    For a time, the silvery white sword light flashed, colliding with their iron-hard claws.


    ¡°Clang, clang, clang.¡±


    ...


    The sound of metal colliding, thousands of pounds in forces clashing, came like music from the heavens.


    After dozens of exchanges, Lin Tianming, with his powerful physique, did not fall into disadvantage.


    At this point, his body was drenched with sweat, and the temperature of the Tiangang Sword had reached a terrifying level; sweat droplets evaporated into steam as soon as they landed on the sword.


    ¡°Haha, exhilarating!¡±


    Lin Tianming let out a long howl towards the sky, and as his physique further strengthened, he could match a Second Order Demonic Beast with just his bodily strength. With the aid of the Eye of Five Colors and a vast amount of magic artifacts, his combat power peaked.


    While the fierce battle raged, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation revolved continuously, slowly reducing the area it enveloped, compressing the living space of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts along with the Thousand Beast Banner.


    At this time, the area of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation had shrunk to a hundred feet, the Sword Qi within was dense and exceptionally stable.


    By now, the seven surviving Dragon-Eyed Beasts gradually fell into disadvantage and soon began to sustain injuries, forcing the entire group to further retreat.


    Having gained the upper hand, Lin Tianming did not give the Dragon-Eyed Beasts a chance to catch their breath.


    While controlling the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, he unleashed the Tiangang Ninth Sword again. With the suppression and binding of the Sword Array, he successfully inflicted severe wounds on two of the Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


    The gravely wounded Dragon-Eyed Beasts lay on the ground, struggling and howling, their bodies torn in several places, one even having its tail severed, presenting a dismal sight.


    Seeing their compatriots in such a state, the few Dragon-Eyed Beasts still capable of fighting rushed over in fury, gnashing their teeth.


    Lin Tianming remained calm, clashing with them while wielding the Tiangang Sword.


    With two Dragon-Eyed Beasts rendered powerless, the rest of the group steadily retreated, trapped beasts in a fight.


    The remaining five Dragon-Eyed Beasts, in sheer terror, began frantically ramming the barriers of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation in a last-ditch effort.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s sword light flickered as he obstructed them, simultaneously controlling the Sword Array to continuously shrink their living space.


    The current situation was akin to a frog being boiled in warm water, it was only a matter of time.


    After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea¡­


    As the Sword Array narrowed to an area of several dozen feet, a miserable cry echoed from within.


    The Earth Fiend Sword Formation also ceased operating and all flew to Lin Tianming¡¯s side, beginning to rotate around him.


    Simultaneously, he put the Thousand Beast Banner into his storage bag, finally letting out a sigh of relief.


    His battle had ended, with all eight Second Order Initial Stage Dragon-Eyed Beasts vanquished.


    Looking across the battlefield on his side, there were corpses everywhere, lying in disarray. The flesh of many lower-order Dragon-Eyed Beasts had been scorched dry by a Second Order Superior Attack Talisman, leaving only a pile of desiccated skeletons.


    Gazing upon this hellish scene, Lin Tianming did not have time to clean up the battlefield as he rushed towards a nearby battle group.


    At this moment, Lin Shilu was locked in fierce combat with three Dragon-Eyed Beasts, and judging from the situation, he seemed to have the upper hand, with one already slain and the rest wounded.


    Lin Tianming was not surprised by this since Lin Shilu was at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level Realm, already nearing the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, and with a plethora of magic artifacts assisting him, dealing with four Second Order Medium Stage Dragon-Eyed Beasts was not challenging.


    With Lin Tianming joining the fight, the struggling Dragon-Eyed Beasts had little power left to resist.


    ¡°Tianming, make it quick!¡±


    Lin Shilu uttered as he enlarged the Golden Seal in his hand and slapped it down on one of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts.


    The targeted Dragon-Eyed Beast, seeing this, frantically tried to flee but was blocked by Lin Tianming who had come to assist.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    With a loud bang, the three-foot tall body of the Dragon-Eyed Beast was sent flying by the Golden Seal, crashing heavily to the ground and leaving a deep pit upon impact.


    Under the attack of the Overturning Mountain Seal, the robust Dragon-Eyed Beast was still struggling, though it had lost its ability to fight.


    Lin Tianming rushed over and delivered an angry slash, ending the life of the Dragon-Eyed Beast conclusively.


    The remaining two Dragon-Eyed Beasts, sensing the situation, thought of escaping, but it was already too late. Lin Tianhong had already laid down the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, cutting off their escape routes completely.


    Subsequently, the two men repeated their tactics, skilfully coordinating to slay the two Dragon-Eyed Beasts one by one.


    Soon, Lin Tianming and his companion were free to act. After swallowing a Huiyuan Pill each, they started paying attention to the major battle above.


    At that moment, Long Hai was engaged in combat with two Second Order Late Phase Dragon-Eyed Beasts and was gradually gaining the upper hand.


    Long Hai¡¯s three-foot long saber emitted intense Blade Qi, slicing off the tail of one of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts. The pained beast howled in agony.


    Witnessing Long Hai¡¯s upper hand and fearsome strength, the two felt extremely apprehensive.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, come over and lend me a hand!¡±


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 Chapter 264 - 183 Join Forces to Eliminate the Demon _4

    Chapter 264: Chapter 183 Join Forces to Eliminate the Demon _4


    Hearing Long Hai¡¯s call, Lin Shilu said to Lin Tianming:


    ¡°Tian Ming, I will go and lend a hand so we can quickly end the battle, and you should not get involved!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded. Facing a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Demonic Beast was still too risky for him; any accidents could lead to more loss than gain, especially since Long Hai was not at a disadvantage even by himself.


    More importantly, he could recover his Spiritual Power as soon as possible, so if Long Hai went back on his word, he could be prepared.


    Watching Lin Shilu join the fray, Lin Tianming did not clean up the battlefield but started meditating on the spot to recover.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    ...


    Explosive noises emanated from the sky, lasting the time it took to drink a cup of tea before stopping.


    After a short while, Lin Shilu descended from the sky, landing beside Lin Tianming with a flicker of exhaustion in his eyes.


    Soon, Long Hai also descended from the sky, stopping at a distance opposite to the duo.


    The battle over, Long Hai appeared rather pleased, addressing Lin Tianming and company:


    ¡°Fellow cultivators, quickly tally your spoils of war, and after that, we shall enter the lair of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts to plunder.¡±


    Lin Tianming and his companion nodded, beginning to count their spoils of war.


    In less than half a quarter hour, they had collected all the inner cores from the Dragon-Eyed Beasts, stuffing the bodies wholesale into storage bags to be divided up when they had more time.


    After all, these spoils of war were nothing compared to the main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill, the White Jade Grass.


    After gathering the spoils of war, Lin Shilu addressed Long Hai:


    ¡°Lead the way, Brother Long. I hope you won¡¯t play any tricks, or we certainly won¡¯t let it go easily!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s threatening words, Long Hai did not respond, but simply chuckled wryly and led the way north.


    Lin Tianming and his companion hastily followed, not daring to let him out of their sight before seeing the White Jade Grass.


    With Long Hai guiding them, it didn¡¯t take long for the trio to arrive at a valley spanning several miles.


    The three stopped, and Lin Tianming and his companion took in their surroundings.


    Looking ahead from about a hundred yards away was a lush, rushing gorge filled with dense vegetation, towering trees, and vibrant flowers, presenting a breathtaking view.


    ¡°Brother Long, is this where the lair of the Dragon-Eyed Beasts is located?¡± asked Lin Shilu.


    It was hard to believe that the massive population of the Dragon Eye Beast Clan inhabited such a small area.


    ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t believe me, let us go in and see for ourselves!¡±


    With those words, Long Hai left them behind and headed into the gorge filled with flowers.


    Lin Tianming and his companion exchanged glances before following.


    Soon, they reached the deepest part of the valley, stopping atop a hill with red soil.


    The soil here was markedly different from that outside the valley, growing darker in hue the deeper one went¡ªquite a peculiar sight.


    Long Hai pointed toward a small area at the top of numerous mounds and said, ¡°Fellow cultivators, please look over there!¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming and his companion lifted their gaze, looking toward the direction Long Hai indicated.


    They saw a patch of blood-red soil at the top of the mounds, covering an area of several acres, sparsely dotted with snow-white Spirit Grass.


    ¡°White Jade Grass!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it is White Jade Grass!¡± Lin Tianming exclaimed with excitement.


    Overjoyed at the sight, Lin Shilu rushed over to inspect it closely.


    Long Hai remained calm; the White Jade Grass in his hand had been collected here, and the sight of it no longer thrilled him as it once had.


    ¡°Fellow cultivators, have I not been true to my word?¡± he said.


    Lin Shilu, looking much pleased, laughed in response, ¡°Ha-ha¡­ Brother Long, you indeed keep your promises!¡±


    ¡°I had discovered this place earlier and collected a plant, but then the Dragon-Eyed Beasts detected me and pursued me relentlessly, which is why I sought cooperation with you,¡± Long Hai explained, recounting his harrowing experience and lightening the atmosphere.


    Having joined forces, Long Hai was no longer as indifferent as before. He reminded them with a smile:


    ¡°Fellow cultivators, our recent battle made quite a commotion. If other cultivators, especially those from the Golden Elixir Forces, are attracted, our troubles could multiply!¡±


    Lin Shilu and his companion nodded. They needed to remain vigilant; encountering the Golden Elixir Forces could mean getting nothing and possibly even losing their lives here.


    Considering this, he said:


    ¡°Let us quickly gather the grass and then divide our shares afterward!¡±


    Long Hai naturally had no objections, and taking the lead, he began collecting White Jade Grass. Lin Tianming and his companion, not wanting to fall behind, spread out to collect their own shares.


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 Chapter 265 - 184 The gathering of the strong _1

    Chapter 265: Chapter 184 The gathering of the strong _1


    With Long Hai occupying this hilltop, Lin Tianming and his companion continued to walk deeper into the area.


    Soon, they spotted White Jade Grass on different hilltops and began to disperse to collect it.


    Lin Tianming arrived at a hilltop and dug up a mature White Jade Grass, observing it in his hands.


    Aside from seeing the White Jade Grass from afar before the big battle at Long Hai, this counted as his second encounter with this precious Spirit Grass.


    Looking at the snow-white body of the White Jade Grass, Lin Tianming was thrilled. Just on this hilltop, he found three mature White Jade Grass plants, and more than ten saplings¡ªan abundant harvest indeed.


    With several such red-soiled hilltops in this small valley, if they could all yield a few plants, they would be able to divide up quite a number of Spirit Grasses among themselves.


    ...


    With that thought, he stored the precious White Jade Grass in a prepared Jade Box, and then began to collect the others.


    As for the White Jade Grass saplings, he naturally wouldn¡¯t overlook them. Although the survival rate of this Spiritual Medicine was frighteningly low, even if only one were to survive, it might bring a Foundation Establishment Clan Member to the family, wouldn¡¯t it?


    On two nearby hilltops, Lin Shilu and Long Hai were also busy at work.


    They worked efficiently and meticulously, their faces showing excitement throughout the process.


    Although Long Hai had succeeded in Foundation Establishment and was still a Foundation Establishment Eighth Level cultivator, he had no use for White Jade Grass. However, one plant could easily fetch tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, making it extremely valuable.


    Moreover, he needed to prepare for his breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage, which required accumulating a large amount of Spirit Stones, so the White Jade Grass was essentially bundles and bundles of Spirit Stones to him.


    An hour later, the three of them regrouped.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all take out the White Jade Grass we collected!¡±


    After Long Hai spoke, he took out more than twenty Jade Boxes and opened them to reveal the White Jade Grass he had collected.


    Lin Tianming and his companion glanced over them¡ªfive mature White Jade Grass plants and twenty-one saplings.


    Following Long Hai, Lin Tianming and his companion also took out all the White Jade Grass they had collected and placed them together.


    ¡°Nine mature White Jade Grass plants, and thirty-seven saplings!¡±


    Long Hai nodded; the three hadn¡¯t been far apart while collecting, and each had a clear idea of how much Spiritual Medicine the others had obtained.


    They had quite a haul this trip, with fourteen mature White Jade Grass plants and fifty-eight saplings in total.


    Long Hai smiled and said to Lin Tianming and his companion:


    ¡°Fellow cultivators, according to our agreement, I get sixty percent of these White Jade Grass. Eight mature plants are mine, and I¡¯ll take thirty-five saplings, unless there are any objections!¡±


    Upon hearing Long Hai¡¯s words, Lin Shilu calculated carefully and found the distribution to be fair according to their agreement.


    ¡°Of course, we always keep our word and will not go back on our promises,¡± he replied.


    Long Hai nodded, waved his sleeve, and collected his share of White Jade Grass.


    Without delay, Lin Shilu collected all the remaining Jade Boxes into his storage bag and then addressed Long Hai with a cupped fist:


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Long, I wonder if you would consider selling some of your White Jade Grass to me? I¡¯m willing to pay a high price!¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Long Hai was somewhat surprised.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s statement, along with the fact that Lin Tianming had been acting in concert throughout, indicated that there was at least one Foundation Establishment Power behind them. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be buying White Jade Grass from him, clearly gathering it for the power behind them, since White Jade Grass was otherwise nearly impossible to find outside.


    Since he himself had reached Foundation Establishment and was not an Alchemist, he had almost no use for White Jade Grass and ultimately intended to sell it. As long as the price was right, it mattered little who the buyer was.


    With this in mind, Long Hai inquired:


    ¡°What price do you offer?¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu became even more excited. Long Hai wasn¡¯t opposed to selling to them, otherwise, he could have just refused.


    However, White Jade Grass was not cheap; if the offer was too low, he likely wouldn¡¯t agree.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Long, for mature White Jade Grass, eleven thousand Spirit Stones per plant, and for the saplings, eight hundred Spirit Stones each. What do you think?¡± Lin Shilu asked.


    Long Hai found Lin Shilu¡¯s price to be reasonable, even slightly higher than the market rate, so he quickly made up his mind.


    ¡°I agree to your terms without objection,¡± he said.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were overjoyed to learn that Long Hai was willing to sell, as White Jade Grass was extremely important to the Lin Family, and they were willing to buy it at any cost.


    Fortunately, they had recently killed a gray-robed cultivator and obtained thirty thousand Spirit Stones, and with their accumulations over the years, as well as the family¡¯s subsidies of Spirit Stones, they could indeed gather a large fortune.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming and his companion communicated privately to arrange the payment of Spirit Stones.


    They quickly reached a consensus, and Lin Shilu took out all his Spirit Stones, a total of sixty thousand.


    Lin Tianming also took out all his Spirit Stones, a total of fifty thousand, collecting a total of one hundred and ten thousand Spirit Stones.


    They placed all the Spirit Stones in a storage bag, ready to trade with Long Hai for the White Jade Grass.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Long, we¡¯ve gathered one hundred and ten thousand Spirit Stones in exchange for all your White Jade Grass, and we¡¯ll take the excess in saplings!¡±


    Long Hai was stunned to hear Lin Shilu¡¯s words, as even he could not produce such a vast fortune.


    Regaining his composure, Long Hai said:


    ¡°I can only sell a maximum of eight mature White Jade Grass plants, but there¡¯s no limit on the saplings.¡±


    Lin Shilu and his companion, seeing Long Hai¡¯s resolute gaze, did not press further and traded for the eight mature White Jade Grass plants and twenty-eight saplings from him.


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 Chapter 266 - 184 Gathering of the Mighty_2

    Chapter 266: Chapter 184 Gathering of the Mighty_2


    The exchange between the two men had nearly depleted Long Hai¡¯s stock of White Jade Grass, leaving him with only one mature plant and eight seedlings.


    After completing the exchange and verifying that the Spirit Stones and White Jade Grass were correct, they walked out of the canyon together.


    As the three of them walked and chatted, Long Hai asked Lin Shilu:


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, this Secret Realm is fraught with danger. What are your plans now?¡±


    It seemed Long Hai was interested in joining them; after all, the strength of a single person was ultimately limited. If the three worked together, at the very least, their chances of survival would be greater.


    Considering Long Hai¡¯s strength, which both had seen before, Lin Shilu was somewhat tempted to cooperate for the long term.


    ... Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After discussing it with Lin Tianming, they decided to go it alone. Although it was riskier, their origins and movements would not be exposed.


    Lin Shilu then politely declined Long Hai¡¯s offer, and Long Hai did not insist.


    After exchanging a fist salute, Long Hai took his leave.


    Watching Long Hai depart, Lin Tianming did not linger either and quickly vanished on the spot.


    After parting with Long Hai, the two did not wander aimlessly but found a secluded valley and carved out a simple cave dwelling.


    The great battle had just ended, and both of their Spiritual Powers were not at their peak; Lin Shilu had also suffered a light injury. It would be very dangerous to move around blindly in this perilous Secret Realm.


    Inside the cave dwelling, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu sat on the ground, their faces full of excitement.


    Lin Shilu took out a mature White Jade Grass, examining it carefully in his palm with an expression of cherishing fondness.


    Lin Tianming watched silently, knowing full well what White Jade Grass meant for people of their stage, so he did not interrupt him.


    Time passed, and Lin Shilu finally looked up, addressing Lin Tianming:


    ¡°Tian Ming, what should we do next? Continue to explore the Secret Realm or stay here and wait for it to close?¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s question plunged Lin Tianming into deep thought.


    They had been in the Secret Realm for less than ten days, and their harvest was enormous. Even if they left now, it would still be a successful trip.


    Moreover, carrying so much White Jade Grass, encountering big trouble and dying in this place would mean the family would gain nothing.


    Considering these things, Lin Tianming felt conflicted; time was plentiful, but running around with so many treasures was incredibly risky.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, Tian Ming doesn¡¯t really mind. Staying here is not a bad idea!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s view, Lin Shilu made his decision not to wander further and stayed to wait for the closure of the Secret Realm.


    The two smiled at each other, then, with a unified opinion, they began to meditate and cultivate.


    Lin Tianming sat on the ground, began to operate Heaven¡¯s Will, and when his state reached its peak, he took out a lotus seed from the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus and swallowed it in one gulp.


    A familiar energy burst forth, which he slowly refined; soon, the Spiritual Power formed and circulated through his meridians.


    Time flew, and more than ten days passed.


    The ten-plus days of fierce fighting at the beginning of their Secret Realm journey made this period of quiet cultivation a rarity.


    During this opportunity, Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu each refined a lotus seed, further increasing their Spiritual Power.


    Inside the cave dwelling, Lin Tianming opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through them, indicating considerable progress in his cultivation.


    Feeling the enhancement of his Spiritual Power throughout his body, he was extremely excited.


    After ten-plus days of arduous cultivation, he had reached the pinnacle of the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment. With one or two more lotus seeds, he was confident that he could make a breakthrough.


    Feeling that Lin Tianming had finished cultivating, Lin Shilu opened his eyes and teased the excited Lin Tianming:


    ¡°Tian Ming, you seem to have made great progress. You must be close to reaching the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Heh heh¡­ If I consume two more lotus seeds, I am confident I can break through within half a year!¡± Lin Tianming replied with a laugh, his eyes filled with confidence.


    ¡°That is incomparable indeed!¡± Lin Shilu exclaimed, then said:


    ¡°I took more than ten years to advance from the first to the third layer of Foundation Establishment, while you, you rascal, are likely to reach that stage in just a few years. Indeed, you are a monster¡­¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Tianming humbly replied:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather flatters me. What were the cultivation conditions like for you back then? I am simply relying on a large number of elixirs and treasures!¡±


    Before his words had finished, Lin Shilu¡¯s face changed, startling Lin Tianming.


    Seeing the serious expression on Lin Shilu¡¯s face, he asked puzzledly:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, has something gone wrong?¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s expression returned to normal, and then he exclaimed, looking somewhat crazed.


    ¡°Tian Ming, an incredible opportunity¡­ An incredible opportunity!¡±


    Hearing this news, Lin Tianming was completely baffled but quickly guessed something.


    ¡°Could it be a Nascent Soul Spiritual Item?¡±


    ¡°Only a Nascent Soul Spiritual Item could make Fifteenth Grandfather so crazed. If this is true, then indeed, it would be an incredible opportunity!¡±


    Lin Tianming pondered to himself, and before he could speak, Lin Shilu began to explain.


    ¡°Just now, several people rushed past not far from us. Among them, two cultivators mentioned that they discovered a Star Moon Fruit Tree near a colossal lake to the north!¡±


    ¡°What? A Star Moon Fruit Tree!¡±


    Lin Tianming exclaimed in shock, his face showing disbelief.


    The Star Moon Fruit Tree, a Third Order Spiritual Fruit tree, blooms once a millennium and bears fruit only once another millennium, producing only nine fruits each time. One fruit could increase a simple 30% chance of making a Golden Core breakthrough¡ªit was considered Heaven-Defying Treasure within the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World.


    Quickly regaining his composure, Lin Tianming asked with an excited expression:


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 Chapter 267 - 184: A Gathering of the Strong _3

    Chapter 267: Chapter 184: A Gathering of the Strong _3


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, it seems we can¡¯t just wait here for the Secret Realm to close!¡±


    Before the sound of his voice had faded, Lin Shilu, with a face full of longing, hesitantly began to speak:


    ¡°Indeed¡­ Even if we are crushed to pieces, we must strive for the Star Moon Fruit at all costs. Third brother has reached the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, and if he obtains a Star Moon Fruit, he will have a chance to break through to the Golden Core Stage!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming quickly thought of something and, with a worried expression, said:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, this thing is truly a hot potato. Whoever obtains it will not have an easy time. Do we still have time if we go now?¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ This news must have already spread throughout the Secret Realm by now; otherwise, the person who just passed by wouldn¡¯t have blurted it out like that!¡±


    ...


    ¡°The cultivator who just passed by might have spotted us, yet he spoke without restraint. It¡¯s likely he intended to spread the news¡­¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s words confounded Lin Tianming. Who would reveal such crucial information without good reason?


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, please quickly clarify what has happened!¡± urged Lin Tianming.


    Reminded by Lin Tianming¡¯s urgency, Lin Shilu remembered he had only shared half of the information and then continued to speak:


    ¡°According to those two, the Star Moon Fruit Tree is guarded by a group of Tianluan Turtles, among which there is one at the Third Order Early Stage!¡±


    ¡°A Third Order Early Stage Tianluan Turtle?¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face flushed red, once more overwhelmed with shock.


    That¡¯s right¡­ A complete group of Tianluan Turtles, including a Third Order one at that. With such a lineup, even if the disciples from the Three Great Sects of Wei Kingdom joined forces, they might not succeed. Only under such circumstances would they spread the news everywhere, presumably to gather everyone¡¯s strength and obtain the treasure smoothly!¡±


    With the full explanation, Lin Tianming finally saw the light and then said:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, this matter is extremely important. Whether true or false, we must go and verify it before making plans. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That is exactly what I intend to do!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, as his thoughts were the same.


    If the news was true, whether loose cultivators or people from Sect Families, at the very least, they would need to gather a large number of cultivators to participate. Otherwise, they could not hope to successfully obtain the Star Moon Fruit!


    This was destined to be a fierce competition, but they first needed to unite and deal with the Tianluan Turtle group.


    ¡°Tianming, there¡¯s no time to lose; let¡¯s set out immediately!¡± commanded Lin Shilu. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming nodded, and then the two of them left the cave dwelling together. For their own safety and to avoid exposing family information, they disguised themselves and swiftly headed north.


    Along the way, they crossed many mountains and rivers. They encountered many cultivators who, just like them, were all converging toward the north.


    For several days the two traveled nearly a thousand miles, meeting more and more cultivators. Many groups of cultivators discussed the matter of the Star Moon Fruit.


    As they traveled, everyone¡¯s focus was on hurrying on their way, and harmoniously so, without any thought of starting trouble.


    Lin Tianming quite understood this unusual situation; after all, compared to the Star Moon Fruit, petty profits and personal grudges were simply insignificant.


    Moreover, the cultivators who could partake were all at least at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage and above. When it came to an opportunity to advance to the Golden Core Stage, no one could ignore it.


    Under such circumstances, no one would actively start trouble at this time.


    Early this morning, after traveling non-stop on horseback, the two of them arrived at the outskirts of a massive lake.


    By now, over a hundred people had gathered on the shore, among them were sect members, as well as clan disciples.


    Beyond that, there was also a considerable number of cultivators acting alone or in groups who had hurried over.


    It was foreseeable that the number of people would continue to increase, and although many cultivators were only there to watch the excitement, those with a desire to compete were certainly not in the minority.


    The hundred-plus cultivators scattered about, each finding a spot to wait, and discussed the matter of the Star Moon Fruit without any reservations.


    By this point, one could almost confirm that the news of the Star Moon Fruit was true; otherwise, there would not be so many cultivators waiting here.


    The two chose a spot to settle down, maintaining a safe distance of several hundred zhang from the nearby cultivators, and then began to assess the cultivators and forces present at the scene.


    Before long, he spotted the cultivators from Zhenyang Sect and Golden Sword Sect, as well as clan members from the West River Li Family, all wearing uniform Daoist robes with distinct insignias, easily identifiable at a glance.


    However, among the multitude of cultivators, there was no sign of anyone from Myriad Medicine Valley or the Yingchuan Chen Family. It was unclear whether they chose not to participate or were simply too spread out to receive the news.


    Lin Tianming surveyed the entire venue, and from the number of people present, there were eleven cultivators from Zhenyang Sect, eight from Golden Sword Sect, and four from the West River Li Family. Although it was difficult to discern the cultivation level of most Golden Elixir force¡¯s disciples, one could presume that they definitely possessed cultivation of at least Foundation Establishment Sixth Level.


    Besides that, he also noticed the Golden Elixir forces from Huangyang Kingdom; Qingyun Valley and Purple Yin Sect were in no way inferior to Zhenyang Sect in strength.


    Another Golden Elixir force was the Pengcheng Liu Family, which also had two Golden Core cultivators from the clan overseeing it, their strength exceeding that of the West River Li Family of the Wei Kingdom.


    Among the Golden Elixir forces from Huangyang Kingdom, the number of people was also sizeable: Qingyun Valley had ten, Purple Yin Sect had nine, and Pengcheng Liu Family had five. In total, they came close to matching the number of disciples from the Golden Elixir forces of Wei Kingdom.


    Three out of the five Golden Elixir forces from Wei Kingdom were present, and similarly, three out of the six major Golden Elixir forces from Huangyang Kingdom were there, with dozens of disciples from these forces combined.


    Among the remaining hundred or so loose cultivators, there were certainly quite a few at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and while no one revealed their true identities, it was certain that many were from Foundation Establishing families.


    The Golden Elixir forces of both countries¡¯ cultivation worlds had each occupied a vast area of the ground, seemingly reaching an unspoken agreement as they awaited the arrival of more cultivators.


    Although having more cultivators join would affect their gains, the more people there were, the smaller their losses would be.


    As for the intentions of the Golden Elixir forces, the loose cultivators and Foundation Establishment Stage families present were well aware, yet no one was willing to give up on such a rare opportunity.


    Seeing so many disciples of the Golden Elixir forces, as well as a great number of loose cultivators and cultivators of unknown origins, Lin Tianming had a serious expression, inwardly murmuring to himself.


    ¡°Such a formation indeed is a gathering of powerful individuals!¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s heart was similarly churning with tumultuous waves, filled with unease.


    In such a setting, they were as ordinary as could be. To gain something in this situation was exceedingly difficult!


    Nevertheless, for the sake of the Star Moon Fruit, they would not easily give up.


    After exchanging views, they unanimously decided to wait and see what moves the Golden Elixir forces would make next.


    Having made up their minds, the two sat cross-legged on the ground, closed their eyes to rest, and waited for the next move.


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 Chapter 268 - 185 Planning_1

    Chapter 268: Chapter 185 Planning_1


    One day later¡­


    Since Lin Tianming and another had arrived here, they had been waiting on the side. Except for the disciples of the Golden Elixir Forces, everyone was waiting for the actions of the Golden Elixir Forces.


    Within this day, there were still sporadic cultivators rushing over. After several days of waiting, there were already more than two hundred cultivators gathered here.


    Now, only three days were left until the one-month deadline! S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If they didn¡¯t take action now, or if the process of collecting the Star Moon Fruit wasn¡¯t smooth, they would miss this rare opportunity.


    On the shore of the vast lake, the Six Major Golden Core Forces occupied the best observation spots.


    ...


    The eleven disciples of the Zhenyang Sect were sitting together, excitement written on each person¡¯s face.


    Chu Jie sat squarely in the center. He scanned over the Zhenyang Sect members and then fell into deep thought.


    Upon entering the Secret Realm, they had an average harvest in the first half of their journey. Although they had gathered some White Jade Grass, they hadn¡¯t found anything particularly precious, which had worried him considerably.


    Before entering the Secret Realm, the Second Elder had repeatedly instructed him to seize this opportunity to obtain more treasures for the Sect.


    There were not a few disciples within the Sect with outstanding talent, and the competition was particularly fierce; there were many with greater talent and cultivation than him.


    Under these circumstances, only by securing enough treasures to make a significant contribution to the Sect could he possibly be cultivated as a key figure and be assisted in reaching the Golden Core Stage.


    This time, discovering the Star Moon Fruit was a rare opportunity. Just obtaining a single fruit would suffice as an explanation to the Sect; if they could get two, the reward would be substantial, and with three, his chances of breaking through to the Golden Core Stage would greatly increase.


    Conversely, if he didn¡¯t make enough of a contribution, relying on the Sect to form a Golden Core would be almost unrealistic.


    He recalled again the earnest words of the Second Elder before entering the Secret Realm, as if they had been spoken just yesterday.


    ¡°This time, having discovered the Star Moon Fruit Tree, we must obtain more than two fruits no matter what!¡±


    Chu Jie silently made up his mind, his expression filled with a fighting spirit.


    Quickly, Chu Jie regained his focus and looked towards the occasionally visible island in the middle of the lake. After erecting a soundproof Barrier, he spoke:


    ¡°Fellow disciples, this news has been spreading for a few days now, and fewer and fewer cultivators are arriving. I don¡¯t think anyone else will come, and the Secret Realm will close soon. If we don¡¯t take action now, there will be no time left!¡±


    Chu Jie¡¯s words calmed his fellow disciples, and they each began to ponder internally.


    In the crowd, an ordinary-looking man spoke up to remind:


    ¡°Chu, the Tianluan Turtle is very powerful; I¡¯m afraid no one dares to act rashly. We must not become the sacrificial pawns!¡±


    Before he had finished speaking, another Zhenyang Sect disciple also chimed in.


    ¡°Indeed¡­ Although the Tianluan Turtle is not known for its offensive power among Third Order Demon Beasts, its defensive power is definitely at the top. If we want to kill this beast, ordinary methods will be like scratching an itch.¡±


    ¡°We had people spread the news with the very aim of gathering everyone¡¯s strength. Otherwise, just relying on a few dozen cultivators attacking, it¡¯s simply not going to be successful!¡± another Zhenyang Sect disciple said.


    Chu Jie was well aware of what his fellow Zhenyang Sect disciples said, but he didn¡¯t feel confident himself.


    Chu Jie looked around and then said:


    ¡°Fellow brothers, the defensive power of the Tianluan Turtle is terrifying. It¡¯s not something that any one or two Golden Elixir forces can handle. We must find allies and cooperate if we are to succeed; what do you think?¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone nodded thoughtfully.


    Having cultivated to the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, they were naturally no fools. The Tianluan Turtle was a Third Order Demon Beast, known for its defense, and there were also many Second Order Tianluan Turtles. Just with these people, even possessing treasures left by the Sect, it was impossible.


    With that in mind, everyone spoke in unison: ¡°We will follow whatever instructions you give, Brother Chu!¡±


    Seeing this, Chu Jie nodded in satisfaction and then looked towards the disciples of the Golden Sword Sect and the clan members of the West River Li Family not far away.


    If they wanted to form an alliance, the Golden Elixir Forces of the Wei Kingdom were, of course, the first choice. Although they were all from the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World and had minor frictions from time to time, there had been no great wars for a thousand years.


    In this view, the Golden Sword Sect and the West River Li Family were much more reliable than the Golden Elixir Forces of Huangyang Kingdom.


    In fact, every one of the Golden Elixir Forces was well aware of his thinking.


    He opened the Barrier, intending to communicate secretly with the people from the Golden Sword Sect and the Li Family.


    Just then, two voice transmissions reached his ears, exactly from Su Yunlong of the Golden Sword Sect and Li Wenyi of the Li Family.


    In a short while, after he had re-established the Barrier, he then said to his fellow disciples:


    ¡°Fellow disciples, Su Daoyou of the Golden Sword Sect and Li Daoyou of the Li Family have just communicated with me to discuss an alliance, which I have agreed to!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the disciples seemed unsurprised and showed no intention of disagreement.


    Forming an alliance was inevitable; they weren¡¯t concerned about which power to form an alliance with, but about how the benefits would be distributed. If too much of the benefit was given away, they would have less to gain.


    In the crowd, Jia Yuanchun stood up to inquire:


    ¡°Brother Chu, if we succeed, how will the benefits be distributed?¡±


    Before he could finish, another figure stood up and said fervently: ¡°Our Zhenyang Sect has the most people; splitting the benefits equally would not be fair to us!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­¡± The crowd agreed one after another.


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 Chapter 269 - 185 Plotting_2

    Chapter 269: Chapter 185 Plotting_2


    Seeing everyone turning to him for advice at ordinary times, only to clam up when it came to discussing interests, he felt utterly disgusted.


    However, despite his annoyance, he did not show any abnormality outwardly; after all, he still relied on them to establish great achievements for his sect!


    Thinking of this, he chuckled and expressed with a rather satisfied expression,


    ¡°I dare not make promises lightly, hence I gathered the opinions of all my fellow disciples to discuss this matter with you!¡±


    ¡°Elder Chu handles matters with utmost care. Coupled with Second Elder¡¯s previous instructions to follow your commands, the alliance is entirely up to you to decide!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Elder Chu¡¯s cultivation is profound; just take charge directly, we have no objections!¡±


    ...


    Despite not knowing how sincere the flattering words were, Chu Jie was still very satisfied.


    He nodded, scanned his fellow sect members, and then communicated with Su Yunlong and Li Wenyi through voice transmission.


    Within moments, based on the number and strength of disciples from all three sides, they reached a simple agreement regarding the alliance.


    If they succeeded in killing the Tianluan Turtle, the scene was bound to spiral out of control; at that time, the three families would move forward or retreat together to deal with the Golden Core Stage cultivators from Huangyang Kingdom.


    As for the treasure distribution, regardless of the quantity of Star Moon Fruits obtained, the Zhenyang Sect would take forty-five percent, Golden Sword Sect forty percent, and the Li Family, fifteen percent. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If they were fortunate enough to acquire the Star Moon Fruit Tree, given the immense value of the tree, it couldn¡¯t be split into three parts; any distribution would have to be decided by the Golden Core Stage Cultivators of each party.


    Moreover, in cases where it was impractical to split equally, the party obtaining the Star Moon Fruits must provide treasures of equivalent value as compensation.


    But all these terms were predicated on having killed the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, otherwise, all would be but idle chatter.


    As the three major Golden Elixir Forces of Wei Kingdom formed an alliance, the three major Golden Elixir Forces of Huangyang Kingdom also secretly reached an agreement, with terms similar to theirs: the forces with more people got a larger share, while those with fewer got less.


    After all, in the Cultivation World, it has always been might that makes right, and the stronger one¡¯s fist, the greater one¡¯s say.


    Half a quarter hour later¡­


    By the lakeside, cultivators from Qingyun Valley, Purple Yin Sect, and Pengcheng Liu Family gathered together, putting the other cultivators on alert.


    Among the crowd, Xu Hua of Qingyun Valley stood up and addressed the Zhenyang Sect¡¯s side:


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Chu, the Tianluan Turtle is a Water Attribute Demonic Beast, and its attack power will slightly weaken at noon, which will be our best opportunity to make a move!¡±


    Hearing Xu Hua¡¯s remarks, no one in the crowd contradicted, evidencing their agreement.


    Chu Jie, along with Su Yunlong and Li Wenyi, nodded to each other and then gathered their disciples, positioning themselves in a stand-off against the cultivators from Huangyang Kingdom.


    The Golden Elixir Forces of Wei Kingdom had more than twenty cultivators, all of which were at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Similarly, the Golden Elixir Forces of Huangyang Kingdom had about the same number of cultivators, all Late Foundation Establishment Cultivators, creating a balanced power on both sides.


    However, the two countries¡¯ cultivators were unlikely to spark any conflict for the time being. Before the Third Order Tianluan Turtle was killed, they needed to restrain themselves and even cooperate sincerely.


    Seeing the movements of the Golden Elixir Forces of the two countries, everyone could guess that it was probably time to take action.


    Lin Tianming and another person were sitting on an open space in the northwest corner, eyeing the cultivators from both sides while remaining vigilant.


    Lin Tianming, observing the dynamics of the scene, voice transmitted to Lin Shilu and asked:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, looking at the scene, the Golden Elixir Forces of Wei Kingdom and Huangyang Kingdom are numerous and immensely powerful. Do you think they stand a chance of success?¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s inquiry, Lin Shilu frowned and then responded:


    ¡°The Third Order Tianluan Turtle is certainly formidable, but facing the onslaught of over a hundred mid- to late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, it is likely to be overwhelmed. However, this battle is sure to result in a substantial number of cultivators falling here!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Lin Tianming looked puzzled and said, ¡°You¡¯re so confident about this, Fifteenth Grandfather?¡±


    Lin Shilu¡¯s expression was serious, and his eyes revealed wariness as he explained:


    ¡°Tianming, do you think the Golden Elixir Forces have no trump cards?¡±


    ¡°Based on my estimation, before entering the Secret Realm, they must have been given powerful treasures by their sects, which will be the key to determining the outcome of this battle!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s explanation, Lin Tianming nodded.


    Zhenyang Sect and Golden Sword Sect of Wei Kingdom, as well as Qingyun Valley and Purple Yin Sect of Huangyang Kingdom, have at least several millennia of inheritance as Golden Elixir Forces.


    Entering such an ownerless Secret Realm, they were sure to hold some trump cards; only then could they acquire more treasures and reduce the losses of their disciples.


    Just as he was speculating about their trump cards, the conversation between the cultivators of the two countries interrupted his thoughts.


    At this time, the Golden Elixir Forces of both countries were gathered together, discussing strategies for attacking the Tianluan Turtle.


    Xu Hua chuckled, then decisively addressed Chu Jie:


    ¡°Fellow Daoist Chu, since this place was first discovered by you, could you share some insights into the strength of the Tianluan Turtle herd?¡±


    After exchanging smiles with Su Yunlong, Chu Jie said:


    ¡°Fellow Daoists of Huangyang Kingdom, it is true that we were the ones to find this place, but we also do not have detailed knowledge of the Tianluan Turtle herd¡¯s exact strength!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the cultivators from Huangyang Kingdom displayed distinctly displeased expressions.


    The outspoken voice of Wu Xu, the leader of Purple Yin Sect, rang out, directly questioning:


    ¡°Is Fellow Daoist Chu playing with us? We have been waiting here for several days; surely we haven¡¯t been wasting our time for nothing!¡±


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 Chapter 270 - 185 Strategy_3

    Chapter 270: Chapter 185 Strategy_3


    ¡°Wu Daoyou¡¯s words are very true!¡± Liu Kaiquan of the Pengcheng Liu Family agreed.


    ¡°Then why do you go around spreading rumors that there is a Star Moon Fruit Tree in the lair of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle?¡±


    Seeing everyone¡¯s scorn and ridicule, Chu Jie¡¯s face changed, and he immediately sneered back.


    ¡°It¡¯s true I was the one who released the news, but I never forced anyone to come. It was you who coveted the Star Moon Fruits, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t discover any treasure, would you still vent your anger on me?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±


    ...


    Hearing Chu Jie¡¯s mocking words, Wu Xu became infuriated but was unable to retort.


    Seeing the situation getting out of control, Su Yunlong hurriedly stepped in to mediate.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists from Huangyang Kingdom, do not be irritated. Daoist Chu did not deceive us. Think about it, haven¡¯t the cultivators from Zhenyang Sect also been waiting here for such a long time?¡±


    Even though Su Yunlong¡¯s words were reasonable, they managed to calm the atmosphere.


    Xu Hua nodded and then spoke:


    ¡°Daoist Chu, no more beating around the bush, just be straightforward. Tell us about the situation with the Tianluan Turtle clan. Without killing a Third Order Demonic Beast, our cooperation is necessary, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    As soon as these words were uttered, Liu Kaiquan echoed them.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m not hiding anything either. As long as the Third Order Demonic Beast is not dead, we won¡¯t conflict with each other. Even if we do kill the Third Order Demonic Beast, it will still be based on our abilities. Aren¡¯t we all just trying to fulfill our Sect¡¯s mission?¡±


    The frankness of these blunt words made people less repelled.


    Chu Jie and the others nodded, their expressions gradually easing.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, I don¡¯t intend to hide it from you, the matter of the Tianluan Turtle is indeed absolutely true,¡±


    Chu Jie said, then his expression turned mournful.


    ¡°Twelve of us entered the Secret Realm, and one of our fellow disciples died on the small island in the middle of the lake. Before that disciple perished, he sent back a message using a secret technique, and by judging the disturbances at that time, it was indeed an Early Stage Third Order Tianluan Turtle without a doubt!¡±


    No sooner had he finished than Xu Hua hurriedly asked, ¡°Was there any mention of the overall strength of the Tianluan Turtle clan?¡±


    Seeing Xu Hua¡¯s inquiry, Chu Jie¡¯s expression became solemn, and then he responded:


    ¡°According to the description from our perished fellow disciple, there is only one at the Third Order, but there are likely many at the Second Order¡ªno less than dozens of them. Their strength is formidable. That¡¯s the reason why we haven¡¯t driven away so many Loose Cultivators who have come here!¡±


    Upon hearing Chu Jie¡¯s explanation, everyone seemed to awaken from a dream. No wonder he had spread such important news far and wide.


    ¡°That makes sense¡­ With a Tianluan Turtle clan of such strength, even we, the Six Major Golden Core Forces, might not be able to handle it,¡± said Xu Hua.


    Chu Jie nodded and then shifted the topic.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, that¡¯s the situation. We don¡¯t have much time. You may want to think of a plan. We must finish this within three days, or we will waste this opportunity!¡±


    On hearing this, everyone fell into deep thought, and then some suggestions were made, only to be quickly dismissed.


    After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed¡­


    Seeing that they could not find a reliable method, Xu Hua finally spoke up:


    ¡°If we forcibly attack the Tianluan Turtle¡¯s territory, the risk is too great, and even if we succeed, our losses will certainly be huge. We can try to lure them out!¡±


    ¡°How do you suggest luring them out? Who would be willing to seek death?¡± Su Yunlong said.


    ¡°Exactly¡­ Even a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection would be practically going to their death by entering the Tianluan Turtle¡¯s cave in the middle of the lake!¡± Li Wenyi commented as well.


    ¡°Hehe¡­ take a look at this!¡±


    Xu Hua chuckled, then took out a jade box, opened it, and placed it in front of everyone.


    Within the jade box lay a spirit grass, half a foot long, entirely water-blue in color, with patterns of clouds adorning it, looking quite peculiar.


    Seeing the spirit grass in the jade box, Chu Jie asked with a surprised and pleased expression, ¡°Is this Tianluan Grass?¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ Chu Daoyou, you have a discerning eye indeed!¡± Xu Hua responded.


    Tianluan Grass is a Third Order Water Attribute Spirit Grass. Although it¡¯s not of much use in alchemy, with only a scant few elixirs requiring it, it has immense attraction for water attribute demonic beasts, especially the Tianluan Turtle. It¡¯s nearly their favorite spirit material, easily capable of drawing water attribute demonic beasts from a distance.


    ¡°Haha¡­ with this, we can indeed lure the Tianluan Turtles out¡­¡± Chu Jie said with a hearty laugh.


    Su Yunlong was also very happy, and then spoke up:


    ¡°We can find a place rich in Fire Attribute Spiritual Energy, set up a Second Order Formation, and then use the Tianluan Grass to attract the Tianluan Turtle clan. With the power of the formation, we might be able to reduce our casualties significantly!¡±


    Hearing Su Yunlong¡¯s plan, everyone¡¯s expression turned excited, with Xu Hua speaking up:


    ¡°Exactly¡­ That¡¯s also what I was thinking. It is said that Su Daoyou is a Second Order Medium Quality Array Master, so I¡¯m certain he will have a very powerful formation.¡±


    Before he had finished speaking, everyone present was fixating their gaze on Su Yunlong, apparently eager to hear his thoughts.


    Seeing this, Su Yunlong confidently stated:


    ¡°I have a complete set of Second Order Medium Quality Array Flags on me, which can be used to set up a Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation. Although only relying on this formation wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill a Third Order Tianluan Turtle, with the advantage of the right timing and location, restraining its power for a period of time is doable!¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ This plan is solid!¡± Chu Jie said.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Does anyone else have anything to add?¡± asked Xu Hua.


    Seeing that no one spoke, Chu Jie and the others began to discuss the specific implementation plan.


    Half a quarter of an hour later, the Golden Core forces¡¯ disciples of the two countries reached a consensus: using the Tianluan Grass to attract the Tianluan Turtles into the formation, then combining the power of many cultivators, they planned to kill the Third Order Tianluan Turtles.


    As for the Star Moon Fruit and the spoils of the big battle, it would come down to each person¡¯s capabilities.


    After working out the results and methods, representatives from the Six Major Golden Core Forces gathered together, surveying the loose cultivators present.


    All six were at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Realm, their strength undeniably among the strongest of the over two hundred cultivators present.


    With solemn expressions, Chu Jie among them, addressed all the cultivators present with a fist salute, laying out their plan in full and inviting everyone to join in the fight against the Tianluan Turtle clan.


    As for those who did not want to take action, they had to leave this place by a hundred miles now. If they did not heed the advice and lingered, they would immediately be driven away.


    Those who were unwilling to take action but dared to lay hands on the Star Moon Fruit and spoils after the successful killing of the Tianluan Turtle clan, no matter their background or cultivation, would face pursuit and attack by the Six Major Golden Elixir Forces.


    However, those who did participate would have the right to vie for the Star Moon Fruit and spoils; whether they could obtain them would depend on their own abilities. Of course, if they died here, it wouldn¡¯t be the fault of the Six Forces.


    Hearing Chu Jie¡¯s threats and incentives, along with the stern expressions of the other five, it didn¡¯t seem like a bluff.


    Instantly, the cultivators present began discussing amongst themselves, with many hesitating, although some had no intention of leaving from the start.


    Some cultivators below the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level were very aware of their own limitations; they had come to watch the excitement and maybe pick up some bargains. If they perished here, what use would the Star Moon Fruit be to them?


    Quickly, nearly a hundred people left the scene, yet still, more than a hundred people remained, seemingly reluctant to give up on this opportunity.


    Seeing many cultivators leaving, Lin Tianming was in a dilemma. He then sent a message to Lin Shilu asking:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, what should we do, give up participating, or join their camp?¡±


    After pondering for a while, Lin Shilu spoke resolutely: sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hearing their plan, the feasibility is quite good, and there¡¯s even a considerable chance of success. We¡¯ve come all this way, for the sake of the family¡¯s centuries of effort, I¡¯m willing to stake everything!¡±


    Seeing Lin Shilu¡¯s determined expression, a fierce fire suddenly ignited in Lin Tianming¡¯s chest, and a surge of momentum arose.


    ¡°For the sake of the family¡¯s long-held expectations, let¡¯s stake everything¡­¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s message, the two grandparent and grandchild shared a smile!


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 Chapter 271 - 186 Siege_1

    Chapter 271: Chapter 186 Siege_1


    Lin Tianming and his companion made up their minds to get involved. Although the hope was slim, if they did not try, there would be no hope at all. By trying, at least there was a glimmer of hope, wasn¡¯t there?


    After the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed, led by the six major Golden Core forces, they planned to temporarily leave the lakeside to find a location rich in fire properties to set up the formation.


    With a small portion giving up the opportunity and those with ulterior motives leaving, those who confirmed their participation followed Chu Jie and the others away.


    The two followed behind a group of cultivators, walking for half an hour before they arrived at a valley filled with boulders.


    About a hundred cultivators stood at the top of the valley, then surveyed the surroundings.


    Looking around, there was a seemingly bottomless canyon with boulders scattered on both sides, and even the ground was reddish-brown soil. A stream of heat wafted out from the depths of the canyon, clearly a natural spirit land of fire.


    ...


    At this moment, Su Yunlong, standing at the forefront, smiled joyfully and then said to the cultivators beside him:


    ¡°Fellow daoists, this is a natural fire spirit land I stumbled upon by chance. It is quite suitable for setting up the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation. As long as that Third Order Tianluan Turtle enters the formation, we can certainly weaken its strength within a short time.¡±


    Feeling the intense fire properties of the spiritual power enveloping them, Chu Jie and Xu Hua couldn¡¯t help but reveal a trace of satisfaction.


    ¡°With such a natural spot, our chances of success have greatly increased. As long as that Third Order Tianluan Turtle comes here, it will surely leave its life behind,¡± Chu Jie said excitedly.


    Xu Hua nodded and looked up at the scorching sun overhead, then said as a reminder:


    ¡°We should not delay. Let¡¯s set up the formation before noon and do our best to lure the Third Order Tianluan Turtle here.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, after today¡¯s time passes, we would have to wait another day, and we don¡¯t have much time left,¡± Li Wenyi chimed in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s trouble Su Daoyou to take action and set up the formation, and then place the Tianluan Grass within the formation.¡±


    Xu Hua waved his sleeve, handing over a jade box containing the Tianluan Grass to Su Yunlong, signaling him to quickly set up the formation.


    Su Yunlong took the Tianluan Grass and without hesitation leaped from the mountaintop, landing at the bottom of the valley.


    He scanned the area at the bottom, picked a relatively small and uneven location, and then took out five fire-red flags and a dark-colored array plate.


    After surveying his chosen spot, Su Yunlong nodded with satisfaction, then threw the five flags into the sky, which then steadily disappeared into the soil beneath some boulders.


    At the same time, he made a spell gesture with his hands, light after light of spiritual light bombarding the array plate.


    ¡°Hum hum hum¡­¡±


    Some time passed, and a few unique humming sounds emanated.


    A faint red light screen suddenly appeared over the valley, covering a large area. The formation light screen showed briefly before dissipating, and the valley returned to calm.


    He nodded in satisfaction, then took out the Tianluan Grass and placed it at the center of the formation.


    Feeling the formation activate, he then left the formation¡¯s interior and came to the front of the group of cultivators.


    Looking at his handiwork, Su Yunlong¡¯s eyes gleamed with pride as he said to the cultivators:


    ¡°Fellow daoists, the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation has been activated, and the Tianluan Grass has also been placed inside. Let us all retreat deep into the valley and conceal any traces of our presence, lest we startle the beast unnecessarily.¡±


    ¡°Everyone retreat deep into the valley, and remember to collect your composure so as not to disturb the Tianluan Turtle. Otherwise, if our plan fails, the consequences need not be mentioned by me!¡±


    After saying this with a threatening tone, Chu Jie led the Zhenyang Sect cultivators away, and the disciples of the other Golden Elixir Forces hurriedly followed suit.


    The remaining cultivators of unknown origin quickly followed; Lin Tianming and his companion blended among them, disappearing in the sky above the canyon.


    They reached deep into the canyon, a few miles away from the formation, where everyone subdued their minds and spirits, waiting for any movement within the formation.


    In the blink of an eye, it was already midday.


    The sun shone brightly at this hour, generating massive amounts of heat from the depths of the canyon. The heat evaporated into dense mist, enveloping the whole valley as if it were a mystical land of immortals.


    Lin Tianming and his companion sat inconspicuously at the back of the crowd, keenly observing any movement at the entrance of the canyon, ready to flee at any moment.


    Although they had a Second Order Formation and over a hundred cultivators to attack the clan of Tianluan Turtles, no one could guarantee that nothing unexpected would happen. If two Third Order Demonic Beasts appeared, all their planning would be in vain. At that time, they would not stay to fight to the death; likely everyone was thinking the same.


    Chu Jie and Xu Hua kept their eyes wide, staring at the dense fog ahead, full of worry.


    After some time had passed at the edge of the valley, one by one, immense turtles appeared. They were huge, each several meters in size, with blue and white intermingled shells easily identifiable on their backs.


    ¡°The Tianluan Turtle clan has finally arrived,¡±


    Chu Jie and Xu Hua were excited, and spiritual light twinkled faintly from the magic artifacts in their hands, clearly ready to strike.


    All the cultivators on the scene noticed the arrival of the Tianluan Turtles and prepared themselves accordingly.


    However, the figure of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle was still nowhere to be seen, causing the cultivators to feel somewhat helpless, continuing to wait.


    After a short while, a deep and unique sound came.


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 Chapter 272 - 186 Siege_2

    Chapter 272: Chapter 186 Siege_2


    A Tianluan Turtle, some ten zhang in size, made its way towards the entrance of the gorge, causing the smaller Tianluan Turtles scattered about to make way for it, seemingly fearful.


    The largest Tianluan Turtle, though immense in size, was surprisingly agile, instantly shifting a hundred zhang to the side and appearing just outside the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation.


    The gigantic Tianluan Turtle seemed to loathe the place, but at the sight of the Tianluan Grass in the dense mist, it became extremely excited.


    However, this huge Tianluan Turtle was quite cautious. It stretched out its head, staring intently at the Tianluan Grass within the formation, neither stepping inside nor turning away.


    This largest Tianluan Turtle was undoubtedly Third Order, its aura exceptionally strong and easily distinguishable.


    Everyone held their breath at this moment, not daring to make a sound, quietly waiting for the Third Order Tianluan Turtle to enter the formation.


    ...


    This was the first time Lin Tianming had seen a Third Order Demon Beast, especially one with such a long lifespan and remarkable resilience. He even thought that if he could subdue this Third Order Tianluan Turtle, his family wouldn¡¯t have to fear the Golden Elixir Forces for a thousand years.


    But he quickly abandoned the idea: A Third Order Demon Beast wouldn¡¯t easily accept a master, and without the strength of the Golden Core Stage to suppress it, subduing it was impossible.


    As he was lost in thought, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle made a move.


    Perhaps the Third Order Tianluan Grass was too tempting for it. After pacing back and forth outside the formation, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle finally decided to swallow the grass.


    All held their breath, waiting for the Third Order Tianluan Turtle to take that step.


    Finally, the Tianluan Turtle raised its massive head, leading a few Second Order Tianluan Turtles into the formation, while the majority remained outside.


    Just as everyone tensed up, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle moved at an astonishing speed, charged to the side of the Tianluan Grass, gulped it down, and then let out a satisfied roar.


    Seeing the Third Order Tianluan Turtle enter the formation, Chu Jie and Xu Hua, among others, grew excited, waiting for Su Yunlong to give the signal to strike.


    As the Third Order Tianluan Turtle entered the formation, an Array Plate flew out of Su Yunlong¡¯s hand, followed by several Law Decrees hitting it.


    The light screen, which had previously dissipated, shone brightly once more, with colors even more vibrant than before.


    ¡°Boom rumble.¡±


    After a ground-shaking tremor, the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation was successfully activated before the Tianluan Turtles inside could react.


    As the formation activated, the temperature within its embrace soared, and countless fireballs fell from the sky, pouring down towards the ground.


    Under the fierce attack of the massive fireballs, the Tianluan Turtles started to dodge, but the fireballs were dense, and many Second Order Tianluan Turtles were hit, quickly getting injured.


    The huge Third Order Tianluan Turtle, despite its speed, was still hit by some fireballs on its shell.


    Yet these terrifying fireballs only left a tiny wound on its carapace, posing no threat to its life.


    ¡°Fellow cultivators, strike quickly!¡±


    Chu Jie let out a loud shout and then leaped forward, heading towards the entrance of the gorge.


    Behind him, a multitude of cultivators followed closely behind the juniors of the Six Major Golden Core Forces.


    Lin Tianming and his companion symbolically followed suit, always staying alert.


    More than ten breaths later, Chu Jie and the others arrived first at the formation, having rushed there at full speed.


    Inside the formation, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, greatly irritated, began to ram the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation while dodging the fireballs, leading its juniors.


    In the time it took for them to arrive, the formation had already been struck several times by the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, each impact shaking the earth, teetering on the brink of collapse.


    Seeing this, Su Yunlong quickly shouted:


    ¡°Everyone, act quickly to stop them from breaking out of the formation. Once they escape, it will be difficult to deal with this creature.¡±


    Before his words fell, Chu Jie, Xu Hua, and the others from the Golden Core Forces began to attack frantically.


    With a wave of his robe, Chu Jie sent out a set of nine Circular Ring Artifacts, then cast several spells on them. The Nine Ring Artifacts rapidly enlarged and hurtled towards the Third Order Tianluan Turtle at lightning speed.


    Xu Hua was not to be outdone. As the leader of Qingyun Valley, he couldn¡¯t let Chu Jie of Wei Kingdom take all the spotlight.


    He slapped his storage bag, then pulled out a Spirit Sword gleaming with red light and brimming with Spiritual Energy, obviously also a Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact.


    Injecting a great amount of Spiritual Power, the entire Spirit Sword flickered, slashing angrily toward the Third Order Tianluan Turtle inside the formation.


    While the two took action, the remaining cultivators each made their move.


    Lin Tianming took out an Earth Evil Sword. The pair launched a few symbolic attacks, not using even a third of their strength.


    Many cultivators probably shared this mindset, as no one wanted to lead the charge or reveal their strength and methods.


    Still, the combined attack of over a hundred cultivators was terrifying nonetheless.


    For a moment, the entire formation was ablaze, various magic and spiritual artifacts emerged, and countless exotic attacks were unleashed, quickly engulfing the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    ¡°Boom rumble¡­¡±


    Explosions rang out, darkening the sky within the formation.


    The multitude of spells and attacks from Spirit Instruments washed over the area, and in just a moment, the Second Order Tianluan Turtles suffered horrific casualties, with nearly only those at the late phase of Second Order surviving, albeit injured. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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 Chapter 273 - 186 Siege_3

    Chapter 273: Chapter 186 Siege_3


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle, however, had hardly sustained any damage. The attacks from Foundation Establishment Cultivators had limited destructive power, and when faced with a defensive creature like this turtle, even the combined assaults from Chu Jie and Xu Hua merely left tiny cracks on its shell.


    After one strike, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle became incredibly furious. It lifted its head and let out a shrill screech, then swung its powerful limbs and charged at the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    A loud bang erupted, and the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation began to tremble wildly, intense light flickering over the barrier of the formation.


    Meanwhile, the Second Order Tianluan Turtles outside the formation launched an attack at the cultivators, seemingly attempting to coordinate with the Third Order Tianluan Turtle inside.


    Seeing this, Chu Jie and the others wore grave expressions. Su Yunlong quickly shouted loudly:


    ...


    ¡°All cultivators except for those from the Six Major Golden Core Forces, focus on exterminating the peripheral Tianluan Turtles!¡±


    Chu Jie and Xu Hua wore cold expressions as well, speaking in a threatening tone: S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Do not try to hold back or hide your strength. If the Third Order Tianluan Turtle breaks free, nobody will get their hands on the Star Moon Fruit, and nobody will have an easy time!¡±


    Hearing the words of Chu Jie and the rest, and considering the terrifying power of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, the cultivators began to fight more fiercely.


    Lin Tianming and his companion also unleashed seventy percent of their full strength, at least appearing like typical Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivators.


    As the battle intensified, the Second Order Tianluan Turtles on the periphery were vastly outnumbered by the cultivators and quickly suffered heavy casualties.


    The key to the battle still lay with the Third Order Tianluan Turtle within the formation.


    As dozens of cultivators from the Six Major Golden Core Forces joined forces, various moves bombarded in a frenzy, and the Second Order Tianluan Turtles were almost completely torn apart, with very few surviving.


    As for the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, its famously defensive shell now bore numerous cracks. Though they weren¡¯t deep, it had still suffered some minor injuries.


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle was unusually angry at this point. In this place rich in fire-attributed spiritual power, the effect on it was not small, and the restrictions of the formation imposed yet another handicap on its strength.


    The enraged Third Order Tianluan Turtle, a mighty Third Order Demon Beast, found it humiliating to be besieged by so many Foundation Establishment Cultivators and to have sustained injuries, which was incredibly frustrating.


    As the infuriated Tianluan Turtle continued to ram the formation relentlessly, the stability of the Myriad Flames Sky-Scorching Formation also began to weaken.


    Seeing this, Su Yunlong¡¯s expression became grave, and he quickly explained the situation to the Six Major Golden Core Forces, who all realized the importance of the formation to them.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, do not hold back any longer. This Third Order Tianluan Turtle is stronger than we expected, and it must be close to the Third Grade Medium Stage!¡± Chu Jie spoke up.


    Xu Hua and the others exchanged glances, then the magic artifacts in their hands glowed with increased spiritual light, their attacks becoming even more fierce.


    After two rounds of assaults, the Tianluan Turtle seemed to realize that its situation was also dire. Although the regular methods of Foundation Establishment Cultivators couldn¡¯t kill it, if the fight dragged on, unpredictable incidents could occur.


    At that moment, the furious Third Order Tianluan Turtle became even more agitated, suddenly shooting out a barrage of Cold Jade Arrows from its mouth, which heavily bombarded the formation¡¯s barriers.


    ¡°Not good¡­ the Tianluan Turtle¡¯s Innate Divine Ability!¡± Chu Jie cried out in alarm.


    ¡°Thump, thump, thump¡­¡±


    Thunderous booms resounded, and the formation shook violently, teetering on the brink of collapse.


    Chu Jie and the others¡¯ faces changed drastically, their magic artifacts shining brightly, attempting to stop the Third Order Tianluan Turtle from continuing its assault.


    However, it seemed that the Tianluan Turtle was determined, withstanding their attacks in its resolution to break the formation.


    As a torrent of attacks poured down, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle¡¯s Innate Divine Ability, the Cold Jade Arrows, struck the formation once again.


    For a moment, the colors of the sky and earth shifted, and a flurry of attacks slammed against the thick shell of the Tianluan Turtle.


    A section of the Tianluan Turtle¡¯s hefty shell shattered, revealing flesh white as jade.


    The frenzied onslaught from Chu Jie and the others wounded the disregarding Tianluan Turtle, which let out a crazed howl from the pain.


    At the same time, the Cold Jade Arrows also broke through the formation¡¯s barriers.


    Just as the formation shattered, the light screen in the sky dissipated, and the Jade Staff Small Flags burst into flames, quickly burning into ash.


    At that moment, with the formation broken, the enraged Tianluan Turtle turned its head, staring at the disciples of the Six Major Golden Core Forces who had injured it.


    They had underestimated the strength of the Third Order Demon Beast, thinking that with a Second Order Formation and the advantage of terrain they could succeed, but they never imagined that the Third Order Tianluan Turtle would be so powerful and resolute. They had held back throughout the fight, which resulted in the Tianluan Turtle breaking free.


    At that point, the faces of Chu Jie and the others turned pale, and they started to retreat frantically.


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 Chapter 274 - 187 Collapse_1

    Chapter 274: Chapter 187 Collapse_1 S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing the Third Order Tianluan Turtle break free, the cultivators who were besieging the remaining demonic beasts immediately ceased their attacks.


    Lin Tianming and his companion hastily retreated, positioning themselves behind the forces of the Six Major Golden Core Powers at the first opportunity.


    With the Tianluan Turtle free and no longer restrained, if it were to go on a rampage, staying within its sight was an invitation to death. They were prepared to flee for their lives at the first sign of danger, letting the Golden Elixir Forces bear the brunt.


    As expected, over a dozen cultivators who were late to retreat, caught off guard, were effortlessly slain by the escaped Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    Those quick enough to evade scrambled away in panic, eventually taking their place behind the Six Major Golden Core Forces, their faces pale as they looked upon the mangled corpses on the ground, all revealing expressions of lingering fear.


    Some of the surviving cultivators, witnessing this scene, immediately wavered in their resolve and, seizing the moment of shock and confusion, stealthily left the valley, evidently abandoning their plans to continue the siege.


    ...


    Chu Jie, Xu Hua, and others turned cold, watching the deserting cultivators with faces ashen. They were unable to prevent their departure, as there was no time to deal with the faint-hearted and fearful.


    In the blink of an eye, dozens feared the power of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle and hastily left, leaving behind mostly cultivators above the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment.


    Even so, nearly a hundred cultivators remained, and the overall strength had not diminished by much. Those willing to stay were still reluctant to give up this opportunity for a breakthrough to the Golden Core.


    After cursing the fleeing cultivators, Chu Jie, Xu Hua, and the others turned their gaze to the Tianluan Turtle flock.


    At this moment, the surviving peripheral Tianluan Turtles, given a chance to breathe, quickly regrouped with the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    With more than ten cultivators slain and dozens abandoning the siege out of fear of the Third Order Demonic Beast¡¯s power, the conflict subsided for a moment. The cultivators and the Tianluan Turtle flock were now facing each other across the valley, the atmosphere extraordinarily tense.


    The current situation was still difficult to predict.


    From a strength perspective, there were still over a hundred cultivators, most being above the Sixth Level of Foundation Establishment, their power still formidable.


    While the Tianluan Turtle flock, despite the Third Order Tianluan Turtle having some injuries, was not significantly affected. Aside from that, with the aid of several dozen Second Order Tianluan Turtles, their strength was no less impressive than that of the cultivators.


    Both sides occupied their own hilltops, prepared for the impending battle.


    Chu Jie, Xu Hua, and the others wore somber expressions as they cautiously observed the enraged Tianluan Turtle flock, ready to engage at any moment.


    After a few moments passed, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle launched its attack, spitting out a barrage of Cold Jade Arrows towards the cultivators.


    ¡°Everyone, be careful, strike quickly and vanquish them!¡± Xu Hua warned, as the Magic Artifact in his hand radiated intensely, slashing furiously at the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    ¡°All Golden Core disciples, join me in attacking the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, the rest focus on quickly exterminating the Second Order Demonic Beasts, then we¡¯ll all combine forces to deal with the Third Order,¡± Chu Jie bellowed, as he flung his Hoop-shaped Magical Artifact which, after expanding in size, smashed toward the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    Simultaneously, all disciples from the Golden Core Forces made their move.


    Suddenly, a myriad of attacks from various magical artifacts clashed with the Cold Jade Arrows spewed by the Tianluan Turtles.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom.¡±


    The sky echoed with successive explosions, the Cold Jade Arrows colliding with the Six Forces¡¯ attacks, generating explosive shockwaves, sending debris flying throughout the valley, and the heavens ablaze.


    At this moment, the intense battle was initiated by the Cold Jade Arrows launched by the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, entering a thrilling stage.


    Lin Tianming and his companion remained vigilant, targeting some of the injured Second Order Tianluan Turtles, making their battle surprisingly effortless while conserving their strength and not arousing suspicion among the other cultivators.


    In less than half a quarter of an hour, the valley was littered with corpses, both demonic beasts¡¯ and cultivators¡¯.


    The Tianluan Turtle flock suffered heavy losses, fewer than fifty capable of fighting remained, each bearing some injuries. Yet despite the relentless attacks, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle had not sustained fatal damage.


    The cultivator¡¯s side also suffered significant losses, with dozens falling there, including over ten offspring of the Six Major Golden Core Forces, most killed by the Divine Skills of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    At this point, the showdown between cultivators and demonic beasts reached its climax.


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle didn¡¯t hesitate to unleash a flurry of Cold Jade Arrows at Chu Jie and the others.


    With the Third Order Demonic Beast¡¯s Spirit Wisdom comparable to that of a human child, it seemed to know which cultivators posed a greater threat, and began to target them.


    As the Third Order Tianluan Turtle adjusted its tactics, Chu Jie, and the others had their complexions change drastically, scattering in haste.


    However, once their formation was broken, the pressure on the Third Order Tianluan Turtle eased, affording it an opportunity to retaliate.


    Seizing this chance, the Tianluan Turtle moved with astonishing speed towards Chu Jie and the Golden Core disciples, intent on wiping them out completely.


    But the Third Order Demonic Beast was too fast, and in the blink of an eye, two more disciples from the Zhenyang Sect had fallen, leaving the rest pale and huddled together.


    Stabilizing their positions, Jia Yuanchun¡¯s face was pale with fright. If not for his quick reflexes dodging a lethal blow, he might well have perished.


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 Chapter 275 - 187 Collapse_2

    Chapter 275: Chapter 187 Collapse_2


    Thinking back to the recent peril, his face gloomy, he spoke to Chu Jie:


    ¡°Brother Chu, the defensive power of this Third Order Tianluan Turtle is too strong; ordinary methods simply can¡¯t kill it, and if we continue like this, it will be impossible to slay it.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, if the Third Order Demon Beast doesn¡¯t die, none of us will get the Star Moon Fruit,¡± another person chimed in.


    Hearing the words of his fellow brothers, Chu Jie¡¯s face turned sour, but he had to face the reality that if they continued this way, not only would they fail to obtain the treasure, but they might also lose their lives here.


    He was extremely conflicted at this moment. If he used the trump card given by his sect, he would inevitably be at a disadvantage when it came time to compete for the Star Moon Fruit.


    ¡°No, the trump card can only be used once; once used, it¡¯s gone. It must be used by everyone together, otherwise, we can¡¯t afford to lose our lifesaving trump card.¡±


    ...


    Chu Jie thought to himself, clearly having made up his mind. He shouted to Xu Hua and the others:


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, don¡¯t hold back any longer. I believe your elders have surely given you a trump card. Whatever the means, we must bring them all out, slay the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, and then we will each rely on our own abilities.¡±


    Chu Jie¡¯s words made the descendants of the other Golden Elixir Forces hesitate; none wanted to lose their trump card, but the current situation didn¡¯t allow them to ponder any longer.


    ¡°Alright¡­ Qingyun Valley agrees!¡± Xu Hua spoke up.


    ¡°The Purple Yin Sect also agrees¡­¡±


    ¡°Golden Sword Sect agrees too¡­¡±


    As the Four Great Golden Core Sects showed their stance, the representatives from Pengcheng Liu Family and West River Li Family had no choice but to reluctantly agree.


    Seeing this situation, Chu Jie and the others were very satisfied. Their cultivation and strength were the strongest and their numbers the most, so even without their trump cards, it would be easier for them to get the Star Moon Fruit than it would be for the Liu or Li families.


    ¡°Everyone, take action quickly. The six major forces will take care of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle. As for the Second Order ones, they will be left to those Loose Cultivators!¡± Chu Jie said.


    As he finished speaking, Chu Jie released the Nine Ring Artifacts from his hands, and with a spurt of blood, the nine rings rapidly grew in size and smashed toward the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    At the same time, the remaining cultivators struck again, their attacks clearly stronger than before.


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle, seeing the cultivators¡¯ attacks, moved swiftly to try to avoid their sharp edges.


    However, the Nine Ring Artifacts unleashed by Chu Jie were incredibly fast and, after striking its shell, ensnared its body.


    Seeing the Tianluan Turtle¡¯s speed greatly reduced, Chu Jie¡¯s face lit up with ecstasy.


    The greatest capability of his Nine Ring Artifacts was not to kill the enemy but to trap them. Once entangled by the rings, the speed of escape would greatly diminish, and over time, it would even restrict the Spiritual Power, causing the trapped demon beast to lose its strength¡ªan extremely peculiar power.


    But before he could rejoice, the Nine Ring Artifacts broke two of their number under the violent struggle of the Tianluan Turtle.


    Chu Jie spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, for when the artifacts were damaged, he too suffered a backlash.


    It was then that he realized he had been too naive; with his Second Order Medium Quality artifacts and his Foundation Establishment Ninth Level cultivation, trying to trap a Third Order Demon Beast with just his artifacts was impossible.


    After all, a Third Order Demon Beast is formidable, and if faced alone, it could likely kill him in an instant.


    Although unable to trap the Third Order Tianluan Turtle to death, before the Nine Artifacts completely shattered, they could still greatly reduce the turtle¡¯s speed, serving some purpose.


    ¡°Everyone, seize this opportunity to use your trump cards and completely eliminate this brute,¡± Chu Jie urged.


    ¡°Good¡­ Let¡¯s do it together!¡± several leading figures replied in unison, preparing to employ their trump measures.


    Seeing everyone¡¯s resolute expressions and agreement to use their trump cards, Chu Jie was thrilled.


    He slapped his storage bag and a talisman paper flashing with red light appeared in his hand, clearly a Golden Core Talisman.


    As soon as the Golden Core Talisman appeared, the surrounding Spiritual Energy was stirred up, and a wild wind howled around Chu Jie.


    All the cultivators turned their attention to the Golden Core Talisman in Chu Jie¡¯s hand, revealing a look of fear.


    At this time, Lin Tianming remained calm while pursuing the Second Order Tianluan Turtle, having already guessed in their hearts that the trump card Chu Jie produced would definitely be either a Third Order Talisman or a Golden Core Talisman condensed by a Golden Core Cultivator.


    After all, the Four Great Golden Core Sects here have been heritage forces for more than a thousand years, and the lineage of Golden Core Stage Cultivators has never been broken; each dying Golden Core Cultivator would condense a Golden Core Talisman, serving as their final contribution to their sect.


    The Patriarch of the Lin Family also left behind a Golden Core Talisman, which on multiple occasions saved the family from danger and preserved their ancestral business.


    Seven or eight years ago, when the Lin Family faced the Golden Horn Mountain Jin Family, it was by employing this treasure that they directly killed the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Jin Zhiying without giving him a chance to fight back.


    The power of the Golden Core Talisman was well known to everyone.


    But the three offensive uses within the family¡¯s Golden Core Talisman had been expended, and the Lin Family had lost their protective trump card.


    As for the Golden Core Talisman that Chu Jie produced, whether it had been condensed by an Early Stage Golden Core Cultivator or by an even more powerful Mid Stage Golden Core Cultivator was yet to be determined; only after activation could a rough judgment be made.


    It did not take long for him to know the result. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the Golden Core Talisman in Chu Jie¡¯s hand was activated, a gigantic fireball descended from the sky. The entire fireball moved incredibly fast, engulfed in surging flames, with a terrifying temperature that vaporized the surrounding Spiritual Energy.


    Seeing the Terrifying Fireball, it appeared to be left behind by a fire-elemental Golden Core Expert, and judging by the fearsome temperature, it was very likely condensed by a Mid Stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    It was clear that with the Secret Realm appearing near Wei Kingdom, the Zhenyang Sect, as the local authority, had made extremely thorough preparations and heavily invested in them.


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 Chapter 276 - 187 Collapse_3

    Chapter 276: Chapter 187 Collapse_3


    Chu Jie was thrilled beyond measure, his eyes fixated on the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, eager to witness whether the power of the Golden Core Talisman was as terrifying as the legends suggested.


    Not only that, Xu Hua and others also activated their trump cards.


    In Huangyang Country Cultivation World, Xu Hua and Wu Xu¡¯s trump cards were also Golden Core Talismans, though their power seemed slightly weaker than those of the Zhenyang Sect, while the other three factions¡¯ trump card was a Lower Third Order talisman paper, not as powerful as the Golden Core Talismans, but their might was still formidable.


    The combined trump cards of the Six Major Golden Core Forces created a terrifying momentum that shattered the rocks and vegetation within the gorge.


    At that moment, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, seeing the terrifying fireballs and Sword Qi above, struggled frantically, clearly aware that these attacks could threaten its life.


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle writhed intensely, with the Circular Rings binding its body shattering one after another, leaving only the last two intact.


    ...


    Although only two Circular Rings remained to bind it, under normal circumstances, it would hardly need a moment to break free, but there was simply no time to spare in the current situation.


    Facing the all-encompassing attack, the Third Order Tianluan Turtle made a decisive move, retracting its entire body into its massive shell to withstand the trump cards of the six powers.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang¡­¡±


    The massive fireballs were the first to hit the shell of the Tianluan Turtle, instantly engulfing it in a sea of flames.


    At the same time, the other attacks arrived as expected, striking the shell of the Tianluan Turtle from all directions.


    For a moment, the sky was ablaze with fire, and the powerful aftermath opened a deep abyss in the gorge, the resulting surge instantly killing the nearby cultivators and Second Order Demonic Beasts.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were prepared early on, hiding behind the Golden Elixir Forces, protected from being used as cannon fodder.


    After more than ten breaths, the scene became very quiet, everyone waiting for the firelight and smoke to dissipate.


    As the fire died down and the smoke cleared, a miserable cry rang out.


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle was now in a terrible state, its thick shell mostly shattered, two of its limbs severed, as it howled in agony, its aura significantly weakened compared to before.


    Seeing this, everyone was overjoyed.


    The Third Order Tianluan Turtle had suffered an unprecedented blow, and with the surrounding humans¡¯ onslaught, killing it was only a matter of time.


    Although Chu Jie¡¯s magic artifact had been destroyed, seeing the main culprit in such a state made him burst into crazed laughter.


    ¡°Strike now, finish this beast!¡±


    Chu Jie bellowed, pulling out a Second Order Lower Magic Artifact and launching the first attack, with the other cultivators also acting quickly, surrounding and attacking the severely injured Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    Soon, the critically wounded Tianluan Turtle was overwhelmed by a sky full of magical attacks and sword rain. Under such heavy injuries, it was difficult to escape, let alone resist the attacks from so many people.


    However, the dying Third Order Tianluan Turtle, acutely aware of its plight, became insanely fierce, obviously intending to drag some cultivators down with it.


    Cold Jade Arrows shot out in large numbers from its mouth at an incredibly fast speed, assaulting the surrounding cultivators.


    The death-fueled attack of a Third Order Demon Beast was extraordinarily fearsome.


    Some of the cultivators who were too close couldn¡¯t dodge in time and were directly pierced through by the Cold Jade Arrows, falling dead on the spot.


    Meanwhile, the cultivator¡¯s attacks arrived as scheduled, each one draining away at its life force.


    A few breaths later, the ground was littered with corpses and severed limbs, with the Third Order Tianluan Turtle lying lifelessly at the bottom of the gorge, surrounded by the bodies of dozens of cultivators sprawling in all directions.


    In its dying moments, the Third Order Demon Beast took the lives of dozens, with all Six Major Golden Core Forces facing varying degrees of casualties.


    With the death of the Third Order Demon Beast, the Cultivator Alliance instantly crumbled.


    Chu Jie and Xu Hua were the first to act, vying for the inner core of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle.


    Since Chu Jie¡¯s magic artifact had been destroyed, and his injuries slowed him down, he ended up losing the inner core to Xu Hua. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Hua let out a triumphant laugh, then abruptly turned and shot towards the lair of the Tianluan Turtle, not even bothering to contest the corpse.


    Seeing Xu Hua¡¯s action, which was clearly premeditated, the faces of the heirs of the several Golden Core Forces changed, cursing loudly before immediately giving chase.


    Lin Tianming and his companion made a decisive move at the moment Xu Hua turned around, already leaping a hundred yards away.


    Suddenly, a portion of the Loose Cultivators abandoned the corpse of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, rushing towards the beast¡¯s cave as well, their speed not at all inferior to Xu Hua¡¯s, clearly also at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level or above.


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 Chapter 277 - 188 Grabbing Chestnuts from the Fire_1

    Chapter 277: Chapter 188 Grabbing Chestnuts from the Fire_1


    At this moment inside the canyon, corpses were strewn everywhere, with nearly a hundred Tianluan Turtle carcasses as well as a great number of cultivator limbs.


    As the disciples of the Six Major Golden Core Forces and those cultivators intent on competing for the Star Moon Fruit left, the nearly hundred cultivators remaining fought each other without any reservations, vying for the Third Order Tianluan Turtle carcasses and the numerous deceased cultivators¡¯ belongings.


    Those who stayed in the canyon were very clear that with their cultivation, hoping to compete with the disciples of the Six Major Golden Core Forces for the few Star Moon Fruits was extremely unlikely.


    In light of this, it was better to aim for the Tianluan Turtles and the possessions of the dead cultivators. After all, nearly a hundred cultivators had perished here, along with a large number of demon beast corpses, which amounted to a considerable fortune, not to mention the high value of a single Third Order Tianluan Turtle carcass.


    There were no shortage of cultivators with such thoughts, but only the top Foundation Establishment Cultivators would gamble on the chance for the Golden Core Path.


    At this time, the entire canyon was in utter chaos; in the sky, a multitude of spells and magic artifacts collided thunderously. Every cultivator held nothing back, unleashing lethal moves and displaying the full extent of human greed.


    ...


    However, Chu Jie and Xu Hua paid no heed to this, considering these treasures to be insignificant compared to the Star Moon Fruits.


    Lin Tianming did the same; in the moment Xu Hua turned around, he hurriedly took a few storage bags from the cultivators and immediately gave chase.


    Chu Jie and others were also infuriated, quickly securing any convenient valuables and chased after them, turning into lingering shadows.


    Xu Hua led the way, racing towards the location of the Tianluan Turtle den, which was that vast lake.


    Following behind him were Chu Jie, Su Yunlong, and Wu Xu.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were also in pursuit, maintaining an above-average speed, with more than a dozen cultivators trailing behind them.


    The group whistled past, arriving in a majestic procession at the lakeside, surpassing the spot where they had initially stopped.


    Xu Hua and others looked at the vaguely visible island in the center of the lake, showing no signs of pausing as they blasted towards it.


    In less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the group of cultivators arrived above the small island.


    Looking around, the island was now enveloped in a dense fog, with numerous caves evident throughout the area.


    With the Tianluan Turtle clan wiped out, the whole island was eerily silent, save for some Tianluan Turtles guarding the nests who looked ferociously at the newcomers, spitting out Cold Jade Arrows to try and blast those who dared to enter their caves.


    Upon seeing a Second Order Tianluan Turtle attacking him, Xu Hua snorted coldly; a flash of spiritual light from the great sword in his hand and a face-to-face strike killed the Second Order Initial Stage Tianluan Turtle.


    The moment he was briefly slowed down, Chu Jie and the others arrived, their faces grim as they looked at Xu Hua.


    At this time, Chu Jie had seven Zhenyang Sect Disciples by his side. Nearby, Su Yunlong of the Golden Sword Sect also had several cultivators, while only three remained from the West River Li Family¡¯s Li Wenyi.


    Opposite them, Xu Hua was accompanied by cultivators from the Purple Yin Sect and the Pengcheng Liu Family, adding up to seventeen cultivators from the three major Golden Elixir Forces of Huangyang Kingdom.


    After the brutal battle in the canyon, the cultivators from both sides had been visibly diminished, all having died at the mouths of Third Order Tianluan Turtles.


    Currently, the strengths of both parties were evenly matched; in terms of numbers, Xu Hua¡¯s side seemed to have a slight advantage.


    However, even though the Golden Elixir Forces were powerful, they couldn¡¯t afford to be complacent. Cultivators with unclear backgrounds like Lin Tianming were also present, numbering over thirty people, among them many above Foundation Establishment Eighth Level.


    Given the circumstances, it was still uncertain who would ultimately claim the Star Moon Fruits.


    At this point, the Loose Cultivators were subtly gathering together, showing no inferiority in momentum compared to Chu Jie and Xu Hua.


    Seeing this, a barely perceptible smile appeared on Xu Hua¡¯s face, as he secretly communicated with Chu Jie and others, seemingly discussing something.


    With the weird atmosphere and the changing expressions of Chu Jie and others, Lin Tianming and the majority of the Loose Cultivators wore serious expressions, readying themselves for an imminent battle.


    As expected, Xu Hua and Chu Jie seemed to have reached some agreement, launching an attack on the nearest cultivators without anyone noticing.


    In an instant, the disciples of the Golden Elixir Forces who suddenly took action successfully killed several cultivators.


    Lin Tianming and his companion were prepared, immediately retreating to quickly create distance. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Following the surprise attack, the remaining twenty or so Loose Cultivators had grim expressions, with someone angrily cursing:


    ¡°Xu Daoyou, what is the meaning of this? We had agreed that upon the death of a Third Order Demon Beast, everyone would have the right to compete for the Star Moon Fruit.¡±


    Hearing these words, Xu Hua and the others sneered, ¡°How naive you are!¡±


    ¡°With the Third Order Tianluan Turtles dead, what use are you?¡±


    Infuriated by Xu Hua¡¯s scoffing taunt, the assembled Loose Cultivators were seething with anger, but being overpowered, they could only unite with other Loose Cultivators to confront Xu Hua and his group.


    Xu Hua and his peers were ungentlemanly, seeing that masks were torn off, they attacked directly.


    The Loose Cultivators did not shrink back, retaliating and engaging in a fierce battle.


    Lin Tianming and his partner teamed up against a disciple from the Purple Yin Sect. With their close coordination, they stood toe-to-toe with the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level cultivator without falling behind.


    By now, the situation had become chaotic again, and the previously ceased combat reignited once more.


    Although the average cultivation level of the Six Major Golden Core Forces was superior, there were still more than twenty extra people among the Loose Cultivators.


    Under this situation, the entire battle became even more intense.


    Flares burst in the sky above the island as massive spells and talisman papers collided, and the explosive waves uprooted flowers, plants, and trees from the ground.


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 Chapter 278 - 188: Grabbing Chestnuts from the Fire_2

    Chapter 278: Chapter 188: Grabbing Chestnuts from the Fire_2


    In just a short moment, the picturesque island lay in ruins.


    Meanwhile, screams echoed from time to time, with cultivators from both sides falling here.


    After a small quarter of an hour of intense battle, the fight had reached a fever pitch.


    Xu Hua leapt up, his spirit sword radiating brilliantly, and then a golden sword qi shot out, piercing through the chest of a Foundation Establishment Seventh Level cultivator.


    The defeated cultivator fell to the ground unwillingly, blood gushing from the chest wound, creating a truly desolate scene.


    Seeing the cultivator¡¯s death, Xu Hua sneered and picked a new target, then struck again.


    ...


    At this moment, all the loose cultivators were in utter panic, except for a few who remained composed; the rest were ashen-faced, and some even started to beat a retreat.


    As another Foundation Establishment Seventh Level loose cultivator fell to Chu Jie, their body was pierced directly by a spirit sword, and the unwilling cultivator¡¯s body convulsed on the ground in a terrifying sight.


    Seeing this, the remaining alive loose cultivators completely gave up on competing for the Star Moon Fruit.


    With the first cultivator fleeing, it quickly triggered a chain reaction, and another one dashed away in the direction they had come from.


    Soon, the initially numerically superior group of loose cultivators, with some dead and others escaped, was reduced to just over twenty who still held on. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing that they had the absolute upper hand, Xu Hua refrained from making another move and instead turned to rush alone towards the center of the island.


    At the same time, Chu Jie, Su Yunlong, and others followed suit, leaving their brothers and sisters to block the loose cultivators.


    Lin Tianming and his companion quickly deduced their intent, which was to leave people to hinder the loose cultivators, while the leaders of the Six Major Golden Core Forces went to seize the Star Moon Fruit.


    Not just them, some among the loose cultivators had also figured it out, soon someone shouted:


    ¡°Fellow daoists, Xu Hua, Chu Jie, and the others have gone to find the Star Moon Fruit, hurry and break through their blockade, or we¡¯ll have no hope at all!¡±


    Before the words had even faded, the loose cultivators spontaneously converged together, launching an attack on the disciples of the Golden Elixir Forces that were blocking them.


    At this critical juncture, no one hid their cultivation level or held back their strength anymore.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression was grave as fifty-six Earth Fiend Swords shot out, trapping several cultivators who were in their way.


    At the same time, the Second Order Talisman in his hand flew out, transforming into a sea of fire that engulfed the enemy.


    After one strike, his attack was easily caught by the enemy; after all, his cultivation was too low, and these techniques were merely time-consuming for them.


    However, before the cultivators within could celebrate, Lin Shilu¡¯s attack had already arrived in haste.


    The sky erupted in Golden Sword Qi, and the Overturning Mountain Seal slammed down furiously.


    A cultivator failed to dodge in time and was directly killed by the sword light and sword qi, his body torn to pieces, a sight most miserable indeed.


    The remaining two¡¯s complexions changed dramatically, then they began attacking the barriers of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, trying to break out.


    But at that moment, a blood-colored blade qi shot towards them with extreme speed.


    The two inside the sword array had not anticipated a third person attacking them and couldn¡¯t react in time; they could only try to dodge vitally.


    Yet the blood-colored blade qi was too fast. A scream pierced the air as one cultivator was unable to dodge in time and was struck dead.


    The other, more decisive, twisted his body to dodge the fatal blow but lost an arm in doing so.


    Inside the sword array, the sole surviving cultivator went pale with a look of terror, fortunate to have kept his life.


    Seeing the blood-colored blade qi, Lin Tianming and his companion immediately recognized that the attacker was none other than Long Hai, with whom they had previously cooperated.


    Similarly, Long Hai, upon seeing the fifty-six Earth Fiend Swords launched simultaneously, knew that the person whose face had changed was the pair who had battled alongside him against the Dragon-Eyed Beast.


    Noticing Long Hai¡¯s intervention, the pair looked towards the approaching Long Hai and then heard his transmitted message.


    The three nodded to each other, seemingly in tacit understanding, and together they shot towards the direction where Xu Hua and the others had fallen.


    Due to their sudden burst of power, they killed two of the three that blocked them, leaving the surviving one injured and unable to stop them further.


    The cultivators who wanted to provide support were also busy dealing with the frenzied loose cultivators and couldn¡¯t spare their hands to close the gap.


    Under the watchful eyes of many cultivators, Lin Tianming and the other two quickly disappeared from their view.


    Lin Tianming and the other two¡¯s successful breakthrough also gave the loose cultivators renewed confidence, and their attacks became increasingly fierce.


    Under such circumstances, the pressure on the disciples of the Golden Core Forces doubled, and they began to fall into a disadvantage.


    Meanwhile, the three paid no attention to this, flying towards the center of the island, and subsequently searching for the Star Moon Fruit Tree.


    After more than ten breaths had passed, booming noises echoed from the center of the island, evidently, Chu Jie and his six companions were also fighting fiercely for the chance.


    The trio carefully made their way over, stopping by a hidden cave entrance to watch the intense battle unfolding before them.


    Looking over, Chu Jie, Su Yunlong, and Li Wenyi were fighting together against Xu Hua, Wu Xu, and Liu Kaiquan.


    The six Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level unleashed powerful fluctuations as they clashed, significantly stronger than the Cultivators trying to hold them back.


    Behind the six people, an eye-catching golden fruit tree about three meters tall stood out, with nine silvery-white fruits hanging from its golden trunk. Each fruit was the size of a child¡¯s head, covered in dense patterns, and surrounded by a great amount of Spiritual Energy, appearing extremely tempting.


    ¡°Star Moon Fruit!¡±


    Seeing this, the three were extremely excited, almost wishing they could rush over and uproot it at once.


    However, they forcefully suppressed the restlessness in their hearts, as it was not the right moment to act. It would be better to wait until the others were embroiled in a critical moment of their battle, increasing the likelihood of obtaining the Star Moon Fruit.


    Soon enough, their opportunity arrived.


    In front of the trio, Chu Jie wielded a large number of Second Order Talisman, at least ten, and without hesitation, he launched them. They transformed into a rain of swords that enveloped Xu Hua and the others.


    At the same time, Su Yunlong slapped his storage bag, and several pale gold beads appeared in his hands¡ªthese were Gold Spirit Beads refined from Demon Beast Inner Pills. They shared some similarities with the Fire Spirit Pearls in Lin Tianming and his companions¡¯ possession, differing only in attributes.


    He threw the Gold Spirit Beads towards Xu Hua and the others, then prepared an even more violent assault.


    Seeing Chu Jie and the others¡¯ strike, Lin Tianming was inwardly amazed.


    ¡°These leaders of the Golden Core Forces truly are extravagant, casually throwing out over a dozen Second Order Talisman and several Gold Spirit Beads. Just these attack methods have already cost tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, it¡¯s simply too wasteful.¡±


    While he was astounded, Xu Hua¡¯s expression turned very grim under the relentless attack, but he didn¡¯t seem overly panicked.


    All he did was wave his robe¡¯s sleeve, and a small umbrella-shaped Defense Artifact covered him, blocking the offensive from Chu Jie and the others.


    After the blow, a series of explosive noises followed, as the umbrella withstood the attacks from Chu Jie and his group.


    When the dust cleared, Xu Hua and the others were still standing.


    At this point, Xu Hua and his companions¡¯ faces were grim as they took out a large number of treasures and began to counter-attack.


    Xu Hua¡¯s Spirit Sword burst forth with earth-shattering Sword Qi, furiously slashing towards Chu Jie and the rest.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    Chu Jie and his companions each pulled out their own Defense Artifacts to resist the onslaught from Xu Hua and his group.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang¡­¡±


    The Golden Sword Qi slammed against the Defense Artifacts, and the resultant shockwaves lifted a huge amount of sand and stones, whirling them through the air.


    For a time, the sky was ablaze with fireballs, turning it red.


    Taking advantage of this, Lin Shilu dashed towards the Star Moon Fruit.


    And the several individuals still engaged in fierce combat had not expected someone to have already broken through the blockades and arrived at the scene.


    While the Cultivators were astonished, Lin Shilu quickly surpassed them, reaching the Star Moon Fruit Tree.


    At this moment, without any time for joy, Lin Shilu hesitated not a moment, grabbing three Star Moon Fruits and rapidly retreating.


    Seeing Lin Shilu take away three Star Moon Fruits, everyone¡¯s faces changed dramatically. They immediately stopped their battle, aiming to kill Lin Shilu in order to obtain the fruits.


    Witnessing this situation, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression drastically changed, his Fire Spirit Pearl flying out of his hand towards Chu Jie and the others.


    At the same time, a blood-red long blade in Long Hai¡¯s hand glowed fiercely, unleashing a torrent of terrifying Blade Qi.


    Lin Shilu didn¡¯t dare delay, hurling a handful of talisman paper he had in hand, raining them down on the group like a storm.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡±


    Flames soared to the sky, and with the help of numerous treasures, as well as Lin Tianming and Long Hai¡¯s support, Lin Shilu successfully broke through the encirclement and joined his companions.


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 Chapter 279 - 189 Escape from Death_1

    Chapter 279: Chapter 189 Escape from Death_1 S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Boom boom boom¡­¡±


    The Fire Spirit Pearl and a large number of Second Order talismans exploded in the sky, unleashing horrendous waves of fire that instantly illuminated the entire small island.


    In order to help Lin Shilu break through the encirclement, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t care about anything else; he threw the only Fire Spirit Pearl he had, just to make the attackers give up on Lin Shilu.


    At this moment, with grim expressions, Chu Jie and Xu Hua watched the terrifying fireball erupt from the Fire Spirit Pearl, helplessly ceasing their attacks on Lin Shilu and each took out a Defense Artifact to block the assault.


    Fortunately, the power of the Fire Spirit Pearl and the talismans was limited. Had they been Third Order talismans, even a body protected by a magic artifact would have been like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.


    As time silently passed, with the flames gradually dying down, a figure emerged from the remnants of the inferno, clothes in tatters and body charred.


    ...


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, how are you!¡±


    Seeing Lin Shilu in such a tragic state, with even his breath weak, Lin Tianming hurriedly went to meet him.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to talk right now, they¡¯ll catch up soon, we need to run!¡±


    Lin Shilu secretly transmitted his voice to Lin Tianming, then took out a Star Moon Fruit and unhesitatingly handed it to Long Hai, who was beside him.


    Long Hai, upon seeing the Star Moon Fruit, was ecstatic, and without hesitation swallowed the fruit. Then he heard Lin Shilu¡¯s secret message, his expression became extremely grave.


    In an instant, whatever Lin Shilu had told him, Long Hai, pulling along Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming, turned into a blurred shadow and shot away.


    The faces of Xu Hua and the others, having regained their senses, grew exceedingly dark. To think that the core disciples of the Six Major Golden Core Forces would be played by a Loose Cultivator and even had three Star Moon Fruits snatched from right behind them.


    For whatever reason, if this incident were to spread, they would lose all face in the Cultivation World.


    Thinking this, Chu Jie and his group looked especially ugly. Just when they were preparing to flee, the magic artifacts in their hands started flickering with light.


    Chu Jie and Xu Hua attacked first, followed closely by Wu Xu and Su Yunlong. When the six Foundation Establishment Ninth Level cultivators made their move, it shook the heavens and earth, vowing to stop the trio.


    At that moment, the sky was filled with frenzied Sword Qi, and a barrage of talismans and Law Decrees came at them, sending Lin Tianming and his companions into a state of alarm.


    In his heart, Lin Tianming¡¯s pulse raced. As the three of them made their retreat, Long Hai waved his sleeve and a gray-white talisman paper suddenly appeared in his hand.


    Seeing the gray-white talisman paper, which was actually a Second Order Superior Defense Talisman, the complexion of Lin Tianming and the other man finally calmed down.


    Long Hai was well aware of their predicament. Facing the joint attack of six cultivators superior to him in cultivation, even with Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, a moment of carelessness could lead to his demise here.


    In a crisis, the three were tied together. Whether for his own sake or for Lin Tianming and the other man, he had to give it his all.


    Understanding this, Long Hai dared not hold back. He released the gray-white talisman paper from his hand, flung a Law Decree upon it, and the talisman paper immediately flickered with light, then swiftly transformed into a gray barrier behind them.


    At the same time, the attacks from Chu Jie and the others arrived as expected.


    Explosions sounded as their attacks slammed into the barrier created by the Second Order Superior Talisman.


    ¡°Bang bang bang¡­¡±


    The defense of the Second Order Superior Talisman was indeed formidable, successfully blocking the attacks of the six for a moment.


    And though that moment was extremely brief, for Foundation Establishment cultivators in a life-and-death situation, it was enough to cross a distance of several dozen feet.


    Lin Tianming and the other man had fought side by side many times and were in perfect harmony, naturally not letting such a rare opportunity slip by.


    As for Long Hai, it goes without saying. As a Loose Cultivator who managed to reach the Foundation Establishment Eighth Level before the age of a hundred, his path of cultivation was filled with countless trials of life and death.


    Under the assault of the six, he naturally seized the slim chance of survival.


    With the help of the explosive force created by the talisman¡¯s destruction, Lin Tianming and his companions had already moved over a hundred feet away from the six, and the distance was still increasing.


    After the flames dissipated, seeing Lin Tianming and his companions growing ever more distant, the faces of Chu Jie and the others darkened to their limits.


    However, each harboring their own schemes at this moment, actively giving up the struggle against the other Golden Elixir Forces to chase after Lin Tianming did not necessarily guarantee they would be able to kill the three. After all, the strength they had shown was not to be underestimated.


    Thus, the difficulty of seizing the three Star Moon Fruits from them was equally immense.


    But if they stayed here, competing for the remaining six Star Moon Fruits among the Six Major Golden Core Forces, even with extraordinary luck, they couldn¡¯t possibly obtain two or three.


    The six individuals were entangled in their decision, with Chu Jie and Xu Hua and the others being somewhat better off, as they held an absolute advantage among the Sect Cultivators. Even at their worst, securing one Star Moon Fruit was a sure thing.


    But Liu Kaiquan from the Pengcheng Liu Family and Li Wenyi from the West River Li Family made a decision in a very short time.


    They were painfully aware that although they too belonged to the Golden Core Forces, they were at the bottom of the Six Major Golden Core Forces.


    Not only that, but Chu Jie, Xu Hua, and the others, as leaders among the Great Sect Cultivators, were not as simple as they appeared. The difficulty of securing one Star Moon Fruit from the other four was self-evident.


    Considering this, pursuing Lin Tianming and his two companions, despite the dangers, could result in a more substantial reward if successful.


    Thus, taking the smallest risk for the greatest gain was undoubtedly the wisest choice.


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 Chapter 280 - 189: Escape to Freedom_2

    Chapter 280: Chapter 189: Escape to Freedom_2


    At that moment, Liu Kaiquan and Li Wenyi didn¡¯t pause for a second; the instant they stabilized their figures, they turned into lingering shadows in pursuit.


    Soon, relying on their superior cultivation, they slowly closed some distance.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming and his two companions, who were frantically fleeing ahead, hadn¡¯t even the chance to catch their breath before having to face a new crisis.


    On their left, the loose cultivators and the Golden Elixir Forces disciples, who had been embroiled in a fierce battle, seemed to have reached a conclusion. Several of the loose cultivators were already heading their way, clearly having broken through the blockade to compete for the Star Moon Fruit. The ones in mad pursuit behind them were six disciples of Golden Core Cultivators.


    Besides, Li Wenyi and Liu Kaiquan were getting closer and closer. If they were held up even for a moment, they would be surrounded and meet with even greater trouble.


    Seeing this, the expressions on the faces of Lin Tianming and his two companions were extremely troubling.


    ...


    They had managed to obtain the Star Moon Fruit with great difficulty, burst out from Chu Jie and the others¡¯ encirclement, and now faced these aggressive loose cultivators and a host of Golden Elixir Forces¡¯ descendants.


    The Golden Elixir Forces wouldn¡¯t hold back against them, and if the loose cultivators learned that they had the Star Moon Fruit, they certainly wouldn¡¯t lend a hand. Instead, they would make a move to snatch it, after all, no one would give up such a treasure.


    ¡°It¡¯s truly like facing wolves in front and tigers behind, such ill-fortune!¡±


    Lin Tianming thought to himself in despair while anxiously trying to figure out a way to escape.


    Watching Li Wenyi and the loose cultivators get closer, Lin Shilu once again took out a Star Moon Fruit, his face showing an unwillingness to part with it.


    Seeing Lin Shilu taking out the Star Moon Fruit, the breath of everyone on the scene quickened, and like ravenous wolves, they pounced towards it.


    For a moment, a myriad of attacks filled the sky as if they couldn¡¯t wait to tear them to shreds on the spot.


    Lin Tianming and Long Hai¡¯s expressions were grave as they simultaneously attacked, trying to carve out a path.


    Sword Qi and Blade Qi burst out from their hands, slashing towards the direction with the fewest people.


    At the same time, Lin Shilu tossed one of the Star Moon Fruits towards the approaching Li Wenyi.


    Suddenly, Li Wenyi¡¯s face was full of confusion. Facing the Star Moon Fruit coming straight at him, he did not hesitate to catch it in his hand.


    Li Wenyi, who had caught the Star Moon Fruit, showed an ecstatic expression, never expecting that the Star Moon Fruit would fall from the sky right into his palm so perfectly.


    ¡°To think it arrived without any effort at all!¡±


    However, before he could even feel happy, his face turned to one of horror.


    At that moment, apart from a few individuals from the West River Li Family, the eyes of all cultivators greedily fixed on him.


    Only then did he understand that at this moment, the Star Moon Fruit was a hot potato, as well as a death knell.


    And at this time, although the cultivators¡¯ gaze shifted, their attacks arrived as promised, and Lin Tianming and his two companions were still not out of danger.


    The frenzied attacks of more than twenty people created a true crisis. The trio dared not be careless; if they lost their lives, what use would it be to keep the treasures?


    Lin Tianming, fully aware of this, used up all prepared measures in one breath. Whether it was First Order Talismans or Second Order Talismans, any method that could attack or defend was activated without reservation.


    Lin Shilu did the same; he threw out his only remaining Fire Spirit Pearl without any hesitation, hoping to clear a path to survival.


    At the same time, his Second Order Medium Quality Magic Artifact, the Green Scale Shield, was already protecting the three of them, ready to face the cultivator¡¯s attacks.


    Long Hai also spared no measures; he threw out several Second Order Talismans and then frantically infused a vast amount of spiritual power to activate his defense artifact, forming a gigantic shield in front of the trio. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Boom¡­ Boom¡­ Boom¡­¡±


    Pops and crackles erupted in the sky as a myriad of attacks broke through the barriers formed by the Defense Talismans and a mass of fireballs, ice swords, and various Sword Qi and Blade Qi hammered against the Defense Artifact.


    At this moment, both the sky and the ground erupted into an endless sea of flames, violently shaking the entire battlefield.


    After enduring for three breaths¡¯ time, the attacks from the sky ceased, and tranquility returned.


    Then, under such an onslaught, Lin Tianming and his companions each spat out a mouthful of blood, their faces quickly paling.


    Taking advantage of a brief lull, and the fact that a great number of cultivators were distracted by the Star Moon Fruit in Li Wenyi¡¯s hands, the three turned into lingering shadows and shot towards a forest-covered mountain range.


    For a full breath¡¯s time, by the time everyone returned to their senses, the trio had vanished into the dense woods, leaving the crowd with faces of disbelief.


    Soon, the cultivators snapped out of it; several chased in the direction Lin Tianming and his party had fled, seemingly unwilling to give up on the murder and robbery.


    The remaining cultivators launched attacks at Li Wenyi, converging on him in a mad pursuit of the Star Moon Fruit.


    At this moment, the most miserable was Liu Kaiquan; empty-handed, he not only failed to catch up with Lin Tianming and his group but also faced the collective onslaught of a large number of cultivators.


    The battle erupted once again, throwing the scene into renewed chaos.


    As for Lin Tianming and his companions, after exhausting all means to escape death, they cared not who would end up with the Star Moon Fruit they had surrendered.


    The trio crazily scurried through the expanse of forest-covered mountains, heedless of any danger along the way.


    Thus, their speed was incredibly fast, with Lin Tianming being dragged through the air by Lin Shilu and Long Hai for the entire journey.


    Time passed quickly, and in half a day, they had traversed several large mountains and covered a few hundred li, putting considerable distance between them and the land of strife.


    Fortunately, the journey was smooth, and the cultivators chasing them, slower than them in escape speed, were shaken off in less than an hour, finally losing track of the trio completely.


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 Chapter 281 - 189 Escape from Death_3

    Chapter 281: Chapter 189 Escape from Death_3


    After that, they encountered several lone travelers on the road, who were all frightened to see the trio¡¯s fierce and villainous appearance. Fortunately, both parties had no particular intentions, and they quickly disengaged from each other.


    As evening approached, the three had also left danger behind.


    Lin Tianming and his companions landed on a secluded mountain peak, then they all took a long breath and showed smiles of someone who had survived a calamity.


    Long Hai took a Huiyuan Pill and looked at Lin Tianming and his companion with a hint of admiration in his eyes.


    He knew that Lin Shilu and his companion¡¯s cultivation was not as advanced as his, but combined, their strength was no less than his own.


    Under such dangerous circumstances, to be able to obtain three Star Moon Fruits despite the attacks from the Six Major Golden Core Forces was an extremely difficult feat.


    ...


    Even more precious was the fact that without hesitation he had made a choice in a desperate situation, trading one Star Moon Fruit for a chance at their lives.


    In this respect, both in terms of strength, courage, and character, the two had reached the pinnacle.


    Having cooperated twice, both parties had reaped exceedingly rich rewards.


    Thinking of these things, Long Hai couldn¡¯t help but admire them. On this trip to the Secret Realm, he had gained a wealth of treasures and the priceless Star Moon Fruit; he was very content.


    With these thoughts in mind, he cupped his hands towards the two and said,


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, we have now left danger behind, and the Secret Realm will close in two days. Let us part ways here!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming and his companion showed expressions of regret.


    Although the Secret Realm was about to close, the three of them were all somewhat injured, and with two days remaining, the danger was still unpredictable.


    Given that Long Hai was not weak and they had cooperated several times, if the three of them were to move together and watch out for each other, it would certainly be safer.


    However, a stranger was after all a stranger. Each carrying a Star Moon Fruit, it would be easy to share misfortune together, but sharing fortune was difficult, and it was impossible for either side to be completely unguarded.


    Perhaps it was better for each to go their own way.


    With these thoughts, Lin Shilu no longer insisted on staying. After exchanging methods of communication with Long Hai, they prepared to say their goodbyes and leave. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, if fate wills it, we shall meet again!¡±


    Long Hai said with a cupped fist, not asking about their backgrounds or identities. Then, after tossing out eight Jade Boxes with a hearty laugh, he disappeared from their sight.


    Watching Long Hai leave, Lin Shilu opened the Jade Boxes, which contained one mature White Jade Grass and seven seedlings left by Long Hai.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming and his companion showed astonished expressions.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect this person to be so loyal and righteous. Although we didn¡¯t discuss rewards when cooperating with him, he still took the initiative to gift us the White Jade Grass in his possession, truly commendable!.¡±


    After sighing, Lin Shilu said, ¡°Tianming, Long Hai is indeed worth getting to know deeply!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, agreeing inwardly. Although most Loose Cultivators were selfish and unscrupulous in achieving their goals, there were also many who were free-spirited.


    Character is a very mysterious thing; often, those who are free-spirited have an easier time overcoming the Heart Demon when breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage.


    Regaining his composure, Lin Tianming replied with a smile,


    ¡°Yes, such loyal and righteous Loose Cultivators are indeed rare, we may meet again in the future!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lin Shilu smiled knowingly, then instructed,


    ¡°We have gained much from this journey, but the danger is not yet over. Let¡¯s immediately find a safe place to retreat for healing. Don¡¯t wander around anymore, just wait for the Secret Realm to close.¡±


    After speaking, Lin Shilu stepped away, followed by Lin Tianming. The two headed rapidly into the depths of the mountain range.


    As night fell, the entire sky turned completely dark.


    The two traveled dozens of miles, hastily rushing into a quiet canyon.


    With the sky growing darker, it was time for Demonic Beasts to appear, so it was not suitable to wander about anymore.


    The two found a hidden natural cave on the spot and set up several Illusion Arrays and a First Order Formation.


    Having taken precautionary and protective measures, they entered the cave and began to close-off for healing, waiting for the end of their time in the Secret Realm.


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 Chapter 282 - 190 Convergence_1

    Chapter 282: Chapter 190 Convergence_1


    Time flew by, and soon two days had passed.


    In a secluded cave, Lin Tianming and his companion sat on the ground, their breathing steady and regular, the pallor of their faces having returned to a normal, healthy flush.


    After parting ways with Long Hai, the two of them had hurriedly found a natural cave to shelter in before nightfall. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Over the past two days, all had been rather calm; no accidents had occurred, and they did not step foot outside the cave.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming opened his tightly shut eyes, and a satisfied smile flashed across his face.


    After two days of meditative recovery, the injuries sustained from being attacked had mostly healed, and he could walk and fight normally again.


    ...


    Seeing Lin Tianming emerge from his meditation, Lin Shilu also opened his eyes, which flashed with a bright light, indicating that he had also made a good recovery.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression brightened with joy as he quickly asked, ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, how are your injuries?¡±


    Moved by Lin Tianming¡¯s concern, Lin Shilu laughed heartily while waving his hand, indicating that he was fine.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming could not hide his excitement and blurted out:


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, today is the day the secret realm closes. Our journey here has yielded incredible treasures. Once we return to our family, we will surely surprise Elder Wu and the others!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, Lin Shilu nodded. They had been too weary to rejoice previously.


    Now that the closing of the secret realm was imminent, they could finally leave this dangerous place and return to familiar territory. How could they not be thrilled?


    Lin Shilu¡¯s calm face was infected by Lin Tianming¡¯s enthusiasm, and a smile flickered across it.


    Looking at Lin Tianming, Lin Shilu produced several storage bags and said:


    ¡°Tianming, there¡¯s still some time before the secret realm closes. We should take this opportunity to inventory the storage bags we¡¯ve obtained before!¡±


    Reminded by Lin Shilu, Lin Tianming recalled that, starting from their ambush of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, they had collected a few unlucky cultivators¡¯ belongings.


    Now that they were out of danger and had nothing else to do, they naturally should sort out their loot.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming chuckled and took out two storage bags, quickly wiping away the remaining Divine Sense on them.


    Lin Shilu also got busy, swiftly cleaning off the Divine Sense from the storage bags before tallying the contents inside.


    In a short while, the two had finished inventorying the five storage bags they had acquired. A mountain of treasures was piled up, including Spirit Stones, elixirs, various Artifact Refining Materials, and a large number of Demonic Beast Materials, nearly blocking the entrance to the cave.


    At this point, both Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu were excited. One sorted the items while the other recorded the ones to be handed over to the family.


    Before long, the two had gone through the five storage bags and determined the amount and types of their unexpected windfall.


    The wealth of the five Foundation Establishment Cultivators, including both Loose Cultivators and Sect Cultivators, was substantial, with the combined value of Spirit Stones alone reaching an impressive total of more than 130,000!


    Beyond that, there were over twenty bottles of Second Order Pills, a large quantity of Spiritual Medicine Materials and Spirit Ore, including three mature White Jade Grass plants and seven seedlings, though the rest weren¡¯t particularly rare or valuable.


    Apart from cultivation resources, there were numerous Magic Artifacts and talisman papers that could enhance their strength. They secured two Second Order Medium Grade Attack Artifacts and two Second Order Low Grade Defense Artifacts, with even one Attack Artifact being quite a treasure.


    However, they were somewhat disappointed not to find any Mysterious Grade Techniques or insights from a Third Order Master. They only obtained one Yellow Grade Technique and insights from a Second Order Refiner, which were of marginal value to the family.


    After all, these were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, some of whom were strong individuals above the fifth level, who should have possessed high-grade Techniques or insights. Yet, they only acquired a few things that were of little significance to the family.


    But the two soon came to terms with it. After all, the treasures they had acquired were numerous enough, and most of these storage bags had been picked up effortlessly. Aside from the most precious Star Moon Fruits and White Jade Grass, just the Spirit Stones and various treasures and Artifacts combined were worth over 200,000 Spirit Stones.


    Looking at the small mountain of Spirit Stones and treasures, Lin Shilu¡¯s face blossomed with happiness. Once he regained his composure, he then said:


    ¡°Tianming, let¡¯s divide these Spirit Stones and talismans between the two of us, and we can hand over all the rest, including the Artifacts, to the family. Those in Xing Ping¡¯s generation don¡¯t have many Artifacts. With this batch, every Foundation Establishment Clan Member in the family will have two Artifacts each, which can greatly enhance our strength!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s suggestion, Lin Tianming naturally had no objections.


    Over the years, the two of them had fought in many battles together, experiencing numerous life and death situations. They had acquired so many Spirit Stones and far more Artifacts than even their fathers, so they had more than enough.


    As for the cultivation elixirs and lower-grade Artifacts, they had no shortage and didn¡¯t mind giving them away to their clanspeople.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming readily agreed.


    Lin Shilu nodded in satisfaction, and they each received three Second Order Talismans: two Second Order Medium Grade Attack Talismans and one Second Order Low Grade Defense Talisman.


    During the previous attacks by a group of cultivators, fortunately, part of the damage was blocked by Long Hai¡¯s Defense Artifact. Although their Defense Artifact, the Green Scale Shield, had sustained some damage, Lin Shilu had already repaired it with some Spirit Ore, and it was still usable for the time being. With the addition of these few Second Order Talismans, if they had to fight again, they would barely be adequate.


    After dividing the Spirit Stones, Lin Shilu received 70,000, while Lin Tianming got 60,000. They picked out a few useful items from the remaining treasures, and collected the rest into different storage bags.


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 Chapter 283 - 190: Convergence_2

    Chapter 283: Chapter 190: Convergence_2


    The two busied themselves for a good quarter of an hour, classifying and recording all the treasures. After completing these tasks, they began to close their eyes to conserve energy, waiting for the secret realm to close and teleport them out.


    Less than half an hour later, a series of rumbling sounds came, and the earth began to shake violently.


    Lin Tianming and his companion opened their eyes and could clearly feel that the spiritual light that had submerged into their Sky Spirit Covers when they entered the secret realm was stirring.


    Lin Shilu exclaimed with a look of surprise and excitement, ¡°Tianming, the secret realm is about to close, let¡¯s get out immediately!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s face lit up with excitement. They had waited two days for this moment. Both nodded to each other and immediately dashed out of the natural cavern.


    Soon, the ground stopped shaking, and a dazzling light flashed across the clear blue sky.


    ...


    As the light in the sky grew stronger, the two experienced a sharp pain in their divine sense, followed by a bout of dizziness in their minds, and their bodies uncontrollably swept toward the void as if yanked by some force.


    When the two regained their normal senses, they found themselves in an unfamiliar valley.


    Fortunately, there were no other people around, and they both heaved a sigh of relief.


    Lin Shilu extended his divine sense to search the surroundings of the two of them, detecting no abnormalities.


    Regaining his composure, he spoke in an even tone, ¡°Tianming, we are still unable to determine our location, but according to the records, when a secret realm closes, cultivators inside are most likely to be teleported near the entrance.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s words, Lin Tianming nodded, his tense nerves relaxing a bit.


    He had been genuinely worried that they would be separated upon exiting the secret realm, as was the case when they entered. At such a critical moment, it was certain that some cultivators with impure motives would be out to kill and rob.


    After all, those cultivators with impure motives could not enter the secret realm, but by killing just one person, they could opportunistically seize the fortune obtained from within the realm.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Tianming said to Lin Shilu, ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, the crisis is not yet over. Let us have the Purple Gold Eagle fly us north immediately. Once we determine our location, we¡¯ll head straight back to the family!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded. They carried treasures that were immensely important to the family, and there was no time for consideration; they needed to return to the family as quickly as possible.


    Understanding this, Lin Tianming swiftly released the Purple Gold Eagle from the Spirit Beast Bag.


    After feeding the Purple Gold Eagle a segment of the Green-Spotted Poison Python¡¯s body, the two mounted its back, and the eagle swiftly ascended into the clouds, heading north.


    Sitting on the broad back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Shilu kept his divine sense fully extended, ever vigilant of their surroundings.


    The Purple Gold Eagle carried the two for nearly a hundred miles. Using the features of the surrounding mountain ranges to guide them, they quickly determined their precise location¡ªwithin the Whirlwind Mountain Range of Huangyang Kingdom.


    However, their position was somewhat deeper in the mountains than the entrance to the secret realm. The journey home would take them across a vast expanse of the Whirlwind Mountain Range, possibly encountering other cultivators.


    Fortunately, as they traveled together, and as long as they did not come across cultivators above the eighth level of Foundation Establishment, they should have nothing to fear with their strength.


    Moreover, within these vast mountains, who would know whether they were of any particular identity or if they had entered the secret realm.


    With this in mind, as long as they remained cautious, they would be able to enter the territory of Wei Kingdom after traveling more than eight hundred miles. Once within Wei Kingdom, they would not be far from the Luoyun Mountain Range. Should they successfully rendezvous with Lin Xingrong, they would be completely safe.


    Resolving to do this, the two decided to fly in a straight line and return to their clan¡¯s territory at top speed.


    Having made up their minds, Lin Tianming signaled to the Purple Gold Eagle, which, understanding his intention, picked up speed and continued flying north.


    ¡­


    In the Whirlwind Mountain Range, near a valley on the side closer to Wei Kingdom.


    This place was only a couple hundred miles from the edge of the Purple Sun Mountain Range, still at the border between the two countries.


    In the beautiful valley, where vegetation was lush, occasional common wild beasts scurried, unaware of two figures lurking atop a large tree.


    One of them, looking toward the depths of the Whirlwind Mountain Range, mumbled, ¡°Third Uncle, Tianming and his companion should pass by here, shouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xingrong maintained a calm demeanor. Lin Xingrong had already asked this question three times, and each time he had answered, yet he was being asked again.


    A Foundation Establishment Cultivator who can¡¯t remember things?


    Clearly, Lin Xingrong was excessively worried; after all, entering the Secret Realm was too dangerous, and with the large number of Late Foundation Establishment Cultivators entering, even if the two of them joined forces, they couldn¡¯t guarantee their safety.


    Being fully aware of this, Lin Shikang did not get angry, and instead spoke to reassure him,


    ¡°Xingrong, I had an agreement with Tianming before they left, that as soon as they come out of the Whirlwind Mountain Range, they will definitely meet up here. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s response, Lin Xingrong finally felt somewhat relieved.


    The family had temporarily summoned him back from Golden Horn Mountain to facilitate their return, and with Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu entering the Secret Realm, the overall strength of the family was now higher with just the two of them.


    With their departure from the family land, the entire family now relied on Lin Shigong and Lin Shihua to oversee the premises, significantly reducing the security of Green Bamboo Mountain. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, this was a necessary move. Although the family had many Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they had broken through too recently, so their cultivation was not high. Additionally, they were spread too thin, with Lin Xingyuan presiding over Luoyun Market and Lin Xingping in Qianchuan Market, so he could only be temporarily reassigned.


    However, the family had made considerable progress over these past ten-plus years, with those advancing from the Qi Refinement Realm to the Foundation Establishment Stage experiencing a qualitative leap in overall strength.


    What the family lacked now was time, since ten-plus years were still very brief for Foundation Establishing Families. Given another fifty years, the Lin Family¡¯s Foundation Establishment Cultivators would definitely be able to enter the mid to late phase of the stage.


    By then, the family would no longer face restrictions as they did now.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather, nearly two days have passed since the Secret Realm closed. If they are still in the area of the Whirlwind Mountain Range, they should have arrived by now!¡± Lin Xingrong said.


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Shikang¡¯s normally unflappable face briefly revealed a hint of concern, but he quickly regained his composure.


    He had always had great confidence in Lin Tianming and the others, especially Tianming. As the most talented member of the family since its foundation, Tianming had been through many battles and his strength far surpassed cultivators at the same level. His quirky, unfettered ideas often led to unexpected advancements.


    Besides these, with the experienced Lin Shilu accompanying him, it was unlikely there would be any mishaps.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Shikang¡¯s expression brightened. Seeing the faint worry on Lin Xingrong¡¯s face, he said,


    ¡°Xingrong, extend your reach a bit more toward the depths of the Whirlwind Mountain Range, but don¡¯t go too far. If any unforeseen incident occurs, I won¡¯t be able to support you in time!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s instruction, Lin Xingrong nodded and then swept toward the deeper parts of the mountain range.


    Just as he was turning to leave, Lin Shikang¡¯s expression suddenly turned ecstatic, and he immediately shot off at an unbelievably fast speed.


    Seeing this, Lin Xingrong guessed the reason and immediately followed.


    An hour later, atop a mountain, Lin Shikang stood with his hands behind his back, watching as a black shadow in the sky grew larger, his face brimming with excitement.


    The pursuing Lin Xingrong, seeing the shadow in the sky, took a long breath of relief.


    Soon, the shadow grew larger, and finally, it landed in front of Lin Shikang. The two people who approached were indeed Lin Tianming and another.


    After two days of continuous travel, they had managed to journey without rest, and thankfully, with their not insignificant cultivation levels and having disguised their appearances, they had a relatively smooth journey, even though they encountered several Foundation Establishment Cultivators. After some probing attacks, realizing the strength of the two, the blocking cultivators had no choice but to watch them leave.


    Having travelled for two days, they finally crossed the Whirlwind Mountain Range safely and without mishap, meeting up with Lin Shikang, whose cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, thus eliminating their immediate danger.


    At this moment, they could finally relax their constantly tense expressions.


    When they reached Lin Shikang, Lin Tianming immediately greeted with a fist and palm salute.


    ¡°Tianming pays respects to Third Grandfather, and to Father!¡±


    Before the words fell, Lin Shikang stepped forward, taking their hands and asking eagerly, ¡°Was your journey smooth? Have you been injured?¡±


    Seeing Lin Shikang¡¯s concerned manner, which did not mention any gains at all, Lin Tianming felt deeply gratified.


    Lin Shilu felt the same, but he was well aware of Lin Shikang¡¯s nature. He chuckled, then said,


    ¡°Third Brother, we are both unharmed. It¡¯s not safe to linger here, so let¡¯s return to the family land first. As for the expedition to the Secret Realm, we can talk on the way!¡±


    ¡°Alright then!¡±


    ¡°Although we have successfully gathered, we must not be complacent. Let¡¯s set out immediately and head back to the family first!¡±


    Following Lin Shikang¡¯s words, the group of four hopped onto the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, ready to travel through the night back to Green Bamboo Mountain.


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 Chapter 284 - 191 Shock_1

    Chapter 284: Chapter 191 Shock_1


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    After two days of non-stop travel, the Purple Gold Eagle carried a group of four and dashed straight into the Protective Clan Formation.


    Their hurried journey over the past two days had been quite smooth. With four Foundation Establishment Cultivators moving together, and with Lin Shikang, a Foundation Establishment Ninth Level cultivator, as their rear guard, nobody foolish enough sought to court death by approaching them.


    During the journey, Lin Tianming and his company mentioned nothing of their adventures in the Secret Realm, and Lin Shikang did not inquire.


    However, their ever-present smiles spoke volumes, and knowing them as he did, he was certain their venture had been abundantly fruitful.


    The reason Lin Tianming and his companion didn¡¯t bring it up was simply because they were too exhausted.


    ...


    They had spent the last few days burdened with heavy responsibilities and nerves stretched thin. They were utterly drained, both mentally and physically. Since the treasures were already in their possession, there was no harm in waiting a few more days until the arrival of other important clan members to share their story in detail.


    Understanding this, Lin Shikang and Lin Xingrong kept silent, all wearing looks of anticipation for the day they would reunite with family.


    As the four men and one eagle entered the Protective Clan Formation, Lin Tianming and his companion let out a long sigh of relief, allowing their tense nerves to finally relax.


    Atop the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, on the Bluestone Plaza, Lin Shikang saw the still weary expressions of the two and said, S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Shilu, you two have worked hard these past days. Go back and rest; we¡¯ll meet at my cave mansion in two days.¡±


    Hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s words, the two men didn¡¯t decline but nodded and bowed before heading towards their respective cave mansions.


    Lin Tianming returned to his cave mansion, without any delay, dove into his room, and collapsed onto the stone bed he hadn¡¯t seen in so long.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he fell into a deep sleep, his room filled with the sound of his even and rhythmic breathing.


    Two days later, early in the morning, Lin Tianming finally opened his eyes and awoke.


    He had slept for a full two days, and the feeling of exhaustion had completely vanished from his body, leaving him in peak condition.


    Lin Tianming got up, stretched, then left his cave mansion and made his way to Lin Shikang¡¯s abode.


    Before long, he arrived at the courtyard of Lin Shikang¡¯s Cave Mansion.


    At that time, Lin Shikang and Lin Shigong were seated in the courtyard, sipping tea and chatting leisurely as they waited for others to arrive.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming enter, their faces lit up with joy, and they hastily invited him to sit down.


    Lin Tianming promptly approached to pay his respects, and afterward sat down to join in their idle chatter.


    Soon, Lin Shilu, Lin Shihua, and Lin Xingrong arrived together.


    After a brief exchange of greetings, the six of them each found seats and continued their conversation.


    With the exception of Lin Xingping and Lin Xingyuan, who were still at Qianchuan Market and Luoyun Market respectively, all six Foundation Establishment Clan Members were now gathered together.


    As the junior among them, Lin Tianming got up to pour tea for his elders. When he came to serve Clan Leader Lin Shihua, he discreetly noticed that in just over a month¡¯s time, the Clan Leader had successfully made a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.


    A surge of happiness washed over Lin Tianming, who then asked, ¡°Twelfth Grandpa, have you successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer?¡±


    Lin Shihua chuckled and then said reflectively, ¡°We broke through too late and can¡¯t compare to the potential of you youngsters. It has been six or seven years since I entered Foundation Establishment, and it would have been improper not to make a breakthrough.¡±


    Lin Tianming felt helpless hearing Lin Shihua¡¯s reply.


    Many clan members of the Shihua generation were held back by the Lin Family¡¯s lack of resources. Clan Leader Lin Shihua had been tied down with clan obligations, spending at least half the year on affairs other than cultivation¡ªfar less time than Lin Xingrong devoted to his own.


    From the perspective of the cultivation path, the position of Clan Leader was even a heavy burden.


    Grandfather Lin Shigong was in the same boat, serving as the Alchemy Hall Master while being responsible for training the younger generation as well as studying Pill Formulas and conducting Alchemy. Additionally, he was older when he reached his breakthrough, and thus his cultivation progress naturally lagged behind the younger generation.


    With this in mind, Lin Tianming offered consolation, ¡°Twelfth Grandpa, having been a long-serving Clan Leader, you¡¯ve shouldered the burden and concerns of the family, it¡¯s the family that has held you back.¡±


    Lin Shihua¡¯s face shone with joy, and he was deeply touched by these words.


    Ten years ago, the family was on the brink of collapse, and he had resigned himself to the possibility that he would die at the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Who could have imagined¡­


    That the family would rise so meteorically within such a short span of time, giving him a glimpse of hope for reaching Foundation Establishment, which both he and Lin Shigong managed to seize.


    Meanwhile, Lin Shiji and Lin Shixin failed in their breakthroughs and sacrificed their last bit of strength for the clan during the battle at Green Bamboo Mountain.


    At the thought, Lin Shihua¡¯s eyes reddened slightly, and he spoke with a regretful tone, ¡°Fate is indeed mysterious. It¡¯s just a pity for Elder Shi and the others¡­¡±


    Seeing Lin Shihua¡¯s choked speech and his reminiscing expression, Lin Shikang quickly offered a few comforting words.


    Lin Shihua knew he had lost his composure but soon recovered, then he started discussing more pressing matters.


    Seeing the eager looks from the clan members, Lin Shilu chuckled and began recounting their experiences in the Secret Realm.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Tian Ming fought alone against a Foundation Establishment Eighth Level cultivator and obtained the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus!¡±


    Facing Lin Shigong¡¯s exclamations, Lin Tianming replied with an embarrassed smile, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Fifteenth Grandfather, I might¡¯ve not made it!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu solemnly said,


    ¡°This kid is really bold¡­ Staying near that pool was so dangerous. Next time, you should keep your distance. That way, if things get impossible, you can still make an escape, right?¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded in agreement, recalling the situation. In such a dangerous Secret Realm, with his own level of cultivation, he indeed should have kept his distance. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t get the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus on his own, he should have been ready to flee rather than staying there and almost losing his life.


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 Chapter 285 - 191 Shock_2

    Chapter 285: Chapter 191 Shock_2


    Thinking of these things, Lin Tianming spoke up, ¡°The lad will remember not to take risks lightly in the future!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded and moved past the subject, continuing to share their experiences, from the two of them partnering up to search for treasures, to their encounter with Long Hai, and finally their cooperation in attacking the Dragon-Eyed Beast tribe, which led to them obtaining more than ten mature White Jade Grasses.


    Upon hearing this news, Lin Shikang and the rest of the clan members were beyond shocked.


    They originally thought that acquiring the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus and some Second Order Spiritual Medicine was decent enough, but they had not expected to obtain the primary ingredient for Foundation Establishment Pills, which the family was in desperate need of.


    With this, the clan now had the ability to refine Foundation Establishment Pills on their own, and these more than ten mature White Jade Grasses could at least create several Foundation Establishment Clan Members.


    ...


    Thinking of this, Lin Shikang and a few others laughed heartily, their emotions running high.


    However, before they could celebrate for long, Lin Shilu started talking about the encirclement of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle, causing everyone¡¯s heart to once again hang in suspense, as if they were experiencing it themselves.


    If it weren¡¯t for seeing the two return safely and without any major injuries, they would surely think they were joking.


    Only after Lin Shilu mentioned the Star Moon Fruit did they understand why the two had been so reckless, even driving the usually prudent Lin Shilu to take such risks.


    Lin Shilu didn¡¯t stop there; he recounted the entire battle as well as their adventurous feat of obtaining three Star Moon Fruits with Long Hai.


    Hearing this earth-shattering news, all four were breathing rapidly, their faces soon flushing red.


    After a silence lasting more than ten breaths, none of them spoke until Lin Shikang was the first to come around, asking in a probing tone,


    ¡°Shilu¡­ is this¡­ is this true?¡±


    ¡°Tian Ming¡­ are you not joking?¡±


    Hearing these hesitant words, which clearly lacked confidence, Lin Shilu frowned, took out the Star Moon Fruits from his storage bag, and placed them in Lin Shikang¡¯s hand.


    Felling the substantial weight in his palm, as well as that peculiar energy fluctuation, Lin Shikang finally believed it.


    Lin Shihua and the rest, seeing the Star Moon Fruit, cautiously approached and inspected the fruit thoroughly, understanding it completely.


    At that moment, the scene was very quiet until everyone confirmed the authenticity of the Star Moon Fruit, and then it completely erupted into excitement.


    Watching Lin Shikang laugh heartily, even with tears brimming in his eyes, Lin Tianming also felt extreme excitement.


    Seeing the thrilled expressions on everyone¡¯s faces and recalling their own nerves stretched tight during those days and the moments seeking a lifeline on the verge of death, they felt that their efforts were entirely worthwhile.


    They were even immensely relieved that they had made the right decision and that their hard work had paid off accordingly.


    Soon, the crowd calmed down from their euphoria, and Lin Shilu continued with what happened next.


    Upon learning that he traded a Star Moon Fruit for a thread of survival, everyone looked relieved, showing not the slightest hint of regret for the loss.


    ¡°Shilu, you both did well. In such a moment of crisis, even if you had to throw away everything, it was necessary!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s words, Lin Shihua chimed in as well.


    ¡°Yes¡­ having life is better than any treasure!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, recalling the situation at the time, knowing that if one Star Moon Fruit couldn¡¯t resolve the crisis, he would not hesitate to throw away the rest to secure a chance at life.


    He himself wasn¡¯t afraid of death, but given that Lin Tianming was with him, if they had died in the Secret Realm, the loss to the family would certainly exceed a Star Moon Fruit.


    Considering his own talent and the potential he had demonstrated, not to mention the Star Moon Fruit, even for a Nascent Soul Spiritual Item, he would naturally give it up without hesitation.


    Bringing his mind back to the present, Lin Shilu changed the topic and said,


    ¡°Elders, although our journey to the Secret Realm was treacherous, the outcome was very satisfying, and it wasn¡¯t in vain that Tian Ming and I walked through the gates of death twice!¡±


    Before the words had even finished, Lin Tianming also interjected, saying:


    ¡°Indeed¡­ we must quickly transplant the White Jade Grass seedlings. Although they may not all survive, even if a single plant does, it could create one or two Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the future!¡±


    After saying this, Lin Shilu handed over all the White Jade Grass seedlings to Lin Shihua and gave the mature White Jade Grass to Lin Tianming to prepare him to refine the Foundation Establishment Pills for storage within the clan.


    Lin Tianming accepted the fifteen mature White Jade Grass plants. Now that his success rate in refining Second Order lower-grade elixirs was quite high, such precious elixirs naturally had to be refined by him.


    However, he planned to enter secluded cultivation for a time. After breaking through to the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, he would practice refining some elixirs to warm up before he began refining the Foundation Establishment Pills, to make the process as foolproof as possible.


    After arranging for the White Jade Grass, Lin Shilu subsequently took out several prepared storage bags, which contained the spiritual objects they had obtained during this period.


    However, the treasures beneficial to them had already been picked out and distributed. Apart from the Second Order Magical Artifacts and elixirs, there were not many valuable items left, but the quantity was exceptionally vast, a rare find for the clan¡¯s Qi Refining Stage Clanspeople.


    Lin Shilu passed the storage bags to Lin Shihua, then spoke:


    ¡°Twelfth Brother, these items were acquired by Tian Ming and myself in the Secret Realm. Apart from the Second Order Magical Artifacts and elixirs which are prepared for you, the rest will be unconditionally turned over to the clan.¡±


    As soon as Lin Shilu finished speaking, Lin Shikang first took the storage bags. After a sweep with his Divine Sense, he found that the treasures inside were numerous, and their value was not at all insignificant.


    Lin Shikang handed the storage bags to Lin Shihua and said:


    ¡°Shilu, let Shihua deposit these treasures into the clan¡¯s treasury. Besides the Spirit Stones you spent on purchasing White Jade Grass, the clan will reward you with thirty thousand Spirit Stones, and Tian Ming with twenty thousand. How does that sound?¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Lin Shilu began to refuse.


    ¡°Elder Brother, there¡¯s no need for a reward. We already obtained plenty from our trip; this is something we willingly offer to the clan!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Third Grandfather¡­ Tian Ming and Fifteenth Grandfather don¡¯t lack Spirit Stones. Let¡¯s forego the rewards!¡± Lin Tianming also chimed in.


    In the Secret Realm, they had each gathered tens of thousands of Spirit Stones from several storage bags they had picked up, along with many treasures. At present, they were not in need of Spirit Stones or cultivation elixirs.


    As for the clan¡¯s rewards, they had no intention of accepting them before they made their offer, let alone after.


    Hearing the response from Lin Tianming and the others, Lin Shikang¡¯s expression turned serious as he said:


    ¡°How could that be acceptable? You¡¯ve already done so much for the clan, it¡¯s only right if you¡¯d accept regardless of the amount!¡±


    ¡°Stop being so formal. Over the years, you two have toiled and traveled far for the clan, gone through numerous skirmishes, and established countless merits. No matter how small, do not refuse this token of appreciation!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, now that the clan has the income from Luoyun Market and Luoyun Pavilion, we¡¯re not in the same financial strain as before!¡±


    Lin Shigong and Lin Xingrong, due to their status, did not speak much, but they also persuaded Lin Shilu to accept, while suggesting that Tian Ming¡¯s reward be skipped since he was already wealthy and did not require much.


    ¡°What do you think, Tian Ming?¡±


    Lin Shilu left the decision to him, and Lin Tianming hesitated. Faced with Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua¡¯s stern expressions, he was at a loss for words.


    ¡°This¡­ this¡­ alright then!¡±


    With Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua persistently persuading, Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming had no choice but to accept the reward situation.


    In the end, Lin Shilu took out a storage bag containing the Second Order Pills and several Second Order Magical Artifacts.


    He handed the storage bag to Lin Shihua, then said:


    ¡°Shihua, these Second Order Magical Artifacts are exquisite treasures, used by cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. When you have time, distribute them to Ninth Brother and Xing Yuan!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ then I¡¯ll thank you on behalf of Xing Yuan and the others!¡±


    Lin Shihua, not one to be overly courteous, accepted the storage bag on behalf of the clan members who had just entered the Foundation Establishment Stage, promising to pass it on to them.


    ¡°Heh heh¡­ I only have one Attack Talisman myself, previously used by a Jin Family Cultivator, indeed its power is quite ordinary. With this Second Order Magical Artifact, my strength can also increase somewhat!¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Faced with Lin Shihua murmuring to himself, everyone smiled knowingly, and securely stored their treasures away.


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 Chapter 286 - 192 Breakthrough_1

    Chapter 286: Chapter 192 Breakthrough_1


    The matter of contributing treasures came to a conclusion, and everyone was in high spirits, sitting down to enjoy tea and chit-chatting about the Star Moon Fruit.


    Lin Shilu picked up the teacup, took a slight sip, and then asked about Lin Shikang¡¯s plans.


    Lin Shikang gave a bitter smile, then began to speak,


    ¡°I am currently at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, it was only with the help of a Hun Tian Pill that I broke through five years ago, and only five years have passed since then, and it¡¯s still uncertain when I¡¯ll enter the Great Perfection Realm, maybe one or two years, or it could take up to ten years, it¡¯s too early to talk about this now!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more important is, it¡¯s not so easy to break through to the Golden Core Stage, and just preparing for it takes a considerable amount of time. Your cultivation is increasing rapidly; I expect it won¡¯t take twenty years for you to attempt breaking through to the Golden Core Stage. And this Star Moon Fruit, let¡¯s leave it for Shilu and Tianming!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s words, it was clear he planned to give the opportunity to break through to the Golden Core to those with a higher probability of success, Lin Shilu or Lin Tianming.


    ...


    His reasoning was indeed sound.


    After all, Lin Shilu was not yet ninety years old and had already reached the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level Realm, not far from the Seventh Level. Once he breaks through, he could then use the Hun Tian Pill to break through another realm.


    If all went well, there was indeed a very high probability of him attempting to impact the Golden Core Stage within twenty years.


    Although Lin Tianming was not yet thirty years old and only at the Foundation Establishment Second Layer, his cultivation speed was unbelievably fast. With his talent, it was very possible he would be ready to impact the Golden Core Stage within thirty years.


    From the perspective of potential, the probability of Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming breaking through to the Golden Core Stage was indeed higher than Lin Shikang¡¯s, especially for Tianming, who had at least a seventy percent chance, provided there were no accidents.


    In this light, entrusting this heavy hope to the more promising Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu was also a prudent approach.


    The family would just need to wait longer and plan more meticulously. Although the emergence of a Golden Core Stage family member would be delayed, this arrangement offered a greater assurance.


    Those who were aware of the situation said nothing, and the room fell into silence.


    Lin Tianming too was thinking about this matter, though he was not particularly concerned about the hard-won Star Moon Fruit.


    He was well aware that although Lin Shikang was over a hundred years old, that age was not considered old, and the probability of breaking through with the help of the Star Moon Fruit was not low.


    It was just that he felt too much pressure, wanting to give this rare opportunity to a clan member with a better grasp on success.


    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming said,


    ¡°Third Grandfather, you should break through to the Great Perfection Realm as soon as possible and then attempt the Golden Core Stage with the Star Moon Fruit. If we delay for decades, it may become even more difficult to break through.¡±


    As soon as he finished, Lin Shilu also began to persuade.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Third Brother¡­ Tianming and I share the same view. Even if you fail, at the worst, we can wait a few more decades. With Tianming¡¯s talent and cultivation, it¡¯s completely worth the wait!¡±


    Soon, others like Lin Shigong also started to agree.


    Seeing the clan members all speaking up and persuading, and even Lin Shilu indicating that if he failed to break through, it would be okay if their generation never progressed beyond the Foundation Establishment Stage,


    Lin Shikang was deeply comforted and also quite fearful at hearing this.


    To say he didn¡¯t want to break through to the Golden Core Stage would be a lie; no one would easily give up that slim chance of breakthrough, and he felt the same.


    And breaking through to the Golden Core Stage would not only fulfill the centuries-old aspirations of the family but also double his lifespan, allowing him to live up to five hundred years. If he found an elixir that could extend life, he might even be able to protect the family for several hundred years.


    It was because of this that he dared not gamble with the family¡¯s fate on this hard-won opportunity.


    At this point, Lin Shikang let out a rueful smile, then spoke up,


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to discuss this now. Let¡¯s wait until I reach Foundation Establishment Great Perfection before we decide. What do you all think?¡±


    Hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s words, though it sounded like he might be buying time, he hadn¡¯t outright refused, showing some signs of relenting.


    Lin Shilu chuckled and then adopted a serious demeanor,


    ¡°Then, for now, let¡¯s follow Third Brother¡¯s words. However, I have to make it clear upfront, you better not slack off. Although it seems calm now, and the family is thriving, no one can be certain when a crisis might arise. Don¡¯t let it be that when the moment of danger comes, our opportunity is lost because our cultivation was insufficient!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Third Grandfather¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming smiled and then sternly said,


    ¡°Our ancestors broke through to the Golden Core Stage at the age of one hundred and sixty, and you are not even one hundred and thirty years old. Even if you delay for another twenty years, would you still not be younger than the ancestor at that time?¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s words elicited laughter from the clan members, and Grandfather Lin Shigong also joined in,


    ¡°Third Brother¡­ listen to this, wasn¡¯t it even harder for our ancestor all alone? And yet he managed to do it. Now with the substantial support of the family, you shouldn¡¯t have any psychological burdens!¡±


    After this, the usually silent Lin Shihua chimed in.


    ¡°Exactly¡­ if you ask me, with this Star Moon Fruit, Third Brother¡¯s probability to break through to the Golden Core Stage is at least forty percent or more, which is much higher than what our ancestor had.¡±


    Listening to his clan members, a fierce fire ignited deep inside Lin Shikang, and his conviction seemed to become even firmer.


    Lin Shikang stood up, bowed with cupped hands to everyone present, and then confidently said,


    ¡°Very well¡­ since everyone has such faith in me, I will borrow your auspicious words and give it my best effort!¡±


    ¡°Ha ha¡­ that¡¯s more like it¡­¡±


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 Chapter 287 - 192 Breakthrough_2

    Chapter 287: Chapter 192 Breakthrough_2


    Lin Shilu chuckled, and everyone¡¯s faces were filled with excitement; the entire scene was bustling and lively.


    Shortly after a brief chat of half an hour, they exchanged information about some clan affairs and then left with cupped fists.


    Before leaving, Lin Shikang instructed him and Lin Shilu to stay in the clan for a few years of cultivation. Lin Xingping would be stationed in Qianchuan Market for several years. With Luoyun Pavilion establishing a foothold, their presence there would no longer make much difference.


    As for his task, it was, of course, to focus on cultivation and the preparation of Foundation Establishment Pills. After all, the family already had quite a few members above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, all waiting for the Foundation Establishment Pills for breakthrough.


    Both Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu nodded and agreed to this matter, as it was a good opportunity for cultivation.


    In the end, Lin Tianming and his two grandchildren left the cave dwelling together, heading toward his father¡¯s dwelling.


    ...


    With the secret realm journey over, Lin Tianming would also likely stay within the clan for long-term cultivation for a few years.


    However, before starting his seclusion, he would first reunite with his family and then commence closed-door cultivation and the preparation of Foundation Establishment Pills.


    That night, upon learning of Lin Tianming¡¯s safe return, his mother and sister hurriedly came out of seclusion. Seeing Lin Tianming return unharmed, his mother¡¯s worried heart could finally relax.


    From his departure to Qianchuan Market to now, after not seeing him for two years, his mother¡¯s cultivation had reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, not far from the Great Perfection Realm. Following this rate of cultivation, she would likely make a move to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage within three years. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And his sister had seized a spot amongst the Qi Refining Seven Champions. With the resources provided by her grandfather and brother Lin Tianming, she had made rapid progress in the past two years, also reaching the Qi Refining Eighth Level, becoming one of the fastest cultivating women of the Tian generation in the clan.


    With the current cultivation levels of the mother and daughter, plus an abundance of resources, it was highly probable they could impact the Foundation Establishment Stage together.


    In the evening, the family of five finished their dinner and sat in the small courtyard chatting about everything from clan members to cultivation and even to the Four Arts of Cultivation, talking for quite some time.


    In the two years he had been stationed in Qianchuan Market, apart from sending serpent eggs and Spirit Stones back to the clan and quickly returning from the last secret realm affair, he had no time to attend to the clan¡¯s internal matters.


    Listening to the others, the selection of the Qi Refining Seven Champions had taken place last year. Except for the Great Perfection slot, which was secured by Lin Xingzhi, the six slots from the Fourth to Ninth Layer of Qi Refining were all taken by members of the Tian generation.


    Lin Tianfeng was the one who obtained the Ninth Layer slot, while Lin Tianqin took the Eighth Layer. It was a pity for Lin Tianhong; although also at the Eighth Layer, he was a year older than Lin Tianqin and had to concede.


    Despite his likely superior strength at the same realm, as a male member of the clan, it was difficult for him to challenge her.


    And Lin Tianyue, his sister, won the Seventh Layer slot. Now that she had broken through to the Eighth Layer, Lin Tianqin no longer had a chance past this year, especially since Lin Tianyue, his sister, was seven years younger than this elder sister of the Tian generation.


    As for the clan members below the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, apart from Lin Tianhu at the Sixth Level being a familiar face, the rest started cultivation after the battle at Green Bamboo Mountain and all had the talent of Three Spiritual Roots, also all exceptionally talented young cultivators.


    With lesser hardships in their cultivation journey and the clan doubling the monthly stipend and merit points for services over the past ten years, the resources for the new generation¡¯s cultivation significantly increased.


    With resource assistance, their pace of cultivation was much faster than during the times of Lin Tianfeng and his peers.


    This is the result of the clan¡¯s strength; they were also fortunate to live in a good era where the resources for cultivators in the clan currently far exceeded those of the other two major clans by several times.


    At this rate, the disparity between the three major clans of Luoyun Mountain would only grow wider and wider.


    Before they knew it, the night grew quiet¡­


    The casual conversation was drawing to a close, and Lin Tianming took out a large number of Spirit Stones and elixirs to distribute to his family members.


    He did not share the petals and seeds of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus with his grandfather and father, not because he was stingy, but because there were too few of them. Moreover, since he practised Dual Cultivation of Body and Law, it would have the greatest effect if he used them himself.


    Seeing the vast number of Spirit Stones Lin Tianming brought out¡ªtotally thirty thousand¡ªand more than ten bottles of Second Order Pills, as well as some Qi Refinement elixirs for his sister and mother to use.


    Considering Lin Tianming¡¯s current cultivation and wealth, probably only Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu could surpass him.


    Under such circumstances, his grandfather did not refuse, and each of them accepted some Spirit Stones and elixirs before putting an end to their chat.


    After his grandfather gave several words of advice, they finally got up to leave his father¡¯s small courtyard.


    The two grandchildren walked on the road, then parted ways at the empty Bluestone Plaza, each returning to their own cave dwellings.


    Lin Tianming entered the training room, sat on the meditation cushion, and reflected on his cultivation schedule.


    After experiencing trials in adversity, he felt that he was not far from the third level of Foundation Establishment, and decided to attempt a breakthrough first.


    With his mind made up, he began to cultivate and breathe deeply, rotating his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, and when his condition reached its peak, he immediately took out a petal of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus and held it in his hand.


    Looking at the brightly colored petal emanating bursts of special fragrance, it was refreshing and delightful to the senses.


    He had previously consumed lotus seeds and was extremely satisfied with the effects, and with six petals left that he had never used before, his anticipation for these petals began to rise.


    Regathering his focus, he swallowed the petal without hesitation.


    The bright petal dissolved in his mouth, a special sweetness spread, refreshing the mind and spirit.


    The energy from the petal was gentle and began to overflow soon after consumption, not at all violent like the lotus seeds.


    Lin Tianming did not hesitate to start refining it, the energy contained in the petal was slowly refined and then transformed into spiritual power that flowed along his meridians, eventually converging in his Seven Sea Dantian.


    Feeling the refined spiritual power and its effects, it was somewhat inferior to that of the lotus seeds, but still significantly better than the effects of Second Order Pills.


    Moreover, refining such heaven and earth treasures did not cause any discomfort or side effects, making the use of Dragon Bone Pills unnecessary.


    In light of this, even he did not want to endure the previous agonizing pain.


    Returning to his task, Lin Tianming did not pause and continued to cultivate at full strength, quickly refining the energy contained within the petal.


    Time passed slowly, and half a year went by in this way.


    In the cultivation room, Lin Tianming was statue-like, having remained in seclusion without moving an inch for half a year.


    At this moment, he was at the very peak of the second layer of the Foundation Establishment, on the verge of a breakthrough at any time.


    During the half-year period, he had consumed three petals of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus, and this was the fourth.


    Feeling that the energy of this petal was nearly refined, yet still without a successful breakthrough.


    Lin Tianming increased his pace, frantically refining the remaining energy, and then marshaled the immense spiritual power to mount one final assault.


    By now, the spiritual power in his Dantian had reached its limit; all it needed was an infusion of even greater spiritual energy to break through the shackles.


    With a determined expression, he controlled the accumulated vast spiritual energy, pouring it into his Qi Sea Dantian, and then began to impact the barrier of the third level of Foundation Establishment.


    Time and again, he sweated profusely, the accumulated spiritual energy began to wane a little, still without a successful breakthrough.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression turned frenzied.


    ¡°Today, I must break through the third level of Foundation Establishment¡­ break for me!¡±


    Lin Tianming gritted his teeth and concentrated all his spiritual energy together, charging madly against the realm¡¯s barrier.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, a peculiar sound emanated.


    His Qi Sea Dantian suddenly broke its restraints, like a dam bursting, and a great flood of river water poured into a vast lake or sea.


    Feeling the increase in spiritual power throughout his body, he was much stronger than before, and moreover, the exhilaration of the breakthrough filled him with immense excitement.


    Now that he had successfully broken through, Lin Tianming let out a long sigh of relief.


    It was not easy to make a breakthrough, and if his realm was not stable, causing a fall back, it would waste another year or two to re-cultivate.


    If he fell back in his realm, although he would be free from the boundaries of that realm, wasting two precious years to re-cultivate was not desirable, so naturally, he had to solidify his cultivation as soon as possible.


    With this in mind, he dared not be careless and instantly set out to cultivate and regulate his breath, running his cultivation technique through a Grand Circulation, and started to consolidate his cultivation.


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 Chapter 288 - 193: Foundation Establishment Pill Success_1

    Chapter 288: Chapter 193: Foundation Establishment Pill Success_1


    Half a month later.


    Inside the training room, Lin Tianming opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing briefly through his clear gaze.


    Sensing the formidable strength after his breakthrough, he stood up and clenched his fists, his true yuan swiftly circulating throughout his body.


    ¡°Crack, crackle¡­¡±


    The sounds of bones vibrating and popping resonated, his spiritual power flowing extremely smoothly throughout his body.


    Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but smile knowingly and began to talk to himself.


    ...


    ¡°This Third Level of Foundation Establishment is indeed much stronger than the Second Layer, my strength has doubled, and I should be able to hold my own against a cultivator at the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment without falling into a disadvantage,¡± he mused.


    Previously in the secret realm, he had already sparred with Second Order Middle Stage demonic beasts and had not fallen into a disadvantage either.


    According to his judgment, after breaking through to the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, relying on a few Second Order magical artifacts and the Earth Fiend Sword Formation in his hands, he would not be at much of a disadvantage when fighting against cultivators below the Sixth Level of Foundation Establishment.


    However, this was just a rough estimate, after all, there were many core disciples from great sects whose talents were even higher than his, and they possessed a multitude of precious treasures, capable of unleashing even more formidable power.


    Regaining his composure, he tidied up the training room before walking out.


    As he walked, he pondered his future cultivation plans.


    Now that he had successfully broken through, and as he would not be leaving the clan¡¯s territory for a short time, it was naturally time to start preparing to forge Foundation Establishment Pills.


    For half a year, the family had been collecting auxiliary herbs for the Foundation Establishment Pill, which were not considered extremely rare. Over the years, the family had acquired quite a few spiritual medicines, and now they were fully capable of gathering them together.


    Moreover, there were already clan members who met the requirements for impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage, so forging Foundation Establishment Pills had become a matter of urgency.


    Thinking of this, he changed direction and flew towards the towering mountains behind the main peak.


    The Purple Gold Eagle had reached the First Order Peak Period a while ago, and when he returned to the clan after the secret realm had ended, he had intended to help it break through to the Second Order, making future travels faster and safer.


    Soon, Lin Tianming arrived at the valley where he once practiced his divine skills.


    Looking at a huge cave on the side of the mountain, he called out loudly, and the Purple Gold Eagle quickly flew over and landed in front of him, rubbing its enormous beak against his clothes in an almost comical manner.


    Lin Tianming caressed its feathers, with a doting expression on his face.


    The Purple Gold Eagle had been with him for nearly ten years, and as the gap in their combat abilities grew wider, although it hadn¡¯t provided much help in battle, it had been quite useful shuttling through various markets and mountain ranges over the years.


    One could say that the Purple Gold Eagle had contributed significantly not just to him, but to the entire family as well.


    From any perspective, helping it break through to the Second Order was only right and proper.


    With these thoughts, he patted his storage bag and took out two gray-white demon cores.


    Advancing as a demonic beast was even harder than for cultivators. The Purple Gold Eagle had consumed many First Order demon beast inner pills before, and its realm growth had been quite slow.


    Fortunately, they had long lifespans, and with these two Second Order demon cores, coupled with some demon beast corpses and blood, it should be enough to help it break through to the Second Order.


    At this moment, seeing the two Second Order Initial Stage demon beast inner pills in Lin Tianming¡¯s hand, the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s eyes gleamed, clearly impatient.


    It excitedly screeched, seemingly aware that Lin Tianming was going to help it break through, and began rubbing its beak against his clothes again. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming touched the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s slightly golden feathers, finally calming it down.


    Over the years, he had traveled far and wide and been through many great battles. During his journey in the secret realm, he had also obtained many Second Order demon cores. Among them, the Green-Spotted Poison Python¡¯s inner core was at the Second Order Late Phase, and it was the only Second Order Late Phase inner core he had.


    Beyond that, Lin Shilu had given him two of the Second Order Middle Stage Dragon-Eyed Beast inner pills, and during the Tianluan Turtle¡¯s great battle, he had acquired three Second Order Middle Stage Tianluan Turtle inner pills, as well as numerous Second Order Initial Stage inner pills.


    With more than ten Second Order monster beast inner pills at hand, including several Second Order Middle Stage demon cores, he had plenty.


    With so many demon beast inner pills, as well as a considerable number of demonic beast corpses and blood, it was more than enough to help the Purple Gold Eagle advance to the Second Order Middle or Late Phase.


    Lin Tianming chuckled and took out several portions of the Green-Spotted Poison Python¡¯s body, tossing them to the Purple Gold Eagle.


    The Purple Gold Eagle, thrilled, swallowed the monster serpent¡¯s body in one gulp and then eagerly fixed its gaze on the two demon cores in Lin Tianming¡¯s hands.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming laughed and teasingly chided:


    ¡°Hey hey¡­ after eating so many good things, if you can¡¯t advance to the Second Order, watch how I¡¯ll deal with you.¡±


    Without waiting for the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s reaction, he threw the two demon beast inner pills straight to it.


    The Purple Gold Eagle didn¡¯t hesitate to gulp down the two Second Order demon beast inner pills, unfazed by the risk of the explosive energy from the cores potentially bursting its body.


    ¡°This bird¡­ truly worthy of being a demonic beast!¡± Lin Tianming laughed and cursed.


    If a Foundation Establishment Cultivator were to swallow these Second Order inner cores whole, they would certainly lose their life, and even a Golden Core Cultivator could suffer serious injuries or be on the verge of death.


    Yet, the path to advancement for demonic beasts was so simple and brutal¡ªeither the bodies of cultivators or heavenly treasures, as well as demonic beasts¡¯ bodies and inner cores, were all consumed directly.


    Relying on their unique natural gifts, they could easily convert it to the energy needed for their breakthroughs.


    Coming to his senses, the Purple Gold Eagle took Lin Tianming around Green Bamboo Mountain for a flight, and finally, they returned to the original spot.


    Before leaving, he specifically instructed the Purple Gold Eagle to immediately start refining the demon beast inner pills and to break through to the Second Order as soon as possible.


    The Purple Gold Eagle screeched a few times, conveying a sense of utter confidence.


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 Chapter 289 - 193: The Success of the Foundation Establishment Pill_2

    Chapter 289: Chapter 193: The Success of the Foundation Establishment Pill_2


    Lin Tianming nodded, then left the familiar small valley without looking back and headed to the Hall of Merit.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he saw Lin Xingcheng, and the two sat opposite each other, making small talk.


    Lin Tianming chuckled, then teased Lin Xingcheng by saying, ¡°Uncle, having not seen you for a few years, you must be close to impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage, right?¡±


    Lin Xingcheng laughed wryly, then responded,


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. Although with your alchemy skills, it won¡¯t take long to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, but looking at the current situation, it seems like it will take at least a few years of preparation for a successful breakthrough!¡±


    Hearing Lin Xingcheng¡¯s words, Lin Tianming nodded in agreement¡ªmore preparation was definitely safer; unless absolutely necessary, rushing a breakthrough was indeed dangerous.


    ...


    After exchanging a few more words, Lin Xingcheng¡¯s tone shifted, already anticipating the purpose of Lin Tianming¡¯s visit.


    As the Clan Leader of the Hall of Merit and one of the high-ranking members of the clan, he was well aware of Lin Tianming¡¯s return to the clan and the White Jade Grass he had brought with him.


    Moreover, half a year earlier, the Clan Leader had instructed him to gather the auxiliary herbs for more than ten batches of Foundation Establishment Pills in the shortest time possible, clearly intending to refine Foundation Establishment Pills without doubt.


    Knowing this, he was immensely excited; the Minor Foundation Building Pills that Lin Tianming had obtained earlier, after being distributed by the clan, left no more exchange quotas for the Xing clan members.


    Now that the clan had obtained White Jade Grass and had the capability to refine it, they would have more effective Foundation Establishment Pills to use; even if the exchange for Merit Points was higher, clan members would prioritize the Foundation Establishment Pills over the Minor Foundation Building Pills.


    After all, the Minor Foundation Building Pills could only increase the chances of breakthrough by twenty percent, while Foundation Establishment Pills could reach fifty percent, a significantly better outcome.


    With this in mind, for their own successful breakthrough, most would choose the Foundation Establishment Pills first, unless clan members who lacked enough Merit Points would opt for the Minor Foundation Building Pills.


    Regaining his composure, Lin Xingcheng, looking excited, greeted Lin Tianming and then headed straight to the storeroom.


    In a short while, he came out with a storage bag, which he then handed to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming received the storage bag and swept it with his Divine Sense, confirming the count and medicinal properties of the fifteen batches of Foundation Establishment Pill¡¯s auxiliary herbs met the refining requirements.


    After the handover was complete, Lin Xingcheng began to give additional instructions.


    ¡°Tianming, the Clan Leader has instructed that once you refine the Foundation Establishment Pills, aside from contributing thirty percent to the clan, keep three for yourself, and if there are more Foundation Establishment Pills, exchange them all at the Family Merits Hall¡ªthe clan will repurchase each one for thirty thousand Spirit Stones!¡±


    Hearing these words, Lin Tianming nodded and accepted the task.


    In fact, even if the clan didn¡¯t mention it, he would have done the same, for Foundation Establishment Pills were tremendously valuable and fundamental to a clan.


    Even if the surplus Foundation Establishment Pills were his, he wouldn¡¯t let them out of the clan.


    He couldn¡¯t forget the scene of the family¡¯s plight over a decade ago, nor the history of the sacrifices of many ancestors for a single Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Regaining his focus, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t linger long. After bidding farewell to Lin Xingcheng, he headed to the Alchemy Hall.


    Soon, he arrived inside the Alchemy Hall.


    At the moment, Lin Shigong was teaching a few young clan members about alchemy. Lin Tianming didn¡¯t disturb them and stood quietly to the side, waiting.


    Finally, after the grandfather dispatched the youngsters, they found a spot to sit down, drink tea, and chat casually.


    Lin Tianming took a sip from his teacup, enjoying the rich aroma of the Spiritual Tea, the unique taste lingering in his mouth.


    ¡°Not bad¡­ This Spiritual Tea is excellent!¡±


    Lin Tianming exclaimed, then said,


    ¡°Grandfather, I plan to start refining the Foundation Establishment Pills and would like to borrow the Three Star Furnace. My Four Symbols Furnace is somewhat lacking in grade. Although it is not unusable, it would still be advantageous to increase the success rate of the pill formation as much as possible!¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s request, Lin Shigong promptly took out a fiery red Pill Furnace, which was the very Three Star Furnace he had used for many years.


    Lin Shigong handed the Three Star Furnace to Lin Tianming and then asked, ¡°You¡¯re starting the refining so soon, kid?¡±


    ¡°If you need this old man¡¯s help, just say the word. I¡¯ve got plenty of time. Although my alchemy skills aren¡¯t as good as yours, I¡¯ve got no problem assisting you!¡±


    Lin Tianming chuckled and quickly replied,


    ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯ve got it under control. With the Three Star Furnace, I have even greater confidence. You should take this opportunity to go into seclusion and strive to break through to the second layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage!¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming decline his offer graciously, Lin Shigong didn¡¯t insist.


    After a few simple admonishments, Lin Tianming finally got up, bowed with cupped hands.


    Having bid farewell to his grandfather and leaving the Alchemy Hall, he returned to his own cave dwelling.


    Sitting in the Pill Refining Room, he sat cross-legged on the ground, running his cultivation techniques to breathe and adjust his condition.


    When his condition reached its peak, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t immediately begin refining but took out a large number of Jade Slips and books, all of them containing Pill Formulas and Alchemy Experiences.


    With a wave of his hand, he grabbed an Alchemy Experience in hand and began to ruminate and comprehend it.


    Although he had already gone over these experiences several times and knew their contents by heart, when it came to refining Foundation Establishment Pills, he preferred to be more meticulous; producing one more pill might result in one more Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    In such circumstances, it was only natural to be cautious, striving for perfection without fail.


    Several days quickly passed by.


    Lin Tianming reviewed all the Pill Formulas and Alchemy Experiences in his possession, whether they were for Second Order or Third Order Alchemists, all over again.


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 Chapter 290 - 193: Success of the Foundation Establishment Pill_3

    Chapter 290: Chapter 193: Success of the Foundation Establishment Pill_3


    Although he had reviewed it many times, each time he delved into it, he felt his understanding of the Alchemy Dao deepened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s an illusion or if there really is progress!¡±


    After muttering to himself, Lin Tianming then put all of the pill formulas and insights into his storage bag.


    Having done that, he began the preparations for alchemy, taking out a complete set of Foundation Establishment Pill Spiritual Materials and placing them on the stone platform beside him, sorted into different categories.


    Next, he checked the Earth Fire and the Pill Furnace. After making sure all the details were perfect, he began to adjust his state.


    It was unclear how much time had passed, but he eventually reached his peak condition.


    ...


    All was ready except for the right opportunity!


    Lin Tianming opened his eyes, formed seals with his hands, and struck the Earth Fire¡¯s vent with a Law Decree.


    As the Earth Fire erupted, the temperature in the Pill Refining Room began to slowly rise. He placed the Three Star Furnace above the Earth Fire, starting the various preparations for alchemy.


    When the temperature inside the Three Star Furnace reached a critical point, he immediately took out a piece of Spiritual Medicine Material and tossed it into the furnace to begin the basic decomposition process.


    The procedure was the same as for other elixirs; he had already successfully refined numerous Second Order Pills, so decomposing these auxiliary medicines wasn¡¯t difficult. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon, after over an hour of intense decomposition, each Spiritual Medicine Material and Spirit Fruit was processed.


    At the bottom of the Three Star Furnace, a mass of multicolored Elixir Essence lay there.


    Lin Tianming wiped the sweat from his forehead and gazed at the liquid essence of the Spiritual Medicine, showing a satisfied expression.


    With the auxiliary medicines decomposed, the main medicine, White Jade Grass, was left to be processed.


    He looked at the Spirit Grass with a jade-like sheen and took a deep breath. This White Jade Grass had cost him 11,000 Spirit Stones to purchase from Long Hai; its value was certainly not low.


    After a brief distraction, he quickly regained his calm and resolutely threw the White Jade Grass into the Three Star Furnace.


    At that moment, he opened his Eye of Five Colors to observe the White Jade Grass inside the Three Star Furnace, focusing his Divine Sense to start the decomposition.


    Half a day passed.


    Inside the Three Star Furnace, the Elixir Essence had grown larger in volume and changed dramatically in color, becoming a mix of blue and white that looked akin to a piece of Supreme Quality jade.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming was overjoyed. With all the Spiritual Medicine Materials decomposed, the next crucial step was the Solidifying Pill.


    He took a deep breath and formed a Single-handed Seal, then struck the Earth Fire¡¯s vent with another Law Decree.


    A soft sound followed, and the Earth Fire burst forth, raising the temperature in the Three Star Furnace by another notch.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression became serious, attentively sensing every change inside the Three Star Furnace.


    When the temperature seemed right, he slapped the Three Star Furnace with his palm, and a burst of Spiritual Power shot out from his hand into the furnace and disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle¡­¡±


    A few noises sounded out, marking the completion of Infusion of Spirit. While controlling the Earth Fire¡¯s temperature, he murmured to himself.


    ¡°Solidify the pill!¡±


    In an instant, a distinct sound echoed, followed by a few crisp crackles from within the Pill Furnace.


    The noise suggested that the pills might have shattered.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s face changed, showing an expression of distress. As the noise subsided, he promptly lifted the lid off the furnace to look inside.


    He saw a pile of residue mixed with some broken pieces of a pill, emitting an unpleasant odor.


    He picked up a fragment of the failed elixir, holding it carefully in his hand to ponder over.


    ¡°This Foundation Establishment Pill is indeed difficult; failure to control the temperature and timing of the infusion of spirit led to the failure of the alchemy process!¡±


    Lin Tianming talked to himself, thereafter contemplating the reasons for failure in his mind and summarizing the issues to watch out for next time.


    The entire process of this batch of pills was smooth; the decomposition and purification were done meticulously¡ªhow could it have failed?


    Lin Tianming wore a puzzled expression as he recalled the entire procedure and pondered over the reasons for the failure.


    ¡°It seems that during the pill solidification, the timing of the spirit infusion and the Earth Fire didn¡¯t match, leading to the failure of this batch!¡±


    Lin Tianming murmured to himself, quickly pinpointing the problem.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try another furnace and hope for success!¡±


    Though the first batch had failed, he was not discouraged at all. After all, it was his first attempt at producing this pill, and failure was nothing unusual.


    Moreover, although the Foundation Establishment Pill was classified as a Second Order Inferior Grade Pill, the difficulty of its refinement could rival many Second Order Medium Quality pills.


    After clearing out the wasted residue, he took out another set of Spiritual Medicine Materials and placed them on the stone platform.


    Once that was done, he began to recuperate until his condition peaked before continuing to refine.


    ¡°Materials are hard to come by; they must be refined successfully soon so as not to waste them. This complete set of materials cost more than 10,000 Spirit Stones!¡± he muttered to himself, thinking in his heart.


    Half a day later, Lin Tianming recovered, and once again, he plunged into the intensive alchemy process.


    With the lesson learned from the first failure, he was extra careful with the second furnace, striving to perfect every step.


    The entire process went smoothly, as familiar as the path beneath one¡¯s feet, with each step of decomposition, purification, and the control of infusion and Earth Fire right on point.


    His efforts bore fruit; his cultivation made a breakthrough, and aided by the Eye of Five Colors, he succeeded in solidifying the pills in the second furnace.


    In the Pill Refining Room at that moment, a unique fragrance wafted from the Pill Furnace.


    Not caring about his sweaty forehead and weary expression, he quickly lifted off the furnace lid.


    He saw three pills with a blue and white hue suspended inside the furnace, immediately taking one out and comparing it with the Pill Formula, examining it in great detail.


    ¡°After careful verification, this is undoubtedly a finished product. I just don¡¯t know how effective it is yet!¡±


    Lin Tianming thought excitedly, his face expressing immense joy.


    The process of refining two batches of Foundation Establishment Pills¡ªfailing the first and succeeding the second¡ªcould be considered a smooth start.


    Though he usually managed to produce about five pills of Second Order Inferior Grade elixirs, and this batch only yielded three, considering the difficulty of refining Foundation Establishment Pills, Lin Tianming was still extremely satisfied.


    He placed the three Foundation Establishment Pills into a prepared Jade Bottle, then began to recuperate, waiting for his condition to recover before starting to forge ahead and refine a few more batches.


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 Chapter 291 - 194 Announcement of News_1

    Chapter 291: Chapter 194 Announcement of News_1


    One day later.


    As his condition recovered, Lin Tianming opened his eyes and took out three plump Foundation Establishment Pills, looking overjoyed.


    Feeling that his state was just right, he planned to refine a few more batches of elixirs, striving to improve both the pill concoction rate and the number of successful pills.


    Having made up his mind, he took out another portion of Spiritual Medicine Materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill and began pill refining.


    Familiar with the procedure, one by one, the Spiritual Medicine Materials were decomposed and purified into differently colored liquid essences, which settled at the bottom of the Three Star Furnace, waiting for the infusion of spirit and pill solidification.


    Two months hurried by.


    ...


    In the Pill Refining Room, Lin Tianming looked at the seventeen Jade Bottles laid out before him, his expression quite satisfied.


    Since he had entered the Pill Refining Room for secluded cultivation, nearly three months had passed.


    The difficulty of refining Foundation Establishment Pills was not small; only three to four batches could be refined each month. Forcing more could affect both the rate of pill success and the number of pills, so he wasn¡¯t in a rush.


    He proceeded carefully and steadily, always waiting to return to his peak condition before starting on the next batch of elixirs.


    After all, the auxiliary herbs for Foundation Establishment Pills were the lesser concern, but the main herb, White Jade Grass, was limited. Wasting one meant one less available; refining an extra one could potentially create another Foundation Establishment Cultivator for the clan.


    Under such cautious conditions, he successfully refined four batches from seven portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials, yielding a total of seventeen Foundation Establishment Pills, all of good quality. While not reaching the highest quality, they were still quite rare.


    With these seventeen Foundation Establishment Pills, even if the restrictions were completely lifted, the clan wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Foundation Establishment for its members for the next ten years.


    Contemplating this, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression became ecstatic as he put the Jade Bottles into his storage bag, then tidied up, preparing to end this period of pill refining.


    The reason he was emerging from seclusion now, aside from having addressed the urgent need for Foundation Establishment Pills, was because he wanted to save half of the Spiritual Medicine Materials until he became a Second Order Medium Quality or Second Order Superior Alchemist before continuing refining.


    By then, if he could refine top-quality Foundation Establishment Pills, the medicinal power within them would be stronger, increasing the odds of breakthrough just a bit.


    And that slim chance, in many instances, could change a person¡¯s destiny.


    Back then, when Lin Shixin was breaking through to Foundation Establishment, if he had used such a pill, his odds of success would have greatly increased, with at least a sixty to seventy percent chance of entering the Foundation Establishment Realm.


    Regrettably, the clan¡¯s resources were insufficient at the time, and even the Minor Foundation Building Pill was their last lifeline.


    Under the pressure of formidable enemies and advancing age, they had no choice but to stake everything on one gamble. Under the same age constraints, Lin Shigong seized that final opportunity, breaking through at the last moment and thus changing his own fate.


    Recalling Lin Shixin¡¯s unruly character and his amiable face, always fooling around and joking with him, and the many times he had offered assistance, Lin Tianming¡¯s bright eyes were filled with a reflective look.


    His thoughts returning, he sighed helplessly.


    ¡°Perhaps this is destiny; it¡¯s such a pity for Tenth Uncle.¡± Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Listening to his own sigh echoing in the Pill Refining Room brought him back to reality.


    Having tidied up the Pill Refining Room, Lin Tianming then left his cave residence and headed towards the Family Merits Hall.


    Soon, he met Lin Xingcheng.


    The two of them sat opposite each other, exchanging greetings, and then Lin Tianming directly took out fifteen Jade Bottles and passed them to Lin Xingcheng.


    Lin Xingcheng took a bottle and opened it, his breathing becoming hurried at once.


    Even though he knew he would eventually see the real Foundation Establishment Pills and was also preparing to exchange Merit Points for them, the sight of these actual elixirs still thrilled him immensely.


    Seeing Lin Xingcheng¡¯s excited expression, Lin Tianming spoke up,


    ¡°Uncle, out of the fifteen portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials, seven have been refined. The rest will be continued after my alchemy skills have further improved.¡±


    After speaking, he passed a storage bag containing the remaining eight portions of Foundation Establishment Pill Spiritual Materials to Lin Xingcheng.


    Lin Xingcheng took some time to calm down before taking the storage bag and checking its contents. He then said,


    ¡°The fifteen Foundation Establishment Pills you¡¯ve given are for the clan, fulfilling the requirements. These remaining eight portions of materials, strictly speaking, belong to you personally.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t refuse and said,


    ¡°These Spiritual Medicine Materials are extremely valuable and unsafe to carry on me. I will leave them with the clan for safekeeping and will come to collect them when I plan to refine Foundation Establishment Pills.¡±


    After he spoke, Lin Xingcheng put away the storage bag and personally assured that he would take good care of the materials and report honestly to the Clan Leader.


    Lin Tianming nodded, and after a few more casual words, he said his goodbyes and left.


    Watching Lin Tianming depart, Lin Xingcheng hurriedly took the Foundation Establishment Pills that Lin Tianming had brought to the Clan Elders¡¯ Assembly to report in person.


    He soon arrived at the Elders¡¯ Council Hall.


    At that moment, Lin Shihua was discussing something with several clan members. After giving a few instructions, he turned around.


    Seeing Lin Xingcheng¡¯s arrival, Lin Shihua seemed a bit surprised, chuckled, and asked, ¡°Xingcheng, what brings you here today? It¡¯s not yet the day for the monthly report, is it?¡±


    Lin Xingcheng stepped forward and respectfully bowed, then took out the storage bag Lin Tianming had given him and handed it to Lin Shihua for inspection.


    Lin Shihua furrowed his brow, wondering what could have happened so recently, but when he saw the Foundation Establishment Pills inside the storage bag, his breathing immediately quickened.


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 Chapter 292 - 194 Announcement of News_2

    Chapter 292: Chapter 194 Announcement of News_2


    Several breaths of time passed, Lin Shihua calmed down before instructing,


    ¡°Xingcheng, I will temporarily keep the Foundation Establishment Pill. After I discuss it with the Third Brother and the others, I will message you, and then we can announce the exchange price.¡±


    ¡°By the Clan Leader¡¯s decree.¡±


    Lin Xingcheng respectfully complied, then cupped his fist and left the Elders¡¯ Council Hall.


    At this point, Lin Tianming had already returned to his own cave dwelling. He sat cross-legged in the secret chamber, pondering his next arrangements.


    Over the past few years, he had been running around everywhere: markets, taking part in secret realms, refining pills for the Luoyun Pavilion and the clan, indeed delaying a lot of time.


    ...


    Now that the Foundation Establishment Pill had been refined, there were enough for the clan to use for a very long time.


    Next, he should also go into secluded cultivation, practicing Divine Skills in his free time to exert the power of Tiangang Sword Qi Third Sword.


    There were still two petals left of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus. He planned to fully refine them before going to the back mountain to practice the Tiangang Sword Qi Third Sword.


    Once the Divine Skills were completely mastered, he could lead the clan¡¯s Monster Hunting Squad to train in the Luoyun Mountain Range, experiencing real combat while doing some things within his ability for the clan.


    Having made up his mind, he sat up straight, then started to form hand signs and ran the Cultivation Technique for a Grand Circulation.


    When his state reached its peak, he took out a petal of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus and swallowed it.


    A special energy poured out, and he immediately cycled the Cultivation Technique to refine it into Spiritual Energy, eventually gathering it in the Seven Sea Dantian.


    Feeling the slowly increasing Spiritual Power within the Seven Sea Dantian, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression was joyful as he continued to refine.


    In the secret chamber, the even breathing of Lin Tianming could be heard, clearly indicating he had entered a deep state of cultivation.


    At the Summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, in the cave dwelling of Lin Shikang.


    A few Xing Clan Members of the Shi generation were sitting together chatting casually, with more than a dozen Jade Bottles placed in front of them¡ªthese were the Foundation Establishment Pills that Lin Tianming had refined.


    At the moment, the few of them had smiles on their faces, looking quite excited.


    Lin Shihua picked up a Foundation Establishment Pill, examined it in his hand, and then asked,


    ¡°The Foundation Establishment Pills that Tianming refined are of good quality. Now, there are also a few people in the clan who are prepared to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage. How should these pills be distributed, and at what price shall they be exchanged?¡±


    After speaking, Lin Shilu chuckled and said,


    ¡°In the Qianchuan Market auctions, a Foundation Establishment Pill basically goes for around thirty thousand Spirit Stones each. This price is not small pressure for those younger clan members; I¡¯m afraid the vast majority of the clanspeople won¡¯t be able to offer that much.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shigong also began to voice his opinion.


    ¡°Indeed, thirty thousand Spirit Stones is not a small amount. When I exchanged for a Minor Foundation Building Pill, I took out all the Spirit Stones I had and sold quite a few treasures before I could afford the Spirit Stones for the exchange. Those younger generations who have been cultivating for decades would still find it unaffordable, even if they took out everything they had.¡±


    As his words ended, Lin Shihua also spoke up,


    ¡°Yes, I suggest we adjust the exchange prices of all treasures. In the past, the Hall of Merit used to buy them below market price and sold them at the same price. We resorted to this last-ditch strategy because the clan was too poor.¡±


    ¡°Now that the clan is better than before, with extra income, let¡¯s also make an adjustment. Whether buying or exchanging, we will use the market price as the standard. For high-value treasures like the Foundation Establishment Pill, we will sell it at 80% of the price to reduce the pressure on the younger generations as much as possible.¡±


    Hearing the suggestions discussed by the few, Lin Shikang gave it some thought before speaking,


    ¡°I have no objections. On top of that, we can make some further adjustments. Those clanspeople who do not have enough Spirit Stones can first pay more than half of the Stones, and the remaining half can be repaid slowly over time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, the young ones won¡¯t have any worries now,¡± Lin Shilu chuckled.


    Hearing this, the rest of the group smiled knowingly and decided on the matter.


    Then, Lin Shikang spoke again.


    ¡°In half a year, Tianfeng and Tianhong¡¯s three-year term will be up,¡± Lin Shikang said. ¡°Those two should also be close to meeting the conditions for impacting the Foundation Establishment stage. It¡¯s time to call them back and prepare for their Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°Then, which clanspeople should we send to Qianchuan Market for some experience?¡± Lin Shihua asked.


    After contemplating for a moment, Lin Shikang opened his mouth and said,


    ¡°Tian Qin and Tian Yue, the two girls, are quite good. One is an alchemist, and the other is a talisman maker. Their cultivation is not low, and with Xing Ping leading in the market, and the Luoyun Pavilion increasingly stable, they can indeed go there and prepare for Foundation Establishment.¡±


    Upon hearing this, several people nodded. The two golden flowers of the family had considerable cultivation and possessed not-to-be-snubbed skills. After cultivating for so many years, apart from joining the Monster Hunting Squad into the Luoyun Mountain Range, they had never gone out to gain experience. Taking this opportunity to visit Qianchuan Market was indeed a good choice.


    Lin Shihua chuckled and stored all the Foundation Establishment Pills, then said,


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll choose some of the clanspeople to go with Tian Yue in half a year to Qianchuan Market to replace Tianfeng and the others.¡±


    ¡°At that time, let Tian Ming escort them to Qianchuan Market and bring back Tianfeng and the rest.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s arrange it this way,¡± Lin Shikang nodded and said with a smile.


    Once the conversation was finished, they chatted idly for a few moments and then left, each returning to their own cave dwellings.


    The next day, outside the main halls of the family¡¯s major institutions, notices posted attracted many clanspeople to gather around.


    Previously, the news about the White Jade Grass was known only to a few of the family¡¯s upper echelons.


    But now, the news about the Foundation Establishment Pills was made public, as was the adjusted exchange price at the Hall of Merit.


    The two explosive pieces of news quickly spread throughout the entire family, causing a great commotion.


    Outside the major institutions, the gathered clanspeople were excited and discussed the news about the Foundation Establishment Pills.


    The news about the Foundation Establishment Pills had all the clanspeople thrilled. With these pills, the Xing clan members saw reignited hopes for achieving Foundation Establishment.


    Previously, although there were three Minor Foundation Building Pills left, those were allocated to the Tian clan members. With Lin Xingping¡¯s successful Foundation Establishment, the Xing clan members had already used up their quota.


    But now, with the even more effective Foundation Establishment Pills available without any exchange restrictions, as long as clanspeople reached Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage and were under a hundred years old, they could exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Under such circumstances, for those clanspeople above the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, a mere decade or so of diligent cultivation could give them hope to breakthrough. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, the Foundation Establishment Pill was priced at an exchange rate of 24,000 spirit stones, a price that brought even more joy to the Qi Refining Stage clanspeople of the family.


    Before, many were worried they might meet the required cultivation level but couldn¡¯t gather enough spirit stones to exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill, causing unnecessary delays.


    Now, with an 80% discount on the pill and the option to pre-pay half the price, meaning just 12,000 spirit stones, they could exchange for the pill in advance.


    With the family¡¯s twice-increased salaries, the Qi Refining Stage clanspeople now had the capability to accumulate spirit stones.


    For those clanspeople at the Eighth or Ninth Levels of Qi Refinement, gathering seven or eight thousand spirit stones was not difficult at all. With some borrowed spirit stones, they could quickly gather enough for the advance payment.


    As expected, right after the announcement regarding the exchange of Foundation Establishment Pills, Lin Xingzhi was the first to find Lin Xingcheng, easily producing 12,000 spirit stones and exchanging them on the spot for the first Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Under the envious gaze of his fellow clanspeople, he accepted the precious pill, equally excited and ready to begin preparations for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, ready to impact the stage whenever conditions permitted.


    Besides Lin Xingzhi, Lin Xingcheng had also reached the Great Perfection Realm of Qi Refining and was the second to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill.


    However, he had just broken through to the Great Perfection Realm of Qi Refining; he would need at least two to three years to consolidate before attempting to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The remaining clanspeople above the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement were all like chickens injected with adrenaline, preparing to cultivate crazily, as well as accumulate the 12,000 spirit stones necessary to exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Instantly, the entire family was once again caught up in a frenzy of cultivation and training, all striving desperately to advance their cultivation and accumulate spirit stones, making preparations for the future.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming knew nothing of this, still immersed in his secluded cultivation.


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 Chapter 293 - 195 Purple Gold Eagle Breakthrough_1

    Chapter 293: Chapter 195 Purple Gold Eagle Breakthrough_1


    Three months hurried by.


    Inside the practice room, Lin Tianming sat upright on the cushion and then opened his eyes.


    ¡°Huu huu¡­¡±


    He exhaled a breath of foul air, then stood up and exited the secret chamber, ending his three-month cultivation.


    During these three months, the last two petals of the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus he had left were also consumed and refined; thanks to his hard cultivation, his cultivation became even more solid.


    Although he was still far from reaching the Foundation Building Fourth Level, he was still immensely satisfied with this speed. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    The reason he was emerging now was to practice his Divine Skills, as mastering them soon would increase his strength a bit more.


    Having made up his mind, he left his cave dwelling and flew towards the rear mountain.


    In a short while, he arrived at the valley where he had practiced his Divine Skills before.


    Not far from the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s cave, Lin Tianming called out, but for a long period, there was no response from the Purple Gold Eagle.


    It seemed that the Purple Gold Eagle was sleeping or perhaps at a critical moment of breaking through to the Second Order.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t disturb it; he chose another valley not too far away and relatively quiet and began practicing his Divine Skills there.


    In the valley, Lin Tianming was bare-chested, revealing his explosive muscles and aesthetically-pleasing lines, drenched in sweat.


    He formed a Single-handed Seal, and the Law Decree slammed into the Tiangang Sword.


    ¡°Tiangang Sword Qi Third Sword, strike!¡±


    In an instant, the surface of the Tiangang Sword in his hand glowed brightly, transforming into a phantom shadow, shooting towards a large tree a thousand feet away.


    ¡°Puff¡­¡±


    A loud noise rang out as the half yard thick tree exploded from the middle and then fell, creating a deep pit on the ground.


    Lin Tianming leaped over, and seeing the tree that was easily broken, he revealed a contemplative expression.


    The power of the Tiangang Sword Qi Third Sword was truly formidable, definitely the strongest Divine Skill he possessed currently.


    However, it consumed a lot of Spiritual Power to execute, and the casting speed wasn¡¯t fast enough; the Sword Qi was easy for the enemy to dodge.


    But this was just the beginning; he was still not very accustomed to it, after practicing more, he should be able to bring it to the Minor Achievement Realm and use it in combat.


    With these thoughts, he was not at all discouraged; on the contrary, he was full of confidence.


    Lin Tianming retreated a hundred yards, and then once again he wielded the Tiangang Sword, beginning to practice his Divine Skills repeatedly.


    Each time he would deplete all the Spiritual Power in his body, then meditate and cultivate until he fully recovered, then start practicing again.


    Time flew by, and another two months had passed.


    In the valley, Lin Tianming was sweating profusely, practicing the Tiangang Sword Qi over and over again.


    The Tiangang Sword in his hand flashed with silver light, turning into a phantom that streaked toward a large tree a thousand yards away.


    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    After a loud explosion, the entire giant tree burst apart, turning into scattered wood chips, floating through the valley like celestial flowers.


    Lin Tianming ceased his practice; although he appeared quite exhausted, he still had a satisfied smile on his face.


    After two months of arduous practice, not stepping out of the valley once, practicing Divine Skills, and waiting for the Purple Gold Eagle to break through.


    Unsure of how many times he had practiced, but with his efforts, the casting speed of the Tiangang Sword Qi had greatly improved, and its power and accuracy had also significantly increased, clearly reaching the Minor Achievement Realm.


    The current Tiangang Sword Qi Third Sword, with its triple overlay, was exceptionally powerful.


    Having reached the Minor Achievement Realm, it was more than enough to handle cultivators below the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, and if he met slower enemies, he could easily kill them.


    Lin Tianming was very pleased, stored the Tiangang Sword away, and prepared to meditate and restore the nearly depleted Spiritual Power in his body.


    As he was about to turn around, a sharp screeching sound spread throughout the valley, familiar yet piercing.


    At the same time, an aura of the Foundation Establishment Stage rushed towards him.


    ¡°The Purple Gold Eagle is breaking through!¡±


    Upon hearing this commotion, Lin Tianming was overjoyed, not minding his fatigue, and flew towards the valley where the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s nest was located.


    Soon, he arrived at the valley.


    By then, the Purple Gold Eagle had already left its nest, emanating a strong presence.


    Seeing Lin Tianming come, it was extremely excited, dragging its huge body unsteadily towards him.


    Looking over, many feathers from the Purple Gold Eagle had fallen onto the ground, and its expression looked somewhat listless.


    However, from the eyes of the Purple Gold Eagle, there was clearly an excited look.


    Apparently, after several months of slumber, the Purple Gold Eagle had successfully advanced to Second Order Lower Grade.


    Seeing the successful breakthrough of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming was very happy.


    He walked up, took several sections of the Green-Spotted Poison Python¡¯s body from his storage bag, and tossed them to the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Then he took out several First Order Demon Beast Inner Pills and let the Purple Gold Eagle swallow them all at once.


    The Purple Gold Eagle swallowed the snake meat and Demon Beast Inner Pills in one gulp, affectionately nuzzling his clothes, appearing very excited.


    Lin Tianming patted the beak of the Purple Gold Eagle and then said,


    ¡°Xiao Diao, you, this bird, have finally broken through, and it wasn¡¯t in vain that I invested so many resources in you!¡±


    Hearing this, the Purple Gold Eagle cried out grievously, as if to say that for a Demonic Beast, breaking through was even harder than for a cultivator.


    Lin Tianming chuckled, naturally not about to argue with a bird.


    Just then, several figures flew towards them; it was Lin Shilu, Lin Shihua, and two Qi Refining Stage clanspeople from the Enforcement Hall.


    Seeing them approach, it was obvious they were alerted by the disturbance caused by the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s breakthrough, and so they came to check.


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 Chapter 294 - 195 Purple Gold Eagles Breakthrough_2

    Chapter 294: Chapter 195 Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s Breakthrough_2


    Lin Tianming immediately approached and saluted the several people with clasped hands.


    Lin Shilu waved his hand, and next to him Lin Shihua, wearing a smile, then began to speak:


    ¡°Tianming, the Purple Gold Eagle has broken through to Second Order, this is indeed a cause for great celebration!¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Lin Tianming chuckled and waved his hand as he spoke:


    ¡°Xiao Diao has indeed made quite a few contributions over the years. I used two Second Order Monster Beast Inner Pellets and added some of the body of a Green-Spotted Poison Python, finally helping it break through to the Second Order. It was worth the effort of nurturing it so diligently!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shihua chuckled and said:


    ...


    ¡°Hmm¡­ the Purple Gold Eagle indeed played a significant role for our clan, consider this Yunshang Grass as a reward for it from our family!¡±


    With that said, he took out a water blue Spirit Grass and handed it to Lin Tianming.


    Yunshang Grass is a Second Order High Grade Spiritual Medicine Material with a stabilizing effect on the injuries of Demonic Beasts; though it is of little use to a cultivator, for a Demonic Beast, it is an excellent healing medicine. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon seeing the Yunshang Grass, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression was one of delighted surprise; with this grass, the Purple Gold Eagle could recover from its injuries quickly and stabilize its newly advanced rank.


    ¡°Then, I shall thank the family on behalf of the Purple Gold Eagle!¡± Lin Tianming said, cupping his fist in gratitude.


    ¡°Oh, and Tianming, in a month¡¯s time, the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s injuries should be mostly healed. At that time, you¡¯ll represent the family on a trip to escort Tian Qin and the others to Qianchuan Market and collect the past year¡¯s Spirit Stone earnings from Luoyun Pavilion to bring back with your brother Tianfeng and the others!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shihua¡¯s instructions, Lin Tianming nodded and agreed to the task.


    With the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s breakthrough, its flying speed was certain to increase significantly. The Tiangang Sword Qi Third Sword had also been cultivated to the Minor Achievement Realm. Presently having no pressing matters, Lin Tianming found it convenient to make the trip for the family, as coming and going would not take more than a month.


    Seeing Lin Tianming agree promptly, Lin Shilu chuckled and said:


    ¡°Tianming, hand over your Green Scale Shield to me. It was hastily repaired during our last venture into the secret realm. Since you¡¯re going to Qianchuan Market, I¡¯ll take the time to fully repair it for you. In case any mishap occurs, it will provide you with some safety.¡±


    The Green Scale Shield had proved quite useful during their venture into the secret realm. After several major battles, it had only been simply repaired once. However, it could currently exhibit only about eighty percent of its defensive power. With Lin Shilu¡¯s repairs, this trip would surely be safer.


    Thinking of all this, Lin Tianming was overjoyed and began to express his thanks graciously.


    ¡°I thank you, Fifteenth Grandfather.¡±


    Afterward, he slapped his storage bag and hurriedly handed the Green Scale Shield to Lin Shilu.


    Lin Shilu accepted the shield. The two did not stay long and, after a few more words of instruction, left the valley with the patrolling clan members.


    As he watched them leave, Lin Tianming held the Yunshang Grass in hand and instructed:


    ¡°Xiao Diao, this Yunshang Grass can help stabilize your realm and injuries quickly. Take this medicine, and after one month¡¯s time, we¡¯ll be heading to Qianchuan Market again.¡±


    The Purple Gold Eagle looked at the blue Yunshang Grass with an almost instinctive longing, and as soon as Lin Tianming tossed it, the eagle swallowed it immediately.


    After swallowing the Yunshang Grass, the Purple Gold Eagle gave an excited cry and, with a flap of its massive wings, easily stirred up a whirlwind in the valley.


    ¡°This silly bird¡­¡±


    Watching the excited Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming lightly scolded with a laugh and then gave a few more instructions before leaving the valley.


    Having returned to his own cave dwelling, Lin Tianming once again entered the secret chamber.


    Sitting cross-legged, he took out many jade bottles from his storage bag, all filled with Monster Beast Souls obtained from the venture into the secret realm, tallying up to well over a hundred.


    Most of these Monster Beast Souls were those of Tianluan Turtles, some of which he had slain together with Lin Shilu. Though fewer in number, they were basically all Second Order Demonic Beasts.


    Among the souls taken from the Tianluan Turtle group, the Second Order ones were few, numbering only about twenty; the rest were First Order.


    Otherwise, amid such chaos, the stronger Monster Beast Souls would have already been targeted by other cultivators. He saw no need to fight over such little things.


    Besides, among these hundred-plus Monster Beast Souls, the most powerful were those of the Green-Spotted Poison Python, which were also the rare Second Order Late-Stage Monster Beast Souls.


    Looking at the multitude of glowing orbs, within which were fierce and translucent shadows, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression was joyful as he took out the Thousand Beast Banner, preparing to seal all the Monster Beast Souls inside to further enhance the artifact¡¯s power.


    He tossed the Thousand Beast Banner into the air, sprayed a mouthful of essence blood onto the Five Rod Flag, and then pinched a spell, sending strands of Spiritual Light blasting onto the flags.


    In an instant, the Five Rod Flags shone brightly and started to revolve around him at an incredibly fast speed.


    Without pause, Lin Tianming continued to throw Monster Beast Souls at the spinning Thousand Beast Banner and frequently issued sealing inscriptions with his hands, merging them onto the banner.


    The Thousand Beast Banner seemed quite spirited, joyfully swallowing the Monster Beast Souls and merging them into the vast pool of souls.


    Wearing a pleased smile, Lin Tianming once again took out a Monster Beast Soul from a jade bottle and skillfully sealed it within the Thousand Beast Banner.


    After more than ten days, the hundred-plus Monster Beast Souls had all been sealed.


    At this point, the Thousand Beast Banner radiated layers of Spiritual Light, looking as though its power and spirituality had once again increased.


    In the secret chamber, Lin Tianming looked at the Five Rod Flags circling around him, displaying special luminescence, and then showed a satisfied expression.


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 Chapter 295 - 195: Purple Gold Eagle Breakthrough_3

    Chapter 295: Chapter 195: Purple Gold Eagle Breakthrough_3


    Before this, the Thousand Beast Banner already contained the souls of several hundred demonic beasts. Although the overall strength of the beast souls was rather weak, the addition of this batch of powerful souls greatly enhanced the power of the banner, which also possessed immense potential for further growth.


    ¡°If this Thousand Beast Banner had tens of thousands of demonic beasts within it, how great would its power be? Maybe it could even advance to the level of a Second Order Superior,¡±


    Lin Tianming mused to himself, envisioning the day when the number of beast souls in the Thousand Beast Banner would break through ten thousand.


    After a short while, he collected his thoughts, tidied up the messy cultivation room, and then settled back onto the cushion.


    There were still twenty days left before the trip to Qianchuan Market. By now, he had completed cultivating his Divine Skills, the Purple Gold Eagle had broken through to the Second Order, and the Thousand Beast Banner had been re-cultivated.


    Most of the preparations were done. With nothing else to do, he decided to engage in a brief period of cultivation, waiting for the day of departure to draw near.


    ...


    Having made up his mind, he took out a Second Order Lingshen Pill and swallowed it without hesitation.


    As the elixir entered his body, it turned into a furious energy that raced along the pathways of his meridians.


    Soon, the familiar feeling of intense pain arrived. His face grew pale, and large beads of sweat dripped onto the bluestone floor.


    ¡°This damned cultivation technique is practically torture!¡±


    Lin Tianming cursed internally, but he quickly regained his composure.


    After all, when he had decided to cultivate this technique, it had been made clear to him, and it was his own choice. With the great strength it provided, enduring such inhuman pain seemed worth it.


    He gritted his teeth against the pain until his body was nearly numb, then quickly took out a Dragon Bone Pill from his storage bag and swallowed it.


    As soon as the Dragon Bone Pill was consumed, he began to refine the energy contained within the elixir.


    Not long after, as the medicinal power of the Dragon Bone Pill spread, the pain in his body began to ease, returning to normal shortly after.


    Lin Tianming let out a long sigh of relief, then concentrated on refining the energy and strengthening his physique.


    The twenty days passed in the blink of an eye.


    On this day, Lin Tianming left his dwelling and came to the valley where the cave of the Purple Gold Eagle was located.


    As soon as he appeared, before he could call out, the Purple Gold Eagle had already flown out of the cave and was heading towards him, clearly having sensed his arrival.


    Looking at the Purple Gold Eagle now, its feathers were even brighter than before. Previously, only a small patch on its head had golden-yellow feathers, but now its entire head was covered with them, giving it a rather majestic appearance.


    Moreover, the current aura of the Purple Gold Eagle was quite formidable, giving him the impression that it was no weaker than those demonic beasts that had been in the Second Order for a long time. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming smiled and, after forming a spell with his hands, shot a fireball towards the Purple Gold Eagle.


    The sudden appearance of the massive fireball, filled with terrifying heat and explosive power, would have turned the large Purple Gold Eagle into a roasted bird if hit directly.


    The Purple Gold Eagle showed no panic. It flapped its huge wings, retreating a bit, and spat out successive large fireballs that collided with the fireball Lin Tianming had fired.


    ¡°Boom boom boom¡­¡±


    The two fireballs collided in the sky, instantly exploding into a sea of fire that rained down, burning all the trees on the hillside to ashes.


    For a time, the entire hill became barren.


    The excited Purple Gold Eagle let out a triumphant cry, evidently seeking praise for showcasing its strength.


    However, before it could delight in its achievement, Lin Tianming charged over. His skinny fists, seemingly harmless, smashed directly against the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s body.


    In an instant, the mournful cries of the Purple Gold Eagle echoed as its large body was sent flying, crashing into a small hill and leveling the entire mound in an instant.


    Flapping its wings a couple of times, just as the Purple Gold Eagle was about to rise, Lin Tianming¡¯s teasing voice rang out.


    ¡°Heh heh¡­ You big yellow bird, just after breaking through to the Second Order, let¡¯s see how you handle this!¡±


    Lin Tianming chuckled and struck the Purple Gold Eagle with his clenched fist.


    Soon, the valley was filled with the bird¡¯s pitiful cries.


    At that moment, several clan members from a nearby patrol heard the huge commotion caused by the exploding fireballs and quickly rushed over to investigate.


    Seeing Lin Tianming beating up the massive Purple Gold Eagle stunned the patrolling clan members, and their admiration for him deepened.


    The watchers stayed where they were, not daring to get close or interrupt.


    One of them, a Sixth Level of Qi Refinement clansman, observing the battered Purple Gold Eagle, said to his companions:


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on. Tian Ming seems to be sparring with the Purple Gold Eagle. With his strength, no accidents are likely to happen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ We still have our patrol duties. Let¡¯s leave,¡± another clan member replied.


    With that, the five of them engaged in Sword Flight and quickly disappeared into the mountain ranges.


    A tea-time later, the wails in the valley finally ceased.


    By this point, the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s feathers were disheveled, many on the ground, and its aura had diminished, looking quite sorry for itself.


    Lin Tianming was also panting heavily, with most of his clothes shredded, revealing his bronze-skinned body, and several long wounds on both his arms and chest, clearly inflicted by the claws of the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Just moments ago, in the valley, one man and one bird engaged in fierce combat. Lin Tianming had suppressed his strength to the level of Foundation Establishment, fighting dozens of rounds with the Purple Gold Eagle to test its capabilities.


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 Chapter 296 - 195 Purple Gold Eagle Breakthrough_4

    Chapter 296: Chapter 195 Purple Gold Eagle Breakthrough_4


    Even though he had suppressed his cultivation realm, having battled extensively and being a dual cultivator of body and law, Lin Tianming was bolstered by his strong life force and experience. The Purple Gold Eagle was simply no match and spent most of the time on the receiving end of the attack.


    However, the Purple Gold Eagle wasn¡¯t weak either. After taking beating after beating, it finally erupted in a rage, unleashing a fierce counterattack that even managed to wound Lin Tianming.


    At this moment, both man and bird stopped fighting and collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air heavily.


    ¡°Not bad, Xiao Diao. To have sparred with me until now and not fallen behind much,¡± Lin Tianming said with a chuckle. He then took out a piece of the Green-Spotted Poison Python¡¯s carcass and tossed it to the Purple Gold Eagle.


    The Purple Gold Eagle quickly stood up, clamped the snake meat in its beak, and gobbled it down without a tremor, soon emitting a satisfied sound.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming smiled knowingly. The attacking talents of flying monster beasts lie not in close combat but in their long-range attack capabilities and rapid flight.


    ...


    The Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s innate physique wasn¡¯t bad either. It must have consumed a large amount of elixirs and heavenly treasures, making its body extremely formidable. Its offensive and defensive power were both quite impressive and obviously, it wasn¡¯t any weaker than those monster beasts that specialized in close combat. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After his assessment, the Purple Gold Eagle could stand toe to toe with him in close combat despite his suppressed cultivation level, and didn¡¯t fall behind much. Given this, the strength of the Purple Gold Eagle was undoubtedly stronger than a cultivator who had just entered the Foundation Establishment stage, and it might not necessarily lose even if it faced a Second Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator alone.


    In this regard, Lin Tianming was extremely satisfied with the growth rate and strength of the Purple Gold Eagle; all the resources he had expended to help it break through were not in vain.


    After a while, Lin Tianming recovered his strength. With a casual wave of his hand, he changed into a clean, green shirt and then rose to walk towards the Purple Gold Eagle.


    The Purple Gold Eagle immediately stood up and rubbed Lin Tianming¡¯s clothes with its beak, sharp enough to cut through iron like mud.


    ¡°Come, take me for a flight around, let¡¯s see how fast you are,¡± Lin Tianming said and leapt onto the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s back, standing there quietly.


    No sooner had he settled than the Purple Gold Eagle began flapping its gigantic wings and soared into the sky, flying towards the distant mountain range.


    Lin Tianming stood on the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s back, circling around the vast Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory on its back.


    Feeling the speed of the Purple Gold Eagle as it flew, it was more than three times faster than before its breakthrough.


    Lin Tianming thought to himself that with this speed, he could travel from his family to the Qianchuan Market in five days at full speed, which was beyond reproach.


    At least in the Wei Kingdom, apart from flying artifacts and more powerful flying spiritual birds, there was nothing faster than the Purple Gold Eagle.


    While Second Order Demonic Beasts were perhaps not rare within Foundation Establishing Families in the Wei Kingdom, flying Second Order Demonic Beasts were extremely scarce.


    Besides the Golden Elixir Forces possessing varying numbers of Second Order flying spiritual birds, only a few top-tier Foundation Establishing families owned them.


    Not only did the Lin Family possess a late-phase Second Order Soul-Eating Spider, but they also had an early-phase Second Order Purple Gold Eagle. Additionally, they had as many as eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators with a projected exponential growth in the coming decades.


    From this angle, as long as a Golden Core cultivator emerged within the family, they could ascend to the forefront of the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World.


    With this thought, Lin Tianming felt a surge of excitement, and his blood boiled unconsciously.


    Unknowingly, the Purple Gold Eagle had already soared past the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain with its wings that could blot out the sun, and the winds stirred by its flapping swiftly caught the attention of the tribe members.


    ¡°Look¡­ that¡¯s Tianming and the early Second Order Purple Gold Eagle,¡± an excited Xing Clan member shouted.


    A young tribesman, looking up at Lin Tianming in the sky, exclaimed with an admiring expression, ¡°It¡¯s Sixth Brother; he¡¯s so strong! His own strength is formidable, and he even has a Second Order Purple Gold Eagle as his spiritual pet.¡±


    At the foot of the peak, many tribespeople lifted their heads to gaze at the Purple Gold Eagle and Lin Tianming in the sky, their faces filled with excitement and admiration.


    The crowd stopped in their tracks, looking up at the pair in the sky, and burst into discussions.


    A Fifth Level of Qi Refinement Xing Clan Cultivator looked up at Lin Tianming above him and then spoke to his companion beside him:


    ¡°Tianming has been in the Foundation Establishment stage for about five years now, hasn¡¯t he? With his talent, he should have reached the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment by now,¡± he said.


    Hearing these words, a middle-aged cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement immediately responded, ¡°Xing Ya, you¡¯re really underestimating our clan¡¯s Hidden Dragon. Although none of us know Tian Ming¡¯s exact level of cultivation, judging by his past speed of cultivation, he must be at least at the second layer of Foundation Establishment by now, and there¡¯s even a great chance he¡¯s reached the third layer.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the surrounding clan members gasped in surprise, and soon someone else spoke up.


    ¡°No way? How old is Tian Ming, just over thirty years old, and already so formidable?¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    The cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement furrowed his brows, a smug smile spreading on his face as he spoke:


    ¡°You need to realize that Tian Ming was only twenty-six when he established his foundation. It¡¯s impossible for any of us to break through two layers in five years, but for him, it¡¯s entirely possible.¡±


    Before he had even finished speaking, everyone took a deep breath.


    A youth under twenty from the clan bowed to the speaker and then asked:


    ¡°Uncle, does Sixth Brother really cultivate so quickly? At this rate, if everything goes well, wouldn¡¯t he be able to attempt the Golden Core Stage within a hundred years?¡±


    These words from the young cultivator aroused the interest of everyone present, and a cultivator at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement also interjected a word.


    ¡°Yes, assuming he¡¯s now at the second layer of Foundation Establishment and has nearly sixty years left, there¡¯s great hope that he¡¯ll reach the Great Perfection Realm of Foundation Establishment,¡± they said.


    At that moment, the cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement gestured with his hand, and everyone ceased their discussions to listen attentively to his words.


    Seeing this, he resolutely said, ¡°In my opinion, under smooth conditions, Tian Ming has at least a 70% chance of reaching the Great Perfection Realm of Foundation Establishment before the age of one hundred, and even breaking through to the Golden Core Stage is highly possible.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The gaping mouths of several people revealed their shock.


    Seeing this, a clan member at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, excited, then said:


    ¡°The Golden Core Stage? If that day really comes, our clan could restore its former glory and once again become the sixth Golden Elixir Force in the Wei Kingdom.¡±


    At that time, aside from those Xing clan members above the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, everyone was greatly astonished.


    The older clan members had almost all witnessed Lin Tianming¡¯s meteoric rise and had immense confidence in him.


    As for the younger Tian clan members, apart from a few who were about the same age as Lin Tianming, many had never even seen him in person and only heard about the clan¡¯s Hidden Dragon from their elders.


    But today, not only did they witness his true face, but also heard a great deal about his feats from the Xing clan members, making their admiration for him grow even stronger.


    Seeing the worshipful gazes of the Tian clan members, the Xing clan members spoke seriously:


    ¡°You youngsters should take Tian Ming as your example. It¡¯s not realistic to say you¡¯ll surpass him, but as the clan¡¯s foundation grows stronger and the rewards and benefits improve, it¡¯s absolutely possible for you to break through to Foundation Establishment with a bit more diligence.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Back when the clan¡¯s foundations were poor, the same-level rewards barely reached half of what they are now, and with our lack of talent and no resources, we wasted many years,¡± another member added.


    ¡°So, the situation is different now. Even those with average talent, as long as they work hard and with the support of the clan¡¯s resources, have a great chance of breaking through to Foundation Establishment,¡± they continued.


    Hearing these words, the young clan members all bowed in thanks, their expressions becoming resolute.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming had already soared past over their heads, quickly arriving at the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The Purple Gold Eagle carried him around the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory for a full quarter of an hour, proving to be much faster than before.


    This speed excited Lin Tianming. He ordered the Purple Gold Eagle to land on the Bluestone Plaza at the peak, hopped off its back, and made his way to his father¡¯s cave dwelling.


    The Purple Gold Eagle, without delay, continued flying toward the rear mountain, quickly disappearing from sight.


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 Chapter 297 - 196 Leaving_1

    Chapter 297: Chapter 196 Leaving_1


    ¡°`


    It wasn¡¯t long before he arrived at his father¡¯s cave mansion courtyard.


    Sitting in the courtyard, his mother and younger sister also came out upon hearing the news, and the three of them sat in the yard, drinking tea and chatting leisurely.


    Lin Tianming lifted his teacup to taste a sip, and then took out two Second Order talismans and five thousand spirit stones from his storage bag, handing them to Lin Tianyue.


    ¡°Tianyue, you will be going to Qianchuan Market to gain experience tomorrow, Take these two Second Order talismans, they will make you a bit safer out there!¡±


    Seeing the two Second Order talismans in Lin Tianming¡¯s hands, one a Second Order Low Grade Attack Talisman and the other a Second Order Low Grade Defense Talisman, Lin Tianyue¡¯s expression lit up with joy.


    ...


    ¡°Brother¡­ I¡¯m already a First Order Superior Grade talisman maker, and I¡¯ve saved up some spirit stones over the years, I¡¯ll take the talismans, but let¡¯s forget about the spirit stones, I still have quite a few!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t insist. Although five thousand spirit stones did not mean much to him, relying too much on her brother would not be beneficial for Lin Tianyue¡¯s growth.


    Thinking this, he didn¡¯t persist and put the spirit stones away.


    Lin Tianyue took the two Second Order talismans, inspecting them carefully in her hands and showing a look of adoration.


    As a talisman maker herself, she certainly had seen many Second Order talismans, but Second Order Defense Talismans were rare, and it was perfect that Lin Tianming had given her one, which she could study to perhaps enhance her own talisman-making skills.


    Seeing Lin Tianyue¡¯s expression, Lin Tianming felt very gratified.


    Their mother also took out several pieces of Late Stage First Order Demonic Beast skins, and then said meaningfully:


    ¡°Tianyue, this is your first time going to Qianchuan Market, and you¡¯ll be gone for three years. I can¡¯t compare to your brother and don¡¯t have anything nice to give you, but since you¡¯re a talisman maker, take these beast skins for talisman making!¡±


    After speaking, she handed the pieces of beast skin to Lin Tianyue.


    ¡°Mother, why say such things? Even a single spirit stone is the most precious gift in your daughter¡¯s eyes!¡±


    Lin Tianyue spoke joyfully, then took the beast skins from her mother¡¯s hands and placed them into her storage bag.


    Afterward, the three of them sat together chatting leisurely, and Lin Tianyue spoke up:


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯ve been in Qianchuan Market for a few years, tell me about the situation there.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming chuckled. Even if his sister hadn¡¯t asked, he still would have told her ¡ª why else had he come so early that day?


    ¡°Qianchuan Market is one of the two medium-sized markets governed by the Zhenyang Sect of Wei Kingdom, also a renowned existence throughout the entire kingdom, with numerous powerhouses, including Golden Core Cultivators!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianyue¡¯s expression brightened with excitement and she looked forward to the trip even more.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t beat around the bush and continued:


    ¡°Generally speaking, the market is relatively safe, with fighting prohibited inside. There are many Loose Cultivators and countless treasures, and business is extremely prosperous¡ªit really is a paradise for cultivators.¡±


    As he spoke, Lin Tianming seemed to remember something and said excitedly:


    ¡°You¡¯re in luck, in half a month¡¯s time, the ten-year market fair will take place!¡±


    Hearing about the market fair, Lin Tianyue immediately showed interest. She had attended Luoyun Market¡¯s fair the year before last and witnessed many extraordinary treasures and events, so the thought of a fair was always memorable to her.


    ¡°A market fair? Is it like the one at Luoyun Market?¡± Lin Tianyue inquired.


    As Lin Tianyue asked this, Lin Tianming frowned slightly and then explained:


    ¡°The market fair at Qianchuan Market can¡¯t be compared to Luoyun Market¡¯s; not only are there more participants, but the rank of the treasures appearing is also several levels higher. It¡¯s said that even Golden Elixir Experts might participate!¡±


    Before he could finish, Lin Tianyue was visibly shocked, clearly overwhelmed by the revelation.


    Lin Tianming continued to speak: ¡°You think that¡¯s all there is? Qianchuan Market is filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. The Foundation Establishment Late-Stage Cultivators are countless, and the number of natural treasures is beyond measure. Every market fair draws cultivators from surrounding areas, and even from the neighboring Huangyang Kingdom. With every fair, the number of people in the market easily surpasses tens of thousands!¡±


    ¡°A market with tens of thousands of people, that certainly exceeds Luoyun Market!¡± Lin Tianyue said with emotion upon hearing this.


    ¡°Brother, how is the Lin Family perceived in Wei Kingdom nowadays?¡±


    ¡°How is the business in Luoyun Pavilion?¡±


    ¡°Is the competition fierce among the shops inside the market?¡±


    One question after another rolled off Lin Tianyue¡¯s tongue, rendering Lin Tianming momentarily speechless.


    Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t withhold anything, taking an hour to share all he knew. He detailed the forces in Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, the background of the market, and the well-known cultivators and shops inside it, explaining all the crucial information once over.


    In doing so, Lin Tianyue was no longer completely ignorant and gained a deeper understanding of her family and the Cultivation World of Wei Kingdom, leaving her better prepared to survive on her own without feeling utterly in the dark.


    Unbeknownst to them, the sky had already darkened.


    At that moment, Lin Shigong walked in, his expression looking rather excited.


    Seeing Lin Shigong enter, the three rose to greet him respectfully.


    Lin Shigong waved his hand and then sat down, and Lin Tianming promptly offered a cup of Spiritual Tea with all due respect.


    Lin Shigong took a sip of the Spiritual Tea and then said to Ren Yuxuan sitting beside him:


    ¡°Yuxuan, go prepare dinner, let¡¯s give Tianyue a proper send-off!¡±


    ¡°Father, please rest, I¡¯ll go prepare the dinner now!¡±


    Ren Yuxuan replied respectfully and then headed deeper into the courtyard to prepare dinner for them.


    Watching their mother leave, Lin Tianming chuckled and asked:


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 298 - 196: Departure_2

    Chapter 298: Chapter 196: Departure_2


    ¡°Grandfather, have you broken through to the second layer of Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shigong¡¯s expression slightly changed as he spoke:


    ¡°You rascal, I haven¡¯t leaked a hint of aura, how did you detect it?¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ It might seem to you that you haven¡¯t leaked, but at such a close distance, your grandson naturally has a way to sense it,¡± Lin Tianming said with a smile.


    Seeing this explanation, Lin Shigong furrowed his brows, said nothing more, then took out a defense artifact from his storage bag and handed it to Lin Tianming¡ªit was the Green Scale Shield that Lin Shilu had taken away.


    Lin Tianming took the Green Scale Shield and casually played with it, then revealed a satisfied smile.


    ...


    After Lin Shilu¡¯s repairs and the addition of some precious treasures, the Green Scale Shield was now thoroughly repaired, its defensive power even stronger than before it was damaged.


    Seeing this, Lin Shigong also took out two Second Order Talismans and handed them to Lin Tianyue, saying:


    ¡°Tian Yue, you¡¯re going to the market for three years, and your grandfather doesn¡¯t have much to give. Take these two Second Order Talismans and carry them with you!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandfather!¡±


    Lin Tianyue quickly thanked him and then took the two talismans from Lin Shigong, revealing an overjoyed smile.


    ¡°Tian Ming, remember to stop for a night when you pass by Golden Horn Mountain tomorrow and take the opportunity to visit your father!¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, rest assured, I will definitely visit Father!¡± Lin Tianming said.


    Lin Shigong nodded and started to give long and earnest instructions, no different from when he had set off for Qingfeng Town.


    After speaking for nearly half an hour, the brother and sister kept nodding their heads, occasionally interjecting a few words.


    Seeing that Lin Shigong showed no sign of stopping, Lin Tianming helplessly said, ¡°Grandfather¡­ rest assured, Qianchuan Market is not a desolate wilderness. As long as we don¡¯t leave the market, there won¡¯t be any danger!¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming speak up, Lin Tianyue also chimed in.


    ¡°Yes, Grandfather¡­ with Uncle Xing Ping watching over us in the market, and in case of any unresolved major issue, we can still ask Venerable Ye for help, right!¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming and his sister speak to this point, Lin Shigong nodded, his heart somewhat relaxed, and he stopped his relentless talking.


    Then, Lin Tianming changed the subject, chatted leisurely for a while, and then began to have a meal.


    Except for Lin Xingrong, who was stationed at Golden Horn Mountain and had not returned, the family of four ate and chatted, the atmosphere very harmonious.


    After a satisfying meal, the grandfather and grandson left the courtyard of the cave mansion where their mother lived.


    As the two walked along the road, Lin Shigong took out several storage bags and handed them to Lin Tianming, saying:


    ¡°The vast resources from these past years have all been collected by the clan. The Clan Leader asked me to pass them to you to bring to Luoyun Pavilion for Xing Ping.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming took the storage bags and inspected them. They indeed contained a huge amount of resources; by his estimate, they were worth nearly a hundred thousand Spirit Stones.


    Lin Tianming put away the storage bags and then said: S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Grandfather, this trip coincides with the great assembly period of Qianchuan Market. I shall catch the auction and will need to stay for some days. Adding on the accumulated Spiritual Medicine Materials of Luoyun Pavilion, I have to help with the refinement. After busying with all that, it will take at least a month, but I will return with Tianfeng and the others within two months at most.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ Try not to cause trouble and come back early!¡±


    After Lin Shigong gave his advice, the two went their separate ways, each heading back to their own cave mansion.


    In no time, Lin Tianming was back at his cave mansion. Instead of continuing with his cultivation, he lay straight on his stone bed, ready to rest well for the night.


    Soon, he fell into a deep sleep, snores filling the room.


    The next morning, at the clan¡¯s entrance gate plaza.


    Five clan members were already waiting there, including both men and women. Lin Tianyue and Lin Tianqin were among them.


    Lin Xingqi and Lin Xingyi were also present. As members of the clan selected to go to Qianchuan Market, the pair, being of an older generation and age, were clearly part of a team composed of middle-aged clan members.


    The remaining clan member was Lin Tianhu. In just over a decade, his cultivation had soared, reaching the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement.


    At such a speed, even the well-resourced Lin Tianyue was slower, which was quite inconceivable.


    Apart from Lin Tianhu, who was at the Qi Refining Eighth Level, the other four were at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, making it a team of no weak strength.


    This lineup was in no way inferior to the group of clan members like Lin Tianfeng and the others.


    They chatted with each other while waiting for Lin Tianming to arrive.


    After a short while, Lin Tianming arrived on the back of a Purple Gold Eagle, landing before everyone.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming, the group greeted him with formalities.


    Lin Tianming laughed and exchanged greetings with them.


    ¡°Uncles, second sister, and Tianhu, Tian Ming greets you all!¡±


    Seeing how polite Lin Tianming was, Lin Xingqi and Lin Xingyi did not dare to be casual. They immediately clasped their fists and bowed:


    ¡°Tian Ming, there¡¯s no need for such courtesy. In terms of cultivation, we two cannot compare to you!¡±


    Tian Ming joked in response, ¡°Uncle speaks jestingly. We are a family, not a sect. The rules of the clan must not be overstepped. Even if Tian Ming were a Golden Core Cultivator, he would still regard himself as a junior in the presence of family elders.¡±


    Hearing this, the expressions of Lin Xingqi and Lin Xingyi eased, and they started chatting casually with Lin Tianming.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Tianming looked around at everyone and then spoke up: ¡°The hour is late. Let¡¯s set out!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± they replied in unison.


    Although privately they observed seniority, Lin Tianming was courteous, but as the leader and the highest cultivator in the team, even the elders had to obey.


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 Chapter 299 - 196: Departure_3

    Chapter 299: Chapter 196: Departure_3


    Lin Tianming nodded and led several people towards the Protective Clan Formation, with the Purple Gold Eagle following behind. They quickly arrived at the edge of the Protective Clan Formation.


    Lin Tianming took out the Family Token, cast a Law Decree, and a gap opened in the light screen of the Protective Clan Formation.


    The group leaped through, exiting the Protective Clan Formation.


    Outside the formation, they all jumped onto the back of the massive Purple Gold Eagle. Lin Tianming gave a command, and the eagle immediately soared into the air, flying into the clouds a thousand feet high, before it turned into a black shadow, heading towards Qianchuan Market in the north.


    Seated on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, everyone settled into a lotus position, forming a small circle.


    The speed of the Purple Gold Eagle was incredibly fast, as fierce winds swept past them and the surrounding mountains gradually receded into the distance.


    ...


    Lin Tianming looked over the group and then began to talk, sharing basic information about Qianchuan Market and the Cultivation World.


    Everyone listened intently, afraid to miss any information.


    As Lin Tianming spoke, various strange and unusual questions were raised by the others.


    Lin Tianming patiently explained everything, not holding back any answer he knew.


    Soon, thanks to his meticulous explanations, everyone¡¯s understanding of the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World and Qianchuan Market had deepened, and aside from the already knowledgeable Lin Tianyue, the rest had learned a great deal.


    A day later, the Purple Gold Eagle had already appeared above Golden Horn Mountain.


    The clan members responsible for patrolling saw the figure of the Purple Gold Eagle and immediately sent a message to Lin Xingrong, then waited at the mountain gate.


    The Purple Gold Eagle landed at the mountain gate. Everyone jumped down and greeted Lin Xingyou.


    After exchanging pleasantries and discussing some family affairs, Lin Tianming asked,


    ¡°Uncle, has my father finished his secluded cultivation?¡±


    ¡°Tianming, I¡¯ve already sent a message to your father, and he has replied that he¡¯s on his way here!¡±


    Before the voice faded, Lin Xingrong¡¯s figure appeared before the group.


    Lin Tianming and his sister Lin Tianyue immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, ¡°We greet father!¡±


    Lin Xingrong chuckled as he saw his children, helped them up, and then greeted the other clan members behind them.


    After chatting casually for a few moments, Lin Xingrong turned to Lin Xingyou and instructed,


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for the day. Xingyou, immediately have someone prepare the evening meal. Tonight we¡¯ll take the opportunity to gather.¡±


    Hearing the order, Lin Xingyou nodded.


    ¡°Good! This is a rare chance, I¡¯ll immediately send a message to the clan members who aren¡¯t in seclusion. Tonight, a grand gathering!¡±


    Then the group headed towards the interior of Golden Horn Mountain, quickly arriving at Lin Xingrong¡¯s Cave Mansion District.


    That evening, over ten clan members who guarded Golden Horn Mountain gathered with the six people from Lin Tianming¡¯s group to toast and enjoy themselves, creating a harmonious atmosphere.


    The discussion covered everything from cultivation exchanges and the Four Arts of Cultivation to the odd tales and gossip of the Cultivation World.


    They also organized a small clan cultivator exchange meeting, as those who usually stayed on Golden Horn Mountain seldom returned to their family, often running out of Spiritual and Elixir Pills.


    As alchemists, Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianyue naturally had a good stock of pills, which they sold on the spot at friendly prices to their clansmen, making everyone very happy.


    As the night fell and the lively banquet ended, Lin Xingyou led everyone away to arrange accommodations for them.


    Naturally, Lin Tianming and his sister stayed overnight in Lin Xingrong¡¯s Cave Mansion.


    In Lin Xingrong¡¯s courtyard, Lin Tianming recounted everything about the Foundation Establishment Pill and the reforms made by the family, which delighted his father immensely.


    Then Lin Tianming produced two bottles of elixirs and handed them to his father, claiming they were from grandfather to be given to him.


    Lin Xingrong didn¡¯t make a fuss, took the two bottles of elixirs, and began to give instructions.


    In the past, Lin Xingrong was reticent with Lin Tianming, but as his son grew increasingly mature and had surpassed him in cultivation, he completely let go of his worries.


    Lin Tianyue, as a woman, had hardly ever left the family during her more than ten years of cultivation, and the furthest she had gone was to Luoyun Market, and that too, under the supervision of family elders.


    Given this, she had virtually no experience in handling matters, which made it hard for him to rest at ease.


    In response to her father¡¯s words of advice, Lin Tianyue confidently assured him that she would be careful.


    Lin Tianming also spoke up to reassure their father, finally putting Lin Xingrong¡¯s mind at ease.


    ¡°Well, if Yue¡¯er is confident, then as a father, I am relieved!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll leave tomorrow, and I won¡¯t see you off. Just be careful, both of you!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming and Lin Tianyue nodded, bowed to their father, and then each returned to their rooms to rest.


    Once in his room, Lin Tianming immediately fell asleep, preparing to fully rest up for the journey ahead tomorrow.


    Early the next morning.


    It was just getting light, and the morning glow, piercing through the dense morning fog, shone onto the main peak of Golden Horn Mountain. Occasionally some mundane wild beasts would shuttle back and forth in front of the mountain gate.


    In silence, Lin Tianming and his group of six left Golden Horn Mountain, carried by the Purple Gold Eagle as they flew towards Qianchuan Market in the north.


    With the eagle flying at full strength, their speed was incredibly fast. The mountains, with their layers upon layers, whizzed by below, while the Gang Wind in the high altitude tossed their hair about.


    Sitting upright on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming¡¯s Divine Sense covered the surrounding area, capturing every rustle of grass, making him appear as steadfast as a bamboo, unaffected by the roaring Gang Wind.


    The others, however, were struggling. Lin Xingqi and Lin Xingyi momentarily lost focus but quickly stabilized their postures. Being relatively older, they had gone through numerous battles and had plenty of experience, so they adapted quickly to the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s sudden burst of speed.


    Lin Tianhu might have had the lowest cultivation, but he seemed to have good experience. His Spiritual Power flowed slowly through him, and he quickly stabilized his posture, earning a new level of respect from Lin Tianming.


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 Chapter 300 - 196: Departure_4

    Chapter 300: Chapter 196: Departure_4


    Lin Tianyue and Lin Tianqin were buffeted by the strong Gang Wind, which made them lose their composure as they had not yet adapted.


    Lin Tianyue steadied herself and said indignantly, ¡°Hmph, that darn Xiao Diao, why wasn¡¯t it this fast yesterday? It suddenly sped up, making this young lady look bad.¡±


    Her words made everyone burst into laughter.


    Lin Tianming said, ¡°We weren¡¯t in a hurry to travel quickly yesterday. With its breakthrough to the Second Order, it could easily reach Golden Horn Mountain, so there was no need to fly so fast. Now, we¡¯re headed to Qianchuan Market, and the journey is far. If we flew at the same speed as before, it would delay us a lot of time.¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s explanation, Lin Tianyue nodded helplessly, and then she sat cross-legged on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, stabilizing herself with her spiritual power without speaking.


    Each of them stabilized their own postures as the Purple Gold Eagle accelerated greatly, flying northward over numerous mountains and rivers.


    ...


    Time slowly passed by, and several days went by in this manner.


    In a mountain valley on the outskirts of Qianchuan Market, the Purple Gold Eagle descended from the high sky, and Lin Tianming, along with the group, dismounted from its back and gathered together.


    Thanks to the significant increase in the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s flying speed, just a few days of travel had smoothly brought them to the outskirts of Qianchuan Market.


    With a clear route and a smooth journey, no mishaps occurred along the way.


    Atop a quiet hill, Lin Tianming looked up at the edge of the sky where the outlines of a city could be faintly seen and said to the others,


    ¡°The city that can be vaguely seen ahead is our destination, Qianchuan Market. Next, we will proceed with Sword Flight. Remember not to cause any trouble and avoid unnecessary problems.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tian Ming. We all know the rules of the market, we won¡¯t cause any trouble,¡± Lin Xingqi said with a smile.


    Lin Tianming nodded. He had already told them this several times, but he just couldn¡¯t help worrying.


    Seeing that everyone was resolute and their cultivation wasn¡¯t low, and with elders watching over, he said no more and immediately took off into the air, flying towards the entrance of Qianchuan Market.


    Lin Tianyue and the others quickly followed suit, and the six of them shot towards the market entrance.


    As they neared the entrance of the market, there were several cultivators flying by on the road, some in groups, others alone, each hastening on their way.


    Clearly, as the days of the grand market assembly were drawing near, loose cultivators and family-team cultivators alike from the outskirts of Qianchuan Market were all rushing to participate and witness the grandeur of the event.


    Lin Tianming and his group had disguised themselves and were heading towards the market entrance as a team.


    At the entrance, there was already a long line of cultivators waiting to enter the city. When Lin Tianming and his party of six arrived, they immediately attracted a great deal of attention from the other cultivators.


    Their group was too eye-catching. All six members had high cultivation levels, while those in line were all at the Qi Refinement Realm, unable to discern the true cultivation of Lin Tianming¡¯s group.


    But it was certain that they were a family team, presumably comprised of cultivators at least at the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. Under such circumstances, many cultivators were secretly guessing the background of this team.


    Lin Tianming, seeing this, paid no mind and led his group straight past the line of cultivators to the Market City Supervisor who was collecting the entrance fee.


    Now that he was quite wealthy, he didn¡¯t intend to make everyone wait in line. By paying some extra Spirit Stones, they could gain priority entry into the city.


    At that moment, he took out several dozen Spirit Stones and handed them to the collecting officer, exchanging a few words with him through a secret transmission.


    The officer, upon seeing the Spirit Stones and after exchanging a few words with Lin Tianming, instantly brightened up with joy and did not hesitate to let them through.


    After Lin Tianming thanked him, he led the group towards the inner sections of the market, appearing among the shops.


    Upon entering the market, the bustling crowds filled the streets; numerous cultivators moved between the various shops, giving the market a very lively atmosphere.


    Lin Tianyue and Lin Tianqin began to look around eagerly, as if they were impatient to experience all that the shops had to offer.


    Lin Tianming laughed softly to himself, as it was their first visit to Qianchuan Market, and such reactions were normal out of curiosity.


    He recalled his first time visiting Qianchuan Market; he had been no different from them.


    With that thought, he said nothing more and looked at Luoyun Pavilion, which was now so close. He decided not to visit any shops at first, but instead to go directly to the Cave Mansion Courtyard they had rented.


    Having made up his mind, Lin Tianming chuckled and said,


    ¡°After several days of travel, everyone must be tired. Let¡¯s first head to the family¡¯s rented Cave Mansion Courtyard in the market. Tomorrow, Tianfeng can take you all to look around. He has many friends in the market and can help you integrate quickly into this place.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement and followed Lin Tianming¡¯s steps toward the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


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 Chapter 301 - 197 Rumors and Gathering_1

    Chapter 301: Chapter 197 Rumors and Gathering_1


    In the market cave dwelling, the figures of Lin Tianming and a few others appeared.


    Upon hearing that several people had arrived at Qianchuan Market, Lin Xingping and many clan members stopped their cultivation one after another, rushing over from their training rooms or Luoyun Pavilion.


    The clan members simply greeted each other before all gathering in the courtyard to chat idly.


    Lin Tianming and a few others of the Tian generation formed a small group, each sharing the various events of the past two years.


    Lin Xingping and his peers of the Tian generation sat together, discussing the recent developments.


    Having not seen each other for a long while, everyone was in a great mood, with Lin Tianfeng laughing throughout, sharing amusing stories from the market and delighting both Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianyue.


    ...


    In the midst of casual conversation, Lin Tianming also inquired from Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingping about any news, looking to see if, following their journey to the Secret Realm, there had been any reaction from Qianchuan Market, and if they could gather some useful information.


    Since Lin Tianfeng often mingled in various places within Qianchuan Market and was acquainted with many cultivators of different statuses, his information was certainly well-informed.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming was so concerned about this, Lin Tianfeng did not dare to withhold anything, divulging all the news he had learned.


    As expected, during the time in the Secret Realm, many powerful Loose Cultivators took part, and some obtained a great deal of treasures and left unscathed, later spreading the news widely, creating a buzz in the Cultivation World that even the Golden Core Forces couldn¡¯t stop.


    There had also been rumors about the Luoyun Mountain Range a while before, which were quickly discovered by the clanspeople in the market and then reported to the family, hence Lin Tianming and the others were aware of this.


    However, it was unknown who had spread these rumors, nor was it possible to discern their truth, but everything remained calm and so eventually, the matter was forgotten.


    According to Lin Tianfeng, after the journey to the Secret Realm, some significant events that took place there were being circulated in the market, causing quite a stir.


    Among the swirling rumors, two major incidents had become the talk of the town, discussed for a long time.


    The first involved the Zhenyang Sect discovering a Star Moon Fruit Tree, spreading the news to gather a large force of cultivators and Loose Cultivators to besiege a Third Order Tianluan Turtle. After the Third Order Tianluan Turtle perished, several Golden Core Forces vied for the Star Moon Fruit Tree and its nine fruits.


    Following a fierce battle, three of the nine Star Moon Fruits vanished without a trace, the remaining six being divided between the Wei Kingdom and the Golden Core Forces of Huangyang Kingdom.


    Qingyun Valley acquired two Star Moon Fruits, whereas the West River Li Family fared the worst, with Li Wenyi perishing under the onslaught of many cultivators; this resulted in the loss of the Li Family Cultivators¡¯ qualification to vie for the Star Moon Fruits.


    The remaining four Golden Core Forces each secured a Star Moon Fruit, whereas the other three Star Moon Fruits and the inner core of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle were said to be obtained by Loose Cultivators who changed their appearance and went to great lengths to hide their identities, hence no one knew who they were.


    At that point, Lin Tianming chuckled, for what they didn¡¯t realize was that one of the Star Moon Fruits had been obtained by the Lin Family.


    What was even less known was the pivotal role he and Lin Shilu played in the entire siege of the Third Order Tianluan Turtle; otherwise, the West River Li Family wouldn¡¯t have met such a dire fate, and Li Wenyi wouldn¡¯t have perished within the Secret Realm.


    As for the precious Star Moon Fruit Tree, after intense contention, it was acquired by the Zhenyang Sect.


    However, the other Golden Core Forces wouldn¡¯t let it go so easily, and high-ranking members, undoubtedly, would negotiate over this object. As for the ultimate outcome, aside from the Golden Core Forces involved, no one else knew.


    The second significant incident was equally unbelievable: Myriad Medicine Valley, in alliance with Huangyang Kingdom¡¯s Liujin Gate and several other Golden Elixir Forces, jointly attacked the lair of a Third Order Wind Xun Beast, acquiring several Yuqiong Fruits.


    The Yuqiong Fruit, also a Spirit Fruit meant to aid Core Formation, wasn¡¯t far behind the Star Moon Fruit in effectiveness, making it one of the treasures of immense value as well.


    However, they did not have the best of luck, as this Wind Xun Beast was remarkably swift and formidable in its attacks.


    Despite their numerical advantage, killing it was no easy feat. Ultimately, the descendants of the Golden Core Forces had to reveal their trump cards, forcing the Wind Xun Beast to abandon its lair¡¯s Yuqiong Fruits. Only after a hard-fought battle did it manage to escape their siege.


    While the cultivators¡¯ goal was achieved, with each Golden Core Force involved acquiring a Yuqiong Fruit, the fierce battle resulted in nearly half their members perishing, with tremendous losses sustained.


    After Lin Tianfeng finished reporting all the news about these matters, the weight on Lin Tianming¡¯s heart was finally lifted. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Previously he and Lin Shilu, along with a few family higher-ups who were privy to the facts, had been quite worried that their identities would be exposed, attracting the greed of other forces, or even the Golden Core Forces.


    Now it was all good, as it had been over half a year since the incident, and throughout the Wei Kingdom, there had been no talk of any forces or renowned Loose Cultivators being killed. Clearly, the Golden Core Forces were uncertain about the identities of those who obtained the Star Moon Fruits.


    They could not possibly exterminate all Foundation Establishing Families based on baseless speculations; if they really did so, even the Golden Core Forces would become the public enemy of all Loose Cultivators and would have difficulty establishing themselves in the Cultivation World.


    At this point, Lin Tianming heaved a long sigh of relief, then proceeded to tell of his and Lin Shilu¡¯s experiences after leaving the market, including their venture into the Secret Realm.


    Except for the number of Foundation Establishment Pills they crafted from the Star Moon Fruits and White Jade Grass, which was kept secret, he disclosed almost everything else.


    Upon hearing the thrilling tale of the journey to the Secret Realm, aside from Lin Tianyue who was already informed, the other clan members were overwhelmed with shock.


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 Chapter 302 - 197 Rumors and Gathering_2

    Chapter 302: Chapter 197 Rumors and Gathering_2


    Upon learning that the clan had liberalized access to Foundation Establishment Pills and greatly reduced the burdens on the clanspeople, the few Qi Refining Stage Clanspeople staying behind in the market let out a long sigh of relief, their hearts swelling with excitement.


    Their cultivation had reached the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement or Great Perfection Realm, and making a move to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage was to be put on the agenda, allowing them to start making early preparations.


    Overwhelmed with excitement, and finally gathering their spirits, Lin Tianfeng chuckled and turned to Lin Tianming to ask,


    ¡°Little Brother Six, it¡¯s been a long time since we saw each other, and how do I feel that you seem to have become stronger again? Have you possibly broken through to the Third Level of Foundation Establishment?¡±


    ¡°Purely by good fortune, I managed to break through, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianfeng inquire about his cultivation level, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t conceal it, nor did he have anything to hide, and he simply acknowledged the fact.


    ...


    When Lin Tianfeng and the others heard Lin Tianming generously admit this, they were incredibly astonished, secretly thinking, ¡°Is this kid even human? His rate of cultivation is just too fast, and the gap between their cultivation levels is growing larger and larger.¡±


    However, none of them displayed their thoughts, merely teasing him a few times, taking it all as a joke.


    Lin Tianming chuckled and inquired, ¡°Big Brother, returning to the clan this time, you should be starting to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage, right?¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming ask, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression immediately grew solemn as he then said,


    ¡°I have already broken through to the Great Perfection Realm. As long as I have a Foundation Establishment Pill, I would be able to retreat and impact the Foundation Establishment Stage within two years. For this, I have been preparing for a long time. Having been on the cultivation path for over thirty years, I¡¯ve been waiting for this day.¡±


    To this, Lin Tianming had already anticipated.


    While Lin Tianfeng¡¯s talent wasn¡¯t considered outstanding in the clan, it was still quite good, and with his traditionally diligent cultivation practice and frequent participation in the clan¡¯s training, his cultivation was incredibly solid. With the assistance of a Foundation Establishment Pill, the chance of breakthrough would likely not be small.


    Thinking of these things, Lin Tianming said with great confidence, ¡°Big Brother, your cultivation is solid, you¡¯ve participated in many major battles, and your foundation is extremely stable. The probability of breaking through the Foundation Establishment is at least sixty percent, so there¡¯s no need to worry too much.¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s comforting words, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s confidence soared, and his desire to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage grew even more fervent.


    ¡°Haha, then I¡¯ll take the good words of Little Brother Six. With your encouragement, my heart feels much at ease,¡± Lin Tianfeng said with a cupped-fist laugh.


    Lin Tianming nodded and then changed the topic, addressing Lin Tianhong, ¡°Second Brother, with Big Brother working so hard, you must also be close to impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage, right?¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming turn to him, Lin Tianhong responded solemnly,


    ¡°I can¡¯t compare to Big Brother. It was only recently that I broke through to Qi Refining Great Perfection. I¡¯m not yet equipped to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage in the short term. I plan to consolidate for two or three years before considering it. After all, we¡¯re still young. Consolidating for a few years will increase the likelihood of a successful breakthrough when the time comes.¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianhong¡¯s sensible plan, Lin Tianming nodded, inwardly giving his approval.


    Then, Lin Tianming began to inquire about the cultivation realms of Lin Xing Li and the others. Lin Xing Li and his peers were overjoyed, each sharing their own circumstances.


    Before they came to Qianchuan Market, they each were at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refinement. After three years of cultivation, Lin Xingyao¡¯s cultivation had also reached the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, even almost touching the edge of the Great Perfection Realm.


    As for Lin Xingsu and Lin Xing Li, they were currently at the Qi Refining Great Perfection Realm and would only need to calmly prepare for two years, appropriately consolidating their cultivation, to have a not low chance of making a successful breakthrough.


    After listening to their perspectives, Lin Tianming felt he understood the situation quite well, and his heart was filled with satisfaction.


    Given the current state, although no new Foundation Establishment Stage members had appeared in the clan in the past few years, a solid foundation had been laid. Lin Xing Li, Lin Xingsu, Lin Xingcheng, and Lin Xingzhi, these four members of the Xing generation, had preliminarily met the conditions to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Beyond that, among the Tian generation of clanspeople, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong were also at the Qi Refining Great Perfection Realm. In the years ahead, Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianyue, among others from the Tian generation, will also successively reach the Qi Refining Great Perfection Realm and begin to emerge as a large group of seeds ready to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Looking at it now, the various policies and reforms that the clan began a decade ago are about to yield a rich reward.


    At this thought, Lin Tianming¡¯s heart was filled with intense excitement, and he couldn¡¯t help but envision a scene where Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the clan filled the sky.


    Unconsciously, the group of clanspeople engaged in a long exchange, each obtaining a great deal of insight. Through introductions from Lin Tianfeng and the others, Lin Tianyue and her peers came to have a deeper understanding of the basic situation of the market.


    The atmosphere at this moment was excellent, Lin Tianming¡¯s mood was buoyant, and a reassuring smile was constantly on his face.


    Watching the lively scene, Lin Tianming said to Lin Tianfeng with a smile,


    ¡°Big brother, these next few days you take Tianqin and the others around the market to get familiar with the situation at Qianchuan Market and Luoyun Pavilion. When the auction starts, you all can participate together. It¡¯s not easy to come upon such a grand meeting that happens only once every ten years. We must not give up this opportunity.¡±


    Before he had finished speaking, the hearty voice of Lin Tianfeng rang out.


    ¡°Sixth brother, rest assured, the grand market meeting is just a few days away. In these days, I will definitely take Tianqin and the others for a good stroll, and I¡¯ll introduce a few female cultivators to them as well.¡±


    ¡°Then, thank you, big brother.¡± Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianyue said excitedly, expressing their thanks.


    Lin Tianming looked around at everyone and nodded toward Lin Xingping before saying,


    ¡°That¡¯s all for today. Everyone is tired from traveling these past few days. Go back and rest.¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After he finished, Lin Tianfeng left with several clanspeople to select their rooms and prepare to rest, leaving Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping behind without departing.


    After everyone had left, Lin Tianming took out several storage bags he had brought from the family and handed them to Lin Xingping, then inquired about the business situation of the Luoyun Pavilion.


    Lin Xingping took the storage bags and began to report on the business of Luoyun Pavilion.


    After Lin Xingping¡¯s introduction, Lin Tianming basically understood the overall situation of the Luoyun Pavilion for the past two years.


    The business was similar to what it was when he was there, quite stable over the past two years. However, there had been some improvements lately, entirely due to the influence of the grand market meeting.


    Generally speaking, making a few thousand spirit stones in profit each month was hardly difficult. During the time of the market meeting, that could go up to several tens of thousands of spirit stones in a month, but such opportunities were not many.


    Lin Tianming picked up his tea cup and took a sip of spiritual tea before saying with a smile,


    ¡°This is already quite good. Business can¡¯t be booming every day; there are always slow and busy seasons. All of this relies on the strategic operation by Uncle.¡±


    Facing Lin Tianming¡¯s compliment, Lin Xingping waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s the foundation you and Fifteenth Uncle laid down, along with everyone¡¯s efforts, that led to the results today. I¡¯m just doing my duty.¡±


    Then, Lin Xingping changed the subject and said,


    ¡°Tianming, many cultivators have come to Luoyun Pavilion these past few days, all of them loose cultivators looking to request alchemy services. Since you were not around, I did not have Xing Li and the others take on this business. What do you think?¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming chuckled and said,


    ¡°Let Uncle Xing Li handle this matter. Now that Tianqin and I have come to Qianchuan Market, along with Tianhong, the three of us can do the alchemy for about a month, and that won¡¯t leave much left over.¡±


    When Lin Tianming spoke up, Lin Xingping was delighted. With Lin Tianming joining in, the matter would be much easier to handle. Attracting those cultivators commissioning alchemy would not only enhance the reputation of Luoyun Pavilion but would also indirectly boost the shop¡¯s business. Plus, it would allow the alchemists to quickly improve their alchemy skills¡ªit was a win-win-win situation.


    Although the alchemists in the family might be a bit tired, the benefits were plenty and well worth expanding the business for.


    Thinking of this, Lin Xingping excitedly said,


    ¡°Good, I will arrange this matter as soon as possible and before you leave, I will hand over the accounts and profits for the last two years of Luoyun Pavilion to take back to the family.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded in agreement and then invited Lin Xingping to attend the auction together, and they quickly set a date to meet in a few days¡¯ time.


    ¡°Alright, let us call it a day. Tianming, you should rest early, and we will meet again in a few days,¡± said Lin Xingping.


    ¡°Uncle, have a good rest. Tianming takes his leave.¡±


    Lin Tianming cupped his hands towards Lin Xingping, then stood up and walked toward the rooms deeper inside the courtyard.


    Once back in his room, he lay straight down on the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.


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 Chapter 303 - 198 Fake Golden Core Talisman_1

    Chapter 303: Chapter 198 Fake Golden Core Talisman_1


    The next day, Lin Tianming left the Cave Mansion Courtyard and headed towards the market district.


    As the grand gathering at the market drew closer, the streets were bustling with cultivators, and the market¡¯s foot traffic had further increased, noticeably busier than the day before.


    During his expedition to the Secret Realm, his Second Order talismans had all been consumed. Of the few storage bags he had found, he had originally divided three talismans and even given two of those to Lin Tianyue, leaving him with only one Second Order Low Quality Attack Talisman.


    In his storage bag now, apart from Spirit Stones and elixirs, there were hardly any consumable treasures. If he were to encounter a fierce battle, relying solely on his own abilities would require considerable effort.


    Since he had enough Spirit Stones, it was natural to make ample preparations for his own safety. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having made up his mind, he headed straight for the Sky Dragon Pavilion without any hesitation.


    ...


    Before long, he arrived in front of the Sky Dragon Pavilion.


    As he stepped in, a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator came forward to greet him.


    ¡°Is Daoist Tang in?¡±


    ¡°If senior is looking for Daoist Tang, please follow me!¡± the welcoming cultivator replied respectfully and led the way to the second floor, with Lin Tianming following behind.


    The cultivator showed him to a private room, served a pot of Spiritual Tea, and then retreated.


    Lin Tianming had been sitting quietly for a while when a hearty and familiar voice reached his ears.


    ¡°It turns out to be Daoist Chen visiting us, my apologies for the oversight!¡±


    When Lin Tianming saw Tang Xiuyuan coming over, he quickly got up, clasped his fists in greeting, and then said with a smile,


    ¡°Haha¡­ not at all, I am sitting in this private room being served excellent Spiritual Tea, enjoying such leisure and elegance. How could there be any neglect!¡±


    Tang Xiuyuan chuckled, invited Lin Tianming to sit down, and after pouring him a cup of Spiritual Tea, said,


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t mind, Daoist Chen. It¡¯s rare to see you today, and we should definitely take the opportunity to meet up and relieve the longing I¡¯ve been feeling!¡±


    Hearing these insincerely flattering words, Lin Tianming¡¯s hair stood on end, although his expression remained as usual, showing nothing out of the ordinary.


    He took a sip from the teacup and went straight to the point.


    ¡°Here I am. Today I¡¯m looking to purchase some treasures, and I hope Daoist Tang can offer me a good deal!¡±


    ¡°What do you need, Daoist Chen? I will certainly offer you a favorable price!¡± asked Tang Xiuyuan.


    ¡°Either Second Order talismans or other one-time consumable treasures would be fine. I need both Attack Talismans and Defense Talismans, the higher the grade the better!¡±


    ¡°Besides that, there¡¯s also the Autumn Leaf Grass and Xing Luan Fruit that I asked you to look out for, the more the better!¡±


    Hearing this, Tang Xiuyuan¡¯s complexion lit up with joy, deducing from Lin Tianming¡¯s tone that a big business deal was coming.


    He suppressed the joy in his heart and said, ¡°Please wait a moment, Daoist Chen. I¡¯ll prepare the Autumn Leaf Grass and Xing Luan Fruit for you, and I¡¯ll bring out a precious treasure that will surely not disappoint!¡±


    With that, Tang Xiuyuan left the private room.


    Lin Tianming sat and drank his tea, his face full of anticipation.


    Less than the time it takes to drink a pot of tea, Tang Xiuyuan returned to the private room, carrying a storage bag with unknown contents.


    Tang Xiuyuan chuckled and then took out over a dozen stems of Autumn Leaf Grass and eight Xing Luan Fruits, placing them on the stone table in the mountain retreat.


    He then brought out more than twenty Second Order talismans, including several High Quality Attack Talismans; the rest were Medium Quality Talismans, and among them were some Defense Talismans, with even two Second Order Medium Quality Talismans present.


    Looking at the more than twenty Second Order talismans, all of which were rare and valuable, Lin Tianming was very satisfied, but he didn¡¯t show any particular reaction.


    Lin Tianming carefully examined the High Quality Attack Talismans he held in his hand and then asked,


    ¡°What are the prices for these talismans and Spiritual Medicine Materials?¡±


    Tang Xiuyuan chuckled and then announced the prices, which were almost the same as those from previous purchases.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming nodded. These were higher grade talismans, usually hard to come by, and since they were available, he naturally wanted to purchase some for potential emergencies.


    Having made up his mind, he began to discuss the types and quantities of talismans he wanted.


    ¡°Daoist Tang, I¡¯ll take all these Spirit Grasses. I want three Superior Attack Talismans, three Medium Quality Talismans, and all of the Defense Talismans!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s request to buy eleven Second Order talismans in one go, including five Superior Attack Talismans, Tang Xiuyuan was ecstatic.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Tang Xiuyuan to calculate that the eleven Second Order talismans Lin Tianming wanted were worth nearly twenty thousand Spirit Stones, truly a significant transaction.


    Lin Tianming was evidently willing to spend Spirit Stones, clearly intending to diversify his offensive methods as much as possible.


    Lin Tianming toyed with several High Quality Talismans and, remembering Tang Xiuyuan¡¯s previous mention of a precious treasure, asked,


    ¡°Daoist Tang, may I know what the precious treasure you spoke of is?¡±


    Daoist Tang chuckled, promptly took out a grey talisman from the storage bag, and handed it to Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming took the grey talisman and examined it carefully, revealing a pensive expression.


    The grey talisman was surrounded by Spiritual Power, occasionally devouring the faint Spiritual Energy around it. Its surface color was somewhat dull, giving it a peculiar feeling.


    After a moment, he tentatively asked, ¡°Could this be a Golden Core Talisman? Yet it doesn¡¯t quite seem like it.¡±


    Tang Xiuyuan smiled ambiguously, remained silent for a moment, and then answered, ¡°Daoist Chen has a discerning eye indeed. This is indeed a Golden Core Talisman.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming was astonished and was just about to speak when Daoist Tang continued, ¡°However, strictly speaking, this talisman cannot be considered a true Golden Core Talisman, since the attack sealed within it does not reach the level of Golden Elixir Experts. It can only be seen as a semi-finished product, also known as a Fake Golden Core Talisman.¡±


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 Chapter 304 - 198 Fake Golden Core Talisman_2

    Chapter 304: Chapter 198 Fake Golden Core Talisman_2


    With Tang Xiuyuan¡¯s explanation, Lin Tianming, puzzled, asked, ¡°Daoist Tang, why is this so? Can Golden Core Talismans also have incomplete products?¡±


    Tang Xiuyuan smiled and then began to narrate the origin of the Golden Core Talisman.


    ¡°This talisman is condensed by a Fake Core Cultivator, whose effects are significantly less than those of a true Golden Core Cultivator, but it¡¯s much more powerful than the attacks of a common Great Perfection Cultivator. Compared to a Second Order Superior Attack Talisman, this one is incomparable.¡±


    ¡°Fake Core Cultivators are those who have failed to break through to the Golden Core Realm. They have condensed a Golden Core but failed to withstand the Threefold Golden Elixir Thunder Tribulation. Nevertheless, the True Essence Spiritual Power inside their bodies has already been formed, maintaining a Fake Elixir Realm. Their strength lies somewhere between that of a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator and a Golden Core Cultivator,¡± he explained.


    ¡°As for this Fake Golden Core Talisman, it is a concentration of the Fake Core Cultivator after they passed on. Although its effects cannot surpass a true Golden Core Talisman, its power should certainly not be underestimated.¡±


    Once Tang Xiuyuan finished speaking, Lin Tianming completely understood the origins of the talisman and then said:


    ...


    ¡°Daoist Tang indeed has broad vision. In this light, it¡¯s no wonder you¡¯re willing to part with this talisman. If it were a complete Golden Core Talisman, I¡¯m afraid your pavilion wouldn¡¯t sell it at all.¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ That goes without saying. If it were a real Golden Core Talisman, even we, the Sky Dragon Pavilion, or any Golden Elixir Forces, wouldn¡¯t easily part with it,¡± Tang Xiuyuan said with a smile.


    Lin Tianming nodded, then asked, ¡°So, at what price is this Fake Golden Core Talisman being sold?¡±


    ¡°Since Daoist Chen has asked, I won¡¯t ask for too much¡ªthirteen thousand Spirit Stones for you,¡± Tang Xiuyuan said.


    ¡°Thirteen thousand Spirit Stones?¡± Lin Tianming exclaimed in surprise.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s astonished expression, Tang Xiuyuan¡¯s face changed slightly, then he said:


    ¡°This is a Fake Golden Core Talisman, after all, not something that a Second Order Superior Attack Talisman can compare with. At an auction, this item could easily go for more than fifteen thousand Spirit Stones. I¡¯m giving you this low price because I feel a sense of kinship with Daoist Chen.¡±


    Thinking it over carefully, Lin Tianming then felt reassured.


    While the price of this Fake Golden Core Talisman could compare to more than four Second Order Superior Attack Talismans, those talismans could at best injure a Foundation Establishment Late-Stage Cultivator and would struggle to directly kill one. However, even an incomplete Golden Core Talisman could unexpectedly kill a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator.


    With such a comparison, spending thirteen thousand Spirit Stones for such a deadly weapon was certainly not a loss.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming promptly took out thirty-five thousand Spirit Stones and handed them to Tang Xiuyuan, signaling he would buy the Fake Golden Core Talisman along with the Spiritual Medicine Materials and Second Order Talismans.


    Tang Xiuyuan received the hefty amount of Spirit Stones, verified the quantity, and then looked surprised.


    He didn¡¯t expect Lin Tianming to be so decisive and affluent. He wondered whether Lin Tianming was a core disciple of some Golden Elixir Force or a direct heir of a prominent Foundation Establishing Family.


    Unfortunately, Lin Tianming did not reveal any information from beginning to end, nor did he expose any cultivation or secrets, leaving Tang Xiuyuan rather helpless.


    Returning to his senses, Tang Xiuyuan handed over the Fake Golden Core Talisman and all other talismans and spiritual medicines to Lin Tianming. The transaction was complete¡ªLin Tianming acquired a large number of talismans, and Tang Xiuyuan sold treasures for a substantial amount of Spirit Stones.


    At this point, Lin Tianming, despite having spent over thirty thousand Spirit Stones, did not feel any pain at the cost.


    He was now exceedingly wealthy, having received fifty thousand Spirit Stones for advancing the White Jade Grass purchase for his family. Before coming to Qianchuan Market, he had collected that sum, and together with several storage bags from the Secret Realm, his personal Spirit Stone tally had increased by more than sixty thousand. In total, he had over a hundred twenty thousand Spirit Stones.


    In addition to that, he had many treasures. The Foundation Establishment Pill Spiritual Medicine Materials stored by his family were, strictly speaking, his personal possessions; he wasn¡¯t short on Spirit Stones for the time being.


    Gathering his thoughts, while chatting casually, Lin Tianming then inquired, ¡°Daoist Tang, does your shop also have any Second Order Alchemy Furnaces for sale? The higher the quality, the better.¡±


    ¡°Second Order Alchemy Furnace?¡± Tang Xiuyuan pondered.


    After a short while, he replied, ¡°Second Order Pill Furnaces are not easy to find. Even in our Sky Dragon Pavilion, they are rare. We only have two Second Order Inferior Grade Alchemy Furnaces, which I¡¯m afraid might not meet Daoist Chen¡¯s standards.¡±


    At this, Lin Tianming was somewhat disappointed.


    He still relied on the Four Symbols Furnace, a First Order Superior Grade Pill Furnace, for alchemy. It could barely be used to concoct Second Order Inferior Grade Pills, but its pill formation rate and yield were impacted. As his alchemy skills improved, the Four Symbols Furnace no longer met his needs.


    Second Order Pill Furnaces were hard to acquire. A furnace of the same grade was worth at least several times more than a magic artifact of equivalent grade, especially those of Second Order Medium Quality or above, which were even rarer and more precious.


    However, he didn¡¯t think much of Second Order Inferior Grade Pill Furnaces¡ªif he bought one, it would only be a matter of a decade or so before it ceased to satisfy his needs.


    Previously when he concocted Foundation Establishment Pills, he had borrowed his grandfather¡¯s Three Star Furnace; otherwise, the pill formation rate and yield would have been even lower. His grandfather had even suggested that he use the Three Star Furnace himself, an offer he directly declined.


    Under these circumstances, he would need at least a Second Order Medium Quality Pill Furnace to last him a few decades; so that he wouldn¡¯t need to search for a new furnace before entering the Golden Core Stage.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s slightly disappointed expression, Tang Xiuyuan suddenly thought of something and then spoke up: S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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 Chapter 305 - 198 Fake Golden Core Talisman_3

    Chapter 305: Chapter 198 Fake Golden Core Talisman_3


    ¡°Daoist Chen, there¡¯s no need to be disheartened,¡± Lin Tianming said. ¡°To my knowledge, in a few days at the auction, there will be a Second Order Medium Grade Pill Furnace up for bid. You might try your luck there. With your financial resources, it should not be too difficult to secure the item.¡±


    Hearing this news, Lin Tianming¡¯s face lit up with joy. He hadn¡¯t expected Tang Xiuyuan to be privy to such information, much less to share such favorable news with him.


    However, considering the terrifying background of Sky Dragon Pavilion, it wasn¡¯t strange for them to know such information. After all, at the Luoyun Market auction, local powers with some strength generally had access to the list of key auction items before the event, and this unspoken rule was equally applicable to the larger Qianchuan Market.


    Regaining his composure, Lin Tianming cupped his hands and bowed to Tang Xiuyuan, ¡°I thank Daoist Tang. I have reaped much today and won¡¯t stay long. I shall come to visit you at the pavilion another day.¡±


    ¡°Farewell.¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having expressed his intentions to leave, Tang Xiuyuan also stood up and returned the gesture, cupping his hands and bowing. He then watched Lin Tianming leave the Luoyun Pavilion and disappear into the bustling crowd.


    ...


    Upon leaving Sky Dragon Pavilion, Lin Tianming stood on the bluestone-paved street and observed the cultivators coming and going, lost in thought.


    Having frequented the market, he knew that every time there was a gathering, the vending area would be bustling with popularity.


    Even though the peddling cultivators had lower cultivation levels and their treasures weren¡¯t considered remarkable by his current standards, they weren¡¯t entirely useless. With some luck, he could find overlooked treasures, although the chances were slim.


    However, since the auction wouldn¡¯t start for a few days, and he was idle anyway, he thought a quick stroll wouldn¡¯t take much time.


    Making up his mind, Lin Tianming followed the crowd and headed towards the vending area¡¯s plaza.


    In less than half an hour, he arrived at the vending plaza and stood at its edge.


    Looking out, he saw that the numerous stalls were already crowded with people, and the noisy flow of individuals, mixed with a few shouts from Qi Refining Cultivators, resembled a worldly marketplace.


    He glanced over the vending area and then walked in a particular direction, soon arriving at a cultivator¡¯s stall.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming approach, the sitting cultivator immediately stood up and enthusiastically introduced the herbs and ores laid out in front of him.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t speak and scanned the beast skin that displayed various Spiritual Medicine Materials and ores, showing a look of disappointment.


    While the displayed items might be considered decent for Qi Refining Cultivators, they were quite ordinary and even somewhat unnecessary to someone with high standards like himself.


    Nevertheless, out of respect for the eager Qi Refining Cultivator¡¯s enthusiasm, he spent several dozen Spirit Stones and bought a few herbs that he could use.


    After paying the Spirit Stones, he collected the Spiritual Medicine Materials and, under the grateful gaze of the vendor, headed deeper into the vending area.


    In less than half an hour, as he wandered around, he had already covered a large part of the vending area.


    During this time, he bought some Spiritual Medicine Materials and a few pieces of Beast Skin, intending to give the latter to Lin Tianyue for Talisman Making, and keeping the former for his own use.


    Beyond that, he didn¡¯t come across anything exceptional. Common items were not in short supply for him, but he wasn¡¯t surprised. One couldn¡¯t always be lucky, nor could one expect to encounter great finds every time.


    He stood at the edge of the vending area and sighed. Glancing at the scorching sun in the sky, he headed back to his Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he returned to the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Only Lin Xingyao was on duty at the courtyard; Lin Xingping was cultivating, and the other clan members had been taken out by Lin Tianfeng to enjoy themselves.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries with the on-duty Lin Xingyao, he planned to refine a portion of the Spiritual Medicine Materials collected from the Luoyun Market as soon as possible, so that after the auction ended, they could quickly return to the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory.


    Resolved, he went straight into the Pill Refining Room.


    Sitting in the Pill Refining Room, he looked at the hundreds of portions of Spiritual Medicine Materials, most of which were First Order, with only a small fraction tailored for Second Order Pills.


    He habitually exercised his cultivation to regulate his breathing and peak his condition. After making a series of preparations, he started with the more challenging types of materials to refine, leaving the simpler ones to Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianhong.


    Before long, the Earth Fire was burning in the Pill Refining Room, and batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials were being broken down and purified.


    With practiced ease, a distinct fragrance of elixirs emerged from the Four Symbols Furnace every few half-days, and pill after pill was thus created.


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 Chapter 306 - 199: The Lin Familys Name_1

    Chapter 306: Chapter 199: The Lin Family¡¯s Name_1


    Several days later, the market auction was held as scheduled.


    At this time, Qianchuan Market was bustling with activity, its foot traffic more than doubling the usual amount.


    On this day, Lin Tianming emerged from seclusion, and together with Lin Xingping, led a mighty procession of clan members out of the cave dwelling, towards the location of the auction.


    Their group was grand in scale, and the subtle aura emanating from Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping caught the attention of many cultivators.


    Some Qi Refining Cultivators who were acquainted with the group greeted Lin Tianfeng and others warmly; Lin Tianfeng responded with equal courtesy, surprising many Loose Cultivators with his grace.


    It wasn¡¯t until they disappeared into the crowd that some unfamiliar Loose Cultivators began to inquire about their origin and background with the surrounding cultivators.


    ... S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A cultivator who had just greeted Lin Tianfeng chuckled and then, with a look of surprise, said:


    ¡°Friend, have you been in seclusion for so long or have you not visited Qianchuan Market for over a decade to not have heard the name of the Lin Family from the Luoyun Mountain Range?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the inquiring cultivator showed an embarrassed expression and then spoke up:


    ¡°I am Feng Meng, I haven¡¯t been to Qianchuan Market in a long time. I¡¯ve been active near Liuyun Market, so I¡¯m out of the loop!¡±


    ¡°Can it be the same Lin Family from Green Bamboo Mountain that rose like a comet over ten years ago?¡±


    Before the question was finished, a Qi Refining Cultivator with a reverent look and tone said, ¡°That¡¯s precisely the Lin Family that Daoist Feng mentioned!¡±


    Hearing this, Feng Meng suddenly realized and remembered how, ten years ago, the Lin Family had quietly risen, uprooting the once-dominant Jin Family and revealing their collective strength.


    Furthermore, the Luoyun Pavilion had gained a considerable reputation in the market over the years, selling treasures that were both fine and inexpensive, and helping cultivators with alchemy, accumulating a vast amount of popularity and goodwill.


    With Lin Tianfeng being adept at networking and having made many cultivator acquaintances over the years, the reputation of the Luoyun Pavilion had spread far and wide, making the Lin Family behind it well-known and further expanding their influence.


    Aside from Feng Meng, other Loose Cultivators who were unaware of the Lin Family¡¯s details also showed expressions of awe and began inquiring about the various deeds of the Lin Family with the cultivators beside them.


    Informed cultivators also took delight in recounting the various deeds and rumors of the Lin Family, further dispersing their influence.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming and his party had long since walked away, utterly unaware of these discussions.


    The group walked along the Bluestone Street. Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianyue chattered incessantly, while Lin Tianfeng patiently introduced the various aspects of the market to the two golden flowers of the family.


    Lin Tianming chatted idly with Lin Xingping, leading the clan members through the crowd towards the auction.


    Soon, they arrived at the square in front of the auction house.


    At that moment, a large number of cultivators were standing in a long queue, orderly handing over Spirit Stones before being allowed passage by the Market City Supervisor.


    Lin Tianming and the others bypassed the line and headed towards the interior.


    Upon reaching the Market City Supervisor, Lin Xingping immediately took out the Luoyun Pavilion¡¯s shop Token and handed it to him.


    Upon seeing the Luoyun Pavilion Token, the Market City Supervisor¡¯s expression changed instantly, and he respectfully said:


    ¡°So it is the Elders from the Lin Family. I am Song Yunzhi, Uncle Li¡¯s junior. He has instructed that if Daoists from the Lin Family come to participate in the auction, they should be allowed to pass directly, and two VIP rooms shall be arranged for the Lin Elders!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming chuckled, appreciating the gesture from Li Xiuyuan, acknowledging that even though arranging two VIP rooms did not cost much in terms of Spirit Stones, for someone of his stature to extend such a courtesy meant a great deal.


    However, they could not blatantly disregard the rules and cause Li Xiuyuan to be the subject of gossip.


    With that in mind, he quickly took out two hundred Spirit Stones and handed them to Song Yunzhi, then said:


    ¡°Li is too courteous. I accept his kindness on behalf of the Lin Family, but the market¡¯s order must not be broken. These Spirit Stones will reserve two VIP rooms, and the rest is for you, young friend Song, and your fellow disciples, to buy some Spiritual Wine. After the auction is over, I will treat Li to a drink of Spiritual Wine.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ In that case, I thank Elder Lin on behalf of my juniors!¡±


    Song Yunzhi nodded, expressed his thanks with a cupped fist salute, and then respectfully accepted the Spirit Stones, instructing two Qi Refining female cultivators at the Third Level to lead the way.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming laughed heartily and said:


    ¡°Good¡­ You young friends should often visit the Luoyun Pavilion and share some cultivation insights with our younger generation!¡±


    ¡°I have already met Daoist Tianfeng and will certainly visit at a later date!¡± replied Song Yunzhi.


    After the conversation, Lin Tianming nodded and led the clan members, following the Qi Refining female cultivators into the inner part of the auction.


    As they left, the cultivators in line started whispering among themselves, many showing envious expressions.


    In the Cultivation World, this is the display of strength. For those formidable Foundation Establishing Families or long-established cultivators, even those with Golden Core Strength would not ignore them.


    While the market has rules, many conveniences are offered to attract those powerful Foundation Establishing Families, and such matters are an open secret.


    In the grand hall on the first floor of the auction, after instructing Lin Tianfeng on a few matters, Lin Tianming alongside Lin Xingping went straight to the second floor and finally entered one of the VIP rooms.


    Both settled into their seats, and the guiding female cultivators respectfully stood by the entrance.


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 Chapter 307 - 199: The Name of Lin Family_2

    Chapter 307: Chapter 199: The Name of Lin Family_2


    As there was still some time before the auction started, Lin Shilu took out the Spiritual Tea, and the two of them chatted idly while drinking tea.


    At this moment, the main hall of the auction house filled with the sound of a bustling crowd, and the two shifted their gaze toward the noise.


    Looking around, the seats in the public area were already filled with a majority of cultivators; some of them were dressed in odd and unusual clothes, and did not seem to be from Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World.


    Apart from that, the cultivators¡¯ levels of cultivation varied greatly, with some above the Seventh Level of Foundation Establishment, and a few whose aura was chaotic, as if they had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage and had not yet consolidated their cultivation.


    Seeing the variety of attire and exchanging information with other cultivators, Lin Tianming and his companion exchanged smiles, discussing the state of the cultivation world in various countries.


    A quarter of an hour later, as the seats in the auction house were filled, an elder emerged from behind the curtain; it was Xue Chong, who had previously hosted the auction, and he made his way to the central stage while greeting the attendees with folded hands.


    ...


    With the elder¡¯s appearance, the noisy atmosphere gradually calmed down, and occasionally, a few cultivators greeted Xue Chong.


    Xue Chong¡¯s expression was serene, and a smile was ever-present on his face. He bowed to the hundred or so cultivators below and the private rooms around before speaking:


    ¡°I, Xue Chong, am honored to host today¡¯s Foundation Establishment Area auction. Many of you are familiar faces, and a lot have attended auctions multiple times. As for the rules, I believe there¡¯s no need to repeat them, as you all know them well!¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ The treasures this time are all rare and unprecedented; many fellow cultivators can hardly wait any longer, so let¡¯s get straight to the point. Let us begin the auction with the first item.¡±


    After he spoke, an elder¡¯s hand revealed a fiery red talisman paper, surrounded by dazzling Spiritual Light, looking quite powerful.


    ¡°One Second Order Medium Quality Defense Talisman for the starting bid of one thousand Spirit Stones, with each bid increment not less than twenty Spirit Stones.¡±


    No sooner had his voice fallen, a few cultivators immediately started bidding, all of them being at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment or below.


    ¡°One thousand and fifty Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°One thousand and eighty Spirit Stones!¡±


    The first item for auction was a Second Order Medium Quality Defense Talisman; a Medium Grade Defense Talisman was quite valuable and not easy to come by. In the Qianchuan Market, only some large stores had them, and the prices were not low.


    As the opening item of the auction, the prices continued to climb, indicating the significance the auctioneers placed on this sale.


    While Lin Tianming and his partner chatted in their private room, they observed the fiery bidding below. Lin Tianming had plenty of Second Order Talismans on him, and even more so, he had as many as five Defense Talismans, which were enough for a while, so he had no intention of bidding. Lin Xingping, on the other hand, seemed to be considering making a bid.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming chuckled and said to Lin Xingping:


    ¡°Uncle, Medium Quality Defense Talismans are rare, and the power of this talisman seems impressive. It looks like the cultivator who made this talisman is quite skilled. If you like it, don¡¯t let the chance slip by!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, let¡¯s see how it goes first ¨C if the price is right, I might just make a bid¡­¡± Lin Xingping replied.


    Just then, the price of the Second Order Medium Quality Defense Talisman had reached one thousand three hundred and twenty Spirit Stones.


    Such a price had already surpassed the value of a typical Second Order Medium Quality Defense Talisman, and the number of cultivators below still bidding was dwindling, with only two remaining persistent.


    Seeing the two bidders hesitating, Lin Xingping made his first bid.


    ¡°One thousand three hundred and eighty Spirit Stones!¡±


    With Lin Xingping significantly raising the price, the cultivators who had been bidding seemed to give up on continuing their bids.


    After a few breaths with no further bids, Xue Chong announced the first item sold on the spot.


    Lin Xingping prepared the Spirit Stones, completed the transaction with Xue Chong through a barrier, and both parties obtained the Spirit Stones and the item.


    The first treasure sold for a high price, satisfying Lin Xingping, while Xue Chong continued to preside over the auction.


    ¡°The second treasure, a Second Order Spirit Material Mature Millet Seed Tree, an excellent material for Artifact Refining. The starting bid is three hundred and fifty Spirit Stones, with each bid increment not less than ten Spirit Stones.¡±


    The first item had whipped up enthusiasm, and although the second was somewhat less exciting, there were still many cultivators bidding fiercely.


    ¡°Three hundred and seventy Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡­


    The cultivators below continued their intense bidding, and neither Lin Tianming nor Lin Xingping, who weren¡¯t into Artifact Refining, had any intention of bidding. They drank their Spiritual Tea as mere spectators, thoroughly enjoying themselves.


    The second treasure was acquired by a cultivator at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment for five hundred and forty Spirit Stones.


    The heated auction continued and, in the blink of an eye, it was time for the last ten showstopping items.


    After auctioning off hundreds of treasures, nearly all Second Order Spiritual Items, there were plenty of Spiritual Medicine Materials, various Spirit Ore Materials, and numerous Demonic Beast bodies.


    During this period, Lin Tianming spent more than three thousand spirit stones to purchase a few stalks of Spiritual Medicine Materials, all rare and precious varieties.


    Besides, Lin Shilu was busy with his cultivation and had no time to attend the auction; he specifically bid on two fist-sized pieces of Obsidian Iron to prepare for gifting Lin Shilu for Artifact Refining.


    After all, the elder had been very generous to him, going all out to forge the Earth Evil Sword and Tiangang Sword for him, and had repaired his Magic Artifacts many times, not to mention how many cherished treasures he had spent on his behalf.


    Now that such an opportunity had arisen, he naturally wanted to express his gratitude.


    Lin Xingping also made several bids, acquiring some fairly good treasures to further strengthen his power.


    As the auction of ordinary items concluded, everyone¡¯s anticipation grew for the climactic final items.


    After a brief rest, Xue Chong took out a Jade Box again and opened it.


    Inside the Jade Box held by Xue Chong lay a fist-sized Spirit Fruit, the whole fruit appearing translucent and emitting an enticing fragrance.


    It was yet another Flame Fruit; previously, he had successfully bid for one at a high price of two thousand one hundred spirit stones.


    The effect of the Flame Fruit was notable, and he had been longing for it ever since; unexpectedly, another one appeared as the finale of this auction.


    However, only one Flame Fruit could be consumed, and the effect was greatly diminished with repeated use, which was truly a pity.


    As he was momentarily lost in thought, many cultivators in the auction hall had flushed faces, their breathing suddenly quickened.


    The Flame Fruit held little allure for those cultivators who had already consumed it, but more than ninety percent of the cultivators, including Lin Xingping, were drooling over it.


    As expected, as soon as Xue Chong announced the starting bid, more than ten cultivators immediately began a heated competition, and after a dozen rounds of bidding, the price of the Flame Fruit had already risen to more than one thousand six hundred spirit stones and was still climbing.


    At this point, Lin Xingping was resolute, having made up his mind to obtain the fruit, he joined the bidding straight away.


    ¡°One thousand seven hundred twenty spirit stones!¡±


    He raised the bid by one hundred spirit stones in one go, leading many cultivators to secretly speculate.


    Even so, there were still several cultivators who were not ready to give up easily; after all, the Flame Fruit was quite rare, hardly seen in ordinary times, and it was only during market gatherings that it might appear. Missing this opportunity meant waiting several years.


    ¡°One thousand six hundred fifty spirit stones!¡±


    ¡°One thousand seven hundred spirit stones!¡±


    ¡­


    The price continued to rise; after several more rounds of bidding, the Flame Fruit¡¯s price had reached over one thousand nine hundred spirit stones and was about to break the two-thousand-mark barrier.


    By then, with such a price, most cultivators had decided to give up on further bidding.


    Lin Xingping seemed hell-bent on winning; as soon as the last bid was called, he was the first to call out his bid, raising the price by dozens of spirit stones each time, suppressing those cultivators who were still hesitant.


    ¡°Two thousand three hundred fifty spirit stones!¡±


    After three rounds of bidding, once he called out the price, the remaining two competing cultivators did not raise their bids any further.


    As five breaths of time passed with no further bids, Xue Chong bowed toward the VIP room where Lin Tianming was, and then announced the result of the auction.


    Upon hearing Xue Chong¡¯s announcement of the successful bid, Lin Xingping let out a long sigh of relief. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Surprised and delighted, he quickly took out two thousand three hundred fifty spirit stones and completed the transaction with Xue Chong across the restrictive barrier.


    In the VIP room, Lin Xingping was excited, holding the blood-red Flame Fruit and admiring it lovingly.


    The first finale treasure sold for the high price of two thousand three hundred fifty spirit stones, much to the thrill of all the cultivators present.


    This price was more than two hundred spirit stones higher than when Lin Tianming bid for the Flame Fruit, showing that the same treasure sold for a higher price at large gatherings than at smaller ones.


    However, Lin Xingping didn¡¯t mind in the least¡ªhe was willing to pay more if necessary, as treasures were serendipitous; once missed, who knows how long it would be till the next opportunity.


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 Chapter 308 - 200 Blueflame Furnace_1

    Chapter 308: Chapter 200 Blueflame Furnace_1


    ¡°`


    The first star item was successfully auctioned, snapped up by Lin Xingping through spirited bidding at a high price, igniting the atmosphere of the auction hall.


    In the center of the auction, Xue Chong looked around at the excited crowd with a satisfied smile, continuing to preside over the proceedings.


    He waved his hand for silence; as the room¡¯s excitement calmed down, he promptly brought out the second star item.


    Looking over, he revealed a silver-white Spirit Ruler in his hand about two-feet long, its surface covered with dense, golden runes, an impressively Second Order Lower Quality Attack Talisman.


    Many cultivators¡¯ eyes lit up with avid spiritual light at the sight of the glittering small ruler.


    ...


    Although the attack treasures of Lin Tianming and his companion were numerous and the power of the Spirit Ruler was not weak, they were not keen on wasting Spirit Stones.


    However, many Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivators in the audience, still utilizing First Order Spiritual Tools against their enemies, burst into fierce bidding the moment Xue Chong announced the starting price.


    ¡°Five thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°I bid five thousand four hundred Spirit Stones,¡± shouted a cultivator rising from the crowd.


    ¡­


    Lin Tianming and his companion sat in the VIP room, observing the intense bidding below as they chatted leisurely over tea, waiting for the dust to settle on this item.


    A teatime later, the small ruler was bought by a Third Level of Foundation Establishment cultivator for four thousand four hundred Spirit Stones.


    With the second star item settled, the third item was taken out by Xue Chong, yet another piece the pair showed no interest in.


    They still had no intention of bidding, quietly waiting for the remaining star auction items.


    Time gradually passed, and soon an hour went by.


    In this period, five star items had been consecutively auctioned off, each fetching a high price. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the time of the fifth item, Lin Tianming finally took action, expending over nine thousand Spirit Stones to win a fierce competition for a Third Order Spirit Ore Red Copper Crystal as a filial gift for Lin Shilu.


    Red Copper Crystal is a high-quality material used in Artifact Refining, able to greatly enhance the toughness and power of magical instruments; even some Golden Elixir Experts¡¯ Magical Treasures incorporate this material. Among Third Order Spiritual Ores, it is considered top-notch.


    In the VIP room, Lin Tianming, holding the red stone, imagining the scene where he would present the Black Meteoric Iron and Red Copper Crystal to Lin Shilu, couldn¡¯t help but show an excited expression on his face.


    The auction continued, with Lin Tianming and his companion in the VIP room looking on expectantly.


    Before they knew it, it was nearing the end of the auction. The first eight items featured many rarely seen treasures: Hun Tian Pill, Second Order Medium Quality Offensive Magical Instruments, Three Sessions Spiritual Medicine Materials¡ªeach commanded a high price.


    Now, the atmosphere in the venue was boiling with anticipation, with only the last two star items left to be auctioned.


    The final two star items have always been the most precious, and each time they met with bids that reached astronomical prices.


    All the cultivators in attendance fixed their eyes on Xue Chong, their expressions filled with eager anticipation. Many who did not have the means to participate in the bidding felt just witnessing such a spectacle was worth their while.


    In the center of the auction, Xue Chong chuckled and then placed a little cauldron that was red and blue in color in his palm.


    As soon as the small cauldron appeared, it immediately elicited gasps from the cultivators in attendance, drawing Lin Tianming back to reality from his reverie.


    Gazing at it, the small, palm-sized, red and blue cauldron was extremely delicate, covered with dense runes, and was clearly a Second Order Medium Grade Alchemy Furnace.


    Xue Chong struck it with a Law Decree, and the little cauldron instantly shone with Spiritual Light, then began to enlarge until it was the size of a table before it stopped growing.


    Looking at the exquisite little cauldron, Xue Chong¡¯s expression turned eager as he reluctantly shifted his gaze from it to the cultivators in front and began to introduce the item.


    ¡°This furnace is named the Blueflame Furnace, Second Order Medium Quality, capable of significantly increasing pill-concocting success rates and pill quantities. It¡¯s a rare treasure; fellow daoists who practice Alchemy shouldn¡¯t miss it,¡± explained Xue Chong.


    Even Second Order Medium Quality Magical Instruments were rarely seen, let alone a Second Order Medium Grade Pill Furnace, which was extremely rare. Many well-known Second Order Medium Grade Alchemists, and even High Quality Alchemists, often use Lower Order Alchemy Furnaces.


    And a Second Order Superior Alchemy Furnace is so valuable that it¡¯s almost always a hereditary treasure, almost never auctioned. Amongst the circulating pill furnaces within Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, a Second Order Medium Grade Pill Furnace was already the best available.


    Furthermore, there were plenty of Alchemists in the Cultivation World, but good Alchemy Furnaces were scarce.


    One could say a Second Order Medium Grade Pill Furnace was in high demand within the entire Wei Kingdom Cultivation World, always sparking fierce competition whenever it became available.


    ¡°Brother Xue, what¡¯s the starting price? Stop beating around the bush,¡± an impatient cultivator called out, pressing for an answer.


    ¡°Hehe¡­ The Blueflame Furnace will start at thirty-three thousand Spirit Stones, and each bid must be at least one hundred Spirit Stones higher,¡± Xue Chong detailed.


    Before his words fell, numerous bids were already being called from several VIP rooms, heating up the scene instantly. Many cultivators breathed rapidly, ready for an intense bidding war.


    Lin Tianming, equally thrilled, sighed in relief when he saw the Blueflame Furnace featured as the ninth star item. He had been tipped off by Tang Xiuyuan back at the Sky Dragon Pavilion and, now that he had personally witnessed it, began to prepare himself resolutely to win it.


    While he was contemplating, the bidding for the Blueflame Furnace had already gone through several rounds, shooting up to thirty-seven thousand Spirit Stones, with numerous cultivators on stand-by, ready to jump into the fray.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 309 - 200 Blueflame Furnace_2

    Chapter 309: Chapter 200 Blueflame Furnace_2


    After several more rounds of bidding, a voice from a VIP room called out a price of 41,000 spirit stones, pushing the atmosphere in the hall to a climax.


    Inside the VIP room, Lin Xingping was so shocked that he could hardly take it anymore. The price of the Blueflame Furnace had already reached the amount required to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill, with more than 10,000 spirit stones to spare, and it was still increasing.


    Seeing the cultivators in these VIP rooms bid so ferociously, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue, thinking that these people really didn¡¯t consider spirit stones as anything important.


    But after thinking about it, it wasn¡¯t surprising. A Second Order Low Quality Magic Artifact cost several thousand spirit stones, and a Second Order Medium Quality artifact went for over ten thousand. Considering that pill furnaces have always been rare and precious, and that they are valued several times higher than attack artifacts of the same grade, it was not strange that a Second Order Medium Grade pill furnace would fetch tens of thousands of spirit stones.


    True to expectations, there were still over a dozen VIP rooms persisting in the bidding war, clearly not willing to give up easily.


    Lin Tianming wasn¡¯t planning to just watch the fun unfold. The moment the previous VIP room announced their price, he called out a bid of 46,000 spirit stones.


    ...


    Hearing the price from Lin Tianming¡¯s VIP room, which increased by 3,000 spirit stones in one go, many cultivators were immediately stunned.


    At this moment, Lin Xingping was again shocked beyond belief. He had already spent most of his savings on second order talisman paper and Flame Fruits, yet Lin Tianming kept his composure even after calling out more than ten thousand spirit stones.


    ¡°This young man is really too rich!¡± Lin Xingping thought secretly, but he didn¡¯t say anything. After all, Lin Tianming was always prudent, and since he made a bid, he surely had his reasons.


    Regaining his composure, the whole auction house suddenly fell silent, the faces of cultivators who came to enjoy the show flushed and their breathing quickened.


    In a certain VIP room, two Foundation Establishment cultivators sat side by side. One of them was grim-faced, swearing profusely.


    The other, an old man with a bitter smile, noticing his companion¡¯s restlessness, took the opportunity to advise,


    ¡°Hong Hao, this is an auction, where the highest bidder wins by rule. Besides, every alchemist powerful enough to join this bidding war is overflowing with wealth. Although your cultivation is strong and you are a young Second Order Alchemist, the cultivation world is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. There are many talented individuals out there who surpass you, and you really need to change your arrogant ways. Otherwise, if you clash with someone formidable, you¡¯ll be at a disadvantage.¡±


    Seeing the old man¡¯s advice, the young cultivator¡¯s expression eased slightly, but he still looked rather displeased.


    ¡°I understand, but I¡¯m determined to get this Blueflame Furnace, no matter the price,¡± Wei Honghao said emphatically.


    Thereupon, seeing the young man¡¯s resolve, the old man shook his head helplessly and said nothing more to avoid upsetting him further.


    ¡°47,000 spirit stones!¡±


    The young cultivator remained unyielding. Although he did not raise the bid by much, adding a thousand spirit stones in one breath was still significant.


    Lin Tianming remained unphased and instantly matched the increased bid with an additional thousand spirit stones of his own.


    As the two of them continued to bid, raising the price by a thousand each time, the Blueflame Furnace¡¯s price had already broken the fifty-thousand threshold, reaching a frightening 54,000 spirit stones.


    By this point, the entire auction had fallen into absolute silence, with only Lin Tianming and the young cultivator still in competition, all eyes fixated on the two VIP rooms.


    Encountering someone so determined to win, Lin Tianming felt a slight irritation but quickly calmed down.


    When it comes to a contest of spirit stones, he was by no means inferior. Although he had spent tens of thousands on Second Order Talismans earlier, he still had seventy to eighty thousand spirit stones on him and was not worried about running out. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though the Blueflame Furnace had sold for an exorbitant price, if he managed to produce just two more Foundation Establishment Pills with it, he would recover the cost.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Tianming remained unwavered and raised the bid once again.


    ¡°55,000 spirit stones!¡±


    Hearing the price, the young cultivator could not contain himself any longer, crushing the spirit stone he had been toying with into dust.


    ¡°56,000 spirit stones!¡± the young cultivator called out his bid once more.


    ¡°Hong Hao, just let it go. The cultivator you¡¯re bidding against clearly has far greater wealth than you, and it¡¯s very likely he comes from a Great Sect or one of those top Foundation Establishment families.¡±


    Hearing these words, the young cultivator¡¯s face turned displeased, as if he had lost his rationality. Seizing the lull, he said towards the elder:


    ¡°Fourth Grandpa, if we don¡¯t bid for the Blueflame Furnace, it won¡¯t be easy to find another Second Order Medium Grade Pill Furnace. How many more spirit stones do you have? I want to take one more gamble!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the elder¡¯s expression became grave, and he then earnestly cautioned:


    ¡°I¡¯ve already loaned you more than ten thousand spirit stones, and now I only have two thousand left. We simply don¡¯t have the confidence to engage in a dogfight with them to the end!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the young cultivator¡¯s expression dimmed. He called out another price, then fixed his gaze in the direction where Lin Tianming was seated.


    ¡°Fifty-nine thousand spirit stones!¡±


    Lin Tianming declared his bid without hesitation, prepared to increase his offer at any moment.


    However, as soon as he made his bid, the other party did not raise the price any further; it seemed they had given up.


    Within the private room where Wei Honghao was, his face was exceedingly grim. The elder beside him began to advise him.


    After a few words of persuasion, Wei Honghao reluctantly nodded his head. The Wei Family was also one of the Foundation Establishing Families of the Hengyang Mountain Range, and their influence ranked high even throughout the Wei Kingdom; however, the price of the Blueflame Furnace was too steep, his personal supply of spirit stones limited, so he could only abandon the idea of continuing the bidding.


    Xue Chong looked towards the direction of the young cultivator, wearing an expression of anticipation. He truly wished for the other party to keep raising the bid, further driving up the price of the Blueflame Furnace, so that he could receive a more substantial reward.


    However, his hopes were not met.


    A few moments passed, the auction hall remained silent, and no cultivator advanced the bid beyond fifty-nine thousand spirit stones offered by Lin Tianming.


    Xue Chong sighed helplessly, then publicly announced that the ninth auction item, the Blueflame Furnace, was sold for fifty-nine thousand spirit stones.


    Hearing Xue Chong¡¯s resonant voice, Lin Tianming breathed a sigh of relief, then prepared the spirit stones, completing the transaction through the barrier of the private room.


    Not long after, Lin Tianming received the Blueflame Furnace and began to closely inspect it, his expression extremely excited.


    He casually played with it for a while; satisfied with the Alchemy Furnace despite the heavy expenditure of spirit stones, he still felt it was worth it.


    With the transaction of the treasure completed, the suffocating atmosphere in the auction hall was lifted, and a host of cultivators began murmuring amongst themselves. Many were secretly speculating about the identity of the person who had won the bid.


    Unfortunately, with the barrier in place, no one could know their identity information, except for the Zhenyang Sect behind the auction.


    Returning his focus, the auction continued.


    Lin Tianming was also filled with anticipation, reasoning that since the ninth item was a Second Order Medium Grade Pill Furnace, the final auction treasure should be even more precious.


    While he was speculating, Xue Chong had already brought out a water-blue jade box adorned with myriad runes, clearly indicating it was no ordinary object.


    ¡°The final star item, a Gold Fruit, with a starting bid of one hundred thousand spirit stones, and each increment must be no less than two hundred spirit stones!¡±


    As soon as he finished, the entire hall of cultivators gasped, many completely astounded.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping both breathed heavily, equally shocked.


    The Gold Fruit was a Third Order Spiritual Fruit that matured once every five thousand years, and it was one of the rare items that could increase the chances of advancing to the Golden Core Realm by ten percent. Although just a one in ten chance, it was still the dream treasure of all Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    After all, often times, a ten percent chance is enough to change a person¡¯s fate. If one could step into the Golden Core Realm, their lifespan would greatly increase, propelling them into the ranks of High Order Cultivators and becoming a powerful figure revered by thousands.


    In light of this, no matter how many spirit stones it cost, no one would be stingy with such external possessions.


    Although the Lin Family already had a Star Moon Fruit, they still coveted any treasure that could aid in Core Formation.


    At this moment, the auction hall was deathly silent; needles could be heard dropping, and the atmosphere had fallen into a strange calm.


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 Chapter 310 - 201 - Belonging_1

    Chapter 310: Chapter 201 ¨C Belonging_1 sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Time passed indiscernibly when Xue Chong, seeing the situation, let out a cough, and only then did he bring the mesmerized cultivators back to their senses.


    Soon, the bidding started like a tempestuous storm, with the price of the Gold Fruit skyrocketing, quickly surpassing 120,000 Spirit Stones.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming and his companion¡¯s faces flushed with health as they sat in the VIP room drinking Spiritual Tea and watching the intense bidding among the cultivators, without any intention to participate.


    Despite their intense desire for it, hearing the fierce bidding, they could only express regret.


    More importantly, this Gold Fruit was a hot potato¡ªeven if they could successfully win the bid, there was no way to safely bring it back to their family.


    At this time, the number of cultivators bidding below gradually lessened, with only a few VIP rooms still participating, each belonging to either the top families of Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World or Loose Cultivators above the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level.


    ...


    In one of the VIP rooms, Ye Pinghai sat on a precious wooden armchair, staring at the intense bidding below and showing a pensive expression.


    He had cultivated to the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level and was very close to reaching the Great Perfection Realm, so he needed to prepare in advance for the impact of the Golden Core Stage. He had been preparing for more than ten years, accumulating a significant amount of wealth. He attended the auction today because he had learned of the Gold Fruit¡¯s presence through Li Xiuyuan in advance.


    Not just him, many top Foundation Establishing families and Loose Cultivators from Qianchuan Market, who got wind of it early, aimed precisely for the most precious items like the Blueflame Furnace and this Gold Fruit.


    Although the Gold Fruit could only increase the Core Formation rate by ten percent, in today¡¯s Cultivation World, it was one of the rare Nascent Soul Spiritual Items that even a Golden Core force like Zhenyang Sect could not easily obtain in sufficient quantities.


    As for why a Gold Fruit would appear in this auction, no one knew for sure¡ªit could be to attract popularity for the market, or the item might have come from the hands of a Loose Cultivator.


    Regardless of the reason, his goal was very straightforward. If he gave up the chance to bid for the Gold Fruit now, he would have to wait another ten years until the next grand meeting¡ªmoreover, he might not be successful in the bid, further delaying several years.


    With these thoughts, he firmed his resolve. With the wealth that he had amassed as a Second Order High-Grade Alchemy Master over many hard years, it was worth it to bid for the Gold Fruit.


    After an unknown passage of time, he regained his composure and joined the fierce bidding.


    ¡°146,000 Spirit Stones.¡±


    Ye Pinghai announced his price, increasing it by 3,000 stones in one breath to a staggering almost 150,000, plunging the whole venue into a brief silence again.


    At this point, many cultivators breathed rapidly, not even daring to let out a loud breath.


    The previous bids were mere child¡¯s play¡ªit was only now that the real top forces had joined the battle.


    ¡°147,000 Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°149,000 Spirit Stones.¡±


    After more than ten rounds of bidding, the price of the Gold Fruit had reached 163,000 Spirit Stones.


    At this stage, including Ye Pinghai, only three were still bidding, the rest of the bidders having been deterred by the frightening price.


    Both Lin Tianming and his companion were also shocked; the price of over 160,000 Spirit Stones was enough to purchase several Foundation Establishment Pills. Each bid was increased by thousands, and the price was still climbing.


    ¡°This Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World and Qianchuan Market really are places full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; to nonchalantly offer tens of thousands of Spirit Stones without a second thought, it seems our previous assessment on the family¡¯s strength was too optimistic.¡±


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, yet his heart remained undisturbed, after all, the family was on the rise. Given another ten years, the family would reach a new peak and could match the standard of the top Foundation Establishing Families.


    In the VIP room where Ye Pinghai was, he appeared extremely composed, displaying the courage of a sinking ship, and bid 175,000 Spirit Stones, raising the stakes by 6,000 at once.


    A few breaths passed without another bid from any VIP room; the whole scene descended into silence.


    Xue Chong was excited at this point. Seeing that no one else was bidding, he publicly announced the results of the auction.


    Upon hearing the announcement, Ye Pinghai was thrilled, hastily taking out 175,000 Spirit Stones. Through the restrictions of the VIP room, he threw his storage bag out, and it landed firmly in Xue Chong¡¯s hands.


    Xue Chong received the storage bag, used his Divine Sense to count the Spirit Stones and, confirming the correct amount, immediately threw the Jade Box containing the Gold Fruit towards Ye Pinghai¡¯s VIP room.


    Ye Pinghai caught the Jade Box, opened it at once, and looked at the golden fruit inside, containing powerful energy, his expression one of unrestrained excitement.


    Not knowing how much time had passed, atop the auction stage, Xue Chong surveyed the whole venue, then announced the end of the Foundation Establishment Area auction.


    In the public seating area, many Foundation Establishment Cultivators had yet to regain their senses, clearly shocked by the astronomical price of over 170,000 Spirit Stones.


    Only when some cultivators stood up and greeted Xue Chong did they come back to themselves. After exchanging pleasantries with some acquaintances, they orderly left the venue.


    In the VIP room where Lin Tianming was, the two watched the cultivators gradually leaving and were in no rush to leave themselves.


    At this moment, Lin Xingping was extremely excited. Attending the auction had been quite rewarding for them, and they had witnessed such an intense bidding process, making the trip worthwhile.


    After the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed, Lin Tianming finally stood up, turned to Lin Xingping, and said, ¡°Uncle, there¡¯s a swap meet next. Do you want to take a look?¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Xingping nodded, agreeing with the idea.


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 Chapter 311 - 201 - Belonging_2

    Chapter 311: Chapter 201 ¨C Belonging_2


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming stood up and walked toward the exit of the VIP room, with Lin Xingping following closely behind.


    Upon leaving the VIP room, the female cultivator standing at the door had not left. Seeing Lin Tianming and his companion emerge, she immediately greeted them.


    Lin Tianming casually took out twenty spirit stones and handed them to the female cultivator, and then he led Lin Xingping further down the corridor.


    After a short while, they entered a secret chamber where more than ten cultivators were already engaged in casual conversation, some of whom were familiar faces.


    Upon seeing the two men enter, several Foundation Establishment cultivators immediately stood up to welcome them, specifically those they had met at a previous exchange meeting, showing great courtesy.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping did not dare to act arrogantly and immediately performed a fist-and-palm salute in greeting, then started to chat with the familiar cultivators.


    ...


    As this was Lin Xingping¡¯s first time attending an exchange meeting and he was unfamiliar with many of the cultivators, the intention today was to introduce him to some so that his future guardianship of the market would be more convenient.


    Seeing Lin Xingping¡¯s unfamiliar face, a cultivator promptly asked, ¡°Lin, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve seen Daoist Lin Shilu. Who might this fellow Daoist be?¡±


    Lin Tianming let out a chuckle and then earnestly replied,


    ¡°Daoist Meng, my Fifteenth Grandfather is currently in secluded cultivation, and this person beside me is my uncle Lin Xingping. From now on, our Lin Family will have him stationed in the market. I hope fellow Daoists can do us the honor of lending a hand in times of crisis.¡±


    ¡°No problem at all. The name of the Lin Family is well-known to all. I presume there are no fools bold enough to cause trouble,¡± said Meng Zhaosong, the first to compliment.


    The rest of the cultivators were also very polite, echoing the sentiment.


    ¡°Indeed, the Lin Family is thriving like the midday sun, rising swiftly among the many Foundation Establishing families in the Wei Kingdom. Nobody dares to offend them lightly,¡± they said.


    Lin Tianming and his company¡¯s faces flushed with modesty as they continuously waved their hands, displaying great humility.


    While Lin Tianming and the others were chatting leisurely, some previously unacquainted cultivators, seeing the respect shown to Lin Tianming, quickly exchanged whispers with nearby cultivators to inquire about the background of the two.


    After learning that Lin Tianming and his companion were from the recently prominent Lin Family of Luoyun Mountain, some cultivators took the initiative to come over and greet them.


    Lin Tianming was very courteous in response to these kind gestures, engaging in mutual exchange.


    At this moment, Ye Pinghai also entered the secret chamber, seeing that Lin Tianming had already arrived, he greeted him with a smile.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Xingrong quickly got up and returned the salute with a fist-and-palm salute, then laughed and said,


    ¡°Grandpa Sea, as I expected, how could you possibly miss this rare opportunity for a gathering?¡±


    Ye Pinghai nodded and replied with a hearty laugh.


    ¡°Of course, this grand market meeting happens only once every ten years. With so many Daoists rarely gathering, it¡¯s only natural for an old man like me to join the fun,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, a rare opportunity indeed. Usually, everyone is busy with their cultivation; such chances are indeed few and far between,¡± agreed the other cultivators.


    Everyone nodded, then took their seats and chatted briefly, waiting for the exchange meeting to begin.


    Soon after, Li Xiuyuan and Song Xun walked into the secret chamber together, accompanied by Tang Xiuyuan. Seeing the three arrive, all the cultivators in the chamber promptly stood up to welcome them.


    After saluting the crowd with a fist-and-palm greeting, the three made their way directly towards Lin Tianming and Ye Pinghai.


    Seeing Tang Xiuyuan attending the exchange meeting and coming with Li Xiuyuan was not a surprise to Lin Tianming. Given his role as the person in charge of Sky Dragon Pavilion in Qianchuan Market and his origin from the top-tier Tang Family of Qingzhou, his status was naturally not to be taken lightly, not even by the Zhenyang Sect.


    When Tang Xiuyuan saw Lin Tianming, he chuckled and took the initiative to greet him. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Daoist Chen to be from the Lin Family. No wonder the first time we met, I had the impression of your extraordinary background.¡±


    Hearing this, Li Xiuyuan, Song Xun, and the other cultivators were taken aback. Li Xiuyuan then asked with a smile, ¡°Daoist Tang, you¡¯re acquainted with young Lin?¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded and said somewhat awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯ve had the fortune of meeting Daoist Tang a few times before. I had always concealed my true name and background, which has led to some misunderstandings. If I¡¯ve given any offense, I hope Daoist Tang can forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s perfectly normal for cultivators to hide their identities from one another. Lin, don¡¯t give it another thought, it¡¯s no big deal to me,¡± Tang Xiuyuan replied with a smile.


    Listening to Tang Xiuyuan and Lin Tianming¡¯s explanation, several cultivators nodded, understanding the reasons behind it.


    They all laughed, dissolving the awkwardness, and after exchanging formalities, they began to chat casually.


    Many cultivators present were unfamiliar faces, and upon hearing the conversation among several people and seeing that renowned cultivators from Qianchuan Market were very polite to Lin Tianming, many noted Lin Tianming and the Lin Family in their minds. In the future, they would naturally be more cautious to avoid provoking these powerful Foundation Establishment families.


    After a short while, as Li Xiuyuan and two others entered, no other cultivators continued to come. Finding that no more were joining, Li Xiuyuan stood up and announced the start of the exchange meeting.


    Once everyone had settled down, he waved one hand and two treasures landed steadily on the stone table in front of the crowd.


    Looking over them, both items were extraordinary: one a Second Order Medium Stage Demon Beast Inner Pill, and the other a Second Order Medium Grade Attack Magical Artifact.


    Admiring the two treasures, Li Xiuyuan smiled and then said, ¡°These two items of mine are but ordinary, so there are no restrictions. As long as I deem the items offered in exchange satisfactory, anything can be traded.¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking, a cultivator took out a Third Order Spirit Medicine Material and a cultivation-enhancing Spiritual Fruit to trade for his two treasures.


    Next, Song Xun also brought out two treasures, and after some comparison, successfully traded for two items he wanted.


    In a short time, several well-known Foundation Establishment cultivators completed their trades, and Ye Pinghai brought out a Hun Tian Pill and a Second Order Spiritual Fruit, exchanging them for a precious Third Order Spirit Medicine Material.


    What Tang Xiuyuan put forth was also impressive: a Third Order Solid Gold Stone and a Second Order Late-Stage Demon Beast Inner Pill.


    Soon, Song Xun traded for the Solid Gold Stone, and the Second Order Late-Stage Demon Beast Inner Pill was traded to a Loose Cultivator.


    As several renowned cultivators looked at him with anticipation, Lin Tianming felt embarrassed.


    He hadn¡¯t planned on acquiring any particular treasures at the exchange meeting, as aside from Demon Beast Inner Pills and talismans, he didn¡¯t have much suitable for trading.


    Still, with many eyes on him, he took out a Second Order Mid-tier Dragon Eye Beast Inner Pill, as well as an ordinary Third Order Spirit Medicine Material, and placed them on the stone platform in front of him.


    Although these items were not the most precious, they were above average among the treasures and were swiftly traded away by several Loose Cultivators.


    In return, Lin Tianming acquired a Third Order Spiritual Ore and several pieces of Second Order Initial Stage Beast Skin Armor, planning to gift the ore to Lin Shilu and the beast skin to Lin Tianyue.


    As Lin Tianming completed his trades, when it was Lin Xingping¡¯s turn, he decisively stated that he would not participate.


    Lin Tianming had anticipated this. His Foundation Establishment phase was still short, and having spent all his Spirit Stones on Second Order Talismans and the Flame Fruit, he had no high-value treasures that could interest these cultivators.


    It seemed better to abstain than to be the subject of ridicule.


    Seeing Lin Xingping abstaining from trading, the next cultivator moved past him and continued the exchange meeting.


    An hour later, the exchange meeting concluded. Except for Lin Xingping, all the cultivators had traded for items they desired, though a few treasures remained unclaimed.


    In the private room, Li Xiuyuan and the others chatted briefly, then organized a sharing of cultivation experiences, including discussions on the Four Arts of Cultivation.


    As Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping¡¯s cultivation levels were too low, they didn¡¯t show off unnecessarily, instead absorbing the experiences shared by others with patience.


    As dusk approached, the day-long auction and exchange meeting drew to a close.


    Laughter echoed through the large private room with the atmosphere among the cultivators being extremely amiable. Lin Tianming and his companion made a few more acquaintances and gained much experience, sparing them some detours on the cultivation path.


    After half a quarter of an hour, Li Xiuyuan stood up, bowed with cupped hands to the group of cultivators, and then said,


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, this exchange meeting has concluded successfully. As we have all gathered here and each has gained something, I look forward to continuing our interactions next time!¡±


    As his words ended, some cultivators greeted each other and then stood up to leave.


    Lin Tianming and his companion bid farewell to the other cultivators and also stood up to leave, departing the auction with Ye Pinghai.


    While walking through the streets of the market, Lin Tianming arranged to visit Ye Pinghai another day, who graciously agreed to the invitation.


    Only when the two reached the Cave Mansion District did they part ways, each returning to their own caves.


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 Chapter 312 - 202 Extensive Alchemy_1

    Chapter 312: Chapter 202 Extensive Alchemy_1


    Having returned to the Cave Mansion, Lin Tianfeng and the other members of the family had already returned in advance.


    Seeing the lively group sitting in the courtyard chatting idly and sharing amusing stories from the auction, Lin Tianming and his companion joined in.


    After exchanging greetings, Lin Tianming inquired about everyone¡¯s gains.


    Lin Tianfeng let out a chuckle and then took out a Second Order Junior Attack Talisman and a crystal clear Spirit Fruit, excitedly discussing the auction process at the Qi Refining Area.


    Lin Tianyue and Lin Tianqin also had fruitful results, each snapping up some good materials for alchemy and talisman making. During the subsequent exchange meeting, they also obtained some elixirs and Spirit Fruits that would enhance their cultivation, reaping a rich harvest indeed.


    The rest of the group had also gained considerably, acquiring various treasures and becoming acquainted with many cultivators from the Sect Families, as well as some highly skilled Loose Cultivators.


    ...


    Through these days of understanding and connections made with other cultivators, the new family members were able to integrate more swiftly into the Qianchuan Market.


    As they listened to the accounts, Lin Tianming and his companion nodded, feeling much reassured.


    Lin Tianming then asked about the recent cultivation plans of the family members, in preparation for their return to the Lin Family.


    Upon Lin Tianming¡¯s inquiry, Lin Tianfeng immediately responded, ¡°Sixth Brother, just give your instructions. I don¡¯t have any specific plans for this period. I will cultivate by assimilating the Spirit Fruit I have, and then get Tianhu and the others acquainted with the business at the Luoyun Pavilion.¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Lin Tianhu chimed in, ¡°Yes, Sixth Brother, if you, Second Brother, and Third Sister are going to do alchemy, just give us your direct orders.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded then began to think about his own arrangements.


    In the past few days, he had nearly completed making half of the Second Order Pills, and there were still many left, including the accumulation from recent days, plus a lot of materials for First Order Elixirs. Fortunately, with Lin Tianqin and Lin Tianhong, who were both First Order Superior Grade Alchemists, the making of First Order Elixirs could be left to them.


    Beyond that, he had acquired the Blueflame Furnace from the auction. He believed that, once he had bonded with it and started refining elixirs, his speed would increase significantly.


    With these thoughts in mind, he said, ¡°Next, Second Brother and Third Sister will start making First Order Elixir materials accumulated by the Luoyun Pavilion. I will handle the Second Order ones. Uncle Xing Ping will be in closed-door cultivation, and the Pavilion is quite busy right now, so the rest of the family should take turns helping out at the Luoyun Pavilion.¡±


    Hearing the orders, Lin Tianfeng and the others immediately agreed and then stood up to leave, leaving Lin Tianming and Lin Xingping sitting in the courtyard.


    After the departure of the others, Lin Xingping still looked excited. After calming down, he said, ¡°Tianming, you better start your closed-door cultivation to assimilate the Blueflame Furnace as soon as possible. I will also assimilate the Flame Fruit. It should not take many days before I can leave seclusion. I¡¯ll pay attention to the market in the meantime, and I believe nothing unexpected will happen.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming nodded and responded, ¡°Alright, Uncle, go ahead with your cultivation in seclusion. Once I have assimilated the Blueflame Furnace, I¡¯ll also have to refine elixirs for a while. Once we have processed a good amount of the Spiritual Medicine materials accumulated by the Luoyun Pavilion, I will take Tianfeng and the others back to the family.¡±


    After a few more words, the two said farewell with clasped hands and headed towards their respective training rooms.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t delay either. He had been eager to get the Blueflame Furnace since the moment he received it. If it were not for the fact that he was still at the auction and didn¡¯t have the conditions to assimilate the pill furnace, he would have wanted to begin immediately.


    Now back in the Cave Mansion Courtyard, he naturally wanted to start assimilating it right away. Thinking this, he immediately entered a training room.


    Sitting cross-legged on a cushion, he took out the blue and red Blueflame Furnace and placed it in front of him. Excitement filled his expression as he looked at the exquisite Blueflame Furnace.


    With this Blueflame Furnace, the Lin Family possessed its third Second Order Pill Furnace, in addition to the Three Star Furnace used by himself and his grandfather, while another Second Order Junior Pill Furnace was in use by Lin Xingyuan.


    Moreover, the Lin Family was making equal strides in alchemy and Artifact Refining. Lin Shilu, as a Second Grade Medium Quality Artifact Refiner, was highly skilled in the Way of Artifact Refining and was regarded as preeminent in the entire Luoyun Mountain Range.


    In the sphere of alchemy, they had Lin Shigong and Lin Xingyuan, both Second Order Junior Alchemists, and with the assistance of the Blueflame Furnace, breaking through to Second Order Medium Quality should not take long. At most five years, or perhaps ten years, they would surely step into the rank of Second Order Medium Quality.


    As for First Order Alchemists, there were many clan members with considerable talent. Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianqin were both First Order Superior Grade. As long as they successfully established their Foundation, becoming Second Order Alchemists should be a natural success.


    At that time, the family¡¯s alchemy domain would have several Second Order Alchemists, and this alchemic strength would be sufficient to step onto a new stage.


    He did not know how much time had passed before he came back to his senses and began to regulate his breath and circulate his cultivation technique. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Half an hour later, after circulating his Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation and ensuring that his state reached its peak, he formed hand seals and cast spells which transformed into beams of Spiritual Light bombarding the Blueflame Furnace.


    ¡°Humming¡­¡±


    The Blueflame Furnace emitted a series of sounds, its surface gleaming brightly, followed by intense vibrations, as it swelled to the size of a table before quietly settling in front of him, motionless.


    On closer inspection, the exquisite patterns and tiny inscriptions on the Pill Furnace were clearly visible, and numerous lifelike depictions of Demonic Beasts emerged, lending the entire Pill Furnace an air of indomitable grandeur.


    Looking at the hard-earned Blueflame Furnace, his expression was one of excitement. He then spat a mouthful of blood essence onto the Blueflame Furnace.


    In an instant, as the blood essence touched the surface of the Pill Furnace, the entire furnace erupted with an invisible aura, creating gusts of wind that stirred the faint Spiritual Energy of the training room.


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 Chapter 313 - 202: Alchemy on a Large Scale_2

    Chapter 313: Chapter 202: Alchemy on a Large Scale_2


    ¡°`


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming grew even more excited, thinking to himself, ¡°It seems that the Blueflame Furnace¡¯s grade is unexpectedly high, almost reaching the level of a Second Order Superior artifact.¡±


    Recollecting his mind, at this moment, the surface of the Blueflame Furnace burst with spiritual light and began to spin wildly.


    Lin Tianming brought his palms together and then cast a series of spells onto the pill furnace.


    At the same time, he started to focus his consciousness, controlling his divine sense to penetrate the central system of the Blueflame Furnace. As long as he could imprint his consciousness on it and refine it once more, his great accomplishment would be complete.


    By then, the entire cultivation room was flickering with light, and strange sounds were emerging. Lin Tianming was in the midst of intense refining.


    ...


    Time flew by, and several days passed in the blink of an eye.


    In the cultivation room, Lin Tianming looked somewhat weary, but he did not mind it. After casting another spell, he slowly began to wrap up his work.


    Lin Tianming felt the Blueflame Furnace in tune with his mind, as if it were a part of his own body, clearly indicating successful refining.


    At this point, the Blueflame Furnace stopped spinning, silently standing on the floor before him.


    Looking at it, the previously unclaimed Blueflame Furnace, though lively in appearance, had a somewhat dim luster. But now, after his refinement, it looked more spirited, with a bright surface sheen and occasional flashes of demonic beast phantoms that seemed to have come back to life.


    Looking at the successfully refined Blueflame Furnace, Lin Tianming waved his hand, and the Blueflame Furnace instantly shrank dramatically, turning back to palm-size, and he caught it in his hand.


    He infused it with spiritual power, the entire Blueflame Furnace glowed brilliantly and swelled rapidly before starting to spin alongside him.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming was thrilled, and he took the Blueflame Furnace back into his hands for a close inspection, appearing to be utterly lovestruck by it.


    After several days of refining, he finally succeeded in claiming and refining the Blueflame Furnace.


    Inside the cultivation room, Lin Tianming took a deep breath and then began to meditate with closed eyes, waiting to return to peak condition. Then he would start alchemy to test the effect of the Blueflame Furnace.


    Half a day later, once his condition had fully recovered, he went to the pill refining room. After sitting on the cushion, he took out some Second Order Lingshen Pill spiritual medicine materials, ready to begin alchemy.


    With preparations complete, he performed a Grand Circulation, and then cast a spell onto the Earth Fire vent.


    When the Earth Fire erupted, a wave of heat spread, and the temperature in the pill refining room began to rise gradually, the high temperatures created by the flowing heat waves causing his robe to billow.


    Then, unhurriedly, he took out the Blueflame Furnace and cast a spell onto it, making it rapidly inflate before it was suspended in the air above the Earth Fire.


    Once the temperature inside the Blueflame Furnace reached the required threshold for alchemy, he immediately threw in a piece of spiritual medicine material into the furnace.


    ¡°Sizzle sizzle sizzle.¡±


    The spiritual medicine materials entered the Blueflame Furnace and were quickly refined by the high heat, emitting a faintly special fragrance.


    He ignored this and began the most basic process of decomposition and purification, turning each piece of spiritual medicine material into essence that collected at the bottom of the furnace.


    Soon, after more than an hour of intense decomposition and purification, the pieces of spiritual medicine material were completely broken down.


    At the bottom of the Blueflame Furnace, a multicolored mass of elixir essence lay within.


    Lin Tianming wiped the sweat from his forehead, gazing at the essence of the spiritual medicine, showing a satisfied expression.


    With the Blueflame Furnace, his impression was that this pill furnace was better than his grandfather¡¯s Three Star Furnace; it was more intuitive to use, the efficiency of the decomposition and purification was improved by more than thirty percent, and the resulting elixir essence was purer.


    This significant change was a great help and enhancement to his alchemy.


    At this thought, he was extremely excited and prepared to complete the final steps of Infusion of Spirit and Solidifying Pill to see the results of this batch of pills.


    He took a deep breath and with a single-handed seal, cast another spell onto the Earth Fire vent.


    With a soft sound, the bright red Earth Fire burst forth, directly heating the bottom of the Blueflame Furnace. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, the temperature inside the Blueflame Furnace skyrocketed within a very short time.


    Seeing that the temperature was about right, he struck the Three Star Furnace with his palm, and immediately, a blast of spiritual power surged into the furnace and disappeared.


    Suddenly, Lin Tianming shouted, ¡°Solidify the pill!¡±


    In an instant, a unique fragrance of elixirs emanated from the furnace, quickly filling the entire pill refining room.


    ¡°`


    Seeing this, he didn¡¯t bother about the beads of sweat on his forehead and hurriedly lifted the lid of the furnace to take a look.


    Inside the furnace, eight dull gray pills were suspended. He immediately took out one and began to carefully examine it in his hand.


    After a short while, Lin Tianming¡¯s face revealed an extremely excited expression.


    This batch of pills had been refined incredibly smoothly. Even though they were just ordinary Second Order Lingshen Pills, which he had refined many times before, the energy contained in the pills refined with the Blueflame Furnace seemed somewhat higher.


    Not only that, the yield was typically six pills, with seven occurring in rare cases, but this first batch yielded eight.


    This made it clear that with the help of the Blueflame Furnace, his yield and the success rate of pill production might have both improved.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming felt joyful and was very pleased with the Blueflame Furnace¡¯s performance.


    ¡°Each time I can produce one or two more pills, and if they are valuable pills, in one or two instances, I could make back the nearly sixty thousand Spirit Stones spent to buy this Blueflame Furnace. Indeed, it was worth it,¡± Lin Tianming thought to himself. He then collected the pills from the bottom of the furnace, ready to strike while the iron was hot and promptly refine all the materials.


    Determined, he immediately sprang into action.


    In no time, the Pill Refining Room was engulfed in waves of heat. Every half day, bursts of medicinal fragrance spread out.


    The days of frenzied pill refining quietly passed by, and without realizing it, a month had gone by.


    In the Pill Refining Room, Lin Tianming had several hundred Jade Bottles arranged in front of him¡ªall the fruits of his labor over the past month.


    During this month, he spent his days pill refining and his nights in meditation, not wasting a single moment.


    With such hard work, he achieved tremendous gains. All the Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials accumulated by Luoyun Pavilion had been fully refined by him, and he had also managed to refine more than a third of the First Order Spiritual Medicine Materials. He left the rest for Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianqin to refine.


    Since acquiring the Blueflame Furnace, there had been a slight increase in both his pill success rate and yield. After a month of continuous pill refining, he had crafted over a hundred Second Order Pills and just as many First Order Pills. After setting aside those owed to the people who commissioned the pills, he could keep over sixty percent.


    With over two hundred pills, their value had already surpassed twenty thousand Spirit Stones, earning him back nearly half the capital for the Blueflame Furnace.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming was exhilarated and in high spirits.


    After tidying up the cluttered Pill Refining Room, he took all the pills and left.


    Shortly after, he arrived at the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Seated in the courtyard, he sent out several messages to gather his family members.


    Before long, except for Lin Xingyao and Lin Tianhu, who were guarding the Luoyun Pavilion, the others had all arrived in haste.


    They exchanged greetings and then sat down to chat leisurely for a while.


    Lin Tianming handed over the hundred-plus bottles of pills he had prepared in advance to Lin Xingping and then asked Lin Tianhong about his and the others¡¯ accomplishments over the month.


    Lin Tianhong chuckled and said, ¡°The First Order Spiritual Medicine Materials accumulated by the Luoyun Pavilion have been mostly refined by us. Aside from the portion we owe to those commissioning pills, the two of us have acquired close to a hundred pills. The remaining twenty percent of the materials will be left for Tianqin. I believe it won¡¯t take long for her to finish refining them all!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming nodded and felt happy for them.


    Although their pill refining was arduous, after a month, not only could they improve their pill production skills, but they also obtained a large number of pills. Nearly a hundred pills were worth close to a thousand Spirit Stones. With more opportunities like this, it would take less than ten years to gather enough Spirit Stones for the Foundation Establishment Pills.


    Regathering his focus, Lin Tianming looked around at everyone and then said, ¡°It¡¯s been over a month since we left the family. The auction has been attended, the Spiritual Medicine Materials have been almost fully refined, and all matters are settled. Tomorrow morning, let us set out to return to the family!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, everyone was overwhelmingly excited. They had left the family three years ago, and finally, they could return.


    ¡°We¡¯re going home tomorrow!¡± Lin Tianfeng said excitedly.


    ¡°Everyone should go and rest. We¡¯ll gather tomorrow morning!¡± Lin Tianming said with a smile.


    Lin Tianfeng and the others nodded, stood up, and left one after another. After a short time, only Lin Tianming and his siblings, along with Lin Xingping, remained in the courtyard.


    Seeing everyone depart, Lin Tianming spoke, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ve already messaged Old Ye. Let¡¯s set out!¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ let¡¯s go!¡± Lin Xingping nodded in response.


    With that, the three of them left the Cave Mansion Courtyard and headed towards Ye Pinghai¡¯s abode.


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 Chapter 314 - 203 Guess_1

    Chapter 314: Chapter 203 Guess_1


    In the North District of Qianchuan Market, outside a delicate and quiet residence. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming and his two companions paused for a moment before a message was sent out, and the residence¡¯s gate swiftly opened automatically. The three stepped in.


    At that time, Ye Pinghai was sitting in the small courtyard, waiting for Lin Tianming¡¯s visit.


    Upon seeing the three enter the courtyard, he politely stood up, greeting Lin Tianming and the others.


    ¡°Tian Ming has met Grandpa Sea,¡± Lin Tianming saluted with folded hands, and Lin Xingping also greeted Ye Pinghai with clasped fists.


    Ye Pinghai waved his hand in a dismissing gesture and then turned to Lin Tianyue, asking, ¡°Heh heh, I am truly delighted by the visit of the three young friends. Is this Elder Shi Gong¡¯s granddaughter?¡±


    ...


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianyue nodded and then bowed respectfully, ¡°Tian Yue has seen Elder Ye. I have often heard grandfather and my brother mention the elder. I have been in the market for some days now, and it is only today that I have come to pay respects. I hope elder will not blame the younger generation for any disrespect.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. Your grandfather and your elders are very good friends of mine, and the Lin Family has been kind to me, so there¡¯s no need for such politeness. Just call me as Tian Ming does from now on,¡± Ye Pinghai replied.


    ¡°I will follow Grandpa Sea¡¯s instructions,¡± said Lin Tianyue, once again bowing respectfully.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Ye Pinghai nodded and then with a wave of his sleeve, a rather exquisite silver-white small sword and a jade bottle appeared in his hand.


    Ye Pinghai waved the spirit sword in his hand, its nimble blade quickly turning into a series of afterimages, clearly a supreme quality spiritual artifact.


    ¡°This Ice Sword was obtained by me in my early years; among supreme quality spiritual artifacts, it¡¯s considered a fine item. This Jade Ring Pill in the bottle will benefit your cultivation. Consider them a meeting gift from me,¡± Ye Pinghai said.


    Seeing the Ice Sword and Jade Ring Pill, Lin Tianming was excited. The aura from the spiritual artifact suggested it was very close to the standard of a Second Order Magical Artifact, extremely nimble yet possessing formidable piercing power¡ªindeed, it was a rare treasure among spiritual artifacts.


    The Jade Ring Pill was an elixir that improved cultivation, its effects even stronger than the Lingshen Pill. However, spiritual medicine is hard to find, and only a few Golden Elixir Forces had a small reserve of it.


    Both items were exceptional treasures. It was clear to see that Ye Pinghai was very pleased with Lin Tianyue to present such valuable items.


    ¡°Tian Yue, Grandpa Sea is quite generous; you should accept these,¡± Lin Tianming said.


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s reminder, Lin Tianyue, looking delighted, quickly took over the Ice Sword and Jade Ring Pill and thanked Ye Pinghai respectfully.


    Ye Pinghai nodded, very satisfied, and then invited the three to sit down and chat casually.


    After conversing leisurely for a while, Ye Pinghai changed the topic and solemnly asked, ¡°Tian Ming, what is Daoist Shi Kang¡¯s current cultivation level? If nothing unexpected happens, he should be close to reaching the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Realm. Does he have any chance of impacting the Golden Core Stage?¡±


    These words made Lin Tianming¡¯s heart tighten. The family had always kept the advancement of Shi Kang to the Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment a secret, known only by the most core members.


    Ye Pinghai¡¯s direct inquiry was puzzling, leaving Lin Tianming uncertain of his intentions and what his plans were, yet it was inappropriate to outright reject answering.


    Musing over these thoughts, Lin Tianming said with a wry smile, ¡°The younger generation is not clear about Third Grandfather¡¯s exact cultivation level. At your level, every step forward is extremely difficult. As for the Golden Core Stage, without heaven-defying treasures, it¡¯s an unreachable realm and not something easily achieved.¡±


    Hearing this, Ye Pinghai fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.


    Quickly recovering, he said with a resigned tone, ¡°That¡¯s true, without heaven-defying treasures, the hopes of impacting the Golden Core Stage are slim.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded in agreement and then said, ¡°Today, I came to visit you, Elder, because I will return to my family tomorrow. My sister and uncle will remain in the market. I earnestly request Grandpa Sea to look after them. If there¡¯s an opportunity in the future, we will invite Grandpa Sea to visit Green Bamboo Mountain.¡±


    After finishing, Ye Pinghai maintained his composure, then firmly added:


    ¡°As long as your family members do not provoke the Golden Core Forces, there won¡¯t be any danger in the market. Even the Golden Core Forces will give this old man some face. Rest assured and go in peace.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, in a few years, perhaps less than five or within ten, I plan to visit Green Bamboo Mountain to meet with your elders and discuss some important matters.¡±


    Hearing that Ye Pinghai intended to visit Green Bamboo Mountain and had significant matters to discuss with his Third Grandfather and others, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but speculate.


    After pondering carefully, given Ye Pinghai¡¯s status and cultivation, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t fathom what matter would require the Lin Family¡¯s assistance.


    ¡°Could he be planning to impact the Golden Core Stage?¡± Lin Tianming thought suddenly, feeling a spark of realization. That was the only possibility; otherwise, he couldn¡¯t see any reason for Ye Pinghai to seek help from the Lin Family.


    Keeping his expression neutral without directly addressing the issue, since no one would lightly disclose such significant matters, Lin Tianming said, ¡°I will then thank Grandpa Sea in advance for his help. Once I have returned to my family, I will surely mention this to Third Grandfather and the others and await Grandpa Sea¡¯s arrival at Green Bamboo Mountain.¡±


    ¡°In no more than five or ten years, I shall surely make the personal visit,¡± Ye Pinghai said excitedly.


    Then, after chatting casually for half an hour and as the evening approached, they got up to say their goodbyes and returned to the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Sitting in the courtyard, Lin Tianming took out the acquired Second Order Demonic Beast skin armors from the exchange and handed them to Lin Tianyue, then instructed her, ¡°These beast skins were specially prepared for you by your brother. I will return to the family tomorrow. Spend the next three years peacefully cultivating in the market. The outside world is too dangerous; never leave on your own. Always follow Uncle Xing Ping¡¯s arrangements and hopefully, when you return to the family after three years, you can directly impact the Foundation Establishment Stage.¡±


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 Chapter 315 - 203 Guessing_2

    Chapter 315: Chapter 203 Guessing_2


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s instructions, Lin Tianyue nodded her head and took the demonic beast skin armor he handed over, saying:


    ¡°Understood, brother. You can rest assured, I will definitely follow the arrangements. Be careful on your journey.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go cultivate. We are leaving tomorrow morning, so we won¡¯t be disturbing you anymore,¡± Lin Tianming said.


    Lin Tianyue nodded her head, then walked towards the depths of the courtyard, disappearing into the night.


    At this moment, Lin Xingping also took out a book and three storage bags, handing them to Lin Tianming and saying, ¡°This is the profit from Luoyun Pavilion for the past two years, totaling over eighty thousand spirit stones, as well as a batch of precious cultivation resources. The details are all recorded in the book. Be careful on the road.¡±


    Lin Tianming accepted the storage bags and the book, his Divine Sense sweeping through them to verify the contents, then spoke, ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry. Tianhong is returning to the family with me tomorrow. I believe it won¡¯t be more than a few years before he can attempt to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage. With his talent and age, the chance of success is great, so you need not worry too much.¡±


    ...


    ¡°As for Tianyue and the others, and Luoyun Pavilion, I¡¯ll leave them in your care, Uncle. If there is anything you can¡¯t resolve, you can go ask Elder Ye for help.¡±


    ¡°Mm, rest assured. I won¡¯t see you off when you leave the market tomorrow,¡± said Lin Xingping.


    ¡°Alright, Uncle, rest early. I should head back, too.¡±


    With those words, Lin Tianming bowed with clasped hands, then headed to his own room, and both men returned to their rooms.


    That night, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t cultivate but went to bed early, preparing to rest well.


    The next morning, dawn was just breaking.


    Lin Tianfeng and the others were ready to go, sitting in the courtyard waiting for Lin Tianming to come out.


    After a short while, Lin Tianming came out and greeted everyone with a smile, ¡°Everyone looks spirited!¡±


    Lin Tianfeng laughed and said with an excited expression, ¡°Well, of course! It¡¯s been three years since we¡¯ve been home, and I do miss the days on Green Bamboo Mountain.¡±


    ¡°Since everyone is eager to return home, let¡¯s not delay any longer. Let¡¯s go home!¡±


    With those words, Lin Tianming took the lead, and Lin Tianfeng and the others followed closely behind.


    Soon, they left the market in a grand procession and arrived in a valley more than ten miles outside the market.


    Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle from its Spirit Beast Bag, and then they all jumped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Feeling the aura of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianfeng couldn¡¯t contain his excitement and blurted out, ¡°It has broken through to Second Order?¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ has been for half a year!¡± Lin Tianming nodded in response.


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s affirmative words, the others were visibly excited. With the breakthrough of the Purple Gold Eagle, the family had added another Foundation Establishment combat power, and it was a flying Spiritual Bird at that.


    Seeing the excitement of his companions, Lin Tianming glanced at the map and then issued a command to the Purple Gold Eagle.


    Understanding, the Purple Gold Eagle with everyone on its back soared into the sky, entering the thousand-foot-high clouds and reaching its top speed as it shot towards the south.


    A few days later, Lin Tianming and the others successfully returned to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    After entering the mountain gate, Lin Tianming bade farewell to the others and then hastened to Lin Shikang¡¯s cave abode.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he saw Lin Shikang, and Lin Shihua, having heard the news, hurried over as well.


    The three of them sat in the courtyard chatting over tea. Lin Tianming asked, ¡°Is Fifteenth Grandfather in secluded cultivation?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lin Shikang nodded and said with a laugh, ¡°After coming out of the Secret Realm, Shi Lu showed signs of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level. With everything going smoothly, it¡¯s time for him to go into seclusion to attempt the breakthrough!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming was thrilled. If Lin Shilu broke through to the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, the family would have an additional Foundation Establishment Late-Stage Cultivator, raising the family¡¯s strength to a new level.


    Given this, the family¡¯s two Foundation Establishment Late-Stage Cultivators were stepping into the threshold of the top Foundation Establishing Families of the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s excitement, Lin Shihua asked about the trip to the market, ¡°Tianming, was the trip to Qianchuan Market smooth?¡±


    Lin Tianming collected his thoughts and then reported the entire process of the trip to Qianchuan.


    At the same time, Lin Tianming took out several storage bags and handed them to Lin Shihua.


    After listening to the whole process, Lin Shikang and Lin Shihua nodded. Lin Shihua checked the storage bags and then expressed satisfaction.


    ¡°Tianming, you¡¯ve worked hard on this trip. Now you can focus on cultivating in the family, aiming for an early breakthrough to the Foundation Building Fourth Level,¡± Lin Shikang said.


    Lin Tianming nodded, ¡°Third Grandfather, rest assured. Tianming won¡¯t neglect his cultivation!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, go ahead!¡± Lin Shikang waved his hand and said.


    Just as Lin Tianming was about to get up, he remembered the words of Ye Pinghai and spoke:


    ¡°Right, Third Grandfather, before I left the Qianchuan Market, I made a special trip with Uncle Xing Ping and Tian Yue to pay a visit to Elder Ye!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shikang nodded, extremely satisfied with how Lin Tianming had handled things. ¡°You did well; he has been of great help to the family over the years, and he indeed deserves a visit!¡±


    Lin Tianming chuckled and began to talk about what Ye Pinghai had mentioned during the visit.


    ¡°Elder Ye said he would be back to Green Bamboo Mountain in the coming years to visit you and a few other elders, as he has important matters to consult about, though he didn¡¯t mention what it was about!¡±


    ¡°Ye Pinghai inquired about my cultivation level? He even asked about my confidence in reaching the Golden Core Stage and intends to visit Green Bamboo Mountain?¡±


    Lin Shikang was somewhat surprised; Ye Pinghai had not visited Green Bamboo Mountain for over thirty years, and with his cultivation level and influence, his sudden visit must have some motive.


    After reflecting for several days, Lin Tianming had an uncertain idea, but he could not confirm it. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With these thoughts, he immediately said: ¡°Third Grandfather, didn¡¯t the auction at the market convention feature a Gold Fruit?¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, with Elder Ye¡¯s cultivation and wealth, I think he must have participated in the auction, and he might even have acquired the Gold Fruit!¡±


    ¡°As for his reasons for visiting, it¡¯s very likely related to his impacting the Golden Core Stage and perhaps seeking assistance from the Lin Family!¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Shikang and another person did not speak but started to ponder over the possibility.


    After a short while, Lin Shikang nodded and then said, ¡°This speculation of yours is indeed very plausible!¡±


    At this time, Lin Shihua also spoke up: ¡°Third brother, impacting the Golden Core Stage, loose cultivators always do so in secret, seeking a quiet and safe place to break through, who would make a big show of it and spread the word around!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Third Grandfather!¡± Lin Tianming echoed:


    ¡°Even though Elder Ye has always had a good relationship with our Lin Family, and is even close friends with a few of the elders, the importance of the Golden Core Stage is too great. Would he really disclose this matter to you?¡±


    As soon as the words fell, Lin Shikang smiled and then shared his own opinion.


    ¡°What Tian Ming said does make some sense, but impacting the Golden Core Stage is extremely tough, especially during the final Threefold Golden Elixir Thunder Tribulation. Many cultivators can condense a Golden Core but fail to successfully pass the tribulation and ultimately perish, leaving only a very small number who survive with the aid of treasures and remain in the Fake Elixir Realm!¡±


    ¡°It can be said that this Threefold Golden Elixir Thunder Tribulation is the biggest obstacle on the path to the Golden Core!¡±


    ¡°And as a loose cultivator, Ye Pinghai cannot impact the Golden Core Realm within the market; without a stable and safe place for the breakthrough and no one to protect him, rashly attempting it would be incredibly dangerous.¡±


    ¡°If he comes to the Lin Family for help and borrows some high-quality defensive artifacts, his chances of breaking through the Golden Core Stage will greatly increase!¡±


    ¡°Considering this, that¡¯s very likely the reason for his visit!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shikang discuss this matter, Lin Tianming and the other person suddenly saw the light and felt that it was indeed a strong possibility.


    However, Lin Tianming still had some doubts, and he then asked:


    ¡°Third Grandfather, Elder Ye is well-known in the entire Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, and many powers owe him favors. If he seeks help from other forces, shouldn¡¯t it be easy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ If he seeks help from the Zhenyang Sect, wouldn¡¯t the breakthrough be even more secure?¡± Lin Shihua said.


    ¡°Zhenyang Sect?¡±


    Lin Shikang snorted coldly and explained: ¡°You think the Zhenyang Sect would be that benevolent?¡±


    ¡°Even if they were willing to help, he¡¯d probably have to pay a heavy price, or they might even kick him when he¡¯s down.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming and the other person nodded, fully agreeing with his statement, knowing the complex inner workings of sects, with various factions and the constant undercurrent of power struggles, it indeed wasn¡¯t a guarantee of safety.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming and the other person had no further questions, Lin Shikang continued:


    ¡°These are all our speculations, after all. If it¡¯s really as suspected, helping him would be to our advantage, but whether it is so or not, we¡¯ll know when he actually visits!¡±


    ¡°Also, this matter should not be spread around. Only the few of us should know, understand?¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Lin Tianming and the other person nodded in agreement, chatted for a bit longer, and then left Lin Shikang¡¯s cave dwelling together, each returning to their own.


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 Chapter 316 - 204: Training Once Again_1

    Chapter 316: Chapter 204: Training Once Again_1


    Back to his cave dwelling, Lin Tianming lay on his stone bed, relaxed his tense nerves, and soon fell into a deep sleep.


    The next morning, after a night of rest, Lin Tianming stepped out of his cave dwelling, feeling no trace of fatigue.


    It was early morning, and the warm sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining on his mature face.


    He stretched lazily, his entire body relaxed, and he exuded a vibrant vitality.


    Over the years, bustling about ceaselessly, he was now at ease with all affairs smoothly handled and calm both inside and outside the family; his leisure was incomparably comfortable.


    Looking around at some of the empty courtyards, perhaps in a few years, the Tian-generation family members would successively break through to Foundation Establishment, bringing new occupants here and enlivening the area.


    ...


    He strolled through the courtyard, idly wandering while contemplating his next plans.


    With no clan tasks for the short term and no worries about resources for cultivation, he could finally devote himself to uninterrupted cultivation for a few years.


    Unconsciously, he arrived at his mother¡¯s cave dwelling. His sister had gone to Qianchuan Market, and these past few years his mother had peacefully secluded herself, preparing to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a brief reunion, Lin Tianming left behind some top-quality elixirs and then departed.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming paid a visit to his grandfather. The grandfather and grandson sat sipping tea and chatting in the small courtyard.


    Lin Shigong lifted his teacup and took a sip, then asked, ¡°Tianming, now that you¡¯re quite free, what are your plans for the future?¡±


    Lin Tianming thought for a moment; he had originally planned to temper himself in Luoyun Mountain Range but had his schedule disrupted by the trip to Qianchuan Market.


    Now with ample time, he could perhaps lead family members who were above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining to the Luoyun Mountain Range for experience, meanwhile consolidating their cultivation and honing their divine skills.


    Having thought this through, Lin Tianming shared his thoughts, quickly gaining Lin Shigong¡¯s approval and encouragement.


    Lin Tianming was not surprised by this, as experience was beneficial for both the family and himself; it could not only enhance combat experience but also consolidate cultivation. And with some luck, it could yield heaven-sent treasures, accumulating wealth.


    More importantly, it could strengthen the faith of family members on the cultivation path, helping them to understand the purpose of cultivation¡ªtruly a case of killing several birds with one stone.


    At that moment, Lin Shigong looked at his grandson with a satisfied expression.


    He was very proud and comforted by his grandson, whose cultivation advanced rapidly, who always considered the clan in every regard, who was indifferent to personal gain or loss, and who had become increasingly mature and stable with age, displaying a character and temperament beyond reproach.


    ¡°Tianming, experience is a good thing, but you must be careful. Go and discuss the matter with your Twelfth Grandpa. I believe he will also support this initiative,¡±


    Upon hearing his grandfather¡¯s words, Lin Tianming immediately stood up to take his leave and headed towards the Elders¡¯ Council Hall.


    In no time, he met with Clan Leader Lin Shihua.


    The two sat in the Elders¡¯ Council Hall, and Lin Tianming proposed the idea of the venture, then awaited the Clan Leader¡¯s directives.


    Lin Shihua chuckled and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. The clan¡¯s ventures have never ceased over the years, but none with Foundation Establishment Cultivators, only those above the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement attending in groups; their strength is limited, and they have not ventured deep into Luoyun Mountain Range.¡±


    In the past, the clan¡¯s expeditions were almost always on the fringes of the internal regions. After years of hunting, the outer demonic beasts were reduced to one-tenth of their original number, making it relatively safe as long as one remains cautious of the Second Order Demonic Beasts inside.


    ¡°Since you are willing to lead the venture, you can advance toward Golden Horn Mountain. With your strength, there is no difficulty in clearing out the Second Order Initial Stage beasts around the periphery, and even a singular Second Order Middle Stage beast is unlikely to match you,¡±


    Hearing what the Clan Leader said, Lin Tianming nodded. Now, with his Third Level of Foundation Establishment and being a Dual Cultivator of Body and Law, ordinary Second Order Initial Stage demonic beasts were no match for him; even if he faced a Second Order Middle Stage beast, he could retreat intact.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s confident expression, Lin Shihua continued;


    ¡°Pushing toward the direction of Golden Horn Mountain has many benefits. After sweeping through those demonic beasts, a safe route to Golden Horn Mountain can be opened. With the explosive growth of mortal family members in recent years, some of them can be relocated to live around the area. If we come across some rivers and mountains with richer Spiritual Energy, we can develop Spirit Fields or Spiritual Medicine Gardens, growing Spirit Valley Elixirs and accumulating Spirit Stones for the clan.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming strongly agreed. The family¡¯s numbers were growing quickly, and their annual consumption of Spirit Stones was vast. If they relied solely on Luoyun Market and Luoyun Pavilion, they would eventually be unable to sustain the clan¡¯s expenses; they needed to put those with poor talent and low cultivation to good use.


    Their cultivation was low and their talent lacking, rendering them unremarkable in the Four Arts of Cultivation, but they were quite sufficient for planting Spirit Valley crops and guarding the lower-order Spiritual Medicine Gardens.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect timing. Tianfeng and Tianhong are about to meet the requirements for Foundation Establishment, along with some Xing Clan Members whose cultivation is all above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. We can assemble some clan members to open up Luoyun Mountain, simultaneously tempering them,¡± Lin Shihua said.


    Lin Tianming nodded. The clan¡¯s current generation was advancing rapidly in cultivation. Aside from some Xing Clan Members who had participated in the battle of Luoyun Mountain, many had not undergone much life-or-death experience, like Lin Xingqi and Lin Tianhong, who had been secretly taken away by Lin Xingrong as the clan¡¯s lifeline and thus missed the thrilling battle of Luoyun Mountain.


    As their cultivation had reached the threshold for Foundation Establishment, leading them to experience and settle would perhaps ease their own impacts on the Foundation Establishment Stage.


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 Chapter 317 - 204 Again Training_2

    Chapter 317: Chapter 204 Again Training_2


    Returning his attention, Lin Tianming spoke, ¡°The Clan Leader has issued an order that all clan members above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining must participate in a trial within two years, barring special circumstances. Please ask Fifteenth Grandfather to lead the mission; we will clear the outskirts of the Luoyun Mountain Range and, incidentally, forge a safe passage to Golden Horn Mountain.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I will arrange this matter later,¡± Lin Shihua nodded in response.


    ¡°Then, Twelfth Grandpa is busy, Tianming will take his leave first.¡± Lin Tianming stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and walked out of the Elders¡¯ Council Hall.


    After leaving the Elders¡¯ Council Hall, Lin Tianming walked on the paths of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    It was exactly noon, and a large number of clan members were bustling between various clan institutions, making the clan¡¯s atmosphere seem very lively.


    At that moment, a voice came from behind.


    ...


    He turned his head to see Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong approaching him side by side, greeting him from a distance away.


    Lin Tianming returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute and immediately asked, ¡°Big brother, second brother, what brings you here?¡±


    Excited after returning from Qianchuan Market, Lin Tianfeng spoke, ¡°The two of us are preparing to exchange for some treasures at the Hall of Merit and then enter seclusion to cultivate for a while.¡±


    Hearing this, it seemed the two brothers were not here to find him; it was merely a chance encounter.


    However, thinking of the trial discussed with the Clan Leader, Lin Tianming mentioned the matter to them. After all, they would soon be informed and needed to participate in this trial.


    After a short while, Lin Tianfeng and the others nodded. They naturally had no objections to the clan¡¯s arrangements, nor did they dare to have any.


    ¡°Sixth brother, we¡¯ll participate in the first batch of the trial. Let us reunite in three months, hoping to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage after this trial,¡± Lin Tianfeng said.


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Lin Tianhong excitedly added, ¡°Yes, I wanted to consolidate my cultivation; this is a great opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ Use these next few months to prepare well. In three months, we will enter the mountains for the trial,¡± Lin Tianming said, and after bidding farewell to the two, he returned to his cave dwelling.


    Back in his cave dwelling, he went straight to the training room and began another session of seclusion, striving to further improve his cultivation.


    The next morning, notices were posted at the entrance of every clan institution.


    Crowds of clan members gathered to observe, and although the mountain trial wasn¡¯t directly relevant to cultivators below Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, it did not stop everyone from discussing it.


    Soon, the news of the clan organizing those above Ninth Layer of Qi Refining for the mountain trial spread throughout the clan, drawing a lot of attention.


    Aside from those in seclusion or not present in the clan, the rest of the clan was informed about the matter.


    Moreover, the members in seclusion would eventually learn about it, as there were still three months before the mountains were to be entered, and since the groups were being split into two waves, there was ample time to prepare.


    Meanwhile, those eligible for the trial rushed to the Hall of Merit to extensively prepare elixirs and talismans, readying themselves for departure at any moment.


    As for Lin Tianming, he was in seclusion in the training room, oblivious to these developments.


    Time flew by swiftly, and three months passed just like that.


    On this day, in the plaza in front of the clan gate, Lin Xingzhi stood at the forefront, his gaze sweeping over the gathered cultivators.


    At that moment, the plaza was filled with more than a dozen people. As the Enforcement Hall Master, Lin Xingzhi was also there with his Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage cultivation.


    Below him were Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong, as well as Lin Xingyu, who was also at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, totaling four clan members with that level of cultivation.


    And the remaining individuals, all at the Ninth Layer Qi Refining stage, were all backbone forces of the clan.


    Lin Xingzhi and the others struck up casual conversation, waiting for Lin Tianming¡¯s arrival.


    After a short while, Lin Tianming arrived via Sword Flight and landed beside Lin Xingzhi.


    After exchanging greetings, Lin Tianming said with a smile, ¡°Clan Uncle, long time no see, and now even you are participating!¡±


    ¡°Even though I serve as the Enforcement Hall Master, I still meet the requirements for this trial. It¡¯s a good opportunity to venture out in the trial and then return to the clan to seclude myself and impact the Foundation Establishment Stage!¡± responded Lin Xingzhi.


    Lin Tianming nodded, glanced at the nine people on the field, and said to Lin Xingzhi:


    ¡°Uncle, have all the clansmen for this training gathered?¡±


    Lin Xingzhi chuckled, and then responded, ¡°Fifteenth Uncle is still in secluded cultivation. We are the first group of clansmen to enter the mountain, and we have all assembled here. Another group of clansmen will be led by Fifteenth Uncle to replace us in half a year.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming nodded, no wonder Lin Xingcheng and Lin Xingshun, and the others with Great Perfection cultivation weren¡¯t seen.


    After scanning the crowd of clansmen, Lin Tianming suddenly spoke up:


    ¡°This mountain training will last for half a year; the purpose needs no further explanation. Everyone here is the backbone of the family. I hope you seize this opportunity to temper yourselves, so that upon returning to the clan, you can breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage at the earliest.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s set off!¡±


    Lin Tianming waved his hand and stepped past the Protective Clan Formation, followed by a crowd of clansmen who promptly disappeared from the spot.


    Once out of the Protective Clan Formation, Lin Tianming released the Purple Gold Eagle, leading everyone towards the bordering Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, fierce winds howled past their ears, and the rivers and valleys behind them gradually receded into the distance. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The group sat together, discussing matters related to their training.


    Lin Tianming asked, ¡°Does anyone have any suggestions for this training?¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Xingzhi spoke up, ¡°For this training, the family hasn¡¯t set any particular goals. We will clear out the demonic beasts along the way towards Golden Horn Mountain, penetrating deeper into the mountain range according to our strength¡ªthere are no mandatory requirements.¡±


    ¡°We can infiltrate a few dozen miles into the interior, and then advance towards Golden Horn Mountain¡¯s direction. With our line-up, and having Little Sixth Brother anchoring us, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult,¡± Lin Tianfeng said with a smile.


    After hearing the thoughts of the few, Lin Tianming chuckled and said, ¡°A few dozen miles¡­ let¡¯s see. If the demonic beasts are not too strong, even infiltrating two hundred miles shouldn¡¯t be a problem!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Xingzhi and the others had solemn expressions on their faces, seemingly apprehensive.


    Although the Luoyun Mountain Range isn¡¯t as vast as the Qianchuan Mountain Range, it still covers a thousand miles or so, and the core interior is home to a large number of Second Order demonic beasts¡ªits strength should not be underestimated.


    And Lin Tianming¡¯s words about infiltrating two hundred miles would nearly reach the territories of those Second Order Middle Stage demonic beasts.


    Considering this, Lin Xingzhi quickly said, ¡°Tianming, let¡¯s first test out the actual situation with the demonic beasts. If conditions allow, we still have no objections!¡±


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go see what we¡¯re up against first,¡± Lin Tianming replied.


    Seeing that Lin Tianming didn¡¯t insist, the others breathed a sigh of relief.


    After half a day, the Purple Gold Eagle with all the clansmen arrived in a valley.


    With the high-speed flight of the Purple Gold Eagle, coupled with the near-eradication of the outer demonic beasts, they didn¡¯t need to worry about danger and thus moved quickly. In just half a day, they had reached the borderline between the outer and inner areas of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Standing on top of a small hill, Lin Tianming took out a map to check their location with Lin Xingzhi.


    Behind them, Lin Tianfeng and the others were cleaning up the battlefield, taking down demon cores and useful materials from some First Order demonic beasts.


    This place bordered the inner region, and it was also the territory of a First Order demon beast tribe with just over twenty members and not particularly strong. He didn¡¯t even have to lift a finger, and his clansmen tackled them effortlessly.


    In no time, Lin Tianfeng and the others finished cleaning up the battlefield and gathered together.


    Looking at his excited companions, Lin Tianming then asked, ¡°How did the battle go, and how is everyone¡¯s condition?¡±


    Lin Tianfeng, energized, began reporting the results. ¡°All twenty-seven First Order demonic beasts have been slaughtered, including four at the First Order Late Stage, seven at the Middle Stage, and the rest were all at the Initial Phase!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming nodded, then instructed, ¡°Search their lair thoroughly but safely, heed no carelessness. After the cave is searched, we¡¯ll camp here for tonight. Tomorrow, we will infiltrate deeper into the mountain range!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Lin Tianfeng replied and led a few men deeper into the valley, leaving Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi standing there.


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 Chapter 318 - 205 Sword Venom Scorpion_1

    Chapter 318: Chapter 205 Sword Venom Scorpion_1


    The next morning,


    in the misty canyon, Lin Tianming and his clanspeople gathered together.


    After scouring the dens of the Demonic Beasts the previous day, they had acquired some Spiritual Medicine Materials. These were all rather common varieties, and the quantities were not significant; the harvest was quite average.


    The night passed peacefully, with no unexpected incidents.


    The clanspeople convened, and among them, Lin Tianming¡¯s seniority was not the highest, but his cultivation was. Everyone eagerly awaited his instructions.


    As the leader of this expedition, Lin Tianming scanned the crowd and quickly made a decision¡ªto continue deeper into the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    ...


    After briefing the clanspeople, the group set off, swiftly making their way into the dense forests deep within the mountain range.


    The clanspeople moved swiftly¡ªevery one of them was at least at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. With Lin Tianming, who was at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, leading them, they felt much more assured and ventured on with few concerns.


    While the clanspeople were at ease, Lin Tianming dared not be careless; the Tiangang Sword was always in his hand, and his Divine Sense enveloped their surroundings, alert to any potential dangers.


    The group proceeded without incident, pushing deeper into the mountain ridges.


    Three days flew by in a flash.


    Over these few days, Lin Tianming and the others had traveled over a hundred miles, encountering only a lone Demonic Beast at the First Order Late Stage, which was swiftly slain by the group.


    Now, they arrived at a hill, where Lin Tianming stood on the summit, gazing thoughtfully at the dense mounds in the distance.


    ¡°Tianming, is there something moving?¡± Lin Xingzhi asked.


    After a moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s gaze shifted back, his expression somewhat solemn.


    ¡°Everyone, prepare for battle!¡±


    With that command, Lin Tianming immediately took out fifty-six Earth Evil Swords and tossed them into the air. The swords quickly scattered, then disappeared underground.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s reaction and his verbal warning, Lin Xingzhi and others promptly got ready for combat.


    Just then, the ground began to tremble. Their expressions changed as they focused on the noise coming from ahead.


    Lin Tianming, who had been through numerous life-and-death battles, stayed calm. He pivoted, shielding his fellow clanspeople behind him, ready for the appearance of the Demonic Beasts.


    In no time, dust kicked up into the air.


    Once the dust settled, the silhouettes of dozens of Demonic Beasts became visible as they converged, fixing their gaze on Lin Tianming and his companions, poised to attack at any moment.


    ¡°Scorpion Clan beasts!¡± Lin Tianfeng shouted.


    Surveying the scene, it was indeed a Scorpion Clan group, numbering over fifty, among which were two Second Order Initial Stage beasts, evidently a male and a female pair.


    Beyond them were more than ten First Order Late Stage beasts, and the rest were at the Initial Phase and Medium Stage¡ªhardly a threat.


    ¡°Leave those two Second Order beasts to me; eliminate the rest as quickly as you can!¡±


    After shouting his orders, Lin Tianming, gripping the Tiangang Sword, charged forth with the speed of an arrow. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the same time, Lin Xingzhi and Lin Tianfeng were the first to engage, unleashing a flurry of attacks and charging towards two First Order Late Stage Sword Venom Scorpions.


    Upon witnessing Lin Tianming and his kinsmen take action, the two Second Order Scorpions let out a shrill cry, wielding their giant pincers, and leaped a hundred yards towards Lin Tianming.


    Lin Tianming snorted coldly. His Tiangang Sword radiated a brilliant Spiritual Light, sending out streaks of Sword Qi at extreme speed, slashing towards the Scorpions.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The Scorpions hastily dodged the attack and then swiped their massive pincers towards Lin Tianming.


    Seeing the incoming giant pincers, Lin Tianming knew a direct hit could cause serious damage, even with his Dual Cultivation of Body and Law.


    Fortunately, the Scorpions weren¡¯t very fast, and their Second Order Initial Stage wasn¡¯t very high, making them not too difficult to dodge.


    Lin Tianming, unruffled, dodged and released multiple bursts of Sword Qi from his Tiangang Sword.


    This time, one Scorpion wasn¡¯t so lucky. Under the barrage of Qi, it failed to evade in time and was struck by a burst of Sword Qi on its tail.


    ¡°Crackle and pop¡­¡± A series of metallic clangs rang out as cracks formed on the Scorpion¡¯s black shell-tail.


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡± The Scorpion writhed in pain, wildly swinging its venomous tail spike like an invisible sword, stabbing towards Lin Tianming.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression turned grave. His attack failed to sever the Scorpion¡¯s not-so-large tail, which was somewhat unexpected.


    This was his first encounter with such a beast. Although he had heard of them and seen descriptions in books,


    after one exchange, it was clear their attack and defensive power were extremely strong, but their speed was a significant weakness.


    Now, as the Scorpion¡¯s venomous tail spike drew near, Lin Tianming opened his Eye of Five Colors, slowing the seemingly lightning-fast attack.


    Elated, Lin Tianming moved like the wind, effortlessly dodging the furious blow.


    But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the other Scorpion¡¯s attack promptly followed.


    Facing the fierce onslaught of the two Scorpions, with the help of the Eye of Five Colors, Lin Tianming became a blur, weaving between them.


    Meanwhile, he seized every opportunity to counterattack.


    At this time, the entire mound was under siege. Lin Tianming fought fiercely with the two Second Order Scorpions at the edge, with constant, thunderous blasts echoing as countless mounds were battered into a mess by their respective attacks.


    Not far from them, Lin Xingzhi and his fellow clansmen battled with the First Order Scorpions.


    Although the Scorpions had a numerical advantage, Lin Xingzhi and the others were not outmatched in cultivation. With experience in battle and strength nearly at the limit of the Qi Refinement Realm, they held their own.


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 Chapter 319 - 205 Sword Venom Scorpion_2

    Chapter 319: Chapter 205 Sword Venom Scorpion_2


    Under such circumstances, the Sword Venom Scorpions were being suppressed by them; the corpses of early to mid-stage Demonic Beasts lay scattered everywhere, with only a few mid-stage or higher beasts clinging to life thanks to their tough defensive carapaces.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming felt relieved. He no longer needed to split his focus on the clan members and could concentrate fully on dealing with the two Second Order Sword Venom Scorpions.


    After dodging another strike, the two Second Order Sword Venom Scorpions were squeezed together, getting closer and closer to the center of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    Perfect opportunity!


    Lin Tianming performed the hand seals, chanting under his breath.


    ¡°Earth Fiend Sword Formation, activate!¡±


    ...


    The Earth Evil Swords hidden beneath the ground shot into the sky, spinning rapidly in an exceedingly short amount of time.


    Quickly, the sword array was activated, and an invisible barrier enveloped the area within several hundred yards.


    At the moment the sword array was activated, a pressing feeling came over them, with copious amounts of Sword Qi roaming about. The two Sword Venom Scorpions seemed to realize that something was amiss and scrambled, in a panic, to escape the coverage of the sword array.


    Seeing this, how could Lin Tianming let them have their way?


    ¡°Tiangang Ninth Sword, third strike!¡±


    Lin Tianming thundered, the Tiangang Sword flew from his hand, carrying silvery-white light and shooting towards the Sword Venom Scorpions within the sword array.


    In an instant, the Tiangang Sword was already in front of the Sword Venom Scorpion.


    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    A loud noise erupted. In their panic, the Sword Venom Scorpions were too slow to evade, hampered by the constricting sensation of the sword array, and harassed by the Sword Qi within it, leaving them unable to dodge.


    The Tiangang Sword, carrying an earth-shattering momentum, directly struck the back of one of the Sword Venom Scorpions.


    With a wretched cry, the scorpion¡¯s back shell split open over a large area, exposing the flesh underneath.


    At this point, the Sword Venom Scorpion, struck by the Tiangang Sword, writhed painfully, severely injured but not yet dead.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming was overjoyed. This was the first time he used the third strike of the Tiangang Ninth Sword in combat, and the power of the three overlapping strikes was indeed fierce, causing severe damage to the defensively impressive Sword Venom Scorpion.


    The other Sword Venom Scorpion that had evaded the attack saw its companion severely wounded and immediately became enraged.


    It let out an angry hiss and then raised its terrifying stinger, spewing out a large amount of dark brown venom.


    As soon as the venom was released, a pungent, fishy smell spread, and the air itself seemed to corrode with a sizzling sound.


    For a creature like the Sword Venom Scorpion, its venom is the most dangerous weapon. If one were covered in its venom head-on, even cultivators at the Medium Stage of Foundation Establishment would be gravely injured, if not killed.


    Seeing the venom spurting towards him at a terrifying speed, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t dare to be careless.


    As he retreated explosively, he threw out a Second Order inferior-grade Defense Talisman, which after infusing it with Spiritual Power, rapidly turned into a light screen in front of him.


    In the blink of an eye, the dark brown venom came into contact with the light screen.


    ¡°Sizzle sizzle sizzle¡­¡±


    A series of harsh sounds echoed. The light screen instantly burst into flames and could only hold for a brief moment before the venom corroded it into a puff of black smoke that dissipated between heaven and earth.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s eyebrows were tightly knit, not expecting the venom to be so terrifying that a Second Order inferior-grade talisman was so easily destroyed.


    Facing the continuing onslaught of venom, he quickly brought out the Green Scale Shield in front of him.


    In that instant, a small amount of the venom splashed onto the Green Scale Shield causing more black smoke to billow, disappearing quickly.


    Fortunately, the Green Scale Shield blocked the horrific venom, but a small amount of venom still corroded a part of the shield, reducing its spirituality and thereby decreasing the shield¡¯s overall defensive power.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t have time to lament the damage to the Green Scale Shield; filled with anger, he once again unleashed the third strike of the Tiangang Ninth Sword.


    At the same time, with a pinch of his Law Decree, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation had shrunk to a range of a hundred yards. Inside, the Sword Qi was incredibly dense, and the barriers were exceptionally solid.


    Watching the sword qi roaming inside the formation becoming stronger and the even more terrifying Tiangang Sword assaulting, the trapped Sword Venom Scorpion frantically charged at the barriers of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, struggling desperately to break free.


    Regrettably, its strength was limited, and under such an overwhelming attack, any response was already too late.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    A loud explosion sounded as the Tiangang Sword directly struck the head of the Sword Venom Scorpion.


    A miserable scream was heard, and the scorpion¡¯s head instantly shattered. The Tiangang Sword had pierced through its head, and its three-zhang-long body fell to the ground. After a few instinctive twitches, there was no more movement; it was clearly killed by the Tiangang Sword.


    Seeing this, another Sword Venom Scorpion dead and one severely injured and deprived of its fighting ability, the outcome of the battle was decided, and Lin Tianming¡¯s expression was filled with surprise and joy.


    Facing the only dying Sword Venom Scorpion left, he leaped forward, the Tiangang Sword in his hand piercing straight through the heavily injured scorpion, ending its life.


    Having dealt with the two Sword Venom Scorpions, he then turned his head to observe the battle of his clan members.


    At that moment, Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingzhi¡¯s First Order High-Grade Spiritual Artifacts in their hands burst forth with powerful Sword Qi, stirring up dust clouds and alternating flashes of firelight and the sounds of explosions.


    The Lin Family members held an absolute advantage, with many of the low-order Monster Beasts already dead. The Scorpion Clan was already no match for the power of the Lin Family, and now they were in even more of a retreat, likely unable to hold out much longer before being completely annihilated.


    Lin Tianming stood on top of a mound, and although he had expended over half of his Spiritual Power, his own strength still peaked.


    He had no intention of joining the battle, as this trial was meant to temper his clan members. Besides, they held a definitive upper hand; steady and assured victory was just a matter of time as long as they eradicated the remaining members of the Scorpion Clan.


    In such a situation, he had no reason to intervene.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianfeng, seeing that the two Second Order Sword Venom Scorpions had been killed, was surprised and delighted, suddenly laughing heartily:


    ¡°Uncle Xingzhi, let¡¯s have a little competition to see who can end the battle faster, shall we?¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianfeng¡¯s words, Lin Xingzhi, after repelling a First Order Late Stage Sword Venom Scorpion with his sword, responded with a chuckle, ¡°Hehe¡­ you lad dare to challenge me, if you lose, you have to give me two jars of Jade Flower Brew!¡± Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Fine¡­ we¡¯ll bet two jars of Jade Flower Brew!¡±


    After Lin Tianfeng shouted, the Spirit Sword in his hand erupted with even more intense Spiritual Light, a shocking golden Sword Qi shot out, cutting towards the Sword Venom Scorpion in front of him.


    Seeing Lin Tianfeng going all out with his strongest Divine Skill, Lin Xingzhi did not show weakness either.


    He poured a massive amount of Spiritual Power into his Spirit Sword, causing his First Order High-Grade Spiritual Artifact to burst with Spiritual Light, unleashing countless tiny silvery Sword Qi projectiles, bombarding his targeted Sword Venom Scorpion.


    Lin Tianming, watching the battle from the side, judged their strength.


    ¡°Uncle Xingzhi, who has reached the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage longer, has had two more years of experience. Plus, he has been battle-hardened and shone brilliantly in the great battle at Luoyun Mountain. He should be the first to finish the battle!¡± Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    Sure enough, as his mind returned to the present, Lin Xingzhi¡¯s Sword Qi struck the head of the Sword Venom Scorpion.


    A metallic clash resonated, followed by a scream.


    The head of the Sword Venom Scorpion hit by Lin Xingzhi¡¯s Sword Qi shattered, with copious amounts of blood and dark brown fluids spewing out, the mixture immediately corroding the mound beneath the beast into a deep pit.


    Meanwhile, the scorpion twitched a few times and then laid still, evidently dead from Lin Xingzhi¡¯s attack.


    On the other side, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s attack struck the Sword Venom Scorpion at the same time.


    However, the outcomes were different. The carapace on the back of the scorpion struck by Lin Tianfeng broke apart, exposing the internal organs, and it struggled on the ground without dying immediately.


    With this, the difference between their strikes was clear.


    ¡°Haha¡­ Tianfeng, you better not back out!¡± Lin Xingzhi shouted excitedly.


    ¡°I, Tianfeng, a man of my word, will accept the loss!¡±


    After replying, Lin Tianfeng swung his Spirit Sword once more, bringing an end to the life of the injured Sword Venom Scorpion.


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 Chapter 320 - 206 Qilin Beast_1

    Chapter 320: Chapter 206 Qilin Beast_1


    Lin Tianming stared at the battlefield of his fellow clansmen, as Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingzhi finished their battle, the entire Sword Venom Scorpion Clan was already at the end of its road.


    ¡°Tianfeng, quickly help our clansmen finish the battle!¡±


    After Lin Xingzhi shouted, he pounced toward the remaining Sword Venom Scorpions like a tiger descending the mountain.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianfeng was not to be outdone, and with a wild laugh, he too joined the fray.


    With the addition of Lin Tianfeng and another, what was already a winning situation for Lin Tianhong and the others became an overwhelming rout, encircling and slaughtering the remaining Sword Venom Scorpions.


    Fire soared to the sky amidst the mounds, screams mingled with the clanging of metal echoed forth.


    ...


    After the time it takes to brew a pot of tea passed, all movement stopped on the hills, signaling the end of the battle.


    Looking around, the hills were now riddled with holes¡ªmany of them caused by attacks from various Lingjian Spells, resulting in a lot of deep pits either blasted by Sword Qi or corroded into existence by the venom of the Sword Venom Scorpions.


    At this time, Lin Tianfeng and the excited clansmen gathered around Lin Tianming.


    Seeing that everyone had finished the battle without major injuries¡ªonly Lin Tianhong and Lin Xingxiao looked a bit pale, but they appeared to be alright¡ªLin Tianming swept his gaze over the people and carelessly asked out of concern, ¡°The battle is over, did anyone get hurt?¡±


    Lin Tianhong took out a Consolidating Essence Pill and swallowed it before replying, ¡°The venom of those Sword Venom Scorpions is quite tricky, barely a touch and it corroded a small part of my arm. But it¡¯s not serious, I only need a few days of rest to recover!¡±


    No sooner had his words fallen than Lin Xingxiao spoke, ¡°Tianhong and I have similar injuries, just some minor ones. It won¡¯t take long to recover!¡±


    After Lin Tianhong and the other had spoken, the rest remained silent, clearly indicating that they were uninjured.


    Lin Tianming nodded, approving of his clansmen¡¯s performance, and then ordered, ¡°Everyone, quickly clean up the battlefield. After that, find their nests, collect all the treasures, and then we can rest here overnight!¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ let¡¯s be swift and avoid wasting time!¡± Lin Xingzhi followed up right after speaking and took some people with him to collect the corpses of the demonic beasts.


    Seeing everyone busily getting to work in their excitement, Lin Tianming headed toward the two Second Order Sword Venom Scorpions he had killed.


    Arriving beside a Second Order Sword Venom Scorpion, he swung his Tiangang Sword, extracted the demon beast¡¯s inner pill, and then easily sliced off the creature¡¯s shell to store in his storage bag.


    Every part of this Sword Venom Scorpion was treasure; its shell was extremely tough and could serve as a main material, combined with some Spirit Ore Stones to refine a shield.


    The other parts such as the venomous stings and pincers were also good Artifact Refining Materials, useful for making attack-type weapons.


    Soon, he had finished dissecting the corpse of a Second Order Sword Venom Scorpion, collecting all usable parts, including the soul and flesh, as they also contained a considerable amount of energy. Although cultivators couldn¡¯t consume it, the Purple Gold Eagle was not picky, and it would make a fine meal for it.


    After a quarter of an hour, the battlefield was cleansed. The ground was littered with the limbs of Sword Venom Scorpions, mostly Low-order Monster Beast bodies, and numerous discarded items.


    At this time, every clansman was brimming with excitement; the spoils from this battle were not small. A clan of over fifty Sword Venom Scorpions could fetch a good number of Spirit Stones from just their corpses, not to mention their yet-to-be-collected nests.


    With the thought of the Sword Venom Scorpion Clan¡¯s nests, Lin Tianming wore an expectant look and led several people in the direction the demonic beasts had come from.


    In a short time, they arrived at a place crisscrossed with ravines.


    Looking around at the edge of the ravine, there were many holes of varying sizes, scattered in every direction with nearly a hundred in number.


    From the aura emanating above and the size of these caves, they were positive these were the nests of the Sword Venom Scorpions.


    Lin Tianfeng and the others couldn¡¯t contain their excitement, showing eagerness to begin. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking into the unfathomable caves, Lin Tianming deployed his Divine Sense to scan the area and detected nothing unusual.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already checked, there¡¯s no danger in the ravines, but as for inside the caves, that¡¯s unknown. Everyone split up into pairs, stay alert, and go gather the treasures inside!¡±


    After Lin Tianming gave the command, Lin Xingzhi and the others nodded in acknowledgment and quickly formed four teams.


    Lin Xingzhi and four other Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage clansmen each took a Ninth Layer of Qi Refining clansman; the one extra person was allocated to Lin Tianhong¡¯s team.


    After all, it was obvious that Lin Tianhong¡¯s strength was somewhat weaker after the group battle. Having an extra person on his team meant their overall strength improved, nearly matching the other three teams.


    Following their descent into the ravine, Lin Tianming also jumped down, heading straight for the two largest caves.


    Entering one of the caves, Lin Tianming carefully proceeded deeper, his Tiangang Sword in hand.


    Soon, he reached the end and found several stalks of Second Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, all of fairly good quality.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming remained calm. Although he didn¡¯t find anything of high value, the discovery was still satisfying.


    He quickly collected the Spiritual Medicine Materials and then moved on to another cave.


    The second cave was the same, containing several stalks of the same variety of Spiritual Medicine Materials and nothing else.


    Not discouraged by this, Lin Tianming pressed on. After all, the Sword Venom Scorpion Clan¡¯s strength was limited. The two highest-ranked demonic beasts were only at the Second Order Initial Stage and were unlikely to possess any remarkable treasures.


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 Chapter 321 - 206 Qilin Beast_2

    Chapter 321: Chapter 206 Qilin Beast_2


    He finished collecting the spiritual medicine materials within the two caves and, instead of exploring the empty ones, he patiently waited for his clan members, leaving the opportunities to them.


    Half an hour later, his clan members had collected everything from all the caves and gathered around Lin Tianming, reporting their individual findings.


    After the clan members¡¯ reports, they had found over twenty Second Order spiritual medicine materials, along with some seedlings, which were estimated to be exchangeable for over three thousand spirit stones.


    Such a haul, along with the demonic beast corpses, was indeed very satisfying.


    Lin Xingzhi and the other clan members were extremely content, their faces brimming with hearty smiles. Influenced by them, Lin Tianming was equally excited.


    After a casual chat with his clan members, Lin Xingzhi inquired about their next move, the most important of which was whether to continue delving deeper.


    ...


    Lin Tianming took a moment to think, considering they had already encountered such a large Sword Venom Scorpion clan. If they continued further, it was quite possible they might run into a Second Order Middle Stage demon beast tribe. If the tribe was too large, with too many Second Order demonic beasts, it might lead to casualties among the clan members.


    Keeping these things in mind, and for the safety of his clan members, he decided not to venture deeper.


    Regaining his focus, Lin Tianming said, ¡°For the sake of safety, let¡¯s not go any deeper. There should be no danger here, so let¡¯s rest for a few days before continuing northward in search of greater gains!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xingzhi and the others nodded in agreement. They tended to be conservative by nature, so since Lin Tianming decided to stop while ahead, naturally, they had no objections.


    The group then sought out a quiet and hidden place to create several temporary cave abodes for a brief rest.


    Although the Sword Venom Scorpion clan in the vicinity had been completely killed off, leaving a vast territory of over a hundred yards in diameter without any obvious danger, the clan members still did not dare to let their guard down. They took turns assigning a member to guard day and night, so they could sound an alarm at the first sign of danger.


    Inside one of the secret chambers, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged, his hands forming the gesture of holding a treasure vase, and the steady sound of his breathing could be heard, signaling he had entered a deeply focused state of cultivation.


    Days of tranquil cultivation passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, several days had gone by.


    On this day, Lin Tianming¡¯s brief seclusion came to an end. He emerged from the secret chamber and gathered all his clan members together.


    After scanning everyone, Lin Tianhong and Lin Xingxiao, who had suffered some minor injuries, now had rosy complexions. After several days of recovery, they seemed to be out of danger.


    Seeing their condition, Lin Tianming asked about their state, and only after confirming that both were indeed at their peak did he feel at ease.


    As the leader of this expedition, he had the responsibility to bring the clan members back to their family safely. If anyone were gravely injured or fell in this place, the leader of the Monster Hunting Squad could not shirk the blame.


    Therefore, he was always on edge, cautious about making any risky moves, prioritizing safety over all else. After all, the clan had ample time to develop and further exploit these potential resources.


    Having discussed with his clan members, he decided to lead them north, methodically killing off any demonic beasts they were capable of handling, and avoiding the territories of any more powerful beasts, leaving them to be dealt with later when they could gather more of their people.


    Having made up their mind, the group of clan members bid farewell to the land and resumed their journey.


    Time flew, and months passed in the blink of an eye.


    During these months, Lin Tianming and his clan members lived a life of sleeping rough, exploring northward during the day and searching for Heaven and Earth spiritual treasures, and for safety, creating temporary cave abodes to rest at night.


    They did not have an easy time during this period either, having endured over a dozen large and small battles, with a fight breaking out every few days on average.


    The most heart-stopping battle they faced was against a powerful demon beast tribe, led by three Second Order Initial Stage demon beasts, supported by nearly a hundred First Order demonic beasts, and even included over a dozen First Order Late Stage beasts.


    This formidable demon beast tribe forced Lin Xingzhi and the Qi Refining clansmen to use all their techniques. Lin Tianhong and several other clan members all sustained various injuries, with Lin Tianhong suffering severe wounds that required nearly half a month to recover eighty percent of his strength.


    The other members also had significant injuries, but despite the ferocity and frequency of these battles, Lin Tianming and his people gained a lot.


    Throughout these months, they had accumulated a considerable amount of demonic beast corpses, spiritual medicine materials, and various low-grade spirit ores.


    A preliminary estimation showed that this massive wealth was worth at least seventy to eighty thousand spirit stones.


    During this period, Lin Tianming led his clanspeople in a frenzied hunt of demonic beasts, advancing more than two and a half thousand six hundred li toward the north in the direction of Golden Horn Mountain. Amidst such fervent warfare, the entire clan¡¯s combat experience rapidly improved.


    Lin Tianming himself also worked hard to refine his divine skills. He could now cast the Earth Fiend Sword Formation and the Tiangang Ninth Sword instantly, and their power had significantly increased.


    The effort yielded rich rewards. He felt that the Earth Fiend Sword Formation was about to break through to the Great Achievement Realm, at which time its power would become even more formidable and stable, further enhancing his strength.


    In terms of the spoils, as the team leader, Lin Tianming played an essential role in the entire Monster Hunting Squad and thus rightfully claimed more than thirty percent of all the treasures, at the very least receiving no less than twenty thousand spirit stones worth of loot.


    The remaining clanspeople shared the other seventy percent, with each person also reaping several thousand spirit stones, which could be considered a bountiful harvest.


    That day, Lin Tianming and others found themselves in a mountain valley.


    Standing atop the mountain and looking around, they saw a canyon filled with huge boulders, surrounded by towering trees. A thick mist pervaded the area, so dense that even the midday sun couldn¡¯t penetrate it, and even divine sense was greatly affected.


    With Lin Tianming¡¯s Third Level of Foundation Establishment and divine sense far stronger than cultivators of the same level, he could only cover a few li in radius. Lin Xingzhi and the others were probably even more heavily affected, considering it quite remarkable to cover a single li.


    A valley as strange as this was clearly a haven for demonic beasts, a territory where human cultivators dared not tread lightly.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression was grave, sensing danger in this unfamiliar and unknown canyon.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s solemn expression, and knowing him well, Lin Xingzhi and the others immediately tensed up.


    Lin Xingzhi took a deep breath, calming himself first as a battle-hardened veteran, ¡°Tianming, I feel a chill here that¡¯s eerily uncomfortable, as if it¡¯s unnaturally affecting the body!¡±


    ¡°Yes, this place gives off an incredibly strange feeling; it must be extremely dangerous!¡± Lin Tianfeng added.


    Hearing what they said, Lin Tianming collected his thoughts and then spoke, ¡°This place is too unusual. I sense a crisis. Let¡¯s quickly retreat several ten li to avoid this area for now!¡±


    No sooner had his words fallen than, just as they were preparing to turn and leave, the valley was rocked by tremors, followed by sounds akin to a thundering stampede.


    ¡°Thud thud¡­ thud thud thud¡­¡±


    The noise drew closer, growing louder, and a powerful blast of air swept over them.


    Although it was not yet clear what kind of formidable demonic beast tribe was inside the canyon, judging from the momentum and sound, this tribe was definitely not an easy adversary.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s face drastically changed, and he cried out in alarm.


    ¡°Not good, this is clearly the sound of footsteps from overly large demonic beasts running, and there¡¯s a huge number of them!¡±


    ¡°We need to retreat quickly!¡±


    In the instant after alerting everyone, Lin Tianming waved his hand and launched a gust, propelling the Qi Refining clanspeople nearly a hundred zhang away.


    With the boost from the gust, Lin Xingzhi and the others¡¯ escape speed increased greatly, turning into a blur as they shot back in the direction they had come from.


    At the same time, he waved his hand, releasing two lower Second Order and one medium Second Order attack talisman paper. They turned into a rain of swords that poured down toward the misty canyon. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having done all this, he fled without looking back, with no hint of reluctance.


    Just then, behind him, a burst of fire lit up the sky in the valley, accompanied by a series of continuous sounds and a few sparse cries of agony.


    However, before the clanspeople had scattered even several hundred zhang away, numerous demonic beasts began to emerge out of the mists.


    Lin Tianming glanced back slightly, and his face immediately turned pale.


    He exclaimed in shock, ¡°Qilin Beast!¡±


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 Chapter 322 - 207: The Mighty Qilin Beast_1

    Chapter 322: Chapter 207: The Mighty Qilin Beast_1


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s cry of alarm, Lin Xingzhi and all the clan members turned back, spotting the Qilin Beast Horde whose numbers far surpassed any they had encountered before.


    Not only that, but the overall strength of this Qilin Beast Horde was also a whole tier stronger than any Demon Beast Tribe they had previously met. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Faced with such a terrifying Demon Beast Tribe, everyone¡¯s face turned pale instantly.


    At the moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s face was also grim, and as he forced himself to stay calm, he shielded his clanspeople behind him while thinking of a strategy to escape.


    However, the Qilin Beasts did not give him any time to react. After pausing for just a moment, they launched an attack as if wanting to test their strength.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming shouted, ¡°The Qilin Beasts¡¯ speed is incredibly fast, we can¡¯t safely escape unless we kill or severely injure them. All clanspeople prepare for a fight to the death.¡±


    ...


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, Lin Xingzhi and the others were well aware that what he said was true.


    The Qilin Beasts were descendants of Ancient Exotic Beasts, with extremely powerful divine skills, and their speed was among the top within the Demon Beast Race. Considering Lin Tianming¡¯s cultivation, leading all Qi Refining Clanspeople to retreat safely was almost a certainty of death.


    If they faced other Demon Beasts with ordinary talents and fewer in number, they certainly would not be so shocked.


    As such, encountering such a powerful Qilin Beast Horde and simply running away would put them at a disadvantage, causing the group to fall apart.


    Since the battle was inevitable, their only option was to give it their all and fight for a slim chance of survival.


    Thinking of these, Lin Xingzhi and the other clan members had solemn expressions, immediately preparing themselves for a fight to the death.


    Seeing this situation, Lin Tianming felt heartened.


    Including himself, after such a long period of hardship, all the clan members had greatly improved their combat experience. They understood that the current situation was not in their favor, they were prepared to fall there, and they had the courage of a last stand.


    The bigger reason for deciding to fight to the death was that he had many aces up his sleeve, including the many Second Order talisman paper he had purchased from the Sky Dragon Pavilion. The power of the Fake Golden Core Talisman had yet to be revealed, but it was expected to be formidable.


    In addition, the Silver-White Sword Qi that had been nurtured by the Great Sun Sword Qi Art for a few years would also be quite powerful once unleashed.


    And these methods unknown to others were his biggest confidence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take on those three Second Order Qilin Beasts, you all cooperate with the Purple Gold Eagle and quickly injure the First Order Demon Beasts severely, then spare some people to help me!¡±


    After Lin Tianming¡¯s shout, with a wave of his sleeve robe, the Purple Gold Eagle appeared directly above Lin Xingzhi and the others.


    There was no time to hold back in the current situation, nine clanspeople facing nearly a hundred First Order Qilin Beasts was too much pressure, the Purple Gold Eagle had advanced to Second Order, although it might not be a match for a Medium Stage Second Order Qilin Beast, it could easily handle First Order Demon Beasts.


    No sooner had the Purple Gold Eagle appeared, it let out a sharp screech. Flapping its massive wings, it created gusts of wind and lunged directly towards several First Order Late Stage Qilin Beasts.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xingzhi and the others also made their moves, each picking varying amounts of First Order Demon Beasts as their opponents.


    In an instant, the entire canyon was filled with sparks and the deafening sounds of explosions came one after another.


    The intense battle grew fiercer and fiercer, but the key to this battle lay with Lin Tianming.


    If he couldn¡¯t hold off the attack from the three Medium Stage Second Order Qilin Beasts, even if Lin Xingzhi and the others killed all the First Order Demon Beast Tribe, they still could not change the outcome.


    At this time, in a corner of the canyon, Lin Tianming had already engaged fiercely with three Second Order Qilin Beasts.


    Fifty-six Earth Evil Swords hung above his head, rotating a few times before scattering like flowers thrown by heavenly fairies, finally plunging into the ground and disappearing from sight.


    Having set up the Earth Fiend Sword Formation in advance, he did not immediately activate it, because he was well aware that relying on the Earth Fiend Sword Formation to trap Medium Stage Second Order Qilin Beasts was too unrealistic when they were prepared.


    The Qilin Beasts, seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s actions, retreated about a dozen yards, seemingly slightly afraid, but since they did not feel any fluctuations, they began to surround him again.


    After a brief probe, the Qilin Beasts seemed to understand the overall strength of Lin Tianming and the others; they moved again, and their attack became even more powerful.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression was calm, he pinched his Law Decree, pouring a large amount of Spiritual Power into the Tiangang Sword in his hand, which then erupted with numerous powerful Silver-White Sword Qi.


    The terrifying Sword Qi appeared, evaporating a portion of the surrounding mist and, after lingering for an instant, shot toward the Qilin Beasts.


    Simultaneously, he also unleashed the Thousand Beast Banner. With over five months of training, the Thousand Beast Chess had gained the Souls of more than ten Second Order Monster Beasts, with innumerable First Order Monster Beast Souls, further enhancing the power of the Thousand Beast Banner.


    When the black fog released from the Thousand Beast Banner covered a large area, filled with numerous raging Monster Beast Souls, it assaulted the Qilin Beasts in a frenzy.


    The Qilin Beasts, seeing the ceaseless Sword Qi and the vicious Monster Beast Souls coming, spat out a great number of light orbs, crashing into the Silver-White Sword Qi and Monster Beast Souls.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom¡­¡±


    A series of earth-shattering noises resounded, as numerous towering trees fell in response, smashing into the ground and creating deep pits.


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 Chapter 323 - 207: The Mighty Qilin Beast_2

    Chapter 323: Chapter 207: The Mighty Qilin Beast_2


    The silver-white Sword Qi collided with the light orbs spat out by the Qilin Beast, creating an explosive noise that mingled with the sound of falling trees and shattering boulders, forming a sort of symphony that sounded quite peculiar and wonderful.


    Little did one know, behind these seemingly wonderful sounds, was a heart-stopping scene.


    After several rounds of fierce combat, the silver-white Sword Qi was completely exhausted, and a large number of First Order Monster Beast Souls were reduced to ash, dissipating into the atmosphere.


    In the ferocious battle, the Qilin Beast truly had an extraordinary talent; its strength was beyond imagination. Despite Lin Tianming unleashing a plethora of techniques, he still found himself at a disadvantage.


    At this moment, his spiritual power was depleting at a rate visible to the naked eye, and with every exchange, the formidable impact would cause internal injuries to his organs, and wounds covered his entire body.


    If it weren¡¯t for his reliance on the Eye of Five Colors to dodge most of the attacks, and his dual cultivation of body and law which far surpassed fellow cultivators of the same rank, any ordinary Foundation Establishment Fifth Level cultivator would have likely fallen prey to the demonic beasts, leaving not even bones behind.


    ...


    After another round of exchange, Lin Tianming retreated a hundred zhang backwards, his expression growing even graver as he looked around at the several agitated Qilin Beasts.


    ¡°It seems I was too optimistic, having underestimated the strength of this Qilin Beast horde!¡±


    ¡°This won¡¯t do¡­ if the battle continues in this manner, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t last much longer. The situation is critical, and there¡¯s no room for holding back!¡±


    Lin Tianming thought to himself, and immediately, several Second Order Talismans appeared in his hand, including two Second Order Superior Attack Talismans.


    Without time to feel distressed, he formed a Law Decree with his fingers, and without hesitation, activated several Second Order Talismans.


    Instantly, the two Second Order Superior Attack Talismans shone brightly and, in a very short period, they conjured up a golden Sword Qi and a huge red fireball.


    Now, as the two Second Order Superior Attack Talismans were activated, the originally cold temperature within the canyon rose slightly.


    Looking up at the two formidable attacks, Lin Tianming was quite satisfied and muttered to himself, ¡°That¡¯s thousands of spirit stones worth of attack; it better not disappoint me!¡±


    ¡°Vajra Sword Talisman¡­ Heaven-burning Flame Talisman¡­ go¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming chanted under his breath as the two attacks split the sky, hurtling towards the Qilin Beasts at a terrifying speed.


    Seeing the terrifying golden Sword Qi and the massive fireball coming their way, three Qilin Beasts let out a piercing scream, then quickly shuffled their feet, trying to dodge the horrifying attacks.


    Their speed was fast, their huge bodies unexpectedly agile, but the speed of the Second Order Superior Attack Talismans was even faster; in an instant, they were already before the beasts.


    Realizing they could not escape the incoming attack, the Qilin Beasts reacted quickly, spewing out a large number of orbs that looked rather like ice but contained powerful energy within.


    ¡°The Qilin Beasts¡¯ Innate Divine Ability!¡± Lin Tianming observed the incredibly powerful orbs, his expression extremely grave.


    ¡°Bang bang bang¡­¡± A continuous barrage of thunderous noises erupted.


    The golden Sword Qi and massive fireball collided with the orbs, their explosion generating powerful shockwaves that broke off the towering trees in the canyon at their bases, and even the ancient boulders weathered by countless years of wind and rain were shaken into rubble. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianming, too, was knocked back tens of zhang, his blood churning within him. As he steadied himself, he couldn¡¯t help but spew out a mouthful of fresh blood, his complexion turning even paler.


    The power of the Second Order Superior Talismans was indeed formidable. The golden Sword Qi and massive fireball broke through many of the orbs, and although they consumed most of their energy, a small part of their attacking force remained.


    At this time, both the golden Sword Qi and the massive fireball had weakened significantly, their sizes much reduced. However, the remaining energy was still strong, pouring down onto the two Qilin Beasts.


    Two of the three Qilin Beasts were locked onto by the attack and had no chance left to evade.


    In their panic, the golden Sword Qi and the massive fireball arrived as expected, one striking the back of a Qilin Beast, the other the leg of another.


    ¡°Ao ao ao¡­¡±


    Two of the qilin beasts that were hit let out agonized screams, and the one that escaped injury also cried out, as if calling for its companions.


    As the dust and flames dissipated, three qilin beasts revealed themselves. One qilin beast had lost a leg, while another had a charred patch on its back, with a blood hole as large as a bucket caused by the fireball¡¯s impact.


    However, the bucket-sized blood hole didn¡¯t seem severe on the large body of the qilin beast; it still appeared vigorous, only its breath was slightly weaker.


    At this moment, the three qilin beasts were incredibly angry, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws as if they wanted to tear Lin Tianming limb from limb.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression changed. He hadn¡¯t expected that after such a terrifying attack, the two qilin beasts would only suffer some moderate injuries.


    This showed how incredibly strong the vitality of these qilin beasts was.


    At this time, the three qilin beasts grouped together, growling while they glared at Lin Tianming with wary eyes.


    Just then, Lin Tianming cast the Law Decree with his hands, and channeled his spiritual power from within. The fifty-six Earth Evil Swords hidden underground suddenly burst forth, encircling the three qilin beasts in a frenzy, covering an area of over a thousand yards.


    Feeling the oppression from the sudden activation of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, as well as the Sword Qi roaming within, the qilin beasts, whose souls were known for their fearlessness in the face of death, suddenly sensed a threat of death.


    Their spirit wisdom was slightly higher than that of other demonic beasts. Instinctively, they clumped together and fiercely rammed into one of the barricades of the Sword Array.


    Seeing the qilin beasts¡¯ frenzied actions, Lin Tianming¡¯s face paled. He immediately infused a massive amount of spiritual power, controlling the Sword Array firmly, hoping to trap them.


    After all, for the qilin beasts, known for their incredibly fast speed, the Sword Array was an essential tactic. It could effectively counter the qilin beasts¡¯ strengths. As long as they couldn¡¯t escape, his attacks would hit their mark, and he could thus turn defeat into victory.


    Otherwise, no matter how powerful the attack, if they dodged it, it would be a completely ineffective maneuver and a waste of opportunity and spiritual power.


    Hence, there was absolutely no room for failure with the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming brought his palms together, his spiritual power running in overload. Not content with just that, he spat out several mouthfuls of his essence blood onto the barricade of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    As the fresh blood entered the light screen of the sword array, the originally invisible screen suddenly flashed brightly, its spirituality greatly increased, and the entire Earth Fiend Sword Formation became more stable.


    Meanwhile, the qilin beasts were navigating within the Earth Fiend Sword Formation. Given their terrifying speed, the roaming Sword Qi could hardly deal any substantial damage. As for the bites of the Second Order demonic beast souls, their numbers had greatly reduced, making their attacks feel like mere tickling.


    Soon, they collided with the Sword Array barricade.


    ¡°Bang Bang Bang¡­¡±


    Three consecutive loud impacts echoed. The uninjured qilin beast was the first to crash against the barricade, followed by the one with a wound on its back, and lastly, the beast with a severed leg, obviously impeded by its injury.


    When the first crash sounded, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation¡¯s barrier shook due to the strong impact force of the qilin beast, while the subsequent two collisions were clearly weaker.


    However, with these continuous impacts, the barrier of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation was wavering, on the verge of shattering.


    Hit by the strong backlash from the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, Lin Tianming turned extremely pale, unable to help spurting out several mouthfuls of blood, his internal organs nearly shifting out of place.


    Taking advantage of the qilin beasts¡¯ reformation to ram the Sword Array¡¯s barricade again, Lin Tianming gathered his will to steady the Sword Array while releasing the Tiangang Sword from his hand.


    ¡°Tiangang Ninth Sword, the third strike¡­ Exterminate!¡±


    As the Tiangang Sword shot out, it sliced directly toward the qilin beast with a severed leg, aiming to momentarily halt the beast¡¯s frenzied ramming or even kill it, easing the pressure on him significantly.


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 Chapter 324 - 208: Fierce Battle, Great Achievement of the Sword Array_1

    Chapter 324: Chapter 208: Fierce Battle, Great Achievement of the Sword Array_1


    In an instant, the Tiangang Sword broke through the Sword Array Barricade, and under the cover of the black mist, it was just a whisper away from the Qilin Beast with the severed leg.


    Facing the sudden Tiangang Sword, the Qilin with the severed leg was thrown into a panic, its injury severely hindering its speed. Too late to dodge the attack, it was helpless to avoid it.


    In a flash, the Tiangang Sword cleaved directly onto the head of the injured Qilin Beast.


    A loud boom echoed as the Tiangang Sword struck precisely on the beast¡¯s head.


    ¡°Aow.¡±


    With a pained roar, the Qilin Beast¡¯s massive body swayed and finally collapsed to the ground, twitching occasionally. Although it didn¡¯t breathe its last, its fighting strength was utterly spent.


    ...


    At this moment, Lin Tianming lifted his eyes to the beast, seeing its massive head covered in blood, a grotesque wound so large it almost pierced through completely.


    The remaining two Qilin Beasts, seeing their companion incapacitated, for some reason became blood-red with rage and unbearably frenzied.


    They seemed to understand that if they didn¡¯t break through the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, the longer they dragged on, they too would share their companion¡¯s fate.


    The two Qilin Beasts spat out masses of light, bombarding the Sword Array Barricade, while their formidable bodies also charged towards the point of impact over and over.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming did not dare to be careless. Clenching his concentration, he stabilized the operation of the Sword Array. Then, the Tiangang Sword in his hand flew out again, slashing towards the Qilin with the back injury.


    Just then, the first Qilin Beast¡¯s body slammed into the Sword Array Barricade, quickly followed by its mountain-like body.


    ¡°Bang bang bang!¡± Series of loud noises continued to sound.


    The Sword Array shook violently, its barrier rapidly dimming and wavered treacherously before finally stabilizing with difficulty.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s eyes were wide with fear, hardly daring to breathe, forcibly suppressing the intense pain and the blood that had reached his mouth.


    Fortunately, the attack of the second Qilin Beast was interrupted by the projectile Tiangang Sword, otherwise another charge would have certainly shattered the Sword Array, and the situation would be far worse.


    But the current predicament was still far from optimistic for him. Lin Xingzhi and the others were also in dire straits; the clansmen were caught in hard battles and couldn¡¯t regroup to help him in the short term.


    With his Spiritual Power running low, unless he used the Fake Golden Core Talisman or relied on the remaining talismans and the Sword Qi formed by the Great Sun Sword Qi Art, if he could slay another Qilin Beast, he might bridge the gap between them. Otherwise, he saw no chance of reversing his fortunes.


    With these thoughts, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression turned unprecedentedly solemn, closely watching the Qilin Beast¡¯s every move.


    Before he could catch his breath, the two Qilin Beasts launched another attack, seemingly tireless.


    Lin Tianming could not afford to hold back, producing over ten Second Order talismans. Most of them were of medium and lower quality, with only one being a Second Order Superior Attack Talisman, the strongest method he had besides Spirit Art and the Fake Golden Core Talisman.


    Looking at the talismans, valued at nearly ten thousand Spirit Stones, he did not hesitate to activate the spell, turning all talismans into various Sword Qi and fireballs, launching them at the Qilin Beasts inside the Sword Array.


    ¡°Roar boom.¡± Explosions sounded.


    As far as the eye could see, the Sword Array was a sea of fire, with attacks filling every inch of space, leaving no escape for the two massive Qilin Beasts, which were entirely engulfed by the attacks unleashed by the Second Order talismans.


    Once the firelight dispersed, the figures of the two Qilin Beasts were revealed.


    At that point, the breaths of the two Qilin Beasts seemed weaker. The one with back injuries now had more and more blood holes, its injuries increasingly severe.


    The other, however, fared much better with only several wounds opening up, none of which were fatal.


    Seeing the vigorous figures of the two Qilin Beasts, Lin Tianming¡¯s face darkened, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel a tingling on his scalp.


    ¡°These two beasts are outrageously strong; no matter how much they¡¯re hit, they just won¡¯t die. This is preposterous,¡± Lin Tianming cursed inwardly, his face incredibly grim.


    Common Second Order Middle Stage demonic beasts would have perished under such intense bombardment, yet these three Qilin Beasts had rendered more than ten of his Second Order talismans useless. Even three High Quality Attack Talismans had only managed to injure them without taking their lives.


    He had never encountered such a situation before.


    Previously, while searching for Purple Yin Grass with Lin Shikang, he had witnessed the strength of a Second Order Late-Stage Demon Beast. Moreover, during his journey to the Secret Realm and battles with the Qingxu Snake Clan, he had also seen the might of the Green-Spotted Poison Python and the Second Order Dragon-Eyed Beast.


    With such experience, he considered himself battle-hardened and experienced.


    But the current Qilin Beasts were incredibly formidable, giving him the impression that even a common Seventh Level Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn¡¯t necessarily be a match for them.


    ¡°Do I really have to use the precious Fake Golden Core Talisman to overcome this difficulty?¡± Lin Tianming muttered to himself.


    At that moment, the two Qilin Beasts grew exceedingly furious, not giving him time to think.


    Roaring in rage, they charged again towards the barrack of the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    ¡°You vile beasts shall not escape!¡±


    Lin Tianming shouted, as the Tiangang Sword left his hand, unleashing the third strike of the Tiangang Ninth Sword at the more severely injured Qilin Beast.


    At the same time, he had to attend to the Earth Fiend Sword Formation. Even if he couldn¡¯t hold on, he had to delay as much as possible, waiting for Lin Xingzhi and the Purple Gold Eagle to come to his aid.


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 Chapter 325 - 208: Fierce Battle, Great Achievement of the Sword Array_2

    Chapter 325: Chapter 208: Fierce Battle, Great Achievement of the Sword Array_2


    ¡°Clang clang¡­¡± The Tiangang Sword repelled a Qilin Beast, forcing it back again.


    However, the bigger problem was the Qilin Beast that was not seriously injured. Its strength was clearly superior to the other two, evidently the leader of the Qilin Beast Horde, its power belonging to the top of the Second Order Middle Stage.


    This Qilin Beast recklessly charged at the Sword Array Barricade, and Lin Tianming, spitting out a mouthful of blood, strenuously stabilized the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, struggling hard to withstand the impact.


    At this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s face was pale, his body¡¯s Spiritual Power wildly circulated, bearing the brunt of the Qilin Beast¡¯s collision.


    The Qilin Beast would not give up easily, regrouping and charging at the Sword Array Barricade once more.


    Lin Tianming roared angrily, his hands forming seals, his mouth reciting a special Law Decree.


    ...


    Then, a majestic and chilling Sword Qi slowly appeared above his head, exuding an astonishing aura.


    ¡°Great Sun Sword Qi Art, annihilate!¡±


    Lin Tianming bellowed, his single hand furiously smashing down towards the injured Qilin Beast.


    The massive Sword Qi above his head shot out, directly striking the back of the injured Qilin Beast.


    The Qilin Beast let out a tragic cry, as the bloody hole on its back further widened, almost half of its body being sliced off by the Sword Qi, exposing its internal organs and presenting a very gruesome sight.


    It staggered a few steps before collapsing unwillingly, struggling on the ground.


    Seeing that this Qilin Beast was severely injured by the Spirit Art, breathing more out than in, and had completely lost fighting capability, Lin Tianming breathed a heavy sigh of relief.


    The Sword Qi that he had nurtured for several years indeed did not disappoint him with its displayed might.


    Meanwhile, inside the Sword Formation, the last Qilin Beast started to panic, its companions being consecutively heavily injured, shocking it greatly. The look in its eyes towards Lin Tianming was filled with fear.


    Seizing this gap, Lin Tianming quickly took out a Consolidating Essence Pill, swallowing it in one gulp, trying to recover some injuries and Spiritual Power as much as possible.


    Time was uncertain, and when the Qilin Beast regained its senses, it launched an attack, charging toward the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression turned grave, facing the tireless Qilin Beast, his situation growing increasingly difficult.


    Now with all his tactics used up, he only had one last Fake Golden Core Talisman, which he did not want to employ unless it was a life-and-death moment.


    Fortunately, the range covered by the Earth Fiend Sword Formation was shrinking, no longer as fragile as it was initially.


    Moreover, his own physique was strong, his injuries and Spiritual Power slowly recovering, and with only one Qilin Beast left, the threat was greatly reduced. If he really couldn¡¯t beat it, he would have no choice but to use the Fake Golden Core Talisman to eliminate it¡ªafter all, preserving his life was more important than anything else.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Tianming¡¯s eyes became resolute, watching the Qilin Beast drawing nearer, he circulated his Spiritual Power within his body, firmly controlling the Earth Fiend Sword Formation.


    ¡°Bang bang bang¡­¡±


    The Qilin Beast repeatedly crashed into the Sword Array Barricade, each collision firmly stabilized by the Sword Formation at the critical moment.


    At that time, it was like a tug-of-war, seeing who could persist longer.


    Then, Lin Tianming¡¯s face turned extremely pale; he clenched his teeth and persisted, his body¡¯s Spiritual Power operating to its limit, fighting desperately to survive.


    In the midst of this battle of attrition, Lin Tianming suddenly entered a state of trance-like emptiness.


    And he was completely unaware of it himself¡ªonly Lin Xingzhi and the others nearby noticed something special.


    At this moment, the Sword Qi within the formation moved faster, its power continuing to grow. Furthermore, the invisible light screen formed by the entire Earth Fiend Sword Formation occasionally flickered with Spiritual Light, looking as if its Spirituality had increased.


    The Qilin Beast also noticed the changes in the Sword Formation, becoming more frightened, crashing into it frantically, totally going all out to survive.


    ¡°Bang bang bang¡­¡±


    Its repeated impacts made the entire Earth Fiend Sword Formation as solid as a fortress, incomparable to its former self.


    Time passed, and Lin Tianming awoke from his empty state, feeling the changes in the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, his expression filled with joy, he immediately exclaimed. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Heavens truly favor me, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation has broken through to the Great Achievement realm!¡±


    He had been cultivating the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, this Divine Skill, for over ten years, having gone through more than a dozen heart-pounding battles. Up until now, he had always been stuck at the minor completion stage and had not managed to break through to the Great Achievement realm.


    Unexpectedly, on the brink of death and through a fortunate coincidence, he had successfully made a breakthrough!


    He laughed heartily, a hint of color returning to his pale face, as he simultaneously cast the Law Decree in his hand.


    ¡°Earth Fiend Sword Formation, slaughter!¡±


    Lin Tianming shouted loudly, and fifty-six Earth Evil Swords started to spin furiously, their speed increasing exponentially, creating cyclones sharp as ordinary blades that shredded the surrounding trees and rocks to pieces.


    Within the Sword Array, vast amounts of Sword Qi and Spiritual Light flared dramatically, as its power and speed continued to escalate, furiously slaughtering the Qilin Beast.


    Seeing its living space rapidly diminishing, and the terrifying Sword Qi weaving around, the Qilin Beast was struck with panic and struggled fiercely.


    Unfortunately, its efforts were ineffective.


    The Sword Qi, which had previously felt like mere tickles, had greatly increased in power. Each strike of the Sword Qi left a bloody wound on its body.


    The Qilin Beast howled miserably, while Lin Tianming showed no signs of relenting, controlling the Sword Array and slaughtering it madly.


    After more than a dozen breaths of time, as the Earth Fiend Sword Formation¡¯s range grew smaller, shrinking to less than a hundred yards, the pathetic cries inside also ceased.


    Lin Tianming let out a long sigh of relief and slumped to the ground, sitting heavily.


    Once the smoke and dust cleared, three massive Qilin Beast corpses lay inside, all of them breathless, utterly dead by his hand.


    The three corpses were riddled with injuries, drenched in blood, without a single spot intact, looking unspeakably pitiful.


    With the greatest threat eliminated, Lin Tianming then turned to check on the situation of his clansmen.


    At that time, the entire canyon was strewn with corpses, a complete mess; numerous giant trees had fallen, trenches had formed, and the battlefield resembled a hell on earth.


    Lin Xingzhi and the others, under the lead of the Purple Gold Eagle, had gained an absolute advantage. The First Order Initial Phase Qilin Beasts had been wiped out, and all that remained alive were those from the First Order Middle Stage and above.


    The Purple Gold Eagle flapped its wings, spewing out huge fireballs from its mouth, engulfing the two Second Order Late Stage Qilin Beasts ahead.


    After the blaze dissipated, the bloody Qilin Beasts were revealed. Lin Xingzhi and the others wielded their Spiritual Artifacts, unleashing a variety of attacks and completely annihilating the critically injured Second Order Late Stage Qilin Beasts.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming was excited. He was utterly exhausted, his Spiritual Power completely depleted, and he truly had no capacity left to fight.


    Fortunately, even if he could not act, his clansmen, under the leadership of the Purple Gold Eagle, would likely achieve victory.


    So there he sat on the ground, recovering his Spiritual Power, while observing the battle.


    ¡°Uncle Xingzhi, the Qilin Beasts possess powerful innate abilities and are very formidable. Now that all Second Order Late Stage Qilin Beasts are annihilated, see if you can subdue the ones in the First Order Middle Stage!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, Lin Xingzhi nodded and took the opportunity to reply during a lull in the battle.


    ¡°Okay¡­ There¡¯s no chance of subjugating Second Order Late Stage Qilin Beasts, but perhaps we can try with the First Order Middle Stage ones!¡±


    After replying, the Purple Gold Eagle overhead seemed to understand and dove from the sky. Its claws struck a Second Order Late Stage Qilin Beast with a thunderous blow.


    ¡°Clang, clang, clang¡­¡±


    The Qilin Beast struck by the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s claws howled in agony, its back instantly splitting open, flesh and skin flayed.


    The Purple Gold Eagle did not intend to spare it; its other claw struck like lightning, grabbing the beast¡¯s head and after a fierce struggle, the Qilin Beast was dead.


    At that moment, the Purple Gold Eagle was like a god of war, harvesting lives within the Qilin Beast Horde with its terrifying speed and powerful claws.


    By then, the Qilin Beast Horde was in total chaos; more than half of about a dozen Second Order Late Stage Qilin Beasts had perished, the number of Demonic Beasts drastically reduced to less than fifty.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xingzhi and his people were in high spirits, hitting even harder, and under the seamless cooperation with the Purple Gold Eagle, the entire Qilin Beast Horde was in retreat.


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 Chapter 326 - 209: Huge Harvest_1

    Chapter 326: Chapter 209: Huge Harvest_1


    Half an hour later, Lin Xingzhi, after slaying a Qilin Beast, withdrew from the battle group. The remaining twenty or so Qilin Beasts, being surrounded and attacked by Lin Tianfeng and others, were already sufficiently handled.


    Gasping for breath, he approached Lin Tianming, looking quite exhausted.


    Seeing Lin Xingzhi, Lin Tianming, having slightly recovered some spiritual power, stood up out of concern and courtesy, and asked,


    ¡°Uncle, are you hurt?¡±


    Lin Xingzhi responded with an understanding smile, his expression brimming with excitement. ¡°Just some minor injuries, they will heal in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Lin Tianming nodded, and the two shifted their gaze back to observe the ongoing battle.


    ...


    With the combined effort of Lin Tianfeng and the Purple Gold Eagle, they killed the last First Order Late Stage Qilin Beast, leaving over ten Qilin Beasts of the First Order Medium Stage.


    By then, the Purple Gold Eagle and Lin Tianfeng stopped taking action, and the group of Lin Family Members surrounded the ten or so Qilin Beasts, beginning to exert pressure.


    The Qilin Beasts that remained alive huddled together, glaring balefully at the surrounding Lin Family Members, their expressions actually quite enraged.


    Lin Tianming and one other walked over and stopped beside the Purple Gold Eagle, assessing these Qilin Beasts.


    This battle had indeed given them a hard time; nearly every clan member was injured, with two of them seriously so, requiring at least ten to fifteen days of closed-door healing to fully recover.


    And he himself, after fighting against three Second Order Middle Stage Qilin Beasts, was completely exhausted, with his life force depleted, spiritual power and divine sense greatly consumed, and injuries all over his body; he had almost exhausted all his techniques.


    If it wasn¡¯t for his array of techniques and trump cards, along with a breakthrough in the Earth Fiend Sword Formation at the critical moment, the outcome of this battle would still be uncertain.


    Looking at those frightened yet ferocious Qilin Beasts opposite them, all the people showed expressions of covetous longing.


    These Qilin Beasts had extraordinary talents, their skin tough and their meat thick, and both their speed and attack power were formidable. Their strength far surpassed that of other Demonic Beasts of the same order, and they had great potential for growth. If they had enough opportunities, it was not impossible for them to advance to Third Order.


    If the Lin Family could subdue some Qilin Beasts, they could be used to defend Green Bamboo Mountain. Furthermore, they could carry people and goods, allowing clan members traveling back and forth to Qianchuan Market to save a lot of time and spiritual power. The safety of short-distance travel would also greatly increase, which would bring many benefits.


    However, these Qilin Beasts were fierce and proud by nature; subduing them was not so simple.


    Regaining his focus, Lin Tianming¡¯s presence suddenly became formidable, pressing down like Mount Tai upon those Qilin Beasts.


    Feeling Lin Tianming¡¯s strong Foundation Establishment Stage pressure, all of the Qilin Beasts became frightened. They wanted to resist and struggle, but the pressure was too overpowering, on par with that of their leader.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s cultivation poured out, and his divine sense pierced into the sea of consciousness of all the Qilin Beasts, attempting to forcibly imprint the submission to the Lin Family.


    ¡°Submit to our Lin Family or die.¡±


    Soon, after a fierce struggle and resistance, all the Qilin Beasts went into a brief stupor, the scene of the battle between Lin Tianming and their leader echoing in their minds.


    Looking around, all the Qilin Beasts appeared pained, desperately enduring the pressure and the strong divine sense imprint within their sea of consciousness.


    After a few breaths, one Qilin Beast bled from the seven orifices and then collapsed, motionless.


    Following that, several more Qilin Beasts fell one after another, their deaths nearly identical to the first¡ªunable to withstand the strong pressure and divine sense, their souls were killed, and they bled from the seven orifices and died.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming somewhat relaxed, and the situation started to improve; otherwise, if all of the Qilin Beasts were to die, finding such a rare opportunity again would be difficult.


    A quarter of an hour passed, and Lin Tianming had been at a stalemate with the Qilin Beasts for quite some time.


    ¡°Submit to the Lin Family. With our clan¡¯s support, your achievements will definitely not be low, and we will treat you well. Submit.¡±


    The alluring voice of Lin Tianming echoed over and over again in the minds of all the Qilin Beasts.


    Finally, unable to resist the invasion of divine sense, one Qilin Beast folded its legs and prostrated itself on the ground. As it opened its sea of consciousness, Lin Tianming¡¯s divine sense directly invaded and swiftly imprinted his own divine sense imprint.


    Once the divine sense imprint was successfully inscribed, this Qilin Beast signaled its submission, and Lin Tianming then released it.


    With the first Qilin Beast submitting, and spurred on by Lin Tianming¡¯s tempting voice, successive Qilin Beasts opened their sea of consciousness and lay prostrate on the ground to signal their submission.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s expression lit up with joy. He hurriedly inscribed his divine sense imprint and planned to hand them over to the Clan Leader for arrangements once back with the clan.


    Half an hour later, the remaining Qilin Beasts had all submitted. Nine Qilin Beasts lay united on the ground, no longer bearing ferocious expressions.


    Seeing this, Lin Xingzhi and the others were overjoyed. With these Qilin Beasts, and given some opportunities, it was very possible for them to enter Second Order, which would significantly strengthen the clan¡¯s power.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that those Second Order Qilin Beasts couldn¡¯t be subdued, that would have been¡­¡± Lin Tianhong mumbled to himself softly. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing these words, Lin Tianming frowned and then spoke, ¡°Qilin Beasts are born with outstanding talents and extremely proud natures. Even these First Order Medium Stage Qilin Beasts have strong convictions to never submit, preferring to explode into death rather than yield. There¡¯s no need to even think about those in the First Order Late Stage or Second Order. Unless it is a Golden Elixir Expert, even Third Grandfather¡¯s cultivation might not be enough to subdue a First Order Late Stage Qilin Beast.¡±


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 Chapter 327 - 209 Enormous Harvest_2

    Chapter 327: Chapter 209 Enormous Harvest_2


    ¡°Yes, although First Order Demon Beasts are not highly intelligent, they are inherently fierce and explosive, and it is not so easy to force them into submission,¡± Lin Xingzhi added a sentence of agreement.


    Hearing what the two had said, the clanspeople all nodded their heads, taking these experiences to heart.


    Lin Tianming then proceeded to put the nine Qilin Beasts into the Spirit Beast Bag, which could just accommodate these Qilin Beasts, but the Purple Gold Eagle was too large to fit and could only follow beside them.


    Fortunately, after this battle, it wasn¡¯t long before the half-year period was up, they needed to explore the Qilin Beast¡¯s lair and recover from their injuries for a short time, so they wouldn¡¯t continue to head north for trials.


    In such a situation, keeping the Purple Gold Eagle by their side, with its alert nature and Second Order realm, was perfect for a guard duty.


    Lin Tianming, his spirits excited, swept his gaze over everyone before saying, ¡°Now that the crisis has been resolved, but danger still lurks at every moment, let¡¯s quickly clean up the battlefield, and then go scavenge the Qilin Beast¡¯s lair.¡±


    ...


    Upon hearing this, everyone had rosy complexions, the Qilin Beast Horde¡¯s strength was so formidable, and they were located at the border of Luoyun Mountain and Golden Horn Mountain, deep within the two mountain ranges¡ªsurely there would be some treasures that were rarely seen.


    Thinking of this, everyone could hardly contain their joy, and they began to tidy up the chaotic valley with swift and efficient movements.


    Lin Tianming also walked towards the corpses of the three Second Order Qilin Beasts, reaching the carcasses quickly.


    A quarter hour had passed since the three Second Order Qilin Beasts were slain, Lin Tianming had consumed too much spiritual power earlier and hadn¡¯t cleaned up the battlefield immediately, but now that the fight was over, it was naturally time to tidy up the battlefield without delay.


    Looking at the scars covering the bodies of the three Qilin Beasts, Lin Tianming had an expression of pain.


    Earlier, the three Qilin Beasts had borne the brunt of numerous talismans and the wounds from the Tiangang Sword, and afterwards, they were brutally ground down by the Earth Fiend Sword Formation¡ªthe precious beast skins were now torn and tattered, with many parts of their bodies outright missing. Having spent so many treasures, just the talismans alone were worth tens of thousands of spirit stones; if they couldn¡¯t obtain some good items, it would be such a pity.


    Luckily, the most valuable horns and Demon Cores were well-preserved, enough to make up for his losses, otherwise, he would be beside himself with regret.


    Gathering his wits, Lin Tianming wielded the Tiangang Sword in his hand to extract the Demon Cores from the three Qilin Beasts, and then chopped off the precious horns¡ªthese were excellent materials for refining a Second Order Magic Artifact. Crafted properly and with the addition of some rare materials, refining a lower quality Second Order Magic Artifact would be no trouble at all.


    Although the hide was battered and torn, it was still usable for Talisman Making; given the Qilin Beast¡¯s defensive power, the talismans produced would certainly be extraordinary and could be taken back to the clan, later to be given to his sister.


    As for the remaining Monster Beast Souls and flesh, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t waste any of it, collecting everything. The souls could be sealed into the Thousand Beast Banner to compensate for the souls it had lost, and the flesh could be swallowed by the Purple Gold Eagle to help it accelerate its breakthrough in the realm.


    Soon, Lin Tianming had processed the corpses of the three Second Order Qilin Beasts; turning his gaze, he saw his clanspeople busily engaged.


    Although the battle had been perilous, and every Qi Refining Clansperson had given their all, with many suffering serious injuries, the rewards were substantial. The clanspeople were thrilled, their faces brimming with joy as they collected all the useful items.


    After a quarter hour, the disorderly valley had been tidied by the clanspeople, its appearance greatly improved. Though it was far from the state before the great battle, at least it didn¡¯t look as desolate anymore.


    The clanspeople gathered around Lin Tianming, their faces beaming with the joy of victory.


    ¡°Have we finished tallying?¡± queried Lin Tianming.


    Lin Xingzhi nodded and then replied:


    ¡°We¡¯ve collected all the usable items, and the traces of battle in the valley have been erased. We can now search for the Qilin Beast¡¯s lair!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lin Tianming surveyed the area to ensure nothing was missed, then began to give instructions.


    ¡°Uncle Xingzhi, let¡¯s divide into three teams and search deeper into the valley. The Qilin Beasts were powerful, so there should be some good items!¡±


    Upon hearing this, several people were excited, quickly forming three teams, eager to start their search as if they had forgotten their injuries.


    Lin Tianming did not delay either and led the others deeper into the valley, planning to find a safe place to recuperate and heal wounds after the search was complete.


    Shortly, they had traversed more than ten miles and arrived at the deepest part of the valley.


    Looking around, the terrain here resembled that of the valley entrance, but there were differences¡ªthe fog was thicker, and the temperature much cooler, with an immediate chill that made it slightly uncomfortable. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even stranger was the fact that his Divine Sense was even more restricted here, the covered range significantly reduced compared to the entrance, barely extending a few hundred yards, and for Lin Xingzhi and the other Qi Refining Clanspeople, their Divine Sense probably covered an even smaller area, almost no different from being blind.


    Lin Tianming stopped with his clanspeople on a large boulder, his gaze intently fixed ahead, a thoughtful expression on his face.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Lin Tianming slowly spoke: ¡°Uncle Xingzhi, this must be the lair of the Qilin Beast Horde, but it¡¯s quite peculiar. Let¡¯s split into three groups to be cautious and quickly gather everything in this place, then regroup here!¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ everyone, be careful!¡±


    After Lin Xingzhi and several others responded, they led their groups in different directions to explore.


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 Chapter 328 - 209: Huge Reward_3

    Chapter 328: Chapter 209: Huge Reward_3


    Lin Tianming then looked at the Purple Gold Eagle and instructed it to stay put and keep watch. If there were any movements in any direction, it should rush over to provide support immediately.


    After arranging this, he chose a direction and started walking towards the deepest part of the canyon.


    Walking on this road filled with dense fog, his Divine Sense was fully open, and although its covered range was limited, it was still better than being completely in the dark.


    With his Divine Sense and the Eye of Five Colors¡¯ attention, every movement in the surroundings was clearly visible.


    Soon, he reached the very center of the canyon.


    At that moment, he watched the depths of the canyon with vigilance, and began searching the area.


    ...


    Just ahead, there was a land of Ice. Chilling, bone-piercing cold air spurted from underneath the ground and finally converged within the thick fog.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Tianming¡¯s face lit up with excitement, and he immediately rushed towards the cold.


    Looking at the cold air gushing from beneath the ground, he became thoughtful.


    ¡°There must be something extremely cold of the Water Attribute under the ground. The fog here is formed from the essence released by whatever is below, creating such a large expanse,¡± he thought.


    ¡°And the Qilin Beast, being a Water Attribute Demonic Beast that has taken over this area, could only have grown such a large group because of the extraordinary thing beneath us!¡±


    Thinking of this, he was overjoyed and quickly took out the Tiangang Sword, ready to excavate the area and see what treasures lay within.


    The hard Magic Artifact, the Tiangang Sword, struck the ground and quickly dug a deep pit several tens of meters deep.


    But as he dug deeper, the difficulty increased dramatically, and with his strength, a strike of the sword barely scraped away a bit of soil.


    ¡°Why is this place so hard!¡±


    Noticing that the color of the soil beneath was gradually becoming lighter, Lin Tianming muttered quietly to himself. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t give up. Despite the slow pace of excavation, it wasn¡¯t completely impossible to dig.


    He kept swinging the sword, one strike after another. Who knows how long had passed when he dug several meters deeper again, the soil inside grew even lighter in color, with strands of water blue.


    With another swing of the sword, he struggled to cut out a large chunk of crystal-like soil, revealing a water-blue stone at the bottom that had a cool, translucent spiritual essence.


    ¡°Ice Crystal!¡±


    Seeing the stone that was partially exposed below, Lin Tianming¡¯s face blossomed into euphoria, and he promptly swung the Tiangang Sword to excavate the Ice Crystal.


    In a short while, he had dug out the brick-sized Ice Crystal and started examining it closely in his hands.


    Ice Crystal was a Second Order Superior Spirit Ore, a Water Attribute Artifact Refining Material containing extremely strong chill. Given its great hardness, whether for offense or defense, it could be extensively applied in making various treasures and was considered one of the best Artifact Refining Materials. Just this piece of Ice Crystal alone was worth at least several hundred Spirit Stones, far surpassing the value of the previously obtained Earth Mysterious Crystal.


    The Ice Crystal in his hand had an excellent color, full of Water Attribute energy, and with a clear, translucent appearance, it was quite attractive to the eye.


    It was uncertain just how much Ice Crystal there was to be mined. Should he be able to excavate a hundred or so pieces, the losses from the previous tough battles could be compensated. And if he could dig up several hundred pieces, this hardship would turn into a huge profit.


    Lin Tianming thought about this with an involuntary smile creeping across his lips.


    At that moment, Lin Xingzhi emerged from the dense fog. Seeing Lin Tianming there, he quickly approached.


    Lin Xingzhi looked at the Ice Crystal in Lin Tianming¡¯s hands with an incredulous expression and stammered to ask, ¡°Tian Ming¡­ this¡­ this is¡­ Ice Crystal?¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, almost in jest, before saying:


    ¡°Uncle Xing Zhi, go and find Tianfeng and the others immediately. Leave a team to search this area, and gather everyone else here to dig out these crystals and see how much Ice Crystal we can find.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Xingzhi was instantly ecstatic, fully aware of the significance, he did not hesitate to turn around and look for Lin Tianfeng and the others.


    As Lin Xingzhi left, Lin Tianming continued swinging the Tiangang Sword, laboriously digging.


    ¡°Clang, clang, clang¡­¡±


    The Tiangang Sword struck the hard layers of rock and soil methodically.


    Half a moment later, Lin Tianming was gasping for breath, sweat pouring down his forehead, and his face a shade paler.


    His injuries and Spiritual Power had not had the chance to recover before he began this high-intensity mining of the Ice Crystal, making the process exceedingly slow. If he kept at this rate for much longer, there was a chance that his injuries could worsen.


    Considering all this, he stopped digging, plopped down on the ground and took two more elixirs, beginning to cultivate while waiting for his clansmen to arrive.


    Soon, Lin Tianming¡¯s complexion slowly became ruddier, and his body¡¯s Spiritual Power also gradually recovered somewhat.


    At that time, Lin Xingzhi, accompanied by Lin Tianfeng and a few others, arrived.


    They were clearly overjoyed, already informed by Lin Xingzhi about the discovery of the Ice Crystal¡ªeach person showed ecstatic expressions.


    The group gathered around Lin Tianming, waiting for his instructions.


    Lin Tianming opened his eyes, looked over everyone, and then said, ¡°How did everyone¡¯s search go? Have you found any treasures?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianfeng and the rest of the clansmen began reporting their findings.


    Their haul from this trip was mediocre, having only found some Second Order Water Attribute Spirit Medicine Materials, totaling up to several dozens of plants, which were just common varieties, barely worth almost a thousand Spirit Stones.


    Lin Tianming nodded, expecting as much since this place was the lair of the Qilin Beast, but with the presence of Ice Crystals, ordinary Spiritual Medicine Materials simply could not grow, with only a rare few Water Attribute Materials able to survive here.


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 Chapter 329 - 209: Huge Harvest_4

    Chapter 329: Chapter 209: Huge Harvest_4


    He began by reassuring everyone with a few words, then went on to recount how they had discovered these Ice Crystals.


    Lin Tianfeng and the others could hardly contain their joy, having initially thought they had suffered a huge loss, they hadn¡¯t expected that the real treasure wasn¡¯t those Spiritual Medicine Materials.


    Seeing the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces, Lin Tianming spoke:


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to excavate these Ice Crystals. We¡¯re all injured, so let¡¯s divide into two groups to take turns digging. Those with minor injuries can start excavating first, and those with more serious injuries can rest up a bit before switching in. Let¡¯s work around the clock to try to extract all of it as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± The tribe members responded in unison.


    After that, everyone naturally divided into two groups. Lin Xingzhi, with light injuries, led Lin Tianfeng and three other tribe members into the pit, starting the excavation of the Ice Crystals with great excitement.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianming sat down with Lin Tianhong and a few others to begin cultivating.


    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several days had passed.


    After two days of recovery, Lin Tianming¡¯s injuries had largely healed, and his strength had returned to about eighty percent of its peak.


    Except for two family members who were too severely injured to join the digging, the remaining eight members were all enthusiastically excavating.


    In several days of continuous excavation, they managed to unearth dozens of Ice Crystals, each as large as a brick and of exceptional quality.


    During this time, they also roughly explored the extent and reserves of the Spirit Vein.


    If nothing went wrong, this Ice Crystal vein was a small-scale vein. At the very least, they could extract two hundred Ice Crystals, and if the density of the Spirit Ore was high enough, extracting several hundred wasn¡¯t out of the question.


    Despite their exhaustion, no one was slacking off; everyone was giving it their all, chiseling through the hard rock layers.


    With the highest cultivation, Lin Tianming worked the fastest due to his Dual Cultivation of Body and Law, wielding physical strength of several thousand pounds, while the speed of the rest, working together, wasn¡¯t far behind.


    Time flew, and more than twenty days had passed.


    It had been half a year since they left Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory, and now only a small portion of the Ice Crystal vein remained unexcavated.


    ¡°Everyone come down and give it your all. We can¡¯t afford to delay much longer, or the family might think we¡¯ve run into some serious trouble!¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, Lin Xingzhi and the others took a brief rest before rejoining the excavation.


    With all tribe members digging together, the speed indeed increased, and one after another, the Ice Crystals were unearthed.


    A few days later, the entire Ice Crystal vein was depleted.


    Now, the surface of the ground had completely transformed. What had appeared to be a rather flat canyon floor had been turned into a deep pit spanning hundreds of yards and reaching depths of a hundred yards, like a man-made abyss.


    Wearily, Lin Tianming gathered all the tribe members to hand over the excavated Ice Crystals.


    Lin Xingzhi led the charge, producing over thirty Ice Crystals and neatly arranging them on the ground.


    Upon seeing so many Ice Crystals, the complexions of the other tribe members flushed with satisfaction, clearly pleased with the haul.


    Lin Tianfeng was the next to produce Ice Crystals, totaling thirty, only four less than Lin Xingzhi, also reaping a rich harvest.


    After that, one by one, the tribe members took out their Ice Crystals, with Lin Tianming counting alongside and recording the numbers on a Beast Skin so that they could be exchanged for Spirit Stones or meritorious service when they returned to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    As the remaining nine people took out their Ice Crystals, the count reached two hundred eleven, far exceeding their expectations, and Lin Tianming hadn¡¯t even taken out the Ice Crystals he had obtained.


    Watching the eager eyes of the tribe members, Lin Tianming chuckled and then produced his own haul, albeit secretly keeping a few Ice Crystals aside to bring back for Lin Shilu¡¯s Artifact Refining.


    Soon, a staggering one hundred sixty-five more Ice Crystals appeared on the ground.


    Lin Xingzhi and the others were completely astounded; together with his haul, they had obtained three hundred seventy-six Ice Crystals, far surpassing their original estimates.


    Looking at the small mountain of Ice Crystals, everyone was overjoyed, as their value alone exceeded 150,000 Spirit Stones.


    Lin Tianming had taken the lead in this venture, spent a great deal of treasures, and alone slain three Second Order Medium Quality Qilin Beasts. In terms of merit, he was due to receive at least half of the profits, and the treasures he had used paled in comparison to the gain.


    Even so, the remaining merit distributed among the others would still afford each a hefty reward.


    Under the excited gaze of the tribe members, Lin Tianming gathered up all the Ice Crystals.


    Glancing at the tribe members, Lin Tianming, exhilarated, said: S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The matter is resolved, our gains far exceed expectations, it¡¯s time for us to return home!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ this experience has greatly advanced my skills, I¡¯ll be ready to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage once we get back to the family!¡± Lin Xingzhi excitedly added.


    ¡°Alright¡­ let¡¯s make our way home!¡±


    With that, Lin Tianming led the tribe members back to the canyon entrance, where they rejoined the Purple Gold Eagle and took off directly for Green Bamboo Mountain.


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 Chapter 330 - 210: Consecutive Breakthroughs_1

    Chapter 330: Chapter 210: Consecutive Breakthroughs_1


    Two days later, Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory.


    After two days of travel, the Purple Gold Eagle safely returned with a group of clan members from the border of the Luoyun Mountain and Golden Horn Mountain.


    As the Purple Gold Eagle flew into the Protective Clan Formation and they saw the familiar Bluestone Plaza, Lin Tianming heaved a sigh of relief.


    In recent days, they had been digging every day, exhausting themselves to the bone. Initially, they didn¡¯t even have time to care for their injuries, all in the hopes of finishing the excavation of the Ice Crystals so they could return to the family.


    Now that they had finally returned smoothly, they could enjoy some peaceful cultivation time.


    Once inside the Protective Clan Formation, Lin Tianming bid farewell to the clan members, and after exchanging greetings, they dispersed.


    ...


    Lin Tianming instructed the Purple Gold Eagle to return to the back mountain, and then he headed directly to the Clan Elders¡¯ Assembly.


    In a short while, he arrived at the Clan Elders¡¯ Assembly and met with Lin Shihua, and the two sat down for a chat in a secret chamber of the Council.


    Seeing Lin Tianming and the others return safely excited Lin Shihua tremendously, and when he learned what they had acquired from their journey, it shocked him.


    An elated Lin Shihua, taking Lin Tianming with him, went straight to the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, entering Lin Shilu¡¯s courtyard.


    Upon seeing Lin Shilu, Lin Tianming immediately sensed that he had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, and began to confirm it.


    Lin Shilu didn¡¯t hide it and had no need to; he readily admitted to his breakthrough.


    With nearly half a year of seclusion and a successful breakthrough, Lin Tianming was mentally prepared and quickly moved on from the topic.


    The three chatted idly for a while without mentioning the details of their adventure.


    Soon, Lin Shigong also rushed over upon hearing the news, and the four sat in the courtyard. Seeing the excited smiles on Lin Tianming and Lin Shihua, both Lin Shilu and Lin Shigong were puzzled and began to speculate in their hearts.


    ¡°Could this youngster have stumbled upon another treasure?¡±


    Lin Shigong could hardly wait and said with a laugh and slight reprimand, ¡°Third brother is in seclusion, preparing for the Assistant Great Perfection; he won¡¯t be emerging in the short term. You rascal, no need to beat around the bush, just spill all the details of your adventure!¡±


    Lin Tianming chuckled and started from the entry into Luoyun Mountain. The uneventful beginning and the ordinary gains didn¡¯t interest the other two much.


    Learning that at the last moment, they had encountered a formidable horde of Qilin Beasts, Lin Shilu and Lin Shigong¡¯s hearts leaped to their throats. Knowing Lin Tianming had led the clan members to escape unscathed further stunned them.


    ¡°You lad, you¡¯ve really got guts, fighting one against three and managing to annihilate them all!¡± Lin Shilu couldn¡¯t help but say.


    Although he was well aware of Lin Tianming¡¯s strength, he could never have imagined the young man being so fierce as to once again shatter his perceptions.


    Recalling the hair-raising battle, Lin Tianming also felt a wave of fear and reflected gravely,


    ¡°Indeed, the battle was extremely dangerous. If it weren¡¯t for the more than ten Second Order talismans I had stockpiled, including three High Quality Attack Talismans, as well as the Sword Qi released by the Spirit Technique Condensation, and the crucial breakthrough of the Sword Array to the Great Achievement Realm, I might have really been in trouble!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take such risks in the future!¡± Lin Shigong advised.


    ¡°Understood, Grandpa!¡± Lin Tianming replied, and then continued to talk about the Ice Crystals.


    In just a short time, upon hearing that they had obtained more than three hundred Ice Crystals and subdued nine First Order Middle Stage Qilin Beasts, Lin Shilu and Lin Shigong were once again staggeringly shocked and speechless.


    Lin Tianming let out a sly chuckle and quickly took out a few Ice Crystals, handing them to everyone for inspection.


    Lin Shilu took up an Ice Crystal and, as a Second Grade Medium Quality Artifact Refiner, he was naturally very familiar with all types of Artifact Refining Materials. After a quick examination, he soon affirmed the veracity of Lin Tianming¡¯s words.


    Lin Tianming then handed over the storage bag containing three hundred seventy-six Ice Crystals as well as another storage bag full of Demonic Beast Materials and Spiritual Medicine Materials to Lin Shihua.


    After handing over all storage bags, including the Beast Skin listing the number and types of treasures, they completed the transfer process.


    Then Lin Tianming led everyone out of the dwelling, heading to the back mountain of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The four appeared in front of the Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s dwelling. Lin Tianming released the nine First Order Qilin Beasts from the Spirit Beast Bag.


    Before long, the nine Qilin Beasts emerged in front of them, their massive stature imposing. However, in the presence of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they dared not make any movement and meekly lay on the ground.


    Seeing these nine Qilin Beasts, everyone was enormously excited. In recent years, not only had the cultivation of the clan members advanced by leaps and bounds, but the number of Spirit Beasts had also grown.


    With one Second Order Late Phase Soul-eating Spider in the family, an Early Second Order Purple Gold Eagle, and several Qingxu Snake Eggs from before, successfully hatching four Qingxu Snakes, although they were of a lower rank at the First Order Initial Stage.


    Now, with nine more Qilin Beasts, each at the First Order Middle Stage and endowed with sufficient talent¡ªstronger than the Qingxu Snakes¡ªif nurtured properly, breaking through to the Second Order was almost a certainty.


    Basing on the strength of the Spirit Beasts alone, the Lin Family could now compare to the Foundation Establishing Families of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    At this moment, everyone was thrilled, and Lin Shihua was so happy stroking the fur of the Qilin Beasts that he was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Twelfth Grandpa, these Qilin Beasts have submitted, and I¡¯ve already imprinted them with my Divine Sense. Now, I hand them all over to you, elder. From now on, they¡¯re members of the Lin family, so please treat them well,¡± Lin Tianming said.


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 Chapter 331 - 210 Consecutive Breakthroughs_2

    Chapter 331: Chapter 210 Consecutive Breakthroughs_2


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s words, Lin Shihua finally regained his composure. He nodded and said, ¡°You can rest assured, but as the family¡¯s spirit beasts continue to increase in number, it looks like the area of the Spirit Beast Garden will need to be expanded!¡±


    ¡°The area behind Green Bamboo Mountain is vast. We can allocate thirty percent of it as a habitat for the spirit beasts. After all, the family doesn¡¯t need that much space,¡± Lin Shilu added.


    Lin Tianming nodded, showing his full agreement.


    In fact, the territory of the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan was not small; within a hundred li, there were mountains of varying heights. Apart from the Qingling Bamboo Forest, most of the area was vacant, and not to mention these spirit beasts, even if another hundred or so were added, it wouldn¡¯t feel crowded.


    After a brief exchange between the two, even with Lin Shikang absent, the four agreed unanimously to expand the Spirit Beast Garden.


    Half an hour later, Lin Tianming and his grandfather bade farewell to Lin Shilu and Lin Shihua and made their way to his father¡¯s Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    ...


    His father had been stationed at Golden Horn Mountain for many years. Although it wasn¡¯t far from Green Bamboo Mountain, he rarely returned home due to his long-term cultivation seclusion, perhaps only once a year. His sister had gone to Qianchuan Market and wouldn¡¯t return for three years, and his mother was also busy, in seclusion to strike at the Great Perfection Realm to prepare for Foundation Establishment.


    He was accustomed to visiting his mother in her cave mansion to pay his respects after each period of seclusion or training. After all, as their cultivation levels rose higher, the lengths of their seclusions also tended to increase.


    More importantly, the elders were aging. If they couldn¡¯t break through to the Golden Core Stage, they would only have a little over a hundred years of life left. While that may seem like a lot, Foundation Establishment Cultivators often spent years in a single session of seclusion, so the opportunities for family gatherings in over a hundred years were very limited.


    Although the path of cultivation favors a clear mind and few desires, it is not devoid of emotion. Those with a firm Dao heart gain twice the result with half the effort in their cultivation. Moreover, they have a greater chance of breaking through to higher realms.


    Therefore, frequent gatherings with the elders were necessary, not only to show filial piety but also to offer a glimmer of hope and warmth amidst the dull and monotonous journey of cultivation.


    That evening, upon receiving Lin Tianming¡¯s message, his mother also briefly left seclusion, and the three generations sat together in the courtyard to chat leisurely.


    Lin Tianming shared the events of his training journey, although he kept silent about the more perilous and bloody incidents. He mainly discussed the more mundane moments and his gains, much to his mother¡¯s delight.


    His grandfather didn¡¯t spill the beans either, instead, he greatly admired his idea, understanding that discussing certain matters too much could worry his mother.


    As the night became still, Lin Tianming shared a bit about his cultivation plan, and only after that did he and his grandfather bid his mother farewell, each returning to their own cave mansions.


    Sitting in his Cultivation Room, Lin Tianming exhaled a breath of turbid air and thought about his upcoming cultivation plans.


    With injuries still unhealed, he naturally prioritized their recovery. Once he returned to peak condition, he planned to enter seclusion for a few years, hoping to make a breakthrough to the Fourth Level of Foundation Building.


    Resolved, Lin Tianming immediately began the practice of his Cultivation Technique. Once he felt slightly better, he took out an elixir for healing and without hesitation swallowed it.


    As the medicinal power of the elixir diffused through his body after being refined, it slowly healed his wounds. A soothing sensation spread throughout his body. Lin Tianming breathed evenly, entering a deep state of cultivation.


    Several days later in the early morning, on the plaza in front of the clan¡¯s mountain gate.


    Today was the day the second group of Ninth Layer Qi Refining clansmen were to set out for their training. A group of eligible clansmen gathered in anticipation of the arrival of their leader, Lin Shilu.


    In a short while, Lin Shilu arrived on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, landing on the expansive Bluestone Plaza.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s expression was calm as he looked over the seven clansmen present, Lin Xingzhi, Lin Xingyou, each one excited and with an eager expression and passionate eyes.


    The success of Lin Tianming and his peers from their recent excursion had spread throughout the clan in the few days, inciting envy in many and rekindling the interest in training among numerous clansmen. The tale of Lin Tianming taking on three opponents had once again shocked the clan, with many members from the Tian generation admiring him even more.


    However, Lin Tianming was unconcerned with all this; he had just collected his share of gains from the training at the Hall of Merit, a whopping ninety thousand merit points, constituting more than half of the total gains.


    Back at his cave mansion, he entered his Cultivation Room and began to focus on his cultivation in seclusion.


    At the plaza by the mountain gate, Lin Shilu held a map in his hands, on which Lin Tianming and others had carefully marked various mountain ranges and river details.


    He looked up at the eager clansmen and then stepped out of the Protective Clan Formation with the Purple Gold Eagle, the clansmen eagerly following suit, their faces full of excitement.


    Once outside the Protective Clan Formation, everyone mounted the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, which transformed into a vast shadow that headed north towards Golden Horn Mountain.


    As Lin Shilu and the others departed, life within the clan continued as normal, with cultivators who had finished their training, like Lin Xingzhi, entering seclusion to prepare for their breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.


    Everything was going smoothly, and the clan remained peaceful. Lin Tianming also began his long-term cultivation in seclusion.


    As spring turned to autumn, two years swiftly passed by.


    At the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, several clansmen stood respectfully in a courtyard.


    In front of them, Lin Shilu and Lin Shihua sat facing each other, appreciating Spiritual Tea. Their sharp gazes lingered on Lin Xingzhi and the others, revealing a look of satisfaction.


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 Chapter 332 - 210: Consecutive Breakthroughs_3

    Chapter 332: Chapter 210: Consecutive Breakthroughs_3


    Lin Shihua set down his teacup and promptly took out a large stack of thick books from his storage bag, then handed them out to several people.


    ¡°Since you are all prepared, after you comprehend these breakthrough insights, get ready to go into seclusion and impact the Foundation Establishment stage,¡± he said.


    Beside him, Lin Shilu also smiled, his kindly face full of anticipation.


    With the family clan¡¯s monster hunting experience coming to an end, he led Lin Xingcheng and others, spending over half a year starting from the valley where Lin Tianming discovered the Ice Crystals, pushing northward all the way to Golden Horn Mountain.


    Their journey was not without challenges. The further north they went, the stronger the Demonic Beasts they encountered. Fortunately, Lin Shilu had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, and with Lin Xingrong, who had joined upon hearing the news, they killed a large number of Demonic Beasts, including dozens of Second Order creatures.


    They were not as lucky in other areas, aside from encountering several Third Order Spiritual Medicine Materials, they did not find any treasures more valuable than the Ice Crystals. However, they did acquire numerous Spiritual Medicine Materials and innumerable Demonic Beast Materials, as well as finding many places rich in Spiritual Energy.


    ...


    And for the past two years, the clan had organized many of its members to go into the mountains and reclaim land. They cultivated exceptional quality Spirit Fields in places where the Spiritual Energy was dense.


    As time passed, it was foreseeable that these areas, once occupied by Demonic Beasts, would soon be developed by clan members, bringing substantial profits to the clan.


    Lin Xingzhi and Lin Xingcheng, along with Lin Tianfeng who had accumulated experience for quite some time, had been in the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage for a few years by now.


    They had long accumulated enough Merit Points to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills, and already had them in hand, ready to go into seclusion at any time to impact the long-anticipated Foundation Establishment Stage.


    However, despite being fully prepared, they still lacked the guidance and protection of their elders. The clan¡¯s Stabilizing Sea Needle, Lin Shikang, was still in seclusion, so they came together to seek out Lin Shilu, the most advanced in cultivation, to follow his guidance and have him guard over their breakthrough.


    Lin Shilu looked at the few family members before him. Lin Xingzhi, who had served as the Enforcement Hall Master for many years, had performed outstandingly during the family clan¡¯s battle at Luoyun Mountain and was very stable in his cultivation, so there was no need to worry about him.


    Lin Xingcheng, also the Hall of Merit¡¯s Master, had followed Lin Shilu closely during their experience and had fought bravely against several First Order Late Stage Demonic Beasts, also putting in a splendid performance.


    Meanwhile, Lin Tianfeng, the highest in cultivation among his generation beneath Lin Tianming, joined the Enforcement Hall twenty years prior, also battle-hardened.


    Among them, Lin Xingcheng was the oldest at just over sixty years of age, while Lin Tianfeng, the youngest, had just entered his early forties. With the more effective Foundation Establishment Pills to aid them, their chance of breakthroughs was significant, at the very least, over sixty to seventy percent.


    This kind of breakthrough condition was much stronger than it was more than a decade ago.


    Within the clan, the last person to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage was Lin Xingping, several years ago.


    During these intervening years when no clan members attempted a breakthrough, now that these three were impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage together, and with several more clan members meeting the conditions for doing so, the clan¡¯s strength was poised to improve qualitatively within a few short years.


    The clan¡¯s golden age was finally upon them.


    Thinking about this, Lin Shilu¡¯s expression eased a great deal, and he suddenly spoke, ¡°The family has been thriving these years, and your conditions for breakthrough improve continuously. I shall not say much more, only hope that you do not let down the expectations of all the clan members, choose a small courtyard next door to go into seclusion, and the Clan Leader and I will take turns guarding over you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we thank the Elders for their guidance,¡± replied Lin Xingzhi and the others in unison, then slowly left the courtyard, heading toward a nearby complex of buildings.


    Before long, each of them chose an unoccupied Cave Mansion and entered, thereafter going into the secret chambers to commence their comprehension of the breakthrough insights.


    In the courtyard, Lin Shilu lifted his teacup to take a light sip and spoke to Lin Shihua across from him, ¡°Twelfth brother, with the family affairs keeping you so busy, let me handle this guardianship.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Lin Shihua didn¡¯t refuse, the clan was becoming increasingly powerful, and no Foundation Establishment Cultivator dared to cause trouble on Green Bamboo Mountain. With this batch of clan members¡¯ talents and the assistance of more effective Foundation Establishment Pills, within at most a month¡¯s time, the results of their attempts to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage would be known.


    In reality, having someone to guard over them did not matter much, but it was insisted upon as a precaution against sudden emergencies and to reassure them.


    ¡°Then brother, I shall take my leave. Contact me if there¡¯s anything,¡± Lin Shihua said, then left his Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    After Lin Shihua had left, Lin Shilu continued to sit in the courtyard, his gaze fixed on the nearby courtyards, lost in thought.


    Inside the Cave Mansion where Lin Xingzhi was, he sat cross-legged, holding the breakthrough insights left by his ancestors, meticulously contemplating them.


    It was half a month later that he finally put away the breakthrough insights, then took a long, deep breath, showing a determined expression. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had already reviewed these cultivation insights once before, and having rehearsed them once more, he had committed them thoroughly to memory and was now ready to take the Foundation Establishment Pill to prepare for impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Having made the decision, he clasped his hands together and began the process of meditative breathing to reach his peak state. When ready, he waved his sleeve robe, and a Jade Bottle appeared in his hand, containing the precious Foundation Establishment Pill.


    He took out the Foundation Establishment Pill and placed it in his palm, its fragrance wafting up, immediately making one feel refreshed and uplifted.


    Gazing at the Foundation Establishment Pill, he didn¡¯t hesitate and swallowed it whole.


    Once the elixir entered his mouth, the rich energy contained within started to spread. He didn¡¯t dare to delay and began to refine it immediately. The energy, once refined, converted into gentle Spiritual Power, slowly gathering in his Seven Sea Dantian.


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 Chapter 333 - 210 Consecutive Breakthroughs_4

    Chapter 333: Chapter 210 Consecutive Breakthroughs_4


    Time slowly passed, and the energy within the Foundation Establishment Pill gradually transformed into spiritual power, filling up his Qi Sea Dantian.


    Scenes like this unfolded at the same time in two other courtyards.


    Lin Shilu sat in the small courtyard, taking out some of his artifact refining insights, comprehending them while keeping an eye on the movement in the neighboring courtyard, and incidentally protecting the three. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Days passed, and for over a month, he didn¡¯t move from his spot.


    On this day, inside the secret chamber of Lin Tianfeng¡¯s cave abode, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s face was pale, his robe soaked with sweat.


    He had refined his own cultivation¡¯s spiritual power and combined it with the spiritual power extracted from the Foundation Establishment Pill for an assault.


    ...


    Sure enough, the first assault failed, but fortunately, the energy contained in the Foundation Establishment Pill was enormous. Despite some losses, he could still persist for a while.


    He was not discouraged. Looking at the denser spiritual power in his dantian, he hesitated not at all, organizing a large mass of spiritual power and relentlessly assaulting the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment.


    After several days of continuous assaults, finally, at one moment, he suddenly felt a warm current spread throughout his body, and his spiritual power surged with a floodgate-opening sense of liberation.


    At the same time, his divine sense also increased explosively; every flower and blade of grass, every movement, was clear in his mind.


    The moment he made his breakthrough, his cultivation radiated outwards, and the aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was instantly detected by Lin Shilu.


    ¡°It¡¯s that youngster Tianfeng; youth really is an asset,¡± Lin Shilu remarked with a laugh and a sigh of relief, then leapt up from the cave and stood outside the courtyard where Lin Tianfeng was in seclusion.


    At that time, the nearby clan members felt the aura of a new Foundation Establishment Cultivator and were overjoyed, each secretly guessing who the person breaking through was.


    ¡°The clan member has just broken through to Foundation Establishment. Everyone, stay away from here and do not make loud noises, lest you disturb them. Go about your own business,¡± Lin Shilu¡¯s stern and excited voice came, and the nearby clan members didn¡¯t dare to breathe loudly, quickly leaving the area.


    Lin Shilu nodded and looked worriedly at the other two courtyards.


    At that moment, Lin Shihua sensed the breakthrough aura and suddenly arrived at the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, appearing beside him.


    Seeing Lin Shilu¡¯s concerned expression, he reassured, ¡°Tianfeng is younger, after all, facing slightly less resistance in his breakthrough. It¡¯s not surprising that he broke through first. However, although they differ in seniority, their ages are not that different. Xing Zhi and Xingcheng should also be close.¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded; what Lin Shihua said was indeed true, and he himself was well aware of it. He quickly regained his composure.


    Seeing that the neighboring courtyards were still quiet and that Lin Tianfeng had no intention of coming out, it was obvious he intended to continue consolidating his cultivation.


    ¡°Brother, come to my courtyard and wait. Xing Zhi and the others should be breaking through soon,¡± said Lin Shilu, inviting Lin Shihua.


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s invitation, Lin Shihua nodded, and the two walked towards Lin Shilu¡¯s courtyard.


    A few days went by, and while the two sat in the courtyard drinking tea and chatting, they felt another oppressive aura belonging to the Foundation Establishment Stage. It was brief and quickly returned to normal.


    ¡°It¡¯s Xing Zhi.¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than from another courtyard adjacent to the one they were watching, the pressure of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator emanated anew.


    ¡°Haha, Xingcheng has succeeded as well.¡±


    The two men had broken through on the same day, and together with Lin Tianfeng who had broken through several days prior, all three had achieved Foundation Establishment. Such a success rate had Lin Shilu and the other man excited beyond measure.


    And as the pressures of two Foundation Establishment Cultivators spread, clan members all over the place felt it, each filled with elation.


    Seeing this, Lin Shilu¡¯s loud voice echoed across the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, as all clan members went about their own business.


    Lin Shilu and the other man returned to the courtyard, discussing the family¡¯s strength over their tea.


    With the three consecutive breakthroughs to Foundation Establishment, the family¡¯s overall strength surged once again, with the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators reaching eleven, and in the next ten years, this number would only increase further.


    With over ten Foundation Establishment members, even within the whole Wei Kingdom, the Lin Family should rank in the top five.


    Thinking of these matters, Lin Shihua was thrilled, eagerly awaiting Lin Tianfeng and the others to emerge from seclusion.


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 Chapter 334 - 211: Foundation Establishment Fourth Level_1

    Chapter 334: Chapter 211: Foundation Establishment Fourth Level_1


    One month later, within a secret chamber of a certain courtyard at the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Tianfeng¡¯s hands were clasped together, his breathing even, as he was consolidating his cultivation.


    Unaware of how much time had passed, he finished his practice and opened his tightly shut eyes, feeling the potent strength throughout his body and a broad smile spread across his face.


    This attempt at breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm had gone smoothly; he had broken through the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment after only a few attempts, which was somewhat unexpected.


    However, feeling the effect of the Foundation Establishment Pill and recalling the gentle flow of spiritual power and the immense energy during his breakthrough, he came to terms with it.


    Lin Tianfeng chuckled softly and murmured to himself,


    ...


    ¡°No wonder those Golden Core Sects can endure for so long; the Foundation Establishment Pill plays a crucial role. Together with their naturally gifted disciples and numerous followers, the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment Realm is hardly a hindrance to them.¡±


    Regathering his focus, he stood up and left the secret chamber.


    In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he arrived at the cave dwelling where Lin Shilu resided.


    At that moment, Lin Shilu was sitting opposite Lin Shihua, chatting and laughing over tea, looking very pleased with themselves.


    Lin Tianfeng hurried forward, clasping his fists in a respectful salute, and said, ¡°Tianfeng pays respects to Twelfth Grandpa, and to Fifteenth Grandfather!¡±


    Lin Shilu chuckled, waved his hand, and said, ¡°Tianfeng, no need for such formalities, come sit!¡±


    Only then did Lin Tianfeng lift his head, move over, and take a seat without saying another word.


    Seeing Lin Tianfeng¡¯s somewhat reserved manner, Lin Shilu smiled and signaled for him to relax.


    Lin Tianfeng nodded awkwardly and then engaged in casual conversation with the two elders, sharing some of his experiences and feelings about the breakthrough.


    Soon, Lin Xingzhi and Lin Xingcheng, who had consolidated their cultivation, arrived together to pay their respects to the elders.


    They were visibly excited, their emotions not yet settled, and they paid their respects earnestly and with great sincerity.


    With an affable smile, Lin Shilu pulled them up and invited them to sit, and after a few moments of idle talk, began imparting some of his cultivation experience, benefiting them immensely.


    Three generations chatted leisurely for quite some time before parting ways to attend to their own concerns.


    Several days later, in the secret chamber where Lin Tianming was staying.


    He sat on the floor, his expression slightly pale, sweat from his forehead dropping to the ground, his clothes already drenched with sweat, but he remained as still as an old monk in meditation, his sturdy body appearing very upright.


    In this posture, he had persisted for a whole year.


    For the past year, he hadn¡¯t left the house, deeply engrossed in secluded cultivation.


    With such hard work, his cultivation had reached the pinnacle of the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, and he was preparing to attempt breaking through to the Fourth Level.


    By now, he had already attempted the breakthrough several times, all ending in failure.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised by this; entering the Fourth Level of Foundation Building, the medium stage of Foundation Establishment, was particularly difficult, far more challenging than breaking through from the Second to the Third Level.


    Undeterred, he mustered his courage for the fifth attempt, which was at the critical moment of breaking through.


    He now looked resolute, gathering his spiritual power to launch the final onslaught.


    Within his Seven Sea Dantian, the converged spiritual power surged like a flood, directly striking at the bottleneck of the Fourth Level of Foundation Building.


    Over and over again, with no awareness of how much time had passed.


    Just when his body was nearly numb and his consciousness was beginning to scatter, suddenly a warm current spread throughout his body. It was as if a mass of mud had suddenly been submerged in warm water¡ªthe feeling of comfort was immensely satisfying.


    Lin Tianming was overjoyed and quickly directed his Divine Sense inward to observe.


    Inside his Dantian, the once solidified spiritual power merged into a larger Qi Sea Dantian and then quickly became more viscous.


    Furthermore, as the barriers were broken, a tremendous amount of energy emerged within his body, cleansing his flesh.


    A foul smell arose and his body exuded some smelly impurities¡ªclearly, after the breakthrough, the spiritual power combined with the medicinal power inherent in his body had strengthened him once more. This was a frequent occurrence which he didn¡¯t take to heart.


    His hands clasped together, he cycled the Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation, and after the True Yuan had flowed through his veins and spread throughout his whole body, he exhaled a long sigh.


    It had been almost five years since he broke through to the Third Level of Foundation Establishment.


    In those years, he endured the trials of his journey, his cultivation becoming incredibly consolidated. Having refined the seeds of the two remaining Seven-Colored Golden Lotuses and spent three years in dedicated seclusion, he had finally broken through the bottleneck smoothly. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was fortunate that his efforts had been duly rewarded.


    Feeling the vigorous spiritual power surging through his body along with the explosive strength, which was now much denser and contained more energy than before, he felt more than twice as strong as he had been at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment.


    As his emotions finally settled, he didn¡¯t get up immediately, but started to run his cultivation to regulate his breath, aiming to consolidate his cultivation to avoid instability and a potential fall in his realm after the breakthrough.


    He sat serenely, cycling the Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation, quickly circulating the spiritual power throughout his body.


    Half a month passed in this manner¡­


    In the cultivation room, Lin Tianming, who sat serenely, opened his tightly shut eyes, with two flashes of sharp light darting from his eyes.


    Lin Tianming stood up, feeling the robust spiritual power throughout his body, which now flowed more smoothly with every movement, each filled with immense energy¡ªmore than double the strength he had at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment.


    Now that he had broken through to the Fourth Level of Foundation Building, he had also entered the medium stage of Foundation Establishment.


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 Chapter 335 - 211 Foundation Building Fourth Level_2

    Chapter 335: Chapter 211 Foundation Building Fourth Level_2


    If he were to battle those three Second Order Middle Stage Qilin Beasts once more, he feared he wouldn¡¯t even need to use Spirit Arts to defeat them with ease.


    He clenched his fist, and several cracking sounds echoed throughout the quiet chamber.


    After consolidating his cultivation for a period, his cultivation had now stabilized at the Fourth Level of Foundation Establishment, and it was very solid.


    ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± He exhaled a breath of air.


    Looking at the smelly black mud on his body, he formed a seal with one hand and cast a Five Elements Spell to clean off the filth and changed into a fresh set of blue robes.


    After getting these matters in order, he tidied up the quiet room once more before stepping out, emerging in the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long while since I came out of seclusion. Tian Yue and the others should have returned to the Lin Family by now. I wonder how their cultivation has progressed over the years, whether they have reached the basic requirements for impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage.¡±


    Lin Tianming thought to himself. After sending out two messages, he quickly left the cave dwelling to check on his grandfather first.


    Before long, he arrived at the Alchemy Hall and met Lin Shigong.


    Seeing Lin Tianming come out of seclusion and having broken through to the Foundation Building Fourth Level, Lin Shigong was extremely satisfied.


    Yet, despite his own hard work in cultivation over the years, Lin Shigong¡¯s cultivation had been stuck at the peak of the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment without any signs of breaking through to the Third Level.


    ¡°Alas¡­ it surely is due to my age, and the considerable gap in talent that each advancement becomes exceedingly difficult,¡± Lin Shigong thought to himself.


    He quickly collected his thoughts; grandfather and grandson sat opposite each other as Lin Tianming began to inquire about the various happenings in the family over the past few years.


    It was only after Lin Shigong finished speaking that Lin Tianming learned, to his shock, that Lin Tianfeng, Lin Xingzhi, and Lin Xingcheng had all successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage without fail a year ago.


    ¡°The success rate is incredibly high. Are the effects of the Foundation Establishment Pill that strong?¡± Lin Tianming wondered.


    He soon returned to normal, his face filled with excitement as he asked about his parents¡¯ and sister¡¯s well-being.


    According to Lin Shigong, his father had come back once during his seclusion and had broken through to the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, being transferred to Qianchuan Market to replace Lin Xingping. Golden Horn Mountain was handed over to the now-replaced Lin Xingping to guard.


    Both his mother and sister had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage for a while now; they needed to settle for two years before attempting to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    At that moment, Lin Tianming felt a sense of emotion, realizing that the upcoming few years remained critical for the Lin Family.


    Even though Lin Tianfeng and the others had broken through to Foundation Establishment, there were likely even more clan members preparing to do the same. Clan members like Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianqin had already reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, and many of the Xing Clan Members were also at this stage. As long as the Foundation Establishment Pills were sufficient, the family would not lack people above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.


    A few years ago, the family was in a transitional period lacking people above the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.


    Now, such a situation marked an enormous shift; the family was truly beginning to take a qualitative leap forward.


    Thinking of this, his excitement was palpable, and influenced by Lin Tianming¡¯s mood, Lin Shigong also became emotional.


    After calming down from their excitement, the grandfather and grandson chatted idly for a while before leaving the Alchemy Hall and heading towards the Cave Mansion Courtyard where his mother lived.


    Having received his message, his mother and sister had ended their seclusion and were waiting in advance for their arrival.


    Having not seen his mother and sister for several years, Lin Tianming felt some longing and quickened his pace.


    In a short while, the two entered the familiar courtyard to find his mother and sister eagerly coming forward to greet them.


    Seeing his mother and sister, Lin Shigong smiled and waved his hand; the four of them sat down in the courtyard to chat.


    Upon learning of Lin Tianming¡¯s smooth breakthrough to the Foundation Building Fourth Level, his mother¡¯s face was brimming with gratification. She had always been reassured about Lin Tianming¡¯s cultivation; he was far ahead of his peers, and had even left the Xing Clan Members behind. These thoughts filled her with immense pride.


    His sister, however, felt somewhat disheartened. As siblings, her talent was also not inferior, and even though she couldn¡¯t compare to her brother, she was still among the top in her generation.


    Previously, during the Qi Refinement Realm, the difference in their cultivation wasn¡¯t as conspicuous. Now, it had widened even further, surpassing several levels.


    ¡°Alas¡­ if I don¡¯t make an effort now, it will be even harder to catch up with my brother!¡± Lin Tianyue frowned slightly as she thought to herself.


    Seeing Lin Tianyue¡¯s expression, Lin Shigong quickly guessed her thoughts and began to comfort her.


    ¡°Cultivating is not just about secluded cultivation. It requires experience and opportunity. Besides, among your peers, your cultivation speed is already extremely fast. With only a few being able to match you, that¡¯s already quite an accomplishment,¡± Lin Shigong said. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before he finished speaking, Lin Tianming also began to console her.


    ¡°Yes, Tian Yue, blindly cultivating in seclusion will make your cultivation unstable. Without facing life-and-death crises, even if you had an endless supply of elixirs, your progress would be limited,¡± Lin Tianming added.


    Hearing the words of the grandfather and grandson, she realized she had not undertaken trials for a long time. Lin Tianyue nodded thoughtfully, firmly resolving to undergo a proper trial, sharpen her cultivation, and then attempt the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Thinking this, she spoke up, ¡°Grandfather, brother, tomorrow I will invite Sister Three and the others to train in the Luoyun Mountain Range. What do you think?¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianyue¡¯s determined eyes, Lin Tianming naturally didn¡¯t want to undermine her confidence; he promptly made a suggestion.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely feasible. However, the Luoyun Mountain Range has already been cleared out once. The former safe line has extended hundreds of miles inward, but the Demonic Beasts on the fringes are far different from before. Their strength is formidable, and I wouldn¡¯t dare to enter lightly,¡± Lin Tianming said.


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 Chapter 336 - 211 Foundation Building Fourth Level_3

    Chapter 336: Chapter 211 Foundation Building Fourth Level_3


    ¡°If you form a team and go to the outer periphery, it won¡¯t really serve the purpose of training, and going to the inner area is too dangerous.¡±


    Thinking about the embarrassing and difficult situation when battling the three Qilin beasts, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but shudder with fear, and he immediately continued:


    ¡°If you really want to train, you can consider the remote branches of the Luoyun Mountain Range, where not many cultivators have set foot. You might encounter some treasures that no one has discovered.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more important is that the strength of the Demonic Beasts is not high, only one or two at most are Second Order Middle Stage Demonic Beasts, and most are First Order Late Stage or Second Order Initial Stage. If you form a team, you should be able to deal with a Second Order Initial Stage Demonic Beast.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yueyatou, Tianming is right, going to the inner parts of the Luoyun Mountain Range is too dangerous, those branches are very good!¡± Lin Shigong echoed.


    ¡°Got it, we¡¯ll go to those branches. I have quite a few Second Order talismans, and countless First Order ones. Together with third sister and Tianhu and them, handling a Second Order Initial Stage Demonic Beast shouldn¡¯t be a big problem.¡±


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand, don¡¯t be rash and reckless, and be as careful as possible!¡± Lin Shigong cautioned.


    Seeing Grandpa had spoken, Lin Tianming didn¡¯t say more. He had already heard that Lin Tianhu was very talented, shining among the Tian Clan Members, his cultivation having reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage, and he had rich experience in fighting, no less skilled than Lin Tianfeng.


    Such a fierce person, whose cultivation speed was second only to Lin Tianming, even the historically advantaged Lin Tianyue felt inferior; his strength was unmatched among his peers. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With him participating in the training, the clan members involved should not be in great danger.


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming changed the topic, and started discussing the way of Alchemy Dao with Grandfather.


    After more than a decade, Lin Shigong had immersed himself in Alchemy Dao, and his success rate in refining lower grade Second Order elixirs had become very high. With an increasing number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the family, there was a large consumption of elixirs, plus the need to train the young clan members in alchemy, cumbersome clan duties seriously hindered his own cultivation.


    However, he didn¡¯t care about this. He was very clear that breaking through Foundation Establishment had been extremely difficult for him, his potential almost exhausted, and the hope for advancing to the Golden Core Stage was too slim. He might as well devote himself to studying alchemy and do his best for the family.


    Lin Tianming also tried to persuade him, saying he was still young, and with some Heaven-Defying Treasures, it wasn¡¯t impossible to have a breakthrough.


    However, Grandfather was not swayed at all, so there was nothing he could do.


    Lin Shigong chuckled, temporarily sidestepping the subject and finally lightened the heavy atmosphere.


    An hour later, Lin Tianming and his grandfather left the cave dwelling to busy themselves with their own affairs.


    After leaving his mother¡¯s cave dwelling, he walked on the Bluestone Plaza atop the main peak.


    Just before reaching his own cave dwelling courtyard, he bumped into Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong.


    Seeing Lin Tianming, faces of Lin Tianfeng and the others lit up with joy, and they hurriedly walked up to greet him. ¡°Tianming, you¡¯re out of seclusion?¡±


    ¡°Big brother, congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment!¡± Lin Tianming cupped his fist and smiled.


    Lin Tianfeng forced a smile and then said, ¡°Sixth brother, there¡¯s no need to be so formal, you¡¯re already at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, the difference in our cultivation is growing bigger and bigger!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Sixth brother is getting stronger and stronger, and our gap is widening. I¡¯m afraid that gap will only grow more, and we might never catch up!¡± Lin Tianhong chimed in.


    Seeing what they said, Lin Tianming felt a bit helpless but could only comfort them with a few words.


    ¡°You both are overthinking it. As cultivation progresses toward the later stages, breakthroughs become increasingly difficult. It took me five years to break through a single realm, and the intervals following will be even longer. Without the aid of treasures, it could take ten years to break through a single level.¡±


    ¡°Once you enter the Foundation Establishment Stage, the initial cultivation shouldn¡¯t be hard, and you will soon catch up to me!¡±


    Lin Tianming¡¯s comforting words helped firm their resolve, and a glimmer of hope sparked in their hearts.


    Afterward, Lin Tianfeng invited Lin Tianming and himself to his cave dwelling for a small gathering, to which both readily agreed.


    Soon, the three of them arrived at a courtyard, not far from Lin Tianming¡¯s dwelling within the same area.


    With Lin Tianfeng¡¯s successful foundation building, the Tian branch welcomed its second Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and the empty courtyard gradually gained an occupant.


    Sitting in the courtyard, the three brothers had tea and chatted leisurely, enjoying their rare moments of relaxation.


    Soon, Lin Xingzhi and Lin Xingcheng also rushed over. Seeing Lin Tianming, Lin Xingzhi excitedly said, ¡°Tianming, I thought you hadn¡¯t left seclusion. It¡¯s great we¡¯ve met today, we must have a proper gathering.¡±


    Lin Tianming laughed. He had only come out of seclusion today, and only Grandfather and a few others from his mother¡¯s side were aware. Lin Tianfeng had merely come across him by chance, so it was normal for them to be unaware.


    However, upon hearing about their foundation building, he was also ecstatic, having intended to congratulate them in person, he didn¡¯t expect to encounter them here.


    His thoughts returning, he laughed and replied, ¡°Congratulations to the two Elder Uncles on your breakthrough in Foundation Establishment, the family has gained a few more pillars.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ pillars, I dare not claim to be. It was just luck, but we have all benefited from your light these years. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for us to achieve Foundation Establishment in this lifetime,¡± Lin Xingcheng sincerely said.


    No sooner had he finished speaking, Lin Xingzhi also reflected, ¡°Indeed¡­ without the White Jade Grass Tianming obtained from the Secret Realm, it would have been a tough call whether we could have established a foundation at all!¡±


    Gathering together brought the atmosphere to a high point.


    The five enjoyed drinks while chatting and sharing cultivation insights, each gaining a lot from the exchange.


    The spirited gathering continued late into the night, and only then did everyone rise to say their farewells and leave.


    Ling Tianming walked alongside them on the Bluestone path, with Lin Xingcheng and Lin Xingzhi heading to the Xing Clan Members¡¯ courtyard area, while Lin Tianhong, yet to establish a foundation, lived in his father¡¯s courtyard.


    Lin Xingzhi and the other invited Lin Tianming to get together another day, and he generously accepted the invitation before saying goodbye to them all and returning to his dwelling.


    Sitting on the meditation cushion in his secret chamber, he brought his hands together and smoothly ran his Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation, and began his cultivation.


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 Chapter 337 - 212 Mother-Daughter Retreat_1

    Chapter 337: Chapter 212 Mother-Daughter Retreat_1


    The tranquil cultivation days continued, and two years had passed since Lin Tianming broke through to the fourth level of Foundation Establishment.


    During these two years, he would emerge from seclusion every six months for a brief period, assisting the family in making Second Order Pills during his spare time, and sometimes visiting the Alchemy Hall to help his grandfather instruct some of the younger clan members in alchemy.


    He would also visit some of the elders or help the family handle some simple affairs, leading a life that was quite fulfilling and peaceful.


    By this time, he had been on the cultivation path for nearly thirty years, and his age had quietly approached forty.


    If judged by a cultivator¡¯s lifespan, he was still young, at a golden age, but in the secular world, being forty meant reaching middle age, potentially with a wife and children, and grandchildren filling the household.


    At the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, within Lin Tianming¡¯s cave dwelling.


    ...


    He completed his cultivation and left the secret chamber, sitting down in the stone pavilion within the small courtyard.


    Five years had passed in the blink of an eye; he had only entered seclusion a few times, and time had passed like this. Although such a daily routine of cultivation was nothing unusual for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he realized that such peaceful and comfortable days were something he was experiencing for the first time.


    It was good, nevertheless. Too much fighting and killing could lead to weariness, and if not for the pursuit of opportunity and longevity, who would want to risk their life for it?


    Lin Tianming looked up at the noon sun and then let out a long sigh, pulling back his wandering thoughts.


    ¡°Sister and mother should be preparing to impact the Foundation Establishment Stage; I should go and check on them,¡± he murmured to himself.


    After speaking to himself, Lin Tianming left the courtyard and walked along the path on the peak¡¯s summit.


    As he walked, he observed the newly-built courtyards around him¡ªthese were the cave dwellings that the family had built in recent years. They didn¡¯t differ much from the old courtyards that had stood for hundreds of years in style and decoration, the only difference being they did not bear the traces of time.


    With the increasing number of Foundation Establishment Cultivator clan members and the explosive growth expected in the next few years, the original twenty or so courtyards had become insufficient.


    Therefore, dozens of new courtyards were constructed and planned anew, still divided into four large areas, each with over twenty courtyards.


    Looking around, the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain had been transformed, with a larger Bluestone Plaza and a unified architectural complex, appearing quite majestic and befitting of a Foundation Establishing Family.


    As he walked, it didn¡¯t take long for him to arrive at his mother¡¯s cave dwelling. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sitting in the courtyard and having tea, his mother and sister ended their seclusion and joined him in the yard shortly after.


    Just as the three of them were about to take their seats, grandfather arrived, and they all hurried forward to pay their respects.


    Seeing Lin Tianming and his family, Lin Shigong had a smile on his face and seemed to be in a good mood.


    Noting such an expression, Lin Tianming vaguely felt an unusual aura emanating from him.


    ¡°Grandfather, have you broken through to the third level of Foundation Establishment?¡± Lin Tianming asked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s been several years since I¡¯ve been stuck at the second layer of Foundation Establishment. I thought it would take a few more years of cultivation, but when I tried during my recent seclusion, I broke through unexpectedly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like they say, sometimes flowers don¡¯t bloom when you want them to, and trees you plant without thought suddenly provide shade,¡± Lin Shigong said with a smile.


    Lin Tianming chuckled, realizing that such occurrences weren¡¯t unusual in cultivation. Often, after failing to break through, a cultivator might succeed if they tried again after some time; indeed, it was unpredictable.


    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s good that you¡¯ve made a breakthrough!¡± Lin Tianming said with a smile.


    Lin Shigong nodded and then asked about Lin Tianyue and her daughter¡¯s plans for Foundation Establishment.


    Ren Yuxuan considered for a moment before responding, ¡°I reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage around two years ago, and after half a year of adventuring outside with clan members, I plan to choose a date to begin seclusion and impact Foundation Establishment.¡±


    No sooner had she finished speaking than Lin Tianyue also said, ¡°Mother and I have discussed it and tentatively decided to begin seclusion in half a month!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Tianming and his grandson were visibly excited. Both of them had already achieved Foundation Establishment, and now, with mother and daughter still at the Qi Refinement Realm, they had waited many years to finally attempt Foundation Establishment. If successful, their little family would include five Foundation Establishment members, an exciting prospect indeed.


    What was more important was that even if there was no hope of Lin Shigong and Lin Xingrong, his wife, breaking through to the Golden Core Stage, Lin Shigong would live for at least another hundred years, giving the family plenty of time to live together.


    After all, no one is indifferent to longevity, nor does anyone wish to be eternally separated from their loved ones.


    Now that the mother and daughter were planning to take that step, it was crucial for the family and the clan.


    Lin Tianming, eager and impatient, quickly took out two Foundation Establishment Pills he had made and handed them to the mother and daughter. These two pills were reserved specifically for this day.


    Seeing Lin Tianming¡¯s gesture, his mother Jiao Nan spoke, ¡°Mother has prepared quite a bit of merit over the years, and Tianyue is ready too. We were planning to go to the Hall of Merit to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills. Keep these pills for yourself!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, brother,¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t always rely on you to bail us out. I¡¯m a First Order Superior Grade Talisman Maker myself, and I¡¯ve managed to save up twenty thousand points of merit,¡± Lin Tianyue added.


    Hearing their words, Lin Shigong, who had been listening, became serious and then spoke persuasively, ¡°You two should not refuse Tianming¡¯s generosity. The wealth accumulated on him is probably the most in our entire clan. Even Shi Lu and your third uncle might not match up!¡±


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 Chapter 338 - 212 Mother-Daughter Retreat_2

    Chapter 338: Chapter 212 Mother-Daughter Retreat_2


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t refute this, as over the years he had experienced numerous battles, obtained many cultivators¡¯ storage bags, and during his adventures, acquired numerous heavenly and earthly treasures. The cumulative amount of spirit stones and merits reached over a hundred thousand, along with many elixirs and spiritual medicines, the value of which was now difficult to estimate.


    Not only that, but over the past few years he had refined a large number of elixirs, and with his breakthrough in cultivation, becoming a Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist was not far off. With his terrifying success rate and quantity of elixirs produced, he could accumulate a vast fortune just through alchemy.


    With his current value and wealth, it could be said that he was not short of spirit stones.


    Thinking of this, he then gently persuaded,


    ¡°Grandfather is right. Apart from these elixirs, with the yellow spirit stones and merits combined, there are over a hundred thousand. Even the Fifteenth Grandfather¡¯s worth is not necessarily comparable to mine, so Mother and Tian Yue, you shouldn¡¯t refuse!¡±


    Seeing Lin Tianming say this, and remembering the large amount of Ice Crystals he had gained during his adventures years ago, with his share of merits then amounting to eighty thousand, plus the annual family subsidies of spirit stones and salary, he indeed was a wealthy man.


    ...


    Thinking of all this, Lin Tianyue finally accepted a Foundation Establishment Pill and then tightly placed it into her storage bag.


    Seeing Lin Tianyue accept the Foundation Establishment Pill and considering the look in the eyes of Lin Tianming and his grandson, Ren Yuxuan couldn¡¯t refuse anymore.


    She resolutely took the Foundation Establishment Pill and put it into her storage bag.


    Lin Tianming and his grandson laughed heartily and then sat down to chat casually, sharing their experiences of impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage with the mother and daughter.


    Knowing the difficulty of Foundation Establishment, the mother and daughter listened intently, afraid of missing a single detail.


    Although they were worried about Foundation Establishment, Lin Tianming was quite confident.


    Lin Tianfeng had said before that the effect of the Foundation Establishment Pill was very good and the entire breakthrough process went smoothly.


    As for Lin Tianyue, who was only in her thirties with a decent Spiritual Root Talent, breaking through should not be difficult at all.


    Though the mother was nearly seventy years old and her Spiritual Root Talent was not as good as Lin Tianyue¡¯s, that age was not really considered too old.


    Previously, the Fifteenth Grandfather, at the age of a hundred, managed to succeed with the help of a Minor Foundation Building Pill with only half the usual efficacy, a difficulty which simply couldn¡¯t compare to the mother¡¯s situation.


    Therefore, the probability of Mother¡¯s breakthrough in Foundation Establishment was at least fifty percent or more.


    Unknowingly, evening had arrived, and Lin Tianming and his grandson had spent half a day sharing all their experiences.


    The mother and daughter took it all to heart, making ample preparations.


    As the evening approached, the mother finally left to prepare dinner for them.


    That night, three generations of the family had dinner together and afterward returned to their respective caves.


    Lin Tianming briefly cultivated, waiting for the moment his mother and sister entered seclusion to break through, so he could come out and protect them.


    Half a month passed, and Lin Tianming, along with his grandson, their mother, and sister, rushed to the cave where Lin Shilu stayed.


    After greeting each other, they sat down to drink tea and chat casually. The mother and sister stood aside, busily preparing the tea, clearly enjoying themselves.


    Shortly after, Lin Shihua arrived with several clan members, all of whom were old acquaintances of Lin Tianming.


    Amon the Xing generation were Lin Xingyu, Lin Xingyao, Lin Xingqi, Lin Xingshun, and others.


    There were also three members of the Tian generation, including Lin Tianhong, Lin Tianqin, and Lin Tianhu. Together with the mother and sister, there were nine clan members in total, all at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage.


    The clan members respectfully greeted the elder Shi generation and then stood aside reverently.


    Lin Shilu and the others nodded in response to the greeting from the clan members.


    Then, Lin Shihua stood up, glanced over all the clan members and spoke, ¡°To prepare for today, the family has worked diligently for over twenty years, improving many clan rules and policies, and provided extensive support. The family¡¯s strength has risen steadily, and now the time has finally come to bear fruit.¡±


    As he spoke, Lin Shihua wore a look of reminiscence, recalling the difficult situation of the family twenty years ago, his eyes filled with complex emotions.


    Returning his focus, he continued, ¡°This time nine clan members are secluded for Impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage, such an unprecedented event has never occurred in the over eight hundred years since our family¡¯s founding!¡±


    At this moment, all the clan members were visibly excited, and Lin Tianming was equally thrilled.


    This time, with nine people simultaneously impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage and all of them being young with significant potential, assisted by Foundation Establishment Pills, their chances of success were at least over sixty percent.


    By conservative estimates, four or five individuals were expected to break through successfully, and that would bring the count of Foundation Establishment Clan Members in our family to nearly seventeen or eighteen.


    With such strength, we have far surpassed any Foundation Establishing Family in the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World.


    The family had been developing rapidly for over twenty years for this day, and had finally made significant progress.


    Seeing the clan members so excited, Lin Shihua, the Lin Family Patriarch, also felt immense excitement.


    After calming himself down, he then took out a large number of books made from beast skin, all specially printed by the family, and distributed them one by one to the nine clan members. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at the clan members in the courtyard, Lin Shihua said,


    ¡°These are the breakthrough insights left by our ancestors, which I believe many of you have already reviewed.¡±


    ¡°Whether you have committed them to memory or not, I hope you will read them over carefully before your breakthrough so that you can recall them with ease and thereby successfully break through to Foundation Establishment,¡± he said.


    Having said these words, his expression became solemn as he loudly asked, ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    Before the echo of his words faded, the ten clan members responded in unison, their voices firm, ¡°Understood!¡±


    Hearing the clan members¡¯ resounding reply and feeling the strong confidence that radiated from them, his heart was greatly comforted.


    Lin Shilu also stood up at this moment and offered words of encouragement, further boosting everyone¡¯s confidence.


    Half an hour later, after Lin Shihua had given several instructions and spoken earnestly, he said, ¡°Next, each of you should select a courtyard for secluded cultivation. Elder Shi Lu and I will stay here to protect you from external disturbances!¡±


    ¡°The path of cultivation spans a lifetime; whether for the family or for yourselves, I hope you will break through in one fell swoop and contribute further to our family!¡±


    With that, he waved his arm, and seven clan members filed out of the courtyard in an orderly fashion, heading in various directions to select their own caves for seclusion, leaving behind only his mother and sister in the courtyard.


    Lin Tianming walked over to his mother and sister, took their hands in his, and although he felt some worry, he dared not show any sign of it so as not to add to their psychological burden. A failure due to this would be a loss too great to bear.


    He feigned calmness and with a warm smile, said to his mother and sister, ¡°You will definitely succeed. I¡¯ll be right here waiting for you!¡±


    Seeing his warm and soothing smile, the mother and daughter nodded firmly and said, ¡°Definitely!¡±


    Having said their piece, the two of them turned and walked out of the courtyard towards two vacant courtyards nearby.


    Lin Tianming and his grandfather watched as their mother and sister left. Everything that needed to be reminded and said was already done half a month ago; now there was nothing left that he could do, except to rely on them.


    Before long, as the nine people each chose their caves for seclusion, Lin Shihua ordered the clan members to seal off the top of Green Bamboo Mountain and deployed members of the Enforcement Hall to patrol, not allowing any other clan members to disturb them during this time.


    With so many clan members attempting to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage together, the family took this matter seriously, and the security throughout the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory was extremely strict.


    Many of the clan members with lower cultivation levels were not privy to this information and began to guess the family¡¯s motives.


    However, since the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World was very calm and no major events happened within the family, many clan members soon speculated that some were impacting the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Yet they could never have imagined that there would be so many clan members attempting at the same time, a total of nine pursuing a breakthrough, an impressive show of force rarely seen even among Golden Elixir Forces.


    Lin Tianming and his grandfather did not leave, but chose to cultivate in seclusion within Elder Shi Lu¡¯s dwelling, waiting for the outcome of their breakthroughs.


    After the Patriarch held a brief conversation with Lin Shilu and the grandfather, he left the area, leaving only Lin Shilu and the grandfather sitting in the courtyard, protecting the clan members as they cultivated.


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 Chapter 339 - 213 Consecutive Foundation Establishment_1

    Chapter 339: Chapter 213 Consecutive Foundation Establishment_1


    Day by day, time passed peacefully.


    The entire Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory was exceptionally calm; the clan members had adapted to the family¡¯s state of martial law, which hardly affected them as long as they stayed within the clan territory.


    Those who needed to undergo secluded cultivation did so, everything was as quiet as usual, no different from peacetime.


    After thirty-five days.


    At noon, under the blazing sun, beams of sunlight pierced through the dense clouds, shining on every corner of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    At that moment, from a courtyard at the summit of the main peak, an aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator spread out but soon dissipated.


    ...


    Feeling this familiar presence, Lin Tianming, who was in the midst of cultivation within Lin Shilu¡¯s cave dwelling, opened his eyes and left the secret chamber.


    In the courtyard, Lin Shilu had already sensed this pressure and immediately turned his gaze towards that cave dwelling.


    After greeting Lin Shilu with a clasped fist and bow, Lin Tianming said, ¡°It¡¯s only been forty days, and Tianhu has indeed broken through to Foundation Establishment first. In the next half month, I¡¯m afraid many more clanspeople will make their breakthrough!¡±


    Lin Shilu nodded, not surprised that Lin Tianhu was the first to achieve Foundation Establishment.


    Although Lin Tianhu came from the Lin Family¡¯s ordinary town, Qingfeng Town, his Spiritual Root Talent was extraordinary, ranking among the top three of his generation, plus he was very diligent in cultivation, often participating in family trials, experiencing numerous battles, and thus, his cultivation was extremely solid. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With such repeated tempering, he faced less resistance in breaking through, and being the first among the clan members was within expectations.


    As the aura inside the dwelling receded without incident, Lin Tianming¡¯s face glowed with health, and the two of them became excited.


    Lin Tianhu had set a good precedent, and if nothing went wrong, more clanspeople would continue to break through in the following days.


    With the critical moment approaching, he decided not to enter seclusion anymore; after all, it was at most just half a month, and he planned to wait here until all the clan members in seclusion had completed their cultivation.


    Just three days passed, and another Foundation Establishment Cultivator¡¯s aura emanated from a cave dwelling, undeniably belonging to Lin Tianhong.


    The two rejoiced, but before they could catch their breath, more good news followed. Lin Tianyue¡¯s dwelling also exuded the aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Feeling the presence of Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianyue breaking through one after another, Lin Tianming and the others became even more excited.


    Soon after, they both contained their aura, still consolidating their cultivation in seclusion. Lin Tianming and the others sat down again for tea and a casual chat, while waiting for the outcomes.


    Time flew by, and ten days passed.


    Following the breakthroughs of Lin Tianhong and Lin Tianyue, during these ten days, Lin Tianqin, Lin Xingyu, and others had successively made their breakthroughs. Out of the nine clan members who entered seclusion together, only three had yet to show any signs.


    Among these three, his mother was one, and the remaining two were Lin Xingshun and Lin Xingyao.


    At this point, Lin Tianming felt worried.


    Before their seclusion, he wasn¡¯t worried about his sister, for she was not even forty years old and her Spiritual Root Talent was good. As long as there were no accidents, a successful Foundation Establishment breakthrough shouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    Indeed, his sister lived up to expectations. Although she wasn¡¯t the first to break through, being the third was expected and a natural progression.


    In contrast, his mother was the oldest among those in seclusion, plus her Four Spirit Roots talent, and her limited life-and-death experiences, with only the Luoyun Mountain family battle, and a few excursions into the mountains to hunt Demonic Beasts.


    In terms of the solidity of cultivation, she couldn¡¯t compare at all with the male clan members. Even with the aid of Foundation Establishment Pills, her chances of breaking through were only about sixty percent.


    More than forty days had gone by, and yet there was still no movement from his mother¡¯s cave dwelling.


    If this breakthrough failed, his mother would have less than fifty years left of her lifespan. While all their relatives had already achieved Foundation Establishment, they could only watch helplessly as she passed away, unable to reverse such an outcome.


    For the family and for herself, everyone hoped to advance further, not only to increase their cultivation but also to double their lifespan.


    What¡¯s more, if the breakthrough failed, they would have to face a painful parting after decades.


    Just the thought of that day ¨C when loved ones would be powerless and forced to say an eternal goodbye ¨C was unbearable.


    ¡°How excruciating that would be!¡±


    Thinking of this, Lin Tianming, as a son, was deeply concerned, yet felt helpless, silently praying in his heart.


    Seeing this expression on Lin Tianming, Lin Shigong shared the same grave and worried look, wanting to comfort his grandson but was unable to find the words, instead, he just let out a long sigh.


    Seeing their downcast faces, Lin Shilu quickly spoke up to comfort them.


    ¡°Tian Ming, your mother is not that old, and considering her situation, she has better odds than your grandfather had when he broke through. He managed to overcome that hurdle, and I believe your mother can too,¡± said Lin Shilu.


    ¡°Yes, back in the day when I was breaking through, that situation was so terrifying, it still gives me the shivers. The current situation, no matter how bad, is still better than what I went through!¡± Lin Shi Gong added.


    ¡°So don¡¯t worry too much, just wait patiently!¡±


    Hearing Lin Shilu¡¯s firm words, Lin Shi Gong also chimed in.


    Though worried himself, he knew that worry was pointless ¨C they could not help with this challenge; all they could do was wait patiently.


    Lin Tianming also understood this reality and, after looking towards his mother¡¯s cave dwelling and letting out a sigh, gradually calmed down in his heart.


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 Chapter 340 - 213 Consecutive Foundation Establishment_2

    Chapter 340: Chapter 213 Consecutive Foundation Establishment_2


    At this moment, not far from next door, within a secret chamber of a cave dwelling.


    Ren Yuxuan sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, her complexion somewhat pale, sweat dripping from her forehead onto her robe, dampening her white palace attire and revealing her mature and graceful figure.


    More than forty days had passed since she entered the secret chamber. In the first half month, she had repeatedly reviewed the breakthrough experiences left by the cultivators of her family until she knew them by heart, only then did she take the Foundation Establishment Pill.


    She was well aware of her own talent and age, and had not undergone much life-or-death training. Among the family members who had entered closed-door cultivation this time, her challenge was the greatest, so she was especially careful and cautious. She had to be fully prepared, all to spare her relatives the pain of parting and the anguish of death. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In such a situation, her progress was very slow, and she, who moved cautiously step by step, had not made any disturbances.


    More than twenty days had passed since she took the Foundation Establishment Pill, and under her determined refinement, the spiritual power within her body had become exceptionally condensed.


    ...


    At this time, her spiritual power had been successfully condensed and she had already experienced several impacts, but each time she had failed to breach the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment Stage. It was as if she was missing something!


    Feeling the dwindling energy from the Foundation Establishment Pill, which likely wouldn¡¯t support many more attempts, if she didn¡¯t seize these last two chances, this breakthrough would have to be declared a failure.


    Thinking of the regretful eyes of a loved one, she suddenly became anxious, but quickly regained her calm and started to meditate deeply.


    Time passed, and her face showed a delighted expression, as if she had an epiphany.


    ¡°I understand now¡­¡±


    ¡°My experiences are too few, the life-and-death situations I¡¯ve faced are limited, and I haven¡¯t even gone through a true parting of life and death. I lack that kind of courage that is resolute and ready to cut all means of retreat!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ the courage to ¡®burn all bridges¡¯ in order to succeed!¡±


    Ren Yuxuan murmured to herself, an epiphanic joy flickering across her face.


    At the same moment, with a resolute expression, she merged a portion of the Foundation Establishment Pill¡¯s energy with the condensed spiritual power within her body, preparing to launch another assault.


    Half an hour had passed, and the newly refined spiritual power merged with the cultivated spiritual power, once again reaching the limit of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    At this point, the tremendous spiritual power inside her reached its peak, almost as if it was about to overflow from her body.


    Feeling this spiritual power, Ren Yuxuan¡¯s expression was determined, and her pale face looked a bit crazed.


    ¡°To not disappoint my clan and family¡­ I¡¯ll stake everything¡­¡±


    After silently repeating this phrase in her heart, she resolutely controlled the massive spiritual power within her body and charged at the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    At this time, the massive spiritual power battered against the bottleneck over and over again.


    Waves of pain surged through her, turning her cheeks, which had barely regained a hint of color, deathly pale once again.


    Moreover, as long as the onslaught continued, the unbearable pain would not cease, growing more intense instead.


    Soon, her white forehead was covered in sweat, and large beads of perspiration, like raindrops, dripped onto the blue stone floor without making a ripple, absorbed by the ground and vanishing without a trace.


    Her teeth clenched tightly, she persevered through the agony.


    Time passed, and the breakthrough continued.


    By now, she was drenched in sweat, with blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, looking not much different from a beggar who hadn¡¯t eaten for several days.


    However, she didn¡¯t care about her appearance, for the critical moment had arrived.


    With her persistence, there was an obvious improvement this time, giving her the illusion that she could break through at any moment.


    Her expression excited, she controlled the spiritual power within her body to launch a crucial assault.


    ¡°Break for me!¡±


    She whispered quietly to herself, then launched a frenzied assault that looked both decisive and fearsome.


    God knows how much time had passed.


    As a warm current flowed within her body, her original Seven Sea Dantian suddenly expanded several times in size. The spiritual power that had been assaulting the bottleneck rushed into this enlarged Qi Sea Dantian, covering only a thin layer, in stark contrast to the previous state of overflowing.


    At the same moment, Ren Yuxuan¡¯s Divine Sense surged, multiplying several times over. Everything around her¡ªevery blade of grass, every move¡ªbecame crystal clear in her mind.


    Just then, without any warning, the aura and oppressive might of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator spread out rapidly in all directions.


    Besides, the few strands of white hair mixed within her lustrous black locks quietly turned dark, and the faint lines that had begun to appear on her cheeks also disappeared without a trace.


    At this moment, she radiated an aura of spiritual light, full of vitality and radiance.


    If Lin Xingrong were here, he would notice that her appearance and vital signs had scarcely changed since her girlhood, though the charm of a mature woman remained, now more enchanting and captivating than ever.


    ¡°Is this breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage?¡±


    ¡°Did I break through?¡±


    Ren Yuxuan could hardly believe it. As she felt the significant increase in spiritual power and divine sense throughout her body, she became overjoyed, and tears of happiness started welling up in her beautiful eyes.


    ¡°I broke through¡­ I did it¡­¡±


    In just a breath¡¯s time, she calmed herself down and quickly retracted the outward flow of her aura, careful not to affect the other clan members.


    Having done this, her slender jade hands formed the gesture of a treasure vase, and after activating her cultivation technique, she hastily immersed her divine sense to inspect the inside of her body.


    Outside in the courtyard, within Lin Shilu¡¯s cave mansion courtyard.


    Lin Tianming, with his grandchild Lin Shigong and Lin Shilu, sat in the pavilion of the yard, with cups of fine, now cold, spiritual tea in front of them.


    The grandchild and grandparent both wore expressions of unease, creating an atmosphere of incredible heaviness, so quiet it was almost terrifying.


    Lin Shilu, seated nearby, shook his head and poured them each a new cup of spiritual tea.


    Caught up in their state of worry, even the typically composed Lin Shilu couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious.


    ¡°Could it truly be a failure?¡± Lin Shilu muttered to himself, though he dared not voice a single word aloud.


    Right then, footsteps were heard in the small courtyard.


    Preoccupied with clan affairs, Lin Shihua also took time from his busy schedule to join them, all for awaiting the final outcome of the last three clan members¡¯ breakthroughs.


    Before he arrived, his resonant voice echoed, ¡°Ninth Brother¡­ any sign yet?¡±


    Lin Shigong shook his head but said little else; Lin Shihua had no choice but to start offering words of comfort.


    Just as he was about to speak, the distinct presence and aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator emerged from Ren Yuxuan¡¯s courtyard, quickly retracting.


    Lin Tianming and the others felt this aura immediately; it was undoubtedly Ren Yuxuan¡¯s. An excited look instantly flashed across everyone¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Mother has broken through!¡± Lin Tianming exclaimed.


    Both grandparent and grandchild were ecstatic, with Lin Tianming¡¯s hand crushing the fine tea cup into powder.


    This showed just how excited and thrilled he was at this moment.


    After half an hour, the four finally regained their composure.


    The atmosphere in the courtyard was no longer as oppressive, but their worries hadn¡¯t completely vanished¡ªfor two clan members¡¯ results were still uncertain, signaling an ominous situation. It was hard to say whether they would succeed in their breakthroughs to Foundation Establishment.


    Though seven out of the nine who went into seclusion had already succeeded, this success rate was quite satisfying, even exceeding expectations.


    But until the final outcome was determined, no clan member wished to accept a failed result.


    As long as hope wasn¡¯t shattered, everyone harbored the fantasy of all nine succeeding; after all, cultivation to this point was not easy, and every additional Foundation Establishment Clan Member would strengthen the clan¡¯s collective power.


    These were Lin Tianming¡¯s thoughts at the moment. The two remaining had deep ties with him: Lin Xingshun had managed the Luoyun Market shop, and before the great clan war, they had worked together overseeing the shop¡¯s operations for some time.


    Lin Xingyao was also a close friend; they had joined hands on the Qianchuan Market venture and were responsible for establishing Luoyun Pavilion, forging a profound friendship over three years.


    Publicly and privately, he hoped for no clan member to fail.


    Unfortunately, his fantasy was soon shattered.


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 Chapter 341 - 214 Clan Meeting_1

    Chapter 341: Chapter 214 Clan Meeting_1


    Several days later, commotion arose from the two remaining courtyards, but it wasn¡¯t the aura and pressure of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Lin Xingshun and Lin Xingyao emerged from the courtyard one after the other, with merely a quarter of an hour¡¯s difference between them.


    Inside Lin Shilu¡¯s cave mansion, Lin Tianming and three other Foundation Establishment Clan Members were seated around a stone table. In the center of the yard, Lin Xingshun and Lin Xingyao stood side by side, both wearing expressions of utter dejection.


    Given the circumstances, Lin Shihua sighed helplessly, then began to offer words of comfort.


    ¡°Xingshun, Xingyao, you two mustn¡¯t be disheartened. Although you¡¯ve failed once, it¡¯s not unheard of for someone to succeed at Foundation Establishment on the second attempt. Cultivate diligently. If you can obtain Heaven-Defying Treasures, you might still have a glimmer of hope for a breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ do not lose heart, dear uncles¡­¡± Lin Tianming also chimed in comfortingly.


    ...


    What Lin Tianming and the others said was meant as comfort, as most people had heard of instances where the second attempt at Foundation Establishment was successful.


    However, the chances of this were exceedingly slim. Those who had failed once found it doubly difficult to break through again, and the use of Heaven-Defying Treasures was required, at the very least Fourth Order treasures of such power.


    The two were mere scions of a Foundation Establishing Family, where even Third Grade Treasures were rare, let alone Fourth Order Heaven-Defying Treasures for aiding Foundation Establishment, which even Nascent Soul Forces might not possess.


    Aware of this, Lin Xingshun and Lin Xingyao had already accepted their fate. They nodded to the others, bowed respectfully, and said in unison:


    ¡°We have taken your teachings to heart. We have accepted the outcome and will not lose our Daoist will because of it.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shihua nodded. Though their breakthrough had failed, their Daoist will remained firm, making them suitable for taking on important responsibilities in clan affairs.


    Regaining his composure, he spoke, ¡°Hmm¡­ You two are injured. You should withdraw and enter seclusion to heal your wounds.¡±


    ¡°We shall take our leave!¡±


    Lin Xingshun and his companion bowed to everyone one by one, and then, in each other¡¯s company, they left the courtyard, vanishing atop the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The matter of the nine clan members¡¯ breakthroughs had settled, with seven succeeding and Lin Xingshun and Lin Xingyao failing.


    This outcome, having exceeded expectations, was considered satisfactory despite some regrets.


    Ren Yuxuan and Lin Tianyue had both achieved breakthroughs and would need at least another month to consolidate their cultivation, hence they wouldn¡¯t be emerging from seclusion anytime soon.


    Lin Tianming and his grandson also stood to bid farewell. Seeing them about to leave, Lin Shihua planned to depart with them.


    After greeting Lin Shilu, the three companions left Lin Shilu¡¯s Cave Mansion Courtyard together.


    Their spirits lifted as they chatted and laughed along the way.


    Soon, each returned to their respective cave mansions to attend to their own affairs.


    Two months later¡­


    On this day, inside the Family Elders¡¯ Hall, over twenty clan members gathered joyously.


    The hall was bustling with voices as clan members chatted in groups of threes and twos, either discussing recent events in the Cultivation World, exchanging cultivation methods, or sharing leisure pursuits from the Four Arts.


    The lively scene mirrored that of the Secular World.


    Within the hall, six chairs were placed side by side at the high table, five of which were already occupied. Only the central seat remained vacant.


    Of the five seated clan members, three looked like middle-aged cultivators¡ªLin Shilu, Lin Shihua, and Lin Shigong.


    The other two, with greying temples and beards, exuded the air of the aged. They were Lin Shigang and Lin Shihe.


    With nearly 120 years under their belts, they were only a few years away from the lifespan limit of Qi Refining Cultivators.


    The five members of the Shi clan generation chatted idly, Lin Shihe clutching Lin Shigong¡¯s hand, reminiscing fragmented memories from their youth while Lin Shihua occasionally added his input.


    Lin Shilu listened quietly by the side, scarcely speaking a word. With a considerable age gap between himself and Lin Shigong and others, he was barely over ninety, not yet even a centenarian. Thus, he was entirely unfamiliar with his elder brothers¡¯ younger days and had only heard some anecdotes from them.


    Below them, more than twenty chairs stretched out in rows, filled with cultivators. The number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators was nearly equal to that of Qi Refining Clanspeople, each group with more than ten members.


    Lin Tianming was among them, seated next to Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong, with Lin Tianyue and other recently advanced Foundation Establishment clan members nearby.


    Since Lin Tianhu¡¯s breakthrough, more than two months had passed, and their cultivation had stabilized. They had secured their Foundation Establishment first-layer realm and emerged from seclusion.


    This assembly was clearly convened for an important family meeting and to celebrate the seven newly inaugurated Foundation Establishment members.


    Lin Tianming and the other Tian clan generation members sat together chatting leisurely while the Xing generation members also whispered amongst themselves, everyone in high spirits. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the bustling atmosphere, clan members bonded while awaiting the arrival of Lin Shikang, the occupant of the last vacant chair, signaling the official commencement of the clan meeting.


    Half a quarter of an hour passed.


    Laughter rang out, and the entire hall instantly fell silent.


    As the new arrival approached, clan members stood and saluted with cupped fists, welcoming Lin Shikang.


    Having not been seen for six years, Lin Shikang¡¯s reappearance gave the illusion of an ordinary mortal.


    Lin Tianming understood that this was the effect of a breakthrough in cultivation, reaching an unfathomably profound level, where one¡¯s aura becomes so condensed and controlled as to create this illusion.


    Lin Shikang surveyed the entire assembly, his eyes meeting those of his younger kindred, then strode energetically toward the high chair waiting for him, looking thrilled.


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 Chapter 342 - 214 Clan Meeting_2

    Chapter 342: Chapter 214 Clan Meeting_2


    ¡°`


    As he walked past Lin Tianming, a glint of Spiritual Light flashed in his tiger-like eyes, revealing an almost imperceptible aura.


    Lin Tianming nodded toward Lin Shikang, his heart brimming with joy as he thought to himself, ¡°Third Grandfather has truly lived up to our expectations. After six years of closed-door cultivation, he has successfully broken through to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection.¡±


    While he was lost in his thoughts, Lin Shikang had already approached Lin Shilu and a few others, his equally sharp gaze becoming noticeable to them.


    All three of them didn¡¯t say much, as they knew the gravity of the matter was best kept among as few people as possible, and it was enough that key members of the family like Lin Tianming were aware.


    Fully aware of this, Lin Shihua, his face flushed with health, pulled on Lin Shikang¡¯s sleeve, urging him to take the high seat in the center, with Lin Shigang and Lin Shihe respectively occupying seats to his left and right. He, Lin Shilu, and Lin Shigong casually took their places beside them.


    ...


    Lin Tianming now turned his attention to those seated in the high positions, noticing that the seating order was not arranged by cultivation level but by generational seniority and age within the family.


    Lin Shikang, being the oldest and with the highest cultivation, naturally sat in the center. Lin Shihe ranked fifth, and Lin Shigang ranked seventh in the Shi generation¡ªjust above the ninth-ranked Lin Shigong. Considering their limited remaining lifespans, it seemed only proper for them to sit by his sides.


    Lin Tianming was very familiar with these two senior elders, Lin Shigang and Lin Shihe, as they each managed important family institutions and often provided guidance to the younger members of the family. It was fair to say that they had made outstanding contributions to the stable development of the family.


    Now that their time was drawing near, with at most a few years or as little as one to two years left, it was hard not to feel a sense of poignant melancholy.


    A short while passed, the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.


    The hall fell silent with the ringing of Lin Shihua¡¯s resonant voice, and everyone turned their attention to him, awaiting his direction.


    ¡°It has been a long time since we gathered everyone together. Today is truly a good day, as most of the core members of our family are here. Such grand family gatherings are rare indeed,¡±


    Lin Shihua said with a hint of emotion. His booming voice then continued to echo through the hall, with all present listening intently and some occasionally echoing his sentiments.


    Lin Shihua nodded in satisfaction.


    Indeed, the family hadn¡¯t held a gathering of this scale in many years. Policies and major family matters were typically discussed with just a few members of the Shi generation, and only occasionally would Lin Tianming attend to offer his advice. Most of the younger generation were not involved.


    Although major family decisions were primarily made by the few members of the Shi generation along with Lin Tianming, Qi Refining clanspeople felt no involvement; they simply carried out the Clan Leader¡¯s decisions.


    If this were to continue for an extended period, it could potentially dampen their enthusiasm, which wouldn¡¯t bode well for the stable development of the family. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And this family meeting was significant. The intention was to gather everyone together, involve the clan members, foster relationships, and discuss a few important matters.


    With these thoughts in mind, Lin Shihua then said, ¡°I see that all the family members have arrived, aside from Xing Yuan who is guarding Luoyun Market, and Xing Rong who is at Qianchuan Market. Nearly all the core members of our family are present.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming began to survey the clanspeople in the great hall.


    It was indeed a gathering of elites. There were sixteen Foundation Establishment clan members with the remaining twenty-something Qi Refining clanspeople, all above the Qi Refining Eighth Level except for Lin Shigang and one other whose time was near. They either held important positions within the family institutions or were promising clanspeople with decent talent and young age. The assembly of members indeed represented the family¡¯s elite forces.


    He couldn¡¯t help but speculate that the Lin Family¡¯s current strength must rank at the forefront of the entire Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World. Even compared to the Golden Core families like the West River Li Family, excluding their Golden Core Stage clansmen, they might not be able to best the Lin Family.


    ¡°How shocked would the external forces be to see such formidable strength in the Lin Family?¡± Lin Tianming thought to himself.


    As he pondered, Lin Shihua took out a book made of beast skin, flipped through a page, and began to speak,


    ¡°Let¡¯s skip the pleasantries and allow me to report on the basic situation of our family first, followed by discussions on a few important matters.¡±


    ¡°Starting with the scale of our clanspeople, after more than a decade of stable development, our family now has a registered population of eight hundred seventy-seven members. Among them, six from the Shi generation, one hundred thirty-five from the Xing generation, seven hundred thirty-six from the Tian generation; we have thirty-two Mortal Towns with an estimated population of around three million mortals.¡±


    Hearing this, all the clanspeople couldn¡¯t contain their excitement. Judging by the current number of clanspeople, the policies to encourage childbirth and support mortal marriage over the past decade or so since the Green Bamboo Mountain battle had been effective.


    Following the battle, the Lin Family acquired the mortal towns of the Jin and Wu Families, which at one time had reached a combined population of two million. As the number of mortals increased, the frequency of Spiritual Root testing was changed from once every three years to annually.


    It had only been just over a decade, but the family had already restored its Yuan Qi. The number of its members had almost quadrupled, and the population of mortals had increased by nearly a million. The overall strength far exceeded previous levels, even surpassing the collective strength of the three big families before the war.


    One could imagine that such explosive growth, though not lasting, meant maintaining a modest natural increase would not be difficult.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 343 - 214: Clan Meeting_3

    Chapter 343: Chapter 214: Clan Meeting_3


    The lively atmosphere finally calmed down, and Lin Shihua chuckled, continuing to deliver his report.


    ¡°Now, the clan¡¯s Yuan Qi has fully recovered, and our overall strength has surged further, not just in the number of clan members, but especially in a qualitative leap in quality,¡± he said.


    ¡°Following a period of seclusion by a group of our clan members, we now have eighteen Foundation Establishment Cultivators and nearly eighty of our members are at the Seventh Level of Qi Cultivation or above, and this number is still growing,¡± he added.


    Before his words had settled, apart from a handful of informed clan members, the vast majority were so shocked by the news that they couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in astonishment.


    ¡°Eighteen?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s eighteen? You didn¡¯t read it wrong, did you?¡±


    ...


    Many clan members were ecstatic, and they could hardly believe the result for a moment.


    A few months ago, although they had guessed that the clan¡¯s activity was an attempt by clan members to breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, they never thought it would be on such a large scale, much less that the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the clan would have soared by so much.


    ¡°Read it wrong? How could a dignified Foundation Establishment Cultivator make such a mistake.¡±


    Some clan members quickly accepted this explosive news, their joy intermingled with whispering and sharing their excitement with the clan members beside them.


    Upon hearing Lin Shihua¡¯s announcement of the clan situation and seeing the ecstatic scene of the clan members, Lin Shigang and Lin Shihe, who were seated in high positions, found their eyes turning red, and they couldn¡¯t help but weep with happiness.


    ¡°Fifth Brother, Seventh Brother, didn¡¯t you learn about this a long time ago?¡± Lin Shigong said, holding Lin Shihe¡¯s hand.


    Lin Shihe raised his sleeve, wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes, and then said, ¡°Third Brother, Shigong, we are just too excited, seeing the prosperous state of the clan fills us with pride, and after we pass away, we will have the face to meet our ancestors.¡±


    Hearing this, more clan members of the Shi generation felt even more bitter, but there was nothing they could do about it.


    Cultivation is inherently tough; out of the billions of cultivators in the world, how many can truly achieve immortality?


    Seeing the bitterness on their faces, Lin Shihe continued: ¡°Third Brother, Ninth Brother, you don¡¯t need to be sad for us. The day we gave up on Foundation Establishment, we already laid the groundwork for today¡¯s outcome. We have come to terms with it over the years.¡±


    ¡°Now that the clan¡¯s strength has surged and we are witnessing prosperity, we have no concerns left. The only thing is that the talents and cultivation of our two descendants are rather poor. If there are outstanding talents among later generations, we hope you can provide them with some extra care,¡± he said.


    Both of them currently have several descendants, but only one direct blood relative possesses a Spiritual Root, and it is the least desirable Five Spirit Roots. They don¡¯t have much time left, and cannot hope to witness the emergence of a talented descendant in their lifetime. They could only place their hopes on the grandchildren or great-grandchildren.


    These thoughts were quite natural for them as elders, considering a bit more for the descendants was the last thing they could do.


    Lin Shikang, who fully understood this sentiment, nodded in agreement, gripping the hands of the two men firmly, promising that he would help their descendants as much as possible, allowing them to rest assured.


    A tea time passed, and the emotions of several people gradually stabilized. Lin Shihua continued to preside over the clan meeting.


    After a sweeping glance over everyone, he waved his hand, and the entire hall returned to silence.


    ¡°The number and specific levels of cultivation of Foundation Establishment Clan Members within our clan are strictly forbidden to be revealed to outsiders. Anyone who disobeys will face the family¡¯s punishment!¡± he declared with sharp words.


    After these stern statements, Lin Shihua¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold, and he sharply inquired, ¡°Understood?¡±


    ¡°We shall abide by the Clan Leader¡¯s decree!¡± the younger clan members answered in unison, their voices echoing in the grand hall for a long time before gradually fading.


    He nodded in satisfaction, then said, ¡°Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother have been managing the Skill Transmission Hall and the Scripture Pavilion for more than fifty years. Given their advanced age, it¡¯s no longer appropriate for them to continue enduring hardships for the clan.¡±


    ¡°We will now discuss their successors. The requirements are to have a cultivation level above the Seventh Level Qi Cultivation and be under eighty years old. Feel free to voice any recommendations or nominate yourself!¡± he announced.


    Upon hearing this, the vast majority of clan members had already anticipated this matter, knowing the ages of the two elder Lin Shihe well. Electing new heads for these two major family institutions was just a matter of time.


    Such positions were high in status and influence, and came with generous family rewards. Securing one of these roles would not just elevate one¡¯s status within the family but also provide resources to accelerate the improvement of cultivation.


    Therefore, numerous clan members began to speak up, with some nominating themselves and others recommending fellow clan members.


    After a quarter of an hour and some discussion among the clan members, several candidates were quickly selected.


    Among them, Lin Xingshun and Lin Xingyao had the highest support, both of whom had failed in their attempts at Foundation Establishment.


    Lin Xingshun and Lin Xingyao, both under sixty years old with a cultivation level at the Qi Cultivation Great Perfection, stood little chance of achieving Foundation Establishment again.


    Since they wouldn¡¯t need to spend much time on cultivation, taking on the role of managing the Scripture Pavilion and Skill Transmission Hall would allow them to wholeheartedly nurture the clan¡¯s younger generation, making them exceedingly suitable candidates.


    Indeed, after a brief exchange among the senior Shi generation clan members seated in high positions, they decided on the matter.


    Lin Shihua then stood up and asked Lin Xingshun and his companion for their opinions.


    For them, these positions were indeed suitable, and both Lin Xingshun and his companion readily accepted the roles.


    The younger generation was not surprised by this outcome. Although many clan members met the requirements, taking up a managerial role would take up a great deal of time that could be spent on cultivation. Only those with limited potential and slim hopes for Foundation Establishment would vie for these positions.


    As for the two of them, their path was nearly cut off, so taking on these positions was indeed fortunate.


    With their acceptance, Lin Shihua nodded and publicly declared the decision.


    The rest of the clan members offered their congratulations, and Lin Xingshun and his companion quickly stood and returned the courtesies, behaving very politely.


    With the replacement for Lin Shigang and others decided, the matter came to a close, and Lin Shihua continued to preside over the clan meeting.


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 Chapter 344 - 215 New Policy_1

    Chapter 344: Chapter 215 New Policy_1


    After a brief rest, Lin Shihua once again brought up a discussion topic, which was to find new ways to earn Spirit Stones and encourage every clansperson to offer their opinions and suggestions.


    Over these past ten years, the number of Lin Family Members had increased substantially. Although most of the clanspeople were young with low cultivation, they would inevitably grow up in time.


    When that time came, the family¡¯s expenses would also rise significantly. The Spirit Stones and resources that had been accumulated over the years would not last for long. Therefore, it was urgent to plan ahead and find new avenues for making money.


    In the grand hall, as the clanspeople heard Lin Shihua¡¯s topic, some of them quickly began to express their opinions.


    For a while, numerous clanspeople offered their advice, but most opinions were not very reliable. However, there were some suggestions that were rather interesting and could serve as inspiration.


    A period of time enough to sip a cup of tea passed.


    ...


    The once lively hall grew gradually quiet, with only a few members¡¯ ideas gaining everyone¡¯s approval.


    Lin Shihua now sat in the seat of honor, pondering the suggestions from several members and discussing them intermittently with a few other clanspeople of the same generation.


    After a while, Lin Shihua stood up and looked down at the silent Lin Tianming before asking, ¡°Tian Ming, what is your view on this matter?¡±


    Hearing Lin Shihua¡¯s question, Lin Tianming began to ponder for a moment.


    He was roughly aware of the family¡¯s situation. Currently, the main economic sources were focused on sharing profits from Luoyun Market, the earnings of Luoyun Pavilion, and the cultivation of Spiritual Medicines and Materials on several of the family¡¯s lands.


    The Green Bamboo Mountain was known for its prolific Qingling Bamboo, which could be harvested each year to craft Spiritual Artifacts, later to be sold in the family¡¯s various shops.


    Both Golden Horn Mountain and Jiuhua Mountain possessed vast areas of Spirit Materials, particularly Golden Horn Mountain¡¯s Golden Flower Trees. Having been maintained by the Jin Family for a thousand years, they were more extensive than the Lin Family¡¯s Qingling Bamboo, yielding nearly double the profit annually.


    This was why the Lin Family valued Golden Horn Mountain so highly and why they stationed a Foundation Establishment cultivator and more than ten Qi Refining clanspeople there year-round.


    As for Jiuhua Mountain, its Spirit Material resources were small. After its destruction at the hands of the Jin Family, they cut down many of the older Double Cherry Wood trees, leaving only younger saplings that would likely need decades to return to their former glory and start generating a substantial income.


    Thus, for these years, the Lin Family hadn¡¯t prioritized Jiuhua Mountain, with just over a dozen Qi Refining clanspeople stationed to safeguard the remaining Spiritual Medicines and Materials.


    With the family¡¯s overall strength having surged, they were no longer lacking in High Order Cultivators like at the end of the great war. Back then, the family¡¯s elite were either injured or dead, and suddenly inheriting a vast amount of territory and Spirit Lands, they faced a shortage of personnel, which led to some wasted time and benefits.


    Given the current situation, the Luoyun Mountain Range Lin Family reigned supreme, with the remaining two Foundation Establishing Families unable to compete. Fortunately, they were all sufficiently wise, and over the years they subtly followed the Lin Family, not coveting the wealth that the Lin Family had acquired.


    Now with strong forces, it was also time to properly maintain and utilize the acquired Spirit Lands. If developed correctly, they would become a source of economic income for the Lin Family in the coming decades.


    With these thoughts, he then said, ¡°The methods summarized by our clanspeople are feasible. Previously, with insufficient strength and personnel, we couldn¡¯t take big steps. But now that we have matured, we naturally should develop and maintain all the areas we can utilize properly.¡±


    ¡°Several years ago, when I and Fifteenth Grandfather were on our journey, we secured a vast territory. Some places rich in Spiritual Energy have already been developed, and though they don¡¯t yield profits in the short term, that doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t in the future.¡±


    ¡°Now, we should replicate this method in all the territories we control. As long as the Spiritual Energy meets the cultivation requirements, we should make full use of them, preparing for the future.¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianming¡¯s detailed explanation, all the clanspeople in the hall nodded in agreement, clearly finding the ideas acceptable. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, Lin Xingzhi also spoke up, saying, ¡°Tian Ming has already given a detailed introduction. I think in addition to the integration of resources, we should also focus on developing Luoyun Market.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Xing Zhi, if you have a good plan, feel free to share,¡± Lin Shihua said with some surprise, followed by excitement.


    Lin Xingzhi chuckled and then continued, ¡°I have paid close attention before, and the popularity of Luoyun Market has been steadily increasing each year. This may have something to do with the market¡¯s stable operation over the years, but a more significant reason is the appearance of more precious and rare treasures in the shops and auction house, which attracts many Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°We can enhance the quality of the auction items by purchasing some essentials for Qi Training Cultivators from Qianchuan Market, creating an atmosphere for the auction and thereby attracting merchants and Loose Cultivators to settle in.¡±


    ¡°As long as we persist for a few times, we can further increase the market¡¯s popularity, and the Lin Family can gain more profit.¡±


    Before he finished speaking, a member of the Xing Clan Members nearby said, ¡°We, the Lin Family, work tirelessly to devise plans to increase the market¡¯s popularity, even offering up rare treasures. Yet some of the profits would be taken away by other family powers for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Why should that be so?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, why should they reap more benefits without doing anything? It¡¯s unfair,¡± another clansperson chimed in.


    Hearing these members¡¯ remarks, many clanspeople found them reasonable and began to ask about the family¡¯s countermeasures.


    Watching the noisy scene, Lin Shihua exchanged a few words with some of his generation members before saying, ¡°It would certainly be inappropriate for our Lin Family to exert effort and gain nothing in return. We can discuss this with the other families involved, and if they wish to gain greater benefits, they need to bring something valuable to the table.¡±


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 Chapter 345 - 215: The New Policy_2

    Chapter 345: Chapter 215: The New Policy_2


    ¡°Given the overall strength of the Lin Family, I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t dare to have any objections.¡±


    Hearing this, a group of clansmen voiced their agreement. After a while of discussing the details, Lin Shihua declared the arrangements on the spot.


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Golden Horn Mountain, Jiuhua Mountain, including the vast lands rich in Spiritual Energy conquered through trials, selected several clanspeople to reorganize them. The task of pioneering each major Spirit Land was entrusted to the leaders in charge. The family set a term limit of ten years, after which the achievements of each area would be rewarded handsomely based on their performance.


    Before they realized it, half a day had passed.


    The solemn clan meeting was drawing to a close. After half a day of exchanging ideas, the family discussed and summarized many matters and altered many policies. Most changes were for the benefit of the clanspeople, modestly improving their treatment. But also, many rules were added, completely eliminating some clanspeople¡¯s wishful thinking.


    As per the current family regulations, those who have not broken through to the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement by the age of fifty will have their stipends halved. Additionally, they will be required to guard the family¡¯s Spirit Lands and are responsible for planting Spiritual Medicine and maintaining the Spirit Plants.


    ...


    Such strict regulations completely cut off the hopes of those who were just coasting by, giving up on themselves. To receive high stipends and rewards from the family, one must cultivate diligently without the mentality of letting things fall apart, only looking to take advantage of the family.


    Only with effort can one receive the family¡¯s support.


    Although this policy change will inevitably face resistance and opposition from some, those who oppose are the ones with low cultivation and poor talent. They practically have no say within the family. This change has no impact on those with higher cultivation. It even improves some benefits for them, so even if those who oppose feel dissatisfied, they can only let it go under the resolute decision of the family¡¯s upper echelons.


    Inside the great hall.


    As Lin Shihua announced the end of the clan meeting, the vast majority of clanspeople stood up, bowed with a clasped fist towards the seated elderly members of the Shi Generation, greeted the familiar clanspeople around, and then slowly exited the great hall.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Tianfeng and the others didn¡¯t leave with the group. All the Foundation Establishment Clan Members waited in place, as if they had agreed to do so.


    After most of the clanspeople had left, they too stood up and made their way towards the seated elders.


    Lin Tianming approached Lin Shikang. After bowing to the elders, the remaining clanspeople followed suit and paid their respects.


    Sitting beside Lin Shikang, Lin Shigang and Lin Shihe looked at their junior clansmen with satisfaction, nodding their heads in approval, their hearts once more filled with emotion. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a moment of calm, Lin Shihe spoke, ¡°Tianming, Tianfeng, you younger generations have done well, not disappointing us old folks who are halfway into the grave.¡±


    Lin Shigang, looking upon several Tian Generation clansmen, also expressed his sentiments, ¡°Indeed, seeing this group of talented Tian Generation clansmen, this old man can depart without worries.¡±


    ¡°Elder Wu, Seventh Grandpa, what are you saying? Without your teachings, how could we juniors have cultivated so rapidly?¡±


    ¡°I vividly remember when I was eleven; just after I learned the Fireball Technique, I accidentally set your wooden hut ablaze,¡± Lin Tianming said, his eyes reflecting a nostalgic glimmer.


    He had been quite mischievous as a child. Growing up in the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory, he often lived with his grandfather, making him very familiar with the Shi Generation of the Lin Family, whom he was particularly fond of.


    After his talent of Dual Spiritual Roots was detected at the age of ten, he became the darling of the clan. His mischief had led to quite a few outrageous incidents.


    ¡°Ha-ha, you were just like a monkey when you were small. Every lesson turned into utter chaos, and it was your father who ended up giving you a good thrashing,¡± Lin Shigang said with a laugh.


    Hearing this, many of the clanspeople around them started laughing as well, surprised to hear about such episodes from Lin Tianming¡¯s youth.


    Lin Tianming nodded awkwardly. In his memory, that thrashing from his father had been so severe that he wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out of bed for days if it weren¡¯t for Lin Shixin¡¯s protection.


    However, it was from then on that he no longer indulged himself and became focused on his cultivation.


    As these memories came to him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nostalgic. When he thought of Lin Shixin¡¯s kind face and the realization that these two elders would pass away in a few years, his heart ached.


    As he reminisced, one by one, the clanspeople around him paid their respects to Lin Shihe and the others, almost as a premature farewell. After all, Foundation Establishment Cultivators were busy. They had to cultivate and take on tasks assigned by the family, so this goodbye could well be the last.


    The mood was somewhat mournful; Lin Shikang witnessed the whole ceremony, feeling reluctant to let go, as his generation of family members deeply shared these emotions. Perhaps in a hundred years, they too would experience this same sad scenario.


    After a short while, the clanspeople finally left the great hall. Lin Tianming and Lin Tianfeng, with the other Tian Generation family members, returned to the Cave Mansion District.


    As Lin Tianhong and the others succeeded in their Foundation Establishment, except for his mother who did not choose a new Cave Mansion Courtyard, the rest picked their own.


    His sister¡¯s Cave Mansion was right next door to his, and Lin Tianhong¡¯s was not far away; they all gathered together, making the Tian Generation¡¯s Cave Mansion District very lively.


    After exchanging pleasantries with the clanspeople, everyone returned to their Cave Mansion Courtyards.


    Lin Tianming went straight into the secret chamber. He sat cross-legged on the cushion, pondering over his cultivation plan going forward.


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 Chapter 346 - 215 New Policy_3

    Chapter 346: Chapter 215 New Policy_3


    Over these past few years, in terms of his cultivation journey, it had been an unprecedented period of tranquility, almost entirely spent in closed-door cultivation.


    After much thought, and with no tasks assigned by the family at present, he had intended to venture out for some experience. However, the Luoyun Mountain Range had been cleared of Demonic Beasts, leaving only those in the Second Order Middle Stage, which were quite powerful. It would be too dangerous to go alone.


    There wasn¡¯t much point in visiting Qianchuan Market either, as there hadn¡¯t been any major gatherings for the past two years. A trip there would only be to replenish some expended treasures, a waste of time without much meaning.


    After contemplating for a long time and finding no desirable destination, he could only continue his closed-door cultivation for another year or two, then prepare some Second Order Pills for the family.


    Having made up his mind, he placed his hands together in prayer and circulated his Cultivation Technique through a Grand Circulation, slowly entering a state of deep cultivation.


    ¡­


    ...


    Qianchuan Market.


    Inside a secret room on the third floor of Luoyun Pavilion, Lin Xing Rong and Ye Pinghai were sitting opposite each other.


    Lin Xing Rong respectfully poured Spiritual Tea for Ye Pinghai, contemplating the purpose behind Ye Pinghai¡¯s sudden visit in his heart.


    Years ago, he had learned from Lin Tianming that Ye Pinghai planned to visit Green Bamboo Mountain in a few years. Now, nearly six years had passed, and if the visit were for this matter, the timing would align.


    Ye Pinghai chuckled at that moment, looking across at Lin Xing Rong, then said, ¡°I have come today to ask for a favor. I wonder if Lin, my young friend, has heard any news from his son?¡±


    Seeing Ye Pinghai¡¯s direct approach, Lin Xing Rong immediately understood that he indeed planned to visit Green Bamboo Mountain to seek assistance from Lin Shikang.


    ¡°Could it really be for the breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm?¡± Lin Xing Rong thought secretly, but maintained his composure on the outside.


    Regaining his focus, he didn¡¯t conceal the truth, nor was there any need to.


    Lin Xing Rong spoke, ¡°To be honest with you, Uncle Ye, I indeed heard from my nephew that my third uncle and father have been looking forward to Uncle Ye¡¯s visit. May I ask when you plan to set off to Green Bamboo Mountain?¡±


    After contemplating briefly, Ye Pinghai replied directly, ¡°I plan to depart in half a month. If my young friend has anything to send, he can entrust it to me to deliver to your elders at Green Bamboo Mountain.¡±


    ¡°Leaving in half a month? That¡¯s about the right time.¡±


    Lin Xing Rong nodded. He had planned to return to the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory, and this timing was not far off from his own expectations. It would be feasible to travel back with the company, and with Ye Pinghai accompanying him, the journey would certainly be safer.


    Returning to his senses, he said, ¡°I was actually planning to make a trip back home. Would Uncle Ye mind taking me along?¡±


    ¡°Good, with my young friend as a companion, the journey will not be lonely,¡± Ye Pinghai replied delightedly.


    Hearing the response, Lin Xing Rong chuckled and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s meet at the peak ten miles outside of the market in the early morning half a month from now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s decided then.¡±


    With a hearty laugh, Ye Pinghai finished his Spiritual Tea and stood up to leave. Lin Xing Rong offered some polite words and then quickly rose to see him out.


    As they both exited Luoyun Pavilion and watched Ye Pinghai disappear around the corner, Lin Xing Rong returned to the secret room on the third floor.


    In the early morning half a month later, within the Lin Family Courtyard at the Cave Mansion.


    After giving a few instructions to some clan members stationed at the market, Lin Xing Rong changed his appearance and stepped out of the Cave Mansion Courtyard, heading for the market entrance.


    Outside the Qianchuan Market, on a small hill, Lin Xing Rong¡¯s figure emerged.


    He looked ahead as a dark shadow flew towards him, undoubtedly the expected Ye Pinghai.


    Before the figure arrived, he stepped forward to meet him, then bowed and said, ¡°My respects to Uncle Ye. Right on time as expected!¡±


    ¡°My young friend need not be so polite. Having made an appointment with you, I will naturally be on time,¡± Ye Pinghai said.


    After saying this, Ye Pinghai waved his sleeve, and a dark green boat appeared in his hand.


    At a glance, the little boat was covered in golden inscriptions, and judging by the aura it emitted, it was a Second Order lower-quality Flying Artifact.


    This was Lin Xing Rong¡¯s first time seeing a Flying Artifact up close, and he couldn¡¯t hide the envy in his eyes.


    Ye Pinghai chuckled, then with a Single-handed Seal, a Law Decree struck the boat.


    Suddenly, the boat flashed golden-yellow and instantaneously enlarged to a thirty-foot long boat floating in mid-air.


    Looking at the dark green boat, Ye Pinghai said to Lin Xing Rong, ¡°Our journey spans over two thousand miles. We shall use my Inkwind Spirit Boat!¡±


    With excitement showing on his face, Lin Xing Rong nodded before replying, ¡°It couldn¡¯t be better. With Uncle Ye¡¯s Flying Artifact, our journey will certainly be much faster!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Pinghai affirmed with a sound, then leaped aboard the Inkwind Spirit Boat first, followed closely by Lin Xing Rong.


    Standing on the Spirit Boat, Ye Pinghai unleashed a Law Decree in his hand, striking the surface of the Boat.


    ¡°Weng weng weng¡­¡±


    The Inkwind Spirit Boat hummed a few times, then flickered with light before shooting southward like a fleeting shadow.


    As Lin Xing Rong stood on the Spirit Boat, the mountains and rivers below gradually receded. The strong Gang Wind whipped through his robe, and as he heard the whistling by his ears, he mentally compared the speed of the Inkwind Spirit Boat with the Purple Gold Eagle.


    The boat was swift, not much slower than the full-speed flight of the Purple Gold Eagle.


    By his estimation, the speed of the Inkwind Spirit Boat was at least eighty percent that of the Purple Gold Eagle, which was very impressive.


    Spiritual Birds suitable for flying were rare; they could be found deep within the major mountain ranges, and chances of encountering them on the outskirts were slim.


    A Second Order lower-quality Flying Artifact commanded a higher price than a Mid-tier Second Order Attack Magical Artifact, often fetching staggering bids at auction that were almost priceless. Such an item only appeared at the large markets of Qianchuan Market, selling at incredibly high prices each time.


    Given Ye Pinghai¡¯s wealth, cultivation level, and his powerful influence, obtaining a Flying Artifact did not come as a surprise.


    Snapping back to his senses, the Inkwind Spirit Boat had already carried them more than ten miles away.


    With Ye Pinghai to accompany him, there were no concerns for safety. Lin Xing Rong sat cross-legged, eyes tightly shut, seizing the opportunity to engage in brief cultivation.


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 Chapter 347 - 216 Ye Pinghais Request_1

    Chapter 347: Chapter 216 Ye Pinghai¡¯s Request_1


    ¡°`


    Golden Horn Mountain.


    As evening fell, the Inkwind Spirit Boat crossed over a range of mountains and rivers.


    Lin Xingrong opened his tightly closed eyes and looked out at the familiar valleys and rivers ahead. They were just as they had always been, and his expression became excited.


    This journey, after five days of flight and smooth progress, found them traveling by day and resting briefly at night, arriving at Golden Horn Mountain just as evening approached.


    He had guarded the mountain for many years, and under the Lin Family¡¯s management for over a decade, it had stabilized; some clan members had lived there long-term. Golden Horn Mountain had truly become an important stronghold for the family.


    ...


    Now that they had arrived, they were completely safe. They prepared to rest overnight and would head directly to Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory the following day.


    At the mountain gate.


    Lin Xingyou, as usual, was leading several Qi Refining Clanspersons in Sword Flight, planning to patrol the vast area tens of miles around Golden Horn Mountain.


    After half an hour of patrolling, they returned to the mountain gate.


    As he was about to send the others away and leave, one of the clanspersons by his side suddenly turned serious.


    He pointed at the rapidly moving shadow in the distance and said, ¡°Uncle Xingyou, look quickly, what is that swift shadow in the distance? It seems to be heading this way!¡±


    Hearing the clansperson¡¯s warning, Lin Xingyou quickly turned his gaze, watching the approaching shadow turn from serious to joyful.


    Upon recognizing the arrival, he immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s twelfth brother and his companions, and it seems that the person with him is Elder Ye!¡±


    ¡°Elder Ye?¡±


    ¡°Could it be Ye Pinghai, who is friendly with our Lin Family?¡± The clansperson seemed uncertain and asked with doubt.


    Lin Xingyou nodded his head and softly explained, ¡°Exactly, in the whole Wei Kingdom, apart from Ye Pinghai who has a good relationship with our family, there are no other renowned figures with the surname Ye!¡±


    While they were whispering among themselves, Lin Xingrong and another person landed at the mountain gate.


    Seeing them from a distance, Lin Xingyou and the others hurried forward, first saluting Ye Pinghai with clasped hands and then greeting Lin Xingrong.


    Lin Xingrong nodded and casually introduced the few clanspersons, and Ye Pinghai also returned the greeting one by one, leaving them quite touched.


    With their modest cultivation, it was rare to receive such courtesy from a renowned cultivator like Ye Pinghai in Wei Kingdom.


    Seeing the excited group of people, Lin Xingrong said, ¡°Xingyou, hurry and arrange a cave residence for Elder Ye. We¡¯ll rest here tonight, and then set off for Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory in the early morning.¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing Lin Xingrong¡¯s instructions, the clanspersons reacted and quickly led the way.


    Shortly after, the group arrived at the cave residence where Lin Xingrong had once lived.


    Lin Xingping, who had been informed in advance, was already waiting at the entrance to greet them.


    After seeing the arrivals, he smiled warmly and stepped forward to greet Ye Pinghai and the others, seeming to be in a good mood.


    Ye Pinghai likewise courteously returned the greeting. Lin Xingping had been stationed at Qianchuan Market for several years, and their frequent interactions meant that they were quite familiar with each other.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Xingyou also arranged a cave residence for Ye Pinghai, and everyone retired to their rooms to rest.


    The next morning, Lin Xingping and another person set off again, continuing their journey south.


    Standing on the Inkwind Spirit Boat, watching the mountains and rivers below, from time to time they could see some Lin Family Members working in areas rich with Spiritual Energy, clearly developing Spirit Fields according to the family¡¯s policy in suitable locations.


    Seeing the bustling scene below, Lin Xingrong felt a surge of excitement.


    Noticing this, Ye Pinghai asked curiously, ¡°This place used to be the territory of Demonic Beasts, how has it completely changed now?¡±


    Lin Xingrong chuckled and explained, ¡°In recent years, my family has cleared the vast area between Green Bamboo Mountain and Golden Horn Mountain of Demonic Beasts. Nearly all of them above the First Order Middle Stage have been eradicated. We now plan to develop these usable Spirit Lands, plant a large number of low-grade Spiritual Medicines, and reap some benefits in the years to come.¡±


    Ye Pinghai nodded, remembering that the power of the Demon Beasts in this region was not insignificant. Second Order Middle Stage Demonic Beasts were plenty, and there were even more powerful Demon Beast Tribes with exceptional talents inhabiting the area.


    But upon further reflection, considering the current overall strength of the Lin Family, it didn¡¯t seem strange that they had taken some time to conquer this land.


    As the two stood on the Inkwind Spirit Boat, they chatted casually from time to time.


    In the face of Ye Pinghai¡¯s indirect probing about the situation among the Lin Family¡¯s higher echelons, Lin Xingrong did not divulge any important information. He particularly avoided mentioning sensitive information such as the number and cultivation levels of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    Although Ye Pinghai had indeed provided considerable help to the Lin Family over the years, human nature is unpredictable; being a bit more cautious and maintaining a sense of mystery wasn¡¯t a bad thing.


    Unknowingly, after spending the better part of the day, they arrived in the vicinity of the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory.


    After that matter, the clanspersons patrolling the mountain gate weren¡¯t surprised to see Lin Xingrong appear with them.


    After exchanges of greetings, with Lin Xingrong leading the way, the two entered the mountain gate smoothly.


    Walking on the stone path of the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory, Lin Xingrong introduced Ye Pinghai to some of the family¡¯s institutions without revealing any significant details.


    Ye Pinghai nodded, observing the greatly changed surroundings and the bustling scenes, as well as the busy Lin Family members, which led him to deep contemplation.


    It had been decades since he last visited the Lin Family Clan Grounds, and this rare visit now presented a stark contrast to what he had seen in the past.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 348 - 216 Ye Pinghais Request_2

    Chapter 348: Chapter 216 Ye Pinghai¡¯s Request_2


    Before, the Lin Family Clan Grounds seemed lifeless, with not many members and all at low levels of cultivation, nowhere near the bustle we see today.


    Beyond that, even the cultivation levels of the clan members have visibly risen by several notches, with just anyone you see being at least at the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement, and there¡¯s even a considerable number of members above the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement.


    Looking at the expressions of these clan members, and the Spirit Swords beneath their feet, all of Second Order High Quality, it was clear their worth had greatly increased.


    From the excitement of every member, it was evident that the atmosphere within the family was superb.


    Seeing this scene, so starkly different from decades ago, he couldn¡¯t help but hold the Lin Family¡¯s strength in even higher regard.


    By the time he had gathered his thoughts, the two of them had already arrived at the Elders¡¯ Council Hall.


    ...


    At this time, several elders of the ¡®Shi¡¯ generation had been waiting before the Elders¡¯ Council Hall, standing in a row, looking at the two men as they slowly approached.


    Lin Shikang greeted them with a smile and his loud voice rang out, ¡°Haha, it¡¯s been decades since I¡¯ve seen Brother Ye, I¡¯ve missed you a great deal.¡±


    Upon seeing Lin Shikang and the others, as well as hearing his loud voice, Ye Pinghai also burst into laughter, walking forward to greet the elders of ¡®Shi¡¯ generation.


    He took Lin Shigong¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Indeed, it has been many years since we last met, Brother Shikang, Brother Shigong, Brother Shihua, how have you been recently?¡±


    ¡°And Brother Shilu, it¡¯s been a few years since we last met, and it seems your cultivation has improved further, the Lin Family truly harbors hidden dragons.¡±


    Lin Shigong replied with a twinkle in his eyes, ¡°Thanks to Brother Ye¡¯s blessing, I fortuitously broke through to the Foundation Establishment over a decade ago, I have to thank you, Brother Ye. Without the Minor Foundation Building Pills you helped refine back then, Shihua and I might have been sitting on the brink of death.¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than Lin Shihua chimed in, ¡°Yes, it was a perilous breakthrough back then, that Minor Foundation Building Pill was our lifesaver, without it, it would have been difficult to say whether we could meet Brother Ye once more.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I merely did what I could, it was nothing significant. You two are fortunate men, and it¡¯s clear that fortune has favored you with a successful breakthrough,¡± laughed Ye Pinghai.


    ¡°Alright, since Brother Ye has kindly visited, I happen to have some treasured tea to share. Let¡¯s go inside to enjoy the tea and rest for a bit, and we will entertain Brother Ye well at dinner later.¡±


    ¡°Shihua, instruct them to prepare some fine ingredients for the dinner, we must do our best to show hospitality,¡± Lin Shikang said and grabbed Ye Pinghai by the hand, heading toward the interior of the Elders¡¯ Council Hall, with Lin Shigong and the others quickly following behind.


    Lin Shihua promptly gave a few instructions to the clansmen beside him and then followed them inside, disappearing in front of the grand hall.


    Elders¡¯ Council Hall, inside an austere and dignified reception room. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Shikang and Ye Pinghai sat in the high seats while Lin Shigong and Lin Shihua took their places on either side.


    As they chatted casually, Lin Xingrong stood by, offering tea and pouring water for the elders.


    Lin Shikang was excited, and while attending to Ye Pinghai, he soon said, ¡°This Dragon Stream Flower Tea is part of my personal collection, harvested from a Second Order Dragon Stream Tree, a legacy from our ancestors. I¡¯m only willing to share it when Brother Ye visits, so take a sip quickly and let me know how it tastes.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Second Order Dragon Creek Tea.¡±


    Ye Pinghai was excited, as he was also a tea aficionado. Upon hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s words, he promptly took the jade cup and tasted a sip of the tea.


    As the Spiritual Tea entered his stomach, a scalding energy moved through his meridians and finally settled slowly into his Seven Sea Dantian, causing his complexion to grow rosier.


    After a few moments, he nodded in satisfaction and then said, ¡°Not bad at all, this Dragon Creek Tea is truly exceptional, the peculiar aroma is pervasive, and just smelling this natural fragrance is refreshing to one¡¯s spirit.¡±


    ¡°Not only that, but after drinking the Spiritual Tea, I can clearly feel my blood flowing more swiftly. It¡¯s like having consumed half a Lingshen Pill; without even cultivating, the energy contained within has already taken root in my body, slowly transforming into spiritual power¡ªno doubt, it is indeed a High Quality Spiritual Tea.¡±


    Lin Shikang nodded and replied, ¡°Brother Ye, you are right, this Dragon Creek Tea indeed has its unique uses. Seven leaves to a pot, its effects when consumed regularly are outstanding, although it is a pity the quantity is too little, only about half a pound left. If Brother Ye likes it, I will give it to you.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ye Pinghai chuckled and, after declining several times, Lin Shikang didn¡¯t insist further ¨C after all, it was but a courteous offering, and Ye Pinghai certainly wouldn¡¯t take it seriously.


    The group then went back to leisurely sipping tea and chatting. After Ye Pinghai took another sip of the Spiritual Tea, he changed the topic.


    ¡°Brother Shigong, is your grandson Tian Ming at the family grounds? It¡¯s been several years since I last saw the lad,¡± said Ye Pinghai.


    Upon his mention of Lin Tianming, Lin Shigong chuckled and replied, ¡°Thank you for remembering him, Brother Ye. I have already sent a message to him, and he should be here to pay his respects shortly. Let¡¯s drink tea and wait a moment.¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s wonderful, I haven¡¯t seen the boy in a few years and I¡¯d bet his cultivation has significantly improved. The Lin Family is indeed like a dragon lying in wait, destined to return to its former glory one day,¡± Ye Pinghai said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Brother Ye flatters us. The boy indeed cultivates swiftly, but the path to the Golden Core is not so easily trodden. From what I see, Brother Ye, you¡¯ve been at the Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment for many years and must have reached the Foundation Establishing Great Perfection Realm by now,¡± interjected Lin Shikang, probing for more information about Ye Pinghai¡¯s condition and trying to gather as much news as possible.


    Ye Pinghai looked serious in response to Lin Shikang¡¯s inquiry, about to speak, when Lin Tianming entered the room.


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 Chapter 349 - 216 Ye Pinghais Request_3

    Chapter 349: Chapter 216 Ye Pinghai¡¯s Request_3


    He strode forward and gave Ye Pinghai a bow, then spoke, ¡°Tian Ming greets Grandpa Sea. Just six years apart, and you seem to have grown even stronger.¡±


    Ye Pinghai waved his hand modestly and said, ¡°You¡¯re really impressive, young man. A few years go by, and your cultivation has broken through to the Foundation Building Fourth Level. When I was your age, I had just broken through Foundation Establishment. Compared to you, I¡¯m hardly in the same league.¡±


    ¡°Haha, Grandpa Sea overestimates me.¡±


    Lin Tianming replied and proceeded to greet the elders, then sat down with his father at the lowest seating, waiting for something.


    Seated in a high position, Ye Pinghai surveyed the few people in the hall, and Lin Shikang immediately understood.


    He spoke with a grave expression, ¡°The people here are all core members of our Lin Family and those familiar to Brother Ye. If there¡¯s anything you need help with, just speak frankly. Over the years, you¡¯ve gone to great lengths for the Lin Family. As long as it¡¯s within our power, I can speak on behalf of the Lin Family and promise to do our utmost.¡±


    ...


    Seeing Lin Shikang¡¯s earnest expression and firm tone of voice, Ye Pinghai let out a hearty laugh.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°If the brothers speak so straightforwardly, then I won¡¯t beat around the bush.¡±


    At this moment, Lin Tianming and all the other clan members perked up, all eager to learn if Ye Pinghai¡¯s reason for visiting was indeed for the Golden Core Path as they had guessed.


    Ye Pinghai pondered for a moment, then made up his mind.


    ¡°I do have a matter to discuss on this visit. If Tian Ming had attended the major auction at Qianchuan Market several years ago, perhaps you could guess some of it. I did indeed obtain the Gold Fruit.¡±


    ¡°And this visit is to make preparations for my impact on the Golden Core Stage.¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s expression grew serious. The Gold Fruit had indeed been obtained by him, and the impact of reaching the Golden Core Realm was no trivial matter. The entire Wei Kingdom had only a few dozen Golden Core Cultivators, which showed how much attention this matter would attract if it got out.


    Ye Pinghai seemed to have anticipated the crowd¡¯s reaction and continued while they were in astonishment;


    ¡°As a Loose Cultivator, my situation is well known to everybody. I plan to make an attempt on the Golden Core Realm in three years¡¯ time, for which I wish to rely on the Lin Family Treasured Land and the wisdom of Ancestor of the Lin Family. The spiritual energy in Green Bamboo Mountain is rich enough to support my advancement.


    ¡°As for the actual process of reaching the Golden Core Stage, I do not need any help from you all. If I die under the Heavenly Tribulation, consider my possessions as compensation. If, by chance, I succeed, I shall not hesitate to face death for any crisis the Lin Family might face in the future.¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Should there be any falsehood in my words, may I never advance an inch on my path again. I wonder if Brother Lin and everyone present is willing to help me out?¡±


    No sooner had the words fallen than Ye Pinghai looked at Lin Shikang with an anxious yet hopeful expression.


    He had made full preparations for his attempt on the Golden Core Realm. Although it was possible to forge ahead alone, finding a spiritually abundant and safe locale was not easy.


    Beyond that, more crucial was the breakthrough wisdom left by the ancestor of the Lin Family. Such knowledge was rare throughout the Wei Kingdom, and he dared not seek help from Golden Elixir Forces.


    There were other families with ancestors who had reached Golden Elixir Experts, but his relationships with those families were mediocre. They would not help without receiving some treasure in exchange, and he had to be wary of them coveting the Gold Fruit.


    In such circumstances, the Lin Family was his first choice. His interactions over the years had shown that the Lin Family Members were of good character and the family¡¯s reputation in the Cultivation World had always been excellent; they were unlikely to commit avarice.


    If the Lin Family were to turn greedy and snatch the Core Formation treasures, he wasn¡¯t completely powerless to resist. He had prepared a trump card capable of inflicting severe damage on the Lin Family, which was extremely important.


    If the Lin Family refused his request for help, he had other families in mind. If there was truly no suitable option, he would have to take a risk and find an appropriate Spirit Land to attempt the Golden Core alone.


    Collecting his thoughts, Lin Shikang, sitting nearby, did not seem to ponder much. He exchanged nods with Lin Shihua and Lin Shilu, and finally turned to Lin Tianming, seemingly seeking his opinion.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t hesitate, as they had discussed and reached a unanimous decision beforehand, if Ye Pinghai sought help, they would agree immediately.


    Whether he succeeded or not, there would be no loss for the Lin Family; once he made a breakthrough, remembering the previous life-saving grace and the assistance of Core Formation this time, the Lin Family would have a slim chance of survival in any future crisis.


    Besides, him attempting a breakthrough in the Lin Family Clan Grounds meant all Foundation Establishment Clan Members could closely witness the Power of the Threefold Thunder Tribulation, an extremely rare opportunity. In time, when someone from the Lin Family made an impact on the Golden Core Realm, they could make advance preparations.


    No matter the outcome of the impact on the Golden Core, the Lin Family wouldn¡¯t be at a loss and would even gain a lot of experience.


    Having thought this through, Lin Tianming nodded without hesitation to express his opinion.


    Seeing Lin Tianming confirm, Lin Shikang spoke up, ¡°Brother Ye has been kind to the Lin Family over the years, and now that he needs the Lin Family, naturally, we should lend a helping hand. Brother, you can represent the Lin Family and accept this matter; we hope Brother Ye can step onto the Golden Core Path in one fell swoop.¡±


    When Lin Shikang agreed to the matter, Ye Pinghai breathed a sigh of relief.


    As he was getting older and his potential was dwindling, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste much time. If the Lin Family refused to help, it would have caused him much trouble and delayed him unnecessarily.


    Fortunately, the Lin Family nearly agreed without a second thought, which was somewhat unexpected for him.


    Regaining his composure, he laughed heartily and then said, ¡°A great kindness does not warrant thanks; if by some fluke I succeed, I will definitely not forget the grace of the Lin Family.¡±


    Lin Shikang laughed as well, ¡°Brother Ye, no need to overthink it. Helping out is just a minor effort. Honored that Brother Ye holds the Lin Family in such regard, just focus on your Golden Core breakthrough with peace of mind. I here make a promise, there will be no vile intentions, and should I harbor any malevolence, may my path in cultivation not advance a single inch.¡±


    Seeing Lin Shikang state his position so clearly and make such a promise, if he harbored any greedy thoughts and acted against him, it would be difficult to make further progress with his state of mind damaged.


    At this thought, he was somewhat moved and let down his guard.


    What followed was a lively scene, as the clan members and Ye Pinghai exchanged cultivation experiences, with Ye Pinghai having no reservations. In his Second Order Superior Alchemy Expertise, Lin Tianming and Lin Shigong absorbed a lot of experience in the art of Alchemy.


    The lively exchange continued well into the day, with everyone reaping benefits.


    As evening approached, accompanied by the family¡¯s senior members, they warmly hosted a banquet for Ye Pinghai, where the clan members also had the rare opportunity to gather and heartily drink Spiritual Wine, creating an extremely warm atmosphere.


    In a moment filled with laughter, the wariness between them melted away, and their affection deepened.


    Time flew swiftly, and half a month passed quickly.


    On this clear morning, on the Bluestone Street of the clan grounds, Lin Shikang and Ye Pinghai were walking in front, followed by several key clan members, with Lin Tianming among them.


    Soon after, they arrived at the plaza in front of the mountain gate.


    With a smile, Ye Pinghai clasped his fist towards Lin Shikang and the others and said, ¡°Brother Shi Kang, fellow daoists, thank you for your warm hospitality. I need to make further preparations, and in three years, I will come on time as agreed.¡±


    ¡°Take care, I shall take my leave.¡±


    The Lin Family members on the other side nodded, returned the gesture with clasped hands, and then Lin Shikang gave a few instructions to Lin Xingrong beside him.


    Lin Xingrong nodded and then approached Ye Pinghai, ready to accompany him back to Qianchuan Market.


    After the two nodded to each other, they left the Protective Clan Formation.


    Outside the Protective Clan Formation, Ye Pinghai summoned the Inkwind Spirit Boat, and the two hopped on, one after the other. Then, turning into a dark shadow, they flew toward the northern Qianchuan Market.


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 Chapter 350 - 217: Fusion Spirit Pill, Attack_1

    Chapter 350: Chapter 217: Fusion Spirit Pill, Attack_1


    At the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, within the cave mansion courtyard of Lin Tianming.


    With Ye Pinghai leaving Green Bamboo Mountain, half a month had already passed, and the family had returned to peace. The clan members cultivated as usual, everything as it was in the past.


    In a pill refining room, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the ground, with his hands joined together. He began the process of circulating his energy and breathing, soon entering deep cultivation.


    Half a day went by.


    When his condition reached its peak, he opened his eyes and felt his body¡¯s state. Then he took out a large quantity of Spirit Essence Pill materials, totaling dozens of portions.


    In the years since he had become a Second Order Junior Alchemist, he had refined a large number of Second Order Spirit Origin Pills. The pills consumed by the family, as well as those sold in various shops, were mostly produced by him.


    ...


    However, the pills he refined were for the family¡¯s use. Both his grandfather and Lin Xingyuan were also Second Order Junior Alchemists, but the quality of the pills they refined could not compare to his, so they all went for sale.


    After so many refining sessions, refining Second Order Inferior Grade Pills had almost become a sure thing for him.


    Moreover, the pills produced by his hands were all of superior quality, with a potency a notch stronger than those refined by ordinary people.


    This time the family had accumulated some spiritual medicine materials, including twelve portions of a type of Elixir Essence called Melting Yuan Pill, all slowly collected over the years by the family.


    The Fusion Spirit Pill was a Second Order Medium Quality elixir, also used to aid cultivation just like the Spirit Origin Pill, but its potency and value differed greatly.


    The potency contained in a single Fusion Spirit Pill was at least worth more than two Spirit Origin Pills, and it was also smoother to refine. Therefore, the price of a Fusion Spirit Pill was more than three times that of a regular Spirit Origin Pill.


    Since the spiritual medicine materials needed for the Fusion Spirit Pill were hard to collect, such pills only circulated in small quantities among the Golden Core forces. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Under normal circumstances, considering its stronger medicinal properties, those who had the Fusion Spirit Pill were almost unwilling to trade it, preferring to keep it for their own cultivation.


    After more than ten years of gathering little by little, the family had finally obtained enough materials for more than a dozen Fusion Spirit Pills.


    Taking advantage of this time, he planned to refine all the Spirit Essence Pill materials and then try his hand at the Second Order Medium Quality Fusion Spirit Pill to see if he could produce it and advance to a Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist.


    Regaining his focus, he made a single-handed seal and cast a spell at the Earth Fire inlet.


    When the Earth Fire surged out, the temperature in the pill refining room slowly rose. He then took out the Blueflame Furnace, made all the necessary preparations, and began refining the Spirit Origin Pills.


    With adept experience, one after another, the spiritual medicine materials were decomposed and purified into Elixir Essence lying at the bottom of the Blueflame Furnace.


    He then skillfully infused them with his spiritual power, completing the Solidifying Pill process.


    At this moment, the pill refining room was bustling with activity, and every half a day, a fragrance indicated that a batch of pills had successfully solidified and come out of the furnace.


    ¡­


    Time flew swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.


    In the pill refining room, Lin Tianming still sat on the cushion.


    In front of him, numerous Jade Bottles were neatly placed, emitting a special Elixir scent that was refreshing.


    After a month of intensive refining, he had completed the refining of fifty portions of Spirit Essence Pill materials.


    He refined pills during the day and meditated at night. Engaged in dual management of both alchemy and cultivation, he wasted not a single moment, living quite a fulfilling life.


    Under such diligent efforts, the fifty portions of spiritual medicine materials resulted in nearly three hundred pills, all of them rare high-quality products.


    After setting aside a third for the family, he himself was left with almost two hundred pills, earning a substantial fortune.


    Looking at the large number of pills in front of him, he was pleased, then stored them in two different storage bags, planning to deliver them to the Hall of Merit once he emerged from seclusion.


    With the refining of the Spirit Origin Pills completed, he prepared to strike while the iron was hot and give the Fusion Spirit Pills a try to see if he could refine them.


    If he could produce them, he would use the Fusion Spirit Pills to cultivate for a while, aiming to push his cultivation toward the peak of the Foundation Building Fourth Level.


    Once that happened, he planned to venture out and after a round of battles, he might have an opportunity for a breakthrough.


    Having made up his mind, he began to circulate his energy and adjust his state.


    Four hours later, his Divine Sense and Spiritual Power had fully recovered, returning his condition to its peak.


    Feeling the state of his entire body, he waved his sleeve, and a pale gold Jade Slip appeared in his hand.


    This Jade Slip contained the Pill Formula for the Fusion Spirit Pill. It was unknown how the family had obtained it.


    No matter how, now that the Pill Formula and spiritual medicine materials had been collected, it was only natural to refine them as soon as possible to help the Foundation Establishment Clan Members accelerate their cultivation.


    Refocusing his mind, he began to comprehend the formula.


    Although he had already read through it several times, the spiritual medicine materials were not easy to collect, so he had to be well-prepared, increase his chances as much as possible, and avoid wasting the materials.


    After half a day, he reviewed the Pill Formula for the Fusion Spirit Pill several times until he could recite it by heart and felt that his understanding of the formula had reached a certain level. Only then did he put away the Jade Slip.


    Now everything was ready, except for the Wind.


    Lin Tianming took a deep breath, then made a seal with his hands, casting a Law Decree at the Earth Fire outlet.


    As the Earth Fire erupted, a fiery red Earth Fire scorched the bottom of the yet unmoved Blueflame Furnace.


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 Chapter 351 - 217: Fusion Spirit Pill, Attack_2

    Chapter 351: Chapter 217: Fusion Spirit Pill, Attack_2


    For a moment, the temperature within the pill refining room began to rise again. He then slapped his storage bag, and the spiritual medicine materials for the Fusion Spirit Pill appeared on the stone platform.


    Feeling that the Earth Fire was about the right temperature, he didn¡¯t hesitate. He picked up a piece of spiritual medicine material and tossed it into the Blueflame Furnace.


    ¡°Sizzle sizzle sizzle¡­¡±


    The spiritual medicine quickly began to decompose under the high temperatures. He controlled his Divine Sense with precision, carefully separating the impurities from the essence within the spiritual medicine material.


    Soon, the first piece of spiritual medicine material was fully decomposed, leaving a small glob of greenish liquid at the bottom of the furnace.


    Following that, another piece of spiritual medicine material was thrown into the furnace, and he skillfully decomposed it.


    ...


    Four hours passed, and all of the spiritual medicine materials had been decomposed, leaving a fist-sized glob of Elixir Essence at the bottom of the furnace, teeming with a great deal of both main and auxiliary medicine¡¯s essence.


    Observing the glob of Elixir Essence, with its purity gathered together, Lin Tianming felt quite elated.


    After calming himself down and feeling that the Blueflame Furnace was reaching a critical temperature, he could not afford to care about the sweat on his forehead and began to inject Spiritual Energy.


    With a slap on the Blueflame Furnace, a faint ball of Spiritual Power passed through the body of the furnace, accurately entering the Elixir Essence.


    At the same time, he controlled the Earth Fire once more, instantly raising both the flame¡¯s temperature and size.


    Just when he was about to solidify the pill, he activated his Eye of Five Colors, concentrating intently on the changes within the Blueflame Furnace.


    Feeling the Earth Fire reaching the level required for solidifying the pill, he made his preparations for the pill solidification without hesitation.


    ¡°Solidify the pill!¡±


    With his shout, the Earth Fire surged out fiercely, and the temperature inside the Blueflame Furnace peaked.


    After a brief moment, a special fragrance wafted from the Pill Furnace. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He immediately sensed the fragrance, and his complexion flushed with excitement.


    ¡°The first furnace seems to have succeeded directly!¡±


    He murmured to himself, then hurriedly removed the lid of the furnace. Inside lay two golden-yellow elixirs, roughly the size of apricot kernels, with surfaces marked by fine lines, looking quite attractive.


    Indeed, the first furnace had succeeded, something Lin Tianming himself hadn¡¯t expected to happen so easily.


    Overjoyed, he took one elixir into his hand and began to study it closely.


    Looking at the patterns on the elixir and its unique fragrance, compared with the records in the Pill Formula, he was certain that it was undoubtedly a genuine Fusion Spirit Pill.


    Being successful with the first furnace was a bit of a surprise to him as well, but after thinking about it, this elixir was very similar to the Lingshen Pill, only higher in grade and made with more precious spiritual medicine materials.


    Having refined countless furnaces of Lingshen Pills himself, his alchemy skills had long reached the standards of Second Order Medium Quality. With the assistance of the Eye of Five Colors, it wasn¡¯t surprising that he had somehow managed to refine it successfully.


    However, the number of pills was a bit low; at the very least, reaching three pills would be considered formally entering the realm of Second Order Medium Quality.


    Even so, he was still very satisfied with such an achievement.


    Once his mood had settled, he stored the two Fusion Spirit Pills into his storage bag, then began to sit in meditation to restore his spent Divine Sense and Spiritual Power.


    Once his condition had recovered, he continued while the iron was hot, striving to refine the remaining ten plus batches of spiritual medicine materials into elixirs.


    Another month went by.


    In the pill refining room, as another fragrance permeated the air, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression turned excited, and he eagerly lifted the lid of the furnace.


    At this time, four golden-yellow elixirs lay inside the Pill Furnace, each one full of color and undoubtedly genuine Fusion Spirit Pills.


    With this batch of spiritual medicine materials successfully refined, twelve batches of materials were all completed, yielding a total of five furnaces of pills. The first two furnaces had produced only two elixirs each, followed by two furnaces with three each, and as he refined more, the number of elixirs slowly increased, with the last furnace yielding four, totaling fourteen Fusion Spirit Pills.


    Having to contribute twelve to his clan, keeping two for himself was quite a good outcome.


    Now that his alchemy had successfully advanced to Second Order Medium Quality, overall, the pill formation rate had reached thirty percent, but it was still short of forty percent. He would need to practice a bit more, and reaching forty percent shouldn¡¯t take too long.


    However, lacking the materials to refine Second Order Medium Quality elixirs, it was not as easy to make rapid progress in his alchemy skills as before.


    After storing the elixirs into his storage bag, he habitually tidied up the messy pill refining room. Lin Tianming then left the room and entered his own bedroom.


    After two months of pill making, even though the frequency wasn¡¯t high, as he spent most of his nights in cultivation, the duration still left him a bit weary.


    Now that the pill making was done and there wasn¡¯t much else to do besides cultivating, he planned to rest well for a few days. Once he was fully rejuvenated, he would start testing the effects of the Fusion Spirit Pill and also focus on secluded cultivation for a while.


    Making up his mind, he directly lay on the stone bed, and within just a short period, he fell into a deep sleep.


    ¡­


    Luoyun Mountain Range.


    In a small valley where Green Bamboo Mountain and Luoyun Mountain meet.


    This was the very valley where Lin Tianming and his companions had fought the Qilin Beast Horde and acquired a great quantity of Ice Crystals during their training.


    Seen from high above, this petite valley was shrouded in mist and rich in Spiritual Energy. Although it didn¡¯t match the standards of Green Bamboo Mountain and Golden Horn Mountain Clan Territory, it was still considered an excellent Spirit Land outside the wilderness.


    Thanks to the policies issued by his clan over the years, this small valley had been designated as one of the Spirit Lands to be developed by the clan and had been given a new name¡ªIce Valley.


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 Chapter 352 - 217: Fusion Spirit Pill, Attack_3

    Chapter 352: Chapter 217: Fusion Spirit Pill, Attack_3


    After the concerted efforts of many lower-ranked clan members, the once dense towering trees were cut down by the Lin Family Members, clearing a large expanse of rough spiritual medicine fields.


    It was now evening, and dozens of Lin Family Members were swinging specially made spirit shovels, turning over the grey-brown soil, after which blocks of spirit stones were buried in the pits, followed by the addition of some special powdery substances.


    This step was part of the process to cultivate the soil, and after such a series of procedures, only one or two years of careful maintenance were needed for the clan to obtain a fertile spiritual medicine garden.


    Looking around, orderly spiritual medicine fields layered like terraces wrapped around the peaks on both sides of the valley.


    At the edge of one spiritual medicine field, Lin Tianfeng stood side by side with Lin Xingyou, watching the people working below, with a look of satisfaction on their faces.


    Lin Tianfeng looked at the slowly setting sun overhead and said to Lin Xingyou beside him, ¡°Uncle, if this progress continues, it should be finished in a few months, and then we can report back.¡±


    ...


    ¡°The sky is getting dark, let the clansmen return to camp for a rest,¡± he added.


    Hearing Lin Tianfeng¡¯s words, Lin Xingyou nodded. They were tasked by the Clan Leader with the defense of this place.


    Having been here for over half a year, fortunately, the reclamation went smoothly without attacks from powerful demonic beasts. They only encountered a few first order demon beasts straying into the area, which Lin Tianfeng easily killed.


    Today¡¯s progress was not bad, and both their moods were quite pleasant. Lin Xingyou then shouted, ¡°Fellow clan members, it¡¯s getting late, prepare to return to camp, and continue work tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­work¡¯s over¡­work¡¯s over!¡±


    ¡°Time to rest¡­I¡¯m really a bit tired today, we¡¯ll continue tomorrow!¡±


    Upon hearing that work was over, the clansmen were in a good mood, joking and playing with each other.


    In a short while, dozens of clansmen had already gathered together. After Lin Tianfeng and the others checked that everyone was present, they prepared to lead the clansmen towards the valley.


    Just at that moment, a roar from demonic beasts came, quickly followed by the sound of pounding footsteps.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression drastically changed, and in a hurry, he shouted, ¡°Uncle Xingyou, take the clansmen and quickly retreat to the valley! Relying on the formation protection, it might be safer.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xingyou¡¯s expression became grave, and he quickly led the clansmen toward the valley.


    At this time, the Qi Refining Clanspeople appeared slightly panicked, but they did not dare to delay, following Lin Xingyou in haste.


    However, the demonic beasts were too fast. Just when the clansmen had descended the terraced fields and were yet to reach a safe area, two second order initial stage Iceflame Lions had appeared at the distant entrance of the valley.


    When the two sides met eyes, there was a brief pause. Soon after, a tide of first order Iceflame Lions rushed over from behind the two leaders, with at least dozens in number.


    Seeing the scale of the oncoming Iceflame Lion tribe, both Lin Tianfeng and Lin Xingyou¡¯s expressions turned incredibly solemn.


    The Iceflame Lions were also social demonic beasts, their tribe sizes varying. Adult Iceflame Lions were at the second order initial stage, very powerful, favoring water attribute spirit lands and rare treasures.


    This tribe was of medium size, aside from the two second order initial stage Iceflame Lions, there were also several at the first order late stage, a force that should not be underestimated.


    They appeared here likely because they sensed the rich water attribute spiritual energy of the place. If they could claim this land, the advancement of their offspring would be much faster.


    Lin Tianfeng thought to himself, contemplating countermeasures.


    But the Iceflame Lion tribe was approaching quickly, giving him little time to react. Led by the two second order initial stage Iceflame Lions, they advanced like a swarm of locusts towards them.


    Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression changed as he hurriedly made his way towards the interior of the valley, soon joining the clansmen.


    Lin Xingyou¡¯s face darkened, his eyes fixed on the approaching Iceflame Lion tribe as he asked, ¡°Tianfeng, what should we do next? The strength of this Iceflame Lion tribe is too formidable. If Tian Ming or Fifteenth Uncle were here, we wouldn¡¯t fear them, but our clansmen are too weak. Relying solely on the three of us, even with the formation, we definitely won¡¯t hold out for long.¡±


    Lin Xingyou¡¯s words added to the gravity of Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression.


    Among the clansmen arranged here, he himself was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment first layer, and Lin Xingyou was at the peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, with one more Qi Refining clansperson from the Xing clan at the Ninth Layer, and the rest all below the Fifth Level of Qi Refining.


    Against the opposing Ice Flame Lion Tribe, their strength was indeed strained.


    The only good news was that considering the low strength of the clansmen, the family had brought a First Order Superior Defense Formation specifically for this land reclamation. He had not expected it to be needed so soon.


    It was uncertain whether it could hold off the Ice Flame Lion Tribe for a few days. However, there was no better plan at the moment, and all he could do was try his best and hope it would work.


    With these thoughts, he quickly decided on a plan.


    ¡°Uncle Xingyou, I¡¯ll help you leave this place. You must travel to Green Bamboo Mountain for reinforcements as quickly as possible. Uncle Xing Luan and I will hold the fort using the formation. If we can last two or three days, we may just overcome this crisis.¡±


    Hearing Lin Tianfeng¡¯s words, Lin Xingyou knew the situation was urgent and that there was no time to waste.


    He nodded in haste and said, ¡°Then take care of yourselves and be sure to hold on for a few days until I bring back reinforcements.¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Tianfeng gave Lin Xingyou a push on his back, using the force to send him over a ridge and disappear into the gloomy sky.


    The approaching Iceflame Lions had no time to react, powerless to stop Lin Xingyou from vanishing from their sights.


    At this moment, Lin Tianfeng had already led all the clansmen deep into the valley, drawing ever closer to the area protected by the Formation.


    The focus regained, the Iceflame Lion tribe charged after them, ready for a fight.


    ¡°Uncle Xing Luan, lead the clansmen into the formation, I¡¯ll hold off these beasts for a while,¡± instructed Lin Tianfeng.


    Hearing Lin Tianfeng¡¯s order, Lin Xing Luan quickly led the clansmen towards the edge of the formation, leaving Lin Tianfeng to guard their retreat.


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 Chapter 353 - 218 Situation_1

    Chapter 353: Chapter 218 Situation_1


    As the Iceflame Lion Tribe surged forward, Lin Tianfeng was already prepared for a great battle.


    He gripped a Spirit Sword in one hand and a handful of talismans in the other, among them three talismans of the Second Order Lower Grade.


    The current situation left him no room to hold back.


    If he didn¡¯t take this opportunity to test and significantly weaken the overall strength of the Iceflame Lions, they would face great pressure if trapped later on.


    Once the Formation they relied on was compromised, he might escape, but the dozens of Lin Family members here would likely suffer heavy casualties.


    Therefore, as soon as he made a move, it was a lethal one, aiming to achieve the greatest victory.


    ...


    Looking at the approaching Iceflame Lion Tribe, they had entered the optimal range for attack.


    He made up his mind and released the handful of talismans, which turned into a sky full of Sword Qi and fireballs raining down on the oncoming Iceflame Lion Tribe.


    Simultaneously, his Spirit Sword shone brightly as he infused massive amounts of Spiritual Power into it; the Sword Qi overflowed from the sword, stirring the surrounding Spiritual Energy.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    With an angry shout, he swung his Spirit Sword, unleashing terrifying Sword Qi that shot toward two Second Order Iceflame Lions.


    The two Second Order Iceflame Lions sensed the threat immediately. They roared towards the heavens, and their offspring seemed to understand something as they scattered in all directions.


    At the same time, the two Iceflame Lions dashed away, swiftly leaving the land to avoid the horrifying Sword Qi unleashed by Lin Tianfeng.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    The sky filled with Sword Qi and fireballs exploded upon the land beneath the Iceflame Lions¡¯ feet, illuminating the dim sky with fire and turning the entire valley bright.


    At that moment, a series of screams sounded, causing one¡¯s scalp to tingle.


    When the light of the fire dispersed, the two Second Order Iceflame Lions burst out of the smoke, their huge maws open as if to swallow Lin Tianfeng whole.


    Seeing the two attacking Second Order Iceflame Lions, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression grew solemn.


    His initial barrage of attacks had succeeded in killing more than a dozen First Order Initial and Medium Stage Iceflame Lions, but the two Second Order Iceflame Lions had only sustained minor injuries and were not fundamentally harmed.


    By now, the majority of his people had entered the area covered by the Formation, but about ten had not yet made it inside.


    For the lives of these few, he had no room to retreat. He had to figure out a way to block the two Second Order Iceflame Lions to buy them time.


    Determined, he brought his palms together and began chanting a special incantation.


    In an instant, a silver-white Sword Qi slowly appeared above his head, a concentration of Mystical Solar Sword Qi Art.


    This Spirit Art, which he was arranged to study after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment, had been successfully cultivated with ease and nurtured within his Dantian for over two years. It was one of the few trump cards he had.


    Watching the approaching Iceflame Lions, he unhesitatingly activated the terrifying Sword Qi.


    He roared, ¡°Beasts, die!¡±


    In a flash, the silver-white Sword Qi burst forth at an inconceivably fast speed.


    The two Second Order Iceflame Lions sensed the fatal danger, hurriedly turned their bodies, trying to dodge this horrifying strike.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    The silver-white Sword Qi struck, and despite the Iceflame Lions¡¯ speed being exceptional among the Demon Beast Race, one weaker Lion didn¡¯t manage to avoid it and was struck in its sturdy leg.


    The pained Iceflame Lion screamed sharply, then wildly twisted its body in painful howls.


    Lin Tianfeng¡¯s horrific strike injured the slightly weaker Iceflame Lion. Although it didn¡¯t lose its fighting ability altogether, its strength was greatly reduced, making it less troublesome to deal with.


    During this brief respite, the Qi Refining clanspeople had entered the area enveloped by the Formation, temporarily escaping danger.


    Lin Tianfeng finally let out a long breath, surprised at how terrifying the Great Sun Sword Qi Art was. No wonder the Lin Family restricted its cultivation to Qi Refining people. If this got out, or if some Golden Core Stage Expert discovered it, the Lin Family couldn¡¯t avoid a clan extinction crisis. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fortunately, the Lin Family had the foresight: this terrifying Spirit Art was known only to the core members of the family. Otherwise, if any clansperson could practice it, it would always be a potential danger.


    With these thoughts, his tense nerves relaxed slightly, and his expression finally eased a bit.


    Across from him, the other Iceflame Lion, seeing its companion injured, became very angry. It fixed its gaze on Lin Tianfeng and with a leap, charged towards him.


    Lin Tianfeng snorted coldly, moving his Spirit Sword to release several Sword Qi to block the Iceflame Lion.


    ¡°Bang bang bang¡­¡±


    A few explosive sounds followed as the Sword Qi clashed with the Iceflame Lion¡¯s sharp and fierce claws.


    A strong blast of air pushed Lin Tianfeng back dozens of yards, and the Iceflame Lion was similarly repelled more than ten yards.


    After this exchange, their relative strengths became somewhat clear. Lin Tianfeng might not lose in a one-on-one fight, but winning would undoubtedly be very difficult.


    On the other hand, this Iceflame Lion had reached the pinnacle of the Second Order Initial Stage, not far from the Middle Stage. In a one-on-one fight, its odds of winning were a bit higher.


    Knowing this, Lin Tianfeng used the force of the blast to retreat to the edge of the Formation-covered area, putting a safe distance between himself and his opponent.


    ¡°Thank goodness that strike injured the weaker Iceflame Lion; otherwise, if the two joined forces, I would definitely be no match for these two beasts!¡±


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 Chapter 354 - 218 Situation_2

    Chapter 354: Chapter 218 Situation_2


    He muttered to himself inwardly and then lifted his foot to step into the area enveloped by the formation.


    As they watched him enter the formation, the waiting clansmen finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Under the current circumstances, Lin Tianfeng represented their hope for survival. Although their powers were not great, and they had no prospect of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage in their lifetimes, nobody wanted to die.


    After entering the formation, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression grew solemn. The defensive array, a First Order Superior Grade, was under siege by so many Iceflame Lions that it was uncertain whether it could hold for more than three days. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By now, the injured Iceflame Lions had calmed down. One glared angrily at Lin Tianfeng and charged at him, accompanied by another Second Order Iceflame Lion and a large number of First Order Iceflame Lions.


    Soon, one Iceflame Lion after another slammed into the formation¡¯s barrier.


    ...


    ¡°Bang bang bang¡­¡±


    Loud collision sounds rang out, shaking the formation with each strike.


    Especially the impacts of the two Second Order Initial Stage Iceflame Lions were considerable; every hit caused the First Order defensive array to vibrate violently, teetering on the brink of collapse before stabilizing once more.


    At that moment, including Lin Tianfeng, every clansman took a long breath and relaxed their tense nerves for a short while.


    ¡­


    South of the Cold Ice Canyon, atop a mountain.


    Lin Xingyou, whom Lin Tianfeng had sent out, was speeding on his Flying Sword, skimming over the mountaintops.


    No sooner had he escaped than he shot towards Green Bamboo Mountain at the fastest speed possible, fully aware of his clansmen¡¯s dire situation and the urgent need for help.


    In this situation, his speed reached its maximum, not a bit slower than when fleeing for life.


    However, the distance to Green Bamboo Mountain was over five hundred li, and even at his speed, he would need a full day to arrive, even if he traveled without stopping day and night.


    It was already night, and though this land was originally the domain of Demonic Beasts, some Low-order Monster Beasts still roamed, and night was their peak activity period. Unless he continued flying southeast for two hundred li, he wouldn¡¯t be completely safe.


    With time so pressing, there was no time to consider the dangers. He flew at full strength through the hazy night, all to return home as soon as possible.


    Beneath him, the successive peaks grew distant, while he drew ever closer to the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory.


    ¡­


    Within the cave residence of Lin Tianming at Green Bamboo Mountain.


    He had slept for two days straight. When Lin Tianming opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance passed through them. He stretched his back, his body reaching peak condition.


    He rose from his room, preparing to deliver the elixirs he had refined to the Hall of Merit and pay a visit to his elders.


    Soon after, he made his way into the Hall of Merit.


    At that time, the Hall of Merit was bustling, with numerous clansmen busy exchanging various Spiritual Objects, their activity was a sight to behold.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming enter, some of the younger cultivators immediately became excited, as if they were seeing an idol.


    Not just them, but several Xing Clan members were excited too. Many clansmen familiar with Lin Tianming greeted him one after another.


    Lin Tianming also returned their greetings with a fist and palm salute, acting very courteously.


    Afterwards, he directly approached the deeper part of the hall to chat with the attending Hall of Merit Executive Officer.


    This person, named Lin Xingquan, with a Fifth Level of Qi Refinement cultivation and at the age of seventy, knew that Foundation Establishment was out of reach. Supported by his keen eye and ranking by age, the clan valued him and appointed him as the Executive Officer of the Hall of Merit.


    With Lin Xingcheng¡¯s advancement to the Foundation Establishment Realm, he had to focus on cultivation, so the Hall of Merit underwent some changes, adding a few Qi Refinement Realm clansmen as Executive Officers, rotating in charge of the hall¡¯s affairs.


    Other clan institutions did the same. As soon as the person in charge broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, they couldn¡¯t afford to be as leisurely as before and had to accelerate their cultivation. Thus, the number of Executive Officers in those institutions increased as well.


    After a brief chat, Lin Tianming took out several storage bags, which contained the fruits of two months of labor.


    He handed the storage bags to Lin Xingquan and said, ¡°After setting aside what should be submitted to the clan, exchange all the remaining Lingshen Pills for Merit Points. Also, there are twelve Fusion Spirit Pills which have all been refined; they all are handed over now.¡±


    Lin Xingquan accepted the storage bags and swept them with his Divine Sense, his expression turning excited.


    He already knew Lin Tianming had a high level of Alchemy skills and worked faster than ordinary people; it took just over two months for him to refine everything. Besides the higher-grade Fusion Spirit Pills, the rest were all high-quality elixirs.


    ¡°This quality and efficiency, it¡¯s truly terrifying!¡± Lin Xingquan couldn¡¯t help but utter in amazement, then he began to record in the ledger.


    After a short while, Lin Tianming bid farewell to Lin Xingquan and, after exchanging pleasantries with familiar clansmen, he left the Hall of Merit.


    Having exchanged all the Lingshen Pills he had refined for Merit Points, keeping only thirty for his personal cultivation, he accumulated over fourteen thousand Merit Points. Combined with the Spirit Stones he had, his available assets reached a staggering one hundred and fifty thousand.


    That didn¡¯t even include the remaining eight batches of Foundation Establishment Pill Spiritual Materials and the Spiritual Objects he carried. If everything were totaled, his wealth was truly formidable.


    An excited Lin Tianming walked on Bluestone Street, in an extraordinarily good mood.


    As he walked, he arrived in front of Lin Shikang¡¯s cave abode, and sent his Divine Sense into the cave¡¯s restrictions.


    Quickly, the restrictions of the cave¡¯s door opened, and he stepped in right away.


    Inside Lin Shikang¡¯s cave abode, Lin Shilu was also present.


    Lin Tianming walked up with a smile and respectfully greeted the two with a fist and palm salute.


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 Chapter 355 - 218 Situation_3

    Chapter 355: Chapter 218 Situation_3


    ¡°Hehe¡­ Tian Ming, no need to be polite, come over and have a seat!¡±


    Lin Shikang beckoned, and only then did Lin Tianming walk over to pour a cup of Spiritual Tea for both of them before sitting down in the chair opposite.


    Lin Shilu took a sip of his tea, then started to inquire, ¡°What have you been busy with lately, has your cultivation made any progress?¡± Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Feeling Lin Shilu¡¯s concern, Lin Tianming replied, ¡°My cultivation level has improved slightly but not by much. I attempted to refine the Second Order Medium Quality Fusion Spirit Pill a while ago and have now successfully produced it!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu were astonished.


    Lin Shikang said with a smile, ¡°How long has it been, and you¡¯ve already concocted the Fusion Spirit Pill? What¡¯s the success rate?¡±


    ...


    Lin Tianming laughed, then honestly replied, ¡°I¡¯ve just broken through a thirty percent success rate, barely approaching forty!¡±


    Before he could finish, Lin Shilu laughingly scolded, ¡°You kid, are truly a monster. I really don¡¯t know how you cultivate!¡±


    Lin Tianming gave a wry smile, then continued,


    ¡°The twelve batches of Spiritual Medicine Materials that our family collected over the years have been used up by me in refining, and have already been handed over to the Hall of Merit, twelve pills in total. Third Grandfather¡¯s cultivation level temporarily has no potential for improvement, but Fifteenth Grandfather could give them a try to see the effects!¡±


    Lin Shikang nodded, then said, ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Shi Lu, you¡¯ve been at the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level for several years now. If you continue to cultivate with the Fusion Spirit Pill for a long time, perhaps in a few years, your cultivation level could take another step forward. Once you break through to the Eighth Level of Foundation Establishment, you can utilize the Hun Tian Pill to advance another realm, possibly reaching the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level within a few years!¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu waved his hand with a laugh, then said,


    ¡°Third brother, you jest. You know how hard it is to cultivate at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Indeed, the effect of the Fusion Spirit Pill is several times better than the Lingshen Pill, but with these many pills, even if all were given to me to cultivate, I¡¯m afraid it would not be possible to break through the Eighth Level of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, progressing too swiftly might leave behind hidden troubles, and it might be easier to reach the Golden Core Realm later on, right?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shikang nodded in relief. It was commendable that Lin Shilu was not impetuous and still intended to make steady progress.


    Many cultivators neglect the cultivation of their mind, eager for quick success and instant benefit, leading to an unstable realm. Once they encounter a major bottleneck, they might not make any progress for the rest of their lives.


    Besides, with Lin Shilu¡¯s current level of cultivation and talent, there was simply no need to be so anxious. A steady enhancement was all he needed, and the push towards the path of the Golden Core would be easier in the future.


    I recall when I myself advanced from the Foundation Establishment Seventh Level to Great Perfection, it took me over twenty years from the great battle at Green Bamboo Mountain. Only then did I lay down a solid foundation.


    Lin Shilu¡¯s prudence, with his long-term considerations, was indeed the most secure approach.


    Shifting their thoughts, the three of them resumed their casual conversation.


    Half an hour later, Lin Tianming was preparing to take his leave. Just as he was about to speak, Lin Shikang¡¯s expression suddenly turned grave.


    Lin Tianming¡¯s heart jolted, and he immediately asked, ¡°Third Grandfather, has something serious happened?¡±


    Lin Shikang¡¯s face returned to normal, and he said to Lin Shilu, ¡°Tianfeng and the others have been attacked by Demonic Beasts in the Cold Ice Canyon, and they urgently need clan members to support them.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shilu and Lin Tianming¡¯s expressions also turned solemn.


    An anxious Lin Shilu immediately inquired, ¡°How¡¯s Tianfeng¡¯s situation, and what¡¯s the strength of the Demonic Beasts?¡±


    Lin Shikang waved his hand, the current situation wasn¡¯t very clear to him either; he had just received a magical communication from Lin Xingyou, who was in such a rush that he didn¡¯t explain clearly.


    But now, these details were no longer important. No matter the situation, they must hurry there as soon as possible.


    With that in mind, he instructed, ¡°Shi Lu, you stay and guard the family, Tian Ming, take the Purple Gold Eagle, and accompany me on a trip!¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move out immediately!¡±


    Lin Tianming, along with another person, acknowledged the command and followed Lin Shikang out of the Cave Mansion Courtyard.


    Once outside the mansion, Lin Tianming sent a signal to the Purple Gold Eagle, instructing it to wait for him in the clan¡¯s gate plaza.


    Soon, the trio arrived at the clan¡¯s gate plaza, and the Purple Gold Eagle also arrived at the same time.


    Just then, Lin Xingyou happened to pass through the Protective Clan Formation and appeared in front of them.


    To quickly inform the family, he had flown all of last night and half of the day, finally arriving safely at the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory.


    He did not dare to stop along the way, having expended all his Spiritual Power, and nearly fell from the sky as he approached the clan territory.


    As he was within the communication range when he neared the clan territory, he immediately sent out a message to save time.


    It so happened that Lin Shikang quickly came along. Seeing him, Lin Xingyou wore a look of joy, but before he could speak, he fainted, collapsing on the ground completely passed out.


    Lin Shikang and the others quickly rushed over, and after examination, they found Lin Xingyou extremely pale. It seemed like spiritual exhaustion had taken its toll, but he was not in any mortal danger.


    Lin Shikang gave Lin Xingyou an elixir and then instructed Lin Shilu on what to do, telling him to take care of Lin Xingyou before leading the way out of the Protective Clan Formation.


    Lin Tianming and the Purple Gold Eagle followed close behind, stepping outside the Protective Clan Formation.


    The two jumped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, which took to the skies and shot towards the direction of Cold Ice Canyon.


    The Purple Gold Eagle seemed to understand the urgency, speeding to its maximum. The mountains below quickly receded, and soon they disappeared from sight.


    ¡­


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 Chapter 356 - 219: Scattered Escape_1

    Chapter 356: Chapter 219: Scattered Escape_1


    Cold Ice Canyon.


    It had been a day and a half since Lin Xingyou had left.


    The Iceflame Lions incessantly rammed against the formation, with one wave following another, almost without respite.


    As the strikes accumulated, the spirit stones within the formation depleted rapidly. Whenever the spirit stones were replaced, the formation¡¯s defensive power reached its weakest.


    Moreover, the house¡¯s formation had suffered some damage, and it had become unstable.


    Within the formation, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s expression was grave; he distinctly felt the defense of the formation weaken.


    ...


    While enduring the impact from two second-order Iceflame Lions, he began to feel outmatched. With the recent strikes, the formation hovered on the brink of collapse.


    As the two Iceflame Lions continued their onslaught without breaking the formation, they became even more frenzied and vicious, putting more force into each consecutive strike.


    After several more impacts.


    At this point, the two second-order Iceflame Lions shared a glance, seemingly wiser now.


    They roared up at the sky, then simultaneously charged in the same direction, followed by a large number of first-order Iceflame Lions.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s face drastically changed; at this rate, the formation would not be able to withstand many more strikes.


    Lin Tianfeng, with a solemn expression, said to the clan members beside him, ¡°This formation might not last much longer. Once it breaks, I will do my best to hold off some of the Iceflame Lions. You all must follow Uncle Xing Luan and immediately escape towards our clan lands. If the family¡¯s reinforcements arrive in time, perhaps you can retreat unharmed!¡±


    Hearing this, and seeing the ferocious Iceflame Lion Tribe outside the formation, many clan members panicked.


    They knew the disparity between their own cultivation and the might of the Iceflame Lion Tribe. Once they were outside the protective formation, the demonic beasts would swarm them.


    At that time, it would be like lambs entering the tiger¡¯s den.


    With these thoughts, the clan members grew pale, and two of them nearly fainted.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianfeng bellowed angrily, subduing everyone and restoring a measure of calm.


    Lin Xing Luan also spoke up, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t panic. The situation is critical now; maintain your formation.¡±


    ¡°If the formation breaks, follow me and leave quickly. Don¡¯t stay here and add to Tianfeng¡¯s burden, understand?¡±


    Hearing this, some of the clan members finally faced reality. They each took out their spiritual artifacts, preparing for battle.


    Lin Tianfeng nodded, gripping the spirit sword in his hand, holding a large amount of talisman paper, ready to give it his all.


    Outside the formation, the two second-order Iceflame Lions collided against it several times, and on the sixth strike, the entire formation shook violently and finally broke.


    The moment the formation fell, the Iceflame Lions surged in like a flood.


    Lin Tianfeng charged at the oncoming Iceflame Lions, leading the charge.


    The situation was urgent; he had to buy time for his clanspeople to escape. Otherwise, how many of them would make it out alive remained uncertain.


    Fully aware of this, his every move was a lethal attack. Numerous talisman papers flew from his hand, followed by fierce gusts of sword qi sweeping across.


    With his wave-like assault, the two second-order Iceflame Lions dared not get close to the force of his attacks and thought only of evading for the moment.


    But the first-order Iceflame Lions struggled to avoid them and were decimated by his ferocious attack, leaving a trail of severed limbs and bodies strewn across the ground.


    As Lin Tianfeng held off the lions for a moment, Lin Xing Luan led the clan members past the cleared Spirit Fields, escaping towards Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Once Lin Tianfeng¡¯s attack subsided, the herd of first-order Flame Ice Beasts immediately pursued the Qi Refining Stage Clanspeople.


    The two second-order Flame Ice Beasts then charged at Lin Tianfeng, quickly pinning him down in a pincer movement.


    Lin Tianfeng glanced back at the escaping clanspeople, feeling helpless and praying that his clan would arrive soon to rescue them.


    Returning his focus with a grave expression, his own situation was just as dire. If he were delayed for too long, he, too, could perish here.


    At that moment, the two second-order Iceflame Lions unleashed a roar and initiated their attack.


    Both lions, waving their razor-sharp claws, struck from different directions. If hit, one would likely be severely injured, if not killed. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Tianfeng dared not be careless. His spirit sword swung, releasing bursts of sword qi, and he engaged the two Iceflame Lions in a fierce battle.


    For a moment, the canyon was filled with the flash of swords and the roar of explosions.


    Lin Tianfeng fought and retreated, struggling valiantly against the encirclement of the two Iceflame Lions.


    ¡­


    A few miles away, in a hilly region, Lin Xing Luan led dozens of clanspeople over a small hill.


    Not far behind them, more than thirty first-order Iceflame Lions caught up, now significantly faster than before.


    At this pace, it was feared they wouldn¡¯t make it five miles before being overtaken.


    Realizing the impending crisis, the clan members turned very pale.


    Seeing the rapidly approaching Iceflame Lions, one clansperson said, ¡°Xing Luan, at this rate, we¡¯re not going to make it. Those beasts are too fast; we can¡¯t possibly escape.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t run away now. We have to fight with everything we¡¯ve got and see if we can repel them. Otherwise, if they catch up while we¡¯re running, we¡¯ll die even quicker!¡± another clansperson added.


    Hearing the other clanspeople¡¯s comments, Lin Xing Luan nodded, then steeled his resolve, ready to fight to the death.


    Deciding, he said, ¡°Everyone is aware of our current situation. Don¡¯t hold back anything; use all your lifesaving means. Only by surviving can we have the chance for any treasures.¡±


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 Chapter 357 - 219 Fleeing in All Directions_2

    Chapter 357: Chapter 219 Fleeing in All Directions_2


    Before his words had fallen silent, Lin Xing Luan gripped his spirit sword and immediately set off a great number of First Order talismans, utilizing all of his techniques in one go.


    Behind him, a large number of clan members, wielding spiritual artifacts and talismans, struck out at the same time.


    Although the cultivation levels of the clan members were not high, their wealth allowed them to have an abundant array of First Order talismans, and the grades of the spiritual artifacts they used were also quite decent.


    In their desperation, the attack power they unleashed far surpassed anything from before.


    For a moment, the sky above this stretch of hilly terrain was filled with sword qi and seas of fire, mixed with a great number of Five Elements Spells, engulfing the oncoming Ice Flame Lion Tribe.


    ¡°Boom Boom Boom.¡±


    ...


    The sound of explosions continued one after another, occasionally pierced by the agonized roars of Ice Flame Lions, the sound of which was enough to make one¡¯s heart go numb.


    Once the dust settled, the figures of the Ice Flame Lion Tribe could be seen, almost every one of them had sustained injuries to varying degrees. However, the defensive power of the First Order Late Stage Ice Flame Lions was so strong that these injuries were negligible, and their strength was hardly affected at all.


    At this juncture, the Ice Flame Lion Tribe was in a state of extreme rage. The first round of attack had reduced their numbers somewhat, the First Order Initial Phase lions were basically wiped out by their attack, but the remaining twenty or so were all of a grade above the First Order Middle Stage, with as many as six at the First Order Late Stage.


    Underneath their ferocious expressions, sharp claws were brandished, and at the moment the dust cleared, they charged forward to attack.


    Seeing this, Lin Xing Luan¡¯s expression grew taut, aware that the true test was just beginning.


    At the moment, however, there wasn¡¯t time to think further. He moved swiftly, charging ahead first, with his spirit sword shining brightly, he intercepted three First Order Late Stage Ice Flame Lions.


    When the three Ice Flame Lions saw him approaching, they roared with excitement as if encountering delicious prey. They then swung their paws in a fierce blow, clashing with the oncoming sword qi.


    ¡°Bang Bang Bang.¡±


    The collision of sword qi and the Ice Flame Lions¡¯ claws sounded like metal striking metal.


    The strength of the Ice Flame Lions was astonishing, and their defensive power was extremely strong. They withstood his sword qi without any sign of injury.


    Seeing this, Lin Xing Luan¡¯s face darkened. He had exerted all his strength, but he struggled to pose a fatal threat to the three Ice Flame Lions.


    If things continued like this, not to mention defeating them, it was doubtful if he could even survive.


    Indeed, while he was barely managing to hold on, the situation of the clan members was even more dire.


    Despite their advantage in numbers, they simply could not compare when it came to high order combat power.


    The other three First Order Late Stage Ice Flame Lions pounced like tigers descending the mountain, each swipe injuring a clan member. Only those at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement could barely withstand a few attacks, but for those at the Third Level of Qi Refining, a single touch meant certain death.


    As Lin Xing Luan watched his clan members fall one by one, his heart raced with urgency, but he too was in a perilous situation, quickly sustaining serious injuries under the onslaught of three Ice Flame Lions.


    He could only watch as another clan member was impaled through the body by the claws of a First Order Late Stage Ice Flame Lion, dying reluctantly in the end.


    This scene, along with the desperate gazes of his fellow clan members, struck him with immense shock.


    He let out an angry roar, and the sword qi in his hand grew even more fierce. He attacked recklessly, as if betting his life, which finally made the Ice Flame Lions that were attacking him somewhat wary.


    Despite his frenzied state, he was unable to stop the tide of battle, and the clan members were also in retreat, with more than a dozen having already perished.


    In a short amount of time, the battle continued unabated, and it had escalated to an intense level.


    At this point, the entire area in the hills was stained red with blood, the corpses of clan members and Ice Flame Lions lay scattered haphazardly on the ground.


    After a brief respite, Lin Xing Luan gathered the remaining twenty or so people together and looked angrily at the Ice Flame Lion Tribe.


    On the other side, the Ice Flame Lion Tribe fared much better. They still numbered over twenty, all of which were of the First Order Middle Stage, they had the Lin family members completely encircled, ready to continue their attack at any moment.


    After fierce fighting, the Lin family members were clearly at a disadvantage. From the original count of over fifty, less than thirty remained, most of them wounded and their reserves of spiritual power nearly depleted, greatly diminishing their overall strength.


    Such a great loss, the Lin Family hadn¡¯t suffered in over ten years.


    As for the Ice Flame Lion Tribe, only more than a dozen had died, and the strength of the surviving demonic beasts remained formidable.


    Lin Xing Luan¡¯s face had turned utterly pale at this point; he knew the situation had become irreversible. If help didn¡¯t arrive soon, a total annihilation of his forces was highly likely to ensue.


    With a helpless sigh, he considered that if he only looked after his own escape, there might be a slim chance of survival. But he didn¡¯t want to abandon his clansmen, to watch them die right before his eyes.


    He couldn¡¯t do it; he didn¡¯t want to live as a coward, abandoning his people.


    At this moment, one of the clansmen spoke up to persuade him, ¡°Xing Luan, we have no hope of breaking through the encirclement. With your cultivation not low, and having the potential for Foundation Establishment, we will find a way to hold off the Ice Flame Lions for a moment, and you take the chance to break out.¡±


    Among the crowd, the clansmen began to echo in agreement, ¡°Yes, since there¡¯s no hope, don¡¯t burden yourself with guilt. Don¡¯t give up your path for us. When you are safe, let Uncle San avenge us by wiping out this tribe.¡±


    Hearing his clansmen¡¯s exhortations, Lin Xing Luan felt warmth in his heart but was all the more resolved in his decision.


    That was to live or die with the clansmen present.


    With these thoughts in mind, he laughed heartily and said, ¡°My fellow clansmen, how could I, Xing Luan, abandon you to save my own life? I have been on the cultivation path for over seventy years; it is fine to end it here.¡±


    Before he finished speaking, the clansmen were touched in spirit, and smiles flashed across their faces.


    But the more he spoke, the more they tried to convince him; being of low cultivation, they couldn¡¯t contribute much to the Lin Family, but Lin Xing Luan was different. As someone in the Ninth Level of Qi Refining Realm, he was the backbone of the current family.


    However, before they could speak again, the ferocious Ice Flame Lions launched their attack.


    Watching the oncoming fierce Ice Flame Lions, Lin Xing Luan swung his Spirit Sword, releasing a mass of Sword Qi sweeping across them.


    At the same time, he patted his storage bag, and his hand produced a large number of talismans, including a blood-red talisman, which was actually a Second Order low-grade Attack Talisman.


    This Second Order low-grade Attack Talisman had always been his life-saving trump card, never to be used unless it was absolutely necessary.


    In the current hopeless situation, it was useless to hold back; he had to use everything, even if it meant dying, to inflict heavy damage on the Ice Flame Lions.


    Making up his mind, he didn¡¯t hesitate to activate the talismans in his hand, transforming them into a huge fireball that he smashed down towards the Ice Flame Lions facing him.


    ¡°Boom¡­¡±


    Two tragic cries were heard as two Ice Flame Lions at the First Order Late Stage couldn¡¯t dodge in time and were directly hit by the massive fireball.


    When the firelight dissipated, the figures of the Ice Flame Lion Tribe were revealed.


    Lying on the ground were two enormous Ice Flame Lions, their bodies charred black, with a hole as big as a bucket in their stomachs, from which large amounts of blood poured out, quickly pooling into a blood pond.


    They struggled unwillingly for a moment, before becoming motionless, clearly dead.


    Seeing their companions¡¯ tragic state, the remaining four Ice Flame Lions let out a furious roar and swung their sharp claws from different directions, raging towards Lin Xing Luan.


    At this moment, Lin Xing Luan¡¯s expression turned eerily calm; his Spiritual Power was nearly depleted, and all his methods had been exhausted, leaving him no way to evade so many simultaneous attacks.


    Yet, in this life and death crisis, he released all his Spiritual Power, activating one of the Defensive Spiritual Tools in his hand to inflate into a brown shield, doing his best to protect as many clanspeople as possible.


    In an instant, several sharp and forceful gigantic claws struck the shield.


    ¡°Bang Bang Bang¡­¡±


    A series of booming sounds followed; the shield in front of Lin Xing Luan held up for just a moment before shattering completely.


    The Ice Flame Lions¡¯ terrifying claws paused briefly and then continued their assault on his flesh, ready to smash him to death with one swipe.


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 Chapter 358 - 220 Rescue, Search_1

    Chapter 358: Chapter 220 Rescue, Search_1


    Lin Xing Luan gave a bitter smile, and with a palm strike, collided with the oncoming claws.


    This final blow was also his last act of defiance; he absolutely wouldn¡¯t just stand by and wait for death.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Ah!¡±


    When intense pain shot through his arm, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a wretched scream as his body was sent flying backward, crashing into a mound and creating a ten-foot deep crater, burying him within.


    At that moment, the clanspeople who had witnessed this scene hurried toward Lin Xing Luan.


    They arrived at the edge of the mound, their palms digging away the soil covering Lin Xing Luan.


    ...


    They saw his face pale to the extreme, his entire arm severed, blood slowly seeping from the wound and quickly soaking his robe.


    Seeing Lin Xing Luan unconscious and grievously injured, but still breathing, the clanspeople desperately shouted his name.


    After several calls with no response, everyone¡¯s faces grew grim, their eyes filled with murderous intent as they stared at the approaching Ice Flame Lion Tribe.


    Lin Xing Luan had sustained severe injuries while protecting them; his life hung in the balance. Lin Tianfeng was being besieged by two Second Order Ice Flame Lions and was equally in danger, unable to attend to their plight.


    Before the clan¡¯s rescue could arrive, their last straw of hope had vanished.


    In the crowd, one clansperson roared, ¡°Fellow clan brothers, let¡¯s fight them with all we¡¯ve got¡­¡±


    ¡°Fight them¡­¡±


    With those words, the Spiritual Artifacts in the clanspeople¡¯s hands flickered with Spiritual Light as they fearlessly charged toward the Ice Flame Lion Tribe.


    At that moment, they seemed to forget the huge disparity in strength between them, as their valiant charge was nothing but a futile effort.


    Just as the clanspeople were willing to die heroically, a massive dark shadow descended from the sky at an extreme speed.


    As the shadow drew nearer, the clanspeople realized that the two figures standing atop it were the clan¡¯s Stabilizing Sea Needle, Lin Shikang, and Lin Tianming.


    The Purple Gold Eagle¡¯s speed was astonishingly fast, plummeting from a thousand feet in the blink of an eye. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Standing on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, ten miles away, Lin Shikang and Lin Tianming were the first to spot the clanspeople below.


    Seeing the tragic scene below, the color drained from their faces.


    Since leaving Green Bamboo Mountain, they had been flying non-stop, and in just half a day, the Purple Gold Eagle had covered hundreds of miles. Finally, at this critical moment, they arrived on the battlefield.


    Even before they landed, Lin Tianming shouted fiercely, ¡°Evil beasts, courting death.¡±


    The clanspeople below, hearing this angry shout and seeing them arrive at this life-or-death moment, were overjoyed and their expressions instantly lit up with ecstasy.


    They had already resigned themselves to their fate and accepted death, but to their surprise, Lin Tianming had arrived in time. With him here, there was no chance for the Ice Flame Lions to survive, and they too might live.


    After all, no one wishes to die easily, not even the weaker clanspeople.


    In mid-air, Lin Tianming leapt from the Purple Gold Eagle, his powerful Foundation Establishment Stage might pressing down fiercely.


    Feeling the terrifying might, all the Ice Flame Lions were momentarily petrified, panicked and disoriented, with some First Order Medium Stage Ice Flame Lions unable to withstand the horror and bleeding from all seven orifices, ending up writhing on the ground.


    With a pat on his storage bag, fifty-six Earth Evil Swords flew out in an instant, quickly spinning a few circles before dispersing, encompassing most of the Ice Flame Lions.


    In a fleeting moment, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation activated, and the majority of the Ice Flame Lions trapped couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure of the formation, faced with inevitable death.


    Within the Earth Fiend Sword Formation, only a few Ice Flame Lions could still move, among them, just four First Order Late Stage Ice Flame Lions struggled mightily against the barriers of the Sword Array, attempting to escape.


    But sadly, no matter how they struggled, they could not change their fate.


    Not only that, their leader¡¯s fate was equally tragic, targeted by Lin Shikang and the Purple Gold Eagle who had rushed to support Lin Tianfeng. Under the terrifying power of Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, it was likely that not even remnants would be left.


    Lin Tianming, at that moment, spared no mercy. Seeing his dead clanspeople, he was filled with rage and resolved to claim the lives of all the Ice Flame Lions.


    Suddenly, wretched cries echoed from within the Sword Array.


    Under the wandering Sword Qi, even Second Order Initial Stage Demon Beasts would suffer grave injuries or death upon contact, let alone these weaker First Order Demon Beasts.


    Some clanspeople who had come to their senses also joined the battle, unleashing their remaining Spiritual Power in fierce attacks, slaughtering the weaker Ice Flame Lions on the periphery.


    With Lin Tianming¡¯s might suppressing them, the Ice Flame Lions¡¯ power was greatly diminished, their escape speeds reduced, leaving them with no chance to flee.


    The clanspeople struck decisively and ruthlessly, as if venting the hatred in their hearts.


    A quarter of an hour passed, and the battle ceased, leaving silence in its wake.


    Lin Tianming waved his hand, summoning all the Earth Evil Swords back into his storage bag.


    Looking around, the ground was littered with Demon Beast Corpses. Those that had been trapped in Lin Tianming¡¯s Sword Array met particularly gruesome ends, bodies drenched in blood, riddled with holes. The materials once valuable for Artifact Refining and Talisman Making were almost completely ruined, leaving little of use.


    Although these materials were of little concern to Lin Tianming, for the Qi Refining Stage Clanspeople, they were precious commodities.


    Nevertheless, none of the clanspeople seemed upset about this, as the Ice Flame Lions had killed more than twenty of their kin, their claws drenched with the blood of their people. Even hacking the beasts to pieces wouldn¡¯t quell the hatred burning in their hearts.


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 Chapter 359 - 220 Rescue, Search_2

    Chapter 359: Chapter 220 Rescue, Search_2


    At this moment, Lin Tianming¡¯s expression gradually calmed down. He immediately ran to Lin Xing Luan¡¯s side and thoroughly examined his injuries.


    One after another, the clan members also gathered around, looking at Lin Xing Luan with concern without uttering a word.


    After Lin Tianming¡¯s examination, he furrowed his brows and then took out a Consolidating Essence Pill for him to swallow before laying him flat on the ground.


    From the crowd, a clansman asked, ¡°Tianming, how serious are Xing Luan¡¯s injuries? Are they serious, and will they affect his cultivation path?¡±


    Another clan member joined in, ¡°Yes, Xing Luan got so seriously injured for our sake; he mustn¡¯t be left with any hidden ailments.¡±


    Hearing the clansmen¡¯s concerned words, Lin Tianming helplessly shook his head. ¡°Uncle Xing Luan¡¯s injuries are severe. Not to mention the loss of an arm, the meridians inside his body have been damaged to varying degrees. Although it¡¯s not fatal, it will be very difficult for him to make further progress.¡±


    ...


    Hearing this, all the clansmen¡¯s faces darkened. They had noticed the severity before but didn¡¯t dare to believe it, clinging instead to the hope of a full recovery.


    Since Lin Tianming, who had such discerning eyes, had said so, it was feared that Lin Xing Luan¡¯s cultivation path would be difficult to advance further. Perhaps he could cultivate to Complete Qi Refining, but the difficulty of breaking through Foundation Establishment would be doubled, almost certainly ending in failure.


    For a moment, all the clansmen showed a look of regret, but when they looked at Lin Xing Luan, a warm smile appeared on their faces involuntarily.


    Seeing this, Lin Tianming instructed, ¡°All fellow clansmen, start cleaning the battlefield immediately, bring back the remains of our deceased clansmen to rest in our clan¡¯s land, and as for those Demonic Beast Materials, just take care of them along the way.¡±


    After he spoke, the clansmen nodded and began to clean the battlefield.


    Lin Tianming stood on top of a small hill, contemplating the origins and the whereabouts of the Iceflame Lion Tribe.


    Just then, Lin Shikang and Lin Tianfeng came over, followed by a Purple Gold Eagle.


    Seeing that Lin Tianfeng was safe and sound, aside from being pale and having some minor injuries, looking like he was overexerted, Lin Tianming immediately went up to greet the two of them.


    ¡°Big brother, are you alright?¡±


    With a wry smile, Lin Tianfeng said, ¡°Nothing too serious, just overexertion and some minor wounds. I was surrounded by two Second Order Initial Stage Iceflame Lions. If Third Grandfather hadn¡¯t arrived just in time, I¡¯m afraid I would have been left behind here.¡±


    As Lin Tianfeng spoke, recalling the perilous scene, his expression showed fright.


    At that time, when the formation was breached, he was surrounded and fought bitterly against the two Iceflame Lions while constantly being overpowered.


    Fortunately, he had been through many fierce battles and had rich combat experience. In addition, the attack power of the Iceflame Lions was not too formidable, which allowed him to hold on until the rescue arrived.


    Otherwise, if it had dragged on for half an hour and his Spiritual Power had been exhausted, he might have ended up in the maws of the demon beasts.


    Thinking of these things, Lin Tianfeng wore an uncomfortable expression and said with regret, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we still couldn¡¯t protect the clansmen, leading to the loss of more than twenty in this battle.¡±


    Hearing these words, Lin Shikang consoled, ¡°Tianfeng, you¡¯ve done your best. Those two Iceflame Lions were among the stronger Second Order Initial Stage Demon Beasts.¡±


    ¡°Especially the uninjured Iceflame Lion, its strength almost reached the level of the Second Order Middle Stage. You managing to protect yourself is already a success. As for the lower-cultivation clansmen, it truly was beyond help.¡±


    Upon hearing this comforting response, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s complexion finally improved.


    On the side, Lin Tianming was pondering. They had just exterminated the Qilin Beast Horde and hadn¡¯t had time to explore the surrounding area. When the family sent people to reclaim the land here, they had surveyed it, finding no trace of Second Order Demon Beasts within dozens of miles. Moreover, with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator leading, they had let down their guard.


    But where did this massive Iceflame Lion Tribe come from?


    Beasts of the Demon Beast Race generally didn¡¯t leave their own territory, much less easily set foot in another demon beast¡¯s territory. If it were a small demon beast tribe, or just a single beast or two, there might be wandering ones.


    This Iceflame Lion Tribe was of moderate size and was likely a group that had long lived in the Luoyun Mountain Range. It could be that they just happened upon the territory whose owner had died, setting their sights on this land rich in Water Attribute Spiritual Power.


    After much thought, he still couldn¡¯t come up with any possibilities, so he could only speculate.


    Lin Shikang, who was next to him, was also pondering this slightly eerie matter, and when he failed to come to a conclusion, he exchanged a glance with Lin Tianming, as if they were telepathically in sync.


    Lin Tianming voiced his thoughts, ¡°Third Grandfather, I always feel that this ambush was rather strange. For the sake of long-term safety, let¡¯s have Tianfeng lead the clan back to the sect after a while. We¡¯ll explore the nearby area to see if we can discover anything.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shikang nodded in agreement and replied, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was thinking. Tianfeng, you and the Purple Gold Eagle take the clan back to the mountain. We¡¯ll abandon this place for now and once we have thoroughly scouted the surroundings, we¡¯ll make further plans.¡±


    After receiving the instructions, Lin Tianfeng nodded and then sat down to meditate and recover from his injuries and spiritual power.


    Half an hour later, Lin Tianfeng¡¯s spiritual power had recovered somewhat, and the clansmen had also finished cleaning up the battlefield.


    At this time, on the mountainous terrain, there were hardly any remaining traces, and the seriously injured Lin Xing Luan had also regained consciousness.


    Lin Tianming and others approached to check on him, and seeing that his condition was temporarily stabilized, Lin Shikang uttered a few words of comfort before instructing the Purple Gold Eagle to lead the clan members back to Green Bamboo Mountain.


    The two watched as the Purple Gold Eagle took off with the clansmen, flying towards the direction of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Lin Shikang shifted his gaze and said to Lin Tian Ming, ¡°Tianming, let¡¯s get moving, and scout out the Luoyun Mountain Range.¡±


    After speaking, he took out his Golden Wind Sword and strode rapidly into the depths of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Lin Tianming, not daring to be careless, had already experienced the demonic beasts in this mountain range. He drew his Tiangang Sword and held it in hand, stepping forward to follow Lin Shikang¡¯s pace.


    The two turned into two shadows leaping across the mountain tops and disappearing into the dense fog.


    Time flew by, and two months had passed.


    In the Luoyun Mountain Range, within a dense forest, the figures of Lin Tianming and another appeared.


    They had reached the depths of the Luoyun Mountain Range, far from the Hanbing Mountain Range. By their estimation, they had ventured at least three hundred miles. Although they hadn¡¯t reached the center of the range, they were not far off.


    Having travelled this far, the two dared not venture any further. Going a hundred more miles forward, they might encounter Third Order Demon Beasts. Once confronted, even with Lin Shikang by their side, escape would likely be difficult.


    The two stood atop a pair of large trees, scrutinizing their surroundings deep in thought.


    In these two months, the two had traversed many peaks and crossed numerous rivers within the vast Luoyun Mountain Range. They had explored a large region and gathered basic information on various demonic beasts, which they recorded in a specially crafted book.


    During this time, they had fought more than a dozen battles. Fortunately, with Lin Shikang¡¯s Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivation to back them up, they did not covet the Second and Third Order Spiritual Medicines¡ªthey were merely exploring. As such, no life-threatening battles occurred.


    With their careful investigation, they discovered that the number of demonic beasts in the Luoyun Mountain Range had notably increased, and their overall strength had become stronger. There were quite a few tribes of Second Order demonic beasts, and they also found many Second Order Late-Stage Demon Beasts.


    Lin Shikang had even had a few skirmishes with Second Order Late-Stage Demon Beasts. After brief encounters, he would take Lin Tianming and hastily retreat.


    At this moment, Lin Shikang looked at the fog-enshrouded dense forest ahead and then said, ¡°Tianming, going any deeper would be too dangerous. We have roughly scouted the situation in the Luoyun Mountain Range. Let¡¯s head back.¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Mm¡­ This place is too dangerous, let¡¯s immediately return to the mountain,¡± Lin Tianming nodded in response, aware of the peril. The central area could harbor the presence of Third Order Demon Beasts. Though their combined strength was nearly a match for any Second Order demonic beast, facing a Third Order would likely leave them with no chance of escape.


    Thus, venturing any further would be too risky, and with their objective achieved, it was time to pull back.


    Already in agreement, after a brief exchange, they turned around and hastened back along the route they had come from.


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 Chapter 360 - 221 Precautionary Measures_1

    Chapter 360: Chapter 221 Precautionary Measures_1


    Half a month passed.


    In the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory, Lin Tianming and another flew on their swords and landed outside the Protective Clan Formation.


    One after the other, they entered the formation, looked at the familiar family scenes, and immediately let out a sigh of relief.


    After nearly three months of living on the wing and being constantly on edge, even fighting a fierce battle with a Second Order Late-Stage Demon Beast, the high-intensity journey of exploration left them utterly exhausted.


    It wasn¡¯t until they entered the clan gate that the crisis from the outside world was completely lifted, allowing them to finally relax.


    After sending out several messages, Lin Shikang led Lin Tianming to fly towards the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain.


    ...


    In a short while, the two of them returned to Lin Shikang¡¯s cave dwelling.


    Soon after receiving the message, Lin Shilu, Lin Shihua, and Lin Shigong arrived one after another. After exchanging greetings, the group of five sat in the courtyard and started to chat casually.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Shikang immediately inquired about Lin Xingluan and the deceased clan members.


    According to Lin Shihua, Lin Xingluan¡¯s injuries had stabilized.


    However, as he had previously speculated, due to the severity of the injuries, even if he recovered, the hope for advancing far on his cultivation path was still very slim.


    The more than twenty deceased clan members had been buried, and their compensation had been distributed to their descendants according to the clan rules; those without direct descendants with Spiritual Roots had their portion temporarily held by the clan. If a descendant with Spiritual Roots appeared within a hundred years, the full compensation would be given to them.


    Hearing the Clan Leader¡¯s arrangements, which seemed quite appropriate, it was just a pity that the Lin Family had lost a Foundation Establishment seed. However, that Lin Xingluan managed to survive was a piece of fortunate news amidst the misfortune.


    At that moment, Lin Shikang nodded with a look of regret and then sent a message to Lin Tianfeng.


    Soon after, Lin Tianfeng arrived, greeted everyone, and sat aside waiting.


    As for being summoned, Lin Tianfeng was well-prepared, certainly to inquire about the incident where they were attacked by the Ice Flame Lion Tribe in the Hanbing Mountain Range and then to discuss it with the clan members. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As expected.


    Once everyone had arrived, Lin Shilu was the first to inquire about the attack on Lin Tianfeng and the others.


    Although Lin Tianfeng had reported the incident to his family as soon as he returned, he himself was quite baffled by the Ice Flame Lions¡¯ attack and had no idea why it had happened.


    In this way, since Lin Tianming and another had entered the mountain range to investigate, with their cultivation and strength, they might uncover some clues.


    Listening to Lin Shilu¡¯s tone, which also revealed some unusual undertones, Lin Shikang immediately said, ¡°I and Tianming also find this matter quite strange!¡±


    ¡°After more than two months of investigation by me and Tianming, we did discover some peculiarities.¡±


    ¡°Based on some ancient records in the Cultivation World, we found that the number of Demonic Beasts in the entire Luoyun Mountain Range has clearly increased compared to before, and their strength has also improved somewhat.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shilu¡¯s brows furrowed, sensing the matter to be even more unusual.


    Lin Shikang chuckled and continued, ¡°However, we did not go to the center of the Luoyun Mountain Range, so the situation inside remains unknown, and we cannot confirm it!¡±


    ¡°These changes could be the natural patterns of Demonic Beasts, but it does not rule out the possibility that the higher-ups of the Demonic Beasts Race might be planning something!¡±


    This remark from Lin Shikang caused Lin Shilu and the other older clan members to tremble inwardly, leading them to think of the dreaded beast tides in the cultivation world.


    Beast tides, almost universally known in the cultivation world, are irregular and incomprehensible in their patterns. Sometimes, there is a beast tide every century, but their scale varies; a minor beast tide might involve only some Third Order Demonic Beasts while during a major one, even Fifth Order Demonic Beasts have emerged.


    Legend has it that ten thousand years ago, there was a major beast tide with as many as three Fifth Order Demonic Beasts involved.


    At that time, the territory of Qingzhou was not even a third of what it is now; that one major beast tide directly took over part of the adjacent Yunzhou, with the lives of Golden Core Stage cultivators being as dispensable as grass. A large number of high-order cultivators perished at the maws of the Demonic Beasts.


    In the critical moment, several Nascent Soul Cultivators of the Human Race came forth, leading powerful beings from several continents to engage in a fierce battle with the Demon Beast Army. After a brutal fight, the Human Cultivators emerged victorious.


    That battle was earth-shattering, with two of the Fifth Order Demonic Beasts being slain and one Nascent Soul Cultivator gravely wounded.


    Finally, the Demonic Beast Race withdrew of their own volition, giving up a large expanse of territory. Much of the current Qingzhou¡¯s land was gained during that time, and after thousands of years of struggle and evolution, it eventually formed several nations.


    These rumors are recorded in the annals, although there might be some discrepancies due to the long passage of time.


    However, in the treasure vaults of the ancient Sect Families, there must be more detailed historical documents.


    Beyond that, there are no patterns to the outbreak of beast tides; the records in the cultivation world indicate that there have been many places where beast tides have erupted.


    The vast areas of Qingzhou and Jizhou bordering the Demonic Lands have the highest probability of experiencing beast tides and have done so most frequently.


    Wei Kingdom has not experienced a beast tide in hundreds of years, causing many newer generations of cultivators to nearly forget about it; only those who are Golden Core Stage cultivators might have the chance to have lived through one.


    Coming back to the moment, upon seeing everyone¡¯s serious expressions, Lin Shikang started to offer reassurances.


    ¡°This is only speculation, because the number of Demonic Beasts in the Luoyun Mountain Range has not doubled, it¡¯s just a bit abnormal.¡±


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 Chapter 361 - 221 Precautionary Measures_2

    Chapter 361: Chapter 221 Precautionary Measures_2


    ¡°`


    ¡°Furthermore, if a beast tide were to erupt, not to mention the Lin Family, even a Golden Elixir Force would be but a trifle in the vast ocean, instantly swallowed by the beast tide!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Shilu nodded and said, ¡°Third Brother speaks the truth!¡±


    ¡°If a real beast tide is approaching, it¡¯s very difficult to say from which direction their main force would attack the heartland of the Human Race.¡±


    ¡°If it does happen, this isn¡¯t something within our control. When the sky falls, the tall ones will handle it, so let¡¯s not borrow trouble!¡±


    As soon as these words fell, the faces of Lin Shihua and the others finally returned to normal.


    ...


    Lin Shikang chuckled, then spoke seriously, ¡°What Shilu has said is exactly my point.¡±


    ¡°However, for safety reasons, our family must further strengthen its defenses and send more clan members to patrol the mountain gates.¡±


    ¡°Besides, we are not short of elixirs; we need to extensively purchase talisman paper and other consumable war resources as a precaution.¡±


    After speaking, Lin Shikang looked up at Lin Shihua, signaling for his opinion on the matter.


    Lin Shihua nodded and said, ¡°I will arrange for clan members to secretly handle this. But what about those external territories and the Spirit Lands we¡¯re preparing to cultivate? How should they be disposed of?¡±


    With this question, Lin Shihua posed a challenging problem for the others.


    The family had just planned to focus on these industries and had already invested a lot of manpower, resources, and financial efforts into them. It would be a pity to give them up.


    As expected, everyone fell into silence, evidently lacking any good solutions.


    Seeing that no one was speaking, Lin Shikang broke the silence, ¡°Everyone, please share your thoughts and let¡¯s try to work out a reliable solution.¡±


    One by one, the clan members expressed their opinions, and Lin Tianming was not left out.


    His view on the matter was rather bold.


    There were no signs of the Demon Beast Tide, and even if it were true, it was difficult to pinpoint the location and timing of the beast tide¡¯s eruption.


    If they were to hunker down and waste precious time, it would be a case of lost gains.


    In addition, the family had been developing smoothly over the years, with overall strength on the rise. If their progress were to be disrupted, getting back on track would take a lot more time.


    Thinking about this, he began to share his thoughts, and soon they were acknowledged by everyone.


    Seeing this, Lin Shikang made up his mind and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s follow Tianming¡¯s suggestion. The family will strengthen its defenses and secretly accumulate war resources.¡±


    ¡°As for those territories and Spirit Lands, we¡¯ll proceed as normal with their development. However, everything must prioritize safety, whether it¡¯s the Luoyun Market, Golden Horn Mountain, or Jiuhua Mountain, all must heighten their defenses.¡±


    ¡°As for cultivating those Spirit Lands, we must be more careful. Currently, the clan has enough Foundation Establishment Clan Members. We should investigate the surroundings of the Spirit Lands more thoroughly, assign more people to lead teams, and prioritize prudence to avoid repeating the mistakes that happened to Xing Luan and his group.¡±


    Upon hearing the instructions, the clan members all nodded and then discussed some finer details.


    The sun set in the west, and they talked until evening, arranging many family affairs before finally greeting each other and leaving Lin Shikang¡¯s cave mansion.


    Lin Tianming and Lin Tianfeng walked together, discussing their cultivation plans for the coming period as they went.


    Lin Tianming smiled. The family and the outside world had been relatively stable these past years, and he rarely had a chance to relax.


    With no urgent business requiring him to go out, he planned to continue his closed-door cultivation, striving to elevate his strength as much as possible. If a beast tide were indeed to happen, an extra measure of strength would make his family and himself a bit safer.


    On the other hand, Lin Tianfeng had family duties; the cultivation of Spirit Lands must continue, and his experience and strength were the foremost choices besides Lin Tianming.


    Therefore, he and Lin Tianhong had more family responsibilities assigned to them, and if he wanted to cultivate in peace like Tianming, he might need to wait a few more years.


    To this, Lin Tianfeng felt no dissatisfaction. In his heart, he felt he had not contributed to the family as much as Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu. Having made his Foundation Establishment breakthrough, it was natural for him to start repaying the family for their years of nurturing.


    Lin Tianfeng¡¯s words deeply moved Lin Tianming, who thought that if every clan member had the same awareness as Lin Tianfeng,


    ¡°`


    The family has nothing to worry about its prosperity!


    As time passed by unknowingly, the two of them reached the Cave Mansion District. After giving each other a few reminders, they entered their respective cave mansions.


    Lin Tianming returned to his cave mansion, feeling somewhat weary from his three-month exploration journey. Now that he was back in his own abode, he naturally wanted to rest properly.


    Having made up his mind, he walked into his room and lay down on the bed, falling into a deep sleep.


    Two days later, Lin Tianming opened his eyes and climbed out of bed.


    A two-day sleep had completely dissipated all feelings of fatigue, and he felt his condition return to its peak.


    He exhaled a breath of stale air and stretched languidly before heading to the training room.


    Sitting on the meditation cushion with his hands clasped and eyes tightly shut, he began to meditate and regulate his breathing, appearing ready to enter a closed-door cultivation.


    He planned to cultivate with the help of the Fusion Spirit Pill and concurrently test the effects of the elixirs he had concocted.


    After half an hour, once his condition reached its peak, he took out a Fusion Spirit Pill and swallowed it without hesitation.


    Once the elixir entered his mouth, its energy slowly began to spread. After refining it through cultivation, the energy transformed into gentle spiritual power, eventually converging in his Seven Seas Dantian.


    Feeling this spiritual power, he realized its quality was indeed much stronger than that of the Lingshen Pill, and it was refined faster as well.


    Upon careful observation, he could even feel his cultivation level slowly rising. Although it was slow, the increase was distinctly noticeable.


    By now, he had taken too many Lingshen Pills. Only the Superior Spirit Essence Pills he concocted himself had some effect; the ordinary Lingshen Pills were remarkably ineffective, only slightly better than pure meditation.


    Thinking about it, this wasn¡¯t surprising. The Lingshen Pill was the most common elixir in the Cultivation World. As long as the Spiritual Medicine Materials were old enough, even fourth-order pills could be produced.


    However, Spiritual Medicine Materials capable of producing fourth-order Lingshen Pills were extremely rare in the Cultivation World, almost impossible to come by.


    Moreover, once one reached the Golden Core Stage realm, there were hardly any cultivators who would choose to cultivate with Lingshen Pills.


    After all, there were many types of elixirs to aid cultivation, and from the perspective of Golden Core Stage cultivators and the energy required for cultivation, Lingshen Pills were simply inadequate. Instead of looking for third-order Lingshen Pills, they could completely replace them with other elixirs.


    And Lingshen Pills of average effect were generally only found among lower-level cultivators. Many cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, who had a decent wealth, switched to better elixirs like the Fusion Spirit Pill or other cultivation aids.


    Regaining his focus, he had already been cultivating for a short while. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this moment, the long-lost pain began to gradually arrive, although it came later and was less intense than what he experienced when taking Lingshen Pills.


    The current pain was not strong, but Lin Tianming endured it, wanting to persist as long as possible.


    Another quarter of an hour passed, and the pain intensified. His complexion turned a bit pale, and sweat began to pour from his forehead, soaking his robe.


    When the pain became unbearable, he took out a Dragon Bone Pill and swallowed it without hesitation.


    As the elixir took effect, the medicinal power of the Dragon Bone Pill began to emerge, and its gentle energy covered the painful sensations in his body.


    Soon, the severe pain gradually subsided and eventually returned to normal.


    Afterward, Lin Tianming circulated his cultivation technique, voraciously refining the energy contained within the two kinds of pills. Under the Heavenly Grade Technique, the energy within the pills visibly diminished at a swift pace.


    At that moment, he could clearly feel his spiritual power increasing slightly, advancing towards the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level.


    Although there was still some distance to breakthrough, his long-stagnant cultivation level was also slowly climbing.


    A look of joy crossed Lin Tianming¡¯s face as he inwardly exclaimed, ¡°The effect of the Fusion Spirit Pill is indeed much stronger than the Lingshen Pill, one pill is comparable to three, and the refinement is faster with fewer side effects, truly worthy of its grade and price!¡±


    Regathering his focus, he continued to operate his cultivation technique, refining the medicinal power contained within the Fusion Spirit Pill.


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 Chapter 362 - 222 Funeral_1

    Chapter 362: Chapter 222 Funeral_1


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    On a mountain peak outside the Protective Clan Formation, several clan members were practicing Sword Flight as they swept across the peak.


    These individuals were members of the Lin Family¡¯s Law Enforcement Hall. Following Lin Shikang¡¯s orders to strengthen the security, the Enforcement Hall temporarily issued many tasks, recruiting a number of cultivators at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement and above to take turns patrolling.


    Today, it was Lin Xingpu¡¯s turn to lead the patrol. Following the arrangements made by the Law Enforcement Hall Master, Lin Xingzhi, they split into two groups to patrol the expansive area spanning tens of miles beyond the Protective Clan Formation.


    Regarding these orders, Lin Xingzhi didn¡¯t offer any explanation. Although Lin Xingpu was somewhat puzzled in his heart, he still carried out his duties as usual.


    Today marked the tenth day he had led the patrol. Accompanied by several members, he arrived at a location tens of miles from the Protective Clan Formation as required and began the patrol.


    ...


    At this moment, within the patrolling group, one member was murmuring something as they practiced Sword Flight.


    Lin Xingpu frowned upon hearing this idle chatter.


    His expression serious, he immediately said, ¡°Xing Ji, the patrol duty is an arrangement from the family. Don¡¯t speak carelessly anymore. If Xingzhi finds out, be careful the family rules and laws don¡¯t come after you.¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking, another member chimed in, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve even heard about a Tian Clan Member who made a mistake, had their cultivation sealed, and was sent to a secret chamber to face the wall and reflect for three years.¡±


    Another clan member, hearing this and with a look of terror, couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°Three years, if it were closed-door cultivation for three years, that would be one thing. But being sealed and facing the wall for three years is no different than being an ordinary person. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine what that would feel like over these three years.¡±


    Hearing these words from his fellow members and thinking about Lin Xingzhi¡¯s usual stern and serious way of handling things, Xing Ji¡¯s complexion changed, and he quickly looked around cautiously, afraid that some clan member passing by might hear the complaints he had just uttered.


    Seeing his expression, the rest of the clan members started to laugh.


    ¡°Alright, stop talking about useless things. Patrolling is the family¡¯s arrangement. Everyone must do their duty, and not bring trouble to the family by neglecting your responsibilities or harboring complaints. After all, having received the family¡¯s salary, we must do our jobs well with peace of mind,¡± they said.


    ¡°Understood?¡±


    Hearing Lin Xingpu¡¯s stern words, the several members immediately responded with a grave expression, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lin Xingpu nodded his head, then resumed Sword Flight, leading the members to continue patrolling around the Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    Time slowly passed, and a year went by in tranquility.


    ¡­ S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On this day, within the cave dwelling of Lin Tianming.


    In the Pill Refining Room, he sat cross-legged on the floor. Spiritual Power flashed in his hand, striking the Blueflame Furnace until a scent of elixirs wafted out, and he ceased his efforts.


    Lifting the lid of the furnace, several Lingshen Pills lay at the bottom. He collected the elixirs and stored all of them in a Jade Bottle.


    Just as he was about to strike while the iron was hot and continue with alchemy, a message pierced through the prohibitions and hovered before him.


    Pausing, he then cast a Law Decree to read the content of the message.


    After a few moments, his expression turned mournful. After tidying up the chaotic Pill Refining Room, he pushed the door and walked out.


    Before long, he arrived in a courtyard located halfway up the mountain.


    By this time, more than a dozen clan members had gathered in the courtyard. They were all Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Lin Family, and apart from those who had been dispatched elsewhere, nearly everyone in the Clan Grounds was there.


    Seeing Lin Tianming arrive, Lin Xingzhi and a few others came up and nodded greetings to each other.


    Lin Xingzhi¡¯s face was touched with sorrow as he said, ¡°Tianming, Seventh Uncle¡¯s time is drawing near, and he has only a few days left. He specifically asked to see you. Hurry inside!¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded and proceeded toward the depths of the courtyard.


    After passing through several long corridors and pavilions, he arrived at a quiet chamber.


    At this point, several members of the Shi Clan were present, as well as one member of the Xing Clan, the only descendant of Lin Shigang with a Spiritual Root. His name was Lin Xinghan, more than eighty years old, with a cultivation at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.


    Lin Xinghan was kneeling in front of the bed, his eyes red and tears streaming down his face as he waited quietly.


    Above, the elderly and haggard Lin Shihe with white hair sat at the head of the bed, with Lin Shikang on the other side.


    One on the left and one on the right, they held Lin Shigang¡¯s hand, occasionally nodding and saying something.


    But most of the time, it was Lin Shigang speaking. He was apparently giving instructions concerning his last wishes.


    Lin Shigang, a year or two younger than Lin Shihe, was facing the end of his life sooner than the older Lin Shihe, which is not unusual in the Cultivation World.


    Many cultivators of the same age, with deeper cultivation or having consumed some genius treasures, generally possess stronger vitality and can live a few extra years.


    Since Lin Shihe previously served as the head of the Scripture Pavilion and compared to the overworked Lin Shigang of the Skill Transmission Hall, he had a somewhat easier time, with more opportunities for cultivation and a marginally deeper cultivation.


    Therefore, it was not surprising that he could live a few years longer than Lin Shigang.


    However, now that Lin Shigang¡¯s end was near, it meant that Lin Shihe, who was even older, wouldn¡¯t have much time left either.


    Aware of this, Lin Shihe gripped Lin Shigang¡¯s hand tightly. Both had given up on the attempt to reach Foundation Establishment more than twenty years ago and could only wait for their natural end.


    They both had long since come to terms with this reality and had accepted it, so there was no expression of reluctance on their faces.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming enter, Lin Shikang waved his hand, indicating for him to hurry over.


    Lin Tianming did not delay, quickly stepping forward to come to Lin Shigang¡¯s bedside.


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 Chapter 363 - 222 Funeral_2

    Chapter 363: Chapter 222 Funeral_2 Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon seeing Lin Tianming, a flush of red briefly passed over Lin Shigang¡¯s pale face.


    Lin Tianming bowed to Lin Shigang and then said, ¡°Seventh Grandpa, your nephew Tianming has come to see you!¡±


    With Lin Shikang¡¯s support, Lin Shigang slowly leaned against the wall, nodded after looking at Lin Tianming, and revealed a satisfied smile.


    ¡°Tianming, my time is nearly up, and I don¡¯t have many days left. The family has prospered and grown stronger, which puts my mind at ease,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hehe¡­ It¡¯s just a pity that I won¡¯t have the chance to see the family produce a Golden Core Clan Member. Otherwise, after I pass away, I could share this joy with our ancestors.¡±


    ¡°What a pity¡­ such a pity¡­¡±


    ...


    Hearing Lin Shigang¡¯s words, Lin Tianming couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge in his nose and said with tear-filled eyes, ¡°Seventh Grandpa, what are you saying? In my eyes, your time is still far away!¡±


    Lin Shigang chuckled bitterly a few times. He was well aware of his own condition ¨C his life force was dwindling, and he didn¡¯t have much time left.


    He lifted his head to look at the clan members around him, seemingly trying to memorize their faces.


    Time passed, and out of the silence in the side room, Lin Shigang¡¯s voice could be heard.


    ¡°Tianming, everyone, there¡¯s no need to be sad. Although I won¡¯t witness a clan member break through to the Golden Core Realm, with Tianming here, it¡¯s just a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve seen you all, I consider my wish fulfilled. I¡¯ve said and arranged everything that needed to be said and arranged. Everyone, please go back to your tasks!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Shikang also gestured with his hand and said, ¡°Tianming, you should leave first.¡±


    Lin Tianming nodded, bowed three times respectfully to Lin Shigang, and then slowly left the room.


    Back in the small courtyard, Lin Xingzhi and some others came up to greet him and started asking about Lin Shigang¡¯s condition.


    Lin Tianming candidly shared some details about Lin Shigang¡¯s physical state, causing the clan members present to tear up and sigh.


    As the Head of the Skill Transmission Hall, Lin Shigang had taught the first lessons of the Immortal Path to most of the clan members.


    For this elder, who had dedicated most of his life to the family, all of the Lin Family Members felt a mixture of love and gratitude.


    Now that his last moments were approaching, despite having anticipated this day and believing they were prepared, the clan members still found it hard to let go.


    Lin Tianming said a few words of comfort, and the moods of the clan members finally began to settle somewhat.


    As Lin Shikang and a few others exited, the rest quickly went up to greet them with clasped fists.


    Lin Shikang waved his hand, instructing everyone to disperse, and they all left Lin Shigang¡¯s cave abode.


    Lin Tianming didn¡¯t go into seclusion, and neither did the clan members in the courtyard, as they all knew that in just a few days, Lin Shigang would pass away completely, and they would have to see him off on his last journey.


    He returned with his grandfather, mother, and sister to his father¡¯s cave, taking the opportunity to rest and spend some quality time with his family.


    Three days later, Lin Xinghan sent a message announcing Lin Shigang¡¯s passing.


    Upon hearing this news, Lin Shigong wore a sad expression and hurriedly led Lin Tianming and the others to the Spirit Hall to pay their respects.


    Before long, the four of them arrived at Lin Shigang¡¯s cave abode, and outside the courtyard, a large number of Qi Refining Clanspeople bowed deeply, their faces filled with sorrow.


    These were all Qi Refining members of the Lin Family, each had stepped onto the path of cultivation under Lin Shigang¡¯s guidance.


    Learning of their mentor¡¯s demise from their elders, they had set aside their work and come to pay their last respects, sending him off on his final journey.


    Seeing the large number of clan members outside, Lin Shigong nodded and led the others into the courtyard.


    By this time, many Foundation Establishment Cultivators had arrived, and several core members of the family had come to pay their respects and offer incense to Lin Shigang.


    Lin Tianming and the others joined in, and even the Foundation Establishment Clan Members adhered to the customs of the Secular World in such a solemn and serious situation.


    Here, it was only one¡¯s seniority that mattered, not one¡¯s cultivation level, and even Lin Shilu, at the Seventh Level of Foundation Establishment, still had to pay homage to Lin Shigang¡¯s Spirit Tablet.


    After the rituals were performed, they sat on the stone benches to the side, chatting casually as they waited for all the clan members to finish their respects before burying Lin Shigang¡¯s remains in the family cemetery.


    Following Lin Shigang¡¯s burial, his Spirit Tablet would be moved to the family ancestral hall.


    This process held a profound significance for all Lin Family Members. Only with the Spirit Tablet placed in the ancestral hall could one receive recognition from the family and the ancestors.


    Since the establishment of the Lin Family, there had been no shortage of treacherous individuals who, during their lifetime, had done things detrimental to the family¡¯s interests or unity. In the end, their Spirit Tablets were not permitted in the ancestral hall.


    This kind of punishment, in some sense, was much more severe than being confined or stripped of one¡¯s cultivation and cast into the mundane world.


    For the vast majority of clan members, as long as they diligently practiced cultivation, even with modest cultivation levels, their Spirit Tablets would smoothly enter the ancestral hall after they passed away.


    The placement of a Spirit Tablet in the ancestral hall symbolized recognition from both the ancestors and the descendants. Some clan members who had made significant contributions to the family would even be revered by the future generations.


    Only by completing this step could one¡¯s life be considered truly concluded.


    Once Lin Shigang¡¯s Spirit Tablet was enshrined in the ancestral hall and the clan members paid their respects, this process was considered complete, marking the end of the events.


    The clan members returned to their peaceful lives, focusing on cultivation once again, and Lin Tianming prepared to go into seclusion.


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 Chapter 364 - 222 Funeral_3

    Chapter 364: Chapter 222 Funeral_3


    However, Elder Wu, Lin Shihe, didn¡¯t seclude himself for a few days when his time ran out; he personally witnessed Lin Shigang passing away. After Lin Shigang¡¯s funeral was over, Lin Shihe followed suit in just a matter of days and passed away directly through meditation.


    As the head of the Scripture Pavilion, Lin Shihe guarded the pavilion for decades and made significant contributions to the family. With his age only second to Lin Shikang, he was both virtuous and highly esteemed.


    Having attended Lin Shigang¡¯s funeral, it was natural not to neglect this revered ancestor.


    Lin Tianming had no choice but to end his seclusion and participate in Lin Shihe¡¯s funeral.


    All the procedures were as before, and after a few days of busy preparations, things gradually returned to calm.


    With the passing of both Lin Shigang and Lin Shihe, only four Foundation Establishment stage Clan Members of the Shi generation remained, so there wouldn¡¯t be any more elder deaths in the short term. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    However, the Xing generation Clan Members were aging, with the eldest among them nearing a hundred years old, but fortunately, they still had some years left.


    Moreover, not every Clan Member¡¯s funeral would be so solemn¡ªonly those who had made great contributions to the family would receive such treatment.


    The funerals of the ordinary Clan Members were mainly attended by close relatives and intimately associated Clan Members. Otherwise, if the hundreds of Lin Family members had to participate in every single funeral, they would hardly have the peace of mind to cultivate.


    With the passing of the two Shi generation elders, the Tian generation stepped into middle age, which signified a new starting point for the family.


    Currently, the Tian generation had the most members, totaling over seven hundred, with Lin Tianfeng, the oldest, now in his forties. In a few years, the family would welcome a new Chang generation.


    At the moment, there were six Foundation Establishment Clan Members among the Tian generation, eight among the Xing generation, and four from the Shi generation. The Tian generation was rapidly catching up to the Xing in numbers and would easily surpass them in a few years.


    What¡¯s more, among the Tian generation were many who were at the Late Stage of Qi Refinement and some with excellent Spiritual Root Talent.


    They were still young, and given enough resources, their potential to breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage wasn¡¯t low; successful or not, they would become the backbone of the family.


    Indeed, the Tian generation brimmed with talent, forming the foundation and hope for the family¡¯s continued strength.


    ¡­


    Time slowly passed, and a year and a half went by in tranquility.


    The sadness from the loss of the two Shi generation elders gradually faded into oblivion, and the family enjoyed peace. Each Clan Member resumed their normal lives and cultivation practices.


    On this day, it was Lin Xingpu¡¯s turn to lead the patrol team.


    Early in the morning, at the break of dawn, the entire Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory was shrouded in thick fog while hints of morning twilight began peeking through the clouds, casting a soft glow on the peak of the main mountain.


    In a courtyard at the mountainside, Lin Xingpu arrived at the Enforcement Hall with several Clan Members to meet the ones they were replacing, ready to begin their patrol duty for the next six months.


    Looking at the few Clan Members of the enforcement squad, who had already served two terms, each term lasting six months, it was acknowledged that patrolling delayed their cultivation progress. However, the family provided generous subsidies, allowing them to purchase elixirs for cultivation. Calculating it out, the difference from secluding themselves in meditation wasn¡¯t that big.


    After surveying everyone, Lin Xingpu waved his hand and led the Clan Members toward the mountain gate.


    They left the gate and started patrolling the very familiar Green Bamboo Mountain.


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 Chapter 365 - 223 Sworn Siblings_1

    Chapter 365: Chapter 223 Sworn Siblings_1


    As evening descended upon the main peak of Green Bamboo Mountain, within a courtyard¡­


    Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes suddenly fluttering open, revealing a trace of joyous smile on his steadfast cheeks.


    For over a year, he had been in seclusion, emerging briefly only twice to reunite with his family and elders before resuming his closed-door cultivation.


    During this period, he not only refined pills for the clan but also began to engage in arduous cultivation, and the Fusion Spirit Pills he produced mostly ended up back in his own hands.


    With the aid of eight Fusion Spirit Pills provided by the clan, and two from his own stock, he intermittently secluded himself for over two years. After assimilating a considerable amount of Lingshen Pills and ten Fusion Spirit Pills, his cultivation astonishingly broke through to the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level.


    ¡°It truly is a case of ¡®the flowers blooming effortlessly when least tended, and the willows forming a shade when unbidden¡¯,¡± he reflected with a light-hearted chuckle.


    ...


    Upon further thought, perhaps it was because the progression from Foundation Building Fourth Level to Fifth Level remained within the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, and not as challenging as the transition from the Third to Fourth Level, or Sixth to Seventh Level. After all, the breakpoints from early to middle stage, or middle to late stage, proved more difficult and yielded greater strength increases.


    ¡°Never mind¡­ a breakthrough is a good thing. Being overly concerned would just be too sentimental!¡± Lin Tianming thought to himself, and then began to conclude his practice, tidying up the training room before walking out the door.


    At a mountain top a hundred miles outside the Protective Clan Formation of Green Bamboo Mountain, an ink-colored Spirit Boat whizzed past the peak.


    On the Spirit Boat stood two people, none other than Ye Pinghai and Lin Xingrong. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Three years had passed, and the time for the agreement between Ye Pinghai and the Lin Family had arrived. He had made all the necessary preparations, ready to attempt the Impact of the Golden Core Stage at Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Gazing at the nearing Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory, Ye Pinghai furrowed his brows, contemplating internally.


    Breaking through to the Golden Core Realm was no small feat. Success would grant him entry into the ranks of High Order Cultivators and elevate him among the top experts of the entire Wei Kingdom, not to mention even among the teeming masses of cultivators in Qingzhou, he would no longer be an unknown figure.


    Hence, this hurdle was twice as difficult compared to Foundation Establishment.


    Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivators numbered at least a hundred in the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, yet together, there were barely over twenty Golden Core Cultivators.


    Moreover, among those who achieved Golden Core Stage as Loose Cultivators, outside of the Golden Elixir Forces, the last was Real Person Lingxiao from several decades ago.


    This individual possessed extraordinary talent, a startling genius native to the Wei Kingdom. As a Loose Cultivator, in scarcely less than a hundred years, he broke through to the Golden Core Stage; afterward, he roamed frequently between Qing and Ji states.


    And the Golden Core Cultivators residing in the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World were almost all from sects or clans, as resources there were rather scarce, with the majority held by those with Golden Elixir Forces.


    With limited resources in the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, it was profoundly difficult for Loose Cultivators to practice cultivation. By the time one reached the Golden Core level, the need for resources grew exponentially. Unless competing for opportunities with the Golden Core Sects, one would have to venture elsewhere for a chance at breakthrough.


    As such, the majority of Loose Cultivator Golden Core Masters, after breaking through, would leave the Wei Kingdom for broader horizons.


    From this, one could comprehend the immense difficulty Loose Cultivators faced in the Wei Kingdom attaining the Golden Core Realm.


    ¡°Uncle Ye¡­ we¡¯re almost at the clan¡¯s mountain gate,¡± Lin Xingrong remarked, pulling Ye Pinghai back from his reverie. Ye Pinghai nodded and smiled, his expression filled with determination.


    Soon, the pair drew closer to the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory, the Peak of Green Bamboo Mountain looming vaguely in the distance.


    Lin Xingpu and several other patrolling members were performing Sword Flight, circling a large portion of Green Bamboo Mountain. Everything appeared normal, and they were about to head back to the gate.


    At that moment, they happened upon Lin Xingrong and Ye Pinghai, heading their way.


    Recognizing Lin Xingrong on the Inkwind Spirit Boat, Lin Xingpu immediately led his fellow clan members to welcome them, bowing respectfully to Ye Pinghai.


    Ye Pinghai returned the gesture with a wave and a smile, and after exchanging pleasantries, they flew together towards the mountain gate.


    In the Elders¡¯ Council Hall located mid-slope of the main peak of Green Bamboo Mountain¡­


    Lin Shikang and Ye Pinghai sat in two high seats, with a few members of the ¡®Shi¡¯ generation seated below, and Lin Tianming and his son at the very bottom.


    Having learned of his father and Ye Pinghai¡¯s return to Green Bamboo Mountain, and with his seclusion freshly concluded, Lin Tianming had come to greet Ye Pinghai at the special request of Lin Shikang.


    Ye Pinghai chuckled, inspecting Lin Tianming for a moment before turning his head to Lin Xingrong and commenting, ¡°Xingrong, it has only been three years, yet Tianming has once again broken through in his cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Your talent may be ordinary, but Tianming is truly extraordinary, a blessing for the Lin Family indeed,¡± he added teasingly.


    Lin Xingrong responded humbly to Ye Pinghai¡¯s playful words, ¡°You flatter him too much, Uncle Ye.¡±


    ¡°While Tianming¡¯s talent is not bad, it¡¯s certainly not exceptional either. Among the known cultivators in the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World, there are at least dozens with Dual Spiritual Roots Talent like his, not to mention the unknown cultivators, making such talent hardly something noteworthy,¡± he explained.


    Hearing this, Ye Pinghai did not say much more. Instead, he took out a Jade Box and three Jade Bottles and held them in his hands.


    ¡°Tianming, I no longer have any use for these items, so I¡¯m giving them to you,¡± he said.


    After saying that, he tossed the Jade Box and three Jade Bottles to Lin Tianming, who caught them steadily.


    Glancing briefly at the two sets of items, Lin Tianming expressed his surprise, ¡°Grandpa Sea, the Demon Soul Fruit and the Fusion Spirit Pills are far too precious, I simply cannot accept them.¡±


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 Chapter 366 - 223 Becoming Sworn Siblings_2

    Chapter 366: Chapter 223 Becoming Sworn Siblings_2


    ¡°¡±Hehe, I have already reached the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Realm, I¡¯ve had these items for some time now, and indeed, there is no use for them anymore.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, I wish to take your father as my sworn son, and as several fellow Daoists are here today, I wonder if you could all indulge this junior brother.¡±


    After Ye Pinghai finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Lin Shikang and Lin Shigong, one being the strongest in the Lin Family and the other the father of Lin Xingrong; naturally, their opinions were to be sought.


    Lin Shikang and Lin Shigong exchanged a glance, each pondering for a moment.


    They were very clear about the profound meaning behind Ye Pinghai¡¯s actions. He was now aiding the Lin Family, proactively taking Lin Xingrong as his sworn son as a gesture of goodwill and as a promise. He also saw potential in the Lin Family.


    As long as they nodded their agreement, it meant that Ye Pinghai would be considered half a member of the Lin Family, and he could then pursue the Impact of Golden Core Stage without worrying about the Lin Family harboring any ill will toward him.


    ...


    Moreover, such a sworn kinship was greatly beneficial for the Lin Family. Even if he failed to break through, the mere news of this relationship would greatly bolster the reputation of the Lin Family. At the very least, they would be seen as a family with the strength of three individuals at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, most certainly standing out among all Foundation Establishment Families in the Wei Kingdom.


    If Ye Pinghai were fortunate enough to break through to the Golden Core Stage, it would be like adding wings to a tiger for the Lin Family, firmly positioning them at the forefront of all Foundation Establishment Families.


    Considering these points, the two quickly returned to their senses, and only after Lin Shigong nodded did Lin Shikang smile and say, ¡°Since we¡¯ve had many dealings and share a tangled web of connections, honored by brother Ye¡¯s high regard, brother Xing and I have no objections to this sworn kinship.¡±


    No sooner had these words fallen than Lin Shigong, with a hearty laugh, chimed in, ¡°Indeed, we¡¯ve been associating with each other for decades, and we¡¯ve always gotten along well. Establishing this sworn kinship will bring mutual support in the future. What greater fortune could there be?¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    Upon hearing the words from Lin Shikang and the others, Ye Pinghai was thrilled, then turned to Lin Tianming and said, ¡°Now that I have taken your father as my sworn son, you are like my sworn grandson, and these items are my meeting gifts to you.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡±


    Lin Tianming hesitated for a moment. Although he was very tempted by these treasures, they were all quite valuable.


    It goes without saying for the Fusion Spirit Pill¡ªit has a great effect on cultivation. Even more precious is the Demon Soul Fruit. This fruit is a Second Order Superior Spirit Fruit, born where the souls of Monster Beasts have perished, and collecting it is extremely difficult. It has the effect of refining vitality and tempering both skin and muscle, serving a very powerful and precious purpose.


    Both these items would greatly enhance him, and with his powerful Divine Sense and physique, having this Demon Soul Fruit could further enhance him. Its benefits for both combat and Alchemy were clear.


    For Ye Pinghai to offer such treasures off the bat, if it were ordinary items Lin Tianming would have had no need for courtesy, but these two items were so valuable that to accept them too casually might incur displeasure.


    With these thoughts in mind, he looked towards his grandfather, Lin Shigong, as if seeking his approval.


    As Lin Shikang nodded and chuckled, he looked at Lin Tianming and his son, saying, ¡°Xingrong, Tianming, won¡¯t you come forward and pay your respects to your elder?¡±


    Reminded by Lin Shikang, Lin Tianming then accepted the Demon Soul Fruit and three bottles of Fusion Spirit Pills.


    Afterward, father and son hurriedly stepped forward, presenting the Spiritual Tea with great respect to Ye Pinghai, before bowing deeply to him.


    ¡°Sworn son Xingrong pays respect to Uncle Ye, and sworn grandson Tianming to Grandpa Sea.¡±


    Seeing the sincere salutations from father and son, Ye Pinghai was overjoyed and quickly got up to pull them to their feet.


    The two treasures given away were actually obtained through numerous auctions and exchange meets over the years, specifically intended for Lin Tianming, all to bring himself closer to the Lin Family.


    Ye Pinghai was very satisfied with taking Lin Xingrong as his sworn child, and he had his own considerations for the gifts he gave away.


    With Lin Xingrong¡¯s frequent stays at Qianchuan Market over the years, their interactions had increased considerably. Moreover, Lin Xingrong¡¯s shrewdness in dealing with people and his keen observation won Ye Pinghai¡¯s admiration.


    Add to that his need for the Lin Family¡¯s support, and having no direct descendants, he took Lin Xingrong as his sworn son. This was not only to put the Lin Family at ease, but also for his own peace of mind as he pursued the Golden Core Realm.


    Besides, Lin Tianming¡¯s talent and the overall strength of the Lin Family were also of great interest to him.


    If all went well, with the Lin Family¡¯s overall strength, they could very well help Lin Tianming, who was blessed with extraordinary talent, achieve Core Formation with a high success rate and possibly even reach the Nascent Soul Stage in the future.


    For a Loose Cultivator like himself who had cultivated to his current level, no one knew better than he the hardships encountered along the way. The Lin Family had been good to him, and it was these factors together that were the primary drivers for establishing this sworn kinship.


    In this way, forging a strong relationship with the Lin Family in advance would offer him something to rely on in the future, creating a win-win situation.¡±


    Returning his focus, Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu were genuinely interested in fostering a good relationship with Ye Pinghai, given that the elders of the Lin Family were very supportive, resulting in a further warming of relations between both parties.


    After some casual conversation, the atmosphere gradually settled down.


    Lin Shikang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then got straight to the point.


    ¡°Ye, the three-year agreement is fast approaching, have you made your preparations, and how confident do you feel about it?¡±


    Hearing this, Ye Pinghai¡¯s expression grew solemn, and after a wry laugh, he said, ¡°You all should be well aware of how difficult it is to break through to the Golden Core Realm, lacking either Nascent Soul Spiritual Items or defensive treasures is out of the question.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made quite a few preparations in these past few years. Although I have a Gold Fruit to aid me, and several defensive magic artifacts, I still don¡¯t feel confident about succeeding. At most, I have a thirty percent chance!¡±


    ¡°A thirty percent chance is already quite high,¡± Lin Shikang replied.


    ¡°The longer one lingers in the Foundation Establishment Realm, the lower one¡¯s potential becomes. I¡¯m risking it all, hoping for success this time.¡±


    Ye Pinghai responded with a wry smile after hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s words.


    But upon further thought, a thirty percent chance was quite good; many people didn¡¯t even have such an opportunity, resorting to a forced breakthrough on the verge of dying, which is immensely more difficult.


    Ye Pinghai¡¯s words also served as a wake-up call to Lin Shikang, who was over a hundred years old. If he didn¡¯t attempt to reach the Golden Core Realm soon, as his potential gradually diminished, it would become even harder to make a breakthrough.


    Refocusing his mind, Lin Shikang then asked, ¡°Ye, our ancestors¡¯ insights on breakthroughs have been readied. When do you plan to start your attempt to enter the Golden Core Realm?¡±


    Ye Pinghai calmly replied, ¡°I have made all the necessary arrangements. After a period of seclusion to recuperate and studying the breakthrough insights, I can try to impact the Golden Core Realm.¡±


    ¡°As for the timing, it should be roughly half a year at the shortest, or a year at most.¡±


    ¡°When the time comes, I will have to trouble the elders to arrange a suitable place for my seclusion and to guard it for a while.¡±


    Hearing this, Lin Shikang nodded and then discussed with Lin Shihua and the others about the location for the breakthrough.


    Considering the density of spiritual energy, as well as the destructive power of the Golden Core Tribulation, the Protective Clan Formation would need to be deactivated for a while before the Tribulation, and then reactivated afterward.


    Otherwise, the Lin Family¡¯s Protective Clan Formation would likely be destroyed by the Golden Core Tribulation.


    If the formation were to be destroyed, losing the foundation of the clan would be a tremendous loss for the Lin Family.


    While there have been examples of surviving the Heavenly Tribulation with the aid of formations, the requirements were excessively stringent and not something the Protective Clan Formation of the Lin Family could handle.


    Ye Pinghai did not insist, as he had never considered using a formation to survive the Golden Core Tribulation.


    After some deliberation by everyone involved, it was decided to choose a secluded valley behind the peak of Green Bamboo Mountain as the location for the breakthrough.


    Not far from the main peak, the valley was filled with bird songs and floral fragrances, rarely trodden by clan members, and its spiritual energy density was comparable to that at the peak¡¯s summit.


    Besides, if the Threefold Lightning Tribulation were to come, its potent destructive force would not cause much damage to the main peak.


    Ye Pinghai was very satisfied with this arrangement after inspecting the site and quickly finalized the place and time for the seclusion, deciding to commence in two days.


    With the seclusion arrangements concluded, several family members spent some time chatting leisurely with Ye Pinghai.


    In the evening, Lin Shihua organized a lavish dinner to entertain Ye Pinghai, with Lin Tianming and his son taking turns toasting with spiritual wine.


    The Lin Family¡¯s warm hospitality and the joyful atmosphere delighted Ye Pinghai throughout the evening.


    Being a loose cultivator with mortal parents who had passed away early in life, he had devoted himself to his cultivation path for nearly a century without ever having a companion. It was through such diligence that he was able to advance swiftly to his current realm.


    Now, with the Lin Family and in such an atmosphere, he felt a sense of warmth he had not experienced in a long time.


    The lively atmosphere persisted, and after they were full and merry, everyone returned to their respective residences to rest.


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 Chapter 367 - 224 Seedlings_1

    Chapter 367: Chapter 224 Seedlings_1


    The next day, within the cave abode of Lin Shikang.


    Several clan members of the ¡®Shi¡¯ generation gathered together, with Ye Pinghai and father and son Lin Tianming among them.


    After exchanging a few words of small talk, Lin Shikang took out a golden-yellow jade slip, precisely the ancestral breakthrough knowledge left by the Lin Family Ancestral Patriarch.


    This breakthrough knowledge left by the Ancestral Patriarch had not been comprehended by anyone for more than two hundred years. Over the past two hundred years, the Lin Family had not produced even one person at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, and therefore it remained in the hands of the clansman with the highest cultivation, untouched by anyone else.


    As Lin Shikang had made his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, he immediately spent over half a year comprehending it and had long since memorized its contents.


    Although this object could not increase cultivation, its value was extremely high, and it was rare even throughout the Wei Kingdom, having always been kept by Lin Shikang.


    ...


    The fact that Ye Pinghai had chosen to seek help from the Lin Family, this jade slip was one of the key factors.


    Looking at the golden-yellow jade slip, Ye Pinghai appeared excited, already somewhat impatient to comprehend it.


    Seeing his eagerness, Lin Shikang didn¡¯t keep him in suspense and directly tossed the jade slip to Ye Pinghai.


    After Ye Pinghai caught the jade slip and briefly examined it, he cupped his fists in a bow toward the other clan members present and started to earnestly express his gratitude.


    Lin Shikang waved his hand, and then spoke up, ¡°Brother Ye, now that the knowledge has been passed to you, I hope you can breakthrough at an early date.¡±


    Ye Pinghai nodded, feeling very excited in his heart, and then responded, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take your auspicious words, Brother Lin. I will now start my seclusion for comprehension. Please take care of the protective spell on my behalf!¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Brother Ye, I will designate your seclusion area as a forbidden zone and protect the law for you, until your breakthrough is complete.¡±


    After Lin Shikang responded, he turned to Lin Shihua and instructed him on a few things, commanding him to restrict the clan members from approaching Ye Pinghai¡¯s secluded valley for the next two years, so as not to disturb his tranquil cultivation.


    Lin Shihua nodded and then agreed to see to the matter.


    Seeing these arrangements, along with Lin Shikang, whose cultivation was not lower than his, acting as his protector, Ye Pinghai couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh of relief.


    After Ye Pinghai stored the breakthrough knowledge in his storage bag, he took his leave to immediately enter seclusion.


    Lin Shikang and the others nodded, then got up and accompanied him out of the courtyard to the designated seclusion spot.


    Lin Tianming stood behind the senior members, looking up at the selected spot and discovered that it was not far from where he had once cultivated his Divine Skills.


    The tranquil and elegant environment, along with the rich concentration of Spiritual Energy, was slightly inferior to the main peak¡¯s summit but, in comparison with other places in the Family, it was considered to be exceptionally good.


    Within this small valley, a Temporary Cave Abode had already been prepared in advance for Ye Pinghai¡¯s secluded breakthrough.


    Ye Pinghai stepped forward to inspect it and then nodded in satisfaction.


    He had no particular requirements for the cave abode, as long as it was secluded, safe, and undisturbed, providing shelter from the wind and rain.


    Though the place was somewhat simple, it met all his expectations and was sufficient for his secluded breakthrough.


    After surveying the terrain and bowing to the clan members present, Ye Pinghai entered straight into the cave abode.


    Lin Shikang and the others watched as Ye Pinghai disappeared from view, then he continued to delegate a few tasks to Lin Shihua and finally dismissed everyone, choosing to stand guard there alone.


    Lin Tianming returned to his own cave abode and directly entered the training room.


    He sat cross-legged, took out the Demon Soul Fruit and the Fusion Spirit Pill given to him by Ye Pinghai, his expression revealing his excitement.


    He took out the Demon Soul Fruit and carefully examined it in his hand.


    The chilly and piercing sensation of the Demon Soul Fruit, along with a unique fragrance, made one feel refreshed and invigorated with just a whiff.


    Such items were rare; among the many treasures he had consumed, it was second only to the Seven-Colored Golden Lotus seeds, and in some ways, it was not even inferior to them.


    Because this fruit could enhance Divine Sense, and throughout the years, he had never stopped consuming Strong Spirit Pills. However, the effects of the Strong Spirit Pills had dwindled after he entered the Foundation Establishment stage, and even if he consumed them like candy, the increase in Divine Sense was extremely limited and could be considered negligible.


    It might also be due to his exceptionally strong Divine Sense that these minor enhancements were too insignificant for the large base number; therefore, progress felt slow.


    In such a situation, he was thinking about discontinuing the Strong Spirit Pills when he received this Demon Soul Fruit, which came just in time.


    With nothing else pressing at the moment, he planned to utilize these elixirs and Spirit Fruit to enhance his strength. Although certainly unable to advance to the Foundation Establishment Sixth Level, reaching the peak of the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level was still a substantial hope.


    Having made up his mind, he immediately started regulating his breathing to reach his peak condition, preparing to consume the Demon Soul Fruit and to strengthen his Divine Sense and physical veins.


    Half an hour later.


    Feeling that his body had reached its peak condition, Lin Tianming took out the Demon Soul Fruit and swallowed it without hesitation.


    As soon as the icy, bone-chilling Demon Soul Fruit was swallowed, his body instantly felt frosty, as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his blood almost freezing.


    Simultaneously, the powerful energy from the Demon Soul Fruit surged out, fiercely impacting every meridian and internal organ in his body.


    Soon, his insides were burning hot while his skin remained icy and piercing; the two opposing energies of cold and heat coexisted within his body.


    At this moment, his surface was frosted over, while the heat inside him roiled; beads of sweat the size of beans fell from his forehead, quickly turning into icicles that hung beneath his eyelids.


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 Chapter 368 - 224 Sprout_2

    Chapter 368: Chapter 224 Sprout_2


    Under the stimulation of two different energies, his face alternated between red and white, accompanied by intense pain. Only now did he truly understand the meaning of ¡°Ice and Fire Duality.¡±


    He forcibly suppressed the agony, running his Cultivation Technique at full capacity to refine and dissolve these energies.


    The refined energy became milder, a warm current flowing within his body, while another force nourished his Divine Sense, strengthening his sea of consciousness.


    At the same time, the sensation of pain in his body weakened, and a comfortable feeling stimulated both his body and sea of consciousness¡ªan extreme sense of comfort, akin to wandering among the clouds.


    He expanded the use of his Cultivation Technique, further refining the energy within him.


    When the energy reached a certain level, it actively scoured his flesh, transforming his skin and meridians, and by extension, also reinforcing his internal organs.


    ...


    The strength of Divine Sense, refined from the Demonic Soul Fruit, surged into his sea of consciousness, becoming increasingly formidable.


    Time slowly passed, and several days went by.


    Inside the cultivation room, Lin Tianming sat in meditation like an ancient monk, motionless for several days.


    At this moment, his hands still joined in prayer, the pallor on his face had long since vanished, replaced by a rosy hue.


    After several days of refining, the energy contained within the Demonic Soul Fruit was nearly depleted. It wouldn¡¯t take much longer to completely refine it.


    A tea-time later, Lin Tianming opened his eyes after completing his practice, his face brimming with excitement.


    The complete refinement of the Demonic Soul Fruit yielded indeed a powerful effect. His physical body had once again been strengthened.


    Feeling the great power throughout his body, he believed that his physical form alone could withstand the attack of a Cultivator at the Third Level of Foundation Establishment without any difficulty. Even against a Cultivator at the Foundation Building Fourth Level, he was confident he could rely on his physical strength to battle them.


    Besides the growth of his physical body, his Divine Sense had also increased by nearly ten percent. His Divine Sense was now vaster, which provided, albeit modestly, an improvement in both operating a Sword Array and performing Alchemy.


    This single Demonic Soul Fruit brought significant progress, far exceeding his expectations.


    Elated, Lin Tianming stood up, cast a spell to cleanse the dirt from his body, and then resumed his seated cultivation.


    With no plans to go out, he decided to continue his closed-door cultivation, attempting to push his cultivation towards the peak of the Foundation Establishment Fifth Level.


    He then took out three bottles of elixirs that Ye Pinghai had given him, initially intending to share them with his grandfather and father, but they had flatly refused to accept them and insisted that he uses them for his own cultivation.


    Unable to convince them otherwise, he had no choice but to accept them begrudgingly, resolving to gather some Spiritual Medicine Materials and craft some Fusion Spirit Pills for them once his own cultivation improved.


    With this belief in mind, Lin Tianming swallowed a Fusion Spirit Pill and began his closed-door cultivation. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, a year and a half had passed.


    Today was the day Lin Xingrong was to return to the Lin Family with the profits from the Luoyun Pavilion.


    Early in the morning, he and a few Lin Family Members sat in the rented Cave Mansion Courtyard, chatting idly.


    After several years of development, the Lin Family had moved from a temporary abode in the market to a larger residence, which stood just across the street from Ye Pinghai¡¯s former courtyard, positioned diagonally.


    With his efforts, Luoyun Pavilion, after accumulating steady clientele over the years, saw a stable customer flow and a steady increase in sales volume, generating substantial profits for the family each year.


    In the beginning, it was a group of five accompanying the family on these excursions. As more family members took part and the number of Lin Family Members venturing out to gain experience increased, those who accompanied him to the market for training had changed several times, with almost every person facing the trials of the Cultivation World. This broadened their horizons and allowed them to make connections with numerous Cultivators, turning them into the elite members of the family.


    Furthermore, with the Lin Family¡¯s gratuitous Alchemy services, coupled with the fair prices for quality treasures sold at the Luoyun Pavilion, the family¡¯s reputation was firmly established. This significantly expanded the Lin Family¡¯s influence, making them almost a household name in the peaceful Southern Wei Kingdom.


    During this round of market training that had just passed a year, nearly half of the ten family members were from the Tian generation, all with a cultivation at or above the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement, including two Xing Clan Members at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.


    Unnoticed, the Tian clan members had been operating extensively in the outside world, becoming the backbone of the family.


    In the courtyard, after sweeping his gaze over all the clan members, Lin Xingrong began to issue instructions to Lin Xinghuan by his side.


    ¡°This time, my return to the family territory will take at least a month, there and back. Stay calm in the market city, don¡¯t run around, and keep a good watch over the business of the Luoyun Pavilion.¡±


    ¡°If you encounter any issues you cannot resolve, seek refuge at the Market City Hall. I¡¯ve already briefed a few executive officers. As long as you don¡¯t provoke those top-tier forces, your safety is guaranteed.¡±


    ¡°Xingyan, you are a bit older, and after I leave, you will be responsible for all the affairs of the market city and also keep an eye on several clansmen, understand?¡±


    Upon hearing the instructions, Lin Xingyan bowed with folded hands and then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, elder cousin. I will definitely manage the Luoyun Pavilion well with the clan members. Just have a quick and safe trip.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Lin Xingrong nodded, having spent time with him over the past few days, seeing Lin Xingyan as the oldest among them and a person who handled matters with steady prudence. His cultivation level was also quite good, so entrusting him felt reassuring.


    After giving a few more instructions, he left the cave mansion courtyard and hurried to the entrance of the market city.


    Once out of the market city, he rose into the air and flew on his sword, shooting towards the south.


    Since he had traveled the route back to the family many times before, he had committed it to memory. Besides, with his cultivation level having reached the peak of the Third Level of Foundation Establishment, his speed was quite swift.


    Ten days passed, and Lin Xingrong made good progress through the borders of the Hengyang Mountain Range and the Luoyang Mountain Range.


    Gazing at the towering peaks vaguely visible ahead, he knew that once he crossed this area, one more day of flying would bring him smoothly to the territory of the Luoyun Mountain Range.


    Standing on his spirit sword, as he looked at the mountains, rivers, and streams whistling beneath him, his expression turned unusually solemn.


    ¡°Strange, I never saw these low-order demonic beasts before when I passed through these areas. Why are there suddenly some First Order demonic beasts this time, even a few at the First Order Middle Stage?¡±


    Muttering to himself, he then thought of what Lin Shikang had mentioned about the beast tide, and his expression became extremely grave.


    Though these low-order demonic beasts posed no threat to him¡ªhe could wipe out a great number of them with a mere flick of his hand¡ªthe phenomenon clearly indicated a major disturbance within the beast mountain ranges.


    With these thoughts, the speed of the spirit sword beneath him increased significantly. Perhaps the family had already noticed and taken action, but this was a situation that he must report on as quickly as possible.


    That day, as he hastened his sword flight, after he crossed distant peaks and entered the range of the Luoyun Mountain Range, he found the situation here to be somewhat better compared to the Hengyang Mountain Range, which was closer to the Qianchuan Market.


    He silently breathed a sigh of relief. The further north he went, the denser the population of demonic beasts seemed. It looked like the Luoyun Mountain Range was not a concentration area for the beasts.


    After two days of flight, he finally arrived at Golden Horn Mountain.


    Entering Golden Horn Mountain, he met Lin Xingping at once, and the two sat in the courtyard, exchanging the information they wanted to convey to each other.


    According to Lin Xingping, he had also noticed the abnormalities in the demonic beasts only yesterday, suggesting that the event was quite recent.


    The family had been prepared for years, constantly monitoring the movements within the Luoyun Mountain Range. Any changes would likely be detected very quickly.


    After listening to Lin Xingrong¡¯s account, Lin Xingping also realized the gravity of the situation and knew that they must make thorough preparations.


    After exchanging a few words, Lin Xingrong gave his instructions with a solemn expression.


    ¡°Xing Ping, I am afraid I can¡¯t rest. I have to rush back to the family to report the situation. Since Golden Horn Mountain is close to the north, it serves as the family¡¯s front station. If the chaos of the demonic beasts is concentrated in the north, this place will be in danger.¡±


    ¡°Gather the clan members ahead of time and prepare any resources that can be taken away. If any emergency arises or if the demonic beasts¡¯ strength is too great, we should be ready to retreat to the family territory at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±


    Lin Xingping nodded, and then said, ¡°Alright¡­ You set off right away. I will immediately arrange for the clansmen to prepare for this!¡±


    After finishing their conversation, the two left the cave abode together. Lin Xingrong rushed towards the mountain gate, while Lin Xingping gathered the clan members at that location.


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 Chapter 369 - 225 Countermeasures_1

    Chapter 369: Chapter 225 Countermeasures_1


    ¡°`


    One month ago.


    Qingzhou, Yuanwu Kingdom.


    Yuanwu Kingdom is one of the forty-eight countries in Qingzhou, located in the northwestern part of Qingzhou, far from Wei Kingdom in the southern Qingzhou, with several countries of varying sizes in between.


    The Yuanwu Country Xiuxian Realm is full of sects, with more than a dozen Golden Elixir Forces, even the weakest among them is a bit stronger than the Zhenyang Sect of Wei Kingdom.


    With such strength, the overall power of the Yuanwu Kingdom is considered mid-tier among the forty-eight countries of Qingzhou.


    ...


    Wei Kingdom, on the other hand, is situated at a corner, bordering Jingzhou, with extremely limited cultivation resources, completely a barren place, its overall strength is at the very bottom of the vast Qingzhou.


    At this time inside Yuanwu Kingdom, with the outburst of the Demon Beast Tide, a large number of cultivators spread out across the region, fighting with groups of demonic beasts of various sizes, throwing the whole Yuanwu Kingdom into chaos.


    Led by dozens of Third Order Demon Beasts, several Golden Elixir Forces hadn¡¯t even reacted before their sect gates were breached, and their entire sects were almost wiped out in silence, thus vanishing from the Cultivation World.


    Eastern Yuanwu Kingdom.


    On a sprawling plaza by a massive sect gate, a great number of Liyang Sect disciples gathered, most with faces pale with shock, seemingly aware of the arrival of the beast tide.


    Standing on the high platform before them was an old man with white hair and a saintly aura.


    The elder¡¯s name was Zheng Yuanfeng, at the ninth layer of Golden Core cultivation, having served as the Great Elder of Liyang Sect for many years.


    Behind him stood eight Golden Core Cultivators, all elders of the Liyang Sect, six men and two women with varying levels of cultivation and ages.


    On the high platform, Zheng Yuanfeng scanned the multitude of sect disciples below, and then a resonant voice rang out.


    ¡°All disciples of the sect, the beast tide has erupted suddenly, and several Golden Core Sects in Yuanwu Kingdom have been wiped out, with Foundation Establishing Families suffering countless deaths and injuries.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Liyang Sect, with a nearly ten-thousand-year legacy, now faces a crisis of extinction, truly a stroke of misfortune.¡±


    Hearing this, the faces of many disciples in the plaza grew even paler.


    The Golden Core Sects within the Yuanwu Country Xiuxian Realm were almost all at comparable strength, and with several sects already annihilated, how could the Liyang Sect withstand the coming beast tide?


    At this moment, everyone was deeply worried; even the sect leader himself spoke so, what chance did they, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators or even the Qi Refining Cultivators, have of surviving the beast tide?


    Then, with the faces of the cultivators in the plaza growing paler and some even considering fleeing, devoid of any will to fight.


    Seeing their morale, the elder on the high platform shouted, pulling the disciples back to reality from their reverie.


    Looking at the thousands of disciples, after a brief pause, the elder solemnly said:


    ¡°Do not panic like this, though the Demon Beast Army is formidable, I judge this to be only a minor or medium-sized Demon Beast Tide.¡±


    ¡°Word of Yuanwu Kingdom¡¯s plight will soon spread, and the sects are already joining forces with other Golden Elixir Forces to fight the enemy; we only need to hold our ground and wait for help for a while.¡±


    ¡°When the Nascent Soul Experts from Qingzhou arrive, and with the concerted efforts of the Yuanwu Country Xiuxian Forces, all difficulties shall be effortlessly resolved!¡±


    Hearing this, the Liyang Sect disciples on the plaza finally breathed a sigh of relief, their expressions gradually returning to normal.


    They knew that without reinforcements, relying solely on Golden Core Sects, they would not be able to hold out for long.


    But if Nascent Soul Cultivators joined the fight, this might also be an opportunity; as long as they could survive the beast tide, the gains would undoubtedly be substantial.


    Thinking this, some cultivators in the crowd were already eager to try, planning to seize this opportunity to make a fortune in Spirit Stones.


    However, what they did not know was that these words spoken by the elder were merely consolatory.


    The lower-order cultivators might not understand the current state of Yuanwu Kingdom, nor grasp the cruelty of the Cultivation World; these Golden Core Cultivators, however, were all too clear.


    They knew that the Nascent Soul Forces would eventually take action but would demand a price.


    The support from neighboring countries was difficult to predict, and surely many would wait and see, some sects even hoping for their demise so they could swoop in to exploit the aftermath, gaining more territory and resources.


    In the Cultivation World, such occurrences were commonplace, without offering up benefits, no sect or family would kindly lend a hand.


    This would happen only if a large beast tide was encountered which would eventually affect them too, compelling them to offer proactive aid.


    Otherwise, staying out of the fray would already be considered quite decent.


    This beast tide at the moment, appeared to be a minor one, with not many high-order demonic beasts, just some Third Order Demon Beasts mobilized; although the numbers were not small, without Fourth Order Demonic Beasts, their destructive power was extremely limited.


    Yet, this could just be the vanguard of the demon beasts, maybe an even larger force would follow, potentially escalating into a medium or large beast tide.


    At present, Golden Elixir Forces of Yuanwu Kingdom were arranging to deal with the crisis, they had to unite and confront the beast tide head-on, or if they failed, at least hold out as long as possible.


    No one was willing to give up their sect gates that had been established for thousands of years unless absolutely necessary, for they represented the heart¡¯s blood and wealth of the sect over many years.


    With these thoughts, he momentarily lost himself in contemplation, a subtle concern growing inside.


    It was only when his junior reminded him that he snapped back to awareness and began to issue a series of strategies in response.


    The senior disciples under him responded one after another to his call, joining the ranks to resist the beast tide.


    The entire Liyang Sect, like a war machine, began to turn into action.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 370 - 225 Countermeasures_2

    Chapter 370: Chapter 225 Countermeasures_2


    And this scene was enacted across numerous sect families in the Yuanwu Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World as they began to pour into the struggle against the demonic beasts.


    ¡­


    Green Bamboo Mountain, Lin Family Clan Grounds.


    Lin Xingrong, traveling by Sword Flight, neared his family increasingly with less than a hundred miles to go.


    Throughout these days, he had hardly taken any breaks, almost relentlessly on the move. From the moment he noticed the abnormality in the demonic beasts to these past few days, most of his time had been spent in flight without proper rest.


    Along the way, he kept his nerves tightly wound, trying to capture as much information as possible to make more accurate judgments.


    ...


    Indeed, on his flight back to the family from Golden Horn Mountain, he had encountered numerous tracks of demonic beasts, but their number and rank had gradually decreased. The further south he went, the less dense the demonic beasts became, mostly consisting of First Order Initial Phase demon beasts.


    Such a situation also corresponded with his own guess.


    Fortunately, he had not encountered any Second Order Demonic Beasts on his way until he arrived at the Green Bamboo Mountain Clan Territory, where he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    As he drew nearer to the clan territory, he encountered a clansperson patrolling the mountain entrance. Ignoring his fatigue, he swiftly flew over. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After greeting a few fellow clanspeople, Lin Xingrong urgently inquired, ¡°Has anything happened in the Luoyun Mountain Range recently, or has any disturbance been reported?¡±


    Hearing this, the leading clansperson looked puzzled.


    The family had been on edge in recent years, significantly increasing the scope and number of people patrolling the mountain entrance, yet there had been no sign of stopping or changing for so long.


    Nothing unusual had appeared in the family recently, everything was calm. The clanspeople went about their cultivation uninterrupted, and no incidents had been reported.


    The puzzled clansperson laughed and then asked proactively, ¡°Clan brother, you seem weary from your hasty journey; has some major event occurred?¡±


    Lin Xingrong did not elaborate but simply instructed them to patrol the clan grounds well and not to inquire too much.


    Having said that, he had already disappeared, leaving the other clanspeople even more puzzled as they stayed in place.


    Half an hour later, in the secluded valley where Ye Pinghai was in seclusion, several Lin Family members of the ¡®Shi¡¯ generation had already arrived.


    Lin Tianming also had just come out of seclusion, and upon receiving Lin Shikang¡¯s message, he immediately rushed to the valley.


    Seeing Lin Xingrong¡¯s pale face, the several clanspeople quickly realized that something serious had happened.


    The anxious Lin Shihua quickly asked, ¡°Xingrong, has some major event happened, causing you to rush back in such a panic?¡±


    Lin Xingrong¡¯s expression was solemn as he spoke, ¡°Elder, after I left Qianchuan Market and was passing through the border of the Hengyang Mountain Range and Luoyun Mountain Range, I discovered a large number of First Order demon beasts.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Shikang and the other clanspeople¡¯s expressions changed, immediately bringing to mind the previously mentioned beast tide attack.


    ¡°Xingrong, what about the Golden Horn Mountain and Luoyun Mountain on this side, have you noticed anything abnormal?¡± Lin Shihua asked.


    Lin Xingrong, not daring to delay, quickly relayed his observations and findings.


    ¡°While passing through here, I paid special attention to this matter. The situation on Luoyun Mountain¡¯s side was evidently better than on our own Luoyang Mountain Range and the Hengyang Mountain Range.¡±


    ¡°Based on what I understand, this is indeed a prelude to a beast tide, and the outbreak point is in the north; the specific location is, as of now, unknown.¡±


    ¡°The north?¡±


    Lin Shikang pondered for a moment, then followed up with a question, ¡°When you left Qianchuan Market in the north, did you notice any irregularities?¡±


    Lin Xingrong recalled carefully for a moment to ensure no oversight and then replied, ¡°When I left Qianchuan Market, everything was normal, and there seemed to be nothing unusual about the market itself.¡±


    ¡°Besides that, I didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary on my way, only encountering changes in the demonic beasts at the junction of the three great mountain ranges.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the other clanspeople fell into deep thought.


    Clearly, the changes in the demonic beasts had only emerged while he was en route. After all, it took him nearly ten days of flight upon leaving Qianchuan Market to arrive at the junction of the three great mountain ranges, where he had first noticed the abnormal situation.


    So it turns out, these peculiar changes started only in the past few days.


    ¡°Shi Lu, what do you think about what Xing Rong said?¡±


    Hearing Lin Shikang¡¯s inquiry, Lin Shilu was the first to speak. ¡°Xing Rong¡¯s judgement is probably correct. The epicenter of the beast tide is in the north; it may have already erupted, and for only a short time at that. The signs are just beginning to emerge here.¡±


    Having said that, Lin Shihua also agreed, ¡°I concur with this opinion. Our earlier assessments were correct. The only unknowns are where the eruption point is located, how large the scale of the beast tide attack will be, and whether it will impact the Wei Kingdom¡¯s Cultivation World. Verifying these points as soon as possible is critical right now.¡±


    Hearing these words, Lin Shikang nodded and then said, ¡°You¡¯re right. We don¡¯t know the details yet, but it¡¯s certain that the beast tide has erupted.¡±


    ¡°The task at hand is to gather information as soon as possible and then make preparations in advance.¡±


    Having said this, Lin Shikang¡¯s tone shifted.


    ¡°Tian Ming, what are your thoughts on this? Do you have any good strategies to suggest, feel free to share for our reference.¡±


    Lin Tianming thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Currently, Grandpa Sea is attempting to break through to the Golden Core Stage. Should he succeed, our family¡¯s crisis might be averted.¡±


    ¡°However, it¡¯s hard to say when this will happen, and no one knows when he¡¯ll break through. Third Grandfather is protecting him, so he certainly won¡¯t be able to leave his side.¡±


    ¡°Sitting idly by will only make us passive. We can¡¯t afford to concern ourselves with other places for the time being. We should take the initiative to attack and clear some of the demonic beasts around Luoyun Mountain as soon as possible. If we do that when the number of demonic beasts increases, the pressure on our family will be reduced.¡±


    After Lin Tianming finished speaking, all the clanspeople present nodded their heads, clearly in agreement.


    After scanning the audience, Lin Shikang spoke, ¡°The arrangements made by Tian Ming are indeed comprehensive, so let¡¯s settle on that.¡±


    ¡°However, what about those Spirit Lands and Luoyun Market our family holds? Do we abandon them, or do we send people to guard them?¡±


    Lin Shikang¡¯s words caused everyone present to fall into deep thought.


    Lin Tianming was no exception; Qianchuan Market was not for them to worry about, with Zhenyang Sect at the forefront. If they were to give up, then no matter how hard the Lin Family tried, it would be a futile effort.


    What they needed to consider the most were Golden Horn Mountain, Luoyun Market, and the region around Jiuhua Mountain.


    After thinking for a while, Lin Shilu took the lead and said, ¡°Given our limited manpower at present, we can only temporarily abandon the Spirit Lands our family has developed. However, Luoyun Market and Golden Horn Mountain are of utmost importance and cannot be forsaken.¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Lin Tianming also offered his support.


    ¡°Fifteenth Grandfather is right. Those developed Spirit Lands, while they have consumed some resources, have not yet formally generated value; abandoning them now is a reluctant but necessary action.¡±


    ¡°But Golden Horn Mountain and Luoyun Market are too important for the Lin Family, producing a large amount of Spirit Materials and Spiritual Medicine every year. It would indeed be too regrettable to give them up.¡±


    ¡°For Luoyun Market, we must inform the other family powers as quickly as possible, asking them to send some of their people to defend the Market. Those who are unwilling to make a move should either contribute Spirit Stone resources or be directly deprived of their rights to share the market profits,¡±


    ¡°after all, we can¡¯t be the only ones worrying about it while they reap the benefits without lifting a finger!¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Lin Shikang found that his own thoughts aligned with the arrangements proposed by Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu.


    With these thoughts, he immediately instructed, ¡°Then we¡¯ll proceed as Tian Ming and Shi Lu have suggested. Contact the other families and bring back all the Spiritual Objects from Jiuhua Mountain to our clan.¡±


    ¡°Call back everyone developing the Spirit Lands and dispatch more clanspeople to defend Luoyun Market and Golden Horn Mountain. Strengthen the defenses of these two critical areas.¡±


    ¡°In addition, immediately send out elite clanspeople to hunt down those demonic beasts in the mountains, and for those that infiltrate the secular world, dispatch Qi Refining Clanspeople to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°In a nutshell, we must take advantage of this lull before the full outbreak of the beast tide, to weaken their forces as much as possible, minimizing the threat.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else to add, then let¡¯s proceed with these arrangements. Everyone agrees, right?¡±


    After Lin Shikang finished speaking, Lin Tianming and others nodded in response.


    ¡°No objections!¡±


    After Lin Shikang gave a few more instructions, all the clanspeople dispersed from the valley.


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