Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

The three exchanged glances and began to carefully select. Lin Xuan chose a jade pendant that shimmered with a bluish light, while Zhao Ziming picked up a short blade that exuded a chilling aura.

Lin Zhao's gaze swept over the magical artifacts that shone with dazzling light, and in the end he only selected a few ancient jade slips, which exuded an ancient and mysterious aura.

The grandfather took in their choices, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. All three children, afraid of putting him in a difficult position, had chosen seemingly ordinary items.

After they finished making their selections, a flash of light appeared in the old man's sleeve, and the remaining items on the ground instantly split into three piles of treasures, each with a different spiritual light.

His expression turned serious, and his voice was as steady as a bell: "Now let's begin to reward those who have made contributions. Lin Xuan," he pushed the pile of spiritual light that was brightest on the far left toward the girl in the blue robe, "You risked your life this time and made great contributions. This is what you deserve."

Among the pile of treasures, a set of dazzling red armor stood out. Among these items, spirit stones were the most abundant, and the total value was at least a thousand spirit stones.

Lin Xuan parted her lips slightly, about to decline, but her grandfather's gaze sharpened: "This is the family rule, there's no need to be modest."

Turning to look at Lin Zhao, the old man's tone softened. With a flick of his sleeve, he pushed the pile of warm, spiritually glowing treasures in the middle in front of him: "This one is yours. If it weren't for your Gengjin Sword Qi Talisman helping Xiao Wen this time, let alone these gains, it's uncertain whether Lin Xuan could have returned safely."

This pile of treasures mainly consisted of easily resaleable spiritual materials and talismans, along with over thirty magical artifacts. The most dazzling item among them was a high-grade, first-tier Qingfeng sword.

The last pile on the right, though the most dazzling in terms of spiritual light and worth about 1,500 spirit stones, consisted mostly of special items that were difficult to handle.

"The remainder must be handed over to the family. The family has contributed a lot to this operation. Do you have any objections?" The three shook their heads in unison.

"Alright," the grandfather's tone softened, and the spiritual light around him gradually faded. "You've all been traveling for many days, go back and get some rest."

The courtyard with its green tiles and white walls lay quietly in the twilight, and the newly hung bronze wind chimes on the eaves rang softly in the evening breeze.

Lin Zhao stood in front of her house, looking at the old locust tree in the courtyard, which was still lush and verdant, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

He pushed open that familiar door, the sound of the hinges turning startling the people inside.

The mother carried a bowl of soup and walked briskly out of the kitchen. The warm yellow light spread out behind her, illuminating her slightly tired but joyful face.

"Zhao'er?" The soup bowl in her hand trembled slightly, releasing the aroma of the divine meal. "You child, you didn't even send a message before you came back!"

Several years had passed since I last saw her, and a few strands of gray had appeared at her temples, but her eyes remained as bright as ever. She was a little thinner than I remembered, and she was wearing an elegant light blue dress. She walked quickly forward, and a soft blue light unconsciously emanated from her body, her spiritual energy rippled with excitement.

She took Lin Zhao's hand, the touch still warm: "Let your mother take a good look at you. You've lost weight, but you're also stronger now. I just don't know how much hardship you've endured outside."

At that moment, a tall and robust figure emerged from the inner room upon hearing the sound; it was none other than the elder brother, Lin Tai. He was a full size larger than Lin Zhao, with bulging, bronze-colored muscles on his arms, and wore a simple brown short jacket.

Upon seeing Lin Zhao, a bright smile immediately spread across his kind face. He strode over and patted Lin Zhao's shoulder heavily with his large, fan-like hand: "Ah Zhao! You're finally back! Your mother has been talking about you every day!"

The palm strike was incredibly powerful, causing Lin Zhao to sway slightly, but it also made him involuntarily step forward and embrace his mother and brother. Soon, the dining table was filled with steaming hot spiritual dishes.

His mother kept putting food on his plate, her nagging voice mingling with the aroma of the food in the room: "You've lost so much weight. Are you always hungry when you're out? When you were little, you loved this bamboo shoot and chicken stew. You could eat two big bowls of it every time."

Lin Zhao looked down at the mountain of food piled in her bowl, her eyes slightly moist. The tension she had felt over the past few years seemed to melt away in the warmth of his nagging.

In the stillness of the night, he lay on the wooden bed he had slept on in his youth. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting dappled silver light on the bluestone floor. This was the first time in years that he could sleep peacefully without any need for vigilance.

The following month brought Lin Zhao a period of peace she hadn't enjoyed in years.

As dawn broke, the sounds of fists and feet cutting through the air could already be heard in the courtyard, where Lin Zhao was sparring with her brother Lin Tai.

Lin Tai was a burly man with bulging muscles, and his bronze skin seemed to conceal explosive power. He wasn't particularly talented in cultivation, with his spiritual power cultivation only at the third level of Qi Refining, but he possessed the strength of three thousand jin in body tempering. His family had a tradition of body cultivation, and his strength was no less than that of a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Lin Zhao moved with the agility of the wind, his body shimmering with a pale blue spiritual energy. He had been training his body to a strength of nearly a thousand jin, and this was the perfect opportunity to hone his skills.

The two brothers' figures intertwined, the yellow and blue light colliding to produce a dull sound, yet it was full of tacit understanding and exhilaration.

At other times, Lin Zhao would often stroll around the family's residence with Lin Xuan, Zhao Ziming, and Lin Qingluo.

Lin Xuan clearly intended to help Lin Qingluo integrate more quickly, always enthusiastically introducing her to the various clansmen. Lin Xuan genuinely hoped that this sister who had fought alongside her could stay.

Lin Xuan pointed to the distant, misty mountains and the rows of houses at the foot of the mountains, and explained, "Qingluo, look, besides us direct descendants of the Lin family, most of the people in that small town of ten thousand at the foot of the mountain are also descendants of my Lin family."

Therefore, the probability of someone with spiritual roots being born here is far higher than outside; one in a hundred people is born here. Most of these new talents join the Second Elder's lineage for cultivation. Of course, the family also accepts guest elders from other surnames, but it's difficult to obtain the core inheritance without the surname Lin. You are different; you are already surnamed Lin, so you can join directly without changing your surname.”

Lin Qinglu listened quietly, her eyes revealing a sense of belonging and longing.

Although she hadn't been in the cultivation world for long, she knew that being a rogue cultivator was tough. Joining a faction would make the cultivation path much smoother. Moreover, the matter of accepting members from other families was under the jurisdiction of Lin Xuan's grandfather. She and Lin Xuan were more like master and disciple than sisters.

On this day, they strolled down to the town at the foot of the mountain once again.

The town was still bustling. As they passed the huge banyan tree at the town entrance, Lin Xuan's eyes flashed with a sly light. He suddenly pointed to the forked branches high up and smiled at Zhao Ziming, "Ziming, do you remember? When you were little, you insisted on climbing trees like us, but you couldn't get down. I had to call for help to get you down."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ziming's ears immediately turned red. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "It's all old news, why bring it up! We were young then, who hasn't made mistakes?"

His embarrassment made Lin Zhao and Lin Qingluo burst into laughter.

In front of an old-fashioned jewelry shop, Zhao Ziming lingered for a long time, as was unusual. In the end, he carefully selected a translucent jade hairpin with delicate cloud patterns carved on the head.

He turned around, said nothing, and gently handed the hairpin to Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan was slightly taken aback, her fair cheeks instantly flushing red. She pursed her lips and silently accepted it.

When Lin Zhao got home, he saw that the jade hairpin was already inserted diagonally in Lin Xuan's ink-black hair, swaying gently with her steps, and shimmering with a warm luster in the sunlight.

Lin Zhao and Lin Qingluo exchanged a glance, both seeing understanding and a smile of blessing in each other's eyes.