Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Qingxi Mountain, the ancestral home of the Lin family.

The mountain-protecting formation was operating at full capacity, and the hazy blue light curtain, like an inverted giant bowl, enveloped the entire Qingxi Mountain.

The seven second-tier Azure Origin Woods remained undamaged after the battle with the Silver Armored Rhinoceros King. They were arranged according to the Big Dipper constellation, continuously providing the formation with pure spiritual energy.

The Lin family's three clan-protecting formations are the "Azure Wood Profound Light Formation" for primary defense, the "Five Elements Heavenly Spirit Formation" for primary transformation, and the "Gathering Yuan Returning Formation" for primary energy convergence.

Now, with the addition of precious second-tier spirit wood and a near-second-tier spirit vein, the Lin family's protective mountain formation is even more powerful than before.

Outside the mountains, undercurrents surge.

The news that the Lin family had killed three second-tier demonic beasts spread like wildfire throughout Qingfeng Market.

At first, many people scoffed at it, thinking it was nonsense.

A second-tier demonic beast is comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator! How could a mere Lin family possess such strength?

But as more and more details began to emerge, especially the deployment of the Po Jun Demon Hunting Team and the appearance of materials for the Silver Armor Rhinoceros King.

The entire Qingfeng Market began to tremble, and even other markets were filled with the news that the Lin family had traveled thousands of miles to hunt down three Foundation Establishment level demonic beasts.

"Have you heard? The Lin family patriarch has already collected three second-tier demon cores!"

"Three pills?! What are they planning to do? Are they trying to exchange them for Foundation Establishment Pills?"

"Foundation Establishment! Is the Lin family about to produce a Foundation Establishment cultivator?!"

In Qingfengfang, everyone in the teahouses and taverns was discussing this topic.

Some marveled at the Lin family's forbearance and scheming, some envied their good fortune, and others had greed gleaming in their eyes.

In just a few days, all sorts of people appeared outside Qingxi Mountain.

The first to arrive were envoys from several smaller families. They brought generous gifts and spoke humbly, hoping to establish a good relationship with the Lin family.

Next came some experts from the independent cultivators, some of whom wanted to join them, while others simply wanted to see what this suddenly rising family was like.

The Lin family politely declined all visitors, citing their "seclusion in the mountains for cultivation" as the reason.

The protective array around the mountain remained tightly closed, refusing to open the gate for anyone who came.

Lin Zhao had no time to deal with these things. He returned to his previous cave and meditated for three whole days to restore his spiritual energy and condition. He had been seriously injured in the battle with the Azure-Eyed Ape.

Especially the forced use of "Four Elements Return to One" at the end consumed too much of his magical power.

If it weren't for the Lin family's abundant elixirs and his own relatively strong willpower, he would probably need a much longer period of recuperation.

Just as he felt his spirits improve slightly, a sound transmission talisman quietly passed through the courtyard's protective barrier and hovered in front of him, surrounded by familiar spiritual energy fluctuations belonging to his grandfather.

"Zhao'er, come to my cave immediately."

He dared not delay, straightened his robes, and immediately set off for his grandfather's hermitage in the back mountains.

Lin Xiaotian sat cross-legged on a futon, his face still pale from the fierce battle. His grandfather had been at the forefront of all three demon-hunting battles. As a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator, he had no one to replace him.

They persevered to the very end, but everyone in the Lin family paid the price with injuries.

"Grandfather," Lin Zhao said respectfully.

"Hmm, how are your injuries?" Lin Xiaotian gestured for him to sit on the futon opposite him.

"I'm fine now. I'll recover in a few more days," Lin Zhao replied, but in her heart she was wondering why her grandfather had summoned her.

Normally, families would have a unified system of rewards and punishments after a war. So, the fact that they are summoning you privately must mean something important is going on.

Grandfather nodded, and without much small talk, went straight to the point: "You performed very well this time. Not only did you excel in the battle, but the [Gengjin Sword Qi Talisman] also played a huge role. The family will not fail to reward those who have made contributions."

As he spoke, he flipped his hand, and a pure white jade box, exuding a faint chill, appeared in his palm.

The jade box is engraved with complex sealing runes, and it is a priceless treasure in itself.

With a flick of his fingertip, the runes vanished, and the box lid slid open silently.

In an instant, an indescribable rich medicinal fragrance filled the entire cave. Lin Zhao felt his spiritual energy involuntarily accelerate its circulation, and even felt a slight boiling sensation.

He looked closely and saw a pill the size of a longan lying quietly on the soft spiritual satin inside the jade box.

The pill was a chaotic color, with a misty aura circulating on its surface. Upon closer inspection, it seemed as if countless tiny vortexes of spiritual energy were being created and destroyed, making it extremely mysterious.

What's even more alarming is that there's a faint, almost solidified, three-colored halo above the pill!

"This is a Transcendent Realm Pill!" Lin Zhao gasped, his voice hoarse.

He had seen snippets about this pill in the secret records of his family's library. It was a legendary first-grade top-quality spiritual pill with incredible effects—any cultivator in the Qi Refining stage could break through a level of cultivation by taking it!

As for the tenth level of Qi Refining, there are other secrets involved. This pill is extremely rare, and even sect disciples rarely see it. It is a truly hard-to-find resource.

"That's right, it's the Transformation Realm Pill." Lin Xiaotian pushed the jade box towards Lin Zhao, his gaze serious. "Keep it safe and take it as soon as possible. With it, you can quickly break through to the eighth level of Qi Refining, saving you at least five to ten years of cultivation time."

Lin Zhao was deeply shocked and instinctively wanted to decline: "Grandfather, this pill is far too precious! Although I have made some contributions this time, I'm afraid I shouldn't accept such a generous reward..."

It wasn't that he didn't crave power, but the value of this pill was too great; it was clearly part of his family's accumulated wealth, which made him feel somewhat uneasy.

His grandfather raised his hand to interrupt him, a complex look flashing in his eyes: "This is not a regular family reward."

"This is the special reward I received for drawing five hundred Gengjin sword qi diagrams, and for personally petitioning the clan on your behalf."

A special reward? Lin Zhao keenly grasped the deeper meaning in his grandfather's words. He looked at his grandfather, his eyes filled with doubt.

A brief silence fell over the cave, with only the subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy emanating from the Transcendent Realm Pill.

"Whether the clan leader will succeed in his attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage is hard to predict." Lin Xiaotian's voice was heavy. "The path of cultivation is against the will of Heaven, and the Foundation Establishment stage is an even greater chasm. Even with the best preparations, eight or nine out of ten will still fail."

The grandfather looked at Lin Zhao and said, "The reason I asked the family for this Transcendent Realm Pill is to add another promising Foundation Establishment talent to the family. The sooner you break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining, the more time you will have to prepare for Foundation Establishment."

Grandfather's eyes suddenly sharpened. He leaned forward slightly, his voice low and almost cruel:

"Furthermore, to tell you the truth, the Lin family has almost exhausted its resources accumulated over hundreds of years for this Foundation Establishment attempt by the patriarch! If the patriarch fails to break through to Foundation Establishment..."

He paused, each word like an ice pick piercing his heart, "The Lin family will face annihilation! Those outsiders will never give us a second chance."