This martial saint is too cautious.

Chapter 369 Waiting Await (Please Read and Vote)

The sea of ​​clouds over Laoshan Mountain.

Lin Yan stood amidst the sea of ​​clouds, looking back at the Taiqing Palace that appeared and disappeared on the cloud peaks.

From this day forward, Taiqing Palace will have completely disappeared from the annals of history.

Even he, the one who inherited the Taiqing True Scripture, cannot be associated with the Taiqing Palace. On the contrary, he must sever all ties with the Taiqing Palace as completely as possible.

Prevention is better than cure!

"Senior Cui, this junior takes his leave!"

Lin Yan bowed deeply towards the direction of Taiqing Palace. This trip to Taiqing Palace was the greatest opportunity he had ever had since he embarked on the path of martial arts cultivation.

This opportunity was earned by Senior Cui and generations of martial artists from Taiqing Palace who risked their lives for it.

The martial artists in front of Taiqing Palace have all passed away, leaving only a clone, but Senior Cui truly gave his life for him.

Qingzhou Prefecture, South City.

Lin Yan fell from the sky, ten miles away from the city gate.

After entering the Dharma Aspect Realm, one can travel short distances without birds, relying on the continuous absorption of energy from heaven and earth to replenish the power of the Dharma Aspect and fly at a speed no less than that of birds.

For Lin Yan at his current level, the journey from Laoshan to Qingzhou would only take half a day.

Following the flow of people, they arrived once again outside the southern city of Qingzhou Prefecture, and a hint of disorientation appeared in Lin Yan's eyes.

Back when he was undergoing his third skin resurrection, he traveled from Dengzhou to Qingzhou in pursuit of martial arts.

For him at that time, the word "going far away" was indeed appropriate.

It was here that he met the brothers Lin Rong and Lin Wang.

Thinking of Lin Wang, Lin Yan shook his head slightly.

A quarter of an hour later, Lin Yan arrived at the city gate. He spent most of his time in the clan in Qingzhou Prefecture, and not many people in Qingzhou Prefecture knew him.

"The level has improved. When I came here, the city's guardian warriors were all at the second level of skin polishing, and there was only one person who was at the peak of the fourth level of skin polishing."

Lin Yan glanced at the warriors guarding the city and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

There are eight warriors guarding the city, two of whom are blood-changing warriors, and the remaining six have all undergone skin-sharpening three times.

Several years have passed, and the martial arts strength of Qingzhou Prefecture has also reached a new level.

What Lin Yan didn't expect was that these martial artists guarding the city didn't collect any entry fees from the people who came in.

If he remembered correctly, this city gate was guarded by Cui family warriors back then. Apart from these warriors, ordinary people, whether they were visiting relatives and friends or conducting trade, all had to pay an entry fee.

"Is Qingzhou Prefecture no longer charging fees?"

With doubts in his mind, Lin Yan directly asked one of the young martial artists guarding the city.

The young man was surveying the people entering the city when he was caught off guard by Lin Yan's sudden question.

Normally, many people who come to the city with the mindset of "it's better to avoid trouble" rarely talk to those who guard the city. He has been guarding the city for almost half a year, and he has exchanged no more than ten words with those who come to the city.

"Previously, the city gate was controlled by the Cui family, but now it is controlled by the Lin family. The Lin family has abolished the entrance fee, and not only the south city, but also the east and west cities no longer charge entrance fees."

Although the man was taken aback for a moment, he still answered Lin Yan's question.

"Understood."

Lin Yan nodded. It seemed that the Lin family was now in charge of Qingzhou.

Lin Yan wasn't surprised by this. As his strength increased, the Lin family's status would inevitably rise. But he didn't know how the clan treated the other three families.

Should we exterminate them completely, annex them outright, or drive them out of Qingzhou Prefecture?

"You're not members of the Lin family?"

"You jest, sir. If you were a member of the household, why would you be guarding the city gates?"

Lu Yi shook his head. The main family only had so many people, and they were all busy cultivating. The job of guarding the city gate was taken over by the family members who were originally affiliated with the Lin family.

"Thank you for clarifying my doubts."

Lin Yan smiled slightly at the man, asked no more questions, and strode towards the city.

Once Lin Yan's figure entered the city, another martial artist with three skin-sharpening skills standing next to Lu Yi spoke up, "Why are you saying so much to this person?"

"This person should also be a martial artist, but he may have been away from Qingzhou Prefecture for quite some time and is unaware of the changes in Qingzhou Prefecture. Since you asked, I will just answer casually."

"Having been gone for so long, could this person be related to the Cui family? Is he a remnant of the Cui family?"

"Brother Zheng, there aren't that many remnants of the Cui family. You're just too eager to make a name for yourself."

"That's not necessarily true. I'll go report to the captain."

"No need to report."

The middle-aged man who had been sitting on one side of the city gate walked over. He first glanced at Lu Yi, then at the man next to Lu Yi: "Tomorrow, you don't need to come to the city gate."

"Captain, what did I do wrong?"

"The master has a rule that those who guard the city gates must not have selfish motives or deliberately make things difficult for those entering the city. Your heart is not upright."

As soon as the middle-aged man finished speaking, the aura of the Blood Transformation Warrior was released, and the man's face turned pale instantly. He dared not argue any further.

"Lu Yi, you're quite good. I remember you've never been married."

"Captain, you know my family situation. All my money has gone into cultivation, so I don't have enough to get married. Besides—I'm thinking of cultivating for a few more years before considering marriage," Lu Yi replied with a shy smile.

"Indeed, a young martial artist like you should focus on your future in martial arts. However, you are of marriageable age. I have a niece who is about your age. If you are interested, I can act as matchmaker for you two."

Hearing his captain's words, Lu Yi was completely stunned.

The Chen family was one of the earliest martial arts families to follow the Lin family. As the Lin family became the overlord of Qingzhou, the status of the Chen family also rose. There were five True Gang martial artists in the family. And the captain's own niece—wasn't that the third young lady of the Chen family?

"Captain, I'm afraid I'm not good enough for your niece."

"What's this about being a good match or not? You've met my niece; she's not bad-looking, and she's virtuous too. A real man shouldn't hesitate like that. Just tell me if you're willing or not."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yi gritted his teeth and said, "I'm willing!"

"Alright, that's enough. After I finish my shift, I'll bring it up with my older brother. As for the betrothal gifts—"

As long as the proper etiquette is observed, that's fine.

Chen Gong patted Lu Yi on the shoulder, a look of satisfaction on his face.

If it were today—or before that person passed by just now—he wouldn't have thought of marrying his niece to Lu Yi.

Lu Yi is only twenty-four years old this year and has reached the third level of the Skin Polishing Realm. This strength can only be considered barely acceptable. However, the foundation of the Lu family is still lacking. If nothing unexpected happens, Lu Yi will only reach the Blood Exchange Realm in this lifetime.

But after that person walked by, especially after he said "thank you" to Lu Yi, Lu Yi's future in martial arts changed completely.

Lu Yi himself had no idea of ​​the distinguished status of the young man he had just spoken with.

Several years ago, during the Lin family's grand competition, the Chen family, as a subordinate family, also sent people to observe, and he was one of them.

He immediately etched that person's appearance into his mind.

Several years have passed, and although that person's appearance and temperament have changed slightly, Lu Yi still recognized her at a glance when she was talking to him.

You absolutely can't go wrong!

Especially when he was about to run over, a single glance from the other party made his blood and qi freeze instantly, a warning not to reveal his identity.

Besides that person, who else could do that?

Inside the city, Lin Yan's lips curled into a slight smile.

Every move that happened at the city gate was clearly perceived by him.

Because of his simple "thank you," a martial artist who had undergone three skin retouching sessions had his fate changed forever.

What is this?

Investment in the martial arts world is truly ubiquitous.

Why couldn't I have met a benefactor back then?

No, I've encountered that myself.

Lin Yan thought of the senior Situ he had met in Sanshan County and that innocent and kind girl.

Senior Situ was also a Dharma Aspect Realm expert. The only difference was that they met in the wilderness, and Senior Situ didn't think much of his swordsmanship.

If I were to meet Senior Situ again now and ask him, "Senior, what do you think of my talent in swordsmanship?" I wonder how Senior Situ would answer.

As he thought about it, Lin Yan chuckled to himself and shook his head slightly: "That's too petty of me. Senior Situ still did me a great favor."

The Lin Family Martial Arts Training Ground.

More than thirty young men and women lined up neatly, their previous pride completely gone.

Do you guys think you're something special?

"A blood transfusion at eighteen is rare in the Lin family's history, but I'm telling you, you're nothing but a nobody."

"The reason you were able to reach the Blood Transformation stage at eighteen is not because you have exceptional talent, but because the clan provided you with abundant resources. If I had had as many martial arts resources as you, I could have reached the True Qi Realm at eighteen, let alone the Blood Transformation stage."

"Passing the selection doesn't mean you can rest easy. Let me tell you, anyone who dares to become arrogant because of this, and whose cultivation level doesn't break through within a year, will have to go back to where they came from."

"You're not convinced? Since the clan has assigned me to teach you, it's up to me whether you stay or leave. No one can plead for you."

"Starting tomorrow, anyone who is late will be fired!"

Thirty young men and women were subjected to a barrage of insults for fifteen minutes before the young man finally turned and left.

"Why would the tribe send this person to teach us?"

"In terms of strength, Uncle Hai is not the strongest among his uncles and elders; he doesn't even rank in the top ten."

Only after the young man's figure disappeared did the boys and girls present speak, their words filled with speechlessness.

The selection process held by the clan this time selected the top thirty individuals from among hundreds of clan members of the same age and hundreds of martial arts families affiliated with the Lin family.

Being able to stand out means that their talent is among the strongest in the clan.

They weren't stupid; they knew the elders in the clan would try to intimidate them, but they wouldn't go so far as to completely denigrate them.

"Just bear with it, Uncle Hai's situation is different."

Seeing the resentful looks on the faces of several people, who probably wanted to complain to their elders when they returned to their own houses, a young man quickly spoke up: "Although Uncle Hai's strength is not considered very strong among the Ming generation of uncles, Uncle Hai's status is very special."

"Brother Zhengnan, you come from the third branch of the family, can you reveal more about yourself?"

"Yes, what's so special about Uncle Minghai?"

Hearing his companions' questions, Lin Zhengnan lowered his voice and said, "I can only tell you that when Uncle Lin Yan came to the clan, it was Uncle Minghai who was in charge of teaching him."

hiss!

Upon hearing this, the young men and women present all gasped in shock.

No wonder Uncle Minghai dared to say that; it turns out that Uncle Lin Yan was taught by Uncle Minghai back then!

The young men from the affiliated families gleamed with excitement upon hearing Lin Zhengnan's words.

"I understand. Uncle Hai must be comparing us to Uncle Lin Yan. What have we done to deserve this comparison?"

"Uncle Hai is strict with us, but it's actually for our own good."

The wind suddenly shifted, and the young men and women present stopped complaining. If Uncle Hai could teach Uncle Lin Yan back then, then teaching them would be more than enough.

Lake Heart Pavilion.

Lin Minghai took a big gulp of tea. He was getting old; he was thirsty after only a quarter of an hour of tea drinking. In his youth, he could drink tea for half an hour without any problem.

He had no choice; the clan had entrusted him with the task of raising these little guys.

"Besides spewing insults, what kind of teaching do I know? Lin Yan relied on himself back then, what does it have to do with me?"

Lin Minghai muttered to himself that he had been forced into this situation.

"Brother Hai is being modest; this isn't like you at all."

"I'm just being modest—"

Lin Minghai subconsciously replied, but halfway through his sentence, his gaze suddenly turned to the bridge. When he saw the figure appearing on the bridge, his eyes lit up: "Why are you back?"

"I'm also a member of the Lin family, can't I come back?"

"Not long ago, someone said you went to Laoshan. At that time, Uncle Qi said you would come back. Did you come back directly from Laoshan?"

"Yes, I didn't dare to stop for a moment. I came to see Brother Hai as soon as I got back."

Lin Yan also walked to the pavilion in the middle of the lake. Several years have passed—Hai Ge hasn't changed much; his mouth is still as sharp as ever.

"Stop teasing me, Hai-ge."

Lin Minghai curled his lips. Although he knew that Lin Yan was already a Dharma Aspect Realm expert, Lin Minghai's attitude towards Lin Yan was the same as always: "I've benefited from your influence. Now I'm in charge of teaching the most promising generation in the clan. I can't shirk it even if I wanted to. Seventh Uncle just said, 'You taught Lin Yan the same way back then. Can't you teach some juniors now?'"

"Seventh Uncle is right."

Lin Yan smiled and picked up the teapot on the table, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"Brother Hai, as long as you keep talking, those who can withstand the test and stay will definitely have a bright future."

"real?"

"At least when I encounter an opponent in the future, I won't lose my composure because of their verbal mockery."

Lin Minghai:

During this trip to the Hui community, Lin Yan did not make a big fuss. He only met with his seventh uncle, his master, and the elders of the Lin family, and also learned about the current situation of the Lin family.

The day after he entered the Dharma Aspect Realm and left his name on the Dharma Aspect Prodigy Ranking, He Jiqing, the Deputy Inspector of Shandong Province, led a team to Qingzhou Prefecture to congratulate the Lin family and present them with the commendation from the Shandong Inspectorate.

Less than a week later, the heads of the Zhou and Xue families took the initiative to visit the Lin family, expressing their willingness to respect the Lin family.

As for the Cui family—

The Lin family, together with the Zhou and Xue families, wiped out the Cui family.

The pattern of co-governance among the four major families of Qingzhou Prefecture, which had been maintained for hundreds of years, finally turned into the Lin family's sole dominance.

However, after the Lin family took control of Qingzhou, they did not amass wealth. On the contrary, they abolished the city entrance fee, cracked down on some gangs in the city, and set an ironclad rule that gangs must not harass ordinary people, and those who violated it would be killed without mercy.

The Lin family was well aware that gangs could not be eradicated.

There's a reason why all sorts of people exist. Not to mention the Lin family, even stronger forces can't do this. In fact, under the Lin family's ironclad rules, these gangs might find new ways to oppress the common people.

Peace and tranquility are merely ideals in the martial arts world where the strong are respected; they are impossible in reality. Otherwise, what would be the point of everyone practicing martial arts?

In Lin Yan's view, the Lin family has already done a good job.

Lin Yan stayed at the Lin family for five days, leaving behind some martial arts resources, mainly purple gold coins.

The Lin family already has no shortage of resources for the Skin Refining and Blood Exchange Realms, as they are now the overlords of Qingzhou. What they lack are cultivation resources for the True Qi Realm. With Purple Gold Coins, the Lin family can purchase these resources from other martial arts forces or directly from the imperial court.

However, before Lin Yan left, the Lin family elder gave him a brocade pouch.

"I don't even know if giving you this brocade pouch is the right thing to do."

Seeing Lin Yan's puzzled look, Lin Qingfeng smiled wryly and said, "The brocade pouch contains the last divination our ancestor performed before his death. He said that this divination was to be performed for a descendant of the Lin family who could refine the Dragon Elephant Heart, but our ancestor's divination technique—"

Lin Yan's lips twitched slightly upon hearing this. He had learned from the clan elders how powerful the Lin family ancestors' divination techniques were.

The ancestor gave predictions to many Dharma Aspect Realm cultivators, and they all managed to die peacefully. This wasn't because the predictions were accurate, but simply because their physical bodies were strong enough to prevent them from being killed.

The saying "Later generations do not speak of the faults of their ancestors" is enough to show how unreliable the ancestors' deductive methods were.

"I suggest you don't open this brocade pouch, lest it have an adverse effect."

Lin Qingfeng offered his advice: as a descendant of the Lin family, he naturally had to follow his ancestors' instructions. Since Lin Yan had broken through to the Dharma Aspect Realm, he should hand over the brocade pouch to Lin Yan.

Otherwise, it would be unfilial.

But our ancestors didn't say that descendants had to open it and look at it.

"it is good."

Lin Yan nodded and put the brocade pouch away. He was still somewhat curious about the Lin family's ancestors.

The fact that our ancestor was able to devise a strategy for the five branches of the family, disband the branches, and prevent the Lin family from dominating the market shows that he was a man of great vision.

Not to mention, our ancestors were also able to obtain the heart of the dragon and elephant.

Now that he has entered the Dharma Aspect Realm, Lin Yan finally understands what the Dragon and Elephant represent. The phrase "the eight most powerful mythical beasts in the Eight Desolations" is definitely not just an introduction.

The deduction was inaccurate; he wasn't killed purely because of his strong physical body.

It sounds light and joking, but this is probably just a facade of our ancestors.

After leaving Qingzhou, Lin Yan immediately opened the brocade pouch.

Inside was a jade slip.

Upon seeing the jade slip, Lin Yan focused his divine sense into it.

The next moment, Lin Yan saw a middle-aged man standing in the sky, with his back to him.

"The Six Lines divination can predict all things under heaven, and the Eight Characters can analyze all people in the world!"

A deep voice came from behind him, and the middle-aged man turned around, his eyes seemingly able to see through people's hearts.

"Young friend, I have been waiting for you for a long time."