18: Lin Chengyuan's Opportunity

Deep within the ancestral hall, it was quiet and solemn.

Several specially designed cultivation rooms were embedded within the thick stone walls, where dense Spiritual Qi flowed slowly; these were the exclusive Forbidden Ground for the Family Elders and a very small number of exceptionally talented Disciples.

In one of these rooms, the Third Elder, Lin Chengyuan, sat cross-legged.

His complexion was sallow like gold paper, devoid of any color, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat that snaked down his deep wrinkles.

The aura around his body was like a flickering candle in a gale, fluctuating violently; it would occasionally struggle to reach the threshold of the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, only to plummet sharply, nearly dissipating entirely.

Every deep breath tugged at the tearing pain deep within his lungs and viscera; this was the agony brought on by forcibly suppressing the backlash of his spiritual power.

"Pfft—!" Unable to hold it back any longer, a mouthful of thick, black stagnant blood sprayed out, splattering onto the cold bluestone floor like blooming flowers of despair.

With the ejection of this blood, his forcibly maintained aura instantly withered, and his whole body seemed as if its spine had been drained away, leaving him gasping violently.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with lingering fear and shock.

He let out a long, trembling breath of turbid air that carried a heavy scent of blood, his chest heaving violently.

That world-destroying phantom of the Dragon giant sword, that terrifying scene where two Qi Refining Mid-Stage Cultivators were completely erased without a sound, was like the deepest nightmare, branded firmly into the depths of his Divine Soul!

At that moment, he truly felt the insignificance and helplessness of an ant facing the vast sky.

What Elder authority, what Qi Refining Fifth Layer Cultivator, what schemes and calculations—in the face of that power, which was as glorious and majestic as heaven's might, they all became laughable dust!

The fear that penetrated his marrow almost destroyed his Dao Heart.

To have survived was already an immense stroke of luck!

He examined himself and discovered that the tremors in his internal organs and Meridians did not come directly from the lingering power of that talisman treasure.

The true injury stemmed from when he had been completely terrified by that supreme might; he had only focused on burning his Origin blood to flee for his life, and had completely forgotten to timely deactivate the "Blood Burning Secret Technique" he had forcibly activated!

His Origin essence blood was excessively consumed, and his Foundation was damaged! Without three to five months of careful recuperation and nourishment from Medicinal Pills, there was no hope of recovering as before.

This price was heavy, but compared to the two from the Black Wind Stockade who had been turned into nothingness, it was the greatest of fortunes.

As his breathing steadied slightly, the aftershocks of his lingering fear still surged within his body.

With trembling, withered fingers, he carefully took out a bright yellow messaging Talisman from the Storage Pouch in his bosom.

He gathered a trace of weak but stable spiritual power at his fingertips and carefully injected it into the Talisman.

The Talisman instantly lit up with a faint glow, turning into a swift line of fire that pierced through the Restriction of the cultivation room's door with a "whoosh" sound, disappearing outside.

About a quarter of an hour later, steady footsteps were heard outside the cultivation room.

The stone door slid open silently, and an exceptionally burly youth walked in.

His complexion was slightly dark, like bronze weathered by long exposure to the elements, and his tight outfit outlined his lean and capable physique.

When his eyes opened and closed, a refined light was contained within, yet it also held a hint of sharpness.

He was Lin Chengyuan's most promising grandson—Lin Jingxie.

"Grandfather." Lin Jingxie's voice was low and powerful; he bowed respectfully.

His gaze swept quickly across the room, instantly catching the glaring pool of black blood on the ground, as well as the undisguisable weakness and lingering terror on his grandfather's face.

His brows furrowed imperceptibly, and he was filled with shock and suspicion; with his grandfather's Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivation and cautious nature, how could he have been injured so severely?

Lin Chengyuan looked at his grandson, who stood tall like a pine, and managed to squeeze a look of sincere gratification onto his sallow face.

Lin Jingxie was the greatest hope of his lineage!

His Three Spiritual Root talent was already top-tier among the younger generation of the Lin Family, and at thirteen, he had even been sent to the Qinglan Sect to participate in the selection process, regardless of the cost.

Although he ultimately stopped as a Utility Disciple and failed to be promoted to the outer sect, those five years of struggling at the very bottom of the immortal sect had greatly tempered his Heart-Nature, solidified his Foundation, and his vision was far beyond that of his peers in the Family.

Now twenty-three, he had already steadily stepped into the Qi Refining Fourth Layer; this progress was exceptional in the Lin Family.

A raging fire burned in Lin Chengyuan's heart; if he could seize that secret place and use it to nourish Jingxie... the Late Stage Qi Refining would be just around the corner!

Perhaps... he could even impact the Qi Refining Perfection and catch a glimpse of the mysterious door to the unattainable Foundation Establishment Realm!

This would be the Foundation for their branch to completely rise! Thinking of this, a morbid excitement diluted his fear, causing an unnatural flush to appear on his gray, defeated face.

"Jingxie," he began, his voice hoarse and dry, yet carrying an unquestionable, almost fanatical determination, "I summoned you here today because there is a massive Opportunity concerning your Dao path and the future of our lineage that I wish to entrust to you!"

Lin Jingxie's heart jumped, and he held his breath, straightening his back even more, looking at his grandfather with burning eyes.

To be able to make his severely injured grandfather so serious, it was definitely not ordinary!

Lin Chengyuan took a deep breath, as if using up all his strength, and took out a palm-sized, worn, and frayed animal skin scroll from his inner pocket.

The animal skin was ancient, exuding an aura of the vicissitudes of time.

"This item," he slowly unfolded the animal skin, revealing a terrain map drawn with dark red pigment, featuring ancient and strange lines and a conspicuous mark: "is a map to an ancient Cultivator's Immortal Cave! Its owner... was at least a powerful Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage!"

"Foundation Establishment Immortal Cave?" These four words exploded in Lin Jingxie's mind like a thunderclap!

He lifted his head abruptly, his pupils suddenly contracting to the size of needle points, his heart instantly seized by a wild greed and ambition, pounding crazily, almost about to burst out of his chest!

A Foundation Establishment powerhouse!

Within a hundred miles of the Southeast Market Town, they were true giants.

They could stir up wind and rain with a wave of their hand.

A single word could wipe out a small Family like the Ye Family.

What did their Immortal Cave mean? Cultivation Technique? Medicinal Pill? Magic Treasure? Legacy!

An Opportunity sufficient to change the fate of his entire life! The massive shock made his mouth dry, his breathing became uncontrollably heavy and rapid, and a surge of heat rushed straight to the top of his head.

Lin Chengyuan took in the flames of ambition that were almost bursting forth from his grandson's eyes, and his satisfaction grew even greater.

He twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a complex smile mixed with memories, greed, and regret:

"This map, Grandfather... hmm, obtained it by luck in a desperate situation after accidentally falling off a cliff back in the day."

"At that time, Grandfather was nothing but a piece of trash at the first layer of Qi Refining, constantly receiving cold shoulders in the Family."

His tone was filled with sighs, yet also contained an undercurrent of pride, "It was precisely by relying on the few bottles of lost Medicinal Pills found in the outer perimeter of that Immortal Cave that I was able to undergo a rebirth and step by step reach today's Realm!"

He paused, the greed in his eyes intensifying, yet revealing a deep sense of helplessness:

"Unfortunately, the inner perimeter of that Immortal Cave is guarded by a powerful Formation. Grandfather's cultivation was shallow back then, and after many subsequent attempts, I was ruthlessly blocked outside by the power of that Formation, unable to enter! I have guarded a treasure mountain in vain and harbored regrets for many years!"