30: Intelligence Update: Opportunities in the Ancient Cave

Lin Chengyuan had an undisguised sneer on his lips as he slowly paced over to the Lin Jingyu siblings.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone obliquely, lengthening his hunched shadow like a venomous snake waiting to devour someone.

He looked down condescendingly at the disheveled siblings before him, a surge of indescribable pleasure welling up in his heart.

It was as if he had drunk from an icy spring in the heat of midsummer; every pore exuded satisfaction.

Two ants at the Early Stage of Qi Refining who could be crushed at will should obediently prostrate themselves in the dust.

If he, Lin Chengyuan, wanted a house, they had to offer it up with both hands while kneeling.

Whomever he ordered to die should immediately slit their own throat.

Any disobedience must be paid for with a price more painful than death.

He stretched out a hand as withered as a chicken claw and patted Lin Jingyu's blood-stained shoulder heavily.

The force was not light, carrying a deliberate insult as if he were patting a lifeless object.

Yet, his face was piled with an extremely hypocritical "kindly" smile, and his voice was intentionally raised:

"Jingyu, as expected, it's still you who understands the big picture and is sensible."

"To ensure your own good life, you personally pushed your sister forward. This 'righteousness' is witnessed by the Elder Council."

He paused intentionally, his cloudy old eyes sweeping over Lin Jingxia's pale face, his malice almost solidifying.

"I believe that once Jingxia goes to the Liu Family... she will surely lead a good life... Hehe..."

That laughter was saturated with the pride of a victor and boundless mockery.

He deliberately twisted the facts, wanting to see the two of them doubt each other or even turn against one another.

Under his malicious gaze, Lin Jingxia's body couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Lin Jingyu suddenly raised his head.

Deep within those blood-stained eyes, there was no longer a heaven-burning rage, but a dead-water-like indifference.

It was as if he were looking at a filthy stone by the roadside.

His lips moved, spitting out two crystal-clear words that were tempered with ice shards:

"Old dog."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it was like a poisoned dagger, accurately piercing Lin Chengyuan's eardrums.

"You."

The fake smile on Lin Chengyuan's face instantly froze, as if he had been slapped hard.

A bone-chilling killing intent erupted with a "boom," almost solidifying.

He never would have imagined.

That this little beast, who had clearly knelt and yielded, would dare to insult him so publicly.

This was simply trampling his face as the Third Elder into the mud repeatedly.

If it weren't for the Grand Elder's gaze feeling like thorns on his back, he would have truly wanted to crush this wretch into meat paste with a single palm strike.

Lin Jingyu didn't spare him another glance.

As if he were merely a glob of nauseating air.

He carefully picked up his nearly exhausted sister, Lin Jingxia.

Her body was as light as a feather, yet it weighed heavily on his heart.

He straightened his back and, holding his sister, walked step by step toward the dim yellow sunset outside the ancestral hall.

His back was stained with blood, yet he stood upright like an unyielding pine in a snowstorm.

Lin Lingkuang gave Lin Chengyuan a fierce glare and silently followed the siblings.

The crowd in the ancestral hall, as if their souls had been drained, slowly dispersed with endless grief, indignation, and despair.

The cooking smoke and laughter of the past were gone; throughout the Lin family, intermittent, uncontrollable sobs and wails rang out.

Dark clouds of despair hung heavily over them.

Lin Jingyu carried his sister on the way home, the setting sun stretching their shadows long and staining them with the color of blood.

Just then.

Ripples like water appeared before his eyes without any warning.

That familiar translucent light screen instantly emerged.

[Information Triggered.]

Two cold words jumped out first.

Lin Jingyu's heart jolted; he suppressed his roiling blood and focused his gaze.

On the light screen, words appeared rapidly like flowing water—

[Current News and Future Intelligence Forecast: Lin Chengyuan's direct grandson, Lin Jingxie, has Three Spiritual Roots Aptitude and a Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivation.]

[Having served as a chore disciple in the outer sect of the Qinglan Sect for three years, his vision and methods far exceed those of ordinary Loose Cultivators.]

[After receiving the ancient cultivator's Immortal Cave map bestowed by Lin Chengyuan, he dared not delay for a moment and immediately set out in secret.]

[After a day of rapid travel, climbing dangerous peaks and evading several waves of Yao Beasts, he finally reached the place marked on the map.]

[Holding a token to open the entrance of the Immortal Cave, he went straight to the inner perimeter's guardian Formation.]

[As Lin Chengyuan expected, the Formation had been eroded by time, and its power was less than one-tenth of its original.]

[Through the thin Formation screen, the flowing light of treasures and swaying Spiritual Plants inside were clearly visible.]

[Lin Jingxie was unable to contain his wild joy. At any cost, he directly sacrificed two incomparably precious gang-breaking talismans.]

[The Talismans exploded. The Formation's spiritual light shook violently, emitting an overburdened wail.]

[The Formation screen was greatly weakened, leaving only a layer of spiritual light as thin as a cicada's wing.]

[He surged his entire body's spiritual power, which, like a bone-scraping steel knife, continuously hammered at the weak point.]

[Spending more than half a bottle of qi-restoring pills to replenish his spiritual power, it took a long time, but he finally ground the Formation down completely.]

[Stepping into the inner perimeter, he pocketed the Spirit Pills and rare Spiritual Plants.]

[Furthermore, on the stone platform at the core of the Immortal Cave, he discovered a warm Jade Slip.]

[When his Divine Sense probed it, it actually recorded an Ancient Legacy sufficient to make one a Tier 4 Alchemy Grandmaster.]

[As the information flooded into his mind, Lin Jingxie was momentarily breathless. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest.]

[A Tier 4 Alchemy Legacy. Its value is immeasurable.]

[Offering it to the Qinglan Sect would be enough to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill, or even the status of an Honorary Elder.]

[He trembled with wild joy, frantically stuffing all the treasures into his Storage Pouch.]

[Leaving the Immortal Cave, he didn't hesitate for a moment, nor did he think of returning to the Lin family.]

[His target was straight for the Qinglan Sect, intending to monopolize this immense Opportunity.]

[While passing through Three Wolf Mountain, he suddenly encountered two Late Stage Qi Refining Yao Beasts in a life-and-death struggle.]

[The terrifying aftermath of demonic power swept through like a tsunami. He had no way to avoid it.]

[In his haste, his protective Magical Artifacts shattered completely, and he was sent flying like a kite with a broken string.]

[His bones were shattered, his internal organs severely injured, and he was hanging on by only a single breath.]

[He forced himself to escape but eventually fainted in the wilderness due to his heavy injuries.]

[Fortunately, he was discovered by a hunter from the nearby Little Stone Village and dragged back to the village for treatment.]

[To hide his identity, he feigned amnesia.]

[The hunter was kind-hearted; not only did he do his best to treat him, but he also betrothed his only daughter to him.]

[After recuperating for over half a year, his injuries gradually healed. The moment he recovered his strength, his ferocious nature was fully revealed.]

[To completely cover his tracks and monopolize the Opportunity,]

[he actually struck out ruthlessly, turning Little Stone Village...]

[Men, women, old, and young. Not even a chicken or dog was left alive.]

[All were slaughtered to the last.]

[Even the hunter's daughter, who was already carrying his child and had cared for him for half a year...]

[was also pierced through the heart by his sword, her blood splattering on the spot...]

"Worse than a beast."

After Lin Jingyu finished reading the last line, a strong sense of nausea rushed to his throat.

Only these four words remained roaring in his mind.

He was ashamed to share the surname Lin with him!

That hunter not only saved his life but also gave him his daughter and treated him like his own son.

In return, the entire village was slaughtered, and even his pregnant wife was not spared.

Such evil deeds were simply devoid of conscience.

He truly was Lin Chengyuan's direct grandson; both were beasts with human faces.

For their own purposes, they didn't care at all about causing a massacre.

Lin Jingyu thought to himself: I must intervene in this matter as soon as possible to turn the tide and prevent the future tragedy from happening.