84: Encourage homeowners

"But I..." Lin Lingshan gave a bitter smile, one filled with bitterness and self-deprecation, making his deeply wrinkled face look even older.

"Back then, my ambitions reached the heavens. I was blinded by the descriptions in the opening of the Immovable Wisdom King Art: 'Dual Cultivation of Law and Body', 'Invincible within the Same Realm', and 'Qi Refining Can Shake Foundation Establishment'.

As it happened, this Cultivation Technique suited me perfectly, so I disregarded everything else to switch my cultivation to it!"

He seemed to see his former self again—high-spirited and full of ambition, firmly believing that he could lead the Lin family to unprecedented glory with this technique, making the Lin name resound throughout the Southeast!

"The Immovable Wisdom King Art is truly extraordinary."

A faint but exceptionally persistent light erupted in Lin Lingshan's eyes; it was a thirst for power that had not completely extinguished even now.

"It is a true dual Cultivation Technique for law and body. Once mastered, one is nearly invincible among those of the same Realm!

Furthermore, while still in the Qi Refining Stage... one can forge the Immovable Wisdom King Body!

The strength of the Physical Body, the toughness of the muscles and bones, and the abundance of blood and Qi are enough to... rival a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!"

Upon hearing this, even Lin Jingyu could not help but feel his breathing quicken slightly.

A Qi Refining Cultivator slaying a Foundation Establishment one!

The temptation was too great!

Great enough to drive any ambitious Cultivator who refused to be mediocre into a frenzy—enough to make one gamble everything for a chance at a future!

"I originally thought that by relying on this technique, I could certainly bring pride to my Lin family, gain a firm foothold in this Southeast Market Town, and even... go a step further..."

His voice lowered, carrying endless bitterness and an indescribable weight:

"But who would have thought... the Bottleneck of the Qi Refining Seventh Layer would be like a heavenly chasm to me! A full fifteen years! Fifteen years of time wasted, stuck firmly at the Peak of the Qi Refining Sixth Layer... unable to progress an inch!

No matter how I charged at it or how I tried to gain enlightenment, that invisible barrier remained indestructible!"

"Although my combat power far exceeds those of the same Realm thanks to this technique—even allowing me to fight two at once without falling behind—when facing a true Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivator..."

He shook his head, his face full of helplessness and a deep sense of powerlessness. "In the end, I can only barely hold my ground, unable to win... That one step of difference is like the distance between clouds and mud..."

The pain of seeing hope but never being able to reach it tormented him day and night.

At this moment, where was even a shred of his dignity as the Family Head?

He looked more like a middle-aged man crushed by reality, rambling about his failures and regrets, his body covered in the deep scars left by time and setbacks—weary and old.

Lin Jingyu listened quietly without interrupting.

He watched the Family Head before him intently.

But within Lin Jingyu's heart, stormy waves had already surged! This Immovable Wisdom King Art was truly perverted.

The Family Head's near-death state from last night was still fresh in his mind.

Covered in blood, his breath faint, his chest caved in, and fragments of internal organs mixing with blood spilling from the corners of his mouth—everyone thought he wouldn't survive the night.

But how many hours had passed since then?

He could actually struggle to sit up and recount the past so clearly and logically!

Though his voice was hoarse and his breath unstable, this terrifying recovery power was simply inhuman!

To what frightening degree did this technique temper and nourish the Physical Body?

This kind of recovery ability could not be described by the word 'powerful' alone!

"Watching the Lin family decline day by day, with clan resources becoming increasingly scarce and the younger generation lacking outstanding talent... It's all me... it's all my fault..."

Lin Lingshan's voice carried a sob-like self-reproach, every word seemingly soaked in bitter water.

"That's why I gritted my teeth and, ignoring everyone's advice, entered Death Seclusion! I had only one thought in my mind..."

A final flash of resolute, sharp light suddenly burst from his cloudy eyes, like the blade of a dying man's last stand—sharp and tragic:

"Either... break through the seclusion and step into the seventh layer, using combat power comparable to the eighth or even ninth layer of Qi Refining to restore the Lin family's prestige!

Or... die in the cultivation room! That would at least be an accounting to the ancestors, not betraying this Bloodline!"

"But who could have imagined..." That flash of sharp light was instantly swallowed by overwhelming resentment and anger. He spoke through gritted teeth, every word squeezed out from between them, carrying bone-deep hatred.

"At the final moment... to fail! To be interrupted by that despicable Devil Head's sneak attack! Not only is there no hope of breaking through the Realm... even... even the Foundation I painstakingly cultivated for decades is destroyed!

My spiritual power is dissipated, and my Meridians are shattered. I've completely become... a useless person!"

He suddenly clenched his fist, his nails sinking deep into his palm, oblivious to the blood seeping out.

He looked up, his gaze falling on Lin Jingyu's young and determined face. In that look, there was expectation for the younger generation, hatred for his own incompetence, and a bottomless guilt.

This child had stepped forward and dared to contend with the Elders, yet he, the Family Head, had lost even the ability to protect him... He tremblingly reached out his uninjured hand, seemingly wanting to pat the youth's shoulder to give a tiny bit of comfort.

In the end, due to the sharp pain in his body and the powerlessness in his heart, it dropped dejectedly, landing heavily on the cold edge of the bed.

Lin Jingyu keenly captured the heavy guilt in the Family Head's eyes that was almost crushing him.

Without hesitation, he reached out both hands and firmly grasped Lin Lingshan's cold hand, which was covered in calluses and scars!

The palm was broad but weak, conveying the owner's frailty and despair.

"Family Head!" Lin Jingyu's voice was decisive, carrying an unquestionable certainty and a soaring fighting spirit, like sunlight breaking through the gloom.

"You were not wrong! Not in the least!"

His eyes blazed as he looked directly into Lin Lingshan's vacant eyes, as if wanting to inject his own conviction into them:

"If not for that despicable Devil Head's sneak attack at the critical moment of your breakthrough last night, with the deep Foundation you accumulated during your seclusion, breaking into the Qi Refining Seventh Layer would have been a natural progression!

At that time, which of the ghosts and monsters in the Lin family would have dared to act up? The atmosphere of dejection would have surely been swept away! The Lin family would have certainly welcomed a new life!"

His words were powerful and resonant, filled with firm belief in the future.

Then he changed his tone, becoming even more fervent, with an excitement like discovering a new continent:

"Moreover, Family Head, haven't you noticed?

The miraculous nature of the Immovable Wisdom King Art you Cultivate goes far beyond the offensive power you mentioned."

Lin Jingyu leaned forward slightly, his voice carrying the excitement of knowing a secret, his sharp gaze sweeping over the wounds on Lin Lingshan's body that had already begun to scab over:

"How tragic were your injuries last night? Covered in blood, internal organs damaged, your breath as weak as a candle in the wind. Many people, including myself, thought you... But how many hours have passed? Look, the claw mark on your shoulder that was deep enough to see the bone has already begun to close up!

You can even talk to me so clearly and recount the past. This recovery speed is simply unheard of! It far exceeds the effects of ordinary healing Medicinal Pills!"

He paused, delivering his conclusion with a voice that rang out, every word filled with power:

"Family Head! Injuries that in others' eyes would be enough to cripple one's cultivation and endanger their life might, for you, only be 'minor injuries' that need time to recuperate!

Even if your Qi Refining Realm is temporarily damaged and your spiritual power has dissipated, so what?"