1: Chapter 1 Ascension Order

"Kill! Don't leave a single living soul, pull up the weeds and dig up the roots, leave no future troubles!"

Heishi City, the Li Family estate.

Shrill screams tore through the silence of the deep night, replaced by the muffled thuds of blades piercing flesh and frantic battle cries.

Crimson blood splattered everywhere, and countless severed limbs and broken bodies were scattered across the ground. Amidst the soaring flames, the entire Li Family felt like a living purgatory.

In the distance.

A youth in white clothes, around fifteen or sixteen years old, crawled out of a secret passage in a disheveled state.

"The Lin Family, the enmity of wiping out our clan is irreconcilable. If I, Li Changye, enter an immortal Sect, when I return after completing my cultivation, I will surely exterminate your entire Lin Family to comfort the spirits in heaven of the three hundred and sixty-eight members of my Li Family."

He looked back at the Li Family, engulfed in soaring flames and deafening battle cries, his eyes bloodshot, his body trembling violently from anger and fear.

"Fortunately, the immortal ascension token is still here!"

"With this immortal ascension token, I will definitely be able to enter Chiyun Valley. By then, as long as I successfully become a Cultivator, dealing with such vulgar Mortals will surely be effortless!"

"The Lin Family, Lin Hu, Lin Shen, you father and son, just you wait for me!"

Touching the immortal ascension token in his bosom, Li Changye kowtowed heavily three times toward the direction of the Li Family, swearing in his heart that he must take revenge.

However, just as he was about to get up, a sound of piercing through the air suddenly rang out!

Splat!

Blood splattered!

Under the moonlight, it appeared exceptionally beautiful and bewitching!

As it turned out, an arrow had already pierced deep into Li Changye's skull, and the immense force caused the arrow to still vibrate slightly.

"Just as I expected, the immortal ascension token is indeed in your hands!"

Dressed in a black robe, Lin Shen held a bow and arrow, strode forward, and searched the bosom of the deceased Li Changye, pulling out a token that seemed neither gold nor jade and a jade pendant.

On the front of the token, two ancient seal characters were engraved — "Immortal Ascension".

As for that jade pendant, it exuded a trace of profound aura. Holding it in the palm of his hand, Lin Shen instantly felt his spirits perk up.

It was definitely no ordinary treasure!

Lin Shen's heart stirred, and without leaving a trace, he tucked the jade pendant into his bosom.

"Hahaha, good, good, good! With this immortal ascension token, my son Lin Shen is bound to have the Aptitude of a Great Emperor!"

Loud laughter rang out, and not far away, Lin Hu, the head of the Lin Family, led a group of loyal retainers as they walked over.

Seeing that Lin Shen had already obtained the immortal ascension token from Li Changye, a gratified smile inevitably appeared on his face: "It's still my son who is cautious, planning ahead and finding out the location of this secret passage. Otherwise, that Li Changye really would have escaped!"

"Father!"

Hearing the voice, Lin Shen respectfully cupped his hands toward Lin Hu and asked: "Has everything been resolved? Are there any remaining fish that slipped through the net from the Li Family?"

"With me making a move, my son can rest assured. There are definitely no fish that slipped through the net in this Li Family. According to what you said, I even shook the egg yolks apart!"

Gazing at the Li Family reducing to ashes in the flames in the distance, a smile appeared at the corner of Lin Hu's mouth.

"Sigh, then I can rest easy!"

Lin Shen sighed and nodded: "However, for this immortal ascension token, to gamble on that ethereal and illusory immortal fate, is slaughtering the entire Li Family really worth it?"

This sentence seemed as if he were asking Lin Hu, yet also as if he were asking himself.

This wasn't because he was soft-hearted; mainly, he was afraid!

Afraid that once he lacked a Spiritual Root and Aptitude, everything would turn out to be a waste of effort.

Furthermore, once the reputation of wiping out someone's entire clan spread, coupled with having no background in Cultivators, his Lin Family might not necessarily be the next Li Family.

"Humph! Ignorant!"

Lin Hu let out a cold snort and rebuked Lin Shen: "Stop showing me women's benevolence. The Jianghu is full of killings everywhere. Either you kill me or I kill you. In this world, not fighting means death!

If I don't exterminate his Li Family today, if Li Changye truly steps into the immortal Sect in the future and becomes a Cultivator, the one exterminated in the future will definitely be my Lin Family!

What is more, what is everything your father is doing for? Isn't it for you? Isn't it to let you step into the immortal Sect?

Even if this immortal fate is ethereal and illusory, so what? If you don't fight, you can only be reduced to a Mortal for a lifetime. Fight! Only then will you have the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of the immortal path and become those high-and-mighty Cultivators!"

Saying this, Lin Hu glanced sideways at Lin Shen: "Stop putting on a false facade of benevolence here. Besides, didn't you kill this Li Changye? Now you're playing the cat crying over a mouse and pretending to be merciful?"

Lin Hu couldn't help shaking his head.

This son of his was good at everything, possessing strong skills at a young age and being sensible, but this mindset still needed shaping.

This inevitably gave him a bit of a headache.

The Jianghu was already like this; if he were to enter the even more perilous cultivation world, this trace of benevolence and righteousness would likely plunge Lin Shen into eternal damnation.

"Father's lesson is right!"

Lin Shen lowered his head without refuting.

Actually, he wasn't what Lin Hu thought; he was simply a very cautious person by nature.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically waited here based on intelligence to ambush Li Changye.

After all, his Lin Family had already made a move. Once the Li Family wasn't completely exterminated and living mouths were left behind, he wouldn't be able to sleep!

"Humph, as long as you understand!"

Lin Hu let out a cold snort and estimated the time, saying: "There is still half a month left. Half a month later is the assessment day of Chiyun Valley. With this immortal ascension token, as long as you have the Spiritual Root and Aptitude, you can be exempted from the assessment and directly enter the inner Sect, acquiring more resources and a better starting point from the very beginning than others entering the Sect at the same time!"

"To avoid any prolonged night leading to many dreams, let's set off overnight tonight and arrive at the Chiyun Valley Daoist grounds early. That way, no one will be able to snatch this immortal ascension token from your and my hands again!"

"However... before you participate in the assessment, I must lecture you a bit..."

Speaking of this, Lin Hu's tone paused slightly, and he admonished Lin Shen: "You must remember this: the cultivation world is ten thousand times more ruthless than the Mortal Jianghu. You must be ruthless to others, and even more ruthless to yourself.

Being cautious is a good thing, but this world is a competition of all things. If you do not fight or contend, you will only be mediocre for a lifetime, reduced to the corpses for others stepping onto the supreme immortal Dao.

Of course, it's not that I'm forcing you to fight and contend. You must have your own judgment. Under the condition of being able to guarantee your own safety, and under sufficiently large benefits, you must strike with all your might, endowed with the momentum of thunder!"

"Yes, Father! This child understands! If I am fortunate enough to step into the immortal Sect, I will surely strictly obey Father's teachings."

Lin Shen nodded earnestly, deeply engraving his father's teachings into his heart.

His mother died early, and his father was his only blood relative in this world. These words were definitely for his own good.

But!

He was naturally cautious; without sufficient benefits and rewards, he would absolutely not make a move.

Moreover, the cultivation world was incomparably perilous. All actions should be based on extreme caution, and once a move was made, it must be endowed with the force of a thunderbolt, never leaving any hidden troubles!

"Mhm, as long as you understand!"

Lin Hu nodded and said: "I have already arranged other matters long ago. Let's set off immediately to avoid any changes due to delay!"

"Father, wait!"

Just as Lin Hu mounted a tall steed and was about to lead his men and Lin Shen to the Chiyun Valley Daoist grounds, Lin Shen spoke up to stop Lin Hu.

"Oh? Is there any other problem?"

Lin Hu looked at Lin Shen with some doubt, inwardly thinking that he was somewhat reluctant to part with this hometown where he had lived for many years and wanted to linger a bit more.

Just as he was about to continue speaking to educate him, he only saw the bow and arrow in Lin Shen's hand draw like a full moon, three arrows firing simultaneously!

Puff, puff, puff!!!

Blossoms of blood splattered everywhere!

Amidst Lin Hu's astonished gaze, three of the subordinates he brought instantly collapsed!

"Father, strike!"

Lin Shen spoke in an ice-cold voice.

His figure moved rapidly, pulling the bow like a full moon, shooting arrows out quickly one after another.

Lin Hu truly lived up to being an old hand in the Jianghu. Even though there were doubts in his heart, he still quickly reacted, cooperating with Lin Shen to rapidly slaughter at close and long range.

Very quickly.

Amidst the puzzled, shocked, and panicked gazes of Lin Hu's group of subordinates, the party of more than twenty people was entirely resolved by Lin Shen and Lin Hu.

"Shen'er, why is this?"

Until everyone was killed, Lin Hu then asked in puzzlement.

Lin Shen pulled out a fire starter, and with a raging fire, directly burned Li Changye and this group of subordinates from his own Lin Family to ashes.

Looking at the monstrous flames, Lin Shen mounted a fast horse, the corners of his mouth curving slightly: "Father, you forgot, I am naturally cautious, and all actions are dominated by caution! This group of people knew that I obtained the immortal ascension token; who knows if they have hidden agents from other families? Who knows if they would grow greedy for the immortal ascension token? If they don't die, I can't sleep!"

"Furthermore, there are too many people, the target is too big, and it's easy to expose our location. It's better for this child to travel alone, while you stay in the Lin Family to hold down the overall situation."

"As long as you don't move, other forces and families or interested parties will not dare to be certain that my Lin Family has obtained the immortal ascension token. Only then can this child's journey be safer!"

As his voice fell, Lin Shen fiercely clamped his horse's legs, and his figure quickly disappeared into the dark night.

His name was Lin Shen, the Shen of caution.

Like this, although more people died, his own safety gained a few more points of guarantee.

"Good, good, good, as expected of my son, putting what you've learned into practice, thinking even more comprehensively than your old man. In this way, when we reach the cultivation world, Father can also rest easy!"

Gazing at Lin Shen's departing back, a trace of gratified smile inevitably appeared at the corner of Lin Hu's mouth.

"When my son goes on this trip, he shall be like a roc! Rising with the wind, soaring ninety thousand miles straight up!"