636: The defense breaks through, and the wind and fire are boundless (the two-in-one has been updated)

The Spirit Beast Grand Assembly was also a grand event Lin Shiming had long wanted to host.

Lin Shiming naturally wouldn't forget how the Lin Family had risen over the years.

Among them were his efforts, as well as the rise of the Lin Family's Spirit Beast methods and Sword Cultivators.

The prosperity of a Family cannot rely on just one person.

Normally, the Lin Family only held Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Talisman Refining Grand Assemblies.

Instead, the most important Spirit Beasts were overlooked.

This wasn't to say the Lin Family's previous path was wrong; rather, at that time, the Lin Family was developing rapidly and urgently needed a large number of High Grade Alchemists and High Grade Artifact Refiners.

Now, the Lin Family's emphasis on Spirit Puppets, Wood Puppets, Formations, and Spirit Plants has all increased, so naturally, the art of Beast Taming, a cultivation skill, must also be elevated.

However, the Lin Family had too many Spirit Beasts, and focusing on all of them was somewhat unrealistic.

But for Spirit Snake and Spirit Flood Dragon types, it was different; the Lin Family could utilize these Spirit Snakes and half-Flood Dragons to create more Flood Dragons.

The Lin Family was currently only a Spirit Snake Family, but the high-level Cultivators of the Lin Family all knew that the Lin Family would eventually become a Flood Dragon Family.

However, this concept had not been popularized due to the intentions of Nine Dragon Island and the Sea Demon Royal Court.

In the past, the Lin Family relied on Cultivators arranged by the Family to select and examine talented Spirit Snakes, and it had to be done secretly. This undoubtedly ensured secrecy, but sometimes, the strength and potential of the Spirit Beasts could not be fully discerned.

After all, many Lin Family members would hide things.

Lin Shiming had also done this when he was young; it was completely normal. The Family and an individual cannot be conflated.

Moreover, Lin Shiming's System prompts would also follow what was most beneficial to Lin Shiming. One or two Spirit Snakes that could transform into Flood Dragons were simply not worth noting now.

"Good, I'll go take care of it now," Lin Yanjiao nodded.

"Zewen, regarding Yanqing, you also need to keep a close eye on him!" Lin Shiming reminded Lin Zewen again.

Lin Yanqing was Lin Zewen's son; Lin Shiming had known this even before Tengmu Island.

And Lin Yanqing had indeed performed well, but controlling the Tengmu Island branch was vastly different from controlling the entire Lin Family. The pressure and factors to consider would change significantly.

So Lin Shiming had to make it clear to Lin Zewen in advance.

If Lin Yanqing was not suitable, the Lin Family would decisively replace the Family Head.

On this point, Lin Shiming, Lin Xianzhi, Lin Shijie, and others were all qualified.

"Seventh Grand Uncle, news has come from the Eastern Domain that Second Grand Uncle is about to Break through!" Just then, a Yan Generation Cultivator walked out, looking somewhat joyful as he spoke to Lin Shiming.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shiming was instantly overjoyed.

Lin Houshou was Cultivating in the Yin-Yang Secret Realm in the Eastern Domain, where the chaotic Buddhist and Demonic Qi was more conducive to his Cultivation.

At the same time, he could also monitor the evolution of the ancient Demonic Qi.

For the Lin Family, it was a win-win situation.

And as it turned out, it was indeed so. Now, it was clear that Lin Houshou had completed all preparations and, after more than twenty years, began his secluded Breakthrough.

As the Cultivator with the highest Realm in the Lin Family, Lin Shiming naturally had to go to the Eastern Domain to act as his Protector.

"Zewen, go make the arrangements now. If any Cultivators in the Family here Break through, remind me at any time," Lin Shiming walked out of the Council Great Hall and headed towards the Teleportation Array to the Eastern Domain.

As the Teleportation concluded, Lin Shiming arrived at the Sinking Iron Cave, where the Yin-Yang Secret Realm was located.

The Sinking Iron Cave was now replanted with nether dark iron wood, though these Spirit Woods were only decades-old saplings.

Aside from the Sinking Iron Wood, this place had become a corpse cave. Cultivators of the Lin Family who practiced various corpse arts and blood Cultivation Techniques were gathered here.

The leader among them was naturally Lin Shimo.

At this moment, two opposing clouds of Spiritual Qi began to appear in the gloomy sky.

These two Spiritual Qi clouds continuously intertwined in the air, finally merging into a dazzling Lingxia (Spiritual Haze) that almost covered the entire Sinking Iron Cave.

At this moment, all Cultivators had retreated, and the Formation of the Sinking Iron Cave was activated to its extreme.

"Fourth Brother," Lin Shiming spoke to Lin Shimo.

The latter's expression was not particularly good at this moment.

"Shiming, can Second Uncle succeed?" Lin Shimo was also a bit conflicted at this moment.

While Dual Cultivation of Buddhism and Demonism was powerful, the most difficult part was the Lightning Tribulation, which was even more terrifying than Lin Shimo's own Lightning Tribulation, so he had no confidence.

But Lin Shiming, as the Family Head, naturally smiled and nodded.

"He will!"

Lin Shiming firmly believed in his heart and also began to pray.

The Lingxia (Spiritual Haze) clouds grew larger and larger, and the Lin Family's Teleportation Array continuously hummed.

Several figures of Cultivators appeared in the distance: Lin Houxuan of the Hou Generation, Lin Houwei of the Hou Generation, and Lin Houfei of the Hou Generation, all appeared here.

The few remaining Lin Family Hou Generation members were all present at this moment.

Lin Houwei currently had the highest Cultivation, at the Peak of the Mid Purple Mansion Realm, not far from the Purple Mansion Late Stage, while Lin Houfei and Lin Houxuan were both in the Early Violet Palace Stage.

The former was a Fourth-tier Artifact Refiner, and the latter was a Fourth-tier Alchemist.

Besides these four, many other Lin Family Cultivators who were not in secluded cultivation also came to act as Protectors for Lin Houshou.

Even the cold young man transformed from the Ice Bird walked out of the Teleportation Array.

A strong chill still emanated from his body at this moment.

Evidently, he had not fully mastered this secret technique and spiritual might shortly after Breaking through to the Golden Core, as he couldn't control his spiritual aura freely.

But for a Yao Beast, reaching the level of the Ice Bird Yao Emperor was already sufficient.

After all, Yao Beasts were much stronger in terms of Physical Body, but in terms of intelligence and Comprehension Ability, they were far inferior to Cultivators.

Moreover, the Ice Bird's extreme cold talent was extremely strong. After he Broke through to become a Yao King, even if he fought against the Red-haired Demon Monkey, it was uncertain who would win.

One must know that the Red-haired Demon Monkey had already advanced to a Dragon Ape and had Broke through earlier, with strength far beyond what ordinary Spirit Apes could compare to.

Boom!

As the few of them hesitated, the clouds in the sky had begun to contract, rolling inward instead of outward. This was a sign that the Lightning Tribulation was about to begin.

And at this moment, Lin Houshou's body actually manifested a Spirit Shadow.

This Spirit Shadow landed in the air, clearly an enlarged version of Lin Houshou. In the middle of the Spirit Shadow, a Golden Core was beginning to condense.

However, this Golden Core was different from ordinary Golden Cores. It was black and gold in color and was constantly rotating in reverse.

It was much more special than the Lin Family's sword core.

Half of this Golden Core was condensed from the Demonic Technique, the Blood Demon Body Tempering Technique, and the other half was refined from Lin Houshou's Buddhist Cultivation Technique, the Radiant King Golden Body Scripture.

Lin Shiming felt a bit strange about the mixture of the two at this moment.

Boom!

As the Golden Core completely condensed, it finally settled into black and gold colors. The Golden Core was also the size of a High Grade Golden Core, with a layer of mysterious spiritual mist rising from it.

In an instant, layers of Spirit Shadows began to appear in the sky.

This scene of Spirit Shadows instantly filled Lin Shiming with extreme surprise.

On one side, there were layers of Buddha shadows, one after another, appearing like a majestic scene of Five Buddhas suppressing the Nascent Soul, exceptionally spectacular.

And on the other side, it was the exact opposite. Terrifying demons appeared, one after another. They had green faces and fangs, their mouths open incredibly wide, like evil spirits devouring the sky, constantly sucking, roaring, and howling.

The two sides confronted each other in the sky.

And in the sky, it also began to transform into a Lightning Tribulation.

However, the Lightning Tribulation was not an ordinary Lightning Tribulation, but the Boundless Wind-Fire Lightning Tribulation, with Cold Wind (Yin Wind), Heavenly Fire, and rolling black clouds.

This kind of Lightning Tribulation usually only belonged to extremely wicked Cultivators, and it was encountered during a Nascent Soul Lightning Tribulation. For Lin Houshou to encounter it now, it was unknown whether it was fortunate or unfortunate.

But at this moment, Lin Houshou's face showed little joy or sorrow. He put away his Golden Core, and the Spirit Shadows in the sky were all absorbed into the Golden Core.

A massive aura instantly spread out.

Clearly, as long as Lin Houshou passed the Lightning Tribulation, he would be a true Golden Core Cultivator.

But even so, Lin Shiming, watching from the side, was still a little nervous. After all, this was the Boundless Wind-Fire Lightning Tribulation.

The Lin Family's Nine-Layered Thunder Pagoda Formation was arranged by Lin Houshou, so the Sinking Iron Cave also had such a Formation. However, the Nine-Layered Thunder Pagoda Formation primarily countered the Nine Heavens Lightning Tribulation and did not have much certainty against the Boundless Wind-Fire Lightning Tribulation.

After all, Lin Houshou had not expected that this Lightning Tribulation would appear as soon as he Broke through to the Golden Core.

Flames floated in the sky. These Spirit Fires were not ordinary fires, but Heavenly Fire.

The Fire of Punishment.

With a roar, the lightning between the dark clouds and the massive Heavenly Fire simultaneously struck towards Lin Houshou.

This bolt of lightning was a killing move.

Fortunately, the Nine-Layered Thunder Pagoda Formation was activated to its extreme, forming a Spirit Shadow of a thunder pagoda that collided with the heavenly lightning, instantly transforming into a surging lightning net.

And that Heavenly Fire chased after Lin Houshou.

No matter what methods or Minor Divine Ability the latter used, they were ineffective.

The Heavenly Fire seemed capable of incinerating everything. Finally, Lin Houshou, in desperation, transformed into a golden Buddha body, which was precisely the Radiant King Golden Body from the Radiant King Golden Body Scripture.

However, this scene still caused worry in the eyes of others.

The Heavenly Fire was still burning, and instead, the Golden Body seemed to be on the verge of being burned out.

But, in the end, he withstood the first Boundless Wind-Fire Lightning Tribulation.

And after the Heavenly Fire, whether it was an illusion or something else, Lin Shiming found that Lin Houshou's Golden Body had become much stronger.

Moreover, he noticed that this Golden Body was also different, as other Buddha bodies were all shimmering with golden light, a vibrant display.

But he discovered that on this Golden Body, there were also some Spirit Runes that absorbed special Magical Artifacts.

These Spirit Runes were usually hard to notice, as the Golden Body itself was dazzling.

But after being burned by the Heavenly Fire, they became exceptionally clear. It seemed these demonic patterns feared the Heavenly Fire even more, and streaks of colorful Spirit Light also emerged.

The Buddha body Lin Houshou displayed was a Dual Buddha Body of Buddha and Demon.

However, before he could prepare much, the Lightning Tribulation in the sky descended once more.

At the same time, a Cold Wind (Yin Wind) began to blow in the sky. The Boundless Wind-Fire Grand Formation naturally also had this Cold Wind (Yin Wind). This Cold Wind (Yin Wind) harmed the Divine Soul. For Cultivators, it was not much in normal times, but during a Lightning Tribulation, it was exceptionally fatal.

And this time, the Nine-Layered Thunder Pagoda Formation was unable to completely dissipate the second bolt of Lightning Tribulation.

Along with the Cold Wind (Yin Wind), it struck Lin Houshou.

Lin Houshou still transformed into the Radiant King Golden Body, his entire body of Spirit Runes instantly appearing more vivid and lifelike, so even the Cold Wind (Yin Wind), Heavenly Fire, and Lightning Tribulation were blocked.

Lin Shiming's worry instantly lessened.

After all, the Radiant King Golden Body was visibly improving.

It was as if this Lightning Tribulation was merely nourishment.

After enduring five bolts of Cold Wind (Yin Wind) and Heavenly Fire, the final one arrived.

Lin Houshou's Lightning Tribulation was barely a High Grade Golden Core, so in a sense, it also belonged to a Sixth-tier Lightning Tribulation.

It just had the addition of Heavenly Fire and Cold Wind (Yin Wind).

At this moment, Lin Houshou was spitting blood all over his body, but the more this happened, the more madness appeared on his face.

Numerous cracks began to appear on the massive Golden Body.

The last bolt of Lightning Tribulation in the sky also descended.

At the same time, Lin Houshou activated the Nine-Layered Thunder Pagoda Formation and took out a thunder blade, clashing with the heavenly lightning.

The thunder pagoda instantly shattered, its Formation patterns completely destroyed, and the thunder blade was also sent flying.

This was a specialized Undergoing Tribulation Magic Treasure, but it clearly didn't have much use.

Lin Houshou took out other lightning-attributed Magic Treasures. Clearly, Lin Houshou had prepared a lot, and at the same time, he began to consume a large amount of Spirit Medicine.

The previous several Lightning Tribulations had not only severely injured him but also depleted much of his spiritual power.

Lin Houshou's body was directly sent flying, but he also relied on the weakened power of the Lightning Tribulation. Lin Shiming finally withstood the Lightning Tribulation, but as the thunderclouds dissipated, there was no Lightning Tribulation Pool in the air to heal his injuries.

This left Lin Shiming extremely puzzled, but he received no answer.

At the same time, a layer of gray mist began to shroud Lin Houshou's mind.

"Heart Demon Tribulation!" Lin Houshou instantly murmured.

He hadn't expected his Heart Demon Tribulation to come after the mortal Lightning Tribulation... Beside a tiled house in the mountains, a female Cultivator in a sky-blue Dharma robe continuously studied a Spirit Plate.

Across from the female Cultivator was a child in his teens.

The child also studied the Formation Plate, but there was little Spirit Light in his eyes.

The child was not attentive.

"Mother, why must we learn Formations and not Alchemy or Artifact Refining?"

"In this world, there will always be people who draw their swords in the sky, and there will always be people who need to watch and applaud," the female Cultivator answered unhurriedly, neither saying that Formations were inferior nor that Spirit Pills were good.

Because at that time, the Lin Family lacked everything, but what it lacked most was Formation Masters.

He had no other choice.

"What if it delays Cultivation?" the child continued to ask.

"Then Houshou, do you think learning immortal arts has delayed the Cultivation of our Family Uncles?"

The child nodded, seemingly understanding a little.

"Today, you will study Formations. If you can research a Second-tier Formation early, our Lin Family will prosper greatly. If you cannot, Mother will not be happy even if I see you Foundation Establishment!"

..."Mother, I haven't reached Foundation Establishment." In a blink of an eye, the child was already sixty. Due to the delay from Formations, he had not even reached the Qi Refining Stage Ninth Level, let alone the Qi Refining Stage Eighth Level, which he achieved by consuming Medicinal Pills.

The female Cultivator continued to walk out.

"Mother, I haven't mastered a Second-tier Formation either. I've disappointed you," the middle-aged Lin Houshou looked a bit dejected.

"Not disappointed. Your Formation talent is too high. You will definitely be able to research a Second-tier Formation as a Qi Refining Cultivator. Mother believes in you!"

...And just then, Lin Houshou felt a jolt. The Spirit Protecting Pendant made of ten thousand year cold jade emitted a terrifying chill.

As the chill came, Lin Houshou instantly woke up.

If he had truly immersed himself in Formations, he would have definitely failed his Breakthrough, and this Heart Demon Tribulation was truly deadly. The regret of his life before was his mother.

And as time passed, there were even more illusions, some about his Demonic Technique Cultivation, and others.

But with the Spirit Protecting Pendant, there were no problems.

The mist around Lin Houshou also began to completely dissipate.

In the sky, a pool of Lightning Tribulation water also appeared.

The Lightning Tribulation was over. The first Golden Core of the Lin Family's Hou Generation was successful! (End of Chapter)