11: Chapter 11 Town Reorganization, One Family with Two Foundation Establishments

The morning light of Sunset Town gently washed over the newly renovated vermilion gatehouse of the Lin Family.

Lin Laosan stood on his tiptoes, steadily hanging a brand-new wooden plaque on the street-facing storefront that formerly belonged to the Zhang Family.

The wooden plaque's paint was bright and fresh; the five large characters for 'Lin Family General Store' were written with vigorous strokes and restrained sharpness—penned personally by Lin Yue.

"Lin Laosan, are the ledgers all sorted?"

Uncle Zhong walked over carrying a string of brass keys, followed by two surrendering workers who kept their heads bowed low.

They were originally accountants for the Zhang and Li Families; at this moment, they held thick stacks of ledgers and abacuses, their postures submissive.

"Rest assured, Uncle Zhong," Lin Laosan said, brushing dust off his hands and grinning. "The warehouse was inventoried long ago. Popular goods like salt, iron, and cloth have all been stocked on the shelves. We can open for business today."

He was originally responsible for miscellaneous tasks at the mine. Because he was sharp-witted and skilled in arithmetic, Lin Yue had entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of managing the five newly acquired shops.

"The Clan Chief specifically instructed that prices must be fair; do not follow the past ways of the Zhang Family."

Uncle Zhong cautioned in a low voice, his tone particularly emphasized, "The rations supplied to the mining team must be of full weight, and the accounts must be clear and transparent."

"I know, I know." Lin Laosan nodded repeatedly. When his gaze swept over the two surrendering workers, his tone suddenly turned grim.

"You two, one will manage the accounts and the other will handle the goods. If you dare harbor even half a treacherous thought..."

He paused slightly and glanced toward the courtyard wall. "Just go and look at the fate of those Warning Stakes."

The two surrendering workers trembled all over and hurriedly complied.

On the courtyard wall, several dark brown wooden stakes were particularly eyesore—they were erected after the execution of surrendering workers who had tried to hide minerals a few days ago.

The bloodstains had already dried and turned black, yet they silently radiated a chilling deterrent that struck fear into all the new subordinates.

At the same time, on the martial arts field of the Lin Family courtyard, the sounds of shouting shook the sky.

Lin Hu stood tall as a pine, supervising the training of the thirty Guard Team members.

Everyone wore uniform black martial attire, their iron swords cleaving, stabbing, parrying, and sweeping. The trajectories cutting through the morning light were perfectly synchronized, stirring up whistling winds.

"Everyone, perk up!"

Lin Hu's voice was like a great bell as he kicked the back of the knee of a member whose movements were slightly sluggish.

"Now you are the Lin Family's guards, not the loose rabble of the past!"

"Remnants of the Zhang and Li Families might still be spying from the shadows. If anyone slacks off, it will be the face of our entire Lin Family that is damaged!"

The members were all solemn, their movements becoming increasingly swift and precise.

They knew deeply that the Guard Team's current majesty and confidence originated from the swords in their hands and the cultivation in their bodies; they could not afford even a moment of laxity.

And at the center of all this, Lin Yue was currently sitting in a quiet room in the deepest part of the former Li Family manor.

Spiritual Qi swirled in the room. He sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, with three stalks of qi condensing grass placed before him.

The leaves were a dripping emerald green, shimmering with a warm jade-like luster; the Spiritual Qi was so dense it almost condensed into physical droplets.

These were precisely the treasures recently produced by the plane's spirit fields.

Lin Yue calmed his mind and stilled his breath, his fingertips forming hand seals.

A wisp of pure vegetation Spiritual Qi was drawn out, slowly sinking into the space between his eyebrows.

Unlike the gentle flow of Spiritual Qi like a stream during the Qi Refining Stage, the Spiritual Qi introduced this time was like a surging river. With an irresistible momentum, it charged straight toward that invisible yet solid 'Bridge of Heaven and Earth' within his body.

The barrier to Foundation Establishment!

Charging toward Foundation Establishment was a key step in a Cultivator's leap in life level, but it was also a path fraught with extreme danger.

Even a slight error in spiritual power control could result in damaged Meridians and a flawed Dao Foundation at best, or spiritual power going berserk and death at worst.

Lin Yue's mind was as calm as an ancient well as he precisely guided the surging Spiritual Qi.

His Meridians, having been tempered long-term by pure Spiritual Qi ten times denser than the outside world within the plane, were far more resilient and wider than those of Cultivators of the same rank.

Coupled with the recent series of battles and the accumulation of resources, his Foundation was already extremely profound.

Under his control, the flood of Spiritual Qi transformed into an invisible heavy hammer, shaking that layer of shackles time and again.

Thump... Thump...

Dull impact sounds that only Lin Yue himself could perceive echoed within his body.

That barrier began to fluctuate violently, and fine cracks appeared.

"Now is the time!"

Lin Yue's thought was like lightning. He suddenly gathered all the spiritual power accumulated in his body, along with all the Spiritual Qi from the three stalks of qi condensing grass, into an unprecedented flood peak.

Boom—!!!

It was as if Nine Heavens thunder had exploded in the depths of his Soul!

It was also like spring ice cracking, everything being reborn!

That solid barrier that had locked away countless Qi Refining Cultivators shattered at the sound!

In an instant, a massive amount of pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, as if receiving an invisible summons, poured frantically into his body through all his pores.

His Meridians were further widened and strengthened. Spiritual power circulated rapidly along a brand-new trajectory, eventually converging like a hundred rivers into the sea, flowing into his Dantian.

Within the Dantian, the originally scattered spiritual power that was like mist or gas now spun, compressed, and condensed frantically... Finally, it transformed into a slowly rotating, solid nebula-like 'Spiritual Qi Sea'!

Foundation Establishment Stage, achieved!

Lin Yue abruptly opened his eyes.

Deep within his pupils, a sharp light like electricity flashed and vanished.

He gently clenched his fist, feeling the completely different power within his body.

With every movement, his connection with the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi became incredibly clear and tight, as if he could easily draw upon a trace of the power of heaven and earth.

This was the hallmark of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator—preliminary communication with heaven and earth, spiritual power transforming into a sea, and life extension.

With a slight thought, a pressure far exceeding that of an ordinary Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator naturally spread out.

The purity of his spiritual power and the speed of its circulation were beyond what any ordinary person who had just entered Foundation Establishment could compare to.

This was the manifestation of the supreme solid Foundation built through long-term nourishment from the plane.

"Kid Yue, did you succeed?"

From outside the quiet room came Lin Cang's inquiry, tinged with urgency and joy.

Lin Yue rose to his feet and pushed open the door.

The sunlight fell upon him, as if plating him in a faint layer of radiant light.

Facing Lin Cang, whose hair and beard had turned black and whose aura was now thick and powerful, he solemnly cupped his hands:

"I have not failed my mission; I have stepped into the Early Stage Foundation Establishment."

Lin Cang's eyes were bright as he carefully looked Lin Yue up and down. Feeling the solid, heavy, and implicitly sharp aura on Lin Yue, he couldn't help but stroke his beard and laugh loudly:

"Good! Good! Good!"

Three 'goods' in a row expressed the full extent of his heart's delight.

"The phenomenon of your newly formed Foundation Establishment and the condensation of your spiritual power are likely not inferior to those old Cultivators who have been immersed in the Early Stage for many years."

"From now on, our Lin Family has two Foundation Establishments in one clan! In this Sunset Town, no one will dare to harbor treacherous thoughts again!"

The news was like a gust of wild wind, instantly sweeping through the entire Lin Family and then spreading to the whole town.

On the martial arts field, Lin Hu was stunned for a moment, then ecstatic!

He fiercely threw the iron sword in his hand high into the air, caught it steadily, and let out a roar that shook the roof tiles:

"Boys! Did you hear that? The Clan Chief—has reached Foundation Establishment!"

"From today on, the sky of Sunset Town is the sky of my Lin Family! If anyone dares to be defiant, they must first answer to the swords in our hands!"

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

The thirty Guard Team members roared in unison, the sound waves piercing the sky and stirring the clouds.

Intense Battle Intent and pride burned fiercely in their eyes.

In the streets and alleys, pedestrians stopped one after another, looking toward the Lin Family manor with eyes full of deep awe.

In front of the Lin Family General Store, the townspeople waiting in long lines also heard the news.

Lin Laosan stood behind the counter, touched the jade pendant at his waist that represented his status as a core member of the Lin Family, and immediately announced loudly:

"To celebrate the Clan Chief's Foundation Establishment, all goods in the shop today are twenty percent off!"

The crowd immediately erupted into even greater cheers.

By the mine, Uncle Zhong distributed steaming brown rice to the miners.

Many of them were former surrendering workers from the Zhang and Li Families; at this moment, they all silently received their food and ate with their heads down, their demeanors well-behaved.

Watching this scene, a gratified faint smile appeared at the corners of Uncle Zhong's aged mouth.

As the sun set in the west, the afterglow dyed the clouds at the horizon into a brilliant tapestry.

Lin Yue stood alone on the newly built high platform in the center of town, overlooking Sunset Town as cooking smoke curled up and it gradually returned to tranquility.

The marks of the former Zhang and Li Families were being rapidly erased and covered over.

And the two words 'Lin Family' were already deeply branded into every inch of this land and every household's heart.

He slowly clenched his fists, feeling the power in his Dantian's Qi Sea that was as surging as a tide and far exceeded those of the same rank.

Early Stage Foundation Establishment was just a brand-new starting point.

The outline of Black Stone City, the broader world of the merchant guilds, and even the more distant scenery on the path of immortal cultivation were all waiting ahead.

But for now, he needed to manage this newly unified land until it was as solid as an iron bucket.

He would let the Lin Family's roots grow deeper and steadier in this Sunset Town.

The evening wind blew past, and the large flag embroidered with the word 'Lin' on the high platform fluttered loudly.

Under the banner, the young Clan Chief's robes danced in the wind, his eyes reflecting the lights of ten thousand homes, clear and firm.

The road beneath his feet had only just begun.