28: One year!

A year passed by in the blink of an eye.

It had been a year since the Lin Family Ancestor, Lin Dao, ascended to the Spirit Tribulation Realm and completely reshaped the landscape of Qingzhou.

Over the past year, the Lin Family did not expand aggressively as outsiders had predicted. Instead, they settled down like a giant whale diving into the deep sea, silently digesting their rapidly expanding influence and resources.

However, this silence was not a sign of weakness, but rather a reserved and even more terrifying transformation.

The main residence of the Lin Family of Qingfeng County had now expanded more than several times over. Palaces stretched endlessly, Formations were strict, and the Spiritual Qi was so dense it almost condensed into spiritual liquid.

A deep purple canopy of Family Luck covered a hundred-mile radius, presenting a magnificent sight.

Every day, convoys from vassal forces transporting resources flowed in like long dragons, and countless screened, high-potential disciples from those vassals were sent to the Lin Family Academy for advanced studies.

Under the triple blessing of Lin Dao's unstinting resources, the guidance of the Dao Stele, and the deep purple Luck, the Lin Family's overall strength experienced a blowout explosion!

Among the older generation, Lin Zhen, having accumulated much, was the first to break through to the Tongtian Realm!

Subsequently, several Elders also broke through their Bottlenecks and stepped into the Tongtian Realm.

Lin Xuan, who had returned from Yunzhou, used his accumulation and resources to break through the barrier in one go, stepping into the Heavenly Soul Realm!

Lin Tian also advanced to the Peak of the Life Soul Realm Ninth Layer!

The younger generation produced even more talents.

Besides the "Three Heroes of the Lin Family" who were already famous in Qingzhou, more than a dozen other disciples with good talent stood out. Their cultivation levels reached the Spirit Sea Realm, and there were even a few promising seeds with the potential to charge toward the Tongtian Realm.

Lin Feng, Lin Yun, and Lin Tie, the first ones discovered with special talents, also made significant progress in their respective fields.

Currently, the Lin Family had over twenty Cultivators in the Tongtian Realm, five in the Life Soul Realm, one in the Heavenly Soul Realm (Acting Clan Head Lin Xuan), and over a hundred in the Spirit Sea Realm!

Their overall strength had completely solidified their position as a top-tier powerhouse in Qingzhou, even showing signs of surpassing some long-established forces!

And the source of all this, the Old Ancestor Lin Dao who sat in the deepest part of the Quiet Room, had already raised his cultivation to a level unimaginable to outsiders, driven by the continuous stream of cultivation feedback from a year's worth of massive influence, resources, and the successive Breakthroughs of his clansmen!

[Ding! Family member Lin XX has broken through to the Tongtian Realm First Layer, cultivation feedback +50...]

[Ding! Vassal force 'Blackwater City' has discovered a large spirit mine, resources have grown, cultivation feedback +30...]

[Ding! Nourished by Family Luck, three newborns with 'Spirit Body' Aptitude have been born, potential increased, cultivation feedback +80...]

[Ding! Destiny Member Lin Hao's Sword Intent has broken through, cultivation feedback +200...]

The System's notification tones rang almost every day. The feedback of cultivation was like a trickling stream, ceaselessly flowing into the vast ocean of his Spirit Tribulation Realm.

Spirit Tribulation Realm Seventh Layer! Spirit Tribulation Realm Eighth Layer! Spirit Tribulation Realm Ninth Layer!

Finally, as the one-year mark arrived, his cultivation stopped abruptly at the Peak of the Spirit Tribulation Realm Ninth Layer!

He was only half a step away from the next Great Realm—the Dao Tribulation Realm!

Yet this half-step was like a heavenly chasm.

The Dao Tribulation Realm required one to cross the Tribulation of the Dao Heart and comprehend one's own Great Dao; it was not something that could be broken through by simple accumulation of power.

Inside the Quiet Room, Lin Dao's aura had become completely harmonious and flawless, and his resonance with the Heaven and Earth Laws had reached an extreme.

He felt as if he could take that step at any moment and trigger the Dao Tribulation, yet he was still missing that final push.

He was not impatient, patiently settling his foundation and polishing his Chaos Law, which was fused with a hint of Annihilation intent, waiting for the moment when success would come naturally.

Meanwhile, Lin Hao, Ye Chen, and Lin Yun, who had gone out for tempering, did not fail his expectations.

Lin Hao went west alone with his sword.

He did not rely on the Lin Family's name, but instead used the identity of a Loose Cultivator to challenge famous Sword Cultivators all over Qingzhou.

From winning with difficulty at first to later defeating enemies in ten moves, his Sword Intent became increasingly pure and sharp through collisions with different schools of sword arts.

In one year, he fought a hundred matches without a single defeat. The name "Nameless Swordsman" quietly spread, and his cultivation also broke through to the Tongtian Realm First Layer during those life-and-death battles!

His Sword Intent was clear and bright, pointing directly at his heart!

Ye Chen headed straight for the chaotic lands bordering Qingzhou and the Demon Domain.

That place was wild and uncivilized, with Yao Beasts running rampant and bandits everywhere, which suited his taste perfectly.

Relying on his iron fists and powerful Saint Body, he fought his way up from the bottom, carving out a territory for himself. He subdued many desperate men and formed a battle group called "Wild Bull," specializing in missions to hunt Yao Beasts and clear out bandits. His name for bravery even reached the edges of the Demon Domain.

His cultivation also broke through to the Tongtian Realm First Layer, and his physical strength was so terrifying he could tear apart Great Demons of the same rank with his bare hands!

Lin Yun's tempering was the most mysterious.

He quietly entered the "Shadow Market," the most chaotic and information-complex place in Qingzhou. Using the insight and illusion powers of the Starry Sky Annihilation Pupil, he navigated between various forces, trading information and even taking on special "escort" and "investigation" missions.

Like a ghost, he wove his own network in the shadows. Although his cultivation progressed slightly slower, stabilizing at the Spirit Sea Realm Ninth Layer, his Pupil Technique became increasingly eerie and unpredictable. With extremely strong survival skills, he earned the nickname "Starry Guest."

Although the three did not directly use the Lin Family banner, their unique Cultivation Techniques and monstrous growth rates had already led observant people to link their identities to the rising Lin Family.

The reputation of the "Three Heroes of the Lin Family" did not fade with time; instead, it grew even louder in the wider world!

One day, while Lin Dao was deducing Laws in the Quiet Room, he suddenly felt something.

The protective imprints he had left on Lin Hao, Ye Chen, and Lin Yun were triggered almost at the same time!

Although they hadn't shattered, indicating the three were not in mortal danger, it meant they had simultaneously encountered powerful enemies that required the strength of the imprints to handle!

Lin Dao frowned slightly. His Divine Thought instantly crossed tens of thousands of miles of void, tracing the fluctuations of the imprints.

In the next moment, three different scenes entered his Sea of Consciousness simultaneously.

Lin Hao was in a desolate Sword Tomb, confronting a black-robed old man whose aura was obscure but whose Sword Intent carried a heaven-shaking deathly silence. The surrounding space was filled with countless fragments of shattered Sword Intent, clearly following a fierce battle.

The black-robed old man's cultivation had surprisingly reached the Tongtian Realm Ninth Layer!

Ye Chen and his "Wild Bull Battle Group" were surrounded in a valley. Their opponents were several terrifying Demon Kings emitting ancient Bloodline auras and a group of Cultivators clearly being driven by someone, among whom were two Heavenly Soul Realm experts!

Ye Chen was covered in blood but his Battle Intent was high as he traded blows with a Demon King.

Lin Yun's situation was the most bizarre; he seemed trapped in a distorted Void Secret Realm, surrounded by countless shattered mirror surfaces. Each mirror reflected a different version of him, and he was suffering from various strange attacks and mental shocks. His Starry Sky Annihilation Pupil was working to its limit, yet he seemed unable to escape.

"Hmph, it seems someone couldn't hold back and wants to move against my Lin Family's people." A cold light flashed in Lin Dao's eyes.

Whether it was a coincidence or a conspiracy, making a move on the three most outstanding juniors of his Lin Family at the same time had touched his bottom line.

He did not act personally.

The three were in no immediate danger, and this was the best opportunity to temper them.

With a thought, through the System functions, he directly locked onto experts near the three locations who belonged to the Lin Family or its vassal forces.

"Shi Lie of Blackrock City, you are three thousand miles from the Sword Tomb. Go quickly to support Lin Hao."

"Deputy City Lord of Skywild City, lead your 'Skywild Guard' to Sunset Valley to help Ye Chen break the siege."

"Shadow Market, head of the 'Shadow Pavilion,' Lin Yun is trapped in the 'Thousand Illusion Mirror Domain.' Find a way to assist him."

The three commands, like divine oracles, instantly crossed space and rang directly in the minds of the three leaders.

Shi Lie, who was in seclusion, snapped his eyes open and transformed into a streak of light, rushing out of his secret room without hesitation.

The Deputy City Lord of Skywild City immediately gathered his troops, the battle Formation activated, and Evil Qi soared into the sky.

Deep within the Shadow Market, a figure like a shadow paused slightly before quietly merging into the darkness.

After doing all this, Lin Dao paid no more attention. He believed these subordinates could handle the aftermath.

If they couldn't even handle this, they weren't worthy of enjoying the Lin Family's resources.

His gaze once again turned to the System's Law deduction interface and the vast map of the Nine Provinces.

"A storm is coming..." he whispered to himself. "Fine, once Hao'er and the others return and the Family has finished its digestion, it will be time for the Lin Family to officially step out of Qingzhou."