Chapter 1

"Hmm."

When Lin Dong finally mustered all his strength to open his heavy eyelids, a simple yet tidy room instantly came into view. The familiar scene made him pause for a moment, and then he quickly turned his head. Sure enough, he saw two figures sitting by the table.

"Father, Mother..."

Looking at the two figures, Lin Dong quickly gathered his spirits and called out softly.

"Lin Dong, you’re awake?"

Hearing his voice, the woman turned her head first. Seeing Lin Dong’s open eyes, she immediately said with joy.

The woman was dressed in a simple manner, appearing to be around thirty years old. Her face was slightly delicate, giving off a gentle and soft impression. She was Lin Dong’s mother, Liu Yan.

"Your skills are not yet refined, yet you still dare to fight with others, bringing suffering upon yourself."

Sitting beside the woman was a man who looked to be in his thirties or early forties. He was somewhat slender, with a hint of sharpness in his brows. However, he seemed to be injured, his face pale, which masked most of his sharpness. He was Lin Dong’s father, Lin Xiao.

Lin Dong, who was clearly somewhat afraid of his usually strict father, shrank his neck and then said somewhat defiantly, "Who let those guys insult Father in front of me..."

As he spoke, Lin Dong touched his still aching chest, clenching his teeth in hatred. Originally, today was a test for the Lin family, and he had also participated. Because he had only been practicing for about half a year, his performance was only average. He didn’t take it too seriously, believing that given the same time and conditions, he wouldn’t be much weaker than others.

After the test, as Lin Dong was about to head home, he encountered a few guys he didn’t get along with. He originally didn’t want to pay attention, but he couldn’t resist their deliberate provocation. In his anger, the young Lin Dong couldn’t help but lash out. The result was obvious; he was beaten up and knocked unconscious...

"Lin Shan, I’ll remember this. Next time, if I don’t beat you into a pig’s head, I won’t be a Lin!"

Lin Dong ground his teeth. Lin Shan was the instigator of this incident and was now Lin Dong’s number one enemy. Because of the extremely poor relationship between their fathers, Lin Shan often caused trouble for Lin Dong, and this was one of those times.

Biting his teeth fiercely, Lin Dong then suddenly became dejected. Although Lin Shan was extremely despicable, no matter what, the guy was already at the fourth level of Body Tempering, a level that was quite advanced among the younger generation of the Lin family. Compared to Lin Dong, who was only at the second level, he was indeed much stronger.

In cultivation, body tempering comes first. Everything starts from within oneself, as the human body is the most mysterious and unpredictable thing in the world.

Body Tempering, in simple terms, is the cultivation of the body, gradually strengthening it from the outside in. When the body’s muscles, bones, and marrow are strengthened to a certain level, a seed of Primordial Energy will be generated. Only when the body naturally produces this seed can one truly become a cultivator.

Body Tempering is divided into nine levels. The first three levels have minimal effects, mainly just improving physical fitness and physique. It’s only when one reaches the fourth level, the Skin Tempering stage, that the benefits of cultivation begin to show. At this level, the skin gradually becomes as hard as wood or stone, and both strength and speed will significantly improve.

Lin Shan was at this level, and Lin Dong, being at the second level of Body Tempering, was clearly no match for him.

However, the significant gap between the two, despite their similar ages, was not due to talent. At the Body Tempering stage, talent is not highly valued. In fact, everyone can cultivate to some extent, but how far one can go depends on their resources and opportunities.

The nine levels of Body Tempering are extremely arduous, as one must constantly push the limits of the body to gradually strengthen it.

However, this pushing of limits is also a form of potential exploitation. If this exploitation is not replenished afterward, the body will suffer from overuse, affecting cultivation and causing injuries, which is counterproductive.

Therefore, during the Body Tempering process, various nourishing and strengthening medicinal herbs are needed to continue cultivation. However, these herbs are mostly very expensive, and those from less affluent families cannot afford them.

This is what is referred to as "resources."

The reason Lin Shan could surpass Lin Dong by two levels was not only because he had practiced for half a year longer but mainly because he had a father who managed the Lin family’s finances. In contrast, Lin Dong did not have such good fortune. Without the nourishment of these medicinal herbs, his cultivation speed was naturally much slower.

...

In the room, hearing Lin Dong’s muttering, Lin Xiao’s hand on the table suddenly clenched, and his face darkened. Seeing this, Liu Yan quickly gave Lin Dong a look, and he immediately shut his mouth.

"There’s no need to argue with others. Focus on your cultivation, and they will naturally stop talking."

Lin Xiao waved his hand and said, "Liu Yan, bring the Red Ginseng to Lin Dong. With the Red Ginseng, his cultivation should speed up. There’s only half a year until the clan competition. If he doesn’t hurry up, he’ll only embarrass himself."

"Brother Xiao, that Red Ginseng is for your injuries..." Liu Yan was immediately taken aback and quickly said.

"I’m already a cripple. No matter how much I heal, it won’t change anything. In the future, I’ll go into the mountains more often and try to find some medicinal herbs for Lin Dong." Lin Xiao shook his head and gave a self-deprecating smile.

"Father is not a cripple. You were once the strongest in the Lin family, besides Grandfather!" Hearing this, Lin Dong blushed and said, the image of his father being the greatest in his heart.

"The strongest..."

Lin Xiao’s fists clenched involuntarily, and a deep pain flashed across his face. After a moment, he stood up and walked out of the room, looking somewhat weary.

"Liu Yan, boil the medicine for the child. My injuries are fine. It’s been so many years; a single Red Ginseng won’t do much."

Seeing the somewhat dejected figure, Liu Yan’s eyes reddened. Who would have thought that the most spirited man in Qingyang Town would end up so dispirited.

"Mother, don’t cry. I will work hard to cultivate and find a way to heal Father’s injuries." Lin Dong tugged at Liu Yan’s sleeve and said softly.

"Lin Dong, don’t blame your father for being strict. He has poured all his heart into you. You know, this is his only hope."

Liu Yan looked down at Lin Dong’s earnest young face, wiped her eyes, and then patted his head, saying softly.

"Mother, I heard that the top three in the clan competition can receive a third-grade medicinal herb called the Blood Coagulating Ruby Fruit. I once heard Uncle say that it’s very effective for healing injuries. If I can get it, it will definitely help Father’s internal injuries." Lin Dong suddenly remembered something, looked up with bright eyes, and said.

"Blood Coagulating Ruby Fruit...?" Hearing this, Liu Yan was taken aback and then shook her head helplessly. "The top three in the clan competition is not easy to achieve. It’s good that you have the heart, but I’ll go boil the Red Ginseng for you first."

With that, Liu Yan turned and walked out of the room. Among the younger generation of the Lin family, several had already achieved significant accomplishments. For Lin Dong to enter the top three and obtain the Blood Coagulating Ruby Fruit would be quite difficult, so she didn’t take it too seriously.

Watching Liu Yan leave, Lin Dong’s lips tightened, and he clenched his fists. "Mother, don’t worry. I will definitely get the Blood Coagulating Ruby Fruit to heal Father’s injuries!"

Thinking of Lin Xiao’s injuries, Lin Dong’s eyes suddenly filled with deep hatred. The reason Father was mocked by so many in the Lin family was all because of that person!

...

The Lin family Lin Dong belonged to was a small clan, not even considered top-tier in Qingyang Town. However, this seemingly insignificant Lin family had a background that would make anyone gasp in astonishment: the Lin Clan.

One of the four major clans of the Great Yan Dynasty!

From a certain perspective, the Lin family in Qingyang Town could be considered a branch of the Lin Clan. However, for Lin Dong, who had never left within a hundred miles of Qingyang Town, the Lin Clan, with its terrifying power in the Great Yan Dynasty, was too distant and unfamiliar.

According to what Lin Dong occasionally heard from his father, their branch was once part of the inner clan of the Lin Clan. However, due to a failed mission, Lin Dong’s grandfather caused significant losses to the clan and was expelled from the inner clan, being sent to Qingyang Town.

Here, he established this small Lin family and spent decades trying to return to the inner clan. This was his ultimate goal.

However, his efforts did not yield significant results. What he did was insignificant to the vast Lin Clan, so he had to look elsewhere, and that was the Lin Clan’s Ten-Year Clan Assembly.

This was the most important assembly of the Lin Clan, famous throughout the Great Yan Dynasty. It was held every ten years, and each assembly was the best opportunity for the younger generation to rise to fame. The rewards were abundant, but what attracted Lin Dong’s grandfather the most was that anyone who could enter the top ten, even if they were from a branch clan, would be promoted to the inner clan, with great honor.

Thus, the Clan Assembly became a new hope for Lin Dong’s grandfather, who was on the verge of despair. However, due to his age, he could no longer participate, so he placed all his hopes on his five half-brothers. Naturally, Lin Dong’s father, who stood out among them, became the hope of the grandfather and the entire Lin family.

Facing this heavy burden, Lin Dong’s father did not disappoint. He was the first among the five brothers to break through to the ninth level of Body Tempering and enter the Earth Essence Realm. In just four years, he broke through the Earth Essence level and became the second Heaven Essence expert in the Lin family, after Grandfather Lin Zhen Tian.

His cultivation speed made the usually stern and unsmiling grandfather smile with warmth and satisfaction every time he saw his father. It was said that the grandfather smiled the most in decades during this time.

The Ten-Year Clan Assembly came with great anticipation, but the final result plunged the entire Lin family into despair.

One move!

Just one move, and the father, who was seen as the hope, was defeated!

And this was in the first match of the assembly!

Years of expectations and cultivation turned to nothing in a few breaths.

The outcome for the losers was countless strange looks, and the group returned to Qingyang Town like a pack of stray dogs, enduring the ridicule and sneers.

That night, Father moved out of the inner area of the Lin family and lived in the most remote part of a small mountain. He no longer used anything from the Lin family, saying he no longer had the right.

And misfortunes never come singly.

After that defeat, Lin Xiao not only fell into despair but also discovered that the person he fought had not held back at all. The wild and violent Primordial Energy had devastated his body.

Under such severe injuries, Lin Xiao’s Heaven Essence level strength plummeted to the Earth Essence level. His injuries accumulated, and his internal meridians were blocked by more than seventy percent. No matter how much he cultivated, he could not make any progress.

The once-reverent looks from the clan gradually turned to sighs and disappointment.

Faced with these disasters, Lin Xiao finally gave up. Whenever he was drunk, he would pound his chest wildly, the low, thunderous sound making his mother cry in pain. Although Lin Dong was young, seeing this scene made his heart ache, and a deep hatred for the person who had injured his father began to grow in his heart.

He had destroyed Father and his family!

As for the instigator, Lin Dong later heard his uncles mention him with resentment and helplessness.

Starting cultivation at ten, breaking through to the ninth level of Body Tempering and entering the Earth Essence Realm at twelve, reaching the Heaven Essence Realm at fifteen, and at twenty, successfully forming a Primordial Core, becoming one of the few in the Great Yan Dynasty to achieve this before the age of thirty.

His life was a legend.

His name was Lin Langtian.

...

In the room, Lin Dong clenched his fists, his eyes filled with intense hatred.

(New book, please support with favorites and recommendations. Thank you everyone.)