Chapter 1
Yun State's Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa.
Lin Jiang lowered his head, afraid to meet the gaze of the imposing man above him. Lin Jiang felt guilty, as this is the world of cultivation, unsure if they would discover that he was an imposter who had taken over someone else's body.
"Lin Jiang -the sixth son of the Lin family, slacking in cultivation for three years- as commanded by the family head, his servants will be taken away and his wages will be suspended for three years."
The serious man looked at Lin Jiang, sighed, and announced the punishment from the master of the house. It had been three years, and still only at the first level of Qi Refining. This was unacceptable. Hopefully, this punishment would make Sixth Young Master change his ways and work hard in cultivation from now on.
As soon as the words fell, more than ten servants around burst into tears. They had been following Sixth Young Master for over ten years, enjoying a carefree life in this estate. They really didn't want to leave.
However, the men brought along by the man scolded them and ultimately took them onto a flying boat, leaving the estate behind.
"Stop staring and go do what you need to do!"
After everyone had left, Lin Jiang finally became active. There were still people whispering around him, but Lin Jiang waved his hand and asked them to leave. Those who remained were the tenants of the estate, not his servants anymore.
Stepping into the most luxurious building in the estate, Lin Jiang lay down on the big bed, feeling relieved. He had finally passed the first test.
Three months ago, he was just an ordinary worker on Earth, working hard every day. Then, he suddenly died in the blink of an eye. His soul drifted into this world, coincidentally taking over the body of the original Lin Jiang who had died while practicing cultivation. It was a case of soul transmigration.
The current Lin Jiang was a young master of the Lin family in the Yun State. However, he was an illegitimate son. Fifty years ago, the Lin family's head, Lin Batian, established himself in the Yun State, opened the mountain gate, took in many wives, and had nine sons and six daughters. He also relied on his exceptional skill with the Overlord Spear to expand his territory and become a renowned rising cultivation family in the Yun State.
Because the family's foundation was weak, Lin Batian had high expectations for his children. He measured everything based on their cultivation realm. If their cultivation advanced quickly, he would favor them and give them family property abundantly. There would also be a large number of servants. If their cultivation was not up to par, they would only be sent to some forgotten corner.
The original owner Lin Jiang was considered a waste because his spiritual root was a Five Spiritual Root. He needed three to five times more spiritual energy than someone with an average spiritual root, so his progress in cultivation was very slow. That was why he was sent to this Spiritual Peach Mountain.
"Before crossing over, it was difficult; after crossing over, it remains difficult. Doesn't that mean I've crossed over for nothing?"
Lin Jiang remembered the days of the original owner, which were truly pitiful. Every day, as soon as he woke up, he would start cultivating, and even in his dreams, he was still cultivating. In the end, he trained himself to death at the young age of seventeen.
So now Lin Jiang decided to lie flat and not bother about the difficult situation.
"Ding dong, friendly reminder from the system: host didn't check in today, would you like to check in?"
"Oh no, I almost forgot about this. Check in."
In a dazed state, Lin Jiang suddenly heard a sound like electronic machinery, and immediately became alert. He responded in his mind.
"Congratulations, host, check-in successful. Reward: one additional year of life."
"Open the system page."
"Ding dong, the system page has opened."
System name: Lifespan Check-in System.
Host: Lin Jiang.
Lifespan: 17/80.
Lin Jiang looked at the system's numbers and couldn't help but smile. He also had a special advantage called "golden finger". As soon as he arrived in this world, the system activated.
This Lifespan Check-in System couldn't give him powerful talents, top-level techniques, or any kind of elixirs. It only had one purpose, and that was to increase his lifespan. By checking in each day, he would receive a reward of one extra year of lifespan.
Lin Jiang was already very satisfied with this. According to the system's logic, as long as he kept checking in, his lifespan would never run out. It was as if he could live forever.
Just think about his current father, who had been practicing diligently for over a hundred years and had only reached the Golden Core Stage. The Golden Core Stage could last for 500 years, which might seem long, but with just ten more months of checking in, Lin Jiang could surpass him.
His current starting point was the finish line that others couldn't catch up to in ten lifetimes.
"All roads lead to Rome, but some people are born in Rome. How about that, jealous?"
Lin Jiang giggled, turned over, and went back to sleep. Cultivating immortality, you know, took about two hours a day, the rest of the time was for sleeping.
······
"Sixth Brother, Sixth Brother, why are you still sleeping?"
After some time, a petite girl climbed onto Lin Jiang's bed and grabbed his ear.
"Lin Ying, how many times have I told you, you've grown up, you're thirteen now, stop crawling into my bed. Look at Third Sister, she doesn't even enter my room."
Lin Jiang threw the little girl off the bed and then pointed at the door. A cold girl, dressed in black, stood outside, watching the commotion with a wrinkled brow.
"Sixth Brother, I'm your real sister, and you treat me like this. I'll tell Mom."
"I really can't stand you. What trouble did you bring this time? The Spiritual Peach Mountain's peaches are all gone."
Lin Jiang rolled his eyes. He didn't want to meet his mother. Every time they met, she tried to influence him and make him strive to please his father, which was completely against his nature.
"Tsk, I didn't come here to eat peaches. I came to comfort you."
"Comfort me? Why do you want to comfort me?"
"Didn't our father punish you? The servants around you have been taken away, and your salary has been stopped for three years."
"Tsk, is that all?"
"Sixth Brother, isn't this serious?"
Lin Ying was astonished. She thought her brother had changed a lot. A few years ago, he was sent to this mansion by their father and was furious about it. Now, he had lost his salary and servants and yet he wasn't angry.
"Come out and talk."
Lin Die, who was outside the door, became angry as the siblings kept talking. She couldn't just enter the room freely, even if her half-brother lived there.
Lin Jiang tidied up his clothes and, with Lin Ying, went to the hall. There were no servants around, and no one brought them tea, so they casually sat down.
"Third Sister."
"Lin Jiang, what's wrong with you? Why are you still stuck at the first level of Qi Refining? Your fifth brother, with his Five Spiritual Root, reached the second level of Qi Refining last year."
(Translated by Gravity Tales 😧)
"I don't know either. I've been practicing, but there hasn't been any progress."
Lin Jiang said. The original Lin Jiang was really diligent, but unfortunately, his cultivation didn't improve. Could you believe it?
"You really don't know what's good for you. Big Brother's grandson was tested for Spiritual Root last month. Our Lin family's fourth generation is about to start practicing. Don't you want to be able to compete even with the fourth generation? If you can't, you won't have a foothold in the Lin family."
"If you don't have it, then you don't. I have this Spiritual Peach Mountain, and it's enough for me."
"How big is this Spiritual Peach Mountain of yours? How many spirit stones can you earn each year? Even if your mother really gave you the actual Spiritual Peach Mountain, what difference would it make?"
Lin Die was infuriated upon hearing this. Among their generation of siblings, Lin Jiang had the lowest cultivation. Even the Lin family's third generation was better than him. It was truly shameful.
"Third Sister, Third Sister, don't scold Sixth Brother anymore, I'll take care of him in the future."
Lin Ying quickly said, as she saw Lin Die getting angry and about to swear, she immediately comforted her.
"Lin Jiang, you won't really rely on Lin Ying to protect you in the future, will you?"
"Sisters protecting brothers, it doesn't seem impossible."
"You…"
Lin Die got so angry that she spat blood, she shook her sleeve and stood up, unable to continue the conversation; useless was just useless.
"Sixth Brother, Sixth Brother, hey, take the spirit stones first, I'll go after Third Sister."
Lin Ying saw Lin Die getting angry, she quickly took out some spirit stones and stuffed them into Lin Jiang's hand, then swiftly chased after Lin Die.
Lin Jiang looked at the spirit stones in his hand, he couldn't help but laugh and cry, then shook his head, not caring anymore, he had already died once, he had long since stopped caring about fame and such.
Lin Jiang put away the spirit stones and couldn't fall asleep. He walked out of the hall and headed towards the fields. Even though it was already late, there were still things to be done. Now Lin Jiang needed to inspect his own property.
Chapter 2
The estate where Lin Jiang lived was called the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. It covered an area of about thirty miles, all of which was owned by the villa. However, the villa was not very big, with only around a hundred households. It not only had walls, but also a Formation Array.
The Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa had one hundred and twenty acres of peach orchards. These peach trees were not ordinary peach trees, but magical plants. The peaches they produced were not only extremely sweet, but also had a spiritual essence, known as spiritual peaches.
The spiritual peaches in the villa bore fruit once a year. Half of the harvest was used for the family's own consumption, while the other half was sold. They could be sold for about seventy to eighty magic stones. In addition, there were two hundred acres of spiritual land in the villa, which produced spiritual rice that was also sold to the family. The price was slightly lower than the market, and earned about a hundred magic stones each year. This was the villa's total income.
Lin Jiang could keep about half of these two hundred magic stones, because strictly speaking, the villa didn't belong to Lin Jiang, but rather to Lin Jiang's mother as her dowry.
Lin Jiang's dear mother came from a family of independent cultivators. Lin Jiang's grandfather was a Foundation Building Stage independent cultivator. When he saw that Lin Batian was very powerful and had great potential, he arranged for his daughter to become Lin Batian's concubine and gave a generous dowry as well.
Afterwards, Lin Batian became more and more powerful, continuously annexing the surrounding territories. Lin Jiang's mother used her dowry to buy the Magical Peach Mountain Villa, aiming for a stable and sustainable income.
Three years ago, the previous Lin Jiang, angered Lin Batian by his lack of progress in cultivation, and was punished by him. Lin Jiang's mother couldn't bear to see this and handed over the management of the villa to her son, secretly providing him financial support. She hoped that her son could stand up for himself, gain some prestige, and give her some face. After all, a son's success would also give her a chance to compete for favor in Lin Batian's backyard.
"Master Lin."
"Master Lin."
"Master Lin."
Arriving at the spiritual land, the tenant farmers in the fields continuously greeted and thanked Lin Jiang and the Lin family sincerely.
Because in this world, there was no government, but there were still landlords, bullies, bandits, and even wild beasts and demons. It was not an exaggeration to say that ordinary people outside were living in constant danger.
But in the Peach Garden Manor, they had walls and formations for protection. Bandits, as well as wild beasts and demons could not enter. The rent that the Lin family asked for was very low. They only requird one hundred and twenty mu of peach forest and all the output of two hundred mu of spiritual land. They could cultivate the rest of the land as they pleased, and they could keep all the harvest for themselves. They had no problem with food and clothing.
Lin Jiang looked left and right in the spiritual land and found that the spiritual rice paddies were growing well. This year might be better than last year, so they could harvest more spiritual rice and earn more spirit stones.
Along the patrol route, he also encountered several guards. These guards were not cultivators, but ordinary people who had some martial arts training. They patrolled the estate to guard against beasts and regular bandits. If they encountered demons or enemy cultivators, they would sound an alarm, and Lin Jiang would send a voice transmission symbol to the family for reinforcements. There would naturally be more powerful cultivators to deal with them.
When the patrol was over, Lin Jiang returned to his own house and began to meditate and practice cultivation. He set a goal for himself to practice two hours a day. After all, he didn't lack lifespan. If necessary, he could cultivate for hundreds of years to reach the Qi Refining period.
After finishing his training, the food was already prepared by the housekeeper. Although the cook's skills were not as good as the previous servant's, Lin Jiang didn't mind. He had been eating meals from fast food boxes for years, so this was nothing.
······
System Name: Lifespan Check-in System
Host: Lin Jiang
Lifespan: 17/180
In the blink of an eye, three months had passed. On this day, just after Lin Jiang checked in with the system, a guard hurriedly entered the room.
"Young Master, the family's steward has arrived."
"Understood, take him to the warehouse. I'll be there shortly."
Lin Jiang nodded. The spiritual paddy crop had been harvested this year, and the Lin family had sent a steward to purchase it. This was a big event for the estate.
When Lin Jiang arrived at the warehouse, a middle-aged man was already waiting there. He saw Lin Jiang and greeted him with a smile. He was a worker hired by Lin Batian and considered a temporary worker for the Lin family. Even though his status was not high, he was still very respectful to the young master of the Lin family.
"Oh, it's Steward Wu. You must be tired, sir."
"Sixth Young Master, you're being polite. Shall we begin?"
"Alright, let's get started then."
Lin Jiang nodded and gave some instructions. The servants carried the bags of spiritual paddy out of the warehouse and weighed them.
"Sixth Young Master, the weather hasn't been very good this year. The price of spiritual paddy in Yun State has increased a little. Now, one spirit stone can only buy five hundred kilograms. According to tradition, how about six hundred kilograms for one spirit stone?"
Steward Wu said to Lin Jiang that when members of the Lin family sold their personal belongings to the family, they got a slightly lower price than outside. The advantage was that they could sell as much as they had without having to do it themselves.
"No problem."
Lin Jiang waved his hand and agreed. Although he would lose a bit in terms of price, he saved a lot of trouble. This was normal in Lin Jiang's view.
Spiritual paddy was heavier than regular rice. The best spiritual land could yield around 600 kilograms per acre. Lin Jiang owned 200 acres of spiritual land with average quality, and he harvested over 80,000 kilograms of spiritual paddy. He kept 20,000 kilograms for himself and sold the rest to his family.
"Sixth Young Master, this is a receipt. You can go to the family's accounting office to collect the money in a few days."
Steward Wu took out several storage bags, packed them in batches, and gave Lin Jiang a receipt. He could go to the family's accounting office to collect the money.
Lin Jiang nodded and bid goodbye to Steward Wu. He asked the servants to help mill the rice. Immortals didn't eat regular grains, but rather spirit food, which benefitted their cultivation. Lin Jiang planned to send some of the remaining spirit rice to his beloved mother and sister, Lin Ying. Although the family provided some rations, it wasn't enough for a whole year, so he needed to buy extra.
In the blink of an eye, two more months passed and it was the end of the year. Lin Jiang instructed the guards to prepare two large carts loaded with 10,000 kilograms of milled spirit rice. Due to his limited financial means, he couldn't afford a storage bag big enough to hold all the rice. He decided to take it to the Lin family.
The Lin family's gate was approximately 800 miles away from the estate. However, the horses pulling the carts had the bloodline of mythical creatures, extremely strong. Traveling 500 miles per day was a piece of cake, and they reached the destination in just two days.
"Oh, isn't this my Sixth Uncle?"
As Lin Jiang arrived at the entrance, a casual voice sounded. Lin Jiang turned around and saw his nephew, Lin Ke Wen, the eldest son of his elder brother Lin Shan, who was a few years older than him.
"Ke Wen, you don't even pay your respects to your Sixth Uncle. You don't believe I will report you later?"
"You, you…"
"What about me? Has the family forgotten its manners?"
"You're tough, nephew has met Sixth Uncle."
In the end, Lin Ke Wen got scared. The Lin family, as an up-and-coming family, has strict rules. Lin Batian also valued filial piety. Despite Lin Jiang being a disgrace to the second generation of the Lin family, he was still Lin Ke Wen's uncle.
"Nephew, since you've been so disobedient, you won't be receiving the New Year's money this year."
Lin Jiang burst into laughter and then entered through the Lin family's main gate.
According to Lin Batian's rules, except for important matters like secluded practice, the whole family gathered at the end of the year. Therefore, within the Lin family's main gate, Lin family members could be seen everywhere.
"Greetings, Big Brother."
"Hello, Second Elder Brother."
"Hello, Third Sister."
Lin Jiang bowed all the way, in the Lin family's second generation he was the sixth eldest brother, he had to bow first to the five older siblings in front of him, and the younger brothers and sisters behind him had to bow to him.
After that, Lin Jiang went to see his father Lin Batian and his formal wife Mrs. Zheng. He also had to give them each two thousand kilograms of spirit rice. This wouldn't be given for nothing. When the New Year came, they would give him a bigger gift in return.
After greeting his father, he went to see his mother Zhuang Rong. Zhuang Rong, his mother, was naturally beautiful and ranked high among Lin Batian's concubines. Lin Jiang and Lin Ying both inherited her good genes and were also good-looking.
Zhuang Rong had reached the seventh level of Qi Refining and had good Spiritual Root talent, but unfortunately, she had a love brain. She hadn't taken her cultivation seriously since marrying Lin Batian. She was solely focused on competing for his favor. As a result, for more than ten years, her cultivation hadn't progressed at all.
"My child, you have suffered…"
Seeing Lin Jiang, Zhuang Rong immediately hugged him, and tears started to fall. Although Zhuang Rong wasn't very smart, she was very good to her children.
Lin Jiang resisted this show of affection, but his cultivation was not as good as his mother's, so he couldn't break free. He could only seek help from Lin Ying, who came over with a smile and advised him.
Zhuang Rong let go of Lin Jiang and tearfully complained to him. She told him about the mistreatment she had suffered in the sect and how she had been bullied by a certain aunt. Then, she changed the subject and said that a mother's pride relied on her child's success. She wanted Lin Jiang to quickly improve his cultivation so that she could proudly hold her head high and have a sense of superiority. This was more or less what she said every time they met.
Lin Jiang rolled his eyes when he heard this. The original Lin Jiang might believe it, but Lin Jiang knew from the original owner's memories that their mother was a fierce person. She only treated others well if she didn't bully them, so no one could bully her.
"Son, why aren't you speaking? Say something."
"Mother, don't get angry when your son speaks."
"Tell me, why would mother be angry with you?"
"Mother, this is what I think. It's better to rely on oneself than on others. Father is in the Golden Core Stage, able to live for five hundred years. The other stepmothers are in the Qi Refining Stage, able to live for around a hundred years. When they reach their seventies or eighties, even the best cultivation technique can't prevent aging. If I were Mother, I would definitely work hard to improve my cultivation and reach the Foundation Building Stage. That way, I could outlive the other stepmothers. If I could reach the Golden Core Stage, even the main mother's Foundation Building Stage would pale in comparison. We could stay together for five hundred years, just like Father."
"If both Father and Mother could advance to the Nascent Soul or Soul Formation stage, or even ascend together, wouldn't you be able to be together forever, as happy immortal companions?"
Lin Jiang couldn't help but come up with an idea. Silly mother, in the cultivation world, the essence of palace intrigues lay in cultivation. No matter how beautiful you were, you couldn't be eighteen forever. But there were always eighteen-year-old girls every year. Even if you defeated this group of stepmothers, what if father took more concubines?
(Translated by Gravity Tales 😡)
So it all came down to cultivation. Only when your cultivation level was high was it truly useful. If you reached the Golden Core Stage, you could dance at Mrs. Zheng's tomb after a hundred years or so.
Zhuang Rong's eyes lit up when she heard this. It made so much sense. If she reached the Golden Core Stage, she would see who could outlast her.
Chapter 3
At the end of the year, the family gathered for a meal.
In a huge hall, three tables were set up. The women sat at one table, Lin Batian and the second generation of the Lin family sat at another, and the third generation had their own table.
Lin Batian had nine sons and six daughters. The eldest brother, Lin Shan, was already forty-eight years old and had reached the peak of the tenth level of Qi Refining. The second brother, Lin He, was forty-six years old and also at the tenth level of Qi Refining. The third girl, Lin Die, was twenty-five years old and had reached the seventh level of Qi Refining, being the most talented among the second generation of the Lin family.
The fourth girl, Lin Yuan, was twenty-four years old and had reached the fourth level of Qi Refining. The fifth brother, Lin Hai, was also twenty-four and had reached the fifth level of Qi Refining. Then there was the sixth brother, Lin Jiang, who was seventeen years old and at the first level of Qi Refining.
Lin Jiang's younger siblings had not started their cultivation yet. Cultivation didn't have to start too early. Lin Batian set a rule that cultivation would begin at the age of twelve. Before the age of twelve, some physical exercises were done. Now that the Lin family had more money, they would even have medicinal baths.
The eldest grandson of Lin Shan, the eldest brother of the Lin family, was Lin Keli, who achieved the seventh level of Qi Refining at the age of thirty. There were also seven or eight descendants at the third and fourth levels. After Lin Batian's painstaking efforts for decades, the Lin family had now established its position in the Yun State.
Following the tradition of previous years, Lin Batian would review the achievements of many descendants today. Those who did well would naturally receive more rewards, while those who did poorly would receive strong criticisms.
"Lin Jiang."
Lin Batian gave a comment, but he put Lin Jiang at the end. Throughout the process, Lin Jiang was just eating and almost made Lin Batian angry.
"Dad, I'm here."
"Can you stand up for me? Your nephew's cultivation level is higher than yours."
Lin Batian was very satisfied with his many children. Even if their cultivation speed was not fast, they had other talents that could help him manage the family. But this youngest child was really going to drive him crazy. He couldn't do anything right. It had been five years, and he was still at the first level of Qi Refining Stage.
"I understand, Dad. I will definitely work hard on my cultivation."
"If you still can't break through to the second stage next year, I'll kick you out. It's really making me angry."
"I understand, Dad."
Lin Jiang lazily answered, but he didn't care. He wasn't in a hurry. He was already over five hundred years old, living longer than his old man. As for the Qi Refining Stage, it didn't seem embarrassing to practice for a few hundred years.
The other brothers of the Lin family shook their heads secretly at this. If Lin Batian wasn't present, they would sarcastically mock their useless brother. He was causing them embarrassment, and they were ashamed to say that they had such a brother.
The Lin family didn't have any fancy family traditions yet. The whole family was still growing, so the atmosphere at this gathering was still good. Lin Jiang couldn't care about too much, the meal was just too delicious.
Whether it was meat or vegetables, they were all grown in spiritual land. When the head chef cooked them, they became incredibly tasty. Lin Jiang was too busy enjoying his meal.
"Sixth Brother, stop eating. You're only at the first level of Qi Refining. Do you want to explode and die?"
Lin Hai, who was standing beside them, couldn't bear to watch anymore. He quickly stopped Lin Jiang. These foods were full of spiritual energy. Someone on the first level of Qi Refining couldn't eat much of them. They would explode and die if they couldn't handle the spiritual energy in them.
Lin Jiang was frightened by these words and quickly put down his chopsticks. However, Lin Jiang had already decided that when he returned to the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa, he would also raise some magical beasts to eat. He would also develop a few acres of spiritual land to grow vegetables.
Life was all about being happy. If you weren't happy, then what was the point of eternal life?
The young disciples couldn't handle the spiritual energy and quickly left the scene. Those with higher cultivation continued. Lin Jiang also left with his sister Lin Ying. Lin Ying was thirteen years old and had been practicing for a year. She had the same level of cultivation as Lin Jiang.
"Sixth Brother, they're all going to the market. Should we go too?"
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
Lin Jiang nodded his head. The original owner had been to the market, but he hadn't been yet and wanted to go and see.
Thirty miles away from Lin Jiang's mountain gate, there was a market founded by the Lin family. It was used as a trading place for cultivators within a thousand miles. This was also a very important source of income for the Lin family. Lin Jiang's eldest brother usually presided over the market.
Of course, relying on him alone was not enough. Lin Batian had also recruited many auxiliary officials at the Foundation Establishment Period to guard the town. The Lin family's heritage was too thin, and their descendants hadn't fully grown yet. Currently, many crucial positions in the Lin family were filled by people that Lin Batian had invited. Lin Batian was also the absolute pillar of the Lin family. If he was gone, the Lin family would immediately collapse, and it couldn't even avoid being swallowed up.
It would take several decades to wait until the second and third generations of the Lin family were fully grown, and they had a group of cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Period. Only then could the Lin family be considered truly stable.
The market of the Lin family was crowded with a large number of independent cultivators. There were also many ordinary people. As the end of the year approached, it became even more lively, with a wide variety of snacks and other things.
The currency in the market was spirit stones and spiritual beads. The standard spirit stone in the cultivation world was three inches long, one inch wide, and one inch thick. The remaining scraps were polished into spiritual beads. In theory, one hundred spiritual beads could be exchanged for one spirit stone.
(Translated by Gravity Tales 😝)
As long as one didn't buy cultivation resources, the purchasing power of spirit stones was still strong. Lin Jiang bought a lot of snacks for Lin Ying and it only cost around twenty spiritual beads.
"Brother, Brother, look, this is Mother's shop."
"This is grandmother's, and that is also grandmother's."
"That belongs to Aunt Wu."
"This belongs to Auntie Lin."
Lin Ying pointed at the many shops in the market and said, "More than half of the shops in the market belong to Lin Batian's wives and concubines. Of course, they don't run the shops themselves, they rent them out to others and only collect the rent each year."
Lin Jiang was not interested in these things. He had no talent for business. He preferred Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. He loved farming. Farming was a talent ingrained in his genes.
They played until midnight before the group of Lin family young masters and ladies hurried back to the mountain gate. Normally, they wouldn't be allowed to return so late because it wasn't very safe.
Early the next morning, Lin Jiang bid farewell to Zhuang Rong. He had to return to Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. He had a somewhat cold personality. The crowd at Lin family's mountain gate was too large and too bustling for his liking.
Before leaving, Zhuang Rong handed a bag of spirit stones to Lin Jiang and said, "Son, you must cultivate well. If you can't break through the second level by next year, your father will really kick you out."
"Mom, I have money. What do I need this for?"
"Listen, take it. Starting this year, all the earnings from Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa will go to you. Don't give it to me anymore. I have money. Your grandfather left me a lot. Since you're my only son, who else should I give it to?"
"Lin Ying also started practicing, and I need to take care of her a bit."
"Keep it, don't worry, practice well."
"Got it, got it."
Lin Jiang accepted the spirit stone and sighed in his heart. It's a pity that parents' love for their children, he couldn't let it go.
Two days later, Lin Jiang returned to the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. The tenants in the estate were busy decorating for the New Year. Mortals still paid attention to these things, but cultivators were not as interested. After all, high-level cultivators usually focused on seclusion and didn't bother with such matters.
Lin Jiang pondered on how to manage the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa well. Now, all the income from the villa belonged to him, but what was the difference?
Even though Lin Jiang was taking it easy, he wouldn't mind having a few more spirit stones. The more spirit stones, the better.
Chapter 4
After the New Year, Lin Jiang made some changes to the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. First, he gathered the tenants and dug a fish pond of over ten acres inside the estate. Then, he bought a hundred Silver Light Fish from the Lin family market. These Silver Light Fish are low-ranked monster beasts with fierce temperaments and delicious meat. Lin Jiang had eaten them during a family gathering and had a vivid memory of it.
Afterwards, they built a pig shed and raised twenty Iron-backed Pigs. Iron-backed Pigs were a type of wild animal that hadn't reached a high level yet--they were of the lowest level, but their meat was really good.
Lin Jiang also had the tenants develop twenty acres of special land, with two acres used for growing vegetables and the rest used for growing spiritual herbs to feed the Iron-backed Pigs and Silver Light Fish.
From then on, Lin Jiang secluded himself at home, meditating and practicing cultivation every day, chopping firewood, feeding the pigs, and taking care of the fish. He was living freely and happily. The Lin family visited less and less, and if it weren't for Zhuang Rong and Lin Ying mentioning him from time to time, the Lin family would almost forget that Lin Jiang existed.
·····
Three years later, the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa.
A young and beautiful girl, holding a steel fork, stared intently at a creature in front of her; oh, no, it was actually a Silver Light Fish.
"Bang!"
In an instant, the girl thrust her steel fork forward.
"Wow, Sixth Brother, Sixth Brother, I hit it! We have fish to eat again."
The girl put away the fork; on top of it was a Silver Light Fish weighing about ten kilograms. Holding the fish, she came to Lin Jiang.
"Sister, you're amazing. Come, let's add a dish for lunch."
Lin Jiang happily put away the Silver Light Fish, skillfully removed the scales and internal organs of the fish, cut some pieces of wild ginger, added some cooking wine and other spices, then put them in a bowl to marinate.
"Sixth Brother, your place is still comfortable. Dad is getting more and more crazy, wanting me to practice cultivation all day long. It's so boring."
The girl pulled over a blanket, directly lay down on it, and complained to Lin Jiang. She secretly sneaked out, commonly known as slacking off.
"Who made you talented? Dad has high hopes for you. Look at Third Sister Lin Die, she's almost at the Foundation Building stage."
Lin Jiang happily said, casually took a few skewers of already grilled Iron-backed Pig meat and handed them to Lin Ying.
The speed of cultivating immortality depended on two factors. One was aptitude, which depended on Spiritual Root. Like Lin Jiang's Five Spiritual Roots, it was the worst kind. Lin Ying had Three Spiritual Roots, which was not as good as single and double Spiritual Roots, but among the second generation of the Lin family, it was considered good.
The second factor was understanding. Some people couldn't grasp a cultivation technique even after practicing for several months, while others could learn it just by reading it a couple of times. This was the difference in understanding. Lin Ying was top-notch in this aspect, so she was increasingly valued by Lin Batian and he became stricter with her.
"I am not as hardworking as Third Sister. She spends eight hours practicing every day and only sleeps for one hour. She is even studying alchemy!"
"Fine, I won't practice anymore."
"Not practicing won't work either. We already have 20 brothers and sisters, and Mother relies on me too. We can't count on you either."
"Our father is still skilled with his 'sword'."
Lin Jiang could only shake his head. After three years, Lin Batian hadn't forgotten about 'farming'. After having nine sons and six daughters, he continued to have more children. Now even the twentieth child had come out.
"Brother, when will you break through to the second level? It's been ten years for you, but I broke through to the second level when I was fourteen."
"Taking my time."
Lin Jiang threw a wine flask over. Inside was Peach Blossom Wine, brewed from the spiritual peach blossoms of Peach Mountain Villa. Its taste was extraordinary and very delicious.
As for Lin Jiang's cultivation, he wasn't in a hurry. He had been practicing at the first level of Qi Refining for ten years, and it would only take him a few more months to break through.
"If you don't make progress next year, Dad will really kick you out. Even the others call you a shame of the Lin family. Mom won't be able to plead for you anymore."
Lin Ying was very worried about this. Two years ago, Lin Batian said he would kick out Lin Jiang. It was her mother Zhuang Rong who pleaded for Lin Jiang. It won't be possible to plead this year.
"Alright, let's make progress this year."
"Really, Brother?"
"Really, I'm not lying to you. Here, have a peach."
"Where did the peach come from at this time?"
"It's a secret."
Lin Jiang said with a smile, "I bought an ice-cold spell to use as a freezer. I still have a bunch of magical peaches."
"It's really delicious, Brother. You have it so comfortable here, with fish, pork, alcohol, and peaches. You're self-sufficient. No wonder you don't want to go home."
"Come by more often in the future, I don't like crowded places."
Lin Jiang said. He was quiet and didn't like noise, but he really liked his little sister. Whenever she came by, Lin Jiang would slaughter an Iron-backed Pig.
"Okay, I'll come more often. I'm full now, I need to go home. If Dad finds out, he will scold me again."
"Wait, let me bring something for Mom."
Lin Jiang packed some fresh Iron-backed Pig meat, caught two Silver Light Fish, and took out dozens of spirit peaches from the cold ice array. After thinking for a moment, he also picked some fresh spirit vegetables, filling a big bag.
"You are really filial, Mom didn't raise you in vain. Goodbye."
Lin Ying smiled and said, then she summoned a flying sword, stepped on it, and flew away in a blink of an eye.
Lin Jiang watched his sister's figure with some envy. He also had a flying sword, but his cultivation level was not high enough to fly. It required being at least at the fourth level of Qi-Refining.
"Oh dear!"
Lin Jiang was getting ready to leave when he heard Lin Ying scream. She fell off the flying sword and before Lin Jiang could save her, she miraculously flew up again, swaying unsteadily.
Lin Jiang smirked at this. Lin Ying must have recently broken through to the fourth level and was still not skilled at using the flying sword. It served her right to take a tumble.
Lin Jiang didn't eat the leftover Silver Light Fish. He continued grilling the fish and after he was full, he walked unsteadily back to his room to meditate.
"I need to work harder on my training. Let's increase the daily practice time from four hours to eight hours."
"No no no, eight hours is too long. How about six?"
"Six won't work either. I still need to take care of the spiritual land, feed the pigs, and raise the fish. Let's make it five hours; five hours a day, five days a week, and weekends off. Perfect."
After a painful struggle, Lin Jiang finally decided to increase the practice time by an hour and leave weekends for rest.
Lin Jiang had already made up his mind long ago. He would never work hard and strive. If he could lie down, he would lie down.
······
Three months later, Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa.
"Hahaha…"
A cheerful laughter came from Lin Jiang's room. After years of practice, he finally reached the second level of Qi Refining. It was a joyous occasion.
Afterwards, Lin Jiang walked out of the room and informed the servants that there would be an additional meal tonight, to celebrate the significant improvement in cultivation of their Sixth Young Master.
After a night of celebration, the next day Lin Jiang rode his horse back to the entrance of the Lin family, carrying the specialty products from Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. He showed them to Lin Batian, indicating that he shouldn't be expelled from the Lin family just like that. After all, Lin Jiang had also reached the second level of Qi Refining.
"Eldest, tell me, is your Sixth Brother really my biological child? How did I, Lin Batian, end up with such a strange creature?"
Watching Lin Jiang leave with great excitement, Lin Batian expressed his doubts to his eldest son, Lin Shan. He was beginning to suspect that this "Sixth Brother" wasn't his biological child, otherwise how could he be like this?
Thinking of himself, Lin Batian, who was mighty and extraordinary, started cultivating at the age of twelve, broke through to the Foundation Building stage at thirty, and reached Golden Core stage before he was a hundred. More than ten of his offspring also embarked on the path of cultivation. But he still had a useless son like this.
"Ahem, Dad, Fourth Auntie is not that kind of person."
Lin Shan was also amused and confused. Among his younger siblings, Sixth Brother always went his own way. But maybe that was a good thing, because no one would compete with him. If his younger siblings were all talented, it would be difficult for him, as the eldest brother, to handle. It would be embarrassing if he couldn't beat his younger siblings.
(Translated by Gravity Tales 😤)
Chapter 5
Five years later, at Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa.
Several servants were moving bags of spiritual paddy to be weighed. Steward Wu kept a careful record.
"Congratulations, Sixth Young Master! This year's harvest is bountiful. It's already 100,000 catties."
Seeing that they were almost done, Steward Wu told everyone to stop. There wasn't much spiritual paddy left in the warehouse, and he would keep the rest for himself.
"100,000 catties is quite impressive."
"Thanks to the Sixth Young Master's excellent management skills, the cultivation of the spiritual land is now comparable to that of cultivators."
Steward Wu smiled with narrowed eyes. It was well known that the Sixth Young Master was no good at cultivation, but he had a talent for management. Over the years, Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa had flourished. Not only did the production of spiritual paddy increase, but they also had other sources of income.
"Just tidying up casually."
Lin Jiang also laughed. He spent a lot of effort on Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa in recent years. For example, with the spiritual land, he set new rules for many tenants. If their production increased, not only would he reward them with some spiritual rice, but he would also promise to guarantee the future of their children. When they turn twelve years old, he would send them to the Lin family to test their Spiritual Roots. If they had Spiritual Roots, they could join the Lin family and cultivate immortality.
As a result, the enthusiasm of the tenants greatly increased, and they became more dedicated to the spiritual land. Lin Jiang also bought spiritual talismans like the Rain Talisman, ensuring good weather and abundant harvest. Now, they could produce tens of thousands of catties of spiritual rice every year.
"Sixth Young Master, now that the Lin family members are increasing day by day, the consumption has also increased. Do you want to sell some of your Iron-backed Pigs, Colorful Pigs, Silver Light Fish, and Silver Arrow Fish to the clan?"
Steward Wu asked again. In recent years, the breeding industry at Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa had also grown significantly. Lin Jiang bought higher quality products like the Colorful Pigs and Silver Arrow Fish. The quantity of Iron-backed Pigs and Silver Light Fish had also greatly increased. It was said that Miss Lin Die and Miss Lin Ying often came to Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa to eat for free.
"We can sell the Iron-backed Pigs and Silver Light Fish, but not the Silver Arrow Fish and Colorful Pigs."
"Why, Sixth Young Master? I see there are quite a few Colorful Pigs."
"I haven't gotten tired of eating them yet, and Lin Ying hasn't either. We'll talk about it when we do."
Lin Jiang waved his hand, leaving Steward Wu speechless. This reason was unrefutable.
Right away, Lin Jiang went to catch fifty Silver Light Fish and slaughtered twenty Iron-backed Pigs. He handed them all to Steward Wu, who waved his hand and the items went into his bag. Lin Jiang immediately felt envious.
Lin Jiang had a small storage bag in his hand, which had only one cubic space. Steward Wu's storage bag must be a large one, or else it wouldn't be able to hold so many things.
"Sixth Young Master, this kind of super-sized storage bag is not mine. It belongs to the family. If Sixth Young Master wants one, you can ask the family to buy it in Anhua City. It will probably cost around eight thousand spirit stones. Sixth Young Master should be able to afford it, right?"
"Haha, no, I can't."
Lin Jiang waved his hand. In these past few years, the profits from Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa had all been given to him. He only earned two to three hundred spirit stones a year. His family's offerings had been restored, which amounted to twenty-four spirit stones a year. After all these years, he had only saved up a little over a thousand spirit stones, still far from enough.
Steward Wu smiled and didn't say anything. The second generation of the Lin family didn't lack money. They mostly had their own assets. It was the third and fourth generations that had no family inheritance - they were the ones who were truly poor.
Not long after Steward Wu left, Lin Die and Lin Ying flew over from afar and landed before Lin Jiang with smiles on their faces.
"Sixth Brother, I'm here again."
"Why did you come here? Don't you need to accompany Fourth Sister for her wedding?"
Lin Jiang asked, "Isn't Lin Yuan, the fourth child of the Lin family, getting married soon? And Lin Die and Lin Ying are going to be part of the wedding party."
Lin Jiang didn't have a very good impression of Lin Batian, but there was one thing he admired about him - his pride. Lin Batian believed that the Lin family's position in Yun State was earned through strength, not through alliances, so he never forced his children into arranged marriages. He gave them the chance to fall in love freely. In other families, like Lin Jiang's, children were only meant to serve the family by producing offspring. They couldn't live as freely as they do now.
"That's the adults' business, we don't care. Fourth sister is being overly dramatic, it's too troublesome. It's better to come to Sixth Brother's place and have some fun. And Sixth Brother, what delicious food do you have this time? Let's settle on it first. We don't want Silver Light Fish and Iron-backed Pig anymore, we're tired of eating them."
"Then let's have Silver Arrow Fish and Colorful Pig. They're both high-grade monsters and taste amazing. Today, I'll make you sour fish with pickled vegetables."
Lin Jiang waved his hand and immediately started preparing to butcher the pig and fish. He even asked the servants for help. Lin Jiang's servant hadn't returned yet, but he had already trained the servants on this side to be competent chefs.
"Sixth Brother, prepare something nice for Third Sister. Don't hold back."
"Just tell me what you want. No need to be polite here at Sixth Brother's place."
"I want milk tea, plum juice, fruit juice, and I want to eat grilled sausages, and also…"
Lin Ying listed more than twenty things in a row, and Lin Jiang agreed to all of them. He ordered the estate's servants to make them. These things were all copied from Lin Jiang's memory, but some had become completely different because he couldn't find the exact ingredients.
But these things still conquered Lin Ying's stomach, and even Lin Die's mouth was conquered too. Even the prestigious Foundation Building stage cultivators followed their little sister to come and eat. They thought the fun things here in Lin Jiang's were much better than the Lin family marketplace.
"Third Sister, eat with big bites, that's the way to enjoy it!"
Lin Ying lay sprawled on a blanket with a cup of milk tea beside her. With a tilt of her head, she could take a sip through a bamboo straw. In her hands, she held a dozen grilled sausages, eating one bite after another. A contrast to Lin Die, who looked more refined, sitting up straight and eating with small bites.
"It's okay to relax a little during cultivation, but Ninth Sister should not indulge too much and delay her progress."
"Hehe, understood, Third Sister. Let's not talk about that here with Sixth Brother."
"Sixth Brother, you have corrupted your little sister."
(Translated by Gravity Tales 😩)
"Nonsense, she came on her own. What do you mean I corrupted her? Third Sister, try the jerky I made. It's made from Silver Light Fish and it tastes delicious."
"You've been cultivating for fifteen years and only reached the second level of Qi Refining. It's a bit disappointing. You can try using the top-grade Wash Marrow Pill to cleanse your meridians. If possible, buy six pills and use one every ten days. It can greatly enhance your cultivation speed."
"Sixth Brother, Third Sister is right. Our family didn't have much money before, so they didn't arrange the cleansing of our meridians for us. But now, all the nephews in the family with Spiritual Roots receive this treatment. It's much better than before."
Lin Ying quickly said, "In recent years, the Lin family has become more prosperous, with increasing income. They treat their young descendants better and can use the Wash Marrow Pill to improve their constitution."
"I've written it down. I'll buy it when I have time."
Lin Jiang nodded, writing it down. He didn't mind having a higher cultivation. He already had nearly three thousand years of lifespan, longer than the Soul Changing Ancestor. But his cultivation level was too low. This secret must not be discovered. He needed some life-saving methods.
"No need to wait. Give me the spirit stones. I'm planning to go to Anhua City in a few days. They don't have top-grade Wash Marrow Pill in the Lin family's market, only Anhua City has it."
"That works too. How much does a Wash Marrow Pill cost?"
"A top-grade Wash Marrow Pill might cost five hundred spirit stones, but trust me, the higher-grade ones are much better than the lower-grade ones. They're definitely worth it."
"I don't have that many spirit stones."
"How many do you have?"
"Around fifteen hundred."
Lin Jiang said. He lived in Spiritual Peach Mountain, where he didn't have to spend money on food, clothing, shelter, or transportation. However, he needed spirit stones for cultivation, to purchase herbal medicine, and to maintain the mountain's formations. So he had saved one thousand five hundred spirit stones.
"Then it's one thousand five, I'll cover the rest for now, and you can pay me back later."
"Oh, that's really kind of you."
"I've eaten a lot of your food, and besides, we're siblings, so it's no big deal."
Lin Die shook her head, mainly because she had already reached the Foundation Building stage in her cultivation, which had greatly increased her income. If she were still in the Qi Refining stage, she wouldn't be able to come up with one thousand five hundred spirit stones.
"Sixth Brother, Third Sister, count me in with too. I'll support Sixth Brother with five hundred spirit stones."
"You don't have to do that, keep the spirit stones for yourself. It's important to quickly reach the Foundation Building stage. As our family grows larger, it will become more and more difficult to cultivate."
Lin Die shook her head. The population of the Lin family was growing rapidly. More and more of the second generation were getting married, and even the third generation had begun to have large-scale weddings. Although not every descendant had a Spiritual Root, the population of the Lin family was steadily increasing, almost like a population boom. It wouldn't be long before they had over a hundred people.
"Lin Ying, listen to Third Sister. Your Foundation Building stage is crucial. I currently have control over the revenue from Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. Within five years, I will be able to pay back the spirit stones to Third Sister."
Lin Jiang said to Lin Ying. They had been raising Colorful Pig and Silver Arrow Fish for more than two years. They were starting to produce and the income from Spiritual Peach Mountain would increase. Within five years, they would definitely be able to repay the money to Lin Die.
Chapter 6
Yun State, Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa.
After taking the tenth top-grade Wash Marrow Pill, Lin Jiang waited for the medicine to take effect. In his free time, he checked in with the system.
System Name: Lifespan Check-in System
Host: Lin Jiang
Lifespan: 26/2390
Looking at the remaining lifespan on the system, Lin Jiang was very satisfied. From what he knew, most cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage in the cultivation world could live for more than a hundred years. The Foundation Building Stage doubled their lifespan, reaching around two hundred years. Golden Core cultivators could live for five hundred years, and only Nascent Soul Ancestors could live for over a thousand years. Anyone over two thousand years old would be a powerful Soul Formation Ancestor, and Yun State didn't have such a powerful existence.
In other words, if Lin Jiang stayed safe without any accidents, he could live longer than a Soul Formation Ancestor.
"Immortality seems possible."
Lin Jiang sighed and thought, "With daily check-ins, how can I possibly use up my lifespan? The Lin family is unbeatable in terms of prolonging life, and not a single person in Yun State can match me."
"Oh no, here we go again."
In just a moment, the powerful effects of the top-grade Wash Marrow Pill kicked in. Lin Jiang's stomach started hurting badly, and he rushed to the restroom. It took him a whole half hour before he returned, covering his nose.
It's so stinky.
The top-grade Wash Marrow Pill helped cleanse the body, eliminating impurities through the intestines. That was why it smelled so bad. Lin Jiang almost got overwhelmed by his own poop.
"It's time for my morning training session. I'm really dedicated. I have to meditate for two hours."
Lin Jiang glanced at the time and realized it was time for his scheduled training. He exercised for two hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, and one hour in the evening. It was a total of five hours a day, which was quite tiring.
"Not bad. Lin Die didn't deceive me. These three thousand spirit stones were well-spent."
After two hours, Lin Jiang opened his eyes from meditation, having finished all six top-grade Wash Marrow Pills. They greatly helped him. Previously, two hours of meditation could only allow him to circulate his energy through one meridian. Now, he could do it through three, a 300% improvement in efficiency.
According to Lin Jiang's estimation, without using the top-grade Wash Marrow Pills, it would take him at least thirty years to reach the third level of Qi Refining. Now, he estimated it will take about ten years.
·······
It was time for the Lin family's annual family gathering. Their ancestral home was not big enough anymore. Compared to when Lin Jiang first attended nine years ago, the number of Lin family members had multiplied several times.
Lin Batian had worked hard throughout the years. He went from having nine sons and six daughters to now having fifteen sons and nine daughters. He even had two concubines who were pregnant, so there might be more brothers and sisters next year.
The second and third generation of the Lin family also had many marriages, further contributing to the growth of the family. As a result, the Lin family's end-of-year gathering had expanded to more than ten tables.
"Fifth brother, where did the Twelfth and Fourteenth go?"
Lin Jiang asked Lin Hai, who was by his side, why he couldn't see the twelfth and fourteenth brothers. They were there last year, they couldn't have died, right?
If they had died, why hadn't they invite him for the funeral?
"You only go home once a year, no wonder you don't know. Dad came up with a new rule this year. If you're twelve and haven't tested for Spiritual Root, you get kicked out of the family and become an ordinary member. Everyone behind you moves up. So now, Thirteenth Brother became Twelfth Brother."
Lin Hai glanced at Lin Jiang and couldn't help but feel a little envious. Lin Jiang had the freedom to guard a manor all by himself and live carefree.
"Oh, I see."
Upon hearing this, Lin Jiang sighed. The cultivation world truly was cruel. Without Spiritual Root, they didn't even have the qualifications to attend family gatherings. The future would surely be difficult.
"If I ever get married, I must marry a cultivator, not an ordinary person."
Lin Hai explained earnestly, "When cultivators marry each other, the probability of their children having Spiritual Root is very high. Just like our father, Lin Batian, all his concubines are cultivators. Now, out of their twenty-plus children, seventeen have tested positive for Spiritual Root. The probability is quite high."
In the second and third generations, some people married ordinary women and had several children who didn't possess Spiritual Root. Now, the Lin family had established a new rule. They didn't even have the qualifications to live at the mountain gate and had to be sent to some manors. They might have no worries about food and drink, but they had no social status.
"What Fifth Brother said is correct."
Lin Jiang casually agreed. It was impossible for him to get married. Women would only affect his cultivation speed. Besides, wasn't it sweeter to spend a little money and have a one-hour date? As long as your wallet and waist could handle it, you could have a different love affair every day, super sweet.
"Ahem, Sixth Brother, listen to Father's words."
After a while, Lin Hai coughed to remind Lin Jiang to be careful, not just bury his head in eating and anger the old master, and get punished again.
Lin Jiang nodded and stopped eating. As a Level 2 Qi Refining cultivator, he couldn't eat much. It wasn't that he couldn't handle it, but all the food today had spiritual energy. If he ate too much, he could easily explode and die. If he died from eating, he wouldn't live up to the system.
"Eldest Brother, Second Brother, you need to work hard this year. This is probably your last chance. Learn more from Third Brother..."
Lin Batian said to Eldest Brother Lin Shan and Second Brother Lin He with some sorrow. Eldest Brother Lin Shan was already fifty-seven, and Second Brother Lin He was fifty-five as well.
They reached the peak of Level 10 Qi Refining a few years ago, and still were. They had also taken a Foundation Building Pill once in these years, but they failed to break through. If they didn't make a breakthrough this year, they might not have a chance to achieve Foundation Building Stage.
"Fifth Brother, why did Father say that this year is the last chance for Eldest Brother and Second Brother?"
"Don't you usually read books?"
"No, I don't read. Why bother with that stuff?"
"You- forget it, let me explain to you. There's a saying that the breakthrough from Qi Refining Stage to the Foundation Building Stage has a limit of sixty years. It means that if you don't break through before sixty, it's basically hopeless to achieve the Foundation Building in this lifetime. Because after sixty, even if you use a lot of elixirs, your vitality will decline, and the effect of the Foundation Building Pill will be greatly reduced."
"Isn't the eldest brother only fifty-seven? There are still three years!"
"What do you know? One Foundation Building Pill is worth nearly twenty thousand spirit stones. It can't be taken casually. Our eldest brother and the second brother have already used it once, so technically they are not eligible to use it again. But our father is giving them a chance because of their hard work in managing the family for many years, even if they don't have extraordinary achievements."
"And it's very harmful to the body if the breakthrough fails after taking the Foundation Building Pill. It often takes three to five years to recuperate. If you forcefully take it twice in a row, it's a matter of life and death, you know?"
"I understand, I understand. Thank you, Fifth Brother, for your guidance."
Lin Jiang replied repeatedly. If that was the case, then the eldest brother and the second brother didn't have much time left. But Lin Jiang didn't think this would apply to him. He could live for over two thousand years now, so it would take at least another one or two thousand years for his vitality to decline. So he wasn't worried.
"Our family's Library Pavilion has many books on cultivating immortality. Take some time to read them. It will be beneficial for you."
"Yes, Fifth Brother. After I finish eating, I will go and borrow them."
Lin Jiang nodded. It seemed that he really needed to read those books. It was embarrassing to have practiced cultivation for over a decade and still be a beginner.
Lin Batian taught the oldest and the second-born, but didn't say much more and didn't scold Lin Jiang. After all, there were too many children to handle, so he had no choice but to become an invisible person.
After the dinner ended, the Lin family members dispersed in groups. The Lin family's territory was not small, and the grown-up children were sent to various places to guard and work. They didn't often see each other, so the end-of-year family gathering was a good time for everyone to come together.
Lin Ying happily ran up to Lin Jiang. She didn't have a good relationship with her other siblings. The age difference between the oldest and the second-born was too big, and she thought her younger siblings were too childish. So, besides her own brother Lin Jiang, she got along well with Lin Die.
"Third Sister, this is this year's spirit stone, 300 pieces."
Lin Jiang brought Lin Ying to find Lin Die and handed over most of this year's income to her. This was to repay a debt.
"I don't need the spirit stone. You use it first and work harder in your cultivation."
Lin Die shook her head. She was the first in the second generation of the Lin family to reach the Foundation Building stage. Lin Batian favored her and fully supported her. Plus, her mother had considerable personal wealth, so she didn't lack spirit stones.
"Even so, I have to pay it. If I owe something, I have to repay it. That's the rule."
"Sixth Brother, it seems like you didn't listen to Dad just now. You're already twenty-seven after the Lunar New Year. How many years are left until the sixty-year limit? You're only at the second level of Qi Refining. Use this spirit stone to buy Qi Gathering Pills."
Lin Die felt a bit depressed. Among her siblings, her relationship with others was ordinary, but she often went to Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa with Lin Ying, so her relationship with Lin Jiang was good. She truly hoped that Lin Jiang could break through to the Foundation Building Stage.
"Brother, I think Third Sister is right."
"Nonsense! Being sixty years old and not breaking through to the Foundation Building Stage is not the end of the world. Besides, spirit stones can be earned again. In a few years, my income from the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa will still grow."
Lin Jiang shook his head and directly placed the spirit stone in Lin Die's hand. He wasn't in the habit of owing others. Being debt-free makes one sleep well at night and enjoy meals.
After giving Lin Die the spirit stone, Lin Jiang grabbed Lin Ying and ran, not giving her a chance to regret. It was time to pay respects to dear mother. Dear mother had been good to him, and Lin Jiang never forgot his gratitude. He always fulfilled his filial duties.
As for this novel itself, it started with an ordinary xianxia background but as times went by, the world changed and science developed. Mortals became stronger and stronger, and cultivators had to find their position in the world. No harem, no idiots in the story. It took me a month to finish reading this story and it can be ranked as one of the top ten xianxia novels I have read. Continue reading and I believe you will enjoy it!
(Translated by Gravity Tales 😩)
Chapter 7
Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa
"Boom"
At the loud noise, the laborers working in the fields anxiously looked up and scanned their surroundings, while the estate guards hurried toward the manor.
Lin Jiang was awakened by the loud noise, and he got up with an angry shout.
"Lin Baohua, what the heck are you doing?"
After shouting, he immediately jumped out of bed and rushed towards a nearby building. When Lin Jiang arrived, there were already guards there, dragging a boy out of a smoking house.
At first, the boy was scared silly, but then he struggled and tried to rush towards the smoking house, shouting, "My Pill Furnace, my elixirs, don't stop me!"
Seeing this, Lin Jiang approached and slapped him, knocking him down to the ground, and asked, "What are you doing? Do you want to blow up my Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa?"
"Sixth Uncle, my Pill Furnace, wu wu, my elixirs."
The boy burst into tears immediately, extremely sad, making Lin Jiang shake his head.
This was a pitiful child named Lin Baohua, son of Eldest Brother Lin Shan, fifteen years old. Three years ago, it was discovered that he didn't possess any Spiritual Roots--destined to be an ordinary person.
However, Lin Baohua was unwilling to accept his fate. He somehow found out about a miraculous pill called the Wisdom Arousing Pill, which could help ordinary people without Spiritual Roots awaken their Spiritual Roots. He had been tirelessly practicing alchemy.
Inside the mountain gate, as if he was under a spell -even though he didn't have any special abilities- he asked everyone for advice on alchemy. That was why Lin Shan sent him to Lin Jiang. Lin Shan had only one condition - don't let Lin Baohua starve to death.
Lin Jiang also thought that no one would starve under his care, so he didn't think too much and let Lin Baohua stay. Who could have imagined that he could cause all this trouble?
(Translated by Gravity Tales 😖)
"Young master, what should we do?"
"Take him outside to clear his head, check if there's a fire, and put it out if there is."
Lin Jiang waved his hand, and a few guards took Lin Baohua out to calm down. Other guards checked the room, but there was no fire, just an exploded Pill Furnace.
An hour later, the guards brought Lin Baohua back. He wasn't as agitated now. He bowed deeply to Lin Jiang and said, "Sixth Uncle, I've been rude earlier. Please forgive me."
"It's alright. Just don't cause any more trouble in the future. I know about the Wisdom Arousing Pill. It's a sixth-grade pill. Do you know what sixth-grade means? In theory, only a Soul Changing Ancestor can refine it. But our father is only at the Golden Core Period. There's not a single Soul Changing Ancestor in the whole Yun State."
Lin Jiang spoke, "The sixth-grade Wisdom Arousing Pill is a legendary thing. It doesn't even exist in the Yun State. It's simply a foolish fantasy for an ordinary person to try and create a Wisdom Arousing Pill."
"Sixth Uncle····"
Lin Baohua had a sad face and looked like he was going to cry. Lin Jiang suddenly felt a headache. No wonder he couldn't stay at the gate anymore. This temperament was not good.
"Even if you call me Sixth Uncle, I am just a low-level cultivator at the Qi Refining Stage 2."
Lin Jiang directly covered his mouth. If he could live for tens of thousands of years, when Lin Jiang reached the Soul Formation Stage, he can help him refine a Wisdom Arousing Pill. But for now, Lin Jiang was powerless.
Lin Jiang signaled the guard, who understood and took Lin Baohua away, so as not to be in the way.
A month later, Lin Ying brought Lin Die to mooch food and drinks again. Lin Baohua appeared once more and this time he chose to pester Lin Die. At first, he wanted to discuss alchemy with her, but when he found out that Lin Die didn't know how to do alchemy, he wanted to ask her which alchemist was powerful and wanted to become their apprentice.
This annoyed Lin Die as well, and in the end, Lin Jiang had the guard forcibly remove him; out of sight and out of mind.
"Poor Baohua, his mother is just a mortal. She dreams of giving birth to a child with a Spiritual Root. But alas..."
"Spiritual Root is innate and cannot be changed. Our aunties are cultivators, and yet some of them have siblings without Spiritual Root, right?"
"Yes, that's why he is pitiful. He was born into a family of cultivators, so he has these desires."
Lin Ying and Lin Die watched as Lin Baohua walked away, continuously talking to each other. Now there were more and more members of the Lin family, more and more cultivators, and more and more ordinary people. Even though they all shared the same sky, it felt like they were living in two different worlds.
Lin Jiang didn't care about this. He himself was just a small shrimp at the second stage of Qi Refining, unable to change anything. Besides, he saw many ordinary people in this world. Who said that ordinary people must be unhappy? It was better to accept reality and live a happy life.
In this respect, Lin Baohua was also lucky. With the support of the Lin family, he would never have to worry about food and drink for the rest of his life. The starting point for him was already the end point for most ordinary people.
"I heard that the father has given names to the younger generations, right?"
Lin Jiang changed the subject, no longer talking about Lin Baohua, so as not to ruin the atmosphere. He wanted to say something cheerful.
"Yeah, it's been decided. Starting from Bao Hua's generation, the given names for the next fifteen generations will be Bao, Chang, Chao, Cheng, Cun, Ding, Dong, Fu, Gong, Guan, Guang, Guo, Han, Hong, Hua."
"What about the people before that? Isn't the eldest brother already having several children?"
"They will change their names. Lin Ke Wen is now called Lin Bao Wen."
"That works too. Fifteen generations will last a long time."
"It can last a long time, because Dad gave an order to split the family tree into two books, one for immortals and one for ordinary people. People without Spiritual Root can only be recorded in the book for ordinary people, and they can't use their own names. Lin Baohua is over by the mountain gate, not only being removed from the family tree, but also being called Lin Hua instead of Lin Baohua."
"Is it really so cruel? Dad doesn't show any father-son affection at all?"
Lin Jiang sighed, this was really too cruel. Lin Batian also had several sons without Spiritual Root. Did that mean there was no love without Spiritual Root?
Now he finally understood Lin Baohua's obsession. If he, Lin Jiang, had grown up in this environment, he would have been obsessed too.
"It is cruel, but Dad has no choice. Now we Lin family members have already exceeded a hundred people. We need to concentrate our resources and prioritize taking care of the family members with better aptitude. Only by doing this can we protect the family. All the families in Yun State do the same."
"Sixth Brother, you've been living peacefully at Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa all these years. Do you know how it happened? It's all thanks to the protection of our family. Otherwise, the thieves from outside would have completely raided Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa."
"So you should work harder on your cultivation. Our Lin family has been in Yun State for only fifty to sixty years. Dad has established such a vast territory and offended many people. Without advanced cultivation, how can you protect your spouse and children..."
"Cough, understood, Third Sister."
Lin Jiang helplessly sighed. Here went Third Sister again. She was great in every other way, but a tad bit too talkative, just like an old lady, always seizing the opportunity to educate him.
"Don't think Third Sister is annoying, it's the truth. Our family is now relying solely on Dad. I'm the only one in the Lin family who is building the foundation. After building the foundation, I understood the difficulties Dad faces."
Lin Die looked serious. After establishing her foundation, Lin Batian loved her very much and allowed her to have some power in the family. She realized how many external threats the Lin family had. Lin Batian had been conquering and expanding the family's territory for years while also angering many cultivators. There were countless people who wanted the Lin family to be destroyed.
"I understand. I can't rely on it anymore, Lin Ying. You need to work harder."
Lin Jiang nodded. Even if he worked all day, it was useless. He had the weakest Five Spiritual Roots, which meant his cultivation speed would be slow. It would be better to rely on Lin Ying instead.
"Third Sister, I will work hard. In at most two, no, three years, I will be able to build the foundation."
Lin Ying raised her little fist and said firmly. After spending a long time with Lin Die, she had also been influenced by her. She deeply felt the heavy responsibility of her family. In the future, she would bear the burden of protecting her family.
Lin Die shook her head in disappointment at Lin Jiang, her Sixth Brother. He truly was slow to understand, unresponsive no matter what she said, just like a dried fish. But when she carefully thought about Sixth Brother's inner potential, she let out a silent sigh.
Nevermind, nevermind, forget about it. Thinking too much will make you age faster.
Lin Jiang noticed Lin Die's change in expression and understood her current emotions. But he didn't explain too much. He remembered the kindness and protection of the Lin family. He believed that no matter how long it took, whether it was thousands or tens of thousands of years, he would definitely be able to build the foundation and form a Nascent Soul. When he became strong, he would naturally be able to protect them.
Chapter 8
Time flew by, in the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.
In these ten years, the Lin family had experienced many stories. Lin Batian's thirty-fifth child had been born. After Lin Die, two other members of the Lin family, Lin He (the second oldest) and Lin Ying (the tenth oldest), had advanced to the Foundation Building Stage. However, the eldest brother, Lin Shan, has failed in his efforts and was still stuck at the tenth level of Qi Refining.
In these ten years, Lin Batian had stopped expanding the Lin family's territory and focused on stabilizing the existing land. As a result, the Lin family had prospered even more. The number of Lin family cultivators had exceeded fifty, and they had become a rising star family in the southwest of Yun State.
Finally, Lin Jiang had reached the third level of Qi Refining at the age of 36. This was not remarkable in the Lin family, nor was it remarkable anywhere else. It was considered a poor achievement.
But Lin Jiang was very happy. The progress in his cultivation had brought him enhanced power, giving him a pleasurable feeling.
There had also been significant changes at the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. The number of tenants had increased from over a hundred to almost two hundred households. With more manpower, Lin Jiang could better manage the villa. He had also raised more Silver Light Fish, Silver Arrow Fish, Colorful Pigs, and Iron-backed Pigs. The annual income of the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa had now exceeded five hundred spirit stones.
Lin Baohua, who lived at the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa, seemed to have accepted his fate and no longer obsessed over refining the Wisdom Arousing Pill to awaken his Spiritual Root. Instead, he had gotten married and had children at the villa. He helped Lin Jiang manage the estate and placed his hopes for cultivation in the next generation.
······
"Feels so good!"
In the sky, Lin Jiang grabbed Lin Ying's shoulder and shouted loudly as they flew on their sword, it seemed like a wonderful thing.
But this made Lin Ying roll her eyes in annoyance. She could fly on her own sword with her four levels of Qi Refining, but her brother only had three levels. Now she had to carry him, how embarrassing.
Lin Die on the side shook her head in disbelief and decided not to look at her embarrassing little brother. She just focused on the journey ahead.
Yun State's Anhua City was about thousands of miles away from Lin family's territory. It took about two days for a cultivator at the Foundation Building Stage to travel there. Currently, Lin Die and Lin Ying were taking Lin Jiang to Anhua City.
These years, Lin Jiang had been staying in one place, and Lin Ying and Lin Die have became tired of the many delicious foods. They had gradually reduced their visits to the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. Lin Jiang also wanted to go out and explore, so he begged Lin Ying to take him along. Otherwise, with Lin Jiang's cultivation, it would take him at least half a month to get there, and there may be many dangers along the way. It was akin to sending a little shrimp at the level 3 of Qi Refining out to the bandits.
After enduring two days of sleeping outdoors, the three finally arrived at the famous Anhua City. Lin Jiang looked at the city, which resembled a giant dragon lying on the ground, and he felt amazed. Such a huge city is rare, even in modern society.
"It's amazing, isn't it? I was also amazed when I first came here. There are as many cultivators here as there are grains of rice."
"Qi Refining is everywhere, while Building Foundation is as common as dogs."
"Phew, phew, phew, you're the dog, should be walking everywhere with a Building Foundation, not worth a penny compared to a dog in Qi Refining."
(Translated by Gravity Tales 😘)
Lin Ying was so angry that she wanted to throw Lin Jiang down; how dare he spoke like that, calling her sister worse than a dog?
Lin Jiang smirked without retorting, because it was true. In Anhua City, the Foundation Building Stage was not valuable, there were more people than dogs, and there were more people in the Qi Refining Stage than in the Foundation Building Stage. Wasn't that just the same as being worse than a dog in the Foundation Building Stage?
Flying was not allowed in Anhua City. The three of them landed outside the city and each paid a spirit stone as an entrance fee. They walked into Anhua City.
Lin Die had been to Anhua City many times before, so she led the two of them to the Lin family's business in Anhua City, which was a small shop.
"Third sister, sixth brother, tenth brother."
Second brother Lin He saw the three of them and immediately showed a smile. It was rare to see someone from the Lin family in Anhua City, so he was very happy, as it was like meeting an acquaintance from his hometown.
"second elder brother"
"Hello, second elder brother."
Three people greeted each other. Lin He had been in Anhua City for many years. The Lin family's business in Anhua City was an important base. They sold resources produced by the Lin family and bought things that the Lin family needed, playing an irreplaceable role.
Lin He asked the three people what they were here for. Lin Die and Lin Ying were here to buy medicine. The medicine for those in the Qi Refining Stage was called Qi Gathering Pill, which could be bought in the Lin family's market. However, the medicine for those in the Foundation Building Stage called True Spirit Pill was hard to find in the market, and the quality was poor. It had too many impurities, which was not good for cultivators. So, Lin Die would come to Anhua City to buy medicine from time to time.
As for Lin Jiang, he came to broaden his horizons. This was the first time the inexperienced Lin Jiang had left the Lin family's territory.
Lin He enthusiastically introduced Lin Jiang to the many shops in Anhua City. There were many resources needed by cultivators, and each shop had its own specialty. People who didn't know would have no idea how to shop.
The front and back of the Lin family's shop was spacious. The trio decided to stay there and save money on an inn. After settling in, they made a plan to go shopping together.
Anhua City was packed with people. The streets were bustling with crowds, and the shops lined up one after another. There were medicine stores, spiritual herb stores, spiritual talisman stores, clothing stores, restaurants, and inns, offering everything you could imagine.
"This is the grand marketplace where you can eat, drink, and have fun. But little brother, don't buy cultivation items from the stalls or hope for a bargain. The cultivators here are all experienced and have a keen eye. They won't give you a chance for a bargain. Anything that seems like a deal is definitely a scam."
Lin Die pointed at the roadside stalls, where many cultivators spread out a piece of cloth to set up their stalls. They sold all kinds of medicine, spiritual talismans, spiritual herbs, and even broken magic weapons or incomplete treasure maps.
But most of these items are junk, trash, or scams. Skilled alchemists wouldn't set up stalls here. They were treated as honored guests in various shops. Precious spiritual herbs wouldn't be left for ordinary cultivators to find. As for treasure maps and the like, if you really went searching for them, you might end up being robbed by ruthless bandits.
"Third Sister, I'm not a beginner, why would I believe this?"
Lin Jiang was immediately convinced by Lin Die's words and put away his main character halo, even though it seemed like he didn't have one.
Lin Die, as the oldest of the three, introduced Lin Jiang and Lin Ying to many aspects of Anhua City, including various unbelievable scams. She advised them to stay true to themselves and not be greedy, so they could avoid more than ninety percent of the scams.
There were too many vendors at the big market, selling all kinds of things, including various snacks. Lin Jiang was never stingy when it came to food. After walking down the street, the three of them had dozens of different kinds of snacks in their hands, and Lin Ying's mouth never stopped.
"My brother is always the best to me."
Lin Ying said happily. Even though she had already reached the Foundation Building Stage, she would always be the little sister in Lin Jiang's eyes.
Lin Die felt a bit sad about this. Her own older brother was Lin Shan, but they were over twenty years apart. They didn't have the typical sibling bond and their relationship was similar to that of ordinary siblings. She admired Lin Ying for that because whenever it was, Lin Jiang would always dote on her.
The next morning, Lin Die took the two of them to familiar shops to buy things. Lin Die told them that when she came to Anhua City, she mostly relied on familiar shops, not for cheaper prices but for reliability. If they went to unfamiliar shops rashly, they could easily be deceived, and some shops even had thieves hidden behind them. Once they left the city, they would be easily ambushed and killed.
"Greetings to Senior Lin."
They entered a shop called Duobao Pavilion. The shop assistant saw Lin Die and immediately smiled. He led the three people to a private room and treated them like important guests.
The shop assistant served tea and soon a steward came over. The steward exchanged pleasantries with Lin Die and then asked her what she needed this time. Lin Die listed the things she needed.
Lin Die needed True Spirit Pills for her training, a few second-level spiritual talismans, and some healing and energy-replenishing pills. She spent over four thousand spirit stones like this.
"Tenth Sister, if you need anything, you can buy it here. I'm familiar with Duobao Pavilion, and I have a Duobao Token, which gives me a certain discount."
Lin Die told Lin Ying that Duobao Pavilion was one of the top businesses in Anhua City and had a great reputation in Yun State. It was safer to buy things here.
Lin Ying nodded and also listed the things she needed, mostly True Spirit Pills. She also bought a flying sword and spent a few thousand spirit stones.
"What about you, Sixth Brother?"
"Of course I'm also going to buy something."
"What do you need?"
"A soft armor, a flying sword that focuses on speed, a set of silver needles used for techniques."
"Why did you buy these? It would be better to concentrate our resources and buy some Qi Gathering Pills. The Qi Gathering Pills from Duobao Pavilion are very famous, with a better quality than those in the Lin family market by about 30-40%."
Lin Die was dumbfounded, wondering why Sixth Brother had such a strange request. Why not buy some elixirs to improve their cultivation?
"Buying these is for self-preservation. We should also buy some elixirs. Just buy some at random."
Lin Jiang said firmly, "Of course we are thinking about self-preservation. I researched all night yesterday and finally decided on these three life-saving items."
The soft armor could be worn for strong defense. It was for protection. The flying sword that focused on speed was for escaping. The silver needles were used for sneaky attacks. In summary, they were all for survival in dangerous situations.
"Self-preservation? You stay in the mountain villa all year round. What do you need to preserve?"
Lin Die was dumbfounded. With your nature as a shut-in, do you really need to think about preserving yourself?
"Who knows? Maybe I'll get excited one day and go out to have some fun. There are so many people killing and stealing treasures out there. We must have some means of self-preservation, Third Sister. It's decided."
Lin Jiang said in a careless manner, "What does it mean to stay in the villa? I am like a hidden dragon in the abyss, in hiding. Besides, is it safe at home? What if there are robbers who are reckless?"
"Shopkeeper, could you please bring out the corresponding treasures to have a look at?"
"Sure."
The steward of Duobao Pavilion also smiled silently. This little taoist friend valued his life a lot. He already knew the importance of self-preservation at the third level of Qi Refining.
Soon, the shop assistant brought out the corresponding treasures. There was a soft armor made of silk from silkworms, a medium-grade magical weapon, capable of withstanding three full-force attacks from a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining. There was also a silver flying sword, slender in its blade, which could increase speed by thirty percent compared to others with the same cultivation level. Lastly, there was also a set of silver needle magical weapons, as thin as cow hair, with the ability to shield one's divine consciousness. They were best suited for stealthy sneak attacks.
"The discount price for the soft armor is 4,500 spirit stones, 2,000 spirit stones for the flying sword, and 1,500 spirit stones for the silver needle magical weapons. With Taoist Friend Lin Die's Duobao Token, the total amount is 4,500 spirit stones."
"Here are 5,000 spirit stones. Keep the remaining 500 spirit stones and exchange them for Qi Gathering Pills for me."
Lin Jiang took out 5,000 spirit stones, which were his savings for many years. Besides the monthly salary from his family, only a few spirit stones were left. Plus, the money his mother saved and gave him each year, it all ended up here.
"Lin Ying, don't you want to persuade your brother?"
"I don't need to persuade, I think my older brother is doing the right thing. As long as he can save his life, he doesn't need to fight or kill others, and I don't want to come either."
Lin Ying shook her head. She knew her brother's talent. Eating more Qi Gathering Pills wouldn't be of much use. It would be better to spend money to arm himself and prioritize his own life when faced with danger.
Lin Die was speechless when she heard this. If the siblings didn't take spirit stones seriously, why should she be concerned about them?