Time elapsed, and ten days swiftly passed.
Atop a mountain peak, a cultivator in blue robes stood, with a giant bird several meters tall standing quietly behind him.
Having ingested two Lingshen Pills and one Consolidating Essence Pill, the Purple Gold Eagle's injuries had partially healed, with the wounds on its wings mended, now capable of normal flight. However, it couldn't fly too fast, or else it risked leaving behind hidden complications, detrimental to future advancement.
During the ten days at this place, while the Purple Gold Eagle was recovering, Lin Tianming was busy elsewhere, appearing in a small mountain valley.
The valley was surrounded by several mountains, with a river flowing through at the bottom and dense fog swirling around. Pine forests stretched like a sea, and the scenery was simply breathtaking.
Lin Tianming buried the remains of the cave mansion's owner, fulfilling a long-standing wish.
Having waited in this place for ten days, it was time to return to Qingfeng Town. It had been nearly two months since he had ventured into the Purple Cloud Mountain Range to find the cave mansion, and ten months since he arrived at Qingfeng Town. With only two more months left, he could return to Green Bamboo Mountain to visit his family.
In these ten months, Lin Tianming had been continuously busy—not only had he successfully located the cave mansion ruins, but he also plundered a variety of Spiritual Medicines from it, found a complete Cultivation Technique, and a multicolored stone of unknown purpose.
Previously, he had also killed the Red Robe Cultivator and acquired the Profound Grade Technique and the legacy of a Third Order Alchemy Master from the man surnamed Jin, reaping great rewards.
Carrying such wealth, Lin Tianming was quite concerned that if he died or lost it, the loss would be tremendous for the Lin Family.
But since there were only two months left in the year, he decided to wait a bit longer.
Once he returned to the Lin Family, he planned to immediately hand over the Profound Grade Technique and the Third Order Alchemy Master's legacy. He also needed to submit a portion of the Hidden Spirit Grass, the main ingredient for the Minor Foundation Building Pill, and in return, he should receive a considerable amount of virtue within the family.
Since the inception of the Lin Family, there were only two Cultivation Techniques available. The rest had been accumulated over hundreds of years, with some being purchased and others obtained fortuitously. Every single technique was hard-earned, leading to the family's current status.
The Minor Foundation Building Pill was a Second Order elixir. Currently, just a First Order Medium Grade Alchemist, he was far from being able to refine Second Order Pills. It was unlikely that his family could refine them either. How to turn them into elixirs would be a matter for the elders to discuss. However, those concerns were beyond his purview.
While the Lin Family did not enforce the submission of any treasures found by their members abroad, and the compensation they offered was far less than selling those items independently,
as a member of the family, one can't be excessively selfish. Techniques and legacies are the foundation of cultivation. It's better to submit them to the family to boost the strength of many family members and enhance the family's heritage.
Every cultivator in the Lin Family, upon discovering their Spiritual Root in the first year, is guided in cultivation by the elders of the Skill Transmission Hall. This accelerates the newcomer's understanding of the path of cultivation and instills a sense of belonging and identity towards the family.
You must know, the first lesson upon entering the Skill Transmission Hall is to memorize the eight centuries of the Lin Family's history, bearing the influential ancestors of each era in mind and remembering the family's tribulations during its moments of crisis.
To be prepared in times of peace is what allows a family to thrive perpetually.
The family's foundational education provides the initial cultivation resources to its members, facilitating faster cultivation and instilling a greater sense of unity and selflessness within Lin Family members. That is the difference between a family and a Loose Cultivator.
You must know that it's much harder for Loose Cultivators, who start cultivation without any knowledge of the Dao, without techniques, and without resources, relying solely on their personal exploration and resource-finding. Their efficiency is far lower compared to family clans.
In the Cultivation World, most Loose Cultivators undergo many life-and-death trials. Those who survive are strong, and high-order Loose Cultivators abound, with a significant number of them being powerful figures.
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Rumors say that in Yunzhou and Xuanzhou, there are even a few Loose Cultivators in the Divinity Transformation Stage, each of whom is a super powerful figure seated in their own territory, famous and commendable. It is uncertain whether these rumors are true or false.
Withdrawing his wandering thoughts from beyond the heavens, Lin Tianming jumped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle. After settling down, the Purple Gold Eagle flapped its massive wings, circling over Qingfeng Town at an incredible speed.
As the fierce wind blew past his ears during the flight, Lin Tianming couldn't help but sigh. Covering a hundred miles by himself using Sword Flight would take at least half a day, yet the Purple Gold Eagle only took two hours, more than doubling the speed.
After spending half a day patrolling the hundred-mile radius around Qingfeng Town, and having killed most of the Mortal Beasts during the last patrol, there were few beasts left in the entire area. Finding no abnormalities while circling around, he returned to Qingfeng Town.
When the Purple Gold Eagle appeared in the square of Qingfeng Town, a great number of mortals were terrified, scattering and running away, causing a stampede incident.
There were also some bold mortals who stayed to watch the excitement, even making a spectacle of discussing it animatedly.
Suddenly, Lin Tianming's voice echoed throughout the entire town of Qingfeng Town.
"Everyone, there's no need to panic. This beast is my spiritual mount and has been subdued by me. It will not harm you!"
After speaking, he no longer paid attention to the expressions of the crowd, fed two Lingshen Pills to the Purple Gold Eagle, and issued a command to it. He then turned and entered the great hall, leaving only the Purple Gold Eagle in the square, which soon lay down and fell asleep, digesting the power of the medicine.
The members of the Clan were curiously watching the Purple Gold Eagle, as if they were looking at some rare treasure. After all, such a large bird was something most mortals would never see in their lifetimes, truly a rare spectacle.
From time to time, an elder would speak astonishing words:
"Ten days ago, this old man personally witnessed the entire process of a Lin Family immortal battling this beast. I saw the immortal conjure a huge sword made of flames, cutting a sword wound a meter long in the wing of the beast, causing it to fall straight from the sky and crash into the ground, creating a huge pit, nearly killing the creature on the spot!"
The elder's words sparked an uproar in the crowd.
Suddenly, a large number of mortals crazily gathered around the elder, asking him to recount the entire process.
The elder spoke passionately and exaggeratedly about what he had seen and heard, praising Lin Tianming to the skies.
All the people listened intently, with expressions of worship on their faces.
Inside the great hall, Lin Tianming was seated on a cushion.
In the ten months since he left Green Bamboo Mountain, his cultivation had reached the peak of the Sixth Level of Qi Refining. With dedicated practice for some time, he could steadily make a breakthrough.
With two months left in the year, the time was neither long nor short. He still could not check the Cultivation Technique Jade Cylinder received from the Red Robe Cultivator, so he decided to practice and aim to elevate his cultivation to the Seventh Level of Qi Refining first.
Having said that, Lin Tianming began to meditate and breathe regulation. Half a quarter hour later, he took out a Lingshen Pill and swallowed it.
He controlled the immense spiritual power of the Lingshen Pill, repeatedly striking at the Seven Sea Dantian.
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