The blazing sun shone mercilessly, roasting the earth without a hint of compassion.
In the valley, a young man in green robes was forming hand seals and casting spells, as a sword array made up of spirit swords wreaked havoc, leaving no corner untouched.
The entire valley was now riddled with gaping wounds; swathes of forests and vegetation had fallen in great patches, and hundreds of boulders had been shattered to gravel. The valley had endured great devastation, lying in disarray.
Fortunately, due to the spiritual energy of this world, it possesses astonishing resilience and creativity.
The current sorry state of the valley would, in less than half a year, be once again covered by vegetation – one cannot help but marvel at the sheer wonder of nature.
Lin Tianming had been cultivating the sword array here for nearly half a month, and time had flown by swiftly, marking almost a year since he left the Lin Family's residence at Green Bamboo Mountain.
In the span of a year, Lin Tianming had grown considerably, not just in terms of cultivation but also in his spiritual refinement.
Before this, Lin Tianming had never been away from the family's residence for such a long time, away from his family's watchful eyes.
Now, Lin Tianming was cultivating alone, and he bore the safety of over a hundred thousand mortals on his shoulders. From a fledgling, he had grown to fly on his own; though he didn't fly high or far, he had taken his first step, which was no easy feat.
With time pressing, Lin Tianming had made significant progress with his day and night practices over the past half month.
From taking three breaths to form a complete sword array initially, to now being able to cast it smoothly within half a breath, and greatly enhancing its attacking power, his improvement was undeniable.
Apart from Lin Tianming's diligent effort, the Purple Gold Eagle also played a huge role.
The Purple Gold Eagle, with more than a dozen wounds on its body, hung its head dejectedly, its spirit subdued, looking thoroughly tormented.
For over ten days, the Purple Gold Eagle had been used by Lin Tianming as a sparring partner. In the beginning, relying on its speed, the eagle would fly unopposed over his head, occasionally even taunting him.
But in the last few days, with Lin Tianming giving his all, the eagle had found it increasingly difficult to escape. Each time it was trapped, it was left disheveled and pitiful after being beaten.
Seeing the Purple Gold Eagle's downtrodden appearance, Lin Tianming couldn't help but laugh heartily, feeling extremely refreshed. He took a piece of the Spirit-Connecting Python's body from his storage bag and threw it to the eagle.
The Purple Gold Eagle didn't hesitate, biting into it immediately. Sustaining injuries was somewhat compensated, and it quickly forgot its sense of loss.
Through rigorous practice, the Earth Fiend Sword Formation had reached the Minor Achievement Realm. This gave Lin Tianming an added layer of protection in battles, ensuring he was not completely defenseless.
Lin Tianming, satisfied with the fruits of his grueling cultivation, decided to take a break from practicing and prepare for his return to Green Bamboo Mountain.
The man and the bird, after a brief rest, soared into the sky, circling Qingfeng Town to survey the surroundings.
A return journey home would also take close to a month, and it was necessary to inspect the area.
As dusk approached, Lin Tianming stood with his hands behind his back in the plaza before the grand hall. After surveying the surroundings of Qingfeng Town and clearing some wild beasts, he and the creature returned to Qingfeng Town.
Lin Shan, responsible for awaiting tasks, stood by respectfully.
Lin Tianming instructed,
"The time for my one-year familial visit has arrived. I will depart tomorrow to return to Green Bamboo Mountain. The journey will take at least half a month, and at most one month. I have also cleared all of the mortal beasts within a hundred li from the town, so there should be no danger."
Lin Shan, overjoyed, also sincerely thanked Lin Tianming on behalf of the people of Qingfeng Town for his protection, ensuring that the town had enjoyed a peaceful year with few mortal casualties.
Before Lin Tianming took charge of Qingfeng Town, perhaps the clan members assigned to this task were not as responsible, or maybe they did not have as high a cultivation level as him.
Thus, every year more than a few mortals would die at the maws of beasts, and there had even been instances where hundreds of mortals perished.
After giving instructions for his departure, Lin Tianming left, leaving Lin Shan standing by the side.
Lin Tianming entered the loft's grand hall, while the Purple Gold Eagle perched on top of the loft, entering a brief slumber.
Inside the loft's room, Lin Tianming lay on the stone bed, finally able to relax his tense nerves.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the faint sound of breathing could be heard as Lin Tianming fell into a deep sleep.
For half a month, he had been cultivating his Technique Divine Power day and night, only resting normally for three nights. With the immense consumption of divine sense and spiritual power, he was already extremely weary.
Now he could finally sleep peacefully. Without realizing, he slipped into a dreamland.
The next morning, a slight breeze blew through the window sill into the room.
Lin Tianming slowly opened his eyes and stretched luxuriously, feeling refreshed after a night of deep sleep, having reached an optimal state of vitality and spirit.
During the tranquil and serene early morning.
While most of the mortal people were still in deep slumber, Lin Tianming leaped onto the back of the Purple Gold Eagle and headed west, silently disappearing into the horizon.
Sitting on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, Lin Tianming was thrilled and kept urging the eagle to fly faster.
A year of solitude had made him miss his clan members deeply.
He missed his grandfather's nagging, his father's stern teachings, his mother's warmth and concern, and his sister's chattering while clinging to his arm.
Perhaps sensing its master's mood, the Purple Gold Eagle no longer played tricks and flew with full force, faster than it had ever flown before.
A man and a beast turned into a speck in the sky, swiftly flying across and vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Having set out in the early morning and after spending an entire day traveling at full speed, with only two brief pauses,
He finally arrived at the outskirts of Green Bamboo Mountain, a few tens of miles away, just before sunset.
At this time, the red sun was about to level with the horizon, and the afterglow of the sunset spread over the land, creating a peaceful scene.
This was the exact time when the Lin Family's Enforcement Hall patrol team was changing shifts. More than ten Lin Family Cultivators gathered at the mountain gate, among them a youth, who was Lin Tianfeng, the eldest of the Tian generation.
Lin Tianfeng was twenty-five years old this year, with Three Spiritual Roots and at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining. Previously, he had always been the highest-ranking cultivator of the Lin Family's Tian generation. Lin Tianfeng, gifted and diligent in his cultivation, delighted in practicing combat and traveling, hence he served as an Executive Officer in the Enforcement Hall. He was responsible for patrols at this time.
Among the many cultivators, a red-robed woman stood out, her clear eyes full of spiritual energy, waist-length hair, and porcelain-like skin - it was Lin Tianming's sister, Lin Tianyue.
Not having seen her for a year, the thirteen-year-old Lin Tianyue had changed quite a bit. Not only had her cultivation reached the Third Level of Qi Refining, but her appearance had also blossomed from a young girl into a graceful figure, destined to be a beauty that could cause the downfall of nations.
Lin Tianyue wore an expression of worry at the moment.
Her brother's year-long stationing period was over, and by all rights, he should have returned yesterday. She waited here but did not see him return. Now it was getting dark, and he still hadn't come back. She feared he might have encountered some danger.
Seeing Lin Tianyue looking so worried, Lin Tianfeng also spoke up to comfort her,
"Ninth sister, when the sixth brother left, he was already at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining with significant divine skills. With his talent, there's a great hope he'll break through to the Sixth Level of Qi Refining. He might have been delayed by something. You go back first, don't worry, I'm responsible for the patrol. As soon as he returns, I'll immediately send you a message."
"Thank you, big brother. It's not very late yet. I'll wait a little longer for brother," she replied.
Before Lin Tianyue's words had finished, Lin Tianfeng's face revealed a look of happy surprise, obviously, his divine sense had already detected Lin Tianming's presence, quickly approaching Green Bamboo Mountain.
The rest of the people, noticing the change in Lin Tianfeng, could roughly guess what was happening but were not sure.
Only a little more than ten breaths had passed.
In the distance, against the red glow of the sunset, a dark silhouette flew towards the clan's land, unbelievably fast.
As time went by, the silhouette that was as small as a sesame seed rapidly grew into a sizable flying creature more than ten zhang in size.
A crowd of clan members stared in amazement at the fierce-looking demonic beast, disbelief written all over their faces.
The one who had arrived was Lin Tianming, standing on the back of the Purple Gold Eagle, looking like an immortal with a tranquil demeanor, though his heart was already filled with excitement.
After a year of absence, and traveling with full effort from dawn until dusk, he finally returned at this moment to his long-awaited family residence.