Don't Bully the Young

Another morning arrived.

Inside his cave mansion on Sunlit Cloud Peak, Lin Chen made preparations to descend the mountain while finalizing his next round of experiments.

"Sure enough, my guess was correct. The Qi Vortex Realm isn't a necessary realm in Qi Refining cultivation. Rather, it was a realm created within the Qi Refining Stage by Ancient Cultivators to aid cultivation, its purpose being to store more true qi and use the characteristics of a qi vortex to break through to Foundation Establishment..."

Within the cave mansion, Lin Chen held a stack of experimental records, continuously pondering and analyzing them.

"Then, could I vaporize the true qi within my body? That way, not only could I store even more true qi than with a qi vortex, making my foundation deeper, but breaking through to Foundation Establishment would also become much easier. After all, turning mist into liquid is far easier."

His Eyes Moved, and he fell into thought. Though this idea and its implementation carried certain risks, it was worth trying if it could strengthen his foundation.

After all, on the Immortal Path, only those with deep foundations, who stayed a step ahead of others at every turn, were qualified to contend for that sliver of immortality!

"However, although the vaporization of true qi has been tested, there are still certain risks when actually carrying it out. I'll need some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures as a backup plan to prevent my foundation from being damaged, so..."

At that thought, Lin Chen took out the intelligence he had obtained from Xu Mengyun.

Written clearly on it were the words: One month later, Jiaqing Market, underground auction, Hundred Year Jade Marrow.

"So, it's time to make a trip down the mountain and take back the [Hundred Year Jade Marrow] that belongs to me... Hmm?"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Is that... someone knocking?"

Lin Chen could not help but feel puzzled. The residence he had chosen was remote, and he had always kept to himself, leaving him with almost no friends. Who would come looking for him at a time like this?

Could it be that Senior Sister? Not likely... She'd just call out to someone from afar, as though she were afraid people wouldn't misunderstand our relationship. How could she possibly knock so politely?

Still, Lin Chen did not dwell on it. He directly used a specially made instrument to observe the entrance.

It's him? What is he here for?

After seeing who had come, Lin Chen frowned slightly, a trace of doubt flashing through his heart. Even so, he rose to his feet and welcomed the visitor inside.

"Cousin Lin Chen, I have truly long admired your great name!" The visitor clasped his hands and smiled the moment they met, his tone carrying an indescribable warmth.

He wore a pale azure [magic robe], a [Spirit Gathering Jade Pendant] at his waist, and a jade-green Dao crown on his head. Tall and straight, with delicate and pretty features, he bore the air of a noble young master.

"You're too courteous, Cousin Tianhao. Why didn't you tell me before coming? My humble quarters are crude—I was worried I might fail to receive you properly." Lin Chen replied with a beaming smile.

The man before him was none other than Lin Chen's cousin, Lin Tianhao.

He and Lin Chen belonged to the same generation. By seniority, Lin Chen's original name should have been Lin Tianchen, but since he had already left the Lin Family, Lin Chen naturally had no interest in continuing to use that name.

Though they were close blood relatives, they were fundamentally unfamiliar with one another. No—to be precise, this was the first time the two had ever interacted.

More than ten years have passed without a single contact since I left the Lin Family. Why come now?

A trace of doubt passed through Lin Chen's heart, yet his face still displayed delighted surprise.

"What are you saying, Cousin? We are blood relatives—why be so formal with each other?" Lin Tianhao said with a smile.

Lin Chen smiled faintly and said nothing more. Instead, he brewed a pot of spirit tea for the two of them to sip.

"This tea is called Pure Spirit Tea. It was made from fresh leaves of a Pure Spirit Tea tree that I transplanted at great cost. It has the effect of clearing the mind and slightly nourishing the soul. The tree only produces three taels a year, so I hope Cousin will not find it lacking."

"What are you saying, Cousin? This tea clears the mind and sharpens one's thoughts. It is already a rare top-grade tea." Lin Tianhao took a small sip and praised it.

Then, in an approving tone, he added, "Cousin has cultivated at Azure Cloud Sect, lying low for ten years before rising in a single day and taking third place among the Outer Disciples. You are truly the Lin Family's favored child of heaven!"

Before becoming famous, I was the Lin Family's rebellious bastard. Once I became famous, I was the Lin Family's qilin. Heh, this world truly is realistic!

Lin Chen sneered soundlessly in his heart, but he still said with a smile on his face:

"You flatter me, Cousin Tianhao. To become an Inner Disciple at twenty-five, and even be regarded by the Lin Family as its hope for resurgence—Cousin is the true favored child of heaven."

He did not believe the other man had come merely to praise him. More likely, he had something to ask of him. But Lin Chen was in no hurry; after all, he was not the one seeking help.

After exchanging pleasantries for some time, Lin Tianhao finally showed a troubled expression. He seemed to hesitate for a while before gritting his teeth and saying, "To be honest, I came this time because I have a favor to ask. I hope that, for the sake of us being blood relatives, Cousin can lend a hand and help the family!"

"Oh? What happened?" His Eyes Moved.

"It's like this..." Lin Tianhao said.

As he listened to the explanation, Lin Chen gradually understood the cause of the matter.

The Lin Family was originally one of the three great families of Jiang City, an immortal city under Azure Cloud Sect, and could be considered a cultivation powerhouse within the region.

However, in recent years, among the family's two Foundation Establishment elders, one had perished in an accident while the other was nearing the end of his lifespan.

Meanwhile, many cultivators of the older generation had also fallen while attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm or after exhausting their lifespans, greatly weakening the Lin Family's high-level combat power.

The new generation, meanwhile, had few capable members, leaving the Lin Family trapped in the awkward predicament of an old generation fading away before the new one could rise.

This caused the other two great families of Jiang City to develop different thoughts.

After all, the cultivation resources produced by a single region were limited. After the tribute paid to Azure Cloud Sect was deducted, the remainder was divided among the three families according to their strength.

If one family were removed, the remaining two would undoubtedly gain more.

Thus, the two families joined forces, secretly and relentlessly suppressing the Lin Family's geniuses and intercepting and killing its older-generation cultivators.

Even though the Lin Family continuously shrank its sphere of influence and gave up most of its interests, seeking only to preserve itself, the two families still had no intention of letting it go. After all, some things either should not be done at all—or, once done, must be carried through to the bitter end!

After all, their earlier actions had clearly forged a blood feud. Coupled with the fact that neither family could possibly hand over the benefits already in their grasp, the conflict between the two sides only grew deeper and deeper.

If not for their fear that the Lin Family Ancestor would use a method of mutual destruction to fight their own ancestor to the death, they would have charged straight to the Lin Family's doorstep long ago.

However, they had also thought of a way to deal with the Lin Family's turtle-like refusal to emerge: the Jiangcheng Grand Competition.

The Jiangcheng Grand Competition was the means by which the three families divided the resources within their respective territories. The two families intended to use it to force the Lin Family's hand.

If the other side continued to hide away, they could not only deal a severe blow to the Lin Family's morale, but also seize the chance to draw in the fence-sitters in the city, uproot the connections left behind by forces close to the Lin Family, and even further cut off its Cultivation Resources.

And if the other side showed up, they could take this opportunity to further slaughter the Lin Family's fighting force, even testing the condition of the Lin Family Ancestor.

Therefore, if the Lin Family wanted to survive this crisis, the only way was to defeat the other two families at the competition with an utterly unmatched display, making them wary of breaking the rat trap for fear of the vessel within, thereby buying the Lin Family time to catch its breath—and perhaps even giving the younger generation of the family a chance to advance into the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"You mean you want me to take part in the Jiangcheng Grand Competition half a year from now?" Lin Chen was slightly taken aback.

"That's right. There aren't many promising cultivators among the family's new generation, and coupled with the assassinations by the other two great families, we simply can't gather enough candidates to fight. So we can only shamelessly come begging to you, Cousin!"

Then Lin Tianhao directly grasped Lin Chen's hand, his voice filled with sincerity.

"Cousin, I know the family has wronged you over these years, but I hope that at this crucial moment, you can lend us a hand for the sake of blood and kinship!"

After saying this, he even rose to his feet and gave a deep bow.

Lin Chen glanced at him, but his heart remained unmoved.

After all, in this Cultivation World, both humans and ghosts put on performances. No one knew what was true and what was false. He would not let such a display sway his judgment.

Still, he put on a moved expression as he helped Lin Tianhao up and declared loudly, "Cousin, what are you saying? When the family is in trouble, it is our bounden duty to step forward!"

"Cousin!" Lin Tianhao seemed moved by Lin Chen's words, his face full of emotion.

"Cousin!" Lin Chen likewise wore an expression of complete sincerity.

After all, in this world of schemes and deception, who hadn't honed themselves a full set of Oscar-worthy acting skills?

After a while, seeing that the mood was right, Lin Chen tactfully asked, "There are risks in answering the challenge this time, after all. I wonder what compensation the family can offer?"

"Cousin, what are you saying? Isn't helping the family our responsibility? Besides, the family elders will naturally take note of everything you do..."

Hmm?!

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen's smile stiffened.

"Oh? So what you mean, Cousin, is that I'm helping this time out of duty, and there won't be any benefits at all?" The smile vanished completely from Lin Chen's face as he asked evenly.

"Cousin, as long as you do well, the family elders will naturally give you sufficient rewards. Besides, the family raised you all these years. Isn't it only right that you repay the family?" Lin Tianhao said with a stern expression.

Raised me? Lin Chen could not help but sneer inwardly.

His original body had been born and raised by his parents, protected by his parents. What did any of that have to do with the family? Not to mention that after his parents died, they had tried to seize his inheritance, forcing him to leave his home and enter the Azure Cloud Sect alone to cultivate.

On that point alone, Lin Chen could ask: what kindness or righteousness did the Lin Family owe him?

To be honest, Lin Chen felt nothing at all for the Lin Family. They were as if strangers to him.

Although people in the family had bullied him for being young that year and seized his property, he had only just awakened the memories of his past life then. He had little sense of belonging, so he had not been all that angry.

Of course, most importantly, he had piles of scientific research on hand, while his mind was filled with all sorts of projects. That trivial mess of the Lin Family's... truly did not rank highly in his mind.

After all, once a person got busy, those petty, insignificant trifles were naturally almost forgotten.

If not for his recent rise to fame, and for them repeatedly hovering before his eyes, he truly might have nearly forgotten that he had once had a family.

Originally, if they had offered sufficient compensation, Lin Chen would not have minded lending them a hand.

After all, his funds had indeed been a little tight lately.

But they did not see it that way. They thought Lin Chen was young and easy to fool, and wanted to use the banner of familial affection and righteousness to kidnap him!

"Not one sentence mentions compensation; every clause demands dedication; every matter avoids discussing benefits... Now I understand. The Lin Family intends to use the banner of familial affection and righteousness to force me into working for them for free!"

A trace of coldness appeared in Lin Chen's eyes as he said calmly, "Senior Brother Lin, if you want to ask someone for help, you need to show enough sincerity!"

Seeing this, Lin Tianhao seemed puzzled and could not help frowning. "Cousin, what do you mean by that? Isn't contributing to the family only natural? Why are you fixated on such a tiny bit of benefit? We young people should look ahead!"

Lin Chen said nothing. He merely stared coldly at him, and the atmosphere in the room froze for a moment.

"Cousin..."

"Could it be that you people of the Lin Family think I'm an idiot?" Lin Tianhao had just begun to say something when Lin Chen cut him off directly.

"Could it be that those elders of your Lin Family think I'm some hot-blooded, gullible young man—someone they can get to fight and die for you without taking any benefits at all, just by drawing a few big pies and offering a few words of encouragement?"

"Or is it..." Lin Chen's gaze became increasingly ice cold. The ten years of hardship and suffering he had endured to reach this point could hardly be summed up in a single sentence.

The torment of research, the hardship of making money, and the experiences of life-and-death battles—he had gone through them day after day, and endured them all, before attaining what he had today.

And now that he had made something of himself, they wanted to use kinship as shackles and fool him into giving himself to them for free. Did they really take him for an idiot?

Or was it...

"Or do you think I'm still like that little boy from ten years ago, the one you forced out of his home—weak and powerless, free for you to manipulate as you pleased?"

"Th-this..." Facing Lin Chen's ice-cold expression and increasingly sharp aura, Lin Tianhao could not help swallowing.

His Cultivation Level relied on his father, the Clan Leader, as well as his talent; even his position as an Inner Disciple had been obtained through connections. He had never gone through any true life-and-death struggle, so how could he withstand Lin Chen's aura?

After all, Lin Chen had clawed his way up step by step from the bottom without any connections or backing. The life-and-death killings he had experienced were simply beyond Lin Tianhao's imagination!

"C-Cousin, what are you saying? The elders absolutely don't mean that..."

"Go back and tell those Old Things of the Lin Family: if they want my help, they'd better show enough sincerity. They only talk about dedication, never benefits—do they think us young people are naive and easy to fool, with no experience, that a word or two is enough to trick us into fighting to the death? In the end, they just want to occupy the moral high ground and..."

With a wave of his hand, Lin Chen cut the other man off. Staring into his eyes, he said Word by Word:

"Taking. Me. For. A. Child?!"

Lin Tianhao stared blankly at Lin Chen. Hearing that indifferent tone, Even Though it was broad daylight in the afternoon, he could not help but feel a bone-chilling cold seep through him.