One Hundred Thousand Yang Yuan Pills

At this, Lin Chen raised a hand, the smile on his face unchanged as he said lightly, "It's nothing. Old Master Zhentian needn't take it to heart. Speaking of which, the matter of Ironwood Manor began because of me. Even if the Lin and Lei Families have yet to negotiate, I doubt the Lei Family will simply hand over Ironwood Manor."

"Since this matter could draw the Lin Family into a conflict with the Lei Family, it is only natural for Old Master Zhentian to have concerns. For now, there is no need to publicize my strength. You need only make clear the Yang Yuan Stone Vein beneath Ironwood Manor and my identity as a member of the Lin Clan Inner Family, then bring enough Yang Yuan Pills to negotiate a trade with the Lei Family."

"This Cosmic Bag contains one hundred thousand Yang Yuan Pills. Converted into Yang Yuan Stones, that amounts to one million Yang Yuan Stones. Though it cannot compare to the eventual profits from fully mining the Yang Yuan Stone Vein beneath Ironwood Manor, it is more than enough to compensate the Lei Family for their losses."

As he spoke, Lin Chen took the Cosmic Bag he had long prepared from his waist, walked a few steps toward Lin Zhentian, and handed it to him.

"One hundred thousand Yang Yuan Pills..."

Lin Zhentian probed it slightly and sensed the rich, vigorous Yang energy within the Cosmic Bag. He could not help muttering under his breath. Shock instantly filled his bronze-colored face, and his gaze at the Cosmic Bag in his hand became faintly vacant.

Beside him, Lin Ken, who had always managed the Lin Family's finances, had fixed his eyes tightly on the Cosmic Bag in Lin Zhentian's hand the moment Lin Chen finished speaking, unable to stop himself from swallowing.

Only Lin Xiao's expression did not change much, but his faintly trembling hands beneath his sleeves revealed that his heart was far less calm than he appeared.

Without question, for the Lin Family of Qingyang Town founded by Lin Zhentian, one hundred thousand Yang Yuan Pills was indeed a terrifying astronomical figure beyond anything they dared imagine.

Even Lin Zhentian, back when he had been in the Lin Clan Inner Family, had merely been an ordinary member of the Inner Family. Let alone possessing such a number of Yang Yuan Pills, he had rarely even seen such extravagance. There was even less need to mention Lin Ken, Lin Xiao, and the others, who had scarcely seen the wider world.

"Lin Ken..."

Lin Zhentian did not remain stunned for long. In less than a moment, he recovered from the shock of Lin Chen's lavish gesture. His slightly clouded eyes shifted as he coughed awkwardly and softly called out to the discomposed Lin Ken behind him.

"Father, I lost my composure..."

"I've also made Young Master Lin Chen laugh..."

Lin Ken's apology after regaining his senses did not draw even a glance from Lin Chen. Seeing the emotional turmoil of Lin Zhentian and his sons, Lin Chen merely smiled slightly. He did not say anything more to them, only gave a few instructions.

"It is late now. Go back and rest well. Tomorrow, you may go to the Lei Family and speak with their patriarch, Lei Bao. Come to me first when the time comes. I will follow you there in secret."

"If the Lei Family fails to recognize what is good for them, refuses to know when to advance or retreat, and remains greedily insatiable, then they cannot blame me."

The next morning.

Having spent his first night in Qingyang Town, Lin Chen did not feel the slightest discomfort. Instead, he was unusually excited, because there were simply too many opportunities here that could help him rapidly increase his strength.

"Without the Stone Talisman, or rather the Ancestral Stone, neither the Yin Sha Energy within Qingtan nor the special Yang Gang Energy beneath Ironwood Manor can be absorbed and refined..."

"After completing the deal with the Lei Family for Ironwood Manor, it seems I need to get the Stone Talisman into my hands as soon as possible..."

On the bed, Lin Chen rubbed his somewhat bleary, weary eyes. His jade-like handsome face was full of delight as he murmured to himself.

Lin Chen had not slept the previous night. Instead, he had used his Spiritual Power to probe every corner of the Lin Family Back Mountain, searching for the cave containing that strange stone pool.

Heaven did not disappoint those who worked hard. Lin Chen's painstaking search had not been in vain. After an entire night, he had finally detected the cave where the Stone Talisman was located.

Although the Stone Talisman was the second-ranked divine object in this world and possessed the special ability to block Spiritual Power detection even while dormant, Lin Chen, with his foreknowledge, had a general idea of where it was hidden. Thus, finding it had not been difficult.

Still, after probing throughout the night, even the Spiritual Power of a Four Symbol Master like Lin Chen had begun to feel strained. Though the Lin Family Back Mountain was not particularly large, its terrain twisted and turned, rising and falling in crisscrossing layers, while dense forests covered it. Ordinary people would find it impossible to grasp its full layout, let alone locate a stone no larger than two fingers.

At the same time, outside the gates of Lin Chen's courtyard.

Remembering the spiritual pressure Lin Chen had exerted on him yesterday, Lin Xiao, who was waiting there, sighed emotionally to Lin Zhentian.

"As expected, the Inner Clan is filled with geniuses. Young Master Lin Chen is likely no inferior to Lin Langtian..."

Hearing Lin Xiao's remark, Lin Zhentian stroked his black-and-white beard and said with some surprise, "With Young Master Lin Chen's exceptional cultivation talent, coupled with the Grand Elder's support behind him, his future achievements will certainly not be inferior to Lin Langtian's."

"That is precisely why I do not quite understand it. Why would a clan genius like him... go to such lengths to seize a Yang Yuan Stone Vein in Qingyang Town that is of little use to him?"

"That's right, Father. I thought about it last night as well. With Young Master Lin Chen's ability to casually produce one hundred thousand Yang Yuan Pills, he probably does not care at all about the Yang Yuan Stone Vein beneath Ironwood Manor."

Lin Ken, standing beside Lin Xiao, nodded and added.

"Could there be some other secret beneath the Lei Family's Ironwood Manor..."

Lin Zhentian's gaze toward Lin Chen's courtyard was thoughtful. His broad brows drew tightly together as he murmured.

Seeing that his father was somewhat distracted and that his words carried a hint of suspicion, making them rather inappropriate, Lin Xiao hurriedly reached out and tugged Lin Zhentian, reminding him, "Father, no matter what, we should build a good relationship with Young Master Lin Chen. Perhaps our Lin Family's return to the Inner Clan in the future... may depend on just a word from Young Master Lin Chen."

It had to be said that after suffering that painful defeat at the Clan Assembly, Lin Xiao had deeply realized the difference between the Branch Family and the Inner Clan. His temperament had changed somewhat, and he now felt several degrees more inferiority and timidity toward members of the Inner Clan.

In Lin Xiao's view, for members of a Branch Family with basically no cultivation resources to support them to enter the top ten of the Clan Competition was nothing more than a fool's dream. To this day, no member of a Branch Family within the Lin Clan had ever managed to challenge an Inner Clan genius and accomplish the great feat of returning to the Inner Clan.

Otherwise, why would there be so many members of the Lin Clan Branch Families throughout the Great Yan Dynasty?

The top ten of the Clan Competition was merely an unattainable carrot the Lin Clan Inner Family had dangled before the Branch Families.

In the past, he had been too confident and too ignorant.

Whenever he thought of how his father's long-cherished wish could never be fulfilled, Lin Xiao felt an inexplicable pain in his heart. Yet now, it seemed they had a different kind of opportunity.