Plans

After years of hesitation, at the moment everything began on the Tianxuan Continent, Lin Chen finally made his decision.

"Leave the Inner Clan? Where is Brother Lin Chen going...?"

Upon hearing Lin Chen speak of leaving, an indescribable grief immediately surged from Lin Ke'er's heart. Amid her soft, confused sobs, her brilliant blue eyes filled with tears.

"You silly girl, why are you crying? It's not like Brother Lin Chen won't come back after leaving this time. We'll still see each other in the future."

Looking at Lin Ke'er's somewhat aggrieved yet lovely face, Lin Chen felt a little upset inside, but he did not show it. Instead, he smiled as he comforted her.

To Lin Chen, although he was extremely familiar with this world—whether it was the secrets of the ancient war that shook heaven and earth or the pasts of certain people, he knew a thing or two about them—knowing was one thing, while truly getting to know someone was another. Lin Ke'er was the best example.

Fifteen years ago, after Grand Elder Lin Mu, who had been traveling outside, brought him back to Lin City, Lin Mu entrusted him to Lin Lie and his wife, Lin Ke'er's parents, to look after. It was because of this that, three years after arriving in this world, he gained a sniveling playmate—a little sister who followed him everywhere.

From that moment on, Lin Ke'er became completely different from the person in his original memories. The beautiful and fairly talented woman of the Lin Clan in his mind became a little girl who clung to him every day.

For that very reason, as time passed and the two grew older, Lin Chen had truly come to regard Lin Ke'er as his own little sister after more than a decade. Though they shared no blood ties, their bond, closer than that of actual siblings, was completely genuine.

Unlike the generally early-maturing cultivators of the Tianxuan Continent, Lin Ke'er's young heart had only just begun to stir. Lin Chen, who retained memories of his past life, naturally had no interest in a girl barely in her teens. Some deeply ingrained notions of judgment clearly could not be cast aside so easily.

"Then where exactly is Brother Lin Chen going... and when will you return to Lin City?"

Lin Ke'er wiped away her tears with her sleeve and asked through sobs.

"Qingyang Town, the Lin Family," Lin Chen answered.

Lin Chen had no intention of concealing his true destination upon leaving the Lin Clan, because there was simply no need to do so in front of Lin Ke'er.

"The Lin Family of Qingyang Town? Those Branch Family members who left midway just now?" A trace of surprise appeared on Lin Ke'er's tear-streaked face as she asked uncertainly.

"That's right, the Branch Family members who had been sitting beside Elder Tao earlier."

Lin Chen nodded. Then he raised his hand in a stopping gesture and hurriedly said, "All right... I know you still want to ask what I'm going to the Lin Family in Qingyang Town for, but you need to know when to stop asking questions. Brother Lin Chen doesn't have much time left today."

"If I wait any longer, I can't be sure whether I'll be able to see Grand Elder in the next few days..."

In Lin Chen's view, he could leave Lin City without informing anyone else, but not Lin Mu, the man who had brought him back to the Lin Clan. For one thing, this concerned his future cultivation resources outside; for another, he did not want to use the Stone Talisman to save Lin Xiao just yet. Having Lin Mu, the clan's Grand Elder whom he could ask for help, take action was the best solution.

Since he had already made his decision and intended to seize the opportunities that originally belonged to this world, turning his foresight into his true cheat, then giving Lin Dong a warm and happy childhood was only proper.

Of course, this was not because he was feeling charitable, nor because he felt any guilt toward Lin Dong. It was simply because he was not a cold-blooded and evil person, and he acted according to the sensibilities of an ordinary person.

As for whether he could persuade Lin Mu, a peak Creation Realm expert, to save Lin Xiao, Lin Chen was not worried in the slightest. Although Lin Mu did not look after his daily life, for various reasons dating back to that year, the old man's treatment of him could already be described as favoritism.

After chatting with Lin Ke'er for a while, Lin Chen walked out of the Arena without looking back. He was already thoroughly familiar with the Elder Council, Lin Mu's residence and one of the Lin Clan's most important places.

"Wait... Brother Lin Chen, you still haven't told me when you'll come back..."

As the sun rose and set, a new day arrived once again.

In the Branch Family residential area of Lin City, inside Lin Zhentian's room.

Since Lin Xiao had been carried unconscious to the resting room yesterday, Lin Zhentian had repeatedly used Origin Energy in an attempt to awaken him throughout most of the day, all without success. Left with no other choice, he had sought out his old friend Lin Tao once more. In the end, through Lin Tao's pleas, he managed to invite a Core Formation Realm expert at the great completion stage to examine Lin Xiao's injuries.

"Elder Lin Gong, how are my son Lin Xiao's injuries now?"

Seeing the white-bearded old man repeatedly shaking his head beside the bed, Lin Zhentian could no longer suppress his anxiety and asked uneasily.

"Alas... your son's injuries are neither especially severe nor particularly light..."

"This old man is powerless to help this time." The white-bearded elder sighed repeatedly, shaking his head as he rose.

"Is it consistent with the conclusion I told you about last night?" Lin Tao waved his hand, cutting off Lin Zhentian, who seemed to want to speak but hesitated, and asked first.

"That's right. His injuries are utterly impossible to cure completely. Severe injuries have accumulated within his body, his Origin Energy cultivation has fallen from the Heavenly Origin Realm to the Earthly Origin Realm, and seven or eight tenths of his internal meridians are blocked. His future cultivation will basically see little to no progress."

"What..."

Upon hearing Elder Lin Gong's conclusion and recalling Lin Tao's earlier cryptic prediction, Lin Zhentian seemed to age ten years in an instant. The light still present in his eyes had become a lifeless gray.

Lin Zhentian could accept the blow of failing to return to the Lin Clan after a Clan Assembly and having his wish shattered, but Lin Xiao's injuries being incurable and his cultivation talent being ruined was something he could not accept.

The Clan Assembly could be attended again, but he had only one gifted son.

"Impossible to cure completely? That may not necessarily be the case..."