Family Cultivation: I Am the Guardian Beast of the Clan
Chapter 40: The Shaken Lin Shimin and the Decision of Hidden Lin Yingjie

"Family Head, there are three cultivators outside who claim to be from the Hongshan Lin Family and wish to meet you," a young Lin Family member reported as Lin Xiuqi was attending to clan affairs in the Lin Family's main hall.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuqi furrowed his brows slightly and asked, "Hongshan Lin Family?"

In Lin Xiuqi's mind, a vivid image quickly emerged. It was a story his father used to tell him when they had free time after finishing their lessons – a story about the Hongshan Lin Family.

"Why have they come?" Lin Xiuqi's expression turned pensive. "Let them in, and also, send someone to inform my second brother to come to the main hall."

The Lin Family member responsible for guarding the entrance, Lin Xiong, nodded and turned to leave.

At the foot of Azure Heaven Mountain, the three members of the Hongshan Lin Family stood silently, their faces filled with astonishment as they gazed at Azure Heaven Mountain before them.

The dense spiritual energy produced by the Third Rank high-level spiritual vein was trapped within a small mountain range by a large array. This concentration of spiritual energy was so high that it had turned into mist. At a glance, the entire Azure Heaven Mountain was shrouded in spiritual mist, making it feel like they had entered a mystical land.

"Is this the effect of a Third Rank spiritual vein? It's quite extravagant," Lin Qing murmured, her mouth slightly agape.

Although Lin Qing had visited the territory of Third Rank forces before, none of them were as extravagant as the Lin Family.

"To receive the blessings of the Heavenly Dao is no small matter. In the next hundred years, although the spiritual energy in Renhuai County will not increase as much as it did in the past few months, it will continue to increase."

Elder Lin Ji commented, looking at Azure Heaven Mountain with a hint of envy in his eyes. Among the three, he was the one who hadn't spoken until now.

Lin Shimin, who had been silent, had his eyes fixed on a young Lin Family member standing guard at the mountain gate. This Lin Family member, appearing to be around twenty years old, had surprisingly reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation.

Lin Shimin was considered one of the most outstanding disciples of the Hongshan Lin Family in his generation, known for his silence but also for his competitive spirit.

With a Fifth Rank spiritual root and reaching the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation at the age of twenty-three, he took pride in his achievements. However, now, in the Azure Heaven Mountain Lin Family, he encountered a peer who was equally young and possessed the same level of cultivation.

What Lin Shimin found difficult to accept was that this Lin Family member sent to guard the mountain gate, Lin Xiong, was almost identical to him in age and cultivation level. This revelation shattered Lin Shimin's self-esteem.

Lin Ji, noticing Lin Shimin's distress, sighed and patted his shoulder. He reassured him, "Min'er, relax. Ancestral Master told you long ago that the cultivation world is vast. No matter how outstanding you are, there will always be someone better.

"Azure Heaven Mountain's Lin Family has just experienced a tribulation of the Heavenly Dao. They've likely received tremendous blessings, and besides, they may have a senior figure supporting them, along with a Third Rank spiritual vein.

"They are still a Second Rank power in name, but in reality, they have already reached the standard of a Third Rank power. Remember, accepting your own limitations is an essential test of character for every cultivator."

At the mountain gate of Azure Heaven Mountain, Lin Huaishu watched Lin Shimin's struggle with a faint smile. His natural talent was indeed remarkable. At the age of twenty-three, Lin Shimin had reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation. Just two months ago, Lin Shimin was beyond what he could compare to.

Back then, at the age of twenty, Lin Hishu, with a Second Rank spiritual root and only at the Third Layer of Qi Condensation, had pitiable aptitude. He couldn't be compared to the young man before him.

But who made their Lin Family have a Grand Ancestor? After stepping into the Pool of Shedding Mortality, his spiritual root transformed into a Third Rank top-tier spiritual root, and his cultivation reached the Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation.

Three months ago, the Dao Insights gained from slaying the black-scaled monster allowed him to break through once again, reaching the pinnacle of the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation.

Of course, guarding the mountain gate didn't necessarily mean they were the weakest in the Lin Family. After all, the cultivation of those guarding the mountain gate was the clan's face, so they couldn't afford to be too weak.

Lin Huaishu and Lin Xiong were chosen for this role. If you wanted to talk about the weakest, it would be those clan members who had defied fate and reshaped their spiritual roots.

However, even they, the lowest among them in terms of cultivation, were at the sixth Layer of Qi Condensation. It was estimated that it wouldn't be long before there was no cultivator below the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation left in the entire Lin Family on Azure Heaven Mountain.

Not long after, two figures descended from Azure Heaven Mountain, instantly capturing the attention of Lin Ji's group. They were walking in tandem, and the person in the rear was easily recognized as Lin Xiong, the guard from the mountain gate whom they had just seen.

The person in front wore a white robe, and his expression was resolute. What really caught their attention, however, was his cultivation level. Lin Ji's eyes contracted just from a single glance.

"Foundation Establishment Early Stage!"

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"He's a Foundation Establishment cultivator!?"

The exclamations from Lin Shimin and Lin Qing nearly sounded simultaneously. The two of them couldn't perceive Lin Yingjie's true cultivation level initially and only speculated that he practiced some form of hidden cultivation technique. They had never imagined that this young man of the same age as them was, in fact, a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

In reality, their initial assumption was not far off; Lin Yingjie had indeed cultivated the Concealed Sword Art. Otherwise, Lin Ji would have seen him as a Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage cultivator.

If that were the case, all three of them might have been genuinely shocked. After all, for a twenty-three-year-old to reach Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage, what level of spiritual root aptitude and resources would be needed?

Nevertheless, Lin Yingjie also frowned slightly at the moment when he saw the surprised expressions on the faces of the three. He realized that being a twenty-three-year-old Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator was too conspicuous.

He resolved to reduce his outer appearance cultivation to the ninth Layer of Qi Condensation when he returned. Being a twenty-three-year-old with cultivation at the ninth Layer of Qi Condensation, while remarkable, would be within an acceptable range.

Just take Lin Shimin for example. "Three of you, please!"

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