Chapter 21: Return to Qingfeng Town

Time passed quickly, and ten days had gone by.

On a mountain peak, a cultivator in green robes stood quietly, with a giant bird standing behind him.

After consuming two Spirit Origin Pills and one Recuperation Pill, the Purple-Gold Eagle had recovered most of its injuries. The wound on its wing had healed, allowing it to fly normally, though not too fast to avoid future complications.

During these ten days, while the Purple-Gold Eagle recovered, Lin Tianming was not idle. He had ventured into a picturesque valley surrounded by overlapping peaks, with a small river running through it, shrouded in mist and filled with a sea of pine trees. The scenery was breathtaking. He buried the remains of the cave master there, fulfilling a wish.

After waiting for ten days, it was time to return to Qingfeng Town. It had been almost two months since he ventured into the Ziyun Mountain Range in search of the cave, and he had been in Qingfeng Town for ten months. Only two months remained before he could return to Qingzhu Mountain to visit his family.

In these ten months, Lin Tianming had been busy, either refining pills or cultivating. He successfully found and looted the ancient cave, acquiring various spiritual herbs, a complete cultivation method, and a colorful stone with unknown properties.

He also killed the red-robed man and obtained the Golden Core cultivator's profound-grade cultivation method and a third-tier alchemist's legacy. The harvest was substantial.

With so many treasures in his possession, Lin Tianming was worried. If he were to die or lose them, it would be a tremendous loss for his family.

However, with only two months left until the year was up, he decided to wait a bit longer. Once back with his family, he would immediately hand over the profound-grade cultivation method and the third-tier alchemist's legacy. He also needed to turn in some of the main ingredients for the Small Foundation Establishment Pill, the Hidden Spirit Grass, which should earn him a substantial amount of merit points.

When the Lin family was founded, there were only two cultivation methods. Over the centuries, through accumulation and occasional windfalls, they had obtained a few more methods, each one precious and hard-won. This was how the family had come to its current state.

The Small Foundation Establishment Pill was a second-tier pill, and Lin Tianming was only a first-tier mid-grade alchemist, far from being able to refine second-tier pills. The family might not be able to either. How to refine it would require the elders' deliberation. However, that was beyond his concern.

Though the family did not strictly require members to turn in any treasures found outside, the compensation was far less than selling them independently. As a member of the family, Lin Tianming felt it was right to contribute, especially with fundamental items like cultivation methods and legacies, which could strengthen the family and increase its foundation.

Every family member, upon detecting their spiritual root in the first year, would receive guidance from the elders in the family's Training Hall. This would help new cultivators quickly understand the path of cultivation and instill a sense of belonging and recognition of the family.

The first lesson in the Training Hall was to memorize the Lin family's 800-year history, remembering important ancestors and the family's crises, to instill vigilance and ensure the family's prosperity.

Family enlightenment education provided initial cultivation resources, helping members cultivate faster and fostering unity and selflessness among the Lin family, setting them apart from rogue cultivators.

Rogue cultivators faced more difficulties, starting with no knowledge, methods, or resources, relying solely on themselves to explore and gather resources, making their progress slower compared to family or sect cultivators.

In the cultivation world, most rogue cultivators had survived many life-and-death trials. Those who survived were powerful, and many high-level rogue cultivators and formidable beings were among them. It was rumored that in Yunzhou and Xuanzhou, there were even rogue cultivators at the Deity Transformation stage, each a legendary powerhouse.

Returning from his thoughts, Lin Tianming jumped onto the Purple-Gold Eagle's back and sat firmly. The Purple-Gold Eagle flapped its massive wings and flew around Qingfeng Town, its speed astonishing.

The wind howled past, and Lin Tianming marveled that what took him at least half a day to cover on his flying sword took the Purple-Gold Eagle only two hours, twice as fast.

After spending half a day patrolling a hundred miles around Qingfeng Town, and finding no abnormalities, Lin Tianming returned.

When the Purple-Gold Eagle appeared in Qingfeng Town's square, many mortals were terrified, some fleeing in panic, causing a stampede.

However, some brave ones stayed, watching the spectacle and commenting, making it quite lively.

Suddenly, Lin Tianming's voice echoed throughout Qingfeng Town, "Everyone, do not panic. This beast is my spiritual beast mount. I have tamed it, and it will not harm anyone."

After calming the crowd, he fed the Purple-Gold Eagle two Spirit Origin Pills, instructed it, and entered the main hall, leaving the eagle to rest and absorb the medicine.

Outside, many people curiously watched the Purple-Gold Eagle, as if looking at a rare treasure. Such a large bird was a sight most mortals had never seen in their lifetime, making it extremely fascinating.

An old man suddenly exclaimed, "Ten days ago, I witnessed the entire battle between the Lin family immortal and this beast. The Lin family immortal summoned a giant flaming sword, slashing a long wound on its wing, causing it to fall from the sky and create a huge crater, nearly killing it on the spot."

The old man's words caused a commotion, and many mortals surrounded him, urging him to recount the entire event.

The old man enthusiastically narrated his story, embellishing it with vivid details, making Lin Tianming sound like an extraordinary hero.

In the hall, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on his meditation mat.

After ten months away from Qingzhu Mountain, his cultivation had reached the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refinement. With some focused cultivation, he could break through.

With two months left until the year was up, it was neither too long nor too short. Since he couldn't decipher the red-robed man's cultivation method yet, he decided to cultivate and advance to the seventh level of Qi Refinement first.

With that, Lin Tianming began to meditate. After half an hour, he took out a Spirit Origin Pill and began channeling its powerful energy, repeatedly impacting his dantian.