Chapter 52: Double Joy

Both Lin Tianming and his grandfather, Lin Shilu, returned to their respective meditation chambers. With Ye Pinghai still in the process of refining the small Foundation Establishment pills, they anticipated it would take several more months, prompting them to embark on a short period of secluded cultivation.

In his meditation chamber, Lin Tianming focused on healing his injuries and continued his cultivation. The spiritual energy consumed in the process of refining sword qi was substantial, and it would take several months of dedicated practice to fully recover.

He ingested a spiritual energy pill alongside a body-refining pill, feeling the powerful medicinal effects gradually restore the spiritual energy lost in the process of refining the sword qi.

At the main peak of the Qingzhu Mountain, Lin Shigong sat motionless on a mat, holding a jade slip. The jade slip contained the experiences and insights of more than a dozen of the Lin family's ancestors in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Lin Shigong meticulously studied it, not daring to miss a single detail.

Not far from his courtyard, two other individuals were also in seclusion, studying the jade slips. They were Lin Shiji and Lin Shihua.

After Lin Shilu returned to Qingzhu Mountain and finalized the recipients of the Foundation Establishment pills, Lin Shigong immediately exchanged most of his treasured spiritual herbs and the pills he had refined over the years for merit points. He even used the merit points borrowed from Lin Tianming and Lin Shilu, barely amassing the required 8,000 merit points to redeem a small Foundation Establishment pill.

Lin Shiji and Lin Shihua faced a similar situation. Although both were at the peak of the Qi Refinement stage and held prominent positions in the family, their accumulated wealth was still less than Lin Shigong's, who was the highest-ranked alchemist in the family. Despite this, they were able to exchange their accumulated wealth for merit points and borrow the rest to reach the required amount, successfully redeeming a small Foundation Establishment pill each.

They chose to retreat to the main peak of Qingzhu Mountain, where the dense spiritual energy would aid them in their efforts to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Each of them secluded themselves in a courtyard, dedicating themselves to their breakthrough attempts.

Three days later, Lin Shigong had memorized the contents of the jade slip. He adjusted his state to its peak and took the small Foundation Establishment pill without hesitation.

In an instant, his previously pale face turned bright red, and an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy threatened to burst his dantian. The pain was excruciating, but Lin Shigong maintained his focus, following the advice of his ancestors. He began refining the vast spiritual energy, condensing it into an even purer form within his dantian.

Half a day passed, and he had only refined a small portion of the energy. The process was incredibly slow, and he realized he needed to speed up. The potent effects of the small Foundation Establishment pill would only last for a month, and failure to fully refine the energy within this timeframe would mean the attempt was unsuccessful.

Determined, Lin Shigong pushed through the excruciating pain, even as blood seeped from his orifices, relentlessly refining the spiritual energy.

Twenty-five days passed. Lin Shikang, who had been acting as a guardian during the breakthroughs, sat in his courtyard, anxious and vigilant. The Lin family had only informed a select few core members about the breakthrough attempts, and the entire family was on high alert, with the protective array fully activated to support the three attempting breakthroughs.

The past half month had been agonizing for Lin Shikang. As the one-month deadline approached, his concern grew. When he had broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage at fifty, it had only taken fourteen days. Now, after twenty-five days with no sign of success from the three, he was growing increasingly worried.

Suddenly, a muffled sound came from one of the courtyards, followed by a brief surge of Foundation Establishment stage aura.

"It's from Shihua's courtyard! Ha ha... Shihua has succeeded!"

Overjoyed, Lin Shikang hurried to Lin Shihua's courtyard. Lin Shihua, his face flushed with excitement, was laughing heartily.

After more than a decade at the peak of Qi Refinement, he had finally broken through, feeling the boundless spiritual energy of the Foundation Establishment stage.

As he exited his courtyard, Lin Shikang approached, beaming with pride. "Shihua, congratulations on your successful breakthrough! Our Lin family now has a third Foundation Establishment cultivator. We are one step closer to restoring our former glory."

Lin Shihua, still flushed with excitement, expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Brother, for watching over us. How are our brothers?"

Lin Shikang's face showed a hint of worry. "Shigong and Shiji haven't shown any signs yet. There's only five days left until the one-month deadline. Success or failure will be determined in these final days."

Hearing this, Lin Shihua's face also showed concern. He understood the difficulty of the breakthrough, having experienced it himself. His own success felt like a stroke of luck, and he worried for his brothers, especially his elder brother, Shigong, who was ten years older than him.

The Lin family members had grown up together, from the moment their spiritual roots were discovered. They received the same foundational education, learned cultivation knowledge, and trained in cultivation techniques together. Over the years, they supported each other, and even though their blood ties were diluted or non-existent, their bonds were as strong as those of true brothers.

Lin Shihua, having been cared for by Lin Shigong in his early cultivation years, deeply respected his unselfish nature and even modeled himself after him. This was why he had been chosen as the patriarch. Naturally, he hoped fervently for Lin Shigong's success.

"Shihua, you should go back and consolidate your breakthrough. We can't do much more than wait now. Their success depends entirely on themselves, and I'll be here to watch over things."

"Alright, I'll go consolidate my cultivation. Thank you, Brother."

Lin Shihua returned to his courtyard to continue his cultivation, while Lin Shikang remained vigilant.

Four more days passed. Lin Shikang stayed outside the courtyards, growing increasingly anxious. With just one day left, hope seemed to be fading.

Suddenly, another muffled sound came from one of the courtyards, followed by a surge of Foundation Establishment stage aura.

Lin Shikang's joy was overwhelming. He almost rushed into the meditation chamber but stopped himself just in time.

"It's Shigong! Ha ha ha... Shigong has done it! Shigong has reached Foundation Establishment!"

In his meditation chamber, Lin Shigong looked disheveled, covered in blood scabs, his aura chaotic. His once gray hair was now black, and his aged face had grown noticeably younger, with the wrinkles around his eyes vanishing, giving him the appearance of a middle-aged man.

Feeling the surging spiritual energy, Lin Shigong was astonished. He could hardly believe it.

"Have I truly reached Foundation Establishment? Have I done it?"

He tested a spell, and the stone platform before him shattered into pieces from the sheer power.

"I've succeeded! I've truly succeeded!"

Tears of joy streamed down his face. He wept with relief and happiness. If he had failed, he knew he would have been stuck at Qi Refinement forever.