Chapter 55: Dust Settles

Returning to his family courtyard, Lin Tianming's mother and sister were overjoyed to hear of his return. They all gathered in their small home, though it was a pity that Lin Xingrong was still away at Luoyun Market.

After dinner, Lin Tianming's mother and sister went to cultivate, leaving him and his grandfather, Lin Shigong, chatting in the courtyard.

"Grandfather, Granduncle Shilu asked me to inform you that tomorrow morning, we need to attend a family meeting at the Elders' Hall, and I should accompany you," Lin Tianming relayed.

Lin Shigong took a sip of his spirit tea, his expression calm. "I suspect it's to fulfill the promise of three Small Foundation Establishment Pills for you and to discuss the family's development over the coming years, as well as our relations with other families. The Lin family has been dormant for too long; it's time to take a step forward."

"With your granduncle and I having successfully established our foundations, our family now has as many Foundation Establishment cultivators as the Jin family of Golden Horn Mountain. Although there is still a gap in strength, our Lin family is no longer what it once was. We can no longer afford to be so accommodating."

"Jin family of Golden Horn Mountain!" Lin Tianming exclaimed. "Are they very powerful?"

Seeing Lin Tianming's interest, Lin Shigong elaborated. "How strong are the five major families of the Luoyun Mountain Range?"

Seeing his grandson's interest, Lin Shigong decided to educate him. Lin Tianming would inevitably have to deal with these families, and understanding them was crucial.

"Based on our intelligence, the Jin family of Golden Horn Mountain has four known Foundation Establishment cultivators. There may be more in hiding. Additionally, the Jin family has a prodigious member, Jin Lishan, who at twenty-six, with dual spiritual roots, has already reached the eighth level of Qi Refining. His talent is exceptional."

"Besides them, the Sun family of Flying Eagle Mountain has three Foundation Establishment cultivators, while the Wu family of Jiuhua Mountain and the Luo family of White Cloud Mountain each have two Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"Currently, the Jin family is the strongest. Except for the Sun family, no other family can contend with them individually. The Jin and Sun families have always been at odds. Under their mutual restraint, we and the other two families have banded together to maintain our footing in the Luoyun Mountain Range. But living in such a precarious position is truly stifling."

Lin Shigong sighed, shaking his head with a helpless expression.

Over two hundred years ago, the Lin family was the strongest, dominating the market with a forty percent share of profits. In just over a century, they had declined drastically. Although they weren't the weakest among the five major families, they weren't much stronger.

"Grandfather, we'll take it slow. Our family is growing stronger, and it's only a matter of time before we regain our former glory," Lin Tianming reassured.

This generation of the Lin family had excellent talent. They had members with dual spiritual roots and many with triple spiritual roots, indicating a pool of talented individuals.

After chatting for more than half an hour, Lin Tianming gained a rough understanding of the other four major families and some key members, etching their details into his memory.

The next morning, Lin Tianming accompanied his grandfather to the Elders' Hall for the family meeting.

Inside the grand hall, over a dozen family members had already gathered, with Lin Shihua chatting with Lin Shixin and others. Seeing Lin Shigong enter, everyone stood up. Lin Tianming politely greeted the elders.

The attendees were the core members of the Lin family, almost all of whom held significant positions. Apart from those who couldn't leave their duties, nearly everyone was present.

Soon, two figures entered the hall together, the last to arrive—Lin Shikang and Lin Shilu.

Everyone stood up to greet them, and Lin Tianming also stepped forward to pay his respects.

Lin Shihua, seeing that everyone was present, began the meeting. "Now that we are all here, let's begin. Today's meeting focuses on the distribution of Foundation Establishment Pills, the family's future development, and our stance towards other families."

"Let's start with the distribution of the Small Foundation Establishment Pills. Besides the three promised to Tianming, we have six left. Please speak freely so we can reach a fair and just decision."

At that moment, Lin Shigang, head of the Transmission Hall, was the first to speak. "The remaining six Small Foundation Establishment Pills should be allocated to the family members. Whoever reaches the peak of Qi Refining first can exchange 8,000 merit points for a pill to establish their foundation as soon as possible, thus strengthening the family."

Immediately, an elder from the Xing generation voiced opposition. "We only have six Small Foundation Establishment Pills, and obtaining them has already depleted a large portion of our family's accumulated wealth. Additionally, although we've transplanted several dozen Hidden Spirit Grasses, their survival rate is low. We won't have enough to refine more pills for the next hundred years."

"Hence, I suggest we keep two pills in reserve. In times of family crisis, these pills could provide a glimmer of hope for our family to recover quickly."

This proposal received significant support from the Xing generation, with many voicing their agreement.

The hall buzzed with discussions, splitting into two factions—the older generation of the Shi family and the younger Xing generation.

The older Shi family members were all of considerable age. Excluding the four who had successfully established their foundations and Lin Shiji, who had failed, only three were left, all at the ninth level of Qi Refining. The youngest, Lin Shixin, was over ninety years old, just a few years younger than Lin Shigong. Their potential was limited, and even with the aid of the Small Foundation Establishment Pills, their chances of success were slim.

Lin Tianming sat quietly behind his grandfather, observing without speaking. The family's Foundation Establishment cultivators also remained silent, not showing their stance directly.

After half an hour of debate, the two factions still couldn't reach a consensus.

Lin Shikang, who hadn't spoken, secretly communicated with Lin Shilu and the others, seeking their opinions. Ultimately, the Foundation Establishment cultivators were the ones whose opinions mattered the most in major family decisions.

Lin Shilu, after much consideration, leaned towards the Xing generation's viewpoint. He believed it was more practical to allocate resources to the younger generation, who had greater potential. The older generation, even with the pills, had a very low chance of success.

However, given Lin Shigong's success at nearly a hundred years old, they found it hard to deny the older members their hope. After some discussion among the Foundation Establishment cultivators, Lin Shikang announced their decision.

"The six remaining Small Foundation Establishment Pills will be divided into three portions: one for the Shi generation, three for the Xing generation, and two for the Tian generation. Whoever reaches the peak of Qi Refining first can exchange for a pill."

The hall fell silent as everyone pondered this decision.

Lin Shixin looked gratefully at Lin Shikang and the others, appreciating that they had preserved a chance for the older members to establish their foundations.

Resources were limited, and the family needed to invest them where they would have the most significant impact.

After a brief silence, seeing no objections, Lin Shilu handed three pills to Lin Tianming and the remaining six to Lin Shixin for safekeeping, finalizing the distribution.

Lin Tianming accepted the three Small Foundation Establishment Pills, storing them in his pouch. With these pills, the chances of his parents achieving Foundation Establishment had greatly increased.