Chapter 63: 63: Heavenly Spirit Fruit Tree
It turned out that the reason the Huang Family had five Foundation Establishment cultivators was that they had discovered an ancient inheritance cave mansion of a Purple Mansion cultivator in a secret location within the Qingyun Mountain Range.
Inside the inheritance cave mansion, the Huang Family had found a Heavenly Spirit Fruit Tree, numerous second and third rank spirit treasures, a detailed Formation Artifact Manual, and the formula for Foundation Establishment Pills.
It was with the latter that the Huang Family gained two additional Foundation Establishment cultivators, but since they had run out of Illusionary Heart Grass and they couldn\'t blatantly gather more for fear of leaking the existence of their Foundation Establishment Pill formula.
That\'s why they expended great effort searching in the Qingyun Mountain Range.
They indeed found Illusionary Heart Grass, and unexpectedly stumbled upon an inferior grade third rank Spirit Vein.
It was almost the entire might of the Huang Family that attacked the Earth-Rending Bears; if it were not for Lin Shiming\'s early warning, which resulted in calling Lin Xianzhi over, the Huang Family might have truly succeeded that time.
Of course, luckily, the Huang Family didn\'t obtain the most core cultivation techniques and treasures from the Purple Mansion inheritance cave mansion.
All of it was blocked by a powerful Fourth Rank Formation. Even though the Formation was uncontrolled, it was still of the Fourth Rank.
At least six Foundation Establishment cultivators were needed to break through it.
The Huang Family was desperate precisely because they only had five Foundation Establishment cultivators, which is why they were so eager, and held deep-seated hatred towards the Lin Family.
Meanwhile, in Qingxuan City, in order to obtain the Illusionary Heart Grass, they were also wary of the Li Family, opting not to let Li Chengzhi join them.
Otherwise, with the Huang Family\'s strength plus Li Chengzhi, it might have been the day that the Lin Family could only have stood a sliver of a chance to escape with a few people by relying on a Formation\'s self-destruction and Lin Xianzhi covering their rear.
Of course, this was not only because of Huangyun Qi\'s arrogance but also his wariness towards the Li Family.
Why had there been no other Purple Mansion cultivators in Yunzhou for so many years besides the Li Family? In others\' eyes, it was merely a lack of the Purple Mansion Family\'s fortune.
However, Foundation Establishment families like the Huang and Lin Families knew that the better their development, the more they couldn\'t avoid being targeted by the Li Family.
The Lin Family\'s decline from the status of a Purple Mansion Family was really due to the saying that even a powerful dragon cannot suppress the local snake.
If it weren\'t for the Qingxuan Sect\'s involvement, the Lin Family might have been annexed by the Li Family long ago.
"As for the inheritance cave mansion, I\'ve already taken Hou Shou there once in these past days, and we\'ve confirmed its authenticity. So, moving forward, the family just needs to proceed steadily, and when we have six Foundation Establishment cultivators, we can experience a great leap forward!" Lin Xianzhi said this with a glint of bright light in his eyes.
This was an authentic Purple Mansion inheritance cave mansion, and if they could obtain it, the Lin Family might really produce another Purple Mansion cultivator and then regain their status as a Purple Mansion Family!
At this moment, Lin Shiming couldn\'t help but feel proud for his family, but at the same time, he thought of a potential crisis.
The Huang Family had not been exterminated, so there must still be people within it who knew the secret.
If the news about the Purple Mansion cave mansion got out, it was feared that the Purple Mansion cultivators from Qingxuan Sect would come to claim a share, and by then, there would be no place for the Lin Family.
"Seventh Granduncle, are there still any insiders in the Huang Family?" Lin Shiming asked, somewhat worried.
Unexpectedly, the other party waved his hand, and at this point, Lin Yuqing finally spoke up.
"Seventh Uncle, about the Li Family that you asked me to investigate, I have done so. The Huang Family\'s Qi Cultivation Ninth Level Elder only has one person left, Huang Lihé, and he has already fled Huangyun Mountain!"
Lin Shiming was initially puzzled upon hearing this, but then he remembered that Huangyun Qi of the Huang Family had already taken out a large number of treasures, and he immediately understood.
The only remaining cultivator of the Huang Family, fearing retaliation from the Li Family and probably also the one who fled with the descendants of the Huang Family who truly had potential.
This event occurred when the Lin Family went to Qingxuan City. The Great Elder, Lin Yuqing, also took Lin Shitao, Lin Shizhong, and some other promising juniors to take refuge in a place rarely known by the members of the Lin Family, all out of fear that the old family head would not return and that another formidable enemy would come knocking on their door.
Leaving a way out for the family, this is something every family would do.
"Continue the investigation, we must find out the whereabouts of the core descendants of the Huang Family and Huang Lihé!" Lin Xianzhi, upon hearing the news, fell silent for a moment before nodding and instructing.
Lin Yuqing immediately took the command and left, while Lin Xianzhi, in the end, turned his gaze towards Lin Shiming.
"Shiming, how does your cultivation of the venerable ancestor\'s Purple Wood Heart Sutra enhance spirit plants?"
"To report back to the seventh granduncle, if Shiming carefully cultivates Second Rank spirit plants, it\'s possible to shorten their maturation time by nearly half! But for Third Rank spirit plants, it can probably only be reduced by about one tenth or one fifth," Lin Shiming replied without hesitation, truthfully.
"Good, not bad!" Lin Xianzhi nodded in approval and then flipped his large hand over.
A jade box full of spiritual energy was placed in Lin Shiming\'s hands.
"From now on, you will cultivate the Heavenly Spirit Fruit Tree, and when you reach the Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation, you needn\'t worry about the Foundation Establishment Pill; the family will provide it. Moreover, you should also find a cave dwelling by the Qinglian Pool to cultivate in!"
As he spoke, Lin Xianzhi opened the jade box, revealing a small and exquisite crystal-clear treasure tree sealed inside.
The treasure tree was encased in spirit light, with vibrant spiritual energy. Even within the sealed jade box, it appeared extraordinarily lively, not to mention the wonders it would exhibit if placed outside.
"Yes!" Lin Shiming received the jade box with both hands, overjoyed in his heart.
Although it meant providing some of his own spiritual energy to the Heavenly Spirit Fruit Tree for the next few years,
to be given a Foundation Establishment Pill without any conditions, and the opportunity to cultivate by the Qinglian Pool was unquestionably excellent news for him.
In the place with the richest spiritual energy of the Upper Grade Third Rank Spirit Vein, his cultivation speed would surely be able to improve once again.
"Also, make a copy of the Formation Instrument Manual for your second grandfather and your fourth grandfather!" Lin Xianzhi reminded him just before leaving.
Upon hearing this, Lin Shiming tensed up; this message he was to convey was quite intriguing.
He was somewhat puzzled by the seventh granduncle\'s course of action, but just as he was about to ask, he saw the latter wave his hand and say:
"What, do you still want your father, who is at the Foundation Establishment stage, to continue as the family head?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Shiming was momentarily stunned, taking quite a while to realize that Lin Xianzhi was grooming him to become the next head of the Lin Family.
But he was only 21 years old.
Surprised as he was, to have the opportunity to become the family head of the Lin Family, Lin Shiming refrained from making any modest refusals!
Moreover, becoming the family head would also further secure the family\'s investment in resources for him, which is more conducive to his rapid Foundation Establishment.
Otherwise, for him who is temporarily without the four arts of cultivation and has raised three spirit beasts, securing the sources of resources is indeed a significant challenge.
"Thank you, seventh granduncle, Shiming will exert all his effort and not let you down!"