Chapter 1: Lin Dong's New Book Opens, Seriously Asking for Collection!

  "Uh-huh."

  When Lin Dong opened his heavy eyelids with all his might, the simple and clean room suddenly appeared in front of him. The familiar scene made him stunned for a moment, and then he quickly turned his head, and indeed saw that in the house, two figures, one male and one female, were sitting at the table.

  "Dad, Mom..."

  Looking at those two figures, Lin Dong hurriedly lifted his spirits and said in a low voice.

  "Son, are you awake?"

  Upon hearing the shout, the woman turned her head first and saw Lin Dong's opened eyes. She was instantly delighted.

  The woman was dressed in simple attire, looking around thirty years old. Her cheeks were slightly rosy, giving off a warm and gentle feeling. She was Lin Dong's mother, Liu Yan.

  "When one's skills are not refined, they will fight with others and bring trouble upon themselves."

  Sitting next to the woman was a man who looked about thirty or forty years old. His body was somewhat thin, and his eyebrows were slightly sharp, but he seemed to be injured, his face pale, covering up most of the sharpness. He was Lin Dong's father, Lin Xiao.

  For this father who has always been strict, Lin Dong is obviously a little afraid, shrinking his neck, and then he said with some resentment: "Who let those guys scold my dad as a waste in front of me..."

  While speaking, Lin Dong touched his still aching chest and couldn't help but grit his teeth. Today was supposed to be a test for the Lin family, and he had also gone to take a small test. Because he had only been cultivating for more than half a year, his results were just average. As for this, he didn't take it too much to heart. Given the same cultivation time and conditions, he believed that he wouldn't be weaker than others.

  Just as Lin Dong was about to leave after the test, he ran into a few guys with whom he didn't get along. Originally, he didn't want to bother with them, but he couldn't help being provoked by their intentional teasing. In his anger, young Lin Dong couldn't resist fighting back, and the result was clear: he got beaten up badly and even fainted...

  "Lin Shan, remember this, next time if I don't beat you into a pig's head, I won't believe in Lin!"

  Lin Dong gritted his teeth, and Lin Shan was the culprit of this matter, and also the number one enemy in Lin Dong's heart at present. Because of the extremely bad relationship between their fathers, Lin Shan often found trouble with Lin Dong, and this time was no exception.

  He gritted his teeth fiercely, but Lin Dong suddenly hung his head in despair again. Although Lin Shan was extremely hateful, no matter what, he had already reached the fourth stage of Tempering Body. This achievement was quite impressive among the younger generation of the Lin family, and compared to his own strength at the second stage of Tempering Body, it was indeed much stronger.

  Cultivate one way, cultivate the body first, everything starts from oneself, the human body is the most mysterious and unpredictable thing in the world.

  What is meant by "tempering the body" is simply to cultivate and strengthen one's physical body, gradually from the outside in. When the muscles, bones, and marrow inside the body are strengthened to a certain level, then a spark of primal energy will be generated. Only when this primal energy appears naturally within the human body can one truly become a cultivator.

  The body is tempered in nine layers, the first three layers have little effect, and it's just making the physical quality and physique stronger. Only when the tempering reaches the fourth layer of skin refining will the benefits of cultivation gradually appear. At this level, human skin will slowly become as hard as wood or stone, with significant improvements in both strength and speed.

  And Ryner Litan is at this level, with Lin Dong's tempered body double, it's clear that he won't be his opponent.

  However, the two are of similar age, and there is such a huge gap, it's not because of any innate talent. At this level of cultivation, so-called innate talent is not particularly valued, and it can even be said that everyone can cultivate to this level, but as for how far they can cultivate, it depends on their individual foundation and opportunities.

  The body is tempered nine times over. This stage is extremely arduous, because only by constantly pushing the physical limits can the body gradually become stronger.

  However, this kind of extreme attempt is also a kind of compression of human potential. If the body does not get replenished after the event, it will be damaged due to overwork, which will not only affect cultivation but also make oneself suffer from injuries all over the body, and gain nothing in return.

  Therefore, in the process of tempering the body, it is necessary to nourish and moisturize the body with various large-scale spiritual medicines, so that cultivation can continue. However, these medicinal materials are mostly extremely expensive, and if one's family background is not rich, they really cannot afford it.

  And this is what they call capital!

  Lin Shan was able to surpass Lin Dong not only because he had practiced for half a year more, but also because he had a father who managed the Lin family's finances, whereas Lin Dong did not have such good fortune and lacked the spiritual medicine to nourish his body, so his cultivation speed was naturally far inferior to Lin Shan's.

  …

  In the room, Lin Dong's whisper was heard, and Lin Xiao's palm on the table suddenly clenched, his face also sank. On the side, Liu Yan saw this and hastily made a gesture to Lin Dong, who then quickly shut up.

  "There's no need to argue with others for the sake of winning an argument, just focus on self-cultivation and other people's mouths will naturally shut up."

  Lin Xiao waved his hand and said, "Liu Yan, go get that red ginseng for Dong Er. With the red ginseng, his cultivation should speed up a bit. The clan comparison is only half a year away, if he doesn't hurry up with his cultivation, he'll just end up embarrassing himself when he goes."

  "Xiao Ge, is that Radix et Rhizoma Rhei what you used to treat your injuries..." Upon hearing this, Liu Yan was taken aback for a moment, then hastily said.

  "I'm already a useless person, no matter how I recover from my injuries, it's all in vain. From now on, I'll often go into the mountains and try to find some spiritual medicine for my son." Lin Xiao shook his head and smiled wryly, saying.

  "Dad isn't a useless person, Dad was once the strongest in the Lin family besides Grandpa!" Upon hearing Lin Xiao's words, Lin Dong's face turned red as he said, to a child, the most revered is always their father.

  "The Strongest..."

  Lin Xiao's fist clenched involuntarily, but his face flashed with a deep-seated pain, and after a moment, he stood up, somewhat tiredly walking towards the outside of the house.

  "Yuan, make some medicine for the child, my injury is nothing, it's been so many years, what use can a single red ginseng be?"

  Looking at the figure with a hint of despair, Liu Yan's eyes turned red. Who would have thought that the most spirited man in Qingyang Town back then would end up like this?

  "Mother, don't cry. I will work hard to cultivate and find a way to heal Father's injury later." Lin Dong pulled at Liu Yan's sleeve and said in a low voice.

  "Son, don't blame your father for being strict with you. He has poured all his heart and soul into you, you know, this is also his only expectation."

  Liu Yan lowered her head, looking at the serious expression on Lin Dong's tender little face, gently wiped away a tear, then touched Lin Dong's small head and said in a low voice.

  "Mother, I heard that this time the clan competition will have a third prize, which is a three-grade spiritual medicine called Congxuezhujiao. I once heard my uncle say that it has a very good effect on healing injuries. If we can get it, it will definitely help Father's internal injuries." Lin Dong suddenly seemed to remember something and looked up at Liu Xian with bright eyes.

  "Coagulation of blood, what's the use...?" Upon hearing this, Liu Yan was also stunned for a moment, then shook her head with some helplessness: "The clan is better than before, but it's not easy to get in. You have this heart, that's good enough. Mother will go and help you decoct the red ginseng first."

  After finishing speaking, Liu Yan turned around and walked out of the house. Among the younger generation of the Lin family, there were several who had achieved great things, and it was not easy for Lin Dong to enter the top three and obtain the Congealed Blood Crimson Fruit.

  Looking at the departing back of Liu Yan, Lin Dong's mouth was also tightly pursed, his small fist clenched: "Mother, don't worry, I'll get that Congealed Blood Crimson Fruit soon, and then we can treat Father's internal injuries!"

  As soon as he thought of Lin Xiao's injury, a deep hatred suddenly flashed in Lin Dong's eyes. The reason why his father was ridiculed by many people in the Lin family was all because of that person!

  …

  The Lin family, where Lin Dong is from, is just a small family, even in Qingyang Town, it's not considered top-notch. However, this unassuming Lin family has an astonishing background, that is the Lin Clan.

  The Lin family, one of the four major clans of the Great Flame Dynasty!

  The Lin family of Qingyang Town, from a certain perspective, can be considered as an external branch of the Lin clan. However, for Lin Dong who has never left Qingyang Town within a hundred miles, this Lin clan that possesses astonishing power in the Great Yan Empire is too distant and unfamiliar.

  According to Lin Dong, he occasionally heard from his father that their branch was actually also an inner clan of the Lin family. However, because of a mission failure by Lin Dong's grandfather, which resulted in huge losses for the clan, they were expelled and banished to Qingyang Town.

  Here, he established this small Lin family and for decades, spared no effort to try to return to the inner clan of the Lin family. This wish was his ultimate goal for decades of hard work.

  However, his efforts did not yield much effect, and what he did was negligible for the vast Lin family. Therefore, he had to shift his focus elsewhere, which was the Lin family's ten-year clan gathering!

  This is the most important meeting of the Lin family, which is very famous throughout the Great Flame Dynasty. It is held once every ten years, and each time it is a great opportunity for young people in the clan to make a name for themselves and become famous all over the world. The rewards for the competition are naturally very generous, but what attracts Grandpa Lindong the most is that as long as you can break into the top ten of the conference, even if you are an outsider, you will be promoted to an insider without any obstacles, with unlimited glory.

  Therefore, the family gathering became a new dawn for Grandpa Lin who was about to lose hope. However, due to his age, he could no longer participate, so he placed all his hopes on his five sons from different mothers. Naturally, among them, Father Lin emerged and became the dawn of not only Grandpa but also the entire Lin family.

  Facing the heavy burden on his shoulders, Lin Dong's father did not disappoint. Among the five brothers, he was the first to break through the Nine Heavens of the Tempering Marrow, advancing into the Earth Yuan Realm. And in just four short years after that, he broke through the Earth Yuan level once again, becoming the second Tian Yuan master in the Lin family, aside from Grandfather Lin Xian Tian.

  That kind of cultivation speed, made the usually taciturn and unsmiling grandfather, every time he saw his father, a warm and relieved smile would appear on his aged face. At that time, it's said that was the most smiling moment for the grandfather in decades.

  The tenth family reunion came with great expectations, but ultimately led to a devastating outcome that left the entire Lin family in despair.

  One move!

  It was just one move, and the father who had been seen as a hopeful was miserably defeated!

  And this is still the first game of the league!

  Years of expectation, years of nurturing, all turned into foam in that brief moment.

  The loser's ending was naturally countless strange eyes, and with those sarcastic cold smiles, the group returned to Qingyang Town like a mourning dog.

  That night, Father moved out of the inner courtyard of the Lin family and lived on a small mountain in the deepest part of the Lin family. From then on, he never used anything from the Lin family again, saying that he was no longer qualified to do so.

  Good fortune does not come in pairs, and misfortune does not walk alone.

  After that defeat, what Lin Xiao brought was not only depression. After the event, he also discovered with a miserable expression that the person who had fought him on that day not only defeated him with one palm, but also did not hold back in the slightest, and the nearly beast-like violent yuan force ravaged his body, destroying it completely.

  Under such severe injuries, Lin Xiao Tian's strength directly plummeted from Yuan level to Di Yuan level. Moreover, the accumulated injuries caused his meridians to be blocked by seven or eight tenths, making it difficult for him to make any progress no matter how hard he cultivated.

  In the family, the awe-inspiring gaze of the past has also gradually evolved into sighs and disappointment.

  Facing this heavy disaster, Lin Xiao was desperate. Every time he got drunk, he would frantically beat his chest, the low and dull sound like a muffled thunder, making his mother beside him heartbroken and tearful. Although Lin Dong was young, seeing this scene made his heart feel like it was being cut by a knife. At the same time, in his young heart, a thread of hatred towards the person who had beaten his father into such a state began to quietly grow.

  He ruined his father and also ruined his family!

  As for that person who started it all, Lin Dong later heard others mention him in passing, their voices filled with resentment and helplessness.

  At the age of ten, he began to cultivate and at twelve, he broke through the ninth layer of the Refining Body stage, entering the Earth Yuan realm. At fifteen, he entered the Heaven Yuan realm. By twenty, his body's yuan energy had reached a state of perfect harmony between yin and yang, ultimately succeeding in forming the elixir. He leapt to fame like a carp jumping over the dragon gate, becoming one of the top powers in the Great Flame Empire who had formed their yuan elixir before the age of thirty!

  His life was simply a legend in its own right.

  His name is Lin Langtian.

  …

  In the room, Lin's fist was clenched tightly, and his eyes flashed with intense hatred.

  (New book is launched, seeking collection and recommendation votes, thank you everyone.)