Ahead lay a range of undulating mountains, with clear waters and lush greenery stretching endlessly, featuring cascading waterfalls, rugged peaks with jagged rocks, towering ancient trees verdant and lush, and meandering streams flowing gently. Mist swirled around, imbued with spiritual energy, as if it were a paradise on earth.
Initially, Lin Xiao had thought the ancestral tomb of the Tianxuan Sect was a perilous training ground, but he hadn’t expected such a picturesque place.
This was akin to the Xuanyu battlefield, another vast space existing within the world.
To be precise, it was the Xuanyu.
Unexpectedly, the ancestral tomb of the Tianxuan Sect was a Xuanyu space.
Moreover, Lin Xiao noticed that the spiritual energy here was countless times denser than in the outside world.
Those who cultivated here would likely progress countless times faster than outside.
“This is the ancestral tomb of the Tianxuan Sect, but in reality, it’s a Xuanyu space, spanning thousands of miles. All past sect leaders of the Tianxuan Sect are buried here, and only they are qualified to enter,” Yi Xuanfeng said slowly. “Three years ago, I foresaw a crisis and made a decision to bring your father here, an exception to the rule, into this Xuanyu battlefield. Of course, the reason so many could infiltrate the ancestral tomb from Spirit Beast City without anyone noticing is also tied to your father.”
“My father?” Lin Xiao was puzzled.
“You’ll understand when you see him. Follow me,” Yi Xuanfeng said with a slight smile, leading Lin Xiao, three others, and two beasts forward.
After crossing several mountains, a cluster of houses and courtyards appeared before Lin Xiao, large enough to accommodate hundreds of people.
At the gate of the courtyard, three figures emerged. As they landed, Lin Zhantian, Hu Mo, and Lin Langtie appeared in Lin Xiao’s view.
“Father, Uncle, City Lord Hu,” Lin Xiao said excitedly, recognising their faces. Earlier, their sudden disappearance, as if they had vanished from the world, had worried him greatly.
Now, seeing the three safe and sound before him brought relief.
“Father, Second Uncle, City Lord Hu,” Lin Qinglun said, equally thrilled, clearly having been worried during this time.
“Father!” Hu Yue threw herself into Hu Mo’s arms.
“Yue’er has grown up!” Hu Mo said with a fond smile, patting her head lovingly. But upon sensing her weakened state, his expression shifted slightly. “Yue’er, you’re injured?”
“It’s fine, just minor. I’ll recover with some rest,” Hu Yue said, hugging him tightly. At that moment, she seemed less like an assassin and more like a little girl who never grew up.
“Qinglun, Nephew Xiao,” Lin Langtie said, his face beaming with excitement, having missed them dearly after three years.
“Xiao’er, Nephew Qinglun,” Lin Zhantian said, gazing at Lin Xiao with such emotion that his body trembled, more so than anyone present, as if he hadn’t seen Lin Xiao in decades, his eyes constantly studying him.
Lin Xiao found this slightly odd. His father’s excitement was natural, but there was a hint of something unfamiliar in his gaze, leaving him faintly unsettled.
“Father, your cultivation has reached the eighth level of Martial King?” Lin Xiao said, stunned, sensing the aura emanating from Lin Zhantian.
His father’s cultivation had surged from the Mysterious Martial Realm three years ago to the eighth level of Martial King, a speed nearly rivalling his own.
Then, Lin Xiao’s divine sense scanned Lin Langtie and Hu Mo, detecting Martial King auras from both. Lin Langtie had reached the first level of Martial King, and Hu Mo the third.
This astonished Lin Xiao. It seemed the three had encountered significant opportunities in this Xuanyu, or perhaps the dense spiritual energy here had propelled their breakthroughs to the Martial King realm.
Or maybe there was something special about this Xuanyu.
Otherwise, at their age, breaking through to Martial King in three years without unique resources would be nearly impossible.
Yet, Lin Xiao was puzzled. Hu Mo had previously been the strongest, at the sixth level of Heavenly Martial, but now only reached the third level of Martial King. In contrast, his father had the highest cultivation, surpassing Hu Mo by five full levels.
Could his father have encountered an extraordinary opportunity, greater than the others?
However, recalling his father’s earlier expression, Lin Xiao felt a faint unease.
“Could it be…” Lin Xiao speculated silently but shook his head inwardly. His father’s demeanor had changed slightly, but he could still sense that this was the same father as before, though something seemed amiss.
“Well, we’ll discuss this privately later. By the way, Xiao’er, what level is your cultivation at?” Lin Zhantian asked, puzzled, unable to sense Lin Xiao’s aura.
“Second level of Martial Venerable,” Lin Xiao replied without hesitation.
His words nearly shocked Hu Mo and Lin Langtie. “What? Lin Xiao, your cultivation has reached the second level of Martial Venerable?”
Both stared at him as if he were a monster.
Breaking through from Heavenly Martial to the second level of Martial Venerable in three years—such speed was astonishing.
Lin Zhantian was equally stunned. His own breakthroughs over the past three years had been rapid, but Lin Xiao’s pace still shocked him.
His own progress had a reason, but Lin Xiao’s was entirely self-achieved.
To their surprise, Lin Xiao merely nodded calmly.
“As expected of my son!” Lin Zhantian sighed deeply, as if lost in memories.
“What a freak—both father and son are freaks!” Hu Mo couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Father, why don’t you ask about my cultivation?” Hu Yue said with a sly smile, teasingly.
Hu Mo chuckled, slightly taken aback. “Yue’er must be close behind. What level is your cultivation?”
Though Hu Yue’s talent wasn’t as extraordinary as Lin Xiao’s, it was still impressive. He figured she’d be at least mid-tier Martial King, or even above him, since he couldn’t sense her aura either.
“Hehe, Father, my cultivation is at the third level of Martial Venerable, one level higher than that guy,” Hu Yue said proudly, grinning.
“What?” Hu Mo was even more shocked, as were Lin Langtie and Lin Zhantian. Hu Yue’s cultivation surpassed Lin Xiao’s?
“And Qinglun, your cultivation…” Lin Langtie couldn’t help but ask, though he regretted it, feeling it might embarrass Lin Qinglun given the gap between him and the others.
“Father, I’m not as monstrous as these two. My cultivation is only at the peak of Martial King,” Lin Qinglun said with a smile, showing no discomfort.
“Peak of Martial King!” For Lin Langtie, this was already extraordinary, filling him with excitement.
“Great, great! I never imagined my son would achieve so much!” Lin Langtie said, overjoyed.
The three men—Lin Langtie, Hu Mo, and Lin Zhantian—looked at each other and burst into laughter.
At their age, their children were their pride, and their children’s success was their greatest joy.
Clearly, all three had their wishes fulfilled.
Yi Xuanfeng, standing aside, inwardly scoffed: *If you’re this excited about their cultivation, you’d probably faint if you knew Lin Xiao and the others wiped out the Feng family and even killed a fourth-level Martial Lord with their tactics.*
Ling Hu, nearby, smiled warmly, touched by the heartfelt scene, memories and warmth flooding his heart.
After the group’s warm reunion, Lin Zhantian and the others led Lin Xiao and his companions into the courtyard, where they met the Lin family and the elders of the Tianxuan Sect who followed Yi Xuanfeng.
Then, Lin Zhantian took Lin Xiao alone to a mountain peak.
“Xiao’er, there are some things I need to tell you,” Lin Zhantian said, gazing at the mist-shrouded horizon with a long sigh.
Lin Xiao’s heart tightened, an inexplicable feeling rising within him.
