Chapter 82. Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location)

Now that the Chen Family had set their sights on dealing with the Lin Family, they resolved to first strike at this Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location). Seizing this spiritual vein would be enough to inflict severe damage upon the Lin Clan.

Without wasting any time, the 2 of them rode their swords and flew toward Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location) that very day.

Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location) lay merely 10 1000 some li from Pingyang City. Riding their flying swords day and night without rest, the 2 arrived at the outskirts of Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location) in less than 2 days.

"This is the Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location)."

Gazing at the Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location) before him, Eldrin (Person Name) furrowed his brow, his expression turning grave. "A second-tier formation array has been laid upon this mountain," he remarked with measured caution. "We must proceed with utmost care."

The old clan leader nodded. "This is the Greenwood Earthen Matrix, a mid-grade formation of the second tier. Even a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment, Late Stage would find it impossible to breach."

"Rumor has it the Lin Family has even stationed Foundation Establishment cultivator Lin Baimin here. It would be prudent for us to remain cautious."

Lin Baimin was a Foundation Establishment, Early Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivator. With his level of cultivation driving this formation, even an ordinary Foundation Establishment, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) practitioner who entered might find their survival uncertain.

Fortunately, Chen Changxuan possessed the Li Fire Array of the Soul Incineration, which elevated his overall combat prowess to rival at least 2 or 3 Foundation Establishment, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivators combined. Meanwhile, Eldrin (Person Name) was formidable enough to hold his own against a Foundation Establishment, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) expert in a direct confrontation.

With the 2 of them joining forces, they had a fair chance of breaking through this Greenwood Earth Matrix.

"Let's begin."

As Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location) came into view, Chen Changxuan (Person Name) immediately unleashed the Li Fire Soul Incineration Array (Formation), casting its dominion over the area.

At the same time, Lin Baimin (Person Name) atop Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location) abruptly changed countenance, swiftly activating the formation to block the overwhelming Li Fire.

After blocking the Li Fire, Lin Baimin finally recognized Chen Changxuan as the 1 who had intervened. He asked in disbelief,

"Master Chen, our Lin Clan bears no enmity nor grievance with your Chen Family. For what reason do you assault our Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location)?"

"No grudge, no grievance?"

The old clan chief sneered coldly, intensifying his magical power to burn the formation. "At the Fengyang Trading Post (Location) trade conference, Lin Baixi (Person Name) and Lin Moqin (Person Name) bribed Zhang Yiran (Person Name) to ambush my grand-nephew."

"A grievance of such magnitude, is it not an irreconcilable feud?"

"Misunderstanding, this must be a misunderstanding!"

"Fellow Daoist, cease at once, lest you bring about a great calamity."

"At this point, Lin Baimin still wants to stall for time, waiting for rescue from the Lin Family cultivators," he said, his face deathly pale.

But where would Chen Changxuan pay him any mind? While urging the Li Fire Refining Great Array onward, he simultaneously summoned the Crimson Flame Qi (Spiritual Root) Spirit Blade to launch relentless assaults.

With Eldrin (Person Name) joining the assault, the formation atop Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location) began trembling violently, its radiance visibly dimming at an alarming rate.

At this rate, the defensive formation would be breached in less than a day.

At the same time, atop the Moqing Mountain Spirit Vein, the 4 Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Lin family had gathered together.

After Lin Baixi's fall, aside from the Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed at Yuyang Market and Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location), all 4 of the Lin family's available Foundation Establishment cultivators were gathered here.

Seated at the head, both Lin Mocheng and Lin Moqin wore faces as dark as iron, leaving the 2 newly-emerged Foundation Establishment cultivators utterly bewildered.

A woman in purple robes, sensing the tense atmosphere, couldn't help but ask, "What urgent matter has compelled you to summon us out of seclusion?"

"Trouble has befallen us." Lin Moqin (Person Name) revealed a pained expression as he recounted the events, then added, "This matter is also my fault for failing to dissuade him in time."

After hearing this, the violet-robed woman’s face turned slightly pale. She shook her head and let out a bitter laugh. "I could tell long ago that Bai Xi was stubborn and narrow-minded. You are not to blame for this matter."

"Now that Bai Xi has been slain by that wretched brat, a blood feud has been forged. We cannot simply stand by."

In her heart, she deeply disapproved of Lin Baixi's actions, yet as a clan cultivator, she could not simply stand by and ignore such matters.

To put oneself in another's shoes, if this grievance is not avenged, the unity of the clan will crumble.

If Lin Baixi were to be slain today and the clan did nothing, then if she were to be slain tomorrow, would no 1 intervene either?

At the head of the hall, Lin Mocheng's face darkened as a trace of icy killing intent surfaced. "I summoned you here for 1 purpose: to avenge Bai Xi."

"But..." Lin Moqin revealed a trace of fear and couldn't help saying, "The Chen family is no longer what it used to be. Both Chen Changxuan and Eldrin (Person Name) possess power far beyond the mortal realm. I'm afraid we are no match for them."

"You're clearly frightened out of your wits," another Foundation Establishment cultivator said with displeasure. "Do not inflate the enemy's morale while dampening our own."

"Cease your bickering."

Lin Mocheng interrupted the crowd, his expression grave as he declared, "That old fox Chen Changxuan possesses strength far beyond ordinary. I fear he truly surpasses us by a significant margin."

"Very well, let us take the Talisman of the Gale Soul-Cleaving Sword (Magic Treasure) and settle this with them once and for all."

“Talisman of the Gale Soul-Cleaving Sword (Magic Treasure)！”

Everyone's expressions shifted slightly. The Talisman of the Gale Soul-Cleaving Sword (Magic Treasure) was a low-grade third-tier talisman, and also the greatest foundation that the Zi Mansion expert Mordecai (Person Name) had left for the Lin Family.

Back when Mordecai broke through to the Violet Mansion realm, in order to sever his karmic ties of bloodline, he paid a tremendous price to imbue his divine ability ‘Gale Soul-Severing Sword’ into a talisman. This, along with 3 Foundation Establishment Pills (Spiritual Object), was entrusted to the Lin Family.

Once activated, this talisman is nearly equivalent to Mordecai (Person Name) personally unleashing the divine ability 'Gale-Severing Soul Sword', possessing earth-shattering and heaven-startling destructive power. If deployed at the right moment, it could even severely injure a Zifu cultivator.

Upon hearing his intention to use that talisman, Lin Moqin’s expression shifted, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, “That is a legacy left to us by Mordecai (Person Name)—how could we deploy it so recklessly unless faced with the brink of annihilation?”

“What time is it to still be holding back?” Lin Mocheng said with an icy expression. “If we don’t avenge this grievance, how can we establish ourselves in Yu County?”

As the group was speaking, a cultivator rushed into the hall from outside, his face pale with panic as he reported.

"Alas! The Twin Messaging Talisman brings dire tidings—Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location) is under assault!"

"The Chen Clan is moving swiftly indeed." Lin Mocheng rose to his feet at once, his wide sleeves billowing as he declared, "Let us go and confront the Chen Clan head-on. We must make them pay the price."

Meanwhile, Lior headed to Yuyang Market and used the market's messenger talismans to relay messages to the major clans, informing them of the incident's details. Without delay, he immediately set out for Spiritual Apricot Mountain.

At the same time, atop Spiritual Apricot Mountain (Location), Eldrin (Person Name) and the old clan leader were relentlessly assaulting the mountain-protecting formation.

The Verdant Wood and Earthen Soil Formation truly possessed remarkable defensive capabilities. Were it 2 or 3 ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators who had come here, they would likely find it difficult to breach its defenses in a short time.

However, the former patriarch’s Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss was even more formidable. If this formation were set up based on a second-grade, upper-tier spirit vein, it could likely hold off a Foundation Establishment cultivator for some time.

Driven by the old patriarch's cultivation base, though its power had diminished considerably, it was no less formidable than this second-tier, mid-grade Verdant Earth Formation.

Moreover, with the 2 of them continuously attacking using second-grade, superior-tier magic treasures, the protective formation of Spiritual Apothacary Mountain (Location) was soon battered to the brink of collapse.

"No good. If we keep fighting like this, I'm afraid we won't last half a day."

Seeing the situation take a turn for the worse, Lin Baimin’s expression grew solemn.

He took a deep breath, ready to activate the formation to counterattack and see if he could drive the 2 back.

Chapter 1: The Reborn Youth Mount Canglan, Outer Sect. A dilapidated wooden house stood silently in the mountain breeze. Inside, a youth of 15 or 16 years lay on a simple bed, his face pale as paper. Suddenly, his eyelids fluttered open. "Have I... truly been reborn?" Li Ming (Person Name) sat up abruptly, his mind flooded with chaotic memories. He had been the revered Flaming Sword Immortal of the cultivation world, but during his tribulation to ascend, he was ambushed by the Demon Lord and perished. Unexpectedly, his soul had returned to 3 100 years ago, when he was still a lowly outer sect disciple of the Mount Canglan Sect. "Since the heavens have granted me this second chance, I, Li Ming, shall rewrite everything in this lifetime!" He rose and walked to the cracked bronze mirror. The reflection showed a gaunt yet determined young face. Just as he was about to recall the cultivation techniques of his past life, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door. "Li Ming! Are you dead or alive? If you're not, get out here and pay up!" The door was kicked open with a bang. 3 outer sect disciples swaggered in, their leader a pockmarked youth with a fierce glare. "Zhang Hu (Person Name), what is the meaning of this?" Li Ming's eyes narrowed. Zhang Hu sneered, "Cut the act. You borrowed 10 spirit stones from me last month. With interest, that's now 1 100. Pay up, or don't blame me for being ruthless!" Li Ming's heart turned cold. In his past life, he had been seriously injured in a sect competition and had no choice but to borrow 10 spirit stones for healing. Unexpectedly, this debt had become Zhang Hu's pretext for extortion. "1 100 spirit stones? Zhang Hu, are you trying to rob me?" Li Ming's voice was icy. Zhang Hu laughed grimly, "Rob you? So what if I am? A waste like you, at the first level of Qi Refining, what can you do against me?" As he spoke, Zhang Hu reached out to grab Li Ming's collar. But just as his hand was about to make contact, Li Ming's figure shifted subtly, and Zhang Hu stumbled forward, nearly falling. "You!" Zhang Hu's face flushed with anger. He never expected this usually timid waste to dare dodge. "Beat him to death!" Zhang Hu roared, signaling his 2 lackeys. The 2 lackeys immediately rushed forward, fists swinging toward Li Ming. Although outer sect disciples were not permitted to kill each other, severe injuries were commonplace. Li Ming's eyes flashed with cold light. In his past life, he had endured this humiliation, but now... "Seeking death!" He took a light step, his movements seemingly slow but actually fast. With 2 crisp cracks, the 2 lackeys were sent flying, wailing in pain. Zhang Hu was stunned. This was not the Li Ming he knew! "Have you been hiding your strength?" Zhang Hu asked in shock. Li Ming did not answer, instead taking a step forward. A terrifying aura burst forth, pressing down on Zhang Hu until he could barely breathe. "This... this is the pressure of the third level of Qi Refining! Impossible!" Zhang Hu's face was full of disbelief. Li Ming looked down at Zhang Hu as if he were an ant. "Get lost. If you dare bother me again, don't blame me for being impolite." Zhang Hu shuddered, feeling as if he were facing a senior expert. He didn't even dare to retrieve his spirit stones and fled in panic with his 2 lackeys. After they left, Li Ming let out a long breath. Although he had only just been reborn, the combat experience and spiritual sense of his past life as an Immortal remained. Dealing with a few outer sect disciples was effortless. He sat cross-legged on the bed, beginning to inspect his body. As expected, his meridians were clogged, and his dantian was dim—truly the worst of cultivation constitutions. But this was no trouble for Li Ming. In his past life, he had obtained an ancient cultivation technique, the Heavenly Star Art (Cultivation Method), which could reconstruct meridians and was most suitable for his current situation. He closed his eyes and began to guide the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Strands of faint starlight converged, seeping into his body through his pores. The originally blocked meridians began to loosen under the starlight's illumination. Time passed slowly. When Li Ming opened his eyes again, night had fallen. A black, foul substance covered his body—the impurities expelled during the meridians' cleansing. He had reached the second level of Qi Refining! In just 1 afternoon, he had broken through from the first to the second level of Qi Refining. Such speed was unheard of even for those with heavenly spiritual roots. But Li Ming was not satisfied. He knew that in the world of cultivation, the strong were revered. With his current strength, he was still as insignificant as an ant. He needed to improve his cultivation as soon as possible and prepare for that upcoming great change. Thinking of this, Li Ming's gaze grew determined. In this lifetime, he would not only reclaim everything he had lost but also reach the pinnacle of the cultivation world that he had never achieved in his past life! The night grew deeper, and the starlight outside the window seemed to shine a little brighter.