Cultivation Begins with Daily Intelligence Reports

207: Preliminary investigationLin Jingyu’s tone was unprecedentedly solemn:

“This secret is thousands of times more important than the Spiritual Spring Eye our Lin Family currently possesses!

It is the greatest hope for our Lin Family’s future rise, but it could also be the root cause of our demise!”

“I understand! This matter concerns the survival of our entire Family, and there will be no room for carelessness! I will personally oversee it to ensure absolute safety!”

Lin Lingshan guaranteed resolutely, yet he faintly felt a chill down his spine.

“Third, and most crucially.”

Lin Jingyu took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the distant Black Mountain outside the window, as if it could penetrate the rock.

“The Secret Realm is definitely not something our Lin Family can monopolize at this stage. Uncle Lingshan, you understand the principle of ‘a treasure brings trouble’ better than I do.

Greed, and the delusion of exclusive possession, will only lead to us being choked to death by this enormous ‘pie’! We must leverage external forces! We must seek strong allies for cooperation!”

He turned around, his gaze once again calm and wise.

“I will find a way to contact trustworthy external forces to intervene and use their power to explore the Secret Realm.

As for our Lin Family, our goal must be clear: we only need to safely claim a share within it.

We will acquire the Cultivation Technique Legacy and cultivation resources we urgently need, solidify our Family’s Foundation, and quietly grow stronger. Before this assistance arrives and full preparations are made, do not even touch that entrance.

Any form of exploratory attempt is absolutely forbidden.”

His thinking was clear and thorough, dissecting the immense temptation and fatal danger with perfect clarity.

Reckless impulsiveness is a major taboo for cultivators. With an informational advantage, he had to maximize this advantage and firmly hold the initiative in his own hands, rather than being blinded by the Opportunity.

This Secret Realm entrance was like a sleeping primeval Vicious Beast; before possessing enough strength to tame it, the best option was to guard it cautiously.

And to seek powerful and reliable “hunters” for cooperation, to hunt together, rather than rashly disturbing it and becoming the Vicious Beast’s meal.

As Lin Lingshan listened to Lin Jingyu’s meticulous analysis, the anxiety and hesitation in his eyes gradually gave way to firm trust and resolve.

He slapped his thigh hard with a “pah” sound, making the teacup on the table jump slightly:

“Good! Jingyu, you’re right! I’ll do as you say! I’ll immediately arrange to seal off the mine, and select the most reliable Family members!”

With the discussion concluded, Lin Lingshan acted decisively, immediately rising and striding out of the side hall. His powerful voice soon echoed outside the ancestral hall as he began to deploy personnel.

Lin Jingyu remained alone in the hall, pondering for a moment longer, meticulously replaying the entire plan in his mind several times, confirming there were no obvious flaws.

Only then did he slowly exhale a long, turbid breath, as if to release some of the pressure in his chest.

He pushed open the hall door and walked out.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the horizon a splendid orange-red. The warm sunlight fell upon him, yet it could not dispel the heavy pressure in Lin Jingyu’s heart.

He took a deep breath of air, carrying the fresh scent of earth and grass, and a faint hint of cooking smoke, his gaze slowly sweeping across the tranquil village before him.

Children’s laughter was still crisp, chasing and playing in the alleys. Returning Family members greeted each other, discussing the day’s harvest.

In the direction of the spiritual fields in the distance, Family members responsible for the “Fertilizer Team” were packing up their tools, preparing to return... The mountain rain is coming, and the wind fills the tower.

Beneath the seemingly calm surface of Black Mountain, a huge undercurrent had already begun to surge.

All these peaceful and vibrant scenes could only be protected by becoming stronger and obtaining Opportunity!

“Strength... I must improve my strength as quickly as possible... Otherwise, I won’t even have the qualifications to get a share, and might even become someone else’s stepping stone first.”

Lin Jingyu thought to himself, the craving for power had never been as intense and urgent as it was now.

That afternoon, just past the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), the sun was already setting in the west.

Led by Lin Xuan, Lin Jingyu once again arrived deep within the Black Gravel Mountain mine.

The deeper they went, the darker the light became, and the air was filled with the scent of mine dust and dampness.

Along the way, the main forks leading to the abandoned area were indeed guarded by core Family members personally selected by Lin Lingshan, armed with weapons.

Their expressions were vigilant, their eyes sharp. Seeing Lin Jingyu arrive, they silently bowed in greeting, tacitly clearing the path, having clearly received strict orders.

“Young Clan Leader.” Lin Xuan whispered, pointing to the even deeper and secluded fork ahead.

Lin Jingyu nodded slightly, and the two continued to delve deeper, one after the other.

As they approached the sealed-off area, Lin Jingyu’s acute Divine Sense, far surpassing that of ordinary people, clearly detected that the Spiritual Qi fluctuations in the air, distinct from the outside, became increasingly obvious.

Although this Spiritual Qi was astonishingly dense, it appeared exceptionally stagnant and cold, like a bottomless pool of dead water, lacking the vitality and vigor of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi outside.

With the gentle characteristics of his Evergreen Art, he could feel that refining it would be twice the effort for half the result, and there was even a faint trace of cold Evil Qi attempting to invade his Meridians.

Short-term cultivation would be fine.

However, long-term Cultivation here would likely bring more harm than good.

Arriving before the cleverly disguised rock wall, Lin Lingkuang was on duty with two Family members. Upon seeing Lin Jingyu, he immediately clasped his fists in greeting.

Lin Xuan stepped forward, and together with Lin Lingkuang, skillfully moved aside the heavy boulders used as camouflage, revealing a narrow crevice just wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.

A more intense, cold Spiritual Qi, mixed with an ancient, desolate aura, immediately rushed out from the crevice.

Lin Jingyu’s gaze swept over Lin Lingkuang and the other two Family members, and he commanded in an unquestionable tone:

“You all stand guard outside, retreat ten zhang away and remain vigilant. Without my command, no one is allowed to approach this place, including yourselves. If there is any unusual movement, use a long howl as a signal.”

“Yes, Young Clan Leader!”

Lin Lingkuang responded in a deep voice, without any hesitation, and immediately waved his hand, leading the two Family members to retreat.

They occupied a crucial position in the passage, vigilantly watching their surroundings, like three silent stone statues.

Lin Jingyu took a deep breath, composed himself, and squeezed sideways into the crevice.

The small natural stone cave once again appeared before his eyes.

His gaze instantly crossed the stone cave, firmly locking onto the innermost rock wall that appeared unremarkable and no different from the surrounding rock.

He did not approach immediately, but instead fully activated the Spirit Refining Art. His powerful Mental Energy, like an invisible tide, scanned every corner of the stone cave inch by inch, with him at the center.

The coldness of the rock, the chilly Spiritual Qi emanating from the water pool, the faint but peculiar vitality of the moss... Besides these, no other obvious Formation Restriction fluctuations or traces of human activity were found. The entire stone cave was empty and silent.

Only the subtle yet stable spatial fluctuations originating from the deepest part of the rock wall, like the heartbeat of a sleeping giant beast, low and powerful, indicated the extraordinary nature of what lay beyond.