Cultivation Begins with Daily Intelligence Reports

309: Reject Lin XiaoxiaoThe news of the Black Wind Stockade’s destruction spread like wildfire, like a Soul-stirring storm sweeping across the entire Chiyan Prefecture.

Its impact far exceeded the regional boundaries of the Southeast Market Town, spreading frantically toward the vast cultivation world.

Qi Refining Realm, Heaven-Defying Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer!

Such a shocking achievement could no longer be described by the ordinary word ”Genius”; it was nearly a myth, shattering the cognitive boundaries of countless Cultivators.

The name Lin Jingyu, like a brilliant thunderbolt suddenly rising in the dead of night, instantly illuminated the firmament of Chiyan Prefecture.

He became the focus of heated discussion, awe, and even fear among all Cultivators, from street corners to tea houses; his prominence was unrivaled for a time.

It could be said that this was Lin Jingyu’s first large-scale rise to fame.

Previously, whether it was the ascending immortal ladder or the hidden dragon ranking list, it had only been small-scale dissemination.

Those forces that had once held the Family in contempt, secretly coveted them, or even kicked them while they were down, all retreated and fell silent, as quiet as cicadas in winter.

All the tentacles that had originally probed toward the Family, filled with testing and malice, retracted silently in an instant, turning into a kind of near-sycophantic goodwill and an unspeakable, deep-seated dread.

Many Clan Chiefs of surrounding Families even personally prepared generous gifts, traveling day and night to rush to Lin Family Village, just to catch a glimpse of Lin Jingyu and forge a good relationship.

The Family, this once-impoverished, bullied, bottom-tier Family settlement, saw its status soar overnight, and its doorway became as busy as a market.

Cultivators coming to visit, offer gifts, and seek to forge good relationships arrived in an endless stream, with all sorts of magnificent flying Magical Artifacts and Yao Beast mounts taking off and landing at the village entrance.

The grandeur of the scene even surpassed the busiest times of the Southeast Market Town, and it had truly become a new focal point.

Many Cultivators spontaneously organized a small trading market outside the Family.

Inside the Family, morale was at its peak, and cohesion was unprecedented.

Every clansman, young or old, walked with their backs straight when outside, their faces beaming with genuine pride and glory.

The Young Clan Leader Lin Jingyu was not only the hope and future of the Family, but also a living myth and an invincible faith in their hearts; his prestige even surpassed that of the Clan Chief Lin Lingshan.

After this battle, the Family confiscated the vast resources accumulated by the Black Wind Stockade over several decades; Low-Grade Spirit Stones piled up like mountains, and all kinds of Magical Artifacts, Medicinal Pills, and spiritual materials were dazzling, leaving the Family treasury almost overflowing.

Lin Lingshan and the group of clan elders were busy for days, counting, classifying, and registering everything.

Although exhausted, their faces always bore a dreamlike ecstasy and excitement—when had the Family ever been this ”wealthy” before!

This time, the Family truly had an accumulation of resources.

To celebrate this unprecedented great victory that laid the foundation for the Family, to comfort the heroic spirits of the ancestors, and to boost the morale of the entire clan.

Lin Lingshan overcame all opposition and decided to hold an unprecedented celebration banquet, inviting friendly forces from all directions to join in the grand event—firstly to display their might, and secondly to consolidate their newly acquired status.

The banquet was set in the vast blue stone square in front of the ancestral hall, with a hundred tables laid out.

The fragrance of spirit wine drifted in the air, and delicious dishes cooked with low-grade Yao Beast meat were aromatic, with the sounds of laughter and clinking cups rising straight to the clouds.

Major forces from the Southeast Market Town, the Alchemist Association, and the Heavenly Book Pavilion all dispatched Cultivators to attend.

Feng Xixi, Qin Yue, and Gu Yue even came in person.

Lin Jingyu sat in the main seat; although his complexion was still slightly pale, his aura had already become much steadier and more robust.

He was the center of attention, responding to toasts and congratulations from representatives of various forces with composed manners and appropriate, generous speech.

That calm demeanor, precipitated after the baptism of a life-and-death battle, was even more captivating.

After three rounds of wine and five courses of food, the atmosphere became even more enthusiastic.

Many young disciples of the Family surrounded Lin Jingyu, their eyes burning with fervor, vying to ask for advice on Cultivation, hoping to receive even a word or two of guidance.

Lin Jingyu did not hold back either; addressing each person’s situation, he selected the key points and offered a few words of guidance in simple terms, often causing the questioner to have a sudden realization, become ecstatic, and feel deeply grateful to him.

Just as this bustling and glorious scene reached its peak, a young girl wearing a pale pink dress with a delicate appearance seemed to have mustered the courage of a lifetime, passing through the crowd to walk up to Lin Jingyu, who was surrounded by everyone.

She was none other than Little Miss, a girl from a side branch of the clan and Lin Jingxia’s close friend.

Her cheeks were flushed red like sunset clouds, her hands were nervously twisting the corner of her clothes, and her eyes were filled with moisture and a sense of desperate determination.

Beside her, Lin Jingxia was clenching her small fists, as if she were cheering her on.

”Jingyu... Brother Jingyu.” Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, trembling, yet it was incomparably clear to the ears of Lin Jingyu, who had already reached the second layer of the Spirit Refining Art.

The surrounding noise seemed to quiet down for a moment due to this sudden interlude, and many curious and probing gazes were cast their way.

Lin Jingyu put down the jade cup in his hand and looked at her with a gentle gaze: ”Little Miss, is something the matter?”

Little Miss took a deep breath, as if she had exhausted all her strength, raised her head, and bravely met Lin Jingyu’s gaze, which was as deep as a starry pool.

Although her voice still trembled, she said clearly: ”Brother Jingyu! I... I like you! I’ve liked you since I was little!

I know my Aptitude is ordinary, not even one ten-thousandth of yours, but I will work hard to Cultivate, I will... I will always stay by your side! Please... please give me a chance!”

Her eyes were filled with all-or-nothing anticipation.

These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up ripples.

The surroundings quieted down instantly, and all eyes were focused on the two of them.

There was surprise, envy, good-willed curiosity, and a hint of imperceptible complexity.

Hearing this, Lin Jingyu was slightly taken aback.

Looking at the innocent and ardent, unmasked gaze of the young girl before him, he sighed lightly in his heart.

He only had the affection of a brother for Little Miss; there was absolutely no romantic feeling whatsoever.

He could not, and would not, give any vague hope.

Moreover, he knew that what Little Miss called liking was not the liking between a man and a woman.

It was nothing more than an innocent young girl’s admiration after seeing a powerful man.

And it surely involved the instigation of his younger sister, Lin Jingxia.

Lin Jingyu’s gaze remained gentle, yet it carried an unquestionable, clear boundary as he said slowly:

”Little Miss, I understand your feelings. But in my heart, you have always been the younger sister I need to protect, just like Jingxia.

My path of Dao is long and perilous, covered with thorns; I do not wish to be entangled here, nor do I wish to hinder anyone’s future.

You should Cultivate with a calm heart, sever distracting thoughts, and in the future, there will surely be a vast world that belongs to you.

Do not let a momentary obsession ruin your own path of Dao.”

These words were like a spring breeze; although gentle, they clearly brushed away all the hope in Little Miss’s eyes, leaving only a faint sense of loss, but no resentment.

She had long known the hope was slim; being able to say it out loud meant she had no regrets.

She lowered her head, her voice choked with sobs:

”I... I understand, Brother Jingyu. I’m sorry to have disturbed you.” After finishing, she turned and ran away quickly, with crystalline tears already glistening in the corners of her eyes.