In the Taihang Mountain Range of the Jingchu Realm, there is a small mountain range where many Cymbidium orchids grow, hence it was named Huilan Mountain.
The mountain stands a thousand zhang tall, with Spiritual Mist perpetually swirling around its Mountaintop, creating a scene of an Immortal Realm. From an aerial view, five or six grand halls are built in a scattered yet orderly fashion on the Mountaintop, while rows of small courtyards on the mountainside are serene and elegant, truly a blessed land.
In the very center of the Mountaintop, a grand hall with carved beams and painted pillars serves as the core area of the Lin Family, the Deliberation Hall. Built in a tiered manner from top to bottom are the Dan Refining Hall, Weapon Crafting Hall, Hall of Talismans, Benevolence Hall, and Mission Hall. On either side of the Deliberation Hall, two treasure vaults are built to store important treasures and Cultivation resources, so there are always Foundation Establishment powerhouses taking turns guarding the Deliberation Hall.
On the mountainside, there is a conspicuous three-courtyard complex. At this moment, over thirty youths, aged approximately six to thirteen, are earnestly listening to a white-haired Elder explain Cultivation common knowledge. All the youths are engrossed in his words.
At this point, they heard the Elder mention that for over eight hundred years, no one in the Jingchu Realm had Ascended to the Spirit Realm, and no one had achieved a Breakthrough to Soul Transformation and Ascended, as if the Jingchu Realm had been abandoned by the Spirit Realm.
One of the youths raised his hand and asked, "Seventh Grandfather, why has no one Ascended? Is it because their Cultivation is insufficient?"
The Elder was the teacher of the clan academy, Lin Ruzhen, who ranked seventh among the Ru generation of the Lin Family. Because he injured his Foundation in his youth, he had no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment in this life, so he voluntarily served as a teacher in the clan academy to instruct the younger generation, putting his remaining energy to good use.
At this moment, the Elder said, "I don't know the reason why no one can Ascend. To find out, you will have to explore it yourselves when your Cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul Late Stage. You should not be overly ambitious. Some of you are still in the Qi Sensing Stage, and some have just entered the Qi Refinement Early Stage. Cultivation is not an overnight achievement; you must build a solid Foundation step by step, and not blindly pursue Realm advancement while neglecting the Foundation.
After advancing each Realm, you should prioritize solidifying your Foundation. Cultivation is a daily effort. Only with a firm Foundation will it be easier to achieve a Breakthrough when encountering a Bottleneck. Otherwise, forcibly attempting a Breakthrough carries great risks and can easily damage your Foundation, leading to no further progress in Cultivation. You must remember this."
After speaking, the Elder sighed and reiterated, "That's all for today. You must study diligently and Cultivate with care. If you have any questions, you can ask your teacher. I hope you all become pillars of the Family soon."
After the Elder left, the children all returned to their respective homes and mothers.
Only the youth who had asked the question earlier walked at the very end, looking somewhat dejected. The youth's name was Lin Zufeng, he was eight years old this year, and an orphan in the Family. His paternal grandparents were Mortals who had long passed away, and his parents died in battle when he was three years old while performing a mission for the Family. Since then, he had been raised by the Family's Benevolence Hall.
Until he was six, he was tested and found to have a dual Wood and Fire Spiritual Root, and was brought to the Family academy to study. Dual Spiritual Roots are considered relatively good Spiritual Roots in the Cultivation World; three and four Spiritual Roots are common, and even five Spiritual Roots exist in considerable numbers.
Of course, Lin Zufeng's dual Spiritual Root Aptitude meant he was a key disciple to be nurtured in the Lin Family. Although Lin Zufeng had no parental care, no one in the Family withheld his stipend.
The Lin Family arrived at the Huilan Mountain Range seven hundred years ago. The founding Old Ancestor, Lin Kaishan, was a Golden Core Master. He led his Dao Companion and four sons and one daughter to exterminate the Third Tier Fire Serpent that occupied the mountain at that time.
Upon discovering a Third Tier Low Grade Spiritual Vein on this mountain, he decided to occupy it and establish the Huilan Mountain Lin Family. Subsequently, the Lin Family branched out and multiplied its Lin Clan in this Huilan Mountain Range.
After more than seven hundred years of development, the Family now has one hundred sixty-two Cultivators and four Mortal villages with over twenty thousand people.
When the founding Old Ancestor Lin Kaishan established the Family, he set down twenty generations with the phrase "Li Zhen Zhang Mei Ru, Cheng Zu Ji Guang Xian, Pi Zuo Jia Ji Da, Chun Gen Xiang Shang Lian." Besides direct descendants of Cultivators who possess Spiritual Roots, other Cultivator Lin Clan are assigned a generation every fifty years. Only Cultivator Lin Clan with Spiritual Roots are granted a generational character.
Currently, the highest generation in the Family is its stabilizing force, the Foundation Establishment Late Stage powerhouse Lin Meitian, who is listed as the Family's Grand Elder. Aside from appearing for annual ancestral worship, she remains in secluded cultivation year-round.
The daily management of the Family is handled by the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Clan Chief Lin Rugen and six Elders.
The Grand Elder, Second Tier Alchemist Lin Ruping, a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Cultivator, is responsible for the Dan Refining Hall, and the Second Elder, Lin Ru He, a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Cultivator, is responsible for the Spiritual field cultivation.
The Third Elder, Ru Tai, a Foundation Establishment Early Stage Second Tier Artifact Refiner, is responsible for the Weapon Crafting Hall.
The Four Elder Lin Rulan, a Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivator, is responsible for the Benevolence Hall and Mission Hall, and is also the only female Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the Lin Family.
The Fifth Elder, Ru Hui, a Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivator, is responsible for the Enforcement Hall and manages the Family's punishments.
The Sixth Elder, Lin Ruzhi, a Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivator, is responsible for the Family finances and manages various storerooms.
Currently, the seven Foundation Establishment powerhouses of the Lin Family each hold a position. The Lin Family possesses one Third Tier Low Grade Spiritual Vein, one Second Tier High Grade and one Medium Grade Spiritual Vein, and one First Tier High, Medium, and Low Grade Spiritual Vein each. It also has one hundred thirty acres of spiritual fields, three shops in the market, and one spiritual Ore vein that primarily produces First Tier and Second Tier refined copper Ore.
There are one hundred twenty-seven Cultivators below Foundation Establishment, thirteen at Refining Qi Level 9, twenty-eight at levels seven and eight, fifty-two at levels four to six, and the remainder are in the Qi Refinement Early Stage, levels one to three.
Every three years, the Family tests the Spiritual Roots of children aged six to nine in the Mortal villages. Those with Spiritual Roots are granted a generational character and brought into the clan for unified training.
And Mortal parents who give birth to children with Spiritual Roots will receive generous rewards.
The Cultivation Ranks in the Jingchu Realm are divided into Nascent Soul Stage, Golden Core Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, Qi Refinement Stage, and the initial Qi Sensing Stage. Aside from the Qi Sensing Stage, each Rank is further divided into Early Stage (levels one to three), Middle Stage (levels four to six), and Late Stage (levels seven to nine). As for the legendary Soul Transformation Stage, it is presumed that those who reached it have already Ascended to the Spirit Realm; it does not exist in this Jingchu Realm.
At this time, Lin Zufeng left the classroom and arrived at his living quarters. Through two years of study, he had gained a clear understanding of Cultivation. In these two years, he not only learned written language and common knowledge of the Cultivation World but also selected a Cultivation Technique.
Reflecting on his life over the past two years, a sense of urgency surged within Lin Zufeng. He immediately sat cross-legged, diligently sensing the Spiritual Qi outside his body. His eyes were tightly closed, and star-like light clusters flickered around him, yet he couldn't absorb them into his body. Sweat faintly appeared on his forehead, looking extremely strained. He didn't know how many times this had happened. "Alas, failed again."
He stood up, stretched his limbs, and after eating dinner at the Family's dining hall, he picked up a book and read it carefully. The book Lin Zufeng was reading was called "Fire Flame Art," a Cultivation Secret Manual for the Qi Refinement Stage, containing Mind-Cultivation Techniques for levels one to six.
The night passed without a word, and as the sky turned to a fish-belly white, Lin Zufeng rose and began his morning Cultivation.
Cultivating while facing the morning sun's purple Qi, Lin Zufeng felt neither sorrow nor joy. He only felt that the fire Spiritual Qi in the external Spiritual Qi was very compatible with him, and a tingling sensation spread throughout his body. Fiery red light points began to frantically drill into his Dantian along his Meridians, passing through the Meridians and being refined before entering the Dantian.
After a small circulation, he felt a refreshing sensation throughout his body. Lin Zufeng was ecstatic. He had finally entered the Qi Refinement Stage from the Qi Sensing Stage.
It had been five months. Since he began Qi Refining, he had often meditated and sensed Spiritual Qi, but had always been unable to absorb it into his Dantian. He never expected to succeed in one go today.
He then calmed down, reminding himself not to be arrogant, and to continue striving. He had just stepped into the Qi Refinement Stage, and the road ahead was long with many obstacles to overcome. He had to become stronger.
His parents' vengeance could not remain unresolved; he still had to avenge them. The kindness of the Lin Clan's care and upbringing still awaited his repayment. He still had many things he wanted to do, and he wanted to venture into a broader world. So, he began to Cultivate again, only stopping after a major circulation was complete to head to the academy for a day of study.
The Cultivation Ranks in the Jingchu Realm are divided into the Qi Sensing Stage, Qi Refinement Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, Golden Core Stage, and Nascent Soul Stage. Besides the Qi Sensing Stage, each stage is further divided into Early Stage, Middle Stage, and Late Stage. Each stage corresponds to three levels of Realm: Early Stage (levels one to three), Middle Stage (levels four to six), and Late Stage (levels seven to nine). The current highest Realm in the Jingchu Realm is the Nascent Soul Late Stage Venerable. Higher Realms are currently unattainable; the Soul Transformation Stage only exists in legend. In any case, it is currently not present.