Lin Xuan examined the system panel in front of him and once again opened the section related to the Lin family. After all, the family bound to him in the future should be understood in as much detail as possible.

[Lin Family: First-Rank Power!]

[Family Head: Lin Xiuqi!]

[Territory: Qingfeng Town!]

[Number of Cultivators in the Clan: 25 (Three at the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm, One at the Eighth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm, One at the Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation Realm, Two at the Sixth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm, … Nine at the First Layer of Qi Condensation Realm.)]

[Clan Wealth: Qingfeng Wood, First-Rank Small Crimson Gold Mine…]

Lin Xuan looked at the information about the Lin family. Despite the small numbers, it was not too bad overall. The house may be small, but it was fully equipped.

Especially when he roughly calculated the total years of cultivation of the Lin family's cultivators, Lin Xuan understood why the system's reward of 189 years of cultivation looked a little odd.

The combined cultivation of the Lin family's cultivators amounted to eighty-nine years, and the remaining one hundred years were likely the system's gift. In other words, for each Lin family member who broke through to a new cultivation layer, Lin Xuan would gain a year of cultivation as a reward.

[Ding, host's guess is entirely correct. Furthermore, when the family bonded with the host achieves a significant breakthrough, the host will also receive special rewards.]

The system's voice confirmed Lin Xuan's conjecture.

Lin Xuan nodded and looked at the Lin family members in front of him. No matter what, he had to send these people away for now. He was still too weak at the moment. He wouldn't put himself in danger.

The method to send the Lin family members away was simple. Lin Xuan turned and plunged into the spirit pool, ready for a nap.

[System, absorb the cultivation!]

Upon seeing this, the Lin family members were slightly puzzled."Alright, Grand Ancestor has just recovered and is probably tired. Ran'er, you stay here to take care of Grand Ancestor. The rest of you go back and do whatever needs to be done. Our Lin family is currently in a critical situation, and we can't afford any mistakes."

Lin Xiuqi gave instructions to the Lin family members. His authority as the Family Head was still intact. The others nodded and turned to descend the mountain.

Lin Xiuqi turned and glanced at Lin Xuan's figure in the spirit pool. His eyes were determined, and he murmured, "Grand Ancestor, since you've overcome life and death, in the future, even if the Lin family truly falls, I will ensure that Ran'er takes you away from here.

"Your mother suffered for my Lin family, unable to break through to the Second-Rank Foundation Establishment Realm in her lifetime. My Lin family will never harm you in the same way."

With these words, Lin Xiuqi turned and walked quickly down the mountain.

In the spirit pool, Lin Xuan raised his eyes slightly, watching Lin Xiuqi's departing figure, and smiled inwardly.

"Lin Xiuqi, Lin family, with just those words, we'll have a pleasant cooperation in the future."

With that thought, Lin Xuan could no longer resist the drowsiness that came with his improved cultivation. He fell into a deep sleep.

…

The night was dark, the wind was high. In the Lin family's back mountain, at the bottom of the spirit pool, a python measuring over thirty meters in length coiled quietly, but strangely, there was no aura emanating from the python. It appeared lifeless.

After a while, the python opened its eyes, and two gleams of light flashed from them. Lin Xuan, feeling his vastly increased cultivation and physical strength, couldn't help but smile.

Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation!

In less than a day, 60 years of cultivation had been consumed, leaving 120 years remaining.

In other words, it takes ten years to advance to the next level of cultivation. As for the Foundation Establishment Realm that follows, Lin Xuan sensed that it would require about a hundred years of accumulated cultivation to assist him in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Lin Xuan had no worries about this. He already had enough cultivation built up, and the rest was merely a matter of time spent absorbing and refining it."However, this time, when I break through to Foundation Establishment, I will need at least three days of deep sleep to absorb the cultivation. It's time to find out more about the crisis facing the Lin family. Otherwise, I might wake up, and the Lin family is gone, and I'll have to spend time and effort searching for the next bonded family."

With these thoughts in mind, Lin Xuan cast his gaze toward the spirit pool's edge, within the stone pavilion, where the exuberant girl was training.

At this moment, she was seated in meditation, quietly cultivating her techniques. Around her, faint glimmers of light appeared, absorbed by her body. These faint glimmers were the essence of spiritual energy.

Witnessing this scene, Lin Xuan smiled gently, and with a swift movement, he emerged from the spirit pool, arriving inside the stone pavilion. The python head faced the moon in the heavens, taking in a deep breath.

In the next moment, moonlight from the sky gathered, descending into the stone pavilion. The girl Lin Ran, who was in the midst of cultivation, suddenly experienced a rapid surge in her aura after a single incense stick's worth of time.

"Boom!"

A muffled sound reverberated within her body, and her cultivation level abruptly broke through from the Third Layer of Qi Condensation to the Fourth Layer.

[Ding, congratulations, host. You have gained one year of cultivation.]

The voice of the system rang in Lin Xuan's ears. Lin Xuan nodded as he looked at the girl. This time, it completely confirmed his suspicion.

Lin Ran opened her eyes, and an expression of excitement and joy appeared on her face. However, before she could react further, a massive python head suddenly appeared before her, leaving her utterly stunned. Her instinctive reaction was to cast a fireball spell at the intruder.

"Bang!"

The fireball exploded against Lin Xuan's head, but it was blocked by a protective barrier of spiritual energy and caused no harm.

Seeing this, Lin Xuan's face darkened, and he communicated to Lin Ran through mental transmission, even though he hadn't reached the stage of speaking aloud.

"Is this how you treat your Grand Ancestor?"

Of course, with Lin Xuan's current cultivation, he couldn't speak out loud, but he could still communicate through mental transmission.

Lin Ran, upon hearing the voice in her mind, gradually returned to her senses, looking at Lin Xuan with a dumbfounded expression.

"You… You are my Grand Ancestor!? How is that possible!?"

Lin Ran's mind was in chaos. In the daytime, her Grand Ancestor was only one and a half meters long, but now, during the night, he had grown to over thirty meters. Such a transformation was something a sixteen-year-old girl couldn't easily accept. She even wondered if her Great-Grandma was still alive and playing a trick on her.