A technologically powerful nation: The national treasure is actually myself.

Zhao family.

"Brother Lin Yang, please make do with staying at this Yunshui Villa for now. If you need anything, please feel free to instruct the servants to do it."

Lin Yang returned to the Zhao family mansion with the Zhao family and others. Zhao Hu personally arranged for him to stay in a separate courtyard that the Zhao family had prepared especially for distinguished guests.

Lin Yang glanced around and found that the Yunshui Villa was very large, with an elegant and tranquil environment, much better than the cave dwelling he had lived in before in the Far East Prefecture.

This really doesn't count as being wronged.

If Lin Yang were to rent a place in the city at the same level as this villa, the cost would probably be quite high.

"Brother Zhao Hu, you've gone to a lot of trouble," Lin Yang said.

Zhao Hu smiled and said, "You must be tired from your journey, Brother Lin Yang. Please rest first. Tomorrow, my clan will hold a banquet to thank you for your help on the way. I will come and call you then."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yang said, "Isn't that unnecessary? It's too much trouble. Besides, I'm only doing this to avoid being robbed by those bandits. There's no need to hold a banquet."

Zhao Hu chuckled: "In any case, we escaped this disaster thanks to your help, Brother Lin Yang. A banquet is a must, so please don't refuse, Brother Lin Yang."

"...Alright then." Lin Yang knew he couldn't refuse, so he didn't say anything more.

Zhao Hu is gone.

After familiarizing himself with the layout of the Yunshui Villa, Lin Yang began to rest.

Actually, he didn't need any rest; he was just putting on an act.

After resting for most of the day, Lin Yang left the villa, intending to explore Xiwu City.

Behind him followed a servant named Zhao Mu, who was a personal attendant specially assigned to him by the Zhao family.

Lin Yang originally planned to explore on his own, but after thinking about it, he decided to have Zhao Mu accompany him.

Having a local with you will make things much easier.

Xiwu City and Bixia City are quite similar, and it's difficult to become completely familiar with them in a short time.

After strolling around for a while, Lin Yang chatted with Zhao Mu and asked, "What are the major forces in Xiwu City?"

"Senior Lin, there are many families and forces in Xiwu City. Among them, the Shen family, Liu family, Chen family, Mu family and He family are the most powerful and are known as the top families."

Lin Mu immediately began to introduce:

"Secondly, there are seven or eight first-class families, led by the Zang and Yue families, followed by our Zhao family and some other second-class families, totaling fourteen or fifteen families."

"In addition, there are some scattered families and some powerful rogue cultivators."

Lin Yang nodded slightly.

The situation in Xiwu City is indeed quite complicated, with dozens of families and powerful clans of varying sizes.

It truly lives up to its reputation as a major border city.

Xiwu City was far more complex and powerful than the capital city of Jidong Prefecture.

"It seems that establishing a foothold in Xiwu City will not be an easy task," Lin Yang thought to himself.

……

Meanwhile, inside the Zhao family compound.

Zhao Chen was recounting Lin Yang's previous actions to Zhao Xiongshan, the current head of the Zhao family, and several other elders of the Zhao family.

After hearing his words, Zhao Xiongshan's expression turned solemn: "To be able to severely injure a peak Nirvana Realm expert with only mid-stage Nirvana Realm cultivation is indeed astonishing, and the potential is even greater."

"Second Elder, you did a good job by bringing the person back to us first."

"In that case, let's try our best to invite him to join our Zhao family at tomorrow's banquet. That way, we'll have one more peak Nirvana Realm expert."

Zhao Chen nodded: "That's what I think too, but I'm afraid we'll have to raise the salary a bit more, otherwise we probably won't be able to retain them."

"That's all negotiable. As long as we can keep the staff, everything else is negotiable," Zhao Xiongshan said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Then I'm relieved," Zhao Chen said.

The reason he didn't immediately host a banquet for Lin Yang was that he wanted to talk to Zhao Xiongshan and other high-ranking members of the Zhao family again and discuss the matter.

A peak Nirvana Realm expert is considered a high-end combatant in Xiwu City, let alone Lin Yang, whose cultivation is only at the mid-stage of Nirvana Realm.

It's worth the extra effort they put into winning them over.

"I wonder if the Grand Elder will be able to break through this time..."

Zhao Chen muttered to himself and made a plan to host a banquet for Lin Yang the next day.

……

Lin Yang returned to Yunshui Villa.

He wandered around for half a day, then stopped.

The main difference is that Xiwu City and Bixia City are basically the same.

A basic understanding is sufficient.

This is a large place, enough for him to develop.

"Above Nirvana is the Yuanhe Realm. According to Lin Mu, each of the major families in Xiwu City has at least one or two Yuanhe Realm experts, but they are mostly in the early to mid-stages of the Yuanhe Realm."

"If one can reach the Yuanhe Realm, even in a place like Xiwu City, one would be considered a big shot."

Lin Yang thought to himself.

On the Primordial Ancient Continent, those in the Nirvana Void Realm are considered experts, while those in the Primordial Harmony Realm are even more advanced, representing a further level of elevation in status and position.

In some ordinary places, a peak Nirvana Realm cultivator can be regarded as the patriarch of a sect.

Yuanhe Realm is a powerful force that can be used to protect the clan and its people even in major sects and large families.

There is a threshold between Nirvana and the Origin of Unity.

Many Nirvana Realm cultivators are stuck at the peak of Nirvana Realm and can hardly make any further progress.

As for the realm above Yuanhe, that is the level of Dao Wulou.

From the moment the Dao Fire was ignited, through the accumulation of the Nirvana Realm, and then the refinement of the Yuanhe Realm, from emptiness to unity, the control over the Dao has reached its ultimate point, and finally the Dao without leakage is reached.

This means that in the realm of Tao, at least one Great Tao has been completely perfected, without any omissions.

At this level, one becomes a pillar figure even within the major ancient clans, sects, and traditions.

It was the pinnacle of the ancient continent at the beginning of the Proterozoic era.

As for going further up, there are the three realms of Eternity, Unknown, and Ancient.

These three realms have already exceeded the scope that is normally accessible.

That is the foundation of the entire race.

An existence beyond the ordinary.

They no longer participate in ordinary matters and things.

Their existence is solely for the survival of their race; they are the protectors of the entire race.

In other words, the realm of flawless Dao is the limit that all ordinary cultivators on the Primordial Ancient Continent can reach.

The existence of the three realms of Eternity, Unknown, and Ancient is unimaginable and untouchable.

This means that if Lin Yang can reach the Yuanhe Realm, with his strength to fight beyond his level, he will be safe enough as long as he doesn't provoke those ancient lineages or those ancient forces with Dao Wulou Realm experts in charge.

While you can't exactly walk sideways, you can basically go wherever you want.

Of course, this is limited to the territory of the human race only.

If they go to a foreign tribe, things might not be so easy.

Lin Yang pondered that he should improve his cultivation level as soon as possible.

Although he is now safe enough, he is invincible as long as Yuanhe Realm cultivators do not leave.

However, there are still Yuanhe Realm cultivators in Xiwu City, and quite a few of them.

Ultimately, it's still not safe enough.

"The resources I currently have are enough to advance to the late Nirvana Realm, but I'm still a bit short of reaching the peak of the Nirvana Realm in one go. As for completely breaking through to the Yuanhe Realm, I'll need to accumulate even more resources."

"We still need to find a way to continue acquiring resources!"

Despite having a large amount of Yuansha at hand, Lin Yang still felt it wasn't enough to meet future needs.

As one's cultivation level increases, the demand for various resources increases exponentially. Now, being in Xiwu City, a place where trade with the Ancient Void Clan is possible, could be a good place to make money if one has the right connections.

Lin Yang had already begun to have some ideas in mind, planning to use the geographical advantage of Xiwu City to accumulate some capital for himself.

……

the next morning.

Zhao Hu arrived at Yunshui Villa and invited Lin Yang to attend today's banquet.

Lin Yang had already agreed to attend the banquet yesterday, so he went directly with Zhao Hu.

The banquet was of a very high standard.

Zhao Xiongshan, the head of the Zhao family, and several other high-ranking elders of the Zhao family were all present.

Although Lin Yang didn't recognize them, he was quite surprised after Zhao Hu introduced them one by one.

That's incredibly kind of you.

"Fellow Daoist Lin Yang, thank you for your help this time, which saved my Zhao family from loss. I'd like to offer you a toast." Zhao Xiongshan raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp.

"You're too kind, Patriarch Zhao. I was just protecting my own interests." Lin Yang also raised his glass and drank it all.

The other elders also offered toasts.

Lin Yang dealt with them one by one.

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhao Chen said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Lin Yang, you've toured Xiwu City. Do you have any plans?"

Lin Yang pondered for a moment.

Xiwu City is large, but many of its resources are monopolized by various powerful families.

If you have the strength, you can also trade with the Ancient Void Clan, which is also a major source of income for some powerful rogue cultivators.

However, if you're not strong enough, it'll be difficult to survive without joining a family faction.

Xiwu City is, after all, a border city, and it carries certain significance.

The situation is complicated, but it's hardly chaotic.

This means that independent cultivators don't actually have many resources to acquire.

It would be best to have some powerful backing.

But joining a faction...

Lin Yang glanced casually at Zhao Chen and Zhao Xiongshan, and immediately made up his mind, saying:
"Fellow Daoist Zhao Chen, do you have any connections you could make? As you know, I'm new here and not familiar with Xiwu City."

Zhao Chen smiled slightly: "Fellow Daoist Lin Yang, since you put it that way, then I will speak frankly."

He looked directly at Lin Yang and said earnestly, "I would like to invite you to join our Zhao family!"

Lin Yang raised an eyebrow, feeling both surprised and unsurprised.

Given the strength he displayed when dealing with the robbers, it's understandable that the Zhao family wanted to win him over.

Moreover, the fact that the Zhao family patriarch and others were all present at today's banquet shows their intentions.

He just didn't expect Zhao Chen to be so direct.

He thought the Zhao family would lay the groundwork again, or wait some time before making their announcement.

After a pause, Lin Yang said, "Thank you for your kind offer, but please allow me to consider it."

The Zhao family is good, but joining their faction here is something that needs to be considered carefully.

Lin Yang was not deliberately making excuses.

He did want to reconsider his next move.

This is related to his spiritual practice for a long time to come.

Seeing this, Zhao Xiongshan said directly, "Fellow Daoist Lin Yang, if you join my Zhao family as a guest elder, we will give you three times the treatment of a normal guest elder, and you will not have to worry about ordinary affairs. You only need to take action at critical moments."

"Triple treatment?" Lin Yang was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

That's quite a lot!

Zhao Xiongshan nodded: "That's right, triple treatment. If you have any other needs or conditions, Fellow Daoist Lin Yang, you can also bring them up, and we can discuss them together."

Lin Yang pondered again.

The Zhao family's sincerity is undeniable.

It was even somewhat beyond his expectations.

He knew the Zhao family would definitely try to win him over, but he didn't expect them to be so generous, offering triple the treatment right off the bat, and even allowing him to discuss other conditions.

This left him somewhat at a loss for words.

After thinking it over, Lin Yang said, "Thank you for your kind words, Patriarch Zhao, but I plan to go into seclusion for a while, which will take at least tens of thousands of years."

“If anything goes wrong during this period, I may not be able to take action. Perhaps Patriarch Zhao can wait until I come out of seclusion before making a decision. After all, tens of thousands of years is not a short time, and Patriarch Zhao can save the resources of these years.”

The resources he currently possesses are barely enough for him to cultivate to the peak of Nirvana.

Even if he's still short, he can spend the Yuansha before going into seclusion to buy resources.

His seclusion was something he had planned long ago.

Since we have resources at our disposal, we should definitely convert them into our own cultivation as soon as possible.

So he told Zhao Xiongshan the truth.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiongshan laughed and said, "I thought it was something important. Since Fellow Daoist Lin Yang is about to break through, it must be important for him to go into seclusion to improve his cultivation. Not to mention tens of thousands of years, even hundreds of thousands of years or longer is not a problem."

"As for Fellow Daoist Lin Yang's statement about saving tens of thousands of years' worth of resources, since my Zhao family has extended a sincere invitation, we naturally won't care about such things."

"If Fellow Daoist Lin is willing, then from today onwards you will be a guest elder of my Zhao family. My Zhao family is also willing to provide you with additional resources for your cultivation. What do you say?"

"..." Lin Yang was silent for a moment, then said, "Since Patriarch Zhao has put it this way, then I will respectfully comply."

Zhao Xiongshan had shown enough sincerity, so he no longer hesitated.

"Hahaha, welcome Guest Elder Lin Yang to my Zhao family!" Zhao Xiongshan laughed loudly.

"Welcome, Guest Elder Lin Yang!" Zhao Chen and the other elders of the Zhao family, including Zhao Hu, all greeted him.

The banquet ended in a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

Lin Yang returned to Yunshui Villa.

Not long after, Zhao Hu returned and handed him a spatial ring:
"Brother Lin Yang, this is what the patriarch asked me to give you. It contains 50,000 years' worth of guest elder fees, plus an extra portion of resources needed for Nirvana Realm cultivation. Consider it an advance payment to you, and I hope it will help you break through smoothly."

Lin Yang was a little surprised: "You gave so much all at once?"

"Hehe, it'll be given to you sooner or later anyway. Since Brother Lin Yang is going into seclusion now, you must need resources too," Zhao Hu said with a smile.

"Then please thank the family head for me." Lin Yang didn't stand on ceremony and accepted the gift directly.

He does indeed need this large sum of resources now.

"Brother Lin Yang, when do you plan to go into seclusion? Do you intend to do so at Yunshui Villa, or will you set up a special seclusion room?" Zhao Hu asked again.

"Let's wait a couple more days. I need to prepare some more things," Lin Yang said. "As for a place for seclusion, it would be best if you could prepare another seclusion room for me."

"No problem, I'll arrange it for you right away." Zhao Hu said and left.

Lin Yang also went straight to some shops in the city and purchased a large amount of resources.

This time, he plans to break through to the peak of the Nirvana Realm in one go.

……

Two days later.

Under the witness of Zhao Xiongshan and the elders of the Zhao family, Lin Yang entered the secluded cultivation room specially prepared for him.

He entered.

An elder of the Zhao family couldn't help but say, "Patriarch, why not wait until he comes out of seclusion before discussing this? Paying the reward in advance and providing extra resources, isn't that a bit too much of a favor?"

Zhao Xiongshan smiled faintly: "Once he comes out of seclusion, he will be even stronger. At that time, we will probably have a harder time getting him to come. If we delay, things may change. I think these investments are worthwhile."

"Besides, if it weren't for the Second Elder and Zhao Hu having some connections with him, it probably wouldn't have been our Zhao family's turn at all." (End of Chapter)