I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

Inside the council chamber of the Suixing Lake Comprehensive Area.

Sunlight streamed in through the carved windows, casting dappled patterns of light on the floor.

The air was filled with the faint aroma of spiritual tea, mixed with the refreshing scent emanating from the sandalwood tables and chairs, calming the mind.

"Brother, these are the Chamber of Commerce's recent accounts. Take a look."

Lin Xuandong placed a jade slip in front of Lin Che.

His other hand had already naturally reached for the plate of pastries on the corner of the table, picked up a piece, and put it in his mouth.

The pastry was shaped like a lotus leaf, as thin as a cicada's wing, with a bright green flaky crust on the outside and a pale blue filling inside, exuding a sweet fruity aroma.

He took a bite, and the flaky pastry cracked with a soft "crunch." The filling melted in his mouth, carrying a hint of coolness, a touch of sweetness, and an indescribable freshness.

He squinted, puffed out his cheeks, chewed a few times, and nodded in satisfaction.

The eldest brother handles official business every day, and snacks are never absent; in fact, the variety changes daily.

Sometimes it's lotus seed cake, sometimes it's osmanthus pastry, sometimes it's plum blossom cake, and sometimes it's lotus seed paste bun.

Lin Xuandong always came under the guise of "reporting on work," but half of his intention was actually to get these snacks.

The importance of the Aoki Trading Company to the Lin family is growing.

With the expansion of the spirit beast population, the development of sales channels, and the stabilization of various vassal states, the Chamber of Commerce's revenue has been increasing year by year, becoming one of the Lin family's most important sources of income.

Therefore, Lin Che entrusted the important task of managing the Chamber of Commerce to Lin Xuan.

Liu Yunzhou has now become completely idle.

This servant, who had served the Lin family for decades, had been working alongside Lin Che since Lin Che first came to Chuyang City, weathering many storms and making countless contributions.

Lin Che has witnessed the Lin family's steady development over the past few decades.

Therefore, Lin Che fulfilled his promise.

Allow him to establish his own family.

Fortunately, the environmental management of the Black Tooth Swamp has achieved initial results, and a second-tier spiritual vein on the outskirts has been improved.

Lin Che then handed over that spiritual vein to Liu Yunzhou as the foundation of his Liu family.

Although that spiritual vein was not large and its spiritual energy was far inferior to that of Shattered Star Lake, it was more than enough for a small family.

This approach also reflects a certain consideration of checks and balances.

Currently, Liu Yunzhou is arguably the most powerful relative of the Lin family.

The reason is simple: he has a very good relationship with the alligator snapping turtle clan within his own tribe.

Those giant turtles were one of the earliest spirit beast species that the Lin family subdued. They followed Lin Che for many years and made great contributions in battle.

As one of the earliest guest elders of the Lin family, Liu Yunzhou also had a contracted spirit beast from the Fujiang Crocodile Turtle clan. He had spent decades living with those giant turtles and had developed a deep bond with them.

In addition to his sister Liu Qingxue's influence in the family, Liu Yunzhou is definitely a force to be reckoned with in the Lin family.

There won't be any problems now.

Lin Che is still alive, and the power of the Lin family is still in his hands. All branches and factions are united around him.

But the future is uncertain.

If Lin Che focuses on cultivation in the future and hands over the position of family head, the various branches and factions are very likely to start a power struggle in the future.

Lin Che watched Xuan Jing and Xuan Qi grow up, knew them well, and were kind-hearted, so such a possibility would not arise.

But what about the next generation? And the generation after that?

Cultivating immortality is ultimately about "struggle".

They fight for resources, cultivation techniques, magical artifacts, elixirs, territory, and the right to speak.

The further you progress, the more resources you need for cultivation.

When a family has many members, their interests become more complex.

When interests become complicated, conflicts arise.

This is human nature, and it is beyond human control.

Lin Che's decision to send Liu Yunzhou to a post outside the capital was also a form of checks and balances.

By establishing the Liu family's base in the Black Tooth Swamp and maintaining a certain distance from the Lin family's core, they could maintain contact while avoiding excessive infiltration.

Even if internal family disputes arise in the future, Liu Yunzhou, as an in-law, will not be too deeply involved.

Of course, Liu Yunzhou would no longer be allowed to cultivate the "Ten Thousand Beasts Technique" in the future.

That is the core tradition of the Lin family, and it cannot be passed on to outsiders.

However, to compensate him, Lin Che prepared a mid-grade Earth-level cultivation technique for him to pass down to his family.

Although that cultivation technique is not as good as the "Ten Thousand Beasts Manual", it is still a rare treasure in the Southern Region, enough for the descendants of the Liu family to cultivate to the Golden Core realm.

This is a fitting reward for all the hard work he has done for the Lin family over the years.

……

While eating the pastry filled with light and delicate fruit, Lin Xuandong noticed that his eldest brother seemed a little absent-minded.

Those eyes, usually so calm and composed, were now slightly vacant, their gaze not fixed on the jade slip, but rather passing through it to some unseen place.

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, making a soft "tap-tap" sound, the rhythm chaotic, quite different from his usual composure.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with the accounts?" Lin Xuandong put down the pastries, wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth, and asked seriously.

Lin Xuanqi sighed, put down the account book in his hand, leaned back in the rosewood chair he had sat in for many years, and looked out the window.

"I'm worried that my son doesn't have spiritual roots," Lin Xuanqi said in a low voice, as if talking to himself.

Lin Xuandong was taken aback, only then remembering that today was the day the family would examine the spiritual roots of the next generation.

His eldest son is a year younger than his brothers' children, and it won't be his turn until next year.

So he forgot about it.

He looked at his elder brother's round face, which was now filled with worry, and even the wrinkles on his brows were deeper than usual.

Lin Xuandong immediately put down the pastries, stood up, and pulled his elder brother up without saying a word.

"If you're so worried, why don't we just go and see for ourselves? Come on, let's go together."

"Hey, I haven't finished dealing with this clutter yet!" Lin Xuanqi was being pulled along by him, his hand still reaching for the jade slip on the table, but Lin Xuandong slapped it away.

"Alright, we can deal with it later, it won't make a difference if we wait a little longer."

Lin Xuandong tugged at his elder brother's sleeve, his grip light but irresistible: "Come on, let's go take a look together. Aren't the next generation of children more important than this work, both in terms of whether they have spiritual roots and how many of them do?"

Lin Xuanqi was taken aback, then smiled.

"That's true." He stopped struggling, grabbed his brother's arm, and the two walked out of the council hall side by side. "Come on, let's go take a look. It's probably about to start."

The two walked out of the council hall together, took off on their swords, and flew towards the center of the island in the lake.

Shattered Star Lake unfolds beneath their feet, like a giant mirror reflecting the blue sky and white clouds.

The reeds in the distance swayed in the wind, making a rustling sound. Several egrets were startled from the reeds and took flight, drawing graceful arcs in the sky.

On their way, they ran into Lin Xuanjing, the second son, who was returning from Chuyang City.

Lin Xuanjing rode a blue eagle, his green robes fluttering in the wind.

The eagle spread its wings and drew a graceful arc in the sunlight before landing steadily in front of the ancestral hall on the island in the middle of the lake.

Lin Xuanjing rolled down and quickly went to meet his two brothers, his eyes full of urgency.

"Big brother, am I not late?"

He wasn't sure if his daughter could possess spiritual roots.

These days I'm training the garrison in Chuyang City. On the surface, I'm busy and energetic, but I've been keeping this matter on my mind.

He rushed back early in the morning, even skipping the garrison's morning meeting.

"Not yet." Lin Xuanqi patted his shoulder, his tone reassuring. "It won't start for another half hour. Let's go in first."

He glanced in the direction of the ancestral home and stepped inside first.

Lin Xuanjing breathed a sigh of relief and followed him inside.

Lin Xuandong followed at the back, watching his two older brothers' backs, and suddenly grinned.

They are all usually very composed, but when it comes to their own children, none of them are as calm as the others.

The ancestral hall's gates were wide open, and several ladies were already busy inside.

Incense, candles, and offerings were laid out on the altar, and several sandalwood chairs were neatly arranged. In the very center was an ancient spiritual root testing stone, its surface as smooth as a mirror, with a faint spiritual light flowing through it.

Sunlight streamed in through the courtyard, illuminating the entire ancestral hall.

The third generation of the Lin family is about to face the first major test of their lives.