Cultivating immortality begins with discerning the secrets of heaven.

In the time that followed, Lin Yun was like a prisoner awaiting a death sentence, utterly despondent.

Even the pot of spiritual rice porridge he made every morning didn't taste good anymore. All he did was cultivate, trying to absorb as much spiritual energy as possible in the main mountain area.

But what was bound to happen still happened.

Ten days later, news of Lin Yuanshan losing everything at the gambling den spread throughout the cultivation world of Xiangnan Ridge, becoming a laughing stock for several surrounding families.

It is said that the medicinal bamboo and spiritual herbs in the Lin family's herbal house were all mortgaged to gambling dens.

Lin Yuanshan, blinded by greed, almost sold his son to the Zhong family as a son-in-law, using him as collateral to exchange for fifty spirit stones as gambling funds.

On this day, the family's law enforcement cultivators brought Lin Yuanshan back to Huangzhu Mountain as quickly as possible.

"Cousin Lin Yun, the mistake your father made this time is quite serious," one of Lin Yun's cousins ​​sighed beside him.

Lin Yun looked at his father, who was being escorted back like a prisoner, and turned his head away, saying, "It's none of my business."

At this moment, his father looked defeated, with disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes, truly resembling a gambler who had run out of options.

How did I end up with such a terrible father...?

Before long, almost everyone who could come to the family council hall had arrived, except for a few elders who were in seclusion.

An elder of the Bo family clan spoke up angrily, "Lin Yuanshan! Look at the mess you've made! The family has poured so much effort into Baicaotang, and now, because of your mistake, it's been forced to close indefinitely. What is your punishment?!"

Inside the council hall, the elders of the three main branches stared coldly at Lin Yuanshan, who was kneeling in the corner.

This was the highest-level joint trial held by the Lin family, a situation that hadn't occurred in almost a hundred years.

  

"Yuanshan, you're really foolish!" the elder of Zhongmai said with exasperation.

The two elders of the Ji lineage remained silent, simply watching Lin Yuanshan kneeling in the corner, for Lin Yuanshan was a member of their lineage.

"Yuanshan knows he was wrong and is willing to accept any punishment." Lin Yuanshan knelt on the ground, filled with remorse.

"Hongye recently broke through to the eighth level of Qi Refining at the Upper Sect, and it seems she'll be preparing for Foundation Establishment in a few years. Why can't you consider the bigger picture before you act?!"

Lin Jinnan said slowly to the most senior elder of the Bo family, "Yuanshan, tell us the whole story completely, without hiding anything."

Lin Yuanshan lowered his head and said truthfully, "That day, a rogue cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining came to pawn a two-hundred-year-old Purple Yuan Ginseng in exchange for some spirit stones."

"I examined it repeatedly, and even invited the resident pharmacist from Baicaowu. We all agreed that the purple ginseng was very old, but it was still more than ten years away from being two hundred years old."

"After thinking it over, I realized that although this Purple Ginseng was a bit old, it was more than enough to serve as a medicinal ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill."

"After some final haggling, I bought the purple ginseng at a very low price."

"result..."

The result was obvious. The Purple Ginseng was in good condition when he first acquired it, and Lin Yuanshan was very pleased with himself, thinking that he had made a significant contribution to the family.

But after one night, the purple ginseng underwent a strange change, its essence leaked out, and it immediately became shriveled and unrecognizable.

Lin Yuanshan turned pale at that moment, realizing he had been fooled and bought a fake herb.

In a state of extreme panic, in an attempt to recoup his losses, he conceived a wicked idea and set his sights on the gambling den.

The result was as all the elders present knew: he not only lost all the spirit stones, but also mortgaged all the spirit herbs in the Hundred Herbs House to the gambling den.

"You've been bewitched! How could the Ji Mai sect produce such a worthless wretch like you!"

"Oh dear, you shouldn't have gone to the gambling den! Have you forgotten all the family precepts?"

"Elder brother, what do you think we should do about this?"

All the elders in the council hall turned their gaze to the white-haired old man sitting in the main seat, Lin Jinnan, who had reached the tenth level of the Qi Refining stage.

In his early years, he took a low-grade Foundation Establishment Pill in an attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, but failed and his cultivation was permanently stagnant at the tenth level of the Qi Refining stage.

Although Lin Jinnan looked incredibly old, his cloudy eyes still shone with wisdom.

"Someone is targeting my Lin family. It's a bit too ostentatious for Hongye to start pursuing Foundation Establishment."

Upon hearing this, all the elders in the hall trembled and their expressions turned serious.

Lin Hongye is a prodigy of the Bo lineage. At the young age of twenty-five, she has already reached the eighth level of the Qi Refining stage and has begun preparing for Foundation Establishment.

However, since Lin Hongye is in the Taiyuan Sect, if outsiders want to interfere, they can only start by targeting the Lin family.

"So that's how it is. The Hundred Herbs Cottage suffered a loss of over a thousand spirit stones in this ordeal, severely damaging the family's foundation. Red Leaf's Foundation Establishment will inevitably be affected to some extent!"

"Which family is behind that gambling den?"

"Which other family could it be? The only family that could run a gambling den in Chung Ling Market is the Chung family."

"The Zhong family of Xiyunjian?!"

The elders began to discuss among themselves, their eyes filled with shock. The Lin family and the Zhong family had no real animosity.

There is only one overlord in the Southern Cangxuan Region: the Taiyuan Sect!

Nearly 90% of the immortal cultivation forces and families in the Southern Region depend on the Taiyuan Sect for survival.

The Lin family is also one of the vassal families of the Taiyuan Sect. The first ancestor of the Lin family was a Foundation Establishment Elder of the Taiyuan Sect. Later, he left the sect and set up branches in Huangzhu Mountain in Xiangnanling. The family has a history of more than 500 years.

Because of this relationship, the Lin family was able to recommend two outstanding sons to the Taiyuan Sect for cultivation at each Taiyuan Ascension Ceremony.

In the Xiangnanling region, there are several cultivation families like the Lin family, among which the Zhong family of Xiyunjian is the most powerful.

The Zhongling Market was opened by the Zhong family, and the gambling den was naturally one of the Zhong family's properties.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

Lin Jinnan tapped the table and said in a calm tone, "Without substantial evidence, don't make wild guesses and create unnecessary enemies for the family."

"First, draw cultivators from the family to form two teams, one openly and one secretly, to investigate this matter. The cultivators in the open can just go through the motions, but those investigating in the shadows must be shrewd and meticulous in their actions!"

"Second, from now on, the Hundred Herbs House will be supervised by one person from each of the three lineages. Any use of the assets in the Hundred Herbs House will require the consent of at least two people."

"Third, resume the operation of the Hundred Herbs House as soon as possible, and take out all the medicinal bamboo and spiritual herbs stored in the clan to temporarily fill the gap."

"Four!"

At this point, Lin Jinnan paused, his eyes turning to Lin Yun's father, Lin Yuanshan.

"Remove Lin Yuanshan and his descendants from the main lineage, demote them to a collateral branch of the family, and exile them to the outskirts of Huangzhu Mountain to cultivate spiritual fields for the family!"

Upon hearing his punishment, Lin Yuanshan, kneeling on the ground, trembled slightly, but dared not argue.

An elder of the Ji clan, who was also Lin Yun's grandfather, opened his mouth as if to speak but then hesitated, and finally sighed without saying anything.

The other elders also knew the character of Bo Mai, the eldest brother. Since the ancestor went into seclusion, he had been the head of the family.

He led the Lin family forward for decades, making almost no wrong decisions, and possessed extremely high prestige.

"Let's call it a day." Lin Jinnan waved his hand.

...

Huangzhushan, in the wasteland on the outskirts.

The scorching heat of midsummer mercilessly baked Lin Yun and his son. Each of them held an iron hoe, and with each swing, they infused the tilled land with a stream of pure spiritual energy.

"Good son, your wood-based magic is quite suitable for nurturing the land. I think the spiritual seedlings planted here next year will definitely grow strong and healthy." Lin Yuanshan wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a dry laugh.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yun became furious.

Listen to this, is this even human language?

"Old Deng! When have I ever suffered like this? It's one thing for you to not want the pampered status of the main branch, but you've dragged me into it too!"

Lin Yuanshan's face immediately turned as red as a pig's liver, and he retorted angrily:

"You brat, if you hadn't wanted to join the upper sect, would I have been bewitched by a demon!"

"There are only two spots for family recommendation. With your average qualifications, how can you compete with the others?"

Lin Yun grew increasingly angry, saying with exasperation, "You shouldn't have gambled away all your spirit stones and even pawned the medicinal bamboo and herbs from the Hundred Herbs House!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuanshan's arrogance immediately diminished. He stammered, "I originally made quite a bit of money. Seeing that I was on a winning streak, I thought I could press my advantage and perhaps, like that old ancestor of the Chen family in the past, forge a path to the heavens."

"But who would have thought that my luck would turn against me later..."

Lin Yuanshan's voice trailed off, and Lin Yun laughed in exasperation: "Typical gambler's mentality! Can't you even see through such an obvious scam!"

"Having an old man like you is truly a blessing in this lifetime!"

"You brat, no matter what, I'm still your father. Watch your manners!" Lin Yuanshan scolded.

Looking at this boundless wasteland, the aches and pains from overwork surged up, and Lin Yun suddenly felt that there was no point in living.

"You might as well have sold me to the Zhong family as a son-in-law. I've heard that the Zhong family's daughters are all stunningly beautiful, with unparalleled charm."

"Even if it's for breeding, it's better than cultivating spiritual fields here."

Lin Yuanshan sneered, "I almost let you live a good life, luckily I wasn't blinded by greed back then."

Just as the father and son were shifting blame to each other, a figure flew down from the sky on a sword; it was Lin Yun's second uncle, Lin Hairong.

Lin Hairong heard the conversation between the father and son from afar, and his face showed an expression of extreme helplessness.

"Big brother, Yun'er, take a rest. Cultivating spirit fields is not something that can be done overnight; it can't be rushed."

"I brought you a jug of spirit wine. Drink a few sips to restore your strength."

Lin Yun took the jade pot, his eyes filled with tears, and said, "Second Uncle, why don't you adopt me? I feel that you are my father."

Lin Yuanshan was furious. He kicked him, snatched the jade pot from his hand, and took a few sips first.

"The bamboo wine of our tribe still tastes just as sweet and mellow."

With that, he tossed the jade pot back to Lin Yun, clinging to his last glimmer of hope as he asked, "Hai Rong, is there any sign that the clan is loosening its grip?"

Lin Hairong said with a complicated expression, "It's difficult. Once Grandfather Jinnan makes a decision, no one can change it unless the Ancestor speaks up."

"The losses suffered by Baicaowu this time are too great. It will take a long time to resume normal operations, and I'm afraid a lot of its market share will be taken away."

"Most importantly, this matter has indeed affected my niece Hongye's important foundation-building process."

Since it involves the foundation-building of a family's prodigy, the matter is naturally of great importance.

Lin Hongye is the jewel of the Bo family lineage, the hope for the Lin family's future for the next two hundred years. She carries too much on her shoulders.

Lin Yun slumped to the ground, sipping his bamboo wine, and said with utter despair, "Old Deng, give me back my main branch identity, give me back my peaceful life."

At this point, Lin Yuanshan's tone became much lower: "Son, I'm sorry. I've failed your mother's dying wish."

No matter what, he was still his father in this life. Seeing him so dejected, Lin Yun stopped fooling around and asked seriously, "Then, what other methods are there to restore the main branch's identity?"

Lin Yuanshan gave his nephew a deep look and said in a low voice, "To return to the main branch of the family tree, you must either make unparalleled contributions to the family or become a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

It's difficult. Successfully completing either of these two tasks would be enough to start a new chapter in the family genealogy.

"Yun'er, the matter you asked me to do a few days ago has made some progress." Lin Yuanshan changed the subject.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yun's eyes lit up with excitement, and he was overjoyed.

...