Old Liang remained standing where he was long after Lin Sheng's enlightenment had ended.
His expression was unusually complicated.
Although he had always known Lin Sheng's comprehension was monstrous, what had just happened still exceeded his expectations.
An enlightenment state...
It was something countless martial artists pursued their entire lives without ever experiencing. Yet Lin Sheng had entered it merely after receiving a few pointers regarding Martial Intent.
Old Liang let out a helpless sigh.
"It seems I underestimated you."
Lin Sheng looked at him curiously.
"Senior, what do you mean?"
Old Liang shook his head.
"Originally, I thought I could still guide you for another few years."
"But with your level of comprehension..."
"...I'm afraid I'll soon have nothing left to teach."
Lin Sheng smiled awkwardly.
He naturally knew his greatest advantage wasn't purely comprehension.
Without Crystal recording everything and continuously deducing possibilities, even entering enlightenment repeatedly would have been impossible.
Still, he couldn't explain any of that.
Old Liang remained silent for a while before making up his mind.
"It seems..."
"...it's time."
Lin Sheng raised an eyebrow.
"Time for what?"
Old Liang stood up and dusted off his robes.
"I'm taking you to meet someone."
"Who?"
"You'll know when we arrive."
Seeing Old Liang refuse to elaborate, Lin Sheng didn't ask further.
Instead, he quietly followed behind.
---
The two left Old Liang's courtyard and walked deeper into Dragon Yuan Mountain.
Although Lin Sheng had lived within the Lin Family for several years, there were still many places he had never entered.
Along the way, they passed the Steward Hall where countless family affairs were handled daily.
Further ahead stood the Elders' Council, where decisions affecting the entire family were made.
Several elders noticed Old Liang but merely nodded respectfully before continuing with their discussions.
No one questioned where the two were headed.
As they continued forward, the surrounding environment gradually became quieter.
The number of disciples decreased.
The bustling atmosphere disappeared entirely.
Ancient trees lined both sides of the mountain path, their branches forming a natural canopy overhead.
Even the spiritual energy became noticeably denser.
Lin Sheng silently observed everything.
The deeper they went...
The more secluded the surroundings became.
Eventually, Old Liang stopped before an ordinary-looking courtyard hidden among towering ancient trees.
At first glance...
There was nothing remarkable about it.
No guards.
No attendants.
Not even a visible formation.
Yet the moment Lin Sheng's perception swept across the area...
His heart skipped a beat.
A vast network of formation runes quietly permeated the surrounding space.
Although hidden almost perfectly, they couldn't completely escape his perception.
'Peak Rank Three Formation...'
His pupils contracted slightly.
This was far more profound than any formation he had encountered before.
Its runes overlapped seamlessly with the surrounding environment, making it appear as though nothing existed unless one deliberately examined the area.
Almost instinctively, Lin Sheng prepared to expand his Mental Field to study it further.
The next instant—
His expression changed.
He immediately suppressed the thought.
His Mental Field silently withdrew back into his Sea of Consciousness.
'Whoever lives here...'
'...is definitely no ordinary person.'
A Peak Rank Three formation wasn't something anyone could casually deploy.
Using his Mental Field recklessly here would only expose abilities that should remain hidden.
Old Liang glanced sideways and noticed Lin Sheng's subtle reaction.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
'Good.'
'He knows restraint.'
Without saying anything, Old Liang reached into his storage ring.
A jade slip appeared in his hand.
He gently raised it toward the seemingly empty space before the courtyard.
Buzz—
The jade slip emitted a gentle glow.
Immediately afterward, invisible ripples spread across the air.
The previously hidden formation slowly revealed itself.
Countless runes shimmered into existence before parting apart.
A passage large enough for two people silently opened.
Old Liang stepped forward.
"Come."
Lin Sheng nodded and followed behind him.
As the two figures entered, the passage quietly closed once more.
The surrounding forest returned to complete silence, as though no one had ever passed through at all.
The moment Lin Sheng stepped through the formation, his eyes widened slightly.
The courtyard beyond was completely different from what he had expected.
From the outside, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary residence hidden within the mountain.
Inside...
It was an entirely different world.
Before him stood a massive cave abode that stretched far into the distance. The space within was several times larger than what the exterior could possibly contain.
Lin Sheng's eyes flickered.
"Space expansion..."
"A spatial formation."
His gaze swept across the surroundings.
High above the cave ceiling, a circular opening allowed sunlight to pour down, bathing the entire abode in a warm golden glow.
Small streams flowed gently across the ground.
Ancient spiritual herbs grew beside the water.
The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within the cave was astonishingly rich, almost forming a thin mist.
The atmosphere was peaceful.
Numerous bird-type yao beasts flew leisurely overhead.
Each emitted an aura comparable to a Rank 2 yao beast.
Yet...
Judging from their appearance, they were clearly still juveniles.
Lin Sheng's mind immediately began calculating.
"Born with Rank 2 cultivation..."
"That means their bloodline is extraordinarily pure."
"Upon reaching adulthood, they should naturally possess the strength of a Peak Rank 3 yao beast."
"Such bloodlines are already at the peak of mixed bloodlines... only one step away from Rank 4."
Even Dragon Yuan Mountain's spiritual beasts possessed such foundations.
The Lin Family truly hid its strength well.
Before Lin Sheng could continue observing—
Boom!
A terrifying aura suddenly descended from above.
The surrounding spiritual qi froze.
An immense pressure crashed onto both him and Old Liang like an invisible mountain.
Lin Sheng's expression changed.
His Gang Qi instantly stagnated.
His muscles stiffened.
Even breathing became difficult.
The pressure seemed determined to crush everything beneath it.
Just as it was about to completely overwhelm him—
Old Liang calmly stepped forward.
A powerful Astral Gang aura erupted from his body.
Like a sharp blade, it split apart the incoming pressure.
The suffocating feeling instantly disappeared.
Lin Sheng let out a slow breath.
"So powerful..."
The next moment—
A massive shadow descended from the sky.
Whoosh!
A gigantic bird landed before them.
Its wings spread wide, covering nearly half of Lin Sheng's field of vision.
Golden feathers shimmered beneath the sunlight like refined metal.
Its sharp eyes carried an indescribable dignity.
Every feather seemed capable of slicing apart steel.
The aura it emitted was incomparably vast.
Rank 4.
There was no mistake.
This was a genuine Rank 4 yao beast.
Lin Sheng instinctively became vigilant.
Yet the enormous bird merely lowered its head before Old Liang.
It stretched its long beak toward him.
Old Liang smiled.
Without the slightest fear, he reached out and gently scratched beneath the bird's jaw.
The majestic beast immediately narrowed its eyes comfortably.
It even let out a low, contented chirp.
Seeing Lin Sheng's surprised expression, Old Liang laughed.
"Don't be nervous."
"It won't hurt you."
He continued stroking the bird's neck before saying,
"This is one of the Lin Family's Guardian Beasts."
"It has guarded Dragon Yuan Mountain for generations."
The bird glanced curiously at Lin Sheng before letting out another soft cry.
It seemed to acknowledge Old Liang's words.
Lin Sheng silently nodded.
Yet inwardly...
His heart was far from calm.
The outside world believed the Lin Family possessed only a single Golden Core Ancestor.
Later...
The Grand Elder revealed strength comparable to a Golden Core cultivator.
And now...
A genuine Rank 4 Guardian Beast had appeared before him.
The Lin Family's foundation was far deeper than anyone imagined.
No wonder Dragon Yuan Mountain had remained one of the dominant powers throughout the Eastern Region for so many years.
Looking at the giant bird peacefully allowing Old Liang to pet it, Lin Sheng couldn't help but smile.
Rather than feeling alarmed...
He felt reassured.
After all...
This overwhelming strength belonged to his own family.