Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, holding the Mirror Breaking Pill tightly in his hand. This is it. Strike while the iron is hot. He swallowed it, letting the pill dissolve in his stomach.
Warmth spread rapidly through his body, radiating from the core outward. Veins throbbed, muscles flexed, and bones shifted—the Supreme Chaos Body circulated the pill's energy naturally, without the system intervening. Every breath, every subtle movement, controlled the flow, shaping raw Qi with precision.
Breakthrough… now… Lin Xuan thought, focusing entirely on breaking through to Qi Refining, First Layer.
Time slowed. Energy coiled around his spine, forming new channels within him. Barriers he had carried for decades resisted, but the Supreme Chaos Body adapted, reshaping itself, adjusting his body's potential.
"Come on… come on…" he muttered silently.
Then came the moment of rupture. A sensation like steel snapping under pressure surged through him. Qi filled every meridian. His muscles tensed and flexed with renewed vitality, bones tingled with density, senses sharpened to their peak.
Finally, Lin Xuan exhaled—and his aura erupted outward.
Not violently, but unmistakably. Energy flowed beyond his chamber, seeping into corridors, brushing against the estate grounds. The Lin Clan's elders, sons, daughters, nephews, and uncles immediately sensed it—the aura of a breakthrough.
"Ancestor…?" one elder whispered, awe-stricken.
"The ancestor has done it!" another shouted, voice trembling.
Doors flung open as every elder, senior official, and blood relative raced toward him. Their faces were a mixture of shock, joy, and reverence.
Lin Xuan remained seated, aura still pulsating. He flexed his fingers, feeling the Qi flow perfectly throughout his Supreme Chaos Body. He had broken through entirely on his own, without system guidance—his power now undeniable.
The chamber buzzed with energy. The Lin Clan bowed, knelt, and even those at a distance instinctively acknowledged him. The ancestor had awakened.
Lin Xuan allowed a faint smile but kept a calm expression. His first step into Qi Refining was complete. From this moment, the Lin Clan's path—and his own—would change forever.
The aura slowly receded back into Lin Xuan's body as he consciously restrained it, circulating the newly refined Qi through his meridians in steady cycles. The violent surge from moments ago settled into controlled flow.
The chamber doors were fully open now.
Footsteps filled the corridor.
They entered one after another, stopping several meters away from the bed.
Lin Xuan lifted his gaze and looked at them carefully.
Ten middle-aged men stood at the front. Their robes were formal, embroidered with the Lin Clan insignia. Their expressions were solemn, yet their eyes revealed unmistakable relief and excitement. These were his sons and senior male elders of the clan—each one having cultivated for decades under his authority.
Behind and beside them stood seven middle-aged women. Their bearing was dignified, disciplined. Some carried the aura of Body Refining Ninth or Tenth Layer cultivators. Others were slightly weaker, but all were stable. These were his daughters—married into branch families or managing internal clan affairs.
Off to the right, slightly behind the main group, stood one young woman in her late twenties.
Her posture was straight.
Her aura was stable.
Her eyes were sharp and observant.
Compared to the others, she did not show uncontrolled excitement. Instead, she carefully measured the pressure in the room.
Lin Xuan's gaze paused on her briefly before moving across the entire group again.
They all lowered their heads simultaneously.
"Ancestor."
The word echoed through the chamber in unison.
Lin Xuan did not respond immediately.
He examined them carefully.
Ten middle-aged men.
Seven middle-aged women.
One woman in her late twenties.
Eighteen core bloodline members present.
Their cultivation levels fluctuated mostly between Body Refining Ninth to Twelfth Layer.
He could sense their Qi patterns clearly now that he had stepped into Qi Refining.
Unstable foundations.
Mixed quality circulation.
Wasted meridian space.
Inefficient breathing patterns.
He said nothing of it.
Instead, he slowly stood up.
The movement was deliberate.
No tremble.
No weakness.
His white hair had darkened significantly during the breakthrough. His skin no longer carried the dryness of old age. His posture was straight, strong—completely different from the dying elder who had been unable to stand earlier.
The room went silent.
One of the middle-aged men took half a step forward, unable to contain himself.
"Ancestor… your body—"
Lin Xuan raised a hand slightly.
The man immediately stopped speaking.
He allowed a small portion of his Qi to circulate outward—not enough to suppress, but enough to make the difference clear.
The pressure was subtle.
But absolute.
Qi Refining First Layer.
They felt it.
The woman in her late twenties was the first to react properly. She dropped to one knee.
"Congratulations, Ancestor, on stepping into Qi Refining."
The others quickly followed.
"Congratulations, Ancestor!"
Voices overlapped, filled with genuine joy.
Lin Xuan looked at them again, this time not as a confused transmigrator, but as the Ancestor of the Lin Clan.
This was his foundation.
Eighteen core members in this room.
One thousand clan members outside.
A Mortal Tier 3 force.
Declining.
Weak.
But no longer without hope.
He slowly spoke for the first time since they entered.
"I have broken through."
His voice was calm. Stable. Younger than before.
All eighteen raised their heads slightly, eyes filled with reverence.
The breakthrough was real.
The aura was real.
The ancestor was no longer dying.
And for the first time in years—
The Lin Clan had a Qi Refining cultivator again.
Lin Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his presence steady and contained. The chamber remained silent after his declaration.
He looked over the gathered elders.
"Report," he said calmly. "Tell me the current situation outside."
The ten middle-aged men exchanged glances before one of them stepped forward and bowed.
"Ancestor, we are currently located in Wuhai City."
Another elder continued immediately.
"Wuhai City falls under the jurisdiction of the Phoenix Royal Dynasty, a Mortal Tier 8 force."
Lin Xuan's expression did not change, but he memorized the information carefully.
Mortal Tier 8.
Far above a Tier 3 clan.
Another elder spoke.
"In Wuhai City, there are four major families recognized by the city authorities."
He paused briefly.
"The Tang Family. The Bai Family. The Ming Family. And our Lin Family."
"The four major families," Lin Xuan repeated.
"Yes, Ancestor," one of the middle-aged women replied. "However… our foundation is the weakest among them."
Another elder added, voice steady but direct:
"The Tang, Bai, and Ming families have been established for over a century. Some even longer. Their roots run deep in Wuhai City."
"Our Lin Family has only existed for fifty years."
Lin Xuan's eyes sharpened slightly.
Fifty years.
A new force.
No deep heritage.
No long-standing alliances.
One of his sons continued:
"When you established the clan fifty years ago, Ancestor, we rose quickly. But after you failed to step into Qi Refining and your injuries worsened, the other three families began suppressing us."
"Resource allocations decreased."
"Business routes were cut."
"Several external industries were forced into joint management."
The woman in her late twenties stepped forward respectfully.
"The Tang Family currently controls the majority of medicinal herb trade."
"The Bai Family dominates weapon forging and equipment."
"The Ming Family holds influence over grain, logistics, and city administrative ties."
She paused.
"Our Lin Family mainly relies on mining rights in the eastern hills and minor spirit herb plantations."
Lin Xuan processed the information calmly.
A Tier 3 Mortal clan.
In a Tier 8 Mortal dynasty's territory.
Competing with three older, deeper-rooted families.
Mining and minor herb cultivation as main income.
Foundations weaker.
Political influence limited.
He asked another question.
"Do any of the three families have Qi Refining cultivators?"
Silence lingered for half a breath.
"Yes, Ancestor," one elder answered. "The Tang Family head is at Qi Refining Third Layer."
"The Bai Family has two Qi Refining cultivators, both at Second Layer."
"The Ming Family head recently stepped into Qi Refining Second Layer."
Lin Xuan nodded slightly.
He was currently Qi Refining First Layer.
In open confrontation, the Lin Clan would still be at a disadvantage.
But that was only the present.
He looked at the eighteen before him again.
Fifty years of foundation.
One thousand population.
Eighteen core members in this room.
Three rival families.
A Tier 8 dynasty overhead.
He spoke calmly.
"For fifty years, we have endured."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"Now, we expand."
The elders felt the difference in tone.
The ancestor who had once been declining was gone.
In his place stood a Qi Refining cultivator with controlled aura and clear intent.
The balance of Wuhai City had not changed yet.
But it would.