Great Wilderness Empire
Eastern Province, Yunwu City
The Lin family estate, one of the five great families of Yunwu City, was alive with celebration. Lanterns hung high, laughter and music filled the halls, and the scent of incense mingled with the aroma of fine cuisine. Today marked the sixtieth birthday of the Lin family patriarch, Lin Xuan, and the estate had opened its doors to a flood of guests, all eager to offer congratulations.
"The Li family wishes Lord Lin longevity as vast as the Eastern Sea and a life as enduring as the Southern Mountains!"
"The Qin family prays for Lord Lin's cultivation to surge and his power to grow boundlessly!"
"Yang'er wishes Third Uncle an early entry into the Three-Pass Divine Realm!"
"Ao'er wishes Third Grandfather prosperity year after year, and happiness every day!"
The stream of well-wishers seemed endless, each blessing louder than the last. Lin Xuan sat at the high seat, smiling and radiant, but beneath that cheerful exterior lay a deep, unspoken melancholy.
Sixty years old. For a cultivator, the prime years were over. Ages twelve to twenty-two were the golden period for talent to blossom; from twenty-three to forty, a cultivator's abilities could still surge. But after forty, the body and energy weakened, and for someone like Lin Xuan—unable to break into the Three-Pass Divine Realm—the decline was inevitable.
Lin Xuan had been stuck at the mid-stage of the Great Origin Pill realm for a full decade. Advancing any further was nearly impossible. Breaking into the Three-Pass Realm? Pure fantasy.
Even the Great Origin Pill was considered within the range of ordinary mortals, whose lifespans rarely exceeded one hundred and twenty years. Lin Xuan, who had suffered serious hidden injuries in his youth, might lose thirty to fifty years of life.
If he were to die… who would shoulder the Lin family's legacy? His late-in-life son, the younger generations, the future of the clan—who could protect them?
When Lin Xuan first transmigrated into this world, he had grand ambitions. He imagined himself a peerless prodigy, destined to wield power over the Great Wilderness Empire itself!
A soul transplant gave him extraordinary mental acuity, allowing him to speak at six months, walk at nine, read a thousand characters by three, recite poetry by six. At nine, he was noticed by a wandering immortal master who brought him to the legendary Jixia Academy—the highest cultivation institution in the empire.
Jixia Academy was a place revered by all, feared and respected even by noble families and royalty. To enter it was to take one step toward the heavens.
Lin Xuan thought he would shine. Instead, reality slapped him in the face.
He learned the hard truth:A transmigrator without a cheat is no better than a background extra.
Despite his second-life experience and exceptional spirit, everything else about him was trash. He saw the difference between true geniuses and mere mortals at Jixia: it was like comparing a firefly to the full moon.
Some geniuses progressed as if the world had granted them blessings: by eleven, they had mastered the Opening Path; by fourteen, they reached the Origin Pill stage; by fifteen, they understood martial principles; by seventeen, they entered the Three-Pass Divine Realm; by eighteen, they grasped dual cultivation concepts.
Even the slightly less talented could reach the Three-Pass Divine Realm by their thirties.
Lin Xuan? At thirty-eight, he was still at the early stage of the Great Origin Pill—and even that only thanks to favors from his master and junior female disciples. Without that, he might never have reached it.
Reciting poetry at six was utterly useless. By thirty-eight, disheartened, he left Jixia Academy quietly, unnoticed by peers but under the watchful eye of his master.
At forty, he returned to his small hometown. With his Great Origin Pill strength, he led the once-weak Lin family to become one of Yunwu City's five great clans. Yet even with his cultivation, his elder brothers were decades behind, only barely reaching mid- or early-stage Small Origin Pill levels. One younger brother was crippled, the other dead. The next generation, at best, had barely started their Opening Path.
In other words, if Lin Xuan died, the Lin family would be finished. Compare this to the other four great families: even the weakest, the Jia clan, had six or seven mid-stage Small Origin Pill cultivators; the strongest, the Xiao family, had three Great Origin Pill and over ten Small Origin Pill practitioners. The gap was catastrophic.
Lin Xuan sighed quietly. Even among his grandchildren, none could bear the family banner except Lin Ao, grandson of his second brother—barely adequate. Truly, dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes to phoenixes, and the son of a mouse is only fit to dig holes.
He knew his own body might not last past seventy, and if something unexpected happened, no one could protect the Lin family's legacy. Losing their place among the five great families would mean ceding vast portions of the family's wealth, gradually eroded until the Lin family became a third- or fourth-tier clan. In a society where literature meant little and martial power ruled, wealth alone couldn't sustain them. Only a legendary prodigy could save the family.
Lin Xuan glanced around, helpless, muttering under his breath:
"Damn it… where's my transmigrator cheat? Where's my golden finger?"
"I've lived sixty years! Don't even mention the proverb about rivers changing course every thirty years… at this rate, I'll probably die before I see any real gains. It's pathetic."
He pressed his hand to his forehead and let out a bitter laugh.
"Third Uncle! Your niece, Lin Xue'er, pays her respects!"
A bright, youthful girl approached and kowtowed deeply. Lin Xuan's lips curved into a satisfied smile.
This was Lin Xue'er, the adopted daughter of his crippled fourth brother, taken in due to her charming personality. Lin Xuan adored this little niece.
"Ha, ha! Very good, Xue'er. Get up quickly, or Third Uncle will worry himself sick."
He helped her to her feet, beaming. The other young Lin family members looked on enviously.
"By the way… where's Lin Fan?"
Lin Xue'er's gaze searched for a familiar figure. Everyone froze for a moment, including Lin Xuan. She was looking for Lin Xuan's only son, Lin Fan.
Born when Lin Xuan was forty-four, Lin Fan was barely seventeen—young even by third-generation standards—but counted as second-generation like Xue'er. Unfortunately, Lin Fan's innate talent was abysmal, almost worthless. At sixteen, he hadn't even mastered the Opening Path, struggling to reach the seventh stage of Qi Gathering. Lin Xuan sighed at his son's inadequacies, powerless to intervene.
"Uh… Third Grandfather, Lin Fan went to prepare your gift," a young family member explained.
Lin Xuan nodded faintly. He didn't expect much from his son anymore. He only wished Lin Fan a happy life, having lost his mother when he was just one.
"Very well, let the banquet begin!"
He waved, and suddenly:
[Congratulations, host. The Immortal Dao System has completed sixty years of compression. Binding successful. Host: Lin Xuan. This system can help the host become a supreme prodigy of the Divine Continent.]
A system!? Lin Xuan's heart leapt with shock and joy.
Sixty years!? Do you know what these sixty years have been like?!
And now I'm supposed to become a supreme prodigy of the Divine Continent!? What is that even supposed to mean?!
He was old enough to call himself "I, the old man" now—"supreme prodigy" indeed. Old-age prodigy, perhaps?
Though the system arrived late, at least it had arrived. That was something to be happy about.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Lin Xuan, cheeks flushed with excitement, rose as if experiencing a last, radiant surge of life.
"Guests from afar, eat and drink well! If anything is lacking, the Lin family is at fault."
The guests exchanged confused glances, especially the Wu and Jia families, known rivals. Could this old man be so senile that he's oblivious to his own limitations?
Lin Xuan's lips never left his smile. Today, he was simply happy.