Chapter Ten: The Red Peak Temple

Seventy-one miles beyond Haicheng lies a secluded mountain valley, home to the research and development headquarters of the Lin Pharmaceutical Group. Over the years, even excluding the research budget, more than ten billion had been invested in establishing this facility alone.

Such a premier pharmaceutical R&D center was not a place just anyone could access; it was shrouded in mystery, especially for prodigies like Li Xiaobo, who devoted themselves entirely to the art of alchemy.

A century since the awakening of spiritual energy, modern technology and the cultivation arts—alchemy and pharmaceutics—had already begun to merge. Medicines for ordinary people to treat illnesses and improve their bodies were widely distributed; mass-produced cultivation drugs for the initial Phoenix and Heartstring realms were commonplace, though targeted elixirs proved more effective.

As for elixirs above the Cloud-riding realm and of even higher grades, they still required master alchemists, senior alchemists, and grand alchemists to craft. Entities like the Lin Pharmaceutical Group now held extraordinary status, especially their R&D headquarters, which was of utmost importance. It boasted the most advanced defense weaponry and its own security force, and for state-level formula production, national defense personnel assisted with security.

No matter how gifted Li Xiaobo was, he was still young and inexperienced with such grand scenes. Just passing through the layers of security checks left him tense and uneasy.

When they began to enter the underground research area, Li Xiaobo’s face was filled with confusion.

“Lin... Qingyun, this should be the core department for alchemy research, right? Why is the defense for these dozens of underground floors weaker than the areas we passed above?”

“This is indeed the heart of the research department, but those who become senior alchemists or grand alchemists are formidable in their own right. Most senior alchemists are in the Cloud-riding realm, and grand alchemists are often high-level Cloud-riders or even in the Radiant Sun realm. As for those at the level of Master Chifeng, I can’t say for certain how strong he is, but generally, a few Radiant Sun realm experts wouldn’t be enough.” Lin Qingyun explained with a gentle smile.

There was no need to spell out the rest: with such powerful figures overseeing the place, ordinary defenses were meaningless.

Powerful cultivators rarely became alchemists, but senior or grand alchemists were never weak. Without sufficient strength, one could not attain such heights in alchemy.

“Yes, yes, I hadn’t considered that. With Master Chifeng and so many grand and senior alchemists present, there’s no need for ordinary security. This is indeed the safest place,” Li Xiaobo replied, finally understanding after Lin Qingyun’s explanation.

As they spoke, they arrived at the core of the underground research base. Stepping inside, Li Xiaobo was stunned, his eyes wide and his steps halted.

The space suddenly opened up before him—a vast underground area, dozens of meters high, with no visible end. Lush vegetation surrounded them, clear springs flowed, and not only were there ornamental rocks and mountains, but a complete, ancient Taoist temple stood before their eyes.

The contrast with the modern research center they had just passed through was stark. Even the core underground areas they had traversed before were nothing like this.

At that moment, a middle-aged Daoist approached, his belt flowing, cloud shoes lightly treading, a whisk in hand, silver beard floating, walking with an immortal air. At first, he was a hundred meters away in the temple, but within a few steps, he stood before them.

“Greetings, Master Chifeng...” Upon seeing the Daoist with such immortal bearing, Li Xiaobo barely had time to be shocked at the temple’s presence before stepping forward to pay his respects.

“Wait, this isn’t Master Chifeng.” Lin Qingyun quickly raised his hand to stop Li Xiaobo, then stepped forward.

“Uncle Half-moon.” Lin Qingyun greeted the man with a smile. He had visited several times with his parents, so he was familiar with the inner workings of Master Chifeng’s temple.

Crescent, Waning Moon, Half-moon, and Full-moon were Master Chifeng’s close attendants. Now only Crescent and Half-moon remained by his side; it was said that Full-moon had entered a relic years ago and never returned. Lin Qingyun had asked his father about Waning Moon, but even he did not know the particulars.

“Qingyun is back, and this must be young Li Xiaobo. Please, come inside—the master has already been informed and awaits you.” The immortal-looking Daoist, Half-moon, smiled warmly at Lin Qingyun, then bowed to Li Xiaobo.

Lin Qingyun was the temple’s only junior nowadays. Though he had not grown up in the Chifeng Temple, Half-moon treated him affectionately.

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“Greetings, Daoist Half-moon.” Li Xiaobo hurriedly cupped his fists in salute. With the arrival of the cultivation era, many traditional Chinese rituals were revived as new social etiquette.

“Uncle Half-moon, I’ve returned…” Lin Qingyun looked at the Chifeng Temple, feeling deeply moved. In his past life, when he was killed, Master Chifeng and Uncle Half-moon sacrificed themselves, melting the temple to save him. It was then that Lin Qingyun realized this temple was the master’s life-bound artifact.

This was once a sanctuary, and the master avoided worldly disputes, focusing solely on alchemy. Though he had shielded Lin Qingyun from mortal blows several times, he could not ultimately change his fate.

But now, everything had begun anew…

Lin Qingyun stepped forward and gave Half-moon a big hug. Half-moon’s body stiffened slightly; though he regarded Qingyun as family, such embraces were alien to him. Yet feeling Lin Qingyun’s sincere joy, he smiled and gently patted his shoulder.

Li Xiaobo, nervous and uncertain, followed Half-moon Daoist and Lin Qingyun into the temple. He had thought the auction for his Foundation Pill was shocking enough, but after today, he realized that compared to the underground Chifeng Temple, his experience was child’s play.

Soon, he would need to bow, salute… What if they questioned him on his specialty? These were world-class grand alchemists, the highest of the nine grades—even the president of his prestigious alchemy university was a junior in their presence…

……

In the Lin family mansion, Lin Kunshan, Zhang Xueyi, and Zhang Baole had returned as well.

“Bang…” As soon as she entered, Zhang Xueyi slammed her globally limited monster leather purse onto the floor.

“What did I say? That kid is nothing but an ungrateful wolf. Without us, would the Lin Group be what it is today? Big Brother and Sister-in-law never managed the business, only focused on research.”

“Fine, it was one thing when Big Brother and Sister-in-law were around, but now there’s just that brat, and he’s sitting on top of us, pulling strings. Haven’t I told you not to be soft-hearted? You see what he did today—this was definitely premeditated. Now even that old Chifeng supports him…”

Once inside, Zhang Xueyi exploded like a powder keg, venting her fury.

“Watch your words.” Lin Kunshan’s eyes narrowed; he clearly disliked Zhang Xueyi’s disrespect toward Chifeng, knowing such words could never be uttered publicly.

“What’s wrong with what I said? We’re at home now, you’ve activated the ward—why pretend? Lin Kunshan, are you stopping me from speaking now? If you don’t want me to talk, do something about it! It was different when your brother was around, but now we’re left with a kid at the helm. How can he manage such a massive group?” At home, Zhang Xueyi was fierce, getting right in Lin Kunshan’s face to scold him.

Lin Kunshan was irritated but helpless, waiting until she finished her tirade to speak.

“Qingyun has already said he’s only inheriting his rightful shares and won’t intervene in company affairs…”

Zhang Xueyi glared: “You believe that? You said before he’d stop at nothing to find his parents. What happened? He didn’t enter relic eighteen, but he advanced to the Heartstring realm and completed his foundation.”

“Not only that, he dug up all my brother’s old scandals. If you don’t believe this was all planned, you’re naive. Look at how he acted today—now he claims he won’t manage the company and will be an independent director, but he’s off seeking Chifeng’s support. Chifeng and the research institute still hold sixteen percent of the shares.”

“Humph!” Mentioning Zhang Baole, Lin Kunshan snorted coldly, his icy gaze making Zhang Baole shiver.

“Master Chifeng holds only five percent; the remaining eleven are scattered among other research leaders and key staff. At most, he can win over Chifeng, but we can more easily secure the rest.” Lin Kunshan, chairman for over a year, was no novice.

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“It’s not enough. Our shares don’t suffice, and that old Daoist Chifeng is too powerful…” After venting, Zhang Xueyi calmed somewhat.

“The Huaxia Alliance is not some chaotic region or relic. There are rules, and even the strong must abide by them.” Lin Kunshan paused thoughtfully. “Qingyun is still young; he lost time in his studies due to his parents’ disappearance. Now that he’s advanced to the Heartstring realm, as his elders, it’s time to help him return to the proper path.”

“The proper path?” Zhang Xueyi was used to Lin Kunshan’s manner of speaking, but what mattered now was his solution.

Lin Kunshan nodded slightly: “He should resume his studies. Whether academic, alchemy, or cultivation, I believe Big Brother and Sister-in-law wouldn’t want him to drop out.”

“He barely attended his last year of high school. Can he go back now?” Zhang Xueyi doubted it.

“We’ll need to find ways, have his teachers contact him, his classmates encourage him. We’ll also bring in others—this is Big Brother and Sister-in-law’s wish. We mustn’t let him act recklessly.”

Lin Kunshan paced a few times in the living room, then added: “Do you remember, years ago, Big Brother saved someone, and they became sworn brothers. That man is now a big deal—he spent decades ruling several small nations, and when the Huaxia Alliance was founded, he played a major role. Now he’s like a prince in the Alliance.”

“The Desert Wind King, Nangong Ao Shi…” Zhang Xueyi immediately guessed whom he meant.

Lin Kunshan nodded: “That’s him. He used to be Nangong Wei Guo, but later renamed himself Nangong Ao Shi. Now he’s a regional overlord, a top cultivator. Big Brother saved him several times when he offended powerful enemies at home and fled abroad, rising in the desert borderlands. He brought those regions into the Alliance and is now a prominent figure.”

“When Sister-in-law was pregnant with Qingyun, he had just achieved fame, and Big Brother persuaded him to join the Alliance. His wife returned with him, also pregnant. At the time, Qingyun was confirmed as a boy, but their child’s gender was still unknown. During a meal at our home, he joked: if it was a boy, they would become sworn brothers; if a girl, they would be married.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xueyi remembered—she was there, too.

“I thought you were talking about something serious. That was just drunken banter—a joke…” she scoffed.

“It might be a joke for ordinary people, but Nangong Ao Shi is now a powerful warlord. With Qingyun’s parents gone and Qingyun turning eighteen, we should help arrange this for him.” Lin Kunshan disagreed.

“Are you kidding? Even if Nangong Ao Shi agrees, his daughter never would… This isn’t feudal times—parents don’t arrange marriages anymore. Spiritual energy may have revived a century ago, but this is a cultivation era within a modern civilization.”

“Sister, Sister, I get what brother-in-law is thinking. Nangong Ao Shi will definitely agree—he’s old-fashioned. His daughter is something else: a cultivation prodigy, a superstar with over sixty million fans, cold and strong-willed. If her father forces her, Nangong Lingyue will definitely give Lin Qingyun trouble. If she can put him in his place, all the better, especially if we get him back to school. The key is to keep Lin Qingyun too busy to meddle in the company, using others as leverage…”

Zhang Baole, who had been listening silently, thought his brother-in-law’s methods too gentle. He had plenty of ways to deal with Lin Qingyun but didn’t dare voice them. Hearing Lin Kunshan’s plan, and seeing his sister was still unclear, he couldn’t help but explain excitedly—this was a good plan. He even imagined Nangong Lingyue getting angry and crippling Lin Qingyun, which would be immensely satisfying.

Letting Lin Qingyun face such a formidable foe, forcing him to demand Nangong Ao Shi honor his promise, to forcibly marry Nangong Lingyue…

“Bang…” Zhang Baole hadn’t finished his thought before Lin Kunshan sent him flying across the room.

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