Chapter 28: Playing the Family Card With Me? It Won't Work

"No rush, we're in our own place, take your time," Lin Qingyun said casually.

At this point, Lin Qingfeng no longer tried to persuade or intervene. Since his father had the formation master set up a new array to block them, there was no need for him to be anxious.

Hearing Lin Qingyun say there was no rush, Daoist Banyue flicked his horsetail whisk, which instantly turned into countless points of light, striking the protective formation.

The formation had a rebound force, but each time Daoist Banyue easily broke through it.

Just as Banyue himself had said, he was purely using brute force to break the array, lacking finesse, as formation arts were not his strength.

"Banyue-uncle, strike at the Seven Stars, three shocks and four Xun break the center, Kan is full, Kun is six severed, yin and yang divide within..." As Daoist Banyue continued his brute force assault, Lin Qingyun's voice suddenly rang in his ear.

As Lin Qingyun transmitted his instructions, the formation he attacked responded, with the Kun position severed, and the power of the Seven Stars began to cycle.

Though Daoist Banyue specialized in alchemy and not formations, he understood the basics—just as any ordinary person would have studied core subjects through high school, even if they later specialized.

Moreover, Lin Qingyun's directions were so clear that Banyue instantly altered his attack. The array, which had previously consumed little energy to rebound, now fluctuated violently, its counterforce collapsing midway—one strike now costing more than a dozen normal attacks.

To break a snake, strike at its seven-inch spot. If this defensive formation was like an armored puppet warrior, then without knowing the sevenfold rotation, Banyue's attacks merely battered the armor, causing little harm or drain.

But under Lin Qingyun's guidance, he struck at joints, eyes, and throat—vital points—inflicting damage far greater than before.

Each time Banyue attacked, Lin Qingyun would again transmit directions.

In his previous life, Lin Qingyun often entered epiphanies during tribulation, his soul growing stronger. When he reached bottlenecks in alchemy or cultivation, he had also dabbled in formation arts.

Given his past level, even a little study took him to great heights.

After only a few minutes, the formation trembled, its counterforce weakened.

Lin Qingfeng, who had just begun to relax, suddenly widened his eyes. Even without knowledge of formations, he could see the array was about to be broken.

That damned Daoist—didn't he say he didn't know formations? Didn't he claim it would take over a dozen hours? He's a Cloud Soaring realm expert, yet he lies about things like this—shameless, utterly shameless!

At that moment, Lin Qingfeng silently cursed Banyue Daoist's ancestors through eighteen generations. He could already feel the control jade his father had left him heating and vibrating in his pocket, cracks appearing across it.

With a muffled bang, the great defensive formation shattered completely. The jade Lin Qingfeng carried in his pocket also cracked and broke.

The sound was faint, but Lin Qingyun turned to glance at Lin Qingfeng.

Lin Qingyun's expression was calm, but Lin Qingfeng felt a shudder of unprecedented fear.

With the array destroyed, Lin Qingyun could now open the final alloy door.

As the door swung open, flames surged forward, but were stopped at the threshold by a force. What appeared before them was a hall of over a thousand square meters, where threads of fire were being drawn from underground.

They spiraled, like fire serpents pulled forth, swirling into a tornado of flames that gathered at the center.

In the very center spun a fireball, absorbing the flames and growing hotter, only to cool quickly, needing new earthfire to sustain it.

"How strange—is this alchemy?" Daoist Banyue blinked, confused.

"Lin Qingyun, I've told you before, this is a company research project. As a Lin family member and major shareholder in Lin Pharmaceuticals, are you really going to destroy your own group's research? Yantian Island is already ruined—this is just recycling. Look at what you're doing. If you don't close this place immediately and it affects the group's work, you'll be harming your own family interests."

Seeing Banyue's confusion, Lin Qingfeng felt emboldened, continuing to scold Lin Qingyun with the same argument.

"Banyue-uncle, I've seen this in my father's notes. It's a rather sinister, unorthodox alchemical method—extracting life force and primal energy, a polarizing, heaven-and-earth gestation technique."

"The world is filled with wonder, and none more so than the mysteries of prenatal creation. You know that certain rare places can nurture unique treasures, right? This is an imitation of that process."

"But it's vicious and extremely rare. Here, the essence of earthfire from all Yantian Island is extracted, combined with the medicinal energy nurtured on the island, and fused to forcibly suppress and cultivate an ice-type pill. Once balanced, that pill will become gentle. Lin Qingfeng is pursuing the path of extreme cold—this might help him break through to the Cloud Soaring realm, even forge a unique golden core foundation."

"No wonder he tried so hard to stop us. Banyue-uncle, I don't want to reveal what my father left behind. Let you speak, then we throw Lin Qingfeng out—later, we can settle the score with his father."

Though Daoist Banyue was skilled in alchemy, he was no match for Master Chifeng, and certainly not for Lin Qingyun, who in his past life had surpassed even Chifeng. Seeing Banyue fail to recognize the method, Lin Qingyun instantly sent him a secret transmission.

"Slaughtering the chicken for its eggs... truly short-sighted," Daoist Banyue sighed after hearing Lin Qingyun's explanation.

What? Lin Qingfeng's heart leapt, reminded of the array-breaking incident—this damned Daoist had claimed ignorance, yet broke the formation in moments. Now, after feigning confusion, he suddenly declared...

"Sinister and vicious, extracting the essence of earthfire to nourish an ice-cold medicine embryo. And this aura matches yours. You're merging your own soul's essence here, aren't you? In hopes of solidifying a special golden core in the Cloud Soaring realm?" As Lin Qingfeng worried, Daoist Banyue exposed the truth in one sentence.

Hearing his scheme to refine a life-bound pill revealed, Lin Qingfeng's face turned ashen, momentarily speechless.

"Oh, now I understand," Lin Qingyun said coldly. "So your so-called company project is just you destroying my private Yantian Island for your own pill."

"Brother, listen to me. The island was already nearly ruined—it's just making use of waste. Don't worry, I'll compensate you with another, even more valuable island. But this is important—if I can use this method to break through quickly, our family grows stronger..."

Though embarrassed, the pill was too important to him. Lin Qingfeng immediately softened his stance, playing the family card with Lin Qingyun.

But Lin Qingyun's eyes remained icy, unmoved. Lin Qingfeng felt a chill, frustration and anger mounting.

If not for that damned Daoist at Lin Qingyun's side, he would have beaten him up by now.

"Brother, we're cousins. Even when Uncle was alive, if an island could help me break through, he would have agreed. It's just an island—the Lin family doesn't lack for them. I can give you two as compensation..."

Lin Qingyun shook his head slightly. "It's not about the island. It's about you taking what isn't yours without asking. If you'd asked first, it would be nothing. But taking without asking is serious."

"Everything on this island is mine. Without my consent, you can't touch even a blade of grass. Compensation? If someone killed you and offered compensation, would you accept?"

Lin Qingyun would not be swayed by appeals to family or talk of repayment.

"You..." Lin Qingfeng was about to explode. When had Lin Qingyun become so unyielding, treating him like an enemy?

In the past, a little family sentiment always worked with Lin Qingyun.

"Banyue-uncle, how long until this pill is ready?" Lin Qingyun could see for himself, but he needed Banyue to say it aloud.

"To fully merge with the user, it would take eight to ten days. But to finish the pill as it is, that's easy—it's already completed in essence," Banyue replied. The full integration required Lin Qingfeng to merge his own soul and essence.

"Then please, Banyue-uncle, complete the pill now." Naturally, Lin Qingyun was not going to let Lin Qingfeng have his life-bound pill.

"Lin Qingyun, how dare you! That's my life-bound pill—I spent a year here, poured in countless resources. If you do this, you're destroying my foundation! Are you still a member of the family? You dare treat your cousin this way? I said I’d pay you double, no, ten times over..."

Hearing Lin Qingyun's words, Lin Qingfeng couldn't take it anymore. He blocked the way, glaring furiously, ready for a fight.

This was too important to him. This wasn't just an expensive pill—this would let him break through to Cloud Soaring, transform his foundation, and set him on a path to greater heights.

Daoist Banyue hesitated, looking to Lin Qingyun for guidance. He didn't understand the Lin family's internal disputes, but destroying someone's foundation for the future was...

"You feel wronged, think I'm ruthless? Why didn't you discuss this with me beforehand, or at least notify me? If we were truly family, even a word would have sufficed. Now you talk of compensation—it's too late. Banyue-uncle..."

Hearing Lin Qingyun's final decision, Banyue Daoist no longer hesitated. He changed his hand seals, directing the earthfire to quickly complete the pill.

"Ah—!" Lin Qingfeng went wild, charging at Daoist Banyue, desperate to interrupt him.

But he was thrown back even faster than he charged. This time, the rebound nearly broke him apart, leaving him barely able to stand.

"You... you..." Lin Qingfeng's eyes were bloodshot, overwhelmed with indignation.

"Young Master Lin—is it this way?" At that moment, voices called from outside. Two figures swiftly approached, flying under their own power—something only Cloud Soaring experts could do.

"Stop that damned Daoist—capture him for me!" Seeing their arrival, Lin Qingfeng let out a heart-rending roar.