19: Chapter 19 The Shen Family Submits

[Great Elder Liu Jinsong looked at you, his mouth twitching, but he was utterly helpless.]

[A Transcendent in their twenties was either a peerless Prodigy who could dominate an entire era, or a favored child of heaven nurtured by a great Sect.]

[Either way, it was not something a small School like their Iron Hand Sect could afford to provoke.]

["You jest, Great Master Lin," Great Elder Liu Jinsong said, lowering his posture significantly after witnessing your strength.]

[You curled your lips. Looking at everyone's shocked expressions, you felt incredibly pleased.]

["No, this feeling is just too intoxicating."]

["I need to lay low and stop showing off." Although you said this, you were still thoroughly enjoying the astonished stares of the crowd.]

[As the saying goes, showing off once is great, but showing off repeatedly is infinitely better.]

[Afterward, you were invited to the seat of honor by the members of the Shen Family.]

[Looking at the table full of dishes, you couldn't help but curse inwardly, 'Damn rich people, just a few of you and who knows how much food will be thrown away.']

[The patriarch of the Shen Family, Shen Tianjun, treated you as an honored guest. His posture was extremely humble, clearly indicating that the Shen Family was willing to become your vassal from now on.]

[You didn't refuse.]

[During the meal, Great Elder Liu Jinsong intentionally pointed the fish head toward you. Raising his wine cup, he said to you, "Great Master Lin, I was blind and failed to recognize a true Dragon like you."]

[With that, he drained the wine in his cup in one gulp.]

["I've emptied my cup, Great Master Lin. Please drink as you please."]

[After all, Great Elder Liu Jinsong looked like an old man in his sixties or seventies, so you couldn't really hold a grudge. It wasn't as if he deserved to die just because he had said a few impolite words at the beginning.]

[For the rest of the dinner, the atmosphere was very harmonious, with everyone showering you with flattery.]

[You also quite enjoyed this flattery.]

[You felt that the title 'Great Master Lin' was still too awkward, so the two old men called you 'Brother Lin', while you addressed them as 'Old Brother'.]

[Looking at the two elderly men before you, you felt like your generational status had suddenly shot up.]

[Great Elder Liu Jinsong kept trying, intentionally or otherwise, to probe whether there was a Master or a Sect backing you.]

[It seemed he simply couldn't believe you had Cultivated to the Transcendent state all by yourself without any resources.]

"I really did Cultivate all by myself, it's just that it was inside the simulator," Lin Heng said.

["Since you are a Loose Cultivator, Brother Lin, would you be interested in joining our Iron Hand Sect?" Great Elder Liu Jinsong asked.]

["Of course, not as a Disciple. The Sect Leader of our Iron Hand Sect is merely at the Transcendent state as well. I know our small Sect cannot possibly hold a true Dragon like you, Brother Lin," he quickly explained, fearing you might misunderstand.]

["I would like to invite you to become an honorary Elder of our Sect. Normally, you won't have to do anything. Of course, if there's ever a need for the Disciples of our Iron Hand Sect, you just have to say the word."]

["It's just..." Great Elder Liu Jinsong hesitated, "If you become a Innate Grandmaster in the future, Brother Lin, please do not forget our small Sect."]

[Seeing this, Shen Tianjun cursed him inwardly as an old fox and quickly declared, "Brother Lin—no, Master Lin... Our Shen Family is willing to submit to Master Lin. From now on, the entire Fei City will follow your lead."]

[Seeing this, Shen Wanfu also quickly stood beside Shen Tianjun and said, "We are willing to follow Master Lin's lead."]

[You took a casual sip of your wine and picked up a few peanuts.]

[The peanuts crunched loudly in your mouth.]

[The entire private room was dead silent, save for the sound of you chewing peanuts.]

[Great Elder Liu Jinsong's palms sweated slightly, and Shen Tianjun and his son didn't even dare to breathe heavily. They all stared at you eagerly, waiting for your word.]

[In the end, you agreed to the Shen Family's request, as well as Great Elder Liu Jinsong's.]

[The few of them instantly breathed a sigh of relief and toasted you one after another.]

[The atmosphere of the entire dinner instantly became lively again.]

"Didn't I agree to lay low and save up talent points?" Lin Heng looked at himself and shook his head.

Who was the one saying they wanted to lay low at the start? Oh, it was me.

"Whatever, this is only the fourth simulation. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future," Lin Heng said with a sigh.

[The Shen Family gifted you a grand villa in Tianshui Villa.]

[They said that in the entire Fei City, only this villa was worthy of your status.]

[Tianshui Villa was the most premium residential area in all of Fei City, and this villa was the most expensive one within it. Located atop a mountain Peak in Fei City, it offered a panoramic view of the entire city.]

[Looking at the luxurious villa, you gladly accepted it.]

[After living there for three days, you regretted it.]

[Damn it, every time I go out, I have to climb a mountain.]

[Was this even designed for humans?]

[Fortunately, you were a Martial Artist. Though it was a bit annoying, it didn't even count as a warm-up workout for you.]

[You Cultivated in the villa for a month.]

[You didn't make any Breakthrough.]

["Still not enough talent points." You sighed, feeling that if you Cultivated step-by-step, who knew when you would finally Breakthrough to Grandmaster.]

[One day, Great Elder Liu Jinsong came to find you.]

["I wonder if you know about the Pill King Competition, Brother Lin?" Great Elder Liu Jinsong asked, looking at you.]

[Of course you knew, but your current identity was a Loose Cultivator who had no School, no Master, and had Cultivated to this point purely on talent.]

[You shook your head.]

[Great Elder Liu Jinsong began to explain the Pill King Competition to you.]

[The Pill King Competition was held once every five years. It was originally supposed to take place last year, but it seemed to have been delayed by a year because the Pill King of Danwang Valley was making a Breakthrough.]

[In any case, this Pill King Competition would be held as scheduled in ten days.]

[From his tone, it was clear he wanted you to represent the Iron Hand Sect.]

[The Iron Hand Sect usually just went to make up the numbers, but he believed that with you there this time, the Iron Hand Sect would surely shine brilliantly.]

[At the same time, those big Schools would also notice you, and perhaps a Grandmaster might even personally step forward to take you as a Disciple.]

[Great Elder Liu Jinsong spoke with great excitement, but you weren't really listening.]

[You thought of Mu Xue.]

[She should be at the Transcendent Peak by now.]

[You thought of the tragedy where Mu Xue would be taken away after breaking through to the Innate realm.]

[You wondered if Mu Xue herself knew about these things.]

[You would definitely see Mu Xue if you went to the Pill King Competition this time.]

[It would be your first time meeting her.]

[And her first time meeting you as well.]

[You couldn't change anything. Right now, you were merely a minor Transcendent. You could play the tyrant here in Fei City, but in front of the Zhou Family, you were nothing but an ant.]

[After pondering for a long time, you still agreed to Great Elder Liu Jinsong's request.]

[To represent the Iron Hand Sect in the Pill King Competition.]

[It had nothing to do with Mu Xue; you just felt that simple Cultivation didn't seem to increase your cultivation level by much.]

[Even though your goal was to survive as long as possible to gather more talent points for your main body.]

["Forget it, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Lying on the reclining chair, you looked up at the starlit sky: "When I turn fifty, the sky over Fei City will even be split open."]

[Lin One and Lin Two before you probably both died at the hands of those Cultivators who suddenly descended upon Fei City.]

[You weren't sure if they were Martial Artists; judging by their attire, they looked more like the immortal cultivators from novels.]

[When that time truly came, you with your mere Transcendent cultivation would definitely not survive.]

[Of course, you could choose to run, but where could you run to? Their goal certainly wouldn't be limited to Fei City.]

["And you have absolutely no idea what their goal is either. It's all Lin Three's fault for not living to fifty," you grumbled.]

[Speaking of Lin Three, you thought of the place where he was killed.]

[It seemed to be called the Holy Realm, though you had no idea what kind of place it was.]

["Could those immortal cultivators be from the Holy Realm?" You couldn't help but wonder. A mere gatekeeper in the Holy Realm seemed to be a Grandmaster, so your assumption was entirely possible.]

[Why were you Lin Si? If you were Lin One Hundred, you might already be a supreme Immortal Emperor. By then, you could do whatever you wanted, even refuse to eat beef if you didn't want to.]

["How frustrating, too bad I'm only Lin Si." You shook your head and stopped thinking about it. It was useless anyway, as there was nothing you could do.]