Chapter 176 The Lin Family’s Secret

Chapter 176: Chapter 176: The Lin Family’s Secret

Without the help of the Prodigy Moment, he gained very little.

So far, Lu Yuan had only received rewards from the Prodigy Moment twice. Once was because of Lin Siyao, and the other was because of his future father-in-law. Both were peerless prodigies.

There was also a reward mission—helping Su Wan awaken her Seven-Sound Mysterious Body—that he hadn’t completed yet. Therefore, to trigger a Prodigy Moment reward, the target had to be a prodigy. Moreover, it had to be a prodigy he actually knew and had a relationship with...

"Hehehe, you’re amazing, Brother Yuan," Lin Siyao covered her mouth and giggled.

Lu Yuan was telling her about Situ Yao showing up to challenge him that morning and what had happened afterward. Since she was bored staying at home all by herself, he shared more stories with her to pass the time.

"But of course! Your Brother Yuan is different now," Lu Yuan said, proudly lifting his chin. It was only in front of Lin Siyao that he could completely let his guard down.

"Brother Yuan is a true peerless genius—a prodigy now!" Lin Siyao said, starry-eyed.

"A genius, maybe, but not a prodigy." Lu Yuan shook his head humbly.

Who could be called a prodigy? Someone who broke through to the Fifth Grade before the age of thirty, or the Fourth Grade before forty. Or perhaps someone who reached the Second Grade before a hundred... Anyone below a Fifth Grade Celestial Human couldn’t be called a prodigy. After all, one could get stuck at any given step along the way.

Cultivation was not just about growing stronger; it was a continuous process of increasing and accumulating potential. Upon becoming a Fifth Grade Celestial Human, one’s talent and strength were fully revealed, making their future path clear. Reaching this stage meant achieving minor success in the Martial Dao.

"My mother said my eldest sister might be coming back," Lin Siyao suddenly said.

"Eldest..."

A matchlessly elegant figure instantly appeared in Lu Yuan’s mind. It was Lin Sichen, the absolute genius of the Lin Family who had reached the Seventh Grade at the young age of fifteen. She had left home early to find a master and cultivate. He had been only seven years old at the time, and at first glance, he had thought she was an unparalleled fairy from the heavens. He had only seen her a few times before she left, and never again since.

"Where is your eldest sister cultivating?" Lu Yuan asked.

"Kunlun," Lin Siyao replied, no longer keeping any secrets from him.

"Kunlun!" Lu Yuan took a deep breath.

It was one of the holy lands of cultivation, boasting unimaginably immense power. It was said that every single one of its disciples was a genius. Almost all of them had the potential to become Fifth Grade Celestial Humans, and whenever they descended the mountain, they emerged as formidable experts.

"Seven or eight years have passed. I wonder what realm she has reached by now."

"Probably the Fifth Grade," Lin Siyao guessed.

"Fifth Grade!" Lu Yuan was stunned.

When he was seven, Lin Sichen was only fifteen. Now he was fifteen, making Lin Sichen twenty-three. A twenty-three-year-old Fifth Grade cultivator... Only Lin Siyao would dare make such a bold claim. The Daqian Dynasty had no one like that, and it would normally take many years for such a peerless genius to appear. Reaching the Sixth Grade at twenty-three was already the mark of an absolute genius, or even a future prodigy.

"My eldest sister is a bit special. Her bloodline talent is stronger than mine," Lin Siyao explained.

"Ah." Lu Yuan understood.

According to the system’s information, Lin Siyao was already a peerless prodigy, destined to reach the Fourth Grade before the age of forty. If Lin Sichen’s talent was even stronger than hers, she would definitely be at least at the Fourth Grade by forty. And by forty-eight...

However, the system hadn’t provided any relevant information on her yet. The only certainty was that she was undoubtedly a peerless prodigy. If he met her, there was a high probability she would provide him with a Prodigy Moment reward and a lot of experience points. He felt quite expectant.

"Do you still have any impression of my eldest sister?" Lin Siyao asked.

"I remember a little," Lu Yuan said uncertainly. "After all, I only saw her a few times."

"Yeah, my memory is completely blurry now. I almost can’t remember her," Lin Siyao said, her eyes flashing with complex emotions. With her closest relative gone for seven or eight years, her memories were fading. Thinking about it made her feel uncomfortable and sad.

"It’s fine. When she comes back, you’ll immediately remember, and those memories will become clear again." Lu Yuan smiled. Memories weren’t important; reality was what truly mattered.

"Yeah, you’re right." Lin Siyao smiled as well, resting her head against Lu Yuan’s chest.

[Having lived with the Lin Family for decades, your understanding of them remains remarkably sparse. To turn the tables, you must first understand your opponents.]

[Mission issued: Uncover the Lin Family’s secret, discover their origins, and learn their purpose for coming to the Jade Capital...]

[The system will grant rewards based on your discoveries.]

[Note: Host, the crippling of your Martial Arts and the injury to your head are connected to the Lin Family.]

"The Lin Family’s secret?" Lu Yuan’s expression changed.

The Lin Family indeed had secrets. The talent of every single member was extraordinarily strong. They came from the Southwest, yet their specific origins were shrouded in mystery. Add to that the system’s background stating his Martial Arts had been crippled... It was definitely connected to the Lin Family! There was no doubt about this. But was it the Lin Family themselves who took action, or someone else connected to them? Crippling him but not killing him... the underlying implications were a bit terrifying.

"Should we prepare some gifts for your eldest sister when she returns?" Lu Yuan asked.

"She’s been gone for so many years. She should be the one preparing gifts for us," Lin Siyao pouted.

"Right, Siyao is absolutely right! Hahaha..." Lu Yuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. That was exactly what he was thinking. Any random gift brought back from Kunlun would surely be immensely valuable.

"Siyao, your family is from the Southwest, but where in the Southwest?"

"Meizhou. My mother is a True Disciple of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect in western Meizhou," Lin Siyao answered.

"That’s your mother and father. But what about the Lin Family?" Lu Yuan pressed.

"The Lin Family..." Lin Siyao’s eyes flickered. "They should also be from Meizhou. After all, my parents met there."

"What about your grandfather and ancestors..." Lu Yuan continued. Given the Lin Family’s talent, their ancestors couldn’t have died young. They had to be powerful experts with lifespans of at least several centuries.

"Siyao, it’s time to come back," the voice of his future mother-in-law, Song Yumeng, suddenly rang out, interrupting their conversation.

"Oh, coming!" Lin Siyao got up and quickly hopped back toward her house. "See you tomorrow, Brother Yuan."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Lu Yuan lay back on the roof.

He knew his mother-in-law had intentionally interrupted because she didn’t want him asking further questions. He likely wasn’t qualified to know the Lin Family’s secrets yet.

"The Lin Family is truly mysterious..." he thought. "Only those with a First-Grade Powerhouse in their ancestry possess the power of bloodline in their descendants... This means the Lin Family once had a First-Grade Powerhouse among their ancestors... A family descended from a First-Grade Powerhouse should be on par with the Jiang Family of the Daqian Imperial Family..."

But a normal aristocratic family descended from a First-Grade cultivator couldn’t compare to the Jiang Family. Because the Daqian Imperial Family was blessed by the dynasty’s destiny, their descendants’ cultivation went incredibly smoothly, resulting in an endless stream of experts. Over tens of thousands of years, no one knew exactly how strong the Jiang Family had become, but it was undoubtedly beyond imagination. They were absolutely one of the most powerful and terrifying families in the world.

Lu Yuan gazed up at the starry sky, his eyes rippling before the Cyan Dragon Dharma Aspect materialized in his gaze.

Only those with a cultivation base above the Third Grade were qualified to interact with such existences and touch upon the core secrets of this world. Therefore, his current mission was singular: cultivate, cultivate, and cultivate some more!

The next day, he went to work as usual.

"Lu Yuan, your squad will be working the night shift from now on. You’ll primarily patrol the Zhen Sector, District One of the Fourth Ring," Qin Gang said, approaching Lu Yuan to hand down the new orders.

"District One of the Fourth Ring?" Lu Yuan couldn’t help but freeze upon hearing this.

He had no objections to switching to the night shift; he was perfectly willing to follow orders. In the Jade Capital, he didn’t need to run out of the city and rush about. However, District One of the Fourth Ring was a commercial area—and specifically, a red-light district. Having him patrol there...