C13 Family Competition Is in Advance

"Phew!"

Lin Hao let out a breath of stale air, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "At last, I've mastered Petrification."

Since borrowing Petrification, Lin Hao had been diligently practicing in his room for three days.

Evening had fallen, and the moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the room. Lin Hao stood, straightened his clothes, and prepared to return the Petrification technique.

"Knock, knock!"

A rapid knocking sounded at the door.

"Humph, what's taking you so long? Get to the Conference Hall immediately. The Patriarch has called an emergency meeting!"

Lin Hao glanced at the door to find Lin Xiong's servant standing there.

"What gives you the right to speak to me that way?" Lin Hao snapped.

The servant recoiled, a hint of fear in his eyes. But remembering Lin Hao's reputation as a failed cultivator, he regained his boldness and retorted, "What's there to be proud of, you trash? Whether you attend is up to you, but I've delivered the message."

Enraged, Lin Hao retorted, "Who are you calling trash? A mere servant dares to speak to me in such a manner? You're asking for trouble."

With that, Lin Hao lashed out with a kick.

"Bang!"

The footboy was sent flying several yards, not fatally injured but certainly scathed.

Ignoring the footboy, Lin Hao locked his door and made his way to the Conference Hall.

"What could this be about? Are we already at odds with the Wang family?" Lin Hao wondered aloud.

"No time to speculate; I need to get there," he decided.

The Conference Hall was already bustling with the family's key members by the time Lin Hao arrived.

Once everyone had gathered, Lin Xiao spoke gravely, "We're here to address an urgent issue. First, we've confirmed that Lin Qing's death is connected to the Wang family. We've been in talks with them for several days, and tensions have escalated."

"As you know, the Wang family's strength is on par with ours. Yet, for some reason, they've been exceptionally defiant towards us. The most recent update is that Wang Le has reached the peak of the foundation building stage!" Lin Xiao announced.

"What! The peak of Foundation Building? That must mean he's the strongest in Thunderfall City now."

"Exactly. It would be foolish for us to clash with the Wang family under these circumstances!"

"I agree. Lin Qing's death seems too suspicious for us to ignore. The Patriarch really needs to look into it."

The room erupted into a frenzy. Reaching the peak of Foundation Building was a feat many could only dream of achieving in their lifetimes. With Wang Le now at that level, he was sure to dominate the other three major families in Thunderfall City!

Witnessing his family members' heated discussions, Lin Xiong shouted, "Enough bickering! Since when is reaching the peak of Foundation Building an excuse to overlook Lin Qing's death?"

"Easy for you to say. When it's time to confront Wang Le, who's at the peak of Foundation Building, will you be the one to face him?"

Seeing the argument escalating, Lin Xiao raised his voice, "Quiet down! We will get to the bottom of this. But there's another issue at hand. Due to the Wang family's request, the great competition has been moved up to next month. Consequently, our family competition is now in three days. Anyone wishing to enter should sign up now!"

"What? The family competition is happening sooner? Count me in."

"Me as well."

The Conference Hall buzzed with excitement once more.

"Brother Lin Hao, aren't you entering the family competition?"

Lin Hao was pondering the potential risks when Lin Wen approached with her question.

He smiled at her and replied, "Of course, I'll be joining. What about you? With your Qi Refining at the fourth level, I might not stand a chance if you do."

Blushing, Lin Wen retorted, "Humph, all you do is make fun of me. But I've noticed you've made a breakthrough recently, haven't you? Have you also reached the fourth level of Qi Refining? Or are you just being modest?"

Lin Hao chuckled and gently ruffled her hair, saying, "Not at all. Don't let your imagination run wild. I'm just your average cultivator."

"Who would believe that!" Lin Wen said with a pout.

"Let's disperse and start preparing for the family competition in three days. The top three will qualify for the inter-family competition," Lin Xiao instructed once more.

With that, the crowd dispersed.

"Patriarch, why haven't you informed them about the significance of this competition? If we lose, we'll have to forfeit half of our resources!" Lin Hao's third uncle, Lin Meng, addressed Lin Xiao after a brief pause.

"Ah, it's not that I don't want to; I just don't want to burden them with pressure. Just inform Lin Lang, Lin Hu, and Lin Bao about the situation. Additionally, ensure the family provides them with ample resources for their cultivation. I'm hoping they can advance to the eighth level of Qi Refining within a month," Lin Xiao said with a sigh.

"What about Lin Hao?" Lin Meng inquired.

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Xiao replied, "There's no need. Even though his cultivation has been progressing rapidly, he's currently at the fourth level of Qi Refining. It's unlikely he'll be able to compete in this event."

Rubbing his eyes, Lin Xiao added, "Everyone, please leave me be. I need some solitude to reflect on reaching the pinnacle of Foundation Building..."

The elders did not linger and promptly exited the room.

Back at his quarters, Lin Hao resolved to use the Energy Pill to enhance his cultivation. Although the effects might not be optimal at this time, he felt compelled to proceed for the sake of the upcoming competition.

Lin Hao was aware that despite his advancement to the fourth level of Qi Refining and possessing a more robust spiritual energy in his elixir field than his peers, his family housed true prodigies.

Lin Lang, Lin Hu, Lin Bao!

These three brothers, adopted by Lin Xiao, had exhibited exceptional talent from a young age.

They had now reached the pinnacle of the sixth level of Qi Refining and were on the cusp of breaking through to the seventh level. Moreover, they were a year younger than Lin Hao.

"Though I may not have their innate gifts, I possess the jasper bracelet, and the density of spiritual energy in my elixir field far surpasses that of my contemporaries. That's where my strength lies," Lin Hao silently affirmed.

To surpass them, Lin Hao's only option was to take the Energy Pill, hoping it would propel him to the fifth level of Qi Refining.

The Cloud-Piercing Mental Art coursed through Lin Hao's body as he simultaneously took out a low-grade soulstone to absorb spiritual energy. After several days of diligent practice, Lin Hao had come to realize that he wouldn't perish from an overload of spiritual energy; it was only if his elixir field couldn't absorb it that he'd continue to draw in energy without advancing to the next level.

"There's no risk of exploding," Lin Hao reassured himself. With this newfound confidence, he boldly intensified his cultivation efforts.

Once he had fully absorbed a low-grade soulstone, Lin Hao retrieved an Energy Pill and swallowed it. Initially, he felt nothing, but soon, he was drenched in sweat as the spiritual energy within his elixir field approached the potency of the sixth level of Qi Refining. Alarmed, Lin Hao quickly employed the Cloud-Piercing Mental Art to direct the flow of spiritual energy, preventing it from accumulating excessively in his elixir field.

Several hours passed in this manner until a crisp "Crack!" rang out. Lin Hao's heart leapt with joy as he exclaimed, "I've broken through!" He had finally reached the fifth level of Qi Refining, and the concentration of spiritual energy in his elixir field was impressively dense.

"Now, let's test the gold needle technique. Can I master the third level?" Lin Hao pondered. Despite multiple attempts, he ultimately abandoned the effort, realizing that his method of condensing spiritual energy for the third level of the gold needle technique was incorrect and beyond his grasp.

Resigning himself to this fact, Lin Hao decided to see how many times he could execute the gold needle technique. To his astonishment, he managed to release it a full ten times without depleting his spiritual energy.

"Let's take a look at the Fireball technique. Why is it that the family's technique is the Small Fireball, yet this one is simply Fireball?" Lin Hao mused.

As he was about to examine the Fireball technique, a series of knocks echoed from outside the door. Lin Hao stowed the gold needle and the Small Fireball and headed to the door, taken aback by the realization that dawn had broken. "How is it already daylight? I've been cultivating all night!"

Lin Hao reached out to push open the door when Lin Fu's urgent voice came from outside.

"It's bad, Brother Lin Hao, you need to see this! The Wang family is coming to carry out a bridal abduction!"

"What! A bridal abduction?" Lin Hao exclaimed in alarm.