Shen Yuan looked at the bloodshot eyes of his son, his expression softened slightly, but he still did not budge: "Even so, you should think twice!"
"The outside help that Shen Jing found are all powerful and talented individuals. If you find a wandering cultivator whose abilities you don't know, and he not only can't help you when you get to Falling Star Village, but he will also hold you back, what will you do then?"
Shen Jinhao clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He was well aware of the risks involved, but he had no other choice.
When he met Lin Zhou in Meteor City, he was just trying his luck. When Lin Zhou asked about Falling Star Village and seemed to have a calm demeanor, he decided to bring him back without hesitation.
He didn't even ask about Lin Zhou's cultivation level or investigate his background. He simply thought of him as a "filler" companion, so that at least on the surface, they wouldn't be inferior to Shen Jing's team.
"Father, rest assured, I will be careful. If he really can't help, I can handle the test of Falling Star Village on my own."
Shen Jinhao gritted his teeth, his tone firm. He couldn't lose. The position of family head was not only about himself, but also about the status of his mother's lineage in the Shen family. He had no way out.
Looking at his son's stubborn expression, Shen Yuan finally sighed: "That's enough, it's too late to say anything more. Be careful after we set off tomorrow."
"Luoxing Village holds not only innate energy, but also ancient heritage. Shen Jing, for the sake of the family headship, will likely stop at nothing. You must protect yourself."
"Yes, son understands." Shen Jinhao bowed and turned to leave the study, his back view revealing a somewhat frail appearance.
He only hoped that this temporary "outsider" wouldn't actually be a burden.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Lin Zhou withdrew his divine sense, the invitation card at his fingertips swayed gently, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
It turns out that there was another reason why Shen Jinhao invited him to come along: the internal struggle for the head of the Shen family allowed him to do a favor.
He stroked his chin, understanding dawning on him. Shen Jinhao was unaware of his strength, treating him merely as an ordinary cultivator.
Shen Yuan harbored suspicions about him and sent people to monitor him; there was also Shen Jing, who had not yet shown his face, who had found a Dao Realm expert as an outsider... This trip to Falling Star Village was much more interesting than he had expected.
As soon as Shen Jinhao stepped out of the corridor where the main study was located, he bumped into a flamboyant figure.
The newcomer was dressed in a silver-patterned brocade robe, holding a jade-ribbed folding fan in his hand, and his face bore a resemblance to Shen Jinhao.
Yet he carried a cruel and sinister air about him; he was none other than Shen Jing, the other young master of the Shen family.
Shen Jing paused, his folding fan snapping open to cover half his face, revealing only a pair of mocking eyes.
His tone was flippant: "Oh, isn't this Brother Jin Hao? Just came out of Father's study? What, did you go to report to Father about the 'good outside help' you found?"
Shen Jinhao's face darkened, and his aura fluctuated slightly, but he suppressed his anger and said in an icy tone: "Shen Jing, my affairs are none of your business. Mind your own business."
"Irrelevant?"
Shen Jing chuckled and tapped his palm lightly with his folding fan. "The competition for the position of family head concerns the future of the entire Shen family. How can it be none of my business?"
He stepped forward, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of threat, "I heard you found a wandering cultivator of unknown origin? Brother Jin Hao, no offense, but this isn't the way to act when you're desperate."
"The outside help I found is a top-notch expert. Your 'friend' probably can't even get past the threshold of Falling Star Village, right?"
Shen Jinhao clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms, but he didn't argue anymore. It would be pointless to say anything more to Shen Jing; it would only add to the humiliation.
He glanced coldly at Shen Jing, bypassed him, and walked straight towards the courtyard where Lin Zhou was, without giving him even a second glance.
Shen Jing watched Shen Jinhao's retreating figure, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his lips. He slowly closed his folding fan: "Hmph, overestimating himself. After this trip to Falling Star Village, I've decided on the position of family head!"
Before long, Shen Jinhao returned to the courtyard. It was already dark, the laurel tree in the courtyard cast swaying shadows, the spiritual spring flowed gently, and Lin Zhou was sitting by the stone table, looking at the stars in the sky with a calm expression.
"Fellow Daoist, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Shen Jinhao stepped forward, his tone tinged with apology and weariness.
Lin Zhou turned his head to look at him and asked calmly, "Was the person you just encountered your competitor?"
Shen Jinhao was taken aback for a moment, then nodded with a wry smile: "Fellow Daoist actually figured it out? His name is Shen Jing, he is my second uncle's son, and he is also the only person in this generation of the Shen family who can compete with me for the position of family head."
He sat down on the stone bench, picked up the cold tea on the table, took a sip, and continued, "According to the Shen family rules, the position of family head is not determined by seniority, but only by strength and merit."
"This trip to Falling Star Village is Father's final test for us. Whoever can gain more opportunities in Falling Star Village will be able to inherit the position of family head."
Lin Zhou nodded slightly, remaining silent and waiting for him to continue.
Shen Jinhao took a deep breath, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes: "Not only does Falling Star Village contain innate energy, but deep within the village lies an ancient celestial paradise."
"The 'Origin Elixir' in that celestial realm can cleanse a cultivator's essence. Whether it's hidden injuries to the physical body, bottlenecks in cultivation, or impurities in the soul, as long as one soaks in the elixir, they can be completely purified."
"More importantly," he emphasized, "those who can enter the Celestial Realm are either top experts from all the myriad realms or core members of great clans with a history of tens of thousands of years."
Ordinary cultivators don't even have the qualifications to approach Falling Star Village, let alone enter the Celestial Cave.
When Lin Zhou heard the term "innate Qi," his fingertips twitched slightly, and he understood.
No wonder that small mountain village was able to protect the innate energy; it turns out there was a hidden paradise behind it.
He originally thought it was just a simple matter of "extracting qi," but now it seems that the secrets hidden in Luoxing Village are far more numerous than he imagined.
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