NOVEL NEXT Chapter 32: Promotion to a Second-Rate Power
“No one is allowed to speak of Xiao Chen’s matter in the future.”
After the initial excitement subsided, Lin Siyu immediately issued a confidentiality order to all the Lin family masters present.
The many Lin family powerhouses who understood the implications naturally nodded solemnly, fully aware of the reasoning behind it.
A 17-year-old Master—such a rare phenomenon.
If they could keep this secret, it was conceivable that in a few years, the Lin family could ascend to become a superpower, surpassing even the Qianyuan Country. They would sit above the masses, watching the world’s changes with detachment.
The Lin family elders didn’t stay long in Lin Zichen’s courtyard and soon departed.
At the same time, they also dismissed the Lin family executives standing outside the door, warning them not to disturb Lin Zichen’s training.
“What happened in Xiao Chen’s courtyard? Why were the ancestors so excited?”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem like a bad thing.”
“As long as it’s not, that’s good. Xiao Chen is our Lin family’s hope for rising to power. He must be fine.”
“Watch your mouth. Don’t forget the existence behind Xiao Chen. Even if something happens to all of us, nothing will happen to Xiao Chen.”
Under the elders’ stern warnings, although the Lin family executives were extremely curious about what had happened, they didn’t dare defy their superiors and left quietly.
They cooperated so easily partly because they saw the barely concealed excitement and joy on the elders’ faces.
Clearly, this was good news.
Seeing the elders leave, Lin Zichen’s face showed no change, but his heart was warmed.
It was the harmonious family atmosphere, free from unnecessary internal strife, that made him consider not just his personal interests when choosing simulation rewards. Otherwise, why would he have picked rewards that benefit the family’s cultivation and farming potential?
For him personally, it wasn’t necessary at all.
“I didn’t expect my first simulation today to start off so well, and with 2,300 lower-grade spirit stones! While my luck is good, I should continue.”
As he thought this, anticipation gleamed in Lin Zichen’s eyes. He sank his consciousness into his mind, preparing to consume 100 lower-grade spirit stones to power the family simulation. But—
A mechanical, icy prompt interrupted his thoughts, leaving him stunned.
[Ding! Congratulations! Your family now meets the criteria for a second-rate power and has successfully been promoted. With this promotion, the personal simulation novice benefits are now permanently closed. Additionally, the energy cost per family simulation increases to 1,000 points, and the Spirit Resonance Function has been activated.]
Oh no!
I completely forgot! With two Masters already in the Lin family and now me as the third, we just reached the promotion threshold!
“Did I just outsmart myself?”
Lin Zichen’s mouth twitched, feeling both amused and distressed.
The Master Realm reward from the simulation had excited him so much that he chose it without thinking.
Now, he’d lost the personal simulation benefits and increased the cost of family simulations tenfold.
2,300 lower-grade spirit stones would now only cover two simulations.
“Well, no point regretting it now. Besides, unlocking the Spirit Resonance Function and promoting to a second-rate power might be good. I’ll save one simulation as a backup and run one more.”
Acting decisively, Lin Zichen consumed 1,000 spirit stones to power the family simulation.
“Start simulation.”
[Ding! Since this is your first simulation after promotion to a second-rate power, the reward options’ rarity has significantly increased.]
The mechanical prompt brought him some comfort, easing his earlier frustration.
Lines of simulation text appeared on the light screen before him.
[Lin Family Year 213, July 1: Lin Zichen advanced to mid-stage Master Realm, causing a stir among the family elders. That same month, three other elders (Lin Weikun, Lin Weiquan, and Lin Weinang) also broke through to the Master realm, bringing the family’s total to six Masters, positioning them as a mid-tier second-rate family.]
[Lin Family Year 213, November 16: The family announced a 30% increase in cultivation resources compared to last year, with double resources for young talents. Cultivation enthusiasm surged.]
…
This simulation differed in details due to Lin Zichen’s increased strength, but the overall trajectory was similar.
The Wang family still hired the Dusk Assassin Organization but was defeated by the Lin Family Masters.
Ultimately, the Wutong County’s Wang family, tempted by a Grandmaster’s cultivation insights and three drops of millennia-old stone milk, launched a similar offensive. They teamed up with the Qingfeng City’s Wang, Huang, and Zhao families to attack the Lin family.
This time, however, Lin Zichen’s power had grown significantly. With triple cultivation speed, he reached the late-stage Master Realm. He joined forces with the family’s Masters to defeat the Wang family’s seven Masters and swiftly eliminated the allied families.
Their victory sent shockwaves through the region.
“I wonder what the outcome for my family will be this time,” Lin Zichen thought, focusing intently on the screen with curiosity.
With over ten Grandmasters now, the Lin family’s strength was on par with established second-rate families. If not for a Grandmaster in the Wang family, Lin Zichen would’ve marched straight to Wutong County.
[Lin Family Year 215, May 15: News of the Lin family defeating seven Wang Masters spread across Qingzhou City. The Wutong County Wang family was furious, and the Qingzhou City trembled. The powerful Mu family was particularly alarmed—a 19-year-old Master could threaten their millennia-long heritage.]
[Lin Family Year 215, May 18: Qingzhou City, after three days of silence, erupted in turmoil. The Mu and Lin families clashed. One aimed to crush Lin Zichen; the other sought to protect him. As these two top-tier forces battled, chaos engulfed Qingzhou City.]
[Lin Family Year 215, May 19: Unable to wait for reinforcements from the Mu family, the Wang family mobilized all their powerhouses to track the Lin family’s whereabouts. Meanwhile, the Wang family’s ancestor continued his secluded cultivation, preparing to break through to the Grandmaster realm, ready to intervene if needed.]
[Lin Family Year 215, November 12: Despite their efforts to remain hidden, the Lin family’s large numbers inevitably exposed them to the Wang family’s tracking. Several clashes occurred, but thanks to Lin Zichen’s formidable strength, they narrowly escaped danger multiple times. However, about a year later, the Wang family located their whereabouts and alerted their patriarch.]
[Faced with the overwhelming power of the Wang family ancestor , Lin Zichen managed to escape with the help of several Lin family Masters who sacrificed themselves. He led the remaining elite members to establish the Azure Garb Tower, operating in secret.]
[Lin Family Year 217, December 3: Frustrated by Lin Zichen’s continued evasion, the Wang family paid 100,000 lower-grade spirit stones to the Dusk Assassin Organization for a bounty. Normally, this would not have been enough to target a late-stage Master, but Lin Zichen’s extraordinary feats piqued the interest of the organization’s third leader, who accepted the commission.]
[The Dusk Assassin Organization, one of Qianyuan Country’s three major assassin guilds, has operated for thousands of years, surviving countless rivalries and vendettas. Their deep roots make them a formidable force.]
[Using their extensive intelligence network, the organization discovered the Lin family’s hiding place. A brutal battle ensued. Ultimately, with the intervention of a Grandmaster from the Dusk Assassin Organization, the entire Lin family—including Lin Zichen—was annihilated without a chance to escape.]
[Simulation ended: All direct bloodline members of the Lin family were eradicated.]
The Dusk Assassin Organization!
Lin Zichen’s eyes narrowed as he absorbed the simulation’s outcome.
Ever since he learned through the Immortal Clan Simulator that the Lin family would eventually clash with powerful factions, he had been keeping close tabs on their movements and backgrounds.
The Wang and Mu families were already familiar adversaries.
But the Dusk Assassin Organization was a more obscure force at first. Over the past several months, Lin Zichen had gathered information through various channels about this notorious guild.
“They say the Dusk Assassin Organization is overseen by nine Gold-tier assassins and three supreme leaders.”
“Gold-tier assassins, each capable of threatening Grandmasters, are likely Grandmaster Realm themselves. As for the three leaders who command them, they must be the Peak of the Grandmaster realm, or perhaps even have stepped into the Celestial Realm.”
“Considering the Dusk Assassin Organization has survived for thousands of years despite offending countless factions, it’s almost certain they have Celestial masters in their ranks.”
Being a transmigrant, Lin Zichen was not bound by the limited perspective of this world.
The Celestial Realm might seem unattainable or rare to most martial artists here. However, from Lin Zichen’s viewpoint, it simply meant he hadn’t yet reached that level of the hierarchy. Once his cultivation and status grew, such masters would become commonplace.
“Celestial Realm.”
“I must keep my cultivation hidden. Otherwise, even with support from the Qingzhou City Lin family, I would constantly be in danger.”
A single blow from a Grandmaster could severely wound a peak-level master. But a Celestial master? Their casual strike could annihilate multiple Grandmasters. These supreme beings could harness the power of nature itself, far surpassing any individual strength.
Manpower is finite; nature’s power is infinite.
The Qingzhou City Lin family was powerful but ultimately just an established first-rate power. Compared to factions with Celestial masters, they were insignificant. When such a master moved, even Grandmasters and top-tier clans had to yield.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! Simulation successful. The following rewards have been generated, and you may choose one.]
1. 1000 Spirit Resonance Points.
2. Summon a random martial artist of Master Realm or higher (up to Celestial Realm, 100% loyalty guaranteed).
3. Life experience.
Lin Zichen immediately dismissed the third option, leaving only the first and second choices.
He pondered deeply. 1000 Spirit Resonance Points might enhance a creature’s talent to the “upper” level, but to create a prodigy with a special physique required at least 3000 points—sometimes even tens of thousands.
“1000 points are still too little.”
Ultimately, Lin Zichen focused on the second option.
Summoning a martial artist of Master Realm or higher, with a chance of reaching the Celestial Realm, was a gamble worth taking.
“If I summon a Grandmaster or stronger, my next simulation could drastically change the Lin family’s fate.”
Spirit Resonance Points were valuable but limited in this case, mainly because the simulation was too short. According to the simulator’s description, the longer the simulation and the stronger the family, the more Spirit Resonance Points were rewarded.
“Better to take a chance now. If I summon a true powerhouse, the Lin family’s future will be secure.”
“I choose option two.”
A massive roulette wheel materialized before him, spinning rapidly. Each segment displayed various figures ranging from early Master to Peak Celestial Realm experts, covering all disciplines—from martial artists to alchemists and blacksmiths.
Lin Zichen stared intensely at the wheel.
“Stop.”
Time seemed to slow. As the wheel decelerated, he held his breath, eyes fixed on the outcome.
The pointer passed an early Master segment. He exhaled in relief.
But his heart raced again as the wheel slowed near a late-Master blacksmith segment. Under normal circumstances, this would be an excellent reward, providing tailor-made weapons for the family’s warriors.
But now, this level of reward on the turntable is only slightly better than the lowest-end Master Realm warrior.
“No… please, not that…”