Chapter 541 - 539: Alliance

When Lin Xuan awoke, he was shocked to find that half of the Spiritual Source Pool around him had vanished. He never imagined that his "little bit" of absorption would consume so much Elemental Power. As he looked up, he saw everyone staring intently at him.

"Uh... I absorbed a bit too much. If I hadn’t felt my body reaching its limit, I really wouldn’t have been able to stop." He had only stopped absorbing the Elemental Power because his body had reached its absolute limit.

He could feel that his body was saturated. If he continued, it would be difficult for him to fully integrate the energy, and he would be overwhelmed. The Soul Pearl and the Yulan Pearl had absorbed most of it, so while the total amount was considerable, it was impossible that he alone had consumed half of the Spiritual Source Pool.

That was why he had woken up. Discovering that he’d absorbed half of the Spiritual Source Pool, he was terrified he had gone too far. ’I hope they don’t say anything about this.’

He climbed out of the Spiritual Source Pool as everyone around him stared in shock, as if looking at a monster. Not only had he stayed submerged for ten whole days, but he had also absorbed nearly half of the Elemental Power. It was truly astonishing.

"My apologies, I seem to have absorbed a bit too much..." Lin Xuan said awkwardly as he walked over.

"Don’t worry about it. How are you feeling now?" Bu Lingyu maintained his faint smile, thoroughly satisfied with the abilities Lin Xuan had displayed.

’It’s a pity Lin Xuan isn’t a disciple of the Bu Family,’ he thought. ’It truly is a shame. Among all the Bu Family disciples, how many could possibly reach his level?’

"I feel fantastic. The Spiritual Source Pool truly is the greatest treasure of the Bu Family. It allowed my Cultivation to break through directly, and I was on the verge of breaking through again to the Fifth Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage..." Lin Xuan was, of course, very satisfied. It was only natural that he would break through from the Third Layer to the Fourth Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage.

After so many battles, his Cultivation had skyrocketed, so breaking through to the Fourth Layer was normal. He would need a little more time to consolidate his gains before reaching the Fifth Layer, but he was already very satisfied. Especially with so much Elemental Power stored in his Soul Pearl, reaching the Fifth Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage was only a matter of time!

Everyone exchanged glances. To spend ten days in the Spiritual Source Pool and almost break through two Cultivation Layers consecutively—this was completely unprecedented. Even Bu Qianfan was left speechless. When he had spent ten days in here, breaking through a single layer was considered a great achievement. The main difficulty lay in the absorption process.

Lin Xuan’s absorption speed was incredibly ferocious, and he converted all of it into his Cultivation. It was simply astonishing.

No one dared to speak. The level Lin Xuan had just displayed was far too formidable, completely belying his apparent Cultivation. ’And that Moderate Constitution... it seems to be incredibly effective! The absorption efficiency didn’t weaken at all; in fact, it was extremely powerful!’

They were utterly baffled and had no idea what to make of it, but the proof was right before their eyes.

With no further discussion on the matter, Bu Lingyu smiled and led them back to the meeting hall. Only those of Elder Level were permitted to stay; all others were barred from entry.

Being invited in with such formality, Lin Xuan felt something was amiss. The atmosphere was tense, which naturally struck him as strange.

Bu Qianfan also sat down. Waving his fan, he looked at Lin Xuan with a smile. "I wonder, should we call you Mu Shuang, or... the Young Master of the Lin Family, Lin Xuan?"

At these words, Lin Xuan froze for a moment before giving a calm smile. "And why would you say that? Even if my surname is Lin, that doesn’t necessarily make me the Young Master of the Lin Family, does it?"

He didn’t panic or show any fear; inwardly, he was perfectly composed. ’I always knew I’d be found out eventually, I just didn’t expect it to be this soon. The Bu Family’s intelligence-gathering capabilities are formidable. Then again, if they weren’t, they wouldn’t deserve to be called a Super Race.’

Still, he had to deny it—partly for self-preservation, and partly to probe their intentions and see how they would respond.

"There’s no need to be tense. We aren’t going to do anything to you. If we were, we never would have let you into the Spiritual Source Pool," Bu Qianfan said with a faint smile. "After some investigation, I’ve learned your real name is Lin Xuan. You went into hiding, surely out of fear of being discovered by the Yan Family and the Su Family. However, there are many members of the Lin Clan in this world. By changing your name, you’ve essentially drawn more attention to yourself. It’s a dead giveaway."

"Now that Brother Bu mentions it, you have a point. That was my oversight," Lin Xuan said with a small laugh. "So, what is it you wish to discuss?"

"Still so unwilling to be frank, Brother Lin?" Bu Qianfan said, flicking his fan. "We bear you no ill will. Our goals are aligned: to resist the Yan Family and the Su Family. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before they annex us! If you are indeed the Young Master of the Lin Family, we can form a strong partnership. We can even help you find the current whereabouts of the rest of the Lin Family. But if you insist on denying your identity, we won’t force the issue. We will support you all the same."

Bu Qianfan had already investigated thoroughly. He had dug into every aspect of Lin Xuan’s past. While much of it may have been covered up, he had still managed to uncover a few clues.

"Furthermore, let’s assume you are the Lin Family’s Young Master. There would be no benefit for us in handing you over to the Yan and Su Families. On the contrary, it would likely provoke the rest of the Lin Family into revealing themselves, which would only accelerate their complete annexation," Bu Qianfan explained the consequences.

Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes. ’The Su and Yan Families are looking for me to use me as bait, to lure out every last member of the Lin Family. That’s how they plan to pull them out root and stem, eliminating any future threats.’

But just as they’d said, the Bu Family had nothing to gain by handing him over. Even if they received some reward, it would certainly be nothing comparable to a real treasure.

In fact, it would only accelerate the Bu Family’s own demise. As long as the Lin Family remained hidden, they served as an intangible check on the other families’ power.

Lin Xuan fell silent for a moment before taking a seat. He smiled faintly. "Since you’ve all shown such sincerity, I won’t waste any more words. I am the Young Master of the Lin Family. But in another sense, I am not. The Lin Family has yet to acknowledge me, so how can I truly be called their Young Master?"

’Right now, I only have the bloodline of the Lin Family; I haven’t been formally recognized by them. After wandering for so long, who knows what the remaining members of the Lin Family think of me.’

"So you finally admit it." Bu Qianfan snapped his fan shut. "With your current abilities, do you really think you won’t be accepted? Don’t worry about that. Our most urgent task now is to find where the Lin Family is hiding!"

At that moment, they had become true allies. Lin Xuan was no longer just a disciple the Bu Family had recruited; he was now a partner in their alliance.