Chapter 1: Awakening of the System, Clan's Guardian
In the serene town of Qingfeng, within a secluded spring pool at the Lin family's ancestral mountain, an unremarkable gray python slowly opened its eyes, surveying its surroundings with a mix of unfamiliarity and a hint of recognition.
Lin Xuan, who had just finished assimilating the memories of his predecessor, felt a growing excitement in his gaze. He, "Fortuitous and Extraordinary" Lin Xuan, had transmigrated!
Even though he was no longer a human in this life, he had, at the very least, fulfilled the dreams of countless Earthlings: transmigrating into a vast world of cultivation.
His 1.5-meter body stood tall, and on his oval-shaped head, a pair of icy eyes surveyed everything. No one would have guessed that such a large gray python had not even seen a full moon in this world. (A full Moon happens roughly every 29.5 days.)
With Lin Xuan's movements, in a stone pavilion by the spring pool, a young girl who had been napping was also awakened. She turned her head and locked eyes with Lin Xuan.
In the next moment, the girl's expression transformed from the initial drowsiness of just waking up to disbelief, then joy. Without waiting for Lin Xuan to react, she leaped to her feet and dashed down the mountain, excitedly shouting, "Father, Father, Grand Ancestor is alive!"
Lin Xuan watched the departing girl with a slightly bewildered expression. "Grand Ancestor? Me!?"
A quarter of an hour later, by the spring pool, a group of over ten people appeared. Three middle-aged men led the group, while the young girl stood to the side.
"Lin Family's third-generation Family Head, Lin Xiuqi, pays respects to Grand Ancestor!"
Among the three middle-aged men, the one in black robes, around forty years old, had a dignified and imposing demeanor as he respectfully bowed to Lin Xuan. Following the lead of the middle-aged man, the ten-plus people in the group also saluted Lin Xuan in unison.
As Lin Xuan observed this scene, although he felt somewhat awkward, he nodded slightly.
He had deduced the reason behind this from the brief moment when the girl left earlier. In his original body's past, his mother had been injured during her childhood and saved by Lin Qingfeng, the first-generation Family Head of the Lin family and Lin Xiuqi's grandfather.
Since then, they had formed a bond. At that time, Lin Qingfeng was still an ordinary human. He had brought Lin Xuan's mother back to their den and discovered a cultivation technique on the corpse of a human.
From then on, Lin Qingfeng embarked on the path of cultivation. As a result, Lin Qingfeng regarded Lin Xuan's mother as his sister, which led to subsequent generations addressing her descendants with familial titles, according to human conventions.
By the spring pool, Lin Xiuqi and his two brothers, Lin Xuanqi and Lin Xuanzhi, revealed surprise in their eyes when Lin Xuan nodded. Their gestures were not out of hope that the just-born Lin Xuan, with a cultivation base of only the third level of Qi Condensation, would understand their meaning.
Lin Xuan's actions undoubtedly proved to the Lin family members that this Grand Ancestor, who hadn't even seen a full moon, already possessed extraordinary intelligence. Among all the spirit beasts, he was an exceptionally rare existence, demonstrating Lin Xuan's remarkable potential.
For the Lin family, currently immersed in a critical situation, this was undoubtedly good news.
[Ding, detection shows that the Lin family and the host's predestined fate meets the standard. They can become a bonded pair. Would you like to bond?]
[Note: Bonding will successfully activate the system!]
Suddenly, a chaotic voice echoed in Lin Xuan's mind. This abrupt sound made his heart skip a beat. In the next moment, he instantly realized that this was one of the essential benefits for transmigrators: the system had arrived.
Lin Xuan made an effort to control his emotions and didn't blindly choose to bond. Instead, he calmly asked in his mind, "System, after bonding, can the bonded partner be changed? If the bonded partner is destroyed, will it affect me?"
These were two questions Lin Xuan believed he had to clarify after a brief contemplation. The first one was about securing his own future in case the Lin family turned out to be unreliable. The second was to ensure that if the Lin family perished, he wouldn't meet the same fate.
[Host, after bonding, the partner can be changed as long as they meet the predestined fate standard with the host. If the bonded partner is destroyed, it will have no adverse effect on the host.]
[The purpose of the system's existence is to allow the host to grow limitlessly by harnessing the power of the bonded partner. The primary service is for the host, and the bonded partner is just an attachment, unrelated to the individual.]
Upon hearing the system's explanation, Lin Xuan felt a weight lift from his heart. He gazed once again at the Lin family members in front of him. Based on his predecessor's memories, the Lin family was far from a bunch of deadwood. Instead, they were more like an uncut gem, lacking only a chance for refinement.
After confirming the suitability of the Lin family, Lin Xuan swiftly made his decision, "System, bond with the Lin family!"
[Ding, congratulations, host, bonding successful. System activated!]
[Congratulations, host, you've gained 189 years of cultivation!]
[Congratulations, host, you've acquired the Innate Divine Ability: Flowing Light!]
[Congratulations, host, you've obtained the clan's guardian technique: Python Seed!]
[Host's information template has been updated and can be viewed at any time!]
The system's successive notifications resounded in Lin Xuan's mind, and he felt as though he had received a blessing from the heavens.
The next moment, a blue light screen appeared in front of Lin Xuan. He glanced at the Lin family members and realized that he was the only one who could see this light screen.
[Host: Lin Xuan]
[Age: 20 days!]
[Bloodline: Mystical Python Bloodline. Tier: Second.]
[Cultivation: Third Layer of Qi Condensation Realm (189 years of Qi Condensation!)]
[Innate Divine Ability: Flowing Light!]
[Family protection talent ability: Python Seed!]
[Binding target: Lin Family (Click to expand for details!)]