Family Cultivation: I Am the Guardian Beast of the Clan

Lin Xuan, upon hearing this, furrowed his brows slightly. He looked up to find that the entire sky had turned completely dark at some point. Raindrops were falling from the sky, and to his surprise, the rain was black.

He gazed at the sky, his expression slightly perturbed. He could no longer sense the presence of spiritual energy and the Dao within the surroundings.

"Lin Ran, inform your father to activate the mountain-guarding array of the Azure Heaven Mountain; this rain isn't normal," Lin Xuan said with a solemn tone.

"Yes, Grand Ancestor!"

Lin Ran realized the seriousness of the situation and promptly rose into the sky, heading toward the Lin family's main hall.

Seeing her leave, Lin Xuan paid no further attention. He moved his consciousness, and the rain within a hundred meters instantly coalesced into a bundle. Under the refinement of spiritual power, the fist-sized black rainwater rapidly shrank and vanished. Finally, only a strand of pure black gas remained before him.

The black gas roiled as if it wanted to escape Lin Xuan's control.

"It's conscious?"

Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly. With a thought, he chewed the black gas back and forth, making sure that any unknown consciousness within was obliterated. Lin Xuan opened his mouth and swallowed the black gas in a single gulp.

It was the perfect opportunity to test his new innate supernatural power.

"Buzz!"

A buzzing sound came from his belly, and the black gas was instantly refined. It was absorbed, and Lin Xuan felt as if he had sensed the surge of his own bloodline.

…

Azure Heaven Mountain, in recent days, had seen the arrival of all twelve First Rank forces from Renhuai County. Furthermore, within the jurisdiction of the Tianyuan Mansion, there were a total of sixteen Second Rank forces who had reached Azure Heaven Mountain.

Every newcomer was at least at the half-step Foundation Establishment Realm, and most were Foundation Establishment cultivators. At present, Azure Heaven Mountain had welcomed eleven such individuals.

In the Lin family hall, foreign cultivators had almost all gathered. As cultivators, they still possessed the instincts required for such situations.

This black rain was obviously abnormal, and the disappearance of spiritual energy in the surroundings and the apparent absence of the laws of heaven and earth were disastrous news for cultivators.

"Reporting to the family head, at the border of Renhuai County, it seems that this black rain has formed a barrier. Right now, we can only enter and cannot exit!" A Lin family cultivator inside the great hall quickly reported to Lin Xiuqi.

Hearing this, the people in the hall changed their expressions. Lin Xiuqi had also sent out a portion of the Lin family members over the past few days, scattering them throughout Renhuai County. The purpose was to monitor the entire county and take complete control.

"It's over, completely over! How could we be so unlucky to encounter a Heavenly Dao Tribulation?"

A white-haired Foundation Establishment elder's face turned pale, expressing a sense of despair. Hearing this, the other Foundation Establishment cultivators present had a change in their expressions, as if they had recalled something.

"How is it possible? This black rain is actually a Heavenly Dao Tribulation!"

"Damn, how did we end up encountering this thing?"

"It's over; now we can only wait for the reinforcements from Nine Peaks Sect to arrive."

The Foundation Establishment cultivators discussed among themselves, their expressions grim. Inside the grand hall, many Lin family cultivators were somewhat bewildered. They didn't understand what these Foundation Establishment cultivators were talking about. What was this Heavenly Dao Tribulation?

The current situation seemed to exceed the knowledge of the Lin family's cultivators. In the end, the rise of the Lin family had been too rapid, and their foundations were lacking.

Of course, those who were equally puzzled included the leaders of the twelve First Rank forces in Renhuai County. However, with a glance at each other, they understood that Renhuai County had seemingly fallen into a big crisis.

"Daoist Zhuge, can you explain what the Heavenly Dao Tribulation means?"

Lin Xiuqi stood up and asked the middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator who was the leader among the outsiders. Zhuge Wuyi was in the late Foundation Establishment Realm and served as the foreign affairs elder for the Zhuge family.

The Zhuge family was a Second Rank pinnacle force whose influence extended within the Tianyuan Prefecture. They had twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators in their clan, and their Family Head, Zhuge Wudi, was even a half-step Golden Core existence. Among the numerous Second Rank forces in the Tianyuan Prefecture, the Zhuge family ranked among the top three.

Zhuge Wuyi nodded and politely replied to Lin Xiuqi, "The Lin family's rapid rise means that Fellow Daoist Lin might not be familiar with the concept of the Heavenly Dao Tribulation.

"To be honest, I haven't personally witnessed it either. Based on records collected by our family, the Heavenly Dao Tribulation is an unpredictable disaster that occurs irregularly and in various locations in this world. The Heavenly Dao Tribulation can vary in scale, and its manifestations can differ. However, its degree of calamity can be judged based on the area it covers.

"According to the information we have, this black rain has only shrouded Renhuai County. The calamity's power should not be too great. If we remain cautious and endure until the reinforcements from Nine Peaks Sect arrive, we should be fine."

Lin Xiuqi's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this. Waiting passively for reinforcements?

"Daoist Zhuge, do you know the dangers posed by this Heavenly Dao Tribulation?" Lin Shanhai asked from the side.

"This is our first encounter as well. How could we know the dangers?" A Foundation Establishment cultivator with a dark complexion below replied impatiently.

Lin Shanhai smiled and didn't take it to heart. He knew that these people had come to congratulate the Lin family on becoming a Second Rank force. If they hadn't come, they wouldn't have been involved in such a situation. Some dissatisfaction was only natural.

"Father! Father!"

Suddenly, a melodious female voice rang out in the grand hall, followed by a streak of light falling into the hall, taking on the appearance of Lin Ran.

All the foreign cultivators in the hall looked at Lin Ran, and their pupils constricted slightly. They showed expressions of shock: This girl is actually a Foundation Establishment cultivator!?