Profound Heaven Soul Sovereign

"Oh, so that's it. It needs three Tier Seven materials?" Lin Tian's expression finally softened, but then his brow furrowed deeply once again.

A moment later—

"Third Uncle, quickly, bring me my Phoenix Blood Stone. And the Immortal Grass grandfather gave me last time, and the Memory Crystal from father. Bring them all to me..."

"Huh?" Lin San's expression went slack. The Phoenix Blood Stone, Immortal Grass, and Memory Crystal were all incredibly precious Tier Seven materials—the absolute best of their kind. Each one was worth over fifty thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones, and they were the sort of treasures you couldn't buy even if you had the money. But from the young master's tone, he intended to trade all three for that Venerable Pill. This was...

"Young Master, I heard Master Gu Ta at the trading center say that there's no such thing as a Venerable Pill in the Alchemy Realm," Lin San said quickly. "Shouldn't we be more cautious? What if this Pill is a fake..."

While he very much hoped the young master would acquire the Venerable Pill, the consequences of being scammed would be disastrous.

Lin Tian said firmly, "Third Uncle, I trust the trading center's review process. If it was approved, it must have a similar effect."

Although it was possible for fakes to appear at the trading center, the probability was typically very low. Before any item was sold, its described effects had to be verified by the center. Even if there were some discrepancies, they wouldn't be significant.

"Besides..." A bitter expression that didn't belong on the face of someone his age appeared. "If I don't get this Venerable Pill, do you think I'll have any other chance?"

"Young Master." Lin San fell silent, a flicker of pain in his eyes. "I understand."

Soon, Lin San emerged from Lin Tian's room, carrying the three treasures.

Lin Tian immediately said, "Third Uncle, go back to the trading center right now. Submit these three items to exchange for the Venerable Pill..."

Lin Tian paused, then took out a spirit card. "There are ten thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones on this. Submit it along with the rest."

This time, Lin San said nothing more, only nodding firmly. He knew the young master was afraid someone else would get it first, so he was going all-in.

Three Tier Seven materials plus ten thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones, all just to exchange for a single Sixth Grade Pill. To any sane person, this was the act of a madman.

'Tier Six Martial Venerable, I have to break through this time. I hope that Venerable Pill doesn't let me down.' Watching Lin San's retreating back, Lin Tian gritted his teeth, a flicker of determination and anguish deep in his eyes.

Lin Tian was twenty years old and a member of the Lin family's main lineage.

The Lin family was one of the top clans in the Celestial Capital Prefecture, holding a position of immense prestige.

After countless years of growth, the Lin family naturally had a great many disciples, and the internal competition was fierce. Lin Tian's parents were both high-ranking members of the clan, and their expectations for him were exceptionally high.

Lin Tian did not disappoint his family, displaying astonishing talent from a young age.

At five, he awakened his martial soul on his own, becoming the youngest genius in the Lin family to ever do so.

By the age of eight, he was already a Tier One Samurai.

Such astonishing talent naturally led the family to invest heavily in his training.

From then on, he advanced at a rate of one tier every one or two years. By the time he was fifteen, he was already a Tier Five Martial Sect.

Such talent was considered top-tier not just in the Celestial Capital Prefecture, but even in the Profound Domain and among other first-rate factions.

The Lin family treated him like a priceless treasure, showering him with endless favor and protecting him rigorously. They shielded him from any harm from outsiders; even his training spars were only held between fellow clan disciples.

However, to everyone's surprise, in his sixteenth year, Lin Tian was accidentally injured during a sparring match with another genius from the Lin family, damaging his Profound Sea.

The Lin family was horrified. They mobilized all their resources for his treatment, sparing no expense on rare and wondrous treasures. Finally, after expending an immense fortune, they managed to repair Lin Tian's Profound Sea.

What no one had foreseen, however, was that Lin Tian's cultivation had already reached the Tier Five Third Layer at the time, and he had been on the verge of breaking through to become a Tier Six Martial Venerable.

That injury to his Profound Sea directly obstructed his path to becoming a Tier Six Martial Venerable. Every time he attempted a breakthrough, he felt as though he couldn't fully mobilize his Profound Power.

Upon learning of his condition, the Lin family grew anxious and procured numerous breakthrough-assisting Pills to help him, also providing him with a host of rare natural treasures.

Unfortunately, while these Pills were effective on Lin Tian at first—he almost broke through on one occasion—as he consumed more of them, the accumulated pill toxins caused him to gradually develop a resistance.

And so, his cultivation stagnated.

One year.

Two years.

As time went on and Lin Tian remained unable to break through, the family gradually lost patience with him.

Moreover, the amount of treasures they had spent on him was simply too great. Some of the clan elders began to protest the continued efforts to treat him.

Although they all knew Lin Tian's talent was astonishing, a genius who could never break past Tier Five was less valuable to the family than even an ordinary Tier Six Martial Venerable.

Because Lin Tian's father and grandfather held high-ranking positions in the clan, the Lin family agreed to one final attempt.

Unfortunately, this attempt also failed.

From that moment on, Lin Tian's status in the family plummeted. The clan had completely given up on him.

He fell from the clan's greatest genius to its greatest good-for-nothing overnight.

The younger disciples who once trailed behind him, calling him "Brother Lin Tian," disappeared. The older siblings who once doted on him were gone. The respectful, fawning smiles of the clan servants vanished whenever he was near.

From everyone, he received only cold looks, disdain, and mockery.

Fortunately, since his father and grandfather still held high positions in the family, his title as a "young master" remained largely intact.

But in the last two years, even that began to change. He'd started hearing whispers that he had consumed far too many of the family's resources.

If those resources had been given to other disciples, the Lin family might have produced several more geniuses. Instead, all they got was a good-for-nothing.

Lin Tian knew the source of these rumors. They came from the branch of the family to which *that person* belonged. The true targets were not him, but his father and grandfather.

Lin Tian was keenly aware of the immense pressure this put on his father and grandfather. Seeing the gray creeping into his father's temples, Lin Tian desperately wanted to share their burden, but he was powerless to help.

All he could do was train relentlessly, trying to break through to become a Tier Six Martial Venerable and win back his honor.

He worked incredibly hard, countless times harder than the average clan disciple, forgoing food and sleep to train day and night.

The Tier Five Profound Power within him continued to condense. After so many years of cultivation, it had long surpassed the limits of an ordinary Tier Five Martial Sect. In terms of sheer density, his Profound Power was even more formidable than that of a Tier Six Martial Venerable.

But he was still just a Tier Five Martial Sect. The barrier to Tier Six stood before him like a great, unmovable mountain.

Years had passed, and he was on the brink of despair. The appearance of the Venerable Pill, however, brought him a glimmer of hope.

Its advertised features—no side effects, bypasses all resistance, leaves no pill toxins, and guarantees a breakthrough to Tier Six Martial Venerable—were like an addictive poison, hooking him completely.

He was well aware that such a Pill sounded too miraculous, so fantastic it was hard to believe—like it had to be a fake.

But he refused to give up on this chance. He knew that if he didn't seize this opportunity, his life's achievements might forever be capped right where he was.

'No, I have to go see this Pill for myself.' In the courtyard, Lin Tian shot to his feet and headed out.

"Well, well, if it isn't Cousin Lin Tian. What, still training?"

He had just stepped out of his courtyard when a flippant voice suddenly rang out.

A young man around Lin Tian's age happened to be passing by, surrounded by a large group of Lin family disciples—men and women, young and old—like stars orbiting the moon.

The one who had spoken was one of the followers in the young man's entourage.

'Lin Ming.' Seeing the young man, Lin Tian's pupils contracted, and a flicker of resentment flashed in his eyes before disappearing.

He could never forget. It was Lin Ming who had struck his Profound Sea during their sparring match all those years ago.

Because it was deemed a clan "accident," Lin Ming, despite receiving a harsh punishment, had emerged largely unscathed.

After Lin Tian fell from grace, Lin Ming immediately became the new number-one genius of the Lin family's younger generation.

A few years later, Lin Ming had now become a leading figure among the Lin family's younger generation.

At twenty-one, he was already a Tier Six Third Layer Martial Venerable and was qualified to attempt the breakthrough to Martial King.

Once he succeeded, Lin Ming would become the new rising star among the Lin family's youth, destined to manage the clan's important business affairs.

"Lin Tian, you should know that you'll never break through, no matter how hard you train. I'm telling you as your cousin, you should just give up. Go manage some of the family businesses. You might still make something of yourself. Why insist on beating a dead horse?"

Lin Ming shook his head and sighed.

"You hear that? Brother Ming is showing you a way out, telling you to stop this pointless training. It's useless. Trash will always be trash. You'll never get anywhere," one of the people behind Lin Ming sneered.

"My affairs are none of your concern," Lin Tian said coldly. After a moment's hesitation, he decided against going to the trading center and instead turned back toward his courtyard.

"Hmph. Ungrateful brat. Brother Ming was kind enough to offer you advice, and you throw a fit. Trash really is trash—utterly worthless," the surrounding crowd sneered.

"Alright, forget him. Let's go."

Lin Ming said coolly.

"Brother Ming is so magnanimous. If we stick with him, we'll definitely live the good life and help the family business flourish."

"Hahaha, exactly!"

The fawning crowd departed.

Back in his courtyard, listening to the crowd's voices fade into the distance, Lin Tian's face was contorted in a snarl. His fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood.