The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

Deep beneath the Lin family estate, silence continued to reign inside the secluded cultivation chamber.

The remaining Small Pristine Spirit Stones gradually dimmed one after another until the last Small Pristine Spirit Stone also finally exhausted its spiritual qi and crumbled into a pile of fine white dust.

Lin Xuan did not immediately open his eyes.

Instead, he continued circulating his cultivation technique for several more cycles, allowing every trace of spiritual qi within his body to settle completely.

The Nascent Soul quietly sat within his dantian.

Its tiny body had become completely solid, and every breath it took naturally resonated with the spiritual qi flowing throughout his meridians.

There was no longer the slightest trace of instability.

Only after confirming that his cultivation had been thoroughly consolidated did Lin Xuan slowly withdraw his spiritual qi.

His eyes gradually opened before slowly exhaling.

His gaze turned toward the shattered remains of the Small Pristine Spirit Stones and a faint smile appeared on his face.

"They served their purpose well."

Although seventy Small Pristine Spirit Stones was an enormous amount of wealth, every single one had been worth the cost.

Without them, stabilizing his Nascent Soul would have taken far longer.

He slowly clenched his right hand and a gentle wave of power immediately gathered within his palm.

Unlike before, this power felt incomparably refined.

Lin Xuan then spread his spiritual sense and in an instant, his perception extended far beyond the cultivation chamber.

He could clearly sense the movement of every guard stationed outside.

He could hear disciples training throughout the Lin family estate.

Even the faint conversations taking place within distant courtyards reached his ears with astonishing clarity.

Compared to the Golden Core Realm, the difference was like heaven and earth.

A satisfied smile gradually appeared on his face.

"So this is the Nascent Soul Realm..."

Lin Xuan slowly rose to his feet and gently stretched his body.

After taking one final glance around the cultivation chamber, Lin Xuan walked toward the massive stone doors.

With a light wave of his hand, the formation sealing the chamber quietly dispersed.

The thick stone doors slowly swung open, allowing sunlight to pour into the previously dim chamber.

Lin Xuan stepped outside and the two guards standing watch immediately sensed his presence.

The moment they saw him, both men’s expressions brightened with joy.

"Greetings, Patriarch!"

They immediately cupped their fists and bowed respectfully.

Lin Xuan gave them a slight nod.

"You’ve worked hard."

The two guards quickly shook their heads.

"It is our honor to guard the Patriarch’s seclusion."

Lin Xuan smiled faintly before raising his gaze toward the clear blue sky.

"How long was I in seclusion?"

The two guards exchanged a brief glance before one of them respectfully stepped forward.

"Reporting to the Patriarch, you were in seclusion for forty-nine days."

"Forty-nine days..."

Lin Xuan quietly repeated the number before letting out a small sigh of relief.

"That’s not too bad."

He had been prepared to hear that several weeks, or even months, had passed.

After all, breakthroughs into the Nascent Soul Realm were known to take an astonishing amount of time.

Only forty-nine days...

That was far shorter than he had expected.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

The Realm Breakthrough Pill is truly incredible.

Without that pill, even with seventy Small Pristine Spirit Stones, he doubted he could have even completed the breakthrough at all.

He looked back toward the cultivation chamber before speaking once more.

"You’ve both done well."

The two guards immediately cupped their fists.

"Thank you, Patriarch."

Lin Xuan gave a slight nod.

"You no longer need to guard this place."

He glanced toward the now dim cultivation chamber.

"Go find Elder Shushu and tell him to replace the Spirit Jade inside. It has already exhausted all of its spiritual qi."

"Yes, Patriarch."

The two guards accepted the order without hesitation.

Seeing that everything had been arranged, Lin Xuan no longer lingered.

His figure rose into the air before transforming into a streak of light that shot toward the heart of the Lin family estate.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Xuan had already crossed a large portion of the Lin family estate and arrived above his own courtyard.

He slowly descended and landed lightly upon the familiar stone path.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

The speed of a Nascent Soul cultivator truly exceeded his expectations.

The distance that had once taken several minutes to traverse had now been crossed in little more than an instant.

It was no wonder Nascent Soul cultivators were regarded as the true pillars of a clan.

Just as he was appreciating the changes brought about by his breakthrough, his spiritual sense suddenly picked up a familiar aura.

A Golden Core cultivator was running toward his courtyard at remarkable speed.

Lin Xuan instinctively looked toward the horizon and only a minute later, Lin Zhaoyue arrived at the courtyard.

The moment her eyes met Lin Xuan, she ended up staring at him without saying a single word.

Her mouth was wide open, filled with shock.

Seeing her reaction, Lin Xuan smiled faintly.

"I suppose you can still be surprised."

Lin Zhaoyue blinked several times, still struggling to process what she was seeing.

"...It’s only been forty-nine days since you sent me that message."

Her voice carried unmistakable disbelief.

She had expected months, perhaps even years yet her father had broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm in less than two months.

Lin Xuan couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Well... turns out your father is a genius after all."

Lin Zhaoyue opened her mouth, wanting to say something but no words came out.

Everything she had intended to say vanished the moment she saw the warm smile on her father’s face.

In the end, she simply lowered her head slightly.

"...Congratulations, Father."

Her voice was soft, yet filled with genuine happiness.

Lin Xuan smiled gently as he walked over to her and lowered himself onto one knee and softly rubbed her head.

"Thank you, It must have been difficult while I was away."

He paused for a moment before smiling reassuringly.

"But now that I’m back, you won’t have to worry anymore. Father won’t let the Shangguan family bully us."