"Bastard of Lin Family"

Lingtao Mountain Manor in Yunzhou

Lin Jiang lowered his head, not daring to make eye contact with the imposing man above. He was indeed feeling guilty. After all, this was the world of cultivators, and he was unsure if his secret—that he had taken over another's body—could be discovered.

"Lin Jiang, the sixth son of the Lin family, has been negligent in his cultivation, achieving nothing in three years. By the order of the family head, his servants are to be taken away, and his stipend stopped for three years."

The imposing man looked at Lin Jiang and, after sighing, announced the punishment decreed by the family head. Three years had passed, and Lin Jiang was still at the first level of Qi training. It was truly a failure. It was hoped that this punishment would lead the sixth son to reform and diligently pursue cultivation.

As soon as these words were spoken, more than a dozen servants immediately started crying. They had followed the sixth son for over a decade, enjoying a carefree life in the manor and truly did not want to leave.

However, the men brought by the imposing figure reprimanded them, and eventually, they were taken onto a flying boat and left the manor.

"Stop looking. Go about your business."

After everyone had left, Lin Jiang became lively. People were still whispering around him. Lin Jiang waved his hand, telling them to leave. Those left were the tenant farmers of the manor, not his servants, who worked the fields for him.

Entering the most luxurious building in the manor, Lin Jiang lay on the big bed, breathing a sigh of relief, feeling he had passed the first hurdle.

Three months ago, he was just an ordinary worker on Blue Star, working overtime in a 996 schedule, then suddenly died of overwork. His soul drifted to this world, just as the original Lin Jiang died from a cultivation accident, allowing him to take over the body.

Now, Lin Jiang was a young master of the Lin family in Yunzhou, albeit a child born out of wedlock. Fifty years ago, Lin Ba, the head of the Lin family, established a foothold in Yunzhou, opened a school, took in many wives and concubines, fathered nine sons and six daughters, and, with his mastery of the Overlord Spear, seized a large territory, becoming a prominent new cultivator family in Yunzhou.

Due to the family's weak foundation, Lin Ba had high expectations for his children, valuing cultivation levels above all. Those who advanced quickly were favored and given wealth and servants. If one's cultivation was lacking, they were relegated to the sidelines.

The original Lin Jiang was known for his poor aptitude, possessing a quintuple spirit root which required three to five times more spiritual energy than a normal spirit root, making his cultivation progress extremely slow. Thus, he was sent to Lingtao Mountain.

"Before crossing over, it was 996. After crossing over, it's still 996. Did I cross over for nothing?"

Lin Jiang thought back to the original's life, which was truly miserable. Every waking moment was spent on cultivation, even dreaming of it, until he died at the age of seventeen.

Thus, Lin Jiang decided to reject the 996 lifestyle.

"Ding-dong, the system kindly reminds you that you have not signed in today. Would you like to sign in?"

"Damn, almost forgot about this. Sign in."

In a daze, Lin Jiang suddenly heard an electronic voice and immediately became alert, responding in his mind.

"Congratulations to the host for signing in successfully. You have been awarded one year of lifespan."

"Open the system page."

"Ding-dong, the system page is now open."

System Name: Lifespan Sign-In System

Host: Lin Jiang

Lifespan: 17/80

Seeing the numbers on the system, Lin Jiang smiled. He had a golden finger, this system, which activated when he first crossed over.

The Lifespan Sign-In System didn't provide him with powerful skills, top-tier cultivation techniques, or any kind of pills. Its only function was to extend his lifespan, awarding one year of lifespan for every sign-in.

Lin Jiang was already satisfied with this. According to the system's logic, as long as he kept signing in, his lifespan would never run out, essentially granting him immortality.

Thinking about his cheap old dad, who had struggled in cultivation for over a hundred years to reach the Golden Core stage, which allowed for a lifespan of five hundred years—did that seem long? He could achieve the same in just ten months of signing in.

His starting point was now beyond what others could achieve in ten lifetimes.

"Some roads lead to Rome, but some people are born in Rome. Jealous, right?"

Lin Jiang chuckled, turned over, and went back to sleep. As for cultivation, an hour or two was enough; the rest of the time was for sleeping.

---

"Sixth brother, sixth brother, why are you still sleeping?"

After an unknown period of time, a delicate girl climbed onto Lin Jiang's bed and grabbed his ear, saying, "Lin Ying, how many times have I told you? You're grown up now, thirteen years old. Stop climbing into my bed all the time. Look at our third sister; she won't even enter my room."

Lin Jiang threw the girl off the bed and then pointed towards the door, where a girl dressed in black and looking cold was standing, frowning at their loud quarrel.

"Sixth brother, I am your biological sister. How can you treat me like this? I'm going to tell mother."

"I've had enough of you. What brings you here this time? The spiritual peaches of Lingtao Mountain are all gone."

Lin Jiang rolled his eyes; he didn't want to see that stepmother of his. Every time they met, she would brainwash him, telling him to work hard on his cultivation and then go and curry favor with that cheap father of his, which totally went against his personality.

"Cut it out. I didn't come here to eat peaches this time. I came to comfort you."

"Comfort me? Why would I need comforting?"

"Weren't you punished by father? All the servants by your side have been taken away, and your monthly allowance has been stopped for three years."

"That's it?"

"Sixth brother, isn't that serious?"

Lin Ying was shocked; she felt that her brother had changed a lot. A few years ago, when he was sent to this estate by their father, he was furious. Now, even though he has no monthly allowance and no servants, he's not angry anymore.

"Come out and talk."

Seeing the siblings non-stop arguing, Lin Die from outside the door got angry. She couldn't just enter; she was an adult woman, and it wasn't proper for her to casually enter a man's room, even if it was her half-brother.

Lin Jiang straightened his clothes and, with Lin Ying, went to the hall. With no servants around to serve tea, they just sat down casually.

"Greetings to third sister."

"Sixth brother, what's going on with you? Why are you still stuck at the first level of Qi cultivation? Even the ninth, who also has a five-element spiritual root, reached the second level of Qi cultivation last year."

"I don't know either. I just can't seem to make any progress."

Lin Jiang said. The original owner was indeed diligent, but his cultivation level never improved, which was strange.

"You really don't know what's good for you. Last month, the grandson of the eldest brother was found to have spiritual roots. Our Lin family's fourth generation will begin their cultivation soon. Don't end up worse than the fourth generation, or you'll have no place in the Lin family."

"So what if I do? I have Lingtao Mountain; that's enough for me."

"You... How much can Lingtao Mountain earn in a year? Even if mother really gives you Lingtao Mountain, what can you do with it?"

Hearing this, Lin Die was almost furious. Among their generation of more than ten siblings, Lin Jiang had the lowest cultivation level. Even the third generation was better than him, which was utterly embarrassing.

"Third sister, third sister, stop scolding sixth brother. If it comes to it, I'll support sixth brother in the future."

Lin Ying quickly said, seeing Lin Die about to get angry and scold.

"Lin Jiang, you're not really waiting for Lin Ying to protect you in the future, are you?"

"A sister protecting her brother doesn't seem like a bad idea."

"You..."

Lin Die was so angry she could spit blood. With a flick of her sleeve, she stood up and walked away, unable to continue the conversation. A waste is a waste.

"Sixth brother, sixth brother, hey, take these spirit stones for now. I'm going to chase after third sister."

Seeing Lin Die angry, Lin Ying quickly took out a handful of spirit stones and stuffed them into Lin Jiang's hand, then ran off after Lin Die.

Lin Jiang looked at the spirit stones in his hand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, then shook his head. Not caring about it anymore, he had already died once, and he had long since looked past such vain titles.

Putting away the spirit stones, Lin Jiang no longer felt sleepy and walked out of the hall towards the fields. Although he had resigned himself to his fate, he couldn't neglect the things that needed to be done. Now, Lin Jiang was going to inspect his own property.