Chapter 40 The New Standard of Monsters

Chapter 40: Chapter 40 The New Standard of Monsters

Inside the high-ceilinged, iron-walled chambers of the Battle Tower, the atmospheric density was thick enough to crush an ordinary man’s ribs.

Lin Chen stood in the center of the sand arena, his hand gripped tightly around the hilt of his spirit sword. His knuckles were bone-white. Beside him, Lin Qing crouched low, his chest heaving as golden spirit energy swirled wildly around his core.

BOOM!

With a final, desperate burst of martial spirit, Lin Chen thrust his sword forward, driving a thirty-foot arc of golden light straight through the chest of a giant, stone-armored phantom beast. The beast let out a muffled roar before shattering into a shower of sparkling, translucent spirit dust.

Silence descended upon the arena floor.

Lin Chen lowered his blade, wiping a mixture of sweat and dust from his brow. A wide, exhausted, yet fiercely proud grin spread across his face. Beside him, Lin Qing collapsed onto one knee, laughing breathlessly as he stabilized the wildly spinning golden dantians in his lower abdomen.

"We did it," Lin Chen gasped, his voice echoing off the enchanted stone walls. "Fully consolidated! Not a single hair of unstable qi left in our meridians!"

Lin Qing stood up, dusting off his robes with a triumphant flick of his sleeves. "Out in those regional six-star sects, cultivators take thirty years of secluded meditation just to smooth out their golden cores after breaking into the Core Formation Realm! We did it in just a few days inside the tower. Our foundations are as solid as ancient granite!"

"Let’s go outside," Lin Chen said, his eyes shining with absolute confidence. "The Ancestor and the elders are probably waiting. With our current strength, we can finally take on major responsibilities for the clan!"

Feeling like the absolute apex geniuses of their generation, the two brothers turned, threw open the heavy bronze doors of the Battle Tower, and stepped back out onto the sunlit grass of the Main Peak.

However, the scene that greeted them outside was nothing like what they had imagined.

There were no stern elders meditating under pine trees, nor were there clan guards marching in formation. Instead, the entire Main Peak felt like a warm, bustling family nursery. The fresh mountain air carried the sweet scent of simmering spirit herbs, mixed with the soft, clear laughter of infants.

In the center of the courtyard, sitting on a lush woven carpet, were the three little triplets—Lin Xin, Lin Wan’er, and Lin Shiyu. They were happily giggling and waving colorful rattle drums over four soft, silk-draped cribs.

Lin Chen froze mid-step, his proud expression instantly locking up. "Wait... what is that?"

Lin Qing rubbed his eyes, blinking furiously. "Babies? Four of them?! We were only inside the Battle Tower for two hours! Did Clan Head Lin Wei adopt infants while we were fighting?!"

Hearing the commotion, Clan Head Lin Wei turned around from the stone pavilion, a wide beam of pure joy on his face. "Ah! Chen’er, Qing’er! You two are finally out! Come, come quickly! Meet your new younger brothers and sister! They were just born while you were in seclusive training!"

"B-Born?!" Lin Chen stammered, his brain short-circuiting. "In two hours?!"

Curious and completely bewildered, Lin Chen and Lin Qing walked over, leaning over the soft silk cribs to look at the four glowing newborns.

The infants looked extraordinarily pristine. Their skin was like flawless white jade, and their tiny breathing caused subtle, multicolored light to swirl around their foreheads.

"They look... quite healthy," Lin Qing muttered, reaching out a finger to gently pat the blanket.

But the exact second Lin Qing’s divine sense brushed against the swaddled infants, his entire body went rigid!

BOOM!

An invisible, suffocating wave of pure, condensed spiritual pressure leaked out from the four infants, slamming into Lin Chen and Lin Qing like a mountain falling from the heavens!

Lin Chen’s jaw dropped so wide it nearly unhinged. His eyes bulged out of his head as he felt the heavy, ancient golden-core aura emanating from the tiny infant sucking on his thumb!

"L-Level 6 Core Formation?!" Lin Chen shrieked, his voice cracking into a high-pitched, hysterical squeak. He pointed a violently shaking finger at little Lin Tian , who merely blinked his big, bright eyes and gave a cute, milky sneeze. "He was just born! How does a newborn have a Level 6 Golden Core?!"

Beside him, Lin Qing extended his divine sense toward the second baby, Lin Wuji , then the third, Lin Huang , and finally little Lin Xian’er , who was wrapped in soft pink silk.

With every infant he scanned, Lin Qing’s face grew paler, going from white to green, and finally to an ash-gray color of total psychological defeat.

"Level 7... Level 8... and..." Lin Qing clutched his chest, gasping for air as if his lungs had collapsed. "Peak Core Formation Realm?! She... she just gave a cute little yawn and emitted the pressure of a PEAK Core Formation expert?!"

Lin Chen looked down at his own hands—hands that were still bruised, raw, and bleeding from fighting hundred-foot phantom beasts in the Battle Tower just to master Level 1 Core Formation.

Then he looked at little Lin Xian’er, who gave a soft, contented coo, kicked her tiny legs in the air, and casually released a ripple of Peak Core Formation spiritual qi that made the grass around her crib turn into crystal jade.

"We worked so hard..." Lin Chen mumbled, his eyes dull and lifeless as existential dread washed over his soul. "We bled for days... and our baby sister was born sitting at the PEAK of the realm?!"

"Where is the justice in this world?!" Lin Qing yelled, dropping to his knees right there on the grass, clutching his head in absolute, soul-crushing defeat. "We are the older brothers! But if we measure by cultivation, we have to bow and call a baby wrapped in diapers ’Senior Sister’!"

The surrounding elders, the mothers, and even the ancient Dragon Elder resting on the cliffside burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter at the two brothers’ dramatic breakdown!

Lin Hao, sitting calmly at his stone table sipping top-grade spirit tea, chuckled softly. He set his teacup down, his dark eyes locking onto the two lying on the ground.

"Are you defeated already?" Lin Hao asked, his voice smooth yet carrying an undeniable weight. "They were born carrying the supreme Ancestral Bloodline and god-grade physiques directly bestowed by the laws of heaven. If you two want to stand as the proud elder brothers of this clan and not be outshone by infants, you had better train ten times harder than anyone else."

The Ancestor’s words hit Lin Chen and Lin Qing like a thunderbolt! The shame in their hearts instantly transformed into a raging, fiery mountain of determination!

"Ancestor is right!" Lin Chen scrambled to his feet, his eyes burning with intense fire. "We can’t let newborn babies beat us forever! Qing’er, back to the Time Tower!"

"Right behind you!" Lin Qing roared, turning around on his heel. "We aren’t coming out until we shatter through to the Nascent Soul Realm!"

Without stopping to rest for even a single second, the two brothers sprinted back toward the tower like madmen, diving straight into the heavy doors to resume their grueling training!

Seeing their fierce drive, the three little triplets—Lin Xin, Lin Wan’er, and Lin Shiyu—looked at each other. They held their toy swords and rattle drums tight, their cute little faces scrunching up with serious resolve.

"We want to go too!" little Lin Xin announced, puffing out her chest. "We are elder sisters now! We have to train inside the Time Tower so we can protect Lin Tian and the little ones!"

"Yes! We want to go inside the Time Tower and cultivate!" Lin Wan’er and Lin Shiyu chimed in, bowing politely to Lin Hao.

Lin Hao smiled warmly, waving his hand gently. "Go then. Temper your minds and foundations inside."

With a cheer, the three little triplets ran after their older brothers, disappearing into the glowing formation doors of the Time Tower to begin their own deep cultivation!

With the older children and triplets inside the tower, the Main Peak returned to a state of serene warmth.

Unlike the older kids who needed to temper their willpower and master their combat skills inside the harsh battle environments of the tower, Lin Hao chose to let the four newborn divine babies— Lin Tian, Lin Wuji, Lin Huang, and Lin Xian’er —stay outside in the normal world.

They were born with supreme physiques like the Primordial Chaos Body and the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body. Their tiny bodies naturally absorbed the cosmic qi of the universe without any effort, like breathing air. Raising them in the gentle, natural environment of the Main Peak allowed their young minds to develop peacefully alongside their mothers, establishing a warm, unshakable emotional bond with the clan.

Looking at the quiet, peaceful atmosphere, Clan Head Lin Wei and the core elders stepped forward, bowing deeply toward Lin Hao.

"Ancestor," Lin Wei spoke up, his voice filled with burning excitement and deep respect. "The effects of the Time Tower and the Nine-Revolutions Fortune Creation Pills are beyond anything our ancestors could have ever dreamed of. The mothers have completely recovered their vital energy, and their strength has stabilized at the Tribulation Transcendence Realm!"

Elder Lin Mei and the young wives stepped forward as well, their eyes shining with pride.

"Ancestor," Lin Mei said warmly, "our Lin Clan’s bloodline has finally broken its ancient shackles. Seeing these children born with such grand destinies brings us infinite joy. We wish to return into the second floor of the Time Tower with our husbands immediately to continue expanding our clan’s bloodline and raising the next generation!"

Lin Hao looked at the mothers, seeing no exhaustion in their eyes—only fierce pride, vitality, and deep devotion to the prosperity of their family.

"Very well," Lin Hao smiled, nodding approval. "Go inside, enjoy the peaceful paradise environment, and nurture our clan’s future. The Lin Clan’s foundation will be built by your dedication."

"Thank you, Ancestor!"

With bright smiles, the married couples bowed to Lin Hao, held hands, and stepped back into the second floor of the Time Tower, diving back into their high-speed, comfortable honeymoon cultivation!

Lin Hao sat atop the Main Peak, holding his porcelain teacup as he looked out across the peaceful mountain scenery.

And just like that, one year passed quietly.

End of Chapter 40