Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 1067: Chapter 650: Calculating

Time flies like an arrow, and years pass like a shuttle; a snap of the fingers and countless ages have transformed.

Countless years have passed, transforming the ocean into mulberry fields in every aspect.

In a certain Territory World…

“Great Ancestor!”

A middle-aged man hurriedly returned, looking anxious as he approached a group of people. He reported to the young man with white hair in the center, “Qing’er has been lined up at the store and can make the transaction soon. Should we throw out all our Ten Thousand Dao Points?”

The white-haired, yet youthful-looking Lin Dong was seated in an armchair, surrounded by a group of attendees, mostly his blood descendants, the late bloomers of the Lin Family, with the remaining being the heroes who accompanied him along his journey, all of whom were strategists.

Facing the middle-aged man’s inquiry, Lin Dong did not speak; he merely leaned back in his armchair and lightly tapped the back of the chair with his right index finger, as if deep in thought about what decision to make.

This posture led the crowd to exchange glances, with those from the Lin Family turning their gaze back to the middle-aged man.

Faced with the stares of the Lin Family, the middle-aged man, feeling helpless, stepped forward to persuade, “Great Ancestor, I know Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion owes a great debt to our Lin Family, but however great the favor, we cannot be buried alongside them. The Ten Thousand Dao Conference is about to convene; this is our last chance!”

“Exactly!”

“Uncle Grandfather is right!”

“Ever since advancing 6,000 years ago, that man has been stuck at Sixth Order and hasn’t made a breakthrough, lingering for whole six terms.”

“Each Tier Lord can only linger within their corresponding tier for a limited number of terms. He has lingered in the Sixth Order for 6,000 years, already reaching the Sixth Order Lord’s limit. Even if he doesn’t advance, the Sky-reaching Tower will classify him into the realm of a Seventh Order Lord.”

“Although this man has been unbeatable all along and seized the Six Kings and Twelve Crowns, from Third to Fourth Order, Sixth to Seventh Order, Ninth to Tenth Order, each is a watershed, a chasm so vast it might as well be the heavens and the abyss, nearly impossible to cross.”

“If not for this, with his temperament and past behavior, why would he have lingered at Sixth Order for so long, hesitating to make a breakthrough?”

“Is it reluctance, or is he scared?”

“Over the years, his actions have been excessively fierce and unrestrained; the External Demons in the Demon Abyss regard him as a thorn in their side, a pain in their flesh. Inside, the forces of the Heaven-connecting Immortal Palace also want him gone as soon as possible.”

“His staying at Sixth Order shows he is not fully confident of continuing to dominate across the Seventh Order bounds unchallenged, having to temporarily conceal his sharpness and accumulate strength within the Sixth Order.”

“However, his aggression has earned him a mortal feud with the Demon Abyss, and those Seventh Order Lords who couldn’t break through are driven to desperation. Soon they will pull out all the stops for a life-and-death battle with him at Seventh Order!”

“Not just Seventh Order, even Eighth and Ninth Order Demon Gods might intervene. They have been biding their time for so long and are nearing the final juncture.”

“Ever since the great battle at Third Order ten thousand years ago, the Demon Abyss has been swallowing grievances, avoiding his military front, and never launched an attack of sufficient scale or intensity again, limiting his avenues for war profits. He could only accumulate strength through Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion.”

“But the operation of Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion is also suppressed by forces such as the Heaven-connecting Immortal Palace, especially in the mid-to-high-end markets of Fifth and Sixth Order, which are strongholds for major powers. Even with the support of Ten Thousand Dao Points, its growth momentum is nowhere near as strong as before.”

“In recent years, the price of Ten Thousand Dao Points has continuously declined, only slightly recovering some before this Ten Thousand Dao Conference. If we do not throw out our Ten Thousand Dao Points now, we will be completely ruined, Great Ancestor!”

After analyzing, the Lin Family members finally all gathered around the middle-aged man, knelt down together, and pleaded with Lin Dong in unison, “Indecision leads to chaos, Great Ancestor, please make a decision quickly!”

“For years we have strongly supported him, with much of our family’s foundation and capital invested in those Ten Thousand Dao Points. If he advances and dies, our Lin Family will also be doomed.”

“If he himself lacks confidence, how can we stake the life and death of our family on a gamble with him?”

“The price of Ten Thousand Dao Points has been continuously low these years; we have already suffered heavy losses. To sell now would still be acting within the bounds of humanity and righteousness!”

“If we sell now, we can still recover some losses. If we wait any longer, once this Ten Thousand Dao Conference is over, we will have nothing left.”

“Great Ancestor!”

The people of the Lin Family repeated their plea, finally even prostrating themselves on the ground.

“…”

Lin Dong sat in the armchair, lost in a long silence, wordless for ages.

Countless years had passed, transforming the seas into mulberry fields; he was no longer the naive young man he once was.

He had founded a family, with a wife, children, and descendants, and gradually built the family into something significant. Not only had he reached Sixth Order himself, but among his descendants, many had emerged as promising figures of Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Order.

For such a family, although not considered much within the Sky-reaching Tower, compared to his initial state as a poor, weak orphaned young man with no one to rely on, this was truly a legacy to console a lifetime.

And the foundation for all this was a choice made long ago.

Now, the time to choose had arrived again!

What should he choose?

Should he risk everything in a desperate attempt?

Or should he cut his losses and withdraw?

Listening to the pleas and cries from below, and reminiscing about all these matters, Lin Dong found it difficult to make a firm decision and could only turn his gaze to one side, looking towards those strategists who had accompanied him on his journey.

Countless years could wear away so much.

Though he was a Sixth Order Lord, strengthened by many benefits of his territory and having consumed many life-prolonging pills, his lifespan was only slightly more than ten thousand years.