Chapter 38: Supreme Elder
"Would you dare to kill me?" Lin Qian's expression was as cold as ice.
"Wouldn't I?" Lin Hai sneered, his killing intent growing stronger.
"Lin Hai, do you know what you're doing?" Lin Ba Dao and several elders' faces changed drastically as they shouted.
"Stop spouting nonsense at me. Today, whoever blocks me, I will kill." Lin Hai's cold gaze swept across the crowd on the high platform, sharp and fierce.
"Is that so?" The Great Elder suddenly sneered. "Lin Hai, do you think you can kill anyone?"
Lin Hai saw the Great Elder's treacherous smile and narrowed his eyes slightly. Then he heard a voice coming from afar.
"Lin Hai, you've gone too far."
As the voice fell, a vast aura erupted from a certain location within the Lin Clan. Then, the crowd saw a figure rise into the air, step forward, cross a thousand meters in an instant, land directly above them, and descend onto the battle platform.
This person was an old man with deep eyes, thick black eyebrows, and a tall stature. He bore a striking resemblance to Lin Hai and Lin Ba Dao.
"Supreme Elder." Lin Hai murmured, then a faint smile appeared on his face, tinged with a hint of bitterness. This man was his uncle, the Lin Clan's Supreme Elder, Lin Rui.
Lin Rui usually spent his time in cultivation and rarely involved himself in the Lin Clan's affairs. All matters, big or small, were handled by the Clan Leader and the elders. Unexpectedly, Lin Rui had come out this time.
"The Supreme Elder is so strong." The hearts of the Lin Clan disciples trembled. Crossing the air with such ease—how powerful must his lightness skill be?
Lin Feng also looked at Lin Rui. In his memory, he had only seen Lin Rui twice. This Supreme Elder rarely appeared.
"Supreme Elder, Lin Hai, as Clan Leader, has no regard for the Lin Clan. He wrongfully killed the Seventh Elder, and now he wants to kill our Lin Clan genius, Lin Qian, even threatening us. Please punish Lin Hai for his crimes." The Great Elder spoke as if all the faults lay with Lin Hai.
"Lin Hai, what are you laughing at?" Lin Rui asked indifferently.
"I'm laughing because I now understand why they are so reckless. It turns out they have the Supreme Elder backing them." Lin Hai's words carried a sharp edge.
"How dare you! Is that how you speak to me?" Lin Rui shouted coldly, a flash of cold light appearing in his eyes.
"Uncle, I am the master of the Lin Clan. Even if you are the Supreme Elder, it seems you have no right to interfere with my actions." Lin Hai's voice remained stubborn. He stood straight, meeting Lin Rui's gaze.
"Second Brother, you have quite the nerve. Uncle is not only the Supreme Elder but also your elder. How dare you show such disrespect? What punishment do you deserve?" Lin Ba Dao provoked.
"What punishment? If that's the case, I'll just give up my position as Clan Leader." Knowing that today's matter was already settled, Lin Hai turned and walked toward Lin Feng.
A cold snort rang out, and an icy palm wind shot toward Lin Hai. Lin Hai's body did not move as he continued walking forward. The freezing palm struck him directly on the back, and the intense cold instantly covered his entire body with a layer of frost, turning him completely white. Lin Hai's body, like a kite with a broken string, flew toward Lin Feng.
"Ha!" Lin Hai shouted softly, landing on one knee, his hands just supporting Lin Feng. However, his expression remained unchanged.
"Uncle, I have taken your palm strike. From now on, we are no longer connected." Blood trickled from the corner of Lin Hai's mouth. His back was to Lin Rui, and his body trembled slightly from the cold. If Lin Feng hadn't been supporting him, he wouldn't have been able to stand.
"Hmph, considering you are still of my Lin Clan blood, I will spare your life. Get lost." Lin Rui said coldly. He hadn't expected Lin Hai to not resist and simply take the palm strike. His heart wavered for a moment, but then he thought of Lin Qian's talent. She would surely achieve great things in the future and help the Lin Clan rise. Perhaps he, too, could benefit and break through his bottleneck.
"What a pity. That former waste, Lin Feng, seems to have decent talent now. But a waste martial soul is still a waste martial soul. He is no match for Lin Qian." Lin Rui thought to himself.
"Little Feng, let's go." Lin Hai said weakly to Lin Feng.
Lin Feng nodded. He didn't say a word. His heart was firm and cold. Words seemed pale and meaningless.
Supporting Lin Hai, the two left together. Lin Feng didn't even look back at those people, because they were already etched into his heart.
The Lin Clan members watched the father and son leave in silence, but a huge wave stirred within their hearts.
Lin Feng, labeled a waste, had forced Lin Wu to roll on the ground with his aura and defeated the Spirit Martial Realm Lin Hong with his swordsmanship. How could such a person be called a waste?
Lin Hai had killed the Seventh Elder with a single strike and threatened everyone, saying he would kill anyone who blocked him. If the Supreme Elder hadn't appeared, who could have stopped him?
What a pity. If Lin Ba Dao didn't have his monstrous daughter Lin Qian, Lin Hai would still be the more suitable Clan Leader. At this moment, the crowd's impression of Lin Hai and Lin Feng had completely changed. Even though they were leaving the Lin Clan in defeat, they were still worthy of pride.
"What a shame. If only our Lin Clan could unite, why would we worry about revival?" The Sixth Elder sighed deeply as he watched the two distant figures, but he was powerless to change anything and could only silently accept it.
In Lin Hai's room, Lin Hai sat cross-legged on the bed. A mass of white mist crazily surged into his body, expelling the cold. Before long, Lin Hai opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.
"Father, how are you?" Lin Feng stepped forward and asked.
"My injuries are seventy percent healed. Little Feng, this pill is excellent. Where did you get it?" Lin Hai held a pill bottle in his hand. After taking the pill inside, his injuries had rapidly improved, and after healing himself, they were already seventy percent healed in just a short time.
"It seems I'll have to thank Old Man Kong when I get the chance." A smile appeared on Lin Feng's face. He hadn't expected the pill to be so effective. Back then, Han Man had been injured by a Qi Martial Realm cultivator, and the pill had already amazed Lin Feng by healing him. But Lin Hai's injury was caused by a palm strike from the Supreme Elder. A casual palm from the Supreme Elder could kill Han Man countless times over. One could imagine how much more severe Lin Hai's injury was compared to Han Man's. It was only because Lin Hai's strength far exceeded Han Man's that he could withstand it.
Yet, the pill still worked its effect, restoring Lin Hai to seventy percent in no time, showing its incredible potency.
"Father, it was a gift from a senior in the sect." Lin Feng answered truthfully.
"Mm." Lin Hai nodded. "Little Feng, you should return to the sect now. In time, you will surely surpass Lin Qian."
"Surpass Lin Qian?" Lin Feng sneered inwardly. Lin Qian was not his goal. The path of martial arts was vast and boundless. How could he set his sights on someone as insignificant as Lin Qian?
"Father, where are you planning to go?" Lin Feng didn't voice his thoughts but asked instead. The Lin Clan was clearly no longer a place for them.
"I plan to go to the Imperial City."
"The Imperial City!" Lin Feng's gaze sharpened. The Imperial City of the Snow Moon Kingdom was undoubtedly the most prosperous and powerful place in the kingdom, far beyond Yangzhou City. There, a small family could easily destroy the Lin Clan, and the Snow Moon Kingdom's royal family was unmatched, which was why they could rule as kings.
In fact, the Snow Moon Kingdom's royal family could also be seen as a sect—the most powerful sect in the kingdom.
"Don't worry, Little Feng. Although the Imperial City is full of experts, I'm not going there to kill or cause trouble. I'm just taking a stroll. Nothing will happen. When you've achieved success in your cultivation, come find me in the Imperial City." Seeing Lin Feng's furrowed brows, Lin Hai smiled lightly. Only then did Lin Feng's expression relax a little.
"Alright, it's time for us to set out." Lin Hai stood up, taking only a few scrolls with him. Then, he and Lin Feng left together, riding their Thousand Mile Snow horses to the outskirts of Yangzhou City.
Looking at the vast, endless land ahead, Lin Hai let out a long breath. Turning to Lin Feng beside him, he smiled and said, "Little Feng, our paths are different. You go first."
"Father, I'll see you off." Lin Feng shook his head.
Lin Hai was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily. "Alright, Little Feng. The world is treacherous. Be careful from now on."
With that, Lin Hai spurred his Thousand Mile Snow horse and galloped away, his figure gradually disappearing from Lin Feng's sight. Seeing Lin Feng's performance at the year-end gathering, Lin Hai felt much more at ease about him. He believed that Lin Feng no longer needed his guidance for many things.
"How could I leave so easily? If, during the Yangzhou City martial arts competition, the waste who was driven out of the Lin Clan were to defeat Lin Qian, what would happen then?" Lin Feng watched Lin Hai's figure vanish, then looked up at the sky. He pulled the reins, turning his Thousand Mile Snow horse around, and rode back into Yangzhou City.
PS: These past few days, my brothers have been quite supportive. The fan list looks a bit better now. Dingjin18 has even become a steward, and I saw the shadow of my old friend 784194613, a loyal reader who has silently supported my previous two books. I sincerely thank you all.
Some friends have mentioned the update schedule. Honestly, the pressure of updating is quite high. My editor keeps urging me for manuscripts. I need to release a burst of chapters on the day of going premium, and the results haven't been great, so I usually don't dare to update too much. But this weekend, I will definitely add an extra chapter!
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