"Did you hear? This family meeting is different—both the eldest and third uncles are back, and even the elder is here. Seems like they're all targeting the family head."
"Heh, though the patriarch is strong, his useless son might already be dead. The people from the Yunhai Sect personally returned his body—what a disgrace to our Lin family. The eldest has always been dissatisfied with the patriarch, and this time, he won't let it slide. The Lin family might be changing hands soon."
Along the way, Lin family members whispered among themselves, and it seemed that everyone knew this family meeting would be anything but ordinary.
At this moment, Lin Feng and Lin Hai were also on their way to the central arena. Upon seeing Lin Feng unharmed, many people's eyes flashed with confusion, some even thinking to themselves, How is it that this useless one didn’t die? But due to Lin Hai’s intimidating presence, most dared not voice their thoughts.
"This useless one really is lucky, still alive..." A harsh voice broke the silence, causing many people to pause, their eyes turning toward the source of the sound—a group of people walked toward them with imposing airs.
The speaker was a young man—Lin Yun, the son of Lin Hai’s third brother, Lin Haoran. Both Lin Yun and Lin Feng were fifteen years old, but Lin Yun was already at the sixth level of the Qi Martial Realm.
"Ah, it’s Lin Yun. No wonder he’s bold enough to speak like this." The crowd realized that with both Lin Haoran and the eldest uncle, Lin Baodao, walking together, trouble was definitely in the air.
"Say it again," Lin Hai's cold gaze flicked toward Lin Yun, causing Lin Yun to wince slightly, unable to meet Lin Hai's eyes.
"Second Brother, your position as patriarch seems to be getting more and more unworthy. Even your juniors are being bullied now," Lin Haoran sneered, his voice indifferent.
"Hmph. As the patriarch, I have every right to correct this behavior," Lin Hai responded coldly.
"You’re really full of yourself, Second Brother," Lin Haoran’s voice turned sharp, "Your useless son was dragged back by the Yunhai Sect, a disgrace to the Lin family. Shouldn’t we be allowed to speak about this?"
"Are you saying I won’t be patriarch for much longer, Lin Haoran?" Lin Hai’s aura surged with coldness, his presence freezing the air. Lin Yun, standing beside Lin Haoran, felt the sudden drop in temperature, retreating behind his father in fear.
"Who decides that? The elders will decide who is qualified, not you, Lin Hai," Lin Haoran's expression darkened, not expecting Lin Hai to react so strongly.
"So you admit it then? Fine, I’m still the patriarch," Lin Hai continued, his voice turning more intense. "Your son cursed my son to death in front of me. What punishment should he receive?"
The chilling air around Lin Hai grew even colder, as if the temperature in the space had dropped to freezing.
The crowd could feel the oppressive force radiating from Lin Hai, realizing the patriarch had no intention of backing down.
"Patriarch Lin Hai really is something," murmured a few onlookers, who had expected him to passively respond, but now saw him taking the offensive.
Lin Haoran sneered, "Lin Hai, do you really think I’m afraid of you?" He had prepared for this moment, and his voice was accompanied by a surge of hot energy, countering the ice with fiery intensity.
"Father has the Ice Soul Martial Spirit and specializes in ice-based magic, while Lin Haoran’s Fire Soul Martial Spirit is focused on fire magic. Water restrains fire. Even though their cultivation levels are similar, Lin Haoran won’t be able to stand up to my father," Lin Feng thought, his eyes moving to Lin Baodao.
Lin Baodao, the eldest, wore a sinister smile as he spoke, "Second Brother, the family meeting is about to start. Do you think you can ignore the Elder Council?"
In the Lin family, the Elder Council held the highest authority and existed to restrain the patriarch. Lin Baodao’s words were meant to suppress Lin Hai, suggesting that he was trying to force Lin Hai to relinquish his position.
"Hmph," Lin Hai responded disdainfully, sweeping a cold glance at Lin Haoran. He then took a step back and began walking away with Lin Feng.
Lin Haoran noticed Lin Hai’s indifference and shot him a murderous look, thinking to himself that Lin Feng had been lucky this time—he would make sure the boy didn't survive next time.
Lin Haoran's son, Lin Heng, was a distinguished disciple of the Yunhai Sect, destined to become an advanced disciple, and even a core disciple in the future. With Lin Heng’s rising status, Lin Haoran would naturally rise too, making it impossible for Lin Hai to compete. Similarly, Lin Baodao’s daughter, Lin Qian, was a talented disciple of the Haoyue Sect, a sect with a promising future. Together, these two were positioning themselves to take over the Lin family, while Lin Hai was fighting against the tide.
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The grand arena was packed with over four hundred Lin family members. At the center of the arena stood a high stone platform, where the family’s leaders gathered.
"Elders," Lin Haoran stood and addressed the council, "A few days ago, the people from Yunhai Sect visited us, which should have been an honor. However, they returned our son—half-dead and useless—bringing disgrace to our Lin family. I propose that we expel Lin Feng from the family, for he is unworthy of being a Lin family descendant."
Lin Haoran boldly launched his attack, presenting his case directly to the Elders.
"You’re being straightforward, but I’m still the patriarch here," Lin Hai responded sharply. "Until I give my order, when did it become your place to give commands? Return to your seat."
Lin Hai, fully aware of Lin Haoran’s intentions, acted decisively, wanting to see how they would try to expel his son from the family and usurp his position.
"You’re out of line, Lin Hai. The third uncle has the right to speak on behalf of the family. Your useless son is a disgrace to the Lin family," Lin Baodao chimed in, attacking Lin Hai.
"I’ll handle my son, thank you very much," Lin Hai retorted. "This is a family matter, not yours to decide. Lin Baodao, you’ve always been eyeing my position, haven’t you? Fine. Let’s settle this with a fight. If you win, I’ll leave with my son. If you lose... keep your mouth shut!"
Lin Hai stepped forward, his aura exploding with power as he directed his icy gaze at Lin Baodao. The challenge was clear: fight or be silenced.
Lin Feng watched his father act with unprecedented strength, feeling a sense of clarity. In the martial world, power was the only thing that earned respect. It was clear that his father wanted to use his strength to shut down any opposition.
"I’m not afraid of you," Lin Baodao sneered, rising to his feet, prepared to face Lin Hai in battle.
The Elders remained silent, watching eagerly to see how the situation would unfold. They knew that if Lin Hai couldn’t defeat Lin Baodao, with his weak son, his claim to the patriarch’s seat would soon be in jeopardy.
"I’ll show you just how arrogant you can be," Lin Baodao scoffed, but just as he was about to unleash his Martial Soul, Lin Hai’s icy presence exploded, immediately covering the high platform in a thick layer of ice.
The air grew frigid as Lin Hai used his Ice Soul Martial Spirit, freezing everything in his path.
"Thousand Miles of Ice," Lin Hai’s voice rang out, and the cold spread, instantly encasing the entire arena in ice. Lin Baodao was sealed in a block of ice, unable to react in time.
"Boom!" The ice shattered with a loud crack, and Lin Baodao was thrown backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he crashed to the ground.
The Elders stood up in shock, witnessing the overwhelming power of Lin Hai’s Ice Soul Martial Spirit. Lin Baodao was no match for him, unable to even put up a fight.
"Thousand Miles of Ice, Lin Hai’s technique has reached the eighth level!" The Elder’s eyes flashed with astonishment.
The Lin family members watched in stunned silence, their faces filled with awe. They had never seen Lin Hai so overbearing, more so than even Lin Baodao.
Lin Baodao spat more blood, his gaze dark with hatred, but Lin Hai showed no sign of concern. He knew that Lin Feng’s injuries had something to do with his two brothers, and since they had tried to kill his son, there was no need for him to hold back anymore.
"Let’s continue with the family meeting," Lin Hai said coldly, waving his sleeve as he returned to his seat. It was as if nothing had happened.
The Grand Elder smiled faintly, "Lin Hai, you have set an example for the family. I’m sure all the young members of the Lin family will be motivated to improve."
"Since that’s the case, I’ll take my leave," Lin Hai said, rising with Lin Feng.
Lin Haoran, seeing his plan fail, growled, "We’ll see how long you can protect that useless son."
"Yes, he’s a disgrace to the Lin family," Lin Yun added, but when Lin Hai’s gaze turned to him, he quickly shut up.
"Feng, let’s go," Lin Hai called, but Lin Feng stopped and turned to face Lin Yun. The crowd fell silent, unsure of what he was going to do.
Lin Hai watched in surprise as his son walked toward Lin Yun. Lin Feng paused just in front of him and spoke coldly, "Lin Yun, you keep calling me useless. But let me ask you this: What will you do if one day you find that you’re the one who’s more useless?"
"Are you dreaming?" Lin Yun scoffed, not expecting Lin Feng, the so-called useless one, to speak like this.
Lin Feng’s eyes gleamed, and he smiled lightly, "Lin Yun, I, Lin Feng, hereby challenge you."