Scene 1 – The Storm Before the Clash
The courtyard trembled beneath the suffocating killing intent unleashed by the Zhao Clan.
It was not a sudden pressure, but a deliberate one — like a predator slowly tightening its grip, savoring the fear of its prey. Dozens of Lin disciples stood rigid, fingers locked around trembling weapons, their throats dry.
Some swallowed nervously.
Some clenched their teeth.
Some, for the first time, truly understood what it meant to stand against annihilation.
At the front of the invading force stood Zhao Qingtian.
Golden robes rippled around his tall frame, embroidered runes glowing faintly as spiritual energy rolled off him in waves. His posture was relaxed, confident — the arrogance of a man convinced this battle was already decided.
He laughed, voice ringing through the courtyard.
> "The Lin Clan dares to celebrate a coronation after spitting in the Zhao Family's face?"
His gaze swept the banners, the stage, the guests — disdain etched into every glance.
> "Your little Nine Tails Apothecary crippled my business," Zhao Qingtian continued coldly.
"Today, I'll cripple your clan."
The Zhao cultivators behind him burst into cruel laughter, their voices sharp and mocking, slicing through the fragile silence like knives.
Fear crept deeper.
Then — footsteps.
Soft. Unhurried.
Lin Xian stepped forward.
The dust did not cling to his white robes. The oppressive aura did not bend his spine. He walked as if the storm parted instinctively around him, calm presence radiating quiet authority.
Those closest to him felt it — not overwhelming power, but certainty.
He stopped, eyes lifting.
> "Zhao Qingtian," Lin Xian said softly.
Yet his voice carried across the courtyard, cutting cleanly through the chaos like thunder wrapped in silk.
> "You've barked for long enough."
A ripple of shock passed through the crowd.
Lin Xian's gaze hardened, cold and dismissive.
> "If you think I'll kneel to dogs who lost a game of trade,"
"you overestimate yourself."
The murmurs exploded — disbelief, fear, awe twisting together.
Zhao Qingtian's smile vanished.
His eyes narrowed, spiritual pressure spiking violently.
> "Arrogant brat," he snarled.
"You think a few pills make you untouchable?"
Lin Xian didn't blink.
> "No," he replied evenly, silver eyes glinting like drawn steel.
"No. They make you irrelevant. A dog like you no longer deserves my attention."
Auras flared.
Weapons hummed.
The clash felt inevitable—
Until laughter echoed from behind the Zhao ranks.
Low. Mocking. Poisoned with hatred.
> "Irrelevant?"
A familiar voice.
A voice the Lin Clan had once respected.
From the Zhao formation stepped Lin Wuji, former Great Elder of the Lin Clan. His robes were disheveled, eyes bloodshot, face twisted with bitterness that years of resentment had carved deep.
Gasps erupted.
> "Lin Wuji…"
"The traitor—!"
He pointed a shaking finger at Lin Xian, veins bulging.
> "You!" he screamed.
"Because of you, I lost my position! Because of you, the Lin Clan fell into chaos!"
"You ruined everything!"
For a brief moment, silence fell.
Lin Xian met his gaze — calm, sharp, merciless.
> "You ruined yourself, Lin Wuji," he said quietly.
"I merely ripped your mask off—What's left is the pathetic failure you've always been."
Lin Wuji roared.
> "You dare speak to me like that?"
"I will watch your father's blood spill today! I'll burn Nine Tails Apothecary to ashes!"
The courtyard erupted — curses, shouts, rising panic.
But Lin Xian only tilted his head slightly, as if observing something pitiful.
> "You should've died the moment you sold your loyalty," he said.
"Traitor."
The final word fell like a blade.
The storm ignited.
---
Scene 2 – Father and Betrayer
> "Xian'er."
Lin Yuan's voice cut through the chaos.
He stepped forward, placing himself between Lin Xian and Lin Wuji. His posture was straight, his aura steady — the presence of a man who had endured humiliation, injury, and years of quiet suffering without ever bowing.
> "Stay back."
Lin Xian looked at his father.
For a heartbeat, the battlefield faded.
This was the man who had once carried him through storms.
The man whose pride had been shattered, yet never his spine.
> "This is my fight," Lin Yuan said calmly.
"A father's duty… and a patriarch's burden."
He turned to Lin Wuji, eyes cold as winter steel.
> "You've shamed our ancestors," Lin Yuan said.
"Today, I'll wash it away with your defeat."
Lin Wuji laughed, harsh and venomous.
> "You?"
"The cripple whose meridians I destroyed?"
"You still think you can stand against me?"
Their auras erupted.
Azure qi surged from Lin Yuan — calm, deep, unyielding.
Crimson flames burst from Lin Wuji — violent, chaotic, hateful.
They lunged.
BOOM!
The collision shook the courtyard. Stone cracked. Dust spiraled upward as blades clashed, sparks screaming into the air.
Lin Yuan moved with disciplined precision, every strike controlled, refined by years of restraint.
Lin Wuji attacked like a beast unchained — vicious, reckless, fueled by rage.
> "You're still beneath me!" Lin Wuji shouted, pressing forward.
"You'll always be beneath me!"
Lin Yuan's arm trembled slightly — the old injury still lingered, his foundation not fully settled.
Yet his eyes never wavered.
"You talk too much. Maybe that's why the only victories you remember are in your dreams."
Their weapons clashed again.
The crowd felt every impact in their bones.
---
Scene 3 – The Rise of a Patriarch
Lin Yuan staggered back half a step.
Blood slipped from the corner of his mouth.
Lin Wuji laughed triumphantly.
> "You see?"
"Even with your son's help, you're still nothing!"
But then—
Something changed.
A deep pulse thundered outward from Lin Yuan's body.
Not explosive.
Unshakable
His unstable qi snapped into alignment, like shattered pillars reforged into unbreakable stone.
Peak Spirit Foundation Realm — stabilized.
Azure light roared skyward. The ground cracked beneath his feet. Even the clouds above churned uneasily.
Lin Wuji's smirk froze.
> "Impossible…"
"Your foundation—!"
Lin Yuan's eyes were cold.
> "You crippled the wrong man."
He moved.
Faster than before.
His strike descended like judgment.
CLANG!
CRACK!
Lin Wuji's weapon shattered, fragments flying. He stumbled back, coughing blood, disbelief flooding his face.
> "No… I was supposed to—!"
Lin Yuan stepped in.
One palm pressed against Lin Wuji's chest.
Qi surged — vast, merciless.
> "For your betrayal," Lin Yuan said.
"For your crimes against our clan…"
His palm struck.
BOOM!
The shockwave blasted outward.
Lin Wuji screamed as his dantian shattered like glass. He collapsed, eyes wide, cultivation destroyed beyond recovery.
Silence fell.
Lin Yuan exhaled slowly, decades of suppressed rage finally released.
> "This is your punishment," he said quietly.
"To live… and remember the honor you sold."
No one dared breathe.
Lin Xian stepped forward, white hair gleaming.
He looked at his father and smiled faintly.
> "Well done, Father."
Lin Yuan returned the smile — weary, but proud.
> "You taught me," he said softly,
"to never bow my head again."
Xiao Jian yawned lazily, tail flicking once before he turned away.
He stretched, arched his back, then shot Lin Xian a distinctly annoyed look — fur puffed slightly, ears twitching as if offended by the tension earlier.
Lin Xian glanced down and chuckled softly.
"Relax," he murmured. "It's over."
Xiao Jian huffed through his nose, flicked his tail again, and curled up at his feet — though his fur remained just a little too fluffed to be convincing.
A soft chuckle slipped from Lin Xian.
But behind his calm gaze, killing intent quietly sharpened.
> Zhao Clan…
you won't leave this city alive.
To be continued.
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