"Wu Tianli is injured. It will take him at least a month to recover. Given his current power, if he wants to attack our Lin family and retreat unscathed, he can only do so after his injuries have healed." One of the two Lin family elders said, snapping out of his shock.

Hearing Ninety-Five’s words, the elder didn’t press the issue. The meaning was clear: he wanted Ninety-Five to come up with a solution within a month.

Lin Hao, standing to the side, pursed his lips. ’Have my Second and Fourth Grand-uncles been in seclusion for so long that their brains... hmm, have they forgotten how to think?’

’For one thing, by provoking Ninety-Five, the Wu family has offended the Wenren family.’

’If I were Wu Tianli, I’d only have two choices right now: either make a swift comeback and annihilate them to prevent any news from leaking, or flee!’

’Wait a month? Is he waiting for his entire family to be exterminated?’

Just then.

"Hahaha, Brother Zhongzhi, Brother Zhongbo, I have arrived uninvited. I hope you’ll forgive the intrusion." A voice suddenly rang out from outside the Lin family estate.

Someone from the Wu family was here!

Lin Hao’s two grand-uncles were named Lin Zhongzhi and Lin Zhongbo. It was clear the visitor was an old acquaintance of theirs.

This had to be an elder-level figure from the Wu family.

The words had barely faded when several figures appeared in everyone’s line of sight.

To the left of the first two was a portly, smiling old man. To the right was a listless-looking youth—it was none other than the Lin family’s own Lin Zheng.

"Young Master Lin, please," the old man said, coming to a stop. He gestured, allowing Lin Zheng to leave.

Then, he cupped his hands and chuckled. "It has been several years, yet you two old brothers are still as vigorous as ever. It seems your cultivation has improved once again. I can only look on in admiration for the rest of my life."

"Wu Baolong, what are you doing here?" Lin Zhongbo asked with a frown.

This Wu Baolong had originally been a Martial Artist on the same level as them, but he was injured twenty years ago, causing his realm to drop. He only had the cultivation of the Eighth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm.

Judging by his aura now, his cultivation clearly hadn’t improved one bit.

This was a critical time. Why had he come to the Lin family?

"It is a misfortune of my family. I have come to offer my sincerest apologies," Wu Baolong said, stepping aside to reveal two large chests of gold, silver, and treasures behind him.

Everyone present was intelligent; their eyes glinted with a strange light upon hearing his words.

"My nephew, Wu Tianli, was led astray by slander and fell for another’s wicked scheme, leading to today’s events. Now that the Hundred Treasures Hall is empty, he has finally come to his senses and is filled with regret. Today, I have prepared a humble gift, and I hope the Pavilion Master and Brother Lin will accept it with a smile."

Before they could answer, Wu Baolong’s tone shifted, and he continued, "Of course, I know this is not nearly enough to compensate for the damages. But rest assured, Tianli has already sent a letter to the Zhengyang Sect. Although that boy of his isn’t the most accomplished disciple there, I imagine it won’t be difficult for him to secure a ’sufficiently sincere’ form of compensation."

At these words, everyone’s expression changed.

The Zhengyang Sect was as famous as the Heaven-Stepping Sect, one of the five great sects of the Southern Border Prefecture.

Although the Wenren family was one of the four great families of the Cangnan Empire and surpassed the Zhengyang Sect in overall strength, a sect’s methods were unfathomable. Even a victory against them would be a pyrrhic one.

For Wu Tianli’s son to be able to secure a "sufficiently sincere" compensation from the Zhengyang Sect, his standing within the sect was plain to see.

On the surface, Wu Baolong had come to apologize, but in reality, it was a threat—a naked threat!

"The grievances between the Lin and Wu families end here. One month from now, we will settle things at the martial competition!" Lin Tianhao’s eyes flickered as he suddenly spoke up.

From Wu Baolong’s words, Lin Tianhao now knew that the Wu family member currently in the Zhengyang Sect was the one Shi Bai had mentioned—the one at the Eighth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm.

He was determined to win the War Dragon City martial competition in a month’s time and absolutely could not let today’s events interfere with his father’s plan.

Thus, while everyone else was silent, Lin Tianhao made the final call.

By the time the Lin family elders and Lin Tianxiao wanted to stop him, it was already too late.

"Hahaha, the Lin family’s Patriarch is decisive indeed! See you at the martial competition in a month!" Wu Baolong roared with laughter, turning to leave with extreme arrogance.

"Halt!" a voice suddenly rang out, cold as ice.

Wu Baolong froze mid-stride.

"You can leave. The items stay," Lin Hao said, stepping forward with an icy gaze.

Wu Baolong turned back, his eyes fixed on Lin Hao.

He had never intended to leave the chests of gold and silver here.

He knew that everyone present was a person of status who understood when to make concessions. They would never dare to actually accept his gifts after he brought up the Zhengyang Sect.

"Lin Hao, you’re insolent! You have no right to speak here!" Lin Tianhao roared in anger.

Things were finally proceeding according to his plan. It would be disastrous if Lin Hao ruined it.

"You’re the insolent one! Your position as Patriarch has already been revoked. The head of the Lin family is now my Third Uncle! What right do you have to clamor here?" Lin Hao retorted coldly, his words cementing Lin Tianxiao’s position as Patriarch.

Lin Tianxiao gave a bitter smile but tacitly accepted it.

’Even if Lin Hao doesn’t want it, the Lin family can no longer be led by Lin Tianhao. The only option now is for me to act as Patriarch temporarily. Once Lin Hao is strong enough, I’ll hand the family over to him.’

"Heh, interesting. A power struggle is unfolding. I won’t intrude," Wu Baolong chuckled, turning to leave again.

Of course, he still had no intention of leaving the two chests of gold and silver.

"Old man, leave the items!" Lin Hao’s silver spear trembled in his hand, its tip pointed at Wu Baolong. His hair whipped about him, his presence imposing.

A murderous glint flashed in Wu Baolong’s eyes before vanishing, his expression turning utterly frigid.

A little bastard at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm actually dared to challenge him and even point a spear at him.

This was an insult, a naked insult!

"Wu Baolong, leave the items. A man is nothing without his word," Ninety-Five said lightly.

Wu Baolong had just said the two chests were for atonement, yet now he wanted to take them back. He was truly going back on his word, utterly faithless.

However, an expert of his level wouldn’t normally care about such things. But Ninety-Five hadn’t expected Lin Hao to challenge Wu Baolong.

For Ninety-Five to speak up now was tantamount to declaring his stance.

"Since the Pavilion Master has spoken, how could I not comply?" Wu Baolong’s expression changed, then quickly returned to normal as he smiled.

Ordering his subordinate to put down the two chests of jewels, Wu Baolong left with a flick of his sleeve.

After taking two steps, Wu Baolong paused and looked back at Lin Hao. "I do hope you’ll be as spirited as you are today at the martial competition a month from now. A pity you won’t live to see it."

Wu Baolong took one last, deep look at the silver spear in Lin Hao’s hand, the corners of his mouth curling into a sinister smile.

"My life and death are no concern of yours. As for you, let me give you a kind reminder: remember what you said today. If the Wu family cannot produce a ’sufficiently sincere’ compensation by then, the consequences will be severe! At the very least, I’ll be taking your life!"

Threats, more threats!

Despite knowing the situation with the Zhengyang Sect, Lin Hao had threatened Wu Baolong yet again.

A moment ago, Wu Baolong had been the epitome of arrogance, but compared to Lin Hao now, his arrogance seemed pathetic.

"Good! Very good!" Wu Baolong squeezed three words through his teeth and departed in a fury, a stark contrast to the hypocrisy he had arrived with.

"Everyone, I’ll be taking my leave," Ninety-Five said, preparing to depart after seeing Wu Baolong leave.

Ninety-Five had just heard that Huang Tiannong of the Hundred Treasures Hall had fled. He wanted to rush over and see if he could find any clues. Besides, the Lin family had internal matters to deal with, and it wasn’t convenient for him to be present.

As he walked past Lin Hao, Ninety-Five paused and said, "No matter what you decide, I, Ninety-Five, will support you unconditionally!"

The Lin family, at this moment, was standing on the edge of a cliff. One wrong step could lead to a point of no return.

For Ninety-Five to say such a thing at a time like this took Lin Hao by great surprise.

This was an extremely risky investment. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Moreover, Lin Hao noticed a detail: Ninety-Five had spoken for himself, not for the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, and certainly not for the Wenren family.

Lin Hao showed no signs of joy, his expression not changing in the slightest. He merely gave a slight nod.

Ninety-Five understood.

’His composure alone puts him far above ordinary people.’

Ninety-Five strode away, and everyone’s gazes converged on Lin Hao.

The two elders, in particular, had a strange glint in their eyes.

Lin Hao’s actions just now might have seemed presumptuous, but having him step forward had undoubtedly been the right choice.

The conflict between the Lin and Wu families was already irreconcilable. As seasoned veterans of life, how could they not see that?

Thinking of the look on that old fox Wu Baolong’s face as he left, the two elders felt extremely satisfied.

Though the boy was young, he had backbone; he was neither servile nor overbearing.

If it weren’t for his lack of a bloodline, he was destined to be the Lin family’s most dazzling genius.

At the thought of the bloodline, a malevolent aura suddenly rose in the two elders’ eyes as they stared at Lin Tianhao.

For kinsmen to harm one another—it was utterly deranged!

Almost in unison, the two of them struck out, knocking Lin Tianhao and Lin Zheng unconscious.

"Tianxiao, we’re leaving the family’s affairs to you for now. We two old geezers must enter seclusion!"

The Lin family had reached a moment of life and death. The only way to resolve this crisis was for them to break through their bottlenecks.

After saying this, one of them grabbed Lin Tianhao and the other grabbed Lin Zheng, and they prepared to leave.

"Grand-uncles, you shouldn’t practice your cultivation for a while. It would be better to get out and walk around more," Lin Hao suddenly said.

The two Lin family elders looked confused.

"Grand-uncles, please forgive me for being blunt, but your blood circulation is already obstructed. If you continue like this, it won’t be long before you suffer from cultivation deviation," Lin Hao said seriously.

Shock flashed in the two elders’ eyes. "You... How could you know?!" they cried out.

"When you fought Wu Tianli and Huang Tiannong just now, your speed was so extreme that I couldn’t discern the trajectory of your energy circulation at all. However, I clearly detected an extremely subtle sluggishness in it," Lin Hao answered truthfully.

These casually spoken words stirred up monstrous waves in the hearts of the two Lin elders.

How could someone at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm possibly detect the sluggishness in the energy circulation of Elemental Realm experts? It was impossible!

Like a tale from the Arabian Nights, Lin Hao’s words shook their very Divine Souls.

"A taut bowstring is easily broken; cultivating the body also requires cultivating the mind. Grand-uncles, you should relax as much as possible and elevate your state of mind. Give me time, and I have a way to help you advance to the Soul Gathering Realm!" Lin Hao said with complete confidence.

"’Cultivating the body also requires cultivating the mind!’" the two Lin elders murmured, their eyes just beginning to brighten when they heard Lin Hao’s next words.

The Soul Gathering Realm—the pursuit of their entire lives. They had even entered death seclusion for it but had never found the path.

They had thought all hope was lost, but now Lin Hao was telling them he had a way to help them advance.

The breathing of the two Lin elders suddenly grew rapid, their eyes widening like bronze bells...