257: Chapter 259 The Arrogant Six-Eyed Wizard

If he could achieve his goal peacefully, Lin Muyang didn't want to make things too ugly. After all, this was the other party's territory, surrounded by thousands of clan members, and his primary purpose for this trip was to strip the skill book, not to wage war.

"So," Lin Muyang met the other's scrutinizing gaze and spoke in a steady tone, using the simplest and most direct declarative sentence, "What do you need? State your terms. Helping us strip the skill book will not do any harm to the prospects of cooperation between our two sides."

These words were conveyed through that scholarly Six-Eyed Witch who held a heavy tome and served as a translator. After listening, a flash of obvious surprise crossed the translator's wrinkled green face, as if it were amazed at this human's lack of tact or ignorance of depth. Then, it pulled back its mouth full of fine, sharp teeth, revealing an ugly smile mixed with arrogance and contempt. It translated Lin Muyang's words and its own understanding into their clan's internal "gibberish" of complex language using a short, piercing, and clearly emotional cadence.

After the priest holding the staff heard this, its six eyes narrowed slightly at the same time. It didn't respond immediately, but merely used those six cold gazes to slowly sweep over Lin Muyang, Xu Ruohan, Su Daji, and Marianne once again, as if evaluating several inanimate objects. Its posture seemed to suggest that even using words to directly refuse was a waste.

Just as this silence and oppression were spreading, a sudden change occurred.

Including Lin Muyang, Xu Ruohan, and those few Six-Eyed Witch powerhouses who were clearly much stronger and had been hiding in the shadows or standing not far behind the priest, almost everyone raised their heads simultaneously, casting their gazes toward the sky fragmented by the dense canopy.

A few breaths later, three shadows pierced through the clouds, clearly appearing in everyone's field of vision, and rapidly lowered their altitude, descending toward this forest clearing.

A flicker of genuine surprise passed through Lin Muyang's eyes.

He naturally recognized the newcomers; it was none other than the Sword Saint, Liu Qingtian. The old man was still dressed in washed-out cloth clothes, with that signature wine gourd hanging from his waist. Though his hair and beard were white, his posture was as upright as a pine tree, and his eyes were as sharp as lightning.

But what truly surprised Lin Muyang were the two companions beside Liu Qingtian.

Thunder God Tigers! And they were two adult, perfectly intact mythic grade Thunder God Tigers!

"Why are they here?" Thoughts spun rapidly in Lin Muyang's mind. Regarding Liu Qingtian's appearance, although it was sudden, upon closer thought, given his status as the Sword Saint and his close relationship with the authorities, he might have learned the news from the information Xu Ruohan reported and rushed over to provide support or mediate, which was within reason. But these two Thunder God Tigers... why would they appear together with Liu Qingtian and travel all this way to the territory of the Six-Eyed Witches?

"I'm not sure either..." Xu Ruohan beside him was also full of bewilderment. She was currently tilting her elegantly lined neck back, her beautiful face written with surprise and curiosity as she looked at the group in the sky, then subconsciously looked at Lin Muyang, clearly just as clueless.

"Hahaha!"

A hearty laugh full of vigor broke the stagnant atmosphere below. Liu Qingtian brought the two Thunder God Tigers down like three meteors crashing into the ground, causing fallen leaves and dust to fly up slightly. The effect of his landing was immediate.

If the arrival of Lin Muyang's group of four earlier had only made the surrounding Six-Eyed Witches feel alert and exclusionary, then the appearance of these two mythic grade Thunder God Tigers, their bodies wrapped in literal lightning and their auras fierce and violent, instantly ignited the most direct hostility and sense of threat in the hearts of all the Six-Eyed Witches. Between monsters, especially powerful monster races that were both mythic grade and whose territories might have overlapped in the past, that confrontation and rejection rooted in biological instinct was deep-seated. In the wild, such an encounter between two sides would almost certainly lead to a conflict.

With a "swish," the Six-Eyed Witches, who had previously just been surrounding them and maintaining an oppressive posture, all retreated a large distance in unison, and their formation even showed a hint of chaos. Many Six-Eyed Witches had already subconsciously gripped their bone staves, stone spears, or other weapons, their six eyes locked dead onto the two Thunder God Tigers, while low, threatening growls issued from their throats. The air instantly became tense, as if a single spark could set it off.

Only the priest holding the staff remained standing in place as if rooted to the ground, motionless. But its six eyes were no longer looking at Lin Muyang; they were all focused on the two Thunder God Tigers, its gaze so dark it almost seemed to drip water. It squeezed a series of rapid, angry, high-pitched syllables from deep within its throat, clearly extremely agitated.

The Translator Witch reacted very quickly this time. Almost as the priest's words fell, it turned to Liu Qingtian and Lin Muyang and translated rapidly in a tone much colder and stiffer than before: "You! Bringing such two wild and hostile beasts into our sacred territory! This is the most serious provocation and insult to our entire clan! Immediately! Make them leave! Otherwise, this will be regarded as a declaration of war! We will defend our home at all costs!"

However, at this gunpowder-filled moment of confrontation, one of the slightly larger Thunder God Tigers, with a deeper color in the vertical lightning pattern on its forehead, suddenly stepped forward. It didn't roar or take any aggressive stance; it merely lowered its head slightly, and those huge tiger eyes, like molten gold, met the six angry eyes of the Six-Eyed Witch priest.

Following that, a low, thick, peculiar "roar," like muffled thunder rolling through the clouds, issued from the chest of this Thunder God Tiger. This sound was not an ordinary beast's roar; it seemed to contain a certain special energy fluctuation capable of transmitting complex information.

The Six-Eyed Witch priest was clearly stunned for a moment. The anger in its six eyes lessened slightly, replaced by a look of intense focus and even a hint of alarm. It likewise emitted some short, strange syllables, appearing to be communicating with this Thunder God Tiger using some unknown method between monsters.

The low growls of the Thunder God Tiger and the strange syllables of the priest sounded alternately, and the atmosphere became somewhat eerie for a time. The surrounding Six-Eyed Witches looked at each other, lowering their weapons slightly, but the alertness in their eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

Seeing this, Liu Qingtian finally walked toward Lin Muyang and Xu Ruohan. His face still wore that seemingly hearty yet actually shrewd smile. He first patted Lin Muyang's shoulder and then nodded to Xu Ruohan.

"Startled you, didn't it?" Liu Qingtian chuckled and explained in a lowered voice, "I specifically brought these two old friends over this time because I wanted them to help persuade this group of green-skinned fellows who have their eyes on the top of their heads."

He glanced at the priest who was still talking with the Thunder God Tiger and continued, "You also know that this Six-Eyed Witch Clan, relying on their strength and stable territory, has always looked down on us humans. For so many years, we've barely maintained a peaceful situation where you don't cross me and I don't bother you. Want to talk about cooperation? No way. This old man has come personally a few times, but my face isn't big enough."

He pointed to the two quieted Thunder God Tigers: "But they are different. Although the Thunder God Tiger Clan isn't as numerous as them, their individual combat power is fierce, and their Lightning Power especially has a certain counter-effect against these guys who are good at mental attacks. They've had plenty of friction in the past and are 'old neighbors' who know each other well. Having them come forward to talk things through, especially..." He gave Lin Muyang a meaningful look, "...talking about your great achievements and future potential, might wake these stubborn fellows up a bit to recognize reality. After all, it's easy to add flowers to a bouquet, but hard to send charcoal in the snow. However, they should be able to do the math on investing early in a future top-tier powerhouse."

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

After saying this, the Old Sword Saint's gaze returned to Lin Muyang. He looked him up and down, the appreciation in his eyes almost overflowing: "Lin Muyang, kid, not bad, really not bad! Seeing you, this old man feels like I should retire and wait to hold my great-grandchildren!"

He changed the subject, smiling like an old fox: "By the way, have time to come over to my place? My granddaughter, Hong Yuan, has been nagging me lately, saying she wants to ask you for advice on combat techniques and chat about cultivation insights. You know, young people should interact more, it's good!"

Lin Muyang was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, not yet having a chance to respond.

Xu Ruohan, standing to the side, gave a light cough. A flash of understanding and slight helplessness crossed her beautiful eyes. She glanced at the Sword Saint and said with a flat but piercing tone, dismantling his ruse: "Senior Sword Saint, as far as I know, Hong Yuan is cold and focused, dedicated solely to the sword. I'm afraid she wouldn't be nagging about anyone like you say. Could it be that you... are trying to play matchmaker again?"

"Ahem! No! Absolutely not!" The Sword Saint looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his face instantly flushing red. He shook his head like a rattle-drum and waved his hands repeatedly in denial: "I was just mentioning it offhandedly, just offhandedly! Young people should learn and progress together! You girl, why do you think of me as so vulgar?"

Watching his behavior, Lin Muyang couldn't help but shake his head and smile, saying nothing more. However, they really hadn't interacted much, limited only to a few chance meetings. His impression of her was mostly limited to labels like the Sword Saint's granddaughter and a genius swordswoman; he had no deep personal understanding or connection with her.

Just then, the peculiar communication between the Thunder God Tiger and the Six-Eyed Witches priest on the other side seemed to come to an end.

It was unclear what information had been exchanged. But at this moment, the expression on the priest's face had clearly changed. The initial, undisguised coldness, contempt, and the sudden rage triggered by the Thunder God Tiger's intrusion had mostly faded. Replacing them was a more complex emotion, mixed with scrutiny, weighing, and a trace of imperceptible uncertainty.

It cast its gaze toward Lin Muyang again. This time, the examination from its six eyes became more careful, as if it wanted to see through him from the inside out. After several seconds, it spoke slowly, uttering a few more sentences. Its tone was much calmer than before, but it still carried a condescending sense of aloofness.

The Translator Witch immediately turned to Lin Muyang and the others. This time, its tone had less hostility, but still lacked warmth: "The High Priest says that the matter of stripping the skill book is of great importance. It needs time to summon other leaders within the clan to discuss it together. Only after carefully weighing the pros and cons can it decide whether to help you."

Upon hearing this, the Sword Saint and Xu Ruohan both breathed a secret sigh of relief. Although the other party hadn't agreed immediately, their attitude had clearly softened, moving from an initial flat refusal to "needs consideration and discussion." This was undoubtedly a positive signal, at least avoiding the worst-case scenario of an immediate conflict. It seemed the Thunder God Tiger's persuasion and the information they conveyed about Lin Muyang had indeed played a role. Perhaps this arrogant clan was finally starting to face up to the immense potential and the impact that Lin Muyang, a human, represented.

However, Lin Muyang's brows furrowed imperceptibly when he heard the latter half of the translation.

"Needs consideration, discussion..." he mused silently, grasping the most critical issue directly. He raised his eyes to look at the silent priest and asked in a calm but unquestionable tone: "Then, how long will it take? I need a definite time."

The translator conveyed the question. The priest seemed to have anticipated this question, and without any hesitation, spoke again.

The Translator Witch immediately replied: "The High Priest says that within one month, it will give you a definite answer."

One month!

The last shred of patience in Lin Muyang's eyes flickered out like a dying candle in the wind.

So that was it. The so-called consideration and discussion, the so-called softened attitude, were essentially just a delay, a condescending wait-and-see approach. They had no real intention of cooperating; they just wanted a one-month buffer period to see if Lin Muyang was truly as full of potential as the Thunder God Tiger claimed, and if he could continue to rise in the coming time. If he remained strong after a month, perhaps they would reluctantly offer a helping hand to earn a favor; if he met with an accident or performed mediocrely, then today's so-called consideration would naturally become empty talk.

This kind of calculation, this stance of placing him in a position to be scrutinized and evaluated, made Lin Muyang feel a surge of intense displeasure. He hated this feeling of being manipulated and passively waiting.

"One month... that's too long!" Before Lin Muyang could speak, the Sword Saint expressed his dissatisfaction first. The Old Sword Saint's brows knitted into a knot; clearly, he had also instantly discerned the other party's intent. "Tell your priest to shorten the time! Ten days, half a month at most!"

However, Lin Muyang slowly raised a hand, blocking the Sword Saint, who still wanted to argue further.

His gaze calmly passed over the translator and landed directly on the emotionless green face of the Six-Eyed Witches priest. The other party's six eyes were also looking back at him. Deep within those eyes, there still remained a trace of the deep-rooted arrogance and certainty belonging to a powerful clan leader, as if it were convinced that Lin Muyang would ultimately have to accept this condition.

"No need, Sword Saint." Lin Muyang's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present. "Looking at its attitude, since it said one month, I'm afraid it won't easily change. They want to see my methods and weigh my worth..."

He paused, a faint, cold arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

"In that case, I will let them see for themselves."

The instant his voice fell, Lin Muyang did not even make any obvious spellcasting motions. An invisible and intangible, yet vast and majestic terrifying mental fluctuation that made one's soul tremble, centered on him, spread out silently like a supernova explosion!

【Absolute Command】!

Under the ultimate amplification of the 【Spell Expansion】 effect, the area of effect of this God-Tier Aura instantly covered the entire region within a radius of over a hundred kilometers, centered on him! It completely enveloped the territory where the entire Six-Eyed Wizard Clan had resided for generations!

That Six-Eyed Witches priest, who had always appeared composed and even arrogant, had its six eyes widen to their limit the moment the fluctuation descended! Although it was not immediately controlled like the other clansmen, its mental attribute, reaching over 300,000—which could be called top-tier within the clan—allowed it to perceive the essence of this power more clearly and terrifyingly than anyone else—that was a power of absolute domination, like a divine decree issued by a god, superior to all living beings!

"What...?!" A thought full of horror had not yet fully formed in its consciousness when the scene before it made its whole body go cold, as if falling into an abyss.

In that very instant, with this forest clearing as the center, it was as if a mute button had been pressed, or like a surging tide had instantly frozen—the entire territory, within a range of over a hundred kilometers, except for it and eight other leaders scattered throughout the territory who also possessed BOSS-grade strength and barely sufficient mental attributes, all movement and sound vanished.

The sound of the wind, the chirping of insects, the sound of the distant stream, the frolicking of the young, the footsteps of patrolling warriors, the crisp sound of craftsmen hammering materials... all sounds belonging to life and nature had completely disappeared.

Replacing them was a kind of deathly silence.

A kind of hair-raising, absolutely obedient, marionette-like deathly silence.

In the field, those dozens of Six-Eyed Witches warriors and observers surrounding them, who were originally full of hostility and vigilance, including the Translator Witch holding the book, all their movements, expressions, and even the light in their eyes froze at the same time. Immediately afterward, they turned their heads in unison, casting their hollow gazes, devoid of any self-will, toward the black-clad human youth in the center of the field.