16: Change of power, the majesty of the divine son

Inside the Council Hall, there was a deathly silence. Everyone's gaze was frozen on Great Elder Lin Yuan, who was tightly bound by several brilliant Star Chains and unable to move like an insect trapped in amber, and on the black-clad youth who calmly retracted his hand seal as if he had only done something insignificant.

One move! Just one move! With a cultivation at the Late Stage of the Spiritual Sea Realm, he had instantaneously imprisoned the Great Elder, who had unleashed his full life-risking power and reached the Late Stage of the Divine Power Realm! This was no longer a miracle; it was a divine feat!

The Elders who had previously held sympathy or a wait-and-see attitude toward the Great Elder's faction now felt a chill rush from the soles of their feet to the crowns of their heads. Their eyes were filled with unprecedented reverence and fear as they looked at Lin Fan. This boy was no longer a fish in a pond; his momentum was established and unstoppable!

Clan Leader Lin Zhantian snapped back from his shock, a brilliant light and unprecedented ecstasy erupting in his tiger-like eyes! He suppressed his excited emotions, and his voice rang through the hall like a great bell, carrying an unquestionable authority:

“Great Elder Lin Yuan dispatched his confidants to harm the Divine Son, the evidence is conclusive! Furthermore, he intended to commit murder and attack the Divine Son in the clan hall before everyone's eyes—this adds to his crimes! His actions have completely violated the clan rules and betrayed the Family!”

His gaze was like lightning as it swept over every Elder present: “Now, according to clan rules, we shall carry out the final judgment on Lin Yuan! Those in favor of crippling his cultivation and imprisoning him for eternity in the Black Prison Abyss, state your stance!”

“Seconded!”

“Seconded!”

“Such treasonous behavior is absolutely unforgivable. Seconded!”

The Elders who were previously neutral or slightly favored Lin Zhantian no longer hesitated, speaking up one after another with resonant voices. Even several Elders who had been quite close to Lin Yuan felt a chill in their hearts upon meeting Lin Fan's calm yet abyss-deep gaze, and they laboriously squeezed out the word “Seconded.”

The tide had turned; when a wall starts to collapse, everyone gives it a push!

Listening to the repeated cries of “Seconded,” Lin Yuan's face turned ashen. All the madness and malice in his eyes turned into complete despair and gloom. He knew he was finished, and his lineage was completely finished as well.

“Good!” Lin Zhantian's voice shook the hall. “Since no one objects, then this Clan Leader announces—” He pointed his fingers like a sword, and a beam of golden finger-wind, condensed to the extreme and carrying an aura of destruction, instantly shot out, accurately sinking into Lin Yuan's Dantian Qi Sea!

“Pfft!” Like a deflating ball, the powerful Divine Power Realm aura surrounding Lin Yuan's body dissipated like a ebbing tide. He let out a groan of extreme pain, and his entire being withered at a speed visible to the naked eye. His hair instantly turned grey and his skin became covered in wrinkles, as if all his vitality and power had been drained in an instant, turning him completely into a dying ordinary old man.

His cultivation was crippled!

Lin Fan retracted the Star Chains at the appropriate time. Having lost the support of his power, Lin Yuan slumped to the ground like limp mud. He was dragged away expressionlessly by two fierce deacons from the Law Enforcement Hall; what awaited him was the sunless Black Prison Abyss.

The hall fell into silence once again, but it was a silence filled with shock and solemnity.

After dealing with Lin Yuan, Lin Zhantian turned his gaze toward Lin Fan. His eyes were complex, containing gratification, pride, and even a sense of relief. He took a deep breath, and his voice spread through the hall:

“Divine Son Lin Fan, during the Ancient Domain trial, not only relied on his own strength and wisdom to shatter a villainous conspiracy but also found an Opportunity to greatly increase his strength, manifesting the might of our Lin Family Divine Son! Following this incident, this Clan Leader has decided that starting today, Lin Fan will officially participate in core Family affairs and hold the right to deliberate in the Elder Council. He may mobilize a portion of Family resources and the Hidden Guards to fully prepare for the ‘Myriad Races Heavenly Pride Assembly’ in three months!”

This command was equivalent to raising Lin Fan's status to the level of a high-ranking Elder with real power, granting him the authority to influence Family decisions! This was an absolute recognition of his strength and contribution, and even more, an announcement to all clansmen that Lin Fan was the undisputed core of the Lin Family's next generation!

“The Clan Leader is wise!”

“We shall follow the Clan Leader's orders!”

The Elders responded in unison; no one dared to raise an objection. The strength, tactics, and ruthlessness Lin Fan displayed today had completely won everyone over.

Lin Fan's expression remained calm as he bowed slightly to Lin Zhantian: “Thank you, Father. Your son will not fail your trust.”

He did not decline; this was what he deserved. Only by possessing power could he better integrate resources and increase his strength faster to face even greater storms in the future.

Over the next few days, the Lin Family underwent a silent yet thunderous Great Purge. Led by Lin Zhantian and Lin Fan, and using the list and evidence provided by Lin Fan, they conducted a thorough liquidation of the remaining forces of Lin Yuan's faction. Several Elders closely colluding with Lin Yuan were stripped of their power and thrown into the Black Prison; dozens of deacons and managers were replaced; and a large number of branch disciples attached to the Great Elder's lineage received varying degrees of punishment.

The entire Lin Family was like a precision machine that, after experiencing internal corrosion, was forced through a process of scraping the bone to treat the poison and removing the rotten flesh, completely reshaping the power structure. Although it lost some Origin Qi in the short term, in the long run, it cleared the greatest internal hidden danger, and its cohesion reached an all-time high.

Lin Fan's prestige also reached its peak during this purge. Deeds like “Defeating Lin Hong with one punch,” “Slaying the Evil Demon in the Ancient Domain,” and “Binding the Great Elder before the Hall” were spread as if they were legends. He was no longer that trash Divine Son who needed his father's protection, but a Family titan who truly controlled power and commanded respect through his own strength and iron-blooded methods!

The Divine Son Hall had now become the most high-profile place in the Lin Family besides the Clan Leader's Hall. Every day, clansmen came to pay their respects, report affairs, or young disciples came yearning to join his faction.

Inside the hall, Lin Fan dismissed all attendants and stood alone by the window, gazing at the Lin Family fairyland where the sea of clouds rose and fell. He toyed with a warm jade pendant in his hand; it was a relic left by his mother and one of the few warm memories in the original host's mind.

“Strength is the foundation,” he whispered to himself. After the life-and-death struggle in the Ancient Domain and the internal Family power struggle, he had a deeper understanding of this. If he hadn't possessed the strength to crush everything, he would be the one reduced to a prisoner or even withered bones right now.

He inspected himself internally. His Late Stage Spiritual Sea Realm cultivation was already stable. His Eternal Indestructible Body appeared even more powerful after absorbing the Star Origin, with blood like mercury and bones like jade. The Fist Intent of the complete Indestructible Divine King Fist had begun to merge into his marrow, the Star God Soul Condensation Art constantly nourished his Divine Soul, his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils could perceive the minute, and the Star Chains were controlled by his will. Although the star pagoda was damaged and being nourished in his Sea of Consciousness, his connection with it had actually become closer.

[“System,” he thought silently, “Sign in at the Divine Son Hall.”]

[Ding! Detected sign-in location—Lin Family Divine Son Hall (Host's power is stable, Luck is gathering), sign-in conditions met, sign-in successful!]

[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Soul-Nourishing Pill (Profound Rank Top Grade)!]

A bottle of Medicinal Pills appeared in the System space, emitting a refreshing fragrance that nourished the Divine Soul. It was perfect for assisting in the cultivation of the Star God Soul Condensation Art.

Just then, Lin Xuan's respectful voice came from outside the hall: “Divine Son, the Clan Leader requests your presence at the Council Hall; a guest has arrived.”

Lin Fan pulled back his thoughts, took out a Soul-Nourishing Pill and swallowed it, a cool sensation flowing through his Sea of Consciousness. He straightened his robes, regained his unruffled expression, and stepped out.

“Do you know who the visitor is?” Lin Fan asked as he walked.

Lin Xuan followed closely behind and said in a low voice: “I heard it's people from the Great Xia Dynasty, led by Goddess Xia Qingyue.”

Lin Fan's footsteps paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes before turning deep.

The Great Xia Goddess? Was her visit for the upcoming Myriad Races Heavenly Pride Assembly, or did she have another purpose? An imperceptible curve formed at the corner of his mouth. The internal turmoil of the clan had just settled; was the wind and rain from the outside world about to arrive?

Very well. He could take this Opportunity to see just what the top prodigies of this boundless Divine Desolation Continent were made of! His steps became firm again as he walked toward the Council Hall. His figure lengthened in the light and shadow of the corridor, his straight spine seemingly able to support the even more magnificent world about to unfold.