76: Undercurrents
Guanghan Fairy Palace, Moon God Hall.
Ice Without Trace lay on the ten-thousand-year cold jade bed, her aura weak, as several female cultivators were treating her injuries, dispelling the residual Phoenix True Fire within her body.
Sect Master Fairy Yuehua looked at her beloved Disciple's pale face and the shocking scorch mark on her chest, her eyes filled with cold intent.
“Phoenix Undying Body... What a Lin Clan! What a Phoenix Spirit!”
Fairy Yuehua's voice was cold, yet contained suppressed anger. “Send a message to that prince of the ‘Snowy Demon Kingdom’. Doesn't he have feelings for Ice Without Trace? Tell him that if he can settle this score for her, I will consider the marriage between them.”
An Elder hesitated: “Sect Master, although that Snowy Demon Kingdom prince is gifted, he is not of our Human Race after all, and his temperament is violent...”
Fairy Yuehua interrupted coldly: “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The Lin Clan's momentum is too strong, they need to be knocked down a peg. Furthermore, if we can establish a connection with the Snowy Demon Kingdom through this, it will also be beneficial to our Fairy Palace.”
Five Elements Sect, Derivative Law Pavilion.
Jiang Daoyi sat cross-legged under the phantom of a giant Five Elements wheel, his face still somewhat pale. His Dao Heart was damaged and would not recover in a short time.
Sect Master Five Elements Old Man stroked his beard and sighed: “Daoyi, your defeat was not unjust. That Lin Feng's Innate Dao Body is already close to the Incarnation of ‘Dao’ itself, with ten thousand laws returning to their Origin, extremely profound. Such a Physique is rare in ten thousand years.”
Jiang Daoyi said bitterly: “Revered Master, Disciple... Disciple feels that my Dao, in front of him, is like duckweed without roots.”
Five Elements Old Man's eyes were deep: “This child cannot be fought; he can only be befriended, or... before he has fully grown...”
He did not finish, but a flash of sharpness flickered in his eyes.
“Pass the order to collect all intelligence regarding the Lin Clan, especially that Lin Feng. Additionally, open the ‘Five Elements Secret Realm’ and let those little guys who have been in seclusion come out and move around. The waters of the Nine Provinces need to be stirred up.”
Light and Dark Divine Court, Holy Hall.
The Son of Light and the Daughter of Dark knelt before the throne where light and darkness intertwined, reporting the outcome of the battle.
Above the throne, light and dark aura surged, obscuring any specific features, only a grand voice echoed:
“Chaos power... Taiyin and Taiyang can actually evolve into Chaos? This Lin Clan really hides big secrets.”
The voice carried a hint of solemnity and greed, “Order the ‘Judgment Knights’ to closely monitor the Lin Clan's movements, especially that pair of siblings. Look for opportunities; if one can be captured to study the Origin of their divine Physique, our Divine Court's light and dark Dao might advance further!”
The War God Mountain, Heavenly Secret Gate, and other forces also made their own reactions.
Lin Clan Main Residence, Ancestral Shrine Quiet Room.
Lin Dao slowly opened his eyes. It has not been very peaceful outside the Lin Clan recently.
A cold arc curled at the corner of his mouth.
“Finally could not sit still?”
He whispered to himself, “That is fine. Boiling a frog in warm water is ultimately not as satisfying as cooking with intense fire. Pressure is the best catalyst.”
He did not immediately take any drastic action, but through Divine Thought, he passed a message to the seven Saints who were still outside:
“The tree wants to be still, but the wind will not cease. You all must be more cautious while outside, but there is no need to be timid. Our Lin Clan does not look for trouble, but we are never afraid of it. Any provocation can be met with a thunderous counterattack!”
The seven who received the Revered Master's message also became eager.
Lin Hao was sharpening his Sword Intent in an ancient battlefield ruin, his eyes becoming even more determined;
Ye Chen was filled with Battle Intent while looking into the distance after fighting a Vicious Beast;
Lin Yun was deducing under the starry sky, seemingly seeing the waves of the future in his double pupils;
Phoenix Spirit was dancing in the flames, controlling an increasingly pure Phoenix True Fire;
Lin Feng was walking in the Mortal World, comprehending the various states of the world, his Dao Heart becoming more rounded;
Yang Yan and Moon Radiance were in a place where Yin and Yang converged, continuing to deepen their comprehension of the power of Chaos.
Inside the Lin Clan, under the direction of the Acting Clan Head, security was also strengthened. The contribution point system released more missions related to vigilance, anti-espionage, and protection. The War Hall Disciples were eager to show their skills, and the Shadow Hall's reach extended even more covertly.
This day, several figures exuding powerful auras arrived together and appeared outside the Lin Clan's main residence.
They all came from... Saint-level Forces!
“Fellow Daoist Acting Clan Head, your clan's seven Saints are truly heaven-defying geniuses, making our generation feel ashamed,” an envoy from an ancient family said with a fake smile, “However, young people being too sharp is sometimes not a good thing. They still need to understand the principle that the tallest tree in the forest will be destroyed by the wind.”
Another person added: “That is right, the waters of the Nine Provinces are deep. Some Legacies and some rules are not something that newly promoted forces can easily touch. The Lin Clan is currently in the limelight and needs to be even more cautious in words and actions to avoid unnecessary trouble.”
The Acting Clan Head's expression did not change, but his heart was cold. He responded neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Thank you for your reminders, Fellow Daoists. However, my Lin Clan Disciples only seek to have a clear conscience in their actions. If any blind trouble finds its way to our door...”
He paused, his tone turning cold, “My Lin Clan's sword is not just for display.”
Just as the atmosphere became somewhat tense, a vast and unparalleled pressure, as if it were above all living beings, descended quietly like a spring breeze, covering the entire scene.
Although it carried no killing intent, it made those Saint-level Force envoys instantly pale, their Souls trembling, and the words that had reached their lips were swallowed back!
They felt that in the depths of the Ancestral Shrine, it was as if an ancient god and demon had woken up, slightly opened its eyes, and glanced at them.
It was the Lin Old Ancestor!
Everyone was horrified and dared not say another word. They hurriedly left their congratulatory gifts and left in a panic.
“It is time to let them settle down, otherwise they will be at too much of a disadvantage in terms of Realm.”
Lin Dao's thoughts stirred, and seven invisible messages crossed mountains and rivers, accurately delivering to the minds of the seven Saints who were training in various places or had just finished fighting and were adjusting their breath.
“The Opportunity has arrived, return quickly.”
The seven Saints received the message and, without any hesitation, returned directly.
A few days later, seven dusty but sharp figures gathered in the Ancestral Shrine Quiet Room.
Lin Hao's Sword Intent was restrained but appeared even deeper; Ye Chen's blood and Qi were like a dragon, and his Battle Intent had not faded; Lin Yun's double pupils were deep with starlight appearing; Phoenix Spirit's flames were agile, and she had begun to possess majesty; Lin Feng's Dao rhyme was natural, peaceful and indifferent; Yang Yan was as hot as fire, and Moon Radiance was as cold as the moon.
The seven stood together, their auras intertwined, actually causing the Spiritual Qi in the Quiet Room to ripple slightly, showing how great their gains from this training were.
Lin Dao's gaze swept over the seven, a hint of satisfaction appearing in his eyes, but then he became serious: “You have performed very well in this training, raising the prestige of our Lin Clan. However, you must know that there is always someone better. Although you can fight across Realms, Realm is the Foundation of the Dao and cannot lag behind for long.”
“The core descendants of those Saint-level Forces, whose cultivation has reached the Late Stage or even the Peak of the Heavenly Soul Realm, are not non-existent. Next, you need to temporarily stop going out, focus on seclusion, consolidate your Foundation, and impact higher Realms.”
The seven heard this, their expressions all solemn, and they bowed in response: “We will obey the Revered Master's (Old Ancestor's) decree!”
Lin Dao nodded slightly, waved his sleeve, and seven clusters of light, each exuding different attributes but equally containing vast energy and mysterious Dao rhyme, flew towards the seven.