Sinister

The silver-masked messenger’s eyebrows furrowed behind his mask. Just when he was about to offer some words to appease the crowd, his ear twitched as if he had just received some news.

“Everyone, don’t panic. Our Leader has arrived. Once this old man makes a move, Lin City will fall with just one wave of his hand.”

The silver-masked messenger said with a smile as he pressed his hands together.

“It would be great if your Leader could do it himself, just don’t wait for an hour like you did just now.”

The leaders of a group of forces were visibly calmer.

The Leader of the Xianghuo Faction was a demi-king powerhouse.

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That was the highest combat effectiveness of the Xia clan.

A god-like being that could soar the skies and cross the lands.

Within the whole Xia clan, there were few powerhouses of that caliber.

The reason they were willing to follow the Xianghuo Faction to Lin City and obey their commands was that they all wished to see this demi-king’s face.

It was also due to the confidence that the demi-king gave them.

However, after their previous anxious waiting, they were worried that the Xianghuo Faction’s so-called “soon” would be after their Precelestial Grandmaster powerhouses and the Lin family had both battered each other into defeat.

“Don’t worry. Look, our Leader has already made his move.”

The silver-masked messenger pointed a finger proudly.

In the sky, they saw an old man wearing a golden python robe and a divine crown, with a golden whip in his hand and his white hair blowing in the wind. The old man stepped in the air and walked toward Lin City one step at a time.

His power was unparalleled.

A strong aura was unleashed, shocking everyone present.

Every step he took brought about an extreme sense of constriction, like a drum repeatedly beating right onto their souls.

“Long live the Leader!”

The silver-masked messenger as well as many of the Xianghuo Faction followers raised their hands high and shouted in unison.

The Anti-Lin Alliance and the Lin family halted their movements as all eyes fell on the Xianghuo Faction Leader.

At that moment, he was at the center of everyone’s attention.

“Perish, Lin Family!”

He landed on the city wall, waved his hand, and made his declaration.

Cold and silent.

A powerful momentum radiated from his figure, causing the Anti-Lin Alliance to cheer enthusiastically.

Their king was here! Victory was right before their eyes.

On the Lin family’s side, besides the higher-ups who knew about the actual situation, the others displayed hopelessness.

The participation of a demi-king would be the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

The Lin family was in danger today.

Lin Xueling was holding a longsword dripping with blood, the desperation in her eyes mixed with determination. She raised the longsword with some difficulty and pointed it at the Xianghuo Faction Leader who was in mid-air.

Today, she would battle a demi-king for the Lin family!

Even if she faced death! She would never retreat!

She expelled the despair from her heart and her indignation kindled, causing her fighting spirit to gradually increase.

However, just when she was about to fly up—

“You’re really good, young girl! I did not expect that my Lin family would have such a heroic leader like you. Good, good, good, there’s hope for the Lin family in the future!”

A wrinkly old hand pulled her back.

“You’ll have a chance to fight for the Lin family in the future. Right now, I’m still here, and I can handle it.”

Lin Zhennan burst out laughing.

Then, he looked up, his eyes steely.

“I’ve been waiting for you! You finally showed yourself, you bastard!”

An even stronger power radiated from Lin Zhennan’s body as he locked onto the Xianghuo Faction Leader.

Right after he finished speaking, a formation was opened, trapping the Xianghuo Faction Leader. At the same time, Lin Zhennan flew up and stood opposite the Xianghuo Faction Leader. With a shake of his body, he discarded the heavy armor, revealing his true appearance.

“Lin Zhennan! How are you not dead?”

The Xianghuo Faction Leader could not maintain his indifference and exclaimed loudly.

The tables had turned.

The appearance of the Lin family elder stunned everyone, especially the Alliance, who began to panic!

The Lin family elder, a veteran demi-king, was far more terrifying than the Xianghuo Faction Leader.

As fellow demi-kings, his superiority over the Xianghuo Faction Leader was like a grandfather and his grandson. The gap was just too big!

If it were not for that, the Xianghuo Faction Leader would not have been afraid to do anything earlier knowing that the elder was severely injured and uncertain how much strength he could still unleash.

Now that the Lin family elder, who should have been dead, appeared before them alive, there was no way they could contain their panic.

On the other hand, when the Lin family saw their elder appear, their desperation and low morale were swept away in an instant. They cheered excitedly, and their fighting spirit soared.

Lin Xueling was so moved that she wept tears of joy.

Only God knew how much pressure she had put on herself. Now that their elder had appeared, she suddenly felt the heavy burden on her shoulders lightened.

“Hmph! So what if you’re not dead? The source of your martial skills has been damaged, and you can’t unleash much of your power!”

The Xianghuo Faction Leader stayed strong and calm.

“Then, just watch and see.”

The Lin family elder attacked. A pair of iron fists turned into a blur and shot ferociously at the Xianghuo Faction Leader.

“No way! Your power—”

The Lin family elder, who was able to exert all his strength, rendered the Xianghuo Faction Leader unable to fight back. The faction leader exclaimed in disbelief.

He wanted to flee.

However, due to the defensive formations, he could only let himself be chased by the Lin family elder and pounded to oblivion, with nowhere to run.

He let out shriek after shriek.

His golden python robe was shredded, his white hair a mess, his divine crown had long fallen off to who-knows-where, and he continuously spat blood out from his mouth.

“This…”

The Anti-Lin Alliance was in a panic!

Not only was the Lin family elder not dead, but he was as vigorous as ever.

The all-powerful Demi-King Xianghuo Faction Leader had no power to fight back against him.

No one had expected this!

“The Lin family elder had clearly taken serious damage. This was something that everyone has confirmed, so what’s with this situation now?”

“Nevermind the fact that he isn’t dead! His power doesn’t seem to have been affected at all!”

“Didn’t the Xianghuo Faction guarantee us with absolute assurance that he was dead? So what’s this now?”

Someone from the Alliance snarled at the silver-masked messenger.

Some people were doubting everything and could barely believe what was happening.

“Lin Zhennan! If you let me go, I’ll write off the enmity between the Xianghuo Faction and the Lin family in the future. We will mind our own business without interfering with one another!”

The Xianghuo Faction Leader groaned miserably, trying to reconcile with the other.

“Ha!”

Lin Zhennan let out a huff of disdain.

The meaning was obvious.

Wanting to reconcile at a time like this would only happen in his dreams.

No, not even in his dreams.

He was no fool. How could he let the tiger retreat to its mountain when the situation was in his favor?

“You bastard!”

“You’re the one who made me do this!”

“Today! Either the fish dies, or the net breaks!” (TN: this is an idiom meaning that only one of them will survive.)

The Xianghuo Faction Leader sprayed blood into the sky, and his face darkened.

There was a look of struggle and defiance in his eyes.

“The fish will die, but the net won’t break. How sturdy indeed!”

Lin Zhennan let out a cold laugh.

“Hmph!”

The Xianghuo Faction Leader said no more, and the original struggling look in his eyes dissipated, revealing a look of resolution.

How detestable!

He had conspired for so long, but now he had no choice but to expose himself.

He was afraid that the Xianghuo Faction, which had been operating for so many years, could not blend in with the Xia Clan anymore!

“Come at me!”

The Xianghuo Faction Leader, who had been chased all over the place, suddenly stopped and raised his hands high. His originally pure aura was suddenly entangled by black energy, and strips of black silk slithered out of him, swift like the ink of a master calligraphy artist. How terrifying!

…

“Such a sinister aura, it sure makes you feel uneasy!”

Chu He—who was a good distance away—frowned, and he suddenly had a bad feeling.

The smell that wafted from a distance was like that of black silk taken off the feet of a man with terrible foot odor. One whiff was enough to make you feel nauseous.