Chapter 48: Coming to Challenge

Ji Changyun's attitude was unyielding; he insisted on getting justice for Ji Bo.

Seeing this, Daoist Xuanhu did not try to stop him either.

The Ji Family is the Ji Family, and Qingyun Sect is Qingyun Sect—as long as it doesn't drag him in, all would be well.

"Ji Clan Leader, I've given you my advice. Whether you listen is your own affair."

With those words, Daoist Xuanhu rode his crane and departed.

He still had to report to the Sect Master about the Lin Family being an ancient clan!

"Ji Clan Leader, don't you find Elder Xuanhu's behavior most unusual?" Kong Jianghai squinted his eyes and said with deep meaning.

Ji Changyun was no fool.

He naturally saw what was off about Daoist Xuanhu.

But the murder of his son could never be let go!

The Ziyun City Lin Family must be destroyed!

"I hear the Ziyun City Lin Family has risen very quickly lately, as if they've gotten hold of some fortuitous opportunity."

Second Elder Kong Jianghai was a meticulous man; it was he who had thoroughly investigated Ji Bo's murder.

Bringing it up now inevitably stirred displeasure in Ji Changyun.

"Hmph! Is my Ji Family supposed to fear the Lin Family?"

The Ji Family had ranked among the top in the last Hundred Clans Assembly.

Their strength was beyond doubt.

Even the major sects scrambled to recruit Ji Family disciples.

With such a foundation, the Lin Family couldn't catch up even on horseback.

"Ji Clan Leader, those words are amiss. A lion battling a rabbit must still give its all!"

Kong Jianghai shook his head. "I suspect Elder Xuanhu must have visited the Lin Family and witnessed something extraordinary—that's why he harbors fear."

"I don't care what extraordinary things he saw!" Ji Changyun grew angrier as he spoke. "If this vengeance isn't taken, how will my Ji Family keep its footing in Leiling Province!"

Seeing the situation, Kong Jianghai knew he couldn't talk him out of it.

A glint flickered in his eyes as he devised a compromise.

"Since the Ji Clan Leader's aim is clear, I do have a plan. Why don't we test the waters first? If we find the Lin Family's foundation lacking, we'll strike like thunder and trample them flat."

"If the Lin Family truly holds some mystery and trouble comes our way, we can shake it off quickly."

Once this plan was laid out, Ji Changyun, though displeased, felt it was a sound approach.

"Good, then we'll go by the Second Elder's plan. My Ji Family will give the Second Elder our full cooperation." Ji Changyun said slowly.

……

One month later, on Ziyun Mountain.

Several figures flickered through the trees.

The ones at the head were precisely Lin Ya, Lin Xuan, and Lin Yan.

They bore the Xuanzhong Ruler on their backs, drenched in sweat, each step a struggle.

"How does this cursed thing keep getting heavier! Boohoo, can't we just take it off?"

Lin Xuan's pretty face was full of misery. She carried a heavy bladeless greatsword nearly as tall as herself, and with every step her calves trembled.

Lin Yan said nothing, trudging on with all his might. When he looked up, there was still another figure ahead.

It was Lin Ya.

Lin Ya was exceptionally gifted; over the past month he had already broken through to Foundation Building Fifth Layer cultivation.

The speed of his cultivation was jaw-dropping.

But this also meant the Lin Family had poured heavy resources into him.

All manner of rare and wondrous pills were supplied to Lin Ya without stint.

He swallowed more pills each day than he ate meals. With this force-fed cultivation, how could his cultivation not soar?

"Keep up, all of you!"

Lin Ya stopped and turned back, his face slick with sweat.

At that moment, seven more people ambled out of the forest at a leisurely pace. They were all juniors of the Lin Family selected a month ago, and each of them also carried a Xuanzhong Ruler on their back.

"Brother Lin Ya, you're a genius—it's perfectly normal that we can't keep up with you."

"Right, you're already at Foundation Building Fifth Layer, and we're only at Body Tempering Realm. How can we even compare?"

"And we still have to carry this heavy ruler—might as well just let me drop dead from exhaustion."

The seven collapsed on the ground, their eyes filled with utter despair.

Lin Feng had promised to cultivate them, but the result was simply tossing them onto Ziyun Mountain, each carrying a Xuanzhong Ruler, shuttling back and forth through the forest.

This was pure torment, wasn't it?

"The Clan Leader said once we adapt to this Xuanzhong Ruler, our cultivation will all improve." Lin Ya said helplessly.

He couldn't figure out Lin Feng's purpose either.

With only four months until the Hundred Clans Assembly began, they couldn't afford to slack off.

"Get up!"

Lin Yan shouted. He was the oldest of this group of juniors and the most steady in temperament, so naturally he had to take the lead.

The seven staggered to their feet, intending to trudge back to the Lin Family.

In a shadowy corner of the dense forest, a figure in a black robe stood atop a tree.

"Lin Ya handles pressure well and knows how to rally the clan members—a born leader."

"Lin Yan is the oldest and most steady, able to endure hardship—fierce, with few words."

"Lin Xuan... forget it..."

The figure in the tree shook his head helplessly—it was Lin Feng.

Along the way, he had been secretly observing these juniors' cultivation. The Xuanzhong Ruler adjusted its weight according to one's Cultivation—the higher the Cultivation, the heavier it became.

Therefore, Lin Ya gained no advantage.

"If they keep cultivating like this, probably only three of them will amount to anything."

"The rest of them—participating in the Hundred Clans Assembly would be too dangerous."

Lin Feng was very dissatisfied with this result.

What he wanted was the Lin Family whole and intact.

Just at this moment, however, several streams of Spirit Qi came flying in, slamming directly into the area.

"Boom!"

With a dull thud, Lin Ya and Lin Yan both dodged sideways.

Lin Xuan fell to the ground, barely evading it.

The remaining seven, however, were hit directly and all spat fresh blood.

"Who is it!"

Lin Ya's pupils contracted, fury rising in his heart.

Five or six youths in splendid clothes emerged from the forest. They looked over with mockery, and seeing the Lin Family people scattered in disarray, burst into laughter.

"Where did these chicks come from, carrying swords and doing hard labor here?"

"Haha! They look like Lin Family disciples. I heard they've been training here all along."

"Training? Never seen this kind of training method though."

Lin Ya demanded indignantly, "Who are you? Why are you interfering with our cultivation?"

"Yaoguang City, Qi Family!"

The leader among the youths stood with his hands clasped behind his back and said proudly, "I am the Qi Family's Young Master, Qi Leshan."

Lin Ya was stunned upon hearing this—Yaoguang City was an impossibly great distance from here. How could they have come?

"I heard the Zhou Family of Liuhuo City was wiped out, and their Hundred Tribes Token fell into your Lin Family's hands. This young master had been planning to challenge the Zhou Family, but now I can only come looking for you."

Qi Leshan walked over, looked at Lin Xuan, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Such a beautiful woman!

"Challenge us? On what grounds?" Lin Ya asked in confusion.

The Hundred Clans Assembly hadn't even started yet, and the Qi Family was coming to challenge them—what kind of rule was that?

Lin Yan knew some inside information and said in a low voice, "Before the Hundred Clans Assembly, the major families of Leiling Province are allowed to come challenge other families in order to probe their circumstances, and the challenged side cannot refuse."

"The Qi Family coming to our door is partly to probe our strength, and partly—I'm afraid—to take the chance to wipe us out and reduce the pressure at the Hundred Clans Assembly."

After Lin Yan finished speaking, Qi Leshan suddenly burst into laughter.

"Call it a challenge, but really it's just a beating for you lot."

"The word 'challenge' doesn't suit you at all."

Saying this, Qi Leshan's eyes were full of mockery.