Evening descended slowly upon Black Swamp City.
Dark clouds drifted across the sky.
Cold winds swept through the endless marshlands surrounding the city.
At the center of the city—
within the heavily guarded headquarters of Yu Long Sect—
a grand hall stood silent.
Rows upon rows of black stone pillars stretched toward the ceiling.
Dragon-shaped carvings coiled around every pillar.
Countless seats had been placed on both sides of the hall.
Yet almost all of them were empty.
Only three people were present.
At the center sat a man clad in black robes.
Dragon patterns were embroidered across his sleeves.
His eyes were calm.
Yet within them hid a terrifying coldness.
Yu Long Wei.
The ruler behind Yu Long Sect.
The mastermind responsible for the destruction of Myriad Frost City.
The man who had shattered the Lin Clan.
Below him—
Sha Ming stood respectfully.
Beside him sat Hei Wu.
The atmosphere felt heavier than stone.
Nobody spoke for several moments.
Then—
Sha Ming lowered his head.
"Leader Long Wei..."
"Master Hei Wu..."
"The boy..."
"Lin Shuan..."
His voice trembled slightly.
Not because of fear.
But because even now—
he could hardly believe what he had witnessed.
"He was far beyond our expectations."
"First Commander Mo Chen was almost killed."
The hall instantly became silent.
Yu Long Wei's fingers stopped tapping the armrest.
Hei Wu's eyes narrowed.
Sha Ming continued.
"I still don't understand."
"He's only a Meridian Tracer."
"How could he force First Commander into such a state?"
Images flashed through his mind.
The shattered battlefield.
The broken mountains.
The blood-covered Mo Chen.
The terrifying fist that had nearly erased a Peak Immortal Seed.
Even now—
his scalp turned numb remembering it.
Silence lingered.
Then Hei Wu slowly spoke.
"When we were inside Primordial Garden..."
His voice was unusually heavy.
"I noticed something strange."
"There was something around him."
"Something unusual."
His eyes darkened.
"At the time..."
"I suspected that was the reason he could fight Immortal Seeds."
"He even forced me into a difficult position."
Hei Wu's fingers tightened around the armrest.
His nephew.
Yan Lie.
Both had died because of Lin Shuan.
The hatred within his heart had never diminished.
"But according to Mo Chen..."
"That thing should no longer be with him."
His eyes narrowed.
"If that's true..."
"Then how did he fight a Peak Immortal Seed?"
The hall fell silent again.
Nobody had an answer.
Yu Long Wei suddenly spoke.
"Lin Shuan."
The name itself felt heavy.
Like a mountain.
Like destiny.
"He was already an abnormal monster three years ago."
"When I entered the Lin Clan..."
His eyes slowly narrowed.
"I noticed the seal on his forehead."
A faint chill entered the room.
"Something dangerous sleeps inside that seal."
"Perhaps..."
"That was the reason Mo Chen fell."
Hei Wu remained silent.
Then he slowly nodded.
"But..."
"I've never actually seen him use it."
He clenched his fists.
Veins bulged across the back of his hands.
"I heard that during the Imperial Arena..."
"He revealed his face."
"And shortly afterward..."
"My nephew died."
"Yan Lie died."
The hatred in his voice became obvious.
Yu Long Wei remained expressionless.
After several breaths—
he slowly rose from his seat.
The entire hall seemed to grow colder.
"Regardless of the reason..."
"It will no longer be easy to eliminate him."
"Mo Chen's report was clear."
"There are ten Immortal Seeds around him."
"Han Qing Li alone is enough to make direct confrontation costly."
"We cannot afford unnecessary losses."
Sha Ming frowned.
"Then what do we do?"
A strange smile slowly appeared on Yu Long Wei's face.
The same smile that had appeared before Myriad Frost City's destruction.
The same smile that had appeared before countless massacres.
Hei Wu immediately understood.
Sha Ming understood as well.
Without another word—
the three figures disappeared.
Whoosh!
The hall became empty.
A few moments later—
they appeared atop a massive cliff outside Black Swamp City.
The night wind howled around them.
Below—
an enormous valley stretched into the distance.
Then—
Sha Ming's pupils shrank.
Thousands of chains covered the valley.
Each chain was thicker than a man's body.
And attached to those chains—
were dragons.
Huge dragons.
Ferocious dragons.
Powerful dragons.
Some slept.
Some struggled.
Some released furious roars.
The entire valley trembled beneath their presence.
Among them—
one dragon stood apart.
Its scales glowed azure blue.
Ancient.
Noble.
Majestic.
Even the surrounding dragons unconsciously kept their distance.
Hei Wu smiled faintly.
"The Sect Leader truly prepared well."
His eyes reflected the countless dragons.
"If we combine these beasts with the Black Panther Army..."
"We can launch a beast tide."
Sha Ming's eyes brightened.
"A beast tide..."
The idea immediately excited him.
Cities could be defended against cultivators.
Armies could be resisted.
But beast tides?
They were disasters.
Living catastrophes.
Yu Long Wei merely smiled.
A calm smile.
A terrifying smile.
As if he had already seen the future.
As if everything remained under his control.
Far away—
within Cang Yue City—
a crimson-robed girl sat quietly before a chessboard.
The room was silent.
A soldier knelt before her.
After receiving several instructions—
he immediately departed.
The girl calmly moved a chess piece.
Tap.
A faint smile appeared.
"Let's see..."
"How long the empire can remain calm."
Meanwhile—
news spread throughout Da Cang Empire like wildfire.
"Yue Sha Empire still exists!"
"Yue Sha infiltrators appeared near Cang Yue City!"
"They attempted to enter imperial territory!"
"Everyone must remain vigilant!"
"Beware of Void Chaos!"
"Beware of Yue Sha Empire!"
The empire exploded.
Panic spread everywhere.
Inside restaurants—
cultivators discussed it nervously.
"Yue Sha Empire still exists?"
"I thought they vanished centuries ago!"
"This is bad..."
"If they're truly active again..."
"The empire will face another war."
Another cultivator swallowed nervously.
"Void Chaos on one side."
"Yue Sha Empire on the other."
"How are we supposed to survive?"
The entire empire entered unrest.
And yet—
compared to the storm brewing within LinJian Sect—
none of them knew what was truly coming.
While fear spread across the Da Cang Empire—
LinJian Sect was experiencing an entirely different atmosphere.
The sun had already begun setting.
Golden-orange light covered the mountains.
The entire sect seemed peaceful.
Yet inside the main hall—
nobody felt peaceful.
Nobody felt relaxed.
Because at this moment—
every surviving member of the Lin Clan was gathered there.
Twenty-four people.
Twenty-four survivors.
Twenty-four remnants of a clan that had once shaken the western regions.
Their eyes were fixed upon a single figure.
Lin Shuan.
The boy who had returned from death.
The boy everyone believed would never cultivate again.
The boy carrying the final hope of the Lin Clan.
Silence filled the hall.
Even the breathing of the crowd seemed restrained.
Then—
footsteps echoed from outside.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
An elderly man entered.
The Third Elder.
The moment he stepped inside—
his gaze immediately landed on Lin Shuan.
For a brief moment—
his old body trembled.
His eyes reddened.
Then—
before everyone could react—
he cupped his fists and bowed deeply.
"Greetings, Young Master."
The entire hall froze.
Everyone understood immediately.
No more doubts remained.
No more discussions remained.
Everything had already been decided.
Lin Shuan was truly the future of the Lin Clan.
Lin Shuan slowly rose.
His gaze softened.
"Third Elder..."
"You don't need to be so formal."
The old man shook his head.
"No."
"You deserve it."
"For three years..."
"We all believed the heavens had abandoned us."
"But today..."
His voice trembled.
"The heavens returned hope."
The atmosphere became emotional.
Many surviving clansmen lowered their heads.
Several women secretly wiped tears from their eyes.
Lin Shuan took a deep breath.
Then asked quietly,
"Third Elder."
"How many members of the Lin Clan survived?"
The old man froze.
Pain appeared in his eyes.
A pain that had existed for three years.
After a long silence—
he finally answered.
"Twenty-eight."
The entire hall became silent.
Twenty-eight.
Only twenty-eight.
Once—
the Lin Clan had numbered in the thousands.
Now—
only twenty-eight remained.
Lin Shuan slowly closed his eyes.
The number struck his heart like a blade.
Twenty-eight.
His clan.
His family.
His people.
Reduced to twenty-eight survivors.
When he opened his eyes again—
his gaze had become colder.
Lin Mo spoke softly.
"Young Master."
"Twenty-four are present."
"Lin Yuan remains in secluded cultivation."
"Lin Feng was scared after seeing you, which went right to him."
"Lin Zi Chen is also cultivating."
"And Lin Qing Xue as well."
The moment Lin Qing Xue's name appeared—
Lin Shuan froze slightly.
A familiar face surfaced within his memories.
A little girl.
A stubborn girl.
The girl once chosen to become his future wife.
For a brief moment—
childhood memories surfaced.
Then disappeared.
Across the hall—
Han Qing Li's fingers unconsciously tightened.
Only slightly.
But enough for Han Xue Long and Yan Feng Luo to notice.
Yan Feng Luo immediately looked away.
Pretending not to see anything.
Han Xue Long almost laughed.
But managed to suppress it.
Lin Shuan simply nodded.
"I understand."
The Third Elder slowly stepped forward.
His old eyes swept across every survivor.
Then—
he spoke.
"My Lin Clan members..."
The moment those words left his mouth—
his voice became hoarse.
Years of pain.
Years of grief.
Years of helplessness.
All hidden beneath those few words.
"Our Lin Clan..."
"Has not been completely destroyed."
His voice gradually became stronger.
"As long as we still live..."
"As long as even one descendant remains..."
"No one will erase our name!"
The survivors clenched their fists.
Many eyes turned red.
The Third Elder continued.
"For three years..."
"We hid."
"We ran."
"We survived like fugitives."
"Our Clan Head died."
"Young Master's mother died."
"The First Elder died."
"The Second Elder died."
"They sacrificed everything..."
"So that we could live."
Tears finally appeared in many eyes.
The hall became completely silent.
The old man's voice trembled.
"But now..."
"It is time."
"It is time to reclaim what belongs to us."
"It is time to avenge our dead."
His gaze landed upon Lin Shuan.
"And therefore..."
"The responsibility of the Lin Clan..."
"Has already been entrusted to Young Master Lin Shuan."
The entire hall stood.
Every single clansman.
One after another.
Then—
they bowed.
"Greetings, Clan Head!"
The words echoed through the hall.
Lin Shuan's heart shook.
For the first time—
he truly felt the weight upon his shoulders.
Not cultivation.
Not power.
Responsibility.
These people had nobody else.
Only him.
The memories of Myriad Frost City surfaced once more.
His mother.
His father.
The burning city.
The snow stained red.
His fists slowly tightened.
Then—
he finally spoke.
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet everyone heard it clearly.
"I..."
"Lin Shuan..."
His eyes became colder.
Sharper.
Filled with determination.
"Will make Yu Long Wei repay every drop of blood."
"Every life."
"Every loss."
The hall trembled with emotion.
No grand speech.
No heroic declaration.
Just a simple promise.
Yet everyone could hear the hatred hidden beneath it.
Han Qing Li quietly watched him.
Her blue eyes gradually filled with tears.
She understood that feeling.
Void Chaos had taken her family.
Lin Shuan had lost his.
The loneliness.
The grief.
The rage.
She understood all of it.
Yan Feng Luo lowered his head.
Han Xue Long remained silent.
Lei Hao Tian clenched his fists.
Tai Gu Chen slowly closed his eyes.
Nobody spoke.
Then—
Han Qing Li suddenly stepped forward.
Without hesitation—
she grabbed Lin Shuan's hand.
The hall froze.
Lin Shuan looked at her.
Their eyes met.
Nothing was said.
Yet somehow—
the anger within his heart calmed slightly.
The coldness lessened.
The pressure around him weakened.
One young disciple almost blurted out,
"Clan Head, is this Fairy Han your—"
Before he could finish—
Third Elder smacked him on the head.
"Shut up."
The hall instantly burst into laughter.
Even Lin Shuan had to say that.
"She was just a friend."
And looked away awkwardly.
Han Qing Li's ears turned slightly red.
The tense atmosphere finally relaxed.
Then—
Lin Shuan suddenly looked toward Lin Mo.
"Protector Elder."
Lin Mo nodded.
"Young Master."
Lin Shuan spoke calmly.
"Will LinJian Sect form an alliance with the Lin Clan?"
Everyone froze.
Alliance?
Confusion appeared everywhere.
Wasn't the Lin Clan already living inside LinJian Sect?
What alliance?
Even Han Qing Li looked surprised.
Lin Shuan calmly continued.
"Third Elder."
"From today onward..."
"You are the First Elder of the Lin Clan."
The old man froze.
"Young Master..."
Lin Shuan interrupted him.
"Lin Yuan and Lin Qing Xue will become core disciples."
"Lin Zi Chen as well."
His gaze moved toward Lin Mo.
"Protector Elder remains the Sect Leader of LinJian Sect."
"He is not bound to the Lin Clan."
"Therefore..."
"The Lin Clan and LinJian Sect shall remain separate powers."
"They will stand together."
"They will support one another."
"But neither will belong to the other."
Silence filled the hall.
Then—
everyone slowly understood.
The decision was brilliant.
Lin Clan would retain its identity.
LinJian Sect would retain its independence.
Neither side would lose authority.
Yet both would remain allies.
Even Han Qing Li's eyes brightened.
Lin Mo stared at Lin Shuan.
For a moment—
he saw Lin Zhen Hai's shadow.
The same wisdom.
The same calm judgment.
Finally—
everyone nodded.
No objections appeared.
Because the decision truly was the best one.
Soon afterward—
Lin Mo summoned the elders of LinJian Sect.
The First Elder.
Four-Star Form Shaper.
The Second Elder.
Peak Nine-Star Soul Spark.
And the remaining elders.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
The elders entered confidently.
Yet the moment they saw Lin Shuan—
one elder frowned.
A mocking smile appeared.
"Hmph."
"Six-Star Meridian Tracer?"
"So this is the foundation of the Lin Clan?"
The hall instantly became silent.
Lin Mo's face darkened.
His killing intent nearly exploded.
If not for Lin Shuan—
he would have already thrown the elder through the wall.
But Lin Shuan calmly raised a hand.
Lin Mo stopped.
Everyone became surprised.
Lin Shuan smiled faintly.
"Elder."
"Would you like to see strength?"
The elder immediately became furious.
"Brat!"
"Nobody taught you manners?"
Lin Shuan's smile remained unchanged.
"I merely answered your question."
The elder stood up.
His face turned red.
But before he could continue—
BOOM!
An invisible pressure exploded.
The elder instantly froze.
His body locked in place.
His face turned pale.
Cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
He couldn't move.
Not even a finger.
Not even breathe properly.
The hall became silent.
Everyone stared.
The elder's pupils contracted.
His soul trembled.
Because he recognized it.
Consciousness Realm.
A power that countless cultivators could only dream of reaching.
Yet—
it was coming from a Meridian Tracer.
Lin Shuan calmly looked at him.
"I believe..."
"This level of strength..."
"Should be sufficient for the foundation of the Lin Clan."
The elder's lips trembled.
"Consciousness Realm...?"
It was enough.
The exact stage didn't matter.
Meridian Tracer.
Consciousness Realm.
That combination alone was already monstrous.
Han Qing Li smiled softly.
And Yan Feng Luo almost burst out laughing.