"That's right, do it if you have the guts!"
Shi Zhan and Chang Ziheng also sneered, their eyes filled with resentment.
The fact that mighty Spirit Sea cultivators like them had been forced to kneel made them feel extremely humiliated.
Lin Xun suddenly displayed a faint smile. "You guys guessed right. I listed all these reasons because I do not intend to kill you.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fengru and the others turned increasingly fearless.
However, Lin Xun's following words struck them like a bolt of lightning, causing their expressions to change drastically.
"Although I will not give the death penalty, your crimes cannot be forgiven so easily. Crippling your cultivation shall be sufficient punishment."
Lin Dahong's heart violently twisted at these words.
That’s so merciless! This kind of punishment is a hundred times crueler than killing them outright!
A cultivator that lost his cultivation was not just a mere cripple. He would have lost all of the power he had once relied on to survive, as well as his status and honor!It was the most devastating blow to any cultivator.
Think about it, if Xiao Fengru and the others had their cultivation crippled, how could they continue to secure a place for themselves in their respective factions?
The more powerful a faction, the fiercer the internal competition. There was no doubt they enjoyed high status as Guest Stewards, but once their cultivation was crippled, all of their status and privileges would be stripped away!
If that happened, which faction would stupidly support useless people?
The trio clearly realized this as well. Blood drained from their faces, making them look as if their souls were leaving their bodies as panic descended upon them.
Xiao Fengru shrieked, “No! You can’t do that! If you do, you will make our three clans your enemies. If that happens, things won’t end well for you either!”
“Lin Xun, we did not actually want to make things difficult for you and were only complying with instructions. Please don’t take it out on us.”
In his panicked state, Shi Zhan basically surrendered in a trembling voice.
Chang Ziheng had been scared out of his wits and could not speak.
Their current appearances compared to their earlier arrogant attitudes made Lin Dahong thankful that he had acted as a bystander from the beginning instead of getting involved. Otherwise…
Lin Dahong involuntarily trembled, not daring to continue the thought.
Lin Xun smiled faintly. An unexplainable sensation of disgust rose in his heart as he looked at the trio’s ugly faces.
“Third Old Zhu, do it.”
Lin Xun waved his hand.
“You dare!”
“I’ll fight you!”
Xiao Fengru and the other two finally lost it. In one last-ditch, desperate attempt, they tried to rise and take Lin Xun hostage to somehow stop Third Old Zhu.
Before they could move, however, the killing intent that had enveloped their bodies since the beginning suddenly intensified!
With loud thuds, their bodies were flattened onto the ground. The trio felt as if all of their bones were on the verge of snapping and found themselves unable to move even a finger, let alone resist.
Soon after, Third Old Zhu, who had been still and silent as a statue from the start, finally moved. With a wave of his sleeve, three black blurs shot out and entered the trio's bodies.
Plop! Plop! Plop!
The trio's faces paled, and they coughed blood. Meanwhile, their auras rapidly deflated like balloons that had been pierced.
In the blink of an eye, their eyes turned dull and cloudy while their skin lost its luster, becoming dry and wrinkled as if they had aged over a hundred years in an instant.
This was the outcome of having your cultivation crippled!
Lin Dahong watched with a blank stare as his heart violently shuddered. Lin Xun had been nothing but lukewarm since the start, making others suspect if he had any temper at all.
However, Lin Dahong finally understood that Lin Xun was more ruthless and terrifying than he had imagined!
Xiao Fengru, Shi Zhan, and Chang Ziheng seemed to have lost the will to live as they lay there with vacant expressions.
The fall from mighty cultivators to cripples was a devastating blow they could not bear.
Oftentimes, people would only realize how precious something was when they lost it.
Regretfully for the trio, they had learned this far too late.
Lin Xun was still smiling as he said, "Go back and tell your masters that I will give them two options."
"First, voluntarily submit to me and spit out all of the treasures they had stolen from Mind Cleansing Peak. On account of our familial ties, I will forgive their past crimes."
"Second, if they do not wish to submit, I will view them as traitors of the Lin Clan, treat them as enemies, and make sure to tidy up the clan on our ancestors' behalf."
Lin Xun contemplated a little before he calmly said, "I will give them three years to decide. If they are unable to make a decision after three years, I will choose for them!"
He waved his hand. "Uncle Zhong, send them off."
Lin Zhong immediately complied. He picked up the lifeless trio and left Mind Cleansing Hall.
Lin Xun sat back down and smiled as he looked toward Lin Dahong. "Clan-uncle, do you have any thoughts after watching?"
It’s finally here!
Lin Dahong's heart shook. He took a deep breath in an effort to calm his emotions and answered, "I think that what you've done has completely destroyed all relations with the other three clans. Don’t you think it was a little too extreme?”
Lin Xun shrugged. “I had no choice. I’m already all alone and in a dangerous and difficult position. Hence, it is impossible for me to back down. The moment I take a single step back is the moment I fall to my death.”
Soon after, he chuckled in a carefree manner and continued, “Of course, you will never understand this. The master of Mind Cleansing Peak…is easy to become but very challenging to keep.”
Lin Dahong’s feelings were complicated. Although he did not understand Lin Xun’s heart, he was certain that the youth’s words were genuine.
His situation was indeed very dangerous and was akin to dancing on a knife’s edge. He not only had to face numerous internal problems but also had to hide and keep vigilant against external threats!
Merely being the Lin Clan successor did nothing to change Lin Xun’s predicament.
Furthermore, he was still too young and was only a young teenager.
Under these circumstances, being the Lin Clan successor was not an advantage. Instead, it was a burden that could crush him at any time!
Lin Dahong could not help but ask, “Since you’ve already decided to do this, why did you give them three years to think about it?”
He felt that Lin Xun was telling others that his current power and influence were still too weak and he needed three years to build up sufficient forces to counterattack. Hence, anyone who wanted to deal with him should hurry up and do so within these three years!
Due to this, Lin Dahong felt that Lin Xun’s message was very unwise!
“If I did not give them a clear timeline, they would never allow me to continue monopolizing Mind Cleansing Peak for the next three years.”
Lin Xun grinned. “Instead of this, why not tell them that as long as I survive the next three years, it will be my turn to consider whether I should clean up the clan on our ancestors’ behalf.”
Three years!
Lin Xun was confident that he would possess the power and qualifications to unite the Lin Clan within this time.
“Three years…”
Lin Dahong did not know the source of Lin Xun’s confidence. However, Lin Dahong could sense a rare boldness and ambition in the young man.
“Of course, my situation will not change much within these three years. In fact, it will probably become more dangerous. However, I am not worried.”
Lin Xun smiled mysteriously. “After all, if I were to die as Mind Cleansing Peak’s only successor, Mind Cleansing Peak would be forever lost to the Lin Clan. I believe this is the outcome the four clans absolutely do not wish to see.”
Lin Dahong’s expression changed slightly and found himself unable to reply for a time.
It was true. Mind Cleansing Peak had been empty for more than ten years but had not been taken away despite falling into such a decrepit condition. It was because the royal family’s attitude had always been clear. Only a direct descendent of Lin Daochen had the qualifications to possess Mind Cleansing Peak.
Why else would the four branch clans move out more than ten years ago?
However, if Lin Xun died, Lin Daochen’s bloodline would cease to exist.
If that happened, no matter how much the four branch clans wished to fight over Mind Cleansing Peak, they would have to first see if the royal family agreed!
Lin Xun picked up the contract from the floor that had been left behind by the now crippled trio.
“No matter how unfair these conditions are, they do not have the balls to execute me. Instead, the only thing they can do to move back to Mind Cleansing Peak and take the Lin Clan’s authority is to capture me and put me under house arrest. In fact, they will do everything in their power to make sure I do not die.”
Lin Xun carefully stored the contract and calmly said, “That is my only value in their eyes and I will make sure to remember it.”
Although his tone was calm, it made Lin Dahong realize that the other three clans’ attitudes had made Lin Xun bear a grudge!
If Lin Xun one day gained the power to unite the Lin Clan, life would become difficult for the other three clans!
Lin Dahong’s expression turned solemn. “I’ve come here as a representative of the North Light Lin Clan with a different goal from the other three clans.”
An amused smile rose from the corners of Lin Xun’s lips. “I’m listening.”
Lin Dahong confessed, “To be frank, my true aim is to personally judge what kind of person you are before deciding our next step.”
Lin Xun nodded in approval. “Very cautious, but undoubtedly also very wise.”
Lin Dahong said, “We have no choice. Although we’re already certain that you have direct blood ties to the Lin Clan, the North Light Lin Clan will not give a clear stance before determining what kind of person you are.”
As expected.
From the visiting card and Lin Dahong’s behavior, Lin Xun could tell that the North Light Lin Clan had a different opinion from the other three clans.
Although they had yet to declare their stance, they had not tried to usurp his power like the other three clans.
This is sufficient!
Lin Xun believed that as long as the North Light Lin Clan gave him a chance, he would definitely be able to give them a satisfactory answer that would make them willingly submit!