As long as he still lived, as long as he still stood.
There would be people who could not stand him, people who wanted to drag him down.
Once he understood that, there was little left to agonize over.
His foundations in the Divine Capital were indeed shallow.
But he was no soft persimmon for others to squeeze at will.
If he was not going to this banquet, then he simply would not go.
Whether it was the third prince, Prince Ming's heir, or any other powerful figure in the Divine Capital.
Whatever schemes and calculations lurked in the shadows.
He would meet soldiers with generals and stem the waters with earth.
Whatever they wanted to make of this affair, they could come at him.
It was not as though he lacked backing himself.
He took a deep breath and suppressed those tangled thoughts.
Cultivation was what mattered most right now.
Strength was the foundation of everything.
Without strength, all the schemes and calculations in the world were empty talk.
He strode to the center of the courtyard and stood still.
Then he took out the Heaven-Shattering Thunder Saber, closed his eyes, and focused.
He banished every stray thought from his mind.
When he opened his eyes again, they were perfectly clear.
"Then let's try the new moves."
Lin Qing pondered.
These new moves had finally taken shape only after he fused Lightning Gang with extensive practical combat experience.
With a flick of his wrist, his long saber left its sheath.
Saber light swept outward like a bolt of silk.
"Thunderclap Splitting the Air!"
The edge sliced through the air with a shrill whistle.
The saber tip trembled, trailing a blur of afterimages.
They resembled bolts of lightning crashing through the void.
"Thunder Falls from Nine Heavens!"
He spun, his