Winds Stir

Inside the bamboo hut, Lin Ge stared at the two orange dots moving across the panel, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.

Judging by the paths Lin Zhentian and Lin Xiao were taking, they were heading straight for the bamboo hut—in other words, for him.

"Do they know I've successfully reached the Origin Pill Realm?"

Confusion flickered in Lin Ge's eyes. He put away the panel, sat down where he was, and quietly waited for the two men to arrive.

A short while later, Lin Xiao and Lin Zhentian hurried to the bamboo hut. When they opened the door, they saw Lin Ge sitting on the ground.

Lin Ge's expression was as calm as ever. Not a trace of aura emanated from him; he seemed like someone with no cultivation at all.

A stranger would probably have thought he was an ordinary mortal without a shred of cultivation. But Lin Xiao and Lin Zhentian knew that just a few days ago, Lin Ge had already become a powerful cultivator in the Heaven Origin Realm. How could he possibly be an ordinary mortal now?

"Xiao Ge... did you really succeed in advancing to the Origin Pill Realm?"

After a brief pause, Lin Zhentian spoke, his voice trembling with disbelief—though he didn't seem to notice.

Lin Ge's gaze passed over the two men who had entered and settled on the young man behind them. Seeing the shock and unease on his face, Lin Ge slowly nodded.

"To enter the Origin Pill Realm at fourteen... there isn't a single person like that in the entire Great Yan Dynasty."

Lin Xiao sighed, suddenly thinking of Lin Langtian, the prodigious young genius who had once defeated him with a single move.

They were both young geniuses, but the youth before him had even greater talent than Lin Langtian, and his strength was far more unfathomable.

Lin Ge appreciated the praise, but only to that extent.

"I was worried the Lin Clan wouldn't hold out until you reached the Origin Pill Realm. Now I can finally breathe easy." It took Lin Zhentian a moment to digest his shock. Once he did, a smile appeared on his deeply wrinkled face.

"Did the Lei and Xie Families make their move while I was in seclusion?" Lin Ge asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You couldn't quite say they've made their move. It's more that they've stopped hiding their intention to suppress the Lin Clan."

Lin Zhentian sighed softly, his words filled with helplessness.

Lin Ge didn't understand. He looked to Lin Xiao with a puzzled expression.

"Ever since the hunting expedition ended, the Lei and Xie Families have been suppressing us in every way they can." Lin Xiao's face grew heavy as he spoke. The combined pressure of the two families was clearly weighing on him.

Lin Ge's gaze sharpened. He immediately guessed what was going on.

The quickest way to destroy a family was to cut off its source of income. Without a source of income, a family would wither away.

That was exactly the tactic the Lei and Xie Families were using. Relying on their abundant resources, they were launching a brutal economic assault against the comparatively impoverished Lin Clan, leaving them struggling to make ends meet until they gradually fell into ruin.

"What a foolish approach."

Lin Ge had little regard for this kind of economic assault. He even found it hard to understand.

The Lin Clan and the Lei and Xie Families had already forged a deep hatred. They were like fire and water, destined never to coexist.

If that was the case, they should strike swiftly and decisively, joining forces to wipe out the Lin Clan completely. Instead, they were resorting to such childish economic tactics. All that would do was leave the Lin Clan penniless and force them to fight to the death.

A battle was inevitable in the end. They might as well fight it out openly and decisively. These underhanded schemes only gave their enemies room to catch their breath.

"At present, the Mad Blade Martial Hall has officially declared an alliance with our Lin Clan, so we can still withstand the pressure from the Lei and Xie Families."

Lin Xiao was deeply grateful for the Mad Blade Martial Hall's wholehearted support, and spoke highly of Luo Cheng.

Lin Ge felt the same goodwill toward Luo Cheng. Whatever else, the man had generously provided tens of thousands of Pure Origin Stones and a number of spirit herbs. That alone was enough to make Lin Ge profoundly grateful.

"Notify the Mad Blade Martial Hall. It's time to act."

Lin Ge had wanted Lei Bao dead for a long time. Now that he had advanced to the Origin Pill Realm, it was time to finish him off for good.

"Act now?"

After hearing Lin Ge, Lin Xiao knitted his brow slightly, his expression hesitant.

In recent days, the Lin Clan had spared no effort investigating the Lei and Xie Families so they could find their weaknesses and strike back.

But the more they investigated, the clearer it became that the Lei and Xie Families were no simple matter.

The two families had been in Green Sun Town for nearly a hundred years, and the strength they kept hidden was far more frightening than what they showed.

Take the number of Heaven Origin Realm cultivators, for example. The Lei Family alone had three Heaven Origin Realm experts in hiding, along with hundreds in the Earth Origin Realm!

That was enough fighting power to build a formidable family from scratch.

"Do the Lei and Xie Families have any experts in the Origin Pill Realm?"

To be safe, Lin Ge asked.

"They shouldn't. Otherwise, they would have brought people to kill us long ago. They wouldn't need to waste so much effort suppressing the Lin Clan."

Lin Zhentian furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

"If they have no experts in the Origin Pill Realm, then the Lei and Xie Families are doomed."

Hearing Lin Zhentian's answer, Lin Ge finally put his mind at ease. A confident smile curled his lips, and fighting spirit surged through him.

The Origin Pill Realm and the Heaven Origin Realm seemed to be separated by just one stage, but the gap between them was as vast as the heavens and earth.

Even the weakest, a first-grade Origin Pill Realm cultivator, could easily defeat one or even several peak Heaven Origin Realm experts—let alone Lin Ge, who possessed a Ninth-Grade Origin Pill.

Seeing Lin Ge so confident, Lin Zhentian and Lin Xiao gradually let go of their worries.

"Since that's the case, then let's go all out!"

Lin Zhentian burst into hearty laughter, his face brimming with boldness.

"We can notify the Mad Blade Martial Hall now and have them get ready. Together, we'll surround and attack the Lei and Xie Families!"

The Lei and Xie Families had long done as they pleased in this town, yet no one dared oppose them. Even the Lin Clan was often bullied by them. As a member of the Lin Clan, Lin Xiao was furious, but he had never dared to do anything about it. After all, the Lin Clan was no match for the Lei Family.

But now, everything had changed. Lin Ge had become an Origin Pill Realm expert. This was the perfect time to wipe out the Lei and Xie Families!

"To make sure no one slips through the net, we must leave nothing to chance this time. There can't be a single mistake."

At that moment, Lin Zhentian seemed like a different person. A fierce aura rolled off him, and a flash of murderous intent appeared in his eyes, which had been as still as a dead lake. It stunned everyone.

"I understand, Father."

Lin Zhentian's change left Lin Xiao momentarily stunned. Then he quickly recovered and answered respectfully.

Lin Ge watched it all without a word. His gaze drifted toward the sky. It was already noon, and the sun blazed fiercely overhead. He seemed untouched by its heat as he silently watched the sun, saying nothing for a long while.