Lei Family

Before the three men could continue their conversation, or Lin Zhentian could respond to Lin Xiao, Lin Chen's figure appeared before them in a blur, like a ghost.

"Since all three of you are here, let's set off..."

Lin Chen let out a soft breath, sweeping away the exhaustion of the previous night, then smiled faintly.

Lin Zhentian and his sons' conversation had not escaped Lin Chen's senses, but he did not pay it any mind.

Some matters required no explanation at all. Once the Yang Yuan Stone Vein beneath Ironwood Manor was mined, the problems within it would reveal themselves sooner or later. There was no need for him to say more.

As for why he had not settled things with Lin Langtian in the Lin Clan, the reason was simple. He had no interest in so-called clan infighting. When one's strength was too weak to protect oneself, keeping a low profile was the wisest course.

Besides, although his surname was Lin, he did not possess the Lin Clan's bloodline. In that regard, he was even inferior to those of the Branch Family. It was fundamentally impossible for him to gain the support of those stubborn elders of the Lin Clan.

Moreover, to suppress a narrow-minded Lin Langtian and place himself at the center of attention in the Great Yan Dynasty before possessing absolute strength would be unwise.

Lin Langtian was not worthy of becoming his target or opponent.

Whether now or in the future, Lin Langtian could never pose any threat to him. Of that, he was absolutely confident.

Qingyang Town, Lei Mansion.

Compared to the simple and cramped Lin Family Manor, the Lei Family Manor was not only far more prosperous, with orderly buildings, but also more than twice the size of the Lin Family's estate.

After making his way through Qingyang Town and arriving outside the Lei Mansion, Lin Chen, who had concealed himself nearby and followed Lin Zhentian's group, formed a rough comparison after a brief glance.

However, Lin Chen had no time to consider such things. At this moment, both his attention and senses were focused on the Lei Family Hall.

With the formidable Spiritual Power of a Four Symbol Master, as long as Lin Chen did not wish to expose himself, no one in the Lei Family could discover his presence.

The cultivation and use of Spiritual Power were entirely different from Origin Energy. Even someone at the peak of the Core Formation Realm could not hide from everyone's sight, but Lin Chen could. At this moment, he was like a transparent man, standing quietly in an obscure corner of the hall and observing everything that took place within.

Inside the Lei Family Hall.

Lin Zhentian sat in the seat of honor on the left, his gaze discreetly sweeping across every corner of the hall. After sensing no unusual fluctuations, his hands, which had been tightly gripping the armrests, slowly relaxed.

Though he had complete faith in Lin Chen's strength, the stronger Lin Chen was, the more certain they could be of today's affair.

Lin Zhentian did not know where Lin Chen was hiding, but he knew that Lin Chen had truly come.

The familiar voice that had just sounded in his mind was not unfamiliar to Lin Zhentian. Such ethereal and strange methods could only be wielded through a Symbol Master's Spiritual Power.

"The family head is cultivating. Family Head Lin, please wait patiently for a while."

Opposite Lin Zhentian, a red-haired middle-aged man sat lazily. As he spoke to Lin Zhentian with his head lowered, he raised a jade cup from the table beside him and toyed with it.

"Hmph... Lei Pi... Is this the Lei Family's way of receiving guests?"

"I came here in person, yet your uncle Lei Bao puts on such airs. Cultivating... Could it be that he thinks he can casually break through to the Core Formation Realm with talent alone?"

Seeing Lei Pi's attitude, Lin Zhentian snorted coldly and immediately began mocking him, showing no restraint in his words.

The Lin and Lei Families had always been at odds. Aside from Qingyang Town's annual Year-End Hunting Assembly, the two families could practically be said to have no dealings with one another. Every hunting assembly had ended with the Lin Family suffering losses and defeat. Over time, the conflict between the two families had grown increasingly sharp, needing only a spark to erupt completely.

Therefore, Lin Zhentian naturally found it difficult to tolerate the Lei Family's arrogance and rudeness.

The reason Lin Zhentian mocked Lei Bao in this manner was also related to the state of affairs that had existed since the Tianxuan Continent came into being.

There were countless billions of living beings on the Tianxuan Continent, yet the vast majority could advance no further than below the Core Formation Realm in Origin Energy cultivation. Aside from lacking vast cultivation resources, this was even more closely related to one's individual talent.

Those with weak talent could not even reach the sixth level of Body Tempering. They could not form an Origin Energy seed within their bodies, much less cultivate Origin Energy. Demonic beasts were even worse in this regard, so how could they speak of the realms beyond Earth Origin and Heaven Origin?

Qingyang Town, for example, had a population of over a hundred thousand, and ordinary people incapable of cultivating Origin Energy accounted for seventy percent of it. That was the clearest example.

It had to be said that this phenomenon, where ordinary people made up the majority, was extremely common throughout the Great Yan Dynasty. This was not only a true reflection of the lower-class beings of the Tianxuan Continent, but also a limitation imposed by this world itself.

Under the influence of the Great Thousand World's will, the replenishment and consumption of the world's vital energy within the Tianxuan Continent could barely maintain a perfect balance.

For this reason, the energy contained within this world could not be drawn upon without limit. Once that balance was exceeded, the energy between heaven and earth would diminish. When that time came, the living beings of the entire Tianxuan Continent would gradually become ordinary.

In the end, even without the corrosion of the Outer Realm Evil Tribes, the Tianxuan Continent would eventually cease to exist.

It was precisely because of this that, from the moment they were born, the living beings of the Tianxuan Continent were endowed with countless differences by this world. They were never standing on the same starting line.

In any era, geniuses and experts were forever only a very small fraction of the population.

Although Lin Zhentian and Lei Bao had long passed sixty, and their Late Heaven Origin Stage cultivation was not worth mentioning in the Great Yan Dynasty, within Qingyang Town, their talent could already be considered outstanding. What they lacked to break through into the Core Formation Realm was merely the momentum to charge through the barrier and sufficient resources.

"Even if my uncle's cultivation talent is lacking, he is probably still much stronger than certain people who are already one foot in the grave."

After hearing Lin Zhentian's mocking words, the red-haired middle-aged man named Lei Pi refused to be outdone and immediately retorted.

"Lei Pi! Do not be so insolent!"

"It seems the lesson I taught you at the last hunting assembly was not enough..."

Lei Pi's blatant disrespect toward Lin Zhentian immediately enraged Lin Xiao, who was seated beside him. Origin Energy surged within his body as he coldly shouted at Lei Pi.

"Hehe... It has only been a few months, yet Lin Xiao, your courage has grown considerably. You defeated me at the last hunting assembly, and I have nothing to say about that. But if you dare make a move on Lei Family territory today, then you three should be more careful."

Seeing Lin Xiao's anger, Lei Pi remained unmoved. He did not take him seriously at all. Instead, he sneered and swept his cold gaze across Lin Zhentian and the others, his intentions clearly malicious.

Among Qingyang Town's four great powers, the Lei Family had the most experts and was the strongest. If it truly came down to a life-or-death battle between families, no one would be a match for the Lei Family. If they had not feared Lin Zhentian's desperate final struggle back then, where both sides would perish together, the Lin Family could never have established itself in Qingyang Town.