A visitor from the Zhao Clan

Lin Jin deactivated his Sharingan, and his eyes returned to normal.

He walked up to the Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger, reached out, and pressed his hand against the single horn on its forehead.

"Don't resist."

The Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger dared not move.

Lin Jin channeled his chakra, forming an intricate Jutsu Formula in his palm.

This was the Jutsu Formula for a Summoning Contract. In the Hokage world, he had signed contracts with many summoned beasts and even Tailed Beasts.

The Jutsu Formula's runes flew out of his palm and sank into the Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger's forehead.

The next second, the Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger felt a new link appear in its mind, binding it closely to the human before it.

It raised its head and looked at Lin Jin, its gaze complicated.

From now on, its fate was bound to this human's.

[System: Detected that the host has subdued the Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger and successfully signed a Summoning Contract. Gained 200 World Power points.]

[Current World Power: 560 points]

[World Power has reached 500 points. Dōjutsu available for Unsealing: Double Kamui]

[Spend 500 points to perform Unsealing?]

Lin Jin silently commanded, Unsealing.

A warm power surged from within him, instantly spreading throughout his body.

He felt a sealed Dōjutsu awakening deep within his pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.

The space-time Dōjutsu, Kamui.

The right eye's Kamui could transport himself or a target into the Kamui Dimension, and could also render parts of his body intangible to evade attacks.

This was Obito's Dōjutsu, which he had permanently copied with his right eye in the Hokage world. It was extremely useful.

The left eye's Kamui could distort space within his field of vision through his gaze, inflicting damage from a distance.

This was also the Dōjutsu ability of Obito's left Mangekyō eye, though he had copied this technique from Kakashi.

Lin Jin opened his eyes, and an unusual gleam flashed through them.

The unsealing was complete.

He looked at the Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger lying on the ground and said, "Get up. From now on, I'll call you Thunder Tiger."

"Stay in these mountain forests. I'll summon you whenever I need you. You can also contact me through the contract's link."

The Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger stood up, its head lowered. "Yes, Master."

Lin Jin turned to leave.

"Master," the Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger suddenly called after him. "Who exactly are you?"

Lin Jin stopped and glanced back at it.

Beneath the moonlight, his black eyes were as calm as still water.

"Someone who came back from hell."

With that, he vanished from the spot.

The Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger stood there without moving for a long time.

After a long while, it murmured, "Someone who came back from hell?"

It shook its head and turned to walk deeper into the mountain forest.

The link in its mind constantly reminded it that from now on, it was no longer the unfettered king of the mountain forest, but the summoned beast of a human-no, of a mysterious powerhouse.

For some reason, it did not feel much resentment. Instead, it felt a faint trace of anticipation.

Following someone like him, perhaps it could see a wider world.

Early the next morning.

Lin Jin sat cross-legged on his bed, his eyes closed as he regulated his breathing.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door.

The footsteps stopped at his door, followed by knocking.

Knock, knock, knock.

Lin Jin opened his eyes and instantly activated the Mind's Eye of the Kagura. A middle-aged man stood outside, his strength at the peak of the Source Energy Stage and his aura steady.

Lin Jin got up, walked over, and opened the door.

Sure enough, a middle-aged man in dark casual clothes stood outside, his features stern and his gaze sharp.

Seeing Lin Jin, he nodded slightly. His manner was not arrogant, but it was hardly courteous either.

"Mr. Lin Jin? My name is Zhao Cheng, an external affairs retainer of the Zhao Clan."

The Zhao Clan?

The Zhao Clan that Su Qianxue had mentioned as one of the four top clans?

Lin Jin looked at him without speaking.

Zhao Cheng did not mind and continued on his own. "I came today because I'd like to have a talk with you."

"About what?"

"Your future." Zhao Cheng stood with his hands behind his back. "Mr. Lin Jin, I know you're a Bloodline Inheritor. Our Zhao Clan has already confirmed that."

"Bloodline Inheritors are exceedingly rare, and every one of them is priceless. But you should understand just how vast the gap is between an unaffiliated Bloodline Inheritor and one raised by a clan."

Lin Jin remained silent.

Zhao Cheng continued, "You have no clan resources, no complete cultivation inheritance, and no powerful expert to guide you. How far your bloodline can awaken depends entirely on luck. But if you join the Zhao Clan, things will be different."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of enticement.

"The Zhao Clan will provide you with the finest cultivation resources, the most complete bloodline awakening methods, and guidance from the very best experts. You'll be able to fully awaken your bloodline in the shortest time possible and reach heights beyond your imagination."

"Of course, all of this is on the condition that you become our young master's follower."

A follower.

A barely perceptible trace of mockery flashed through Lin Jin's eyes.

In the Hokage world, he, too, had had followers-companions willing to follow him and fight at his side.

But the Zhao Clan's so-called follower was, to put it bluntly, a household retainer. A subordinate.

"I'm not interested," Lin Jin said flatly.

Zhao Cheng frowned slightly, but quickly regained his composure.

"Mr. Lin Jin, don't be so quick to refuse. Perhaps you don't yet understand the depth of our Zhao Clan's foundations, or what becoming the young master's follower means." He spoke patiently. "The young master is the eldest son of the Zhao Clan's main line and its future clan head. Follow him, and your future standing will be no lower than that of a clan's direct descendants."

"I said I'm not interested."

Lin Jin's tone remained flat, but now carried a hint of impatience.

Zhao Cheng fell silent for a few seconds, then sighed.

"In that case, I won't force the matter." He paused, then changed the subject. "However, there's one other thing I'd like to remind you of."

Lin Jin looked at him.

Zhao Cheng's expression grew subtle, and a faint note of warning entered his voice.

"Miss Su Qianxue is our young master's fiancée. You know that, don't you?"

Lin Jin did not respond.

Zhao Cheng continued, "The marriage between the young master and Miss Su is an agreement between the Zhao Clan and the Su Clan. It concerns the alliance and future of both clans. No one will be allowed to ruin it."

He stared into Lin Jin's eyes.

"We've learned that you and Miss Su have been in close contact. You've dined alone together and met on several other occasions. The young master knows all of this. He's simply broad-minded enough not to take issue with it. However..."

He paused, his tone growing heavier.

"I hope you'll understand where to draw the line. Miss Su is the young master's fiancée. The two of you should keep your relationship ordinary. As for anything else... you'd best not entertain any thoughts you shouldn't."

After hearing him out, Lin Jin's face remained expressionless.

He merely looked at Zhao Cheng calmly, his black eyes as still as a pool of stagnant water.

"Finished?"

Zhao Cheng froze.

"If you're finished, please leave." Lin Jin raised his hand to close the door.

Zhao Cheng's expression shifted slightly, and he reached out to block the doorframe.

"Lin Jin, I'm offering you friendly advice. Don't be ungrateful!" His tone turned cold. "Who do you think you are? An unaffiliated Bloodline Inheritor with a little talent, and you've already forgotten your place? The young master only offered you this chance because you're a Bloodline Inheritor. Don't make us do this the hard way!"

Lin Jin stopped closing the door and looked at him.

"Go back and tell your young master," Lin Jin said flatly. "Who Su Qianxue chooses as her friends is her own business. It's not mine to control. As for me..."

"No one else gets to tell me how to do things."

Zhao Cheng's face turned livid.

"One last thing..." Lin Jin looked at him, a flicker of crimson flashing through his eyes. "Go back and tell your young master that if he has a problem, he can come to me himself. Sending Cats and Dogs to deliver messages will only make me think that the Zhao Clan's so-called direct descendants amount to nothing much."

As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible pressure spread out from Lin Jin.

Zhao Cheng instantly went rigid, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Those eyes... for an instant just now, he'd seen crimson.

What was that?

He desperately circulated the energy within his body, only to discover that he could not move at all.

That pressure came from the depths of his soul, leaving him unable to muster even the slightest thought of resistance.

Fortunately, the pressure vanished after only a second.

Lin Jin withdrew his gaze and said flatly, "Leave."

The door closed.

Zhao Cheng stood there, gasping for breath, his back already drenched in cold sweat.

He took several deep breaths, struggling to calm his pounding heart, then turned and hurried away.

Only after he left the stairwell and sunlight fell upon him did he feel alive again.

He glanced back at the ordinary apartment building, a trace of profound wariness flashing through his eyes.

That man was definitely no ordinary Bloodline Inheritor.

He took out his phone and dialed Zhao Ming's number.