"Mm."
"I'll take half of this worldly gold and silver. As for the rest, arrange it as you see fit."
Faced with all the worldly gold and silver, Lin Xiye remained calm, without the slightest ripple in his heart.
Whether worldly gold and silver or immortal cultivation resources... to Lin Xiye, they were merely consumables used to increase his strength.
What immortal cultivators cared about was always their own strength.
Without becoming an immortal, everything was an illusion...
"Yes, Ancestor."
Once Lin Xiye had spoken, Lin Changge dared not refuse and hurriedly answered respectfully.
Even if their ancestor took half of the Zhao Household's accumulated wealth, the remaining gold, silver, and jewels would still allow the Lin Household to develop rapidly...
And the Zhao Household's accumulated wealth was not even the most valuable prize.
What could truly allow the Lin Household to continue rising and advance step by step toward its peak... was the territory within a thousand li of Zichuan City.
Tap! Tap, tap!!
While the Lin Household was busy maintaining order in Zichuan City and hunting down the remnants of the Zhao Household, the forces led by the Bai Household had already entered the city.
"I am Bai Youfu, here on behalf of the Bai Household to offer our congratulations on the Lin Household's entry into Zichuan City!!"
"From this day forward, may my Bai Household, the Zhou Household, the Xu Household... and all the other forces remain on good terms with the Lin Household forever, and together maintain order within a thousand li of Zichuan City!"
The Bai Household's ancestor sat in a carriage and spoke to Lin Changge at a leisurely pace, his tone calm.
Behind him, the Zhou Household's ancestor, the Xu Household's ancestor... and the leaders of the smaller forces also began calling out their congratulations to the Lin Household.
"Congratulations to the Lin Household on entering Zichuan City!"
"Congratulations to the Lin Household on entering Zichuan City!"
Hearing the congratulations from the various forces, Lin Changge frowned slightly.
These forces had gathered here with such fanfare... clearly, they were challenging the Lin Household!
They were announcing to the Lin Household that even if it replaced the Zhao Household, it could forget about making them submit!!
Over the past hundred years, these forces had huddled together for warmth, and even the Zhao Household... had not dared to act rashly.
That was because the Bai Household, the Xu Household, and the Zhou Household each had a Bone Refining Realm ancestor holding the fort. Together with the smaller forces, they could also muster nearly twenty immortal cultivators!
And with the armored guards behind these forces, even the Zhao Household would have to pay a considerable price to swallow them up!!
The Zhao Household had originally planned to take Qiao Town first, then wipe out the Bai Household with the speed of a thunderclap before one could cover one's ears... and finally seize complete control of the thousand li surrounding Zichuan City!
The Zhao Household had endured for four hundred years, and its accumulated strength had surpassed any point in its history! Had it not encountered the rise of the Lin Household, it was destined to sweep through the thousand li around Zichuan City and even extend its influence beyond that...
After all, although there were struggles within the Zhao Household, they had not produced a rift like the one in the Song Household.
Unfortunately, the affairs of this world were ever-changing. Before the Zhao Household had the chance to rise, it had been completely replaced by the Lin Household...
Before the Zhao Household fell, its patriarch had made all manner of efforts, attempting to preserve the Zhao Household's legacy, or at least save his own life...
But in the end, all his efforts had been meaningless! Even the Song Household, whose intervention he had hoped for, had failed to reach Zichuan City in the end.
One could only say that such was the fate of the lineage.
Clang!!
Just as the Bai Household and the other forces were attempting to intimidate the Lin Household, a flash of sword light suddenly pierced the void!
The sword light fell, blood stained the sky, and a head dropped straight to the ground...
"Within a thousand li of Zichuan City, the Lin Household alone reigns supreme!"
"Maintain order together with my Lin Household? Are the likes of you worthy?"
The one who had swung the sword... was none other than Lin Xiye!!
Beneath a sky shrouded in dark clouds, his white hair danced wildly and his gray robes billowed. Empowered by the immense strength of the Organ Refining Realm, he had cut off the Bai Household ancestor's head with a single stroke, even with nothing more than an ordinary iron sword in hand!
At the sight of Lin Xiye suddenly striking, the Zhou Household's ancestor and the Xu Household's ancestor were horrified.
They had never imagined... that Lin Xiye would act without any scruples, striking the moment he chose to!!
They had dared to oppose the Zhao Household before, and now dared to challenge the Lin Household... not because they were foolish! It was because they held trump cards!
Each of the three households had a low-level Five Thunder Talisman!
Although they were low-level Five Thunder Talismans, if detonated, even a Spirit Nourishing cultivator... would be injured!!
"Senior Lin, what is the meaning of this?"
"Even if you are a senior in the Organ Refining Realm, you must give our three households an explanation for what happened today!!"
The Zhou Household's ancestor spoke in a low voice as he summoned a talisman wreathed in lightning and emitting a dangerous presence, as though he might hurl it at Lin Xiye at any moment!
The Xu Household's ancestor likewise summoned a Five Thunder Talisman, staring coldly at Lin Xiye...
Faced with those two Five Thunder Talismans, Lin Xiye was somewhat wary as well.
But the Lin Household had to uproot all three of these households, as well as those forces unwilling to submit!!
With his sneak attack just now, Lin Xiye had already dealt with the Bai Household's ancestor and seized the Five Thunder Talisman he carried, greatly reducing the pressure on Lin Xiye!
With the three ancestors' own strength alone, they posed no threat whatsoever to Lin Xiye!
As long as he could evade those Five Thunder Talismans... after today, no force within a thousand li of Zichuan City would be able to threaten the Lin Household again!!
Although Lin Xiye was wary of the two Five Thunder Talismans, he was not without a way to deal with them.
If he had not been confident, Lin Xiye would not have openly fallen out with the three households!
The most fundamental reasons the Zhao Household had been unable to deal with the three households... were, first, that it feared losses, and that its ancestor did not possess an offensive Spirit-Nurturing Grade Law Treasure.
Otherwise, even though the three households possessed low-level Five Thunder Talismans, the Zhao Household would have uprooted them long ago!
"Very well, I'll give you an explanation right now..."
Lin Xiye looked at the Zhou Household's ancestor and the Xu Household's ancestor, a ruthless glint appearing in his eyes!
Just as the two ancestors heard Lin Xiye's response and thought he was going to compromise and back down after seeing the Five Thunder Talismans... Lin Xiye suddenly summoned a formation flag!
After consuming several Spirit Stone fragments, the formation flag instantly erupted with elemental power!
In an instant, an area fifty meters around the formation flag was enveloped, with the flag at its center!!
Metal, wood, fire... the power of the three elements condensed into streaks of murderous intent, descending upon the two ancestors at once!
"You... you..."
The two ancestors immediately panicked. They had never expected Lin Xiye to possess a Spirit-Nurturing Grade Law Treasure capable of attacking an area!!
Trapped inside the Three Talents Formation Flags, the Xu Household's ancestor was the first to use his Five Thunder Talisman, attempting to blast the Three Talents Formation Flags apart.
But... this Five Thunder Talisman was ultimately only the lowest-level kind. It was simply impossible for it to shake the Three Talents Formation Flags!!
As for attacking Lin Xiye with a Five Thunder Talisman? That was even more impossible!
After activating the Three Talents Formation Flags, Lin Xiye also summoned the Earth River Shield he had obtained from the Zhao Household's ancestor, protecting his body.
With the two Spirit-Nurturing Grade Law Treasures, one attacking and the other defending, the low-level Five Thunder Talismans in the hands of the Zhou and Xu Household ancestors could not truly threaten Lin Xiye.