Trapped inside the Three Talents Formation Flags, the Zhou Household ancestor and the Xu Household ancestor gradually exhausted every trump card they had as time slipped by.
At last, sharp swords formed from the metal element pierced the Xu Household ancestor's chest.
Feeling his life ebb away, the Xu Household ancestor's face filled with terror...
At that moment, he was consumed by regret!!
His years of contending with the Zhao Household, together with the Low-Level Five Thunder Talisman in his possession, had gradually inflated his pride.
Had he chosen to submit to the Lin Household just now, he could at least have kept his life!!
As the saying went, a weak power that feared not the strong and insulted its powerful neighbors without regard for propriety... was doomed to perish.
At the very last moment of his life, the Zhou Household ancestor finally came to his senses, but it was already too late.
"I refuse to accept this... I refuse to accept this!!"
The Zhou Household ancestor let out one final, furious roar, and his body slowly fell.
Immediately afterward, the fire element within the Three Talents Formation Flags gradually burned his corpse to ashes...
"Ancestor!!"
At the sight of their ancestor's fall, the Xu Household's forces erupted into chaos!
The minor powers that had followed the three households were even more terrified after witnessing Lin Xiye's methods, their hearts quaking and their bodies trembling...
The Xu Household ancestor and the Bai Household ancestor were both dead.
The remaining Zhou Household ancestor was only struggling at death's door. In a few breaths at most, he would likely perish within the Three Talents Formation Flags as well.
The destruction of the three households was already a foregone conclusion!!
"I surrender..."
"Senior Lin, spare me!"
Looking at the Xu Household ancestor, reduced to ashes with not even a bone left behind, the Zhou Household ancestor broke down completely.
Unlike the Xu Household ancestor, as soon as he realized the tide had turned against him, he cast aside all dignity and dropped to his knees inside the Three Talents Formation Flags.
"I am willing to follow you, Senior Lin, to become your servant and obey your commands for all eternity!"
"All the foundations and territory of my Zhou Household... including every member of my Zhou Household, can become servants to you, Senior Lin, and to the entire Lin Household!"
"Please show mercy, Senior Lin, and forgive my ignorance and offense."
"As a token of my sincerity, please accept this Low-Level Five Thunder Talisman, Senior Lin..."
The Zhou Household ancestor's voice was earnest and humble. He even went so far as to toss the Low-Level Five Thunder Talisman out of the Three Talents Formation Flags.
For an immortal cultivator, there was hope only as long as he lived!
Even if he had to bow and scrape for the time being, even if he had to cast aside all dignity now... as long as he kept his life, the day would come when he could turn things around.
Having lived for a hundred years, the Zhou Household ancestor saw many things very clearly.
He prostrated himself on the ground, caring nothing for his so-called face.
Deep in his heart, he felt no hatred for Lin Xiye, nor any hatred for the Lin Household.
In this immortal cultivation world where the weak were meat for the strong, hatred and anger... were the helplessness of cowards.
In any contest, a loss was a loss!!
Today he chose to bow his head, but he was only lying low for the time being. Once his fortunes turned... he would not hesitate to kill Lin Xiye and slaughter the Lin Household! He would wash away the humiliation of this day completely!!
"Submit?"
Faced with the Zhou Household ancestor's "submission," Lin Xiye narrowed his eyes slightly, then picked up the Low-Level Five Thunder Talisman the Zhou Household ancestor had offered.
After making his move against the three household ancestors, Lin Xiye's greatest gain was the two Low-Level Five Thunder Talismans he had obtained.
If he used the Immortal-Appraising Treasure Mirror to enhance these two Low-Level Five Thunder Talismans... perhaps their power could rise to the point where they could blast a Spirit Nourishing cultivator to death!!
Lin Xiye put away the Low-Level Five Thunder Talisman and fixed his gaze on the Zhou Household ancestor inside the Three Talents Formation Flags.
With the Five Thunder Talisman in the Zhou Household ancestor's hand just now, Lin Xiye could only trap him with the Three Talents Formation Flags and grind him down bit by bit.
Now that the Five Thunder Talisman was in his own hands, Lin Xiye no longer had the slightest apprehension about the Zhou Household ancestor...
Rumble!!
Lin Xiye walked into the Three Talents Formation Flags and slowly extended his hand. Terrifying power gathered, and he struck out with a thunderous palm, smashing the Zhou Household ancestor's body into a mist of blood.
It happened so quickly that even the Zhou Household ancestor failed to react...
In truth, ever since giving up the Low-Level Five Thunder Talisman, whether he cast aside his dignity or knelt in submission... the Zhou Household ancestor had been gambling!
He had gambled that Lin Xiye would accept his submission! Then he could keep his life!
Trapped within the Three Talents Formation Flags, he knew Lin Xiye feared the power of the Five Thunder Talisman and dared not casually attack him at close range.
But against the grinding assault of the Three Talents Formation Flags, after only a few more breaths... he would certainly die!!
Unfortunately, he had lost his gamble after all.
When it came to enemies, especially enemies like the Zhou Household ancestor... Lin Xiye had always cut the weeds and pulled out the roots.
"Go, now!!"
After Lin Xiye wiped out the Zhou Household ancestor, the patriarchs of the three households instantly realized the danger, as well as how decisive and ruthless Lin Xiye was!
They organized part of their forces to attack the Lin Household's forces, hoping to draw Lin Xiye's attention and stall for time! At the same time, they began arranging the retreat of their important figures...
But it was all in vain!
The Lin Household's armored guards were indeed not very strong.
But Lin Xiye alone... could match countless armored guards!!
Lin Xiye manipulated the Three Talents Formation Flags, first trapping the immortal cultivators of the three households. Then he became a series of afterimages... and began slaughtering their forces!
As for the minor powers outside the three households, Lin Xiye did not kill them all.
Those minor powers had extremely meager foundations and strength. Even if they were bound together and given another hundred years to develop... they would still fall far short of the Lin Household as it was now.
If the Lin Household was a lion, those minor powers were a pile of ants!
A lion might be wary of hyenas and jackals, but it would never care about a pile of ants...
The slaughter lasted only a moment.
The forces of the three major powers were utterly transformed by Lin Xiye's hand into a mist of blood drifting between heaven and earth!!
Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed across the sky.
As torrential rain poured down, bloody water surged through the streets of Zichuan City, and the stench of blood rose to the heavens... It was as though the entire city were about to become a purgatory on earth, a scene both eerie and horrifying!
Thud, thud!!
Swish...
The forces of the minor powers that had followed the three households were utterly stunned by the sight. Their leaders dropped to their knees before Lin Xiye, weeping bitterly in the heavy rain and kowtowing again and again.
"Ancestor Lin... we were wrong!!"
"We were possessed by ghosts and blinded by greed, and followed the three households to Zichuan City..."
"From this day forward, we are willing to submit to the Lin Household and become its most loyal servants!!"
Looking at the leaders of these minor powers, Lin Xiye did not take a single word they said to heart.
Loyalty, eternal submission... at the core of this world, there was only strength and weakness!
"Changge..."
"You handle the rest."
Lin Xiye had no interest in dealing with these minor powers...
It would be enough to leave the remaining cleanup to Lin Changge, the patriarch.
After giving his instructions, Lin Xiye turned around and was about to enter the Zhao Household residence to cultivate and recover when two incomparably powerful presences suddenly descended outside Zichuan City!