The sources of those two presences were two middle-aged men with graying hair, each holding a black umbrella.
They walked side by side, seemingly at a leisurely pace, but with every step, they crossed dozens of zhang...
These two middle-aged men were none other than the fifth and seventh elders of the Song Household!
"The city is already covered in the Lin Household's banners. It seems the Zhao Household has been utterly wiped out..."
The Song Household's seventh elder, a tall, thin man with wrinkled skin, looked around. His tone was indifferent; he paid the Zhao Household's destruction no mind at all.
Hearing this, the Song Household's fifth elder, a somewhat short and stout man with a fleshy face, nodded slightly. He stroked his graying beard and chuckled softly.
"It seems that 'Lin Household' has some strength of its own..."
As the two conversed, they stepped into Zichuan City.
Although the Lin Household had armored guards posted outside Zichuan City, before the two Song Household elders, let alone mortal guards... even a cultivator at the Bone Refining Realm could not have stopped them!!
Inside the Zhao Household residence, Lin Xiye, who had been preparing to leave, paused.
Both Song Household elders were at the middle stage of the Organ Refining Realm! And from the moment they stepped into Zichuan City, neither had made the slightest effort to conceal his presence!
Lin Xiye gazed at the two Song Household elders. Although he had just fought a battle and was not at his peak, he remained utterly unafraid.
In the struggle for the immortal path, one should back down when necessary and lie low when necessary... but when faced with something unavoidable, one could only summon courage and resolve and stake one's life on the fight!!
"Fellow Daoists, what brings you to my Zichuan City?"
Lin Xiye took out a fragment of a Spirit Stone. As he did his best to recover, he also prepared for a great battle to erupt!!
These two Song Household elders had clearly come with ill intentions.
Even so, Lin Xiye did not openly fall out with them. Instead, he dealt with the pair with a smile on his face.
Hearing Lin Xiye's voice, the Song Household's seventh elder slowly closed his black umbrella. He stood in the rain, yet not a single drop could land on him...
Sensing that Lin Xiye's presence was close to Late Viscera Refining, he was somewhat surprised. The Song Household had also gathered quite a bit of information!
According to their information, the Lin Household's patriarch was at most at the Blood Refining level...
But after a moment's surprise, the Song Household's seventh elder understood.
The Lin Household had wiped out the Zhao Household, which had numerous immortal cultivators, and even killed the Organ Refining Perfection patriarch who presided over it. Clearly, its foundation and strength were no simple matter!!
At that thought, the Song Household's seventh elder cupped his hands toward Lin Xiye and slowly spoke.
"You must be the Lin Household's patriarch... Fellow Daoist Lin Xiye?"
"Please don't take offense, Fellow Daoist Lin. We have come this time as representatives of the entire Song Household!!"
"The Purple River City Zhao Household was an important ally of my Song Household... By slaughtering the Zhao Household and occupying Zichuan City, you have challenged my Song Household's bottom line!"
"Of course, my Song Household has always been merciful. We can let the destruction of the Zhao Household go, but you must also know when to advance and when to retreat."
"Within half a shichen, please take the Lin Household's forces... and leave Zichuan City at once!!"
"This city belongs to the Zhao Household."
"Now that the Zhao Household has been destroyed, my Song Household, as its ally, should take over everything in Zichuan City!"
The Song Household's seventh elder spoke evenly, but his level tone did nothing to conceal the threat in his words.
Boom!!
As soon as the Song Household's seventh elder finished speaking, a Lin Household elder, nine chi tall and powerfully built, flew into a rage.
He slammed a heavy sword into the ground, forcibly suppressed the fury in his heart, and spoke to the Song Household's seventh elder in a low voice.
"Your Song Household may be strong, but to think you can take the city my Lin Household fought for with a single sentence is going too far..."
The Lin Household elder who had spoken struggled to restrain his emotions. He had no choice; the Song Household of Thousand Rocks City was simply too powerful!!
If they angered the Song Household, the consequences would be unthinkable!
But he still could not accept it!
From the Zhao Household's attack to the Lin Household's entry into Zichuan City... too many of the Lin Household's clansmen had sacrificed themselves, too many had lost their lives!!
Yet now, the Song Household was going to snatch away all the fruits of their victory!
Around the Lin Household elder who had spoken, the many Lin clansmen and armored guards... all wore expressions of anger as well.
Even so, everyone held themselves back. Not even the younger generation acted impulsively again.
Having undergone a baptism of life and death, they had all grown considerably.
They understood that acting on hot-blooded impulse... would only bring disaster upon the entire Lineage!
Lin Changge and a few Lin Household elders looked toward Lin Xiye.
How they should ultimately deal with the Song Household's threat... was for the patriarch to decide!
But just then, faced with the aggrieved challenge from the Lin Household elder, the Song Household's seventh elder suddenly thrust out a hand as thin as a bundle of bones, ready to strike!!
His expression was icy and haughty. With a raise of his hand, he moved to kill the Lin Household elder!
"Mortal ant..."
"Do you have the right to speak here?"
"An ant like you dares question me?! You're courting death!"
The Song Household's seventh elder was blindingly fast. Without the slightest regard for Lin Xiye's face, his body became a series of afterimages as he moved to wipe out a Lin Household elder on the spot, right before Lin Xiye's eyes!!
The sudden turn of events made the faces of the many Lin clansmen change drastically. They were both furious and aggrieved...
But before an immortal cultivator, mortal anger and grievance alike... seemed utterly meaningless.
The Song Household's seventh elder did not act this way because he was overbearing and arrogant...
He had cultivated for decades, and his heart had long since become utterly calm and rational!
He had deliberately struck to test Lin Xiye's bottom line and use the opportunity to put the Lin Household in its place!
As for the Song Household's fifth elder, he stood silently to the side, like an invisible man.
Though he was short and stout, with an honest-looking face, in truth... he was no ordinary man either.
He was keeping silent now so that, if tensions rose or even spun out of control, he could immediately step forward as the good cop and smooth things over...
After all, the two had come only to seize a share of the benefits, not to go to war with the Lin Household!
Between powers, whether one used strength to bully others or bowed and scraped... in the end, it was all for the sake of one thing: interests!
"Hmph!!"
Faced with the Song Household's seventh elder testing him and trying to put him in his place, Lin Xiye wasted no words. He directly brought out the Three Talents Formation Flags and struck back decisively!
At a time like this, no amount of talk would mean anything. Only strength and slaughter could thoroughly intimidate the opponent.
Of course, Lin Xiye would not be so reckless as to kill the Song Household's seventh elder outright.
With the Lin Household's current foundation and strength, completely making an enemy of the Song Household was simply too risky.
If the Lin Household wanted to go toe-to-toe with the Song Household, it needed to lie low and develop for a while at the very least...
So, to buy time, the Lin Household would still have to make concessions on the matter of Zichuan City!
But before giving ground, they also had to put up a fight!
Only by daring to retreat and daring to fight... could they ensure the Lin Household gained more benefits!
And the more benefits the Lin Household gained, the more offerings Lin Xiye could enjoy as its patriarch...