Just as he was about to speak, Qing Yue glanced at him, a single look carrying this is not over, and Han Leu instantly trembled before going quiet like a subdued little animal under a predator’s gaze.

Qing Yue then turned and bowed slightly toward Lin Xiao Tian, her tone returning to calm. "Sect Master, you should make your preparations," she said, and Lin Xiao Tian returned the gesture before turning to leave with Chu Yue and Han Leu.

As they stepped out, Qing Yue watched their backs in silence, her fingers slowly clenching as her nails dug into her palms.

Do not disappoint me.

As Lin Xiao Tian walked down, the jade slip in his hand began to crack and dissolve, its contents already etched into his mind as he contemplated what he had just learned. Just as he was about to speak with Han Leu and Chu Yue, the moment they stepped down, a loud commotion reached them.

A large crowd had already gathered, voices clashing as tension filled the air, and as they pushed through, the scene became clear. Yan Feng, Xiaoshan, and the others stood facing another group clad in black robes, their presence sharp and aggressive.

At the front stood a handsome young man radiating a Golden Core aura, his posture relaxed yet domineering, while beside him stood another whose face was swollen like he had been beaten repeatedly. The contrast was almost absurd.

Chu Yue’s eyes widened slightly as she recognized them. "These are the brutes from the Iron Blood War Sect," she said in a low voice.

Lin Xiao Tian let out a quiet sigh, his expression turning faintly helpless. "These heaven-favored ones truly cannot stay quiet for even a few moments," he muttered, already stepping forward.

As he approached with Han Leu and Chu Yue, the crowd instinctively parted, the tension breaking for a brief moment as all eyes shifted toward them. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The Iron Blood Sect members looked over with confusion, but on the other side, the moment Yan Feng and the others saw Lin Xiao Tian arrive, the tension on their faces completely vanished, their expressions turning almost... aggrieved, as if they had just been bullied.

Lin Xiao Tian looked at their expressions, a faint twitch appearing on his face as he stepped forward, already understanding more than he wanted to. The leader of the opposing faction spoke first, his gaze sharp as it fell on Lin Xiao Tian’s robes. "Are these your disciples, fellow Daoist," he asked, noticing the same symbol and narrowing his eyes slightly.

Lin Xiao Tian gave a small nod, his tone calm and measured despite the situation. "They are indeed mine, may I know if they have caused any affront in some way," he said, his gaze steady as he looked at the man without the slightest hint of backing down.

Hearing this, the man’s expression turned fierce instantly, his aura flaring slightly as his voice grew cold. "Your disciples dared to gang up on ours," he said, his tone filled with aggression, "and I will not leave until each one of them as well as you kneel and kowtows today."

Lin Xiao Tian paused for a brief moment, genuinely taken aback by the sheer arrogance in the man’s words, his expression turning slightly strange. This level of confidence... does he actually believe what he is saying.

Before Lin Xiao Tian could even speak, the calm atmosphere shattered as the disciples’ auras surged all at once, even Han Leu’s expression turning cold as their anger rose without restraint.

The sudden pressure forced the opposing faction to take a step back instinctively, their earlier arrogance cracking under the overwhelming momentum.

Lin Xiao Tian raised his hand slightly, suppressing the surge for a brief moment, stopping Xiaoshan’s massive halberd mid-descent with precise control. "Hold for a moment," he said calmly, his tone steady despite the explosive tension building around them.

He then stepped forward and approached the man in command, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder as if speaking to an acquaintance. "Dear Daoist, I truly have no intention of going against you," he said with a faint smile, "but you see, I cannot really stop them, so if you wish to leave on your own two legs, you should hand over your storage rings... and your weapons."

His gaze swept across them briefly, calm yet calculating. The heavens truly favor me today.

The man’s expression turned even more distorted as he heard this, unable to comprehend the sheer audacity in front of him. "You dare threaten the Iron Blood War Sect," he said coldly, his aura flaring. "You will not meet a good end, reinforcements are already on the way, and when they arrive, we will strip you to nothing and make you all kowtow."

His gaze then shifted toward Chu Yue and the other female disciples, a crude grin forming on his face. "Though perhaps we may spare the ladies from such humiliation."

Lin Xiao Tian’s expression stilled for a moment before he let out a soft sigh. "May you meet a good end," he said calmly, already stepping aside.

The next instant, Xiaoshan’s halberd descended like a falling mountain, tearing through the air with terrifying force. The man raised his hand with complete confidence, scoffing. "Do you think a Core Formation brute can challenge a Golden Core expert like me—"

His words were cut off as the halberd tore straight through his defense, crushing through fingers and bone as if they were nothing, before cleaving into his shoulder. A scream tore out of his throat, sharp and desperate, echoing like a slaughtered animal.

In mere moments, the entire Iron Blood War Sect group collapsed, each one subdued without even managing to mount proper resistance.

Lin Xiao Tian, Han Leu, Chu Yue, and her disciples stood there without even raising a hand, watching the scene unfold as silence returned just as quickly as it had broken.

Lin Xiao Tian looked at them, his gaze lingering for a brief moment as a faint thought surfaced. We really have come far... they have grown much stronger.