Chapter 13 - The Death of Jiang Tianyang, The Jiang Family Begs for Mercy
“Who dares to attack the family head?” a furious Jiang family elder shouted as he rushed forward to assist.
But before he could take action, the main gates of the Lin family burst open, and a group of Lin family elders stepped forward, blocking his path.
“We fight our battle, you fight yours. Let’s not interfere with each other,” one of the Lin family elders said coldly. “I hear the Jiang family wants a share of our resources?”
The Jiang elder’s face paled. He wanted to rush to Jiang Tianyang’s aid, but he suddenly felt an overwhelming, suffocating pressure descend on him. It was an aura far beyond what a Foundation Establishment cultivator could emit. He knew, without a doubt, that if he took another step, he would die.
The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning: this could only be the presence of a Golden Core cultivator.
“A Golden Core expert? How could the Lin family have one? Could it be…” The thought made the elder’s mind race, but he dared not continue down that line of thinking.
Meanwhile, Jiang Tianyang and Lin Song had been battling fiercely for some time. Despite being overpowered, Lin Song fought on with increasing ferocity, seemingly growing stronger as the fight went on.
“Damn it! Who are you?” Jiang Tianyang shouted as he knocked Lin Song back with a powerful strike, his voice filled with frustration.
Lin Song’s relentless and suicidal attacks were unsettling. Jiang Tianyang could tell he was from the Lin family, but he didn’t recognize him. He knew the Lin family’s main fighters well, and there was no one like this crazed man.
Despite his age, Lin Song fought like a wild beast, ignoring pain and death, his eyes filled with nothing but a desire to kill. Initially, Lin Song had hoped to survive the battle. But as the fight dragged on and Jiang Tianyang’s strength became apparent, Lin Song realized that survival was impossible. Now, he was determined to take Jiang Tianyang down with him.
If he could kill Jiang Tianyang, his death would be worth it—a redemption for his crimes and a release from his torment.
With that thought, Lin Song’s aura surged, and his combat strength spiked once more.
Cultivators from well-established families often had a limited number of techniques. They would typically focus on mastering one primary technique and supporting it with two or three supplementary ones. The outcome of a battle depended on their main technique and their ability to adapt.
Lin Song’s main technique was the “Grass and Wood Sword Art”, the highest-level technique of the Lin family before Lin Xuan’s recent breakthroughs. The sword art was excellent for one-on-one combat and long, drawn-out battles, with a strong emphasis on defense. However, it lacked offensive power.
To kill his enemies with the Grass and Wood Sword Art, Lin Song either needed to vastly outclass his opponent or exhaust them until they were completely depleted of energy.
Now, Lin Song was prepared to abandon the Grass and Wood Sword Art and take a gamble. He would use the half-formed Seven Kills Sword Technique that Lin Xuan had passed to him the previous night.
While he hadn’t fully understood the technique, Lin Song felt that simply executing its moves would be enough to challenge Jiang Tianyang.
“Kill!” Lin Song roared, sending his sword flying toward Jiang Tianyang in a blinding arc of light.
Jiang Tianyang didn’t flinch. A flash of spiritual energy in his palm deflected the flying sword with ease.
But Lin Song was unfazed. With a flick of his mind, the sword twisted in the air and shot back toward Jiang Tianyang from another angle.
“Do you think the same trick will work on me twice?” Jiang Tianyang sneered, activating his Wind Control Technique to increase his speed. He lunged toward Lin Song, aiming to kill him before the sword could return.
At the Foundation Establishment stage, cultivators could fly using their weapons. They could also temporarily increase their speed using techniques like the Wind Control Technique, allowing them to step through the air.
Jiang Tianyang used this technique to close the distance between him and Lin Song, planning to strike before Lin Song could defend himself.
Seeing Jiang Tianyang approach at terrifying speed, Lin Song’s face paled. He called his sword back to him, but it wasn’t fast enough to stop Jiang Tianyang’s charge.
“You’re not getting away! It’s too late now!” Jiang Tianyang shouted as he sped up, his palm glowing with power as he prepared to unleash his Crashing Wave Palm, a devastating blow meant to end Lin Song’s life.
“Die!” Jiang Tianyang roared, his palm flying toward Lin Song’s chest.
At that moment, Lin Song did something unexpected. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward, directly into Jiang Tianyang’s attack.
“Huh?” Jiang Tianyang hesitated for a split second, alarm bells ringing in his head. Was this some kind of trick?
But the hesitation passed quickly, and his Crashing Wave Palm slammed into Lin Song’s chest, sending a shockwave of force through his body.
“He must have realized there’s no escape…” Jiang Tianyang thought, relaxing slightly as his attack hit home. He chastised himself for being too paranoid.
However, just as the thought crossed his mind, a sharp pain exploded in his chest. Looking down, he saw a sword protruding from his body.
A blood-soaked hand clutched the hilt of the sword tightly.
Beyond that, Jiang Tianyang could see no more. His vision darkened, and he felt the life draining from his body.
As his consciousness faded, memories of his past flashed before his eyes. He tried to hold onto them, but everything slipped away.
…
“Jiang Tianyang is dead. Lin Song still has a breath left in him. Bring him back. Whether he lives or dies is up to fate now,” Lin Xuan said calmly from the rooftop overlooking the Lin family’s courtyard.
Since Lin Song had succeeded in killing Jiang Tianyang, Lin Xuan would honor his promise. The past would be forgotten.
However, Lin Song’s future was uncertain, and his path would be difficult from here on out.
“Understood!” One of the Lin family elders bowed and left to carry out the order.
“With Jiang Tianyang dead, there’s no reason to let the rest of them go. Kill them all,” Lin Xuan said coldly, his eyes flashing with a chilling light as he looked at the remaining Jiang family members outside the gate.
Lin Xuan had seen everything clearly. The Jiang family had come today with the intention of exterminating the Lin family. Had he not broken through to the Golden Core stage, the Lin family would have been wiped out.
In the cultivation world, it was a simple rule: the strong devour the weak. It was kill or be killed.
Those who kill must be prepared to face death.
Since the Jiang family had come to destroy the Lin family, they would have to be ready to face destruction themselves.
“I’ve been waiting for this! Kill them all!” Lin Hui roared, his voice filled with excitement as he charged toward the Jiang family members.
The other Lin family elders, equally eager for battle, followed closely behind, joining in the slaughter.
Even though Lin Xuan didn’t personally intervene, his overwhelming aura left the Jiang family cultivators helpless. They were like lambs to the slaughter, unable to resist the Lin family’s onslaught.
Within moments, most of the Jiang family members had been cut down.
“Lin Xuan! Though the Jiang and Lin families have had their conflicts, we’ve lived in the same city for many years. There’s still some bond between us.”
“My Jiang family’s Jiang Haoyun is a disciple of the Sand Sea Sect. Could you spare the remaining members of the Jiang family, for the sake of the Sand Sea Sect?”
“I promise we will forget everything that happened today and leave with the survivors, never to return to…”