Chapter 40

 The elders of the Lin family stared resolutely at the slowly approaching Spirit Serpent Elder. Even if it cost them their lives, they were determined to give their family’s genius a chance to escape.

“Patriarch Lin, it seems you’ve chosen to resist to the end. In that case, don’t blame me for showing no mercy.”

“Disciples and elders of the Chu family, listen to my command—today, we shall wash the Lin family in blood!”

A pleased smile spread across Chu Xiong’s face. The prospect of finally annihilating his long-time enemy and dominating Tai’an City filled him with excitement, knowing it would propel the Chu family toward even greater glory.

At Chu Xiong’s command, the disciples of the Chu family surged forward, encircling the Lin estate so tightly that not a single gap remained. The oppressive aura of imminent violence filled the air, terrifying the young Lin disciples—many of whom had never experienced the brutality of life-or-death combat—into pale silence.

Lin Qing’er’s face was ashen. Her senior brother, who held status and connections even among nobles in the capital, now lay unconscious on the ground, his life hanging by a thread after a single slap. The protective talisman that was supposed to withstand the attacks of a Qi Sea Realm seventh-stage expert had shattered in mere moments, offering no defense at all.

Just as despair crept into Lin Qing’er’s heart, she noticed something strange in the surroundings.

“Snow… it’s snowing.”

Snowflakes began to drift from the sky. Strangely, they only fell on the members of the Chu family.

The crowd stared in confusion at this bizarre phenomenon.

“Hmph, what trickery is this?” one of the Chu family elders sneered, brushing at the snow on his sleeve. However, the moment his hand touched the snowflake, he let out a bloodcurdling scream. His hand suddenly seared with unbearable heat, smoke rising from his skin as it crumbled into ash within seconds.

This horrifying scene didn’t stop there. All across the Chu family’s ranks, those touched by the snow began to disintegrate into dust, leaving behind nothing but faint footprints on the ground, as if they had never existed.

“Something’s wrong with this snow! Avoid it—stay away from the snow!” Chu Xiong bellowed in panic.

But it was too late. In mere moments, more than half of the Chu family’s disciples and elders had been consumed by the deadly snow, vanishing without a trace.

Over three hundred elite Chu family members were reduced to ashes in an instant. Chu Xiong’s heart bled at the loss—these men were the future of the Chu family.

“Who? Who dares oppose the Chu family? Show yourself, or I swear I’ll make you wish for death!”

Chu Xiong’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. So many of his disciples and elders had perished without even understanding how they died. Even if he destroyed the Lin family today, this loss was beyond devastating.

“Could there really be a hidden master protecting the Lin family?” whispered the Lin elders to one another, a glimmer of hope lighting their weary eyes. If an unknown expert had intervened, perhaps the Lin family could yet survive this ordeal.

But their hopeful expressions quickly shifted to disbelief.

Boom!

Although the sun blazed overhead, the temperature plummeted to a bone-chilling cold. A terrifying aura swept through the area, commanding everyone’s attention.

“Is that… Xuan’er?” Lin Ba’s eyes locked onto a figure clad in white. Were it not for the unmistakable bond of blood, he might not have recognized him at all.

Lin Xuan stood tall, radiating a soft white light. His once-black hair had turned a brilliant silver, and a silvery flame flickered on his forehead. Fire seemed to dance around his body, yet his presence was as cold and overwhelming as a divine being.

Snowflakes swirled around him in an eerie, hypnotic display. Lin Ba wanted to warn Lin Xuan about the dangerous snow, but the flakes simply melted harmlessly against his skin.

With every step Lin Xuan took, the surrounding temperature dropped further. The ground cracked and frosted beneath his feet, leaving icy footprints behind.

“Is that… my cousin, Lin Xuan?” Lin Yan muttered, his young face filled with shock and disbelief.

Inside his mind, the old master’s voice trembled with astonishment. “This… This is the perfected form of a spiritual body! How did he achieve this without a legacy? It’s impossible!”

Lin Xuan’s power was now fully revealed. The suffocating aura around him indicated that he had reached the fourth stage of the Qi Sea Realm.

“What kind of monster are you?” Chu Xiong gasped, trembling uncontrollably. His body bent instinctively under the pressure, as if he were standing before a god and committing an unforgivable sin.

Lin Xuan cast a cold, indifferent glance in Chu Xiong’s direction and waved his hand lightly. The snowflakes around him surged into the air, condensing into countless tiny ice shards. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the shards shot toward the Chu family’s remaining forces like a deadly storm.

There was no escape. The disciples and elders of the Chu family tried to flee, but the relentless hail of ice pierced through them, reducing their bodies to nothing more than mist and blood that evaporated before it could even stain the ground.

“Monster… This must be some kind of monster…” Chu Xiong muttered, his body trembling with fear as his mind went blank. He knew then that the Chu family was doomed.

A crushing weight of power descended upon him, forcing him to his knees. As he struggled to lift his head, he saw the figure in white—an otherworldly being—and then, with a simple wave of Lin Xuan’s hand, his consciousness slipped into eternal darkness.

The head of one of Tai’an City’s three great families had been erased, reduced to nothing more than frozen fragments.

To the Lin family, Lin Xuan’s arrival was nothing short of divine intervention. The sight of him standing alone, obliterating the Chu family, inspired awe and reverence. Some younger members of the Lin family even knelt on the ground in worship, convinced that they were in the presence of a deity.

“Is that really Lin Xuan?” Lin Qing’er whispered, staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure. A deep sense of regret welled up inside her heart.

Compared to the dazzling youths of the royal capital, how many could match the grace and power of this young man, clad in white, bringing an entire clan to ruin with the flick of a hand?

Even the finest talents of the Da Yan Academy, or the most gifted of the royal family, couldn’t achieve such effortless dominance.

He was like a god among mortals—someone beyond the reach of ordinary people.

A bitter smile crept across Lin Qing’er’s face. “Yanran, cousin… Your judgment was better than mine.”

She regretted everything. Why had she left for Da Yan Academy? Why had she been so enchanted by the allure of the outside world? Why had she compared Lin Xuan to others?

But now, it was too late for regrets.