Lin Hai and Lin Feng walked towards the main platform, where Lin Bandao, the Great Elder, Lin Haoran, and Lin Qian were seated, high above, as if they were the masters of the Lin family.
Seeing Lin Hai and Lin Feng approach, Great Elder Lin Zhen stood up and said loudly, "Since you have arrived, let's start the annual meeting."
Lin Hai stopped in his tracks upon hearing Lin Zhen's words, just staring at him, making the Lin family members look at him with puzzled expressions, unsure of what he was up to.
"Lin Hai, what are you doing?" Lin Zhen asked, seeing Lin Hai stop.
"Hmph, Lin Zhen, I ask you, who is the head of the Lin family now?" Lin Hai said coldly.
Great Elder Lin Zhen's gaze sharpened, and his expression turned sour, but he still replied, "Of course, it's you, Lin Hai."
"Then I ask you again, is the Lin family annual meeting the most important event for the Lin family?" Lin Hai looked straight at Lin Zhen and continued to ask.
"Of course, the annual meeting of the Lin family is the most important moment every year."
"Very well, I have one more question for you, who presides over the most important event of the Lin family?"
Upon hearing Lin Hai's words, Lin Zhen's face turned completely grim, clearly already knowing what Lin Hai meant.
"The most important events of the Lin family are presided over by the head of the family."
"Since that's the case, Lin Zhen, I want to ask you, what are you doing there? Do you still recognize me as the head of the family?" Lin Hai's voice was icy. It was no secret that Lin Zhen and Lin Bandao were in cahoots, and almost everyone in the Lin family knew it. Now, Lin Zhen was becoming increasingly brazen.
"Hehe, Second Uncle, you were the one who arrived late. What's wrong with the Great Elder taking charge? Second Uncle, you are being too petty." Lin Qian spoke up calmly.
"Shut up." Lin Hai shouted, "When the elders are speaking, it's not your turn to interrupt. Lin Bandao, control your daughter; what kind of manners does she have?"
Lin Qian's face stiffened, cursing in her heart. This guy must be going crazy, knowing that his position as head of the family won't last much longer.
"At least she's better than your useless son." Lin Bandao glared at Lin Feng and sneered. Now that Lin Qian was so prominent in the Lin family, she wouldn't tolerate Lin Hai's insults.
"Watch your words. A mere head of the Lin family is like an ant to us in the Hao Yue Sect." A woman from the Hao Yue Sect, standing beside Lin Qian, sneered. She was dressed in fine clothing, her cold face showing a hint of cruelty. Like Lin Qian, she was an inner disciple of the Hao Yue Sect and looked down on the Lin family.
"Your Hao Yue Sect may be great, but why are you sitting in my Lin family? My father is the head of the Lin family and never invited you. Do you have a thick skin by nature?" Lin Feng, who had been silent, couldn't help but speak up. When it came to verbal sparring, who could match him, a man who had lived two lives? The language of that world was profound and rich.
"You... A useless Cloud Sea Sect member, daring to speak so arrogantly." The cruel woman's expression changed, but she then sneered.
"Whether I am useless or not is not the issue, but I know how to write the words 'integrity' and 'shame.' Unlike someone who comes to another's home and insults the master of the house. The people the Hao Yue Sect cultivates are indeed powerful, just as you said."
Lin Feng's words were sharp, and Lin Qian and the others immediately changed their expressions.
"Beast, how dare you insult the Hao Yue Sect." An elder stood up and shouted at Lin Feng.
"Pathetic. Someone stands in the Lin family and insults the master of the Lin family, yet someone stands up to defend them. I want to ask, Seventh Elder, are you a member of the Lin family or a dog of the Hao Yue Sect?"
Every word Lin Feng spoke was sharp, like a blade, and he firmly held the moral high ground, leaving no room for criticism.
"Well said. I also want to ask, Seventh Elder, are you a Lin?" Lin Hai echoed, surprised by his son's not only increased cultivation but also his sharp words, which cut to the bone.
"Alright, we admit our mistake. The annual meeting is the most important event for the Lin family and cannot be delayed. Please, Head of the Family, come and preside over it." Great Elder Lin Zhen, following Lin Bandao's instructions, made a slight concession. He wanted to see how long Lin Hai and Lin Feng could remain arrogant.
"Hmph." Lin Hai waved his sleeve and walked with Lin Feng to the main seat, then sat in the center of the crowd.
"How long will you remain arrogant? Once I become a core disciple of the sect, Lin Hai, I will make you pay." Lin Qian said coldly in her heart.
"Let's start the annual meeting." Lin Hai's eyes swept across the training ground. The Lin family had about four to five hundred members, with about seventy young disciples between twelve and eighteen, the prime of their youth. Unfortunately, some members of the family had ulterior motives, and the family was divided, lacking any cohesion. Perhaps it was a mistake for his father to leave him the position of head of the family.
Lin Hai felt a bit bitter in his heart. If not for that powerful martial soul... why would he need to worry about the position of head of the Lin family?
"Father, rest assured, I will not let the Lin family decline in my hands." Lin Hai felt guilty, remembering his father's last words before he died. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to fully focus on the Lin family.
The annual meeting was essentially a test of the family's disciples' cultivation, to see how much they had improved over the year. The younger generation represented the future of the family.
The content of the annual meeting was combat, to test their strength in battle.
The second elder of the Lin family walked to the center of the combat platform and said loudly, "The first round of the annual meeting is a free-for-all. Everyone come to the platform. The last thirty-two people standing on the platform will advance to the next round."
After speaking, the second elder of the Lin family stepped down from the platform, and the young disciples of the Lin family began to ascend.
Lin Feng nodded to Lin Hai and also walked onto the platform.
"I wonder if Lin Qian and the others will deliberately target me." Standing at the edge of the platform, Lin Feng's eyes flickered, thinking to himself.
Soon, seventy-three young disciples were all on the large platform, their eyes wary, especially the weaker ones, who were likely to be the first targets.
As soon as Lin Qian stepped onto the platform, people made way for her, no one daring to provoke her. The purpose of the first round was to eliminate the weak. The stronger ones rarely moved unless they were looking for death, and Lin Qian was undoubtedly one of the strongest. People avoided her, let alone attacking her.
As for Lin Feng, he quickly noticed that many people were eyeing him. They all had flickering eyes, looking at him as if he were prey, considering him an easy target.
The battle on the platform had already begun. A young man with a long spear approached Lin Feng, and the others avoided him, clearly knowing he was not to be trifled with.
"Get out of here yourself, don't make a fool of yourself." Lin Wu looked at Lin Feng with disdain. He was the son of the seventh elder, who had a conflict with Lin Feng earlier.
Lin Wu had already reached the seventh level of the Qi Wu realm half a year ago and should now be at the eighth level, on par with Lin Yu.
"He's mine." A cold voice came from behind, and Lin Qian, dressed in a phoenix-tailed robe, walked over, looking invincible.
"Sure." Lin Wu naturally wouldn't compete with Lin Qian for the target and stepped aside.
Lin Qian walked up to Lin Feng and said, "Don't worry, no one will touch you in this round. You will advance smoothly. It wouldn't be very interesting if you were eliminated so early."
"Huh?" Lin Feng was taken aback, not expecting Lin Qian to protect him. It was indeed a bit absurd, but if he could advance without a fight, why not? Of course, Lin Qian, who had seen him in action, might also realize that if she didn't personally take action, few people here could actually eliminate Lin Feng.
On the life-and-death platform of the Cloud Sea Sect, Lin Feng had once severed the arm of a ninth-level Qi Wu realm cultivator with a single sword strike.
"What is Lin Qian up to, why is she keeping that waste of space?" The Great Elder, who was preparing to see Lin Feng humiliated, asked Lin Bandao in a low voice when he saw Lin Qian protect him.
"Don't you think it's fun to see a waste of space advance to the second round? And in the second round, it's a round-robin, with each person fighting several matches. What do you think will happen to this waste of space then?" Lin Bandao thought he understood Lin Qian's intentions and smiled particularly sinisterly.
"Hehe, I never thought of that. Indeed, it will be a good show." Lin Zhen, hearing the explanation, thought it was a clever move. He could already imagine Lin Feng being repeatedly humiliated in the second round. Would his sharp tongue still have a stage to perform then?