Hearing Lin Xuan's words, Lin Feng was stunned for a moment before a bitter expression surfaced on his face. "I never thought you'd see through it all in the end. Then again, it's not surprising. You could probably guess some of it from the way I was talking."
He immediately looked up at Lin Xuan and said, "Yes, the Lin Family is indeed facing a monumental crisis. It should arrive within a few years, and when it does, I'm afraid the entire Lin Family will be wiped out!"
Lin Feng's tone was heavy and bitter, carrying the grim resolve of a hero forced to make a painful sacrifice. 'We knew this was coming, yet we didn't move away. It's obvious we can't escape, so we have no choice but to stay here.'
'The Lin Family is going to be wiped out?' Inside the Soul Pearl, Lin Hua was shocked. He had been confined here the whole time, so it was only natural that he didn't know.
"What's going on?" Lin Xuan's voice was low. So, it was just as he had suspected.
"The situation is dire. The Third Prince, whom our Lin Family supports, is weak, while the Eldest Prince's faction is terrifyingly powerful. If nothing changes, he'll ascend the throne in a few years, and at that point, the Lin Family…" Lin Feng shook his head and sighed, unable to continue. The rest was obvious.
To put it simply, the Lin Family had backed the wrong horse.
In a struggle for the throne, choosing the wrong side was a terrifying mistake. The rival factions were as incompatible as fire and water. Whichever Prince ascended to the throne would make it their first priority to eliminate the supporters of the others. This was the brutal reality of the battlefield. Even if they weren't completely exterminated, they would still face ruin and death.
Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed. He had already heard some of the rumors swirling about. The reason the Huang Family and Fang Family were eyeing the Lin Family like hungry tigers was that they were both allied with the Eldest Prince, so of course they were hostile.
At this point, it was impossible for the Lin Family to escape. If they announced they were abandoning the Third Prince, the Third Prince himself wouldn't let them off the hook, let alone the Eldest Prince. "To serve a ruler is to be at the side of a tiger"—that saying wasn't for nothing.
"So you wanted to heal my eyes so I could leave this place in secret?" Lin Xuan said, looking up at Lin Feng.
"Yes. Right now, only you and Xue'Er can leave. I'm afraid it's impossible for anyone else to be moved from here…" Lin Feng sighed. Lin Xue was under the protection of Qingcheng Mansion, and no one would care if Lin Xuan suddenly vanished. But the others were different; they were all marked by the Lin Family's Identity Token.
"Time is short. Every extra moment you stay here is another moment of danger! I originally wanted to find a cure for your eyes, but you've already healed. What exactly happened? I refuse to believe that environment could have cured you." Lin Feng was still reeling from the shock. Besides his eyes, the Eight Extremes Staff Technique had also left him stunned.
He was the only one in the entire Lin Family who knew it. Not even Lin Xue had learned it. How could he not be shocked that Lin Xuan knew this Martial Technique?
More importantly, it was absolutely impossible for him to believe that place was so miraculous. The Fierce Nether Snake's poison wasn't something you could just get rid of by soaking in a lake. It was a complete joke.
"Actually, a senior helped me one day. He healed me and then taught me a Martial Technique. As for whether he's from the main branch of the Lin Family, I really don't know… If you hadn't told me, Clan Leader, I would have never known I was a Young Master of the main branch." The revelation had been a huge shock for Lin Xuan as well.
It was like being a beggar, only to have someone suddenly come up and tell you that your parents were the richest people in the world. It was utterly unbelievable.
"He must have been from the main branch!" Lin Feng's expression shifted several times, then he frowned. "But that's not right. To know about you and only heal your eyes without telling you anything… that doesn't make sense. Where is he now?"
"I don't know. He left after he taught me. That was a little while ago," Lin Xuan said, offering a plausible excuse. It seemed absurd, but it was also reasonable.
There was no way he could explain that it was the Soul Pearl. No one would believe him if he said it, and he had no intention of saying it anyway.
"A while ago… So you've only recovered recently. Regardless of whether he was from the main branch or not, this is a good thing for you." Lin Feng relaxed. As long as the mysterious person had no intention of harming Lin Xuan, that was enough. If they had wanted to hurt him, they would have done it long ago. Why wait until now, only to heal his eyes?
"You can go back and prepare now. Leave the Lin Family tonight!" Lin Feng said in a low, serious voice.
"I'm not leaving!" Lin Xuan refused without hesitation. "I will live or die with the Lin Family! I'm sure Lin Xue would do the same!"
"Don't act on emotion!" Lin Feng glared at him, his powerful aura flaring slightly and instantly pressing down on Lin Xuan. "You still have a long road ahead of you. Staying here is a gamble with almost no chance of survival. You're better off going out into the world, changing your identity, and choosing to join Qingcheng Mansion. That is how you can change your destiny!"
"Join Qingcheng Mansion? With my Third-class Talent?" Lin Xuan laughed at himself. The idea seemed like a fantasy.
A Third-class Talent had almost no chance of joining Qingcheng Mansion. Even if they did, they would just be an Outer Disciple, no different from an errand boy.
"Do you really think you only have Third-class Talent?" Lin Feng pointed at him and said gravely, "The blood of the main branch flows through your veins. You are destined for more than this. What you lack is the activation of your bloodline, and what you lack is battle!"
"Talent can grow?" Lin Xuan was stunned by this news.
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
Lin Feng and Lin Hua, from within his body, spoke in unison, both confirming the answer.
"Do you know what the talent of the Lin Family's ancestor was?" Lin Feng held up three fingers. Without waiting for Lin Xuan to answer, he said, "It was Third-class Talent. The main branch, with the purest bloodline, is without exception born with Third-class Talent… But through refinement and the activation of the bloodline, it can grow without limit! At the highest level, it reached Ninth-class Talent, nearly the Realm of Great Perfection. That is what allowed our main branch to rank among the Super Race!"
"N-Ninth-class Talent!"
The news hit Lin Xuan so hard he nearly fainted. It was too shocking. What did Ninth-class Talent even mean? Sixth-class Talent was already astounding, let alone Ninth-class.
"Yes, but it requires endless battle. It can only grow by being stimulated in combat. To put it bluntly, without effort, there are no rewards, and certainly no growth," Lin Feng explained.
Lin Xuan nodded. It sounded incredible, but it still required constant tempering to advance.
"So if you choose to stay here, not only will it be dangerous, but you'll also struggle to find the training you need. It's a bit late now, but your life is the priority. Being too conspicuous will only bring death upon you!" Lin Feng said gravely. "This time is different. You've been safe for all these years, so you can officially go out and gain experience. Even if you still choose to stay, I will expel you from the family!"
'Accept his offer,' Lin Hua said from within Lin Xuan. 'This is indeed your best choice right now. You'll gain much more by joining Qingcheng Mansion. When you become strong one day and have powerful backing, it won't be too late to come back and help the Lin Family. Staying here now will only make you a burden.'
Lin Xuan was silent for a moment. He realized this wasn't the time to act on emotion. If what they said was true, he really needed to go out and temper himself. Especially now that he had the Soul Pearl, he needed to train even more. Only by possessing a stronger soul could he break through at an extreme speed!
"Alright. I'll go pack my things and leave immediately," Lin Xuan said, his gaze firm and resolute.