Chapter 66: Turning the Tables

No time for respite, a determined Lin Tianming quickly activated the sword formation he had secretly prepared, enveloping the Chen cultivator within.

Feeling the oppressive power of the formation, Chen panicked and struggled to break free. As he evaded the wandering sword energy within the formation, his movements became restricted, trapping him in an unprecedented predicament.

Under immense pressure, Chen couldn't afford to be careless. He unleashed all his remaining offensive talismans, throwing over a dozen of them. They were a mix of mid-grade and a few high-grade talismans, creating a formidable and chaotic onslaught that collided violently with the formation's barrier.

With a massive tremor shaking the ground, the barrier shattered after several seconds.

As the Di Sha Sword Formation crumbled, Lin Tianming spat out a mouthful of blood, his spirit wounded and injuries worsening.

Ignoring his injuries, Lin Tianming immediately threw out three attack talismans, which transformed into three golden swords aimed at Chen.

Behind him, Lin Xingzhi activated his divine power, summoning a golden sword above his head.

"Go!"

The combined assault left Chen no room to escape.

With a thunderous crash, the golden swords pierced through Chen's body.

Lin Tianming and Lin Xingzhi slumped to the ground, panting heavily, exhausted from the battle.

Seeing Chen's grisly demise, the other Lin family members took advantage of the distracted and isolated remaining enemy. Lin Xingcheng seized the opportunity and, with a decisive strike, killed the last of the opposition.

With the skirmishes over, Lin Shiji's duel with Song Lixin approached its conclusion.

Having reached the peak of Qi Refining for nearly thirty years, Lin Shiji was an experienced and seasoned fighter, with numerous victories against both cultivators and beasts. His wealth and expertise far surpassed the average Qi Refining cultivator. Even at his best, Song Lixin wouldn't have been a match.

As time dragged on, Song Lixin's dwindling Qi couldn't sustain his defenses. Faced with Lin Shiji's relentless attacks, his injuries piled up, and his defeat seemed inevitable.

With the Lin family members turning their attention to him, Song Lixin found himself unable to fend off attacks from all directions.

Desperation set in, and Song Lixin grew frantic.

"If I'm going down, I'll take a few of you with me!"

He retrieved a red, glowing talisman from his storage bag, emitting an intense aura, indicating it was a second-tier talisman, potentially as powerful as the Golden Sword Talisman Lin Tianming had acquired.

With a furious shout, he tossed the talisman skyward, unleashing the spirit of a fearsome beast that charged towards Lin Shiji.

Sensing the formidable power of the talisman, Lin Shiji yelled urgently:

"Everyone, scatter!"

The Lin family members dispersed in all directions. Lin Tianming quickly deployed two high-grade defensive talismans, creating earthen walls to shield Lin Shiji.

Tossing the talisman, Song Lixin leaped high into the air, his vengeance fixated on Lin Shiji, determined to drag him down even in death.

No one had expected Song Lixin to possess a second-tier talisman. Prayers went up silently, hoping Lin Shiji would survive the ordeal.

Faced with the approaching beast spirit, Lin Shiji, unable to evade, braced for impact, hoping his defenses would hold.

In a desperate move, he pulled out a blood-red jade pendant from his storage bag, brimming with potent spiritual energy, clearly not an ordinary item.

Channeling his Qi into the pendant, it expanded, forming a protective barrier around him.

As the beast spirit crashed into the first earthen wall, it shattered instantly, followed by the second wall, which lasted only a heartbeat longer.

"Boom!"

The beast spirit collided with the blood-red pendant, triggering a violent explosion. The resulting shockwave sent Lin Shiji flying, smashing through several trees before he came to a halt.

The second-tier talisman's power, equivalent to a full-strength attack from a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was terrifyingly destructive.

Now, Lin Shiji lay battered, his clothes in tatters, his aura weak and his body covered in wounds. He had multiple broken ribs and spat blood before slipping into unconsciousness.

The Lin family members, all injured to varying degrees, rushed to Lin Tianming, who held Lin Shiji, frantically calling out.

"Granduncle, wake up!"

Panicked, Lin Tianming tried again, getting no response. He quickly administered two Vitality Pills to Lin Shiji.

Seeing this, the Lin family members, eyes filled with rage, turned their fury on Song Lixin. Lin Xingcheng and the others unleashed a flurry of attacks, overwhelming Song Lixin with golden sword energy.

Depleted of Qi, Song Lixin stood no chance, accepting his fate. With a final scream, his body was torn apart, leaving only two dark green storage bags.

With Song Lixin's death, Lin Xingzhi and the others hurried to Lin Tianming and Lin Shiji, checking the latter's condition.

Lin Xingzhi, after examining Lin Shiji, breathed a sigh of relief and reassured the others.

"Granduncle is still alive, though severely injured. With the Vitality Pills, he should recover after some rest."

The others, relieved, felt the tension ease. Lin Shiji's high status and advanced age meant his survival was crucial for the Lin family.

With Lin Shiji unconscious, Lin Xingzhi, being the next highest in cultivation and age, assumed leadership.

"Lin Tianfeng, Lin Tianhong, guard Granduncle. The rest of us will gather the spoils, including the Jade Spirit Fruits. I'll catalog everything, and we'll report to the family later."

"Yes!"

Everyone nodded, setting to work. Lin Tianming, surveying the carnage, saw the bodies of dozens of Yellow Spirit Monkeys.

Collecting the storage bags, Lin Tianming handed them to Lin Xingzhi. He then began processing the monkey corpses, extracting their demon cores and useful materials, filling several storage bags.

After a short while, the battlefield was cleared of its gory remnants, becoming somewhat more presentable.

The Lin family members sat down, consuming Yuan Recovery Pills and meditating to restore their Qi, while Lin Tianfeng and Lin Tianhong stood guard.

After half an hour, their Qi partially restored, the Lin family felt confident in their ability to defend themselves again.

Lin Shiji, stabilized by the Vitality Pills, showed signs of recovery, though he remained unconscious.

Satisfied with Lin Shiji's condition, Lin Xingzhi regrouped everyone and led them deeper into the forest.

With the threat eliminated, it was time to harvest the Jade Spirit Fruits they had fought so hard for!