Chapter 031：The show begins
Lin Hai and Lin Feng walked towards the main throne platform. There, Lin Daobo, the Grand Elder, Lin Haoran, Lin Qian and others were sitting high up, as if they were the masters of the Lin family.
Seeing Lin Hai and the other two coming, Elder Lin Zhen stood up and said loudly, "They have arrived. Let's start the annual meeting."
When Lin Hai heard what Lin Zhen said, he stopped walking and just stared at Lin Zhen. This made the Lin family members' gazes slightly tighten, not knowing what was going on with Lin Hai.
"Lin Hai, what are you doing?" Lin Zhen asked when he saw Lin Hai stop. "Why did you stop?"
"Humph! Lin Zhen, I ask you, who is the head of the Lin family nowadays?" Lin Hai said coldly.
The elder patriarch Lin Zhen's gaze narrowed and his expression was not pleasant, but he still replied, "It's you, Lin Hai, for sure."
"Then let me ask you again, is the Lin Family Annual Gathering a top priority event for the Lin family?" Lin Hai looked straight at Lin Zhen and continued to ask.
"Of course, every year during the Lin Family Annual Gathering, it is the most significant moment for the Lin family."
"Very well. I still have one more question for you. Regarding the major event of the Lin family, who will be in charge of it?"
Upon hearing Lin Hai's words, Lin Zhen's face turned completely gloomy. It was obvious that he had understood Lin Hai's meaning.
"Regarding the major affairs of the Lin family, they will be handled by the family head."
"Since that's the case, Lin Zhen, I'd like to ask you this: What are you doing there? Do you still have any regard for my family?" Lin Hai's voice was cold. Lin Zhen and Lin Da had been colluding with each other for a long time, and it was no secret to the Lin family members. Almost everyone knew about it. Now Lin Zhen has become increasingly brazen.
"Ha ha, Uncle, you yourself are late. The Elder Brother is acting as the leader of the council. Why shouldn't he do so? Uncle, you seem to be too lacking in judgment." Lin Qian spoke calmly and unhurriedly.
"Shut up!" Lin Hai shouted sternly: "When elders are speaking, do you think it's your turn to chime in, Lin Baoda? Control your daughter. What kind of upbringing is this?"
Lin Qian's face turned pale. She cursed inwardly. This guy knows that his position as the master of the house won't last much longer. Has he gone crazy?
"It's much better than your useless son's situation." Lin Daoba glanced at Lin Feng with a domineering look and sneered. Now Lin Qian is so glorious in the Lin family. How could Lin Hai dare to insult her like that?
"Be careful with your words. A mere Lin Clan's head of household, in my eyes of the Hua Yue Sect, is as insignificant as a bug." A woman from the Hua Yue Sect beside Lin Qian sneered and said. This woman was dressed in splendid attire, with a cold expression and a hint of sharpness on her face. Like Lin Qian, she was an Inner Sect disciple of the Hua Yue Sect. How could she look down upon a member of the Lin Clan?
"You, the He Yue Sect, are so mighty. How come you still sit here in Lin Family? My father is the head of Lin Family. He has never invited you before, has he? Do you think you were born with a thick skin?" Lin Feng, who was silent for a while, couldn't help but speak up. He wanted to show off his eloquence. Who could compare with him, who had lived through two lifetimes? The language of that world was vast and profound.
"Hey... " The sharp-tongued woman's expression changed, but then she sneered coldly, "A mere loser from Yunhai Sect dares to speak so arrogantly."
"Whether I'm a good person or not is not the point. But I do know how to write the words 'honor and shame'. Unlike someone else, when he came to someone else's home, he insulted the host of that home. The people cultivated by the Haoyue Sect turned out to be like this. Indeed, they are very powerful."
Lin Feng's words were sharp and pointed. Lin Qian and others' expressions immediately changed.
"Animal, you dare to insult the Haoyue Sect!" A senior monk stood up and scolded Lin Feng furiously.
"Comical! Others are standing by and insulting the master of the Lin family, but someone has come forward to defend others. I wonder, Seventh Elder, are you a member of the Lin family or a dog of the Hao Yue Sect?"
Every word of Lin Feng was sharp and powerful, like a sharp blade. Yet, it firmly held the meaning of "reason" and was impeccable.
"That's right. I also wanted to ask, Elder Seven, do you have the surname Lin?" Lin Hai chimed in. At this moment, Lin Hai was also very surprised. She never expected that her son not only had made great progress in cultivation but also spoke so powerfully, each word cutting to the bone.
"All right, it's the fault of the elders and I myself. Master of the house, the annual meeting is the top priority for our Lin family. It can't be delayed. We should ask the master to come and preside over it." Elder Lin Zhen, having received instructions from Lin Daoba, made a slight compromise. He really wanted to see how long Lin Hai and Lin Feng could remain arrogant.
"Humph." Lin Hai waved his sleeve and, together with Lin Feng, stepped towards the main seat and then sat in the middle of the crowd.
"See how long you can keep up your arrogance. When I become a core disciple of the sect, Lin Hai, I'll make you regret it." Lin Qian said coldly in her heart.
"Let's start the annual meeting." Lin Hai glanced around the drill ground with his eyes. The Lin family had about four or five hundred members. Among them, the young descendants aged between twelve and eighteen numbered around seventy. This was the prime of their youth, but unfortunately, some members of the family had evil intentions and the family atmosphere was disunited, lacking any cohesion. Perhaps it was a mistake for his father to leave the position of family head to him back then.
Lin Hai felt a tinge of bitterness in his heart. If it weren't for that powerful Spirit Soul... why would he be bothered by the issue of the position of the head of the Lin family?
"Father, you can rest assured. I won't let the Lin family's legacy die out under my stewardship." Lin Hai felt a pang of guilt in his heart. He vaguely recalled the instructions his father had given him before his death. Unfortunately, he failed to fully focus his mind on the Lin family.
The annual meeting is actually a test of the maturity of the family's younger generation. It examines how much progress they have made over the past year. The younger generation represents the future of the family.
The content of the annual meeting is competition, and it is through competition that one's strength is tested.
The second elder of the Lin family stepped to the center of the combat platform and said loudly, "In the first round of the annual meeting, it's a free-for-all. Everyone must come to the combat platform. The thirty-two people remaining on the platform at the end will advance to the next round."
Having finished speaking, the second elder of the Lin family stepped down from the stage of battle. The young disciples of the Lin family took their turns to appear on the stage.
Lin Feng nodded at Lin Hai and then walked onto the battle platform as well.
"I wonder if Lin Qian and others deliberately targeted me." Standing at the edge of the battle platform, Lin Feng's eyes flickered and he murmured to himself, "I wonder..."
Soon, a total of seventy-three young disciples all came to the huge battle platform. Their gazes were alertly fixed on the surroundings, especially those who were weak in strength. They might be the targets that others would attack first.
As Lin Qian stepped onto the arena, the people in the area all moved aside, and no one dared to provoke her. The purpose of the first round was to eliminate the weak ones. Those with strong power were rarely bothered by others. Unless they were suicidal, few would dare to attack her. Lin Qian was undoubtedly one of the strongest among them. People couldn't even approach her, let alone attack her.
As for Lin Feng, he soon noticed that many people were eyeing him. These people all had flickering gazes, staring at him as if they were looking at a prey, and all regarded him as a soft target.
The battle on the arena had already broken out. A young man holding a long spear approached Lin Feng. Everyone else around him moved aside, clearly knowing that this person was not to be trifled with.
"Go down yourself! Don't make a fool of yourself here!" Lin Wu looked at Lin Feng disdainfully. He was the son of the Seventh Elder who had just had a conflict with Lin Feng.
Lin Wu has already reached the seventh stage of the "Qi-Wu" cultivation realm half a year ago. Now he should have entered the eighth stage, and his strength is comparable to that of Lin Yu.
"Yours is mine." A cold voice rang out. Then, wearing a long phoenix-feathered robe, Lin Qian walked over, arrogantly and domineeringly.
"It's all the same." Lin Wu naturally wouldn't compete with Lin Qian for the person. He stepped aside to make room.
Lin Qian walked up to Lin Feng and said, "Don't worry. No one will interfere with you in this round. You will advance smoothly. You getting eliminated so early won't be fun at all."
"Um?" Lin Feng was stunned for a moment. He never expected that Lin Qian would have helped him advance. This was indeed rather funny. However, if one could advance without having to take action oneself, why not do it? Of course, Lin Qian, who had witnessed his actions before, might have realized that if she didn't personally take the initiative, there really weren't many people here who could eliminate Lin Feng.
Note: The original text contains some colloquial expressions and idiomatic expressions that may not have direct equivalents in English. The translation provided above is an attempt to convey the meaning and tone of the original text as accurately and naturally as possible.
On the life-and-death platform of Yunhai Sect, Lin Feng single-handedly severed the arm of the person who had reached the ninth stage of the Martial Realm through the Aged Spirit Technique.
"Li Qian, what's she up to? Why did she leave that loser behind?" The senior elder who was planning to watch Li Feng make a fool of himself suddenly saw Li Qian protect him instead and couldn't help whispering to Li Baoda. "What's going on?"
"Isn't it amusing to see a loser advance to the second round? Besides, in the second round it's a battle of turns, and each person has to fight several times. What kind of situation will this loser be in by then?" Lin Daoba thought he had grasped Lin Qian's meaning and laughed in an especially sinister manner.
"Ha ha, I never thought of that. It's indeed a wonderful show." Lin Zhen heard the explanation and secretly thought it was very astute. He seemed to have already envisioned Lin Feng being repeatedly humiliated in the second round. Then, would he still have his sharp tongue and the stage to showcase his talents?