Chapter 642: The Tacit Understanding of Ying Xiaoxiao and Ling Qingzhu
"Many thanks for the clan leader's favor. In that case, Langtian will respectfully accept."
Lin Langtian slowly rose to his feet and clasped his hands to Lin Fan with a light smile.
The position of clan leader of the Lin clan was not something particularly precious to him anymore. He had already slain two Samsara‑level foes; in comparison, the Lin clan and even the Great Yan Empire were like specks of dust in his eyes.
In the original timeline, Lin Dong had also once been offered the position by Lin Fan, but with his indifferent temperament, he would undoubtedly have refused, and the mantle had instead fallen to his father, Lin Xiao.
Lin Langtian, however, was different. He had grown up within the main Lin clan, and his feelings for it ran far deeper than those of Lin Dong, who came from a branch family.
In his youth, Lin Langtian had even once set becoming clan leader as his life's goal. Now that he had a chance to fulfill that childhood dream, he naturally would not refuse.
Beyond sentiment, there were practical reasons as well.
Though he was Lord of the Heavenly Palace, the sect was an alliance of many forces from the Northern Xuan Region. Even with some of his old fire‑hall loyalists embedded within, his personal power base under that banner was still too weak. Bringing the Lin clan fully under the Heavenly Palace's wing was the natural next step.
The clan was not yet overwhelmingly strong, but they were bound to him by blood. With a little nurturing, many could grow into true experts. Once the Lin clan's elites had become the backbone of the Heavenly Palace, Lin Langtian's control over the sect would reach an unprecedented height.
And besides all that, he had his own private motives.
No matter how else one viewed it, Lin Dong was still a son of the Lin clan. If Lin Langtian now took the clan leader's seat, was it not symbolic that all of the Lin bloodline—including Lin Dong—fell under his authority?
He would never actually try to order Lin Dong around as some superior. But in terms of titles alone, even the son of the plane would, on paper, stand a step below Lin Langtian.
That bit of empty prestige gave him a small, guilty satisfaction.
"Greetings, Clan Leader!"
As Lin Langtian accepted the mantle, the elders in the hall rose with Lin Fan, bowing toward him.
With him now leading the clan, and with such a powerful shelter above their heads, everyone present could only feel relieved and pleased.
"Hehe, there's no need for such formality. Though Langtian is now clan leader, I am still a junior in many ways. I'll be depending on you seniors for guidance in handling clan affairs."
He waved a hand modestly.
The Lin clan was a family, not a sect like the Heavenly Palace. Everyone here had watched him grow up. Though he wore the title now, humility would win their hearts more surely than pride.
After all, their promising children and grandchildren were exactly the kind of core power he hoped to cultivate.
Seeing his attitude, Lin Fan and the other elders all nodded in satisfaction.
Truly worthy of their ten‑years‑long investment—this peerless genius had not forgotten who had nurtured him.
"Greetings to the new clan leader. This old man has a small matter to disturb you with and begs your indulgence."
Two figures stepped out from among the elders. Leading them was a spirited old man; behind him stood a middle‑aged man whose features bore some resemblance to Lin Dong.
They were Lin Zhentian and Lin Xiao of the Yan City Lin family—Lin Dong's grandfather and father.
Though tempers had run high between Yan City and the main clan in the past, their blood ties could not be denied.
Lin Zhentian's sense of clan honor had always been strong. He had fought hard for the family's return to the fold years ago. Even though Lin Dong himself had wanted to stand separate at times, the two branches remained under the same Lin banner.
With Dao Sect supporting them in turn, the Yan City Lin family had grown strong. Within the main clan, they now formed a major faction with several seats among the elders.
"So it's Grandpa Lin. You're here about Brother Dong, aren't you?"
Lin Langtian smiled, already guessing why they had come.
"Hehe, indeed. The clan leader and that boy both joined the eight super sects of the Eastern Xuan Region. Now that you're back, I can't help but ask how he fares."
Lin Zhentian replied with a faint smile and a respectful bow.
His awareness of seniority and rank was ironclad. With Lin Langtian as clan leader now, protocol had to be observed.
Behind him, Lin Xiao mirrored the bow. When he raised his head to look at Lin Langtian, his heart was a tangle of feelings.
The youth who had once crippled him now shone across the continent, and had just taken Lin Fan's place as clan leader.
As a member of the Lin bloodline, even he had to show proper respect—if not for himself, then at least for his father's sake.
The grudges of the past had long since faded for Lin Xiao. His only remaining regret was that Lin Dong wasn't here to contend for the title in his own right.
But after Lin Langtian's timely intervention had saved not just the clan, but the entire Great Yan Empire, his succession was a foregone conclusion, accepted without protest even in Lin Xiao's heart.
Such was the authority of one who had single‑handedly pulled them back from the brink.
"Don't worry, Grandpa Lin. Little Brother Dong is in the Demon Region, receiving a great opportunity. When he comes out of seclusion, he'll definitely come to see you both."
Lin Langtian said with a chuckle.
"Oh? The Demon Region…"
Lin Zhentian did not know where that was, but if Lin Dong was safe and even on the path to new fortune, he could finally breathe easier. Joy lit his weathered face.
"By the way, Clan Leader, there is one more matter we should tell you." he added after a moment's thought.
"Oh?" Lin Langtian tilted his head. "What is it?"
Lin Zhentian glanced at Lin Xiao.
With a wry smile, Lin Xiao stepped forward. "Clan Leader, did you know that in the three years after you and Dong'er left home, a pair of sisters came to visit us every year?"
"A pair of sisters… coming to see Dong'er's parents?"
A faint guess flitted through Lin Langtian's mind.
"Ahem." Lin Xiao cleared his throat. "Both girls are quite outstanding. The younger one clearly came for Dong'er. But as for the elder sister… in our chats, she often 'accidentally' asked about you, Clan Leader.
"I suspect…"
He did not spell it out, but the implication was clear enough: for a young woman to keep seeking news of one man, they were either mortal enemies—or something else entirely.
"Could it be Ying Xiaoxiao and Ying Huanhuan?"
Lin Langtian asked, surprise flickering over his face.
"Yes. Those sisters from Dao Sect. They often visited together." Lin Xiao nodded, watching him with a meaningful look.
Even Lin Langtian had to pause at that.
That Ying Huanhuan would visit Lin Dong's parents was no surprise. Given their feelings for one another, meeting the family was only natural—it had happened that way even in the original timeline.
But that Ying Xiaoxiao had accompanied her and repeatedly asked after him was… unexpected.
"Ahem. And it's not just her."
Lin Fan stepped in with a faint smile. "In recent years, Ling Qingzhu has also visited our clan many times. She often spends several days alone in your old residence, which has raised quite a few eyebrows."
Ling Qingzhu—the Nine Heavens Taixuan Palace's peerless prodigy and likely next Palace Master. When she first arrived in the Great Yan Empire, even the royal family had treated the visit as a great honor.
That such a woman would quietly live for days in the room of a man who wasn't present…
One did not need to be clever to read between those lines.
Even Lin Fan couldn't help but feel a touch of admiration.
Not only was his clan's greatest genius unmatched in cultivation, his luck in love seemed just as astonishing.
Ying Xiaoxiao and Ling Qingzhu—two radiant stars of Dao Sect and the Nine Heavens Taixuan Palace, both beauty and talent incarnate. All across the Great Yan Empire and the Tianxuan Continent, few could compare.
Now, both appeared to hold Lin Langtian in their hearts.
What man wouldn't envy that?
Lin Langtian was taken aback as well.
Given Ling Qingzhu's aloof nature, the fact that she had taken the initiative to come here—and to quietly live in his old room for days at a time—said more about her feelings than any words could.
"Clan Leader, both Miss Ying Xiaoxiao and Miss Ling Qingzhu are exceptional. If either were to become the Lin clan's matriarch, it would be a cause for celebration across the whole clan." Lin Fan said, stroking his beard.
Lin Langtian could only give an awkward laugh. A certain someone from the Chaotic Demon Sea had just come to mind—Tang Xinyan.
The fiery immortal was as bold as she was fierce. If he were to formally choose a clan mistress, he would have to save a place for her as well. Otherwise, he had the uncomfortable sense she might just burn the Lin estate to the ground.
"Ahem. Let's set that aside for now. In any case, I can't stay here long. With the Eastern Xuan Region in this state, the Heavenly Palace is facing its own troubles. I need to return there."
He steered the conversation firmly away from marriages and love interests.
"So soon, Clan Leader?" Lin Fan asked quickly.
"Don't worry. I'll leave troops to guard the Great Yan Empire. Yuan Gate won't have the chance to regroup."
Only then did the elders truly relax. Their greatest fear had been that once Lin Langtian left, they would again stand alone against the storm.
Turning away, Lin Langtian looked to the Blackfiend Army's deputy commander. "Yin Sha, take two thousand Blackfiend soldiers and garrison here. If anything stirs, send word to me immediately."
"Understood."
Yin Sha glanced once at Jin Wu, then nodded.
"When will you depart, Clan Leader?" Lin Fan asked.
Lin Langtian had meant to leave at once, but the eager faces of the young clan members gathered outside the hall made him pause.
"Tomorrow." he decided with a small smile.
The next day, after bidding farewell to Lin Fan, Lin Zhentian, and the others, he set out once more, leading a sizable entourage toward the Heavenly Palace.
Since he wasn't entirely certain of the route, he brought along Dugu Qi and the Heavenly Palace disciples stationed in the capital as well.
The journey passed without incident. At their current speed, a trip that once would have taken ten days or more took only half a day. Soon, they neared the Heavenly Palace's sphere of influence.
As they crossed its borders, Lin Langtian could clearly sense how much stronger the auras around them had become. In key cities, he picked out two, sometimes three minor Death Profound experts guarding each place.
Even by the standards of the Eastern Xuan Region, this was no small show of strength.
Zhou Tong truly lived up to Ying Xuanzi's expectations as a successor; his skill at managing a sect was nothing to scoff at.
More importantly, there were no signs of open war. The defenses were tighter, but there was no suffocating sense of crisis. The Heavenly Palace's territory remained calm.
Lin Langtian did not linger in any of the branch cities.
Half a day later, he reached the mountain range where the Heavenly Palace stood.
He streaked alone toward the central city—Heavenly City.
Within Heavenly City, the mood was peaceful. Though the city was not vast, it could still comfortably hold tens of thousands.
On the broad plazas, rows upon rows of disciples trained in unison, their shouted kiais rolling together like muffled thunder.
Compared to when he had left, the sect seemed almost reborn.
Many of the once‑rugged peaks had been flattened to make way for neatly ordered buildings. Streams of people flowed through the streets like ants, filling the air with life.
Hiss!
Amid this tranquil scene, a streak of light appeared without warning, carrying a fierce pressure as it shot straight toward the central peak of the city.
"Who dares break into Heavenly City!"
(END CHAPTER)
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