In the center of the Main Hall, Lin Fei stood over the Clan Core—a massive, pulsating jade pillar that controlled the Azure Shield. With the Master Jade Token in his hand, he didn't just activate the formation; he infused it with the "Feedback" essence from his unborn heirs.
The blue dome over the city didn't just glow; it turned a piercing, draconic white. It was no longer a simple shield; it was a sensory net.
"Lin Fei," Qingxue whispered, stepping into the hall. She looked at his white hair, which seemed to shimmer with its own light. "The Violet Cloud Sect has responded. They didn't send a disciple this time. Elder Zhao, a Gold Core master, is at the gate. He isn't asking for entry—he's preparing to tear the shield down."
Qingyu followed her sister, her usual fiery bravado replaced by a tense focus. "The Shui family has joined them. They want the 'Rakshasa' dead before you can consolidate your power over the clan properties. They are calling this a 'cleanup' of a demonic influence."
THE GOLD CORE ULTIMATUM
Outside the gates, the air screamed. Elder Zhao stood suspended in mid-air, surrounded by a swirling vortex of purple lightning. Below him, the remnants of the Shui family and the Lin clan's own disgruntled branch elders gathered like vultures.
"Lin Fei!" Zhao's voice boomed, vibrating the very bones of everyone in the city. "You have crippled disciples and stolen the leadership of a vassal clan. Step out and accept your execution, or I will grind this entire estate into dust!"
Lin Fei didn't step out. He stayed by the Core, his hand resting on the jade.
"A Gold Core," Lin Fei mused internally. "In my past life, a breath of my nostrils would have disintegrated a thousand like him. Now, I must use the 'fortress' to bridge the gap."
THE SHIELD'S REVENGE
Lin Fei turned to the two sisters. "You both have high-grade roots and understand the clan's talismans. If you want to protect your future, place your hands on the Core. Feed your Qi into my rhythm."
Qingxue and Qingyu didn't hesitate. They stood on either side of him, their palms pressing against the cold jade. As their Stage 8 and Stage 7 Qi flowed in, Lin Fei didn't just add it to the shield—he multiplied it using the Saint Demonic Dragon Body as a conductor.
Elder Zhao struck. A massive bolt of purple lightning, thick as a tree trunk, slammed into the white dome.
BOOM.
The earth shook, but the shield didn't flicker. Instead, the white light absorbed the lightning, spiraling it around the dome like a trapped serpent.
"My turn," Lin Fei whispered.
He twisted the Jade Token. The Azure Shield, now fueled by the combined Qi of the sisters and Lin Fei's draconic essence, didn't just defend—it refracted. The absorbed lightning was shot back at Elder Zhao, amplified three-fold and turned a blinding silver-white.
Zhao's eyes widened. He barely had time to summon his protective treasure—a golden bell—before the reflected strike hit him. The "immortal" Gold Core master was blasted out of the sky, his golden bell cracked, and his purple robes charred.
THE TERMS OF SURRENDER
The vultures at the gate froze. A Gold Core Elder had been repelled by a "defensive" formation controlled by a youth.
Lin Fei's voice projected through the shield, cold and absolute. "The Lin Clan properties are now under the protection of the Rakshasa. Elder Zhao, go back and tell your Sect: Every strike against this shield will be returned with interest. And to the Shui Family... if I see your banners within ten miles of my walls again, I will stop being a 'protector' and start being a 'hunter'."
Qingxue looked at Lin Fei, her heart racing. She had been the "Fairy" of the mountain, distant and untouchable, but standing here, sharing her Qi with this man, she felt a connection that transcended politics. She saw the future he was building—a world where they weren't just "daughters of a patriarch," but consorts to a Sovereign.
Qingyu breathed heavily, her face flushed with the thrill of the power they had just wielded. "We actually did it... we hit a Gold Core."
Lin Fei let go of the Core, the white scales on his arms slowly receding. He turned to the sisters, his gaze lingering on them with a possessive weight. "This is only the beginning. The resources of this clan will now be used to ensure our house never fears a 'Sect' again."
Lin Fei has successfully defended his new territory. The two sisters are now deeply bonded to him through the combat resonance.