C14 That Person Was so Annoying!

Yue Chen sought assistance, a common practice within the Mysterious Sect, where members have unique methods and adhere to their own code of conduct. Hence, the Yue Family enlisted the support of numerous sect members, yet it now seems to be an endless endeavor.

The most powerful ally Yue Chen could recruit was only marginally stronger than himself. Given his severe injuries, it appeared that there was little hope for the others.

Feeling somewhat helpless, Yue Chen turned to Xu Lin, hoping for his intervention.

Xu Lin gave a slight nod and calmly assured, "With me here, there's no need for concern."

Xu Lin's involvement stemmed partly from his ties to the Yue Family, as Yue Yuqing was practically his half-disciple. His interest in the capabilities of this Mysterious Sect member also played a role.

"Mr. Xu, please reconsider! This is a family matter for the Yues, and I hesitate to impose on you. Besides, the situation is perilous, and I can't fathom his strength! You..."

Yue Chen was cut off as Xu Lin gestured dismissively, "No matter, I'm curious to gauge the strength of this so-called expert myself."

Ultimately, Xu Lin's motivation was the Nine Netherworlds Attachment Technique. Practitioners of this art are inherently battle-hungry, exuding dominance and overwhelming all opposition. They can effortlessly decimate legions, much like child's play.

This was true for the First Emperor and King Zhou, and Xu Lin was no exception.

If Xu Lin lacked even this basic combativeness, what was the point of practicing the Nine Netherworlds Buddha Mantra?

True cultivation meant facing slaughter head-on, not cowering like a spirit turtle seeking safety.

Without this resolve, what significance did cultivation hold?

As Xu Lin's words hung in the air, a piercing sonic boom resounded.

"Yue Chen, you old fool, my master commands me to inform you that by midnight tonight, the Yue Family shall be razed to the ground!"

The voice, thick with scorn, echoed through the air, its sound waves rippling outward.

Without a backward glance, Xu Lin reached out, and the man materialized behind him. Xu Lin's slender, pale fingers were clamped tightly around the man's throat.

"Who is your master?" Xu Lin demanded icily.

The man sneered at Xu Lin, his voice dripping with contempt. "And who might you be? I'll have you know, my master is the Dark Emperor!

Perhaps you're unaware of the Dark Emperor's renown, aren't you?

He's been abroad for years, mastering the dark attribute magic. And your Floanian Taoist sects?

They're merely a derivative of true magic!"

Xu Lin's gaze grew frostier upon hearing this. When had Floania's magic arts been relegated to a mere offshoot of magic?

It was simply that the world's spiritual energy had been depleted!

"Heh! A mere whelp dares to claim the title of emperor?" Xu Lin retorted with a sneer.

With a slight flex of his finger, a horrifying blaze erupted from his palm, reducing the man to ashes in an instant!

In Xu Lin's view, only a figure like Emperor Ying Zheng, who had decimated an entire Confucian sect, deserved the title of emperor. Now, some upstart presumed to adopt the title? Such ignorance bred audacity!

At the moment of the man's demise.

In the ruins of a Western church, a white-haired old man gazed at the shattered token in his hand, his eyes turning coldly towards the Yue Family.

Traditionally, warring armies did not slay envoys, yet the Yue Family had slain his disciple.

He had found but one person with a gift for magic in all of Floania, and now the Yue Family had extinguished that life in an instant!

His fury was palpable.

Brushing dust from his clothes with a dismissive gesture, he mused that if the Yue Family disregarded the rules, then he, the Dark Emperor, was under no obligation to follow them either.

A lengthy magical incantation flowed from the old man's lips.

Beneath him, a hexagram pattern took shape.

In the next moment, the old man vanished, only to reappear atop the Yue Family's wall.

This was teleportation magic—seemingly unimposing, yet undeniably advanced.

The old man, connected to the Yue Family, possessed a certain insight into the ancient magic arts.

The ancient art of Ground Shrink, a technique from the olden days, shared a curious kinship with this teleportation spell.

Yet the elder no longer held any belief in the existence of such ancient arts, doubting that any distance could truly be condensed to a mere inch.

If magic couldn't achieve this feat, the prospect for the old arts seemed even less likely!

But then again, which of the arts he had witnessed were genuinely authentic?

"Yue Chen! Yue Ming has returned! Would you grace me with your presence?"

The elder's tone was laced with disdain, clearly showing little regard for the Yue Family.

Upon hearing this, Yue Chen, with the aid of Yue Yuqing, made his way out, while Xu Lin strode ahead of them.

Within the Mysterious Sect, Yue Chen held a position of considerable respect, and everyone watched him with grave expressions.

"Brother Yue!"

"Head of the Yue Family!"

"..."

Relief washed over the crowd as they saw Yue Chen unharmed.

"And who might you be to challenge Elder Yue?" A zealous young disciple of the Mysterious Sect challenged with a scoff.

Youthful vigor wasn't inherently negative, but it required strength to back it up. Had Xu Lin been the one speaking, no one would have dared to object.

Regrettably, the speaker was a young man with decent potential.

"A challenge? Why would I bother challenging a defeated foe?" the elder retorted icily.

Suddenly, the young man's body was overrun with Xu Duo insects, which crawled over him and left nothing but a skeletal frame behind.

"What are we to do now?" murmured a Mysterious Sect disciple, lamenting the elder's excessive cruelty. The young man had barely spoken before being eradicated.

Trouble seemed to loom over the Yue Family.

Yue Chen watched the scene unfold with trepidation, unable to discern the origin of those insects. They were certainly not native to Floania, yet they filled him with dread.

How much time had passed? Merely a second or two?

The elder's power was frighteningly formidable.

"You... you actually..."

"Actually what?" The elder sneered, surveying the astonished onlookers and a visibly unsettled Yue Chen.

Xu Lin, however, let out a quiet sigh. What others failed to recognize, he saw clearly. The so-called magic arts were no different from the Taoist arts of Mao Mountain, and the display they had just witnessed paled in comparison to the witchcraft of Grimeyard.

Among those from the Mysterious Sect who were present, who possessed the strength or the keen insight of Xu Lin? Yet, they were all petrified by the display of power, realizing that their opponent's strength was immeasurable and unmatched.

"Why did you kill him?" Yue Chen was visibly shaken, his breathing labored. The man the elder had just slain was the sole heir of his dear friend.

"Why? Because I felt like it," the elder retorted with a sneer.

"And let me guess, you're allowed to kill my disciple, but I can't touch yours?" he added coldly.

No one dared to speak out again, the recent spectacle having chilled them to the bone.

Despite the other party's overbearing attitude, without the strength to confront him, who would dare to raise their voice?

"Yue Chen, you once banished me from the Yue Family over a woman. Isn't it time we settled our account?" the elder huffed.

"How do you propose we settle this?" Yue Chen asked, his face contorted with anger.

Pointing to the heavens, the elder replied with a grin, "The heavens haven't forsaken me, Yue Ming. They've granted me powerful magic, and today marks the end of the Yue Family!"

"Yue Ming!" Yue Chen seethed, glaring at the elder.

"Ha! The magic arts of the Yue Family? What are they worth? What are the magic arts of Floania even worth?" Yue Ming mocked, casting a disdainful gaze over the others. To him, these practitioners from the Mysterious Sect were nothing more than insects.

"The magic arts of Floania are nothing to boast about? That's quite the claim!" Xu Lin responded icily.

In truth, the magic arts of Floania, or the cultivation practices of this land, were considered the most potent in the world. The Yin Yang Arts of Guscoca, the head-slamming techniques of Sachoedan, and Western magic – weren't they all introduced by Floanians or learned by outsiders who came to study them? There was a time when Floania was a pilgrimage site for thousands.

Yet, with the gradual loss of these arts and the ignorant policies of the Qing Dynasty, the once-mighty magic arts of Floania were on the brink of extinction. Whether this was laughable or tragic was anyone's guess.

"Why, do you take issue with my claim that Floanian magic arts are no match for my black magic? Young man, just who do you think you are? You're addressing the Dark Emperor—do you even know your place?" The elder regarded Xu Lin with a frosty gaze as a formidable pressure burst forth from him, barreling straight towards Xu Lin.

To the elder, Xu Lin was nothing more than a commoner devoid of any discernible aura. Such a person was hardly worth his attention; a mere flick of his power could easily crush him.

"Dare to claim the title of emperor, do you?" Xu Lin spoke calmly, yet those familiar with him could tell he was seething with anger.

"A brat? You have the audacity to call me a brat? Very well! I shall see for myself the extent of your strength!"

Truth be told, the elder had never taken Xu Lin seriously, convinced that he was beneath consideration.

Xu Lin stepped forward, a smile playing on his lips. "Let's just see how formidable your so-called magic really is."

"You impudent youth! You're seeking your own demise!"

The elder was somewhat intrigued—why hadn't his aura crushed Xu Lin? Could this young man actually be a formidable opponent?

Nevertheless, the elder quickly dismissed the thought. Floanian magic arts, known for their balance and tranquility, were notoriously slow to master. At Xu Lin's tender age of twenty-something, the elder himself had only reached the third level of Qi Cultivation. He couldn't fathom Xu Lin possessing the power to challenge him, unless he was some unparalleled prodigy. But such geniuses were rare—treasures of their era.

Xu Lin's sneer was cold and unyielding. "Kill me? You don't have the right!"

Now, Xu Lin's resolve to kill was set, whether out of ignorance or arrogance.

He, Xu Lin, would not allow this man to live.

He, Xu Lin, was a man of his word—if he vowed to decimate your lineage, that's exactly what he would do.

"Fine, fine, fine! Let's put your strength to the test! Let's see if it lives up to your arrogance!"

"It will take but a single slap to end you!" The elder's eyes gleamed with a hint of murderous intent as he fixed his gaze on Xu Lin.

Xu Lin stood with his hands clasped behind his back, an air of arrogance about him.

He regarded the elder before him with an icy gaze and sighed, "To kill you, there's no need for me to lift a finger."