Chapter 54
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 54: Wipe Them Out Completely
When such a major incident occurred at the Lin Family—with thousands of Law Enforcement Heavenly Soldiers swarming their ancestral sacred mountain—nearby Cultivators immediately took notice. They flocked from all directions to witness this once-in-a-millennium spectacle.
Though Law Enforcement Heavenly Soldiers occasionally mobilized for arrests, they usually targeted mere handfuls of people. But dispatching over ten thousand soldiers to capture everyone within the Lin Family’s thousand-mile sacred mountain? Such scale was unprecedented!
The scene overwhelmed onlookers. Despite being an ancient clan with centuries of inheritance, the Lin Family’s main branch comprised hundreds of mostly spiritual root-less mortals who served Cultivator relatives. These scoundrels had long abused their clan’s influence for petty cruelties. Now karma struck—Heavenly Soldiers dragged screaming lackeys from bedsheets, some still naked, ignoring their protests as they flew away.
Watching Cultivators drew sharp breaths. "Who could the Lin Family have angered to warrant exterminating even mortal members?"
"Who’s ruthless enough to order this? The Mo Sect hasn’t seen such brutality in centuries!"
"Didn’t you hear? After leaving Baibao Zhai today, Fang Lie vanished. Witnesses saw Lin Tingzhi and his sons hauling the unconscious youth to their estate!"
"Ah! The Lins must’ve tortured Fang Lie, who somehow escaped to exact revenge!"
"How could Lin Tingzhi be this foolish? Two bloody precedents warned against provoking that boy!"
"Rumors claim Fang Lie’s Resurrection secret lies in Mo Ancestor’s treasure containing a Puppet That Dies in Place!"
"That puppet theory’s rubbish! Its mechanism only activates upon death. The Lins knew this—they tortured without killing him. Yet Fang Lie still escaped. His secret’s clearly unrelated!"
"Then the Lins miscalculated?"
"Calculations require brains. The Lins were mere blades in another’s hand. Success would’ve granted them scraps, but failure leaves them facing Fang Lie’s wrath alone. Look—he’s eradicating every Lin Cultivator to reclaim their ancestral sacred mountain! Total lineage annihilation!"
The crowd shuddered. For Eight-Hundred-Generation Families, losing all Cultivators wasn’t fatal—ancestral mountains preserved bloodlines for future spiritual root-bearing descendants. Most Mo Sect clans had weathered such crises.
Fang Lie himself had endured three unyielding tortures and braved the Cycle of Fire when enemies threatened the Fang Family’s sacred mountain. Now he visited that desperation upon the Lins. Losing their mountain would erase the Lin Family from history.
What horrors had Fang Lie suffered to warrant such vengeance? The throng trailed him to the Ancestral Hall.
Sect rules demanded public trials here. Zhou Zhengqing’s summary execution of Zhou the Skinflint had violated protocol—had formal procedures been followed, consequences would’ve followed. Fang Lie operated strictly by the rules, leaving no loopholes for criticism.
The hall swarmed with hundreds of Lin prisoners and tens of thousands of spectators, yet silence reigned.
Fang Lie ignored the crowd, glaring at the prostrate Lin Tingzhi. "Lin Tingzhi! Do you confess?"
The man kowtowed, tears soaking the floor. "I admit imprisoning and torturing you! Execute me! Dismember my sons! Just spare our clan!"
"Spare them?" Fang Lie’s laugh chilled bones. "Before all Mo Sect disciples, dare you recount your crimes? Then ask if mercy is deserved!"
"This—" Lin Tingzhi instantly fell silent. He’d assumed capturing Fang Lie meant total victory, never expecting the latter could reverse the situation. That’s why he’d mercilessly tortured Fang Lie.
Knowing Fang Lie’s legendary toughness in enduring the Three Defiance Torments without flinching, they’d prepared numerous cruel torture devices beforehand to extract information.
That single afternoon subjected Fang Lie to countless inhuman tortures. Only his iron will prevented madness – any ordinary person would’ve broken completely.
Some methods surpassed brutality, becoming outright atrocities. One eye had its eyelids sliced off before being slowly dissolved by toxic liquid – the mere memory still made Fang Lie shudder.
After such vicious treatment, how could Fang Lie not seek vengeance?
Even Lin Tingzhi felt ashamed to describe these dark methods.
But silence wouldn’t save him.
"Lin Yutang’s older brother!" Fang Lie narrowed his eyes. "Since your father stays mute, you’ll confess every detail of today’s events!"
"I… I…" The younger Lin stammered fearfully.
Fang Lie coldly snorted. "Silence earns flaming and watery great rods. Crude tools compared to your arts, but enough for weaklings like you!"
"No beatings! I’ll talk!" Trembling, Lin Yutang’s older brother recounted the day’s horrors.
Goosebumps spread through the crowd as they listened.
"These Lin Family methods belong to the Demonic Path!"
"Only Fang Lie could endure this! Anyone else would’ve gone mad!"
"No wonder he seeks to eradicate their roots! I’d do the same!"
When the testimony concluded, Fang Lie turned to Lin Tingzhi. "You dare claim friendship with my father? This is how you treat his orphan? Your Lin Family has forfeited all Mo Sect standing through this inhumanity! As Benevolence Token Lord, I hereby seize your ancestral sacred mountain for the sect!"
"Impossible!" Lin Tingzhi wailed. "You vowed to follow sect rules! This violates our family clans’ protection under Mo Sect Rules!"
"Which rule?" Fang Lie retorted. "My actions remain blameless."
"This is personal revenge!" Lin Tingzhi shouted desperately. "Our family rules state ancestral sacred mountains can’t be seized except for Betraying the Sect and Ancestor!"
"Ha!" Fang Lie laughed harshly. "You’re the oath-breaker! Attacking the Mo Ancestor’s heir constitutes that exact crime!"
"What nonsense!" Lin Tingzhi roared. "I’d never betray our sect!"
"Then answer – what’s my status?"
Realization struck Lin Tingzhi like a physical blow. He collapsed bonelessly as the crowd remembered – Fang Lie had publicly retrieved the Ancestor’s Token from the Cycle of Fire.
By Mo Sect Rules, this made Fang Lie acting Token Lord with special privileges. More crucially, he represented the Mo Ancestor’s legacy. Attacking him was literal Betraying the Sect and Ancestor.
With this conviction, seizing Lin lands became legally unassailable.
Bystanders exchanged relieved glances – those who’d hesitated attacking Fang Lie now vowed eternal caution. The price of "Betraying the Sect and Ancestor" loomed too terrible.
