Desiring a world... Where fear would no longer be a burden. But... In a world without fear of death... People will never attain the hope that is from casting their fears aside and preserving them. While it is true, that people can continue to press forward through the simple act of living...
That is not comparable to marching forward in the face of death while doing their damnedest to keep it at bay. That is why... That is why people have given that very march a unique and special name. "COURAGE."
...
Earlier, inside the Lin Family headquarters.
There were four crosses made of wood that were standing tall with human bodies on them.
Three women and two boys. They looked like they were tortured and is unconscious. A man with red hair was looking at them with veins bulging on his forehead while standing close to them.
"We are about to fetch your third son. If he fails this test, we will eliminate him. It's your choice to save them, but you have to step down from your position as a second in command of our clan."
Groups of long-haired old men and women were sitting around at a huge table as they watch the younger generation's talents while discussing something. One of them is looking at the man, waiting for an answer.
"Do as you please."
Said the man, not even giving another glance at the people in the crosses.
"Lin Gu, your ruthlessness even with your family truly astonished me." Said an old man confidently.
"Don't make me mad elder Fusha, they are not my Family. There's no weakness in my family."
Said Lin Gu with animosity towards the elder.
"I'm glad you chose your Family over these concubines of yours." Said the elder, and then his eyes sparkled as he continued.
"Oh! I forgot my grandson was with them. I'm sure he will make me proud and give a face to our Lin Family. With the cultivation of the first stage of Pollination Establishment, he will surely shock the stage of the Nine mantis sect.
"Once the heavenly gate opens, he will still be considered a talented individual, unlike someone else's son."
The old man Lin Fusha jeered at Lin Gu. Lin Gu, however, is silent.
'Someday, old man, I will step on your corpse! I will make your close relatives become a slave of our Lin Family!'
"Here he is!"
The old man said as he saw young master Lin Baal jump up from the hawk butterfly. A little later, young master Lin's voice resounded, cursing the high elders.
"This is funny. He is truly your son, Lin Gu. He sounds just like you.
"Hahaha!
"All of you are courting death!
"Your son is hilarious!
"With a little cultivation he has, he dares saying that!
"Hahaha!"
Lin Gu ignored the high elder. He is looking at his son with them and thinking.
'That damn brat! I gave him a treasure, yet he didn't go straight to the sect and take his inner sect trial. Such a disappointment! Why are all my sons like this? Could it be because my lineage is not that great?'
Lin Gu looked at the five individuals that were about to be executed and looked closely at the other one.
'Look at your son. His mother is at the death door but still acting like he is something big!'
Suddenly, they see that Lin Baal and Lon Falor had a conflict.
"My, my, my, look at your son, Lin Gu. He is challenging my grandson. This is going to be great. I know they are going to clash, but I expected your son to be like his older brothers.
"I like him. He has guts."
The old man Lin Fusha did not forget to taunt Lin Gu.
Fusha hated him for a very long time, especially when he got his position as a second leader of the family. He also understands that. He tolerates him, but now...
"Fusha!
"If my last son dies, be prepared! I will massacre your close relatives and I'm going to make sure even those mortals would eat my leftovers like a dog!"
Lin Fusha ignored Lin Gu's raging words. He smiled at him with confidence and said,,
"Oh, come on! Those are juniors, your son is older and my grandson is only talented, so it's going to be a fair fight."
Lin Gu was even more enraged!
"Fair fight my ass! My son is not even a symbiotic cultivator, yet. CAN'T YOU SEE HIS CULTIVATION AND YOUR GRANDSON!!??"
Lin Fusha didn't react.
"Yes, and he's NOT GOING TO BE A SYMBIOTIC CULTIVATOR in the future anymore."
Taunt by elder Lin Fusha.
"Fusha! old man! I'm going to kill your brat once he kills my son! After all, he's not a real Lin Family member."
When Elder Fusha heard that, he became enraged as his aura around him became violent.
"Try saying that again!"
When Lin Gu saw that, his aura became violent too.
"Old man, your cultivation is a little higher than me, but it doesn't mean you can defeat me!"
The two aurae of the two resounded like a volcano on the verge of explosion. Out of nowhere.
"CALM DOWN!"
The old woman in the center of the table voiced out. The two became silent when they saw the old woman and their angry expression turned to fear. She looked at Lin Gu with no emotion.
"Lin Gu, what is your choice? Your son or your position? If you move against Elder Fusha right now, you will be removed from your position."
Lin Gu didn't move a muscle, stating clearly that wanted to keep his position more than his sons and concubines.
Seeing that Lin Gu didn't react, Elder Lin Fusha couldn't help but smile.
"My grandson was trained by me. The flame Martial technique that I taught him was completed by him easily by two years before he entered the sect. His records were even more outstanding than the rest in just a year staying there.
"I wonder how much my grandson has grown now."
The old woman looked at him and said,
"If you don't shut your mouth, I will drop you down from your position."
Instantly, his face changed, and didn't speak. However, he would look at Lin Gu with mockery in his expression, making Lin Gu's blood boil inside.
Lin Gu did not move, but he opened his mouth.
"It's not his real grandson and an outsider! Why are we even keeping that outsider who does whatever he wants in our Lin family?"
The woman looked at him and replied.
"It's his true grandson. He just did a lot of stuff to his grandmother. That's why he didn't want to introduce himself as a real grandfather.
"If the two escalate, into a fight, let them do it. We don't need weaklings in our clan."
Her casual answer made Lin Gu rooted to the ground.
'No wonder that old man is so proud! He's annoying! Damn it!'
Lin Gu looked at his son using the spy bug they had to monitor the younger generation and thought. Then he closed his eyes with anger!
'Never lose face! If you do, I would come for you instead. I gave you treasure, yet you didn't listen! You are useless like your brothers!'
Suddenly, he raised his head. He was the surrounding elders frozen on their spot.
The elder woman, the elder man who asked him first, Lin Fusha, and all the surrounding elders. They saw Lin Falor keep attacking Lin Baal but Lin Baal only stood there watching like a clown fooling himself.
"IMPOSSIBLE!
"IMPOSSIBLE!
"HOW COULD HE MASTER THAT TECHNIQUE!"
The elder woman turned her attention to Lin Gu and asked.
"Did you teach him a martial technique with fire immunity?"
Lin Gu was surprised. He didn't know what to reply and was speechless.
'I never cared about my son's training. I only focus on his safety and wants. How did he do it? Did Xuzan teach him that?'
His eyes wandered on Lin Xuzan but seeing his expression too, Lin Gu shook his head in surprise.
'He didn't? Did he steal my martial scroll without me knowing it?'
"I don't know if he's an idiot or a genius. Learning a high-level martial ability like that will consume time. No wonder his cultivation is still in a fifth stage. I bet his fighting ability is not that refined for combat, but he's a counter to my grandson."
Lin Fusha worriedly said.
'As long as he has another technique that is not fire, I'm sure that he can destroy Lin Gu's brat.'
Soon, they saw Lin Falor conjuring a spear made of Ice. Much to Lin Fusha's liking.
"Hah! I told you my grandson is a genius amongst genius! Dragon amongst men!
"HAHAHAHA!"
Lin Gu cursed. He was agitated and didn't want to see his useless son die in front of him.
When...
He saw in the monitoring orb using a spy bug his son ignored the ice spear of Lon Falor!
"DON'T TELL ME HE IS IMMUNE TO ICE TOO?"
Lin Fusha's voice of disbelief became even more frantic.
"Could he be elemental?" One of the high elders speculated.
The eyes of the high elder woman were shining brightly when it stopped. She opened her mouth and said,
"No!
"He can somehow make it disappear. But his body is not transforming.
"Could it be a treasure?"
Lin Gu didn't hear what the high elder woman was asking. He is still in shock at what is happening.
'I don't remember that it's a treasure I gave him. This is getting ridiculous? Does something absurd like this treasure exist? I don't believe so.'
Then he heard his son claiming that it was a treasure.
'No!
'I know my Baal! If this is a treasure, then he would proudly announce how he got it.
'Could it be a fate ability?'
Fate ability is a gift from heaven's ability. However, it needs conditions like if the heavenly stars were aligned, then some would awaken unpredictable martial abilities or
'It's impossible to be a fate ability. His cultivation would skyrocket if he had those.
'What is it?'
Lin Gu felt ridiculous. Suddenly, his son became even more unpredictable as he split the head of their mount, claiming the life of innocent hawk butterflies.