The patriarch observed Lian's determined stance and understood that the young man still yearned for a fight. "You have cleverly hidden your true power over the years. Your revenge against those who took the lives of your parents has been accomplished. I admit that I had only superficial knowledge of the councilors' plans. I never married or had children because I believed that the next patriarch should be chosen among them, without my direct interference."
The patriarch paused and fixed his gaze on Lian's eyes. He managed to suppress his anger to the fullest while speaking to the young man.
"Even though you have eliminated all of them, I am still feared and powerful enough to protect the clan on my own. Lower your weapon. Together, we can reclaim the clan and take it to an even higher level. Your grandfather and mother dreamed and fought for this throughout their lives. Now that your revenge is complete, it is time for you to live to become the next patriarch!"
Lian responded with a sarcastic smile to the patriarch. It was evident that the dead could not communicate or defend themselves. The patriarch was clearly shifting all the blame onto the deceased councilors and trying to recruit him. His bloodlust could still be felt, but his greed was even greater than anything else. Despite the irreparable damage done to the clan, Lian's power and talent instilled fear in the patriarch. If they were to join forces, there was indeed hope that he could reach great heights and triumph in the capital.
Lemir remained within the formation next to Riria, maintaining a safe distance. His expression showed great astonishment as he witnessed the disappearance of the domain and the death of all the councilors. Upon hearing the patriarch's words, he concluded that, despite everything, the clan still had a chance to survive if they were with Lian. "Young Lian, I agree that the patriarch also had some fault in all of this. But he didn't do anything directly; he only caused lesser harm. If you or he were to die, the clan would be doomed. Your mother, when she wakes up, will be very resentful about this. Your grandfather died trying to protect the clan from demons in the past; they wouldn't want its destruction."
As Lian listened to the two of them speak, he thought that the destruction and creation of a clan were quite common in the cultivation world. To him, none of this mattered. However, upon hearing the story of how his grandfather died, as recounted by Lemir, memories of the sect he led resurfaced.
The Clarius Garden Sect was a mediocre sect in the Divine Plane, but it was infested with corrupt members driven by power and greed, sowing many rotten fruits. Lian and his great friend, a High Elf named Laswen, faced many obstacles to rise in the sect's hierarchy. Together, they plotted and retaliated, eliminating many of these rotten fruit's retaliation. However, to preserve the sect's forces, Lian, as the leader, decided to spare some of them and concentrate his efforts on turning the sect into one of the greatest in the divine world.
Zeke had complete trust in Laswen, but the information about the origin of his planet could only have been discovered and leaked by the remnants of these rotten fruits. Lian had no intention of sparing the clan patriarch. He was determined to eradicate all the rotten fruits this time. The surviving cultivators who chose not to attack Lian, even knowing the danger, would be the seeds that could revitalize the clan in the future.
"Mr. Lemir, a greater or lesser evil doesn't matter. If I chose the lesser, we would still be heading toward the destruction of the clan. But don't worry, with people like you and those who survived, we can rise and grow properly. The karma generated by the patriarch must be properly purified. A leader who commands those eight councilors will only lead to our own ruin."
A new sword materialized in Lian's hands, and he raised it, pointing it toward the patriarch. Overwhelming battle intent radiated from him. Lian knew that this would be an extremely difficult battle. After all, he was only in the Muscle Transformation, completely drained of Qi.
The patriarch then realized that reconciliation was impossible. However, he was satisfied to be able to eliminate Lian, taking the opportunity to release all his built-up anger. A terrifying aura erupted from his body as frenetic energy swept in all directions. Even from a distance, Lemir felt as if a mountain was pressing on him, making it difficult for him to even breathe.
"What powerful Qi pressure!" exclaimed a few strong surviving cultivators, observing from afar. They understood that the future of the clan was at stake in that crucial moment.
The hearts of these survivors trembled due to the intense Qi pressure resulting from the compression of the surrounding space. This indicated that the patriarch's spiritual Qi had already been compressed to the maximum limit.
Witnessing this display of Qi, Lian understood clearly why only the Purplecloud clan possessed cultivators in the Core Formation Realm. All others were prevented from cultivating from the capital's spiritual vein. Without it, the natural density of Qi on the continent was not sufficient to allow for the accumulation and breakthrough of realms. The patriarch had long reached the limit of the Meridian Transformation Realm and couldn't advance in any way.
The patriarch, sensing the indifference in Lian's gaze, drew a new sword. The Sword Qi soared into the sky as he brandished it with force.
Three images of shining blades appeared in the air, merging into a single image. An intense killing intent spread throughout the surroundings as a result.
That was the first step of the clan's divine art. For experts like the councilors, it would take several breaths to activate such a powerful divine skill. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to mobilize such a vast amount of Qi.
Despite the disparity of only one realm between them, the patriarch facing Lian didn't need to gather energy. The difference between those advisors and the patriarch was overwhelming.
Seeing that Lian was willing to fight, despite being in an extremely disadvantageous position, without Qi, with severe injuries, and covered in his own blood, the young cultivators from the clan were left breathless.
He seemed like a god who had descended into the mortal world. Having consecutively defeated eight experts in the Bone Forging Realm. The more powerful the opponent, the calmer Lian became. Even in the face of such a formidable opponent, his battle intent didn't weaken in the slightest. His confidence remained unshaken.
The patriarch's strike hit Lian head-on, and the inscriptions on his new sword lit up. He had prepared some weapons with Qi from weak demonic beasts, embedding them into the sword. Although they wouldn't last long, he could use them in conjunction with his tempered physical body.
The images of two swords collided, causing ripples in space. Waves propagated in all directions.
*Boom!*
At that moment, a muffled sound echoed, and simultaneously, the sound of a weapon shattering. A figure was thrown backward, blood spraying in all directions.
"Oh? You're not dead? Not bad, interesting," said the patriarch with surprise. By all logic, Lian's body should have been turned into a sieve.
Although his words were full of mockery, deep inside, the patriarch was shocked. Lian's inscriptions and techniques were something he had never witnessed in his 600 years of life. Even during his cultivation in the capital, he had never seen inscriptions with their own Qi. That only increased fear in his chest.
The patriarch shook his head indifferently and launched another attack. The sword in his hand and the shining blade in the air moved in an extremely strange and unpredictable manner.
Lian didn't face the strikes head-on as dozens of moves were exchanged in an instant. For the observers, it was impossible to keep up with the patriarch's movements, but Lian evaded most of them and effortlessly parried a few.
Zeke, having lived over twenty times the age of the patriarch, had vast battle experience. He had already faced thousands of confrontations and narrowly escaped death on several occasions. Fighting at an extreme disadvantage, with imminent death, was something he considered simple and familiar.
*Hhum!*
Suddenly, the shining blade was dodged, and the patriarch's sword hit Lian's shoulder. The patriarch grimaced, a wave of Qi erupted, and he tried to quickly retreat.
But Lian didn't just receive the attack for nothing. A tiger's roar sounded as Lian looked like a furious lion, unleashing a slash of light so fast and powerful that the air itself seemed to break, producing a sharp, electric sound that filled the space around him.
*Boom!*
The patriarch, feeling his hands tremble, was propelled backward, thrown by the impact of Lian's strike. His sword cracked slightly, and blood began to trickle slowly. Still, he uttered disdainful words with a mocking tone, "Not bad for an Ant. Try again if you dare."
Next, the patriarch formed a seal with his left hand, unleashing a sudden wave of Qi that surged toward Lian, forcing him to retreat several steps. The patriarch's aura explosively grew, becoming so oppressive that the onlookers could barely breathe in the face of his immense presence.