Chapter 43

Buzz!

The earth shook, seemingly unable to bear Lin Xi's weight. That overwhelming and sea-swallowing aura reappeared on him.

"Mountain Lifting!"

Lin Xi roared in his heart and unleashed the third move of the Qi Swallowing Eight Desolates Fist, Mountain Lifting.

A heavy, mountain-like aura burst forth from Lin Xi. In that instant, his weight seemed to increase a thousandfold, suppressing the entire hall and calming all the tremors.

Around him, the air surged, faintly revealing a scene of towering peaks and majestic mountains, a grand and mighty aura spreading out.

This was different from the first move, "Sea Embracing a Hundred Rivers," which Lin Xi had used earlier. The aura of Sea Embracing a Hundred Rivers was chaotic, making it the best move for group attacks and dealing with Meng Jun's sword. Mountain Lifting, however, was a single-target attack.

"Bad!"

The Elder of the Sun Flame Sect, clad in a golden robe, felt an unprecedented crisis at this moment. Lin Xi's punch was even more powerful and terrifying than the move that killed Meng Jun.

Moreover, Lin Xi's original strength was inferior to his. But this punch was no longer Lin Xi's own strength; it was like the mountains and peaks pressing down together.

"Flame Burning the Sky!"

The Elder of the Sun Flame Sect unleashed his final counterattack, a fierce and violent fist force forming a spiral, spinning violently, and charging at Lin Xi.

"Roar!"

At the same time, Lin Xi's fists swung out.

Boom!

The sky and earth split. The spiral fist force of the Sun Flame Sect Elder only lasted for a moment before being quickly shattered, and the Elder was swiftly engulfed, exploding into pieces.

Lin Xi's previous internal fist strikes had already dispersed most of the life force of this Dragon Force stage expert. The final "Qi Swallowing Eight Desolates Fist" was the last blow to seal the victory.

"Senior Brother! ——"

Seeing Lin Xi kill his fellow senior brother with one punch, the last Elder of the Sun Flame Sect let out a shrill scream. His figure flickered, and he was about to abandon the Grand Elder Zhao Xiong to kill Lin Xi.

"The battle is over, are you still not satisfied?"

Grand Elder Zhao Xiong leaped forward, switching between fist and palm, and finally swung his magical sword, slicing through the last Sun Flame Sect Elder, who was mentally unguarded. The magical sword cut through, splitting him in two, and the last Sun Flame Sect Elder was instantly killed.

Bang!

Seeing the Grand Elder deal with the last Dragon Force expert, Lin Xi let out a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

His mind had been highly concentrated, excluding all matters unrelated to the battle. But now that he relaxed, he suddenly felt extremely weak, and intense, tearing pain spread throughout his body.

"Really tired!"

Lin Xi's mind relaxed, and he lay flat on the ground in a spread-eagle position.

Not only the internal fist techniques but also the Qi Swallowing Eight Desolates Stance were extremely draining in terms of strength, physical energy, and mental focus. This bitter battle had almost exhausted all of his strength, leaving him unable to move.

"How are you? Can you still move?"

Grand Elder Zhao Xiong, holding the magical sword, walked to Lin Xi's side, a look of relief and warmth on his aged face.

This battle was indeed a bitter one, and the entire Five Thunder Sect was almost overturned in one night.

However, witnessing the rise of a talented disciple in the Five Thunder Sect in one night made the Grand Elder feel very relieved.

This night's battle brought too many shocks from Lin Xi!

"Still not dead."

Lin Xi, lying on the ground, smiled self-deprecatingly.

His current state was very pitiful. The Dragon Force Elder of the Sun Flame Sect had broken many of his bones. If it weren't for Lin Xi's relentless training under the waterfall, which made his skin thicker than ordinary people, and his indestructible body, he would have died many times over.

This severe injury would take a long time to heal.

However, Lin Xi felt extremely satisfied in his heart.

If Lin Xi's killing of the first Dragon Force Elder relied on treachery and ambush, then now he had truly grown into a peak expert within the sect.

A direct, hard-fought battle with a true Dragon Force expert brought him invaluable experience and benefits, greatly aiding his future martial path.

"Grand Elder... I..."

A hesitant voice came from a corner of the hall, belonging to Han Shizhong.

Lin Xi and the Grand Elder exchanged glances and nodded slightly.

Han Shizhong was not a reliable person. To be precise, he was a opportunist, with a survival instinct that was almost incomprehensible.

Despite the unclear outcome of the battle, he always managed to find the right choice.

This keen sense of the big picture was truly astonishing!

If possible, Lin Xi wouldn't mind killing him. But with three of the Five Thunder Sect's six Elders dead, only the Grand Elder and Han Shizhong remained, and the fate of the Third Elder, Lin Ruyun, was unknown. The sect's strength had been greatly weakened.

In this situation, the Five Thunder Sect could not afford to lose another Elder.

Moreover, Han Shizhong had withdrawn quickly and did not join the Sun Flame Sect's experts in attacking Lin Xi. In this sense, it was forgivable.

"You go out first. Lin Xi and I need to rest for a while."

The Grand Elder waved his hand.

Han Shizhong nodded, walked out of the hall without a word, and his expression was unreadable.

Lin Xi slept until dawn.

When Lin Xi woke up, the Grand Elder had already left.

"Junior Sect Leader, you're awake."

A familiar voice sounded in his ear.

Lin Xi opened his eyes and saw a familiar face: "Senior Sister."

The woman standing by Lin Xi was Li Qingling, the female disciple who had informed him of the news outside the Fierce Beast Mountains. Lin Xi had arrived at Five Thunder Mountain alone, and she had only arrived in the middle of the night.

By this time, the battle had already ended.

"Junior Sect Leader, how do you feel? Are you feeling better?"

Li Qingling's eyes were full of concern. She was Lin Ruyun's disciple, and Lin Xi was Lin Ruyun's nephew. Naturally, she cared for him, especially after his impressive performance last night.

"Um, much better."

Lin Xi stood up, tidied his clothes slightly, and said:

"Where is the Grand Elder?"

"The Grand Elder has already returned to his residence. He asked you to find him after you wake up."

Li Qingling said.

Lin Xi nodded, said nothing, and swept his robe, leading the way out of the hall.

The Five Thunder Sect, after the disaster, was quiet, everything was the same as before. Many traces of the battle had been cleaned up, and it seemed as if nothing had happened.

If it weren't for the pain in his body, Lin Xi might have doubted whether the battle last night was just an illusion.

"The rebellion has been completely quelled."

Lin Xi thought to himself. He saw a familiar figure in the distance, directing something.

"Grand Elder Han didn't rest all night, and he has organized everything in an orderly manner. The disciples of the sect admire him."

Li Qingling said in his ear, her voice filled with admiration.

When she arrived last night, the battle had already stopped, and she did not know that Han Shizhong was one of the rebelling Elders.

"This old man is quite skilled at winning people's hearts."

Lin Xi thought to himself.

Despite not having much affection for Han Shizhong, Lin Xi had to admit that Han Shizhong was indeed skilled in management. The rebellion last night had a significant impact, and the Five Thunder Sect had lost three Elders, which greatly shook the disciples.

At such a time, it was easy for the disciples to scatter. But Han Shizhong could quickly stabilize the situation, which was not to be underestimated.

With these thoughts in mind, Lin Xi headed directly to the Grand Elder's residence.

The Grand Elder's residence was very simple, with just a table and a chair, very basic.

When Lin Xi entered, the Grand Elder was frowning, deep in thought.

The Five Thunder Sect had experienced such a disaster, and many disciples had died. With such a major event, only he could handle the situation.

"Grand Elder."

Lin Xi said as he walked over.

The Grand Elder, hearing the voice, came to his senses:

"It's Lin Xi, come and sit down."

After Lin Xi sat down, the Grand Elder looked at him and said:

"Of the six Elders of our Five Thunder Sect, only a few remain. Many core disciples have also been injured or killed. The disciples of Meng Jun, Wei Buping, Duan Yimei, and others are still in a state of panic. Even if they stay, they fear punishment. Additionally, with Wei Buping's death, there is no one to handle the sect's secular affairs. These are all matters that need to be addressed. Lin Xi, as the Junior Sect Leader, what are your thoughts on these matters?"

Lin Xi remained silent. The issues the Grand Elder mentioned were clearly ones he had pondered for a long time. Although Lin Xi had not managed these matters before, the Five Thunder Sect was founded by his ancestors, and many of its elites had been lost. Out of duty and reason, he had to take over.

Even if he didn't know how to handle it before, he now had to start learning.

After thinking for a while, Lin Xi said:

"The scattering of hearts is inevitable. Moreover, Meng Jun and Wei Buping have been operating for many years, and their disciples are loyal to them, not to the sect. Even if they stay, it may not be a good thing. In my opinion, we should make it clear to them that last night's events are not their fault. If they want to leave, they can go. If they want to stay, they can remain. Everything should be handled according to the old rules."

"Lin Xi, you must think carefully. Our Five Thunder Sect originally had seven hundred disciples. If you say this, many may leave. In the end, there might be fewer than three hundred left, and they would be low-level disciples."

The Grand Elder's expression was serious.

"I understand."

Lin Xi nodded, indicating that he had considered it:

"The most important thing for the sect is loyalty. As for the core disciples, they can be cultivated. It's better to cultivate a new batch of disciples rather than keep a group of people with ulterior motives. At least, their loyalty to the sect will not be a problem."

The Grand Elder's brows relaxed, and he finally nodded in relief:

"Lin Xi, you have indeed grown up, with a meticulous mind and your own thoughts. You are right. It's better to disperse a group of people with different intentions than to keep them. This aligns with my thoughts. Additionally, the sect has just experienced a major disaster, and it is a time to stabilize the hearts of the disciples. Therefore, I have a request for you."

"Grand Elder, please command."

Lin Xi said without hesitation.

"Lin Xi, I hope you will take on the position of Sect Leader!"

The Grand Elder's expression was solemn.

c!~!

<a href="