Chapter 8

Boom!

The clash of palm and claw produced a resounding noise, like the collision of two pieces of hard steel. Meng Jun's tiger seemed to have suffered a great loss, growling lowly as it was forced back several yards. Its sharp claws left deep marks on the ground.

"Hmmph!"

A muffled groan came from behind, followed by the sound of a half-step retreat. At the same time, a familiar scent immediately filled his nose.

"Auntie!"

Lin Xi blurted out instinctively. A wave of anxiety washed over him, and without a second thought, he turned and threw himself into the arms of the figure behind him.

This series of actions was entirely instinctive. By the time Lin Xi came to his senses, he had already thrown himself into someone's arms. Although he had never met her before, the affection he felt seemed deeply etched into his soul.

"Xiao'er, are you alright?"

A gentle voice reached his ears, filled with concern.

This was a middle-aged Daoist nun, wearing a cloud-patterned Daoist robe. Although she was over forty, she was well-preserved, looking like a woman in her thirties. Her hair was as black as clouds, adorned with a Daoist hairpin. Her skin was as white as jade, exuding a beauty that made her a great beauty in her youth. She was now looking down at Lin Xi with concern.

This beautiful Daoist nun was Lin Xi's aunt, Lin Ruyun, the third elder of the Five Thunder Sect.

Lin Xi had once thought that, as a穿越者 (穿越者 means "time traveler" or "穿越者" in this context, but it's better to use "穿越者" to maintain the original flavor), he could calmly view everything around him. However, looking at the slightly pale face before him and the genuine concern and anxiety in her eyes, Lin Xi's heart trembled.

He realized he still couldn't remain calm and indifferent to everything around him.

"I'm fine!"

Lin Xi felt a surge of emotion.

"Meng Jun!"

Lin Ruyun suddenly raised her head, her beautiful eyes blazing with anger. "How dare you let your tiger harm Xiao'er?!"

"Haha, so it's Elder Lin. You're still so protective of this little brat! It was just an accident, no need to get so angry."

Meng Jun stood tall, calm and composed.

"Meng Jun, don't push me to my limits! If anything happens to Xiao'er, I will tear you to pieces!" Lin Ruyun's voice was stern and fierce. Thinking of what had just happened, she was still trembling with fear.

"Hmph!" Meng Jun's face turned cold, and he said coldly, "Lin Ruyun, don't overstep your bounds! This little brat has caused a huge disaster. I was just trying to teach him a lesson. You can protect him for now, but can you protect him forever?"

"Whether he has caused trouble or not will be decided by the Elder Council, not you! If you dare to lay a hand on him again, don't blame me for not showing any mercy!"

Lin Ruyun's face was as cold as frost, and her beautiful eyes revealed a determined resolve.

Meng Jun's expression faltered. Clearly, Lin Xi was her limit. Meng Jun could sense that this old Daoist nun wasn't just talking; she was willing to fight to the death.

He was a cautious person and didn't want to fight to the death with Lin Ruyun.

"Hmph! Old Daoist nun, what right do you have to speak to my father like that?"

At this moment, a head appeared behind Meng Jun. It was a teenager, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a look of arrogance on his face.

"My father is the future sect leader. Your words today are a grave offense, and you will be the first to be punished!"

Lin Xi, with his sharp eyes, recognized the teenager as Meng Jun's son, Meng Shi.

Lin Ruyun was so angry that she could have fainted. She was a respected elder of the Five Thunder Sect, but now even Meng Jun's son dared to humiliate her. This showed how arrogant Meng Jun was within the sect.

Lin Ruyun was so angry that her whole body was trembling.

Lin Xi saw everything. As her nephew, he couldn't stand by and let his aunt be humiliated.

With a flash, Lin Xi stepped forward: "Meng Jun, teach your son some manners. I hear he's your only son, and I'm afraid he won't live past eighteen. — Auntie, if anything happens to me, my only wish is to have that boy executed as my burial companion!"

Lin Xi's words were decisive and ruthless.

Meng Jun's face changed immediately:

"Little brat! How dare you—"

Lin Xi had hit his soft spot. Meng Jun was fearless and tyrannical within the sect, even daring to kill Lin Xi in public. But his son, Meng Shi, was his only weakness.

Meng Jun was already old and couldn't have any more children. If Meng Shi died, the Meng family would be extinct. Even if he became the sect leader, it would be meaningless.

"Lin Xi, you are despicable! —"

Behind Meng Jun, Meng Shi, who had a smug look on his face, was struck like lightning. His face turned pale, and his whole body stiffened with fear.

With Lin Ruyun's skills, killing him would be as easy as killing a chicken!

Lin Ruyun also came to her senses and saw the expressions on Meng Jun and Meng Shi's faces, feeling a sense of vindication. She wasn't good at verbal sparring, and it wasn't appropriate for her to argue with Meng Shi. But it was different when Lin Xi did it.

"That's right! Meng Jun, if anything happens to Xiao'er, your precious son will be his burial companion!"

Lin Ruyun understood and gave Meng Shi a fierce glance.

Meng Shi's face turned even paler.

Meng Jun's face was iron-gray, and his expression was extremely ugly:

"Lin Ruyun, you are ruthless! But you can protect him for now, not forever—let's see who wins at the Elder Council!"

With that, he spurred his tiger and disappeared into the dust, unwilling to say another word. Meng Jun would never admit that he was afraid of Lin Ruyun's threat.

"Xiao'er, you are smart, making that old man back down. Don't worry about the Elder Council. — I will do everything to protect you today!"

Lin Ruyun pulled Lin Xi and immediately headed for the mountain peak.

...

...

...

At the top of Five Thunder Mountain, in the grand hall of the sect leader, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified.

The six elders sat upright, with seven or eight core disciples standing behind each of them, creating a solemn atmosphere.

At the highest position in the hall, an old man sat with his brows lowered. He wore a blue robe, his hair and beard were white, and his face was full of wrinkles. His aura was like a flickering flame, about to go out at any moment.

If it weren't for everyone knowing the truth, no one would believe that this ordinary-looking old man, who seemed ready to die, was actually the first-rate expert of the Five Thunder Sect, a super-strong warrior capable of battling a dragon.

He was also the only ninth-level Dragon Force expert in the Five Thunder Sect!

However, at this moment, this sole Dragon Force expert looked drowsy and old, lacking the aura and strength of a Dragon Force expert.

"Elder Meng, you initiated this Elder Council. Please speak first."

The Great Elder, with his eyes half-closed, his long eyebrows drooping, spoke slowly. After finishing, he closed his eyes again.

The Great Elder had no interest in power, which was well-known.

"Fine! Since the Great Elder has spoken, I will speak."

With the Great Elder's consent, Meng Jun immediately stood up from his wide chair, scanned the room, and said calmly:

"Everyone! You should all know what has happened in the sect recently. The Holy Maiden of the Sunlight Sect was a guest on our Five Thunder Mountain, but someone broke in and spied on her while she was bathing. The Sunlight Sect is a major sect, and its leader is a tenth-level Thunder Roar expert. Although our Five Thunder Sect is also strong, we are far from the Sunlight Sect. The Holy Maiden of the Sunlight Sect is a symbol of the sect, and for her to be humiliated here is a great insult to the Sunlight Sect. If the Sunlight Sect uses this incident to their advantage, our Five Thunder Sect will face a great disaster!"

Meng Jun suddenly turned and roared:

"Lin Xi, you little brat, don't you dare to come out!"

Before his voice had even faded, he vanished and reappeared in front of Lin Xi, grabbing at his head with one hand.

"Meng Jun, how dare you!"

Lin Ruyun's eyes turned cold, and she flew out of her chair, striking with a palm.

"Bang!"

A deafening metallic sound erupted in the air, and a powerful force exploded. Meng Jun and Lin Ruyun were evenly matched, each retreating several steps.

"Meng Jun! What do you want?"

Lin Ruyun stood in the center of the hall, her face filled with anger, like a mother beast that had been provoked.

"Lin Ruyun, are you still going to protect him? This little brat has no skills but has the audacity to spy on the Holy Maiden of the Sunlight Sect. If he causes such a disaster today, it will only get worse in the future. As the saying goes, if a child is not taught, it is the father's fault. You are also responsible for his actions today!"

Meng Jun was unyielding, countering her point by point.

"Nonsense! Xiao'er is just a child, and his martial arts are weak. How could he have broken through the layers of protection around the Holy Maiden of the Sunlight Sect? This is suspicious and must be a setup. Meng Jun, stop spreading lies!"

Although Lin Ruyun hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she chose to protect her nephew and completely trusted Lin Xi.

"Hmph! The facts are clear, and the evidence is irrefutable. There's no room for argument. Elders, I propose a vote to remove Lin Xi's status as the young sect leader. — I suggest we remove Lin Xi's status as the young sect leader!"

Meng Jun's eyes gleamed with malice as he looked at the others and raised his hand.

"Other elders, what are your opinions?"

"Hmph! I've said before that we shouldn't be too lenient with this boy, or he will cause a great disaster. But you didn't listen. Now what? Elder Meng is right. This boy has caused a huge disaster and cannot be allowed to stay. We must remove his status as the young sect leader and hand him over to the Sunlight Sect to clear his connection with the sect!"

Elder Wei Buping immediately agreed, his face cold and cruel.

"Wei Buping!"

Lin Xi's pupils contracted. He realized that Wei Buping and Meng Jun were colluding, determined to remove his status as the young sect leader.

Meng Jun was the mastermind, and Wei Buping was the accomplice.

"Elder Wei!"

Lin Ruyun cried out in shock, clearly not aware of the relationship between Wei Buping and Meng Jun.

"Lin Xi is the only son of the sect leader. Are you trying to cut off the last bloodline of the Lin family?"

"Elder Lin, you can't say that. Lin Xi is indeed the only son of the sect leader, but one must take responsibility for one's actions. It's better to let him die than to let the entire sect be buried with him."

From another position, Elder Duan Yimei sat in his wide chair, tapping the armrest rhythmically, looking fair and just.

"Elder Duan, you—"

Lin Ruyun's heart trembled, feeling a sense of betrayal that almost made her furious. Before today, she had run around and obtained Duan Yimei's agreement, but now he had turned against her.

This was a significant blow to Lin Ruyun!

Among the six elders, three had already agreed to remove Lin Xi's status, and the situation was precarious.

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