"What are you trying to do?"
Everyone watched as Evan Lin tapped a finger against the Rowe Patriarch's forehead.
The Rowe Patriarch instantly froze in place, eyes closing, falling into absolute stillness.
When Evan Lin withdrew his hand...
The Rowe Patriarch remained standing in his original posture, unmoving.
The qi surging through his body rose and fell in waves.
The aura he gave off kept shifting, making everyone nearby feel something strange again and again.
Evan Lin and Lily Liang casually found seats off to the side.
"So you're planning to use just that one finger to push him from Pointing-to-Mystery into Heavenly Phenomenon?"
Old Patriarch Ma sat there, staring at Evan Lin, his gaze openly ruthless.
Xavier Liu remained silent, simply watching and waiting.
Douglas Jiang tried several times to step forward and intervene, and Jenna Jiang repeatedly got up as well.
But in the end, all they could do was sit quietly in their seats and observe.
A brief silence settled among the Ancient Martial clans, with more and more eyes focusing on the Rowe Patriarch in the center.
Breaking through from peak first-grade Pointing-to-Mystery into Heavenly Phenomenon.
It's far from as simple as it sounds.
As patriarchs of Ancient Martial families, every one of them is a once-in-a-generation prodigy.
But to step from Pointing-to-Mystery into Heavenly Phenomenon, all of them have spent years in seclusion, desperately searching for a chance.
The shortest closed-door cultivation lasts ten years, and some have stayed secluded until death without ever touching that threshold.
But now...
Master Lin from Seacrest claims he can open the gate to Heavenly Phenomenon for the Rowe Patriarch in just half an hour?
Absurd!
Everyone from the Ancient Martial clans was thinking the same thing.
"If he fails in the end, what will you do?"
Old Patriarch Ma looked at Evan Lin, taking advantage of the lull to talk things through.
"What do you want?"
Evan Lin looked at him and snorted, "Do you even know why I wiped out your Ma Family?"
"Reason?" Old Patriarch Ma frowned, thinking it over, then shook his head. "I don't remember any special feud between our Ancient Martial Ma Family and you."
"Besides, our Ma Family has never had any conflict with Moonshade all these years."
"Are you bringing up reasons now so I'll go easy on you later, spare him and spare you?"
Old Patriarch Ma spoke coldly.
The others also looked over at Evan Lin, curiosity in their eyes.
Ancient Martial Ma Family versus Master Lin from Seacrest.
They seemed to have nothing to do with each other at all.
Yet somehow, out of nowhere, a deadly blood feud had formed?
"First, your Ma Family's Maran Ma went to Harborview and tried to forcibly marry my friend."
"She's from the Zhan Family of Harborview."
Evan Lin spoke slowly.
"Zhan Family of Harborview?"
The name left the Ancient Martial clans present baffled.
The Zhan Family might be prestigious in Harborview,
but among the Ancient Martial clans, they didn't have the slightest reputation.
It's like a local hero might be famous in their own area, but in front of bigger powers, that fame means nothing.
"Zhan Family of Harborview? I've honestly never heard of them. Are they some major clan? Or maybe part of our Ancient Martial lineage?" Old Patriarch Ma frowned, thinking hard.
He racked his brain, recalling all the powers the Ma Family had met over the years.
But he came up empty.
"The Zhan Family isn't an Ancient Martial clan, nor a vassal family of one."
Evan Lin shook his head.
"So they're a tiny clan not even worthy of a name?" Xavier Liu said coldly, narrowing his eyes.
His words made Old Patriarch Ma, who was still thinking, grow even colder.
"Are you messing with me?"
"You mean to say you dared to wipe out my Ancient Martial Ma Family just for someone from a clan not even worthy of a name? You want the lives of my entire Ma Family?"
"Are you insane?"
Old Patriarch Ma roared in fury, his aura erupting instantly.
The sudden terrifying pressure made everyone present feel their souls tremble.
The overwhelming aura left many people speechless, not daring to utter a word.
Evan Lin's expression didn't change at all, completely unmoved by the sudden surge of power.
"Whether they're worthy or not isn't up to you."
Evan Lin ignored Old Patriarch Ma, who was still on the verge of erupting, looking calm and indifferent.
"Second, I promised someone from the Yun Family that your Ma Family would pay the proper price for all the wrongs you've committed over the years."
Evan Lin spoke again.
The Yun Family.
This time, hearing the name, many people present immediately reacted.
The Yun Family's heritage was anything but shallow.
Although the Ancient Martial clans never really respected them, the Yun Family was quite special.
The entire Yun Family was an alchemy clan.
No one knew where the Yun Family's pill-making skills came from, but just for that one talent, the Ancient Martial clans remembered them.
Pills.
They're the most important thing for martial artists to raise their strength.
Every Ancient Martial clan works with the Pill King for this reason.
It's precisely because the Pill King supplies pills to the clans.
"The Yun Family!"
Old Patriarch Ma suddenly understood, glaring at Evan Lin. "So you wiped out my Ma Family just to win the Yun Family's loyalty?"
"The Yun Family used to be disciples of my Ancient Martial Ma Family. The entire Yun Family was our vassal clan. If we let them live, they live. If we want them dead, they die!"
"Their lives belong to us! What gives you the right to stand up for them?"
Old Patriarch Ma shot to his feet, shouting fiercely.
Ma Family's suppression of the Yun Family was always clear to Old Patriarch Ma.
But he never cared enough to intervene.
The Yun Family was useful to the Ma Family, and the Ma Family also helped the Yun Family quite a bit.
Otherwise, the Yun Family wouldn't have lived so comfortably.
The only issue was that the Ma Family wanted more, so they planned to marry Yun Family women into the Ma Family, gradually taking over the Yun Family completely.
But Old Patriarch Ma never imagined...
That because of this, the entire Ancient Martial Ma Family would be wiped out!
"Whatever history you had with the Yun Family, I don't care."
"But I promised her I'd destroy your Ma Family, and I never break my word."
Evan Lin shook his head. "Since you're here today..."
"I won't have to waste time hunting you down later."