Suddenly, a knock on the door and an elderly voice were heard.
Upon hearing the sound, Lin Hao opened the door and saw Yuxin and a black-robed old servant waiting outside.
"Xin'er, why were you gone all night?" Lin Hao looked at Yuxin and asked.
"Father is not in the city, so it took a bit longer, but everything has been arranged. Uncle Ma and I will escort you out," Yuxin explained.
Lin Hao nodded and followed Yuxin and the black-robed old servant out of the Rain Family residence.
At this moment, a carriage was already waiting outside.
Lin Hao got into the carriage, and with Yuxin and the black-robed old servant driving, the Black Armor Army of the Lin Family branch would not dare to stop them.
Soon, the carriage sped forward.
...
"Is this the direction out of the city?" After a long while, Lin Hao suddenly lifted the curtain, his eyes cold and indifferent, scanning the surroundings.
In his memory, this direction was not the way out of the city, but rather to the Lin Family branch altar.
"Lin Hao, where do you think you're running to!"
"Hmph, thinking you can get protection by going to the Rain Family?!"
"What a fool, Miss Yuxin and Master Lin Tong will soon be engaged. Do you think she will help you?! What a joke!"
At this moment, Yuxin and the black-robed old servant had long disappeared, and the carriage was now being driven by several executives of the Lin Family branch.
Lin Hao was not stupid and instantly understood what was happening.
"Yuxin... you have betrayed me too..." Lin Hao's lips curled up, revealing a self-mocking smile.
No wonder when he went to the branch inner hall that day, he saw people from the Rain and Lin branches discussing important matters, and Lin Tong even kicked him out.
At that time, they must have been discussing Lin Tong and Yuxin's marriage, and perhaps also how to transfer his spirit root...
"Lin Hao, you have nowhere to run!"
Dozens of Lin Family branch disciples surrounded the carriage, standing beside the executives, their faces full of sneers.
"Why should I run?" Lin Hao stood up, his eyes like a hawk, scanning the executives.
"Take him to the altar!" One of the executives waved his hand, and Lin Hao was pressed by several Lin Family branch disciples to the altar.
Lin Hao did not resist, allowing himself to be taken away.
He wanted to see just how far the Lin Family branch would go!
At Fenglin Town, the altar.
Almost all the martial artists in the town had gathered, and even the traces of several major local families could be seen.
There were hundreds of people scattered around.
At the top of the altar, a light like a small sun flickered, capable of extracting one's spirit root.
The two elders and the head of the Lin Family branch were all seated above the altar.
"Pity, Lin Hao from the Lin Family headquarters has a good spirit root, but it was shattered in the sect, and now he is to be stripped of it."
"You can't say it like that. His spirit root is shattered and is useless in his body. It's better to take it out and give it to the branch's genius, which will strengthen the branch."
"Sigh... We are of the same root, but such actions are indeed cruel. I wonder how Lin Hao agreed to such an excessive demand..."
The people present whispered to each other, their words differing.
"Hmph, that cripple, a decent spirit root in his body is a waste."
At this moment, the black-robed old servant of the Rain Family was also here, looking at Yuxin, who was dressed in a thin veil, and said,
"Miss, a martial artist with a broken spirit root cannot communicate with the Five Earths and Ten Heavens, he is just a cripple. Being with him will only bring you misery! Lin Tong is the son of the head of the Lin Family branch. This time, Lin Tong will receive Lin Hao's spirit root, and you can consider Lin Tong."
"And Master said that as long as Lin Tong successfully receives Lin Hao's spirit root, he will marry you." Seeing Yuxin hesitate, the old man added.
"Does Lin Hao have no hope at all?" The woman looked at the old man.
"None! Not a bit!" The old man nodded.
"Alright... I understand... Since it has come to this, there's nothing more to say." Yuxin finally gave in.
...
"The world is cold and indifferent. Lin Hao helped Yuxin many times, but now she chooses Lin Tong... The world is truly cold."
"People are like this. If I were in his place, I wouldn't want to continue liking Lin Hao either."
"These families are always like this. Interests always come first. Lin Hao once lost nearly half of his true blood to save Yuxin, otherwise, his spirit root wouldn't have been so easily broken in the sect. Sigh..."
At the top of the altar.
A young man in a green robe stood before the head of the Lin Family branch, his brows slightly impatient, and said, "Father, why hasn't Lin Hao arrived yet?"
This young man had a cold and proud look, and he was Lin Tong.
Lin Hao's spirit root, which was about to be stripped, was to be transferred to him.
"Child, don't worry. Since your uncle had Lin Hao brought to the branch, there will be no accidents. Rest assured." The head of the branch, Lin Zhan, sneered, "That boy thought he could hide in the Rain Family and be safe, but he is truly naive."
When Lin Zhan learned that Lin Hao's spirit root was shattered, he quickly contacted the chief executive of the Lin Family headquarters. The two colluded and used various means to finally bring Lin Hao here, with the purpose of transferring his spirit root to his son, Lin Tong.
Lin Tong's spirit root was already good, and if he received Lin Hao's spirit root, his strength would soar, perhaps even surpassing the geniuses of the Lin Family headquarters!
Thinking of this, Lin Zhan's face was filled with smiles.
"I am doing him a favor by taking his spirit root. This way, the Rain Family can also be satisfied. Only I am worthy of marrying Yuxin. The old man from the Rain Family even wanted to marry Yuxin to Lin Hao, which is absurd!" Lin Tong, expressionless, jumped down from the altar.
He walked to Yuxin and embraced her.
This scene made many martial artists in Fenglin Town frown.
This father and son, Lin Zhan, were truly despicable, not only taking Lin Hao's spirit root but also taking Yuxin, who had secretly admired Lin Hao since childhood.
"Father said that as long as we get Lin Hao's spirit root, he will marry me to you." Yuxin looked at Lin Tong, her voice showing no willingness or unwillingness.
Hearing this, Lin Tong said, "Lin Hao's spirit root will be mine. After I receive it, I will personally go to your residence to marry you."
"Good, good, good. You two young people, working together in the future, will surely strengthen the branch." Seeing this, Lin Zhan was overjoyed, and even the two elders nodded in agreement.
...
"Look! Lin Hao is here!"
In the crowd, someone shouted, and everyone turned to look behind them.
At this moment, Lin Hao was being escorted by many Lin Family branch disciples, following the steps of three executives toward the altar.
"Sigh... This disciple from the Lin Family headquarters ends up like this, truly pitiful and lamentable..."
"If I were Lin Hao, I would rather die!"
"Lin Hao must be heartbroken. The Lin Family's actions this time are indeed improper."
"Hmph... What do you know? Lin Zhan is the younger brother of the chief executive of the Lin Family headquarters, extremely powerful. Bringing a Lin Hao with a shattered spirit root here is easy. This matter is probably a cover-up. Who will investigate after Lin Zhan's spirit root is taken?"
"This is the Lin Family... Sigh... Lin Hao is truly pitiful..."
Seeing Lin Hao being brought in, many of the older martial artists sighed.
Lin Zhan chuckled softly, his gaze on the approaching Lin Hao: "Child, your spirit root is here."
Hearing this, Lin Tong nodded without saying much.
He was going to take Lin Hao's spirit root, and everything Lin Hao once had would become his.
Lin Tong believed he was no less than Lin Hao, and even stronger!
Today, after receiving Lin Hao's spirit root, he might be able to surpass the geniuses of the headquarters!
He wanted to become the first among the younger generation of the Lin Family, making everyone know the name Lin Tong.
At this moment, Lin Tong held Yuxin's hand, looking down at the approaching Lin Hao with an extremely cold and proud expression. He was the king, about to rule the world!
As for Yuxin, she felt some guilt, unsure how to face Lin Hao.
"Xin'er, you did nothing wrong. If you blame anyone, blame Lin Hao for not knowing his place." The head of the branch, Lin Zhan, said.
Hearing this, Yuxin nodded: "Uncle Lin Zhan is right. Lin Hao is a rebellious son, daring to commit violence in the branch. What I did was for Lin Hao's own good, unwilling to let him continue on the wrong path."
...
"When I take Lin Hao's spirit root, I will give him some properties in a few small towns. This way, he will have no worries about food and drink, living a peaceful life. The martial path is not suitable for Lin Hao." Lin Tong said coldly.
Lin Hao used to have a very gentle personality, to put it bluntly, he was weak.
Even with a good spirit root, his weak personality often led to him being bullied. This was evident from the time his spirit root was broken in the sect.
If Lin Hao were not so weak, the chief executive of the Lin Family headquarters might not have dared to send people to bring Lin Hao to the branch, knowing that Lin Hao was weak and easy to bully.
But no one could have predicted that the weak Lin Hao of the past was long gone.
At this moment, Lin Hao had already merged with the soul of the Nine Heavens Emperor.
Some people are weak and easy to bully.
But some people, if bullied, will bring devastating retaliation!
Lin Hao now belonged to the latter.
At this moment, many onlookers watched Lin Hao step by step, shaking their heads.
Some pitied him, while others were gleeful, waiting to see the show.
Lin Hao was escorted by several executives, step by step up to the altar. Seeing that everything was under control, they finally let go, giving Lin Hao some freedom.
Dozens of Black Armor Army soldiers guarded the surroundings, and the two elders and the head of the branch were all present. Even if Lin Hao had wings, he could not escape!
At this moment, Lin Hao ignored the people on the altar and instead looked at Yuxin: "You... very well, you did a great job."
Hearing this, Yuxin leaned closer to Lin Tong: "Brother Lin Hao... Your spirit root is useless to you, but it is very useful to Lin Tong... Transferring the spirit root is the order of the chief executive of the headquarters... How could you resist..."
At first, Yuxin's eyes were somewhat evasive, but as she spoke, her gaze became increasingly firm, even showing some disgust toward Lin Hao.
Lin Hao shook his head, not intending to argue with Yuxin. Since it had come to this, there was no point in saying more.
He could only blame himself for being careless, thinking that the Rain Family would not betray him because his father had done a great favor for them.