“Oh? You have a trump card to defeat the Feng family?” Empress Dowager Meng Xi was slightly taken aback, a trace of surprise flashing across her face. They knew Lin Xiao well enough; last time, at merely the Heavenly Martial realm, he had caused chaos in the Feng family and escaped alive.
Moreover, back then, Lin Xiao had managed to enlist a powerhouse like Mei Tianmo.
Now, with Lin Xiao confidently claiming to have a trump card, it must mean he had the power to contend with a Martial Lord.
Meng Ying was also shocked. She hadn’t expected Lin Xiao to return for revenge, let alone with a trump card capable of facing a Martial Lord.
“If we don’t act, it would be tantamount to openly breaking with the Feng family. With the Mo Yu Empire having a third-level Martial Lord, and you having a trump card to counter a Martial Lord, if we turn against them, there’s indeed a fair chance of success,” Empress Dowager Meng Xi said. “However, the best option is to wait until both sides are weakened before acting. Otherwise, turning against them too early could lead to significant losses, and the outcome would be uncertain.”
“What’s more concerning is that there might be a terrifying force behind that mysterious powerhouse. If we can’t eliminate him on the spot, the consequences could be disastrous.”
Hearing this, Lin Xiao’s brows furrowed deeply.
If that mysterious powerhouse truly had a force backing him, any retaliation could likely overwhelm a place like the Lanlan Empire, which might not withstand the impact of such a terrifying force.
In a moment of carelessness, these top forces could be annihilated in an instant.
Even with his Xu Tian Wang Yue and Blue Corpse Puppet, Lin Xiao wasn’t fully confident in killing a third-level Martial Lord.
However, he was determined not to give up on eliminating the Feng family this time.
“Also, three years ago, after Mei Tianmo retreated, that mysterious powerhouse and Feng Yuntian teamed up to severely injure him. He disappeared for three years. This time, Mei Tianmo likely won’t miss the chance to seek revenge, and his hatred for you is probably no less than that of Feng Yuntian and his ally. It’s uncertain who he’ll target,” Empress Dowager Meng Xi added.
“Oh?” Lin Xiao’s brows furrowed again.
Mei Tianmo, with his noble bloodline, a formidable Martial Lord capable of transforming, had been controlled by a mere Heavenly Martial human. If he saw Lin Xiao, he would likely tear him apart first.
Moreover, because of Lin Xiao’s control, Mei Tianmo, who had been in seclusion attempting to break through to the second level of Martial Lord, had failed. His hatred for Lin Xiao was likely no less than that for Feng Yuntian and his ally.
“Also, since the Mo Yu Empire has a Martial Lord, it’s not out of the question that the Dongyang Empire might also have one,” Meng Ying added, her speculation entirely reasonable.
“It seems the plan needs to change. We can’t act first!” Lin Xiao mused, sinking into thought. The situation was growing increasingly complex. If he acted first, he’d become the target of all.
He had grudges with the Feng family, the Mo Yu Empire, and Mei Tianmo. If he revealed himself, all three forces might prioritize eliminating him first.
“By the way, the Spirit Controller faction is somewhat uncertain now. Ye Fenghua has broken through to mid-tier fifth-grade Spirit Controller, but the favor he owed you has been repaid. This time, he likely won’t act for you again,” Meng Ying suddenly said.
This caught Lin Xiao off guard, a look of confusion crossing his face.
“You might not know, but Ye Fenghua is infatuated with Feng Youyu,” Meng Ying continued. “He’s said that no matter what, he’ll ultimately stand with Feng Youyu. Moreover, he told us that the least trustworthy person in the entire Lanlan Empire is Feng Youyu, even less trustworthy than Feng Yuntian.”
Lin Xiao was even more stunned. He knew Ye Fenghua was infatuated with Feng Youyu.
It was reasonable that Ye Fenghua, having repaid his favor, wouldn’t act for him again.
Even if he sided with Feng Youyu against them, that was understandable.
But what puzzled him was why Feng Youyu was deemed untrustworthy, the least trustworthy in the entire Lanlan Empire. What did that mean?
If Feng Youyu was so untrustworthy, why would Ye Fenghua choose to stand with her?
And if he chose to stand with her, why inform the imperial family?
It was utterly baffling.
Could it be that Ye Fenghua knew about his history with Feng Youyu and said this as a result?
But with Ye Fenghua’s maturity and composure, he wouldn’t stoop to petty gossip behind Feng Youyu’s back, as that would be meaningless.
Such an assumption made no sense.
Yet, Lin Xiao couldn’t fathom the real reason.
In truth, the hardest person for Lin Xiao to face was Feng Youyu. This time, he had come to destroy the Feng family. Feng Youyu had once saved him and spared him.
If he annihilated the Feng family, except for Feng Youyu and Feng Huo, how would she feel?
Though he hadn’t heard of Feng Youyu having parents, and even if she did, he could spare them, the rest of the Feng family were still her kin.
Just like his own Lin family, if someone wiped them out, even the closest person would likely fight to the death.
The same went for Feng Huo.
However, his conflict with Feng Huo wasn’t as intense as with Feng Youyu.
After all, Feng Youyu was someone he had feelings for, a woman he had been intimate with, someone he felt guilty toward. To this day, he hadn’t forgotten her, nor would he.
He even had a strong urge to be with her.
If not for the Feng family, the first person he’d seek out upon returning to the imperial city would be her.
“I wonder where this will lead us…” Lin Xiao shook his head inwardly, a bitter feeling in his heart.
After a moment of reflection, Lin Xiao’s gaze turned to Empress Dowager Meng Xi, and he said, “Empress Dowager Meng, three days from now, it’s best to observe the situation first, plan carefully, and adapt as needed. The situation is too complex, and anything could happen.”
“As for the Feng family, I’ll ultimately take action and do my utmost to keep that mysterious powerhouse there. Even if he escapes, I’ll try to ensure it doesn’t affect others.”
Empress Dowager Meng Xi nodded. Even if she wanted to act against the mysterious powerhouse, she lacked the strength. Her only concern was whether Lin Xiao’s trump card could hold up and control the situation.
“Also, don’t reveal my return to the Spirit Controller Alliance for now,” Lin Xiao added.
“Rest assured, your talent is unprecedented in the Lanlan Empire’s history. The empire’s future rise depends on you. This old lady won’t harm you,” Empress Dowager Meng Xi nodded solemnly.
“By the way, since I’m interrupting your final push for a breakthrough, I have four fifth-grade spirit stones here that might be of use to you,” Lin Xiao said, taking out the four remaining fifth-grade spirit stones he’d obtained from the Cao family’s Martial Lord and handing them to Empress Dowager Meng Xi.
Though four fifth-grade spirit stones were unlikely to help a peak Martial Sovereign break through to Martial Lord, Empress Dowager Meng Xi had been at the peak Martial Sovereign realm for decades, with half a foot in the Martial Lord realm.
Having never refined treasures like spirit stones, they might just provide the opportunity for her to successfully break through to the Martial Lord realm.
Such a possibility wasn’t small.
