"Senior... Senior..."
"Please, Senior, show mercy! Our He family will offer a generous reward!"
Pressed by the elder's aura, He Long could only force himself to beg Zhang Long for mercy.
This was no joke. If he truly submitted now, he would have to recognize Lin Chen as his master!
The He family, which had painstakingly passed down its legacy for hundreds of years, was about to be used for someone else's benefit. Who would want to do such a thankless task?
But how could a mere mortal resist a strong cultivator at the Half-step Nascent Soul stage?
"A generous reward?"
"Hahaha, you want to kill my disciple, and then you talk to me about generous rewards?"
Hearing He Long's words, Zhang Long's killing intent intensified.
To Zhang Long now, Lin Chen was not just his only disciple; he was also his future son-in-law.
If he, as a father, couldn't even protect his own daughter and son-in-law, what was the point of cultivating the true path?
"Your... your disciple?"
Hearing Zhang Long's words, the group's eyes widened.
Good heavens, no wonder Lin Chen was so arrogant; he actually had a Half-step Nascent Soul master backing him!
What about the He family?
What about a legacy of hundreds of years?
Under the might of a Half-step Nascent Soul cultivator, all of it was nothing!
Moreover, the He family had initiated the conflict in the first place. It wasn't just about him stepping out to support his disciple.
Even if this Half-step Nascent Soul cultivator were to slaughter the entire He family clean, no one would dare to say a word against it.
In the cultivation world, strength was always paramount!
A cultivator who could break through the late stage of Core Formation and reach the Half-step Nascent Soul realm was, barring any accidents, destined to become a Nascent Soul cultivator within fifty years!
Who in the entire Dragon Country's cultivation world would dare to offend a future Nascent Soul old monster?
"I'll give you three breaths to consider. After three breaths, I will begin my slaughter!"
As he spoke, Zhang Long slowly floated into the air, his robes billowing in the wind, exuding an awe-inspiring presence!
"Three!"
As soon as the word left his lips, Zhang Long began to count.
"Wait! Senior, we are willing, we are willing to recognize your disciple as our master!"
Before Zhang Long could even utter the second number, He Biao was the first to step forward.
As a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, he deeply understood the terror of a Half-step Nascent Soul cultivator.
If Zhang Long were to truly unleash his wrath here, not a single one of the dozens of people in the He family would be able to escape.
Submitting as a subordinate was humiliating, but it was much better than losing one's life!
"And you?"
After receiving He Biao's affirmation, Zhang Long turned his gaze to the He Long and He Hu brothers.
"Hoo, we are also willing."
He Long seemed to have all the strength drained from his body.
He knew that from this moment on, the He family, under his stewardship, had become a vassal to outsiders!
"Hmph, take these three pills immediately."
Zhang Long snorted coldly, and with a wave of his hand, three pills flew directly in front of He Biao and the other two.
"Senior, these are..."
Seeing the dark pills before them, the three felt a sense of unease.
Normal medicinal pills were golden, while only poisons were black!
"This is the 'Heart-Disturbing Gu'. If you dare to betray my disciple, this poison will activate immediately, and the three of you will die with blood gushing from all seven orifices."
"Rest assured, this poison was obtained from an ancient secret realm. Unless a true Nascent Soul old monster personally expends their vital energy, there is no other way to detoxify it!"
Zhang Long smiled coldly and threatened them.
He had no choice. He had witnessed their untrustworthiness just moments ago. If the three of them outwardly agreed but secretly reneged, wouldn't all his efforts be in vain?
"This... Senior, can we not eat them?"
Hearing Zhang Long's explanation, He Biao was on the verge of tears.
He was a legitimate Core Formation cultivator, and now he was being forced to consume poison. Who could he complain to about this?
"Of course, you can. If you refuse to eat it, I will drain your cultivation and throw you out to feed the dogs."
Zhang Long smiled faintly, his words sending a shiver down the spines of everyone present.
This master was truly protective of his disciple!
"I'll eat it, I'll eat it..."
Hearing Zhang Long's threat, He Biao could only grit his teeth and swallow the pill.
He knew that from this moment on, his life truly belonged to Lin Chen.
Zhang Long had already stated that the medicine came from an ancient secret realm, and only a Nascent Soul old monster could detoxify it by expending their vital blood.
But how many Nascent Soul old monsters were there in Dragon Country right now?
More importantly, vital blood was more crucial to a cultivator than their own life.
How could anyone casually expend it to help someone detoxify?
After all three had consumed the pills, Zhang Long nodded with satisfaction.
"Little Chen, I'll leave things here to you. I, your master, have sensed the barrier to the Nascent Soul stage. I'll go back and try to break through. If you need anything, feel free to call for me."
"Yes, Master!"
Hearing Zhang Long's words, Lin Chen immediately nodded and cupped his fists in a salute to Zhang Long.
"We respectfully see off the Senior!"
Upon learning that Zhang Long was leaving, the three He brothers, along with Liu Han and Long Wumu, quickly bowed.
A Half-step Nascent Soul cultivator who had sensed the barrier to the Nascent Soul stage was someone they absolutely dared not offend!
"Mm."
Zhang Long nodded and, in less than half a breath, vanished from his original spot.
This scene further stunned everyone present, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Truly a Half-step Nascent Soul cultivator!
So elusive and extraordinary, far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
After Zhang Long departed, Lin Chen approached He Biao. "Elder He, upon returning, you will merge all of the He family's industries into Rushing Group. Do you have any objections?"
"No."
He Biao's face was filled with bitterness as he shook his head.
It was a joke. With their lives in someone else's hands, how could they dare to say anything else?
"In that case, I'll be going back as well."
"However, from now on, you will follow me, and you are considered one of us. Let bygones be bygones."
"Here are ten pills. Consider them a welcome gift."
Lin Chen, understanding the principle of "a carrot and a stick," took out ten Spirit-Guiding Pills from his Qiankun Bag and handed them to He Biao.
"This is... a Third-grade Spirit-Guiding Pill?"
He Biao was stunned upon seeing the Third-grade Spirit-Guiding Pills.
As the Great Elder of the He family, he was considered a notable figure in the entire Southwestern cultivation world. However, the highest grade of pills he had ever seen was a Second-grade Spirit-Guiding Pill.
But now, Lin Chen's welcome gift was a full ten Third-grade pills!
Recognizing this master didn't seem like a loss, did it?
"Indeed, but they are merely Third-grade pills. As long as you serve me diligently, once my master breaks through to Nascent Soul, I'll ask him to refine them."
Lin Chen nodded slightly. For now, he could only use his master as a shield.
His master's wrath today had shocked the entire Zhejiang province's cultivation world. With such a powerful backer, anything he did would be much smoother!