"Even if there are a hundred thousand cultivators, what does it matter? With the combined strength of the entire family, we can at least eliminate a third of the Qi Condensation Realm cultivators. Do you really think these ragtag individuals have the courage to fight you to the death? If it were indeed that simple, your Hongshan Lin family wouldn't be able to live safely here." Lin Ran exclaimed indignantly.
The members of the Hongshan Lin family remained silent, with no one refuting Lin Ran's statement. Just as she said, if the entire family had taken a hard stance right from the beginning and made the intruding cultivators pay for their actions, the situation might not have escalated to what it was today.
Lin Zhongba patted Lin Ran to signal her to stop. "Alright, Ran'er, Lin Hongtu isn't wrong. Their strength is insufficient, and he is the family head. This approach is more prudent.
"Of course, you're not wrong either. If the younger generation also lacks courage, the backbone of the family will be broken."
"Old man, since both of them are not wrong, why don't you tell us who is wrong?"
Above Hongshan Mountain, a grand formation opened, and a group of eighteen people swaggered out, their arrogance palpable. The leader, a burly man with a large knife, laughed mockingly. He even carried a young and beautiful human girl with him. Within a hundred miles, only Renhuai County could produce such a delicate girl.
In the peak Foundation Establishment Realm, this was the man's cultivation level. Besides him, there were two old man, one fat and one thin, both also at the peak Foundation Establishment Realm.
The surrounding cultivators had been drawn by the commotion in this area. At this moment, as they watched the Eighteen Thugs of Yanyun come out, they couldn't help but look at Lin Zhongba and Lin Ran with pity. These two were about to have a hard time in front of these people.
Lin Zhongba chuckled and looked at the Eighteen Thugs of Yanyun. "The young one isn't wromg, the family head isn't wrong. It's us old folks who are wrong. It's a bit late to protect them properly. Fortunately, it's not too late now."
Hearing this, the burly man's smile froze. "Old man, judging by your tone, you seem to have considerable strength."
"Boom!"
After the burly man spoke, he swung his large knife directly towards Lin Zhongba. The oppressive aura gathered into a hundred-foot-long blade, and the pressure permeated the surrounding hundred-mile area.
Lin Hongtu took a step forward to prepare to block the attack for Lin Zhongba. But a hand appeared silently on Lin Hongtu's shoulder. At the same time, Lin Zhongba's gratified voice rang out, "I'm still capable of protecting you youngsters."
Lin Hongtu's expression stiffened, his eyes filled with disbelief. The moment Lin Zhongba's hand touched him, it was as if the spiritual power within his body had frozen in an instant, and his body was fixed in place, unable to move.
In his peripheral vision, Lin Zhongba, with his aged body, took a step forward and stood in front of everyone. He looked at the falling hundred-foot-long blade with an unchanged expression. He raised his hand, and a pair of scissors appeared in it.
With a gentle snip…
Crack!
In the next moment, something that left everyone stunned occurred. It was just an ordinary pair of scissors, but with a single snip, without any warning, the longsword was split directly in half.
Lin Ran looked at the astonished expressions around her, a smirk curling on her lips.
"These guys really haven't seen the world."
The art of paper cutting!
It was the same technique used by Lin Zhongba in his duel with Lin Xunxian. A power that defied all reason. Anything, as long as it didn't exceed the limits of this ability, could be cut in a single stroke.
What's even more astonishing, according to their Grand Ancestor, this paper-cutting technique was merely an entry-level skill. If mastered, it could cut through everything with a single thought, including space, cultivation, spiritual roots, and even lifespan.
Ignoring the shocked onlookers, Lin Zhongba's hands moved swiftly. He casually took out a piece of paper, and in the blink of an eye, a small yellow dog was folded into existence.
"Woof, woof!"
Under the incredulous gaze of countless cultivators, a solid yellow dog was folded out and began barking furiously at the Eighteen Thugs of Yanyun.
"Baa!"
Each dog's bark was followed by a sheep's bleat. After fifteen such cries, the figures of the Eighteen Thugs of Yanyun disappeared from Hongshan Mountain. What remained were the three stunned brutes and behind them, several newly born lambs.
The entire Hongshan County's cultivators fell silent at this moment.
"What kind of sorcery is this?"
After a long while, a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Realm said, his face filled with fear. As he spoke, his body quickly retreated, his face guarded, watching Lin Zhongba, who appeared calm and peaceful.
Other cultivators soon realized what had happened. In the next instant, within dozens of miles around the Hongshan Mountain, all cultivators began to retreat frantically, their gazes filled with terror as they stared at Lin Zhongba.
The previous scene was too bizarre. Each bark of the dog created by the paper was followed by one of the Eighteen Thugs of Yanyun transforming into a lamb without any resistance or warning. The look of despair, fear, and helplessness was an eerie sight, enough to send shivers down the spine of those watching.
These cultivators might not fear real weapons and battles, but things that clearly transcended their understanding were enough to terrify them.
"Old… old man, what kind of magic did you use just now?"
On the Hongshan Mountain, the three brutes finally regained their composure, layering countless layers of protective spells frantically to give them a slight sense of security. After doing all this, they gazed fearfully at Lin Zhongba and spoke.
Lin Zhongba lowered his head and patted the yellow dog's head. The dog wagged its tail in delight.
"Fellow Daoist, we might have offended you earlier. How about this, you turn my brothers back, and we, the Eighteen Thugs of Yanyun, will immediately withdraw from Hongshan Mountain. We'll return this spiritual mountain to you, and we'll also compensate you double for the losses caused in between. How does that sound?" The obese old man beside the brutes spoke with a placating smile.
This old man's methods were too strange. Just a moment ago, he had tried dozens of methods to break the spell on his brothers, but the spiritual power he sent into the lamb's bodies showed no effect, as if his Foundation Establishment brothers had truly turned into regular lambs.
"This ability is called Shepherd's Art," Lin Zhongba replied with a leisurely smile, as if he hadn't heard their words. "Since it's Shepherd's Art, naturally, there needs to be sheep. But you three have committed quite a few sins, so being a lamb is letting you off easy."