Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

The Gray Feather Clan's constant forbearance ultimately emboldened the Black Fang Clan to become even more arrogant.

The other party seemed certain that they would not dare to resist, and began to target the collateral branches of the Gray Feather Clan.

First, a young man from a collateral relative who ran a small business in the city was sacked and had his leg broken when he was walking home at night.

A few days later, another woman from a collateral branch of the family was splashed with filth in the alley, and a note was left saying, "Get out of Graystone City."

When the news reached the settlement, the clansmen were outraged. Several elders from collateral branches were particularly furious, their faces turning ashen with rage.

"Chieftain, they're blaming us like this!" A middle-aged tribesman slammed his fist on the table.

"If we keep tolerating this, the Gray Feather Clan will lose all face! How will we ever be able to face anyone in Graystone City again!"

"If they dare to hit our people today, they'll dare to storm our base tomorrow!" another member of the collateral branch said through gritted teeth.

"Chieftain, let's fight them! Even if it means mutual destruction!"

"Yes! When has our Gray Feather family ever suffered such humiliation!"

The council chamber was in complete chaos.

A dozen or so clansmen sat around a long table, talking excitedly as they spoke.

Lynn sat in the main seat and listened to their argument before slowly putting down her teacup.

"Fight? Fight with what?" Lynn asked.

Everyone fell silent.

"Black Mountain is at the pinnacle of the First Ring, and it has the backing of dark wizard forces. Besides me, who else among us is in the First Ring?"

Lynn's gaze swept over the crowd.

"What will happen to you if I lose? What will happen to the family members?"

No one spoke.

"The enemy is strong and we are weak. If we make a move now, it will play right into Black Mountain's hands," Lynn said. "He wants to force us into a corner, but we won't."

"So we're just going to let them bully us like this?" A young tribesman asked, his face full of resentment.

Lynn looked at Lin Chen sitting next to her.

Lin Chen is now nine years old, but he looks about the same age as a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy, and he has some of the dignity of a young clan leader.

A fierce rage flashed in Lin Chen's eyes as he harbored deep hatred for the Black Stone Clan, who had consistently provoked and bullied his clansmen.

"Chen'er should be able to break through to the first ring soon," Lin En said with a sigh.

"By then, we will have two official wizards. Black Mountain will have to think twice before trying to harm Grayfeather again."

"That will be the time for us to retaliate!"

Everyone followed his gaze to Lin Chen, and the clansmen who were still arguing gradually quieted down.

"Young Master Chen has already reached the peak of the third-level apprentice level?" someone asked in a low voice.

"Soon," Lynn said.

Lin Chen sat there, feeling everyone's gaze pressing down on him.

There were those who were expectant, those who were doubtful, those who were envious, and a few elders from collateral branches whose eyes couldn't hide their anxiety.

His back felt tight, but he still raised his head and said, "Don't worry, uncles and elders, I will break through as soon as possible."

Lynn nodded: "Just focus on your cultivation, don't rush things. I'll handle the family matters."

The meeting adjourned.

One by one, the clansmen went out, some still whispering among themselves.

Lin Chen walked at the back, his steps heavy, a tremendous pressure making it hard for him to breathe.

He had just returned to his courtyard when he heard Lin Yao calling from behind, "Brother!"

Lin Chen stopped and turned around.

Lin Yao has grown quite a bit taller, with two little braids and a plate of fruit in her hands.

"Brother, I brought you something delicious," Lin Yao said.

"Yaoyao, you eat. I'm not hungry." Lin Chen forced a smile.

Lin Yao didn't press the matter. She placed the fruit on the stone table, walked over, and sat down next to him. "Brother, are you worried about the family's affairs?"

"Yes, I can't relax for a moment until the family crisis is resolved," Lin Chen said.

"I'm worried too," Lin Yao said, swinging her legs. "But Dad said you'll break through soon, and when you're powerful, those people won't dare bully us anymore."

Lin Chen glanced at her: "Focus on your cultivation, don't think about these things."

"I know." Lin Yao pouted. "I'm a second-class apprentice now, and I haven't been slacking off."

Lin Chen hummed in agreement and didn't say anything more.

He returned to his room, drew his longsword, and began to practice.

The golden battle aura rose again, shining brighter in the night than in the daytime, like a blazing sun.

From that day on, Lin Chen trained even more fiercely.

I would get up before dawn, meditate first, then practice swordsmanship, continuing until late at night.

He is now at the peak of the third-class apprentice level and the peak of the Earth Knight level, making him one of the top elites in Graystone City.

But he knew it wasn't enough.

The shadow of the Black Fang family loomed overhead, like a persistent dark cloud.

Lynn frowned as he flipped through the account books every day, the clansmen walked with their heads down, and even the servants spoke in hushed tones.

Lin Chen saw it all.

"As long as I can break through one ring, Dad won't have to carry the burden alone anymore," Lin Chen once said to Tie Ya while practicing swordsmanship.

Iron Teeth stood to the side and only replied with one sentence:

"Then let's break through! Whether it's becoming a formal wizard or a legendary knight, as long as we can break through, we can change the fate of our family!"

Lin Chen nodded, said nothing more, and continued to swing his sword.

Lynn wasn't idle either.

He could tell that the Blacktooth family's patience was almost up.

The other party is testing Gray Feather's bottom line by targeting its economy and its collateral branches. Once they are sure that Gray Feather will not dare to resist, their next step will be to directly annex it.

"We can't just sit here and wait." Lynn sat in the study all night.

The next morning, he called Ailiya and Lin Chen and said he was going on a long trip.

"Where to?" Aria asked.

"Whitestone, the main city to the north," Lynn said.

"There's a wizards' gathering there recently, and quite a few wizards will be there to trade. You should be able to buy some good stuff."

"I'll take my family's savings to exchange for some potions to enhance my mental strength, and see if I can come across any astrological witchcraft or meditation techniques."

"Is it for Chen'er?" Ailiya asked.

Lynn nodded: "He's only one step away from the first ring. If he has a suitable Star Meditation method, his breakthrough will be much more stable."

Lin Chen stood to the side and said in a low voice, "Father, I can break through without those."

"I know," Lynn looked at him, "but every sliver of confidence counts."

He paused, then said, "After I'm gone, the family will depend on you."

"I will leave behind a flesh and blood puppet clone to keep watch. It will look just like me. As long as Black Mountain doesn't come to my door in person, it won't be exposed."

"If the Blackrock family provokes us again, we must endure it and not fall into their trap."

"When are you leaving?" Aria asked.

"I'll leave tonight, and I'll be back in no time," Lynn said.

Aria didn't say anything more, she just nodded silently.

Lynn is the backbone of the Gray Feather Clan, but a crisis is imminent. Strengthening the clan's power by even a fraction could drastically alter their fate.

Lin Chen stood at the door, his fist clenching and unclenching.

"Dad," Lin Chen said, "Be careful on the road."

Lynn smiled and said, "Your father isn't that weak. Once I bring back some good stuff, you should hurry up and break through."

"Definitely," Lin Chen said.

At night, Lynn placed a flesh and blood puppet that looked exactly like himself in the study.

The puppet, with its eyes open and its breathing steady, sat at the table slowly turning the pages of a book.

He took two steps back, looked around for a while, and only left through the back door after confirming that there were no flaws.

The night was dark. Lynn, wrapped in an old cloak that covered his entire body, left Graystone City alone.

He didn't turn around, but strode northward.

Graystone City grew smaller and smaller behind us, until only the torches on the city walls remained, like a flickering ember.