Lin Feng remained silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
"Very well," he said calmly. "I'll help you solve this problem."
Relief and joy instantly bloomed across Solaris Yue's face. The tension she had been suppressing finally loosened, and her eyes shone with genuine gratitude.
She stood up immediately and bowed deeply once more, her movements filled with respect rather than formality.
"Thank you, Your Highness," she said earnestly. "Please… come with me to the royal castle of the Great Solaris Kingdom."
Lin Feng rose as well.
The white-robed boy and the red-clad princess stood side by side, forming a striking contrast. Without another word, they turned and walked toward the exit.
As they left the inn, the cultivators inside stared after them in stunned silence.
Only after their figures disappeared onto the bustling streets of Solar City did the inn erupt once more this time, louder than ever.
But Lin Feng did not look back.
For him, this was merely another step forward, another ripple caused by a blade quietly moving through still water.
The gates of the Great Solaris Castle opened in absolute silence.
Towering walls forged from sun-gilded spirit stone reflected the blazing light of the artificial solar array above the capital. Arrays hummed softly beneath the ground,
layers upon layers of defensive formations overlapping like interlocked scales of a divine beast. Ordinarily, such a sight would inspire pride in the hearts of the Solaris nobility.
Today, it inspired only unease.
Lin Feng walked calmly beside Princess Zhao Yue as they passed through the inner gates. His white robes fluttered lightly in the warm breeze, untainted by dust despite the long journey.
His posture was straight, relaxed but every step he took carried an invisible pressure that made the surrounding guards unconsciously hold their breath.
He did not look around in curiosity.
He looked forward, as if castles, kingdoms, and dynasties were nothing more than scenery.
Zhao Yue sensed this and felt her heart tighten. The closer they drew to the royal council hall, the more she understood the difference between authority and existence.
This young man did not need to assert dominance. His presence alone was enough.
The great council doors swung open.
Inside, rows of elders stood in ceremonial formation. Sun-etched pillars rose toward the domed ceiling, each inscribed with the history of the Solaris bloodline.
At the highest seat was King Zhao Feng, his Void Refinement Realm aura carefully restrained but still sharp enough to make Golden Core cultivators tremble.
The moment Lin Feng stepped inside, the air changed.
Not violently. Not oppressively.
It simply… settled.
Several elders stiffened. A few unconsciously activated defensive treasures—then immediately realized what they had done and froze in embarrassment.
Zhao Yue stepped forward and bowed.
"Royal Father," she said clearly, "Esteemed Elders—this is Lin Feng, Sword Peak disciple of the Eternal Sect."
A pause swept through the hall,
A dangerous one.
Elder Mo Kun's eyes narrowed first. His divine sense swept over Lin Feng instinctively then recoiled as if touching a bottomless abyss. His heart skipped a beat.
Impossible.
Golden Core? No. Foundation? No. Qi Condensation?
None of it made sense.
Lin Feng's cultivation was perfectly ordinary—yet completely unreadable.
King Zhao Feng rose slowly from his throne, his gaze sharp. "Young Master Lin," he said cautiously,
"the Eternal Sect… is a 9th-tier high-level sect of our Western Region. Forgive my bluntness, but..."
He stopped.
Because Lin Feng had already bowed.
A proper disciple's bow.
"My King," Lin Feng said calmly, his voice neither arrogant nor submissive, "I am merely a disciple of the Eternal Sect. I stand here representing my sect, nothing more."
The council hall erupted internally.
Merely a disciple?
Representing his sect?
Elder Han's hands trembled beneath his sleeves.
Everyone in this room knew the truth.
A 7th-tier Human Federation citizen had been involved in the annihilation of the Zhao family. Nexus itself had sealed the incident. That alone placed Lin Feng on a level where kingdoms were little more than administrative units.
And yet,
This existence… bowed.Not to the King.But for his sect.
Elder Bi's pupils shrank. "Young… Master Lin," he said carefully, "may I ask your status within the Federation is… extraordinary. How could a 9th-tier sect possibly produce..."
Lin Feng's eyes lifted slightly.
There was no sharpness in them. Only clarity.
"The Eternal Sect," he said, "is my root. Its rank is not something to be questioned lightly."
His tone remained respectful, but the implication struck like thunder.
Rank… is not the same as worth.
The elders exchanged glances, shock deepening into something closer to fear.
If a 7th-tier citizen someone acknowledged by the Federation itself held such reverence for his sect, then what kind of existence stood behind that sect?
What kind of master?
What kind of foundation?
A cold sweat formed on Elder Mo Kun's back.
King Zhao Feng inhaled slowly, his expression turning solemn. He finally understood.
They had made a fundamental mistake.
The Eternal Sect was not weak.
It was quiet.
And in a world ruled by Nexus, silence was far more terrifying than noise.
Lin Feng stood calmly beneath the sunlit dome, unaware or unconcerned about the storm raging in their hearts.
To him, this was simple.
A disciple honoring his sect.
But to the Great Solaris Kingdom…
It was the moment they realized they had been standing at the edge of an abyss without ever knowing it was there.
The grand council hall of the Great Solaris Kingdom seemed to stretch endlessly, its walls adorned with golden sun motifs, polished spirit-stone floors reflecting the morning light, and banners swaying faintly despite the absence of wind.
Every surface, every pillar, and every etched carving was designed to remind visitors that they were standing in a dynasty that had survived countless wars and cosmic storms. Yet today, those very symbols seemed to tremble under the weight of anticipation.
Lin Feng entered the hall with Zhao Yue beside him. The echoes of his footsteps were soft, measured, and yet every sound resonated with an invisible authority, an unseen pressure that pressed subtly against the hearts of those present.
The elders, advisors, and generals all accustomed to commanding armies, negotiating with sect leaders, and resolving border disputes felt an unfamiliar tension in the room.
King Zhao Feng, seated at the elevated throne, motioned with a slight wave of his hand. "Young Master Lin, please,"
he said, his tone cautious, almost reverential. "A seat has been arranged for you. We wish to discuss… urgent matters regarding the Barbarian Sect and our border territories."
The guards quickly moved to pull out an ornately carved chair inlaid with sun-gold filigree, placing it beside the council's semicircle. It was a seat of honor, yet unlike any throne in the room,
It was neutral, neither above the King nor beneath the elders. When Lin Feng sat, the very air seemed to settle, a subtle calm spreading across the chamber as if the world itself deferred to his presence.
Zhao Yue stepped forward, her voice steady. "Father, esteemed elders, Young Master Lin has agreed to provide his guidance. It is imperative that we listen carefully to his insight."
The council fell into silence. Each elder exchanged uneasy glances, their minds racing. They were seasoned cultivators,
some at the peak of Nascent Soul or Soul Transformation, others masters of Void Refinement. Yet none had ever dealt directly with a 7th-tier citizen of the Human Federation.
Elder Mo Kun, the eldest and most influential of the council, cleared his throat, his voice carrying the weight of generations.
"Young Master Lin, we are… aware of your achievements. Your recent actions, including the incident with the Zhao family, are… extraordinary. That said, we are facing a severe threat from the Barbarian Sect. Though they reside in their own territories, their aggression toward our villages and frontier towns grows daily.
Their force, we estimate, is at the Body Integration Peak, and they have allied with several minor 8th-tier sects in the borderlands. Their raids have escalated, and our Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators are struggling to maintain even temporary defensive formations."
Lin Feng listened quietly, his dark eyes steady and unreadable. He had already assessed the situation from afar. The Barbarian Sect was reckless, perhaps overconfident, but nothing beyond his comprehension.
His sect's presence in the Eternal Hall would have turned any battle into an annihilation; yet he had deliberately kept them unaware, training in solitude while allowing the Solaris Kingdom to reach out. This time, he was the only participant.
"Elder Mo Kun," Lin Feng began, his voice soft but resonant,
"I understand your predicament. Your estimations are accurate regarding the Barbarian Sect. However, your approach to the border threat is flawed. You are relying on static defenses and scattered patrols. This method may slow them but will never deter a determined 8th-tier force. Your strength lies not in reaction, but in precision."
Elder Han, the Royal Strategic Advisor, leaned forward, eyes wide. "Precision? Please explain, Young Master Lin. Our scouts report the Barbarian Sect is fluid, moving through forested valleys and hidden passes. Their forces are unpredictable and… well, even our best tactical formations fail to contain their raids."
Lin Feng's expression remained calm, almost serene. "Unpredictability is only a problem when one tries to match their chaos with chaos. The key is understanding their center of gravity the core of their decision-making and their leadership structure. You waste resources chasing minor raids. Identify the command nodes their Nascent Soul and Void Refinement leaders and apply pressure there. Disrupting them at the source will collapse their operations faster than any defensive wall or patrol formation."
Elder Bi, the Keeper of Records and historian, adjusted his robes, clearly struggling to reconcile what he heard. "You speak of precise strikes… but even our generals hesitate. These nodes are well-guarded. To target them would require… expertise beyond the capabilities of the highest Nascent Soul cultivators in our kingdom."
Lin Feng inclined his head slightly. "Which is why I am here. My methods do not rely on sheer numbers or overwhelming force. I will act as your coordinator and executor. "
"Your generals and cultivators will serve as support. This is not merely a strategy it is the orchestration of intent and perception. To the Barbarian Sect, they will perceive chaos. In reality, it will be their undoing."
A murmur spread through the council. The elders leaned toward one another, their faces a mixture of astonishment and disbelief. They had spent decades, some of them over half a century,
managing conflicts with 8th-tier forces, building alliances, arranging defensive perimeters, and yet here was a fifteen year old boy, calmly explaining how to dismantle an aggressive sect without mobilizing armies in full.