Elder Mo Kun's voice trembled slightly.
"Young Master Lin… forgive my bluntness, but your… composure, your clarity… it is difficult to believe. "
"A 7th-tier citizen of the Federation someone of your status yet you speak as though commanding the entire kingdom's military with a mere thought."
"And you speak of strategy that even our Void Refinement masters hesitate to attempt. How… is this possible?"
Lin Feng's gaze met Mo Kun's, steady and unyielding.
"You are mistaken in thinking my cultivation level defines my capacity to act. My sect is not bound by constraints, and I have trained to operate beyond the typical constraints of 9th-tier and even 8th-tier thinking. "
"That is why your kingdom seeks guidance from me. Your elders are experienced but sometimes, experience is blinded by tradition."
The words hung in the air like steel. Every elder's heart quickened,
a mixture of awe and fear. They were beginning to understand that their preconceptions about power hierarchy.
7th-tier versus 8th-tier, citizen versus kingdom ruler were irrelevant in the presence of true mastery.
Zhao Yue, sensing the shift, bowed slightly toward Lin Feng.
"Father, esteemed elders… Young Master Lin is right. The Barbarian Sect's raids are indeed becoming chaotic, but their core remains centralized."
"If we act according to his guidance, we may not need to deploy the full army. We can preserve both our people and our strength."
King Zhao Feng's expression was hard to read. His fingers drummed lightly against the armrest, the veins in his temple faintly twitching.
He was a Void Refinement level 3 cultivator, capable of extraordinary perception and intuition. Yet there was a youth, only fifteen,
guiding the kingdom's entire military calculus with ease. The realization caused a slow, heavy weight to settle over him.
"I will not lie," Lin Feng continued.
"Your kingdom has potential, but its focus is divided. You attempt to control minor threats and protect every village simultaneously. This is inefficient. "
"If we concentrate on key points, provide strategic cover for loyal areas, and allow the Barbarian Sect to overthink themselves, their raids will collapse naturally. "
"I will lead the first strike personally, and your forces will act to reinforce and contain. This is the only method that guarantees both minimal casualties and maximum effect."
The elders' astonishment deepened. Elder Han's eyes darted toward Elder Bi, disbelief written across his face.
"Did he just say… minimal casualties against an 8th-tier sect?" Han whispered under his breath.
Elder Bi swallowed hard, adjusting his robes nervously.
"He… must be exaggerating. No 7th-tier citizen, no matter how extraordinary, with his level of cultivation can confront Body Integration Peak cultivators and emerge without heavy loss. It is… impossible."
Mo Kun, however, was silent. He stared directly at Lin Feng, watching every subtle movement the tilt of his head, the calm in his gaze, the slight flex of his fingers. There was no exaggeration in his presence.
This was a man no, a being capable of bending reality with intention alone.
Lin Feng's attention shifted slightly to the map projected on the center of the chamber.
His long fingers traced invisible lines across the display, indicating key villages,
mountain passes, and known Barbarian camps.
"This valley here," he said softly,
"houses two Void Refinement elites. They coordinate three minor camps around it. Focus your energy on this point."
" Do not attempt to attack the smaller camps directly they are expendable. Let their own miscalculations work in our favor."
A subtle shiver ran through the room. The elders realized that this was not only strategy they were witnessing a mind that thought several steps beyond their own experience.
Years of training, decades of wisdom, the collective intelligence of the council they all paled in comparison.
King Zhao Feng finally spoke, his voice deep and firm.
"Young Master Lin… I will entrust our loyal forces to your direction. If you can guarantee the safety of our people and the defeat of the Barbarian Sect,
then you shall have full authority in this operation. The council will abide by your guidance."
Lin Feng inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the king's trust.
"Understood. However, I must say this is a delicate operation. The outcome depends as much on restraint as on force. Reckless engagement will bring disaster. Only through measured, coordinated action can we achieve success."
The elders nodded hesitantly. Their initial astonishment had transformed into tinges of fear, respect, and cautious hope.
They understood now that this was not a normal 9th-tier sect issue they were witnessing the intervention of a 7th-tier Federation citizen,
operating with the precision of a sovereign, revered by his own sect, yet acting independently.
Zhao Yue looked at Lin Feng with a mixture of pride and relief.
"Father, Elder Mo Kun… they will listen to his guidance. I have faith."
Mo Kun exhaled slowly, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. Yet beneath that calm was a deep, almost primal understanding.
their kingdom had just aligned itself with a force they could neither measure nor comprehend. And failure to follow it would be catastrophic.
The council meeting stretched on, Lin Feng walking them through step-by-step tactics the identification of key leaders, the timing of interventions, the psychological manipulation of enemy forces,
and the strategic use of terrain and intelligence. Every suggestion was met with a mixture of hesitation and awe. Each point he made, while simple in delivery, carried layers of depth the elders could feel but not fully quantify.
As the sun shifted in the sky, spilling gold and amber light across the council hall, it became increasingly clear to everyone present this operation would not resemble any war they had ever known.
And the boy in white, silent yet commanding, would be the main turning point for their kingdom to rely on .
Even the King understood it now. And perhaps, for the first time in his life, he realized that the safety of his people was in the hands of someone he could not command, could not fully measure, and could barely comprehend.
The room fell into a heavy silence, each elder steeped in thought. They had heard Lin Feng's plan, they had seen his mastery, and yet a shadow of doubt lingered only the passage of action could resolve.
And in that silence, Lin Feng simply sat, calm as a mountain, eyes tracing the map, already calculating the first steps of a battle no one else could yet understand.
The council hall gradually fell into an uneasy rhythm. Lin Feng sat at the arranged seat, calm as still water, while King Zhao Feng his cultivation restrained to Void Refinement Level 3 remained seated on the throne,
hands resting tensely on the armrests. His breath was steady, but the furrow in his brow betrayed the weight of the situation.
Around him, the elders whispered among themselves, debating Lin Feng's proposals in low voices. Though some were Nascent Soul or Soul Transformation cultivators,
the sheer presence of Lin Feng a 7th-tier Federation citizen representing a 9th-tier sect weighed heavily upon their thoughts. The difference in hierarchy was staggering.
Elder Mo Kun leaned close to Elder Han, whispering sharply,
"Even a Void Refinement Level 3 cultivator like our King cannot even begin to comprehend the forces at play here. "
"And yet this… youth… commands attention effortlessly. Look at him. The room bends to his will, without a single order."
Han's pale fingers tapped nervously against his robes.
"It's… unnatural. Our lifetime of experience cannot touch the level of precision he speaks with."
" I cannot even begin to imagine how a Body Integration cultivator or worse, a higher-level 8th-tier enemy would measure up against him."
Zhao Yue, sensing the elder's criticism, stepped lightly toward the center of the hall. Her voice was calm but carried the authority of both royalty and insight.
"Esteemed elders, please understand. Lin Feng is not here as a threat or a mere advisor. His understanding surpasses conventional 8th-tier strategic thought. If we follow his guidance, we may preserve not only our borders but also countless lives."
Her words reminded everyone that the Barbarian Sect was still a looming threat. Their raids, while seemingly minor, had sown fear across the northern valleys.
Villagers had been captured, settlements burned, and scouts returned with fragmented reports of Body Integration Level 2 cultivators coordinating attacks. The elders knew that any misstep could escalate into catastrophe.
Lin Feng's voice cut through the murmurs, soft but authoritative.
"Your kingdom's greatest strength is not raw cultivation power," he said, gesturing lightly to the maps projected above the council table.
"It is its knowledge of the terrain, its loyal cultivators, and its people. The Barbarian Sect may be aggressive, but their perception is limited. "
"Their Body Integration elites, though competent, are predictable in their overconfidence. They will act to protect their core area, not their minor camps. This is where we will strike decisively."
The elders listened, each phrase carrying a quiet yet undeniable clarity. Even Mo Kun, seasoned in decades of strategic planning, felt his mind stretch uncomfortably.
Every detail Lin Feng offered timing, deployment, psychological manipulation was precise and executable. Nothing was left to guesswork.
King Zhao Feng cleared his throat. "And what of the risks?" he asked, his voice low.
"These are Body Integration cultivators. If they are cornered, they may retaliate with lethal intent. Our forces are strong, but not… capable of directly engaging elites of that level."
Lin Feng inclined his head slightly. "Precisely why I will be directly involved. The others will coordinate and contain. If an maximum target Body Integration Level 3 or higher level cultivator emerges, we may require intervention beyond your current forces. But under normal circumstances, your generals and cultivators are sufficient."
It was at this moment no one noticed a figure near the shadowed side of the hall. Dressed entirely in black,
a sheathed sword resting across his back, an Elder token of the Eternal Sect at his waist, the man's presence was subtle but impossible to ignore.
Jian Tian.
He stood quietly, observing everything. His black hair fell naturally over his shoulders, his dark eyes tracing every elder, every map, every subtle gesture of Lin Feng.
After so many days traveling with Lin Feng, His cultivation had reached Body Integration Level 4 from void refinement peak,
yet he moved without arrogance, remaining hidden in plain sight. If anyone searched carefully,
they would notice the calm authority in his posture the silent assurance that Lin Feng was never alone, even if the council could not see it.
For now, he remained in the shadows. No intervention was necessary; the Barbarian Sect had not yet escalated those Level 2 Body Integration. His role was vigilance, and he fulfilled it perfectly, like a shadow with eyes of fire.