After hearing Dong Guanqun's ruling, Lin Fenglei turned pale as a sheet. The White Crane Master, who had already walked away, glanced back at him and murmured softly, "Well, if we knew this would happen, why did we start out this way? How could someone of his age end up living like a dog? Knowing he couldn't win, yet still pushing forward—what a sacrifice, like a moth flying into the flame!" Though the White Crane Sect now stood in this state, he too felt deeply dissatisfied. Yet compared to Lin Fenglei, he was more clearly aware that fighting against Qin Feng would only add to their difficulties. The only true path forward was to maintain peace and stability. From the very beginning, therefore, he had declined Lin Fenglei's proposal to join forces against Qin Feng. Indeed, Qin Feng proved to be no easy opponent—both Dong Guanqun and the True Master of Piao Xiao had suffered real, decisive defeats at his hands. With just a modest White Crane Sect and a small Lin family, what could they possibly achieve? In fact, Lin Fenglei now regretted his own madness—he would have to pay the price for it. Dong Guankun stared at him expressionlessly, coldly saying, "Lin Fenglei, do you still have any final words to leave behind? It's not that I'm not giving you face; rather, what you've done has been so extreme that you're now liable to be eliminated by anyone." The old Lin man smiled sadly, "By now, I have nothing more to say. It's the nature of the game—winners and losers. I accept it." He knew that even if he bowed gracefully to plead for mercy, the outcome would remain unchanged. If that was the case, it was better to die with his head held high than to fade away in silence. At least that would leave a favorable impression on everyone. Qin Feng turned to Lin Caiwei and whispered, "Weiwei, do you have anything to add?" The young lady smiled gently. "When he first ordered my soft imprisonment along with my mother, I declared that I would have no further connection with the Lin family. Therefore, his life or death now means nothing to me." "Then that's settled." Qin Dashi deeply admired her calm composure. After all, Lin the elder had never understood the concept of family affection, having done so many things that deeply saddened his granddaughter, until now he was no longer regarded as a grandfather at all. A figure leapt swiftly from the stage toward Lin Fenglei—Dong Guankun, who naturally had to intervene personally. Not only to establish his authority, but also to demonstrate his fairness and impartiality, he certainly wouldn’t let this golden opportunity pass to someone else. As soon as Lin the elder sensed the imminent danger, he instinctively activated his spiritual energy shield. "Overreaching!" Dong Guankun roared, swiftly delivering a powerful palm strike. Thud! Lin Fenglei was sent flying. The gap in their strength was simply too vast; even with his spiritual shield active, Lin the elder could not withstand the blow. At the moment of impact, his dantian was shattered, and his body disintegrated into fine dust mid-air. Form and spirit both extinguished—this outcome is akin to the ancient practice of decapitation by slow slicing, a punishment of extreme severity for cultivators. Lin Caiwei maintained her previous composure on her face, though a fleeting sense of sorrow briefly stirred within her at the very moment when Lin Fenglei's form and spirit were both extinguished. Qin Feng smiled, raised his hand, and addressed Dong Qunian, who had just returned to the dais: "Dong Master truly is a fair and just individual, possessing the qualities necessary to lead the cultivation world!" Dong, deeply delighted, had always expected Qin Feng to oppose him; now, with Qin's open endorsement, it was a most unexpected turn of events—this success brought him great relief. The abbot of the Spirit-Communicating Sect immediately signaled to Qin Feng, but the latter deliberately ignored the gesture. Ling became increasingly agitated, calling out in a soft, plaintive voice: "Such a bad guy, Feng-bro! How can you side with them when you should have supported my master!" Qin Daxiao was momentarily stunned, then calmly asked with a composed expression, "Ling'er, why should I stand by my master's side? Does he plan to marry my disciple to me? If that's the case, then I'll certainly follow his lead!" Ling'er stomped her foot, "Hmph! Don't even dream of it—my master absolutely won't marry my disciple to you... Ah, you mean me, right?" The crowd burst into laughter, showcasing once again the endearing charm and pouty innocence of the young apprentice. Dong Qinkuan waved his hand and declared with confidence, "Though I may not be the most distinguished, I have indeed gained the support of the majority of my peers. By the principle of minority following majority, doesn't that mean I am qualified to serve as the Grand Marshal?" The Immortal of the Ethereal Realm immediately agreed, "Of course! As long as the majority supports, it's a clear endorsement. What more could Dong Marshal ask for?" The title of "Dong Marshal" made Dong Qinkuan's face light up with joy. Though he knew there were still many who opposed him, the matter had now become settled—his opposition had proven futile. Master Tongling could take it no longer and stood up, speaking loudly: "All of you masters, all of you colleagues—have you gone mute? I don't oppose the idea of the various sects uniting into one strong force. But is it truly premature to appoint a chief so swiftly?" Qin Dashi once again drew everyone’s attention with his coughing, stroked his chin, and with a carefree demeanor, smiled and said: "Master Dong is absolutely right. Since we all wish to unite as one, the natural leader should be the one of high reputation and standing. Master Dong has already demonstrated fairness and impartiality—indeed, he is the first choice!" Master Dong immediately bowed to him, conveying a clear message: "I will never let you down." Yet Qin Dashi paid no heed, continuing: "Since our alliance aims at exchange and mutual progress, in order to further prove that Master Dong is truly suited for the role of Grand Marshal, I propose that he present the cultivation techniques and insights of the Xiao Yao Sect. Only then can we truly demonstrate his other virtue—unwavering impartiality! Isn't that right, everyone?" Master Dong’s face turned as green as a cabbage. He had never expected Qin Feng to play such a move—right at the heart of the matter. What's key is that this young man's words are highly persuasive—just by making a casual remark, he quickly gathers a crowd cheering along, just as he did when he first proposed a group assault.