Hunting

After returning from Lin Dong's home, Lin Yan went back to his own shabby room.

Now that he had taken first place in the Clan Competition, the family had proposed moving him into a large, clean, tidy house. However, Lin Yan had grown accustomed to his old home, and its secluded location meant no one would disturb him, so he declined the offer.

Sitting cross-legged on his wooden bed, Lin Yan thought of what had just happened, still somewhat astonished. He had never expected that the killing god who would one day shake the Northern Xuan Region—the sixth Hall Master of Darkness Hall—had already become his future fiancée.

But on second thought, it was hardly strange. At this point, Qingtan was merely an ordinary young lady of the family, and this world likewise followed the rule of parental orders and matchmaker's words. Had Lin Dong not risen to prominence in the original story, Qingtan might even have been promised to that fellow Lin Hong. Of course, she might have chosen death over submission—but with Lin Yan as the match, the girl's favorable impression of him had played a crucial role.

Thinking again of Qingtan's Fiend Devil Body, Lin Yan could not help feeling a powerful sense of responsibility.

There were always strange things that emerged between heaven and earth. This Fiend Devil Body could be considered an exceptionally tyrannical Yin fiend constitution. Other Yin fiend constitutions could, more or less, absorb Pure Yang Energy and merge with it, but the Fiend Devil Body was different. No Pure Yang Energy could exist within it. It was tyrannical to the extreme.

Thus, a Fiend Devil Body could only condense a Yin Core. Ordinary Yuan Cores were formed from the fusion of Yin and Yang energies, whereas a Yin Core contained only pure Yin Fiend Energy. The Yin Fiend Energy within Qingtan was also known as Fiend Devil Energy; using it, she could condense a Fiend Devil Yin Core, whose power would undoubtedly be terrifying.

Naturally, Lin Yan knew how to resolve the outbreaks of cold within Qingtan's body. He needed to use an object of extreme cold to accelerate the condensation of her Yin Core. Once the Yin Core was formed, she would be able to control the Fiend Devil Energy in her body.

As for an object of extreme cold, Lin Yan knew that an Ancient Tomb left behind by a Nirvana Realm expert would soon appear in the Heaven Flame Mountain Range. Within it was the extremely yin object, Extreme Fiend Yin Dragon Saliva.

At the time, not only would experts from near Flame City come rushing over upon hearing the news, but even the outstanding younger generation of the Great Yan Dynasty's four great families would arrive. In the original story, Lin Dong obtaining the Extreme Fiend Yin Dragon Saliva had been exceedingly dramatic—he had simply picked up what others had overlooked.

After entering the Ancient Tomb, none of those from the four great families had thought highly of that extremely yin object, so the fortunate Lin Dong had obtained it.

At this thought, Lin Yan's gaze became much more solemn. He did not expect to possess luck like Lin Dong's, but Qingtan was now his fiancée. Therefore, no matter what, he was determined to obtain that Extreme Fiend Yin Dragon Saliva!

Before that, though, he needed to raise his strength quickly. Having read the original story, Lin Yan knew full well that the younger generation of those four great families was, for the current him, an insurmountable mountain.

With that in mind, Lin Yan took a brocade box from his robes. Inside were two third-grade spiritual medicines, the reward for first place in this Clan Competition that Lin Xiao had passed on to him. Without any surprises, Lin Dong had received the same.

"Fire Spirit Mushroom."

Looking at the two blood-red mushrooms, Lin Yan's expression shifted. Clearly, he had heard of this highly valuable third-grade spiritual medicine before.

With a wave of his hand, the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire appeared. Lin Yan tossed the Fire Spirit Mushrooms from the brocade box into it.

Upon coming into contact with the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire, the two Fire Blood Mushrooms rapidly withered as expected. All of their medicinal essence was devoured by the strange flame.

After devouring the Fire Blood Mushrooms, the crimson color of the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire deepened slightly.

Seeing this, Lin Yan sighed. It seemed he still needed to devour more powerful beasts. The Fire Spirit Mushrooms contained considerable energy, yet they offered the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire barely any help.

After the strange flame entered his body, Lin Yan sensed the abundant energy within him and the slightly strengthened Origin Power Seed. He let out a breath of relief. At the very least, the two Fire Spirit Mushrooms had not gone entirely to waste.

"Looks like I need to visit the Martial Arts Hall tomorrow and find a powerful martial skill. Otherwise, I might end up falling behind Lin Dong in the Hunting Activity a few months from now."

The once-every-three-years Hunting Activity of Qingyang Town had been explained in detail to Lin Yan and Lin Dong by Lin Xiao after dinner.

Even without Lin Xiao's explanation, Lin Yan naturally knew about it. It was one of Qingyang Town's liveliest occasions in three years, and even people from outside the town would come to watch the excitement.

Speaking of the hunt, one had to mention Qingyang Town's three major powers: the Lei Family, the Xie Family, and the Mad Blade Martial Hall.

The Lei Family and the Xie Family were local Qingyang Town clans that had developed here for generations, making their foundations the deepest. The Mad Blade Martial Hall, meanwhile, had only been established for a little more than a decade, yet it had risen swiftly afterward. Its strength was such that even the Lei Family and Xie Family did not dare underestimate it in the slightest.

Moreover, the Mad Blade Martial Hall was quite renowned within a hundred li of Qingyang Town. If a merchant caravan hired guards from the Mad Blade Martial Hall, ordinary bandits generally would not dare target them.

Below these three major powers, the strongest was the Lin Family. In fact, after Lin Xiao recovered his strength, the Lin Family also possessed the qualifications to stand alongside those three powers in some respects. After all, even the Lei Family's foundation consisted of only five Heavenly Origin Realm experts.

As for the so-called hunt, it was jointly organized by those three major powers. In essence, it was a trial for the younger generations of their respective factions.

Naturally, it was also another form of covert competition between the major powers.

Whoever stood out in this trial would bring great prestige to their family and faction. It was a contest of comparison, a way to suppress one's rivals from this angle.

Therefore, all the major powers of Qingyang Town regarded this hunt as extremely important. To achieve good results in the hunting trial, the juniors taking part were all outstanding members of their respective families. The intensity of those clashes was not something the small Clan Competition Lin Yan had experienced today could compare to...

Furthermore, those opponents would be stronger than Lin Xia and Lin Hong.

As a member of the Lin Family who had also been dubbed one of the Lin Family Double Heroes, Lin Yan naturally had to participate.

Lin Yan also had his own private motives. During this Hunting Activity, Lin Dong would obtain a Fire Python Tiger cub—Lin Yan, one of the three famed brothers of the future Tianxuan Continent.

However, Lin Yan clearly had little interest in those cubs at the moment. Instead, his eyes burned with interest at the thought of that incomparably weakened adult Fire Python Tiger.

Under normal circumstances, he naturally would not dare provoke such a powerful beast. But since Lei Li and his group had been able to kill it in the original story, that meant there was nothing to fear.

An adult Fire Python Tiger comparable to the Heavenly Origin Realm... if the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire devoured it, it could probably break through the Ember Body and enter the Blazing Body...