Waiting by the Stump

"Unfilial wretch! Stop right now, and I'll spare your life!"

Above Qingyang Town, Lin Xiaotian blasted away the black-clad Heavenly Yuan Stage expert blocking him and roared at Lin Mang and his son, who had seized the chance to flee toward the mountain range behind the Lin Family's rear mountain.

He had thought that hunting down Lin Mang and his son after their betrayal of the Lin Family would be an effortless matter.

Who would have expected that the Heavenly Yuan Stage experts of Qingyang Town's other factions would be unwilling to see Lin Zhentian and the others succeed in their pursuit? They wanted to take Lin Mang and his son under their command and thereby strengthen their own clans, so one after another, they disguised themselves and came to obstruct the three great Heavenly Yuan Stage experts, Lin Zhentian and the others.

From these people's moves, Lin Zhentian could recognize familiar traces. They were nothing more than factions of Qingyang Town such as the Lei Family and the Xie Family.

There was even involvement from the Mad Saber Martial Hall among them, except they did not display any signature martial arts too openly, leaving Lin Zhentian wanting to expose those people but with no way to say it aloud.

After all, the Lin Family had once done the same sort of thing.

In the end, Qingyang Town simply had too few Heavenly Yuan Stage experts, and they were already considered top-tier masters.

If any faction could gain even one more Heavenly Yuan Stage expert, they would undoubtedly gain an extra share of authority in Qingyang Town!

"Jie jie jie jie jie!"

The black-clad Heavenly Yuan Stage expert who had been sent flying by Lin Zhentian attacked again with a chilling laugh.

His purpose was very simple: stall Lin Zhentian and prevent him from having any chance to catch up to Lin Mang and his son.

The situation on Lin Xiao and Lin Ken's side was no better either; they were basically being tied down as well.

These black-clad Heavenly Yuan Stage experts had not appeared to defeat, much less kill, the Lin Family's three great Heavenly Yuan Stage experts. They were merely here to delay them.

Now that Lin Mang and his son had already broken through, their plan could be considered a success.

"Damn it. You think you can get away like this? In your dreams!"

Lin Zhentian had originally planned to capture Lin Mang and his son alive and bring them back to the Lin Family for ideological reform, but the current situation had completely ruined his plans.

Rather than let Lin Mang and his son return safely in the future to sabotage the Lin Family, it was better to be ruthless now!

A trace of blood-red surfaced in Lin Zhentian's eyes as he shouted furiously, "Get lost!"

A majestic aura blasted the two black-clad Heavenly Yuan Stage experts around him away. Then incomparably dense Yuan Power gathered in front of him, suddenly forming a huge Yuan Power palm print.

After Lin Zhentian locked onto Lin Mang and his son's whereabouts, he immediately struck it out.

Boom!

The enormous Yuan Power palm print slammed heavily into Lin Mang and his son's backs with a speed and force that shocked the many Heavenly Yuan Stage experts present.

In an instant, they were like kites with cut strings, sent flying straight away and smashing a huge pit into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Damn it, did it fail?"

The black-clad Heavenly Yuan Stage expert's pupils shrank slightly at the sight, and he cursed inwardly.

With the power of that palm, even a Heavenly Yuan Stage expert who took it head-on would at least be severely injured, if not killed!

Clearly, he believed Lin Mang and his son had no chance of surviving.

However, what astonished everyone was that a streak of azure light shot straight out and swept toward the Boundless Mountain Range.

"Lin Mang isn't dead!"

The black-clad Heavenly Yuan Stage experts were overjoyed when they saw this and immediately ordered, "Retreat!"

Since Lin Mang and his son had already escaped, there was no longer any need to stop Lin Zhentian and the other two great Heavenly Yuan Stage experts. They could patiently wait for Lin Mang and his son's injuries to improve, then draw them into their clan forces. After a simple disguise, they could become part of the strength that bolstered their clans.

"Father, what do we do?"

Lin Xiao and Lin Ken gathered beside Lin Zhentian at the first opportunity, their expressions somewhat ugly. If these black-clad Heavenly Yuan Stage experts had not appeared and entangled them, they would have captured Lin Mang and his son and brought them back to the Lin Family long ago.

Instead of ending up as passive as they were now.

A Heavenly Yuan Stage enemy, and one who would fight them to the death, was likely an enormous threat to the entire Lin Family.

If they did not resolve this as soon as possible, they would never have a day of peace!

"Continue searching for Lin Mang and his son. You must bring them back to the Lin Family."

Lin Zhentian's face was exceptionally dark. His fists clenched as he said coldly, "If they're dead, I want to see the bodies. If they're alive, I want to see them in person!"

Hearing this, Lin Xiao and Lin Ken could not help trembling.

Clearly, Lin Zhentian had already prepared himself to kill Lin Mang and his son.

"Yes!"

"Father, how do you feel right now?"

In the dense forest, the pale-faced Lin Hong supported Lin Mang, who was coughing up blood, and hurriedly asked.

If Lin Mang had not protected Lin Hong in his arms at the critical moment and used his own back to withstand that killing force, he would not have suffered such severe injuries.

"Cough, cough."

Lin Mang spat out a mouthful of clotted blood, looked around, and said:

"Hong'er, I'm fine. I can still hold on for a while. It's just that I no longer have the strength of the Heavenly Yuan Stage.

This place is the forest beyond the Lin Family's rear mountain. Once we pass through the forest, we'll be able to enter the Boundless Mountain Range. If we follow the route left behind in the early years, we can leave Qingyang Town.

When our injuries recover, we'll come back and take revenge!"

As he spoke of this, his expression instantly turned savage.

If not for that palm strike from Lin Zhentian, with his strength at the Heavenly Yuan Stage, how could he have suffered such severe injuries that he had temporarily fallen to the Earthly Yuan Stage?

He feared that if they encountered a powerful Demonic Beast, it would be enough to take his wretched life.

"Yes, Father."

Lin Hong gnashed his teeth and cursed in a low voice, "If not for that Lin Chen, how would we have ended up fleeing in such a sorry state? When we return to Qingyang Town, that will be the day his Lin Family is destroyed!"

At that moment, as Lin Mang listened to Lin Hong's complaints, a faint unease rose in his heart.

"Hong'er, don't worry about that for now. We can't stay here long!"

Just as Lin Mang and Lin Hong were about to continue fleeing, a white figure appeared in front of them.

When they saw that face, their whole bodies trembled, their faces filled with disbelief.

"What, surprised to see me?"

Lin Chen glanced briefly at the bloodstains on the Green Lotus Sword, then raised his head and looked at Lin Mang and Lin Hong. With a teasing smile on his face, he said, "Didn't you want revenge? I'm right here."

Lin Hong's pupils contracted, and he said angrily, "Lin Chen! Looks like you're courting death!"

He immediately took out a spear and prepared to charge forward to measure himself against Lin Chen.

However, Lin Mang reached out and stopped him.

"Hong'er!"

Lin Mang looked around, his face dark. He tried to speak in as calm a tone as possible, but with his injuries, he could not control his dry cough at all. "Cough, cough. Lin Chen, how did you find us?"

He was somewhat puzzled. Even Heavenly Yuan Stage experts like Lin Zhentian had not been able to catch up immediately; they would need some time.

How could Lin Chen, who only had the strength of the Body Tempering Stage, have gotten one step ahead and stopped them?

And alone, no less!

After what had just happened, Lin Mang had become much more cautious.

His current strength was only at the Earthly Yuan Stage, and he was seriously injured. All it would take was one or two Earthly Yuan Stage experts to hold him up, waiting for Lin Zhentian and the others pursuing relentlessly behind to catch him.

At worst, even if he managed to escape, they could make him unable to suppress his injuries, causing him to die from them!

In short, he needed to respond cautiously first, lest he be ambushed by some sly old bastard.

Lin Chen knew just how wary Lin Mang and his son were right now, but what use was wariness?

He said calmly, "Stop looking. There's no one else here. I've been waiting for you here for ages. Only now have you come over to die—you really made me wait until my eyes nearly wore out."

When Lin Mang and his son heard this, their expressions changed drastically, and they cried out in shock, "How could you possibly know that we father and son would flee through here?!"