The Protective

Deep within the secluded mountain range, a party was slowly making its way forward. Wu Tao and another deacon at the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm led the way at the front, while the remaining two Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm experts held down the rear.

After all, aside from Lin Xuan, the formidable Young Clan Leader, the rest were all core disciples of the clan's younger generation. Every one of them was dearly treasured by those elders on the Elder Council.

At the end of the day, getting by in the martial world was not just about fighting and brawling; personal connections and worldly etiquette mattered as well.

This time, Young Clan Leader Lin Xuan had personally led the team to gain experience in a relatively low-risk place like Heavenly Capital County, where there might even be considerable rewards. Naturally, these clan members had fought tooth and nail for a place.

When dealing with these young masters and misses, Wu Tao and the others naturally had to be extra careful. They sought no merit, only to avoid mistakes.

In any case, they would not be needed for the most crucial struggle over the Nirvana Heart. They only had to ensure that these young men and women reached the Sky Flame Mountain Range safely.

Along the way, Little Flame—a powerful demonic beast at the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm, radiating a fierce killing aura—cleared the path, sparing them quite a bit of trouble.

After all, few people would be foolish enough to provoke such a large group guarded by a powerful demonic beast at the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm, especially when the party also included several Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm experts.

"Be careful. There's a smell of blood!"

Wu Tao suddenly spoke up. He glanced at Lin Xuan, who stood there with his sword in his arms and had remained silent throughout, and felt slightly reassured.

Since the Young Clan Leader had not reacted, it meant there was nothing nearby capable of posing a major threat to them. As long as they remained cautious, there should be no problem.

That was the difference between having a powerful expert overseeing things and not having one. With someone powerful present, morale could be stabilized, and there was no need to worry about some overwhelmingly strong enemy suddenly appearing and threatening their safety.

As he spoke, Wu Tao turned to look at Lin Dong. Although Lin Dong came from a branch family, Wu Tao held him in high regard—not only because he was the grandson of an old friend, but also because of his exceptional talent.

Seeing Wu Tao look over, Lin Dong reached out and stroked Little Flame beside him. Sensing that it was not overly alert, he replied.

"Little Flame doesn't sense a major threat, but we should still be careful. The other side should be quite strong."

After killing that group previously, Little Flame had gained a clearer understanding of its own strength. Since demonic beasts had always possessed sharper senses than humans, Little Flame had become the party's scout.

However, worried that what had happened before might happen again, Wu Tao had not allowed Little Flame to go off alone to gather information.

Some of the younger members of the Lin Clan standing among the party saw that Lin Dong, a member of a branch family, was gradually becoming the central figure of their clan's team. Though they felt somewhat stifled, none of them said anything.

After all, even among peers of the Lin Clan, Lin Dong's strength was among the very best.

At only sixteen or seventeen, he had already reached the Minor Perfection of the Core Formation Realm and was also a Symbol Master. With such talent, even within the entire Lin Clan, only the Young Clan Leader could suppress him.

But what kind of dazzling, peerless figure was the Young Clan Leader? At eighteen, not only had his Origin Power reached the Shaping Realm, but he was also a Spirit Symbol Master. Moreover, he was an unparalleled prodigy capable of creating his own Creation Martial Arts.

The fact that Lin Dong could even be compared to such a monstrous genius as the Young Clan Leader was already enough to demonstrate his talent.

At the very least, within the Lin Clan, the only person worthy of being mentioned alongside the Young Clan Leader was Lin Langtian!

But what kind of person was Lin Langtian? Put simply, if the Lin Clan had not produced a monster like Young Clan Leader Lin Xuan, then Lin Langtian would have been the undisputed number one genius of the Lin Clan!

In other words, Lin Dong's talent had already reached a level where he could stand shoulder to shoulder with Lin Langtian!

More importantly, aside from his cultivation talent, Lin Dong's talent in martial arts was equally terrifying. He could use fourth- and fifth-grade martial arts to suppress geniuses like them, who cultivated Creation Martial Arts.

Although the Creation Martial Arts they cultivated were incomplete versions, their power still absolutely surpassed those fourth- and fifth-grade martial arts.

In short, there was only one way to put it: most of these geniuses had already been beaten into submission by Lin Dong.

"Then everyone, be more careful. Lin Chen, Lin Ke'er, keep a close watch!"

Wu Tao nodded slightly at that, then spoke to Lin Chen and Lin Ke'er, who stood on either side of the party.

Among this younger generation, Lin Chen and Lin Ke'er were also among the strongest. At the very least, they could help the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm experts shoulder a considerable amount of pressure.

"Rest assured, Old Tao."

Lin Chen responded softly. Lin Ke'er said nothing, merely giving a slight nod.

The next moment, the atmosphere of the entire party turned grim and murderous. The younger generation of the Lin Clan were not useless wastrels who only knew how to throw their weight around. Once they became serious, the aura they displayed even made Lin Dong inwardly startled.

The only person in the entire party who still appeared relaxed was Lin Xuan, who stood with his sword folded across his chest.

Watching the changes in the party, Lin Xuan nodded to himself. At least they had not disappointed him; they had met the minimum standard in his heart. As for how they would truly perform, that would depend on what they did next.

Within Lin Xuan's perception, the party ahead was quite formidable. Not only did it have three experts at the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm, but it also had quite a few experts at the Minor Perfection of the Core Formation Realm.

Furthermore, not far from that party, another Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm expert was leading a group toward them. These four Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm experts should belong to the same faction.

Although they had one fewer Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm combatant than Lin Xuan's party, namely Little Flame, they had far more people at the Minor Perfection of the Core Formation Realm and the Lesser Core Formation Realm.

So, in a sense, Lin Ke'er and the others were still at a disadvantage.

Of course, they were fellow clansmen after all. Though Lin Xuan had said he would not interfere much, if their lives were truly in danger, he would still act. After all, there was still the bond of the same clan between them.

Though they had no blood relation, was there not a saying: one must fulfill the duties of one's position? Lin Xuan was not a heartless man. As the Young Clan Leader, he naturally had to protect his own clansmen.

In truth, Lin Xuan was very protective of his own.