Ironwood Manor

Mysterious Gate Seal, First Layer!

While Lei Li was still muttering under his breath, a figure had already appeared behind him like a ghost, slamming the rapidly pulsing light seal in his palm onto Lei Li's completely exposed back.

Pfft!

Lei Li was sent flying as if struck by a heavy blow, crashing beneath the Battle Platform like a kite with its string cut and instantly losing all ability to resist.

With just one move, Lei Li of the Earth Origin Stage was defeated!

"..."

The stands suddenly fell into a deathly silence.

Lei Bao, who had risen to cheer for his grandson, stood with his mouth hanging wide open, having even forgotten to close it. He looked utterly ridiculous.

The referee, who had just waved to signal the start of the match, rubbed his eyes vigorously. After repeatedly confirming that the battle had ended the moment it began, he had no choice but to announce in a trembling voice, "The match is over. The champion of this Hunting Competition is Lin Dong of the Lin Family!"

Boom!

Those words seemed to flip an invisible switch. The tens of thousands of spectators in the stands erupted, all cheering for this martial genius of the Lin Family who had defeated an Earth Origin Stage expert with a single move.

"No, this round doesn't count! Li'er hasn't even used one of our Lei Family's two ultimate arts, the Grade 4 Martial Art Thunderclap Strike. We have to fight again for it to count!"

In his panic, Lei Bao shouted without thinking.

"Bullshit! The result has already been decided. Just because you, Lei Bao, say it doesn't count, it doesn't count? Do you really think Qingyang Town belongs solely to your Lei Family?"

The moment Lei Bao finished speaking, an angry roar came from another direction. It was Lin Zhentian, who had abruptly risen to his feet.

"That's right, that's right! Lin Dong is the champion! Lin Dong!"

"Tch, this Old Ghost Lei truly has no shame. With tens of thousands of us watching, he still wants to deny it? What a joke!"

Lin Zhentian's words immediately drew a chorus of agreement. Waves of jeers swept toward the Lei Family's seats, leaving its members so ashamed they could barely raise their heads.

"I..."

Knowing he had provoked public outrage, Lei Bao's lips twitched for a moment. In the end, he dejectedly gave up trying to argue, though the way he looked at Lin Zhentian was dark as water.

That old bastard had actually set him up. Since Lin Dong could defeat Lei Li, who had entered the Earth Origin Stage, in one move, Lin Dong's strength was absolutely not at the Body Tempering Layer Nine that the Lin Family had advertised. This was clearly a trap set for him.

"If your Origin Energy cultivation were as sharp as your tongue, you wouldn't have lost so miserably."

Looking at Lei Li struggling to get up, Lin Dong spoke indifferently.

Pfft!

Lei Li, whose expression had just eased after coughing up a mouthful of clotted blood, could not help vomiting another large mouthful of blood from humiliation and fury.

After jumping down from the Battle Platform, Lin Dong nodded at the stunned Wu Yun and the others, then walked toward the exit of the Beast Horn Arena without looking back.

The Lin Family members who had come for Lin Dong began leaving their seats, surrounding their victorious hero as they prepared to depart.

Before leaving, Lin Zhentian laughed with exceptional smugness. "Old Ghost Lei, I'm impatient by nature. You'd best hand Ironwood Manor over to the Lin Family within three days. Otherwise, I'll personally lead people to take it from you."

It would be even better if the Lei Family refused to hand over Ironwood Manor. Having already entered the Yuan Dan Stage, Lin Zhentian had been worrying over the lack of an opportunity to go to war with the Lei Family and take the chance to deal with the Lei and Xie Families.

"Lin Zhentian, you..."

Lei Bao's expression changed. Just as he was about to rise and retort, the Lin Family group had already gone far away.

The once-every-three-years Qingyang Town Hunting Competition officially came to an end. The young man of the Lin Family who had defeated an Earth Origin Stage expert in one move during the final match became completely famous throughout Qingyang Town and most of the region within a hundred li.

"Eldest, have the men make preparations. Once three days are up, we'll send people to take over Ironwood Manor, whether the Lei Family agrees or not."

After returning to the Lin Family Clan Territory, Lin Zhentian gave Lin Ken his orders.

Now that Lin Zhentian had entered the Yuan Dan Stage, his attitude toward the Lei Family had become increasingly forceful. He no longer had to consider so many things as he had before.

"Yes, Father."

Lin Ken and his brothers exchanged glances. They knew Lin Zhentian might be preparing to make a move against the Lei Family, and they answered in unison.

Lin Dong pretended to go out again, then took the three Fire Python Tiger Cubs out of the Ancestral Stone Space and brought them back to the Lin Family. He gave two of the cubs to Lin Zhentian, saying that he had found them during the daytime competition.

Lin Zhentian was overjoyed to receive the two Fire Python Tiger Cubs. This meant that the Lin Family would gain two more Heavenly Yuan Stage combatants in the future. He immediately clapped his hands and decided to give the Lin Family's ancestral Cultivation Technique Manual, the Azure Origin Art, and its only Grade 4 Martial Art, the Pure Yuan Finger, to Lin Dong for cultivation.

Having already learned them from Lin Xiao, Lin Dong could only pretend to be grateful.

After a busy day, Lin Dong returned to his room without the slightest hint of fatigue. Holding the little red beast in his arms, he stroked its smooth tiger head and smiled. "From today onward, your name will be Little Flame."

"Woo, woo, woo~"

Little Flame, who had been born only a few days ago, did not know whether it understood him. It merely let out soft whimpers. At this time, it was only the size of a palm.

"Hmm, you should be hungry, right? I'll find you something to eat."

With a flip of his hand, a drop of red liquid appeared at Lin Dong's fingertip. As expected of a Fire Python Tiger Cub capable of activating the Ancestral Stone, Little Flame, though its eyes had not yet opened, already began licking at the Ancestral Stone Spiritual Liquid.

"Haha, eat up, eat up. Grow up soon, and I'll have a more imposing mount as well." Lin Dong watched Little Flame eat with a smile.

After he entered the Yuan Dan Stage, the spiritual liquid condensed by the Ancestral Stone from the energy it absorbed from the air had become of little use to him. In the future, the Ancestral Stone Spiritual Liquid could be supplied exclusively to Little Flame.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, yet the Lei Family's Ironwood Manor had still not been handed over to the Lin Family. Already prepared, the Lin Family had no interest in even sending someone to ask why. They gathered their forces and headed straight for Ironwood Manor.

Lin Zhentian, Lin Ken, and Lin Xiao, the Lin Family's three great experts, led dozens of clan experts out in full force, while Lin Mang, the Lin Family's Second Master, remained behind to guard the Clan Territory.

A vast manor stood there, its main gates forged from Ironwood Manor's specialty, ironwood.

Ironwood, Ironwood Manor's specialty product, was as sturdy as refined iron and impervious to water and fire. It was an excellent material for construction and weapon-making, yielding enormous profits when sold. This was also the main reason the Lei Family had reneged on its word and refused to return Ironwood Manor.

Yet Ironwood Manor, the Lei Family's important stronghold that no one had ever dared disturb, was now surrounded by dozens of experts mounted on tall horses. The atmosphere was exceedingly tense.

"Lin Zhentian, what are you doing? Are you trying to start a war with our Lei Family?"

Two figures stood atop the high walls of the black manor. They were Lei Nuo and Lei Ying, the Lei Family's two Heavenly Yuan Stage experts, and they were somewhat panicked.

The Lei Family's original plan had been to use various excuses to drag things out and refuse to hand it over. To prevent the Lin Family from making a move to seize it by force, they had specifically sent Lei Nuo and Lei Ying here to stand guard.

But who could have expected the Lin Family not to even ask a single question, instead directly bringing a large force to surround Ironwood Manor? Even Lin Zhentian, the Lin Family's "number one expert," had come in person. This left Lei Nuo and Lei Ying no choice but to panic.