The Plot Begins

Time flew by, and six years passed in the blink of an eye.

"Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack..."

The slender figure swung his arms as though a throughback ape were stretching its body. Crisp slapping sounds rang out continuously as his clothes snapped against his skin—ten times in all.

"Whew..."

After a while, the slender figure exhaled a long breath of stale air and stopped. He looked at the young woman beside him, who had been watching without blinking. "Qing Tan, did you see it clearly? The first nine sounds of the Throughback Fist are released outwardly, while the tenth sound is generated from within."

"The key to producing the tenth sound lies in perfectly coordinating the muscles and bones within the body, pushing the force of the ninth sound, already on the verge of its peak, to an entirely new height before releasing it all at once."

"Once you bring the Throughback Fist to its tenth sound, its power will rival a Grade 2 Martial Art among low-grade martial arts."

"Mhm, mhm, Brother Lin Dong, Qing Tan saw it clearly. Wow, you're amazing, Brother Lin Dong! You actually deduced the tenth sound by yourself, even though Father never managed to learn it."

The thirteen- or fourteen-year-old young woman had exquisite features and an aura of spirit about her. Her bright eyes made her appear especially charming and adorable.

"If you saw it clearly, then hurry up and practice. You're a dignified Earth Origin Stage expert, yet you still haven't mastered the tenth sound of a Grade 1 Martial Art."

Lin Dong glared irritably at his silly little sister. However, Qing Tan, who knew her brother's temperament well, was not the least bit afraid. She merely kept smiling sweetly.

"Dong'er, Qing Tan, you're both here."

A deep, vigorous voice rang out as a familiar figure approached.

"Father!" Lin Dong and Qing Tan hurriedly bowed in greeting.

"Mm. Dong'er, you're already fourteen. It's time for you to show your face outside. There'll be a small test within the clan tomorrow, so go take part. But don't reveal all of your Heavenly Yuan Stage cultivation. You'll scare them silly."

Lin Xiao strolled over, smiling as he looked at the pair of children before him, both of whom filled him with satisfaction.

Fourteen years old, the clan's small test, Lin Shan knocking "me" unconscious... It seems the main plot is about to begin.

Lin Dong's heart stirred, and he immediately cupped his hands. "Understood, Father. But isn't Qing Tan coming with me?"

"No. Qing Tan's strength must remain secret for now. My precious daughter is a secret weapon."

Lin Xiao winked mysteriously. After chatting for a few more moments, he turned and left.

"Brother Lin Dong, what is Father's cultivation now? Ever since Father recovered from his injuries six years ago, his cultivation has seemed like a mystery. Qing Tan can't see through it at all."

Watching Lin Xiao's receding back, Qing Tan adorably poked out her little head.

"At the peak of the Minor Yuan Dan Stage, I suppose. He's still some distance away from Minor Perfection Yuan Dan Stage."

"Wow, a Yuan Dan Stage expert? So Father is actually that powerful?"

The young woman's beautiful eyes widened as she immediately cried out in astonishment.

"Father was originally the number one genius of our Lin Family. He entered the Heavenly Yuan Stage shortly after turning twenty. Is it not perfectly normal for him to make such a breakthrough after six full years of accumulation? You underestimate Father too much."

Lin Dong gave Qing Tan an annoyed look, then ordered sternly, "If you don't master the tenth sound of the Throughback Fist today, you're not allowed to sleep."

With that, Lin Dong leisurely walked away, completely ignoring the young woman's coquettish pleas behind him.

"Creak... Bang..."

Lin Dong had just shut his room door when a voice sounded by his ear. "Ever since you entered the Heavenly Yuan Stage two years ago, your cultivation has not advanced at all. What are you planning?"

Used to it by now, Lin Dong sat down, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and only then spoke. "The Yuan Dan has nine stars. One star is the weakest, and nine stars are the strongest. Of course I want to suppress my cultivation for a while and strive to achieve a Nine Star Yuan Dan in one go."

"Heh, a Nine Star Yuan Dan. You're quite ambitious, kid. Back when Lord Marten entered the Yuan Dan Stage, I only barely managed to condense an Eight Star Yuan Dan."

"Also, you've already mastered that basic Mental Energy cultivation method. If you can open an aperture in the Niwan Palace now, you should be able to condense two seals in one go. It's time to find a Seal Condensing Method."

The voice beside his ear continued.

"Find a Seal Condensing Method? No rush. I know what I'm doing."

Lin Dong took a light sip of tea. As for why he had not bought a Seal Condensing Method sooner and officially stepped into the ranks of a One Seal Talisman Master? Naturally, he was waiting for the imprinted spiritual talisman of the Devouring Ancestral Symbol. Judging by the timing, it should be appearing soon.

"You're not in a rush, but I am. The stronger you become, the more of my strength I can recover. My power has recovered far too slowly these past few years. In six whole years, I've only devoured one incomplete Demonic Spirit and a few low-grade Spiritual Medicines."

The air rippled slightly, and the phantom of a black mouse appeared on Lin Dong's shoulder.

"What can I do? Any Demonic Beast capable of producing a Demonic Spirit is incomparably powerful. They're simply not something I can deal with right now. Even the incomplete Demonic Spirit you devoured last year was obtained only after the two of us barely escaped death."

Seeing Little Marten reveal himself, Lin Dong rolled his eyes fiercely.

"Sigh, if Lord Marten still had the strength I possessed back then, one fart would be enough to blow a whole pack of Demonic Beasts like that to death. A tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs..."

Little Marten slumped lifelessly on Lin Dong's right shoulder, his eyes dull as he muttered on about his glorious exploits from the past.

"Body Tempering Stage 4 should satisfy Father's request to keep a low profile, right? After all, he only wants me to hide my abilities for now, then make a stunning display at the Clan Assembly half a year from now."

Lin Dong emerged from an ancient Lin Family building and stretched lazily.

Today was the Lin Family's small test. Essentially, every youth of suitable age in the clan would come to test their cultivation and combat ability. At Lin Xiao's request, Lin Dong had come merely to make an appearance.

"Father's assignment is complete. Time to head home."

Lin Dong looked around, in quite a good mood as he followed the path back.

"Lin Dong, stop right there!"

An arrogant shout rang out directly behind him, forcing Lin Dong to draw back the right foot he had just stepped forward with before turning around.

As he looked at the fourteen- or fifteen-year-old youth surrounded by several others, Lin Dong could not help thinking strangely to himself, Is Lin Shan an idiot?

In the original story, Lin Shan had only dared to bully him because he had been at Body Tempering Stage Two while Lin Shan was at Body Tempering Stage 4. But now, the strength Lin Dong had revealed was clearly also Body Tempering Stage 4. Where did Lin Shan find the courage to provoke him?

Was he not afraid that Lin Dong would beat him into a pig's head?

Lin Shan was the second son of Lin Dong's second uncle, Lin Mang. He had an older brother, Lin Hong, who was at Body Tempering Stage 6. Together with Lin Xia, the daughter of Lin Dong's uncle, they were the Leading Figures of the Lin Family's younger generation.

Yet before Lin Dong's father, Lin Xiao, had suffered his devastating injuries, Lin Shan's father Lin Mang had always fawned over his third brother, Lin Xiao. Who could have expected him to completely change his face after Lin Xiao was crippled?

Not only did he frequently mock and ridicule Lin Xiao within the clan, but he also instructed his son Lin Shan to provoke Lin Dong. He truly was a disgusting old dog.

"Mm, and you are?"

Lin Dong glanced at Lin Shan and spoke casually.