Throughback Fist

"Honestly, Lin Dong, I'm not a child anymore. I know my limits. Those injuries will only keep them bedridden for seven days at most."

Qing Tan irritably pushed Lin Dong's hand away. What she hated most was Lin Dong treating her like a child. She was already a sensible grown-up.

"What about your cultivation? What level of the Body Tempering Stage did you reveal just now?"

Lin Dong smiled indifferently.

"Body Tempering Stage 4. That's already enough to crush them when we're at the same level."

Qing Tan glanced disdainfully at the people sprawled across the ground.

"Lin Dong, Qing Tan, you two actually dared to gang up and hurt my little brother. You've got some nerve."

As Lin Dong and Qing Tan spoke quietly, another figure pushed into the scene. With a casual movement of his shoulder, he easily helped Lin Shan up from the ground.

The newcomer was a handsome youth of around fifteen or sixteen, dressed in white.

"Brother, you finally came! They bullied me. You have to teach them a good lesson for me!" The moment Lin Shan saw him, he was overjoyed. Grabbing the white-clad youth's arm, he immediately began complaining.

"Hmph. I'll deal with you when we get back. Stand behind me."

Lin Shan's pathetic state angered the newcomer as well. Still, they were blood brothers, so the white-clad youth maintained his brother's dignity before outsiders.

"Lin Hong? So it's him. Just as expected—beat the little one, and the old one comes out. Too bad this 'old one' isn't much stronger either."

Lin Dong swept a glance over the newcomer and smiled. He had not expected to see another familiar face.

"Lin Dong, kneel and apologize to my brother right now. Then I can pretend none of this ever happened."

After berating Lin Shan, Lin Hong turned to Lin Dong with a cold smile.

"Lin Hong, I heard you once wanted to arrange a childhood betrothal with Qing Tan. Who gave you the nerve to bring that up? You'd better know your place and get as far away from here as possible."

Lin Dong ignored Lin Hong entirely. After sizing him up, he sharply rebuked him, making Qing Tan giggle.

"Lin Dong, you're being presumptuous! It's not too late to apologize to Lin Shan and me now!"

Humiliated before a beauty, Lin Hong's face alternated between green and red. In his embarrassment and rage, he raised his fist threateningly. A faint glow appeared around it.

"Ah, look! That's Origin Energy! Body Tempering Stage 6—Lin Hong must have already reached Body Tempering Stage 6."

"I heard Lin Hong was at Body Tempering Stage 5. I never expected that, after just three months, he'd advance another step into Body Tempering Stage 6."

"Yeah, what fast cultivation! Lin Dong is done for now. I heard he only just entered Body Tempering Stage 4. He's no match for Lin Hong at all."

The faint glow on Lin Hong's fist immediately caused the surrounding Lin Family disciples to cry out in surprise.

Everyone knew that the first realm of martial cultivation, the Body Tempering Stage, was divided into nine levels. The first three levels simply tempered the body. From the fourth level onward, one refined the skin; at the fifth, the bones; and at the sixth, the marrow.

Once the sixth level was cultivated to a profound level, one could refine marrow into yuan and produce a Yuan Qi Seed, allowing the initial use of Origin Energy. When the Yuan Qi Seed broke free from the bones' restraints and flowed into the body's meridians, formally forming an Origin Energy seed within the body, one reached Body Tempering Stage 7: Refining Yuan into Meridians.

One should not underestimate that faint glimmer on Lin Hong's fist. It was the mark of having entered the sixth level, refining marrow into yuan, and he could already wield Origin Energy in attacks.

After all, even with the same Martial Technique, its power when driven by Origin Energy was worlds apart from when it was not.

The crowd's praise made Lin Hong even more pleased with himself. He arrogantly lifted his chin. "Lin Dong, hurry up. Kneel and apologize to us brothers now, and I might consider letting you off."

"A Yuan Qi Seed? Body Tempering Stage 6? Wow, you're really amazing~"

Lin Dong tried his best to put on a terrified expression, but it only became more ridiculous the harder he tried.

"Hmph, you really won't give up until you see the coffin!"

Lin Hong sneered coldly. With a step, he appeared before Lin Dong, clenched his fist, and drove it toward Lin Dong's chest. The glow around his fist flared to its peak.

That was the manifestation of pushing the Yuan Qi Seed to its limit. Lin Hong had clearly been truly enraged. He intended to use Origin Energy to defeat Lin Dong in one blow and establish his authority.

"Your Falling Stone Fist is much better than your brother's, but it's still not enough."

Lin Dong glanced at the charging Lin Hong and casually reached out. His palm swiftly passed over Lin Hong's sleeve, followed by a string of crisp slapping sounds.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

The sharp sounds rang out seven times before finally stopping.

Lin Hong grimaced in pain. How could he care about attacking anymore? He hurriedly retreated and rolled up his sleeve, revealing seven marks rapidly appearing on his fair arm. In the blink of an eye, more than half of it had turned red.

"Hiss, that's the Throughback Fist! A Throughback Fist with seven echoes! I never expected Lin Dong to have mastered it to such a degree."

"I see it now. Lin Dong has been pretending to be weak while hiding his strength. He must have concealed his true cultivation."

Those who recognized it immediately identified the martial art Lin Dong had used: the Lin Family's Grade 1 Martial Art, the Throughback Fist—and a seven-echo Throughback Fist, at that.

"A seven-echo Throughback Fist? Lin Dong, you were hiding your strength? To defeat me, someone who has entered Body Tempering Stage 6, so cleanly and easily... could it be that you've already entered Body Tempering Stage 7?"

Greatly shocked, Lin Hong abruptly raised his head and stared fixedly at Lin Dong, hoping to receive an affirmative answer from him.

"What the hell does it have to do with you? I'm warning you: if you ever dare set your sights on my sister again, I'll break your dog legs on the spot."

Lin Dong stood with his arms folded and spoke calmly.

"You..."

Left speechless, Lin Hong's face reddened. Yet, with his strength lacking, he sorrowfully realized that there was nothing he could do.

"Stop it, all of you! Lin Hong, you've already reached Body Tempering Stage 6. Aren't you ashamed to bully Lin Dong, who's only at Body Tempering Stage 4?"

An angry feminine shout rang out as a slender girl hurried over.

This seventeen- or eighteen-year-old Red-clad Girl was rather pretty. Her brown Ponytail hung straight down to her slender waist, while her slightly raised brows gave her a heroic air no less spirited than a man's.

"Brother Lin Dong, Cousin Lin Xia is here."

Qing Tan, who had been standing behind Lin Dong, quietly reminded him.

"Lin Hong, did you hear that... huh? What exactly happened here?"

Just as Lin Xia was about to continue reprimanding Lin Hong, she stared blankly at him clutching his arm and grimacing in pain. This scene seemed rather different from what she had imagined. Shouldn't Lin Hong have been bullying the weaker Lin Dong?

"Hmph, Lin Dong, just you wait. So what if you're at Body Tempering Stage 7? It's nothing special. I'll reach it soon enough. At the Family Martial Arts Competition in a few months, I'll challenge you in front of everyone."

Lin Xia's arrival and the bewildered look on her face were simply the greatest mockery to Lin Hong. He could only leave behind a harsh threat before dragging Lin Shan away in a hurry.

"Hey, Lin Hong, wait! Explain yourself clearly..."

Lin Xia waved, intending to stop the two brothers, but they fled far too quickly. In an instant, they had vanished without a trace.