Taking Ironwood Manor, the Lin Family Enters the Stage

Bao Zhen and Bao Qiang charged out of the forest.

To the people of the Lei Family mining there, the two black beastly silhouettes were like the Black Reapers come to claim their lives.

"Roar!"

"Ah, run!"

"The Black Iron Demon Leopards are back!"

"Go call Second Master Lei!"

"Hide in the mine tunnels!"

The mine entrance in the small valley immediately descended into chaos. Miners and guards scattered in every direction. Faced with Demon Beasts of the Heavenly Yuan Realm, few had the courage to step forward.

The Heavenly Yuan Realm Black Iron Demon Leopards needed only their iron-black fur and the aura it radiated to make anyone below the Heavenly Yuan Realm hesitate to approach.

Before long, the disturbance outside drew out the Lei Family's two Heavenly Yuan Realm experts, who had been resting in Ironwood Manor.

The two immediately gave orders, organizing Ironwood Manor's guards to surround and kill the two beasts.

Of the two Heavenly Yuan Realm experts, one was at the early stage and the other at the middle stage.

Besides them, there were quite a few guards. The Lei Family seemed to have stationed most of its forces at Ironwood Manor, with more than a dozen Earthly Yuan Realm cultivators alone.

With their numerical advantage, they could barely contend with the two leopards.

The two leopards had no choice but to respond cautiously.

Yet Lin Yun, hiding in the woods and watching in secret, had no intention of helping them.

After their failed bloodline mutation last time, Lin Yun had wanted them to experience more difficult battles and feel what a true crisis was like.

The current situation was just right.

If the two leopards could not handle even this lineup, then all of Lin Yun's training would have been for nothing.

Having followed Lin Yun for so long, Bao Qiang and Bao Zhen were no longer the simple-minded brutes they once were. They understood guerrilla tactics. Rather than blindly clashing head-on with the enemy, they made perfect use of their speed, fighting mobile battles and refusing to let themselves fall into an encirclement.

The two leopards each held one side, supporting one another while also easing each other's pressure.

Before long, the forces gathered by the Lei Family's two Heavenly Yuan Realm experts were scattered by them.

In the blink of an eye, the two leopards had bitten more than a dozen people to death.

The ferocious Black Iron Demon Leopards killed until everyone was terrified, and no one dared to advance again.

"Run! We can't beat them! These two Black Iron Demon Leopards are both comparable to middle-stage Heavenly Yuan Realm experts!"

"Hurry to Qingyang Town and report to the family head!"

"Open the gates!"

The crowd began fleeing out of Ironwood Manor.

Seeing this, the Lei Family's two Heavenly Yuan Realm experts also began to consider retreating.

However, the two leopards entangled them.

Lin Yun's command to them had been that they could ignore everyone else, but these two had to die.

Before long, Bao Zhen dealt with the early-stage Heavenly Yuan Realm cultivator.

The few Earthly Yuan Realm guards who had still been hesitating saw this and no longer dared to linger. They quickly fled Ironwood Manor.

Only the middle-stage Heavenly Yuan Realm cultivator remained, fighting the two leopards in fury. Unfortunately, he was not even their match in a one-on-one fight, much less against both of them.

With the two leopards working together, they killed him within two or three breaths.

At this point, not a single person could be seen within Ironwood Manor.

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

The two leopards let out triumphant roars, declaring their victory and proclaiming themselves the masters of this territory.

Mission: Hunt Lei Family Heavenly Yuan Realm experts. Reward: One bottle of Fifth-Grade Origin Qi Pills. Completed. Claim reward? ×2.

Mission: Seize Ironwood Manor. Reward: Medium-Grade Cosmos Sack. Completed. Claim reward?

Mission: Occupy the Yang Yuan Stone Mine. Reward: Innate Yang Gang Qi. Completed. Claim reward.

Amid the two leopards' roars, Lin Yun also received the notification that the missions had been completed.

He released his Mental Energy to inspect all of Ironwood Manor. Apart from several dozen miners trembling in fear within the mine tunnels, everyone else had fled toward Qingyang Town.

"Tiger Heroine, it's time for you to show yourself."

Lin Yun patted Tiger Heroine. "Let's go out and take a stroll too."

Ironwood Manor was half a day's journey from Qingyang Town, so the Lei Family members would still need some time to escape back.

Holding Qing Tan in his arms, Lin Yun rode Tiger Heroine after the fleeing group.

When they drew near, Lin Yun and Qing Tan hid in the shadows and had Tiger Heroine reveal herself.

The people from the Lei Family who had fled Ironwood Manor were running along the road when a Fire Python Tiger suddenly burst from the woods ahead of them.

"Roar!"

At the sight of these people, Tiger Heroine let out a roar and leaped into the woods on the other side.

"Careful, it's a Fire Python Tiger!"

"Heavens, how did a Fire Python Tiger get here?"

"I heard this beast killed Lei Liushu and the others in the southern forest yesterday."

"It's leaving—it's heading toward Ironwood Manor."

"Could it have been drawn here by the Yang Yuan Stone Mine?"

"Go, go! Hurry and report to the Family Head!"

The Lei Family members were still shaken. Seeing that the Fire Python Tiger had merely passed by, they felt as though they had survived a disaster and hurried onward.

There were simply too many people fleeing, and with no one from the Heavenly Yuan Realm in charge, the Lei Family could not manage them at all.

Though they had all been members of the Lei Family before, the family was now riddled with holes, with more than half of its elites lost.

Of its five Heavenly Yuan Realm experts, only Lei Bao remained.

In just two days, the family's strength had plummeted! When the tree fell, the monkeys scattered. Many had no intention of returning to the Lei Family, while those with wandering ambitions had already begun preparing to seek refuge with other factions.

In Qingyang Town, aside from the Lei and Xie Families, the largest forces were naturally the Mad Blade Martial Hall and the Lin Family.

All of these escapees knew that a Yang Yuan Stone Mine had appeared at Ironwood Manor.

This was extremely valuable intelligence.

In just half a day, three pieces of news spread through the upper echelons of Qingyang Town's major factions.

First, a Yang Yuan Stone Mine had appeared at Ironwood Manor.

Second, the two Heavenly Yuan Realm experts stationed by the Lei Family at Ironwood Manor had been killed by Black Iron Demon Leopards, and Ironwood Manor was now occupied by the Black Iron Demon Leopards.

Third, a Fire Python Tiger had appeared near Ironwood Manor and was suspected to be heading for the Yang Yuan Stone Mine.

These reports immediately stirred reactions from all the major factions.

After receiving the news, Lin Zhentian immediately summoned the Lin Family's upper ranks to discuss their response.

To local factions like those in Qingyang Town, a Yang Yuan Stone Mine was an irresistible slab of fat, far too tempting to refuse.

Yang Yuan Stones could not only strengthen a family, but also represented an opportunity for Heavenly Yuan Realm experts like them.

"Father, four Heavenly Yuan Realm experts from the Lei Family are dead. Only that old dog Lei Bao remains. This is our Lin Family's chance. We should set out immediately and seize Ironwood Manor," Lin Mang was the first to suggest. The moment he heard about the Yang Yuan Stone Mine, his eyes had turned red.

If the Lin Family could obtain this mine, it would surely soar to great heights.

Lin Ken immediately stepped forward in opposition. "We cannot act rashly. The Lei Family lost two Heavenly Yuan Realm experts at Ironwood Manor. Those two Black Iron Demon Leopards are at least in the middle stage of the Heavenly Yuan Realm, and now there is also a Fire Python Tiger lurking nearby."

"The Fire Python Tiger was able to kill four Heavenly Yuan Realm experts, so it must have reached the late stage of the Heavenly Yuan Realm."

"If our Lin Family wants to contend for it, we must consider how to eliminate the Three Beasts."

"And with the Lin Family's current strength, even if we eliminate the Three Beasts, we will likely have to pay a heavy price."

"We are not the only ones eyeing the Yang Yuan Stone Mine."

"I'm worried that if we strike first and fight the Three Beasts, other factions may reap the benefits. That would spell utter ruin for our Lin Family."

Lin Ken's analysis made perfect sense, but it was also like a basin of cold water poured over everyone's heads, instantly waking them from the temptation of the Yang Yuan Stone Mine.

This was a thorny problem. Even powerful families like the Lei and Xie Families had been crippled by the Three Beasts.

However, the temptation of the Yang Yuan Stones was simply too great. No one was willing to give up.

Before long, they began arguing again.

"Opportunity waits for no one. There are quite a few factions around Qingyang Town. Once the news spreads further, even forces from Yancheng may be drawn here. By then, we won't even get a sip of the soup."

"If we do not have enough strength, even if we take Ironwood Manor, we will not be able to hold it."

"We can seize it first and mine it like mad. Whatever we can extract is ours—meat in our mouths is real meat. If stronger factions come to seize it later, we can simply give it up."

"I'm afraid that by then, it won't be a matter of whether we want to give it up. We may not be able to retreat unscathed."

"Then what should we do? If we don't fight for it, are we just going to watch this opportunity slip away?"

"With the Lin Family's current strength, it will be difficult for us to swallow Ironwood Manor on our own."

"How about... joining forces with the Mad Blade Martial Hall? With Hall Master Luo and Father, whether we deal with the Three Beasts or face the Lei and Xie Families later, we won't need to worry."

"Cooperation is indeed a good solution."

"This matter should be handled sooner rather than later. I suggest we send someone to discuss it with the Mad Blade Martial Hall right now."

"If we wait any longer, the Lei and Xie Families will probably have already reached an agreement."

"Father, what do you think?"

Everyone looked toward Lin Zhentian, waiting for him to make a decision.

Lin Zhentian remained silent. He dearly wanted to claim the Yang Yuan Stone Mine for himself, but given their lack of strength, cooperation truly was the best choice.

Just as he was about to make a decision, a young man burst in.

It was Lin Dong. He had arrived, bringing Lin Yun's plan with him.

Back when the two had discussed feinting west before striking east again, they had already settled on the plan.

Now, it was the Lin Family's turn to take the stage.