Is Your Horse Fast?

The sun hung high in the sky!

The Lin Family's convoy had been traveling for two hours.

Lin Yun, Lin Dong, and Lin Xia rode their horses eagerly at the front of the convoy.

It was the first time all three of them had gone to Yancheng, and they were filled with curiosity and longing for the great city.

Before this, they had only heard stories about Yancheng from the adults. Compared to Qingyang Town, Yancheng was far more prosperous and lively.

The three chatted about Yancheng as they rode.

Of them, Lin Xia knew the most.

She began speaking at length, while Lin Yun and Lin Dong played along.

"I heard Father say that Yancheng is quite chaotic too. On average, a faction is wiped out every month, while several others rise up. The competition is extremely fierce."

"The four major factions of Qingyang Town are nothing worth mentioning in Yancheng. You could even say they do not deserve to be on the stage."

"To gain a foothold in a place like Yancheng, one needs at least Core Formation Realm strength."

"The three strongest factions in Yancheng all have Core Formation Realm experts overseeing them, and more than one at that."

"Oh? Which three factions are they?"

"They are Yancheng's City Lord's Mansion, the Ten Thousand Gold Commerce Guild, and the Blood Wolf Gang."

"Actually, there is another faction no weaker than those three, but it is rather mysterious and low-profile. I only know its name."

"The Symbol Master Association!"

"What is a Symbol Master?"

"It is a mysterious profession. I heard they can forge artifacts, practice alchemy, and draw talismans. They are incredibly powerful, and supposedly one can only cultivate it after reaching the Earthly Yuan Realm."

"Symbol Masters hold noble status. Any Symbol Master can become an honored guest of those major factions."

"Only a place like Yancheng has Symbol Masters. Qingyang Town has never even heard of them."

"As expected of Sister Lin Xia. You know so much."

"Hmph, you two cannot spend every day knowing nothing but cultivation. You should come out and broaden your horizons too, see just how vast the world is."

Lin Xia basked in her sense of superiority before the two of them.

At last, she could see her two genius younger brothers looking at her with admiration.

She was in a splendid mood.

However, just then, thunderous hoofbeats rang out. A group of riders appeared ahead, carrying a black dragon banner. There were no fewer than a hundred of them, advancing in a grand procession.

Not only that, people rushed out from the surrounding forests as well.

They charged straight toward the Lin Family Trade Caravan.

"Everyone, be careful! Bandits are attacking!"

"This is bad, it seems to be the Black Dragon Stronghold."

"There are other bandits in the forest too. It is not just the Black Dragon Stronghold."

The Lin Family's convoy immediately erupted into commotion.

The Black Dragon Stronghold was the most powerful bandit force near Qingyang Town, notorious for its ferocity. Its two leaders were both Heavenly Yuan Realm experts.

They had not expected to encounter such a troublesome enemy so soon after setting out.

The Black Dragon Stronghold alone would have been enough to handle.

Yet judging from the situation, it seemed that not only the Black Dragon Stronghold, but quite a few other bandits had also set their sights on this fat piece of meat that was the Lin Family.

The temptation of the Yang Yuan Stones was simply too great.

"Everyone, do not panic. Form a defensive formation with the convoy at the center."

Lin Xiao immediately issued the order. Yuan Power infused his voice, drowning out the hoofbeats so that everyone in the Lin Family could hear him.

Most of those who had come along were elite members of the Lin Family. The several Earthly Yuan Realm captains also knew Lin Xiao's strength, and they quickly calmed down, organizing a defensive formation according to his instructions.

"Whoa!"

The Black Dragon Stronghold riders rushed close, and the two men at the front pulled on their reins.

They were precisely the two leaders of the Black Dragon Stronghold.

Their fierce reputations had spread far and wide. Just from their appearances alone, many members of the Lin Family could identify them.

The man on the left was burly and broad-shouldered, with the build of a tiger and a bear. He was the Second Leader, Wu Sha, known as the Wind Ripping Hand.

The man on the right was somewhat leaner, with ordinary features, but his face was covered in crisscrossing knife scars. He wore a savage expression and was the Chief Leader, Yan Kuo.

As the two men led the Black Dragon Stronghold bandits to block the road, the bandits in the surrounding forests also rushed out.

Two men led them as well. They clasped their hands toward the Black Dragon Stronghold and called out loudly, "Haha, Chief Yan, Second Leader Wu, it has been a long time!"

"Flying Leopard Mountain, Chen Sanbao!"

"Fierce Fang Mountain, Xiong Wei!"

Lin Xiao's expression darkened. He recognized both men—they were notorious bandits from the surrounding area, and both possessed Heavenly Yuan Realm cultivation.

Wu Sha's gaze turned cold. "Heh, you two mutts sure have sharp noses. You actually caught the scent of meat here too."

"But you've crossed the line. This is Black Dragon Stronghold territory."

Chen Sanbao burst into laughter. "Brother Wu, wealth should be shared. Everyone knows the Lin Family obtained the Yang Yuan Stone Mine. We want a share too."

Xiong Wei said, "That's right, that's right!"

"You think the likes of you can steal Black Dragon Stronghold's prey? You're courting—"

Wu Sha was about to fly into a rage when Yan Kuo stopped him. "Since they're here, we'll follow the old rules. Intercept the goods first, then discuss how to divide them."

"Exactly!" Chen Sanbao and Xiong Wei immediately agreed.

In just a few words, the three groups of bandits had reached an agreement.

They did not care about the Lin Family's opinion at all, as though they had already become lambs awaiting slaughter.

Only then did Yan Kuo look at Lin Xiao and Lin Yun. He said slowly, "We seek wealth, not lives."

"Lin Xiao, if you know what's good for you, leave the goods behind. Don't force us to act."

Lin Xiao's expression was grave. Ignoring Yan Kuo, he quietly asked Lin Yun, "Three are in the early Heavenly Yuan Realm, and one is in the middle stage. I can handle Yan Kuo and Wu Sha. Can you hold off the other two?"

Two? Heh, I want all of them... The corner of Lin Yun's mouth curled upward as he said calmly, "Leave all four to me!"

These were rewards delivered straight to his door. He had no intention of sharing them with Lin Xiao.

As his strength rose, the difficulty of creating missions increased as well. Now, only Heavenly Yuan Realm opponents could successfully generate missions.

Mission: Kill Yan Kuo. Reward: One bottle of Yang Yuan Pills.

Mission: Kill Wu Sha. Reward: One bottle of Fifth Grade Qi Blood Pills.

Mission: Kill Chen Sanbao. Reward: One bottle of Fifth-Grade Origin Qi Pills.

Mission: Kill Xiong Wei. Reward: One bottle of Fifth Grade Returning Spring Pills.

Not bad. Quite a diverse selection of Pills... Lin Yun looked at the mission list in his mind and nodded in satisfaction.

"What did you say?" Lin Xiao thought he had misheard.

However, seeing that Lin Xiao had continued to ignore him, Yan Kuo's anger surged. Raising his broadsword, he shouted, "Kill!"

The bandits in every direction moved at the command. Like a pack of bloodthirsty beasts, they charged madly toward the Lin Family's convoy.

Lin Yun opened the black spear case behind his saddle and drew out the Mountain Piercing Spear.

He had prepared this in advance. To avoid exposing the existence of his Cosmos Sack, he had placed the Mountain Piercing Spear outside beforehand. As for the spear itself, it was entirely black, so no one could tell that it was anything extraordinary.

"Hyah!"

Lin Yun squeezed his legs around the horse's flanks and, like an ancient general, charged alone into the bandit horde.

The Mountain Piercing Spear danced through his hands as he unleashed the Prairie Fire Spear Technique. His spear shot out like a dragon, and with every casual thrust, he skewered three to five bandits.

When he encountered bandits charging on horseback, he sent both horse and rider flying with a single sweep.

Lin Yun's ferocity instantly drew the attention of many.

Unstoppable, Lin Yun reached Yan Kuo and Wu Sha in moments.

The two had been preparing to join forces and kill Lin Xiao, but before they could take more than two steps, Lin Yun, this god of slaughter, suddenly appeared before them.

"Who are you? Since when did the Lin Family have such a young Heavenly Yuan Realm expert?" Yan Kuo frowned.

Yet Wu Sha, standing beside him, had already charged forward.

"Kid, a newborn calf isn't afraid of tigers. Today, Grandpa will teach you how to behave." A cold glint flashed in Wu Sha's eyes as Origin Qi erupted from his body. His already broad palm rapidly swelled, growing a full circle larger in the blink of an eye. All his martial arts were concentrated in his hands.

Vigorous Origin Qi surged wildly. Then Wu Sha stomped heavily on the ground, cracking the earth beneath him with his immense strength as he launched himself into the air.

His enormous palm clawed toward Lin Yun on horseback.

"Tear the Wind—"

Pfft!

Wu Sha's voice abruptly cut off. Before he had even finished speaking, Lin Yun's spear had pierced through his throat.

Instant kill!

By now, Lin Yun had fully mastered the Prairie Fire Spear Technique, cultivating it to the point of being Close to the Dao. A casual thrust from him now possessed power comparable to a Fourth Grade Martial Art.

Wu Sha was merely in the early Heavenly Yuan Realm and had never even seen a Fourth Grade Martial Art. How could he possibly perceive Lin Yun's spear shadow?

"How is that possible?!"

Yan Kuo stared in stunned disbelief, Wu Sha's body hanging in the air on the spear reflected in his eyes.

Whoosh!

Lin Yun shook the spear shaft and pulled it from Wu Sha's corpse. His gaze shifted to Yan Kuo, and the corner of his mouth twisted into a villainous grin. "You're next!"

Clamping his legs around the horse's belly, Lin Yun charged forward. Yan Kuo hurriedly drew his saber, but Lin Yun's spear was already thrusting at him, forcing him to raise his blade horizontally to block.

Clang!

Without a sound, the saber before Yan Kuo snapped in two.

Whoosh... Lin Yun's spear slanted downward, piercing straight through Yan Kuo's chest.

Another instant kill!

Before Lin Yun, Heavenly Yuan Realm warriors like Yan Kuo and Wu Sha seemed no different from ordinary bandits—they were all dealt with in a single thrust.

"The Second Boss is dead... the First Boss is dead..."

The bandits cried out in alarm. Before they had even finished mourning the Second Boss, the First Boss immediately followed him.

The bandits, who had been fierce and savage just moments ago, were completely dumbfounded, unable to decide what to do.

"There are still two left."

Lin Yun turned his horse around and charged toward Chen Sanbao. The bandits in between immediately scattered in terror, not daring to block Lin Yun's path.

"No, don't come over here..."

Seeing this, Chen Sanbao shouted in panic.

"My horse, where's my horse?"

He hurriedly searched for his horse, intending to flee on horseback.

Lin Yun could instantly kill Yan Kuo and Wu Sha, so Chen Sanbao was certainly no match for him. But as long as he mounted the Wind Chasing Horse, its speed would be enough that Lin Yun could never catch him.

"Hyah!"

Chen Sanbao finally got onto his horse and immediately whipped its rump as if fleeing for his life.

The Wind Chasing Horse was his prized warhorse, astonishingly fast. In the blink of an eye, it burst through the crowd and galloped into the distance.

"You can't catch me, brat! Your horse isn't as fast as mine. Consider me unlucky today—I won't set my sights on the Lin Family again. Stop chasing me!"

Chen Sanbao whipped his horse while shouting back over his shoulder, speaking in the toughest tone possible while saying the most cowardly things.

Faster than a horse? How childish. Do you think this is some martial arts world...? Lin Yun mocked inwardly. Then he sprang into the air, kicked off the horse's head, and shot forward as a blur.

Eight Steps Chasing Cicada could catch even a flying cicada, let alone a horse.

Lin Yun's speed instantly surged. Within a few breaths, he had caught up to Chen Sanbao.

Whoosh... Lin Yun swept his spear sideways, shattering the Wind Chasing Horse's four legs. Chen Sanbao tumbled to the ground.

Lin Yun pointed his spear at him and said lightly, "Your horse is fast. So what? Can it form wings from battle qi? Heh, it can't even form wings from battle qi. Boring!"