Qing Tan's Handkerchief

"The reward is one pill? Just how much does the system look down on Lin Shan?"

Lin Yun grumbled inwardly.

Before, Qi Blood Pills had always been rewarded by the bottle, but now it had actually become a single pill.

Still, Lin Yun was quite satisfied with Third-Grade Qi Blood. After all, a little weakling like Lin Shan, someone he could beat with ease, was already good enough for a task to be created. No matter the size of the reward, it was still a gain.

"If you've got the guts, don't use Origin Power," Lin Shan said, trying to goad him.

He knew that even without Origin Power, he was still no match for Lin Yun. The reason he said it was because being hit with Origin Power hurt more.

"Heh."

Lin Yun smiled faintly and paid no attention to Lin Shan's childish provocation.

Only an idiot would refuse to use Origin Power if they had it. As for ability, the one without Origin Power was the one with no ability.

"Falling Rock Fist."

Lin Shan let out a low shout, both fists striking heavily. During this period, he had cultivated slightly harder, and his Falling Rock Fist was already close to major mastery. If Lin Yun did not use Origin Power, he felt he might not necessarily be crushed.

"Still just Small Pebble Fist." Lin Yun shook his head and threw out a single fist with speed, striking Lin Shan's two fists with bang after bang. It was the same Falling Rock Fist technique, but Lin Yun had already reached Superb Skill, carrying a sense of turning the rotten into the miraculous, of no move surpassing all moves. He did not need flashy movements at all. With a simple strike, he could unleash the strongest power of Falling Rock Fist.

Against someone at Lin Shan's tier, even Lin Yun holding back slightly was already Lin Shan's limit!

With just a single clash, Lin Shan's tightly clenched fists instantly went limp and slack. Both arms turned numb, and the strength throughout his body was disrupted by the blow, unable to circulate to his arms at all.

Lin Yun stepped in close, punching rapidly with papapa sounds, a Wing Chun-style flurry falling like rain on Lin Shan's chest.

The punches were not heavy. They just hurt a little.

In front of so many clansmen, Lin Yun could not really go too far. A lesson was enough.

"Bang!"

After the final punch landed, Lin Shan tumbled off the stone platform in a sorry state.

Lin Hong quickly went over to help Lin Shan up and brought him to Lin Mang's side. With an ugly expression, Lin Mang checked his injuries. They were a little miserable, but fortunately, it was only torn skin and flesh; his tendons and bones were unharmed.

"Hmph!" Lin Mang gave Lin Yun on the stage a cold snort.

He could tell that Lin Yun had only wanted to teach Lin Shan a lesson, but his son was not someone Lin Yun had the right to discipline.

"If you draw him later, teach him a lesson too," Lin Mang instructed in a low voice.

"Got it, Father." The corners of Lin Hong's mouth curled up.

On the seating platform, Little Qing Tan's eyes had curved into crescents from smiling as she whispered, "Lin Yun, Brother, is so domineering. Beat that bastard Lin Shan to death."

Although Lin Xiao and Lin Dong, father and son, did not speak, faint smiles spread across both their faces.

Lin Xiao naturally knew that Lin Shan had often bullied Lin Dong in the past, but as an elder, it was not appropriate for him to make a move against a junior. Now that Lin Yun had given Lin Shan a good beating, Lin Xiao, as an old father, found it extremely satisfying to watch.

Lin Ken announced Lin Yun's victory, and the matches continued.

The earlier rounds of matches were not very enjoyable to watch, since none of the strong contestants had drawn one another.

To the elders, only matches above Body Tempering Sixth Layer were interesting.

Lin Yun went up for several more rounds. The opponents he encountered were all below Body Tempering Sixth Layer, and he dealt with them easily, but the rewards were only second-grade pills, not even as good as Lin Shan's.

The fifth match! If he won this one, he would enter the Top Five.

Before Lin Yun even went up, his opponent was already onstage. It was actually Lin Hong.

This was far too much of a coincidence.

Both of them were relatively outstanding geniuses in the clan, yet they had met so early.

Lin Yun went onstage and directly created a task.

Task: Defeat Lin Hong. Reward: One bottle of Third-Grade Origin Qi Pills.

As expected, the reward for defeating Lin Hong was still quite generous. Origin Qi Pills could speed up his cultivation of Origin Power, and they were exactly the pills Lin Yun needed most right now. This even made Lin Yun find Lin Hong a little more pleasing to the eye.

"How you beat my little brother just now—now, I want you to pay it back tenfold."

Lin Hong sneered. He had pulled a little trick just now, deliberately drawing Lin Yun ahead of time, all so he could stop Lin Yun at the threshold of the Top Five.

Only those who entered the Top Five in the clan competition would receive rewards. As long as he defeated Lin Yun and injured him in the process, leaving him unable to participate in the challenge matches afterward, Lin Yun would naturally miss out on the Top Five.

"Tenfold, is it? I'll satisfy you!" Lin Yun pursed his lips slightly, feeling that it was necessary to make Lin Hong learn his lesson.

On the seating platform, nearly everyone's gaze focused on the Competition Stage where Lin Yun and Lin Hong stood. This was still the first battle above Body Tempering Sixth Layer.

Moreover, Lin Hong had reached Body Tempering Sixth Layer more than half a year ago. By now, he was probably even stronger.

"Lin Dong, Brother, do you think Lin Yun, Brother, can win?" Qing Tan clenched her small hands and asked worriedly.

"Lin Yun, Brother, wasn't any weaker than Lin Hong before, and he's been bitterly cultivating all this time, so he shouldn't lose that easily." Lin Dong's small face was serious, but inwardly, he was thinking... Even if he loses, it's fine. There's still me.

He had also been bitterly cultivating all along, and right now, no one yet knew his true strength.

If Lin Yun lost, he would defeat Lin Hong and shock everyone.

On the stage!

Lin Hong could no longer wait to make his move. Origin Power surged out, his palm wind sharp and fierce as he lunged in.

"Body Tempering Seventh Layer!"

The moment he made his move, the elders saw through his strength, and quite a few people were surprised. Breaking through to the Body Tempering Seventh Layer at his age was rare even in all of Qingyang Town.

"I've already broken through to the Body Tempering Seventh Layer. Let's see what you'll use to block me this time."

Lin Hong looked smug. He had taken more than a dozen Second-Grade Spiritual Medicines, and even a few Third-Grade Spiritual Medicines, before breaking through to the Body Tempering Seventh Layer. Who else had such resources?

His goal this time was first place in the clan competition. Lin Yun was merely his stepping stone.

"You think far too highly of yourself."

Lin Yun gave a disdainful laugh and mobilized his Yuan Power, sending it out through his palm.

"Another Body Tempering Seventh Layer!"

An uproar broke out on the viewing platform. Lin Hong reaching the Body Tempering Seventh Layer, while surprising, was still within expectations, but Lin Yun had also reached the Body Tempering Seventh Layer. That was beyond everyone's expectations.

The match instantly became far more worth watching, and far more uncertain.

When their realms were the same, it came down to both sides' martial arts attainments.

Lin Hong primarily cultivated the Eight Desolations Palm, and had long since trained it to greater mastery, nearing perfection.

At that moment, Lin Hong's palm wind rumbled like thunder, incomparably forceful as it struck straight for Lin Yun's internal organs.

However, when this palm technique fell into Lin Yun's eyes, it was full of flaws. Though the Eight Desolations Palm was known for its forcefulness, it was not entirely a forceful path. To cultivate it to perfection, one had to combine hardness and softness, hardness within softness and softness within hardness. It could not only attack, but also dissolve force and defend.

Lin Yun had already cultivated it to Superb Skill, so when he looked at Lin Hong's palm technique, it was full of openings, like child's play.

Lin Yun thrust one palm between Lin Hong's hands, slapped left and right against the joints of Lin Hong's wrists, and instantly altered Lin Hong's line of attack. Then his other palm gathered force and struck out.

Bang!

Lin Hong was shaken backward and fell to the ground in a sorry state, losing a great deal of face.

Unwilling to accept it, he got up again, already somewhat losing his reason. His palm technique came like a violent storm, attacking wildly, with no regard at all for the fact that the person opposite him was his clan brother. Every move was vicious, aimed straight at vital points.

This made Lin Zhentian, Lin Ken, and the other elders frown slightly.

Yet no matter how Lin Hong attacked, Lin Yun easily resolved it all, and with the same moves at that. It was like a master teaching a disciple, casually controlling him at will.

"What an exquisite palm technique. The Eight Desolations Palm can actually be used like this." Lin Zhentian's eyes lit up. Such smooth palm techniques and moves had even inspired him a little.

"This boy's martial arts attainment is terrifying indeed!" Lin Xiao murmured.

Even he, who had some confidence in himself, had no choice but to be convinced.

Lin Dong's eyes were filled with shock as well. He had also cultivated the Eight Desolations Palm, but the Eight Desolations Palm that Lin Yun displayed was even smoother than the one evolved by the shadow within his Stone Talisman.

"Impossible. How is this possible?"

Lin Hong had been dealt a heavy blow. The palm technique he had taken such pride in was actually so unable to withstand a single strike. This deeply struck at his confidence.

"You promised tenfold. Here you go!"

Lin Yun would not be softhearted. Following the method he had used to beat Lin Shan earlier, he gave Lin Hong tenfold in return.

Bang, bang, bang... dense and rapid palm shadows fell onto Lin Hong's body.

"Enough."

Lin Mang suddenly spoke up and barked for him to stop.

Bang! Lin Yun stopped his hands and kicked out. The hundred-jin Iron Shoes stamped onto Lin Hong's chest, sending him flying off the Competition Stage.

"Pfft!" Lin Hong spat out a mouthful of blood.

Lin Mang hurriedly got up to check Lin Hong's injuries, then pointed at Lin Yun and cursed, "You wretch, how dare you strike so heavily?"

"Second Uncle, I've already held back a great deal. I didn't injure his vitals, just taught him a lesson," Lin Yun retorted coldly. "Just now, every move Lin Hong made was vicious and aimed straight at my vital points. If he were the one with the upper hand, what do you think would have happened to me?"

Lin Yun was an orphan, with no elders backing him. If Lin Hong had truly injured him badly, he could only have considered himself unlucky.

Now, Lin Hong looked badly injured, but most of them were external wounds. The final kick had injured his internal organs, but as for his foundation, it had not been damaged.

This was already Lin Yun choosing not to burn bridges. If not for his misgivings about Lin Mang and the clan elders, someone as vicious as Lin Hong was the sort Lin Yun would long since have wanted dead, even if the other party was his clan brother.

Lin Mang's face remained dark.

"Enough. Take Lin Hong down for treatment first," Lin Zhentian said to Lin Mang with a cold expression.

"Yes, Father!"

Lin Mang did not dare talk back, and left the Trial Hall with Lin Hong.

With Lin Hong's injuries, he would not recover in less than ten days to half a month. The remaining matches had nothing to do with him now.

He had originally been a strong contender for the clan championship, but now he had not even made the top five.

Conflicts were inevitable in matches, but it did not have much impact, and the competition continued.

Lin Yun stepped down after his victory. Quite a few gazes were fixed on him, including Lin Zhentian's. The admiration in his eyes was hard to conceal. They were all juniors of their line; the more outstanding Lin Yun's performance was, the happier he naturally felt.

Lin Yun had just returned to the viewing platform when Qing Tan, the little girl in a cyan dress, trotted over eagerly.

"Brother Lin Yun, you were amazing! Quick, wipe your sweat."

Qing Tan giggled as she handed over her little handkerchief.

Earlier, Lin Hong had said that once he placed in the top three at the clan competition, he would ask his grandfather to arrange an engagement with Qing Tan.

That had worried Qing Tan terribly.

Lin Zhentian, the Lin Family Patriarch, ruled the Lin Family with absolute authority. If Lin Zhentian agreed, even Lin Xiao would find it hard to refuse, so Qing Tan had spent this entire period on edge. She did not want to marry Lin Hong.

Now that Lin Yun had injured Lin Hong, leaving him unable to even make the top five, what right did he still have to make that request?

It could be said that Lin Yun had saved her once again.

Looking at Lin Yun's resolute, masculine, sharply defined face, Qing Tan suddenly felt filled with a sense of security.

"Thank you!"

Lin Yun did not think much of it. He casually took the handkerchief and wiped his face with it. It felt soft to the touch, with a faint silkiness. As the handkerchief brushed past his nose, he caught a light fragrance, like lilacs.

It smelled oddly nice, and Lin Yun could not help taking two more sniffs.

Seeing Lin Yun actually sniff her handkerchief, a rosy blush immediately bloomed across Qing Tan's delicate little face.