Bloodbath at Black Dragon Stronghold!

When the last rays of sunset draped the earth in a golden veil, a familiar convoy once again appeared at the end of the road.

"A smooth trip all the way. Either the Black Dragon Stronghold didn't dare to strike, or they went straight for Ironwood Manor." At the front of the convoy, Lin Mang looked at the manor in the distance and couldn't help but laugh.

Lin Xiao was about to speak when his expression shifted slightly—he caught a whiff of blood in the air.

"Father!" Lin Xiao quickly turned to look at Lin Zhentian, only to see the latter frowning faintly, clearly having noticed the scent of blood as well.

"Hmph, those rats really did make a move on Ironwood Manor!" Lin Zhentian's face darkened. Though the Black Dragon Stronghold's forces would surely be routed, the Lin Family would still likely suffer some losses. "Let's go, see how many casualties we have."

With that, he spurred his horse and galloped toward Ironwood Manor. Lin Xiao and the others quickly followed.

"A bunch of rabble, daring to set foot on Lin Family territory!" In a hall within the manor, Lin Zhentian's face was cold and fierce, murderous intent blazing in his eyes. Lin Xiao and Lin Mang's gazes were equally sharp.

"Father, calm down." Seeing Lin Zhentian's fury, Lin Ken quickly stepped forward to soothe him. "Fortunately, we were prepared and didn't let word slip that Changqiang and Dong'er had broken through to the Heavenly Origin Stage."

Lin Ken paused, then chuckled. "When the Black Dragon Stronghold launched their attack, Dong'er and I held Yan Yan back together, and Changqiang took down Yun Shan in just a few breaths. The Black Dragon Stronghold fled in panic, and the Lin Family didn't lose a single man!"

As his words fell, the hall fell silent. Lin Zhentian and the other two stared at Lin Changqiang in shock. "Took down Yun Shan in a few breaths? How is that possible?" Even Lin Zhentian himself would find it no easy feat to kill a Heavenly Origin Stage initial-level cultivator in such a short time.

"Yun Shan's cultivation wasn't low, but his wits were lacking. He believed whatever he was told, and that carelessness let me defeat him." Lin Changqiang shook his head helplessly. Their reaction was even bigger than when they'd learned he and Lin Dong had broken through to the Heavenly Origin Stage.

"Father, it's true." Seeing their reactions, Lin Ken also wore a strange smile. "Changqiang claimed to be at the Earthly Yuan Stage, and Yun Shan bought it outright. He then tried to trade blows with Changqiang. In the end, Changqiang came out fine, but Yun Shan was killed."

Hearing this, Lin Zhentian and the others were caught between laughter and tears. The gloom brought on by the Black Dragon Stronghold's attack had lightened considerably.

"That Lin Langtian of the Lin Clan started training at ten and took five years to reach the Heavenly Origin Stage. But now, Dong'er and Changqiang have reached the initial and mid Heavenly Origin Stage in just over a year! The Lin Family of Qingyang Town has finally produced two geniuses!" Lin Zhentian grinned from ear to ear.

Hearing Lin Langtian's name from his grandfather, Lin Dong narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. Lin Changqiang, however, thought to himself, Just three cheaters comparing who has the bigger cheat.

Lin Langtian had once been a protagonist-type figure himself—orphaned young, falling off a cliff only to survive and find Master Mu's Primordial Spirit. With his help, he became the Lin Clan's genius, enjoying the clan's best resources.

Too bad the old man he found wasn't even as good as Little Sable, let alone the Ancestral Stone or his own system.

"Dong'er, Changqiang, don't leave the manor for now. Stay here and train hard, aim to surpass that Lin Langtian soon." Lin Zhentian smiled kindly at them, then turned to Lin Xiao and Lin Mang. "You two will come with me tomorrow. We'll wipe out the Black Dragon Stronghold!"

"Father, the Black Dragon Stronghold's chief is cunning. After today's rout, he's probably gone into hiding." Lin Mang frowned.

"When they fled during the day, I already had men tail them in secret." Lin Ken smiled faintly. He'd known his father wouldn't let this go.

Lin Xiao furrowed his brow. "Father, the Black Dragon Stronghold only has two Heavenly Origin Stage cultivators, yet they dared to attack the Lin Family without fear of retaliation. Something's off!"

Lin Zhentian nodded, a vicious grin spreading across his face. "Within a hundred miles, who else but the Lei and Xie families could back the Black Dragon Stronghold? Tomorrow, Lin Xiao and Lin Mang will join me in wiping them out—kill the chicken to scare the monkeys. Lin Ken will hold Ironwood Manor. If the Lei or Xie families make a move, notify the Mad Saber Martial Hall!"

"Yes!" they answered in unison.

The next day, at three in the morning, the sky was still dark. Many figures in black had gathered outside Ironwood Manor. Though silent, a chilling murderous intent rippled through the air.

Seeing the assembled forces, Lin Zhentian nodded in satisfaction. Without another word, he waved his hand and charged out with Lin Xiao and Lin Mang. The mass of men followed like a black torrent.

The earth slowly awakened as a sliver of dawn broke the night's silence.

Inside Ironwood Manor, many of the Lin Family's younger generation had already risen to practice Martial Arts. Lin Dong chatted with Lin Xia and Qing Tan while occasionally pointing out mistakes in others' forms.

Meanwhile, Lin Changqiang lay on the grass nearby, half-asleep, a stark contrast to the diligent crowd.

"Lin Hong and I should break through to the Earthly Yuan Stage within two months. It's nothing compared to you and Changqiang, but at least we can help the family a bit." Lin Xia brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and steered the conversation toward Lin Changqiang. "Lin Dong, don't you train with him every day? Is he always like this? I've never seen him practice."

"Maybe that's what a genius looks like." Lin Dong shot a helpless glance at Lin Changqiang. "He never spends more than three hours a day training."

"I've tried to talk him into taking it seriously, not to waste his talent, but he says he can cultivate even while lying down, and he learns Martial Arts just by watching a few times." Lin Dong shook his head. If Lin Changqiang trained twenty hours a day like he did, he'd probably have reached the Yuan Dan Stage by now.

Hearing this, Lin Xia's eyes went wide. "How is that possible? Cultivating while sleeping, learning Martial Arts just by watching others? That's just messing with us!"

"I didn't believe it at first either, but his cultivation speed and mastery of Martial Arts keep skyrocketing." Lin Dong sighed. This was even more infuriating than Qing Tan. At least Qing Tan, while her Yuan Power grew steadily, still had to practice her Martial Arts herself.

Just then, the thunder of hooves sounded from outside the manor. Everyone looked up excitedly as a large force approached Ironwood Manor from afar, soon surging through the gates like a flood.

Seeing Lin Zhentian and the others return victorious, the manor erupted in cheers.