Astonished Young Lady, Mysterious Crystal

Yet what surprised the Marsh Python Liao People was that just as the first Liao Chieftain rushing ahead reached the edge of the dense forest,

Yang Yun's Red Tassel Spear shot out of the grass like a Poison Dragon, stabbing straight at its forehead and nearly blasting its head apart on the spot.

The other Liao Chieftain was also stopped by Bald Li Er, who swung his twin axes and fought it to a standstill.

The rest of the Liao People Tribe were all kept outside the dense forest by more than forty Cattle Horse Street disciples, whose momentum had surged sky-high!

By this point,

the Marsh Python Liao People, who had been prepared to turn the tables and deliver a killing blow to Lin Xuankong, were consumed with rage. Humans were so cunning and sinister—they had actually set an ambush!

After the time it took to brew a cup of tea,

Lin Xuankong pried off the ninety-sixth White Scale.

He had pried off the most White Scales in this battle, roughly ten times the combined harvest of everyone else!

Only he had killed an overwhelming number of Liao People. Of course, it was not that the others did not want to kill the Marsh Python Liao People—it was simply that their regenerative abilities were too powerful!

Li Er chopped at that Liao Chieftain one hundred and twenty times, every strike aimed at its head, ears, and neck, ferocious beyond measure.

Yet not only had he failed to kill the Second Tier Leader he was fighting, he had nearly been whipped to death by its giant tail!

Yang Shan was the same. He thrust nearly two hundred times—more than two hundred spear strikes from an Early Second Layer Martial Cultivator. Even a man of steel would have been stabbed into a sieve.

Yet he still failed to defeat the Second Tier Leader. In the end, only with Steward Han Lu's powerful lightning assisting him did Yang Yun manage to blast its head apart with one spear thrust. With several rapid jabs of his spearhead, he knocked off two of its White Scales!

Whenever other disciples managed to kill a Marsh Python Liao Person, it took the cooperation of at least two people!

When the last Marsh Python Liao Person had just recovered from its wounds, only to be smashed apart by Lin Xuankong's fist, the battlefield finally fell completely silent.

Only dozens of Yin Talisman Sect disciples remained, continuously circulating their blood and qi to purge the strange Demonic Energy that had invaded their bodies!

After everyone had expelled the Demonic Energy and nearly exhausted all their blood and qi, they looked at Lin Xuankong, who was still brimming with vigor, their faces filling with confusion, astonishment, and awe.

"I thought coming to Xunyang Town this time meant certain death! Who would have thought that..."

A disciple stared at Lin Xuankong, who had fought at a frenzied pace for two cups of tea yet still looked completely relaxed, and for a moment, did not know what to say.

"I thought only deacons who had entered Layer Three could safely complete today's task under the protection of a full set of Evil Warding Armor! I've realized that every time something happens to Steward Lin, I misjudge him!" Li Er shook the blood from his axes and vigorously bobbed his bald head.

"I thought..." Steward Han Lu said, standing on one leg.

"Enough, Steward Han. No more 'I thought.' Let's clean up the battlefield, then shouldn't we be eating dinner? Hungry!" Lin Xuankong said. After speaking, he suddenly froze. Huh, it seemed he had caught the Young Lady's hunger sickness!

"Hahaha, we absolutely must have a good meal! The siege of Xunyang Town was lifted, dozens of our disciples survived, and thousands of Xunyang Town's residents survived—all thanks to Steward Lin!"

Thousands of townspeople lit bonfires in the night, cheering and dancing as they celebrated their escape from death.

Some of Xunyang Town's pretty young women discussed the name that had resounded throughout Xunyang Town that night: Lin Xuankong! Many found it a little regrettable. What a pity he was an old man; otherwise... Of course, many others thought, so what if he was an old man? He was a highly respected steward of the Yin Talisman Sect, and he was that fierce besides!

Inside the Yin Talisman Sect's Xunyang Town Barracks,

Yang Shan raised his wine cup and looked at Lin Xuankong with admiration. "Steward, you are actually at mid-stage layer two, and at your age, your blood and qi are so abundant that it beggars imagination. You fought from start to finish, and so much Demonic Energy could do nothing to you. You truly deserve to be called a peerless genius of Four Seals! This subordinate offers you a toast!"

After saying that, he drained an entire bowl of wine in one gulp.

If Yang Shan had felt somewhat proud after entering the Early Second Layer before, then after personally witnessing Lin Xuankong's terrifying fighting style and strength today, that pride had vanished like smoke in thin air. Only heartfelt admiration for his superior remained.

The many disciples at the nearby tables also looked over with sighs of emotion. Steward Lin's earlier claim of a great victory had not been bragging. It had been genuine modesty, because this battle was far more than a great victory—they had wiped out the invading Marsh Python Liao Tribe to the last man!

--

Yet how could they know that Lin Xuankong had not used the flying stones and steel pellets prepared in the leather pouch at his waist, nor his powerful trump cards such as the Twin Vine Demonic Pearl and Man Luo Demonic Pearl!

--

Had he exposed those trump cards, killing those hundred-odd Liao People Tribe members tonight would probably have been as easy for Lin Xuankong as pinching chicks to death!

When the many disciples saw Yang Shan begin to offer toasts, they immediately scrambled to their feet and came over one after another to toast Lin Xuankong.

Ever since this Steward Lin had arrived at the Cattle Horse Street Barracks, many of the older disciples had not thought much of the aged Lin Xuankong. Yet from this moment onward, there was not a single one among them who did not marvel at and admire him!

Lin Xuankong merely sipped his wine lightly and chatted with everyone amid laughter.

After everyone had finished toasting him, he looked at the White Scales by his hand.

There were a total of one hundred and eight thumb-sized but extremely heavy White Scales. Ninety-six belonged to him, while the other twelve had been slipped to him by Steward Han Lu and several other disciples while they were toasting him.

According to them, without Lin Xuankong this time, let alone wiping out the Liao People Tribe, they could not even have survived. Therefore, these White Scales had to be given to Lin Xuankong no matter what!

Lin Xuankong had counted one hundred and eight scales before. The Dragon Wandering Amulet Hand he himself used seemed to have required two hundred Marsh Python White Scales in total.

Yet after only one battle, he had already gathered half the White Scale materials! If these one hundred and eight materials were sold outside, they would fetch around thirty to forty taels apiece. One hundred and eight scales meant a full three to four thousand taels of silver. How many flatbreads would that take to earn?

If he relied solely on his monthly salary, he would probably have to go without food or drink for ten years to save that much silver!

But he would never consider selling such materials. Gathering White Scale materials felt quite easy. Once he had accumulated enough White Scale materials and found the other precious materials, he would seek out an Artifact Refiner and forge himself a pair of Dragon Wandering Amulet Hands!

Late at night, the banquet ended.

Lin Xuankong sat by the table, looking at the luxurious decorations in the room and smelling the faint fragrance at the tip of his nose, unable to help feeling a little emotional.

As an Outer City steward, Han Lu was practically the Local Emperor here. His food, clothing, and daily needs all displayed extravagance. If Han Lu had not possessed a relatively kind nature, he might well have ruined this entire town!

Of course, Han Lu's kindness did not mean he was foolish. Just now, he had thoughtfully sent Lin Xuankong three beauties, saying that the three women greatly admired Lin Xuankong's heroic deeds and intended to chat with him all night!

Lin Xuankong did not dislike "chatting," but he always felt that something about it was off.

Perhaps it was also because he had grown accustomed to Li Xiaolan's peerless beauty. Though these three women were beautiful, compared to her, their looks, bearing, and figures were more than a notch inferior. Thus, Lin Xuankong refused on the grounds that he did not like chatting and needed to cultivate!

With a sigh, Lin Xuankong inwardly thought, My standards have been spoiled!

Just as he was about to return to his room to cultivate, a crisp, pleasant voice suddenly sounded behind him. "Do you really not like chatting?"

Lin Xuankong turned around and saw the slender Young Lady, with bright eyes and pearly teeth, watching him thoughtfully amid the flickering candlelight.

"Hm? Why did you come over?"

Li Xiaolan sat down beside him, the corners of her lips lifting. "Why can't I come over? I got bored staying at home, so I came out for a walk!"

Lin Xuankong looked at her helplessly, then suddenly thought of something.

He reached into his waist and placed a Black Crystal flickering with an eerie glow on the table.

"I found this Black Crystal near the corpse of a Liao Chieftain. I don't know what it is or what use it has! Since I had never heard of such a thing before, I quietly kept it instead of asking Han Lu, Li Er, and the others. I planned to ask you after returning home! Have you seen this thing before, Young Lady?"

Li Xiaolan was somewhat surprised. She fixed her gaze on the Black Crystal and pondered with furrowed brows for a moment. Then she seemed to think of something, her expression changing as obvious delight appeared on her face!

Lin Xuankong could not help feeling surprised. "What is it? What is this?"

Li Xiaolan actually ignored him. Her attention seemed to have been completely drawn to the Black Crystal.

She stared carefully at the Black Crystal for a long while before finally lifting her eyes to Lin Xuankong with a hint of emotion. "I never expected that not only are you a peerless genius whose cultivation speed far surpasses others, you are also an incredibly lucky fellow!"