Lin Jiangye

Seven days later, at sunrise, outside Qingyang County Town.

A faint mist drifted out from the surrounding mountain forests, floating over the Spirit Plant Fields beyond the county town.

Splash! Splash!

A small spirit rain transformed from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth drifted down, watering every inch of the Meng Family's Spirit Plant Field.

Meng Haoran stood alone before the Meng Family's Spirit Plant Field, his hands forming seals as he focused his mind and watched the spirit rain without blinking.

"Once this spirit rain is over, we can harvest this Spirit Plant Field this afternoon!"

Meng Haoran said solemnly, "As long as we harvest this Spirit Plant Field and bring the Second-Tier Spirit Plant, Six-Pattern Wheat, back to Xinghua Village, everything will be perfectly settled!"

Roar! Roar! Roar!

As soon as Meng Haoran finished speaking, the Thunderfire Tiger at his feet let out a low growl.

The current Thunderfire Tiger had long shed the frail, feeble appearance it had possessed a few days ago. It now carried the bearing of a tiger-type Spirit Beast, its every step naturally radiating tigerish might.

"Go on!"

With a wave of Meng Haoran's hand, the Thunderfire Tiger darted away, running to a puddle before the Spirit Plant Field and lowering its head to lap up the rainwater transformed from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

This rainwater had not only been created through the Daoist Magic Meng Haoran had cast, but also contained Cauldron Liquid from the Heavenly Cauldron. He couldn't let such good things go to waste.

The Meng Family was currently short on Cultivation Resources, and Meng Haoran himself needed a great deal of Cultivation Resources. Saving a little wherever he could was still saving.

Just as Meng Haoran lowered his head to watch the Thunderfire Tiger drink happily, a mocking voice suddenly sounded from nearby.

"Well, well! Isn't this the Meng Family's eldest young master, Meng Haoran?"

Hearing the voice, Meng Haoran turned and found that the speaker was an old acquaintance.

A member of Xinghua Village's Lin Family—Lin Jiangye.

Xinghua Village lay beside the Tianyang Mountain Range. Demons and Spirit Beasts from the mountains often came down to seize the chance to attack the villagers. To protect their lives, the Meng Family had first settled in Xinghua Village, followed soon after by the Lin Family and Chen Family. Together, the three families took on the duty of safeguarding Xinghua Village.

The Meng, Lin, and Chen Families were Xinghua Village's only three great cultivation families. Though all three were bottom-tier families without ranks bestowed by the Great Yu Immortal Dynasty, they were still existences ordinary people could only look up to.

Xinghua Village's resources had always been limited, and the Meng, Lin, and Chen Families had remained hostile to one another. That balance only changed noticeably ten years ago, when the Meng Family lost two Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators in a single day.

Thanks to its accumulated foundation over several centuries, the Meng Family had always been the leading power in Xinghua Village. But after the Meng Family lost two Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators at once, the Lin and Chen Families cast aside their old grudges and secretly joined forces against the Meng Family.

This policy among the upper ranks of their families had also made juniors such as Meng Haoran and Lin Jiangye unable to stand each other.

When Meng Haoran saw that the visitor was Lin Jiangye, his heart gave a slight jolt. Why is it him? Running into this guy at a time like this is bad.

He lowered his gaze slightly toward the Spirit Plants that could be harvested this afternoon, and his fist tightened.

I can't let him get any closer!

With that thought, Meng Haoran calmly said, "Lin Jiangye, why are you up so early at this hour?"

After saying that, Meng Haoran stepped forward and blocked Lin Jiangye's path.

Lin Jiangye had yet to notice Meng Haoran's intentions. Standing before him, he smiled. "What? Does my Lin Family need to report our affairs to you?"

Meng Haoran chuckled without answering.

Seeing this, Lin Jiangye sneered. "Meng Haoran, don't forget that among the younger generation of the three great families, you're not the only Third Layer of Qi Refining cultivator!"

Meng Haoran countered, "So what? Even if you've advanced to the Third Layer of Qi Refining too, can you defeat me? Don't forget either—at the past several family tournaments, your Lin Family has always been defeated by my Meng Family!"

A flicker of anger rose in Lin Jiangye's heart. "Meng Haoran! Don't get carried away. Our Lin Family admits our past defeats in the family tournaments, but your Meng Family has suffered misfortune year after year. I refuse to believe your Meng Family can still defeat my Lin Family in this year's family tournament!"

Meng Haoran spread his hands. "That's hard to say. What if we're so used to beating you that we beat you again? What then?"

"Meng Haoran! If you've got the nerve, fight me today!" Lin Jiangye shouted angrily.

Those words were exactly what Meng Haoran wanted.

His plan had been to stop Lin Jiangye from approaching the Meng Family's Spirit Plant Field, lest the latter discover the presence of the Second-Tier Spirit Plant, Six-Pattern Wheat.

Meng Haoran rolled his neck and said, "Fine! A fight is fine. I've already finished everything I needed to do today, so I've got plenty of time to play with you properly!"

Hearing the contempt in Meng Haoran's words, Lin Jiangye clenched both fists. "Then come on!"

Tap! Tap! Tap!

At that moment, a series of footsteps suddenly sounded. Lin Jiangye looked past Meng Haoran and saw a tiger-shaped Spirit Beast slowly emerge.

"Thunderfire Tiger?"

Lin Jiangye asked curiously. Then, following the footprints behind the Thunderfire Tiger, he noticed something unusual within the Meng Family's Spirit Plant Field.

Just as he craned his neck to look, Meng Haoran suddenly stepped in front of him, blocking his view.

"What are you looking at? Are we fighting or not?"

Though Meng Haoran's voice was calm and even, his heart was frantic.

"Isn't your Meng Family planting Three-Pattern Wheat in this Spirit Plant Field?" Lin Jiangye asked.

Meng Haoran inwardly cursed. Damn it!

Lin Jiangye asked again, "Our Lin Family's Spirit Plant Field also grows Three-Pattern Wheat, but why does yours seem a little different from ours?"

Meng Haoran's expression remained unchanged, and his feet did not move. He stood firmly in Lin Jiangye's way and replied, "That's perfectly normal. The Daoist Magic cultivated by the Meng and Lin Families differs, and the methods used by the disciples casting it also vary. Naturally, the Three-Pattern Wheat produced will be different. Don't tell me Brother Lin doesn't even know that?"

Though Lin Jiangye heard the provocation in Meng Haoran's words, when he saw Meng Haoran repeatedly refusing to let him enter the Meng Family's Spirit Plant Field, he knew there had to be something strange inside!

Lin Jiangye folded his arms and smiled. "Meng Haoran, what you're doing right now is the very picture of the saying: there are three hundred taels of silver buried here, and no silver here."

Hearing this, Meng Haoran frowned slightly.

"Normally, whenever I challenge you, you refuse without exception. So what's happened today? Has the sun risen in the west? I only said one sentence, and you agreed to fight me—yet you still won't let me enter your Meng Family's Spirit Plant Field!"

Lin Jiangye's tone suddenly sharpened. "Speak! What is your Meng Family hiding in that Spirit Plant Field?"

Meng Haoran smiled. "Want to know? Then go take a look yourself."

As he spoke, Meng Haoran deliberately made way for him.

Seeing this, Lin Jiangye strode forward with his head held high and his chest out.

The moment he arrived before the Meng Family's Spirit Plant Field, Lin Jiangye's heart jolted. He shouted, "Six-Pattern Wheat! Your Meng Family actually planted the Second-Tier Spirit Plant, Six-Pattern Wheat, in your Spirit Plant Field!"

After saying that, Lin Jiangye turned to question Meng Haoran.

At that moment, Meng Haoran's voice rang out first!

Fire Cloud Palm!

A scorching surge of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth struck from behind Lin Jiangye!

Lin Jiangye had no guard up at all. How could he have expected the ever-gentle Meng Haoran to attack him?

Meng Haoran's palm strike sent his entire body flying!

The clothes on his back were burned away by the spiritual energy carried by the Fire Cloud Palm, exposing scorched flesh beneath!

"Meng Haoran! You actually dare attack me!"

Lin Jiangye spun around and smothered the flames on his back.

Meng Haoran smiled. "Didn't you always want to fight me? Today, I'll give you that chance!"

Meng Haoran shot into the air and charged straight at Lin Jiangye!

Lin Jiangye was horrified. He hurriedly scrambled to his feet, turned, and sprinted toward Qingyang County Town!

Outside villages and Qingyang County Town, the land had always been sparsely populated.

Now that Lin Jiangye had discovered the Meng Family Spirit Plant Field's great secret, Meng Haoran certainly wouldn't spare his life. If he wanted to escape alive, he had to reach somewhere crowded—he had to get into Qingyang County Town.

Moreover, mist shrouded the area in waves. One careless misstep, and he might leave his little life here!

Run! I have to run! I have to escape! I'll expose the Meng Family's secret cultivation of Six-Pattern Wheat in their Spirit Plant Field to the public!

Like Meng Haoran, Lin Jiangye was a Third Layer of Qi Refining cultivator. In terms of combat methods alone, the former was likely no match for the latter.

But if Lin Jiangye focused solely on fleeing, Meng Haoran would find it difficult to stop him!

Just as Lin Jiangye thought he could escape Meng Haoran's pursuit, Meng Haoran shouted sharply behind him once more!

"Little Tiger! Stop him!"

The instant those words fell, a small figure suddenly sprang out, moving far faster than Meng Haoran himself!

Lin Jiangye inwardly cried out, Damn it! How did I forget about it?

Roar!

The Thunderfire Tiger's beastly silhouette leaped fiercely out from the sides of the road!

The Thunderfire Tiger instantly knocked Lin Jiangye to the ground!

Though it was still small, it was ultimately a tiger-type Spirit Beast, incredibly swift. Furthermore, it had often received Meng Haoran's nurturing over the past few days, so it naturally possessed greater strength than an ordinary Thunderfire Tiger.

Seizing the opportunity, Meng Haoran formed a Daoist seal with his hand and shouted, "Water Cloud Sword!"

A tiny sword formed from water-attributed spiritual energy of heaven and earth appeared between Meng Haoran's palms and shot toward Lin Jiangye's lower leg!

The Water Cloud Sword was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, it had reached Lin Jiangye!

Pfft!

The Water Cloud Sword pierced directly through Lin Jiangye's right calf!

Blood immediately streamed out!

Seeing Meng Haoran rapidly closing in, an overwhelming desire to survive rose within Lin Jiangye. Dragging his ruined right leg, he actually turned and ran frantically into the mountain forest.

Meng Haoran hadn't expected Lin Jiangye to still have the strength to flee despite injuries like that.

Calling the Thunderfire Tiger over with a wave of his hand, Meng Haoran smiled. "Want to leave? Can you?"

With that, Meng Haoran and the tiger gave chase after Lin Jiangye!

.:wap.

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