In the blink of an eye, the two groups outside the Lin Family Manor were poised for a fight, but neither side launched into a full-scale battle. They were all waiting for the four people fighting nearby to decide the outcome.
More precisely, they were waiting for Lin Dong and Wei Tong.
Lin Zhentian and the gaunt old man were both holding back and hadn't yet gone all out.
The gaunt old man was worried that if he pushed Lin Zhentian too far, the latter would drag him into a fight to the death and take him down before dying. So he chose the safer course, waiting for Wei Tong to win before easily finishing Lin Zhentian off.
Lin Zhentian's reasoning was simple. He couldn't afford to go all out just yet. He had to preserve his strength so he could save Lin Dong at the critical moment. As long as Lin Dong lived, the Lin Family still had hope.
Unlike the fight between Lin Zhentian and the gaunt old man, the battle between Lin Dong and Wei Tong was growing increasingly intense.
At first, Lin Dong had mostly relied on his talisman-master techniques, controlling hidden weapons from a distance. Though he always aimed at Wei Tong's weak points, Wei Tong either blocked the attacks with ease or simply dodged them.
But as Lin Dong gradually realized that he truly had the ability to fight Wei Tong, his confidence grew. He no longer used only Spiritual Power with caution; he had begun using Primal Energy as well, employing a few simple martial arts techniques to fight Wei Tong at close quarters.
"Pa! Pa! Pa!..."
As his sleeves whipped about, nine consecutive sounds rang out. Then a crisp, muffled crack sounded from within Lin Dong's body, and in the next instant, he struck toward Wei Tong's ribs.
Wei Tong had just used Primal Energy to deflect the black streak and had no time to defend himself. He could only gather Primal Energy around his ribs.
"Thump!"
At the dull sound of a fist striking flesh, the Blood Robe Sect disciples all stared as if they'd seen a ghost.
Wei Tong had actually been sent flying by that punch. Lin Dong immediately moved to pursue him, but Cang Wu called out to stop him.
"That's enough, kid. I'll take over from here."
"Huh? Senior, you're going to handle it yourself?"
Lin Dong sounded rather disappointed. His fight with Wei Tong had been exhilarating.
Wei Tong was a Lesser Perfection of the Yuan Dan Realm expert. Before this, Lin Dong hadn't even dared to imagine fighting him. He had been ready to run if Wei Tong made a move.
But with Senior Cang Wu's guidance, not only had he been able to fight Wei Tong, he had even managed to suppress him. How thrilling was that?
And every time Wei Tong counterattacked, dodging with all his might had been like dancing on a tightrope. The thrill had left Lin Dong exhilarated.
"If I don't step in now, someone's going to crush you to death in a moment."
Cang Wu rolled his eyes. Seeing that Lin Dong seemed confused, he reminded him, "Take a look inside yourself, kid. How much Primal Energy and Spiritual Power do you have left?"
After checking, Lin Dong couldn't help but freeze. He gave an awkward laugh and fell silent.
He'd been having too much fun in that fight to notice. If Senior Cang Wu hadn't warned him in time, he might soon have been slapped to death by Wei Tong after exhausting all his Primal Energy and Spiritual Power.
After all, Wei Tong was a Lesser Perfection of the Yuan Dan Realm expert. The sheer gap in Primal Energy that came from their difference in cultivation wasn't something Lin Dong could overcome.
"Watch closely and learn. Your combat skills are terrible, kid. You don't even know how to use your strongest ability. If you had any sense at all, your opponent would be the first to run out of steam."
Cang Wu spoke gravely, his voice full of disdain. Lin Dong was taken aback.
Seeing that Lin Dong was still lost in the thrill of the fight and hadn't come back to his senses, Little Marten—who was green with envy—seized the chance to mock him.
"You're such an idiot, and you still won't admit it. How do you not get it? Don't you know what your Life Spirit Talisman does? And you still want to be my big brother? Hmph!"
"If you're not convinced, Little Marten, then let's settle it with a fight sometime!"
Lin Dong first looked enlightened, then answered with a light laugh. Little Marten immediately fell silent.
This kid had been personally trained by that lord. In a fight at the same cultivation level, Little Marten figured he'd only end up taking a beating.
By now, Wei Tong had recovered from Lin Dong's relentless barrage and gotten back to his feet.
Looking at Lin Dong standing atop the courtyard wall, no longer attacking, Wei Tong grinned cruelly and sneered, "Kid, you're pretty good. Gu Ying didn't die in vain at your hands. But you shouldn't have much Primal Energy or Spiritual Power left now, right? This time, you won't get away!"
By the end, Wei Tong's voice had grown colder and colder.
He was the mighty Blood Robe Sect Master, a man who had lived for many years and lorded it over Yan City for quite some time. Since breaking through to the Lesser Yuan Dan Realm, he had never been suppressed by someone at the Heavenly Yuan Realm.
And now, even as a Lesser Perfection of the Yuan Dan Realm expert, he had been repeatedly beaten down by a junior at the Heavenly Yuan Realm. Wei Tong wanted to tear Lin Dong's flesh from his bones, strip his skin, devour his flesh, and drink his blood before he could quench the hatred in his heart.
"Is that so?"
Standing atop the courtyard wall with his hands clasped behind his back, 'Lin Dong' merely smiled at Wei Tong's words, looking utterly calm.
Wei Tong frowned slightly. He sensed that this kid seemed a little different, but didn't think much of it.
"Hmph! Quit putting on airs. Die!"
With a low shout, Wei Tong raised his palm, gathered Primal Energy into it, and charged at Lin Dong once more.
This time, though, Wei Tong had gotten smarter. He held back half his strength in case Lin Dong ambushed him with those unpredictable hidden weapons.
Unfortunately, Wei Tong didn't know that the person standing before him was no longer the inexperienced novice from before. He was a true ancient grandmaster.
Seeing that Wei Tong was still holding back, 'Lin Dong' couldn't help but smile. He didn't dodge or evade, and Wei Tong was delighted. He charged straight in.
Only when Wei Tong's fist reached him did 'Lin Dong' raise one hand from behind his back. A strange black vortex appeared in the center of his palm.
"Boom!"
In the next instant, Wei Tong's fist, carrying a formidable surge of Primal Energy, struck the center of 'Lin Dong's' palm.
Seeing his punch connect, Wei Tong was about to smile. But the smile had barely begun to form when his expression abruptly changed. Fear flickered in his eyes as he stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure before him.
A powerful suction force had met Wei Tong's fist as it landed, siphoning away most of its strength. 'Lin Dong' then endured the rest head-on.
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