Taking Action Personally

In the blink of an eye, the two groups before the Lin Family Manor were at each other's throats, swords drawn and bows bent, yet a full-scale melee had not erupted—because everyone was waiting for the four locked in combat to settle their duel.

To be precise, it was Lin Dong and Wei Tong who would decide the outcome.

Lin Zhentian and the gaunt old man were still holding back, neither fully committing to a life-or-death struggle.

The gaunt old man feared that pushing Lin Zhentian too far would make him fight to the death, dragging him down as well, so he chose a safer approach—once Wei Tong won, disposing of Lin Zhentian would be easy.

Lin Zhentian's thinking was simpler: he couldn't afford to go all out now; he had to conserve his strength to rescue Lin Dong at the critical moment. As long as Lin Dong lived, the Lin family still had hope.

Unlike the restrained clash between Lin Zhentian and the gaunt old man, the fight between Lin Dong and Wei Tong grew increasingly fierce.

At first, Lin Dong mostly relied on talisman master techniques, controlling hidden weapons to attack from a distance. Though he always aimed at Wei Tong's weak points, Wei Tong easily blocked or simply dodged them.

But as Lin Dong gradually realized he truly had the strength to contend with Wei Tong, his courage swelled. No longer cautiously relying solely on Spiritual Power, he began to use Primal Energy as well, executing simple martial arts to engage Wei Tong in close combat.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!..."

After nine consecutive sounds from his swinging sleeves, a crisp, muffled noise echoed from within Lin Dong's body. The next moment, his fist drove toward Wei Tong's ribs.

Wei Tong had just used Primal Energy to blast away the black light and had no time to defend—he could only gather Primal Energy to his ribs.

"Thud!"

As the dull sound of a fist striking flesh rang out, the Blood Robe Sect disciples all wore expressions as if they'd seen a ghost.

Under that single punch, Wei Tong was sent flying. Lin Dong moved to pursue, but Cang Wu called him back.

"Enough, kid. This Seat will take over now."

"Huh? Senior, you're stepping in yourself?"

Lin Dong said with clear disappointment. His exchange with Wei Tong had been an absolute thrill.

That was a Lesser Perfection of the Yuan Dan Realm expert! Before this, Lin Dong hadn't even dared to think about fighting someone like that—he'd been prepared to flee if Wei Tong made a serious move.

Yet, under Senior Cang Wu's guidance, he not only held his own against Wei Tong but even suppressed him. How exhilarating was that?

And every time Wei Tong counterattacked, the thrill of dodging at full speed, like dancing on a razor's edge, sent Lin Dong's adrenaline soaring.

"If I don't act soon, you'll be crushed to death in no time."

Cang Wu rolled his eyes at that. Seeing Lin Dong's confusion, he reminded him.

"Kid, check how much Primal Energy and Spiritual Power you have left."

After inspecting himself, Lin Dong froze, let out a dry laugh, and fell silent.

He'd been so caught up in the fight—too intense, too thrilling—that he hadn't noticed. If Senior Cang Wu hadn't warned him in time, he might have exhausted his Primal Energy and Spiritual Power and been casually swatted dead by Wei Tong.

After all, the other party was still a Lesser Perfection of the Yuan Dan Realm expert. The absolute gap in Primal Energy from their cultivation levels wasn't something he could bridge.

"Watch closely and learn. Your combat technique is terrible—you don't even know how to use your strongest asset. If you had any brains, the one who'd give out first would be your opponent."

Cang Wu spoke gravely, his voice thick with disdain, leaving Lin Dong stunned.

Seeing Lin Dong still lost in the thrill of the earlier fight, Little Marten—jealous and envious—seized the chance to mock him.

"Kid, call you dumb and you still don't believe it. You don't even get that? Don't you know what your Life Spirit Talisman does? And you want to be my big brother? Pfft!"

"Little Marten, if you're not convinced, we can settle it later!"

Lin Dong first showed a flash of realization, then chuckled in reply. Little Marten fell silent at once.

This kid had been personally trained by that great one—if they fought at the same level, he'd probably just end up getting beaten.

Meanwhile, Wei Tong, who had landed on the ground, finally recovered from Lin Dong's relentless assault.

Staring at Lin Dong standing on the courtyard wall, no longer attacking, Wei Tong's face twisted into a cruel grin.

"Kid, you're not bad. Gu Ying didn't die unjustly at your hands. But now, you don't have much Primal Energy or Spiritual Power left, do you? This time, you won't escape!"

His tone grew icier with each word.

He, the dignified leader of the Blood Robe Sect, had lived for so many years and dominated Yan City for quite a while. Since breaking through to the Lesser Yuan Dan Realm, he'd never been suppressed by a Heavenly Yuan Realm cultivator.

Let alone now, as a Lesser Perfection of the Yuan Dan Realm expert, being pummeled by a Heavenly Yuan Realm junior. Wei Tong wished he could skin Lin Dong alive, eat his flesh raw, and drink his blood to quell the hatred in his heart.

"Is that so?"

The 'Lin Dong' standing on the courtyard wall clasped his hands behind his back. Hearing Wei Tong's words, he merely smiled, his expression calm and carefree.

Wei Tong's brow furrowed slightly. He felt something different about this kid, but didn't dwell on it.

"Hmph, putting on airs. Die!"

With a sharp shout, Wei Tong raised his palm, gathered Primal Energy into it, and lunged at Lin Dong again.

But this time, Wei Tong had learned his lesson—he held back half his strength, wary of Lin Dong's unpredictable hidden weapon ambushes.

Unfortunately, Wei Tong had no idea that the person standing before him was no longer the greenhorn from before, but a true ancient grandmaster.

Seeing Wei Tong actually holding back, 'Lin Dong' let out a light laugh, making no move to dodge. Wei Tong rejoiced and struck directly.

Just as Wei Tong's fist reached him, 'Lin Dong' raised a palm from behind, revealing a strange black vortex in its center.

"Boom!"

The next moment, Wei Tong's fist, carrying a formidable wave of Primal Energy, slammed into 'Lin Dong's' palm.

Believing the blow had landed, a smile began to form on Wei Tong's face. But no sooner had it appeared than his expression shifted drastically, his eyes filling with fear as he stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure before him.

A suction force met his fist the moment it struck, draining most of its power. The remaining force was all borne by 'Lin Dong' himself.