The moment Taiyi's blunt words left his mouth, the Bi Fang Clan Youth felt his face burning with embarrassment. But before he could retort, Jin Hao of the Golden Winged Great Peng Clan spoke first.
Yet he did not challenge Taiyi. Instead, he sneered at Lin Yan. "Fellow Daoist Lin, you truly are capable, to have Li Zhu and this... Fellow daoist defending you so fiercely. But here at Buzhou Mountain, you cannot stand firm by relying on others to back you up. Other than burrowing underground, what abilities does Fellow Daoist Lin possess that give you the nerve to stand shoulder to shoulder with us on Qiwu Peak?"
Looking at Jin Hao's arrogant expression, then sweeping his gaze over the mocking, indifferent, and spectacle-seeking eyes around him, Lin Yan's previously calm state of mind could not help but stir with anger.
The atmosphere in this Phoenix Clan was rather unpleasant. Did they think he was easy to bully? If that was what they thought, then they had picked the wrong target.
He suddenly smiled. The smile was faint, yet it gave Jin Hao an inexplicable sense of unease.
"Fellow daoist Jin Hao, correct?" Lin Yan's voice remained steady, but he spoke more slowly, every word clear. "You are right. Relying on others to support you means you will never stand firm anywhere. I have traveled the Prehistoric World for many years, and I believe that wherever one goes, strength is what speaks.
But in my view, strength comes in many forms. Being able to fight is one kind of strength; being able to fly is another; possessing a noble bloodline is also a kind of... well, strength in being born well."
He paused, then continued before Jin Hao's expression could darken. "But there is another kind of strength: brains.