Heaven Origin Realm

At some point, the dark clouds slowly dispersed. The gale and torrential rain abruptly stopped, and a fiery-red sunset hung on the horizon, breathtakingly beautiful.

After weathering the storm, not many people in the stands had left. Their eyes remained fixed on Lin Ge in the arena.

The pain had vanished from Lin Ge's face. Instead, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Some of the pallor had faded from his small face, replaced by a healthy flush.

"Is... is it over?"

After a long silence, someone in the stands couldn't help asking. Not a single person answered.

At that moment, Lei Bao, Luo Cheng, Xie Qian, Lin Zhentian, and the others wore increasingly varied expressions, shock flashing in their eyes.

"Father... what happened?"

Lin Ken immediately noticed something was wrong with Lin Zhentian and asked in a low voice.

Lin Zhentian didn't answer. Trembling, he rose to his feet, then burst into wild laughter.

His laughter startled everyone. No one understood what was going on, and they all stared at the Lin Clan, hoping someone would explain.

"Eldest brother, Lin Ge... he's reached the Heaven Origin Realm!"

Behind Lin Ken, Lin Xiao gazed at Lin Ge on the stone platform with mixed emotions and spoke in a heavy voice.

"Y-you said what?!"

Lin Xiao's voice wasn't especially loud, but in the now utterly silent Beast Horn Arena, it was like a bomb going off, sending a huge wave of shock through the crowd!

"Lin Ge... has reached the Heaven Origin Realm!"

"No, that can't be true!"

"I'd say it's probably true. Haven't you seen how awful the Lei and Xie clan heads look?"

"I never thought a genius like this would appear in Green Sun Town..."

The people in the stands began talking all at once, their gazes toward the Lin Clan now tinged with envy and jealousy.

Everyone understood that a fourteen-year-old who had reached the Heaven Origin Realm would become one of the top powerhouses in all of Green Sun Town, perhaps even the entire Great Yan Dynasty.

From this moment on, whether it was the Lei Clan, the Xie Clan, or both together, nothing could block Lin Ge's path. They couldn't stop him.

"Damn it!"

Lei Bao's face darkened to the extreme as Yuan Power stirred quietly within him.

The grudges between the Lei and Xie Families and the Lin Clan could never be settled. Lei Bao, Xie Qian, and Lin Zhentian all understood that. So Lei Bao could never allow the Lin Clan, his enemy, to produce an unparalleled genius.

Should he strike or not?

Lei Bao hesitated. If he attacked now, he was ninety percent certain he could kill Lin Ge on the spot. But doing so would likely make enemies of everyone present, and the Lei Clan would be plunged into an abyss of ruin.

But if he didn't act, Lin Ge's talent meant that within a few years he would surely grow powerful enough that even Lei Bao could do nothing against him. The entire Lei Clan might even be destroyed by then.

Xie Qian, who shared his thoughts, was in the same predicament.

The Lei and Xie Families were indeed powerful within a hundred-mile radius, but their enemies were powerful too—the Lin Clan and the Mad Blade Martial Hall, for example.

If the two families made enemies of every force in the region, Lei Bao and Xie Qian knew those forces wouldn't stand by and watch. Lin Zhentian in particular would probably risk everything to take revenge on them. By then, the Lei and Xie Families would cease to exist!

For a time, Lei Bao and Xie Qian were caught in a dilemma.

"Lin Xiao, keep a close eye on the Lei and Xie Families. Don't let them make a move against Lin Ge!"

How could Lin Zhentian fail to consider what Lei Bao and Xie Qian were thinking? He had kept his attention on them the whole time. If either made a move, he would act without hesitation.

Lin Ge's talent was no weaker than Lin Langtian's—if anything, it was even greater. Lin Zhentian was confident that at the next clan competition, Lin Ge could lead the Lin Clan back into the Lin Clan Inner Branch. It was the one wish he had waited decades to see fulfilled, and he would never allow anyone to ruin it!

Lin Xiao nodded solemnly, keeping his eyes fixed on the people from the Xie and Lei Clans, not daring to let his guard down for even a moment.

An eerie atmosphere gradually spread through the entire Beast Horn Arena, but no one broke the silence. Luo Cheng of the Mad Blade Martial Hall narrowed his eyes as he watched Lin Ge, lost in thought.

On the stone platform, Lin Ge slowly opened his eyes. A powerful aura belonging to the Heaven Origin Realm burst forth. Lin Dong, standing closest to him, had turned slightly pale as he silently watched everything unfold.

Lin Ge looked up at the sky, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

No one knew what kind of agony Lin Ge had endured, and no one understood how relieved he felt at that moment.

"Though the process was painful, the outcome was good."

Lin Ge quietly felt the surging Yuan Power within him, then gave the iron sword in his hand a small wave. A satisfied look appeared in his eyes.

Though he had survived a trial on the brink of death, Lin Ge had also gained a blessing others could never obtain. It would make his future cultivation much easier.

"I wonder if I can take on Lei Bao and the others now."

As he thought this, Lin Ge looked toward Lei Bao in the stands.

Lei Bao naturally noticed Lin Ge's gaze. His expression gradually settled, though a trace of killing intent flickered in his eyes from time to time.

"Tch, what a pretentious bastard."

Lin Ge saw through Lei Bao's thoughts at a glance, and a look of disdain crossed his face.

"You want to kill me, but you're too timid to act. Let me help you out."

Lei Bao couldn't hear what Lin Ge was saying, but from the shape of his mouth, he could more or less guess his meaning. The calm he had only just regained vanished, and killing intent surged anew.

"Perfect. Let's see what I can do."

Lin Ge couldn't care less about the others in the stands. At that moment, he had eyes only for Lei Bao. Without hesitation, he raised his iron sword and swung it hard toward Lei Bao in the stands.

Whoosh!

A ten-zhang-long sword ray shot across nearly the entire Beast Horn Arena, slashing toward Lei Bao.

The sword ray was long and moved slowly, but the aura it gave off was terrifying. Even from far away, Lei Bao sensed danger.

"Since you're asking for death, don't blame me!"

Facing the dreadful sword ray, Lei Bao let out a cold laugh, utterly unafraid.

He had been hesitating over whether to attack and kill Lin Ge. Now there was no need to hesitate: Lin Ge had struck first. Even if Lei Bao killed him, the others would have little to say.

Thinking this, Lei Bao stopped holding back, determined to ensure a single, fatal blow. Lei Li's Yuan Power gathered furiously in his palm.

As Lei Li's power gathered, its radiance grew brighter and brighter. In the end, it transformed into a shifting, contracting orb of light that churned wildly in his palm.

"Fourth-grade martial art, Thunderbolt Flash!"

The instant the orb of light appeared in Lei Bao's palm, Lin Zhentian and the others' expressions changed dramatically. They cried out in shock.

"That old bastard has no shame!" Lin Zhentian exclaimed furiously. Yuan Power surged within him as he tried to stop everything, but it was already too late.