Stalemate

At the Beast Horn Arena, the three sides faced off against one another, and the atmosphere remained tense.

"Lei Bao, if we keep fighting like this, none of our three families will benefit. How about we call a truce here?"

Seeing Lei Bao regain his composure, Lin Xiao felt slightly relieved and spoke in a low voice.

Lei Bao said nothing. His expression shifted between light and dark as he clenched and unclenched his fists, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes.

Judging by the situation, even if the Lei and Xie Families joined forces, they would struggle to defeat the Lin Clan. After all, Lin Zhentian and Lin Xiao were both Heaven Origin Realm experts, and besides them, there was Lin Ge, who was nearly completely drained but was still a genuine Heaven Origin Realm expert.

But if they couldn't bury Lin Ge here today, then once this hidden dragon emerged from the depths, no one in Green Sun Town would be able to stop him.

"No! No matter the price, Lin Ge must die!"

After weighing it over and over, Lei Bao decided that this was the best opportunity to kill Lin Ge. If he let it pass, he would likely never get another chance.

"Lei Bao, don't let a moment of anger make you lose your reason. If you fight my Lin Clan to the death today, your Lei Clan will be besieged by everyone in Green Sun Town. Then the day your clan falls won't be far off."

Seeing a boundless murderous intent flare in Lei Bao's eyes, Lin Xiao's heart tightened, and he couldn't help shouting again.

This time, Lin Xiao's shout had no effect on Lei Bao. Instead, it only made him more determined to kill Lin Ge here.

Lei Bao slowly raised his head and looked past Lin Xiao at Lin Ge. He no longer bothered to hide the murderous intent in his eyes.

"No matter what happens today, this old man will kill the little bastard. No one can stop me!"

At these words, not only did Lin Xiao's expression change, but Lin Zhentian, not far away, also looked troubled.

Clearly, they hadn't expected Lei Bao to go this mad—to risk his family's future just to kill a fourteen-year-old boy. It was truly beyond everyone's expectations. Even Xie Qian had never imagined it.

He glanced at Lei Bao, his expression wavering. He didn't want the Xie Clan to be dragged into ruin because of Lin Ge.

Earlier, he had stopped Lin Zhentian because he thought Lei Bao could kill Lin Ge with a single blow. He hadn't expected the fight to become such a stalemate.

If he turned against the Lin Clan now, it would be no different from declaring open war on them. That was the last thing Xie Qian wanted, and so he hesitated.

Lei Bao had known Xie Qian for many years. How could he not know what kind of man he was? He warned him loudly, "Brother Xie, if you give up on killing Lin Ge now, you'll regret it in the future."

Xie Qian narrowed his eyes and glanced at Lei Bao. "What do you mean, Brother Lei?"

"Old fool, don't pretend you don't understand!"

Lei Bao cursed him silently, but there was little he could do. He couldn't afford to offend Xie Qian right now, so he softened his tone. "Brother Xie, you should know that there's no chance of making peace with the Lin Clan anymore. Lin Ge has extraordinary talent. If we don't kill him here, he'll become a great threat in the future!"

Xie Qian frowned deeply. Lei Bao wasn't wrong, but if they struck now, whether the Lei Clan or the Xie Clan, they would suffer severe losses—losses they might not recover from for decades.

"To fight, or not to fight?"

Xie Qian couldn't make up his mind. Everyone looked toward him, waiting to see what he would decide.

"Brother Xie, this boy is already a Heaven Origin Realm expert, and his strength is no weaker than ours. If we don't kill him now, we'll have no hope of killing him later!"

Xie Qian's hesitation made Lei Bao restless, and he couldn't help shouting.

At those words, Xie Qian finally made up his mind. Lei Bao was right: if they didn't kill Lin Ge now, they would have virtually no chance later. So no matter what, Lin Ge had to die!

Lin Zhentian looked at Xie Qian, who had clearly made up his mind, his face darkening. He understood that the Lei and Xie Families had decided to go to war against the Lin Clan.

"I'll hold him off. Find a chance to escape!"

Lin Xiao's expression was equally grave as he spoke in a low voice to Lin Ge behind him.

Lin Ge was pale and weak, but there wasn't a trace of nervousness or panic in his eyes. Instead, he was completely calm.

"No need. Give me just a little time, and I'll recover. Then we won't have to fear them at all."

"You!"

Lin Xiao wanted to scold him, but when he saw the confidence in Lin Ge's eyes, he held his tongue.

Lin Ge paid no attention to Lin Xiao's tone. His gaze remained fixed on Lei Bao.

Setting everything else aside, Lei Bao's decisiveness when facing an enemy truly surprised Lin Ge. By comparison, Xie Qian's indecisiveness was rather contemptible.

With the threat of his clan's destruction looming in the future, he was still weighing the small gains and losses of the moment. Lin Ge could hardly imagine how such a man had become the head of the Xie Clan.

"Lin Xiao, get out of the way! Don't make me kill you!"

Lei Bao glared coldly at Lin Xiao, who stood ready for battle, his face full of murderous intent.

"Not a chance!"

Lin Xiao refused without a moment's thought.

Lin Ge was a disciple of the Lin Clan. How could Lin Xiao stand by and watch an enemy kill one of their own right in front of him? What's more, Lin Ge had extraordinary talent. He was the future of the Lin Clan, perhaps even its only hope of entering the Inner Clan. There was no way Lin Xiao would abandon him.

"Then don't blame me!"

There was no point in saying anything more. Lei Bao had also lost patience with the Lin Clan. He charged at Lin Ge, striking with the Spirit Snake Palm!

Facing Lei Bao's full-powered Spirit Snake Palm, Lin Xiao didn't dare be careless. Yuan Power surged through him as he threw a punch.

Bang!

The two forces collided, and the violent waves of Yuan Power sent both men stumbling back dozens of steps.

On the other side, Lin Zhentian and Xie Qian were no longer holding back either. Each struck with a killing move, Yuan Power spraying in every direction, its flashes appearing and vanishing—yet neither could gain the upper hand.

Lin Zhentian and Xie Qian were both at the Heaven Origin Realm, and their strength was much the same. It would be difficult to determine a winner anytime soon.

But the longer things went on, the darker Lin Zhentian's expression became. Lin Xiao hadn't fully recovered his peak strength, so he was certainly no match for Lei Bao. The more time passed, the worse things would be for them.

"Brother Luo, if you help my Lin Clan through this calamity, we're willing to form an ironclad alliance with the Mad Blade Martial Hall and never abandon you!"

Suddenly, Lin Zhentian infused his voice with Yuan Power and shouted loudly into the air.

At his side, Xie Qian's expression changed abruptly when he heard Lin Zhentian's shout. He had forgotten that Luo Cheng was there!

It wasn't just Xie Qian. Lei Bao's expression shifted too when he heard the shout. He stared fixedly at Lin Zhentian, killing intent in his eyes.

"Haha... Brother Lin, do you mean what you say?"

Just then, a hearty laugh came from outside the Beast Horn Arena.

Hearing that laugh, the members of the Lin Clan all breathed a sigh of relief, smiles appearing on their faces. The Lei and Xie Families, by contrast, looked even more grim.