Hunting

The deathly silence continued. No one spoke; they remained frozen in the wake of that flash of sword light.

That sword strike wasn't especially powerful, but its presence was suffocating. It had been as fast as lightning, its path impossible to see.

How could anyone not be stunned when Lin Ge had unleashed such a terrifying strike with such a casual swing?

"I lost."

Lin Xia slumped to the ground and spoke with vacant eyes.

Hearing her words, Lin Ge lowered his sword, and the suffocating pressure vanished with it.

"H-how did that guy cultivate? That sword strike just now was terrifying!"

"That didn't look like a martial art..."

The juniors whispered among themselves, while the guests in the VIP seats and the Lin family elders, including Lin Zhentian, wore especially grave expressions.

The juniors hadn't noticed anything unusual about that strike, but the elders had.

Lin Ge hadn't used any Yuan Power. He had simply swung his sword.

In other words, Lin Ge hadn't even fought with all his strength in any of his matches!

"This boy is destined for greatness!"

Lin Zhentian and the others thought the same, a glimmer lighting their eyes.

The talent Lin Ge had displayed far surpassed Lin Xiao's at the time. He was already no weaker than Lin Langtian, stirring the long-dormant excitement in Lin Zhentian's heart once more.

He could almost see it: at the next clan gathering, Lin Ge would lead the Lin family into the Inner Clan of the Lin Clan Branch!

Lin Ge noticed the excitement in Lin Zhentian's eyes, but didn't think much of it. Even without him, Lin Dong would be able to lead the Lin family into the Inner Clan one day.

Thinking of Lin Dong, Lin Ge looked past the crowd toward him.

Under Lin Ge's gaze, Lin Dong's hands clenched involuntarily.

"This is boring. I'm leaving."

After saying this, Lin Ge turned and headed for the gate.

Lin Ken, still reeling from the shock, came to his senses and hurriedly called out, "You still have one more match. You can't leave yet."

"I don't want the reward. Leave it to Lin Dong and Lin Hong."

Lin Ge hadn't cared about the rewards for the clan competition in the first place. He spoke casually, then disappeared from view.

"You don't want it?"

Lin Ken was dumbfounded. The people in the VIP seats exchanged glances, at a loss for words.

"Continue the competition."

Lin Zhentian was also somewhat astonished by Lin Ge's choice, but as the Lin family patriarch, he had to ensure the clan competition proceeded as normal. Otherwise, the Lin family would become a laughingstock.

Hearing the old patriarch's words, Lin Ken nodded slightly and announced, "For the final match, Lin Hong will face Lin Dong!"

At this, Lin Dong drew a deep breath and slowly walked toward the stone platform.

Just as expected, Lin Dong won the match with difficulty, becoming the clan competition's champion.

But everyone knew he didn't deserve the title. If Lin Ge hadn't withdrawn, Lin Dong would have placed second at best.

Lin Ge, the youth who had appeared from nowhere, had become an imposing mountain standing before the Lin family's younger generation. Unless they moved him aside, they would never escape his shadow.

"Lin Ge... Next time, I'll defeat you fair and square!"

Looking at the prize for the championship in his hands, Lin Dong made a silent vow. He would surpass Lin Ge and make his title as champion deserved!

And so the Lin family's clan competition came to an end. That day, Lin Ge's name spread throughout every corner of Green Sun Town. He was even hailed as the greatest genius in Green Sun Town!

Somewhere in a bamboo grove on the Lin family grounds stood a simple little house. Inside, there was nothing but a bronze cauldron and a bed.

At that moment, behind the house, Lin Ge held a fine steel sword and swung it through the air.

His sword dance was full of force. Every strike was as fast as lightning, and faint sounds of air splitting rang out.

When he finished, a hint of worry appeared between Lin Ge's brows.

"My strength is still too weak. I have to gather my sword intent into a single point before its power can increase substantially!"

After the clan competition, he had realized the flaw in his swordsmanship: it had plenty of momentum but lacked power. He urgently needed to improve its might.

"Hmm?"

Lin Ge's brows suddenly furrowed slightly. He looked deep into the bamboo grove, a glint of menace flashing in his eyes. "Who's there?"

"Heh... Very good, very good. I didn't expect your senses to be so sharp. You've truly surprised this old man."

An old man emerged with a genial laugh, speaking approvingly.

A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Ge's eyes when he saw who it was. Then he asked, "Patriarch, what brings you here?"

At his indifferent words, the smile on the old man's face faded, and a complicated look entered his eyes.

The old man was none other than Lin Zhentian, patriarch of the Lin family. Ever since the clan competition, he had wanted to have a proper conversation with Lin Ge, but had never been able to find him. Only after Lin Ken told him Lin Ge lived behind the bamboo grove had he hurried over.

He had assumed Lin Ge would be excited to see him. But when he saw the coldness in the boy's eyes, Lin Zhentian understood that Lin Ge resented the Lin family.

"Do you hate the Lin family?"

Lin Zhentian had high hopes for Lin Ge, so naturally he didn't want to see the boy harboring resentment toward the Lin family. He wanted to resolve it.

"Why would I hate the Lin family?" Lin Ge countered.

The question left Lin Zhentian speechless.

Yes. Why would he hate the Lin family?

The Lin family hadn't done anything to harm Lin Ge's parents. They had even helped them. Although they had ultimately failed to prevent Lin Haiyuan's death, they had done nothing to wrong Lin Ge's family.

So where did Lin Ge's resentment come from?

After thinking for a while, Lin Zhentian reached an answer. He sighed. "You blame the Lin family for failing to take care of you all these years."

Lin Ge froze slightly. He had never considered that possibility.

"I don't resent you for that. It was my own choice."

Lin Ge shook his head and replied calmly.

"Then why are you so distant with me? I'm your grandfather!" Lin Zhentian asked with a frown.

"The path I cultivate is the path of ruthlessness. Family ties mean little to me now. Even if my parents were alive, my attitude wouldn't change."

Lin Ge lowered the sword in his hand and explained calmly.

He had expected Lin Zhentian to come looking for him. He just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

To Lin Zhentian, Lin Ge's words sounded more like an excuse. But for the moment, he had no way to resolve the resentment in the boy's heart. All he could do was sigh and say in a low voice, "The year's end is coming soon, and the hunting event in Green Sun Town will begin then. The younger generation from the other factions in town will all take part. You should join them too."