"Cousin Yiqing, a-are you all right?"
Lin Dong had just steadied himself when he swept his gaze across the scene and was utterly stunned. A wave of shock rose in his heart. The mangled corpses of Lin Mang and the Blade God Gang members, along with the rubble and broken tiles strewn across the ground, all bore witness to the fierce battle that had erupted here.
And from the looks of it, it had been a one-sided slaughter!
He had no idea what sort of person could possess such strength.
He had never heard of anyone like that in Qingyang Town.
He looked around in bewilderment, but unfortunately, he saw no other unfamiliar faces.
"Cousin Lin Dong, it's been a long time. What brings you here?"
Lin Yiqing was rather surprised to see Lin Dong appear, and asked him.
"I heard from Lin Changqiang that Lin Shan and his son had found you. I begged my father to come save you right away, but I didn't expect..."
Lin Dong hurriedly explained. Although he and Lin Yiqing were not particularly close, when he heard that the other had gotten into trouble, he still couldn't help asking his father to step in and help.
After all, this was a family disgrace, a case of kinsmen turning against one another. He couldn't bear to stand by and do nothing.
He just hadn't expected to arrive and find Lin Yiqing completely unharmed, while Lin Mang's entire family had already perished here.
Lin Yiqing studied the middle-aged man and Lin Dong for a moment, and quickly pieced things together. As expected, the man was probably Lin Dong's father, Third Master of the Lin Family, Lin Xiao.
At that moment, Lin Xiao's facial muscles were taut, and a trace of helplessness and grief showed in his eyes. The weight of his pain was plain to see.
"Haah!"
With a long sigh, Lin Xiao walked over to Lin Mang's corpse and closed his eyes. Then he rose and asked, "What exactly happened here?"
His brows were knitted tight, and the light had gone out of his eyes, leaving them dull and vacant. Lin Mang had sometimes excluded him, but no matter what, he was still his half-brother. Now that both Lin Mang and his son were dead, anger blazed in Lin Xiao's heart.
"I killed them."
Lin Yiqing had no intention of hiding it, and admitted it outright. In the end, Lin Shan and his brother had provoked him first, and then Lin Mang had tried to kill him and seize his treasures. He had been acting in self-defense from beginning to end.
"You've probably heard about what happened between Lin Shan, Lin Hong, and me. But after I left the Lin Family, Lin Mang sent people to hunt me down. Today, he even came to ambush me himself. I merely fought back."
At that, Lin Xiao whipped around and stared hard at Lin Yiqing, as if trying to see even the slightest hint of a lie in his eyes.
After holding his gaze for a while, Lin Xiao finally gave up. The boy's brown eyes were clear, yet they held a trace of the defiance unique to the young. Lin Xiao could see his stubbornness in them.
"Haah, forget it. Go. Go far away, and never return to the Lin Family. I'll explain what happened with them. They brought this upon themselves. It's the consequence of their own actions!"
Lin Xiao waved a hand, his voice low. He said no more, and went to gather the bodies.
"Cousin Yiqing, take care!"
Lin Dong's heart surged like a stormy sea. He hadn't expected Lin Yiqing to be the powerful cultivator who had single-handedly killed Lin Mang. After a brief hesitation, he stepped forward and spoke in a low voice. He hadn't expected things to come to this, either.
Lin Mang and the others had brought it on themselves, but after this, Lin Yiqing had cut ties with the Lin Family for good.
Lin Yiqing looked at Lin Dong's resolute face, then broke into a smile. He had to admit that Lin Dong was loyal and just. Lin Dong had helped him several times, and he couldn't help feeling moved.
"Cousin Lin Dong, I'll remember the two times you came to my aid. This is for you!"
With that, he took an old book from his Universe Bag and casually tossed it over. It was the Lesser Red Sun Scripture.
"Cousin Lin Yun, you and I agreed to study this cultivation art together, but then you betrayed me. I'll spare your life, but this no longer has anything to do with you. Get lost!"
Lin Yiqing glared coldly at Lin Yun. Lin Yun's face twisted with bitterness, but he could only nod and agree. He had brought all of this on himself.
And so, the grudge between Lin Yiqing and Lin Shan's family was settled.
Outside Qingyang Town, beside an old road.
Sunlight poured through the gaps between the branches, falling across the gnarled limbs and weathered bark of the ancient trees. The scene looked like a series of pictures, each as lovely as a poem.
Amid such beautiful scenery, Lin Yiqing's spirits suddenly lifted. The pressure from his frantic cultivation over the past while eased considerably.
As he ambled along the road, Lin Yiqing couldn't help reviewing his cultivation. He was severely short on martial arts. If he could get a high-grade martial art or a Mental Secret Technique, then with his Late Earth Yuan Stage strength and Two-Seal Symbol Master spiritual power, he would at least have a little more ability to protect himself.
"Looks like I'll have to get my hands on a few high-grade martial arts."
After considering his options, Lin Yiqing found that the only martial art he could currently call his own was the Wood Sword Art, and that was only second grade.
But now that he had left the Lin Family, the most important question was where to go. It was a serious problem.
Suddenly, Lin Yiqing thought of the Devouring Ancestral Rune. It was a true supreme divine treasure of this world.
He remembered that after Lin Dong reached the Great Perfection of Yuan Dan Realm at around eighteen, he set out for the Great Wilderness Prefecture to train, hoping to defeat his sworn enemy, Lin Langtian, at the Lin Clan's great contest two years later.
In the Great Wilderness Prefecture, Lin Dong had also spent nearly two years pursuing the Great Wilderness Ancient Monument and the Devouring Ancestral Rune. The Great Wilderness Ancient Monument alone had taken more than a year, and he had only just made it back in time for the Lin Clan contest.
But now, everything was different. Lin Yiqing had come into this world, and Lin Dong was only fourteen or fifteen, at the stage when he had just obtained the Ancestor Stone.
That meant there were at least four or five years to spare. The Devouring Ancestral Rune had to still be inside the Great Wilderness Ancient Monument, and the Yinkui Sect had yet to get its hands on it.
There was still hope!
At the thought, Lin Yiqing couldn't help growing excited. Thank goodness he had reread Martial Universe so many times before; otherwise, he really might have missed this opportunity!
The original story had mentioned that the Great Wilderness Ancient Monument opened once every three years. Based on Lin Dong's age, if it had opened when he was nineteen, then counting back three years meant it would have opened when he was around sixteen.
There was only about a year or two left before it opened. If he set out for the Great Wilderness Prefecture now, he would surely make it in time!
If he could obtain the Devouring Ancestral Rune, it would help him beyond measure. That power to refine and devour everything, combined with his peerless talent—tch!
"That settles it. I'll train along the way to the Great Wilderness Prefecture and do my best to seize the Devouring Ancestral Rune!"
Excitement gleamed in Lin Yiqing's eyes, and his heart pounded. Since he had been fortunate enough to come to this world, he was determined to reach the pinnacle of power!
Over the next few days, Lin Yiqing cautiously made his way through the forest, avoiding many adventuring cultivators and demonic beasts along the road. Even when he did encounter them, he tried to keep the killing to a minimum.
There could be high-tier demonic beasts or ruthless people lurking in the forest. Far from home, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
Still, it helped him hone his use of spiritual power. Before, he had been pressed for time. Now that he had deliberately experimented with it, he could keep his spiritual power active at all times. At the slightest disturbance, he could sense the slightest stir in the surrounding area.
"I wonder how miraculous that Mental Secret Technique is!"
Lin Yiqing couldn't help looking forward to it.
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