The sky was a brilliant blue, with the sun hanging overhead like a ball of fire. The clouds seemed to have melted in its heat, vanishing without a trace.
Beneath the cool shade of the trees, several Lin Family youths were bragging about something, looking smug as could be.
Not far away, Lin Yiqing was training at the Lin Family's martial arts yard. After a week of constant practice, his once-fair skin had taken on a faint bronze tint, giving him a leaner, hardier look.
The martial path was like rowing upstream: if you didn't advance, you fell behind. As someone who yearned to reach the pinnacle of martial arts, he had all the more reason not to slack off.
"Lin Yiqing, I've noticed you've been working pretty hard lately! How about a spar? I'll give you some pointers."
Seeing how diligently he trained, the youths beneath the trees approached him with malicious grins.
Judging by their ages, most of them looked to be in their teens. They were clearly all younger-generation members of the Lin Family.
The one leading them looked about fourteen or fifteen. He wore a lavish blue brocade robe patterned with rippling water, a stark contrast to Lin Yiqing's gray hemp clothes.
Standing in the middle of the group, he was evidently someone of standing. At that moment, he had his arms crossed and was looking at Lin Yiqing with a mocking smile.
"Looking for trouble?"
Lin Yiqing couldn't help frowning. The youth picking a fight was named Lin Shan, and he had a powerful background: he was the Lin Family head's own grandson. His father, Lin Mang, was one of the family's three Heaven Origin Realm experts and held considerable authority within the Lin Mansion.
Lin Shan often used his father's status to throw his weight around. Lin Yiqing just hadn't expected him to inexplicably target him today.
"What, don't want to? Then why are you acting like you're so hardworking?"
Lin Shan sneered. He suddenly charged forward, covering the distance in a few quick strides. Clenching his fingers into a fist, he struck straight at Lin Yiqing's chest. A sharp rush of wind accompanied the blow.
"Smack."
Facing Lin Shan's forceful punch, Lin Yiqing didn't so much as change expression. He neither dodged nor retreated. To everyone's astonishment, he reached out and caught Lin Shan's fist in his palm.
"Fourth level of the Body Tempering Realm? Or the fifth? How is that possible? He's just some bastard from a collateral branch!"
From that brief exchange, Lin Shan sensed something was wrong. His opponent had caught his punch with ease. It reminded him of his older brother, Lin Hong.
What he found most unbearable was that Lin Yiqing was younger than him and had far fewer resources. What gave him the right to match him?
The youths around them all paled at the sight. They were used to throwing their weight around, but this time they'd run into a hard nut to crack.
"I refuse to believe you'll dare hit back! First-Grade Martial Art, Falling Rock Fist!"
Lin Shan's face twisted with fury. He drew back his fist and let out a sharp shout. The veins in his arm bulged, and several fist-shadows appeared, crashing down toward Lin Yiqing's head with terrifying force.
"A First-Grade Martial Art, Falling Rock Fist! Lin Yiqing's in trouble now."
At the sight, the surrounding youths burst into an uproar. They'd never used martial arts in fights between clan members before. This time, someone might actually get killed.
"Hmph!"
Seeing that his opponent wouldn't let up, Lin Yiqing's eyes turned cold. He moved at once, taking up the stance of Penetrating Fist to meet the attack.
"Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!"
He unleashed the seven strikes of Penetrating Fist. Lin Shan's Falling Rock Fist looked imposing, but Lin Yiqing could see flaws everywhere. Considering Lin Shan's age, his behavior was despicable, but Lin Yiqing still held back, intending only to teach him a lesson!
"Smack."
At the crucial moment, a gray-clad figure darted out of the crowd. Before anyone could react, he had seized both boys' fists, one in each hand. He made the feat look effortless, his skill plain for all to see.
"It's him, Lin Yun!"
Exclamations rang out around them. The gray-clad youth was clearly someone they feared.
The youth looked so thin and gaunt that he seemed as if a gust of wind might knock him over. Yet no one present dared look down on him. In fact, they treated him with considerable respect. He was clearly another famed genius of the Lin Family.
"You two, do me a favor and let this matter end here, all right?" Lin Yun glanced at them and asked softly.
Lin Shan's face flushed red as he pulled his fist free from Lin Yun's grasp. A hint of venom showed in his eyes.
He looked at Lin Yiqing and Lin Yun, then curled his lips into a smile that seemed utterly false.
"Fine. I'll do you this favor. But Lin Yiqing, this isn't over between us!"
With that, he turned and left with a few lackeys. A cold look crossed Lin Yiqing's face as he watched them go.
"You'd better not provoke him again. His older brother, Lin Hong, has already formed an Origin Power Seed. If he comes after you, he'll be hard to deal with." Lin Yun sized Lin Yiqing up, then added the warning gravely.
"It's all right. Thanks for helping me today, Cousin Lin Yun."
Lin Yiqing cupped his fists in salute. He wasn't afraid of Lin Shan, but once he beat the younger one, the older one might come after him. That could be troublesome.
At that, Lin Yun merely waved a hand, seeming not to mind at all.
Lin Yiqing looked at the gray-clad youth before him, a young genius who had long been famous throughout the Lin Family.
But what left the deepest impression on him was that the boy was an orphan too. It was said that his parents had died at the hands of bandits when he was very young. Their circumstances were much the same.
"It's nothing. I just can't stand watching them bully ordinary clan members. Besides, you wouldn't have lost even if I hadn't stepped in. If I'm not mistaken, you've reached the fifth level of the Body Tempering Realm, haven't you?"
Lin Yun fixed his gaze on Lin Yiqing, his expression solemn, as if trying to read something in him.
Lin Yiqing made no attempt to hide it and simply nodded. He had read about Lin Yun in a book in his previous life. Although Lin Yun had appeared only once, he'd come across as an honorable man.
"Cousin Yiqing, would you mind talking somewhere else?"
Lin Yun seemed to consider something before asking.
Lin Yiqing saw that he looked uncertain. He privately wondered what Lin Yun had in mind, then nodded without showing what he was thinking. He followed Lin Yun to a small river near the Lin Family Back Mountain.
The river gurgled along, its flowing waters surrounding the two of them with sound. From farther away, all anyone could hear was the rush of the water.
"Cousin Yiqing, I've found an opportunity and need help. Would you be interested?"
Lin Yun's expression shifted again and again, uncertainty plain on his face. After a long pause, he finally lowered his voice and asked Lin Yiqing.
"An opportunity? What kind?"
Lin Yiqing's expression turned strange. He'd read plenty of novels and adventure tales, but he hadn't expected to hear someone talk about an opportunity like this himself. It felt surreal. He just didn't know what the opportunity actually was.
"It's a cave residence left behind by someone from an earlier age. I estimate its owner must have been at least an Earth Origin Realm expert.
"A few months ago, I went into the forest outside Qingyang Town to look for spirit herbs for cultivation. By chance, I found traces of this cave residence beneath a cliff. Inside, I sensed Yin Sha Qi. That's something only an Earth Origin Realm expert would need!
"But a low-level demon beast is guarding the place, so I couldn't explore it thoroughly. Getting inside is difficult. I had no choice but to come find you and ask you to explore it with me."
Lin Yun wasn't the indecisive sort. Now that he'd decided to work with Lin Yiqing, he laid out the whole matter. When he finished, he fixed his gaze on Lin Yiqing, waiting for him to decide.
Lin Yiqing furrowed his brow. A cave residence left behind by an expert who was at least at the Earth Origin Realm—could there be some sort of trap inside?
He had every reason to be wary. There had been plenty of cases where people had lost their lives to such things.
Besides, if word got out, every low-level cultivator in Qingyang Town would come flocking. But from Lin Yun's expression, it was clear that news of the cave residence hadn't spread yet.
"What do you think?"
Lin Yun watched Lin Yiqing nervously. If he'd found the cave residence, someone else could find it too. If he couldn't find help now, then once word spread, there'd be no need to look for anyone.
"How strong is the demon beast?"
Lin Yiqing pressed his lips together. He was deeply tempted by the cave residence. With only the resources the Lin Family provided, improving his cultivation would be difficult.
"It's a Green Water Snake. At its peak, it was probably at the Earth Origin Realm. But when I found the cave residence last time, I saw that it was badly injured. I estimate it can only manage the eighth level of the Body Tempering Realm now. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared set my sights on it. I'd have ended up in its jaws last time."
Seeing Lin Yiqing ask, Lin Yun hurriedly answered. He'd stumbled upon the cave residence through sheer luck, and with a heaven-sent opportunity like this, it would be hard to justify not taking action.
"One more thing. Why did you ask me to come with you?"
After considering it for a moment, Lin Yiqing looked up and fixed his gaze on Lin Yun, voicing the question that had been bothering him.
If this opportunity was real, he couldn't turn it down. But that didn't mean he was so simple-minded as to trust someone outright. Heaven didn't just drop pies into your lap.
"Cousin Yiqing, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I don't need to say anything about our circumstances, do I? And besides, I saw your strength today." Lin Yun fell silent, quietly waiting for Lin Yiqing's answer.
After a long pause
"All right. Let's do it!"
Lin Yiqing took a deep breath and finally nodded firmly, to Lin Yun's delight.
"Haha, I knew you wouldn't turn me down, Cousin Yiqing!"
Seeing that Lin Yiqing had finally agreed, Lin Yun couldn't help laughing. Excitement filled his face.
"When do we leave?"
Now that he'd decided to explore the cave residence, Lin Yiqing needed to make his own preparations. This time, after all, they'd be facing a demon beast head-on.
"The sooner, the better. Let's set out tomorrow!"
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