Meeting Lin Yun

The sky was a deep, piercing blue, with a sun hanging like a fireball; the clouds seemed to have been scorched away by the heat, vanishing without a trace.

Under the cool shade of the trees, a few Lin Family youths were boasting about something with smug expressions.

Not far away, Lin Yiqing was training himself in the Lin Family's martial arts arena. After a week of continuous practice, his originally fair skin had taken on a hint of bronze, making him appear even more lean and capable.

The path of martial arts is like rowing a boat against the current; if you do not advance, you retreat. As someone who aspired to reach the pinnacle of martial arts, he had no reason to slack off.

"Lin Yiqing, you've been looking quite diligent lately! How about it? Want to spar with me? Let me give you a few pointers."

Seeing his diligence, the youths under the shade gathered around him with wicked grins.

These youths all appeared to be in their teens, clearly members of the younger generation of the Lin Family.

The leader of the group looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, dressed in a magnificent blue brocade robe with water patterns, which stood in stark contrast to Lin Yiqing's gray hempen clothes.

He stood in the center of the crowd, clearly holding a position of status, and was currently standing with his arms crossed, looking at Lin Yiqing with a playful, mocking smile.

Looking for trouble?

Lin Yiqing couldn't help but frown. The boy causing trouble was named Lin Shan. He had a very deep background, being the grandson of the Lin Family head, and his father, Lin Mang, was one of the three experts in the Heaven Origin Realm, holding significant power within the Lin estate.

Lin Shan often used his father's status to act in an overbearing manner, but Lin Yiqing hadn't expected him to pick a fight with him for no reason today.

"What, you don't want to? Then why have I been watching you put on such a show of diligence?"

Lin Shan sneered, his figure suddenly lunging forward. In a few strides, he arrived before Lin Yiqing, his five fingers clenched into a fist, and he struck directly at the latter's chest. Faintly, a sharp whistling sound of wind accompanied the blow.

"Slap."

Watching Lin Shan's forceful punch, Lin Yiqing's expression remained unchanged. Instead of dodging, he reached out his palm and, to the shock of everyone present, caught Lin Shan's fist directly.

"Fourth stage of the Body Tempering Realm? Or the fifth? How is this possible? He's clearly just a wild kid from a branch family!"

In this brief exchange, Lin Shan realized something was wrong. The opponent had caught his punch with ease; the sensation reminded him of his older brother, Lin Hong.

What he found most unacceptable was that the opponent was younger than him and had no resources—how could he possibly be his match?

The surrounding youths changed their expressions in unison. They were used to running wild, but they hadn't expected to run into a tough nut this time.

"I don't believe you'd dare to fight back! First-grade martial art: Falling Rock Fist!"

Lin Shan's face twisted. He retracted his stance and let out a sharp shout. Veins bulged on his arms, and suddenly, several fist shadows emerged, smashing down toward Lin Yiqing's head with a terrifying momentum.

"A first-grade martial art, Falling Rock Fist! Lin Yiqing is in trouble now."

Seeing this, the surrounding youths erupted in an uproar. In the past, internal clan disputes never involved martial arts; if this went wrong, someone could be killed.

"Hmph!"

Seeing the other party refusing to let up, a cold light appeared in Lin Yiqing's eyes. His figure moved, and he immediately countered with the Through-Back Fist.

"Pop-pop-pop-pop."

The seven-echo Through-Back Fist was unleashed. Although the Falling Rock Fist Lin Shan used looked impressive, it was full of openings in Lin Yiqing's eyes. Considering the boy's age, although he was malicious, Lin Yiqing still held back, intending only to teach him a lesson.

"Slap."

At the critical moment, a gray figure rushed out from the crowd. Before anyone could react, he had already gripped both of their fists with his hands. His movements were effortless and precise, showcasing the strength of his cultivation.

"It's him, Lin Yun."

Exclamations rang out all around. Clearly, they were quite wary of the gray-clad youth.

The boy appeared extremely thin, making one wonder if he was too weak to withstand the wind, yet no one present dared to look down on him; in fact, they were quite respectful. Clearly, he was also a well-known genius of the Lin Family.

"You two, give me some face and let this matter end here, alright?" Lin Yun looked at the two of them and asked softly.

Lin Shan's face turned red. He pulled his fist from Lin Yun's grip, a trace of resentment flashing in his eyes.

He looked at Lin Yiqing and the others, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, though it looked extremely hypocritical.

"Fine, I'll give you this face. But Lin Yiqing, this isn't over between us!"

With that, he turned and walked away with his followers. Seeing this, a frost passed over Lin Yiqing's face.

"You'd best not provoke him again. His older brother, Lin Hong, has already cultivated an Origin Power Seed. If he really comes to cause you trouble, it will be hard to handle," Lin Yun said cautiously after sizing Lin Yiqing up.

"No matter. Thank you for today, Cousin Lin Yun."

Lin Yiqing cupped his hands in a salute. Although he didn't fear Lin Shan, it would be troublesome if he beat the small one only for the big one to show up.

Hearing this, the other boy merely waved his hand lightly, appearing not to care at all.

Lin Yiqing looked at the gray-clad youth before him; the latter was also a genius who had long been famous in the Lin Family!

However, what impressed him most was that this boy was also an orphan. It was said that his parents had died at the hands of bandits when he was very young, a situation similar to his own.

"It's nothing. I just can't stand them bullying our ordinary clansmen. Besides, you wouldn't have lost even if I hadn't intervened. If I'm not mistaken, you've stepped into the fifth stage of the Body Tempering Realm, haven't you?"

Lin Yun's gaze was fixed intently on Lin Yiqing, as if he wanted to discern something from him.

Lin Yiqing did not hide it and nodded in admission. Lin Yiqing had read about Lin Yun in the book in his past life; although he only appeared once, he was a man of great integrity.

"Cousin Yiqing, could we go somewhere else to talk?"

Lin Yun thought for a moment, seemingly having made a decision, and asked.

Seeing the hesitation on the other's face, Lin Yiqing secretly guessed his intentions, then nodded calmly and followed Lin Yun to a small riverbank near the back mountain of the Lin estate.

The river flowed with a rushing sound, perfectly enveloping the two of them; even further away, nothing could be heard but the water.

"Um, Cousin Yiqing, I've found an opportunity that requires some manpower. I wonder if you might be interested?"

Lin Yun's expression shifted constantly, his demeanor hesitant. After a long while, he finally asked Lin Yiqing in a low voice.

"An opportunity? What kind of opportunity?"

Lin Yiqing's expression was strange. He had read quite a few novels and storybooks, so he hadn't expected to hear the word "opportunity" himself. It gave him a peculiar feeling, though he had no idea what that opportunity actually was.

"It's a cave dwelling left behind by a predecessor. I estimate it was left by someone at least in the Earth Origin Realm. A few months ago, I went to the forest outside Qingyang Town to search for spiritual herbs needed for cultivation, and I accidentally discovered traces of this cave under a cliff. Inside, I sensed Yin Sha Qi—that's something only an Earth Origin Realm expert would need! However, there is still a low-level demonic beast guarding it, so I wasn't able to explore deeply. It's truly difficult to get in, so I had no choice but to come find you to explore it together."

Lin Yun was not a hesitant person by nature. Since he had decided to cooperate with Lin Yiqing, he simply laid everything out on the table. Once he finished speaking, he stared intently at Lin Yiqing, waiting for him to make a decision.

Lin Yiqing's brows furrowed tightly. A cave dwelling left by someone at least in the Earth Origin Realm—could there be any traps? He couldn't help but be suspicious; one had to know there had been plenty of cases in the past where people were led to their deaths. Moreover, if word of this got out, every low-level cultivator in the entire Qingyang Town would be stirred into action. However, looking at Lin Yun, it was clear that news of this cave had not yet spread.

"How about it?"

Lin Yun watched Lin Yiqing with a nervous expression. If he could find this cave, others could naturally find it too. If he couldn't find a helper now, by the time the news spread, there would likely be no need to look for anyone at all.

"What is the strength of that demonic beast?"

Lin Yiqing pressed his lips together tightly. He was also extremely tempted by this cave; he knew that relying solely on the resources currently provided by the Lin Family made it very difficult for him to improve his cultivation.

"It's a Green Water Snake. At its peak, its strength was roughly at the Earth Origin Realm. However, when I discovered the cave last time, I saw that it had suffered extremely heavy injuries. I estimate that at most, it only has the strength of about the eighth level of the Body Tempering Realm now. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to set my sights on it; I would have been buried in the snake's gullet long ago."

Seeing Lin Yiqing ask, Lin Yun replied hurriedly. He had been incredibly lucky to discover this cave, and to encounter such a heaven-sent opportunity without taking action would be inexcusable.

"Also, why did you choose to ask me?"

After a moment of thought, Lin Yiqing raised his head, his gaze fixed firmly on Lin Yun as he asked the question weighing on his mind. If this opportunity were real, he couldn't refuse it, but that didn't mean he was naive enough to blindly trust others. Pies didn't just fall from the sky.

"Cousin Yiqing, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I don't need to elaborate on our respective situations, and secondly, I saw your strength today." Lin Yun fell silent after saying this, waiting quietly for Lin Yiqing's reply.

After a long while.

"Fine, let's do it!"

Lin Yiqing took a deep breath and, finally, under Lin Yun's delighted gaze, nodded heavily.

"Haha, I knew Cousin Yiqing wouldn't refuse!"

Seeing that Lin Yiqing had finally agreed, Lin Yun couldn't help but laugh out loud, his face filled with excitement.

"When do we move?"

Since he had decided to explore the cave, Lin Yiqing had to make his own preparations; after all, this time he would be facing a demonic beast head-on.

"The sooner the better. We'll set off tomorrow!"