Eight Extremities Collapse Achieved, Clan Gathering Begins

"I concede, Lin Dong."

Hearing Lin Dong voluntarily admit defeat, Lin Yan smiled and cupped his hands toward him.

Lin Xiao and Qing Tan soon walked over from behind.

As soon as he approached, Lin Xiao did not hesitate to shower Lin Yan with praise:

"Lin Yan, I really didn't expect your strength to be this formidable."

"I heard Lin Dong and Qing Tan talking about how strong you were before, but I didn't have a clear concept of it."

"But seeing it today, you are truly impressive. Among the younger generation of our Lin Clan, your strength must be the greatest."

Having said that, Lin Xiao asked Lin Yan:

"How is it? Have you reached the Seventh Layer of Body Tempering yet?"

Lin Yan certainly had reached the Seventh Layer of Body Tempering; in fact, he had long since entered the Earth Origin Realm. However, he was a low-key person who disliked being too flashy, and with Lin Dong present, he did not want to cause him to lose face.

Therefore, Lin Yan simply smiled and nodded, brushing the question off vaguely without lingering on the topic: "Haha, Uncle Xiao is too kind. My strength is merely passable; there is still plenty of room for improvement."

Seeing this, Lin Xiao became even more satisfied with Lin Yan's character. He smiled and patted Lin Yan on the shoulder, then turned his gaze toward Lin Dong, saying with a huff: "Now, do you see your own shortcomings?"

Lin Dong scratched his head in embarrassment.

Because he had obtained the Stone Talisman, his strength had surged, and for a while, Lin Dong had indeed felt a bit conceited.

But this sparring session with Lin Yan made him realize one thing: there is always someone better, and there is always a heaven beyond our own.

At the very least, Lin Dong knew he was currently no match for the Lin Yan standing before him.

Thus, Lin Dong gave Lin Xiao a dry laugh and nodded: "Heh, I have truly been taught a lesson."

"While learning martial arts is important, if one lacks combat experience and there is a significant gap in raw strength, even the most powerful techniques cannot be utilized effectively."

"After all, one cannot rely on a single trick to win every fight. Martial arts are primarily meant to serve as the finishing blow."

Lin Dong voiced his realizations.

Lin Xiao appeared very satisfied after hearing Lin Dong's insights.

Although Lin Dong had lost this time—and lost without any suspense—it seemed he had gained quite a bit from the sparring session, which was enough in Lin Xiao's eyes.

"As expected of the future Martial Ancestor."

"So adept at finding flaws in failure."

"Truly impressive."

Lin Yan also secretly gave Lin Dong a thumbs-up.

In truth, compared to Lin Dong, he had started with a head start. After all, Yao Lao had already begun guiding him, while Little Marten had yet to show his face.

Therefore, it was perfectly understandable that Lin Dong was currently unable to keep up with his progress.

"You lot, come over and eat!"

As they stood there, Liu Yan called out from the house. It turned out that while they were sparring, she had finished preparing the meal.

Lin Yan and the others went inside to eat.

The atmosphere during the meal was harmonious and joyful. Although Lin Yan was not strictly family to them, they seemed to view him as one of their own, making no distinction between them.

In fact, Liu Yan was particularly doting toward Lin Yan.

As soon as the dishes were served, she placed the best pieces of meat into Lin Yan's bowl, making even Qing Tan feel a bit jealous.

"Mother! Am I your biological daughter or not? You didn't give me any!"

The family burst into laughter, and then Lin Xiao stood up and placed a piece of meat into both Qing Tan's and Lin Dong's bowls: "If your mother won't give you any, your father will."

"Father is still the best," Qing Tan said with a giggle.

This pleasant meal lasted for nearly an hour before it concluded.

Since the meat of the demonic beasts was quite rare and the food was delicious, Lin Yan and the others savored every bite.

Of course, the most important part was the warm, familial atmosphere; after all, sometimes, the atmosphere itself is a rare delicacy.

Afterward, Lin Yan practiced as usual.

Over the next few days, he continued to refine his Eight Extremities Collapse and successfully broke through to the Great Completion stage.

"Eight Extremities Collapse!"

In the mountains behind the Lin Clan, Lin Yan struck a massive boulder with his fist. A fierce, surging force erupted from his knuckles, and under the impact of this power, the giant rock was soon shattered into pieces.

"Not bad, not bad!"

"My young friend, your Eight Extremities Collapse has reached Great Completion. Your fist now contains formidable Yuan Power and force; it is truly powerful."

"If you can go a step further and cultivate the hidden force, allowing the eight layers of hidden force to stack, then your Eight Extremities Collapse will truly reach perfection!"

Yao Lao's voice sounded from the side. He expressed his thoughts, his gaze filled with surprise as he looked at Lin Yan. After all, Lin Yan had only been practicing this technique for a few months, and he hadn't expected him to reach Great Completion so quickly. Even though this wasn't the first time he had witnessed such terrifying talent, he still felt a sense of shame.

"It is mostly thanks to the expert guidance of Senior Yao Lao."

Lin Yan remained as humble as ever as he replied.

"Little friend, there is no need to be humble."

"I merely showed you the way; the rest is mostly due to your own extraordinary talent."

Yao Lao shook his head with a smile, knowing better than anyone just how formidable Lin Yan's talent truly was.

Hearing this, Lin Yan said nothing more, simply striking out with a palm that executed the Eight Desolations Palm, which he had already cultivated to perfection.

This was a Grade 2 martial art of the Lin Clan.

However, for Lin Yan, who had already mastered the Eight Extremities Collapse, such a technique was child's play, making it effortless for him to learn.

"Tomorrow is the Clan Gathering."

"Since that's the case, I'll relax this afternoon. I'll take Lin Dong and Qing Tan fishing."

Lin Yan ceased his cultivation, went home to grab his fishing rod, and set off with Lin Dong and Qing Tan.

Qing Tan was naturally delighted; as long as she could be with Lin Yan, she always felt incredibly happy.

Lin Dong, however, was left between laughter and tears. With the Clan Gathering tomorrow, this was a critical moment where one should be cramming in extra cultivation.

He hadn't expected Brother Lin Yan to be so relaxed.

Should he say, as expected of him?

Still, Lin Dong didn't want to be a killjoy. Despite his inner helplessness, he agreed and went along to fish.

The next day, as the morning light broke through the shackles of the clouds and cast itself upon the land, the Lin Clan erupted into an instant clamor.

A crowd of Lin Clan disciples arrived early at the grounds, preparing for the day's Clan Gathering.

Lin Yan was not late either; after a simple breakfast, he arrived at the venue.

But Lin Yan had not expected that the incident of him repelling Lin Hong would be known by so many people.

As soon as he entered the venue today, he noticed many people whispering about him.

"Lin Yan is here."

"I heard it was him who repelled Lin Hong last time."

"How impressive! I never expected him to hide his strength so deeply."

"But I heard Lin Hong has broken through again and is now at the Seventh Layer of Body Tempering. I wonder if he is still a match for Lin Hong."