Lin Dong, the Avenger's Scapegoat

The three contestants watched this scene and seemed to understand something.

All their cheeks flushed crimson.

As the defending champion, Chen Xuan had long since prepared himself and was waiting.

Lin Dong, just wait!

My revenge had begun!

A moment later, the eager contestants stepped onto the stage one by one, challenging Chen Xuan's authority.

That night, Shi Haotian and Xia Wan Jin stood guard outside the Ten Thousand Gold Inn.

No one was allowed to get too close.

This sight also sparked plenty of speculation.

"City Lord Shi and President Xia are actually willing to serve as guards. Just who is staying inside?"

"City Lord Shi is a Form Creation Realm expert! What kind of terrifying figure could make him willingly stand guard?"

"Wait, could it be that young man from this afternoon?"

"Impossible!"

"Right! If it really is that young man, I'll cut off my head and let you use it as a chamber pot!"

"Let's wait for one night!"

"That's right. Wait one night, and we'll know tomorrow morning!"

And so, a group of people really did wait near the Ten Thousand Gold Inn for the entire night.

Until early the next morning.

They saw a young man barely in his teens walk out of the inn.

The next second.

Everyone's jaws dropped.

They saw—

Shi Haotian and Xia Wan Jin actually bow to him respectfully.

They looked as though they were awaiting his orders.

What was going on?

One was a city lord, and the other was the president of the Ten Thousand Gold Commerce Association. Why were they bowing to a young man?

Wait, could the commotion near the inn last night have been caused by him?

The crowd turned to look strangely at the inn's second floor.

There.

Three delicate figures.

Leaning against one another, stood by the window.

They smiled and waved farewell to the young man below.

Faintly, the crowd noticed that Xuan Su, Shi Ziyue, and Xia Zhilan's faces seemed to carry an extra moist glow today.

They also seemed to possess a little more of the lingering charm of married women.

Wait!

Could it be...

By the time everyone came back to their senses, the young man had already vanished.

Damn it, had that guy defiled all three beauties of Yan City?!

At the entrance of the Ten Thousand Gold Inn.

Shi Haotian stood on tiptoe and craned his neck. "Old Xia, what did he give you?"

"Don't you have one too?"

Xia Wan Jin asked cautiously.

"But they aren't the same. I want to take a look."

"It's a Creation Martial Art."

Shi Haotian froze for a moment before taking out a secret manual as well. "Mine is also a Creation Martial Art."

Two Creation Martial Arts?

This...

That was far too generous!

Just who was he?

Even the Four Great Clans of the Great Yan Dynasty probably did not possess such wealth of resources!

In fact, it was not just them.

Xuan Su, Xia Zhilan, and Shi Ziyue had all received gifts upon meeting him, and every one of them was exceedingly valuable.

Chen Xuan had drawn these gifts in the lottery before.

He had already mastered all the cultivation arts and martial arts anyway.

Keeping the manuals served no purpose.

It was the perfect chance to give them away and ruthlessly earn another wave of emotion points from the three women.

Even after Chen Xuan had flown far away, notifications of the three women generating emotion points continued ringing in his ears.

He got the women, and he got the emotion points too.

He had made a killing!

And his destination for this journey.

Was the Mist Forest.

He vaguely remembered that Lin Dong would meet the father and daughter of the Jiang Family from Great Eagle City there.

There, he would learn that the Great Desolate Ancient Tablet was about to open.

Only then would he head there and, through absurdly good luck, obtain the key to activating the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.

That would lay the foundation for acquiring the Devouring Ancestral Symbol later on!

What Chen Xuan needed to do now was cut off Lin Dong's path to opportunity!

Then, he would slowly take his revenge on him!

He would make him break down in despair!

At the same time.

In Great Yang Prefecture, atop a large tree in a dense forest.

Lin Dong withdrew his spiritual power and asked Little Marten, "Thunder Source Crystal Beast... what is that?"

Little Marten said in surprise, "I never expected such a demonic beast to exist in a place like this!"

Lin Dong was startled. "Is this kind of demonic beast very rare?"

"It is a demonic beast that feeds on lightning, and its strength is incredibly formidable. However, every time it advances, it goes through an extremely weakened period."

Little Marten rubbed his chin with his furry paw.

Lin Dong asked blankly, "What use is it?"

Little Marten continued, "A Thunder Source Crystal Beast has a thunder source within its body, containing pure lightning energy. Not only can it help you cultivate the Bronze Thunder Body and increase your spiritual power, it might even help you enter the Form Creation Realm!"

If he succeeded, Lin Dong might even have a chance to transform his Yuan Power into lightning.

The power of that would be utterly terrifying!

Just as Lin Dong's heart stirred and he was eager to try.

Little Marten poured cold water on him. "Ordinary Thunder Source Crystal Beasts are as strong as Qi Creation Realm cultivators. Powerful ones can even rival Creation Realm experts. With your strength..."

Cannon fodder?

Lin Dong froze for a moment, then clenched his fists.

A sly look appeared on his face.

"It's fine. If I can't defeat the Thunder Source Crystal Beast alone, aren't those people still around?"

He had it all planned out.

Once the Di Family and Liu Family made their move against it.

He would reap the benefits like a fisherman!

Little Marten could not help rolling his eyes. "Kid, don't fail to become the fisherman and end up getting eaten as a little shrimp instead."

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

Lin Dong recalled that fleeting pleasure with Ling Qingzhu in the ancient tomb, and his fists tightened.

He had said that he would stand before her again.

And tell her loudly.

That any woman he had slept with would definitely be his!

Now, he was working hard toward his first goal: defeating Lin Langtian.

Lin Dong looked into the distance.

A resolute gleam surfaced in his eyes.

This thunder source...

He was determined to get it!

However.

A few days later.

Before he could even act.

The entire forest near Thunder Source Mountain became restless.

Inside a tent in the forest.

There were many experts gathered.

A scout rushed in, panicked yet still respectful.

"Patriarch, the Thunder Source Crystal Beast... the Thunder Source Crystal Beast is gone."

The white-bearded old man abruptly rose to his feet. "Impossible!"

The scout smiled bitterly. "It's absolutely true. The Di Family is also searching all over the mountains for traces of the Thunder Source Crystal Beast."

The white-bearded old man said coldly, "Pass down the order. Have everyone search around Thunder Source Mountain. If you encounter anyone else, no matter who they are, kill them on the spot!"

"Yes!"

The many experts in the tent mobilized in full force.

At the Di Family.

All their experts set out as well.

And Lin Dong, who had been hiding in the shadows and preparing to reap the benefits, was also dumbfounded.

Lin Dong's expression was strange. "Little Marten, didn't you say that Thunder Source Crystal Beast was roughly as strong as someone at great completion of the Qi Creation Realm? Who could take it away without a sound?"

As soon as he said that.

Before Little Marten could speak.

Lin Dong seemed to recall something. "Could the Di Family and Liu Family be putting on an act?"

Little Marten shook his head. "Impossible. Even if it is only a Thunder Source Crystal Beast at the Qi Creation Realm, it is still not something those two families can handle."

The weakened period Little Marten had sensed for the Thunder Source Crystal Beast had not yet arrived.

The strongest members of those two families were only at Form Creation Realm Lesser Completion. Capturing the Thunder Source Crystal Beast without difficulty would be harder than ascending to heaven!

How could they steal it?

With their lives?

Even if they threw away the lives of everyone in both families, they might not be able to pull it off so easily.

Lin Dong frowned. "Then who could it be?"