Chapter 185: Saved
The elderly man in grey stood atop a round grey disc with his hands behind his back, and his long beard floating in the wind. A powerful heart palpitating aura slowly spread out from his body, causing the Yuan Power surrounding him to vibrate.
At this moment, Wang Yan had already received and put on some clothes from the elderly man in grey, but he still appeared a little ragged. Originally, with his strength and the might of the Great Luo Golden Spear, he would not be pushed to this sorry state by the Symbol Puppet. However, he was a little spent after the intense battle with Lin Dong previously, and most importantly, he had actually underestimated the Symbol Puppet as an ordinary opponent. His formidable spear attack had drilled through the Symbol Puppet's heart, an attack that should have been fatal…unfortunately, the Symbol Puppet did not have a heart. It did not have the same weaknesses a human had.
Hence, in that short moment when Wang Yan relaxed, an extremely ferocious attack was released by the Symbol Puppet. Unable to protect himself, he was directly hit, and the resulting injuries were not light.
"Elder Shen, kill this brat!"
After putting on the clothes, Wang Yan's expression was exceptionally dark. The elder beside him was sent by the clan to protect him, after all, his position in the Wang Clan was not low, hence it was normal for him to enjoy some special privileges. However, due to the agreement between the four great clans, the elder had not revealed himself in the tomb.
In his trip this time to stop Lin Dong, Wang Yan had also thought of directly letting elder Shen swiftly dispatch the former. However, after some consideration, Wang Yan decided to personally undertake this task in the end. The reason behind this was simple: he did not believe that taking care of Lin Dong would be difficult at all.
As a Form Creation stage practitioner, and with the high-grade Soul Treasure, the Great Luo Golden Spear, in his hands, even within the Form Creation stage, his battle power was extremely high. How could he possibly fail to take care of a mere perfect Yuan Dan stage practitioner with this kind of strength?
Of course, the final cruel outcome gave him the answer to this question. This unremarkable looking kid was truly not easy to deal with…
Upon hearing Wang Yan's furious voice, the elderly man known as elder Shen let out a soft chuckle. Soon after, his gaze swept over Lin Dong as he smile and said: "To think that you were actually able to push young master Wang Yan to this step at the perfect Yuan Dan stage, this the first time in many years this old man has seen such a sight."
Lin Dong wore a severe expression, as his hand tightly gripped onto the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd, while he controlled the Symbol Puppet to stand guard at his side. He had already used all his cards against Wang Yan, and this old man's strength had reached the Qi Creation stage. If the old man stepped in, Lin Dong knew that the outcome was bleak for him.
However, no matter how difficult it was to defeat his opponent, he would at least not give up so easily!
"Hand over your Soul Treasure, bind yourself and let young master Wang Yan personally handle the rest." The elderly man in grey stroked his beard as he smiled and dully said.
Lin Dong coldly laughed in his heart, ignoring the old man's words, his foot stepped on the sword as he hastily retreated. While he retreated, his sleeve flung out, as another two thousand Pure Yuan pills entered the Symbol Puppet's body.
"Hai."
Upon seeing that Lin Dong insisted on escaping, the elderly man in grey also softly sighed. His body flashed, as several after images appeared in the sky, while he chased Lin Dong at an extremely frightening speed.
When the elderly man gave chase, Lin Dong's mind moved, and a bronze glow once again erupted from the Symbol Puppet, as it violently charged at the former.
"A mere middle ranked Symbol Puppet will not be able to save you!" As he watched the Symbol Puppet dashing over, the elderly man let out an icy laugh. His gnarled hands suddenly extended, as a ferocious Yuan Power gushed forth, directly transforming into a small Yuan Power mountain that was dozens of meters large, before smashing downwards, firmly crushing the Symbol Puppet to the ground.
At the sight of the Symbol Puppet being subdued in a single blow, Lin Dong felt a chill in his heart. Was this the true power of a Qi Creation stage practitioner? It was indeed way stronger than the Form Creation stage.
"Bang!"
His figure rapidly retreated, as Lin Dong tried to control the Symbol Puppet to struggle free of the small Yuan Power mountain. At this time, the latter's body had already dimmed once again, as it had evidently used up quite a lot of Yuan Power. Lin Dong could only softly sigh as he kept reaching into his Qiankun bag. Meanwhile his gaze rapidly flickered, and his mind furiously tried to come up with a plan of escape.
Upon seeing Lin Dong retrieve the Symbol Puppet, the elderly man in grey did not stop him. With a cold laugh, his palm extended out again. Yuan Power converged and once again formed a small Yuan Power mountain. This time however, it directly flew towards Lin Dong
The small Yuan Power mountain whizzed downwards, bringing with it an intense sonic boom that would cause an intense pain in one's eardrums.
This kind of attack was even more powerful than when Wang Yan used the Great Luo Golden Spear!
"Lin Dong, transform three thousand Pure Yuan pills into Yuan Power and pour it into the Stone Talisman!" At this critical moment, the small marten's voice urgently sounded out in Lin Dong's mind.
Upon hearing this, Lin Dong gently gritted his teeth. Without any hesitation, his mind flicked as Pure Yuan pulls continuously gushed out of his Qiankun bag, before finally shooting into his palm. Meanwhile, a suction force also erupted from the Stone Talisman, which gobbled up all the the Pure Yuan pills.
As the huge number of Pure Yuan pills poured into the Stone Talisman, Lin Dong felt an extremely powerful energy shockwave swiftly spread out from within.
"Buzz buzz!"
When the shockwave spread out, a purplish black Qi suddenly gushed out from Lin Dong's palm, before quickly gathering together in mid-air. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a purplish black vortex that was about a dozen meters large.
"Tch ch!"
Once the vortex formed, the small Yuan Power mountain arrived. When the two forces touched, waves of terrifying corrosive power immediately dispersed from the vortex. Under this corrosive power, the small Yuan Power mountain gradually crumbled.
When he saw that even this small Yuan Power mountain formed by a Qi Creation stage expert was directly corroded by the small marten, Lin Dong was taken aback. This fellow was truly extraordinary.
"Don't depend on me. Right now, I am still too weak and it's too strenuous to fight against a Qi Creation stage expert. At this rate, I will be exhausted in no time. Let's hurry and escape…" While Lin Dong was delighted, the small marten panted as its voice sounded out inside his mind.
When he heard these words, Lin Dong's elated heart quickly turned cold, as he shook his head helplessly. It seems like the small marten was just a paper tiger…
"Oh?" The elderly man dressed in grey robes was also shocked by this situation. Promptly, he stared somewhat seriously at Lin Dong and said: "I did not expect that you still had such strange methods…"
"However, this old man want to see whether you can withstand this attack!" After he finished speaking, the elderly man leapt into mid-air, as the grey disc below his feet began to howl. Then, it started to swirl manically, as an exceptionally formidable blade of light began to spin around the disc.
"Shining Black Blade, slice through the heavens!"
As the grey disc swirled manically, even though they were separated by hundreds of feet, Lin Dong could still feel a stinging sensation on his skin. In fact, the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd in his hand also began to tremble; it must have sensed the immense incoming danger.
"Go!"
The elderly man in grey did not give Lin Dong any time to run away. As he stared at the latter, his finger suddenly jutted forth. Then, that black disc began to rotate at an even faster rate, before it exploded towards Lin Dong at, so fast that one could not see it with the naked eye.
Lin Dong's eyes could only see a grey flash flit across the sky. Then, he began to feel fine cuts on his skin that seemed to be caused by the wind from that formidable force. Meanwhile, drops of fresh blood began to surface on his body.
Faced with this attack, a feeling of danger filled Lin Dong's heart. With a flick of his mind, vigorous Mental Energy immediately gushed forth and formed layer after layer of Mental Energy barriers before him.
At the same time, some purplish black lights once again shot out from his palm. They quickly gathered together and ruthlessly collided with the glowing black disc.
"Ch!"
When that purplish black light collided with the glowing black disc, this time, it did not achieve much effect. Its corrosive power was only able to slow down the glowing black disc slightly, before it was forcefully split apart.
"Bang bang!"
After it broke free of the purplish black light, the glowing black disc's speed was slightly reduced. However, it still dashed towards Lin Dong at a terrifying pace. Meanwhile, the layers of Mental Energy barriers did not accomplish much as well, as they were easily destroyed in seconds.
As he stared at that glowing black disc that was rapidly magnifying in his eyes, Lin Dong tightly gripped onto the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd in his hand, as he prepared to make his final stand. However, wind suddenly echoed out beside his ear, as a green light swept forth from the corner of his eyes, before it heavily clashed against the glowing black disc.
Though that green light seemed small, when it collided with the disc, an extremely formidable energy exploded forth. The black glowing disc that Lin Dong and small marten were unable to handle together, was directly blown back by the green light.
The sudden arrival of this aid stunned Lin Dong and the elderly man dressed in grey robes. Both of them hurriedly turned to look at that green light, only to see it transform into a green lotus petal as the light scattered.
After deflecting the glowing black disc, before Lin Dong had time to react, another green light flashed forth and directly enveloped his body. Amidst the sounds of wind blowing, he could sense a faint heart palpitating fragrance stealthily emerging.
When he saw that Lin Dong was being rescued, that elderly man's face suddenly changed. Just as he planned to give chase, Wang Yan's voice suddenly sounded out: "There's no need to go after them."
The elderly man was stunned, as he turned to face Wang Yan, whose face was now a little gloomy. His eyebrows furrowed, as he asked: "Does young master Wang Yan know who that was?"
Wang Yan's facial expression was in flux. Promptly, he turned to leave, leaving behind some ice-cold words.
"If she wants to save him, you cannot stop her!"
Chapter 186: Chat on the Mountaintop
The mountain winds were biting cold. Lin Dong gazed at the graceful and beautiful figure before him which stood at the edge of the cliff, as a soft breeze brushed over, causing her fine black hair to gently flutter, creating a free and elegant look.
With regards to this sudden aid, Lin Dong was evidently extremely astonished. Never did he imagine that this woman, who was full of murderous intent just a while back, would actually come and save him on her own accord.
"Cough…"
The silence on the mountaintop lasted for a long time, before Lin Dong finally let out a dry cough and clasped his hands together: "Many thanks to miss Ling Qingzhu for helping me."
"I saved you only because I want to kill you."
Just as Lin Dong's voice rang out, a soft and indifferent reply caused his expression to turn awkward. Soon after, he bitterly laughed and said: "Isn't that overdoing it a little?"
Ling Qingzhu did not reply. She gazed at the mountains in the distance, while her clear eyes remained ice-cold. However, under that icy coldness, was an extremely faint ripple. Moments later, she turned and looked at the youngster as she said: "You are too weak."
There was no contempt in her voice, only an undeniable fact.
"No one started out strong." Under those clear yet cold pupils, Lin Dong sighed as he slowly said.
"Two years later, you still won't be Lin Langtian's match. Your challenge towards him is meaningless and merely nothing more than a loser trying to show off with some impressive final words." Ling Qingzhu said in an indifferent manner.
Upon hearing Ling Qingzhu's words, Lin Dong's expression instantly darkened. Perhaps because of some unexplainable matters of the heart, he was able to remain calm despite Wang Yan's and the rest's disdainful sneers. However, standing before Ling Qingzhu, the first woman whom he had intimate relations of the flesh with, he was unable to bear these words.
"I will defeat him two years later!" Lin Dong deeply breathed in, staring at Ling Qingzhu as he slowly uttered each word.
Ling Qingzhu gazed at the youngster, whose eyes were filled with an incomparable stubbornness and an unwavering determination, as if she was unable to understand where he drew his confidence from. Moments later, her eyelashes moved slightly as she tilted her head and said: "I've saved you this time only because I want you to promise me one thing."
"What happened in the old tomb will forever rot in your stomach, and can never be known. In fact, even you must pretend it had never happened!"
Upon hearing the coldness in Ling Qingzhu's voice, Lin Dong did not know why but the blood in his body suddenly felt as if it was about to surge, as he clenched his fist so tightly that creaking noises sounded out. He had long anticipated this, however, the heart of a youth after all contained various kinds of unrealistic and immature fantasies.
Yet, at the same time, he also clearly understood that Ling Qingzhu was not a woman who would give her heart and body to someone who had taken her. This woman was too prideful and it was very difficult to imagine if there would ever be a man who she would fancy in this world. In fact, Lin Dong believed that the two of them would never have crossed paths, if it were not for what had happened in the old tomb.
She was a phoenix that soared in the skies, and Lin Dong was merely a young wolf, which was still running towards the path of power. Even if they somehow met by chance, he could never hope that the phoenix would pause and stay by his side.
Lin Dong clearly understood all of this, yet, even though he understood, accepting it was not easy. Although this youngster knew how to endure patiently, he likewise had an extremely strong self-esteem. He was able to bear the humiliation he had suffered under Lin Langtian, but it was very difficult for him to maintain an indifferent attitude in the face of Ling Qingzhu's serene tone.
From a certain point of view, the latter affected him so much more.
"Because I am weak?"
"Even if you were Lin Langtian, my words would not change." Ling Qingzhu's eyes slightly lowered, but her tone remained undisturbed.
"If I am stronger than Lin Langtian?!" Lin Dong abruptly raised his head and firmly stared at Ling Qingzhu.
"Are you courting death?"
Ling Qingzhu's long, shapely eyebrows slightly knitted together, as her ice-cold voice sounded out: "If you continue, I will kill you right here. Don't think that I do not dare!"
"Don't be under the impression that I am dishonoring you. If what happened between us was even the least bit exposed, don't even bother mentioning yourself, even the entire Lin Clan will definitely be completely exterminated. If you are not a fool, you should know why it cannot be. No matter how much willpower you have, some things are absolutely impossible! As a person, assess your capabilities and act accordingly!"
Upon hearing Lin Qingzhu's icy voice as she spoke those last few words, Lin Dong looked up to the sky and deeply breathed in. A long time later, he finally replied in a low voice: "I will not mention what happened between us in the tomb to anyone…perhaps you might find this beneath contempt, but the fact remains that you've saved my life today. This debt will be repaid by Lin Dong in the future!"
"If you want to return this debt, talk about it again when you possess the qualifications to participate in the Hundred Empire War." Ling Qingzhu cast a glance at Lin Dong, before she elegantly turned around and gracefully left.
"Hundred Empire War?" Lin Dong was stunned.
"When you have truly surpassed Lin Langtian, you will naturally have the qualifications to know what it is. However, if you cannot even reach this point, your willpower and arguments will be nothing more than useless drivel and a joke."
"If I can rise above the others in the Hundred Empire War, will I have the qualifications?!" Lin Dong seemed to have sensed something from Ling Qingzhu's slight change in tone. He immediately raised his head, and stared at the exceptional figure atop the green lotus, as he said in a low voice.
He believed that Ling Qingzhu should understand what qualifications he was talking about.
Sure enough, Lin Qingzhu's beautiful figure slightly paused. She was silent for quite some time, before she replied in an indifferent manner: "Just barely enough. However, I do not believe that you will reach that point. This is not contempt but merely being realistic. Regardless of whether you accept it, it will not change."
Lin Dong stared unwaveringly at the beautiful figure which seemed to be made from all the spirits of heaven and earth. His eyes suddenly turned extremely passionate and unbridled: "That day will come. At that time, I will once again stand before you and tell you that, a woman that I've slept with will definitely be mine!"
The youngster's suddenly fearlessness and unbridled manner directly caused the beautiful figure to turn rigid. One could imagine how wonderful the view of that absolutely beautiful face under the veil would be.
"Bang!"
Sure enough, Lin Dong's wanton words drew a palm of green light, which ruthlessly slammed into his chest, smashing him into a boulder, such that even a trail of blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth. However, Lin Dong did not seem to be in pain at all, and instead heartily laughed out.
"I will only allow such blind and foolish words before you have truly reached the stage that you have spoken of this one time. Or else the consequences will not be offset by a single palm. I have already shown the utmost mercy to you, if you push this any further, I will kill you."
The exceptional figure on the green lotus slightly tilted her head, gazing at the youngster who was practically embedded in the boulder, whose gaze remained as passionate and stubborn as before. An extremely faint disturbance suddenly surfaced in those clear eyes.
"Lin Dong, I hope that you will not be this weak the next time we meet. A truly strong person is not all talk."
A soft voice hovered about the mountaintop, as the green lotus started to glow. Soon after, it transformed into a green light under Lin Dong's gaze and swept towards the horizon. In a few breaths, it completely disappeared.
Gazing at the light as it disappeared into the horizon, Lin Dong deeply breathed in, before leaping off the cliff. He spit out the bloody foam in his mouth; the woman's palm attack seemed to be heavy, but it was clearly also within the limits. Or else, it would not be so simple as spitting out one or two mouthfuls of blood for him.
"Kid, you've indeed been clouded by lust. If that woman was truly angered, you would not survive even if you had nine lives." The small marten appeared before him and let out a strange laughter.
"Then, should I hold it in? What if I explode from doing so?" Lin Dong chuckled as he stared at the spot where Ling Qingzhu had disappeared, before he said: "When I meet her next time, I will honorably tear off her veil."
"Bold, heh. However, it is a little difficult to achieve. To honorably tear off that woman's veil is much more difficult than defeating Lin Langtian." The small marten straightened its claws, not holding back as it spoke: "Although I do not know the identity of that woman, it should be somewhat extraordinary. A poor brat like you is too unskilled to pick up a woman like that."
Lin Dong softly chuckled, as he ignored the small marten's insult. Regardless of how powerful and incredible Ling Qingzhu's status was, he would not give up so easily.
She did not believe that he would be able to reach that step, then Lin Dong would prove her wrong in the end!
Even if this required a huge amount of sacrifice and hardwork, Lin Dong would not regret it at all. After all, everyone only gets one shot at life, if one lives life without ambition, one would have wasted it!
Hence, Lin Dong's goal was that once he became a truly strong practitioner, he would once again stand before her. He did not want to prove anything to her out of hot bloodedness, rather he wanted to show her that the young man she had rejected years before on that mountaintop, had reversed her words!
Perhaps this kind of thinking and goal seemed too absurd for now. However, Lin Dong would not give up.
"Don't think too far into the future. Be realistic kid. This time, in order to escape, you used eleven thousand Pure Yuan pills. Right now, you have only ten thousand left…"
While Lin Dong was staring into the horizon, the small marten's causal words suddenly caused his face to stiffen. An extreme heartache gushed out in his heart, eleven thousand…
"That son of a b*tch!"
The number of Pure Yuan pills on his hands had shrunk. This heartache caused Lin Dong to grit his teeth as he cursed Wang Yan countless times. How could this be a battle, it was practically using money to beat others!
"Thankfully, we managed to snatch that fellow's Qiankun bag. His status in the Wang Clan is pretty high, so he should be quite wealthy…"
While his heart was aching, Lin Dong suddenly remembered the Qiankun bag he had snatched from Wang Yan. He hurriedly took it out and started flipping through it. He wanted to find out just how wealthy that fellow was!
"You had better not cause me to suffer a loss!"
Lin Dong gritted his teeth and uttered as he opened the Qiankun bag.
Chapter 187: Harvest
On the mountain top, the pain on Lin Dong's face gradually dissipated as he flipped through that Qiankun bag. In its place was a delighted expression. Evidently, the earnings this time were greater than his expenditure.
The wealth that Wang Yan possessed had far exceeded Lin Dong's expectations. Just the number of Pure Yuan pills inside that Qiankun bag alone, had reached twenty thousand. This gigantic fortune was enough to cause anyone to smack their lips. This Wang Clan was indeed extremely wealthy. Even a younger generation member would have such a huge sum of money on hand, a truly envious situation.
"It's no wonder those fellows were not interested in the Pure Yuan pills inside the old tomb. Everyone indeed leads different lives…"
Lin Dong softly sighed as he kept all of these Pure Yuan pills. Then, as he continued to rummage with his hand, he found an old manual with a faint golden glow. On its yellowish cover, were a few golden words.
"Subduing Golden Platform Magic Palm!"
Lin Dong blinked as he recalled that golden stage-like martial art Wang Yan had displayed, as a fire lit up in his eyes. He had personally experienced the might of the Subduing Golden Platform Magic Palm, and it was truly formidable. A golden platform made from condensed Yuan Power; once it was executed, the force behind it was practically able to turn mountains and flip seas, no one would dare to block.
"Grade seven Martial Arts."
Lin Dong flipped open that old manual as he browsed its contents, and lightly nodded his head. Grade seven, this was considered as an upper ranked Martial Arts. In fact, even though there was only a single grade of difference between a grade six and a grade seven Martial Arts, the gap between them was huge. One was middle ranked while the other was upper ranked. Hence, it was not difficult for one to deduce the disparity between them.
Furthermore, after Lin Dong had personally experienced the might of this Subduing Golden Platform Magic Palm, truthfully, he was deeply yearned for it in his heart. However, he never imagined that he would actually obtain it today.
"I shall keep it!'
With regards to such a treasure, Lin Dong had no reason not to accept it. He grinned and chuckled, as he unceremoniously kept it into his clothes. As his strength grew, the Martial Arts that Lin Dong had learnt previously now seemed somewhat lacking. Even the Wonder Gate Seal was unable to accomplish much against a Creation stage practitioner.
For example, in the previous battle against Wang Yan, the Wonder Gate Seal had failed to achieve anything. Ultimately, it was still limited by the the Martial Art itself. Hence, it was difficult for it to accomplish anything against someone stronger than Lin Dong like Wang Yan.
Furthermore, even though Lin Dong had obtained a genuine upper ranked Martial Art from the tomb's owner, this Martial Art was most effective only when used in combination with the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd.
Since Lin Dong had yet to reach the Form Creation stage, he had yet to understand the power of Form Creation. Therefore, this would affect the power of the Ancient Heavenly Scales technique. As such, this Subduing Golden Platform Magic Palm would help to make up for some of his current shortcomings.
Grade seven Martial Art. Even though it was merely the beginning of upper ranked Martial Arts, it was already pretty formidable. Even amongst the entire Wang Clan, not everyone had the qualifications to learn this level of martial art.
After he kept the 'Subduing Golden Platform Magic Palm', Lin Dong once again found some unique metal objects inside Wang Yan's Qiankun bag. When he saw how well preserved these items were, he guessed that they were fairly rare.
"Hmm, you are pretty lucky. Some of these rare metals are the materials needed to refine the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd." The small marten looked at them as it smiled.
"Oh, that's right. How do I upgrade this Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd to a high-grade Soul Treasure?" When the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd was mentioned, Lin Dong suddenly remembered, as he hurriedly asked.
When he was fighting with Wang Yan, Lin Dong clearly experienced just how powerful a high-grade Soul Treasure was. In fact, even the Soul Puppet's sturdy body was directly pierced through by it. Hence, its might was truly astonishing. This time, if it were not for the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd and the Symbol Puppet, he would have most likely died at the hands of that fellow.
"We still lack some materials. Moreover, a Soul Treasure can only be refined by a Soul Symbol Master. It will likely be a while before we can upgrade the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd to a high-grade Soul Treasure." The small marten answered.
"Reaching the Soul Symbol Master…"
When he heard these words, Lin Dong's face was slightly stiff as he shook his head helpless. He had no choice but to temporarily suppress this matter in his heart. After all, it would still be quite some time before he advanced to the Soul Symbol Master level.
After he kept these unique metal materials, Lin Dong continued to rummage for a while. However, he did not encounter any more extraordinary items, and soon, he decided to give up and organize everything. When he discovered the total harvest, it was still pretty decent.
"Heh, at least I did not suffer a loss!" As he patted his inflated Qiankun bag, Lin Dong smiled in satisfaction.
"Kid, just that Subduing Golden Platform Magic Palm and those special metal materials are enough for you to spend all those Pure Yuan pills. Furthermore, you even received twenty thousand more Pure Yuan pills. This time, you have hugely profited." The small marten curled its lips as it said.
Lin Dong smiled as he stood up and said: "Let's head back to Yan City. This time, we will likely be gone for a long period of time. Some problem need to be settled first."
The problems that he was referring to was naturally the Blood Wolf Gang. Right now, the Lin Family had already firmly established themselves in Yan City. However, they were still lacking compared to a major faction like the Blood Wolf Gang. However, the grudge between the Blood Wolf Gang and the Lin Family was quite heavy. Thus, he did not feel at ease with such a huge problem beside his Lin Family.
Since he wanted to leave, he must clean up all these problems!
"Swoosh!"
Lin Dong's foot tapped off the mountaintop, as a blade appeared below his feet. His figure swept forward as a whistle was swiftly released from his mouth. In the woods below, a tiger's roar sounded out as a fiery-red shadow dashed out from within the woods.
Lin Dong's figure gently floated onto Little Flame's back. With a gentle pat, the latter was just like an arrow, as it dashed towards Yan City.
…
When Lin Dong had arrived at Yan City, it was already evening. Once he entered the city, he realized that the atmosphere inside was strange. Several people were rushing through the streets, and the direction there were headed in was the same. They were headed for the center of the city.
"This is going to be exciting. There will be an all-out battle between the Blood Wolf Gang and the Thousand Gold Association…
While Lin Dong was puzzled, a few stealth whispers sounded out from the passerbys.
"Have they started?" When he heard these words, Lin Dong suddenly had a flash of understanding, however, he was not too surprised. After the Blood Wolf Gang had tried to ambush the Thousand Gold Association, they would not let this matter go easily. Therefore, a huge battle was naturally bound to occur once they returned.
When regards to the war that had erupted between both parties, Lin Dong was not too worried. The Thousand Gold Association was rich and powerful. If they fought, they would not lose out to the Blood Wolf Gang. However, since they were both a part of the top three factions in Yan City, a stalemate would be unavoidable.
"It's not going to be fun. In my opinion, the Thousand Gold Association is doomed. Based on my insider news, the Blood Wolf Gang has exhausted nearly all their financial resources to invite the two heads of Black Python Mountain this time. Both these individuals are at the perfect Yuan Dan stage. A long time ago, when Yue Shan had yet to establish the Blood Wolf Gang in Yan City, he had a reasonably good relationship with them. Furthermore, since he had paid them lavishly, these two heads from the Black Python Mountain would definitely assist him!"
"Indeed. Right now, the Blood Wolf Gang has reportedly surrounded the headquarters of the Thousand Gold Association. It seems like the Thousand Gold Association was not as well prepared as the Blood Wolf Gang. Or else, based on their financial resources, they should still be able to invite reinforcements."
However, as this information flashed across Lin Dong's mind, a person nearby smiled and said towards the person beside him.
"Black Python Mountain?"
When he heard these words, Lin Dong's footsteps suddenly paused as he furrowed his eyebrows. He did not expect that Yue Shan was so well-connected and was still able to secure reinforcements at such a time. Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seems like he intended to put his life on the line for this fight. If he truly managed to defeat the Thousand Gold Association, the status of the Blood Wolf Gang in Yan City would soar.
Even the Thousand Gold Association would find it extremely difficult resist the combined forces of three perfect Yuan Dan stage practitioners. Although they could hire reinforcements, it would still take time to prepare. Based on the Blood Wolf Gang's actions, it seems like Yue Shan had long finished preparations even before he attempted to ambush the Thousand Gold Association at Sky Flame Mountain Range.
This cunning fellow had even prepared for the worst case scenario. Therefore, one could only imagine the effort it took to hire the two heads from Black Python Mountain. It seems like this time around, they truly intended on struggling to the death against the Thousand Gold Association.
"This Yue Shan is truly a troublesome fellow…"
Lin Dong muttered to himself. This fellow was truly crafty. Within a few hundred mile radius of Yan City, there were several powerful dark factions as well. Against this kind of opponents, even the Thousand Gold Association would find it to be pretty challenging. Most importantly, in terms of viciousness and mercilessness, merchant associations like them naturally could not compare to the Blood Wolf Gang.
However, the more troubles Yue Shan caused, the more Lin Dong could not relax and leave Yan City peacefully. Else, once he returned, this entire Yan City may have been conquered by the Blood Wolf Gang. At that time, his Lin Family would naturally suffer.
This matter was something that he could not tolerate.
"I want to see if the reinforcement you have brought this time will be enough to save your life!"
As he coldly snorted in his heart, Lin Dong's palm lightly patted Little Flame. The latter released a roar, as the crowd in front hurriedly made way for them. Little Flame transformed into a fiery-red shadow, as it dashed lightning-quick across the broad streets. Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the shadow quickly disappeared.
This time, Lin Dong had made up his mind to exterminate the Blood Wolf Gang. Plus, he would definitely take Yue Shan's life!
Chapter 188: Bloody Battle
Outside the Thousand Gold Association headquarters, the usually bustling atmosphere had now been replaced by a tense air. A large menacing army tightly surrounded the area. Similarly, there were a huge number of troops inside the headquarters. The scale of this event caused one to involuntarily lick one's lips. After all, ever since the Thousand Gold Association and the Blood Wolf Gang rose to power, they had restrained one another. Hence, a fight of this scale was exceedingly rare.
Nearby, a huge crowd swarmed around to watch the action. Many people were extremely interested in the final struggle between two of Yan City's top factions. After all, they understood that this battle would reset the pecking order in Yan City.
The Blood Wolf Gang was a vicious bunch. If they defeated the Thousand Gold Association, they would not leave them with any opportunity to survive. Moreover, once the Blood Wolf Gang defeated the Thousand Gold Association, the Blood Wolf Gang's reputation would instantly soar.
"The Thousand Gold Association has miscalculated this time. Originally, they thought that it would be sufficient to recruit some of the other factions from the city. However, they never expected that their opponent would hire the two heads of that Black Python Mountain. Those two are after all perfect Yuan Dan stage practitioners."
"Yeah, those fellows from Yan City are all wimps. At first, they thought that the Blood Wolf Gang was weaker and agreed to help. Now that the Blood Wolf Gang has found reinforcements, all of them quickly switched to a neutral stance. These so-called allies of the the Thousand Gold Association are truly unreliable."
"Well, you can't blame them entirely. The fault lies with how vicious the Blood Wolf Gang was. They actually invited two perfect Yuan Dan stage practitioners to assist them in an instant. It is even said that they nearly exhausted all their reserves to hire these two fellows."
"As long as they can defeat the Thousand Gold Association, they can recoup all these losses.. Heh heh, Yue Shan is really cunning, he completely understands the principle of going all-out."
"..."
The huge crowd flooded the area around the heavily confined Thousand Gold Association. Meanwhile, silent whispers began to spread out.
While these whispers spread, at the head of the troops surrounding the Thousand Gold Association, were three men seated on horses. One of them was Yue Shan, while the other two were dressed in black and looked somewhat similar. From the looks of it, they should have some blood relations with each other.
Right now, the two of them were smiling as they looked at that luxurious Thousand Gold Association headquarters, an unconcealable greed in their eyes. The two of them loved these so-called merchant associations. After all, these fellows were not only easy to handle, but they were extremely rich.
These two were the heads from the Black Python Mountain, and they were called Han Zong and Han Sheng. Within a few hundred mile radius of Yan City, these two individuals were considered as elites. Hence, any merchant that passed through their territory would automatically hand over the road tax. In fact, their reputation did not lose out to the top three factions in Yan City. Perhaps, due to their vicious methods, their reputations may even exceed the latter's.
"Haha, don't worry. The Thousand Gold Association will not survive this day. At that time, eighty percent of everything will be yours!" When he saw their expressions, Yue Shan involuntarily laughed.
As he spoke, a malicious glint flashed across Yue Shan's eyes. Previously, his Blood Wolf Gang had been constantly bullied by the Thousand Gold Association and his territory was continuously decreasing. Thankfully, he had some connections with the underground society within a few hundred mile radius of Yan City. Though this was so, in order to hire these two fellows, he had used nearly all his wits and money. In fact, he had even promised to allocate them eighty percent of the Thousand Gold Association's fortune. Overall, this was an extremely tempting deal.
Of course, this final measure was forced by the Thousand Gold Association!
If this was not such a critical juncture, even Yue Shan did not have the determination to burn all escape paths.
"Xia Wanjin, since you want to exterminate my Blood Wolf Gang, today, I shall destroy you first!" Yue Shan stared menacingly as the Thousand Gold Association headquarters. Today, he had absolute confidence in himself. Three perfect Yuan Dan stage practitioners. Even in the entire Yan City, who could match up to this lineup?
"After I destroy the Thousand Gold Association, I will exterminate the Lin Family. That kid dared to interfere in my matters so many times, I will not forgive him!" As he recalled his originally perfect ambush that was disrupted by Lin Dong, Yue Shan's heart became enraged. If it was not for Lin Dong, how could he be forced into such a predicament.
"Sect leader, the troops are fully assembled. However, our scouts report that the Lin Family seems to have sent quite a number of helpers as well." While the menacing glint flashed across Yue Shan's eyes, a scout suddenly reported.
"A mere Lin Family dares to assist them. They must have swallowed a leopard's guts. Liu Chong, bring a group of men and stop them. No need to be merciful, kill them all!" Yue Shan abruptly turned around, as he looked at one of his advanced Yuan Dan stage subordinates and commanded.
Yes!
After hearing these words, that tall and sturdy man instantly grinned maliciously. With a wave of his hand, he commanded a small troop and departed immediately.
"Kill! Today, we will exterminate the Thousand Gold Association!"
After he sent out this small troop, Yue Shan's attention once again returned to the Thousand Gold Association. With a malicious smile, he suddenly lifted his hand and viciously swung it down. An extremely powerful roar filled with murderous intent instantly set off the tension inside the ground.
"Boom!"
After Yue Shan yelled out, the Blood Wolf Gang's troops gushed forth like a tidal wave. War cries echoed forth, as they angrily dashed towards the Thousand Gold Association headquarters, that had been fortified like a golden soup.
As they stared at that fierce battle that had begun, several of the onlookers' facial expression began to change. This Blood Wolf Gang is indeed ferocious.
However, even though the Blood Wolf Gang's attack was extremely fierce, the Thousand Gold Association's resistance was equally formidable, and they managed to forcefully keep out the Blood Wolf Gang troops without yielding a single inch.
"The two of you, it seems like the Thousand Gold Association is still quite capable. I am afraid I may require your assistance later." When he saw the Thousand Gold Association's tight defense, Yue Shan furrowed his eyebrows, as he cupped his hands towards the Han brothers and said.
"Haha, no problem. Since we have accepted your money, we will get rid of your troubles. Furthermore, brother Yue Shan and us go a long way back. Naturally, we will assist you!" When they heard his words, that Han duo laughed.
Yue Shan was all smiles as well. However, inside his heart he was gnashing his teeth. Even though he had managed to invite the two of them this time, they were indeed as dishonorable as their reputation claimed. Not only did the two of them not agree to willingly help because of their familiarity, they instead directly raised the required compensation several fold. Yet, at this juncture, Yue Shan did not dare to object and he could only silent grit his teeth and swallow the anger inside his heart.
"After I am finished with the Thousand Gold Association, it will be your turn!"
Even though they were despicable, they knew the importance of fulfilling one's end of the promise after accepting payment. Furthermore, Yue Shan had promised them riches from Thousand Gold Association which would only be received after they took care of the latter. Therefore, it was pointless for them to slack off now.
Hence, after they agreed with Yue Shan, the two of them waved their hands. Immediately, hundreds of figures swiftly followed behind. These men were all carrying large sabres on the backs and looked extremely cruel. One glance and one could tell that these were no ordinary fellows.
"Brothers, draw your blades and do it. This one job is equivalent to ten years of work!" Han Zong chuckled as he immediately led the way. As he released the forceful aura of a perfect Yuan Dan stage practitioner, a blade shadow that was several meters wide exploded forth with a formidable wind sound and heavily slashed against the main entrance of the Thousand Gold Association headquarters.
"Boom!"
Just as that blade shadow was about to hit the main door, another powerful force swept forth from within the Thousand Gold Association and heavily collided against it, successfully withstanding the attack.
A strong wind arose from the epicenter, as a figure stood atop the headquarters and stared coldly at the Han duo, before he shouted: "These two heads, my Thousand Gold Association had some dealings with you in the past, why must you drive us to such a sorry state?"
"Heh, blame your Thousand Gold Association for having too much wealth. We brothers are jealous and we want to take it!" Han Zong released a weird laugh as he signalled to Han Sheng, who was standing nearby. The two of them dashed forth simultaneously, one on the left and the other on the right as they surrounded Xia Wanjin. Based on their actions, the two of them wanted to kill Xia Wanjin together.
When they saw this sight, inside the headquarters, Xuansu's, Xia Zhilan's and the rest's facial expressions changed. If anything happened to Xia Wanjin, the morale of the Thousand Gold Association would surely plummet.
"Boom Boom!"
Three figures crossed blows in mid-air as a powerful Yuan Power shockwave spread out like a tidal wave. Faced with the two perfect Yuan Dan stage practitioners, Xia Wanjin was unable to gain much advantage. It was not long before he found himself at the losing end, barely able to cling on.
When he saw Xia Wanjin struggling, a light smile surfaced on Yue Shan's face. Three perfect Yuan Dan stage practitioners. How could a mere Thousand Gold Association resist such a formidable formation?
"Hurry up and attack. Overcome the Thousand Gold Association's defenses!" Yue Shan saw a gradual opening in the defense, as he signalled with his palm and coldly shouted out.
"Bang!"
Just as Yue Shan roared, a sudden commotion erupted from behind him. Immediately, rows of Blood Wolf Gang troops flew backwards and landed on the ground.
"What is going on?" This sudden development shocked Yue Shan, as he shouted out with a dark expression on his face.
"Sect Leader, the Lin Family has charged in!" A person hurriedly said.
"How is that possible? What about Liu Chong?" When he heard these words, Yue Shan's facial expression changed. He had sent so many skilled practitioners over, how could they fail to stop a mere Lin Family?
"Sinecure Liu has been killed!" That person mournfully replied.
When he heard these words, Yue Shan's heart sank. In the Lin Family, there was no one who could kill an advanced Yuan Dan stage practitioner. The only one who could do that was Lin Dong, who had already left for Sky Flame Mountain Range.
"Don't tell me…"
Yue Shan's eyes were dark as he slowly turned his head, and stared at the crowd in a distance. At that area, his Blood Wolf Gang troops were being crushed at an extremely quick rate.
As his Blood Wolf Gang's troops were being destroyed, a figure carrying a long halberd was steadily walking forward. In his passing, the ground was being dyed blood-red…
"Lin Dong!"
When he saw this figure, Yue Shan's face instantly turned green!