C23

In the courtyard of the Dao Artifact Hall, Young Master Shaang Duoge faced his adversary.

"You're nothing but trash! How dare you and your brother gang up on mine? You're practically begging for death!"

"Today, I'll give you a preview of suffering. Tomorrow, I'll deal with your brother and we'll settle this once and for all!"

A young man clad in the Dao Artifact Hall disciple's garb glared icily at Shaang Duoge, his eyes filled with a chilling sharpness.

Flanking him were several other disciples, including Tang Bei from the previous day's encounter.

This youth was Tang Tian, a 23-year-old Talent Disciple from the Dao Artifact Hall in Clear Water Town, with a cultivation at the Body Refining Level Seven Peak Stage.

Tang Tian had been away from the hall yesterday and only returned tonight.

Upon discovering that his younger brother, Tang Bei, had been severely beaten by the so-called trash, Shaang Duoge—losing teeth and breaking ribs, not to mention being robbed of years' worth of savings—Tang Tian was enraged. He marched straight to Shaang Duoge's courtyard with his brother and the others, intent on retribution against Shaang Duoge first, before taking his grievances to the Jiaang family and confronting Jiaang Lin the following day.

"Cough!"

Shaang Duoge, still reeling from Tang Tian's earlier kick, was pale and coughed up blood. His Qi and blood churned uncomfortably within him.

He offered no reply to Tang Tian's taunts, merely fixing him with an icy stare.

"You wretched fool, still daring to look at me like that? Today, I'll make sure to break some of your ribs, just to pay back a fraction of what you owe my brother!"

Tang Tian's irritation grew as Shaang Duoge remained silent, meeting his gaze with a detached coolness.

Without another word, Tang Tian's figure blurred as he lunged at Shaang Duoge once more, Genuine Qi swirling in his palm, generating a relentless and intimidating force.

The palm strike was swift, far beyond Shaang Duoge's ability to evade easily.

With a thud, a muffled sound pierced the night. Like a phantom, a figure materialized in front of Shaang Duoge, swiftly unleashing a palm strike that intercepted Tang Tian's offensive move. The force behind the palm was tremendous, propelling Tang Tian back dozens of steps in a single motion.

"Big brother!" Tang Bei, witnessing someone abruptly appear and thwart his brother's assault, causing him to stagger backward, couldn't hide the concern that washed over his face.

"I'm fine!" Tang Tian reassured, signaling to Tang Bei and the others that there was no need for worry.

His gaze turned icy as he scrutinized the young man shielding Shaang Duoge. "Is it you, the trash?" Tang Tian recognized the youth before him as Jiaang Lin, the notorious good-for-nothing of Clear Water Town. A flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes. He had not anticipated that Jiaang Lin could actually hold his own in combat.

Tang Tian had initially dismissed the rumors of Jiaang Lin injuring Tang Bei as mere hearsay. But now, he was convinced of Jiaang Lin's capability to knock down Tang Bei with a single punch. From their brief encounter, Tang Tian assessed that Jiaang Lin's strength was comparable to his own, if not superior. This realization only deepened his sense of surprise. He couldn't fathom how the well-known waste had suddenly become so formidable.

"Duoge." Jiaang Lin, paying no mind to Tang Tian's shocked expression, turned his attention to Shaang Duoge, his face etched with concern.

"It's nothing serious." Shaang Duoge, perceiving Jiaang Lin's worry, reassured him with a dismissive wave and a smile.

"Then you stay put for now. I'll take care of that scoundrel for you."

"Alright, just be cautious. Tang Tian's strength is at the Body Refining Level Seven Peak Stage!" Shaang Duoge didn't object.

He had been severely humiliated and beaten by Tang Tian earlier and was harboring a strong resentment. Naturally, he would be pleased if Jiaang Lin could give Tang Tian a taste of his own medicine.

"He's nothing but trash. Don't worry about me," Jiaang Lin said, grinning. With that, he assisted Shaang Duoge to a nearby stone bench to rest.

He turned sharply, his gaze icy as he stared down Tang Tian and his cohort.

"Trash, you have the nerve to call me worthless?"

Across from him, Tang Tian's face was a mask of cold fury, his chest seething with rage.

He couldn't believe that the once timid, silent, and utterly useless weakling would dare to speak so insolently, to insult him as worthless!

This was a humiliation like no other for Tang Tian!

"Calling you worthless is a compliment. To me, you're less than worthless!"

Jiaang Lin retorted without a hint of courtesy.

His words sent Tang Tian into a rage, shaking with anger, his face darkening and veins throbbing on his forehead.

Audacious! Arrogant! Utterly reckless!

That accursed nobody had the audacity to shame him so, to call him worthless, to say he was less than nothing!

Such insolence was unbearable!

"How dare you, you ignorant fool, to insult my brother like that!"

Tang Bei stepped forward, his chest boiling with anger upon hearing Jiaang Lin's disrespectful words towards his brother.

Contempt and mockery were written all over his face as he spoke, his tone dripping with scorn.

His companions shared his sentiment, casting disdainful and mocking looks at Jiaang Lin.

They were all aware of Tang Tian's prowess. At the Body Refining Level Seven Peak Stage, few among Clear Water Town's youth could match him.

Yet Jiaang Lin dared to insult Tang Tian, clearly courting disaster!

Jiaang Lin didn't dignify Tang Bei's words with a response.

In a flash, he employed the Flashing Shadow Step and lunged at Tang Tian, who was at a distance.

His speed was such that Tang Tian couldn't even react!

"Eight Extreme Fist!"

Jiaang Lin roared as his fist struck Tang Tian's chest with devastating force. The Level Eight Dark Strength within his punch rampaged through Tang Tian's body.

Puff ~

With his Body Refining Level Seven Peak Stage skills, Tang Tian stood no chance against Jiaang Lin's Eight Extreme Fist.

He was sent flying like a ragdoll, coughing up blood.

Boom ~

Following a thunderous crash, Tang Tian's body slammed into a courtyard boulder, crumpling to the ground, utterly defeated.

After taking a direct hit from Jiaang Lin's Eight Extreme Fist, Tang Tian, despite his Body Refining Level Seven Peak Stage cultivation, stood no chance. He was sent flying like a cannonball, violently spitting out blood as he went. With a thunderous crash, his body slammed into a boulder in the courtyard, collapsing it and leaving him sprawled on the ground, utterly defeated and stripped of his fighting capabilities—in just one move!

This spectacle left Tang Bei and his companions utterly stunned, gasping in disbelief. Were they dreaming? They had initially scoffed at Jiaang Lin, convinced that he wouldn't last a single move against Tang Tian. Yet, it was Tang Tian who had been overwhelmed in an instant!

Tang Bei had even ridiculed Jiaang Lin, claiming he had no right to call his brother worthless. But now, the tables had turned. Jiaang Lin's display of power made it clear that he had every right to do so. If his brother couldn't withstand even one blow, what did that make him in Jiaang Lin's eyes? Perhaps, as Jiaang Lin had said earlier, his brother was less than worthless.

"You still won't accept being called trash? You brought this upon yourself!" Jiaang Lin taunted, approaching the injured Tang Tian with a cold, mocking smile.

Tang Tian's face contorted with humiliation. He wanted to argue, but he was at a loss for words. The indignation that had filled him when Jiaang Lin first insulted him now seemed pointless. With Jiaang Lin's current level of cultivation, Tang Tian had to admit that he was, indeed, nothing more than trash—or perhaps even less.

The realization hit Tang Tian hard. He had assumed that Jiaang Lin's cultivation was comparable to his own, and even if Jiaang Lin were stronger, it wouldn't be by much. But the reality was a harsh blow to his expectations. Jiaang Lin's cultivation level towered above his own, and to be defeated so effortlessly, Jiaang Lin must have advanced beyond the Body Refining Level Seven Peak Stage.

With this revelation, Tang Tian was filled with both awe and bewilderment. What kind of extraordinary experiences had Jiaang Lin encountered to achieve such a meteoric rise in strength?

Jiaang Lin's cultivation level was far superior to my own. The fact that he could defeat me with a single move meant that his abilities had to have surpassed the Body Refining Level Seven Peak Stage. Upon realizing this, my mind raced with shock, but even more so with deep confusion and questions. What kind of extraordinary experiences had Jiaang Lin encountered recently to have risen so abruptly in strength?

"Just now, when I arrived, I thought I heard you mention breaking my brother's ribs. Is that correct?" Jiaang Lin's voice was icy as he suddenly questioned.

Tang Tian's face fell, and a wave of anxiety washed over him. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could utter a word, Jiaang Lin had already stepped on his chest, snapping several ribs. The agony of the fractures caused Tang Tian's body to convulse, and a sheen of cold sweat coated his forehead.

"If you think you can get away with breaking my brother's ribs, you're sorely mistaken!"