C6 The Power of Two Pythons

"Roar! Not fighting? Then prepare to meet your end! You overgrown lackey, come meet your doom!"

Lin Xi, his body teeming with power, unleashed a low, guttural roar. He bent forward and reached out, charging at Lin Fan with the clumsy ferocity of a bull. Lin Fan stood there, arms crossed, laughing with satisfaction.

At that moment, it was clear that Lin Xi's combat awareness was sorely lacking.

Regardless of the opponent, be it a Warrior or a Demonic Beast, one must never let their guard down until the adversary is utterly defeated.

Yet there Lin Xi stood, seemingly on the verge of bursting from the overwhelming energy within him.

But the reality of actually exploding was still a distant threat.

At least for now, Lin Xi showed no signs of his skin splitting or blood spurting from his nose and mouth.

The onrushing Lin Xi was merely overwhelmed by the force, his mind reeling, his body bloated. At worst, he was experiencing some dizziness and trembling.

Lin Fan instinctively realized that Lin Xi had recklessly swallowed all of the Fasting Pills that Lin Bei had given him, which was tantamount to a death wish.

Lin Fan didn't even need to lift a finger; Lin Xi was on a path to self-destruction.

This line of thought echoed the sentiments of nearly all the Lin family disciples.

They would take ten days to assimilate a single Fasting Pill.

The energy from a single pill, if absorbed too quickly, would be too much for the body's organs and meridians to handle.

Yet Lin Xi, in his ignorance, had ingested at least seven or eight Fasting Pills, a clear sign of someone with a death wish.

Imagine the energy from seven or eight Fasting Pills being refined in an instant, coursing through the body – such a shock would be unbearable even for a Demonic Beast!

So when Lin Xi charged like a wild bull, Lin Fan could hardly believe that the trembling Lin Xi could still manage such a feat.

Wasn't this supposed failure about to burst?

It was only when he came to his senses, dropping his crossed arms to assume a defensive stance, that the rest of the Lin family disciples gasped in astonishment.

They could hardly fathom how someone they considered worthless, someone who had never practiced any agility techniques, could suddenly burst forth with a blur of motion, blasting the defensively poised Lin Fan backward like a swift breeze.

"Ah!"

Lin Fan, who had been sent flying backward, truly had a knack for recovery.

Caught off guard and knocked into the air by Lin Xi, he immediately performed an aerial maneuver, spinning gracefully.

The Fallen Leaves Flying Flower Steps!

He spun once, twice, thrice.

Like three petals falling in the breeze, he harnessed the spinning momentum to shift his position mid-air, managing to land upright five meters away.

Such adaptability drew cheers from all the Lin family disciples.

"What a move! The Three Flying Three Falling technique! Is there anyone in the early stages of being a Warrior who can match that?"

"Stunning! True to his reputation as an early-stage prodigy of the Lin family, he executed the Three-layer Fallen Leaves and Flying Flowers Steps flawlessly, even after that trash's sneak attack! Incredible!"

"Lin Fan, finish him! This good-for-nothing dared to launch a surprise attack without warning. He's a disgrace in both ability and character. Don't let him off easy! Use your Fallen Leaf Finger to puncture him into a bloody mess!"

...

Almost all the Lin family disciples were shouting, fueling Lin Fan's momentum with their roars.

They simply couldn't fathom that the failure of yesterday could today overcome a Peak Early-stage Realm of Might Warrior.

As they bellowed, a creeping unease took root in their hearts.

Over the years, which of their peers, including young girls and even the stronger servants, hadn't ridiculed Lin Xi?

Lin Xi's presence was indeed a stain on the Lin family's honor, yet he also served as a plaything for everyone's cruel amusement.

This perverse joy had become a twisted form of entertainment for many in the Lin family.

But for that very reason, few of them relished the thought of their punching bag, the object of their derision and source of their twisted pleasure, suddenly turning formidable.

Wouldn't they seek revenge if the trash they once looked down upon rose to power?

So, they were almost unanimously rooting for Lin Fan, hoping he would next beat Lin Xi to a pulp, or better yet, finish him off.

Otherwise, the growing shadow in their minds would only expand, haunting their dreams.

Meanwhile, Lin Huan's complexion turned ashen, his gaze icy and serpentine. His flunkies, Lin Rong, Lin Chang, and Lin Sheng, stood by in shock, speechless, as if caught in an illusion.

Lin Dong, having reached the edge of the martial arts arena, turned back and made his way slowly toward the stage.

His expression remained unchanged, though his complexion had turned somewhat pale.

Meanwhile, Lin Fan, having executed a graceful landing, did not launch an immediate counterattack against Lin Xi. He was wracked with severe pain in his chest and abdomen.

A peak early-stage Realm of Might Warrior, Lin Fan was among the strongest in physical prowess within the Lin family's ranks. During his training in the Weeping Mountains, he had once collided with a level two Demonic Tiger, breaking its bones and crushing its internal organs with his bare body.

Yet now, he couldn't fathom how a failure from the previous night, who had been struck by lightning, emerged unscathed and managed to send him flying five meters, even causing him to suspect his internal organs had sustained cracks.

How could this be?

Lin Fan's gaze wavered as he watched Lin Xi, who was grimacing and shivering, enduring the shock of energy, and a sliver of fear crept into his heart.

After a wild and clumsy charge like a bull, Lin Xi felt the violent energy within him subside significantly.

Despite the Fasting Pill dissolving into a torrent of vital energy that was swiftly absorbed, the burst of energy in that instant, though not enough to rupture his body, was still excruciating.

He exaggerated his discomfort, feigning the appearance of being on the brink of bodily explosion, successfully deceiving Lin Fan. The force of the charge had sent Lin Fan reeling backward.

There was no other way; with the slightly superior strength of the two pythons, he had to resort to cunning to stand a chance against the formidable foe.

Ignoring Lin Fan, Lin Xi continued to extend his arms forward while his gaze was fixed on the sky above.

The other Lin family disciples mistook his actions for extreme arrogance, not realizing that Lin Xi's attention was on the mysterious half-archway within his sea of consciousness.

On the left, the eaves were pulsating with an intense purple glow at an increasingly rapid pace.

A single drop of green dew was on the verge of completion within him. Lin Xi realized that the intense combat was speeding up the transformation of energy within his body, significantly hastening the condensation of green dew from the purple light that danced along the eaves.

Elated by this revelation, Lin Xi reflected on the previous night when he had consumed demonic beast meat twice during relatively calm activities. The meat's conversion into vital essence within his stomach had been notably slow.

However, vigorous activity and battle could expedite the energy conversion, allowing for a swifter accumulation of green dew. This insight gave Lin Xi a glimpse of his potential for rapid advancement.

Yet, to progress to the power of the third python, a mere drop or two of green dew would likely be insufficient.

Now, as the third drop of green dew merged into his system, he could sense only a modest increase in strength. He was still some way off from achieving half the power of the third python.

Inside him, the potent energy from at least four Fasting Pills continued to surge and transform.

He was confident that, after this battle, even if he didn't manage to fully unlock the power of the three pythons or reach the pinnacle of the early Realm of Might, the gap would be minimal.

Such strength would ensure that he wouldn't be instantly overwhelmed in a confrontation with Lin Fan, avoiding a brutal defeat.

"Then let's fight with all we've got!" Lin Xi's unfocused gaze sharpened as he internally bellowed with renewed fury.

Lin Xi's brief lapse into distraction was perceived as an insult by the Lin family disciples, who felt both provoked and humiliated.

"What's with that look on this good-for-nothing's face? Is he scorning Lin Fan? Ignoring him? Thinking he's invincible after a sneak attack? Infuriating!"

"Take him down, Lin Fan! You've crippled a second-grade demon tiger before, so don't tell me you can't finish off a piece of trash! Kill him! Kill him dead!"

"Lin Fan, what are you doing just standing there? Finish off this worthless loser now! You—what? No, not another sneak attack!"

Yet, as he spoke, he couldn't quite believe his own words. Glancing around, he noticed the flushed face of the disciple, betraying a feverish anxiety.

At that moment, Lin Xi flashed a toothy grin and charged at Lin Fan like a rampaging buffalo.

Lin Fan had at least regained his composure. If this was a sneak attack, there would be no point in continuing the fight.

Lin Fan refused to believe that he couldn't defeat a weakling. To use the Fallen Leaves Flying Flower Steps to dodge would imply fear, suggesting he couldn't even best a weakling.

His blood was boiling. He convinced himself that Lin Xi's previous victory was a fluke.

Now, he was determined to see if his body, empowered by the strength of three pythons, could leave this weakling crippled!

Lin Fan abandoned his martial techniques and couldn't bring himself to draw a weapon.

After all, even if he defeated Lin Xi, he would have no place in the Lin family. He couldn't bear the shame.

He intended to overpower the weakling with his formidable physique and the might of three pythons, to crush him to death.

They had agreed that the one who surrendered would be the son of a dog!

Roar!

Lin Fan crouched, adopting the stance of a charging bull. Pushing off with his heels, he channeled his strength, thrusting his fists forward like horns, and with a tiger's roar, he became a blur, hurtling toward Lin Xi.

The two blurs, fierce as the wind, created a howling as they hurtled toward each other.

Bang!

The fierce clash of their bodies produced a dull, thunderous noise that made the martial arts platform quiver.

At the sound of the impact, one figure was sent flying backward, tumbling across the ground, blood spraying from his mouth and nose, lying motionless.

All the Lin family disciples watched as Lin Fan staggered back a few steps, his arms flailing wildly, emitting an exhilarated animalistic roar.

"Roar, you piece of trash, stand up! I'm going to kill you alive today! No surrendering! Whoever surrenders is a son of a dog! Hahaha!"

The disciples of the Lin family were stirred, the looming shadow in their hearts starting to fade.

"I told you so! How could a worthless weakling stand a chance against a warrior at the peak of the Realm of Might? If not for the surprise attack, could he have even grazed Lin Fan? Please!"

"However, this good-for-nothing has shown some impressive strength. Not only did he manage to launch himself into the air, but he also forced Lin Fan to take a few steps back. That's no small feat!"

...

At that moment, Lin Xi lay on the ground, his gaze unfocused once again.

A drop of green dew rapidly formed and descended, revitalizing his body and stimulating the growth of his strength.

"It's a shame, though. I'm still just half a step away from harnessing the power of the three pythons!"