C4 Cao Sa

After Lin Hu's swing came up empty, he stumbled forward. Lin Yaoyang seized the wooden stick from Lin Hu's grasp, a single thought flashing through his mind: disintegrate! In a blink, the stick in Lin Hu's hand vanished, reduced to a pile of ash on the ground. A voice echoed in Lin Yaoyang's head, "Item level too low. Points cannot be awarded."

Lin Yaoyang wasn't overly disappointed. After all, if a mere stick could earn points, the system would be absurdly generous.

Lin Hu stood there, completely dumbfounded. He hadn't even begun to comprehend what had just occurred when the stick in his hand disintegrated—not just broke, but turned to ash!

With a swift punch to the stomach, Lin Yaoyang sent Lin Hu flying two meters back.

"This... this..." Lin Hu was so astounded by Lin Yaoyang that he was at a loss for words. His mouth agape, he stared at Lin Yaoyang, unable to believe his eyes. With such power, who would dare call Lin Yaoyang worthless?

No, it was clear now—Lin Yaoyang was furious! He had been feigning weakness all along!

Lin Hu couldn't fathom why Lin Yaoyang would pretend to be weak, but he knew one thing for certain: with Qi on his side, Lin Yaoyang was an opponent he could never hope to defeat, not even if he trained for another eighty years. He was no match for him, a mere Third Grade warrior, and if the Lin Family's higher-ups discovered Lin Yaoyang still had Qi, and that he had offended him again, not even being the Third Master's son would save him from their wrath.

Lin Yaoyang approached with a smirk and delivered a kick to Lin Hu. "What's the matter? Still want to take a swing at me?"

Lin Hu dropped to his knees, quivering. "I was wrong, so wrong. Brother Yang, I deserve death. Please, I'm begging you, no more!" He was shaking, terrified of further provoking Lin Yaoyang.

Lin Yaoyang let out a cold snort and addressed Lin Hu, "You'd best keep quiet about me still having Qi. If word gets out, and I find out about it, not even your father will be able to save you. I'll make sure of it."

Lin Yaoyang spoke with an icy tone, while Lin Hu, terrified, was drenched in a cold sweat. "Yes, yes, yes!" Lin Hu stammered, not daring to voice any dissent.

The area was sparsely populated, devoid of the Lin Family's disciples. Only a handful of servants were peeking from behind the trees, spectating the scene.

With a sharp turn of his head, Lin Yaoyang declared loudly, "Ha! You all know exactly what you're up to. Go ahead, leak the information if you must. But you'd better hope you've covered your tracks well, because if I find out, not even the gods will be able to save you!"

Lin Yaoyang could sense the shift in the servants' gazes—mingled with a hint of respect was a palpable fear, a fear born from the power he wielded.

After intimidating the servants, Lin Yaoyang strode away from the Lin Family estate, his spirits lifted by the recent confrontation. He realized now, more than ever, the vital importance of strength. Respect from others hinged on power. With enough of it, legions would vie for his favor.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Yaoyang recalibrated his mindset and made his way to the bustling market of Qingye Town. It was the town's largest trading hub, offering weapons, healing potions, cultivation manuals, and Demonic Beast crystal cores. Anything could be yours for the right price.

Yet, constrained by the modest scale of Qingye Town, the quality of goods available was inevitably limited.

Before Lin Yaoyang even reached the market, the lively cacophony of commerce reached his ears.

He quickened his pace toward the market, hoping to acquire a Demonic Beast crystal core. If the market failed him, he'd resort to an alternative plan.

Lin Yaoyang's gaze then shifted to a vast mountain range—the Demonic Beast Mountains, teeming with a variety of creatures. The deeper one ventured, the more formidable the beasts encountered. Legend had it that in the heart of this range dwelled a Demonic Beast with the might to challenge a Martial Saint.

Lin Yaoyang couldn't help but click his tongue at the thought. A Martial Saint! Such exalted beings could slay with a mere look and instill terror in the hearts of all within tens of thousands of miles with a single stomp of their foot.

A fiery glint sparked in Lin Yaoyang's eyes. To become a Martial Saint himself was beyond his wildest dreams. Just the thought of his own Lin Family skyrocketing to the status of a major clan on the continent because of him was exhilarating.

Countless families would surely clamor for an alliance, eager to hitch their fortunes to the rising star of the Lin Family.

Lost in his grand aspirations, Lin Yaoyang was jolted back to reality by the rapid approach of a carriage. It barreled toward him, and he barely managed to leap to the roadside in time. The carriage thundered past, indifferent to the near miss.

Had Lin Yaoyang not dodged, the outcome would have been dire. He rose, his expression sour, as the carriage halted a short distance away. A head poked out, the face smirking with ill intent. "Well, well, if it isn't the esteemed Genius Lin. I nearly ran you over by mistake. My sincerest apologies!" The insincerity dripped from his voice, his face devoid of any real remorse.

The man casually flicked a copper coin onto the ground. "I'm truly sorry, Genius Lin. Why don't you take this and treat yourself to a sesame seed cake? Hahaha!"

The man's laughter boomed from the carriage, echoed by the jeers of his attendants. They drove off, leaving Lin Yaoyang fuming in their wake.

The man was Cao Bin, of the rival Cao Family from Qingye Town. The Caos had always been at odds with the Lin Family, and since Lin Yaoyang's fall from grace, they had spared no opportunity to mock him.

Lin Yaoyang's fall had indeed cast a shadow over the Lin Family, and the Cao Family's taunts only added to the sting. The Lin Family's leaders, convinced that Lin Yaoyang had tarnished their name, showed him nothing but disdain.

After picking himself up off the ground, Lin Yaoyang scoffed and dusted himself off. "Cao Bin, oh Cao Bin, you may gloat now, but just wait. Once I've regained my strength, you'll regret crossing me," he vowed silently.

Heading into the bustling market, Lin Yaoyang navigated through the throngs of vendors. Stalls stretched along the streets, forming a continuous line of merchants selling an array of oddities.

Among the legitimate traders, of course, were the charlatans preying on the unsuspecting. Take, for instance, the vendor before Lin Yaoyang, peddling what was clearly an ordinary tiger bone as if it were from a Demonic Beast Tiger, purportedly as powerful as a Third Grade Martial Master. The asking price? A steep 100 gold coins. And despite the obvious deception, a crowd had gathered, listening intently, seemingly taken in by the spiel.

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