This martial saint is too cautious.

Chapter 81 Soaring Price (A long chapter of 10,000 words, please subscribe)

The outer perimeter of Qingfeng Ridge.

Luo Feng and several bodyguards were waiting anxiously.

Young Master Lin only told them to wait at the outer edge of Qingfeng Ridge, and then went up the mountain alone.

"Young Master Lin has been up the mountain for so long, I hope nothing bad has happened to him."

"Probably not. Young Master Lin is a member of the Lin family. Even if Qingfeng Village had a few extra lives, they wouldn't dare to lay a hand on him, unless the people of Qingfeng Village didn't want to live anymore."

The older bodyguard shook his head, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

It's impossible under normal circumstances, but it's hard to say in extreme situations.

"Wait a little longer. If Young Master Lin doesn't return by then, we'll go to the Lin family to report the news."

"Someone's here—it's—it's Young Master Lin!"

The bodyguard on the hilltop, who was keeping watch, suddenly shouted. Luo Feng and his companions were startled and immediately looked ahead.

A hundred feet away, a convoy slowly approached, with Lin Yan leading the way.

"Young Master Lin!"

Luo Feng and his men immediately ran forward. The goods in the caravan, including the horses, belonged to their escort agency.

Old Ma recognized people, and these horses were not startled when they saw Luo Feng and the others; instead, they stopped on their own.

"With Young Master Lin taking action, Qingfeng Village has to give him face."

The older镖师 (bodyguard/escort) immediately offered a flattering remark, and Lin Yan smiled, "Not bad, Qingfeng Village is quite accommodating. Let's check if anything's missing?"

Lin Yan discovered this batch of goods in the warehouse of Qingfeng Village. The carriage and boxes were placed in the warehouse, but the boxes had been opened and were filled with medicinal herbs.

"That's right, there are seven boxes in total."

"As long as it's not less, that's fine."

Lin Yan nodded, then took out a stack of silver notes from his pocket: "These three thousand taels of silver notes also belong to your escort agency, take them back with you as well."

When Lin Yan took out the silver note, Luo Feng and the others were stunned. Was Qingfeng Village so easy to talk to?

Qingfeng Village was already being very lenient by returning the goods, considering Young Master Lin's status; they didn't expect them to even return the silver notes.

The group exchanged glances, realizing they had underestimated the Lin family's influence in Qingzhou.

Young Master Lin is merely a member of a branch clan, yet he managed to get Qingfeng Village to obediently hand over their goods and money. If the main branch of the Lin family were to arrive, Qingfeng Village would likely have to apologize.

After escorting Luo Feng and the others to transport the goods back to the city, Lin Yan took his leave.

This trip can be considered a great success; he needs to go back and take stock of it.

Guangping County.

Yang Qingfeng leisurely sipped tea in the backyard. Although the number of martial arts school disciples had increased this year, he was actually more relaxed.

Ang Lee was very competent in teaching these new disciples, so he didn't have to worry too much. But the main reason was that although there were many disciples this year, none of them had the good prospects of Lin Yuan and Lin Yan.

There isn't even a talent like Zhuang Zheng.

Without good prospects, he doesn't need to worry too much, and his life naturally becomes leisurely.

"Master, Chief Escort Zhang from the Seven Star Escort Agency has arrived."

At the entrance of the courtyard, a disciple reported that Yang Qingfeng had stood up, looked at Zhang Xiuyuan who was walking in, and said with a smile, "Brother Zhang, what brings you here today?"

"Come visit me sometime, is it on your way while escorting goods?"

"Brother Yang, could I not have come specifically to visit you?"

"Come on, someone as busy as you wouldn't make a special trip to see me."

"Well, I can't hide it from Brother Yang. I really do have something to ask of you this time," Zhang Xiuyuan said with a wry smile.

Yang Qingfeng's smile faded slightly. He gestured for his disciple to leave, then said, "Brother Zhang, please speak frankly. I will do my best to help in any way I can."

"Here's what happened: the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of my镖局 (escort agency) was transporting a shipment to Qingzhou territory when he was captured by a group of mountain bandits—"

After listening to Zhang Xiuyuan's story, Yang Qingfeng hesitated. He now knew why Zhang Xiuyuan had come to him.

His disciple, Lin Yan, happened to be in Qingzhou and was a member of a branch of the Lin family.

Yang Qingfeng pondered for a while before saying, "Since the two chieftains of Qingfeng Village have undergone four rounds of skin-polishing, then I will go to Qingzhou with Brother Zhang."

"Thank you, Brother Yang."

Zhang Xiuyuan clasped his hands in a fist salute. He hoped that Brother Yang could write a letter to Lin Yan to ask if Lin Yan had any solutions, since it would take them a lot of time to get there. However, he could understand Brother Yang's situation.

Lin Yan has only been in Qingzhou for a short time, and it's uncertain whether he has already established a firm foothold in the Lin family. If Brother Yang were to write a letter, even just to let Lin Yan know the situation, given Lin Yan's respect for Brother Yang, he would surely intervene in this matter.

If Lin Yan gains a firm foothold, that's fine. But if he doesn't, and uses the Lin family's name to intimidate Qingfeng Village, the Lin family's powerful members might be dissatisfied with Lin Yan if the news gets back to the Lin family.

This is Brother Yang's concern, and also the reason why he did not make a direct request.

Wangshui County.

"Brother Yang, we can't enter the city. We'll have to travel through the night. I'm sorry."

Zhang Xiuyuan glanced at the sky and knew he needed to get to Qingzhou as soon as possible, which meant traveling day and night.

Yang Qingfeng laughed and said, "Brother Zhang, don't be so polite with me. With our strength, we can go three days and three nights without sleep. Business is more important."

"Alright, I won't stand on ceremony with Brother Yang."

The group prepared to bypass the city, but several fast horses galloped towards them from the direction of Wangshui County's city gate, shouting from afar, "Chief Escort Zhang, please wait!"

Zhang Xiuyuan reined in his horse, looked at the riders at the city gate, and said to Yang Qingfeng, "Brother Yang, this is Master Liu from Wangshui County, a regular customer of our Seven Star Escort Agency."

"Yes, I've heard of him. Most of the water area in Wangshui County belongs to the Liu family, who are known as Liu Half-Water."

Yang Qingfeng nodded, while Zhang Xiuyuan rode forward a few paces again and asked, "Master Liu, what brings you here?"

"Chief Escort Zhang, here is a letter from your esteemed escort agency. Although it is addressed to me, it is primarily for your sake, Chief Escort Zhang."

Zhang Xiuyuan dismounted, curiously took the letter, glanced at it a few times, his expression turned strange, and he fell silent.

"Brother Zhang, what's wrong?" Yang Qingfeng asked curiously. They had only left Sanshan County less than two hours ago, so why was the escort agency sending another message? Could it be that something had changed in Qingzhou?

"Brother Yang, come and see for yourself."

"it is good."

Seeing Zhang Xiuyuan's mysterious expression, Yang Qingfeng took the letter Zhang Xiuyuan handed him and remained silent after reading it.

It seems they've wasted their time.

"Brother Zhang, it seems we were all wrong. Lin Yan has likely established himself firmly in the Lin family."

After a long pause, Zhang Xiuyuan smiled and said that it was not enough for Qingfeng Village to not only release the goods but also return the money; being merely a branch clan member was not enough.

"Maybe they're using the Lin family's name to intimidate Qingfeng Village."

Yang Qingfeng shook his head, but then he laughed at himself. The two chieftains of Qingfeng Village weren't stupid. If Lin Yan was just a simple member of a branch of the Lin family, it would already be quite good if they could return the goods.

There is only one explanation for this: Lin Yan was not afraid that the news of him using the Lin family's name would reach the ears of the main family, and his extremely tough attitude forced Qingfeng Village to bow down.

It seems that Lin Yan has already caught the eye of the Lin family's powerful members and has established a firm foothold in the Lin family.

"If Brother Yang is still worried, we can continue to Qingzhou and ask Lin Yan for clarification."

"Now that the matter is resolved, there's no need to go to Qingzhou."

Yang Qingfeng waved his hand, indicating that since the matter had been resolved, he would not go to Qingzhou.

It's the same reason why Lin Yuan went to the Xuan Tian Sect, but he never went to the Xuan Tian Sect or the prefectural city.

Lin Yuan is highly regarded by the sect's experts in the Xuan Tian Sect, and Lin Yan has now caught the eye of the Lin family's main family. Both of them have a bright future in martial arts, and I can only be considered their mentor in martial arts.

Whether it's Lin Yuan or Lin Yan, they will both encounter excellent teachers in their future martial arts journey. The fact that I, as their mentor, appear in front of them too often will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among the martial arts experts who taught them.

Every strong person hopes to be the most important and respected master in their disciples' hearts.

The only thing I can do for them now is to make myself less noticeable in their eyes.

"Since Brother Yang isn't going, then I won't go either. I'll write a letter over there right now and follow the rules. Since Lin Yan was the one who brought back this batch of goods, the three thousand taels of silver must be given to Lin Yan. We absolutely cannot let Lin Yan suffer a loss."

Hearing Zhang Xiuyuan's words, Yang Qingfeng smiled but did not speak up to refuse on Lin Yan's behalf.

There is never a time when one is not short of money in the martial arts world. Even though Lin Yan has been nurtured by the Lin family, the more money he has, the better. Moreover, this is what Lin Yan deserves.

"Lin Yan has now established himself in the Lin family and received their support. With this money, he should be able to get four rounds of skin resurfacing without any problem."

Thinking that his two disciples had promising futures, Yang Qingfeng was genuinely happy for them. Now—only Zhuang Zheng remained.

"Chief镖师 Zhang, Master Yang, now that the matter is resolved, and you two have come from afar, let me extend my hospitality."

Master Liu smiled and spoke. He had naturally read the contents of the letter and did not need Zhang Xiuyuan's introduction. He recognized Yang Qingfeng's identity from their conversation.

A martial artist who has undergone four skin-sharpening processes is worth befriending in himself, not to mention that he has also cultivated a disciple with potential.

The martial arts world can be quite realistic at times.

Before the age of forty, one judges people by their character; after forty, one judges their children or disciples.

Zhang Xiuyuan and Yang Qingfeng exchanged a glance, and then both smiled and said, "Then we'll have to trouble Master Liu."

Five days later.

Lin Yan was preparing to go to the Yangtian Mountains. It had been almost half a month since he last went, and it would be a bit unreasonable not to go soon.

Although fifty contribution points are nothing to him now.

During this trip to Qingfeng Village, the total amount of silver recovered from the village was 23,000 taels. If he hadn't searched every corpse, it wouldn't have taken him so long to descend the mountain.

In addition, Luo Feng from the Seven Star Escort Agency visited again yesterday, bringing three thousand silver notes, saying that Chief Escort Zhang insisted on accepting them.

Lin Yan accepted the silver notes, but secretly left three hundred taels of silver notes with him when he left.

Besides the financial gains, what pleased Lin Yan even more during his trip to Qingfeng Village was the abundance of martial arts fruits on the martial arts tree, with over a hundred of them densely packed together.

In total, he had cultivated for 213 years.

A huge windfall!

This is Lin Yan's summary of what he gained from his trip to Qingfeng Village. He had been chanting Amitabha Buddha's name many times over the past few days to stop himself from having the urge to wipe out other bandit dens.

The leaves of the internal martial arts tree, belonging to the Thirteen Styles of Flowing Clouds, have turned completely silver.

He mastered swordsmanship in less than half a month.

Lin Yan grinned, this was all thanks to himself, without using any Martial Dao Fruit.

His original plan was to first master the Thirteen Forms of Flowing Clouds, develop a sword aura, and then use the Martial Dao Fruit to further enhance it, but now—

It seems unnecessary to save such a small amount of time.

"Refine!"

With a thought, Lin Yan refined and disappeared a martial arts fruit.

The training period is one year.

A moment later, Lin Yan drew his sword.

With a single thrust of the sword, the sword light cascaded like a waterfall.

No longer fine, delicate sword-like threads, but rather vast expanses of silvery white, like flowing clouds cascading down, like an inverted waterfall.

As the sword swept across the ground, fallen leaves in the courtyard were swept up by the sword energy and shattered into dust in mid-air.

Before the first sword strike was finished, the second one had already arrived.

The two swords flowed seamlessly together, as if they were meant to be one sword.

Three swords, four swords, five swords —

The sword's momentum grew stronger, and the sword energy became denser.

In the end, the entire courtyard was enveloped in sword light.

Lin Yan sheathed his sword and stood there.

A few withered leaves that had fallen in the courtyard snapped off cleanly the moment he sheathed his sword, leaving a smooth, mirror-like cut.

The Thirteen Forms of Flowing Clouds have been mastered, and the sword technique is complete.

"I mastered the 'Amazing Swan Sword Technique' to the point of sword intent by consuming martial arts fruits accumulated over thirty-eight years, but now the 'Thirteen Forms of Flowing Clouds' only requires one year—"

It's not that the Thirteen Forms of Flowing Clouds are weaker than the Startling Swan Sword Technique, but rather that my swordsmanship talent has improved.

However, the strongest of the Thirteen Forms of Flowing Clouds are the last four forms. Although he has mastered the sword stance, he still cannot unleash the last four forms.

Halfway through the move, the sword's momentum crumbled.

These last four moves are very difficult.

Each move embodies a layer of sword intent.

Looking at the remaining martial arts fruits, Lin Yan whispered: Refine them.

The scene before my eyes changed; there were no sword techniques, no arduous training.

He saw clouds.

The sky was clear and blue, with white clouds drifting lazily across the horizon.

Without leaving a trace, without competing or grabbing, moving with the wind and following the shape.

That was the first level of sword intent in the Thirteen Styles of Flowing Clouds: Flowing Clouds at Ease.

The scene changes.

Dark clouds surged, obscuring the sky and the sun, while a fierce wind carried down torrential rain.

The clouds were no longer leisurely, but violent and domineering, pressing down on the earth and making it hard to breathe.

That was the second layer of sword intent: the power of the clouds.

Turn again.

After the rain, the clouds parted, and sunlight, like a sword, pierced the earth.

Brief, intense, and unstoppable.

That is the third layer: the sharpness of the clouds.

The final layer.

The wind stopped, the rain ceased, the clouds dispersed, and the sky cleared.

The sky was clear and cloudless.

It was as if there had never been clouds, never been wind and rain.

There was only emptiness.

That's not disappearing.

It leaves no trace.

The clouds are ever-changing, like white clouds turning into grey dogs.

One year, two years —

Lin Yan quietly watched the clouds for eighty years, from beginning to end, without ever drawing his sword.

Lin Yan opened his eyes the moment the clouds dispersed.

He raised his longsword and swung it!

Tenth Form, Eleventh Form, Twelfth Form. —

Lin Yan did not use the thirteenth move.

Sheath your sword.

Lin Yan looked inward at the Martial Arts Tree. At this moment, on the same branch as the Jinghong Sword Technique, there were two white and green leaves, one on the left and one on the right, their light flowing and delicate.

The swordsmanship of the Jinghong Sword Technique has reached its pinnacle.

The Thirteen Forms of Flowing Clouds, the Flowing Clouds Sword Intent Perfected.

Lin Yan shifted his gaze to the side and estimated that he had 132 years left to use martial arts fruits.

If we're going to improve, let's do a comprehensive improvement.

"Refine!"

This time, it will take another thirty-two years to instill this knowledge.

Before Lin Yan was a courtyard, then a house, and finally a platform no more than ten feet in diameter.

Within a small space, they moved swiftly and agilely.

Their steps were as light as smoke, gliding away without a trace.

When Lin Yan opened his eyes again, his blood and qi circulated, and with a light tap of his right foot, his figure instantly floated a zhang away, his movements as elusive as smoke.

"What a pity—"

Stopping in his tracks, Lin Yan looked at the leaves on the martial arts tree, which belonged to the "Stepping on Smoke" technique, and shook his head helplessly, noting that it had only reached the Great Perfection stage.

-

He really wanted to perfect the Stepping Smoke Steps as well, to see what kind of qualitative change would occur when a movement technique reached perfection, but once he reached the Great Perfection level, he could no longer improve it.

He has reached the limit of his current ability to use the Smoke Step technique.

Unlike the Jinghong Sword Technique and the Thirteen Forms of Flowing Clouds, the Sword Intent requires an understanding of the sword and does not place a high demand on Qi and Blood.

It would be an exaggeration to say that an ordinary person can comprehend the essence of swordsmanship. At the very least, one must first develop the sword stance. Ordinary people cannot even meet the requirements for accuracy and speed in stabbing, and they would not be able to develop the sword stance even if they practiced for a thousand years.

However, any martial artist who has undergone three skin-sharpening sessions, if they have the talent, is sufficient to develop sword intent.

If one's Qi and blood are weaker, the only consequence is that the power of one's sword intent will be slightly weaker.

But the Stepping Smoke Step is different. It is driven by a special circulation route of Qi and blood in the feet and waist. With his current Qi and blood, he can only cultivate to this level.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice; without increased qi and blood, it's difficult to improve even with continued practice.

Having improved everything he could, Lin Yan estimated that, based on his current strength, he should be considered one of the top figures among the four skin-sharpening martial artists.

Pack your bags and head to the Yangtian Mountains.

After Lin Yan finished packing his valuables, he walked out of the courtyard, locked his hand behind his back, and headed out of the mansion.

However, after walking only a few steps, Lin Yan glanced at the distance and saw a figure lurking and watching him suspiciously.

People from the fourth branch!

Could it be that my killing of Lin Mingyu has been exposed?

This thought only flashed through Lin Yan's mind for a moment before he dismissed it.

If the truth about killing Lin Mingyu were to be exposed, he wouldn't be able to continue practicing martial arts in the courtyard in peace.

Pretending not to see the person, Lin Yan continued walking outside at a moderate pace, no different from his usual normal walking.

What puzzled Lin Yan was that this branch of the family from the fourth house was not following behind. Who was he going to inform?

Lin Yan soon found out the answer.

Behind him, there were several hurried footsteps.

"Lin Yan, stop right there!"

Hearing the voice, a hint of coldness flashed in Lin Yan's eyes, but by the time he turned around, he had already returned to normal.

Behind him, Lin Wang and two others were quickly catching up, and Lin Wang said directly, "Lin Yan, do you dare to accept my challenge and fight me on the fighting stage?"

"I wouldn't dare," Lin Yan refused outright.

Lin Wang had anticipated Lin Yan's refusal and directly mocked, "Age-wise, you're a year and two months older than me. What—are you afraid of losing to me and embarrassing the third branch of the family?"

Hearing Lin Wang's provocative words, Lin Yan's expression remained unchanged. He countered with, "Have you and your brother ever met?"

Lin Yan's question left Lin Wang speechless.

Since he stayed at the Lin residence, he only saw his elder brother once, and never saw him again.

My older brother is too long-winded. Every time we meet, he gives me all sorts of advice, telling me not to argue with others out of spite and to just focus on my cultivation.

But his elder brother had no idea that, not to mention the main family, there were quite a few people in the four branches of the clan who were more talented and stronger than him. If he only knew how to cultivate, when would he ever catch the eye of the main family?

Seeing Lin Wang remain silent, Lin Yan knew the outcome.

"If you want me to accept your challenge, then gather 280 contribution points."

In his first battle with Lin Kang, Lin Yan didn't gamble on any contribution points because he didn't want to attract too much hatred; he treated it as just a fight.

But since these branches of the clan have already set their sights on him, and he can't shake off this hatred, he might as well try to gain some benefits for himself.

"Do you have 380 contribution points? If you're afraid to accept my challenge, just say so."

Upon hearing Lin Yan's request, Lin Wang's first reaction was that Lin Yan was doing it on purpose, knowing full well that he couldn't come up with 300 contribution points and wanted to make him back down by making this request.

"The clan keeps records of contribution points. You should know the consequences of lying about your contribution points," Lin Yan said calmly, looking at Lin Wang.

Whether it's purchasing martial arts resources from the armory, exchanging techniques at the merit pavilion, or trading contribution points among clan members, clan rules forbid lying.

"Lin Wang, he should really have 280 contribution points. Falsifying this will be severely punished according to the clan rules."

Listening to his companion's words, Lin Wang gritted his teeth. He hadn't touched his 100 contribution points, saving them for exchanging for cultivation techniques on the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion after four rounds of skin refining.

"How many contribution points do the two of you have?"

"this----"

Seeing the two people beside him hesitate, Lin Wang lowered his voice and said, "You don't trust my strength? After I defeat Lin Yan, I will only take two hundred points, and the remaining eighty points are yours."

"I have seventy left."

"I only have fifty left."

The two were indeed tempted. Lin Wang had already polished his skin four times, so dealing with Lin Yan was a sure thing. They might as well take advantage of these 80 points.

"Lin Wang, you agree first, and I'll go and call the rest of our fourth branch. We'll definitely be able to gather enough contribution points for you."

"Okay, it's settled then."

Lin Wang nodded and looked at Lin Yan: "Two hundred and eighty contribution points are fine. Whoever loses, the contribution points go to the other person."

"Let's go."

Lin Yan didn't say much; he had given Lin Wang two chances.

The first time, she chose Lin Kang and let Lin Wang go.

This time, he offered 280 contribution points, giving Lin Wang one last chance.

All of this was done out of respect for Brother Lin Rong, but unfortunately—Lin Wang didn't appreciate it.

One may do something once, twice, but not three times.

The fighting arena.

Lin Yan stood on the stage waiting for Lin Wang to collect enough contribution points, and more and more branch clansmen came toward this side.

The news that he was going to fight Lin Wang spread faster than he had expected.

The people from the fourth branch arrived the fastest, numbering over thirty. They formed a square formation on the fighting platform. Surprisingly, none of them made any sarcastic remarks; instead, they looked at Lin Yan as if he were an idiot.

"Something's not right. Why are all the people from the fourth branch of the family so silent?"

"There seems to be something strange. Given the grudges between the fourth and third branches, especially since Lin Yan defeated Lin Kang not long ago, normally, even before the battle has started, the people from the fourth branch would at least say a few sarcastic remarks. Why are they all like mute people today?"

The other martial artists from the other branches noticed something was amiss, but they only whispered among themselves. Since they weren't from the third branch, they naturally wouldn't speak up to warn Lin Yan.

"The third branch of the family has also arrived."

Someone gestured with their lip in another direction.

There weren't many people from the third branch of the family, just seven or eight scattered around, standing towards the back of the crowd, neither moving forward nor leaving.

Lin Zhaowu stood at the very front, arms crossed, staring blankly at the stage.

A young man next to him lowered his voice and asked, "Zhaowu, do you think Lin Yan can win?"

Lin Zhaowu remained silent, but another young man beside him sneered: "Win what? Lin Yan thinks he's so great just because he defeated Lin Kang. How could he know that Lin Wang has already 'skinned' four times? He deserves to lose later. If he cared about us being from the same branch of the Third House and had more contact with us, he wouldn't be unaware that Lin Wang has 'skinned' four times."

In order to lure Lin Yan into a trap, Lin Wang did not announce that he had broken through the skin-sharpening barrier four times, but Lin Zhaowu and the others knew about it.

The two branches were hostile to each other, and Lin Zhaowu and the others naturally kept an eye on the movements of the fourth branch. Although Lin Wang did not announce his breakthrough to the fourth level of skin-grinding, he held a small banquet to celebrate inside the fourth branch, which they found out.

"Once he loses, let's see how arrogant he can be then."

The sourness in the young man's voice could be smelled even from several steps away.

Lin Zhaowu remained silent, only slightly pursing his lips. But when he saw Lin Yan and Lin Wang about to reach an agreement, he suddenly blurted out, "Lin Yan, Lin Wang has already had his skin smoothed four times in the past seven days!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wang's expression changed slightly as he stood on the fighting platform: "Lin Yan, with so many people watching, don't say you regret it."

Lin Yan merely glanced at Lin Wang indifferently. He had already guessed that Lin Wang had retouched his skin four times; otherwise, even if Lin Wang had a lot of guts, he wouldn't dare to challenge him.

Hiding their true strength, thinking they've succeeded in their scheme—what an arrogant fool.

"Don't worry, I won't regret it now that I've agreed."

Hearing that Lin Yan had not backed down, Lin Wang breathed a sigh of relief, while Lin Zhaowu's face turned ashen. He had already revealed Lin Wang's strength against his own conscience, yet Lin Yan still wanted to accept the challenge. He was truly hopeless.

"Zhaowu, I told you long ago that Lin Yan is too arrogant. Why did you have to do this?"

The young man beside him spoke with some dissatisfaction, and the other members of the third branch of the clan looked at Lin Zhaowu with the same expression.

In their hearts, they no longer considered Lin Yan as one of their own. Moreover, with Lin Yan's outstanding performance overshadowing them, the third branch of the family would value them even less.

"I knew something was off with the fourth branch of the family. Turns out they were lying in ambush here. Lin Wang broke through to the fourth level of the Skin-Refining Realm, yet he didn't make a sound at all."

"The calculation is so deep. If I were Lin Yan, I would have no choice but to grit my teeth and continue. With so many people watching, it would be incredibly embarrassing to back out at the last minute. It's better to fight, even if I lose—being suppressed in terms of cultivation level, losing wouldn't be shameful."

"From this perspective, the fourth branch has completely suppressed the third branch. The fourth branch, including Lin Wang, already has three people with the fourth level of skin polishing, while the original person in the third branch was expelled, and now there isn't even one person with the fourth level of skin polishing. I can already imagine how difficult the days will be for the third branch in the future."

"Look, who's coming over there?"

From behind the crowd, several more figures walked over unhurriedly.

The appearance of these people caused quite a stir.

Lin Chengzhi from the first wife's family, Lin Yuanshan from the second wife's family, Lin Xiao from the fourth wife's family, and Lin Song from the fifth wife's family.

The reason why the appearance of these four people caused a commotion among the branch clansmen was simply because all four of them were four-times skin-grinding warriors.

The five branches only have fourteen people in total. Apart from Lin Qi, only thirteen people remain. This means that thirty percent of them have come at once.

Of the four, Lin Song was the youngest, only twenty-two years old. He crossed his arms, glanced at Lin Wang and Lin Yan on the stage, and looked at Lin Xiao: "So this is the excitement you were talking about, Brother Lin Xiao. But four rounds of skin smoothing versus three rounds of skin smoothing, there's nothing worth watching."

"Let me show you the power of my fourth branch's new fourth round of skin smoothing. Aren't you all willing?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Song and the other two narrowed their eyes. They had already heard that there would be a branch clan competition at the end of the year, and the only ones who could be their opponents were the branch clan members who had also undergone four rounds of skin polishing.

"Strength? You fought three out of four times, and you still need to reveal your strength? You could crush them with just your qi and blood. Lin Xiao, are you trying to use us to spread the word about today's battle and make the Third Branch lose face completely?"

Lin Chengzhi's lips curled slightly, showing he had absolutely no interest in this battle.

Lin Xiao smiled noncommittally. As long as it could embarrass the third branch of the family, the fourth branch would do it.

On the stage.

Lin Wang stood on the stage, his heart surging with emotion. He had been waiting for this day for a long time.

Lin Yan was still at the third level of skin smoothing, while I, with my fourth level of smoothing, would crush him with a sure thing.

As for winning unfairly?

It's all about the victor taking all and the loser being condemned.

Lin Wang raised his chin, his eyes filled with arrogance as he looked at Lin Yan: "Lin Yan, it's not too late for you to admit defeat now."

"You talk too much nonsense."

Lin Yan glanced at him, her tone as calm as stating a fact, "Can we begin?"

Lin Wang's face darkened; they were being ungrateful.

"Fine, since you're so eager to embarrass yourself, I'll grant your wish."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Wang's aura suddenly surged.

The warrior's blood and qi surged out like a tide after the fourth skin-sharpening process, causing his robes to flutter even without wind.

Some of the three-times-skin-grinding martial artists who were watching from the sidelines near the fighting arena were already retreating.

Lin Yan stood still, without moving an inch.

A slight smile played at the corners of his lips.

Four rounds of skin smoothing?

Who isn't?

The Thunder Sound Technique circulated within his body, and his qi and blood surged out like a volcanic eruption, its momentum stronger, fiercer, and more domineering than Lin Wang's.

"Four rounds of skin smoothing!"

Lin Song, who had been standing with his arms crossed, suddenly lost his nonchalant expression.

Lin Xiao's smile froze instantly. How could Lin Yan have also broken through to the fourth level of skin smoothing?

"It seems that while you're scheming against the third wife's family, they're scheming against you in return. This is really getting interesting and lively."

Lin Chengzhi laughed, but there was a hint of fear in his eyes. Lin Yan, who cultivated the Thunder Sound Technique, was a much greater threat than Lin Wang.

The members of the fourth branch of the family fell into a collective silence, as if they had been slapped hard across the face.

Lin Wang sensed Lin Yan's rising momentum, and his eyes were filled with confusion and fear.

How could Lin Yan also break through to the fourth level of skin smoothing?

"Lin—Lin Yan, you really are a treacherous villain, breaking through to the fourth level of skin smoothing without revealing it."

Suddenly, Lin Wang roared, but as soon as he said this, everyone except the fourth branch of the family laughed.

Lin Yan looked at the furious and incompetent Lin Wang with the same gaze he would give a clown.

Are you scared after I revealed my skin-smoothing skills four times?

My Stone Waist Thunder Spine technique hasn't been unleashed yet, and my sword intent hasn't been revealed.

If you unleash your full power, wouldn't you have to kneel down on the spot?

"So what if I've had my skin smoothed four times? Lin Yan, do you really think I'm afraid of you?"

Seeing the mockery in Lin Yan's eyes, Lin Wang's face twisted in anger.

"You can't block this punch from me."

He roared and shot out like an arrow, his right fist, brimming with powerful blood and energy, aimed straight for Lin Yan's chest.

The air exploded as the fist passed by.

Just as Lin Wang threw his punch, Lin Yan's sword was already drawn.

Clang!

The longsword sprang from its newly replaced scabbard, its light cascading like flowing clouds, endless and continuous.

It wasn't one sword strike, it was three.

The first three moves of the Thirteen Forms of Flowing Clouds flowed smoothly in Lin Yan's hands, without the slightest hesitation, and the three sword lights were thrust out almost at the same time.

At the scene, all the onlookers only saw a flash of sword light and couldn't see anything clearly.

A moment later, the sword returned to its sheath, and Lin Yan stood still in place.

Before many people could figure out what was going on, they heard a loud "bang" and Lin Wang collapsed heavily onto the stage.

The clamor from the audience abruptly ceased at that moment, as if everyone had been choked.

"Sword stance!"

At the back of the crowd, Lin Chengzhi uttered two words with a solemn expression.

The battle on the fighting platform has ended.

But the sword light that Lin Yan had just unleashed seemed to still linger before everyone's eyes, refusing to dissipate for a long time.

There was a deathly silence in the audience.

Then, it exploded.

"One sword strike, both swords have been used four times to polish the skin, yet Lin Wang couldn't even withstand Lin Yan's sword strike. It's unbelievable."

"The last time he fought Lin Kang, he only had three skins smoothed. It hasn't been long since he broke through to four skins smoothed."

"That's not the point. Maybe his blood and qi had already reached the peak of the third skin-sharpening stage last time. Didn't Lin Wang also reach the third skin-sharpening stage before? The point is his sword strike. That sword momentum was terrifying."

The first to react were the other branch members of the clan who were just watching the spectacle.

They came to watch a crushing defeat, to see how the fourth wife would utterly humiliate the third wife. But instead, the crushing defeat turned out to be the one that ended up being crushed by the fourth wife.

Moreover, it was done in such a decisive and straightforward manner, leaving no room for suspense.

Lin Yan was already strong enough after three skin retouching sessions, but no one expected that Lin Yan would become this strong after breaking through four skin retouching sessions.

One sword.

Just one sword strike.

Lin Wang, the newly promoted fourth-time skin-sharpening martial artist of the fourth branch, couldn't even catch a single sword strike.

This is no longer just slapping Lin Wang in the face; it's rubbing the faces of the entire fourth branch of the family into the ground repeatedly.

Many people subconsciously glanced towards the fourth branch of the family.

Then they saw the members of the four branches of the clan, each one seemingly rendered speechless. The mockery that had just been on their faces...

The smiles that had been anticipating the spectacle froze on their faces, looking worse than tears.

On the third side, Lin Zhaowu still maintained the posture of crossing his arms, but the expression on his face changed several times in an instant.

From the initial schadenfreude upon learning of Lin Yan's challenge, to the astonishment at Lin Yan's display of his four-fold skin-smoothing technique, to the disbelief when Lin Yan sheathed his sword, it all culminated in a complex emotion that was hard to describe—a bitter smile or self-mockery.

He had always thought that Lin Yan, who had rejected them, all members of the same branch of the family, and was cultivating alone, would inevitably stumble sooner or later.

But now it seems that they were the ones who were blind to the truth.

Lin Yan refused to join their group not because he was arrogant, but because he was simply not on the same level as them.

Why force people from different backgrounds to be together?

The young man next to Lin Zhaowu, who had just been mocking Lin Yan, now had his mouth open, as if something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

He just belittled Lin Yan, saying he was arrogant and ignorant, that he deserved to lose, and that his defeat was a disgrace to the Third Branch of the family.

What now?

Lin Yan defeated Lin Wang with a single sword strike.

His sarcastic remarks echoed in his ears, like a joke, the most ridiculous kind of joke.

"I knew it—" Another young man from the third branch coughed, as if trying to break the awkward silence, but he couldn't finish his sentence and eventually shut his mouth in embarrassment.

The members of the third branch of the family stood there looking at each other, each feeling uneasy.

Lin Yan won, which means the third branch of the family won; they should be happy.

But they couldn't be happy.

Because the winner was Lin Yan.

Behind the crowd, Lin Chengzhi and his three companions also looked more solemn.

"Can you all tell what kind of sword technique Lin Yan is using? The power of this sword is not weak."

"The Thirteen Forms of Flowing Clouds," Lin Song uttered.

"The Thirteen Forms of Flowing Clouds? The master's family's martial arts technique, Brother Song, are you sure?"

"I also exchanged for this sword technique, and I can barely be considered proficient at it now. Do you think I would admit to a mistake?"

At this, the expressions of the other three changed, becoming more than just serious.

They could accept Lin Yan developing sword stance, because the three of them had also developed their own techniques to the stance level. However, if it were the sword stance of the Thirteen Styles of Flowing Clouds, the meaning would be completely different.

The Thirteen Forms of Flowing Clouds is the main family's martial arts technique, and this technique is located on the second floor. Only those who have reached the fourth level of skin-grinding can set foot on the second floor.

Even though Lin Yan broke through to the fourth level of skin polishing after defeating Lin Kang last time and went to the library to exchange for the Thirteen Styles of Flowing Clouds, it has only been a little over a month since then. In just one month, he has cultivated a high-grade sword technique into a sword aura.

This talent—they admit they can't compare.

"Gentlemen—fortunately, Lin Yan has only just entered the fourth stage of skin refining, so we still have some advantages in terms of cultivation level. Let's work hard together for the remaining months."

Lin Song glanced at the three of them, then turned his gaze to the figure on the fighting platform, scrutinized him for a few moments, and finally turned and left.

"Brother Lin Xiao, we'll be leaving now."

Lin Chengzhi and his companion had lost all interest in watching the fourth branch of the family make a fool of themselves.

The year-end branch competition is a matter of vital interest to each of them. Although Lin Yan is not yet a formidable opponent, there are still six months left. Who can guarantee that the other party will not improve?

In just one month, he mastered the sword aura of a superior-grade martial art. Even though Lin Yan had been exposed to swordsmanship before, his talent in swordsmanship was astonishing.

Perhaps only those few who have already gone through four rounds of skin retouching don't see Lin Yan as a threat, and they don't have that right yet.

P.S.: I don't want to split it into chapters anymore. Two chapters are nearly 20,000 words long. With 3,000 monthly votes, here's an extra chapter. Thank you everyone, and please continue to vote!

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