"Buzz~"
The crimson mist lingering around the Fire Ancestor Demon Flower had barely entered his body when it caused Lin Dong to feel an extreme sense of fatigue. But before the crimson mist could continue its mischief, Lin Dong's Ancestral Stone began to shine brightly, expelling every one of these invaders.
"Hm, I'd forgotten that the Fire Ancestor Demon Flower could release mist to steal Life Force. This Heavenly Fire Jiao probably died the same way, I'd wager. Well, it doesn't matter. You wanted to eat me, and I want to eat you too."
Lin Dong gave his head a sharp shake and aimed his palm at the Fire Ancestor Demon Flower. Perhaps sensing the danger, the Fire Ancestor Demon Flower immediately began shaking its branches and leaves wildly, the mist swirling around it growing ever thicker.
"Hiss, hiss!"
Lin Dong's palm abruptly shot out countless dense strands of light. Enveloped beneath the light, the Fire Ancestor Demon Flower shuddered violently and rapidly withered, finally crumbling silently into a pile of powder.
At the same time, a ball of thick crimson liquid appeared in Lin Dong's palm.
"Little Flame, stand guard for me. I'm going to attempt a breakthrough."
Lin Dong tossed off the instruction casually, then swallowed the crimson liquid in his palm in one gulp. The pure energy transformed from the crimson liquid immediately surged fiercely toward Lin Dong's brain, and a vast mental storm rose up within his Niwan Palace.
The Breakthrough had begun!
"Roar~"
Little Flame, who was quite perceptive, let out a low growl and took two steps forward before crouching at the entrance to stand guard.
"Boom!"
After a long while, the massive Mountain Cave trembled. An invisible wave swept outward. Little Flame, guarding the entrance, looked worriedly inside as a slender, fair-skinned hand reached through the smoke.
"I'm fine, Little Flame. It's nothing more than a breakthrough."
Lin Dong soothed Little Flame, then looked toward the entrance. A tall figure flashed inside—it was Lin Dong's eldest uncle, Lin Ken.
"Dong'er, how are things?"
Lin Ken swept his gaze across the cave with great speed.
"This seems to be a place where Yang Astral Qi is especially dense. That's why ordinary workers couldn't withstand the heat and were burned. The violent astral qi isn't suitable for Martial Artists to cultivate in either. I suggest we seal this place off."
Lin Dong patted Little Flame's dog... er, tiger head.
"Mm, it's not a big problem. Let's head out."
Lin Ken frowned and sensed the surroundings. He noticed the area's unusual conditions as well, then shook his head and left.
"The Fire Ancestor Demon Flower truly deserves its reputation as a seventh-grade Spirit Medicine with miraculous effects on Spiritual Power. It saved me months of effort and let me enter the Four-Seal Talisman Master realm ahead of schedule."
Lin Dong swept an inconspicuous glance toward the depths of the rock cave, then followed the others out.
.....
"Kid, do you remember what I told you last time? Find some metal that can carry Spiritual Power and forge a weapon. Then you can use Spiritual Power for Object-riding Flight. Now that you're a Four-Seal Talisman Master, it's time to forge one."
Within the Ancestral Stone Space, Little Marten watched Lin Dong, who had entered the Four-Seal Talisman Master realm and was still tormenting himself on the Mental Grinding Disc. Bored, he chimed in.
"A special metal capable of carrying Spiritual Power?"
The figure of light and shadow, whose curiosity Little Marten had piqued, stepped down from the Mental Grinding Disc.
"Any special metal capable of carrying Spiritual Power comes at an astronomical price, without exception. As far as I know, Black Dragon Stronghold, over a hundred li from Ironwood Manor, happens to have some stock of Shattered Yuan Profound Steel."
"The Lei Family must know by now that our Lin Family has a Yang Yuan Stone Mine. I thought they might bribe Black Dragon Stronghold to cause trouble for us. Who could have guessed that bastard Lei Bao would turn into a complete old tortoise? He hasn't made a move and is determined to reach the Yuan Dan Realm first."
"If Black Dragon Stronghold won't come to me, how am I supposed to get my hands on Shattered Yuan Profound Steel? Ugh, this is troublesome."
Lin Dong paced back and forth within the space, hands clasped behind his back.
"Idiot. If Black Dragon Stronghold won't come to you, go to them. A stronghold made up entirely of bandits can be wiped out without regret. Consider it acting on Heaven's behalf."
Little Marten gave Lin Dong a disdainful look. A proper Four-Seal Talisman Master was stumped by a little Shattered Yuan Profound Steel. If he couldn't obtain it, why not take it by force?
"Makes sense. Black Dragon Stronghold has terrorized the region. I, Lin Dong, shall act on Heaven's behalf!"
Lin Dong's eyes lit up. In an instant, he transformed into a compassionate saint grieving for the world's suffering. Little Marten nodded repeatedly. "That's right, that's the spirit. Don't burden yourself with guilt. Killing them is saving them and freeing them from their sea of suffering."
"Let's go. Off to help Black Dragon Stronghold escape their sea of suffering."
Convinced, Lin Dong pushed open the door and gave a sharp whistle. A fiery red figure shot inside from outside.
"Little Flame, let's head out. Time to go hunting."
Lin Dong mounted Little Flame's Tiger's back and squeezed his legs against its sides. At his command, Little Flame charged toward the outskirts of Ironwood Manor like a ball of Flame.
Black Dragon Stronghold lay in the Nameless Mountain Range, one hundred and twenty li from Ironwood Manor. Its two leaders were Yan Kuo and Wu Sha: one was at the Mid Heavenly Yuan Stage, and the other was at the early Heavenly Yuan Realm.
They chose their targets without discrimination and acted ruthlessly, earning a fearsome reputation within a radius of over a hundred li. The Lin Family and Black Dragon Stronghold had previously avoided interfering with each other, though both sides remained wary.
Night fell over the sizable stronghold.
"Roar!"
With a roar steeped in Fiendish Aura, a fiery red figure leapt from the mountainside into Black Dragon Stronghold. It killed everyone in its path as it charged deeper into the stronghold.
"On guard, on guard! Enemy incursion!"
"Ahh!! Help, help me!"
"Assemble! A powerful Demon Beast has broken into the stronghold!"
"Damn it, there's someone on its back. Someone is controlling this Demon Beast."
In an instant, the stronghold, which had been sunk deep in slumber, jolted awake and descended into complete chaos.
Stronghold members rushed in from all directions, but none could match the tiger-like Demon Beast. Hundreds brandished gleaming blades, yet no one dared step forward.
"This is the Fire Python Tiger, a Heavenly Yuan Realm Demonic Beast—there's no way we can handle this. Quick, go call the First Stronghold Master and the Second-in-Command."
Some knowledgeable stronghold members recognized Little Flame's identity.
"Insolence! Who dares to trespass into my Black Dragon Stronghold!"
The commotion outside finally alerted the two leaders of Black Dragon Stronghold. Two figures radiating powerful Yuan Power Fluctuations rushed toward the scene from opposite directions.
"Kid, are you tired of living? Daring to charge into my Black Dragon Stronghold all alone?"
The man on the left was tall and broad, with a Tiger's back and a bear-like waist. A faint, sinister smile hung on his face. He was Wu Sha, the Second Stronghold Master of Black Dragon Stronghold and the Wind-Ripping Hand.
"A Fire Python Tiger at the Heavenly Yuan Realm? Is that all you rely on to invade my Black Dragon Stronghold?"
Yan Kuo, First Stronghold Master of Black Dragon Stronghold, swept his gaze across the wreckage strewn throughout the stronghold, forcibly suppressing his anger as he spoke.
"Not at all, not at all. This one is Lin Dong. Having heard that your esteemed stronghold was mired deep in a sea of suffering, I've come here specially to help you all find liberation."
Despite being surrounded, the handsome young man astride the Tiger's back showed no sense of danger. He smiled as he looked around at his surroundings.