Chapter 15: 15. Brave Girl
Lin Dong had some strength, but not enough to take on two enemies, let alone surpass a group of strong opponents.
Yes, he did have the Middle Symbol Puppet (Strength: Form Creation), but not enough Pure Yuan Pills to sustain its use.
However, he didn't know that these two weren't really after him—they were simply following someone else's orders.
Di Teng didn't want to delay any longer and proposed coldly, "Liu Kui, let's attack together and capture this brat! We can't let him escape!"
Liu Kui's eyes flashed coldly, and he nodded heavily, "Exactly!"
With a command from the two of them, the Di and Liu family members surrounded Lin Dong, clearly intending to capture him.
Of course, Lin Dong wasn't going to surrender without a fight.
He took out his Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd, ready to face them head-on.
At this moment, the voice of Little Marten echoed in his mind, "Lin Dong, if we work together, there's a forty percent chance we can break through."
Only forty percent?
Lin Dong shook his head slightly and scanned his surroundings, gritting his teeth. "You want to capture me? You'll have to see if you're qualified first!"
"A mere peak Yuan Dan stage cultivator dares to boast? Prepare to die!" Di Teng snorted coldly and attacked Lin Dong.
There was a significant gap in their strength, and with the advantage of numbers, even though Lin Dong used all his techniques, he was ultimately beaten until he coughed up blood. After taking a few more heavy blows, he could no longer stand.
Only then did they stop.
Di Teng suddenly said, "He only told us to spare his life, but didn't say we couldn't take his stuff, right?"
"It seems so," Liu Kui thought for a moment and agreed.
Then, Di Teng casually took everything Lin Dong had worked hard to gather—several tens of thousands of Pure Yuan Pills and the martial arts techniques he had snatched from Wang Yan.
After they left, Lin Dong struggled to sit up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of unwillingness.
Little Marten floated out and shared its insight: "It looks like they were acting under someone else's orders."
"Who could it be?"
"Think about who you've offended recently."
Who had he offended recently? Lin Dong frowned, thinking hard.
He had offended many people recently, but only a few had the power to command someone as strong as a Initial Form Creation stage fighter to target him.
After thinking it over, Lin Dong concluded that it was most likely Wang Yan of the Wang family!
Was this because he had taken a spiritual treasure and some martial arts techniques from them? Was it worth such a serious retaliation?
Lin Dong clenched his fist. Wang Yan, just wait. Next time, I'll make you beg for mercy!
...
Meanwhile, Di Teng and Liu Kui, having completed their task, returned to their tent, ready to divide the spoils, but were startled to find Chen Xuan already waiting for them.
Liu Kui quickly spoke up, "Senior, we followed your instructions and gave Lin Dong a good beating."
Di Teng, his eyes darting, offered the spoils. "Senior, these are the items we took from that Lin Dong kid."
This was the essence of knowing when to act wisely.
However, Chen Xuan wasn't interested. He shook his head and rejected the offering.
After a moment, he acknowledged, "You did well enough. Keep following Lin Dong. As long as he's in your territory, find any excuse to beat him down. Don't let him train in peace!"
Then, Chen Xuan added, "Oh, and try to push him toward the Misty Forest. Understand?"
"Yes, Senior."
Neither man dared disobey, immediately nodding in agreement.
"These two rank-nine martial arts techniques are your reward for your hard work. Keep it up."
Chen Xuan left behind two rank-nine martial arts techniques before disappearing from the tent once again.
"Thank you, Senior," Di Teng and Liu Kui said, trembling with excitement as they held the rank-nine techniques in their hands.
Who was this person? Giving away rank-nine techniques so casually—it was too generous!
They quickly divided the spoils and set off again to pursue Lin Dong.
At this time, Chen Xuan had already appeared in the Misty Forest.
Around him, a milky white mist swirled, blocking the penetration of spiritual power. The mist also carried a bone-chilling cold that even Manifestation stage experts would find hard to withstand.
However, it had no effect on Chen Xuan. His figure moved like a ghost as he swiftly traversed the forest. He was setting up a magical formation at the border between Dayang County and the Misty Forest.
This formation was one he had obtained from a system lottery. It was extremely intricate, and even with Little Marten's help, Lin Dong wouldn't be able to break it easily.
He would be in for a torturous experience. That was precisely Chen Xuan's intention.
After setting up the formation, Chen Xuan was about to leave when he suddenly sensed a surge of Yuan Power in a distant part of the Misty Forest.
With a flicker, he vanished from where he stood.
...
"Master, why is it that every time we come to the Misty Forest, we run into these beasts?"
"They're such a nuisance. When will it end?"
"This is so unlucky—it's like we've stirred up their nest. We can't kill them all!"
A group of people found themselves surrounded by ferocious beasts. Despite slashing at them repeatedly with their swords, the beasts seemed endless. Not only were their numbers not decreasing, but they were multiplying.
The group was soon covered in blood, completely exhausted.
Suddenly, a stench filled the air as a low hissing sound echoed through the forest. The next moment, two pairs of faintly red beastly eyes appeared before them!
Along with this, two powerful and savage presences approached.
"It's the male and female Misty Croc-Panther Kings!"
Seeing the massive figures, the group's faces were filled with despair. These two beasts, working together, were not only as strong as Small Accomplishment Creation stage experts but also capable of using spiritual attacks. They were extremely formidable.
With a low growl from the beasts, hundreds of red-eyed monsters charged out of the mist, shaking the earth with their numbers.
Faced with this situation, everyone present had only two thoughts: fight for survival or die.
Jiang Lei, the hulking, broad-shouldered master of the Eagle Martial Dojo, wielding a black greatsword, commanded everyone to hold the line. But with the sheer number of beasts and the presence of the Croc-Panther Kings, they were no match and were quickly overrun.
The Misty Croc-Panther Kings, having grown impatient, charged forward with a dark red energy, knocking everyone down and breaking their formation.
Jiang Lei knew that if this continued, they would all die. He glanced back at his two daughters and clenched his teeth. "Old Wu, take Yinyin and Xue'er and retreat! I'll hold them off!"
"Master!"
Everyone's faces turned pale. In the current situation, if Jiang Lei stayed behind, it truly would be to his death.
"Don't waste time! Go now! If you delay any longer, none of us will make it out!"
Jiang Lei's voice was stern.
"Father, I'll help you!"
A young woman around twenty years old stood up. She had a tall, graceful figure, and her form-fitting outfit accentuated her curvy body.
She was Jiang Lei's eldest daughter, Jiang Xue, gripping a longsword, determined to fight by her father's side.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone