Chapter 9
"A reward of a single pill? How much does the system look down on Lin Shan?"
Lin Yun thought to himself.
Previously, the Blood Qi Pills were rewarded by the bottle, but now it has changed to just one.
However, a third-grade Blood Qi Pill is still quite satisfactory for Lin Yun. After all, being able to establish a task against a weak opponent like Lin Shan is already quite good; the size of the reward is all profit.
"Have the guts to not use your elemental power," Lin Shan provoked with words.
He knew that even without using elemental power, he was not Lin Yun's opponent. The reason he said this was that elemental power was more painful in combat.
"Hehe!"
Lin Yun smiled faintly, not paying attention to Lin Shan's childish provocation.
Not using elemental power would be foolish; as for ability, those without elemental power are the ones lacking ability.
"Rockfall Fist."
Lin Shan shouted, striking hard with both fists. During this time, he had practiced diligently, and his Rockfall Fist was nearing mastery. He felt that if Lin Yun didn't use elemental power, he might not necessarily be crushed.
"Still the Little Stone Fist," Lin Yun shook his head and quickly struck with one fist, hitting Lin Shan's fists with a series of powerful blows. Although both were using the Rockfall Fist, Lin Yun had already reached a level of mastery, embodying the essence of turning decay into wonder, achieving the concept of having no moves surpassing having moves. He didn't need flashy actions; a simple strike could unleash the full power of the Rockfall Fist.
For Lin Shan's level, Lin Yun only needed to exert a slight effort to reach his limit!
In just a single clash, Lin Shan's tightly clenched fists instantly became weak and loose, his arms numb, and all his strength was disrupted by a single blow, unable to channel into his arms.
Lin Yun moved in closer, rapidly throwing punches in a sequence reminiscent of Wing Chun, raining down on Lin Shan's chest.
The punches weren't heavy, but they were still somewhat painful.
In front of so many clan members, Lin Yun didn't want to hit too hard; a little lesson was enough.
"Bang!"
After the last punch, Lin Shan fell awkwardly from the stone platform.
Lin Hong quickly went to help Lin Shan up and brought him to Lin Mang's side. Lin Mang, with a grim expression, checked Lin Shan's injuries. It looked a bit serious, but fortunately, it was just skin deep and didn't injure any tendons or bones.
"Hmph!" Lin Mang coldly snorted at Lin Yun on the platform.
It was clear that Lin Yun only wanted to teach Lin Shan a lesson, but his son was not someone Lin Yun could handle.
"Next time I draw him, I'll teach him a lesson too," Lin Mang instructed quietly.
"Understood, Dad," Lin Hong smirked.
On the platform, little Qingtan's eyes were crescent-shaped with laughter as she whispered, "Brother Lin Yun is so domineering, he beat that bastard Lin Shan to a pulp."
Lin Xiao and Lin Dong, though they didn't speak, both wore faint smiles.
Lin Xiao was well aware that Lin Shan often bullied Lin Dong in the past. However, as an elder, he couldn't act against a junior. Now that Lin Yun was giving Lin Shan a good thrashing, Lin Xiao, as a father, felt very pleased.
Lin Ken announced Lin Yun's victory, and the competition continued.
In the previous rounds, there hadn't been any strong matchups, so they lacked significant entertainment value.
For the elders, only matches above the sixth level of Body Refinement were interesting.
Lin Yun fought a few more rounds, facing opponents below the sixth level of Body Refinement, easily defeating them, but the rewards were only second-grade pills, not as good as Lin Shan's.
Fifth match!
Winning this match would secure a spot in the top five.
Before Lin Yun could take the stage, his opponent had already arrived: it was Lin Hong.
What a coincidence.
Both of them were among the more outstanding talents in the clan, and meeting so early was unexpected.
Lin Yun took the stage and immediately established a task.
[Task: Defeat Lin Hong. Reward: One bottle of third-grade Vitality Pills.]
As expected, the reward for defeating Lin Hong was quite generous, a Vitality Pill that could accelerate the cultivation of elemental power, which was precisely what Lin Yun needed right now, making him look at Lin Hong with a bit more favor.
"How you just beat my brother, now I want you to pay it back tenfold."
Lin Hong said with a cold smile. He had done a little trick earlier, deliberately drawing Lin Yun early, preparing to block Lin Yun from entering the top five.
Only those who entered the top five in the clan competition would receive rewards. As long as he defeated Lin Yun and injured him in the process, Lin Yun would naturally miss out on the top five.
"Tenfold? I'll grant you that!" Lin Yun said with a slight smile, feeling it necessary to teach Lin Hong a lesson.
On the platform, nearly everyone's gaze was focused on the match between Lin Yun and Lin Hong; this was the first battle above the sixth level of Body Refinement.
Moreover, Lin Hong had reached the sixth level of Body Refinement more than half a year ago, and he was likely even stronger now.
"Brother Lin Dong, do you think Brother Lin Yun can win?" Qingtan asked anxiously, her small hands clenched tightly.
"Lin Yun's strength was not inferior to Lin Hong's before, and he has been diligently training, so it shouldn't be that easy for him to lose." Lin Dong's small face was serious, but he was thinking... even if he lost, it wouldn't matter, he was still there.
He had also been training hard, and no one knew his true strength yet.
If Lin Yun lost, he would defeat Lin Hong and surprise everyone.
On the stage!
Lin Hong could not wait to make his move, his Yuan power surged, and the palm wind was fierce, attacking.
"Seventh level of Body Refinement!"
As soon as he made his move, the elders recognized his strength, and many were surprised. It's rare to see someone break through to the seventh level of Body Refinement at such a young age in the entire Qingyang Town.
"I have already broken through to the seventh level of Body Refinement. Let's see what you use to block this."
Lin Hong had a proud look on his face. He had consumed more than a dozen second-grade spiritual herbs, and even a few third-grade ones, to break through to the seventh level of Body Refinement. Others didn't have such conditions.
His goal this time was to be first in the clan competition; Lin Yun was just his stepping stone.
"You think too highly of yourself."
Lin Yun scoffed and activated his Yuan power, sending it out with his palm.
"Another seventh level of Body Refinement!"
The audience gasped. While Lin Hong reaching the seventh level was surprising, it was expected, but Lin Yun also reaching the seventh level was beyond everyone's expectations.
The competition became more interesting and unpredictable.
With the same level of cultivation, it would come down to the martial arts skills of both sides.
Lin Hong primarily practiced the Eight Desolate Palm, which he had already mastered and was close to perfection.
At this moment, Lin Hong's palm wind roared, incredibly fierce, striking directly at Lin Yun's vital organs.
However, to Lin Yun, this palm technique was full of flaws. Although the Eight Desolate Palm was known for its ferocity, it was not solely about being fierce. To cultivate it to perfection, one needed to balance hardness and softness, incorporating both strength and gentleness, allowing for both offense and defense.
Lin Yun had already mastered it to an extraordinary level, so when he saw Lin Hong's palm technique, it appeared full of openings, like child's play.
He saw Lin Yun's hand slip between Lin Hong's two hands, striking both sides, hitting Lin Hong's wrist joints, instantly altering Lin Hong's attack trajectory, while his other hand gathered strength for another strike.
"Bang!"
Lin Hong was knocked back and fell to the ground in a sorry state, feeling humiliated.
He stubbornly got back up, having lost some rationality, unleashing a storm of palm techniques, attacking wildly, not caring that his opponent was his younger cousin, with every move aimed to injure.
This made Lin Zhentian and Lin Ken, the elders, frown slightly.
However, no matter how Lin Hong attacked, Lin Yun easily deflected it, using the same techniques, as if a master was teaching his disciple, effortlessly controlling the situation.
"What a brilliant palm technique! The Eight Desolate Palm can actually be used like this." Lin Zhentian's eyes lit up; such smooth palm techniques even inspired him.
"This child's martial arts skills are terrifyingly profound!" Lin Xiao murmured.
Even he, who had some confidence in himself, had to admit it.
Lin Dong was even more astonished. He had also trained in the Eight Desolate Palm, but Lin Yun's execution was even smoother than that which had evolved from the shadow in his stone talisman.
"Impossible, how could this be?"
Lin Hong was struck hard. His proud palm technique was so easily countered, which deeply dented his confidence.
"I promised you ten times the punishment, here it is!"
Lin Yun would not hold back, using the same method he had used against Lin Shan, delivering tenfold punishment to Lin Hong.
Bang bang bang... a flurry of rapid palm shadows fell on Lin Hong.
"Enough."
Lin Mang suddenly spoke up to stop it.
"Bang!" Lin Yun stopped, kicking out, the heavy iron shoe landing on Lin Hong's chest, kicking him off the competition stage.
"Pu!" Lin Hong spat out a mouthful of blood.
Lin Mang quickly got up to check Lin Hong's injuries, pointing at Lin Yun and scolding, "You brat, how dare you hit him so hard."
"Second Uncle, I held back a lot. I didn't injure his vital parts, just gave him a lesson," Lin Yun coldly retorted. "Just now, Lin Hong attacked with every move aimed to injure, directly targeting vital points. If the roles were reversed, what do you think would happen to me?"
Lin Yun was an orphan without elders to back him up. If he were severely injured by Lin Hong, he could only blame his own bad luck.
Now, Lin Hong appeared seriously injured, but most of the injuries were external. The final kick had affected his internal organs, but his foundation remained intact.
This was already Lin Yun's way of not wanting to tear the relationship apart. If it weren't for Lin Mang and the elders of the clan, if Lin Hong was as ruthless as he was, Lin Yun would have long wanted to put him to death, even if the other party was his cousin.
Lin Mang's face remained dark.
"Alright, take Lin Hong down for treatment." Lin Zhentian said coldly to Lin Mang.
"Yes, father!"
Lin Mang did not dare to refute and took Lin Hong away from the trial hall.
With Lin Hong's injuries, he won't be able to recover in less than ten days or half a month, so he is out of the upcoming competition.
He was originally a strong contender for the clan championship, but now he hasn't even made it into the top five.
Conflicts are inevitable in competitions, but they don't have much impact, and they continue nonetheless.
Lin Yun stepped down after his victory, and many eyes were on him, including Lin Zhentian, who couldn't hide his admiration. As a junior of their lineage, the better Lin Yun performed, the happier he was.
As soon as Lin Yun returned to his seat, the little girl in a green dress, Qing Tan, came running over excitedly.
"Brother Lin Yun, you were amazing! Here, wipe your sweat."
Qing Tan cheerfully handed over her little handkerchief. Previously, Lin Hong had said that if he placed in the top three in the clan competition, he would ask their grandfather for permission to propose to Qing Tan.
This had worried Qing Tan greatly.
Old Master Lin Zhentian was the ultimate authority in the Lin family; if he agreed, Lin Xiao would find it hard to refuse. So, Qing Tan had been anxious during this time because she didn't want to marry Lin Hong.
Now that Lin Yun had injured Lin Hong and made it impossible for him to even make the top five, he no longer had the qualification to make such a request.
It could be said that Lin Yun had saved her again.
Looking at Lin Yun's resolute and masculine face, Qing Tan suddenly felt a sense of security.
"Thank you!"
Lin Yun didn't think much of it, casually taking the handkerchief and wiping his face. The texture was soft and slightly silky, and as the handkerchief brushed against his nose, he caught a faint, floral scent reminiscent of lilacs.
It smelled quite nice, and Lin Yun couldn't help but take a couple more sniffs.
Seeing Lin Yun actually sniffing her handkerchief, a blush immediately appeared on Qing Tan's delicate little face.