Battle At The Vagrant Woods (Seven)

Lin Huangfu, the second elder, and the cultivators from the Forest Clan almost fainted on the spot. Did Lin Dong just threaten to kill someone from the City Lord's Mansion? Was that truly the same east elder from before?

"E-east elder.." The forest patriarch staggered.

"YOU... you want to die?" The flame commander retreated for a moment but then anger and shame welled up. The white elder frowned, deciding to stay back and observe as angering the crazy commander was not something the Forest Clan could do.

"Whoever wants to harm him, I will be your enemy!" Elder Lin Dong didn't back down at all, his eyes determined to fight anyone.

"Good, Good, don't blame me for taking your insolent life! True Element of Wood? Hah, the most useless element, you think I'd be afraid?!" The flame commander lost patience, rushing at Lin Dong and slashing down with the halberd.

"...!" The forest patriarch thought about stepping in, but backed down when the white elder glared at him. The second elder held his arm, "Patriarch, let's watch for now!"

The halberd fell and Lin Dong met it halfway with the weaponized spine. The clash pushed them both back, only Lin Dong looked more at ease.

'What a powerful weapon!' The flame commander's hands tingled in pain. They were pushed back the same amount, but he was the loser in that exchange, as his cultivation was four layers higher than the enemy.

"How is this possible?" The white elder and everyone else looked dumbfounded, 'How can he match someone above him in power so effortlessly? It's not only the weapon!'

The halberd reached low-grade first rank, considered a treasure in these parts, but the weaponized spine was a middle-grade first rank weapon. In an exchange against similar powers, Lin Dong would be the winner, yet his cultivation was much lower than the commander.

'Is it his cultivation law? It should not be, how can the Forest Clan have a better law than the City Lord's Mansion and my White Clan? He has a true element, but wood is the weakest… Just what in the world is going on?' The white elder looked for answers, and similar thoughts passed through the others at that moment.

"Should I go?" Lin Qiang asked Ming Ren. Victory would be more than assured with the [Beast and Fist Battle Formation].

Ming Ren focused on stabilizing his Qi flow and internal healing. He shook the head, "No, this is an important moment for the elder, we can't always rely on battle formations. Besides..."

With so many people around, why would they reveal another trump card of the Forest Clan?

The flame commander gritted his teeth and ignited the halberd, attacking again with more spiritual energy than before.

[Flame Slash!]

Lin Dong circulated his Qi, striking with the spine in a downward motion using [Woodland Fury], the impact once again pushing them back. They looked out of breath, but Lin Dong won the exchange again.

"Impossible!" The flame commander couldn't believe his eyes. He might have lost the exchange in raw power because of the superior weapon but in technique? He had an earth tier art!

The cultivators from the Forest Clan almost worshipped Lin Dong on bent knees by now. The second elder and forest patriarch exchanged glances. How could they not notice either the woodland fury was improved or Lin Dong far surpassed their accomplishment in the art?

'Did he reach great accomplishment? How come we haven't heard about him before? At this rate, and with that boy's speed, neither of us will get him. I don't know how he got out of the Cloud Clan, but it's likely his prowess has something to do with the treasure. Either way, even if we don't get him, it would be good for me to earn some points with the city lord,' the white elder acted, "Your Forest Clan's arrogance is something to behold. Commander, I changed my mind, I will assist you."

"Good!" The flame commander breathed heavily, "Lin Huangfu, have you thought this through? Do you want the city lord to wipe out your whole clan?"

Lin Huangfu hesitated, then looked at Lin Dong, Lin Qiang, and Ming Ren. Their changes had something to do with this young man, and he even saved them according to Lin Dong. Would he truly let them take someone in front of his eyes again, just like his own wife?

"Lin Dong, it's okay," Ming Ren wasn't afraid. If he wanted to leave, no one could stop him.

"Benefactor," Lin Dong smiled at him, grateful from the bottom of his heart, "If I let these people get their way, would I even be human? I, Lin Dong, am not worth much, but I've never repaid kindness with cowardice!"

"Well said, elder, I agree!" Lin Qiang finally lost her patience. Jumping gracefully at the armored ape king's back, she looked down on the flame commander, "Is our Forest Clan that easy in your eyes? How foolish of you to think you can take him!"

The second elder's eyes opened as wide as humanly possible. Lin Qiang was in his family line, always composed and calm. She looked like a complete stranger. The cultivators from the Forest Clan always admired her beauty, now they fell for her fierceness.

"You…!" The flame commander almost exploded from anger.

The white elder stepped forward, revolving his Qi, "A mere Forest Clan dares to boast!"

"Bai Xun is my good brother, do you not fear him finding out about this?" Ming Ren said.

"My young master is already a dragon, why would he care about you?"

Ming Ren sighed, 'Xun, don't hold it against me for punishing your clan.'

The youth sent messages to Lin Dong and Lin Qiang, 'Elder, the flame commander already wasted too much spiritual energy, take him down. Lin Qiang, you can't overwhelm the white elder with power, but he won't be able to match your speed.'

They nodded in response. Everyone expected the flame commander to make a move, but Lin Dong moved first!

The east elder bolted forward decisively, striking repeatedly without giving the enemy a break. The commander could only defend and spend even more energy as he did. Lin Dong's Qi flowed more efficiently, wasting almost no energy. He had an overwhelming advantage in cultivation law, arts, and body tempering.

The white elder thought about helping him but a feather-bladed curlew almost cut his neck. He leaped back, and a lioness tail struck. He blocked the tail with his bare hands, but the ape king jumped and smashed down with both hands, forcing him to retreat again. When he wanted to breathe, Lin Qiang appeared by his side with a low-angle thrust and shocking speed.

[Forest Needle]

The elder barely dodged, sweat dripping off his head. He wanted to counterattack with [One Hundred Fist], but Lin Qiang's speed increased, an almost transparent layer of Qi surrounding her body, and she thrust again.

"True Element Of Wind!" The elder regretted giving her an opening, but it was already too late. The thin sword tip almost pierced his throat but Lin Qiang stopped at the last moment.

"Dead," she gazed at him with unwavering eyes. The white elder shivered. Did he almost lose his life to someone at the peak of the second layer?

Lin Dong didn't defeat the flame commander but suppressed him without openings. It was only a matter of time, but the bout finally ended when Lin Qiang used her true element to defeat the white elder.

"Another true element?!" The flame commander lost the will to fight, and Lin Huangfu couldn't believe his eyes. If the earth Qi on the formation was also Lin Qiang's...

Ming Ren nodded, satisfied with their growth. Lin Qiang's senses were top notch, and Lin Dong had commendable resilience.

"Enough!" Lin Huangfu finally decided. No matter what, Lin Qiang and Lin Dong were too precious for the Forest Clan. He would take their side even if it meant offending the White Clan and City Lord's Mansion, "If you insist, we will also fight. No matter what you want with the boy, today our Forest Clan will guarantee him."

The white elder and flame commander frowned, but how could they argue? Lin Qiang and Lin Dong were enough trouble without two peak spirit joining the fight. Cultivators were ruthless. Even if their influences avenged them, what good would it do?

Ming Ren clasped his hands and bowed. He walked to the spider-chimera and harvested its two cores and a few other parts, "No one will object if I take this, right?"

Lin Dong and Lin Qiang smiled. The flame commander gritted his teeth, enduring the humiliation. The white elder thought of something, "Sigh, now that I think about it, the Bright Clan was truly unfortunate. So much talent, but it came down to nothing. They were hunted and butchered like dogs."

Ming Ren stopped with his back turned to them, frowning. Did he think this kind of taunt would work on him?

Lin Qiang glared at the white elder, "Do you feel no shame?!"

"Ah, no, don't get me wrong, I really liked the Bright Clan. Even after it fell, I took care of some of its people," the white elder smiled lecherously. Lin Dong, Lin Huangfu, the second elder, and even the flame commander had disgusted faces.

Ming Ren gritted his teeth, still deciding to leave. The elder was obviously baiting him to attack and get caught, but even if he killed the elder it would only bring more trouble to the Forest Clan.

"There was this servant girl, what was her name again? I don't remember it at all. Oh, what about that elder... ah, yes, he was the clan's chief alchemist? Tough old fellow. I couldn't put up with half of what he went through," the white elder spoke as if reminiscing about good times.

Ming Ren's chest hurt. Something deep inside his soul stirred up and slowly leaked as if a container suddenly opened. Invisible rare energy surrounded his body, his mind went blank, and he entered a state of trance. He saw an old man suffering, hands bound, hot iron striking his body until flesh burned and his screaming voice gave out. He aged terribly since his days teaching about spirit herbs and pills. His mother's master, his teacher, a kind elder of the Bright Clan. He told them everything he knew about the scripture, yet they didn't stop. They took his life amidst laughs.

Ming Ren lost himself in anger and sorrow. His anger could burn the entire world, and yet the visions didn't stop there.

The true nightmare would still come.