CHAPTER 685: 685 LIN FAMILY BROTHERS

Roar! Roar!

This is the outskirts of a huge mountain range in the Southern Domain of Tenglong Continent. Following a series of beastly roars, a dozen figures swiftly approached a gigantic creature, surrounding it from all sides.

These figures exuded an impressive aura, among them, the leader reached the Peak of Spirit Vein Realm and appeared to be quite young, around his early twenties.

Following beside this young man was another teenager, around seventeen or eighteen years old, whose Cultivation had reached the Middle Stage of Spirit Vein Realm. Their clothing seemed similar, indicating they likely came from the same family or sect.

For such young individuals to have reached the Peak of Spirit Vein Realm was astounding, especially comparing them to those geniuses in Hidden Dragon Continent who were nearly thirty and still only in the Meridian Union Realm.

As for the others beside the two young men, most were either at the Early Stage or Middle Stage of Spirit Vein Realm, and they seemed to be hunting a Sixth Rank Advanced Vein Demon.

The surrounded Vein Demon, a gigantic male leopard with patches all over, glared fiercely with its malevolent eyes at the humans who had gravely wounded it, especially at that leading young man.

"Everyone, let’s attack together. This patched bamboo leopard is severely injured and won’t last much longer!"

The older youth also flashed a ruthless look in his eyes, determined to complete this hunt for the Sixth Rank Advanced patched bamboo leopard. While saying this, he also throw a subtle glance at the teenager beside him.

"Xuan Hao, flank from the side and beware its tail!"

With a thought in his mind, the young man pointed towards a direction, his words sounding like a caution.

"Brother Xuanting, don’t worry, this time we’ll definitely see a qualitative improvement in your Meridian Spirit!"

The teenager named Xuan Hao, seemingly without any guards, spoke even as he dashed forward to position himself behind the patched bamboo leopard.

Judging by their titles, they seemed to be brothers, although their features didn’t resemble each other at all. Seeing that Xuan Hao was positioned behind the leopard, an obscure cold sneer crossed Brother Xuanting’s eyes.

"Roar!"

The patched bamboo leopard, still bleeding on one side of its rear, sensed the threat of death and roared again, launching a preemptive attack at the strongest human among them.

Perhaps in its mind, if it could first kill the leader of the humans, it would stand a chance to escape the great peril. It loathed the human who had gravely injured it and was prepared to perish together even if it couldn’t break out.

In a desperate attempt, even the Advanced Sixth Rank Vein Demon’s charge could not be underestimated by Xuanting, who had reached the Peak of Spirit Vein Realm. Seeing this, he swiftly swayed and extended his right hand, conjuring a uniquely auraed radiance before him.

"It’s Young Master Xuanting’s Meridian Spirit!"

Witnessing this scene, not only Xuan Hao but all the other guards showed eager expressions. When the massive creature swelled and revealed its form against the wind, it looked just like the patched bamboo leopard.

The human body is wondrous; once you’ve reached the Spiritual Vein Realm and refined a Meridian Spirit, you can absorb it into your body, and that includes some substantially large Vein Demons.

The Meridian Spirit that Yun Xiao, once known as the Long Xiao Battle God, had refined, was originally a Holy Rank Vein Demon, as mighty and towering as a small mountain, and eventually, even its Spiritual Wisdom was erased and absorbed as a Meridian Spirit.

The Meridian Spirit summoned by Xuanting now was clearly a patched bamboo leopard whose Spiritual Wisdom had been erased, worth noting, the Grade of Meridian Spirit can also be enhanced. The ultimate purpose of what Xuanting was doing, was to elevate the Grade of his refined Meridian Spirit.

Since the patched bamboo leopard Meridian Spirit that Xuanting had previously refined was only a Fifth Rank Advanced, but as his strength grew, it was no longer enough to satisfy his Meridian Qi Cultivation.

Even though the Fifth Rank Advanced Meridian Spirit, under the enhancement of Xuanting’s Meridian Qi, could still exert considerable strength, at most it could only reach the Early Stage of Spirit Vein Realm. If he could use a higher-ranked patched bamboo leopard to upgrade the Grade of his Meridian Spirit, his combat power would undoubtedly become much more formidable.

This was also the reason Xuanting led the team to hunt the patched bamboo leopard. Otherwise, with his Cultivation at the Peak of Spirit Vein Realm, why would he bother provoking a powerful Sixth Rank Advanced Vein Demon?

Moreover, Xuanting had another purpose in mind, so at this moment he directly summoned his Meridian Spirit, aware that his Fifth Rank Advanced patched bamboo leopard Meridian Spirit was far from a match for the Sixth Rank Advanced Vein Demon, but perhaps it could fulfill his other goal.

"Beast, meet your end!"

Xuanting, having summoned the Meridian Spirit, roared loudly. Then, slightly shifting his form, he cleverly used the distractions of the Meridian Spirit to approach the side of the spotted bamboo leopard.

Boom!

With a fierce kick, he brutally targeted the right side of the spotted bamboo leopard’s belly, as these beast-vein demons invariably have their vulnerabilities around the chest and abdomen area. Even with the robust physical strength of a meridian demon, being kicked by a human in the Peak of Spirit Vein Realm would likely not end well for it.

Furthermore, the spotted bamboo leopard was already heavily injured. Not daring to be hit by Xuanting’s kick, it quickly shifted its form to avoid it.

However, neither the spotted bamboo leopard nor the onlookers surrounding the battle noticed the fleeting glint of satisfaction in Xuanting’s eyes, a glimmer of triumph in controlling the situation.

Bang!

The spotted bamboo leopard, having just dodged Xuanting’s kick, didn’t get a chance to react before a huge figure furiously pounced down and brutally smashed its paw onto the leopard’s neck, flipping it over.

It turned out that while Xuanting was delivering a fierce kick, he had not neglected controlling the Meridian Spirit on the other side, another tactic used by strong practitioners in the Spiritual Vein Realm during battle.

Taking advantage of the moment the spotted bamboo leopard dodged his kick, Xuanting had already positioned his Meridian Spirit right there, making a solid hit that the severely injured leopard could hardly bear even if the strike was only from the early stage of the Spirit Vein Realm.

By then, the spotted bamboo leopard finally realized it was no longer in its prime. This human had heavily injured it during the earlier group attack and now sought to duel it alone, luring it into a false sense of security.

"Roar!"

The spotted bamboo leopard, struggling to rise, roared again and suddenly swung its tail at a young figure in a certain direction, causing everyone’s expressions to drastically change.

"Xuan Hao, be careful!"

Especially Xuanting, who seemed to have just realized the peril and cried out in alarm. However, both his physical body and the powerful Meridian Spirit hesitated slightly at that moment, a detail that went unnoticed in such a critical situation.

Xuan Hao was only a youth in the Middle Stage of the Spirit Vein Realm. He thought with so many people around and his elder brother’s cultivation at the Peak of Spirit Vein Realm, the spotted bamboo leopard had no chance of escape. Yet, he found himself suddenly in a life-or-death situation.

Even though the leopard was heavily injured, its desperation made it even more ferocious. The disparity was too great, and with the meridian demon’s extraordinary physical strength, Xuan Hao’s only option might be to dodge.

However, because of Xuanting’s earlier arrangement, there was no one else behind Xuan Hao. He knew that if he yielded, the leopard would definitely seize the opportunity to break through the encirclement. Once it escaped, rounding it up again would not be easy.

Leopard-type meridian demons are known for their speed. It had taken considerable effort to corner this spotted bamboo leopard, but if it escaped and became wary, catching it again would be nearly impossible.

"Isn’t it just a wounded spotted bamboo leopard? I refuse to believe I can’t stop you."

Xuan Hao had a relentless stubbornness in his nature and unguarded trust in his elder brother Xuanting. So at that moment, instead of dodging, he charged towards the leopard to enable the evolution of the latter’s Meridian Spirit.

"Ah, Xuan Hao, why are you so reckless?"

Seeing Xuan Hao’s slight stagger and then immobilization, others were still processing, but Xuanting cried out in pain, seemingly moved by the former’s reaction at that moment.

However, what no one noticed was the flicker of cunning in Xuanting’s eyes—the entire situation had been meticulously orchestrated by him.

Indeed, Xuanting and Xuan Hao were brothers, albeit without any blood relation. Xuanting was merely an adopted son taken in by the Lin Family Head of Yujiang City, as he had no children of his own late in life.

However, three years after adopting Xuanting, Xuan Hao was born.

This put Xuanting in an awkward position. While it hardly mattered during their youth, as he grew older, Xuanting increasingly felt his adoptive father, the Lin Family Head, showed more affection towards his biological son, Xuan Hao.

Jealousy grew in his heart, feeling his position threatened; Xuanting’s once caring demeanor towards his younger brother from their childhood days as the elder brother had transformed into mounting dissatisfaction.

Recently, due to certain actions by the Lin Family Head, Xuanting had come to realize that his position as an adopted son could never compare to that of a biological child. Over time, it was clear that the role of the next Family Head of the Lin Family would undoubtedly fall to Xuan Hao.

Always considering himself the eldest legitimate son of the Lin Family, Xuanting’s ambitions burgeoned. He knew as long as Xuan Hao was in the Lin Family, he would forever have no chance at becoming the Lin Family Head.