CHAPTER 699: SIX HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE DOU LING

"Big brother, Yun Xiao has his own thoughts, shouldn’t we stop forcing him?"

Lin Xuanhao didn’t have the thick skin that Lin Xuantian did, and the honest boy probably didn’t want the Lin and Tao families to really fight to the death either. After all, he was just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth.

"Ah, Xuanhao, are you confused?"

Witnessing this scene, Lin Xuantian felt disappointed, like iron failing to become steel. But in front of their father, he couldn’t scold Lin Xuanhao too harshly, so he could only turn his head back to Yun Xiao.

"Yun Xiao, you keep talking about repaying kindness. Now that your benefactor has come to you for help, you just nod along without keeping your word. How does that make you a true man?"

Lin Xuantian suddenly felt a surge of irritation in his heart, and even the Family Head Lin Zhenjiang frowned upon hearing this.

Since ancient times, repaying a favor has always been voluntary. Where is the sense in forcibly demanding someone to repay a debt of gratitude? Isn’t this akin to exploiting one’s benevolence? Lin Zhenjiang, being straightforward by nature, naturally disapproved of Lin Xuantian’s attitude at the moment.

Moreover, strictly speaking, if Yun Xiao were not here today, the entire Lin family might have been annihilated. Instead of being grateful to Yun Xiao, Lin Xuantian was actually criticizing him, revealing his true character.

"The favor I, Yun Xiao, owe will naturally be repaid, but it’s not your place, Lin Xuantian, to meddle as you please!"

Lin Xuantian had repeatedly pressured him, and even a clay figure has a degree of temper, let alone Yun Xiao. Thus, his response was no longer polite.

"You..."

As the eldest young master of the Lin family, Lin Xuantian had never been confronted like this. His face struggled to maintain composure, and just as he tried to say something more, he was interrupted by the plainly-dressed youth opposite him.

"If you say one more word, I’ll immediately leave with brother Xuanhao. What does the life or death of the Lin family have to do with me?"

Yun Xiao was no pushover. Having lived two lives, this kind of moral coercion had no effect on him. After all, it was only Lin Xuanhao who saved his life, not the entire Lin family.

At this moment, Yun Xiao saw through Lin Xuantian’s true face and felt an immense disgust. If it weren’t for Lin Xuanhao, he would really want to wash his hands of the matter and let the Lin family fend for themselves.

Hearing Yun Xiao’s words, Lin Xuantian shuddered inside, thinking he had truly been reckless. If Yun Xiao took Lin Xuanhao away, everything would revert, and the Lin family would be no match for the Tao family.

On the other hand, watching the Tao family, their eyes brightened. Perhaps from these few sentences of dialogue, they all realized that the relationship between Yun Xiao and the Lin family was not as strong as they had imagined.

"Little brat, get lost to the side!"

Seeing that the two sides were about to reach a stalemate, Lin Zhenjiang was truly alarmed. His eldest son seemed smart enough at first, so why was he acting so foolishly today?

Yun Xiao would have been a great ally, but in just a few words, Lin Xuantian almost destroyed his own wall. Lin Zhenjiang, sensing that the people of the Tao family were getting restless again, finally couldn’t hold back his shout.

"Little brother Yun Xiao, my son is young and ignorant. I hope you won’t stoop to his level!"

After scolding Lin Xuantian, Lin Zhenjiang immediately walked over to Yun Xiao. Now, this person was the Lin family’s guardian deity, absolutely not to be offended, or the destruction of the Lin family would come in an instant.

"Aren’t you leaving, or are you waiting for me to invite you for tea?"

Yun Xiao was somewhat agitated, and seeing that the members of the Tao family were still standing there, he coldly shouted, causing the Tao family members to shiver and quickly realize a truth.

Even if the young man didn’t assist the Lin family, he probably wouldn’t look favorably upon the Tao family either. It seemed that today’s matters were not feasible, and they should wait for another day.

At that moment, Tao Chengju took a deep glance at Yun Xiao and finally led the Tao family members away quickly. Suddenly, the valley fell into an unusual silence.

The remaining members of the Lin family all had their eyes fixed on Yun Xiao, with different thoughts in their minds, but most of them showed gratitude.

None of the Lin family members expected any danger on this expedition to the Nanyu Mountains to hunt Vein Demons with the Family Head and the Chief Meridian Refining Master leading them.

Who would have thought that just a Pine Needle Poison Array from Lin Song would cause the Lin family to lose nearly half of its people? Later, when confronting the Tao family, the Lin family came close to a total collapse, facing continuous perils.

However, whether it was the initial Pine Needle Poison Array or the subsequent attack by the Tao family, it was all easily resolved by the young man who had unexpectedly appeared with the Lin family. Now, the Lin family members felt an increasing sense of mystery about Yun Xiao.

Putting aside his enigmatic connection with the Jade Pot Sect, to have reached the Peak of Qi Seeking Realm in his cultivation at such a young age, in the entire Tenglong Continent, he would have to be considered a top genius, right?

It is noted that Lin Xuanting, much older than Yun Xiao, is only at the peak of the Spirit Vein Realm. People like Lin Zhenjiang and Qiao Guinong are speculating that given time, as long as Yun Xiao obtains the Undying, he will undoubtedly shine brilliantly on the Tenglong Continent.

"Brother Yun Xiao, let us return!"

Seeing the atmosphere becoming somewhat unusual in the arena, Lin Xuanhao stepped forward and spoke to Yun Xiao, his voice filled with anticipation. After today’s events, he genuinely admired this Brother Yun Xiao even more.

"No need, I still have some matters to attend to and won’t be returning to Yujiang City!"

Yun Xiao’s gaze briefly swept over Lin Xuanting, whose expression was somewhat gloomy, and he slightly shook his head. With this declaration, not only Lin Xuanhao but even Lin Zhenjiang couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

This youth has an astonishing talent and hails from the "mysterious" Jade Pot Sect. If he could be won over, he might become a significant support for the Lin Family. At the very least, with Yun Xiao in the Lin Family, the Tao Family would presumably not dare to cause further trouble.

"It’s all because of that brat Xuanting who doesn’t know the weight of his words!"

Thinking of a possibility, Lin Zhenjiang glared fiercely at Lin Xuanting again, contemplating whether Yun Xiao would not have been so averse to the Lin Family if not for those remarks made by this youngster earlier.

Lin Zhenjiang’s guess was not wrong. Yun Xiao did harbor good feelings towards Lin Xuanhao, but he was not as amiable towards the other members of the Lin Family.

Especially towards the likes of hypocrites such as Lin Xuanting; you never know when you might offend him with some remark. Yun Xiao was aware that he was, after all, an outsider, and if he were to really conflict with Lin Xuanting, Lin Zhenjiang would probably not stand on his side no matter what.

Today, with the presence of the Tao Family as a deterrent, the Lin Family had no choice but to rely on him. But once the constraint of the Tao Family was gone, Yun Xiao would find it impossible to remain as assertive.

Even though Yun Xiao has already made a breakthrough to the Qi Seeking Realm Early Stage, the higher the level of Meridian Qi Cultivation, the more difficult it becomes to fight above one’s level. Right now, Yun Xiao could at most contend with cultivators at the Middle Late Stage of the Qi Seeking Realm.

Keep in mind that the Family Head of the Lin Family, Lin Zhenjiang, is a genuine cultivator at the Origin Seeking Realm Early Stage. Not to mention him, the Lin Family likely has quite a few cultivators in the Late Stage or Peak of the Qi Seeking Realm.

Given Yun Xiao’s character, he would not put himself in danger. Although he is not ungrateful, he also would not commit to things he doesn’t wish to do just to repay a favor.

"Brother Xuan Hao, you must be close to breaking through to the Late Stage of the Spirit Vein Realm, right? Here is a ’Qi Assistance Pill’ for you, it might provide some help in your breakthrough!"

Disregarding the expressions of Lin Zhenjiang and the other Lin family members, Yun Xiao turned his gaze to Lin Xuanhao, took out a Jade Bottle from his Waist Storage, and spoke words that shocked even the Earth Rank Low Level Meridian Refining Master Qiao Guinong, who was standing by.

"Qi Assistance Pill?"

Qiao Guinong recalled that, in his memory, the Qi Assistance Pill was only effective for cultivators at the Mortal Rank Third Realm. It was a consumable that could give junior-level cultivators a greater chance of breaking through to the next minor realm.

And now, Yun Xiao mentioned that the Qi Assistance Pill would be effective for Lin Xuanhao who was at the Middle Stage of the Spirit Vein Realm, how could this not startle Qiao Guinong? If indeed so, the grade of this pill must have reached the level of an Advanced Spiritual Rank Elixir, right?

"Brother Yun Xiao, are you really leaving?"

Lin Xuanhao received the Jade Bottle in a daze, without the same thoughts as Qiao Guinong. Although his time spent with Yun Xiao was short, he truly did not wish to part ways so soon.

"Yes!"

Yun Xiao did not elaborate further. In fact, having just entered the Tenglong Continent, he needed to properly organize his subsequent plans. Enhancing his own strength was his top priority.

"Brother Yun Xiao, will you attend the ’Spirit Fighting Conference’ in Yuyang City a month from now?"

Just as Yun Xiao took a few steps away, Lin Xuanhao’s voice suddenly came from behind, causing him to briefly pause in his steps, as memories flooded his mind like a surging tide.

Although Yun Xiao had set foot neither on the Tenglong Continent in his previous life nor in this one, he was still somewhat familiar with certain things, one of which was the so-called "Spirit Fighting."

Every Meridian Qi Cultivator, upon reaching the level of the Spirit Vein Realm, would possess a special ability, which was to refine a Meridian Spirit for their own use.

This led to the emergence of a new combat modality known as Spirit Fighting. Yun Xiao had witnessed numerous Spirit Fighting Arenas in the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, and every so often, grand top-tier Spirit Fighting Conferences would be held.

The so-called Spirit Fighting, naturally, was not a battle between cultivators, but between the Meridian Spirits refined by the cultivators. Controlled by cultivators, these Meridian Spirits would enter the Spirit Fighting Arena for an extraordinary battle, with the victor receiving extremely lavish rewards.

Since cultivators at the Spirit Vein Realm were quite rare on the Hidden Dragon Continent, this special form of fighting competition, Spirit Fighting, did not prevail there.

However, after arriving on the Tenglong Continent, where almost all were above the Spirit Vein Realm, every cultivator at or above this level had refined Meridian Spirits. Consequently, Spirit Fighting battles also became relatively more prosperous.