Inside the Trial Hall, it was utterly silent. Every gaze, stunned and astonished, fixed on the young man on the stone platform, their hearts filled with shock, rendering them speechless for a long time.
"He actually won..."
Lin Xiao was also startled by this result. A moment later, his body suddenly trembled violently, and a look of wild joy instantly appeared on his face.
The joy Lin Dong brought him today was simply too overwhelming.
Below the stone platform, Lin He gently patted her chest, using it to calm the tremor in her heart. Her eyes, meanwhile, were fixed intently on Lin Dong. Earlier, when she fought Lin Hong, she could only manage a draw by fighting with all her might, but Lin Dong had actually managed to defeat Lin Hong. This indirectly showed that even she was probably no longer a match for Lin Dong.
In a certain sense, the true first-place winner of this Clan Assembly should be Lin Dong. He was a dark horse who had suddenly appeared!
"Truly worthy of being Third Brother's son..." Beside Lin He, Lin Keng slowly remarked.
On the ground outside the stone platform, Lin Hong's face was pale, his eyes somewhat unfocused. He clearly hadn't recovered from this sudden reversal of fortune. He never imagined that he would ultimately lose to Lin Dong, someone he had never once taken seriously.
This result was difficult for him to accept.
"Impossible!"
The surrounding gazes felt like needles pricking Lin Hong's back. His expression shifted, and he suddenly roared, stomping his foot on the ground before charging onto the stone platform once more, wildly attacking Lin Dong.
Seeing that the match had ended, yet Lin Hong was still acting crazily, Lin Dong's brows furrowed. He took a sideways step, and his two palms, like iron pincers, locked onto Lin Hong. Just as he was about to push Lin Hong off again, a fierce voice suddenly rang out.
"Scram!"
The shout suddenly rang out, and a figure descended directly from the sky. A large hand, like an eagle's claw, shot straight towards Lin Dong. Lin Dong was startled and quickly released his grip, but the opponent still relentlessly pursued him, aiming straight for his shoulder.
"Lin Mang!"
The sudden turn of events startled everyone. When they saw who had made the move, Lin Keng below the platform immediately roared in anger.
"You scram too, don't touch my son!"
No sooner had Lin Keng's shout faded than another figure swiftly flew up, flashing before Lin Dong – it was Lin Xiao.
"Lin Xiao, do you really think you're my match now?" Seeing Lin Xiao make a move, Lin Mang couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. The Yuan Power in his palm surged, carrying astonishing force, he angrily struck out towards Lin Xiao.
"Scram!"
Facing Lin Mang's offensive, Lin Xiao's expression darkened slightly. Yet, he didn't dodge, instead throwing a punch to meet Lin Mang head-on.
*Bang!*
A powerful surge of energy erupted from their colliding fists, spreading outwards in a circle, sweeping all the dust from the stone platform. And then, everyone witnessed something unbelievable once more: Lin Mang was actually pushed back several steps!
Lin Mang, a Sky Yuan Stage expert, was actually pushed back!
Originally, Lin Keng had been about to make a move, but at this moment, his steps froze. At the head table, Lin Zhengtian, who had been on the verge of exploding with rage, also suddenly froze, the anger on his face abruptly froze!
"Your strength?!"
Lin Mang stumbled, steadying himself. At this moment, his heart was in turmoil. He looked at Lin Xiao in shock, exclaiming.
"My injuries are healed, so naturally, my strength has recovered," Lin Xiao said calmly. "During a sparring match between juniors, why did you interfere? Do you really think my son and I are easy to bully?"
"Third Brother, your strength has recovered?"
Below the stage, Lin Kheng heard these words, and his face instantly lit up with wild joy. A Heavenly Yuan Stage expert was truly of paramount importance to a family's strength. Currently, the Lin Family, including himself, only had three Heavenly Yuan Stage experts. Yet, even so, the Lin Family held considerable weight in Qingyang Town. Now that Lin Xiao's injuries were completely healed and his strength restored to its former glory, it meant their Lin Family had gained another Heavenly Yuan Stage expert!
Inside the Training Hall, the invited guests also showed expressions of shock. They understood that from now on, the Lin Family's strength would likely increase significantly.
At the head seat, when Lin Zhengtian recovered his senses, he quickly leaped onto the stone platform and grabbed Lin Xiao's arm. Feeling the surging Yuan Power within the other's body, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Good, you finally haven't disappointed me!"
Lin Zhengtian heavily patted Lin Xiao's shoulder. Lin Dong, standing nearby, could see that the old man's eyes seemed a little red. He could tell that the old man was
Lin Zhengtian’s gaze swept over everyone’s faces, then he slammed his hand down on the table and said coldly.
“Father, it was my impulsiveness.”
Lin Mang took a deep breath and said in a low voice. Seeing Lin Hong lose to Lin Dong earlier had indeed been a bit hard for him to accept. From a young age, he had always competed with Lin Xiao, and this rivalry extended to their children as well.
“Father, Second Brother was indeed a bit impulsive, but there’s no need to get overly angry.” Lin Keng sighed. As the eldest brother, he couldn’t remain silent.
“Third Brother’s injuries have fully healed, and his strength has also recovered to the Heavenly Yuan Stage. This is also a joyous occasion for our Lin Family, so there’s no need for anger.”
Hearing this, Lin Zhengtian’s expression softened considerably. He looked at Lin Xiao, then suddenly frowned in displeasure and snorted, “Your injuries could have healed much sooner, but you insisted on being stubborn to death.”
Lin Xiao nodded with a wry smile.
“Nevertheless, no matter what, it’s good that you’ve managed to pick yourself up. Our Lin Family now has quite a few businesses, and we’re just short on manpower. From now on, you should take on more management responsibilities. Don’t just live a life of leisure without a care in the world,” Lin Zhengtian said.
“Yes!” Lin Xiao hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. Now that his strength had recovered, it was indeed time for him to do something for the Lin Family.
Seeing that Lin Xiao didn’t refuse, Lin Zhengtian nodded in satisfaction. Then he pondered for a moment and said, “There have been many issues at Huoyan Manor recently. Why don’t you go manage that place for a while? For the specific matters, Lin Keng can assist you.”
As soon as Lin Zhengtian finished speaking, Lin Mang’s face couldn’t help but fall. The Lin Family had several businesses in and around Qingyang Town, but Huoyan Manor was the most crucial. Its annual profits accounted for five or six tenths of the entire Lin Family’s income. What’s more, Huoyan Manor had always been under his management until now…
Although he was extremely uncomfortable internally, Lin Mang didn’t dare to object to Lin Zhengtian’s decision. After all, he had just angered Lin Zhengtian.
Hearing that he was to oversee Huoyan Manor, Lin Xiao was also startled. He clearly knew how important this manor was to the Lin Family. After a slight hesitation, he nodded.
After giving these instructions, Lin Zhengtian looked kindly at Lin Dong, Lin Xia, and the still somewhat displeased Lin Hong, then smiled and said: “Also, Lin Dong performed very well today. To be precise, he was the true first place winner of this Clan Gathering. I will have someone deliver your competition rewards to you later. As for the family’s Martial Arts Hall, the three of you are free to go and look around. If you need anything, just tell your grandfather. Strive to make further breakthroughs before Qingyang Town’s hunting competition. That will be the time to boost the Lin Family’s prestige in Qingyang Town.”
Hearing that he could freely visit the family’s Martial Arts Hall, Lin Dong, who had been sitting quietly on the side until now, his eyes practically lit up instantly…