Before Lin Dong and his group, what should have originally been an area teeming with Ironwood trees was now more than half empty. Black wooden stumps protruded from the ground, and looking at the cuts on those severed stumps, it was clear they had been chopped down. They had evidently been forcibly cut down in a hurry.
Of course, what made Lin Dong and his group's faces turn pale was not merely the large number of Ironwood trees that had been chopped down, but rather the sight of many figures on that piece of land, busily splashing basins full of foul-smelling medicinal liquid onto it.
This Lei family not only wanted to chop down all the growing Ironwood trees, but they also intended to damage the structure and properties of this land. They wanted to make it impossible for Ironwood to grow here again!
Such an act of harming others without benefiting oneself was truly despicable!
"These bastards want to give our Lin family a ruined estate!" Qin Ying said, gritting his teeth.
Lin Dong's expression also turned slightly grim. He likewise hadn't expected the Lei family to resort to such a despicable tactic. If the land of this Ironwood Estate was truly damaged by their medicinal liquid, then this place would be completely ruined.
"What do we do now?" a Lin family guard whispered. Looking at the Lei family's current actions, it was clear they hadn't yet chopped down all the Ironwood trees. After all, the Ironwood trees at Ironwood Estate were extremely lush, and due to their hardness and sturdiness, they weren't easy to fell. It had only been a little over a month, and they hadn't been able to clear the entire Ironwood Estate.
"If the Ironwood trees are gone, they can still grow back, but if the structure and properties of this land are destroyed, then this Ironwood Estate will be no different from an ordinary mountain," Qin Ying said in a deep voice.
"Mm."
Lin Dong also nodded slightly. His gaze swept across the area, seeing that the vast majority of the people there were laborers hired by the Lei family, not a problem. Therefore, his eyes shifted and settled on a few figures in the distance. These were the Lei family guards.
"There are thirteen Lei family guards here, two of whom have reached the Earth Yuan Stage. I know one of their leaders, named Dai En. He used to be a bandit and later became a Lei family guard. His strength is probably comparable to mine, both having reached the early Earth Yuan Stage. The other person should also be at this stage," Qin Ying said, frowning and speaking in a low voice. Here, he and Lin Dong were both at the Earth Yuan Stage, and it was their first time experiencing such a situation. If they were to truly fight, it would likely be very difficult to contend with the opposing Earth Yuan Stage experts.
"Two early Earth Yuan Stage cultivators," Lin Dong's eyes flashed as he pondered for a moment, then said, "Uncle Qin Ying, send a signal to inform them."
"If we send a signal, they'll discover us. Should we retreat first?" Qin Ying said, startled. The opponents had two Earth Yuan Stage cultivators, plus over ten experienced fighters, while they only had four people. If they retreated, he could still protect Lin Dong and leave, but in a direct confrontation, he wouldn't have enough focus to pay attention to anything else.
“There’s no time to retreat. They only need to splash a bit more medicinal liquid, and the Ironwood’s output will decrease.” Lin Dong shook his head and said, “When we make our move later, leave those two, Dai En, to me. You and the others block the rest.”
Hearing this, Qin Ying’s expression suddenly changed. Lin Dong actually planned to use his strength alone to stop the opponents, those two early-stage Earth Yuan Realm masters?
“There’s no time for delay. I would never do something suicidal.”
As if knowing what Qin Ying and the others were thinking, Lin Dong no longer had time to explain further. He had now reached the middle-stage Earth Yuan Realm, and having absorbed so much Yin Sha Qi from Qing Tan’s body, which had further merged with his Yuan Power, he was even stronger. Although his experience might not be as seasoned as his opponents’, with two Fourth-grade Martial Arts in his grasp, it wouldn’t be a problem.
Seeing Lin Dong’s persistence, and considering the critical situation, Qin Ying gritted his teeth, then took out a signal flare from his pocket and lit it. A red light immediately shot high into the sky, exploding everywhere, its crimson glow dazzling. It was clearly visible within several thousand meters.
“Who’s there?!”
As the signal flare shot up, the Lei family guards not far away also discovered it. A masked leading man suddenly turned around, his fierce gaze fixed on where Lin Dong and his group were hiding. He waved his arm, and the dozen or so scattered figures around them slowly began to encircle them.
“Roar!”
As they were closing in, a tiger’s roar suddenly echoed. A fiery red figure powerfully leaped out.
“Fire Python Tiger!”
The Lei family guards clearly had some discernment; they recognized Xiao Yan charging forward at a glance, and immediately, numerous cries of alarm rang out. Some of the more timid ones were so scared they wet their pants.
“Don’t be afraid, this is just a young Fire Python Tiger!” The man Qin Ying called Dai En was startled at first, but immediately after, he saw through a clue and shouted loudly.
“Old Six, come with me and kill this beast. The rest of you, capture those people behind it for me! I want to see who’s so brain-dead they dare to cause trouble at Ironwood Manor!”
Evidently, Dai En held some sway among these guards, so when his shout rang out, the panic of the others subsided somewhat. Meanwhile, the other Earth Yuan Realm master, standing beside that man, had a somewhat sinister expression.
“Make your move!”
The two exchanged a glance, then almost simultaneously charged fiercely towards Xiao Yan. Suddenly, as the two approached within several zhang of Xiao Yan, a powerful figure burst out from behind him, appearing before the two in just a few steps, carrying a mighty, ice-cold Yuan Power as it fiercely struck towards them.
“Watch out!”
The sudden attack startled both Dai En and the other man, and their Yuan Power immediately surged forth from within their bodies.
“Bang!”
The three figures collided heavily, and a powerful surge of energy erupted, scattering all the debris on the ground. Afterward, the figure that had burst out from behind Xiao Yan merely trembled slightly before stabilizing. As for Dai En and his companion, under everyone’s astonished gazes, they were forced to retreat several steps.
“Gasp!”
Originally preparing to provide aid from behind, Qin Ying and the others couldn't help but gasp in shock at this sight. Their eyes filled with horror as they stared at the young man's back. They truly hadn't expected Lin Dong to be able to take on two opponents and even gain the upper hand.
"As expected of the Lin Family's most talented individual!"
Looking at the young man's figure, even a battle-hardened veteran like Qin Ying felt a surge of admiration in his heart. At this moment, he forgot the age difference between them, understanding that no matter where, strength ultimately reigned supreme.
"Attack!"
Seeing Lin Dong successfully hold back Dai En and his companion, Qin Ying let out a sharp cry and charged forward, heading straight for the ten or so Lei Family guards who were gathering. With his Earth Yuan Stage cultivation, he had no worries, even with the numerical disadvantage.
"Roar!"
At the same time, Xiao Yan roared furiously once more, transforming into a blazing red blur that broke free from the encirclement. It charged directly towards those who were busily splashing medicinal liquid. Seeing such a terrifyingly ferocious monster, those individuals hastily fled, abandoning their barrels of medicine and running for their lives.
"It's someone from the Lin Family!" Dai En's expression shifted slightly as he saw Qin Ying charge out. A murderous glint then flashed in his eyes as he fixed his gaze on Lin Dong before him.
"Old Six, let's attack together and kill this brat!"
Dai En licked his lips, a fierce murderous intent erupting on his face. The person next to him, called Old Six, was also an Earth Yuan Stage expert. Hearing Dai En's words, he gave a sinister nod. The two had an excellent understanding, like a pair of ruthless evil wolves, as they advanced step by step towards Lin Dong.
Watching the two approaching, Lin Dong took a deep breath. This was the first time he had ever faced a life-and-death struggle!