Qingyang Town, Lei Family.
Inside a lavishly decorated grand hall, Lei Bao reclined peacefully on a long cushioned chair, with two beautiful maidservants carefully massaging him.
“Is there any movement from the Lin Family?” Lei Bao’s eyes were half-closed. A moment later, he suddenly asked.
“The Lin Family has sent quite a few men to Ironwood Manor; the security there is very tight,” a middle-aged man in brocade robes, standing beside Lei Bao, replied. This man was Lei Pi, whose status in the Lei Family was second only to Lei Bao’s, and he was also Lei Li’s father.
“A bunch of bumpkins, truly not worth mentioning…” Hearing this, Lei Bao couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. Ironwood Manor was now more than half destroyed, its value no longer what it once was, yet he didn’t expect the Lin Family to still treat it as if they had stumbled upon a treasure trove, guarding it strictly.
“Haha, although Ironwood Manor is not what it once was, for a family with a weak foundation like the Lin Family, it’s still a valuable asset… how could they easily give it up?” Lei Pi said with a smile.
“These bastards from the Lin Family caused me to suffer the loss of Ironwood Manor; I cannot simply accept this!” Lei Bao opened his eyes, his gaze dark and cold as he looked at Lei Pi beside him, saying, “Go mobilize our Lei Family’s connections in Yan City. As soon as the Lin Family tries to sell Ironwood Manor, immediately use all means to obstruct it. Heh heh, I want to make it so the Lin Family has no market for their goods!”
“Yes!”
Hearing this, Lei Pi nodded in assent, a cold smile appearing on his face.
“How is Lei Li doing now?” Lei Bao suddenly asked.
“Losing to that brat from the Lin Family this time was no small blow to him,” Lei Pi sighed in response.
“In martial arts contests, victory and defeat are common. If he cannot endure even this, how can he achieve great things in the future?”
Lei Bao raised an eyebrow, then said, “Go to the treasury and get him a Yangyuan Pill. With this, his cultivation speed should increase somewhat. Later, if there’s an opportunity, just cripple that brat from the Lin Family.”
“Thank you, Father.”
Hearing about the Yangyuan Pill, a look of joy appeared on Lei Pi’s face, and he quickly said respectfully.
“Go now, and instruct others to keep an eye on the Lin Family. Hmph, what belongs to my Lei Family is not easily obtained…” As he spoke, Lei Bao’s face took on a sinister expression.
***
After the Black Iron Demonic Leopard was killed, the work of mining the ore vein began under strict secrecy. Those involved in the mining project had to undergo strict selection, and the Lin Family paid these workers extremely generous remuneration. Furthermore, they were allowed to bring their families to live in Ironwood Manor, which not only provided them with a place to live but also served as a subtle warning to prevent anyone from leaking the secret.
Lin Dong, however, couldn’t help much with this mining operation. But he didn’t return to Qingyang Town at this time, because near Ironwood Manor were many deep forests and remote mountains, and these dense forests were teeming with demonic beasts. He needed to stay here to temper himself.
When he fought with the Lei Family’s manor guards, Lin Dong felt that his practical combat experience was still insufficient. If not for relying on his sharp Yuan Power and exquisite martial arts, he feared that even dealing with just Dai En and his companion would have left him flustered.
If it came to actual combat, Lin Dong couldn't use people as targets, so he set his sights on ferocious demonic beasts instead. The deep mountains near Ironwood Village happened to perfectly suit Lin Dong's requirements.
"Grrrrrrr!"
In the tranquil forest, an angry roar suddenly echoed, causing the leaves to tremble continuously.
Following the direction of the roar, a Giant Wolf, its entire body green, was seen pouncing like an arrow towards a human figure. Suddenly, just as the ferocious Giant Wolf's wide, foul-smelling mouth was about to bite through the figure's neck, two powerful Yuan Power fingers appeared, plunging into the Giant Wolf's soft underbelly. Hot fresh blood immediately spurted out.
As the fresh blood gushed out, the figure pushed away the green Giant Wolf's body with one hand, then lay on his back, panting ceaselessly. His body was covered in wounds of various sizes, indicating at a glance that he had gone through numerous life-and-death struggles.
After panting for a few breaths, the figure slowly stood up, revealing a youthful face. It was Lin Dong. At this moment, he glanced at the green Giant Wolf's body at his feet and couldn't help but smile.
The Azure Wind Wolf was also a type of demonic beast whose strength was comparable to the Earth Yuan Stage. In this place for nearly two months, Lin Dong had fought this demonic beast several times, evolving from initially fleeing in disarray to now delivering a single fatal blow.
Compared to two months ago, Lin Dong's appearance hadn't changed much, yet he now exuded a sharp aura. This feeling wasn't related to his looks, but rather a kind of presence, an aura that could only be forged after experiencing true life-and-death struggles.
After Lin Dong dealt with the Azure Wind Wolf, a fiery red shadow darted out from the forest, gnawing at the Azure Wind Wolf's corpse. However, finding no demonic core, it let out a dissatisfied growl.
This fiery red shadow was Xiao Yan. Over the past two months, it had accompanied Lin Dong, undergoing rigorous practical training. As a result, its body now also bore some wounds from tearing at demonic beasts.
After two months of numerous brawls, the current Xiao Yan also reeked of fresh blood. The wounds on its body, instead of detracting, made it look even more ferocious, and the talent of the Fire Python Tiger was gradually revealing itself.
Under normal circumstances, Xiao Yan's growth rate was clearly very strange. Although it had enjoyed sumptuous food since it came into Lin Dong's possession, and had even swallowed some so-called demonic cores during this period, in a short span of less than half a year, it had transformed from a newborn cub into an adult Fire Python Tiger. This speed was somewhat ridiculously unbelievable.
As far as Lin Dong knew, Wu Yun's Fire Python Tiger cub was currently only about the size of a thigh, and its combat strength was very poor compared to Xiao Yan.
Lin Dong was also very surprised by the discrepancy between the two. In truth, it was thanks to luck; on that day, guided by the Stone Talisman's selection, Xiao Yan was indeed a bit more special than the other two cubs.
During these two months of cultivation, both Lin Dong and Xiao Yan had made significant improvements. However, what Lin Dong regretted slightly was that he was still a bit short of the refinement needed to advance to the late Earth Yuan Stage. But the comforting news was that he had completely unblocked all seven meridians of the Azure Origin Art.
All in all, the two months of training in the dense forest had yielded quite good results.
“It's getting late, time to head back…”
Lin Dong took a small bottle from his chest, poured out a spirit medicine pill, and placed it into Xiao Yan's mouth. Seeing how few pills were left in the bottle, he couldn't help but shake his head with a bitter smile. The more Xiao Yan grew, the pickier it became; the Stone Talisman Spirit Liquid could no longer satisfy it…
Leaping onto the tiger's back, Lin Dong chuckled. Xiao Yan immediately transformed into a fiery red shadow, swiftly darting out of the dense forest…
***
Upon returning to Ironwood Manor, Lin Dong first took a bath, then changed his clothes and ran straight to the back of the mountain. After navigating through multiple layers of blockades, he finally successfully reached the ore vein.
The environment behind the mountain had changed significantly. A tunnel now led into the mountain, from which the continuous sound of 'ding-ding-dang-dang' knocking echoed.
At the entrance of the ore vein, Lin Xiao stood with his arms crossed. Beside him were two large chests, filled with pale red Yang Yuan Stones.
“Father, the harvest isn't bad, is it?” Lin Dong licked his lips, smiling as he gazed at the two large chests brimming with glittering Yang Yuan Stones.
“Currently, not many people can use them, so the amount of Yang Yuan Stones mined each day is limited. This is the total harvest over the past two months, a total of four hundred eighty-seven pieces,” Lin Xiao said. However, judging by his expression, he was clearly very satisfied with this yield. Over four hundred Yang Yuan Stones, this was almost equivalent to the Lin Family's profit for an entire year previously.
“These more than four hundred Yang Yuan Stones are enough to exchange for over forty Yang Yuan Pills.”
“Yang Yuan Pills?” Lin Dong was taken aback, asking in surprise.
“Some powerful cultivators can condense the energy within Yang Yuan Stones into Yang Yuan Pills. This type of pill has a significant effect on those below the Yuan Dan Realm. However, based on the conversion ratio, it might take ten Yang Yuan Stones to refine just one Yang Yuan Pill. Haha, for slightly larger powers, Yang Yuan Stones and Yang Yuan Pills are even more stable than gold and silver…” Lin Xiao, in a cheerful mood, explained without fear of being disturbed.
“What?” Lin Dong was somewhat surprised; this was the first time he had heard of such a thing.
“Your father has decided that tomorrow we will transport three hundred Yang Yuan Stones to Yan City. We'll exchange them for some Yang Yuan Pills to strengthen our Lin Family's power.”
“Going to Yan City tomorrow?” Hearing this, a look of joy immediately appeared in Lin Dong's eyes. Yan City was the largest city closest to Qingyang Town. Even within the Great Yan Dynasty, Yan City held a certain renown, and it was also bustling and vibrant, something Qingyang Town could never hope to rival.
“Haha, you are now a great contributor to the Lin Family. Don't worry, tomorrow I will take you along to see the outside world.” Seeing Lin Dong's expression, Lin Xiao couldn't help but chuckle.
Lin Dong chuckled, then turned his head to look at the adjacent chest brimming with Yang Yuan Stones, a surprised expression on his face. After his last two sentences, Lin Xiao moved aside, instructing the guards to increase their vigilance.
When Lin Xiao left, Lin Dong couldn't help but reach out and clutch the three Yangyuan Stones. However, as his hand closed around them, the Stone Talisman in his palm suddenly emitted a wave of fluctuation. The three Yangyuan Stones, which had originally shone with a faint pink glow, swiftly grew dim and dull. Within moments, all their radiance vanished, and they eventually crumbled into a handful of drifting powder.
Witnessing the sudden turn of events, Lin Dong's expression changed dramatically in an instant.