Chapter 365: Explosive Success

Reaching the ninth level of the Mental State phase in his early twenties, Lin Dong had truly seen what a major sect was like. Such strength was enough to make one the head of a medium-sized sect. Seeing Lin Dong busy treating his subordinates’ injuries, Mo Jianchen struggled internally. He accidentally revealed information that should have remained secret and felt too embarrassed to speak to Lin Dong. Yet, failing to warn him seemed unjustifiable as well. As Lin Dong moved from Jiang Kui to Cheng Bao, who was the most severely injured, Mo Jianchen took a deep breath and couldn’t help but say, “Brother Lin, the Second Elder just asked you a question!”
“Mm!” Lin Dong responded, turning Cheng Bao around. He placed his right palm on Cheng Bao’s back, sending spiritual energy into his body to temporarily stabilize his injured internal organs. The aged man with an air of elegance stroked his long beard, his face bearing a gentle smile that remained unchanged despite Lin Dong’s attitude. Nearby, the first elder’s already stern expression grew even more oppressive. The other elder continued chewing silently, his eyes tightly closed with no sign of opening.
“A arrogant frog in a well!” The young man beside Mo Jianchen frowned slightly.
“Senior Feng, your words are a bit too extreme, aren’t they?” Mo Jianchen said unhappily.
The young man remained silent, clearly unwilling to argue with Mo Jianchen. Lin Dong ignored them and only stood up after briefly treating everyone’s injuries. He looked at Mo Jianchen and said, “Junior Mo, it’s been half a year since we last met, right?”
Mo Jianchen nodded awkwardly, unsure how to respond.
“Did you come all the way here after receiving the letter?” Lin Dong asked casually. It had only been a little over two months since Yun Lan sent the letter. By road, it would take about a month to get here. Without the help of spiritual beasts or birds, it would be impossible to arrive so quickly.
Mo Jianchen nodded again. Without moving, he subtly glanced at the two elders below before winking at Lin Dong. Pointing at the first elder, he introduced him, “This is my master, also the First Elder of our Tianjian Sect. He oversees all the sect’s rules. When the sect head is absent, my master makes all decisions for Tianjian Sect.”

Lin Dong remained silent. He understood that Mo Jianchen’s words carried hidden meaning, a reminder to him that Yun Cangqiong was often away from the sect, and this Grand Elder was essentially the one in charge of Tianjian Sect—someone he needed to treat with care. Under other circumstances, regardless of this Grand Elder’s status or whether they might end up on opposing sides, or if it was merely a matter of showing off, Lin Dong would have accepted it, after all, he was an elder of Yunlan.

But now, he had no such interest.

As soon as he entered, he had injured his top chefs, and Cheng Bao’s injuries were serious—without treatment, they could even be life-threatening. This was no longer just about showing off. If it weren’t for Old Ding still being in Wuyou Cave at the moment, Lin Dong would have already retorted harshly.

Seeing that Lin Dong showed no intention of being polite, Mo Jianchen grew anxious. Fortunately, he still had some quick wits and quickly pointed at the venerable old man, introducing him, “This is the Second Elder, who is in charge of recruiting disciples and conducting assessments for our Tianjian Sect.”

The Second Elder, Liang Liren, gave Lin Dong a slight nod.

Lin Dong was taken aback before bowing his hands and saying, “Second Elder! Please forgive my rudeness.”

“Not at all. It was our fault first,” Liang Liren said with a smile, shaking his head. “Brother Lin, don’t blame us for not treating you properly as a guest!”

“I wouldn’t dare!” After hesitating for a moment, Lin Dong asked, “Second Elder, I was wondering about my chefs…”

The Grand Elder ignored him, but the Second Elder was polite—this clearly meant it was a rare chance to speak to the Grand Elder. Mo Jianchen was shocked and didn’t dare let Lin Dong continue talking. Ignoring whether it was disrespectful to the Second Elder, he pointed at another old man and interrupted, “This is Elder Feng, a distinguished guest of our Tianjian Sect. He’s here to assist Sister Yun with matters related to weapon refinement.”

Elder Feng’s tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, his crimson pupils revealing a hint of a smile.

“Kid, just because you, like me, can’t stand Old Qin’s deadpan face as if everyone owes him money—if he dares to strike, I’ll take the hit for you.”

His strange pupils surprised Lin Dong, but what surprised him even more were Elder Feng’s words.

“Elder Feng, I don’t want to hear you say another word today,” Grand Elder Qin Mengtai said coldly.

“What if I do? I’m happy—I can say whatever I want,” Elder Feng replied, his crimson pupils gleaming with eerie delight. “If you can lift the restrictions on me, I won’t tear you, Old Qin, to pieces…”

Qin Mengtai’s wide blue sleeves suddenly rose, and his right palm pressed firmly against the side of the stone table.

Boom…

The entire stone table instantly shattered into countless particles of dust. Feng Yue across from him was struck as if by a heavy blow—his chest suddenly sank inward, and a mouthful of blood mixed with debris gushed out rapidly. It was then stopped by Qin Mengtai’s energy barrier at a distance of two meters, dripping down like a cup of blood poured on glass.

Lin Dong frowned slightly. He could no longer remember how many times the stone tables at Lin’s Inn had been destroyed. It seemed that those who dared to use Lin’s Inn’s stone tables to assert their power rarely ended well. He wondered what would happen to this great elder.

“Old Qin, are you seeking death?” Feng Yue suddenly stood up, his crimson eyes glowing like those of a beast, filled with murderous intent.

Qin Mengtai said coldly, “Feng Yue, I don’t want to hear you say your fourth word today!”

Feng Yue’s strength was clearly beyond that of a disciple of the Sky Sword Sect. He paid no attention to Qin Mengtai’s pressure and was about to speak when Liang Liren suddenly stood up beside Qin Mengtai. With a wave of his right hand, a chili pepper glowing with fiery red light appeared in his palm—so intense that even Lin Dong, several meters away, could feel its pungent smell.

Not far away, Cheng Bao’s eyes lit up upon seeing the chili pepper in Liang Liren’s hand.

“Feng Yue, you know my senior brother’s temper. Why go to such lengths with him?” Liang Liren handed the chili pepper to Feng Yue.

Feng Yue took the chili pepper, tossed it into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and then spat out a mouthful of spicy saliva before snarling, “In my life, I’ve never been threatened. If they don’t let me say my fourth word, not only will Old Qin be defeated, but even if Yun Cangqiong shows up, I’ll still stand my ground.”

Qin Mengtai suddenly threw his right fist forward, accompanied by a thunderous roar that made Hua Wuyue, who was slightly weaker, cover his ears. Even Lin Dong and the others stepped back.

Boom…

Feng Yue’s right fist, locked by an invisible chain, met the attack without hesitation. The next moment, a hurricane erupted around their fists, with overwhelming force. The granite rocks on the ground were flipped up as Mo Jianchen and Feng Zhengyang stepped back several times before using their energy barriers to block the storm.

Feng Yue, like a kite with its string cut, flew backward, surrounded by a trail of dark red blood mist.

Liang Liren moved like lightning, intercepting Feng Yue instantly. Then he sat down, placing his palms on Feng Yue’s back and pouring in abundant spiritual energy.

“Old Qin, the mountains may not move, but the water will!” Feng Yue wiped the blood and chili fragments from his mouth, staring coldly at Qin Mengtai.

“Feng Yue, I don’t want to hear you say…”

Before Qin Mengtai could finish speaking, behind Feng Yue, Liang Liren said in a deep voice, “Senior Qin, don’t forget why you brought Feng Yue here. Moreover, Feng Yue isn’t from our Tianjian Sect. He has no obligation to follow your wishes.”
“Junior Liang, you should know that it’s been a long time since anyone has interrupted me while I speak,” Qin Mengtai said, his thick brows slightly furrowing.
Liang Liren’s expression changed, and he quickly said with a wry smile, “Please forgive me, senior brother!”
Qin Mengtai’s brows relaxed, and his gaze shifted to Lin Dong.
Lin Dong twisted his neck, facing the overwhelming pressure without saying a word either.
“Well…” Mo Jianchen, worried that Lin Dong might anger Qin Mengtai, asked hesitantly, “Brother Lin, where is Sister Yun?”
“I found a place called Wuyou Cave on Wenyan Mountain some time ago. There are many lost advanced spirit arrays inside. Yun Lan stayed there to study them and will probably be back in another four or five months,” Lin Dong explained.
“Since she’s not at Lin’s Inn, Master…” Mo Jianchen carefully glanced at the back of Qin Mengtai’s head, fearing that face—which was like a nightmare to 99% of the Tianjian Sect’s disciples—would turn around.
“Go pack up Yun Lan’s things,” Qin Mengtai said indifferently.
“Yes!”
Mo Jianchen and Feng Zhengyang bowed in response before turning away together.
“Wait!” Lin Dong couldn’t help but speak up.
“Brother Lin, um…” Mo Jianchen kept giving Lin Dong eye signals.
Lin Dong shook his head. “This is Lin’s Inn. Not only are Yun Lan’s things off-limits, but not even a single plant or tree can be taken just because someone says so.”
“That makes sense!” As Liang Liren ended his cultivation, Feng Yue stood up and sneered, “Back then, I just went to Tianjian Sect to get a few pills, and you locked me up for over a decade. Now, you’re taking things from someone else’s place at will, right in front of the owner—doesn’t that seem a bit unreasonable?”
Qin Mengtai suddenly turned his gaze to stare at Feng Yue.
“Feng Yue, can you shut up for a bit?” Liang Liren was extremely frustrated.
“Why should I shut up?” Feng Yue spread his palms and reached out at Liang Liren, speaking disdainfully, “I still say the same thing—if you have the ability, break the restrictions on me. In Tianjian Sect, aside from Yun Cangqiong, there’s no one I respect, let alone someone I’d obey willingly. If you can’t do it, then kill me with a sword. Only those who dare to kill prove they’re real men. Getting angry and throwing a few punches—what’s that worth?”
“Senior brother, we need to focus on important matters,” Liang Liren had no choice but to turn back and try to persuade Qin Mengtai.

“Zhengyang, Jianchen, what are you still standing around for?” Qin Mengtai said in a stern voice.
Feng Zhengyang turned around, while Mo Jianchen hesitated before speaking, “M-mentor…”
Qin Mengtai was about to explode when Lin Dong suddenly spoke up, “Elder, how about asking him a question?”
Qin Mengtai glanced at Lin Dong without saying a word.
“It’s not a very difficult question,” Lin Dong said with a smile. “I just want to know if the Elder has a habit of bullying the weaker.”
For the first time ever, Qin Mengtai spoke to Lin Dong, “You aren’t worthy!”
Lin Dong raised his eyebrows and said, “If that’s the case… then get lost! Not everyone is qualified to enter Lin’s Inn.”
In the backyard, sudden silence fell. Not only Mo Jianchen and the others, but even Liang Liren, Feng Yue, and even Qin Mengtai himself were slightly stunned. Their gazes toward Lin Dong seemed to reflect disbelief at what they had seen.