Chapter 396: The Power of a Near-Peak Strongman

Staring intently at Lin Dong, Feng Yue forced himself to suppress the urge to punch him to pieces several times within just a few minutes.
To openly threaten him—did he think he had some kind of restriction? That those who had just entered the Heart Reversal stage could look down on his strength?
Or what else could he rely on?
Feng Yue kept restraining himself out of concern that Lin Dong might have some advantage.
Though they had met only a few times, Feng Yue believed Lin Dong wasn’t someone who didn’t understand the stakes. Moreover, if he had no advantage, how could he guarantee that Lin Dong wouldn’t go back on his word after staying at Lin’s Inn temporarily?
Having been imprisoned for over a decade, Feng Yue didn’t want to lose the freedom he had worked so hard to gain.
Yet, despite this, his anger grew even more as he saw Lin Dong’s indifferent expression.
Lin Dong calmly watched Feng Yue’s blood-red pupils, allowing the fury within to simmer, then raised his index finger. “Stay at Lin’s Inn, and I promise to break the chains binding you within two or three months.”
Feng Yue remained filled with murderous intent, showing no reaction to Lin Dong’s offer.
“Stay at Lin’s Inn, and I guarantee you’ll break through to the Heart Riding stage within a year and become one of the peak strongmen in the Great Han Nation,” Lin Dong added, raising his middle finger.
Feng Yue’s clenched fist suddenly relaxed. As Lin Dong’s pupils contracted, he struck suddenly, taking a firm step forward with his right foot.
His entire demeanor changed—his once fierce killing intent turned into brutal savagery. His aura surged dramatically with that step.
Like a mountain, or even a collapsing sky, Feng Yue’s seemingly ordinary palm carried unimaginable energy and a terrifying aura as it struck toward Lin Dong’s chest.
Lin Dong had no doubt that if hit by this palm, even Cheng Bao’s legendary resistance would be insufficient to save him at the first stage of the Heart Reversal stage—he would die instantly.
Without hesitation, Lin Dong focused his spirit like tides rushing from all directions toward the center.
When the palm was less than a foot away, the wind from it felt like millions of pounds pressing down on his chest. Suddenly, Lin Dong raised his right arm.
The Wish Stool intercepted Feng Yue’s right fist just a few centimeters above his chest.
Boom…
With a thunderous explosion, Lin Dong was sent flying like a projectile, breaking through the wall and soaring into the backyard.

The debris from the furious strike of the near-peak warrior flew around the room, howling in the air. Amidst the dust and fragments, Feng Yue’s figure appeared and disappeared, his crimson eyes standing out vividly—like a ghost lamp in the darkness, or like the bloodthirsty eyes of a giant beast in a forest shrouded in night.

Over the past sixty years, no one had ever been able to threaten Feng Yue, not even by threatening his life to make him nod or shake his head.

His right foot lifted lightly, then landed heavily. With that single step, Feng Yue instantly broke through the dust filling the room and stepped onto the corridor outside.

On the path paved with granite, two grooves about ten centimeters wide stretched over twenty meters, getting shallower as they went.

At the end of the grooves were a pair of slightly trembling legs.

Above them, Lin Dong’s body was slightly leaning forward, his chest heaving rapidly as thick mist sprayed from his mouth with each heavy breath.

“Not bad. You managed to block my palm strike! Even a peak warrior at your age would likely find it difficult to do that.” The murderous intent in Feng Yue’s crimson eyes had vanished, leaving no emotion behind. His tone was calm and indifferent, as if he were just chatting with Lin Dong.

“I hope you won’t force me to throw another strike!”

Lin Dong slowly straightened his slightly bent body, becoming as upright and resilient as a strong pine tree.

His right hand stretched out slowly. After his index and middle fingers, his ring finger rose as well. Lin Dong said calmly, “Stay at Lin’s Inn. You’ll get free food and lodging. A regular worker gets five days off per month, while a peak warrior gets ten days—these can be accumulated. Additionally, the minimum salary is ten taels per month, with no upper limit. If needed, we’ll pay whatever it takes—millions or tens of millions. If we don’t have enough, we’ll find a way to cover it. The benefits and treatment are excellent, and you’ll enjoy a status second only to mine as the owner. I believe Lin’s Inn is the best choice for you to retire in peace.”

“Dying wish!”

Feng Yue’s expression darkened. The murderous intent rising in his heart had grown even stronger after he had already failed to hold back once, leaving him unconcerned about what Lin Dong had to back such actions with.

There was only one word in his mind: kill! Kill anyone who dared threaten him.

He clenched his palm into a fist, carrying the force of thunder, accompanied by a deafening howl of wind. With a step, Feng Yue moved like a giant, covering dozens of steps in one go, and delivered a precise punch to Lin Dong’s chest.

His speed seemed casual, yet it was as fast as lightning, arriving in an instant.

Lin Dong couldn’t avoid it, nor had he ever thought to try. The Ruyi Stool in his hands, already deformed and too late to repair with spiritual energy, was no longer used for defense but instead swung upward from below toward Feng Yue’s right fist.
Boom…
Another deafening explosion erupted, followed by a dense cloud of blood mist as Lin Dong was flung backward.
Fast as an arrow, swift as lightning, driven by the immense force, Lin Dong flew back over thirty meters before crashing to the ground, sending up a storm of dust.
A strange look flashed in Feng Yue’s eyes as he stared at the smoke-like dust. He could see Lin Dong struggling to get up.
Feng Yue had poured all his strength into that punch. He believed that even if he couldn’t kill Lin Dong with it, it would be enough to leave him seriously injured. Yet, in just a short time, Lin Dong was already able to stand up again.
Spitting out blood-tinged saliva, Lin Dong supported himself on his knees, struggling hard to suppress the chaotic spiritual energy within him. Then, his right hand, resting on his knee, stretched out three fingers and raised them. With Feng Yue’s extremely grim expression, his trembling little finger stubbornly rose as well.
“Stay at Lin’s Inn, and you’ll have plenty of Tianfeng Peppers! I think Tianfeng Peppers must be extremely useful for Senior Feng, right? If I’m not mistaken, they should greatly help Senior Feng break through the restrictions imposed by the Cloud Sect Master. In fact, they might even have some effect on cultivation. Otherwise, Senior Feng wouldn’t prioritize breaking those restrictions over cutting the chains. Logically, if he could cut the chains and act freely, his strength could at least double.”
“Tianfeng Peppers!”
Feng Yue’s eyelids widened suddenly, filled with surprise and anger as he stared intently at Lin Dong. The anger and killing intent that had dissipated with that punch surged back violently.
“Only forty pounds of Tianfeng Peppers? Are you trying to deceive me?”
Lin Dong ignored Feng Yue’s question and raised his thumb high. “Stay at Lin’s Inn, and Senior Feng will discover that there are spicy dishes here that you can enjoy for a lifetime, with no second such place existing in the Great Han Nation. There are also spiritual herbs and materials that Senior Feng could never gather on his own, which are useful for cultivation. Moreover, if Senior Feng is willing to put in a little extra effort and work part-time as an armorer at Lin’s Inn, he will leave behind a glorious reputation that will be passed down through generations. Merging spiritual weapons with spiritual arrays perfectly—I think this isn’t because Qin Mengtai forced Senior Feng to come here, but rather because Senior Feng came of his own volition, right?”
Feng Yue’s face showed struggle, but it soon vanished, replaced by terrifying anger. Veins throbbing rapidly on his forehead revealed his intense fury at that moment.

Repeated threats spoken over and over again were something Feng Yue could absolutely not forgive. The spiritual energy in his dantian surged wildly into his meridians, then rushed throughout his body like a flood breaking its dam. The chains trembled violently under the impact of this spiritual energy. The backyard, covering thousands of square meters, began to shake continuously as Feng Yue built up his power. The enraged tiger, under the dim starlight, grew more and more formidable. Even from over twenty meters away, Lin Dong could still sense that devastating aura. Under its influence, the spiritual energy in his dantian even began to stir, risking another outbreak of chaos. “Split the heavens! Tear apart the earth!” With a fierce roar, Feng Yue soared into the sky and vanished instantly into the darkness. Drawn by that powerful aura, Lin Dong’s body tilted forward involuntarily, causing him to take an involuntary step forward. The sky, faintly lit by stars, offered no trace of Feng Yue no matter how hard Lin Dong searched. He understood that this attack must have gathered all of Feng Yue’s spiritual energy. Normally, this would have been excellent news for him, but he dared not distract himself with further thoughts. His eyes closed slightly, and his focus expanded under intense concentration. Layers of imperceptible yet tangible pressure descended from the sky, growing stronger by the moment. Lin Dong couldn’t wait any longer. He believed that the longer Feng Yue stayed in some place in the sky, the greater the power of his thunderous strike would be. He slowly raised his right foot to meet the pressure, then stepped forward forcefully as sweat droplets rolled down his forehead. In an instant, the entire world became dark. The light of the stars vanished in that moment. The next second, a silver-white gap appeared silently in the sky above Lin Dong. A thunderous wave of energy rushed downward, covering not only a ten-meter radius around Lin Dong but also creating an invisible pressure field within that area. His body felt as if tied by ropes, requiring all his strength to move. Boom… In the blink of an eye, the terrifying energy surged downward. With a deafening explosion, the ground shook violently. Even the dormitory buildings hundreds of meters away were awakened by the tremors, filled with cries, fear, and chaos. It seemed as though the entire world had come alive. In the backyard, a huge pit over ten meters deep and more than twenty meters in diameter appeared amidst the explosion. At the center of the pit, Feng Yue’s breathing was rapid, like that of someone pumping air into a bellows.

The crimson eyes had turned black. Within those black pupils lay a fierce glow, ten times, a hundred times brighter than the dim starlight.
One strike—flesh turned to shreds!
Feng Yue had no doubt about the power of this strike, which consumed all his spiritual energy.
No matter what restrictions or chains there were, Feng Yue only believed in one thing:
The world may be vast, but no one should dare threaten him.