19: Green Deer and the Plot

The morning mist had not yet fully dispersed, but Lin Yang was already deep within Qingmeng Mountain. The ground, covered in decaying leaves, was soft and silent underfoot, with only the occasional faint clink of the Kindling Knife at his waist. He followed fresh hoofprints through the forest, a faint, grassy fragrance, unique to the Green Elk, lingering in his nostrils.

"Rustle —"

Ahead, the bushes suddenly shook, and a nimble Green Elk darted out. Its entire body was covered in fine, blue-gray fur, and its coral-like antlers gleamed with a jade-like luster. As its hooves struck the ground, they carried faint fluctuations of Wood Element True Essence, clearly indicating it was a Vicious Beast at the Acquired Sixth Layer.

Upon seeing Lin Yang, this Green Elk did not flee; instead, it lowered its head sharply and charged directly at him with its antlers. Its hooves crushed the dry branches on the ground, carrying an unstoppable, savage Aura, clearly viewing this human intruder into its territory as prey.

Lin Yang's eyes narrowed, and he advanced instead of retreating. He could feel the elk's extreme speed, but also detected the weakness in its neck defense. Just as the antlers were about to strike him, Lin Yang's left toe sharply tapped the ground, and his body spun like a top. Simultaneously, his right fist condensed Metal Element True Essence, letting out a sharp, whistling sound as it fiercely slammed into the elk's side neck.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound of bones cracking rang out, and the blue-gray fur was stained red with blood. The seemingly hard coral antlers snapped in response. The elk let out a short, mournful cry, its massive body staggered a few steps, then crashed to the ground, twitching twice before falling silent.

Lin Yang stepped forward, pulled out his Kindling Knife, and cut off the furry deer tail — this was proof for exchanging points. Immediately, he condensed a trace of True Essence at his fingertip, precisely piercing the elk's brow, and extracted the pigeon-egg-sized green demon core. As soon as the demon core left the body, the chaos star core in his Sea of Consciousness emitted a rapid hum. Before Lin Yang could even activate it, the demon core automatically transformed into a pure stream of Wood Element energy, surging into his Dantian through his fingertip.

The Wood Element dantian core within his Dantian suddenly lit up. The dantian core, which was originally only the size of a pigeon egg, expanded by a circle, and fine lines appeared on its surface. Lin Yang could even feel the barrier of the Houtian Seventh Level trembling slightly under the impact of this energy, as if it could break through at any moment.

"It's effective indeed," he smiled slightly. Although this Green Elk's demon core was not of a high rank, its energy was pure and gentle, making it extremely easy for the chaos star core to refine. Its efficiency was several times higher than devouring demon cores of the same rank.

Over the next four days, Lin Yang embarked on a satisfying hunt deep within Qingmeng Mountain. He tracked Green Elk by their grassy scent, sometimes encountering three or four in a day, and once even a small herd. Acquired Sixth Layer elk were no match for him, and even Acquired Seventh Layer ones could be dealt with in just three punches and two kicks.

By the time he killed the twentieth Green Elk, he had already absorbed nine seventh-rank demon cores. The Wood Element dantian core in his Dantian was now comparable in size to the Water Element dantian core, and the five True Essences circulated more smoothly, leaving him only a step away from the Houtian Eighth Layer.

On his way back, the setting sun cast Lin Yang's shadow long. He was humming a tune, carrying a bulging bag of deer tails, as he walked through a bamboo forest. Suddenly, the sound of rustling branches came from ahead. Seven youths, dressed in various outfits, emerged from behind the bamboo grove. The leader was a man in flowery clothes, his triangular eyes squinting at the package on Lin Yang's back, a malicious smile playing on his lips.

"Kid, hand over what you're carrying, and we might spare your life." The flowery-clothed man, Feng Kun, weighed a short knife in his hand, his tone as arrogant as a victorious rooster. The six followers behind him also drew their weapons, surrounding Lin Yang, clearly having planned this ambush.

Lin Yang looked at these seven men with their mixed Auras; the strongest among them was only at the Acquired Sixth Layer. He couldn't help but laugh: "Robbery? You should pick your targets carefully. Just you few?"

"You're asking for death!" Feng Kun was enraged. He brandished his short knife and charged forward, the blade's gleam carrying a faint Earth Element True Essence, striking directly at Lin Yang's face.

Lin Yang moved like lightning, advancing instead of retreating. The Water and Fire True Essences within him suddenly collided, and the hum of Thunder Blast Kill echoed in his palm. Simultaneously, seven Fist Shadows, imbued with the sharpness of Metal Element True Essence, arrived first, instantly slamming into Feng Kun's arms.

"Crack! Crack!"

Two crisp sounds almost merged into one. Feng Kun's arms twisted at grotesque angles, and his short knife clattered to the ground. He screamed as he flew backward, crashing into a bamboo stalk in the forest, groaning in pain with tears and snot streaming down his face.

The other six were utterly terrified at the sight, their hands trembling as they clutched their weapons. But having gone this far, there was no turning back; they could only brace themselves and charge. Lin Yang was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. The Seven Shadows punches were unleashed in succession, sometimes condensing the ferocity of Thunder Blast Kill, other times circulating the suppleness of Wood Element True Essence. In less than ten breaths, all six followers were laid out on the ground, either with broken arms or twisted legs, lying there groaning.

Lin Yang stepped forward, placing a foot on Feng Kun's chest, and bent down to search their belongings. Besides a few bags of dry rations, there were quite a few mission Materials — clearly, these people were habitual robbers who made a living this way.

"We are Outer Sect Disciples of the White Cloud Sect! If you dare harm us, the Sect will not let you off!" Feng Kun roared, clutching his broken arm, his eyes filled with venom.

Lin Yang pressed his foot slightly harder on Feng Kun's cheek, grinding his face into the dirt: "White Cloud Sect? You're not worthy of my attention." With that, he picked up the plundered Materials, turned, and walked away, not bothering to spare another glance at these good-for-nothings.

By the time he returned to the Azure Dragon Camp, dusk had fallen. Lin Yang handed over all twenty deer tails and the plundered Materials to the Deacon at the exchange point, receiving three hundred points in return. The news quickly spread throughout the camp. The Disciples from the Three Great Families, who had been bullied by White Cloud Sect Disciples, cheered, while the White Cloud Sect Disciples hated Lin Yang to the bone, their eyes practically spitting fire when they looked at him.

Inside the Lin Family tent, Lin Dongliu was weeping to his father, Lin Guangchen. Lin Guangchen, a sinister-looking middle-aged man, listened to his son's words, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes: "This boy must have had some extraordinary encounter; otherwise, he couldn't have become so arrogant in such a short time."

"Father, we can't just let this go!" Lin Dongliu clutched his still throbbing chest. "He even dared to hit people from the White Cloud Sect; he'll ride roughshod over us sooner or later!"

Lin Guangchen sneered, pulling out a small black porcelain bottle from his bosom: "Qingmeng Mountain has many Vicious Beasts, and many 'accidents.' This is mystic fox powder; just a little bit will attract Vicious Beasts from within a ten-mile radius. The next time he leaves the camp, find a way to sprinkle this powder on him, and then…" He made a throat-slitting gesture, and his sinister laughter seemed to lower the temperature in the tent by several degrees.

A flicker of excitement flashed in Lin Dongliu's eyes. He took the porcelain bottle and clutched it tightly in his hand: "Father, don't worry, this time I'll make sure he dies without a burial place!"

As night deepened, the campfires gradually extinguished. Lin Yang sat in his tent, counting the points he had just exchanged, while the chaos star core slowly rotated in his Sea of Consciousness, absorbing the energy he had devoured during the day. He was unaware that a conspiracy against him was quietly brewing in the shadows.

Meanwhile, in a tent on the other side of the camp, Shen Shuanghua was looking towards Lin Yang's tent through a window crack. She twirled a jade hairpin between her fingers and murmured softly to herself: "mystic fox powder? That old man Lin Guangchen is really willing to spend a fortune." A hint of playfulness flashed in her eyes, as if she was anticipating something.

The night in Qingmeng Mountain was destined not to be peaceful.