9: Thunderstorm kills, Shen family banquet

As morning dew condensed into ice beads in the cracks of the bluestone, half a branch of the old locust tree in the western corner of the small courtyard broke off again. Lin Yang shook his numb right hand; a stinging sensation, a mix of burning and freezing, still lingered in his palm — the seventh experiment had failed. The water and fire True Essence, upon collision, did not produce the expected explosion. Instead, they annihilated each other, causing his tiger's mouth to crack.

Scattered on the ground were a dozen charred fragments of rock, the remnants of the Stone Root Grass embryo shattered by uncontrolled True Essence. Lin Yang stared at the two rotating dantian cores within his Dantian: the fire element like pulsating magma, the water element like flowing ice. These two elements, inherently opposing yet interdependent, maintained a delicate balance under the guidance of the chaos star core.

"Last time it was three parts water enveloping seven parts fire..." He picked up a piece of charred rock with ice shards. As he crushed it between his fingertips, a flash of inspiration struck him, "Perhaps I should let them collide at high speed in equal proportions, using the power of the chaos star core to forcibly compress the collision space!"

He sat cross-legged in the courtyard. As he formed hand seals, the fire element True Essence coiled around his right palm like a red serpent, and the water element True Essence wrapped around his left palm like icy threads. The moment the two forces converged before his chest, Lin Yang's Sea of Consciousness fiercely activated the chaos star core, compressing the water and fire True Essence into two pea-sized liquid droplets.

"Now!"

He let out a low shout and abruptly struck his palms together. The two liquid droplets, upon contact, did not annihilate each other. Instead, confined by the power of the chaos star core, they spun violently, their surfaces crackling with electricity.

"Boom!"

A muffled explosion shook the small courtyard, sending dust flying and the pile of firewood in the corner scattering. Lin Yang was thrown back three steps, his chest throbbing with pain. Yet, he saw a fist-sized deep pit blasted into the bluestone slab in front of him, its edges covered in white frost, its center charred black like charcoal.

"The power... it really doubled!" He laughed, clutching his burning chest, not caring that blood was seeping between his fingers. For the next three days, explosions echoed one after another in the small courtyard, sometimes with ice shards splashing, sometimes with sparks flying. By the evening of the seventh day, when he could achieve balanced compression of water and fire True Essence within a single breath, the thunderball that burst from his fingertips could already pulverize a half-foot-thick stone slab into dust.

"I'll call you Thunder Blast Kill." Lin Yang gazed at the flickering electric light in his palm, excitement surging in his eyes — although this move hadn't fully integrated the power of the Five Elements, it was already his strongest killing move.

Three days later, the Shen Family's gilded invitation arrived at the Lin Family's side courtyard. The golden characters "Miss Shen's Twentieth Birthday Banquet" glittered on the vermillion invitation. Lin Yang's fingertips traced the paper, instantly understanding that this was a probe from the town's major Families — the Shen Family wanted to use the banquet to ascertain the true situation of the Lin Family's current Clan Chief, Lin Xingnan, as this mysterious Clan Chief had not appeared for three months.

"This is exactly the opportunity I need." He tore a piece of black cloth to dye his old clothes a deep indigo, and strapped the polished Kindling Knife to his waist. The young man reflected in the mirror had defiant eyes, completely devoid of his former timidity.

The Shen Estate was adorned with lanterns and streamers, red silk hanging from the gatehouse all the way to the back garden. Most of the guests were prominent figures in the town. Amidst the fragrant clothes and elegant hairstyles, Lin Yang's deep indigo cloth attire stood out conspicuously. As soon as he stepped into the garden, he heard Lin Dongxing, accompanied by a group of wicked servants, mocking him: "Oh, isn't this the Lin Family's good-for-nothing? How dare you come to freeload at the Shen Family's banquet?"

Lin Yang couldn't be bothered with this clansman who usually colluded with Lin Dongliu and Lin Dongping. He walked straight towards the high platform displaying the prizes. It was a fist-sized piece of tianluo molybdenum gold, gleaming with a dark silver luster, an excellent material for forging weapons.

"Whoever wants this molybdenum gold, come up and try!" As Patriarch Shen's voice faded, Lin Yang had already leaped onto the high platform, his boots thudding dully on the wooden planks.

"I'll go first." He folded his arms, glancing askance at the entire crowd, "Don't waste time, let's all go together?"

The entire venue was in an uproar. The younger generation of Qingshi Town had never seen such an arrogant person. Immediately, a Wang Family disciple at the Acquired Fourth Level drew his sword and leaped up: "Arrogant brat, take this sword!"

Lin Yang dodged the sword's edge, his right hand as fast as lightning, his five fingers forming a claw to grab the opponent's wrist. With a crisp 'crack', the longsword fell to the ground, and the disciple screamed, clutching his deformed wrist. In less than three breaths, the first challenger was thrown off the stage.

"Who else?" Lin Yang kicked away the longsword at his feet, his voice not loud but clearly audible throughout the garden.

For the next half an hour, figures flew across the high platform. The Zhang Family boy at the Acquired Fourth Level was sent flying by his punch, and the Li Family girl's soft whip at the Acquired Fifth Level was snatched by his bare hands and flung to wrap around a begonia tree. The wooden planks beneath Lin Yang's feet gradually became stained with blood, yet his breathing remained steady. Each strike carried seven parts arrogance and three parts playful disdain, making the faces of the onlookers below turn pale.

"I'll face you!" Li Shuangyu's cyan robe fluttered in the wind. He was the most outstanding disciple of the Li Family in this generation, having reached the Peak Acquired Sixth Level. His longsword hummed as it was drawn from its sheath. As the Sound Wave Sword Art was unleashed, subtle sound waves were actually enveloped within the sword shadows, capable of disturbing an opponent's mind.

"A bit interesting." Lin Yang became serious for the first time. fire element True Essence circulated within his Dantian, and five fist shadows, carrying scorching air currents, blasted out. The moment the fist shadows collided with the sword shadows, the sound waves were actually dispersed by the high temperature. Li Shuangyu felt his sword moves become sluggish. Just as he was about to change his move, he was grazed on the shoulder by a fist shadow, staggering backward.

"Five shadows are enough." Lin Yang pressed closer, his fist shadows continuous like a tide. Li Shuangyu's swordplay gradually became chaotic, until he was finally struck in the chest by a direct punch, covering his mouth as he spat out fresh blood, falling off the stage in a sorry state.

"Lin Yang! Don't be presumptuous!" Lin Dongxing had somehow pushed his way to the front of the stage. Seeing Lin Yang in such a glorious light, he was consumed by jealousy and actually jumped onto the high platform, wielding an iron rod.

"Oh? Coming to get beaten?" Lin Yang smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. He didn't even use his full strength, lightly sending out five fist shadows, each accurately landing on Lin Dongxing's face, stomach, and thighs.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In less than ten breaths, Lin Dongxing had been beaten into a pig's head, his nose bleeding, two front teeth missing, and he lay on the ground groaning. Lin Yang raised his foot and stepped on his chest, grinding his heel: "Do you submit?"

"N-no..." Lin Dongxing mumbled a curse.

"Still talking tough." Lin Yang added another three points of force, hearing bones creak, "How about now?"

"I submit! I submit!" Lin Dongxing finally screamed for mercy.

A deathly silence fell over the crowd below. No one had expected the former good-for-nothing to be able to trample Young Master Lin underfoot. Miss Shen lifted her skirt and stepped forward, her voice clear as a bell: "Young Master Lin Yang, it's best to show mercy where possible."

Lin Yang glanced at the beautiful Young Miss Shen, then lifted his foot and kicked Lin Dongxing off the stage, where he landed precisely in a pile of filth. "Since Young Miss Shen intercedes, I'll spare him this once." He suddenly turned to Miss Shen, cupped his fists, and smiled, "May I request a spar with Young Miss Shen?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue was astonished. Miss Shen was already at the Houtian Seventh Level, rarely encountering rivals among her peers. This Lin Yang actually wanted to challenge her?

"Presumptuous!" An aged voice rang out. Patriarch Shen had appeared on the high platform at some point. His gaze, like lightning, swept over Lin Yang, and an invisible Qi force collided between the two. Lin Yang felt his Sea of Consciousness tremble, but the chaos star core automatically protected its master, blocking that probing force.

A look of surprise flashed in Patriarch Shen's eyes — this boy had only activated thirty-one acupuncture points, even fewer than an ordinary Acquired Sixth Level practitioner, so how could he possess such profound True Essence? He stroked his beard and smiled: "Young friend Lin, to have such strength at such a young age, this old man is impressed. Today, I declare you the winner, and the tianluo molybdenum gold is yours."

Lin Yang took the heavy molybdenum gold, feeling its icy touch on his fingertips. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a white-clothed woman turning to leave in the corner of the garden. Her eyes, cool as moonlight beneath her light veil, made his Sea of Consciousness subtly stir during that brief moment of eye contact.

The banquet ended hastily, and rumors that Lin Xingnan might have entered the Gang Qi Realm spread wildly throughout the town. Lin Yang carried the molybdenum gold on his way home, the lingering power of the Thunder Blast Kill still in his palm. He looked in the direction of the Lin Family mansion, a cold smile playing on his lips — Lin Dongxing was just the beginning; his revenge had only just begun.