8: You call this body tempering?

Silence!

Deathly silence!

The air seemed to solidify, and everyone's breathing stopped at that moment.

What did they see?

A piece of trash they had mocked for over a decade, a "mortal" without the slightest spiritual energy fluctuation on his body, had casually crushed the full-power attack of a Seventh-level Foundation Establishment Stage expert—Grand Elder Lin Cangyuan—using only two fingers!

This wasn't just subverting their understanding; it was absolutely tearing apart their worldview!

"No... impossible... this must be an illusion!" Lin Feng collapsed onto the ground in terror, his face deathly pale, and a foul stench even wafted from his crotch—he had peed himself right there!

What did he see? The trash he viewed as an ant was actually powerful to such an inhuman degree! His previous attempt to attack him was practically dancing at the gates of the Palace of the King of Hell!

Lin Cangyuan was stiff, as if struck by lightning.

He knew better than anyone the power of the move he had just used, the [Metal Splitting Claw]; even a piece of Refined Iron would be instantly crushed into powder!

Yet now, it had been broken by the opponent using just two fingers?

Moreover, from beginning to end, there hadn't been a single trace of spiritual energy fluctuation on the opponent's body!

What... what kind of monster was this?!

"W-who exactly are you?!" Lin Cangyuan's voice was trembling. Gone was his previous arrogance, replaced by a fear that originated from the depths of his soul.

He even suspected that the Lin Chen before him had been possessed by some thousand-year-old monster!

"Who am I?" Lin Chen slowly lowered his hand, looking at him with indifferent eyes, like a Divine Dragon looking down upon an ant. "I am the 'little beast' you spoke of, the 'trash' you thought you could manipulate at will."

"Now, old dog," Lin Chen took a step forward. Though he displayed no aura, the pressure was enough to make Lin Cangyuan and the elders behind him retreat simultaneously. "Do you still believe you have the qualifications to judge me?"

With every word he spoke, Lin Chen took a step forward.

With every step forward, Lin Cangyuan and the others fearfully retreated.

The scene was both comical and shocking!

A powerful family elder in the Late Foundation Establishment Stage was actually frightened into retreating step by step by a youth with no cultivation!

"Clan Chief! Ziyan!" Lin Chen stopped looking at the terrified elders and turned to Lin Zhan and Lin Ziyan. "Let's go. Don't let a few barking stray dogs delay our important business."

"Ah... oh! Okay!" Lin Zhan snapped out of his extreme shock. Looking at his son's back, his eyes were filled with fervor and adoration.

A God!

His son was practically a young deity walking among mortals!

Ziyan's beautiful eyes shone brightly. She had thought she already held Lin Chen in high regard, but she never expected that what she had seen was still just the tip of the iceberg!

She clenched her small fists; the desire to follow him had now turned into fervent faith.

To be able to follow a man like this was the greatest honor of her life!

The three of them, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, walked past the Grand Elder and the others—whose faces were ashen but dared not utter a sound—and headed straight for the Treasury door.

It wasn't until their figures vanished behind the door that the extremely suppressed atmosphere exploded!

"Oh heavens! What did I see? The Grand Elder was... scared away?"

"Two fingers! He crushed the Metal Splitting Claw with just two fingers!"

"How did he do it? Pure physical strength? Is this... is he even human?"

"We... we used to mock such a divine being as trash every day?"

Thinking of this, all the disciples who had previously mocked Lin Chen were terrified, their faces pale and their legs weak.

Lin Cangyuan stood rooted to the spot for a long time, his aged face shifting between green and white. Finally, he violently spat out a mouthful of congested blood, his eyes filled with endless malice and... fear.

He knew he had provoked an existence that he, and even the entire Lin Family, might not be able to afford to offend!

...Inside the Lin Family Treasury.

This place housed the wealth accumulated by the Lin Family over hundreds of years, with various weapons, Medicinal Pill, and Heaven And Earth Treasure dazzling the eyes.

Lin Zhan was currently acting like the most enthusiastic salesman, constantly introducing various treasures to Lin Chen.

"Chener, look at this [Profound Iron Heavy Sword]. It weighs three thousand catties and is perfect for a strength-type expert like you!"

"And this bottle of [Dragon Blood Pill] can greatly enhance vital energy and blood, which will definitely be beneficial for your Body Refinement Divine Art!"

Lin Chen merely glanced at them casually and shook his head.

These things were treasures to others, but in his eyes, they were merely mediocre.

He activated the Moonlight Divine Pupils and scanned the entire Treasury.

Soon, his gaze fixed upon a rusty black iron ring in the deepest part of the Treasury, which was being used to prop up a table leg.

In the vision provided by his Pupil Technique, all the other treasures emitted strong or weak luminous glows, but only this iron ring was dull, looking like a piece of scrap metal. However, Lin Chen saw that deep inside the iron ring, a sleeping, savage, and utterly tyrannical aura was faintly discernible!

"Father, I want that one." Lin Chen said, pointing at the iron ring.

"Huh?" Lin Zhan followed the direction of his finger and was stunned. "Chener, are you sure? That... that's a scrap iron ring dug out of some unknown ruin! It's useless except for being slightly hard; it's been gathering dust in the Treasury for decades."

"I want it." Lin Chen's tone was unquestionable.

"...Alright." Although puzzled, Lin Zhan now had one hundred percent trust in his son.

Lin Chen stepped forward and took the seemingly unremarkable iron ring into his hand.

It felt cold and heavy to the touch, as if he were holding a small mountain.

He slowly injected his Chaos Power into it.

"Buzz—!"

The iron ring was instantly awakened, like a ferocious beast that had slept for eons!

A primal and desolate dragon roar suddenly erupted from the ring, echoing throughout the entire Treasury!

The rust on the surface of the iron ring instantly peeled off, revealing its true form—it was a black bracelet forged from unknown Divine Gold, engraved with a lifelike Ancient Black Dragon whose head and tail were connected!

A terrifying gravity field instantly erupted, centered on the bracelet!

"Oh no!" Lin Zhan's face drastically changed. Under this gravity, he, an expert at the Peak Foundation Establishment Stage, felt his body sink and nearly knelt on the ground!

Lin Ziyan beside him let out a muffled groan, her pretty face instantly turning pale!

Yet, Lin Chen walked as if on flat ground within this terrifying gravity field.

Looking at the bracelet that had "come alive" in his hand, the System Panel displayed information at the perfect time.

[A damaged Low-grade Dao Artifact—black dragon bracelet—has been discovered.]

[Effect: Comes with a tenfold Gravity Domain, which can suppress enemies or be used for self-cultivation. It contains a wisp of the Ancient Black Dragon's Soul Essence. If refined, one can obtain the Divine Ability [Black Dragon War Body]!]

"A Dao Artifact!"

Lin Chen's breathing quickened slightly for an instant.

Magical treasures in the fantasy world are divided into: Magical Artifacts, Spiritual Artifacts, Treasure Artifacts, Dao Artifacts, and Sacred Artifacts... In the entirety of Qingyang City, the strongest weapon was merely a High-grade Spirit Artifact belonging to the City Lord's Mansion!

And he had actually dug a... Dao Artifact out of scrap iron used to prop up a table leg?!