52: despair!

"Whew! Finally, I've broken through to the Fifth-Rank Martial Artist Realm."

At Dongshan Martial Academy, in the Red Dragon Pool, Lin Yi, who was soaking naked in the pool water, suddenly opened his eyes, a look of joy flashing within them.

The Fifth-Rank of Martial Arts—this level of strength was considered quite skilled even in Dongshan Prefecture City.

Combined with his Fourth Grade Martial Art at the Perfection stage and his force exertion at the Extreme Strength Major Achievement stage, Lin Yi's strength was, if not comparable to a Fifth-Rank Peak, at least very close to it.

As long as his cultivation could break through again to reach the Fifth-Rank Middle Stage, then his strength would be fully comparable to a Fifth-Rank Peak.

If his martial arts skill level or his Extreme Strength Realm could break through once more, he would even surpass an ordinary Fifth-Rank Peak.

At that time, he could return home.

Thinking of the surprised and joyful smiles on his parents' faces when he suddenly returned home, Lin Yi couldn't help but show a look of happiness. After practicing in the Red Dragon Pool for a while longer, he put on his clothes and left the pavilion where the Red Dragon Pool was kept.

"Lin Yi!"

Outside the pavilion, as soon as Lin Yi stepped out, he saw Vice Dean Zhao Haihong suddenly appear before him, looking at him with a heavy expression.

"Dean, why are you here? Has something happened?"

Seeing this, a faint sense of foreboding rose in Lin Yi's heart, and he quickly asked.

"Sigh! Come with me first."

Zhao Haihong sighed, then led Lin Yi away from the Red Dragon Pool pavilion to his own residence before slowly speaking:

"Lin Yi, I called you here because I have some bad news to tell you. This matter concerns your parents. I hope you can prepare yourself mentally in advance."

"What! Bad news? Concerning my parents?"

Lin Yi's face turned pale upon hearing this, and a surge of instinctive fear instantly rose in his heart. Even his lips began to tremble slightly:

"Dean, I... my father and mother, they... what happened to them?"

"Sigh!"

Seeing this, Zhao Haihong let out another heavy sigh. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke to explain:

"Just now, Lu Chong of Wangwu Mountain's Qingfeng Stockade suddenly sent a secret letter to our Dongshan Martial Academy."

"The content of the secret letter says that your father, Lin Haichuan, killed his only son, Lu Jian, three days ago. Now he is beyond furious and has captured your parents. He has declared that he will have your parents executed by a thousand cuts to avenge his only son, Lu Jian."

"Impossible!"

Hearing this, Lin Yi immediately roared in anxiety and anger:

"My father is just a mere Eighth-Rank Martial Artist. He only teaches some uneducated children and low-level Martial Artists in a remote place like Qinghe County."

"Lu Jian is the high and mighty Young Stronghold Lord of Qingfeng Stockade; he probably wouldn't even bother going to such a small place. How could he have met my father?"

"Furthermore, even if they did meet, how noble is the status of the Young Stronghold Lord of Qingfeng Stockade? He must be surrounded by a cloud of expert guards. How could my father, an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist, kill him?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! This must be fake news!"

Lin Yi roared, his handsome face twisting slightly.

In his previous life, he was an orphan who grew up in a welfare home, with no one to care for or love him, living a muddled existence as he grew up.

Later, while trying to save someone, he unfortunately met with a car accident and transmigrated to the Jiuzhou World, becoming the son of Lin Haichuan and Ji Xuan.

Under their meticulous care, Lin Yi experienced for the first time what true paternal and maternal love were.

It could be said that Lin Haichuan and Ji Xuan were the two most important people in his life. He would never allow, nor was he willing to see, even the slightest accident befall them!

"Sigh! Lin Yi, I also hope this news is fake."

Seeing the usually indifferent and calm Lin Yi show such a never-before-seen appearance, Zhao Haihong also felt some heartache and sighed:

"But we have already verified that letter; it indeed came from the Qingfeng Stockade side."

"And besides that letter, they also brought something over. It's stored in that box. See for yourself!"

Zhao Haihong shook his head slightly and pointed his finger at a box on the table.

It was a rectangular box about four feet long and half a foot wide. The box was made entirely of ordinary black iron, and its sealing was not good.

Lin Yi hadn't noticed it before, but now that his gaze landed on it, his keen Martial Artist senses immediately allowed him to smell a faint, pungent scent of blood constantly wafting from it.

"This..."

Seeing this black iron box, Lin Yi's breath hitched. Having a faint suspicion in his heart, his face instantly turned deathly pale.

Afterward, his body felt as if it were carrying a great mountain. His steps were incredibly heavy, and it took him a full minute to finally walk slowly to the black iron box on the table.

Then, he reached out with trembling hands and opened the box.

"Dad!"

Seeing the blood-stained, scar-covered thick leg in the box, Lin Yi let out a tragic cry, and tears instantly blurred his eyes.

This was his father's leg! It was his father Lin Haichuan's leg!

That eight-centimeter centipede-like scar on the left side of the calf—Lin Yi remembered it was from when he was four years old and Bandits entered the city. His father had fought the Bandits at the risk of his life to protect him and was slashed by a Bandit's blade.

And that hideous scar on the back of the calf that almost completely destroyed all the skin—Lin Yi remembered it was when he was seven years old and the family's Martial Arts Hall suddenly caught fire. His father had risked his life to rush into the sea of fire to save him and was struck and burned by a falling beam that was ablaze.

Additionally, there was a huge, hideous scar covering the entire front of the thigh. That was from over two years ago when his father, in order to earn more money so Lin Yi could practice martial arts with peace of mind, gave up his stable life in the county to join a Security Bureau and risk his life.

As a result, because he was unfamiliar with the situation at first, he was struck by a roadside Bandit's blade during an escort mission, nearly having his entire leg chopped off. It took over a month of recuperation before he finally recovered.

There were also two on the right side of the calf and three smaller scars on the front of the thigh. These were all left behind by his father over the past two years while risking his life on escort missions to help him earn money.

But now, this leg of his father's, which had supported him step by step like a pillar holding up the heavens, had been... chopped off by someone!

"Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!"

Lin Yi's eyes were bloodshot, his face incredibly distorted, as endless killing intent and hatred surged into his heart like a towering tidal wave.

He swore that in his decades across two lives, he had never felt such terrifying killing intent toward any person.

Six-Armed Nezha Lu Chong!

Heavenly Dragon Great Sage Zhang Hong!

Resourceful Star Liu Shan!

Yuangunag Sword Liu Tianlai!

And all the chiefs of Qingfeng Stockade!

All the leaders!

All the Bandits!

They must all die!

They must all die!

"Lin Yi! Lin Yi!"

Seeing Lin Yi's eyes and his appearance, as if he might suffer Qi Deviation at any moment, Zhao Haihong on the side was also startled and quickly spoke:

"Lin Yi! Don't be anxious. Your parents might... still be saved!"