He had to enter Qingfeng City.
And whatever was in that box must never be opened.
There was only one choice: force his way through.
Fang Yu's face drained of color, and he lunged to stop him. "Young Master Lin, you can't—!"
"The City Guard Division is the power in Qingfen, second only to the City Prefecture itself. They're even scarier than some of the first-rank families. You mustn't—"
Before he could finish—
Thud!
Lin Yi's foot drove into the soldier's belly like a battering ram.
The man flew backward and slammed to the ground hard, spewing blood from his mouth, then fell unconscious.
Passersby going in and out of the gate froze in shock and hurriedly gave them space. Even the scions of the great families seldom dared cross the City Guard Division.
Who was this youth who dared strike a City Guard? Had he lost his mind?
The captain of the guard drew his waist blade and stepped forward, fury in his voice: "Brazen fiend—daring to raise a hand on the City Guard's turf—I'll—"
Crack!
Lin Yi didn't let him finish. A single kick—
The captain's sternum collapsed with a sickening snap. He was hurled backward.
Lin Yi withdrew his foot without even glancing at the remaining trembling guards and continued into the city as if nothing had happened.
A cold voice then boomed from the gate. "Whoever stops me again, I'll kill them!"
Every guard shuddered; cold sweat drenched their backs.
The fallen captain struggled to lift his head and roared at Lin Yi, "You brat! The City Guard will not—"
His words died as Lin Yi materialized before him. Lin Yi bent slightly and delivered a punch to the man's face.
Thud!
A dull, brutal impact. The captain's skull exploded; blood sprayed everywhere. Life snuffed out in an instant.
[You have killed a Body Tempering Realm cultivator. Violence Points +200.][Total Violence Points: 9400.]
Lin Yi rose slowly, expressionless. "I don't like being threatened."
Then, as if nothing had happened, he resumed his walk into the city.
An oppressive silence fell. Bystanders stood frozen, drenched in cold sweat—no one had expected anyone in Qingfeng City to openly slay members of the City Guard.
Fang Qiong and Fang Yu's faces had gone ashen. They dared not follow. If they trailed after him now, they would drag the entire Fang family in—no one could withstand the City Guard's wrath.
Not long after Lin Yi passed through the gate, a figure leaped down from the city tower and landed before him in an instant.
The man wore gray robes and carried a silver spear. His eyes were as deep as an abyss; his sharp-featured face was cold as frost.
"So you dare kill my City Guard men—what nerve!" he said, voice flat and frosty.
It was Shen Lin, South City Commander.
Fang Yu's face dropped.
There were four commanders in Qingfeng's southern garrison; this man was one of them—his power unfathomable.
Lin Yi stood with his hands behind his back, chin tilted up. "Anyone who threatened me is dead. He threatened me—so I killed him."
At that moment, a resonant voice rang from the city tower: "You don't like threats, do you? Then perhaps I'll threaten you today."
As the words fell, another figure sprang down from the battlements.
The man stood over eight feet tall, his muscles bulging like sculpted stone, each corded with power. With twin golden war hammers in hand, he looked like a mountain given flesh—brutal and imposing.
Fang Yu and Fang Qiong's faces turned even graver.
Another commander of the Southern Garrison—Li Xiao.
Both he and Shen Lin were at the Meridian Clearing Realm, sixth layer. Their strength even surpassed that of Tang Hao, head of the Tang family!
How could Lin Yi possibly stand against the two of them?
That was the thought that echoed in everyone's mind.
A young man trying to face two commanders head-on?Utter madness.
Li Xiao sneered, his voice deep and contemptuous."Open the box in your hand. Do that, and I'll let you die with your body intact. Refuse…" He grinned, cruel and playful. "…and I'll make sure not even your bones remain."
Then he tilted his head mockingly."So, boy, how will you choose?"
Commander Shen Lin stood to the side, cold eyes watching.He didn't intervene—there was no need. The boy's fate was already sealed.
Lin Yi's expression didn't waver. His gaze was calm as a still lake."I choose to leave nothing behind."
A pause. Then he added, voice steady as iron—"Yours."
Li Xiao's grin froze. His expression darkened instantly, killing intent bursting forth like a storm.
"Very well."
Power surged from him in an instant, the full might of a sixth-layer Meridian Clearing Realm cultivator roaring to life.
The twin golden hammers in his hands crackled with violet lightning, serpents of electricity writhing along the metal. The air trembled, and thunder growled like an angry god.
"Since you've made your choice, then die!"
He leaped high into the air, both hammers raised overhead. The force of the swing seemed to pull the heavens down, wrapped in thunder and fury, aiming straight for Lin Yi's skull.
A flash of lightning split the sky, following the arc of the descending hammers.
But Lin Yi remained motionless.Not a flicker of fear. Not even a blink.
He simply raised his right hand.
The onlookers froze, disbelief written on every face.
Was he really… trying to block Li Xiao's strike bare-handed?
Even a cultivator at the sixth layer of the Meridian Clearing Realm would be crushed by such a blow!
Fang Yu's heart felt like it would leap from his throat.Fang Qiong couldn't bear to watch—she covered her eyes, trembling.
And then—
"CLANG!"
The impact rang like divine thunder. Metal shrieked. The sound shook the heavens.
A violent shockwave erupted outward, splitting the earth beneath their feet. Cracks snaked across the ground, and shards of stone flew like shrapnel.
When the dust cleared—
The young man in white still stood there, steady as a pillar of heaven. His feet hadn't moved an inch. His black hair and white robes whipped in the roaring gale, yet his eyes remained calm, untouched.
Across from him—
Li Xiao staggered back, his massive body hurled through the air like a broken cannonball.
"Pfft!"
A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips. His arms hung limp, mangled and trembling, flesh torn and raw. The twin golden hammers cracked down the middle, flying from his grasp and spinning into the sky.
"Ah!"
A howl of agony tore from his throat. His wide eyes were filled with disbelief and terror.
He couldn't comprehend it—how this youthful boy, with a face still carrying traces of innocence, could wield such overwhelming power.
Around them, silence fell.
Every onlooker stood frozen, eyes bulging in shock.
The boy had caught Li Xiao's thunder strike with his bare hand—and not only survived, but crushed him completely.
Who was this young man?
How could anyone be so terrifyingly strong?