"Young master… I… I was wrong…"
He scrambled to speak, begging.
"Oh." Lin Yi replied coolly.
Then his fists slammed down again.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
Each punch fell like a massive hammer, relentlessly pounding Wang Guan's body, shaking the entire Martial Arts Pavilion to its core.
It wasn't until the floor beneath them cracked and splintered under the force that Lin Yi finally stopped.
He rose slowly and walked toward the section where advanced martial techniques were stored, leaving behind just a single remark:
"If you want to talk about rules with this kind of strength… better not make a fool of yourself in public."
The entire pavilion fell silent.
Everyone stared at Lin Yi's slender frame in shock, their hearts pounding, unable to calm down.
Before this fight, no one had believed Lin Yi stood a chance.
After all, he had been crippled just over two months ago. Even if his body had miraculously healed and he resumed training, it seemed impossible that he could reach the Bone Refining stage in such a short time.
Yet, against all odds, Lin Yi had done it—and not only that, he crushed Wang Guan with overwhelming force.
Lin Mo, lying on the floor, looked completely defeated, her face pale as if all her energy had been drained. She hadn't expected the outcome to be like this.
Regret surged in her heart. If only she hadn't spoken recklessly and provoked this devilish man, she wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable situation.
Lin Xi, also on the ground, looked like a corpse, his eyes filled with despair and agony.
His dantian had been shattered—he was now a completely useless cripple, unable to cultivate. And the very person who had ruined him had become stronger and more terrifying than ever.
He was furious—but what could he do?
At this moment, Lin Yi was someone he could only look up to. He could even foresee that in the near future, he might not even deserve to look up at him.
Wang Guan sighed helplessly as he watched Lin Yi's back, his eyes complex. Lin Yi's cultivation and potential had already far surpassed the younger generation of the Lin family, shining even brighter than the Lin Yi of the past.
Even if Lin Yi had killed Lin Chen and Lin Dong today, blatantly breaking the family rules, once the family head returned, he probably wouldn't face severe punishment.
In a world where martial prowess is paramount, strength and talent are the ultimate measures of worth.
…
For violently attacking Bone Refining stage Wang Guan, Lin Yi earned 100 points of Violent Points—double what a Body Refining stage martial artist would gain.
He opened the system panel and spent 100 Violent Points to boost his cultivation to Bone Refining Stage, Level Three.
[Master: Lin Yi][Stage: Bone Refining Three (0/250)][Martial Skills: None][Violent Points: 160]
"I'm stronger again!"
Feeling the surge of power within him, Lin Yi's face lit up with delight.
He tucked away the system and approached a shelf holding advanced martial arts manuals, casually flipping through them.
Lin Yi had little interest in weapon-based techniques like swords or knives—he preferred the raw satisfaction of hand-to-hand combat.
After a moment, his gaze fell on a manual titled "Cloud-Crushing Fist."
He picked it up and opened it to the first page. Almost instantly, the system panel updated:
[Cloud-Crushing Fist (Uninitiated) (0/50)]
He didn't have enough Violent Points left to further increase his cultivation, so he decided to invest in martial skills instead.
"Upgrade martial skill!"
With a thought,
[Violent Points -50, Cloud-Crushing Fist (Initiated)!]
Lin Yi felt a basic understanding of the Cloud-Crushing Fist, grasping the fundamental power techniques.
"The power behind this technique… will be several times stronger than a normal punch," he muttered to himself, clenching his fists.
He paused for a moment, deep in thought.
"Let's push further."
[Violent Points -100, Cloud-Crushing Fist (Mastered)!][Violent Points: 10]
As the Violent Points surged through him, Lin Yi felt his understanding of the Cloud-Crushing Fist instantly leap to a new level.
It was no longer a vague grasp—rather, it was as if he had been practicing this technique for years. Every motion, every subtle use of force, flowed naturally in his mind.
If he were to unleash the Cloud-Crushing Fist now, its power would surely be several times stronger than before.
He returned the manual to its place and left the Martial Arts Pavilion without lingering.
With his current cultivation at Bone Refining Stage Three, within the Lin family, he ranked just below Lin Ming, the family head, and his father, Lin Cheng.
Yet, he was far from invincible.
To move freely, unbound by any rules, he would have to grow even stronger.
"I wonder… would attacking beasts grant Violent Points as well?"
Lin Yi pondered and decided to head to the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest, just over ten li from the Lin estate, to try his luck.
…
With his Bone Refining level, the short journey of just over ten li took no time at all. Soon, he arrived at the edge of the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest.
Most of the beasts within were first- or second-tier, corresponding to martial artists at the Body Refining and Bone Refining stages.
However, beasts of the same tier were often far stronger than human practitioners.
Lin Yi estimated that with his current strength, he could contend with second-tier, lower-level beasts.
At that moment, a clear, melodious voice rang from behind him.
"Lin Yi, what are you doing here?"
He turned, and before him stood a young girl dressed in a pale green silk dress.
Her name was Gu Xi, the daughter of a minor family in Qingshan County.
They had met before but rarely interacted.
After news spread of Lin Yi's crippling, Gu Xi had tried several times to visit the Lin estate, only to be stopped at the gate each time.
She never imagined she would run into him here today.
Lin Yi gave a faint smile:
"Just wandering around—had some free time."
Gu Xi's expression immediately turned strange.
A crippled ordinary person, wandering in the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest full of wild beasts, just for fun?
That made no sense at all!
She hurried forward and blocked his path, speaking softly:
"Are you… trying to get yourself killed?"
"I know… falling from the heights of Qingshan County's pride to a cripple must be hard. And I understand that life in the Lin estate hasn't been easy for you either."
"But seeking death… isn't that a bit extreme?"
Lin Yi raised an eyebrow.
"And who said I came here to die?"
Gu Xi hurriedly protested:
"Then what else? I've never seen an ordinary person just casually wander into the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest!"
"Now you have."
Without another word, Lin Yi sidestepped her and walked deeper into the forest.
"Hey! You really are going in there!"
Gu Xi stomped in frustration.
Had she not seen it, she might have ignored it—but now she couldn't just watch him stroll into the beasts' territory and risk becoming their snack.
Reluctantly, she started running to catch up.
One in front, one behind, the two soon ventured into the forest.
"Let's just stick to the forest edge. You absolutely cannot go deeper!"
Gu Xi warned anxiously. She was only at Body Refining Stage Seven; she could handle first-tier beasts of the lower or mid levels, but any above that, and her only option would be to flee.
"Understood."
Lin Yi nodded. He was only here to test whether attacking beasts would yield Violent Points—there was no need to venture deep.
As they walked along the forest perimeter, a figure suddenly appeared ahead of them.