The Giants showed no courtesy at all; they tried to overwhelm Lin Bei with sheer presence and force him to retreat.
Lin Bei merely smiled faintly as the mental pressure inside him erupted, crushing down on the two Armored Giants guarding the City Lord's gate.
"What?!"
The mental pressure he released felt like Mount Tai pressing down, instantly enveloping the two Giants.
The pair only had time for a single cry before their eyes rolled back and they fainted on the spot.
Rumble—!
The Giants hit the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Big as they are, they sure break easy."
Lin Bei glanced at the unconscious Giants and curled his lip in disdain.
Still, he didn't stride straight inside; instead he cupped his hands round his mouth and shouted, "Hey—!! Anyone home? I've urgent business with the City Lord—send someone to announce me!"
"Who dares make a racket at the City-Lord's Mansion?!"
Sure enough, a furious roar answered from within.
The next second ten Silver-Armored soldiers, Long Spears in hand, rushed through the gate and glared at Lin Bei.
Before they could act, they spotted the two Giant Guardss sprawled unconscious; their faces changed and they hurried over to check the damage.
Seeing the Giants were only unconscious, the soldiers relaxed slightly, then turned cold eyes on Lin Bei and demanded,
"Who are you and what do you want?"
"And… did you ambush and knock out these two Giant Guardss?"
Among them a young white-robed officer fixed his gaze on Lin Bei and spoke.
"Nothing to do with me."
Lin Bei waved his hands hurriedly. "I never laid a finger on them."
"Then how did they faint?!"
the Soldier in White Robe snapped, eyes turning icy.
"How should I know? I just wanted an audience with the City Lord and asked them to announce me."
"Before I could speak they tried to intimidate me with their aura."
"You saw the rest—they rolled their eyes and collapsed."
Lin Bei spread his hands in helpless resignation.
"You—"
"Here's a recommendation letter for the City Lord; could you pass it on for me?"
Before the man could continue, Lin Bei produced the letter Bailing had written.
The moment the letter appeared, faint glowing runes shimmered across its surface.
"Ancient… Elvish script?!"
The white-robed officer had been ready to arrest Lin Bei, but shock flashed across his face at the sight.
He drew a deep breath. "Please wait; I'll send word to His Lordship at once."
He made no move against Lin Bei; his tone had turned markedly gentler.
Taking the letter, he ordered a soldier to deliver it to the City Lord and others to carry the unconscious Giants inside.
Only then did the officer study Lin Bei with open curiosity.
"You're a Survivor?"
Mm."
"Your Mental Attribute must be formidable; those two Giants fainted from mental shock, didn't they?"
"Sharp eyes—yes."
Lin Bei nodded without denying it.
To stun Giants with mental force your Spirit would need to exceed twenty million. I know every top Survivor in Tianjian City, yet I've never heard of you."
"Are you from another capital?"
"Nope, I'm local."
Lin Bei grinned. "I keep a low profile, so it's normal you haven't met me."
The corner of the officer's mouth twitched.
Holy hell—never in my life have I seen such shameless boasting!
You knocked two Giants cold, then stood here yelling at the gate, and you call that "low-key"?
If I weren't afraid I'd lose, I'd have pounded you already!
He swallowed the urge, took a steadying breath, and said nothing more, shooting Lin Bei a meaningful look.
Anyone bearing a letter in ancient Elvish had ties to the Elf Clan; offending him might earn the City Lord's wrath.
So he simply stood in silence, staring at Lin Bei like a statue.
Seeing the officer quiet, Lin Bei shrugged and likewise held his tongue.
When talk fails, fewer words are best.
Were it not for the City Lord being Bailing's uncle, he'd have marched straight in; these men combined were no match for him.
They stood face to face, unmoving, like carved stone.
Silence reigned; even a falling needle would have sounded loud.
At last, heavy footsteps echoed from within the mansion.
"So you're the fiancé my niece wrote about? Hm… a bit thin, but not bad-looking."
"Still, if your ability's lacking, don't expect my consent to marry our dear Ling'er!"
He spoke before he appeared; the rough voice rang out first.
Lin Bei turned to see a striking man in black armor, wings of jet-black feathers, stride forward with appraising eyes.
In an instant Lin Bei gauged the City Lord's strength.
He was unquestionably the mightiest being Lin Bei had encountered since entering the Underworld.
Combat Power above fifty million—combined, the leaders of the Three Major Forces would fall short against him.
"As expected of a City Lord—truly formidable."
Lin Bei mused silently.
Though the man's power was less than a tenth of his own—Lin Bei could subdue him with one hand—such strength was nearly invincible in a King-Level Dungeon World.
Apart from the local World BOSS, probably no one could oppose him.
No wonder he could guard a capital without unrest.
What puzzled Lin Bei was: what exactly had the City Lord just said?
Who planned to marry his niece?
Who claimed to be Bailing's fiancé?
Hey—watch your words!
I could sue you for slander!
Even as City Lord you'd better not smear my good name!
Righteous indignation flared in Lin Bei's heart, and warning crept into his gaze.
"Oh? Interesting—still cocky in front of me. You've got guts, kid."
"Let's see if your strength matches that courage."
But the next second, his face darkened and he released a burst of mental pressure straight at Lin Bei, planning to give this possible future nephew-in-law a show of authority.
He'd let him know what absolute power felt like!
Before coming out, he'd already learned about the two Giant Guardss' condition.
He knew the kid in front of him had fairly strong mental power.
But… so what?
As the City Lord, his strength reigned supreme over the whole of Tianjian City, his Combat Power surpassing fifty million points!
His Mental Attribute exceeded forty million points!
Even if the kid before him had reached twenty million in Mental Attribute, what of it?
Facing his mental pressure, he believed the other party wouldn't last ten seconds before being drenched in sweat and collapsing, gasping like an ox.
The City Lord, brimming with confidence, stood quietly at the entrance of the City-Lord's Mansion, giving Lin Bei a meaningful smile.
"Ten… nine… eight…"
He counted silently in his mind.
Ready to watch the kid's disheveled state.
Anyone who dared touch his guards—even a possible future nephew-in-law—had to be taught a lesson!
The surroundings were silent.
Lin Bei looked puzzled, not sure what trick the other was playing.
"Um… Lord City Lord, should we go inside and talk?"
"Hmph, wait a bit longer."
Seeing this, the City Lord narrowed his eyes slightly.
He thought, "Hmph, this kid definitely can't hold out; he's afraid of losing face in front of others and wants me to give him a way out—but no, I must make an example of him."
Hearing that, Lin Bei was speechless.
He could feel a strong mental force trying to crush his nerves.
Yet to him it was like the fist of a small child—noticeable but utterly harmless.
However, he needed something from the other party, so since the City Lord asked to wait, he didn't mind accompanying him a while longer.
"Maybe he wants to use me to test the limits of his mental strength."
Lin Bei mused, "Though crude, the Mental Strength Training Method does mention that continuously releasing mental power until exhaustion, then recovering, can make it more condensed."
"For those who haven't mastered dedicated mental cultivation, it's still a way to keep raising the Mental Attribute cap."
"It's just more painful and far less effective."
"But since he's already doing it, I'd hate to interrupt his training."
"Forget it, let's wait a bit more."
"Anyway, time flows ten times faster in the Underworld; there's no rush."
With that thought, Lin Bei fetched a Small Wooden Chair from his storage space, sat down at the entrance, and quietly waited for the City Lord to finish his 'training'.
But to the Tianjian City Lord, the sight looked like outright provocation.
His eyes narrowed again.
"Brat, still so arrogant!"
He snorted inwardly, "Hmph, didn't expect him to last ten seconds! But this is just the beginning! I've decided—he needs a real lesson!"
"I'll let him know what crushing power means!"
The City Lord's gaze turned heavy; he wrapped his Qi and Blood Power around his mental force, fused the two, and pressed them both onto Lin Bei.
This time he'd see just how long the other could endure.
Crack.
The Small Wooden Chair under Lin Bei couldn't bear the pressure and shattered into pieces.
Seeing this, Lin Bei frowned slightly.
He glanced up at Tianjian City Lord, who was now looking at him provokingly, as if to say: Kid, do you yield?
"This City Lord… seems like a sore loser."
"I offered to help you train your mental power, but not only did you not thank me, you even used Qi and Blood Power to smash my favorite little chair—pure provocation."
"I was going to give Bailing's Second Uncle some face, but now… things are getting tricky."
"Still, this fusion of blood and Spirit is novel; I could study it later and maybe invent a killer move stronger than the Vacuum Blade."
Thinking that, Lin Bei stood up and activated his Mental Barrier, instantly enveloping the area.
In an instant, everyone outside the City-Lord's Mansion—except Lin Bei himself—lost consciousness.
"Better give Bailing's uncle some face; can't let him lose authority in front of his subordinates."
He stepped forward, grabbed the dumbstruck Tianjian City Lord by the collar, and flew straight into the mansion.
Then he released the Mental Barrier and silently watched the City Lord come back to his senses, dazed, saying nothing.
"Hey, Lord City Lord, are you done fooling around?"
Seeing the man still bewildered, Lin Bei broke the silence.
"Ah! Y-you… I-I… what just happened?!"
Startled by Lin Bei's sudden words, Tianjian City Lord stammered, looking utterly shaken.
"Oh, you smashed my favorite chair, so I got upset, opened a Mental Barrier, and brought you inside the mansion."
"I mean, you're Bailing's Second Uncle, an old Elf Clan member, and a City Lord—can't you be a bit more broad-minded?"
"My little chair never hurt you, yet you struck it down. It was of excellent quality; sitting on it long-term soothes the waist, strengthens the kidneys, even prevents hemorrhoids—and you just destroyed it!"
"Don't you realize that's wrong?"
Lin Bei looked helplessly at the dazed City Lord and couldn't help ranting.
"…"
Hearing that, Tianjian City Lord froze on the spot.
Only one sentence echoed in his mind.
"Are you done fooling around?"
"Done fooling around?"
"Enough?"
"Or not?"
"Not?"
"Yes?"
…"The hell—"
"He's asking if I'm done fooling around?"
"Damn
"Why do I feel like I punched cotton?"
"And… can anyone tell me what kind of freak this kid is? My Qi and Blood is sixty-five million
"C'mon! Are you kidding me?"
"I was dead serious!"
"And… that girl Bailing sure has an eye for talent! To land such a golden son-in-law!"
"The Elf Clan… has hope of revival!"