13. Scapegoat

The three contestants seemed to understand something as they watched the scene unfold, their faces flushing red. Meanwhile, as the defending champion, Chen Xuan was already prepared and had been waiting for a while.

"Lin Dong, just you wait! My revenge begins now!"

Moments later, the contestants, eager for battle, took turns challenging Chen Xuan's authority. That night, Shi Haotian and Xia Wanjin stood guard outside Thousand Gold Inn, allowing no one to come near. This scene sparked curiosity among many passersby.

"Why would the City Lord Shi Haotian and Chairman Xia Wanjin willingly act as guards? Who's staying inside?"

"Shi Haotian is a formidable cultivator in the Form Creation Realm! What kind of terrifying person could make him accept being a mere guard?"

"Wait, could it be that young man from the afternoon?"

"Impossible!"

"Yeah, if it were really him, I'd cut my head off and hand it to you as a chamber pot!"

"Let's just wait and see what happens by morning!"

And so, a crowd gathered outside the inn and waited all night. The next morning, a young man, just over ten years old, emerged from the inn. In the blink of an eye, everyone's jaws dropped. They saw Shi Haotian and Xia Wanjin bow respectfully to the young man, as if they were awaiting orders.

"What's going on? A City Lord and a prominent merchant bowing to a youth? And the tremors near the inn last night… Could they have been caused by him?"

The crowd's gazes shifted upstairs to the second-floor window of the inn, where three graceful figures stood side by side. Smiling, they waved farewell to the young man below. The onlookers noticed something: today, Xuan Su, Shi Ziyue, and Xia Zhilan appeared to have a certain radiant glow to their faces, exuding a mature and captivating charm.

Wait, could it be…?

As they processed this realization, the young man had already disappeared from view.

"It's over. Did this guy really ravish the three beauties of Yan City?"

At the entrance of Thousand Gold Inn, Shi Haotian tiptoed closer to Xia Wanjin and asked, "Old Xia, what did he give you?"

"Didn't he give you something as well?" Xia Wanjin replied cautiously.

"It's different! I want to see what you got."

"It's a Manifestation Martial Art," Xia Wanjin said.

Shi Haotian was momentarily stunned and took out a manual of his own. "Mine is also a Manifestation Martial Art."

"Two Manifestation Martial Arts?" Shi Haotian was shocked. "Who is this guy? Even the four great families of the Great Yan Empire wouldn't have such resources!"

In fact, not only the two men but also Xuan Su, Shi Ziyue, and Xia Zhilan had received valuable gifts from Chen Xuan.

These items were prizes Chen Xuan had won through a lottery. Since he had already mastered all the martial arts, he had no use for the manuals.

This was a perfect opportunity to give them away and earn a good amount of emotional points from the three women.

Even as Chen Xuan flew far away, notifications of emotional point gains from the three women continued to flood in.

He had gained both people and emotional points — a double win!

His destination was the Misty Forest. He vaguely remembered that Lin Dong would soon meet Jiang Hao and his daughter from Eagle City there and learn about the opening of the Great Wastelands Ancient Tablet. This would lead him to the key to unlocking the Devouring Ancestral Symbol and eventually securing it.

But now, Chen Xuan's goal was to cut off Lin Dong's fateful opportunities!

After that, he would slowly exact his revenge, crushing Lin Dong's spirit in despair.

Meanwhile, in the Dayang Prefecture, deep within a forest, Lin Dong retracted his spiritual energy and asked Little Marten, "Thunder Source Crystal Beast… What kind of creature is that?"

Little Marten looked surprised. "I didn't expect such a beast to exist in this area!"

"Is it rare?" Lin Dong asked, confused.

"It's a powerful beast that feeds on thunder. Its strength is immense. However, every time it advances in rank, it becomes extremely weak for a short period," Little Marten explained, rubbing its furry paw against its chin.

"What's the use of it?" Lin Dong asked, still confused.

"The Thunder Source Crystal Beast has a Thunder Source within its body, containing pure thunder power. It could help you cultivate the Bronze Thunder Body, enhance your spiritual energy, and maybe even help you break through to the Form Creation Realm!" Little Marten continued.

If successful, Lin Dong might even gain the ability to manipulate thunder with his Yuan Power, a terrifying capability.

As Lin Dong grew increasingly tempted by the idea, Little Marten interrupted, "But a regular Thunder Source Crystal Beast has the strength of a complete Qi Creation Realm cultivator. The stronger ones can rival those in the Manifestation Realm. With your current power…"

"Am I just cannon fodder?" Lin Dong clenched his fists and smiled slyly.

"No problem. If I can't defeat the Thunder Source Crystal Beast alone, aren't there others I can rely on?" Lin Dong smirked, planning to let the Di and Liu families attack first, so he could swoop in and reap the benefits.

Little Marten rolled its eyes. "Kid, just make sure you don't end up as the fish instead of the fisherman."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Lin Dong tightened his fists, recalling his brief, passionate encounter with Ling Qingzhu at the mausoleum.

"I'll stand before her again," Lin Dong resolved, determined to claim her as his own.

His goal now was to surpass Lin Langtian, the first target on his path.

With a firm gaze, Lin Dong looked into the distance. "That Thunder Source… is mine."

However, a few days later, before Lin Dong could act, the entire forest near Thunder Source Mountain erupted into chaos.

Inside a tent deep in the forest, a scout rushed in, panic-stricken yet still respectful.

"Patriarch, the Thunder Source Crystal Beast… it's gone."

An elderly man with white hair shot to his feet. "Impossible!"

The scout smiled bitterly. "It's true. The Di family is also scouring the area for its traces."

The old man's voice turned cold. "Issue an order. Search the entire vicinity of Thunder Source Mountain. If anyone gets in the way, kill them on the spot!"

"Understood!" the scout replied, as many strong fighters from the clan moved out.

Meanwhile, the Di family had also mobilized all its experts.

Hidden in the shadows, Lin Dong, who had been preparing to wait for his opportunity, was stunned.

"Little Marten, didn't you say the Thunder Source Crystal Beast had the strength of a full Qi Creation Realm cultivator? Who could have taken it without a sound?" Lin Dong asked, bewildered.

Before Little Marten could respond, Lin Dong seemed to have a realization. "Could the Di and Liu families be staging a fake heist?"

Little Marten shook its head. "Impossible. Even a regular Qi Creation Realm Thunder Source Crystal Beast would be beyond their abilities. It's still too early for the beast to be in its weakened state, and neither family's strongest members are powerful enough to handle it so easily. How could they steal it?"

"Who could it be, then?" Lin Dong wondered, frowning.