Chapter 7: The Elder's Demise

"Second move." Yang Lingchen said, his face devoid of emotion, a cold smirk playing on his lips. At this moment, Yang Tiancheng's face on the viewing platform was ashen. After those two exchanges, he could tell that Yang Lingchen possessed strength no weaker than his grandson's. Meanwhile, a faint smile graced Yang Daolin's face. Seeing Yang Lingchen evade his two consecutive attacks, Yang Zihao gradually lost his composure. "Cousin Lingchen, if you have the guts, stop dodging!" Someone he had always considered a mere waste was now evading his attacks twice in a row, making Yang Zihao's expression incredibly grim. "Alright, I'll give you a chance." Yang Lingchen's lips curled into a cold smile. "You seek death!" Yang Zihao moved like lightning, kicking out towards Yang Lingchen. *Snap.* To Yang Zihao's surprise, his lightning-fast kick was easily caught by Yang Lingchen. "Three moves are up." *Crack.* Yang Lingchen's right hand suddenly tightened its grip, instantly fracturing Yang Zihao's right leg. "Ah... ah... ah... ah..." The intense pain forced a series of agonizing screams from Yang Zihao. Just then, Yang Lingchen's right foot, imbued with a trace of Haotian Jue's profound energy, instantly kicked Yang Zihao's dantian. "Ah... ah... ah..." Yang Zihao screamed again, his body sent flying backward from the impact. "Zihao!" Yang Tiancheng roared, rushing towards Yang Zihao to check his injuries. "My apologies, Elder. I didn't expect Cousin Zihao to be so fragile. I would have gone easier if I'd known." Yang Lingchen wore an innocent expression. He didn't spare Yang Zihao another glance, knowing the man was now crippled for life. "Yang Lingchen, how dare you cripple Zihao's dantian! I'll have your life!" Yang Tiancheng roared, his eyes glinting with icy killing intent. His figure shot forward like a bolt of lightning, lunging at Yang Lingchen. His painstakingly cultivated successor had been ruined by Yang Lingchen. How could he possibly swallow this insult? "Yang Tiancheng, you're asking for death!" Yang Daolin's figure transformed into a streak of white light, arriving first and striking Yang Tiancheng's back with a palm. *Bang!* *Pfft.* Yang Tiancheng was sent flying, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood in mid-air. He instantly lost all combat capability. "Old man, die!" Just then, Yang Lingchen executed his Phantom Steps, his figure like a flash of lightning, charging towards Yang Tiancheng. *Crack!* A crisp sound of bone breaking echoed. Before Yang Tiancheng could even land, Yang Lingchen kicked him squarely in the neck. "You..." Yang Tiancheng's eyes were wide, filled with disbelief. Even in his dying moments, he couldn't believe he was being killed by a junior. The Yang family members present stared at Yang Lingchen in a daze. Yang Tiancheng was a pillar of the Yang family! And he had just been killed by this young man. Even Yang Daolin hadn't expected his son to be so decisive. "Yang Zihao attempted to assassinate me, the Young Patriarch, in the Taicang Mountains two days ago." "And today, Yang Tiancheng tried to kill me, the Young Patriarch. If I didn't kill him, he would have sought revenge endlessly," Yang Lingchen stated calmly. He killed Yang Tiancheng because the elder had already harbored killing intent towards him. If he didn't seize the opportunity to eliminate Yang Tiancheng, he would forever have to guard against him. Everyone fell silent. No one spoke at this moment, because what Yang Lingchen said made perfect sense. Although Yang Lingchen's methods were ruthless, such a Young Patriarch was precisely what everyone hoped for. Even the Third Elder and Fifth Elder, who usually disliked Yang Lingchen, remained silent. "You're not Yang Lingchen! The real Yang Lingchen was killed by me and Yang Kun!" Yang Zihao roared in despair and fury. Just moments ago, he had been full of ambition, ready to become the Yang family's Young Patriarch, but the outcome had far exceeded his expectations. "Damn it, if you want to die, don't drag me into it!" Yang Kun, hearing Yang Zihao's words, was so terrified he collapsed to the ground. "So you finally admit it! I was indeed almost killed by you, but I was lucky enough to escape." Yang Lingchen sneered. Upon hearing that his son had almost been killed, a cold glint shot from Yang Daolin's eyes. "How audacious! To dare lay hands on my son! Guards, chop these two scoundrels into pieces and feed them to the dogs!" Yang Daolin's eyes blazed with cold light as he commanded. Immediately, everyone present felt a powerful surge of killing intent emanating from Yang Daolin. "Patriarch, spare me! I'm innocent! It was all Yang Zihao's doing! I was forced!" Yang Kun immediately prostrated himself on the ground. At that moment, the Yang family's dark guards dragged Yang Zihao and Yang Kun away. Two days passed in a blink. During these two days, besides cultivating, Yang Lingchen also read a large number of ancient books. He was still very curious about this unfamiliar world. Meanwhile, the news of Yang Lingchen defeating Yang Zihao quickly spread throughout Hanyang City. For a time, Hanyang City was abuzz with discussion, but most people refused to believe it was true. After all, for so many years, Yang Lingchen had been known as Hanyang City's notorious good-for-nothing. One day, Yang Lingchen prepared to buy some alchemical ingredients. He planned to break through to the Mingxuan Realm before Tianyuan Palace began recruiting new disciples. Only by reaching the Mingxuan Realm would he have the confidence to stand out among the many geniuses. After all, the conditions for Tianyuan Palace to recruit new disciples were extremely strict. However, Yang Lingchen didn't have much gold at the moment, so he sought out Yang Daolin. Yang Daolin was very fond of his son. Upon hearing that Yang Lingchen needed to buy medicinal ingredients, he directly gave him one hundred thousand gold coins. This was unimaginable before. In the past, due to Yang Lingchen's low cultivation, Yang Daolin would only give him one or two thousand gold coins at most. Yang Lingchen took the gold coins and left the Yang Manor, heading straight for the Tianwu Merchant Guild. "Patriarch, the Young Master has gone out," Steward Yang Su said. "Elder Su, I'll trouble you to follow Lingchen during this time. Only intervene if he encounters an irresistible danger," Yang Daolin instructed. He was very concerned about his son's safety. "Rest assured, Patriarch. As long as this subordinate has a breath left, I will not let anything happen to the Young Master," Steward Su replied before withdrawing. The Tianwu Merchant Guild was the largest merchant guild on the Tianwu Continent, with branches spread throughout. At the Tianwu Merchant Guild, as long as you could pay a sufficient price, you could buy many precious medicinal ingredients and secret treasures. Even if the Tianwu Merchant Guild didn't have something, they would issue a quest, allowing people across the continent to help you find it. Rumor had it that the power behind the Tianwu Merchant Guild was immense, so much so that even many empires dared not easily provoke it. Even during wars between nations, the Tianwu Merchant Guild remained an unshakable entity. Thus, a timeless saying circulated on the Tianwu Continent: "Empires may rise and fall, but the Tianwu Merchant Guild endures."