Lin Xiaotian's smile widened, his eyes filled with cold mockery. "Old man, all talk and no action."
"You think I'm arrogant and want to teach me a lesson?"
"Come on, let me see what you've got. You might not even be able to take one of my slaps."
The Great Elder's face flushed red with anger. Without a word, he raised his hand, gathered his energy, and slammed it down towards Lin Xiaotian.
His palm strike was infused with his full strength.
He could shatter a granite slab with a single blow, let alone a young man.
Lin Xiaotian seemed completely unfazed, standing still as if frozen in fear.
The Great Elder sneered, believing Lin Xiaotian was simply terrified.
His speed wasn't fast, but his palm strike, charged with ferocious inner energy, aimed directly for Lin Xiaotian's shoulder. He didn't intend to kill him, but to capture him alive and prove to his family head that Lin Xiaotian was just as weak and useless as they suspected.
However, as his palm landed on Lin Xiaotian's shoulder, it was like a stone sinking into the ocean.
The attacking force, the potent inner energy, had no effect whatsoever.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
Lin Xiaotian chuckled, "Is that all?"
"You talked such a big game, I thought you were powerful. Turns out you're just a weakling. You've lived all these years, have you been living for dogs?"
"You dare call me arrogant? I'll show you what true arrogance is."
As his voice fell, his spiritual energy erupted from within.
His spiritual energy far surpassed the inner energy of ordinary martial artists; it was an entirely different level of power.
This was why the Great Elder's palm strike had no effect on him.
"Bang!"
A loud crack echoed as the Great Elder's hand, which had been in front of Lin Xiaotian, shattered. His bones broke, and he was sent flying backward as if struck by an invisible train.
He landed on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Shock was etched on his face, his voice trembling violently. "How is this possible?"
"You're only in your twenties, how can you possess such immense power?"
"It's impossible, you must be some ancient monster who's regained his youth!"
His final words were almost a roar.
Lin Xiaotian took a step forward, moving like a phantom, and appeared directly in front of the Great Elder. He stomped his foot down hard onto the elder's face.
His voice dripped with mockery. "With a face as young, handsome, and dashing as mine, you call me an ancient monster."
"Am I giving you too much face?"
The Great Elder tried to speak, but the foot on his face felt like Mount Tai pressing down, preventing any sound. His jaw was pinned, and he felt like his skull might crack.
Agony spread through him, his head feeling like it would split open.
He channeled all his inner energy to struggle, but it was useless.
Lin Xiaotian's foot felt like it was crushing an ant; the Great Elder had no power to resist.
"Do you submit?"
Hearing those words, the Great Elder felt an overwhelming sense of humiliation.
He had asked Lin Xiaotian the same question earlier.
Now, his confidence was a joke in front of Lin Xiaotian.
Lin Xiaotian had defeated him without even using his hands, merely with his aura, sending him flying. A thought flashed through the elder's mind, his eyes widening.
"You... are you a legendary Earth Immortal?"
"You are definitely an ancient monster!"
Lin Xiaotian frowned, then lifted his foot and kicked the Great Elder hard in the Dantian, the sea of Qi.
This was the source of a martial artist's power. After being kicked, the Great Elder was sent flying again, landing on the ground and spitting out another mouthful of blood. Disbelief filled his eyes.
His face contorted.
He couldn't believe he had been crippled by Lin Xiaotian's kick, reduced from a peak Grandmaster to an ordinary mortal.
The drastic drop in power visibly aged him.
His face, once smooth, was now etched with deep wrinkles. His white hair began to fall out, and he seemed to have aged decades in an instant.
Lin Xiaotian said with a half-smile, "I already told you I'm not an ancient monster, but you wouldn't believe me."
"If you didn't believe me, fine. But you deliberately provoked me. I'm not that patient."
"You have no further use alive. You might as well wait on the road to the Yellow Springs. It won't be long before your family head joins you."
Hearing this, the Great Elder's pupils contracted sharply. Disbelief flickered in his eyes as he seemed to realize something, and terror began to dawn.
"You mean you planned this from the start, to deal with our family?"
"I heard what you said earlier. You want to send the Second Young Master back to his death."
"Once he's dead, you'll have an excuse to attack our Xu family."
Lin Xiaotian chuckled, "You're quite the clever one. I already told you, but you didn't believe me. Now you had to get beaten up before you'd believe my words."
"Aren't you a bit pathetic?"
The Great Elder almost spat out another mouthful of blood.
If he had known Lin Xiaotian was this powerful, he wouldn't have dared to cause trouble. He would have treated Lin Xiaotian like an ancestor.
But there was no regretting in this world.
"Lin Xiaotian, how did our Xu family offend you? Why are you deliberately targeting us?"
"Even though our family has joined the Heavenly Net, our family head has no grudges with you. You should go find those who have wronged you."
Lin Xiaotian said with a smile, "Are you joking with me?"
"I'll let you be a ghost who knows why."
"The greater reason for targeting your family is because of the trouble you yourselves have caused."
"Even if I didn't come looking for you, you would have kept coming after me. After all, I possess many treasures, wouldn't you be tempted?"
"To put it plainly, it's all caused by greed."