Du Chengwei's sudden sneak attack came without any warning, his speed as fast as lightning.
In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Lin Xiaotian.
"Since you insist on me defeating you before you'll talk, then I'll grant your wish!" Lin Xiaotian still wore his faint smile. Just as Du Chengwei was about to strike him with his palm.
He directly reached out, grabbed the man by the neck, and slammed him hard onto the ground.
"Bang!"
A dull thud echoed as he hit the ground.
Du Chengwei's entire head was spinning. Every bone in his body ached as if it had been shattered.
Even the formidable internal energy within him was unable to coalesce for a time.
Lin Xiaotian, still smiling, clenched his fist and smashed it fiercely into Du Chengwei's dantian.
"Ah..."
A desperate, enraged cry erupted.
Du Chengwei jolted upright, clutching his dantian and sea of qi, his face completely contorted.
One moment he was smug and confident of victory.
In the span of a single instant, the victor and vanquished were decided.
His gaze was now filled with extreme unwillingness, and he questioned with utter fury: "Why did you cripple me?"
"Why?"
His roar was hysterical.
Lin Xiaotian's smile remained: "You said those things yourself just now."
"You said that only after I defeated you would you tell me those matters, otherwise I wasn't worthy of knowing."
"Xiao Ye was also looking out for you. Otherwise, if you went back on your word, wouldn't that make you seem insincere? So I reluctantly crippled you first. Only this way can you truly fall silent."
Hearing this, Du Chengwei was stunned. He now realized that his strength was far inferior to Lin Xiaotian's. He couldn't even withstand a single move.
The opponent was too strong, so despairingly strong.
"Are you truly Lin Xiaotian?"
"My strength had clearly broken through to the Land Immortal realm long ago. Why do I have no power to resist in front of you? Lin Xiaotian is only in his early twenties. You absolutely cannot be him."
Du Chengwei's mental state had completely collapsed.
His entire life had been spent on the path of seeking strength.
He had used every conceivable method, sparing no expense. He had finally reached the legendary realm, thinking he could descend the mountain to deal with his old enemies.
Yet, in his very first battle against Lin Xiaotian, he had been utterly defeated.
Lin Xiaotian squatted in front of him with a smile: "I know what you're thinking now. You feel that all your strength is gone, making you a cripple."
"However, if you feel my methods were too harsh, I can restore your strength."
"But only if you tell me those matters first."
Hearing this, Du Chengwei turned his head blankly, his eyes now a dull gray: "Apart from the legendary Life-Creating Pill, it's impossible to recover from my current injuries."
"And the Life-Creating Pill is a mythical item..."
His voice trailed off.
His gaze was fixed on Lin Xiaotian, and a white pill appeared in his hand.
He could clearly feel, upon smelling the medicinal fragrance, that internal energy was constantly condensing within him.
Merely the scent had such an effect. After consuming it, the effects would surely be heaven-defying, and repairing his injuries would likely not be difficult.
Lin Xiaotian said with a smile: "What a coincidence, I happen to have the Life-Creating Pill. Not only can it heal your injuries, but it can also make your strength even greater."
"You have only just broken through to the Land Immortal realm. In reality, this is merely entering the threshold. I have long since reached this realm."
"As for the subsequent power divisions, you are not even qualified to know."
"Let's discuss the previous matters now!"
He held the pill in his hand, as if playing with a yo-yo.
Du Chengwei's eyes, however, followed Lin Xiaotian's hand. His gaze was filled with extreme longing.
The weakness that followed the loss of his strength made him feel incredibly uncomfortable. This pain was worse than death.
Learning that he still had hope of recovery was his lifeline.
"Do you want it?" Lin Xiaotian asked with a half-smile.
Du Chengwei nodded without hesitation: "I did indeed obtain a treasure from your Lin family before. However, I have already used up those things. It was a special kind of musk."
"As long as it was lit and its scent was inhaled, it could accelerate my cultivation at the fastest speed, and all bottlenecks would be overcome without hindrance."
"It was after obtaining this item that I cultivated so rapidly."
"Furthermore, I stole these things from your family during the chaos and then left the city. I did not cause much slaughter to your family. The one who truly acted against your family was Du Daming."
"When he learned he had been deceived, he began to violently attack members of your Lin family. He was venting his rage."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaotian's eyes narrowed slightly. He raised his hand and slapped Du Chengwei across the face.
"Slap!"
The crisp sound of the slap was very loud.
This blow stunned Du Chengwei.
Du Chengwei's eyes became visibly unfocused.
"My apologies, I used a bit too much force just now. I couldn't control my hand for a moment. As for what you said, I didn't believe a single punctuation mark. Do you think I haven't asked Du Daming for the answer? He told me the real outcome after his mental breakdown."
"And Elder Li Cangshan also gave me some information."
Although Lin Xiaotian was still smiling, the cold glint in his eyes flashed like a blade.
Du Chengwei felt his heart tremble. He knew very well the wicked deeds he had committed; some debts could not be evaded.
Lin Xiaotian sneered: "Based on fragmented clues, I have pieced together what happened at the time. If you don't tell me the truth honestly, then this opportunity will be gone."
"You have become a cripple. It is easy for me to manipulate you however I please."
"Think carefully. Do you want to suffer a painful death, or do you want to recover your strength with the Life-Creating Pill?"
Du Chengwei gritted his teeth: "Actually, I don't know the specifics of what happened back then. I only received news that there was a strange fragrance in your family. I originally intended to come and purchase it."
"But when I arrived at your home, I encountered many people who wanted to attack me, so I participated in the fray."
"I am indeed Du Daming from Shandong, but I only wanted to rely on his wealth. He inherited the Du family, while I was merely a scion expelled from the family. Only he had a large amount of wealth."
"As for the person behind it, I cannot tell you now. Otherwise, if you go back on your word, wouldn't that be a false hope for me?"