Chapter 118: Three Strikes

Not long after Lin Yi hung up the phone, Grandmother Qiu sent him a location.

Snake Valley is located in Xipo City, on the outskirts of the Northern Province. It is the most chaotic place in the entire province, yet it is also the city with the highest concentration of experts. While masters are not exactly common, there is no shortage of formidable Innate-level warriors.

Lin Yi did not delay and soon arrived in Xipo City by flying boat. When he reached Snake Valley following the coordinates, a large number of martial artists had already gathered. Most were there to watch the spectacle; after all, Snake Valley and the Wei family were both prominent clans in the Northern Province, both holding significant status. If these two were to clash, the onlookers hoped they might find an opportunity to profit from the chaos.

"Hey, kid, are you lost?"

A very obese man blocked Lin Yi’s path. Judging by his frame, he weighed at least four hundred pounds, his layers of fat wobbling with every movement.

"Is this the way to Snake Valley?" Lin Yi asked calmly.

"Yeah," the fatty nodded.

"Then I'm in the right place." Lin Yi finished his sentence and continued walking forward.

The fatty shifted his position again, a sinister grin appearing on his face: "If you want to pass, leave everything you have on you behind."

Since many people had come to fish in troubled waters, there were naturally those who had come to rob travelers. However, it was clear that this fatty had picked the wrong target.

Lin Yi shook his head and said, "I'll give you three seconds to leave on your own. If I have to do it myself, I’ll break both your arms."

As soon as he spoke, the surrounding crowd erupted in murmurs.

"Isn't that Fat Tiger, one of the three tigers of Xipo City? That kid is done for. Anyone targeted by Fat Tiger ends up either dead or stripped of their dignity. I really don't know why this guy loves picking on ordinary people."

"He doesn't even look like a martial artist, yet he dares to get involved here. He deserves to die."

"I heard Fat Tiger recently broke through to the Half-Step Master level. His defense is invincible; even a master would likely have trouble dealing with him for a while."

Fat Tiger picked his ear and said disdainfully, "Kid, what did you just say? Give me three seconds, huh?"

Lin Yi remained silent.

After picking his ear, Fat Tiger flicked the dirt off his finger and swung a palm toward Lin Yi's face. Lin Yi grabbed Fat Tiger’s wrist and applied a slight amount of pressure, and with a sickening crunch, the fatty’s arm twisted like a pretzel.

The excruciating pain turned Fat Tiger’s face deathly pale, and he let out a wretched scream: "Ah, it hurts, it hurts!"

The onlookers felt a chill down their spines just watching; it was the kind of pain that made one wince in sympathy. Had it been any of them, they likely would have fainted instantly. However, Lin Yi did not stop there; he repeated the move and twisted Fat Tiger's other arm into a similar state.

Having done this, Lin Yi walked toward Snake Valley with an expressionless face. Wherever he passed, the crowd quickly parted to make way. Although the young man looked ordinary, his methods were ruthless. Fat Tiger, a Half-Step Master, hadn't even been able to put up a fight before being reduced to such a state.

After walking through the crowd for a minute, Lin Yi finally reached a "vacuum zone." Within a ten-meter radius in front of him, there was not a single person. Beyond those ten meters stood a group of about thirty people with varying levels of strength—the lowest were Half-Step Masters, and the strongest among them was a Half-Step Spirit Venerable. These were undoubtedly the people from the Wei family. Their strength was decent; the number of masters was significantly higher than the Mo family's had been.

Lin Yi walked straight into the empty zone. A Wei family member immediately raised his weapon and shouted, "Get back! Take one more step forward, and we will kill you without mercy!"

Had it been anyone else, they would have been terrified into retreating by the Wei family's threat, but Lin Yi had come specifically to resolve the trouble for Snake Valley. Lin Yi ignored him and kept walking.

The Wei family disciple was instantly enraged. He represented the honor of the Wei family, and a mere ordinary person dared to ignore him. He lunged, his long sword piercing fiercely toward Lin Yi.

Lin Yi tilted his body slightly to dodge the attack, then kicked the man in the stomach, sending him flying backward.

*Bang.*

The defeat of this disciple was like poking a hornet's nest. All the Wei family members glared at Lin Yi with hostile intent. Lin Yi, however, felt no fear. He tapped his toes lightly, and before anyone could react, he was already standing before the entrance of Snake Valley.

Wei Jun saw someone suddenly appear beside him and his expression grew solemn. Even he could not achieve such speed, though he considered the possibility that this person specialized in movement techniques.

"Who are you?" Wei Jun gripped his broadsword tightly and asked in a deep voice.

"Lin Yi," Lin Yi replied calmly.

Inside Snake Valley, Grandmother Qiu and Yu Xiaoyu saw this and their faces lit up with joy. "Mr. Lin, you finally arrived," Yu Xiaoyu said with a smile.

Grandmother Qiu was even more excited, shouting loudly, "Open the defensive formation!"

Several elders were anxious and said, "Valley Master, you cannot! The Wei family is still lurking outside." Without Wei Jun, they would not fear the Wei family at all. But Wei Jun’s strength was overwhelming; the defensive formation, which claimed to withstand attacks from a Spirit Venerable, could only hold out for a few hours against him. This alone showed the terror of Wei Jun.

"I said open it," Grandmother Qiu said coldly, her voice filled with authority.

"This..." The elders hesitated, but could only nod helplessly. "Yes, Valley Master."

Wei Jun watched coldly from the sidelines, and the other Wei family elders did not act impulsively. Soon, the defensive formation of Snake Valley was shut down.

Wei Jun sneered, "Haha, if you had continued to hide in Snake Valley, I truly wouldn't have been able to do anything to you for a while, but now..." He licked his lips and swung his broadsword fiercely at Grandmother Qiu. He put his full strength into this strike, vowing to split her in two, just like Wei Ruoxue had been.

However, before the blade could strike her, it was stopped by a single palm. Looking closely, one could see the palm was completely unharmed.

"What!" The Wei family members were shocked. Even Wei Jun’s pupils constricted, his expression turning grave. He had already taken Lin Yi seriously, but he never expected his full-force strike to be blocked so easily, using only a bare palm—without even a hint of internal energy or aura.

Yet, Wei Jun was not afraid. As a genius on the Heaven and Earth Rankings, he had his pride and his trump cards.

"Brother, do you really want to interfere in this matter?" Wei Jun asked coldly.

"That's right. Snake Valley offered a reward, and besides, the few members of your Wei family were killed by me," Lin Yi said calmly.

At these words, the gaze of every Wei family member changed. It was no longer just anger; it was the look of a blood feud.

"So you were the one who killed my grandmother!" Wei Jun’s eyes turned bloodshot, his voice rising in intensity.

Wei Youwei also roared, "What grudge do we have with you? Why have you killed several members of our Wei family one after another?"

The hot-tempered Fourth Elder shouted, "So young, and yet your heart is so ruthless!"

"I never intended to start a fight; they were the ones who wanted to kill me," Lin Yi stated.

"You speak as if you are innocent. If they wanted to kill you, why is there not a single scratch on you? I see you are just trying to make excuses," Wei Jun challenged.

Yu Xiaoyu, who was supporting Grandmother Qiu, walked up to Lin Yi and retorted, "That's rich coming from you. Does it mean only your Wei family is allowed to kill, and others aren't allowed to fight back?"

"Naturally. To be killed by my Wei family is your honor," Wei Jun said arrogantly.

Yu Xiaoyu was infuriated. She had thought she was arrogant enough, but compared to Wei Jun, her previous behavior was child's play.

Grandmother Qiu bowed and said, "Please, Mr. Lin, take action and kill the boy Wei Jun for us." The Wei family had already lost their patriarch and four elders, and their overall strength had declined significantly. As long as Wei Jun died, the Wei family would no longer be a threat.

"Killing is unnecessary, but I can cripple him for you," Lin Yi said calmly.

"No problem." Grandmother Qiu looked pleased; at this critical juncture, being crippled was no different from being dead.

Grandmother Qiu and Lin Yi did not hide their conversation, speaking openly. This caused Wei Jun's expression to darken further. He was a famed genius on the Heaven and Earth Rankings, and yet he was being looked down upon like this.

At this moment, the plump woman muttered to herself, "Mr. Lin?" She felt as though she had heard that name somewhere before. After whispering it to herself, her expression changed drastically, and she was filled with shock. *It’s him!*

She was just about to warn Wei Jun when she saw that he had already launched an attack.

"Lotus of Red: Three Blades!"

Wei Jun gripped his broadsword and slashed fiercely at Lin Yi. Lin Yi did not dodge, as the people of Snake Valley were still behind him. A faint layer of protective true essence rose around his body. With a *ding*, the blade collided with the protective barrier, emitting a crisp sound. The broadsword in Wei Jun’s hand rebounded, the powerful force nearly causing him to lose his grip.

"Jun'er, stop! It's Mr. Lin!" the plump woman cried out.

"Wait, Fifth Sister, are you talking about *that* Mr. Lin?" the Third Elder asked hurriedly.

"Judging by his strength, it is highly likely," the plump woman said with a bitter smile.

"What Mr. Lin? I don't know him," Wei Jun said. He was already in the heat of battle and raised his arms again.

*Second blade!*

The blade swung horizontally toward Lin Yi. If this strike connected, it would cut a person in half at the waist. However, it was once again neutralized by Lin Yi’s protective true essence.

Wei Jun’s face turned ferocious. A crimson glow flickered on the edge of his blade, and the surrounding temperature rose rapidly, making everyone feel stifled even from a distance.

*Third blade!*

Wei Jun swung down. The air around them twisted instantly, and cracks appeared on the concrete floor.

*Boom!*

This strike channeled all of Wei Jun’s power. It hit Lin Yi’s protective barrier, causing a few ripples to spread—and then, nothing else happened.

The plump woman, as if she had expected the result, shook her head with a bitter smile. Lin Yi was someone who could slay a Spirit Venerable; Wei Jun could at most hold his own for a few moves against a Spirit Venerable. Who was strong and who was weak was clear at a glance.