Lin Yan merely gave Lin Wang a passing glance. He’d long since guessed that Lin Wang had reached the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing; otherwise, he never would have found the nerve to challenge him.
’Hiding his strength, thinking his little plot had succeeded. What a self-important fool.’
"Don’t worry. Since I’ve already agreed, I won’t back out."
Hearing that Lin Yan wasn’t backing out, Lin Wang breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Zhaowu, however, turned livid. He had already gone against his better judgment to reveal Lin Wang’s true strength, yet Lin Yan still insisted on accepting the challenge. The man was truly a lost cause.
"Zhaowu, I told you so. A man like Lin Yan is far too arrogant. Why did you even bother?"
The young man beside him spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction, and the other members of the Third Branch looked at Lin Zhaowu the same way.
In their hearts, they had long since stopped considering Lin Yan one of their own. Besides, his dazzling talent overshadowed them, meaning the heads of the Third Branch would pay them even less mind.
"I knew there was something off about the Fourth Branch. So this was their scheme. For Lin Wang to break through to the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing without anyone hearing a thing..."
"What a deep plot. If I were Lin Yan, I’d have no choice but to see it through. With so many people watching, backing out now would be a huge loss of face. It’s better to just fight. Even if he loses... it’s not shameful to lose when you’re outmatched in Realm."
"So it seems the Fourth Branch has completely suppressed the Third Branch. Including Lin Wang, they now have three Fourth-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artists. The Third Branch’s only one was expelled, so now they don’t have a single one. I can only imagine how difficult things are going to be for the Third Branch from now on."
"Hey, look! Who’s that coming over?"
A few more figures emerged from the back of the crowd, approaching at a leisurely pace.
Their arrival caused quite a stir.
Lin Chengzhi of the First Branch, Lin Yuanshan of the Second Branch, Lin Xiao of the Fourth Branch, and Lin Song of the Fifth Branch.
The reason their arrival caused such a commotion among the branch members was simple: all four of them were Fourth-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artists.
To put it in perspective, the entire Fifth Branch had only fourteen members—thirteen, not counting Lin Qi. A group of four arriving at once was like a third of their branch showing up.
Lin Song was the youngest of the four, at only twenty-two years old. He folded his arms and glanced at Lin Wang and Lin Yan on the platform, then turned his gaze to Lin Xiao. "So this is the ’excitement’ you were talking about, Brother Lin Xiao. But a Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing against a Third-Time? There’s nothing worth seeing here."
"This is a chance for you to witness the power of my Fourth Branch’s new Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing. Surely you’re not going to pass it up?"
At these words, Lin Song and the other two focused their gazes. They’d already caught wind of a grand competition among the branch clans at the end of the year. Their only potential rivals would be other branch members who were also at the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing.
"Strength? A Fourth-Time against a Third-Time? Does he even need to show his true strength? He can crush him with Qi Blood alone. Lin Xiao, you just want to use us to spread word of this battle and thoroughly humiliate the Third Branch, don’t you."
Lin Chengzhi’s lips quirked. He had no interest in this fight.
Lin Xiao gave a noncommittal smile. The Fourth Branch would do anything that brought shame to the Third Branch.
「On the Combat Platform.」
Lin Wang stood on the platform, his heart surging. He had waited a very long time for this day.
’Lin Yan is still at the Third-Time of Skin Smoothing. Crushing him with my Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing Realm will be a piece of cake. It’s in the bag.’
’As for it being an unsporting victory?’
’History is written by the victors.’
Lin Wang lifted his chin, his eyes filled with arrogance as he looked at Lin Yan. "It’s not too late for you to surrender."
"You talk too much."
Lin Yan glanced at him, his tone as calm as if he were stating a simple fact. "Can we begin?"
Lin Wang’s expression darkened. ’So he’s choosing the hard way.’
"Fine. Since you’re in such a hurry to be humiliated, I’ll oblige you."
As his voice fell, the aura around Lin Wang suddenly surged.
The Qi Blood of a Fourth-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist surged out like a tide, and his robes billowed in a windless space.
Some of the Third-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artists watching near the Combat Platform had already begun to retreat.
Lin Yan remained where he was, completely unmoved.
A slight smile touched his lips.
’Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing?’
’You’re not the only one.’
As the Thunder Sound Technique circulated within him, his Qi Blood erupted from his body like a volcano. The resulting aura was stronger, fiercer, and more domineering than Lin Wang’s.
"Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing!"
The nonchalant expression on Lin Song’s face vanished. He had been standing with his arms folded.
The smile on Lin Xiao’s face instantly froze. ’Lin... How could Lin Yan have broken through to the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing, too?’
"It seems while you were plotting against the Third Branch, they were plotting against you in return. Now things are getting truly interesting."
Lin Chengzhi laughed, but a hint of apprehension flickered in his eyes. A Lin Yan who cultivated the Thunder Sound Technique was a far greater threat than Lin Wang.
The members of the Fourth Branch looked as if they had just been slapped hard across the face. They fell into a collective silence.
As Lin Wang felt Lin Yan’s aura climb, his eyes filled with confusion and fear.
’How... How could Lin Yan have possibly broken through to the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing too?’
"L-Lin Yan, you truly are a deceitful snake, hiding your breakthrough to the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing!"
Lin Wang suddenly let out a furious roar, but as soon as the words left his mouth, everyone present—aside from the members of the Fourth Branch—burst out laughing.
Lin Yan looked at the impotently furious Lin Wang as if he were watching a clown.
’You’re scared just because I revealed my strength as a Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing? I haven’t even used my Stone Waist Thunder Ridge or revealed my Sword Intent. If I unleashed my full power, wouldn’t you drop to your knees right here and now?’
"So what if you’re at the Fourth-Time of Skin Smoothing? Lin Yan, you really think I’m afraid of you?"
Seeing the mockery in Lin Yan’s eyes, Lin Wang’s face twisted in a snarl.
"You won’t be able to block this punch!"
He let out a furious roar and shot forward like an arrow, his right fist wreathed in immense Qi Blood as he aimed straight for Lin Yan’s chest.

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