86. Lin Dong’s Tragic Night

That night, Chen Xuan pushed Lin Dong to the point of shouting himself hoarse.

Now, don’t get the wrong idea—Chen Xuan forced Lin Dong to helplessly watch his sister and mother being tortured, leaving him powerless.

Lin Dong’s own rage drove him to scream until he lost his voice; Chen Xuan didn’t silence him directly.

At this moment, Lin Dong’s eyes were blood-red, and an intense aura of killing intent engulfed his entire being.

Chen Xuan glanced at him, then, feeling satisfied, released Lin Qingtan and recalled the White-headed Ape back to the system, halting his torment of Liu Yan for now.

Chen Xuan then walked slowly over to Lin Dong, waved his hand, and let Lin Dong collapse at his feet.

Then, he placed a foot on his back, towering over him and saying, “Lin Dong, tell me your thoughts on what you witnessed last night.”

What does it mean to break someone’s spirit? Well, this was exactly it.

Lin Dong’s face turned green with anger. “You... you...”

[Ding! Lin Dong feels anger + humiliation. Emotion Points +500]

Chen Xuan slapped him, flipping him onto his back, and mockingly patted his face. “Didn’t get enough of a show? Should I let it continue?”

“Just wait! If I, Lin Dong, survive, I’ll tear you to pieces!” Lin Dong clenched his fists, gritting his teeth in rage.

“Survive? Here?” Chen Xuan sneered. “You think I’ll let you leave the Tianyan Mountains alive?”

Lin Dong glared at Chen Xuan with deep resentment.

[Ding! Lin Dong feels deep hatred. Emotion Points +500]

Ah, this was like a goldmine!

But before killing him, Chen Xuan intended to milk a few more rounds of emotions.

At that moment, Lin Dong said, “I know you’re powerful, but the Tianxuan Continent is vast. There’s always someone stronger out there!”

He recalled that his companion, Little Marten, had a powerful background. If Little Marten's allies could find out, they might rescue him.

Chen Xuan, understanding this at once, responded, “Oh? Are you relying on the spirit beast within you or the ancestral stone that gives you courage?”

“What... what spirit beast? What ancestral stone? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lin Dong’s heart raced.

The ancestral stone was his deepest secret—no one knew of it except Little Marten. Yet, Chen Xuan could see right through him, leaving Lin Dong both shocked and resolute, unwilling to betray his friend.

Chen Xuan, predicting this reaction, scoffed. “Deny it all you want; you think that’ll stop me?”

With a wave of his left hand, he summoned the Soul-Banner, a black smoke-emitting banner. With a command, an intense force of suction erupted from the banner, casting a massive shadow over Lin Dong and chilling his soul as though it were being torn from his body.

In a flash, a faint, furry figure was pulled from Lin Dong—it was Little Marten!

Drained of its power after lending it all to Lin Dong, Little Marten had fallen into a deep sleep. Little did it know that it would never awaken, condemned to be absorbed into the Soul-Banner, becoming one among its trapped spirits.

“Stop!” Lin Dong screamed, desperate to intervene.

“Silence!” Chen Xuan’s low growl, reinforced with powerful energy, blasted Lin Dong into the rock wall.

Despite the agony radiating from his organs, Lin Dong’s sole focus was reclaiming Little Marten's spirit.

He staggered upright but was immediately restrained by Chen Xuan, locked in place like a statue. “Bastard, give me back Little Marten's spirit!”

“Annoying.” With another powerful wave, Chen Xuan sent Lin Dong crashing once more, blood pouring from his mouth.

[Ding! Lin Dong feels intense anger. Emotion Points +500]

All he could do was watch helplessly as Little Marten's spirit was absorbed into the Soul-Banner. Chen Xuan, satisfied, stowed the Soul-Banner away.

With a swift movement, Chen Xuan appeared in front of Lin Dong, pressing his foot onto Lin Dong’s chest. "Hand over the Ancestral Stone!"

“Never!” Lin Dong glared defiantly.

“You really think I can’t make you?” Chen Xuan replied, clearly prepared for this reaction. He raised his hand, and the White-headed ape approached eagerly.

Chen Xuan said casually, “You’ve got another hour with her.”

The ape, excited by the command, began to jump around.

Lin Dong’s face turned pale, and he quickly cried, “Wait! No... I’ll give you the Ancestral Stone.”

[Ding! Lin Dong feels fear. Emotion Points +200]

“Hurry up!” Chen Xuan extended his hand, radiating energy that made it clear he wouldn’t hesitate to kill if Lin Dong didn’t comply.

Lin Dong realized that everything Chen Xuan had done was solely to obtain the Ancestral Stone. He remembered what Little Marten had once told him—that Little Marten's misfortune had also stemmed from the Ancestral Stone. Now, he found himself in the same predicament.

If surrendering the stone meant sparing his parents, Qingtan, and himself, then maybe it was worth it.

Revenge could wait.

With this thought, Lin Dong raised his hand, and a stone talisman floated from his palm.

A faint, melancholic hum seemed to resonate from it.

Chen Xuan took the stone and stored it in his system space.

Lin Dong asked, “You got the Ancestral Stone and the spirit beast. Will you let us go now?”

Chen Xuan smiled. “Let you go?”

Lin Dong frowned. “What? Are you going back on your word?”

Chen Xuan chuckled. “And when did I ever agree to let you go?”

“You…” Lin Dong was about to argue but suddenly recalled that, from start to finish, Chen Xuan had never promised to release him once he handed over the stone.

He felt utterly foolish for believing otherwise.

[Ding! Lin Dong feels regret + despair. Emotion Points +200]

“Stay here for a while,” Chen Xuan said, waving his hand to create a powerful energy prison around them before walking away.

Over the next two days, Chen Xuan focused on training Yun Yun during the day, helping her strengthen her abilities.

The results were remarkable, and she quickly broke through to the half-step Nirvana stage—the peak of Dou Emperor, just a step away from Dou Ancestor.

Yun Yun was amazed by the power boost she had received from the unconventional training.

It shattered her understanding of cultivation. If it weren’t for her personality, she might have even grown fond of this training method.

Progress was truly lightning-fast!

At night, Chen Xuan would return to the tomb’s lower chamber to restrain Lin Dong in mid-air, forcing him to witness his family’s suffering, which left him screaming in helpless rage.

Lin Dong’s turmoil provided Chen Xuan with a vast amount of emotion points, reaching an impressive total of over fifty thousand.

Meanwhile, deep within a cave somewhere in the Tianyan Mountains, in the dim light, two figures focused intently on a jet-black jade stone, their eyes fixed as if waiting for a rare, fleeting spectacle, not even daring to blink.