The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

Peng Tianyuan’s expression turned solemn.

"This child is too strange."

He slowly raised his right hand.

"There is no need to hold back any longer."

Golden spiritual qi erupted from his body and the surrounding air trembled violently as an enormous phantom gradually materialized behind him.

It was a mountain ape nearly thirty feet tall.

Its body was covered in dark golden fur, while its muscular arms resembled cast iron

.

The moment it appeared, an oppressive pressure descended upon the forest.

Lin Zhaoyue glanced at it.

"A sixth-Grade Mortal Martial Spirit..."

She nodded thoughtfully.

"So that’s why your body is so hard."

The ape beat its chest repeatedly, each strike producing a deafening boom.

Peng Tianyuan’s aura immediately surged.

His already formidable physique became even sturdier, while every movement carried astonishing explosive strength.

Beside him, Hao Zhenshan laughed loudly.

"You think only your Lin Family possesses talented youngsters?"

Scarlet flames erupted around his body and a gigantic crimson tiger slowly emerged behind him.

Unlike Peng Tianyuan’s mountain ape, the tiger radiated savage killing intent.

Its scarlet eyes locked firmly onto Lin Zhaoyue.

"A seventh-Grade Mortal Martial Spirit."

Lin Zhaoyue blinked.

"Oh, so yours is slightly better."

The crimson tiger released a thunderous roar and the surrounding beasts fled in terror.

With the empowerment of their Martial Spirits, the auras of both patriarchs climbed another level.

Even the surrounding elders felt their breathing become difficult.

Peng Tianyuan clenched his fist.

"Martial Spirit Fusion."

The mountain ape let out a furious roar before streams of golden light merged into Peng Tianyuan’s body.

His muscles visibly swelled and dark golden patterns spread across both arms.

Even his eyes acquired a beast-like glint.

On the other side, Hao Zhenshan underwent a similar transformation.

The crimson tiger dissolved into scarlet flames that wrapped around his body.

Sharp tiger claws formed over both hands and a crimson tail of spiritual qi flickered behind him.

His speed and killing intent rose dramatically.

The two patriarchs glanced at one another before simultaneously charging forward.

Boom!

The ground beneath their feet exploded.

Their speed was more than twice what it had been moments ago.

The cultivators watching from behind immediately revealed excited expressions.

"Both patriarchs have summoned their Martial Spirits!"

"That girl is finished!"

"Without a Martial Spirit, there’s no way she can compete!"

Lin Zhaoyue quietly watched the two charging toward her before lowering the folding fan.

There was no sign whatsoever of a Martial Spirit behind her.

Peng Tianyuan frowned.

"You’re not summoning yours?"

Lin Zhaoyue smiled sweetly.

"I don’t need it."

The two patriarchs’ expressions darkened.

"You dare look down on us?"

Lin Zhaoyue shook her head.

"You misunderstand."

She pointed the folded fan toward them.

"I’m not looking down on you."

She paused briefly before adding with complete sincerity, "I simply want to see how far Father’s techniques can take me without relying on my Martial Spirit."

Her innocent words landed like a slap across the two patriarchs’ faces.

Veins bulged across Hao Zhenshan’s forehead.

"She’s saying that defeating us isn’t even worth using her Martial Spirit!"

Peng Tianyuan’s killing intent erupted without restraint.

"Then die!"

The mountain ape roared as Peng Tianyuan’s fist descended like a collapsing peak.

At the same instant, Hao Zhenshan vanished from sight.

The crimson tiger’s phantom reappeared behind him as dozens of claw shadows tore toward Lin Zhaoyue from every direction.

Faced with two Martial Spirit-enhanced Golden Core patriarchs, Lin Zhaoyue merely smiled.

She unfolded her fan once more and clouds quietly gathered around her feet.

The instant the two patriarchs entered striking distance, Lin Zhaoyue took a single sideways step and the Cloud Chasing Movement Technique carried her body like a drifting cloud, allowing Peng Tianyuan’s mountain-like punch to brush harmlessly past her sleeve.

Boom!

The force of the punch flattened dozens of trees behind her.

Before Peng Tianyuan could recover, Hao Zhenshan’s crimson claws descended from above.

Hao Zhenshan’s crimson claws descended from above.

Their sharp edges tore through the air, leaving scarlet streaks in their wake.

Lin Zhaoyue took another light step to the side and the Cloud Chasing Movement Technique carried her body like a drifting cloud, allowing the claws to graze nothing but empty air.

Boom!

The ground where she had been standing exploded into a deep crater.

Before Hao Zhenshan could launch another attack, Lin Zhaoyue had already appeared dozens of metres away.

She looked back at the two patriarchs and cheerfully waved her folding fan.

"Good luck!"

Peng Tianyuan frowned.

"...Good luck?"

Lin Zhaoyue nodded enthusiastically.

"I’ll be leaving now."

She turned around without another word and the Cloud Chasing Movement Technique erupted once more.

Her figure became a streak of white, gliding effortlessly between the towering trees.

Within only a few breaths, she had already widened the distance by several hundred metres.

"What?"

Hao Zhenshan’s eyes widened.

"She’s... running?"

The veins on Peng Tianyuan’s forehead bulged.

"After provoking us this entire time, she intends to run away? Does she take us for clowns? After her!"

The two patriarchs immediately gave chase.

The forest shook beneath their pursuit yet the more they chased, the more astonished they became.

No matter how much speed they unleashed, the distance between them and Lin Zhaoyue only continued to grow.

"What kind of movement technique is this?"

Peng Tianyuan’s expression grew increasingly grim. "It’s unbelievably fast."

Hao Zhenshan’s eyes turned bloodshot as he watched the distance continue to widen.

"Damn brat!"

He gritted his teeth and forcefully circulated more spiritual qi through his body.

"I refuse to believe she can maintain that speed forever!"

The crimson tiger’s phantom roared behind him as he prepared to accelerate once more.

"Keep chasing!"

Just as he was about to surge forward, Peng Tianyuan abruptly raised a hand.

"Wait."

Hao Zhenshan frowned.

"What now?"

Peng Tianyuan did not answer immediately.

Instead, his gaze remained fixed on the direction in which Lin Zhaoyue had disappeared.

His expression gradually changed and the irritation in his eyes slowly gave way to contemplation.

A moment later, his pupils suddenly contracted.

"I understand!"

Hao Zhenshan looked at him in confusion.

"Understand what?"

Peng Tianyuan’s face instantly darkened.

"That little girl... We’ve been played."

Hao Zhenshan’s brows knitted together.

"What are you talking about?"

Peng Tianyuan took a deep breath before speaking through clenched teeth.

"Think about it. If she truly wanted to escape, why would she deliberately return to provoke us after we had already decided to withdraw?"

Hao Zhenshan froze while Peng Tianyuan continued.

"Then, after mocking us at every opportunity, she suddenly turns around and runs. Does that make any sense?"

Hao Zhenshan remained silent.

The more he thought about it...

The stranger the entire sequence of events became.

Peng Tianyuan’s expression grew increasingly ugly.

Peng Tianyuan suddenly spun around.

"The Xu Family! Rush back to the Xu Family!"

Without another word, both immediately abandoned the chase.

Boom!

Golden Core spiritual qi erupted beneath their feet as they reversed direction at full speed.

"Return immediately!"

"Move!"

The cultivators of the Peng and Hao Families hurriedly followed behind their patriarchs.

Peng Tianyuan’s expression remained incomparably grim.

If his guess was correct, then from the very beginning, every word that little girl had spoken.. had all been part of a single plan.

To lure the strongest experts of the Peng and Hao Families as far away from the Xu Family as possible.