Lin Tian’s greatest fear did not come to pass. Although Ruyan was now unconscious, her condition was merely due to physical weakness, and with some rest, she should recover fully.

What amazed Lin Tian even more was that Ruyan could use her innate Charm Technique to temporarily control the elder.

This was truly remarkable. One must know that if Miaoqiu had been the one using the Charm Technique now, she would already be suffering from a backlash with her vital energy in turmoil, and the elder wouldn’t even need to lift a finger to take half her life.

Lin Tian turned his head, glanced at the elder still lying on the ground, and asked, "Old man, didn’t like the taste of that punch I just gave you, did you? You’re definitely not my match now. How about we both back off, I’ll let you go this time, and you don’t come looking for trouble with us in the future, how’s that?"

"Hahaha... Kid, aren’t you a bit too naive?"

After the mockery, the elder supported his waist with his hand and slowly stood up from the ground. The muscles on his face twitched, showing that Lin Tian’s previous punch still had quite an effect on him.

"Old man, you really shouldn’t push yourself, you know? After all, you’re not young anymore; straining yourself might leave a chronic condition, and that’s not good."

The elder leaned on an old tree with one hand, rubbing his waist with the other, just like an old man who could hardly move.

"Ah, seems like I really am old. Just one punch from you young folks and it feels like my bones are falling apart."

He lifted his head, gazing at the towering tree above, and said, "When I was young, I thought the best way to spend old age was to raise fish and grow flowers, living a leisurely life in a tranquil landscape. But now that I’m truly old, I feel like I should be like a great tree, using my broad trunk and dense leaves to shield others from the storm."

Lin Tian observed his self-talk, pondered for two seconds, and said, "But being a great tree is exhausting."

Indeed, whether it’s blazing sun or storm, a towering tree standing between heaven and earth can only remain motionless.

Evidently, the elder is the great tree of the family Alliance. He must use his thriving branches and leaves to shield them from the storm.

And to the elder, Ruyan was an unstable factor, and eliminating her was the safest course of action.

"Kid, the strength of your punch just now wasn’t small and your Inner Strength is quite domineering; you must be a high-level Martial Artist by now?"

The elder’s gaze suddenly became sharp, scrutinizing Lin Tian as if he wanted to see through him completely.

Lin Tian didn’t respond. The elder was observing him, and he was also observing this old man.

He was confident about that punch, yet the elder gave him a very unsettling feeling, as if he was being watched by a bloodthirsty predator.

His thoughts raced, wanting to escape with Ruyan quickly, as Bai Tianlong couldn’t wait long.

"So young, yet already a high-level Martial Artist. What a pity." The elder twisted his waist slightly, gently exhaled a turbid breath, and then walked toward Lin Tian.

Head held high, chest out, with every step firm and resonant, his stride was like that of a dragon or a tiger, his eyes brimming with killing intent.

With each step he took, Lin Tian’s heart wavered with increasing intensity, the pressure immense like a crashing sea directly confronting him.

Lin Tian panicked. Just in terms of momentum, the elder had already won.

"Old man," Lin Tian shouted, "I still have a Cultivation Technique I haven’t given you. If you strike now, you’ll never get that Cultivation Technique in your life. Just wait for your Heart Demon to devour you!"

The elder’s steps paused, and Lin Tian grinned. The threat had worked.

"Do you know why I chose to act tonight?" The elder asked a seemingly irrelevant question, leaving Lin Tian confused.

"That Heart Purification Method of yours is quite miraculous. These past few days, I’ve been in closed-door training, studying the Heart Method. To be honest, my Heart Demon has been suppressed, so I feel like your Cultivation Technique might not be of much use to me."

The elder spoke casually, but Lin Tian’s eyes widened, disbelief written all over his face.

Is this old man just spouting nonsense?

Lin Tian knew very well the effects of the Heart Purification Method; at most, it could suppress the Heart Demon when it acted up, but the notion that the Heart Demon would cease to trouble him was utter nonsense.

"And what about that Ren Du Golden Elixir you owe me? Shouldn’t you give it to me?"

Lin Tian didn’t actually need that book too much; although it contained the elder’s experiences, it differed from his situation and could only serve as a reference.

The elder reached into his robe, pulled out a booklet, and tossed it toward Lin Tian, saying, "Take it."

"..." Lin Tian glanced down at the booklet by his feet, its dozen or so pages covered in dense writing.

"I can spare her life, but I must destroy her Sea of Qi!" The elder said seriously, staring at Lin Tian. It was clear this was the old man’s utmost compromise.

Lin Tian shook his head, "That’s out of the question."

The Sea of Qi is an extremely important point in the human body, and even if Ruyan didn’t cultivate, destroying it would affect her in many ways. There was no way Lin Tian would allow such a thing to happen.

"Then you have no choice in this matter."

The elder suddenly accelerated, charging like a swift leopard, unstoppable, as if the injury to his waist was non-existent.

He didn’t bother picking up the Hidden Dragon Sword that had fallen to the ground; instead, he extended his right hand’s index and middle fingers, like a freshly unsheathed sword, aiming directly at Ruyan’s Sea of Qi.

His speed was simply too fast! Even faster than the old man of the Yue Family by three-tenths!

Lin Tian wanted to retreat with Ruyan, but quickly realized how naive his plan was. He couldn’t evade even alone, let alone while carrying Ruyan.

Lin Tian stood up, in an instant gathering all the Spiritual Qi he could muster within his body into his fist. He planned to clash head-on with the old man.

"Hmph."

In the cold wind sweeping through, Lin Tian also heard a disdainful snort from the old man.

"Let’s see if you can still laugh after I break your fingers!" Lin Tian thought to himself.

The night wrapped in wind, the wind accompanied by snow.

The elder’s form remained elusive; he had no intention of a head-on collision with Lin Tian, as it served no purpose.

He was confident in his erratic Body Technique and speed.

His body suddenly shifted two meters to the left, then dashed forward another two meters, completely bypassing Lin Tian.

His agile movement made him seem more like a fierce tiger.

Breezing past Lin Tian, the elder’s twin fingers resembled a sharp short sword, aimed at Ruyan’s Sea of Qi. Just a touch, and the Inner Strength contained within his fingers could annihilate her entire Sea of Qi. By that time, even innate charms would be rendered useless!