Wu dong Qian Kun: I, Lin Langtian, Refuse to be a Supporting Character

Chapter 381: Encountering Ying Qingzhu Again

"Bang!"

As Lin Dong sent Lei Qian flying, the whole arena fell silent. The previously smug Yuan Gate disciples froze, staring in utter disbelief at the strange scene. They had no idea what had just happened in the split second when the two figures crossed paths. By all rights, it should have been the Dao Sect kid lying on the ground, not their Little Thunder King!

"What...?"

Even Dao Sect members like Ying Xiaoxiao and Wang Yan seemed stunned, having barely caught what had transpired in that split-second clash. What should have been an explosive fight had been put out in a strangely anticlimactic way.

From the pile of broken stones far away, Lei Qian rose, bruised and seething. A deep, reddish handprint could be seen on his chest. His face, now twisted with rage, glared furiously at Lin Dong, yelling, "I'm going to rip you to shreds!"

With a savage snarl, Lei Qian charged like a maddened beast toward Lin Dong. But his advance halted abruptly when he saw Lin Dong raise his hand, holding a jade hairpin—the very object that had sparked their confrontation.

The audience fell silent, mouths agape, as Yuan Gate disciples stared in astonishment. Lin Dong had snatched the hairpin from right under their noses.

With a calm smile, Lin Dong spun the hairpin between his fingers and turned to Lei Qian. "Now, according to our wager, pay up. Or is the Little Thunder King planning to renege?"

His steady voice spread through the crowd, amplifying the silence that followed.

Back in the pavilion, Song Yun and the others gaped, stunned by what they had just witnessed. "Did...did Little Thunder King really just lose?" murmured Song Yun in disbelief.

"A masterstroke," Lin Langtian said softly, his eyes fixed on Lin Dong's distant figure. "Lin Dong froze Lei Qian for just an instant, dodging his strike and delivering a counter, seizing the hairpin in the process." Lin Langtian could guess Lin Dong had likely used the Stasis Card, a treasure Dao Sect's headmaster had gifted him.

"Oh, it seems Lin Dong is advancing quickly as well," Mo Tie and Liu Yuan chuckled, hardly sympathetic toward Lei Qian. Lin Dong's resilience brought back memories of the Hundred Empire War, a bond Lin Langtian's followers felt even now.

"Go on," Lin Dong said, his voice mild but unyielding.

As he spoke, everyone's gaze turned to Lei Qian, whose face darkened with suppressed fury. Little Thunder King, one of Yuan Gate's renowned Three Kings, had been utterly outmaneuvered and embarrassed.

"You're asking for death!" Lei Qian spat out, his voice low and ominous as he glared at Lin Dong.

"Yuan Gate must be losing its honor if you can't even uphold a basic promise," Lin Dong remarked coolly.

Some of the surrounding spectators nodded, their cold, mocking looks making the Yuan Gate disciples visibly uncomfortable.

"Pay up, Lei Qian. Don't disgrace Yuan Gate," said a calm voice as a refined young man in green stepped forward.

Seeing him, Lei Qian and the other Yuan Gate disciples looked uneasy, yet most of them still bowed in respect. "Greetings, Senior Brother Lin Langtian!"

Respect for power was ironclad within Yuan Gate, and though tensions ran high between Lin Langtian and some of the Three Kings' supporters, none could deny his strength and position.

"Lin Langtian? The Yuan Gate prodigy who defeated the Young Master Yuan Cang? He's here, too?"

"Yes, that's him! He's Yuan Gate's rising star, said to have surpassed Yuan Cang. Yuan Gate certainly doesn't lack talent!"

"I heard he's even called the 'Little Flame King' within Yuan Gate. His fame and strength are already comparable to the Three Kings."

Amid the whispers, Lin Langtian's recent victory over Yuan Cang had sparked intense interest, and many were eager to learn more about him. As word spread that he had risen from a humble background to become Yuan Gate's elite, people were astounded.

On the Dao Sect side, Wang Yan's face turned grim as he caught sight of Lin Langtian. His hand clenched tightly around his sword, the memory of their brutal clash etched deeply in his mind.

Meanwhile, Ying Xiaoxiao's gaze stayed fixed on Lin Langtian, her feelings conflicted as she watched him from afar. Joy, anxiety, and a tinge of melancholy flickered across her face, though she suppressed her emotions, watching silently.

As Lin Langtian's presence ignited conversations, the tension in the arena intensified.

The rumble of wind stirred above, and all eyes turned as a figure engulfed in lightning descended from the sky, landing with a powerful crackle. Lei Qian, encased in a fierce lightning aura, looked almost godlike as he faced the Dao Sect crowd with a booming laugh.

"You Dao Sect losers dare provoke Yuan Gate? Let's see which of you falls first!" he roared, his voice brimming with ruthless confidence.

"Little Thunder King is here, looks like Dao Sect's in for it," Song Yun murmured.

Lin Langtian shook his head. "He's overconfident. Don't expect him to walk away unscathed."

Song Yun and the others looked puzzled. While they didn't personally favor Lei Qian, they couldn't deny his strength. Who could possibly be a match for him?

Mo Tie glanced at Lin Langtian. "Could it be...Lin Dong?"

Lin Langtian simply smiled knowingly. "Lei Qian isn't in for an easy win. Just wait and see."

As he finished speaking, the field exploded into action. Lin Dong leaped forward, his figure transforming into a streak of light as he charged straight at Lei Qian.

Seeing this, Lei Qian sneered. "Fool!" Surging with thunderous energy, he unleashed the Thunder Lion Fist, a massive electric lion roaring from his fist as waves of energy cracked the ground around him.

Yet as their bodies neared, Lin Dong's lips curled into a faint smile. His hands formed a mysterious seal, releasing an aura that froze Lei Qian's punch mid-strike.

In that instant of stasis, Lin Dong deftly sidestepped, avoiding the punch as he delivered a counter-blow to Lei Qian's chest, sending him hurtling backward.

The crowd gaped in stunned silence as Lei Qian crashed into a boulder, his defeat complete.

As Ying Huanhuan's bright eyes took in Lin Langtian, they showed traces of curiosity, wariness, and even a hint of hostility, likely stemming from the inherent rivalry between their sects. But when she noticed Ying Xiaoxiao's change in demeanor, her delicate brows knit slightly. For some reason, she sensed a rare, almost hidden emotion in her usually composed sister since Lin Langtian's appearance. Glancing back and forth between Ying Xiaoxiao and Lin Langtian, Huanhuan couldn't help but wonder if her sister and Lin Langtian shared a secret unknown to anyone else.

Meanwhile, Lin Dong's expression lit up upon spotting Lin Langtian. It had been nearly a year since they last parted ways after the Hundred Empire War. Both members of the Lin Clan from the Great Yan Empire, Lin Langtian and Lin Dong had overcome their past conflicts and forged a genuine brotherhood during their time in the Ancient Battlefield. Now, meeting again here felt like reuniting with a familiar face in a distant place.

Lin Langtian's gaze swept over the Dao Sect crowd, pausing momentarily on Ying Xiaoxiao before landing on Lin Dong. The two exchanged a glance and shared a quiet smile. Though they said nothing, their mutual understanding required no words. After a year apart, Lin Dong was still Lin Dong, and Lin Langtian was still Lin Langtian.

Yet the two refrained from speaking further. With so many people around and their respective sects at odds, too much interaction would only invite trouble.

"Lei Qian, what are you waiting for? Pay up. Don't embarrass Yuan Gate in front of everyone," Lin Langtian reminded him.

Lei Qian's lips twitched, his fists clenched, and his expression turned dark. Although furious, Lei Qian knew he had no grounds to back out of the wager—especially with Lin Langtian pressing him to fulfill his end.

"Fine, you win this time!" Lei Qian growled, taking a deep breath and turning to Lin Dong with barely restrained anger. "Better hope you don't run into us too soon when the sect competition starts!"

Lin Dong responded with a faint, indifferent smile.

Lei Qian then looked over to the gray-robed vendor of the hairpin and demanded, "How much Nirvana Dan?"

The gray-robed man glanced at Lei Qian with an amused smile. "Not much—only six million Nirvana Dan."

"That's nonsense! You just offered her three million!" Yuan Gate's Jiang Tao burst out angrily.

The vendor only cast him a lazy look, unfazed. Those who operated in the demonic city weren't easily intimidated, even by Yuan Gate.

Lei Qian's glare darkened, but he held back. With a flick of his wrist, a streak of lightning shot from his palm, carrying with it a considerable amount of Nirvana Dan in a silver storage pouch.

"Thank you," the vendor replied cheerfully, pocketing the storage pouch with a smile. Lei Qian turned to Lin Dong and Jiang Tao, his tone icy. "I'll be watching, hoping your Dao Sect fares better this time."

Then he glanced at Lin Langtian and added, "And don't think you can order me around. The headmaster himself appointed Yuan Cang as the commander for this competition!"

Song Yun's face flushed with anger at this comment, but Lin Langtian simply remained calm, his expression unruffled.

With a curt wave, Lei Qian led the Yuan Gate disciples away, forcing their way through the crowd with darkened expressions.

"So, it seems Langtian didn't get command of Yuan Gate's competition disciples," Lin Dong murmured from nearby. Lin Langtian's leadership might have tempered Yuan Gate's conflicts with Dao Sect, but with the command in the hands of the Three Kings, clashes seemed inevitable.

Ying Xiaoxiao, observing from the sidelines, saw this matter with greater clarity. Lin Langtian, though immensely talented, was a newcomer compared to the Three Kings, who held the trust of Yuan Gate's sect leaders. Her gaze turned pensive, and she sighed, sympathetic to Lin Langtian's situation.

Unfazed by this, Lin Langtian simply nodded in acknowledgment to Lin Dong and was about to leave. But suddenly, he felt something, and his gaze shifted upward to a distant pavilion rooftop. There, he caught sight of a lone figure, dressed in pure white. His expression flickered slightly.

Across the distance, his gaze met that of a serene woman standing on the rooftop. For a brief moment, both felt an indescribable wave of complex emotions welling up within them.

This subtle reaction didn't go unnoticed by Ying Xiaoxiao, who turned to follow his gaze. When her eyes landed on the graceful figure in white, her delicate fingers tightened involuntarily.

"Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace's Ling Qingzhu…so she's leading their team this year," murmured Wang Yan from Dao Sect's side. Even his usually indifferent demeanor showed a faint flicker of interest.

"Ling Qingzhu? That woman's legendary. Many young prodigies from top sects are obsessed with her, yet none have won her favor," said Song Yun with some amazement, noticing the widespread attention on her. Just then, the crowd's murmur grew even louder as people noticed Ling Qingzhu descending from the rooftop.

She floated gracefully through the air, her snowy white dress billowing around her as she landed softly in front of Lin Langtian, ignoring the stares of everyone around her.

The audience watched in astonishment. Lin Langtian's calm expression softened as he met her gaze. With a slight smile, he extended his hand toward her, his words laced with quiet depth.

"It's been years. I wonder if what you see now meets your expectations."

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