“Lin Xiao, that spirit core is mine. Hand it over!” Song Dong barked at Lin Xiao, who was cutting out the Three-Spot Giant Bear’s core, his tone commanding.
“Yours?” Lin Xiao paused, surprised.
“I’m the leader of this team. Anything the team obtains is naturally up to me to distribute, and the first item rightfully belongs to the leader,” Song Dong said, crossing his arms with an air of entitlement.
Wu Yifeng and the others were furious. Song Dong had fled without fighting, and now he had the audacity to return, claiming leadership and demanding their hard-earned spoils. It was shameless beyond belief.
“Song Dong, this core was earned with Lin Xiao’s life on the line. You didn’t even help, and now you want to take it?” Wu Xiaofei snapped coldly.
“Hmph, watch your words. What do you mean ‘take’? This is rightfully mine!” Song Dong shot a menacing glare at Wu Xiaofei.
Wu Yifeng frowned, his voice low, “Song Dong, don’t go too far.”
“Too far? It’s your privilege to follow me. Everything the team gets is mine, and I decide how it’s distributed. If you keep siding with Lin Xiao and breaking the rules, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Song Dong’s tone was firm, already treating the fourth-rank core as his, his aura flaring.
Wu Yifeng’s frown deepened. It seemed Song Dong wouldn’t relent on the core.
“Heh,” a mocking laugh rang out. “I’ve seen shameless people, but someone this brazen is rare.”
It was Lin Xiao, unable to stomach Song Dong’s attitude any longer.
Song Dong’s face darkened, a chilling aura spreading as he growled, “What did you say?”
Lin Xiao chuckled, his sarcasm cutting, “I said, could your face be any thicker? Deceiving your teammates to fight while you flee is shameless enough, but coming back to claim you’re the leader and take our spoils? Do you think you have any shame left?”
“You dare call me shameless!” Song Dong roared, his voice dripping with rage. “Fine, fine. Since you’re courting death, I’ll grant it!”
Wu Yifeng stepped forward, urgently intervening, “Song Dong, leave some room for decency. You may be stronger, but if the four of us team up, you won’t gain any advantage!”
Song Dong’s brow twitched, his icy gaze sweeping over Wu Yifeng and Zhang Fan. “So, if I move against Lin Xiao, you’ll all fight me?”
Wu Yifeng, Zhang Fan, and Wu Xiaofei fell silent.
“Fine, you’re all very bold!” Song Dong’s expression was grim. The three were second-level Martial Kings, weaker than him, but together they could pose a threat. He hadn’t expected them to defy him for some nobody.
“Hmph, Wu Yifeng, Zhang Fan, Wu Xiaofei, think carefully. My cousin is Yuan Fen. If you gang up on me, none of you will fare well in Mist Forest City!” Song Dong played his trump card, threatening coldly.
The three frowned. The Yuan family was a major power they couldn’t afford to provoke.
Yuan Fen, a super genius of the Yuan family, was far beyond their league.
And Song Dong was indeed Yuan Fen’s cousin. If he sought Yuan Fen’s help, they’d be in serious trouble.
Worse, they were heading to Mist Forest City, where Yuan Fen was.
Even Wu Yifeng hesitated now.
He had to look out not just for himself but also for his sister, the hope of the Wu family.
Torn between loyalty and his sister’s safety, Wu Yifeng was in a bind.
Even Zhang Fan, hearing Yuan Fen’s name, showed deep wariness.
Seeing them silenced, Song Dong’s arrogance returned. “Treasures belong to the capable. He doesn’t deserve that core—it’s mine!”
Song Dong’s gaze fixed on Lin Xiao, a cold smirk forming. “Since you want me to show restraint, fine, I’ll give you a way out. I won’t make it hard for him. He just needs to hand over the fourth-rank core, kowtow three times, and apologise. Then I’ll let him go!”
Wu Yifeng and the others frowned, about to urge Lin Xiao to hand over the core, when Lin Xiao sliced out the fourth-rank core with his sword and stepped closer to Song Dong.
Song Dong’s arrogance grew, thinking smugly: Weren’t you so tough earlier, Lin Xiao? Defying me? Now you’re still handing over the core and grovelling…
But Lin Xiao’s next move froze his expression.
Lin Xiao flipped his hand, storing the core in his ring, and said, “Are you dreaming?”
“What did you say?” Song Dong froze, his anger flaring.
“I said, relying on some nonsense cousin called Yuan Fen—does that make you invincible in the Mysterious Domain Battlefield?” Lin Xiao scoffed. “Forget Yuan Fen or whatever garbage. Even people from the Nether Sky Demon Palace or Holy Origin Academy wouldn’t dare act this arrogant here. Yet you think you’re king of the world because of some Yuan Fen? Isn’t that a dream?”
Song Dong’s fury erupted, killing intent radiating as Lin Xiao insulted him.
“Forget your so-called cousin for now. You should worry about yourself and whether you’ll walk out of here alive,” Lin Xiao added calmly.
“You think you can kill me? Fine, fine. Such ignorance. Since you want death, I’ll grant it!”
Enraged, Song Dong lashed out with a palm strike, his overpowering aura bursting forth, the force tearing through the air.
But Lin Xiao, unfazed, met it with a calm fist.
“Courting death!” Song Dong sneered inwardly. But the next moment, a ferocious force slammed into his palm. His hand felt crippled, excruciating pain surged, and blood sprayed from his mouth as his body was sent flying.
Wu Yifeng and the others were stunned. They’d been debating whether to intervene.
But instead of Lin Xiao being blasted away, Song Dong was sent flying by a single punch from a first-level Martial King?
It was beyond their expectations.
“Damn you, you hid your strength!” Song Dong’s face twisted with disbelief and rage. “Lin Xiao, do you know the mistake you’ve made?”
“Uh…” Lin Xiao looked at Song Dong as if he were a freak. Even now, Song Dong didn’t grasp his situation?
“Hmph, so what if you hid your strength? In Mist Forest City, I’ll make you die—no, I’ll make you suffer before you die!” Song Dong spat viciously, his eyes brimming with killing intent.
