Ying Huanhuan looked at the face of the young man in front of her which was dyed in blood. At this moment, the latter was giving her a somewhat helpless but determined smile.
“You will die.” Ying Huanhuan’s eyes quickly turned completely red. Tears involuntarily fell from them as she choked.
“Little Marten exposed his identity to rescue me. I will be too cold blooded if I were to idly stand by. Is that the kind of Lin Dong all of you would like to see?” Lin Dong gently smiled and said.
“... I do not understand the code of brotherhood between men. If you insist on intervening, I will get father to beat you unconscious and bring you back.”
The young lady’s sobbing voice was cute yet barbaric. However, she did not continue in the end. It was likely that she also understood that she could not possibly do such a thing. Finally, the young lady’s red eyes continued to plead as they stared at Lin Dong.
“I only want you to live.”
This short sentence caused Lin Dong to sigh softly. Quickly after, he shook his head apologetically. He gently placed the young lady in his embrace down, before lifting his head and looking at Tian Yuanzi and the rest in the sky as he smiled, “Although I know that my current strength is undoubtedly like an ant to all of you, you will have to step over my dead body if you wish to kill my brother.”
“Lin Dong!” Chen Zhen and the rest hurriedly cried out when they heard this.
Ying Xiaoxiao, Wang Yan and the other disciples bit their lips. They were not the least bit surprised at Lin Dong’s decision. However, their tightly clenched fists exposed the turmoil in their hearts.
“Lin Dong, our Yuan Gate will not pursue the matter that occurred in Unique Devil Region on account of the Dao Sect. We were indeed acting unreasonably in that matter. However, the Celestial Demon Marten tribe has a blood feud as deep as the sea with our Yuan Gate. It is completely justifiable for us to attack him. If you continue to cause trouble, it is likely that even the Dao Sect will not be able to protect you!” Tian Yuanzi’s black and white eyes looked at Lin Dong as he faintly smiled.
“Why do you need to utter such hypocritical words. You are clearly aware that I have a deep relationship with him, and will definitely not idly stand by… you have long foreseen this. In this way, the Dao Sect will no longer be on the side of righteousness.” Lin Dong mocked.
Tian Yuanzi smiled in a noncommittal manner. Soon after, his eyes looked towards Ying Xuanzi and said, “Sect master Ying, the subsequent matter is something between my Yuan Gate and the Celestial Demon Marten tribe. I will not show mercy to anyone who intervenes.”
“At that time, if you wish to ignore the big picture and forcibly intervene, my Yuan Gate can only accompany you until the end…”
Ying Xuanzi’s expression became somewhat gloomy at this moment, while the blue clothed elder beside him also knitted his brows tightly. Clearly, they never expected that Tian Yuanzi would be this cunning. After uttering those words, he had changed the problem altogether, and had even completely eliminated the righteous stance of the Dao Sect.
Lin Dong and that Celestial Demon Marten had a deep relationship. Hence, it would be impossible for the former to simply do nothing. However, if Lin Dong was to intervene, he would definitely be killed by Tian Yuanzi’s group. At that time, their Dao Sect would still have their most talented disciple killed by the Yuan Gate in front of countless people.
From a certain point of view, the outcome had not changed!
Swoosh!
The giant black tiger in the distance had once again charged over. It gave off a monstrous aura of brutality as it appeared beside Lin Dong. Those blood red tiger eyes firmly stared at the Yuan Gate group. From the looks of it, it clearly did not show any intentions of withdrawing.
“Lin Dong, you are currently a disciple of the Dao Sect. You actions are not merely answerable to yourself. You should not implicate your entire sect because of personal reasons.” Tian Yuanzi watched this scene with a smile that was not a smile.
Lin Dong clenched his fist slightly. His eyes were dark and solemn, while a monstrous murderous intent surged within his heart.
“Father, help him.”
Ying Huanhuan watched as Lin Dong was forced into a dead end, while her eyes turned even redder. However, she could only helplessly turn her head and look pleadingly at Ying Xuanzi.
Ying Xuanzi clenched his hand tightly as he watched the young lady’s pleading eyes, while helplessness and pain that flashed within his own eyes. It was not that he did not wish to intervene, but his every action implicated the lives of tens of thousands of Dao Sect disciples. They were on the righteous side in the previous matter. Therefore, he could step forward. However, the matter now had been shifted towards the Celestial Demon Marten, and they no longer had any reason to intervene.
“*Sigh*.”
The blue robed elder by the side also sighed quietly. It was likely that he was also aware of the pain in Ying Xuanzi’s heart. At times, the burdens that a sect master had to bear far exceeded an ordinary person’s expectations. The one who felt the greatest pain over the matter of Zhou Tong back then, was his teacher, Ying Xuanzi. Ultimately however, all the latter could do was to restrain the rage and murderous intent in the heart for the big picture as he forcibly suppressed the cries for war in the sect. Even if he ended up attracting the dissatisfaction and criticism by some disciples.
“Why make things so difficult…”
Lin Dong watched this red eyed Ying Huanhuan, as his heart trembled slightly. The young lady had her pride, but this pride seemed to have completely vanished at this moment.
Lin Dong sighed softly. He extended his arms and hugged the young lady in front of her somewhat startled eyes.
“I’m sorry… you can act willfully, but I cannot. There are some things that I cannot avoid. Therefore… it is alright to let me face them by myself. The many seniors and juniors of the Dao Sect cannot be implicated by my personal matters.”
“I promise you, I will not die so easily…”
Unease was immediately revealed in Ying Huanhuan’s large eyes after hearing the soft voice beside her ear. After which, she felt Lin Dong’s hand landing on the back of her neck. Pain swiftly spread, as the view before her eyes began to darken.
Lin Dong hugged the unconscious young lady, as he smiled in a helpless and bitter manner. There was an obscure emotion in his eyes as he once again felt the importance of strength in this world. With his current strength, he might be considered the top younger generation member in Eastern Xuan Region. However, he was still an ant when compared to a truly powerful practitioner like Ren Yuanzi.
Just a few casual words from them were able to force himself into the most miserable position.
“How weak…” Lin Dong clenched his hand tightly and mocked himself. However, flames rose deep within those pitch-black eyes of his.
At this moment, Ying Xiaoxiao had also rushed over from nearby. Her eyes were complicated as she arrived beside Lin Dong. The latter smiled at her and gently handed over the young lady in his embrace.
“Take good care of her.” Lin Dong softly said.
Ying Xiaoxiao silently nodded. She did say anything to persuade him. This was because she knew that it would be useless.
“I will make sure father rescues you.” Ying Xiaoxiao stated in a low voice.
Lin Dong slowly shook his head. He understood Ying Xuanzi. The responsibilities that the latter had was far from what they could imagine. Ying Xuanzi needed to consider those tens of thousands of disciples in the Dao Sect, and the countless empires relying on them. For these, it was clearly impossible for him to waver due to a single person’s selfishness, no matter how great the pain in his heart…
“What I do today is all on me. It has nothing to do with the Dao Sect.” Lin Dong turned around, lifted his head to stared at Ren Yuanzi’s group as he declared.
“You’re an inexperienced brat after all. As a Dao Sect disciple, all of your actions and conduct will affect the Dao Sect…”
Ren Yuanzi laughed faintly, “Brat, you should avoid trying to act brave…”
Lin Dong’s eyes were sinisterly cold. Immediately, he turned around and kneeled in the air before Ying Xuanzi, as countless pairs of eyes looked on. After which, he gave a respectful disciple’s bow.
“Many thanks to sect master and hall chief for your teachings in the past year. From today onwards, I, Lin Dong, will voluntarily leave the Dao Sect. Everything I do will no longer have any relation to the Dao Sect!”
Lin Dong’s deep voice reverberated across the sky, causing the entire city to be completely silent. Everyone was a little shaken as they watched this scene. Soon after, the blood within their bodies showed faint signs of boiling.
Ying Xiaoxiao, Wang Yan and the many Dao Sect disciples were also stunned as they watched Lin Dong, who had kneeled down. Immediately, an immense bitterness surged into their hearts.
Ying Xuanzi clenched both of his hands tightly. He looked at the young man, who had respectfully knelt down in the sky, as his body trembled slightly. This scene was so familiar. A hundred years ago, when the person called Zhou Tong had charged into the Yuan Gate alone, the latter had also knelt in the direction of the distant Dao Sect in the sky outside of the Yuan Gate to thank Ying Xuanzi for everything he had done as his teacher…
A tiny amount of scarlet rose from deep within Ying Xuanzi’s eyes. However, just as he was about to take a step forward, an elderly hand landed on his shoulder. He turned his head, and saw the blue robed elder gently shaking his head with a solemn expression…
“Lin Dong, what are you doing? You are my Desolate Hall disciple. You actually dare to withdraw from the sect without my permission?” Chen Zhen’s face had vaguely become a little twisted at this moment. He seemed to want to charge out, but was forcibly grabbed by Qi Lei.
“Martial-uncle Chen Zhen, please help me apologize to martial-uncle Wu Dao. Lin Dong will perhaps be unable to repay him for his kindness.”
Lin Dong also respectfully bowed towards Chen Zhen. After which, he suddenly stood up. Without further ado, scarlet swiftly flooded his eyes.
“Do it!”
A low and chilling voice suddenly emerged from his mouth. In the next moment, both he and Little Flame had turned into two light figures that directly shot towards the black-white light curtain restraining Little Marten!