Chapter Seventeen: The Legendary Taste of Love

Lin Yanghao, of course, had no idea just how much hardship Feng Batian had endured to reach his current level of cultivation. Even though Feng Batian had access to his family's cultivation resources, that didn't mean his journey was smooth. If anything, the suffering and toil he had faced likely far exceeded Lin Yanghao's own.

"Now that you've reached the second stage—the Bone Tempering Realm—you can't continue with your previous training methods. I'll devise a new regimen for you," Feng Batian said. "It's time you begin learning martial techniques. This marks the true beginning of the martial path. As the name implies, the Bone Tempering Realm is all about strengthening your bone structure. From now on, you'll practice martial techniques, supplemented with medicinal baths to reinforce your foundation. This is the training method for martial artists in the fourth to sixth tiers."

With that, Feng Batian rose and fetched a remarkably ancient-looking book from the edge of his bed.

"Here, this is a martial technique I found that's perfectly suited to you. It's called 'Feral Tiger Claw,' the signature skill of Qiu Shaoyun, who ranked first on the martial arts ranking a hundred years ago. Combined with your 'Divine Elephant Wisdom Art,' it will unleash even greater power. Be sure to practice it diligently."

"Thank you, Grandpa Feng. Don't worry, I'll train hard," Lin Yanghao replied joyfully. He could already sense the might of the 'Divine Elephant Wisdom Art.' To imagine becoming even stronger filled him with excitement.

"Don't be too pleased yet," Feng Batian warned. "Mastering martial techniques is different from cultivating internal arts. Techniques must be broken through and understood in the heat of real combat. You'll need to go out and temper yourself in the world. But don't worry—at your current strength, even ten Tian families together couldn't defeat you. You have nothing to fear."

"Ah? I have to go out and train? Well, alright. But Grandpa Feng, where should I go?" Lin Yanghao asked. Inwardly, he resolved that during this journey, he would eradicate the Tian family and end their oppression of the people once and for all.

"Where you go is up to you. Any place that can hone your combat abilities will do. Your task is simply to master this martial technique. When you return, I'll provide you with medicinal baths made from mountain herbs I've collected. Before long, you'll be ready to break through to the Qi Cultivation Realm," Feng Batian said, turning away, clearly unwilling to say more.

Lin Yanghao silently cursed Feng Batian countless times in his heart. "Old man Feng! Aren't you being a bit too irresponsible? Sending me out to train without even telling me where to go. I've only been in this world for a few days—how am I supposed to know where to start? No wonder you never took me as your disciple. You must have thought that accepting me as a disciple would mean taking on responsibilities for me. If you don't, you can stay out of it! Fine! Once I leave, I'll wipe out the Tian family first and decide where to train afterward!"

After venting, Lin Yanghao felt somewhat better. If he were truly strong enough, he would have given Feng Batian a proper beating, but considering the old man's strength, he could only fantasize. So, he turned his attention to the martial arts manual Feng Batian had just given him.

In reality, Lin Yanghao had wronged Feng Batian. The reason Feng Batian never formally took him as a disciple wasn't because he feared trouble or was too lazy to teach, but rather because there was a compelling reason he could not do so.

“Are you really planning to leave and train?” Just as Lin Yanghao was engrossed in the martial manual, a clear, melodious voice reached his ears.

Looking up, he saw a beautiful young girl pouting, cheeks flushed, and a look of displeasure on her face. It was none other than Feng Shihan.

“Yes, Shihan. I don’t really want to go, but I have no choice if I want to master this martial art,” Lin Yanghao replied helplessly.

“Then you must promise me—you have to come back in one piece. If you so much as lose a single hair, I won’t forgive you!” Feng Shihan said playfully, her cherry lips pursed. If one looked closely, they would notice a faint blush on her cheeks. But Lin Yanghao was too absorbed in the 'Feral Tiger Claw' technique to notice.

As Lin Yanghao pondered the technique absentmindedly, he suddenly felt something soft brush against his face. Before he could react, Feng Shihan had already darted away.

Touching the spot where she had just kissed him, Lin Yanghao broke into a silly grin, savoring the sweetness of the moment. So this is what love feels like, he thought. Although he’d dated before, he'd never been this close with a girl—at most, just holding hands, even with the infuriating He Fang. Only now did he truly understand the taste of romance.

"Does this count as puppy love?" he wondered. "No, definitely not. On this continent, people my age already have children. After all, it's still a feudal society—completely normal. Yes, perfectly normal," he reasoned, trying to justify himself.

In Chaoyang Town.

A youth strode down the bustling street. He stood about one meter seventy-eight, with dark skin and a powerfully built frame. At a closer look, his well-developed muscles and handsome features were apparent.

This young man was Lin Yanghao, now returned to Chaoyang Town after several months away. As he surveyed the familiar streets, scenes from the past flickered through his mind.

Having survived the Land of Death, Lin Yanghao was now sixteen. To strangers, it would be hard to believe that this burly young man was only sixteen.

Of course, his imposing physique was partly thanks to the rigorous training and medicinal baths prescribed by Feng Batian.

Outside the gates of the Tian residence—

“You old dogs of the Tian family, come out and face me!”

“I’m here to rid the people of evil!”

“Today, I will destroy the Tian family!”

Standing before the Tian residence, Lin Yanghao hurled insults, his voice echoing as more and more townsfolk gathered to watch the spectacle.

“Who dares cause trouble at the Tian family’s door?” came a shout.

Soon, the gates opened, and a group of Tian family guards, weapons drawn, emerged. Leading them were several family elders and the patriarch himself, Tian Jing.

“Who are you, boy? To speak so brazenly at our gates is to court death. If you can’t give a good reason, don’t blame me for being merciless,” Tian Jing demanded.

“Oh? You really don’t recognize me? Perhaps you remember the boy you tried to hunt down a few months ago?” Lin Yanghao replied, surprised they didn’t recognize him. He didn’t realize how much he had changed in that time.

“What? So it’s you! You’re the one responsible for the death of Tian Youyuan’s family—Tian Ergou’s father! I was looking for you, and now you show up on your own! Men, seize him! I’ll tear him to pieces to avenge the spirits of Tian Youyuan’s kin!”