Seeing the duck at their lips about to fly away, the two cultivators from The York Family exchanged a glance and finally couldn’t hold back any longer—they made their move.

At this point, the group was less than a li from Stone Village, but these few hundred meters had become an insurmountable chasm for Little Ben and his companions.

The moment the two cultivators acted, Old Miller immediately sensed something was wrong. “Who are you people?”

The middle-aged man called Old Brooks said coldly, “The dead don’t need to know.”

Old Miller shouted angrily, “Are you from the Shi family, or sent by The York Family? How vicious—you’d plot against a child, and now you won’t even spare his life!”

The cultivator named Little Jack burst out laughing. “My young master is the true born supreme. This brat, being able to serve my young master, that’s his fortune. I’ll send him to reincarnate right now—maybe he’ll get a good next life!”

Little Ben was confused by their conversation, but that didn’t stop his judgment. “Yiya, you’re not good people.” With that, he fought desperately against Little Jack. With a magical artifact in hand, he was not at a disadvantage facing Little Jack, who was one level higher in Qi Refinement.

But Little Jack was cunning and sinister. While fighting Little Ben, he would occasionally sneak attack the villagers of Stone Village. Meanwhile, the many fierce beasts and Wolf Village villagers joined in the assault, putting the people of Stone Village in grave danger.

Little Ben wanted to save people, but was entangled by Little Jack, his face flushed with anxiety, on the verge of tears.

William Lynn was hiding nearby, thinking, “Now’s the time! Good disciple, hurry up and use the trump card I left you, you silly boy—don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?”

Whether or not he sensed William Lynn’s reminder, the flustered Little Ben finally remembered the protective talisman William Lynn had given him. He pulled it out and hurled it at Little Jack!

Little Jack was slightly startled, but then noticed the talisman seemed ordinary. He casually caught it and sneered, “Just a little brat after all…” Before he could finish, the talisman in his hand suddenly changed.

Around him, nine points of light lit up at once, illuminating his stunned face.

Chapter 4: The Old Tree Has a Problem!

Little Ben pulled out the protective talisman William Lynn had given him and threw it straight at Little Jack.

Hiding nearby, William Lynn smiled silently. “Very reliable!”

He formed a hand seal and silently chanted, “Activate!” Under his mental control, the power he had left in the talisman began to circulate rapidly.

The nine thunder-element spirit stones he had previously buried here were also triggered, releasing powerful spiritual energy fluctuations.

“Zzzzz!” The air was filled with the harsh sound of electricity, as arcs of blue-violet lightning danced incessantly.

Before Little Jack could react, the nine thunder spirit stones simultaneously shot out nine bolts of lightning!

The talisman in his hand acted like a conductor, drawing all nine bolts of lightning toward him, instantly shattering his protective aura.

“Ah!!!”

With a miserable scream, nine electric serpents coiled around Little Jack, rampaging wildly.

Old Brooks was shocked and quickly shook off Old Miller, rushing forward. He clapped his hands together, sending a surge of power toward Little Jack in an attempt to dispel the lightning.

William Lynn ignored Old Brooks’s actions, instead looking up at the thunderous, cloud-filled sky. “What a nice day.”

He shrugged. “Did you really think my Nine Heavens Thunder Induction was that simple?”

William Lynn changed his hand seals. “Draw!”

As William Lynn’s hand seals shifted, the lightning coiling around Little Jack suddenly began to pulse in unison, filled with a strange rhythm and cadence.

The next moment, a terrifying bolt of lightning as thick as a barrel crashed down from the clouds above, targeting Old Brooks and Little Jack on the ground, both surrounded by lightning!

This was the true fatal strike of William Lynn’s Nine Heavens Thunder Induction technique.

Seeing the situation turn dire, Old Brooks dared not care for his companion any longer and quickly dodged to the side.

“No!”

Little Jack looked up in despair as the apocalyptic thunderbolt crashed down on him. He didn’t even have time to reveal his true identity.

Little Ben and Old Miller stared in shock as the lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the heavens. They never imagined the talisman William Lynn had casually given Little Ben could wield such power.

The villagers of Stone Village and Wolf Village were even more dumbfounded, thinking the thunder god had manifested.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

The thunder struck the ground with a deafening boom, the intense flash blinding everyone in a sea of white.

When their vision returned, they hurriedly looked toward where Little Jack had been—only to see a patch of charred remains!

A cultivator had been obliterated by a single heavenly thunderbolt, leaving not even bones behind.

A moment later, everyone snapped out of it. The Wolf Village villagers instantly panicked and fled in all directions, not daring to stay and trouble Little Ben’s group any longer. The fierce beasts summoned by Old Brooks’s bone flute were so terrified their legs went weak, all tucking their tails and running away.

The people of Stone Village erupted in cheers. Old Miller came to his senses and stomped his foot heavily. “Kill! Not a single Wolf Village person here today is to be spared!” The villagers of Stone Village, morale soaring, charged after them.

Old Brooks stood stunned for a moment, then screamed hoarsely, “We are from The York Family! You country bumpkins dare kill people from the The York Family? Aren’t you afraid your whole village will be wiped out?”