Chapter 107: Suppressing the Horde

The suppression had already filled the forest, pressing down on the Nether-Bone Wolves from every direction. Most of the pack were pinned close to the ground, unable to move properly beneath the invisible force, while the Golden-Tortoise Defensive Formation kept Aunt Lin protected behind Lin Tian.

Only the Alpha was still resisting.

Its massive body remained low, one knee pressed into the earth as it forced demonic Qi through its meridians. Purple light flickered along its bone-spurs, and the ground cracked beneath its claws as it struggled to rise.

Lin Tian watched it carefully. "So you can still move."

The Alpha raised its head and met his gaze. A deep growl rolled from its throat as demonic Qi gathered around its body, pushing against the suppression and allowing it to lift itself slightly.

Aunt Lin watched from behind the golden barrier. "It’s using its cultivation to resist."

"Yes. As long as it can keep its Qi circulating, it can keep fighting."

The Alpha suddenly pushed against the ground. Its claws dug into the soil, and its body rose another step as the purple glow along its spurs brightened.

Lin Tian’s eyes narrowed. The seven layers of the pagoda were working smoothly, but most of the pack was already helpless. There was no reason to keep spreading the same pressure across the entire area.

He raised one hand and redirected the flow of Qi.

The pagoda gave a deep hum, and the pressure around the Alpha suddenly intensified. Its body dropped back down as the demonic Qi moving through its meridians slowed under the concentrated suppression.

Aunt Lin understood immediately. "You’re focusing the pressure on it."

"The others are already finished."

The Alpha roared and forced more demonic Qi through its body, but the heavier suppression drove it back down. Its claws sank deeper into the soil as it struggled to stand.

Then it opened its jaws.

A dense mass of demonic Qi began gathering in its throat.

Lin Tian’s expression tightened. "It’s attacking."

Aunt Lin immediately strengthened the Golden-Tortoise Formation. The golden barrier brightened around her just as the Alpha released the condensed energy.

The attack surged forward, but the suppression around its body disrupted it before it could fully form. The force scattered through the mist, tearing the fog apart without reaching Lin Tian.

The Alpha staggered.

Lin Tian stepped forward beneath the hovering pagoda. Its seven layers continued to glow as the suppression remained locked onto the beast.

The Alpha tried to rise again, but its legs failed beneath the pressure.

Lin Tian looked down at it.

"Stay down."

The Alpha could no longer advance.

***

Lin Tian stepped past it and looked over the rest of the pack. The suppression had already pinned the remaining wolves to the ground, leaving them barely able to move.

The pagoda had done its job. Now Lin Tian only needed to finish what remained.

He moved through the pack without slowing down. Whenever a wolf struggled to rise, he put it down with a single strike. Some tried to crawl away while others still attempted to attack, but none could withstand him under the pagoda’s suppression.

His movements were simple and direct. He did not need a weapon, nor did he need to use any complicated technique. With his physical strength and the pagoda holding them down, dealing with the remaining wolves was almost effortless.

Soon, only the Alpha was left.

Despite the suppression, it forced itself up once more. Its body trembled under the weight as it gathered the last of its demonic Qi and swung a bone-covered claw toward Lin Tian.

Lin Tian did not retreat.

He caught the claw with one hand and stopped it in place. The force of the attack failed to move him even a step.

"Your foundation is too weak."

His grip tightened, and he forced the Alpha back to the ground. Before it could recover, Lin Tian struck again, leaving the beast unable to resist.

The Alpha struggled for a moment longer before finally becoming still.

Lin Tian released it and turned toward the rest of the battlefield. The forest had fallen quiet, with only the faint hum of the Abyssal Suppression Pagoda remaining in the mist.

***

Inside the Golden-Tortoise Defensive Formation, Aunt Lin had watched everything.

Her hands remained on the golden flags, maintaining a steady flow of Qi into the barrier, but her eyes stayed on Lin Tian. The battle had ended so quickly that even she was still trying to take it in.

The Nether-Bone Wolves had been a dangerous pack, and even their Alpha had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm. Yet under the pagoda’s suppression, none of them had been able to stop him.

Aunt Lin looked at Lin Tian standing calmly among the defeated beasts. His breathing was steady, and there was no trace of panic on his face.

She had spent decades dealing with cultivators and had seen plenty of people rely on powerful techniques, rare treasures, and impressive words to show their strength.

Lin Tian had simply walked forward and finished the fight.

A faint smile appeared on her face before she noticed it herself.

"Master..."

Lin Tian turned toward her. "Are you all right?"

Aunt Lin quickly nodded. "I’m fine."

She lowered her gaze for a moment, then looked back at him.

Her expression was calmer now, but the surprise in her eyes had not faded.

She had known Lin Tian was strong.

She had not realized just how strong.

***

Outside the formation, the forest slowly fell quiet. The mist drifted between the dark trees, carrying the faint trace of demonic Qi left behind by the battle.

Lin Tian formed a retraction seal, and the seven-layered pagoda shrank into a streak of light before returning to his palm. The heavy suppression vanished with it, leaving the forest quiet again.

He collected the beast cores from the fallen wolves. Most were low-grade, but the Alpha’s core held a deep purple glow, marking it as an Early Foundation Establishment-grade core.

Lin Tian examined it briefly before storing it away. The test had gone better than expected, and the pagoda had remained stable while allowing him to control the suppression as he intended.

He used a cleansing talisman to remove the dirt from his hands and turned toward the Golden-Tortoise Defensive Formation.

Aunt Lin lowered the formation as soon as she saw him. The eight golden flags flew back into her storage ring, but the moment the formation disappeared, the strength holding her up seemed to leave with it.

Her shoulders dropped, and her body swayed.

Lin Tian reached her before she could fall and steadied her by the arm. "Can you still walk?"

"Of course," Aunt Lin gave him a tired look, then smiled faintly. "And I still walked."

Lin Tian glanced at her pale face. "You pushed yourself too hard again."

"I wanted to see the test through."

"You could have told me when you were reaching your limit."

Aunt Lin looked away for a moment. "Then you would have stopped the test."

"Of course I would have."

She gave a quiet smile. "That’s why I didn’t tell you."

Lin Tian looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. "You really don’t know when to stop."

"Neither do you."

Her answer made him pause, but he did not argue.

The battle was over, the beast cores were secured, and the pagoda had proven itself. With nothing left to fight, the tension in the forest slowly faded.

Only then did Aunt Lin fully feel the exhaustion in her body. She had spent the entire battle maintaining the Golden-Tortoise Formation while keeping enough Qi flowing to withstand the pressure around them.

Now that the formation was gone, even standing felt difficult.

She leaned a little more against Lin Tian without thinking.

He noticed, but said nothing. Instead, he adjusted his grip so she could put more of her weight on him.

Aunt Lin glanced at him.

His expression remained calm, but his hand had become noticeably more careful.

She looked away again before he could catch her watching him. After a moment, she asked softly, "You weren’t hurt?"

"No."

She studied him for another second before nodding. "Good."

Lin Tian understood the concern behind that single word.

He turned toward the path leading back through the woods. "You helped me finish the pagoda. I couldn’t have completed the formation without you."

Aunt Lin shook her head. "You did most of the work."

"That doesn’t change anything."

His voice softened slightly.

"I still owe you something."

Aunt Lin’s steps slowed.

For a moment, she said nothing. Her fingers tightened around his arm as she remembered what he had said before they left.

She knew he had not forgotten.A faint warmth rose to her face, and she lowered her gaze. "I remember."

Lin Tian looked at her for a moment before giving a small smile. "Then let’s go home."

Aunt Lin nodded and stayed close as they started walking through the mist.

Neither of them mentioned what would happen after they returned. They didn’t need to.

The thought was already there between them..