"Senior Brother Xiao, it's just one Lin Yun. Do we really need to go to such lengths to hunt him?" Ye Qian whispered, trailing behind Xiao Pingtian.
Her original plan was simply to ride the coattails of a top player and coast through the tournament. She never expected that after entering the Spirit Realm, Xiao Pingtian would have absolutely no interest in searching for treasures. He was single-mindedly focused on hunting down Lin Yun.
Truly, jealousy drives men mad. She really couldn't understand what kind of grudge existed between the two of them to inspire such obsessive behavior.
"Hmph. As long as we eliminate Lin Yun, this trip to the Spirit Realm will not have been a loss," Xiao Pingtian said, uncharacteristically talkative.
But Ye Qian didn't feel happy about it at all. While getting rid of Lin Yun was also one of her goals—the humiliation of the Inner Sect Grand Competition was something she could never forget—if they just kept searching like this, it would be a total loss even if they did eventually find him. For all they knew, Lin Yun could have already stumbled upon some great opportunity and be well on his way to success.
Just as Ye Qian was thinking this, a bright light shot into the sky.
A signal flare!
A look of delight flashed across Xiao Pingtian's face. It was some distance away, but for him, it was worth it.
Before Ye Qian could even react, Xiao Pingtian had vanished.
"Hey, Senior Brother Xiao, you… slow down! I can't keep up!"
Looking at the securely tied-up Luo Yunchao, Lin Yun shook his head with a smile. He hadn't expected the disciples of the Constant Sun Sect to be so sensible. Most importantly, Luo Yunchao didn't seem the least bit angry. In fact, he was sitting beside Lin Yun, telling jokes to relieve the boredom. The man had absolutely no sense of shame.
Kong Xuan was utterly speechless with exasperation. She was truly thankful that she had never had a momentary lapse in judgment and agreed to Luo Yunchao's pursuit. Although she knew this Senior Brother Luo was a weak-bodied young master, his strength was still considerable, and he might have had a future ahead of him. But after witnessing this scene today, Kong Xuan's heart had grown completely cold. I'm sorry… we really don't know each other that well.
Just as Kong Xuan was wallowing in her sorrow, Lin Yun, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly stood up. His sharp gaze pierced the distance.
Kong Xuan looked around, bewildered. What's going on?
"Stay right here and don't move. If you dare to try anything, don't blame me for being discourteous!"
Someone's coming? The signal flare had been sent. If there were other sects nearby, it was about time for them to arrive. But how did Lin Yun know? There wasn't a sound. Even if she spread out her own Yuan Qi, she couldn't detect any clues.
"Tch. Just putting on a mysterious act. There's no one there," Kong Xuan muttered under her breath. She didn't believe Lin Yun was really so formidable that he could sense someone from so far away. It was only because that Luo Yunchao was incompetent. If it had been anyone else, they would surely have been able to put up a fight against Lin Yun.
As Kong Xuan was thinking this, Lin Yun sat back down again.
See? There's no one. He's just bluffing. Seeing him like this, Kong Xuan became even more certain of her opinion.
Lin Yun, meanwhile, had sensed the others' killing intent long ago. Although they were hiding it well, the slightest trace was enough for him to capture it with precision. This was a skill honed from his constant battles with exotic beasts, and it was proving to be quite useful now.
Of course, Lin Yun had no idea what Kong Xuan was thinking. But for him, it was indeed time to be careful. The approaching group was likely not very strong, which was why they didn't dare to show themselves, instead choosing to hide in the shadows and prepare for an ambush.
And so, Lin Yun closed his eyes again.
Just when Kong Xuan was convinced it was all an act, she saw a blurry figure in the bushes. She squinted. Weren't those the disciples of the Xuan-Kun Palace?
Wang Chen was a fairly famous disciple in the Xuan-Kun Palace. Although the sect's name sounded prestigious and righteous, they were, in fact, masters of the sneak attack. It was said that many years ago, the Xuan-Kun Palace's predecessor was a great tomb-robbing school. They had stumbled upon a great tomb by chance, obtained the opportunities within, and established the sect as it was today. But even so, they had never forgotten their old trade. Ambushes were still their specialty. They would only fight head-on if discovered, but since they were no longer mere tomb robbers, their direct combat skills weren't that terrible.
Wang Chen was accompanied by two others. They had all come after seeing the signal flare. This was a chance for great merit. While there were many treasures in the Spirit Realm, such places were always fraught with danger. But Lin Yun was different. The boy certainly wouldn't dare to stick with the main group from the Beast Taming Sect. If they captured him, wouldn't it be an easy victory?
The thought of being able to enter the Treasure Pavilion after eliminating Lin Yun made Wang Chen tremble with excitement. The disciples exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them. They prepared to strike.
Just then, Wang Chen noticed Kong Xuan frantically making faces at him. To be honest, Kong Xuan had been a little happy to see Wang Chen, thinking she might be rescued. But when she realized they were about to ambush Lin Yun, she grew anxious. Lin Yun hadn't been bluffing when he stood up. He had already sensed their presence when they drew near.
Heavens! Is this man really that terrifying? To gather so much information in such a short time… Kong Xuan was naturally shocked by this revelation.
Unfortunately, even as she tried desperately to stop them, Wang Chen completely misinterpreted her signals.
"Go!"
At Wang Chen's command, the group shot forward like hunting leopards, their movements incredibly fast. In an instant, they were right in front of Lin Yun.
"Haha, got him!"
Seeing Lin Yun right before him with his eyes still closed, Wang Chen laughed aloud. He plunged a dagger straight towards Lin Yun's chest.
THUD—
The dagger struck home, but the sensation was strange. What's going on? Did I miss?
As Wang Chen was wondering this, the trembling voices of his two junior brothers called out from behind him. "Senior… Senior Brother Wang! Behind… behind you!"
"What are you screaming about?" Wang Chen grumbled impatiently. He whipped his head around and found Lin Yun standing almost directly behind him, smiling placidly at him.
Stumbling, Wang Chen nearly fell to the ground. He barely managed to steady himself and stared at the spot where Lin Yun had been sitting. The figure was gone.
Damn it, an afterimage!
It finally dawned on Wang Chen. What he had attacked was merely one of Lin Yun's afterimages. The real person was right here!
At that thought, his face turned green. This was utterly, completely humiliating.