"That's my flying shuttle!" a disciple in the crowd suddenly shouted.
Xiao Pingtian, of course, heard him. But the moment he saw Lin Yun take out the shuttle, he knew what the boy intended to do.
"Hmph. You foolish brat. Do you really think you can break my technique with that?" Xiao Pingtian wasn't worried about Lin Yun's actions. In this world, the only person who could make him worry was himself.
It all happened in an instant.
Xiao Pingtian tossed the yellow paper talisman high into the air. Simultaneously, Lin Yun threw the flying shuttle.
At the same time, Pei Miaoyin summoned a dense, red mist.
"You reckless fool," she hissed. "Today, I'll send you to meet those old Daoist priests."
As she spoke, a savage and terrifying fiend materialized from within the red mist. It stood fifty feet tall, its orange eyes filled with a vicious energy.
One of the cultivators was standing too close. The moment the fiend appeared, he tried to flee, but he had clearly underestimated its power. The fiend let out a furious roar and grabbed at him from a distance. Its massive hand was like a black hole.
The cultivator could only let out a terrified scream as a black, ghostly handprint appeared on his back. The next moment, he was clutched in the fiend's grip.
The man struggled. "Senior Brother Xiao! Senior Brother Luo! Save me…!" he pleaded desperately.
But Xiao Pingtian merely sneered. "What a waste. No wonder Lin Yun dealt with you so easily!"
That's right. In Xiao Pingtian's eyes, these disciples from other sects were nothing but trash. The fact that he was willing to fight alongside them was a blessing as great as the heavens for them.
Lin Yun took all of this in but didn't rush to say anything. The flying shuttle was already closing in on the yellow paper talisman in the sky.
"Pei Miaoyin, that thing is extremely deadly to you!" Lin Yun shouted. "No matter what, we can't let him use it!"
This situation was not as simple as they had initially thought. He had believed that by sacrificing his shuttle, he might be able to disrupt the talisman. But everything was happening too quickly. Although Xiao Pingtian hadn't expected Lin Yun to act so fast, it didn't prevent him from deploying his own counter-measures. Whatever else could be said, Xiao Pingtian's strength was undeniable. Dealing with others might pose a problem, but handling a single Lin Yun? Wasn't that as easy as catching a fish in a barrel?
The shuttle neared the yellow paper talisman, but it was stopped cold by a shimmering white light.
Although Pei Miaoyin didn't know how Lin Yun knew of the talisman's power, she had seen many strange techniques during her years in Soul-Hooking Valley. In the past, she had always had absolute confidence in defeating any opponent. But for some reason, the moment she saw this yellow paper talisman, she was struck by a profound sense of dread.
Pei Miaoyin knew Lin Yun was right. These people had come prepared. This talisman was specifically meant for her.
As the gravity of the situation dawned on her, the fiend crushed the disciple in its hand. The man let out one final, blood-curdling scream, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, before his body exploded into a shower of blood.
The few disciples on the ground were completely stunned. They had never witnessed such a brutal slaughter in their lives. This wasn't a normal battle; it was a one-sided massacre. No matter how strong their mental fortitude was, it would be difficult to endure such a terrifying threat.
Luo Yunchao's legs were trembling. "What is that monster? I'm not fighting Lin Yun anymore! I need to get far away from that thing!" How could he have known this battle would take such a bizarre turn? They had started with the advantage in numbers, thinking it would be easy to kill Lin Yun. But now they discovered that even the female ghost of Soul-Hooking Valley was Lin Yun's ally. How were they supposed to fight this?
Ye Qian glanced at Luo Yunchao with utter contempt. "Why is the Constant Sun Sect full of such trash? It's just a thousand-year-old resentful ghost. Senior Brother Xiao was prepared for it long ago."
In fact, she had only recently learned that Xiao Pingtian had another objective for coming to the Spirit Realm this time: to suppress Pei Miaoyin. Gu Xiande had even made extensive preparations for this. Even Xiao Pingtian himself didn't know why his master placed so much importance on a mere ghost; after all, what kind of treasures couldn't be found in the Spirit Realm? But regardless, since it was his master's order, he had obediently come.
What Ye Qian hadn't expected was that to deal with Pei Miaoyin, Gu Xiande had even brought out the Mystic Heaven Soul-Suppressing Talisman. This was one of the few legendary heirlooms of the Flowing Cloud Sect. But its effect was truly powerful.
The massive fiend swung a giant fist at the talisman. The terrifying force created sonic booms in the air. But just as the blow was about to land, it was stopped by the shimmering white light. The fiend, refusing to accept defeat, continued to hammer away at the barrier.
"BOOM—"
"BOOM—"
The horrifying power made the faces of all the cultivators change. This was no longer an enemy they could handle at their level. Wasn't Soul-Hooking Valley just a location in the outer region? Why was its Guardian Spirit General so terrifying? (Cultivators often referred to the powerful beasts and monsters that guarded treasures and secret realms as "Guardian Spirit Generals.") But Pei Miaoyin was, without a doubt, the strongest in the entire outer region.
Xiao Pingtian watched the enraged fiend and sneered. "With just that, you think you can break my Mystic Heaven Soul-Suppressing Talisman?"
Pei Miaoyin's expression was grave. The talisman had begun to slowly release golden, gossamer threads. They looked like fine strands of hair floating in water, seemingly harmless. But in reality, they were forming a terrifying array. Once that array was complete, the outcome would be sealed.
Lin Yun frowned, pouring a continuous stream of Yuan Qi into the flying shuttle. "Damn it, faster! Break this damn barrier!"
At this point, Lin Yun didn't know what to do.
"Chongqing Bird, is there any way to break this talisman?" Lin Yun demanded urgently, even summoning his Coldflame Sword.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" the Chongqing Bird replied, its voice as lazy as ever. "Isn't your purpose for coming here to snatch an opportunity? After Xiao Pingtian severely wounds this woman, isn't that the perfect chance for you to have her pass her power on to you?"
Initially, that had indeed been Lin Yun's plan. But after so much time had passed, his attitude had long since changed.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lin Yun said, his voice low and intense. "But if Pei Miaoyin dies today, I will go insane."
As he spoke, he swung his Coldflame Sword, and a surging wave of sword Qi shot forward.