"What is this thing?" Zhou Damao whispered, staring up at the statue.
It stood at a height of twenty meters, its entire body covered in uniquely styled armor. From the few exposed parts, however, one could tell that this was not a human. It looked more like some kind of exotic beast that had taken human form.
Lin Yun was also stunned by the colossal statue, standing silently for a long time.
"What exactly is this?" he asked in his mind.
The answer he received was: I do not know.
Even the Chongqing Bird didn't know? Lin Yun couldn't be sure. Perhaps it didn't want him to know, or perhaps it truly was ignorant. But for him, the scene before his eyes was shocking enough.
Just then, Lin Yun's attention was drawn to several fruits at the base of the statue. They were bright red and clearly no ordinary items. He didn't dare to approach them yet. Surrounding the giant statue stood tens of thousands of white-skinned monsters. These were different from the ones he had seen outside. They were no longer clad in skin-tight armor, but in armor forged from some unknown material. Even the weapons they held were all of different designs.
"These things must be much stronger than the ones we saw outside," Zhou Damao muttered. From the current scene, it was not difficult to see that the challenge ahead would be anything but easy.
Lin Yun nodded. "But creatures like these will be more than enough to deal with Qi Desheng."
Zhou Damao didn't dare to get any closer to the statue. The white-skinned monsters seemed to be in some kind of deep slumber. Approaching them rashly would very likely awaken them.
Lin Yun told Zhou Damao to hide first, while he himself took a deep breath. He couldn't sense any killing intent. This meant the monsters were still asleep.
And so, Lin Yun cautiously began to make his way through the ranks of the white-skinned monsters.
"Relax, these things won't awaken so easily," Ezu's voice sounded in his mind. "The scent of blood is the only way to wake them. Of course, as for the one in the middle, I'm not so sure. I would advise you not to provoke him. An ancient inheritance is important, but if you lose your life…" He gave a dry chuckle.
Lin Yun said nothing. Since the Chongqing Bird didn't refute it, that meant Ezu was telling the truth. Lin Yun just didn't understand why the creature was suddenly being so helpful. But this was hardly the time to dwell on it.
When he passed through the army of white monsters and arrived at the foot of the statue, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. All his efforts had not been in vain.
The base of the statue looked like an altar. On it lay several fruits of various colors. Just smelling them was enough to make one's mouth water. Lin Yun couldn't help but want to go up and take them. But remembering Ezu's earlier warning, he held back. He still wasn't clear on the situation here; even he didn't dare to act recklessly.
As Lin Yun observed the altar, he noticed what appeared to be a hidden compartment beneath the fruits. One would never spot it without careful inspection. This was, after all, a place of ancient inheritance. If the grand opportunity was just a few fruits on a platter, it would be a laughingstock.
Lin Yun scanned his surroundings, looking for a suitable escape route. As for the ancient inheritance here, it wasn't something he could think about right now. Using the monsters here to eliminate Qi Desheng and his group would already be a great success.
Just then, he heard a commotion behind him.
After Qi Desheng realized Lin Yun had laid a trap for him, he knew the boy must be after the ancient inheritance for real. Fearing that Lin Yun would use it to greatly increase his strength, Qi Desheng had pushed his group with all his might and had finally arrived.
The moment he entered, he saw Lin Yun seemingly about to reach for the fruits.
"Lin Yun, how nice of you to save me the trouble!" Qi Desheng snorted. Although the scene was eerily intimidating, seeing that Lin Yun was unharmed, he wasn't particularly worried. With his abilities, he had nothing to fear.
Fei Yuming was still with Qi Desheng. Though he looked wretched, he had managed to keep up. His expression when he saw Lin Yun was complicated.
"Where is Zhou Damao?" Fei Yuming asked coldly, his eyes darting around cautiously.
Seeing his wary posture, Lin Yun feigned ignorance. "Senior Brother Zhou and I separated after we came in. Senior Brother Fei, what do you mean by this?"
Hearing that Zhou Damao wasn't there, Fei Yuming breathed a sigh of relief. Otherwise, things might have gotten tricky today.
"Lin Yun, ever since you came to the Beast Taming Sect, we haven't had a single day of peace! This is perfect. We'll get rid of you here, and the sect's position in the Spirit Realm will be saved. You will no longer be able to threaten our standing in the sect!" Fei Yuming said, a look of triumph on his face.
Qi Desheng glanced at him and clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. "Fei Yuming, since you have such a problem with this kid, I'll leave it to you this time. Kill Lin Yun. I only want his corpse. When it's done, I'll let you leave with the other disciples from your sect. Everyone will see you as their savior."
Fei Yuming's eyes darted toward Lin Yun, then to the countless white-skinned monsters surrounding him. On their way here, they had encountered plenty of awakened ones. The closer they got to the center, the stronger the monsters became. The ones here were not only numerous but also terrifyingly powerful.
"Of course, you can choose to refuse," Qi Desheng added with a smile.
Fei Yuming looked at that smile and knew that nothing good would come of refusing. This man was no saint.
"Many thanks to Senior Brother Qi for this opportunity. Allow me to kill Lin Yun myself today," Fei Yuming said, then cautiously began to walk toward Lin Yun.
"Fei Yuming, if you turn back now, it's not too late," Lin Yun said, his voice serious. "If you take another step forward, you will certainly not leave here alive."
He looked at Fei Yuming. Because he could see the panel, he was certain that if this man took another step, he was doomed to die.
Hearing this, Fei Yuming snorted. "You brat, stop trying to scare me. I will die? You think you can handle me with your pathetic Origin Sea Realm cultivation?"
He had prepared for this day for so long. How could he possibly give up now?
Seeing that Fei Yuming was still stubbornly unrepentant, Lin Yun could only shake his head with a cold smile. "Fine. Since you're seeking your own death, don't blame me for not warning you."
Fei Yuming, of course, didn't believe a word Lin Yun said. With a roar, he charged toward Lin Yun at extreme speed, his fists aimed straight for him, his velocity increasing with every step.
Faced with Fei Yuming's charge, Lin Yun should have been scrambling to defend himself.
But to everyone's surprise, he remained completely unmoved.