Qiu Tianming knew he couldn't escape unscathed on his own, so he had planned to join forces with the other Crimson Ghost Sect disciples to deal with Lin Yun. His original thought was that even if they couldn't win, they could at least hold an invincible position. Finding a chance to escape then wouldn't be a problem.
But he had never, ever imagined that Lin Yun would be this strong.
That Firmament Sword was astonishingly powerful. With every move and every stance, the disciples of the Crimson Ghost Sect didn't even have the qualifications to fight him head-on, and they fell one after another.
Even Lin Yun had to admire the courage of these disciples. Their companions were falling one by one, yet they showed not a single sign of retreat. But when Lin Yun and Zhou Damao fought, they showed no hesitation. With the two powerhouses joining forces, the Crimson Ghost Sect disciples were completely overwhelmed.
Cen Xiuer shouted at the top of her lungs, "Senior Brother Lin, Senior Brother Zhou, you can do it! Kill them!"
At that moment, the other disciples of the Beast Taming Sect were also inspired by the valiant and battle-hardened Lin Yun and Zhou Damao. They had originally thought they were doomed to die. They never expected that at the critical moment, someone would actually come to their rescue.
Seeing that all hope was lost, Qiu Tianming turned to flee.
But he had barely taken two steps when a streak of sword Qi shot towards him. He managed to halt his retreat just in time. With a roar from the earth, a terrifying protective aura sent Qiu Tianming flying. He barely managed to stabilize himself, his eyes filled with terror as he looked at Lin Yun.
"Your Excellency, wait a moment! I have no intention of opposing you. Since you wish to rescue these people from the Beast Taming Sect, I will not interfere. I will give you the opportunity to save them."
Remembering the terrifying strength Lin Yun had displayed earlier, Qiu Tianming knew it was too late to run. There was only one option left.
"Heh. When you think you can win, you fight," Lin Yun mocked. "When you know you can't, you beg for mercy? Doesn't the Crimson Ghost Sect always claim to be so strong? What's the matter? I'm standing right here. Why don't you come and try me?"
Looking at Qiu Tianming with a playful sneer, Lin Yun had no intention of letting this man go. He and the Crimson Ghost Sect were now in a feud to the death. Killing one more now would save him a lot of trouble later.
Qiu Tianming took a deep breath. Although he was also at the peak of the Origin Sea Realm, he was on a completely different level from Lin Yun. He couldn't even touch his exhaust fumes.
"The Crimson Ghost Sect is indeed very strong. That is precisely why I wish to negotiate with you. It is better to resolve enmity than to create it. If Your Excellency is willing to spare me, the Crimson Ghost Sect…"
Watching Qiu Tianming's dead-serious performance, Lin Yun burst out laughing. "As if you don't know who I am. You should be quite familiar with the name Lin Yun of the Beast Taming Sect, right?"
Qiu Tianming froze for a moment, then his brow furrowed. Lin Yun of the Beast Taming Sect? While he hadn't looked into him, he knew of the man's reputation. He had never thought to seek trouble with Lin Yun before and so hadn't done his research. He never imagined he would meet this god of slaughter in such a manner. Just moments ago, he had been flaunting his power before the Beast Taming Sect disciples. But now, facing Lin Yun, he couldn't muster an ounce of ferocity.
"So it is Senior Brother Lin. Truly, hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once. Senior Brother Lin's strength is indeed formidable. I am no match for you. I ask that Senior Brother Lin show mercy and spare my life. If we meet again one day, I will definitely…"
Before Qiu Tianming could finish, he saw Lin Yun raise his sword.
"The Crimson Ghost Sect has committed countless evil deeds. You don't naively believe I would actually let you go, do you?" Lin Yun smiled. "Today, you have two choices. Either you attack me with your full strength, or you surrender without a fight, and I'll give you a quick death."
Showing no intention of wasting any more breath, Lin Yun immediately swung his sword and charged.
Qiu Tianming was already a bundle of nerves. Seeing Lin Yun rush him now, he broke out in a heavy sweat. But he had no choice; he was being forced to act. When he had distinguished himself in the sect, he had received a treasure that he had never used. It was meant to be a life-saving trump card. He never thought the day would come so soon.
"Heh, Lin Yun, all my talk before was to give you face," Qiu Tianming snarled, his expression turning angry. "I never thought you'd be so ungrateful. Since that's the case, don't blame me for being discourteous!"
He then produced a black bone nail.
Lin Yun only needed a single glance to see that the bone nail was extraordinary, but a treasure of this level was nothing to him.
"This is a treasure awarded to me by my sect, meant to be used in a life-or-death struggle. Since you've forced my hand today, I see no reason to hold back any longer." As Qiu Tianming spoke, a trace of coldness crept into his expression. All his talk had been useless. Now, he could only fight Lin Yun with all his might. If he won, it would save him a lot of trouble.
"Enough nonsense. Let's see what you've got." Lin Yun stared coldly at Qiu Tianming, completely unfazed by the weapon the man was displaying.
"Hmph, you court death!"
Knowing the power of the artifact in his hand, Qiu Tianming channeled his Yuan Qi and activated the bone nail with his full strength. An extremely sinister and evil power rapidly spread out. The bone nail shot forward at a speed invisible to the naked eye.
Lin Yun's expression hardened. He raised his Firmament Sword to block.
DING—
A clear, crisp sound rang out. Lin Yun staggered back several steps.
Though he hadn't taken Qiu Tianming seriously before, this bone nail in his hand was indeed something special. It had actually managed to make him suffer a bit in the fight. But even so, for Lin Yun, it still amounted to nothing.
"Lin Yun, do you understand now? If I were you, I would just obediently give up." Seeing that Lin Yun was indeed unable to withstand the bone nail's power, Qiu Tianming instantly grew smug. He even began to laugh out loud.
"This is a rare treasure of the Crimson Ghost Sect, Lin Yun. I know you are strong, but if I channel my Yuan Qi with my full power, you will certainly die!" he declared with glee. It seemed he was back on top again.
Lin Yun let out a long sigh. "I'm telling you, if this is the extent of your ability, you should give up sooner rather than later. I thought you had some special skill, but it turns out you're just all talk."
Slowly raising his Firmament Sword, Lin Yun said, "If you have any other tricks, you might as well use them all now."
Qiu Tianming snorted in fury. He once again unleashed the bone nail.
But Lin Yun, having already seen the nail's method, nimbly dodged the attack this time. To think he could subdue Lin Yun with a single trick like this? In his dreams.
Qiu Tianming had been pleased with himself a moment ago, but his smile quickly vanished.
When Lin Yun got serious, the entire battle changed.
A sharp, biting killing intent enveloped everything. Even an injured Lin Yun was not someone an ordinary person could provoke.