Sweat beaded on Murong Hongyi's forehead. The disciples of the Seven Fiends Gate, once brimming with confidence, had fallen silent. They didn't dare to say a word.
If Fang Jidong had lost, one could argue it was due to a lack of skill. But Murong Hongyi? He was an exceptionally rare genius in the Seven Fiends Gate, a potential successor to the position of Gate Master. Yet now, in his battle with Lin Yun, he displayed none of the demeanor an expert should have. With every move and every stance, he seemed to be completely suppressed by Lin Yun. How could the other disciples place their trust in him?
"Are we… going to lose?"
"How is that possible? Senior Brother Murong is a rare genius of our sect! That guy is only in the Origin Sea Realm."
The disciples muttered amongst themselves. Murong Hongyi, of course, heard their discussions, but he had no way to refute them. On the surface, it looked like he was the one initiating the attacks, but each one was completely ineffective. This only proved that Lin Yun's strength was greater.
Moreover, Murong Hongyi could feel the profound impact the Killing Intent Domain was having on this battle. Under its influence, Lin Yun's combat power had risen by an unknown number of levels. For Murong Hongyi, the longer this fight dragged on, the faster he would die.
But with his current abilities, it was already too late to even think about escaping. He looked at Lin Yun, his eyes filled with despair.
At that moment, however, Lin Yun had already made his final preparations.
The instant Lin Yun raised his head, the wind and clouds in the heavens changed color. A terrifying aura, seemingly innate, erupted from his body.
The Killing Intent Domain, at this moment, was fully formed.
If before, Lin Yun's killing intent had merely made people feel sluggish and chilled, the aura now was one that penetrated deep into the bone marrow, making their very hearts tremble. Even Murong Hongyi felt his perception of Lin Yun shift. In that instant, he desperately wanted to kneel and beg for mercy. The power of the man before him was too terrifying.
"If this is the only ability you possess," Lin Yun's icy voice sounded in Murong Hongyi's ear, "then you are probably going to die here."
The killing intent, now as if it were tangible, forced him back step by step.
"Is this the genius that the Flowing Cloud Sect was so wary of?" Xia Yijing sneered from a distance. "What a bunch of idiots. Instead of using every means possible to cultivate such a genius, they let him leave the sect. And now, because they fear his talent, they want to kill him. How laughable!"
She finally understood why the Flowing Cloud Sect had rallied so many other sects to deal with Lin Yun. It wasn't that they were worried they couldn't beat him themselves. It was because they knew that if they gave Lin Yun even a moment to breathe, the entire sect would one day be no match for him. So, Gu Xiande had orchestrated the current situation. He wanted to make everyone Lin Yun's enemy, to leave him with no foothold in the entire cultivation world. It was just a pity that in the end, Lin Yun had seen through his plot.
Despair showed on Murong Hongyi's face, his arms trembling. Just then, he suddenly reversed the Fiend Qi within his body. A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips.
Murong Hongyi gave a tragic smile. "I truly did not expect to meet such a difficult opponent today. But to make me bow my head and admit defeat? That is absolutely impossible. Even if I have to sacrifice my own life, I will cut you down right here!"
As he spoke, he clenched his fists. A raging Fiend Qi, like fire, spread out around him. The Fiend Qi and the Killing Intent were like water and fire, incompatible. As they constantly clashed, terrifying energy radiated outwards, striking fear into the hearts of all the surrounding disciples.
Lin Yun nodded with a measure of appreciation. Anyone else would have already turned and fled. Yet this man still had the courage to face him head-on.
"You have some skill, but in the end, it's not quite enough." Lin Yun glanced into the distance. After fighting for so long, someone had likely noticed. This was not a place to linger. He said nothing more.
"I don't care who you are! Today, I will kill you!" Murong Hongyi roared, beads of blood seeping from the pores all over his body. In an instant, he seemed to be dyed red with blood, crashing towards Lin Yun like a crimson meteor.
DONG! DONG! DONG!
His fists smashed down, each punch seeming to carry the force to destroy mountains and split the earth. And under his assault, Lin Yun was forced back, step by step.
At first, Murong Hongyi was quite pleased. He could see that his attacks were finally having an effect. Lin Yun wasn't escaping from his onslaught. Though he found it strange, he didn't overthink it.
It was only after the battle had progressed for some time that Murong Hongyi realized the problem.
Lin Yun was anticipating his attacks the moment they were launched. With an exceptionally brilliant movement technique, he nimbly dodged every blow. Even on the rare occasion he couldn't dodge, he could always easily block the attack with his other hand.
He knew better than anyone how terrifying the power behind his fists was. It was enough to shatter a small hill. But when his punches landed on Lin Yun's body, they were like stones sinking into the great sea, unable to stir up even the slightest ripple.
"Now, you can try my sword."
"After taking your hits for so long, you should understand. In this domain, I am invincible!"
Lin Yun's figure flashed, and in the blink of an eye, he had put a great distance between them. Murong Hongyi had wanted to stick to him, to prevent him from counter-attacking. But who would have thought that when Lin Yun wanted to create distance, it would be so effortless?
Murong Hongyi knew how dangerous this was for him, but he no longer had the strength to give chase.
A contemptuous smile curled at the corner of Lin Yun's lips. "Thank you for helping me comprehend this sword technique. I shall use your Seven Fiends Fist Method to name it. This move shall be called… the Seven Kills Sword!"
The moment he spoke those three words, the killing intent in Lin Yun's eyes became fully manifest. In the next instant, nearly all the Yuan Qi in his body was injected into the Firmament Sword. The blade began to tremble in his hand.
Killing intent and Yuan Qi were, at this moment, merging at an incredible speed. An ethereal, void-like energy was beginning to form!
"Not good! If he unleashes that, I'm in trouble!"
Although Murong Hongyi was injured, he knew he had no other choice. If Lin Yun used this technique, he was dead without a doubt. Without hesitation, he charged forward once more.
Unfortunately for him, the speed of Lin Yun's sword was even faster than he had imagined.
BOOM!
With one slash, the sky and earth went dark.