Li Yu was truly at his wit's end. Had this guy's head been kicked by a donkey? The worst that could happen in a fight was death. Right now, he couldn't even withstand a single move from Lin Yun. What was the point of talking about a "fight"?
But it was clear his words were now useless.
Lin Yun glanced at Li Yu. "You're a smart man. You know what you should do. Stand right there and don't move. If you dare to make any sudden moves, the sword in my hand has no eyes."
Faced with Lin Yun's threat, Li Yu nodded frantically. "Senior, don't worry! I will stand here obediently and will absolutely not make the slightest move!"
Lin Yun smiled. He enjoyed dealing with smart people.
Meanwhile, Wang Chengyu's left palm was open, a Qi vortex appearing in its center. As time passed, the vortex grew larger and larger, gathering the surrounding Yuan Qi.
"You brat, you do have some tricks," Wang Chengyu said with a grin. His right hand was still caught in Lin Yun's grip, and if this vortex of Qi were to explode, Lin Yun would surely be severely injured. At such a close distance, he couldn't imagine how Lin Yun would block it.
Lin Yun looked at Wang Chengyu as if he were looking at an idiot.
Far in the distance, Li Yu was about to piss his pants. For god's sake! If you want to perish together with Lin Yun, why are you dragging me into it? Judging by Wang Chengyu's posture, he was about to unleash his ultimate move. It was his only remaining path to victory. Even if he lost, the sect would surely learn of the situation here. His idea was sound.
But reality was much, much harsher.
Just as Wang Chengyu was brimming with confidence, Lin Yun simply blew a puff of air. The Qi vortex that had been condensing in his palm was actually blown away. It grew larger as it flew through the air before slamming into the ground with ferocious momentum.
Dust flew everywhere. The sound was deafening.
Wang Chengyu stared at his empty palm, unable to believe that his ultimate move had been so easily dispelled by Lin Yun.
"What kind of monster am I facing?" he wondered, looking at Lin Yun beside him. At this moment, his heart was filled with nothing but endless, boundless terror. The gap between them was so vast it left him without a shred of hope. He had thought he stood a fighting chance, but who could have known that he had lost completely from the very beginning?
"Your techniques are far too weak," Lin Yun mocked. "If you truly want to defeat me, you'll have to be much stronger than that."
Lin Yun's taunt made Wang Chengyu's face twist with savagery. "You damn bastard! I'll give you everything I've got!"
He lost all form, fighting now with almost pure instinct. Facing Wang Chengyu's mindless attacks, Lin Yun easily evaded them with just his Ghostly Void Steps. Then, the next time Wang Chengyu struck, Lin Yun kicked him squarely in the chest.
With a crisp crack, Wang Chengyu collapsed to the ground and couldn't get up. His chest was caved in; that one kick had likely shattered several of his ribs.
Li Yu saw it all. The difference between Lin Yun and Wang Chengyu was immense. It was like a great shaman meeting a small shaman; they were completely outclassed. This was, as expected, the ruthless man who had severely injured Jiang Qingshuang. Although he was also just an Origin Sea…
Wait.
Li Yu's eyes widened. A moment ago, they had all thought Lin Yun was merely in the Origin Sea Realm. But just for an instant, they sensed something different.
Sky-Soaring Realm!
Although it was just for a fleeting moment, Li Yu trusted his senses.
So strong. I heard he was at the sixth stage of the Origin Sea Realm at most when he entered the Spirit Realm. Only a few days have passed, and he's already broken through to the Sky-Soaring Realm?
Because of the great battle with the Crimson Ghost Sect, Lin Yun's name had already spread far and wide. Every sect knew of him. They just never imagined this young man could be so formidable, achieving such a mature level of improvement in such a short time. Such talent was rare even in the wider cultivation world.
Wang Chengyu spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered to his feet. "You bastard, I'll…"
Lin Yun looked at him and snorted. "So noisy."
He pointed with two fingers. Without even using his sword, he condensed his Yuan Qi into a blade of sword Qi. It whistled through the air.
Wang Chengyu saw the azure sword Qi coming and desperately twisted his body to dodge. "Haha, you think you can kill me with just that?"
But to his horror, the blade of sword Qi turned in mid-air and, coming from behind, sliced off one of his legs.
Wang Chengyu cried out in pain and collapsed to his knees. In the next moment, several more blades of sword Qi engulfed him. Lin Yun had no intention of dragging this out. Since his time had come, it was only natural to send him on his way.
After doing all this, he clapped his hands together. "Next, it's time for our negotiation."
Li Yu half-knelt on the ground. "I am willing to follow Senior until Senior leaves the Myriad Evils Valley." He was smart. If he wanted to keep his life, his only option was to stick with Lin Yun.
Lin Yun then turned his gaze to Liu Xiaolu. At this moment, his expression was the most complex. The man he had once thought was his best friend had suddenly transformed into someone else entirely, and he had just been bad-mouthing him right to his face. Seeing Wang Chengyu die, Liu Xiaolu didn't know what his own fate would be. He'll probably just kill me like the others, he thought, laughing at his own misfortune.
But just then, Lin Yun looked at him. "I did not intend to kill him. The situation was just… special. Our stances were different." It was almost an explanation.
Surprised, Liu Xiaolu nodded instinctively. On the battlefield, swords have no eyes. Who could guarantee their own safety? He sighed. "His death… perhaps it was fate. You can rest assured, I will not expose you to the sect."
He looked at Lin Yun. "If you are here to rescue the people from the Vajra Sect, I happen to know where they are being held."
Now it was Lin Yun's turn to be surprised. "You know that my stance is different from yours."
Liu Xiaolu smiled and nodded. "We have always referred to ourselves as an evil sect, but in truth, the Myriad Evils Valley has rarely done anything evil over the years. I prefer to believe that we follow the principle of 'well water does not interfere with river water'. If it weren't for the conflict stirred up by the Crimson Ghost Sect, why would the Myriad Evils Valley have gotten embroiled in this? I am just a minor disciple."
He couldn't play a decisive role in this war, nor could he stop others from sinking deeper into it. The only thing he could do was follow his heart.
Li Yu couldn't help but give Liu Xiaolu a second look. This brother… his level of awareness is truly high. If he had half that skill, he would have had Lin Yun wrapped around his finger long ago.
Li Yu was tossed into Xiao Bai's domain. The little creature hadn't woken up during the previous battles, and there was no telling when he would.
Liu Xiaolu, meanwhile, led Lin Yun to the place where the Vajra Sect was imprisoned. It was a mountain cave. Other than being guarded by disciples of the Myriad Evils Valley, there were no other issues. It seemed the Myriad Evils Valley had no intention of doing anything to them. For now, their only goal was to keep the Vajra Sect here obediently.
Lin Yun didn't know what the Myriad Evils Valley was plotting, but now, he could no longer stand by and watch.