They placed a Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile in the barrier space as a hidden test because hunting this demonic beast alone is extremely difficult! Whoever can kill it will earn a massive amount of points!
The points Lin Yun gained matched exactly the points awarded for killing a Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile.
*”With his strength, how… how is this possible?”*
Star Martial Emperor found it hard to believe that Lin Yun could single-handedly kill the Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile. To him, this was almost like a fantasy. If Lin Yun had that kind of strength, why would he have relied on his battle pet during the Thousand Sects War? He could have swept through the competition on his own.
Could it be… that Lin Yun teamed up with others to kill the beast and delivered the final blow himself?
Star Martial Emperor remained skeptical.
—
At a relatively prominent seating area, the Wanderer and a few old friends were sitting together, enjoying immortal wine. Du Yuanzi, who had helped Lin Yun set up the teleportation array, was also there.
*”Oh? My disciple Lin Yun has jumped to 18th place? Haha, what a surprise! I wonder what he’s been up to in there.”* The Wanderer stared at the Ten Thousand Flowers Ranking and laughed heartily, clearly delighted.
The Wanderer had also been keeping an eye on Lin Yun’s ranking. Earlier, Lin Yun had dropped to the 100s, which had puzzled him.
*”Wanderer, your disciple has managed to climb into the top 20. That’s no small feat. I heard he’s only around forty years old?”* an elderly man beside him asked.
*”That’s right. He’s only in his forties. At his age, I thought making it into the top 100 would already be impressive. After all, most of those at the top of the rankings have cultivated for two to three hundred years. I never expected him to suddenly climb so high. It’s completely beyond my expectations.”* The Wanderer smiled with satisfaction.
Lin Yun’s outstanding performance naturally made the Wanderer, as his master, feel proud. It was even something he could boast about to his old friends.
*”Reaching such a position at forty years old is truly remarkable,”* several people around him nodded in agreement.
—
**Inside the Barrier Space:**
Lin Yun lay on the ground for a full five minutes, recovering slightly, before finally getting up.
*”I should still take the beast’s body. It has many valuable parts.”* Lin Yun waved his hand and stored the Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile’s corpse in his storage space.
Then, dragging his injured body, he walked out of the cave.
**At the Cave Entrance:**
*”The commotion inside stopped a while ago. Why hasn’t Lin Yun come out yet?”* Mo Qing stared into the cave, her clear eyes filled with growing worry.
*”Yeah, if Brother Lin had defeated the beast, he should have come out by now. Could it be… could it be that Brother Lin has already…”* Zhi Jin’s words trailed off, not daring to finish the sentence.
*”I’m going in to check!”*
Mo Qing could no longer hold back and immediately stepped forward, ready to enter the cave.
*”Mo Qing, no need to come in.”*
Lin Yun’s voice echoed from inside the cave, and soon his figure appeared before Mo Qing and Zhi Jin.
*”Lin Yun!”*
Seeing Lin Yun emerge alive, Mo Qing’s heart finally settled.
*”Lin Yun, you… you’re severely injured!”*
Mo Qing’s eyes filled with heartache as she saw Lin Yun covered in blood, his shoulder and right arm mangled.
She could imagine how difficult the battle must have been. When he defeated Gu Dong earlier, he hadn’t sustained any injuries.
*”Yes, Brother Lin, your injuries…”* Zhi Jin was also shocked by Lin Yun’s condition.
*”The beast has been slain. I’m fine. These injuries won’t take long to heal,”* Lin Yun said with a grin.
*”Let’s find a safe place for you to recover,”* Mo Qing suggested.
*”There are still many beasts in this canyon. You two should go hunt them first. I’ll recover on my own so I don’t hold you back. Once I’m fully recovered, we can move to another location to hunt together,”* Lin Yun said.
Lin Yun knew that points couldn’t be transferred, so they had to earn their own. He didn’t want to delay their progress.
After killing this beast, Lin Yun was confident he could safely advance to the next round, but the same couldn’t be said for Mo Qing and Zhi Jin.
*”Alright, we’ll go hunt nearby,”* Mo Qing and Zhi Jin nodded.
With that, the two of them flew off to hunt beasts.
Lin Yun planned to find another place to heal and recover.
By his estimate, there were about two hours left before the competition ended.
Lin Yun left the cave entrance and found a cliffside cave nearby.
**Inside the Cliffside Cave:**
Lin Yun sat down cross-legged and took out a pile of spirit crystals to absorb.
As his internal energy recovered, the injuries on his shoulder began to heal at a visible rate. New flesh grew, and the damage to his internal organs also started to mend.
Having reached the tenth level of the Tai Xu Body Refinement Technique, Lin Yun’s body was as tough as a demonic beast’s, and his recovery speed was astonishing!
—
**Outside:**
Not long after Lin Yun began healing in the cave, two figures descended into the canyon and arrived at the entrance of the Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile’s cave.
*”Fellow Daoist, this is the entrance to the beast’s cave. I followed other cultivators inside earlier and saw the beast with my own eyes. Thankfully, I was at the back of the group and ran fast enough to escape,”* a young man said, pointing at the cave entrance with a flattering smile.
Beside him stood a man wearing a metal mask, exuding a powerful aura. He was none other than [Name Redacted]!
*”Take me inside,”* the masked man said coldly.
*”Fellow Daoist, there’s… there’s no need for that, right? Just give me the reward for guiding you here,”* the young man said with a forced smile, clearly unwilling to enter.
The masked man turned sharply to look at him: *”If you want the reward, take me inside!”*
*”Alright… alright!”* The young man, feeling the overwhelming pressure, had no choice but to reluctantly agree.
The two of them then entered the cave.
Inside, the cave was in complete disarray. Blood was splattered everywhere, and the signs of a fierce battle were evident.
*”Did someone else come here?”* the guide exclaimed in surprise.
*”The beast isn’t in the pool. It seems it’s already been killed,”* the masked man frowned after scanning the area with his divine sense.
For him, killing this beast was of great significance. He aimed to secure first place in this round to make a resounding impact in the Ten Thousand Flowers Competition and attract the attention of the Eternal Realm experts. He wanted to make a name for himself in one fell swoop!
But the beast’s death had clearly disrupted his plans.
*”Who was it that did this?”* A trace of anger flickered in the masked man’s eyes.
*”Fellow Daoist, I’ve already guided you here. I… I don’t need the reward. I’ll leave now.”*
The guide turned to leave, but the masked man’s cold voice stopped him in his tracks.
*”Wait! Go find out who did this! You have five minutes to report back to me. Don’t even think about running, or you’re dead!”*
The guide’s face turned pale with fear.
*”I’ll go! I’ll go right away!”*
