“City Lord, let’s go down!”
After speaking, Lin Yun directly stowed the flying vessel and descended with the city lord to the castle entrance.
“I am Donghua, the lord of this prefecture, here to inspect your Li family. Why hasn’t the head of the Li family come out to greet us?” the city lord said, hands clasped behind his back.
“So it’s the city lord! I’ll report this immediately,” the guard replied before hurriedly turning to leave.
Inside the castle.
“What? The city lord is here? Why would he suddenly come to inspect this place?”
Upon receiving the report, the head of the Li family and the others present immediately grew tense.
“How many people came?” the head of the Li family asked at once.
“Just two,” the guard answered.
“Head of the Li family, go meet him. If it’s just a routine visit, handle it as you see fit. But if they’ve noticed something unusual, the moment anything happens, I’ll order an ambush to kill them both! This city lord is merely at the Void Nether Realm; killing him would be effortless,” said a man in a black robe, his voice hoarse.
“Yes, Envoy,” the head of the Li family responded.
With that, the head of the Li family walked outside.
At the castle entrance.
After Lin Yun and the city lord waited for a moment, a middle-aged man in brocade robes emerged with a broad smile on his face.
“City Lord, what brings you here? I’m the head of the Li family,” the middle-aged man said, beaming.
“I was passing through on official business and noticed how impressive your castle looks, so I came down to take a look,” the city lord explained.
“I see! Please, come in, City Lord,” the head of the Li family said, ushering the city lord and Lin Yun into the castle.
As the three walked along.
“Head of the Li family, it seems there’s a hidden fortress beneath your castle. What’s it for?” Lin Yun suddenly asked.
At those words, the head of the Li family’s heart jolted with alarm.
Yet he maintained a calm exterior.
“There is indeed a hidden fortress. It’s used for storing supplies, our family’s resource vault,” the head of the Li family explained with a smile.
“I wonder if it’d be convenient for you to take us inside for a look?” Lin Yun said.
“This… the resource vault is a critical part of our family’s holdings. How could outsiders just enter it casually? Young man, your request seems a bit excessive, doesn’t it?” the head of the Li family replied, still smiling.
“Head of the Li family, what if I say I want to go in and inspect it?” the city lord interjected.
The smile on the head of the Li family’s face gradually faded, “Are you two serious about going in?”
“We must!” Lin Yun’s tone was resolute.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, fifty or sixty black shadows surged out from both sides, charging fiercely at Lin Yun and the city lord.
“Since you two insist on going in, then it’s a dead end for you!”
As he spoke, the head of the Li family quickly retreated, trying to slip away.
“Don’t even think about leaving!”
*Boom!*
With swift reflexes, Lin Yun reached out and grabbed the head of the Li family, pinning him in place.
“I’ve got the head of the Li family in my hands. Who dares to make a move?” Lin Yun shouted loudly.
At that moment, Lin Yun was absolutely certain there was something amiss here.
Moreover, the black shadows rushing out around them gave Lin Yun a faint sense of demon beast aura!
From a distance, a black-robed man quickly issued a command, “Ignore the head of the Li family. Kill these two immediately!”
Hearing this, the head of the Li family’s face twisted with despair, “Lord Envoy, I’ve served you loyally. How could you do this? You can’t abandon me!”
Lin Yun looked at the head of the Li family, “You’re human, he’s of the demon race. He won’t care about your life or death. Your biggest mistake was becoming a lackey for the demon race!”
As his words fell, Lin Yun snapped the head of the Li family’s neck.
“No!” The head of the Li family’s eyes bulged wide. Perhaps in his final moments, he felt regret, but it was too late.
By now, the dozens of black shadows had already closed in, their auras varying in strength. Several of them were terrifyingly powerful, enough to make even the city lord deeply wary!
“You beasts, not staying where you belong and daring to trespass into human territory—die!”
Lin Yun instantly transformed into a streak of light, his sword flashing as it swept toward the black shadows!
*Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!*
In front of Lin Yun, these black shadows were like paper, their lives swiftly reaped by him.
“Lord Lin Yun is truly formidable!” the city lord marvelled inwardly.
At the same time, the city lord felt fortunate that, after suspecting something odd here, he hadn’t sent troops to attack this place.
Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable!
“A Third-Order Mahayana Realm?” The black-robed man in the distance stared at Lin Yun, astonishment flickering in his eyes.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Yun had slaughtered all dozens of black shadows in the field.
“Lin Yun? You’re the new disciple of the Fire Cloud Emperor, Lin Yun?” The black-robed man fixed his gaze on Lin Yun, his hoarse voice laced with cold intent.
The city lord’s earlier address of Lin Yun had clearly reached his ears.
“That’s right, it’s me. I didn’t expect to be so famous that even you lot know of me,” Lin Yun said with a chuckle.
“They say you’re a peerless genius. Eliminating a human genius like you would be quite a prize. Since you’re here, don’t expect to leave today!”
As he spoke, the black-robed man stepped forward.
“Eliminate me? Let’s see if you’ve got what it takes!” Lin Yun sneered coldly.
“Jie jie, ignorant of the heights of heaven and earth—die!”
The black-robed man lunged at Lin Yun, swinging a massive war hammer that smashed down toward him with ferocious force!
*Boom!*
The giant hammer descended like a small mountain from the sky, pressing down with terrifying power!
In an instant, Lin Yun judged the black-robed man’s strength to be equivalent to a human cultivator at the Second or Third Transition Tribulation Realm!
“Lord Lin Yun, be careful!”
The city lord’s face paled in fright upon sensing the opponent’s immense power.
He knew Lin Yun was at the Third-Order Mahayana Realm, but the enemy’s strength far surpassed that level!
“Let’s test the power of this Shadow Sword Technique on you!” Far from showing fear, Lin Yun’s face lit up with anticipation.
Since mastering the Shadow Sword Technique, he hadn’t yet used it in real combat. Now was the perfect chance to see its effects!
Shadow Sword Technique, Third Form!
*Whoosh!*
His treasured sword erupted with terrifying power. At the same time, the Eleventh Layer of Supreme Void Power, demon bones, divine sense, and profound mysteries fused into this single strike!
*Boom!*
The sword blazed with brilliant light, clashing head-on with the descending giant hammer!
The collision sent a shockwave exploding outward in all directions. The surrounding buildings instantly cracked with countless fissures before collapsing with a thunderous crash. The castle guards caught in the shockwave died instantly, without even time to scream.
The black-robed man was forced back repeatedly, shattering the stone ground beneath his feet.
“The power of this Shadow Sword Technique is indeed fearsome!” Lin Yun smiled with satisfaction.
He had only used the third form, not even the fourth, and hadn’t unleashed the Heaven-Shaking Hand, yet he’d still overpowered his foe!
Steadying himself, the black-robed man showed a trace of shock, “So strong!?”
Clearly, he had completely underestimated Lin Yun’s strength.
“I told you, if you want to eliminate me, it depends on whether you’ve got the ability!” Lin Yun said with a laugh.
“Kid, it’s too early to get cocky!”
As he spoke, the black-robed man’s robes burst apart, and his body rapidly expanded.
In an instant, he transformed into a towering, four-to-five-metre-tall Barbaric Sky Ox!
