Boom!
The Baili Clan elder, flung backwards, crashed heavily into the ground, carving out a deep crater and kicking up a storm of dust.
“Pfft!”
Struggling to his feet from the pit, he spat out another mouthful of blood.
“Elder!”
The Baili Clan members rushed over to support him.
“How… how could this be!?”
Once propped up, the elder’s wide eyes locked onto Lin Yun in midair, his disbelief palpable.
He couldn’t accept it—he, an Eighth-Turn Tribulation Realm cultivator, had been defeated by someone at Third-Turn!
“That guy… he actually won!”
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
For a Third-Turn Tribulation Realm cultivator to injure an Eighth-Turn—the mental shock it delivered was immense!
They finally understood why this young man was worthy of being taken as a disciple by Emperor Huoyun…
“This…”
Even the Fourth Elder of the Tianqiong Clan was struck speechless with astonishment. With the power Lin Yun had just displayed, even he might come out worse for wear if they clashed.
Lin Yun, pushed back a distance by the powerful shockwave, steadied himself with no major injuries.
“Old dog, you’ve lost! And now you’ll pay the price for your actions—with your life!”
With a fierce shout, Lin Yun’s Heavenly Dao-grade weapon trembled again, boundless energy surging wildly!
“This… this…”
The Baili Clan members’ faces paled in terror.
They could sense the dread of death emanating from Lin Yun’s sword.
“Elder, he’s attacking again! What do we do? What do we do?” The Baili Clan members panicked.
The elder, too, felt fear and dread—Lin Yun’s attacks were simply too terrifying!
“Kid, stop! If you push me to the brink, neither of us will come out of this well! If you force an Eighth-Turn Tribulation Realm cultivator like me to a dead end, no one wins—we’ll both perish!” the Baili Clan elder roared at Lin Yun.
“Sorry, your threats are nothing but empty words to me!”
With that, Lin Yun shot forward like lightning, his sword—brimming with ferocious energy—tearing through the void, striking fiercely at the Baili Clan elder!
This strike, too, was infused with all his techniques!
Its power matched the previous blow!
“Defend together!”
The Baili Clan elder shouted, pulling out an artifact and frantically pouring energy into it.
The other Baili Clan members present also desperately channelled their inner energy.
Their power flooded into the artifact like a breached dam!
Buzz!
A massive white barrier burst forth from the artifact, enveloping them.
“This kid’s at Third-Turn Tribulation Realm but using so many techniques. If we can hold out for a moment and exhaust his strength, we’ll have a chance to counterattack!” the Baili Clan elder yelled.
“Dream on if you think you can block me!”
“Break!”
As the white barrier formed, Lin Yun slashed down!
Buzz buzz!
The collision unleashed a torrent of power from the sword, sending ripples across the barrier, which began trembling wildly!
The white shield dimmed at an alarming rate, showing signs of cracking.
“Quick, pour in all your energy!” the Baili Clan elder bellowed.
The Baili Clan members gritted their teeth, frantically feeding it more power.
With the influx of massive energy, the fading barrier brightened again.
“You can’t stop me!”
Lin Yun pushed harder, slashing again.
Boom!
As the energy poured out once more, the newly brightened barrier sprouted countless cracks and shattered with a resounding explosion!
“Pfft!”
The Baili Clan elder and his clan members turned pale, spitting blood!
“It’s over!”
Lin Yun gathered his attack again, the sword piercing through the void, aimed straight at the Baili Clan elder.
“Kid, stop! If you kill me, I’ll self-destruct the moment before your sword lands! We’ll die together!” the Baili Clan elder roared through clenched teeth.
His words sent a wave of panic through the other teams.
If he really self-destructed, everyone would be caught in the blast. Those at First or Second-Turn Tribulation Realm wouldn’t survive the terrifying impact of an Eighth-Turn’s explosion!
Lin Yun’s sword halted just before the elder’s forehead.
The elder’s arms trembled slightly, sweat beading on his brow, his face deathly pale.
He was gambling!
Betting that Lin Yun wouldn’t want mutual destruction. If there was a way to live, he certainly didn’t want to self-destruct.
Of course, if Lin Yun left him no choice, he was prepared to blow himself up—taking everyone down with him!
But Lin Yun’s sword hovered before his head.
Lin Yun feared a self-destruct—not for himself, as he had the life-saving pendant from Emperor Huoyun. Once activated, it could withstand an Eternal’s attack.
If triggered, it could absolutely block the elder’s explosion.
But such a blast would surely affect Yu Ying. At First-Turn Tribulation Realm, with far weaker defences than Lin Yun, her safety was his concern.
Plus, that pendant was incredibly precious. Unless it was a dire, last-resort moment, Lin Yun couldn’t bear to use it—he didn’t want to waste it like this.
“You want to live? Fine—ten thousand Tribulation Pills to buy your life!” Lin Yun demanded boldly.
“You… you dare extort me? You’re not afraid I’ll self-destruct?” The Baili Clan elder’s eyes bulged with fury.
“My sword’s at your skull right now—why wouldn’t I dare? And I’m betting that as long as you have a way out, you won’t blow yourself up. Ten thousand Tribulation Pills or your life—I think you know how to choose!” Lin Yun said, narrowing his eyes.
For an Eighth-Turn Tribulation Realm cultivator like him, reaching this level had been a gruelling journey through countless hardships. He’d value his life dearly and wouldn’t die if he could live!
Typically, many cultivators couldn’t muster the resolve to self-destruct even when facing death.
“You…” The Baili Clan elder was momentarily speechless—Lin Yun had hit his weak spot.
With a way to survive, he certainly didn’t want to self-destruct.
Since the elder had threatened to blow himself up, all the surrounding teams had already retreated frantically, putting distance between themselves and the scene.
Even Yu Ying had been pulled far back by the Tianqiong Clan’s Fourth Elder.
This eased Lin Yun’s worries. Even if the elder self-destructed now, he wasn’t concerned.
“Winner takes all! When you came after me, you should’ve considered the consequences of failure. Make your choice—this is your only chance. If you don’t hand them over and want to blow up, stop wasting time and do it!” Lin Yun urged impatiently.
“Elder, give it to him! Give it!” The nearby Baili Clan members pleaded.
They knew if he self-destructed, they’d die for sure—standing so close, they didn’t want to perish either!
“Fine! Ten thousand Tribulation Pills… I’ll give them!”
Gritting his teeth, the Baili Clan elder reluctantly produced ten thousand Tribulation Pills and handed them to Lin Yun.
Handing over ten thousand Tribulation Pills felt like his heart was bleeding, but to survive, he had no choice.
