Lin Yun’s terrifying strength left Wei Qi utterly shaken!
“Big Brother’s already this powerful?” Wei Qi’s heart churned with awe.
Earlier, when Lin Yun recruited him, he’d shown a glimpse of his strength, making Wei Qi realize Lin Yun had far surpassed him.
But witnessing this battle firsthand revealed just how vast the gap between them had grown!
Only now did he truly grasp how formidable Lin Yun had become!
What kind of monstrous genius was this?
He could hardly believe that someone as strong as Lin Yun had once been roughly on his level!
On the other side of the battlefield…
Huo Zhen was still locked in combat with the Sixth-Turn Tribulation Realm cultivator. Though his realm was one stage lower, Huo Zhen had been a deputy commander of the imperial guard—a trusted confidant of the emperor, trained with the empire’s finest resources. He could hold his own against this Sixth-Turn opponent, trading blows evenly.
“Big Brother’s incredible!” Huo Zhen couldn’t help but exclaim as he saw Lin Yun dispatch both demon beasts.
He’d sparred with Lin Yun before and knew Lin Yun was stronger than him.
But today’s display of Lin Yun’s full arsenal made him realize just how vast the difference was—Lin Yun had held back plenty during their past encounters…
“Damn it! Damn it! How did they all die? How is that guy so strong?!”
The Sixth-Turn cultivator’s face twisted in despair as he watched the Qu Ru Beast and Purple Qilin fall.
This wasn’t part of their plan at all.
Lin Yun’s strength had completely defied their expectations.
With both demon beasts dead, his confidence shattered—his only thought now was escape.
But Huo Zhen’s relentless onslaught pinned him down, leaving no chance to break free or even use a teleportation artifact!
At that moment, Lin Yun streaked toward him like a bolt of light.
“Traitor who sold out to the demon clan—die!” Lin Yun roared, swinging his sword to strike from behind.
“No!!! Don’t kill me! Prefect Lin, I’ll join you!” the middle-aged Sixth-Turn cultivator shouted in desperation.
He knew that if Lin Yun could effortlessly kill those two beasts, he stood no chance against him!
“Join me? A spineless wretch like you who betrays his own kind has no loyalty. You’d serve me today and the demon clan tomorrow—I don’t want you!” Lin Yun narrowed his eyes.
“Prefect Lin, I’ll swear by my soul! I’ll form a soul contract with you, pledging absolute loyalty and never betraying humanity again. Please, give me a chance to live!” the man pleaded frantically, terrified of death.
Huo Zhen, still attacking, chimed in, “Big Brother, if he’s willing to swear by his soul, we could take him in. We’re short on manpower, and he’s Sixth-Turn Tribulation Realm—strong enough to be useful. Plus, we might extract some demon clan secrets from him!”
Lin Yun paused, considering, then looked back at the man.
“Raise both hands above your head immediately. No sudden moves. If I catch you reaching for a teleportation artifact, I’ll kill you on the spot!” Lin Yun barked.
“Yes, yes, yes! I’ll do it!”
The man hastily raised his hands high.
Huo Zhen, who’d been pressing the attack, rushed forward, pressing his weapon to the man’s throat, holding him in check. Any wrong move, and Huo Zhen could end him.
“Swear by your soul. Form the contract with me,” Lin Yun said, staring him down.
Lin Yun had weighed Huo Zhen’s suggestion—it made sense. With a soul contract, betrayal wasn’t a concern.
Normally, cultivators avoided soul contracts—it was tantamount to enslavement.
For a Tribulation Realm cultivator especially, it was unthinkable to bind themselves this way. But to survive, this man had no choice but to submit.
Lin Yun knew the process, though it required both parties’ full consent. If the other resisted even slightly, the contract would fail.
Soon, the soul contract was successfully formed.
“It’s done. Huo Zhen, lower your weapon,” Lin Yun said, waving him off.
“Got it, Big Brother,” Huo Zhen replied, stepping back.
The man let out a long breath—his life was spared.
Huo Zhen turned to him. “Since you’ll be working under Big Brother now, introduce yourself.”
“I’m Yang Wan, Sixth-Turn Tribulation Realm,” the man said.
Lin Yun looked at him. “Yang Wan, whatever your past character, you follow my rules now. They’re simple: no heinous acts, ever.”
“Also, though we’ve formed a soul contract, you’ll have freedom day-to-day. I’ll treat you as a subordinate, not a slave. I’ll appoint you as a general in Dongyuan Prefecture—you’ll receive standard pay and resources but remain subject to imperial law. Understood?”
“Yes, Big Brother!” Yang Wan answered quickly.
Hearing this, he felt relieved. He’d feared Lin Yun would treat him like a slave.
“Yang Wan, perform well and redeem yourself, and I won’t shortchange you. Resources will come your way. Got it?” Lin Yun added.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Yang Wan grew even more excited.
This outcome was far better than he’d dared hope!
“Alright, you two head to the vessel and wait for me. I’ll collect the demon corpses and join you,” Lin Yun said.
Huo Zhen and Yang Wan nodded and headed to the vessel.
Lin Yun descended to the ground, landing beside the Purple Qilin’s corpse.
“I wonder how pure this Purple Qilin’s bloodline is. I could extract its essence to try strengthening my Demon Bone,” Lin Yun murmured.
With that, he channeled energy into the Qilin’s body, forcing out its blood essence and collecting it in a large container.
Its massive frame yielded plenty—filling the container to the brim.
Next, Lin Yun stored both the Purple Qilin’s and the Qu Ru Beast’s corpses in his storage space, then returned to the flying vessel.
