Next target: Giant Spirit Sect.
Before departing, Lin Yun instructed the Heavenly Sword Sect’s great elder to stay behind with a small team to clean up the ancient clan’s battlefield and collect spoils. He also sent someone to Xingwu City to quickly spread the recorded footage of the ancient clan’s destruction.
Giant Spirit Sect.
The sect had a population of roughly over a hundred thousand.
The Giant Spirit Sect’s leader had already been killed by Lin Yun during the siege of the Heavenly Sword Sect, and no one had warned the sect.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two flying vessels descended above the Giant Spirit Sect.
“Who goes there!”
The Giant Spirit Sect’s great elder swiftly ascended from within the sect.
“I am Lin Yun, here to annihilate your Giant Spirit Sect!” Lin Yun’s voice boomed.
With those words, Lin Yun struck with a single sword, instantly slaying the great elder.
“Kill!”
Lin Yun’s group roared and charged down towards the Giant Spirit Sect.
…
About three hours later, the Giant Spirit Sect was obliterated!
“Leave this to the great elder to clean up. Next target!” Lin Yun led the group straight to the next sect.
While Lin Yun and his group razed their targets, the great elder and a small team of Heavenly Sword Sect disciples followed behind, cleaning up battlefields and collecting spoils.
…
Meanwhile.
Xingwu City, Imperial Palace.
“Your Majesty!”
The Imperial Guard commander hurriedly rushed into the grand hall.
Emperor Xingwu frowned slightly, setting down the scroll in his hand. “Commander, you’ve been a seasoned general by my side. What’s with this flustered behaviour?”
“Your Majesty, Lin Yun has defied your decree and insists on attacking the ancient clan,” the commander reported.
“What did you say?!”
“He dares defy my decree?!”
Emperor Xingwu snapped his head up, a chilling glint in his eyes.
In the Xingwu Empire, he reigned supreme!
For tens of thousands of years, who had dared to defy his decrees?
To go against his will was to challenge his authority!
“Yes, Your Majesty. I warned him repeatedly and even took action to stop him, but it was futile. He has no intention of obeying your decree,” the commander said.
“He’s far too arrogant, daring to defy my will. He’s courting death! Does he think he can stand against me?!” Emperor Xingwu’s face blazed with fury.
The dragon’s wrath caused the temperature in the hall to surge instantly.
Emperor Xingwu had never intended to deal with Lin Yun before, only to stop him.
But he never imagined Lin Yun would be bold enough to defy his decree.
Now that Lin Yun had challenged his will, there was only one outcome—erasure!
In the Xingwu Empire, his authority was unquestionable and untouchable!
Below, the commander’s forehead dripped with sweat under the weight of this fury. Emperor Xingwu was usually calm, rarely showing much emotion, let alone such rage.
“Your Majesty, this boy’s strength is truly terrifying. When I tried to stop him, I faced him one-on-one, and he repelled me. The power he unleashed—I could hardly believe it came from a Fifth-Turn Tribulation Realm cultivator,” the commander said.
Emperor Xingwu said nothing, only taking a slow breath.
That Lin Yun could repel the commander in single combat sent a profound shock through Emperor Xingwu’s heart.
In just over a decade, the boy who was once at the Mahayana realm could now repel a Ninth-Turn Tribulation Realm cultivator!
And the commander, with the empire’s resources, was among the stronger Ninth-Turn cultivators.
Emperor Xingwu had to admit to himself that Lin Yun was a prodigy!
“Even so, daring to challenge my authority is a death sentence!” A murderous glint flashed in Emperor Xingwu’s eyes.
One general’s success is built on countless bones!
Emperor Xingwu had ascended to the throne over piles of corpses. Having lived for tens of thousands of years, witnessing countless lives and deaths, he was cold-blooded to the core.
No matter how prodigious Lin Yun was, if he couldn’t be used and defied his decree, he would absolutely not be tolerated!
“By the way, Your Majesty, this is intelligence I received on my way back about this boy. It hasn’t been opened yet,” the commander said, presenting a report.
With a wave of Emperor Xingwu’s hand, the report flew into his grasp.
“Let’s see where this boy gets his confidence!”
Emperor Xingwu opened the report.
As he read, his expression shifted.
“He’s become a disciple of Emperor Fire Cloud and was appointed as the governor of East Yuan Prefecture?” Emperor Xingwu’s face showed shock.
The report detailed Lin Yun’s rise in the Fire Cloud Empire: first place in the national martial examination, becoming a disciple of Emperor Fire Cloud, rapid promotions, and his strength skyrocketing.
“Why? Why did Emperor Fire Cloud take him as a disciple?!” Emperor Xingwu’s gaze turned venomous.
Emperor Xingwu and Emperor Fire Cloud had never gotten along in the circle of Eternal Beings.
To miss out on a prodigy like Lin Yun was bad enough, but for him to be taken by Emperor Fire Cloud? It infuriated him!
“A disciple of Emperor Fire Cloud? Your Majesty, he’s actually Emperor Fire Cloud’s disciple? So that’s the confidence and capital behind his defiance of your decree?” the commander said.
“Emperor Fire Cloud seems to value and favor him highly. That makes killing this boy somewhat troublesome,” Emperor Xingwu said.
Then, his tone shifted. “However, a second-rank general of the Fire Cloud Empire causing trouble in my Xingwu Empire is against the rules! I’ll report this to the Heavenly God Palace. Moreover, I’ll detain this boy!”
…
Meanwhile.
In a private room at an inn in Xingwu City.
The two sect leaders who had escaped the Heavenly Sword Sect battlefield—the leaders of the Shadowless Sect and the Qingyuan Sect—were now meeting with the ancient clan leader.
From them, the ancient clan leader learned about the battlefield situation after his escape and the staggering losses of that battle.
“This time, our Zhutian Alliance suffered immense losses. Nine sect leaders died, even the Soul Refining Sect leader. Who could’ve imagined that bastard Lin Yun would become so powerful in just over a decade and bring back so many strong allies!” the Qingyuan Sect leader said venomously.
The Shadowless Sect leader nodded. “Indeed, it’s unbelievable. His growth is terrifying. Failing to kill him back then was our biggest mistake!”
They still shuddered thinking of the battle above the Heavenly Sword Sect. Had they not fled quickly, they’d likely have perished there too.
“I’m worried they’re heading straight for our sect headquarters now. That’s our foundation!” the Qingyuan Sect leader said.
“Rest assured, though we lost this battle, I’ve already requested His Majesty’s help to protect the Zhutian Alliance. Lin Yun absolutely won’t dare touch us again!” the ancient clan leader said with a smile.
Compared to the others, the ancient clan leader was far more at ease. He had escaped, and with His Majesty’s protection, the ancient clan would be preserved. His losses were minimal.
So he could still smile—he had lost the least.
