“Break!”
Lin Yun roared like a beast, his head thrown back.
All the power in his body erupted in this moment, straining to shatter the spatial restraints imposed by the Eternal Being.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The space around Lin Yun trembled violently.
His skin turned crimson from the rush of blood, veins bulging, eyes bloodshot as if they might burst.
The next moment.
Boom!
The surrounding space shattered, and Lin Yun forcibly broke free from the Eternal Being’s spatial bindings.
“He broke free?” The Imperial Guard commander was stunned.
“Hmph, ignorant fool!”
The Eternal Being’s expression darkened.
“Then let me answer you. Because Emperor Fire Cloud possesses immense power! His word is law, his word is justice! Defying him is a crime, treason!”
The Eternal Being stared at Lin Yun, his tone icy. “And you must face judgment!”
With that, he raised his hand again.
Boom!
A massive phantom hand materialized around Lin Yun, reaching to seize him!
Lin Yun felt an invisible oppressive force envelop him, wrapping him tightly.
The giant phantom hand gripped Lin Yun firmly.
“Break!”
Lin Yun struggled with all his might, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not break free this time.
“Cease your futile resistance. Before an Eternal Being, you’re nothing but an ant. Still, forcing an Eternal Being to personally apprehend you is something you can take pride in,” the Eternal Being said calmly.
“Justice and fairness upheld by force will one day collapse!” Lin Yun said with a ferocious grin.
“Big Brother!” Huo Zhen and the others grew frantic.
The Heavenly Sword Sect leader, the Wanderer, and the others could only watch anxiously, powerless to challenge an Eternal Being.
“They want to kill Senior Brother. At worst, we’ll fight them to the death! Having destroyed so many Zhutian Alliance forces, we have no regrets!” many Heavenly Sword Sect disciples shouted.
“Fine! Let’s fight one last battle, even if it means being shattered to pieces!” The sect leader drew his treasured sword.
Seeing their resolve to fight to the death, Lin Yun shouted, “Sect Leader, Master, don’t worry—I won’t die! Huo Zhen, take Zhao Hu and Meng Shan back to East Yuan Prefecture to handle the situation there. The rest of you stay to protect the Heavenly Sword Sect!”
“Yes… yes…”
Hearing Lin Yun, they could only nod.
Then, they watched helplessly as Lin Yun was seized and taken aboard the flying vessel.
The vessel departed, vanishing from their sight.
The Heavenly Sword Sect members, the Wanderer, and the others were filled with worry.
“Lin Yun defied Emperor Xingwu’s decree. This time, being taken away… I fear the odds are against him!” Du Yuanzi said, his face heavy with concern.
“Big Brother Huo Zhen, what do we do now?” The Heavenly Sword Sect leader was deeply worried.
“After Big Brother’s capture, there’ll likely be big trouble ahead. But one thing is certain: at least Emperor Xingwu won’t kill Lin Yun. That’s the only good news,” Huo Zhen said gravely.
“Oh? Why not?” The sect leader, the Wanderer, and Du Yuanzi were curious.
In their view, having defied Emperor Xingwu’s decree, the emperor’s fury would almost certainly lead to Lin Yun’s death!
“Because Big Brother is Emperor Fire Cloud’s favored disciple and a second-rank governor of the Fire Cloud Empire. This involves relations between two empires. No matter how much Emperor Xingwu wants to kill Big Brother, he won’t. At most, he’ll detain him. Big Brother may suffer, but his life is safe,” Huo Zhen explained.
“Lin Yun is Emperor Fire Cloud’s disciple?”
The Heavenly Sword Sect members, the Wanderer, and Du Yuanzi were shocked.
Since Lin Yun’s return, he had been focused on revenge. They knew he was now powerful and had brought many strong allies, but he hadn’t told them about being taken as a disciple by Emperor Fire Cloud.
“This guy is a true prodigy, shining wherever he goes. Being accepted as Emperor Fire Cloud’s disciple can’t have been easy,” the sect leader said, sighing in awe.
“With this status, he’s much safer,” the Wanderer said.
They felt a bit more reassured. At least Lin Yun’s life was likely safe—a silver lining in their misfortune.
“Brother Yang Wan, Brother Wei Qi, Brother Liang Yuan, you and the personal guards stay with the Heavenly Sword Sect for now and await news about Big Brother. I’ll take Zhao Hu and Meng Shan back to manage East Yuan Prefecture,” Huo Zhen said.
“Brother Huo, go ahead. We’ll handle things here,” Liang Yuan nodded.
Then, they split into two groups, heading in different directions.
…
The news of Lin Yun annihilating the ancient clan’s stronghold and the eleven prominent sects spread rapidly across the Xingwu Empire, causing an uproar.
The factions that had recently joined the Zhutian Alliance hurriedly announced their withdrawal, fearing they too would face annihilation!
The Zhutian Alliance, which had been unrivaled in the public eye in recent years, collapsed overnight.
People began to sense that the Heavenly Sword Sect might rise again!
After all, the resources and spoils collected from destroying the Zhutian Alliance’s clans and sects were undoubtedly an astronomical figure!
The cultivation world of the Xingwu Empire was poised for a dramatic shift!
All because of Lin Yun!
…
Xingwu City, Imperial Palace.
Jin Yao’er had heard of these events and even had someone procure footage for her to watch.
“It’s really him. My goodness, he’s become this powerful?”
Jin Yao’er’s beautiful eyes locked onto Lin Yun in the projected footage. “I knew he wouldn’t die so easily. I knew he’d return as a king one day!”
“This time, the Zhutian Alliance has suffered terribly,” the old servant beside her sighed.
“They deserve it! They tried to kill Lin Yun back then—this is karmic retribution!” Jin Yao’er laughed.
Then, she turned and ordered, “Find out Lin Yun’s whereabouts. I must find a chance to see him!”
“Miss, I heard His Majesty sent someone to capture Lin Yun,” the old servant said.
“Capture Lin Yun? How can that be? I’m going to Father!” Jin Yao’er stood abruptly and rushed outside.
“Princess, don’t go! Don’t!” The old servant hurriedly tried to stop her.
…
Inside the Imperial Palace’s grand hall.
The hall’s doors were pushed open.
Lin Yun, bound by spirit-restraining ropes, was escorted into the hall.
These ropes had the unique ability to suppress spiritual energy. It was difficult for a powerful cultivator to be bound by them, but once bound, their strength was nearly impossible to unleash.
“Your Majesty, the prisoner has been brought!” The Imperial Guard commander escorted Lin Yun into the hall.
