At his final words, Huo Zhen’s face showed a trace of helplessness.
Lin Yun patted his shoulder, “Huo Zhen, no one has great odds crossing the tribulation. Keep refining yourself. I think your chances are much better than most Ninth-Turn Tribulation Realm cultivators. Also, if you need any help or resources, just say so, don’t hold back.”
“Big Brother, I don’t need anything right now. Tribulation Pills are useless to me now, and crossing the tribulation depends on myself. I’m jealous of you, though,” Huo Zhen said with a smile.
“Jealous of me? You know, I may shine in public, but few see the suffering I endure in private,” Lin Yun said with a wry smile.
Reflecting now, if not for the Soul-Breaking Poison, he might still be in the Tribulation Realm, hesitant to attempt the tribulation.
“That’s true,” Huo Zhen nodded with a smile.
He continued, “By the way, Big Brother, Yang Wan and Old Man Yan are in the back courtyard. We were just saying it’s been a while since we saw you, and here you are.”
“Let’s go then,” Lin Yun quickened his pace.
In the back courtyard pavilion.
“Everyone, look who’s here!” Huo Zhen said with a grin.
Yang Wan and Old Man Yan, drinking in the pavilion, turned to see Lin Yun.
“Big Brother!” Yang Wan’s face lit up with joy.
“Little friend Lin Yun!” Old Man Yan was equally delighted.
“You two, drinking here?” Lin Yun said, stepping into the pavilion.
Old Man Yan smiled, “Yang Wan and I are in the Tribulation Realm, so we don’t need to rush cultivation like Wei Qi and the others. With our path at its end, we might as well enjoy fine wine and live freely.”
Lin Yun faced Yang Wan, glaring, “You, attempting the tribulation without telling me first.”
“Big Brother, you’re busy with many things. Even if I told you, you couldn’t help much with the tribulation. I reported it to the Fire Cloud Emperor and got His Majesty’s approval. The tribulation was just too hard. Surviving is already lucky,” Yang Wan said.
Seeing Yang Wan’s mental state was stable, Lin Yun felt relieved.
Many who fall into the Tribulation Realm suffer mental collapse from the blow.
“Big Brother, I expected this outcome. Throughout history, so many Tribulation Realm cultivators, yet so few reach immortality,” Yang Wan said.
“By the way, Lin Yun, what realm are you at now? With your talent, after entering immortality, you must stand out among immortals, right?” Old Man Yan asked with a grin.
“Senior Yan, I’m currently at the Second-Tier Myriad Things Realm,” Lin Yun said.
“What? You’re already at the Second-Tier Myriad Things Realm?”
“Big Brother’s reached… Second-Tier Myriad Things Realm?”
Old Man Yan, Huo Zhen, and Yang Wan were stunned.
How long had Lin Yun been in the Myriad Things Realm, and he’d already crossed another major realm?
They were utterly shocked.
“Big Brother, you’re as impressive as ever!” Huo Zhen and Yang Wan gave thumbs-ups.
“Enough about that. Today, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just drink with you here,” Lin Yun said, sitting at the table and pouring himself a cup.
…
The brothers drank and chatted until dawn the next day.
In the morning, after parting, Lin Yun told Huo Zhen he was leaving the city to inspect various places.
Huo Zhen urged him to stay, warning of demon race trouble or assassination attempts.
Lin Yun smiled, assuring him he had enough strength to handle it.
So, that morning, Lin Yun boldly left Dongyuan Prefecture’s capital through the city gate.
…
Beast Mountain Range, Demon Commander’s Mansion.
A Heavenly Demon rushed into the mansion.
“Demon Commander, according to our intel, Lin Yun arrived in Dongyuan Prefecture yesterday and left the city alone this morning!” the Heavenly Demon reported.
The Demon Commander had ordered constant monitoring of Lin Yun’s movements.
Hearing this, the Demon Commander sneered coldly, “This guy, hiding for so long, usually escorted by the Fire Cloud Emperor, finally ventures out alone! I knew he couldn’t stay cooped up forever!”
Since the failed attempt to kidnap Lin Yun’s son, which backfired, the Demon Commander had harboured deep resentment.
He had vowed to the Demon Lord to kill Lin Yun, only to fail and face harsh rebuke.
This left a burning grudge, longing to tear Lin Yun apart.
He ordered, “Send my command: Heavenly Demon Fei Huo is to go, find a chance to kill this bastard, and bring me his head. Tell him, if he can’t return with it, he needn’t return at all!”
This was a do-or-die order.
The Heavenly Demon below exclaimed, “Demon Commander, you’re sending Fei Huo? Lord Fei Huo is a seventh-tier Heavenly Demon. If anything goes wrong, it’s a significant loss for our demon race.”
A seventh-tier Heavenly Demon was akin to a human First-Tier Dominion Realm immortal, a top-tier force in the demon race.
The entire demon race had only about a dozen seventh-tier Heavenly Demons.
Eighth-tier ones were even rarer, countable on one hand.
“I refuse to believe a seventh-tier Heavenly Demon can’t take his life! Fei Huo is among the top in attack among seventh-tier Heavenly Demons. Even an average human First-Tier Dominion Realm immortal would struggle against him. I don’t believe Lin Yun is stronger than that!” the Demon Commander said firmly, his eyes brimming with killing intent.
Last time, a sixth-tier Heavenly Demon failed to assassinate Lin Yun, but the gap between sixth and seventh tiers in the demon race was vast, a major realm difference.
Fei Huo, with top-tier attack strength among seventh-tier Heavenly Demons, ranked in the top three for overall power, and barely in the top fifteen across the demon race.
The Demon Commander reasoned that no matter how fast Lin Yun grew, he couldn’t surpass a First-Tier Dominion Realm in such a short time. That was absurd!
“But Demon Commander, something feels off. Lin Yun knows going out alone risks assassination by our race. Why would he dare? Could it be a trap? Assassinating on human territory has too many variables,” the Heavenly Demon said cautiously.
