*”Ahem, it seems you’re celebrating too early!” Lin Yun suddenly spoke up.*
In the next moment, Lin Yun shuddered violently, causing rubble to fly around him as he emerged from the mountain. At this moment, Lin Yun was covered in dust, with bloodstains on his chest, looking utterly dishevelled.
However, Lin Yun didn’t appear to be severely injured or on the verge of collapse.
*”You can still move?”* The Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile’s expression changed drastically.
Its massive tail whipped fiercely—if it had directly struck a human body, it would have been enough to kill a peak third-stage Great Ascension Realm cultivator, let alone someone at the first stage of the Great Ascension Realm.
Lin Yun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth: *”If you thought that would be enough to kill me, you’ve severely underestimated me.”*
The reason Lin Yun could withstand the attack without dying was entirely due to the tenth level of his Tai Xu Body Refinement Technique, which had elevated his physical defence to a terrifying level.
Even so, Lin Yun had to admit that he had sustained significant internal injuries. The force of that tail strike was indeed overwhelming.
*”I refuse to believe how much you can endure!”*
The Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile let out a deafening roar and charged towards Lin Yun once again.
*”I can’t drag this out any longer,”* Lin Yun thought to himself.
Although the previous battle seemed like a mutual loss, Lin Yun had actually suffered more. Moreover, the effects of his Holy Light Extinction Technique were about to wear off.
If this continued, Lin Yun knew he would be defeated by the Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile, especially since he was already carrying serious injuries. From every angle, Lin Yun’s situation was extremely dire.
*Boom!*
The Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile charged forward, causing the air to explode and the entire cave to tremble violently.
As the crocodile was about to reach him, Lin Yun, holding his Azure Edge Sword, pushed his speed to the limit and dashed towards the Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile.
Just as they were about to collide, Lin Yun leaped into the air, aiming to approach it from behind.
*”Since you’re seeking death, then die!”*
*”Roar!”*
The Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile tilted its head back and opened its massive jaws, biting down on Lin Yun.
*Squelch!*
Lin Yun’s right arm and shoulder, which held the sword, were bitten, sending a piercing pain through his body.
*”Now’s the time!”*
*”Heaven-Shaking Hand!”*
At the moment of being bitten, Lin Yun endured the pain and raised his left hand, slamming it fiercely into the Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile.
In that instant, most of his internal energy was drained.
Lin Yun’s left hand instantly turned black, as if covered in scales and sharp claws.
*Bang!*
In the blink of an eye, Lin Yun’s palm struck the Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile’s forehead, and he clawed down with force.
A destructive force surged into the crocodile, tearing off a chunk of flesh along with its scales, leaving a gaping hole in its forehead.
From the moment the crocodile bit Lin Yun to the moment Lin Yun struck with his Heaven-Shaking Hand, it all happened in an instant.
*”Roar!”*
The Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile let out a shrill cry. As it screamed, its massive jaws opened, releasing Lin Yun.
At the same time, the crocodile collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.
*”As expected, its defence is strong enough. Even after using the Heaven-Shaking Hand, I couldn’t kill it outright!”*
As Lin Yun spoke, he unleashed the last of his internal energy, slashing at the Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile with his Azure Edge Sword.
*Squelch!*
The crocodile, seemingly incapacitated by the Heaven-Shaking Hand, was struck directly in the wound on its forehead. The sword pierced its skull.
*”Roar!”*
The Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile let out one final cry, its eyes wide open as it stared at Lin Yun.
It would never have dreamed that it would die at the hands of a first-stage Great Ascension Realm cultivator.
Lin Yun withdrew his sword, leaving a massive bloody hole in the crocodile’s head. Blood gushed out like a flood.
The Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile had completely lost its life force and was dead.
In the next moment, Lin Yun collapsed to the ground with a *thud*, gasping for breath.
Using the Heaven-Shaking Hand had drained most of his internal energy in an instant, and the final sword strike had exhausted him completely.
Additionally, Lin Yun’s injuries were severe. His body was covered in blood, and his right arm and shoulder were mangled from the bite. He looked utterly battered.
This battle had been incredibly difficult for Lin Yun.
The victory had been hard-fought and perilous!
—
**Outside, at the Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet:**
The members of the Heavenly Sword Sect were visibly anxious. Lin Yun’s score hadn’t increased for a long time—not even by a single point. This inevitably worried them.
Given the current trend, Lin Yun might soon fall below the top 200, as others’ scores continued to rise.
**Ten Thousand Flowers Ranking:**
**16th Place: Ding Xing.**
At that moment, Ding Xing’s name dropped to 17th place.
A new name suddenly appeared in the 16th position.
**16th Place: Lin Yun.**
*”Sect Master, look! Lin Yun has suddenly jumped to 16th place!”* Elder Meigu shouted excitedly.
The Heavenly Sword Sect Master focused his gaze and saw that the name in 16th place was indeed Lin Yun!
The Sect Master stood up abruptly: *”Indeed! Haha, Lin Yun has made it to 16th place! I knew this kid wouldn’t let us down!”*
The Sect Master had finally waited for Lin Yun to re-enter the top 100, and with such an impressive rank of 16th, how could he not be overjoyed?
The top of the ranking was what everyone paid the most attention to, so Lin Yun’s sudden appearance in 16th place naturally drew widespread attention.
*”What’s going on? How did that Lin Yun suddenly appear in 16th place?”*
*”Isn’t he the Blood Calamity from the Thousand Sects War? How did he suddenly climb to such a high rank? I heard he relied on his battle pet, but pets can’t be used in this round. How did he achieve this?”*
*”Even if his ranking rose, there should have been a gradual climb. How did he jump so suddenly?”*
—
For a moment, discussions erupted everywhere.
Although Lin Yun had previously stayed within the top 100 for a while, his rank hadn’t been high enough to attract much attention. Most people were focused on the top contenders.
This time, however, Lin Yun’s sudden appearance in 16th place caused a significant stir!
What puzzled everyone the most was that Lin Yun had jumped from the 100s to 16th place without any gradual progression.
*”No matter what happened, this guy’s ability to reach 16th place shows he’s not simple!”*
—
**At the Front:**
*”16th place! He’s reached 16th place!”* Jin Yaoyue was both shocked and delighted to see Lin Yun suddenly climb to such a high rank.
*”Father, look! Lin Yun has reached 16th place! This proves he’s not as weak as you thought, right?”* Jin Yaoyue’s face was filled with joy.
16th place was enough to prove his strength. Without sufficient power, it would be impossible to achieve such a rank!
Star Martial Emperor gazed at the Ten Thousand Flowers Ranking, his deep eyes flickering slightly.
*”Suddenly appearing in 16th place, with his score increasing by 10,000 points… Did he hunt down that Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile?”*
At this thought, even Star Martial Emperor’s heart shuddered.
He knew very well that only by killing the Purple-Scaled Heavenly Crocodile could one gain so many points!
—
