Over the years, Lin Yun’s strength and charisma had captivated Mu Ji, who idolised him and cared deeply for his well-being.
To Lin Yun, however, Mu Ji was not his type. He felt nothing for her, treating her merely as a teammate, nothing more.
“Don’t worry, you’ve seen my physical strength many times. I’m not that easy to kill,” Lin Yun said.
“Alright then,” Mu Ji nodded.
“Lin Yun, we’ll take our leave now,” Zhou Bocheng said, clasping his fists in farewell.
After their goodbyes, the two turned and descended the mountain.
The sun was setting, its fiery red glow painting half the sky.
Lin Yun stood with one foot on a rock, his sword resting against it, watching them leave.
His figure appeared solitary.
From now on, he would be acting alone again.
For Lin Yun, it made little difference.
He was accustomed to solitude and could even embrace the loneliness of adventuring alone.
After Zhou Bocheng and Mu Ji departed, Lin Yun lifted his sword and continued deeper into the mountains.
His goal was simple: reach the Heavenly Saint realm through demon hunting before leaving the Border Mountains.
For now, though, Lin Yun planned to find a place to spend the night. He would not hunt demons in the dark.
…
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, another hundred and twenty years had gone by.
Somewhere in the Border Mountains.
Lin Yun had just finished a battle, having slain two demons.
“One fourth-grade demonic crystal, one fifth-grade demonic crystal, not bad.”
Lin Yun grinned, collecting the two crystals, preparing to leave the area and find a place to absorb them.
Absorbing demonic crystals away from the battle site was an ironclad rule for survival in the border.
The commotion of a fight could attract other teams, and absorbing crystals on the spot was unimaginably dangerous.
Lin Yun had long mastered the unspoken rules of the Border Mountains.
Since entering the Border Mountains, Lin Yun had spent two hundred and twenty-one years there.
In those two centuries, he had fought countless battles, faced numerous dangers, and accumulated vast experience, especially in combating demons.
Naturally, his haul of demonic crystals was substantial.
Lin Yun could sense that he was not far from the Heavenly Saint realm.
After leaving the battle site, he found a hidden small valley and began absorbing the two crystals.
Since Mu Ji and Zhou Bocheng had returned down the mountain, Lin Yun had teamed up with other lone cultivators over the past century. However, due to differing principles, he eventually parted ways with them, experiencing many events along the way.
The most dangerous was an encounter with an eighth-tier demon, which nearly cost him his life.
Clashes with other teams and being robbed by them had also happened multiple times.
Fortunately, Lin Yun’s shadowless jade pendant, which shielded him from divine sense detection, had provided much convenience.
All in all, Lin Yun had faced plenty of dangers. The Border Mountains were inherently perilous.
Having stayed here so long, Lin Yun had grown accustomed to the dangers, even finding companionship in them.
No matter what he had been through, Lin Yun had survived and steadily grown stronger.
In these two hundred years, Lin Yun had never actively robbed other teams of their demonic crystals.
Though robbing others could yield crystals faster, Lin Yun had his principles.
He would not do anything that went against his conscience, even if it was beneficial!
Of course, he showed no mercy to those who came looking for trouble!
It didn’t take long for Lin Yun to successfully absorb the two demonic crystals.
“I’m getting closer to the Heavenly Saint realm. Reaching it within a year should be certain,” Lin Yun said with a smile.
An opportunity like the blood demon flower contest had not come again.
But through the accumulation of time, two hundred years of demon hunting had allowed Lin Yun to progress steadily.
Such opportunities were, after all, rare and unattainable by force.
Normally, one had to rely on time, slowly hunting demons to build up strength.
Lin Yun stood, brimming with enthusiasm, and continued his search for prey!
“Hm?”
After walking a short distance, Lin Yun noticed movement ahead in the valley.
Following the sound, he quietly approached to investigate.
Soon, he reached the source of the noise, hiding in the shadows to observe.
Four burly men were robbing two female cultivators.
Both women were already injured.
Lin Yun could see the men’s strength: two Mysterious Saints and two Initial Saints.
In the scene.
One of the women had been beaten to the point of spitting blood, collapsed, and visibly weakened.
“Sister!” The other woman supported her, tears streaming down her face.
“You two ladies refuse to comply? Don’t blame me for being ruthless!” The bald leader smirked, smacking his lips.
“Little sister, run. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have brought you here. Let me cover your escape,” the injured woman said, struggling to speak.
“No! I’m not leaving!” The younger sister sobbed, shaking her head.
“Don’t worry, neither of you is going anywhere,” the bald man said with a grin, advancing step by step.
His three teammates closed in from different directions, surrounding the women.
“You four, why not show some mercy?” a voice called from the woods.
Hearing the voice, the four men turned, alert. They saw a slightly lean figure.
When they realised Lin Yun was alone, their caution vanished, replaced by mocking smiles.
“Some random kid popping out of nowhere, thinking he can meddle?” the bald man sneered.
“I just can’t stand people like you. Taking advantage of the lawless border to rob and kill at will. Doesn’t your conscience ever bother you?” Lin Yun said coldly.
“Haha, you’re lecturing me? I don’t have a conscience, so how could it bother me?” The bald man threw his head back, laughing.
