Lin Yun’s earlier appearance of being on the verge of death was entirely an act. How could he possibly die?
At these words, the Xingwu Emperor was momentarily stunned.
Not dead?
He had clearly felt his heavy blade pierce Lin Yun’s heart.
When he looked up at Lin Yun again, he noticed that, despite Lin Yun’s weakened aura, his life force hadn’t dissipated.
“You… you…” The Xingwu Emperor stared wide-eyed, dumbfounded.
Under his incredulous gaze, Lin Yun pulled the blade from his chest, revealing a gaping wound as blood gushed out, staining his robes red.
Yet the wound was rapidly wriggling and healing, the blood flow slowing quickly.
Having reached the origin-level physical realm, even a pierced heart could regrow. This was another of Lin Yun’s trump cards!
Of course, while a pierced heart wouldn’t kill him, it was enough to severely injure him. Lin Yun’s condition was clearly dire.
“You… you’re really not dead!”
After a long pause, the Xingwu Emperor finally exclaimed in shock.
Lin Yun’s wounds were healing. Where was any sign of death?
Surviving a pierced heart delivered a staggering shock to the Xingwu Emperor!
“Could it be… your body has reached the origin state!” The Xingwu Emperor’s eyes locked onto Lin Yun.
He knew only an origin-state body could achieve such a feat.
“Correct, it’s the origin state. Since you’ve guessed it, there’s no point hiding it,” Lin Yun admitted openly.
By the riverside.
“It’s the origin state! Haha, it seems neither of them will die,” Deputy Palace Master Yao laughed heartily.
He had been genuinely shaken, thinking both Lin Yun and the Xingwu Emperor would perish.
Now it was just a false alarm.
“I long suspected this lad’s physical realm was formidable, but I never imagined he’d reached the origin state!” Song Lin marvelled.
“Phew, that really scared me!”
Cao Jun and Little Sword Immortal Zhuang Song let out long sighs of relief.
They had thought the Xingwu Emperor was doomed, given Lin Yun’s sword had aimed for his chest.
Jin Yao’er also exhaled in relief.
Inside the Nine Stars Pagoda.
“Your Majesty, you know my sword could have pierced your heart. If you were an enemy, in a true life-or-death fight, I wouldn’t have altered its path, and you’d be dead,” Lin Yun said.
He continued, “But even with my heart pierced, I’d only be severely injured. That’s the result of real combat. So, this time, you should concede, right?”
In a true fight against an enemy, the Xingwu Emperor would be dead, while Lin Yun would be gravely wounded.
Lin Yun added, “Reaching the origin-state body is my own ability, so you wouldn’t call my tactic cheating, would you?”
The Xingwu Emperor understood this logic.
In real combat, if they were true adversaries, he would be dead.
Real combat judged by life and death; the means didn’t matter, only the outcome.
The Xingwu Emperor’s death would be the result of a true fight.
“Phew… I’ve lost. This time, I’m thoroughly convinced, Lin Yun. I must admit, you’ve surpassed me,” the Xingwu Emperor sighed, finally nodding in defeat.
If he were dead in a real fight, what was there to dispute?
“By the way, Your Majesty, if I had actually died, you wouldn’t have really cried, would you?” Lin Yun teased with a grin.
The Xingwu Emperor’s eyes had indeed been red and teary.
His face flushed with embarrassment, utterly mortified.
“It was… just concern, that’s all! What are you thinking!” the Xingwu Emperor stammered, wishing he could crawl into a hole.
His eyes had indeed been red and teary, as if on the verge of tears.
The reason was simple: he thought he’d killed Lin Yun, yet Lin Yun had shifted his sword at the last moment, sparing his heart.
This left him shocked and remorseful, causing his earlier lapse.
He hadn’t expected it to be a false alarm.
“Your Majesty, per our pre-battle agreement, if you lost, our grudges would be wiped clean. You won’t go back on your word, will you?” Lin Yun asked with a smile.
“This emperor’s word is iron. Since you’ve defeated me, I’ll honour it!” the Xingwu Emperor replied firmly.
“Good. We’re both pillars of humanity. Even if we can’t be friends, we shouldn’t be enemies,” Lin Yun said, smiling.
As he spoke, he handed the Xingwu Emperor’s heavy blade back to him.
“What a pity, though. You could have been my disciple,” the Xingwu Emperor sighed wistfully.
Though their grudge was resolved, this regret would linger forever.
“Let’s head out.”
Lin Yun withdrew the Nine Stars Pagoda.
The two reappeared in the sky above the Nu River, then landed on its banks.
“Deputy Palace Master Yao,” Lin Yun greeted with a smile, bowing.
“Are your injuries alright?” Yao asked, eyeing Lin Yun’s chest.
Though his heart had been pierced, Lin Yun’s face was still pale. The wound had fully healed, stopping the blood, and his heart had reformed.
But the wound still looked somewhat alarming.
“No issue, I’ll recover soon,” Lin Yun said with a smile.
“You’re remarkable, reaching the terrifying origin-state body. Even I pale in comparison,” Deputy Palace Master Yao remarked.
Cao Jun, Little Sword Immortal Zhuang Song, and other Immortals were equally astounded.
“You flatter me, Deputy Palace Master,” Lin Yun grinned.
“Now, after this battle, your grudge should be settled. No more bad blood; we must unite against external threats!” Yao said, looking at Lin Yun and the Xingwu Emperor.
Both nodded in agreement.
“Great! Father, now that you and Lin Yun have resolved your grudge, I can interact with him freely, right?” Jin Yao’er said excitedly.
The Xingwu Emperor coughed awkwardly, “Ahem, Yao’er, show some restraint. Lin Yun is now ranked tenth in the Heavenly God Palace. You’re out of his league. If you reach Immortality, then maybe.”
