This figure was none other than Lu Chao, the top genius of the Lu family, a young powerhouse at the eighth level of Martial Venerable.
Evidently, their battle had caused such a commotion that it drew even a top-tier expert like Lu Chao.
After unleashing the Heaven Devouring Spirit Finger, Lin Xiao’s elemental and spiritual forces were nearly depleted, leaving him with no capacity to fight Lu Chao.
“That strike far exceeded the scope of your cultivation and strength, enough to pose a significant threat even to me,” Lu Chao said, his face showing surprise. “But, sadly, such a monstrous genius will soon fall.”
Hearing this, a cold expression crossed Lin Xiao’s face, a surge of killing intent rising within him. He sighed coldly, “It seems all you people from the three great families deserve to die!”
“In my eyes, there’s no such thing as who deserves to die. This world is simply survival of the fittest,” Lu Chao replied indifferently, drawing a heavy axe. A powerful aura radiated from him, his red robes fluttering, his fighting spirit soaring.
Clearly, he was about to act.
However, at that moment, an intensely powerful killing intent swept over them. A refined, handsome young man in green robes appeared in the sight of Lu Chao and Lin Xiao.
“Cao Youwei!” Lu Chao’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within them.
“Lin Xiao, you killed Cao Xueqing!” Ignoring Lu Chao, Cao Youwei fixed a cold stare on Lin Xiao, his body radiating overwhelming killing intent.
Seeing Cao Youwei’s sudden appearance, Lin Xiao was momentarily stunned.
He hadn’t expected the Cao family’s top genius to show up as well. The commotion had indeed been too great.
Yet, Cao Youwei’s arrival might not be a bad thing for him.
“What, should I have waited for her to kill me instead?”
Lin Xiao retorted coldly, his gaze icy as he sneered at Cao Youwei, “Cao Youwei, don’t act so righteous with your killing intent. You just want to kill me before Lu Chao does to seize what I have.”
His gaze then shifted to Lu Chao, “If I’m not mistaken, both of you were already here during my final strike, weren’t you? You didn’t intervene because you both wanted Cao Xueqing dead, didn’t you?”
At these words, Cao Youwei, previously calm, darkened. Lin Xiao had seen through his intentions. True killing intent erupted from him, far stronger than before, flooding the heavens and earth.
“Hmph, you killed a Cao family genius and now dare to slander me? You truly deserve death!” With that, Cao Youwei moved, his green robes fluttering as he charged at Lin Xiao.
“His life is mine!” Lu Chao, seeing through Cao Youwei’s plan, moved as well, rushing towards Lin Xiao at breakneck speed.
“Let’s see you two play first!”
A mocking smirk curved Lin Xiao’s lips. He embedded a green spirit stone into the Virtual Sky Phoenix Wings beneath him. Dazzling golden light enveloped him, and with a tremor, his body shot into the sky like a beam of light.
“Boom!” “Boom!” …
At Lin Xiao’s former position, two forces collided fiercely, a deafening roar echoing before quickly fading from Lin Xiao’s ears.
With the green spirit stone powering the Virtual Sky Phoenix Wings, neither of their speeds could match his.
Given their rivalry, they’d likely end up fighting each other after failing to catch him.
Fueled by the green spirit stone, Lin Xiao darted through the secret realm, weaving and spiraling. After an hour, the wings’ energy depleted, and he arrived in a valley of towering ancient trees.
After surveying the surroundings, Lin Xiao carved out a cave at the valley’s base, entered, and sealed the entrance discreetly.
He knew the news of Cao Xueqing’s death and Xu Rong’s petrification would soon spread throughout the Yuan Spirit Pool secret realm.
When that happened, the three great families’ youths would likely mobilize forces to hunt him down.
Using his Heavenly Eye to mask his aura, he entered the concealed cave to refine the Five-Leaf White. Even if someone passed by, they’d be unlikely to detect him. Inside the small, one-to-two-zhang cave, Lin Xiao sat cross-legged, taking out the Five-Leaf White fruit, a smile spreading across his face, “With this Five-Leaf White, I can break through to the initial fifth-grade Spirit Controller level, and then I’ll be able to truly use Mind Control!”
Mind Control allowed one to dominate another’s spirit by projecting a strand of consciousness into their mind, briefly controlling their actions and issuing commands.
Typically, only mid or high fifth-grade Spirit Controllers could briefly wield Mind Control.
But with Lin Xiao’s strength and ability to fight above his level, he was confident that reaching the initial fifth-grade Spirit Controller level would allow him to use Mind Control.
Moreover, his spiritual combat strength could rival mid-fifth-grade Spirit Controllers or sixth-level Martial Venerables.
Combined with his spirit energy and third-level Martial Venerable elemental force, he could hold his own against experts like Cao Youwei or Lu Chao, rather than being forced to flee as he was now.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Xiao consumed the Five-Leaf White and began refining it. He channeled its vast, ocean-like medicinal power through his meridians into his mind, starting to cleanse and temper it.
As Lin Xiao focused on cultivating his mind, the outside world was already in an uproar.
Xu Rong of the Xu family, after being petrified and recovering, had fallen, effectively killed by Lin Xiao.
That day, Lu Qi and the skeleton fought fiercely, but Lu Qi ultimately evaded, avoiding the skeleton’s attack range.
The skeleton’s whereabouts afterward were unknown.
Elsewhere, news of Lu Chao and Cao Youwei’s battle spread. They fought for half an hour, ending in a draw.
The news of Xu Rong’s fall and Cao Xueqing’s death at Lin Xiao’s hands spread like wildfire through the Yuan Spirit Pool secret realm.
The entire secret realm was in an uproar.
Two great geniuses had fallen on the first day, especially the Cao family’s second top genius, the limitless Three Vein Yin Body. The news was explosive.
Everyone knew that if this reached the outside, the Cao family head would likely spit blood in rage.
Even the youths in the Yuan Spirit Pool secret realm couldn’t fathom that Cao Xueqing would fall to Lin Xiao.
And on the first day! After the news spread, the Cao family, previously the only one not to issue a bounty, announced a massive reward for Lin Xiao’s capture.
