Chapter 38

In the northwest corner of Fiyun Village.

This was a row of old houses, long neglected and in disrepair.

When Lin Xun appeared here, he was already aware that he was surrounded, with no place to retreat.

At the front of the intersection, three guards formed a triangular formation, their faces twisted with malice, their eyes filled with hatred and the intent to kill.

At the back of the intersection, Lian Rufeng held a long saber, ready to strike.

Lin Xun had no chance of escape.

However, there was not a trace of tension on his face; instead, a smile lingered on his lips, though his eyes were devoid of warmth.

From the beginning of the battle, Lin Xun knew it would be a fierce fight. Fortunately, now only Lian Rufeng and three others remained; the dangerous old man with the goatee had not appeared.

Lian Rufeng laughed, but his smile was sinister and cruel: "Little brat, why aren't you running anymore?"

Lin Xun smiled, then suddenly pushed off with his toes, twisting his body and charging toward Lian Rufeng, exposing his back in the process.

The three guards behind him were taken aback, then immediately overjoyed, and they rushed forward with their swords.

Clang!

The guard with the short axe was the first to charge.

To his surprise, Lin Xun's forward momentum suddenly halted, as if frozen in place. Then, his arched back sprang like a coiled spring, and he spun in mid-air.

Swish!

A sound like a sword's cry, Lin Xun's Broken Sky Saber swept backward, tracing a half-circle.

From a distance, Lin Xun and his saber seemed to merge, spinning like a top in mid-air, the blade cutting through the air like a thousand waves!

This was the "Spinning" technique from the Six-Character Saber Art.

Using the saber as the tip, it spun like a vortex, the most devious and ruthless technique.

Pfft!

The guard's arms holding the short axe were severed by a single spinning cut. His body, unable to stop, crashed into the vortex of the blade, and his head was instantly severed and thrown away!

Blood splattered, the scene was gruesome and shocking.

The two guards behind him, who were a step behind, watched in horror, their hearts racing with fear, and they quickly dodged to the side.

But Lin Xun was like a streak of lightning, charging forward with his saber, slashing continuously, the blade like a bolt of lightning, blindingly bright.

"Damn!"

With a roar, Lian Rufeng charged from the side, his face twisted with malice, his aura fierce, his long saber slicing through the air like a raging fire, swift as lightning.

He had not expected that Lin Xun would turn back and attack the three guards behind him!

For Lian Rufeng, this feint was not a significant tactic, but he had not anticipated that even in close combat, Lin Xun would still be so fierce, killing one of his subordinates with a single strike, giving him no chance to save him!

Seeing Lin Xun now charging at the other two, Lian Rufeng could no longer contain his anger and charged forward.

Whistling!

The long, black blade, like a venomous snake, hissed through the air, aiming for Lin Xun's back.

This strike was ruthless and cunning; to save his life, Lin Xun would have to abandon his attack on the two guards.

But what Lian Rufeng did not expect was that Lin Xun seemed completely unaware, not dodging at all, and continued to pursue one of the guards.

You're asking for death!

Lian Rufeng was overjoyed, and he would not miss this opportunity, striking Lin Xun's back with his saber.

Bang!

The saber hit, but there was no expected bloody scene; instead, it sounded like it hit a steel plate, producing a sharp clanging sound.

No good, this little brat is wearing armor!

Lian Rufeng's heart sank, and his face changed.

At this moment, Lin Xun had already used the shock from the strike to propel himself forward like a bullet, his speed suddenly increasing. His saber, like a green waterfall, slashed down, and with a pfft, the head of one of the guards was severed.

Splat!

Blood spurted, and the headless body of the guard fell to the ground.

Lin Xun's face turned pale, and he felt a sweetness in his throat, almost coughing up blood, but a fierce look flashed in his eyes, and he forced himself to continue, charging at the last guard.

The last guard was already shaken by the sudden turn of events, his heart pounding with fear. Seeing Lin Xun charge, he roared and fled without hesitation.

This scene left both Lin Xun and Lian Rufeng stunned, neither expecting the guard to flee in the middle of the battle, showing no courage at all.

"You're the only one left."

Lin Xun, panting, looked at Lian Rufeng.

By this point, Lin Xun was extremely exhausted. If not for the occasional use of "Spirit Tempering Paste," he would have been unable to continue.

He was after all at the Third Level of True Martial cultivation, and even with his thick and pure spiritual energy, it was limited.

The blow from Lian Rufeng had also left him with internal injuries, but he still persisted, causing Lian Rufeng to feel a chill in his heart.

If it were him, he would not have been able to hold on this long.

But the young man in front of him was still standing, his saber dripping with blood, his killing intent undiminished.

How could a Third Level True Martial youth achieve this?

Lian Rufeng could not understand, but he saw that Lin Xun was clearly exhausted, and his attacks were weakening, which calmed him somewhat.

"Even if it's just me, I can still take your life!"

With this thought, Lian Rufeng moved quickly, advancing with a fierce aura, his long saber slicing through the air.

Compared to Lin Xun, he had not expended much energy since the start of the battle and was at the peak of his strength.

Most importantly, his cultivation was a level higher than Lin Xun's!

Swish!

The long saber spread, spiritual energy gathering, blindingly bright.

Lian Rufeng hated Lin Xun to the bone and would not give him a moment's respite.

Bang, bang, bang—

In a few breaths, the two had exchanged dozens of blows.

Lin Xun's face grew paler, but his saber techniques remained flawless, each move as perfect as a mountain goat's leap, reaching the pinnacle of skill.

His spiritual energy was indeed almost depleted, but his physical strength remained. Relying on his deep understanding of the Six-Character Saber Art, he used the "Entangling" technique to counter every attack.

Entangling was a tactic of evasion.

This "Entangling" technique was about using skill to defeat the enemy, borrowing force to strike back, like using a light force to move a heavy object, soft overcoming hard.

In Lin Xun's hands, the "Entangling" technique was like a silkworm spinning silk, dragging mud, continuous like spring rain, fierce like a river, the core being to borrow force to strike back.

Lian Rufeng's face grew increasingly dark, feeling that his opponent was like a slippery eel, each strike hitting the mud, making him extremely uncomfortable.

What kind of saber technique is this?

Lian Rufeng had trained for years, traveling between Fiyun Village and Qingyang Tribe, even visiting Donglin City, seeing many powerful experts and techniques.

But he could not find any technique as profound as Lin Xun's.

However, Lian Rufeng soon noticed that Lin Xun's face was growing paler, his body drenched in cold sweat, clearly struggling to hold on.

"Maybe I can take his technique after killing him?"

Lian Rufeng's resolve to kill Lin Xun grew stronger.

This mysterious youth, barely in his teens, possessed such terrifying combat ability. If he were allowed to live, what would happen in the future?

Swoosh!

Suddenly, a white bone spear pierced the air, its body shimmering with a cold, clear starlight.

Huh?

Lian Rufeng's eyes widened, what is this?

Pfft!

He had no time to dodge; he felt a sudden pain in his chest, and the next moment, everything went black, and he lost consciousness.

Seeing this, Lin Xun was stunned, then let out a long sigh, feeling an indescribable fatigue wash over him.

He bit his tongue, the pain forcing him to stay alert; now was not the time to rest.

"They're all dead."

A gentle, pleasant voice sounded in his ear, like a gentle breeze.

"All dead?"

Lin Xun's mind flashed with the image of "Wu Henshui," and he was momentarily stunned.

"Yep."

Beside him, Xia Zhi raised her fair, beautiful face, looking at Lin Xun's pale face, and frowned, saying seriously, "You should rest."

Without waiting for his agreement, she grabbed the back of his shirt and lifted him, then carried him away.

"Carried off by this little girl again..."

Lin Xun smiled bitterly, feeling embarrassed, and then could no longer resist the fatigue, falling into a deep sleep.

Thus, Wu Henshui, Lian Rufeng, and their group of sixteen were all defeated.

The bodies lay scattered in different corners of Fiyun Village, the setting sun casting a blood-red light, making the scene even more shocking.

...

Lin Xun had a dream.

In the dream, he heard a familiar, cold voice:

"Seeker of the Dao, the next opening of the 'Heavenly Secret Realm' will be in three months. The second level of the Green Cloud Path is called 'Body Tempering,' with 108 attempts to pass. If you fail, the Heavenly Secret Realm will be sealed again for a thousand years before it can be opened again..."

"Three months? It seems there's not much time left since the last attempt!"

Suddenly, Lin Xun woke up, opening his eyes.

Seeing the familiar room, he pondered for a long time, then shook his head, deciding not to think too much about it. There was still some time before the next attempt, and overthinking it would be pointless.

He got out of bed, feeling the fatigue leave his body, though he still felt somewhat weak.

Xia Zhi entered the room, seeing Lin Xun up, and said without surprise, "I'm hungry."

Lin Xun was taken aback, expecting Xia Zhi to show some concern, but instead, she just demanded food.

He shrugged helplessly, "I'll make some food."

Then he asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

Xia Zhi replied, "Four days."

Lin Xun's eyes widened, "You haven't eaten for four days?"

Xia Zhi nodded.

Lin Xun immediately rushed into the room, feeling guilty for letting his "savior" go hungry for four days.

As Lin Xun was busy in the kitchen, Xiao Tianren rushed in, seeing Lin Xun and exclaiming, "Lin Xun, you're finally awake!"

"Uncle Xiao, is something wrong?"

Lin Xun asked while cooking.

Seeing Lin Xun's distracted look, Xiao Tianren was speechless. Four days ago, such a big event happened, and he had been unconscious for four days. Wasn't that a big deal?

—

PS: I've read all the comments in the extras section. Many of the suggestions are good, but some of the extras have too many details and requirements, making them almost as powerful as the main character...