Chapter 36

Dust and pebbles rained down from the cave ceiling, the aftereffects of that single strike lingering for a long time.

The cave was deathly silent. After delivering his blow, the Elder Longli of the Liye Sect unexpectedly did not launch another attack.

"Was it you who took the heavenly fruit from the cave?"

Elder Li, seated on the ground, looked at Lin Xi, who was embedded in the wall, and spoke slowly.

"Indeed, it was me."

Lin Xi replied in a deep voice. At this point, there was no point in denying it.

"Young man, you are truly formidable! There were two heavenly fruits, yet you only took one and left the other. Such cunning, even I cannot match. If I am not mistaken, the disciple who died in the cave was not killed by the Horned Python, but by you, right?"

Elder Li said again, his face showing an indescribable mix of bitterness and amusement.

"It was me."

Lin Xi nodded. At this moment, he could not move at all. If Elder Li struck again, he would be dead.

"Young man, you are truly terrifying. I do not regret dying at your hands."

Elder Li sighed deeply. "I have only one last question. Tell me, what is your name?"

"Lin Xi."

Lin Xi did not hesitate.

"Lin Xi? Lin Xi!..."

Elder Li's face was initially blank, then he seemed to recall something, his expression becoming complex and mixed with various emotions.

"So it's you! With someone like you in the Five Thunder Sect, its revival is assured. I do not... regret... dying at your hands."

Elder Li's head slowly drooped, the life force within him rapidly weakening.

"Yes, I do not regret it at all."

Lin Xi exerted his shoulders, and with a snap, he stepped out of the cave wall. He clenched his fingers, and the heart in his hand shattered with a thud.

"Since you are about to die, I will tell you one more secret. I also killed your Third Prince of the Liye Sect!"

A look of shock appeared on Elder Li's face, which then turned to relief, as if he was grateful to Lin Xi for revealing this secret to him before he died.

His head drooped, and Elder Li remained motionless, dead.

A large hole in his chest gushed blood, and the heart inside was gone!

"An Elder in the Dragon Force stage is truly formidable."

Lin Xi looked at Elder Li's corpse and took a deep breath, the alertness in his eyes gradually fading. That single strike had torn out Elder Li's heart, but even then, he did not die immediately.

It was undeniable that the life force of a Dragon Force stage expert was terrifying!

Lin Xi could not even imagine what the outcome would have been if his strike had been off.

"Next time, if I don't have a sure chance, I should avoid encountering such a Dragon Force stage expert!"

Recalling the situation just now, Lin Xi broke out in a cold sweat. With his current strength, he should not have been able to fight a Dragon Force stage expert at all. He could not even pierce their body.

However, the Horned Python's fierce bite had created a large hole in his chest, giving Lin Xi the opportunity to strike. Without this, Lin Xi would not have dared to make such a plan to deal with a Dragon Force stage elder.

However, the outcome was already decided, and further talk was meaningless.

Reaching out, Lin Xi extracted the Horned Python's inner core.

The inner core of a ninth-level beast was no ordinary thing.

Sss!

Lin Xi's right hand grasped the ninth-level beast core, closed his eyes, and immediately performed the "Overlord Stance," absorbing the essence within. Threads of smoke escaped from his fingers, and the massive Horned Python core rapidly shrank.

A vast amount of energy continuously poured into Lin Xi's body, transforming his muscles, bones, and skin. Lin Xi's strength increased exponentially. His skin became thicker, and his body's power was no longer limited to the surface but began to penetrate deep into his internal organs.

Gradually, the faint golden hue under Lin Xi's skin deepened. At first, it was not noticeable, but it became increasingly obvious, the color deepening and the golden light becoming brighter.

The golden light was brilliant, as hard as diamond, a clear sign of the eighth stage, the Diamond Stage!

Sss!

When the last bit of the core's essence was absorbed, Lin Xi's strength had surged to 16,000 pounds, doubling. Possessing 10,000 pounds of strength was the minimum mark of a Dragon Force stage expert.

In other words, Lin Xi now had the qualifications to match the strength of a dragon!

The benefits Lin Xi gained from a Dragon Force stage beast core were simply incredible.

"Good, now to absorb the essence from the Horned Python's body!"

Lin Xi opened his eyes and took a large step forward. His body was now as powerful as a dragon, and the entire cave trembled under his feet, as if it could not support his strength.

This was due to the rapid increase in his strength, and his unfamiliarity with the immense power within him, causing him to temporarily lose control.

Lin Xi stopped, lowered his head, and pondered for a moment. When he moved again, the sensation of the earth shaking disappeared, indicating that he had become familiar with his strength.

Swish!

Lin Xi raised his hand and immediately lifted the heavy Horned Python, which felt as heavy as a mountain. With the immense strength in his body, he felt he could lift a mountain.

Splash, splash!

The scalding essence blood of the Horned Python flowed from the wound in its abdomen like a river. Lin Xi opened his mouth and swallowed it.

His mouth was like a bottomless pit, swallowing as much essence blood as there was, without any limit to his stomach's capacity.

Threads of heat continuously escaped from his body's pores. This was because Lin Xi was drinking the python's blood while simultaneously performing the "Overlord Stance," continuously absorbing the essence from the blood.

The Horned Python's mountain-like body rapidly shriveled. The golden hue on Lin Xi's skin became more intense, eventually shining like gold.

Boom!

Lin Xi's mind was jolted, and he immediately knew he had finally reached the eighth stage, the Diamond Stage!

"Wei Buping, it's time to settle our accounts."

Lin Xi's eyes turned cold. At this point, the snake's blood had cooled and was no longer effective. He casually threw the Horned Python aside. But after a moment's thought, he placed his palm on the python's body and absorbed the remaining energy.

Unlike other beasts, snake-type beasts were difficult to evolve. Their evolution path was almost always to become a dragon. This unique evolution path and the difficult process made snake-type beasts different from other beasts.

Their entire bodies were treasures!

The essence in the Horned Python's remaining body was not as potent as the core or the blood, but it was still significant!

After a moment, the Horned Python's body was completely shriveled, leaving only a skin as hard as diamond, covering a skeleton.

Although the diamond-hard skin was valuable, it was of little use to Lin Xi at this point.

At the same time, after absorbing the essence of the entire Horned Python, Lin Xi's strength had reached 18,000 pounds. The diamond-like hue on his skin, which had been intense, gradually faded.

This was a sign that he had deeply mastered the Diamond Stage, gradually controlling the indestructible body, rather than the previous inability to control it, which caused the golden hue to appear on his skin.

"Wei Buping, I'm coming!"

Lin Xi's body turned, and with a bang, he shot out.

This time, he did not follow the cave passage but directly broke through layers of rock and soil, creating a path through the mountain and rushing out.

Boom!

Behind him, the Horned Python's cave completely collapsed, buried under dust and soil.

...

Wei Buping walked toward the exit of the Beast Mountain Range.

He had already obtained the heavenly fruit, but for some reason, his right eyelid kept twitching, as if he had overlooked something, giving him a sense of unease.

"What's wrong? Why do I feel something is off?"

Wei Buping felt uneasy, a rare occurrence for him.

"Perhaps it's because this matter is too significant, and I am too focused on it."

He attributed his unease to the upcoming major action.

If the plan succeeded, the Five Thunder Sect would no longer exist in the world of sects, and he would no longer be an elder but would have a more prominent position.

Rustle!

A sound of footsteps suddenly came from the forest ahead. The person did not suppress their steps, as if intentionally wanting to be heard.

"Who?!"

Wei Buping's heart skipped a beat, and he waved his hand, immediately leading several disciples to stop.

"It's me."

Before the voice finished, a young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a handsome appearance and a cold demeanor, slowly emerged from the forest.

"Junior Sect Leader!—"

The surviving Five Thunder Sect disciples were stunned, exclaiming in shock, completely unexpected to see Lin Xi here.

"Hmm? It's you! How did you end up here? Where is your Senior Sister?"

Wei Buping showed a look of surprise, his eyes subconsciously scanning the surroundings.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister is not here. You don't need to worry about silencing her."

Lin Xi immediately saw through Wei Buping's thoughts.

Wei Buping's pupils suddenly contracted, then he shouted fiercely:

"Nonsense! I see you are already delirious. Your words are incoherent, and you show no respect to an elder. I will wake you up and make you see clearly."

Wei Buping's words were grand, but his eyes flashed with a sinister and ruthless look.

Bang!

Wei Buping stepped forward, and in a blink, he appeared in front of Lin Xi. His fingers spread, faintly glowing with a golden light, and with a slap, he struck at Lin Xi.

"Hmm. Trying to use a sneaky move to kill me?"

Lin Xi's eyes flashed. Wei Buping's move appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, it was a powerful strike. It could shatter a rock, let alone a human head.

Wei Buping clearly intended to kill him without a trace. If Lin Xi's strength had not improved, he would have died without knowing how.

"Come on, let's see what you can do to try to teach me a lesson."

Lin Xi moved his shoulders, stepped forward, and delivered a powerful strike, the "Great Sage Splitting Strike," at Wei Buping. Like Wei Buping, Lin Xi's move was powerful, but it was not obvious from the outside.

The two were now testing their strength, seeing who was stronger.

Boom!

Their fists and palm met, producing a loud metallic sound, as if they were not flesh but metal. The force of the impact sent both of them flying apart.

Thud, thud, thud!

Wei Buping grunted, taking several steps back, his face turning a strange shade of red. On the other side, Lin Xi stood proudly, unmoving.

This exchange clearly showed who was the stronger.

"How is this possible!"

"Senior Elder Wei is not a match for him!"

"When did he become so powerful!"

The surrounding Five Thunder Sect disciples were shocked by this scene.