Despite being categorized as an intermediate sword technique, it was more powerful than a standard advanced sword technique once mastered. This sword technique was said to be part of a Xiantian sword technique and the only reason it was classified as an intermediate sword technique was because it had parts missing. The last time a disciple managed to cultivate in it was over a century ago!
It wasn’t hard for Lin Yun to figure out Chen Xiao was under someone’s orders to make trouble for him. He no longer felt comfortable hanging around and began to head for the door.
“W-who said that you’re allowed to go?” a voice so cold it could pierce bone rang out from behind Lin Yun. The commotion in the hall died in an instant.
The hair on the back of Lin Yun’s neck stood up. Every bone in his body screamed that there was a lethal threat coming from behind and he dodge out of the way. Acting purely on instinct, he turned around and threw a punch at his attacker.
Hundred Beast Wave!
As a torrent flowed from his dantian, his fist fused with his inner sword, releasing a berserk gale just as his attack against Chen Xiao had earlier. Lin Yun brought out all the strength he could muster in such little time.
Boom!
When the two fists connected, Lin Yun let out a groan. The impact had almost broken his arm. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was sent flying across the room. He was fortunate that his fist managed to negate most of the impact from that blow or his organs would be torn apart immediately.
It took him several attempts to regain his footing. To his dismay, he realized he had landed only a few feet from Su Ziyao. Not wanting to make eye contact, Lin Yun shifted his gaze to his attacker. Slowly crossing the room was a person with an indifferent expression who looked surprisingly like Zhou Ping.
“Zhou Yun!” the outer disciples gasped in unison. They never imagined Zhou Yun would turn up here.
Zhou Yun wasn’t someone like Chen Xiao. Among the outer disciples, he was ranked among the top 10! Due to his preparation for the upcoming mid-year test, it had been a long time since Zhou Yun had made an appearance.
“Senior Brother Zhou, slaughter that sword slave! I want him dead!” Someone helped Chen Xiao up as he glared at Lin Yun. If looks could kill, Lin Yun and a portion of his bloodline would have died on the spot. He had never been so humiliated. He actually lost to a sword slave, and in front of so many people!
But in this moment he was filled with doubt. He had used 70% of his strength in that punch, not to mention it was a surprise attack, but that sword slave actually managed to withstand it. On top of that, Lin Yun was only in the fourth stage of the Martial Path.
“Sword slave, you’re gutsy. This was only a sparring match, but you injured your fellow disciple heavily. Cripple your own cultivation now and I’ll spare your life!” Zhou Yun said in a hush as he stood over Lin Yun. As he spoke, he unleashed the aura of his cultivation in the seventh stage of the Martial Path.
Boom!
The pressure coming from all sides made Lin Yun feel as if he had a mountain on his back. When Zhou Yun saw that Lin Yun remained standing in the face of his pressure, he snorted coldly, “Kneel!”
As Zhou Yun increased his aura, Lin Yun’s heart jolted. It felt as if he was struck by a bolt of lightning. Both his legs were trembling from the pressure. At this moment, Lin Yun felt as if he was a tiny insect before Zhou Yun. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could take the pressure!
“Piss off! The only people I will kneel before in my lifetime are my parents. Last I checked, you weren’t one of them!”
Although the immense pressure caused Lin Yun’s whole body to ache, it also made his blood boil. His jaw locked and his face contorted from the strain, but Lin Yun still refused to submit.
The surrounding disciples watched in silent horror. Zhou Yun was way beyond their reach; he could deal with each one of them with a simple flick of his wrist. They knew that Lin Yun had been forced to fight because Chen Xiao couldn’t accept being turned down, but none of them dared to speak up.
“You’re not kneeling? Then I’ll shatter your knees and cripple your cultivation myself!” Zhou Yun said maliciously as he slowly walked towards him. Chen Xiao looked on with a smile.
The pressure Lin Yun felt increased as Zhou Yun approached. He was already on the verge of collapsing. The difference between him and Zhou Yun was too great. Suddenly, the immense pressure disappeared. Zhou Yun’s eyes grew wide as he looked at Su Ziyao confused.
Su Ziyao, who had been watching this entire scene, had seen enough and dispersed the pressure coming from Zhou Yun.
“Senior Sister Su, this is between him and I…”
Su Ziyao had interrupted him, “Get lost.”
Zhou Yun’s face darkened from the humiliation. Su Ziyao was an elite from the inner sect and one of the most influential people in the Aquasky Nation. If she made a move, Zhou Yun wouldn’t dare complain.
“Why are you still here? She told you to get lost. If you’re going to bully someone, it’s best to learn who’s backing them. Do you have a death wish?” Wang Ning said with a mocking smile as he stood beside Su Ziyao. Although it sounded like he was reprimanding Zhou Yun, he was actually mocking Lin Yun, killing two birds with one stone.
“I’ll leave immediately,” said a pale faced Zhou Yun. He wanted to lash out and rid himself of the humiliation he was feeling but, in the end, he clenched his jaw and walked away.
“Hold up!” called Lin Yun after him, clearly still shaken.
“What do you want, sword slave?!” Zhou Yun roared. He was on the verge of exploding from the humiliation that he had just suffered from the two inner disciples.
“Two months from now, I will challenge you and cleanse my humiliation from today!” Lin Yun said confidently.
“It’s your funeral,” Zhou Yun sneered. He turned and left the Mechanism Hall, raising a hand in acknowledgment as he walked away. He was too busy ruminating over the humiliation he just faced to be bothered by a challenge from a weakling.
With that, the sudden confrontation came to an end. Su Ziyao’s sudden interference had inadvertently lightened the mood. Many members of the crowd looked at Lin Yun mischievously. They finally figured out why Lin Yun was so fearless. It turns out that he had Su Ziyao backing him up. Su Ziyao might have only spoken two words, but those two words held more weight than everyone here.
“Senior Sister, thank you for your help,” Lin Yun felt conflicted as he turned to Su Ziyao. In the past, he definitely wouldn’t have challenged Zhou Yun so recklessly. He would have endured humiliation and worked hard on his cultivation so he could someday get revenge. But for some reason, he couldn’t bear it when he saw Su Ziyao.
“You’re on your own!” Su Ziyao said sharply as she turned to leave without looking at him.
Lin Yun was conflicted. For the first time in a long time, his composed heart was disrupted. His nails dug into his palm as he desperately tried to gain control of his thoughts.
“Quite the temper you have there. Do you think that Su Ziyao will look at you in a higher light because of that? Keep dreaming,” Wang Ning said, not even trying to hide his disdain. He continued with a warning, “Remember your status, sword slave. Don’t bite off more than you can chew!”