“I’ll handle it personally.” Zhang Lei stopped his two companions who wanted to act against Lin Yun. He smiled, “It appears that you’re still unclear about the difference between our cultivation. Very well, I’ll let you experience it yourself.”
Zhang Lei suddenly released his aura in the fourth stage of the Profound Martial Realm and bolted out before everyone could react. He came to Lin Yun in the blink of an eye and threw a punch out. His punch blossomed with azure flames, which was so bright that it stung the eyes.
“What fast speed!” Huangfu Jingxuan was shocked. Relying on his cultivation, Zhang Lei’s speed was faster than many movement techniques with just a single step, and there were no more than 10% of the people in the Contribution Hall able to keep up with Zhang Lei’s punch.
Huangfu Jingxuan’s face changed. He knew that Zhang Lei’s punch couldn’t be avoided. Zhang Lei’s face was unsightly, and he was so fast that he didn’t give Lin Yun any chance to respond. Not only him, but many people in the hall were covered in sweat for Lin Yun.
On the other hand, Zhang Lei’s two companions sneered at the fact that Lin Yun was so impudent to provoke Zhang Lei. Under the huge explosion, Lin Yun’s body shattered into pieces under that punch.
“Brother Lin!” Huangfu Jingxuan’s face changed drastically, but he suddenly paused because this scene didn’t seem right. Just when everyone was shocked, Lin Yun suddenly appeared before Zhang Lei once more. It was only at this moment did they realize that it was an afterimage.
“Pitiful tricks!” Zhang Lei snorted. His origin energy fluctuated within his body, displaying his cultivation in the top 10 on the Mortal Ranking. He suddenly charged forth and shattered Lin Yun’s three afterimages. But just when he was about to destroy the fourth, Lin Yun suddenly opened his eyes wide.
“Draw your sword. Your fist can’t pose any threat to me.” Lin Yun threw out the Dragon-Tiger Fist. Zhang Lei was blown away by the huge impact and took three steps back when he landed on the ground.
His body’s origin energy surged and crushed the energy from Lin Yun’s fist in his body. He wasn’t injured, but he was greatly humiliated from the clash.
“Not bad. You have some skills. No wonder you dare to be so arrogant in just three months.” Zhang Lei’s face was dark. He retrieved his artifact from the interspatial pouch.
Lin Yun’s face turned grave at this moment. He did not dare to look down on Zhang Lei at this moment. After all, there weren’t any weaklings among those in the top ten. From their previous clash, Lin Yun instantly knew that Zhang Lei was a lot stronger than Ye Liuyun.
There was no way he could let go of the A-ranked missions, and these people had their current cultivation due to the second grade spiritual jades from the missions. The two faced off under the tensed atmosphere, and a battle between them was unavoidable.
Zheng Lei drew the sword half an inch out of the sheath, which lit up the hall. But just when Zhang Lei was about to draw his sword out fully, the deacon from earlier knitted his brows together and snorted, “That’s enough! Are the two of you intending to host a Life-Death Battle in the Contribution Hall? Get out if you two want to resolve your grudges. There are still others who want to accept missions!” His tone was cold, filled with an unquestionable prestige.
Zhang Lei gnashed his teeth and ultimately gave up. He didn’t dare to go against a deacon. He returned his sword into the sheath and left the hall. When he walked past Lin Yun, he snorted, “I hope that you’re this lucky all the time. Don’t think that it’ll be that easy to accept five star missions. I don’t believe that you can return alive…”
Luck? Whatever. Lin Yun didn’t reply and left carrying his sword box. When he returned to the Locket Mountain, he greeted Xin Yan and made preparations to leave. When Mo Cheng and Xin Yan looked at Lin Yun leaving on the Dragon Blooded Horse, their faces were complicated. A long time later, Mo Cheng sighed, “Senior Sister, isn’t he a little too impulsive?”
“Impulsive? Don’t get fooled by his appearance.” Xin Yan smiled, “He didn’t even use his sword when he defeated Ye Liuyun, which means that he can defeat Ye Liuyun without using the Overlord Sword. Do you know what that means?”
“What?” Mo Cheng was baffled.
“This means that although Junior Brother Lin isn’t in the top 10 on the Mortal Ranking, he has the strength equivalent to them. I believe that only Zhang Lei couldn’t figure that out among the top ten.” Xin Yan fell into deep thoughts and continued, “Junior Brother Lin has never been impulsive, and he won’t accept the missions if he knows that he doesn’t have the strength to go along with it. But since he has the strength, he naturally doesn't want to be restricted by the rules. He’s someone who even dares to kill Wang Ning, so why will he pay attention to such rules?”
Mo Cheng was inwardly shocked when he figured that out. He recalled how Lin Yun didn’t suffer any loss from taking Fu Lingtian’s palm. Perhaps Lin Yun already had the strength comparable to the top ten, and he was just too lazy to challenge the ranking.
“But it’s still dangerous to take four A-ranked five star missions…” Mo Cheng said in a concerned tone.
“He ultimately has to rely on himself. Otherwise, how can he become stronger without experiencing life and death? The Great Qin Empire doesn’t only have the Sword Firmament Pavilion, and he still has a long way to go. It’s good that he can figure things out beforehand.” Xin Yan replied.
The Demoncloud Mountain Range was famed for being dangerous in the Great Qin Empire. The endless mountain range was enveloped in a demonic cloud, and that was how the mountain range got its name.
The mountain range was enveloped in eternal darkness from the countless towering trees and demonic beasts living in it. Even the demonic beasts at the border were in the Profound Martial Realm. There were also Violet Palace Realm demonic beasts in the depth of the mountain range, and rumors had it that there was even Heavenly Soul Realm demonic beasts!
This added a mysterious veil over the Demoncloud Mountain Range. The demonic beasts also had a trace of demonic traits, and they were stronger than demonic beasts in the outside world. For example, a demonic beast here in the third stage of the Profound Martial Realm here would be equivalent to the fourth stage of the Profound Martial Realm in the outside world.
Then again, danger also represented an opportunity. The Sword Firmament Sect, Primal Origin Sect, Heavenly Profound Sect, Demonic Moon Villa, Heavenly Qin Institute, and elites of the various clans would often come out for an adventure in the Demoncloud Mountain Range.
At the Demoncloud Mountain Range border, the pitch-black mountain range was dark, and even cultivators in the Profound Martial Realm wouldn’t be able to see anything a thousand meters out there even after infusing origin energy into their eyes.
A youth and a crimson horse was eating roasted demonic beast meat under a towering tree. The youth’s facial features were reflected from the bonfire, and he was naturally Lin Yun. Relying on the Dragon Blooded Horse, he spent ten days to get here.
It was also just as rumored. There were Profound Martial Realm demonic beasts everywhere at the Demoncloud Mountain Range border, and there was no place for cultivators in the Xiantian Realm. Even elites in the Profound Martial Realm would have to be careful here.
“You can really eat…” Lin Yun smiled, looking at the Dragon Blooded Horse. The horse ate nearly ⅓ of the Ironbacked Bear. When they were done eating, Lin Yun sat with his legs crossed and began digesting the food.
After a moment later, he opened his eyes, and he smiled, “Lil’ Red, let’s spar.”
They would occasionally spar when they were bored over the past few days, and the Dragon Blooded Horse had the true dragon bloodline that needed to be excavated. And under Lin Yun’s guidance over the past few days, the Dragon Blooded Horse had also benefited from their sparring.
So the Dragon Blooded Horse would become excited whenever it heard about sparring and started grinning, revealing its iconic bucktooth. Before Lin Yun even got up on his feet, the Dragon Blooded Horse was already charging over.
“You playful fellow…” Lin Yun smiled. Ever since the Dragon Blooded Horse succeeded in sneaking an attack once, it fell in love with this tactic. Since Lin Yun had already fallen for it once, he wouldn’t fall for it again.
Lin Yun sent a palm forth and broke a towering three. This blow from Lin Yun was comparable to the fourth stage of the Profound Martial Realm.
“Not bad. Again!” Lin Yun landed on the ground and gave a provocative smile to the Dragon Blooded Horse. Along with the Dragon Blooded Horse’s neighs and resounding boomings in the forest, trees began to topple down.
Many demonic beasts heard the commotion, but they were too afraid to move. A lot of them had been bullied by the Dragon Blooded Horse over the past few days.
“It’s impossible for you to harm me with brute strength.” Lin Yun’s figure flickered around the place with the Seven Profound Steps. The Dragon Blooded Horse roared and lowered its head and lightning began to gather on its horn.
“Finally going for it?” Lin Yun changed to a grave expression. This was the Dragon Blooded Horse’s ultimate move, Thunder Charge. It was an attack that could kill demonic beasts in the third stage of the Profound Martial Realm.
Simultaneously, a wisp of dragon aura came from the Dragon Blooded Horse, bringing its aura to a new height. Like a bolt of lightning, the Dragon Blooded Horse charged towards Lin Yun.
Lin Yun immediately defended himself with the Iris Sword Box, but he was still knocked flying away and only stopped after breaking three ancient trees.
Wiping the blood off the corner of his lips, Lin Yun smiled bitterly, “You’re really ruthless, but you finally excavated a small portion of your bloodline.”
The Dragon Blooded Horse came before Lin Yun and started grinning.
“I know. I know. You win this time.” Lin Yun smiled. He took out a spiritual jade and tossed it over.
The Dragon Blooded Horse caught onto it and ate it with a few chews. This was probably a unique cultivation method for the Dragon Blooded Horse.
Lin Yun took out the mission plaque after a brief rest and looked at it before muttering out, “We should be able to find the Bloodwolves in two days, but it won’t be easy for us to gather fifty blood essences.”