Reunion with an Old Acquaintance

After staying in Red Flame City for another half-month, Lin Qin felt that his comprehension of the "Earth Element" profound mysteries had hit a temporary bottleneck, and simple closed-door cultivation was no longer yielding significant results. He decided to leave Red Flame City to travel to other parts of the Empire in search of a new breakthrough.

He chose to head east, as that direction was closer to the Magic Beast Mountain Range. It was sparsely populated, and he might encounter powerful magic beasts or reclusive experts.

After flying for several days, he saw rolling hills and sparse woodlands beneath him. Just as he was preparing to find a place to land and rest, a series of intense energy collisions and the roar of a magic beast echoed from a valley ahead, accompanied by a familiar, sharp sword intent.

Lin Qin's heart stirred. He lowered his altitude and landed silently on the canopy of a large tree, looking down.

In the valley, a fierce battle was underway. On one side was a massive, ninth-rank magic beast, the Wind-Thunder Rhino, covered in cyan scales with a single horn on its head. On the other side was none other than Linley, whom he hadn't seen in a long time!

Linley's aura was far more powerful than it had been at the Ernst Institute; he had already stepped into the realm of an eighth-rank warrior. At the same time, the magical fluctuations emanating from him indicated he was at least a seventh-rank mage. Holding a heavy black sword, he moved like the wind, his swordsmanship fierce and swift as he tangled with the Wind-Thunder Rhino. He would occasionally launch a close-quarters assault, his heavy sword whistling as it tore through the air, then quickly retreat to cast instant spells like Wind Blades or Earth Spikes to disrupt the beast's movements.

His fighting style had become more mature and ruthless, and his eyes held a sense of determination and coldness that hadn't been there before.

"Roar!" The Wind-Thunder Rhino was truly enraged. Lightning flickered on its horn as it lunged forward, firing a thick beam of lightning toward Linley!

Linley seemed to have anticipated this. His footwork shifted, and he dodged the lightning beam by a hair's breadth while chanting rapidly, pointing his staff at the ground beneath the Wind-Thunder Rhino.

"Earthquake Technique!"

The ground shook violently, causing the Wind-Thunder Rhino's massive body to stumble and disrupting its attack rhythm. Bebe seized the opportunity, transforming into a streak of black lightning to strike directly at the Wind-Thunder Rhino's relatively vulnerable neck!

"Sshh!"

Bebe bit into the Wind-Thunder Rhino's neck, and blood sprayed! The Wind-Thunder Rhino let out a pained roar, shaking its head frantically to fling Bebe away.

Bebe landed nimbly in mid-air, his eyes still fixed coldly on the injured magic beast, ready to launch another attack.

Just then, Lin Qin drifted down from the tree canopy and landed beside Linley.

The sudden appearance of a figure startled Linley, who spun around with his heavy sword held horizontally in front of him, guarding against Lin Qin. When he saw that it was Lin Qin, his tense expression relaxed slightly, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

"Lin Qin? Why are you here?"

"Traveling." Lin Qin was concise, his gaze sweeping over the Wind-Thunder Rhino, which had become even more vigilant and irritable due to his arrival. "Need help?"

Linley looked at Lin Qin and could clearly feel the unfathomable, earth-like heavy aura radiating from him, far beyond his own. He shook his head, his eyes firm. "No, I can handle it."

Lin Qin nodded and stepped aside, no longer interfering. He respected Linley's choice.

Linley took a deep breath and looked back at the Wind-Thunder Rhino. His eyes became more focused, and an invisible "momentum" began to condense around him. It was a "momentum" of slaughter formed after experiencing life-and-death trials!

He moved! His speed was faster than before! It was no longer just speed, but a sense of indomitable determination! The heavy black sword sliced through the air with a shrill whistle, and there were even faint cyan-black currents swirling around the blade!

The Wind-Thunder Rhino seemed to sense a fatal threat, and lightning gathered on its horn once more.

But this time, Linley didn't give it the chance! His figure appeared like a ghost at the side of the Wind-Thunder Rhino, and his heavy sword struck at a tricky angle, like a viper emerging from its hole, instantly piercing the wound on the rhino's neck and twisting it fiercely!

"Pfft!"

Blood gushed out like a fountain! The Wind-Thunder Rhino's roar came to an abrupt end. Its massive body swayed a few times before collapsing with a boom, twitching a few times before falling still.

Linley pulled out his heavy sword and leaned on it, panting slightly. Killing a ninth-rank magic beast alone was not easy for him either.

He walked over to the Wind-Thunder Rhino's carcass and began to skillfully process the materials.

Lin Qin walked over, looked at Linley's busy back, and said, "You've improved quickly."

Linley didn't stop his movements or look up. "It's not enough." His tone carried a heavy, suppressed weight.

Lin Qin could feel the lingering gloom and killing intent on Linley, a stark contrast to the sunny, hardworking boy from his time at the institute. He was silent for a moment before asking, "Are you in trouble?"

Linley's hands paused, and he didn't answer immediately. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "I'm investigating something. Regarding my mother's death."

Lin Qin had suspected as much, and now that it was confirmed, he wasn't surprised. "Any leads?"

"Some." Linley's voice was cold. "It involves a lot."

He didn't elaborate, but Lin Qin could imagine the danger. For a descendant of the Dragonblood Warrior to be this grave, the opponent was definitely not ordinary.

"If you need help, just say the word." Lin Qin said again. This was his promise as a fellow townsman and friend.

Linley finally looked up at Lin Qin. Complex emotions flashed in his eyes—gratitude, but also a stubbornness that didn't want to drag others into his mess. "Thanks. But for now, I want to solve it myself."

He packed up the most valuable parts of the Wind-Thunder Rhino—the horn, the magic core, and some scales—and stood up. "What about you? You seem to be doing well." He changed the subject, clearly not wanting to talk more about his own affairs.

"Not bad, I just entered the Saint Realm recently." Lin Qin said calmly, as if he were mentioning a trivial matter.

Linley's pupils constricted. Even though he had a premonition, hearing Lin Qin admit to stepping into the Saint Realm still shocked him to the core. The Saint Realm! That was the realm every martial artist dreamed of! He knew Lin Qin practiced diligently, but he hadn't expected the speed to be so terrifying!

"Congratulations." Linley said sincerely, a stronger fighting spirit igniting in his eyes. Lin Qin's achievement was both pressure and motivation for him.

"You will too." Lin Qin said with certainty. He never doubted Linley's potential.

The two briefly exchanged updates on their recent lives. Lin Qin mentioned his encounter with the Dark Church in the Death Desert, while Linley briefly explained that he had been traveling and investigating everywhere since leaving the institute.

"The Dark Church..." Linley's eyes were cold. "Neither they nor the Radiant Church are good things."

Lin Qin didn't comment; he didn't know much about the grievances between these major powers.

"What are your plans next?" Lin Qin asked.

"Continue tracking the leads, then go to the Arctic Ice Plains to train." Linley said. "The environment there is harsh, which is better for breaking through."

"The Arctic Ice Plains..." Lin Qin noted the place.

As evening fell, the two lit a campfire in the valley and roasted some Wind-Thunder Rhino meat for dinner. Though much had changed for both of them since their long separation, the bond of their hometown in Wushan Town remained. They didn't talk about heavy topics anymore, instead discussing insights on cultivation and occasionally reminiscing about funny stories from the Ernst Institute.

The next morning, the two parted ways at the entrance of the valley.

"Take care." Linley said to Lin Qin.

"You too." Lin Qin nodded.

The two headed off in different directions.