After spending another half month in Red Flame City, Lin Qin felt that his understanding of the profound mysteries of Earth Element had temporarily hit a bottleneck. Simply shutting himself away to cultivate was no longer very effective. He decided to leave Red Flame City and travel to other parts of the Empire in search of a new opportunity.
He chose to head east, toward the Magic Beast Mountain Range. The region was sparsely populated, and he might encounter powerful magical beasts or reclusive experts there.
After flying for several days, he saw rolling hills and scattered woodlands below. Just as he was preparing to find somewhere to rest, the sound of fierce collisions and a magical beast's roar rang out from a valley ahead. Mixed in with them was a familiar, keen sword intent.
Lin Qin's heart stirred. He descended, alighted silently on the crown of a large tree, and looked down.
A fierce battle was underway in the valley. On one side was a massive Level Nine Magical Beast, a Wind-Thunder Rhino covered in green scales with a single horn on its head. On the other was none other than Linley, whom he had not seen in a long time!
Linley's aura was far stronger than it had been at the Ernst Institute. He had already reached the realm of an Eighth-level Warrior, and the magical fluctuations emanating from him showed that he was at least a Level Seven Mage as well. He held a black Heavy Sword and moved like the wind, his swordplay fierce and swift as he fought the Wind-Thunder Rhino. At times he closed in for a ferocious assault, his Heavy Sword shrieking as it tore through the air; at others, he quickly retreated, casting instant wind blades and earth spikes to disrupt the beast's movements.
His fighting style had grown more mature and ruthless, and his eyes held a determination and coldness that had not been there before.
"Roar!" The Wind-Thunder Rhino was truly enraged. Lightning crackled around its horn as it thrust forward, firing a thick beam of lightning at Linley!
Linley seemed to have anticipated it. His steps shifted, and he narrowly dodged the beam. At the same time, he quickly chanted and pointed his staff at the ground beneath the Wind-Thunder Rhino.
"Earthquake Technique!"
The ground shook violently, and the Wind-Thunder Rhino stumbled, its attack thrown off rhythm. Bebe seized the opportunity, turning into a streak of black lightning as he lunged straight for the beast's relatively vulnerable neck!
"Chomp!"
Bebe clamped his jaws around the Wind-Thunder Rhino's neck, and blood spurted everywhere! The beast let out a cry of pain and thrashed its head wildly, flinging Bebe away.
Bebe flipped nimbly in midair and landed, his eyes still fixed coldly on the wounded beast as he prepared to attack again.
Just then, Lin Qin drifted down from the treetop and landed beside Linley.
The sudden appearance of a figure startled Linley. He turned quickly, holding his Heavy Sword across his body as he warily faced Lin Qin. When he recognized him, the tension in his expression eased a little, and surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Lin Qin? What are you doing here?"
"Traveling." Lin Qin answered briefly. His gaze swept over the Wind-Thunder Rhino, which had grown even more wary and furious at his arrival. "Need a hand?"
Looking at Lin Qin, Linley could clearly sense the other man's unfathomable, earthlike aura, far beyond his own. He shook his head, his gaze resolute. "No. I can handle it."
Lin Qin nodded and stepped aside, refraining from interfering. He respected Linley's choice.
Linley took a deep breath and looked at the Wind-Thunder Rhino again. His gaze grew more focused, and an invisible "aura" began to gather around him. It was a killing aura forged through life-and-death trials!
He moved! He was faster than before—not merely quick, but driven by an unyielding resolve! His black Heavy Sword cleaved through the air with a piercing shriek, and faint blue-black currents seemed to coil around its blade!
The Wind-Thunder Rhino seemed to sense the deadly threat. Lightning gathered around its horn once more.
But this time, Linley gave it no chance! His figure appeared like a ghost at the Wind-Thunder Rhino's side. With a cunning thrust, his Heavy Sword shot forward like a venomous snake, plunging into the wound on the beast's neck and twisting viciously!
"Splurt!"
Blood gushed out like a fountain! The Wind-Thunder Rhino's roar cut off. Its massive body swayed a few times, then crashed to the ground. It twitched briefly and lay still.
Linley pulled out his Heavy Sword, leaned on it, and panted lightly. Killing a Level Nine Magical Beast alone had not been easy.
He walked over to the Wind-Thunder Rhino's corpse and began skillfully harvesting its materials.
Lin Qin walked over and watched Linley working. "You've improved quickly."
Linley kept working without looking up. "Not enough." His voice carried a restrained heaviness.
Lin Qin could feel the unresolved gloom and killing intent within Linley. He was a far cry from the bright, hardworking youth he had been at the institute. Lin Qin fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Have you run into trouble?"
Linley's hands paused as he worked on the materials, but he did not answer right away. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "I'm investigating some things. About my mother's death."
Lin Qin had suspected as much, so the confirmation did not surprise him. "Have you found any leads?"
"A few." Linley's voice was cold. "It's a big matter."
He did not elaborate, but Lin Qin could imagine the dangers involved. If a descendant of a Dragonblood Warrior was this grave, his opponent was no ordinary person.
"If you need help, just say the word," Lin Qin said again. It was a promise he made as a fellow townsman and a friend.
Linley finally raised his head and looked at Lin Qin. Complex emotions flickered in his eyes: gratitude, as well as a stubborn reluctance to drag others into his troubles. "Thank you. But for now, I want to handle this myself."
He gathered the most valuable parts of the Wind-Thunder Rhino: its horn, Magic Crystal Core, and some of its scales. Then he stood up. "What about you? It looks like you've been doing well." He changed the subject, clearly unwilling to say more about his own affairs.
"Not bad. I only entered the Saint Realm recently," Lin Qin said calmly, as if he were mentioning something trivial.
Linley's pupils contracted. Though he had already suspected it, hearing Lin Qin confirm that he had entered the Saint Realm still left him shaken. The Saint Realm! It was the realm countless warriors dreamed of attaining! He knew Lin Qin trained hard, but he had never imagined he would advance at such a terrifying pace!
"Congratulations," Linley said sincerely, his eyes kindling with even greater determination. Lin Qin's achievement was both pressure and motivation for him.
"You'll get there too," Lin Qin said with certainty. He had never doubted Linley's potential.
The two briefly caught each other up on what they had been doing. Lin Qin mentioned his encounter with the Dark Church in the Death Desert, while Linley briefly explained that he had spent his time since leaving the institute traveling and investigating.
"The Dark Church..." Linley's eyes turned cold. "Neither they nor the Radiant Church are any good."
Lin Qin made no comment. He knew little about the feuds among the major powers.
"What are you planning to do next?" Lin Qin asked.
"Keep following the leads, then go to the Arctic Ice Plains to train," Linley said. "The harsh conditions there should help me break through."
"The Arctic Ice Plains..." Lin Qin committed the place to memory.
As evening fell, the two lit a campfire in the valley and roasted some Wind-Thunder Rhino meat for dinner. Though they had changed considerably since they last met, their bond as fellow townsmen from Wushan Town remained unchanged. They did not discuss any more heavy topics, instead talking about their cultivation insights and occasionally reminiscing about amusing incidents at the Ernst Institute.
The next morning, they parted at the mouth of the valley.
"Take care," Linley said to Lin Qin.
"You too," Lin Qin replied with a nod.
They went their separate ways.
Before you continue