Fierce Battle

"Kid, you're dead for sure!" the square-faced disciple screamed wildly.

In the distance, several figures were rushing this way. Streams of light flickered around them, and none of them were any weaker than Lin Xuan.

Although Lin Xuan was not afraid of trouble, he would not foolishly take on the entire Divine Might Corps alone. Who knew how many of their people were in these mountains? It was not yet time to clash with them head-on.

His body flashed as he prepared to flee into the distance.

Whoosh!

A cold glint cut off his path. It was the square-faced disciple, desperately blocking him. Seeing his companions arrive, he naturally would not let Lin Xuan escape.

"Get lost!" Sword light burst from Lin Xuan's hand as he thrust forward like a sweeping rainbow. The square-faced disciple screamed and was sent flying backward.

But that brief delay bought the Divine Might Corps members in the distance plenty of time. Three figures arrived first, blocking Lin Xuan's way.

"You dare injure a member of the Divine Might Corps? You're simply courting death!" The man in front radiated a powerful aura, his body blazing with light. He was actually a Fourth-Stage Spirit Warrior, while the other two were no weaklings either, both having reached Third-Stage Spirit Warrior.

"Lin Xuan, it's actually you!" One of the Third-Stage Spirit Warriors was somewhat surprised, then burst into laughter. "Since you've run into me, just die peacefully!"

That Third-Stage Spirit Warrior was Zhang Bin. The instant he saw Lin Xuan, his eyes turned red with hatred. He wished he could kill him immediately.

"Brother Hai, this kid is the Sword Slave I told you about. We absolutely can't let him go!" Zhang Bin said to the Fourth-Stage Spirit Warrior.

"Don't worry. Our people are all heading over. Even an immortal won't be able to save him," the disciple called Brother Hai sneered.

Lin Xuan's heart sank. Since they wanted to capture him, he would not hold back either. Rather than sit and await death, it was better to strike first. He glanced over the surrounding terrain and formed a plan.

He suddenly leaped up, the Black Iron Sword in his hand turning into a meteor as it flashed past.

Squelch!

It all happened too suddenly, without the slightest warning. Lin Xuan was like lightning, fast to the extreme.

Brother Hai, the Fourth-Stage Spirit Warrior, wanted to dodge, but he simply had no time. In his haste, he could only avoid the vital areas. The longsword slashed across his chest, tearing away a chunk of flesh.

"Aah!"

A scream rang out. Lin Xuan broke through their encirclement, stepped off the trees, and sprang onto a boulder before darting into the distance.

"Get after him!" the Fourth-Stage disciple shrieked. He wrapped his wound in spiritual energy, then pulled out a vermilion pill and swallowed it.

"Don't let him escape! Watch his route, then send the signal. There is only one end for anyone who provokes the Divine Might Corps!"

The three chased in the direction Lin Xuan had fled. Watching Lin Xuan grow stronger each time they met, Zhang Bin had only one thought in his heart: Lin Xuan had to die. Otherwise, he would be the one in trouble later.

"Hmph, put some muscle into it. This kid's movement technique is low-grade, and he isn't that fast. Even if we have to chase him to death, we'll chase him down!" The Fourth-Stage Spirit Warrior clutched his wound, his eyes filled with vicious light.

Lin Xuan truly was not very fast. After all, he was using a basic movement technique. Being able to achieve such speed with a basic movement technique was already astonishing.

Still, they caught up with him.

Brother Hai, the Fourth-Stage disciple, came at him like a starving wolf, opening with his strongest move as though he wanted to split Lin Xuan in two. Zhang Bin and the other Third-Stage Spirit Warrior also unleashed ruthless attacks, every strike aimed at Lin Xuan's vital points.

That Heavenly Meteor strike had nearly consumed a third of Lin Xuan's spiritual energy. He had not intended to kill anyone then, only to make that Fourth-Stage disciple lose his ability to fight. Otherwise, the man would already have been dead.

If he truly killed someone, the Divine Might Corps would certainly retaliate like mad. Not for the sake of a few lives, but for the sake of their reputation, the Divine Might Corps would not let Lin Xuan go. It might even alert the inner disciples.

That was not what Lin Xuan wanted. His goal was to become a core disciple, then return to his Lineage. If he went all out against the Divine Might Corps now, he simply could not afford such a fight.

The longsword in Lin Xuan's hand shimmered with spiritual light. Like a heavenly sword, it cleaved through the air.

The three were forced back again and again. They had not expected Lin Xuan's swordsmanship to be so formidable. It was clearly the most basic sword technique, yet it always managed to restrain them.

The longer Zhang Bin fought, the more frightened he became. Finally, he gritted his teeth, pulled out a talisman paper, poured spiritual energy into it, and hurled it fiercely at Lin Xuan.

The talisman paper unfurled in the wind, growing larger and larger as a terrifying wave of energy spread from it.

Lin Xuan instinctively shuddered. The spiritual fluctuations from that talisman paper made his heart tremble; even a Fifth-Stage Spirit Warrior likely did not possess such power.

Whoosh!

The talisman paper flashed without stop. Amid its dazzling radiance, three silver light swords half a meter long shot out like three silver dragons, stabbing toward Lin Xuan's vital points.

The terrifying spiritual energy made the surroundings tremble, producing rolling thunderous booms in the air.

Lin Xuan pushed his basic movement technique to its limit, constantly shifting his body. He circulated his spiritual energy with all his strength, and green spiritual energy danced outside his body like flames.

But the three silver light swords were simply too fast, like lightning. Although Lin Xuan dodged with all his might, sword light still grazed his body, sending him flying like a fallen leaf.

The three silver light swords slammed into the ground, blasting out a pitch-black crater and shearing countless trees in half.

Pfft!

Lin Xuan had merely been struck by the sword light, yet it felt as though a heavenly hammer had smashed into him. His blood and energy churned violently, and he suffered serious internal injuries.

"He's injured! Everyone, attack!" Seeing that even his life-saving talisman had failed to kill Lin Xuan, Zhang Bin was furious and could only keep urging his companions to attack.

Lin Xuan was in grave danger. The three men opposite him surged forward fiercely, pouncing like savage beasts.

He frantically circulated the Eternal Life Art. The spiritual energy within him flowed endlessly like a river, repairing his injured body.

After swallowing a pill, Lin Xuan shot up from the ground, leaving streaks of afterimages in the air as he fled into the distance.

The three pursued relentlessly from behind, startling many wild beasts along the way. But they could not care less. They felt a rage lodged in their chests; if they did not kill Lin Xuan, they would go mad.

"Kid, die!" The three pounced wildly.

Lin Xuan raised his sword to block.

Suddenly, he felt a tremor within his body. A Black Lotus appeared upon the tip of his sword.

Mysterious and demonic.

Like a bloodthirsty fiend, the Black Lotus instantly sucked every last scrap of flesh and blood from the Fourth-Stage disciple, leaving only a human skin fluttering down to the ground.

Zhang Bin and the other disciple were so terrified that their eyes nearly popped out. Trembling, they staggered backward.

"Y-you're a monster..."

Whoosh! Lin Xuan seemed unable to control himself. His longsword stabbed toward the Third-Stage Spirit Warrior again. Before long, that man too was drained dry.

Clang!

Zhang Bin was so frightened that his sword fell to the ground. He kept backing away, and when he saw Lin Xuan raise his sword again, he dropped to his knees with a thud.

"Don't kill me!" Zhang Bin kept kowtowing, his entire body shaking. He had never expected Lin Xuan to be so demonic, capable of draining people's essence and blood. Had he known, he would never have provoked Lin Xuan even if beaten to death.

I discovered his secret. He'll definitely kill me! Zhang Bin's thoughts raced. I'll beg for mercy first, then attack him! With that thought, he secretly reached for another talisman paper in his robes.

"Big Brother, Sir! Don't kill me!" Zhang Bin begged repeatedly. "No, you're my grandfather! Just treat me as your grandson and spare me!"

Lin Xuan was currently struggling to suppress the bloodthirsty urge inside him. He did not know what was happening, but he was extremely familiar with that Black Lotus. It had been this very Black Lotus that sealed his spiritual veins back then.

All he wanted now was to kill. If the Eternal Life Art had not been continuously circulating, he would have collapsed long ago. Two forces were fighting inside him: one was the green spiritual energy formed by the Eternal Life Art, while the other was the black energy formed by the Black Lotus. The two forces were deadlocked, neither able to do anything to the other.

Zhang Bin saw Lin Xuan standing there in a daze, and a vicious glint flashed in his eyes. He quickly pulled out the talisman paper from his robes and hurled it madly at Lin Xuan.

"Go to hell!" Zhang Bin looked utterly crazed.

Boom!

The talisman paper flashed, and a ball of light more dazzling than the sun flew out, arriving before Lin Xuan in an instant.

Lin Xuan's body seemed to turn into a black hole, swallowing the ball of light in one gulp. Immediately after, the Mysterious Little Sword inside him trembled softly, and his green spiritual energy surged, quickly suppressing the Black Lotus.

Lin Xuan regained his clarity as well. He struck decisively, piercing Zhang Bin's throat with a single sword thrust.

"Y-you..." Zhang Bin clutched his throat, his pupils gradually dilating. "M-my big brother is..."

Before he could finish, he collapsed.