Preparation I

Fallen leaves fluttered through the air as rays of sunlight pierced the clouds and fell upon the temple grounds.

Amid the broken walls and rubble, Lin Xin pressed one hand against Kun Ji's chest. Dozens of dark-red demonic swords thrust out from behind him.

The scene seemed almost frozen.

Blood dripped onto the ground, drop by drop, raising tiny rings of dust.

Kun Ji lowered his head blankly to look at the gaping hole torn through his chest. It was as though he had completely lost the ability to react, merely standing there in a daze.

Sssh!

Lin Xin pulled back his hand again, yanking the demonic swords out of Kun Ji's chest.

The edges of the blades sliced through his body, inflicting secondary damage and tearing open even larger wounds.

Dozens of demonic swords had directly carved Kun Ji's chest into a chaotic mess of cracks and holes.

Blood splashed everywhere. He staggered back two steps, then fell to his knees with a thud.

He clutched his chest, yet blood still streamed unstoppably through the gaps between his fingers.

"You..."

Lin Xin rolled his neck, producing a rapid series of cracking joints. He lifted his foot and walked toward Kun Ji step by step.

"All this time, you were the one hunting me down. This time, I'm standing right before you, yet you're already powerless. How pitiful..."

Kun Ji suddenly raised his head. A burst of golden light exploded from within him, briefly blanketing everything around him.

Demon Qi erupted from Lin Xin's hand and directly suppressed the golden radiance. When everything returned to normal, Kun Ji was already standing stiffly where he was, completely motionless.

A breeze drifted past, and his entire body immediately toppled sideways. Like an empty cloth sack, he went limp and flattened onto the