Lin Yun could not be bothered with this unreasonable woman. His Innate One Qi Divine Finger, adapted from the Innate One Qi Great Grasping, was something he had only just begun practicing. With the spell cast in haste on top of that, he had barely managed to restrain the Ink Flood Dragon.
He was trying to figure out how to deal with the rampaging Ink Flood Dragon.
If the girl from the Covering Moon Sect beside him had not been there, he could simply have used the Supreme Clarity Daoist Orthodox School Formless Sword Art to slay the Ink Flood Dragon.
But she happened to belong to the Covering Moon Sect, and Old Monster Qiong's renowned Formless Needles bore quite a resemblance to his Clearvoid Invisible Sword. If he revealed the Clearvoid Invisible Sword, he would inevitably become embroiled in disputes with the Covering Moon Sect, which was the last thing Lin Yun wanted.
Moreover, judging by the girl's tone, this unlucky woman was very likely Nangong Wan.
How could it be such a coincidence?! Lin Yun was utterly speechless. He had picked a random spot to cultivate in seclusion, so how had he stumbled into this mess?
Hearing the girl still questioning him, Lin Yun grew irritated. "Shut up! You're such a nag. Hurry over and help! I can barely hold this giant mud loach!"
Nangong Wan seethed at his words and immediately wanted to teach this insolent brat what the dignity of a Core Formation patriarch meant.
But just then, the Ink Flood Dragon broke free of its restraints. It reared up with a roar and spewed venom at them.
Seeing this, Lin Yun hurriedly transformed the Innate One Qi Divine Finger into a huge, hazy palm of light, blocking the venom the flood dragon spat out.
The venom struck the luminous palm with an immediate sizzling sound, and wisps of black smoke rose wherever it touched.
Lin Yun immediately withdrew the magical power sustaining the Innate One Qi Great Grasping, allowing the luminous palm to dissipate.
Seeing this, Nangong Wan had no time to say anything more. She hurriedly directed the Vermilion Bird Ring to attack the Ink Flood Dragon.
As she attacked, she asked Lin Yun, "Do you have any way to wound this Ink Flood Dragon? Its hide is too thick. My Vermilion Bird Ring can't hurt it!"
While Nangong Wan kept the enemy occupied, Lin Yun quietly manifested the Clearvoid Invisible Sword, pretending he had just taken the treasure out of his Storage Bag.
He immediately sent the sword aloft, directing the Clearvoid Invisible Sword to join the assault on the Ink Flood Dragon.
The Clearvoid Invisible Sword had been forged from five metals essence and was exceptionally sharp. Even though Lin Yun could not use the unfathomable Supreme Clarity Daoist Orthodox School Formless Sword Art to make it appear and disappear at will, he still had the sword's razor-sharp sword qi and his inexplicably seamless coordination with Nangong Wan.
One used the Vermilion Bird Ring to restrain the Ink Flood Dragon's attacks while the other attacked with his sword. Before long, they had battered the dragon until its skin split and flesh gaped.
Nangong Wan's face first lit up with delight, then began to pale. "Little fellow, that flying sword of yours is certainly formidable, but my magical power is almost exhausted! If you have anything else powerful, hurry and use it, or we're both finished!"
Lin Yun was speechless. How could a Core Formation cultivator be this useless? What a disgrace to Core Formation! And she has the nerve to call me little fellow?
He could not help sneering. "You talk big, woman, but your strength is the exact opposite. You're already spent?"
Nangong Wan fumed. I've been fighting this Ink Flood Dragon for hours while you hid off to the side watching, you brat! Now you're making snide remarks and blaming me for being too weak?
But before she could speak, Lin Yun shouted, "Move aside!"
He pointed at the Clearvoid Invisible Sword. It trembled slightly, then split off two dazzling beams of sword light aimed straight at the Ink Flood Dragon's eyes.
Seeing the two blinding beams hurtling toward his eyes, the Ink Flood Dragon instinctively raised both claws to shield them.
Yet as the sword light reached the Ink Flood Dragon, its course suddenly shifted, as traceless as an antelope hanging by its horns. From an inconceivable angle, it stabbed toward the lower jaw he had unwittingly exposed.
The two fierce beams struck the Ink Flood Dragon's lower jaw one after the other, drawing an agonized roar.
At the same time, Lin Yun raised his sword fingers. The Clearvoid Invisible Sword, which had reached the Ink Flood Dragon unnoticed, abruptly became a swift sword shadow and plunged into his body through the wounds left by the two beams.
After another piercing scream, the Ink Flood Dragon crashed heavily to the ground, all signs of life gone.
Lin Yun beckoned, and the Clearvoid Invisible Sword immediately flew out of the wound beneath the Ink Flood Dragon's jaw, eagerly returning to him.
Reaching out to catch the Clearvoid Invisible Sword, Lin Yun gave it a swing. The sword rang out with a joyful hum.
Although Nangong Wan was astonished that Lin Yun had slain the Ink Flood Dragon in just three sword strikes, her movements did not slow in the slightest.
She approached the flood dragon and took a small crystal bottle from her Storage Bag. After chanting over it, she pointed at the Ink Flood Dragon. Several thin strands of black qi shot from the bottle's mouth and coiled eerily around his body.
Before long, the black qi forcibly drew a little green flood dragon, identical in shape to the dead dragon, out of his body and pulled him into the bottle.
After Nangong Wan sealed the bottle and carefully examined the miniature Ink Flood Dragon inside, she could no longer contain her smile, her whole face beaming with delight.
But before she could enjoy it for long, Lin Yun came up beside her and snatched the little bottle from her hand.
"Thank you for helping me capture this flood dragon's soul essence, fellow Daoist," Lin Yun said with a smile.
He did not care whether the girl before him was Nangong Wan. He had killed the Ink Flood Dragon, so the soul essence naturally belonged to him.
Nangong Wan's smile froze, and she immediately glared at Lin Yun. "You insolent junior!"
"Heh heh... Senior from the Covering Moon Sect, surely you wouldn't want the other six sects to learn that your sect sent a Core Formation cultivator into the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land?" Lin Yun chuckled.
"You..."
Nangong Wan seethed, then noticed the cultivation level Lin Yun was displaying. A faint smile immediately appeared on her innocent face. "Didn't your Yellow Maple Valley send a Foundation Establishment cultivator in too?"
"I'm no Foundation-Building Stage cultivator." Lin Yun smiled faintly, and his aura dropped through successive levels until it reached the twelfth level of Qi Refining.
Even with a Core Formation cultivator's immense spiritual sense, Nangong Wan could detect no flaw in Lin Yun's concealed cultivation, leaving her choked with frustration.
Seeing this, Lin Yun said generously, "I'm not a stingy man. Since I've taken the flood dragon's soul essence, I'll give you the Ink Flood Dragon's body, fellow Daoist. After all, you contributed quite a bit to killing him."
He also made sure to wave the Clearvoid Invisible Sword in his hand. A chilling gleam flashed across its blade, his meaning self-evident.
The Ink Flood Dragon's body could at most be used to refine a few magical implements, so giving all of it to Nangong Wan was no great loss. The Ink Flood Dragon Essence, however, had an innate affinity for water-aligned primordial qi. If handled properly,
it should be possible to refine a decent magical treasure from it. There was no way Lin Yun would let Nangong Wan have it.
Hearing Lin Yun's proposed division, Nangong Wan shot him a vicious glare. If my magical power weren't almost exhausted, leaving me no match for this hateful junior, I would teach this brat a harsh lesson and vent my anger. Then he would learn that a Core Formation cultivator must never be offended!
Still, every part of a flood dragon was a treasure. Though the body was of little use to her, Nangong Wan did not want to return empty-handed. After some thought, she took a flying-knife magical implement from her Storage Bag and began carving up the dragon's body.
Lin Yun watched Nangong Wan. She seemed to be treating the flood dragon's body as though it were him, hacking at it viciously with her flying knife.
He muttered inwardly, Without this Ink Flood Dragon, who knows how Han Li will end up forming a bond with this old woman? Sigh... everything's fallen apart.
As he was thinking, Lin Yun's expression suddenly changed. "Oh no! The Ink Flood Dragon!"
He could not let a woman butcher this Ink Flood Dragon!
He hurriedly called out to Nangong Wan, who was carving up the Ink Flood Dragon's body, "Stop!"
Nangong Wan instinctively turned her head, anger flashing in her eyes. Through gritted teeth, she said, "Are you ever going to stop?! Don't forget that I am a Core Formation cultivator! Even if I kill you after leaving the forbidden land, your Yellow Maple Valley wouldn't dare do anything to me!"
Terrified that Nangong Wan might accidentally touch the Ink Flood Dragon Aphrodisiac Gland, Lin Yun hurriedly adopted a soothing tone. "Please calm down, Senior. I meant that you worked hard earlier, and I thank you for the effort. Why don't I help you dismantle the dragon's body?"
The anger on Nangong Wan's face ebbed at his words. Why did this brat change his tune so suddenly? Has he finally become afraid of me as a Core Formation cultivator?
She was about to say something when the flying knife carving up the dragon suddenly stopped.
Nangong Wan's delicate brows drew together, and she gave a soft exclamation. "Hm? What's this? This dragon shouldn't have a Flood Dragon Core. Besides, why would a vicious water-attribute flood dragon have a red Flood Dragon Core? Has this Ink Flood Dragon mutated?"
Lin Yun's expression changed, and he shouted sharply, "Don't touch it!"
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