Encountering Lin Ming Again
Lin Tian and Ziwei passed through the water gate.
The next instant, they stood atop a great mountain.
They breathed deeply.
They looked up.
The great rune formation that had glowed with a pale red halo was no longer visible.
The deep blue firmament was profound and vast.
The moon, like a jade platter, threaded through drifting clouds, gleaming especially brightly against the dome of the heavens.
It gazed down upon all living beings, shedding its cold light.
Yet the clamor of beast roars mingled with the sounds of martial artists fighting somewhat spoiled the atmosphere.
Lin Tian looked at the lush forest below the mountaintop.
Nearly a thousand meters away, brilliant light flared in all directions.
Towering trees toppled one after another.
Countless dark shapes flickering with lightning surged toward Lin Tian, blotting out the sky and earth.
They were pursuing dozens of human cultivators.
Every so often, someone died screaming in the jaws of these ferocious beasts.
"Why did so many ferocious beasts suddenly appear?"
"Run! Instructor Su Yu bought us some time!"
"These ferocious beasts are too fast! We can't get away at all!"
These people wore matching uniforms, their faces terrified.
Piercing screams echoed through the night sky.
"The Extreme Realm is too underhanded. It's practically sending us to our deaths."
Ziwei spoke through somewhat gritted teeth as he watched the beast tide flashing constantly with lightning below.
Lin Tian cast him an indifferent glance, then leaped down the mountain.
"Zhenwu, have you lost your mind? You're only in the Body Opening Realm!"
Shocked, Ziwei hurriedly cried out.
But Lin Tian's figure soon vanished into the darkness.
"Another madman."
Ziwei cursed under his breath, red light instantly flashing over his body.
Boom!
A sonic boom instantly rang out as Ziwei turned into a streak of fire and charged down the mountain.
At that moment.
The beast tide of Thunder Bulls, like a sea of lightning, surged ceaselessly through the forest.
The dozens of cultivators fell one after another beneath the Thunder Bulls' murderous charges.
Their numbers dwindled.
These people's cultivation was not high.
They were all in the Qi Refining Realm.
Even the strongest among them was only at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.
He was none other than Lin Ming, the eldest son of the Lin Lineage's head.
Lin Ming had returned to the academy from his Lineage half a month earlier.
Today, their instructor had brought these students to Ink Abyss Forest for practical training.
Everything had been fine at first.
Then a tide of tens of thousands of ferocious beasts had suddenly appeared.
Now, Lin Ming's eyes strained as though their corners would split, all the spiritual power in his body erupting.
Sweat seeped from his forehead, only to evaporate swiftly.
At first, he had still looked after his junior brothers and sisters somewhat.
By now, he could spare no attention for anything else and only wanted to escape as quickly as possible.
At that moment, a delicate-featured woman beside Lin Ming was also running with all her strength.
Her name was Li Chan, and she and Lin Ming had feelings for each other.
Earlier, as they fled, Lin Ming had taken particular care of her.
Li Chan was also the youngest daughter of the owner of a merchant association in Sword Capital.
Though some said Lin Ming was reaching above his station.
Over the past few years, however, Lin Ming had cultivated extremely diligently, reaching the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm.
Such voices had thus grown fewer and fewer.
Just then, Li Chan missed her footing.
She tripped and fell.
"Senior Brother Lin!"
Li Chan cried out, looking toward the white-clad figure ahead.
"Damn it."
Lin Ming growled, his instincts urging him to abandon his girlfriend.
But this relationship had been built over several years.
Li Chan's talent was extremely poor, and her father had long since given up on her.
A few days earlier, he had said that if Lin Ming advanced to Body Opening within a month, he would fund his cultivation.
Whenever he thought of his younger cousin Lin Tian having already reached the Body Opening Realm at such an age.
Jealousy filled Lin Ming's heart to overflowing.
Then Lin Ming gritted his teeth and pulled the fallen Li Chan to her feet.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Lin."
Li Chan spoke hurriedly, much of the fright fading from her face.
"Ah, no!"
A despairing scream rang out behind them.
A junior brother had died beneath a Thunder Bull's hooves.
In an instant, both Lin Ming's and Li Chan's faces turned deathly pale.
"Run!"
Lin Ming shouted, pulling Li Chan along as he continued fleeing.
And just then.
Light gathered between the fingers of Li Chan's slender hand.
A yellowed paper talisman appeared.
"Senior Brother Lin, this is a Swift Movement Talisman. Unfortunately, I only have one."
Something stirred in Lin Ming's heart. He glanced back at the beast tide without speaking and continued sprinting.
With a thought, Li Chan activated the Swift Movement Talisman.
Her speed instantly increased.
Before, Lin Ming had been pulling her along; now, she was pulling Lin Ming.
"Ah!"
"Senior Brother Lin, save me!"
"I don't want to die!"
Screams rang out without end.
The beast tide drew ever closer to Lin Ming and Li Chan.
Even though they had already used a Swift Movement Talisman.
A Swift Movement Talisman made one person very fast.
But when two people used it, its effect was far weaker.
In what would likely be no more than a few breaths, Lin Ming and Li Chan would also die beneath the bulls' hooves.
"Damn it!"
Lin Ming growled, his vicious gaze sweeping toward Li Chan beside him.
"Chan'er, I'm sorry."
Lin Ming sneered and jerked one hand hard, pulling Li Chan back to one side.
Then, before Li Chan's stunned eyes.
Lin Ming snatched the Swift Movement Talisman.
Then he planted a foot on Li Chan.
In an instant, a strange sensation surged through Lin Ming's heart.
His pace suddenly quickened considerably.
"Why?"
Despair flashed in Li Chan's eyes. As she watched Lin Ming's receding back, tears instantly misted her eyes.
So it had all been a lie.
The pounding footfalls of the beast tide rang in her ears like a raging torrent.
Even the earth trembled.
As despair filled Li Chan's heart, countless agonies welled up from its depths.
And just then.
A white-clad figure came racing from afar.
He held a longsword spilling faint azure light, and a blood-red mask covered his face.
When he saw Lin Ming, he paused in surprise.
"Get lost! If you want to die, don't block my way!"
Seeing the newcomer, Lin Ming cursed angrily.
But the next instant.
A streak of azure light swept across his waist.
Lin Ming felt a chill below him. His upper body was still moving, but his lower body tumbled to the ground.
"Ah!"
He screamed, his lips trembling uncontrollably.
His eyes brimmed with unconcealable terror.
A line of bright red blood spurted from below his abdomen.
"You... you!"
Lin Ming roared in terror, unable to believe what he was feeling.
No.
No.
Why would he kill me?
I'm a favored son of heaven. I'm going to become a mighty figure someday.
In the distance, Li Chan froze as well.
She felt as though the world had fallen silent.
Her disappointment in and hatred for Lin Ming were swept away in an instant.
"You deserve to die!"
He roared with every ounce of strength in his body.
Only to see that man walk up to him.
The impassive mask gave him an endless sense of deadly menace.
The man extended a long index finger, pressed it against the bottom of his mask, and slowly lifted it.
It was a face Lin Ming could not have known better.
In the darkness, a savage grin curled the man's lips, madness lurking in his pitch-black eyes.
Then he withdrew his index finger, and the cold mask covered his face.
Lin Ming's mouth fell open, a thousand words flooding his mind.
He was just about to roar.
Swish!
A streak of azure light slashed down.
His brain was shredded by Sword Qi.
"He's dead."
Li Chan murmured, the thundering in her ears drawing ever closer.
The screams of familiar senior and junior brothers rang out one after another.
Now she no longer struggled either, choosing to face death head-on.