“Oh my goodness… that's… that's Ling Yun!” Zhuang Meina covered her mouth and gasped!
While they were in the smaller mansion, the three members of the Zhuang Family had heard the cries of agony and sounds of fighting. They hastily got down from the sofa and dashed to the door entrance. However, they were afraid to venture outdoors and spied on the scene from behind the door. The trio was so frightened that they didn't even dare to exhale deeply.
It was only when Ling Yun had pulled off his face mask that Zhuang Meina could see that the person wielding a long, black blade and commanding the scene was Ling Yun!
“He… he actually returned, and he even injured Sun Tianbiao!” Zhuang Meina's alarmed expression was mingled with adoration and delight as she muttered to herself.
Ling Yun had already taken notice of the smaller villa's inhabitants. When he heard Zhuang Meina's exclamation, Ling Yun laughed as he waved his hand at her and shouted, “Sister-in-law, don't hide there any longer. Call your elder sister out and witness your brother-in-law ma.s.sacre his enemies. I'll cause Sun Tianbiao to be unable to bear the consequences of failure!”
Zhuang Meina froze in her expression and was stunned. She thought to herself, You want me to call my elder sister out? She was already brought away by Priestess Desireless yesterday!
However, Zhuang Meina was inexplicably delighted. At last, her elder sister wouldn't be able to contend with her for Ling Yun!
She gazed at the awe-inspiring youth and experienced a wild sensation that she had never felt before. Her blood started rus.h.i.+ng and caused her to forget about the cries of the wounded individuals outside. She didn't even care about her parents' attempts to thwart her and exited the villa.
The sea breeze was refres.h.i.+ng and humid. It was only then that Zhuang Meina realized that she was only wearing a sheer and short nightdress. However, she wasn't afraid of letting Ling Yun see her in this state and was instead even more enraptured at the prospect. Deliberately puffing her chest and sucking in her belly, Zhuang Meina walked to a place where Ling Yun would have an un.o.bstructed view of her.
Although Zhuang Meina was brave enough to venture outside, it wasn't the case with Zhuang Tiande and his wife. The duo hid behind the door frame while anxiously beckoning and calling out for her to return. However, Zhuang Meina was oblivious to their calls.
At this time, Tang Tianhao sauntered from the large mansion to the entrance of the living room. Without uttering a word, he gazed at Ling Yun and smiled.
Ling Yun had a keen sense of observation; he swept his gaze across the scene and noticed that Tang Tianhao was unharmed. Immediately, a sense of relief rushed over him. However, he wasn't planning to go over to protect Tang Tianhao currently, and both of them didn't even wave at each other.
Tang Tianhao remained standing at the steps leading to the hallway, and Ling Yun refrained from going over to protect him. They shared a tacit understanding that it was a preemptive measure against Sun Tianbiao in case he took Tang Tianhao hostage. If that were to happen, Ling Yun would have to hold back his attacks for fear of harming the hostage. At that time, his hands would be tied.
Ling Yun watched as Zhuang Meina descended a layer of steps. However, he was crestfallen when Zhuang Meifeng was nowhere to be seen!
If Zhuang Meifeng had been present and heard his voice, Ling Yun was certain that she would have dashed out without hesitation. However, nothing had happened so far!
Moreover, Ling Yun could hear the breathing of two other people in the smaller villa, which undoubtedly belonged to Zhuang Meifeng's parents. Could it be that she wasn't even here at all?
Ling Yun expression changed abruptly. His tone grew instantly frigid as he shouted towards Zhuang Meina. “Where's your elder sister?”
“Umm…” Zhuang Meina was caught off-guard and stunned by the question.
Sun Tianbiao jumped on the opportunity and laughed bitterly. “Ling Yun, if you're here to rescue Zhuang Meifeng, then I'd advise you to save your energy because she isn't here!”
A chilling look of murderous intent finally emerged in Ling Yun's placid eyes. The Yin and Yang Qi within his body was rus.h.i.+ng wildly as his pupils constricted all of a sudden. They turned black and white respectively and died away almost immediately!
“Where is she?” Ling Yun growled. His long and robust fingers clutched the handle of the Devil's Blade so tightly that his knuckles started turning white!
Dugu Mo knew that this was a sign that Ling Yun was about to vent his fury! His heart began to pound involuntarily.
Sun Tianbiao guffawed. “Ling Yun, you can't blame this on me. But I can honestly tell you that Zhuang Meifeng has already acknowledged Priestess Desireless as her master and followed her to the Tranquil Sect!”
“You're lying! She wouldn't follow anyone until the day I return!” Ling Yun was fully confident about Zhuang Meifeng in this aspect.
Zhuang Meifeng being inducted into the Tranquil Sect? Unless she was forcibly taken away or coerced into making that decision, Ling Yun was certain that she wouldn't abandon him even at the threat of death!
Sun Tianbiao didn't know that Ling Yun was on the verge of an outburst. He shrugged his shoulders and added, “If you don't believe me, ask that sister-in-law of yours. Her entire family was there to witness the scene…”
In an instant, Ling Yun left a distinct shadow in his trail and appeared before Zhuang Meina. He gripped her shoulder and lowered his voice. “What exactly happened?”
“Ah! It's so painful!” Zhuang Meina shrieked in pain as Ling Yun gripped her shoulder.
However, Zhuang Meina was unbelievably exhilarated to be gripped by Ling Yun's long and robust fingers. Her lower body grew warmer, and she clamped her thighs together!
Ling Yun realized that he had used too much force in a moment of anxiousness. Immediately, he loosened his grip and continued probing. “Quick, tell me, what exactly happened?”
Zhuang Meina was virtually a loudspeaker. With her sharp tongue, she only had to pause for a moment to think before narrating the gist of the entire sequence of events.
“Good, good, good!” A surge of murderous intent washed over Ling Yun as he listened to her narration. Out of the extreme fury, the corners of his blade-like lips curled into a cruel smile as he uttered the series of exclamations!
“The Tranquil Sect, to extinguish all desire, the Tranquil Pill… do you all like to extinguish things? I'll let you do that to your heart's content!”
After he had finished speaking, Ling Yun leapt sideways and landed in front of Sun Tianbiao's gang of three, which was over ten meters away. Pointing at Sun Tianbiao, he shouted, “Fellow by the surname Sun, I admit that you've successfully agitated me. If I don't tear you to pieces today, my surname isn't Ling!”
When he heard Ling Yun's words, Cui Lao trembled in fright as he stood behind him. He thought, My young master, you must not utter those words carelessly. You're the leader of the Ling Family's future — if your surname isn't Ling, then how would that work?
Ling Yun secretly sent a telepathic signal instructing Cui Lao and Dugu Mo to protect Tang Tianhao as well as the Zhuang Family. Activating the Yin-Yang harmony balance in his body, he boosted his power to its peak and employed the Stellar Condensation Technique!
“My goodness… Ling Yun's actually… actually glowing!”
With the realm that he had attained using the Stellar Condensation Technique, Ling Yun would be enveloped in the brilliance of the moonlight whenever he went into full throttle!
Master Xingchi and Sun Tianbiao were panic-stricken to witness his transformation. They wondered, What sort of technique is it that actually sets a person's body aglow?
This was the legendary Nine-Star Celestial Technique. Nevertheless, they had never heard that it could have such an effect!
Ling Yun's murderous intent and hostility was surging. The green gra.s.s within a three-meter radius of Ling Yun had been frozen by the Yin Qi emitted from him!
The Devil's Blade seemed to sense his intense desire to kill. It quivered and united with him!
Sun Tianbiao's laughter gradually died down. A look of astonishment soon took over, and as he stared at Ling Yun's expression, he finally started to panic!
“I don't care about anything else, flee!” Master Xingchi sensed Ling Yun's invincibility and murderous intent. In an instant, he discerned that their defense wouldn't be able to withstand his attack. Hence, he hastily sent a telepathic signal to caution Sun Tianbiao!
As soon as Master Xingchi had spoken, he immediately increased the Shaolin Xiantian True Qi in his body to its maximum. Darting to Priest Wuchen's side, he clamped the immobilized person under his arms and concentrated on fleeing the scene!
Of course, Sun Tianbiao could tell that they weren't Ling Yun's match. Overwhelmed by terror, he took flight in a similar fas.h.i.+on!
Although Ling Yun was silent, there was a cynical expression in his eyes. With a slight batting of his eyelids, only a distinct silhouette remained at the spot he previously stood!
Ling Yun's silhouette hadn't vanished at the original spot. Dugu Mo was extremely shocked to witness that. Two sets of Ling Yun's silhouette were simultaneously pursuing Master Xingchi and Sun Tianbiao in different directions!
Both his silhouettes were identical — there was a sword in his left hand, a blade in his right. It was as though his body had multiplied by three and possessed a regal bearing!
The Shape-s.h.i.+fting Technique!
This was the highest realm of the Dragon Fish Phantom Ability. As he was infuriated, Ling Yun could no longer conceal his powers and displayed them to their fullest!
“Get out of my sight, all of you!”
Ling Yun demonstrated the Ninth Killing Technique with his left hand as well as the Celestial Destroyer Technique with his right. There was an imposing air around him as his blade struck repeatedly, and its paths seemed to form a net over Master Xingchi and Sun Tianbiao!
Of course, there was a sequence to the series of events. However, Ling Yun's movements were so swift that even with Cui Lao and Dugu Mo's sharp eyesight, they were seeing double images of him, which were pursuing and attacking two people simultaneously!
“F*ck! What sort of Qinggong is this?” Dugu Mo cried in astonishment.
Could it be that this is the young master's true capability? Young master truly knows how to conceal it… Cui Lao was baffled!
By now, Cui Lao wasn't just surprised — he was practically shaken to the core!
Without mentioning the terrifying extent of his strength, even experts of Xiantian Realm Level Four wouldn't be able to stop him!
“Slas.h.!.+” “Ah!”
“Pfff!” “Ah!”
Two cries of agony rang out simultaneously. Neither Master Xingchi nor Sun Tianbiao had expected Ling Yun to catch up with them, not to mention that he had even managed to block their paths. They were desperately fleeing, so how would they have the chance to alter their course?
Master Xingchi was clamping Priest Wuchen under his arm, which added to their inertia. Moreover, he could only use the other hand for fighting. Though Master Xingchi had managed to evade Ling Yun's Devil's Blade, his chest was deeply pierced by Ling Yun's Dragon Vein Sword!
Fortunately for Master Xingchi, Ling Yun had abandoned him in pursuit of Sun Tianbiao. Had that not been the case, he would have twisted the sword and killed Master Xingchi on the spot!
The situation was better on Sun Tianbiao's side. When Ling Yun finally caught up with him, his energy was somewhat depleted, and he only used his Devil's Blade to slit a palm-length wound on his shoulder.
Drops of blood were raining from the night sky and were blown everywhere by the sea breeze. The pungent smell of blood permeated the air once more.
By observing his opponents before making a move and duplicating himself, Ling Yun had seriously wounded two Xiantian experts simultaneously. This was an achievement that he could be proud of!
“Phew!” Ling Yun heaved a long sigh as he landed on the ground. Surprisingly, even though the Yin and Yang Qi were depleted in his energy center, which was shaped like intertwining fish in the Tai Chi symbol, his energy center began to churn rapidly.
Both the Yin and Yang Qi regenerated spontaneously and instantly flooded the network of Ling Yun's meridians in abundant supply.
Why had Ling Yun suppressed his cultivation upon reaching the peak of Physique Tempering Stage Three and instead focused on completing his cultivation of the Yin-Yang harmony balance before progressing to Physique Tempering Stage Four?
The secret was in the fact that after one had mastered the Yin-Yang harmony balance, the Yin and Yang Qi would regenerate spontaneously. With this, Ling Yun would have an unending supply of True Qi for eternity!
At this time, Cui Lao and Dugu Mo were no longer content with being spectators. They jostled forward, and each helped to delay Master Xingchi and Sun Tianbiao.
The three Xiantian experts were unarmed and had sustained serious injuries all over their bodies. As Cui Lao and Dugu Mo were full of vigor, they didn't fear their wounded opponents.
As these two individuals were already partially inducted into the Xiantian Realm, they could contend with experts of Xiantian Realm Level One. Now that their opponents' strength had diminished while theirs was on the rise, Cui Lao and Dugu Mo had a solid advantage over the other party!
“All of you can set off together and accompany each other in the underworld!” Ling Yun snorted and appeared before Priest Wuchen!
“Heh heh, I didn't expect such an outcome after a long stay in the mountains compelled me to leave the hermitage and seek the whereabouts of my fellow junior apprentice…”
Priest Wuchen knew that he was unable to escape any longer. Laughing bitterly, he abandoned the idea of fleeing altogether and awaited his doom.
“I might as well tell you that Priest Liu Deming was killed by me!”
Ling Yun's gaze turned icy, and he unceremoniously impaled Priest Wuchen's throat. Without waiting for his corpse to fall onto the ground, Ling Yun instantly appeared before Master Xingchi.
“Amitabha!” Master Xingchi clamped his hand onto his wound and cried out in anguish. He asked Ling Yun, “It seems that you also killed one of our Shaolin disciples, Priest Compa.s.sionless?”
Ling Yun casually nodded his head as he bluntly said, “That's right!”
Master Xingchi pointed at the Devil's Blade in Ling Yun's hand. “Young master, this blade is demonic. If you listen to my advice, I hope you can discard it as a precaution because it has the ability to manipulate its owner and turn him into a mad serial killer…”
“Young master is a highly-cultivated individual at such a young age. I can die today without regrets, but I would still advise you to drop the cleaver and be instantly transformed into a buddha!”
Ling Yun gave an indifferent laugh. “Oh? I have been persuaded by many people to discard this blade. However, I'd like to pose a rhetorical question to you. What's the difference between using a famous sword to kill someone as opposed to using the Devil's Blade or one's fists?”
“Eh, this…” Master Xingchi was stumped by Ling Yun's question and began to contemplate on it.
Ling Yun probed further. “If I drop the Devil's Blade and even my own sword, and pledge not to kill anyone else from now on, can you guarantee that n.o.body will ever be killed?”
Master Xingchi's expression changed once more, and he was speechless for a long time. Finally, he sighed and broke into a faint smile. “I can't guarantee that, but it seems like young master is an extraordinary person indeed. Please make your move…”
After he had spoken, Master Xingchi no longer clamped his wound and instead placed his palms together in a religious pose. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he wasn't bothered by the blood that was gus.h.i.+ng out of his chest wound and began chanting Buddhist mantras.
Although Master Xingchi had already abandoned his self-defense, Ling Yun would never spare him. He lifted his sword again and pierced Master Xingchi's chest!