Promise!

Chapter 287, Stifling
The Funiu Mountains are close to the second pass.

The wind was bleak, rustling and swirling the fallen leaves, creating a somber atmosphere.

Xiao Linye bled from all seven orifices, but he bowed down regardless. He dared not move an inch until Zhuang Jin spoke, his heart filled with anxiety.

Of course, someone like him wouldn't entrust his fate entirely to others. He appeared respectful, but inwardly he was on high alert. If Zhuang Jin really wanted to make a move, he would rather perish together with Zhuang Jin. He figured he might not be able to seriously injure Zhuang Jin, but he could still cause some trouble and at least make sure the other party gained nothing. That was acceptable.

Zhuang Jin was aware of the man's subtle psychology, but he didn't care. After a moment, he looked at him indifferently and finally spoke: "Get up. I have three questions for you."

A glimmer of hope appeared in Xiao Linye's heart. He knew that the moment of life and death had arrived. He dared not delay and his expression became even more respectful: "Senior, please ask. I will answer all your questions without reservation."

"First,"

Zhuang Jin looked at the other party and asked calmly, "Were most of the people in your Azure Dragon Society recruited by you through the deceptive methods you used before?"

"This... Senior Zhuang, you don't know, but my methods require the other party to acknowledge my words... Besides, my initial intention was good, so there's no need to be too concerned about the method..."

All I need is your answer: yes or no?

After a few breaths of silence, a voice rang out: "Yes!"

'really! ’

This is probably the same approach as being forced into a corner. Zhuang Jin frowned subconsciously and asked again, "Secondly, you escaped, but did you ever think about what the people of the Azure Dragon Society would do?"

"The incident happened suddenly. I am also extremely saddened by what happened to the three great families. However, I am currently too weak. When I break through to the Yin God realm in the future, I will definitely avenge them."

Facing Zhuang Jin's indifferent gaze, Xiao Linye gritted his teeth and spoke his true feelings: "My actions were indeed driven by selfish motives, but they were mostly for the public good, for the 'universal harmony' that I spoke to Senior Zhuang about back then. This path is tortuous. When I brought them in, I did think of today, but... I can only say that this was a necessary sacrifice."

"A necessary sacrifice?"

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly, looking at the man, and understood: this man came from a collateral branch of a noble family. Although he was naive, had ideals, and even betrayed his class, he was by no means a pure and innocent girl. In order to achieve his goals, he could do whatever he wanted, even be ruthless. He was a true tyrant.

This title isn't derogatory; just as a compassionate general cannot command an army, those who achieve great things often possess this quality, greatly increasing their chances of success. However, it left him somewhat disheartened: 'This world is materialistic; ultimately, everything comes down to strength and power. Without sufficient strength, no matter how beautifully or grandly things are embellished, their essence is ultimately dirty and ugly!'

"Third, when you developed the Azure Dragon Society, did you ever use my name?"

"I myself don't have it. There might be some down there, but I'm unaware of it. Senior Zhuang, it's a misunderstanding!"

"No need to say it."

Zhuang Jin already understood that this person might not have it himself, but there must have been some hints. Through the previous three questions, he also understood their respective identities and positions. People with different paths cannot work together: "Since I have asked you three questions, you have thirty breaths to escape."

"This……"

Seeing Zhuang Jin's resolute expression, Xiao Linye knew that this was the limit and had no choice but to accept it. However, instead of running away, he said "excuse me" immediately.

Previously, he suffered a backlash from the secret technique, and only knew that Zhuang Jin's soul was powerful. Now, he wanted to test Zhuang Jin's overall strength so that he would have a clear understanding of the situation. This move was also unusual and had another purpose.

hum!
At this moment, the power of heaven and earth was communicated with him, spreading across several miles, and then suddenly gathered and converged, forming a hundred-foot-tall phantom behind him. It was a supreme being wearing a crown and a black dragon robe. His face was blurry, but upon closer inspection, he had three or four similarities with Xiao Linye. He was the ultimate being after Xiao Linye had mastered his skills and recreated the universe!

"Human Emperor's Imprisoning Heaven Palm!"

At this moment, under Xiao Linye's explosive power, he reached out and pressed down. The majestic and solemn hundred-foot-tall phantom behind him also extended a palm, displaying a scene of wind and clouds dispersing, entwined with ten thousand vermilion auras, and at the same time carrying the power of confinement and sealing, it enveloped him.

'That's interesting!'

Zhuang Jin observed the strange power suddenly erupting from Xiao Linye's body. It wasn't罡元 (Gāngyuán, a type of internal energy or spiritual energy), but he discerned its essence: 'This is the result of collecting, converging, and refining the scattered spiritual energy of tens of thousands of people. It could be called the power of human thought. Normally, it can serve as resources and aid in cultivation; under special circumstances, it can also support a sudden burst of power.'

'Just as at this moment, with the power of humanity and the collective will of all beings, human effort can leverage the power of heaven and earth. When the time is right, heaven and earth will unite their forces, forming a power that encompasses a realm.'

He secretly admired him, guessing that this was the cultivation technique and opportunity that the person had obtained in the immortal ruins.

—If this move were made by Xuan Yuan Zhengji or the heads of the three great families, they might be caught off guard and suffer losses if they were careless. But Zhuang Jin is different. He is not comparable to those mediocre people. Moreover, his cultivation has improved day by day over the past six months.

"Certainly!"

Zhuang Jin remained calm and composed. With a thought, he enveloped the area with the power of his domain, freezing it instantly. The hundred-foot-tall supreme phantom, along with its large palm, shattered with a deafening roar.

For him, this move, though profound, was too crude and impractical because Xiao Linye was not at the Yin Spirit level; it could be shattered with a mere thought.

Immediately.

Wow!
With another flick of his sleeve, the hundred-foot-tall phantom and the sky-covering palm shattered, and the crimson aura within it swirled back like a level 10 gale.

"not good!"

Xiao Linye was hit before he could react.

His previous move, while testing Zhuang Jin's strength, was actually aimed at maximizing the power of humanity's thoughts, which contained the mixed elements of the five aggregates of the mortal world. This energy would make it difficult for people to calm their minds and cause mental confusion. In layman's terms, it was similar to a short-term aura of reduced intelligence. If Zhuang Jin were to fall for it, it would greatly facilitate his escape. He didn't want to be the one to fall for it.

At this moment, Xiao Linye was hit and dared not delay. In the last moment before being hit, he gave himself a pep talk and turned to run away for his life.

Zhuang Jin looked on indifferently and did not stop him. After calculating the time from when he spoke to when the other party made his move, including the thirty breaths, he then moved and disappeared from the spot to give chase.

……

Run! Run! Run!

Xiao Linye's eyes were bloodshot, and unlike his usual wisdom and profundity, they were now tainted with a lot of ferocity. A silver-white round stone in his arms shone brightly, constantly flashing and jumping.

It can be said that Zhuang Jin brought him unprecedented pressure. Under extreme pressure, his own potential and trump cards were being unleashed.

"This place is near the second pass, and not far ahead lies the Thousand Cliff, a perilous place, but jumping down doesn't necessarily mean certain death. I'm lucky; perhaps there's a chance. Further in, there's a third deadly zone, inhabited by Vajra Realm beasts, which could add even more uncertainty."

'Once we get there, there's hope! Hurry! Faster!'

With less than a mile to go, a sudden fluctuation came from behind, and the power of the domain enveloped them. Xiao Linye knew that he had really been captured by Zhuang Jin this time, and the other party would definitely not show any mercy.

"Virtual Stone, explode!" At this moment, he cut off his tail to survive, gritting his teeth as he threw the silver-white round stone backward to detonate it. While blocking the way, it was also a way to lure him and buy himself a little more time.

boom!
The power of the Void Stone, like a volcanic eruption, caused the power of the domain to tremble and hum, temporarily blocking it.

"what?!"

Zhuang Jin felt the resonance and attraction of the Holy Spirit Pearl. With a thought, he first severed the connection between the pearl and Xiao Linye. Then, he exerted all his strength, using his domain to cover and restrain the self-destructing Void Stone, freezing most of it.

Swish!
With a flick of his sleeve, the broken Void Stone transformed into a stream of light and was absorbed into his sleeve.

"Wow!"

The moment Zhuang Jin severed the connection to the Void Stone, suppressing and absorbing it, Xiao Linye coughed up a mouthful of blood. His heart ached, and filled with hatred, he blurted out, "Zhuang Jin, I will remember this grudge!"

The Void Stone is one of his most prized treasures, connected to the cultivation technique "Nine-Nine Heaven and Earth Technique." It can be considered his natal treasure, capable of gathering and storing the thoughts of all living beings. If his cultivation technique reaches an extremely high level, transforming the world and recreating the universe, and absorbing the thoughts of hundreds of millions of people across the nine provinces into one, the Void Space inside this stone, which originally could only store intangible power, can transform from the void into reality, accommodating physical objects and forming its own secret realm.

Such a treasure with unlimited potential self-destructed, was suppressed and taken away, and coupled with the fact that it had been affected by his own mortal five elements energy and was in a state of reduced intelligence, it made such a harsh statement.

—The cause and effect of this can only be described as follows: Xiao Linye, because of the cultivation technique "Nine-Nine Qiankun Gong", had previously followed the natural order and received the support of the three elements of heaven, earth and man. When the time was right, heaven and earth would lend their strength. But today, all his previous calculations and petty schemes were precisely aimed at the unfathomable strength of Zhuang Jin. In the end, he trapped himself in his own web, which is exactly what the next line means: "When fortune turns, even heroes are no longer free."
"Um?!"

Zhuang Jin hadn't originally intended to kill this man, only to do his best. However, upon hearing Xiao Linye's harsh words, he immediately changed his mind: 'This man seems to have good fortune, and he harbors a grudge. He cannot be allowed to live. Today, we must eliminate him completely.'

He suppressed the resonance of the Holy Spirit Orb, temporarily preserving the broken Void Stone, and pursued the enemy.

Here, the self-destruction of the Void Stone bought Xiao Linye a few breaths. They were already not far from Thousand Cliff, and now they arrived here in an instant.

He decisively jumped off the cliff, leaving only a voice: "Bah, you old dog Zhuang, I, Xiao Linye, will remember this grudge. If I am given the chance to live, I will kill you!"

'Thirty years west of the river, thirty years east of the river? The Dragon King returns? I don't want to be the villain in this kind of script!'

Zhuang Jin was not afraid of trouble, but he did not want to cause trouble for himself. He resolutely jumped off the cliff to chase after him. Today, he was determined to kill this person.

……

"Crazy! Crazy!"

After Xiao Linye jumped off the cliff, he felt an ominous premonition that lingered in his mind. He muttered to himself, unsure whether he was talking about Zhuang Jin's crazy actions or that he was being driven mad.

At this moment, his heart was indeed in turmoil: No, what deep hatred did he have for Zhuang Jin? As for jumping off a cliff... uh, thinking of his previous threat, the effect of the Five Elements Qi of the Mortal World had weakened, and he was much more clear-headed. He felt great regret, but he also knew that what was done could not be undone and there was no way to undo it.

'I possess unparalleled talent and extraordinary luck, breaking through to the Innate Realm at a young age. Afterwards, I encountered immortal ruins and obtained countless treasures. Am I truly going to die here today? No! No! I am not reconciled!'

Xiao Linye roared inwardly. In this dead end, hope suddenly arose. A powerful aura appeared in the distance. That was... a Vajra Realm beast?!
A miraculous escape from a desperate situation.

But before the joy in his heart could even arise—

Swish!
The next moment, an invisible domain force descended, freezing his figure in place. A sharp and unparalleled sword light flashed, accompanied by the flying of a fine head.

It was Zhuang Jin who, seeing Xiao Linye survive the fall from the cliff, followed the trail of blood and used his natal artifact, the Soul Locking Technique, to pursue him here.

'I'm going to die from this sword?!'

This was Xiao Linye's last thought. He recalled visiting Zhuang Jin more than half a year ago and seeing the Eight Swordsman, one of whom had now died. He felt a sense of absurd destiny. The next moment, the separated corpses fell heavily to the ground.

Zhuang Jin looked at him indifferently, raised his hand to grab the bundle on the man's back, and then with a thought, sword energy surged forth, enveloping Xiao Linye's corpse and shattering it in an instant.

To reduce bones to ashes is a sign of respect for both the enemy and oneself.

Originally, this was just a prudent, instinctive action, but unexpectedly, after Xiao Linye's body was shattered and turned into dust, a cyan light ball that was neither real nor illusory appeared on the spot and had a great attraction to the soul.

Zhuang Jin did not absorb it rashly. He wrapped it with his divine soul power and put it away, then looked at the Vajra Realm beast that was rapidly approaching from the other side.

……

A cloud of mist appeared at an extremely fast speed, within which was a long black serpent with wings on its back. Each of its dark scales was covered with strange, incandescent runes, giving it an ominous appearance.

"A Vajra Realm beast, the Teng Snake? This is troublesome. Such a flying Vajra Realm beast is faster than me."

Zhuang Jin did not ride the Fire Phoenix this time because he was faster, but he estimated that he was no match for the Vajra Realm Teng Snake. If he were to be entangled by it, and other Vajra Realm beasts caught up and attacked him, it would be troublesome.

'Let's deal with this Teng Snake first!'

He made a decision in his heart. Thinking of his experience in facing the Vajra Realm Chaos Ape King last time, he directly used the Divine Soul Killing Secret Technique "God-Slaying Thorn". His divine soul power surged and condensed into an invisible sword with countless mysterious patterns. He flashed through the air and stabbed it.

hum!
The sword of divine soul pierced through the air silently, causing the Teng Snake, which was two or three miles away, to pause. The next moment, the patterns on its countless scales lit up, and it hissed violently, with clouds and mist churning around it.

This is a case of some damage, but it is far from being a serious injury.

'Huh? If it were a Chaotic Ape King at the Vajra Realm, taking a strike of this strength from my "God-Slaying Thrust," even if it didn't die, it would be paralyzed, and the battle would become a waste of time. Yet this Tengshe seems largely unaffected?!'

'Oh, I see.'

Zhuang Jin seemed to realize something, and understood: 'The name Tengshe is often associated with mist, poison, wind, ominous dreams, curses, and shadows. Since it's related to ominous dreams and curses, it belongs to that kind of mysterious attribute, possessing resistance to attacks that harm the soul. That's why it didn't succeed.'

Thinking this, he frowned slightly: 'The Funiu Mountains are a triple dead zone, and the number of Vajra Realm beasts within is extremely limited. Last time, that Chaos Ape King suffered a loss at my hands. This time, by sheer coincidence, a beast unaffected by my superior spiritual power has appeared? Is it Xiao Linye's luck? Or is there something else going on?'

'Enough of thinking about it now, let's deal with this Teng Snake first!'

With a thought, Zhuang Jin unleashed seven swords from his sleeve, each made of divine metal and corresponding to the four elements of life, injury, blockage, scenery, death, shock, and opening, in addition to the small sword that had killed Xiao Linye.

—Indeed, in the past six months, he has already forged eight swords corresponding to the Eight Gates Sword Formation and refined them for use. The cost was a sum of money he received as compensation after the Li Shizong incident, and another sum of money he received as an apology from Xuanyuan Zhengji and Cen Chongxuan after breaking through to the Yin God realm. Such a massive amount of resources, exchanged through the Shangguan family's channels, was finally used to complete the forging.

The moment the eight swords were unleashed simultaneously, they intertwined and formed a sword formation based on the eight trigrams. An extremely sharp sword energy, targeting the soul and body, converged to form a silver-white pillar of light that shot straight into the sky, shattering the boundless clouds.

……

(End of this chapter)