Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

As dusk fell like blood, the outline of the ruins of the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion became grotesque and indistinct. At the back gate, the pungent smell of burnt wood and scattered rubble permeated the air, a stark contrast to the myriad lights gradually rising in the distant capital.

Three men in tight-fitting clothes formed a triangular formation, their footsteps pattering on the gravel like hyenas hunting their prey. Their eyes were fierce, carrying the chilling aura of years spent licking blood from the blade, and a hint of excitement and cruelty at having caught a stray fish. The steel blades in their hands reflected a cold light in the remaining twilight, the still-wet bloodstains on their blades a testament to their "spoils" of the day.

Scarface was the leader of the three. The scars on his face writhed like centipedes as his muscles twitched. He brandished the finely crafted crossbow in his hand, which gleamed with a ghostly blue light, and his voice was hoarse and threatening: "Kid, the ghostly aura of this Marquis's mansion hasn't dissipated yet. You're lucky to be alive. Are you going to obediently come over here and let us give you a quick death, or do we have to tear your tender bones apart one by one and then drag you to feed the dogs?" His two companions behind him let out low laughter in unison, their blades slightly raised, blocking all possible angles for Lin Xuan to dodge.

Lin Xuan stood rooted to the spot, seemingly stunned by this sudden and desperate situation. The dark cloth robe he had borrowed was slightly oversized, making his thin frame appear even more prominent. The dust and sweat deliberately smeared on his face made him look utterly disheveled. The evening breeze ruffled the stray strands of hair that fell across his forehead, brushing past his downcast eyes.

However, beneath that seemingly panicked exterior, his heart remained a frozen lake, utterly undisturbed. His experiences battling demonic beasts in the cultivation world had already forged his nerves to be as hard as steel. He slightly raised his index and middle fingers, concealed by his sleeves, and the wisp of stellar internal energy within his dantian, as fine as a hair, began to slowly travel along the most basic spiritual energy release route recorded in the *Star River Qi Refining Technique*, like an awakened dragon. Though not true spiritual energy, its incredibly condensed "quality" was enough to simulate a similar effect. A barely perceptible silver starlight quietly gathered at his fingertips, like a cold star in the dark night, held back yet unleashed.

Seeing Lin Xuan remain silent, the scarred man assumed he was terrified, and his patience, like a cat playing with a mouse, finally wore thin. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he roared, "Stubborn fool! Chop him up!"

Before he finished speaking, he launched the first attack! He charged forward, his steps steady, his steel blade slicing through the air, leaving a trail of chilling white light as he aimed straight for Lin Xuan's neck. It was the common military killing move, "Severing the River's Flow," powerful and aimed at killing instantly! Almost simultaneously, the men on either side also attacked fiercely. One swept his blade across the ground, attacking his lower body, while the other, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, silently stabbed towards Lin Xuan's waist! The three blades combined, weaving a net of death, sealing off all space above, below, left, and right, clearly intending to kill this "remnant" on the spot!

The biting wind from the blade already ruffled Lin Xuan's hair, and the shadow of death loomed over him.

At this critical moment, Lin Xuan made his move!

His movements were so subtle as to be as natural as being blown by the wind. His feet remained on the ground, but his body moved with an almost intuitive precision, slightly to the side, tilting back, and rotating.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Three blood-soaked steel blades, radiating a chilling aura, grazed almost his face, waist, and legs! The sharp, piercing screech of the blades cutting through the air failed to even touch the hem of his clothes! That exquisite evasion wasn't based on speed, but on a precise prediction of the enemy's movements, strength, and even intentions, as well as a manifestation of a sublime level of muscle control!

"What the hell?!" Scarface's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpoints, alarm bells rang in his mind, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. This boy clearly showed no signs of internal energy fluctuations, and his movements showed no trace of advanced lightness skill. How could he so easily evade the combined attack that the three of them had been preparing for?

However, Lin Xuan gave them no time to think. Just as Scarface's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet arisen, and his moves were running out of steam, his two fingers, which had been hidden in his sleeve, suddenly shot out like a venomous snake that had been lying in wait for a long time!

The starlight gathered at his fingertips drew a pale silver, almost imperceptible line in the dim light, moving faster than the naked eye could perceive, and aimed directly at the scarred man's right wrist holding the knife!

There was no grand display, only a soft but teeth-grinding "plop" sound, like a red-hot iron skewer piercing solidified grease.

"ah--!!!"

The next second, Scarface let out a heart-wrenching scream, his voice filled with pain and incredulous horror. He watched helplessly as a bloody hole the size of a thumb appeared out of nowhere on his wrist! White bone fragments mixed with shattered tendons were exposed to the air, and blood didn't flow, but gushed out like a fountain! A condensed, domineering, and icy star-like alien energy instantly invaded his meridians through the wound, frantically destroying all life! He felt as if his entire right arm had been instantly ripped from his body, and the excruciating pain overwhelmed his consciousness like a tidal wave.

"Clang!" The steel knife fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

This bizarre and terrifying scene sent chills down the spines of the other two men, causing them to halt their advance and their faces to fill with astonishment and fear. They hadn't even seen how their opponent had made their move!

Lin Xuan, however, was like a heartless killing machine. After striking once, he didn't stop. His footwork changed, seemingly simple, but secretly in accordance with the trajectory of the stars in the heavens. His figure was as elusive as a ghost, and in an instant, he appeared in front of the man on the left who was slow to move due to shock.

The man only saw a blur before a young face, covered in dust yet with eyes as cold as ancient ice, was right in front of him. He instinctively tried to parry with his knife, but the other man's fingers moved like a sword, striking him precisely on the Tanzhong acupoint on his chest.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud, like a heavy hammer striking a drum, resounded. The man shuddered violently, his eyes bulging and bloodshot. He felt an irresistible, sharp force pierce his body, instantly shattering his heart meridian. A mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out, and his body flew backward like a puppet with its strings cut, crashing heavily into the half-collapsed courtyard wall several meters away, splattering a pool of glaring crimson blood. He convulsed twice and then fell silent.

Sold out instantly!

Clean and efficient, without any hesitation or fuss!

The last man was utterly terrified by this swift and brutal method. Seeing his companion's instantaneous and gruesome death, witnessing the scarred man clutching his wrist and howling in agony, and then looking at the plain-clad youth who slowly turned and fixed his gaze on him, only boundless fear remained in his heart. The reward, the orders—all were thrown to the winds.

"Monster... Monster!" he cried out, no longer caring about anything else. He turned around and used his lightness skill to the fullest extent, trying to escape this hellish scene.

"Want to leave now? Too late."

Lin Xuan's icy voice, as if emanating from the deepest hell, clearly pierced his ears. At the same time, a faint yet sharp gust of air attacked from behind!

With the aid of the Wind Control Technique, Lin Xuan's speed was beyond imagination. He arrived before the man, appearing behind him as if by teleportation. Starlight flickered from his fingertips once more, seemingly lightly touching the acupoint on the man's back.

"Well……"

The man's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt, as if all his strength had been instantly drained. His eyes were filled with fear of death and bewilderment at this unknown power. He collapsed softly to the ground, lifeless.

In the blink of an eye, two of the three Body Tempering Realm experts, whose hands were stained with the blood of the Marquis's mansion, were dead and one was seriously injured! The whole process took only a few breaths!

Only the scarred man remained, slumped in a pool of blood, clutching his crippled right hand, trembling violently from the excruciating pain and utter terror. He watched the plain-clad youth slowly approach. Moonlight pierced through the clouds at that moment, illuminating the youth's calm, expressionless face. In those deep eyes, there was no trace of the shock of killing, only a chilling indifference to life.

This is definitely not an ordinary remnant of a noble family! That look, that method... he even suspected that the other party might be some reclusive old monster in disguise!

"A...a master of the Innate Realm?! No...impossible! Who...who are you?!" The scarred man's voice was hoarse, filled with despair. The release of internal energy, capable of injuring someone from a distance, condensed as if into a tangible substance—this was clearly the mark of a master of the Innate Realm! But how old was this boy? Moreover, that power was cold and pure, completely different from any other type of internal energy he knew!

Lin Xuan walked up to him silently, like a ruler of the night. He looked down at the scarred man, whose face was pale from blood loss, his eyes indifferent, as if he were looking at a corpse.

"Who sent you?" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling and authoritative quality that pierced the soul, like icy needles stabbing at Scarface's already crumbling mental defenses.

Faced with an overwhelming disparity in strength and the threat of death, Scarface's pitiful loyalty crumbled instantly. "It's...it's the Black Fiend Gang! We're from the Black Fiend Gang! It was the gang leader...the gang leader gave the order! Mercy! Mercy! I was just following orders, I didn't know anything!" Tears streamed down his face as he ignored the excruciating pain in his severed wrist, supporting himself with his left hand as he desperately kowtowed, his forehead striking the cold ground with a dull thud.

The Black Fiend Gang? Fragments of the original owner's memories flashed through Lin Xuan's mind. It was a deeply entrenched underground gang in the capital, ruthless in its actions and specializing in shady dealings. But with its strength, it was absolutely impossible for it to shake a behemoth like the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion; at most, it would be a pawn pushed to the forefront.

"Was the confiscation of the Marquis's residence ordered by the Emperor?" Lin Xuan asked again, his tone still calm, yet carrying an undeniable sense of pressure.

"I...I'm of lowly status, I really don't know!" Scarface's voice trembled. "I only vaguely heard the gang leader mention that it was...it was an order from a high-ranking figure to leave no one alive, not a single one could escape...it seems...it seems to be related to military reports from the northern frontier..."

The Northern Frontier Military Report… Lin Xuan’s eyes turned slightly cold. Sure enough, his father Lin Tianhao’s “underestimation of the enemy and reckless advance, resulting in his ambush and death,” and the annihilation of the 100,000-strong Lin family army, must have concealed a huge conspiracy. The waters of this capital city run deeper than he had imagined.

He knew that it would be difficult to uncover deeper secrets from these low-level executors.

Looking at the scarred man who was still kowtowing and begging for mercy, Lin Xuan felt no pity. Mercy to the enemy was cruelty to oneself. Letting him go would only expose his whereabouts and bring endless trouble.

He slowly raised his finger, and the starlight at his fingertip condensed again. Although faint, it exuded a deadly chill.

"No—! I've told you everything I know! Spare me..." Scarface felt the chilling killing intent and let out a desperate and unwilling roar.

The starlight flashed and disappeared, precisely disappearing into the space between his eyebrows.

The pleas for mercy abruptly ceased. Scarface's body stiffened abruptly, then collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with endless fear and regret, before his breath ceased completely.

Lin Xuan stared expressionlessly at the three corpses on the ground, his heart unmoved. In the Qinglan Mountains, he had long been accustomed to life and death. He quickly searched the three men, finding only some loose silver coins, a few pieces of dry rations, and the exquisite crossbow, but no other evidence to identify the mastermind behind them.

He casually kicked the crossbow and the few blood-stained steel knives into the dense grass beside him, concealing the traces. Then, without lingering, he vanished into the deepening night, silently stepping out of the back gate of the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion, a place that bore the endless sorrow and hatred of the original owner, disappearing into the intricate, dimly lit alleys of the capital.

The streets were bustling with people, filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and laughter. The capital city still displayed its prosperity and vitality at night, as if the sudden collapse of the illustrious mansion during the day was just an insignificant dream that had left little trace in this vast city.

Lin Xuan concealed all his aura, blending into the bustling world like an ordinary, down-on-his-luck youth. As he walked, he silently examined himself. The brief but intense exchange just now, though swiftly ended thanks to his superior skill and masterful use of power, had still taken a toll on his newly recovered projection body, causing his blood and qi to churn slightly. He secretly circulated the unique breathing technique recorded in the "Starry Qi Guiding Chapter," combining it with the nearly half-depleted Starry Qi internal energy within his dantian, nourishing his slightly damaged meridians like sweet rain and calming his turbulent blood and qi.

"By the standards of martial arts in this world, the power I just simulated has indeed touched the threshold of the Innate Realm," Lin Xuan thought clearly. His stellar internal energy, originating from his true self and of extremely high quality, though pitifully small in quantity, far surpassed the internal energy of this world in its "quality." Simulating the effect of releasing internal energy and condensing it into a powerful force wasn't difficult. However, true Innate Realm masters possessed powerful and surging internal energy, like a rushing river, capable of prolonged combat and even unleashing various profound martial arts techniques. The biggest weakness of his current projected body was the severely insufficient "quantity" of his stellar internal energy, and its slow recovery.

"We must improve the strength of this body as soon as possible. The 'Star Qi Induction Chapter' is the key. If we can draw on more of the star power of this world, we can not only accelerate the strengthening of the physical body's foundation, but also promote the accumulation of star internal energy."

He raised his head, gazing at the hazy moon veiled by thin clouds in the night sky, and at the countless stars that shone faintly in the depths of the heavens, radiating a cold, ethereal light. In this realm, he would use these celestial bodies as his guide, retracing the path of martial arts and forging a path never before seen!

The most urgent task was to find a completely safe place to settle down, fully digest the gains from this awakening, and carefully plan the next step. He remembered that in the original owner's memories, in the chaotic western part of the capital, there was an inconspicuous "Lin's General Store" that the Marquis's family had secretly run in the early years. The shopkeeper, Lin Fu, was a veteran whom his father, Lin Tianhao, had rescued from the battlefield. He was loyal and reliable, and perhaps he could temporarily use it as a hiding place.

After regaining his composure, Lin Xuan followed the vague memories in his mind, adjusted his direction, and headed towards the more chaotic area in the western part of the capital, where it was also easier to hide one's tracks.

His figure quickly disappeared into the dim light, like a drop of water flowing into a river, leaving no trace.