Survival in an apartment, starting with a stroke of luck on a plane

Lin Yu finished his cultivation in the apartment and slowly opened his eyes.

Sensing that he had woken up, Jinling immediately came over affectionately and gently rubbed his arm with its hard beak.

With continuous feeding and the nourishment of the True Lord's aura, Jinling has grown even larger, its dark golden feathers are brighter, and its eyes are sharper.

Lin Yu stroked the smooth feathers of the golden feather, pondering his next move.

The main quest has been completed, there's no problem with his escape route, and the Spirit Spring business is on track, providing him with a stable daily income of resources.

Logically speaking, he could have peacefully cultivated and accumulated experience in this world until the year was up.

It's good that I can rest in this world for a while longer.

But Lin Yu was still somewhat unwilling to stay in one place forever.

"The Evil Suppression Division..." Lin Yu murmured to himself.

Li Qianfeng's invitation, along with the official resources and intelligence authority he represented, remained quite attractive to him.

Despite the fact that this world was so strange, he remained wary of Li Qianfeng and the system behind him.

However, it is undeniable that seeking a deeper understanding of the world through official channels is indeed the most efficient method.

"It seems it's time to go check out the Zhenxie Division's stronghold in Jiangyuan City." In the end, Lin Yu made up his mind.

He needs more information to assess the risks, and in-person contact is undoubtedly the best way.

He left Jin Ling in the apartment, instructed his shadow clone to continue looking after her and cultivating, and then left the hidden valley stronghold alone, entering Jiangyuan City once again.

Jiangyuan City was already bustling with activity in the early morning, with people coming and going on the streets and the shouts of vendors filling the air.

Lin Yu concealed his aura and walked towards the inner city area where the Zhenxie Division's office was located, just like an ordinary pedestrian.

However, just as he was walking through a relatively quiet alley connecting to the main street, an extremely subtle yet familiar chilling aura suddenly locked onto him like a venomous snake!

Almost instinctively, Lin Yu stopped abruptly and retreated rapidly.

boom!

Where he had been standing, the ground suddenly exploded, creating a deep crater and sending debris flying everywhere.

A powerful gust of wind, carrying a scorching and eerie aura, swept through, leaving deep scratches on the alley walls.

As the dust settled, a figure blocked the alley entrance.

It was a very burly and robust monk with dark, shiny skin, exactly like the monk from the Black Buddha Temple that Lin Yu had seen before.

Unlike the monks of the Black Buddha Temple, he was neither thin nor fat, but rather his body was muscular and bulging, as if cast in steel, exuding an explosive sense of power.

He wore a simple gray monk's robe, and around his neck hung a huge rosary made of unknown black bone, each bead carved with a twisted and painful face.

What is most striking about him are his eyes, with two dark red flames leaping deep within his pupils, filled with violence and killing intent, and emanating an eerie aura that can confuse the mind.

It is very similar to the Buddha statues I have seen before.

The energy fluctuations emanating from its body are of the gold level.

"The Immaculate Body... the offering from the Buddha Mother... I've found you!" the warrior monk said, his voice hoarse and deep, like rolling thunder.

Lin Yu frowned slightly. It seemed that he had indeed been targeted by this group of bald monks.

"A wicked and wicked person hiding their true nature dares to call themselves the Mother of Buddha?" Lin Yu replied coldly.

"You have blasphemed against Buddha! You deserve to die!" the monk roared, refusing to utter another word.

He stomped his foot hard, cracking the ground, and charged straight at Lin Yu like a cannonball, his speed so great that he left only a blur in his wake.

He did not use any weapons; his hands, as large as palm fans, were the most terrifying weapons. Dark red evil energy swirled around the edges of his hands, and wherever they passed, the air was scorched and distorted.

"So fast!" Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly activated [Spatial Jump].

Whoosh!

His figure vanished from the spot at the last second, reappearing on the other side of the alley.

The monk's punch missed its mark, but the terrifying force of the punch directly blasted down most of the alley wall behind Lin Yu, sending bricks and stones flying everywhere.

"Where do you think you're going!" The monk reacted extremely quickly. Almost the instant Lin Yu appeared, he twisted his waist and turned around, his other hand sweeping out like a steel whip, creating a sharp whistling sound as he blocked Lin Yu's escape route.

There's no way to avoid it!

Lin Yu's eyes flashed, and the [Demon Sword] was instantly drawn. The eerie ghostly aura intertwined with the cold moonlight, and the sword was crackling with lightning. It met the sweeping arm head-on without flinching!

Clang!

A deafening explosion rang out as metal clashed, sparks flying everywhere!

Lin Yu felt a tremendous force coming from the sword, his tiger's mouth went numb, and he uncontrollably slid backward several feet, plowing two deep furrows into the bluestone slab beneath his feet.

Thanks to the Heavenly Cloak, which helped to absorb a lot of the force, he was able to withstand the attack.

On the monk's arm, only a faint white mark remained, and dark red malevolent energy surged, quickly healing the minor damage caused by the lightning magic.

"What a powerful physical body!" Lin Yu thought to himself in surprise.

This monk follows the path of physical cultivation, possessing a physical strength far exceeding that of others of the same level, and his protective aura also exhibits extremely strong resistance to energy attacks.

"A mere trick!" The monk sneered, lunging forward again. His fists rained down like a storm, the dark red fist energy almost tangible, completely enveloping the space around Lin Yu.

Each punch contained terrifying power capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, as well as malevolent energy that eroded the mind and spirit.

Lin Yu pushed his movement technique to its limit, leaving afterimages in the narrow alleyways. Occasionally, he would fire with the [Azure Rose], bullets imbued with charged demonic fire blasting at the monks, causing large bursts of blue flames. However, these were all blocked by the thick layer of dark red malevolent energy, making it difficult to cause effective damage.

The Demon Sword's strikes were either met with direct punches or avoided by the opponent's unpredictable movements.

Lin Yu simply released the Hun Tian Cloak and simultaneously released a large amount of Flower Willow Vine, using the flexibility of both to entangle the guy.

This guy's aura shield is too thick. Lin Yu was speechless. This was the first time he had encountered such an annoying enemy that he was helpless against.

The battle was extremely fierce. The walls on both sides of the alley collapsed one after another, and smoke and dust filled the air. The huge commotion had already alerted pedestrians in the distance, but no one dared to take a step closer because of the terrifying aura and evil pressure of the gold-level expert.

Lin Yu fought and retreated, attempting to lead the battlefield to a more open area.

This monk's physical strength is too great, which puts him at a great disadvantage in a confined environment.

The monk seemed to have seen through his intentions, and his attacks became even more ferocious, each punch faster and heavier than the last. The dark red aura almost condensed into a tangible domain, constantly compressing Lin Yu's space to dodge.

"The Mist of the Underworld!"

Lin Yu scoffed and activated the Netherworld Stone Necklace's ability. Instantly, countless thick, solid-like black mists emanated from the black stone necklace around his neck, enveloping the entire alley, including Lin Yu and the black monk.

Within the black mist, all attributes were reduced by two, along with various debuffs. Even the most insane Black Monk knew he couldn't fight in such a situation, so he immediately wanted to leave.

"Trying to run away?"

But Lin Yu wouldn't give him a chance. He stomped his foot hard on the ground, and a vine wrapped around his calf pierced the ground. In an instant, countless willow vines burst from the ground beneath him and frantically wrapped around the black monk.

"Damn it!"

The black monk's eyes turned even redder, and he kept pulling and tearing the attacking willow vines to shreds.

"Press!"

Lin Yu seized an opportunity and activated the [Seven Subduing Demons Techniques of the Green Mountain Path]. An invisible, heavy pressure suddenly descended upon the monk, causing him to pause slightly.

At that very moment, countless willow vines and a cloak of chaos flew over and bound him tightly.

"Now!"

A glint flashed in Lin Yu's eyes, and his magical power surged into his left palm like a river bursting its banks.

"Five Thunder Dharma!"

A large amount of magic power was poured into his left hand, and a dazzling ball of lightning slowly appeared in his hand.

Upon seeing this, the black monk hurriedly tried to run away, but was firmly restrained by the willow vines and the all-encompassing cloak.

Boom! ...

This time, instead of scattered arcs of lightning, it was a blazing white lightning pillar as thick as a bucket, condensed to the extreme, like a punishment descended by the Thunder God of the Nine Heavens, striking the monk's chest with a speed beyond visual perception.

With this attack, Lin Yu used almost the maximum power of the lightning techniques he could currently control, and he also concentrated his mind highly, using his [Heavenly Eye] to lock onto the weak point in the flow of the opponent's energy.

The monk clearly hadn't expected Lin Yu's lightning magic to suddenly increase in power to this extent; the extremely yang and powerful lightning energy made him instinctively feel fear.

He roared, and dark red malevolent energy around him frantically condensed, forming a thick shield of malevolent energy in front of him.

Rumble—!!!

The lightning bolt collided violently with the shield of malevolent energy, unleashing a burst of light powerful enough to blind an ordinary person.

The terrifying shockwave from the explosion spread in a ring, completely leveling the ruins within a radius of tens of meters.

"Ugh—!!"

The monk let out a painful roar as his shield of malevolent energy shattered after only a moment under the impact of the lightning pillar! Blazing white lightning poured into his body and then raged within him.

In the blinding flash of lightning, his body was instantly charred and carbonized. The terrifying power of the lightning penetrated his defenses, blasting his left chest into a bloody mess. The stench of burning flesh filled the air, and you could even see broken bones and writhing internal organs.

His massive body flew backward like a tattered sack, crashing heavily onto the ground some distance away, creating a large crater and sending dust billowing into the sky.

Won?

Lin Yu was slightly out of breath; the overloaded lightning spell he had just unleashed had consumed nearly two-thirds of his mana.

He dared not be negligent. His [Heavenly Eye] pierced through the smoke and black mist, locking onto the monk's aura—though much weaker, it had not completely disappeared.

"He's really tough!" Lin Yu's eyes turned cold, knowing full well the importance of eradicating evil completely.

He moved swiftly, intending to deliver the fatal blow.

However, just as he took a step, a chilling white sword light appeared between him and the monk without warning, as if tearing through space. The incomparably sharp sword intent instantly enveloped the entire area, forcefully stopping Lin Yu's momentum.

The sword light faded, revealing a face covered in dark blue scales.

Is it Li Qianfeng?

He stood there expressionless, holding the strange white bone longsword. His gaze first swept over the heavily wounded and dying monk on the ground, then he looked at Lin Yu, his tone flat and indifferent: "Young friend Lin, are you alright?"

Upon seeing Li Qianfeng, Lin Yu frowned.

He had just dealt a heavy blow to his opponent when Li Qianfeng conveniently appeared?

"Inspector Li, what do you mean by this?" Lin Yu's voice was icy.

Li Qianfeng frowned slightly, seemingly displeased with Lin Yu's questioning, but still explained, "This person has a special identity; he is a well-known 'Guardian Vajra' in the Black Buddhism. I need to take him back for interrogation to uncover more secrets of the Black Buddhism. If we kill him rashly, the clues will be cut off."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, he has already suffered severe injuries and cannot cause any trouble. Young friend Lin's strength is astonishing; he was able to severely injure this fiend all by himself. This truly makes me look at him with new respect."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the warrior monk in the pit, as if he were about to step forward and capture him.

Lin Yu frowned even more deeply, but did not stop him, and simply followed slowly behind Li Qianfeng.

But at that very moment, the monk in the pit, who had been weak and listless, suddenly burst into a thick cloud of blood mist using some secret technique, accompanied by a sickeningly loud sound of bones grinding together.

His severely injured body suddenly sprang up at an incredible speed, turning into a streak of bloody light as he fled desperately towards the outside of the city at an astonishing speed.

"Trying to run?!" Lin Yu's eyes flashed, and he instinctively gave chase.

"Don't pursue a cornered enemy!" Li Qianfeng once again stepped in to block him, his white bone longsword humming as its sword intent locked onto Lin Yu. "This person is burning his life essence to use a stealth technique, making him extremely fast. Moreover, the situation outside the city is unclear, and there might be an ambush! Young friend Lin has just fought a fierce battle and is quite exhausted; it's not advisable for him to take risks!"

Looking at Li Qianfeng's seemingly concerned but actually obstructive attitude, and glancing at the direction where the martial monk had disappeared, Lin Yu felt a growing sense of doubt creeping into his heart like wildfire. He forcibly suppressed the urge to pursue and the anger in his heart, knowing that turning against Li Qianfeng at this moment would be unwise.

He took a deep breath, withdrew his magical power, sheathed the Demon Sword, and the Azure Rose disappeared. His face showed no emotion, and he simply said, "Since Inspector Li says so, then let it be."

Seeing that Lin Yu had given up the pursuit, Li Qianfeng seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and his tone softened: "It's good that young friend Lin understands. The Black Buddhism forces are deeply entrenched and act unpredictably, so we must be wary."

He looked at Lin Yu again, bringing up the old matter once more: "It seems the Black Buddhism has its eyes on you, young friend Lin. Although you are quite capable, you can't fight alone. Joining my Evil Suppression Division will not only give you the protection of the imperial court, but also allow you to mobilize resources and actively investigate the Black Buddhism. It's much better than passively dealing with their schemes. What do you think of my suggestion from last time?"

If it were before, Li Qianfeng's words might have given Lin Yu some pause for thought.

But after that overly "coincidental" scene, Li Qianfeng's credibility in his mind had been greatly diminished.

Lin Yu remained expressionless, cupping his hands and saying, "Thank you for your invitation again, Inspector Li. However, I am used to being carefree and cannot stand being restrained. I am afraid I cannot comply with the matter of joining the Evil Suppression Division. As for the trouble with the Black Buddhism, I have my own way of dealing with it, so there is no need for you to worry about it, Inspector Li."

Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible shadow crossed Li Qianfeng's eyes, but given the current situation, he couldn't say much. He simply nodded and said, "Everyone has their own ambitions, and I cannot force you. I only hope that if you change your mind in the future, the gates of the Zhenxie Division will still be open to you. This place is not suitable for me to stay any longer. I need to go back and deal with this matter. I will take my leave now."

After saying that, he gave Lin Yu a deep look, then his figure transformed into a streak of gray-black sword light, soaring into the sky and disappearing into the horizon in an instant.

Looking in the direction where Li Qianfeng disappeared, Lin Yu stood there, his face completely darkening.

"Li Qianfeng... Black Buddhism... What exactly is the relationship between you?" he muttered to himself, his vigilance reaching its peak.

Li Qianfeng's appearance did not deter him from going to the Zhenxie Division to investigate; on the contrary, it made him completely abandon the idea.

At this moment, in his eyes, the Zhenxie Division was no longer a potential ally, but a den of dragons and tigers that might be hiding even greater dangers.

"I can't stay here any longer." Lin Yu made a decisive decision, leaving the now-ruined battlefield without lingering. His figure blended into the flow of people on the street, and after a few turns, he disappeared completely.

……

Deep within the Zhenxie Division office in Jiangyuan City, there is a secret room that isolates the inside from the outside world.

Li Qianfeng stood with a livid face in front of a floating bronze mirror with skulls inlaid on its edges.

The mirror rippled, reflecting not his image, but a blurry outline shrouded in shadow, revealing only a pair of sharp, hawk-like eyes and a well-maintained hand with neatly trimmed nails.

A high-pitched, effeminate voice, its age impossible to discern, came from behind the mirror, tinged with obvious displeasure: "Inspector Li, how's the matter I entrusted to you going?"

Li Qianfeng took a deep breath, suppressing the frustration in his heart, and said in a deep voice, "Father-in-law, the mission... has failed."

"Oh?" The voice in the mirror rose slightly, carrying a hint of danger: "Why did you fail? With your strength, taking down a junior at the Gold level should have been a piece of cake."

"It's not that I'm incompetent," Li Qianfeng quickly explained, briefly recounting the attack on the martial monks in the city and Lin Yu's subsequent suspicion and refusal to recruit him. Finally, he said, "...Father-in-law, that Vajra of the Black Buddhism knew too much. Given the circumstances at the time, it would have been almost impossible for me to kill him."

Therefore, the only option is to buy time and use a secret technique to escape. Lin Yu is a meticulous man; because I stopped him from killing the Black Monk, he has already become suspicious. As for the recruitment, I'm afraid...

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the mirror, then the shrill voice rang out again, carrying a hint of coldness: "The bald monks of the Black Buddhism... Hmph, they certainly have a keen sense of smell and quick hands and feet."

"We've run into each other. It seems the Black Buddhism sect is quite covetous of the 'Immaculate Body'."

He paused, his tone turning displeased: "Inspector Li, your actions this time were indeed inappropriate. Your timing was slightly off, which alerted the target. Well, let's leave it at that for now."

Li Qianfeng's heart tightened. He knew that this mission had been a disaster and he had already lost face in the eyes of his superiors. However, he dared not say anything and could only bow his head and reply, "Yes, sir, I understand."

"Then you don't need to contact Lin Yu for the time being." The voice in the mirror commanded, "Since he is so ungrateful and the Black Buddhism people have interfered, I will personally arrange for people to handle the rest."

You just need to keep a close eye on the movements of the Black Buddhism in Jiangyuan City and the surrounding area, and avoid causing any further trouble.

"Yes, sir!" Li Qianfeng bowed and accepted the order.

The ripples on the mirror gradually subsided, and the blurry outline and the soft voice disappeared together, leaving only Li Qianfeng in the secret room.

……

Meanwhile, in a hidden underground chamber outside Jiangyuan City.

The air was filled with a strong, pungent smell of blood and the strange aroma of burning incense.

In the center of the dark room, a strange statue of the "All Bodies Return to One Buddha Mother" stood silently, its countless twisted limbs and faces seemingly writhing slightly.

The monk, who had been severely injured by Lin Yu during the day and whose body was almost destroyed by lightning magic, was kneeling naked in front of the Buddha statue.

His charred flesh and blood at the wound site looked particularly gruesome, and he was extremely weak.

He muttered incantations, chanting strange, mad-like ramblings, as if he were praying for something.

As he chanted, the statue of the Buddha Mother began to undergo strange changes.

The black flesh that made up its body twitched slightly, as if it had come to life. Strands of viscous, black, oily substance seeped from the surface of the Buddha statue, like living tendrils, slowly spreading down and wrapping around the heavily injured body of the monk.

"Ugh...ho..." The monk's body trembled violently, his face contorted with a mixture of extreme pain and devout ecstasy.

The black substance, like the most skilled surgeon, covered his charred wounds. Wherever it passed, carbonized flesh fell off, and new, abnormally black granulation tissue grew and intertwined at a visible speed, repairing the damaged body.

The broken bones were also wrapped and connected by a black substance.

In just a few dozen seconds, the monk's terrible wounds had mostly healed, leaving only large patches of dark-colored, seemingly keratinized new skin.

At that moment, a deep light suddenly shone from the huge vertical pupils on the face of the Buddha Mother statue, as if it had been infused with consciousness.

A sweet, seductive, and languid female voice resounded directly in the dark room, or rather, directly in the monk's heart: "My loyal Vajra... you have failed?"

The voice seemed to possess a magical power, causing the monk to tremble. Ignoring his incomplete recovery, he kowtowed, answering in utter terror, "This disciple is incompetent. Please punish me, Holy Maiden. The 'Immaculate Body' was far stronger than anticipated. I failed to defeat it and was severely injured instead..."

He dared not conceal anything and briefly explained the battle, Lin Yu's difficulty in dealing with him, and Li Qianfeng's interference.

A brief silence fell over the dark room, broken only by a soft sigh emanating from the sweet female voice, seemingly tinged with disappointment yet also with complete control.

After a long pause, the woman's voice rang out again, her tone still languid: "Never mind..."

The monk lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

"Considering your past piety, I will give you one last chance," the female voice said slowly, with a cold indifference that seemed to control fate. "I will bestow upon you another 'Buddha Mother's True Power' to help you fully recover and enhance your strength in a short time."

If you fail again on the next mission... you might truly lose the opportunity to convert to Buddhism and enter into eternal bliss.

Before the words were finished, the dark light in the Buddha Mother's eyes intensified, and a condensed, solid black light shot out, instantly disappearing into the monk's brow.

The monk's body trembled violently, and he let out a suppressed growl. His aura began to rise wildly at an abnormal speed, sweeping away his previous listlessness and becoming even stronger than in his prime. The black lines under his skin became faintly visible, and the dark red flames in his eyes burned even more intensely.

But at the same time, the expression on his face became even more numb, and the last vestiges of rationality in his eyes seemed to be eroded by the dense darkness.

Feeling the surging power within him, the monk was overjoyed and kowtowed again, his voice trembling with excitement: "Thank you for your grace, Mother Buddha! This disciple swears to complete the mission with his life! I will never dare to fail you again! I will definitely bring back that 'Immaculate Body' and offer it to you!"

The sweet female voice did not respond again, and the dim light in the Buddha Mother's eyes gradually faded, returning to deathly silence, as if everything just now was an illusion.

But the monk knew it wasn't an illusion.