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

really--

The man in the black robe suddenly raised his head, his hood falling down to reveal a face so pale it was almost transparent. His face was expressionless, except for a pair of eerie blue eyes that burned with fury.

"You're asking for it!"

He roared and suddenly spread his arms wide to the sides.

"Click-click-click—"

All the ice layers broke apart at the same time.

But it didn't collapse; rather, it shattered into countless fragments.

Each fragment was like a knife, whistling sharply as it shot towards Lin Yu from all directions.

Densely packed, blotting out the sky and the sun.

This was his all-out attack.

A desperate last stand.

Lin Yu's expression changed.

He immediately held the mountain-splitting axe in front of him, while simultaneously activating the protective qi of his Heavenly Gang Battle Armor. The Hun Tian Cloak also automatically unfolded, blocking his side.

"Ding ding ding ding ding—"

Ice shards struck the axe, the armor, and the cloak, producing a dense, crisp sound.

Most of the shards were blocked, but some still slipped through—some grazed his cheek, leaving a bloody mark; others pierced his arm, and blood gushed out immediately.

But Lin Yu did not move.

He is waiting.

Wait until this wave of attacks is over.

The moment when the man in black robes was exhausted.

finally--

The density of the ice fragments decreased.

The black-robed man's breathing became heavy.

His power had been largely depleted in that last burst of energy. Coupled with the raging demonic power within him, he was already at his limit.

Right now.

Lin Yu put down the machete.

The azure rose was raised once more.

This time, he did not use a charged shot.

He infused a wisp of primordial power into the gun.

True Demon Bullet.

One shot per day.

Once you use it, it's gone.

But he doesn't care.

It's worth it as long as I can kill this enemy in front of me.

At the muzzle, blue-gold light condensed once more—but this time, the center of the light contained a touch of pure silver.

That is the color of primordial power.

The man in black robes sensed it.

That aura... was even more dangerous than that shot just now.

He wanted to hide.

But his body wouldn't obey him. The demonic power within him had destroyed most of his meridians and internal organs, making it difficult for him to even move.

He could only watch helplessly as the light grew brighter and brighter.

"boom!"

A second shot rang out.

This time the sound was softer and deeper—like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, making only a muffled thud.

A beam of silver-blue light shot out.

It was faster than the previous shot.

It happened so fast that the man in the black robe didn't even have time to react.

The light pierced his forehead.

It enters from between the eyebrows and exits from the back of the head.

A small, round hole.

The man in the black robe stared wide-eyed.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out.

Then, his body began to freeze.

It starts from the soles of the feet and spreads upwards.

It wasn't a deep blue ice; it was transparent, like crystal.

The ice quickly covered his entire body, freezing him inside. His expression, his posture, the resentment in his eyes—all were frozen in that moment.

"Click—"

A crack appeared on the ice sculpture.

Then came the second, the third...

The entire ice sculpture was covered with dense cracks.

"boom!"

The ice sculpture shattered.

Countless transparent fragments flew in all directions, shimmering with iridescent light in the sunlight, like a dazzling ice rain.

The fragments melted quickly upon landing, turning into puddles of clear water.

The man in the black robe had vanished completely.

Not even a trace was left.

Lin Yu stood there, panting heavily.

He had many wounds—on his face, arms, and legs—all caused by ice shards. Some of the wounds were deep, exposing the bone.

But his eyes were very bright.

Won.

With the strength of a beginner-level Legend, he killed an opponent at the peak of Legend.

While there was an element of opportunism—upgrading the Azure Rose with the Woodcutter's Spring and using the Penetrating Magic Bullet and True Magic Bullet to catch the opponent off guard—a victory is a victory.

On the battlefield, only the results matter.

Lin Yu put away the azure rose, took out a bottle of recovery potion from his storage space, and drank it down.

A warm energy spread from my stomach throughout my body. The wounds began to heal slowly, and the broken bones began to reconnect.

He leaned against the broken wall and rested for a while.

Then, he straightened up and looked around.

The whole street was destroyed.

Buildings collapsed, roads cracked, and ice and water were everywhere. The damage caused by the ice domain was greater than he had imagined—the exterior walls of several surrounding buildings were cracked by the frost, all the windows were shattered, water pipes burst, and water was flowing everywhere.

"We need to find someone to clean up this mess," Lin Yu sighed.

He took out a communication talisman and sent a message to Old Chen.

The message was simple: "The Ash Hand attacked, Legendary Peak, but it's been dealt with. You're here to clean up the scene."

After sending the message, he put away the communication talisman and turned to walk towards the apartment.

He had only taken two steps when he suddenly stopped.

Because he sensed—there was still a breath.

It was very faint and well hidden; if he hadn't just finished a fight and his senses hadn't been exceptionally sharp, he wouldn't have been able to detect it at all.

That aura is underground.

It is about ten meters above the ground.

Lin Yu frowned.

Is anyone else there?

He looked down at the ground.

The ground was covered with a thin layer of water, formed from melting ice. The water was calm and showed no signs of anything unusual.

But his senses told him—there was something below.

And it's alive.

Lin Yu thought for a moment and did not act immediately.

He first activated his Heavenly Eye, its dark golden pupil piercing through the ground and looking down into the earth.

There is a person several meters underground.

A person curled up in the mud.

The man was wearing a black bodysuit, covered by a thin, earthy-yellow energy shield that isolated him from the surrounding soil. His breathing was faint, and his heartbeat was slow, as if he was deliberately concealing his presence.

Strength... Mid-Legendary.

Weaker than the man in black robes, but not weaker either.

"The Hand of Ashes?" Lin Yu said in a low voice.

It seems the man in black robes didn't come alone. He's drawing attention from the front, while another is hiding underground, preparing a sneak attack?

Or... is this person here for something else?

Lin Yu thought for a moment and came up with a guess.

The man in black robes launched a frontal assault, while the person underground... might be trying to sneak into the apartment amidst the chaos to steal something or rescue someone.

For example—rescuing the bandaged man?

The bandaged man is still locked up in his little world.

If the Hand of Ashes sent someone to rescue him, then that makes sense.

"Interesting." Lin Yu's lips curled up slightly.

He didn't make a fuss.

Instead, he pretended not to have noticed anything and turned to continue walking towards the apartment.

He wants to play the long game.

The fact that this person is hiding underground means he doesn't yet know the man in black is dead. He'll naturally show himself when he realizes something is wrong.

It's not too late to make the arrest then.

Lin Yu returned to his apartment.

Jinling immediately came over and nuzzled his hand with its head—it smelled blood.

"It's nothing," Lin Yu said, patting its head. "Just a minor injury."

He walked to the sofa and sat down to continue recovering from his injuries.

Meanwhile, his senses remained locked onto the location of the person underground.

The person was still underground, motionless.

It seems he's still waiting.

Should we wait for the black-robed man's signal? Or wait for the battle to end?

Lin Yu wasn't in a hurry.

He has plenty of time.

He leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and while recovering from his injuries, he thought about the battle he had fought that day.

The woodcutter's spring water, used for the first time, had an effect that exceeded expectations.

After the Azure Rose is upgraded, it gains two new abilities: Penetrating Magic Bullet and True Magic Bullet. These two abilities play a decisive role in crucial moments.

Especially the True Demon Bullet—infused with primal power, it is of extremely high quality and can penetrate defenses of lower quality.

No matter how high the quality of the black-robed man's ice shield, it couldn't surpass the power of the source. Therefore, the true demon bullet pierced through it with a single shot.

This ability will be one of his biggest weapons in the future.

Unfortunately, you can only use one shot per day.

But that's enough.

One bullet a day that can instantly kill a legendary peak is already quite exaggerated.

Lin Yu thought about the woodcutter's spring water again.

Two uses remain.

Should we upgrade something?

He thought about it and temporarily suppressed the idea.

Good steel should be used where it's needed most. The remaining two chances should be saved for when they're truly necessary.

For example... the next time we encounter an even more dangerous enemy.

-

The people underground finally moved.

About half an hour later, Lin Yu felt the underground energy begin to move slowly.

That person is climbing upwards.

He moved very slowly and cautiously, making almost no sound. If Lin Yu hadn't been constantly watching him, he wouldn't have noticed at all.

Lin Yu opened his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

coming.

He didn't move, continuing to lean back on the sofa, pretending to rest.

The people underground climbed up to the foundation of the apartment building and then stopped.

He seemed to be sensing the situation above.

Lin Yu concealed his aura, making himself appear as someone who had just finished a battle and was recovering from weakness.

really--

The people underground moved.

He crawled in through a crack in the foundation and, like a snake, writhed upwards along the wall.

It was very fast, but made no sound.

A few seconds later, he appeared beneath the apartment floor.

Then he stopped.

Lin Yu could sense that he was listening.

Listen for sounds coming from the apartment.

Lin Yu deliberately made some weak breathing sounds, while making his energy fluctuations unstable—looking like he was seriously injured and barely holding on.

The people underground seem to have been fooled.

The floorboards trembled slightly.

A small crack appeared on the floor, and then the crack slowly widened—a hand reached out from underneath.

That hand was slender, with long fingers and short nails; it didn't look like a man's hand.

woman?

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow.

Is there a female version of Hand of Ash?

He didn't move and continued to pretend to be unconscious.

The cracks in the floor are getting bigger and bigger.

A figure emerged from underground.

It really was a woman.

She was wearing a black bodysuit, had a great figure, and very fair skin. She wore a black mask on her face, revealing only her eyes—a pair of very beautiful almond-shaped eyes with slightly upturned corners, giving them a sly look.

Her hair was silver, short, just reaching her shoulders, and tied in a small ponytail at the back of her head.

After she crawled out of the ground, she first looked around.

Seeing Lin Yu leaning against the sofa, seemingly unconscious, her eyes lit up slightly.

Then, her gaze fell on the entrance to the small world—the golden vortex.

Her goal was indeed the small world.

Lin Yu sneered inwardly.

Want to save the bandaged man?

It's not that easy.

The woman tiptoed toward the entrance to the small world. Her footsteps were so light they were almost silent—lighter than a cat's.

She stopped in front of the entrance to the small world, seemingly hesitant.

She could sense a very powerful aura within the small world.

The Queen of Insects, the Azure Witch, and various legendary units.

Going in rashly would be very dangerous.

But she went in anyway.

Because her mission was to rescue the bandaged man.

She took a deep breath and stepped into the golden vortex.

Lin Yu opened his eyes.

He stood up and stretched his wrists.

"Walking into a trap," he whispered.

He walked to the entrance of the small world and stepped inside.

In the tiny world, dark golden fungal carpets covered the sky and the earth.

The woman froze as soon as she entered.

She hadn't expected the small world to be like this—an endless fungal carpet, dense swarms of insects, and a huge main nest in the distance.

This is hardly a small world.

This is a Zerg nest.

Her expression changed.

She wanted to leave.

But it was too late.

Lin Yu walked in from the entrance of the vortex behind her.

"Since you're here, don't be in such a hurry to leave," Lin Yu said with a smile.

The woman turned around abruptly, looking at Lin Yu with a wary expression.

"You're not hurt?"

"I suffered a minor injury," Lin Yu said, stretching his shoulder, "but I'm not unconscious yet."

The woman's face darkened further.

She realized she had been tricked.

"Who are you?" Lin Yu asked, "From the Hand of Ashes?"

The woman did not answer.

Her hand stealthily reached for her waist—where two short knives were tucked, their blades narrow, like two elongated daggers.

The woman's eyes turned cold.

She suddenly moved.

Extremely fast—faster than the man in the black robe.

Her figure left an afterimage in place, and her true form had already appeared behind and to the side of Lin Yu, with two short swords thrusting at Lin Yu's throat and back respectively.

Fast, accurate, and ruthless.

Typical assassin playstyle.

Lin Yu was prepared.

He slightly shifted his body to the side, and at the same time, the Demon-Slaying Sword appeared in his hand, which he parried with a backhand motion.

"clang!"

The two short swords struck the blade simultaneously, producing a crisp sound.

The woman wasn't very strong—far weaker than the man in black. But she was incredibly fast, and her swordsmanship was cunning, always targeting vital points.

Lin Yu slashed out with his sword in a backhand motion.

The woman lowered her body and slid across the sword, while simultaneously thrusting her short knife upwards towards Lin Yu's lower abdomen.

Lin Yu shifted his foot and took two steps back, dodging the attack.

"Good speed," he said.

The woman did not speak.

Her figure flashed again, like a black shadow, moving swiftly around Lin Yu. Two short swords danced in her hands, becoming two balls of silver light, stabbing at Lin Yu from all angles.

Her attacks were frequent and fast, but lacked power—each strike wasn't particularly powerful, but the sheer number of them was enough to cause considerable discomfort. Getting stabbed a few times would be quite painful.

Lin Yu did not compete with her in speed.

He stood still, his Demon-Slaying Sword transforming into a golden wall of light, blocking all the attacks.

Ding ding ding ding—

The dense clanging of metal blended together like a downpour.

The woman's attacks grew faster and more urgent. But Lin Yu's defense was as solid as a mountain; she couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.

After several dozen more rounds, the woman's breathing became rapid.

She slowed down.

Sustained high-speed movement is very physically demanding.

Lin Yu seized the opportunity and forced the woman back with a single sword strike.

Her body suddenly became blurry—like a layer of mist, or a shadow.

"Shadow Cloak?" Lin Yu raised an eyebrow.

The woman's figure grew fainter and fainter, on the verge of disappearing into thin air.

But at that moment—

"Buzz—"

A golden light emanated from Lin Yu.

Space blockade.

Epic skill.

The woman's body suddenly froze.

Her Shadow Cloak was interrupted.

The space has been sealed off, and all space-related abilities have been rendered ineffective.

"How is this possible..." The woman looked at Lin Yu in disbelief.

Her Shadow Cloak is her strongest escape technique, and it has never failed her.

"Nothing is impossible," Lin Yu said.

He snapped his fingers.

The third eye on his forehead opened, and a beam of golden light shot out.

The woman gritted her teeth and had no choice but to face the challenge head-on.

But she was already exhausted, and now she was trapped by the spatial blockade, unable to escape or fight back.

After another dozen or so rounds, the woman finally couldn't take it anymore.

Lin Yu chopped her in the back with an axe.

"puff--"

The woman coughed up blood and collapsed forward.

Lin Yu stepped forward and stepped on the woman's back. The woman struggled a few times, but couldn't break free.

She raised her head, glaring fiercely at Lin Yu, her eyes filled with resentment.

"You lost," Lin Yu said.

The woman gritted her teeth and remained silent.

Lin Yu walked up to her, squatted down, and looked into her eyes.

"Speak, what's your name? What did the Hand of Ash send you here for?"

The woman turned her head away and did not answer.

"Not going to tell?" Lin Yu smiled. "It's alright, you have plenty of time to think about it."

He stood up and waved to the worker bees beside him.

"Lock her up. Lock her up with that bandaged man."

Several worker bees crawled over, bound the woman tightly with spider silk, and then dragged her towards the main hive.

The woman was being dragged along, struggling incessantly, but to no avail.

Lin Yu watched her retreating figure and stroked his chin.

"Hand of Ashes..." he whispered.

One is a legend at the peak, the other a legend at the intermediate level.

That's quite a large sum.

It seems they really value themselves.

But this raises a question—why is the Hand of Ash so determined to kill him?

Last time it was the Burner and the Bandaged Man, this time it's a legendary peak plus an assassin.

If it were just because of the bounty, there wouldn't be so many experts sent here, would there?

Or is it... that there's something on him that the Hand of Ashes really wants?

Lin Yu thought for a while, but had no clue.

He shook his head, putting the question aside for the time being.

If you can't figure something out, just stop thinking about it for now.

Anyway, the person has already been arrested, we can just interrogate them slowly later.

He stepped out of his little world and returned to the living room.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting golden dappled patterns on the floor.

The battle is over.

The apartment is still the same apartment—quiet, warm, and safe.

Lin Yu sat down on the sofa and let out a long sigh.

Today's battle was hard-fought.

But the gains were also significant.

Lin Yu leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes.

The sunshine was warm and felt very comfortable on my face.

He was a little sleepy.

I fought two matches today—one in the arena and one outside. Both my physical and mental strength were quite depleted.

"Take a nap," he said softly.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, the communication talisman lit up.

It was sent by Lao Chen.

"We've taken care of the scene. That legendary guy you mentioned, Ice Nightmare, was a high-ranking member of the Hand of Ashes, a ruthless character ranked in the top three on the bounty list. You actually killed him? Not bad, kid."

"Also, we've found out something—the Hand of Ashes has been very active lately, not just targeting you, but causing trouble in various worlds. I'm still investigating the details, and I'll let you know when I have more information."

"Be careful. Ice Nightmare is dead, but Hand of Ash definitely won't let this go. Next time, it might not be just one or two people."

Lin Yu smiled after reading the message.

"Come on then," he said softly.

He put away the communication talisman, closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.

The living room was quiet.

The sunlight slowly moved, from the floor to the sofa, and shone on Lin Yu's face.

Jin Ling jumped onto the sofa, lay down at his feet, and closed her eyes.

Everything was peaceful.

But Lin Yu knew—

This is only temporary.

An even bigger storm is yet to come.

The Hand of Ashes, forces of the Abyss, the Council of Eternal Night, the secrets of the system, the nine layers of authority, higher-dimensional existence...

These things, like mountains, pressed down on him.

But he wasn't afraid.

One must walk the road step by step, and climb the mountains one by one.

He has plenty of time.

Some have the confidence to back it up.

……

When Lin Yu woke up, the sunlight had already moved from the floor to the ceiling. He moved his body slightly, and a dull ache returned to the wound on his shoulder, but it was much better than before he went to sleep. His legendary-level recovery ability, combined with the recovery potion he had drunk earlier, allowed his injuries to heal remarkably quickly.

He sat up, moved his shoulder to make sure the bone was almost set, and then stood up from the sofa.

Jin Ling was still lying at his feet. When she saw that he was awake, she raised her head and chirped.

"Are you hungry?" Lin Yu asked.

Jin Ling pecked his finger in response.

Lin Yu took out a piece of spirit beast jerky from his storage space and tossed it to Jin Ling. Jin Ling pounced on it, caught it, and swallowed it in a few bites. Then it looked up at him, its eyes clearly saying, "I'm still not full."

"Go ask the worker bees in the small world for it," Lin Yu said. "They have plenty of spirit beast meat there."

Jinling flapped its wings and transformed into a golden light, flying into the entrance of the small world. Lin Yu watched it disappear into the golden vortex before turning and entering the Xuandu Purple Mansion.

The swirling purple aura within the Purple Palace continued to flow steadily. The statue of the True Lord stood silently in the center, its three eyes slightly closed, surrounded by a faint golden halo. He sat cross-legged before the statue, closed his eyes, and began to examine his condition.

The source energy flowed slowly through his meridians, and after a night's rest, his mana had recovered to about 70%. The hidden injuries from the battle were also healing rapidly, and he would be fully recovered in a day at most.

He checked the equipment again.

There is still a shallow crack on the shoulder armor of the Heavenly Gang Battle Suit, which was caused by the freezing cold of the Ice Nightmare. However, it has already repaired itself to the point that it will be fully restored in a few more hours.

Both the axe and the demon-slaying sword were intact; divine-level equipment is not so easily damaged.

He held the azure rose in his hand, examining it from all angles.

The upgraded blue-gold gun body gleamed with a cold luster in the light of the Purple Mansion, and the runes on the gun body seemed to be alive, flickering slightly with his breath.

The "True Demon Bullet," which can only be used once today, has already been used up and will not be available again until tomorrow.

However, regular bullets and charged shots are unrestricted and can be used as long as the demonic power is available.