System reward! The Lingxiao Sword Bone has entered my body, making me and the sword one and invincible!

The moment the System notification chime faded.

An indescribable burning sensation suddenly erupted from the depths of Lin Yuan's limbs and bones!

It felt as if billions of ants were crazily gnawing and carving at every single one of his bones, or as if he had been thrown into a Pill Furnace, being calcined from the inside out by the hottest Dao Fire!

Intense pain instantly swept through Lin Yuan's entire body!

Even with his current cultivation and state of mind, he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, and beads of sweat the size of beans instantly appeared on his forehead.

He could clearly feel that every bone in his body was being crushed inch by inch under the influence of this mysterious power, only to be reorganized and reborn in a more perfect, more powerful form!

His original mortal bones were transforming into "Sword Bones" that were crystal clear and glimmering with a faint golden light!

Wisps of Cangming Sword Intent were drawn by this power, actively merging into his newborn bones, branding mysterious Sword Dao runes upon them.

His body was undergoing a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering transformation!

This pain lasted for a full half hour.

When the last trace of burning sensation dissipated, it was replaced by an unprecedented sense of comfort and power!

Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes, and in the darkness, two golden sword beams seemed to flash across his pitch-black pupils and disappear.

He gently clenched his fist.

"Crack!"

A crisp, explosive sound rang out in the air, as if the very space had been squeezed by the power of his grip, causing it to let out a mournful cry!

He could feel that the power within his body was several times stronger than before!

More importantly, his understanding of the sword seemed to have entered a whole new level at this moment.

Previously, the Cangming Sword Intent and the Nine Tribulations Heaven Derivation Sword Formation were powerful tools and weapons to him.

But now, they seemed to have become a part of his body, just like his hands and feet, which he could control at will, as easily as moving an arm!

"I am the sword, and the sword is me..."

Lin Yuan muttered to himself, a trace of amazement flashing in his eyes.

This Lingxiao Sword Bone was simply tailor-made for him!

With this set of Sword Bones, combined with the already incomparably domineering Cangming Sword Intent and the infinitely variable Nine Tribulations Heaven Derivation Sword Formation...

His combat power would definitely skyrocket exponentially!

In the future, if he encountered any blind fellows who wanted to disturb his peace, they probably wouldn't even be qualified to make him take his hands out of his pockets.

Thinking of this, Lin Yuan's mood instantly improved quite a bit.

He stretched, and his bones made a crisp sound like metal clashing.

"Time to sleep."

He lay back down, and soon, the sound of even breathing could be heard.

It was as if that heaven-defying transformation just now, which would have been enough to make anyone else reborn, was nothing more than a trivial matter to him.

...

Just as Lin Yuan received the System reward and fell into a peaceful sleep.

At Glory Fortress, in a remote mountain area behind it.

The terrain here was rugged with strange rocks, rarely visited by people, and was a blind spot for the base's surveillance.

A burly figure appeared here, acting furtively.

It was Barton, the captain of the Fifth Squad who had enthusiastically invited Lin Yuan and his group during the day.

He looked around vigilantly, and after confirming that there was no one else around, he carefully took out a palm-sized, strangely shaped black communicator from his bosom.

This was not standard equipment of the Holy Knights Order; instead, it was engraved with eerie runes belonging to the Divine Court.

Barton took a deep breath and injected a trace of True Qi into the communicator.

"Zzz..."

A dark red light lit up on the communicator, emitting a faint electrical sound.

A moment later, a processed, hoarse, and cold voice came from the communicator.

"Barton, what is the situation? Has the passage in Black Stone Valley been successfully destroyed?"

Hearing this voice, Barton's body trembled instinctively, and a look of Fear appeared on his face.

He hurriedly lowered his voice and said anxiously, "My Lord! The plan... the plan failed!"

"What?!" The voice on the other end of the communicator instantly became filled with Rage. "Failed?! What are Shadow and the other four good for! They couldn't even handle such a simple task!"

"No... it's not that, My Lord!" Barton's voice carried a hint of a sob. "An... an accident happened!"

"People from Dragon Xia Kingdom... People from Dragon Xia Kingdom suddenly appeared!"

Barton hurriedly reported everything that happened in Black Stone Valley today to the other party, adding his own embellishments.

When he mentioned how Lin Yuan had severely injured Shadow and the other four in one move, and then killed them all instantly with a bizarre sword formation, his voice was still filled with uncontrollable Fear.

The other end of the communicator fell into a long silence.

Apparently, this news had also left the other party feeling extremely shocked.

After a long time, the hoarse voice sounded again, its tone filled with gravity.

"Dragon Xia Kingdom... actually sent such a terrifying powerhouse..."

"Are you sure that young man named Lin Yuan killed Shadow and the other four all by himself?"

"It is absolutely true! My Lord!" Barton said hurriedly, "I saw it with my own eyes! That person's strength is unfathomable, I Fear... I Fear he has already reached the Martial God level!"

"Martial God..." The voice on the other end of the communicator became increasingly cold. "Hmph! Even if he really is a Martial God, so what! Anyone who dares to disrupt the Divine Lord's grand plan must die!"

"You must immediately find a way to keep them steady! You must not let them make contact with the higher-ups of the Knight Order!"

"I have already invited them to stay at the base, and I have temporarily left under the pretext of reporting the situation." Barton hurriedly claimed credit.

"Well done." The other party's voice softened slightly. "I will immediately report the situation to the Divine Official, and request that stronger forces be sent to support us!"

"Before that, you need to create an opportunity for us, an opportunity to wipe them all out at once!"

Upon hearing this, a flash of ruthlessness crossed Barton's eyes.

"Rest assured, My Lord! I already have a plan!"

"Tomorrow morning, I will propose a joint operation, suggesting we head to the Gloomy Forest together to wipe out another Divine Court stronghold we discovered earlier!"

"The Gloomy Forest has complex terrain and is filled with miasma, making it the perfect place for an ambush! As long as they dare to go, I guarantee they won't come back alive!"

"Very good! Barton, you truly have not disappointed the Divine Lord!" The voice on the other end of the communicator let out a satisfied laugh. "After the mission is accomplished, the Divine Official will surely reward you heavily! The position of Captain of the Fifth Knight Order that was promised to you will be within your grasp!"

"Thank you, My Lord! Thank you, Divine Official!"

A look of wild joy and greed appeared on Barton's face.

After the two conspired about some details of the ambush, they cut off the communication.

Barton carefully put away the communicator, a sinister and triumphant sneer hanging on his face, and turned to disappear into the night.

He thought his plan was flawless and kept secret from everyone.

However, what he didn't know was.

That in the shadow of a giant rock not far behind him.

Lin Yuan's figure stood there silently, like a ghost.

He had heard Barton's entire conversation clearly from beginning to end.

In his hand, he held a silver device even smaller and more exquisite than Barton's communicator.

A faint green light was flickering on the device, clearly indicating that it had completely recorded the conversation just now.

"Gloomy Forest... ambush..."

Lin Yuan put away the small recording device, and a cold arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

He looked up and glanced in the direction where Barton had disappeared.

"Your doomsday is coming soon too."

His figure flashed, and he seemed to merge into the darkness, instantly vanishing, as if he had never appeared.

The next morning.

Bright sunlight shone through the window and into the room.

Lin Yuan was still sleeping soundly in bed when a series of urgent knocks on the door woke him from his slumber.

"Consultant Lin! Consultant Lin, are you awake? Captain Barton is here!"

Su Li's voice came from outside the door.

Lin Yuan frowned with some displeasure and slowly climbed out of bed.

He opened the door to see Su Li and several Longxia Warriors standing at the door with serious expressions.

Opposite them, Barton was standing there with a face full of smiles, and Aila was following behind him, looking high-spirited.

"Lord Lin, good morning! How did you rest last night?"

Seeing Lin Yuan, Barton immediately walked up enthusiastically, his familiar manner making it seem as if the two were old friends who hadn't seen each other for years.

"Something up?" Lin Yuan yawned, his tone unfriendly.

Disturbing his sleep was a serious crime.

Barton didn't seem to notice Lin Yuan's displeasure; he rubbed his hands together and said excitedly, "Lord Lin, there is some great news!"

"After overnight reconnaissance by our Knight Order's intelligence department, we have discovered another important stronghold of the Divine Court!"

"It's right in the 'Gloomy Forest' not far from here!"

He took out a holographic map, pointed to a marked spot on it, and spoke with great animation.

"According to the intelligence, after the Divine Court's operation in Black Stone Valley failed, the remaining forces likely retreated there! I suggest that both sides immediately launch a joint operation to wipe them out in one fell swoop before they can establish a firm foothold! Let's completely crush the Divine Court's arrogance in the south!"

Barton spoke righteously and impassionedly, his face filled with hatred for the Divine Court and a desire for victory; his acting skills were so superb they were worthy of an Oscar.

Aila listened from the side, her blood boiling. She gripped her longsword and said to Lin Yuan, "Lord Lin, Captain Barton is right! We should press the attack while we have the momentum and not give the Divine Court any chance to catch their breath!"

However, Su Li keenly sensed that something was wrong.

Everything was too fast, too coincidental.

The stronghold was discovered last night, and they wanted to act immediately this morning? Without even a detailed battle plan?

This simply didn't conform to the common sense of military operations.

She walked to Lin Yuan's side and whispered, "Consultant Lin, this matter is a trap! The terrain of the Gloomy Forest is unknown, the enemy situation is unclear, and acting rashly carries too much risk! I suggest we deliberate further."

Upon hearing Su Li's words, the smile on Barton's face stiffened slightly, but he immediately said, "Instructor Su is overthinking it! Speed is the essence of war! We want to catch them off guard! Besides, with a powerhouse like Lord Lin overseeing things, wouldn't a mere Divine Court stronghold be easy to take?"

He flattered Lin Yuan with a high hat.

Su Li wanted to say more, but Lin Yuan raised his hand to stop her.

He secretly gave Su Li a reassuring signal, then looked at Barton with an expression of interest on his face.