41: Instantly killed Zhao Wuji

Lin Yuan stood in the Void Realm, his gaze like two cold, physical swords slowly sweeping across the crowd below, who were as silent as cicadas in winter.

His gaze deliberately paused on Zhao Wuji for a moment, and the curve of his lips was like a polar wind blowing past, devoid of any warmth.

Just this one look!

Zhao Wuji felt as if ten-thousand-year-old profound ice had pierced through his body; his blood froze instantly, and a fatal warning sign like never before erupted from the depths of his Soul!

His hair stood on end, and his heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible ghostly hand; a surge of suffocation rushed in, nearly causing him to collapse to the ground!

"Daoist Friend Lin!" The deathly silence was broken by a clear voice. A young Cultivator dressed in a plain white Daoist robe with an otherworldly temperament stepped out from the crowd and bowed respectfully.

The Taixu Holy Land token at his waist flowed with warm jade light, particularly striking in the oppressive atmosphere. "I am Zhou Ziling of the Taixu Holy Land. I congratulate you, Fellow Daoist, on forging a miracle in the Refining Spirit Valley that has never been seen throughout the ages! Your talent shines through the past and present; you are truly a role model for our generation!"

Zhou Ziling's voice carried heartfelt awe, breaking the deadlock.

"Congratulations, Daoist Friend Lin!"

"Your Divine Might, Fellow Daoist, has left us thoroughly convinced!"

After a brief silence, a tide-like wave of congratulations finally rang out, the sound mixed with undisguisable fear and flattery.

Lin Yuan only nodded slightly, his gaze seemingly inadvertently sweeping over the back of the crowd.

There, several obscure yet malicious gazes were like venomous snakes, with Zhao Wuji's being the most intense—under that forced smile, his resentment was almost turning into physical flames ready to erupt.

Zhao Wuji suppressed the fear that almost burst through his throat, his voice sounding sharp and piercing due to being overly tense: "Lin... Daoist Friend Lin! You must have had a Heaven-Defying harvest in the Soul Core Area! Why... why not bring it out to let us broaden our horizons and share in the good fortune?" He deliberately raised his volume, attempting to ignite the latent fire of greed within the crowd.

'In a hurry to be reincarnated? I'll grant your wish.' Lin Yuan sneered inwardly.

"Divine Soul Annihilation."

There was no world-shaking momentum, no dazzling light. Lin Yuan’s lips simply moved slightly as he spat out four cold syllables.

In his Sea of Consciousness, the soul pearl's faint light suddenly flashed!

An invisible and intangible yet terrifying vibration containing the power to annihilate the Origin of the Soul shot out silently from Lin Yuan's brow!

The speed surpassed the limits of perception, as if directly crossing space, instantly sinking into Zhao Wuji's brow!

"Ugh—!" The distorted expression on Zhao Wuji's face froze instantly, his eyes erupting with extreme terror and confusion. He even failed to make any reaction before his entire head seemed to be detonated from the inside!

"Puff!"

There was no thunderous roar, only a dull, tooth-aching sound of bursting. Zhao Wuji's head was like a ripe, rotten watermelon, exploding violently in front of everyone!

Red, white, and thick fluids mixed with bone fragments flew out in a radial pattern, splashing onto the terrified and stunned faces and robes of the nearby Cultivators, emitting a thick scent of blood.

That headless body stood upright for a moment before collapsing heavily to the ground with a fountain of blood, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Deathly silence!

A silence even more complete and suffocating than before enveloped the entire field! Even the sound of the wind had vanished.

Time seemed to freeze. Tens of thousands of gazes stared fixedly at that shocking mess of red and white and the headless corpse, their minds completely blank.

Several Saints and Saintesses' faces were as white as paper, their pupils shrinking to pinpoints due to extreme horror! Sun Lingming, the Xuantian Saint, and others were even more like they had been hit by an invisible force, uncontrollably stumbling back several steps, their gazes toward Lin Yuan filled with incomprehensible fear!

How did he die? I didn't see it at all! This thought exploded in everyone's hearts. A Saint of a Holy Land at the Peak of the Spirit Refining Realm was silently and helplessly obliterated by a Martial Artist at the first layer of the Gathering Origin Realm? This method was no longer within human reach!

Deep within Lin Yuan's Sea of Consciousness, the soul pearl's faint light glowed slightly, and a line of cold information flowed through:

[Soul Reserves: 110/1000]

"Ten Souls for the Spirit Refining Realm... The previous hundred Souls were indeed provided by that Evil Eye of Ten Thousand Laws." Lin Yuan's thoughts raced as his gaze swept across the remaining Saints like a bone-scraping steel knife. "Who else wants to 'broaden their horizons'?"

No one answered! Everyone lowered their heads in unison, wishing they could bury their faces in the dirt, not daring to have the slightest contact with that gaze containing the aura of death. The air was as heavy as lead.

Cold sweat trickled down the forehead of Zhou Ziling, the Taixu Saint, and the clothes on his back were already soaked, but he forcibly steadied his mind, took a deep breath, and cupped his hands respectfully again, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling: "Zhao Wuji brought this disaster upon himself. He repeatedly provoked Daoist Friend Lin's Divine Might; his death is well-deserved! My Taixu Holy Land has absolutely no objection!" He was the first to draw a clear line.

"The Netherworld Holy Land concurs! Zhao Wuji brought it on himself; his death is fitting!" Sun Lingming almost scrambled to state his position, his voice dry and hoarse as he quickly tucked away the black chess piece containing secret power in his sleeve, for fear of causing any misunderstanding.

The Xuantian Saint and others also lowered their heads one after another, vaguely expressing their agreement, no longer possessing any of their previous arrogance and schemes.

Lin Yuan indifferently withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention to this group of ants. His figure moved slightly, turning into a streak of green light that tore through the sky, vanishing into the horizon of the Refining Spirit Valley in an instant.

Wherever he passed, the sea of people below was like being split by an invisible giant blade, spontaneously and reverently making way for an incredibly wide path, no one daring to look up directly at the departing light... Three days later, in the Spirit Martial Hall, in the towering and solemn front hall.

"It's Senior Brother Lin! Senior Brother Lin is back!"

"Quick! Report to the Hall Master immediately!"

The cries of the guarding Disciples broke the silence of the front hall. When that familiar figure carrying endless majesty appeared in their sight, the entire front hall boiled instantly! All the guarding Disciples' faces turned red with excitement, their eyes as fervent as if they were on a pilgrimage!

Ever since Lin Yuan created the eternal myth of being the "First Person in the Soul Core" in the Refining Spirit Valley, and the news of his terrifying "killing a Saint with a word" method spread back, he was no longer just a Saint of the Tianqing Domain's Spirit Martial Hall, but a living legend in the hearts of the younger generation of the entire Tianqing Domain's Spirit Martial Hall, an insurmountable divine mountain!

Lin Yuan landed lightly, his green robes fluttering, bringing a wisp of clear breeze that nevertheless contained a heart-palpitating Law resonance.

He nodded slightly to a young Disciple who was so excited he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet: "Please inform them of my arrival." His voice was calm, but naturally, a majesty like that of controlling heaven and earth poured out.

"I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare! Senior Brother, you flatter this Disciple!" That Disciple was so excited he was incoherent, his face turning as red as a cooked shrimp. "The Hall Master has long given a strict order that when Senior Brother returns, there is no need to report. Please proceed directly to the main hall!"

He hurriedly stepped aside, bowing deeply, his posture humble to the extreme, his eyes filled with nothing but pure, fanatical worship.

Lin Yuan nodded in acknowledgment and stepped onto the white jade corridor leading to the main hall. Outside the corridor, celestial flowers bloomed and spiritual butterflies flitted about, their fragrance rich.

On the corridor, the Disciples passing by or Cultivating, regardless of their Realm, all stopped and held their breath the moment they saw his figure, their gazes filled with undisguisable reverence and excitement.

Images of this "First Saint of the Tianqing Domain Spirit Martial Hall" and "Future Leader personally appointed by the Hall Master" had already spread to every corner of the hall.

These Disciples were extremely excited, yet not one dared to step forward and disturb him.

Around Lin Yuan, invisible Law vibrations naturally rippled like waves. Every step he took on the white jade stairs seemed to tread on the nodes of the world's pulses, drawing the surrounding Spiritual Qi into resonance, emitting a vast pressure that made the Soul tremble.

Several beautiful female Disciples hid behind carved pillars in the distance, their cheeks flushed, their beautiful eyes glancing over, their low whispers full of admiration and awe.

Inside the main hall, sandalwood incense curled, calming the mind and clearing the air. The Spirit Martial Hall Master, Feng Tianxiu, stood at the head of the hall, as steady as a mountain.

Several Elders with auras as deep as the sea were lined up on both sides, their gazes solemn. Inside the hall, light and shadow were mottled, and the atmosphere was grave and formal.

"Disciple Lin Yuan pays respects to the Hall Master and the Elders." Lin Yuan entered the hall, neither humble nor arrogant, bowing in greeting, his voice clear and resonant, echoing in the empty hall.

"Good! Good! Good!" Feng Tianxiu laughed heartily, his voice like a great bell, making the glazed tiles on the roof hum. His eyes flashed with brilliant light, as if he wanted to see through Lin Yuan completely.

"My old eyes haven't gone blind after all! To set foot in the Soul Core Area of the Refining Spirit Valley as a Gathering Origin Realm Cultivator—in ten thousand years, you are the only one! Good! Well done, Lin Yuan!" Every "good" contained boundless joy and pride.

Beside him, Elder Mo stroked his long beard, his face filled with irrepressible smiles and sharp light: "Haha, it's more than just the Soul Core! Congratulatory letters from the nine hundred Holy Lands have piled up in the External Affairs Hall! Those old fellows who usually keep their eyes on the top of their heads and their noses in the air have truly bent their waists to the ground this time! They are all congratulating our Spirit Martial Hall for producing such a peerless First Saint!"

In his words, the illustrious might of the Spirit Martial Hall was fully revealed. Killing the Ziyang Saint? That Zhao Wuji, his death was just a death; it didn't even cause a ripple!

Lin Yuan smiled faintly: "Just a small Opportunity, nothing more than luck." His gaze swept across the hall to that massive star map slowly rotating and encompassing the myriad worlds, silently displaying the Spirit Martial Hall's immense foundation.

"Being too modest is just hypocrisy." Hall Master Feng Tianxiu waved his hand, signaling Lin Yuan to come forward, the smile on his face fading, replaced by solemnity. "The Tian Yuan Secret Realm is about to open. How are your preparations?" His voice was low, every word seeming to carry a thousand pounds of pressure.

Lin Yuan's expression turned serious: "I was just about to report to the Hall Master. In the Refining Spirit Valley trip, I indeed gained something. Now my Mental Energy has exceeded One Hundred Thousand Stars, and my combat power is no longer what it used to be. I have been waiting for the Tian Yuan Secret Realm for a long time."

As he spoke, he casually flicked his finger, and a strand of silver-white Mental Energy, refined to the extreme, appeared out of thin air, sketching a profound trajectory in the air like a swimming dragon, emitting heart-palpitating Soul vibrations.

"Wh... what?!"

"One Hundred Thousand Stars?!!"

The spiritual jade teacup in Feng Tianxiu's hand fell to the ground with a "crash," shattering into pieces. He didn't even notice the scalding spiritual tea soaking the hem of his brocade robe!

He suddenly stood up, his eyes bursting with unbelievable light, his voice even changing pitch! Several Elders in the hall all gasped in unison, their expressions changing drastically, looking at Lin Yuan as if they were looking at a prehistoric Vicious Beast!

One Hundred Thousand Stars of Mental Energy at the Gathering Origin Realm?! This simply subverted the iron Laws of the cultivation world!

Feng Tianxiu forcibly suppressed the overwhelming waves in his heart, his majestic gaze sweeping over the several Elders who were equally out of sorts, stopping their intention to probe. He took a deep breath and struck out a complex and profound hand seal.

Buzz!

The space in the center of the hall fluctuated, and a three-dimensional star map, far larger and more precise than the one on the wall, emitting a vast and ancient aura, slowly emerged.

Countless stars were born and extinguished within it, forming a vast cosmic picture. Feng Tianxiu's aged finger, carrying solemnity, pointed heavily at a Minor Thousand Worlds at the edge of the star map that appeared exceptionally dim and had an abnormally complex structure.

That area zoomed in instantly, showing countless broken star remains, twisted space cracks, and a deep, dark entrance that seemed capable of swallowing everything.

"This is the Tian Yuan Secret Realm!" Feng Tianxiu's voice was incredibly heavy, like muffled thunder rolling through the hall. "Its danger is a hundred times that of the Refining Spirit Valley! Every time it opens, the Gathering Origin Realm Prodigies from the surrounding three hundred and twenty Six-Star Great Worlds surge into it, treading over mountains of corpses and seas of blood!"

Before his voice could fall, the three hundred and twenty light spots representing the Six-Star Great Worlds on the star map lit up like three hundred and twenty greedy giant eyes, staring fixedly at the Tian Yuan Secret Realm in the center! An invisible aura of blood and slaughter permeated through the star map.

"Every time the Secret Realm closes, those who can walk out alive are not even one in ten! The fallen Prodigies number in the tens of millions!" The cold numbers revealed the cruel nature of the Secret Realm.

Lin Yuan's powerful Divine Sense swept across the star map, instantly locking onto the blood-red marked Secret Realm entrance. He keenly captured the key point: "Only those in the Gathering Origin Realm can enter?" This rule was somewhat interesting.

"It is limited by the Origin rules of the Secret Realm." Elder Mo took over, waving his whisk. The star map's scene changed again, showing the fragmented, bizarre, and terrifying scenes inside the Secret Realm. "Anyone exceeding the Gathering Origin Realm who tries to force their way in will surely be strangled by spatial turbulence, their body and Soul obliterated! However..."

He changed the subject, his voice lowering even further, carrying deep dread. "The danger of the Secret Realm itself is the true reaper! Weird Vicious Beasts, absolute Restrictions, twisted space-time traps... combined with the fact that all entrants are in the Gathering Origin Realm with limited strength, and are randomly teleported to fight on their own... Over countless years, many have fallen, and few have explored it. To this day, no one has been able to draw a complete map of it; what is known is but the tip of the iceberg!"

Feng Tianxiu suddenly raised his hand, his fingertip condensing a point of brilliant golden light. Carrying the heavy aura of the Spirit Martial Hall's Legacy, it instantly sank into Lin Yuan's brow!

"This is the experience gained from exploring the Tian Yuan Secret Realm, exchanged for by countless ancestors of our Spirit Martial Hall with their blood and lives! Though incomplete, it is precious! You must keep it firmly in mind and not slack off for even a moment!" The Hall Master's gaze was as deep as an abyss, containing immense expectations. "On this trip, if you can seize the Heaven-Defying Opportunity within... perhaps it can lead you directly to the Peak Perfection of the Gathering Origin Realm!"

A vast and complex flood of information, carrying the aura of blood and fire, poured into Lin Yuan's Sea of Consciousness, quickly sorted and digested by his powerful Mental Energy.

When he opened his eyes again, a flash of Chaos opening and galaxies rotating seemed to pass through the depths of his pupils, and a sharp light pierced the void.

"I understand." Beneath the calm words was an unshakable determination and a confidence that looked down on all things.