145: Mysterious swordsman descends

Lin Jingyu's wrist moved imperceptibly, and a subtle, hidden force was gently released from the tip of his sword.

Lin Chengyuan's head instantly shattered into an abstract painting of gore by the spiritual power, resembling a rotten watermelon detonated from within.

The headless corpse twitched twice before slumping completely still, having gone to join the Great Elder.

Clean! Swift! Vicious! Absolute!

There was no hesitation whatsoever!

The entire village entrance was plunged into an absolute, deathly silence, even more suffocating than when the Thunder cultivator had annihilated Diao Jiu.

Whether it was the desperadoes from Black Wind Fortress, the crestfallen disciples of the Liu family, or even the Lin family members who had just been ecstatic.

All were utterly terrified by Lin Jingyu's decisive, utterly ruthless display, feeling their scalps tingle as a chill shot straight from the soles of their feet to the crowns of their heads.

If anyone else present had suddenly heard the four words "Ancient Immortal Cave," their heart would have skipped a beat, and they would have instinctively hesitated for a moment, weighing the truth and the enormous potential benefits.

But this youth, this boy who looked barely seventeen or eighteen.

He didn't even blink; his sword rose and fell, eliminating the threat completely.

This cold-blooded temperament and decisive, lightning-fast execution, far surpassing his age, sent a deep chill into everyone's hearts.

Deep within the tree canopy, concealed by dense foliage, Qin Yue's sharp phoenix eyes suddenly contracted to pinpricks, and an unprecedented storm surged in her heart.

She had seen it too clearly.

When Lin Jingyu killed Lin Chengyuan, his gaze was terrifyingly calm; it wasn't forced composure but genuine indifference, viewing human life as mere grass, the aloofness of one who controls life and death.

It was as if he had crushed not a person, but an insignificant insect.

What startled her even more was the absolute decisiveness, devoid of hesitation.

The temptation of the Ancient Immortal Cave was so great that even she, the well-informed Third Manager of the Mysterious Spirit Pavilion, had subconsciously wavered for a split second, a thought flashing through her mind to capture Lin Chengyuan and verify the information through soul-searching.

Yet Lin Jingyu... killed him instantly, without the slightest hesitation?

And it was such a complete eradication of both body and soul?

She immediately frowned.

Logically, since Lin Jingyu supposedly had a powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator backing him, capturing Lin Chengyuan temporarily and handing him over for verification would have been the correct move.

This would have maximized the potential profit.

An Ancient Immortal Cave could attract the attention of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Merely providing the location information would be enough for the Lin family to acquire countless resources.

Producing several Foundation Establishment cultivators would be effortless.

Yet he was killed by one sword strike, and nothing was gained.

An utterly absurd yet terrifyingly logical thought, like a frenzied vine, began to wildly sprout and spread in her heart.

Could it be... that the so-called "Senior Thunder Cultivator," that terrifying existence capable of wiping out a seventh-level Qi Condensation cultivator with a wave of his hand, was completely fabricated?

Was all this breathtaking deterrence merely an Empty Fort Strategy meticulously woven by this little trickster? Was he simply borrowing influence?

Using the skin of a non-existent tiger to stage a shocking grand performance?

If that were truly the case... this boy was more than just incredibly audacious!

He was practically breakdancing on the King of Hell's head, walking the most dangerous tightrope beneath the Grim Reaper's scythe.

The slightest misstep would lead to utter annihilation and eternal damnation.

And the bizarre technique he used to instantly severely injure Lin Chengyuan and dissolve the assault of that vicious demonic saber... Just how many earth-shattering secrets did this boy still hide?

Qin Yue felt a rush of coldness shoot up her spine to the crown of her head, making her scalp tingle intensely.

The look she directed at the gray-robed youth in the clearing below was filled with unprecedented shock, scrutiny, and a trace of—which she herself hadn't even realized—awe.

This child... is certainly no ordinary mortal.

"Wow! Brother Jingyu is so handsome! That reaction was too fast!"

Yun Mòmo, standing nearby, had shining stars in her eyes, worshipping him boundlessly, having not considered the implications at all:

"That wicked old man was utterly evil, and he even tried a sneak attack! He deserved to be handled by Brother Jingyu! Brother Jingyu is the most amazing!"

In the clearing, the dust seemed to have finally settled.

The Black Wind Fortress cultivators, anxious and full of fear, had initially thought coming to the Lin family would be a grand feast.

They never expected to be directly suppressed and receive news of impending doom.

The Liu family cultivators, utterly devastated and frustrated, found that after this sudden turn of events, not only was the alliance they thought they had secured gone.

They had also been ransacked completely, barely managing to keep their undergarments.

Only the Lin family members were filled with the pleasant surprise of surviving a calamity, having never expected to miraculously turn the tables against the two major forces—the Liu family and Black Wind Fortress—and earn a massive fortune.

Their gazes, directed at the gray-robed figure standing with his sword in the clearing, were fervent, as if they were looking up at a deity who had descended to the mortal world.

"Scram!"

Lin Jingyu's voice was flat and emotionless, like shooing away flies, yet it clearly shattered the eerie silence.

To the people of Black Wind Fortress, those two words sounded like the music of the heavens.

As if granted a great pardon, they struggled up, scrambling and crawling, dragging and pulling one another, fleeing desperately outward in utter panic and disarray.

They regretted that their parents hadn't given them two more legs, wishing they could instantly flee this terrifying place.

Gong Yunyu, startled, terrified, and enraged, violently kicked the demonic horse that lay paralyzed and refused to budge. Seeing no reaction, he could only curse furiously.

He turned and merged into the crowd, running wildly on foot; his speed was surprisingly fast, seeking only to get as far away as possible from that "Senior" who might unleash thunder at any moment.

Liu Chengcai and the others shot Lin Jingyu an incredibly venomous glare, their eyes like poisoned daggers.

They roared frantically in their hearts:

"Just wait! You little bastard! This isn't over! Once that Thunder Cultivator leaves, we'll see how my Liu family deals with your Lin family! You will repay today's humiliation a hundredfold!"

They even began calculating how to target the Lin family to recoup their losses.

As for the Senior Thunder Cultivator, since he had only targeted Black Wind Fortress, he certainly wouldn't concern himself with the Lin family's trivial affairs.

Lin Lingshan, meanwhile, was grinning widely, unable to stop the smile on his face.

We're rich! We're truly rich this time!

Just as people's hearts were stirring, the crisis seemed completely resolved, and the atmosphere began to subtly shift.

"Whoosh—"

A terrifying, sharp shriek, so piercing it seemed indescribable, as if it would tear the entire sky in half, suddenly roared down without warning from the high clouds far above the nine heavens.

Simultaneously, a chilling sword intent enveloped the entire area.

Everyone—whether the newly relaxed Black Wind Fortress bandits, the utterly disheartened Liu family members, or the Lin family disciples immersed in shock and ecstasy.

Including the murderous Lin Jingyu and the vigilant Lin Lingshan—their bodies instinctively froze at this moment.

Their hearts felt as though they were being tightly squeezed by a cold, gigantic hand.

Everyone subconsciously looked up.

They saw a dazzling blue sword rainbow, over thirty meters long, like a comet tearing through the sky, moving at unimaginable speed and carrying a terrifying might capable of crushing everything.

Standing steadily upon the sword rainbow were two figures.

The person in the lead wore a simple, faded blue robe. His posture was as straight and tall as a solitary pine on a cliff edge, his dignity unyielding.

Yet his face was exceptionally plain and ordinary, the kind of appearance that would be impossible to find again if lost in a crowd.

But at this moment, the sharp, unparalleled aura radiating from him seemed capable of cutting through everything.

This peerless sharpness, which commanded all creation to bow, made him seem like the center of the universe simply by existing.

Even from a distance, the invisible sword qi was already piercing everyone, making their souls feel as though they were tearing apart, and their skin felt as if it were being simultaneously pricked by billions of invisible fine needles.

No one could muster even a shred of resistance; there was only the fear that demanded worshipful prostration.

Half a step behind him stood a slightly plump young man wearing an elegant brocade robe, whose face held a shrewd, calculating look mixed with a perfectly balanced, flattering smile.

His small eyes darted around, flashing with the calculating glint unique to merchants. He was observing the Lin family village entrance below, which was messy as if swept by a hurricane, with great interest, as if assessing something.

The blue sword rainbow hovered three hundred meters high, its magnificent sword intent like a prison, enveloping the surroundings.