306: Pretending to back down

His mind raced like lightning, and Lin Jingyu’s face instantly displayed a realistic look of intense struggle, fear, and hesitation, as if the terrifying Spiritual Pressure of the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer Cultivator had completely crushed his mental defenses, causing his spine to slightly hunch.

He lowered his head slightly, avoiding Situ Xing's playful and oppressive gaze. The crackling purple thunder light that had previously shone brightly around him quickly dimmed, like a candle flickering in the wind, appearing unstable as if it could be extinguished at any moment.

Even his voice carried a hint of imperceptible tremor, sounding meek and submissive, completely lacking the sharp edge he displayed when he had just slain Ruan Black Wind:

"Se... Senior... your Divine Ability is peerless. Junior... Junior knows that the light of a firefly cannot compete with the bright moon. Does what Senior just said... still count? If Junior is willing to submit and serve you as master... can you... spare my life?"

While speaking words of surrender, he secretly pushed the Spirit Refining Art to an unprecedented extreme.

Inside his Sea of Consciousness, the three Mental Energy Lakes surged wildly, and powerful, condensed Divine Sense transformed into countless transparent threads thinner than hair.

These threads spread out silently, like the most patient hunter, cautiously probing the subtle changes in the Spiritual Qi fluctuations around Situ Xing and the rhythm of his aura, not missing any possible flaw, trace of old injuries, or stagnation in Spiritual Qi circulation.

At the same time, deep within his Dantian, the dark-gold Thunder Seed quietly trembled. Pure Thunder Spiritual Qi and a trace of destructive aura derived from the Thunder Mountain Origin were continuously compressed and accumulated, the Thunder True Intent held back.

Like a venomous Dragon lurking beneath the abyss, awaiting the single earth-shattering blow.

Seeing Lin Jingyu's "wise man submits to circumstances" appearance, the playful and smug expression in Situ Xing's eyes, like a cat playing with a mouse, almost spilled over.

One of his greatest joys in life was watching these so-called Heaven's Chosen Sons being forced to lower their arrogant heads and beg for mercy when faced with an absolute disparity in strength.

Furthermore, this young man before him had already comprehended the Thunder True Intent at such a young age, and his Foundation was incredibly solid. If he could be controlled by a Slave Seal, he would undoubtedly become an extremely sharp blade—a loyal and infinitely potential vicious dog.

He stretched lazily, his bones emitting faint cracking sounds, as if he had just dealt with a trivial matter. He laughed heartily, his tone filled with condescension and absolute certainty:

"Of course it counts! This Young Master always means what he says; my words are law! Seeing that your aptitude is excellent and you are a talent worth nurturing, if you follow me, you won't lack Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, or Cultivation Techniques in the future. Handing over the Black Wind Stockade's base to you for management will be putting your talents to good use... Hm?"

It was precisely at the moment when his mind was most relaxed, believing the situation was settled and victory assured, when his words were halfway spoken and his vigilance had dropped to its lowest point!

"Now!"

The struggle and fear in Lin Jingyu's eyes instantly melted away like snow under a scorching sun, replaced by bone-chilling killing intent capable of freezing the Soul, and a resolute determination to advance without hesitation.

The "Thunder Shadow Steps," which had been accumulating power, were driven by his will to a state beyond their limit.

"Zzzzt!"

The lightning beneath his feet flashed with unprecedented brilliance, even overshadowing the sun in the sky.

His entire figure seemed to blur instantly. Instead of accelerating as a streak of lightning, he nearly merged into the surrounding air, specifically the highly active lightning-attributed Spiritual Qi particles left from his previous battle, creating a marvelous effect akin to a short-distance "teleportation."

Only an extremely faint afterimage, almost impossible to catch with the naked eye, remained in his original position, while his true body, like a ghost piercing the Void Realm, appeared less than ten meters in front and to the side of Situ Xing—a fatal distance.

Ten meters! While perhaps far for a Mortal, for a high-level Cultivator, it was the range of instant, decisive killing, where one could smell the opponent's breath and attack with a thought!

Simultaneously, he pressed his fingers together like a sword. The Thunder Spiritual Qi compressed to the extreme within his body surged out like a flood released from a gate, condensing at his fingertip following an esoteric trajectory.

A wisp of dark-gold electrical radiance, so condensed it was nearly transparent and barely noticeable without close inspection, yet containing heart-palpitating destructive fluctuations, shot out silently.

This strike was faster than lightning, surpassing sound, and flew out at an incredibly tricky and unbelievable angle, aiming with extreme precision three inches below his Dantian and Qi Sea.

This spot was the Foundation of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator; if severely damaged, the lightest outcome was injury, the heaviest was the shattering of the Foundation.

This was precisely Lin Jingyu's meticulously calculated plan!

Show weakness to the enemy, paralyze his mind, close the fatal distance, and attack when he is unprepared. The goal was not immediate death.

Better to break one finger than injure ten.

"How dare you, Junior!"

The laziness and smugness on Situ Xing's face instantly froze, shattering like a delicate glazed mask, transforming into a mix of shock and fury.

He never would have imagined that a mere Qi Refining Stage boy, under the full Spiritual Pressure suppression of his Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, would not only fail to suffer a mental collapse but actually dare to launch a sudden attack.

Moreover, the speed of this sudden burst was so fast, so strange, the angle of attack so tricky, and the intent so vicious and seasoned.

A furious rage at being severely bitten or even provoked by a tiny ant, mixed with a hint of subtle panic because the key to his evasion technique was seen through, suddenly surged into his heart.

In his haste, his extensive combat experience allowed him to react instinctively. He only managed to raise his right palm, and the magnificent Crimson Flame Spiritual Qi within his body instantly surged out.

It instantly condensed into a Giant Hand Seal that was incredibly solid, burning with raging flames, clearly textured, and resembling Crimson Jade. Carrying high temperatures capable of melting metal and warping air, it fiercely met the strange dark-gold electrical radiance.

He was confident that even if he was injured and had fallen from the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, his terrifying Mental Energy control and the quality of his Spiritual Qi were sufficient to crush and incinerate any form of attack from this Qi Refining brat.

"Boom!"

The Crimson Flame Palm Seal and the dark-gold finger radiance violently collided in the Void Realm, creating a deafening explosion!

The red-gold and dark-gold lights clashed fiercely, the surging energy forming visible, ripple-like shockwaves that spread out, scraping a thick layer off the ground!

Situ Xing's figure violently swayed. He was actually shaken by the astonishing penetrative force and destructive power contained within the finger radiance, causing him to slide back half a step, leaving a scorched footprint on the ground.

Although the dark-gold electrical radiance was largely weakened by the massive power of the Crimson Flame Palm Seal, it seemed to possess an inextinguishable quality, stubbornly piercing through the weak energy point at the edge of the palm seal, like a fine needle that clings to the bone, accurately stabbing into Situ Xing's abdomen.

"Ugh ah!"

An indescribable sharp pain instantly surged from the acupoint at his waist, as if thousands of red-hot steel needles were simultaneously piercing his Meridians, accompanied by an intense numbness that spread rapidly like a tide through his lower body.