79: Han Meng gave away his head

Just a glance, a sharp shout, was enough to make Qi Refining Realm Cultivators tremble with fear and their Divine Souls collapse!

However, at this critical moment, Lin Ye's Divine Soul, which had long been tempered by the System, suddenly trembled!

He didn't hesitate at all, madly pouring the remaining spiritual power in his body into the Advanced Stealth Technique and Breath Concealment Art, which had already entered high-speed AFK mode!

"System! Operate at maximum power!"

Buzz—

A strange energy, profound to the extreme, instantly enveloped his entire body!

At this moment, his figure seemed to completely transform into an uncatchable, imperceptible... shadow!

He almost instinctively floated backward! His movements were as light as a falling leaf in the dark, without making the slightest sound of wind!

"Boom!!!"

Almost at the same moment his figure floated back!

The eaves where he had been hiding were suddenly struck from below by an invisible, terrifying force filled with destructive aura!

The roof, made of hard black tiles, instantly shattered like paper! Countless tiles and wood chips turned into dust, wildly shooting in all directions!

A bizarre figure, completely enveloped in a black robe, appeared silently on the broken roof like a spreading ghost owl!

His gaze, hidden beneath his hood, was like two invisible searchlights filled with the aura of death, wildly scanning every inch of darkness around him!

"Hmm?"

Where is he?

That instant, he clearly felt an extremely faint aura, filled with shock and killing intent, flash across the rooftop!

Although the aura was as weak as an ant, with his Divine Sense at the Treasure Body Realm, he could not have perceived it incorrectly!

But now... it had vanished without a trace?!

It was as if everything that had just happened was merely his illusion.

"Hehehe..."

He let out a bone-chilling sneer, his laughter filled with cruelty, "A little interesting... It seems that among these little lambs of the Qingyun Sect, there's also a... interesting little mouse mixed in."

"But, it doesn't matter."

"Tomorrow, when I capture all of you and throw you into the 'Blood Soul Cauldron', no matter how deep you hide, you will eventually... become my nourishment!"

After speaking, he no longer lingered, his figure swayed, and he silently melted back into the darkness... In the distance, beneath the shadow of a long-abandoned rockery.

Lin Ye's figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

He leaned against the cold rock, panting heavily, his whole body already completely soaked in a layer of cold sweat!

His face was as pale as paper... In that instant, he felt as if he had truly walked before the gates of hell!

If he hadn't, at the last moment, recklessly activated the Profound Rank stealth secret art that had already been AFK'd to the "Introductory" Realm, he would probably be a cold corpse by now!

"Treasure Body Realm... Is this the strength of the Treasure Body Realm...?"

Lin Ye clenched his fists tightly, a monstrous wave surging in his heart!

He dared not linger for a moment, perfectly blending his figure back into the darkness, like a ghost in the night, silently stealthing towards the East Wing Courtyard... When Lin Ye silently snuck back into his guest room, Fatty Wang was already pacing back and forth in the room like an ant on a hot pan, anxious.

"Bro... Brother Lin! You... you're finally back! Just now... what was that loud bang all about?! You scared me to death!"

Lin Ye didn't answer his question.

He walked straight to the table, poured a cup of already cold tea, and gulped it down in one breath, barely suppressing the violent pounding in his heart.

He looked up, his dark eyes fixed on the seemingly calm darkness outside the window, his voice hoarse as if abraded by sandpaper.

"Fatty," he slowly began, "We... might not be able to leave this city."

These words, like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguished all of Fatty Wang's anxiety! The color drained from his fat face in an instant!

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"This is a trap." Lin Ye's voice was cold and devoid of emotion, "A death trap... prepared for all of us!"

He told Fatty Wang everything he had seen and heard during his night reconnaissance of the City Lord's Mansion, using the most concise and cruel language.

When he heard the words "Demonic Cultivator," "Blood Soul Great Sacrifice," and "Sacrifice," Fatty Wang's body was already trembling like a sieve! His legs went weak, and with a "thump," he collapsed onto the cold ground, his already small eyes filled with endless despair and fear!

"Demonic... Demonic Cultivator?! A Demonic Cultivator at the Treasure Body Realm?!" He stammered, his lips trembling, almost about to cry, "It's... it's over! This time... we're dead for sure!"

Just then!

"Bang!"

A rough kick to the door sounded!

Immediately after, Han Meng's face, full of fanaticism and arrogance, appeared at the doorway!

Behind him were seven or eight of his trusted followers, all looking equally excited!

"Lin Ye! Fatty Wang!" Han Meng strode in, not even bothering to glance at Fatty Wang, who was slumped on the ground. His tiger-like eyes, full of contempt, just looked down at Lin Ye, "What are you two good-for-nothings still dawdling here for?! Great fortune is right before your eyes! Hurry up and come with me to claim the bandit leader's head?!"

He was clearly also completely blinded by the enormous reward of "a thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones," and was actually preparing to act tonight!

"Senior Brother Han!" Lin Ye suddenly stood up from his seat, and a timely trace of "panic" and "unease" appeared on his face, which had already returned to calm, "No... this can't be!"

"Oh?" A mocking arc appeared at the corner of Han Meng's mouth, "Why not? Could it be... that you, this Genius, are afraid?"

"It's not fear!" Lin Ye's face was full of "anxiety," and he pointed at the deep darkness outside the window, stammering in a tone full of "worry," "I... I always feel that this City Lord's Mansion is a bit off! That City Lord Qian doesn't seem... like a good person either! This... could this be a trap?!"

He delivered his warning in the most "cowardly" and "foolish" way possible!

However, these "loyal words," falling into Han Meng's ears, which were already blinded by greed, became the funniest joke in the world!

"Hahahaha!"

He burst into laughter as if he had heard something unbelievable, his laughter filled with undisguised contempt and disdain!

"A trap? Lin Ye, are you fucking stupid from being bullied in the Outer Sect? Do you see everyone as a bad guy?" He pointed at Lin Ye's nose and cursed, "You good-for-nothing who only knows how to play dirty tricks from behind! You cowardly rat! Do you even deserve to dictate my decisions here?!"

"I'm telling you! This is the difference between you and me!"

"When I'm out there fighting for my life and earning immense wealth, good-for-nothings like you only deserve to hide in this room, trembling!"

"If you don't dare to go, I will!"

"You're afraid to die, I'm not!"

He glared at Lin Ye venomously, as if venting the humiliation he had suffered in the mountains earlier.

"You and your Fatty brother, just wait here!"

"Wait until tomorrow morning, and see how I return with the bandit leader's head to claim those... thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!"

After speaking, he no longer lingered, turned around, and, surrounded by his followers who were full of admiration and fanaticism, swaggered out of the City Lord's Mansion!

That figure was so... impassioned, yet so... incredibly foolish.

Lin Ye stood quietly by the window, watching those figures, like moths drawn to a flame, disappear into the night without hesitation.

There was not the slightest ripple in his dark eyes.

Only a bottomless... pity... Half an hour later.

In the direction where Han Meng and the others had left, in that silent darkness—

Without warning, a towering... blood-red light erupted!

Immediately after, cries of shock and disbelief, along with the fierce clashing of weapons, suddenly resounded throughout the City Lord's Mansion like thunder from a clear sky!

However, this chaos only lasted for... less than ten breaths.

Then, it abruptly ceased.

The entire world once again returned to that deathly silence.

As if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.

Inside the guest room, Fatty Wang was already scared stiff, his face ashen.

Lin Ye, meanwhile, slowly walked to the door that Han Meng had kicked open.

He looked up at the night sky, once again enveloped in darkness, and a cold glint flashed in his calm eyes.

"Delivering heads, huh...?"

He muttered softly.

"Truly, no originality at all."