23: Demonize them, but fight them anyway.

East of the City, deep within the Zhao Residence, a gloomy cellar.

The stench of decay mixed with the pungent smell of medicine was nauseating.

Under the flickering, sickly green candlelight, a hunched figure squatted in the corner, greedily stuffing several pieces of "Centennial Corpse Jade," which emitted a desolate aura, into his embrace.

It was the trump card revered by the Zhao Family—"Old Yin," Yin Jiuyou!

The butler, Zhao Fu, stood respectfully at the entrance, the shadow covering half his face: "Old Yin, that youngster just killed the three 'Gray Bats' we sent. His methods... are extremely brutal! Second Master Zhao promised that as long as you take his head, the remaining three pieces of Corpse Jade in the treasury will all belong to Old Yin!"

"Heheheh..."

Yin Jiuyou raised his head, revealing a terrifying aged face covered in corpse spots, like dried orange peel. His murky eyes flickered with greedy, faint light. "If three pieces of trash died, then they died. Corpse Jade... good stuff! This old man happens to be lacking this main ingredient for Corpse Refinement! That Lin Jingyu... his Vitality and blood are unbelievably vigorous. Refining him into an 'Iron-Armored Corpse Puppet' would definitely result in a High Grade!"

He stretched out a hand, black-nailed and resembling a withered branch, and picked up a Strange Bone Staff nearby, which was wrapped in filthy rags and emanated a strong corpse stench, before slowly standing up.

A cold, deathly, and strongly corrosive aura instantly filled the cellar, and the candlelight dimmed abruptly!

"Tell Second Master Zhao that this old man has accepted the Corpse Jade. As for that little beast's life... this old man will go and take it now!"

South of the City, a dilapidated courtyard.

Lin Jingyu stood in the courtyard. The three assassins' corpses at his feet quickly turned gray and withered, emitting an evil Yin Qi that originated from the same source as the Withered Bone Poison Needle.

[Ding! Killed three Meridian Opening Realm Seventh Layer Evil Cultivators (Gray Bats)! evolution points +210!]

[Current evolution points: 735]

Immediately after the cold notification tone, an aura far more terrifying and sinister than the combined strength of the three assassins, like an invisible tide carrying a strong corpse stench and malevolent Death Qi, instantly enveloped the entire ruined courtyard!

The air temperature dropped sharply!

A thin layer of white frost condensed on the ground!

The few tenacious weeds growing in the courtyard withered and turned black at a visible speed... "Heheheh... such vigorous Vitality and blood! Such a powerful Physical Body! Boy, obediently let this old man drain your vital essence and blood to refine you into a Corpse Puppet, sparing you the suffering of Soul Searching and Soul Refining!" A bone-chilling, sinister laugh, like the cry of a night owl, came from all directions, drifting erratically and piercing straight into the marrow!

Lin Jingyu's eyes were as cold as ten thousand years of ice, completely unmoving.

He slowly turned his sturdy body, his gaze like a searchlight, instantly locking onto the area with the densest shadow at the courtyard entrance!

"Old coffin filler, stop hiding and come out to die!"

The voice was not loud, but it burst forth like muffled thunder, imbued with Dragon-Elephant Giant Strength, instantly scattering the sinister mental interference!

The shadow writhed, and Yin Jiuyou's hunched figure, appearing as if he had crawled out of Hell, leaning on the Strange Bone Staff that reeked of corpse stench, appeared under the moonlight.

His pair of murky dead eyes stared greedily at Lin Jingyu, as if looking at a rare treasure.

"Bone Forging Realm Third Layer? Tsk tsk, no wonder you could kill that trash Han Kui. Too bad... in front of this old man, you are still an ant!" Yin Jiuyou's shriveled lips parted, revealing several charred, rotten teeth. "I am Yin Jiuyou, Peak Bone Forging Realm! I'll send you on your way!"

The last word, "way," was still lingering on his tongue when Yin Jiuyou moved!

"Corpse Fiend Poisonous Miasma! Bone Corrosion Soul Destruction!"

"Wooo—!"

The bone staff swung, and a large expanse of gray-green poisonous mist, thick as ink and emitting a pungent, foul stench, surged out like a living thing, instantly engulfing the ten-zhang radius around Lin Jingyu!

The bricks and stones on the ground made "sizzling" sounds of corrosion, quickly becoming pitted and blackened!

Facing the enveloping deadly poisonous miasma, Lin Jingyu showed no fear; instead, his Battle Intent blazed fiercely!

"Petty tricks dare to show off?"

Not only did he not retreat, but he took a step forward!

The massive Vitality and blood, achieved after the Major Achievement of the Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Art, surged within him like flowing magma!

A layer of condensed, heavy dark gold light instantly covered his entire body—Minor Achievement Indestructible Vajra Divine Art!

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!"

The Corpse Fiend Poisonous Miasma, thick as ink, collided with the dark gold flowing light, producing corrosive sounds as dense as rain!

The shockwaves of resentful Souls contained within the poisonous miasma struck Lin Jingyu's spiritual will, which was as tough as Divine Iron, like a clay ox entering the sea, failing to stir up the slightest ripple!

[Ding! Indestructible Vajra Divine Art experience +50! Poison resistance greatly increased!]

[Ding! Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Art experience +30! Vitality and blood are Yang and suppress Yin evil!]

The poisonous mist churned but could not penetrate the dark gold flowing light even slightly! Lin Jingyu's figure was faintly visible within the miasma, steady as Mount Tai!

"What?!" Yin Jiuyou's murky old eyes suddenly narrowed in disbelief!

His Corpse Fiend Poisonous Miasma, which even Tendon Changing Realm experts had to avoid, was actually withstood head-on by a junior at Bone Forging Realm Third Layer?

"Old dog, is that all you've got?" Lin Jingyu's cold voice pierced through the poisonous miasma, carrying undisguised mockery.

"Little beast! You seek death!" Yin Jiuyou was enraged. His withered, claw-like left hand suddenly slapped a bulging Leather Bag at his waist!

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—!"

A large swarm of Corpse Beetles, the size of fingernails, entirely black, and with ferocious mouthparts, flew out like a black cloud!

At the same time, the Ghost Fire in the skull's eye sockets on Yin Jiuyou's bone staff surged!

"Yin Fiend Bone Spear! Heart Piercing!"

The bone staff pointed through the air!

A pale Spear Shadow, condensed to a physical state and radiating dense white bone chill, silently tore through the poisonous miasma. Its speed was extreme; it struck first despite moving later, stabbing straight toward Lin Jingyu's heart!

Where the Spear Shadow passed, the air seemed to freeze... Poisonous Miasma confinement! Corpse Beetle body-devouring! Bone Spear heart-piercing!

Yin Jiuyou unleashed a series of Consecutive Killing Moves, vicious and malicious, aiming for an instant kill!

Facing this Triple Absolute Kill that was enough to make an ordinary Peak Bone Forging Realm expert die in regret, Lin Jingyu's eyes burst forth with cold light like exploding stars!

"Break—for me!"

A furious roar, like thunder exploding in the Nine Heavens!

The surging giant strength of over two hundred thousand jin within him erupted without reservation; the Dragon-Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength burst forth!

His right fist clenched tight, wrapped in dark gold Vitality and blood. The air at the fist edge was compressed to the extreme, emitting a piercing Sonic Boom!

Vaguely, a Dragon Elephant Phantom flashed above his fist and vanished!

He neither dodged nor retreated, punching out! Target—that sinister and deadly pale Bone Spear!

Fist against spear! Strength breaking skill!

Clang—!!!!

Like two metal mountains colliding!

The deafening clash of metal echoed across the night sky, and a violent Qi wave suddenly exploded, forcefully scattering more than half of the churning Corpse Fiend Poisonous Miasma!

"Crack!"

A grating, teeth-aching sound of shattering rang out!

That pale Bone Spear, condensed with Yin Jiuyou's Yin Fiend Strength, actually cracked and shattered inch by inch like fragile ice crystals before Lin Jingyu's iron fist, wrapped in dark gold Vitality and blood, and imbued with Dragon-Elephant Giant Strength! It turned into pale Bone Powder scattering across the sky!

The residual might of the punch did not diminish; like a violent hurricane, it fiercely slammed into the black cloud of Corpse Beetles that followed closely behind!

"Puff, puff, puff, puff!"

Like a heavy hammer smashing into a pile of rotten mud!

Dense popping sounds rang out!

Countless rushing Corpse Beetles were directly shattered in mid-air by this overwhelming and terrifying Punch Wind! They turned into foul-smelling black slurry filling the sky, which was swept back by the Punch Wind!

The sinister grin on Yin Jiuyou's face instantly froze, transforming into extreme horror!

He felt an indescribable, purely terrifying force rolling back towards him!

"Impossible!" He screamed, losing his voice. His withered body rapidly retreated backward, while he desperately waved his bone staff, setting up layers of gray-green Yin Fiend Shields in front of him!

"Boom!"

The Punch Wind, carrying the Corpse Beetle slurry and residual Bone Spear fragments, fiercely slammed into the Yin Fiend Shields!

"Puff, puff, puff!"

The shields shattered one after another as if made of paper!

Yin Jiuyou groaned, as if struck by a heavy blow. His hunched body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing into and collapsing half of the courtyard's Earthen Wall with a "bang," filling the air with dust!

He struggled to climb out of the rubble, staring intently at the figure standing tall like a God or Devil in the dust cloud. His eyes were filled with shock, anger, malice, and a trace of... unbelievable terror!

"Little beast... you... what kind of Evil Art is this?!" Yin Jiuyou's voice was hoarse, like a broken bellows.

"Warm-up finished." Lin Jingyu's voice was frighteningly calm, yet contained bone-chilling killing intent. "Old dog, it's time to send you down to accompany your bugs."

He took one step, and the ground cracked!

"Want to kill this old man? Dream on!" Madness and determination flashed in Yin Jiuyou's eyes! He knew that in close combat, he would surely die!

"Use my vital essence and blood! Feed my Divine Corpse! Come out, my treasure!" He fiercely bit the tip of his tongue, spitting a mouthful of viscous, filthy vital essence and blood, which carried a strong corpse stench and dark red luster, onto the pale skull at the tip of the Strange Bone Staff in his hand!

"Wooooo—!!!"

A terrifying roar, not human, filled with brutality, pain, and endless hunger, suddenly erupted from the skull!

The faint green Ghost Fire in the skull's eye sockets instantly surged, transforming into two fiercely burning Jade Flames!

A terrifying pressure, several times stronger than Yin Jiuyou's, filled with chaos, bloodlust, and Devilish Qi, descended like a volcanic eruption!

"Crack! Crackle!"

The bone staff in Yin Jiuyou's hand let out an overwhelmed groan, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the pale shaft! The skull seemed to come alive, its mouth opening and closing, greedily devouring the vital essence and blood spat out by Yin Jiuyou!

The next moment, a sudden change occurred!

Yin Jiuyou's hunched body violently swelled up like a balloon! His tattered gray robe ripped apart! Under his previously shriveled skin, irregular pieces of metallic-sheened black Bone Armor pierced through his flesh and grew wildly!

[Warning! Strong Demonic Evil Qi detected! Target (Yin Jiuyou) is undergoing unknown Demonization Mutation! Energy level is rapidly climbing! Threat Rank: High (approaching Tendon Changing Realm Early Stage)!]

The cold System notification tone rang in Lin Jingyu's mind, carrying an unprecedented sense of warning!

In just one or two breaths, Yin Jiuyou had completely transformed!

His height soared to nearly three meters, his entire body covered in hideous black Bone Armor, with sharp Bone Spurs growing from his joints.

His head turned into a half-human, half-skeleton monster, with exposed fangs and blood-red eyes burning with pure destructive desire.

"Roar—! Blood... flesh...!" The demonized Yin Jiuyou let out an incoherent roar, and the frantic Demonic Qi swept out like a tangible storm!

It stared intently at the charging Lin Jingyu, and its enormous Bone Claw, accompanied by a sharp shriek that tore the air, grabbed down at his head!

Before the Claw Wind arrived, the foul-smelling Demonic Evil Qi and the terrifying sense of power oppression had already caused the ground to crack inch by inch!

Facing this sudden Demonization Mutation, Lin Jingyu showed no panic; instead, an even fiercer Battle Intent and killing intent erupted! His charging momentum did not decrease in the slightest!

"A demon? Still gotta fight!"

"Dragon Elephant Suppressing Prison! Mountain Collapse!"

He roared angrily. The Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Art circulated to the extreme within him, and the surging power brought by the Major Achievement Realm was completely poured into his right fist! The dark gold flowing light of the Indestructible Vajra Divine Art condensed to the maximum at the fist edge! The Proficient Rank Dragon-Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength erupted without reservation!

The punch struck!

Fist against claw collision!

Like two moving mountain Peaks slamming fiercely into each other!

"Rumble—!!!!"

The earth-shattering loud noise exploded in the Southern District of Black Stone City!

"Pfft!" The demonized Yin Jiuyou let out a painful roar. Its massive claw, covered in black Bone Armor and capable of crushing Refined Steel, emitted dense sounds of bone cracking the instant it connected with Lin Jingyu's iron fist!

Its massive body staggered backward uncontrollably by several steps, leaving deep, cracked footprints on the ground with every step!

In the dust, Lin Jingyu's figure stabilized after retreating only half a step! On the fist edge covered in dark gold flowing light, several shallow white marks were rapidly disappearing! His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, locking onto the skull embedded in the Bone Armor on the demonized monster's right arm, where the Jade Flame burned fiercely!

"The core is there!" The System instantly analyzed and reported.

"Roar!"

"Die!" Lin Jingyu's eyes were icy, and his killing intent boiled! Not only did he not retreat, but he stepped forward again, directly facing the Bone Tail and the Demonic Flame!

"Indestructible Vajra! Activate!"

Buzz!

The dark gold flowing light on his body instantly surged!

Bang!

The thick Bone Tail fiercely whipped onto the dark gold flowing light!

Like a giant hammer striking a Divine Bell!

Amidst the muffled impact sound, the hideous bone spurs on the Bone Tail shattered inch by inch! The massive rebound force caused the demon monster to let out a painful roar! The power, enough to snap a Refined Iron Pillar, failed to shake Lin Jingyu in the slightest!

Hiss—!

The viscous black Demonic Flame followed closely, completely engulfing Lin Jingyu's figure! The terrifying high temperature and corrosive energy frantically eroded the dark gold flowing light, making a piercing "sizzling" sound and emitting thick black smoke!

[Ding! Indestructible Vajra Divine Art experience +80! Defense limit activated! Resistance to Demonic Flame corrosion enhanced!]

[Ding! Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Art experience +40! Vitality and blood boil, dispelling cold Demonic Qi!]

Within the Demonic Flame, the dark gold light remained motionless like a reef! Lin Jingyu's figure was faintly visible in the flames, completely unharmed! A cold light flashed in his eyes, seizing the flaw revealed by the demon monster due to the damage to its Bone Tail!

"Sky-Piercing Finger! Soul Shattering!"

Fingers pressed together like a sword! A Silver Light, condensed to the extreme and wrapped in threads of dark gold Vitality and blood, shot toward the fiercely burning Jade Flame skull on the demon monster's right arm Bone Armor, moving faster than the visual limit and with unparalleled precision, like a meteor tearing the night sky!

This finger strike condensed the terrifying finger strength of Lin Jingyu's Major Achievement Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Art, and further incorporated the Evil-Breaking Golden Light of the Indestructible Vajra Divine Art! Specifically targeting the core!

"Awooo—!!!" The demon monster seemed to sense a fatal threat, letting out a shriek of extreme terror. Its left claw instinctively grabbed toward the Finger Light, and the Jade Flame on the skull of its right arm wildly flickered, attempting to condense stronger defenses!

However, it was too late!

"Hiss—!"

The Silver Light flashed and vanished!

Like a hot knife cutting butter!

The tough black Bone Armor was useless against the Sky-Piercing Finger force!

"Pfft!"

A soft sound!

The condensed Silver Light pierced the skull's Glabella with unparalleled precision!

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

"Crack! Crackle, crackle!"

Centered around the finger hole in the Glabella, countless terrifying cracks instantly spread across the entire skull!

"No—!!!" The demon monster let out one last desperate wail, mixed with the Soul aura of Yin Jiuyou! Its massive body suddenly stiffened, and the black Bone Armor covering its entire body rapidly lost its luster, becoming gray and brittle!

The demonized body collapsed with a crash, as if all support had been withdrawn!

As it fell, the Bone Armor disintegrated, and the flesh shriveled, quickly reverting to Yin Jiuyou's Original Corpse Form: hunched, withered, and covered in corpse spots.

[Ding! Killed a Peak Bone Forging Realm Evil Cultivator (Demonization State)! evolution points +850!]

[Ding! Indestructible Vajra Divine Art experience +100! Defense greatly increased!]

[Ding! Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Art experience +60! Strength slightly increased!]

[Current evolution points: 1585!]

The cold notification tone announced the end of the battle.

Lin Jingyu slowly withdrew his finger. He walked to Yin Jiuyou's corpse, his gaze sweeping over the pile of skull ashes and the bulging Leather Bag at the corpse's waist.

He bent down and pulled out a small Token carved from a type of Yin Wood from the lining of the shattered gray robe. A twisted character "Corpse" was engraved on it, emitting a faint Yin Qi.

There were also a few fragmented pieces of Sinister Ore, inferior in quality to Corpse Jade.

[Acquired: Yin Corpse Sect Outer Sect Deacon Token (contains faint Sect Aura, may trigger Follow-up Event)]

[Acquired: Inferior Yin Soul Stone x3 (contains Yin Attribute Energy, convertible to evolution points ≈ 120/piece)]

Every little bit helps. Lin Jingyu stored the Token and Ore into the System Space.

[Ding! Absorbed Inferior Yin Soul Stone energy (3 pieces), evolution points +360!]

[Current evolution points: 1945!]

He raised his head, his gaze once again cast toward the Zhao Residence in the east of the city. That brightly lit mansion now appeared in his eyes like pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

"Second Master Zhao... your dog has been slaughtered." Lin Jingyu whispered, his voice exceptionally clear in the dead silence of the ruins.