43: Turbulence arises

The moment Lin Jingyu pushed the door open, the young messenger soldier, Zhang Ergou, felt a bone-chilling coldness envelop him. His legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, his teeth chattering so much he couldn't speak.

He only saw those dark golden pupils sweep over him, as if he was being stared at by a primeval Vicious Beast, his Soul trembling!

"Lead the way." Lin Jingyu's voice was devoid of emotion, yet carried an undeniable will, like a cold block of iron hitting the ground.

Zhang Ergou shivered and scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to brush off the dust. He pointed towards the City Lord's Mansion, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Yes... yes! Lord Lin... this way! Over by the Council Hall!"

Lin Jingyu took a step.

**Boom!**

The bluestone slab beneath his foot shattered in response, creating a shallow crater!

The violent Qi wave knocked the limp Zhang Ergou head over heels. He watched in horror as Lin Jingyu's figure transformed into a blurry dark golden stream of light, tearing through the air with a low, terrifying sonic boom, rocketing towards the City Lord's Mansion!

His speed was far greater than before!

**City Lord's Mansion, outside the Council Hall Plaza.**

It had now become a bloody purgatory!

The thick, unyielding stench of blood permeated the air, making one nauseous.

Dismembered limbs were everywhere, and viscous blood soaked the bluestone ground.

Dozens of elite guards from the City Lord's Mansion lay sprawled on the ground, their deaths gruesome. Some were torn in half, some shriveled as if all their essence blood had been drained, while others were corroded by an invisible power of resentment, turning into pus and blood.

In the center of the plaza, a monster formed from thick blood, seething resentment, and the fragmented demonic Soul of a Scarlet Nightmare was roaring madly!

It was nearly three zhang tall, its form constantly twisting. Sometimes it resembled a rolling cloud of blood, other times it condensed into a blurry Scarlet Nightmare head and phantom claws, emitting piercing Soul shrieks!

Every swing of its claw brought forth a large shower of foul-smelling blood rain and waves of resentment, easily tearing apart or draining the guards who tried to approach!

City Lord Zhao Wuji's hair and beard bristled, his protective inner armor, of no small quality, was broken in several places, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

He held a spirit blade burning with crimson flames, its light crisscrossing as he continuously slashed at the blood-resentment monster, unleashing bursts of roars and piercing sizzling sounds.

**"Blazing Flame Slash!"** Zhao Wuji roared, and a flame blade Protective Aura several zhang long fiercely struck the monster!

**Sizzle sizzle sizzle!**

The blood-resentment monster was cut open with a huge gash, dark red foul blood and black smoke spewed out, emitting a mournful wail!

But in an instant, the surrounding blood Qi and resentment surged madly, and the gash healed at a visible speed!

At the same time, several black tentacles, condensed from pure resentment, shot out from the blood cloud like venomous snakes, striking directly at Zhao Wuji's vital points!

"Damn it!" Zhao Wuji's expression changed drastically. His blade spun to parry, and the flame blade Protective Aura collided with the resentment tentacles, erupting in dense explosions!

Though he could block them, each collision made his Qi and blood churn, his internal organs feeling as if struck by a heavy hammer, and his protective Protective Aura fluctuated violently. Clearly, he couldn't last much longer!

"City Lord! Be careful!" Deputy Commander Wang Meng's eyes were bloodshot. Ignoring his own injuries, he thrust his spear at a resentment tentacle attacking Zhao Wuji's back!

His long spear pierced the tentacle, but it felt as if it had sunk into a swamp. A terrifying suction force came, and the Qi and blood in his body were uncontrollably and frantically drawn out along the spear shaft!

"Argh!" Wang Meng's face instantly turned ashen, his body visibly shriveling!

"Wang Meng!" Zhao Wuji was both shocked and enraged, but he was unable to create a Clone!

Just at this critical moment—

**Rumble!**

Like a meteor striking the earth!

A dark golden figure, imbued with terrifying pressure that tore through everything, slammed violently into the center of the plaza, landing precisely between Wang Meng and the resentment tentacle!

The incredibly hard bluestone ground exploded and collapsed as if made of paper!

A violent, ring-shaped shockwave spread out, forcefully blasting open a huge void in the pervasive bloody mist and resentment!

The resentment tentacle wrapped around Wang Meng's long spear was directly shattered inch by inch by this pure, overbearing, and utterly unreasonable Physical Body strength! It dissolved into black smoke!

The suction force abruptly ceased!

Wang Meng collapsed to the ground like a pile of mud, having narrowly escaped death. His eyes held only the blankness of one who had survived a catastrophe and boundless awe towards the dark golden figure!

The blood-resentment monster seemed to sense a huge threat, letting out an even more piercing shriek. Its entire blood cloud body churned violently, countless resentful faces twisting and wailing within it, condensing into a massive blood claw that blotted out the sky, carrying terrifying power to defile, corrode, and devour everything, as it grabbed down towards Lin Jingyu!

The air itself was stained dark red!

"Little friend Lin, be careful! This thing is formed from Scarlet Nightmare resentment, it defiles the body and specifically corrodes Qi and Protective Aura! You can't directly..." Zhao Wuji urgently warned, but before he finished speaking, his pupils suddenly constricted to pinpricks!

Facing the defiled blood claw that could make even a Marrow Cleansing Realm expert retreat three steps, Lin Jingyu didn't even bat an eyelid!

He didn't even bother to use a Martial Skill!

He simply, casually, raised his right arm, covered in dark golden skin, muscles bulging like ancient Dragons coiling!

His five fingers spread open!

Facing the defiled blood claw that blotted out the sky, he clenched his fist fiercely!

**Pfft!**

A dull, teeth-grinding explosion!

The imagined scene of flesh being corroded and Protective Aura being eroded did not appear!

The massive blood-colored claw, containing terrifying defilement and resentment, instantly exploded like a rotten tomato squeezed by iron pliers, under the closing of Lin Jingyu's pure, overbearing, and steel-forged fingers!

Viscous foul blood splattered, and resentful black smoke dispersed!

On Lin Jingyu's arm, on his dark golden skin, not a single trace of contamination was left!

The Peak defense of Indestructible Vajra Divine Art, coupled with his terrifying Foundation of Forged Bone Ninth Level Peak, where his bones were like dark star divine iron, made it impossible for these defiling evil forces to even penetrate his epidermis!

"Roar—!!!" The blood-resentment monster let out a howl of pain and terror. The part of its blood claw that had been crushed squirmed frantically, attempting to regenerate.

"Noisy." A golden glint flashed in Lin Jingyu's eyes, and killing intent erupted.

He moved!

He didn't use the ghostly movement technique of Phantom Step!

It was purely an instantaneous burst of Physical Body strength!

**Boom!**

He transformed into a dark golden lightning bolt tearing through the Void Realm, instantly crossing dozens of zhang and directly smashing into the core of the churning blood cloud!

**Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!**

Dull, terrifying impacts, like drumbeats, exploded densely within the blood cloud!

Each impact was accompanied by violent indentations and tremors in the blood cloud, and large areas of black smoke and resentment dissipating!

Zhao Wuji, the guards who had miraculously survived, and the scouts from various factions who had rushed over upon hearing the news and were peeking from corners, all watched dumbfounded, their scalps tingling!

They couldn't see the specific situation inside the blood cloud.

They could only see the terrifying blood-resentment monster, like a tattered sack being frantically pounded by an invisible giant fist, continuously twisting and deforming, emitting desperate wails!

Large swaths of foul blood and resentment were forcefully blasted and dispersed by pure power!

What defilement clinging to the body? What specialized corrosion of Qi and Protective Aura?

In the face of absolute power, they were all jokes!

**"Disperse... for me!"**

From deep within the blood cloud came Lin Jingyu's low, cold shout!

**Boom—!!!**

Like muffled thunder exploding within its body!

The churning, roaring blood-resentment monster suddenly contracted inward, then, like a lit powder keg, exploded from the inside out with a roar!

Viscous foul blood mixed with shattered resentment fragments, splashed in all directions like a downpour!

Leaving the entire Council Hall Plaza in a mess!

In its place, only Lin Jingyu's mountain-like, burly figure stood proudly.

He was enveloped in a thin, almost invisible dark golden aura. All the foul blood and filth that splashed towards him was repelled and annihilated by an invisible force when it approached within a foot of his body!

Not a single drop of blood stained him!

The plaza was dead silent.

Only the faint sound of pebbles rolling beneath Lin Jingyu's feet.

Zhao Wuji leaned on his flaming spirit blade, panting heavily, looking at the figure bathed in a rain of foul blood yet unstained, his eyes filled with boundless shock and lingering fear. "Forged Bone Ninth Level... to be... to be this powerful?! His claim of destroying the Rotting Bone Forest demonic lair... was absolutely not false!"

Lin Jingyu's gaze, however, had already penetrated the pervasive bloody stench, coldly locking onto a figure at the edge of the plaza, behind a rockery's shadow, who was trying to sneak away, his face devoid of color—Elder Li Yuankun of the Li Family!

"Li Yuankun." These three words, like a cold death knell, struck Li Yuankun's heart.

Li Yuankun's body suddenly stiffened, like a frog stared at by a venomous snake, a chill rushing from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head!

The last trace of color drained from his face, leaving only boundless fear and despair!

He had personally witnessed how the blood-resentment monster was utterly blasted apart by this harbinger of death in the most overbearing and unreasonable manner!

That was no human power!

That was a primeval Vicious Beast in human skin!

"No... it's not my fault! It was the Scarlet Nightmare resentment itself..." Li Yuankun stammered incoherently, turning to run!

Lin Jingyu's eyes were indifferent, not bothering to listen to his excuses.

He took a step, leaving a faint afterimage in his original spot, his true body appearing before Li Yuankun as if by instantaneous movement!

His speed was so fast that even an expert like Zhao Wuji in the Marrow Cleansing Realm only felt a blur before his eyes!

**Slap!**

A large hand, covered in a dark golden luster and cast like refined steel, casually pressed down on Li Yuankun's crown!

There was no earth-shattering commotion.

Only a faint, crisp sound, like a walnut being crushed.

The fear and despair on Li Yuankun's face instantly froze, his eyes rapidly losing focus.

His profound Marrow Cleansing Realm Protective Aura was as fragile as paper in the face of Lin Jingyu's ultimate pure Physical Body strength!

Violent power penetrated his skull, instantly shaking his brain, Meridians, and internal organs... into a pulpy mess!

Li Yuankun's body collapsed limply, like a dead snake from which all bones had been removed, utterly devoid of life.

Silence!

A deathly silence!

Everyone was struck by this thunderous, decisive scene, their Souls Flying Away and Spirit Scattering!

The all-powerful Elder of the Li Family in Border Wasteland City... was just casually crushed to death? Like an ant?!

Lin Jingyu didn't even glance at the corpse beneath his feet. His gaze was directed towards the Li Family residence.

His gaze was cold and indifferent, as if looking down at an ant nest about to be flattened. "The Li Family..." his low voice echoed across the silent plaza, clearly reaching everyone's ears, carrying a chilling coldness that froze the Soul, "It seems they're tired of living."

His low voice echoed across the silent plaza, clearly reaching everyone's ears, carrying a chilling coldness that froze the Soul, "It seems they're tired of living."

As his words fell, he took a step.

His burly figure stepped over Li Yuankun's still-warm corpse, walking step by step towards the Li Family residence.

His heavy footsteps were like a death knell, pounding in the hearts of everyone who witnessed this scene!

Zhao Wuji shivered violently, instantly understanding Lin Jingyu's intention!

His face changed drastically, wanting to speak, but looking at Lin Jingyu's resolute and cold back, all words of persuasion were stuck in his throat.

He had no doubt that anyone who dared to stop him now would suffer an even worse fate than Li Yuankun!

"Quick! Quickly send people to seal all exits of the Li Family! Not even a fly is allowed out!"

Zhao Wuji hoarsely ordered the remaining guards, his voice trembling uncontrollably, "Also... immediately report everything that happened here to the other Elders of the City Lord's Mansion... No! Report it to the City Lord! The sky is about to change! Border Wasteland City... is about to change completely!"

In the distant corners, the scouts from various Families had long been scared out of their wits, scrambling away from the scene to report this shocking news back to their respective Families.

The entire Border Wasteland City, due to Lin Jingyu's return and his current steps towards the Li Family, plunged into a great panic and dead silence, like the calm before a storm!

Meanwhile, in the depths of the Li Family residence, in a corner of a secret room filled with an eerie chill, unnoticed by anyone.

The black bone jar, inscribed with twisted runes, at the moment of Li Yuankun's death, the black Qi emanating from its mouth churned violently, the subtle gnawing sounds inside abruptly stopped, and then became more urgent, more greedy... as if something had been completely awakened by the thick scent of blood and death!