67: Murder for treasure?

"Just you guys?"

Lin Jingyu's voice was as cold as Nine Nether Cold Iron, echoing in the darkness of the desolate mountain.

His muscles bulged, his Qi and Blood burned like a furnace, and the terrifying pressure of the primordial divine magic aspect bore down heavily on the three black-clothed figures like a tangible mountain.

The invisible pressure made the air viscous!

The leader, a Shenzang Realm, Third Level black-clothed figure, instantly constricted his pupils, and alarm bells went off in his heart! Something was wrong!

This kid clearly only had the aura of the Shenzang Realm, Second Level, so why was his pressure so terrifying?!

"You're courting death!" Wang Mang roared, suppressing the shock in his heart and striking first! He formed his five fingers into a claw, and bone-chilling black Qi wrapped around his fingertips, tearing through the air and heading straight for Lin Jingyu's throat!

It was his famous ultimate skill—the Yin Sha Soul Splitting Claw!

Where the claw wind passed, even the rocks let out sizzling sounds as if being corroded!

The other two also attacked simultaneously!

Zhao Hu's palms were blazing red like fire, sending out two scorching Qi waves to seal off Lin Jingyu's left and right!

Qian Bao, on the other hand, moved like a ghost, circling to the back, where a poisoned short dagger silently stabbed toward the back of Lin Jingyu's heart!

The three worked together seamlessly, their attacks vicious and lethal!

Facing the pincer attack from three sides, there was only indifference in Lin Jingyu's eyes.

"Too slow!"

He moved! Instead of dodging, he stepped forward, meeting Wang Mang's Yin Sha Claw head-on!

"Shrinking the Ground to an Inch!"

Space compressed beneath his feet! Wang Mang's fierce claw attack appeared like slow motion in Lin Jingyu's eyes!

He struck after his opponent but arrived first, his right fist clenched, his muscles bulging like a Dragon, unleashing 120 million jin of terrifying power without any flourish!

"Chaos Heaven Opening Fist!"

The punch was thrown! Chaos Qi Flow surged, carrying the primal might capable of splitting heaven and earth!

"Crack! Splat!"

A sickening sound of bone cracking was accompanied by the muffled explosion of flesh and blood!

Wang Mang's sharp claw, covered in frigid black Qi, instantly snapped and shattered inch by inch like rotten wood the moment it met the Chaos fist edge!

Following that, his entire arm twisted and burst under the savage force!

Finally, his chest! The hard Protective Aura was like paper mache, fiercely pierced by the force of the punch!

"No—!" Wang Mang only managed to let out a short roar filled with horror and despair before his entire body flew backward like a broken sack. A massive bloody hole pierced straight through his chest, and fragments of his internal organs mixed with bone shards sprayed everywhere! When he landed, he was nothing more than a pile of mush!

[Ding! Killed a Shenzang Realm, Third Level expert (Wang Mang)! Gained evolution points: 18,000 points!]

One punch! Shenzang Realm, Third Level, dead!

The sudden change, happening in a flash of lightning, terrified Zhao Hu and Qian Bao, who were attacking from the sides!

The greed on their faces was instantly replaced by boundless terror!

"Run!" Zhao Hu was utterly terrified, letting out a strange cry. He forcibly retracted the flaming palm he had struck out and turned to flee!

Qian Bao was so scared that his dagger slipped from his grasp, and he used all his strength to escape into the distance!

"Trying to run?" A cruel arc appeared on Lin Jingyu's lips. "Too late!"

His figure flickered, Shrinking the Ground to an Inch!

He instantly appeared in front of Zhao Hu, who was trying to escape! A massive shadow completely enveloped Zhao Hu!

"Spare me! Senior..." Zhao Hu's plea for mercy was abruptly cut short!

Lin Jingyu's large hand, like a cattail-leaf fan, wrapped in Chaos Qi Flow, grasped Zhao Hu's head as if picking up a chick!

"Pffft!"

A watermelon exploded!

Red and white splattered everywhere!

The headless corpse softly collapsed!

[Ding! Killed a Shenzang Realm, Second Level expert (Zhao Hu)! Gained evolution points: 12,000 points!]

Lin Jingyu didn't even look, striking backward with a reverse palm!

"Boom!"

A solid Chaos palm print shot through the air! It instantly caught up to the frantically fleeing Qian Bao!

"No—!" Qian Bao only felt an irresistible destructive force slamming into his back, and his Protective Aura shattered like foam!

"Bang!"

The Chaos palm print landed squarely on Qian Bao's back!

He shot forward like a toad struck by a massive hammer, his body tearing apart in mid-air, dissolving into a rain of blood and chunks of flesh!

[Ding! Killed a Shenzang Realm, Second Level expert (Qian Bao)! Gained evolution points: 12,000 points!]

Silence!

On the Desolate Mountain, only the thick, pungent smell of blood and the mournful whine of the night wind remained.

Three Divine Treasury Realm experts were like worthless dogs and chickens before Lin Jingyu, all obliterated in a single encounter!

A sweep of the Chaos Qi Flow collected the scattered essence blood energy of the three men and the several Storage Pouches that had dropped to the ground.

[Ding! Battle settlement complete!]

[Total evolution points gained: 42,000 points!]

[Current evolution points: 92,000 points!] (Original 50,000 points + 42,000 points from killing three people)

The cold numbers flashed: ninety-two thousand evolution points! A fortune!

Lin Jingyu swept his Divine Thought over the three Storage Pouches.

Aside from some Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, and ordinary weapons, a gilded invitation card in Wang Mang's Storage Pouch caught his attention.

The invitation card was made of special material, and its edge was stamped with a small golden scale mark—the emblem of the Prefecture's largest auction house, the Wanbao Tower! It clearly stated:

"Wanbao Tower Grade A VIP Invitation"

"Three days from now, Xu Shi (7-9 PM), Heaven Grade Number One Auction Hall"

"Finale Treasure: Fragment of an Ancient Secret Map"

"Fragment of an Ancient Secret Map?" Lin Jingyu's eyes flickered.

Such places often signified great danger, but also great Opportunity, and... large numbers of Demons and Evil Spirits!

"Wanbao Tower Auction..." He put away the invitation card, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Just right. He needed more evolution points to break through to a higher Realm, and he also needed to see if there were any special Cultivation Techniques or Materials that could be recorded by the System.

Just then!

"Whoosh!"

A faint sound of something breaking the air approached from afar!

Lin Jingyu's gaze sharpened, instantly locking onto the source of the sound.

He saw a Jade Talisman wrapped in a faint green glow, which seemed intelligent as it avoided the bloody area and steadily hovered about a foot in front of him.

The ancient character "Suppress" was carved onto the Jade Talisman.

A dignified and steady voice came from the Jade Talisman, sounding directly in Lin Jingyu's ear:

"Little Friend Lin, I am Qin Shanhe, the Commander of the Prefecture's Demon Suppression Division."

"You killed Rogue Cultivators and eliminated harm for the people with sharp methods; I admire that."

"The Wanbao Tower auction is a mix of good and bad people. If you are interested in the finale item, or require assistance, you may use this Jade Talisman to find me at the 'Listening to the Waves Courtyard' in the west of the city for a discussion."

"The Demon Suppression Division wishes to form a good relationship with you."

As the voice faded, the green light on the Jade Talisman slowly dissipated, turning it into an ordinary Jade Plate that fell into Lin Jingyu's hand.

Demon Suppression Division? Qin Shanhe?

Lin Jingyu looked at the Jade Talisman in his hand, his brow slightly raised.

The Prefecture's strongest official demon-slaying force?

It seemed the commotion from the battle just now, along with the disturbance caused by his teleportation, had attracted the attention of this important figure.

Was the other party showing goodwill because they valued his strength? Or did they have ulterior motives?

He weighed the Jade Talisman in his hand and casually put it away.

"Demon Suppression Division... Auction..."

Whether it was a good relationship or trouble, as long as it didn't hinder him from obtaining evolution points, he didn't care.

If they dared to reach out... he would just blow them up!

Lin Jingyu stopped lingering. His figure flickered, activating Shrinking the Ground to an Inch, and he instantly vanished into the vast night, leaving behind only the devastation and the pungent smell of blood, testifying to the brief but bloody counter-kill that had just occurred.