85: Straight to the heart of the enemy

“ROAR—!!!”

The blurry Evil Shadow, condensed from thick blood mist, let out a silent shriek that shook the Soul!

Chaotic, blasphemous, and maniacal will, like a substantial tide, violently slammed into Lin Jingyu's Divine Soul!

The space in the valley twisted, letting out a groan as if overwhelmed!

The Blood Pupil Priest's face was a mixture of ecstasy and resentment, and he shrieked hoarsely, “Blasphemer! Feel the endless Chaos and pain of my Lord! Your Soul shall forever fall into the Sea of Blood!”

“Noisy!” Lin Jingyu's eyes were as cold as ten thousand years of glacial ice.

The impact of the Evil God's will was like a clay ox entering the sea, forcefully resisted by his tenacious will—which was at Divine Treasury Realm Seventh Level and had condensed the rudimentary form of a primordial divine magic aspect!

The dark golden star patterns beneath his skin burst with light!

Facing the Evil Shadow, which radiated an aura that made his skin prickle with pain, Lin Jingyu did not retreat but advanced!

Five billion jin of Divine Power roared and surged within his body, producing a thunderous sound like rushing rivers!

He clenched his right fist, his arm muscles bulging like coiled Dragon pythons, and the Major Achievement Realm of the Archaic God-Demon Visualization Chart was operating at full capacity!

Boom!

A dominating, blazing column of dark golden Blood Qi smoke, capable of incinerating all evil spirits in the heavens, erupted like a volcano from the top of Lin Jingyu's head!

It instantly dispersed some of the thick blood mist!

“God-Demon Burning Heaven Fist—Breaking Evil!”

Lin Jingyu roared, his voice like cracking thunder! He twisted his waist and hips, condensing all his strength into a single point, and smashed his fist toward the Evil Shadow, which had just condensed and was not yet fully formed!

Where the Fist Aura passed, the space was squeezed by pure power, forming visible ripples!

Above the dark golden Fist Aura, countless miniature Archaic God-Demon phantoms roared furiously, wrapped in Blood Qi Divine Flame that was supremely Yang and rigid, incinerating all evil!

The Evil Shadow seemed to sense the threat and let out an even sharper shriek. A massive demonic claw, formed from filthy blood and wrapped in chaotic and twisted Law power, fiercely grabbed towards Lin Jingyu's fist!

Fist and claw met!

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only the grating sound of corrosion and erosion!

Hiss, hiss, hiss—!

The dark golden primordial divine magic Blood Qi clashed fiercely with the filthy Evil God power, annihilating each other!

The primordial divine magic phantom on Lin Jingyu's Fist Aura roared, and the Blood Qi Divine Flame madly scorched the filthy blood demonic claw!

The chaotic Law on the demonic claw continuously eroded and attempted to pollute the primordial divine magic Blood Qi!

Stalemate! A contest of strength!

Pure power against chaotic evil energy!

“Break—for me!” Ferocious light burst from Lin Jingyu's eyes! The Five Great Divine Treasuries within his body roared in unison!

The Divine Fire of the Heart (Heart Fire Burns the Heavens) instantly ignited, the Source of Vitality in the Liver erupted, providing infinite endurance, the Power of Thick Earth in the Spleen bolstered the Fist Aura to be as heavy as a mountain, the Geng Metal Sharpness in the Lungs granted unparalleled sharpness, and the Xuanming True Water in the Kidneys circulated to dispel erosion!

Rumble!

The Blood Qi Divine Flame atop the Fist Aura multiplied several times, as if poured with boiling oil!

The primordial divine magic phantom became more solid, letting out a roar that shattered evil spirits!

Crack!

Under the maniacal scorching of the primordial divine magic Blood Qi and the crushing force of five billion jin of primordial divine magic great strength, the filthy demonic claw finally succumbed, disintegrating inch by inch like shattered porcelain!

“Aoo—!” The Evil Shadow let out a painful shriek, and its entire blurry body fluctuated violently!

“Die!”

Lin Jingyu pressed his advantage relentlessly!

Before his fist momentum faded, he changed his fist into a claw! His five fingers curled like hooks, dark gold flowing, carrying terrifying power that could tear space, and fiercely grabbed the core of the Evil Shadow—the constantly beating “Heart of the Evil God,” condensed from countless suffering Souls and filthy blood!

The Star Plucking Hand was only at Initial Glimpse! Though not yet at Major Achievement, when combined with his current primordial divine magic might, its power was equally terrifying!

Pfft!

The dark golden sharp claw penetrated the Evil Shadow's chaotic energy body without resistance, precisely grasping the frantically beating filthy core!

“No—!!!” The Blood Pupil Priest let out a roar of utter despair!

Lin Jingyu's eyes were icy cold, and he suddenly exerted force with his five fingers!

Bang—!!!

It was like crushing a rotten heart!

The filthy “Heart of the Evil God” instantly exploded in his palm!

Thick, foul-smelling black blood, full of chaotic curses, splattered everywhere!

However, it was instantly vaporized and purified by the dark golden Blood Qi Divine Flame burning around Lin Jingyu's body!

“ROAR—!!!” The Evil Shadow let out one last shriek filled with unwillingness and rage. Having lost its core support, its entire body collapsed with a crash, like a punctured balloon!

The thick blood mist filling the sky lost the command of the Evil God's will, scattering and rolling like headless flies, and then rapidly dissolved and purified under the residual might of the primordial divine magic Blood Qi!

Above the valley, the suffocating evil pressure receded like a tide.

[Ding! Destroyed Evil God Projection (Weak)! Gained evolution points: 100,000 points!]

[Current evolution points: 52,000 points → 152,000 points!]

The cold System notification sounded in Lin Jingyu's mind.

“One hundred thousand points... Not bad!” A hint of satisfaction flashed in Lin Jingyu's eyes.

He shook off the residual filthy black Qi on his hand, and his gaze, sharp as lightning, instantly locked onto the dying Blood Pupil Priest who was slumped beside the altar ruins.

At this moment, half of the Blood Pupil Priest's body was charred black—the result of the backlash from Lin Jingyu interrupting the blood sacrifice. The other half suffered an even more terrifying backlash due to the destruction of the Evil God Projection, with every blood vessel beneath his skin ruptured, making him look like a bloody man.

He stared at Lin Jingyu with extreme resentment, black blood mixed with fragments of internal organs continuously gushing from his mouth.

“You... you ruined my Lord's descent... you... you will die a terrible death...” The Blood Pupil Priest's voice was hoarse, like a broken bellows.

Lin Jingyu took a step toward him, his massive shadow completely enveloping the Blood Pupil Priest.

He looked down at the Cultist, who was like mud beneath his feet, his voice devoid of emotion: “Where is your 'Yellow Dragon'?”

The Blood Pupil Priest's pupils suddenly constricted, followed by an eruption of even more maniacal resentment: “Heh heh... Want to know... the Holy Cult Headquarters... Yellow Dragon Ravine...? Dream on! My Lord... will avenge me... You... and everyone connected to you... shall... fall into the Eternal Blood Purgatory...”

“Too much nonsense.” Lin Jingyu's gaze sharpened. He raised his foot and stomped down fiercely towards the Blood Pupil Priest's skull, as if crushing a cockroach!

“Wait!”

Under the ultimate fear of death, the Blood Pupil Priest burst out with his last shred of survival instinct, screaming, “I'll talk! It's the Yellow Dragon Ravine! It's deep in the Luohun Mountain Range, three hundred li northwest of the Imperial Capital! There is... there is a Cult-Protecting Grand Formation... there is... a Dharma Aspect Realm Great...”

He tried to say “Great Priest” to intimidate Lin Jingyu.

Bang!

Lin Jingyu's massive foot did not pause in the slightest, descending like a ten-ton hammer!

The Blood Pupil Priest's skull, along with his unfinished words, was instantly crushed into the hard altar rubble, exploding into a puddle of red and white filth!

“Dharma Aspect Realm? Perfect!” Lin Jingyu withdrew his foot, not even glancing at the mess beneath him.

His gaze swept across the valley. Besides the crushed priest and the Cultists he had slaughtered earlier, there were a few stragglers desperately scrambling towards the dense forest outside the valley.

A cold, curved smirk appeared at the corner of Lin Jingyu's mouth.

He did not immediately pursue them, instead allowing the few terrified Cultists to vanish into the dense forest.

“Run... lead me to your lair!” His powerful Divine Thought had already locked onto the residual, homologous, and filthy Evil God Qi remaining on the fleeing Cultists, like an invisible spiderweb.

This was better than any map!

Just then, several auras of varying strengths were rapidly approaching from the direction of the Imperial Capital, tearing through the air!

Clearly, the fierce clash between the Evil God Qi and the primordial divine magic Blood Qi that erupted in the valley had alerted the experts in the Imperial Capital!

“The Demon Suppression Division? The Imperial Family? Or the dogs of the Heavenly Sword Sect?” Lin Jingyu's eyes shifted slightly, then returned to indifference.

He couldn't be bothered to get entangled with these people. His goal was singular—the Evil God Cult Headquarters, the Yellow Dragon Ravine!

He shifted his body, utilizing the Major Achievement Realm of Shrinking the Ground to an Inch to the extreme. He silently merged into the spatial ripples, leaving no trace, and pursued the direction the Cultists had fled, following them like a shadow.

His speed far surpassed those stray dogs, but he maintained a constant distance, like the most patient hunter.

A moment later.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Three figures landed almost simultaneously at the entrance of the valley.

The leader, dressed in the Demon Suppression Division's distinctive profound black iron-blooded battle robe, had a stern face and an aura as heavy as a mountain. He was clearly a Demon Suppression Division Captain at the Divine Treasury Realm Eighth Level (Iron Eagle).

Behind him followed two elite Demon Suppression Guards whose auras were around the Divine Treasury Realm Fifth Level.

The other figure was an Old Eunuch (The Grand Eunuch's confidant, Eunuch Wang) dressed in luxurious clothes, pale-faced and beardless, with sinister eyes. He was accompanied by two Golden Armored Dragon Guards, whose auras were also impressive.

The last streak of Sword Light descended, revealing a stern-faced Elder (Li Xuanfeng) who was stationed by the Heavenly Sword Sect in the Imperial Capital, followed by two sharp-auraed Disciples.

The expressions of all three groups changed upon seeing the scene inside the valley!

The shattered altar, the lingering faint smell of blood and Evil Qi, the ground covered with incomplete Cultist corpses, and the shocking puddle of red and white filth in the center of the altar... all indicated how brutal and one-sided the slaughter that had just occurred was!

“Hiss... What dominating methods! The Cultists were almost all burst apart by brute force!” Iron Eagle squatted down to examine a corpse torn in half, a hint of solemnity and... imperceptible appreciation flashing in his eyes.

“It's Lin Jingyu!”

Eunuch Wang looked at the remnants of Heavenly Sword Sect clothing belonging to Situ Ming and others, as well as the fragments of Flying Swords on the ground. Sensing the dominating, blazing residual Blood Qi aura in the air, which was like a roaring furnace, he shrieked, “It's definitely that Lunatic! He just killed people from the Heavenly Sword Sect here and then destroyed the Evil God Cult's blood sacrifice! Lawless! Utterly lawless!”

Li Xuanfeng's face was so gloomy it looked like water might drip from it. He stared at Situ Ming's headless remains and his shattered Vital Flying Sword, and a terrifying Sword Intent uncontrollably spread out: “Lin Jingyu... Good! Very good! Killing my Heavenly Sword Sect Elder, this hatred is irreconcilable!”

He suddenly looked at Iron Eagle and Eunuch Wang: “Where is this person now? We must capture and kill him immediately to make an example!”

Iron Eagle stood up, his gaze sweeping over the valley before finally settling on the direction the Cultists had fled. He said solemnly, “He left recently. His aura... went toward the northwest. Judging by the residual filthy aura, the Cultists who escaped also went that way.”

“Northwest? Luohun Mountain Range?”

Eunuch Wang's eyes flashed, and he immediately realized something. “Could it be... he went to chase those Cultists? What does he intend to do?”

Li Xuanfeng sneered, “What does it matter what he intends to do! This villain bears the blood debt of my Heavenly Sword Sect, and he publicly defied the imperial decree, showing contempt for heavenly might! No matter where he runs, he must die! Chase!”

He swept up a streak of Sword Light and, along with his two Disciples, took the lead in chasing toward the northwest.

Eunuch Wang's eyes were shifty. He winked at the two Dragon Guards: “Follow them! Find Lin Jingyu, keep a close watch on him! Report back at any time!”

The two Dragon Guards nodded, turning into golden light and closely following the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Iron Eagle watched the direction they left, then looked at the Evil God Cult's setup in the valley, his brows furrowed: “Luohun Mountain Range... Yellow Dragon Ravine... Evil God Cult Headquarters?”

He immediately took out a communication jade slip, imprinted the situation here and Lin Jingyu's likely destination onto it, and said solemnly, “Report quickly to Commander! Lin Jingyu is suspected of tracking Cultists, target—Yellow Dragon Ravine in the Luohun Mountain Range! It may be related to the Evil God Cult Headquarters!”

The jade slip transformed into a streak of light and shot toward the Demon Suppression Division Headquarters in the Imperial Capital.

“We should follow too! We absolutely cannot let the Heavenly Sword Sect people mess things up, and even less can we let Lin Jingyu... fall into the Cultists' lair alone!” Iron Eagle waved his hand, and with his two Demon Suppression Guards, also turned into streaks of light and pursued them.

The valley returned to silence, leaving behind only the wreckage, witnessing the bloodshed that had just occurred and the greater storm that was about to be unleashed.

On the outskirts of the Luohun Mountain Range, deep within the dense forest.

The few surviving Cultists were like startled birds, desperately activating evil arts and burning their vital blood to flee for their lives.

Boundless terror remained on their faces; Lin Jingyu's primordial divine magic-like figure and the terrifying image of him crushing the Evil God Projection were deeply branded into their Souls.

“Quick... quickly return to the Headquarters! Report to the Great Priest!”

“That devil... has that devil caught up?”

“I don't know... Run! We'll be safe once we return to the Yellow Dragon Ravine! There's the Grand Formation! The Great Priest is there!”

They were completely unaware that a dark golden figure, like a ghost, was leisurely trailing them several hundred zhang behind.

Lin Jingyu was like the most skilled hunter; his aura was completely contained, blending into the environment. He used only his Divine Thought to lock onto the conspicuous Evil God Qi on his targets, which stood out like lighthouses in the dark night.

While tracking them, he internally viewed the System panel:

[host]: Lin Jingyu

[Realm]: Divine Treasury Realm Seventh Level, Five billion jin of Divine Power! Rudimentary primordial divine magic aspect!

[evolution points]: 152,000 points

[Cultivation Technique]: ...Omitted... [Divine Ability]: ...Omitted... [Martial Skill]: ...Omitted... “One hundred fifty thousand points... Should I deduce the Chaos Heaven Opening Art to Minor Achievement Perfection? Or save them to prepare for the evolution of the Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies, Only I Am Supreme Art?” Lin Jingyu pondered.

“No rush... Once I reach the Yellow Dragon Ravine and kill all the evil spirits, evolution points will naturally flow in! A Dharma Aspect Realm Great Priest? I hope your life is tough enough! And valuable enough!”

Killing intent filled his eyes, and his gaze pierced through the layers of dense forest, as if he could already see the Cultist lair—the Yellow Dragon Ravine—where filth accumulated!

That place would be his next evolution points treasury!