The lines of life's scroll began sketching an intricate tapestry as Lin Jiufeng absorbed the soul flame of the tenth-ranked expert of the Skeleton Clan. He shattered it, analyzed its essence, and then reconstructed it.
A scroll depicting a human life unfolded in Lin Jiufeng's hands.
Rustle...
The life scroll was long, yet in reality, it felt fleeting.
The tenth-ranked expert of the Skeleton Clan had spent most of his life in solitary cultivation. He was reclusive, disinterested in conversation, and found joy only in slaughter. Killing was the sole source of his happiness.
The number of people he had slain was beyond count. As Lin Jiufeng examined his life scroll, he couldn't help but frown.
His only friend was the Skeleton King, for they shared the same bloodthirsty nature. However, the Skeleton King was far superior, slaying prodigies from various races, while he could only massacre ordinary weaklings.
Through the life scroll, Lin Jiufeng also learned that this so-called tenth expert was merely average among his peers. The top nine could easily defeat him. He had ventured into the Cloud Dream Great Swamp in search of the Taiyuan Immortal Mansion's treasures, hoping to obtain a legacy that would defy fate and change his destiny.
But unfortunately for him, he encountered Lin Jiufeng.
And just as he had lost time and again to the top nine experts of his clan, he was defeated just as swiftly now.
After finishing the life scroll, Lin Jiufeng flicked his wrist. The scroll disintegrated into nothingness, like mist dissipating in the air—symbolizing the complete erasure of the tenth-ranked expert from this world.
"The tenth expert wasn't strong at all. He couldn't even withstand my full-force physical strike. It seems the power gap within the Fourteen Forbidden Realms is significant." Lin Jiufeng pondered.
Amidst the shattered bones, he noticed a storage artifact— a fiery red jade pendant radiating an intense heat. It stood out starkly among the remains.
Lin Jiufeng picked up the pendant and unleashed his soul power upon it.
Boom!
A fragment of the tenth-ranked expert's soul remained inside, fiercely resisting Lin Jiufeng's invasion.
But Lin Jiufeng was patient. His golden soul avatar glowed brilliantly, exerting steady pressure, gradually grinding away the remnant soul until it was utterly erased.
The storage artifact was now open.
Lin Jiufeng scanned its contents—various items stored within. Instead of sorting them himself, he casually tossed the artifact into his white jade ring, leaving the sacred beast Qilin to organize it later.
"Time to hunt down the other Skeleton Clan experts."
A glint of cold resolve flashed in Lin Jiufeng's eyes. A daring thought took root in his mind—to wipe out this generation of Skeleton Clan elites.
The tenth-ranked expert was merely the beginning, far from the end.
Next came the ninth-ranked expert. Then the eighth. The seventh…
"The tenth expert's memories indicate that the ninth expert is just ahead."
Lin Jiufeng's gaze sharpened.
No hesitation. His figure blurred as he accelerated, streaking through the mountains at breakneck speed.
His soul power expanded outward, sweeping through the terrain in search of the ninth-ranked expert.
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Jiufeng suddenly detected a powerful presence ahead.
The aura flowed like water—vast and unfathomable. It belonged to a cultivator in the Fourteen Forbidden Realms, radiating an unmistakable warning: Stay away.
Lin Jiufeng fixed his gaze forward.
In a region dense with towering trees and misty air, a skeletal figure bathed in an eerie blue glow was absorbing the surrounding water energy.
This location was a rare convergence of water veins, intersected by eighty-one mighty rivers and dozens of massive lakes. The overwhelming water energy made it an ideal cultivation ground.
With his affinity for water, the ninth-ranked expert of the Skeleton Clan had naturally seized this opportunity to cultivate here.
His formidable aura was enough to deter most people, even those at the same level. Nobody wanted to provoke an unnecessary enemy.
But Lin Jiufeng was different.
This was his target.
Without hesitation, he charged forward.
Like before, he led with the Fist of the Human Immortal.
Boom!
The power of the Human Immortal Fist, infused with the God-Demon Body Refinement Art and Panwu Divine Strength, erupted with earth-shattering force.
A colossal phantom of the Human Immortal loomed in the sky, descending with unparalleled might.
The ninth-ranked expert of the Skeleton Clan was forced to halt his cultivation. His burning soul fire flared as he roared in fury, summoning the energy of the eighty-one rivers, forming them into eighty-one water dragons that surged toward Lin Jiufeng.
"Nightshade Young Lord! We're here to aid the Nightshade Clan, and yet you dare strike at me? Are you not afraid of provoking a war between our races?" The ninth-ranked expert bellowed.
Lin Jiufeng sneered, mimicking the Nightshade Young Lord's tone.
"Don't worry. The Skeleton Clan won't wage war over someone as insignificant as you."
"You dare underestimate me?!" The ninth-ranked expert seethed with fury, driving the water dragons to crash down upon Lin Jiufeng.
Lin Jiufeng was unperturbed.
His fists shattered the incoming water dragons, breaking them apart one by one, advancing relentlessly.
The resulting tidal waves raged across the land, obliterating everything in their path.
Now face-to-face with his opponent, Lin Jiufeng's Fist of the Human Immortal struck with full force.
The ninth-ranked expert's body trembled violently. Cracks spread across his crystalline blue skeletal frame, but he did not shatter outright—proving he was far stronger than the tenth-ranked expert.
"Great Void Palm!"
The ninth-ranked expert unleashed a terrifying water-based technique.
A massive hand materialized, infused with the profound power of water, covering the sky. The palm exhibited unfathomable variations, sealing all directions, leaving Lin Jiufeng with no escape.
Boom!
The sheer force of the technique churned the heavens, drowning the world in darkness.
But Lin Jiufeng did not panic.
His hands moved, and ripples of space emerged.
In an instant—he vanished.
He had not dodged with speed, but rather, had shifted through space itself.
Appearing outside the attack's range, Lin Jiufeng's expression turned solemn. His arms spread wide as he gathered immense energy.
Then, he flipped his palms downward.
Boom!
The heavens seemed to turn upside down.
A titanic energy force coalesced into an azure sky, crashing down with apocalyptic weight.
Sky-Flipping Seal!
This was a technique Lin Jiufeng had learned from Gu Baili, yet had never used until now.
The heavens turned over, smothering all beneath them.
Realizing the impending doom, the ninth-ranked expert panicked, attempting to flee.
But the space around him had solidified like a swamp, preventing movement.
Even trying to escape into the waters proved futile.
He was too late.
BOOM!
The azure sky crashed down.
The devastating force swept through the battlefield, creating towering tsunamis that annihilated everything in sight.
The ninth-ranked expert was instantly obliterated.
Lin Jiufeng, seeing the massive commotion he had caused, wasted no time. He swiftly grabbed the expert's storage artifact and vanished into the horizon like a streak of light.