Lin Yu flicked the Wind Control Sword with his finger.
Zheng!
The sword howled toward the black mist enshrouding the valley, its blade ablaze with scorching flames and dazzling crimson light. It slammed into the mist barrier, erupting in a thunderous roar!
Raging devil qi vanished under the onslaught of Fire Sword Intent. In an instant, a gap dozens of zhang wide appeared before everyone.
"Go!"
Lin Yu snapped. If they delayed, the devil qi would close in and reclaim the valley.
Without hesitation, the crowd dashed out. Streams of light flashed, and half the people behind Lin Yu vanished in an instant.
"Not so fast!"
The Netherworld Cult Master roared, swiping at the fleeing warriors. Devil qi surged from his palm, forming a giant black hand to snatch them all.
As the black hand descended, the Wind Control Sword arrived, ablaze with Fire Sword Intent. It split the hand in two. Flames rippled out, igniting the devil qi within, creating a massive flaming palm print that faded under everyone's awed gaze.
Lin Yu caught the returning sword, sneering: "When I say they go, no one stops them."
"Fine, very fine. Sacrificing you is worth more than hundreds of废物 (useless fools)!"
The Cult Master's face turned铁青 (iron-green). Despite overestimating Lin Yu, the might of that sword strike made him question his judgment.
Lin Yu smiled, blocking the Cult Master to buy time for the warriors.
"Prince Third, thank you..." Su Miaozhen's voice sounded beside him.
He turned to see her cheeks flushed, too shy to meet his eyes—the imposing female general had vanished.
"General Su, leave now. Thank me after we exit Spirit Mountain." Lin Yu urged her with a smile.
"Right!" Su Miaozhen took a deep look at him, knowing she'd only be a hindrance, and dashed out of the valley.
Moments later, all captive warriors escaped, scattering to safety. The Cult Master was now alone—re-catching them was impossible.
His eyes turned venomous as he clapped his palms. The valley's black mist sealed shut. "Now it's just you and me, boy. Today, I'll sacrifice you to the Demon God!"
As he spoke, devil qi swirled in his hand, forming a pitch-black saber exuding a bloodthirsty aura. With a flick of his wrist, the saber unleashed hundreds of wails from冤魂 (ghosts), converging into a tangible soundwave rippling outward.
Caught in the ripple, the wails would invade the mind, confusing or even dispersing the spiritual soul. But Lin Yu's will was ironclad—such wails meant nothing.
He stared down the Cult Master, unflinching as the soundwave washed over him.
"Eh!" The Cult Master frowned, then barked, "Elder Grand, kill this brat!"
"Me?" The Elder Grand started, stunned by the order.
"Of course. You're the cult's second strongest. Should I, the Cult Master, condescend to fight this 黄口小儿 (yellow-mouthed child)?" The Cult Master eyed him coldly. "Besides, as a Void Transformation Realm warrior, defeating him should be easy."
The Elder Grand shot the Cult Master a resentful look but nodded. Lin Yu's earlier display made it clear he was no pushover—the Cult Master wanted him to test Lin Yu's true strength.
The elder unsheathed a spear and stepped before Lin Yu. "Boy, come die!"
Black flames erupted from him—demon flames fused from fire and devil qi,霸道无比 (overwhelmingly霸道). A single wisp would reduce one to ashes. His Void Transformation Realm Level 1 cultivation and these flames kept him second only to the Cult Master.
Knowing Lin Yu was dangerous, he held nothing back, summoning the demon flames immediately.
Lin Yu smiled. A Void Transformation Realm Level 1 warrior was perfect—he'd just broken through and needed to test his strength against a worthy opponent.
"Kill!"
The Elder Grand's aura peaked. Gripping his spear, he charged, black demon flames bursting around him. He seemed to shrink the earth, appearing before Lin Yu in an instant. The spear thrust forward, channeling devilish flames into a whirling dragon of fire.
Lin Yu raised the Wind Control Sword, channeling Fire and Thunder Sword Intents. The sword glowed golden, refining the crimson Fire Intent into sun-like golden flames. With a slash, a blinding golden sun rose from the blade, crashing into the demon fire dragon.
The devilish flames couldn't resist the Thunder Flame Slash. In an instant, they were swallowed by the golden inferno, which surged toward the elder.
His face paled. Thrusting thirteen spear strikes, he conjured layers of demon flames into a barrier.
Bang!
The golden flames smashed into the black barrier, spiderwebbing it with cracks. Then the Thunder Sword Intent within erupted, shattering the barrier. Dozens of dragon-like thunderbolts surged from all sides, trapping the elder like a net.
"Cult Master, save me! Save me!" The elder cried out, panic-stricken.
But the Cult Master ignored him, eyes fixed on Lin Yu with growing gravity.