The moment Lin Sheng finished speaking, the battle erupted.
"Underworld Ghost Path!"
The surviving demonic cultivator let out a piercing scream, his hands rapidly forming seals as the demonic Qi surrounding his body surged violently. The air behind him twisted, and a mass of black mist suddenly poured into the world, carrying with it the chilling cries of countless tormented souls. The mist expanded rapidly, spreading across the sky before gathering into a grotesque figure whose enormous body seemed to have been pieced together from the remains of countless ghosts.
A Rank 4 ghost!
Its appearance was hideous, its flesh constantly shifting between a semi-transparent shadow and a vaguely physical form, while countless distorted faces emerged across its body, each one opening its mouth to release a miserable scream. Some faces belonged to men, others to women and children, and all of them appeared to be suffering an endless torment, their expressions twisted by terror and resentment as they clawed desperately at the air.
The First Elder's face darkened when she sensed the ghost's aura.
Although she had encountered demonic cultivators before, the sight of this creature still made her heart sink. A Rank 4 ghost was already a formidable opponent, but the number of resentful souls contained within this one was particularly disturbing. It was obvious that the creature had not been formed naturally, nor had it been nurtured through the refinement of a handful of wandering spirits. Countless people had evidently been devoured, their souls forcibly fused together and refined until their remaining resentment became fuel for the ghost's strength.
Such a method was cruel even by the standards of demonic cultivation.
The First Elder tightened her grip around her sword, forcing herself to suppress the injuries she had sustained from Lou Guyang's earlier attack. She wanted to step forward and assist this daoist, but the moment she tried to circulate her Golden Core, a sharp pain spread through her chest, and the spiritual energy moving through her meridians immediately became unstable.
Her expression grew grim.
She was simply too badly injured.
Before she could decide whether to force herself into the battle regardless, Lin Sheng let out a faint scoff and raised his fists, his posture relaxed as he watched the three opponents spread out before him.
"Three against one? You people certainly know how to make friends."
His mocking remark only intensified the killing intent of his opponents.
Lou Guyang's eyes narrowed, and the spiritual Qi around him began to gather, while the demonic cultivator moved to the left, directing the Rank 4 ghost towards Lin Sheng's flank. The enormous creature released another chorus of shrieks, its countless arms extending from the black mist as it prepared to tear apart anything standing in its path.
The three attacked almost simultaneously.
Lou Guyang advanced from the front, the spiritual energy surrounding his body condensing into several blazing streams, while the demonic cultivator followed close behind his ghost, his hands forming another set of seals as he prepared to launch a second technique. The Rank 4 ghost surged ahead of them, its immense body blotting out the light as it swept across the devastated mountain range.
Lin Sheng remained where he was.
He watched the three figures rapidly closing the distance, his expression showing neither excitement nor alarm. To an outside observer, it might have appeared that he had underestimated the danger, but Lin Sheng was simply waiting for the correct moment. His perception had already spread across the surrounding space, forming an invisible domain that allowed him to track every movement within its range, and he could clearly distinguish the fluctuations of Lou Guyang's Golden Core from the sinister energy surrounding the demonic cultivator and his ghost.
The distance between them rapidly diminished.
Ten li became five, five became one, and in the time it took for the three opponents to cross the final stretch of sky, the First Elder could no longer suppress her anxiety.
"Fellow daoist, be careful!"
Her warning had barely left her mouth when the three attackers crossed the outer edge of Lin Sheng's perception domain.
At that instant, something changed behind him.
A tremendous furnace seemed to materialise in the void, its enormous outline appearing faintly behind Lin Sheng as blazing Qi-Blood surged through its structure. The surrounding spiritual Qi was driven aside by the terrifying heat, and the air trembled beneath the pressure released by his physical foundation, while the sound of his heartbeat grew so powerful that it seemed to reverberate across the mountain range.
The Qi-Blood Furnace!
Lin Sheng's body remained motionless for the briefest instant, his right hand slowly drawing back as the muscles of his arm tightened beneath his sleeve. His fist did not gather an elaborate technique, nor did he summon any complicated divine ability. Instead, he simply brought together the terrifying strength accumulated through his Golden Body cultivation and released it through one straightforward punch.
His target was the demonic cultivator.
The man had been advancing behind the Rank 4 ghost, confident that his opponent would be too occupied dealing with the creature to respond to another attack. He had barely realised that Lin Sheng had shifted his attention towards him when the young man's fist shot forward.
The punch crossed the distance with astonishing speed.
The air compressed.
A thunderous boom exploded across the sky.
Before the demonic cultivator could complete his hand seals, the fist had already struck his chest, and the terrifying force immediately penetrated his protective demonic Qi. His defensive energy collapsed like a fragile shell, his ribs shattered beneath the impact, and the remaining force drove straight through his body, crushing his organs before he could even scream.
His eyes bulged.
For a fraction of a second, disbelief remained frozen upon his face.
Then his entire body burst apart.
A cloud of blood mist spread across the sky, carrying fragments of black robes and broken pieces of bone, while the shockwave from Lin Sheng's punch swept through the surrounding air and sent the nearby demonic Qi scattering in every direction.
The demonic cultivator had been killed in a single blow.
The Rank 4 ghost, which had been charging directly towards Lin Sheng, suddenly let out a piercing shriek as its connection with its master was severed. Its enormous body faltered for an instant, countless faces twisting in confusion as the creature struggled to maintain its form without the spiritual control that had guided it.
Lou Guyang's eyes widened.
His forward movement abruptly slowed, and for the first time since the battle began, the excitement that had filled his expression was replaced by genuine shock.
He had known that Lin Sheng was an external martial artist who had reached the Golden Body Realm, but from the aura he had sensed earlier, the young man's cultivation was clearly only at the early stage. Even if Lin Sheng possessed an unusually powerful foundation, the difference between the early stage and the peak of Rank 4 should not have been enough to erase the gap between them so easily.
Yet the demonic cultivator had just been reduced to blood mist.
There had been no prolonged exchange, no contest between divine abilities, and no opportunity for the man to retreat or defend himself. One punch had been sufficient to obliterate him completely.
Lou Guyang finally understood why Lin Sheng had remained so calm despite facing three opponents.
The young man had not been bluffing.
He had simply never regarded them as a serious threat.
How is this possible?
Lou Guyang's thoughts raced as he tried to reconsider everything he knew about external cultivation. Golden Body realm cultivators were famous for their terrifying physical strength, but their power was not limitless, and an early-stage practitioner should not have been capable of killing a Golden Core cultivator with such overwhelming ease. Even if the demonic cultivator had been caught off guard, his protective demonic Qi should have bought him enough time to resist or retreat.
Unless Lin Sheng's physical foundation was far beyond what his cultivation realm suggested.
Lou Guyang's heart sank.
He had finally obtained his answer, but it was an answer he had no desire to receive.
Lin Sheng, however, had already moved on.
After killing the demonic cultivator, he stepped forward, his figure shooting towards Lou Guyang with such speed that the distance between them began shrinking almost immediately. His Qi-Blood Furnace rumbled behind him, and the tremendous force accompanying his movement caused the surrounding air to ripple as though an invisible mountain were rushing through the sky.
Lou Guyang's expression changed drastically.
He had originally intended to attack Lin Sheng together with the demonic cultivator, using their combined strength to overwhelm the young man before he could display the full extent of his abilities. Now that his ally had been killed in a single punch, the entire plan had collapsed, leaving him alone against an opponent whose physical strength was far more terrifying than expected.
He immediately retreated, while his hands rapidly formed seals.
"Go!"
The Rank 4 ghost responded to his command.
Its enormous body twisted violently, and the countless resentful faces covering its surface began screaming at the same time. The creature abandoned its previous direction and rushed towards Lin Sheng, its black mist spreading across the sky as hundreds of ghostly arms reached for his limbs and torso.
The ghost's attacks were not limited to physical force.
As it approached, a chilling wave of Yin Qi swept across the surrounding area, attempting to invade Lin Sheng's body and corrode his vitality. The countless souls trapped within the creature also released a powerful spiritual disturbance, their combined resentment forming an invisible pressure that could confuse the mind and weaken an opponent's control over their own consciousness.
Against an ordinary Golden Core cultivator, such an attack could be extremely troublesome.
Even someone with a powerful body might find their movements affected if the ghost's Yin Qi penetrated deeply enough, while the combined resentment of so many souls could interfere with divine sense and create openings for the ghost to exploit.
Lin Sheng merely glanced at it.
Then he raised his left hand.
A tiny flame appeared above his palm.
It was not particularly large, nor did it produce the violent heat of an ordinary fire-based divine ability. The flame flickered quietly, its light concentrated into a single point, yet the moment it emerged, the surrounding Yin Qi began to tremble as though it had encountered something that could not be resisted.
The Rank 4 ghost did not recognise the danger.
It continued rushing forward, its enormous body spreading across the sky as the countless arms reached towards Lin Sheng, and the next instant, the little flame touched the black mist surrounding its body.
The result was immediate.
The flame expanded.
A thin tongue of fire swept across the ghost's enormous form, and in the blink of an eye, the creature was completely engulfed in a sea of burning light. The countless faces covering its body opened their mouths in a chorus of screams, but the flames showed no sign of weakening, and instead of consuming ordinary matter, they began devouring the Yin Qi sustaining the ghost's existence.
The creature finally realised that something was wrong.
It struggled violently, its enormous body twisting as it attempted to escape, and countless ghostly arms lashed through the air, tearing apart the surrounding black mist in a desperate effort to extinguish the fire. The faces covering its body screamed even louder, their voices blending into a horrifying cacophony that echoed through the ruined mountains.
But the flame did not go out.
Every time the ghost attempted to release more Yin Qi, the fire consumed it, spreading deeper into its body and burning away the energy that held the countless souls together. Its enormous form began to shrink, the black mist thinning as the faces covering its surface gradually disappeared, one after another, their cries fading into the distance.
The ghost struggled for several breaths before its resistance weakened.
Then its enormous body collapsed inward.
The remaining Yin Qi was drawn into the flame and consumed completely, leaving behind nothing but a faint distortion in the air before the fire itself vanished from Lin Sheng's palm.
The Rank 4 ghost had been destroyed.
Lin Sheng did not even pause to admire the result. He simply turned his head towards Lou Guyang, only to discover that the elderly alchemist had already fled several li away.
The sight made him raise an eyebrow.
That old fellow certainly knows when to run.
Lou Guyang had abandoned any thought of fighting to the death the moment he witnessed the destruction of the ghost. He had spent centuries cultivating to the peak of the Golden Core Realm, and although he was greedy and resentful, he was not so foolish that he would willingly sacrifice his life for a treasure when the situation had clearly turned against him.
He could always search for another opportunity.
He could negotiate with other factions, seek assistance from the mysterious Nascent Soul cultivator who had promised him protection, or find another way to obtain the Great Five Elements Fruit. As long as he survived, there would still be possibilities.
But if he died here, all those possibilities would disappear.
Lou Guyang therefore fled without hesitation, pushing his Golden Core to its limits as he transformed into a streak of light that crossed the distant sky.
Unfortunately for him, Lin Sheng had no intention of allowing him to leave.
At his current speed, chasing a peak Golden Core cultivator across the wilderness would be troublesome. Lou Guyang had spent centuries refining his cultivation, and his mastery over spiritual Qi allowed him to travel through the air at an astonishing speed, so even if Lin Sheng could eventually catch up, the pursuit might take a considerable amount of time.
There was also the possibility that Lou Guyang would find an opportunity to contact the Nascent Soul cultivator behind him.
Lin Sheng had no interest in allowing such uncertainty to remain.
He reached into his storage treasure and took out a talisman, its surface covered in intricate formation patterns that intertwined like wind currents and branching lightning. He had spent considerable time studying and drawing this Rank 4 Wind and Thunder Wing Talisman, and although it had required substantial effort to complete, the result was precisely the kind of trump card he had wanted before coming to Zhenyuan City.
He had not travelled all this way merely to participate in the auction without preparing a means of escape.
Lin Sheng channelled his spiritual energy into the talisman.
The intricate patterns immediately lit up.
A tremendous gust of wind erupted behind him, accompanied by crackling arcs of lightning that spread across the sky like silver branches. The two forces intertwined, rotating around his back before rapidly condensing into a pair of enormous wings formed from wind and thunder, each feather-like layer composed of countless streams of spiritual energy.
The wings unfurled.
The surrounding air exploded.
Lin Sheng's figure vanished from his original position, leaving behind a violent ripple that spread through the sky as he shot forward at a speed far exceeding his previous movement.
The distance between him and Lou Guyang began shrinking rapidly.
Lou Guyang sensed the approaching pressure and glanced over his shoulder, his expression turning pale when he saw the pair of wind-and-thunder wings spreading behind Lin Sheng. He immediately increased his speed, pouring more magical power into his movement technique, but the difference between their speeds was too great.
In the time it took him to cross another stretch of mountains, Lin Sheng had already closed the distance that had separated them.
Lou Guyang's expression twisted.
He knew that running any further would be pointless.
The young man would not let him escape, and if he continued wasting magical power while being pursued, he would eventually be forced to fight under even worse circumstances. With that realisation, Lou Guyang abruptly stopped in mid-air and turned around, his grey robes whipping violently in the wind as his Golden Core released a surge of spiritual energy.
"Since you insist on forcing me into a corner, then don't blame this old man for showing you what I am capable of!"
His voice rang across the sky.
The next instant, several divine ability seeds within his True Core began to shine.
Lou Guyang had cultivated for centuries and reached the peak of the Golden Core Realm, and although his foundation had not yet allowed him to advance into the Nascent Soul Realm, his mastery of divine abilities was far beyond that of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator. He had refined his True Core until five distinct seeds had taken shape within it, and each one represented a different aspect of his cultivation, allowing him to unleash a variety of techniques in battle.
Now, with his life at stake, he activated several of them at once.
Flames erupted around his body.
One divine ability condensed the surrounding spiritual Qi into a blazing torrent, while another transformed the fire into a series of enormous spiralling blades that tore through the air towards Lin Sheng. A third technique caused the flames to compress into dense spheres of scorching energy, each one carrying enough power to devastate a mountain peak if it struck directly.
The attacks came from different directions, overlapping until the surrounding sky was filled with blazing light.
Lou Guyang had abandoned all thoughts of conserving his strength.
He was a peak Golden Core cultivator, and if he could not rely on his cultivation advantage to defeat Lin Sheng, he would use the full range of his divine abilities to overwhelm him. Even an external Grandmaster with a terrifying physical foundation could not simply ignore an all-out assault of this magnitude, particularly when the attacks were powerful enough to destroy the surrounding terrain.
Lin Sheng's expression became serious.
He did not attempt to meet the attacks head-on.
Although his Golden Body was extraordinarily powerful, he had no intention of testing whether his physique could withstand the combined force of several divine abilities unleashed by a desperate peak Golden Core cultivator. A strong body was an advantage, not a reason to abandon caution, and even the most formidable external martial artist could be injured if they allowed too much destructive force to strike them directly.
His wind-and-thunder wings beat violently.
Lin Sheng shifted to the left, narrowly avoiding the first spiralling blade as it passed close enough for the heat to scorch the edge of his sleeve. Before the attack could travel far, he twisted his body in mid-air, the wings folding slightly to redirect his momentum, and a second blazing sphere shot past his shoulder before exploding against a distant mountain.
BOOOOOOM!
The mountain peak shattered.
Stone and molten fragments scattered through the sky, while the shockwave swept across the surrounding ridges and sent clouds of dust rolling through the valleys.
Lin Sheng did not look back.
He continued moving in an unpredictable pattern, accelerating and changing direction as the wind-and-thunder wings responded to the slightest shift in his spiritual energy. Sometimes he surged forward, forcing Lou Guyang to redirect an attack at the last moment, while at other times he abruptly changed altitude, causing the blazing techniques to tear past him and collide with one another in the distance.
Lou Guyang's face grew increasingly ugly.
His divine abilities were powerful, and his control over them was extremely refined, but Lin Sheng's movement was simply too difficult to predict. The Wind and Thunder Wing Talisman allowed the young man to change direction with extraordinary precision, while his perception domain ensured that he could detect the slightest fluctuations in the spiritual energy surrounding each attack.
The combination was far more troublesome than Lou Guyang had expected.
He clenched his teeth and poured even more magical power into his Golden Core, causing the flames around him to flare up until they resembled a burning sun.
"Die!"
A torrent of fire surged towards Lin Sheng, spreading across the sky and cutting off several possible escape routes at once. The flames converged from the front and sides, creating a vast field of destructive energy that left little room for ordinary movement.
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed.
Instead of retreating, he suddenly accelerated.
The wind-and-thunder wings beat with a deafening crack, propelling him through the narrow gap between two converging streams of fire. The heat washed across his body, and the surrounding spiritual energy trembled beneath the force of the passing attacks, but he continued forward without slowing down.
Lou Guyang's pupils contracted.
He had not expected Lin Sheng to charge directly into the attack.
By the time he realised what the young man intended, the distance between them had already collapsed.
Lin Sheng appeared before him.
The elderly alchemist's expression changed, and he hurriedly raised his arms to gather a defensive barrier, but the movement was too slow, so he quickly shouted; "A Monarch has taken interest in this alchemist.. dont go too far".
Lin Sheng's fist struck.
There was no elaborate flourish, no unnecessary technique, only a straightforward punch delivered with terrifying speed and precision.
The fist landed directly on Lou Guyang's head.
BOOM!
The defensive barrier shattered instantly, and the force behind the punch continued forward without the slightest hesitation. Lou Guyang's head exploded in a burst of blood and bone, while the remaining force tore through his upper body and sent the fragments scattering across the sky.
His body convulsed once before collapsing into a lifeless mass.
The peak Golden Core cultivator had been killed.
Lin Sheng withdrew his fist and looked at the remains for a brief moment, his expression completely indifferent.
Lou Guyang had attempted to bargain for his life by threatening him with the Nascent Soul cultivator behind him, but Lin Sheng had no reason to trust a single word from a man who had already betrayed the Orthodox Alliance and colluded with demonic cultivators. Allowing such a person to escape would only create unnecessary trouble, especially when he knew that Lou Guyang coveted the Great Five Elements Fruit and had already planned to ambush him for it.
Even if the Nascent Soul cultivator eventually appeared, Lin Sheng could still decide how to respond at that time.
If the opponent proved stronger than him, he would simply retreat.
There was no need to gamble his life on a threat that had not yet materialised, but neither was there any reason to let Lou Guyang live merely because he might have powerful backing.
A lion might show restraint when dealing with a harmless creature, but when a threat was already standing before it, there was little wisdom in allowing that threat another chance to strike.
Lin Sheng turned his attention towards the distant mountain ridge.
The surviving demonic cultivator had already been killed by the First Elder.
Although she had been seriously injured, she had not wasted the opportunity created when Lou Guyang and the other demonic cultivator focused their attention on Lin Sheng. Once the immediate pressure had eased, she had gathered the remaining strength in her Golden Core and sent her flying sword streaking through the sky, piercing the injured demonic cultivator before he could properly defend himself.
His body now lay motionless among the broken rocks.
The First Elder stood nearby, her face pale and her breathing uneven, but she remained upright as she recalled her flying sword. When she noticed Lin Sheng approaching, she immediately cupped her hands in gratitude.
"Many thanks for your assistance, Fellow Daoist. If you had not arrived when you did, I fear I would have perished beneath Lou Guyang's attack."
Lin Sheng waved his hand casually.
"There's no need to be so formal. Your injuries are serious, so you should leave this place as quickly as possible. The commotion here may attract other cultivators, and I don't particularly want to deal with another group before I've even finished today's business."
The First Elder gave a small nod, though her gaze briefly shifted towards the remains of Lou Guyang before returning to Lin Sheng.
"Lou Guyang's betrayal is no small matter. If he truly colluded with demonic cultivators, the consequences may extend far beyond this mountain range."
"Then you should report what happened to the people who need to know," Lin Sheng replied. "There's no reason for you to remain here and risk your life over a matter that others can investigate."
The First Elder understood his meaning.
She cupped her hands once more before taking her leave, moving carefully through the air as she directed her remaining spiritual energy towards returning to a safe location. Although her injuries made it difficult to travel quickly, she did not linger, and before long, her figure had disappeared beyond the distant mountains.
Lin Sheng watched her leave before turning his gaze towards Zhenyuan City.
The city lay far beyond the horizon, its distant outline hidden by the vast stretch of mountains and the lingering haze of spiritual energy. He had already obtained the resources he wanted from the Centennial Auction and the private trading banquet, but the encounter with Lou Guyang had introduced another uncertainty into his plans.
A Nascent Soul cultivator had apparently taken an interest in the elderly alchemist.
Lin Sheng's expression remained calm.
He had no intention of seeking out that person without a reason, nor would he waste time worrying about an enemy who had not yet appeared. For now, he would continue with his own plans, and if the situation changed, he would respond accordingly.
The wind-and-thunder wings unfolded behind him once more.
With a faint ripple in the air, Lin Sheng vanished from the devastated mountain range, leaving behind the shattered peaks.