"Tonight, let's venture deeper into the Qilian Mountains and see if we can encounter those Innate great demons..."
Lin Yu nodded. He had 扫荡 (mopped up) the outer mountains' demonic beasts; it was time to face the Innate-rank ones.
"That's the spirit! Demonic beasts below Innate provide minimal help even after refining. Even if you kill a mountain of them, advancing to Innate Rank 4 will be difficult. To grow stronger, hunt mightier beasts. Let's go—no time to waste!"
Lord Cauldron chuckled, urging Lin Yu to enter the mountains to hunt.
Lin Yu silently dashed toward the Qilian Mountains. With his current cultivation, the Mausoleum Guard's defense line was 形同虚设 (like a phantom), no more than his own backyard—he could come and go as he pleased.
...
In the forest of the Qilian Mountains' outer reaches, over a dozen black-clad figures with weapons on their backs gathered in a clearing. Their eyes were sharp, exuding a bloodthirsty aura; each was a battle-hardened veteran.
Just then, a figure dashed over from a distance. The black-clad men immediately formed a battle formation, on full alert, ready to unsheathe their weapons and surround the intruder.
Lu Da appeared in their line of sight, wearing a black robe and carrying a long saber on his back.
"Greetings, Lord Lu..."
At the sight of Lu Da, the black-clad men knelt half-way in salute.
"Rise! We all serve our master—brothers among equals. No need for such formalities!"
Lu Da chuckled. Once the men stood, he whispered, "The master has summoned you for a small task. Complete it, and he will reward you handsomely."
"We swear to die for our lord!"
At the mention of rewards, excitement flared in the black-clad men's eyes as they clasped their fists and shouted.
"Good. Go to the imperial mausoleum, kill that 废物 (useless wretch) Lin Yu, and bring me his head!"
Lu Da sneered, his face contorted with ferocity. Killing Lin Yu would be as easy as crushing an ant.
"Lord Lu, the Third Prince... Lin Yu is already a cripple, no threat to the master. Why exterminate him?"
A black-clad man looked at Lu Da in confusion, and the others shared the same doubt.
"Princess Qi has cultivated successfully in the Lingtian Sword Sect, advancing to Innate Realm. She's hailed as Lingtian Sect's number one prodigy and will return to the imperial city soon. She was closest to this 废物. If Lin Yu 蛊惑 (beguiles) her and makes a comeback, the master will be restless. So it's better if Lin Yu dies. Make it look good—blame it on demonic beasts charging out of the Qilian Mountains. No one will care if a useless prince died by beast claws."
As Lu Da spoke, his face grew 狰狞 (ferocious). If Lin Yu made a comeback, he would never be spared. Thus, he could not let Lin Yu live until Princess Qi returned.
Just then, a cold voice rang out from the dense forest behind Lu Da and his men.
"Lu Da, long time no see. Hehe!"
At this voice, Lu Da froze, his face turning deathly pale. Even after two years, he recognized it all too well.
"Lin Yu...!"
Gritting his teeth, Lu Da turned. Seeing Lin Yu stepping out of the forest, he could hardly believe his eyes. As a Rank 7 Warrior himself, with black-clad men of Rank 4 and 5 around him, none had detected Lin Yu standing behind them.
The Qilian Mountains' outer reaches were not only infested with demonic beasts but also patrolled by the Mausoleum Guard. How had this cripple sneaked up on them unnoticed?
"Earlier, you said you wanted to go to the mausoleum to kill me? No need for trouble—I'm here. Which of you will make the first move?"
Lin Yu's gaze swept over the black-clad men before fixing on Lu Da. "There are too many powerhouses in the imperial city. Killing you would invite trouble, so I've bided my time for two years. 没想到 (Who would have thought) you'd deliver yourself to my door today, Lu Da. Today, I avenge the brothers who died by your hand and comfort their spirits in heaven!"
Lu Da drew his long saber, pointing it at Lin Yu with a 狰狞 smile: "Lin Yu, you fool have come to die, saving me the trouble. Attack! Tear him to pieces and feed him to the mountain beasts. I want him to never be reborn!"
The black-clad men unsheathed their weapons, charging at Lin Yu from all directions, aiming for his vital spots with ruthless strikes.
"Then let's see who will never be reborn today."
A fierce glint flashed in Lin Yu's eyes, and a terrifying pressure surged from his body.
Thump!
The charging black-clad men halted, as if burdened by a mountain, and fell to their knees. They groaned in pain, faces deathly pale.
With this single kneel, the pressure Lin Yu released shattered their kneecaps.
As an Innate Rank 3 Warrior, Lin Yu was a god-like existence to these Rank 4 and 5 Warriors. He needed no weapons—pressure alone crushed them.
"You... you had your cultivation destroyed. How can you be this strong?"
Lu Da was 大惊失色 (greatly alarmed), his voice trembling.
The kneeling black-clad men now regretted their choice deeply. Legend had it that Prince Lin Yu's dantian was destroyed, making him a useless cripple. Who could have known he not only cultivated again but advanced to Innate? Had they known, they would never have accepted this suicidal mission!
"Lin Yu, don't think advancing to Innate makes you invincible. My master will never let you go!"
Lu Da's face contorted as he turned and dashed toward the Mausoleum Guard's station. Only there could he survive.
"Want to run? Did I give you permission?"
Lin Yu's eyes were cold. He stepped forward, moving like lightning, catching up to Lu Da in an instant. He kicked Lu Da to the ground and stomped on his chest, pinning him in place.
"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, if you spare my life, I'll reveal the mastermind behind this!"
Terror filled Lu Da's eyes. He would do anything to live.
"Spare you? Even if I wanted to, the brothers who died by your hand wouldn't allow it."
Lin Yu snorted coldly, applying slight pressure with his right foot on Lu Da's chest.
Crack!
Lu Da's chest caved in, his bones crumbling into powder under Lin Yu's foot. Blood gushed from his seven orifices as he stared at Lin Yu in disbelief, never imagining Lin Yu would kill him without even caring about the mastermind.
"Brothers, I first use Lu Da to pay homage to your spirits in heaven. The mastermind's head will join you at your graves soon enough."
Lin Yu looked down at Lu Da's dead body, a sense of vengeance washing over him. The mastermind could be investigated later—Lu Da had to die today.
He turned to the remaining black-clad men, waving his hand to release sharp sword qi that severed their heart meridians.
Then Lin Yu summoned the Devouring God Cauldron, refining Lu Da and the black-clad men's corpses. The spiritual energy Lord Cauldron returned further advanced his cultivation.
Glancing at the sky, Lin Yu saw he had spent too much time on Lu Da and his men. There was no time to venture deep into the mountains to hunt Innate great demons. He could only return to the imperial mausoleum and plan for the future.