### Chapter 92: Cave Opportunities (Part 5)
The three Foundation Establishment cultivators' artifacts hurtled toward Lin Yi, their power amplified by their cultivation—far deadlier than a Qi Refinement's top-grade artifacts.
Lin Yi's mind raced. *Nine Breaks of the Heavens* was too weak here. *Soul Shatter* would drain him dry. The *Kuang Wang* sword alone couldn't block three attacks.
He had three options:
**Detonate the python's core**: A Fifth Rank beast core would incinerate even Core Formation cultivators, but this was overkill. He'd save it for true desperation. **Iron Sand Palm**: His *Five Spirits* power could fuel it, but against three Foundation experts? Unlikely to work. **Body Technique: Earth**: Unproven, but it ran on *body force*—a resource separate from spiritual energy. Worth the risk.
"Let's try this," he muttered, sinking into the stance of *Body Technique: Earth*.
*Whoosh!* His muscles bulged, veins glowing faintly as *body force* surged. He struck out, not with spiritual energy, but raw physical power honed by the pagoda's trials.
*Boom!*
His palm collided with the first artifact—a short sword. The blade 弯曲 (bent), its momentum shattered. The other two artifacts skidded past him, grazing his shoulder and tearing his robe.
The three cultivators froze. *A Qi Refinement Level 8… blocked our attacks with his bare hands?*
Lin Yi didn't pause. He flowed into the second stance, *body force* rippling. "Come on!" he roared, charging the oldest cultivator—the Foundation Mid expert.
The老者 sneered, swinging his blade. Lin Yi dodged, using the third stance to drive an elbow into the man's ribs.
*Crack!*
The老者 grunted, staggering back. Blood seeped through his robes.
"Old Wang!" Han and Qin shouted, redoubling their attacks.
Lin Yi weaved through their strikes, his body moving like water—each stance of *Body Technique: Earth* enhancing his speed, strength, and resilience. *Body force* burned in his veins, fading fast but leaving devastation in its wake.
He ducked under Qin's spear, slamming a palm into Qin's abdomen. Qin flew back, crashing into a boulder. Han's saber narrowly missed Lin Yi's neck, slicing off a lock of hair.
"Brat!" Han roared, eyes bloodshot. How dare a Level 8 humiliate them?
Lin Yi panted, *body force* dwindling. He'd injured two, but the老者 was recovering, and Han was still fresh.
*Need an opening.*
His gaze flickered to the unconscious Qi Refinement Level 10 cultivator on the ground. A reckless idea sparked.
He feinted left, drawing Han's saber, then abruptly spun right, diving toward the prone man.
"Coward!" Han laughed, swinging downward.
Lin Yi didn't dodge. At the last moment, he rolled, yanking the prone man into Han's path.
*Slash!*
Han's saber cut through the dry corpse, momentum slowing.
That's all Lin Yi needed. He unleashed the last of his *body force* in a seventh stance, driving his fist into Han's chest.
*Crunch!*
Han flew back, spitting blood, his cultivation fluctuating—Lin Yi had shattered his 灵根 (spiritual root) with that blow.
The老者 and Qin stared, horrified. Two down, one to go.
But Lin Yi could barely stand. *Body force* was gone, spiritual energy depleted. He swayed, relying on sheer will to stay upright.
The老者's eyes narrowed. "You're spent." He raised his blade, aura flaring.
Lin Yi smiled faintly, reaching into his bag. Not for a weapon—but for the *demon dagger shards*. He'd kept them close, sensing their latent power.
"One last trick," he muttered, slamming the two shards together.
*Hum…*
They merged, black light exploding outward. The dagger's full form 显现 (materialized), its aura far stronger than when Huo Bin wielded it—fueled by Lin Yi's *body force* residue and the bloodshed here.
The老者's eyes widened. "Demon artifact!"
Lin Yi didn't hesitate. He hurled the dagger, pouring his last scrap of spiritual energy into it.
The dagger streaked toward the老者, who raised his blade to block.
*Sizzle!*
The dagger 吞噬 (devoured) the artifact, then tore through the老者's chest.
Silence.
Qin scrambled back, terror in his eyes. Lin Yi collapsed, gasping, as the demon dagger clattered to the ground, its light dimming.
He'd won. But at a cost—spiritual energy gone, *body force* exhausted, *Purple Demon Gourd* cracked.
Lin Yi fumbled for a *Condensation Dew Pill*, popping it into his mouth. He needed to recover—fast.
The cave's dangers hadn't ended. But for now, he was alive. And the pill was his.
He glanced at the unconscious Qin, then at the demon dagger. *Time to go.*
With a last burst of energy, he grabbed the dagger, stumbled to his feet, and vanished into the shadows—leaving the carnage behind.