Chapter 484: The Bearing Of The Golden Core Realm (II)
Lin Zheyu moved swiftly. With his keen perception and lethal precision, his killing speed was no slower than the others. Like a phantom, he drifted through the yaos, his cold blade flashing through the darkness again and again, harvesting one powerful yao after another.
Most of these yaos were five-pattern yao, their strength comparable to the Foundation Establishment realm. However, under the suppression of the Heavenly Dao and the Wind of Annihilation, their power was greatly restricted. Being able to exert seventy percent of their strength was already extraordinary.
A flash of blade light passed, and Ji Ziyang cut down a yao. He glanced at Lin Zheyu moving among the yaos, a trace of surprise flickering in his eyes.
Demon arts? No, the demon essence on his body feels more like a disguise.
He had been observing Lin Zheyu for a while. The abilities and style he displayed in battle were vastly different from Bai Lin's. Unlike Bai Lin's brutal, close-quarters combat, Lin Zheyu moved like an assassin hidden in the shadows. He weaved among the yaos, his cold blade like a reaper's scythe, effortlessly harvesting their souls.
Interesting. Did he master some secret art, or is he using a dharma treasure? Without relying on the energy from Divine Power Crystals, he can still temporarily suppress a yao's regeneration, Ji Ziyang thought, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
After watching for a bit longer, he stopped paying attention and flickered away. Compared to befriending Lin Zheyu, obtaining rule fragments was far more important. He had not come here to make allies, but to seize opportunity.
Another yao was suddenly grabbed by the leg by a massive hand and dragged into the demon-tainted soil. A heavy rumble came from underground as thick yao blood surged up from the ground, only to be completely absorbed by the formation.
Tu Yuan's head popped out from the ground. He scanned the surroundings before finally spotting Lin Zheyu, who moved like a ghost, harvesting the souls of the yaos.
Tu Yuan's expression turned noticeably darker before he sank back into the demon-tainted soil. After he left, Lin Zheyu glanced in his direction, a faint cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. He knew that his ability to use demon arts could not be hidden from others. Ji Zitong had seen it with her own eyes, so there was no point in concealing it.
As long as he did not admit it, others could only speculate. They would not be able to confirm whether he was using a dharma treasure, a secret technique, or truly cultivating demon arts. Besides, there were many who practiced demon arts in the cultivation world. As long as one did not lose their mind and fall under the control of yao will, it was not considered a problem.
The roars of yaos rose and fell without end. As time passed, Ji Ziyang and the others began to show signs of exhaustion.
"From here on, we rotate rest. Shi Mulan, Tu Yuan, and Bai Lin in one group. Lei Yongtao, Ji Zitong, and Xiao Yu are in the other. I'll oversee the formation and handle emergencies. Mulan, you three rest first. After an hour, switch with Lei Yongtao's group," Ji Ziyang said.
As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Mulan and the others retreated quickly, sitting cross-legged at the center of the formation and rapidly absorbing spirit stones and Divine Power Crystals. Tu Yuan emerged from the demon-tainted soil, and after catching his breath, glanced toward Lin Zheyu.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, do you cultivate both demon and martial paths?" Tu Yuan suddenly asked.
Bai Lin opened his eyes and said calmly, "Doesn't seem like it. Fellow Daoist Xiao's blood qi is powerful and pure. It doesn't feel like demon arts. He's likely using some kind of secret technique."
As a martial artist, he had a sharper perception of Lin Zheyu. He could sense the terrifying blood qi within him. Its sheer intensity even startled Bai Lin.
"Oh?" Tu Yuan said in surprise, a trace of astonishment flashing in his eyes.
In his view, Lin Zheyu should have been cultivating both paths, using some unknown dharma treasure to suppress the yao will. He had not expected this to be the case. If not, then what had he been doing back then? Tu Yuan frowned, uncertain now. After witnessing Lin Zheyu's strength, his thoughts of taking action gradually faded.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao kills yaos incredibly fast. Even faster than Fellow Daoist Lei," Shi Mulan said in surprise.
During the earlier battle, she had not paid much attention. Now that she looked closely, she realized just how fast he was. One yao after another fell like grass beneath his cold silver blade, unable to resist in the slightest. With the disguise of demon essence, he moved as if in an empty field, untroubled by yao attacks.
"Indeed. Aside from Fellow Daoist Ziyang, he's probably killed the most yaos." Bai Lin nodded.
Time passed slowly. After the first wave of yaos, their numbers dropped significantly. Lin Zheyu noticed that as more yaos and Annihilation Wraiths were slain, a mysterious aura began to build within the formation. Not only within the formation, but around him as well, a similar aura gathered. It grew stronger with every yao he killed.
"The stronger this aura, the higher the chance of obtaining rule fragments?" Lin Zheyu murmured softly.
A flash of blade light cut down another yao. In the next instant, Lin Zheyu vanished from where he stood and charged toward another yao that had entered the formation.
Suddenly, a terrifying roar rang out. Ji Ziyang, who had been on guard the whole time, changed expression and quickly warned, "Fellow Daoist Lei, be careful. A big one is coming!"
Hearing this, Lin Zheyu turned to look. A massive yao, nearly a hundred meters long with six ferocious claws and resembling a giant dragon, burst out of the space-time rift and charged toward Lei Yongtao. Lightning blazed around Lei Yongtao's body, dazzling in the endless darkness and drawing the hatred of many yaos.
"Perfect timing!" Lei Yongtao shouted. He gripped his battle axe with his left hand, while lightning surged in his right, forming a spear radiating a destructive aura.
Nine Radiant Heaven-Slaying Spear! It was a replica of the Lei Family's clan treasure. Though a replica, its power was formidable. Back when he fought Hu Xuefei, he had not achieved the desired result because her divine ability was too elusive, making it impossible to pinpoint her location. But now, he was facing yaos from the demonic realm. These creatures were even more brutish than ordinary fighters and had no way of evading his spear.
"Die!"
Lei Yongtao roared and leaped into the air. The Nine Radiant Heaven-Slaying Spear erupted with blinding lightning, turning the endless darkness into daylight for an instant.
A deafening explosion followed. The replica Nine Radiant Heaven-Slaying Spear unleashed terrifying lightning, striking the dragon-like yao with immense force.
At the same time, Lei Yongtao was blasted backward, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
"Damn it. This yao is on par with a six-pattern yao. It's in the Golden Core realm!" Lei Yongtao slammed into the ground and cursed.
Seeing this, Ji Ziyang moved as if to intervene, but suddenly stopped. A trace of interest flashed in his eyes as he looked toward Lin Zheyu, who was already rushing toward the dragon-like yao like a phantom.
"Will he manage...?" Ji Ziyang murmured softly.
Although Lin Zheyu had killed many yaos, his true combat strength had not been fully displayed. He relied mainly on the disguise of demon essence, his speed, and his golden energy to move among the yaos and harvest their lives. Beyond that, he had shown little of his real power. In fact, he seemed less impressive than when he fought that barbarian warrior who had grasped a fragment of spatial power.
The dragon-like yao let out a thunderous roar. After being struck by the Nine Radiant Heaven-Slaying Spear, lightning crackled across its body, lingering without fading. Enraged by the pain, it opened its massive maw and spat a dense stream of purple-black energy toward Lei Yongtao. Sensing the terrifying aura within it, Lei Yongtao's expression changed drastically. Lightning flared beneath him, and he vanished in an instant. At the same moment, Lin Zheyu had already appeared silently beside the dragon-like yao.
A streak of golden blade light burst forth. Even beneath the thin layer of purple-black demon essence disguising it, the soul-piercing golden gleam could not be concealed. The blade carved through the sky and plunged into the yao's head. Lin Zheyu's body trembled as a surge of golden energy erupted from his muscles, skin, bones, and even his blood. The energy flowed along the blade and poured into the massive dragon-like yao.
Feeling intense pain, the dragon-like yao twisted violently, its immense strength surging outward, knocking Lin Zheyu away.
Hiss. So this is the power of the Golden Core realm. So strong. If I use the Primordial Golden Body, how big would the gap still be?
Lin Zheyu thought as he was sent flying backward.
The yao let out a shrill roar, thrashing wildly in the air. The wound Lin Zheyu inflicted refused to heal, and thick black blood sprayed out, quickly absorbed by the formation below.
"Again!" Lin Zheyu snorted coldly. He stomped the ground and shot forward like a cannonball. At the same time, Ji Zitong directed her three azure swords to slash toward the dragon-like yao.
"I'm coming! Take another strike of my Nine Radiant Heaven-Slaying Spear!"
Lei Yongtao had recovered from the impact. Lightning erupted around him as he shot into the sky like a thunder god, wielding his radiant spear as he charged the dragon-like yao.
The dark void was drowned in violent lightning. Compared to Lei Yongtao's overwhelming radiance, even Lin Zheyu's golden blade and Ji Zitong's azure swords seemed dim. This did not mean his attack was the strongest, only that it was the most dazzling. Deafening explosions and the yao's roars echoed as the entire sky was filled with endless lightning.
Tu Yuan, who was resting, could not help but complain as he looked at the lightning-filled sky. "Has Fellow Daoist Lei gone mad? It's just one yao at the level of a six-pattern yao. There's no need to go this far."
Bai Lin and Shi Mulan both nodded in agreement.
