Chapter 228: Chapter 218: Flame Sect
"I’ll say it one more time. Seal your acupoints, and I’ll let you live!"
Zhao Lin stepped out of the white mist, his eyes fixed on Tuzha as he spoke slowly.
The fight just now had been brief, but it was a heart-pounding affair.
A martial artist at the Third Layer of the Blood Realm, when cornered, could unleash astonishing combat power. If Zhao Lin hadn’t absorbed the Wind Fox’s Essence Soul and broken through to the First Layer of the Blood Realm, the outcome of this battle would have been uncertain.
Tuzha struggled to prop himself up and coughed up a mouthful of blood, but his tone was exceptionally firm. "My life is right here. If you want it... come and take it!"
Zhao Lin gave a slight nod and said no more. He tapped his toes to the ground and leaped up, soaring above Tuzha’s head before striking down with a punch...
BANG!
In the northwest of Great Yue, within the territory of Wuche, atop Thunderwood Cliff.
Bolts of lightning coiled around Basang’s arm. His fist tore through the air with a deafening crack, piercing the chest of the Weizi martial artist opposite him.
The Weizi martial artist glanced down, his eyes filled with disbelief. Then, he spewed blood from his mouth and collapsed limply to the ground.
"Pathetic!"
Basang licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and retracted his fist with a cold sneer.
At his feet lay five corpses—the group led by Enli, sent by Huo Shan to assassinate him.
...
"You’re saying five Blood Realm martial artists tried to assassinate you? And they used martial arts from the Western Regions?"
After killing Tuzha, Zhao Lin had moved the five bodies back to his residence one by one. He then went straight to Hongrong Pavilion in the inner courtyard to report the matter in full detail to the Courtyard Head, Yang Lin.
Yang Lin’s face had already turned beet red before he’d even heard the whole story. His mustache trembled nonstop, a clear sign of his extreme fury.
"Fiery Flame Saber and Burning Wood Fist. Are you sure it was those two cultivation techniques?"
"Yes. There were shadowy flames at the edges of their energy-force, exactly as the elders and instructors described."
Zhao Lin recalled for a moment before saying with certainty, "Also, I heard them talking to each other. One was called Di Bu, the other Lasu. Their names didn’t sound like they were from the Central Plains."
"Take me to see them!"
Yang Lin shot to his feet and strode out of the pavilion. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped and turned to the four instructors. "Did you all hear what Zhao Lin just said?"
"Yes, we did!" Liu Shengnian and the others answered in unison.
"Shengnian, report this to the Sect Leader at once."
"Zhou Qing, Wei Hong, and Xuancheng, go find the Law Enforcement Elder. Have him dispatch people to bring back all the disciples guarding the mountain. Not a single one is to be left behind!"
As he spoke, Yang Lin untied a jade token from his waist and handed it to Zhou Qing. "These are desperate times. Show this to the Law Enforcement Elder; he’ll know to help."
The four instructors answered in unison, "Yes, sir."
Zhao Lin knew Yang Lin was worried that other disciples might have met the same fate, so he waited patiently to the side.
"Let’s go!"
Once he had given his instructions, Yang Lin beckoned to Zhao Lin, and they hurried down the mountain.
The matter was urgent, so Yang Lin borrowed two "variant-breed" horses from the sect. He and Zhao Lin each took one and galloped toward Ancient Rock Mountain.
The Yanyun Mountain Range was home not only to mutated beasts but also to mutated wild horses.
However, the mutated wild horses were naturally feral and difficult to tame. So, the people from the Beast Taming Hall crossbred them with fine steeds to produce the variant-breed horses.
This was Zhao Lin’s first time riding a variant-breed horse. He didn’t notice much of a difference at first, but the distinction became clear over time.
Ordinary horses could only sprint at high speed for a few dozen li before they risked injury from exhaustion, or even running themselves to death.
The variant-breed horses had no such problem. Their stamina was astonishing. They handled slopes and dips as if they were flat ground and showed no signs of fatigue during long-distance treks through the mountains.
About two hours later, the two arrived at Ancient Rock Mountain.
Seeing the collapsed wall and the five bodies on the ground, Yang Lin’s expression changed slightly. He stepped forward and pressed his palm against each of the corpses in turn.
After a martial artist died, their Qi and Blood stopped circulating, but the traces of their cultivation remained. A Primordial Realm martial artist had the ability to inspect their original cultivation level.
Yang Lin discovered that among the five, three were at the Second Layer of the Blood Realm and two were at the Third Layer of the Blood Realm. They were all around forty years old, with condensed meridians and strong internal organs. He couldn’t help but shoot a puzzled glance at Zhao Lin.
Blood Realm martial artists in the prime of their lives like these possessed extremely powerful combat strength.
It was like a twenty-year-old; their speed, flexibility, and reflexes might be at their peak, but they couldn’t compare in a real fight against a man in his thirties or forties.
The sun’s light is strongest at noon, but the day doesn’t reach its highest temperature until mid-afternoon. The same principle applied here.
If Zhao Lin had merely escaped from these five, Yang Lin could have grudgingly understood. But to kill five Blood Realm experts in one go was simply inconceivable!
"These men’s heart meridians are different from the average person’s. The backs of their fists and their palms are a dark red, with plum-blossom-like spots. It’s obvious they practiced a C Fire Palm Force."
"And based on what you said earlier, we can be certain it’s Flame Palm and Burning Wood Fist—both are unique martial arts of the Weizi Flame Sect from the Western Regions."
Yang Lin temporarily suppressed the doubt in his heart and pointed at the bodies as he spoke.
"The Flame Sect..."
Zhao Lin murmured the name, his brow furrowed in confusion.
Yang Lin saw what he was thinking. He grabbed a handful of snow from the ground to rub his hands clean. "You must be wondering why the number one sect in the entire Western Regions would send people thousands of miles to kill a young man they’ve never even met, right?"
Zhao Lin quickly found a clean handkerchief and offered it to him. "They’re worried I’ll achieve a high ranking at the Martial Assembly?"
Yang Lin took the handkerchief, a smile gracing his face. "You’re very smart. You guessed it!"
"But I’m only ranked fifth in the inner courtyard..."
"Only ranked fifth?"
Yang Lin shook his head, interrupting him. "How old are you this year?"
"Nineteen."
"Exactly. You’re only nineteen. By the time of next year’s Martial Assembly, you’ll have just turned twenty. Understand?"
Yang Lin’s eyes glinted. "Twenty-three, twenty-six, twenty-nine... This means you can participate in four full Martial Assemblies!"
"They aren’t worried about you now; they’re worried about the terrifying potential you’ve displayed!"
Zhao Lin was speechless.
Yang Lin stared at Zhao Lin and continued, "And how do you suppose they found out about your strength?"
It clicked for Zhao Lin instantly. "The inner-sect competition?"
’For something like this to happen, there must be a mole tipping them off. The assassination attempt happened less than a month after the inner-sect competition ended, which means the mole is likely in the Li Yang Sect or the Southern Suppression Sect.’
’If the mole were in the Xingyun Sect’s inner courtyard, they wouldn’t have needed to wait until now.’
Yang Lin nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. Although He Liancheng of the Li Yang Sect took first place in the inner-sect competition, you were the one who stood out the most."
"And for one simple reason: your age!"
Zhao Lin thought for a moment, then asked, "Courtyard Head, who knew that I was cultivating at Ancient Rock Mountain?"
A look of approval appeared in Yang Lin’s eyes. "Officially, not many people knew. But it wasn’t exactly a secret, either. Anyone who paid a little attention, even a common servant, could have found out."
He sighed. "It seems our Xingyun Sect is in need of a thorough house-cleaning!"
Zhao Lin glanced at the bodies on the ground and asked, "Courtyard Head, now that we know the Flame Sect was behind this, what action will the sect take?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Lin’s face darkened. "The Martial Assembly is held once every three years, yet these people resort to such underhanded and devious tactics. They must really think there’s no one left in the Central Plains."
"Don’t you worry. There will be an accounting for this. Whether it’s Weizi or the Flame Sect, they will have to bleed!"
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