Chapter 331: A Change of Fortune, A Swift Descent
“Cough!”
A middle-aged man with gray hair and a disheveled appearance stood up unsteadily from the rubble, his hair a mix of black and white, looking somewhat desolate and weary.
Although his injuries weren’t visible, his mysterious and unfathomable aura was gone.
Even though his almost shattered face was rapidly healing under the influence of Yin energy, the oppressive pressure that had made Qiu Shuihan struggle to breathe was disappearing.
This person wasn’t invincible.
—No!
Qiu Shuihan couldn’t help but hold her breath slightly.
It was this Lin Tianlu’s methods that were even more formidable!
But as her thoughts raced, her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she shouted urgently: “Wait, be careful!”
“That’s a good move! I’ll return the favor!”
At the same time, the middle-aged man grinned ferociously, clenching his hand. Countless illusory blades suddenly fell around the carriage, as if trying to slice it and the women inside to pieces!
But the next moment, countless pale green and moon-white lights appeared, covering the carriage and deflecting all the incoming blades, a perfect defense!
“Wha—!?”
The middle-aged man’s expression froze, but he quickly chuckled and said, “It seems that fox woman’s cultivation is greater than I thought.”
Pfft!
The pale green and moon-white light flashed, and the middle-aged man’s chest was instantly torn open, Yin energy erupting. The remaining light continued to streak across the sky before gradually dissipating.
“Ah—”
The middle-aged man clutched his chest in disbelief, stumbling a few steps.
But Qiu Shuihan suddenly shouted: “He’s immortal! Don’t be fooled by his acting!”
“—Heh!”
The previously dazed middle-aged man suddenly grinned, casually brushing his chest: “Lingluo Woman, your constant interruptions are truly spoiling the fun. I wanted to reveal the truth after they were exhausted, now… what a pity.”
He glanced sideways with a smile, but his gaze was cold and deep: “How about I tear out your throat first and make you unable to speak.”
As soon as he finished speaking, countless black shadows appeared in the sky above, like a giant net, enveloping Lin Tianlu, the carriage, and the kneeling Tang Qianmen and Qiu Shuihan. In the blink of an eye, they all descended!
As if intending to annihilate them all, a diversionary tactic!
Clang, clang, clang—!
A series of collisions echoed, the surging Yin energy exploding like a violent wind, making the entire village tremble, windows and doors shattering!
“Ugh!”
Qiu Shuihan raised her hand to block, but after waiting for a few seconds without feeling any impact, she lowered her hand hesitantly and was surprised to see…
A tree branch?!
“It seems that even after having your mask removed, you still can’t be an honest person.”
Lin Tianlu stood calmly in the wind, casually shaking the tree branch:
“Immortality, is that the source of your confidence?”
“Master Lin, it’s not appropriate for you to interfere with my actions.”
The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes, looking at the “weapon” in Lin Tianlu’s hand, his heart filled with awe, marveling at his incredible cultivation, to be able to easily block this deadly attack with just an ordinary tree branch.
But he still twisted his neck and grinned: “I have no grudge against you, Master Lin, your repeated interference is quite unpleasant.”
“No grudge?”
Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but chuckle and didn’t say anything more.
The moment he entered the village, he had sensed the villain’s insane Yin technique, which was about to turn almost all the villagers into blood!
Even though the technique had been interrupted, many villagers were still unconscious.
That was why, despite the fierce battle here, the village remained silent, like a ghost town.
If they had arrived a moment later, perhaps the thousand or so villagers would have silently died in their nightmares, turning this place into a true ghost village!
Such a heartless villain deserved to die!
“Master Lin, you’re truly determined to fight against me.”
The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled strangely: “What a pity, our Luo Xing originally wanted to maintain a good relationship with you to avoid trouble, but your actions have caused us some problems… And your increasingly unfathomable strength is truly a threat, we can’t ignore it.”
“It seems a conflict between you and our Luo Xing is unavoidable.”
Lin Tianlu said casually: “You’ve already sent a Soultaker to assassinate me not long ago, what’s the point of saying these things now?”
“Bai boy’s actions were his own, they don’t represent the Luo Xing’s stance.”
The middle-aged man grinned ferociously, grabbing the materialized black blade: “However, since he’s traveling with me, and you’ve repeatedly disrupted his plans, I, as his senior, naturally have to clean up this mess for him.
It would be perfect if Lin Tianlu of Changling were to die here!”
“Be careful!”
Qiu Shuihan behind him quickly warned: “This person’s Yin energy is incredibly strange and unpredictable, it can corrode the body and soul and is difficult to dispel. You’ll be in trouble if you’re even touched by it!”
“Thank you for the warning, Miss.”
Lin Tianlu turned around and smiled gently at her: “But there’s no need to worry too much, I’ll be fine. You should sit down and recuperate, to avoid any lingering injuries.”
“You…”
Qiu Shuihan pursed her lips slightly, her expression freezing, a sudden tingling sensation in her heart, making her body tremble slightly and her cheeks flush.
But as she came back to her senses, her expression changed slightly, and she pointed towards the front.
“Watch out!”
—Clang!
The tree branch suddenly appeared before him, blocking the swift and powerful downward slash.
The middle-aged man, his movements as fierce and wild as a leopard, leaped into the air with a ferocious grin, about to change his tactics, but Lin Tianlu had already grabbed his face and slammed him into the ground, sending dust and debris flying!
“…Such methods can’t harm me, Gu Yasheng, not even a little!”
Gu Yasheng stood up from the rubble, laughing loudly, completely unharmed, and swung his blade horizontally.
Crack!
Lin Tianlu shattered the black blade with a single punch, his gaze narrowing sharply. The shattered fragments of the blade, as they tried to reassemble, were frozen in mid-air, unable to move.
At the same time, he swiftly kicked forward!
But Gu Yasheng reacted incredibly quickly, completely ignoring his severed left arm, turning sideways and extending his five fingers, a sinister and strange Yin energy swirling around them as he thrust forward!
“Die!”
Lin Tianlu instantly dodged the strange attack, his eyes flickering slightly. He quickly grabbed the man’s wrist and swung the tree branch in his other hand— Slap!
A terrifying impact exploded against Gu Yasheng’s chest, making his pupils constrict. His right arm snapped, and he was sent flying backward like a cannonball.
“…Heh! Your punches and kicks are quite weak, Master Lin.”
A moment later, Gu Yasheng climbed out of the dirt pile, completely unharmed, even his severed arms fully regenerated, without a trace of injury, the same frivolous smile on his face.
“Although your cultivation is extraordinary, it seems… I’m the perfect person to eliminate you here. If it were any other Soultaker, they might truly be helpless.”
He grinned and pointed at the carriage and Qiu Shuihan and the others behind him: “After you’re exhausted, Master Lin, I’ll have some fun with those ladies. I hope you’ll enjoy the show.”
Lin Tianlu suddenly chuckled: “Is this the best you can come up with?
Using such a simple provocation to make me lose my cool and attack you relentlessly, until I’m exhausted and at your mercy?”
Gu Yasheng spread his arms wide and sneered: “This tactic is indeed simple, even a child could think of it. But the simpler it is, the more effective it can be, especially against someone like you, Master Lin.”
He didn’t bother concealing his malice, readily admitting it, his words filled with a chilling coldness.
He wanted to show his simplest and most direct strategy, relying on his immortality to relentlessly harass and entangle Lin Tianlu, pursuing him to the ends of the earth, until death.
This aggressive killing intent, pure and sharp, was incredibly terrifying.
However—
“Unfortunately, this all depends on… your immortality truly being… immortal.”
Lin Tianlu weighed the tree branch in his hand and chuckled: “But to me, you’re full of flaws, making me want to expose your weaknesses.”
The smile on Gu Yasheng’s face faded slightly, and he narrowed his eyes, sneering: “If you can truly break my Soul Origin Life Technique, even dying at your hands would be worth it. However, I can’t believe your words, Master Lin.”
—This person must be bluffing.
Although he possessed incredible cultivation and earth-shattering martial arts skills, even someone with extraordinary talent couldn’t possibly master everything.
At least in terms of profound Yin techniques and Soul Origin methods, this person, not being a demon, ghost, or practitioner, couldn’t possibly have deep knowledge.
Based on the intelligence gathered by the Luo Xing recently, this scholar didn’t know much about demons and ghosts, just a beginner.
Possessing only brute force, even if he could destroy the Soul Origin Heart Realm created by a Savage Realm demon or ghost with violence, trying to break the Soul Origin Life Technique with brute force alone would only lead to his death!
Moreover, his secret technique wasn’t an ordinary one, but originated from the Luo Xing thousands of years ago…
Click-clack.
Lin Tianlu slowly walked forward with a casual smile, dropping the tree branch in his hand.
“Hmm?”
Gu Yasheng’s expression darkened, his heart filled with unease.
Something… wasn’t right!
Why was this person still so calm and composed? Even if he was bluffing, his expression shouldn’t be so unwavering, like a tranquil lake reflecting the moon.
Could it be… that he truly had a plan?
In just a few steps, countless guesses and thoughts flashed through Gu Yasheng’s mind, his eyes narrowing, as if countless cold lights were swirling within.
The next moment, he suddenly opened his bloodshot eyes and lunged forward, his body transforming into a black shadow, attacking swiftly!
—Dong!
An ordinary palm strike landed squarely on Gu Yasheng’s chest, a resounding boom echoing like a thunderclap, shaking the entire village, dust and debris flying as if a cloud of yellow sand had exploded.
“Gah?!”
His body seemingly bent in two from the impact, his eyes bulging, his expression contorted.
A powerful force erupted from his back, shooting towards the brightening sky.
Bang!
Then, ‘Gu Yasheng’s’ body suddenly shattered and disintegrated.
And his true body, as if he hadn’t moved at all, remained unharmed, but his face was filled with caution and vigilance, assuming a fighting stance, hissing: “This… is impossible!”
His heart was filled with even greater shock and terror.
Although that clone was just a soul fragment, used for testing, it still possessed the essence of his immortality. Ordinary methods shouldn’t be able to destroy it!
“There’s nothing strange about it.” Lin Tianlu dispersed the Yin energy before him, his smile fading, and said indifferently: “Although your words sound profound and mysterious, it’s ultimately just a method of manipulating Yin energy. Since it exists, there’s a way to counter it.”
The only difference was the use of Pure Yin Essence, which ordinary demons and ghosts didn’t possess, and some strange and unusual aura, nothing special.
Gu Yasheng’s expression darkened: “Nonsense!”
“Take another palm strike and you’ll see if I’m lying.”
Lin Tianlu casually assumed the stance of the Emperor Heaven Dual Martial Arts and said calmly: “I just happen to need a suitable punching bag to practice, it would be perfect.”
“What did you—!”
Gu Yasheng was instantly enraged.
This person had been treating him like a punching bag all along?!
But in that split second, a giant palm print seemed to cover his vision. Gu Yasheng’s pupils constricted abruptly, his heart filled with terror, the massive palm seemingly blotting out the sky, like a divine being’s suppression, inescapable!
In an instant, Gu Yasheng felt his soul tremble, his hands cold and stiff, his heart filled with pure fear and panic.
He quickly gritted his teeth and was about to retreat and regroup.
But Lin Tianlu, like a shadow, pressed forward relentlessly, his expression indifferent as his palm passed through Gu Yasheng’s defenses, his hand clenching into a claw, a swift and profound strike landing directly on Gu Yasheng’s chest.
“Pfft—!”
With Yin energy scattering, Gu Yasheng screamed as he was sent flying. It felt as if his entire body had been shattered by that single blow!
Impossible!
This person could actually break his immortality!
Gu Yasheng endured the excruciating pain that shook his soul, quickly twisting his body and forming hand seals, activating the escape technique he had prepared beforehand.
The situation had exceeded his expectations, this person’s methods were far more troublesome than he had anticipated!
He had to bring this information back, meet up with the other Soultakers, and join forces, only then would they have a chance against this monster in human skin!
“Where do you think you’re going?”
A faint voice suddenly echoed beside his ear.
Gu Yasheng’s expression changed drastically, and he quickly retreated further, trying to use a technique to delay him.
But his vision suddenly spun.
He vaguely saw Lin Tianlu raising his right hand, his fingers spread apart, and swiping it across his neck, like the sharpest blade, decapitating him.
Without any hesitation, a fatal blow.
The outcome was decided in an instant.
“H-How…”
Gu Yasheng stumbled backward, his severed head slowly regenerating, but his face was already a mangled mess, and he murmured hoarsely: “My soul… won’t be destroyed here… I can still… recover…!”
Seeing him gathering Yin energy again, Lin Tianlu’s expression remained indifferent as he raised his hand, preparing to deliver the final blow.
Such a bloodthirsty madman, creating so much carnage, had to be completely eradicated, leaving no hidden dangers!
But at this moment, Lin Tianlu’s expression turned to surprise.
Because a blade had silently pierced through Gu Yasheng’s chest from behind, stopping his retreat.
“Why… was I… stabbed?”
Gu Yasheng’s regenerating face was filled with confusion.
As he instinctively looked back, he only had time to see a cold and twisted grin, a flash of sword light, and then his consciousness faded.
“…”
A deathly silence fell upon the village.
Gu Yasheng’s body, which should have been dead, was now impaled on a sword, being crushed, compressed, and absorbed by an invisible force… until it completely disintegrated, leaving no trace behind.
Qiu Shuihan and the others, who had been watching from afar, were dumbfounded, stunned by this sudden turn of events.
They hadn’t expected this Luo Xing Soultaker, with his strange and unpredictable methods, to be so easily and completely annihilated, meeting such a tragic end.
Who was lurking in the village, waiting for the right moment to strike?
But after seeing the attacker clearly, they all looked dazed and bewildered.
“Wh-Who is this person?!”
They had no impression of her, she wasn’t a renowned figure in the demon and ghost world.
And what was truly surprising was…
…this strange newcomer was a slender and delicate young girl!
“Heh, hehehe…”
But the young girl’s clothes were disheveled, her eyes pitch black, a twisted smile on her face as she tilted her head, and she said in a hoarse and sinister voice: “All of you… will die—”
