Chapter 15: Transforming into a Demon

Cloud-Hidden Mountain Mist appeared light and agile, yet amidst the swirling vapors, the mountains held a heavy, profound weight.

As the blade swept through, the three Xiantian Realm experts were forced back a step by the sheer pressure of this single strike.

A two-foot-wide tree trunk obstructing the blade snapped instantly.

Had this strike landed on anyone, it would have undoubtedly resulted in being severed in two.

As soon as Cloud-Hidden Mountain Mist moved, the second technique, *Turning the Peak and Winding the Path*, was already unleashed.

The long saber swept to the left, the blade chasing after the middle-aged man in black armor; midway through, the blade-light shifted again, flipping to strike the spear of another Xiantian expert rushing to provide aid.

*Clang—!*

That Xiantian expert retreated a step, his long spear vibrating violently in his hands.

"Kill—!"

Having successfully landed a blow, Yu Lin pivoted his steps, utilizing the strength of his waist to swing the blade, the edge appearing like a streak of flowing silk.

The weapon in his hand was not a waist saber like Zhang Yuan's, but a battlefield saber with a narrow, long blade and a five-foot hilt.

Holding the saber with both hands, the blade-light layered upon itself in an endless cascade.

Blade Qi!

When Xiantian True Essence merges with masterful saber techniques, the essence can be channeled onto the edge, becoming Blade Qi.

Blade Qi appeared as a thin, flowing light, yet it possessed unimaginable sharpness and an unbearable heaviness.

Only those who could infuse True Essence into their weapons to condense Blade Qi or Sword Qi could be considered true powerhouses within the Xiantian Realm.

*Boom—!*

As the strike descended, the retreating Yan army Xiantian expert could not hold his spear, which snapped with a loud crack.

His body was sent flying by the blow, crashing into a tree trunk behind him as he spat out blood.

Yu Lin laughed loudly, his blade following the enemy's movement to strike again.

*Overlapping Verdant Peaks.*

*Surging Rivers.*

*Distant Mountains and Valleys.*

*Flying Waterfalls and Gushing Springs.*

*Emerald Waters Circling the Peaks.*

...

Yu Lin’s blade never left the Xiantian expert he had just repelled, completely ignoring the other two attempting to break the deadlock behind him.

"In a life-and-death struggle, to dare to lose focus is to seek death!"

"Do you truly think you are so formidable that you can use this old man as a stepping stone?"

"Kill—!"

Arrogance bled through Yu Lin's voice.

Zhang Yuan knew that Yu Lin was warning him: in a fight for survival, one must give everything.

At the same time, it was a signal that Yu Lin would step in at the critical moment to help him and Duan Hong secure an opportunity to escape.

Griping the hilt tightly and clenching his teeth, Zhang Yuan lowered his head slightly, watching the combat ahead only through his peripheral vision.

In his mind, the phantom image of the black-armored saber wielder moved in a continuous loop.

It turned out that Yu Lin had only reached the Great Success stage with this Mountainous Saber Technique.

In the world of cultivation, to reach the Great Perfection stage with martial techniques requires true talent and serendipity.

Reaching Great Success was essentially the limit for most cultivators in the world.

"Kill—!"

Yu Lin’s long saber suddenly slashed horizontally, sending the middle-aged Xiantian expert holding the broken spear flying seven or eight yards away, where he collapsed, coughing blood.

Behind him, Young Master Ouyang thrust his sword into the man's back armor, the tip piercing the left shoulder and leaving it drenched in blood.

"Get lost—!"

With a furious roar, Yu Lin reversed his saber, severing the sword in Young Master Ouyang's hand and knocking his body aside.

On the other side, the other Xiantian expert took the opportunity to sweep his spear butt against Yu Lin's waist, forcing Yu Lin back three steps.

Yu Lin halted, grabbed the broken blade lodged in his shoulder, and pulled it out inch by inch.

Zhang Yuan slowly rose from behind a pine tree.

He knew that Yu Lin's "Get lost" had been directed at him.

Yu Lin had wounded a Xiantian expert; his current confrontation with two Xiantian experts was to create an opening for Zhang Yuan to leave.

"Kid, you go first," Duan Hong gasped, pressing his hand against a wound at his waist as he spoke with difficulty.

Zhang Yuan's gaze fell upon Duan Hong.

He could leave on his own, but Duan Hong could not.

To go, or not to go?

Zhang Yuan slowly raised his head, looking toward the Yan army Xiantian expert who was struggling to rise from the ground.

At this moment, his Chaos Auxiliary Combat mode was pushed to its limit.

All the trees, weeds, and rocks before his eyes dissolved into nothingness.

In his vision, there was only that fallen Xiantian expert.

As he took a step, he could hear the howling of the wind around him.

His left hand pressed the scabbard, his right hand gripped the hilt, and as he lunged forward, there was only one person in his sight.

"Zhang Yuan, you—"

Duan Hong gripped a nearby tree trunk, staring fixedly at the charging Zhang Yuan.

He knew Zhang Yuan was acting out of a refusal to leave alone.

But what Zhang Yuan was facing now was a Xiantian expert!

Yu Lin narrowed his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them.

The expressions of the opposing Xiantian expert and the half-step Xiantian Young Master Ouyang shifted rapidly.

They had noticed Zhang Yuan and Duan Hong long ago.

However, everyone below the Xiantian Realm was merely an ant; they hadn't paid them any mind.

As long as they killed Yu Lin, the entire Fengtian County would fall, and everything else would be irrelevant.

It wasn't until Zhang Yuan lunged forward that they realized his cultivation did not seem weak.

But even if his cultivation wasn't bad, he was still just a slightly stronger ant.

A figure like this actually thought he could participate in a struggle between Xiantian experts?

Overestimating himself.

The fallen Xiantian expert had already stood up. Looking at the Zhang Yuan rushing toward him, his mouth twitched, and a cold, murderous intent filled his eyes.

He might have been no match for Yu Lin, but that didn't mean anyone below the Xiantian Realm was qualified to challenge him.

He raised his broken spear, shifted his footing slightly, and his killing intent became tangible.

Three yards.

Zhang Yuan unsheathed his blade.

*Clang—!*

The moment the long saber left its scabbard, the expressions of the two men facing Yu Lin changed.

Zhang Yuan's saber technique was more fluid than they could have imagined!

With the momentum of his charge, the long saber slashed out.

It wasn't a mere hack; he pressed his waist down, the blade moving in perfect unison with his body.

*Mountainous Saber Technique: Precipice Severing Clouds.*

The Yan expert's expression flickered. He thrust his broken spear downward, attempting to block Zhang Yuan's blade.

*Clang—!*

As the blade and spear collided, the strike Zhang Yuan had casually drawn actually carried the force of a thousand catties!

This caused the hands of the Xiantian expert, who had rushed to block, to tremble.

In an instant, Zhang Yuan's figure had moved to his left, and the blade spun around.

*Mountainous Saber Technique: Turning the Peak and Winding the Path!*

Blood sprayed!

The blade grazed the expert's waist and abdomen, passing under his right armpit, bypassing the armor, severing the leather straps, and cutting five inches into the flesh.

A Xiantian expert had been wounded by a Houtian Realm practitioner with a single strike!

The solemn expression on Yu Lin's face broke into a hint of astonishment, followed by an irrepressible sense of gratification.

Opposite them, the two Yan experts' eyes widened.

Leaning against a tree trunk, Duan Hong watched Zhang Yuan's horizontal slash, muttering in disbelief.

*Slash—!*

Having landed the blow, Zhang Yuan spun his saber, the blade following his movement in a swirling, flying strike.

*Mountainous Saber Technique: Emerald Clouds Circling the Peaks!*

As the blood splattered, the unprepared Xiantian expert was struck by several wounds from the edge of Zhang Yuan's blade.

The saber technique and cultivation Zhang Yuan displayed exceeded everyone's imagination!

The already heavily wounded Xiantian expert truly had a chance of being slain by him!

"Young Master Ouyang, go kill him!"

The Xiantian expert facing Yu Lin sensed something was wrong. With a low shout, he thrust his spear toward Yu Lin.

Young Master Ouyang flicked his broken sword and drew a soft sword from his waist, lunging toward Zhang Yuan.

But before he could even move, Yu Lin burst into laughter, his long saber crashing down.

The situation had shifted; the side that was originally passive had seized the initiative.

Yu Lin's saber swept out, merely stalling Young Master Ouyang and the other Xiantian expert, while Zhang Yuan used his saber to hack with everything he had to kill the wounded Xiantian expert.

No one expected Zhang Yuan to possess such combat power, capable of suppressing a Xiantian expert.

The physical strength of a Xiantian expert surpassed that of a thousand oxen, and when augmented by Xiantian True Essence, their power was something no one below the Xiantian Realm should be able to withstand.

Yet Zhang Yuan did not meet him in a head-on collision. By utilizing his mastered saber technique to circle and maneuver, he had already left dozens of wounds of varying depths on the expert's body.

"Yu Lin, you will die today—!"

The Xiantian expert being held back by Yu Lin let out a furious roar. His aura shifted instantly, and a violent, tyrannical power surged upward.

This power was fierce and chaotic, triggering a vibration in his Xiantian Qi; black scales began to emerge on the arm holding the spear.

*Bang—!*

The spear was forced down, and Yu Lin's saber met it, his footsteps retreating uncontrollably.

"Demon Transformation!"

Yu Lin spat blood, and the sword wound on his left shoulder split open.

Demon Transformation.

Three hundred years ago, the Marquis of Yanbei was bewitched by evil spirits and established the State of Yan.

The State of Yan revered the demon race and practiced demonic arts.

Practicing demonic arts could grant long life and immense power, but the price was that one would never be human again.

Bloodthirsty and frenzied.

"Die—!"

The transformed Xiantian expert let out a low growl, his scale-covered arm reaching out to grab Yu Lin's chest.

If this strike landed, Yu Lin's torso would surely be pierced and his body shattered.

"Kill—!"

Yu Lin's lowered head snapped up, his eyes filled with pure arrogance.

His aura shifted from swirling Qi into a pillar that soared toward the heavens!

Mid-stage Xiantian Realm!

(End of Chapter)