Chapter 388: The Flames of Battle Ignite
Upon hearing that Lin Langtian had a feud with Tianxuan Sect, the leading sect of the Western Profound Domain, Xuē Wǎn's composed face stiffened.
Her original plan was to charm Lin Langtian, the rising star of the Eastern Profound Domain, into becoming her protector, possibly even swaying him to her side. Confident in her looks, she assumed this would be easy. Rumors from Yimo City suggested Lin Langtian had a history with Ling Qingzhu, making her think he might be easily swayed by a beautiful face.
Xuē Wǎn wasn't entirely mistaken in her own charms; she knew she was only slightly less renowned than Ling Qingzhu. However, Lin Langtian not only showed no interest, but he also carried a massive problem with him: the wrath of Tianxuan Sect, a force even stronger than Yuan Gate.
This revelation caught Xuē Wǎn off guard; perhaps approaching him so early had been unwise. She should have assessed the situation first instead of stepping into this awkward situation.
"Have you made your choice, Miss Xuē Wǎn? If your Divine Sect is willing to stand alongside my Fire Division against Tianxuan Sect, I would be most grateful, and in the future, our fates will be united within Yimo Domain," Lin Langtian added with a faintly mocking smile.
Xuē Wǎn's face turned several shades as she took a deep breath and replied apologetically, "Apologies, Lord Langtian. Since there are unresolved matters between Fire Division and Tianxuan Sect, I'll step back." She left quickly, almost as if fleeing the scene to avoid getting involved.
Lin Langtian let out a cold chuckle, finding her lack of loyalty amusing; she had wanted to form an alliance with Fire Division without offering any sincerity.
"They're coming!" Song Yun's voice sounded low and steady beside him.
Lin Langtian shifted his gaze forward to see the Tianxuan Sect forces closing in. Under the watchful eyes of numerous onlookers, they stopped before him. At the head of the group, a man dressed in black strode forward, his presence exuding a sinister and formidable aura.
The man was none other than Cao Yu, whom Lin Langtian had once faced atop Baichao Mountain. Cao Yu was now at the peak of the Nine Tribulations Nirvana stage.
"It's been a while, Lin Langtian," Cao Yu said, giving him a smile that looked more like a smirk, devoid of any friendliness.
"Is there something you want?" Lin Langtian asked indifferently.
"Oh, I think there is," Cao Yu replied, his voice filled with malice. "A year ago, you single-handedly ruined the plans of our Western Profound Domain sects to seize the ancient battlefield, drawing criticism to our Tianxuan Sect. Usually, hiding behind the walls of Yuan Gate keeps you safe from us, but now that you're here on our territory, it's time to settle things."
Tianxuan Sect had led the attempt to control the Eastern Profound Domain's ancient battleground, and thanks to Lin Langtian's intervention, the entire operation had failed, resulting in a massive waste of resources. Despite its strength, Tianxuan Sect had been forced to compensate its fellow sects, a loss they had yet to forgive.
Cao Yu, a key figure in the operation, had faced heavy penalties himself. Were it not for his ties with Xuantian, Tianxuan Sect's senior disciple, he might have been expelled from the sect entirely. Seeing Lin Langtian again now was like reopening an old wound.
"Since you're a Yuan Gate disciple, I'll spare you, but only if you take your Fire Division and leave immediately," Cao Yu said arrogantly, his words meant to humiliate Lin Langtian in front of everyone from both the Eastern and Western Profound Domains. His goal was to ensure that Lin Langtian would lose face forever.
The Fire Division disciples around Lin Langtian seethed with anger at Cao Yu's words, finding Tianxuan Sect's audacity and arrogance infuriating. Song Yun and the others struggled to keep their composure, barely suppressing the urge to retaliate.
"Leave?" Lin Langtian echoed, his expression showing no hint of anger, only a faint smile.
Seeing this, Cao Yu smirked, interpreting Lin Langtian's calm as compliance. He assumed Lin Langtian must finally understand Tianxuan Sect's superiority. Many onlookers, especially those from the Western Profound Domain, chuckled and looked down on Lin Langtian, seeing him as a coward. Only a few, like Ling Qingzhu and Su Rou, knew that Lin Langtian was not one to back down easily, and they doubted Tianxuan Sect held any sway over him.
"However…" Lin Langtian continued, his tone shifting, as a cold, mocking smile spread across his face. "However, I consider you, Cao Yu, a pile of trash. So why don't you take your sect and get out of my sight?"
Lin Langtian's icy tone carried through the air, causing Cao Yu's smirk to freeze. The surrounding area fell silent as everyone stared, stunned at Lin Langtian's audacity.
"Don't think you can run your mouth without facing consequences!" Cao Yu growled, his face darkening.
"Trash like you has no right to flaunt yourself before my Fire Division!" Lin Langtian replied, his voice sharp as a blade. "Now scram!"
"Such arrogance!" Cao Yu shouted, finally losing his composure. Taking a forceful step forward, he released a powerful surge of Yuan Power that rolled toward Lin Langtian like an overwhelming wave.
Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed as he stood his ground without moving, a dark aura suddenly burst forth from behind him. The aura moved like a shadow, intercepting Cao Yu's energy almost instantly.
"You court death!"
When Cao Yu saw this unexpected strike, he sneered coldly. Besides Lin Langtian, he never considered any other Fire Division members worthy opponents.
He surged his powerful Yuan energy forward, unleashing a fierce palm strike against the shadowy figure of demonic energy. Yet, as his attack landed, two skeletal hands stretched from the darkness to meet his assault head-on.
Boom! Boom!
With a dull clash, Cao Yu's sneer suddenly froze as his face turned red. Blood spewed from his mouth as he was blasted backward, carving a long trench across the ground, cracks spreading from its edges.
The originally noisy area fell into a brief silence, only to erupt with murmurs of shock as everyone's eyes locked onto the shadowy figure of dark energy. With one strike, it had sent a Nine Tribulations Nirvana peak fighter flying—a feat that even the strongest disciples of other sects might struggle to achieve.
Staring at the figure, the crowd finally saw the black, merciless face beneath. Red, bloody eyes glared coldly, surrounded by a fierce demonic aura, giving the figure a chilling, machine-like cruelty.
"Who is this person? They don't look quite human!"
"Is this a hidden trump under Lin Langtian's command?"
"He repelled Cao Yu with one strike; this guy must be at the half-step Life Nirvana stage, at least!"
In the hovering silence, voices of astonishment filled the air. Many eyes fixed on the figure, curiosity mixed with apprehension.
Back where Xuē Wǎn had retreated, she stood stunned. She had assumed that only Lin Langtian himself was formidable within Fire Division, but there was someone at half-step Life Nirvana here too. No wonder Lin Langtian dared challenge Yuan Gate's Little King; not only was his own power formidable, but his subordinates weren't as simple as they appeared.
"Mó Yǐng!" Su Rou whispered in surprise from Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace's position. She recognized him as Lin Langtian's bodyguard whom she'd seen by his side a few times.
"Leave—or die." Lin Langtian raised his eyes, his cold gaze sweeping over the panicked faces of Cao Yu and the Tianxuan Sect disciples.
The Tianxuan disciples stared in fear at Cao Yu's severely injured form before hurriedly helping him up and fleeing the scene in a panicked retreat. Watching Tianxuan Sect slink away, the area grew quiet, as everyone tried to absorb the unexpected turn of events.
"Trash belongs in the trash heap. Don't stir up trouble for nothing!" Lin Langtian's cold voice echoed as he fixed his gaze on the main force of Tianxuan Sect in the distance.
An unsettling tension spread among the Tianxuan Sect disciples as many eyes flashed with anger. Initially, they might have let Cao Yu's failure slide, knowing he provoked Lin Langtian first. But now, Lin Langtian had directly insulted Tianxuan Sect itself—a slight they could not ignore.
"Enough!" In front of the Tianxuan Sect group, three figures slowly stood up, each radiating intense killing intent as they turned toward Lin Langtian.
"It's Tianxuan Sect's three generals—Jīng Shā, Yíng Lì, and Nàlán. They're all at the half-step Life Nirvana stage! Lin Langtian has gone too far this time. These three will definitely put him in his place!"
"Lin Langtian really has no sense. He thinks beating Cao Yu means he can take on Tianxuan Sect? This time, he's pushed them too far and won't be walking away unscathed."
The crowd whispered among themselves, many Western Profound Domain sects anticipating Lin Langtian's downfall. Even some Eastern Profound Domain groups looked on with disapproval, putting distance between themselves and Fire Division to avoid getting dragged into the fray.
"You worthless lot—since you're so eager for death, I'll gladly oblige." One of the generals, Jīng Shā, barked out in a rough voice. He was muscular and fierce-looking, with shark tattoos covering his arms, and his presence filled the area with a menacing force.
The other two generals looked at Lin Langtian and Fire Division with the same killing intent, dark grins spreading across their faces. "If all of Yuan Gate's Eight Divisions and their Three Little Kings were here, then maybe you'd be a threat. But just Fire Division alone? Arrogant fools!" sneered Yíng Lì, who wore a luxurious black robe.
"Enough talk," Nàlán, the last general, cut in impatiently, waving his hand. A moment later, the three generals shot forward, each like a falling star descending upon Lin Langtian with overwhelming power.
Lin Langtian gave a cold laugh, and with a flick of his sleeve, four dark shadows shot out, moving as fast as lightning to intercept the three generals.
"Courting death!" Nàlán and his companions scoffed, bringing forth their combined half-step Life Nirvana power against the shadows. However, as their attacks struck, four skeletal hands emerged from the shadows, each meeting the generals' strikes directly.
Boom! Boom!
The fierce collision resounded, and in the next instant, the smirks on the generals' faces vanished. They stumbled back, retreating dozens of steps before regaining their balance.
The crowd, previously full of sneers and ridicule, fell silent. Shocked gasps spread throughout as they struggled to process the fact that these mysterious shadows had repelled Tianxuan Sect's three generals.
Under everyone's curious stares, they finally saw the desiccated, lifeless faces beneath the shadows. Instantly, horrified murmurs erupted.
"That's…a demon corpse?!"
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