"Cough... Cough..."
Coughs came out of Ye Lingyuns throat. The weird red glow in Ye Lingyuns eyes was gone, but the backlash from the Shadow Inverse Scale Art surged through his body like a relentless tide. It felt as if ten thousand steel needles were piercing his every bone and meridian. If it weren't for his sheer willpower, he would have fallen down a long time ago.
He knew all too well the price of using this trump card.
The physical toll was a minor issue,beacuse he could recover with time. The real problem was explaining how a mere Fifth Level Qi Refining disciple could unleash a strike comparable to a Golden Core expert. Such a thing was unheard of; it was a fairy tale. If he drew the scrutiny of the sect's high-level experts before he had grown, the Secret of the System would inevitably be exposed!
But he had no choice. He had seen the murderous intent in Lin Yanchen's eyes. If he hadn't struck first, he would be the one crippled right now.
If someone said Lin Yanchen was asking to get hurt they would be right. Had Lin Yanchen shown even a shred of caution instead of arrogance, he would have sensed the sudden, terrifying explosion of aura the moment the fist arrived. With his cultivation, a simple movement technique would have allowed him to dodge the lethal blow easily.
Even if he hadn't dodged, had he protected himself with his full Golden Core energy, the punch might have injured him, but it would never have left him on the brink of death. Then, with his spirit energy exhausted from the backlash, Ye Lingyun would have been a lamb to the slaughter.
But there are no "ifs" in this world.
Lin Yanchen might have been a genius in cultivation, but in terms of cunning and calculation, he was not very good at all compared to Ye Lingyun, who had lived for thousands of years.
The square was really quiet for a moments until Wang Qingcang, on the high platform, snapped out of his shock. His face was ghostly pale as he abandoned his elder's dignity, flickering down to Lin Yanchen's side. His trembling fingers reached for the guy's pulse.
A moment later, Wang Qingcang's body stiffened. "Destroyed... his Golden Core is shattered, his meridians ruined... It's over. Completely over!"
The crowd erupted! This meant Lin Yanchen had not only lost his cultivation but would remain a cripple for the rest of his life!
Xue Lang was momentarily stunned by the result. Fearing that Wang Qingcang would retaliate, he immediately shouted at the top of his lungs: "Elder Wang! Brothers! The rules were made clear before the duel! No matter who got hurt, no one is to be held responsible! You all witnessed it: Lin Yanchen was arrogant and light-minded. He has no one to blame but himself!"
The outer disciples, who had previously mocked Ye Lingyun, now avoided eye contact, remaining silent.
Wang Qingcang seemed not to hear Xue Lang. He stood frozen. Lin Yanchen was one of the main disciple of the Seventh Elder, Feng Tian. How could Feng Tian possibly let this go?
Ye Lingyun was surely a dead man, but Wang Qingcang,the overseer of this duel,would also face the elder's wrath for letting this happen under his nose.
"Brother Ye!" Xue Lang realized the danger, sweating a lot. "Run! Now! Before things get worse! Leave while you can! If Feng Tian gets here, it's really over!"
"Run?! You cripple my disciple and think you can just walk away?!"
An incredibly terrifying pressure suddenly descended, blanketing the entire square!
The disciples' expressions changed instantly. Their bones creaked as if gripped by an invisible giant hand. Even breathing became difficult. Many lower-level disciples were forced to their knees, cold sweat pouring down their faces.
[Warning Host! Saint-Level expert detected!] The system's urgent alarm shrieked in Ye Lingyun's mind.
Ye Lingyun felt really bad. The moment Lin Yanchen was defeated, he had noticed a disciple sprinting toward the inner sect. His worst fear had come true. This old man was the Seventh Elder of the Phoenix Sect: Feng Tian, a Saint-Level powerhouse!
A white-bearded man, appearing around fifty years old, materialized beside Lin Yanchen. He didn't erupt in rage immediately. He looked at the disciple who was dying and covered in blood ,then flicked his finger. A streak of pure crimson spirit energy flowed into Lin Yanchen like a serpent. Lin Yanchen's pale face regained a hint of color as his ragged breathing stabilized.
Only then did Feng Tian turn. His eyes were like blades and fixed on Ye Lingyun, who looked really pale and totally exhausted.
"Heh. Do you know who I am, boy?"
Feng Tian's voice wasn't loud, but it was really scary and sent a chill down everyones spine. The Saint-Level pressure surged again, forcing every disciple to bow their heads.
Ye Lingyun dealt with the pain of the backlash and the heavy pressure he kept his back like a spear. He looked up at them his posture was not humble and not arrogant either. "I know. But Senior Brother slandered me and tried to kill me first. I simply had to defend myself."
Feng Tian narrowed his eyes, for a moment he looked really surprised. His Saint pressure was enough to make even a Golden Core cultivator gasp for air. How could a Qi Refining brat still speak?
Feng Tian's fingers twitched. "A sharp tongue and a stubborn spine. I'll give you that." His aura suddenly became lethal. "But in the Phoenix Sect, no one 'teaches' my disciple but me. Since you destroyed him, you shall pay with your life. Tell me... how do you wish to die?"
"Elder! This isn't fair!" Xue Lang screamed, his face white with terror. "Lin Yanchen tried to kill him first, and the rules said....."
"Rules?"Feng Tian looked at Wang Qingcang with a sneer. Wang Qingcang was shaking. "In this sect, if I say he is wrong, he is wrong. If I say he dies, he will not see another sunrise. I AM THE RULE!"
Wang Qingcang did not dare to say anything. No one was foolish enough to offend a powerful elder in this state.
[System, I remember there is a 'Great Emperor One-Minute Trial Card' in the shop, right?] Ye Lingyun asked secretly in his mind.
The system included a shop, gacha draws, and various ways to earn points—such as completing tasks or recycling high-level spiritual tools.
[Ding! Yes, Host! The 'Great Emperor One-Minute Trial Card' is available. It grants you the power of the Great Emperor Realm for 60 seconds. Cost: 100,000 points. Current Balance: 123,000 points. Exchange now?]
Ye Lingyun felt a little better. He felt lucky that his system hadn't just activated today; he had saved these points from hidden tasks over time, never daring to spend them. Now these points were the thing that could save Ye Lingyun.
This card was his hope when things were really bad. Even if he killed Feng Tian with that one minute of power, he could never stay in the Phoenix Sect. He would be hunted across the lands, living a life of constant flight.
But compared to dying here, what was a life on the run?