Chapter 224: Encountering an Enemy

Bang!
Lin Dong’s right fist struck the blue-clothed youth’s chest precisely.
With a muffled thud, the youth was flung backward. If his open eyes could transmit what they saw to his brain, he would surely have noticed the blue sword in Yun Lan’s hand.
Though the sword tip wasn’t stained with blood, the youth could tell it was a high-grade spirit sword capable of killing without leaving bloodstains.
Watching the blue-clothed youth fly away, Lin Dong let out a long sigh. Reluctantly, he got up from the ground and looked at Yun Lan with lingering fear: “I thought you would act earlier.”
Yun Lan shook her head slowly. “This man’s strength is likely at the third level of the Mind Spirit stage. He’s perfect for training your reaction in emergencies.”
Lin Dong smiled bitterly as his racing heart finally slowed down.
“Then you could have warned me! Otherwise, how would I have lost everything with just one mistake? With my strength, even if I can’t defeat him despite the two-level difference, I shouldn’t have been pushed to the brink of death.”
Yun Lan chuckled lightly. “I said it earlier—this is exactly what’s needed to train your reaction in emergencies.”
Lin Dong asked tentatively, “Are you sure you can save me in time?”
Yun Lan replied indifferently, “Not sure.”
Unconvinced but not saying more, Lin Dong took a Spirit Restoring Pill, and the two continued on their journey.
Along the way, Lin Dong felt depressed. He had only survived because of Yun Lan by his side. The man sent by Zhang Ye to investigate was probably already dead.
Seeming to sense Lin Dong’s mood, Yun Lan suddenly said, “Life and death are predestined. Whether we live or die, what’s done is done.”
Lin Dong sighed deeply and nodded slowly, then changed the subject. “How was my ability to react when dodging that man’s attacks just now?”
“Passable,” Yun Lan replied slowly. “By the time his sword was about to pierce you, you had already lost the advantage. What you should have done was use the Ethereal Step to avoid his attack first, then decide what to do next. Instead of dodging while counterattacking, which only deepened your trouble. Also, when he pursued you and aimed for your throat, you should have used the power of your left leg to step back, rather than dodging to the side. Although stepping back also disrupts balance, it doesn’t block your vision, and both legs can be used.”

After a pause, Yun Lan continued, “Try again. A few moves have passed already. You should realize by now that your opponent is stronger than you, and you also know that the Air Control realm isn’t enough to completely deflect their long sword. Even if you want to use Air Control, you need to wait until the sword gets closer—only then can they’t adjust in such a short time. However, Air Control consumes a great deal of spiritual energy. Even if you dodge one of their attacks, the situation will become increasingly unfavorable afterward. The best approach is to shift your body forward. Even if they change their tactics, it will only cause minor injuries to you. As long as you take advantage of their difficulty using their sword and get close, you can turn the disadvantage around with some minor injuries.”

Lin Dong felt ashamed. “I actually missed so many opportunities to save myself?”

Yun Lan nodded. “With your strength, you should be able to make these reactions.”

“The problem is there wasn’t enough time, and I was also a bit panicked,” Lin Dong said helplessly. “There’s no time or energy to think of ways to save myself.”

“That’s why continuous training is needed,” Yun Lan said calmly. “With enough crises to face, you can even develop subconscious reactions that are most beneficial to you.”

Lin Dong was at a loss—was this some kind of joke at the cost of his life?

In the distance, the Gu Huan Sect’s compound came into view, with stone steps leading upward. The fact that there wasn’t a single guard at the entrance made Lin Dong even more uneasy.

Upon entering the sect, the two went deeper inside. There were no major abnormalities along the way, which undoubtedly meant the battlefield wasn’t inside the Gu Huan Sect.

Lin Dong’s mind raced. If the battlefield wasn’t inside the sect, there were only two possible locations: the plantation or the livestock pen.

Relatively speaking, spiritual materials were easier to collect than young spiritual beasts. The plantation already had many seventh-tier spiritual materials, while the highest-tier spiritual beasts in the livestock pen were only third-tier. Undoubtedly, the plantation was more valuable.

But most of the spiritual materials in the plantation were still in the seedling stage, and the conditions for transplanting them were strict. If forced to take them away, their value would drop significantly. It was far better to seize control of the plantation and gradually gather the conditions needed for transplantation. The livestock pen was different—young spiritual beasts weren’t very strong, and their living conditions required far less than those of spiritual materials, so they could be captured and taken away easily.

If the Gu Huan Sect still had any hope, they should focus on defending the livestock pen first.

After thinking this through, Lin Dong was about to call Yun Lan to turn back when several people came out of a wooden building on the side. Seeing Lin Dong and the others, they stopped in their tracks.

The elderly man at the front, dressed in a green robe, grew solemn. A silver-white long sword appeared silently in his hand as he shouted, “Who are you?”

Lin Dong frowned. He had met all the elders of the Gu Huan Sect, and this person was clearly not one of them. After a brief hesitation, he coldly demanded, “Who are you? Why are you in my Gu Huan Sect?”
“Why are we in your Gu Huan Sect?” The old man sneered coldly, glancing at the two of them before putting his long sword back into his storage ring. “Because your Gu Huan Sect doesn’t know how to appreciate good fortune.”
The three youths around them, all under thirty years old, understood immediately—that the elder disdained to fight them himself.
They drew their swords from their waists at the same time and leaped forward, charging at Lin Dong and his companion.
Although Lin Dong didn’t believe Yun Lan would let those three attack him alone, and their target clearly wasn’t just him, he still couldn’t afford to be careless. He opened his palm, and a bench from behind the counter appeared instantly, clutched tightly in his hand.
When the distance between the two sides was less than ten meters, suddenly, a blue light flashed in Yun Lan’s palm, and a blue sword shot out, aiming at the throat of the fastest-moving man.
“No good!”
Seeing the blinding speed of the blue light, the three men were shocked. Though they couldn’t understand how the Gu Huan Sect could have such disciples, they realized immediately that their opponent was extremely powerful and not someone they could match alone.
The leader of the group turned around and retreated, while the other two stepped forward with their swords to help.
Thud!
The blue light moved at terrifying speed. Before the two could get close, the leader had no choice but to raise his sword to block it.
With a crisp sound, the leader felt numbness in his arm as his sword slipped from his grasp, and he was sent flying by the force. The blue light paused, revealing a blue sword. The leader marveled at the extraordinary nature of this spirit sword, feeling somewhat relieved.
However, just as the three thought the sword would fall to the ground, it suddenly trembled and moved even faster than before, striking at the leader in a strange manner.
Hiss!
The leader’s eyes widened in shock. Until his death, he couldn’t understand how the sword could strike again despite having been blocked.
With a whoosh, the blue sword pulled out a string of blood droplets from the leader’s throat and slashed across the neck of the youth on the left.
“No good, it’s the Tian Jian Sect! It’s the Tian Jian Sect…” In the distance, the old man cried out urgently, not knowing how to make the two retreat.
They had heard of the Tian Jian Sect before but couldn’t recall where. As the blue light approached, the youth on the left didn’t hesitate. He raised his right arm, his sword glowing as he tried to block it.

Seven meters away, Lin Dong smiled calmly. His palm, resting on his leg, rose as his wrist moved upward. Just as the young man’s long sword was about to intercept the blue light, he suddenly reached out into the void. Spiritual energy rushed through his meridians along the pathways of his Air Control realm before surging into his palm.

Hiss…

The long sword in the left young man’s hand stopped mid-air. Before he could figure out what was happening, the blue light flashed past his eyes. A sharp pain struck his throat, and he saw streaks of bright blood splashing before him.

Opening his mouth, he tried to say something as the blue sword rushed toward the last person, but even as he collapsed to the ground, he couldn’t utter a word.

Seeing two of his fellow disciples killed in the blink of an eye, with the opponent still seven or eight meters away, the last man was terrified and dared not resist. He twisted his body, channeling spiritual energy into his legs to flee at full speed.

“Kid…”

The old man stretched out his right arm, trying to warn his disciple, but then a flash of blue light appeared above his heart before disappearing quietly.

Looking back, the disciple had stopped running. He opened his mouth wide, took several deep breaths, and then suddenly collapsed.

“That girl is too ruthless!” the old man snapped. “Is this how a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect behaves, bullying others because of their power?”

Yun Lan remained silent as she and Lin Dong stepped forward slowly.

“Don’t think you’re something special just because you’ve learned a few sword techniques. Since you’re seeking death, don’t blame me for not being gentle!”

Furious, the old man bent his legs slightly and charged at the two of them.

In his palm, a faint blood-red vortex expanded rapidly. Less than ten meters away from them, he pushed off with his legs and plunged downward, slamming his palms onto the ground.

Boom!

Two muffled explosions echoed. While Lin Dong was still trying to understand what was happening, Yun Lan grabbed his shoulder and soared into the sky.

Suddenly, two blood-red gusts rose from the ground, rushing forward at lightning speed and raging beneath their feet.

The gusts blowing from above made it hard to breathe.

Lin Dong was stunned—this old man was incredibly strong.

As the two managed to dodge those blows, the old man took a deep breath, flipped his wrist, and his spiritual sword flashed as it flew diagonally, aiming at Yun Lan’s throat while they hung in mid-air.

Lin Dong raised his arms, staring intently at the spiritual sword leaving a trail of slashes behind it.

Blue light reappeared, heading straight for the tip of the spiritual sword.

Whoosh!

Sparks flew as the two swords collided in mid-air. The spiritual sword was knocked aside, while the blue sword paused briefly before charging forward again, aiming at the old man’s heart.

The old man’s gaze toward the blue sword was filled with shock. That sword strike not only numbed his arm but still left enough force to strike again. The opponent’s strength was undoubtedly several levels greater than his own.
Several levels stronger? Just how much?
In an instant, fear took hold of the old man. No matter the opponent’s age, the truth was clear: if he didn’t retreat, death was inevitable.
Without hesitation, he twisted his waist and flipped backward. At the same time, spiritual energy flowed into his right arm as he swung a sword in a horizontal arc, trying to use the momentum to escape.