The Sovereign's Ascension

Yan Tianrui took several steps back before he finally regained his footing. The look he gave Lin Yun this time carried a trace of cautiousness. The exchange had only lasted a few seconds, but the fact that he had to defend at all this fight had caught everyone by surprise.

But not nearly as much as Lin Yun’s words had. The crowd was dumbfounded. He wasn’t done warming up?

“I’ve underestimated you. You’re not from the Azure Sun County, right?” Yan Tianrui asked after taking a moment to calm himself.

“I'm new in town,” Lin Yun replied.

“Called it. Are you interested in joining the Blood Cloud Sect? Come with me after we’re done here, and I’ll guarantee you a position in the Blood Cloud Sect!” Yan Tianrui gave a dazzling smile.

This conversation worried the members of the Kong Clan. What was going on? Was Yan Tianrui actually trying to recruit Lin Yun?

When they looked at it from a different angle, it made sense. Lin Yun possessed monstrous strength for only being in the first orifice.

“I’m not interested.”

“Is that so? I’m sorry to hear that. I’m going to have to cripple you then,” Yan Tianrui maintained his dazzling smile, but his words were chilling.

Swish!

With a tap of his feet, he vanished. His aura hadn’t fluctuated at all. He reappeared shortly after standing directly in front of Lin Yun.

The leg orifice! 

Wan Qiuye could not believe what he was seeing. Yan Tianrui had unlocked his ear, hand, and leg orifices.

Even Lin Yun was caught off guard. He barely managed to dodge to the side, avoiding Yan Tianrui’s ferocious attack. By engaging in close combat, Yan Tianrui took away Lin Yun’s ability to use Clouded Ice Spear.

“You’re too slow!” Yan Tianrui’s laughter roared.

It was Lin Yun’s turn to defend. Yan Tianrui was simply too fast for him! He was able to get in the occasional counterattack, but Yan Tianrui dodged them with ease. Lin Yun, on the other hand, was forced to take Yan Tianrui’s attacks head on. 

When Lin Yun saw Yan Tianrui coming in for another assault after slipping past a counter punch, he came to an abrupt stop.

“Why aren’t you retreating further?” Yan Tianrui sneered while letting loose a palm strike. His palm was shrouded in a crimson gale, howling as it traveled.

Shadow Blood Gale!

The momentum of his attack was intimidating. Lin Yun knew he would be severely injured if it connected, possibly even dead. But there was no way he could dodge Yan Tianrui’s attack in time!

Kong Yuan wore a sinister sneer. He was confident that Yan Tianrui would end the fight with this attack. After all, he was only facing some trash in the First Orifice of the Xiantian Realm.

Just as Yan Tianrui’s palm was about to connect, Lin Yun’s body swelled. An oppressive heat blanketed the surrounding area. The heat was so intense it evaporated any standing water and set nearby brush on fire. The ground beneath Lin Yun’s feat began to melt into lava.

“Fiery Demon Physique!”

“I.. it’s.. It’s not possible! Isn’t that one of our Advance Xiantian Martial Techniques?! The Wan Clan’s Fiery Demon Physique?!”

“He managed to learn it in five days?!?”

Exclamations rang out from the Wan Clan when they saw Lin Yun transform. They were amazed to see Lin Yun executing the Thunderblitz Battle Physique.

Lin Yun roared after his transformation and threw a punch at Yan Tianrui’s palm.

Boom!

The collision created a massive explosion. The shockwave from their clash dug a crater around them, kicking up clouds of dust from the now dry ground. 

Yan Tianrui came hurdling out from the central plume. He was clearly stunned, but somersaulted mid air to recover his posture just before landing. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he charged Lin Yun once again. He knew he needed to utilize the advantage his movement technique gave him to defeat Lin Yun before the latter could recover.

Blood Cloud Chop!

Yan Tianrui’s eyes turned a deep red and tears of blood left streaks as they rolled down his face. A sanguine aura radiated from his body, its outer edge transmogrifying into writhing, leach like tendrils.

When he brought down his palm, the sanguine mass coagulated into a blade. He was using another Intermediate Xiantian Martial Technique, and it was much stronger than the last!

Undying Vajra Seal!

Lin Yun immediately started forming seals when he saw the descending blade. The second before the blade descended, Lin Yun roared. As a golden light radiated from his palms, Lin Yun’s Undying Vajra Seal clashed with the crimson blade.

Their collision produced yet another explosion, this time large enough to force the spectators to retreat.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The heatwave it generated reduced a towering tree nearby to ashes. The cloud created by the tree’s immolation obfuscated their exchange from the crowd. They could discern the pair’s location by listening for explosions and watching the smoke. Each clash generated a shockwave that sent plumes of ash out from its epicenter. Those present were terrified, but no one dared look away.

“Not even the Blood Cloud Chop can stop him?!” Kong Yuan was awestruck. From what he could tell, there was nothing special about Lin Yun’s Ferocious Tiger Fist.

Little did he know that Lin Yun had achieved complete mastery in the Ferocious Tiger Fist and was using the Golden Vajra Seal to empower it further. This was how Lin Yun was able to face a Xiantian Martial Technique head-on.

“Nicely done!” Wan Qiuye roared out in joy.

Lin Yun’s Fiery Demon Physique could make up for the difference in their cultivation. Adding on the Ferocious Tiger Fist, Lin Yun managed to hold the upper hand. Wan Qiuye was still concerned, however, as he knew that Yan Tianrui had more techniques up his sleeves.

When the cloud of dust settled, the reality of their skirmish became clear. Yan Tianrui was covered in blood, his eyes were red, and his tattered clothes hung loosely from his slender frame. 

On the other hand, Lin Yun’s skin was the color of molten iron. Dancing in the wind, Lin Yun’s hair looked like blazing flames. Thanks to the Fiery Demon Physique, Lin Yun had seized the initiative of this battle and had sustained significantly fewer injuries than Yan Tianrui.

“Haha! Aren’t you having a hard time holding up?” Yan Tianrui sneered. He leered at Lin Yun coldly, bloodlust oozing from every pore.

He was an elite disciple of the Blood Cloud Sect. Being put in this state by someone in the first orifice was humiliating. Contrary to what his twisted facial expression suggested, the more intensely the rage boiled in his heart, the more focused he became. He was seeing things clearer now than he ever had.

Boom!

Lin Yun’s titanic physique suddenly shrank and the heatwave generated by the Fiery Demon Physique vanished. He had reached his limit.

As soon as Lin Yun’s physique returned normal, he dashed away, putting a distance between him and Yan Tianrui. Lin Yun gasped for air as sweat poured down his face. He was exhausted, but his eyes were blazing with determination.

Fighting an expert in the Third Orifice of the Xiantian Realm was still too much for him. Even after using all his trump cards, he failed to defeat his opponent.

“It’s my turn now!”

Fwoosh!

Yan Tianrui’s Blood Cloud Mask fused into his flesh. When the fusion started, his facial muscles began twitching like a feral beast.

Thunderous cracks came from his body. His aura surged and the sanguine mass had manifested into his Martial Soul.

“Beast Transformation!” Wan Qiuye cried as despair overtook him. This was a secret art that only elites of the Blood Cloud Sect could practice.

Every single Blood Cloud Mask contained a demonic beast’s soul, which enabled them to transform into a beast when needed. Upon entering beast form, they would become more ferocious and they would recover from their previous exhaustion.

As one of the three overlord sects in Azure Sun County, it was natural for their disciples to have the means to protect themselves.

“We admit defeat!” Wan Qiuye yelled out helplessly. “We admit defeat for this match! We’re also willing to share half of the Spiritual Lake!”

It wasn’t easy for Lin Yun to come this far, but there wasn’t any meaning for the battle to continue.

When Lin Yun heard those words, he looked at Wan Qiuye perplexed.

“Admit defeat? No way! I said I’d cripple him today and I intend to keep my promise!” Yan Tianrui roared as he charged forth with his martial soul.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Brandishing his martial soul while in beast form turned Yan Tianrui into a grotesque amalgamation of man, beast, and blood. He had caught Lin Yun completely off guard as the latter’s gaze was still on Wan Qiuye.

Sizzle!

Lin Yun’s chest was cut to the bone. The attack left several deep gashes that were identical to claw marks.

“Heh, heh! This is a deathmatch! A fight to the last breath. Wan Qiuye, your words mean nothing!” Kong Yuan laughed.

The current situation wasn’t looking good for Lin Yun. Yan Tianrui had activated his Beast Transformation and had summoned his martial soul. He had no intention of letting Lin Yun catch his breath.

Rip!

Yan Tianrui’s martial soul, the Heavy Crimson Ruler, left another deep gash on Lin Yun.

“No one will risk offending the Blood Cloud Sect just to save you!” Yan Tianrui laughed maniacally.

Lin Yun seethed with anger as he met Yan Tianrui’s gaze. This was no longer a deathmatch. It was just Yan Tianrui being a sadist. Upon seeing Yan Tianrui’s true nature, Lin Yun’s eyes flickered with a flash of cold gleam.

Yan Tianrui’s heavy ruler came at him once more. Lin Yun took attack with his body once more but he made sure to shift so the strike would avoid his vitals. The heavy ruler plunged into Lin Yun’s rib, releasing crimson spiritual energy into Lin Yun’s body to wreak havoc.

But when Yan Tianrui tried to pull his martial soul out, his hair stood on end. When he looked up, he saw Lin Yun had retrieved the sword box he carried with him at the start of the battle.

“This is…” Yan Tianrui panicked when he saw the ancient sword box.

Lin Yun did not give him time to react and clubbed him with the sword box.

Boom!

Yan Tianrui was sent flying. The sound of his bones breaking echoed through the air. That was only the beginning, though, as Lin Yun charged in with his ancient sword box for a series of follow up blows.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Yan Tianrui had shown Lin Yun no mercy, and Lin Yun intended to return the favor. Wielding the sword box like a bat, Lin Yun juggled Yan Tianrui in the air, smacking him around like a sandbag. When Yan Tianrui finally fell to the ground, at least half of his bones were broken.

When Kong Yuan saw Yan Tianrui’s current state, he was horrified. Desperately, he hollered, “We admit defeat! We surrender!”

Lin Yun glanced over at Kong Yuan before knocking Yan Tianrui out with another attack.

“You bastard!” Kong Yuan’s face turned pale. He was ready to slaughter Lin Yun.

“Your words mean nothing. He has to be the one to surrender,” Lin Yun replied coldly as he pointed at the unconscious Yan Tianrui.

“Get lost! From today onwards, this barren mountain belongs to my Wan Clan. No one is allowed to step foot on this mountain without a permit. Violators will be killed!” Wan Qiuye roared suddenly.