The forest battlefield had already descended into complete chaos.
Sword light flashed.
Spells exploded.
True Qi surged.
The surrounding trees continuously collapsed from the aftermath of the battle while frightened birds and low-rank beasts fled in every direction.
On the eastern side of the battlefield—
Lin Shou and Lin Jinyun had become the center of attention.
Boom!
Tiangang Saber Momentum erupted.
A domineering saber aura rose around Lin Shou's body as he directly collided against Lin Jinyun's sword artifact.
The moment blade momentum and sword qi met—
A violent shockwave exploded outward. Several nearby trees were instantly uprooted.
Even cultivators fighting nearby were forced to retreat. Lin Jinyun's face turned pale.
Ever since the battle started, he had been continuously suppressed.
Lin Shou's attacks were simply too fierce. Every strike contained years of hatred.
Years of unwillingness. Years of humiliation.
Most importantly, Lin Shou's foundation was far stronger than his own.
Realizing that a prolonged battle would only worsen his situation, Lin Jinyun immediately made a decision.
His hand flashed.
A crimson talisman appeared.
The moment Zhao Feng saw it, his expression changed.
"Careful!"
Unfortunately—
It was already too late.
The talisman ignited.
Flame Explosion Talisman!
A Rank-One Peak Grade talisman.
A treasure capable of threatening even Peak Qi Refining cultivators.
Whoosh!
The talisman transformed into a blazing fireball and shot directly toward Lin Shou.
Boom!!!
The explosion shook the forest.
Terrifying flames engulfed the surrounding area.
The shockwave slammed directly into Lin Shou's Qi Field.
Although the Qi Field absorbed part of the impact, the remaining force still blasted him several meters backward.
Crack!
Several trees snapped in half behind him.
Smoke rose everywhere.
Seeing this, Lin Jinyun immediately retreated.
His Light Body Spell activated.
Spiritual light surged beneath his feet as he rapidly widened the distance between them.
At first glance it appeared as though he was fleeing.
But Zhao Feng immediately noticed the truth.
"Lin Shou!"
"He's creating distance!"
"He's preparing a spell!"
The warning echoed across the battlefield.
Lin Jinyun's expression instantly darkened.
His plan had been exposed.
Yet it no longer mattered.
The distance was already sufficient.
His hands rapidly formed seals.
Spiritual Qi surged.
Sword qi gathered.
A powerful fluctuation erupted around his flying sword.
The spell's incantation was completed.
"Flying Sword Pierce Spell!"
Whoosh!
The sword artifact released a sharp cry.
Countless strands of sword qi wrapped around it.
The weapon transformed into a streak of silver light and shot forward.
The speed was terrifying.
The killing intent was overwhelming.
This was not a simple sword attack.
It was a genuine spell.
A Foundation Establishment level combat method simplified for Qi Refining cultivators.
Even Peak Qi Refining cultivators would be heavily injured if struck directly.
The silver streak shot through the forest.
Its target—
Lin Shou.
At first, Lin Shou moved to dodge.
Yet the moment he changed direction—
The sword followed.
His expression changed slightly.
Lin Jinyun was actively controlling it.
It wasn't merely flying.
It was pursuing.
The sword chased him relentlessly.
Like a predator locking onto prey.
Many of the surrounding cultivators immediately believed the battle had been decided.
Even Zhao Feng's face became serious.
But then—
Lin Shou stopped.
Completely stopped.
Instead of running—
He turned around.
He faced the incoming sword directly.
A dangerous light appeared within his eyes.
Seeing this, Lin Jinyun suddenly felt uneasy.
Very uneasy.
Meanwhile—
The True Qi inside Lin Shou erupted.
The fiery aura surrounding his body intensified.
The Chaoyang True Scripture circulated to its limit.
Blazing sunlight-like radiance emerged from every pore.
His Fire True Qi became brighter.
Hotter.
More concentrated.
Until it resembled the first ray of dawn piercing darkness.
The surrounding temperature rapidly rose.
Lin Shou raised a single finger.
All the blazing energy gathered toward it.
The pressure became astonishing.
Then—
He pointed forward.
"Solar Flame Finger!"
Boom!
A pillar of golden-red light erupted from his fingertip.
For a brief moment—
It resembled a miniature sunbeam.
The attack shot directly toward the incoming sword.
The two techniques collided.
Light met light.
Sword qi met blazing solar fire.
Then—
An explosion erupted.
BOOOOM!!!
The sound echoed across the forest.
Birds scattered.
Beasts fled.
The surrounding battlefield froze momentarily.
A shockwave expanded outward.
Dust and smoke covered everything.
Even Lin Xiaolu and Lou Han were forced to shield their eyes.
For several breaths—
Nobody could see anything.
Then the smoke cleared.
And everyone's expressions changed.
The flying sword had been blasted away.
Cracks covered its surface.
Its spiritual light had dimmed considerably.
Meanwhile—
Lin Shou was gone.
Lin Jinyun's pupils contracted.
A sense of danger erupted within his heart.
Too late.
A figure appeared before him.
Lin Shou.
His eyes contained only one emotion.
Hatred.
Pure hatred.
At this moment, Lin Jinyun had already exhausted most of his Spiritual Qi.
The Flying Sword Pierce Spell had consumed a tremendous amount of energy.
Before he could react—
A palm struck his chest.
Boom!
Cracking sounds echoed.
Lin Jinyun spat a mouthful of blood.
His body flew backward.
Yet before he could hit the ground—
Lin Shou appeared again.
Bang!
A fist smashed into his jaw.
Blood sprayed.
Several teeth shattered.
The impact nearly knocked him unconscious.
Then came another punch.
And another.
And another.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Years of accumulated anger erupted.
Every strike represented a grievance.
Every strike represented humiliation.
Every strike represented the hatred that had been buried within Lin Shou's heart.
Lin Jinyun's face rapidly became swollen.
Blood covered his body.
His spiritual energy collapsed.
He could barely resist.
The surrounding cultivators watched in horror.
One of Lin Jinyun's companions wanted to help.
Unfortunately—
A sword of ice blocked his path.
Lin Xiaolu stood before him.
Her Ice Sword Momentum filled the area.
Frost spread across the ground.
"You aren't going anywhere."
Elsewhere—
Zhao Feng completely suppressed another opponent.
The cultivator was being toyed with.
Every attack was casually redirected.
Every spell was interrupted.
Meanwhile Lou Han was even more direct.
His fists continuously battered his opponent.
The poor cultivator was already beginning to doubt his life choices.
Thus—
None of them could help Lin Jinyun.
They could only watch.
Watch as Lin Shou vented years of rage.
Watch as Lin Jinyun was beaten into a miserable state.
Eventually one of his companions shouted desperately.
"Stop!"
"He's a Lin Family member!"
"Killing him is punishable by crippling!"
The warning echoed throughout the forest.
Yet it achieved nothing.
Lin Shou didn't stop.
His eyes had already turned red.
Reason had been overwhelmed by emotion.
The years of resentment were too deep.
Too heavy.
Nothing could stop him now.
Not threats.
Not consequences.
Not punishment.
He only wanted one thing.
Lin Jinyun's death.
He raised his fist.
True Qi gathered.
This strike would end everything.
The companions' faces turned pale.
Lin Jinyun himself revealed despair.
Then—
A hand appeared.
Without warning.
Without any signs.
Without anyone noticing.
That hand grabbed Lin Shou's fist.
Firmly.
Completely.
The entire battlefield froze.
Lin Shou's pupils contracted.
His attack—
Had been stopped.
Effortlessly.
The next moment—
A terrifying aura erupted.
Boom!
An overwhelming pressure descended. The surrounding Spiritual Qi trembled.
The forest fell silent. Every cultivator present felt their hearts shake.
Foundation Establishment.
A genuine Foundation Establishment aura.
The pressure crashed onto Lin Shou like a mountain.
Bang!
His body was blasted backward. Trees exploded one after another. The force carried him dozens of meters away.
Only after crashing through multiple trees did he finally stop. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
The battlefield became deathly silent.
Everyone stared toward the newcomer.
The person standing before the heavily injured Lin Jinyun.
A young man with ordinary appearance.
Average features.
Average clothing.
Average presence.
The same seemingly insignificant cultivator who had followed Lin Yan to Cloud Mist Market.
The same person everyone had unconsciously ignored.
At this moment—
His concealment had disappeared.
The aura surrounding him was no longer that of a Late Qi Refining cultivator.
It was Foundation Establishment.
Genuine Foundation Establishment.
The pressure alone was enough to suppress everyone present.
Lin Jinyun's companions initially revealed expressions of joy.
Finally.
Reinforcements.
Finally someone strong enough to save them.
Then—
Their joy turned into shock.
Because they realized something.
None of them knew.
Not a single one of them knew this person's true cultivation.
The ordinary-looking young man calmly looked toward Lin Shou.
His expression remained unchanged.
His eyes were tranquil.
Like an ancient turtle resting beneath a lake.
Hidden.
Silent.
Unfathomable.
Finally, one of the stunned cultivators muttered,
"Foundation Establishment..."
"You..."
"You're actually Foundation Establishment?"
The young man did not answer immediately.
Instead, he glanced toward the severely injured Lin Jinyun.
Then toward the others.
Finally—
He sighed.
A sigh filled with helplessness.
"My name..."
He paused briefly.
Then continued calmly.
"Lin Jinxing."
The forest fell silent.
Because everyone present understood one thing.
The situation had just become far more complicated than they originally thought.