C7 Killing Decisive

At that moment, Su Ziyu and Jiang Yan vanished in a flash, their Spiritual Force spreading through the forest as they searched for Lin Xi's whereabouts. Meanwhile, Lin Xi and Lin Zhengyi were concealed in the shadows, having just finished a battle. Lin Xi had detected several strands of Spiritual Force drawing near.

She made a split-second decision to grab her things and flee. Turning to Lin Zhengyi, Lin Xi instructed, "Zhengyi, go hide and absorb the Beast Soul from that Demonic Beast. I'll hold them off."

"Brother, be careful!" Lin Zhengyi called out, trusting that his brother wouldn't take risks without certainty. Given Lin Xi's instructions, he was sure there was a plan in place.

The brothers then went their separate ways, with Lin Zhengyi heading deeper into the forest. Lin Xi pinpointed the sources of Spiritual Force and, with a forceful push from her toes, dashed forward.

Elsewhere in the forest, Su Ziyu and Jiang Yan were also moving swiftly until they abruptly came to a halt. They spotted Lin Xi perched in a tree and Su Ziyu demanded, "Lin Xi! Where is the Spirit Rank Demonic Beast?"

Lin Xi replied with a grin, "I killed it."

Su Ziyu, with a sneer, pressed, "Just you? Tell us what really happened here before we arrived!"

Lin Xi leaped down from the tree and, upon landing, retrieved the enormous head of the Flowing Bright Fire Spirit Elephant from her Storage Ring and tossed it to the ground. "Why would I deceive you?"

Su Ziyu was momentarily taken aback by the sight of the Demonic Beast's head beside Lin Xi. But Lin Xi quickly stowed the head back into her ring, saying, "You expected me to be the first to die, so naturally, I couldn't pass up the chance to strike first."

At that moment, Jiang Yan, with a dark look on his face, interjected, "Lin Xi, do you realize you're defying the royal family?"

"Let's get one thing straight—you don't speak for the royal family. Besides, it was you who conspired against me. I'm merely retaliating," Lin Xi retorted.

With a cold laugh, Su Ziyu's body surged with Spiritual Force. "Enough talk. Let's kill him and take what's ours!"

In a flash, Su Ziyu charged forward like lightning, his hand tightly gripping a red-tasseled spear.

Lin Xi clutched her Radiant Moon dagger, her Spiritual Force surging as she met Su Ziyu's imposing aura head-on. They clashed in an instant.

A metallic ring pierced the air!

Both were intent on killing, their strikes powerful. Lin Xi's dagger collided with Su Ziyu's spear, sending sparks flying.

They moved with incredible speed, transforming into blurs of light. Their explosive impacts reverberated throughout the forest.

Lin Xi, with Radiant Moon in hand, vanished right before Su Ziyu's eyes each time he thought his attack would land. She disappeared so completely that not even the Spiritual Force could detect her.

But soon after, Lin Xi would reappear behind Su Ziyu. Quick to react, he sidestepped, wielding his spear with both hands to parry Lin Xi's dagger.

After a series of confrontations, Su Ziyu came to a sudden halt and declared, "Lin Xi, did you really think you were the true target of this mission?"

Lin Xi stayed silent, her gaze fixed on Su Ziyu, an answer already forming in her mind.

"The Emperor has lost interest in your Lin family, whose strength has waned with each passing generation."

"Your father, and the entire Lin family, will meet their end today, and you won't leave this forest alive!"

Having said this, Su Ziyu looked into Lin Xi's eyes as if she were already a corpse. He taunted, "Maybe if you kneel and beg, I might be in a good enough mood to ask my father to spare your father's life!"

Jiang Yan added icily, "Lin Xi, you won't survive the day."

Lin Xi wasn't taken aback by their words; she was, however, surprised by their swift actions. Yet, she was confident that her father, Lin Zhengyi, had made preparations. With him there, the Lin family should be fine.

The three great noble families despised and feared the Lin family for a reason: since the dynasty's inception, the Lin family had controlled the imperial army. Despite their diminishing strength, their status within the dynasty remained unshakable.

The three great noble families had never relinquished their claim to the coveted position. At long last, they glimpsed hope in their current generation. The Lin family had broken free from the royal family's protection, prompting all three families to become restless.

Lin Xi confronted the two before her, "Do you truly believe you have the power to annihilate the Lin family?"

Su Ziyu smirked and taunted, "Still so defiant in the face of death..."

But his words were cut short as a gush of blood erupted from his neck. Su Ziyu's eyes bulged, his hands frantically clutching at the deep gash, but it was too late to save himself.

Jiang Yan stood frozen in shock. The swift transition from Lin Xi's strike to Su Ziyu's collapse had taken merely a moment, and he hadn't detected any ripple of Spiritual Force during the attack.

"Lin Xi, you—"

In a mere instant, Lin Xi had triggered the Radiant Moon's skill, vanishing her presence before unleashing her full speed. Her dagger, entwined with Myriad Dao Sword Intent, had swiftly slit Su Ziyu's throat.

Jiang Yan realized the full extent of Lin Xi's fearsome abilities. They had known about Lin Xi's restored cultivation before their arrival, but they had underestimated her. How strong could she be after such a long delay? This misjudgment had sealed their fate.

Once again, Lin Xi vanished like a specter. Jiang Yan, on high alert, drew his twin sabers, his eyes scanning for the slightest movement.

As the seconds ticked by, Jiang Yan's tension did not wane, his anxiety rapidly draining his stamina. Beads of sweat formed on his brow, yet he dared not wipe them away.

"Lin Xi, show yourself! Have the courage to face me in an open duel instead of hiding like a coward!"

Silence was his only answer. Over fifteen minutes had passed since Lin Xi's disappearance, with no trace of Spiritual Force to be felt.

Still, Jiang Yan couldn't risk sheathing his blades. He feared Lin Xi might strike him down in a fleeting moment. He was determined to survive, to make it back to the Jiang family, and then, with the full might of his lineage, he vowed to exact a vengeance on Lin Xi so severe it would surpass the agony of death itself.

"Lin Xi! Come out here!"

No matter how loudly Jiang Yan yelled, there was no reply.

Time ticked by, and another fifteen minutes passed. Jiang Yan's body was drenched in sweat, his eyes bloodshot and irritated by the perspiration dripping from his forehead.

Suddenly, a rustling noise emerged from the nearby bushes.

Jiang Yan's bloodshot eyes immediately focused on the source of the sound. He charged like a man possessed, his twin blades slashing fiercely at the unseen creature behind the foliage.

"Lin Xi! You're going to die!"

Jiang Yan's strike was true, blood spraying in all directions, his body completely stained red by the spurt of blood.

Realizing that his adversary had lost all signs of life, Jiang Yan burst into loud, maniacal laughter. Yet, within that wild cackling, a faint voice could be heard:

"Brother... why..."

But Jiang Yan did not hear it.

At that moment, more noises rustled from the bushes.

They came from the other side, where Su Ziyu and the rest were waiting. Jiang Yan was still in a frenzy, laughing uncontrollably, continuing to swing his blades, savaging the body beneath him that he believed to be Lin Xi!

"Jiang Yan, what are you doing!"

"Yimeng! What happened to you, Yimeng?"