The large group swaggered up to the front of Tang Wushuang’s cave. It was the scrawny kid who started shouting again, "Hey, brat! Get out here! My boss has arrived! Hurry up and come out to die, or we’ll knock all your teeth out."

Hearing the scrawny kid’s taunts, Lin Yun smiled wryly. ’This guy... every single time, it’s about knocking someone’s teeth out...’

"Are you looking to die? I already let you go. Do you have a death wish...?" With an angry shout, Tang Wushuang strode out of his cave. However, when he saw Lin Yun at the head of the group, his words caught in his throat.

"Lin Shan, it’s you," Tang Wushuang said, pointing at Lin Yun. Lin Yun’s appearance made him both furious and wary. He didn’t want another life-or-death battle with Lin Yun; the Elemental Power here was too thin, and recovery would be difficult if he expended too much.

"Tang Wushuang, isn’t it about time we settled the score between us?" In contrast to Tang Wushuang’s solemn expression, Lin Yun looked completely at ease, a wicked smile playing on his lips.

"Lin Yun, you think I’m afraid of you? You think you can defeat me, Tang Wushuang, just by bringing this rabble?" At these words, Tang Wushuang flew into a rage, completely forgetting his concerns about recovery.

Unsurprisingly, the two clashed again. Every strike was devastating, and neither gave any thought to the consumption of their Elemental Power.

"Good heavens, what kind of grudge do those two have? They’re fighting like their lives depend on it," the scrawny kid exclaimed.

"You broke through? Dammit." After they exchanged a blow, Tang Wushuang instantly sensed that Lin Yun’s Cultivation was now the same as his own—both were at the Seventh Layer of Opening Realm.

"Hmph. Today, I’ll crush you completely." Lin Yun snorted coldly. He had no intention of hiding his breakthrough. His goal was to utterly defeat Tang Wushuang and then tie him up.

"I see. But you think you can beat me just with this? Golden Light Seal!" Tang Wushuang roared. His hands flew through a series of signs for the Seal Technique, and a massive golden seal instantly materialized, pressing down toward Lin Yun.

Tang Wushuang’s Golden Light Seal was a powerful Royal Martial Skill. Lin Yun did not let his guard down, unleashing the Black Steel Tyrant Fist with all his might and smashing it into the golden seal.

With a loud BOOM, the Golden Light Seal shattered. Both Lin Yun and Tang Wushuang stumbled back several steps.

The only difference was that this time, Lin Yun only retreated three steps. Without the slightest pause, the two were at it again, unleashing a flurry of various Martial Skills that left the onlookers dumbfounded.

As the battle continued, Lin Yun—who had already been evenly matched with Tang Wushuang—grew even stronger after his breakthrough to the Seventh Layer of the Opening Realm. Gradually, he began to overwhelm Tang Wushuang.

"Lin Yun, do you really insist on a fight to the death?" Tang Wushuang shouted, his mind on his hard-to-recover Elemental Power. He couldn’t kill Lin Yun, and Lin Yun couldn’t kill him. To keep fighting was a sheer waste of Elemental Power, which would take ages to restore. The thought made Tang Wushuang reluctant to continue.

Tang Wushuang no longer wanted to continue, but Lin Yun gave him no quarter. He attacked relentlessly, each blow growing fiercer than the last, forcing Tang Wushuang to use his full strength to defend himself.

Faced with Lin Yun’s unforgiving assault, Tang Wushuang grew furious. ’Fine, if you want a fight to the death, I’ll give you one!’ His resolve hardened, and he too cast aside all thoughts of his Elemental Power, throwing himself into a ferocious battle with Lin Yun.

Both were peerless experts within the Opening Realm. The battle was cataclysmic, shaking the very heavens. Only after a full hour did their assaults finally begin to weaken.

"Dammit." His internal Elemental Power was completely depleted once again. Tang Wushuang cursed under his breath. ’Lin Yun is absolutely insane today. He’s willing to fight to the death and refuses to back down.’

"Lin Yun, you can’t kill me! I’ll remember this. Once we’re out of Celestial Net Peak, I swear I’ll destroy you with my own hands!" Deciding to retreat, Tang Wushuang shouted at Lin Yun. The moment the words were out, he shot backward. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

However, to Tang Wushuang’s surprise, the area around him was now completely encircled by the people Lin Yun had brought. There was no escape route.

"Tang Wushuang, you’re not getting away today. I can’t kill you, but I can certainly torment you," Lin Yun said with a chuckle, the smile never leaving his face.

"You... Lin Yun, you’re using your numbers to overwhelm me! Aren’t you being despicable? If you have any guts, wait until we’ve recovered and we can have a proper one-on-one duel!" Tang Wushuang yelled.

"Save it, Tang Wushuang. When dealing with a villain like you, there’s no such thing as despicable. Today, you couldn’t escape even if you sprouted wings," Lin Yun shot back, charging toward Tang Wushuang once more.

Depleted of his Elemental Power, Tang Wushuang was no match for Lin Yun in physical combat. With all his escape routes blocked, he was quickly put at a disadvantage.

"Lin Yun, stop! Killing is forbidden inside Celestial Net Peak! Aren’t you afraid of the Academy’s punishment?" Unable to win, Tang Wushuang could only resort to using the Academy’s rules to pressure Lin Yun.

In response, Lin Yun continued his assault unabated. "Who said I was going to kill you? You, Tang Wushuang, will most certainly die by my hand, but not here on Celestial Net Peak. For now, I’m just collecting a little interest."

Already at a disadvantage, Tang Wushuang was quickly subdued under Lin Yun’s fierce onslaught. Planting a foot on Tang Wushuang’s chest, Lin Yun barked at the scrawny kid, "Tie him up!"

Hearing the command, four or five people immediately swarmed forward and swiftly trussed Tang Wushuang up.

As the Young Prince of Yunlu County, being captured and trussed up for the first time was a humiliation so profound that Tang Wushuang nearly bit his tongue off to commit suicide. It was an absolute disgrace. After all, every member of the Royal Family was immensely proud.

"Lin Yun, I swear, when we get out of Celestial Net Peak, I will have you torn to shreds!" Tang Wushuang roared frantically.

"Hmph. Once we’re out of here, I’ll be the one tearing *you* to shreds. Enough talk. Take him away," Lin Yun snorted, giving orders to the others.

And so, Tang Wushuang was carried by Lin Yun’s group all the way back to their cave in the central region.

After placing Tang Wushuang in his cave, Lin Yun wore a sardonic grin. He was sure the next five months would be an unforgettable experience for the Young Prince.

Seeing Lin Yun’s smile, Tang Wushuang felt the hairs on his arms stand on end. Having fallen into Lin Yun’s clutches, he didn’t need to guess what would happen next; he knew he was going to be tormented.

"Lin Yun, how about this? Let’s let bygones be bygones. I won’t seek revenge after we get out of here. We can bury the hatchet. What do you say?" Tang Wushuang offered.

"Bury the hatchet?" Lin Yun laughed. "Tang Wushuang, you’ve tried to kill me time and time again, and *now* you want to bury the hatchet?"

"I... I can compensate you! That’s right, I can compensate you. Primordial Stones, Spiritual Artifacts, treasures, Elixirs—I can give you all of it as compensation!" Tang Wushuang said. He clearly knew the consequences of falling into Lin Yun’s hands. While Lin Yun wouldn’t dare kill him, tormenting him would be all too easy.