"Hmph. All of you will stay here. None of you is getting away."

A rough voice rang out as two towering figures strode forward as if strolling through a courtyard, appearing within Lin Zheyu's line of sight.

"Kui, go after those three. I'll handle this one."

The man on the left looked at Lin Zheyu with a mocking expression, as if facing weak prey. The man named Kui nodded and stepped forward, heading after the three.

"What an interesting technique. What kind of technique is that?" Lin Zheyu watched Kui's movement technique, which seemed to shrink the ground with each step, and a trace of envy appeared in his eyes. He wanted to master such a technique as well, to move with the same ease and freedom.

"I have nothing to do with those three, and there's no grudge between us. Take this storage pouch, and we'll go our separate ways. How about that?" Lin Zheyu said calmly, watching the man with caution.

The barbarian before him had a powerful aura. If possible, Lin Zheyu had no intention of fighting him.

"Hmph. If you surrender and become my slave, I might spare your life," the burly man said in a strange accent, speaking an odd form of Great Wei language.

He did not attack immediately. Facing Lin Zheyu, he behaved like a cat toying with a mouse, intent on playing with him first.

Lin Zheyu said nothing.

Lin Zheyu stared at him expressionlessly. After a brief pause, he suddenly turned and left.

Power erupted as Lin Zheyu shot toward the depths of the forest at nearly three times the speed of sound.

"Courting death!" the burly man said with a sneer.

He stepped forward and closed the distance within a few strides. His right hand shot out. A dim glow lit up around him, and a massive phantom resembling a giant ape appeared behind him. His palm rapidly enlarged and slammed toward Lin Zheyu's head.

A thunderous roar rang out. The surrounding trees exploded under the force of his palm, along with Lin Zheyu's figure.

The figure burst like a bubble. The man's mocking expression faltered for a moment as he quickly realized he had been deceived. What he had destroyed was only an illusion.

The burly man let out a vicious grin, anger surging within him.

"Not bad! I only meant to kill you with a single strike, but now I've changed my mind. I..."

Being toyed with by someone so much weaker was a blow to his pride. However, before he could react, a dazzling sword light shot out from the void, piercing through the glow around his body in an instant. With a soft sound, the blade drove into his forehead. His ferocious expression froze, and disbelief filled his eyes.

"All show and no substance..." Lin Zheyu's figure suddenly appeared before him.

He shook his head slightly. This man was quite strong. If he had fully unleashed his totem power, even if Lin Zheyu could win, it would not have been easy. But the man had been too confident, thinking he had encountered a weak opponent and treating the fight like a game. On top of that, Lin Zheyu had deliberately concealed his strength at the start, causing the man to lower his guard.

Suddenly, a powerful roar erupted from the burly man. The giant ape phantom merged into his body, and his form rapidly expanded. His clothes tore apart as he transformed into a massive creature over three meters tall. The wound in his forehead closed instantly.

"Whoa, he’s still not dead?" Lin Zheyu was slightly startled.

He had killed a barbarian warrior before, yet that one had not displayed such terrifying vitality.

A massive palm slammed toward Lin Zheyu. The giant ape roared, his eyes bloodshot, as if he had lost all reason.

Lin Zheyu swung the Colorful Star Sword again and again, streaks of seven-colored sword light slicing through the forest. His swordsmanship was average, so he used the blade like a saber. Even so, the dharma artifact was of high quality, and its power far surpassed the Blazing Sun Saber.

Thud!

Powerful true origin surged into the Colorful Star Sword as it pierced into the giant ape's body, only to meet heavy resistance.

Bang!

The giant ape's palm struck the Colorful Star Sword. A tremendous force erupted, knocking Lin Zheyu back several steps.

Such strong defense, and such terrifying strength, thought Lin Zheyu as he frowned slightly.

The Colorful Star Sword was not his own dharma artifact, so he could not unleash its full power. When it struck the giant ape, the faint glow from the totem on his body deflected most of the force. Fortunately, although the opponent's movement techniques were strange, they were still inferior to Lin Zheyu's speed.

"Haha! I didn't expect you to be skilled. But that's all you are. Die!" The giant ape burst into wild laughter, pounding its chest with both fists.

A fierce gust followed as the barbarian's fist came crashing down toward Lin Zheyu.

Lin Zheyu moved with extreme agility. With a single step, he easily evaded the attack. At full burst, he could reach six times the speed of sound while maintaining precise control of his movement techniques. If he abandoned control and pushed his body to its limit, he could even reach seven times the speed of sound.

Soft impacts rang out continuously as the Colorful Star Sword turned into streaks of multicolored light, slashing again and again at the giant ape. Lin Zheyu pushed his Perception Domain to the limit. The other barbarian and the three had vanished without a trace. This allowed him to focus entirely on fighting the giant ape before him. It had been a long time since he had fully unleashed his strength, and he intended to test himself now.

The battle grew intense, sending sand and debris flying through the forest. Whole swathes of trees were blasted apart by their terrifying power, splinters scattering everywhere.

"Coward! Stop dodging and fight me properly!" the barbarian roared.

Lin Zheyu was too slippery, and his movement techniques were extremely agile. None of the barbarian's attacks could land, while he himself had become a target, forced to take hits. The frustration ignited his fury.

"Come on! Hit me! I'll stand still, and you still won't be able to hurt me!" the barbarian roared. He actually stopped moving, making no attempt to block Lin Zheyu's attacks.

"Heh." A faint cold smile appeared at the corner of Lin Zheyu's lips.

The long blade slashed straight toward the barbarian's forehead, and he made no move to defend.

Blood Burning Saber Technique!

Lin Zheyu's thoughts stirred as he activated it instantly, his gray true origin turning blood-red.

"Keke..." The barbarian grinned viciously.

The faint glow around his body gathered, ready to erupt. This was a deliberate opening, meant to lure Lin Zheyu into attacking so he could strike back the moment Lin Zheyu committed.

The multicolored sword light turned crimson as it struck the barbarian's head with a sharp sound. His vicious grin froze once more as the power he had gathered spilled out uncontrollably like a broken dam.

The crimson blade cleaved through his head like cutting tofu, splitting him cleanly in two from top to bottom. This time, Lin Zheyu had no intention of giving him another chance to recover. He did not believe barbarian warriors could possess regeneration comparable to yaos and demons.

I lack a powerful offensive technique. Having to rely on the Blood Burning Saber Technique every time isn't sustainable. And its effect is diminishing, Lin Zheyu thought.

He reviewed the battle in his mind, reflecting on his shortcomings. His movement techniques did not need improvement for now, as they were already his strongest aspect. His offensive methods and physical defense, however, still had plenty of room to grow.

"I wonder if those three are dead. If not, hmph." Lin Zheyu snorted coldly.

He had been schemed against for no reason, and he had no intention of letting it go. Besides, those three must have something valuable, or they would not have deliberately thrown him a storage pouch to shift the disaster.

Lin Zheyu quickly searched the barbarian's body, retrieved the storage pouch, and vanished in an instant. Pushing his Perception Domain to the limit, he followed the traces left behind through the forest.