Yi Yuxuan and Yi Yuwei noticed Ren Zhirou at the side and were both stunned by her beauty. Her ethereal aura made them feel inadequate by comparison.

This was the first time Yi Yuwei had seen someone on the same level as Shi Xueyun, yet here she was, standing right next to Yi Tianyun. It shocked her. ’It’s only been a few days,’ she thought, ’how is there another goddess-like woman with Elder Yi?’

"Who... who are you...?" Lin Li stared at Ren Zhirou in shock. He hadn’t even seen how she got in. Worse, she was so beautiful it drove him mad with jealousy.

"That’s none of your business..." Yi Tianyun turned and walked over to Wang Qing, who had been sent flying earlier. He had been kicked so hard he couldn’t move and looked to be on his last breath. "Using them as hostages, were you? You wanted to kill them, right? Well, I think you can die first."

With that, he raised his hand and tossed out a wisp of Immortal Fire. It landed on Wang Qing, setting him ablaze. Agonized screams echoed out, but he was too severely injured to even move.

"Ding! Successfully killed Wang Qing. Gained 250,000 Experience, 3,400 Madness Value. Obtained Martial Arts Flowing Cloud Palm, Heaven-Flipping Step."

Lin Li’s eyes filled with terror. He didn’t care if the others lived or died. ’I can’t die here!’

"Now, it’s your turn..." Yi Tianyun turned to look at Lin Li, who was lying on the ground. He had already downed a Recovery Elixir, and his eyes, beyond resentment, were filled mostly with terror.

He never expected Yi Tianyun to be so strong, and the woman with him was even more terrifying. ’She killed Wang Qing—a Spirit Pill Stage expert—in a single move! That means a woman so young has a cultivation level higher than Wang Qing’s! I don’t remember the Zhu Family having anyone that powerful, unless the Patriarch himself showed up. But would their Patriarch act as Yi Tianyun’s personal bodyguard?’

"Let me go, and I won’t pursue this matter! I’m from the Divine Rune Mansion! Do you have any idea what kind of power you’re dealing with? I’m a Core Disciple of the Divine Rune Mansion! Killing me is the same as making an enemy of the entire Divine Rune Mansion!" Lin Li glanced at Ren Zhirou and the others; with no chance of escape, his only option was to beg for mercy.

"The Divine Rune Mansion?" Yi Tianyun sneered. "If I kill you here, do you really think the Divine Rune Mansion will find out?"

"Th-they’ll investigate! Just let me go, and I swear I won’t hold any of this against you! I’ll even recommend you to join the Divine Rune Mansion, help you become a Core Disciple..." Lin Li kept throwing out tempting offers, repeatedly invoking the name of the Divine Rune Mansion—one of the most powerful factions on the Celestial Realm Continent.

"Join the Divine Rune Mansion? I’m not the least bit interested. Besides, why would I trust you? The moment I set foot in the Divine Rune Mansion, I’d be a dead man." Yi Tianyun said calmly, "I have a saying for you: what goes around, comes around. Now I’m returning those words to you."

Yi Tianyun would never go easy on his enemies. Reforming them? Showing mercy? Turning the other cheek? He couldn’t do any of it. He was no saint. His principle had always been: *I won’t attack unless attacked first.*

Lin Li’s face turned ghastly. He knew Yi Tianyun wasn’t going to let him go.

"If... if you have the guts, wait until I’ve recovered, and we’ll fight a fair duel! To the death!" Even now, Lin Li was making a desperate, last-ditch struggle.

"Oh? You have the nerve to say that?" Yi Tianyun’s gaze was ice-cold. "What about those two helpers of yours from just a moment ago?" ’Some people are just utterly shameless.’

’People like him always love making excuses. When they lose a group fight, they demand a one-on-one duel. When they lose the duel, they claim they weren’t in peak condition. An endless pile of excuses. What’s the point? It only shows how pathetic and cowardly they are.’

"I’m asking you, do you dare to duel me or not? If you’re a man, duel me!" Lin Li got to his feet. Thanks to the Recovery Elixir he had taken, he had recovered a bit.

"Challenging me?" Yi Tianyun said calmly. "Don’t worry, I accept!"

"Then she can’t interfere! This is a duel to the death!" Lin Li said coldly.

"Don’t worry. I don’t need her help to deal with a piece of trash like you. If you can kill me, you can walk out of here alive!" Yi Tianyun’s gaze was glacial. Remembering Lin Li’s earlier words, he wanted nothing more than to cut the man down with his own two hands.

The words had barely left his mouth when Lin Li charged. A longsword was now in his hand, and he thrust it viciously toward Yi Tianyun. The silvery glint of the blade was blinding in the darkness of the cave.

The flashing Sword Aura shone directly into Yi Tianyun’s eyes, creating a blinding effect.

"Piercing Flash!"

"Die!" His gaze was sinister, his handsome face twisting into a ferocious snarl.

Lin Li struck without a shred of hesitation, thrusting his sword straight for Yi Tianyun’s throat, aiming for a one-hit kill. He held nothing back; every move was a killing blow, intended to be lethal!

There was no sign of his previous injuries; the power he unleashed was at his absolute peak. This was due to the elixir he had taken, which not only healed his wounds rapidly but also stimulated his latent potential.

The main reason, however, was that Yi Tianyun had intentionally spared him. Otherwise, no elixir in the world could have saved him. Wang Qing was the perfect example: crippled by a single kick, he didn’t even have the strength left to take out an elixir.

As Lin Li charged, Yi Tianyun’s eyes glinted. He paid no mind to the flashing light meant to obstruct his vision. In the next instant, he burst into motion, a terrifying aura erupting from his being.

Endless power seemed to surge through his legs. He stomped hard on the ground, and the explosive force sent him hurtling forward at an incredible speed. He dodged to the side, easily evading the sword, and countered with a brutal punch of his own!

"Get back!"

Yi Tianyun slammed his fist into Lin Li’s stomach. THUD! Lin Li was sent flying, the impact knocking the longsword from his grip. In both speed and power, he was far outclassed.

The gap between them was immense. Yi Tianyun was at the Eighth Level of the Spirit Pill Stage, while his opponent was merely at the Core Formation Stage. There was simply no comparison.

"Is that all the strength you have?" Yi Tianyun said calmly, looking down at the fallen Lin Li.

"You bastard, die!" Lin Li roared, exploding up from the ground. He brought his fist crashing down, the force of the punch whipping up vortexes of air that rushed toward Yi Tianyun.

But no matter how furious the gale, it was nothing compared to the storm from Yi Tianyun’s punch!

"Begone!"

Yi Tianyun threw a heavy punch, meeting Lin Li’s fist with his own. THUD! Lin Li was sent flying once more, and with a sickening CRACK, his arm was completely shattered.

"AAAAAHHH..." Lin Li screamed endlessly, clutching his shattered arm. The excruciating pain caused cold sweat to pour down his face, and the tremors wouldn’t stop.

In all his life, he had never felt such agonizing pain. It was only now that he truly realized how terrifying his opponent was. ’Behind that young exterior... lies such horrifying power!’