No one expected Horn to suddenly attack Yang Xuan.
"Ah!"
A scream of pain tore from Yang Xuan's throat. His face contorted in agony, veins bulging on his forehead.
Lu Lin, snapping out of his shock, quickly stepped up beside Horn. Horn had acted to defend him, and Lu Lin knew he couldn't back down, even if it meant risking his life.
Tang Yuxin and Wang Menglu felt the energy coursing through their bodies. They knew Yang Hai's cultivation level was terrifying, making them feel insignificant in his presence. But for Horn, they were willing to face any danger.
Tang Yuxin had a complicated relationship with Horn, while Wang Menglu admired his talent in alchemy.
"Boy, you're forcing me to kill you!" Yang Hai's aura erupted, sending a powerful gust of wind through the area, overturning nearby food stalls.
"Allowing you to enter the Immortal Martial Academy and join the Yinbu was a gift," Yang Hai growled. "You should be handing over any opportunities you get, but you're too ignorant to see that!"
Yang Hai's face was dark with rage, his expression bordering on tears of frustration. The oppressive force of his aura made it feel like Lu Lin, Tang Yuxin, and Wang Menglu's hearts had stopped. Yang Hai had clearly reached the Sky Control Realm, the pinnacle of power in Linzhou.
Sweat beaded on their foreheads as they struggled to stand under the pressure.
Just as Yang Hai was about to strike Horn, a piercing sound suddenly cut through the air.
Yang Hai's expression shifted, and he quickly stepped back.
A white light streaked through the night sky, and with a sharp "chi" sound, a silver-white longsword embedded itself into the ground. The sword trembled slightly, radiating sharp energy. If Yang Hai hadn't retreated, the sword would have pierced his foot.
"Who's there?" Yang Hai demanded coldly. "Anbu is handling business here. If you interfere, do you want to die?"
From the darkness, a figure gracefully floated down beside Horn, her presence marked by a delicate fragrance.
"In Linzhou, anyone who wants to harm this boy must first get my permission," said Lin Zixuan, her voice icy. She was dressed in a purple gown, her appearance ethereal and commanding.
Lin Zixuan had been uneasy since learning that Horn was on the must-kill list, his image constantly on her mind. On her way home after work, she happened to see Yang Xuan approach Horn and had stayed hidden, observing.
Yang Hai's eyes filled with murderous intent as he took a step forward, but Lin Zixuan moved her right hand, and the sword in the ground responded with a sharp sound before flying back to her grasp.
Her aura, now fully unleashed, was overwhelming. She pointed the tip of her sword at Yang Hai's forehead. "Take one more step, and I'll kill you," she said coldly. "Others might fear your status, but I don't."
Lin Zixuan's aura, at the late stage of the Sky Control Realm, was clearly superior to Yang Hai's. He had heard of Lin Zixuan's formidable reputation, especially her feats before becoming the dean of the Linzhou Academy. She had defeated numerous opponents, even when facing twenty geniuses of the same level.
But it wasn't just her martial prowess that made her dangerous—her background was mysterious and powerful, something Yang Hai had learned from a senior official in the Yinbu.
If he fought her here, he might really lose his life.
Suppressing his anger, Yang Hai forced a smile. "Dean Lin, you're joking. I would never harm a junior, and I won't interfere in the quarrels of the younger generation."
Lu Lin and the others sighed in relief as Lin Zixuan's timely arrival defused the crisis. Horn, however, remained calm. He sat back down and pulled the chopsticks from Yang Xuan's hand with a casual "pfft," blood splattering everywhere.
"Ah!" Yang Xuan screamed again in pain.
Horn grabbed a new pair of chopsticks and continued eating. "Care to join me for a bite?" he asked Lin Zixuan.
Lin Zixuan looked at him with a mix of frustration and disbelief. Couldn't this fool see how close he had come to being captured by Yang Hai? She knew that Horn's cultivation level, though formidable, was still only at the early stage of the Sky Control Realm—no match for Yang Hai.
Yang Xuan, blood boiling with rage, shouted, "You only won because of a sneak attack! In a fair duel, I'd never lose to you. You're nothing but a coward with one cheap trick!"
Yang Xuan's reputation as the third-ranked local fighter was well-known, and his confidence in his own abilities was unwavering. Lu Lin, Tang Yuxin, and Wang Menglu couldn't help but wonder if Horn's earlier victory had been a fluke.
Horn, unfazed, didn't even turn to face him. "Are you ready now?" he asked, his voice indifferent.
Yang Xuan, thinking Horn had taken the bait, sneered. "I'm ready whenever you are. I'll show you my true strength."
Yang Hai, watching from the sidelines, didn't intervene. He, too, believed that Horn had only won through a cheap trick.
Suddenly, without looking back, Horn threw two chopsticks into the air.
Before Yang Xuan could react, the chopsticks pierced through his left and right palms, pinning his hands to the ground. The speed was astonishing—far too quick for Yang Xuan to dodge.
"Ah!" Yang Xuan screamed, his face twisted in agony.
Horn, his tone casual, asked, "Satisfied now?"
Yang Xuan gritted his teeth so hard that blood seeped from his gums. He realized now that Horn's strength far surpassed his initial impression.
Yang Hai, his anger barely contained, growled, "Boy, you hid your power well! Your cultivation level must be at least in the early stage of the Sea Transformation Realm!"
Horn took a sip of beer and replied calmly, "What now? Do you want to fight, or are you going to leave? Either way, you're both ruining my appetite."
Yang Hai, suspecting that Horn's confidence stemmed from Lin Zixuan's presence, reluctantly pulled the chopsticks from Yang Xuan's palms and said coldly, "Let's go."
With that, they departed, leaving the area in silence.