After slaying Han Zheng, Ling Yun's next target was Lin Ruobing.
Ling Yun approached Lin Ruobing's quarters and swiftly dispatched the guards stationed outside.
Inside, a tall woman with a ponytail was doing something unclear, and pitiful pleading sounds could be heard, accompanied by harsh curses and insults aimed at Lin Ruobing's family.
Lin Ruobing ignored the insults, and seemed oddly excited by them.
Ling Yun: ...…
"Is there anyone normal in this Black Wind Stronghold? What kind of perverts are these?"
Suddenly, as Lin Ruobing reveled in her strange joy, her battle-hardened instincts kicked in, and her hair stood on end.
Bang!
Lin Ruobing swung her palm backward, clashing with Ling Yun's strike.
Crack! Lin Ruobing's hand fractured, her fingers hanging limply, while Ling Yun remained entirely unharmed. This was the terrifying power of his Eternal Sun Physique.
Overpowering opponents beyond his level was the hallmark of possessing a divine body.
"Pretty boy, who are you?" Lin Ruobing expressionlessly reset her broken hand, her eyes fixated on Ling Yun with a fiery gaze.
His flawless appearance and tall stature reignited her desire in an instant.
"The one who will kill you."
Ling Yun summoned a fire dragon as he charged forward.
"Glazed Golden Bell Shield!"
A green barrier enveloped Lin Ruobing, and the fire dragon was unable to break through.
"Little boy, once I break your limbs, I'll have my way with you."
A bloodthirsty gleam flashed in Lin Ruobing's eyes, and her entire body suddenly grew to twice its original size.
"Mountain-Crushing Fist!"
A fist the size of a boulder came crashing down toward Ling Yun's legs.
Ling Yun didn't flinch. Today, he was determined to test the limits of his divine body.
Bang!
The two clashed, both forced back a few steps.
"Impossible!" Lin Ruobing shouted in disbelief.
She was a body cultivator, specializing in close combat, and with the boost from her secret technique, she could even fight on par with someone at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment.
Yet this man, who was only at the second level of Foundation Establishment, was holding his ground against her.
"Come at me again!"
Ling Yun kicked off the ground, using the momentum to deliver a flying kick.
No longer underestimating him, Lin Ruobing quickly raised her arms to block the attack.
"Huh?"
Noticing that the attack hadn't landed, Lin Ruobing looked up, only to see a silver needle flying toward her, piercing her forehead.
"Despicable… you… demon…"
Ling Yun retrieved his Venomous Needle and swiftly beheaded her with a single stroke. "All's fair in war. Farewell, Second Chief."
He had planned to end the battle quickly from the start. Dragging it out would only risk drawing more attention.
Ling Yun rummaged through Lin Ruobing's storage pouch, finding several thousand spirit stones, a cultivation manual, and some healing pills.
Next up was the real challenge—Lin Ruoxi. Her fearsome reputation in the surrounding strongholds was well-earned.
She had once single-handedly killed two experts of the same level, making her an incredibly formidable foe.
Ling Yun wrapped Lin Ruobing's head in cloth and stored it in his system space, his mind already formulating a plan.
Inside Lin Ruoxi's quarters at Black Wind Stronghold, an elderly woman with white hair sat in a chair, flanked by several black-robed women.
Surprisingly, the usually confident Lin Ruoxi was drenched in sweat, looking extremely nervous.
"Envoy, we've gathered four thousand units of blood essence, but anymore could draw the attention of the Phoenix Dynasty's officials," Lin Ruoxi said, bowing low.
"Considering your years of service to the sect, I'll accept three thousand units next time," the elderly woman replied slowly.
"Thank you, Elder. The journey has been long. Please accept this small token of my gratitude," Lin Ruoxi said, hastily presenting a storage pouch.
"Well done. We'll be on our way now." The old woman smiled, her face wrinkling into a pleased expression.
"I'll see you out."
Lin Ruoxi, acting subservient, escorted the elderly woman and her entourage to the door.
The group flew into the night sky, disappearing from view.
"Damn, finally got rid of that troublesome old hag."
Lin Ruoxi breathed a sigh of relief. Every time she met with the envoy, she felt as if her life was on the line.
"Hmph! Those old crones will pay with their lives one day."
Lin Ruoxi picked up a handsome man and returned to her room to reclaim her sense of dominance.
Little did she know, Ling Yun had seen everything.
Flying through the air… A Cave Heaven realm expert!
Ling Yun's heart raced as he watched the group fly off, fearing they might return unexpectedly.
To be safe, he waited in place for two hours.
"Looks like the old hag isn't coming back."
Ling Yun crept to the window and saw two naked bodies inside the room.
"Why are all the women in this world so dark-skinned?"
Apart from Li Rou, most of the women he had seen were bare-chested and tanned. The men, on the other hand, were pale, delicate, and small, with bodies so weak that even a rabbit could easily overpower most of them.
"Who are you?"
Just then, a bandit, who appeared out of nowhere, spotted Ling Yun.
"Damn it!"
Ling Yun dashed forward and smashed the bandit's head with one strike.
It was purely accidental—the bandit had just finished a secret tryst with Lin Ruoxi's pet man and was sneaking back when he ran into Ling Yun.
Bang!
The next moment, Lin Ruoxi, wearing only shorts and wielding a large saber, burst through the door.
"Well, well, what a handsome little pretty boy! Hehehe…"
Lin Ruoxi's eyes were glued to Ling Yun, and she kept sticking her tongue out, leering at him in a perverted manner.
The other bandits, hearing the commotion, grabbed their weapons and rushed over.
Ling Yun didn't say a word. He simply grabbed two bandits and threw them forward.
"Hmph! Pretty boy, I suggest you surrender now, or I'll crush you under me later."
Lin Ruoxi effortlessly sliced the bandits Ling Yun had thrown at her in half, spilling their guts and organs all over the place.
Seizing the moment, Ling Yun lunged at her, delivering a punch to her head.
Bang!
With a dull thud, Lin Ruoxi was sent flying, three of her fingers broken.
The nearby bandits were stunned, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
"Is Big Sis getting weak? She couldn't even handle a second-level Foundation Establishment boy."
"That's impossible. Maybe she just let her guard down and didn't use her full strength."
"Don't worry. There are so many of us. What's there to fear from one little pretty boy?"
...
Lin Ruoxi gritted her teeth in pain, forcing a smile. "I don't know who you are, young hero, or why you've come to our stronghold. If it's money or spiritual herbs you want, just name your price."
Given how young Ling Yun was and how terrifyingly talented he seemed, she didn't want to provoke him unnecessarily.
"I've come to take your head!" Ling Yun charged at her again.
The two engaged in close combat, exchanging blows for over a dozen rounds. Seizing an opening, Ling Yun landed two punches to her chest.
"You… damn it… I…"
Lin Ruoxi's face turned pale as she clutched her chest, her voice trembling with pain.
"Is it really that painful?" Ling Yun was puzzled, but he wasn't about to waste this golden opportunity.
"Nine Dragons Flame Art!"
Seeing this, Lin Ruoxi gritted her teeth and decided to fight with all her strength.
"Domineering Fury Slash!"