As Lin Ruoxi's hair stood up without wind, her sword strikes became more domineering and sharp, like a mountain pressing down.
"Nine Dragons Flame Art!"
Currently, Ling Yun only had one reliable offensive technique—Nine Dragons Flame Art.
However, due to the vast gap in their cultivation levels, Ling Yun's attack was easily dispersed by Lin Ruoxi.
"Watch out for hidden weapons!"
While retreating, Ling Yun threw a cloth-wrapped ball towards Lin Ruoxi.
Hearing his warning, Lin Ruoxi instinctively slashed at the "hidden weapon," cutting it in half.
"Chief Lin, I didn't expect you to show such little mercy, even to your own sister," Ling Yun said mockingly.
Lin Ruoxi halted and looked at what she had just cut—it was Lin Ruobing's severed head.
"No! Sister!"
The two sisters had been orphaned since childhood and had always depended on each other, sharing a deep bond. Lin Ruoxi couldn't believe that, in just a few hours, her sister had been beheaded, her body left in pieces.
"You wretched bitch! I'll make sure you neither live nor die peacefully!"
Like a demon, Lin Ruoxi's hair gradually turned blood red.
"Blood Refining Technique!"
With a wave of her hands, Lin Ruoxi began absorbing the blood of two bandits from a distance, pulling it directly into her body.
"Spare us, Chief…"
"It's the Blood Refining Technique! Run, everyone!"
…
The surrounding bandits instantly fell into chaos, scattering in every direction.
"How exhilarating!"
Lin Ruoxi appeared to enjoy the sensation immensely, halting her massacre for a moment as her body disappeared from view.
Ling Yun's heart skipped a beat, sensing danger. The next second, Lin Ruoxi appeared right in front of him.
Bang!
They collided once again, but this time Ling Yun was at a disadvantage, his hand throbbing with pain.
"Damn it, are the bandits in this world all so powerful? No wonder system rewards are hard to earn," Ling Yun thought bitterly.
"Those old bastards from the sect will never suspect that I've secretly learned the Blood Refining Technique. No matter what, this person must die."
"If he escapes and reveals my secret, I'm done for."
Lin Ruoxi quickly formed hand seals, her spiritual energy surging. "Blood Spike!"
At the same moment, Ling Yun's Venomous Needle shot out.
A flash of red light sped toward Ling Yun, piercing his body with incredible speed, while the Venomous Needle pierced Lin Ruoxi's palm, leaving a tiny puncture.
Lin Ruoxi felt a sharp pain in her palm, followed by dizziness as everything around her became blurry.
"The needle is poisoned."
In a panic, Lin Ruoxi fumbled through her storage pouch, swallowing every detoxifying pill she had.
Meanwhile, the Blood Spike, now inside Ling Yun, began moving toward his dantian, its cold aura freezing his meridians along the way.
However, upon reaching his dantian, the Blood Spike faltered.
Compared to the vast ocean of Yang energy within him, the Blood Spike was utterly insignificant, like dust compared to the universe.
The Eternal Sun Physique seemed to take offense, instantly overwhelming the Blood Spike with its immense Yang energy, converting it into the purest form of life essence, which floated inside his dantian.
The frozen meridians quickly healed, becoming as good as new in no time.
"Huh? Is that all?"
Ling Yun examined his body carefully, finding no injuries at all. In fact, he even felt somewhat refreshed.
"Ah!"
By this time, Lin Ruoxi was already vomiting black blood—the poison had reached her heart. It was clear that the detoxifying pills weren't working.
"Demon!"
Knowing she had no hope of detoxification, Lin Ruoxi unleashed her full power, determined to take Ling Yun down with her.
However, halfway through her attack, the poison overwhelmed her, and she collapsed to the ground, dead with her eyes wide open.
Ling Yun calmly picked up her storage pouch, deciding to check its contents later.
"Now, it's your turn," Ling Yun said, turning his gaze toward the remaining bandits.
"No, Big Sis is dead! Run!"
"Spare us!"
"You demon, you'll die a horrible death!"
…
Ling Yun, controlling his Venomous Needle, quickly dispatched the fleeing bandits.
Their life essence only served to enhance the needle's speed and power, while also ridding the world of these scoundrels—two birds with one stone.
Soon, silence fell over the area, and all the bandits were reduced to dried-up corpses.
Ling Yun ignited a large fire, burning their bodies to ashes.
Returning to Han Zheng's room, he found Bi Gouyu still asleep under the bed.
"Wake up. It's time to leave," Ling Yun said, shaking him awake.
Bi Gouyu opened his eyes, trembling as he followed behind Ling Yun.
As they arrived at the central area of the stronghold, a group of ragged men and women cautiously watched their surroundings. They were the ordinary people who had been abducted and tormented by the bandits.
The women were emaciated, starved to the point of being little more than skin and bones. The men, with vacant eyes and tattered clothes, looked like walking corpses.
Seeing this, Ling Yun felt a pang of sympathy. "These beasts… I let them die too easily."
"Don't be afraid, everyone. I was sent by the authorities to rescue you and take you back to Moon Spirit City. Follow me, and I'll guide you back."
Ling Yun had originally planned to leave immediately, but seeing their condition, he knew they wouldn't survive long in the wilderness, likely falling prey to wild animals.
Hearing that they were being rescued, the group burst into tears, hugging each other and crying.
They quickly formed neat lines and followed closely behind Ling Yun.
At dawn, Ling Yun led the group back along the path he had taken.
Thankfully, the group was very cooperative, causing no trouble along the way.
By noon, hunger had set in for everyone, so Ling Yun hunted a few deer to feed them.
As the deer roasted over the fire, the group couldn't help but stare hungrily, swallowing their saliva.
Ling Yun tore off a deer leg, tasted it, and found it to be incredibly delicious, free from additives and overly processed flavors.
Seeing Ling Yun eat, the group finally dared to start eating as well, ravenously devouring the meat.
"Hero, I don't even know your name yet," Bi Gouyu asked, holding a deer tail as he sat down beside Ling Yun.
Hearing this, the others also perked up their ears to listen.
"Ling Yun."
"Hero Ling, my name is Bi Gouyu. I'm the son of the Bi family in Moon Spirit City. If you can escort me safely back home, my mother will reward you handsomely with spirit stones and treasures. How about it?" Bi Gouyu offered.
"Deal," Ling Yun said, extending his hand.
He didn't trust Mei Xue's group and didn't want to stay in contact with them. Having the backing of the Bi family would make things much easier for him.
"Uh… deal! Great!" Bi Gouyu was surprised by how readily Ling Yun agreed and was overjoyed.
"Brother Ling, how are you so strong?"
"And where are you from? You're so handsome, even more than the famed courtesans."
…
As they became more familiar, Bi Gouyu began bombarding Ling Yun with endless questions, much to his annoyance.
In the end, Ling Yun simply pretended not to hear and ignored him.
Along the way, Ling Yun also learned some basic information about Moon Spirit City.
Aside from the City Lord's Mansion, there were three powerful families: the Qin family, the Bi family, and the Mei family.
Each family controlled different businesses, and while they appeared harmonious on the surface, fierce conflicts constantly brewed in secret, often resulting in bloodshed.
However, ever since Mei Xue became an inner disciple of the Clearwater Sect, the delicate balance of power had been broken.
The previously weaker Mei family had grown increasingly arrogant and powerful.
The other two families, not wanting to provoke conflict, chose to turn a blind eye as long as things didn't go too far.
"How strong is the Mei family?" Ling Yun asked.
"The Mei family has twelve experts in the Cave Heaven realm, and their ancestor is at the ninth level of Cave Heaven, though she's nearing the end of her life and has been in seclusion for a long time," Bi Gouyu replied, tilting his head as he thought.
Ling Yun was quietly shocked. The strength of Moon Spirit City far surpassed that of Cloud Sea City.
Just one family had over ten Cave Heaven experts!