"So you think I killed just because I wanted to!"
Hearing Evan Lin's words, Master Baiyun's face changed dramatically atop the treetop.
"My disciples—you just kill them as you please? Not even a reason? Do you really think Master Baiyun is that easy to bully?"
Master Baiyun erupted in fury.
"You don't even have the qualifications to be bullied by me."
Evan Lin shook his head.
"Don't get so arrogant! I am a true Life-and-Death Mage!"
Master Baiyun heard Evan's words and roared in anger. With a wave of his hand, a violent wind swept up, and several white clouds in the sky gathered toward Master Baiyun.
Master Baiyun stepped into the air and leapt up. The surrounding clouds transformed into thousands of blades and swords, all surging toward Evan Lin standing at the bunker entrance.
Those blades and swords condensed from white clouds did not dissipate; each one was solid and real, slicing through the air with a fierce, whistling wind.
"Life-and-Death Mage? What's that supposed to be?"
Evan Lin looked up at the sky, watching the rain of blades, spears, swords, and staves, completely unafraid.
Master Baiyun now rode a drifting cloud, charging toward Evan Lin.
"Even if you're a Vajra expert, in my eyes, you're nothing but paper!"
"The depths of the Life-and-Death realm—how could someone like you possibly understand!"
Master Baiyun's hands moved nonstop. He fiercely tapped the compass in his hand, which spun rapidly; from its center, countless crimson fire threads shot out, each flying toward the surrounding blades and swords and merging into them.
Instantly, the entire sky was filled with flaming red clouds!
The sky above the mountain glowed a blazing red.
Far away, outside the mountain, several farmers working in the fields instinctively looked up. They saw the dazzling scene on the horizon, and everyone was stunned by the sight.
This mountain area, with its beautiful scenery and riverside setting, had a farmhouse-inn built nearby because of the view.
Inside the farmhouse-inn, in one of the guest rooms, a girl in casual clothes lay on the desk, playing with a lazy cat sprawled in front of her.
A moment later, someone knocked on the window. Outside stood a sunny-looking boy, who glanced at the girl and smiled, "Yolanda Fang, look at the sky!"
Yolanda didn't even bother to lift her head at the sound, barely acknowledging the boy outside. After a moment, seeing no reaction, he left with a helpless look.
Yolanda lifted her eyelids to confirm he was gone, then raised her head and looked toward the horizon. The flaming clouds dyed the whole sky red, reminding her of that day in Zhaoyu Town—when she hopped out of the mountains with Lynn Chen after losing a shoe, and glanced back to see the sky covered in dark clouds far away.
"Little Evan Lin, what are you up to right now?"
Yolanda propped up her head with one hand and scratched the lazy cat in front of her with the other.
She'd been forced by her parents to come to the farmhouse-inn this time, and ever since going to Oceanport, Yolanda had stopped using her old number to avoid dragging Evan Lin and Lynn Chen into trouble. She hadn't contacted anyone in Oceanport since.
Recently, news of Ethan Yi's defeat in Capitalview had spread like wildfire, but Yolanda found herself no longer interested.
"Maybe, possibly, probably... you'd better not come here. Otherwise, it'll just be too hard."
Yolanda muttered to herself. She knew just how domineering her parents were, and understood that if Evan Lin really came to Oceanport, he'd face unimaginable pressure.
......
In the sky, the sea of flaming clouds surged straight toward Evan Lin.
Master Baiyun's face was full of rage, his Daoist robe billowing around him.
"Rise!"
Evan Lin looked up at everything before him. With a stomp, countless stone walls suddenly formed around him. The flaming clouds, transformed into blades and swords, all crashed into the stone walls in an instant.
Bang!
The stone walls, which looked unbreakable at first glance, were instantly reduced to clouds of dust by the countless blades and swords.
"It's useless! My blades and swords are tougher than ordinary weapons! Not to mention your little tricks—even a peak Mystic Arts Adept's defense couldn't withstand them!"
Master Baiyun sneered in midair, grabbing a flaming cloud-forged longsword at his side and thrusting it straight at the shattered stones ahead!
Countless shards of stone were destroyed, revealing Evan Lin's figure behind them. Facing the rain of blades and swords, Evan suddenly clasped his hands behind his back and strode forward.
"Step of the Seven Stars!"
Evan Lin called out in a low voice, his expression calm as his speed suddenly increased.
In Master Baiyun's eyes, the youth below now moved with a wind-like stride, each step containing a hint of profound mystery.
It looked as if he was locked in by the rain of blades and swords, but at the very moment they fell like rain, the youth managed to slip through tiny gaps and dodge every blade!
The blades and swords couldn't even graze his clothes!
"No matter how clever your footwork, take this sword and see if you can dodge!"
Master Baiyun roared, fiercely swiping the compass across the longsword in his other hand. The crimson sword instantly grew more than ten times larger, transforming into a massive blade. Its edge was razor-sharp. Master Baiyun gripped the hilt with one hand, exerted his strength, and stabbed the giant sword toward the ground with a muffled grunt.
This strike locked down a fifty-meter diameter around Evan Lin! In an instant, the frenzied force slammed into the ground!
Rumble!
Dust billowed across the ground, and countless grasses and trees were swept away by the sword's wild momentum, leaving a huge crater in the earth.
Master Baiyun panted slightly, the flaming cloud sword in his hand dissipating. Only the compass remained, spinning slowly in his grasp—but unlike before, it was now severely damaged and looked ready to shatter at any moment.
"How dare you act so arrogant in front of me? Death is what you deserve. Even if you were a Vajra, you'd still die!"
Master Baiyun took a deep breath and let out a cold laugh.
In his eyes, Evan Lin—who could withstand so many of his spells—was already a supremely gifted Vajra, with a body of peerless strength.
But even so, death was inevitable.
"Vajra Realm, Mystic Arts Adept, Yin-Yang Mage... What is it that you people actually cultivate?"
From within the dust, a faint sigh was heard.
Master Baiyun's face twitched, and he looked over in disbelief.
There, a lone figure stood atop the shattered stones at the very center—hands behind his back, face indifferent, eyes filled with icy calm.
Not a scratch!
"How... how is this possible!" Master Baiyun stared, eyes wide with disbelief.