When Lin Xun’s consciousness struck like a sharp blade and enveloped a shadow of death, he felt like he had returned to the Hundred Battles Secret Realm.
His opponent was the Snake Spirit Clan cultivator.
He was a snake-headed cultivator with a blood-colored blade in his four arms. He suddenly brought his blade up in a slash…
Star-Gather!
The familiar scene made Lin Xun recall the shock, unwillingness, despair and helplessness when the blade previously killed him.
It was a shadow of death, a residual demonic thought in his mind!
Die!
The Snake Spirit Clan cultivator was charging toward him.
A blade appeared in Lin Xun’s grip and his eyes flashed killing intent like lightning. He also charged forward and attacked with Star-Gather.
Boom!The two clashed, sending a shower of light shooting everywhere.
Lin Xun’s figure was annihilated, but that didn’t equal death. All those scenes were transformed from a shadow of death and Lin Xun’s annihilation only represented the collapse of the wisp of consciousness in his mind.
In short, this was a battle between a shadow of death and Lin Xun’s consciousness.
When that wisp of consciousness collapsed, Lin Xun looked exceptionally calm and terrifying. It was as if he was devoid of emotions. He immediately released another wisp of consciousness and fought with another shadow of death.
He had grasped the opportunity that he had been waiting for! Even if he repeatedly failed, given his unmatched spirit power, he could still charge over again and again until all the shadows of death had been obliterated.
This was an extremely unique way of fighting. The real Lin Xun was still sitting cross-legged on the ground and circulating the Little Divine Meditation Art to visualize the star cycles to maintain his consciousness in an absolutely calm state.
All this made Lin Xun’s battle against the shadows of death seem illusory and entirely unreal as he was using his battle experience as well as his grasp of Star-Gather in his consciousness to deal with the inner demons lingering in his mind. In truth, the danger was as great as in a real battle or perhaps even more terrifying.
After all, there were too many shadows of death. It was incredibly difficult to single out one of them to attack. If the other shadows of death were alerted and attacked together, the consequences would be disastrous.
However, Lin Xun had no other option; he had to fight all he had.
Die!
A familiar scene appeared once again. The Snake Spirit Clan cultivator came charging toward him in the same way as before.
Lin Xun met him head-on.
Lin Xun continued to fail and his wisps of consciousness were constantly destroyed. It seemed like he had a slim chance of success.
However, every battle deepened his understanding of Star-Gather. His counterattacking power also improved every time!
Battles were undoubtedly the most effective way to hone one’s martial arts. This principle also applied to Lin Xun.
Just as Lin Xun had speculated, his opponent’s control of Star-Gather and its powers could kill him in the most direct way.
At the same time, it allowed him to fully understand and appreciate the true mystery and power of Star-Gather!
……
Failed.
Failed.
Failed.
It was unknown how many times he had failed but his comprehension of Star-Gather deepened every time. Soon, Lin Xun’s consciousness suddenly halted.
Time seemed to have stilled and a flash of realization rushed out like a tide. It compelled Lin Xun to make a forward slash with his blade.
The blade slash, skilful and swift, and was almost undetectable.
Boom!
Before the Snake Spirit Clan cultivator could make a move, the blade had already crushed him.
He succeeded!
In other words, Lin Xun had surpassed the Snake Spirit Clan cultivator in terms of control and comprehension of Star-Gather!
However, Lin Xun was neither happy nor sad. He remained incredibly calm, and then, without the slightest hesitation, his consciousness had already begun to envelop the second shadow of death.
……
The courtyard was silent and still, and the night darkened.
Hazy, dreamy silver starlight shrouded the courtyard and gentle mist spiraled up. The courtyard looked sacred and ethereal.
The flowers and plants were full of vitality on the ground, swaying harmoniously with the ethereal and melancholic flute sound.
Xue Jin and Granny Feng suddenly narrowed their eyes as they noticed that the murderous aura around Lin Xun had lessened by a third.
Both their faces lit up, knowing that Liu Qingyan’s method was indeed effective!
However, when the two looked at Liu Qingyan, their hearts tensed up again.
Although Liu Qingyan’s expression remained calm, her brows were knitted together and her stunning face had paled a little.
It was incredibly worrying because the ancient piece of music she was playing was incredibly taxing!
However, Liu Qingyan couldn't stop now. Xue Jin and Granny Feng could only pray that Lin Xun could eliminate the inner demon as soon as possible.
……
The battle taking place in his consciousness differed completely from those in reality. The battles between his consciousness and the shadows of death seemed long but they ended in an instant.
As the saying went: the sea turns into the mulberry field with one thought!
After Lin Xun gained experience from killing the first shadow of death, coupled with his improved understanding of Star-Gather, he didn’t failed as often. Instead, he won much faster than before.
Every mysterious secret realm cultivator represented by the shadow of death was from a different mysterious clan. Although they all had mastered the Star-Gather move, their styles were completely different.
Just like there were no two identical leaves in the world, the same Star-Gather also produced different powers and styles due to the difference in cultivators’ understanding of its essence.
Therefore, Lin Xun’s battles with the secret realm cultivators were similar to dealing with different styles of Star-Gather. As he learned their strengths and weaknesses, it steadily improved his mastery of Star-Gather!
Die!
Lin Xun fought faster and faster, and his control of Star-Gather had become more and more skillful. He was able to display its essence and mysteries with great precision.
Additionally, his Star-Gather seemed to have integrated the strengths of the different styles of Star-Gather.
Die!
The shadows of death were constantly being wiped out in his mind. The feelings of fear, death and bitterness contained within them also vanished.
Die!
Soon, Lin Xun was certain that he was no longer in a life-or-death crisis!
……
“It lessened again. The kid is getting faster at killing the inner demons!”
In the courtyard, Xue Jin’s and Granny Feng’s eyes brightened and the worry in their hearts gradually faded.
The inner demons were deep in his body but Lin Xun was able to avert the disaster. It was one of the most dangerous situations in the world, so the two great cultivators couldn’t help but feel amazed.
They even reckoned that Lin Xun’s cultivation would no doubt undergo an astonishing transformation and his future path would no doubt widen.
Suddenly, Liu Qingyan’s forehead wrinkled. She coughed out a mouthful of blood. Her stunningly beautiful face was deathly pale and her bright eyes had dimmed. The ethereal and melancholic flute sound stopped abruptly.
Granny Feng gasped and rushed over towards her. She held onto Liu Qingyan’s slender, trembling body and asked in worry, “Miss, are you all right?”
Xue Jin’s heart also sank. Liu Qingyan likely couldn’t bear the huge consumption of power and had wounded herself!
This was an extremely serious matter in cultivation and it could have irreparable consequences!
“I’m fine.”
Liu Qingyan inhaled deeply and wiped the bloodstains from the corners of her lips. She glanced at Lin Xun and asked in worry, “Young Master Lin Xun still hasn’t awakened?”
Anger rushed to Granny Feng’s face. “Miss, you’re still worried about that kid at such a time. This is just…simply…simply…” She was so furious that she couldn’t speak.
Liu Qingyan quickly apologized, “Granny, I’m sorry I made you worry. I’m really fine. I just won’t be able to mobilize my cultivation for a while.”
Naturally, Granny Feng didn’t believe her. She circulated her powers and examined Liu Qingyan’s entire body. Although her face was still overcast, she was relieved. The injury indeed isn’t serious but it will still be a little troublesome to completely recover.
“Hmph, if anything happens to you, that kid will have to pay for it with his life!” Granny Feng uttered coldly.
From their conversation, Xue Jin knew that Liu Qingyan’s problem could be solved and that it wasn’t irreparable damage. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Right! That kid is so ridiculous. He made other people suffer because of his matters. I will teach him a lesson when he wakes up!”
Xue Jin suddenly turned his head and sneered, “Brat, you’re already awake. How long are you going to pretend for?”
“Er…” Lin Xun’s eyes were half opened and his face reddened with embarrassment. He had indeed woken up long ago.
Immediately, he rose to his feet, avoiding Granny Feng’s murderous gaze at the same time. He stepped forward and said to Liu Qingyan, “Thank you for your help. I will repay you in the future!”
His tone was serious and sincere because he knew that he was only able to successfully obliterate the shadows of death with Liu Qingyan’s help. He felt utmost gratitude towards her.
“Young Master, you are too polite. I’m just glad you have awakened. I felt very bad about what happened between you and Huang Jianchen. Just treat this as an apology for last time,” Liu Qingyan said softly.
Lin Xun stared at Liu Qingyan with wide eyes. He had never thought that the maiden who was known throughout the empire would be troubled by such a trivial matter.
“Young Master, what’s the matter?” Liu Qingyan’s pale face flushed. It was the first time that someone was staring at her so closely.
“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about how to repay you,” Lin Xun withdrew his gaze and explained. He was indeed being truthful and he had never been as serious as he was now.
“You want to repay her? It’s very simple—quickly repair the Ancient Law Ocarina!” Granny Feng coldly interjected.
Lin Xun didn’t waver in the least. “That’s not a problem. Within three days, I promise it will be repaired to how it was originally.”
After he said that, he realized that something was wrong. Granny Feng and Liu Qingyan were staring at him in bewilderment.
Xue Jin also donned a strange expression.
“Well…” Lin Xun attempted to explain. “Don’t misunderstand. I mean my Master, Master Xun, and not me. But I can guarantee that it will be completely repaired in three days. That’s for sure!”
The more he explained, the more he felt like he was digging a hole for himself. Granny Feng’s and Liu Qingyan’s expressions grew more and more strange.