Chapter 28 Meanwhile…

In another place in time…

The vast chamber stretched into darkness, its boundaries lost in shadow. Silvery strands of web adorned the walls. Each strand pulsed with a faint, sickly glow, forming an intricate network that connected every corner of the space.

Below, dozens of spirit beasts lay trapped or restrained. Some were bound directly by webbing, while others appeared simply too weak to move, their spiritual energy drained to near nothing.

The variety was staggering.

A Green Fang Rat dangled limply in the silk, its emerald fur matted, venom dripping uselessly from its fangs. Nearby, a Four-Winged Spotted Owl lay pinned beneath layers of webbing, its speckled feathers dulled, golden eyes clouded with exhaustion. Most unsettling was the Two-Headed Giant Worm, its steel-like mandibles twitching futilely, its massive body shuddering beneath the suffocating cocoon that held it bound.

At the center, where all the strings of webs converged to, was a massive corpse of the Nightglow Silk Spider. The corpse of the beast was long cold, but its powerful spiritual energy remained. Roughly forty cultivators surrounded the corpse, eyeing the treasure that had been unearthed from the corpse that had its abdomen split open in half.

Despite a treasure being within sight, nobody moved. Instead, threats echoed through the chamber.

"Thief! You dare to steal our prey?"

"Hand it over, and we might consider letting you go!"

"Are you looking to die?!"

They all glared at the man who stood above them and atop the massive corpse. In his hand, the beast core pulsed with residual power. His sword, still drawn, shined in the web-light, but his eyes remained fixed on the cultivators surrounding him.

Young Master Guo Fengyuan stood at the forefront, his pristine white robes a stark contrast to the chamber's grim atmosphere. His usual arrogance had taken on an almost reasonable tone, though his eyes never left the beast core's outline visible in Lin Tian's sleeve.

"Fellow Daoist," Guo Fengyuan's voice carried that particular tone of forced civility that aristocrats reserved for those they wished to assert their dominance towards. "There's no need for conflict here. Serve under me, and I'll ensure you're well rewarded. That beast core alone could fund a small sect for years, but it requires the right handling."

He spread his hands in a gesture of apparent generosity.

"Why struggle alone when you could have the protection of my great Liuyun Sect?!"

And as if to show the greatness of the sect, the fifteen people swiftly responded to his words, puffing their chests out in pride. Together they released their spiritual energy, showing off their cultivation bases. The strongest among them boasted the impressive 9th stage of the Qi Refining, while the weakest were at minimum like Senior Sister Tang Min who was only in the 5th stage.

The non-Liuyun sect cultivators did not do anything, but their deferential postures and unconcealed arrogance showed their stance. Regardless of their cultivation level or background, they all followed behind the young master.

Lin Tian's expression remained carefully neutral, though his grip tightened imperceptibly on his sword, almost shaking in fury.

"…You don't recognize me?"

Guo Fengyun frowned from Lin Tian's response. He pondered for a moment. Then, he said with confidence,

"This young master, believes we have not met before."

At first, he thought that Guo Fengyuan was forgetting about him on purpose. But from his serious response and scheming yet innocent expression, it could be clearly seen that this young master did not recognize Lin Tian at all!

The look in Lin Tian's eyes flashed with a terrifying cold light.

In Guo Fengyuan's mind, the cultivator he struck on the first day of the secret realm was a dead person and had been forgotten long ago.

"Oh? What's with that look?"

"Young Master!" Peng Xun suddenly pushed forward, his eyes widening with recognition. "That's him! I don't know how but, he's the bumpkin trash who—"

"Who you struck down four days ago?" Lin Tian finished quietly. The chamber seemed to grow colder with his words. "Tell me, Young Master Guo, do you often forget the faces of those you try to kill?"

The shift in atmosphere was immediate.

Guo Fengyuan's expression turned to confusion before quickly darkening, his earlier pretense of civility dissipating like smoke. The cultivators around him tensed, hands ready with their weapons.

"Ah? Really? You're actually not dead? Trash really are hard to dispose of sometimes," Guo sneered, his true nature emerging. "To think I offered you a position. Peng Xun, I apologize for my brief moment of poor judgment."

Lin Tian didn't respond immediately. Instead, his gaze drifted to the webbing that filled the chamber. Every strand led back to the spider's corpse beneath his feet, creating a vast network that bound the beasts.

"Your judgment," Lin Tian said softly, "has always been poor."

His sword hovered right above a series of web strings.

"Stop him!" Guo Fengyuan's command carried no urgency, only contempt. A lazy smile spread across his face as he watched Lin Tian's blade hover over in 'threat'. "Though I suppose we can let this delusional fool try."

Several cultivators chuckled at their young master's casual dismissal. Some of them even walked to 'stop' Lin Tian.

"These aren't ordinary webs," Guo continued, gesturing at the bound creatures around them. "Look around you. Even that Two-Headed Giant Worm with its steel-crushing mandibles couldn't break free. What makes you think your measly sword can accomplish anything?"

He swept his arm wide, encompassing the chamber.

"If it weren't for these silk strands keeping these beasts restrained, we wouldn't have such an easy time collecting treasures here. So please, by all means..."

He made an elaborate beckoning gesture.

"...try to break them."

Lin Tian's response was glacial. "You know, Young Master Guo, you should really have someone examine your head." His sword remained perfectly still above the strands. "First forgetting faces, and now another poor judgment... I'm starting to worry about your mental state."

"Oh?" Guo's smile didn't waver.

"After all," Lin Tian continued, his voice carrying an edge of mock concern, "it must be exhausting, being wrong so consistently."

The ring on his finger pulsed once, and suddenly his blade wasn't just a blade. It moved like living moonlight, leaving trails of silver in the air as it descended toward the web strands beneath his feet.

Whoosh!

The sword struck.

Everyone laughed at the fool, but their expressions stiffened upon noticing something was wrong.

Power exploded through the chamber as Lin Tian's blade, enhanced by some profound strength, severed not just the physical strands but the spiritual connections woven into them. The effect rippled outward like a stone dropped in still water. Everywhere the resonance touched, web strands snapped with sharp reports like breaking bowstrings.

**SNAP**

**SNAP**

**SNAP**

…

The chamber erupted into chaos.

The Two-Headed Giant Worm was the first to break free, its twin jaws snapping through the silk with a shriek of grinding steel. The Green Fang Rat tore itself loose in a frenzy, venomous fangs bared, while the Four-Winged Spotted Owl shook off its bindings, its wings unfurling in a blur of regained strength. Dozens of other beasts followed, their restraints disintegrating as the web network collapsed.

"The Green Fang Rat! Don't let it near you—its venom!"

"Sister Ling is down! Someone help—"

"Protect the Young Master!"

"We're all going to die here! All because of this bastard!"

The cultivators scattered in panic, their earlier bravado crumbling as fast as the web network itself. Some tried to maintain formation, others fled toward the chamber exits. The vast majority of them looked towards the young master for help.

"You—" Guo's voice shook with rage and the first traces of fear. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Lin Tian's response was simple, delivered with the same quiet certainty that had characterized his every move since appearing in this chamber:

"Created a distraction."

Lin Tian's figure blurred into motion, darting between the chaos of freed beasts and panicking cultivators. He chose a path that led even deeper into the secret realm's depths.

"MAINTAIN ORDER!" Guo Fengyuan's voice cracked through the chamber, struggling to project authority even as his fingers whitened around his saber's handle. "Everyone head for the exits! Move in groups, don't—" He cut off as a beast nearly trampled three fleeing disciples.

SHING!

—only for his mighty Thundercrush Saber to cleave downward, bursting with electricity upon impact. The crackling force sent the creature staggering and crashing to the ground, buying the disciples precious seconds to escape.

"Wei Song, take point! Liu Chen, guard the rear!"

But his eyes never left the direction Lin Tian had fled.

"Brothers Feng, Zhong, Song—take ten of our strongest and follow that rat!" The command came through clenched teeth, his carefully maintained image of nobility cracking. "The rest of you, get these idiots out before they all die!"

As the chosen cultivators peeled away from the group to give chase, Guo Fengyuan's expression turned murderous. He watched the last of the regular disciples evacuate, then turned toward the deeper passages.

"This time," he snarled, his true nature fully exposed, "I'll personally ensure there's nothing left to bury!"

If Zhao was here, he would be cussing inwardly at his idiotic 'teammates', ready to blame them for the future. How his great efforts to make peace and his attempt to prevent his sect's destruction had become a pile of shit.

Deep in the passages, Lin Tian continued to move his legs without stop. He could still hear his pursuers right on his tail. As for the beast core, it was now safely stored in his ring.

"Young Master," he whispered into the darkness, "do try to survive what's coming. It would be... disappointing if something else claimed your life before I could properly repay your kindness."

Suddenly, Lin Tian's movements slowed down.

He wore a vigilant look.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind…"

Somewhere nearby, dark shapes writhed in various forms amongst the shadows of the hunting.