Chapter 86: The Blood-Soaked Hunter

Unleashing his full power, Lin Yun's sword Qi was far beyond what the Deathclaws could handle. Even though they were numerous, they were quickly slaughtered to the last.

This time, Lin Yun didn't dare to linger. He had also discovered a problem. The Great River Sword Style and the Azure Origin Sword Style were powerful, no doubt. But if he kept fighting like this, even the famously continuous Yuan Qi of a sword cultivator couldn't withstand such consumption.

So, over the next few days, Lin Yun began to practice his sword forms without channeling his Yuan Qi, relying only on the strength of his body, just like with the Seven Profound Sword Style.

Whether by coincidence or some other reason, he found that after being tempered by the Seven Profound Sword Style, it didn't take long for him to execute the Great River and Azure Origin styles with his physical form alone—techniques that were originally supposed to require Yuan Qi.

This development stunned Jiang Zhengqing and the others watching from afar.

By now, only a few disciples occasionally stopped to watch the projection in the Great Hall's plaza. They saw Lin Yun moving through the forest when he was suddenly ambushed by several Deathclaws at once. The beasts had been lying in wait for a long time, and their attacks all targeted his blind spots.

Compared to a few days ago, Lin Yun's combat tactics were now far more mature. He brandished his Coldflame Sword, first sidestepping the attack of one Deathclaw. With a sliding step, his sword plunged directly into the creature's soft underbelly. Then, using the strength of his arm, he hurled the impaled Deathclaw into another one.

He leaped through the trees like an agile monkey; the Deathclaws simply couldn't touch him. In a short while, they were all cleanly dispatched. He was like a completely different person from the Lin Yun who had just arrived in the Ancient Forbidden Land.

"This kid… he's a real talent," Ning Changkong said with a smile.

In such a short time, Lin Yun's growth was visible to the naked eye. Although his cultivation realm hadn't increased, his combat experience was advancing by leaps and bounds. They had never expected this young man to possess such talent, able to handle several times his number in enemies with such ease.

What shocked Jiang Zhengqing the most, however, was Lin Yun's ability to wield advanced sword techniques without channeling Yuan Qi. That required immense physical fortitude and a powerful Sword Dao Will. Among the sword cultivators of the current generation, very few could achieve such a feat.

After finishing off the Deathclaws, Lin Yun carved off their flesh. These creatures were dangerous, but their meat was fresh and tender. He had been relying on it to fill his stomach for some time now.

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he felt that after eating the flesh of these Deathclaws, not only had his body grown stronger, but the monsters themselves seemed to be more wary of him. Could this be the 'killing intent' the old folks always talk about? Lin Yun muttered to himself.

This was his eighth day in the Ancient Forbidden Land, but he still hadn't left the confines of the Origin Realm. Within this zone, the most common enemy he encountered were the Deathclaws. The rest were just minor beasts at the early-to-mid Origin Fusion Realm. Though they were numerous, they were no match for him. He was now like a veritable god of slaughter; he had nearly wiped out all the lesser beasts in the entire Origin Realm.

As the days passed, Lin Yun's appearance grew more weathered and rugged. His body, however, was far more robust than when he had first arrived. His muscles were now corded and powerful; a single punch could stun a Deathclaw. Perhaps because he had slain so many, his killing intent had also grown heavy. Some of the weaker exotic beasts wouldn't even dare to resist after a single glare from him.

"The Deathclaws are no longer a threat to me," he murmured, perched on a tree branch. "But I haven't run into anything more challenging than them recently."

He could now face eight Deathclaws simultaneously and escape completely unscathed. In the beginning, he would occasionally get scratched up, but that was no longer an issue. And in most cases, he didn't even need to use his Yuan Qi.

During this process, what surprised Lin Yun even more was that the Azure Origin Sword Style, the Great River Sword Style, and the Myriad Blossoms Sword Style were gradually beginning to merge. With the Azure Origin as the core and the other two as support, Lin Yun seemed to be forging a path unlike any other. While pleased, he had to admit that the Azure Origin Sword Style was truly ferocious. The other techniques couldn't compare.

As Lin Yun was lost in thought, a furious roar suddenly echoed from the distance. It sounded like some great beast had been enraged.

He had just been lamenting the lack of a worthy opponent. He immediately followed the sound.

He arrived to see a savage-looking gorilla in the process of uprooting a massive tree and smashing it towards a giant python. The python was over a hundred feet long and as thick as a water urn. Its body was covered in eerie, iridescent scales. Flicking its tongue, its eyes glinted with cold, murderous intent.

Facing the gorilla's attack, the python simply whipped its tail like a massive lash. The hundred-year-old tree trunk was shattered with ease.

"A Red-Eared Ape. And a Phantom Python?" Lin Yun muttered, sizing up the two Origin Sea Realm exotic beasts and calculating if he could handle them.

The Red-Eared Ape didn't look to be in good shape. The Phantom Python was inherently stronger, not to mention its venom posed a greater threat to the ape.

Just then, news of Lin Yun encountering two Origin Sea beasts spread like wildfire through the Beast Taming Sect. Many disciples gathered around the projection to watch.

"Tsk tsk, two Origin Sea beasts. If he gets spotted, he's dead for sure."

"Lin Yun can handle a few Deathclaws, no problem. But this is a Red-Eared Ape and a Phantom Python. Not just anyone can defeat those two."

The crowd buzzed with discussion. No one believed Lin Yun could handle these two creatures.

"Facing two Origin Sea beasts at once… it would be wise to go around them," Duan Wuya said quietly.

Cao Yuke also nodded. "The beasts in the forbidden land are fierce. That Phantom Python is notoriously…"

The elders trailed off, their words catching in their throats. Because they saw Lin Yun charge forward, joining the Red-Eared Ape to fight the Phantom Python.

The Phantom Python had noticed the human's presence long ago, but facing a strong enemy, it had chosen to ignore the seemingly insignificant Lin Yun. It never imagined that this human would actually have the audacity to challenge it.

Provoked by a mere human, the Phantom Python was truly angered. But with the Red-Eared Ape still there, its chances of winning a one-on-two fight were slim.

However, the Phantom Python was cunning. It retreated several paces, then opened its mouth and spewed a dense, purple fog that instantly shrouded the entire area.

Lin Yun frowned. As expected, this beast was not easy to deal with. It was using a poison mist to conceal itself. Although the mist wouldn't cause him immediate harm, inhaling it for a prolonged period would be too much for his body to handle.

The longer this dragged on, the bigger the problem would become. And now that he was targeted by the Phantom Python, there was no thought of leaving early.