Chapter 90: Ye Chengkong

Damn it. This is no place for a human.

Lin Yun leaned against a large tree, gasping for breath. For over a month, he had wandered between life and death countless times. He was lucky to have honed some of his skills back in the Origin Realm. Otherwise, in the perilous Nether-Ghost Dense Forest, he would have undoubtedly perished.

But after walking for more than a month, Lin Yun still hadn't found a single clue about the Chaos Forbidden Land. He was even beginning to doubt if the place truly existed. How could there be absolutely no trace of it?

Lin Yun bound a wound on his body while glancing down at the ground. There lay a crimson exotic beast that resembled a mantis, but it was massive, its body covered in a hard, protective carapace. This creature not only possessed incredible defense but also terrifying speed and destructive power. Of all the beasts he had encountered recently, this one was by far the most difficult to deal with. It wasn't recorded in the Compendium of Mountains and Seas; it was a unique creature.

Lin Yun tightened his grip on his Coldflame Sword. After dressing his wounds, he slowly stood up. The Red Mantis's shell was tough, but not impervious. As an Origin Sea Stage 5 beast, it was a truly tenacious opponent. Lin Yun had only encountered it by chance earlier and had been relentlessly hunted to this very spot. Of course, he had left a number of wounds on the creature as well, which was likely why it was pursuing him with such single-minded fury.

But looking at the beast below, Lin Yun felt a pounding headache.

The Red Mantis searched the vicinity for a long time but failed to find him. It let out an enraged roar and was about to leave. But just then, Lin Yun accidentally made a sound.

Instantly, the Red Mantis's eyes locked onto his position.

Without the slightest hesitation, the creature charged forward like a mobile fortress. Its sharp legs dug into the tree trunk, its climbing speed just as fast as its charge.

Lin Yun's expression hardened. With a raise of his right hand, his Yuan Qi condensed into several flying swords that hovered around him before shooting out like bullets.

The only weak point on the Red Mantis was its abdomen. But the creature's self-defense was textbook-perfect. The moment the flying swords shot forward, the mantis let out a sharp screech and brandished its scythe-like arms, weaving a dense, impenetrable net before it. The swords struck the net, sending sparks flying, before dissipating one by one.

"Damn it, am I really worth all this trouble for you?" Lin Yun's eyes widened.

The Red Mantis's legs, like steel needles, sent wood chips flying as it scaled the tree. Lin Yun's head throbbed. Dealing with this thing was not going to be easy.

Seeing the mantis getting closer, Lin Yun pushed his movement technique to the absolute limit. His body flickered, leaving several afterimages in the air as he leaped down from the tree.

The Red Mantis, naturally, would not give up. It leaped after him like a giant spider.

Lin Yun knew this was his only chance. This beast was too damn tenacious. He stared intently at the Red Mantis. At that moment, as it soared through the air, its abdomen was wide open—the perfect opportunity to strike a killing blow.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Yun gripped his sword with one hand, not daring to relax for an instant.

The moment the Red Mantis began its descent, Lin Yun strode forward. He thrust the Coldflame Sword straight out.

But at that precise moment, the Red Mantis curled its lower limbs inward, as if hugging itself.

CLANG!

Sparks flew. Lin Yun's thrust failed to pierce the mantis's abdomen. Instead, he was nearly knocked senseless by the impact with the creature's massive body.

Just as he was about to be crushed, in a flash of lightning and spark of flint, Lin Yun let out a muffled grunt. He gripped the hilt of the Coldflame Sword with both hands. It was a Dharma-tier weapon, after all. How could he give up so easily?

With a roar from Lin Yun, the Coldflame Sword released a scorching heat. He didn't know how hot it became in that instant, but the Red Mantis's limbs glowed like a red-hot branding iron. With a single powerful thrust, Lin Yun tore an opening.

Azure Origin Sword Style!

Several streams of sword Qi followed the Coldflame Sword, plunging deep into the Red Mantis's abdomen.

At the same time, the creature, writhing in agony, let out a final, desperate shriek and swung its pincers.

SCHLICK!

A pincer tore a gruesome hole straight through Lin Yun's shoulder. Blood gushed out like a fountain. But he showed no intention of letting go, instead pushing the sword even deeper.

Lin Yun could feel the Coldflame Sword destroying the Red Mantis's internal organs from the inside out. All he had to do now was hold on. Victory belonged to whoever could endure.

Man and beast were locked in a stalemate, a grim contest of endurance. At first, the Red Mantis rhythmically tried to wound Lin Yun, forcing him to abandon his attack. But as Lin Yun clenched his jaw and pushed the sword forward with all his might, the mantis began to lose control of its body.

Finally, its forelimbs could only wave feebly. Its massive body crashed to the ground.

The creature… was finally dead.

Lin Yun stared at the fallen Red Mantis, his head spinning. No, I can't pass out. This is the Ancient Forbidden Land. If I pass out… I'll die!

He tried to stay awake, but the massive blood loss was too much. He stumbled and fell to the ground. As his eyes closed, he saw a figure walking towards him.

Then, he lost consciousness.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Lin Yun awoke with a jolt from a sea of darkness. He found himself in a simple wooden hut, one built high up in the branches of a massive tree.

"You're awake?"

The voice of an old man sounded in his ear.

Lin Yun looked over. "You?" He remembered this old man. It was the same one he had seen when he and the Phantom Python had burst out of the Origin Realm. Seeing him up close now, however, Lin Yun could confirm he was human.

The man before him was incredibly strong.

After using his panel for so long, Lin Yun had figured out some of its patterns. The highest realm he could fully see was the Myriad Law Realm. For anyone stronger, he could usually only see their name, with details being visible only in rare cases. Perhaps it was related to his own strength, or for some other reason. Right now, for instance, all he knew was that this old man was named Ye Chengkong. But to have survived in the Ancient Forbidden Land for so many years, his strength was likely unfathomable.

"The Red-Sheathed Mantis is one of the more troublesome beasts in the Origin Sea Realm," Ye Chengkong said, looking at Lin Yun with a smile. "Though you used a rather stupid method, the fact that you could kill it is quite impressive."

"Are you a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect?" he asked.

Lin Yun struggled to his feet and bowed. "This junior, personal disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, Lin Yun, pays his respects to Senior."

Ye Chengkong waved his hand. "No need for all that red tape. In any case, you and I will have plenty of time to get to know each other here."

Lin Yun: "…"

So… you're saying… he thought with dawning horror, there's no way out?