“How did you find out?”
Xiu Jiming asked.
At this moment, he was flying at the very front with the prisoner, using voice transmission to question him.
“Speaking of which, I could be considered your Senior Brother. I also studied the Sword of Illusion-Breaking Tribulation Sutra, though I eventually gave it up.”
The prisoner smiled faintly.
“Hey, kid. Qi Sensing, Spirit Awakening, Law Condensing, True Self, World Domain, Saint Manifestation, Dual Tribulations, Dao Fruit, God Lord… which realm have you reached?”
As soon as the prisoner finished speaking, he chuckled coldly to himself.
“Is it World Domain? How many years have you been in the World Domain Realm?”
“You’re meddling,” Xiu Jiming replied coldly, still carrying him through the air.
The prisoner said, “I’m telling you, the Sword of Illusion-Breaking Tribulation Sutra places great importance on one’s state of mind. If your state of mind hasn’t broken through, then I suggest you’d be better off switching to a different cultivation method. Don’t let your talent go to waste.”
Xiu Jiming remained silent, then chuckled softly.
“You certainly know a lot, but…”
The power within his body surged and roared.
At this moment, Xiu Jiming was like a celestial god, his entire body filled with an incredibly noble aura.
He looked down once more, and when the prisoner met his gaze, it was as if he were staring into an abyss.
“Over a decade ago, I did indeed waste so much time because of that, until I encountered my fortuitous opportunity.”
Xiu Jiming smiled, the mischievous image of Lin Ling appearing in his mind.
“I realized that everything can be compensated for, and it’s still not too late for anything. So, I successfully broke through. Currently, I have achieved the first manifestation of the Dharma Image and have officially entered the Saint Manifestation Realm. Moreover, I believe I’m not far from the second manifestation.”
Xiu Jiming glanced at him and explained, “You say you are my Senior Brother; do you have any proof?”
The prisoner thought for a moment and struggled to twist his body.
A familiar aura of True Essence spread out from within him.
Xiu Jiming saw this and nodded slightly.
***
Lin Ling sat on the threshold of the Bureau of Ritual Inspection, dozing off.
The other officers of the Bureau were all sitting upright in front of the gate, regulating their breathing as they waited for a major battle that could strike at any moment.
“How rare, there’s actually a member of the fox tribe here.”
A man wearing a smiling mask approached behind Lin Ling and spoke softly.
Every hair on Lin Ling’s body stood on end. She lunged forward almost instinctively.
At nearly the same time, all the Bureau officers snapped to their feet, swords unsheathed and talismans glowing with light.
Cold sweat poured down everyone’s faces as they immediately acted as if facing a formidable enemy.
The man, however, was perfectly composed.
He wore strange clothing that was completely out of place with his surroundings, his hands tucked leisurely into his pants pockets.
His gaze beneath the mask swept over the crowd with great interest, finally settling on Lin Ling.
Bai Yunyun came to Lin Ling’s side and asked warily, “Boss, are you okay?”
Lin Ling shook her head, staring at the fellow in front of her while narrowing her eyes.
She felt that the guy before her looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before.
Lin Ling pondered.
[Something’s not right. With him dressed like this, I would definitely remember if I had seen him. Did I meet him in a life before the last one?]
Looking at the man solemnly, Lin Ling’s entire body began to feel uncomfortable.
[If it’s a memory from the first life, then that proves this guy is…!]
Lin Ling blurted out, “A demon!”
As soon as Lin Ling’s words fell, a flying sword shot toward the man’s face.
Clang!
With a loud bang, the flying sword was actually shattered by the man’s face alone.
[Holy crap, what thick skin!]
Lin Ling quickly pulled out several Whirlwind Talismans and Flame Talismans, using them simultaneously.
“Wind rises to aid the fire’s might, the burning tribulation flames flare bright. Where the Fire God patrols, ten thousand miles turn to scorched clouds!”
A fierce wind rose from the ground.
The swirling whirlwind carried a dragon of fire, transforming into a searing blaze.
The resulting shockwave forced several Bureau officers in the front row back a few steps as the flames lunged straight for the mysterious man’s face.
Faced with such a terrifying combined strike of wind and fire, the man actually maintained his posture with his hands in his pockets.
Just as the fire vortex was about to consume him, he casually raised his right hand and gave a light flick in the air, as if shooing away a mosquito.
A massive gust of astral wind blew from his hand, directly scattering Lin Ling’s fire vortex.
Then, under everyone’s horrified gazes, he opened his mouth and took a deep breath, sucking all the remaining embers into his stomach.
The man licked his lips, a look of nostalgia appearing on his face.
He smiled and said, “Such a familiar taste. It seems…”
Then, his gaze fixed on Lin Ling. Seeing her fluffy white ears and tail, his eyes suddenly lit up.
“So it’s you, little cutie. You’re actually not dead yet? Quick, tell Uncle, how did you survive?”
He leaped up and flew toward Lin Ling.
Zhao Yuyu stepped aside to block him.
One of her arms was covered in a layer of cyan scales, and her right hand had turned into a claw, which she swung toward the man’s face.
With a dull thud, Zhao Yuyu’s hand struck the man’s shoulder.
It felt like she had hit solid steel, unable to advance even an inch.
“So hard.”
Zhao Yuyu’s pupils constricted.
The man chuckled and swung a whip-kick toward her face.
Bai Yunyun quickly pulled Zhao Yuyu away to dodge the strike.
The man still had his hands in his pockets, smiling as he looked at everyone.
In this opening, the other cultivators also launched continuous attacks at the man, throwing various flying swords and Dharma treasures as if they were free.
Clearly, they had also prepared themselves.
Lin Ling watched the man as he strolled leisurely through the many attacks, and her mind began to gradually recall this figure.
[No… Everyone is going to be killed…]
Lin Ling paused.
Was she the one speaking?
No, that wasn’t what she wanted to say.
Lin Ling crouched on the ground, clutching her forehead.
A sharp pain flooded her mind, and countless voices filled with sobbing and despair echoed in her ears.
[Sister… Sister, where are you?]
Lin Ling shook her head frantically, trying to shake those voices out of her mind.
At that moment, the man kicked the dragon-morphed Zhao Yuyu away.
He still looked at everyone with a smile, as if he possessed absolute control.
[Sister, please don’t come back!]
Lin Ling raised her hand, and a beam of white light flew toward the man.
The man was startled for a moment, then showed a nostalgic expression.
He opened his mouth again and swallowed Lin Ling’s True Essence in one gulp.
“Little Ling’er, it seems you still remember me.”
Lin Ling gritted her teeth, forcibly suppressing the fear in her heart.
She quickly pulled the others back and shouted hoarsely, “Run! Everyone, run! There’s no way we can beat this guy! He is—!”
Before Lin Ling could finish, several screams suddenly erupted from the crowd.
The man was flying in the air.
A dark brown vortex appeared behind him, and several tentacles shot out from within, piercing through several nearby cultivators and ripping their hearts directly out of their bodies.
Lin Ling’s eyes widened, tears streaming continuously from her crimson pupils.
“He is a demon of the World Domain Realm!”
Hearing Lin Ling’s cry, the man smiled slightly.
He extended a finger and wagged it gently.
“Little Ling’er, have you forgotten? You should call me… Divine Lord Xieyang.”