Chapter 223
“Yellow wind veils the sky.”
“Black wind cloaks the earth.”
As the words faded, twin winds erupted!
Within a single breath, Lang Wuhen became trapped in a lightless void.
Woo!——
Woo!——
In this darkness, his eyes saw nothing. Even his divine awareness found no purchase—only deathly wind-whispers scraped against his ears.
Were it not for his clear mind, Lang Wuhen might’ve believed himself trapped in some hidden realm.
“Impossible! His cultivation level was Eleventh Level moments ago!”
“Enough tricks! Clear Radiance Chases the Moon!”
He unleashed the same technique Yu Tingzhi had used during the tournament.
But this time, the harsh gray-white light barely flickered before being swallowed by ravenous yellow winds.
*Crunch… Crunch…*
Dreadful chewing noises flooded Lang Wuhen’s mind.
Horror struck him—the moonlight ribbons around him and his released spiritual power were being consumed at alarming speed!
When the beam of light vanished, the unnatural yellow winds crawled hungrily toward his full moon.
Lang Wuhen roared in fury—but before he could act, that lethal command echoed again.
“Extinguish!”
*Boom! Boom! Boom!…*
“AAARGH!!”
Explosions and agonized screams reverberated through the twin wind domain.
The nightmare worsened as ghostly yellow tendrils began corroding his Full Moon Projection.
“NO!! STOP!!”
“MERCY! PLEASE!!”
Physical and mental agony forced desperate wails from him.
Yang Lingrui remained cold, silently maintaining the twin winds’ assault.
The attacker showed no hurry to kill. Each time Lang Wuhen neared mental collapse, Yang Lingrui paused just enough to let him breathe—then struck again when hope flickered.
Since joining the battlefield, Yang Lingrui had observed many Life-saving Methods used by sect direct disciples.
Some sects planted passive safeguards on weaker members—talismans, techniques, or spiritual treasures that activated automatically when death threatened.
However, compared to actively released techniques, their power and duration fell somewhat short.
As a direct disciple of Lanyue Sect’s subordinate branch, Lang Wuhen’s combat strength wasn’t particularly remarkable. Yet such disciples often carried life-saving measures.
Attacking too fiercely from the start might trigger his protective treasure – that would’ve let him off too easily.
Yang Lingrui’s approach resembled dull knife cutting flesh. Though each strike wouldn’t kill, every slice inflicted excruciating pain to be fully experienced!
"Kill you! I’ll kill you!!"
"Vile insect!"
"I’m the Mountain Master’s direct disciple from Solitary Moon Mountain!!"
Under this endless torment akin to death by a thousand cuts, Lang Wuhen’s sanity finally collapsed into madness.
He howled wildly, converting all spiritual power into moonlight that erupted violently around him.
Yet within Yang Lingrui’s dual wind domain, these moonbeams vanished like mud-oxen drowning in sea, swallowed completely without causing the slightest disturbance.
When his spiritual power depleted, blood gushed from his twelve energy channels.
Lang Wuhen now resembled butchered meat – no intact flesh remained, half his face gone to reveal bloody bones.
The yellow wind finally consumed his Full Moon Projection entirely.
At that moment, milky-white light emerged from his body, enveloping his broken form.
"Withdraw."
Seeing the Life-saving Method activate, Yang Lingrui recalled his twin winds.
Outside, Xiao Yize supported Zi He while dragging unconscious Bai Songran. He’d been monitoring the wind vortex, but Yang Lingrui’s enhanced Spirit Projection defied detection – divine awareness probes returned blankness, as if nothing lived within.
Only when winds dispersed did the scene emerge: Yang Lingrui stood unharmed, moonlight ribbon in hand crumbling to dust. Lang Wuhen’s mutilated appearance drew horrified gasps.
This outcome proved their strengths now existed on entirely different planes. Having seized power from quasi-prodigy Bai Songran, Yang Lingrui’s combat strength leaped an entire tier, surpassing Zhuhu Dynasty’s elite talents to completely overwhelm Lang Wuhen.
Xiao Yize stared blankly, scarcely believing this clansman of his junior brother – who’d merely watched from observation seats during Tiger-Chasing’s Four Sects tournament two years prior – now evoked personal dread.
"Thank the heavens he’s our ally," thought Wanhuamen’s senior brother, tension easing. Imagining Lanyue Sect’s future distress brought secret satisfaction.
Yang Lingrui stepped toward them.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Xiao. My brother Lingshu owes you much."
"Family needs no formalities."
Xiao Yize waved his hand with a smile.
Yang Lingrui nodded before turning to Zi He.
"Lang Wuhen has life-saving tricks. Hard to kill, but he’s already a spent shell now – harmless."
"Understood. Congratulations on your success, Friend."
Their exchanged glance conveyed everything left unsaid.
During the grand competition, Zi He had publicly crushed Yu Tingzhi to settle scores for both families.
Now Yang Lingrui would step forward to drive the nail deeper.
Solitary Moon Mountain being marked by these two could only mean "good fortune" awaited.
"Lingrui. What’ll you do with this one?"
Xiao Yize tugged at the unconscious Bai Songran beside him.
Having lost the Path Competition against Yang Lingrui, Bai Songran’s fate rested with the victor.
"Just kill him."
Yang Lingrui’s gaze swept over Bai Songran. Though no personal grudge existed between them, countless Tiger-Chasing accompanying cultivators had fallen by his hand during the Guhui Town siege.
Their shared pursuit of the Wind Path meant nothing against cold pragmatism.
Yang Lingrui never left loose threads. Sparing this man risked future disaster – should Bai Songran somehow rebuild his resolve, both the Yang Family and himself would face dire consequences.
Xiao Yize’s eyebrows lifted. The contrast between Yang Lingrui and Yang Lingshu’s approaches surprised him, though they shared blood.
Yang Lingshu would’ve bargained – taken Bai Songran hostage to bleed Xisuo Sect dry before release.
Their methods reflected different upbringing.
When Yang Lingrui first walked the Path of Cultivation, the Yang Family teetered on collapse. Every step demanded razor-edged caution. This forged his ruthless efficiency – no threats tolerated.
His mission demanded establishing the Yangs among great families, requiring fearsome reputation-building through merciless shows of ferocity.
By Yang Lingshu’s cultivation era, covert support from Chen Yang had already anchored the Yang Family across three towns. Backed by the He Family and royal court, the younger Yang heir grew amidst stability. His strategies favored calculated exchanges over bloodshed – no murderous urgency tainted his dealings.