Chapter 38: Expulsion

The dust settled.

A figure stood quietly within it.

At this moment, Lin Hong was enveloped in a layer of nearly invisible qi—a clear radiance emitted by his body during the life level leap, purging all impurities.

He slightly lowered his head, looking at his right arm, where a strange pulsation was coming from.

It was a very strange sound, like a star being born, all things growing, indescribable in any language.

It transcended the physical level, resonating directly throughout his body, even reaching deeper, into a mysterious “spirit” realm.

Inside his right arm, it was as if a miniature galaxy was being born.

A sliver of primordial qi from the main internal cycle served as a seed, absorbing a vast amount of energy.

By isolating part of his consciousness and operating the Creation Return to Origin Sutra, he continuously opened it up.

Finally, under the pressure of the Evil Priest Huo Ersi’s punch that could have shattered half his body, the last shackle broke, and at this moment, it was perfected.

Countless fine energy particles emitted a dim light like the chaos at the beginning of creation, forming the main body of the miniature galaxy, continuously revolving around a central point of primordial qi.

With each revolution, the miniature galaxy absorbed pure life essence from the void, feeding back to the primordial qi seed, then absorbing and feeding back again, like a snowball, endless.

The galaxy rolled backwards!

The new torrent of energy surged out, sweeping from the right arm through all limbs and bones, ultimately blending and resonating with the main internal cycle!

The two homologous energies, pre-heaven and post-heaven, produced a qualitative effect of one plus one greater than two upon collision and fusion, exploding within his body!

“Huu—”

Lin Hong unconsciously let out a long breath of turbid qi.

At first, it was gray-black, with a strong bloody and mixed smell, but after being exhaled a few feet, it turned colorless and dissipated into the air.

At the same time, the clear radiance on his body flashed brightly for an instant.

Instantly, his whole body went numb, as if electrified.

Under the washing of the vast life energy, his wounds began to heal rapidly and further strengthen.

Then, a sound, extremely slight, almost non-existent in the material world, suddenly rang out!

It was the Shadow candidate priest!

He was really sharp, seeing that Lin Hong was undergoing transformation, but he was very patient, catching the moment when Lin Hong was momentarily distracted, attracted by his own changes, and launched a fatal assassination.

He seemed to blend into the space itself, and only when the blade was about to touch did his killing intent fully erupt!

At the same time, this short blade of his was extraordinary, pitch-black and lusterless, and when swung, it carried a sinister soul scream that could directly harm the soul.

This was his trump card magical treasure, the Kiss of the Wraith, refined from hundreds of thousands of grudges.

He had once used this blade to ambush a fifth-rank powerful enemy.

Though he didn’t kill him, he severely wounded him, and the injury would accompany him for life!

The Shadow’s eyes flashed with ferocity and glee.

After all, no matter how strong your physique or miraculous your transformation, there will always be a moment of negligence!

And in a life-and-death struggle, victory or defeat sometimes depends on that instant.

The next moment, his expression froze.

Two fingers, long and powerful, still stained with a bit of dirt, clamped onto the black blade tip like iron pincers, effortlessly!

“Wuu—”

The wraith scream attached to the short blade abruptly stopped, as if choked by the throat.

Lin Hong slowly turned his head, stared straight at the Shadow who was almost face to face with him, then raised the corner of his mouth, revealing a gentle smile.

“Earlier, when the three of you joined forces, plus that Laogui, was your best chance, yet you failed to take my life.”

His voice was calm and cold.

“And now you still dare to come before me?”

Lin Hong exerted force with two fingers, energy surged from his body, covering the two fingers, and then — crack!

A magical treasure of no low rank shattered between his fingers.

“Ah—”

The moment the short blade broke, countless soul shadows, filled with resentment, surged out from the fragments.

They were wraiths, sealed in the blade by a special evil technique.

Not only was the blade sharp and hard, it could also damage a person’s soul!

Lin Hong frowned slightly, the coldness in his eyes intensifying.

He had only felt that the blade was strange, carrying a mental attack.

Now seeing it with his own eyes, it actually contained countless vengeful souls, all once living beings.

“A dirty blade, indeed a dirty blade.”

His smile grew brighter.

“My Kiss of the Wraith…”

The Shadow’s mind shook, and he instinctively wanted to retreat, but it was too late.

Lin Hong used his mental energy.

Now that his physique had transformed, his spirit was also nourished, rising with the tide.

With a thought, he forcibly held the shattered blade fragments, then recombined them, forming a short blade covered in cracks.

“Return it to you.”

He pointed his fingers like a sword, twisting his wrist.

The broken blade turned into a black line.

Its speed was so fast that the Shadow couldn’t react, only felt a chill on his left shoulder.

Excruciating pain came, and his entire left arm, cleanly cut off at the shoulder, flew up with a spurt of blood!

“Ah—” The Shadow let out a miserable scream, staggering.

But the instinct to survive made him not stop.

Burning his evil energy regardless of cost, his speed increased by another third, fleeing madly, only wanting to get as far away from this monster as possible.

Lin Hong smiled calmly, took a step, ignoring the distance, and directly appeared behind the Shadow.

His movements didn’t seem fast—even composed.

He raised his right hand, its palm glowing with crystalline light, and pressed the short blade, hilt and all, into the Shadow’s back.

Pfft.

The sound of the blade entering flesh was almost imperceptible, but horrifying.

The Shadow’s figure suddenly stiffened.

He lowered his head, unable to believe the blade tip protruding from his chest.

Life force drained away like a burst dam.

“Every wrong has its source. Perhaps this is karma?”

Lin Hong murmured, watching the Shadow collapse limply.

The Shadow had refined wraiths into weapons, causing these souls to never rest even in death.

So Lin Hong made him die by that same blade, avenging those wronged souls.

But in the end, it couldn’t change anything.

The deceased would never return.

Lin Hong sighed, suppressing some emotions, and calmed himself.

The transformation could not be interrupted.

Within his body came tangible sounds—the previously broken bones and torn muscle fibers were rapidly healing!

At the same time, blood stasis and necrotic tissue were expelled by the powerful metabolism, forming a thin layer of dirt, smelling unpleasant.

A warm current was washing his entire body!

Causing his body to evolve!

From the right arm, it nourished the whole body, from the inside out, elevating life level and enhancing physique.

He felt his entire body became clear and transparent, as if unloading a thousand-pound burden.

The main reason was that he was operating the Creation Return to Origin Sutra, using this energy to refine his body, maximizing effect in the shortest time.

Next, Lin Hong’s experience deepened.

His five senses became extraordinarily sharp, and everything around him was clearly discernible.

His power was also exploding, far surpassing before!

During this time, he didn’t just stand still.

Since his various values were surging, he urgently needed an outlet for verification.

Two candidate priests remained.

It must be admitted that they were brave.

After witnessing the Shadow’s instant death, they still fearlessly charged.

Among them, the Laoyu had been severely injured by his punch earlier, and the Zhuanghan had been slapped away when he succeeded.

But in this short while, as he was transforming, they had also recovered about seventy to eighty percent.

This was obviously not due to their own recovery abilities, but because this space was exerting its power, continuously seeping energy from the earth and void into their bodies.

Of course, it was not without cost.

Lin Hong noticed that when the two charged, their eyes were frantic, and their attacks no longer had the previous order.

Especially the Laoyu.

She should be a mage, with a weak physical body, but now she was throwing magic missiles while charging, wanting to fight him in close combat!

“Drunk?”

Lin Hong was very cold.

He moved his body, arriving before her, and with a single slap, directly obliterated half of her body.

Just raw strength made her fall to the ground half-destroyed.

Then, a spiritual light flashed in his eyes.

He turned back and pointed, flicking a wisp of finger wind that accurately struck the forehead of the charging Zhuanghan.

Instantly, the Zhuanghan’s body shook violently.

Blood flowed from his seven orifices, and he rolled on the ground clutching his head, as if something inside had been crushed.

This was the Soul Slaying Art, a mental killing technique he employed, with spiritual energy wrapped around his fingertip, shattering the core of this person’s soul.

Instantly, two corpses lay on the ground.

Then, a strange thing happened!

They disappeared! Rapidly blurring and turning transparent, as if becoming nourishment, returning to this space!

Lin Hong temporarily stopped.

He had just warmed up, initially verifying his own strength.

Now, in his body, the two internal cycles resonated.

The violent transformation was nearing its end, reaching its peak, and no longer urgently needed, entering a stable period.

After evolution, the body would in turn become more compatible with the Creation Return to Origin Sutra, greatly improving future cultivation efficiency!

But correspondingly, it would also more easily reach saturation.

The longer he cultivated in stillness, the less effect, so he needed to actively seek fights!

Thinking this, the divine light in his eyes faded.

He looked up at the Evil Priest Huo Ersi in midair.

This man was strange.

From the time Lin Hong succeeded to killing the three candidate priests until now, it had been at least two or three minutes.

But he had never attacked.

If Lin Hong had just started transforming, one could say he hadn’t reacted, but by now he should have acted.

But this man just floated quietly, coldly watching his two subordinates being killed.

“Why are you just watching, not attacking?”

Lin Hong looked at him coldly.

Finally, in midair, Huo Ersi reacted.

He slowly pulled down his hood, revealing a middle-aged man’s face.

His expression was very calm, unlike his earlier rage, but rather a sense of annoyance.

“Truly annoying.”

Huo Ersi spoke, his voice low, flat with no fluctuation.

“Always unable to be killed, unable to be destroyed…”

He paused, his gaze seeming to pierce through Lin Hong, seeing something deeper, weariness mixed with irritation.

“You people, truly annoying.”

Lin Hong frowned.

What was this guy talking about?

Another crazy one?

And he had a feeling that this person’s aura had changed.

Not simply stronger or weaker, but a difference in quality.

If before this thing was only one or two points like a human, now it was completely inhuman.

“You’ve changed. You’re no longer yourself?”

Lin Hong said.

Huo Ersi didn’t answer.

He shifted his gaze, looking into the depths of this space.

“The accumulation is enough.”

He muttered, his voice so low it was almost inaudible, but Lin Hong’s hearing was sharp, catching these vague words.

“Let you live a little longer.”

As soon as he finished.

Rumble rumble rumble!

This space began to shake!

Far beyond any previous time, as if heaven and earth were inverted.

The dark red sky twisted, the ground undulated, everything collapsed and shattered.

Lin Hong’s hair stood on end, feeling he was in great danger!

Next instant, the space scene in front of him shook violently, constantly blurring, and a sensation of repulsion came.

Everything in sight deformed, eventually turning into a bizarre chaos.

This process seemed long, or perhaps only an instant.

After a few breaths, all the distortion disappeared.

Solid ground beneath his feet, and the smell in his nose was no longer the sweetish stench of the space, but familiar mountain forest air—like a different world.

Lin Hong’s eyes focused, instantly adapting to the change in environment, scanning around.

Sure enough, he had been expelled from this space.

Not far away, nine royal knights, their armor broken, their auras fluctuating, but still tenacious.

Dozens of gazes, like searchlights, sharply turned.

The two parties stared at each other.