Chapter 118: Killing Lin Yuetian

Chu Jie’s first directive upon seizing control of Zhou Jie was to command him to commit suicide. This mental command traveled through the golden spark within the Blood Dragon Ring and into Zhou Jie’s mind.

Upon entering Zhou Jie’s consciousness—which was currently saturated with the urge to kill—the command stirred up a violent tempest. Zhou Jie’s eyes instantly erupted with a ten-foot-long bloody glare, emitting a terrifying radiance. His long sword stirred, but instead of striking downward, it began to lift slowly.

As the sword continued to rise, just as it was about to descend upon himself, Chu Jie felt his connection to the golden spark become abruptly unstable. It seemed as though Zhou Jie might break free of his control at any moment.

Chu Jie sighed inwardly; it seemed he could not force Zhou Jie to commit suicide. He was only at the Spirit Convergence Realm. Had he possessed the abilities of a peerless, malevolent expert, perhaps a single thought would have been enough to force Zhou Jie to end his own life via the Blood Dragon Ring. But as it stood, he was incapable of such a feat.

He had previously experimented and found it impossible to establish a connection with Duan Kun or Wu Long, though he could track their locations. The reason was clear: they wore the golden armor but had not enhanced their cultivation through the formation inside the grotto. Had they done so, like Zhou Jie, they would have been subject to this control—a control evidently shared by anyone who possessed a Blood Dragon Ring.

Chu Jie frowned. Since he could not force a suicide, he decided to try having Zhou Jie remove the golden armor. If he could manage that, he would not only gain a set of golden armor for himself, but also significantly improve his chances of killing Zhou Jie.

Chu Jie ceased the suicide command. Zhou Jie immediately lowered his sword and hovered motionlessly in the air, appearing to wait for further orders.

"Remove the golden armor," Chu Jie commanded through the golden spark.

Meanwhile, Lin Yuetian watched the bizarre scene from afar, utterly bewildered. It defied all logic. Why would the golden-armored warrior hover in place instead of slaying Chu Jie? At that moment, he noticed that Chu Jie appeared completely relaxed, showing no signs of facing a formidable enemy.

"Could I have underestimated him?" Lin Yuetian’s expression shifted, dark and uncertain. He and Chu Jie were mortal enemies; it was a matter of life and death.

Following Chu Jie’s command, Zhou Jie’s body shuddered as if he were about to unfasten the armor. But as soon as he reached halfway, Chu Jie felt the connection weaken significantly, becoming extremely unstable. He instantly understood: his ability to control Zhou Jie was deeply tied to the golden armor, which acted as a bridge, amplifying his mental intent. Once the armor was removed, Zhou Jie would immediately lose control, and the consequences were unpredictable. Regardless, Zhou Jie was a Star Core Realm warrior with immense lethality; he could not be allowed to go berserk.

Unable to force a suicide and unable to have the armor removed, Chu Jie grew frustrated. How was he to weaken Zhou Jie?

Just then, Chu Jie caught sight of Lin Yuetian in the distance, and his eyes lit up. If he let Zhou Jie continue his killing spree, he would soon be exhausted, at which point forcing him to shed the armor would be easy. Chu Jie grew excited; the plan was highly feasible. Since he held a grudge against Lin Yuetian, now was the time for retribution. He sent a mental command to Zhou Jie: kill Lin Yuetian.

Zhou Jie’s figure trembled, and the golden armor fully enveloped his body once more. Chu Jie noticed that the connection between the Blood Dragon Ring and Zhou Jie had become incredibly tight. It seemed the intent to kill could perfectly dominate him.

Zhou Jie transformed into a streak of golden light and flew toward Lin Yuetian.

In the distance, Lin Yuetian was horrified to see Zhou Jie approaching. His own forces were already depleted, and there was no way to defend against this. Why was the warrior flying toward him again? Seeing the golden-armored warrior resume his hunt, many people fled, though a few remained to watch.

Terrified, Lin Yuetian wanted to run, but he hoped his subordinates could stall for time. Based on previous observations, if the golden warrior were blocked and distracted, he might abandon his pursuit. "Hold him off here; I am going to get reinforcements!" Lin Yuetian shouted to his men. "If anyone dares to desert, I will never forgive them!" He cast a vicious glare at them.

His subordinates, seeing the golden warrior approaching, looked at one another in silence. The previous battles had perfectly illustrated the warrior’s power; to them, he was a nightmare that would haunt their martial careers forever. Compared to the threat of the golden warrior, Lin Yuetian’s threats seemed insignificant.

"Run!" one of them shouted.

Following that cry, Lin Yuetian’s subordinates scattered, running even faster than he did. Because of his threats, they had completely abandoned their leader. Lin Yuetian gritted his teeth, but there was no time to deal with them; if he delayed any longer, he might not be able to escape at all.

He was much faster than his subordinates. When he ran at full speed, he surged ahead in an instant. A cold smirk played on his lips: "You idiots, you aren't as fast as me. In the end, you'll just serve as my pawns to block the golden warrior."

His fifty-some men were pushing themselves to their limits, but they were no match for his speed. Despair etched their faces. If the warrior caught up, they would surely die. Just then, Zhou Jie closed the distance, his long sword shimmering with a cold light.

"Stop running! Let's fight him together, or we'll be picked off one by one!" one of the fifty shouted. How could they possibly outrun someone at the Star Core Realm?

But just as they braced themselves for a desperate stand, the golden warrior flew right over their heads, ignoring them entirely. The fifty men froze, staring at Lin Yuetian, who had already fled far ahead.

"With those fifty to buy me precious time, I can escape," Lin Yuetian thought. "But too many people died; the higher-ups will surely come after me. I should go into hiding or change my name." As he pondered his future, he saw the golden warrior banking toward him.

"Impossible! It can't be! How could this happen?" Lin Yuetian’s mind spiraled into chaos. He couldn't understand why the warrior had bypassed fifty men to hunt him down. Finally, his eyes landed on the distant figure of Chu Jie, and everything became clear. He realized Chu Jie was behind this, somehow manipulating the warrior to pursue only him!

"If I survive, I will kill you! Chu Jie, I will kill you!" Lin Yuetian roared.

Chu Jie heard the roar and smiled. "I'm afraid you won't have the chance." He walked toward the five purple flames that had fallen to the ground and began to collect them alongside Duan Kun and the others.

Chu Jie kept his mind linked to Zhou Jie. Only by killing Lin Yuetian would he be satisfied.

A bloody sword descended from the sky. Zhou Jie’s eyes shot out two beams of red light, stretching ten feet long, a truly ghastly sight. The sword strike transformed into a massive arc of light, spanning a hundred yards—a spectacular display.

Lin Yuetian barely managed to dodge, but before he could regain his footing, Zhou Jie’s second strike fell. The two sword beams crossed, forming a giant cross that smashed into the ground, leaving a deep crater.

Lin Yuetian’s face was deathly pale. He frantically pulled items from his storage bag, throwing a handful of Crystal Thunders at Zhou Jie. A series of explosions erupted around the warrior. But as the smoke cleared, Zhou Jie remained, hovering in his golden armor, his eyes fixed on Lin Yuetian with murderous intent.

In the distance, Chu Jie had collected three of the purple flames, with two remaining. While gathering them, he never stopped watching Lin Yuetian. Lin Yuetian had to die; otherwise, the matter would not be resolved.

Lin Yuetian gritted his teeth, his aura surging as he prepared for a final stand. He swallowed a pill from his storage bag. Instantly, his power spiked to the eighth level of the Spirit Convergence Realm, though it was only temporary. Once the effect wore off, his cultivation would drop by an entire realm. But to survive, he cared about nothing else.

At the eighth level, he could barely contest with Zhou Jie, as he could now hover in the air as well. He ascended, but just as he began to stabilize, a beam of red light shot from the direction of the golden warrior. It was Zhou Jie’s blood sword, directed straight at Lin Yuetian.

As Lin Yuetian reached the air, before he could fully utilize his borrowed strength, he saw the red flash. Panic seized him. Zhou Jie’s attacks were impossible to defend against. He felt a deep sense of defeat; even at the eighth level, he was no match for Zhou Jie.

In mid-air, Lin Yuetian felt a chill. He looked down to see that only half of his body remained. "When... was I struck?" The world spun before his eyes. Successive beams of red light slashed through him until he was reduced to a spray of gore, vanishing into the air.