Volume 1, Chapter 36: I Owe Your Master a Favor

Thus, the two locked eyes for a moment, each already harboring thoughts of retreat.

After a long pause, Demon Sovereign Xiong said with a sullen face, “I am unwilling to engage you in battle. You may leave on your own accord.”

His reasoning was simple: Lin Yang’s strength at this moment was overwhelmingly powerful, nearly matching his own.

If they fought, especially with Zhang Xianfeng slowly recovering nearby, his chances of victory would drastically diminish.

So the best course of action was to cease fighting for now.

After some thought, Lin Yang glanced at Zhang Xianfeng beside him, then loudly addressed Demon Sovereign Xiong: “We can leave, but since you’ve beaten my sect leader like this, shouldn’t there be some compensation?”

Zhang Xianfeng twitched the corner of his mouth—who asks for post-battle compensation right on the battlefield?

Unexpectedly, Demon Sovereign Xiong nodded in agreement. “Fine, I will give you some.”

He then took a pill bottle from his bosom and casually tossed it to Lin Yang.

Lin Yang happily caught it and said loudly, “Thanks. In that case, we’ll let you off this time.”

He helped Zhang Xianfeng to his feet, while Demon Sovereign Xiong turned around with the other elders and left.

Zhang Xianfeng was quite displeased. Frowning, he asked Lin Yang, “You brat, why didn’t you dare to fight him?”

Lin Yang shrugged helplessly. “Old man, I want to fight, but I can’t beat him. If I die, who will carry you back to the sect?”

“You brat, you still claim to have spirit? Where has your courage gone? You didn’t even dare to put up a fight against Demon Sovereign Xiong.”

“Old man, I traveled thousands of miles from the sect to the battlefield to save you. Can’t you say something nice?” Lin Yang retorted indignantly.

Zhang Xianfeng was silent for a moment, then nodded with relief.

“Though I don’t know where your cultivation comes from, having you in our sect gives me peace of mind.”

His breath grew weaker, which Lin Yang immediately noticed was a bad sign.

“Hey, hey, old man, don’t fall asleep yet! We haven’t reached the camp!”

But Zhang Xianfeng didn’t respond. Lin Yang’s heart raced as he hurriedly took out the pill bottle Demon Sovereign Xiong had given him.

He took out a pill and gently placed it into Zhang Xianfeng’s mouth.

Instantly, Zhang Xianfeng, whose breath had been fading, slowly recovered, his pulse growing stronger.

He opened his eyes and looked around in confusion, muttering, “That’s not right. I distinctly remember seeing the Grand Ancestor just now.”

Seeing Zhang Xianfeng awake, Lin Yang breathed a sigh of relief and said helplessly, “Don’t mention it. If not for the pill from Demon Sovereign Xiong, you really would have met the Grand Ancestor.”

Hearing that Lin Yang had taken the pill from Demon Sovereign Xiong himself, Zhang Xianfeng’s face turned green.

“You reckless brat! You actually gave me Demon Sovereign Xiong’s pill! Do you want me dead?!” he scolded angrily.

Lin Yang, however, was unfazed, shrugging with a carefree tone.

“Well, you were about to die anyway. Might as well try a desperate cure.”

“That makes sense…” Zhang Xianfeng muttered, then shook his head and said seriously, “Enough joking around. Let’s hurry back to camp and discuss the next plan.”

…

Meanwhile, inside the Great Wilderness Immortal Sect’s camp, Wang Zide was bandaging his severed arm, his mind filled with confusion.

He couldn’t understand why Lin Yang, who was only at Qi Refinement Stage Three, now wielded such formidable power.

A pack of Demon Beast Spirits at the Nascent Soul Stage that no one could handle, yet Lin Yang dispatched them with a single sword?

If Lin Yang’s strength was so great, why did he usually present himself as only Qi Refinement Stage Three?

“What secret is that boy hiding?” Wang Zide murmured in puzzlement.

At that moment, Lin Hongye staggered in, gravely wounded. The other disciples in the camp quickly asked,

“Junior Sister Lin, did you deal with Demon Jiu You?”

“But Demon Jiu You is a Nascent Soul cultivator. How could Junior Sister Lin, at Golden Core Stage, possibly have slain him?”

“It must be true. Even if she didn’t kill Demon Jiu You, she must have driven him away. Otherwise, how could she return safely?”

“Junior Sister Lin’s talent is truly exceptional. Only half a year since joining the sect, and her strength is already so terrifying. No wonder she’s called a prodigy.”

Faced with their praise, Lin Hongye shook her head and calmly said,

“It wasn’t me who dealt with Demon Jiu You, it was my master.”

Her words stunned everyone. After a moment, someone questioned,

“Junior Sister Lin’s master? Lin Yang? He’s only Qi Refinement Stage Three. How could he have defeated Demon Jiu You?”

“Junior Sister Lin, don’t joke. Sect Leader Lin’s cultivation isn’t enough to handle Demon Jiu You. Even defeating a Foundation Establishment Stage demon beast is difficult.”

“Besides, Sect Leader Lin should be here in the Great Wilderness Immortal Sect, not on the front lines.”

“I think Junior Sister Lin must be too exhausted from battle and is hallucinating.”

The crowd buzzed with doubt, no one willing to believe Lin Hongye’s words.

It was simple—Lin Yang’s image had long been deeply ingrained in their minds.

He was just a leisurely sect leader who liked watering flowers, drinking tea, or sleeping in, with little cultivation.

How could such a carefree sect leader possibly defeat Demon Jiu You? Ridiculous.

Seeing their disbelief, Lin Hongye shook her head helplessly, too tired to explain further.

Eventually, they would understand Lin Yang’s true strength.

She sat beside Wang Zide and, seeing his severed arm, her expression changed.

“Sect Leader Wang, you…”

Wang Zide forced a bitter smile and shook his empty sleeve.

“Losing an arm is bad enough. At least I’m still alive.”

Lin Hongye nodded solemnly. After all, Wang Zide was one of the sect’s top warriors. His injury would not bode well for their upcoming battles.

Wang Zide sighed, then said to Lin Hongye,

“I never expected your master to be so strong, and to have hidden his cultivation all this time.”

“What? Sect Leader Wang, you… you already know?” Lin Hongye was startled, while Wang Zide smiled faintly and nodded.

“Of course I know. It was your master who saved my life.”

“I, Wang Zide, owe your master a great debt.”

Lin Hongye came back to herself and nodded firmly.

At that moment, footsteps sounded outside. The disciples guarding the camp gates looked toward the approaching figure of a crimson-blooded beast and tensed.