The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 192 The Real Battle

Lin Xiao stood quietly aside, looking around. After confirming that no other enemies were approaching, he began to regulate his breathing and internal strength. He knew that the upcoming battle would become increasingly intense, especially in this arena-like environment, where a fatal threat could be encountered at any moment.

Time slipped by, and night finally fell quietly. The moonlight, like silver, cast a shadow across the vast plain. A gentle breeze rustled, bringing a hint of coolness. Lin Xiao knew that the night would soon bring new challenges. Tonight, more opponents would surely arrive.

He gently rubbed the amethyst jade in his hand, feeling the rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth still surging in his body. He knew that he was ready for the next challenge.

Just then, the sound of footsteps was heard. Lin Xiao frowned slightly, keenly sensing the enemy approaching. He quickly approached a large tree, blending his body into it, and quietly observed the front.

A few seconds later, three figures appeared in Lin Xiao's sight. He quickly recognized that these three were not ordinary contestants, but rather exceptionally skilled individuals. The tall, calm man in the front possessed a calm demeanor, clearly a cultivator at the Ninth Jiayin Realm. The other two were a man and a woman. The man had flowing black hair and piercing eyes, while the woman was slender and possessed a cool, elegant demeanor, appearing to be a combination of a warrior and a mage.

"Oh, it's you guys." Lin Xiao's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness. He had encountered these three people in the early stages of the competition. He had fought against the tall man among them. Although the result was unrelated, the opponent's strength put Lin Xiao under considerable pressure.

The tall man walked steadily, as if sensing something, and suddenly turned around, his eyes scanning the surroundings sharply. As his gaze swept over, the other two companions also became alert, standing beside him, their eyes fixed on where Lin Xiao was hiding.

Lin Xiao didn't attack immediately, but calmly observed their reactions. The tall man, apparently sensing his presence, raised his lips slightly and whispered, "It's you. I've heard you're incredibly powerful, so today's a perfect day for a showdown."

Lin Xiao smiled slightly, put away the long sword in his hand, and showed a relaxed attitude: "In that case, then I will play with you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xiao took a sudden step forward and instantly shuttled through the woods. His breath disappeared without a trace, like a streak of light passing by, and almost at the same moment he appeared behind the tall man.

"Yes, very fast." The tall man smiled coldly, turned around and threw a punch. The powerful aura pressed down like a mountain. Lin Xiao did not hesitate and dodged quickly. His body flipped gracefully in the air and landed quickly.

"Buzz!" Lin Xiao's body suddenly vibrated. With a thought, he unleashed his "Illusionary Body Skill: Imitating Phantom Moves." Two Lin Xiaos appeared simultaneously, rapidly attacking the three. The three figures instantly entangled, swords flashing and air currents surging.

The tall man's expression changed as he suddenly unleashed a powerful burst of energy, creating a powerful wave of air around his body, attempting to force Lin Xiao and his phantom back. Simultaneously, a cold glint flashed in the female mage's eyes. With a wave of her hands, a powerful frost magic shot towards Lin Xiao, instantly condensing into icicles in the air in an attempt to trap him.

Lin Xiao smiled slightly and performed the "Sword Dance with Wind and Spin". The swift sword energy cut through the air like the wind. He easily avoided the ice attack and at the same time stabbed the long sword in his hand fiercely, accurately piercing the male mage's heart.

The male mage reacted quickly, condensing a flame shield in his hand to block Lin Xiao's attack. However, Lin Xiao did not slow down his movements. He swept out with his long sword, tearing the flame shield apart, and the sword light shot towards the male mage's vitals like a meteor.

"You have no way to retreat." Lin Xiao sneered and used the "Sword Qi Strike". His long sword swept around and forced the three people to retreat continuously.

Seeing the situation was dire, the female mage let out a low cry and suddenly unleashed a massive storm, attempting to use the gusts of wind to blow away Lin Xiao's sword energy. However, Lin Xiao did not hesitate because of her counterattack. He gripped the sword tightly with both hands, concentrated his sword energy, and struck fiercely, tearing the storm into pieces, and then erupted in an even more fierce attack.

With Lin Xiao's slashing blow, the male mage was finally defeated, blood spilling all over the ground. Seeing her companion being slain, the female mage's expression suddenly changed, a resolute smile flashing across her lips. She suddenly unleashed an extremely dangerous forbidden technique, her entire body ablaze with flames, transforming into a torrent of flames that swept towards Lin Xiao.

"Forbidden technique? You are still too arrogant." Lin Xiao smiled coldly, and the strength in his body instantly increased to the limit. He performed the final move of "Sword Qi Zongheng Jue". The powerful sword energy broke through everything like a torrent and cut off the flames.

"End!" Lin Xiao shouted, slashing fiercely at the mage's neck with his sword. At that moment, the mage's figure dissipated like flames, completely engulfed by the sword energy.

Three men fell, and Lin Xiao stood still, his sword dripping with blood, his gaze as cold as a star. He glanced around, confirming there were no other enemies, then quickly gathered the spoils and left, continuing his journey towards the center of the plain.

"Tonight is destined to be a night where countless people die." Lin Xiao sneered in his heart, stepped forward, and prepared to face the next battle.

Lin Xiao sheathed his sword, turned his back to the three fallen bodies, and cast his gaze upon the dark plain in the distance. Perhaps tonight's battle was only the beginning; the real bloodshed was yet to come. His steps were light yet firm, his strides unhurried, as if this challenge was only part of a long journey.

Moonlight streamed through the clouds, leaving the plains deserted except for Lin Xiao, his silhouette stretched out in the moonlight. As the night breeze blew, the grass rustled, whispering a foreboding of impending turmoil and bloodshed.

Lin Xiao slowly walked deeper into the plain, feeling a sense of unease. Although the battle tonight had gone smoothly, he knew that such a victory was only temporary. There were more powerful enemies hidden in this plain, and he had to be more cautious.

Just as he was about to move forward, he suddenly heard a burst of hurried footsteps. Lin Xiao's body instinctively stopped, his eyes fixed, and he quickly hid in a patch of grass, carefully observing his surroundings.

Two figures emerged from the nearby bushes, their steps light and their breath steady, clearly experts. Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, secretly speculating that the newcomers might be contestants he had a acquaintance with or knew well.

As the two men gradually approached, Lin Xiao gently gripped the hilt of the sword, ready to deal with any emergency.

"Hiss--" A low sound was heard, like a warning signal from some alert animal.

"Not good!" Lin Xiao instantly felt a dangerous aura sweeping towards him. He turned around and jumped, rushing towards a big tree next to him, and his figure instantly disappeared into the darkness.

At this moment, two dark figures swooped down at him, their swift movements causing a violent turbulence in the air. Lin Xiao's eyes narrowed, sensing the other party's immense strength, at least above the eighth level of the Jiayin realm.

"Found it!" one of the shadows sneered, his voice filled with sarcasm and anger. "I've heard of you before, but I didn't expect you to be here!"

"Who are you?" Lin Xiao stood steadily behind the tree, his voice calm, his eyes slightly narrowed, revealing an aura that could not be ignored.

"We're from the Black Wind Alliance, specializing in dealing with troublesome competitors." One of the shadowy figures, a medium-sized man, snorted coldly, his long sword swung slightly, emitting a sharp, cold light. "Today, you must leave!"

Lin Xiao sneered when he heard this. "The Black Wind Alliance? They're nothing but insignificant ants."

Hearing Lin Xiao's contemptuous words, the two shadowy figures' expressions instantly darkened, and they launched their attacks without hesitation. The middle-sized man swung his sword with a swift, wind-like force, instantly slicing the surrounding air like a blade. Meanwhile, the taller man unleashed a terrifying palm power from behind, sending a wave of air crashing down with a startling sense of oppression.

Lin Xiao's figure flashed, and he suddenly displayed the "Dragon Swimming the Four Seas" body movement, avoiding the slashing sword light like a shadow, and quickly approached the two people. He quickly gathered his strength, and with a flash of sword light, he displayed the "Sword Dance Fenghua Whirl" and rushed towards the two people.

Both men felt a surge of intense pressure coming at them, and they quickly shifted positions. The middle-sized man swung his sword again, creating several long, dragon-like blade shadows, attempting to cut off Lin Xiao's attack. The taller man, on the other hand, pressed his palms together, generating a massive force that pressed down like a mountain.

"Haha, you do have some abilities! But today, you have no way to escape!" The man of middle build sneered, and the knife light rushed towards Lin Xiao like a torrent.

However, Lin Xiao's eyes were icy. He flicked his right hand lightly, and the sword light flashed like a bright star in an instant, and the fierce sword energy was directed at the medium-sized man. At the same time, he mobilized his internal energy, and the sword energy crisscrossed, condensing into a "shadow spirit sword thorn" that quickly pierced the tall man.

"Boom!" A thunderous sound rang out, and two powerful forces collided violently in the air, causing the surrounding trees to shake violently.

"You are not qualified to be my enemy." A sneer appeared on Lin Xiao's lips, and his figure shuttled like a ghost, quickly forcing the two into trouble.

The tall man roared angrily and slammed his palm towards Lin Xiao, attempting to overwhelm him with his immense power. Lin Xiao remained unmoved. He observed calmly, and the speed and momentum of the palm force seemed to slow down in an instant. He took the opportunity to use his "Illusionary Body Skill: Imitative Shadow" to create multiple phantoms, easily dodging the palm strike.

Seeing this, the middle-sized man suddenly swung his sword to slash at Lin Xiao's phantom, however, Lin Xiao's real figure had already appeared behind him, and the long sword stabbed the man's back with incredible precision.

"Puff!" The long sword pierced the man's body and blood gushed out.

"You...you..." The middle-aged man widened his eyes, looked at Lin Xiao in disbelief, and finally fell down.

The tall man watched his companion fall, a flicker of fear in his eyes. His legs gave way, and he involuntarily stepped back. Lin Xiao sneered, approaching with a sword flash like lightning.

"I... I surrender..." The tall man's face turned pale and he raised his hands, trying to beg for mercy.

However, Lin Xiao was unmoved, and a determined light flashed in his eyes.

"You have no chance." Lin Xiao said coldly, and stabbed the long sword suddenly, directly piercing the tall man's chest.

The tall man's body fell to the ground, blood gushing out like a fountain.

Lin Xiao gently put away his sword and stood beside the two corpses, his eyes still cold. The battle was over, and the surrounding plains seemed to have returned to peace, but he knew that this was only temporary.

Lin Xiao stood beside the two corpses, looking down at the blood on his hands, his heart calm. For him, life and death no longer held much meaning. The brutal trials had long since accustomed him to them. Every encounter was a step closer to his goal—whether it was for survival or for a higher realm.

He took a deep breath, cleaned the blood from his sword, and gazed far into the depths of the plain. Tonight's battle was just one of many trials, and every enemy before him was merely an obstacle to his progress.

"Black Wind Alliance members..." Lin Xiao muttered softly, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. The Black Wind Alliance was clearly no simple entity. If these two were members of the Black Wind Alliance, then there must be even more powerful forces hidden behind them. And these forces would obviously be extremely interested in the final spot in the trial.

Lin Xiao knew he didn't have much time to waste. If his suspicions were true, the next challenge would be far more formidable than the enemies before him.

He didn't pause, resuming his walk across the plains, trying to avoid conflict with others. Now, his most important task was to safely escape after tomorrow's trial, securing the final spot. He had already sacrificed too much for this moment, and failure was unacceptable.

As the night deepened, Lin Xiao moved through dense trees and low bushes, keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings. Moonlight filtered through the branches, casting shadows on the ground, suggesting the possibility of a dangerous enemy lurking at any moment.

Finally, Lin Xiao arrived at a relatively open area. At the end of the plain was a small hill, and on top of the hill was an abandoned camp. A few tattered tents stood quietly in the wind, as if reminding passers-by that this was once the base of a large army.

Lin Xiao's gaze narrowed slightly as he suddenly realized that other contestants might be stationed here. He carefully looked around, confirming that no enemies were following him, before quietly entering the camp.

The camp was deserted, save for a few shabby beds and a few piles of broken equipment. Lin Xiao walked to a corner where some debris was piled and found some relatively clean water bags and a few pieces of stale dry food. Without giving it much thought, he put them away.

"This shouldn't be a dangerous place." He muttered to himself, gently sorted out his backpack, and prepared to rest for a while.

However, just as he was about to sit down, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the camp. Lin Xiao immediately became alert, but he did not panic. Instead, he quickly leaned against a large tree, concealed his body, and waited quietly.

The footsteps were getting closer and closer. There seemed to be two or three people, moving swiftly and fiercely. They didn't look like ordinary contestants. Lin Xiao's heart beat faster. His hand quietly rested on the hilt of his sword, ready to strike at any moment.

Suddenly, a slightly hoarse voice sounded in the darkness: "Someone is hiding here!"

"Damn it! How did he get discovered so quickly?" Another voice said angrily, "Whoever he is, he must be dealt with tonight!"

"I'll go find him, you guys stay alert." A third voice sounded, followed by several figures quickly approaching Lin Xiao's location.

Lin Xiao's gaze was as calm as water. He knew he had no time to delay. If he were surrounded by these three men, the consequences would be disastrous. He turned abruptly, pulled a bottle of poison from his backpack, shook it gently, and slowly scattered it around. This was the poison he had previously scavenged from members of the Black Wind Alliance. It was extremely deadly. Once inhaled, it would cause the body's qi and blood to churn, easily causing serious injury or even death.

Then, Lin Xiao suddenly leaped from his hiding place, using the moonlight to dart towards the three men. Instantly, he unleashed his "Illusionary Body Technique: Imitative Moves," creating three false Lin Xiaos in the darkness, moving almost in sync with the enemy.

The three intruders clearly hadn't expected Lin Xiao to be so decisive, and they attacked almost simultaneously. One threw a fist, another drew his sword, and the third quickly set up a formation, attempting to trap Lin Xiao. However, they only saw the fake Lin Xiao being swiftly defeated, while the real Lin Xiao had already appeared behind one of them, his sword flashing like starlight, piercing out with swiftness.

"Puff!" The long sword pierced into the back of one of them, and blood splattered everywhere. The man turned around suddenly, but it was too late.

The other two men sensed danger and quickly retreated, striking back with their swords.

After Lin Xiao succeeded in his attack, he did not relax at all. He quickly avoided the two fierce sword lights. His body was as agile as a snake, dodging left and right, quickly adjusting his body shape, and successively used "Sword Qi Vertical and Horizontal Technique" and "Shadow Spirit Sword Stab", and the sword energy cut through the air like lightning.

"You are too slow." Lin Xiao said coldly, almost gradually increasing the distance between him and the enemy, with each move after another, the sense of oppression became heavier.

In the end, Lin Xiao easily avoided a sword attack and quickly turned around with a sword, killing the remaining two people on the spot.

The three men in black fell. Lin Xiao quickly searched their bodies, finding little, only a few bottles of poison and some odds and ends. He sighed inwardly and collected his spoils.

"What a trouble," he muttered, and then cast his gaze into the darkness beyond the plain.