Divine Emperor Demon Emperor

Now that both had broken through to the Eighth Layer of Opening Realm, the power they unleashed in battle had more than doubled. It was likely that even an expert at the First Layer of Qi Sea Realm would have been beaten to a pulp by them.

"AHH! Lin Shan, I don’t believe this! I am Tang Wushuang of the Royal Family, a true prodigy! A lowly peasant like you is no match for me!" Having failed to defeat Lin Yun for so long and finding himself suppressed instead, Tang Wushuang roared with fury.

"Hmph. A member of the Royal Family? A prodigy? Today, I’ll shatter that pride of yours." With a cold snort, Lin Yun’s assault intensified. The Black Steel Tyrant Fist, whose True Intent he had long since grasped, now unleashed its full might.

The awe-inspiring, tyrannical aura radiating from Lin Yun made him seem more like an Emperor. Tang Wushuang, in contrast, looked like a mere Martial Artist challenging an emperor’s majesty.

"Break!" Facing Tang Wushuang’s Golden Light Seal, Lin Yun threw a devastating punch. A powerful shockwave rippled outward, instantly blasting the three spectators dozens of meters away.

The fierce, continuous battle eventually fell into a stalemate. Tang Wushuang was powerless against Lin Yun, while Lin Yun was unable to injure Tang Wushuang in the short term.

Both rapidly consumed their Elemental Power until, finally, Tang Wushuang’s was depleted once again. Relying on his Flawless Flesh Body, Lin Yun utterly crushed Tang Wushuang once more.

"I hate you, Lin Shan, you despicable villain! If we were outside, I, Tang Wushuang, would definitely beat you to a pulp!" Captured by Lin Yun and with his meridians sealed once again, Tang Wushuang roared madly.

Needless to say, with his meridians sealed, another round of inhuman torture awaited Tang Wushuang. The feeling of falling from heaven into hell was driving him completely mad.

"Take him away. There’s less than a month left. ’Entertain’ him well. I don’t want him to leave with any regrets," he instructed the three men.

Hearing this, the three men gave sheepish smiles. Without another word, they carried Tang Wushuang back to their cave. What happened next went without saying; Tang Wushuang had returned to a life of utter darkness and despair.

Lin Yun cultivated every day. His Cultivation at the Eighth Layer of Opening Realm was now completely consolidated, and he was slowly advancing toward the Ninth Layer of Opening Realm. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before he broke through.

Beyond that, what pleased Lin Yun most was that after breaking through to the Eighth Layer of Opening Realm, his body could now perfectly absorb a whole Qi Essence Pill, whereas before it could only handle half of one.

Refining one Qi Essence Pill a day... back at the Academy, that would be considered monstrous. An ordinary student, even one from the Elite Class or Genius Class, would need at least four or five days to do the same.

His ability to withstand the energy of a Qi Essence Pill and absorb it completely within a single day, all while still in the Opening Realm, was attributable to two things.

First, of course, was the power of his two cultivation techniques. Operating them simultaneously was like having two Martial Artists absorb a single Qi Essence Pill, naturally increasing the speed. On top of that, both were Unparalleled Divine Techniques, immeasurably superior to any of the cultivation techniques available at the Academy.

Second was his Flawless Flesh Body. It was precisely because of its power that Lin Yun’s body could withstand the energy from a Qi Essence Pill without exploding.

Thanks to these two advantages, Lin Yun’s cultivation speed reached a new level. He trained frantically every day, and his progress was undeniable.

A breakthrough that would take an ordinary person half a year or even a full year would likely only take Lin Yun a month or two.

Day and night blurred together in the focus of cultivation. Soon, half a year had passed. Most people would have gained nothing in Celestial Net Peak, but that was not the case for Lin Yun.

Within those six months, Lin Yun’s gains had been enormous. Not only had his own strength broken through to the Eighth Layer of Opening Realm, but he had also acquired the Space Rings of Tang Wushuang and his master.

What satisfied Lin Yun most was that over these six months, he had tormented Tang Wushuang relentlessly, forcing him to live every day in a state of extreme, suppressed humiliation.

The six months were up. 「On this day」 A Steward from the Punishment Hall arrived outside Celestial Net Peak. Lin Yun’s teacher, Zhong Lin, had also come to pick him up.

"Lin Shan, Tang Wushuang, your time is up. You may now leave Celestial Net Peak." A voice echoed from the sky, and a small opening immediately materialized in the Array protecting the peak.

"I can finally get out of here," Lin Yun said with a faint smile as he walked out of his cave.

"Congratulations, Young Master Lin..." The other three, having also heard the announcement, hurried over to congratulate him. Behind them, a completely disheveled Tang Wushuang glared at Lin Yun with pure fury, though he didn’t dare to speak his mind.

Smiling at the three, Lin Yun replied, "Not bad. You’ve done well. I’m leaving now. You can come find me when you get out in the future."

"Thank you, Young Master Lin. But about what’s... on us..." one of the three asked cautiously.

At this, Lin Yun finally remembered they were asking about the seeds. He burst out laughing. "Haha, I never planted any seeds in you. That was all a lie. I’ll say no more. Just remember to find me when you get out."

Still laughing, Lin Yun walked out of Celestial Net Peak. Watching his retreating figure, the three men were, surprisingly, not angry. It was clear that following Lin Yun for this period had made them less resentful; they had witnessed his immense Combat Power firsthand. ’Maybe following an expert like him wouldn’t be so bad,’ they thought.

"Lin Shan." Seeing Lin Yun emerge from the Array completely unscathed, Zhong Lin called out softly.

"Teacher." Hearing his name, Lin Yun hurried over to Zhong Lin and bowed in greeting.

"Mm... You actually reached the Eighth Layer of Opening Realm? Excellent. To be able to break through inside Celestial Net Peak is quite an achievement." Zhong Lin said with a slight smile, having noticed Lin Yun’s new Cultivation level.

"I was merely fortunate," Lin Yun replied humbly.

"Hmph. It seems Wushuang didn’t find you in there. Otherwise, there would be no ’fortune’ to speak of," snorted Tang Wushuang’s master, who had emerged earlier.

However, the moment the words left his mouth, the sneer on his face froze. He could only watch as Tang Wushuang staggered out, reeking of a foul stench.

At this moment, Tang Wushuang bore no resemblance whatsoever to the Young Prince of Yunlu County. Even a beggar on the street would have looked better.

"Lin Shan... Master, kill him!" The moment he stepped out of the Array and saw his teacher, Tang Wushuang shrieked like a madman. It was clear from his appearance that he had suffered greatly inside.

"What? You want another beating?" Lin Yun asked, looking at him with a smile.

They had entered at the same time, but six months later, their situations were polar opposites. Lin Yun was completely unscathed and even looked well-off. Tang Wushuang, in contrast, was in a wretched state, looking like a common beggar.

Ignoring Tang Wushuang’s roars, his master knew this wasn’t the time to make a move. For one thing, he was no match for Zhong Lin. More importantly, Tang Wushuang’s mind was clearly unstable. And besides, he was preoccupied with his Space Ring; the connection had been inexplicably severed, and he needed to go to the Punishment Hall at once to confirm what happened.