Chapter 6: Turning the Tide in the Ruins
After obtaining the Chaos Spirit Flame Formula, Lin Yu's heart was filled with joy. For him, this was undoubtedly a tremendous fortuitous encounter. However, before he even had time to study the manual closely, a violent tremor suddenly erupted from within the ruins. The entire hall began to shake, stone chips rained down, and it seemed as though some powerful entity was about to awaken.
"Oh no, we might have triggered the protective barrier or a powerful demonic beast inside the ruins!" an elder said with a solemn expression. Everyone instantly became vigilant, tightening their grips on their magic treasures as they prepared to face the impending crisis.
As the tremors intensified, a corner of the hall slowly split open, and an ancient fierce beast, as massive as a mountain, burst out from the earth. The beast resembled a Qilin, its entire body radiating a dense aura of darkness. Its eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty gleam as it stared fiercely at the crowd.
"It's a Dark Qilin Beast! Its strength is at least at the Golden Core Realm!" a disciple recognized the origin of the beast and cried out in terror. The strength of the Golden Core Realm was an almost insurmountable chasm for everyone present. Although the elders possessed the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, facing a Golden Core Realm Dark Qilin Beast filled them with immense pressure.
The Dark Qilin Beast let out a roar, and a powerful sonic wave swept toward the crowd with physical substance. Everyone hurriedly cast defensive spells, yet quite a few disciples were still shaken to the point of vomiting blood by the sound wave.
"Don't panic, everyone! Form a formation to resist!" an elder shouted loudly in command. The disciples quickly formed a defensive array according to the formations they had learned, attempting to fend off the Dark Qilin Beast's attacks. However, the beast's attacks were far too fierce, and the formation was teetering under its impact.
Lin Yu knew very well that if he did not think of a way soon, everyone would perish here. He quickly circulated the newly acquired Chaos Spirit Flame Formula, attempting to condense the Chaos Spirit Flame. Although it was his first time practicing it, the power of the spiritual flame was still very weak, but he had no choice left except to make a desperate gamble.
Lin Yu infused the Chaos Spirit Flame into his swordsmanship and executed the Shattered Star Sword Art. Instantly, beams of sword images carrying the Chaos Spirit Flame shot toward the Dark Qilin Beast. Sensing the threat of the Chaos Spirit Flame, the beast felt a trace of dread, temporarily halting its assault on the defensive formation to deal with Lin Yu instead.
While dodging the Dark Qilin Beast's attacks, Lin Yu constantly searched for its weaknesses. Amidst the fierce battle, he discovered that the defense on the beast's abdomen was relatively weak. Seizing the timing, he executed his sword technique with all his might, and a powerful sword qi containing the Chaos Spirit Flame thrust straight toward the Dark Qilin Beast's abdomen.
Stricken with pain, the Dark Qilin Beast let out an angry roar and viciously swung its claws, lunging at Lin Yu. With a flash of his figure, Lin Yu skillfully evaded the attack. At this moment, the other elders and disciples also seized the opportunity to launch their attacks, the light of various spells intertwining as they shot together toward the Dark Qilin Beast.
Under the joint assault of the crowd, the Dark Qilin Beast gradually began to falter. It sustained multiple injuries across its body, and its dark aura became somewhat chaotic. Spotting the opportunity, Lin Yu once again condensed an even more formidable Chaos Spirit Flame and unleashed his most powerful sword strike. This strike, carrying an unstoppable momentum, drove straight into the heart of the Dark Qilin Beast.
The Dark Qilin Beast let out a piercing scream as its massive body crashed heavily to the ground. With its death, the tremors inside the ruins gradually ceased. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, casting admiring glances at Lin Yu. If Lin Yu had not stepped forward at the critical moment to turn the tide, likely none of them would have made it back alive from this trip to the ruins.
"Lin Yu, we owe this entirely to you. If not for you, it would have been difficult for any of us to escape this calamity," an elder said gratefully. The other disciples chimed in as well, praising Lin Yu's strength and courage without end.
After this crisis, no one dared to linger any longer within the ruins. They searched a bit further, found some scattered magic treasures and spiritual materials, and then left the ruins. Upon returning to the Qingxuan Sect, Lin Yu's name once again spread far and wide due to his outstanding performance in the ruins.However, he knew that his situation within the Qingxuan Sect was becoming increasingly complicated; the Great Elder Zhou Yuan and others surely would not sit back and watch him continue to grow. The road ahead remained filled with challenges and crises.